The King: Eternal Monarch: Episode 13

I didn't expect that The King: Eternal Monarch would be limiting this week's episode into one after dropping bombs the previous week, but of course health is of more importance and should definitely come first before anything else. So yeah, no gripes, anyway this week's episode delivered okay so I'm still good.

For starters, I'm happy that a few of my theories from the previous week had been correct. So basically, those who have had their counterparts killed do show burn marks on their bodies especially during rainy days, and that the ones that the forensic officer have seen prior to Kim Gi Hwan's incident have all been from those who served terms in prison for parricide, probably because their doppelganger's family risks them of getting their secret exposed. Okaaay.

I'm also amazed at how Gon indeed ended up as his younger self's savior as revealed in this episode. Since Tae-eul handed Gon that black clothes, I knew it resembled the one that young Gon's savior was wearing during the coup. Since Luna had Tae-eul's original ID, their meeting also explains how Gon had the ID when he went back in time to save his younger self. Okaaaay.

But... I have to say it was kind of dumb of Gon to not be able to recognize that the woman in front of him wasn't Tae-eul when he had always been declaring his love for her out in the open. I mean, for someone who claims to have loved Tae-eul the way he does, shouldn't he be able to recognize Tae-eul no matter what? Let's take Eun-bi for example. Despite being a kindergartner, she was able to easily sense that Yeong wasn't his brother, and by the time Eun-sup finally got back, both Eun-bi and Na-ri were able to recognize that the one in front of them at that very moment was the real Eun-sup.

Also, what was that about Lee Lim's realization that Gon was his younger self's savior? Apart from overseeing a billboard of Gon, there hadn't been any other hints that could direct Lee Lim to think that way. I mean, you've been to and from the Kingdom for a few years now and have seen Gon's face plastered in billboards for sooo many times, yet you only realize that important fact now? Are you serious?! That was rather lackluster and came across as something that was written only because it was what was convenient for the plot, and for what was about to happen next. Bummer.

But yeah, now that time travel's not just a possibility but is officially out in the open, I wonder how this is going to get explained in the next episodes... We're down to only three more eps until the finale but I feel like there's still a lot of things that needs to be covered and a lot more questions that needs to be answered. I'm not sure if the remaining three episodes are enough to wrap up this complicated parallel universe story, which is probably why I no longer care if the ending's going to be happy, tragic or whatever. At this point, I only want an ending that makes sense. So please, drama gods. Please don't let this show be a waste in the end.

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TAGS: K-Drama, K-Drama Ramblings, Kim Go Eun, Lee Min Ho, Netflix, Woo Do Hwan   Edit

The King: Eternal Monarch: Episode 11-12

I feel like this week had been The King: Eternal Monarch's best week yet, with Episode 11 the best episode it has aired to date, ever. One, that kidnapping scene of Tae-eul was lit. I may not be a fan of this show's romance nor was I delighted with Gon's rescue scene at the end of Episode 11 (I thought that was sort of cringey), but Kim Go Eun is doing fine as Jeong Tae-eul, that's for sure. I love how Tae-eul was no damsel in distress (except when she's with Gon. well 🙄) in this show and that was definitely evident in the way she sneaked past her kidnappers in Episode 11. Even though she was already helpless and was relying on Gon receiving her New Year's message so she could get rescued, she wasn't going down without a fight, and that was such a joy to watch.

Second, I also love how the show has progressed to its latest reveals in spite of it being a slow burn. I love a drama that makes me think and theorize along the way, especially when a theory I've come up with turns out to be correct in the end. That being said, I have a lot of theories for The King: Eternal Monarch right now. One is about the burn marks that show up in Lee Gon's shoulder whenever it's raining—I think these marks only show up to those who went to the Kingdom and vice versa, whose doppelgangers are already dead and/or have been killed. Tae-eul and Yeong never had to deal with a burn mark like Gon's probably because Eun-sup and Luna are still very much alive in both worlds. I'm not quite sure about Sin-jae and Court Lady Noh's case though... It's either Sin-jae's doppelganger is still alive, or Court Lady Noh's doppelganger has died a natural death and it wouldn't count as something that warrants an equivalent burn mark since the balance of both worlds have not been disrupted this way.

I also think the location of the burn marks have something to do about the doppelganger's reason of death. Lee Lim's mark show on his neck, and in Episode 1 it was shown how he killed his doppelganger by breaking his neck. But then again this theory could be wrong as at the end of Episode 12, the stable worker's burn mark was shown in his stomach. If I remember correctly, the murder of the stable worker's doppelganger was the same case that Tae-eul was working on during the first two episodes of The King, and that the stable worker's doppelganger seemed to have died from a blow to the head and not to his stomach. I'm also not sure about Lee Gon's younger counterpart in the Republic—I'm not quite sure if the young Lee Ji-hun was stabbed by Lee Lim at the same location where Gon has his burn marks so again, this theory could be wrong.

Apart from these, I'm also curious about who saved Gon from the coup when he was just a child. I think the show is hinting at a possibility of time travel given Tae-eul's remark about a royal cloth that's still in the works in Episode 12, which Gon had supposedly been wearing in a brief visit to her during an earlier episode. Should time travel be among the active mechanism that makes The King work, could it be plausible that Gon's savior was actually himself? I mean, the build of young Gon's savior likely matches that of Lee Min Ho (ala City Hunter), and apart from Tae-eul, he's the only other person who has an attachment to Tae-eul's ID to be carrying it around like that. Hmmm. Should this theory be correct, I wonder how this will play out and how it would affect the story as a whole.

And what about this kid whom Luna has constantly been talking to since the previous episodes? He mentioned to Tae-eul that there is only one of him in this world, that he warns the people of danger, and that he's restoring the balance. Does that make him a deity, then? A deity like the one who had been possessing Deok Hwa's body in Goblin? Hmmm. That's also an interesting point.

Aaaaand regarding the cliffhanger in Episode 12 about Court Lady Noh's question to Tae-eul, I think it could either be a trick question to get Tae-eul to open up more, or it could be that Court Lady Noh really was from the Republic and has crossed over to the Kingdom as June 1950 refers to the date of the Korean War which has happened in the Republic. Should the latter be the case, can it be assumed that the Manpasikjeok has been used by rulers before Gon's father to travel to and from the parallel worlds? Has there been a mention of this in previous eps? Otherwise, why would Court Lady Noh be sooo understanding of Gon's disappearing stints when he's supposed to be a king, right?

Despite Court Lady Noh's intriguing position though, I think the real cliff hanger for this week is Prime Minister Koo and her burn marks. I knew it was her that Tae-eul was tailing in Episode 11 when she went to the department store to buy heels for herself. Heels are a trademark of Prime Minister Koo, and that reaction she had when she ordered her drink and met Yeong at Na-ri's milk tea shop was already a key take away about her identity. What I'm wondering now is the reason why she had to cross over, and why Koo Eun-a had to be killed too at the same time.

So yeah. This is the reason why I continue to enjoy watching The King: Eternal Monarch despite the unending backlash—I'm still curious about the story, the parallel world's mechanism, and the mystery it has built-up since the beginning of the show. Sure it may not be flawless, but all this curiosity is already a good enough reason for me to continue watching The King through—up until the end. I hope the takeaways in the finale would be worth the headache that this show has brought, and that it wouldn't be too lackluster nor disappointing for a show that's been too hyped. 🙂

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TAGS: K-Drama, K-Drama Ramblings, Kim Go Eun, Lee Min Ho, Netflix, The King: Eternal Monarch, Woo Do Hwan   Edit

Random Thoughts on Hospital Playlist

I tried to stay away.

I told myself I wouldn't be watching Hospital Playlist until it gets completed because so far that's how I have enjoyed some of Shin Won Ho's dramas such as Reply 1997 and Prison Playbook, but after seeing several clips about the show, the temptations grew harder to resist day by day.

This is your fault, Jung Kyung Ho. You too, BFF Band.

So far I like the drama. I like the same heartwarming experience I used to get with PD's previous shows. I like the lessons and realizations that go along with it, and I like the relationship there is between the five doctor friends.

And I like Chae Song Hwa. A lot, lot, lot.

So yeah. Hospital Playlist is a pretty good watch. At times though, I feel it isn't as strong as how Prison Playbook came off strong for me. I can't pinpoint exactly what's off or missing, but nevertheless, the show's a pretty good watch.

I think I can smell withdrawal symptoms on my end as early as now, too. Screw you, Kyung Ho.

PS. Hospital Playlist has a lot of really good OSTs. Plus the fact that the BFF Band covers most of these songs as a form of their "hobby" was amazing. I like In Front of City Hall Subway Station and Aloha the most, but Joy's Introduce Me A Good Person has been stuck in my mind for quite some time now. I'm pretty sure I already heard it in a drama somewhere... I was suspecting Marriage Not Dating but I haven't had any luck at finding proof for that. I've already whacked my brain too, but I still can't remember where the fudge have I heard it. I even tried googling, but still haven't found answers. Where oh where...

Anyway, here's the MV for the second OST sung by Joy, in case you might have an idea where the song had been used for apart from Hospital Playlist. Thanky! 😊

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TAGS: Hospital Playlist, Introduce Me A Good Person, Jeon Mi Do, Jo Jung Suk, Joy, Jung Kyung Ho, K-Drama, K-Drama Ramblings, Netflix, Red Velvet, tvN   Edit

The King: Eternal Monarch: Episode 8

I don't get all the hate there is for this drama. It may be a tad slow, its dialogue doesn't seem to be its best foot either, but I don't think it's that bad. There's probably something off (or missing) either in the directing or the script, but that aside, the cinematography is absolutely stunning, and the drama's actually quite interesting.

First, I never expected that Sin-jae was from the Kingdom too. So that was why he kept on asking Gon about the emblem. Second, Luna. I'm curious about her backstory—who she is, what she wants, why she does the things that she does. She seems to be after an end goal of some sort and I hope the show would be able to work on that well. Honestly, I hope the show would be able to work on the premise it has built-up way better than what we have now. Some of the confusion had already been cleared by Episode 8, but somehow some other points still feel like a miss. I'm still not feeling Lee Min Ho's character, for one. Sure Lee Gon's got brain but there's still something about him that feels quite two-dimensional. The same goes for the Prime Minister. I thought she was gutsy, but with lines like "what does she have that I don't" she's becoming more of the typical second lead that's usually hated by many. And nope, still not on board with the romance either. Still feels forced and off the rail for me. 🤷

But I must mention Woo Do Hwan though. Again sir, you are a masterpiece in this show! I can't remember how many times I've replayed the scene where Yeong coolly popped out of nowhere to protect Gon, and then acted like a nutjob that's been possessed by Eun-sup when he was on the verge of getting busted by the detectives. The way he had shut his king from talking? Ha. Plus, I love the bromance. Woo Do Hwan's bromance with himself. 😎

Here's to hoping the next episodes would get better, better, better. 

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TAGS: K-Drama, K-Drama Ramblings, Kim Go Eun, Lee Min Ho, The King: Eternal Monarch   Edit

Review: 365: Repeat the Year (2020)

Is fate pre-determined or can it be changed? Given the chance to alter your life by going back a year, does your future change along with it, or does it end up the same?

These are the questions that ten different people seek answers for as they undergo a chance to 'reset' their lives a year back in MBC's comeback drama for its Monday-Tuesday time slot, 365: Repeat the Year.

Image via MBC.

Smart and tightly written. This is how I'd like to sum up the ride that was 365: Repeat the Year. It's been quite long time since I have felt this engaged and intrigued (as well as impatient) in a drama, to the point that it'd make me watch a livestream of its episode even if I hardly understand a thing that is being said in it. Indeed, this show proved to be an intensely thrilling watch from Day 1 to 12, and will surely sit on the list of my most favorite dramas for a long, long, time.

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»

1) Suspenseful, Carefully Thought of Plot. Truth be told, this drama's premise isn't something that's easy to handle. One mistake in the plot can make all of the show's efforts go down the drain in just a snap. That being said, I really appreciate how carefully thought of 365: Repeat the Year was. Despite the roller-coaster ride and the plot twists here and there, writer-nim had a clear plan as to where he wants the show to head. This makes the show's plot development amazingly orchestrated, and will leave you nothing but awed in the end.

2) Plot Twists and Brain. I love how smart 365: Repeat the Year posed itself to be. It's an intricately woven story that doesn't only intrigue its viewers, but at the same time tricks us into believing whatever it is that's being laid right before our very eyes. It drops shocking and unexpected plot twists each episode which makes us scream what?! all while hanging dumbfounded on a cliff. And yep, I meant that as a compliment. No matter the plot twists or how complex the story may seem, the show never felt rushed nor convoluted. Instead it felt carefully planned, where every little thing in the drama is actually connected to one another. It's as if you're laying puzzle pieces together, something that feels sort of satisfying as everything finally comes full circle in the end.

3) Pacing. Although the pacing was sort of fast in this drama, it isn't the type that rushes or crams everything in an hour without minding how confusing it would be for the viewers (except for the very few times it actually got confusing 😅). This is why I loved 365: Repeat the Year a lot. Never did it feel too slow in laying out the backstory nor the mechanics of the time travel. Rather than drag, what the show does is suck you right off the bat and draw you so dang deep you'll end up not just entirely curious but would make you want to watch more, more, more!

4) Subtle Romance. Romance does not take center stage anywhere in this drama. Given the thick plot and the resetters' dire need to stay alive until the end, romance would definitely be the last thing they'd even try to think about, yet it works. Even if it was very subtle, how the show has hinted at the possibility of romance between fanboy detective Hyeong Ju and witty webtoon writer Ga Hyeon just works. It provided a breather for intensely heavy situations we are being fed on, and I couldn't believe how a simple fist-bump would work wonders in making viewers swoon like crazy.

Despite the romance being super subtle in this show, the fact that Lee Joon Hyuk and Nam Ji Hyun had amazing chemistry cannot be denied. This was probably the reason why Hyeong Ju and Ga Hyeon's romance worked really well. Apart from this, their characters were written to fit the romance bill quite well too, despite the dark theme of the show. I love how Hyeong Ju and Ga Hyeon started from being strangers to being friends who'd risk their own lives just to save one another, but I love most how the show has emphasized that no matter the timeline, these two were always meant to be with each other. Swoon. ❤️

5) Female Lead.  At first I didn't like Shin Ga Hyeon. I thought she would just be another addition to K-Dramaland's vast list of damsels in distress, but was I glad to be proven wrong. Ga Hyeon was more than just a helpless webtoon writer, she was brave and smart and was extremely analytical. I love how curious she was and how she kept trying to figure out the rules as to why the resetters were dying one by one. I love how quick she thinks and acts, as well as how helpful she had been to Hyeong Ju all throughout the show. 

One of the highlights of Ga Hyeon's display of wittiness for me was when she was on the phone with Sun Ho during Episode 20. After figuring out that all of the killings that involved the resetters happened within the district of Seoul Makang's Police Station, she had been quite wary of Sun Ho. In that sense, it was just so smart of her to not spill any details about how her meeting with Young Woong's teacher went, especially since prior to revealing the details of the meeting, we were only shown how Sun Ho had tried to pry information from her. I was like, "Do not give anything away. That man's fishy. Do not give anything away." Ha. 🤪

❀ RANTS ❀ »•»

1) A Few Inconsistencies. Sometimes, there were a few instances where certain actions never got explained in the show, and that these actions, logically speaking, doesn't add up to what the show was trying to convey, such as this:

Although I loved how clever it was of 365: Repeat the Year to make Lee Shin such a complex character and turn her from being an evil resetter to being a pitiful mother, I'm not sure I quite understand why she had to be portrayed as someone 'delighted' at toying with the resetters' lives. She seemed really amused at the resetters' dilemma during Episode 12, and after her own reason for resetting has been thoroughly explained at the end of the show, she then changed from being evil to someone whom the viewers felt sympathetic with. This makes her characterization not vague at all, but rather, felt a little bit forced. It was like her characterization depended on where she was needed to get the story moving. 😒

And this:

I've had a problem with the limo since the beginning of the show. First, Lee Shin was the one who invited the resetters to join the reset. It seemed like she was the only one who knows the process, yet she was there, inside the limo, with the rest of the resetters. In the end, it was revealed that Lee Shin was only following No Seob's instructions regarding the reset and that he was the original one who had discovered such a feat. Yet if we go back on the first episode, he was also inside the limo with the rest of the resetters. Who was driving the limo then? I think I haven't seen anyone in the driver's seat... Was it automatically set then? How? Why? I even had to go back and watch that particular scene again just to get answers, but I don't think I have found what I was looking for. 😒

Also this:

I know that in the 6th timeline (and probably the timelines prior to this) Hyeong Ju was the one who found Maru after Ga Hyeon lost her because of the car accident. However in the 7th timeline, we see Maru wag its tail and be warm at Hyeong Ju even if they're supposed to not have met each other yet. I don't think Maru was with them during all of the resets. I don't think I even saw her in the limo to begin with. So... what's this?

❀ RULING ❀ »•»

365: Repeat the Year may have its fair share of flaws, but nevertheless, these do not take away the awesomeness that the show was able to exude from start to finish. It remained suspenseful and intriguing until the end, bold and smart but never went too far ahead of itself. Truly one of the bests this year.

Edit 05/13/2020: So apparently, Maru was experiencing an "Akashic Record", as per this MBC clip which explains why Maru remembers Hyeong Ju even if they supposedly haven't met yet in the 7th timeline. According to gaia.com, the Akashic Record is believed to be the repository of every thought, word and deed of every living being, good, bad and awful, in all times; past, present, future. So that's why Maru seemed close to Hyeong Ju... The dog was able to recall bits of memories in all of the timelines he has been in because of the Akashic Record. Wow. 😯

PS. Just thought about this... If Maru apparently experiences the Akashic Record, it's possible for Ga Hyeon to experience this too, right? Wow. That would make a pretty good material should a second season for 365: Repeat the Year be in the works. Make it happen MBC! Pretty please! 🙏

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TAGS: 365: Repeat The Year, K-Drama, K-Drama Reviews, Lee Joon Hyuk, Nam Ji Hyun   Edit

Memorist: Episode 16 (Finale Rants)

We're finally down to the last episode!

I appreciate how Memorist was able to neatly tie loose ends and at the same time throw in a few happy moments despite the overall tension that was built-up from the start of the show. However, the big reveal regarding the identity of The Eraser felt quite lackluster, despite of how fitting it was to the context of the story.

I mean, The Eraser we've known in earlier episodes was someone bold and ruthless. Plus, The Eraser loathed Dong Baek a whole lot too, which was why it felt kind of anti-climactic when The Eraser turned out to be Bang Joon Seok's secretary. I did have a hunch that The Eraser would be a family member of Dong Baek because that's the logical way to handle The Eraser having telepathic abilities, but I really didn't expect that the secretary would literally be his sister. 

Although the story came full circle after we got to know The Eraser more starting from who she was, what her motives were and what set her on a killing spree; and even if I was open to the possibility of The Eraser being a woman because of how vague the show had dealt about it, the reveal of Bang Joon Seok's secretary as the evil mastermind didn't give me a wow factor. I'm not entirely sure why, but I guess it has something to do about how late her character had been introduced and how weak she had been portrayed in the drama. Sure her weakness might have only been a mask to divert possible suspicions about her real identity, yet even if she was wearing The Eraser's outfit during the big reveal, it all still felt quite underwhelming.

It also didn't help how the show gave out so many red herrings about who The Eraser was during its earlier episodes. Although I knew that the firefighter was just another red dot to the puzzle because of how anti-climactic it just was to have him as The Eraser, there were plenty of other notable red herrings worthy to be identified as the ultimate baddie. My bet was initially on Lee Shin Woong—he had the perfect build, smug smirk, charisma, and carried on questionable decisions when he's supposed to be the Deputy Chief. Plus, he didn't like Dong Baek a whole lot, too. He also fits Han Sun Mi's initial description of the culprit as someone who's charismatic (or was that her description for The Executioner?), which was why I was so disappointed to find out that he was just plain evil and not telepathic. Lol. Maybe making him as The Eraser was a trope too cliche for the taste of writer-nim?

Despite this gripe, Memorist was indeed an intriguing watch that kept me on the edge of my seat and made me use my brain like crazy from start to finish. Well worth the time.

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TAGS: K-Drama, K-Drama Ramblings, Lee Se Young, Memorist, Yoo Seung Ho   Edit

First Impressions: The King: Eternal Monarch

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not that much of a Lee Min Ho fan. It's not that he isn't good at acting. His looks isn't a problem either. I'm not exactly sure what it is or how me not liking him that much has started, but it probably has something to do with him being too hyped and too mainstream. I've always had this problem about anything that's too hyped, even in Filipino shows and actors. Most of the time I tend to pick the lesser competitors with better content first (I'm not saying the hyped ones doesn't have better content, but sometimes, yeah they don't 😂), and then binge-watch the popular ones once they're over. Unless they pique my interest in a whole new level, I don't think I'm going to follow them through as they air. 

But The King: Eternal Monarch, even if hyped, interestingly seem promising. So far I like the show's intriguing premise. I do hope it'd be able to live up with its premise though, because as far as the latest episodes are concerned, the show felt a tad too slow for me. There were times where the show dragged quite a bit, and the dialogues, as well as the conversations thrown our way, seem to be lacking something too. I'm not sure how to explain this exacy but I think some parts of the show felt a little bit long and messy, and sometimes sort of...  bland. I don't know. 🤷 But I have to praise the show's cinematography though, especially since it really comes across as something fantastic and beautifully made.

Apart from the cinematography, I must mention Woo Do Hwan too! It was amazing how he has been playing it double effectively. I find him soooo adorable and quite more interesting. The cinematography and his presence were definitely among the stuff that I loved. 🥰

And while it was quite refreshing to see Kim Go Eun play as a cop too, I think I'm still not feeling her that much. It's like something is missing but I just can't pinpoint what. And nope, not buying her romance with Lee Min Ho either. I might change my mind later, but at this point, romance feels a little bit forced to me.

But yeah... I think I'll still continue to stick with the show somehow, especially because I want to get answers. So far I am very much intrigued by the idea of a parallel universe and how it plays as a central theme in the story. I'm also wondering what Jung Tae-ul's connection is to Kingdom, and how Lee Gon was able to get his hands at Tae-ul's ID 25 years ago. Was it really Tae-ul who saved him from his evil uncle? I somehow get a feeling that it's Jo Yeong, but then again, I'm not entirely sure. But should my guess be correct, how does the flute play a role in all of this? Does it have powers that are entirely different if its not broken? Will Gon be able to retrieve the other half of the flute from his uncle then? Also, does time flow a little bit slower in Republic as compared to Kingdom? Why is Lee Lim not aging? What is he scheming? How will the story move forward considering all of this?

That's quite a lot of questions to be answered. 🤪 I'll take it as a sign that the drama has really piqued my interest despite the hype and its tendency to be painfully slow. That being said, I hope The King: Eternal Monarch builds up on the tension and the conflict pretty soon, too. Because as I see it, I don't think romance is the best foot of this show... well at least not at this point.

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TAGS: K-Drama, K-Drama Impressions, K-Drama Ramblings, Kim Go Eun, Lee Min Ho, The King: Eternal Monarch   Edit