2011 K-dramas favs

2011 K-dramas that I completed: My Princess (MBC); Dream High (KBS); Sign (SBS), Crime Squad (KBS); 49 Days (SBS), Best Love (MBC), Baby-Faced Beauty (KBS); City Hunter (SBS); I Need Romance (TVN); Heartstrings (MBC); Scent of a Woman (SBS); Protect The Boss (SBS); Girl K (CGV); Poseidon (KBS); Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (TVN); Vampire Prosecutor (OCN) Total: 15

2011 K-dramas that I didn’t finish: Paradise Ranch (2 episodes, SBS); Midas (SBS, 4 episodes); Manny (4 episodes, TVN); Lie To Me (1 episode, SBS); Spy Myung Wol (1 episode, KBS) Total: 5


Favorite drama: A tie between City Hunter and Protect The Boss. These two dramas gave me the longest withdrawal period. After finishing these two dramas, every drama seems to be incomparable for at least two months. City Hunter kept me at the edge of the seat all along while Protect The Boss gave me a very complete feeling by the end by caring for every character.


Favorite male character: Lee Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho in City Hunter) => Yoon Sung ah, why is your life so tragic? My heart still aches for you whenever I think of you.


Favorite female character: Seo Na Yoon (Wang Ji Hye in Protect The Boss) => The fact that I pick a secondary character says something. Although I really like No Eun Seol from the start of Protect The Boss but I love Na Yoon more by the end. I was really hoping that she would have a good ending herself.


Favorite alternate pairing: Cha Ji Heon and Cha Moo Won (Ji Sung and Kim Jae Joong in Protect The Boss) => The Cha-Cha cousins! These two are just like you usual K-drama couple but with two guys. They bicker, they fight, they hug, there is a piggyback moment and there is the asleep head resting on the shoulder moment. BROMANCE all the way!

Favorite couple: N/A => Surprised? Even myself I’m surprised by the lack of answer…

2011 Favorite moments of K-dramas:

- Dream High => The kids dancing to SNSD
- Protect the Boss => all the Cha-Cha cousin fights
- Best Love => Dokko Jin’s rendition of Heartbreaker
- City Hunter => Lee Yoon Sung’s kickass fighting scenes
- Heartstrings => When Kyu Won sings for Hee Joo

Favorite OST songs:
- Dream High – Suzy, JOO, Kim Soo Hyun, Wooyoung, Taecyeon (Dream High)
- Because I Miss You – Jung Yong Hwa (Heartstrings)
- So Give Me A Smile – M Signal (Heartstrings)
- You Are So Beautiful – Kim Junsu (Scent Of A Woman)
- More Than Anyone In The World – Lena Park (Spy Myung Wol)
- Just Let Us Love – A Pink (Protect The Boss)
- I’ll Protect You – Kim Jaejoong (Protect The Boss)

Vampire Prosecutor

Vampire Prosecutor Synopsis: (from KoreanDrama.org)
Prosecutor Min Tae Yeon (Yun Jung Hoon) is bitten by somebody and becomes a Vampire. Tae Yeon rejects the life of a vampire and he survives by drinking the blood of dead people and still lives as a righteous prosecutor .

Tae Yeon also uses his new founded abilities as a Vampire to prosecute powerful persons normally thought above the law. A mysterious case then occurs and the evidence points to a Vampire as the perpetrator. Tae Yeon now knows that he is not the only Vampire. He also ponders why he became a Vampire and what truths may lie behind their motives.

Cast:
Yun Jung Hoon as Min Tae Yeon
Lee Young Ah as Yoo Jung In
Lee Won Jong as Hwang Soon Bum
Jang Hyun Sung as Jang Chul Oh


My comments:
Vampire Prosecutor (OCN, 12 episodes) is a slick, cool and stylish procedural drama. The premise is fresh with a vampire prosecutor who is not afraid of the sun, who never feeds on living humans and who can use his abilty to solve cases. It took me a few episodes to warm up to the drama and characters. However, the cases are each very interesting with mostly unexpected twists. There are still a few unanswered questions that I would like to know. How come detective Hwang knows that Tae Yeon is a vampire? So, is it Tae Yeon who turned the bartender/doctor hyung into a vampire or bartender/doctor hyung was already a vampire in the first place?

While I predicted correctly the identity of the main bad guy fairly early, the whole story behind it is still a good surprise. The ending is very satisfactory, although not complete but it gives us hope for a second season. The team has great camaraderie with each character having some mysteries behind them and it was touching that they are there for each other and showing loyalty to Tae Yeon when he was on the run. Tae Yeon and Soon Bum ajusshi make a lovely duo in solving cases. I usually complain about lack of romance in crime dramas but I think that in Vampire Prosecutor, it is appropriate. A romance between a vampire and a human is done to death lately everywhere and just seeing Tae Yeon Jung In subtly caring about each other is enough.

Yeon Jung Hoon owned Min Tae Yeon as the badass, aloof and vulnerable loner vampire. Lee Young Ah is cute as the meddling and perky junior prosecutor who always felt left out. Hopefully, there is a season 2 for Vampire Prosecutor…

* Opening credit of the drama

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop Synopsis: (from HanCinema)
Yang Eun Bi (Lee Chung Ah) is a University student preparing for her civil service exam with the dream of being a high school teacher. She accidentally encounters Cha Chi Soo (Jung Il Woo), the an arrogant son of the biggest food conglomerate in Korea. Both of them ends up working at a ramen shop runned by the lazy Choi Kang Hyuk (Lee Ki Woo).

This romantic comedy deals with "pretty boys," who with good looks and individuality, operate a ramen shop with lively college girls and experience the happenings of daily life.

Cast:
Jung Il Woo as Cha Ji Soo
Lee Chun Ah as Yang Eun Bi
Lee Ki Woo as Choi Kang Hyuk
Kim Ye Won as Kang Dong Joo


My comments:
With a title like Flower Boy Ramyun Shop (TVN, 16 episodes), expect eye candies. I might be in the minority who wasn’t head over heels over this drama. Sure, it’s breezy, young and fresh; it has the Coffee Prince (which I wasn’t head over heels as well) vibe. The characters are quirky with Eun Bi’s fiery temper, Ji Soo’s immaturity, Kang Hyuk’s ability to sleep anywhere, Cha daddy and his jaccuzi. However, I just couldn’t connect with the lead characters emotionally. While I like the ending overall, the whole drama just left me empty.

While I adore Jung Il Woo as an actor, his character Cha Ji Soo irritated me more than charmed me. Sure he had his cute moment such as the concept of ‘jealousy’ is so alien to him that he has to look at the dictionary for its meaning…hehe! I was a Kang Hyuk supporter all along and he had his moments which he can hold on to Eun Bi but he just wasn’t persistent enough (or he was too noble) that he lost his chance. Maybe because the fact that Ji Soo is still a student and that Eun Bi was his intern teacher for some time; therefore, their romance was a bit bothering. Also, a lot of the characters are still high school but you never see them going to classes. How weird…

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop had its hilarious moments such parodying Secret Garden, having Gong Hyo Jin playing a cameo with the the music of National Treasure Girls playing at the background [watch Best Love to understand]. I prefer to watch the side characters such as Ba Wool, Hyun Woo, Dong Joo and the coach, etc. So this drama was enjoyable but not memorable.

Recent purchase

I recently bought the boxset of City Hunter (one of my fav of this year) via Amazon and I'm happy that it cost less than any True Blood boxset hehe...


I'm just waiting for Protect The Boss to get released so I'll have the complete collection of my favs of 2011.

Jay Chou - Exclamation Mark

I bought Jay’s Exclamation Mark album last week but I listened it once and found it disappointing so I discarded it for a while. I put the songs in my ipod this week and on a few additional listens, it’s not bad but the problem I have with this album is that almost each song is like a replica of his previous songs. I don’t know if that was Jay’s intention or not.


For example, Mine Mine, I would love it if it itsn't so similar to 我不配, which was better. 水手怕水 is like a sister song of 牛仔很忙. Now, 公主病 is the twin song of 陽光宅男. I do like 迷魂曲 and 皮影戲 though.

Currently not watching anything

No K-dramas to watch currently as the ones that I really want to see are still airing. I have The Good Wife S.2 and Grey's Anatomy S.7 to catch up but for some reason, I'm unmotivated...

Meanwhile, I went to see Breaking Dawn P.1 in theatre today and I found myself cringing most of the time. It doesn't help that there were a lot of giggly teens around but I can't blame them because there were some 'unitentional hilarious' moments...Err...

Poseidon

Poseidon Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
Kim Sun Woo, who spent his school days as a troublemaker, decides to make a change in his life and joins the sea special attack team, which is called Poseidon. Sun Woo works as a promising commando, but he unexpectedly becomes entangled in an unsavory incident after 2 years. He is demoted and is sent to a maritime police office in Gunsan city. Sun Woo's passion cools down and he slowly loses his vision as a maritime policeman. Then one day, Jung Ryul, who has formed a new crime investigation section in Incheon city, visits Sun Woo and asks him to join the team...

Cast:
Lee Sung Jae as Kwon Jung Ryul
Choi Si Won as Kim Sun Woo
Lee Si Young as Lee Soo Yoon
Han Jung Soo as Oh Min Hyuk
Jung Woon Taek as Lee Choong Shik
Kil Yong Woo as Oh Yong Kap


My comments:
I read comments that Poseidon (KBS, 16 episodes) was boring and uninteresting; therefore, I lowered my expectations. I didn’t think it was that bad, although for sure it’s not a masterpiece. It reminds me a bit of H.I.T (a crime drama that I really liked back then), but just less spectacular and suspenseful. Maybe I was too spoiled by City Hunter earlier but if you compare, the actions scenes in Poseidon are rather bland.

One thing that Poseidon did successfully was keeping the mystery about how many moles there are within the coast guard bureau. When the first mole is exposed, it gave me some surprise but too bad they didn’t follow up what happened to this character. I’m confused, is he really dead or he remained hidden somewhere… If you watch until the end, there are actually some surprises and twists regarding the moles and I have to admit that the last mole gave me the most shock. Out of all the people, he’s the one that I never suspected. Also, what are we supposed to make out of the “6 months later” ending scene?

If you are looking for romance in Poseidon, look for other alternatives. The romance part is minimal, despite how Sun Woo and Soo Yoon met was cute and the chemistry was there. They supported each other during hard times and all, but their sparks died as the drama progressed as I got the partner/colleagues and best buddies vibe more. It doesn’t help that Soo Yoon got weak and annoying towards the end. I kept on thinking where’s the tough girl who always shouts threats like “You wanna die?” to Sun Woo. The subtle hint of romance between Leader Kwon and Leader Hyun seemed nonexistent.

Acting wise, everyone was serviceable, no one really stood out or acted super badly. Therefore, Poseidon is sure not a memorable K-drama offering of the season.

* Opening credit of the drama

Arrived at last...

So my copy of In Heaven from JYJ has finally arrived! I don’t speak Korean but I still bought this album to support them, especially during the current difficult times. Always keep the faith!

Still looping Get Out the most…


Meaniwhile, Jay Chou's next album will be released next month...Woohoo!

Mackerel Run

Mackerel Run Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
A high school drama filled with hilarious moments.

Cast:
Lee Min Ho as Cha Gong Chan
Moon Chae Won as Min Yoon Seo
Kwon Se In as Baek Hyun
Jung Yung Jo as Yoon Se Mi


My comments:
Finally, after a lot of browsing and researching, I managed to watch Mackerel Run (SBS, 8 episodes) online with Chinese subs. If it wasn’t for Lee Min Ho, I don’t think I can finish it until the end, even though the drama was just 8 episodes. This drama has that exaggerated manga style in action and acting; even Lee Min Ho was overdoing his facial expressions. I can just say that before Lee Min Ho became Gu Jun Pyo in Boys Over Flowers, he was the male version of Geum Jang Di in Mackerel Run. Seriously, Gong Chan gets bullied like this at school? We are talking about the students, teachers and the principal trying all means to kick a student out of school because he score his own goal at a soccer competition! It’s just too much, even if we’re taking about a prestigious school.

Aside from that, it didn’t help that I wasn’t rooting for Gong Chan and Yoon Seo as a couple. I was rooting for class president Sae Mi to be with Gong Chan instead because of their similar backgrounds. I just think that if Gong Chan and Yoon Seo are together, they will face many hardships in the future. Therefore, I actually like the ending as it is. If you’re a fan of Lee Min Ho, watch it, if not skip it…

Protect the Boss

Protect The Boss Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
No Eun Seol finally gets a job as a professional secretary at a large conglomerate after struggling with unemployment, only to fall in love with her boss, Cha Ji Heon, the immature youngest son of a chaebol family.

Cast:
Choi Kang Hee as No Eun Seol
Ji Sung as Cha Ji Heon
Hero Jaejoong as Cha Moo Won
Wang Ji Hye as Seo Na Yoon

My comments:
From the summary and the characters descriptions, Protect The Boss (SBS, 18 episodes) sounds a bit like Secret Garden. Eccentric male lead with a troubled past, competitive rival cousins and a kickass heroine in between them. I initially didn’t know if I’ll finish this drama or not. The first episode is overly wacky for me and the second episode reminds me too much of The Devil Wears Prada when Eun Seol has to deal with all the demands of Ji Heon. However, I immediately love Eun Seol because she’s righteous, is grounded and can kick some asses. Her 1 against 10 fight scene with only a high heel shoe is just priceless. Although Ji Heon can sometime be a lunatic, I did laugh [a lot, even] at his silliness. And let’s not start with his childish fights with his cousin, Moo Won. I LMAO at their so-called fights. (1,2,3,4) BROMANCE!!!

Once I finish the drama, I kinda already miss it even the later half was not as fun. The story dragged a bit towards the end with all the business dealing problems and Ji Heon and Eun Seol separated for invalid stupid reasons but Protect The Boss is a rare K-drama viewing experience in which I love all the characters including the “antagonists”. Even the “antagonists” are a hoot to watch. Once they did something bad, they will be stressed and tortured by their guilty conscience. How cute is that? It’s a great ensemble cast in which every character can steal a scene. I have to thank this drama for creating Na Yoon, an adorable secondary female character and it proves that it is possible to have a non evil and non manipulative second lead to make a drama good as well. I love Na Yoon, she’s hilarious, she’s a whiny crybaby but she’s not annoying. I find Eun Seol, Myung Ran and Na Yoon’s friendship endearing.

I love both couples but once Ji Heon and Eun Seol are set, during the later part, I was more invested to see how Moo Won and Na Yoon will end up together. Whenever, these four are on-screen, laughter ensures. Besides, the couples, I also enjoyed the parents and children relationships in this drama although they were a bit dysfunctional. The acting of the cast made this drama work for me. They have great chemistry with each other and it looks like the camaraderie is also there offscreen. I always have a soft spot for Choi Kang Hee ever since Alcohol Land (man, that was so long ago!). From previous Ji Sung dramas, he always played serious and intense roles but here he is hoot to watch as he was spot on physical comedy. Kim Jae Joong was awkward at the beginning (don’t kill me, fans!) but he eased at his role as the drama progressed and I so agree that Moo Won is God! From this drama, Wang Ji Hye washed all annoyance I have for her from Personal Taste.

The ending gave me so much satisfaction that I’m still grinning as I’m writing this. The ending is complete and it covers pretty much every character and I like that both dads still exchange dagger glances between them until the end and both moms still plotting whatever ‘conspiracies’ they want for their children’s benefit. Protect The Boss is a breezy, light and fun drama that made me laugh in every episode.

These were the last shots when the credits finished rolling, it made me miss the drama immediately...

* Opening credit of the drama

Creating Destiny

Creating Destiny Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
Han Sang Eun emigrated to Australia with her family at a young age. Years later, she has completed her law studies in the United States and plans to marry her American boyfriend. Her dad, however, is strongly opposed to their union and has set his heart on her marrying Kim Yeo Joon, the son of his best friend. Sang Eun finds herself exiled to Korea, where she reluctantly teams up with the equally uninterested Yeo Joon to devise a plan that will allow them to avoid their impending marriage.

Cast:
Eugene as Han Sang Eun
Ki Tae Young as Kim Yeo Joon
Kim Jung Nan as Kim Yoon Hee
Byun Woo Min as Kang Hae Sung
Jung Suk Won as Jung Kyu Han
Ryu Sang Wook as Kang Hae Won
Lee Sung Min as Shim Hye Rim


My comments:
If I didn’t want to see how Eugene and Ki Tae Young became a real-life couple (who got married this summer, btw) through Creating Destiny (MBC, 31 episodes), I wouldn’t pick this drama. It’s a weekend family drama so that means it has a lot of people and a lot of stories that might not necessarily involve the main couple. Surprisingly, I didn’t find this drama that unbearable. It was overall enjoyable, except that some characters annoy me to no end.

Yeo Joon and Sang Eun are quite your usual K-drama couple who started as a bickering pair, then having a contract relationship and finally end up falling in love while facing many obstacles. Speaking of obstacles, there were a lot: opposing parents and grandparents, third and fourth parties, Sang Eun and Yeo Joon’s respective first love. They were a steady couple by 20 something episodes but the writers have to add the adoption bomb to create more drama. Although I root for Yeo Joon and Sang Eun but it gets tiring and repetitive that their families keep on interfering their relationship. Luckily, there was Hyo Eun and Dr. Min’s little love storyline to make up for it; I found them so cute together. I’m disappointed that they didn’t give us a proper wedding for any of the couples.

The parents are mostly annoying in this drama as they are meddling, nosy, controlling and pushy. Hae Won and Hye Rim as the third parties are bleh as they are clingy and don’t understand what ‘No, I don’t love you’ means. I find it odd how they started their supposed romance but I think they are a perfect match in every way. I didn’t really care about Hae Sung and Yoon Hee’s story as they spend most of the time repeating the same thing. While everyone has its own happy ending but poor Kyu Han who didn’t have anyone at the end and he’ll always get nagged by her nosy mother. Sigh…

Acting wise, everyone was doing their job although that I did laugh a few times for bad acting coming from the guy who played Alex, Sang Eun’s Caucasian boyfriend and the actor who played Hae Sung and Hae Won’s dad. Therefore, Creating Destiny is not a horrible drama to kill time but it could be shorten a few episodes and it wouldn’t hurt.

Recent purchases

Before the closing of Metro Video, I managed to snatch this last available set of To Catch The Uncatchable, which is one of my favorite post-millenium TVB drama. I even love its unconventional ending for such a comedic series.

Next is the boxset of K-drama Secret Garden, the one drama that gave me serious withdrawal symptoms earlier this year. I bought this set from Amazon and it was actually affordable, at least it cost me less than any True Blood boxset…:p

Scent of a Woman

Scent of a Woman Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
A woman, Lee Yeon Jae, is given the grim prognosis that she only has a short time left to live. She decides to quit her job at a travel agency and live her life to the fullest.

Cast:
Kim Sun Ah as Lee Yeon Jae
Lee Dong Wook as Kang Ji Wook
Uhm Ki Joon as Chae Eun Suk
Seo Hyo Rim as Im Se Kyung


My comments:
After reading the summary of Scent of a Woman (SBS, 16 episodes), it is not hard to predict the ending. I’m even emotionally prepared for a sob fest and had a box of tissues nearby. Surprisingly, the ending wasn’t that weepy but overall, I think I’m in the minority who wasn’t that crazy over this drama. I didn’t especially like it or dislike it. I can count how many times I cried and it wasn't a lot. At first, I felt and cried for Yeon Jae when she compiled her to do list before she dies but around halfway through the drama, I don’t know how and why, I just don’t care about her anymore. It was dreadful for me to watch the later episodes because I thought that it got draggy when everyone was in mopey mode.

One thing that bugged me was that Yeon Jae knows that she doesn’t have too many days left but still wants to date the unattainable Ji Wook but when he loves her deeply, she dumps him to cut him some misery. Isn’t that act a bit selfish? Does having a teminal illness gives you a carte blanche to do whatever you want, with the motto 'live your life the fullest'? It is debatable. Lee Dong Wook and Kim Sun Ah surprisingly have sizzling chemistry, although I don’t really buy theme as a couple. While the main couple have some sweet and intense moments and Jin Wook is overall a great boyfriend, I find myself rooting for Eun Suk more. I think that Se Kyung is character that could be more prominent then what was offered but I’m disappointed that her role got more and more insignificant towards the end while the fathers are the annoying antagonists.

The acting is great from everyone. Kim Sun Ah can do no wrong although I don’t like her character. I love Lee Dong Wook and all but there are times that I found him awkward and he looks really exhausted in this drama that is a bit distracting. I was hoping to see a little reunion of Eom Ki Joon and Seo Hye Rim since that I kinda liked them from the little I saw of Worlds Within. No such luck as there were practically no scenes of them together.The drama have nice cinematography, especially the scenes in Okinawa.

Heartstrings/You've Fallen For Me

Heartstrings Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
Lee Shin is a university student majoring in modern music. He is also the vocalist and guitarist of the band "The Stupid." Shin is known for his good looks and strong passion for music, but in reality he is cold, lacks interest in anything unrelated to music and has neither dreams nor plans for the future. He initially likes Jung Yoon Soo, a dance professor at university, but this all changes when he meets Lee Kyu Won.

Lee Kyu Won is a bright and outgoing student who was born into a prestigious family and is majoring in traditional Korean instruments, especially the gayageum. Kyu Won's grandfather, Lee Dong Gun, is one of the top 3 traditional musicians of his age and his biggest wish is to see his granddaughter become a traditional music prodigy. Trying to live up to her grandfather's expectations, Kyu Won immerses herself in training and becomes a university student who knows nothing outside of her studies. As her friends are fans of "The Stupid", she was forced to go to the band's concert with them. There she saw Lee Shin performing live, and is immediately captivated by him.

Cast:
Jung Yong Hwa as Lee Shin
Park Shin Hye as Lee Kyu Won
Song Chang Ui as Kim Suk Hyun
So Yi Hyun as Jung Yoon Soo
Woo Ri as Han Hye Joo
Kang Min Hyuk as Yeo Joon Hee
Lee Hyun Jin as Hyun Ki Young
Im Se Mi as Cha Bo Woon

My comments:
I found the first episode of Heartstrings (MBC, 15 episodes) bland and I stopped watching by the 20th minute of episode 2 and didn’t plan to continue. Since I didn’t have anything to watch instead, so I resumed watching this drama. By the end of episode 2, just like Kyu Won fell for Shin, I fell for this drama. Shippers of Jung Yong Hwa and Park Shin Hye in You’re Beautiful (not me) will be happy for their reunion in this drama and they matured a lot compared to almost 2 years ago.

The pacing of the drama is inconsistent as it can be at times long and boring but then things can move pretty fast. I find it hard to believe by how fast (less than one episode) Shin can move on and fall for Kyu Won after Yoon Soo’s rejection because he was really infatuated with her at first. The so-called love square (is there even one?) was bleh. It’s sure that Shin and Kyu Won would end up together because there is no way that they would end up with the professor and the director. Now that would be weird and creepy! The last episode was kinda unnecessary as it just dragged the story and I wonder how much the story changed because of Park Shin Hye’s accident.

Park Shin Hye and Jung Yong Hwa’s chemistry is more evident here. They make a cute bickering and sweet couple. Who would expect Shin to turn out to be such a caring, understanding and supportive boyfriend judging from his aloof and cold behavior from early episodes. The supporting characters are adorable, especially Kyu Won’s best friend, Bo Woon, who just has perfect timing in interrupting Shin and Kyu Won’s important moments. Even grandpa despite being harsh and critical over Kyu Won, but whenever he tells his very long and boring autobiography, it’s just priceless! Every scene with the The Stupid guys and The Windflowers girls is a delight to watch.

There is nothing to rave about the acting but everyone was serviceable and I give them credit for the singing and dancing segments. The OST is really nice to listen. So, overall a feel-good youth drama about young people achieving their dreams; but honestly less addictive than Dream High.

* Opening credit of the drama

Jung Yong Hwa and Park Shin Hye from You're Beautiful (2009) to Heartstrings (2011)

The fun of misheard lyrics

I notice from work that everyone seems to be tired and easily irritated (myself included) lately so I need something to LOL. These two videos never fail to make me ROFLMAO! It's funnier if you know the group members' name...



For the following one, even with the misheard lyrics, the 'story' makes sense...haha! Kudos and credits to the uploader!



Totally unrelated, but since I'm still in City Hunter withdrawal mode, this news made me giddy and happy for about 30 minutes and then there is this and this to burst the bubble...Okay, we'll see...

Hours later, this came out! Yay, it's official that they are dating! Okay, I really have no life...haha!

Fighting, dongsaengs! Wish you the best of luck!

I Need Romance

I Need Romance Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
This bubbly, Sex and the City-esque drama tells the story of the love lives, careers, and families of a group of twenty-and-thirty-something friends. Jo Yeo Jung is In Young, an independent, lovable woman struggling to survive in modern-day society. In this endeavor, which she tackles with confidence and grace, she's helped by friends Seo Yeon (Choi Yeon Jin) and Hyun Joo (Choi Song-hyun).

Cast:
Jo Yeo Jung as Sun Woo In Young
Kim Jung Hoon as Kim Sung Soo
Choi Yeo Jin as Park Seo Yeon
Choi Song Hyun as Kang Hyun Joo
Choi Jin Hyuk as Bae Sung Hyun
Ha Yun Joo as Yoon Kang Hee


My comments:
I can see why I Need Romance (TVN, 16 episodes) is labeled as the Korean version of Sex and the City. The setup and the characters are more or less similar to Sex and the City, even the opening theme is similar. Since this is a cable drama, so expect a racier and edgier usual rom-com exploring relationships.. So here, we have a group of three friends consisting of In Young, Hyun Joo and Seo Yeon, all three thirty-something career women having different experiences and approaches in love. Just imagine In Young as Carrie, Seo Yeon as a toned down Samantha and Hyun Joo as a balance between Miranda and Charlotte…

I absolutely enjoyed the friendship of the three ladies; they supported each other through rough times and they do crazy stuff together. However, watching this drama is a weird viewing experience in which but I didn’t really root anyone to end up with anyone. I didn’t especially like any of the characters although I felt for In Young when her shameless boyfriend Sung Soo cheated on her [again]. It’s dreadful to watch her from suspecting to confirming Sung Soo’s cheating. Sung Soo was pretty much a jerk for a major part of the drama. He wasn’t sincerely sorry for what he did and to make up to In Young, he can let her “cheat” also with two guys so that they can be even; therefore, they can be back together. WHAT?!

A lot of people are frustrated with who she chose at the end, although I’m not supportive of that ending, I can see why she made that decision. If you ask me, I’d rather she remains single like Seo Yeon. If Seo Yeon is still alone at the end, why not In Young as well? At first, I like how Hyun Joo and Duk Soo’s story started but why oh why did he have to slap her? She was being inconsiderate but that slap was just too much.

The acting was good all around. I’m happy to see Kim Jung Hoon improving and maturing as an actor and also for choosing to act such an unlikable character as his post-military project. The music used in this drama was nice and suited the mood of the drama.

City Hunter

City Hunter (SBS, 20 episodes), why didn’t you suck? Not only you didn’t suck but you left me now like a drug addict, desperately looking for a fix. And why did you have to make me see Lee Min Ho in a whole new light? Why make me gaga over an actor who is younger than my youngest cousin? Why? Why? Why?

City Hunter Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
The story takes place in Seoul, 2011. Lee Yoon Sung is a talented MIT-graduate who works on the international communications team in the Blue House. He plans revenge on five politicians who caused his father's death with his surrogate father Lee Jin Pyo and eventually becomes a "City Hunter."

Cast:
Lee Min Ho as Lee Yoon Sung / John Lee
Park Min Young as Kim Na Na
Lee Joon Hyuk as Kim Young Joo
Kim Sang Joong as Lee Jin Pyo / Steve Lee
Kim Sang Ho as Bae Shik Joong / Bae Man Deok
Hwang Sun Hee as Jin Se Hee

My comments:
I just finished the epilogue of City Hunter 2 days ago and I’m still having a hard time to part with the drama. This drama was epic, period. The first episode already had me hooked and I so wanted to see how Jin Pyo and Yoon Sung will carry their revenge plan. There were some nice twists to the story although I found it a bit too coincidental how the characters were interconnected.

What I liked in this drama is that there was no messy love triangle. At first, I expected to see a love square between Yoon Sung, Na Na, Young Joo and Se Hee. I was so glad that they didn’t go there. Honestly, I loved the first haft more than the second half because I was a bit bothered by how much time they spent on Yoon Sung pushing Na Na away (it was noble, I know) but the epic ending (with 2 deaths of important characters) just killed me and blew me away. The ending apparently created a lot of dissatisfaction among fans. It wasn’t the most sweet sweet ending for the main couple but I thought it was fitting. From all the bloodshed, it was satisfying enough to see both are alive and will be there for each other. The ending left some unanswered questions such as what happened to President Choi years later, who was the one who released Chun Jae Man when he was at the prosecutor office, etc.

There are flaws in this drama. There are moments where you would go: “Really?” “How is that possible?” but I chose to close my eyes on this because it would take away the fun of watching the drama. Also, I know that Lee Min Ho is a handsome guy but putting him in reddish pink tight pants and leopard prints tops and pants is a big no-no for me.

Okay, time for Lee Min Ho gushing. There was a time when I tried to watch Boys Over Flowers but I gave up in episode 5 and I wrote this “Out of F4, only Kim Bum made an impression from what I saw”. I’m aware of his massive fan base but I just didn’t care back then. Okay, I understand now. Despite being with very good veteran actors in this drama, Lee Min Ho owned City Hunter. He was so good as the heroic, righteous, gentle, caring, kickass, wounded, lonely masked hero. When he was wearing the mask as the city hunter, check out his gaze.

I thought that everyone did great in this drama. Kim Sang Joong as the calculating dad with the mind on revenge beyond reasons is fascinating. I wanted him to succeed in his revenge plan but not in this twisted way. Seeing him can sometimes made me shiver. Park Min Young showed improvement but like in Sungkyunkwan Scandal, which I had a hard time buying her dressed as a guy; in City Hunter, I also had a hard time buying her as a bodyguard. I’m happy for Lee Joon Hyuk to have a meaty secondary role in here and his death will remain an unforgettable k-drama moment.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to see another well-made Korean drama like City Hunter. Meanwhile, I must find something (the earlier, the better) to pull me out of this addiction state…

After seeing the ending and then seeing them smiling brightly in this still, it's exceptionally heartbreaking...

* Opening credit of the drama

49 Days

49 Days Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
A young woman named Ji Hyun was enjoying absolute bliss as she was about to be married with her fiancé, but her perfect life is shattered in a car accident that left her in a coma. She is given a second chance at life by a reaper, but it comes with a condition: she has to find three people outside of her family who would cry genuine tears for her. In order to do this, she borrows the body of Yi Kyung, a part-time employee at a convenience store.

Cast:
Lee Yo Won as Song Yi Kyung
Nam Gyu Ri as Shin Ji Hyun
Jo Hyun Jae as Han Kang
Bae Soo Bin as Kang Min Ho
Jung Il Woo as Scheduler/Song Yi Soo
Seo Ji Hye as Shin In Jung


My comments:
Watching 49 Days (SBS, 20 episodes) was an interesting experience because I wasn’t that invested in the story until the last 4 episodes. The last 2 episodes were pure sob fest and I swear that I have puffy eyes the next day. I was struggling during the first three episodes because I found Ji Hyun’s innocence or maybe Nam Gyu Ri’s performance annoying. If she spent more time moping about Min Ho and In Jung's betrayal, I would abandon the drama for sure. However, once Ji Hyun found out Min Ho and In Jung’s affair and got a hold of herself, the drama got better. I got annoyed at first by Ji Hyun to end up cheering for her during her journey, especially when she bravely faced her death with a smile.

What moved me the most was the bonding of Ji Hyun and Yi Kyung during the short 49 days. Both women saved each other’s lives in one way or another. Yi Kyung was the cause of Ji Hyun’s coma but eventually Yi Kyung was the one who helped Ji Hyun live again by letting her use her body. And through Ji Hyun, Yi Kyung found the purpose of life again by having friends and family. I didn’t see the twists of the last episode regarding Ji Hyun’s third tear and the relationship between Ji Hyun and Yi Kyung. I also liked that there are no evils in this drama. Despite Min Ho and In Jung’s greedy schemes, they did love Ji Hyun deep down.

Lee Yo Won was the one who shine in this drama. She did really good in portraying the zombie and lifeless Yi Kyung and the bubbly, cheerful Ji Hyun in Yi Kyung’s body. She had great chemistry with the three leading actors. The most surprising thing is that she made a believable (and heartbreaking) pair with Jung Il Woo who is 7 years her junior. The ending was bittersweet but satisfying because character wise, Han Kang and Yi Kyung can never be together no matter how much chemistry Jo Hyun Jae and Lee Yo Won shared. I'm glad that I watched this nice littel drama.

The Man From Nowhere

The Man From Nowhere Synopsis: (from AsianMediaWiki)
A heroin deal is set to occur at a nightclub. Undercover police are also in the nightclub waiting to make their move. A nightclub employee takes the heroin into the locker room. While the nightclub employee changes out of his uniform he is tazered from behind. Hyo-Jeong (Kim Hyo-Seo), a dancer at the nightclub, walks off with the heroin.

Cha Tae-Sik (Won Bin), known only as "ajusshi" in his neighborhood, runs a dilapidated pawn shop in a seedy part of town. He associates little with those around him except a young girl named So-Mi (Kim Se-Ron). So-Mi lives near Cha Tae-Sik's pawn shop and often comes over when her junkie mother Hyo-Jeong has men over. One day, So-Mi's mother Hyo-Jeong comes into the pawn shop. She pawns off to Cha Tae-Sik a bag with a camera, which he will hold until she pays him back. Cha Tae-Sik is unaware that in the bag is the heroin she stole from the nightclub.

In a few days vicious mafia men come looking for So-Mi's mother knowing she stole the drugs. In the process they break into Cha Tae-Sik's pawn shop and holds him up. He hears on a cellphone young So-Mi's screaming voice and then gives the gangsters the bag that was brought to him by So-Mi's mother. The gangsters leave the pawn shop, but before they leave they shoot one of their own men dead. The gangsters also drive off with So-Mi and her mother.

Cha Tae-Sik must now go after the dangerous mobsters who stole So-Mi. In the process, Cha Tae-Sik must also face off against the police and his own mysterious past...


My comments:
I didn’t see an action movie that was as good as The Man From Nowhere since maybe Taken. Both movies have similar plot/concept in which Taken was about a dad saving his daughter but for me, The Man From Nowhere had greater emotional impact about a lonely guy saving a little girl, his neighbor, his only friend.

Won Bin was pretty impressive as the Tae Shik, his connection with little So Mi, although subtle but was powerful. So Mi didn’t have a dad and Tae Shik lost his unborn child so they found comfort with each other. I’m actually surprised to see Kim Sung Oh in over-the-top evil mode in this movie. He was delightful as Secretary Kim in Secret Garden, creepy in Sign and an ordinary dude in the little that I saw in Midas. Overall great movie with nice fight scenes.

Happy Birthday to me!

OMG, I'm turning 29 today, one more year before hitting the big 3-0, embracing spinsterhood!!! Anyway, I can always daydream the following gentlemen offering cakes and flowers today...haha!

Jay Chou looking kinda unwilling...:p

Jo In Sung oppa!

Jang Geun Seok

Song Joong Ki

Kim Bum and flowers, how cute!

Jo Hyun Jae

Hyun Bin, see you in 2 years!

Rain

I'll be happy to get a rice cooker from Khalil Fong

All jokes aside, this above is my real birthday cake, which I devoured 3 days ago. It doesn't look appetizing from the pic but it was yummy!

* I spent half the day looking for the pics above just to prove how loser I am...Oh well, happy birthday to me and to Im Joo Hwan too, who is also turning 29 today and who just left yesterday to fulfill his military duties. Another one gone…

So...

So, the winter offering of K-dramas has been disappointing overall. I had expectations for Midas but I dropped after 4 episodes. The acting was fine; I love Jang Hyuk and I like No Min Woo (although he had minimal screentime from I've seen so far) but I was mostly uninterested for the stock/trade/funds and the whole Yoo family backstabbing against each other.


I tried a 'younger' drama Paradise Ranch too and the acting was mostly bleh and I didn't like any characters to begin with so I dropped too.

Khalil Fong - 15

Finally got it and I’ve been holding myself from sampling his album in Youtube so I can savor the overly long anticipation of Khalil’s 5th album. The packaging is interesting but I’m having a headache to where to put it since it can not fit in my CD shelves. While the lyrics/picture booklet is nice to look at but the CD is put in a very thin envelope…




The album starts with a track with a long intro in Gotta Make A Change and concluded with a long outro in 好不容易. My first impressions of this album is that the first 2 plugs 因為你 and 好不容易 are considered listener friendly songs of the whole album. It’s not an album for usual Canto pop listeners as it takes time to warm to the songs but it grows on you. I only didn’t like 曇花 and 張永成 because I think they were a bit too "loud".

I already said before that Gotta Make A Change is probably my favorite track currently as I find myself tapping my fingers everytime I listen to it. But lately, I’m frequently repeating Over over and over [he!] again.

無菇朋友 is a cute kiddie song feel about staying away from drugs. For 自以為, the cuteness of this song is more or less enhanced by the MV.

From 四人遊's story of an ex-couple's ambiguity to 三人游's story about the third party self-sacrificing, watching the couple from afar to now 二人遊's story about the one in relationship warning the third party not to butt in. So, I wonder what will be 一人遊's story in the future?

Playlist of early May

- 除下吊帶前 - Fiona Sit => Khalil Fong's composition + Wyman Wong's lyrics. The song title itself can generate a lot of talk. I think that Fiona handled the nice quite nicely and she changed her singing style; more maturity, less cuteness.

- Gotta Make A Change - Khalil Fong => My favorite track of his new album. I’ll post about my comments of the album later…

Crime Squad

Crime Squad Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
This drama focuses on a group of detectives in the Seoul Gangnam Police Homicide Division who solve crimes based on real life cases with their variety of skills and investigative methods. At the forefront of the team is the impulsive and hotheaded detective Park Se Hyuk and the cold, commanding police chief, Jung Il Do. Park Se Hyuk's passion for his work and rough personality results in a tendency to take action first before thinking later, in contrast with Jung Il Do's by-the-book style. However, his greatest weapon is an instinctive knowledge of a criminal's tricks and mental workings that he gained from his father, the legendary thief, and his own childhood in the streets. Together with the other members of a special team formed to catch Lupin, a notorious burglar, he juggles work with his own personal quest to find his father and confront his older brother, a crooked detective.

Cast:
Song Il Gook as Park Se Hyuk
Lee Jong Hyuk as Jung Il Do
Song Ji Hyo as Jo Min Joo
Park Sun Young as Heo Eun Young
Sung Ji Roo as Nam Tae Shik
Sun Woo Sun as Jin Mi Sook
Kim Joon as Shin Dong Jin


My comments:
Crime Squad (KBS, 16 episodes) was a drama that I used to kill time during the Easter holidays. I watched it for Song Il Gook and I only find this drama average, nothing spectacular or memorable but not overly bad. Each homicide case usually takes about 2 episodes to get solved and some of them did give me goosebumps. Take a moment to notice that most victims of the cases in this drama were women. I think the cases are what kept me going, along with the mystery behind Il Do secrets regarding Se Hyuk’s daughter.

The biggest problem with this drama is that the cast seems to have zero chemistry with each other. The homicide team’s chemistry was passable but everything else failed. Romance chemistry between the leads – failed, even the supposed tension between Se Hyuk and Il Do, sorry not really there. It doesn’t help that Lee Jong Hyuk’s appearance keep reducing as the drama progresses and he just appears like maybe 2 times in an episode to give the heads up and he wasn’t much involved in the case solving…

I thought the ladies were so underused in this drama as they were all uninteresting and boring that I didn’t care much for them. It also didn’t help that the romances were so minimal that their existence was merely for background use. Song Ji Hyo has a meatier role than Park Sun Young and Sun Woo Sun and she was cute and likable but as a leading role she was too ineffective. Park Sun Young who was so alive and bubbly in 19 vs. 29 but here, she was like sleepwalking while looking pretty. Also, no wonder that Sun Woo Sun dropped after episode 7 because it seems that the scriptwriters didn’t know where to go with her character…Overall, forgettable drama.

* Opening credit of the drama

Well...

Well, I took a break from K-dramas since the ones that I want to watch are still running until end of April/early May. I'll watch them once it ends in Korea.

The last few weeks, I was back to American dramas. Just finished Private Practice season 3, The Good Wife season 1 and currently on Grey's Anatomy season 6. Glee season 1 will be up next.

The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry

The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
This drama depicts lives of three women who are closing one chapter of their life and entering the next. Lee Shin Young (Park Jin Hee), Jung Da Jung (Uhm Ji Won) and Kim Boo Ki (Wang Bit Na) are three women in their 30s whose romantic relationships have faltered due to their career ambitions, but find themselves given a chance to make a fresh start.

Cast:
Park Jin Hee as Lee Shin Young
Uhm Ji Won as Jung Da Jung
Wang Bit Na as Kim Boo Ki
Kim Bum as Ha Min Jae
Choi Chul Ho as Na Ban Suk
Lee Pil Mo as Yoon Sang Woo
Park Ji Young as Choi Sang Mi

My comments:
The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry (MBC, 16 episodes) was a cute little drama about how women in their mid thirties are looking for love when they have a successful career. I especially like the friendship of Shin Young, Da Jung and Boo Ki, such opposite personalities and ideals but they make a fun-silly trio. They went through happy times, hard times, crazy times and embarrassing times together.

The main romance was between Shin Young and Min Jae who is a decade younger than her. Not only that but Min Jae’s mom also had a little romance line with someone who is a decade younger than her also. Both romances mirror nicely as when Min Jae’s mom opposed her son’s relationship, she also faced the same kind of opposition as well. I must say, what an unbelievable fate that Shin Young, Min Jae, Sang Woo and Sang Mi have. Shin Young and Sang Woo used to be exes but in the future, they might possibly be father-daughter in law; how creepy!

While I enjoyed Shin Young and Min Jae’s romance, my favorite character was actually Boo Ki. She’s the coolest of the trio with her snarky comments and I absolutely love her haircut. Da Jung was a character that can get on your nerves when acted overboard but Uhm Ji Won handled it quite adorably. I’m happy that that Da Jung got her wishful happy ending while Shing Young and Min Jae’s ending wasn’t overly fairytale-ish. It’s good to see Boo Ki remaining the same but I would so like to see Shin Young’s sunbae at her mercy or even at Shin Young’s mercy for being a jerk all that time…I think everyone did great in the drama and it was a drama that brought a smile to my face when I finished it.

All About Love

All About Love Synopsis: (from AsianMediaWiki)
"All About Love" depicts the lives of two early 40s women Macy (Sandra Ng) & (Vivian Chow) Anita, who were once lovers. The women cross paths again when they both of them attend a counseling service for pregnant mothers. Macy is a lawyer who is pregnant with the child of a married man (Eddie Cheung).

Anita is a bank clerk who is carrying the child of a teenager named Mike (William Chan). Both of the woman are carrying babies from one night flings. Will the two woman reunite?

My comments:
All About Love is an entertaining movie with a very interesting cast. It’s been ages that I haven’t seen Vivian Chow and wow, she still looks radiant. I really like the first half of the movie where viewers are told how both Macy and Anita ended up being pregnant. The latter half was going around in circle a bit too much about should they keep the baby or not. I was rooting for both women to end up with their flings because I thought Sandra Ng and Eddie and surprisingly, even Vivian Chow and William Chan have good chemistry as the guys are adorably dorky. Well, I guess that such ending will be too conventional.

Stars Falling From The Sky

Stars Falling From The Sky Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
The drama draws a love story between two co-workers at an insurance company, with Kim Ji Hoon playing the company’s whip-smart lawyer. Because he carries the hurt of having been abandoned by his birth mother, he doesn’t easily open his heart to others. Jin Pal Kang (Choi Jung Won) is a 25-year-old employee of the company who becomes responsible for her five younger adopted siblings after her parents meet with sudden deaths.

Cast:
Choi Jung Won as Jin Pal Kang
Park Ji Bin as Jin Joo Hwang
Kim Yoo Ri as Jin No Rang
Joo Ji Won as Jin Cho Rok
Chun Bo Geun as Jin Pa Rang
Kim Ji Hoon as Won Kang Ha
Shin Dong Wook as Won Joon Ha
Lee Kyun as Woo Tae Gyu
Chae Young In as Jung Jae Young
Lee Soon Jae as Jung Gook


My comments:
The first episode of Stars Falling From The Sky (SBS, 20 episodes) didn’t really impress me and I expected myself to give up this drama later. The kids were overly loud and Pal Gang as the lead annoyed me at first because she was an airhead with irresponsible and selfish attitudes towards life and work. But from second episode onward, the drama gets better and better and everything that I thought was annoying grew on me. I cried buckets when Pal Gang has to grow up overnight to become a ‘mother’ of her 5 younger siblings (who are not blood related, by the way) and face the harsh reality of survival. When the kids are in crying mode, prepare tissues!

Although the summary of the drama screams weepy melodrama but surprisingly, it had a lot of funny moments. Every scene that involves Tae Gyu is funny. That poor guy, if I didn’t root for Kang Ha, I wouldn’t mind Tae Gyu ending up with Pal Gang. It’s hilarious to see the kids arguing about the pros and cons of the suitors for Pal Gang. I always like the plot of bubbly girl melting the ice prince so it’s a joy to see Kang Ha peeling his icy exterior little by little because of the Jin family. I have to say this: baby Nam is just too cute!

Although I’m glad that it’s a happy ending for mostly everyone but the ending felt rushed. They spend so much time on trying to find Grandpa’s real granddaughter but they didn’t give us a proper revelation scene where they talk about it, embraced or anything. I enjoy Kang Ha and Pal Gang’s bickerings and I like that at the end, it’s Pal Gang’s say when to marry and Kang Ha patiently waiting but how can the scriptwriters deny us some more lovey-dovey scenes. I want some mushiness for them!

Choi Jung Won was good as the caregiver sister Pal Gang and poor her, you can see the actress’s exhaustion, looking haggard as the drama progress, which surprisingly matches the development of her character. I like both actors of this drama Kim Ji Hoon and Shin Dong Wook. Too bad, I didn’t felt much about Shin Dong Wook’s character here. He’s a nice guy and he helped a lot when the heroine was in difficulty but I wasn’t convinced that he loves Pal Gang. I also didn’t care for Jae Young that much. She mostly made me fume because of her desperation and I found her 180 degrees character change at the end too sudden.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming drama, Stars Falling From The Sky is a good addictive one.

The very cute cast

Sign

Sign Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
A medical investigation drama about forensic doctors solving murder cases. Go Da Kyung is an eager rookie investigator who gets paired with the famous forensic doctor, Yoon Ji Hoon. They initially clash due to their different styles of investigation as well as their opposing personalities - Da Kyung's energetic nature is a source of irritation for the prickly Ji Hoon - but later develop a complex relationship as the two strive to uncover the truth through science.

Cast:
Park Shin Yang as Yoon Ji Hoon
Kim Ah Joong as Go Da Kyung
Uhm Ji Won as Jung Woo Jin
Jung Gyu Woon as Choi Yi Han
Jun Kwang Ryul as Lee Myung Han
Song Jae Ho as Jung Byung Do
Jang Hyun Sung as Jang Min Suk

My comments:
I was hooked on Sign (SBS, 20 episodes) since the first episode. It was a thrilling and exciting crime drama with unexpected twists of the cases. There is one main murder case since the first episode that lasted until the epilogue that was complicated due to manipulation of evidences from politicians, law enforcers, lawyers, you name it. We know who is the murderer very early but because the murderer is a VIP who has powerful background; therefore, it’s frustrating to see the folks gathering evidences and then evidences getting destroyed countless times because everyone’s corrupted. I felt that the endings of the villains were not harsh enough, especially the real murderer since she did not show signs of remorse with that smug expression. Grrr….

Sign was good because it did not have messy love relationships. The romance was so light that it was almost nonexistent. Ji Hoon and Da Kyung had little progress as pair to the point where a little holding hands scene and a few crying on the shoulder scenes were the most intimate between them. That’s why I didn’t buy them as a romantic pair since I get the mentor/student vibe more. Yi Han and Woo Jin was an enjoyable pair and at least they have a happy ending.

Now the ending, it created a lot of dissatisfaction. I didn’t read spoilers ahead and I’m glad because it had a greater impact. I cried so much at the last episode. It’s been a long long time that I didn’t see a male lead die in a K-drama that wasn’t in the melodrama genre. I was sad about the ending but I thought the death of Ji Hoon made sense because it was needed for the conclusion of that particular case, in which every single evidence is destroyed and every witness is killed. If he didn’t do what he did, how will the truth ever be will revealed?

I like the cast overall although I’m sometimes scared of watching Park Shin Yang (he’s one of the reasons why I didn’t continue War of Money). He’s an intense actor and in this drama, he plays a serious and demanding autopsist but he tends to yell too much. Jun Kwang Ryul as his rival is the complete opposite. He doesn’t show a lot of expressions, that’s why you don’t know what he’s really thinking. He does what he does driven by ambitions but at the end he didn’t completely lose conscience. Kim Ah Joong matured a lot in looks and acting compared to 200 Pounds Beauty.

Overall, Sign is a satisfactory drama that I didn’t regret spending 20 hours on it…

* Opening credit of the drama

The Good The Bad The Weird

The Good The Bad The Weird Synopsis: (from http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr)
With the Korean Peninsula under Japanese rule in 1930s, many Koreans flock to Manchuria for refuge. Some become bandits, some train robbers and yet others bounty hunters. While the Weird, a notorious train robber, is stealing from a Japanese train crossing the Manchurian plains, he discovers a treasure map. But the map is also sought after by the Bad, a merciless gang leader. Coincidentally, the Good, a bounty hunter, is on the train, and he is after the Bad. The three engage in a spectacular chase with the Japanese Army, the Korean independence fighters, and the Chinese bandits all looking to get their hands on the prized map.

My comments:
If my library didn’t have The Good The Bad The Weird, I probably would skip this movie despite its A-list actors. I was surprised at how entertaining this movie was (it’s always funny to spot inaccurate Mandarin dialogues). It was 2 hours long filled with humor, adventures and intense action. I witnessed 2 painful deaths from this movie that are quite memorable…Also, there was a nice twist at the end that I didn’t see it coming. The three main actors are very good in this movie and they complement each other well. Just watching their final showdown was worth it. I found Lee Byung Hun as the main villain a fascinating character despite his ruthless behavior…

Dream High

I finished Dream High (KBS, 16 episodes) and I hope that I won't have withdrawal symptoms...

Dream High Synopsis: (from DramaWiki)
Six students at Kirin Art High School work to achieve their dreams of becoming stars.

Cast:
Suzy as Go Hye Mi
Kim Soo Hyun as Song Sam Dong
Taecyeon as Jin Gook / Hyun Shi Hyuk
Ham Eun Jung as Yoon Baek Hee
Wooyoung as Jason
IU as Kim Pil Sook


My comments:
When I first saw the teaser of Dream High during the end of Mary Stayed Out All Night, it didn’t really catch my interest but I’ve always liked dramas/movies related to the music and dancing so I gave it a shot. It’s better that what I expected as I found the drama uplifting, moving and heartwarming about six teenagers going through ups and downs to reach their dreams. This drama is not a melodrama but I lost count of many times I cried because I found some scenes so touching (example 1).

The drama had a grandiose opening of a certain ‘K’, the very first Korean singer winning the Grammys in 2018. We have six candidates, who is it? That was a big suspense of the drama and when it was revealed who at the end, it wasn’t the one I expected though. The pacing of Dream High was fairly consistent as there were almost no draggy moments and it was a rare time for me to be undecided who Hye Mi should end up with for half of the drama. Both got injured for saving her and both changed her one way or another so the big dilemma. Anyway, I’m a Sam Dong supporter so I’m satisfied with the ending although I found it bittersweet that the couple or the sixsome didn’t have a proper reunion. It’s also a rare case in Korean dramas where the the guy and the girl who shared childhood memories together didn’t end up as a couple.

The only flaw of the drama is the acting from the cast as most of them are idol rookies. Yes, they are inexperienced and unnatural at times but I think they gave earnest performances and the drama has so much “heart” therefore, I can close my eyes for this flaw and let it slide. Park Ji Young (known as JYP or Rain’s mentor) is a hoot to watch as the comic relief. I’m looking forward to see how the younger cast will do in their next drama, and like everyone else, I think Kim Soo Hyun will go very far with his career…


* Opening credit of the drama