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.

Love Rain

Plot: Love Rain is a 2012 melodrama that follows the path of an ill fated love in the 1970s. Seo In Ha (Jang Geun Suk) falls in love with Kim Yoon Hee (Yoona) in just three seconds but circumstances work against them and just as they confess their feelings they are forced to part ways. The show fast forwards to 2012 where we discover that the young lovers never reunited but fate has brought their children together. Seo Joon (also played by Jang Geun Suk) and Jung Ha Na (also played by Yoona) meet by chance in Japan and kick off an unexpected romance. Will history repeat itself or will this couple overcome their parents' troubled pasts?

-1/2 heart for the ugly trench coats

Recommendation: This is a solid k-drama that starts off slow but builds a lot of momentum with every episode. I definitely recommend it - especially for fans of Jang Geun Suk. I've seen Jang Geun Suk in four other dramas and I think that his portrayal of Seo In Ha is one of the strongest. But we only get to enjoy it for 4 episodes. Then, he slips right back into his most familiar role as Seo Joon - emotionally troubled and arrogant but still charming with an eye for the ladies. It's a an early glimpse of many future roles including what we see in the drama Pretty Man. Yoona holds up well as Jang Guen Suk's female counterpart and love interest. I didn't always feel she was emotionally invested in some of the more dramatic moments but she did bring her A game with the on-screen chemistry and the kissing scenes felt natural, not awkward.

Did Seo Joon raid his mother's closet for that jacket?

Other Thoughts: I've mentioned before that one of the things I love most about k-dramas is the fashion. When the stylists/costume designers get it right, they contribute to the overall feel of the drama in a big way and leave lasting positive impressions - just think about the sequined track suit in Secret Garden. But when they get it wrong? It's a massive train wreck. In Love Rain, there were more than a few massive train wrecks. Jang Geun Suk seems like a pretty fashion conscious guy. So, I am shocked that he agreed to the hot pink trench coat and in a later episode the high (higher than normal) heeled boots - all of which made him look like a drag queen in training. The trench coat trend continued throughout the series in a variety of patterns and colors and nearly all of them were as equally unflattering. He looks best in simple attire (white t-shirt & jeans) as seen in Beethoven's Virus or tailored suits (with tie) like we saw in Pretty Man.

I was also disappointed with the way that Seo In Guk was incorporated into the show when it transitioned to 2012. He played Kim Chang Mo in the 1970s, one of Seo In Ha's closest friends. But he's brought back in 2012 as Kim Chang Mo's nephew - whose name I have forgotten. This character doesn't make his first appearance until fairly late in the series and then it isn't quite clear why that character is even introduced. He doesn't serve a very clear purpose, the show doesn't invest much time in him, and there isn't anything that he says or does that couldn't have been disclosed by someone else. It seemed like a waste of Seo In Guk's talents.

On a more positive note, the music throughout the series was great and showed off the musical talents of much of the cast - particularly Jang Geun Suk and Seo In Guk. I heard a little Carpenters and some Simon and Garfunkel, too. Loved it.