Just Finished "Memorials"

 

Well, Memorials or alternatively titled as The Ballot or Into the Ring - I thought about it that it's not the kind of series I'd expect Nana to be in. Sure, she did some action scenes but it's a far cry (at least for me) from her two previous performances in Kill It followed up by  Justice. Personally, I find the whole toning down of Nana from two serious roles to a comedic role is a double-edged sword. Nana retains her beautiful as a rose and deadly as its thorns image. However, don't expect serious plots here because Memorials seem to focus on lighthearted comedy and romance than action scenes.

The character of Sera does come to life with Nana. Maybe, I'm holding such a high bar because of Nana's rather serious performances. The role of Sera as a funny badass does come to life with Nana's acting. The show doesn't make the mistake of intentionally capitalizing on Nana's looks. Instead, it tries to give Nana some flexibility by making her act as a wacky character. So, it's possible to appreciate the show if you don't bring Kill It and Justice and just try to enjoy the comedy as it should be.

Nana still does take down bad guys such as corrupt council members. I always felt every time Sera targetted them - she does mean it. Gong Myuk is the love interest who doesn't immediately kick in. It's also hard to believe that Park Sung Hoon who beautifully played a despicable villain is an all around good guy here. What becomes more interesting is that in the midst of comedy - there's actually a dark plot underlined with industrial corruption. There are some off-screen deaths though the dead characters were "We Hardly Knew Ya". Though I feel the industrial corruption either derails the plot or tries to prevent the show from becoming the slapstick. Trying to strike the light balance isn't very easy since most of the episodes were rather lighthearted.

For me, the show isn't that much worth of a rewatch in contrast to Kill It and Justice. On its own, the show is still entertaining. Though I confess I just watched this show for a stupid reason - that's Sera!