A Story Retold Across Asian Dramas - Another Great Twist on a Great Story

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2009 South Korean drama that is a re-make of a series of books (Japanese manga) entitled "Boys Over Flowers" written by Yoko Kamio. The series spans 25, 60 minute, episodes.
Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun) saves a student of an elite high school earning her a "scholarship" and entry to the school. While there she gets bullied by the leader of the school's "F4" - four of the richest, talented, and most sought after boys in the school of the wealthy and connected. Jan-di is not one to be "put in her place" and stands up to F4 an action which earns her their grudging admiration. Gu Jun-Pyo (Lee Min-ho) pulls a series of mean spirited pranks on Jan-di in an effort to bring her around to the fear and worship like behavior that most bestow upon him. Yoon Ji-hu (Kim Hyun-joong) is another member of F4 but he has a streak of kindness and sticks up and/or saves Jan-di on several occasions causing her to develop feelings for him. It is not long before Gu Jun-Pyo starts to fall for this very different girl. The other two F4 members Song Wui-bin (Kim Joon) whose family owns a construction business and So Yi-Jun (Kim Bum) who is a skilled potter whose family owns an art museum, are the other two boys who have been friends since they were young children. Yi-Jun later falls for Jan-di's best friend and gives up his lady's man ways. The central story is about Jun-pyo and Jan-di. Is love enough to overcome the expectations for the heir of an empire?

Spoiler 🚨 I watched "Meteor Garden" (2018) Chinese drama prior to watching this. I found that, having watched that, I understood certain aspects of Boys Over Flowers (BOF) that were covered more in-depth in Meteor Garden then in BOF. To me, in BOF, it did not explain, as much, what the big deal was about F4 and how they came to be so revered in the school. There is a much more in-depth focus on each boy and their special talents. I think each character was cast well in each rendition but I personally liked Yoon Ji-hu (Kim Hyun-joong) character in BOF. I was more torn in this one over the love triangle than I was in Meteor Garden. I agree with another blogger that said the additional episodes in "Meteor Garden" 2018 allowed for a lot greater character development than BOF and a lot of the plot details were explored more fully. I am a fan of Lee Min-ho which is one of the reasons I wanted to watch this and he didn't disappoint. Strangely I liked the beginning and ending of Meteor Garden more because I felt like it did better setting it up and closing it out. But I loved the grand nature of BOF and I like the characterizations. I think it is worth watching all the various renditions as each brings out different aspects of this very compelling story. What girl wouldn't want four gorgeous guys watching out for her?

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About the Other Sister - cute love story

9/10 is my rating. This South Korean television drama is also known as Dear Fair Lady Kong Shim. This drama spans 20, 60 minute, episodes.
It can be tough to grow up in the shadow of an older (or younger) sibling who seems to be doing much better in life than you. Gong Shim (Bang Minah) finds growing up in the outskirts of the limelight cast on her older sistter, Gong Mi (Seo Hyo-rim), leaves her feeling inadequate in many ways. The older sister is beautiful and successful (a lawyer in a top firm) and pays for all the families' living expenses. Gong Shim is a jobless artist who does odd jobs to gather money to change her life by moving to Italy and studying art. She has a rooftop apartment as her sister was given her bedroom as a wardrobe - leaving Gong Shim the choice of sharing the closet/room or finding her own space. She decides to rent the rooftop room to Ahn Dan-tae (Namkoong Min) a pro bono lawyer with some personality flaws. Through a series of coincidences Dan-tae becomes friends of Joon-soo who is the son of a wealthy family. The older sister smells money and becomes interested in some of her little sister's male acquaintance.

I really liked this drama. Kong shim is very understandable and love-able. I like the character development and the plot twists at the right moments to keep it interesting.

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Great all round drama - highly recommend

0/10 is my rating. This is a 2012 South Korean TV series with 16, 45 minute, episodes. The flower boy band consists of a group of teenage boys who, while they share a love of music, are different in the way they approach the world. The vocalist Joo Byung-hee (Lee Min-ki) is carefree and wild. He leads up the band "Eye Candy" who exist in the underground rock scene. One of the band members is playboy Kim Ha-jin (Yoo Min-kyu) who is a study in contrast from fellow band memeber baby-faced Seo Kyung-jong (Kim Min-seok) . Fashionable Lee Hyun-soo. Their school closes down and they elect to go to a neighboring school when a rival band, Strawberry Fields, is found to be the ruling band at that school. Tensions flare between the rival bands and Eye Candy's lead singer is killed. The band has to pull it back together and make their dream, and their dead friend's a reality. This is an installment of the Flower Boy series by TVN. Spoiler 🚨 I liked the other two I watched so well that I decided to give it a try even with the sad element the summaries on other sites reveal (the death of one of the band members).

Main cast:
Joo Byung-hee (Lee Min-ki) the original lead singer of "Eye Candy" He is wild, crazy and free spirited. He is a talented vocalist and song writer.
Kwon Ji-hyuk (Sung Joon) He become the leader of "Eye Candy" after Byung-hee's unexpected passing. Byung-hee was his best friend and they wrote songs together. His original goal is to realize Byung-hee's dream and play on stage.
Lee Hyun-soo [L (Kim Myung-Soo)] "Eye Candy" guitarist. He was originally Ji-hyuk's closest friend as children until Byung-hee arrived. He learned to play guitar because of Ji-hyuk and his desire to share something with his friend. He has the personality to interact and be the front person for the band. As a caregiver for his younger sister he has motivation to make it big.
Jang Do II (Lee Hyun-jae) is "Eye Candy's" drummer. His father is a mob boss and Do II is often referred to as "the Prince" as a result. He is the peace keeper of the group and makes suprisingly mature observations.
Kim Ha-jin (Yoo Min-kyu) is "Eye Candy's" bass player. He is a playboy/ladies' man. He spends his time, outside of music, dating one girl after another and staying out at clubs.
Seo Kyung-jong (Kim Min-suk) is Eye Candy's keyboardist. He is best friends with Ha-jin and spends a lot of time as his wing man. He is very loyal and often brings levity to the group.
Im Soo-ah (Jo Bo-ah) was Byung-hee's muse and he started a song, before his death, based on his first encounter with her. She was once one of the "rich kids" but her family fell on hard times and she is hiding her new impoverished life. Her and Ji-hyuk are similarly alone in life - with no family close - and form a friendship as neighbors.
Ye-rim (Kim Ye-rim) has known the boys since their younger years and is viewed, by some, as one of the family. She loves Ji-hyuk but he does not return her feelings. She is jealous of Soo-ah who gets a lot of Ji-hyuk's attention.
Yoo Seung-hoon (Jung Eui-chul) lead of the rival band "Strawberry Fields" he is Soo-ah's childhood friend and self professed boyfriend. He is very jealous of Ji-hyuk and Soo-ah's relationship and vows to get revenge.

Spoiler 🚨 I am really glad that I decided to watch this. I have been enjoying the "flower boy" series by TVN. This highlighted some of the prices of fame. I think it is much more extreme in South Korea than in the United States but it is "lonely at the top" for most famous people regardless of the country. I really feel sorry that fans make it so hard on celebrities. I know some of the young celebrities in the United States get a tough rap because they are constantly under the microscope. I liked the bromances - the relationships between the guys in the band was really heartwarming.

I loved this one - the music was great, the story was really compelling and well developed. A lot of reviews rated this lower but I thought the story was so original, the acting and music was really good and I enjoyed it from the first episode to the last.

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Very shallow not much character development

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Japanese drama With 10, 25 minute, episodes. Risa Shiroki (Haruka Fukuhara ) is a shy, naive 20-year-old university student. Originally from the countryside, she moved to the big city, Tokyo, to attend a university. Risa gets constant male attention as she is really pretty and nice and struggles to avoid the many advances. As she is uncomfortably on the run from one amorous suitor, Hiroto Fukami (Dori Sakurada) steps in and pretends he is just late meeting her. Looking handsome and suave in a business suite, the 30-year-old Immediately catches Risa’s interest. Risa and Hiroto are very different she is naive and innocent and he is worldly with a dark past. This drama is based on the manga series "Coffee & Vanilla" by Takara Akegami.

spoiler 🚨 I was really surprised how risqué this was. Their relationship turns physical really quickly. I felt a little frustrated with her total lack of confidence. He is gorgeous and it was a bit challenging to understand what he saw in her. It was entertaining and interesting for me to watch a Jdrama as I watch mostly Korean dramas. I enjoyed it. It just lacked complexity and character development. It ended well which I find important.

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One of the best show with Romance in a Restaurant

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean drama series with 38, 35 minute, episodes.

Seo Poong (Lee Jun-Ho) worked hard to become a star chef and the hotel restaurant has raised the status of the entire hotel. He is on the verge of marrying the daughter of his deceased mentor not only because he loves her but to fulfill a promise to take care of her. He is also receiving recognition for his skill and anticioates a promotion. Little does he know that jealousy and greed have caused a turn of events where he loses all he holds dear. Seo-Poong swallows his pride and strikes up a deal with the former gangster loan shark who bought a restaurant to provide honest work for his friends who are also former gangsters. The restaurant owned by the former gang members failed in the shadow of the prestigious hotel restaurant. Now it looks like the star chef has vowed to turn the failed restaurant into a winning competitor to draw business and get his revenge on the hotel executives who back stabbed him. Doo Chi-Sung (Jang Hyuk) was a tough gangster but hides a kind and soft side along with a deep loyalty for those he considers friends. He agrees to help Seo Pong if he will turn the former gangsters into successful cooks. Training former gangsters with no respect for authority is a challenge Seo Poong may not be up to. Both men had chance encounters with Dan Sae-woo (Jung Ryeo-won) whose husband left her after her father suffered financial scandal and rJin. This down on her luck heiress keeps bumping into the men and tugging their heartstrings. Can this unlikely group make a successful go at the restaurant and will Seo Poong get his revenge? Which of the men will the damsel in distress choose?

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked this and am surprised this is not more prominent in searches of good Asian romantic comedies. I loved so many of the characters in this. The "thugs", in particular boss thug, Chi-sung, had great character depth. He was someone who became who he was in order to survive being orphaned at a young age. He seemed tough on the surface but, in reality, he had a warm heart and giving nature to all of those in his inner circle. Poong approached him early on to strike a deal to be able to get revenge on those that had stabbed him in the back. The love/hate relationship between Poong and Chi-sung was destined to be a great bromance. I really was not sure, until toward the end, who the lead lady would choose. Both seemed like they were great for her in their way. The story was interesting and compelling, it was well acted, the plot moved along at an appropriate pace, and it ended well. The only thing I did not like was there was some loose ends. There was an almost romance between Chi-sung and a woman he kept encountering that you never know what happens to. Chi-sung's mother - you do not know the outcome with her. You suspect that the two that end up together get married but do not know for sure. Still, it was not enough to totally detract from how good this story was. I was interested from beginning to end and was sad to have it end. I know when I get drama withdrawal that I really liked the series. And I felt that way with this one.

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Really the best of kdrama

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2013 South Korean television series with 18, 60 minute, episodes.

Jan Hye-sung (Lee Bo-young) and Park Soo-ha (Lee Jong-suk) share a bond around a crime that occurred when they were children. One was a victim and the other a witness. The tragic event impacts the lives of both main characters as well as the daughter of Hye-sung's mother's former employer (Hye-sung grew up with the daughter as her mother was a live in housekeeper). The killer vows revenge on Hye-sung for her testimony as a witness and Soo-ha states his intent to protect Hye-sung for her brave deed. Time passes and Hye-sung becomes a defense attorney. She had an impoverished childhood which makes her original intention in law just to make money. Soo-ha looks for Hye-sung knowing the killer will soon be released. Hye-sung does not immediately recognize Soo-ha from that childhood connection. However, when she finds out he has a unique ability, he can hear what people are thinking, she beings to utilize his skill in the court room to solve cases. Soo-ha's childhood housemate and frenemy has now become a prosecutor (who was with Hye-sung and was also a witness to the crime but did not testify). When the killer is out he begins his plot for revenge but in a society where reform is believed in, will anyone believe the two that he hasn't changed? Soo-ha will stop at nothing to protect Hye-sung but can she convince him that killing the killer makes him no better?

Spoiler 🚨 I loved everything about this drama. It had romance (and a love triangle of course), suspense, action and mystery. It was very well acted - I have loved everything I have seen with Lee Jong-suk. The roles he takes are complex and the storylines are always exciting and surprising. Lee Bo-young's evolution from a non caring only out for me person to someone that cares deeply about justice is great to see. You can tell it was always there and just took the right person and right set of circumstances to develop. I also liked the friendships that developed and the competitive nature of both the women and men who bettered themselves through their interactions with each other. It is a deep, moving and complex story. I would put it at the top of any list to watch especially for those that love a good mystery or suspense romance. Just a great drama!

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Interesting Twist on Celebrity Romance

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2009 South Korean television drama spanning 16, 60 minute, episodes. Hwan Jung-min (as Gu Dong-baek) is a post office insurance salesman who terms himself "an average Joe". Kim Ah-joong (as Han Ji-soo) is a top South Korean celebrity who is in a relationship with her college love who is engaged to another woman for political reasons. They must hide their relationship to avoid tarnishing his father's political career. When nearly caught together by a tenacious reporter they turn to the nearest shield, Gu Dong-baek and ask him to switch places and pretend to be the one Ji-soo was with. When doubt is cast on Gu Dong-baek and Ji-soo's dating relationship they find they must take the next step - a sham marriage. Can two such different people thrown together by fate fall in love?

Spoiler 🚨 It was interesting because Ji-soo's engaged boyfriend played the lead in "Cunning Single Lady" and he was a very likable, nice character in that one. In this he is the jerk that is two timing and lets down and disappoints the lead lady character time and again. He played both roles well but I didn't like seeing him as more of a villain. I liked the male lead as he was just a normal nice guy. I enjoy seeing the nice guy get the girl for a change. Some reviewers felt this normal person getting with someone famous was unrealistic. That is probably more true for South Korea than for the US. It is rare here but some of the longest Hollywood marriages have been between someone famous and someone non famous. I like to think that South Korea may get there someday as famous people deserve happiness just like everyone else. They should be free to love as they choose.

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Loved this show

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean romantic comedy drama television series with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Eun Hwan Ki (Yeon Woo Jin) is about as shy and introverted as they come. He is the CEO of a top public relations firm founded by his father. Unable to speak publicly, Hwan Ki hides in dark clothes and under a hoodie while his long time best friend, Kang Woo-Il (Yoon Park) does all the public appearances and company presentations. People, including his father mistake Hwan Ki’s extreme shyness and social anxiety for incompetence when, in reality, the brilliant ideas Woo-il presents are actually from Hwan Ki. Chae Ro Woon (Park Hye Soo) is a lively and outgoing stage performer and Hwan Ki is one of her top fans. Things get complicated when Ro Woon steps off the stage and takes a job with Hwan Ki’s company to discover the reason behind her sister’s sudden suicide. Her sister committed suicide by jumping from a high level at the company, and Ro Woon is determined to find out why. She is convinced it has something to do with the shy, socially distant CEO who earned the Knick name “silent monster”.

Spoiler Alert!! I really liked the boss character and could identify as there are several people that I know that have extreme social anxiety. He was misunderstood by many people both inside of his family as well as his employees and others. I like the way the story unfolded and you understood a little how he got the way he was and also how his sister and his best friend both became the way they were. The male lead’s sister’s suicide attempts and desperate need to be lived traced back to her father’s failure to properly show love. He was both physically and emotionally abusive and she used self harm to cope. The female lead sister’s suicide was a bit harder to understand but seems to fit with what I understand of being “ruined” in the sense of being a relationship or marriage partner in terms of purity being tarnished in what I understand of South Korean culture from dramas (and it may not be an accurate reflection of the true culture). There was a time, perhaps 60 years ago in American culture when casual sexual encounters would have been viewed the same. I thought the female lead character was perfect as she was exactly the sort of person I could see being able to draw somebody with severe social anxiety out of their shell. I love that she told him at one point that he was OK and not to change. Some do not understand that social anxiety, shyness and being introverted by nature are often slow and/or hard to alter because it is a personality trait and thus is not something you can radically change. I also liked the friendship between the boss and his best friend and how his best friend supported him by being his voice and carried the company forward With his extrovert nature that fit so well in the public relations arena. One being brilliant but withdrawn and the other extroverted but not above level brilliant was actually a benefit for them both and made for two halves of a very effective whole. I thought it ended absolutely perfectly. Unlike so many dramas that leave things open to interpret or end with things unresolved, I was really happy it all wrapped up well and ended happy.

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A complex suspenseful thrill ride

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean supernatural crime drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes.

Dong Baek/Sung Ju-ho (Yoo Seung-ho) has the power to read living people's memories a skill which is well used as a criminal detective yet has made him many enemies within the police community as there is a fear that who needs the rest of them when he is around. Han Sun-mi (Lee Se-young) profile to the extent that she may as well be able to read people's minds.
At first, she is not a fan of the arrogant, shoot at the hip Dong Baek and even suspects he could be involved in some of the serial crimes she is investigating. After all several of the crime scenes have the trade mark of someone with supernatural abilities. However, the more the two encounter each other in the course of their work, the more they find they have some things from their deep dark pasts in common. And they are not the only one that knows it, the serial killer seems to be using their past to draw them toward someone future event he planned especially for them. Every clue they uncover reveals involvement of very high level public figures and more ties to events that occurred 20 years ago. Can they beat the serial killer at his own game and uncover the mysteries of their past?

The suspense in this was incredible. Had me on the edge of my seat frequently. I really liked the memorist character and found his abilities fascinating. Sun-mi was very talented as a criminal profiler and the interplay between the two was very interesting. They made a great, if at times reluctant, team. There were a lot of characters to keep track of so pictures with names and faces would be a helpful guide otherwise it is easy to lose track of who they are talking about at times. There were a lot of twist and turns and they did a great job of keeping you guessing. I felt like it was so complicated at times I would lose interest. If I had a character map or guide it would have helped. I also wish the rest of the law enforcement community was not so down on Dong Baek as he spent a significant amount of time hiding and skirting to investigate. I love romance so was a little disappointed there was no real romance. I really liked Dong Baek’s partners and the bromance between them was very heart warming. This would be a good one to watch for someone that likes complexity and does not mind or actually prefers it focuses on suspense, thriller and not romance.

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Unique twist on historical romance

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2012 South Korean period romance also known as "The Tale of A-Rang". It has 20, 60 minute, episodes.

Kim Eun-oh (Lee Joon-gi) is not interested in being a Magistrate when he comes to Miryang, a town besieged by ghosts. Eun-oh is tricked by a high spirited virgin ghost, Arang (Shin Min-ah), into becoming the Magistrate and winds up agreeing to help resolve the mystery of her death. Much to his annoyance, as he does not like helping people, particularly ghosts and, most particularly this ghost, Eun-oh discovers something about Arang that compels him to do just that - help her.

Refusing, at first, to call her Arang (which means virgin ghost) Eun-oh instead nicknames her Amnesia/Memory Loss. They quickly determine that Joo-wal, a handsome nobleman, and possibly Arang/Lee Seo-rim's fiance, had something to do with her disappearance. As they search for answers, along the way, they must also avoid A-Rang being captured by the Grim Reapers.

Things in Miryang may be way more horrifying than they seem and the Gods themselves, The Jade Emperor, The King of the Heaven (Yoo Seung-Ho) and Yeom-ra, The King of the Underworld (Park Jun-gy) are watching as events unfold.

I liked the unique angle where she was a ghost and he was someone who could see ghostws. The beginning was a lot of fun because she was a tough and mischievous spirit. The Magistrate was cold and uncaring to start then underwent a high degree of character development that unearthed the gentle caring person he was inside. The evil people in this, the Fairy, and Lord Choi, you wanted to see things turn and go bad for them. The love stories between Arang and the Magistrate and their friends the Shaman and his "slave" were very cute and heartwarming.

Spoiler Alert ** What I did not like was the ending. You knew from quite a long way before the end that she would have to go to Heaven or Hell and would have to leave him. The Jade Emperor made it clear, when he turned her from a ghost back into a human, that her time was limited to three moons. I thought perhaps the Jade Emperor would be so pleased with Arang and the Magistrate for ridding the world of the evil that he would make an exception and allow her to stay alive. I wanted her to be able to live out her life with the Magistrate. Especially since he did not start as a good Magistrate, he was only doing it because of the trick, but then, as his love for Arang started to thaw his character and reveal his true nature, he became something the people really needed. I wanted to see him continue in the role of Magistrate after Arang finally admitted her feelings for him. It took a long while for Arang and the Magistrate to come together as she foolishly was concerned about him loving her and then having to leave him. She thought that it would be more painful that way than for her to reject him. I also hoped the young master was not involved in the murders as much I hoped it would turn out the evil fairy was controlling him. In the end he had done those things for her promise to make him wealthy (he had been a starving child) and just had her wipe his memory so he would not suffer the guilt. When she stopped wiping the memories (to punish him for not doing as she wanted) he had such guilt that he committed suicide and became a Reaper. I wanted to feel sorry for him, and I still did a little, but I could not condone what he had done and the reasons why he did it enough to want to see things go well for him. The Evil Fairy had loved a man and they both died (did not catch how) and when they reincarnated they were brother and sister. They also became immortal incarnations that lived in the heavens, a Reaper and a Fairy. She though wanted to return to being a human and wound up being cast out and having young women killed to steal their energy and possessing the bodies of some in return for favors. I think it was supposed to be a tragedy that painted the evil fairy in a more sympathetic light - but it never made me feel that way. It made for a sad and somewhat creepy (she still had feelings for her "brother") side story. The Magistrate, in the end, went to hell in Arang's place sacrificing himself, before she could stop him, so she could go to Heaven. And this is what I really did not like. Watching the whole story and seeing how the villagers had come to love and rely on the Magistrate, it made me sad that he essentially died in their eyes. The Magistrate also earned the respect and had a touching relationship with his father and you knew, for him, his son died. Arang and the Magistrate's love story continued when they were reincarnated and, as small children, it shows them playing together and her giving him a hard time because he does not remember being the Magistrate or her and she remembers everything. It flashes forward and shows them as young adults and she is still giving him a hard time for not remembering, they are obviously in love, and he basically says why does it matter. However, as much as they pointed out that Arang and the young girl, who died in the place of her love, the young master, were not the same person, the two reincarnated "Magistrate" and "Arang" did not seem like the same people and it felt like they never got to live out their love story. I know reincarnation includes beliefs that people who are close in life may come back to be close but the relationships may be different like a father may come back as a son, etc. I am not a fan of the reincarnation angle for love stories as when individuals reincarnate they may have elements of the previous life - but they are essentially different people. So it is very good and I would highly recommend but would say do not expect too much from the ending.

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Surprisingly good with a fresh angle on time travel

This is a 2017 South Korean Romantic Comedy’ also known under the titles “Hit The Top” and “Best Punch”.

Lee Hi-Joon (Kim Min-Jae) must hide that he is pursuing music and wants to become an idol from his parents. They think he is studying for the civil service exam like his friend Choi Woo-seung (Lee Se-young) but he is sneaking off to take idol training. What Hi-joon does not know is his real father, Yoo Hyun-Jae (Yoon Shi-yoon) a famous idol, went missing in 1993. The father Hi-joon never knew actually traveled forward in time to 2017. His adoptive father Lee Gwang-jae (Cha Tae-Hyun), used to be Hyun-jae’s manager but had a one sided love for Hi-Joon’s mother whom he married when Hyun-Jae disappeared.

I loved the male lead character so much in this. He started as a very arrogant, seemingly full of himself idol but you could tell that was not who he really was. The time travel component was very interesting and I really had no idea how it would play out. His previous manager and the mother of his son were both very sweet and I liked the non traditional relationship they had. Their little family was touching. I wanted to see them all fulfill their dreams. It was a place I really missed when it was over as I found them all very likable. It ended very well. I recommend this very well done feel good story.

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Title is misleading Sort of like the taming of the shrew

This is a 2014 South Korean romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute episodes.

At the top of her game, Ban Ji-yeon (Uhm Jung-hwa) has everything except for a husband. Her work colleagues not so fondly refer to her “as the witch” as she pulls no punches in the very competitive field of news reporting. Those that cross her path are likely to leave after experiencing her sharp wit and brutal truth telling. Yoon Dong-ha (Park Seo-joon) seems to be Ji-yeon’s complete opposite. With his best friend he runs a part time agency and they do just about any odd job which puts him in Ji-yeon’s path frequently. At 39 Ji-yeon’s mother wants her to get over having been left at the alter by her long time boyfriend, and take the next steps of marriage and children. Dong-ha lost his serious girlfriend under tragic circumstances and, hasa maturity born of tragedy at 25. A twist of fate has Ji-Yeon and Dong-ha not only working together but also next door neighbors. The more Dong-ha gets to know.her the more he sees that “the witch” hides a very caring and nice interior that she takes great pains to hide. Just when it seems Ji-yeon may be able to win over Ji-Heinz and convince her their age gap does not matter her ex-fiancé shows up. He has a story to tell and is determined to get Ji-Yoon back. He is handsome, rich and is now a world renown photographer.

Spoiler 🚨 I was surprised at how much I liked this movie although I should not have been as Park Seo-Joon was in one of my favorites, “Fight My Way”. It was a little bit taming of the shrew in that she seemed pretty vicious on the surface. I thought they were very compelling and sweet as a couple. I also like all of the supporting characters and the friendships were very fun to watch. It was believable to watch her struggles with the age gap and also how she had to work through the feelings she had for her ex fiancé. There was a middle section where it felt a bit frustrating that she was slow to realize her Luke warm feelings for her ex-fiancé and her growing and persistent feelings for Dong-ha. Still I really loved this movie and highly recommend it as an outstanding romantic comedy.

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Great Action Movie

9/10 is my rating. This is a South Korean drama with 20 episodes (60 minutes/episode). Lee Yoon-Sung (Lee Min-Ho) was raised to seek revenge for his father who was killed by his own country men upon the order of five high ranking officials. His adopted father, who was the only surviving member of the elite troup that was targeted by the officials, raises Yoon-Sung as a key player in his revenge plot. As part of that plan Yoon-Sung attends an elite United State technological institute and excels enough to be hired as a telecommunications expert at the Blue House in South Korea. Yoon-Sung encounters Kim Na-Na (Park Min-Young), at the Blue House where she works as a body guard. His adopted father warned him to never fall in love as his "mission" would involve a lot of blood shed in his adopted father's mind. Yoon-Sung has his own way of doing things though.

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked the action in this movie. City Hunter reminded me of Batman maybe or James Bond. His character was extremely well developed and you understood his motivation in the things that he did. The romance between him and Kim Na-Na character was sizzling but very tragic. My heart broke for both so many times throughout I nearly lost count. I read that Lee Min-Ho does his own stunts and that made his performance as an actor all the more amazing. Everyone in this drama acted very well and the characters were well developed and evolved as you would expect based on the happenings. I read that the romance was left up in the air and some even wondered if City Hunter was still alive or if she was seeing a ghost. That would have bothered me if he would have died but I read a summary of that final episode from the producer/writers and they said he was not a ghost. So the ending is not sad the romance just doesn't wrap up in a happily ever after. You have to decide, for yourself, if them seeing each other a year after the final big action - if that means they will be together or not. So if you are in it for the romance you might be disappointed by that. I think it is still more than worth it to watch it for the suspense and action.

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Will cause you to re-think zombies

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean fantasy television series that has 12, 60 minute episodes.

Kang Min-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) wakes up in the area of a hazardous waste dump with no memory of what happened to him or how he got there. More startling is he discovers he is not fully dead or alive - he is a zombie. To determine how he came to be in his current condition he knows he has to be able to "blend in" with humans so he slowly and persistently trains himself to walk, talk and act like a human. To cover his monstrous looking skin, he uses CC monster cover cream to the extent he should buy stock in the company. After witnessing the murder of private detective Kim Moo-young, Min-ho adds another mystery to his list and assumes the detectives identity so he can solve the mystery of his past. Gong Sun-ji (Park Ju-hyun) runs into Min-ho by chance and, mistaking his intentions, winds up "injuring" him. To pay damages she insists on becoming his part-time assistant not realizing her new boss is a zombie. Her skills as a former investigative journalist make her a useful asset for Min-ho as the two team up to solve not only the crime surrounding his death but also other cases as they come in the door.

Spoiler alert** I really like the way they portrayed the zombie in this series. All of the other zombie genre I have seen, with only one other notable exception, the zombies were mindless brain seeking monsters. The fact that he remained aware that he was once human and worked to blend in with humans made it a very unique and interesting take on zombies. I never would have thought a zombie could be sexy but then again when you have someone like Choi Jin-Hyuk playing a zombie, it was a foregone conclusion. He was somewhat of a mopey zombie but not in a bad way. It made it funny that he could reflect on being a zombie and regret not being human. Some found the FL annoying but I really thought her persistence was the only thing that would have gotten her through to him. And she grew as a character because she learned that her quick judgements of people were not always correct and I noticed she did that less as the series went on. Although I really liked it, it seemed like after they solved the "santa" case there was a logical end. I really thought we might be on the last episode and had mistaken how many episodes there were. This made me think they likely made some pilots and that is where it would have ended if the show was not popular. They extended it nicely, I wouldn't say seamlessly but definitely nicely. The ending was a bit nebulous and it was clear they left it open for a second season. It was good because the relationship between the two leads hadn't built to the level of romance making sense - it would have seemed sudden. On the flip side it leads me to wonder if there is any chemistry there. I mean I can't yet really picture them together but that could be it is early it what could be their romantic relationship. I usually feel bad for second guy but in this one I didn't because it was clear his timing was way off. You can't wait that long to decide you like someone as more than friends or that friendship becomes set in stone often for one or the other. I also felt his relationship with the female police officer was just building and likely that would continue on in a future episode. Even though the ending was less than I would have liked the whole circumstances surrounding the zombie were compelling enough that I rate this high and recommend it. If there is a second season I would likely re-watch the first and that in and of itself is telling as I rarely re-watch any.

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Particularly relevant in times of contagion - Good, keeps you watching

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2013 South Korean pandemic film. It is written and directed by Kim Sung-su. A deadly and extremely virulent flu breaks out in a suburb of Seoul. A container full of illegal immigrants is discovered in the course of rescuing traffic accident victims. A sole survivor escapes into the city. A smuggler and the infected immigrant are the source of a quick spread of a virus that kills at a high rate within 32 hours. The city breaks into chaos as evidence of virus ridden individuals is everywhere. Officials respond with quarantine and martial rule. Dr. Kim In-hae (Soo Ae) is a doctor on the front line of the virus. She is also a mother who is solely responsible for her young daughter, Kim Mi-reu (Park Min-ha). Coincidentally In-hae was in the accident that involved the illegal immigrants and was saved by Emergency worker Kang Ji-goo (Jang Hyuk). Ji-goo later delivers In-Hae’s purse to her daughter and finds Mi-reu staying alone while her mom is dealing with the virus. When Mi-reu contracts the virus, In-hae is forced to choose between the actions of a mother and those if a doctor containing a pandemic. Ji-goo finds himself enamored with the feisty and courageous doctor and her intelligent and kind daughter and helps to protect and assist them in the middle of social unrest.

Spoiler 🚨 I enjoyed this movie and it was particularly relevant as we all struggle to deal with the coronavirus. Though sensationalized and exaggerated it revealed the varying way people and authorities deal with an aggressive yet invisible threat. Some lose their humanity and start seeing fellow human beings as disease vectors. Atrocities occur as those who are able to suspend their humanity take dire action in the name of containment. Others maintain their caring and it sets up conflict between the two.

I liked this movie as it showed the range of human response in a pandemic. I also thought the depiction of conflict in dual roles causes. It was horrifying to see someone cough and slow motion magnification of the aerosol spray and the range and number of people it would “ hit”. Most of the acting was really good, particularly the leads, but there was room for improvement with the supporting cast. Overall good and entertaining.

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