Sassy Go Go

Sassy Go Go

8.5/10

Sassy Go Go

Genre: Episodes: 12 Year: 2015

School

Romance

Synopsis:

After their street dance club is abolished, the bottom ranked students at Sevit High School are forced into a cheerleading club in order to create better credentials for the top students.

Cast:

Jung Eun Ji (Kang Yeon Doo)

Lee Won Geun (Kim Yeol)

Chae Soo Bin (Kwon Soo Ah)

Ji Soo (Seo Ha Joon)

Kim Ji Suk (Yang Tae Bum)

N (Ha Dong Jae)

Kim Min Ho (Min Hyo Shik)

Park Hae Mi (Choi Gyung Ran)

In Gyo Jin (Im Soo Yong)

Lee Mi Do (Nam Jung Ah)

General Thoughts:

This was such a fun little drama. I feel that advertising it as a cheerleading show is a bit of a lie though- I think they had about two scenes of it in the whole drama.

Fun, but definitely not the main draw of the show

I was in the mood for a drama that was light and happy, and while I thoroughly enjoyed his one, it is a tad meatier and a bit darker than it would lead you to believe. I always find that I enjoy dramas that are character focused rather than purely plot driven-

I love Jang Eun Ji playing high school heroines

as it’s easier to overlook lulls in momentum or small plot holes when you’re so invested in the characters, their reactions and their relationships. ‘Sassy’ was definitely a drama that was character driven, and it had a whole world of beautifully developed characters to hold our attention while the story was unveiled. I honestly thought that this was one of the most perfectly cast dramas I’ve seen in a good long while. Good casting isn’t just about who the better actor is (as I’d argue that the second leads were probably the better actors in this equation), but it’s about how well the characters match the actor, and the actors’ chemistry with each other. Despite not being as objectively good at acting as Chae Soo Bin, I absolutely adored Jung Eun Ji as our heroine. She has a beautifully innocent energy that makes her perfect for high school roles. She played a similar character here to her character in ‘Reply 1997’ and it suit her to a tee. Jung Eun Ji has such a magical draw to her that makes you want to know her, which suited the character Yeon Doo perfectly. Her innocence and mischievousness mixed together to give us a character that was flirtatious but unprovocative.

She's so bubbly and fun- I just adore her

 I feel like I’ve been stalking Lee Won Geun with my drama watching lately (‘Mystery Queen’, ‘Jugglers’), and I’m not mad about it at all.

Oh my Geun

That boy is delightful. Again, he suited his character excellently. His sweet face and playful nature downplayed his character’s arrogance and made him seem up himself, but not unapproachable. And boy did he have good chemistry with Jung Eun Ji. The two had a lighthearted, flirty chemistry that matched well with their teenage characters. Ji Soo was an obvious choice for the marshmallow with a tough exterior. Why would you go for anyone else? While his character’s story was heartbreaking all on its own, Ji Soo has a way of really making viewers’ hearts bleed. Especially when he’s playing a high school kid. Chae Soo Bin has only come on my radar quite recently despite being in quite a few big name dramas. ‘Sassy’ was one of her earlier works, but boy she is just as good here as she has been in her newer dramas. Soo Ah was one of the most hateful characters I’ve ever come across in K-Dramaland, and yet Chae Soo Bin was able to maintain a level of pitifulness that made Soo Ah seem like an unfortunate character rather than a horrible one. Though she could be pretty horrible. 

She was fun to hate

While there were times (quite a few times) that I found myself wanting this nasty girl’s brutal downfall, towards the end Chae Soo Bin was able to pull me back from those feelings, and generated sympathy for her character.

This show's casting was just so spot on

Vixx’s N is someone I’m not sure of as an actor (I’ve only seen him in ‘Tunnel’ and his character was mostly just dead there), but he pulled a pretty respectable performance here. While nothing dynamic, he gave Dong Jae a cute naiveness when the character could have very easily come across as stupid. While there was a lot more in the character that could have been explored, the story tended to delegate Dong Jae to the sidelines. I do think it’s a pity that Dong Jae’s character didn’t get explored as much as he could have been, but I was also glad that N wasn't pushed out of his comfort zone. We got a sweet and happy character that was a nice break from some of the heavier moments in the drama. I always appreciate high school dramas that include one or two teachers as main characters, as I find it tends to elevate the show as a whole to a more mature level, and makes the drama more accessible to adults rather than simply catering to teens. Teacher Yang was a character that I really enjoyed watching, and was a character that really warmed your heart.

I am mildly in love with Teacher Yang. And by mildly I mean definitely.

His unwavering dedication to do what was best for the students was admirable and endearing, and he was the type of teacher that everyone wishes they had in school. Kim Ji Suk was delightful in character and he gave off a tremendous amount of warmth. Even before we knew just how invested he was in protecting his students and giving them a safe environment to grow in,

I am also in love with Kim Ji Suk

it was obvious that this was a man who truly cared for his students. Kim Ji Suk played the character with a great gentleness that never undermined his authority, and even in moments when his character was downtrodden he could always maintain a wonderful tenderness in his expressions that conveyed his love and dedication to the kids. It was a many layered character, and Kim Ji Suk did a marvellous job at peeling those layers back to expose more of what motivated Teacher Yang and the lengths he was willing to go to. One thing I noticed in particular is that he was very good at having warm and loving chemistry with the students without it coming across as creepy or inappropriate. Even throughout the sexual harassment scandal, Kim Ji Suk (and Jung Eun Ji also) showed a clear understanding of the boundaries of the teacher-student relationship. It was a relationship that was very close and extremely loving, but was very obviously parental, which was an important distinction to make.

Like happy parents watching over their kids

Teacher Yang’s arc to me is something that made ‘Sassy’ go from a entertaining school drama, to an entertaining drama without the school limitation. The drama didn’t downplay the importance of adults in children’s lives, and showed how important it is for kids to have at least one adult they can admire.

Instructor Nam don't take sh*t from no one

Instructor Nam had a similar role to Teacher Yang, but was less pronounced. Her addition in the story was refreshing due to her willingness to stand up to the controlling parents and teachers. While Teacher Yang was there to be a source of comfort, protection and love for the students, Instructor Nam was there to be a support to Teacher Yang and show that not everyone can be intimidated by money and power. One downside of this character is that the initial jokes made about her facial appearance were a bit distasteful- especially when Lee Mi Do isn’t exactly an unattractive woman. The writing of this drama was pretty brilliant, knowing exactly how to build situations and relationships. When you look back on the earlier episodes of the drama the issues faced were problematic, but not all that extreme. Our kids started with their club being unjustly disbanded, but as the story progressed, far deeper issues started to unfold such as bribery, parental pressure, and child abuse. Much more intense than kids struggling to get their dance club back. The way the relationships developed was also an extremely satisfying thing to watch.

These kids had the perfect level of flirty chemistry

Yeon Doo and Yeol had chemistry fairly early, but it was fun to see that chemistry go from antagonistic to flirtatious. Obviously Yeon Doo had a big effect on both Yeol and Ha Joon, as she showed them the benefits of loyal and loving friendship.

Cute lil' twinsies

I usually find characters like Yeon Doo a bit too perfectly good, but what made Yeon Doo stand out from other classically too-good-to-be-real heroines is that it was shown where Yeon Doo drew her strengths from. A heroine with a horrible family and terrible situation who is sugar and sunshine is always a bit unbelievable, but Yeon Doo’s loving and warm relationship with her Mum showed where Yeon Doo learned to be loyal, kind, compassionate, and also stand up against injustice. I always appreciated when the show commented on how Yeon Doo was similar to her Mum, as it gave cause for her to be the way she was. She wasn’t just an unbelievably sweet girl- these were values she had learned from her mother the same way Jin Ah learned that success was everything from hers. Due to her mother’s warm and loving upbringing, Yeon Doo was able to be a warm and loving presence in the more troubled kids’ lives, and it was wonderful to see that warmth spread from student to student, as each of them impacted each other. 

What Was Great:

The Kids:

The characters are definitely the draw in this drama. There was something just so inherently entertaining about two groups of kids from opposite walks of life learning to trust and love each other.

High school dramas done well can be so rewarding and satisfying

The problems these kids faced never felt blown out of proportion, and it was always enjoyable to watch how they worked together to solve their issues- especially when their teamwork was originally so begrudging.

This friendship is so precious

Yeon Doo and Yeol are definitely the stars of the show- they’re both so cute and delightful, but have enough substance that they make the show more intellectually engaging rather than just pure, fluffy fun. Ha Joon was also a character that you couldn’t help but love, and I was endlessly glad that the love-triangle didn’t destroy the boys’ friendship the way it usually does. When the end of the drama came around, I was glad to see that Yeon Doo, Yeol and Ha Joon were all still close friends, and that they were able to laugh about the past situation. Ha Joon’s simple ‘if he cheats on you come to me' line made the ending completely satisfying as it showed that he was able to express his love and gratitude to Yeon Doo, but also move past his romantic feelings so that he could remain friends without any awkwardness. I liked that his friendship with Yeon Doo existed outside of his friendship with Yeol, as it made it plausible that he could return to just being friends. It made Ha Joon’s relationship with Yeon Doo that much more believable (and a little bit more heartbreaking) when the writers gave him a few scenes that are typically given to the lead- such as Ha Joon being the first to find and comfort Yeon Doo when she was lost.

Two years later and we're still waiting for Ji Soo to star in his own romance drama

All the different relationships between the kids were unique and entertaining, and made for a very addictive show. Even the characters with smaller roles felt like very fleshed out characters with their own insecurities and issues, and no one felt like one-dimensional classmate characters that most high school dramas tend to have. 

What Wasn’t:

Saving Soo Ah:

Look it’s not like I totally hated the idea of Soo Ah getting a redemption arc (people’s lives aren’t decided in high school after all), but I wasn’t completely sold on it.

All those sympathetic scenes defiantly means redemption

What softened the blow a bit was that it was insanely obvious that Soo Ah was getting a redemption- it didn’t come as a smack out of the blue. Although I was a little miffed to think that this horrible girl was going to get forgiven, the show did give me a long time to come to terms with it. Yeon Doo’s complete and utter unwillingness to cut Soo Ah out of her life (annoying as that could be) was a big redemption arc flag. The occasional shows of sympathy or pity coming from other students pretty much guaranteed that our final plot move would be to bring Soo Ah into the circle of friends. The biggest alert that this was coming was how frequently we were shown the pressures coming from Soo Ah’s Mum, and her totally twisted ideology that she was passing onto her child. What I didn’t love about this redemption is that I’m not quite sure Soo Ah deserved it. Yeah, yeah, I know that forgiveness isn’t something you earn or deserve, I just didn’t buy Soo Ah’s switch up. All drama long Soo Ah has been doing horrible, horrible things. I mean, she used Ha Joon’s self-harm as blackmail in order to get her own way.

This is not a situation you try and use for your own benefit

Even when she knew that revealing this fact would put Ha Joon in a precarious situation with his physically abusive father. Like, dog move man. There was really no saving her in my books after that. And all series long Soo Ah felt no remorse for her actions.

I'd be more on board if she'd sown a bit more remorse

The only time we see her freaking out and cracking under the pressure, it’s because she’s scared she’s going to get caught. In the moment, Soo Ah has no qualms with pushing someone under the bus, and she’s completely unfazed in the aftermath until it looks like someone is catching on to her. In my mind, Soo Ah never really regretted her awful and destructive (and often potentially dangerous) actions, she only regretted getting found out. Which for me made her sudden remorse and love for her classmates feel…well…a tad unbelievable. It wasn’t the redemption as a whole I was against- I liked the idea of Soo Ah getting a second chance and learning what friendship is about- and I certainly didn’t want her to be driven to suicide, I just wished the show had presented her as a bit more conflicted about her actions- not just freaking out over the consequences of those actions. One thing I am glad of is that Soo Ah’s mother didn’t get a redemption. Her daughter’s attempt at suicide changed nothing in her, and that matched pretty well with how her character had been constructed. 

Your Mum is a Grade A psycho, but that still doesn't excuse your actions

Parent Love-Line:

Interesting side story as it was, it was still one I think this drama could have done with out. While I appreciated the extra screen time for Yeon Doo’s Mum (as it also helped us get a better understanding of the environment that shaped Yeon Doo), I just didn’t think this particular plot point added much to the story.

Interesting plot point, but at this point all I'm interested in is seeing Yeol and Yeon Doo be happy together

It’s an interesting problem to look at for sure- what do you do when the man you want to marry turns out to be your daughter’s high school sweetheart’s father? It’s just that the timing didn’t exactly work here.

That's better

While the show was presenting this issue, it was also in the middle of Soo Ah’s redemption arc. Which took up way more screen time, thus delegating the parental love line to a rather small corner. The conclusion is also brushed under the rug while both couples continue dating. It’s casually thrown out that Yeol is trying to get his name switched to his Mum’s registry (which coming from a country without legal family registers means little to me anyway), and apparently that makes the whole situation a lot less weird. Apparently. To be honest, if they weren’t going to put in the time and effort to resolve an issue such as this one, I think I would have preferred if the show just didn’t even go there to begin with.

Recommend?

If you’re a fan of high school or youth dramas this is definitely one of the better ones around. I’d also recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good slice-of-life story with beautifully flawed characters.

Go go watch this drama

The Boy Next Door

The Boy Next Door

7/10

The Boy Next Door

Genre:                                               Episodes: 15                                   Year: 2017

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Neighbours Park Kyu Tae and Sung Ki Jae end up living together after Kyu Tae’s apartment needs renovations. They have a mutual friend, Min Ah, who misunderstands their relationship.

Cast:

Choi Woo Shik (Park Kyu Tae)

Jang Ki Yong (Sung Ki Jae)

Jang Hee Ryong (Kim Min Ah)

Yoon Jung Il (Won Hyung)

General Thoughts:

I’m super into web-series right now. They are the perfect way to de-stress after a week at work. They’re fun and humorous, and usually lack the patch of angst that accompanies full length rom-coms.

Yup, no angst here

What I must say about this drama, is while I found it laugh-out-loud funny, I also thought it approached its humour in a sensitive way. Granted, there are people who will be offended by anything, but I personally thought that the show handled the gay misunderstandings in a way that was fun and not offensive.

I love hilarious misunderstandings- I love them a lot

No one reacted badly to the misunderstandings- they were always upset for a reason other than that they thought these two boys were gay. It was because they had walked in during an ‘intimate’ moment, or because the guy they liked wasn’t interested in them, etc. This prevented the show from seeming like it was presenting homosexuality as a bad thing. I appreciated the inclusion of an actual gay couple, and how the show maintained its middle ground. It wasn’t celebrating nor condemning homosexuality, it was simply showing it as it is- two people who like each other dating. Which I think is a pretty great accomplishment from a small, lighthearted show. Web-dramas usually use lesser known actors whose acting is still developing, so I was delighted to see Choi Woo Shik and Jang Ki Yong heading this one. I’ve loved Choi Woo Shik since seeing him in ‘Fool’s Love’, and think he’s brilliant at doing comedic with a dash of heart. Jang Ki Yong has been slowly growing on me for a while, and I actually think it was this little drama that has pushed him over from being an actor I’m aware of to an actor that I enjoy and would actively seek out his dramas.

You're both fabulous

Jang Hee Ryung was new to me, but I found her sweet and cute, and her character endearing. While I wouldn’t call the humour of the show sleek and witty, I wouldn’t call it crass either. It was almost satirical in a way.

♫ You are my destiny ♫

It went beyond simply using situations to create humour, and used lighting and sound to enhance the comedy. The show parodied common rom-com moments, and used the same moody lighting and emotional music when recreating those scenes which only made it funnier. It never felt like the show was mocking standard rom-com moments, but it had more of a teasing vibe where it showed that with the right camera angle, slow-mo and music, any scene can be construed as romantic. The humour wasn’t the only thing this show had going for it, though it was the most prominent. There was a little bit of plot sprinkled throughout each episode- just enough to separate the misunderstandings. The love-triangle was hinted at early on and developed more as the show progressed. This added an extra layer of comedy, as there’s something so funny about two guys liking the same girl while the girl thinks they like each other. It’s just a situation that is ripe with hilarious moments. Of course, the two boys actually started to become friends, which was cute to watch as well. 

Those feels when you think that your ex and your crush are dating

What Was Great:

The Boys Next Door:

Obviously the stars of this show were the two boys. Both the actors and the characters were excellent.

Pepero- bringing people together since 1983

The boys had enough character that they felt well thought-out and carefully created, rather than just making the actors do all the work. While, Choi Woo Shik and Jang Ki Yong did amazingly well at bringing the characters to life, it was clear that the characters themselves were well constructed- a perk of basing the drama off a manhwa I’m guessing. Either way, the two boys drove the show and made it something that was truly enjoyable to watch. Choi Woo Shik and Jang Ki Yong had great chemistry, and it felt like they (and the staff) really enjoyed working together and had a blast filming this fun little show. The acting felt relaxed, even though some of the scenes could have been potentially uncomfortable to shoot. It was obvious that both actors were really invested in making sure the audience had a good time watching the drama, and they did a great job at making the show fun, but not childish or ridiculous.

What Wasn’t:

Why So Short?:

I honestly could have watched this drama for many more episodes. While I question if there would have been enough story to stretch it out, I just had such a fun time that I was actually a bit bummed out when I made it to the last episode.

I really wanted this drama to keep on going

The episodes themselves were only about 5-10 minutes long, and I just felt like I wanted to watch so much more of this delightful drama. I kid you not, I could watch this for hours and hours. 

Recommend?

Yes, yes, yes. This is just the thing to watch on a lazy weekend afternoon when you’re in need of a bit of a lighthearted laugh. 

Season 2? Please?

EXO Next Door

EXO Next Door

6/10

EXO Next Door

Genre:                                 Episodes: 16                         Year: 2015

Romance

Comedy

Synopsis:

Ji Yeon Hee is a shy girl with zero dating experience. One day, four members of her favourite boy band EXO move in next door, looking for some time out of the public eye. 

Chanyeol (Chanyeol)

D.O (D.O)

Baekhyun (Baekhyun)

Sehun (Sehun)

Moon Ga Young (Ji Yeon Hee)

Jang Yoo Sang (Ji Kwang Soo)

General Thoughts:

Complete and utter fan-service, but if you didn’t know that already I’d be completely surprised. There’s enough story in the show that it’s not painful to watch, but let’s be real- we all know why you’re here.

This is what you came for

At first the story is quite cringe-inducing, and the second-hand embarrassment was through the roof. However, as I kept watching, I found I got more and more used to the tone of the drama, and found I could just relax and appreciate the gorgeousness on my screen. Let’s not kid ourselves- most of the boys aren’t great actors.

This show is full of warm and fuzzies

They’re acting as themselves and even then they sometimes had trouble- but the whole thing was just so darn cute that I didn’t really care. I wasn’t expecting brilliant acting or a dramatic storyline- I wanted EXO, and that’s what I got. It’s not to say that the boys were outrageously bad actors- the writers actually did a pretty good job matching each member with a role that complimented their acting ability. D.O being the most experienced actor (having previously been in ‘It’s Okay, That’s Love') had the role that required the biggest and most difficult emotional range. Chanyeol was the lead, but his character had a smaller range of emotions that he needed to express, so he could play the character believably without ever feeling too outdone by D.O. Sehun was there mainly for comedic effect, and his sweetly innocent face was enough to get by. Baekhyun was…wait, Baekhyun was in this drama? Seriously though, he didn’t do much, and I honestly think he got about as much screen time as the other EXO cameos. But what great cameos. While my bias was one of the members included as a main character, I appreciated that the show had little snippets of all of the EXO boys so that no fans were left out.

Kai, don't go!

I found Kai’s cameo particularly hilarious, and it actually made me wish that his character had been written in as one of the main members. I adored that he was well aware of the love-triangle and completely ready to stir things up.

What life without a bit of B.L?

Moon Ga Young was delightful as the heroine, and I appreciated that she put in some effort in making her character have a bit of depth. In the other idol web-dramas I’ve seen, the girls have kind of ben non-entities, likely because the whole point is the boys from the band. Instead, Yeon Hee felt like one of the main characters of the show, rather than simply being there because you can’t have a drama with just boys. Well, I mean you could. But it’s unlikely to happen. The episodes themselves just seemed to zip by, and never dragged out the minimal story. The drama used what it had to its advantage and never tried to be more than it was. There was enough plot in the story that it was worth watching over other EXO related media. While it’s fun to see the members interact in real life, there’s something uniquely fun about watching them act out a story. While the whole childhood-friend scenario was a little random, the fact that it fanned the flames in the love-triangle was wonderful. I guess I do wish that the love triangle had actually been concluded though.

Feels kinda like no one got the girl...or the girl got no one...

While it was clear that Chanyeol and Yeon Hee were having a ‘some’ relationship, I still kind of wanted a little confirmation, as opposed to EXO leaving and only coming back many months later. Many months of Chanyeol NOT CONTACTING Yeon Hee, I might add. 

What Was Great:

It’s EXO:

The boys are really funny and did a pretty good job. Their chemistry was adorable to watch, and I honestly could have watched a fair few more episodes of it.

You're all gorgeous

I preferred Chanyeol as the teasing friend rather than the grumpy idol, and I think he felt more comfortable acting that way too. The other boys were all hilarious, particularly Sehun and his friendship with Yeon Hee’s brother. Of course, I enjoyed my bias most. D.O was just plain delightful. I could fangirl for days about him, and I’ve taken more screenshots of D.O’s face than I could ever hope to fit into one review. Or one hundred. 

A Kyung Soo for every mood

What Wasn’t:

Poor Sad D.O:

I really enjoyed this little show and have very little to criticise about it. I did feel a bit bad that D.O was so sad for so much of the time though. Granted, it’s probably because he’s the only actor that could have pulled off those heartbreaking smiles and sad puppy expressions, so I think we all ended up with a pretty serious case of second-lead syndrome. I just wanted D.O to get the girl. But then seeing him sad about it was cute in its own way I guess.

Recommend?

For EXO fans or anyone with a fangirl heart- this show was made for you.

Universal stars indeed