Cute and good but not great

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2011 South Korean romantic comedy also known as “Saving Up for Romance”. Run time is 114 minutes.

Chun Ji-Wong (Song Joong-ki) graduated college and despite going to many job interviews has failed to land a job. His mother has continued to supply him a modest income until a circumstance at her restaurant makes her unable to do so. Jobless and on the verge of being evicted, Ji-Wong meets Gu Hong-sil (Han Ye-Seu) who takes life perhaps a bit too seriously. She saves practically everything she earns unwilling to spend money on even life’s simple pleasures like dating, running heat or having television. She is very good at finding the smallest odd jobs to earn money. Having observed Ji-Wong from the adjacent rooftop apartment, she decides to help him learn the art of earning and saving money. In exchange she wants to deposit some funds in his name since she has reached a cap on her savings. As they each learn aspects of a happy life from the other can two such different people fall in love?

Spoiler 🚨 I liked this movie but did not love it. I wanted to see Ji-Wong find a way to really make it. I wanted Hong-sil to show evidence she had learned that love and enjoyment of life are even more valuable than money. I did not really see that. I was surprised that Joon-ki was the same actor that starred in “Empire of the Sun” because he played such dramatically different roles.

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Unique Story, Cute Romance, Likable characters

9/10 is my rating. This a 2016 South Korean Romantic Comedy television series With 16, 1 hr, episodes.

Shim Bo-nuI had lived a life filled with a series of tragic events. Looking for meaning she turns to a Shaman who tells her she is the epicenter of all the bad luck and gives her advice to take physical measures that make her seem odd to other people. She keeps many people at arms length for fear that her unlucky aura will cause bad things to happen to them. She keeps crossing paths with a cold genius CEO Je Soo-ho (Seol Woo-Byung). It has been years since her sister fell into a coma and doctors are encouraging Bo-nul to discharge her sister and care for her at home which is a likely death sentence. With years of unpaid medical bills and the diminishing possibility that her sister will ever wake up result in an urgency to the situation. Feeling powerless, Bo-nul once again turns to the Shaman for advice and he tells her she must sleep with a man from the year of the tiger to change her sister’s fate. It just so happens that the socially awkward and cold genius she keeps running into is year of the tiger. At the same time, Choi Geon-wook/Gary Choi (Lee Soo-Hyuk), Bo-nul’s childhood friend, returns to South Korea, after making it big as an international tennis star. He still has feelings for Bo-nul who was secretly his first love.

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked all the characters and the romance progressed in a way that was believable. It was even relatable how she became convinced she was unlucky and why she might try to feel in control by doing things the Shaman said would change an outcome. It felt a little frustrating at times when those around her point out how illogical some of her conclusions were she would stubbornly stick with her beliefs even when the outcome of events was overall positive. It came to a point where clinging to superstition was a way to shield herself from tragedy. It felt a bit cowardly at times and I found myself going from understanding to irritation because she hurt others by withdrawing lest her bad luck rub off on them. It was enjoyable overall well worth the watch.

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If you liked “My Shy Boss” This has similar elements

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2017/2018 romantic comedy television series that has 16, 60 minute episodes.

Jwa Yoon-yi (Baek Jin-hee) prides herself on being the perfect secretary even though her boss is too busy cheating on his wife to notIce. Like every secretary who tries to have their own life around juggling every aspect of their boss’s, she looks happy on the outside but is stressed and miserable on the inside. When scandal breaks out around her boss, Yoon-hi is let go. Nam Chi-won (Choi Daniel) arrives at the company at about the same time as a super star new Director. While he is very skilled in business he is totally lacking in social skills which earns him a lot of enemies. One of those enemies, knowing Yoon-yi is desperate to get back to work pulls strings to bring her back on but as Chi-won’s secretary. He figures he can plant a spy to bring Chi-won down. But he does not know Yoon-yi and her ability to make her boss shine. Hwangbo Yul (Lee Won-keun) is a 3rd generation chaebol who seems to have everything except many people in his life who truly care. He does not take work seriously and cannot keep a secretary because he is immature and unreasonably demanding. He has decided that Chi-won is cool and would make a good Hyung. Yul is also intrigued by Chi-won’s secretary and in lieu of luring her away accepts her recommendation for a secretary who is Wang Jeong-ae (Kang Hye-jung) a single mother who was abandoned by her philandering husband and left penniless and desperate for a job. The problem is Yul has criteria for his secretary that would exclude Jeong-ae so she has to pretend to be her younger sister and not a separated housewife. Will this one of many secretaries be the one that makes Yul grow into the successful business person hiding deep inside?
spoiler alert.
I decided to watch this one because I had finished “My Shy Boss” (MSB) and was looking for other drama that had a male lead that was really shy or had similar personality issues. This one was recommended as having a cold and not very socially adept boss that was similar to the boss in MSB. Because of that I was a little concerned that the two dramas would be too similar. There was of course a love triangle in this, as well as a friend group, another side couple, and a Bromance or two. I like all those elements and really can’t get enough of them played out in many different ways. What reduced my enjoyment about three quarters of the way through was a romance that was juvenile and over-the-top on cringe factor for me. I know that people can be sort of silly when they first discover they love each other but the age of the people in this just made that behavior seem out of place and it broke the fourth wall for me. Still if you like my shy boss I would say that this parallels in enough elements that you would likely enjoy this as well. Of the two I like my shy boss just slightly better but this one was a very close second for that type of movie. I recommend this for a romantic comedy that has workplace issues and a slice of life for the way secretaries supports high-level executive positions.

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Sorry when it ended

10/10 is my rating. This South Korean tv drama aired in 2017 and spanned 16 episodes (45 minutes/episode).

Life and love happen to long time friends Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) and Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won). Dong-man is a formerly famous martial arts fighter who fell from fame Choi Ae-ra works in a department store but dreams of much bigger things.

Spoiler 🚨 The descriptions and ratings do not do this show justice. It is one of my favorites and I will definitely be watching it again and recommending it to everyone who will listen. I can't think of anything that I would change. It reminded me a bit of "Rocky Balboa" but just a bit. It was it's own special and very unique story. If you are an Asian Drama Fan and like great story lines, sizzling chemistry, friendship and character growth - you don't want to miss this one. These two actors now top my list and I will be looking for other things they are in.

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Surprisingly good

Also known under the title you are my pet. This is a 2017 Japanese television series. It has alternate titles “Tramps Like Us”, and “Kimi Wa Petto”. This romantic comedy has 16, 45 minute episodes. It was a remake based on a popular Manga entitled “Kimi wa Pet” by Yayaoi Ogawa (2000-2005).

Although a beautiful and successful career woman, Sumire Iwaya (Noriko Iriyama) hides a painfully shy, socially uncertain and self-effacing nature from all but her close friends. Having both attended Tokyo University and Harvard she is considered elite in terms of a marriage prospect. Expecting a proposal from her current boyfriend, he instead breaks off the relationship after telling her he cheated and has fathered a child. Iwaya is devastated and gets inebriated to drown her sorrows. After staggering back home, she opens a cardboard box to discover an attractive young man who is hiding from the jealous partner of a current romantic interests. He looks up from the box at Iwaya and his wide eyed look reminds her of her beloved pet Momo. The next day she wakes up to find this young stranger, Takeshi Goda (Jun Shison) in her bed. When she tries to kick him out and he says he has no place to go. So Iriyama issues a challenge and says he can stay but only if he will act as a pet. Surprisingly, he agrees. Iriyama finds comfort in her new pet, Momo and can talk through her many concerns and worries with him. Things get complicated when Iwaya’s long time love, Shigehito Hasumi (Seiiche Tanabe) returns from oversees. She must hide her unusual pet from friends and family. Who will she choose? The young man seems to understand her like no other but her lost love is back and just as handsome and charming as ever.

Spoiler 🚨 I was a bit surprised how well I liked this. I have known people just like Iwaya who are beautiful and people assume their lives must be perfect. Really attractive people must develop a tough shell as people have very high expectations and are often less forgiving of mistakes and flaws in persons they deem that lucky. Her vulnerability is what made the situation more plausible. Momo is also understandable as he is in desperate need of a place and also is drawn to Iwaya’s kindness and vulnerability. Momo constantly builds Iwaya up and helps her to overcome her fears. Takeshi loves Iwaya but is willing to help her relationship with Hasumi if it means she will be happy. There was a female rival after Hasumi, Shiori Fukushima (Wakana Sakai), and evening if Iwaya and Hasumi did not wind up together I did not want to see him with Shiori because she went about it in a very catty way. But it became clear that love often has its own ideas. It ended perfectly all the way around. Noriko Iriyama is genuinely beautiful so it was easy to see why so many men would be interested despite her somewhat awkward nature. It is a fun, feel good watch.

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Loved it the whole way through

This is a 2012 South Korean Historical Medical Fantasy Romance television drama with 24, 1 hr episodes. It is also known under the title “Faith.”

When the queen is mortally injured General Choi Young (Lee Min-ho) is sent through Heaven’s door to the land of the Gods to find a doctor to heal her. First doctor he encounters is a plastic surgeon, Yoo Eun-soo (Kim Hee-sun) but there is no such distinction 700 years in the past so he abducts her to take her back to save the queen, Queen Noguk (Park Se-young). Seeing her skill and the medical tools she brought with her, the people believe she was trained by no other than the legendary Chinese surgeon Doctor Hwata. Soon all those currently battling for rights to the throne believe that having her as their royal doctor will tip the scales in their favor. As love grows between the doctor and the captain of the royal guard, he must battle not only for the young king he has come to respect but also for the woman doctor he has grown to love. He also must keep a promise to her, on his honor, to return her to her world.

I was afraid this would be just another historical drama. Should have known better with Lee Min-Ho involved it has both fantasy and sci-fi time travel mixed in. His role is so dynamic. Not only is he a intelligent military strategist and strong warrior but his ethics and moral code are truly impressive. It is the first time I have seen this female lead and I just loved the role she played. She was smart and forceful yet completely feminine. Very pretty both in her behavior and appearance. I thought Lee Min-Ho was a great couple with Park Shin-Hye and he was but I thought these two were even more perfect together. Looked up to see if they dated and seems she was married. That is how great their chemistry was. There was good and evil a bit of a mystery and lots of suspense. Lee Min-Ho shines in action scenes. He puts so much emotion into his acting I suspect he is an empath and probably deeply feels his roles I would imagine he is exhausted when he finishes a drama. I greatly admire his talent and knowing he is in something greatly influences whether or not I watch it. spoiler alert** I was a bit worried at the ending as it seemed they might not wind up together. Things ended well I just wish there had been a bit more screen time when things wrapped up happy. Still very good and a must see if you like the genre or either of these very talented actors.

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Uncomplicated, predictable and straightforward which can be good or bad

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic drama series with 12, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Chae Young-ju (Kim Se-jeong) is a tough, smart ex special forces agent who has made a name for herself as a top sales queen for a company that sells various alcoholic beverages. Trauma in her past from special forces activities has led to her supressing her emotions. When a branch of her company is on the verge of closing because of profitbility concerns, Young-ju is not only concerned for herself but for all the other employees, who look up to her, who would be out of a job. The one hope they have of saving their branch is to get master brewer Yoon Min-ju (Lee Jong-won) to develop a new beer in collaboration with their compay. What Young-ju does not know is Min-ju is an empath who senses and absorbs the strong emotions of others. Thee distessing nature of some emotions he experiences, has caused Min-ju to spend a lot of time in solitude He is also determined to keep his craft beers small batch and not calloborate with a large company on mass production. As Young-ju sets out to convince Min-ju to work with her company, will the two give in to their growing attraction for each other?

Review

This was a light hearted, predictable romance with a lens into beverage sales and craft brewing. Minju was such a sincere and sweet lead male character there was little not to like about him. Young ju was very heroic in all she did so it was actually a good pairing. If you want a relatively light, uncomplicated romance then I recommend this. It ends well and does not drag out the story with only 12 espisodes.

Spoilers

My daughter and I always watch dramas together and when I asked her how she would rate it she said a 10 she could not think of anything she did not like about it. I had a slightly different perspective and might have went 8.5 but she liked it so much I figured, overall, somewhere in between our two opinions was a good indicator.

I think the main thing I did not like about it was how mean Minju’s employees were to him in the beginning. I thought perhaps Young ju would set them straight but they just seemed to get better toward him sort of on their own, when she entered the scene. Up until that time they were not nice to him about being sensitive and an introvert.

I really did not ike Young ju’s company at all. So I did not want to see them succeed. It made no sense to me that they wine and dined Minju to make a beer for them up until there started being some problems he had not even caused. Then the company started treating him poorly and that made no sense with someone you tried so hard to recruit. Master brewers are typically in high demand so I couldn’t see a company wanting to get on his bad side.

I really liked second couple and how they explored PTSD. Depictiing it as the world changing and reality shifting during episoodes is what a lot of veterans have described. Their story was almost more interesting and complex than the main couple’s.

#BrewingLove. #KimSeJeong. #LeeJongWon #ShinDoHyun #BaeksungChul

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The friendships are great but some aspects are disappointing

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean reality dating show with 20, 86-121 minute episodes. There are 15 regular episodes and 5 episodes about the singles after the show ended.

First I provide a Unique Synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Six singles, three men and three women move into a house where they all will live together for one month. The women share one room and the men share rooms as well. In the beginning, they do not tell each other their ages or professions. They can flirt, ask each other to talk or go places but they cannot directly tell someone they like them. They must figure out others feelings through signals including anonymous texts each single sends to someone of their choosing at the end of each day. The celebrity panel watches the show and tries to predict who will send a text to whom. They compete for the most correct guesses by gathering and losing gems based on their guesses. After several episodes one more male and one more female single join the show to stir things up.

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Singles

Note: I say was this profession or that because they could have changed since the show ended. The age at filming is Korean age.

Women

Kim Ji Young - birth year 1995. She Was a brand consultant for an interior architecture company. Formerly a Korean Air flight attendant. She would have been 28 during filming.

Lee Ju Mi - birth year 1994. She was a lawyer.

Kim Ji Min - birth year 2000. Student at Sungshin women’s University. She would have been 22 during filming.

Yoo Yi Soo - birth year 1998. She was a casting agent and model. She would have been 25 during filming.

Men

Shin Min Gyu - birth year 1993. His profession was strategy consultant. He would have been 30 when the show was filmed.

Han Gyeo Re - birth year 1989. CEO of F&B company. He would have been 34 when the show was filmed.

Yoo Ji Won - birth year 1996. He was a medical intern. He would have been 27 when the show was filmed.

Lee Hu Shin - birth year 1993. A painter and model. He would have been 30 when the show filmed. He joined in episode 3.

Celebrity Panel

Yoon Jong Shin - a South Korean singer and song writer. He is also a record producer and is the CEO of Mystic Story. He was born in 1969 so would have been 53 when the show aired in 2022.

Kim Ea Na - a South Korean song writer who wrote hit songs for some of the top singers in South Korea. She was born in 1979 so would have been 43 when the show filmed.

Lee Sang Min -  is a South Korean singer, song writer, record producer and television personality. He is a former member of hip hop and dance group Roo'ra. He was born in 1973 so would have been 50 when the show was filmed.

Mimi - birth year 1995. Main rapper in girl group Oh! My Girl. She is also a singer and song writer. She would have been 28 when the show was filmed.

Kang Seung Yoon - Birth year 1994. Singer, song writer and lead of the boy band Winner. Healso acts and has received awards for various acting roles. He would have been 29 when the show was filmed.

Kim Chong Gi - 35 years old at time of filming so born about 1988. He is a Psychiatrist who has a web presence and published many articles on mental health.

Dawn formerly E’Dawn (full name Kim Hyo-jong) born in 1994 would be about 29 when the “after” shows aired. He joined the panel episode 16. Formerly a singer and songwriter in the boy band Pentagon, he is now a soloist.

Review

It is true to the theme of the show with the regular events scheduled by the show and spontaneous interactions chosen by the singles. It is a roller coaster of emotions particularly if you tend to feel other’s emotions strongly. I noticed that the singles get more and more attractive and accomplished through each subsequent episode. I think, with heart signal, I enjoy it a lot up to the point where the “catfish” (the male and female that join late and wind up disrupting a lot of the relationships) arrive. Once they arrive it feels less like we are watching a dating show and more like a game show. It is like watching a fictional romance drama and see the couple building a relationship, fall in love, then a 2nd person comes in during the last few episodes and splits the main couple apart. Most would not consider that a happy ending. I am not at all suggesting the show should steer things so that certain couples stay together, but I do wish they would stop doing things to drive them apart, One might argue if they liked each other enough nothing could drive them apart but that is rarely tge case in a newly formed, fragile, relationship. My daughter, who normally watches Asian shiws with me, rage quit after episode 13. At that point it became very clear things were falling apart.

If you are a fan of the show I would stay still watch this one. All of the singles are amazing people and most are simply too nice and caring of others to be harsher when they perhaps should. I liked most of them a lot. The celebrity panel are amazing as always and their commentary and insights are very enjoyable. Be prepared to be as frustrated with the way things go as you might have been with Season 1. If you get sad when others are (you are an empath) either be prepared to shield your emotions or avoid this. There were days my daughter and I would skip watching as it was too much to handle but in small bites.

Spoiler

I have to remind myself that the singles also know they are on a reality show and realize that others will see events and hear things they say later. It helps to understand that as the texts they send do not always go to the person they are most romantically interested in. They may send a text to a person they enjoyed the day with, or because they want to be sure someone gets a text, or because they are comfortable with the person and sending a text to their actual interest may hurt others.

I thought the best couples were Min Gyu with Ji Young, Han Geo Re with Lee Ju Mi and Lee Hu Shin and Lee Ji Min. But, of course, that is not how it ends up. Min Gyu amd Ji Young were the preferred partners of all of the singles. But those two liked each other a lot.They allowed others to make them feel guilty though and that wound up driving them apart. I thought Yi Soo was very manipulative in that she misrepresented some of the things Min Gyu said to her to Ji Young making her think Min Gyu had stronger feelings for Yi Soo than I believe he did at the time. She also played the sweet innocent younger girl around the other women when it appeared she was way more scheming than that. I think the way she wound up coming across to viewers was a factor of how the show was edited where we saw Ji Young’s hurt reactions a lot and not other things that would have helped us understand better. She did play the perfect “Catfish” as her entry, in episode 6, really disrupted things.

I think you experience a true catfish in this one in Yi Soo. I cannot help but notice some Americanized traits in the way she approaches romantic relationships. “All is Fair in Love and War” is an American saying and I feel she definitely deployed this tactic. Call it selective editing or whatever but she clearly misrepresented things that were said, or not said, to her in order to manipulate the situation. She played her role, and matched the intent of adding singles late, well. But it was brutal watching her utilizing her tactics on the other singles that had a kinder, gentler way of approaching romantic rivalry. She did not allow Min Gu to have other thoughts as she was right there staring him down and making it clear she would be “hurt” if he chose anyone else to talk to or date. I think her sweet, gentle, vulnerable young woman demeanor in front of the other singles when they were in groups was an act. All of that made her an effective disruptor.

I was frustrated enough by the last two episodes I only skim watched them. I was so disappointed in the complete change of heart and just focusing on the dates with one female too much.

After signal makes up for some of the things that happened in the last episodes and you get insight into why the singles made the seemingly baffling decisions.

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Well paced, well acted and developed slice of life romantic drama

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean slice of life romantic comedy. It has 16, approximately 65 minute episodes. Alternatively known as Weather People and KMA: The Cruelty of In-House Romance.

Synopsis

Jin Ha-kyung (Park Min-young) was on the verge of getting married to her fiance after a 10 year relationship. Both worked for the Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) and were a well known couple in the office. Ha-kyung is humiliated when she finds out, on the brink of their wedding, that her fiance is being unfaithful with a young reporter who also works with them. Han Ki-joon (Song Kang) is a forecaster at KMA and Ha-kyung winds up being the Director of the section he works in. He is the ex of the girl Ha-Kyung's fiance cheated with. Ha-kyung vowed to never have a workplace romance again but when a one night stand with Ki-joon leads to something more it may be hard for her to keep that vow. Can the two convince each other and others that their romance was not just a rebound and that they had no intention of becoming a couple out of revenge? Can they keep their relationship a secret from co-workers who may judge them as a superior and subordinate as well as for the age gap?

Review

Korean dramas are rarely risque but this one has some moments that make it refreshing and also lead to some hilarity. I liked that they slept together and it created this dynamic tension between them. Overcoming the age gap and supervisor subordinatehurdles added a layer of intrigue. Getting a glimpse inside the complexity of forecasting and the political ramifications of getting things wrong was interesting. I loved how her team grew closer throughout the series. I found each of the bonus romances believable and did not feel irritated when time was spent in them as I was also very drawn into those stories.

Spoilers

I thought her fiancé and his girlfriend who slept together and cheated on them would be irredeemable but was pleasantly surprised the writers turned it around and I was not angry on the main character's behalf but even started rooting for the relationship. The fact that she was able to put aside the hurt and become a good friend to her ex fiancé made her an all the more likable female lead. Same with the male lead and his ex girlfriend, the fact that he was always there for her and she for him as friends was heartwarming. Park Min Young is such a great actress and Ienjoy watching her bring the characters to life. I recommend this for fans of any of the main characters, for those that like slice of life, and as a well paced heartwarming romance.

#forecastingloveandweather

#parkminyoung

#songkang

#weatherpeople

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All Star Cast, Amazing Acting, Compelling story, some inconsistencies

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean Action and Crime drama with 20, approximately 80 minute episodes.

Park Joo-hyung (Song Joong-ki) grew up in Italy. At eight years old he was adopted and harbors resentment towards his Korean mother who he feels abandoned him. He later becomes part of the Italian mafia and is such an asset the head, Don Fabio, adopts him. As a member of the Cassano family Joo-hyung is renamed Vincenzo Cassano. He becomes a lawyer and utilizes his skill as he works as a representative for his adopted father in mafia dealings. When the father dies, the biological son attempt to kill Vincenzo and, after taking revenge, Vencenzo flees the country back to South Korea.

In Seoul, Vincenzo goes to the the Geumga Plaza which is a site where he helped a Chinese tycoon hide 1.5 tons of gold and install tenants to disguise the real intention of the building.
The Chinese tycooln is dead, and ownership of the gold now falls to the Cassano family, and Vincenzo plans to recover the gold for himself. Of course, the building has been taken over by a South Korean crime organization in the form of a pharmaceudical company, the Babel group. The Babel group has been strong arming the tenants so Vincenzo decides to team up with one of the tenants, a lawyer, to take down the Babel group. The lawyers daughter, Hong Cha-young (Jeno Yeo-been) was originally represting Babel but after her father is murdered by them, joins up with Vincenzo to exact revenge on the Babel Group. Sparks had originally flown between the two but as they unite toward a common purpose those strong feelings evolve to something more.

Overall, I liked this series a lot. All of the actors, and you had a pretty much all star cast with a few exceptions, did an amazing job acting out their characters. The storyline was exciting and the villians were incredibaly villanous. The whole "it takes a villian to catch a villian" axiom was true throughout the series. The chemistry between the two leads was not immediate, which made sense to me because they did not start out liking each other but developed a deep friendship through working to take down a common enemy.

*Spoilers The pros were the incredible acting, great locations and filming, and appropriate but not too invasive musical scores. Who doesn't love Song Joon-ki in action, he is incredibly handsome and charasmatic. The sense of community with the building tenants was both refreshing and engaging. I loved that Cha-young was a tough, no nonsense lawyer with a bit of a dark streak. It made her the perfect pairing for Vincenzo because she did not have an issue, if justice would not be served, with going outside of the law. I loved that there was gold hidden in the building and how disturbed Vincenzo would get whenever someone would pursue his gold. He reminded me, in those cases, of a Leprechaun guarding his gold. One of the most comedic scenes was when he had to pretend to be gay to lure in a bank that was willing to work with Babel. Whether you are gay trying to be heterosexual or heteresexual tying to be gay if you are engaging the sexuality that does not fit - it is cringy. I was laughing, so hard during that part. The funny thing, was he seemed to turn all the guys around him gay. The men seemed to love him as much as the women did. It was like everyone's dark fantasy, apprently, to be in the mob. So there were bromances galore.

The cons were the times that Vincenzo failed to stay true to character. What it seemed, was he was a South Korean child, adopted into the Italian culture but was old enough to remember the language and most of the culture of his original country. His anger at his mother for "abandoning" him, and the death of his foster parents through criminal activity, led him to embrace the dark side for revenge. I got that. Made sense. But, it showed, in so many ways that he was very humane and caring and had conscience and could love and all that - not even a sociopath because he wasn't simply "blending in" his feelings appeared genuine and he underwent an evolution through meeting and falling in love with Cha-young, being mentored and befriended by her father, and just forming so many friendships in South Korea. But then, his mother, who he was on the precipice of a true reunion with, is murdered and it is like it flipped a switch. He backtracked on all the progress he made and the brutal element fully came back in him. The fact that he had flashbacks and nightmares of past incidents clearly showed that he had remorse to that point. But then it was like he became a slightly different person after his mother's death. I thought the way he killed the Babel villians was just a bridge too far. I cannot reconcile burning someone to death with someone who is a good person. Although the chairman was evil and had done horrible things, drilling someone to death is just the next level of brutality. Becoming as evil as the evil you are punishing does not make you a good person. I was disappointed when he blew up Cha-young's father's killer. He broke his word in my opinion. hHe told him once he did this thing the debt was fulfilled and he could go free. It was dishonest and it seemed even Cha-young felt he had gone too far. But she never said that although her response to the news seemed as if it bothered her.
When he killed the female lawyer he broke his morale code which was no women and children. She even said you are going to do this to a woman and he said, basically, you are not a woman, you are a monster. Still, burning her alive was the next level up brutality. It took him from a batman like, superhero justice seeker, to just a murderer little better than the people he was "punishing". I also could not buy that the law enforcement friends in his circle were so okay with him brutally murdering those people. They helped him get away with it and even shook hands with and hugged him when he had the blood on him. It was a bit like "Dexter" in that dark anti hero type persona but I am just not a fan of that level of "eye for an eye" because his treatment of them was even more brutal than the way they treated their victims.

The ending also fell short for me. Perhaps they are setting it up for another season. I did not like the very "Pirates of the Caribbean" end where he can only come back when on a diplomatic mission (diplomatic immunity). It was over obvious in the postcards he sent that he wanted her to come find him - yet she didn't. To me it seemed as though her emotions toward him took a turn. I did not have the sense she would be willing to leave South Korea and go join him on an island off the coast of Malta. I had no care for his Italian family. We never got to know enough of that piece to care that he had reunited and was now ruling that family. And, we were reminded of his brutality when he mentioned the revenge he took on a rival family and that their remains were fertilizing his grapes. They confessed and kissed but then parted ways with a somewhat sad and whistful look in both of their eyes.

His behavior, as other reviewers have pointed out, was not even consistent with what is often the case in organized crime. I knew a situation like that once - one of my best friends in high school let's just say her father was a retired person in a very well known organized criminal entity. In those situations, usually the lawyer is very valuable and also high up in the crime organization. They do not have those folks act as "hit persons" they are too valuable to the organization. And they typically have done their dues and don't want to get their hands dirty that way. Not that they have suddenly grown a conscience, but they just don't do the dirty work anymore. So that did not make sense. He was a lawyer and the second in command - the family would typically not risk such an individual by involving them so intimately. Even if he, himself, wanted to be involved, unless there was a compelling reason he would usually be ordered by "the boss" not to.

That being said - I would still recommend it and might even rewatch it at some point. It is unique and so well acted that the flaws are not a complete deterrant. Others really liked it and did not consider these things flaws. Cha-young had just enough darkness in her to accept a lot of what he did. It was very "Game of Thrones" in the darker elements and how most of the characters were not completely good or completely evil but various mixes thereof. And how you were rooting for anti heroes. The "Queen of Dragons" in Game of Thrones reminded me of Vincenzo in the way their characters evolved and the sudden switch down a much darker path. But I wasn't a fan of how that ended either. I like redemption and character growth. This followed the opposite trajectory. If there were a second season I might watch it. I am extremely disappointed in the brutality of the murders so I can't think of a way back from that but would be interested to see where their relationship evolved.

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I liked the second one as well as the first

5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 television comedic drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes.
📍Lee Joon-ki (Lee Yi-kyung) CEO of the Waikiki Guesthouse. He takes but roles in series and movies in a quest to become a famous actor like his father.
📍Cha Woo-sik (Kim Seol-ho) One of Joon-ki's high school friends and an investor the Waikiki Guesthouse. He plays gigs while trying to get a break in the music world.
📍Gook Gi-bong (Shin Hyun-so) A “farm league” baseball player who aspires to the majors. Another Joon-ki‘s high school friends and fellow investor in the guest house.
📍Han Soo-yeon (Moon Ga-young) Joon-ki, Woo-sik and Gi-bong's first love. She was the dream girl in high school and everyone‘s first love. In high school they all confessed to her only to be rejected, except for Woo-sik who had a mysterious encounter with Soo-yeon in the past. Woo-sik is playing a gig a her wedding when it gets called off. With nowhere else to go, she winds up at the guest house. Coming from a formerly wealthy family who went bankrupt she is now having to work to support herself and is learning about life without wealth.
📍Kim Jeong-eun (Aha So-hee) Like Joon-ki she dreams of becoming an actress. She works multiple part time jobs to make ends meet. She knows Joon-ki from the university and it seems he has let her stay there as she fell on hard times.
📍Cha Yoo-ri (Kim Ye-won) practically raised her younger brother, Woo-sik. She is not above using manipulation and blackmail to get what she wants. Because if this, the others are a little afraid of her. She often has her friend and brother’s interest at heart but her methods can be unwelcome and brutal.

Spoiler 🚨 This is loosely a sequel to the first one. The only character in common with the first is Joon-ki who it seems bought out his former friend. There is not a lot of direct reference to the characters from the first although there is mention they were all successful in their various endeavors and thus left the guest house. There is very little explanation as to why Joon-ki broke up with Chewbacca and it makes his presence in this series a bit awkward. The new cast is entertaining with many of the same elements that made the first season so enjoyable.

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I have watched over 260 and only dropped a couple I dropped this

5/10 is my rating. This is 2023 Chinese Action Romance drama with slices of medical and fire emergency life. There are 40, approximately 45 minute episodes. Adapted from the web novel “Waiting For You in a City”

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis
Song Yan (Yang Yang) and Xu Quin (Wang Chu Ran) fell in love in high school but their social status was very different leading to Xu Quin’s mother driving them apart. After breaking off their relationship, Xu Quin leaves to study abroad.

It has been ten years since Song Yan has seen the girl who shattered his heart and he is not ready to start up where they left off when their paths cross again. He has excellled in his chosen field, firefighting, and while his goal is to become successful enough to stand before anyone it does not mean he plans to forgive and forget. Xu Quin is an emergency room doctor and finds her path crossing Song Yan’s frequently. Her desire is to win Song Yan back.

Can the two resolve the past and find a new path to love?

Review

I stopped watching after episode 9 as I found it too slow and boring. I do not know how two such exciting careers could be portrayed in such a hum drum manner but they were able to. If you like series that are heavy on the dramatic element you may be okay with It.

I do not quit watching many, I will usually muscle through if there is just one aspect I do not like. But there were so many things I did not like. i thought they seemed horrible for each other, he was whiny, she was clingy and selfish, and it was boring. I was not interested in watching another 31 episodes of a drama where I did not care if the couple got together nor to see more of their jobs.

Spoilers*

I found the male lead character whiny and abrasive. He took his moods out on everyone around him. It is not an admirable trait. His relationship with his best friend had a very gay vibe. Men do not tend to act jealous and cry over other men in a typical friendship. They were also very touchy feely to the point if they kissed I would not have been surprised. Some like boy love series and that is fine. It is not my preference so it felt misleading to have two supposedly heterosexual characters act very homosexual in their interactions with each other. I have seen the actor in other roles and he is very manly, handsome and charismatic but I was disappointed in this role.

The female lead character sees him after a decade and then rather than slowly trying to win him over she comes at him like a sledge hammer. She also did not seem to have overcome the issue with her mother making it likely she would break his heart again..

#YangYang
#WangChuRan
FireworksofmyHeart

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Has some laugh out loud funny moments, intrigue and romance

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Josean era based historical romantic comedy with 32, 30 minute, episodes.

After assassins attempt to murder his family, Jeon Nok-du/Lady Kim Nok-soon/Yeon soo (Jang Dong-toon), sets out to find out who sent the assassins and why. He traces them back to a widows only village and disguises himself as widow Lady Kim, so he can remain undercover and investigate. He is provided a room to share with Dong Dong-joo/Yoo Eun-seo (Kim So-hyun) who is pretending to be in training as a courtesan but has her own mysterious reason to disguise herself in the widow town. Dong-joo’s goal is to secure a place in the palace were she will have access to the king. Nok-du’s investigation leads him to the palace as well. With a king, King Gwanghwamun (Jung Joon-ho) who is insane with the need to guard the throne at all costs, getting close to him is no small endeavor. Can the two succeed in their separate yet intertwined quests and manage their growing feelings for each other? Will what they each discover draw them closer or tear them apart?

spoiler alert**. The first part of this series had some laugh out loud moments where he is struggling with all the pitfalls of trying to be a woman. The mystery around both of their pasts is highly intriguing. I loved so many of the supporting characters. I really liked the character Nok-du and wanted to see good things happen for him. When he discovered the king was his father who attempted to kill him as an infant due to some prophesy, I hoped he would come around and be happy his son was alive and had grown to an exemplary person but he never did. Even after getting to know him as a close confident when he did not know he was his son, he wanted to kill him the moment he found out. There were moments when the king was almost a sympathetic character but then he would do something awful again. The ending was happy in terms of the romance but there were disappointing elements. Nok-du winds up back in exile and I would have liked to see him be Prince after all the struggle. He would have made a fine future king as he was kind, brave and loyal. Instead the evil cousin basically got his way and deposed the mad king. I wanted to see the king and perhaps the cousin come around. But both remained evil at their cores. The opening music did not fit with a historical drama and I would laugh at how silly it is. It was very good and extremely entertaining but those few elements kept it from being exceptional.

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Underwhelming relative to all the hype

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 fantasy romance drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.

Lee Gon/Lee Ji-hun (Lee min-ho) is the King in a country called Corea that exists in a universe. parallel to the Republic of Korea. As an eight year old he witnessed the assassination of his father by his half uncle who also intended to kill Lee Gon. Jeong Tae-eul / Luna (Kim Go-eun) or her parallel counterpart saved Lee Gon from death and then disappeared. Since that time Emperror Lee Gon has been looking for his mysterious savior with the help of his friend and Captain of the Royal guard, Jo Yeong / Jo Eun-sup (Woo Do-hwa). Lee Gon’s uncle, Lee Lim / Lee Seong-jae (Lee Jung-Jin) killed the former king to obtain a flute that has magical powers including the ability to render the person who possesses it eternal. In fighting his Uncle, young Lee-Gon broke the flute in half with a sword and now has the other copy. Lee Lim opened the portal between the two universes and is reeking havoc along the way. Emperor Lee-Gon plans to put an end to his Uncle’s evil and close the portal between the two universes.

Spoiler***There was so much hype around this one in drama circles that I expected this to be one of the great ones. And, reading reviews, a lot of people really liked this but this is not my favorite role for Lee Min-Ho. I also did not see much chemistry between the two leads - they seemed more like two people that would be great friends. It was hard to see the transition from her more or less being annoyed with him to liking him then loving him. It may have been easier to see that transition if there was chemistry there but with the friend like aura I just wasn't getting it. Netflix also puts a particular spin on dramas that I am not as much a fan of - they Americanize things a bit and I actually started watching Asian dramas because I did not like a lot of what was going on in American dramas. What I mean by Americanize is there is this theme of over the top "strong, independent woman" who is just fine alone. I get that, I do, but I also think many people are overall happier when they are together with the right person.
Most single people I know and have observed are lonely on some level. I also could not get why he seemed so taken with her so quickly I know he thought she had some role in saving him when he was young but that wasn't enough to understand why he would be romantically interested in her. She was not very nice to him in the beginning so for someone with all the options he had to fall for her in particular, it was a hard leap to make. This was a parallel universe/time travel drama and I rarely find that premise compelling so it could be that I am a bit biased and have high expectations. I was often unsure which character from which parallel universe was speaking. That may have been partially my fault as I watched it very slowly as I was having a hard time staying interested. It moved back and forth and between a lot and was confusing at times. The ending where they travel every weekend together to different places and times and that is how they were together has to be one of my least favorite endings but is not uncommon with time travel. Not necessarily traveling together but it is common that they meet infrequently. I think, if anything, traveling every weekend to see the person you love would become tiresome. And you wonder about simple things like - what would they do if they had children. Would they become part of the every weekend travel?
There wasn't much to the plot either just his Uncle was a traitor who wanted to take over the throne and gain control of the magical flute for immortality. I would not re-watch this readily and would only recommend it to someone who is serious fans of either lead or who particularly like the time travel and/or parallel universe them.

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Another great additional to the reality dating genre

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean reality dating show with 11, 56-85 minute episodes

First I provide a unique synopsis then Review.

Synopsis
A group of single men and women live on an island called Inferno which has the basic necessities for survival. The set up is a base level glamping environment and very minimal foods are provided. Through a combination of competition rewards and matching during selections couples are able to go to another island called Paradise. On Paradise couples are able to reveal their ages and occupations and get to know each other in luxury accommodations and with a feast of food items. Singles can also interact on Inferno but are not allowed to reveal their ages or occupations. Friends form in the cabin style dorms and singles interact as friend and potential romantic partners while cooking and going about daily living. During the final episode, the single women are stationed around the island and the men are able to go to the single women if their choice. The single woman then selects by grabbing the hand of the man she chooses to leave the island with.

CELEBRITY HOSTS
Hong Jin kyung Born in 1977. She would have been 46 when the show aired. She is an entrepreneur, model, host, comedian and actress.
Lee Da-hee Born in 1985 she would have been 39 when the show aired. She is a model and actress.
Cho Kyu Hyun (Kyuhyun) Born in 1988 he would have been 35 when the show aired. He is a multi talented musical theater actor, television show host and member of Kpop band Super Junior
Jung Han hae (Hanhae) Born in 1990 he would have been 33 when the show aired. He was a singer and rapper. A Former member of the South Korean hip hop boy band Phantom.
Kim Jin Young (Dex) Born in 1985 he would have been 38 when the show aired. He was a single during season 2 but is returning to join the host panel. He was a member of the Korean Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) soldier has also appeared in South Korean reality shows Game of Blood and Zombieverse. He may soon be taking roles in South Korean dramas.

SINGLES

WOMEN

Kim Gyu ri Born in 1996 would have been about 28 at the time the show aired. Fashion and beauty model Gyu-ri was a runner-up for Miss Korea 2022.
Choi Hye seon Born in 1998 would have been about 26 at the time. A bioinformatics major at the Life Sciences department of Ewha Women’s University,
An Min young . A Pilates instructor who owns her own studio. She also competed in Miss Busan Jinhae 2023 and influencer with over 40k followers prior to the show.
Yun Ha jeong, Born in 1998 would have been about 26 at the time. She is an office worker at a medical clothing company. She is also an aspiring actress and model signed to an agency. A former beauty pageant contestant where she was runner-up in Miss Chunhyang 2021.
Cho Min ji Born in 1998. She would have been about 26 at the time. She was a college student studying to be an anchor. Attended Ewha Womans University. She was a Miss Korea 2021 runner up.
Yu Si eun Born in 1997. She would have been about 27 when the show aired.Freelance model in beauty and fashion. She is an influencer and was the first runner up for Miss Korea in 2022. 

MEN

Choi Min woo, Born in 2000. He was about 23 at the time. He is a model who has worked for several fashion brands and walked in Seoul Fashion week.
Lee Gwan hee Born in 1988 he was about 36 at the time. He is a professional basketball player. He appeared on variety shows such as Running Man. He also does a personal youtube channel.
Son Won ik Born in 1993 he would have been about 31 at the time. He is a licensed realtor and avid marathon runner. Like several of the others, he also has his own youtube channel.
Yun Ha bin Born in 1993 he was about 31 at the time. He is an actor who mostly does independent films, He had a brief appearance in Episode 2 of the recent South Korean drama, My Demon.
Park Min kyu, Born in 1989 he would have been about 34. He is a police officer and rescue diver on the Korean Coast Guard's Sea Special Rescue Team. He was a competitive swimmer in his school years but had to drop out of competition after a shoulder injury.
Lee Jin-seok Born in 1993 he would have been about 31 when the show aired. He is an entrepreneur who owns several bakery cafés in Daegu and Seoul, South Korea.

Review

I liked the first part of the show a lot.  The getting to know each other phase was very interesting. The latter episodes had a lot more conflict that wasn’t about I have genuine feelings but more I feel strongly about this person in a competitive sense.  I find myself disillusioned a bit the more I watch reality dating as I want to observe the progression of a relationship leading to a more permanent relationship or at least dating and I don’t think that is what many of these shows wind up being about.  It is more Mr. and Mrs. Right now and within the game. I think the perfect example of this is one single will become the most desired of that gender and everyone goes for them in a competitive way. Then it seems more like competing than having any genuine compatibility or long term interest. 
 It is good, worth watching, and I would recommend it to others with similar interest. I will not rewatch it but I don’t tend to rewatch any reality shows. Is it sad? Depends on how much you feel for those that exhibit heartbreak or get rejected. I don’t find it sad just because I don’t believe any deep attachments can be formed in such a short time period. Does it end happy? Well, that depends on whether or not you can be happy even if the person does not decide on the one you think is a good match for them.  There are no guarantees that your favorite couple will wind up together. But that is just reality dating shows for you. People, in regular life also often pick based on attraction rather than true compatibility.  Not saying that is what happened but it is definitely a thing that does happen with some of the singles.

Spoilers
 Kim Gyu ri became one of my favorite singles. She was not stuck up. Actually quite the opposite. Her actions proved her to be quite genuine and down to Earth.  And I think that is why her interaction with Choi Min Woo was misinterpreted. When they confessed the start of feelings for each other she was very honest. And she asked him to “stay put” which I thought was clear she was asking him to wait for her.  But after he decided, for no apparent reason, that he was suddenly very attracted to Yu Si eun. I did not think they had enough interaction to warrant that sudden inseparable fated love union the two of them formed.  I could see how Gyu ri would have been surprised and hurt after having come back from Paradise, where she kept her word and wasn’t showing any romantic interest, to find that Min Woo was suddenly all in for Si eun. Min Woo knew what he said to Gyu ri and I thought Gyu Ri’s comment to him that he was being like player Lee Gwan hee was warranted. I thought Si eun knew the situation but didn’t care because she decided she wanted him.  I was disappointed in both of them.  If Min Woo changed his mind that is totally okay in the context but there are ways to let the other person down gently and ways where you are just being hurtful.  I was really glad Gyu ri told Min Woo his behavior was hurtful and wrong because it was.  I was also disappointed in the panel who concluded Gyu ri was too harsh and wrong to scold Min Woo.  She was nice about it really. 
Si eun gave a negative impression from the beginning when she stated she thought she was better than others.  If she had depth of character and a nice personality that certainly did not come through. She was cold to Son Won ik when he expressed his feelings and back stabbed Gyu ri by emotionally manipulating Min Woo late in the show.  Her tears when she couldn’t see him and pouty behavior was extremely emotionally manipulative and juvenile.   I also lost a lot of respect for Si eun when she want and interrupted when Gyu ri and Min Woo were talking. If you think you need to interrupt then you obviously think the two might have some feelings and, since you are the one that stepped in late, it would have been classier to give them their moment.  She was the one that stepped in after those two already had something going. Gyu ri was hurt and yes she was venting and scolding Min Woo a bit but it was the least he could do for going about things the way he did.  Being rejected hurts and being rejected so publicly would hurt even worse.  I didn’t think Si eun and Min Woo’s interactions were cute or romantic at all.  Si eun should have not have essentially rubbed it in. It was a mean girl thing to do.
Lee Gwan Hee’s behavior toward the women was awful.
Lee Jin seok surprised me and wound up being a favorite. Min Young made a series of comments about how she didn’t like that the other singles already considered them a pair and how she didn’t like those decisions being made for her.  He backed off and actually changed his mind.  I respected that.  What she said was hurtful and I am a person that thinks people mean what they say.  He was also very kind, mature and thoughtful in all of his interactions with the other participants. So my first impression of Jin seok was totally off base and he was one of the males on the island I found the most personable and genuine. 
Choi Min ji ‘sbehavior where she was trying to get Gwan hee’s attention on the flight to Paradise was uncomfortable and I thought it was insensitive of her. 
#SinglesInferno3, #SinglesInfernoSeason3, #ChoMinWoo, #LeeGwanHee,#SonWonIk
,#YunHaBin,#ParkMinKyu,#KimGyuRi,#ChoiHyeSeon,#AnMinYoung,#YunaHaJeong
,#ChoiMinJi,#KyuHyun,#Hanhae,#KimJinYoung ,#Dex,#HongJinKyung,#LeeDaHee
,#ChiKyuHyun,#JungHanHae

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