This review may contain spoilers
A little bit “Bridgette Jones” a little “I Love Lucy”
8/10 is my rating. This is a 2005 romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute, episodes. It is also known as “My name is Kim Sam Soon.”Kim Sam-soon (Kim Sun-a) is 30 and was just dumped, in a very public way, on Christmas Eve by her boyfriend of three years. Unfortunately Hyun Jin-heon (Hyun Bin), a chaebol son of a wealthy hotelier, is there to witness it and has fun teasing this strange wailing girl about her poor romantic choice. While Sam Soon is much louder and more outspoken than many women her age, her outward brusqueness hides insecurities about her weight and her old fashioned name. As fate would have it, Jin-heon is also the owner of a restaurant where Sam Soon applies as a pastry chef. Looks like she will be passed over for the job until Jin-heon and Sam Soon once again accidentally cross paths. Unable to resist antagonizing the spirited girl, Jin-heon pesters Sam Soon until he earns a face full of the desert she had carefully prepared for the interview. Realizing the flavor of the pastry he is wearing exemplifies Sam soon’s exceptional talent as a pastry chef, Jin-heon is determined to hire Sam soon.
The mothers of the leads are determined to get the two married and they are sent, separately, on blind dates. After thwarting his blind date and ruining Sam soon’s, the girl has had enough and spends the night drinking determined to resign. Jin-heon’s mother stops by and finds Sam soon at her son’s place after he takes her to his house to sober up. Tired of his other setting him up on blind dates, Jin heon asks Sam soon to be his pretend girlfriend, convinced their mutual animosity would keep their relationship strictly a business deal. Sam-soon initially refuses but is in danger of losing her childhood home without ₩50 million (approximately US$50,000) to pay a debt against the mortgage. So Sam soon agrees to be Jin heon’s pretend girlfriend in exchange for the money she needs to save her house. The unlikely pair soon find they enjoy each other’s company far more than expected and what was fake starts to get real. That is until Yoo Hee-jin (Jung Ryeo-won), the girl Jin-heon never got over, returns from the United States and wants him back.
Spoilers* Amazing how much things have changed since 2005. The way the men treat the women in this series, they get very physical with them at times, and the ML even slaps the 2nd girl in the face at one point. It reminds me of the way it was in the United States in maybe the 70s . Not accepted or rampant but people were willing to look the other way. I love the lead character in this, That female character is often compared to "Bridgette Jones Diary" and I get that but only in the chubby girl and rich, handsome guy regard. In very other aspect the character reminds me of Lucy in "I Love Lucy." She is gutsy, outspoken and gets herself in situations. The ML because it was scripted as an "old school" kind of machismo man - I did not always like him for her. I was particularly upset when he just abandoned her, really humiliating her, and decided he would take his ex-girlfriend back. Most women would find that very hard to forgive. And she did, but not in the way I thought she should have to hold his feet to the fire. The little girl that wasn't speaking was so cute and her relationship with Sam Soon was heartwarming. I don't think it came out enough, to the grandmother, the role that Sam soon played in getting the little girl talking. Their relationship was very natural and yet she pushed her sometimes more to speak than some of the other people in her life. The crazy ex-boyfriend was always good for comic relief and the fact that she was not willing to let him treat her 2nd class was gratifying. I also liked the side romances - they were cute but it wasn't clear how they all played out. The ending between the leads was a bit uncertain as well. It was good, very much of the timeframe and that type of era of relations, but there were plot points that could have been completely fleshed out and that were not followed through on. I enjoyed it the whole way through but just felt it lacked in certain aspects.
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This review may contain spoilers
Classic K-Drama
I just finished re-watching this drama. It was made in 2005, time sure flies. Hyun Bin was still baby and chubby in this one, I believe this was his debut, his performance was bad at all as a newcomer. He was totally unrecognizable in Secret Garden.This show that got me hooked on K-Dramas. I was very fond of this show many years ago. Now I don't find it as interesting as it used to be. It was a different time, but I really liked Daniel Henney in this one despite his terrible acting (maybe this, too, was his debut in a drama, I never follow his trivia).
I really liked Kim Sam Soon's character. She wasn't an exceptionally pretty female character, in fact she was a little bit overweight, but her hilarious character that made me hooked on this drama.
I didn't like Jin-Hyun's immature personality, he was in dilemma between Sam Soon and his ex girlfriend who left him without a word 3 years ago.
I also didn't like Yoo Hee-Jin's character, she was too whiny, immature, and dreamy, and kept dwelling in the past. Although Jung Ryeo-Won was cute in this drama, her performance didn't help at all. Hee-Jin became a character I loved to hate.
Henry Kim was too good too be true, he was such an understanding person and mature. He really had patient towards Hee-Jin despite knowing she came back to Korea to chase her ex boyfriend.
I would say Daniel Henney's performance in this one was really off because clearly to me he isn't connected to Korean culture. Perhaps they casted him in this drama because of his good looks and he was an unofficially spokesperson to introduce Korean culture to non Koreans. He was simply a spare tyre for Hee-Jin.
This show also had so many annoying supporting characters that made this drama lively. I wish they could add some more scenes of Sam Soon and Henry and some more comedic elements, it was hilarious and refreshing when the two met.
Conclusion: very simple plot, slow pace, hilarious, entertaining. Those who love romcom will love this drama and stick through till the end although it's a little bit old. This drama has good soundtrack, too.
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Very Enjoyable and Very Funny
This highly enjoyable show has a fabulous female protagonist and a sweet love story, but also contains some unexpected deeper issues that elevate it from being just a fluffy romcom. It is also very, very funny. Some of the scenes made me laugh out loud. Kim Sun Ah, who plays the title character, is a comedic genius. I also really enjoyed Hyun Bin as the main lead. I had only seen him in Crash Landing on You before and it was neat to see him in his early 20s. Quite dashing in both shows, of course!The plot, at first look, is the usual love triangle, but our male lead agonizes over who to pick and then does not go with the obvious choice. He’s torn between his old girlfriend, who re-appears after three years and is outwardly perfect for him, and his new love interest Sam Soon, who is unlike any woman he’s ever met before. “You’re very direct,” several people tell her, and indeed she does not mince words or avoid confrontations. We’ve all been in situations where we thought afterwards about the clever things we could have said, except for Sam Soon, who will chase down that other person right away and tell ‘em straight what’s on her mind. I absolutely loved her. She is outrageously funny and if I ever climb Mount Hallasan, I’ll think of her!
Watching this drama in 2022, I thought it had aged pretty well, except the characters keep hitting each other and that, I think (hope), would not be written in a script like that today. But it did not really distract me too much and nobody is beaten to a pulp, so I just rolled with it.
One of the topics this show addresses is age difference – she is a few years older than him, but they assure the parents that that’s a trend now, lol. Another main topic is body image. Unfortunately, basically nothing has changed since 2005. Sam Soon is constantly called chubby and overweight and sees herself like that, too. I thought she just looked totally normal. It’s very encouraging to see that the attractive male lead picks her over her super skinny rival. There is a sweet scene where she is being criticized for her weight and he just replies that she fits perfectly into his arms. Awww…
I enjoyed this show very much and seriously wonder why it’s not rated higher. Watch it if you want to laugh a quite a bit and/or want to see one of the best female protagonists in Kdramaland.
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The characters are memorable and the humor and feistiness of the Kim Sam Soon really makes this unique. The setting is awesome and the fact that she is on the one hand a french trained pâtissière but is unemployed and does not have a college degree which the match makers question. She hates her name; the back story with her dad is very touching.
The sister obviously was also very successful and then got divorced. Sam Soon's family had been well off and very well respected in the old way; they were the miller family. However because of their naive dads kindness to a relative they have fallen on harder times.
This falling in between gives this drama so much more depth than your by the numbers kdrama.
I love the mom and receptionist characters. The dialogue in this kdrama is sizzling. For example, the exchange between Sam Shik and his mom when he needs to borrow cakes from the hotel for his restaurant. She tells him to come work at the hotel, all the things he's doing wrong and the final whopper "Your profit margins are low."
Sam Shik even though a chaebol-son has real tragedy that he is carrying around with him in his present life. Most kdrama chaebol stuff is ultra boring business, dark plotting weird mental condition etc. None of that here.
The music is fantastic if you don't mind the electronic parts but it still is absolutely in sync with the story itself. It punctuates things like Sam Shik getting cake in the face. But even here the choices are brilliant the Christmas soundtrack in the hotel lobby (its Christmas eve) and the Girl from Ipanema as she goes down the escalator in episode one. Mack the Knife plays at the pastry tasting when Sam Soon and Capt. Jung exchange glances; come on this is GENIUS!
Compare the soundscapes between KSS and another popular kdrama released that same year My Girl; just has a synth track repeating over and over.
I couldn't believe it but that was the art of the soundtrack back then. In contrast we get joy and drama in KSS music. Also, I love, Be My Love, the opening theme song by Clazziquai ; very upbeat. The OST includes other classics like Over the Rainbow and Let there be Love.
I've watched 150 kdramas (shorter than 40 episodes) and dropped 80. Most of them are forgettable and a lot of them are terribly unwatchable. However, you will be hard put to find another kdrama with such a rich background.
Anyway I will watch it again this summer (hopefully) for the 5th time. Enjoy!
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I was hesitant about watching this, but I was in the mood for something different than usual, and this drama did more than deliver. Sure, it's got the drama typicals: jerky rich male lead, a second female lead to fuel a love triangle, /the/ mother-in-law... but it has Kim Sam Soon and her story. If you're looking for a female lead that's strong and independent even after a few blows, then I'd encourage you to give this a try. The plot of the story is good because Kim Sam Soon is such a well-developed character, that even though this isn't the most innovating, unique plot out there, it still good and carries a special spark to it.
The acting is great, I loved the OST, it's fun, it's got that sticky factor, and in a way, it's totally relatable. The only thing that wasn't working for me was Hyun Bin's character, Jin Heon. The writers definitely did not think that one through... but other than that, I'd recommend it to anyone!
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A chubby Noona protagonist? What's not to love?
Parts of this are great. It's cute, funny, and you are rooting for Sam Soon the whole way. But the big issue is the way society treats the FL. And that's fine; society can be harsh. But so can the ML. And I never feel like that gets any better in this, not really, which is why it's hard for me to wholeheartedly love this drama. Everyone can be against you, but the person you love should always be on your side. This is not the case with this.There is a real shocking twist that turned me off this drama and no amount of backpedaling by the ML makes it okay. Check it out if you want a cute Unconventional lead/Noona romance. It's still worth a watch.
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The start of Noona romance?
This drama was heavily recommended back in the day. I remember it being in everyone's recommendations of dramas you MUST watch. It was one of those iconic dramas from Korea that had an insane high viewer rating, so I decided to watch.Kim Sam Soon is the heart of the show. She is the one that drives the story and characters. When the story doesn't focus on her, everything becomes boring and pointless. I did not particularly care for the romance plot, but instead, I loved every time the drama focused on Kim Sam Soon's hopes and dreams, both professional and emotional. I especially loved all the baking metaphors. They were absolutely delicious. Not only that, this drama is filled with amazing quotes about life and relationships.
“There are two kinds of dough. Dough made with yeast and one without. Dough made with yeast rises right away, but one without yeast takes its time to rise. I think that’s so cute. I want to be a person without yeast.”
Kim Sam Soon felt to me like a real person. An actual normal-looking woman, not the usual slim and bland type. The things she says are sassy and argumentative. She is loud and harsh, perhaps a little too much. For someone that understands how to balance ingredients and the delicacy of baking, she is not that balanced or delicate. She is never afraid to speak her mind and fight for what she wants even if things might not go her way. She goes for the kiss instead of waiting to be kissed.
I really loved Kim Sam Soon's character. Unfortunately the same could not be said for the rest of the characters. They were not as interesting or well developed. Soon the drama fell back into the same cliches and repetitiveness, and that freshness wore off. The story was not groundbreaking or original. It pretty much followed the same line of other Korean romantic comedies.
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A very heartwarming, swoony, romantic comedy that is relatable to a lot of people. A drama so enjoyable that you won't ever get tired of rewatching, even after 15 years!
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Doce doce doce.
No começo achei que eu não ia gostar, anos 2000 os figurinos, super antigos, achei que seria um pouco brega. Arrependida
estou!! Super comédia de uma mulher traída que não sabe segurar o coração! Ama e se entrega demais! Ela é segura,
mas duvida de si e tem seus medos quando ama e isso é completamente normal! O amor é insegurança mesmo, e é
difícil a gente assumir que se apaixona e que ama! O ator Hyun Bin super novo e continua arrasando meu coração!
Suspiros e mais suspiros!!! Porque ele mais maduro tbm é delícia puraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
Continuando a resenha, foco...
Então ela é patissier e faz maravilhas doces e conquista o coração de todos no seriado! No começo eu achei o pessoal
meio agressivos, todo mundo bate em todo mundo! Poxa é o costume coreano, aquele respeito aos mais velhos é
lei até se a diferença de idade for de 1 ano. Brasileiros não são acostumados com tanto respeito.
Mas resenhando aqui eu classifico uma comédia muito lega! E tem uma parte no dorama que ela está no ponto de
ônibus e ela lê em um cartaz o poema que diz assim:
"Ame, como se nunca tivesse sofrido antes.
Dance, como se ninguém estivesse olhando.
Ame, como se nunca tivesse sofrido antes.
Cante, como se ninguém estivesse ouvindo.
Trabalhe, como se não precisasse de dinheiro
Viva, como se cada dia fosse o último."
Lindo! Lindo! Lindo! Palmas!! Maravilhoso!! Vou levar pra vida!!
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Ни один их персонажей не раздражал. Гг-ня не модель и не принцесса. Неглупая, но любительница пофантазировать и нафантазировать, остра на язычек, но наивно верит негодяю, фигуры никакой, но привлекательна своей чувственностью. И не любит свое имя.
Гг, красавчик, хотя второстепенный мужской каст еще красивей. Нагл и предприимчив, имеет бэкстори, умеет постоять за себя.
Все сначала начинается как отношения для вида и удобства, но постепенно влезают они друг другу под кожу, становятся парой из серии "и жили они долго и счастливо...", даже назло всем окружающим. А уж искрило-уууу
Традиционно хороши второстепенные герои. И соперница, которой придумали тут рак желудка с излечением - ну как не посочувствуешь. И мамашка Гг, та еще стервь. Хотя и у Гг-ни мама тоже "железная леди".
Весь состав ресторана хорош.
Сестра Гг-ни - разведенка, правда без детей, тоже зажигала всю дораму, особенно с шеф-поваром
А еще был сногсшибательный друг соперницы - врач из Америки, правда, корейских корней, от вида которого, штабелями валились ему под ноги все женские персонажи.
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