I think to call this a romance is a mistake, but worth watching

I'll start by saying this was NOT a romantic comedy. Comedy yes, but romance? There was someone that she was in love with, but there was no chemistry between the two, no kissing, actually no touching between the two at all. They could have been brother and sister, in my opinion.
I thought she had more chemistry with her editor! The lead actress was just precious. Her character, Etsuko, was very high energy with a positive attitude. At the beginning I almost quit watching because she had not taken any job in seven years because she only wanted to be an editor for one specific magazine - was she stupid? Did she think she was so special that she should be given a job that she had no experience in? I'm glad I stuck it out, though. She finally got hired as a proofreader (she thought she was going to be an editor) but made sure to tell the proofreaders that she was working with that she wasn't going to be there long, because she was going to be moved up to editor. Each episode focused on a new job she was working on. She learned a lot as a proofreader and taught everyone else in the process. I loved watching the developing friendships with the authors, her editor, and especially her proof reading colleagues. For me, this show was mostly about the clothes (how did she afford them? Where did she put them in that tiny apartment?). I loved the preview of the outfits she was going to be wearing before each scene. Etsuko was one of those characters that, on paper, would be a big pain in the neck, but she was so likeable that you just had to root for her to be a success.

Read More

Fun show!

This was a sweet story about a woman that's creating a dating game to play on your phone, and the president of the company that has absolutely no clue about women. Their relationship starts out antagonistic and the bulk of the movie is about their developing friendship. It speaks to the importance of friendship and how we often don't see a relationship for what it is, until it's almost too late. Yes, there is a large age difference between the two, but it really doesn't matter - she's mature, and he's very naive about the real world. The age difference made me focus on their relationship, and not how gorgeous-looking they were, which made me sink deeper into the enjoyment of the story. Part of it was filmed at Christmastime which made the whole thing kind of like a shiny package of happiness. The ending was happy, though as Asian dramas are wont to do, extremely rushed.

Read More

Come in for a soju and a chat

This was an extremely original concept for a show and, for me, there was a lot to like about it. I loved how each episode was like its own self-contained little drama. The music was wonderful. The special effects were really good. The story of trying to solve the grudges of others while holding onto your own was very good and I loved how in every episode you got another snippet into the back story of the main characters. There were so many funny aspects to this show, but with a serious base, and the two were well-integrated.

The acting: Choi Won Young as Chef Gwi was terrific. I'm used to seeing him in supporting roles as the driver or the secretary of the male lead, and he was really up to the challenge of a leading role. I liked his character from the outset and just kept liking him more and more. Yook Sung Jae as Han Kang Bae - he has that wonderful innocence about him, and he really conveyed the loneliness he felt because of the gift/curse that he had. Hwang Jung Eum as Wol Joo - I know she's kind of a controversial actress, people either usually love her or hate her. Unfortunately, she usually gets cast as someone that yells/screeches/screams a lot, with broad physical movements (think Lucille Ball) because she is good at physical comedy. I was pleasantly surprised that was not the part she played in this show. She starts out extremely cold and unlikeable, and as the story goes along and you find out more about her, you are able to empathize with her and the life she is forced to live.

Production quality: This show was beautifully filmed, full of bright colors and nuanced textures, drawing your attention to the sidewalks, walls, pop-up tent, etc.

I did not find this show romantic. There was a romantic subtext to it, but, for me, this was a show about building a family. Resolving differences, building trust, letting go of grudges. It was so heartwarming to watch Han Kang Bae go from being alone to being part of a family.

Read More

If you love historical dramas, watch this one!

I'll start by saying that I don't care for historical dramas, I find the hats distracting, everyone with a beard looks alike, they tend to be very formulaic (evil king or else evil family member trying to kill the king). So, if I was rating solely on my enjoyment of this drama, my score would have been a lot lower. I did rate it a little higher, knowing that this type of show is not my cup of tea.

Acting - Jang Dong Yoon at NokDu/Lady Kim was exceptional. I don't care for gender bender shows, because I always feel like they think we're stupid, because it's completely obvious that the character is not the sex that they are pretending to be. However, Jang Dong Yoon was terrific as both a male and a female. As a female he had the right tone of voice that didn't sound like he was trying too hard. He has such a beautiful face and his long hair helped as well. NokDu was trying to find out who he was and it was an interesting journey. I loved his interactions with all the ladies in the widow's village when he was Lady Kim.

Kim So Hyun as Dong Dong Ju - she had her own secrets that she was trying to deal with. I have loved this actress in everything I've seen her in. She's got such a sweet face and she played her part very well. The "I like you" "go away" got a little old, but I really appreciated that they didn't stick with cliche responses to her finding out NokDu's secret

Kang Tae Oh as Yool Mu was exceptional. The arc of his character was a joy to watch. From sweetness and light to evil personified.

Lee Seung Jun as NokDu's father was very good. I've seen him in things where he's a little goofy/funny. This serious role suited him.

Jung Joon Ho as the king. WOW!

CHEMISTRY BETWEEN LEADS - they were a treat to watch. Their bickering was such fun and her standoffishness played well as he kept trying to get closer to her. Their chemistry was great. The way he watched her and the smile that he got when he saw her, sigh. There were some great kisses and I really appreciated that she wasn't missish and acting like she was terrified of him. Their quiet times sitting together talking were lovely. It seemed that they wanted to be there for each other, helping the other when they had a problem. I could see/feel the progression of their relationship, I rooted for them and I believed the love between them.

ACTION - lots of swordplay and blood.

BONUS - unlike other historical dramas I've seen, this show had multiple scenes of Jang Dong Yoon being just yummy eye candy. Shirtless changing clothes, wet clothes sticking to him, shirtless when he gets wounded and she takes care of him, and my favorite - open robe as he twirls around showing her how to do a fan dance.

ENDING - Plus - it wasn't rushed. There was a wedding to tie up the story. Minus - no consequences for the bad guys and our leads live the rest of their lives on an island? Since there were no consequences, I felt that the bad guys could show up at any time which, as a lead, character, would certainly throw a pall on my happiness!

Read More

Watch this show!

My first k-drama, and one I revisit periodically. The storyline is original - a man destined to continue living to atone for crimes in his past. I'd like to address the age difference - I can see why some people really had a problem with it, especially since she spent so much time in a high school uniform. However, the chemistry between Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun was amazing. When watching Gong Yoo - his loneliness was almost palpable and was heartbreaking to see. Kim Go Eun was able to vacillate back and forth between her pitiful life and her vivacity as she gets to know Kim Shin (Yoo) better. The secondary love story between Lee Dong Wook and Eu In Na was lovely as well. There was a lot of humor (like when he told her his name was Kim Woo Bin!), but such sadness as well. The scenery is just beautiful when they are in Canada. The music is absolutely perfect. Each song fit perfectly where it was used and there was a haunting quality about a number of the songs. These songs are easily recognizable when you hear them outside of the show. But I think the thing that I love best about this show is the friendships between the characters, especially between Goblin and Reaper. If you look up the word Bromance in the dictionary, you should find their pictures there - what started out as hate, moved to grudging respect, and then finally brotherly love. Their scenes never failed to make me laugh. This is one of the few shows that I have watched multiple times, and have enjoyed it just as much each time.

Read More

Beautiful to watch

This is a beautiful show to watch. Beautiful cast, beautiful set, beautifully filmed, etc. I was impressed by IU's progression throughout the show. I really hated her at the beginning (as I was supposed to), but her character really progressed and you could really see her pain and her vulnerability. Yeo Jin Goo was very good at the reluctant hotel manager. There was a sweet romance, but this spoke more to me about resolving issues in our lives, and the fact that family doesn't have to be nuclear. The hotel staff had their own lovely family.

I thought the special effects were very good and added to the enjoyment of the show.

The costuming of IU was the standout for me. Her clothes and her jewelry were always so stunning and classy. I've watched some other K-dramas recently and have compared the feeling of the clothes/cinematography to Hotel Del Luna. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

Add the cameo appearances of Lee Joon Gi and Kim Soo Hyun - bonus!

Read More

Was I watching something different from everyone else?!

I must have been watching a different show than everyone else. I didn't care for this show at all. I didn't find it funny in the least, and so many of the characters were completely unlikeable. Her original boss was the worst, and I'd like to think that he couldn't really get away with being that evil for that long. Daniel Choi did a good job, I think the problem was with the script. I really didn't care for the female lead's character. She was always in his face, even when he told her he didn't want to see her, asking him all kinds of personal questions. The first kiss that they shared was the worst! He looked so uncomfortable, bent over to reach her lips, and it didn't resemble, in any way, a real kiss. So many cliches - wrist grabbing, pulling the car over and telling her to get out, excessive drinking, evil mother, irritating ex (2 of them!), emotionless back pat, umbrella in the rain, the list goes on. On the plus side, the kisses did get better. Happy ending, but nothing specific to it, walking into the sunset talking, that's it!

Read More

Extremely unlikeable FL

There are a lot of shows that you watch that start out with an unlikeable character. This show adds the fact that she makes stupid mistakes, is insubordinate, doesn't go to the ML for help but the 2ML, and she isn't even very nice. The way this character was written is very unfortunate. I have dropped very few shows, but I just couldn't watch this anymore. She didn't appear to be growing or progressing as a person, and I would have really been mad if I got to the end, and she hadn't learned from her mistakes. And how do you expect me to believe that there is supposed to be a relationship between the ML and FL when she never turns to him. Not the beginning of a healthy relationship, that's for sure.

Read More

How to ruin an otherwise okay show

I loved the main couple throughout most of the show. I especially liked the more mature skinship for a change. They were lovely together through most of the drama. I'm a sucker for "we knew each other as children" storylines, if they are managed well.
Yoon Kye Sang was very good as Min Hoo.
Seo Ji Hye was lovely as Ye Sul. She is stunning and captivating to watch. The scenes when they were together and laughing were a joy to watch.
I enjoyed watching Tae In Ho as the doctor. In everything I've seen him in, he plays a complete jerk, so this was a nice change.

Problems for me:
2ML. He seemed desperate and needy and cared only about his own feelings. This wanna be triangle went on too long.
2FL. He told her repeatedly that he thought of her as a sister, she didn't care. This wanna be triangle also went on too long, and her crying and carrying on was irritating.
FL was too wishy washy. I got the feeling she couldn't decide who she liked.
Hwang Bo Ra as one of the office workers, Ye Sul's friend. I normally like this actress because of her quirkiness. In this she was just extremely irritating.
The doctor's storyline. Dating someone for a week. That storyline made no sense, and it showed up periodically to fill time.

But the absolute worst, and what made me drop my rating like a rock:
Did a different writer write the last episode?! A serious drama suddenly turned into a farce, with physical humor and by turning the main characters into caricatures! These were not the same two people that we watched fall in love and I was SO irritated!

Read More

There ought to be a law...

If either the word "romance" or "love" are in the title, call me crazy, but I think that should be the focus. This is the first show in a long time that every day I remember that I'm not finished with it yet. It wasn't grabbing me, that's for sure.

Story: Here is where I think the problem was. Instead of romance we get hours' worth of a cautionary tale regarding the Korean education system. It would have been very interesting if it had been interspersed throughout the drama, but it was the focus and it went on too long. The romance was underbaked and felt like more of an afterthought to me. I didn't care for the FL character - she was so condescending to her boyfriend! When she said, "Look at me and listen to what I have to say. Focus." I wanted to smack her. He was so caring toward her, but he was an afterthought to her. There were quite a few scenes in her house or in one of the lecture rooms where it was so dark you couldn't see what was going on. Boring ending (though I did like the proposal, and those are the prettiest rings I've seen in a long time.)

Acting/Cast: The strength was here, that's for sure. The leads were great, I thought the second couple were very cute, and I loved the bar owner and his wife. Standouts for me: Kim Jung Young as the VP and Seo Jung Yeon as the director. I've seen both of these ladies in numerous works, and they played completely different parts here and were so wonderfully unlikeable. And the director's gray hair was fabulous. My favorite was Kim Song Il as Pyo Sang Sub - a world-weary teacher with an unyielding character. Truly, everyone did a great job.

Music: Oh, my heavens I hated the song at the beginning and end of every episode (Open to page 64) - it gets into your head like an earwig and takes up residence, and not in a good way. A couple of episodes had overly dramatic music that didn't go at all.

Rewatch value: I barely got through it once!

I will say, as I'm in the minority in my thoughts, give it a try and decide for yourself.

Read More

Very interesting story

I watched this on Apple TV. It's a multilingual story about wine, making wine, drinking wine, family drama, crazy parents, childhood trauma and overcoming it, and friendships that are developed out of adversity.

Yamashita Tomohisa as Issei is his usual stoic, distant, cold self (and that's not a bad thing!). He's fascinating to watch.
Fleur Geffrier as Camille Leger really has to grow on you as a character. She's a mess, but with parents like yours, you can understand why, but by the end I really liked her growth.
Watanabe Makiko as Issei's mother - WOW, what a piece of work! It takes some good acting skill to bring about that kind of hate for a character.

The story was very interesting, and I absolutely loved the ending.

I know this doesn't bother a lot of people, but my enjoyment was REALLY lessened by all the cursing.

Read More

Bottom line...WATCH IT!

Oh my! What a beautiful story! This is one of those rare dramas that made me forego life in order to watch the whole thing in one day. I cared about each person, wanted to know more about them, and join them on their journey. The struggles, the accomplishments, etc. At the outset, I was worried that this was going to be full of family members that I hate, but we got to see why they were the way they were, as well as their growth. It was heartwarming and heart breaking, and I was sorry when it ended.

The acting was spot on, as far as I was concerned. Park In Hwan as Deok Chul - the 70-year-old that wants to learn ballet was an absolute joy to watch. First, I want him to be my grandpa. Warm, caring, supportive of his family. What a beautiful smile! I don't want to give too much away, but his facial expressions were perfect as you get further into the drama. The changes that come over him. We often tend to ignore and denigrate our elders. Deok Chul changed everyone he encountered for the better, he had such an impact on everyone he came into contact with.

Song Kang as Chae Rok - tall, slim, yet muscular, befitting of a ballerino. He did a great job of portraying an individual that was selfish and driven. I really sensed that he was going through the motions with dance until he met Deok Chul. There was a stillness about him, this may sound strange, but it made me think of a flower just before it begins to bloom. The interactions between Chae Rok and Deok Chul were wonderful. I loved watching the maturation of Chae Rok, becoming less selfish and caring so much about someone else.

Kim Kwon as Yang Hoe Beom - I don't like bullies, so, as intended, I hated this character at the beginning. I don't know if it was just the blond hair, but I couldn't look away when he was on screen. I loved that they developed this character, that he was changed by Deok Chul as well. This actor was able to convey so much emotion with just his eyes. I'm going to go and see what else he's been in.

Then there was the surprise cameo of Seo In Guk. We also got to see Cha Sung Je in episode 11. He was the cute North Korean thief/beggar child from Crash Landing on You, a couple of years older here. Still so cute.

I also loved that they didn't turn the granddaughter and Chae Rok into a romance. I'm a romance junkie, so for me to say that is saying a lot. This drama didn't need it.

I have so many thoughts running around in my head, vying for attention, to explain how I felt about this drama. At the end of the day, what I say doesn't matter. I may never fully understand all the reasons I loved this show, I'll just have to say, it is definitely more than worth your time.

Read More

Why what his drama split in two?

I reviewed the first half of the drama, and it was for the entirety of the drama. So, here, I'll give the Cliff's Notes version of my thoughts.

My recommendation would be watch it and decide for yourself, since everyone seems to have loved this drama. My rating is based on my feelings and does not reflect the actual quality of the drama.

Excellent cast. If you've been watching Korean dramas for any period of time, these faces will be familiar to you. I would have liked for some of the stories to have been more in depth, to develop the characters a little better. This drama was a Who's Who in drama land.

The concept was interesting. Some people had a problem that it seemed to be an anti-suicide PSA, but to me it was more about how choices we make affect others.

My biggest problem with this drama was the overabundance of violence. Many of the characters were not well developed, because of the number of bodies that he inhabited in eight short episodes.

But again, I will say, this is all just my personal opinion. Watch it, you'll probably like it.

Read More

So much filler

What I liked:
-Both actors in the lead. I've liked them in other projects.
-You gave us a wedding at the end!!! Thank you so much, it almost makes all the time I spent watching this worth it.
-Cute, low angst, supportive mom, no triangles
-The lead couple were cute together, but I didn't feel a romance vibe from them. More like best friends.
-Happy ending.

Not so much:
-multiple really bad kisses.
-Lack of "couple" chemistry.
-I didn't care for the secondary storyline.
-2ML. Either it was written poorly or acted poorly, I don't know which.
-This could have been condensed down by quite a few episodes, in my opinion.

I will just acknowledge that I seem to be in the minority on this. Please don't come at me with hate, it's my own personal opinion. Maybe I'm jaded, maybe I'm impatient, maybe it's ADD, but I fast forwarded through most of this and STILL felt it went on too long.

But don't listen to my opinion, if you like low angst, fluffy romances, you will probably like this, it just didn't have enough to hold my interest.

Read More