Endless Love
Tag Line: Murder and Revenge and Love Triangle, Oh My!
Thoughts: I just watched the first four episodes of this series and, while it was entertaining, I found some of the characters to be obnoxious. Hwang Jung Eum excels at dramatic roles but her character is...well...dumb. She's been portrayed as smart but can't seem to understand that her life is in danger every time she opens her mouth to talk. I chalked it up to "youth" as the series starts with her in high school. Still, other characters are equally stupid. I'm not familiar with the political/social climate of 1980s South Korea so there's a chance that I'm misunderstanding something.. Still, I'm going to keep watching but with 40 episodes there is a high probability that I give up half-way through. I do like that the k-drama has been filmed with a 1980s soap opera vibe. It feels... vintage.
Fated to Love You
Tag Line: One night stands leads to love....and a baby! Oops!
Thoughts: I've been vocal about my love of all things Jang Hyuk but that doesn't necessarily earn this k-drama a free pass. I have pretty high expectations after watching the Taiwanese production. The first episode had me a little concerned. Lee Gun, as a character, is more over the top and quirky than the T-drama's male lead and Jang Hyuk has put his unique spin on it (OMG! The laugh!). But, after the second episode, I felt the series coming into its own and I think Jang Hyuk and Jang Na Ra have the potential to surpass the performance of the original cast. I am super excited to see how the S. Korean crew continues to adapt the setting, characters, and plot of this drama.
Tag Line: Did I die and go to heaven? Cuz, I see an angel!
Thoughts: There really isn't much to think about with this particular k-drama. It's a fun high school series that was written to showcase singers from the boy band Infinite. If that doesn't pique your interest, then you could always watch for the awkwardness that is casting a 13 year old teenage girl as the romantic lead opposite two 20-something pop stars. I'll admit that she's holding her own as a fallen angel and I think her age lends itself well to the innocence and inexperience of the character. At 20 episodes airing 1x per week, this show will be around for a while.
Tag Line: The patient helps the doctor...
Thoughts: This series has me really excited. As of the 4th episode, there has been an unexpected twist in the story and I'm really interested to see where all of this goes. Every character has a story in this drama and the way the come together and interact is fun. Gong Hyo Jin is a proven talent, but this is my first encounter with Jo In Sung and I'm enjoying his work. How can I not appreciate a guy that can pull off sandals with a suit?
Tag Line: The Gun is Mightier than the Sword
Thoughts: We are officially two episodes into this historical drama and I have to say it's been pretty exciting. Lee Joon Gi takes on the role of Park Yoon Kang, the son of Joseon's best swordsman. But after a tragic event, he takes up the gun to seek revenge. We haven't made it to the tragic event, yet. But I suspect it will happen in episode 3. Lee Joon Gi is charming, as always, and he has great chemistry with Nam Sang Mi. I'm looking forward to watching this series develop over the coming weeks.
King of High School Life Conduct
Tag Line: Bros before..um...high school.
Thoughts: This is the newest Seo In Guk comedy series about which there has been generally positive reviews. He portrays the character Lee Min Suk, a high school student that is fulfilling the request of his elder brother to stand-in for him at his new job for a couple months. I have really enjoyed the first four episodes and there have been some surprisingly touching moments in what is otherwise a lighthearted script. Seo In Guk falls into that category of actors that can still do the high school thing believably despite being in his late 20s and I'm happy to see Lee Tae Hwan (After School: Lucky or Not) in a full length k-drama. Normally, I don't buy the hot actress as a nerd casting choice. However, Lee Ha Na has been convincing as a woman lacking self-confidence and struggling to find her inner diva. She's one of the few characters with whom I can truly empathize. I can't wait to see how she transforms.
Tag Line: Fake girlfriends leads to real marriage?
Thoughts: This one is hot off the press. I finished watching the first two episodes last night. At this point, I'm feeling a little disgruntled with the treatment of female characters in this round of summertime dramas. They are EQ dumb, IQ dumb, and personality deficient. The series starts off with the female lead attempting to propose to her boyfriend, who immediately flees and attempts to break-up with her by avoiding her. She can't take a hint and proceeds to call him 300 times. Ultimately, she is accused of stalking and it segues into the main plot. I guess being overly idealistic about love is supposed to make the character likable. By the end of episode 2, her best friend is eyeballing the guy that dumped her via text. What?! WHAT?! I don't want to condemn the series at this point because there are still entertaining moments. I just want the stupidity to stop. Someone write me a decent female character....please.
Tag Line: She's a little bit country. He's a little bit rock n' roll.
Thoughts: Trot Lovers has started off strong with some major star power tied to the production (Ji Hyun Woo, Jung Eun Ji, and Shin Sung Rok). The series follows Choi Choon Hee, a down on her luck fitness professional, and Jang Joon Hyun, a down on his luck pop-star, as they are forced to work together to overcome professional and personal slumps. Now, I'm always a little skeptical with any series that heavily involves music. If I have to listen to variations of the same song for 16 episodes, I'll go crazy - hence my rating of "Just Okay." If the series manages the music well, I will have no problem changing this to a thumbs up. The main characters are all very interesting and have great chemistry. The plot is evolving quickly, too. I'm also happy to see Shin Sung Rok back and rocking a new do, as well as, a non-serial killer persona. And, it goes without saying, I <3 Ji Hyun Woo.
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