First Look: July / August K-Drama Premieres

Again... pretty pictures to follow. I'm still setting up the new computer and transferring everything post-vacation!

The Guide

♥ = Love it! Watch it!

♥ = So-so start. Might get better. Might get worse.

♥ = Bleh. Hate it! 

♥ All About My Mom
Tag Line: I Hate My Mom. I Hate My Mother-In-Law More.
Thoughts: Eugene stars in this family-themed k-drama alongside hottie Lee Sang Woo. Part comedy and part melodrama, the story centers around the Lee family and their relationships with one another. This slower paced series is one of a handful of k-dramas exploring mother-daughter and mother-in-law-daughter-in-law interactions. The first handful of episodes in this series have established a suitable foundation of family dysfunction worthy of psychiatric evaluation. But it has been a bit slow. At eight episodes, I am still waiting for the proverbial sh** to hit the fan. Our leading lady is still single and the pace of her relationship development with the leading man is slower than a snail. I think there is potential here but it will require some patience. I am still going to green light this one because the cast is more than enough compensation for the gradual build up of the plot.

♥ Assembly
Tag Line: Out-of-Work Welder Goes into Politics
Thoughts: Coming Soon

♥ I Order You
Tag Line: Divorced Man Falls in Love...Again.
Thoughts: This Monday-Thursday food drama is adequately portioned with just enough idols and models to keep things light and refreshing. U-Know Yunho headlines the series as a divorced chef that owns his own gourmet lunchbox service.

♥ Last
Tag Line: Riches to Rags. The Wolf of Seoul Goes Bust.
Thoughts: Jang Tae Ho (Yoon Kye Sang) had it all figured out. He'd play the stock market, make it big, and then run off to the US with his beautiful girlfriend and a pocket full of cash. But when he manages to lose 35 billion won in a handful of minutes, he finds himself wanted by both the police and gangsters. There's nowhere for him to go except to the streets - with nothing but the clothes on his back. Now that he's homeless, he's desperate to reclaim his old life any way that he can. And, that means defeating the seven bosses of Seoul's underworld. The first two episodes are exciting. Yoon Kye Sang is always flawless on screen and is the perfect anti-hero. Surprisingly, Lee Beom Soo takes his turn as the bad guy this time around, which I'm excited to see. The premise for the series, though, feels a bit like a video game adapted for TV. "Beat the seven bosses and you win!" Naturally, each boss is more difficult to beat than the next. But, never fear, Jang Tae Ho has a trusted teacher (Park Won Sang) showing him how to kiss a$$ and take names. Still, I feel good about this one. Give it a watch.

♥ Mrs. Cop
Tag Line: She's a mom. She's a cop. Shouldn't she be Mom Cop?
Tag Line: Coming Soon

♥ My Eccentric Wife (aka My Virtual Bride)
Tag Line: A Down-on-Her-Luck Celebrity Gets a 2nd Chance at Fame & Love
Thoughts: This is the k-drama that I needed to round out the seriousness of Assembly and Last. It is pure goofy fun wrapped up in a package of reality television and k-pop idols.  Oh In Young (Dasom) is an idol whose market value has been decreasing for years. In a last ditch effort to reclaim her former glory, she agrees to star in a reality television series where she is "married" to the eldest son of an established family in a traditional house. She must cope with all the daughter-in-law duties and navigate the politics of the family with no skills or experience to handle it. But when sparks fly between her and the eldest son (Ryu Soo Young) will her mother-in-law sit still and let her precious son fall for a k-pop idol? Chances are... no. The series strongly focuses on the relationships between the daughter-in-laws and the mother-in-laws with an emphasis on outrageous borderline crazy behavior. It's one k-drama in a series of them on the subject that have been unleashed this late summer/early fall season. I hope it isn't a trend... but it looks like it might be. Vampires out. Crazy mother's...in. That said, I like it for the laughs (fart jokes and all) and the chemistry between Oh In Young and Cha Myeong Seok. If it stays light and quirky, it's a shoo in for a bump to green.

♥ Oh My Ghostess
Tag Line: Virgin Ghost Seeking Sex... Or, so she thinks.
Thoughts: If I have to pick a hit for 2015, I think this is the one. Park Bo Young steps up her game in this suspenseful thriller about a young woman that makes a strange connection with a ghost that is trying to resolve her grudge before ascending to heaven.

♥ Scholar Who Walks the Night
Tag Line: Vampire Conspiracy in the Palace
Thoughts: This vampire k-drama follows on the heels of Orange Marmalade and Blood but adds the twist of also being an historical drama. Lee Joon Gi headlines the series as Scholar Kim Seung Yol, who has befriended Crown Prince Junghyun. When he learns that an evil vampire named Gwi (Lee Soo Hyuk) is threatening to kill the Crown Prince if he doesn't swear fealty, Seung Yol vows to help his friend rid the palace of the creature. But the plan goes wrong, the Crown Prince is killed, and he finds himself a newly made vampire. The series fast forwards 120 years and then it just gets confusing. It's like reading a Robert Jordan novel where you need a companion book just to keep track of the character names and how a person is relevant to the story. Now, some of it may be the translations. I made the mistake of watching the first two episodes when they were about 80% translated and I missed critical pieces of information that I had to pick up with a 2nd viewing. Overall, it's not a bad series but it won't blow your socks off. WARNING: There's definitely a "cheese" factor to this series with all the fangs and the fake blood. The camera is constantly zooming in to catch eyes that flash red and lips quivering at the sight of fresh blood. But, what can I do? I am a sucker (pun totally intended) for anything with Lee Joon Gi's name attached to it.

♥ The Time that I Loved You, 7000 days
Tag Line: "When Harry Met Sally" K-Drama Style
Thoughts: Coming Soon

♥ Twenty Again
Tag Line: The unplanned pregnancy...20 years later.
Thoughts: 

♥ Yong Pal
Tag Line: I work at this stinkin' hospital and I can't get a discount!
Thoughts: This is arguably one of the more anticipated series of the year with its powerhouse combo of Joo Won and Kim Tae Hee. The story is centered around a young doctor struggling under the weight of debt he acquired to pay for his sister's medical expenses. In order to pay back the loan sharks, he makes "house calls" to gangsters and other unsavory characters that need to avoid the hospital and, ultimately, avoid being arrested. He's known among that crowd as Yong Pal. By day, however, he is Kim Tae Hyun, a gifted surgeon at Hanshin Hospital. The chief physician of the exclusive 12th floor ward, which is reserved for the rich and famous, discovers Doctor Kim's secret and uses it to draft him in to help manage the ward. Doctor Kim soon finds himself at the center of a conspiracy to eliminate the comatose heiress of the Hanshin conglomerate, allowing all her assets to pass to her half-brother. This sounds riveting and there are some very flashy action scenes in the first couple episodes. But the progression of Dr. Kim's relationship with Kim Tae Hee's character, Hanshin's absentee heiress Han Yeo Jin, is inadequate. It's missing something. I don't see the sparks flying. Throw in some other corporate machinations and police investigations and things get hazy. It suffers a bit from "Doctor Stranger" syndrome - trying to do too much and losing focus of what's really important. I want to love this series but I'm feeling just okay about it. I don't want to discredit the performances of the actors, though, because they are good. But the writing and direction are pulling things down a few notches.

First Look: May / June K-Drama Premieres

Pardon My Dust - Some of the graphics are having issues and will be added later.

The Guide

♥ = Love it! Watch it!

♥ = So-so start. Might get better. Might get worse.

♥ = Bleh. Hate it! 

♥ My Beautiful Bride

Tag Line: His bride went missing. He went crazy.

Thoughts: I am a little behind the eight ball on this one. I just sat down and watched the first handful of episodes this weekend because it was a series that didn't particularly appeal to me. But I am happy to report that this one is a winner. It bears the hallmark traits of an OCN drama - flawed characters trying to survive and do the right thing in a scary world. Kim Moo Yul leads the series as Kim Do Hyeong. He's a quiet and serious man that works as a manager at a bank. The one purpose of his life is the woman he loves, Yoon Joo Young (Ko Sung Hee). Shortly after he proposes, she disappears and his world collapses. Now, he is hell bent on finding the woman he loves and bringing her home, regardless of who he has to go through to get her back. This isn't an original idea as far as stories go but the writer and director have seamlessly crafted each episode in a way the builds on the concept and leaves the audience with more questions than answers. It's quite the cliffhanger. That doesn't make it immune to certain comparisons. It struck me as oddly similar to The Man from Nowhere, which I also enjoyed. This is a good summer action flick and I highly recommend it.

♥ Ex-Girlfriend's Club

Tag Line:  Lioness, Cat, and Fox - Oh My!

Thoughts: Running Man fans can cheer for this one as Song Ji Hyo takes the lead in this humorous, and sometimes emotional, drama about relationships past and present. Bong Myeong Soo (Byun Yo Han) is a successful webtoon author/artist whose work chronicles his past relationships with three different women. When the rights to his work are purchased by a film production company, he re-connects with film producer Kim Soo Jin (Song Ji Hyo), a woman with whom he once shared a close friendship. The ex-girlfriends are informed of the impending film and each makes a dramatic return into Myeong Soo's life complicating both the film and his relationship with Soo Jin. This is a fun series full of great lighthearted comedy and moments of heartfelt emotion. Byun Yo Han makes a complete transformation into the cool-kid artist leaving behind the nosy not-so-cool co-worker persona we saw in Misaeng. And, Song Ji Hyo is delightful, as always. It's a thumbs up and a favorite amid the summer line-up of k-dramas.

♥ Hidden Identity

Tag Line:  Undercover agency? No such agency exists.

Thoughts: This action heavy k-drama about an undercover investigation group is a fast paced adventure through the underbelly of Korean society. After the death of his partner, police officer Cha Gun Woo (Kim Beom) is suspended from the force for killing his partner's assailant. He's always been known as a quiet man with a difficult personality but that is just a cover for the emotional scars left by the death of his first love. When he learns that his friend's identity as an undercover agent has been compromised, Gun Woo must step in to save the mission and find his friend before it's too late. The pressure to succeed is even greater because the friend is the elder brother of his dead girlfriend. If you are a fan of police and crime dramas this is the one for you. Kim Beom sheds his flower boy looks for a gritty police officer and sports a goatee that is surprisingly flattering on the actor. Like abs? It has some of that, too. This one is a keeper.

♥ High Society

What would you do if you were the daughter of a wealthy family? If you are Uee, you would get a part-time job and plot your exit from the household. That is High Society. This k-drama explores the differences in social class through the relationships of two couples. One is a wealthy daughter (Uee) of a large multi-national company and she is dating an aspiring businessman (Sang Joon)  that wants to climb the social/corporate ladder by dating her. The other is a chaebol (Park Hyung Shik) looking to beat his brother in the family business while dating a young woman (Lim Ji Yeon) of no fame or fortune on the side. There's a couple reasons why I won't green light this production. The first is the dialogue. It might be the translations but it often seems circular and contradicting. The other is the speed at which the relationships have developed, which can only be described as super sonic. That's not to say it won't play out just fine in the end but it's hard to call any of it "love" when they have all known each other for about...a week, maybe two. The only character with whom I empathized is now presumed to be dead and I am wondering if this is worth continuing. I guess I can take one of the team if Sang Joon is involved.

♥ Jeju Island Gatsby (aka Warm & Cozy)

Lee Jung Soo (Kim So Ra) and Baek Gun Woo (Yoo Yeon Seok) connect by chance when she shows up at his 18th birthday party believing they are twins, sharing the same mother. But when her claims are proven false, they part on good terms with a promise to reunite as adults. Years later, they reconnect by chance when circumstances send both of them down to Jeju Island to resolve family issues. When Baek Gun Woo is mistakenly lead to believe that Lee Jung Soo is dying of cancer, he feels he must personally ensure her final days are good ones. During a drunken conversation, the two strike up an agreement. He signs over the ownership of his Jeju Island restaurant to her until she dies for a small deposit. This Hong Sisters rom-com is a pleaser with a cast full of unique characters that keep the story fast paced and interesting. Yoo Yeon Seok has been given a tall order to portray Baek Gun Woo as something other than a self-centered womanizer, the script doesn't leave a lot of room for error. More often than not, I am rooting for the town mayor played by Kim Sung Oh. This is also proving to be a fantastic role for Kang So Ra, who looks amazing against the scenic backdrop of the island. Watch it and have fun!

♥ Mask

This k-drama opens with one of the most spectacular scenes that I have ever seen in a drama. Needless to say, the first episode is a whirlwind of action and melodrama that leaves the audience with many more questions than answers. Soo Ae leads this thriller with two roles as Byun Ji Sook and Seo Eun Ha, two women that are exact opposites in everything except their appearance. They look like identical twins. But as the series foreshadows - whoever sees her doppelganger first will die. Just as Seo Eun Ha is set to wed Choi Min Woo (Ju Ji Hoon) to solidify a political and corporate alliance, she has an accident. Naturally, Byun Ji Sook is the only one that can stand in her place to ensure the plan moves forward. This mesmerizing story is grand on a number of scales and supported by a cast that knows how to command the screen - particularly, Yeon Jung Hun and Yu In Young. It's worth watching and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

♥ Masked Prosecutor (aka The Man in the Mask)

Admittedly, I was super excited about this k-drama because it stars two my favorite actors: Joo Sang Wook and Kim Sun A. The premise is interesting albeit not original. A young man, Ha Dae Cheol (Joo Sang Wook), is tasked with becoming a prosecutor by his father in order to get revenge on the people that ruined their lives. He successfully completes college and finds himself as a prosecutor but has neither the wealth nor background to rise through the ranks quickly. So, he dons a mask in order to find the leads he needs to ensure his cases are wins. Just as he's promoted and close to his goal... things start to go wrong. Now, there have been countless movies and television shows about men donning a mask in order to promote justice and seek revenge when the system fails. This one doesn't stray too far from the mold, either. I'm several episodes into it and just a little bored. It's predictable and only saved by the chemistry between the members of the cast. If a less charismatic actor than Joo Sang Wook had been cast in the role of Ha Dae Cheol this would have been a total  bust. Give it a shot, though. You might like it more than I do.

♥ My Love, Eun Dong

Tag Line: Boy loses girl. Boy finds girl. Boy loses girl, again. And, so on...

Thoughts: I'll start off by saying that I enjoyed the first few episodes even if there were some cringe worthy moments. The story starts with a press conference for Ji Eun Ho (Joo Jin Mo), a popular actor, who is announcing his plans to write an auto-biography. His goal by writing the book is to find his first and only love, Eun Dong (Kim Sa Rang). The episode then segues into a series of flashbacks showing how he first met her and how they parted ways. He was a freshman in high school and she was... not in high school. I'll be generous and describe her as a middle school student. They form a connection that is something more than friendship but not quite mature enough to be called attraction. The direction in these scenes is awkward and occasionally feels a little inappropriate. But once the story moves on to the college and military years that hurdle is jumped and all is right with the world again. Joo Jin Mo has a strong presence on screen and strikes an impressive figure. Kim Sa Rang is a much less commanding presence with some room to grow. The story moves fast, is engaging, and the characters are interesting. This k-drama is probably not for everyone but if you need a daily dose of melo-d, this will do it.

♥ Orange Marmalade

Coming Soon

♥ The Producers

Being one of the most star studded and highly anticipated dramas of the summer, The Producers started with some big expectations to live up to right out of the gate.  Baek Seung Chan (Kim Soo Hyun) is a newly minted employee at KBS working in the Variety Department. The series starts with his first day at work, which is captured by a production team making a documentary about new employees. Of course, things go horribly wrong from the moment he arrives. Producer Tak Ye Jin (Kong Hyo Jin) damages his father's car in the parking lot and is hell bent on discovering to whom the car belongs. Then, he finds himself assigned under Producer Ra Joon Mo (Cha Tae Hyun), who is dating the woman Seung Chan likes. Can his day get any worse? It does. He overhears a conversation between Tak Ye Jin and Ra Joon Mo declaring him useless and needing to be fired...quickly. The mockumentary style of storytelling is refreshing and adds the element of "reality" to a show that is about the behind-the-scene politics of reality television. But by episode three, the mockumentary has morphed into a weird hybrid of styles and loses it's focus. I want to love this series because I find the topic interesting, the concept is good, and the cast is talented. But it falls flat and leaves a lot to be desired. It's a veritable snooze fest. It could get better. Maybe.