A unique way to fall in love

A cute concept that grabs you right from the start. Body switching isn’t new, but it’s done very well in this drama. What better way to understand a person than to spend some time in their body. That’s exactly what the FL and ML do. They gradually experience each other through this unique interaction. The script is well written and well acted. Steven Zhang and Liang Jie performed their parts to perfection. Becoming a man in a woman’s body and vise versa can be challenging. Carrying the characteristics of the opposite sex can also be difficult but they pulled it off well.

When they finally confess to each other the moment will grab you. That’s what I like about this romance. It gradually sweeps you into their dilemma and you will want them to love each other. As their romance grows you will hope they take it to another level, and they do. A natural progression of two people struggling in a romance that can only be described as a rare blessing.

Be patient as the story unfolds and you will enjoy the experience. It’s the repeating switches that make it all real. Look forward to each one and you will experience it with them.

Read More

Starts fast and pulls you in

Rarely, and I mean rarely, does a drama sweep you in and immerse you into another world as this one will. Suspense, politics, medicine together with some romance will pull you right in and take you through every emotion you can think of. The only problem, it started to fade and gets a little confusing. The four main leads were all good and their acting was great. However the story was strange at times.

The villain Cha Jin Soo was always around at places that would normally be hard to access. He popped up in so many restricted places that it became somewhat unbelievable. He even shot up the hospital and nothing was ever mentioned about it. Involving him in the end made it feel contrived. Like it was put together at the last minute.

The drama around the hospital was ok and it seemed to flow most of the time with the exception of the multiple retries on the surgical contest. The problem for me started with Song Jae Hee / Dr. Han. I never really believed she was Jae Hee or at least the story left a question in my mind about it, right up until the end. Because of that I bought into the Dr. Oh Soo Hyun character and her relationship with Hoon.

That brings me to the romance. I love romantic medical dramas. This one had the potential to be a great one. I thought the best romantic part of the entire drama was when Soo Hyun confessed to Hoon. She cried, and she cried over Hoon when he rejected her. I actually felt the love coming from her. It was obvious at that point that the two of them would eventually find love together. This would happen because Dr. Han was not really Jae Hee, right? However, the show takes a strange twist and goes an entirely different direction with almost no supporting storyline. The possible romantic connection between Dr. Oh and Dr. Park vanished. Why even start it if it was just going to vanish? Well, that tells me something changed in the writing or it was just a bad story. I also hate to say this, but I never felt the chemistry between Dr. Park and Dr. Han/Jae Hee but I felt tons of chemistry between Dr. Park and Dr. Oh. I attribute that to Kang So Ra’s ability to show on-screen romance.

Anyway, the flow of the drama drops off. I think it was mainly due to the inability to blend romance into the altered story. I was left still wishing that Dr. Oh and Dr. Park would get together. The final episode was a total train wreck.

Read More

A Short Drama with a new star

A short action drama about espionage and military school, with a tiny taste of romance thrown in. The storyline was a little disjointed and hard to follow at times. I think this was made worse with the short episodes. The drama felt like a test for Jung Ye In’s first main role in a drama. All things considered, I think she did pretty good. It’s an easy watch and worth your time to see how this Kpop star does in her first time out. I love to see new actresses and I will never be critical of there debut efforts. Where has she been since? Let’s get her back to work.

Read More

Coffee and Romance. What more could you ask for?

A cute romantic show about a couple who doesn’t fit together at first glance. As the shows moves through its paces you will smile as you see love bloom against all odds. Their relationship wasn’t the normal one you see every day but it will make you believe that all things are possible. The acting was fantastic. I enjoyed all the side stories and their actors. Watch this drama when you want to enjoy a show that makes you feel good. No pressure just full on enjoyment.

The romance was great from beginning to end. There wasn’t smokey chemistry but there was an undeniable connection between the main leads that grew each episode. It was fun to watch. Don’t miss this one.

Read More

A great medical drama with a bonus romance

This series was well worth the time to watch all 21 (20+bonus) episodes. I had a hard time pulling myself away from the screen. I didn’t realize that I liked hospital dramas until I watched this one. I like shows that set the tempo early. In episode 1, we knew who the bad guy would be, Director Do. In episode 1, we knew where the romance would be, Dr. Kang and Dr. Yoon. Another one of Seo Hyun Jin’s epic kisses.

Each episode was a different story that captured the lives and careers of this unique hospital staff. There were so many problems in each episode that it kept the whole series interesting. No filler, no repeating of useless scenes, just non-stop drama. The operating scenes were full of suspense and looked realistic. I’m not a doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.

I watched this because of Seo Hyun Jin. She can display on-screen chemistry like no one I’ve ever seen. She must be a director’s dream. She kisses with her soul. At least that’s the way it looks on screen. Seo Hyun Jin has an on-screen presence that pulls you into the scene. Her portrayal of Dr. Yoon Seo Jung showed that her acting ability is second to none. Yoo Yeon Seok also did a great job with his portrayal of Dr. Kang Dong Joo. As he struggled with his identity, you struggled with him. His on-screen chemistry with Dr. Yoon was fun to watch and very heartfelt. At times you couldn’t wait for their next kiss. I liked his upfront approach to the woman he loved. It left no doubt in your mind. The way Dr. Yoon handled him was priceless.

The characters in the story all had their differences. Dr. Kang was probably the most unbalanced and easy to influence. Even though I think the story intended otherwise, it took him a long time to develop an ethical decision that should have been easy. A simple certified letter has him completely flustered. He gets angry and portrays a total lack of composure at times. But still, something makes you pull for him.

Read More

An Epic romance

This series was intriguing, suspenseful with a breakout performance by Yang Jin Sung. She looked stunning with the short hairdo. In my opinion, she carried the entire series. Not that the other actors weren’t good, they were. But Jin Sung was really on her game. Playing two characters is not easy to pull off. Her facial expressions were brilliant. No matter how many times the scenes changed, you immediately knew which character it was.

I’m not a fan of vengeful ghosts, but in this case, it drove the entire underlying story. Each character had a connecting plot to the upcoming wedding night and/or the spirit itself. Each plot was dependent on the others. I must say, they did an excellent job connecting them. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Na Doo Rim and Choi Kang Joo initially, but that’s what romance is all about. Please make no mistake about it; this is not a ghost story. It’s a full-blown romance and a great one at that.

The plot developed slowly, and they took the story in directions that I didn’t think were necessary, but it moves fast. There is enough drama and suspense for everybody. The romance was different and at times hurtful, but isn’t that what love is all about? The story of two people from different walks of life tied together by the red string of love. Usually, that’s not a unique storyline, but they made this one feel like the love of a lifetime, two souls clashing together drawn by the hands of fate reaching over a century. To me, it was beautiful.

The development and flow of the characters are critical to making a good series. The overall storyline was solid.

Some of my impressions:
A few things didn’t make sense but not enough to hurt the story. I didn’t understand Na Doo Rim’s complete switch away from Kang Joo midway through the story. Why say all the hateful things? Was it to protect her friend and Grandmother? Because she now loves Yi Hyun? It wasn’t clear, and it diminished Jin Sung’s character and made her seem less important. I thought the story was shaky at this point, but it comes back together.

As the show winds down, the wine drinking scene between Choi Kang Joo and Jang Yi Kyung feels a little contrived. Why would he even meet her at this stage in the story with Na Doo Rim waiting for him? However, this scene and the aftermath drove the rest of the storyline. Somehow lost in the whole thing, Jang Yi Kyung’s mother tried to strangle Na Doo Rim to death. Now she’s a victim? Having all this happen near the end of the show feels like a storyline put in to make the show longer or create a better finish.

Another thing I didn’t understand, at a press conference Choi Kang Joo tells everybody that he got married in secret and loves Na Doo Rim. Why at the end of the show is she still living with her grandmother if she’s married? The two mothers and Jang Yi Kyung are unhappy with her, so Na Doo Rim is depressed? These are the people that tried to kill her. I found myself looking for a connection for this to make any sense.

Shin Eun Jung did a brilliant job portraying Jang Yi Kyung’s mother. It may have been an evil part, but she did it well.

Nam Jung Hee was so much fun to watch as Na Doo Rim’s grandmother. For decades she’s supported a wide variety of stories. Almost every series she’s been in has been a rating success.

The Yi Hyun character didn’t fit. I never felt anything romantic about him at all. He looked like the “Lurker” always hanging around. His character was bland and unappealing. It took him five minutes to start liking Na Doo Rim and not much longer to propose. Don’t people have to have a romantic relationship before a man asks a woman to marry him? Even after she rejected him, he returns to tell her what she can and can’t do and continues to lurk. I’m not sure if I ever saw him smile. I thought she treated him like a brother when she lived there. I guess he felt more. The moral? Don’t ever buy a tie for a guy unless you want him to start getting ideas? If they intended him to be some outside protector for Jin Sung, that didn’t work either. It made me cringe at times. Even when he tried to save her, I didn’t feel a connection. He doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body. His facial expression never changed the entire series, never. If that was the role he was playing, then he did a good job. However, I accepted this character as he was because he wasn’t relevant.

The character Lee Roo Mi going around investigating like she was the chief of detectives had me scratching my head. But I had to wait for the big picture to develop. Some of her stunts to upset the relationship between Yi Kyung and Kang Joo were funny and made sense. But after a while, it just got repetitive until she learned the truth. After that, her presence was the only voice of reason left.

I thought Lee Hong Ki did a great job as the male lead. I was surprised by how well he adjusted from his typical style. He played his role well and didn’t waver.

Subtitles:
There were a few blips in the subtitles, which is very unusual for Viki. I’m so used to reading subtitles it’s almost as if they are speaking English. For that reason, I rely on facial expression, body language, and timing to feel the emotions of a show. Thus my feelings about the Yi Hyun character. In English shows, I know if there is any bad acting right away. In non-English shows, the spoken voice only accents what I read. I don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse, but it’s opened my world to a flood of amazing shows.

Read More

Don't Expect Romance

A replay of the marriage for convenience theme. While there weren’t a whole lot of new concepts, there were some funny moments. The acting was ok. Ko Sung Hee was great as Hae Joo the 30-year-old woman who wasn’t ready to get married. The music was good, in that it didn’t overpower anything. The story was somewhat bland with an ending that went nowhere. I kept expecting it to ramp up into an attraction between the two but for some reason, the writers decided to just dump the ending. So don’t expect any romance. This movie is held together with a series of comedy skits. It felt like a writer somewhere had these comedy skits in his pocket and they decided to write a movie around them. There was no romance, no chemistry, no story and I wouldn’t waste my time watching it unless you are a Ko Sung Hee fan, then it was ok.

Read More

Don't Miss the one

A well-done story of two lawyers with some great drama and suspense with a beautiful romance. I liked all the characters in this series. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun are both fantastic actors. They have the ability to spread their emotions across the screen. Being able to carry a scene with facial expressions is a talent. There was a superb balance of drama vs humor. I like the romance because even though they had some rough patches they never strayed to another person. The romance did drop off a bit as the show unfolded but it was still believable. I found myself unable to stop watching. The series had a good flow to it with a nice ending making it easy to watch. I highly recommend it. I wish more shows were this well done.

Read More

Strange Romance

This entertaining series brought a few different twists to the internal strife of an IT company. It was easy to watch, and I found myself binge-watching it over three days. Since I come from an IT background, this was right in my wheelhouse. The acting was good, especially Lee Min Jung’s portrayal of Na Ae Ra. The story was believable and had some twists that made me feel good. When Cha Jung Woo left the CEO position of his company, it made him look good when we were all expecting him to cave into the toxic whims of the family controlling the company. However, the story did take him from a strong CEO back into a different character that wasn’t very manly. But I took that as part of the comedy element. I like that they worked to bring closure to each character in the story.

However, the birthday party at the end was a complete disaster to the story. It didn’t make Ae Ra’s character look very good. In fact, it felt more like a betrayal than anything else. It left me wondering if she would do that after they were married too. Gook Seung Hyun’s character spent half his time destroying Jung Woo and the other half going after his woman. Why would Ae Ra, who supposedly loves Jung Woo, attend a birthday party that rubbed salt in the wounds of that relationship? When Jung Woo protests over the phone, she hangs up. It makes you wonder what happened at the birthday party and left me with the feeling that Na Ae Ra thought that was the right way to treat a man when you’re in love. It just didn’t fit. Even when she finally accepted his proposal, she did it in a weird way that wasn’t funny to me. The last two episodes diminished the strength of Jung Woo’s character and his relationship with Ae Ra. I found myself just feeling sorry for him and wished he would go his separate way. Ae Ra didn’t look very appealing at this point. I read about ten reviews on this show, and I think I’m the only one who felt this way. I can only say that I watch shows because of the romance. I tend to pick it apart when something doesn’t fit.

That’s the ups and downs of a story that will keep you entertained. It’s worth watching. You decide and let me know what you think.

Read More

What's in a Subtitle?

The title doesn’t do justice to this moving story about golf and family. I passed it up many times because of the title. Please don’t do the same; it’s worth the watch. Perhaps Golf Odyssey would have been a better title. But it doesn’t matter; the story supports itself. It had drama, suspense, great golfing scenes, and a romance you will love or hate. The romance blindsided me, so the ending was a little shaky for me. Am I the only one that felt that way? Who knows, watch it and decide for yourself.

Let me tell you why the romance blindsided me. The subtitles, which are usually right on point, were misleading in this series. Since I don’t speak the language, I am reliant on subtitles. When Mi Soo was walking through the woods with John Lee, she asked him why he was helping her. He replied, “because I’ve fallen for you.” It was a pivotal moment. Later, when that scene reappeared as a memory, he replied, “because I’m into you.” These have two entirely different meanings in English. I’ve fallen for you means you are in love. I’m into you, which is a little flippant, means something similar but is not the commitment I’ve fallen for you is. Either way, neither of these responses was appropriate. Since I saw the fallen for you first, I watched the whole show thinking he was in love with her. When it didn’t turn out that way, it left me wondering what I missed. Perhaps “I care about you” would have been a better response when a person cares about the welfare of another. Why do they change the words in memories and between episodes? Why do they use the word “why?” instead of “what?” What do they say ‘get off the car’ instead of ‘get out of the car’? I’ve gotten used to these translation differences. However, in this case, it changed the flow of the entire series.

Read More

A Writing Masterpiece that is fun to watch

From the moment this drama started I was hooked. Rarely do you find a series that will keep you glued to the screen for 20 episodes, but this one did just that. A drama, suspense, comedy and a touch of romance with superb acting. There were happy moments and extremely sad moments, but there was never a dull moment.

At times it was brutal so don’t watch it you’re squeamish over the sight of blood. A group of misfits come together as a family and stand against every evil you can think of. Don’t pick over the reality of it, don’t question the methods, just sit back and watch a writing masterpiece. It was entertaining and it was captivating so please enjoy what you are about to watch.

The acting was amazing. Song Yoong Ki did a fantastic job with his portrayal of Vincenzo Cassano a member of the Italian mafia. By the time the drama ends you will believe he is the true godfather. Jeon Yeo Bin was great as Hong Cha Young the wild and beautiful lawyer in the group. If you’ve never noticed her before you will after this drama. She was strong, beautiful and right beside Vincenzo with her constant support. On the evil side it will be hard to ever top the pair in this drama. Ok Taec Yeon just ruled as the master villain, the evil Chairman Jang Jun Woo. He changed moods, facial expressions and you never knew what he would do next. Kim Yeo Jin was brilliant in her portrayal of Choi Myung Hee the prosecutor/lawyer for the evil Chairman. I’ve seen her in so many shows but this one was a tribute to her years of acting. When I watched this drama I wasn’t sure which of the two were the most evil. All the support acting was good so there was never any empty time. The drama moves fast considering each episode is over an hour long.

Sometimes when I read other reviews I ask myself, did they watch the same drama? This drama is a masterful comedy mixed into the brutally of competing factions. It takes an amazing writer to pull this off. Watch it and let me know what you think.

Read More

A fun Rom/Com that will keep you entertained.

If you are looking for an easy rom/com to watch with lots of kisses then you need to watch this one. The acting was decent and the story, while not too compelling, was light and fun to watch. I don’t watch many CDramas because they are sometimes full of repeating scenes and unneeded fluff. That was not the case with this one. Every episode contributed to the story and character development. Fair Xing may be a small, which fits the title, but she is a strong actress. She was beautiful and shined with her portrayal of Cong Rong the intern lawyer. Daddi Tang is an accomplished actor in his own right and did a good job with his portrayal of Dr. Wen Shao Qing.

If you watch this one you will see a romance from childhood to the birth of babies. That’s one of the things I really liked about this romance. The drama took it to completion leaving you no questions what happened. I don’t like dramas that leave it to your imagination in the end.

The only downsize to me was the on-screen chemistry. While I am sure others will disagree with me, I didn’t feel a strong chemistry between the FL and ML. There was a little too much staring at each other and not enough body language to sell the relationship. Keep in mind that I’m a man so when I say Daddi Tang is not the essence of a romantic actor, don’t hate me. It felt a little awkward. The story made up for it with a bundle of kisses between the two leads. The comedy also felt contrived and sometimes interrupted the flow of the romance making it even more awkward.

Overall I enjoyed the drama so don’t let my comments keep you from watching a fun show.

Read More

At great addition to the Doldam saga.

As I’ve said many times I love medical dramas especially if they have a little romance mixed in with them. This drama was easy to watch because each episode kept you involved. At first I was a little disappointed to discover that the same villain with different helpers was back for a second appearance. It felt a little like rinse and repeat, but I was wrong.

Han Seok Kyu was great again as Master Kim. His presence brings reality to the Doldam Hospital. I could easily watch a third version of this story with him in it. The two new additions to Doldam were also fantastic. Lee Sung Kyung as Dr. Cha Eun Jae and Ahn Hyo Seop as Dr. Seo Woo Jin were both great and made this story of Doldam Hospital worth watching. Both characters were interesting and well developed. It was exciting to watch as they gradually blended into the Doldam experience and fell in love.

At first I felt like I wanted a different approach to the storyline. It was get rid of Master Kim and takeover Doldam Hospital just like the original story. However, as I watched I realized it was an extension of the original story. Since I like the original drama so much I was happy to see it continue. After a couple of episodes I was fully immersed into a continuation of a story that I truly enjoyed. The villain was irritating and his crew of cronies were just as bad. There was an instant feeling of protection towards Master Kim and his doctors.

The side stories during each episode were all interesting. Sometimes they were sad or heartbreaking but others were happy and emotionally rewarding. Medical dramas are not easy to develop. I’m never critical of the medical procedures because I’m not versed in medical knowledge. However, they were realistic enough to emphasize the drama going on over the operation table which is what the story was really all about.

The romance was there but it was not enough that you could call this story a romance. The two leads slowly developed a romance that seemed realistic enough but once it was there the story let it fade. They brought the two back together in the end. At least I think they did. I would have liked to have seen them meet when she came back to Doldam but they only gave about 15 seconds of her returning as the drama ended.

It left me wanting more. How about a third story with the title Doldam?

Read More

A historical drama

If you’re looking for a historical drama with court politics and war then this is that and more. The thing that makes this drama interesting is the focus on one man, General Gye Baek, a powerful general that never loses a battle. He is bigger than life but unfortunately he makes decisions, as do most of the other characters, that just don’t make sense. The storyline has twists and turns that take characters in directions that a sane person would never take. However I must say, the story does have a certain draw that kept me watching.

The main problem with this one was the twisted and sometimes creepy relationships between the King, Gye Baek and the women in their lives. There was no real romance like the genre says, it was just strange interactions between two people of the opposite sex, with zero chemistry. Just when you think things have a least shown some normality the General does the unthinkable to his family in the end. Did the writer think that would bring some realism into the story? I didn’t care what happen to Gye Baek after that and it lessened the value of the entire drama to me. But, that’s just me.

A convoluted story with a strange appeal and a terrible ending. Very few, if any, happy moments.

Read More

An unbreakable romance and a well written story. Love at it’s best.

One of the best romantic comedies I’ve ever experienced. It had drama that will move your senses and romance that will warm your heart. They threw in a sneaky ending to give you a little romantic suspense and it made the drama perfect. The mix of Park Gyu Young as Kim Da Li, the Curator of an art gallery, with Kim Min Jae as Jin Mo Hak, the managing director of a restaurant chain, was priceless. People from two different worlds falling into a love that held together and shined like all the stars in the sky. They shared a romantic chemistry and an unbreakable love. You don’t see that often in dramas and when you do it’s beautiful.

The acting was what made this story great. The comedy was funny and didn’t interfere with the beauty of what was unfolding in the drama. The side stories were interesting and brought meaning to the main plot.

I could step through what I liked but the problem is, I liked everything. If you like romance, this is a gem. This is a fantastic and well written drama that is worth your time.

Read More