#OhMyGhostClients mini review

 👻#OhMyGhostClients mini review 👻

Watched this first and foremost because of the cast. I like #JungKyungHo (Crash Course in Romance), #SeolInAh (Twinkling Watermelon), and #ChaHakYeon (Castaway Diva).

Lawyer No Mu Jin quit his job but lost his savings after entrusting it to a friend (played by Kim Dae Myung in a cameo role) who invested in cryptocurrency. He decided to become a licensed labor attorney per another friend’s suggestion, and opened a firm but struggled to sustain it with no clients coming in. He and his sister-in-law and secretary Hui Joo teamed up with content creator Gyeon Woo to promote his services. In one of their site inspections, a near-death experience caused him to start seeing ghosts whose passings are work-related and to continue to live, he signed a contract with spirit guide Bo Sal (played by Tang Soon Jang) to help these ghosts with their unfair deaths and unresolved labor issues, move on and finally rest in peace.

Because this drama has supernatural / fantasy elements, suspension of disbelief is necessary to enjoy the narrative. Reminiscent of dramas May I Help You and Light Shop which deal with life and life after death, OMGClients may seem silly, and trite in some scenes, but it hits you where it should. It’s sweet and serious and emotional and touching in more ways than one. 

We can see Mu Jin’s character development from a husband who, according to his wife Mi Joo (played by Kyung Soo Jin) is carefree, makes decisions on his own without consulting her and finds it hard to show his affections to his family as he hides what he truly feels; to someone who shows genuine care and concern to people, including those he has met only as ghosts, to the point of being physically hurt, sometimes a bit naïve or clueless on trends, but a real expert when it comes to labor law.

The plot twist with Mu Jin’s brother (played by Jin Sun Kyu) – I believe I saw it coming but I wanted to feel the ohhh moment just the same. And I did! I bet everyone who saw that scene went back to Episode 5 when he visited his parents’ house and saw his hyung. The dinner scene in the last episode really teared me up.

And then there are the real labor issues, politics and corruption, maybe not just in South Korea, but in other countries as well; and the correct use of social media to expose issues and concerns that are not being addressed.

The statue in the drama, as I have later learned, is supposed to be Jeon Tae il. Jeon Tae-il was a South Korean labor activist who, at the age of 22, died by setting himself on fire while shouting, "We are not machines!" to draw public attention to the labor conditions at that time. His death inspired a new wave of labor activism and civil rights awareness in South Korea, and it is said that his legacy continues to influence labor movements and social justice campaigns in Korea.

A Race, from the drama’s OST, was sung by In Ah and Hak Yeon whose chemistry on screen is evident. You can hear the song in the background as Mu Jin brings young friend Yoon Jae on a road trip in Episode 7, to make him realize that life is still worth living. Watch the MV here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PvcPrEGORg... Incidentally, Hak Yeon is aka N, a former idol, a member of the boy band VIXX.

Great cast, good storyline and storytelling, and a heartbreaking finale that ties up loose ends perfectly.  All episodes with the ghosts left me teary-eyed, as we are reminded once again of our temporary existence in this world. And that we should take advantage of every chance that we get to tell our loved ones that we love them, apologize to those whom we have wronged or hurt, be kind, and live life right and to the fullest as much as possible. OMGClients is “ghosting” us, but in a good way.

OMGClients is streaming Netflix and Viu Philippines

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#NinePuzzles Mini Review Part 2

• At some point, it dragged, it could have been shorter than 11 episodes. And they didn’t show in flashbacks how each murder was done. For some oohs and aahs moments. But I guess, the focus was more on why and who.

• I liked that they didn’t add a romantic angle. Some dramas should be left like that, please don’t force something that shouldn’t be there. True, Han Saem changed her mind about Ena, and he started to be concerned with her and her safety. He even brought her back to his mom’s place. But that’s it. She’s more like a younger sister to him and a colleague whom he started to respect.

• I loved the ending scene, though. Spoiler alert: Looks like Ms Yoon will re-join the force. 

Some would say that the series ended "flat, weak and rushed" and that it was "underwhelming." That the twist wasn’t that mind-blowing. Ah ok, is that it? In the Phils, we'd say: Yun na yun? 

Well, a little, maybe. But Suk Ku’s smile made it all worthwhile. And these eccentric and cop roles really do suit him to a nine (pun intended).

Nine Puzzles is streaming at Disney+ PH 

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#NinePuzzles Mini Review Part 1

Synopsis: 

Ten years ago, Ena (#KimDaMi) was a suspect in the murder of her uncle, a high-ranking police officer. Now a profiler, she was forced to collaborate with the same detective Han Saem (#SonSukKu) to piece together the truth, one puzzle piece at a time. 

For someone who has anxiety and panic disorder, it’s a puzzle why I love this genre – suspense/thriller/mystery/crime. Even the books I’m reading and love to read tell the same thing. Maybe I was a cop or a detective, or a forensic science expert in some other life, or in a multiverse. 

I am not exactly a fan of Da Mi (#ItaewonClass #OurBelovedSummer) but I am of Suk Ku (#MyLiberationNotes #AKillerParadox). I find him charming. He has this strange appeal and quirkiness, and he seems to hide a soft and tender side under that stoic stance. Suk Ku, incidentally, speaks good English having studied abroad and initially wanted to be a basketball player but eventually fell in love with acting. His years in the US and Canada, he said, enabled him to outgrow his shyness, in fact, his MBTI is ENFP.

What I like about the drama:

• Stellar cast / star-studded. I love the familiar faces. Some behind the scenes photos of the cast in their Instagram accounts show that they had their bonding moments during the filming and even gorgeous handsome #LeeJunHyuk who is Suk Ku’s friend IRL visited them on the set.

• Looked forward to the brief reunion between Itaewon’s Da Mi and #LeeJooYoung (who plays patrol officer Nam Na Ri).

• Han Saem’s signature move - when he takes off his beanie and reveals his messy hair – means he’s mad and exasperated.

• Please take note that I’m not a female lead hater, but not a fan either of #ParkGyuYoung (#SquidGame #AGoodDayToBeADog) who plays Dr. Lee Seung Joo

• Intricate plot – the kind that you like to untangle, every detail should be noted and remembered because you want to find out for yourself who the killer is. Usually, I have my own theories, and I can name the culprit even before the lead characters do. Here, the “killer” was one of my guesses, but I wasn’t giving much attention to the character. It was in plain sight. But I chose to look the other way (which was what the writer wanted) and there were a lot to choose from, until they die one by one 😅😅😅

To be continued >>>Part 2

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