Great Acting, Interesting Aspects but overall underwhelming

7.5/10 is my rating. Park Cheol (Kim Sang-joong) was a well known cardiac surgeon in South Korea. Dr. Park was asked to go to North Korea to perform life saving surgery on the Nation's leader. As a single father, Cheol decided to take his young son Park Hoon (Lee Jong-suk) unaware that it would be a one way trip. While spending the remaining of his growing years in North Korea, Park Hoon trained first under his father and later at a prestigious North Korean medical school to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. It was at medical school that he met Song Jae-hee (Jin See-yon) and eventually asked her to marry him. Tragic struck the young couple when Jae-hee's father was accused of spying and the entire family was sent to a concentration camp. The elites in North Korea soon discovered Hoon's genius in his field and sent him to a medical center performing highly unethical surgeries to advance medical science. Having no choice but to do as asked Hoon remained there until one day Jae-Hee and her other were brought in and he was directed to do the unthinkable. Hoon's father sacrificed himself to help the young couple escape but they became separated - Hoon made it to South Korea but Jae-hee was either dead or back in North Korea. Hoon spent all of his time and money trying to locate his lost love. A series of circumstances lead Hoon to work at Myungwoo University Hospital as a surgeon and he happened across a doctor at another hospital that looked exactly like Jae-hee but claimed not to know Hoon. This doctor, Han Seung-hee (Jin See-yon) is an anesthesiologist and she winds up working at Myungwoo University Hospital as well. Hoon is confused as to whether or not this woman is his lost girlfriend and his colleague, Oh Soo-hyun (Kang So-ra) falls for the genius doctor while trying to help him sort out the mystery.

Spoilers* I loved the character played by Lee Jong-suk of the joking but far from carefree Doctor Park. His genius in the operating theater was highly entertaining. It was easy to understand why all the main female characters would have fallen for him as he was charismatic and challenged them to be their best while encouraging and believing in them. Learning about North Korea from the aspect of someone that was under the control of the the government was a different slice of life than what is seen from a more elite perspective like in "Crash Landing on You". The fact that he was forced to do so many horrendous things and the constant fear for life and safety was in line with what refugees and those that have escaped have indicated is very common for the people there. I loved the relationship between Hoon and his father. I never felt that strongly about the relationship between Jae-hee and Hoon in North Korea it felt like we got a flash of seeing them in love and planning to marry and then she was taken away and he has to make the horrible decision of what to do with her and her father when they are brought from the concentration camp to the medical facility where they have been forcing him to do experimental surgeries on living patients. Then there is the first scene where they attempt escape and are chased down by the North Koreans and are on the bridge, she gets shot, and he winds up letting go and she falls into the water and he is unsure if she died or not. Later he is in South Korea doing small odd jobs to get enough money to get intel on her and perhaps get her smuggled out. He has a "friend" that he is working with who is a beautiful girl that calls him Hyung and treats him like an older brother. But you never get the full story of how they came to be together you just know they are very close. At that point I thought they would fill that story in later but they never fully did. The only chemistry and believable relationship to me was that between Hoon and Doctor Oh. He calls her Quack but spends a lot of time encouraging and mentoring her as a surgeon. There are many scenes where the two are shown "flirting" and laughing with each other. Jae-Hae even looks on several times noticing the two enjoying each other's company. This led me to think there would be some kind of twist. Perhaps Jae-Hae was actually dead and the Doctor that works at Hoon's hospital is an imposter who was trained and given plastic surgery to look like Jae-Hae. That would have been an interesting twist and would have enabled Hoon to pursue Dr. Oh. They spent a lot of time making the viewer observe the developing relationship between Dr. Park and Dr. Oh so much that most would not care about that old relationship between Jae-Hae and Dr. Park or Dr. Oh and her fiancé. I also was not a fan of the competition for the right to do surgery on the "Prime Minister". I could not see legitimate doctors feeling okay about that sort of competition which treated patients as objects. It was a way to show Dr. Park's humanity and aptitude for being a doctor despite the horrible things he was forced to do in his training in North Korea. However, I did not find the competition as interesting as I would have found just really complex medical cases. In the end of the show I was really disappointed that each couple wound up with the person they had started with. To stray that far from a relationship just does not speak deep and enduring love to me. I did not feel as though I had anything invested in either relationship. I also did not like how the two very talented surgeons were no longer practicing in that specialized field. It seemed as though Dr. Park was working at some kind of farm country clinic and Dr. Han or Chief Han whom he had competed with - returned to the US and was working as a legal assistant. I could not see doctors who had trained for so many years and had such passion and talent for the surgical practice, giving it up that easily. Overall I liked aspects of this show and really the acting carried it. If it hadn't been for such a phenomenal cast I would not have finished watching it as there were so many problems with the plot I would have lost interest. If someone is really into medical dramas - probably still worth the watch. It is also a good one to watch for more insight on North Korean life. For romance I think it falls very short. There is some suspense as you wonder who will wind up with whom and what the real game afoot is but the twist winds up being that there is no twist. It was predictable that the operation was really on the President and not the Prime Minister and it was not a huge surprise that Jae-Hae was really herself.

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Sweet and surprising

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Yoon Gae-hwa (Chae Rim) divorced her cheating spouse some years ago and is struggling to support herself and her daughter. She takes a job as a housekeeper without realizing the apartment belongs to top star, Sung Min-woo. She does not make a great first impression and winds up on the outs with Min-woo. Her next interview is with a musical production company and it just so happens they desperately want to have Min-woo star in their most recent musical. She is ready to beg and plead when she, by chance, is there when Min-woo gets ding dong ditched with a daughter he did not know he had. This perfect piece of blackmail leads them to striking a bargain - she takes care of his daughter and he stars in the musical.

spoiler** This one surprised me how much I liked it. In all the sites where people list series they really liked this one did not come up. When I saw one review for this and the description it immediately captured my attention. I really like the average person meets famous person trope. In the United States, Hollywood, some of the longest relationships have been between famous people and non-famous people. I was drawn to this because I watched Siwon Choi in a couple of others and he was my favorite character. So I was looking for other things he was in and rolled across this. I did not realize who he was until I dug a little to find out more about the actor. I am a little late to having any interest in Kpop but even I heard of Super Junior even before I was listening to Kpop. Siwon did a great job of acting the part of a spoiled, narcissistic super star. Chae Rim played a super sweet and wholesome struggling single mother. I thought she was very cute the whole time even when they were trying to make her look less attractive. The personality of her character alone was enough to make her seem very beautiful. I thought the pace of the romance between the two was perfect. It was very believable when they started having feelings for each other. He was very cold with the little girl in the beginning and Gae-hwa put a lot of effort into getting him to "fall in love" with his daughter. Most of the show was spent hiding the fact that Min-woo had a woman living with him and that he had a daughter born out of wedlock. Both factors could cause a serious career ending scandal for a star. It was so heart warming to watch as his relationship with Gae-hwa and his little daughter became more important to him than fame. The only vey slight things was I wish we had been able to see the daughter come back to speaking and find out what trauma she experience. I was also surprised how abruptly it ended. You have the "their finally kissing seen" then a bunch of camera angles and it just ends. I actually thought I had hit the remote accidentally or something. Despite those minor flaws I highly recommending this very heartwarming story. I loved it! One of my favorites now.

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Lukewarm to this couple in Goblin but they were so cute in this

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean Romantic television series drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Oh Jin-shim (Yoo In-na), who is famous as Oh Yoon-seo, is a top Hallyu (Internationally famous) actress whose goddess like beauty has covered for her lack of acting skills. When she is involved in a scandal, she loses top billing even when found innocent. Two years later she is hoping enough time has passed that she can climb back to the top. Her agent accidentally leaves a script where she can see it although it was intended for an actress that is currently popular. Seeing this as her chance to reclaim top billing, she convinces her agency to push to give her another chance. The screenwriter, whom she begs to pick her for the role, has one condition - she must train for the role by actually doing the job portrayed in the film. It just so happens her CEO has a cousin with a law firm who is also a huge fan of Oh Yoon-seo and is willing to let this inexperienced star volunteer at their firm to improve her acting. Things get off to a rocky start when the CEO of the law firm pairs her as the secretary to a lawyer named Kwon Jung-rok (Lee Dong-wook). Jung-rok is not impressed that Oh Yoon-seo is famous. He treats her coldly and impersonally as he does everyone and challenges her to actually perform the job she is volunteering for. But still water runs deep and, it turns out, there is a lot more to Yoo In-na than just beauty and she is determined to prove her worth to the very talented lawyer. Can the two bridge the two's seemingly insurmountable differences?

Spoilers*. I wasn't reluctant to watch this as the two had been a pair in Goblin and honestly I felt really lukewarm about their relationship in that drama. However, this was very different and I really liked them as a couple in this. I thought the actress might be more of a spoiled prima donna but she was not. In fact, I found her character to be really kind and personable. It was interesting because my expectations and bias of what she might be like was a mirror for what the male lead thought. He also played the cold, serious almost robotic lawyer really well. I always enjoy the trope where the right person is able to thaw someone's icy exterior. The cases it showed added some depth to the drama and kept my interest throughout. I thought the stalker angle was interesting and was actually a bit disappointed that it resolved so quickly and, relatively, easily. I was worried she would not make her come back and was very happy when she did. The only slight disappointment I had was that she went to all the work to make the comeback and then was going to give it up after only one role when it seemed like, as an actress, she had made huge strides in her acting ability. Guess I am greedy for my characters, I want them to have it all in love and life. It is a very good drama, with surprising depth, and yet very light hearted. I highly recommend this drama.

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A little bit “Bridgette Jones” a little “I Love Lucy”

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2005 romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute, episodes. It is also known as “My name is Kim Sam Soon.”
Kim Sam-soon (Kim Sun-a) is 30 and was just dumped, in a very public way, on Christmas Eve by her boyfriend of three years. Unfortunately Hyun Jin-heon (Hyun Bin), a chaebol son of a wealthy hotelier, is there to witness it and has fun teasing this strange wailing girl about her poor romantic choice. While Sam Soon is much louder and more outspoken than many women her age, her outward brusqueness hides insecurities about her weight and her old fashioned name. As fate would have it, Jin-heon is also the owner of a restaurant where Sam Soon applies as a pastry chef. Looks like she will be passed over for the job until Jin-heon and Sam Soon once again accidentally cross paths. Unable to resist antagonizing the spirited girl, Jin-heon pesters Sam Soon until he earns a face full of the desert she had carefully prepared for the interview. Realizing the flavor of the pastry he is wearing exemplifies Sam soon’s exceptional talent as a pastry chef, Jin-heon is determined to hire Sam soon.
The mothers of the leads are determined to get the two married and they are sent, separately, on blind dates. After thwarting his blind date and ruining Sam soon’s, the girl has had enough and spends the night drinking determined to resign. Jin-heon’s mother stops by and finds Sam soon at her son’s place after he takes her to his house to sober up. Tired of his other setting him up on blind dates, Jin heon asks Sam soon to be his pretend girlfriend, convinced their mutual animosity would keep their relationship strictly a business deal. Sam-soon initially refuses but is in danger of losing her childhood home without ₩50 million (approximately US$50,000) to pay a debt against the mortgage. So Sam soon agrees to be Jin heon’s pretend girlfriend in exchange for the money she needs to save her house. The unlikely pair soon find they enjoy each other’s company far more than expected and what was fake starts to get real. That is until Yoo Hee-jin (Jung Ryeo-won), the girl Jin-heon never got over, returns from the United States and wants him back.

Spoilers* Amazing how much things have changed since 2005. The way the men treat the women in this series, they get very physical with them at times, and the ML even slaps the 2nd girl in the face at one point. It reminds me of the way it was in the United States in maybe the 70s . Not accepted or rampant but people were willing to look the other way. I love the lead character in this, That female character is often compared to "Bridgette Jones Diary" and I get that but only in the chubby girl and rich, handsome guy regard. In very other aspect the character reminds me of Lucy in "I Love Lucy." She is gutsy, outspoken and gets herself in situations. The ML because it was scripted as an "old school" kind of machismo man - I did not always like him for her. I was particularly upset when he just abandoned her, really humiliating her, and decided he would take his ex-girlfriend back. Most women would find that very hard to forgive. And she did, but not in the way I thought she should have to hold his feet to the fire. The little girl that wasn't speaking was so cute and her relationship with Sam Soon was heartwarming. I don't think it came out enough, to the grandmother, the role that Sam soon played in getting the little girl talking. Their relationship was very natural and yet she pushed her sometimes more to speak than some of the other people in her life. The crazy ex-boyfriend was always good for comic relief and the fact that she was not willing to let him treat her 2nd class was gratifying. I also liked the side romances - they were cute but it wasn't clear how they all played out. The ending between the leads was a bit uncertain as well. It was good, very much of the timeframe and that type of era of relations, but there were plot points that could have been completely fleshed out and that were not followed through on. I enjoyed it the whole way through but just felt it lacked in certain aspects.

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If you like horror genre this gore fest is likely right up your alley

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean science fiction, horror drama with 10, 44-59 minute episodes.

An introvert after extreme bullying, teenager Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kant) loses his entire family in a car accident. Despondent and suicidally depressed, Hyun-soo moves into a large apartment building and continues his life of solitude. That is until strange things begin occurring in the building and he and his neighbors must rely on each other to survive. Something is causing people to turn into horrible, blood thirsty, destructive monsters and it is hard to know who to trust. Martial law is declared throughout South Korea but this little micro chasm of humanity must endure and fight both the monsters within as well as out.
Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang). A teenager who lost the will to live after losing his entire family, finds himself in a hell like existence where humans turned monster roam about and it is hard to know who to trust. Winds up becoming part monster but is able to control it giving him superhuman powers.
Pyeon Sang-wook (Lee Jin-wook) no one is quite sure who he is but he is willing to do what others will not and punish evil doers as he sees fit. He looks rough and gangster like in appearance with a heavily scarred face. He is abnormally strong and ruthless.
See Yi-kyung (Lee Si-young) a character created for the drama (not webtoon) she is an expert martial artist who served in special forces and was also a fire fighter. After her fiancé vanished mere sprays before their wedding, she has trust issues.
Lee Eun-hyuk (Lee Do-Hyundan) is th self designated leader of the group of survivors whose cold rationality makes his leadership strong but cause there’s to consider him unfeeling. He is a medical student and older brother to Lee Eun-yoo (Go Min-si) a former ballerina who has a chip on her shoulder as she had to quit due to an injury.
Jung Jae-heon (Kim Nam-hee) A devout Christian who wields a sword, Normally a mild mannered Korean language teacher, he is diligent and fearless in the defense of others.
Yoon Ji-soo (Park Gyu-young) After her boyfriend’s suicide, she moves into the building and tries to keep to herself and keep her bass guitar playing from annoying others.
Park Yoo-ri, (Go Yoon-jung) is a caregiver for one of the apartment’s residents and her medical knowledge is a valuable asset to the group of survivors who are frequently injured while battling the monsters.
Ahn Gil-seob Kim Kap-soo) he is recklessly brave as he is terminally-ill. Park Yoo-ri Is his caregiver and knows his grumpy facade hides his caring nature.
Han Du-sik (Kim Sang-ho) Former military man with skill in creating weapons. Although bound to a wheelchair his a kill with weapons makes him an invaluable member of the group..
Kim Suk-hyun (Woo Hyun) is both mentally and physically abusive to his wife. He owns a grocery but is reluctant to share food even in the apocalyptic scenario. He frequently creates tension in the group.
Ahn Sun-young (Kim Hyun) She is meek and beaten down as Suk-hyun's wife. The group supper gives her the strength to stand up to him.
Cha Jin-ok (Kim Hee-jung) continued attempts to open the door and escape in order to locate and save her teen daughter repeatedly puts the group in jeopardy.
Kim Su-yeongm ((HeoYool) is a small child (9 Years Old) who along with her brother Kim Yeong-su (Choi Go; 6-year-old) lost their father when he was attacked by a monster while attempting to repel down the side of the building to get them food.
Son Hye-in (Kim Gook-hee) considers her Pomerania; Bom, like her child and continually carries it.
Im Myung-sook (Lee Bong-ryun) devastated since losing her child when the baby’s stroller got loose and rolled into traffic.
Choi Yoon-jae (Go Geon-Han) pretends to be kind to hide among the group from Sang-wook. But he is a human monster of another sort, a Child Predator.

if Movies in the horror genre are your thing then this will likely fit the bill. The monsters were definitely scary and horrific and the fact that the people turn into monsters was in and of itself frightening . That type of transformation was reminiscent of the American movie “The Thing” though only vaguely so. It was interesting the way the people both had to work together while not completely trusting each other to be able to make it through. I liked that there was that central character, the teenage boy, and that he was unique and that he had the monster in him yet was largely able to control it. The series was well paced throughout most of it until towards the end when it got a little chaotic and felt like a lot of people were dying very rapidly. There were also aspects that were not well explained such as why the fire fighter character was suddenly with the military at the very end. The fact that she was working with them had been revealed earlier but it did not seem like she had given them what they wanted enough that she would’ve been able to join them completely. The gangster guy was very different in the television series than in the webtoon where he was more of a goofy character and much more likable. For the most part they stuck to the webtoon enough that it was clear that it was made based on it and yet deviated enough to make it work in the television format. They left it open for more seasons as everything was not wrapped up and in the fact there is additional story line in the webtoon indicates that there is story left for more episodes to the series or another season. I’m not sure why they decided to only do 10 episodes, 16 or more episodes would have allowed for a more complete telling of the story.

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Not a fan of the theme music - too disruptive

7.5 out of 10 is my rating. This is a 2015/2016 South Korean/Chinese romantic comedy drama with 20, 15 minute episodes.

Choi Se-hoon (Jung II-woo); is CEO of a company that recruits and develops new talent. He is known as having somewhat of a Midas touch as those he selects go on to have lucrative careers. Hopeful stars in the making line up wishing nothing more than to be the next one chosen by Se-hoon which is a guaranteed path to their dreams of stardom. Se-hoon is arrogant, rude and very full of himself and no is not a word he is accustomed to others directing at him. His much abused staff put up with their difficult to deal with boss as a ride on his coattails is career success. Leaving his staff in charge while attending to other business results in a top female star escaping from a photo shoot in favor of a wild day of fun. Since it is just a concept shoot, Se-hoon‘s staff has a beautiful stranger, who inadvertently helped the female star escape, stand in for the shoot. Se-hoon returns mid-shoot and sees stars as he watches natural beauty, YooYi-rung (Jin Se-yeon) transform into a pro before the camera.
He decides on the spot to make this nobody an offer she surely can’t refuse - to sign a contract for him to “raise her” to be a star of his own making. To his ultimate surprise, Yi-rung takes an instant dislike to Se-hoon and flat refuses his offer. She heads back to her home deep in the forested hills. Not one to be easily dissuaded, Se-hoon soon follows his reluctant Star to be. He is not one for “roughing it” and she lives her life “off the grid”. He soon finds himself doing many things he has never done in an effort to persuade her. Hilarity ensues as the two very determined people face off. Who will win this battle of wills? Has Se-hoon met his match?
Spoilers** This was a light and fluffy romance. Very predictable but not in a bad way. I would have liked it a lot more but the music that was chosen for this television drama was horrible it reminded me of circus music and really broke the 4th wall. I like Jun II Woo as a male lead - I think he is a really good actor and have enjoyed him in every role I have seen him in (Cinderella and the Four Knights; Flower Boy Next Door for example) and I also liked him in this. Monsta X is the k-pop band that plays one of the clients the male lead manages - that right there is almost enough to carry this for me. The story itself is good and the chemistry is believable. Each episode was short and I tend to like longer episodes as it allows for more plot development. Good, for what it is and worth the watch. Just be prepared for really disruptive music.

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Feelings change

8/10 iis my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean romantic drama with 26, 70 minute, episodes.

After four years with Kwon Gi-seok (Kim Jun-han), Lee Jeong-in (Han Ji-Min) is wondering why her feelings toward her boyfriend have become lukewarm. Still, with family pressuring marriage, that would have been the likely result if a surprise romantic interest did not unexpectedly come into Jeong-in's life. Jeon-in is a librarian and Gi-seol is a banker who has family wealth and would be considered a "catch" by most. One spring night Jeong-in has a drinking party with her close friend and stops by the pharmacy where Yoo Ji-ho (Jung Hae-in) works to get a hangover remedy. What could have been a inconsequential meeting develops into sparks of interest when Jeon-in discovers she forgot her wallet and Ji-ho, immediately attracted to the vivacious Jeong-in, offers to let her pay later. After a series of missed texts, Ji-ho finally revisits the pharmacy to pay back Ji-ho and he expresses interest in her but she firmly tells him she is in a relationship so they can only be friends. Admitting interest in someone is not a frequent or easy thing for Ji-ho as he is a single parent who went through many years after heart break after his girlfriend left him and his son. In South Korea a long term relationship is a form of commitment and with both families in agreement for Jeon-in and Gi-seol to marry, it is taboo to break up, particularly to immediately enter another relationship with none other than a single dad. Single parenthood in South Korea still carries a lot of social stigma and Ji-ho has suffered derogatory comments since his son was born. So, while their situation makes it nearly impossible to be together, they find they actually run in the same social circles and repeat encounters lead to undeniable feelings developing between the two.
Jeon-in finally decides to end her relationship with Gi-seol and follow her heart with Ji-ho. However, not only has Gi-seol, who had been slow to propose marriage, suddenly decided he can't live without her, he also does not want to lose her to Ji-ho who he considers beneath him. With all the obstacles in their way, Ji-ho and Jeong-in have to constantly evaluate if their relationship is worthy and their feelings strong enough for each other to sustain their love for the long term.

*spoiler alert. I liked the overall theme of this which is which was love can conquer just about anything. Jeong-in did not feel the fact that Ji-ho was a single dad to be a detriment to having a relationship with him. It wasn't that she did not realize it made things hard for them, because she did, she just did not personally care that he was a single dad. In fact, as someone that loved kids, she grew to like Ji-ho's young son almost immediately. The ex-boyfriend became extremely obsessed with getting Jeong-in back and it felt irritating at times because it seemed that he was fairly lukewarm about their relationship until he realized he had competition. Jeon-in's dad was very frustrating because he seemed to be more concerned about social status and appearances than the welfare of his daughters. It was very satisfying when Jeon-in stood up to him about not wanting to marry Gi-seol to help advance her father's career, and later when she stood up to him about her right to love Ji-ho. The music in this one was very antnoying. They played the main song loud and so frequently hat it became irritating. I understand the cultural stigma on single parenthood as we like to think in the United States that there is no stigma but, having been a single parent myself for awhile, I can tell you there is. Many people do not want to take on a ready made family and, for the single parent, you have to be very selective about who you would be willing to interact with your children. It did not suprise me that the main character was so accepting of Jeong-in's son as she mentioned she loved children and, since that is the way I feel about children, I understand it. I lreally like children so I know if I were in the position the fact that the person I loved had a child or even children would not deter. It also explored domestic violence and the feelings of shame and denial. It ended and wrapped up well. Recommend for those that like mature themes.

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Underwhelming relative to all the hype

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 fantasy romance drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.

Lee Gon/Lee Ji-hun (Lee min-ho) is the King in a country called Corea that exists in a universe. parallel to the Republic of Korea. As an eight year old he witnessed the assassination of his father by his half uncle who also intended to kill Lee Gon. Jeong Tae-eul / Luna (Kim Go-eun) or her parallel counterpart saved Lee Gon from death and then disappeared. Since that time Emperror Lee Gon has been looking for his mysterious savior with the help of his friend and Captain of the Royal guard, Jo Yeong / Jo Eun-sup (Woo Do-hwa). Lee Gon’s uncle, Lee Lim / Lee Seong-jae (Lee Jung-Jin) killed the former king to obtain a flute that has magical powers including the ability to render the person who possesses it eternal. In fighting his Uncle, young Lee-Gon broke the flute in half with a sword and now has the other copy. Lee Lim opened the portal between the two universes and is reeking havoc along the way. Emperor Lee-Gon plans to put an end to his Uncle’s evil and close the portal between the two universes.

Spoiler***There was so much hype around this one in drama circles that I expected this to be one of the great ones. And, reading reviews, a lot of people really liked this but this is not my favorite role for Lee Min-Ho. I also did not see much chemistry between the two leads - they seemed more like two people that would be great friends. It was hard to see the transition from her more or less being annoyed with him to liking him then loving him. It may have been easier to see that transition if there was chemistry there but with the friend like aura I just wasn't getting it. Netflix also puts a particular spin on dramas that I am not as much a fan of - they Americanize things a bit and I actually started watching Asian dramas because I did not like a lot of what was going on in American dramas. What I mean by Americanize is there is this theme of over the top "strong, independent woman" who is just fine alone. I get that, I do, but I also think many people are overall happier when they are together with the right person.
Most single people I know and have observed are lonely on some level. I also could not get why he seemed so taken with her so quickly I know he thought she had some role in saving him when he was young but that wasn't enough to understand why he would be romantically interested in her. She was not very nice to him in the beginning so for someone with all the options he had to fall for her in particular, it was a hard leap to make. This was a parallel universe/time travel drama and I rarely find that premise compelling so it could be that I am a bit biased and have high expectations. I was often unsure which character from which parallel universe was speaking. That may have been partially my fault as I watched it very slowly as I was having a hard time staying interested. It moved back and forth and between a lot and was confusing at times. The ending where they travel every weekend together to different places and times and that is how they were together has to be one of my least favorite endings but is not uncommon with time travel. Not necessarily traveling together but it is common that they meet infrequently. I think, if anything, traveling every weekend to see the person you love would become tiresome. And you wonder about simple things like - what would they do if they had children. Would they become part of the every weekend travel?
There wasn't much to the plot either just his Uncle was a traitor who wanted to take over the throne and gain control of the magical flute for immortality. I would not re-watch this readily and would only recommend it to someone who is serious fans of either lead or who particularly like the time travel and/or parallel universe them.

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Lots of comedic moments, good character interaction, disappointing ending

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2016 supernatural comedy romance with 16, 60 minute, episodes. It is also known as Come Back Alive.
Shin Da-hye (Lee Min-jung) is the wife of a nondescript apartment store manager at a Department Store. Kim Young-soo (Kim In-kwon) knows he neglects his beautiful wife for work and always promises they will spend more time together in the future. That future is cut short when he falls to his death while trying to repair something. Even in death, his company fails to properly acknowledge him and attributes his death to suicide so they are not accused of overworking their employees. Young-soo arrives in the Afterlife at the same time as Han Gi-tak (Kim Soo-ro) who also died suddenly. Gi-tak is a successful restaurant owner with a young staff he considers family. Because he was formerly a gangster, his love for Actress Song Yi-yeon (Lee Ha-nui) ended because she could not be associated with his former lifestyle. Yi-yeon shows up suddenly to ask for help in a blackmail situation her ex husband, Cha Jae-gook (Choi Won-young), perpetrated to gain custody of their child. has whipped up a scandal to force her to give him their child, and threatens Yi-yeon with it. In pursuit of a blackmailer, Gi-tak gets in a car accident and comes to close to Young-soo. While being processed to head to Heaven the two men determine they must go back to resolve some things. After a desperate escape, both men are given two months to wrap up their unresolved issues. There are, of course, a list of exceptions and rules. Each man is sent back in a new body, the gangster as a beautiful woman, Han Hong-nan (Oh Yeon-seo), and the store section manager as an attracrptive young man, Lee Hae-joon (Rain). From the beginning both “men” have a hard time following the AfterLife’s three rules: 1) They can not reveal their true identities. 2) Revenge is forbidden. 3) They cannot engage in human affairs.

spollers**. as a comedy there were some laugh out loud funny moments. The older gangster guy winding up in a young attractive female body lent it self to some very funny situations. It was also amusing that this middle-aged nerdy looking guy comes back as a handsome well-built Chaebol son. The story around their lives and the people they came back for is really interesting and I loved the friendships that developed and the interplay between all the characters. It would be very hard if you came back and people did not recognize you to avoid telling those you cared about who you were and what he knew especially when you see them suffering over your death. There were bad guys that were doing things that added some conflict to the story. It was one of the few I have watched were well into it I was not sure who would wind up with whom or if anyone would wind up together romantically and how it might end up. I thought of at least three possibilities and hoped that the first two would be the ending. I like happy and I don’t care for trying to make it very real. If it ended one of the ways I hoped for I would’ve rated this much higher because the majority of it was very good. However the fact that one of them was basically erased from everyone’s memory and the other left a big hole in everyone’s lives did not seem like a good ending it left me feeling rather sad. At the end of it they were showing possible reincarnations and the characters were reacting to them sort of like I know you from somewhere but you have no idea if they would get together or if it was just to show that those particular beings tend to revolve around each other as one of the philosophies of reincarnation. If you are OK with an ending that is not completely happy this is definitely worth watching for the first 14 or so episodes. The last tso episodes are not really bad and it does wrap up a lot of plot points but if you’re like me and were hoping for some of the happier outcomes that just doesn’t happen.

Leggi di Più

Deeply movie story with lots of plot twists

rating is 9/10. This is a 2020 suspense drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.

On the surface, Ji Eun-soo (Lee Yoo-ri) seemed to have a perfect life having married a handsome chaebol who is heir to a cosmetics conglomerate. What people do not know is her handsome husband is both physically and mentally abusive. Eun-zoo’s life takes a cruel twist when, after trying to escape her abuser, he finds her and begins beating her. Eun-soo fights back and is somehow rendered unconscious. She wakes to a living nightmare, she is covered in blood with a knife clutched in her hands and her husband’s bloodily, lifeless body is next to her. Seeing it as an open and shut case, Eun-soo is arrested and thrown in prison for the murder of her husband. Reviewing the case the details do not add up for one astute reporter, Kang Ji-min (Yeon Jung-hon) but before he can explore the details he is given a dream job outside of South Korea. Eun-soo gives birth in prison to a daughter in prison and believes her former mother-in-law when she claims, despite her hatred for Eun-soo, that the child is her last blood relative and she will raise her as a heiress. Ten years pass and Eun-soo is eager to see her daughter only to discover her mother-in-law played a cruel trick which ended in her infant daughter being adopted by a childless couple. Eun-soo finds out the details from a former employee of her mother-in-law and devises a plan to get close to her daughter. Her daughter’s adoptive father divorced his wife for infidelity and is now raising the little girl alone. Will Eun-soo’s plan to win his heart in order to be a mother to her daughter be successful? Can she unwind the twisted details of her husband’s murder to prove her innocence in order to be a mother her daughter is proud of?

Spoiler alert⏰ The first part of the series was very interesting because they left you uncertain what exactly happened that she was accused of killing her husband. The last scene they allowed you to see, before she was incarcerated, was of her holding a knife to keep him away from her. I was fairly sure that it was not her but was a little bit confused why she was not more outspoken about that. I wondered how her having her baby with her in prison was going to play out. It did keep you guessing a lot and I was surprised by a lot of the plot twist. I really liked the lead man because he seemEd like such a genuinely good person. I also liked her childhood friend in the fact that even when he realized he was not going to be able to be with her romantically he staged by her side as her friend and substitute family. I also liked the male lead’s family although the sister frustratEd me a bit because she would make decisions to do things with the little girl that I don’t think were in her best interest. I was also very uncomfortable in the beginning when the lead female was virtually stalking her own daughter. Without the family knowing anything about her she just seemed like a nefarious character. For the most part it was interesting and fast paced but there was a bit of a drag in the storyline about 3/4 of the way through the movie. It wasn’t significant enough of a slow down to make me dislike the story but I felt like it could’ve done without some of the details in that part and added some more happy to the ending. In fact I got really concerned about the ending because it seemed like it could’ve ended very sadly. It did not end sad but they let you think it might head that way until the last few scenes. But then the happy part only lasted just a few minutes and I would like to see less of the sad dramatic part that and more of the happy resolution but that’s just me. Overall it was a very good story and very believable in the way the entire plot played out. While the evil mother-in-law was very hard to understand in terms of why she had it out for the female lead that is the way it is sometimes with people who are sociopaths in that they do not see their own wrongdoing in anything. I recommend this series as a mo and deeply emotional drama but it certainly isn’t on the lighthearted side.

Leggi di Più

A comeback revenge story but with central storylines that are heart warming

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean romantic drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) is a person with a very strong sense of justice and moral integrity. He is an only child being raised by his widowed father and the father and son are the most important thing in each other's worlds. Sae-ro-yi is very goal driven, his dream is to become a police officer, but the dream is shattered when he inserts himself in a bully situation. As the eldest and only legitimate son if the Jangga group, Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun) has been groomed by his father to think of those of lower socioeconomic status as beneath him. He is a bully at school, which leads to a violent conflict with Sae-ro-yi who is not the type to stand by and allow it. When the high schoolers are disciplined the school allows Jang Dae-hee (Yoo Jae-myung), Geun-won's father and CEO of Jangga group, to decide the punishment. Since Sae-ro-yi's father happens to work for Jangga group and is a favored employee Dae-hee says he will forgive what he perceives as an insult to his son and family if Sae-ro-yi will kneel and apologize. Sae-ro-yi does not feel as though he has done wrong and refuses to kneel. He is expelled at the recommendation of Dae-hee and Sae-ro-yi stands behind his son and is forced to resign. Things seem to level out when Sae-ro-yi's father utilizes savings to open a restaurant but tragedy strikes and Sae-ro-yi's father is killed in a traffic accident by, none other, than Geun-won. At first Sae-ro-yi does not know the culprit but when he chances to find out who it was, he nearly beats Dae-won to death and serves a 3 year prison sentence for attempted murder. Sae-ro-yi spends his time studying business toward the goal of opening a competing business, DanBam, and ruining Jangga group. An unlikely group of employees/friends work for Sae-ro-yi and he also has the help of a social media guru, Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi) who, after several chance encounters with the affable Sae-ro-yi vows to stay by his side and help him reach his goals. Sae-ro-yi's school friend and first love, Oh Soo-ah (Kwon Nara) works for the Jangga group and Sae-ro-yi still has feelings for her. Will a school drop out and ex-con be able to pull off the take down of a well established conglomerate like the Jangga group? Will Sae-ro-yi go with his feelings for his old love or is this new woman more of his second half?

Spoiler Altert** This is a great story that reminds of so many other good stories I have seen in the past. It has elements of "The Count of Monte Cristo" and some Rocky Balboa like elements as well. Like his father who the viewer got to know briefly, Sae-ro-yi is one of those rare people who lets nothing deter him from the right path. He is kind to those that deserve it and harsh on those that do harm to others. The people around him make mistakes but he never holds those types of things against them and it causes everyone in his inner circle to like and admire him. At first I was cheering for his first love, to be the FL and main love interest, but as soon as Yi-seo entered the picture I loved her spunk, energy and the way she was all in with whatever she was doing, including her pursuit of Sae-ro-yi. One of his inner circle is transgender and I was surprised that it portrayed the South Korean people as not very tolerant of different sexual identities. She was one of my favorite characters. Another person in his inner circle was black and there was a lot of prejudice about him being a black Korean. I loved how his business model was about his people and how they, as a result, respected him and loved him like family. He accepted them all for the people they were black, transgender, a little bit psycho and helped them realize their own potential. There were some characters tome that did things that did not make sense. Sae-to-hi did change and harden just a bit which is not such a bad thing but did result in him not forgiving to the same level he did in the past. I loved the friendships and the love story. There were some slow parts toward the end where an element of the story was dragged out more than necessary. Very good and I highly recommend.

Leggi di Più

Quick, predictable yet still good

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean drama. It has 20, 15 minute episodes. I really liked the main characters in this one. Lee Kang Hoon, played by Sung Hoon is a dashing, arrogant character who has to drop some arrogance and come a bit more down to earth to learn to love (remind me a bit of Beauty and the Beast). Cha Yoon Seo (played by Kim Jae Hyung) is a plucky veterinarian who is extremely down to earth.

Spoiler 🚨 The story in this does follow the typical boy meets girl, boy and girl do not get along, boy and girl slowly grow feeling and understanding, fall in love then live happily ever after. But the female lead’s fierce independence and plucky attitude add a lot of depth to the story. Lee Kang Hoon’s mother is trying to marry him off which is pretty typical in most of these dramas. His mother doesn’t think Cha Yoon Seo is good enough for her son and it is true they are not from the same social standing. Added a little bit of a Cinderella element. It was a quick one – each episode was short (15 minutes) and there were only 20 episodes total. Relative to others, the last I watched was 30 one hour episodes – this was short and quick. I was a bit worried they would not be able to tell the story in this short of a version but it worked. 

Leggi di Più

Stars slow but evolves into “Friends” like episodes

9/10 is how I would rate this. It is a 2016 Taiwanese drama spanning 17 (90 minute) episodes.

A "refresh man" is basically someone who punches the clock but doesn't put in any real effort into excelling at what they do. Yu Tang (Joanne Tseng) was head of her class and one that would have been considered likely to succeed. She is a secretary and anticipates continuing her career in the lead/executive secretary roles. Ji Wen Kai (Aaron Yan) was a frenemy in high school and was a very low achiever. As life happens, Ji Wen Kai reappears in Yu Tang's life as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the cosmetic company she works for. When Yu Tang fails to perform to his standard he does not hesistate to reassign her to a team of "refresh men" which is a humiliation for Yu Tang. She feels it is revenge but grows determined to succeed at all costs.

Spoiler 🚨 I loved this one – one of my favorites. The CEO was so arrogant and mean to the female lead in the beginning I thought man I really am not going to like this guy. But then you start to understand and realize it is not what it seems. As you understand their past – the two grew up together – the story just continues to evolve. Joanne Tseng and Aaron Yan have great chemistry. The team he puts her with are all a bit eccentric but evolve into great friends and a strong team. In fact nearly episode is like watching an episode of friends once she is placed with the team. For me this drama had a very slow start but once it started going I had a hard time turning it off even when I knew I needed to get some sleep. There is, of course, love triangles and you fall in love with those characters as well and feel their heart ache. But it is great and entertaining love story.

Leggi di Più

An emotional roller coaster yet so good

10/10 is my rating. This is the newest (Chinese) rendition of story that has been told a couple of times. In 2001 this was aired, under the same title, but with 27 episodes. It is also a retelling of a Japanese Manga "Boys Over Flowers." Reading the review on those I am actually glad I started with this because a consistent comment is that this telling in 49 episodes (45 minutes per episode) allowed for telling some side stories and greater character development which which were two of the things I really liked. In this version, Shen Yue plays the female lead, Dong Shang Cai. I loved her spunky nature. Those that had watched other versions did not like this element they felt that rather than responding to injustice she played it more like she had a chip on her shoulder. But I will say more about that in a minute. She works hard and finds herself in an elite university that has a boy group called F4 which is made up of the handsomest, wealthiest and most talented boys in the school. Of course, Shang Cai has a run in with them and, most particularly, their leader, Dao Ming Si (Dylan Wang). He is basically an arrogant bully and Shang Cai basically has no problem standing up to him because she doesn't hero worship people. That and her spunky nature, sets it up so these two main characters will have a lot to learn from each other.

Spoiler 🚨 As the plot develops, you begin to understand why Ming si is the way he is and that just because someone appears to have everything does not mean that they do. His friends - the remaining three of F4 - Hua Ze Lei (Darren Chen), Yan Ximen (Caesar Wu), and Feng Meizuo (Connor Leong) were also arrogant and seemingly spoiled on the surface but as you got to know each of them you realized there was so much more to each. I loved Hua Ze Lei he was one of my favorites. He was there when he needed to be and not when he shouldn't be for all of the characters. I both loved and hated this movie deeply. I loved it because it was a well developed, beautiful story. The romantic story was wonderful but the relationship between the boys was equally moving. We all want friends like that. The way they all came to like her because they could see how happy she made their friend was one of my favorite parts. There are a lot of sad parts and I do not typically like anything that makes me feel sad. That was the part that I did not like. I cried, along with the characters, multiple times. But, in this case, the story was so good and ended so well I was willing to forgive it. You definitely have to understand the culture to get why they do certain things and I don't think you need to understand it up front but you do have to approach certain parts with a level of curiosity and seek out the answers if you don't understand. If you have immersed yourself you will likely get it but if you know little then you will not get certain things. I personally grew up in poverty and can tell you that some of the elements in this movie still exist within the culture I am most familiar with, the American culture. There was certain people that were sort of off limits because of their wealth and social standing. Much more subtle but definitely there. So I could identify with that. I know I will watch this again in the future (and not too distant) as I know I would gain even more if I watched it again. Grab some tissues if you are a crier and saddle up for a bit of an emotional roller coaster. You will be glad you did.

Leggi di Più

Interesting and entertaining

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2014 South Korean drama with 16 episodes (65 minutes per episode). Kong Ki-Tae (Yeon Woo-jin) is beyond marriageable age and comes from a wealthy family. Basically the females in the family are like get married to the appropriate female or else. So he strikes up a deal with Joo Jang-mi (Han Groo), the wildest, and, in his mind, most unlikely bride candidate for him - to be his fake intended.

Spoiler 🚨 As the male lead, Kong Ki-tae is not incredibly likable, to me at first. He and his best friend just seem like major players who tromp on women's emotions so I wasn't sure I was going to like either of them enough to be the one for the female lead. Although there were times when I was like – can you say drinking problem – with her. There are twist and turns and love triangles. Some enjoyable side stories. It was predictable in a good way yet very enjoyable and worth the watch.

Leggi di Più