First Impressions: Fates and Furies

A woman attempts to climb the social ladder by means of vengeance and ambition in order to capture one man's heart. 

Goo Hae-Ra (Lee Min-Jung) is in a state of hopelessness as her father's shoemaking business crumbles and she's left to pragmatically look after her sister, after a suicide attempt leaves her sister in a vegetative state. Chased by loan sharks and used as a tool for simply being female, she accepts the offer of a lifetime when Jin Tae-Oh (Lee Ki-Woo) asks her to steal a man's heart by any means possible. Little does she know that genuine love exists between her and Tae In-Joon (Joo Sang-Wook) the man she approaches with ulterior motives in order to live a life of ease and complete her end of the bargain.

I definitely wanted to see how the drama would unfold and prolonged a First Impressions post because this seemingly atypical melodrama series like many others, always has me shifting and reforming opinions down the line in comparison to the first few episodes. And I'm glad I waited it out since there's aspects of the show I've grown to like and things that I wish would change.

As far as characters go, Hae-Ra is a bit of an anti-heroine which is a nice change for once but also not surprising considering the genre. Melodramas tend to have female leads with a paroxysm of emotion and personal turmoil and Hae-Ra definitely fits into that category. In-Joon on the other hand, only has tense relationships with his fiancee and family since the only person who ever meant anything to him was his deceased mother.

What I find most compelling about the two is how similar the leads are regardless of their statuses and social spheres and their similarities create this undercurrent that sparks their romance. So the drama goes beyond a woman trying to break ceilings, but a couple breaking down walls and rebuilding them to their own design.

The chemistry is hands down the best thing about this show. Lee Min-Jung and Joo Sang-Wook were an incredible onscreen couple in Cunning Single Lady and they're synergy is just as amazing in Fates and Furies; it's definitely the most captivating factor about this show. What's interesting is how they're able to maintain this phenomenal chemistry despite the entirely different genre this time around but it's there nonetheless, through their very stares and subtle (but not so subtle) glances.

I do have a few qualms with where the show is headed and what its done halfway. It does lag and could use more progression and the scheming and vengeful plotting is turning petty so soon. Think early 2000s melo K-dramas and you get our second male and female leads since their irrational and unfathomable emotions as well as behaviours create the main form of conflict within the series. 

I find the second female lead so overdone and horrible as a character (this could very well be the Writer's intentions) that I find myself fast forwarding her scenes and root for Hae-Ra anytime the two of them have physical scuffles, but by no means would I have a change of heart if Cha Soo-Hyun (So Yi-Hyun) has positive character change or redemption. It's clear when a show tries to increase the tension but this drama does have a tendency to overdo it in the most dramatic ways with Cha Soo-Hyun acting as a vile human being in order to convey this sense of deplorableness embodied by elite women. 

I do appreciate the social messages and love story but the chaebol antics founded on the shoe business as well as political marriages and conglomerate business transactions through all aspects of life a tad draining. There's also quite a bit of domestic abuse and violence portrayed that hasn't been addressed yet, so the Writers better get on that before it becomes normalized and the audience desensitized to it, simply labelling it as part of the evil mother in-law's character. I'm hoping when Hae-Ra walks into the chaebol household,  she'll give them all a piece of her mind since she's uncompromising and sick of what her life has become at the hands of others.

So the question remains, do I love this or hate it? There's aspects I like and things the show could clearly do without. It's traditional K-drama formula set within the melo genre, with a cast that knows how to deliver. I'd give it a chance but if this isn't your cup of tea, I don't blame you. Although I have to admit, Joo Sang-Wook's romantic lines are quite deadly for my heart.

Release Date: December 1, 2018 (Eng Sub available on Viki)

2PM's Nichkhun reunite with Fei in Tencent drama Shall We Fall In Love

Wang Feifei and Nichkhun from 2016

Shall We Fall In Love 勇往直前恋上你 will premiere as a Tencent web drama on December 27, 2018. It stars Nichkhun, Daisy Li Muchen, Wang Zirui and Wang Feifei. The cast is really the only reason this drama got on my radar, and it's not for the main couple but the randomness of 2PM's Nichkhun and former Miss A member Fei who both had their start in K-pop crossing paths in a c-drama. Maybe it's not so random considering that both have starred in dramas before. 

Nichkhun and Daisy Li Muchen (Shall We Fall In Love Poster)

Shall We Fall In Love is a light workplace romance that follows Nichkhun as a jobless loafer who gets provoked to apply for a top company and gets in. Initially elated at the opportunity to work and spend time with the girl that he fancies, he struggles to keep his job when the company realizes that they hired him by mistake. Fei plays the second lead who makes life hard for the heroine. 

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First Impressions: Encounter

A magical and romantic encounter in Havana becomes a meaningful memory for two people living in opposite worlds.

Encounter or Boyfriend (alternate title) is about Cha Soo-Hyun (Song Hye-Kyo) the CEO of Donghwan Hotels and the daughter of a Congressman, considered a dignified woman with a career and prestige. While on a business trip to Cuba, she meets Kim Jin-Hyuk (Park Bo-Gum) a young traveler with a love for photography. They spend one eventful day together under the Cuban sun and part ways, never to meet again but fate has other things in store for them. 

Jin-Hyuk manages to land a job at Donghwan Hotel and discovers that his mystery woman is none other than the CEO of the company. The two push and pull as a result of their statuses but get drawn towards each other the more they resist. 

Trust me when I say this was well on my radar and I haven't been a dormant drama watcher all this while. I wanted to wait it out a bit to see where the drama would take me and my initial thoughts remain the same; watching this show is like viewing a fine art piece. It's stylistic and well thought out since the characters are quite complex with a story that's sad at times but worthwhile and bright from the romance and chemistry. And I wouldn't say calling it an art piece is dramatic since the drama contains an artistic quality about it that you can't help but admire.

As far as characters go, I appreciate this reversal since it's no longer 'rich guy meets poor girl' and Cha Soo-Hyun as a female character is psychologically deep and alluring. Soo-Hyun has lived a life for others and finds no happiness despite her position, still having to breathe under the manipulations of her ex mother in-law and status craving mother. I think the power dynamics among all three women is fascinating (even if I want to throw a few punches at the mothers) since what they value and hold dear is strikingly different, stemming from who they are as women and their beliefs of how a woman should present herself. 

For someone who can afford all the luxuries in the world, Soo-Hyun's needs and desires are quite ordinary and even eccentric since she's been so far removed from the ordinary in all the stages of her life. And I bring this up because Jin-Hyuk turns out to be someone she finds comfort in and admits the things she wishes to do despite having to repress herself for so long, and he willing tells her she should do what she wants. His consistent acts of encouragement allow Soo-Hyun, whose been suffocated to death by those around her to finally be herself and develop herself as a person first and foremost. 

That being the case, the progression of the romance is impressively steady and sweet which is quite the feat considering the melancholy and notes of realism to the story. Societal pressures, ageism, elitism, and media attention are all aspects the drama touches upon and they're all illustrated in ways that are believable and food for thought. They're the odds that are stacked against our couple and the pains and trials they face are heartbreaking but create significant character growth and maturity.

Jin-Hyuk is exuberant and simplistic but extremely deep and sensitive towards Soo-Hyun and his conceptions of humanity. She's been demoted as a human being, and he discovers her yearning and bottled up emotions the more he steps into her world and becomes involved with her. Jin-Hyuk as a character, is transparent since he always says what's on his mind and he's definitely not the brooding or cold type but there's also an air of mystery surrounding his thoughts since he allows himself to walk the path his heart chooses. His actions aren't entirely driven by logic which makes Jin-Hyuk such a fresh character; he's non-calculative and nice to the core, which is a novelty if you ask me. 

I don't think I could have envisioned two better actors for the roles since Song Hye-Kyo has an eloquence to her mannerisms and speech while Park Bo-Gum is a bright personality to begin with and truly does give off the 'boyfriend' vibe. I'll admit to having apprehensions about the pairing but my worries vanished within the first episode, and I'm reprimanding myself for ever doubting them.

I also enjoy the drama for being thought provoking, forming a ladder for the romance to climb on since I've seen my fair share of melo-romances that have given us one too many aggressive male leads and women who are meant to be nothing more than emotional tools to remedy the imbalance in a male protagonist's life. So I applaud TvN for ending the year with a drama that's more sophisticated and self-aware of drama tropes and conventions even with the romantic cliches presented here. The show manages to bypass typical material that's been reused and reformatted over and over again. 

After binging plenty of episodes, I can definitely say this drama is on my weekly watchlist because of the dreamy encounter in Cuba to the bittersweet story that follows afterwards.

Release Date: November 28, 2018 (Eng Sub available on Viki)

The King Of Blaze 2 (2018)

The modern installment of The King of Blaze is here!! The original cast comprised of Chen Bolin, Jing Tian, Zhang Yijie, Lai Yumeng, Sun Shaolong, Du Junze, Liu Hailan, Zhang Weina, Zhang Junhan, Fan Yixuan, Wang Qianhang and Zhu Yuxin. Considering that the continuation of the story was pre-planned and filming took place consecutively, all return for The King of Blaze 2 火王之千里同风 which will be 33 episodes long.  

Unlike the first series, The King of Blaze 2 takes place in the present instead of the past.  The story follows a bright young scientist who brings together a group of people in the hopes of finding alternative and renewable clean energy sources while also trying to safeguard the planet from pollution and disasters.  He meets a female reporter in one of his interviews and despite their differences, they somehow manage to hit it off.  The plot thickens when the scientist's research is stolen and they get into all sorts of trouble trying to take it back. 

Release Date: December 18, 2018 (two episodes every Monday-Thursday at 10pm) 

Vote for your favorite Chinese dramas in 2018. 

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First Impressions: Memories of the Alhambra

One of the most anticipated fantasy series of the year finally premieres! It's all about teleported magic, virtual reality, and love in Granada, Spain.

Yoo Jin-Woo (Hyun Bin) is the CEO of a highly successful investment company with a doctorate in engineering, and interest in game development. While on a business trip to Barcelona, he receives a mysterious call from a programmer who asks to meet in Granada. Their meeting point is Hostel Bonita run by Jung Hee-Joo (Park Shin-Hye) who starts off on the wrong foot during her first encounter with Jin-Woo. Disregarding Hee-Joo and her lack of financial sense, Jin-Woo becomes enthralled when he experiences the magic of a virtual reality game created by the elusive programmer who never shows up.

Taken back to 1492, the game brings the events of the Reconquista to life using state of the art technology. Seeing the potential of the game which is worth trillions of won, Jin-Woo discovers that the genius game creator he wishes to sign a deal with is 17 year-old Jung Se-Joo (Park Chan-Yeol) who is none other than Hee-Joo's younger brother. Flabbergasted, Jin-Woo has to convince the clueless Hostel praton to be the signing guardian of a gaming deal that will go down in history and alter the game developing world.

What a fantastic premiere and great way to end a drama slump that has been formed over the past two months! Ever since casting news was announced, I've been keeping my eyes peeled and watching this like a hawk, and my hopes were not misplaced! This delivered on a scale I didn't anticipate and met all my expectations. So long wishy-washy shows and feelings of disappointment!

Written by the Writer of W: Two Worlds Collide and directed by the highly praised Ahn Gil-Ho who was behind Forest of Secrets, they're creative processes and capabilities combine nicely to give us Memories of the Alhambra. The idea of turning AR (augmented reality) into a genre would make sense coming from the mind of the Scriptwriter who wrote W: Two Worlds Collide since that took the drama world by storm with its comic-world meets reality subject matter. Yet unlike the former, Memories of the Alhambra isn't heavily focused on fated love that turns overly cringy and a plot that became messy in the second half (or at least that's what I can hope for and pray the Writer has read everyone's commentary on it) since the storyline seems highly detailed and hyper-fixated on aspects regarding the drama's AR elements.

I'm glad this was placed in TvN's hands, because it's nice to see two big names like Hyun Bin and Park Shin-Hye in a cable network series instead of being typecast in a generic drama produced by one of the larger broadcasting networks. The high production quality is reminiscent of Goblin but because this show is reliant on special effects, it goes beyond what we've seen in dramas prior to it. As far as their interactions go, I have no qualms with the acting since the first episode is mainly focused on Jin-Woo's discovery of the incredible game and I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing of the show as it never slows down or lags, giving us a tightly executed premiere.

Unlike the few negative comments that have been sacking the series along with other dramas and calling it another 'generic' and 'boring' show, I have to disagree even with my own bias opinions aside. I've never come across a K-drama like this in all the years I've been watching Korean dramas and have to admit that this is one show that will set itself apart with its' integration of genres and distinct tone and setting. 

Granada historically, is a hybrid of cultures and styles, creating a unique backdrop for such a series to base its foundations and game elements on. Considering the Writer, it'll be exciting to see how the lines of a medieval virtual reality blur with the present to illustrate a fresh story that we've all been thirsting for. Gaming as a main genre or even as a subsect has never been portrayed in a K-drama before, so we can all expect this to be quite the thrilling ride with plenty of potential and curiosity to peak anyone's interest.

If you haven't noticed already, I have nothing but praise for what the drama has accomplished and delivered thus far and can only hope that it maintains its momentum, unique style, and intriguing story to never stagnant and to leave a lasting impression as the year draws to an end. So here's to wishing that Alhambra is more than a magical place to visit, but becomes the milieu of a drama we can all positively love. 

Release Date: December 1, 2018 (Eng Sub available on Netflix)