Shark Episodes 1 & 2 Review

Top left: Yeon Joon Seok as young Han Yi Soo, Top right: Kyung Soo Jin as young Jo Hae Woo
3rd row left: Kim Nam Gil as Han Yi Soo, 3rd row right: Son Ye Jin as Jo Hae Woo

I am starting off the month of June with the new Korean drama Shark (aka Don't Look Back: The Legend of Orpheus/ Hangul:상어 ). What attracts me to this drama is the revenge plot. I have recently become a fan of revenge melodramas because of their utter lack of restraint in pulling out all the stops for drama (hello makjang!) and the often complicated story lines. Shark seems to follow along with the same dreamy aesthetic of I Miss You and That Winter, the Wind Blows through soft camera lens filters and muted color palates while featuring a more aggressive revenge plot like those present in Ice Adonis and Innocent Man.

So far only two episodes have aired, and they were mainly back story focusing on the two main leads Han Yi Soo and Jo Hae Woo when they were teenagers. I think they did a great job casting for the young actors because they actually look pretty similar to their adult counter parts. I Miss You didn't succeed in this aspect, but I think Shark has. In fact, I really like Kyung Soo Jin (she was Moon Hee Joo, Hee Sun's older sister, in That Winter) who is pulling off Son Ye Jin's laugh and smile very well.

The back story so far reveals that Hae Woo's grandfather and father are both evil and deceitful rich men who own a luxurious Hotel (here we go again) and have entangled Yi Soo's family with their issues. We, as viewers, aren't privy to all of the mysterious details of Yi Soo's father's involvement yet with Hae Woo's family or the full extent of her grandfather's apparent con that has fooled all of Korea, but the little information that has been revealed is enough to guess where this drama is headed. Yi Soo became a prosecutor in order to reveal the truth to clear his father's name and seek justice for his father's death. And, based on the fact that his own sister didn't recognize him when he appeared at Hae Woo's wedding means he's been gone for many years while studying law abroad, I assume. It seems he is about to reappear in their lives and wreak some havoc.

Now, the main couple appear to have many obstacles to overcome before they can be together, but when Hae Woo asked Yi Soo what he would do if she disappeared, he seemed pretty serious about looking for her until they were both dead. It's still too early for me to be excited about this couple, but I love the idea of Son Ye Jin and Kim Nam Gil together so I am hopeful. Overall, I have a good impression of this drama so far. It fulfills everything that I am currently looking for in a Korean melodrama: a hit-and-run accident being framed on someone else, a smart and attractive person seeking revenge on evil rich people, a twisted story line involving wide-sweeping and long-running deceit, and an ill-fated romance. Here's hoping it keeps the momentum all the way to the final episode.

Watch Shark with English subtitles on DramaFever.com

Ice Adonis Final Episode 108 Review

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Yoon Ah Jung as Choi Yoo Ra and Lee Yu Ri as Seol Yeon Hwa

***************************SPOILERS****************************

Even though Choi Yoo R was an absolutely evil villain who repeatedly harmed and deceived people, including her own family, I couldn't completely despise her in the end. At first I hated her because she reminded me of most evil bitches on TV, but in the final episodes my opinion changed. Yoo Ra went completely insane in the end and kidnapped Yeon Hwa's son. For a sad, fleeting moment Yoo Ra experienced being a mother to Ha Yoon Jae's child. This is when Yoo Ra's humanity started to show. She had the chance, once again, to turn herself in and accept punishment, but she chose to run and avoid it. 

When she confronted Seol Yeon Hwa on the beach and left her for dead, again attempting to avoid blame and punishment, that's when I confirmed what I had suspected throughout the drama, Yoo Ra is mentally unstable and will not stop until she is locked away in a correctional facility. During the trial all eyes were on Yoo Ra as she was given one final chance to show remorse for her murder, attempted murders, framing of crimes onto the innocent, deceit of all those around her, and kidnapping. As predicted, though, she refused to acknowledge her guilt or accept the consequences.

Once in prison, Yoo Ra faced the same bullying and wish for death as Yeon Hwa had. Living in the hell of her own creation, Yoo Ra began to realize that she was the cause of the trouble and misery in the lives of the people around her. I don't think she fully acknowledged her fault up to the point that was shown in the conclusion of the drama, but her final line "mianhada, Seol Yeon Hwa" reveals a glimmer of self reflection.

Deep within this over-the-top jealous step sister is, unfortunately, a demon that we all fall victim to at times. As imperfect humans, we all feel envious, embarrassed, and unapologetic. What separates a normal person from Yoo Ra, though, is that we eventually feel shame or guilt. Yoo Ra was so convinced that she deserved wealth, love and happiness that she lost her ability to feel remorse and she began to believe her own lies as truth. 

I am by no means attempting to justify Yoo Ra's, or any other crazy person's crimes, or the unprovoked hatred she fostered. I am simply think her character is twisted, complicated, and interesting. She repeatedly stated that she would go all the way to the end with her deception, and she really did take herself to the boundary of morality and threw herself over the cliff into the abyss of evil. How can one person cause so much misery? Well, it seems like a daunting task, but at least she was captured before inciting wide-spread racial cleansing (ahem... Hitler).

The actress playing Choi Yoo Ra is so pretty and cute that is makes the whole premise that much more unsettling. Her outer facade was that of a pampered princess, and she fooled everyone around her until there was  a mountain of proof to solidify her guilt. Masked beneath a spunky bob haircut and lady-like makeup and clothes lived a unrelentingly deceptive demon. As Yoon Jae accurately stated, "I lived with the devil."

Overall, I believe that Ice Adonis is an impeccable drama. The idea of watching 108 episodes may be off-putting, but it is well-worth the effort. The first 60 episodes were almost torture to watch as Yeon Hwa was beaten down by Yoo Ra unmercifully, but when Yeon Hwa rises up and begins her revenge, it is amazingly gratifying. I love Yeon Hwa. She is strong, smart, and never let her loss hold her back. Most other Korean drama heroines wouldn't have been able to handle the assault that Yoo Ra made on her life, but Yeon Hwa came back and spoke the truth until everyone listened. She never allowed her love to make her ill and solemn, she used it to gain energy. Most importantly, she never became Yoo Ra during the process of vengeance. She laid out the truth and allowed the villains to destroy themselves. In the end as Yeon Hwa smiled and was able to live with her son, she wrote to Yoo Ra and let her know that she is still alive and not alone. Her kindness finally pierced through Yoo Ra's stone heart, and Yoo Ra apologized towards the sunlight, the only thing the sisters could share.

Watch Ice Adonis with English subtitles DramaFever.com