God's Gift - 14 Days

Summary: God's Gift - 14 Days is a 2014 k-drama produced for SBS starring Lee Bo Young and Cho Seung Woo. In this complicated tale of betrayal and murder, Kim Soo Hyun (Lee Bo Young) and Ki Dong Chan (Cho Seung Woo) are sent back 14 days prior to the death of her young daughter, Han Saet Byeol (Kim Yoo Bin), and the execution of his brother, Ki Dong Ho (Jung Eun Pyo). As the two race against the clock to uncover the truth and prevent these deaths, they discover that their fates are more closely connected than they could have ever imagined.

-1/2 heart for making me cry too much

Recommendation: This is a drama series that is on my "must watch" list for 2014. It's a nearly flawless production and the story is complicated without getting clumsy. God's Gift moves at a fairly quick pace starting with episode three and the audience quickly realizes that the characters are very different from how they are initially presented. It is interesting to watch how their masks get stripped away. Now, this isn't my favorite genre and I don't particularly like watching dramas that involve violence against children. But the script writer and director did a wonderful job of implying action without being graphic. The ending is apparently controversial among fans and I don't know if I necessarily love it. But I do think it was appropriate and fit with the theme of the series. It's not a bad thing to leave the audience with a few unanswered questions.



Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers): I literally just finished watching episode 16 and wiping away my tears. God's Gift has been a roller-coaster of emotions and suspense. And, the ending...well. I won't say anything about the ending. Just watch it. But I do suggest that you keep a box of tissues nearby.

I'm going to call it now. This will be the year that Lee Bo Young sweeps all the "Best Of" awards. She is a phenomenal actress and has proven her skills multiple times over. And, IMO, this is her best role, yet. I can't think of another South Korean actress that could have portrayed Kim Soo Hyun with the same level of finesse and authenticity. Considering the physical and emotional demands of this role, she remained strong and consistent through all 16 episodes.

This was my first introduction to Cho Seung Woo and I absolutely loved him. If Lee Bo Young was the straight man then Cho Seung Woo was the comic. He added the necessary moments of lighthearted jest to perk up the audience with a chuckle before things got serious again. Even the serious moments, though, were handled like a professional. I definitely felt attached to Ki Dong Chan coming into the last episode so the ending was all the more heartbreaking. This is an actor that should be watched closely and I hope he is honored with a few "Best Of" awards for his performance in God's Gift.

No Min Woo makes an appearance throughout the series in a supporting role. He really is a chameleon. And, while we don't see much of him in God's Gift, he pulled off the pop star thing well. But it probably wasn't a big stretch for him given his day job. He seems to be evolving with each new role so I'm interested to see what he'll take on for his next project.

Now, I'm going to throw out some honorable mentions because this show wouldn't have been successful without the talents of the entire cast. Kim Tae Woo, Jung Gyu Woon, Kim Yoo Bin, Han Sun Hwa, and Baro all deserve some recognition for the roles they played. Some were larger than others but this diverse cast of characters kept the drama interesting.