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

Review: Hyena (2020)

Yoon Hee Jae is a top lawyer at Song & Kim who works for the richest 1% of the society. While doing his laundry at a laundromat near his office, he meets the mysterious yet beautiful Kim Hee Sun, and they fall in love. With a smooth-sailing career and a sweet love life on top, what can possibly go wrong for Yoon Hee Jae? Well, everything... especially when the lover you thought you have ends up being your rival in court.

Image via SBS.

Hyena is a 2020 South Korean television series broadcast by SBS for a Friday and Saturday runtime at 22:00. It features two elite lawyers working for the richest 1% of the society—one who is likened to a hyena for doing all that it takes to win a case, and another one who is likened to a hound for using his skills to support the highest in the land. Sounds vague and uninteresting? I thought so too... but I was glad to be proven otherwise.

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»

1) On-Fire Chemistry. Chemistry is 100% lit in this drama. Even with the minimal romantic interactions, Ju Ji Hoon and Kim Hye Soo's pairing are shoot-to-the-sky fantastic it'll keep you coming back for more. True enough, I think Ju Ji Hoon and Kim Hye Soo's team up (apart from Geum Ja being the badass that she was) was the real highlight and strength of the show. Hee Jae and Geum Ja were fantastic as a duo. There was never a dull moment with these two on screen, and their banters, as well as their romance and their growth, were among the many good things that made Hyena a worthwhile watch from start to finish. I really didn't expect the two to click as good as this even if I loved Kim Hye Soo a lot in Signal. The age gap was probably one factor but once you begin to watch, that gap isn't even that much noticeable. That's how great their chemistry was.

Among my favorite scenes were Geum Ja's concern over Hee Jae in Episode 12 and 13. Whenever Hee Jae asks her of her true feelings especially towards him, she just brushes it off and focuses on other important things. But in these episodes, it was obvious that she was concerned. She isn't really that open when it comes to expressing her feelings verbally, but it is pretty evident in her actions. Episodes 12 and 13 were clear manifestations of that.

2) Unique Storyline. Basing on the synopsis alone, Hyena started off as something not that striking nor intriguing for me. I didn't know what to expect nor where the show would eventually be heading, so I got totally blown with how the first episode panned out. The succeeding episodes after that were all intelligently done too. The court room scenes weren't exactly a strong point, but I love the brilliant writing of this drama and the plot's heavy focus on the characters (especially the main leads), their motives, as well as their maturity (or lack thereof, for Hee Jae, sometimes). Kim Hye Soo and Ju Ji Hoon's banter were amusing to watch. Rather than a sour feeling after all those fight, the chemistry between these two was so strong their banters will instead leave you with butterflies in your stomach (except for the initial ones), and was among the many reasons that Hyena's unique plot worked oh so well. It's also a good thing that the side characters never really got brushed off along the process, and that throughout the course of the show, a lot of them has developed the same way the main leads had blossomed in the end.

I love Episode 1 and how it did romance straight from the get-go of the show. It got me curious, because as far as the synopsis and the teasers were concerned, Kim Hye Soo and Ju Ji Hoon were supposed to be rivals pitting against each other. Initially, I wasn't sure what the show intended to deliver with Episode 1 because as I remember, the last I watched which dealt with romance as early as this was Descendants of the Sun; but that wasn't exactly in the same genre as Hyena. Truth be told, it wasn't in the same genre as by the end of the episode, not only did Yoon Hee Jae got fooled—so were the viewers. That was how the leads' rivalry began, as well as how my love for the show began. Well played, show. Well played.

Also...

I never really expected Na Yi Joon to be a part of the gang because initially, he had little skills and only did the small tasks for Guem Ja's team. He was the most gullible and the most prone to tricks too (such as in Episode 6 when Hee Jae was testing Son Jin-su's gaslighting tendencies). But at the end of the journey with Geum Ja as the mentor, he learned to adapt and do field work on his own. I think this was exemplified well in his search for the room service guy who delivered Seo Jeong-hwa's drinks in Episode 16. His growth as a side character was among Hyena's many charms, and as mentioned, it was really nice to see side characters like him develop and perform the same way the main leads had blossomed in the end.

3) Balanced Elements. Hyena had just the right dose of comedy, mystery, banters, drama, as well as cases to keep the viewers engaged throughout its run. I find some of the cases shown sort of not into my liking (probably because I was never really a fan of Geum Ja's "strategies" during the initial episodes), but how the mystery was built up and how comedy was inserted in between balances this out somehow. The banters as well as the romance-not-romance between Geum Ja and Hee Jae was a plus plus plus.

One of the golden comedic acts in the drama was Ga Gi Hyeok's funeral procession for his dead phone at the hallway of Song & Kim. How and why Hee Jae threw his phone in a fit was already amusing in its own, but the added procession was something else. He was even shushed by Hyeon-ah along the way and it was hilarious.

4) Powerful Women. Women in this drama sure slays, and dang, do they slay well. Geum Ja was really a breath of fresh air among the usual female leads we see in dramas as not only was she strong—she was also smart and resourceful. She was badass and can definitely stand in the battlefield on her own, yet at the same time, she was also very much human. She wasn't the strikingly beautiful type of female lead but was pretty nonetheless. And Kim Hye Soo... Kim Hye Soo portrayed Geum Ja to a T! I'm not even sure if I'd be enjoying the show as much as I did if Song Hye Kyo played Geum Ja instead. Nothing against her, I think she has chemistry with Ju Ji Hoon, but I'm not sure if she'd be able to handle a character as strong and badass as Geum Ja is. If it's Jun Ji Hyun, she probably can carry Geum Ja well... but then again, I'm not entirely sure either.

Kim Hye Soo's portrayal of Geum Ja was the most badass during the final stretch of Hyena, as her face-off with Song Pil-jung reflected a lot of her character's strength. The way Geum Ja handled herself in Episode 13, sipping tea while confronting Attorney Song, exuded bravado and guts that made her character stand out even more. No wonder Hee Jae is smitten.

Here's another one:

I love how Geum Ja simply told Hyeon-ah to "give it her best shot" when Hyeon-ah asked her if she wouldn't be bothered because of her feelings for Hee Jae. She didn't even bat an eye because she was so sure of herself and where she stands in Hee Jae's life. Neither did Hyeon-ah bat an eye, she just smiled it off even if she knows there's something going on between our leads (I'm pretty sure Hyeon-ah knows something, given her initial statement). Now this is the kind of rivalry we need in K-Dramaland—a friendly competition. The kind which brings the best in one another, instead of the kind that brings each other down.

Apart from Geum Ja, there's also Attorney Boo Hyeon-ah. Not only was she pretty, but she's also extremely talented. I was wary of her in the initial episodes because most of the time, the next female in the drama who has feelings for the main lead ends up either in ties with the antagonist or an antagonist herself. I'm so glad Hyeon-ah didn't fall in either of these categories. 

I love Hyeon-ah's confidence and how she became understanding of Geum Ja and Geum Ja's ways in the latter part of the show. How she reacted with that fist bump after being asked by Geum Ja if she didn't like the strategies they did to make Gnosis sell their rights to AP EON spoke volumes of her respect and acknowledgement to our hyena. Just the same, how she showed up in Episode 14 together with the rest of their colleagues so as to give updates to their team leader even if that team leader has already been fired from the firm says a lot about her character (as well as the other lawyers' character). She knows when it is time to call it off, and knows the type of people she should be loyal with.

5) Ju Ji Hoon as a Living Meme. Ju Ji Hoon was amazing as Haewonmak in Along with the Gods, probably because I liked seeing him play a goofball as he did play serious. And although Yoon Hee Jae was a character that has his own doze of seriousness in him, he also had this goofy, child-like yet egotistic attitude which Ju Ji Hoon was able to play really really well. The facial expressions he have for whatever occasion there was were gold, and I just couldn't get enough of the kid in him and his antics.

❀ RANTS ❀ »•»

1) Business Law. I love law. I love dramas that stimulate the brain such as those that take it out in the courtroom. However, although I loved Hyena straight from Episode 1, I never really liked how and why both Geum Ja and Hee Jae (mostly Geum Ja) had to resort to such "lowly" measures just so they could kiss all those VIPs' asses and represent them in court during the next few episodes of the show. I know I've read in the synopsis that the leads, as elite lawyers pitting against each other, have no morality whatsoever and are focused solely on earning money and winning a case; but seeing it compared to reading it was an entirely different thing to process. Only later did I understand that those scenarios were needed to learn more about the characters and understand their motivations, because even if those didn't really sit well with me as I watched, it made our hyena's team-up more solid and made their growth, as well as their success, all the more satisfying in the end. Yeah, I just didn't really liked the initial process.

2) Loose Threads. Up until the last episode, I still was not entirely sure of Song Pil-jung's reasons for sticking with her wife who was in a coma even though they're already divorced on paper, as what his sister-in-law narrated. Basing on Kim Min-joo's statements, I'm pretty sure Attorney Song intended to leave her wife that way. Whatever the reason was I think wasn't clearly explained. But I'm guessing it had to do something about Song Pil-jung's dirty tricks because it kept on being revealed that some of the things that he did/used were under his wife's name. Also, I felt that Song Pil-jung fell short in character during the last two episodes. I mean...

I know Attorney Song was shady. He had it coming because of Lee Geung-young's character in Vagabond, but I never expected he'd be super wicked and would stoop as low as he did in Hyena. Yet at the end of the big reveal, the cold and calculating image he had built up seemed to have flown out of the window when he killed Seo Jeong-hwa. Just as Geum Ja explained, he could have just left Seo Jeong-hwa alone to die—that way he'd still get his ways with Issume and at the same time, be absolved of a murder charge. But he chose the easy way out and killed Seo Jeong-hwa with his own hands. It didn't seem plausible given how cautious and calculating he is. But at the same time, it did seem plausible given how greedy and restlessly eager he is. So, yeah... What am I talking about again?

❀ RULING ❀ »•»

One of the best dramas that aired this 2020, Hyena is a refreshing and engaging watch that deviated from the typical romcom and legal dramas out there. The satire was gold in this drama, the romance was sizzling and the show, overall amazing. 100% a superb watch.

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TAGS: Hyena, Ju Ji Hoon, K-Drama, K-Drama Reviews, Kim Hye Soo, Lee Kyoung Young   Edit

Review: One More Happy Ending (2016)

Once upon a time, there was an angel named Han Mi-mo, a sweet and bubbly girl who, together with four others, form the washed-out idol group called Angels. However, after her fall-out with one of the members, the group got disbanded. This led Mi-mo to thread on another path and being a divorcee herself, has decided to run a matchmaking agency for divorcees like her. Will her matchmaking prowess be effective enough though when her own chance at a brand new love finally begins to present itself?

Image via MBC.

One More Happy Ending may not be among the best romcoms that I have ever seen, but nonetheless, it delivers. It has just the right dose of comedy and heart, and serves as a great ice breaker from all the heavy melodramas, crimes, and mystery thrillers I've seen in a while.

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»

1) Jung Kyung Ho. I was in a binge watch spree after seeing Jung Kyung Ho in Prison Playbook, and when I found out that Jang Nara starred alongside him in this drama, I became all the more interested to binge watch. Kyung Ho was charming as Song Soo-hyuk. He was able to bring out various facets of Soo-hyuk's character compellingly well. What I loved about Soo-hyuk was how thoughtful and selfless he was, a snark contrast to his best friend Hae Joon who was obnoxious, selfish and downright cold. Soo-hyuk's selflessness is evident in how he has always put Mi-mo's feelings and happiness first above anything else. It didn't help that he was also such a great father, despite being a widower and a single dad. I think this is what I loved best about Jung Kyung Ho playing Soo-hyuk-his realistic portrayal of an adorable man and at the same time a loving father to Min Woo.

One of my favorite Jung Kyung Ho moments in this show was how he was like Mi-mo's knight in shining armour during the egg throwing scene in Episode 10. When Mi-mo got tangled in Seul-ah's miscarriage issue and got attacked by the actress' fans, it was sooo endearing to see Soo-hyuk use his body to shield Mi-mo from the attack. He was evidently concerned about the effects of this incident in Mi-mo's emotional well-being that even after driving her home and advising her not to think about anything else, he angrily stormed at Mass Punch's office too, and then raged both at his boss and the reporter who was responsible for creating this whole mess.

And this:

In Episode 6, as Mi-mo was interviewing a client who happened to be a single father, we get a glimpse of how it had been like for Soo-hyuk to raise Min Woo alone. It sure wasn't easy, but I seeing those flashbacks of baby Min Woo and his dad was definitely moving. Jung Kyung Ho did great in portraying young Soo-hyuk's struggles as an inexperienced father, which just made me adore him even more.

2) The Funny. One More Happy Ending has a cute dose of funny (and silly) incorporated in it, adorably sprinkled here and there through half of its entire run (the latter episodes got a little bit of angsty, in a way). Its light-heartedness, combined with a few ridiculous yet endearingly hilarious comical scenes, were among the things that I loved most about the show. Plus, Jang Nara and Jung Kyung Ho not only has abso-fuxxing-lutely chemistry, they complement each other comedically well, too.

Mi-mo and Soo-hyuk's drunken marriage hijinks in Episode 1 was really ridiculous in all sense of the word, yet it was also amusingly hilarious. I love Kyung Ho and Nara's portrayal of the leads' hangover state, it was amusing to see them switch from being "happily married" to being suddenly horrified while screaming "Oh my God what did I do?" in panic.

And this:

I can't believe how silly this is but I sort of rolled on the floor laughing in Episode 5 when Soo-hyuk doused Mi-mo's face with water and then empties an entire pitcher over her head just as Mi-mo's hat unexpectedly caught fire after awkwardly testing a few magic tricks she has learned from Dong Mi at Soo-hyuk.

3) Geun Hak and Da Jung's Arc. Baek Da Jung was among the "fallen" angels, whose marriage was threatened by a divorce. She also seemed to have had a bit of inferiority after she had given birth, and because of this, felt a little less loved all throughout the years. This takes a toll in their relationship, and Geun Hak and Da Jung grew so far apart to the point where they no longer sleep in the same room nor in the same bed. In the end, it was so gratifying how Geun Hak and Da Jung has taken a shot into rebuilding their relationship. How they were able to overcome this phase in their relationship and at the same time find healing in Da Jung's severe health condition were among the best aspects of the show for me, and fits the title "One More Happy Ending" to a T.

4) Song Min Woo. This kid is a very good example of parenting done right.  Even if he has been raised by a single father, I love how Min Woo was such a bright and mature child for his age. He was just as thoughtful as his father was, and I love how observant and perceptive he was of his father's well-being and emotional health. It's evident how well adjusted he is to his father's situation, and it was absolutely adorable to not see Min Woo complain the least bit about it.

❀ RANTS ❀ »•»

1) Goo Hae Joon. Hae Joon has got to be one of the most annoying second lead characters to have sprung to K-Drama life. Nothing against Kwon Yool, though I don't find him as handsome as he is supposedly described. This is probaby why I do not get where the adoration for him of women in this show technically comes from. Rather than swoon-worthy, I find Hae Joon super obnoxious and selfish. He's self-centered and inconsiderate, and doesn't really take into account the feelings of those around him, as seen in how he has treated Mi-mo. 

2) Han Mi-mo. Although Mi-mo was quite a fun character, there were times when she felt somewhat superficial for me. For one, I hated how she impulsively declares she has fallen in love like it's nothing serious. I also didn't like how she kept going 'round the bush in some parts of the show, thus repeatedly ignoring her own feelings in the process. She had this bad habit of not thinking about the repercussions of her actions and decisions prior to realizing it, making her not really naive in my eyes but just plain superficial.

Since Mi-mo was a divorcee and also had a fair share of failed relationships such as what was shown in Episode 1, I find it somehow ridiculous how she nonchalantly says she's in love and has found the one in Hae Joon's being, as portrayed in that hospital scene in Episode . For someone who had her heart broken for a number of times already, she sure jumps in the water feet first like it was nothing.

3) Less Screen Time for the Actual OTP. It was sort of glaring how the show spent quite more than half of its run with Mi-mo and Hae Joon's relationship as this led to Jung Kyung Ho's character getting a little less screen time with Nara when he's supposed to be the main OTP. I would have appreciated it more had the show shifted focus on Soo-hyuk earlier instead, because this means his feelings and his relationship with Mi-mo would have been highlighted even more.

❀ RULING ❀ »•»

Save for the mid-series drag, angst, and quite a few flaws in writing, One More Happy Ending is a light-hearted watch that very well serves its purpose of delivering a romcom drama. Both Jung Kyung Ho and Jang Nara were great in this show, and there's also a lot of unexpected lessons you'd get to learn from it. It lives well with the title's promise of a happy ending, too, making it a show that's perfect to try when you're feeling down and in need of a sweet and uplifting boost.

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TAGS: Happy Ending Once Again, Jang Nara, Jung Kyung Ho, K-Drama, K-Drama Reviews, Netflix, One More Happy Ending   Edit