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It was more than the hilarious plot of a free-spirited modern age chef trapped in Queen Cheorin’s body wreaking havoc in the Joseon era, that earned “Mr Queen” its position as the 5th highest rated drama in TVN history.

The rom-com factor that made us chuckle, cast’s endearing & stellar performance, awesome teamwork & chemistry, cliffhangers at end of each episode, fusion of modern thinking in the olden days, infusion of KPOP, K-Beauty, KFood, giving new meaning to modern day phrases like “No Touch” & “Anti-Fan”, improvising food cuisines in Joseon Dynasty, scheming and plotting against one another, a King with a Hyde & Jekyll personality, & the struggle between a homosexual vs heterosexual love line, were the many reasons that whisked me through the 20 episodes.

Mr Queen’s theme boils down to freedom.

The freedom to break away from the shackles of society norms & standards, be who we really are, do what we have always wanted, love whoever we want and to express how we truly feel.

Bong Hwan’s adventure allowed us to experience life in Joseon with a modern filter. His quick wits, great survival instincts and adaptability allowed him to pull through the biggest ordeals.

“Mr Queen” broaches on a bold but taboo topic on homosexuality, bisexuality & gender identity crisis. While this pushes the boundaries in South Korea’s conservative society, it did not deter the ratings from escalating steadily.

What we learnt:
– Love transcends time & gender
– 在宫里，没有任何人是真正的好人或坏人，只有立场和利益的不同
– The “truth” is based on what people choose to believe in
– Never lose the most important person – yourself

Director Yoon strikes a balance where Shin Hye Sun’s responsible for the wackier, light-hearted moments while Kim Jung Hyun on the serious & melodramatic parts.

Was it Bong Hwan in So Yong’s body or was So Yong hiding in the subconscious state all along?

When she’s Bong Hwan, she’s a spitfire and pompous with a total disregard regarding palace protocols. So Yong’s more composed, graceful & shy around Cheoljong, while So Bong’s a contradicting embodiment of good vs evil, rough vs gentle, rash vs composed.

Kim Jung Hyun’s lauded for portraying his multi-faceted character with much depth. The intricate portrayal of his facial and eye expressions, vocal tone, body language, aids in delivering Cheoljong’s complicated & intense emotions. On the surface, he’s a lazy, timid, lecherous puppet king , while the real CJ’s ambitious, capable, prudent, witty, has plans for the greater good.

It was gratifying to watch them 同台飙戏。Their ad lib improvisations made scenes more enjoyable for the viewers. Tension building up in the initial episodes when both were double guessing , wary of each others’ intentions, pitting against each other were served like a bowl of piping hot jjamppong.

The right person will love you for being you.

From his 中殿词典, abiding by his queen’s “No Touch” rule and the crossed eye portrait, Cheoljong never failed to show his affection in the most subtle ways.

Kim Hyun Jung & Shin Hye Sun made this “No Touch” couple much more endearing.

Na In Woo’s supporting role created ripples in viewers’ hearts. Byeong In’s the tall, handsome, 深情专一 堂哥, who’s a skilled swordsman & shrewd strategist with a never give up attitude. He’s a sorrowful character with a twisted love obsession. Only Byeong In noticed the change in So Yong. He’s the only one who truly understood her.

The penned up emotions, rage, jealousy, unwavering devotion and sheer possessiveness were so well executed. Not to mention the several breathtaking fighting scenes with Cheoljong were impressive.

We often regret what we didn’t fight for, but he put up a good fight for the love of his life.

The pretty, intelligent, composed Hwa Jin is definitely Queen material. When So Bong usurped her “throne” in Cheoljong’s heart, that’s when she turned to the dark side. Love, hate and jealousy can drive people to behave in irrational and destructive ways. The palace can turn someone into a monster as they lose themselves in the pursuit for more wants.

The supporting roles instilled so much vibrancy, fun and laughter. They are proof that friendship exists in the palace.

It’s more than an “employer-employee” relationship between So Bong, Court Lady Choi & Hong Yeon. They are her best friends and support.

Court Lady Choi & Royal Chef’s budding romance, Hong Byeolgam & Kim Hwan’s friendship, love triangle between Kim Hwan, Hong Byeolgam & Hong Yeon were some of our favourite “ships”.

From the scheming & merciless Kim Jae Geun, domineering Grand Empress Dowager who had a weakness for good food & beauty products, superstitious Queen Dowager Jo who plotted her revenge by preying on the weak minds, to the corrupted officials, you wished you could grind them all.

Does Cheoljong only lovesBong Hwan or both Bong Hwan & So Yong?

This is an open-ended question that’s up to viewers’ discretion.Read More →

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Everyone has their secrets.

We only allow others to see what we want them to see. Similarly, we choose to believe in what we want to see.

How far would you go to keep your darkest secrets under wraps?

When your seemingly “perfect” world crumbles, how would you embrace your whole new world?

“Flower of Evil” isn’t just any other ordinary, intriguing crime-thriller. The suspense, exciting goose-chase, mind games & hints dropped along every episode, gave us a chance to ignite our inner detective traits in unraveling the mystery behind the series of murders.

The intensity of the evoked contradictory feelings threatens to mess with your cognitive resonance and brings you on an oddly satisfying emotional roller-coaster ride.

We probably have some “psychopathic” traits in us too, since we are all embodiment of good and evil. It’s how we allow that “seed of evil” to grow in us, that determines if it eventually flourishes into a flower of evil or good.

Kudos to the well-paced, not-too-predictable storyline & superb cast performance.

Lee Joon Gi never fails to throw surprises with his versatile & exemplary acting, while Moon Chae Won exceeds expectations with her portrayal of the struggles of facing a whole new reality. Kim Ji Hoon will shook you with his awesome acting too.

“Flower of Evil” is undeniably one of the best KDramas in 2020. A successful drama isn’t just one that possesses the above attributes, but also the ability to keep viewers pondering if they can make a difference.

The essence of love, trust, perception, how our personal experiences make us prejudiced or even discriminate others, justice, truth, parents’ influence on kids, peer pressure, societal influence, etc are some of the topics that viewers would reflect on.

Everyone deserves a 2nd chance in life.

We are all guilty of having preconceptions. We exercise our judgement based on hearsay. Sometimes, we already condemn someone without even giving them a chance. We should all learn to 放下成见，多用心和理智去感受. There can never be a clear distinction between good and evil.

This drama has brought to light that the society still lacks empathy for people with mental illnesses and victims of bullying.

Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes what people want is not the truth, but what they assume to be the “truth” or whether it has 话题性?

You can instantaneously imagine the intensity of the confusion, excitement, when a suspected serial killer on the run & a detective is a married couple.

Opposite forces attract, yet repel when one tries to mask his past while the other desires to unearth everything he has hidden. It’s a compelling force that pulls viewers into the lead couple’s turmoil and biggest challenges in life.

JG & MCW’s chemistry as a married couple in “Flower of Evil” is convincing. Their acting isn’t overboard or under whelming, especially when it comes to their individual struggles when the trust fell apart.

It’s easy to stereotype the children of a murderer to be the same as he is, on the basis that they have the same blood running in them. We repeatedly condemn someone as “incorrigible” because we refused to give them a chance, but there are also times when we would “readily forgive” another and find excuses for all the wrongs they did.

Children are not shadows of their parents. We can be who we want to be.

Joon Gi deserves a Best Actor Award for his impressive multi-faceted role! He’s worth the 3-year wait on screen. His broad acting spectrum is never limited by his pretty boy looks.

JG is like an ever peeling onion, always having something more to showcase & for viewers to discover. His eyes are so expressive that you can feel his emotions with every look or slight twitch. The unfeeling, nonchalant look in his eyes would creep you out at times.

It’s at a level whereby he could incorporate his character within himself. Be it emotional or action scenes, Joon Gi did all that almost flawlessly.

As much as she is a righteous cop, Ji Won was pulled into “irrational” thinking in order to protect the man she loves. MCW has portrayed her role with just the right temperament, striking a balance being an outstanding detective, yet doesn’t seem too gullible even when she has a pure heart.

Kim Ji Hoon’s a great looker who’s so competent in his role that it sends chills down your spines despite his limited screen time. The deranged looks, sinister smiles, big eyes staring into space & hysterical laughter, contemplating his next steps in setting traps to lure his prey, were so innately displayed.

The Baek Parents are an excellent example of how 盲目的宠溺会毁了孩子的一生。

This drama has given me much reflection moments about love, kinship & how we should learn to cast our preconceptions aside.

Spend more time and effort to understand the people you love. What we should do is not to change them but embrace them for who they are.

That said, I simply cannot wait for Lee Joon Gi’s next project!
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“我是看他的戏长大的!” 这句经典”台词”，相信不只是我，也是在线上多位港片/Ekin迷的心声。

年轮里最美的果实堪称”青春回忆”，饱受风霜多年后的我们，忆起青春往事，嘴角还是会上扬。而我们有这份荣幸，无需戳破那美丽的彩虹泡泡，可以再次拥有那短暂2小时的美好时光。

有位不老男神”郑伊健”，他是那么地平易近人，就像一股清澈的河流，与世无争，任何事情都能够处之泰然。

即使多年不见，他依然悠然自得，用微笑和依照自己的步伐，面对这世界。
更奇妙的是，他一点老态也没有。

说起郑伊健历年诠释过的角色，在你心中留下最深刻烙印的是。。。

<<百分百感觉>>里的Jerry,
<<古惑仔>>里的陈浩南，
<<极速传说>>里的Sky，
还是<<风云>>里的聂风?

伊面演活的众多角色当中，都略带郑伊健的身影。在他身上，你能感觉到陈浩南的有情有义，Jerry的开朗和好人缘，Sky的冒险精神和风流倜傥，聂风的专情和温柔，而他们都蓄着那招牌的”飘逸中长发”。

没想到要再次一睹 Ekin 在舞台上的英姿和风采，需要21年那么漫长的岁月。这一夜，观众们都随着 Ekin 走入时光隧道，去寻觅我们曾有过的美好回忆。这场 show 无疑是为了回馈粉丝一如既往的支持和关爱，耐心等待Ekin重返舞台多年的”礼物”。Ekin虽然很久没出现在大屏幕，却心系着大家。

贵为”一代型男”的郑伊健，果然宝刀未老，依然意气风发，帅气凛然。他披着一席长袍，左侧辫着发，露出了俊俏的脸庞，右侧长发飘逸，站在钢琴旁，深情演绎了他最为脍炙人口的经典之最<<甘心替代你>>的慢版。

这就犹如年少气盛过后，学会了沉淀，把一切看得云淡风轻的”中年陈浩南”的心境，满是刻骨铭心的回忆，却略现沧桑。

虽然伊面不多话，但一开始侃侃而谈，也不忘以”伊式”幽默，逗乐大家。在”征求”群众的意见用粤语交谈后，他仿佛放下心中大石，露出沾沾自喜，调皮的笑容。他的性格比较随性爽朗，所以歌唱方式也较为随性。 虽不是以歌喉闻名，但唱功恶也算中规中矩。

狮城的观众属”闷骚”型，但不至于会让气氛瞬间凝结。大家最终还是抵不过Ekin的魅力，开始释放热情。此起彼落的掌声，欢呼声，和不间断的大合唱，例如在演唱<<一对对>>时的”啦啦啦”，都不曾间断。

伊面之前演唱的电影主题曲和插曲至今仍非常受落，能说是令大家”忆难忘”。 每一个熟悉的音符，和那陪伴我们多年的歌声，顿时把我们吸入了时光隧道。往事一罗筐，随着荧幕上的电影情节，排山倒海进入眼帘，涌入脑海里，温暖着我们的心窝。

<<极速传说>>那”帅到没朋友”，放浪不羁的 Sky 开着跑车，迷倒了无数女性。<<友情岁月>>又立即把我们带回”古惑仔”的日子，依稀浮现陈浩南和一班兄弟在街头争地盘，玩打火机的情景。随着<<吻感>>的前奏，伊面和众多搭挡谈情说爱的画面，都一一出现在大荧幕上。当一幕幕的旧电影情节以黑白的方式呈现时，你会不禁感叹，美好时光飞逝。

无论是稚嫩，有点青涩，或散发成熟男人味的Ekin，都是那么具吸引力。岁月催人老，但岁月可待他不薄。He has aged so gracefully.

平时活蹦乱跳，爱捣蛋的他，简直是个”孩子王”。伊面也有安静沉稳的一面，处之泰然，淡定的个性，喜欢简单，不爱复杂。他很懂得养生，热爱运动，过着与世无争的日子。就是那种”即使外面的世界再纷扰，也扰乱不了他内心平静”的感觉。他一向都只专注自己的节奏，做好自己的本分。这处事态度值得我们学习。

Ekin不只把体格练得特Fit，更是挑战自己的体能极限，在演唱<<蒸发眼泪>>时，以360度倒立悬挂在吊环上20几秒。

中场特别的”新加坡即时面”环节, 是只限定一晚的”回忆胶囊”。他发现在校园的日子始终是最开心的，希望这环节能够带大家回到念书的美好时光。他还打趣地说如果在座的有人还在念书，一定是被妈妈逼来的!

眼看Ekin一身白衣裳，就像是”冻龄”的白马王子，慵懒地坐在舞台中央和乐手们一起演唱起 <<二十世纪的恋人们>>，<<看天的日子>>，<<爱情盛放的季节>>， 那些年的回忆就像是有股暖意涌上心头。

到了演唱会尾端，唱起<<风云>>里的夯曲，又岂能不展示苦练多时的”麒麟臂”呢? 手握拳头的姿势也有种”把握现在，珍惜当下”, “一切都掌握在自己手里” 的感觉。

演唱会也在大家正意犹未尽的同时，随着”花洒”的飘落，划上句点。

尽管岁月匆匆流逝，但我们要创造更多更好的回忆，才不会留下更多的遗憾。能听到许多耳熟能详的经典歌曲,见到儿时的偶像，是种福分。

“这段缘，不知怎去讲，感激我遇见”。。
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This review is dedicated to actor Ahn Bo Hyun who has made such a remarkable transformation to the multi-faceted villain in Itaewon Class.

It is impossible to hate the abhorrent yet pitiable Jang Geun Won. He reminded me of “The Joker”, who’s feared & loathed by many, but was never loved or needed by anyone. It isn’t just the body language or tone, but the most captivating is how he used his eyes to accentuate his acting. His preparation work and conscientious effort in perfecting every scene, has left the viewers in awe of the final product.

Indeed, opportunities belong to those who are well-prepared. This is definitely the turning point in Ahn Bo Hyun’s acting career.

We’ll analyze his character in greater depth and discuss some of our most memorable scenes! We hope this would reach out to more readers who would like to discover more about this underrated actor.

And yes, this article is especially dedicated to Ahn Bo Hyun as a birthday gift!
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“Itaewon Class” is lauded for being “more than just an ordinary revenge drama”. It denotes an inspiring story of the underdogs’ uphill climb to success and takes us on a self-exploration journey to work through limitless possibilities in life. The theme fuels motivation to conquer obstacles and striving harder to achieve your dreams. It surfaces ingrained societal problems and also “golden” quotes for us to reflect on.

“Freedom” and “Forgiveness” are the keywords that embody the theme of “Itaewon Class”. Letting go is an art of learning how to forgive not just others, but also yourself. You need to break free from the invisible chains holding you down, so that you can move on.

Some societal issues include discrimination against ex-convicts, foreigners and transgenders, dealing with Sociopaths, how the rich and influential abuse their authority to get pass the law.

The realistically multi-faceted and imperfect characters prove that there isn’t always a distinctive line between good and evil. Ahn Bo Hyun has changed my perspective on villainous characters being one-dimensional. He added much spice to the drama by portraying the dark but also vulnerable side of a villain.

“Seeking revenge” doesn’t mean having to degrade yourself or stoop to an unscrupulous level. It can inspire you to dream bigger and strive harder, retain your principles while achieving your goals.

Sae Royi is a symbol of the “underdogs’ fight against evil”. He showed us how imperative it is to better your knowledge, experience, learn from repeated failures, press on and work your way through.

My favourite quote: “Everyone is given the same amount of time. It is how we use it that defines who and how different we are.”

We have learnt that self-love includes knowing when to put yourself before others and we do not need anyone’s affirmation to be who we are. Giving up without a fight is one of the detrimental things we can do to ourselves.

Listen to your inner voice, have faith in yourself.

Never say never.

Join us on a meaningful self-exploration journey as we delve deeper into analyzing some of our favourite characters, discuss prevalent societal issues, draw inferences from the characters’ life lessons and share with you some of our favourite quotes.Read More →