A great drama without too much hot sauce.

If you are into dramas that are emotional, lots of backstabbing and in essence "hot sauce" then this drama is not for you.

I simply loved this drama because it was about love & longing. Every drama has to have some controversy to make it interesting and in this case the sale of the hotel was not controversial enough. The family members had their reasons and that was good enough. In my opinion the message of the drama was about "love" between the players and each player to realize "what do I truly want".

I was impressed that all behaved themselves and loved their grandmother. I gave it a 10 because I am tired of same old contrived situational dramas between a good and a bad guy. In this drama there was no BAD person..

I define a hero or heroes who transformed and in this drama, all players transformed in one way or another. Thus they were all heroes. The narrative at the end said it all to me. I quote here because I want to preserve the narrative for my own records:
"As grandmother, who had lived fiercely with her lifelong longing and love, left on a very faraway picnic, the curtains fell. The people in the audience departed in search of their own happiness with the memories of the performance. This was because they had an audience for whom they wanted to take of the masks of their roles and face with their true faces."

Very profound!!

My interpretation of the above: "We all live our lives as a hero in our own drama/life with our longing, desires and wishes until the end of our lives. Our family members (mostly) are the witness/audience of that life and at the end of that life, they shall move on to look for their own happiness with the lessons learned from the departed one. ". If I am the one for whom they are willing to be authentic and take off their "masks" then perhaps I have lived a good life.

I thank the author for writing such a loving drama and the actors for their brilliant performance

Read More

Meeeh.. had lots of potential

Eun Bin Did a fantastic job of acting and all other actors were pretty and cute. Giving it a low rating because I really don’t wish to learn legal mambo jumbo and whales/dolphins jumping out of water when attorney woo has a profound thought and found a legal loophole.

Unless there is a season 2, this series let me annoyed with lots of side stories unanswered. I didn’t experience att. Woo’s growth at all. There was no transformation of main characters. Only person transformed were Kwon Min Woo & Jung Myung Seok, and that makes them the hero of the drama.
The evil witch Tae Soo Mi got away with nothing…
No romance/chemistry felt between Jun Ho and att. Woo.

The writers could have a written a very powerful and emotionally engaging drama by change in att. Woo and Jun Ho as a result of their attraction towards each other.

Att. Woo mother could come to her senses.. also att. Woo and her brother relationship could have been developed as well.

Read More

A drama with some depth about relationships

This drama is not your typical romcom. I can see why some people would have given this drama a low rating. I gave this drama a high rating because it is a mature drama that deals with intimate relationships. This drama explores "who one needs to be" in order to live up to the promises made while "in love". This drama was unique in its storytelling, although it did follow some usual tropes. I liked it because it is a mature view about what it takes to have a meaningful relationship.

If you like dramas that has depth and like character development then this drama is for you!!

Jung Yu Mi as Han Yeo Reum (FL) did a fantastic job of portraying a character that is firm minded but is flawed when it comes to love matters. She truly was in touch with her feelings without knowing why. I love the line from the drama "sometimes the tears flow first without knowing the reason why".

The story is about a couple who dated for 5 years and meet again with the ex-boyfriend (EX) 5 years later. Meanwhile, FL has a new boyfriend (NB) but their relationship is not honest and at many levels is superficial. It was infuriating to watch FL & NB withhold secrets for almost silly reasons. But I came to peace and appreciated the writer's intent because given the nature o f FL&NB, the trust was missing and thus the foundation of a solid relationship was missing.

The EX has his own lessons to learn. I loved Eric Mun's lesson of humility and finally the realization that "who he needs to be" in order to truly love.

In my opinion, there was significant transformation of the three main characters which makes this drama AMAZING. Each had their lessons:
NB admitted to himself that he matters. He finally confessed to FL that everyday was a painful day in being with relationship with her. This feedback to FL aided FL to truly look at herself and her growth.
FL's discovery of self-confidence and just being a girl friend was not good enough. For example, based on results, her two significant relationships fell apart.
EX's discovery that he was responsible for the breakup of a relationship that was to be cherished for the remainder of his life. Yet he had to let her go so that he can truly wish for FL's happiness. A great lesson in humility, respect, and altruistic. This all makes him or anyone a better person.

Finally, I loved the concept of "interview". The interview sequence gave a viewer an impression of an event that has already happened. Usually a director will resort to flash backs which essentially halts the current event while as a viewer we construct the history in our heads. The interview technique kept the focus on the present while completing the picture of a past event that is significant at the present moment.

I thank other reviewers of this drama. Their insights encouraged me to watch this drama and I am glad that I took their recommendation.

Read More

A surprise find and goes on my recommeded list.

I am surprised that this drama has such a low rating. If you are looking for a comedy / romance, then this one should be on your watch list!! I gave it a 9 in spite of my dislike about the ending. I would have given this drama 9.5 if the ending did not frustrate me. I reserve 10 for those dramas that are unusual and have a powerful message about main character's transformation.

I was hesitant to watch 22 hours but the 22 hours felt like a normal 16 hours of drama. The writer kept the situational humor alive through out every episodes and kept me entertained. Nothing was off limits. For example, Seon Joo & Sae Do's baby not being pretty enough and being mistaken for a male child.

I was also pleasantly surprised that back in 2007 the writer broke the norm by having a story dealing with co-habitation and sex.

I highly recommend this drama but I was disappointed by the last episode and the ending.

Spoiler Alert!!
We all expect and know that the main couple will end up together and it is a usual pattern in Kdramas that there will be breakup just before that last episode. This drama did not disappoint us in that regard. However, I was very disappointed in Dal Ja's character and that made me angry as a viewer. By the end of this drama both my partner & I really didn't care if they got back together again.
Dal Ja's primary reason for breaking up was that she wasn't confident that Tae Bong really loved her. He does profess his love for her and she seemed to be too self absorbed to not to "keep in touch" for two years. When she does come back to Korea and makes no effort to get in touch with him. If I was in his shoes, I don't think I would want to get involved for such a high maintenance girl!!

Other than my frustration with the ending, I highly recommend this drama and give a shout out to Chae Rim for really doing such a fantastic job. She really carried the drama with her facial expressions. I would loved to see more of her newer dramas but I don't think she is acting any more.

Good job every one!!

Read More

A must watch for those who love romantic comedies

Why I didn't this drama a 10? I usually reserve a 10 for those dramas that have a unique story and are memorable. This drama will be "memorable" but the story was not unique enough to be a 10. Thus.. a 9.5 rating.

Overall, I couldn't find many faults with this drama, as long as a viewer, one is willing to overlook minor flaws such as recanting of previous stories and side plots that feel like a time filler.

This drama had a flavor of "Encounter". I loved the "artistic" aspect of this drama and especially how the ending of a scene was framed as brush strokes of a painting.,, Sort of a constant reminder that the drama was about a museum.

In many dramas the comedic part is usually at the beginning and lasts for few episodes. Then the usual conflict take over as our heroes work out the issues. In this case, the comedy was sprinkled throughout the drama till the end and was unique and clever from my perspective.

I loved the Dali character. She maintained her composure no matter what situation was thrown at her. I also loved the sexual tension present between FL & ML. Personally, I thought this drama was mature enough to address the nature of sexual relations in very nice comedic manner. In general, other dramas tend to handle the topic of sex like a teenager.

MooHak did a fantastic job of showing vulnerable and yet sensitive side to his nature. He was clear.. i.e money is money and love is love. He wasn't afraid to admit that he was stupid and poked fun at himself. For example.. my favorite line: Capitol of India ... Indonesia.

I can write pages of analysis on this drama... But the biggest take way.. comedy balanced the heaviness of Dali. Uneducated people showed more class than so called rich people with class.

Spoiler Alert and skip this paragraph if you are not ready!! I was annoyed and yet pleased that the writer/director did not follow the usual pattern of a breakup followed by a makeup. Although the writer/director led us to believe this trope was happening but it was handled in some more accepting ways and consistent with the story line. So.. I forgive the writer/director for this flagrant violation of playing with our emotions.

Please watch this drama and go to bed with a smile having spent time being entertained till the end!!

Until next time... be well.

Read More

Entertaining Enough if you like time travel stories.

Overall I enjoyed watching this drama.
Cons: I didn't like ML inability to confess his feelings for the FL. This got old and while watching I kept wondering if that is going to be the dilemma till the end. But thankfully somewhere in the middle of the drama, that issue was resolved and we were able to move on with the story. Also, I didn't like the "high" school romance feeling of this drama, but with each episodes that feeling went away.

Pros: I liked the time travel twist, although using a manhole as the means of time travel in my opinion was a bit silly. Still, the twist at the end tied the concept of "winning his bride over", in my opinion, was clever.

If one get over the silly parts of this drama, I recommend this drama for its a little unusual plot. However, I will warn any future watchers that this drama does follow Kdrama formula i.e. Boy & girl meet... between episodes 6-8 confesses, episodes 13-15 breakup. Episodes: They love each other and rest is history.

Read More

Worth watching if One ignores 2 major flaws

I couldn't decide if I should give this drama a low rating or a high rating. In the end I chose high rating because I enjoyed watching this drama.
The other reviewers and commentators of this drama are absolutely correct in saying that the writer and the director really messed up a potentially an excellent/memorable drama. This drama, for me, had all the right ingredients: Love, Laugher and a naive FL who went through hardship of her life with a smile on her face.
The cadence of this drama was like any other drama but the presentation was very pleasing and was uplifting. Every night I would look forward to watching the next few episodes after a hard day at work.
In my opinion, if as a viewer, you can ignore two major flaws then this drama is absolutely beautiful with a poignant message: 1. The age of ML who is 19 but behaves like a mature 28 year old. 2. The last 10 minutes of the final episode.
Point #1 is not a big deal and as viewer one soon forgets the age difference. I could never buy that he was 19 because his emotional intelligence was very high. However, #2 is a big deal and messes up the whole drama.
Maybe the director or the producers were under pressure to give a happy ending which really made the whole ending ridiculous. It would have been better if everyone lived in the fond memory of JUN who made a huge difference in other people's lives by being caring, listening and loving person.

I am glad I watched this drama due to its light hearted approach to life played by both the FL & ML and the supporting actors. However, if you do decide to watch it, just try to ignore the two main flaws of the story line.

Read More

Lessons in Leadership

I was debating If I should give it a 10. The only reason I took away 0.5 point because the script writer in my opinion could have done a better job from a story telling point view. If you enjoy dramas with some life lessons to remember and to live by, I highly recommend this drama. For example, victim vs. responsibly, power of forgiveness, and when one thinks that they can't go any further they still go. I was touched with all these points in this wonderful drama.

The drama was set in a political landscape where FL shows up as a true leader and stand firm in her convictions. It was very effective to see her vulnerabilities and , emotional pain as she suffered through public opinion and physical abuse. The most memorable scene is when she was along and being pelted with eggs.

She was a reluctant hero. She didn't want to be a mayor but that is how sometimes life works. Many times in life, right people show up to push one in a direction that is a life changing event. In this case it was also true for Shin Mi Rae.

Another lesson learned was how she was able to forgive those who victimized her and eventually won their support. She didn't allow her personal feelings to get in the way of getting the job done and hiring the right people for the job. I think that is mark of true leadership. In other words .. "sometimes it is not about me!!".

In this drama ML also had his hangups and grew by watching FL. Very rarely I see both FL & ML transform. Usually either FL or ML acts as a support for the other transform. In this case they both transformed from their experience and taught each other. For me, it was very moving.

As I indicated earlier the author could have tied the ending a little better. For example, I didn't get councilor woman Min Joo Hwa's transformation from self-centered to a giving woman. Similarly, how did an evil corporation turned their evil plan to a benevolent entity.

Finally, my tribute to Kim Sun Ah.. I think she is an amazing actress. She easily conveys so many emotions without saying a single word!!. My acknowledgement to other actors .. I think they all did an amazing job.

I am sad that this drama ended because of binge watching!!

Read More

Embrace the uncertainity of the future

Kim Sun Ah has become one of my favorite top leading actress. I have watched three of her dramas so far: My Lovely Sam Soon, Scent of a woman, and now I Do I DO. All three dramas I have rated 9+. I Do I Do, I was debating 9.5 or 10. I almost went for 10 but I want to reserve 10s for those dramas that I am going to remember 1-2 years from now.

Kim Sun Ah is just a master of extruding "way of being" and expressing emotions with her eyes and facial expressions. In this drama she plays a "controlling" personality with little vulnerability. A one night stand changes her entire life and I love the transformation of her "way of being" from that of a controlling to "controlling" and "trusting".

For me, this drama manages to accomplish a very serious subject and perfectly balance it with humor to send a powerful message about life. I get emotional just thinking about it!!! As a male figure, it is easy to forget or totally not relate to a woman's journey from pregnancy to childbirth. I have children of my own and after watching this drama, I have a whole new appreciation for their mother.

Kim Sun Ah as Ji An, has to make tough choices after discovering her pregnancy goes through various emotions and reasoning. In one scene she discovers that there many reasons to abort the baby and not a single reason (from her world view) to keep the baby and when she does find that find reason, it was the turning point of her life as well as for the drama. At that moment I knew that I was watching a drama of quality written by writers who have a deep understanding of a woman's journey in the modern day of professionalism.

This drama is not everyone especially given the low ratings of this drama and by other reviewers. In a 16 hour drama there are bound to be some drag out moments where one just wants skip over those parts. This drama had some of those moments but they are forgiven because rest of the dramas was simply a masterpiece of comedy with seriousness. But if you like the work of transformation and a study "heroes" journey then JI An passed that with flying colors. This woman was a HERO of her life and her baby. That is a powerful message for all of us who TRY to be a hero. In fact there was a scene in this drama about TRYING vs. DOING. If you are looking for a typical ROMCOM with escapism then this is not for you.

After watching many Korean Dramas, the endings are predictable and it was predictable as to which guy she will choose. But I couldn't figure out why she would choose him. I really had to step into JI An's character to figure that out. Once I saw it, I had to give another point to the writers of this drama. That realization made the ending perfect for me. To quote:
"What is the right.. Where should I go from here? I will probably live with concerns and panic. But I am not afraid anymore. Life does not go as expected, But it brings unexpected gifts.... I received such gifts in those short 9 months...what kind of gifts will be waiting for me in rough future? I am very curious already. NO, I am definitely looking forward to them."
Given this new awareness about herself, her way of being has transformed from cautious, controlling to curious and Open to new possibilities. The guy she chose at the end represented that uncertainty and exploration. The other guy and his profession provided security and more of the same. Thus, a riskier choice about her companion makes more sense. WOW!!!

I look forward to Kim Sun Ah's other drama. Thank you for your talent!!

Read More

WOW!!! A must watch drama for those who want to change their life.

I have watched several movies where the main character may die due to illness and usually the theme is that how a person learns to love and the family has to prepare to say their goodbyes.

First let me get few things of my chest before I describe what really moved me about this drama. I would have given this drama a perfect 10 if it were not for episodes 10-13. The three episodes dragged on and on about FL's depression. I understand that for a cancer patient, depression would be a part all the emotions but in this case it was too much. However, in retrospect as I write this review, may be the writers were thinking that it is very difficult to stand tall in front of circumstances without allies and the love of your life.

Second.. Acting: I am in love with KIM SUN AH's acting skills. She really carried the character and the emotions till the end. Not for one second I felt that she was acting. I also give high marks to the doctor Uhm Ki Joon who had the most transformation of this drama. So from my POV, Yeon Jae (FL) & Eun Suk (doctor) were the heroes of this drama and the director executed their relationship very well. I was not too thrilled with mom's acting especially at the critical moment of mom's discovery of daughter's cancer. I think Kim Hye OK (mom) could have done a better job. Her acting at that moment looked fake and it took away from this beautiful drama.

My Interpretation of this drama:
This drama is not for everyone. This is NOT a ROM/COM. It is a serious drama giving a powerful message about creating a life of the dreams for oneself. The cancer and life/death situation was there to WAKE the FL up and take action. When she threw all the caution to the wind, she finally started to LIVE!!. That's when the work of transforming her life began. For me the following quote from the drama sums it up:

"There isn't much to life. It is not like we take our money and power with us when we die. we just live each day by seeing the person we love. As we live like that, that'll be a happy life".

I also learnt from this drama about self-respect. One cannot begin to create a life of their dreams until one begins to fully self respect themselves first. Expecting self-respect from others without loving myself first is a futile effort. The journey begins inside at first. In this drama when our FL put herself and her happiness first, it was wonderful to watch how people around also transformed.

I hope you watch this drama. The ending was a bit of a surprise but did not disappoint me. Thank you the writers, the actors for such a beautiful work of art and life.

Read More

What Would I say to my younger self

I initially had dropped this drama because I got enrolled in the victim hood of the main FL (The older version). I couldn't watch her pitiful nature.

About few weeks later, I decide to watch it simply out of boredom. I am glad I picked it up again. I love the dramas that get me emotionally involved and this one met that goal. I normally would have given this drama an overall rating of 8.5 but I gave it a 9 because of its powerful message about life.

From my own life review, I know this much: My current life is a result of my inner conversation about the past. When I learn to embrace my past, take responsibility, I can change the present,

Would everyone like this drama? --- NO!! But if you are into life coaching or about learning from life, and have a heart then this drama is for you.

The story was simple and some episodes tended to drag. There were times when I wanted to fast forward. BUT, at the last few episodes won my heart. I can imagine that it would be tough to say good bye to my younger self. The self-love that was present between the older and younger FL was powerful.

I highly recommend this drama if you are willing to put up with some down moments.

Read More

Binge Watch Worthy

I was hesitant to watch this drama due to its low ratings, but I am glad that I overlooked the ratings.

This was my second drama to watch by Kim Eun Hee (screen writer). My introduction to Korean drama was through "live up to your name" by the same screen writer. I thought live up to your name was absolutely brilliant and since then i have watched 60+ dramas before I came across My Fair Lady (MFL)

I am very much surprised by such low ratings of MFL. After watching 60+ Korean dramas, I have come to expect a certain pattern or formula. MFL is no different. In retrospect Live up to your name wasn't different but at that time I had not figured out KD's formula.

So, given the formula, the ingredients such as Rich FL, poor ML, love triangles etc.. I thought this drama had me engaged almost all of the time. The bonus was that at the end, the story had me emotionally involved and thus my rating of 9.0.

The way first episode started, I was expecting "Taming of the shrew" (TMS) type of plot. Although this story line had some elements of TMS, the plot turned to more of a loving the other person and I enjoyed that twist. Because the mentor i.e Butler Seo came from loving rather than punishing, it was natural to see their relationship develop. It was also nice to see that conflicts and confusion due to love triangles were not forced and developed as the story unfolded.

If you are looking for a ROM COM.. I highly recommend this drama.

I look forward to watching other dramas by Kim Eun Hee.

Read More

Very Enjoyable

This is a short drama about 2 hours long. It was a good short drama to watch while searching for the next drama.
I liked the simple story and the adult actors were OK. However, I was fascinated with young ANNA (Jo Eun Hyung) acting. As a ten year old she really was able to play the adult ANNA amazingly well. I expect that she is going to become a well known figure as her career develops.

Personally, I would have developed the story slightly differently. It would have been fun to see young ANNA to stay as a young person and IL Woo gets to look after her. Kind of role reversal.. It would have been a different story but from a true love angle point of view, it would have been enjoyable.

Although I gave it a rating of 7.5, it is really worth around 9 in terms of watch value.

Read More

A good story with a powerful ending.

For me this drama is 8.5+
There have been so many reviews for this drama, so I won't repeat many of the comments by other reviewers.
I love dramas about the past lives and reincarnation. This drama was all about that topic. Life in general is a mystery and a knowledge of past lives tend to remove of some that mystery.

What I disliked:
Hours of drama that was pointless with the main story line such as the motor cycle accident. Hence, my low rating for this drama.

What I liked:
The message of this drama. I quote the ending of the drama:
"Is it so difficult to admit that you did something wrong? Is it so difficult to say that you are sorry? Someone waited for 8-years to make an apology. Someone even risked his life to keep his word. Life isn't only about the good old days. If you did something wrong.. admit it and correct it. It might be painful at times but you should fight it.. that is life. Atone for what you did for rest of your life so that you can make a fresh start." This is a powerful message for all of us and this planet would be in a different place with that philosophy.

In my opinion 50% of this drama is really good with a good message about life and how to live one's life.

Finally, I wish we all could remember our past lives with the commitment to live in the present. There have been many times that I can't explain my emotions and triggers, similar to the FL reaction to the guns.

Another story line i liked was about the character of Sophia who ended being a mom in 2017. Sophia sold out on her comrades because of her attachment towards her son. In the next life, as a mom, she chooses to abandon her daughter in her childhood. Hmmmm. what were her life lessons?... something to think about.

There are many story lines in this drama which has me doing some critical thinking about my own life. Therefore, this makes a really grown up drama.

Read More