It's Alright, That's Love

Title:	It's Alright, That's Love
Alternate Title(s):	It's Ok, It's Love
Network:	SBS
Year Produced:	2014

Summary: It's Alright, That's Love is a romantic dramedy about family, love, domestic abuse, and mental illness. Ji Hae Soo (Kong Hyo Jin) is a psychiatrist that suffers from an anxiety disorder that prevents her from experiencing physical intimacy. But she's determined to overcome it with her own efforts. Jang Jae Yeol (Zo In Sung) is a famous author and radio personality suffering from OCD as a result of physical and emotional abuse experienced as a child. But he's accepted it and lives with the condition as a fact of his life. The unlikely pair meet when they serve as special guests on a talk show and their personalities clash both on and off the camera. When they are reunited as roommates, they come to realize that they may be more alike than different and set off on a journey of healing and self-discovery.

4.5 = Just About Perfect

Recommendation: It's Alright, That's Love is easily one of the best k-dramas of 2014. This is what a grown-up k-drama should look like once it graduates from the school of bathroom humor, love triangles, and social status conflicts. The dialogue is smart, sexy, and fast paced. The characters are complex. The writers manage to deftly sidestep the presentation of k-drama stereotypes while giving the audience relatable characters with realistically messy relationships. I am not familiar with Zo In Sung's prior work but for me this was a stand-out performance. He captured the essence of mental illness without going over-the-top. In fact, it was the "quiet" moments where he most often brought me to tears. While the director executed the plot perfectly from start to finish, I found one small miss. The final episode was a little too... happy. Yes, I want my k-dramas to end on a positive note. However, mental illness is a predominant theme in the series, which is a lifelong struggle. The ending should have been less, "...they lived happily ever after," and more, "...they worked hard to make each day better than the one that came before it."

Hong Gil Dong

Summary: Hong Gil Dong is a 2008 period drama written by the Hong sisters for the television network KBS. It explores the origins of the anti-hero Hong Gil Dong (Kang Ji Hwan), the righteous thief, as he attempts to rise above his birth status to change the world. The series also features Jang Geun Suk as Prince Chang Hee and Sung Yu Ri as Heo Yi Nok. This is an adaptation of the famous Korean novel The Tale of Hong Gil Dong.

-1/2 heart for JGS whispering ALL the time

Hong Gil Dong Disco Style

Recommendation: Watch it! This is a great production that showcases the breadth of Kang Ji Hawn's talents and the genius of the Hong sisters. It's a very stylized production that doesn't get boxed into the historical category but does manage to retain the essence of the period. Despite some serious moments, this k-drama is a lot of fun and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. The ending is, at first glance, tragic. But it was filmed so beautifully and so well executed that I was left in awe. This k-drama is not without flaws but they aren't large enough to impact the overall experience. Even if you don't like historical dramas, I think this one has something to offer everyone.

My Love From Another Star

Plot: My Love From Another Star is a 2014 South Korean drama produced for SBS. The main character is Do Min Joon (Kim Soo Hyun), an alien that arrived on planet Earth 400 years ago. But, after staying behind to help a young window, he lost his chance to return to his home planet. It is now the year 2014 and he has an opportunity to return home in 3 months when a meteor shower passes by Earth. All he has to do is bide his time and wrap up his affairs quietly. His plans, though, are laid to waste when he crosses paths with actress Cheon Song Yi (Jun Ji Hyun), who bears a striking resemblance to the widow he met 400 years earlier. As the pair develop feelings for each other, Do Min Joon is forced to come to terms with the meaning of life and the importance of love.

-1/2 heart because I don't like giving away all my hearts

Recommendation: This is a must watch and will probably top my list for the "best of" 2014 k-dramas. It really is the total package for a drama fanatic. There is plenty of romance, suspense, plot twists, and a very good looking cast of characters. It pushes the "supernatural" k-drama trend in a great direction with a well developed plot that doesn't rely on special effects and gimmicks. The cast as a whole is strong without any weak links. I really loved the contrast between the level headed Do Min Joon and the fiery actress Choi Song Yi - they struck a perfect balance together. The ending is also well rounded and thoughtful. The writers took it in a direction that I didn't anticipate so that was a nice surprise.

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.