#Twelve mini review

‼️ contains spoilers‼️

Despite so much fanfare and publicity when it premiered, #Twelve ended quietly, living up to the conceptual idea that angels are messengers of divine silence.

There was so much hype, attention and great expectations when Disney+ announced this K-hero fantasy series, with a star-studded cast line-up with no less than #MaDongSeok (or Don Lee of Eternals, Train to Busan, The Roundup, Badland Hunters) and #ParkHyungSik (whose Buried Hearts’ finale closed the season with a nationwide viewership rating of 15.4%), in his villain era. 

The show draws on Eastern zodiac mythology, following 12 angels sent by the Light to protect humanity from evil. It is a high-concept action-hero series that unfolds a universe from ancient times to the present day. Losing 4 angels, the surviving eight angels also lost their powers when Hellmouth, a supernatural portal to hell, was sealed, along with the power of evil. They began living on Earth as ordinary people (loan sharks actually), with Marok, a human with special abilities, but are forced to fight the awakened demonic forces, this time in the modern world.  

As a Park Hyung Sik (PHS) fan, I was confused why after 6 episodes, I still wasn’t connecting with the drama, for the life of me. Usually I get affected a lot, cry at the sad scenes, sympathize with the characters, rave about it most especially, and wait for the next episodes like crazy. I stopped and thought, why wasn’t I feeling anything? 

How can it go wrong? The cast included #SungDongIl who is literally everywhere (The Art of Negotiation, The Tale of Lady Ok, Han River Police, Curtain Call) and #SeoInGuk (Doom at Your Service, Reply 1997). Is it bad acting? Slow pacing? Too much CGI? Lack of character depth? Wala akong emotional investment kahit na andami nang episodes, and I can’t think of just a single reason. Maybe a dozen? 🤔

Looking at the other “angels”, I don’t know why I couldn’t find them fascinating. I’ve seen the actors in other dramas, but they didn’t seem to have chemistry, despite their being together for many years.  I didn’t like how they were exchanging lines with each other, so awkward and unnatural, the girls were not killing it; plus, the worn-out approaches or effects na showing their powers one at a time, hindi ba pwedeng sabay sabay na lang na lumalabas yung weapons nila hahaha and yung mamatay-matay na halos sa pagtakbo yung “victim” tapos yung humahabol na villain or evil eh cool na cool lang naglalakad. Typical. And then there’s Mirr, played by #LeeJooBin (Queen of Tears, Divorce Insurance, Money Heist Korea), who had the soul stone that the fallen angels wanted, for greater power. But all Mirr ever did in the final episode when they were supposed to be battling the evil spirits, fighting for humanity and saving the world, was to lie unconscious, oblivious to everything. Sayang lang hahaha Siya pa naman yung dragon angel. Naging jowa lang siya ni Ogwi (PHS). Nagising na lang siya nung tapos na hahaha

And here I am, writing a mini review (when I couldn’t do it for some of the dramas I have watched and adored like Mercy For None), dami ko nasabi for such disappointment.

Angels are supposed to be messengers, the medium for divine and spiritual communication. But...did we ever get the message? 

All 8 episodes are available for streaming on Disney+ PH

#BuhayKPam

#BuriedHearts mini review

‼️Spoiler Alert‼️Buried Hearts mini review After his successful stint in Doctor Slump in 2024, #ParkHyungSik’s #BuriedHearts (aka Treasure Island) ended with 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. #DoctorSlump is still one of the best I’ve seen, with our Oppa playing a handsome and warm and goofy and charming and sweet Dr. Yeo Jeong Woo (not so unlike his real personality, and with a bonus track Lean on Me in the drama’s OST at that). And he keeps on getting better. This time, he is Seo Dong Ju, a brilliant strategist who hacked into a political slush fund worth 2 trillion won, dodging multiple murder attempts; and also a brokenhearted man who lost a partner (Eun Nam - Hong Hwa Yeon) to an arranged marriage; lost his mother, his foster sister (Sister Agnes - Han Ji Hye), and later on, his biological father (Huh Il Do - Lee Hae Young) and half-brother (Taehyun - Yoon Sang Hyeon) - all in tragic deaths. Revenge is what kept him alive and going, he rose to become the President of Daesan and made his enemy (the hateful villain Yeom Jang Seon - Heo Joon Ho) give up all his wealth to be free. But revenge is also what has left him empty and perhaps regretful in the end (with his “I don’t think I know what’s wrong anymore” line to Eun Nam, and to the corrupt Elder (Lee Cheol Yong - Choi Kwang Il) : “What happened to you?”) that he believed he needed to step down from his post, take a break, and search for his old soul and whatever goodness that is left in him – the one who was loyal, passionately in love with the woman he wanted to marry, ambitious but still humane. Notes: 1. I liked that they did not force Dong Ju and Eun Nam to get back together – at least not yet. Maybe later, but not in this season hahaha They still love each other but I was glad that they were given time apart, especially after Eun Nam’s divorce as respect also to her ex-husband, prosecutor turned private lawyer Yeom Hui Cheol - Kwon Soo-Hyun who, while not entirely a good person, was given a chance to redeem himself in the end. Love that permed bangs hahaha 2. The loyalty of (also hateful) Chun Gu Ho - Joo Yeon-Woo to his boss Yang Seon 3. The loyalty of Dong Ju’s group - Madame Pi - Son Ji Na (one of those who supported him and Sister Agnes when they were young), Myung Tae Geum - Kong Ji-Ho (rich techie friend and owner of the instrument shop) and Bae Won Bae - Lee Yoo Joon (the one who saved him after he was shot). 4. The loyalty of Secretary Gong – the family’s lady butler who knows all the skeletons in their closet 5. I didn’t like how things ended with Taehyun, who seemed to be the nicest character in the drama. For him to be a sacrificial lamb just to show that evil does not stop, and what greed and lust for riches and power could do to a person, or in this case, to mother and son tandem of Ji Yeong Soo - Do Ji-Won and Ji Seon Woo - Cha Woo-Min. I was disappointed, I was hoping that the Chairman’s illegitimate-turned-legitimate son would turn out to be a fine man, with us seeing them on a heartwarming bike ride one evening. I was hoping that people with humble beginnings like them could remain unaffected despite their newfound status and money. Sad also that the Chairman appeared to be holding on to his last memories of frequenting the cafe/bakery to catch a glimpse of Yeong Soo and Seon Woo - at a time when things were simpler and I guess, more dear. And then again maybe Taehyun’s death and effect on his mother (Cha Dok Hui - Kim Jung Nan) is to show us once again that crime does not pay, and in one way or another, you will suffer the consequences. Dok Hui, together with Il Do, plotted to kill her 1st husband Seon Ho, Dong Ju’s mother Gyeong-Won, and Dong Ju as a young boy. 6. Nice casting touch – the young Dong Ju played by Yoo Young Woo. He was able to get Park Hyung Sik’s approach to the character, how he spoke, little things that matter. 7. Missing in the finale was Dong Ju’s neurologist and her father (friend of Il Do and Seon Ho) who were also helpful during the time the Dong Ju was struggling with his memories; and while Cha Guik Hi became Daesan Volt CEO, her neurosurgeon husband was also missing in the last episode. 8. “Not like”– why would you want the viewers to think Dong Ju and Eun Nam have the same father? Ewwww – not with those love scenes! 9. Watching Reborn Rich, The Impossible Heir, Flex x Cop, I am thinking, don’t we have a good chaebol family? Is this how things work with wealthy families really, the power struggle? And why is the title Buried Hearts? More like twisted hearts but I guess, you prefer these family-corporate warfare stuff to be buried hahaha literally. 10. What happened to Dong Ju – Did he kill himself? Will he and Eun Nam reconcile? When will the power struggle in Daesan stop? The evil son is going to destroy what his chairman grandfather and chairman father have built, and what Dong Ju has fixed. With the chairman having dementia, it's likely that the same dynamics will persist. Even though Dong Ju tried to tie up loose ends, some say it was a hurried ending, too many unresolved plots, which is not befitting of a most-watched revenge drama series with an average nationwide rating of 15.0 percent, that puts Park Hyung Sik further on top. Rumored to be paid 500M KRW per Doctor Slump episode (or 8B KRW for 16 episodes), PHS embracing a dark role seems to be a smart move. His acting here in BH, they say, is career-defining. I was thinking, can anyone be in his place as Dong Ju? Nope, he is Dong Ju all right. He worked hard for this drama. Just a trivial observation, don’t mind me, you don’t have to believe it, but there’s one scene in the end that reminded me of Park Seo Joon. That move, when he turned around to walk towards Eun Nam for that one last kiss, it reminded me of PSJ. Oh well, I guess I am just a Wooga devotee after all. (Sorry Woo Shik I finished your Melo Movie in one sitting so I could focus on Hyung Sik.) Should there be another Season? Personally, I am fine and I don’t need another. My imagination can deal with the unfinished business or details that were left hanging. To hell with what will happen to Dong Ju and Daesan. While there are lessons learned, life goes on. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and it will never be perfect. And there are stories that, no matter how compelling or well-loved, must rest after they are told. No need to dig deeper to make new memories - just buried inside our hearts. You can still catch Buried Hearts, streaming on Disney+ PH #BuhayKPam

#DoctorSlump

#DoctorSlump signing off

Once rivals in school, two doctors reunite by chance, during the lowest moment of their lives, and unexpectedly find solace in each other. 

Definitely one of the best I’ve seen:

• CAST– the chemistry between the leads #ParkHyungSIk #ParkShinHye, the family, the second leads; love this ensemble

• PACING– they don’t stretch or prolong the conflicts

• STORYTELLING – the way the stories are told, from different points of view, the way the thoughts of the characters are shown

• CHARACTERS – the buildup, development, and the maturity

• LESSONS AND TAKEAWAYS - mental health awareness, healing, new beginnings, pursuing dreams, having a support system

We all experience a slump once in our lives, maybe even twice or more, sometimes one at a time, worse, all at the same time. And oftentimes, we question God, why our lives get disrupted by these brutal realities and suffering, our peace and security shaken and our faith disoriented. We may not know or realize the answers right away. But when we do see the purpose of such miracles and humbling moments, we grow, we become better persons - and all these make it all worthwhile.

What does better mean? Does that mean they’ll become happy?

No, they’ll accept their misfortunes. “I can become miserable again. But that’s ok. Should misfortunes come, I have the strength to endure them.”

Everyone in the drama has his or her closure. Days may not be always shiny or bright. You could be happy today, and suddenly sad tomorrow, and regardless if our slumps are deep or shallow, what counts is learning our lessons, remaining strong to endure future sadness and misfortunes, and having the courage to rise above all these…

Bonus: cameo from Lee Sung Kyung, a patient from the Philippines, and a song from PHS ‘Lean on Me’ in the OST.

Catch Doctor Slump at Netflix #BuhayKPam

• Park Hyung Sik as Yeo Jeong-woo (Hwarang, Strong Girl Bong-Soon, Happiness, Our Blooming Youth)

• Park Shin Hye as Nam Ha-neul (Stairway to Heaven, The Heirs, Doctors)

• Yoon Park as Bin Dae-yeong (Good Doctor, What Happens to My Family)

• Kong Seong as Ha Lee Hong-ran (Daily Dose of Sunshine)

• Hyun Bong Sik as Jang Hye-jin (A Time Called You, Curtain Call, Crash Landing on You, True Beauty) 

• Kong Wol Seon as Hyeon Bong-sik (A Killer Paradox, Gyeongseong Creature, The Bequeathed, Queenmaker, Destined With You)

• Yoon Sang Hyeon as Nam Ba-Da (Under the Queen’s Umbrella)

• Oh Dong Min as Min Kyung-Min (The Interest of Love, The Law Café)

Strong Girl Namsoon

 ‼️May contain spoilers‼️

I love it na hindi na pinatagal ng writers ang reunion, Episode 4 pa lang.

And the cameo of the Parks 😍😍😍

Born to a family where the women are gifted with super human strength, a young woman returns to Korea to find her biological family, only to be entangled in a case involving drugs that could test her power.  

#StrongGirlNamsoon #LeeYooMi #OngSeongWu #ByeonWooSeok #KimJungEun

Spinoff of the 2017 series #StrongGirlBongSoon #ParkHyungSik #ParkBoYoung #BuhayKPam

Our Blooming Youth signing off

#OurBloomingYouth signing off... 

Romance and mystery, of friendship and love, of betrayal and loyalty - 20 episodes

Thank you #OurBloomingYouth for giving us a happy ending.

#ParkHyungSik at his handsomest, so regal. I really like how his character has evolved. From somewhat an arrogant son of the King, he later on showed his compassionate and gracious side. 

Grabe si PHS, parang 24/7 in character – the eyes, yung height, posture, gestures, yung pagka-suplado, parang Prinsipe talaga (#Suits #Happiness #Soundtrack #StrongGirlBongSoon #Hwarang #InTheSoopFriendcation #WoogaSquad) BONUS: The former idol sings a track in this drama’s OST.

#JeonSoNee (#Encounter)

#PyoYeJin (#TaxiDriver #HotelDelLuna #WhatsWrongWithSecretaryKim #WhileYouWereSleeping #FightforMyWay)

#YunJongSeok (#SaveMe #SomethingInTheRain)

#LeeTaeSun (#HotelDelLuna #IDGangnamBeauty #Suits #PrisonPlaybook)

#HeoWonSeo

Catch the drama series at Prime Video PH.

#talesofthegoodgirl #KPam