Doctor Stranger

Title:	Doctor Stranger
Alternate Title(s):	N/A
Genre(s):	Medical Drama, Political Drama
Episodes	20
Network:	SBS
Year Produced:	2014
Available to Watch On:	DramaFever, viki, Hulu, dramafans.org

Summary: Doctor Stranger is an epic tale of true love conquering insurmountable obstacles. Park Hoon (Lee Jong Suk) is abducted as a child in order to force his father, a gifted heart surgeon, to perform surgery on the North Korean leader. The understanding is that they'd be returned to South Korea when the surgery is completed successfully. But a corrupt South Korean politician arranges for their execution instead. The North Korean government fakes the execution and the two become stranded in a foreign country without the means to return home. It is there that Park Hoon meets his first and only love, Song Jae Hee (Jin Se Yeon), and the two grow-up together with dreams of becoming doctors. But Park Hoon is placed into a brutal medical program where he is forced to experiment on living people - often taking their lives in the process. Meanwhile, Song Jae Hee is placed into a labor camp with her father. Fate plays a cruel trick on the star crossed lovers as they struggle to reunite and free themselves from the political machinations of the people that destroyed their lives.

RATING:

♥♥½
Dr. Stranger - Just Strange. 

Recommendation: The first two episodes of this k-drama are thrilling. They move fast and take the audience on a globe trotting adventure through South Korea, North Korea (at least a set that looks like it), and Hungary. It is exciting! I even believed, very briefly, that the prospects for this to be a "k-drama of 2014" were very good. Then, the show fast forwards a few years and permanently relocates to South Korea where it all falls apart. It feels a little bit like a k-drama written by committee: one person wanted it to be a medical drama, someone else wanted it to a suspenseful espionage thriller, and another person wanted an epic romance. Unable to make a decision, they added everything into the series. Perhaps if Dr. Stranger had focused heavily on one or the other the outcome might have been more satisfying. Even the relationship between Park Hoon and Song Jae Hee feels awkward and forced at times, the chemistry lacking. Eventually, I began to wonder if they knew what their characters were doing or thinking: "Am I a spy? Am I a doctor? Do I want to kill you or love you? I don't know!" At the very least, the surgeries were nicely choreographed and tense. I was reasonably sold on Lee Jong Suk and Park Hae Jin as talented surgeons. That's something, I suppose.

Three Days

Title:	Three Days
Alternate Title(s):	3 Days
Network:	SBS
Year Produced:	2014

Summary: Three Days is a 2014 South Korean drama produced for SBS. This dark political thriller follows Secret Service Agent Han Tae Kyung (Park Yoo Chun) as he races against the clock to prevent the financial ruin of South Korea and the deaths of innocent civilians. The story begins with the mysterious death of his father and quickly escalates into an assassination attempt of the S. Korean president. But as Agent Han discovers, those events are just the tip of the iceberg. Now, he must unravel a decades old conspiracy in search of clues to prevent another tragedy. The series also stars well-known actors Park Ha Sun, Choi Won Young, and So E Hyun.

2.5 = I really wanted to like this one...

Recommendation: Here's the thing: I feel absolutely nothing about this k-drama. I don't love it and I don't hate it. It's just kind of... there. It was difficult to empathize with any of the characters' plights and I was indifferent to the outcome right up until the end of episode 13. Sure, there were some exciting action sequences and staring at Park Yoo Chun for 16 hours isn't a bad way to spend my free time. But I want to cry, laugh, and feel emotionally invested in the fates of the characters when I watch a movie, television show, play, etc... So, I'm sorry to report that this k-drama is a no-go for me. If you like political-conspiracy-action k-dramas, it might be worth your time.

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.

God's Gift - 14 Days

Summary: God's Gift - 14 Days is a 2014 k-drama produced for SBS starring Lee Bo Young and Cho Seung Woo. In this complicated tale of betrayal and murder, Kim Soo Hyun (Lee Bo Young) and Ki Dong Chan (Cho Seung Woo) are sent back 14 days prior to the death of her young daughter, Han Saet Byeol (Kim Yoo Bin), and the execution of his brother, Ki Dong Ho (Jung Eun Pyo). As the two race against the clock to uncover the truth and prevent these deaths, they discover that their fates are more closely connected than they could have ever imagined.

-1/2 heart for making me cry too much

Recommendation: This is a drama series that is on my "must watch" list for 2014. It's a nearly flawless production and the story is complicated without getting clumsy. God's Gift moves at a fairly quick pace starting with episode three and the audience quickly realizes that the characters are very different from how they are initially presented. It is interesting to watch how their masks get stripped away. Now, this isn't my favorite genre and I don't particularly like watching dramas that involve violence against children. But the script writer and director did a wonderful job of implying action without being graphic. The ending is apparently controversial among fans and I don't know if I necessarily love it. But I do think it was appropriate and fit with the theme of the series. It's not a bad thing to leave the audience with a few unanswered questions.