What A Good Surprise

As the headline says, this drama took me by surprise. I had been going through quite a number of K-dramas prior and was not expecting much from this one. However, I got glued to it from the beginning right to the end. The plot was highly acceptable, the acting was superb and the script intelligent. I found myself not fast forwarding and even rewound some parts to understand the plot more, which is so unlike me.

So there you have it. A story about love which started with revenge, electrifying chemistry where Ji Sung (Jo Min Hyeok) did a great job! with Hwang Jung Eun playing Yoo Jeong (lead roles). My heart pounded watching Min Hyeok's hate turning to love for Yoo Jeong.

Supporting roles were also extremely believable by Jung Soo Young (a friend made by Yoo Jeong whilst in prison) and ex boyfriend Ahn Doo Hoon who acted his mean part well. The friendship between Min Hyeok and his assistant Gwang Soo had me laughing quite a bit too. They were cute together.

The Directors had the flow of the drama plotted out really well with no boring moments and enacted in a clever way. I was tensed and looked forward to every scene as the real reason for Yoo Jeong being betrayed unfolded.

A drama worth watching and not to be missed. Ji Sung was fabulous. This would be a drama I would want to watch again real soon.

Read More

Swoon Worthy Drama

This is a really entertaining, sweet drama done really well. It all starts when a switch was made for an arranged blind date from Young Seo to Ha-ri with chaebol Kang Tae Moo (An Hyo Seop) whose grandfather is pushing really hard to marry him off, considering succession plans to their very successful GO Food business.

Kang Tae Moo pursues Ha-ri from the moment he sets eyes on her. Tae Moo's loyal friend and personal secretary Sung Hoon on the other hand conveniently falls for Young Seo. Through a series of confusing, comical and mis-led information and events each set of relationship go through their own ups and down, eventually falling into their respective fate and destiny.

The drama and the story was executed really well and what I really like is that the characters Tae Moo, Sung Hoon and Yeong Seo were decisive and confident when they know they love the person they love. Ha-ri's character is careful and responsible which took a little longer for Tae Moo to woo her.... (sigh) ... the guys and they way they love and pursue the women is sure to get all the ladies swooning when watching this drama. Yeong Seo is no slacker either when it comes to this when pursuing Sung Hoon.

I enjoyed it and highly recommend to all those romantics out there.

Read More

For The Non-Ambitious Watchers

This drama came across young and for the young at heart, fluffy, amusing at times and can be quite enjoyable if you are not an ambitious viewer looking for depth and every episode to make sense.

I personally disliked it for the following reasons :
- Jin Ki Joo playing Gal Hee did a mediocre job acting in this role as one expected more as her role was key in leading the entire drama. The make-up department also did not help by giving her such heavy make-up and over dyed red curly bunch of hair which was quite glaring that it was hard to focus on her character. Poor thing, for such a pretty girl.

- Gal Hee's character was too meek and being able to share words of wisdom to her boss at times did not do much to hype up her character.

- Story line could have been better if the boss Min Ik (Kim Young Kwang) was not drawn to or liked the fake Veronica Park (Gal Hee) in the beginning, then it would have flowed a lot better. I understand that the story is trying to show that the boss is actually liking the same and one person, but for us who watch it was irritating, not required. Instead, if it was the fake Veronica chasing the boss and he in turn is more attracted to Gal Hee, the secretary....then the drama will make more sense.

- there were also many plots that did not make sense.

However, I scored slightly above average at 6.5 for overall viewing as I agree with a lot of other reviewers, Veronica Park (played by Kim Jae Kyung) truly SAVED the show. Her character was written out well and she also acted it out to perfection. Veronica Park is naturally beautiful. Loved her loud, irritating, arrogant and animated personality which actually have a great sense of maturity and a heart of gold. Her second couple role with Dae Joo (Koo Ja Sung) did a good job to keep us interested. His firm stance and not allowing Veronica Park to always get her way stood well and helped him to get and keep the girl!

As for the main lead couple, there was no need to make their relationship appear childish and innocent in demeanor. Hard to watch. Thank goodness we know Kim Young Kwang (the boss Min Ik) is a good actor and have been seen in a lot of other very good dramas.

Anyway, the drama can be entertaining to watch. Like I said, IF you are not taking the show seriously. Cheers!

Read More

Just Completed Watching ......

I have just completed this movie. I was taken in by the lovely poster picture. The fact that there is the handsome Mark Chao and the beautiful Yang Zhishan in the lead role. Then I thought, two good looking stranded in Antartica. Brief synopsis ; An arrogant millionaire and a self-contained female scientist find love while they are caught in a snowstorm for 75 days. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything was beautiful, the cinematography, the location, the actors. But, unfortunately, the entire pace of the movie was slow and there were no exceptional memory of the movie for me. Just mundane daily struggles of two people, who fortunately found an abandon house with food supplies to last 75 days. Though I am sure, if such a thing happened in real life, it would have been truly memorable for the two people going through it. But watching it as a form of entertainment, the director did not manage to incite those emotions through the scenes. Except maybe when Mark's character suddenly could not see and shouted earnestly for Zhishan's character. And when Mark fell through the ice. Other than that, no comments.

However, to me, it was memorable towards the end title of the movie, where there were snaps of the director and crew sharing how the movie was shot. All the snow, machinery, snow mobile, the cold, the thick jackets, all that hard work in such demanding environment, now that was impressive. And Mark Chao, you truly did your best. Saranghae!

Read More

Beautiful Drama Special About Un-Conditional Love

If you are looking to take a break from the long dramas, I highly recommend this 71 minutes drama special for you to watch. It is a drama full of talented actors with a good story line of a neighbour family who adopted Manbok at 3 years old when her mother passed. The story is about un-conditional love. About letting go. About making the right choices. The director filled the drama with popular, nostalgic songs . The tone of the drama was done in a refreshing way, and the story of each character was shared so poignantly, very touching, with lots of build up in emotions right until the very end.

The love of her adoptive parents, brother and sister truly won my heart. I enjoyed the drama so much.

Read More

A Powerful Magical Fantasy Drama - Joseon Period

Of demon Ma Wang, of deities Samshin, Goddess of Life, of Ho Ryeong the Tiger Spirit, of curses, of revenge, of Josean royalty brother fighting for the throne, of divine painter Cheon Gi, of gifted astrologer Ha Ram…… magical characters in an absolutely entertaining fantasy drama

Lovers of The Red Sky is a magical fantasy drama set in the Joseon period. Action and drama from the get go. First episode witnesses how a Palace Shaman (a spiritual high priestess) removes the Ma Wang demon residing in the body of King Yeong Jong locked into a divine painting. In that, the demon curses the country to a long famine and drought. When young Ha Ram is discovered to bear the Water Element, he is used in a ritual to attract rain, putting and end to the curse.

At the same time through a series of event between two young princes, demon Ma Wang is released and enters the body of Ha Ram. The only way to extract the demon residing in Ha Ram’s body is by seeking help from talented divine painter Cheon Gi. They fall in love and Cheon Gi is determined to complete the painting in time for the day of ‘Sealing Ceremony”- on a date, month and time when the sky turns red making it the most opportune time to lock the demon again and have Ha Ram return back to his normal self.

The story is well told, the special effects, cinematography, costumes and music were perfectly laid out and shared throughout the drama. Not a boring moment, plenty of action and moments of love and affection between the two leads. Ahn Hyo Seop (Ha Ram) proofed his acting versatility by portraying Ha Ram, a blind astrologer as well as Ma Wang, the demon. As for Kim Yoo Jung, she really shines in period costume roles from Love In The Moonlight to Lovers Of The Red Sky. Kudos to the entire cast for bringing us a really good drama which I enjoyed thoroughly.

Epilogue in the finale chapter gives a strong indication that there will be a part 2 and I really do not mind to watch a continued story of ambitious and evil Prince Juhyang and his kind and wise younger brother Prince Yi Yul with new character and love story thrown in.

What a good drama, highly recommended.

Read More

Not Only A Pretty Face - Han So Hee

Han So Hee caught my attention in "The World of The Married". I enjoyed her performance in "Nevertheless", thinking, hmmm....another pretty face has emerged in the Korean drama industry. Then, when I saw the poster for "My Name" drama, I thought interesting, with her shorter hair cut and dramatic facial and body posture, 9 episodes, nothing to loose ....... and WHAM!! I was hooked from Episode 1.

If you are into big time, revenge drama, kick-ass fighting, and totally un-plugged fury from a woman, this is one drama you have to watch. I will not write in detail the story line as many reviewers have done a good job doing so. For me, the story, the plot, the acting and the directing is truly satisfactory and, the one bright star for me worth mentioning again is Han So Hee. She carried out her role so well, she had me rooting for her throughout the drama. Not only a pretty face, but a really good actor. Having Ahn Bo Hyun acting as the good cop and Park Hee Soon as the bad guy is definitely a Big Plus in this drama too.

I enjoyed "My Name" so much and highly recommend to those who have not watched it.

Cheers! Korean Drama Forever!

Read More

Beautiful Setting Indoor and Outdoor

Hmmm....where do I start? There were so much hype and awards for Love In The Moonlight lead actors, that I decided to give it a go. I was drawn to the beautiful setting from the beginning, indoor and outdoor plus the nice costumes, giving me flashes of Moon Embracing the Sun (2012). This drama Moonlight (2016) also starred the pretty Kim Yoo Jung (Hong Ra On) who played a young teenage noble family daughter in Moon Embracing The Sun.

The story and plot is nothing different or special as it is the usual Joseon Dynasty Royal Family competing, fighting and plotting against the King and his son, the Crown Prince for the throne, through greed, murder, and anything one could possibly do to take over/rule the Kingdom.

The music was also the norm. The theme song sung by Gummy sounded like most of the other drama tunes which did not stand out for me, but it was very popular in Korea and I guess one needs to understand the Korean lyrics to appreciate it.

Wow, I sound pretty monotonous as I am reading my review....(sigh). The drama was pretty even paced, except for the last 3 episodes (Ep. 16-18). So, I took time going to get my snacks and cool beverages.

The only thing that kept me going was to watch an impressive performance from Park Bo Gum who played the Crown Prince Hyo Myung. He was only 23 years old when he acted in this drama. Prior to this, he played mainly teenager supporting roles. Even then I found him quite talented. However, in Moonlight, I found his lead role allowed him to have a broader opportunity to flex his acting ability and I liked it. He played a confident young Prince and while courting Ra On, he was cute, endearing and his entire performance was well executed.

All the other Senior Cast did really well. Yoo Jung was only 17 going on 18 for her Hong Ra On role, and her youth was evident. Therefore, her chemistry with Bo Gum was not felt. But they looked cute together and again was well liked by their young fans.

To conclude, if you are looking for something light and acceptable, giggly cute romance, this will be a drama to watch. If you are looking forward to 'chasing' every episode, be at the edge of your seat with heart pounding from passionate kisses and hugs that sends you reeling .... then you should skip this one.

Cheers! K-Drama forever!

Read More

long 28 episodes

I did not particularly enjoy this drama as everything was expected and most predictable. I watched just to see the chemistry between the main leading actors. Lee Seung Gi (Hwan Sun Woo) acting left a lot to be desired, perhaps this was one of his early attempted dramas. I noticed that it was right after Shining Inheritance that all of Lee Seung Gi's dramas became very good My Girlfriend Gumiho, King2Hearts etc....

As for Han Hyo Joo (Go Eun Sung), she is simply beautiful talented and one cannot find much fault in her acting. Loved her in Reply 911, Always etc.

However this drama Shining Inheritance was pretty mediocre.

Read More

Season 3, More Riveting Than Ever Before

A 7 year journey with Dr. Romantic since 2016, 2020 and 2023 respectively and with every featured season, the story, the characters and the drama gets better and stronger. I loved this latest season of 2023. Master Kim's dream of Doldam Trauma Center coming together with his dream team. His Plan C to Plan B to Plan A sent me to fits of laughter. In all it's seriousness, I found it all so cute. He is definitely a lot calmer, laughing more and so charming. His focus, his view on life, his messages always on point.

Same talented Director and Writer who have a good and strong grasp of each character, the build up of it's story, medical cases with it's perfect dose of drama and tension. In the beginning, I was not sure if this season could do any better than the last but it did. It surpassed every expectation and more and I have been encouraging my circle of Korean drama friends who are not interested in medical dramas to start with Dr. Romantic from Season 1 and 2, before watching 3. And to their surprise, they did not know how they could miss out on such a fabulous show. The casting for Season 3 is also the best that I have seen in a long time with all my favourite actors delivering top notch performances.

Rating 10+ for Dr. Romantic 3!

Read More

Swooning....

Oki, I just completed this drama and I enjoyed it very much. As I have been overwhelmed by Korean dramas (which I still love), I thought I would give Chinese dramas a try. Glad I picked Well Intended Love. Something light, not too heavy. This story is not new, nor out of the ordinary. There were some problems with the plots which did not make much sense. However,.......

I really liked the characters. The acting is pretty good and the male lead Xu Kai Cheng is really one good looking chap. I liked also how Chinese dramas are more daring in expressing their love on screen. The hugs and kisses are not as careful and cautious as the Korean dramas. In this drama, I loved the fact that Yu Zhou (Xu Kai Cheng) just could not keep his hands off his wife, Xia Lin (Simona Wang). And rightly so, this is how it should be, with newly married couples.

Swooning and highly recommended for those who enjoy lots of kissing scenes.

Enjoy!

Read More

TRAIN TO BUSAN AND MORE!!!

4 years late in watching this spectacular movie which was launched in 2016. Better late than never! It will go down in history as a classic. Good to watch any year, any season.

Who can believe that a Zombie action movie can be so on point to build a story around a relationship between father and daughter. My heart pounded throughout the movie, and yes, my heartstrings were played to the maximum. Tears could not be contained.

I will not write too much about the movie itself as there are many reviews already. However, the show truly was a breakout movie for Korean Movie Industry as it gross more than USD100 million world wide. Directors from USA complimented Korean Director Yeon Sang Ho for a job well done with story, good script, production and talented cast. "It is so good, it cannot get any better".

Gong Yoo and Don Lee immediately became more popular in the international market.

Fighting!! Gong Yoo and Don Lee. K-Movies Forever

Read More

I Tried .... But Thank You Sunshine.... Lu Cheng An!

I was very interested to watch this highly rated drama of 24 year old male who loves 31 year old childhood female friend, but was disappointed by the mundane storyline. I liked the boyish and cute charm of Lu Cheng An (He Yu). I liked his determination and bravery to pursue the love of his life. But, unfortunately, I find him no chemistry with Lin Yang (Li Xi Rui). They appear much more like a brother and sister relationship as she is always talking down to him. And for a 31 year old to be shy, hesitant and un-sure in so many episodes can really be unnerving. I find she is a much better match for cousin Xie Nan Ke.

I tried, I took breaks, I pressed fast forward a lot. On episode 25 today, I decided to drop this drama and move on with my life.

Read More