Kdramas: Suits and Sketch

I was feeling sick and gloomy the whole month, and I kind of refused to watch the Korean version of Suits as I am an avid fan of the original one and I don't want to be disappointed, especially that Hyung Sik, one of the male lead, is one of my ultimate 'bias' when it comes to Korean actors. I saw him grow from small roles, to second lead love team until now that he's already the male lead. This isn't the first time that he's leading, so I don't have a doubt about his acting skills, but rather, to how the writers of the show will incorporate the whole story into sixteen episodes. But being sick and feeling gloomy for the whole month gave me no choice. I was also expecting to feel inspired after watching these dramas as I don't really have the will to write these days.

Anyways, enough of the long intro.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

SUITS (Based on the American TV Series of the same name)

What I don't like:

• For someone who's a genius with photographic skills, Yeon Wo seems to be a little slow and well, normal. I can't help but compare him to the original Mike Ross and I understand that there will always be differences but Yeon Wo here didn't use his so-called photographic skills that much. Most of the time, it was just implied. If he's remembering things, there will be these words scrolling on the screen and honestly, I feel like it was lacking as it was one of the 'unique' points of the series. 


• Everyone was like "Why was he chosen by Kang Seok?" and I felt like everyone ran with that question on their mind. Whenever Yeon Wo or Kang Seok are talking or Yeon Wo is being scolded, he would sometimes throws that question and Kang Seok isn't clear on what to say or to answer. It became one of the 'main' turning points of the series which for me, shouldn't be. It was like everyone was so curious it was becoming annoying and unrealistic.


• Yeon Wo's character is portrayed as someone with a conscience that whenever he meets with a client and he knows that they are at fault, he would kind of feel in conflict and would actually do something to help the other side which is actually Mike Ross too, on the first few episodes or earlier seasons. But damn, I hate it when he's being stupid. The large difference between the original and the Korean version is that, in the original, Mike Ross actually wanted to be a lawyer, he knew how to be one and read books on being one while Yeon Wo is just a plain pony, he just wanted to do something, or to take a job to earn money. So it's understandable that he can be stupid but it goes with Kang Seok knowing that Yeon Wo just knows what's in the books, not what to do in real life as a lawyer and he goes around town meeting clients. He doesn't even know some of the legal terms! He looked stupid, honestly. And I am annoyed at this fact.


• I don't really hate this part but I kind of get tired of the scenes where Kang Seok and Yeon Wo are talking or Kang Seok is scolding Yeon Wo and Kang Seok would sometimes stop when he hears what Yeon Wo said and remembers or think of something as an answer to the problems that they are having. An example is when Kang Seok asked Yeon Wo to research the love story of the divorcing couple and Yeon Wo should make a fairy tale or something regarding what he finds out. Kang Seok got the idea when Yeon Wo showed what he made. Those things.


• The person in Louise Litt's version of this drama was just kind of fun and annoying but didn't really show his supposed to be skilled with numbers. He just lurks around or something.


• Uhm.. what happened to Yeon Wo's ex bestfriend? It wasn't clear. He just vanished.

What I like:

• I love Donna's version here: Hong Da-ham isn't as sassy as Donna but she's as capable and as lovable as her. The drama was short compared to the original's many seasons but it clearly showed how Da-ham is efficient, loyal, and very capable. Well portrayed, too.


• Yeon Wo and Jina's cute love story is also a plus. It wasn't rushed nor it was slow. It was just right for me. The progress was appropriate as the show progresses too.


• I love the way they twisted the fact that Yeon Wo is a fraud. Kang Seok didn't register him in the employee payroll database, Yeon Wo was just in the negotiations and never went as a lawyer on the court (like Mike Ross did) and lastly, they are not boastful enough to keep on telling people that he's a lawyer. He just put his head down and do what he had. So when he went to prison, well, he just had two years.


• The twist is that the PROSECUTOR to questioning Yeon Wo is actually the person whom he took the Entrance Exam for. Meaning, the prosecutor is also a fraud because Yeon Wo took the test and passed him. Ah, it was a nice plot twist.


• I love the playing card element. When Kang Seok hired Yeon Wo, he gave him a JOKER. As the show progress, Kang Seok gives him a higher number of playing cards which means he's ranking higher. It's quite a nice element for me.


• The rustic and modern take of the show from the office to Kang Seok's house. I love that they did this because it became 'original' in the sense that the original version is all about glass walls, white interiors, and very modern spaces yet in the Korean version, the offices have wood elements, brown colors as well as in Kang Seok's apartment that looks very far from Harvey Spectre's luxurious and modern pad.


• I love how some of the most memorable 'cases' that are actually relevant to the characters were incorporated and put in the sixteen episodes.

Overall, I wasn't disappointed, but I am only impressed up to a certain point. I'd still recommend this, though. I think this isn't bad at all, and people who haven't watched the original might even like this.

When I read Sketch's summary, I knew that it can be good, but I also expected a lot of drama, which, I don't need at the moment since I am on a very hard and gloomy time of my life. And I know that Rain's there so it's a bonus. In the end, I decided to download the series and although I didn't really binged watch this, I finished it in four days.

SKETCH

What I don't like:

• Dong Soo's (Rain) outfits. Ugh! It irks me. The oversized but shorter pants and the whole massive jacket. He looked bigger and unflattering, seriously!


• Whenever Dong Soo would pull the gun on Do Jin (Lee Dong Gun) it will always be just the two of them talking about revenge and circumstances and in the end, he cannot pull the trigger. I don't know how many scenes like this there are.


• I don't want to be disappointed with them being clueless but sometimes, Dong Soo's theories are kind of too freaking amazing. Too amazing for what has been seen. It's like he's a behavioral analyst or something. He sewed what he knows into an idea that helped them. It also happened quite a bit and it felt unrealistic to me.


• It wasn't clear if they are under the government or a special project or if they are doing this on their own. It seems like they are still under their duties as police/army but it wasn't stated if the government has power over them or something.

What I like:

• The sketches were amazing. Haha! 


• The twists! Although I already anticipated that Shi Hyun's brother, Si Joon, has the same abilities as her or something and that the elder doesn't really exists, but only an organization. But I still love it!


• The circumstances in the PRINCIPLE OF CAUSALITY presented in the show were also amazing. The connections of each people and how the sketches still happen even though they tried to do something different. I really loved this element. In the end, the picture in the sketch will happen.


• Most of the time, I was kept on edge about what will happen next. I love shows like that.


• When Si Joon had a vision in the end that his sister and Dong Soo will eventually end the ELDER in whatever they are doing bad (cold sale) that affects the whole country. I love it. They had a vision of each other being dead but in the end, they are both alive because they changed their own fate.


• Dong Soo and Shi Hyun did not have romantic feelings for each other. Wow. It was just platonic. I like that. I love that they didn't put that element there because it will be a disaster.

I like this drama fine. It was probably a 7/10 because it was entertaining enough. I've already watched dramas like this in the past and I can say that Koreans can really do fantasy dramas like this so good.

Have you watched these shows too? What can you say?