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.

Miss Korea

Plot:  Miss Korea is a period production set during the IMF crisis in 1997. It follows the trials and tribulations of Oh Ji Young (Lee Yeon Hee) as she vies for the title (and tiara) of Miss Korea at the national beauty pageant. The story is made more complex with the introduction of an old flame (Lee Sun Kyun) that has his own agenda for persuading Oh Ji Young to pursue her dream of being crowned the winner of the pageant.

Good but slow.

Recommendation:  This series starts off strong but runs into some pacing issues after the first several episodes. Viewers with the patience to get through the less exciting episodes in the middle will be rewarded with a very satisfying conclusion at the end. This is a great dramatization of the pageant world and the lengths women will go to wear the crown. It won't make my top 10 list but I still recommend it for RomCom enthusiasts and fans of  Lee Sun Kyun, Lee Ki Woo, and Lee Yeon Hee.

Disturbing or cute?

Other Thoughts: I really wanted to like this one a lot. It had all the right ingredients for a great k-drama: wonderful casting, an interesting setting, and creative plot twists. But the show crept along so slowly that by the time the winner of the pageant was announced I was more interested in the romance between two of the supporting characters - Teacher Jung (Lee Sung Min) and Ko Hwa Jung (Song Seon Mi). I can't find any specific flaws with the acting or the story. It has more to do with the delivery.

My first introduction to Lee Yeon Hee, who played Oh Ji Young, was in the drama Paradise Ranch. I'll be honest and admit that I never finished watching that series because I found most of the characters inane and boring. It really wasn't a great display of her talent. Miss Korea, on the other hand, was a much better vehicle for her to show some range and I liked the sass that she brought to the character Oh Ji Young. The stylists also did a great job of making her look effortlessly gorgeous.

On a side note, Lee Ki Woo was once again cast as the guy that doesn't get the girl. He's got the acting chops to pull off a leading role and he is plenty good looking. So, why?! WHY?!! This is my earnest plea to Lee Ki Woo: Do not accept another role where your character is relegated to being the jerky a-hole that has no chance of winning the leading lady's heart!

I don't know why but I kept waiting for Kim Hyung Joon (Lee Sun Kyun) to stand outside Oh Ji Young's window with a boom box held up over his head ala Say Anything. Is it just me?

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!