Hundred Years' Inheritance

Plot: There are about 4-5 different plot lines throughout this 50 episode drama. This drama is centered predominantly around the Uhm family and their 100 year old noodle company. The audience follows the journey of various family members as they work through professional crises, money issues, romance, marriage problems, divorce, sickness and other hardships. The primary focus is on the character Min Chae Won (Eugene), her divorce from Kim Chul Kyu (Choi Won Young), and her subsequent marriage to Lee Se Yoon (Lee Jung Jin).

Too Long. Too predictable.

Recommendation: Honestly, I'm really torn on how to recommend this one. If you are a die hard k-drama addict, you will probably enjoy it. Everyone else might be better off investing their time elsewhere. The truth is that I fast forwarded through most of the family plot line and only focused on the parts involving Min Chae Won (Eugene) and Lee Se Yoon (Lee Jung Jin). I loved the chemistry between the leads but everything else was just noise and didn't add any particular value to the story.  By episode 35, I found the constant obstacles to the main characters' marriage to be repetitive, boring, and unoriginal. The audience knows exactly how this drama will end by the third episode. That means the focus is on the the journey and, IMO, the trip should have been cut in half.

My what big teeth you have....

Other Thoughts: There are really two things that stuck out for me while watching this drama.

The first is Chae Won's crazy ex-mother-in-law, Bang Young Ja, played by Park Won Suk. She is a phenomenal actress that has a list of credentials that started before I was even born. I've seen her in several other dramas and she is currently playing the grandmother in the series, Golden Rainbow. For Hundred Years' Inheritance, she really channeled some serious Crazy. And, I mean CRAZY! It was a little over the top. I think my illustration captures the expression she wore for about 90% the show.

The other thing that caught my attention was the styling. One reason that I love watching Korean dramas is because the fashion is so interesting. The stylists are really thinking outside the box and producing looks that are innovative and creative. But, in the case of Kim Chul Kyu, there should have been some editing and a little WWTGD (What Would Tim Gunn Do). There are only so many ugly sweaters and clashing patterns that my eyes can handle. A few examples are on display below but they are not by any stretch of the imagination the worst offenders.

Make it stop. Please.

Let's (Not) Eat

Let's Eat is one of the k-dramas that I'm currently following and, so far, I'm really enjoying it. For those not familiar with it, this drama centers around a group of foodies, their relationships with one another, and a strange murder/crime spree that brings them together. The series isn't over, yet, but after the most recent episode I felt compelled to write something.

For those that know me, my dislike of all things seafood is well known. There's no logical explanation why I should dislike it so much as I can't recall ever having a bad experience with seafood. But there is something about the smell and appearance of it that is completely off putting.

So, as I was watching this week's episode of Let's Eat, you can imagine my reaction to the crab eating scene that takes place about 40 minutes into it. Goo Do Young (Yoon Doo Joon) , Yoon Jin Yi (Yoon So Hee), and Oh Do Yeon (Lee Do Yeon) go to a restaurant that specializes in crabs marinated in soy sauce and they completely devour a huge bowl of it. There were so many close-ups of the dinner party gnawing and slurping on the crab bits that I was completely nauseated by the whole thing. It was a good 5 minutes of people shoving my least favorite food into their mouths! Gross.

Five minutes of my life that I can never get back...

. 

Prime Minister & I

4 out 5 - Shall We Dance?

Plot: Nam Da Jung (Yoona) is leading a decent life as an entertainment (read: paparazzi) journalist in order to support her sick father. But when she finds herself caught on film in a seemingly compromising position with the nominee for prime minister of South Korea (Lee Beom Soo), Nam Da Jung's world is turned upside down. In order to save her reputation and his political career, they agree to announce they are dating to the media. One thing leads to another and soon they end up married. Everything starts to unravel when this unlikely couple realizes that they just might be in love.

Recommendation: It's too early to tell if this will make my "must watch" list of 2014. But I really enjoyed the pairing of Lee Beom Soo and Yoona in this drama and the plot was nicely paced. I even liked the ending. If romantic comedies with a touch of drama are your thing, I'd say it is worth the 17 hour investment of time.

Other Thoughts: One of the really nice things about the DramaFever app is that viewers can post reviews and rate dramas. Periodically, I scan the reviews for shows that I'm watching just to get a sense of public opinion. The Prime Minister & I  had several hundred reviews and there were three common themes. The first is that many reviewers felt the age disparity between Kwon Yool (Lee Beom Soo) and Nam Da Jung (Yoona) was too great. Second, there was a lot of Yoona hating - for no specific reason that I could see. And, finally, Kang In Ho (Yoon Si Yoon) is "cute."

I think the reviewers got 2 out of 3... wrong! Kwon Yool and Nam Da Jung were never supposed to make sense as a couple but they found something in one another that, for lack of a better phrase, made them complete. Age, background, life experience, etc... It was all of their differences that made them work well together. Yoona brought a refreshing youthfulness and optimism to Nam Da Jung. Lee Beom Soo brought a necessary levity and maturity to the prime minister, Kwon Yool. It was a good match of talent. My only complaint is that while I felt they were connected emotionally it was never expressed physically. It would have been nice to see some hand holding, hugs, and even a few more kisses. They never kissed after confessing their feelings!

And, yes, Yoon Si Yoon is, indeed, cute. Oddly enough, I didn't immediately recognize him as Enrique from Flower Boy Next Store (one of my top 10 dramas). Maybe it was the change in hair color?

The children in this series also deserve some accolades. Where do all these amazing child actors keep coming from? I've seen a string of dramas recently where children play huge roles in the series and they have all been exceptionally talented. This includes: The Suspicious Housekeeper; Wonderful Mama; You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin; and Golden Rainbow. How adorable was Kwon Man Se?!

Full House Take 2

3 out of 5 - Full House Lite!

Recommendation: This is a fun drama that offers up more laughs than tears. There's not much that connects it to the original Full House and, if viewed solely on its own merits, it is equivalent to a drama like Pretty Man. If you need something to fill the time between currently airing dramas - this is it.

Plot:  Full House Take 2 follows the trials and tribulations of  the internationally successful pop duo Take One. Lee Tae Ik (No Min Woo) is the tall, dark, and handsome leader known for his prickly personality. Won Kang Hwi (Park Ki Woong) is the latter half of the team and best described as bubbly. By fate or coincidence, both members of the group connect with Jang Man Ok (Hwang Jung Eum), who inadvertently brings great change and success to their lives. How does it relate to the original Full House? There is a house also named "Full House" that was built by Lee Tae Ik's father.

What did I think?

Not too shabby. It was a great way to escape the polar vortex.

I was reluctant to give this drama a go because I'm such a fan of the original. But, really, Full House Take 2 could have been named Full House Lite because the sequel had all the trademark comedy of the original but without the same level of heartache and drama. I distinctly remember balling my eyes out when Han Ji Eun begged Lee Young Jae for the break-up because it was so painful for her to be in love with him. There was never a moment in Full House Take 2 where I felt that emotionally engaged.

Blondes do have more fun!

The real gem of this production, though, was Park Ki Woong. He played the second half of the pop duo, Won Kang Hwi. First, I want to say that I loved the blonde locks. I'm usually not a fan of it on Korean men but he wore the look well and it suited his character. There was just something about him that exuded charm and he stole the scene every time he smiled. His character should have come off as vapid but I found him totally lovable.

Hwang Jung Eum, as Jang Man Ok, really wasn't pushed to her full potential. If you've seen Secret, you will understand what I'm saying. She's an amazing dramatic actress and this felt like a role that only required about 50% of her full range.

The only real detractor from the drama was the music. Take One only has one song that they perform over and over again in different costumes. They save all the other songs for the second to last episode.