DramaNoona
Idaho
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The first thing that I want to mention from the list of pros for this show is the fact that the two main leads enter into a relationship fairly early in the episodes. Which was an oddity, at least to me when I watched this show seeing as I’d only seen four dramas before Heartstrings. It was a breath of fresh air for me, I loved that the drama was about maintaining that relationship instead of fighting against having a relationship at all. They had to overcome a whole different slew of obstacles compared to the other dramas that I’d watched. I enjoyed that journey and thought it was very well done.
However, the chemistry between Shin Hye and Yong Hwa felt completely different than it did in You’re Beautiful. I’m not sure what it was, but it sure didn’t feel as passionate as it had in the previous drama. In You’re Beautiful they had some truly amazing interplay. You could see the connection between the characters and it really had me rooting for them, even though I knew already that I would be crushed since Yong Hwa was the second male lead. I just wish that the relationship didn’t feel as wooden in Heartstrings. For me there was definitely something missing.
The music for this drama was amazing. I had the songs stuck in my head for weeks even after I completed watching the drama. I’m sure it helped that the band members were actually playing their instruments. Not to mention Yong Hwa and Kang Min Hyuk are in CN Blue together. For me the music really stood out and I even bought the OST because I wanted to be able to listen to it whenever I wanted.
In my limited experience with drama-land the supporting cast has to really gel and standout on their own for a drama to work. The only two characters outside of the leads that really captured my heart was Min Hyuk’s portrayal of Yeo Joon Hee and Shin Hye’s grandfather. I cannot even properly convey how utterly adorable Joon Hee was throughout the entire show. I loved him, probably more than I liked Yong Hwa’s character. The grandfather cracked me up, he was hilarious. I also really enjoyed how he lived-breathed-ate traditional music and a traditional lifestyle. I found him wonderfully interesting. Beyond Joon Hee and the grandfather, the rest of the cast just didn’t really shine for me and that hurt the drama overall. I wanted to be pulling for the side stories, but more often than not I found myself plodding through all of that to get back to Joon Hee, the grandfather, or the two leads.
Towards the end of the drama I really felt that we finally got to see some character growth. For the majority of the show the characters were static in their maturity and personalities as they dealt with the obstacles which were put in their way. However, the last fifth of the series I enjoyed the way the story moved. Shin Hye’s character showed amazing maturity with how she handled the play and the drama surrounding being the lead actress. Both Yong Hwa and Shin Hye’s characters moved towards a natural progression of fulfilling their dreams. Even the supporting cast seemed to finally bloom and I enjoyed seeing how they evolved towards the end.
However, the ending of the show felt rushed. I’m not sure if it was cut down in the number of episodes, or that was how it was originally planned. But, things just felt a little choppy in the last two episodes. It made the character growth that had been occurring seem as if it weren’t important. I wish that they would have taken more time with the ending, perhaps another episode to have made it feel a little smoother.
Overall, I enjoyed the show. It was a feel good journey with some nice happy messages within it. I am glad that I watched it, but it just never quite captured me in the feels. Still it is a cute watch and a pretty story.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 7.6 (I rated this 4 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 8
Cast/Actors: 8
OST: 9
Sets/Costumes: 6
Feels: 7
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My biggest turn off was how they dressed/styled Park Shin Hye. Since watching You’re Beautiful I have watched Coffee Prince and Yoon Eun Hye was such a more convincing boy. Even back when I had watched this drama, before having seen Coffee Prince, I was disappointed with the effort they put into Park Shin Hye as a boy. Shin Hye is definitely feminine and beautiful even with neutral makeup and the short hair, it wasn't enough to disguise her. I wanted more effort in the styles they dressed her in, though I couldn't honestly pinpoint any specific ideas. It just fell flat for me. Also, her actions and mannerisms weren't masculine. I know it is a TV show and I should suspend my disbelief and just accept that the members of the band would look at her with her short hair and accept that she was a boy. But I can’t, she was still just too pretty for me. Anyway, even though I can’t really give meaningful ideas on how this could be improved, it was what made me not emotionally invest in the show as much as I could have.
The thing I liked the most was the Bromance between the band members. I thought they cast the band perfectly. Each one represented a different quality/personality. Their interactions with one another were very enjoyable. They were like brothers and best friends throughout the whole of the show. Jeremy was so adorable and innocent. His fun loving attitude made him my favorite of the band members themselves. Though I think my most favorite thing about him was the fact that he read the fan-fiction about him and the other band members, that was just an absolute hoot. I like that Kim Shin Woo was the calm one, the voice of reason. He balanced out Jeremy's eccentricities and Hwang Tae Kyung's diva/narcissistic personality. Then Hwang Tae Kyung was the perfect leader role, he was pushy and needy but also really did have a desire for the band to succeed. The writers did a great job with the band as a whole.
Kim Shin Woo also gave me yet another seriously heartbreakingly painful case of second male lead syndrome. I wanted him to get the girl so badly. However, it frustrated me how he went about getting the girl. His plan of attack had so much to do with why he didn't end up with Go Mi Nyu. I wanted him to get the courage to talk to her long before he confronted her in the chapel. If he had been more open with her and let her know that he was in on the secret, well it could have been a totally different story. So I both loved his character’s story and disliked it.
I also appreciated Uee in this drama. She did a fantastic job with portraying her role. I totally believed that she was a spoiled brat who had the whole nation fooled. Additionally, I think she did a great job as her part as a villain. Though I think the best part was her redemption wasn't completely out of left field, she grew as a character but didn't escape the natural boundaries they’d set up in the beginning.
However, out of everything I think I loved the music the most. This is only one of four OST’s that I’ve actually purchased. It helped that the songs were actually performed by the actors, it gave it a very real feel throughout the show itself. If A.N. Jell was an actual band I would buy their music in a heartbeat.
Though I do really like this drama, it just never really reeled me in through the feels. I think it had the most to do with it being a gender-bender story. I just couldn't completely invest myself in the story as it unfolded because I found it so very unbelievable. But that doesn't stop me from giving it a high rating, in the end it was an enjoyable ride and I’m glad I watched it.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 7.8 (I rated this 4 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 8
Cast/Actors: 8
OST: 9
Sets/Costumes: 7
Feels: 7
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I’m still so new to the dramaverse that I’m sure my ratings will change and evolve as my journey continues, and I’m still hesitant to give things a 10. However, I was really tempted to give this one all 10s. I’ve just completed watching this and so I’m riding the good drama high, but I’ll do my best to give a decent review that is only slightly tempered by my utter love for this show.
As I’ve stated several times throughout my blog I’m a huge-huge fan of the Noona Romance. This satisfied all of my Noona Romance needs! So far of all the Noona Romances that I’ve watched this is absolutely my favorite! It easily and comfortably dealt with mature themes of attraction and sex. It addressed the concerns and obstacles that face a Noona Romance with great emotion and class. The budding romance between Sakura and Hiroto was so fantastically adorable, sweet, and just the perfect amount of awkward. It had everything that I’ve come to love in my Noona Romances, and all of it was very well done.
Sakura was well written and well executed. I really loved that the part wasn’t portrayed as unattractive, they showed her as more just having given up on love and herself. She was both confident and bold, yet naïve and innocent. Sakura’s chemistry with Hiroto was so cute, it slowly built as she let herself fall in love with him. It was so good. The other male lead, Rintaro Tachibana, didn’t quite strike the same chord with me. I thought the role was nicely written, but I had trouble seeing his feelings as love for Sakura. Throughout the show the dialogue kept enforcing that being comfortable with a person could substitute love, but even so I wanted to feel more from him in regards to his feelings for Sakura.
I did want to see a little bit more of an initial reaction when Sakura found out about the basis for her relationship with Hiroto. It seemed that she just brushed it off. I’m not saying I wanted a weepy main actress to throw herself into depression or anything, but I wanted more substance to that interaction.
The supporting cast of Sakura’s friends and Chiyoko were very well done too. They were solid and interesting characters who I was very interested in seeing what happened. All of their stories intertwined nicely. I like how this drama addressed life lessons/choices that were very specific to women close to forty, and dealt with those issues in a great way. I also liked Chiyoko, well I loved to hate her, but she also grew and evolved on her own journey and I enjoyed watching that.
All in all, if you are a fan of the Noona Romance genre then this is an absolute must see!
Noona’s Rating
Overall: 9 (rated 5 stars on DramaFever)
Story/Writing: 10
Cast/Actors: 9
OST: 8
Sets/Costumes: 8
Feels: 10
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As with Boys Over Flowers it is difficult for me to look at City Hunter with an objective eye. And since this review is just my opinion anyway I’ll just gush over it as much as I want. I really enjoyed this one. Prior to K-Drama’s my usual genre of movie/show was action and adventure. So the fact that this is an action/spy based story line, well I fell in love even more. The basic story is South Korean Spec. Ops group is sent to North Korea by politicians, once there a deal is struck with the States and the South Korean politicians end the mission and hide any evidence of its existence. Then they kill off their own people, only one man survives. He then steals his friend’s baby and raises the child for one purpose, revenge. When the baby, now a man, returns to Korea he completes the revenge for the man who raised him.
I’m not even sure where to start because I loved everything. So I suppose I’ll start with Lee Min Ho. He did an amazing job. The character grows from a rambunctious teen to a young man with a purpose and he truly did a fantastic job showing that. Additionally, Lee Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho’s character) is being asked to do some truly despicable things by the man who raised him. You can really see the pain Yoon Sung feels at disobeying the only man he’s ever known as family. And that pain only intensifies as Yoon Sung’s past comes to light. He really pulled me in and I felt his suffering with him.
Kim Na Na is my favorite female lead in any drama so far. So often when a ‘tough girl’ part is being cast the actress is not right for the part or just way over acts in order to appear strong. It can ruin a show when the ‘tough girl’ is trying too hard or not believable at all. Kim Na Na was just perfect. She was an excellent mix of strong and tough woman with vulnerable and soft. I truly believed that she could beat the snot out of anyone attempting to harm her charge (the president’s daughter). Though on the other hand when she’s home alone I believe that she just wants someone to lean on and make her feel safe too. Park Min Young did such a phenomenal job portraying Kim Na Na.
Sometimes the chemistry between the leads falls short, but not here. The main leads and their secondary counterparts just had the perfect mix of tension, aggression, attraction, and sensual interplay. Along with that, the supporting cast was perfect. I especially enjoyed Ahjussi, he added just the right amount of comic relief to a story that was intense.
Lee Jin Pyo, who went by Steve Lee when he returned to Korea, was the man who stole Yoon Sung and raised him. Oh I just loved to hate this man. He was so focused on his revenge and so set in his ways that he didn’t care what it was doing to Yoon Sung. He was an evil and horrid man who I hated with a passion. Yet, he’s my favorite villain to date. I loved him, he was so broken, but had such a strong will that he didn’t let his broken heart stop him. And then at the end he redeems himself and I loved him even more.
Additionally I really loved Yoon Sung’s City Hunter look. The face mask and the clothing he wore. It was simple and easily obtained which makes it realistic in the sense that anyone could have those items. He wasn’t wearing anything that was cumbersome or tacky just for the look. It was clean and simple and functional. Also, for me this is my favorite look of Lee Min Ho’s.
The only criticisms that I have are minor and really just a few nit-picking items. Yoon Sung is supposed to be a genius and the Blue House is very pleased to have him there. However, he just comes and goes whenever he wants without a word or a reason. I would assume that the Blue House is tightly guarded, scrutinized, and watched. It seemed a little improbable that he would have such free reign to do some of the things he did while there. Additionally, speaking of improbable. Being raised on a drug farm and then somehow managing to enter the US with valid identification to fabricate a past and go to school. I understand that with most action flicks you need to suspend your disbelief, but this just seemed like to much. Though I’m not sure what they could have done to make it a little more believable.
The last thing that I could possibly say as a negative was the fact that it felt like the characters were written to be particularly slow in figuring out who the City Hunter was. Yoon Sung didn’t exactly cover up his actions very well. I thought it would have been much better had they discovered his identity sooner and we could see the struggle they had in deciding what to do with the information. They had the epiphany too late in the series for my tastes.
However, even with those few small things this is definitely in my top three best dramas of all times. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone and will most definitely watch it again.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 9 (I rated this 5 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 9
Cast/Actors: 9
OST: 9
Sets/Costumes: 9
Feels: 9
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While I was still watching all my dramas on HULU, this was suggested for me after I completed Heartstrings. When I realized that it was the very same story as Playful Kiss I was really very excited. Even though I wasn't a big a fan as most with the execution of the Korean version, I really loved the story itself. So I was sold, I liked the concept so much I was very ready to give a different version a try.
As a whole, I liked this version better than the Korean version. However, I still couldn't quite connect with the characters as much as I would have liked. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the show, because I did enjoy it a lot. Though I think it has something to do with the lead role, she was as immature and ditzy in this version as she had been in the Korean version. It might be that character archetype that I can't handle, because that was one of my main turn offs with Playful Kiss. Everything about Yuan Xiang Qin was overly exaggerated and blown out of proportion. I could not empathize with her very well and that made it so I wasn't as invested in the feels.
The main lead, Jiang Zhi Shu, was great. For me the actor, Joe Cheng, did a much better job with the role. Throughout the entire show he showed growth and he evolved as he realized that he truly did love her. Xiang Qin felt much more static, she remained somewhat childish throughout. Towards the very end she did take major steps in growing up, but for me it felt almost a little too late to really be effective. The thing that I enjoyed the most about Zhi Shu is that when he decided that he was going to accept his feelings for Xiang Qin he actually showed her affection. He hugged her, kissed her, and generally made contact with her in a warm and sweet way. You could see his love for her.
Zhi Shu's mother was very intense as well. She falls into the same category as Xiang Qin herself. I had a hard time handling her and at times found myself fast forwarding through her scenes or wandering away from the computer for them. On the other hand, the bromance between the fathers Jiang Wan Li and Yuan Cai was so adorable. I could have watched an entire show about them. I also really enjoyed the romance between Ah Jin and Christine, they were very cute.
The chemistry between the main leads, Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng, was phenomenal. Even though the Xiang Qin character was a little grating and immature, I couldn't help but love any scene that had Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu together. You could feel the attraction and tenderness when they were together, especially for the scenes when it was just the two of them. I would watch this again just for their romantic scenes.
This was an entertaining watch. I did like it better than Playful Kiss, but it was a little too immature all the way around for me. But for a light and fluffy watch with a huge does of the warm-fuzzies this is a great choice.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 7.6 (rated 3 stars on Dramafever)
Story/Writing: 8
Cast/Actors: 8
OST: 7
Sets/Costumes: 7
Feels: 7
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Sadly, this drama was a disappointment to me. On many levels. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of lovely things within the show, but those good points were not enough to save it for me.
What did I want from this show?
1) Focus on relationships in all their forms. Friendship/Co-Worker/Employee/Lover.
2) A Noona Romance to blow away all other Noona Romances.
3) A fun story that focused on relationships in a real way like I Need Romance 1 had done.
Unfortunately I didn’t get any of that. The relationship growth all seemed forced or nothing happened at all until the very last episode where the writers crammed it into a single conversation that made no sense to the rest of the scene. This Noona Romance is my least favorite Noona Romance that I’ve watched thus far. This show was not fun to watch, there was nothing of that vitality or edgy approach to story telling that I had loved in I Need Romance 1.
I couldn’t connect to Joo Yeon, she was an unlikable character throughout the entire show. She was cold, robotic, and wishy-washy. I just could not find it in me to feel anything for her except annoyance. The second male lead was so boring and two dimensional that I could have slept through his scenes and not missed all that much. Wan was so shameless in his adoration and love for Joo Yeon that I felt embarrassed for him most of the time. There is a huge difference between puppy love and being disrespectful to yourself in order to love someone else. To me, it felt like Wan did not respect himself enough to stand up for himself and let Joo Yeon walk all over him for every episode except the last three. That isn’t adorable puppy love, that is just embarrassing.
What did I like? Well the OST. I loved it so much that I will be buying it. Wow, the music was amazing. But isn’t it sad when the music is the thing I loved the most from the entire show? I also loved Min Jung and her lover. Their story was poignant and addressed some difficult issues, it was interesting and I looked forward to their screen time very much. Also I loved the Dongsaengs Hee Jae and Woo Young so much I could have watched an entire show about just them and been perfectly happy!
Episode 16 was good, they wrapped up all the story tangents nicely and everyone got a happy-ish ending. Even though they closed the series well, I was underwhelmed emotionally. The last episode did not feel like a climactic finish, it was just another episode. But a slightly better episode than some of the episodes prior to it.
In conclusion, I wasn’t impressed with this installment in I Need Romance. If I hadn’t committed to reviewing each episode for the blog I would have dropped the show around episode 8.
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I'll start with a few things that I really did enjoy. I felt that the chemistry between the two leads was very real. The expressions they exchanged, their playful banter, and the way they touched one another all made me believe that they were falling in love. I had a good time watching them fall in love, it was adorable and cute and well written. I also truly appreciated the chemistry of the palace cook, Geon Lee, and the maid, Shin Mi So. They were totally adorable with Lee Seol and with one another. They were fun to watch throughout the entire show.
Lee Seol's adoptive mom, Kim Da Bok, was excellent. Though I do really like the actress, Im Ye Jin. The way she reacted to all the ups and downs of what was happening to Lee Seol and what Lee Seoul was causing to happen was amazing. It really felt like a loving mother-daughter relationship. Some of my favorite scenes are with Lee Soel and Kim Da Bok. They were just great together.
Some things that confused me with the family in general was Lee Dan. I realize that the writers were attempting to show that Lee Dan and Lee Seol did not have a good relationship in the beginning of the show, but it just felt forced. Towards the end as Lee Dan tries to provide a reason for her actions to their mom Kim Da Bok it just didn't feel real to me. It didn't flow with the story, I couldn't really believe that Lee Dan was that angry and that hateful. Also, they could not talk enough about Lee Seol's real father. However, I'm pretty sure that they never once mention her mother, at all. Did the Emperor's wife die in childbirth? If not then where was she? It was obvious that Lee Seol and her biological father were alone together in all the flashbacks. I suppose I wanted something more definitive in regards to her mother.
The political intrigue with the President, Senator, and Yoon Joo at times felt like it was just too much. I understand that they were heavily opposed to reinstating the royal family, however, for this show it felt like to much. A lot of the scenes played like a romantic comedy, and then something with the political intrigue would occur and it would feel like a melodrama. It was just too heavy for me and too much for the way the show had been written in the first few episodes. I did like story of the last Emperor, his hidden son and granddaughter. I also liked the twist in how Park Dong Jae earned his wealth and built his empire, all of that was very well written and done.
I want to take a moment to talk about the clothing, costumes, and outfits of this show. On one hand you look at the men and they are all amazingly dressed. The suits were sharp, well tailored, and of high quality material. Each character had their own look and it fit him well. Their hair and accessories were excellent too. Then... oh man you look at the ladies. I mean come on, what was with Yoon Joo's hair? And even worse than that, her clothing especially hurt my eyes. Lee Seol was also a victim of terrible outfits. I have no idea what the designers were thinking, but the ladies looked terrible.
My last point is Hae Young. For the first part of the show it felt like he had a separate set of writers than the last half. In the first eleven episodes he was somewhat broody and moody and a little angry. Though he was working through these issues and trying to accept his feelings for Lee Seol. Then all of a sudden he was overly sweet and cute. The actor was the same, but it was a completely different part he was playing Hae Young became like a fifteen year old young man courting his high school crush. That made it very hard for me to enjoy the end of the show. It was such a sudden shift in the lead character.
It wasn't a bad way to spend sixteen hours, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I did enjoy the story and I liked a lot of the elements, but there were more things missing for them in the end.
Noona's Ratings
Overall: 7 (rated this 3 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 7
Cast Actors: 8
OST: 7
Sets Costumes: 6
Feels: 7
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From the end of the first episode I was completely hooked! It not only captured my heart but my whole being! I was invested in these woman and lived each second with them. The feels that I felt while watching this show were like a roller coaster, not just for the things they needed to overcome but because I could empathize. The dilemmas they were faced with pulled poignantly at my heart strings.
This show was utterly amazing. For the first time in all my drama watching years I have rated something above a 9. And for me 9 is like the most amazing drama that hit me right in the feels and was perfectly suited to steal my heart. You can't get better than that for me, because most dramas have something that I was was better or different. Now, I'm not saying that this drama was perfect, but it was pretty damn close. It has completely toppled my expectations and set me up for huge disappointment with whatever I watch next. Because I'm pretty sure there's nothing that could match how much I love this show.
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The entire movie was sweet and eccentric with a cute flair. Since my expectations were low it exceeded them easily. Though, that does not mean this movie was anything more than a fun romp that was mostly brain candy. So my absolute favorite part about the movie was the voice over work for the baby, seriously the crotchety old man voice was so hilarious I laughed through the whole show. For a quick and painless watch then this is your movie!
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In case you haven’t heard, the story centers around Oh Chang Min (chaebol heir to a doctor family) and Oh Jin Hee (poor working class older woman). They marry without their families’ consent or permission. They are blissfully in love for a short while and then they fall out of love because they stop communicating and the stress of being cast out on their own is too much… not to mention the fighting, they fight about everything. Six years later they meet up again as Doctors and interns at the same hospital. Hijinks ensue. This review will be talking about story plot points that helped or degraded the story as a whole, not walking through the series of events.
The fight that ended it all and in a way started it all over again… Omo, that is one of the scenes that I have watched a ton of times. It was amazingly comical and yet blistering in its savagery. In that moment in time Chang Min and Jin Hee hated one another so desperately they were willing to cause physical damage to one another and their belongings. It worked for me because it had enough comedy that it wasn’t too dark. However, we weren’t given much evidence of why their marriage fell apart in the beginning. It would have been nice to have their history fleshed out a bit more right from the get go. But with the light rom-com way the show started out with, it worked well.
Throughout the first third of the show it was light, uncomplicated, hilarious, and wonderfully juxtaposed against the medical traumas they were fighting to mend in the Emergency Room. For me that was one of the things that I really loved. It was upbeat and energetic and such a good time. Chang Min and Jin Hee’s bickering made my day every time. It was just enough to make a spark in their chemistry while not making it overly evident that they had ended things so horribly. With each episode the bickering was less harsh and more playful, and I loved it so much. I honestly could have watched an entire show of Jin Hee and Chang Min bickering and bonding, it was just that good for me.
Now, let’s take a moment to bemoan the fact that for a third of the show we lost any trace of the rom-com that I fell in love with at the beginning. Some very serious things happened, which had me crying and broken on the floor. Honestly, this is the saddest show I have ever watched. Hands down, the most melodrama show I’ve ever seen. I avoid melodramas, I hate them with the passion of a thousand fiery suns. I’ve endured and lived through enough travesty and sad times that when I sit down to watch a show I want to giggle and laugh and be happy. So after one episode which made me shed a bucket of tears, I was prepared to forgive the show because I loved it so much. But… then episode after episode after episode of sadness weighed me down. If they had wanted to do a melodrama it should have been billed as a melodrama. I admit that I had a fit and was angry with my love and might have yelled at the screen a time or two.
So when in the last third of the show we got out rom-com back there might have been a party here. I can understand why the writers did what they did, but why did they need to drag it out for so long? It was painful, the subject matter was so sad, but for me I wanted that story point to be resolved more quickly. But then again, because of that intense melodrama there was so much character growth. Character growth that absolutely needed to happen, and without it the show would have tanked. But man do I dislike melodramas!
Speaking of characters, I want to spend a few moments on the cast.
Oh Jin Hee starts off in the past as a cutesy and happy girl. The breakup of the marriage and the way Chang Min treated her there at the end destroyed her. In those six years she struggled and worked to the bone to become a doctor. When we meet her present day she’s stuck in her hate for Chang Min, stuck in the past, and afraid of herself because of the hardships that she’s endured. For the greater part of the series she remains in this mindset, though it becomes less intense. But it felt like she didn’t grow soon enough. Granted, she nearly became less than human because of the emotional torment she lived through and that would be really hard to overcome. But for the sake of the story I wanted to see movement in her views of her past, her abilities, and love sooner. Regardless of that I adored her as a lead. She had spunk when the moment called for it, she was smart, she was sweet, and she was just fun to watch.
When we meet Chang Min he’s good natured and happy. Then he turns spiteful and somewhat hateful towards the end of the marriage. In present day he is the epitome of a chaebol. He’s snarky, arrogant, stuck up… you get the picture. As things progress and grow stagnant with Jin Hee at the hospital Chang Min does a lot of evolving as a man and character. It was really great. Then the melodrama hit and all we saw was Chang Min with a beleaguered and depressed expression for a great many episodes. Finally through he found himself again and found the right path for himself. Let me just say his smile… Omo… his smile is something that makes my day brighter. By the end of the show he was a well-rounded guy and I loved him so much.
Dr. Gook… oh Dr. Gook! Adorable, awkward, devilishly handsome, and all wanted to do was snuggle him and pinch his cheeks. He’s gruff and scruffy and stuck in his ways. Those ways are less than open minded and a little harsh. As a second male lead he was amazing! Dr. Gook was the perfect balance to Chang Min. Throughout the story I really flip-flopped so many times between wanting Jin Hee ending up with Dr. Gook or Chang Min. He was that good. But, he was also unforgiving in a lot of things and did not grow as a character until the very end of the show. That was frustrating. There were plenty of places for him to discover himself and evolve and yet it all seemed to happen for him at the very end.
There are few strong women in K-Dramas and even fewer who are strong outside of a tough girl role. Dr. Shim is probably in my top three favorite female K-Drama characters. I absolutely adore her. She was a single mother who proudly spoke of her daughter and her single motherhood despite the stigma that placed on her. She loved who she was, enjoyed her work, and was damn good at her job. Dr. Shim loved Dr. Gook, and at first I was in awe of that love. She openly welcomed his crush on Jin Hee and even encouraged them both to date. But, as time wore on it became a love of noble selflessness, the kind that drives me crazy. I wanted her to stop putting Dr. Gook first and put herself first. Beyond that, she was utterly amazing!
There was more than one love triangle in the show. Oh Jin Hee and Chang Min with their on/off/on relationship. Jin Hee and Dr. Gook were attracted. Dr. Shim was in love with Dr. Gook and he still harbored feelings for her. Then bring in Ah Reum, she was beginning to fall in love with Chang Min. She wasn’t my least favorite of all second lead females, but she was right up there with characters that I truly do not like. It wasn’t that she was necessarily that Ah Reum was a bad person, but she was inconsistently written. At first she was going to fight for Chang Min, but when she sees Chang Min head over heels back in love… she gives up and supports the divorced couple. Not only that, seemingly out of nowhere begins to fall in love with Yong Kyu who she summarily dismissed early on as not her type, ever. I just could not invest in her character.
Speaking of Yong Kyu, Omo he was just the most adorable cutie-pie ever!!! Seriously every time he was on the screen it was like watching puppies and kittens frolic on a rainbow. Ok, so I’m exaggerating and getting a little crazy, but I cannot even accurately describe how happy his character made me. Though his story felt off at the end, but I think he was just the most loveable drama characters of all time. I wish that we would have seen more of his story, I wanted him to be a little more fleshed out.
Even with the flaws and some story aspects that I didn’t like, I loved-loved-loved this show. As if having Choi Jin Hyuk as the lead wasn’t enough, it was also a Noona Romance!!! I mean come on, this show was tailor made for me!
If you are interested I recapped/reviewed each episode on my blog
http://thedramanoona.wordpress.com/2014/04/20/emergency-couple/
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There were several things about What’s Up Fox that I really loved and a few that fell short for me. First, some more mature themes were mainstays throughout the drama. The main character, Go Byung Hee, is a reporter for an adult man’s magazine and writes erotic stories along side actual reports relevant to the male readers. The daydream scenes of her stories were hilarious. Because sensuality was such a main theme in the story it dealt with sex in a much more straightforward way than is typical in a Korean drama. It was refreshing.
The humorous moments were well placed throughout the show. It was funny without being over the top, and added in just when it was getting too serious. Being a Rom-Com, that’s part of the formula anyway, but I found myself enjoying the series more because of it. Additionally, there were very few instances that I felt the story progressed too slowly. The whole show moved along at a steady pace, never really very fast, but moving things along at a rate that I wasn’t bored with it.
The main couple was great together. Park Chul Soo took a little bit of time to admit his feelings, even after the big whoops of the first episode, but once he committed he was dedicated to wooing her. Just the way he looked at her was adorable, puppy love all the way. Chul Soo did his best to prove to Byung Hee that he was really in love with her, but she fought against the idea valiantly. It was great to watch her evolution, starting out seeing him as nothing more than a little brother to denial that she was attracted to him, and finally to accepting what her heart had been trying to tell her all along. Their chemistry was just right, the perfect amount of tension and playful banter.
Doctor Bae Hee Myung just never really felt all the strong to me. I understand that the character was written to be pretty low key and accepting, but as a part of a love triangle he just fell short. Doctor Bae never fought for Byung Hee, he never made an attempt to really tell her that he loved her. And on that note, he admitted that he didn’t feel love or want to feel love. He just wanted someone to live with, something comfortable and warm. Not the kind of talk that sweeps a girl off her feet. As far as a second male lead goes he just didn’t really make me pull for him. Perhaps I’m comparing Doctor Bae to other second male leads and that’s why he just seems lacking. But to me the other guy in the love triangle should be like Ji Hoo (Boys Over Flowers) or Kang Shin Woo (You’re Beautiful).
The side story of Go Jun Hee and Park Byung Gak was so much fun. They were just as strong as the main couple, for me anyway. Their love-hate relationship was hilarious. They were just as horrible to one another and then would turn around and be wonderfully sweet. As they grew closer and closer to one another I just couldn’t help but root for them even though they were seventeen years apart in age. It was just such a sweet love that formed between them.
As we all know I’m a sucker for a happy ending and What’s Up Fox had a satisfyingly happy ending. The stories were wrapped up well and the things I’d been hoping for through the whole show came to pass. I got the warm-fuzzies, and really that’s what I love at the end of the day. The ending didn’t have as much punch or fireworks as I wanted, and was just a little rushed I think. But even though they didn’t show as much sensuality and love as I wanted they left it open enough I could imagine. All in all this was a good time.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 7.6 (I rated this 4 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 8
Cast/Actors: 8
OST: 6
Sets/Costumes: 8
Feels: 8
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I really liked the idea of the story. Girl has a huge crush on arrogant boy, a series of unfortunate events has the two families living together, and slowly arrogant boy sees the girl as his soul mate. A totally sweet and cute idea and I was pretty excited to see it. However, for me the execution of the story was lacking. I kept wanting to like it, kept wanting to have it move me, kept wanting more from the show. It just never got me in the feels.
Throughout the entire shore I saw little growth in the characters themselves, they remained as immature and aloof as they were when the show began. I wanted to see more development of Oh Ha Ni, there was so much they could have done to show her growing up. Yet she remained perpetually a child in actions and mentality. Then Baek Seung Jo never seemed to change, he began as a narcissistic and egotistical character and ended exactly the same. Once Baek Seung Jo admitted that he loved Oh Ha Ni he was as cold to her as he had been when he hated her. There was no warmth, no affection, and certainly no chemistry between them. For me the main couple totally fell short, and left me cool.
Even though the lead couple didn’t really meet my expectations, I loved the secondary couple. Bong Joon Gu and Chris were absolutely adorable! The moment she came into the noodle house and stared at Bong Joon Gu with that puppy love gaze I loved them. There was real emotion there and reaction. However, the bromance of the fathers Oh Ki Dong and Baek Soo Chang was amazing. Every time they had a scene together I loved it! They were just cute together and I wanted to see more of them. On top of that Oh Ha Ni’s relationship with her father, Oh Ki Dong was lovely. Their moments almost made up for the lack of feeling between Oh Ha Ni and Baek Seung Jo.
I also really enjoyed the big reveal kiss in the rain. Even though I didn’t care for the series as much as I wanted to, that kiss is in my top five best kisses. For that moment, for whatever reason, the leads made me believe that they were in love. I just wish that passion and fire had carried through to the episodes after the kiss.
Playful Kiss just dragged for me. If it were me now as opposed to six months ago I would have stopped watching and just moved on to something else. However, back then I felt guilty for not sticking with a show from beginning to end. But with full time work, a husband, and a rambunctious five year old I just don’t have the free time to commit to a show that doesn’t immediately capture my heart.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 7 (I rated this 3 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 7
Cast/Actors: 7
OST: 7
Sets/Costumes: 8
Feels: 6
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In my opinion this drama is an excellent choice to introduce the non-K Drama-believer to the world of K-Dramas. For me it made me hungry to know more about the culture of Korea, the language, and the story concepts used to tell this tale. Because of this drama I was introduced to some very basic concepts of the K-Drama scene. Chaebol, Eomeoni, OTP, OST, STP, Flowerboy, Sunbae, Wae/Wae-yo, Ya!, Second Male Lead Syndrome, and Oppa. As I watch more and more dramas I gather more and more terms and words to my knowledge base. I’m sure there are other really phenomenal choices for a person’s first drama, but I’m biased and really believe Boys Over Flowers is in the top three best choices to bring people into the fold.
I won’t summarize the story here, there are so many places and blogs which rehash and retell the store in its entirety. Instead, my goal is to talk about what I liked and disliked about the story itself. Hopefully help others to decide if Boys Over Flowers is for them.
Let’s start off by saying if you’re watching a drama for the eye-candy then Boys Over Flowers has it in abundance. All of the F4 are handsome Flowerboys. Each fulfilling a different character archetype. Goo Jun Pyo is the cold hearted Chaebol who torments and tortures others with a smirk. Yoon Ji Hoo is the tender hearted and warm second male lead with a smile that can melt your heart. So Yi Jung is the suave Casanova/Plyaboy who can charm the pants off anything. And Last but certainly not least is Song Woo Bin, the enforcer and smooth talker of the group who will defend his friends no matter what. Something for everyone that’s for sure.
Geum Jan Di is the poor, working class gal who finds herself wrapped up in the world of the excessively rich. She is stubborn, cheerful, hard working, and a bright light to her friends. For me she was amazing to watch. The story put her through the gamut of emotions and she still remained strong and true to her own morals. For me that was an amazing journey to witness.
I keep saying what I loved about this show, so I should add a few notes about what I didn’t like. Geum Jan Di’s family caused me no end of frustrations. The more I learn about the culture there and the image portrayed in their TV shows I can see where they were coming from. However, this poor noona just couldn’t get over the fact that they were pretty much trying to sell their daughter to a rich family for their own improvement. Plus the strained/strange relationship between the parents didn’t sit well with me. Because Jan Di was so hard working I really wanted to see a family that supported her and was happy at home. Lastly, it bothered me that the parents left the high school daughter in charge of her middle school brother and left to make money.
The Eomeoni, Jun Pyo’s mom, yeah I hated her so much. I understand the role she played and the way she created dramatic intensity in the story, however, she was a bit much. I wanted to see her part toned down a little, because then it would have been a little bit more believable.
This story introduced me to Second Male Lead Syndrome, I’m sure there are a ton of other names for it. But what it boils down to is that I loved Ji Hoo so much that by the end of the story my heart was broken and bleeding for him and his unrequited love. I hated that he didn’t get a happily ever after, it still bothers me to this day.
Other things that I loved about this show was the secondary love story between So Yi Jung and Cha Ga Eul. It was fun to watch Yi Jung grow as a man and to see Ga Eul slowly fall in love with him. The friendship that blossomed between Ji Hoo and Jan Di makes my heart all warm and fuzzy (as long as I don’t think about his unhappy ending). I loved how Goo Jun Hee (Goo Jun Pyo’s older sister) and Min Seo Hyun (Ji Hoo’s first love) protected and supported Jan Di. I also just loved the story. Angry, rich, spoiled, brat who slowly becomes a good man through his love for a woman he shouldn’t want. The acting was superb and writing amazing. Best of all, for me, it had a mostly happy ending. There were a few sad things which I wish could have turned out better for the characters I adore, but even with these road bumps the ending was happy and sweet.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 9 (Rated at 5 Stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 9
Cast/Actors: 10
OST: 9
Sets/Costumes: 7
Feels: 10
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