Friday, January 24, 2014

Un-reviewable Dramas 5: Heirs and Two Weeks

One I live-watched, the other I pseudo-marathoned. The first 5 episodes at least, and then I got overwhelmed and simultaneously bored. Is that even possible? Turns out it is. I watched Heirs and Two Weeks purely because I knew everybody else was. Oh, and maybe for their casts. All of Heirs was going to be a golden mixture, even if the drama turned out ill, and Two Weeks - well, as an occasional Lee Jun Ki fangirl, I try to at least sample every project he's done, even if I never finish *coughs*Arang*coughs*.


Moah? It's the second drama of mine Rosie hasn't liked..
I'll have to try harder next time.

Sadly, neither grabbed my attention so much- and now that they're over and done with, it's kind of annoying me that they're sitting in my 'Recently Watched' box all happy and content, surrounded by other more well-deserving dramas. Stricly my opinion of course. And since I haven't been in a frame of mind to write up brilliant and stunning reviews for Flames of Desire and Que Sera Sera, I'm going to start by knocking a few little things off my tally of things-to-discuss. This is what I call productivity. Oh yes, Rosie's being so productive right now. 

Read on for the lamest reviews ever of Heirs (2013) and Two Weeks (2013).




The Heirs 
상속자들 
5/10 

Rich brats go to a rich school and bully the less fortunate. Kim Tan (the ever handsome hyped Lee Min Ho) is a supposedly reformed bully, and falls in love with social stray Cha Eun Sang (the much maligned for her kissing skills Park Shin Hye). Choi Young Do (smoldering Kim Woo Bin) steals the girl and lives happily ever after- oh wait, right that was my fantasy script. Side couple Chan Young (CNBLUE's Kang Min Hyuk, aka Baby Drummer) and Bo Na (f(x)'s Krystal) steal the whole show with the help of ZE:A's Hyungsik, and the crowd goes wild! What, that may not have been in the script, but that's definitely how it went down.
 

I don't think anyone can disagree that Heirs was this year's most overly hyped drama, for good and bad reasons. Good, because it's true it boasted an incredible cast lineup, bad because well.. once you've decided to make a stance in the anti-Kim Tan club (me), you were basically doomed to be disappointed. Second lead shipping? That's all very well for momentary spazzing and tumblr gif sets, but when it's all said and done, it just makes me cringe that I spent so much time watching a show that I knew wouldn't sit well in my stomach by its end. I give this 5 stars because of Woo Bin, Krystal, Minhyuk, Hyunsik, and Kang Ha Neul - in that order too. Special props to Choi Jin Hyuk, but you know what? I never got behind his character enough to really care. I'm sorry he was wasted because I really do like him as an actor... when I can be bothered to sit through his dramas.

Conclusion: The best part of Heirs was in observing the international fandom at play. Sometimes an overly hyped drama really can be exciting, if just to watch the shit that goes flying. Oh yeah, and my husband live-watched this with me. He genuinely enjoyed it. How strange is this world, hehe. 

Fun Links: My tumblr tab for "Heirs Stuff" and this rendition of Heechul's fanboy antics




Two Weeks 
투윅스 
5/10 

Possibly misunderstood thug dad Tae San (Lee Jun Ki), who abandoned his pregnant girlfriend years ago, gets a second chance at family when his little girl needs a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, he's also caught up in a murder and political conspiracy, and now everyone's out to get him, including his ex-girlfriend's detective fiance Seung Woo (Ryu Soo Young). 

Two Weeks should've been my thing.  It boasts a great cast, everyone from the two actors I love to watch, actresses, veteran villain Jo Min Ki (who won me over for his excellent role in Flames of Ambition), to the most precious little girl imaginable, Lee Chae Mi.  The first few episodes had me hooked, suckered in by the incredibly fast paced action and gripping cliff hangers. Then I burned out, badly.  And I wanted it to be over. So I labored on, episode by episode . It's for my boy, Jun Ki, I said. It's for that particularly brilliant cameo by Teen Top's Niel, I said. And I was still only through the halfway mark! 

Technically, I don't think there's anything much wrong with Two Weeks. It just felt overly stuffed, and while I criticize Heirs for being so full of nonsensical draggy fluff, there is such as thing as overkill too. I guess this didn't hit my mood right. I'm sorry, Jun Ki. I tried. I really did.




9 comments:

  1. I have Two Weeks on my Must Watch list, but I don't know if I'll ever get around to watching it. I've heard mostly good things about it, except from you, ha ha

    So your husband liked Heirs and you didn't? Isn't that funny! I actually finished it off with pleasant memories because I just forgot the stuff I didn't like, and remembered Woo Bin and Krystal and Minhyuk, who I loved to pieces. Plus, it was fun to discuss it every week, even if it was negative half the time, lol

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    1. Haha you know it probably IS a good drama- but I got overly annoyed at how constantly dramatic everything had to be. And knowing there was basically a timer for when all kinds of stuff would happen lessened my appreciation for all the filler dramatics.

      I took some fond memories away with me from heirs, mostly in the side characters. But if I hadn't watched it with someone else, real people in real time, or with the rest of the international fandom, I wouldn't have bothered. :( So, I guess it's good that I did.

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  2. Hello)My name is Paloma and I am a big fan of korean dramas.I discovered your blog recently and it's very interesting)I so agree with you about heirs)Frankly speaking I dropped it somewhere in 6 ep and then only read recaps because I don't like the main couple although I love all supporting characters.I really don't know if I should continue so I want to ask you if it worth watching.Do you regret watching this or not?

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    1. Hi Paloma!
      You know, if you really liked the supporting characters, I would go ahead and watch it for them. That's basically what I did anyways. Overall it's probably a waste of time, but you can always fast forward through the rest of the scenes. Bo Na and Chan Young are definitely worth watching though - as were most of the side characters, whether for laughs, or for that hint of drama (that you wish was the main story of a whole separate drama). So nah, I don't rrreally regret watching it. I just wished it had been better :P

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    2. Thank you for an answer)I really liked Bo Na and Chan Young very much so I think I'll try to
      continue watching.As for two weeks I really wanted to liked it,everyone seem to love it so I feel strange because I can't understand its appeal((So it was a big relief when I read your post.I'm not the only one who doesn't love two weeks.It seems to me that we have similar interests))What are your thoughts on man from another star?I personally think it's ok but a little overrated.

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    3. Lol I think we are among the few who didn't get the appeal of Two Weeks. I don't know why! Too dramatic maybe??

      Man from another star is one of the dramas that hooked me in the first few episodes, and keeps me happy enough that I keep watching. It's certainly a little overrated though - and that bothers me just for that fact, but bc for dramas that capture the public mind like this ones does, the writers seem to be catering towards a storyline that will capture the biggest audience. In another words, a little bit of everything (romance,drama, villains, comedy and side character comic relief, supernatural plot hijinks) and therefore too predictable. It leaves no room for that extra spark of creativity, or organic storytelling.. And that makes me sad. So yeah, Kdramas like it keep me entertained like this, and may have some genuinely good parts to it, but on the whole, they are in one ear and out the other, because another drama just like it is right around the corner.

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    4. I so agree with you about man from another star.In the beginning I was very excited but then somewhere in the middle I lost interest but for me it's because I can't emotionally connect with male lead(
      By the way after I complete Gentleman's dignity I will watch Heirs)Wish me luck))

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  3. Seriously lolling at your review of Heirs because it reflects my thoughts perfectly. Replace husband with my mom and my sister and I had the situation going on: I am just sitting there facepalming the hell out of it while my family was just sitting there totally enjoying themselves. The only thing we agreed on was the awesomeness of the side couples the moms, Bona/Chanyoung and that Ha Neul is "cool"
    Have not watched Two Weeks yet, only the first two episodes, and they didn't really grab me. But Niel had a cameo??

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    1. I'm seriously glad I finished Heirs, just to get all the pop culture references.. But ahhh it was frustrating at the time xD
      I miss the moms though. And Bona/Chanyoung. :)

      And yes, Niel's cameo was fabulous. But you can probably find a youtube short of it somewhere and not have to watch the whole drama. It was back when he had that bright pink hair! Can't miss him, lol

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