Category: Asian Drama Reviews and Recaps
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HanCinema Film Review: Phantom Detective
So the New York Times didn’t like the film, but I sure did. People are so invested into adrenaline-pumping films nowadays that slower-paced films are often blindly dismissed. Don’t do that to “Phantom Detective!” Here’s a snippet of my HanCinema review: Director Jo Sung-hee’s Phantom Detective is a play on the crime noir complete with anti-hero…
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HanCinema Review: Jackpot Episode 4
(Image and text are samples from my work on HanCinema.net and belong to HanCinema.) Episode 4 of Jackpot saw some marked improvement in structure and intrigue, but the ratings don’t reflect that. It dropped below Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho‘s 11.3% to a single-digit 9.5%. Perhaps it’s the unexpected slapstick humor that threw viewers off. However what…
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HanCinema Review: Jackpot Episode 3
Jackpot is still on top of the Monday/Tuesday pack coming in at 11.6%. The appearance of the long awaited Jang Geun-seok can’t have hurt the rating, but it was Lee Moon-sik who really stole the show. After the hustle and bustle of the first few episodes, his character settles down and really allows the actor…
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HanCinema Review: Descendents of the Sun Episode 12
Descendants of the Sun is a master at sparking emotion. No matter how illogical the plot may become, the emotional barometer is insanely high. This must be why Nielsen Korean is clocking this drama at 33% for episode 12, a whole 1.1% higher than last night’s episode. Wow. It is the human element that “Descendants…
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HanCinema Review: Descendents of the Sun Episode 11
Descendants of the Sun tries to pack in a lot of action by having our heroes face weapons trafficking, plagues, gun standoffs, earthquakes, kidnapping, and politics. No matter what happens, this show seems destined to best itself – and it did. It came 0.3% higher than the last episode at 31.9%. More than anything, however, it…
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HanCinema Review: Jackpot Episode 2
Jackpot is once again the highest rated of the new shows at 12.2% for episode 2. From the outside, the drama is all glitz and glitter: beautiful choreography, stunning naturescapes, keen camera storytelling. But its insides are messier: jumpy character sketches, repetitive themes, and illogical schemes. These may work themselves out with time as many…
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HanCinema Review: Jackpot Episode 1
In the new slew of dramas Jackpot came in on top at 11.8% again Monster (7.3%) and Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho (10.1%). Director Nam Geon‘s directing style is grand and direct, while Kwon Soon-gyoo‘s writing takes on its trademark meandering style. The two don’t quite fit together, but the epic quality of the first episode…
Lisa Espinosa 