Since my return last Saturday to blogging (and the incredibly warm welcome back I received from everyone, thank you so much for that), I wonder if observant readers might have noticed something missing in that very first post. While I talked about upcoming features for movies, tv-series, anime, books and boardgames, there was absolutely no mention of Korean dramas. And if you know me well, you might remember that I’m a huge fan of those. So why then were they missing? Have I lost interest in them somehow? Well, I can answer that very quickly and decisively: that would be a hell to the no. Due to various reasons I just haven’t watched any of them recently, but that fact has changed over the weekend where I started not just with one, but two new shows. Both have started their run quite recently and are still ongoing, so I can’t bingewatch them, but have to wait for new episodes to appear each week. And in both cases that wait is excruciating and a real test for my patience. Because OMG are these shows both off to a good start. So why not share a first (spoiler free) impression of these in this post that I want to dedicate to the first and foremost authority on all things Korean drama: Kay. If ever you want to find out more about the amazing world of Korean dramas, that’s your first stop. So press that link already, and go support and follow! Okay, that said, onwards with this post!
Flower of evil

One of my all time favorite Korean dramas has got to be Lawless Lawyer. While it’s hard to call anything perfect, that one came close to perfection with it’s intoxicating mix of suspense, humor, action and a terrific storyline. Lead actor Lee Joon Gi was one of the reasons that one worked so well, as he played a character that immediately succeeded in winning you over to his side because of the energetic way he portrayed him. And now Lee Joon Gi is back in a completely different role, one that is pretty much the exact opposite of the one he played in Lawless Lawyer. In Flower of Evil he plays a loving husband called Baek Hee Sung. He lives a quiet life, working hard as a metal working craftsman and raising his young daughter together with his lovely wife Cha Ji Won, who is a homicide detective. But Baek Hee Sung has a dark past, and beneath his friendly demeanor might lie a terrible monster that is on the edge of rising to the surface. Cha Ji Won is about to find out that the man she has been married to, has been hiding some chilling secrets from her for all these years….

If the first two episodes are anything to go by, this is going to be one heck of a thrill ride. While this might seem like a story we have seen thousands of times, you can bet that this Korean drama will take it in a unique direction we haven’t seen before. I never thought I would say this but Lee Joon Gi is scary as hell in this role, and being used to seeing him play heroic roles, it’s only a credit to his acting abilities to see him in something so completely different and succeeding at it. However Moon Chae Won who plays the role of his wife has also pulled out all the stops as the tough as nails detective she portrays. I like the way the series so far is build up, with an overarching storyline that links episodes together, while at the same time having a police case that is wrapped up in a single episode. This show has just started airing, but with two terrific actors in the lead roles, and an engaging mystery storyline that seems to add new layers with each episode, I would be gravely mistaking if this series is going to be a failure. Highly recommended!
Train

Since Flower of Evil so far had only two episodes released I was looking for something else to satisfy my craving for Korean dramas. So after a bit of digging I came across this one with the relatively simple name: Train. Since this one was an OCN original, a network that is usually responsible for the darker shows like for instance Voice, I decided to give this one a go. And boy am I glad I did for this series is something completely different than what I expected it to be, and is fast becoming one of my all time favorite Korean series. I can’t tell you too much about this one, because the less you know, the better it is. But just a small synopsis can’t hurt so here we go. Seo Do Won is a detective with a tragic past, but who is good at his job, and is relentless in pursuit of justice and catching the criminals. But then someone very close to him loses her life, and Do Won’s life changes forever. But not in the way you might think. As he chases the killer his path takes him not only to this world, but to a world not too different from our own….

Yes, if you think that last sentence seems weird or that I maybe made a typo, you would be right. That is, it being weird, not being a typo. For train is a serial killer show mixed with supernatural elements. And boy oh boy is this series a treat. Just like Flower of Evil I have so far seen only two episodes, but this show immediately grabs your attention with it’s very first scene, and doesn’t let up for a single second afterwards. With plenty of action, chills, and a gripping storyline that has you guessing with each new clue revealed you will be on the edge of your seat. But a show like this is only as good as it’s stars, and actor Yoon Shi Yoon, who plays the role of Seo Do Won, so far has portrayed his character brilliantly. A bit of a loose canon, but with a lot of heart, this is exactly the kind of character an audience will like. I have no idea yet where this show is going to end up, but these first two episodes have left me thirsting for more. Luckily Train has released 8 episodes so far, so at least I won’t have to wait just yet and I can watch a few more. Time well spent I assure you!
Where to watch this?
Well, these show aren’t available on Netflix. But you can watch them for free on the (legal) website Viki. (Or simply download the app from the appstore) If you haven’t got a subscription, you will get the occasional commercial, but that’s nowhere near as annoying as for instance most YouTube videos. And yes of course subtitles are provided (You didn’t think I knew Korean right?) If you have become curious about these series, just press the link I provided and watch them. And while you are there, explore any other shows that might grab your interest. For now I will leave you with a gripping trailer of Flower of Evil, that while sadly without subtitles, still gives a very good impression of the show. And yes of course I’m doing this totally on purpose to make you even more curious! Thanks for reading, see you at the next post!
Glad to see you haven’t lost your love for Korean dramas Michel. Train definitely has me intrigued.🤗
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I don’t think that will ever happen 😊As soon as I am done with wordpress for today I’m off to watch episode 3: can’t wait! I definitely think you will enjoy Train Kim, knowing your taste in books and shows😊
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I have always enjoyed Korean films, and your love for Korean TV drama is so great to see.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks Pete, I definitely know your love for Korean movies, and pretty much am convinced you will love these shows too. The good thing is that Netflix is adding more of these to their line up as well 😊😊
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One day I’ll watch one of these K dramas!
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Haha…well why not start with these 😊 Pretty much convinced you will enjoy them!
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still testing these waters! lol. Thank you for the introduction to them!:)
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Haha, no problem at all! 😊 It’s a huge amount of water to get into, that’s for sure😊
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yes! I must admit it is but I am wading in. slowly. lol.
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Flower of Evil is definitely on my watchlist.
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It’s definitely an amazing K-drama so far, although I have to say that Train is even better (at least right now lol😊)
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Well, at least the wife in Flower of Evil looks like she has a big heavy purse to defend herself with!
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Haha 😂😂 Yep, there is a silver lining everywhere lol😂
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Good to have ya back buddy! Keep on doing the good work!!
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Thanks so much! Will definitely try and do that for sure! 😊
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I am So not surprised to see you reviewing Korean dramas! Not my area of expertise, but you make a good case!
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Haha, thank you😊 Korean dramas definitely have become a favorite of mine to watch, especially shows such as these, that are truly just as good as any American show, if not even better😊 Definitely recommend trying one out at some point😀
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Yo! Didn’t even realize you were back my guy. I was pretty busy the last week so I wasn’t reading many posts, but I’m happy to know you’re back on the grind. Welcome back.
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Haha, thanks so much! Yeah I came back this saturday to be exact😊 I’m slowly getting back into things again, and with a three week vacation nearing I hope to be here whenever I can😊Thanks for the kind words, appreciate it!😊
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No problem, glad things are good enough now to where you can come back.
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Ah! So Train was the other one! Flower of Evil and Train are my top picks for the month because they star two of my favorite actors, Lee Joon Gi and Yoon Shi Yoon, and have stories that sound very thrilling. I absolutely can’t wait to start them, though I can’t handle week to week, so I’ll be impatiently waiting until more eps are out, hehe. I’m really glad you enjoyed the first eps of each so much and hope you’re in for a thrilling ride for both! 🙂
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Yeah, so far both these shows have been amazing. With Train slowly moving in front of Flower of Evil (But hey, that’s because it has a bit of a supernatural/sci fi vibe to it…so that always gets extra points from me ) Train is going to be only 12 episodes, and will wrap up on the 16th of August, so you won’t have to wait long to start binging that one. Pretty sure you will get a kick out of it! 😊😊
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Yeah, I think Train will be my next watch after I finish my current drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. I think the timing will work out just about right to dive into Train as the follow up which has me excited 🙂
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These sound good. We have seen a lot of really good Korean movies, particularly at the Fantasia Film Festival, but I haven’t seen any Korean TV shows yet. Wil try to check these out!
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They are definitely very good so far! As you know I’m a huge fan of Korean cinema myself, and from there also moved on to shows such as these 😊Hope you will get a chance to try them out at some point. Thanks as always for your comment😀
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I’m waiting for the italian translations ‘cos I don’t like read subtitles 😁
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Haha, I know what you mean, it can definitely be annoying at times (especially since some subtitles go really fast😊). Hope those translations come soon😀
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Hahaha the return of the epic captions! Awesome first thoughts on these shows, Michel! I like those police procedurals with an overarching story-arc. I used to binge through those kinds of shows back in the day when had waaaay more time in my hands hahah It’s also nice to hear about actors who play completely different roles and still nail them. That definitely proves that they have acting skills. I hope these continue to impress you and deliver a solid finale too. Nice of you of giving us links where we can watch these legally and for free too. Thanks, man! 😀
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Haha, yeah the captions definitely have to make a return 😂😂Always fun to think these up😊
Since the release of this post I have progressed further with Train (the other show doesn’t have new episodes yet) but it’s only getting better and better. Not only the story, but the cinematography and pretty everything in this series is highly enjoyable! Can’t wait to see how this is going to end!
Hope that if you get around to these at some point (yep…time is such an annoying factor isn’t it), you will enjoy them just as much as I do😊
Thanks as always for your great comment 😊
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I have a friend who adores Korean tv series. He says Vanguard is one of the best things he’s seen. Have you come across it?
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Yes I have, I think it’s on Netflix and called Vagabond there, but yeah that one was definitely worth the watch. Unfortunately though it has a really open ending and so far no season 2 had been announced, so that is quite annoying 😔
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That’s what my friend said. He says a lot of the ones he’s been watching seem to only have 1 series. Is that a regular thing amongst Korean shows?
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Well, the thing with Korean dramas is that about 95% of them have one season…but a season that does wrap up the storyline completely. (So in other words, no open endings). Occasionally there are exceptions with shows getting a second season (Voice is one of them), but since Vanguard is a Netflix production it doesn’t follow the usual rules for Korean dramas I suppose 😊
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Nice blog!
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Thank you so much, that’s very kind of you to say! 😊 Thanks for the follow, have a good weekend!😃
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Love K dramas! It’s become my recent go to! Recommending It’s okay to not be okay!, The King, and Hi bye mama on Netflix in case you run out of great storylines. Each one is so well written and depicted. Will check out the above.
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Thanks so much for the recommendation and the great comment😊 I agree I love K dramas too, the storylines are usually much better than American shows (of course there are exceptions, and I quite enjoy American shows too), but there’s just something about K-dramas that make them more appealing😊 I have added your recomendations to my to watch list😊
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I’m soo curious about Flower of Evil 🥰
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It really is a terrific series. I have watched it up to episode 9 now, and it’s only getting better and better. I hope you will enjoy it as well 😊
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