Despite its 12-episode format, tvN’s Spooky in Love has an old-fashioned charm to it. Its tone and aesthetics — its strengths and weaknesses — remind us of the K-dramas of yore, with their blend of romance, comedy, supernatural, and chaebol intrigue. That should come as no surprise considering that the series was loosely inspired by…
Reviews
Our Sticky Love: Messy, Flawed, but Sweet Like Taffy
It’s been hard to find a “classic” rom-com these days. I mean, a proper quintessential one — not one of those genre-blending series. That kind of story that is funny and sweet, driven by two people who happen to fall in love through incredibly clumsy means in a mundane setting that presents them with ordinary…
Agent Kim Reactivated: The Action Spectacle(s) of a Quirky Middle-Aged Trio
Back in 2009, renowned film critic Roger Ebert offered one of his witty reviews to Pierre Morel’s action-thriller Taken, in which he mentioned that ‘It’s always a puzzle to review a movie like this. On the one hand, it’s preposterous. But who expects a “Bourne”-type city-wrecking operative to be plausible? On the other hand, it’s…
The East Palace: This Is Properly Disquieting, Spellbinding Storytelling
In an interview with the Tudum platform for the making-of featurette of her visually astounding new project, star Roh Yoon-seo explained that Netflix’s The East Palace is “an occult fantasy action period series.“ Yes, The East Palace is a genre-blending drama that can be described in a thousand different ways. The show has drawn comparisons…
My Royal Nemesis: Centre on the Couple, Overlook the Mental Gymnastics
Where do we even start with SBS’s My Royal Nemesis? Directed by Han Tae-seop and written by Kang Hyun-joo (who previously penned 2023’s Soulmate and 2025’s Lost in Starlight), My Royal Nemesis quickly climbed the charts to become one of the year’s greatest hits. Its series finale proudly earned an average nationwide rating of 11.8…
Teach You a Lesson: Uncomfortable Truths, Cathartic Approaches & Lots of Questions
Growing up, my mother had a saying that kept coming to mind while I watched Netflix’s Teach You a Lesson. Every time she saw someone who had made a mistake cower in the face of righteous punishment, she would say: “Ha, people are always afraid but never ashamed.“ As I observed the fictional Educational Rights…
The Wonderfools: Delightfully Silly, Wonderfully Heartfelt
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say “superhero”? Let me guess: A strong, tall man with a cape and/or a mask who shows up to save the day, am I right? He might be able to fly, and he surely can fight. He has some sort of soppy backstory and,…
We Are All Trying Here: A Piercing, Impeccable Portrayal of the Human Condition
Once in a blue moon, you’re introduced to a story that talks to your very soul. It’s as if its characters can look straight at you and defiantly hold your gaze as they bring to light every good and bad thing about you. They expose all the great things that you want the world to…
Perfect Crown: Not Exactly Perfect, But Royally Enchanting
Stories about princes and princesses have existed for centuries. Tales about young women whose lives are changed when they meet a handsome prince or those about the intense — and often Machiavellian — power play that marks the dispute for the coveted throne have been told time and time again over the years. We all…
Phantom Lawyer: Hanpuri, Whimsy, and Heart
Ghost stories are often all about the thrill of the unknown, the unexpected, the chilling. Their tone is commonly scary and creepy, dark and upsetting. However, every now and then, writers subvert our expectations by creating more light-hearted ghost stories, transforming fear and horror into comedy and compassion. That’s the case with SBS’s Phantom Lawyer,…
