A New Leaf

 
Summary: A New Leaf is a 2014 South Korean series produced for MBC. This courtroom k-drama explores the life of an amoral hotshot attorney, Kim Seok Joo (Kim Myung Min), employed by South Korea's most powerful law firm. After he loses his memory due to a head injury, he's left with nothing but his skills as a lawyer and several unfinished cases. With the help of the law firm's intern, Lee Ji Yoon (Park Min Young), he tries to reconstruct his life and understand questionable choices he made in regards to personal and professional matters. With a clean slate in his head, will he turn over a new leaf and live a more honest life?

3 out of 5:  It felt unfinished!

Recommendation: I am 50/50 on this drama. It has a strong start and I think it poses some interesting questions on the nature of legal systems and the fine line between legal justice and fair treatment. The most interesting aspect of the series is the courtroom battles and the legal maneuverings of the various parties. But the script tries to accomplish too much and, with it being reduced by a couple episodes due to schedule conflicts, many of the sub-plots were rushed to a half-assed conclusion. Kim Myung Min carries the k-drama in a role that feels perfectly tailored to his skills. He's the best when it comes to playing complicated characters that require an inflexible personality and a high amount of disdain for others. Park Min Young was short-changed as the legal intern and potential romantic interest. Speaking of romance, there really is not much of it. Park Min Young more often felt like a supporting actress instead of a lead. Despite all this, I think A New Leaf is worth a watch, especially if you like dramas that explore the law, ethics, and the human capacity to change.

Golden Rainbow

Summary: Golden Rainbow is a 41-episode South Korean drama produced for the network MBC. It's a complicated story set in the backdrop of the fishing industry that follows a group of orphans adopted by Kim Han Joo (Kim Sang Joong), who was raised as an orphan himself. The show spans a period of 18 years and there are multiple plots intertwined with one another ranging from corporate fraud, star-crossed love, family dysfunction, and the slippery slope of power and wealth. It's a mixed bag of everything. Prominent stars in the series include Uee and Jung Il Woo.

+1/2 heart for the children

Recommendation: This is another series that has me feeling particularly conflicted and that makes it difficult to recommend it wholeheartedly. The show starts out really strong and I enjoyed the performances of all the children. In particular, I thought the young Baek Won (Kim You Jung) and the young Seo Do Young (Oh Jae Moo) were wonderful. The cast of veteran actors all had flawless performances and laid out a great foundation for the remainder of the series. Then.... it fast forwards 14 years and it all falls apart. The transition to the adult cast wasn't as smooth as I'd have liked and a lot of the drama became boring, repetitive, and exhausting. How many times did the audience have to watch Uee and Jung Il Woo cry and pine for one another? Too many to count. Then, after sticking with it for 41 episodes, it all wraps up with a terrible ending. It very well may rival Bride of the Century for the worst ending...ever.