Showing posts with label big business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label big business. Show all posts

Saturday, March 28, 2015

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.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Big Man


Title:  Big Man
Alternate Title(s):  N/A
Genre(s):  Crime & Mystery
Episodes  16
Network:  KBS2
Year Produced:  2014
Available to Watch On:  DramaFever, viki, Hulu, dramafans.org

Summary: Big Man is a South Korean drama directed by Ji Yeong Su. A tale of lies and betryal, this k-drama follows Kim Ji Hyeok (Kang Ji Hwan) as he is intentionally misled by the wealthy Kang family, owners of the Hyunsung conglomerate, to believe he is their missing son. The reason for their manipulation is that they botched the attempt to steal Kim Ji Hyeok's heart for their sick son, Kang Dong Seok (Daniel Choi). When the family's evil intentions are revealed, Kim Ji Hyeok must go head to head with Kang Dong Seok in a high stakes battle of corporate espionage and black market dealings where the winner takes it all.
RATING:
Big Man = Big Disappointment

Recommendation: There's no denying that I'm a fan of Kang Ji Hwan. The more of his work that I see the more I like him. But... Big Man is a disappointment. As one of the series that I was most anticipating in 2014, I hate giving it the proverbial thumb down. Kang Ji Hwan and Daniel Choi are each power house actors in their own right. And, together, they should have been a big win for this k-drama. But the characters are unlikable and most of them have few to no redeeming qualities. Even Kim Ji Hyeok, our hero, is loud, obnoxious, and just plain over-the-top, making him hard to love. It's either bad acting, bad direction, or bad writing - take your pick because all of them are suspects. That's not to say there aren't "moments" in the series that are genuine and strike the right balance between entertainment and suspended reality. The overall experience, though, is like being in a bad relationship. You think it will get better if you stick around just a little bit longer. Here's my warning: It doesn't.