Comments Wanted

One of the many reasons that I began this blog is because I wanted to engage with other people that share my love of all things k-drama. My opinions are obviously not representative of anything other than my own point of view and so I'd love to hear from the people that are checking in regularly - I know you are out there.

Am I totally off base with a particular review? Do you agree? Should there be more original artwork or less? More photos or less? Talk to me!

I will draw a personalized stick figure for the first person that posts a legitimate comment to any of the reviews that appear on this blog. Of course, I get to decide what is a legitimate comment. =)

I'm also still looking for ideas on how to represent "revenge" as a drama tag.

Happy commenting!

Angel Eyes

Summary: Angel Eyes is a 2014 k-drama produced for SBS. This 20 episode series follows the relationship between Yoon Soo Wan (Ku Hye Sun) and Park Dong Joo (Lee Sang Yoon). Their fairytale romance begins when they meet as teenagers and fall in love. Yoon Soo Wan is a lonely girl suffering from blindness and carrying the guilt of her mother's accidental death on her shoulders. Park Dong Joo is a hardworking teenager trying to help support his family after the death of his father. They find happiness and support in one another until they are tragically torn apart. Years later, Park Dong Joo returns to find Yoon Soo Wan, whose vision has been restored. Will she recognize her first love now that she can see? And, can they overcome obstacles from the past that are holding them back?

Recommendation: I liked Angel Eyes and I'm willing to positively recommend it to others. It has a strong start and it carries well through the first 10-12 episodes. But, in all honesty, they could have wrapped it up neatly by episode 16 with a few tweaks. I had figured out all the major players and how the story would resolve as soon as the adult cast was introduced. The main reason for continuing to watch was to see how the events would unfold and for the combined hotness of Lee Sang Yoon and Kim Ji Suk. I'm not a fan of Ku Hye Sun but I think she turned in a reasonably good performance for this series and her chemistry with Lee Sang Yoon was spot on. A surprising treat was Seung-Ri in the role of Teddy Seo. I know he's a pop star but this was my first exposure to him and I think he held his own against the more seasoned actors.

Gap Dong

Summary: Gap Dong is a 20 episode k-drama, loosely based on real events, produced for TvN. The central plot of the story involves the investigation into the serial killer Gap Dong, who is known to have committed 9 murders in the early 90s. Ha Moo Yeom (Yoon Sang Hyun), a child at the time, watched as his father was accused of the crimes and ultimately driven to commit suicide. 20 years later, Ha Moo Yeom has become a police detective living in the shadow of Gap Dong. When a new murder occurs that bears all the trademark characteristics of a Gap Dong killing, Ha Moo Yeom is forced to reconcile with his troubled past while searching for clues that will identify the "real" Gap Dong.

Recommendation: I am going to start off by saying that I really enjoyed this k-drama as a whole. It is a little difficult to write about it without giving away key details that will ruin the series for those that have not seen it yet. That being said, I will recommend avoiding my "Other Thoughts" as it will definitely contain spoilers. Without giving away too many details, I found the story to be complete, the acting good, and the treatment of the "catch the serial killer" genre very clever. It doesn't try to hide the identity of the villain(s) but still manages to maintain its unpredictable factor. As always, Yoon Sang Hyun is AMAZING. He is clearly the leading man and does his job well. But he is fully supported by an ensemble with a high level of talent. If not for the poorly written female characters, this k-drama might have scored better.

Series Alert: Nodame Cantabile

I happened to stumble across this by pure accident. But it looks like Joo Won's next project is confirmed to be a remake of the 2006 Japanese drama Nodame Cantabile. This is another manga-turned-live-action drama about a group of aspiring, and somewhat quirky, musicians attending a music academy.

The Japanese episodes are available for viewing on YouTube, with English subtitles, for those that are interested in what we might be seeing come October, which is when the remake is scheduled to broadcast. Search for "Nodame Cantabile episodes" and it should be at the top of the results.

I am pretty excited about this drama for a few reasons. First, it bears some striking similarities to Beethoven's Virus, which is in my top 10 BEST EVER k-dramas. But it is different enough to feel fresh. Second, Joo Won (Good Doctor, Bridal Mask) is a versatile and talented actor that I feel confident can fill the role of Chiaki Shinichi without losing anything in translation. Third, the drama brings classical music to life in an era where it doesn't garner much attention. The j-drama devotes significant time just to the performances (I've had goosebumps a couple times) and I hope the k-drama remake will do the same.

There are some internet rumors that Yoona (Prime Minister & I, Love Rain) is being considered for the female lead, Nodame, and I am a bit on the fence with that casting choice. She's an okay actress with a musical background. The latter may trump the former for this project. But I have only seen her in roles where she's required to be cute and I wonder if she can channel the necessary awkwardness needed to capture the essence of Nodame. Just my opinion.

As I learn more, I'll update this post!

Witch's Romance

Summary: Witch's Romance is a 16 episode 2014 k-drama produced for TvN. This romantic comedy explores the unlikely romance between Ban Ji Yeon (Uhm Jung Hwa), a jilted-at-the-altar 39 year old reporter with a difficult personality, and Yoon Dong Ha (Park Seo Jun), a 25 year old professional part-timer still grieving for his dead girlfriend. As they both try to mend broken hearts, they find the companionship they've been missing in one another and the courage to fall in love again.

3 1/2 Hearts for Lots of Laughs

 Recommendation: I loved this k-drama! It is so much fun that I often found myself giggling like a little kid as I watched each episode. The strength of this series rests entirely on the cast as the plot is fairly standard for this genre and doesn't offer up a lot of surprises. Park Seo Joon and Uhm Jung Hwa do most of the heavy lifting with great chemistry and an aura of playfulness that lights up the screen whenever they are together. Maybe I'm a little boy crazy because I'm a fan of all the bromances popping up in k-dramaland lately. Park Seo Joon and Yoon Hyun Min were completely adorkable as BFFs and roommates. I couldn't get enough of them. As expected, all the loose ends in this k-drama are tied up neatly by the last episode and the audience gets to walk away with a big smile.

First Look: June/July K-Drama Premieres

Endless Love
Tag Line: Murder and Revenge and Love Triangle, Oh My!
Thoughts: I just watched the first four episodes of this series and, while it was entertaining, I found some of the characters to be obnoxious. Hwang Jung Eum excels at dramatic roles but her character  is...well...dumb. She's been portrayed as smart but can't seem to understand that her life is in danger every time she opens her mouth to talk. I chalked it up to "youth" as the series starts with her in high school. Still, other characters are equally stupid. I'm not familiar with the political/social climate of 1980s South Korea so there's a chance that I'm misunderstanding something.. Still, I'm going to keep watching but with 40 episodes there is a high probability that I give up half-way through. I do like that the k-drama has been filmed with a 1980s soap opera vibe. It feels... vintage.

Fated to Love You
Tag Line: One night stands leads to love....and a baby! Oops!
Thoughts: I've been vocal about my love of all things Jang Hyuk but that doesn't necessarily earn this k-drama a free pass. I have pretty high expectations after watching the Taiwanese production. The first episode had me a little concerned. Lee Gun, as a character, is more over the top and quirky than the T-drama's male lead and Jang Hyuk has put his unique spin on it (OMG! The laugh!). But, after the second episode, I felt the series coming into its own and I think Jang Hyuk and Jang Na Ra have the potential to surpass the performance of the original cast. I am super excited to see how the S. Korean crew continues to adapt the setting, characters, and plot of this drama.

High School: Love On
Tag Line: Did I die and go to heaven? Cuz, I see an angel!
Thoughts: There really isn't much to think about with this particular k-drama. It's a fun high school series that was written to showcase singers from the boy band Infinite. If that doesn't pique your interest, then you could always watch for the awkwardness that is casting a 13 year old teenage girl as the romantic lead opposite two 20-something pop stars. I'll admit that she's holding her own as a fallen angel and I think her age lends itself well to the innocence and inexperience of the character. At 20 episodes airing 1x per week, this show will be around for a while.

It's Okay, That's Love
Tag Line: The patient helps the doctor...
Thoughts: This series has me really excited. As of the 4th episode, there has been an unexpected twist in the story and I'm really interested to see where all of this goes. Every character has a story in this drama and the way the come together and interact is fun. Gong Hyo Jin is a proven talent, but this is my first encounter with Jo In Sung and I'm enjoying his work. How can I not appreciate a guy that can pull off sandals with a suit?

The Joseon Gunman 
Tag Line: The Gun is Mightier than the Sword
Thoughts: We are officially two episodes into this historical drama and I have to say it's been pretty exciting. Lee Joon Gi takes on the role of Park Yoon Kang, the son of Joseon's best swordsman. But after a tragic event, he takes up the gun to seek revenge. We haven't made it to the tragic event, yet. But I suspect it will happen in episode 3. Lee Joon Gi is charming, as always, and he has great chemistry with Nam Sang Mi. I'm looking forward to watching this series develop over the coming weeks. 

King of High School Life Conduct
Tag Line: Bros before..um...high school.
Thoughts: This is the newest Seo In Guk comedy series about which there has been generally positive reviews. He portrays the character Lee Min Suk, a high school student that is fulfilling the request of his elder brother to stand-in for him at his new job for a couple months. I have really enjoyed the first four episodes and there have been some surprisingly touching moments in what is otherwise a lighthearted script. Seo In Guk falls into that category of actors that can still do the high school thing believably despite being in his late 20s and I'm happy to see Lee Tae Hwan (After School: Lucky or Not) in a full length k-drama. Normally, I don't buy the hot actress as a nerd casting choice. However, Lee Ha Na has been convincing as a woman lacking self-confidence and struggling to find her inner diva. She's one of the few characters with whom I can truly empathize. I can't wait to see how she transforms.

Marriage, Not Dating
Tag Line: Fake girlfriends leads to real marriage?
Thoughts: This one is hot off the press. I finished watching the first two episodes last night. At this point, I'm feeling a little disgruntled with the treatment of female characters in this round of summertime dramas. They are EQ dumb, IQ dumb, and personality deficient. The series starts off with the female lead attempting to propose to her boyfriend, who immediately flees and attempts to break-up with her by avoiding her. She can't take a hint and proceeds to call him 300 times. Ultimately, she is accused of stalking and it segues into the main plot. I guess being overly idealistic about love is supposed to make the character likable. By the end of episode 2, her best friend is eyeballing the guy that dumped her via text. What?! WHAT?! I don't want to condemn the series at this point because there are still entertaining moments. I just want the stupidity to stop. Someone write me a decent female character....please.

Trot Lovers (aka Lovers of Music)
Tag Line: She's a little bit country. He's a little bit rock n' roll.
Thoughts: Trot Lovers has started off strong with some major star power tied to the production (Ji Hyun Woo, Jung Eun Ji, and Shin Sung Rok). The series follows Choi Choon Hee, a down on her luck fitness professional, and Jang Joon Hyun, a down on his luck pop-star, as they are forced to work together to overcome professional and personal slumps. Now, I'm always a little skeptical with any series that heavily involves music. If I have to listen to variations of the same song for 16 episodes, I'll go crazy - hence my rating of "Just Okay." If the series manages the music well, I will have no problem changing this to a thumbs up. The main characters are all very interesting and have great chemistry. The plot is evolving quickly, too. I'm also happy to see Shin Sung Rok back and rocking a new do, as well as, a non-serial killer persona. And, it goes without saying, I <3 Ji Hyun Woo.

Beyond the Clouds (The Full Sun)

Summary: Beyond the Clouds (aka The Full Sun) is a 16 episode 2014 k-drama produced for KBS2. This series  follows the story of Jung Se Ro (Yoon Kye Sang) as he is falsely accused of murder while visiting his father in Thailand and imprisoned for five years. When he is finally set free, he heads back to South Korea with a plan to destroy the woman (Han Ji Hye) that he believes is responsible for ruining his life. But as his plot to seek revenge begins to unfold, he realizes that everything is not as it appears to be and he unexpectedly develops feelings for the woman whose life he intends to ruin.

-1 heart for too much crying

Recommendation: This is a must watch! Beyond the Clouds is a quick 16 episodes that is packed with plot twists, betrayal, and romance. This is also one of the more beautifully filmed k-dramas that I have come across recently. It is full of panoramic views, long looming shadows, and carefully staged moments between the actors. The story is beautifully crafted and brought to life by a great cast. Yoon Kye Sang and Han Ji Hye have an on-screen chemistry that clicks and they could easily contend for some "Best Kiss" of 2014 awards. For once, I loved the ending and it felt like the story had come full circle as the credits rolled. That's a rare treat in a k-drama.