Legend of the Blue Sea: Halfway Review

Unlike its predecessor You From Another Star, Legend of the Blue Sea isn't the sort of drama to immediately hook you in. It's more reminiscent of the writer's previous works (Queen of Reversals comes to mind), which take a handful of episodes to fully drop in its narrative and work its characters' magic on the viewers. Thus, while I remained ambivalent on the show at episode 3, at episode 10 I can say I'm fully 100% invested in watching Heo Joon Jae and our resident mermaid Shim Chung (and even more so their Joseon counterparts) get the happy ending they deserve.

The Lonely and Shining Goblin: Episodes 1-6 Review

There's a total alchemy to this show, which has swept me up and makes me feel for the moments, both grand and small, around its star goblin. Gong Yoo has never been better, and what a role this is, with plenty of pathos and humor up for him to showcase. The other characters, from Eun Tak to the Reaper and Sunny, are also more or less likable and interesting in their own way, but there's no question that this is the story of one man and his quest for love and a perfectly human ending.