Psychopath Diary

 Psychopath Diary

6/10

Psychopath Diary

Genre:                                     Episodes: 16                         Year: 2020

Thriller

Comedy

Synopsis:

Yook Dong Shik is a timid man who is looked down on by those around him. One day he witnesses a murder and picks up a diary belonging to the killer. As he flees the scene he is involved in an accident that causes him to lose his memories. Due to the diary, Dong Shik mistakingly believes that he is the killer. He draws closer to Shim Bo Kyung, a police officer who is investigating a string of suicides that she believes are actually the work of a serial killer.

Cast:

Yoon Shi Yoon (Yook Dong Shik)

Jung In Sun (Shim Bo Kyung)

Park Sung Hoon (Seo In Woo)

Choi Sung Won (Heo Tak Soo)

Kim Myung Soo (Shim Seok Goo)

Heo Sung Tae (Jang Chil Sung)

General Thoughts:

A lot of the time when reviewing K-Dramas I tend to find myself saying ‘I thought I would like this more than I did’. With this drama however, I’ve actually ended up thinking the opposite. Yes, it’s one of those rare times where I actually enjoyed a drama more than I thought I would.

I won't lie- I thought this show would be nothing but ridiculous

I went in with my expectations pretty low, and kinda just watched this show as a way to pass time while the dramas I was actually interested in watching were released (joke’s on me- I stretched my watching of this over many months and now I am once again way behind on shows). I thought it would be silly and fun for an episode or two before becoming a bit boring. But it didn’t! The first episode was great, but after that the momentum slowed a bit, and I’ll admit I found myself thinking ‘yep, here we go’,

Chill Sung made this show so fun

but then the storyline started to pick up again and I found myself being happily drawn in again. It’s not like I finished an episode and instantly switched the next one on because I was so curious to see what happened next- but I didn’t get bored in the episodes, and the episodes themselves were fun and didn’t feel long. There was an unpredictability to the show that made it quite enjoyable- you could never be sure where it was going to take you. I was surprised that we found out who the killer was so early on, but it actually worked very well in the show’s favour to do so. Seeing Dong Shik flounder around thinking he was a serial killer was funny, but putting that next to the REAL killer, In Woo, made it a lot funnier. The parallel between the two characters was a great source of humour, and the show drew on that further when In Woo thought he had found another person like him- he was so serious about it, but we the audience were very clued in on the situation and what an absolute muppet Dong Shik really was, that seeing In Woo believe he was a killer was really funny. Yoon Shi Yoon matched the character of Dong Shik extremely well- this type of character is tailor made for the over-the-top comedy that Yoon Shi Yoon so often delivers.

This is Yoon Shi Yoon's brand of comedy

If I’m being honest, I did find Yoon Shi Yoon’s acting to be a bit too much a lot of the time, but it did suit the character well. It’s kind of an old-school type of comedy that can take a bit of time getting used to, but once the drama set the stage as being one of extra, somewhat slapstick humour, it was easy enough to accept and just go along with it. It paired well with Jung In Sun’s more straight-faced, earnest character, and the show had a relatively breezy vibe over all. Even with the actual serial killer.

They made a fun pair

I don’t think Jung In Sun is the best actress ever, but she did well here and delivered an honest and endearing character. Bo Kyung’s hunches and dedication to her job made her an easy character to cheer for- particularly when everyone else in the police force was so weirdly determined to not catch the real killer. I mean seriously, did anyone think her mentor detective was a good guy? He just screeaaamed shady from the moment he stepped on screen. Our bad guy, In Woo, was played by Park Sung Hoon, who isn’t exactly a new face in dramaland, but I am fairly sure that he’s been relegated to pretty small roles previously- like a named friend of the hero or office colleague kind of thing. Well, he was so fabulous as our psychopathic killer. I won’t pretend that there was a lot of backstory behind In Woo’s character (chaebol son takes out frustrations by killing people, you know the drill), but he gave a lot of energy to the character. His smiles had such a way off coming of creepy, even in non-creepy settings. His chemistry with Yoon Shi Yoon was really fun and the two made for a really solid comedic duo, even if Park Sung Hoon played a serious character the whole time. The rest of the characters were all pretty stock-standard, but there were a couple of great side characters. Heo Sung Tae was absolutely brilliant as the gangster-turned-good, and his adoration of Dong Shik was both hilarious and adorable.

Long live this unexpected and hilarious bromance

Watching Dong Shik actually come to rely on Chil Sung was sweet and super entertaining- watching the two hapless fools bumble their way through a dangerous serial murder investigation just felt so fresh and had a load of comedy to draw from. Another scene stealer was Kim Myung Soo who played Bo Kyung’s disabled father. At first he was a sweet and endearing character that was used to showcase Bo Kyung’s love for her family and dedication to her job, and honestly that’s kind of how I expected him to stay- a sad backstory for our heroine.

Don't hurt Dad

 But then the show did something quite special- it expanded Kim Myung Soo’s role into being an aspect of Bo Kyung’s life that In Woo could take advantage of and exploit. The drama was so light-hearted that I was completely taken aback and got chills when In Woo threatened Bo Kyung’s father knowing full well that he was unable to speak out for help, and watching him keep the poor man helpless and under his influence through the hospital and drugs gave In Woo a massive fear factor that he hadn’t really had before. Kim Myung Soo played every scene perfectly- he was so sweet and defenceless that it really ignited a feeling of anger and desperation when he switched to the heavier scenes. For the plot itself, there was nothing really revolutionary going on, but it was more the interactions between the characters that was the draw of the drama anyway. The show wasn’t predictable, but it wasn’t exactly groundbreaking either- there were no major twists and it was easy enough to follow along even if you got distracted for a minute or two along the way.

What Was Great:

Lasting the Distance:

A problem I find a lot of K-Dramas have is that there just isn’t enough plot to spread out between the episodes. Plot-lines rise and fall and there tends to be a bit of a lull at some point in most shows. I was surprised to find with ‘Psychopath Diary’ that as the show went on it started to feel more engaging not less. The comedy found its footing and became a bit less slapstick based, and I just became plain interested to see how In Woo would get caught and how far along Dong Shik would get dragged.

Pre-psycho Dong Shik was painfully wimpy

I didn’t think the show would have Dong Shik kill someone while he thought he was the murderer, but I was never positive that it wouldn’t happen either. It was a good path to have Dong Shik decide that killing people was now boring, as it gave him an excuse to not go around killing people while also extending the period of time that it made sense for him to believe himself the murderer. Usually the hooks that draw you into a show, the special little somethings, become undone before the halfway point, so I was fully expecting Dong Shik to catch on that he wasn’t really the killer pretty quickly. I was impressed that the show kept Dong Shik in killer mindset for most of its run and crafted the story around that without defaulting back to a regular old ‘who dunnit’ when in actual fact we already know who dunnit.

I mean, I know which one I'd pick as being the psychopath on hairstyle alone

The show brought in enough little side stories as we made our way to the conclusion that the plot never felt dragged out, and the momentum was built nicely. With each side quest Dong Shik and Bo Kyung went on, they got a little closer to the killer. It was just plain fun to watch these two characters bumble their way into catching the most notorious killer of their time, and there was enough entertainment in each episode that it managed to fill all 16 of them without stretching the plot thin.

What Wasn’t:

Low Stakes:

Generally the downside of silly, fun shows is that there isn’t a lot of substance to them. It isn’t to say that this drama was insubstantial, but there’s only so much you can relate to dorky, slightly cartoonish characters that stumble through life. 

It's always the rich boy. Always.

There’s a level of tension you expect out of more light-hearted shows, and it almost a guarantee that no major characters are going to die or be greatly endangered. We all knew In Woo would get caught and Dong Shik would realise he wasn’t the murderer and that it would all work out in the end. And even if some characters did get hurt or die, there was very low personal investment in the characters, so while it would have been a surprise, it wouldn’t have been too heartbreaking. Also due to the fact that Dong Shik thought he was the killer, the show couldn’t then have In Woo going around killing more people- because then Dong Shik would know that he wasn’t the killer- because people would still be dying even though he was doing no murdering. So while In Woo was set up well as a scary and remorseless killer, he actually spent most of the show not killing people and just laughing about how Dong Shik thought he was a cold-blooded psychopath. 

Recommend?

If you want a silly comedy to not take too seriously then sure. If you’re after a more serious mystery or romance I’d advise you to look elsewhere.

The show gets props for an interesting twist on your classic murdering chaebol story

Reply 1988

Reply 1988

8.5/10

Reply 1988

Genre:                Episodes: 20                    Year: 2015

Family

Comedy

Romance

Synopsis:

It’s 1988, and five neighbours have been friends since childhood as they have all grown up on the same block. Though each family has different circumstances, the neighbours support and comfort each other as though they were family. The story follows the five teenagers as they mature, and learn about family, love and friendship through various hardships.

Cast:

Lee Hyeri (Sung Deok Sun)

Park Bo Gum (Choi Taek)

Ryu Jun Yoel (Kim Jung Hwan)

Go Kyung Pyo (Sung Sun Woo)

Lee Dong Hwi (Ryu Dong Ryong)

Sung Dong Il (Sung Dong Il)

Lee Il Hwa (Lee Il Hwa)

Ryu Hye Young (Sung Bo Ra)

Choi Sung Won (Sung No Eul)

Kim Sung Kyun (Kim Sung Kyun)

Ra Mi Ran (Ra Mi Ran)

Ahn Jae Hong (Kim Jung Bong)

Kim Sun Young (Kim Sun Young)

Choi Moo Sung (Choi Moo Sung)

General Thoughts:

The ‘Reply’ franchise returns with it’s latest instalment- and boy does it deliver. You’d think that by the third time around, the series would have lost a lot of it’s mystery and charm. But you’d be wrong. So, so wrong.

Our third wonderfully wonderful 'Reply' heroine

The writer (who has apparently sold her soul to gain the most majestic, tear-inducing writing abilities) gives us a whole new group of down-to-earth, painfully realistic, completely loveable characters. ‘Reply 1988’ recaptures much of the magic and charm of the original, and takes us on another journey as we grow up with a brand new set of characters. Unlike it’s predecessors, ‘Reply 1988’ chooses to focus less on the romance, and more on the differing family relationships and dynamics. This choice has both an upside and a downside, but it did feel refreshing to have the focus on the families after how laser-visioned ‘Reply 1994’ was on the romance. The show had a huge cast- which it needed in order to fill up those insanely long episodes. I mean honestly, is it really necessary to have 20 episodes that all go over 90 minutes? Disregarding the insanely long episodes, the cast were spot on. Mum and Dad return (hooray!) along with a trio of children.

It just wouldn't be 'Reply' without Sung Dong Il and Lee Il Hwa

It was enjoyable to have our leading lady have some siblings (that are alive), unlike in the previous instalments. It added a whole new set of relationships into the mix that had our leading lady at the heart of it all. We got to experience being a younger sister, an older sister, and a middle-child all through Deok Sun- and it was appropriately touching. Every family dynamic that could be explored was  explored through our many neighbouring families.

It would be so hard to choose just one

Each series has approached the husband mystery differently, and ‘88 is no exception. In '97 we had a clear contest between two brothers. The series effectively used time-skips and flashbacks to continue the mystery. In ’94 we had a name- but no face to put to that name. Here in ‘88 we had a face- but no name, due to using different, older actors to portray our married couple in the present.

All aboard the Taekie train! Choo choo!

It’s a cute quirk of the series that while it may be redoing something it’s done previously (in the way of the husband mystery), it always goes about it in a different way. The overall tone of the series was more serious than either ‘Reply 1994’ or ‘Reply 1997’. It downplayed a lot of the romance (while still keeping the husband mystery going) and focused more on fading youth and a time you can’t return to. While all three segments of the franchise have included this reminiscence of youth, it was felt more strongly in ‘88 than in either of the ‘90s series. It was truly a bittersweet farewell to a simpler time that is long gone. It says a lot about this writer and these actors that they can make me so deeply nostalgic for a time and place that I was never in, and so completely attached to these people I’ve never met. 

What Was Great:

Less Hurt Love Feelings:

It happened. It finally, finally happened. The boy I was rooting for got the girl. Third time’s the charm. I loved Taek from the get go- though he did remind me a little of Chil Bong, so I was a little nervous that I would be on the losing team again. Being on Team Taek, I can’t exactly comment on how those on Team Jung Hwan feel, but I personally felt that the franchise did a much better job in the handling of the love-triangle than it did the previous time around.

At least it wasn't as bad as last time guys. The triangle of '94 was just plain brutal

I think they could make a thousand more series in the ‘Reply’ franchise, and none would be able to top the original, so we just won’t even go there. In ’94 the series focused too much of it’s time and energy on the love triangle and the competition between the two boys, which inevitably left some people (us Chil Bongie shippers) out in the cold come the close of the series.

The girl can't choose you if she doesn't know you're an option

Personally, I thought that ’88 did a fantastic job of explaining why one man was able to get the girl and the other wasn’t. Adorable and swoon-worthy as Jung Hwan’s crush was- he never acted on it. The times he came close, he always covered up his true feelings with a joke. Whereas Taek was always ready to take the next step forward with Deok Sun, rather than keep his feelings hidden. The episode where Jung Hwan realises this himself is a great close for his one-sided romance. It’s sad, and your heart bleeds for him, but seeing as he wasn’t getting the girl, it was a satisfying way to conclude his Deok Sun crush. I’m sure the those cheering for Jung Hwan were disappointed, but at least there was a legit, tangible reason that his romance with Deok Sun never worked out, that went beyond Deok Sun just liking Taek more. That being said, I do wish Jung Hwan had been given some kind of conclusion in the adult present. He wasn't heard from or seen, which was a huge disappointment. He is the first 'Reply' second male lead to not end up in a clearly defined relationship with someone who isn't our heroine.

All the Feelings:

The different families brought on so many different emotions. It would take a million years to talk about each one in detail. Which is probably why the series went for a million years. Learning from it’s mistakes in ’94, ’88 chooses to (successfully) attempt to evoke emotion through different types of love- be it friendship or family.

Did you honestly go into this series expecting not to cry?

Some standouts were: Sun Woo and his mum, Jung Hwan and his parents, and Bo Ra and Dad. Oh, and of course the undying love between Taek and Jung Hwan- the reason no one got the girl in their teenage years. The relationships were heartwarming as they were just so true to life. No one was happy all the time. No one got the relationship right all the time. Everyone had to work hard in order to understand each other and build a relationship together. 

Ensemble:

What can you say, everyone was brilliant. I’ve yet to watch a ‘Reply’ series where I’ve been unhappy with a single member of the cast. The actors in ’88 don’t disappoint. Good job team.

The kids were fab, the parents were fab. Everyone was fab

What Wasn’t:

Less Seen Love Feelings:

While I appreciated the romance taking a back-seat to all the other relationships in the series, unfortunately this did mean that our main couple got less time to shine. Unfortunately, it also meant that our leading lady, Deok Sun, fell behind the other characters in the way of character development.

I wanted so much more of this than we got

Which couldn’t be helped when her feelings were purposely hidden from us in order to prolong the ‘Who’s the Hubby’ storyline. After it was revealed in the second-last episode that Taek was our husband in question, I totally expected to see a nice, long episode about how they exposed their romantic relationship to their family and friends. But then this was glossed over in favour of Bo Ra and Sun Woo’s relationship. Which was enjoyable in it’s own right- but the whole time I was watching, I couldn’t shake the niggling feeling that this was taking away from time I could be spending with Taek and Deok Sun when they were all loved-up. And they were so damn cute when they were all loved-up. Much as I adored the awkward, finding-their-feet teenage years, I do wish the show had spent a little more time on our characters when they were in their twenties. When you consider that 90% of the relationship development between your leading couple happens in the 90s, it seems silly that 90% of the series happened in the 80s.

Behold the cuteness

I must admit, when the series finished I was satisfied on many levels, but I was left feeling hungry for more on Taek and Deok Sun- as we were really given the bare minimum on their actual romantic relationship.

Grown Ups:

It was a different twist to have older actors playing our characters in the present. I completely see why it was necessary- as I just don’t believe Lee Hyeri (or any of the young cast) would have been convincing as people in their 40s/50s. However, it did leave me feeling a little alienated from our cast as their older selves. It was understandable that older Taek didn’t act completely like younger Taek, as that would have given away the husband story.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHERE'S THE REST OF THE GANG?!

But at the same time, when it was revealed that it was Taek in the present, I felt like he’d changed so much- and we as avid viewers had missed out on so much, whereas I always felt invested and connected to the characters of the previous series. Also I nearly threw a fit when we didn't get a little heads up on what our other characters were up to. We heard Sun Woo on the phone- but never saw him. Poor Jung Hwan and Dong Ryeong didn't even get a mention. Boo to that.

Crap...there's still a whole 50 minutes to go...

It’s Long Again:

Hoo boy did those episodes drag on. Unlike ’94, I never felt bored while watching, but there were times when I was consciously aware of how long the episodes were going for. There was enough content to fill the episodes, what with the different families and all, but they were just...so...long. A lot of the beauty of ’97 came from the hard-hitting emotional blows that followed one after the other. It’s undeniable that ‘88 delivered some storylines with big emotional impacts, but these moments were once again separated and distanced by less emotional scenes. It’s just ridiculous to think that the last two episodes sat at around 2 hours long. ‘Reply 1988’, I love you, and I love your characters- but that’s insane.

Re-watch?

I would like to. But another downside to the extreme length of the series is that much as I love the story and characters, I just can’t justify spending that much time on something I’ve already seen. No matter how great my love for this series is.

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