There aren't many dramas that I stay up watching. You get drawn into this young group who courageously leave their comfortable jobs to start an advertising agency. The four are individually talented, and have great chemistry together. You feel their joy, laughter, creative dreams, disappointments, love, and sadness as the venture along. The journey centers around lowly Toko (Fukatsu), the office manager. And you quickly come to realize she is the true spirit of the group. The underlying romance builds slowly until you have to know the resolution. Will the firm succeed? Will they stay together? The acting, music, and story line are all superb. Sometimes the older dramas are the best.

Read More

If you are willing to go outside your comfort zone, this is a unique drama that gives a lot of room for contemplation. Infidelity is not the usual hum drum romance. These 2 parallel affairs have something is common that keeps you from entirely sympathizing with the jilted spouses: empty, loveless marriages. At times I felt that the affairs were well warranted because the jilted spouses were so incapable of showing love and appreciation that they drove their spouses to seek love elsewhere. It was both tragic and extremely realistic.
The acting is exceptional and the plots twists will keep you on edge. I was quite shocked at how severe Japanese culture is towards divorce. This story would not play out the same way in the US.
In the end, truthfulness is the only way to conduct one's life. And if a woman chooses to have children, her only choice should be a life of sacrifice for her children. In conclusion, this drama is worthy of watching if you are in a relationship or are contemplating marriage. It will make you give pause to showing more appreciation to loved ones. I

Read More

TLS is one of the best of the romance genre. Unlike others, it is more realistic of relationships. From beginning to the last scene you have no idea how it will all play out. I had to stay up half the night to find resolution.

The character portrayals are what makes this drama fantastic: from the handsome player,, the shy classmate whom t the guys adore, the lovely med student who blindly follows parent's orders, the popular coworker, to the perky girl who falls for her coworker. What's a girl to do when she loves a guy whose heart yearns for his old schoolmate? Rika will win your heart and maybe break it. I rarely have found a character that I adore so much. How can someone smile amid so much pain? I wish we all could. And that is why this is such a worthwhile watch.

Music was great, The clothes, hair styles, and phones were all outdated. So what! This one is a classic!

Read More

This is a saga of a family headed by a single mom. The story revolves around her children, their loves, heartbreaks, and tragedies. The story is very realistic and the acting is superb.
Although there are many relationships going on at once, the love affair between Kim Myung Min and the breathtakingly beautiful Han Go Eun was especially touching.
I never, ever watch dramas over 20 episodes and this was an exception. I really did not want it to end, I got so attached to the characters. The mother made so many sacrifices raising her children, that, in the end, they were grateful to do the same for her. In my opinion this is a "must watch" classic.

Read More

Neither the writer nor the director could decide whether to produce a comedy, serious romance, or melodrama. What they produced, instead, was a total flop.

Part of the failings came from the lead actress Lee Bo Yong. She is an exercise in how not to act. Talented acting should appear natural and genuine. However,she must have practiced facial expressions in the mirror because in the course of a two minute conversation, she could put her face through about a dozen contortions. None of them were attractive or funny.

Perhaps the worst kissing scene is in this drama.. Lee Bo Yong pulls a spider man mask over her face. Ahn Jae Wook lifts it above her mouth to kiss her. All the while, Yong's eye are popping out of the eye holes. Far from romantic, it seemed alien and grotesque.

In the first episode the writer tried to make some comic scenes out of a mixup with gay partners. That fell flat and the couple was quickly written out of the drama. The attempt to draw some interest with hotel takeover intrigue fell flat. And the one father, two family complications were also a bore. Nothing seemed to flow and, inevitably, there was no pathos with the final melodrama. There was simply no connection or feeling for the characters.

I watched this to see Ahn Jae Wook in another role after Star in My Heart. But he wasn't enough to salvage this one.

Read More

Perhaps this may be one of the most realistic movies about a young person in the prime of life facing a catastrophic illness. The acting is off the chart! It begins with a self centered, beautiful teenager who puts down everyone, guys, friends, parents. It's easy to dislike her, only there is someone that does not. There are a few scenes that hit it on the head of the nail. One of the most intense scenes I ever seen is the encounter with the boyfriend in the bedroom. This is a very realistic look at how illness changes a person and makes them fully human. Watch this when you want to watch something more profound than a light romance.

Read More

If you like romance, this is the drama for you. Love conquers all is the main theme. The main characters are gorgeous. I was not familiar with Ahn Jae Wook, but he blew me away with his passion! Of course, as with all dramas, there are the annoying antagonists that you want to strangle.

The story was not unique, however, I like some of these older dramas because they have more realistic love scenes. No chicken peck kisses. I actually enjoyed when they replayed the love scenes to the beautiful, haunting music. My only complaint is that the writer didn't tie up all the complications at the end, although the ending was beautiful and memorable.

This is a "feel good" romance drama that you will want to rewatch.

Read More

Romance spoof is the best description. Every cliche possible is crowded into this drama: memory loss, orphaned children, revenge, love triangles, suicide, family mystery. Then there are the constant rescue scenes, faintings and emotional breakdowns with Xia Mo. Nearly every main character ends up comatose in the hospital but recovers miraculously. I wish modern medicine were this good.

However, it's the sound track that turns this drama into a comedy. Half the scenes are accompanied by a mournful violin. Others are accentuated by loud symphonic music or fast beating drums as though it were a daring car race or exciting fight scene. It's hard to believe this was produced in 2012. It seems more like a home video. At times you can even hear dogs barking in the background.

What kept me watching was the gorgeous cast. It's true that Barbie Xsu is so beautiful that she could mezzmorize two handsome studs. But that's where any credibility ends. I love melodramas, but the sound track killed this one.

Read More

Delightful Girl, in my opinion, is the best K rom com and the best writing by the Hong sisters. The dialogue is witty and reminiscent of My Girl and Full House. Even when the lead couple is bantering back and forth, you know they are hot for each other. And what a gorgeous couple! It's easy to imagine them in an intense love relationship.
If you watch this and are familiar with Winter Sonata, Sorry I Love You, and Full House, scenes in Episode 16 are a parody from those in those dramas. This was an enjoyable ride from beginning to end. Yes, I love all these older classics!!!

Read More

This is a movie about China in the 1980's, thus the mood is dark and gloomy. Although the father dreams of going to Shanghai for a "better life for his family", he, himself is an authoritarian father and husband. All of the characters, including the father, are victims of a repressive society. The story deals with young people longing for relationships, unrequited love, forced marriage, rape, and abuse, all of which are heavy themes. It is realistically portrayed and really gives you a heavy feeling. It is more a statement of how the people reflect the restrictive culture of their time. It made me thankful I did not live there then. Although I enjoy movies about Chinese culture, I could not rewatch this. It was just too real and scary.

Read More