Comments Wanted

One of the many reasons that I began this blog is because I wanted to engage with other people that share my love of all things k-drama. My opinions are obviously not representative of anything other than my own point of view and so I'd love to hear from the people that are checking in regularly - I know you are out there.

Am I totally off base with a particular review? Do you agree? Should there be more original artwork or less? More photos or less? Talk to me!

I will draw a personalized stick figure for the first person that posts a legitimate comment to any of the reviews that appear on this blog. Of course, I get to decide what is a legitimate comment. =)

I'm also still looking for ideas on how to represent "revenge" as a drama tag.

Happy commenting!

Angel Eyes

Summary: Angel Eyes is a 2014 k-drama produced for SBS. This 20 episode series follows the relationship between Yoon Soo Wan (Ku Hye Sun) and Park Dong Joo (Lee Sang Yoon). Their fairytale romance begins when they meet as teenagers and fall in love. Yoon Soo Wan is a lonely girl suffering from blindness and carrying the guilt of her mother's accidental death on her shoulders. Park Dong Joo is a hardworking teenager trying to help support his family after the death of his father. They find happiness and support in one another until they are tragically torn apart. Years later, Park Dong Joo returns to find Yoon Soo Wan, whose vision has been restored. Will she recognize her first love now that she can see? And, can they overcome obstacles from the past that are holding them back?

Recommendation: I liked Angel Eyes and I'm willing to positively recommend it to others. It has a strong start and it carries well through the first 10-12 episodes. But, in all honesty, they could have wrapped it up neatly by episode 16 with a few tweaks. I had figured out all the major players and how the story would resolve as soon as the adult cast was introduced. The main reason for continuing to watch was to see how the events would unfold and for the combined hotness of Lee Sang Yoon and Kim Ji Suk. I'm not a fan of Ku Hye Sun but I think she turned in a reasonably good performance for this series and her chemistry with Lee Sang Yoon was spot on. A surprising treat was Seung-Ri in the role of Teddy Seo. I know he's a pop star but this was my first exposure to him and I think he held his own against the more seasoned actors.

Gap Dong

Summary: Gap Dong is a 20 episode k-drama, loosely based on real events, produced for TvN. The central plot of the story involves the investigation into the serial killer Gap Dong, who is known to have committed 9 murders in the early 90s. Ha Moo Yeom (Yoon Sang Hyun), a child at the time, watched as his father was accused of the crimes and ultimately driven to commit suicide. 20 years later, Ha Moo Yeom has become a police detective living in the shadow of Gap Dong. When a new murder occurs that bears all the trademark characteristics of a Gap Dong killing, Ha Moo Yeom is forced to reconcile with his troubled past while searching for clues that will identify the "real" Gap Dong.

Recommendation: I am going to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this k-drama as a whole. It is a little difficult to write about it without giving away key details that will ruin the series for those that have not seen it yet. That being said, I will recommend avoiding my "Other Thoughts" as it will definitely contain spoilers. Without giving away too many details, I found the story to be complete, the acting good, and the treatment of the "catch the serial killer" genre very clever. It doesn't try to hide the identity of the villain(s) but still manages to maintain its unpredictable factor. As always, Yoon Sang Hyun is AMAZING. He is clearly the leading man and does his job well. But he is fully supported by an ensemble with a high level of talent. If not for the poorly written female characters, this k-drama might have scored better.

Series Alert: Nodame Cantabile

I happened to stumble across this by pure accident. But it looks like Joo Won's next project is confirmed to be a remake of the 2006 Japanese drama Nodame Cantabile. This is another manga-turned-live-action drama about a group of aspiring, and somewhat quirky, musicians attending a music academy.

The Japanese episodes are available for viewing on YouTube, with English subtitles, for those that are interested in what we might be seeing come October, which is when the remake is scheduled to broadcast. Search for "Nodame Cantabile episodes" and it should be at the top of the results.

I am pretty excited about this drama for a few reasons. First, it bears some striking similarities to Beethoven's Virus, which is in my top 10 BEST EVER k-dramas. But it is different enough to feel fresh. Second, Joo Won (Good Doctor, Bridal Mask) is a versatile and talented actor that I feel confident can fill the role of Chiaki Shinichi without losing anything in translation. Third, the drama brings classical music to life in an era where it doesn't garner much attention. The j-drama devotes significant time just to the performances (I've had goosebumps a couple times) and I hope the k-drama remake will do the same.

There are some internet rumors that Yoona (Prime Minister & I, Love Rain) is being considered for the female lead, Nodame, and I am a bit on the fence with that casting choice. She's an okay actress with a musical background. The latter may trump the former for this project. But I have only seen her in roles where she's required to be cute and I wonder if she can channel the necessary awkwardness needed to capture the essence of Nodame. Just my opinion.

As I learn more, I'll update this post!

Witch's Romance

Summary: Witch's Romance is a 16 episode 2014 k-drama produced for TvN. This romantic comedy explores the unlikely romance between Ban Ji Yeon (Uhm Jung Hwa), a jilted-at-the-altar 39 year old reporter with a difficult personality, and Yoon Dong Ha (Park Seo Jun), a 25 year old professional part-timer still grieving for his dead girlfriend. As they both try to mend broken hearts, they find the companionship they've been missing in one another and the courage to fall in love again.

3 1/2 Hearts for Lots of Laughs

 Recommendation: I loved this k-drama! It is so much fun that I often found myself giggling like a little kid as I watched each episode. The strength of this series rests entirely on the cast as the plot is fairly standard for this genre and doesn't offer up a lot of surprises. Park Seo Joon and Uhm Jung Hwa do most of the heavy lifting with great chemistry and an aura of playfulness that lights up the screen whenever they are together. Maybe I'm a little boy crazy because I'm a fan of all the bromances popping up in k-dramaland lately. Park Seo Joon and Yoon Hyun Min were completely adorkable as BFFs and roommates. I couldn't get enough of them. As expected, all the loose ends in this k-drama are tied up neatly by the last episode and the audience gets to walk away with a big smile.