I start a lot of k-dramas so this entire column is pretty much dedicated to either my first impressions as I lambast the first episode or my opinions on however many episodes I have watched so far. I try to tone down on my aggression (see the last review, my opinion of that drama has dropped much further since writing that), but don’t take anything personally! Or do. Everyone likes and dislikes certain dramas, I just happen to dislike most of them.

I currently don’t have a proper rating system in place so it’ll probably change each time until I settle on something. This time I’m going from best to worst: S, A, B, C, D, F.

Happiness (해피니스):

There have been so many monster shows and movies already. If I scroll through Netflix, I can get a whole page of search results, all telling the same story in different ways. Monster stories are always the best when they reflect the monsters back at us. Seeing humans betray one another out of greed and desperation is infuriating but also strangely thrilling. In the past few years, South Korea has come out with a few good monster flicks such as Train to Busan and Sweet Home, but most of them end up blending together into mediocrity. Happiness is an exception.

There are two main reasons I decided to watch the zombie show Happiness: Han Hyo Joo and Park Hyung Sik. I became a fan of them after watching W: Two Worlds and Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. They have so much charm, so easy on the eyes, and they’d be doing stunts and fighting people. It was the perfect lure for me, and it’s kept my attention weekly as each episode has dropped.

While I applaud our main couple, there is another actor who rounds out the protagonists of this show, Han Tae Seok, played by Jo Woo Jin. Han Tae Seok is the man in charge of stopping the disease and coming up with a cure. He’s cold, pragmatic, and a total badass. His motivations are crystal clear and despite all the crap he pulls, it’s difficult not to sympathize, and at times agree, with his methods.

This drama definitely showcases the worst of humanity through the tenants that are trapped in an apartment complex because of quarantine. If the main characters weren’t so lovable and sweet, then I would’ve given up on this show as soon as we established their neighbors. There are some truly despicable people, some that you can’t help but root for, and those that you can’t quite put a finger on. 

But ultimately, what I found to be the most refreshing in Happiness was the disease. Nicknamed mad-dog disease, people who have it have a hunger for human flesh. What sets mad-dog disease apart is that the living dead are not in fact dead. People who are infected go back and forth between being human and zombie, struggling more and more to control their cannibalistic urges until the disease eventually kills them. This brings up an interesting dilemma. What do you do with someone who is infected? Do you consider them human or monster? There isn’t an easy way to stop the monsters either unless you’re up for murder because–don’t forget–they’re still alive. Happiness tackles this subject with gusto and lets us struggle with what to do along with the tenants of Le Ciel apartment. 

The entire show finished up recently so there’s no need to impatiently wait for each episode to come out. I think it’s well worth the watch.

Rating: S

Red Sleeve (옷소매 붉은 끝동): 

Sageuks, Korean historical dramas, are always a hit or miss for me. I love the colorful costumes and beautiful scenery, but more often than not, the story begins to peter out for me rather quickly. Usually, it’s the obligatory court politics that throw me for a loop. I don’t care that there’s an evil minister. Or a weak king. The Crown Prince is in love with the servant girl? I don’t care! It’s a headache to watch forty minutes of scheming and backroom deals just for the leads to gaze at each other longingly for about five minutes. There’s just too much crap blocking the romance.

Red Sleeve is set up pretty much with that formula. Lee Se Young plays Sung Duk Im, a young woman who will live out most of her days in the palace as a court maid working in the East Palace, also known as the Crown Prince’s Palace. The Crown Prince, played by 2PM’s Junho(!), falls in love with her and they have to cross many hurdles to end up together. 

The reason I started watching Red Sleeve is because praise for the drama continues to rise with each episode. I’ve been in a bit of a drama rut recently, so I decided to give it a go. And I am so glad I did.

Because Red Sleeve is based on real people, the writers seem to know where they want to go with the story. When sageuks are about fictitious characters, there are usually a few filler episodes or dragged-out conflicts because the drama doesn’t seem to know what story it wants to tell. With Red Sleeve, there seems to be a goal in mind for the writers. In the episodes I have watched, they have shown the nuances of being a court lady and the lack of agency people trade in exchange for a reliable occupation within the palace. Even the King, played wonderfully by Lee Deok Hwa, is given so much characterization, no longer the lame figurehead that I’ve grown so used to. 

Oh, and did I mention I actually enjoy the court politics? That was the biggest surprise for me. Instead of watching people whisper all the time and carry out their nefarious plots badly, we get to watch some very clever verbal spars and power struggles between the women of the palace as well as the difficult relationship between the Crown Prince and the King. Nothing feels wasted, and it showcases how clever and resourceful Duk Im and the rest of the main characters are.

So really, this long-ass review is me telling you to watch Red Sleeve, or at least give it a try, because you might be just as pleasantly surprised as I am.

Rating: A (so far. there’s definitely room to go up or down)

Now We Are Breaking Up (지금, 헤어지는 중입니다): 

Okay, I confess, I went into this drama with absolutely no expectations. I had already heard all the rants about how wacky the plot was and how soulless the actors were, but the only thing I wanted was to see EXO’s Sehun on the small screen. So I watched the very first episode, and now I definitely have opinions.

The show opens with Song Hye Kyo’s character, Ha Young Eun, narrating about the fashion industry. She tells us that it is fast-paced and concludes with nothing is eternal. A little bleak, a little existential. Very relatable. Then we fast forward through a fashion show, the afterparty, and a hook up between Young Eun and a “stranger”. I’m guessing the camerawork was supposed to be sexy, but with no context or attachment to any of these characters, I was just mildly disoriented by the close-ups. Her exciting night ends with some poorly spoken French (I would know with my four years of high school French), and I was glad to get that over with.

I’m not going to give a minute-by-minute recap for the rest of the episode, because I do not have the patience nor the prose, but here are my overall impressions.

The cast and the styling are gorgeous. Song Hye Kyo is beautiful. Jang Ki Young is dashing. They live up to their subject matter visually. As for the rest of it? The acting is bland but passable. I only watched the first episode so maybe there are more glaring flaws as the show goes on, but I wasn’t offended by it. The characters are kind of boring. Lots of smirking from the male lead and long stares, but I wasn’t very into it. The side characters didn’t stand out, although I have a feeling there are a few that will get on people’s nerves if they don’t tone it down fast. Also, the plot is nowhere in sight. I know it’s a romance, but I have no idea where they’re going with the story. You can get away with romance being the driving plot when there’s oodles of chemistry and characters are built up right off the bat, but there’s not really any of that. Just pretty people and pretty clothes.

Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to bother with continuing this. It was a bit of a slog to get through and it’s not really the type of drama I usually like. I’ll probably just watch clips of Sehun on Twitter when he finally shows up. For now? We are breaking up. 😉

Rating: D