Series Alert: Scarlet Heart: Ryeo

I guess I don't have a format for these posts.

Let's just get to it! I have been unemployed for several months and this has provided me with a significant increase in free time to binge watch dramas. I certainly prefer k-dramas but I'm not exclusive. Taiwan, China, Japan, and several other countries all produce really great programs so I do venture out.

This time around I made a trip to C-Dramaland (China!) and I watched Scarlet Heart. The series is focused on a young woman that gets into an accident in the modern world and then wakes up to find herself transported hundreds of years into the past. She quickly realizes that has landed right in the middle of a story with which she is very familiar because she studied it in history class. Knowing the fates of all the major players, she has to carefully navigate around any situations in which her choices might change the past and, consequently, the future. Most of these situations revolve around the emperor's sons , 14 princes to be exact, and their fight to succeed their father as emperor of the nation. But as the story progresses and the years pass by, she begins to realize that her presence may have already been accounted for in the history books.

It is a long and epic journey that can be beautiful and heartbreaking. I really enjoyed it. Cecilia Liu, Nicky Wu, Kevin Cheng and all the other actors developed a phenomenal rapport with one another and depicted the politics between the brothers as something that could be savage and compassionate.

Needless to say, I was really startled when I stumbled across the news that Lee Joon Gi and IU would be staring in a k-drama re-make of this series - set to be broadcast on SBS at the end of August. I have confidence in Lee Joon Gi to capture the quiet brooding of the 4th Prince. But IU will have to work hard to meet the quality of Cecilia Lui's portrayal of the young time traveler.

It is difficult work adapting a series that has previously found success. As an audience member, I want all the great qualities of the original to be present but something that is just different enough to keep my attention. I'm excited!!

Let the countdown to August begin and I'll keep my fingers crossed that I am employed by then!

Share your thoughts!

Pretty Man

3 out of 5 - I coulda' been a contenda'.

Pretty Man is a drama that follows the journey of Dok Go Ma Te (Jang Geun Suk) as he works to solve the mystery of his birth and claim his place as the son of a wealthy businessman. Dok Go Ma Te is established as a gold digger at the beginning of the drama. He uses his good looks to attract wealthy women, who then foot the bill for his lifestyle. He has a trusted sidekick in the form of Kim Bo Tong (IU). She has been in love with him since high school. With the help of Hong Yoo Ra (Han Chae Young), Ma Te sets out to "conquer" powerful woman and learn their secrets to success in order to prepare for his eventual reunion with his father - ultimately growing as a person and casting off his playboy ways.

Rating: 3 out  5
Recommendation:  It's not perfect but it is entertaining even as it fails to deliver a satisfying end. It's worth a watch.

I believe that this was a good and interesting concept for a drama but the execution left a little something to be desired - especially toward the end when the conclusion felt rushed. The relationship between Ma Te and Bo Tong also never felt quite genuine and it needed to in order for the characters to evolve. I chalk it up to poor chemistry between the actors. Their kiss in the last scene was as exciting as my train ride to work. Want to know what I do on the train? I sleep.

But it wasn't all bad! Jang Geun Suk held his own as Ma Te and added some complexity to a character that could have easily been a caricature. He took the role just seriously enough to make it interesting without losing the fun. Lee Jang Woo also stood out as the quirky and troubled Choi David. This is the second drama that I've seen with Lee Jang Woo and I continue to be impressed with him. Altogether, the drama was solid up until the last 3-4 episodes.

Most importantly, I want to applaud a silent star of this drama for putting in a strong performance week after week........Wait for it........ Jang Geun Suk's hair!! I have put together a photo montage of the hair in action. There's long and wavy, short and wavy, combed back, combed forward, swept to the side, and tousled. This is the hardest working hair on television. Do you have a favorite?

Shown in order of appearance....

You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin

Rating: 4 out of 5

A few weeks ago, I finished watching the k-drama series "You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin" starring IU and Cho Jung-Seok The cast is rounded out by a talented group of actors and actresses that bring life and familiarity to the story being told and play a huge role in the success of this drama.

The plot of this particular drama was not necessarily something new or exciting. A seemingly happy family struggling with everyday issues is struck by tragedy when the patriarch dies in a hit and run accident. This triggers a series of events and revelations that the Lee family must deal with and rise above in order to survive and find peace. At the same time, each member of the family is dealing with his or her personal issues - finding love, losing love, chasing after a dream, career vs. marriage, familial duty vs. happiness, etc...

Given the 50 episode run, the writer(s) had plenty of opportunity to really develop each character, evolve the relationships, and establish clear justifications for the choices each would make from start to finish. The following are character resolutions that made me giddy with joy:

• Lee Soon Shin doesn't give up acting!
• Lee Soon Shin and Shin Joon Ho end up together and he's going to propose!
• Lee Hye Shin realizes that she likes Seo Jin Wook!
• Kim Jung Ae learns that her husband wasn't a philandering fool!
• Lee Yoon Shin and Park Chan Woo are having a baby!
• The police catch the guy who hit Mr. Lee with his car and then ran away!

I'm sure there are more but those are the highlights.

So, why 4 out of 5 soju bottles? The pace of the show needed some tweaking. There were a string of episodes where I kept asking myself, "Is there anything else that could possibly go wrong? Where are the happy moments? The comic relief? Why is everyone so sad?!"

I took a break in the middle of the series and then had a marathon viewing session to catch up - forcing myself to get through it. I'm glad that I did because it paid off in the end.

P.S - I completely missed the fact that the actress playing Soon Shin is also the same actress from "Dream High" (the first one) that played the chubby (read: fat suit) vocalist. No wonder Soon Shin suddenly developed the ability to sing for her first major audition!