Never let your witness go to the bathroom alone.

Never let your witness go to the bathroom alone. Sound advice for any law enforcement officer. Well at least when pertaining to public restrooms!



Things have finally clicked together for You're All Surrounded. (Kudos for the detectives all saluting it while the drank and had a ball.) Pan Seok really is a tortured soul, and I love that while there's still quite the mystery involving him and the death of a certain mother the show develops him a lot in this one episode. Especially giving viewers a peek into Pan Seok and Sa Kyeong tragic love. So now there are two romances playing out here! Giving viewers a chance to lie one or the other. Or if you're lucky both.



Dae Gu is still a very unlikable character. They're already trying to make him "fall for the girl" but he's just so . . . blank it's not working. Nor believable. Every once in a while I can see a tiny-tiny-tincey-wincey bit of Lee charm pull through. But it's too small. Considering Lee is pretty awesome with humor, and he can do serious roles, I keep wondering why the writers and directors don't utilize him more. The writers could give him more anything! The director could let him act like something other then a blank wall the majority of the time. (Yeah, it's bother me a lot.)



You know who I'm digging the other two rookie guys. But most importantly Soo Sun. While she hasn't had any true time to be a bad booty, she's growing on me. Her narrations in this episode really enhanced the show and Soo Sun. And I'm kind of hoping this is a permanent thing. Also, I hope she gets to be a strong female lead. K-drams always need more strong females.



Things are definitely looking up for You're All Surrounded. Hopefully it stays that way! Though I have to say how tragic this current case is they're working own. Especially with how it ties in to Pan Seok. Cases involving children are always haunting. And it must be said that despite some of the dark themes and cases in the show the series still does a great job being fun. (Well when it's finally done being boring. ^_-)

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Phew, things are shaping up.

"Phew, things are shaping up."

Phew, things are shaping up. What a relief. Personally the fact that the last episode was sooooooo stupid about the stalking case that Dae Gu and Soo Sun had been given. Well the case wasn't stupid. They're actions and overall . . . I'm not even sure if stupidity is the right word for it. In the end I hope new cops/detectives/law enforcement officers never make that kind of dumb-booty move. Let's be honest it's mainly do to bad writing. So far all of these rookie mistakes have been the fault of bad writing. Writing that makes every single character look inapt.



At the start of the episode the bad taste had been sitting in my mouth. Thankfully once the rookies are in the hostage situation things start to get better. They even toss viewers a little tidbit about our resident nerd and crybaby that makes him seem deeper. And me more excited to know him more. (Ji Kook if you're wondering.) Slowly things are being revealed. And finally things are clicking for You're All Surrounded. I actually laughed and enjoyed the humor. Hey, I won't complain about any turning points that involve a hostage situation and hand cuffing rookie detectives. Things were clicking. (Yeah, punned it.)



It bothers me that I do find the overall struggle of the rookies to become dectives more then the underlining mystery of what happened to Dae Gu's mother. Simply because I know at some point that drama is going to take over. So far it's been the main cause for why Dae Gu is such a horrible character. Though with the dramatic cliffhanger advancing Dae Gu's struggle for the truth finally giving the mystery some steroids it might be a total turn around for this whole series.



Let's hope. Because the potential is here. Please don't bore me anymore

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Another great ending song.

Another great ending song, but the series still hasn't picked up. Dae Gu obviously has one of those eidetic memory or something along those lines, which is cool. He's clearly trying to solve his mother's case before the statute of limitations up. All of that should made things more exciting! However, Dae Gu is still ice cold. Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of ice cold men in dramas, and I love them. The thing is they all of personalities beyond that tiny little fact. Which makes you see the cracks that will eventually allow them to be more likeable. Dae Gu is just super unlikable. With no redeeming qualities at this point. Which sucks because Lee can do ice cold.



Pan Seok's character is still spotting annoying things about making those rookies quit. Even though he makes a concession to let them lead their own cases after some small breakthroughs are made. So there is progress there. More hints about Pan Seok and Sa Kyeong having some kind of history. Man you can feel the tension. Mainly from Pan Seok (because Cha can act!).



Overall the show is still super boring. Even with some poop humor, garabage humor, and snoring humor. It's all falling flat for me. Truth is I think the end is nigh. True it's a huge improvement over the last episode. But there's only so far a series can interest me on snail speed character growth, and an unlikable lead. Because both Lee and Cha are in this I'm probably giving this series a much bigger chance then it deserves.

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From promising to boring!

Holy cow! Things took a turn, a turn to Boredom Ville. What's worse is that Eun Dae Gu/Kim Ji Yong is the mayor of Boredom Ville. Don't get me wrong I completely understand that Eun Dae Gu is supposed to be a completely different man from the boy Kim Ji Yong. I get that. But he's so uncompelling at this point. Lee is a big draw for the drama, I feel like they could have made him mysterious while making him interesting. You know witty and boyish charm are huge Lee draws. Not to mention when he smiles. At this point he doesn't even talk much let alone show much emotion, so smiling is clearly off the table.



Even the small hints of Eun Dae Gu setting up surveillance on Seo Pan Seok and the hint that he might be working with someone to find out what happened to his mother wasn't enough to stir things up. Overall the episode was a dud, and while it did try to flesh out the other characters it just annoyed me. Eo Soo Sun so far is not showing promises of being a kickass Detective. She's already vomited and done some pretty annoying (AKA sexist stereotypes) to highlight why a woman shouldn't have the job. There is one strong female lead that has some promise, Kim Sa Kyeong, but they're only teasing viewers with her right now. The other two rookie detectives are underwhelming. Ones rich and doing this as a past time, and is quite the ladies man. The other is a crazy oversensitive guy . . . and annoying. Seo Pan Seok already exhausted his charms by repeatedly scolding and giving the rookies a hard time. No really, there are only so many times viewers can watch Seo Pan Seok tell the rookies to give up and go away.



Hopefully things shape up. Despite myself I will push on. However, if things don't take a turn for the better this will probably be a series I don't finish.

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Promising start.

As stated in the "title", it's a promising start. This is the first police driven drama I've started. I've enjoyed police K-drama movies, and for the most part have stuck to prosecutor themed TV dramas. You're All Surrounded caught my eye because of it's all star class, and some pretty good trailers and OSTs.



It starts out on a pretty high note with a police chase. Highlighting that they're team leader does not care nor trust his new rookies. Considering nothing is said about the circumstances and who is who, that's pretty well done. But suddenly the flashback starts cutting off the dramatic standoff. Not sure if it's just the subtitles are never done right to explain that it's a flashback, or the editors of the dramas don't think they need to indicate that flashbacks are occurring. Either way it felt supper sloppy and it took me a moment to realize that the flashback here was about Eun Dae Gu / Kim Ji Yong and not a flashback to how the crime started up leading to the police chase.



Once that confusion is out of the way the setup for what I believe is going to be an excellent story of revenge and justice is well done. And a romance. (Maybe a love triangle?) Either way it's probably one of the better setup episodes I've seen in a while and I find all the characters interesting. While I'm disappointed that they didn't wrap up the police chase in the end of the episode--to me that indicates sloppiness--it does build up into it nicely. Clearly episode 2 is going to take off leading with that.







(Oh, and bravo ending on a My Chemical Romance song. Pure perfection with them getting ready to head out and dispense the law!)

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So sweet.

For the love of bunnies! They brought out the montage right out of the gate! *groans* Why? Why? Good by beautiful pacing. Good boy awesome comedy.



Ah, there it finally is for Doo Rim and she doesn't care. Nope let's entrap the man you've been lying to and finally confess to him after the "I dos" are said. While this episode made me lose respect for Doo Rim with her big talk and poor actions. Yet at this point I can't look away because I always had a small issue with it. At this point her love is too powerful! And I've been overlooking this hiccup for a while, why not keep looking away?



At least things start to pick up, and the pining doesn't last too long. There are some really sweet moments here. Wow, Hong Ki is no joke. It always puzzled me why I loved him after such a tiny role in You're Beautiful. But the man can act, even more he can deliver a conffession of love like no ones business.



The ghost aspects are picking up and I like how things are starting to merge. Yi Hyun might actually get a chance to be the player that no one expected. Especially if he plays his cards right. Here's hoping things won't be slow any more.

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Touching, but boring.

The issue with adding the heart break to any drama where the to lovers can't be together is balancing out the heartbreak . . . so that it doesn't bore you to death. For instance. If you already did an amazing montage of Kang Ju's fond memories with Doo Rim and made it beyond touching with a OST song by the actor playing Kang Ju, leave it be. No really having another such montage with some of the same footage was cross eyed boring.



Another issue is that Bride of the Century is a comedy, the humor is it's golden ticket and what makes it fabulous. Now it's sooooooooo serious that it's too much for the show. Don't get me wrong now that Kang Ju and Doo Rim have not only confessed their love to themselves, but to each other I was moved. But the rest of the episode was pretty dull.



There are some things I'll give them props for, the heart breaking scenes between Kang Ju and Doo Rim are great. Especially within the last few minutes. They went there with Yi Hyun, what a brave man. It's something I've wanted the "third wheel" of many other dramas to do time and again. I applaud. There's a sweet romance blossoming between Joo Shin and Secretary Kim.



Yet things felt off for the story and dull. Hopefully things want be so dark that the rest of the drama is a drag. What's more is while I have a huge issue with the fact that Doo Rim hasn't addressed that she's lying to Kang Ju, there's at least a legitimate reason while she'll probably keep impersonating Yi Kyung. While it helps me deal with that, I feel that if Doo Rim really loved him she'd think about confessing who she really is. After all they can't be together . . .



Don't get me wrong going serious is a fine, all dramas usually do it at some point. However, losing the tone of the show is not good. There's a reason things have been so darn good up to this point. Even while the marriage schemes are interesting and some huge reveals happened this is a comedy with romance at heart. Also, I felt like the ghost story aspects were completely set aside. Since the last few episodes really started to incorporate it they shouldn't back off now.

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Bout time!

So it's finally official everybody knows about the Curse! (Well except for Yi Hyun, but that's to be expected. Third wheels don't get all the important details.) It's very interesting to see how everyone reacts to the curse. Touching that Kang Ju (or Kang Joo) want's to protect Doo Rim.



Ah, now how Doo Rim is pulled back into pretending to be Yi Kyung was done quite nicely. It shows how Doo Rim is too nice and easily made prey. But it's a great way to show how much her feelings have grown for Kang Ju. At this point it hasn't truly hit her that she loves him, though she kind of comes out with it at one point. But I'm surprised that Doo Rim is not one bit concerned how her pretending to be Kang Ju's bride isn't a horrible betrayal to him. And I'm starting to wonder when this will hit. Or even become a discussion? Doo Rim is too amazing for this kind of . . . wrong doing to not hit a nerve with her. Especially with the trust issues Kang Ju has.



Oh, and I am loving how the guardian or the house, or the vengeful spirit is coming along. The actress is so beautiful and I love how she dramatizes the role. Whether she's being an evil ghost, guardian spirit, or a human diva. Ghost stories are kind of a weakness with me, and seeing Bride of the Century mix a normal drama romance into a ghost story is tons of fun!



Overall I love the idea of Doo Rim "winning" Kang Ju back. The story isn't slowing down and I'm looking forward to seeing how things wrap up with all the various devious plots accumulating to a nice boil here.



The acting of Sung Hyuk really surprised me. Because I've stepped away from feeling creeped out about his feelings for Doo Rim. Now I'm really sad for him and want things to work out for his character Yi Hyun. I really hope that a character *cough* Joo Shin*cough* can be setup as a romantic interest for him.



Oh, and the average music for took a pleasant turn when Lee Hong Ki's own OST song for the drama came on. Very moving. It's one of my favorite parts about having someone who can sing in a drama, when they can add their voices to the music.

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Impressed yet again!

Wow! No really, Bride of the Century keeps impressing me. It's nice that the writers are not creating a boring show, but their not muddling up all of the plot lines that they've tossed in.



This is the episode of Kang Joo for me. It's showcasing how much he's grown as a person, especially emotionally. It always warms my heart to watch the cold ice men of dramas thaw. For me Kang Joo has been the best one! (That sweet potato scene!!)



The pace is really moving along nicely and I like how none of the characters presented have been left on a back burner. BotC is showing where everyone is and who knows what! I'm really surprised by all the marriage intrigue going on here.



I skipped writing reviews for episode 4 & 5. Because there is so much ground to cover, but overall I feel the same for the show up to now. Doo Rim is awesome and she's becoming a favorite leading lady for me. Honestly I didn't expect to like BotC so much. But I do. Kang Joo and Doo Rim have some amazing chemistry and it's a testament to Yang Jin Sung that she can play Doo Rim and Yi Kyung so well that without being told you can tell which lady is on screen. When the real Yi Kyung is with Kang Joo the magic dies between them.



Again, with the cliffhangers! Bride of the Century owns them and this one with Kang Joo and the ghost takes the cake! Bravo. I'm off to the next episode.



(Anyone else both loving and being creeped out by Doo Rim's other love interest?)

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Ah!

What a plot twist!! For some reason--maybe the light cotton candy feel of this series (don't choke on it!)--I just did not even think about the twist with Yi Kyung (the real one) and her mother! Clearly Bride of the Century isn't just content with being fluff with some attempt at plot! No the writers are trying to create a fairly in depth tale here.



It's exciting to see things folding out even further here. Episode 3 is setting up so many starting points and options for BotC to go. While I was fine with the idea of it being just another comedy with some minor little bits tossed into accompany the romance, it's exhilarating to know there's more.



There's a lot crammed in here. Yi Hyun is such a loving brother I feel bad that he's in a den with wolves. It's interesting where they're taking his character and I had been wondering who Doo Rim's other love interest. And I'm relieved it won't be Kang Joo's brother. No they have other ideas for him!



The cast and plot are all coming together nicely. What's more is that the passing is good. With only 16 episodes I'm hoping that things will stay that way. Especially since viewers are getting to see how the characters are getting to know each other. Especially as darker elements start to creep out. This is turning into quite the interesting ghost story. Even if it is mainly still a romantic comedy.

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Now you know!

Now you know with episode two whether or not you'll want to keep up with this drama. It's definitely tons of fun! Some of the issues are resolved. No sketchy writing--though I'm still confused about the events of the beginning of episode 1, but I'll be patient. The camera work has definitely smoothed out and it doesn't feel so awkward and cheap.



It's already clear to me at this point that I'm going to love Doo Rim. Great work ethic, caring, and she sticks up for herself. She may not have to like Kang Joo, but she doesn't have to take his crap! She's not afraid to tell him how it is. Well . . .when she forgets she's supposed to be Yi Kyung. I like that she doesn't dwell too long on her mistakes. Though I find it slightly annoying that she's yet another clumsy lead, but after a while it just becomes endearing.



The characters presented here and the actors are doing splendid job, like they've all finally hit their swing. Things are clicking and at this point I'm pretty sure this is going to be a wonderfully fun comedic romance. The ghost aspects are still there and it looks like they're going to continue to flavor the show. Teasing viewers with the mystery of the ghost and what kind of game she's obviously playing with Kang Joo and his bride(s) Na Doo Rim / Jang Yi Kyung.





Oh, and anyone that ending? What a cliffhanger!

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Turning tables.

By next episode I'm hoping that the grand plot of Sa Ra getting revenge on Kang Joon finally comes with flashing lights! Because the evidence has been collected and retribution is upon him! However, Chae Yeon isn't just the evil mistress anymore. She's proving to be formidable as the table turn and Sa Ra isn't quite a secret anymore. It will be interesting to see how things play out. Will Chae Yeon run Kang Joon off the road and go for Sa Ra's throat?



Because there's only 12 more episodes left and with the Winner plot starting to come into focus, I am eager to see how this all plays out. Because in the end Birth of a Beauty hasn't had any dull moments. Nothing is being dragged out the plot is constantly moving. Characters are growing before our eyes.



Everything about Birth of a Beauty is building up! The romance, revenge, mystery--all of it! With Sa Ra suddenly becoming famous (yeah, I'm sure that video of her eating really would have done it ^_-), and now with her in Min Hyeok developing. Things are going to get messy for our revenge buddies.

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Revenge, on hold?

Bam! It's time for Sa Ra to finally meet her "husband" and start her plan of attack. Sadly she gets the hiccups and queue the sweet flashback. At that point I knew that Sa Ra would be claiming her love for her husband and soon would want to marry him instead of extracting her revenge!



What I was most excited about from the last episode was Sa Ra's vow to be a "new person to her bones!" Leaving Sa Geum Ran completly behind, in my mind that means not being a doormat anymore! It's true what they say about love, even if wronged it's hard to stop loving the one you love. Or maybe it's something about shutting a blind eye to the horrible stuff your loved one does?



Either way a good portion of this episode lacked character development, and while there were some bombshells as to who our "Doctor" really is there isn't anything new brought to attention. Instead of advancing characters, those characters quickly fall back into their old ways. (Lame seeing as this is episode 2!) Pulling in annoying aspects of romance as the main plot thread. *sighs* Though Lee Kang Joon's father made some surprising developments and while he came off cruel in the first episode I have a feeling he's going to be an amazing character.



Previews for the next episode seem to point that Sa Ra hasn't truly realized how far she's been betrayed. Which hopefully slaps her out of loving a man that, maybe at some point loved her, but not enough to treat her like a human being.

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Love Square!

OK, I didn't want to call it yet. But this is a love square. A cold angel and the bromance pair! It's all very exciting. It would be nice if Love On pulled one over viewers and changed up who gets the girl, but at least for now it's fun to watch. Plus, the mystery behind the two necklaces. Clearly there is going to be some epic drama on the horizon. Said drama is being built up really good, the sequences and match-ups are great. It's nice to see that what I originally thought would be an overly cute show is turning into a well made story.



On that note I had been praising how Seul Bi was a strong lead standing up to bullies and smart! However, it is a drama and we all know what that means: the lead girl gets bullied.



Instead of being a push over Seul Bi simply doesn't quite understand this human concept, at least when it's happening to her. Once she understands what's happening she does realize that she should have stood up for herself. Overall I like that she's learning about human emotions and trying to figure them out.



Though those "laugh track sounds" of the cate and rooster. No! The cat noise has already been used for quite a few episodes, but I hope it stops. Especially that rooster noise. It is a very cute show, but they're trying to make it more then just simple cute junk. It doesn't need a laugh track/weird noise sounds of any kind.

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Bring'in it!

Wow. Just wow!!!!!! W. O. W.



No really, just when I think I know this show and that it's finally going to turn boring it totally whams me over the head! This series is proving that it deserves to have over twenty episodes! The complexity of the plot and characters is totally awesome!! Now I don't want to give too much away.



What I will say is that this episode eloquently shows viewers the many degrees of love, and that by opening ourselves up to it that the ones we love the most are the ones that can hurt us the most. What I love even more is watching the idea of love grow and expand in Kang Chi. The writers do an excellent job of showing viewers the the inhuman beings, might be more human than the actual humans. That monsters are not to be interpreted so easily.



Cheong Jo's future is getting more muddled. While I become disgusted with her, I can't help but understand her actions and even sympathize with her. She's a character I love to be annoyed with, and at this point the directors could really take her to amazing points.



Oh, and if you were worried that Kang Chi's father had no further role rejoice my drama lovers! He's back and I'm hoping better then ever. (There's also hints that Kang Chi's mother is back, and I'm very curious to see where this is all going.)

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