The Legendary Witch

Title:	The Legendary Witch
Alternate Title(s):	N/A
Genre(s):	Melodrama, Romantic Comedy, Crime, Suspense
Episodes	40
Network:	MBC
Year Produced:	2014
Available to Watch On:	viki, dramafans.org

Summary: Moon Soo In (Han Ji Hye) was happily married to the eldest son of the wealthy Ma family, owners of the Shinwha Group conglomerate. When her husband unexpectedly dies, the family frames her for embezzlement of company funds and sends her to jail for two years. It is there that she meets three women (Ko Du Shim, On Hyun Kyung, and Ha Yeon Soo) that change her life for the better and the man that will help her love again (Ha Seok Jin). After the women are released from prison, they support one another and gradually build new lives and find new love. But they all have strange ties to the Ma family making it difficult to forget the past until all the wrongs have been righted and the sins exposed.

RATING

♥♥♥½

Recommendation: Let's start off this recommendation with an acknowledgment that the first four episodes of this series are painfully dull and difficult to watch. However, if you can get past that hurdle the series recovers and quickly achieves "watchable" status. So much so, that this became a weekly staple in my k-drama viewing schedule for the last few months. This underdog tale does a nice job depicting the transformation of a group of women from victims in survival mode to competent and self-assured women capable of mastering their destinies. Han Ji Hye played it safe in the role of Moon Soo In and her performance was just okay. Undoubtedly, she was cast for her star power but the real strength of the series is the chemistry between the broader ensemble cast and the overall journey of the series. While the additional 4 episodes did not necessarily serve The Legendary Witch well, it did not hurt the undeniable charm that this show cast over its audience either. This is a must watch among the end-of-year dramas that closed out 2014 and took us into 2015.

Beyond the Clouds (The Full Sun)

Summary: Beyond the Clouds (aka The Full Sun) is a 16 episode 2014 k-drama produced for KBS2. This series  follows the story of Jung Se Ro (Yoon Kye Sang) as he is falsely accused of murder while visiting his father in Thailand and imprisoned for five years. When he is finally set free, he heads back to South Korea with a plan to destroy the woman (Han Ji Hye) that he believes is responsible for ruining his life. But as his plot to seek revenge begins to unfold, he realizes that everything is not as it appears to be and he unexpectedly develops feelings for the woman whose life he intends to ruin.

-1 heart for too much crying

Recommendation: This is a must watch! Beyond the Clouds is a quick 16 episodes that is packed with plot twists, betrayal, and romance. This is also one of the more beautifully filmed k-dramas that I have come across recently. It is full of panoramic views, long looming shadows, and carefully staged moments between the actors. The story is beautifully crafted and brought to life by a great cast. Yoon Kye Sang and Han Ji Hye have an on-screen chemistry that clicks and they could easily contend for some "Best Kiss" of 2014 awards. For once, I loved the ending and it felt like the story had come full circle as the credits rolled. That's a rare treat in a k-drama.

I Summon You, Gold

Summary: I Summon You, Gold! is a 2013 k-drama produced for the television network MBC. It follows the interaction of the Jung and Park families as their different lifestyles and values come into conflict through both work and marriage. The main characters are Jung Mong Hee (Han Ji Hye) and Park Hyun Soo (Yeon Jeong Hun), who unexpectedly cross paths and realize that Jung Mong Hee looks exactly like Park Hyun Soo's estranged wife. Hoping to keep his impending divorce a secret, he strikes up a deal for her to impersonate his wife until she either returns or he can break the news to his family.

Recommendation:  This is a 50 episode k-drama that requires some serious commitment to watch from wing-to-wing. It starts off strong and I was drawn into the lives of these two families. But, like with most of the 50 episode series, I was bored 1/2 of the way through it. Then, the drama took a strange turn and I was left completely confused as to the direction of the show. One of the saving graces of this k-drama is the narrative around the arranged marriage between Jung Mong Hun (Baek Jin Hee) and Park Hyun Tae (Park Seo Joon). Despite an overall terrible ending, I think there's enough content along the way to make the experience worthwhile.

Other Thoughts (And Possible Spoilers):  I've never had a glass of soju but I imagine that three bottles of it would be enough to make me feel really good before I wake up the next morning with a killer headache. That's how I feel about I Summon You, Gold! It had a great start but left me somewhat disappointed with the outcome.

Typically, from the many k-dramas that I've watched, the leading lady and leading man meet and they eventually fall in love. I Summon You, Gold! did not stray from this convention and we, the audience, came to believe that Jung Mong  Hee and Park Hyun Soo were destined to fall in love. In fact, this was the overriding storyline for the first 30 or so episodes (I might be overestimating a little) and it seemed like that was settled. Park Hyun Soo just had to divorce his estranged wife, who hadn't been seen since the second or third episode of the show.

But it never happens...

There are reasons for it and I get what the writer was trying to accomplish. But that doesn't mean I agree with it or that I like it. Plus, I don't know that the producers wanted to promote the idea of divorcing one's wife to marry her twin sister. My views on divorce are probably somewhat liberal and even I think that premise is a bit strange.