Prime Minister & I

4 out 5 - Shall We Dance?

Plot: Nam Da Jung (Yoona) is leading a decent life as an entertainment (read: paparazzi) journalist in order to support her sick father. But when she finds herself caught on film in a seemingly compromising position with the nominee for prime minister of South Korea (Lee Beom Soo), Nam Da Jung's world is turned upside down. In order to save her reputation and his political career, they agree to announce they are dating to the media. One thing leads to another and soon they end up married. Everything starts to unravel when this unlikely couple realizes that they just might be in love.

Recommendation: It's too early to tell if this will make my "must watch" list of 2014. But I really enjoyed the pairing of Lee Beom Soo and Yoona in this drama and the plot was nicely paced. I even liked the ending. If romantic comedies with a touch of drama are your thing, I'd say it is worth the 17 hour investment of time.

Other Thoughts: One of the really nice things about the DramaFever app is that viewers can post reviews and rate dramas. Periodically, I scan the reviews for shows that I'm watching just to get a sense of public opinion. The Prime Minister & I  had several hundred reviews and there were three common themes. The first is that many reviewers felt the age disparity between Kwon Yool (Lee Beom Soo) and Nam Da Jung (Yoona) was too great. Second, there was a lot of Yoona hating - for no specific reason that I could see. And, finally, Kang In Ho (Yoon Si Yoon) is "cute."

I think the reviewers got 2 out of 3... wrong! Kwon Yool and Nam Da Jung were never supposed to make sense as a couple but they found something in one another that, for lack of a better phrase, made them complete. Age, background, life experience, etc... It was all of their differences that made them work well together. Yoona brought a refreshing youthfulness and optimism to Nam Da Jung. Lee Beom Soo brought a necessary levity and maturity to the prime minister, Kwon Yool. It was a good match of talent. My only complaint is that while I felt they were connected emotionally it was never expressed physically. It would have been nice to see some hand holding, hugs, and even a few more kisses. They never kissed after confessing their feelings!

And, yes, Yoon Si Yoon is, indeed, cute. Oddly enough, I didn't immediately recognize him as Enrique from Flower Boy Next Store (one of my top 10 dramas). Maybe it was the change in hair color?

The children in this series also deserve some accolades. Where do all these amazing child actors keep coming from? I've seen a string of dramas recently where children play huge roles in the series and they have all been exceptionally talented. This includes: The Suspicious Housekeeper; Wonderful Mama; You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin; and Golden Rainbow. How adorable was Kwon Man Se?!

Full House Take 2

3 out of 5 - Full House Lite!

Recommendation: This is a fun drama that offers up more laughs than tears. There's not much that connects it to the original Full House and, if viewed solely on its own merits, it is equivalent to a drama like Pretty Man. If you need something to fill the time between currently airing dramas - this is it.

Plot:  Full House Take 2 follows the trials and tribulations of  the internationally successful pop duo Take One. Lee Tae Ik (No Min Woo) is the tall, dark, and handsome leader known for his prickly personality. Won Kang Hwi (Park Ki Woong) is the latter half of the team and best described as bubbly. By fate or coincidence, both members of the group connect with Jang Man Ok (Hwang Jung Eum), who inadvertently brings great change and success to their lives. How does it relate to the original Full House? There is a house also named "Full House" that was built by Lee Tae Ik's father.

What did I think?

Not too shabby. It was a great way to escape the polar vortex.

I was reluctant to give this drama a go because I'm such a fan of the original. But, really, Full House Take 2 could have been named Full House Lite because the sequel had all the trademark comedy of the original but without the same level of heartache and drama. I distinctly remember balling my eyes out when Han Ji Eun begged Lee Young Jae for the break-up because it was so painful for her to be in love with him. There was never a moment in Full House Take 2 where I felt that emotionally engaged.

Blondes do have more fun!

The real gem of this production, though, was Park Ki Woong. He played the second half of the pop duo, Won Kang Hwi. First, I want to say that I loved the blonde locks. I'm usually not a fan of it on Korean men but he wore the look well and it suited his character. There was just something about him that exuded charm and he stole the scene every time he smiled. His character should have come off as vapid but I found him totally lovable.

Hwang Jung Eum, as Jang Man Ok, really wasn't pushed to her full potential. If you've seen Secret, you will understand what I'm saying. She's an amazing dramatic actress and this felt like a role that only required about 50% of her full range.

The only real detractor from the drama was the music. Take One only has one song that they perform over and over again in different costumes. They save all the other songs for the second to last episode.

After School: Lucky or Not

5 out of 5 - Awesomesauce!

Instead of summarizing this drama, I have found a video clip posted by DramaFever. It is a great introduction to After School: Lucky or Not. This series consists of 12 - 15 minute episodes.

 

For all of the full episodes - go here.

Rating: 5 out of 5 

Recommendation: This is a must watch for me. It's fun and doesn't require a huge investment of time. When it is over, you've been part of a touching story and feel really good.

 

After School: Lucky or Not is an unexpected journey. It starts out silly with humor that largely consists of bathroom jokes and sexual innuendo - not a big surprise for a high school drama. Below the bathroom humor, though, there is a cleverness to the way each episode is constructed and how everything comes together. Without even realizing it, the audience becomes invested in these characters and the background story of the club's origins. I laughed. I cried. I smiled. I felt really good going into the closing scene of the final episode. It had a very satisfying ending, which is where most k-dramas tend to fall short. This is why I have awarded it my first ever 5 out of 5 soju bottles!

Another highlight of the series were Seo Kang Joon and Gong Myung. They were the glue that really kept this show together and I think they turned in the most well rounded performances among the cast. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we see both of these young actors taking on bigger and more challenging roles in the future.

Who is your favorite member of the club?

Pretty Man

3 out of 5 - I coulda' been a contenda'.

Pretty Man is a drama that follows the journey of Dok Go Ma Te (Jang Geun Suk) as he works to solve the mystery of his birth and claim his place as the son of a wealthy businessman. Dok Go Ma Te is established as a gold digger at the beginning of the drama. He uses his good looks to attract wealthy women, who then foot the bill for his lifestyle. He has a trusted sidekick in the form of Kim Bo Tong (IU). She has been in love with him since high school. With the help of Hong Yoo Ra (Han Chae Young), Ma Te sets out to "conquer" powerful woman and learn their secrets to success in order to prepare for his eventual reunion with his father - ultimately growing as a person and casting off his playboy ways.

Rating: 3 out  5
Recommendation:  It's not perfect but it is entertaining even as it fails to deliver a satisfying end. It's worth a watch.

I believe that this was a good and interesting concept for a drama but the execution left a little something to be desired - especially toward the end when the conclusion felt rushed. The relationship between Ma Te and Bo Tong also never felt quite genuine and it needed to in order for the characters to evolve. I chalk it up to poor chemistry between the actors. Their kiss in the last scene was as exciting as my train ride to work. Want to know what I do on the train? I sleep.

But it wasn't all bad! Jang Geun Suk held his own as Ma Te and added some complexity to a character that could have easily been a caricature. He took the role just seriously enough to make it interesting without losing the fun. Lee Jang Woo also stood out as the quirky and troubled Choi David. This is the second drama that I've seen with Lee Jang Woo and I continue to be impressed with him. Altogether, the drama was solid up until the last 3-4 episodes.

Most importantly, I want to applaud a silent star of this drama for putting in a strong performance week after week........Wait for it........ Jang Geun Suk's hair!! I have put together a photo montage of the hair in action. There's long and wavy, short and wavy, combed back, combed forward, swept to the side, and tousled. This is the hardest working hair on television. Do you have a favorite?

Shown in order of appearance....

K-Pop Tangent

Today, I'm going to go off on a tangent and talk about music. The whole k-pop thing hasn't really caught my attention or interested me much but I stumbled upon some musicians recently and I'm totally obsessed with them! 

#1 Obsession

Jung Yup

The other day I was randomly searching through the Viki app looking at some of the television shows they are offering. I stumbled upon one called Live Session, which is very similar to the old MTV Unplugged series. Korean musicians are invited to come to a small stage and perform with a band. Unlike Unplugged, though, there is no audience and the musician does some Q&A between songs.

I skimmed through a few episodes until I came across the one with Jung Yup. He's well known for being a member of the R&B band Brown Eyed Soul and does a lot of composing on the side for other artists & dramas. If you seen 49 Days, you have heard some of his work. 

So, I'm watching this episode and the man obviously has talent. His voice conveys so much emotion and his vocal range is tremendous. Instead of skimming, I watched the full performance. Then, he does this AMAZING cover of Lionel Richie's "Hello." Hello?! He had me at, "I've been alone with you inside my mind...."

It took a bit of research and some internet searches for variations on the spelling of his name but eventually I found one of his albums (Think'in back on me) on iTunes (search: jungyup). I don't know how to speak more than a few words of Korean but the songs are still great and there are a few tracks entirely in English. My favorites are "You are My Lady" and "To Shy to Say." More please!

#2 Obsession

Rose Motel

Courtesy of Infinity Challenge, I was introduced to this band. They caught my attention when they sat down and had an impromptu jam session with one of the show’s hosts.  It was a really phenomenal display of their talent from the musicianship to the vocals. Consequently, I sought out their album on iTunes and I am really enjoying every track. The band is labeled as both pop and folk, which isn’t surprising as they are largely made up of acoustic guitars and drums. If you want a taste, check out the tracks “I Like You” , "Bonsugi", and “If You Spend Too Long Time Single” (not sure on this last title but that is how it is written on the track list). Rose Motel is still pretty new to the spotlight but I expect we'll be seeing more of them in the near future.

Just to be clear, this isn't your typical k-pop boy group. These guys look more like a garage band made up of your brother's best friends. What they may lack in appearance, they make up for with talent, creativity, and originality. If I ever found myself in South Korea, these are guys I'd want to hang with. 

#3 Obsession

Brown Eyed Soul

Last, but not least, Brown Eyed Soul is my #3 obsession. After I exhausted my listening options for Jeong Yeop’s solo work (iTunes has a very limited selection and Amazon has none), I decided to check out the band. I wasn’t disappointed at all.  The best way to describe this band is chameleon like. They are officially dubbed an R&B group but their sound is eclectic. One track, they are crooning out an 80s styled ballad and the next one is a very modern and funky number. Then, they layer really rich harmonies on it and come out with something that feels both classic and new. The tracks that have caught my attention are “Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Your Song”, and “Love Ballad.” 

Her Legend

3 out 5 ain't half bad

This review was started a few months back and has been sitting in edit mode. It looked lonely with the "draft" tag next to it so I thought, "I have time to kill. Why don't I finish it?"

My final rating is 3 soju bottles and that might be a bit generous for this drama. I had issues with the pace, development of the story, the lead actors, and some other minor things not worth mentioning. For more information on the plot and actors check out this link.

The one thing that I'd like to focus on regarding this drama is SDGS because I've seen it in several other dramas and it always irritates me. Her Legend is a glaring example of it.

What is SDGS?

Smart Dumb Girl Syndrome

It is best defined as the inability of a heroine in a Korean drama to perceive that she is being lied to, cheated, robbed, extorted, and/or abused - generally by the people closest to her. She will continuously tolerate behavior that in any other circumstance is not acceptable. This heroine is generally well educated, talented, and worldly, which makes it all the more baffling.

The below illustration is an excerpt from Her Legend depicting SDGS:

Needless to say, the cousin was hiding something as were several other supporting characters. And, yet, it is a shocking revelation at the end of the series. For me, it wasn't so shocking and I saw what was coming at least 5 episodes into the series, maybe earlier. Sadly, the most exciting thing about this drama were the handbags.

For another classic example of SDGS check out Shining Inheritance.

Before I close out the topic of Her Legend, I'm going to throw out one final observation. Does anyone else see a resemblance between Choi Jung-won and (a young) Shannen Doherty?

Goodbye, 2013

I hate to admit it. But I watched so many k-dramas last year that I'm not sure I can recall them all and I certainly can't even recall the names of the actors in them. So, I am resolving to do a better job of keeping track and posting updates here. I'll also try to do something more creative and fun with it this year.


I still have plenty to say about last years round of shows, however, I don't feel like writing it up. Instead, I'll categorize them as good, bad, and ugly.

The good...

• The Master's Sun
• Jung-Yi: Goddess of Fire
• Flower Boy Next Door
• Heirs
• I Summon You, Gold
• Your the Best, Lee Soon Shin
• Secret
• Wonderful Mama
• Good Doctor

The bad...

•  Her Legend

The ugly...

• Nail Shop Paris (couldn't get through the whole series)

There are a few more that I have not finished watching yet for one reason or the other and, thus, I haven't categorized them any which way. This includes The Suspicious Housekeeper, Who are You, I Can Hear Your Voice, Gu Family Book, Marry Him if You Dare, and Golden Rainbow. 

Part of me is tempted to stick I Can Hear Your Voice in the bad category just because it looks like Lee Bo Young's character is going to reject Yoon Sang Hyun's character (part of the reason I stopped watching). In what world, fictional or otherwise, is that right?! It's Oska! Oska!

That all said, I am happy with the start to 2014. Let's Eat, Miss Korea, The Prime Minister & I (aka The Prime Minister is Dating) and My Love From Another Star are all worthy of viewing for anyone looking to satisfy their need for good romantic comedies/dramas.

All of them can be accessed either through services like Hulu and Dramafever on the internet. Viki also has a nice iPhone app that makes catching up on the shows with minimal commercials nice. But the translations are not always complete or timed properly.