A macabre love story

A macabre love story that will plunge your senses into the dark depths of bewilderment. Two violent men, on the opposite sides of the law, love a woman who has never felt the emotions of love. Which one loves her more? Which one will prevail? To find out, watch this exciting tale of love and death.

As usual, Jun Ji Hyun is outstanding in portraying Hye Yeong, the young, innocent artist who wants to experience love. The challenges of this character were way above the norm. Expressing yourself without speaking is a talent, and Ji Hyun has mastered every challenge she’s ever faced.

The two MLs played their part to perfection. Try to decide which one she should be with as you watch. Even after watching it I’m not sure I made the right choice.

This drama is also a lesson on not listening to your coworkers. The depth of stupidity for the plan they hatch out, will boggle your mind.

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A romantic gem is waiting for you.

My heart is still racing as I write this review. Seventeen years and three months ago, this movie was released into the world. It felt like it was just waiting for me to arrive. I was immersed in the story five minutes after it started. I’m always looking for romance in a drama, but I never expected to find a gem like this. I’m at a loss for words to describe what I just watched.

Jang Hyuk did an outstanding job in his portrayal of Myungwoo. He was just starting a long impressive career. But the star of this show was the unbelievable Jun Ji Hyun. She is a talent like no other. Playing a strong and fearless police officer was as easy as breathing to her. She brings her talent into everything she does.

I loved her commitment to Myungwoo. You don’t see that often in a drama. She never wavered in her love for him. It truly felt like two souls blending together for eternity. If you have any romance in your soul, this movie will give you goosebumps, bring tears to your eyes and make you smile.

I loved everything about this movie, including the music. If you can’t find it anywhere else, try YouTube.

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A unique way to fall in love

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

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

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

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Starts fast and pulls you in

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

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

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

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

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

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A great medical drama concept gone bad

I love medical dramas. They are best when they have some romance in them but I’ve noticed it’s hard for writers to blend the two together for some reason. The stars in this drama were spectacular. The acting was great and I wasn’t disappointed by anyone’s performance. However the storyline was a little weak. Medical Top Team wasn’t much for teamwork so the name really didn’t fit until the very end of the drama.

The character development was strange at times which changed everything. The show started with a conflict between Dr. Seo and Dr. Park. From that interaction I expected either a future romantic connection or a medical blend of the two, but neither really happened. Dr. Park Tae Shin’s character never wavered the entire drama. He was strong and committed to his idea of what the Top Team should be. This made him the focus of the entire drama. Midway through the drama Dr.Seo Joo Yeong’s personality changed and she became a different person on a mission that was never really made clear other than maybe personal greed. She ignored the Top Team and did her own thing. From that point on her presence in the story changed in my opinion. I felt myself not liking her. Dr. Han Seung Jae, aka Chief Han, led the team until he went on a self fulfilling mission of his own, which I might add was never really explained.

The story felt like it was modified from an original. There were too many holes that were never explained or so confusing that they were hard to grasp. The best I can say is it was a good story gone bad.

Finally I should say something about the romance. Two couples were pushed into a romantic connection late into the drama. I say pushed because very little foundation was formed before their romantic involvement. The romantic attempt between Dr. Seo and Chief Han was sad. First of all, I didn’t like either character by the time they decided to add the romance to the drama. They had no on-screen chemistry and every time they met romantically it felt awkward. Other than an occasional smile Chief Han demonstrated very little romantic ability. Most of the time when he was with Dr. Seo he was drunk or passed out. I’ll give Jung Ryeo Won credit, she oozes romance on screen when she wants to, but it just didn’t work in this drama. The other couple, Dr. Park and Dr. Choi were marginally better thanks to Oh Yeon Seo’s performance. But it felt like a high school crush most of the time.

I was drawn to the screen in anticipation which is a good thing. However, the story felt like it was pieced together or modified at the last minute.

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Coffee and Romance. What more could you ask for?

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

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

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A great medical drama with a bonus romance

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

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

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

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

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An Epic romance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Don't Expect Romance

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

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Don't Miss the one

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

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What's in a Subtitle?

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

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

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A Writing Masterpiece that is fun to watch

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

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

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

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

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A Love Story that didn't work.

First, let me say that I don’t speak a word of Korean. For that reason, I rely on the acting (facial expressions and body language), the music, and the sub-titles when I watch a show that’s not in English. I’ve watched thousands of romantic based movies and TV shows because it’s a genre that fascinates me. Maybe I’m one of those eternal romantics. With that foundation, here is my review.
The storyline in this romantic comedy was interesting. With each of the 12 episodes being about 20 minutes, you can easily watch it in one day. Ga Doo Ri (Lee Joo Bin), a Tarot reading Susi Restaurant owner with a depressing background in love and work, lights up the screen. People flock to her restaurant for food and love advice, even though her own love life is a wreck. Cha Woo Bin (Hyuk), the CEO of an underwear company, shows two different personas that make the story enjoyable. The interaction between the two is the foundation of the story. The story moves fast, but it still gives you a sweet romantic feel if you can overlook the flaws.
The comedy, however, was weak and, to be truthful, unnecessary. The wacky assistant to the CEO is an overplayed idea and just not funny. They made Ga Doo Ri look weird with her midnight Karaoke. There are other ways of getting the sound idea across without undermining the strength of the main character. I also didn’t understand her going out and getting drunk with the strange assistant. They nearly destroyed her image with that interaction. They built her up as a self-aware female with tough lessons learned in her past, then tore it apart with that outing. The past connection between the main characters pulled it back together but left me wondering how I would react to her fling with the assistant.

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A fun Rom/Com that will keep you entertained.

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

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

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

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

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At great addition to the Doldam saga.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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