Coffee Prince

Finished Coffee Prince (MBC, 17 episodes) 2 days ago and I’m happy to announce that I didn’t have withdrawal symptoms yet…hehe!

Coffee Prince Synopsis (from DramaWiki)
The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"?

Cast:
Yoon Eun Hye as Go Eun Chan
Gong Yoo as Choi Han Kyul
Lee Sun Gyun as Choi Han Sung
Chae Jung Ahn as Han Yoo Joo

My comments:
I absolutely understand why Coffee Prince is so popular; it's like a cool drink for this summer, it’s a trendy drama with a laid back feel including a popular and good looking cast; everything was calculated right. I enjoyed the drama but I did not enthusiastically love it as the mass did. I was pretty unfocused during the first 4 episodes. I wonder why is everyone is so crazy about it. I was a bit grossed out by that jajangmyun competition in the first episode and some hygiene matters happening during the earlier part. It got better later and it was amusing to see Han Gyul doubting about his sexual orientation…It took 10 episodes for Han Gyul to know that Eun Chan is a girl and I think that was a bit too long. Then it took 2 episodes to talk about how angry and frustrated Han Gyul was which I thought was understandable but a bit draggy. Then the remaining episodes are purely saccharine sweet which made me cringe a bit, it’s overly mushy for my liking…ha! :p

Besides the main couple’s story, I was also interested in Han Sung and Yoo Joo’s story too. I initially didn’t like Yoo Joo but she’s a character that grows on me and at some point, I liked her more than Eun Chan. The side characters were all adorable too from the “Princes” of the coffee shop to the parents and grandmother. It’s particularly good to see Eun Chan’s mom and sister not as the annoying materialistic family members that you usually see in K-dramas. Big thumbs up for the OST, it’s so relaxing and comfortable to listen on lazy days…

The "Princes" of the coffee shop

* Opening credit of the drama

Ghost House

Ghost House Synopsis (from Yesasia)
Park Pil Gi (Cha Seung Won) has always dreamt of having his own house. He is overjoyed when he finally finds a unique house by the sea. However, Park soon discovers that things are not as rosy as he would like them to be as the original owner, a female ghost (Jang Seo Hee), is trying her very best to kick him out of his newfound home.

My comments:
This is an entertaining movie that doesn't require brain thinking. It’s not a horror movie; it’s more of a slapstick comedy with a very touching end. What I especially like about this movie is that they didn’t develop a cheesy romance between a human and a ghost. They remained friends and roommates until the end. There is this scene, in which Pil Gi sees chickens attacking him that is both freaky and funny at the same time but there is also another scene that involves doing something to that poor chicken that is highly disturbing…Chills…

The Intimate

See, I’m smitten by Jo Dong Hyuk lately so I picked up The Intimate and after finishing it, I’m kinda frustrated…

The Intimate Synopsis (from Yesasia):
Sung plays a woman who has never taken a risk in her life. She has been dating the same man for seven years and is planning to get married next month. Then one day she meets a handsome stranger, played by Cho Dong Hyuk, who persuades her to spend one day with him. Maybe it was a mistake to accept his proposal, but over the next twenty-four hours she will experience a level of excitement and intimacy, as well as confusion, that she has never experienced before, and could change her life forever.

My comments:
Obviously, the steamy scenes were the selling point of the movie but beneath that, I think it’s actually a romance movie. The premise alone is romantic enough and it did have some sweet, funny and romantic moments; however, it ends in an unromantic and ugly way. I was hoping that Boy or Girl will make the first move at the end when the taxi stops at the traffic light…but oh well…I find it hard to accept Girl’s final decision to still marry her fiancé when he’s pretty much a jerk who doesn’t seem to love her (he uses hell to describe their love!). And what kind of guy would not mind his fiancée having a last fling before marriage with another man and telling her to have a good time?! Why she still chose him? Is it because of love (which I don’t buy in their case), financial stability or familiarity for being together 7 years? Scratch head…

Snow in August

Finally finished Snow in August (SBS, 20 episodes)…man, I’m still a little depressed…

Snow in August Synopsis (from DramaWiki)
Jo Dong Hyuk will be playing a 27 year old single with a six year old son who falls for Choo Sang Mi, a thirty-three year old divorcee. Her husband cheated on her and she suffers from the pain of losing their son in a car accident 3 years ago. This drama is about how the two meet and through a child they heal each other wounds.

Cast:
Jo Dong Hyuk as Han Dong Woo
Choo Sang Mi as Oh Ban Suk
Park Tam Hee as Kang Mi Soo
Yoo Tae Joon as Oh Jong Hyuk
Choi Joon Yong as Na Wang Bae
Lee Yeon Joo as Baek Hong Hwa

My comments:
A drama with a child death, a cheating husband and a shameless mistress is not something that I want to watch when I’m not in my happiest mood these days. It started and ended very dramatic with a lighter tone in the middle. The reasons why I kept watching was Chu Sang Mi’s fantastic acting (just watch the first episode and you’ll know what I mean) and for a more shallow reason, Jo Dong Hyuk! (I remember him as the chauffeur of the clumsy loan shark in Miss Kim’s Adventure of Making a Million) The first two episodes can be slow at times but if you can endure it, then what comes later is quite interesting, this is not a bad drama at all.

The story at first reminds me a bit of Crazy For You, which I saw earlier. It’s about a woman falling for the one who accidentally killed their loved ones. But in Snow in August, the cruel fate brought us not one but two pairs of doomed lovers – Dong Woo/Ban Suk and Mi Soo/Jong Hyuk. We know that it was Dong Woo who accidentally kill Ban Suk’s son, Da Bin, but it’s impossible to hate him and you just wish that the truth will never be exposed. But it’s a drama afterall, so it has to happen and it’s so painful to see it coming. I find it suffocating watching the last 3 episodes when everything is revealed and how the characters were experiencing two blows at the same time. Every character (except Jong Hyuk) had some responsibilities for Da Bin’s death. I wasn’t really into the Jong Hyuk and Mi Soo relationship. I just can’t like Mi Soo; she ran away home abandoning her crying child without any supervision at home, that’s so unforgivable!

I really have to mention about the adulterous couple here: Wang Bae and Hong Hwa, the most despicable pair EVER! Seeing them together or just foxy Hong Hwa alone on screen makes my blood boil! Hong Hwa is a character who I detest to the max and I’m so happy to see their reversal of fortune, I have no sympathy towards them whatsoever, although they have a tiny bit of conscience at the end but it’s all too late. Hong Hwa in this drama makes Sae Yeon in Bad Couple look like an angel…

I think the ending is meant to give viewers some optimism but no matter how I see it, it looks like a pessimistic ending! Sigh...

The two pairs ill-fated couples on the left side and the adulterous couple on the right side

What went wrong?!

Something is wrong with me lately…I started some movies and dramas but couldn’t make it to the end. Perhaps, I’m still having the Capital Scandal withdrawal symptoms…Help me! I feel so empty when I have nothing to watch!!!

Dramas/movies that have the honor for making in my unfinished list includes:

- I’m a Cyborg but That’s Okay => It’s really rare that I give up watching a movie but I did with this one after ½ hour. It’s a very bizarre movie and I can’t seem to appreciate it. I like Bi/Rain but I was never too fond of Im Soo Jung for some unknown reasons…

- War of Money (SBS, 16 episodes) => Surprise, one of the highest rated drama of the year but I can’t seem to connect to it after some episodes. It's very tense but I feel really exhausted while watching it. Park Shin Yang or not, Shin Dong Wook (with an unflattering hairstyle in a portion of the drama) or not, Park Jin Hee or not, I’m abandoning this drama!

- First Love (SBS, 16 episodes) => an almost “unheard” drama of 2003 with a cast that I like but the story is so boring that I give up after 3 episodes. Plus, I see a potential teacher-student love relationship coming, which I’m not too fond of.

Capital Scandal

I originally didn’t plan to watch Capital Scandal (KBS, 16 episodes) but after hearing the themesong, it looks like a fun drama. So here I am, finishing another drama in 3 days!

Capital Scandal Synopsis (from DramaWiki)
Han Ji Min as Na Yu Kyung is the owner of a book store and she is also a lobbyist. This drama is based on the novel “Sad Story of the Capital” written by Lee Sun Mi. It portrays a love story that happened in the 1930s. Kang Ji Hwan as Sun Woo Wan is the youngest son of a rich and famous family and he is involved in the independence movement. Ryu Jin will portray Lee Soo Hyun, a Chosun person, who rises amongst the ranks of the government. Han Go Eun is Cha Song Joo, a famous bar hostess in one of the top class restaurants.

Cast:
Kang Ji Hwan as Sun Woo Wan
Han Ji Min as Na Yu Kyung
Ryu Jin as Lee Soo Hyun
Han Go Eun as Cha Song Joo

My comments:
I expected Capital Scandal to be a serious political and historical drama but I was wrong! Besides history and politics, it has romance (of course!), mystery, tragedy and action with guns (not very frequent in Korean dramas!). It has a lot of comedic scenes thanks to Kang Ji Hwan’s character Sun Woo Wan. It’s so funny to see him exasperated when Yu Kyung doesn’t fall for his charms. They make a cute pair but I thought Soo Hyun and Song Joo were more interesting to watch. They are more restrained as a couple but I find it touching how much they care about each other deep down without the need of openly expressing it. Song Joo is my favorite character; she’s a calm, smart, sexy, cool gisaeng and I was so sad about her ending…Song Joo and Wan’s friendship is absolutely one of the best that I’ve seen in Korean dramas, it’s not love but that bonding and understanding that they share is just so natural and convincing.

I think that this drama gets better as it progresses. It’s not hard to guess who the leader of the assassination clan but there are some surprises that are thrown. Now, just one tiny flaw or complaint. It seems that all the characters talk casually about things that should be secrets in public places like there is no such thing called “eavesdropping”. How on earth can they not be heard when they are actually yelling?! It makes me question the competence of the police. While I had a good time admiring the beautiful and colorful hanboks and dresses that Han Go Eun wear, I also had a good laugh at what Kang Ji Hwan wears because his shirts were so outrageously flashy in pastel colors! Er…

I can’t help it, I just like Song Joo and her wardrobe so much…

Song Joo in kimono

Song Joo in hanbok

Song Joo in modern dress

* Opening credit of the drama

Pics from KBS

Surgeon Bong Dal Hee

So surprised that I managed to finish Surgeon Bong Dal Hee (SBS, 18 episodes)!

Surgeon Bong Dal Hee Sypnosis (from DramaWiki)
Bong Dal Hee (Lee Yo Won) is a first year resident doctor who strives to become a surgeon despite her heart problem. She works under Dr. Ahn Jong Geun (Lee Bum Soo), a cardiac specialist, and even though they don't get off to a good start, the two grow fond of each other as time goes by. Dr. Lee Geon Wook (Kim Min Joon) divorced his wife, Dr. Jo Moon Kyung (Oh Yoon Ah), after he found out that his 6-year-old son was actually fathered by another man before they married. He still has feelings for her, but feels betrayed and cheated. This medical drama portrays the lives of resident doctors, their ups and downs, depicting crisis in a hospital as well as politics among its management staff.

Cast:
Lee Yo Won as Bong Dal Hee
Lee Bum Soo as Ahn Joong Geun
Oh Yoon Ah as Jo Moon Kyung
Kim Min Joon as Lee Geon Wook

My comments:
I’m not really a fan of medical dramas because first, I admit that I’m a ‘chicken’ when it comes to bloody surgery scenes and lastly, it involves too many technical/medical terms that I watch and then tend to forget them later. When I started watching, I wondered if I can endure 18 episodes of constant surgery scenes, but after finishing the first episode, I got hooked so I hang on. I’m glad I did because I enjoyed this drama and found it exciting.

What I like about this drama is the character development. Every character had a phase of change in this drama. A lot of issues were discussed and it showed them having to make difficult choices as surgeons vs. as ordinary human beings. There were some surprising twists in this drama and I particularly liked the one about Dr. Ahn’s childhood because it wasn’t what I expected to be. This is a rather serious drama but there are lighter moments when it comes to romance. It’s funny to see Dr. Ahn asking Dr. Bong out with a serious face, like it’s an order, leaving her speechless and then he turns around smiling happily…aw…

About the cast, I heard that this is Lee Bum Soo’s first drama since entering in the biz for 16 years! I’m so used to see him acting in comical and flamboyant roles that it took me some time to warm up to his dead serious role here. At first, he’s totally not likeable but it’s a character that grows on me. Lee Yo Won here reminds me a little of bit of her character in Fashion 70’s maybe it’s the way she pouts, whines and walks that is very similar in both dramas. I still remember how ‘lifeless” Kim Min Joon was in Lovers in Prague, he’s better here but I wasn’t too fond of him in this drama…

* Opening Credit of the drama

Playlist for early August

谢谢你的温柔 – S.H.E & Fahrenheit => I’m not really a fan of both groups but I like that song. I think it has to do with liking Mayday’s 温柔 in the first place.

海邊的卡夫卡 – Gary Chaw => I instantly liked it when I first heard it. It’s has a relaxing and comfortable feel, just like a cool drink for the summer. I’m very impressed with this first Cantonese single from Gary.

Capital Scandal OST - Eru => Ah...a Korean song. I didn't start this K-drama yet but I absolutely love this song.

On the other hand, Jay has a new song (不能说的秘密) and Lee Hom also has a new album (which I didn’t 'explore' yet, just heard 落葉歸根) but both songs just didn’t catch my attention...