Tempest

 Political espionage pero kilig na kilig ako sa #Tempest

#JunJiHyun #GangDongWon 's chemistry is chemistry-ing.

Visuals na lang, 110% na 😍

Now streaming Disney+ PH

#BeyondTheBar: Law and Love at Its best Bar None

‼️May contain spoilers‼️

Synopsis: A young intelligent rookie lawyer joins a top law firm, navigating the complex legal world under a stern but talented mentor; aka Esquire.

Cast:

• #LeeJinWook as Yoon Seok Hoon– Squid Game, Sweet Home, Doona

• #JungChaeYeon as Kang Hyo Min – Golden Spoon, The King's Affection

• #LeeHakJoo as Lee Jin Woo - The Potato Lab, My Dearest

• #JeonHyeBin as Heo Min Jeong - Revolutionary Sisters

While many were disappointed because they were shipping the leads, hoping that the two would end up together in the finale, I was happy with the ending. 

This is a legal drama after all (please, we have enough rom-coms and love dramas), and for me, any romantic angle between them was just a side dish, pang-kilig factor seeing that there is chemistry between the actors, despite their age gap - both in the story and in real life. 

In an interview, LJW said the original script’s romantic line had been “softened”, and they thought if there was future relationship between the mentor and the younger colleague, it would be subtle and mature and didn’t have to be rushed, and that love is a process of growth, commitment, and mutual support.

Unlike typical dramas, the highlights of #BeyondTheBar were more on understated gestures of care and support, showing how love can be shown through action and shared experiences rather than grand or loud declarations. Case in point, when Jin Woo was proposing marriage to Min Jeong, he ended up not reading what he wrote and rehearsed but spoke of his love from the heart.

In Episode 7, the metaphor "Love is a rainbow" was used to describe how love evolves through a spectrum of emotions, with each color representing different feelings or stages in a relationship: Red for passion, Orange for warmth, Yellow for happiness, Green for peace, Blue for trust, Indigo for depth, and Violet for mystique.  That even if we move from one color (or stage) to another, it doesn't mean our love is lost, or has disappeared.

Even Seok Hoon, having gone through a divorce, has his version: “I think marriage is based on love. Over time, that love just changes shape. Love between a couple starts with passion, goes through reality, and ends in solidarity. Losing passion doesn’t mean losing love.” Solidarity. Loyalty. Belonging. These are all different forms of love.

The drama series was popular, that not even the old scandal  that resurfaced involving the male lead could affect the high ratings. The cases were all interesting and I loved how they were tied up and connected to each episode’s theme. 

For Hyo Min, from their cases, she was able to learn about love – love between a man and a woman; love of parents for their children; love of children for their parents; and the love between spouses. Even the love we show to others. Love takes many forms, and that wounds that come with it can be healed. 

While she was enumerating these, this wrapping up brought me to tears - with all their clients being shown how they are now, how it’s going, how they’re living their lives in the present – after their legal entanglements. 

This ending wrapped things up nicely and in a heartwarming way, leaving us with a conclusion that Beyond the Bar is one of the better K-dramas this year.

Law and Love – are they mutually interdependent? 

Love should not be blind to the Law, and Law is the guide for love…love should not disregard defined standards; in the same way that such standards are designed to establish the norm for appropriate conduct, and demonstrates how love ought to manifest itself in tangible ways.

All 12 episodes of Beyond the Bar is streaming Netflix 

#BuhayKPam

Queen Mantis

 Queen Mantis, a remake of the French series La Mante, is now streaming at Netflix.

A detective reluctantly works with his serial killer mother, known as "the Mantis," to catch a copycat murderer. The drama stars Go Hyun Jung as the titular Mantis, Jung Yi Shin, and Jang Dong Yoon as her estranged son, Detective Cha Su Yeol.

The Nice Guy

 Knew from the start 

That this would cause a tear in our hearts

But still we watched

Still we watched

😭😭😭

The awesome Lee pair

All 14 episodes streaming at Disney+ PH 

#LeeDongWook #LeeSungKyung 

#TheNiceGuy

The Winning Try

Signing off...

I will miss you, my miracles, my yummy-licious team

#TheWinningTry

#YoonKyeSang

#KimYoHan

#KimEJun

#LeeSuChan

#YoonJaeChan

#HwangSungBin

#WooMinKyu

#KimDan

The Winning Try

I don't know pero gandang-ganda ko, siguro nga dahil gusto ko ng mga underdog triumphs eme hehehe

Don't have a favorite or bias sa cast, but maraming yummylicious 😂😂😂

#TheWinningTry currently streaming Netflix

#LawAndTheCity mini review

 ⚖️ I am an LA Law fan for many years (late 80s to early 90s), never mind if I had to wait once a week (Tuesdays) for a one-hour episode on free tv. And up to now, this is a genre that I totally enjoy, be it movies, tv,  or books.

Among popular K-legal dramas, I’ve seen Law School, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Divorce Attorney Shin, Vincenzo, Big Mouth...and there’s a whole lot more. There's also an ongoing drama, Beyond the Bar, in Netflix.

In his comeback drama, we see #LeeJongSuk (I Can Hear Your Voice, While You Were Sleeping, Romance is a Bonus Book) in #LawandTheCity. I waited for the series if only for him and #KangYouSeok (Black Knight, When Life Gives You Tangerines). After Big Mouth, LJS returns to a character who at first appears to be aloof, distant, but later, shows his compassionate and tender side. KYS plays a lawyer after being a doctor in Resident Playlist. Although I have seen #MoonKaYoung (MGY) in True Beauty and The Interest of Love, I find her somewhat cold on screen. Not sure if the holding back is intentional on her part, but she wasn’t really “chemistry-ing” with her male leads. And initially, I wasn’t shipping her character and that of Jong Suk. However, surprisingly I felt it on Episode 6, and there was no turning back. 

LATC is set in Seoul’s Seocho-dong Law Town, and we meet five lawyers and share their joys and sorrows as they navigate not only the demanding legal world, but also their personal struggles, friendship, and growth.

• LJS – Atty Ahn Ju Hyeong

• MGY – Atty Kang Huiji

• KYS - Cho Chang Won

• Ryoo Hye Young – Atty Bae Mun Jeong (Reply 1988, Law School, Gangnam B Side Nice Guy)

• Im Sung Jae – Atty Ha Sang Gi (who always plays villain roles Gangnam B Side, Worst of Evil)

And of course, when you see Yum Hye Ran (Glory, WLGYT), you know it can't go wrong.

What I like about LATC is it’s pure and simple - no need for complicated plots, disgusting bad guys or irritating love triangles (although we felt that Atty Cho seemed attracted to Atty Kang for a while, but gave it up when Ju Hyeong and Huiji admitted they were dating). Legal cases were nicely written and presented, and for someone who enjoys watching courtroom scenes, most were heartwarming, interesting and touching. As always, I would find myself tearful during emotional moments, with superb performances from the cast. I find the OBB so cool and one of my favorite scenes was when they were waiting for Huiji in the elevator as they leave for court to hear the decision on her father’s case. See last photo.

Watch out for their lunches-catch up meals, you will end up hungry and craving for Korean food. It’s illegal! And I object Your Honor!

All 12 episodes of LATC are streaming Disney+ PH 

tvN drama 

#BuhayKPam