Category: The Zebussie Drama Review

After last week’s kiss of awesome, I was really anxious to see where things between Se Dong and Hong Bin went this week so I wasn’t the least bit disappointed in that department but everything else that happened this week really threw me for a loop! Continue reading “The Zebussie Drama Review: Blade Man Episodes 8-9 (1/2)”

Zombie: So I know more happened this week than our OTP finally admitting their feelings for each other but honestly, all I can think about at the moment is THAT KISS!

Drama Debussie: No wonder this episode started with fireworks! It was an indication of what was to come. You know, as much as it may suck to only have one episode this week, we were certainly given some good things to hold us over when we finally get back to our regular schedule. Suck it, Asian Games, for preempting our show schedule!! Continue reading “The Zebussie Drama Review: Iron Man – Episode 7”

Drama Debussie: I’ve officially started calling Wednesdays and Thursdays Iron Man Days. That’s a good sign, right? 

Zombie: I’m pretty sure that’s a VERY good sign! I swear this drama gets better with every episode! 

Drama Debussie: Granted, I feel like a lot was being thrown at us this week, but it’s not the first time that’s happened in this show’s expansive six episodes. There are two things I don’t like thrown at my face: plotlines and balls. The bouncy kind!! I mean, where the hell do we even start? Continue reading “The Zebussie Drama Review: Iron Man Episodes 5-6 (2/2)”

This show…am I right?

Because I’m a typical drama fan who’s impatient for the romance, I’ve already started itching for Hong Bin and Se Don’s romance to start. If there’s one thing that this show is good at, it’s speeding the plot along if only to keep our attention. I don’t see any reason we shouldn’t be able to see these two grow closer, emotionally and (hopefully) physically, very soon here.

Granted, we have a rather large hurdle we have to navigate ourselves over. I like to call it, “The Tae Hee Sitch”.

The idea of love is understandably complicated for Hong Bin. While it seems he was able to experience all consuming, butterfly feeling inducing first love, it is overshadowed by manipulation, violence, and life-altering secrets. If Hong Bin is hesitant to love someone again, I wouldn’t blame him. Not only does he have a warped idea of love, there’s also a huge possibility that anyone he does love will be harmed by the people surrounding him, and that’s terrifying. One of the first responsibilities we adopt when we love someone is to protect them from as much harm as possible. Although how do you protect the person you love from a danger from which you’re not sure where  it originates?

Something we as humans do is protect ourselves from the world when we become aware of the dangers. The more painful the outcome is of the danger, the more we want to protect ourselves. Hong Bin has been betrayed by pretty much everyone he knows, including himself  seeing that he was not able to protect Tae Hee no matter how much he thought he could. Imagine how much you would want to protect yourself after all of that?

 

It could turn anyone into a selfish person. I mean, doesn’t it seem better to alienate yourself from others simply because it’s easier to protect yourself than others, more specifically people that you actually care about? It may be easier, but it certainly sets you up for a lonely life, that’s for sure.

This is where we start exploring the “monster” side of Hong Bin. Ask any porcupine or blow fish, the best way to keep people away is to surround yourself with sharp objects. It also looks really cool when it’s backgrounded by cool lighting and inclement weather! As cool as it looks, I still stand by the idea that Hong Bin’s blades should have been a figment of his imagination where it could still be used metaphorically.

I understand what this show is trying to say. Hong Bin has been hurt so deeply that the blades have become a byproduct of this hurt and his overwhelming desire to keep everyone away. Although the more he uses the blades, the more he hurts the others around him.

 

It’s clever and all, but I know your game, Show. He’s being given a superhero background where he could use his abilities to help those who are hurting. Sounds great but I’m not sold on that angle.. I would prefer we explore the weakening of his abilities so that he doesn’t need to transform into anything to be happy or accept people in his life. Although, it seems they spent a lot of time and money on that blade suit of theirs. I don’t see them trying to end this show by getting rid of it all together. I can dream though, can’t I?

After all,  I’m already thinking of Se Dong and how she will handle Hong Bin if/when she finds out. Being our resident innocent and being so filled with awesomeness, I can only assume she’ll come to handle it in a very Beauty and the Beast way. Scared at first, then accepting. Se Dong is capable of unconditional love so knowing Hong Bin’s secret wouldn’t stop her from falling for him. The question is when she’ll find out and whether she will help him control the blades or force them to recede once he realizes he doesn’t need them anymore.

You can find both Drama Debussie (@dramadebussie) and Zombie Mamma (@TheZombieMamma) on Twitter so be sure to stop by and say hi! (We just love it when you do!)

Catch up on all of The Zebussie Drama Reviews of Iron Man here:

Episodes 1-2 [Part 1] [Part 2]

Episodes 3-4 [Part 1] [Part 2]

Episodes 5-6 [Part 1] [Part 2]

 

Zombie: So I’m pretty much addicted to this drama now…

 

Drama Debussie: Me too!! Iron Man really grew on me this week. We had heartwarming moments all over the place and the story seemed to settle a little. It was a nice change compared to last week’s premiere. I’m not sure what Iron Man wants to be just yet, but if it’s anything like this week, I’ll be happy.

 Zombie: I’m so loving the way Hong Bin is falling for Se Dong without really realizing he’s falling for her. I find him completely adorable in his obliviousness and the fact that he finds himself cracking up at the thought of her so much that he has to go hide himself under the sheets and laugh like a hyena… I literally laughed so hard at that, I nearly rolled off my bed.

 

Drama Debussie: Everyone seems to be in love with Se Dong and for once, I totally get it! The odds of us getting heroines that we actually find as awesome as the heroes do is slim. But Se Dong is outstanding. I get it!

 Zombie: Right? I’m so amazed that we’ve found ourselves a heroine that is truly worthy of the title. Se Dong is so flipping amazing! She’s sweet, she’s intelligent, she’s got gumption in spades, she has a heart of gold… Is there anything this girl is lacking?

 

Drama Debussie: Pride swelled up inside me when she forced Hong Bin to apologize to her for calling her a thief. I don’t think I loved any scene more than that. Of course the housekeeping staff may have loved it more than all of us combined. The only note I would have to give Se Dong is don’t forget your belongings after an epic storming out. It ruins the mood.

 Zombie: Oh my goodness! I wanted to give Se Dong a crown of awesome after that scene! Way to tame the beast! You are right though, if you’re going to be all dramatic and storm out of a house as you try to make your point, don’t come back and bang on the door when you forget your bag. Silly girl!

 

Drama Debussie: As much I could talk about her awesomeness all day, I think it’s crucial we talk about Hong Bin’s emotional journey this week. Our man-child was forced to begin to take on a lot this week. We met Kim Tae Hee’s family which we hope reminds Hong Bin that he wasn’t the only one who lost her. I think it’s an important step that Hong Bin will have to take. Realizing that Chang and her family are experiencing the same loss. Of course it worries me that so many of them are trying to find Tae Hee in Se Dong. That’s dangerous.

 Zombie: Indeed it is. I don’t want anyone falling for Se Dong because she’s the stand-in for Tae Hee. She needs to be accepted on her own worth and merit, not because she reminds every one of someone else.

 Drama Debussie: It’ll be interesting seeing how they navigate this. You’re right, we’ve established that Se Dong is awesome (last time I will say that), but her similarity to Tae Hee is so strong that I wonder how they’ll convince us that Hong Bin, Chang, and everyone else in the Tae Hee stratosphere will see her as herself. It’s horrible when you’re forced to fill someone else’s shoes, especially when you’ve never even met them! Of course what Se Dong did at the end of episode four didn’t help. We’ll get to that.

Zombie: Why wait? Let’s just dive right in! As much as I love Se Dong for willingly stepping into that role and helping Tae Hee’s mom heal a bit, she does set herself up for some potentially disappointing moments later on. Of course there’s always the chance that Hong Bin will remember this moment, not as moment Se Dong became Tae Hee but the moment Se Dong became someone so much more. Honestly, I’d be super happy if that were the case but who knows where things will go from here.

 Drama Debussie: Exactly. We have no idea where we’re going from here which I like but then Hong Bin grows those blades out of his body and I REALLY don’t know where we’re going. Seriously, what is up with the transformation? We know it’s usually induced by his father but what importance does it play in the story? He went all Hunchback of Notre Dame on us this week and I remember thinking, “This is really cool, but what is the point?” I hear that it takes them two hours to put these blades on Lee Dong Wook, so maybe they’re trying to get their money’s/time’s worth?

 

Zombie: All I remember thinking at that point was, “Why does every monster in the universe have to climb the tallest tower in the city and make growly faces at the world?” Don’t get me wrong, I loved the dramatic moment and I’m never opposed to seeing Hong Bin’s dark side but yeah, there really wasn’t much of a point to that whole scene. It’s not like Hong Bin’s transformation had a whole lot to do with his father’s temporary hospitalization. Sure, Hong Bin’s ability to summon storms could have been to blame for his father’s electrocution but that’s not nearly as dramatic as it could have been. It’s not like Jang Won was stabbed or anything. It felt very anticlimactic.

Drama Debussie: Also, we still don’t know why everyone is so intent on hiding from him what he is. All these mysterious things keep happening and Hong Bin certainly notices. It also seems like he has an idea that he is the cause of these happenings. Let’s just wrap this thing mystery up and tell him, shall we? Granted, the morning after scenes are hilarious in that we watch Fezzik, I mean, Secretary Jo attempt to lie to Hong Bin. It’s usually a disaster but it’s fun to see him try.

 

Zombie: Oh my word! I nearly died when Hong Bin jumped on Secretary Jo’s back and told him to run back to the hotel in less than five minutes, like it was the most normal thing in the world. It makes me wonder just what the heck goes on in Hong Bin’s head that doing something like that seems to be the most normal thing in the world. I’m also wondering what the heck Secretary Jo really is because seriously, that man is so much more than just a personal assistant. Is he a superhero? Maybe he’s part ninja? I’m not really sure but he’s something else and I’m loving the relationship between him and Hong Bin. It’s just so weird!

Drama Debussie: Very weird but it also stands to be a potential fave bromance of mine. They haven’t earned the title yet, but they’re close. Another bromance I’m loving are Se Dong’s Flower Dwarves. They should have more screen time.

 

Zombie: SE.RI.OUS.LY! I absolutely love them even if I feel the need to start singing “High-Ho” every time I see them, especially after that whole, “Look at how adorable we are, off to our first day of work” scene. They’re way too cute for their own good!

Drama Debussie: I’m already supporting a spin-off for them. Speaking of too cute, have we talked about Chang’s cuteness? I’m a little over the crying, but he’s so cute! I’m sensitive to the fact that he’s lost his mother and he’s been shuffled around to a different country and different households. I just hate to hear kids crying so it’s hard to hear all the time. It would help if Hong Bin wasn’t so impatient with him. You would think a man who acts like a child would be able to relate to a child but that’s obviously not the case.

 

Zombie: Children don’t relate well with others so that doesn’t surprise me at all. I just wish Chang would stop with the crying already! Sorry but I deal with way too many child meltdowns in a day, I really don’t need to deal with those in Drama Land as well. On a totally different note, let’s get back to the cuteness and talk a bit about Hong Bin’s little brother. I thought he was just adorable, the way he immediately started drooling over Se Dong. I can see some brotherly conflict coming from that but hopefully it doesn’t get too crazy.

Drama Debussie: I’m really interested to find out what the deal is with Hong Joo and Hong Bin. There’s a distance between the two, more coming from Hong Bin’s side. God, I hope isn’t another Heirs situation.

 Zombie: Oh please no! That would totally kill the greatness of this drama and that would be so sad. Let’s hope the only real conflict between these two stems from their age difference and the fact they haven’t been able to spend some quality time together.

 

So tell us, what did you think of this week’s episodes of Iron Man? Do you think Se Dong is setting herself up as a substitute Tae Hee or will she be able to escape that trap? What do you think Hong Bin turns into and why?

You can find both Drama Debussie (@dramadebussie) and Zombie Mamma (@TheZombieMamma) on Twitter so be sure to stop by and say hi! (We just love it when you do!)

Catch up on all of The Zebussie Drama Reviews of Iron Man here:

Episodes 1-2 [Part 1] [Part 2]

Episodes 3-4 [Part 1] [Part 2]

 

Sitting down to watch a new episode of Iron Man, you’re guaranteed to never suffer through a dull moment as there’s such a great combination of drama and humor, with just enough intrigue thrown in there to keep you coming back for more, that two weeks in, I find myself completely hooked. Continue reading “The Zebussie Drama Review: Iron Man Episodes 3-4 (1/2)”

Zombie: Hey everyone! It’s time for another drama review and this time I’m joined by my wonderfully lovely friend, India (aka Drama Debussie) to discuss all the ins and outs, ups and downs that are sure to make up KBS’s latest drama, Iron Man.

Drama Debussie: Hello! Truly honored to be here. I loved doing drama club with you so much I just had to do it again.

Zombie: And I’m so glad you did! Joseon Gunman was a fun drama to chat about but I think this one is going to be even better. I mean for starters, we’ve got the next ten weeks to drool over discuss Lee Dong Wook’s character so already we’re off to a great start. (Sorry, fangirl moment. I’m still reeling from him in Hotel King.) Continue reading “The Zebussie Drama Review: Iron Man Episodes 1-2 (2/2)”

Greetings! India AKA Drama Debussie here humbly joining Zombie Mamma on this 20-episode journey that is called Iron Man. Let’s jump right in shall we?

 

Thank goodness we have our Wookie back! Sure, we may have seen him a mere two months ago when Hotel King ended, but it can never hurt to see Lee Dong Wook so soon, now can it? Especially in a series like Iron Man that already strikes me as fast-paced and quirky which seems to be the place where Dong Wook shines even brighter. Depending on the vision for this show, that combination could result in a hot mess, but the first two episodes were surprisingly funny so I’m choosing to stay optimistic.When I say funny, I mean laugh out loud funny which was a product of its speed and quirkiness. This show is right up my alley.

These first two episodes were mainly used to set-up the different stories that we will likely be following for the length of the show. Something I appreciate seeing that we don’t have to spend episode after episode trying to figure out what storyline we should be following. Who has time for that?!

So far it’s been pretty simple: rich boy meets poor girl who reminds him of his first love and hilarity/insanity ensues. I know what you’re thinking, ‘How the hell is this different from any other drama we’ve watched?’ First of all, that’s rude. Secondly, maybe I’ve simplified this just a little too much.

 

Sensitive smelling, wealthy man-child, Joo Hong Bin, whose ill-temperament causes him to grow sharp blades from his body and unknowingly controls the weather with the same ill temper meets a poor, optimistic, young woman, Son Se Dong, who wants to buy back her company from Hong Bin after it was sold to him without her permission or knowledge. Hong Bin makes contact with her first after he notices that she shares the aroma as his first love, Kim Tae Hee.

No, not THAT Kim Tae Hee.

Now, have things gotten a little less simple for you? I haven’t even mentioned his heavily involved secretary, housemaid, and seemingly cruel father. Because what’s a drama hero without parental issues, right?

The dynamic between the characters are already intriguing.

Se Dong plays the relative sane one in this world that is led by Hong Bin who is the unquestionable leader of craziness. While she does find herself sucked into the ridiculous goings on, she’s able to keep an objective perspective due to her knowledge of how cold the world can be which puts her in a sympathetic position where she’s expected to fix, well, everything.

She’s the nurturer for everyone yet she has no one on which she can lean. This may explain why she’s become the caretaker for her company’s now unemployed flower boys, the adorable but traumatized young boy that was dropped in her life, and, soon, Hong Bin. Not a bad gig if you can get it. Her life is basically Snow White and the Seven Dwarves but if the story was written by someone who’s hallucinating after eating mushrooms.

Hong Bin and his father…wow. That would take a lifetime of therapy and maybe a few appearances on Iyanla Fix My Life to fix. Of course in the dramaverse we only have so much time. Nothing too abnormal here, drama wise. Father disapproves of son’s first love because she doesn’t come from an affluent family so he forces them apart. Something tells me there was tension before the first love, but we haven’t gotten there yet. There’s also Hong Bin’s younger brother (played by the Lee Joo Seung who I loved in High School King!) that he didn’t want to claim publicly but was willing to protect him when his father scolded him for fighting. Their family reunions must be tons of fun.

Even with all of these mysteries, one involving the little boy who may or may not be Hong Bin’s son with the first love that ran for the hills, the biggest mystery are Hong Bin’s abilities. What the hell are the blades about? And why does his anger bring rain?

It’s not like we haven’t seen dramas with characters that have supernatural powers (i.e. ANY drama featuring gumihos), but this is a little different. I’m hoping as we explore more of this series it won’t get so off-the-wall that it becomes hard for us to suspend reality. That’s a talent that every drama fan must rely on heavily but the limits of that suspension should not be tested if they want us to keep watching.

What were your first impressions of Iron Man? Let me know in the comment section below!

You can find both Zombie Mamma and Drama Debussie on Twitter!

Iron Man Episodes 1-2 [Part 1] [Part 2]