Kdrama Review: Remember War of the Son

Remember: War of the Son is a kdrama that follows the battle of Seo Jin Woo as he seek justice for his father who was wrongfully convicted of murder.

This kdrama has a very common story but has a very interesting gist to it. Seo Jin Woo portrayed by Yoo Seung Ho has hyperthymesia wherein he remembers everything in enormous detail. I always hear the term "Photographic Memory" but was not aware that it is actually real. The hypethymesia detail on the story made it rather interesting.

 I randomly came across Remember: War of the Son's trailer in Facebook and was completely intigued after so I decided to watch it. I thought it will just be a light drama but watching the first episode already made my heart ache. ㅠ.ㅠ The first episode will grab your attention right away because of its quick pacing and interesting characters but it somehow began to slow down towards the end that I want the PD-nim to resolve and end Seo Jin Woo's revenge and misery. Remember: War of the Son has 20 episodes but I think 16 episodes was enough.

I applaud the actors and actresses in this kdrama for their effective portrayals -  from the lead to the supporting actors down to the minor characters. They all told the story effectively but one stood out - Nam Koong Min who portrayed the psychotic chaebol Nam Kyu Man. He portrayed his character really well that I still remember his facial expressions and his voice and I'm still mad at him. Lol. He's the first villain that I hated this much which means that he's really a good and effective actor. See it for yourself. 

I tried my best not to cry while watching this kdrama but I failed. Seo Jin Woo and his father's scenes were unbelievably tear-jerking and heart-warming. But eventhough there are lots of crying scenes, it is not tiring to watch. I cried with them. ㅠ.ㅠ

Another interesting part of this kdrama are the courtroom battles. It's fascinating to watch how the lawyers question the witnesses but at the same time, it is maddening to see the corruption within the justice system. It saddens me to think that this corruption may actually exist in our justice system.

There's not a lot of romance in this kdrama which I like since Yoo Seung Ho and Park Min Young in my perspective lacks chemistry. So I'm still satisfied on how their characters ended.

Remember: War of the Son is a solid drama that will make you cry and will make you mad. It was heartbreaking and so painful to watch but it was addicting at the same time. If you are not into heavy kdramas, then I think this is not for you.

Kdrama Review: The Best Hit

The Best Hit or in some translation, Hit the Top narrates the story of Yoo Hyun Jae, a famous idol from the 90s who travels to 2017 to rekindle his relationships with the people he hurt in the past and to uncover the mystery why he suddenly went missing in 1994.

This is the first kdrama directed by PD-nim Yoo Ho Jin (for those who watch 2 Days and 1 Night, I know you know him) and Cha Tae Hyun.

The Best Hits

The hit storyline. Time travel stories are not new to us but is actually a cliche that is heavily used in either movies and kdramas. I've seen kdramas wherein someone from the present travels back to the past like Scarlet Heart Ryeo and Faith but this is the first kdrama I've seen wherein someone from a not so distant past travels to the present which makes it rather new. 

And though this kdrama has that fiction flavor, I love that it also showed realistic scenarios which everyone can relate to. One can probably relate to Hyun Jae who has everything but feels empty inside, to Woo Seung who does everything  just to make ends meet, to Ji Hoon who's working hard to catch his dreams and to the other characters. Each character in this kdrama has a story to tell.

The Best Hit has a pretty simple and super predictable plot but it has an underlying mystery that kept me on my seat watching. 

 The hit newbie actor Kim Min Jae. I've been waiting for Kim Min Jae's next drama after seeing his short yet bold appearance in Goblin as the young Wang Yeo. I'm glad that I didn't wait long, he's back as the idol wannabe Lee Ji Hoon and Kim Min Jae went all out in showcasing his wide range of talents in this kdrama. The character of Lee Ji Hoon was perfect for Kim Min Jae and I'm sure you'll love him.

The hit charm of Cha Eun Woo. I've seen Cha Eun Woo with ASTRO in various variety shows and he's undoubtedly good looking but I didn't pay too much attention to him until I saw him in this kdrama. That rebellious character of MJ surprisingly suited him. I'm waiting for his next kdrama.

The hit variety show crossover. I felt like I'm watching the variety show 2 Days and 1 Night while watching this kdrama. Why? You'll see familiar faces such as Defconn, Kim Junho, Kim Jongmin and the international referee in their cameo appearances. I was happy seeing them in the kdrama showing their support to their brothers Cha Tae Hyun, Yoon Dong Gu and Yoo Ho Jin PD.

The Misses

Yoon Si Yoon as Yoo Hyun Jae quite a miss. I don't hate Yoon Si Yoon but I just think that the cheerful and quirky character of Yoo Hyun Jae does not fit him well. I found his portrayal unnatural - that "okay he's acting" feels. I remembered his character in the kdrama Flower Boys Next Door - the feels is similar. No hate. ✌🏻

 The main coupleis quite a miss. It's fun seeing Hyun Jae and Woo Seung teasing each other but their connection lacked depth. I prefer Lee Ji Hoon and Choi Woo Seung as a couple but I think the writer wants to tell us not to cross the thin line between friendship and relationship. LOL! Okay.

Missing performances. I think I was just looking for more performances from the actors since this kdrama is somehow revolving around Korea's entertainment industry. 

And I know JB is not the highlight of this kdrama but I was really anticipating for the performance of these two. I was quite disappointed that I didn't see them on stage.

 Final Verdict. The Best Hit may not be the best but it is a good kdrama to watch. It is simple and predictable but it is interesting as well. Let me know if you've watched this kdrama.