B

 

 

C

 

D

Damo

by patricia

During the first part of this series you will get intrigue by the story, the setting perfect for the series. It's like CSI meets Crouching tiger hidden dragon, its modern and classic at the same time, the fight scenes are well choreographed and the cinematography is great.

Im sure that the people who are not fan of martial arts drama or movie will like this series, the story is not that complicated and the scenes are easy on the eyes. You don't have to think that much about the story because it's direct to the point. The story revolves around the 3 main characters, CHAE-OHK/ JAE-HUI (the daughter of a noble man who was in the depths of despair and killed himself.), JAE-MO/ JANG SUNG BAEK (chae's brother also the son of the noble man) and HWANGBO-YOON (the master chae served since she was young, the son of a mistress and a honorable man.).

I must give Haji Woon my full respect and genuine appreciation for what she has done for this series; she really studied her CHARACTER and presented perfectly as if she was really Chae-ohk. I have watched her first in “What Happened in Bali” and saw her performance there and it took me by surprized that she did well in “Damo”, Damo was first shown in Korea than “bali…” but the rate of peformance in uncanny, I may compare her character in bali… but this is the best. She really acted as Chae-Ohk and that she delivered an exellent performance and once more I salute her.

The series is a MUST-SEE! Everybody should watch this. The cast, crew and director did a great job putting up the story together and used every element of Drama, Action, Mystery, and Love story wisely. The story changes its genre from time to time so that the viewers' woun't get exausted listening to the same-old-story.

I want to praise the musical scoring of this series, the timing was right and the score was applicable with the scene. I'm not really good in expressing since this is my first review, but the movie is so fantastic and that this should have been made into a movie since it is could really make it because of it's outstanding performance overall.

I have watched many Korean series, movie that are drama but Damo is the only series where I cant even cry yet the impact is so heavy, you would want to cry but tears wount fall down. It's like the sorrow of your emotion is from the inside and that you want to burst-out and cry but… you really can't. This series really did played with the viewers' emotions, and after watching this series your morale will be down for a while.

There are somethings that's been bothering me for a while… like:

* Why didn't Hwangbo say that he loves Chae-Ohk?

* Why didn't Chae-Ohk recognize the blue lace that she found in Sung Baek's clothes?

* Why didn't the rebel posing as a police killed Hwangbo when they had the chance in the mountain?

* Why didn't Hwangbo marry earlier Chae-ohk so that she could change her social status and become a commoner again.

The love between Chae-Ohk and Hwangbo is somewhat forbidden in Chae-Ohk's side because she feels that she is unworthy of Hwangbo's love because of her social status and that she feels that she is an obstacle for Hwangbo to reach is dreams and goals. Hwangbo felt the same way about her but all he can to is to hold her tight so that she wount leave his side.

There are parts in this series that I really love like:

* The part where they were trapped inside the cave, where Jang Sung-Baek declared his undying love for Chaek-ohk, and this is where Chae-ohk said that she love Jang sung Bak too… and all the parts in the cave…

* When Hwangbo confronted Chae-ohk about her true feelings for Jang Sung-Baek and that he wants her to kill him so that she can be with him, showing her determination she tried to kill him but Hwangbo stopped her and he set her free. (One of the most dramatic scene)

* When Hwangbo was cleaning Chae-Ohk's wounds under the tree and the blossoms are falling…

* When Hwangbo and Chae-Ohk are at the lake and that he was crying over the unconscious body of Chae-Ohk.

* (After the scene in the cave) When Hwangbo said that he would marry Chae-Ohk and that they would leave and go far away…and Chae-Ohk said that he could have her body but her heart is already gone. And that she can't marry him because of her status and that she can't bear a child. (One of the most dramic scene)

* The beginning of the story where Jang Sung-Baek and Chae-Ohk are hangging by the bamboos, this remind me of a scene in crouching tiger hidden dragon.

At the end of the series I saw a poem… it just expresses the core of emotion between the 3 characters. And this is it:

A far off mountain....

A mountain with a deep green forest...

A destiny... that could not foresee that divide

A love I could not measure...

A love that tore my heart apart...

Not again... never again...

Do not live for me...

We could see this poem at the end of the series if you would really analize and read this from the heart you could really see the message...

For me this message is for Chae-ohk from Hwangbo and Sung Baek. The poem came from them in different situation, and the love being discussed here varies from the person talking.

 

 

Delicious Proposal

by Kang Soo-Jin

``Tasty Courtship,`` an MBC drama about two families that operate rival Chinese food restaurants, is currently enjoying great popularity with local audiences.

The drama, aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 9:55 p.m., was recently shown to be drawing 28 percent of the viewing audience in its time slot. The current storyline involves a full-fledged Chinese food showdown between ``Hyodong-gak,`` a small restaurant owned by protagonist Hyo-Dong (actor Chung Jun), and deluxe eatery ``Hwanggumryong (Golden Dragon).``

``Tasty Courtship`` was originally planned as a 16-episode miniseries but the positive response from viewers, who flooded the MBC Internet site with messages praising the show, could mean that it becomes a permanent addition to the network`s lineup.

One reason for the show`s popularity, according to critics, is that rather than focusing on the love stories of its twentysomething characters, ``Tasty Courtship`` traces their paths to becoming first-class chefs. While most dramas tend to examine the lives of children of business tycoons, elite graduates of prestigious universities or venture businessmen, ``Tasty Courtship`` takes ordinary high school graduates as its main characters.

Another secret of show`s popularity is its inclusion of cooking scenes where the principals make mouth-watering Chinese dishes like ``jajangmyon,`` ``rajogi (fried seasoned chicken),`` ``lemon tangsuyuk,`` and ``bichi dumpling soup.``

In fact, producing these scenes are the biggest challenge for the makers of ``Tasty Courtship,`` who spend twice as long on them as they do on other scenes on the show and have to seek the advice of renowned local chefs to get everything just right. They even have to employ genuine chefs to do the onscreen cooking, although in the final product only the hands of these Chinese cuisine artists appear.

 

 

 

 

Dolphin Bay

by inpacerequiescat of spcnet.tv

At the Dolphin Bay is a tale of various expressions of love in certain degrees. Sisterly love between Tien Pien and Shan Ni. Parental love between Tien Pien and her foster mother. Unconditional love betewwn Xu Ce Ya and Tien Pien, as well as Shan Ni and Tien Pien.

For this reason, At the Dolphin Bay does not fail to capture the hearts of its viewers, regardless of age, gender or social class. It transcends these barriers and it is no surprise that this Asian drama did well in the ratings game and reviews.

Its screenplay was also well-written. The build-up from a light to a heavily dramatic scene was done in good taste. The transitions between scenes were smooth and scenes that were cut deliberately were done so to heighten the suspense and emotion. However the lighting was a major flaw. Heavily dramatic scenes should have been treated differently from lighter scenes. Inasmuch as there was too much light on some heavy scenes, the emotions that could have been fully expressed by those scenes were not released. The presence of light usually indicates lightness in theme: joy, satisfaction, resolution.

I was not at all disappointed with the choice of actors. I was surprised, however, that Penny Lin could actually portray a role other than a brat. Her inclusion in the drama turned out to be the biggest surprise and not to mention, one major advantage.

The music was excellent. The songs were properly chosen for the scenes. If lighting was a major upset, the musical score was its one of its biggest - if not certainly the biggest - advantages. Notable were songs like Yi Shi De Mei Hao and Shiroi Yuki, although other songs which were used, especially during the later parts of the drama, were also chosen with utmost care.

Cinematography came in a good second to the musical score. It seemed as if Asians have perfected the art of cinematography, probably influenced by their culture, beliefs and traditions. But in this drama, the background served more than being the take-off point of every action in the story. The backdrop - the sea - was very meaningful. On several occasions, the sea served as a metaphor for hope and even resolution. Most problems were resolved when they were brought near the sea. The treatment of the sea as a backdrop - sometimes as part of the subject - was interestingly figurative. Other interestingly meaningful places were the field of flowers and the Catholic orphanage.

On the whole, At the Dolphin Bay was a good drama. Were it not for the flaws, it could have deserved a higher rating.

 

E

 

Emperor of the sea

synopsis , taken from KBS Global Marketing website:

'Emperor of the Sea' is 50-episode HD drama based on the Choi In-ho's novel of the same title. The drama depicts the life of Jang Bo-go, who dominated the sea of the East Asia and international trade during the Unified Shilla Dynasty.

Jang Bo-go also eliminated pirates by installing Cheong-Hae-Jin on Wando, which is a geographically important sea route. Likewise he erected the order of the marine trade in East Asia from Dang and Japan to the North China sea.

Drama 'Emperor of the Sea' will show historical figure Jang Bo-go's growth, the emerging as Emperor of the Sea and love, and add artificial figures madam Jami and Jeong-hwa to add more spices.

Choi Soo-jong, who has shown impressive performance in historical drama 'King Wang-geon,' will play as Jang Bo-go. Chae Si-ra will play as Madam Jami, who is a noble of Shilla and fights for the trade right in the South Sea against Jang Bo-go.

Song Il-gook will play the role of Yeom-jang, who is a comrade of Jang Bo-go and competes to win love from the same woman against Jang. Song Il-gook has shown good performance in recently concluded weekend drama 'Terms of Endearment.' Many new faces are cast in the drama too.

Jang-hwa who falls in love of destiny with Jang Bo-go will be performed by Soo-ae. The last son Kim Heung-soo of 'More Beautiful than Flowers' will perform as the confidant of Jang Bo-go.
Since 15 billion won will be spent for the production, there will be lots to catch eyes.

Visitors' house, market place, the Shilla office in Dang, ports were built as sets, not to mention Cheong-Hae-Jin in Wando, Jeonnam, home to Jang Bo-go. For two months from August, overseas shooting in Shanghai and desert area Dunhwhang in China is planned.

The large-scale war scenes and the sea fights for eliminating pirates were processed using computer graphic technique.

Director Gang Byeok-taek says, "I want to focus on the human aspect of Jang Bo-ho who starts from lowest social class but rises to the position of controlling the East Asian sea, instead of simply reviving a historical figure."

 

 

 

F

Forbidden Love aka 9 tailed Fox

Like others have reviewed already, the series has a unique script. It is not your average korean drama series, but in a sense it is too, by means of the love triangle bewteen the three main characters. We gotta have it in there or else this wouldn't be a korean movie anymore. True, this is the frist time i've seen a martial arts/action/romance korean drama, and you can tell the actors/actress weren't as fast and as good as you would want them to be, but i give them props. It must have been hard on their part to have to learn to moved and fight like they did in the show given the time they had. with the fact being this is their first martial arts movie(others, it being their very first time on the big screen), i thought they did good. It was a well paced movie with a good soundtrack. And because of this unique script, i thought the ending fits it very well. The only thing i think could have been better was very last shot with jo hyun jae. He could've put a little bit more effort and a show more emotions on the situtation at hand. It is a good series, if you have the time, give this series a try.

 

Full House

by il mare of spcnet.tv

 

I resisted "Full House" for a while because I had this impression that it was silly and childish. After I overcame my initial bias, and managed to convince myself to finish the entire kdrama, I am totally bought over by "Full House"! The theme is fun, fun, fun all the way. Coupled with the electrifying chemistry of Bi and SHG, and the excellent packaging, it all made "Full House" one of the most polished and enjoyable kdramas I have seen from KBS to date.

I think KBS have truly learned from their competitors SBS. They build a house on the sea front, costing a whopping US$1 million just for this kdrama! And no expense was spared for the production, from the set, casts down to the wardrobe. Outstanding job!

My usual complaint about k-comedies is that everything is usually too overdone, e.g. over-the-top acting, exaggerated body language, shouting matches etc. And after a while you actually forgive the actors for throwing in such performances because you just accept that that is how it is. "Full House" is no exception, but despite that, this kdrama never made me yawn with their common punts because the chemistry of the leads was just so incredible!

The story is fairly simple. It is a straightforward tale of how two people inch their way into each other's heart as they try to lead their lives under the same roof. At 16 episodes, the show is fairly fast-paced. Well maybe except for the last few episodes where you wonder why Bi and SHG are dragging their feet when the end is so near.

Sharing the same writer, many will compare "Full House" to "Attic Cat". While as both stories are about a bickering cohabiting relationship, "Full House" is more of a wacky, fun-loving tale versus "Attic Cat", which poked at the pressures of cohabition in modern day South Korea.

Another key difference is that "Full House" also makes up for what "Attic Cat" lacked, in terms of having a comparable competitor as the other man fighting for the leading lady's heart (okay, this is totally a personal plus because I could not stop drooling for KSS in "Full House"). Kim Sung Soo is one hunk of a competitor to baby-face Bi. Some could not understand why JE didn't pick the mature and eligible MH. Yet despite the strong competition, my heart was pining for Bi all the way.

YJ may be a rude and arrogant loudmouth on the surface, but within is a sensitive and loyal person whose bark is louder than its bite. He is so protective of the one he loves that he does so at the expense of hurting himself. His love is unconditional and irrational, which is what makes it so desirable, well at least for me. For a man like MH, he can go on if he does not win JE's heart, but you know YJ is a wreck if he loses her.

Another thing that I love about this show is how the leading lady, HJE, is not afraid to express how she feels. She is strong, cheerful and stands up for herself. She does not let anyone step over her, yet she has a heart to see what she wants and is willing to sacrifice herself to make the one she loves happy. SHG is delightful as HJE. She is honest about her feelings and she works hard to make her living. She is not perfect as she is a slob and is sometimes ditzy (or even thick-skinned), but that is what makes her so lovable. SHG is completely in her element. Though she was going through a bad break-up then, it totally did not show in her performance. She had some quirky wardrobe and poor girl, she had to don such high heels because of her tall leading men. I was never impressed with her as an actress, but "Full House" completely changed my assessment.

Bi is really irritating initially as YJ. But his kindness and sensitivity only surface as the kdrama progresses. The innocence he shows in adhering to the contract of flower-giving is such a sweet gesture. And his love for JE must have been so overwhelming that he is able to say what he could not utter to HW for 15 years – “Sarang hye yo”!

This is Bi's second kdrama. Even though I did not feel that he did the unrequited love for HW part very well, he was charming with his boyish smile and cute facial expressions. It is funny how he can't stop grumbling and yakking when he is with JE, yet with HW he is always silent. My only complaint about YJ - I could not stand his wardrobe. I know he is supposed to be a top actor but he looks more like a pop star versus an actor.

KSS was stiff, but had screen presence in "Say you love me". I sat up and took notice of another k-hunk making his way into my closet. KSS looks so good in "Full House" (despite the odd color suits he had to wear) and I can see improvement in his acting. He projects the right image for the character: confident, matured and sensitive. The perfect New Age Man! Unlike the chauvinist and rude YJ. I particularly liked the scenes when he had to display his internal struggle about falling for a married woman. I see lots of potential from this guy!

HEJ is a total fox in "Full House". You will get to see her cleaveage in almost every episode as the skimpily clad and stylishly ahead designer, KHW. With her 175cm height and slender frame, she always looks good (oozing with sex appeal) in her outfits portraying YJ's princess, the girl of his dreams. She throws in a very good performance as well, playing a woman suffering from the "unrequited love" syndrome. YJ likes her, but she chases after MH. But when YJ marries JE she begins to like YJ. Don't get me wrong, she is not a detestable character, but rather a very real person, a very real woman, a well-written character. And HEJ did a great job as HW, and I felt realy sorry for her.

What made "Full House" so easy to and fun to watch as there was no unrealistic jealous third party, or psychotic ex-boyfriends, or terminal disease! How can you not fall in love with it!

The other characters added the necessary spice to the show. JE's useless friends add comic catalyst to the entire story with their fumbling tactics. And YJ's family are good sub-characters to the story. An extremely balanced story told in a fun and light-hearted way. I totally recommend this!

My favourites
=============
EVERY MOMENT (except episode 1)!!! I wanted to make a list, but it just got too long. I actually took a break after episode 1 because I found the bickering totally unbearable. But after I started on episode 2, there was no looking back. The happy times and the sad times! The laughter and the tears!

 

G

God, pls give me more time

by Summerfall of spcnet.tv

While at first, I wasn't too thrilled with watching another one of these lame sad stories... OK, I lied, I'm a sucker for these sort of series ^^”. However there are many fault I would like to point out.

Firstly, I disagree with the whole prostitution act just for a concert ticket, it just makes it seem too desperate, especially when you end up with HIV. Secondly, the fact that Masaki and Keigo had sex later on in the series when Keigo knew he had a very very high chance of contracting HIV, the way he doesn't seem to care just makes it unbelievable. Yes, of course, love is everything but he'll have to consider the guilt that Masaki would have to carry if he did happen to become HIV positive.

Thirdly, Masaki's decision to keep the baby when she knew that her baby also had a very high chance of contracting HIV also. Later on, she apologised in a video made especially for the baby, what's the point then? She already knew in the beginning that if her baby happened to contract HIV, the baby would end up living a short life while always been looked upon as an inferior to others. But knowing these typical series, Keigo and the baby did not happen to be infected.

Lastly, isn't there a procedure in the hospital whereas to let patients' rest especially when they are in dangerous conditions? The doctors allowed Keigo to enter and leave as he wishes--let's not forget how he keeps waking Masaki up after the baby was born. He needs to understand that giving birth to a baby while having such a frail body means more required sleep and rest, not waking the mother up at every single interval. Although I felt for him and knew he was suffering from his past experiences, the producers need to make it more realistic from another prospective.

OK, enough with the cons. ‘God, please give me more time' is an extremely tear-jerking piece that just makes you fall in love as well as feel for the characters. Like I mentioned before, the themes in this series really impressed me; it also focuses on Masaki's family life as well as her love life… you can defiantly tell how much Masaki has grown since the first episode. And while there are many crying and running and more crying, this series makes for an excellent piece if you are like me and enjoy watching sad stories. It's also a complete bonus if you are fans of these two actors: Kaneshiro Takeshi and Kyoko Fukada. No doubt, this was the series which launched their career.

H

Hana Yori Dango Live

I'll assume that most of you Japanophiles have heard of the shoujo manga "hana yori dango". If you don't know the story of the anime/manga, there are some good reviews here at J-Fan by Katze and Lana . There was a live action TV movie featuring Fujiki Naohito made in 1995, but it wasn't until now, 10 years later, that it was finally made into a full drama series. I will be telling you about this new drama series here, but before that I have a confession to make: I never got around to seeing/reading the anime/manga series. (Fans of the anime/manga who found this page are mentally kicking me right now.) Nevertheless, I am prepared to give you my honest opinions of the drama series at face value.

The basic story goes like this: Tsukushi is a girl from a lower-middle class family who goes to a snooty expensive high school where everyone else comes from rich families - and I mean unrealistically and ridiculously manga-style rich. They all get dropped off by their chauffeurs in expensive cars every morning, bringing lunch boxes filled with caviar. This school is ruled by four boys who call themselves the "Flower 4" or "F4" for short. They are among the richest of the students and their parents make generous grants to the school, thus they are allowed to do whatever they want and not even the teachers are allowed to stop them. They are Doumyouji Tsukasa (Matsumoto Jun), Hanazawa Rui (Oguri Shun), Nishikado Soujirou (Matsuda Shouta), and Mimasaka Akira (Abe Tsuyoshi). Tsukasa and Rui are played by current popular male idols while the other two are played by newcomers. Anyway, if you like cute boys you should like this cast.

Whenever anyone at the school does something that the F4 doesn't like, they get an "F4" flag in their locker and they are ostracized and bullied by the F4 and the whole school until they leave. Tsukasa is the ring leader and the meanest of the bunch.

Tsukushi hates the whole school and doesn't actively go along with the F4 or any of the school's other strange traditions. However, she doesn't openly oppose them either as she doesn't want to make any enemies there. Her family is very proud of the fact that she was able to enter such a prestigious school, and she doesn't want to disappoint them, so she is doing her best to survive her three years there.

She manages to get through her first two years and most of her last year without encountering any major problems, but when her new friend, Sakurako gets on F4's bad side, she decides to defend Sakurako. By openly opposing the F4, they forget all about her friend and give Tsukushi the F4 flag the next day. Tsukushi is at the top of F4's blacklist now. The school's hate for her is compounded and amplified by her family's lower class status.

Instead of giving in and leaving the school as everyone in the past has, Tsukushi decides to fight against the F4. In the first episode, she even punches Tsukasa. The repercussions that Tsukushi will face for opposing the F4 and damaging Tsukasa's pride are unimaginable. (The ending will probably say differently, but I've already learned from this drama that you should never f#ck with rich people.) Lucky for her, another equally powerful F4 member, Rui has taken a liking to her, so she won't be alone in her fight.

Apparently, she will end up in the middle of several love triangles, hexagons, etc. involving the F4 boys; but since they are bigger actors and appear to be much bigger characters, most of the attention will be from Tsukasa and Rui.

I don't know how it compares to the manga, but so far I like this drama a lot. You don't have to be a girl to enjoy this. I really hated the F4 and the school in the first episode, I enjoyed seeing Tsukushi getting back at those rich @$$holes. The second episode was great too. A lot of things in this drama are so ridiculous they could have only come from a manga. I guess that's why I specified "comedy" as one of the genres for this drama. Not because the characters have particularly funny lines or actions, but because it's very hard to take the story very seriously and you will probably find yourself laughing at the ridiculous characters and the luxury that they live in. I don't say this in offence toward the drama since it is clearly all intentional and they did a great job of making it funny.

I love it. It's still early in the game, but this is clearly one of the best - if not the best - drama of the season as far as I'm concerned. The only drawback is that it's only nine episodes long, making it a little on the short side for a regular seasonal TV drama. Perhaps some hardcore fans might say the story has been ruined or something by squeezing it into nine episodes (I don't know, I'm just hypothesizing since I've never read the manga and I don't know how the fans would react.), but it has to be better than the short live action offering from 1995 at least. I will bet my money that hardcore fans and newcomers alike will love this drama. This is a gem. Seek it out.

 

Happy Together

by sukting of spcnet.tv

Zhi Shuo catches Wen Zhu at the bar. He gets so mad that he handcuffs her and sends her home.

Tai Feng knocks into Bi Zhong and both end up being hospitalized with casts on their injured legs. They yell when the cast is removed. A very amusing sight.

Tai Feng declares that he will woo Xiu He even when he knows that she is engaged. This annoys Zhi Shuo and both brothers then start to recognize each other here.

Xiu He brings Tai Feng to visit his father's grave. But she brings him to the wrong tomb and makes him shed tears for nothing. What a terrible mistake!

Xiu He can't bear to leave Zhi Shuo as he needs to work late. She leaves reluctantly. Upon alighting, Zhi Shuo also feels the same way and jumps back on the bus. He sends her home before going to work. How sweet he is!

It is Can Zhu's birthday but no one remembers it. She is so lonely that she ends up dedicating a song and singing to herself.

Shen Ye buys roses for Lun Zhu to give to her at the ice-cream outlet, but he is too shy and uses the helmet to cover his face! He shows jealousy when she treats Tai Feng better than him.

Tai Feng is angered to see Cai Lin with Zhi Shuo together. He cleans Zhi Shuo's old shoes for him secretly when Zhi Shuo leaves his shoes on the staircase.

Tai Zhi comes and look for Tai Feng. He shakes his head upon seeing how immature he is. He is worried for their future as his father has no head for planning at all.

Cai Lin tells her father that Zhi Shuo is her boyfriend so that he can help them to keep the house. Cai Lin asks Zhi Shuo why he keeps this matter from Xiu He. He cites an example: if he has a fever, she will still take care of him even if she develops pneumonia. In the end, she will faint but will not let him know about it. Cai Lin is jealous upon hearing it.

Wen Zhu searches everywhere for Lun Zhu. You will be touched by her deep concern for her sister.

Xiu He forgets to get her ring back after letting Tai Feng look at it. At the engagement, Bi Zhong even wants his wife to remove her ring for Xiu He to use as a replacement. Luckily, Tai Feng returns the ring on time but he is hit by Zhi Shuo, who thinks that he is trying to ruin the event.

Tai Feng buys a pair of shoes for Zhi Shuo, but tells Xiu He to lie that they are from her. He knows that Zhi Shuo will never accept them if he knows about it.

Shen Ye lets his sidekicks bring different flowers to Lun Zhu's shop to let her choose. He then tells them to carry her things. She is unused to him treating her so nicely.

Wen Zhu finds out Lun Zhu's identity when she visits Tai Feng. He blames himself for not detecting earlier as she also grows flowers the same way that their mother used to do.

Lun Zhu faints at a performance. Shen Ye can't get into the ambulance so he drags the driver away and drives to the hospital instead. In this scene, Cha shows his anxiety well.

Bi Dou gets worried when Wen Zhu doesn't turn up for work. At first, he threatens to punish her. But later he asks her if she is sick.

At first, Wen Zhu thinks Bi Dou is asking her for the loan that she owes him but he gives her food instead, as she can't drink wine with an empty stomach. This man is slowly showing concern towards her. Later, he even hits a client for bullying her.

Tai Zhi tells Zhi Shou that Tai Feng thinks very highly of him. He also idolizes him. The serious Zhi Shuo can't help but smile. When Can Zhu shouts that breakfast is ready, he quickly holds Zhi Shuo's hand, saying that he is afraid of her. Zhi Shuo holds his hand and pacifies him. The boy is melting my heart in this scene.

Shen Ye carries Lun Zhu on his back home after her discharge. She is heavy but he refuses to admit it. Later he cries in the bar as he is so afraid of losing her. Quite a touching scene.

Cai Lin swims with Zhi Shuo and Zhi Shuo loses. He is shocked when she admits to liking him.

Zhi Shuo goes to buy a necklace for Xiu He's birthday. But he misses her birthday celebration as he has to catch a criminal. Tai Feng celebrates with her at Piao He's eatery and she gets drunk.

Shen Ye is worried when Lun Zhu doesn't go for dialysis. He commands all his men to go for checkups to search for the right kidney to donate to Lun Zhu.

Bi Dou and Shen Ye quarrel upon knowing that they have fallen for the sisters.

Zhi Shuo starts to feel ashamed for going out with Cai Lin and her father. When he sees Xiu He on his way home, he hugs her and begs her not to go, but she returns him the ring because she does not want to hinder his career.

Shen Ye wants money to be Bi Dou's wedding emcee. He hopes to get the money for Lun Zhu's dialysis.

This is so dramatic. The two gangsters hit Tai Feng hard earlier and now they address him as their ‘big brother'.

Wen Zhu's announcement of marriage comes as a complete shock. All except Lun Zhu support her decision.

Lun Zhu spends her money to buy a tuxedo for Tai Feng to wear for Wen Zhu's wedding.

Tai Feng turns up with Lun Zhu, wearing the tuxedo and old sports shoes. At the wedding, Tai Feng holds Wen Zhu's hand and refuses to let go. Bi Dou demands that Tai Feng release Wen Zhu's hand. All his sidekicks are about to hit Tai Feng when he suddenly tells Bi Dou to take care of his precious younger sister.

The photo taking session is hilarious. Shen Ye tries to stand beside Lun Zhu. Tai Feng and Bi Dou push him aside. Tai Feng tells Shen Ye to get lost as he has no right even to look at his pretty youngest sister. Bi Dou says that Shen Ye has no connections with her so he has no chance! Piao He rushes in on time for the picture-taking.

Who gets the bouquet? Lun Zhu hopes to get it but Piao He gets it instead! He later gives it to Can Zhu who arrives only after the ceremony is over.

Xiu He sees Tai Feng's weird dressing of the tuxedo with sport shorts. So she buys him a pair of shoes to thank him for her birthday cake.

Lun Zhu feels terrible and takes a photo at the studio with Tai Feng. She never turns up at the amusement park as arranged because she is admitted into the hospital again.

Xiu He is upset to see Zhi Shuo with Cai Lin, and she falls sick. Zhi Shuo also has a fever later because he feels miserable after having made this dreadful decision.

Piao He and Tai Feng discover that they have not brought enough money to the amusement park. Tai Feng forces Piao He to return home. Tai Zhi sighs and takes out from his bag the pocket money which he has saved all this while!

Tai Zhi dreams of staying with Tai Feng again. He tells Piao He to work harder. Piao He in turn teaches him to count stars so that he can fall asleep. Zhi Shuo suffers from insommia and holds the necklace that he hasn't given to Xiu He. Seeing him troubled, he teaches him the way to fall asleep.

The gansters fight to donate a kidney to Lun Zhu. Shen Ye claims that as his own kidney is not acceptable for transplant, Bi Dou's would not be acceptable either.

Shen Ye is angry with Piao He for eating the food he has bought for Lun Zhu. He tells him to leave but Piao He chases him out of the room. He even attaches a note saying ‘no gangsters allowed' on the door to prevent him from going in.

Wen Zhu's kidney is too small and weak while Tai Feng's blood group is different from Lun Zhu's. Both are devastated by the news. They decide to ask the other siblings for help. They have a big shock when Lun Zhu comes to meet the four of them! She doesn't wish to miss the chance that she has waited for 13 years to happen.

Zhi Shuo is so shocked that Cai Lin's father suggests an engagement. He nearly drops his own ring.

Shen Ye and Bi Dou greet Zhi Shuo. Bi Dou tries to explain his own position. He has a shock when Zhi Shuo reveals his background. Bi Dou has no education and has worked as odd job workers. His impressive crime record consists of petty thefts. Shen Ye feels so ashamed. Zhi Shuo says that he will not forgive him unless he turns over a new leaf.

Tai Zhi gives Can Zhu a rose before he leaves with Tai Feng. He promises that he will buy more when he has more money. He hugs her to thank her before he leaves reluctantly. She refrains from hugging him back. She goes into Zhi Shuo's room and recalls how Tai Zhi read, slept and played in the house. She is in tears when she discovers how much she misses him.

Zhi Shuo goes for the checkup but is hesitant to visit Lun Zhu. He is disappointed when his kidney doesn't suit her. Can Zhu's kidney is suitable. Both sisters hold hands for support before going into the operation room.

The two brothers fight when Xiu He goes traveling after Zhi Shuo decides to marry Cai Lin. Tai Feng goes to visit Xiu He. Zhi Shuo hides at one corner upon seeing them together.

Bi Dou stops Shen Ye from visiting Lun Zhu in the hospital, saying that he will pollute the air because he has germs.

A gangster leader wants to meet Zhi Shuo. Tai Feng gets suspicious and follows. Both brothers get hurt by his men. Zhi Shuo is unconscious in the process. In the ambulance, Tai Feng's sobs wake Zhi Shuo up. Zhi Shuo asks Tai Feng why he did not dodge and let the knives land into his stomach. He is stupid as no one can have two lives. Tai Feng is in tears upon hearing this.

Tai Zhi rushes to the hospital and scolds Tai Feng for not running fast enough. Later he is surprised to see Zhi Shuo on another stretcher. He is shocked and proud to know from him that Tai Feng saved him!

Bi Dou respects Can Zhu and gives his savings to pay for Lun Zhu's operation, assuring that the money comes from his own and not through dirty means.

Cai Lin comes to visit Zhi Shuo and notices Xiu He hesitating to visit him. Zhi Shuo confesses that this incident causes him to wake up from his dream. Upon knowing that Xiu He has come, he rushes out to see where she is, but she leaves because she thinks he has chosen Cai Lin.

Tai Feng resumes his job as a baseball player and drags Zhi Shuo out of the hospital. They see Xiu He there and the lovers reconcile with each other.

Shen Ye and Bi Dou turn over a new leaf. They are busy working under Piao He in the kitchen. They suspect him of taking revenge because he forces them to cut onions!

Xiu He finally marries Zhi Shuo. Bi Dou's car is their marriage car. Tai Feng wears a tuxedo and waits anxiously for Zhi Shuo's arrival. Zhi Shuo is there just on time, but he is still wearing his wet uniform. He panicks and suddenly sets his eyes on Tai Feng.

Tai Feng screams and refuses to give in to him. But he has no choice in the end and is forced to wear Zhi Shuo's wet clothes.Zhi Shuo changes into it and calls him ‘brother' tenderly. Tai Feng is overjoyed. All are happy at the wedding. Of course, Shen Ye gets kicked again for getting close to Lun Zhu.

Conclusion
This serial is worth your time because it tells you that money might not necessarily buy happiness. The siblings can be poor and may not get along at first. But they are still reunited in the end. This shows that they are not hard-hearted. I like the setting, it is quite different from the typical love romance drama serials that most offer.

The cast's natural acting made the serial enjoyable, and the fast pace is a bonus. Do watch it if you get the chance.

 

 

I

Im Sorry, I Love You

by Devache1 of spcnet.tv

 

"I'm Sorry I Love You" was a drama that I had been eagerly anticipating for it to arrive in my country since its release in Korea in the December of 2004. Originally planned to be screened only for 16 episodes, the netizens of Korea demanded an extension and KBS complied by asking the drama's directors and producers to extend by another 4 episodes. However, the makers of the drama refused and said they couldn't and quite frankly, I'm happy they did.

"I'm Sorry I Love You" is the first Korean drama that I've catch in 2005 and to put it in a nutshell, it didn't disappoint. The drama doesn't revolve around the typical stereotypes in Korean dramas. The storyline is unique and the acting by the two main leads are nothing short of outstanding. It focuses on a mother's love for her child and how human beings are inevitably, soft-hearted creatures.

In fact, the drama was so popular that KBS even issued a second OST album for it due to overwhelming response. Not to mention that the last two episodes were so sad, that even the makers of the drama couldn't help but cry when the scenes were played out (I'm crying now as I'm listening to the OST in fact....nonetheless..) But enough about how great this drama is, let's move on to the cast and the memorable moments in this drama:

The inital stages of "I'm Sorry I Love You" may be a little slow and unappealing to most but that was the way in which the director purposely played the drama out. The dramas get especially tear-jerking and appealing in the final four episodes, as we see Eun Chae slowly succumbing to the pressure she faces from Moo Hyuk and Choi Yoon.

We also see a more humane side of Oh Deul Hee, the birthmother of Moo Hyuk as she breaks down in front of the doctor saying she would do anything to save Choi Yoon, including give her heart. I really pitied Moo Hyuk at that scene. Imagine your birthmother saying she will do anything to save her son, yet you her other son, is standing right beside her, dying. If Choi Yoon was sad, then Moo Hyuk was pathetic. Because Choi Yoon had some remote hope of survival, but Moo Hyuk had only his inevitable death to anticipate.

There were numerous scenes that I felt touched me very deeply through this drama, but they mainly came in the last four episodes. There is this scene where we hear Eun Chae confessing to Moo Hyuk through the toilet door, as Moo Hyuk is violently vomiting out his food (a sign of his impending death), and she keeps telling him how sorry she was... and how she wanted so so much to bring him happiness but all she could give him was pain and more pain.

And there's the scene where Moo Hyuk forces Eun Chae to promise him she will forget him soon after he is gone, because he does not wish to see her suffer emotionally after his death.

Eun Chae promises him but knows all too clearly she won't. She tries to snap photos of him on her handphone for remembrance sake and eventually falls asleep........ when they part again, she brings out the handphone to see him just once more.... but alas the photos are gone. Moo Hyuk had only pretended to fall asleep and deleted the photos while Eun Chae was asleep.

The drama revolved not only around the love of Eun Chae and Moo Hyuk, but also the love Moo Hyuk yearned so much from his mother. This is more apparent when Choi Yoon and Moo Hyuk are in a discussion and Choi Yoon revealed to Moo Hyuk that he was adopted. Moo Hyuk is in shock and Choi Yoon simply tells him:

"For someone who is unrelated to her, she is willing to give up her own life. What do you think she would do for her own son?"

That left Moo Hyuk in a daze and it was also when he realised that he had made a terrible mistake, and that his mother had not intentionally abandoned him.

The subtlety in which the drama was shot also made it a huge hit.

The times when Moo Hyuk and Eun Chae would sit next to each other and not talk, but yet have so much to say. Many a times, the director drew a parellel between Moo Hyuk and Choi Yoon. It's even more obvious in this photo where Moo Hyuk is lying against the wall, with him beside the photo of his mother, and behind him the face of Choi Yoon.

And the last episode when he requests for Oh Deul Hee to cook for him just once: For a son to eat the food cooked by his mother for the first and last time . We see Moo Hyuk sobbing uncontrollably as he thinks aloud about how he's so happy to have such a mother like Oh Deul Hee who loves her foster son (Choi Yoon) so much, and forgives her to deal with his imminent death alone.

"I'm Sorry I Love You" has a deeper meaning throughout the normal K-dramas we see about love. It dwells more on the humanity of a person and if anyone ever doubted how silly the title was, think twice. In the end, we see Eun Chae travel to Australia and revisit the places where she first met Moo Hyuk and recap on those times.

She eventually visits the cemetary in which Moo Hyuk is buried (Moo Hyuk had passed away and donated his heart to Choi Yoon). On his tombstone engraved are the words: ""I'm Sorry I Love You"", because he had left Eun Chae with memories and memories alone, as he could no longer be with her. We see Eun Chae narrating as she lie down beside his grave:

"Even as I was alive, he was lonely.

I can't leave him alone like this.

Just this once in my life.

I'm thinking for myself.

And living for myself.

I will accept any punishment that comes."

What that meant, I leave it to you to go watch the drama and find out what happened, as I wish not to spoil the ending for you.

"I'm Sorry I Love You" is drama beautiful beyond words.

You must watch it, and in my opinion bags a full 5 out of 5.

 

 

J

 

Jewel in the Palace

by AngryBaby of spcnet.tv

 

A closer look
The script

A big round of applause to Kim Yeong-hyeon for creating the backbone to such a successful production. The plot is skillfully and cleverly interwoven from past, present, and future, and ties in all the characters with one another. An important element in maintaining viewers' intrigue is how each development continually builds upon each other so that the consequences and stakes are raised even higher for the next test. For instance, the viewer will feel elated when Han Shang Gong snatches the title of Head Cook from Choi Shang Gong in the cooking competition whilst worrying at the same time she had placed herself on top of Choi clan's hit list; or feel victorious when Jang-geum was appointed to the imperial physician department but knowing she had thrown herself back into danger.

The other great part was how the story 'implies' rather than spell out what the viewer should be feeling or thinking. Every time I considered the story development I find something new, such as by running the King and Lien Shen's relationship next to that of Min Jung-ho and Jang-geum's it emphasized how much better the latter was.

DJG has been called a tragedy, a comedy at times, a biography, commentary on social prejudices and issues, a tale of self discovery, conspiracy and romance - just to name a few. Adding my two cents (I hate to write this) I'd say it's also a love story of Jang-geum. It is about family love, between her and her parents that made them protect her at the cost of their lives and remained with her all her life. The love between teacher and student, comical love with her adopted parents and the love of true friendship with Lien Shen. Who can forget her and Min Jung Ho? Above all it was self-love, and I'm not talking about the "I'll do whatever I want" attitude (of today). It is how she never gave up on herself. She would cry a lot but then work even harder afterwards and not for one moment procrastinate in self-pity. She never tried to dodge around her problems or allow herself to take the easy way out. And as a consequence, unlike other stories of vengeance, she emerges truly the winner – free from bitterness, no lesser in generosity but with an even bigger heart.

Acting
Overall it was very well cast and very well acted out. There wasn't one role of substandard performance that wrecked the experience and I was quite impressed as usually there is someone I can't stand (okay perhaps the 'know-it-all' smirk on JG's daughter's face).

Jang-geum's parents
Not knowing what the story was about I originally thought JG's mother was the main lead (JG) for she was quite pretty and familiar-looking. They made a very good mother and daughter pair. JG's dad was convincing as the simple doting father. Although their screen time was not long they did well to create a permanent image of loving parents and good role models for the rest of the series.

Little Jang-geum
I never really click with child actors but this one was grudgingly good. First impression was a wide-eyed smart little girl but her crying scenes were most memorable.

Jang-geum
I was waiting to be disappointed. This was thanks to all the media hype in Hong Kong on how good this foreign series was, especially on the female lead (Lee young-ae) being so attractive blah, blah, blah. So with such high expectations, disappoint was sure to follow as I watched to see how pretty she really was with much skepticism. My first impression "I guess she's okay..." and then she smiled which made me smile. For someone to be able to almost single handedly carry such a long ancient cultural drama from beginning to end without viewers getting tired of them (let alone rush home just to watch) certainly says something for their acting skills. The character truly belongs to young-ae now.

Min Jung-ho
I was slightly disappointed as I realized he was probably going to be the best looking guy in the series and I didn't find him THAT attractive - that was at first. He really grew on me and now I personally prefer him with facial hair than the real life him. Ji Jin Hee successfully portrays the courageous and sentimental Min Jung-ho.

The King
Not really having much acting space till towards the end I felt more could be done to shows his character's weak stance and personality in the face of pressure, though he did make me feel sad when he died.

Lady Han and Lady Choi
Han's character was probably most diverse of all as she needed to maintain a cold exterior but at the same time show the audience she had a weaker and softer side which she rarely showed to outsiders. Her success at doing so obvious in scenes where despite being harsh with Jang-geum the audience's fondness of her continued to grow or the atmosphere of serenity when Han and JG are together even when they were in the dungeon.
The actress for Choi was apparently going to be Lady Han instead and I'm glad the original line up didn't prevail. Although Choi mastered those piercing glares and annoyed rolling eyes it seemed all she had. It left her character shallower than I thought Lady Choi really was.

The other girls
Apparently the actress for Lien Shen was going to be Jang-geum had Lee young-ae not taken the role. I was glad that didn't happen as she made Lien Shen lovable as the dependent but very adorable best friend. Geum-young did the 'pained guilty look' well but it seemed to be the dominant expression, at times it was hard to decipher whether she was meant to be angry, troubled or just scheming. Ling Lo was great as the classic 'little person' arrogant and power hungry but lacking the capability of ever doing something big. The other girls were commendable but not outstanding.

The Adopted Parents
Normally these characters bug me but I guess they were necessary as comic relief when the drama gets heavy. They were loud and funny but at times over exaggerated. Like when the guy falls all over himself on a perfectly straight path for no apparent reason or starts snorting and shooting saliva each time he spoke. However admittedly they came rightly across as simple good people with many earthly flaws like an eye for cheap bargains.

The blemishes
Nothing fundamental enough to wreck the story but there are minor ailments. Why was little Jang-geum sitting next to her future daughter? Didn't Jang-geum leave the contaminated village to get medicine so how come she got trapped in it when she returned? Remember Min Jung-ho had to knock out guards to sneak out to go and try getting medicine from the place she had gone before.

They also made some mistakes in their reference to Chinese historical facts. Such as the 'Mun Han full banquet' Choi Shang Gong prepared for the Chinese ambassador wasn't invented until the Qing dynasty, which follows the Ming dynasty in whose time this story took place.

The slow pace (like many Korean productions) may make it tedious to some viewers especially those like me who are used to quick scenarios with instantaneous consequences. Here intensity slowly but surely builds up and I was proud to say I needn't touch my remote once except when switching audio to Korean.

With the props and costumes a bit short in diversity and detail it is perhaps another compliment to the script writer and actors that the series still captured the attention of so many. Some more mistakes were like characters wearing heels (the female doctors towards the end) and the plump hands that cooked on behalf of BOTH JG and Han Shang Gong were a little too obvious. There is also some erratic snow falling shots but more than enough beautiful sceneries to make up for it. Understandably the lack of furniture and decor in all the rooms or variety in clothing or ornaments was due to the cultural and historical context. However being used to the extravagance of palace settings in Chinese ancient dramas this took a bit of getting use to and the metal hinged sliding doors didn't help either.

What to watch for
- Jang-geum's smile
- The numerous Jang-geum crying scenes each of which is different even if only in a small way. Be it the 'quivering lip', the 'single tear streak', 'eyes brimming with tears of joy' or the painfully screwed up face as she watched Lien Shen cook for her.
- Lady Han dying on Jang-geum's back
- When Jang-geum reunites with Lien Shen in the palace
- Jang-geum and Min Jung-ho's definitive embrace
- The food and medical cases and facts used - the producers spent a whole year researching to get it right and accurate
- Scenes you can see the actors' breathing and snow falling around because they almost froze to death making those.

Glancing Back...
This will be remembered. Looking DJG alongside other recent popular series like "Huan Zhu Ge Ge" (only the first one) and "Meteor Garden" (only the first one - see a pattern?) I've been trying to figure what it takes to make a classic. So far I see three things. Firstly a well prepared and thought-out script/story is foremost. In all three productions despite many subplots there was a simple core storyline or goal made clear at the beginning. In "Huan Zhu" it was restoring a princess without causing bloodshed. In "Meteor Garden" it was a rich guy winning over a poor girl. In DJG it's about an orphaned girl's path to becoming the King's doctor and thus making history. Then you need the right cast, matching actors to characters. In addition, the main characters at least must be appealing to the eye - yes in realist terms that means physically attractive. Third is the soundtrack, although I'm not sure whether it's the series that makes the soundtrack agreeable or the other way around.

It would also be amiss of me not to mention the love story between Min Jung-ho and Jang-geum. True romantics will adore these soul mates. Don't get me wrong, in the series they don't slit their wrists in fits of passion and scream everlasting love even if the heavens come crashing down. In fact they didn't even tell each other they loved the other directly. But whilst in "Huan Zhu" it was cute puppy love and in "Meteor Garden" it was sweet possessiveness, DJG was the only one where I could believe they would live happily ever after.

Final Words
Doubt anyone read everything I've written above but hopefully you can guess I liked this series quite a bit (plus the 5 stars). I would have had serious doubts in funding such a risky project; not just a long series it's a long ancient drama series. And not just that, its success depended predominantly on the appeal of one character. I'm glad someone did. Basically if you don't watch it then it's your loss.

I wonder whether the real Jang-geum ever thought in her wildest dreams that hundreds of years after her tragic death she would be acted out by an Asian beauty and that there would be hordes of people screaming her name at shopping malls in Hong Kong. The making of this in itself fulfilled the story's own themes of justice and hope. Although a bit late Dae Jang-geum finally got her day.

 

K

Kim Sam Soon

by Cho Chung-un

If Carrie Bradshaw of the Sex and the City represents a 30-something-girl in New York, and similarly Bridget Jones in London, here comes Seoul's heroine, with somewhat a boorish name, Kim Sam-soon.

My Lovely Sam-soon , a weekday nighttime soap opera airing on MBC , has obviously become the talk of the town, with a hilarious but sympathetic character that eventually talks about a very (and again, very) unsolvable problem - heartache - in her 30s.

The story begins when educated-in-Paris Sam-soon returns to Korea and attempts to kill her ex-boyfriend who announced their official breakup on Christmas Eve. Sam-soon involuntarily falls into a typical after-life of a dumped girl, becoming jobless, fatter due to excessive drinking, and eventually penniless.

However, far from being passive, this valiant lady soon starts a new life working in her counterpart Jin-heon's restaurant. Jin-heon, a selfish, wicked but irresistibly charming restaurant owner, played by rookie Hyun Bin, asks her to be his fake-lover to avoid his mom's pressure on marriage.

The two become closer but the prince's long-time love Hee-jin enters into the ongoing relationship. However, it is too late for Sam-soon, who declares her love for him.

Based on the romance novel of Korean author Ji Soo-hyun with the same title, plot and characters, the TV show has a lot more ingredients to spice up the scenes.

On the TV screen the heroine seems perkier, blunter and somehow more aggressive than the one depicted in the book. However, above anything else, the TV-version gratifies viewers by filling up with incisive scenes. The unprecedented popularity stems from this.

"This is my story," says Kim So-youn, an enthusiastic fan of Sam-soon. She recalls those miserable experiences and indescribable anguish of being a single woman in Korea.

Kim says that women viewers easily project themselves to Sam-soon and finally are relieved from all those bad, unforgiving moments by watching her "reviling those bastards and kicking their ass."

The viewing rate of the drama is roaring near 40 percent, thanks to S-diary star Kim Sun-ah, who plays Sam-soon. The actress, returning to TV screen after four years, is being highly praised for her spirited performance, transforming herself into an absolute Sam-soon version, a fat and sexless woman at 30, an age deadline for women who are anxious about getting married. She reportedly gained 7 kilograms just before the shooting to be authentic as the real Sam-soon can look.

The soap is often compared with Lovers in Paris which aired on SBS last year, whose story is, once again, about a Prince Charming rescuing a plain girl in trouble. Kang Tae-young, played by Kim Jeong-eun, made all kinds of embarrassing or silly mistakes in the course of nabbing her true love, Han Ki-ju.

Although Sam-soon is also bounded by this cheesy plot, drama critics say the Cinderella story has been transformed, or perhaps progressed. Now the lady reveals her sexual desire, marking the rise of Korean women.

"Sam-soon complains about her sexless life, saying that she's been starved by men's touch. She breaks the rule that a man has to kiss a girl first. She voluntarily made the first kiss to her counterpart, Jin-heon. This apparently reveals her sexual desire in the most natural way and depicts a turning point for Korean women who now have started to publicize their forbidden desire," said Shin Joo-jin, a drama critic.

Although My Lovely Sam-soon is an unabashedly typical Cinderella story, however, it focuses more on the heroine's desire and passion devoted to her career in patisserie. Remember how Jin-heon started to like Sam-soon (even though it is hard to notice)? It was when he acknowledges her talent, passion and devotion to her dream while tasting Sam-soon's cake, rather than just looking at her adorable smile.

 

Kim Sam Soo

by Patricia

Life is like a box of chocolates…”

Have you ever watched a series that made you feel good about your self after watching it? Do you know someone who is a fast talker, movie buff, drinker, and funny, strong, feisty and a pastry lover? Well if yes maybe it's Kim Sam Soon.

The series is so unique that you can't predict what will happen next. The emotional substance of the story is surreal, beacause they can play with your emotion in a right way, which is good because most series tend to stay in one genre, like when its drama they would stay that way until the end; and the result the viewers will get tired watching the series. While in Kim Sam Soon there is comedy, drama and a lot more.

One thing I liked about KSS is that the story is well written and fast paced. I was hooked to the series because the story line was great and that Sam Soon's character was a masterpiece. I can say that this series really have a great quality. The story's sincerity is what makes it a must-see, the roles are well portrayed and the story's lightness is what makes it easy to follow.

The story revolves around Kim Sam Soon a 30-year-old pastry chief who devotes her life to find someone who she will spend the rest of her life with. Sam Soon aims to have a husband, and her own shop and it seems that fate was on her side. She met a guy 3-years her junior who asked her to pose as his girlfriend and she accepted the part because of some personal reasons. Sam Shik the guy even hired her to be the pastry chef in his restaurant, but how can their relationship work when they cant stand each other?

What I love most about the story is Sam Soon's character, she let people see her cry, she let them know what's on her mind and she stayed strong and true to herself no matter what. Kim Sun Ah (Kim Sam Soon) did her best to do the role and I commend her for that. She acted as if she really is Kim Sam Soon, you can see it in her eyes; and her emotion will take you away.

In the story Hyun Bin's role (Sam Shik) is childish, arrogant and insensitive, which by the way fitted him well but when it comes to love he seem a bit repulsive and like a kid don't know what to do with his feelings and how to show them to someone he really loves.

What's funny about this series is the continous arguments and bickering of the two main characters. Sam Soon always give Sam Shik an explanation about everything and he will oppose and will do something to hurt her and she will do the same and that will turn into comedy. But what makes it more funny is her imaginations and when she talks to her self one line she always uses is “what to do?” whenever she's in fright. And finally, Sam Soon's contionous battle to change her name to “Kim Hae Jin”; Sam Soon's name a rustic korean name that most people would not want to have means “farmlike or farmer”, she have the first name “ Sam ” (meaning 3 rd ) because she is the 3 rd daughter of a miller! But in the end… will she change her name?

*Here are the best scenes in the series:

Let's love like we've never been hurt before...

Let's dance like no one is praising us...

Let's love like we've never been hurt before...

Let's sing like no one's listening to us....

Let's work like we dont need money for it...

Let's live like today is doomsday...

Let's love like we've never been hurt before...

After watching the series I've learned appreciate things around me and that Sam Soon's life beacame more familiar to me, the series has given me hope, faith and courage to face life just like what Sam Soon did. The series story is easy to love and that as you continue to follow the story somewhat no matter how old you are you can relate to Kim Sam Soon, you might think over her philosophy in life and how she deals with day to day problems; she would only walk straight and face the trials and she never gave up on love. The series will give you the warmness no K-drama has given you before it's humble setting will make you remember it for the rest of your life.

 

 

L

Lover's in Paris

by il mare of spcnet.tv

This kdrama broke the ratings record set by "Dae Jang Geum" last year, reaching 57% ratings at its peak, re-capitulating both Park Shin Yang and Kim Jun Eun back into the limelight and marking their successful return to the goggle-box. SBS has once again demonstrated the winning formula of wooing outstanding actors who had crossed over to the movie world to star in their kdrama production.

The story of “Lovers in Paris” is really nothing to shout about. It is a typical romantic comedy, with a “Cinderella-like” fairy tale. But what gave this kdrama so much commercial success, besides the fairy-tale like story, is the outstanding job that SBS has done in casting and the wonderful packaging of the entire serial.

You can see that SBS pumped substantial investment into producing this series. They picked Paris – The City of Lights, and one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world to start this kdrama. SBS had KJE attending a classy dinner dressed up in haute couture and doing a romantic waltz with PSY in a French chateau in the first episode! And they even had PSY zip around Paris and Nice in a Mercedes sports car, and a Rolls Royce! This is packaging at its best.

There are many parts about the story that I completely disagreed with and which I felt were disconnected and unrealistic. I would think for a man of KJ's position, he would have had professional butlers to tend to his house, or at least a professional housekeeper versus engaging a part-time student like TY to tidy his place. Nonetheless, that was how the writers chose for the 2 leads to meet. And if TY were so poor, she would never had the chance to be YA's
classmate, as YA would have attended expensive elite private schools. And why SH fell so hard for TY remains one of the biggest mysteries for me. As a matter of fact, I could accept YA's intentions much better then SH's obsession. And finally the cliché plot about KJ being SH's half-brother and the usual family objection to KJ and TY were big put-offs for me. Then again, if all were smooth-sailing in this relationship, this would not have been a kdrama.

Sometimes I'll like to think that I am tasteful about my choice of kdrama. I know I am sappy, but I'd like to think that I am tastefully sappy. Yet with such an atrocious script, and cliché storyline, I am sad to say, I LOVE “LOVERS IN PARIS”! (C'mon, I need a big dose of chick flicks as well!).

Choosing the bespectacled Park Shin Yang, with his straight-faced
professional good looks, as the task oriented President of GD Motors Han Ki Joo, and the comical Kim Jun Eun as his dorky love interest Kang Tae Young - these two must be the match of the century! TY and KJ were smitten with other from their encounter in Paris; TY with the wine, dine, dress and dance; and KJ with TY's unpretentious ways she ate her cake and her non-stop meaningless chattering and frivolous ideas. Their roles contrasted and yet complemented each other so much, and with all the funny punts thrown in by the writers, even after it ended in mid-August, “Lover in Paris” had the
audience begging for more of this funny couple.

I almost forgot about Park Shin Yang, as I have not seen most of his recent works at the movies. The last I saw of him was in “Indian Summer” and that was a long time ago. As for Kim Jun Eun, I really thought she has a knack for comedy when I caught her in “Spring Breeze”. It was really great to catch a light-hearted funny kdrama after my spate of tearjerkers.

I thoroughly, totally, completely, loved seeing PSY and KJE in this drama. I felt Lee Dong Gun was so extremely cool as the bad-boy drummer SH. But the pairing of SH and TY was not as convincing as the KJ and TY pairing. I felt that KJE was more compatible with PSY as she looked a little too old for LDG. The producers were definitely skewed and lopsided in their choice of couples in this love triangle when they were casting and developing the story. It was obvious that the entire set-up was pro PSY-KJE, and that the
roles were tailor-made for these two.

HKJ's task-master approach to the entire dating and courting process must be the most hilarious theme of the kdrama. The writers threw in all the imaginable courting tactics that a girl could ever dream of from a man like PSY. The producers even threw in a fairy-tale engagement party cum honeymoon to please and melt the audience with the saccharine sweet yet brief pseudo-marital bliss that the two leads enjoyed in the serial.

The greatest thing about this couple was the strength and support each showed to stay together. Even for TY's character's, she never really lost her spunk despite of the adversities she had to face, unlike many of the usual weak female lead characters in kdramas who just weep in silence. She remained cheerful and resilient even when she was constantly put down or belittled by KJ's family, YA or harassed by SH. One of my favorite scene was this one about TY when, feeling upset after her first dinner with Ki Hye, she vented her
anger on this dummy and ended up with bruised knuckles! And the serenades they did for each other are the “MUST-SEE” scenes in this serial.

PSY played HKJ so well that in the end I couldn't decipher sometimes whether I'm in love with the actor or the character he played. The way he delivered his sometimes cheesy and corny lines with such a straight yet sincere face, the way he displayed his love in such an unassuming and matter-of-fact outright manner, and exhibited his pain without bawling all demonstrated an outstanding actor working his magic on the character.

There was no surprise from KJE's performance. On the comic front, she fitted the role of the lively TY to the tee. Her expressions, although mostly exaggerated, were funny and she was not afraid
to provide the required comic relief at the expense of looking ugly. My only complaint is how overdone her face is with plastic surgery. You can see her chin folding up and her eyes collapsing. I though it was ironic in one scene in the toilet where TY passed a comment about YA's surgery, when in facet, KJE is definitely the one with more work done on hers. And because of this reason, I felt that KJE lacked that simplicity that the character TY needed.

I have never seen LDG's performance prior to “Lovers in Paris”, but I have to say he really looked cool despite playing second fiddle in this kdrama and held his presence against the charismatic PSY. His slender and lanky frame, coupled with this scruffy look, contrasted nicely with the clean-cut and serious HKJ. On the surface, SH had this free spirit and drifter image. But deep within him, he desperately yearned for acceptance in the family. On one hand he depended on KJ, yet on the other hand he wished to break away
from KJ's shadow. LDG was charming as the ladies' man and he showed
sufficient devastation as the wounded SH who felt abandoned by his beloved uncle (because of TY) and ignored by his mother (because he was a product from Ki Hye's unhappy marriage to his father). I felt that the writers did a terrible job with SH, and LDG really saved the character with his performance. On one hand, he loved his uncle dearly, yet he was immature enough to blame KJ for all his unhappiness and turned against him over a girl who had never showed any interest in him! The transformation they made SH go through was really far-fetched. And I can't figure out whether SH was trying to win his uncle back from TY, or TY back from KJ?

The villainess(es) in this kdrama came in the form of Moon Yoon-ah and her mother, who would stop at nothing to win HKJ as the trophy husband/son-in-law (I think Mrs Moon could compete with KJE for the most overdone plastic surgery award). OJE's performance can be summed up with one word: flat. Yet again, I partly blame the writers for it. She blindly followed her parents' arrangement to marry HKJ. And she tried all means to break KJ and TY up despite being told off and put down by KJ repeatedly not to waste her time on him. If she were the spoilt rich girl that she was crafted to be, how could she put up with such treatment? OJE also had limited expressions in her
performance, displaying the same look every time she appeared.

And Mrs Moon, with her mould-like face, cement-thick foundation and high-pitched voice... where did SBS find such a hideous-looking woman with a face to match her detestable character?

Beside PSY and KJE, I really like the character of Baek Sung Kyung, HKJ's ex-wife. She was the only character, besides HKJ and KTY that felt remotely normal. She loved KJ, but she divorced him because he was incapable of giving her the love she wante, although she must be dying inside seeing his affection for TY transforming him into the man she had always wanted when they were married. Kim Suh Young was sophisticated as the competent BSK with a mind of her own. KSY was able to display the confidence of a woman in her position. But I felt she was a little deficient in displaying her vulnerabilities
when she witnessed the blossoming romance between KJ and TY.

This kdrama can't do without me dedicating a paragraph to talk about the wardrobe. PSY had some fancy suits in this kdrama. I read from the forums that a lot of the suits and ties were tailor-made just for his HKJ role. I much preferred his wardrobe in Paris, as his subsequent suits had some strange color combinations. I love TY's extra small jackets and soft scarf-like belts. They looked really cute on KJE, but again, I felt she looked a little too old and sophisticated to dress that way. Actually her outfits after she got engaged to KJ fitted her better. My favourite was SH's wardrobe. In the T-shirt and torn jeans ensemble topped with tuxedo jackets, he truly looked like a rock star. And when he shaved to transform into the white-collared designer in GD motors, they had the tall slender actor decked out in unconventional suits with thin-looking monotone ties. It gave SH a tad more of a working look without taking away the artistic aura of the character. Noticed that KJ's ties were usually large knotted colorful ones, which was a distinct contrast to SH's work attire. Outstanding job! (See what I meant by packaging)

My Favourites
===========
Every scene of HKJ and KTY
· TY eating KJ's birthday cake in Paris
· TY chattering non-stop about movies
· KJ staring at TY's elated expressions as she watched the performances in Moulin Rouge
· KJ pretending to be TY's boyfriend at the café after she spilled a drink on a GD employee's girlfriend
· KJ pretending to be TY's boyfriend at the bar in front of YA
· TY taking KJ to GD Motors to try to retrieve her father's camera
· TY working overtime on a bad-hair morning avoiding KJ, and KJ
subsequently buying TY cosmetics to freshen up
· TY telling KJ that she couldn't swim and them plunging into the pool
· KJ staying over at TY's after he ran away from his engagement party
· The date where KJ bought the HUGE piggy bank
· Their first kiss after KJ punched his competitor
· KJ serenading TY
· The bus incident and the proposal
· Picking an outfit for their engagement etc
· KJ during business discussions, I love his arrogance!
· KJ's relationship with his sister, so close and intimate
· SH, TY and KJ going to a Korean sauna
· KJ at SH's bed after SH's accident
· The farewell at the airport
· TY's young cousin

Don't understand
===========
- Why did SH love TY so much and why did he have such a drastic change, AND THEN turn back and decide to let go ???
- Why did Yoon Ah hang on to KJ, and then why did she let go?
- Why did Director Choi set everything up and then let go?
- If Director Choi was the right hand man of the president, why didn't he let KH marry him when she was pregnant with KJ?
- Where was the chairman when KJ had to answer to the board about the plummeting share price of GD Motors?

I hated
=====
· The way SH hurt himself physically when he was sad
· All scenes with YA and/or her mother
· TY's uncle's hairstyle

Many people complained about the ending of this kdrama. I personally
thought it was ok, may be a little abrupt and perhaps a feeble attempt by the writers to add some depth/twist to something that was rather commercial all the way. They should have just given the audience what they wanted and not tried to be too smart.

Despite the poorly-structured story and the unbalanced efforts put into building the characters in this kdrama, the outstanding and overpowering chemistry and performances of PSY and KJE override ANY reason NOT to catch this kdrama. The rating for this story would have been a 3 were it not for this couple. Don't try to think too much or read too much into the kdrama, rather catch this for an entertaining good time! It will not disappoint.

 

Lover's in Prague

 

Lovers in Paris'' on SBS was last year's major summer hit drama, surpassing the 50 percent viewer rating. This summer's ``Princess LuLu,'' another similarly formulated SBS drama also starring Kim Jung-eun as the heroine, was expected to carry on the success of ``Lovers.''

Instead, this season's summer heart-sizzler has fizzled. After being met with lukewarm viewer ratings, criticism for excessive commercialism and its conventional storyline, there was even talk from Kim of quitting the show.

So what will become of ``Lovers in Prague,'' SBS' upcoming weekend drama? The drama, set to premiere on Sept. 24, has a lot in common with ``Lovers in Paris'' and ``Princess LuLu.'' It brings back together producer Shin Woo-chol and writer Kim Eun-sook, the successful team behind ``Lovers in Paris.'' Also, its background is Prague, a European city renowned to be as exotic as Paris.

Like the other two dramas, ``Lovers in Prague'' has gained public interest by casting movie stars. The drama will mark the return to television of actress Jeon Do-yeon and actor Kim Ju-hyuk, both of whom last appeared on the small screen three years ago.

Park Shin-yang and Kim Jung-eun of ``Lovers in Paris'' and Kim and Jung Jun-ho of ``Princess Lulu'' were also concentrating on their movie careers before deciding to act in their respective dramas.

In ``Lovers in Prague,'' Jeon plays the role of Jae-hee, a diplomat and a daughter of a South Korean president. She falls in love with a detective from a poor background who lost both of his parents as a teenager. While ``Lovers in Paris'' was a Cinderella-like story of a poor female student getting hitched to an elite member of society, this time, the situation is completely reversed.

Jeon is also awaiting the premiere of her new movie ``You Are My Sunshine'' in which she played a role of HIV-positive mistress. The movie is to premiere on Sept. 23, just one day earlier than the drama.

``Although Jae-hee is completely different from the character I played in the new movie, I had no difficulty in playing her,'' Jeon said in a press conference on Tuesday in southern Seoul. ``I always manage to easily get away from the character as soon as the role is done.''

Although she acknowledged that because of the high expectations for her new drama she feels the pressure to succeed, she said she felt confident of a positive reaction from audiences.

``It is a warm story of people who were hurt by love but again fall in love and get their scarred hearts cured,'' said Jeon.

As her role is a diplomat, in the drama she frequently has lines in Czech.

``Czech is really a difficult language, especially its pronunciation. I receive private lessons as well, but what I actually do is just learn everything by heart. I am thankful that it's a language that not many people know,'' she said, jokingly.

``There are all kinds of romances in this world. I wanted to show as many of them as possible and this time I chose to feature a romance of woman whose social status is higher than her partner,'' said Kim Eun-sook, the writer of the drama.

The writer said she wanted to make the difference of social level between the two main characters as extreme as possible, thus choosing to make the female lead the daughter of the president. ``Although some might say it is another unrealistic story, a drama is a drama. I just want to make people enjoy the fantasy.''

``Lovers in Prague'' will not be able to avoid being compared to ``Lovers in Paris'' and ``Princess Lulu.'' Whether it will follow in the steps of ``Princess LuLu'' or overcome the success of ``Lovers in Paris'' all depends on the viewers.

 

M

Memories of Bali

by il mare of spcnet.tv

I always believe in writing down my thoughts immediately about a drama the moment I finish it (of course for those that doesn't affect me in any way, I can't even begin to start writing). But I am having difficulty penning my thoughts about this one except that I am so confused with the story and I am in love with Jo In Sung (JIS). SBS really know how to dress their men (Remember Lee Byung Hun in “All-In”)! It really takes a certain kind of attitude for a man to carry off fur, and I have found that with JIS. OK, before I sidetrack too much into my JIS craze, the main reason for catching “The Bali Story" was actually Ha Ji Won (HJW). I was so touched by her performance in “Damo" that I had to get more of her (14 episodes for Damo was NOT ENOUGH!).

This review will not be complete without dedicating a large portion to talk about the role of Lee Soo-jung. I think either Lee Soo-jung is purposely made out to be a confused person or HJW put up a really poor performance, because I AM TOTALLY CONFUSED (And I am beginning to think that HJW has a thing for picking roles that requires her to die at the end). What does she wants? Who does she loves? What did she try to achieve? Is it love or is it money? Is she greedy? Does she have any pride or dignity? What kind of a character is Lee Soo-jung? All these questions were spinning in my head as I toll through the night trying to find the answer as I watch the series.

Lee Soo-jung started out as a bubbly and worldly girl (sometimes a little thick skin) trying to make a decent living as a tour guide. But she was resilient and her positive attitude to life makes for an energetic and optimistic person. But all that sunshine is lost the moment she returns to Seoul . On one hand Lee Soo-jung is suppose to be so poor and battered that dignity should not mean anything to her anymore. Yet she is constantly crying and struggling to reconcile her actions with herself. The realities of life has crushed her so much that she will do anything to rid herself of her situation yet sometimes she turns those opportunities away, which makes for a very inconsistent exhibit of character. It can be confusing for the audience (me!) to read her mind and decipher what she wants. The writers had HJW deliberating, going back and forth between her 2 leading men. It almost drove me crazy trying to figure out whom is she going to pick.

As I ponder and try to make sense of Lee Soo-jung's actions, I concluded that she loved both men (at different times). She knows that In-wook is good for her, and she is touched by his sincerity. But Jae-min is the one that she aspires to be with, the dream coming true for her. When she is faced with the surreal truth that Jae-min IS crazy about her, she can't help but walk that path that she thought she would never have the opportunity to do so.

Soo-jung was able to accept Jae-min's money shamelessly when she did not love him, but when she finally did give her heart and her dignity to him, she could not accept money from him anymore. And Soo-jung only realised how she felt deep inside after she left with In-Wook to Bali . It is really a strange relationship, and it took me quite some time to begin to comprehend. Many were appalled with Soo-jung's last scene, uttering, "I love you" to Jae-min as she breathes her last while still naked in In-wook's arms. Yet somehow, I did not feel that Soo-jung was mixed-up in doing so, rather I see it that she finally sorted out how she feels but it was all too late.

Although I really like HJW, I felt the producers should not have cast HJW in this role, as her cute and angelic round face is not really convincing as the poor Lee Soo-jung who is struggling with the realities of life. I also felt that with her superb performance in “Damo”, the directors were not very successful in bringing her into the role. (And I really hated the fact that they made HJW bawl so much!)

The story focused almost completely on the complicated and dark relationships of the 4 main leads. Set in a modern and materialistic cosmopolitan city, “The Bali Story” depicts a tale of the type of games that people play, how conniving and manipulative humans can be in love or at work. It also shows how each character struggled with what they should do and what they want to do.

I can't even use “a love story” to describe this drama as I can't classify the relationships the leads shared as “love”, rather I would term this drama as one about the madness of greed. Greed for money, greed for love, greed for acceptance, greed for freedom. How far can you go to satisfy that greed? Every character in the series had a selfish and dark side that eventually sucked them into a dramatic end that leaves each with nothing but remorse and regret. Think about it:

1. Lee Soo-jung - Because of her love for money, she was willing to give up her dignity to be with Jae-min. She can be manipulative at times, using Jae-min against Young-joo.
2. Jung Jae-min - He loves Soo-jung so much that he was initially fine with having her body but not her heart. As his obsession with Soo-jung eats away his sanity, he loses everything including his life.
3. Kang In-wook - He ruined his career and his life with embezzling the company's money. He pays the price, as he does not win Soo-jung's heart in the end either.
4. Choi Young-joo - Lost both Jae-min and In-wook because of her twisted possessive and manipulative nature. She should not have married Jae-min in the first place.
5. JJM's brother - Lost all his money to In-wook and ends up in the hospital because of the shock he suffered from losing all that money
6. JJM's parents - Lost their favourite son because of the marriage arrangement they forced him into
7. CYJ's mother - Did you see the way she beat Soo-jung? One moment she was this dainty dame, and next moment, she was this psychotic animal who will get rid of anyone who stands in her way! My gosh, she was the scariest woman in this serial

My favorite actor in this drama is JIS. He gave an outstanding performance as the arrogant(yet weak!), childish and playful Jung Jae-min. Jae-min is disinterested in his career, and towards the end, I noticed that the usually silly Jae-min showed a flicker of intelligence, and I suspected he behaved in a laissez-faire manner at work to distract his scheming brother. How I wish the writers made Jae-min to be a stronger and smarter person in life, versus focusing this character on Lee Soo-jung alone!

Jae-min loves Soo-jung hopelessly, and it is like an addiction that he can't get rid of. Yet Jae-min does not know how to express his feelings and turn his love into something more beautiful and less destructive. He may be rich but he is equally trapped in a situation that he can't break out from. As he slowly treads the tight rope between sanity and insanity, his obsession slowly gobbles him up and he acts with dire consequences.

JIS is young (23) yet he managed to embody the role of Jung Jae-min from one who is so flawed and so weak into a character is so darn desirable (Drool!). The realistic portrayal of the childish (the comical scenes when he falls asleep on his table and his expressions on his face when his father asks him questions are really brilliant) and mad Jung Jae-min will grip your heart every time he breaks down. Especially the scenes after he gets married, you can just see his mind wearing away as he sees Soo-jung slipping away. You will be moved every time you see him sitting in his office, with tears slowly trickling down and thinking about Soo-jung (How can a love that is so strong turned out so wrong!). JIS really deserves the Baek Sang Award for the best actor with "The Bali Story".

I have never seen So In Sup (SIS) in any drama before this, but his performance was very good as well. When I checked him out prior to watching the series, I thought he wasn't very good-looking (he had such sleepy looking eyes on the VCD cover). But his on-screen charisma impressed me from his first scene (when he was exercising in his Jakarta apartment!), and there was no looking back at the casting decision for the role of Kang In-wook.

Playing the straight faced yet passionate Kang In-wook SIS gave a credible performance against JIS. Jae-min's emotions were much more powerful, explosive and straightforward to deliver. I find Kang In-wook more difficult to execute, as his emotions tend to be hidden and more internal. SIS was able to build that strong protective shield to the character and at times peel off enough for the audience to see the fire inside.

Park Ye Jin (PYJ) really aged for the role of Choi Young-joo, although she is the same age as JIS, she looked the oldest amongst the 4. Her role also requires a fair amount of control, and striking a balance between her cool exterior and that internal rage and jealousy that roars within her as she loses both Jae-min and In-wook. It was amazing that that both male leads were pinning for Choi Young-joo initially but both lost their lives in the end because of Lee Soo-jung. Such a dramatic turn of tides! Perhaps the chemistry between HJW, JJM and KIW were just too over powering that they completely over shadow PYJ's performance.

Although I felt HJW was not well cast in this serial, I must say she looked really compatible with both her leading men, and she sizzles with both of them (which helped to make up for a lot of times I was frustrating during the series). I think that is the main draw that kept the audience going. The writer also toyed with the audience on the “When is Soo-jung going to sleep with Jae-min?” question. I think there were at least 5-6 cliffhangers on that theme towards the middle - end of the series.

Although I knew from the start how it was going to end, I had hoped that there might be some tender/positive moments between the 4 leads. Or they may change for the better, e.g. making better decisions about life, be a better person in the end. But the writers will deny the audience of any such moments. I did not find the dialogue particularly outstanding, but credit should go to the 4 leads for successfully portraying 4 very complicated, confused, dark and somewhat sick characters.

What I don't understand :
1. Was Soo-jung going to sleep with In-wook the first time he kissed her?
2. Why was Soo-jung so happy with the mobile that Jae-min bought her? Was she materialistic? Or was she happy that JJM likes her?
3. Why did Soo-jung walk out of the lift when Jae-min offers her the opportunity to replace Young-joo? Who did she love then? Was it to spike In-wook?
4. Why did Soo-jung work for the gallery? To prove that she does not need dignity? Then why did she not accept Jae-min's money after he got married? To prove that she has dignity?
5. Why did Soo-jung sleep with Jae-min? Did she love him?
6. Does Soo-jung need physical consummation to confirm her feelings? She gave her heart to Jae-min after she slept with him, and she realise she still love Jae-min after she slept with In-wook ??????
7. What kind of a father beats up him son like Jae-min's father does?

My favourites

1) The goofy scenes of Jae-min attending meetings, answering his father about work and falling asleep on his desk
2) Jung Jae-min's wardrobe! (DROOL!!!Slick! Sexy!)
3) Jae-min asking for Soo-jung at the nightclub
4) The first time Jae-min force a kiss on Soo-jung in his room
5) In-wook and Soo-jung going out for a movie
6) In-wook kisses Soo-jung in the dark
7) Jae-min running down the stairwell after one late night at work because he heard a woman's cries and thought that it was a ghost
8) Jae-min asking Soo-jung whether his meeting with Soo-jung is fate as well
9) Jae-min screams for Soo-jung to stay and not leave
10) The 4 leads meeting at the hotel lobby
11) Jae-min storming into his mother's gallery screaming at LSJ, why is she working there
12) Jae-min storming into his mother's gallery telling her that he goes crazy if he does not see Soo-jung for a day
13) Jae-min cooking for Soo-jung a terrible tasting breakfast after her hangover
14) Jae-min and Soo-jung's dinner date and both getting drunk with wine
15) Jae-min kneeling down and begs his father to let him love Soo-jung
16) In-wook taking a cab to see Soo-jung, just to give her a kiss and leaves
17) Jae-min breaking down
-after meeting Soo-jung from his trip with Young-joo
-Soo-jung calls him to congratulate him about his wedding
-he goes through Soo-jung's bag and finds that his number is not the first number of the quick-dial
18) Jae-min tells Soo-jung to wait for him while he tries to get his divorce

I think this serial is a "should-watch" as the story deviates from the conventional Korean drama. The intensity of the relationships that the leads shared was exceptionally captivating, especially the sexual tension built up between Jae-min and Soo-jung. The pace was also quite fast moving and balanced keeping the audience at the edge of their seat, luring you to chase the story to completion.

P.S. Noticed that JIS is always seated in the serial, as he is much taller than his other co-actors.

P.P.S. Despite the sexual tension built up, I noticed that there was no hugging between Jae-min and Soo-jung (OK, there were 2 kissing scenes and 1 bed scene, BUT no hugging). I think it is because JIS is too tall.

P.P.P.S. Heard that SBS is going to do a sequel to "The Bali Story" - "The Tokyo Story"! Omo, omo, more JIS please!!! And please don't kill the leads AGAIN!!!

 

My MVP Valentine

by sukting of spcnet.tv

It received top ratings when shown in Taiwan. Channel U in Singapore showed it on the same day that it was shown in Taiwan. However, Taiwan finished its screening earlier as it was shown daily while Channel U only showed one episode weekly.

Sun Xie Zhi, Zhang Shao Han and Gao Tian Qi came to Singapore to promote the serial. They autographed on 200 serial posters. Who is most popular among them - you'll never believe this - it's Gao Tian Qi! Many screamed his character's nickname even louder than Prince! I saw them in person and they really looked fabulous! Xie Zhi said that he was so stressed when taking up the role. He comes from a middle-income family and is afraid that he might not portray a rich teenager convincingly. But upon reaching the later part, he really gets himself too involved in the role - thinking that he is really so rich in real life!

Gao Tian Qi sees that many Taiwanese lose interest in the basketball sport and thus takes up the role. And sure enough, the sport is getting popular due to the serial. He is selected among the 20 candidates that Taiwan Teachers' Training University offers to the producer when they search for the right person.

Although he is youngest at 19, he has the most experience in the sport besides Chen Yu Fan and Yan Xing Shu. Thus he takes up the task with the two to coach the rest. Sun is quite quick to play the sport well although he has only played volleyball all along and Gao has full of praise for him.

Although this is his debut, he replies that he is lucky not to end up being the 'NG king' like Zhang Shao Han. Gao says that he gives the production unit lots of headache because he will forget his lines when he faces the camera. However, the maximum is 7 times and not as many as Zhang whose highest record is 27!

Zhang can't defend herself because this is the truth and she could only stare at him. But Gao later explains that Zhang has a meatier role than him and is also her debut serial like him so it is natural for her to have so many retakes. Moreover this scene requires her to slap Sun and she has long sentences to talk.

Zhang is puzzled why there are rumors on her and Sun being an item although she has more scenes with Yan in the serial. One unforgettable incident is she rehearses very hard with Xiao Dawo and Xie Zhi without water splashing at each other as the producer allows no NGs as both will be wet after this.

As for the role of Xiao Xi in cheerleading, Gao gives her 80 marks because her voice is a bit weak. What a teacher tone that he has when talking! No wonder he will become one when he graduates.

Xiao Xi is wooed by two nice guys in the serial. Zhang wishes her future boyfriend to be a combination of Cheng Feng and Prince. Cheng Feng is quiet and does his work seriously. Prince is frank to express his feelings. So it will be nice if the person has these qualities.

The following week, 5566 band came to Singapore to promote their debut album. Their captain is Xie Zhi and deputy captain is Ren Pu. The other members are Shao Wei, Meng Zhe and Kang Yu. I never know that they were so hot - signing on their album for 3 solid hours for each of the 3 autograph sessions! Well, they also looked good in person. Meng Zhe and Xie Zhi are the most popular among them - Meng Zhe being youngest at 17 while Xie Zhi for his lead role in the serial. No wonder they are as hot as F4 in 2003.

Chen Yu Fan is also good in playing tennis as his parents are the national mixed double champions when they were young. All are interested to take up the sport from him and the guys are equally crazy over soccer. When World Cup was shown and they watched together, all pester Shao Wei to be the expert to analyse each match! Xie Zhi is puzzled why they aren't that interested to take up volleyball. They joke that this serial shouldn't be called MVP valentine but Sports valentine.

Xie Zhi is shortest among all at 1.73m. The guys find it funny whenever he appears on court for practices before filming. But he says 'a man might be small but courage is no less than them - 'ren xiao zhi qi gao'. He even suggests giving an on-line voting poll on who should be the 'MVP lover'. The other guys get interested and agreed. Well, the voting result shows the winners and the final cast. All are impressed and satisfied with the result. However, they can't help teasing him by giving him the nickname 'shoe' when they don't pronounce his name properly!

The first scene of Cheng Feng shooting the ball in the net …..is unsuccessful for 4 tries!!! This comes as a shock to his 200 fans who have volunteered to be the extras as they can't believe that this is happening before their eyes. Yan has been too nervous in his first debut and blames himself for this mistake too. He jokes that if he has no say to retain his title if he fails in his fifth attempt.

Yan finds his character Cheng Feng cool and boring so he can't use exaggerated expressions to show his inner feelings. Normally, he will ask the director to demonstrate so that he can follow. Many are impressed when his highest NG record is only 8 times. But he is quite hesitant to act in the kissing scene because this can't be practised! The first take he can't do it. The second attempt he shuns after touching her lips. The director can be so mean to show the NG tape. He also feels nothing upon watching it. At last, he completes it after half an hour - much to his dismay because the producer shoots at different angles to inject the romantic feeling.

Yan laughs upon recalling that one day does seem a year to him when shooting that scene. But he is more worried as to how to explain to his model girlfriend as he has promised her not to shoot intimate scenes. Luckily, she takes it well. Yan also finds it difficult to handle angry scenes so he has to make himself real angry when shooting. Sometimes even after the director says cut, he still needs time to cool down.

Yan is so used to his routine basketball life that he can't adapt to late hours of shooting at first. When the time is about 1am, he jokes that that is about time that he lands into a sleepy state. Once he waits so long for his turn after Shao Han's crying scene that he sleeps. The most embarrassing part is he can't control his mouth. One line saying ' both legs are paralysed' - both which is 'shuang' in Chinese - he reads as 'suan' which is sour. Many sleepy people immediately roar into laughter and wake up upon hearing his mistake.

Wonder why Yan and Chen have so few basketball matches in the serial although they are well-known for their skills? Because both have injured their legs! What a waste when actually their fans crave for more! Yan injures his leg in a China tournament and thus he can make time to film this serial. As for Chen, he injures his leg in the first scene where Iceman pits skills against Cheng Feng. Their injuries can be so serious that both have to sit on wheelchairs when the producer says 'cut'.

Both guys don't mind, joking that it is a relaxing to take a break from the sport - in learning to develop feelings to be a romantic guy or a caring brother. Chen says that this is no difference to him in real life when he takes care of his sister in America since he was 10 years old. They may play rivals in the serial but in reality, both are so close to each other. Both share the same room when filming scenes outside the studio.

When it is time for Chen to rest, Yan gets so concerned that he helps him to sit on the wheelchair and uses ice bags and towels to rub his wound. Chen is touched and also jokes that Yan has become an expert in self-healing after playing professional matches for so long. Together with the disabled Angel (by Lin Li Wen), the 3 of them can be known as the 3 wheelchair musketeers!

Xie Zhi finds it so tired to shoot so many basketball matches scenes. He even has to practice judo on the spot for several fight scenes. Many give him pressure when the first episode gets high rating. He makes the first appearance, walking out of the Jaguar with shades and bodyguards beside him. That is so memorable for him and he wonders how people will view the second episode. To his relief, the rating is even better than the first day.

Many are at first pressurized to work with Yan, a national player. However, they are relieved upon knowing that he doesn't play that often and he has a nice personality. In fact, he comes up with the strategies - just like in the serial to help them brush up their skills quickly.

Chen cries after watching his first appearance on television. Not because that he does badly but is touched that he has accomplished something to show others the hard work that he has placed in. Unlike him, Yan finds it weird to see himself on television. He will still concentrate on his professional basketball career and will only film serials when he has time.

Gao Tian Qi has to be in the TV studio 2 hours earlier than them daily because the hairdresser has to work very hard on his hair. She places so much gel to make it stand and he has a hard time washing it away. He once joked that he will prefer to have Yan's style which can still stand using lesser gel.

Yan appears at 5566's promotion in Taiwan in their debut album promotion to give them support. The crowd grows crazy and quarrels to get his autograph. Some ignorant ones even thinks that he is part of 5566. He captures the most attention instead! He feels quite bad as he doesn't expect this but 5566 doesn't mind as they are close friends.

Flaws

It should have more coverage on matches - what a waste of the talents of the sportsmen!Out of 28 episodes, about half is on love which can be quite unnecessary.

Another flaw is the hair. Black Bear is terrible while many others dye their hair in such a bright gold tone or hair length which make one wonders which school can close both eyes and accept them????

The missing of each other in many scenes look fake and unrealistic to me. I don't know why - when I watch Korean dramas, I don't feel it that way. I suppose their presentation is more natural with better acting.

Many scenes of Cheng Feng with Angel or Xiao Xi can be too slow moving and boring. PAlease, besides romance, we viewers also wish to see more action!

The acting can be quite raw for some of them. Most of the time, they are memorizing lines without any feelings with stony expressions.This can be unbearable when Gao always likes to frown when reading his lines.

It doesn't relate how upset Zhi Yuan is for being a loser in love. This part can be further developed.

I will enjoy more if Barbie is made up to be nasty to ill-treat Xiao Xi or come up with a conspiracy to break her and Prince up.Remember the scene when she jokes about it and scares Prince? Too bad this doesn't turn real. That will spice up the serial. There is no excitement when both treat each other well.

To pair up Gao Xing with Barbie is too deliberate - they fall in love too fast. I will prefer Prince or Zhi Yuan to be with Barbie. Both nice guys don't deserve the sad fate of being alone in the end.

Why in the end, Prince, Dong and his son are being neglected? They are not shown at all and yet they contribute to the team's success!!! Especially Prince, it will be more worthwhile when he witnesses the pair together personally. What a waste to forgo a good chance to create a more touching ending!

Songs

I bought the OST that comes with 2 CDs and one MA of 5566 on 'Never mind. The starting theme 'Never mind is a fiascoes song which is lively. The ending theme is 'I'm upset which is a slow song. I like both songs by 5566. There are also 2 other songs, 'Provoke' and 'How' by them but not that outstanding. Other songs by Japanese and Korean singers like Hittite, Schwa and Daw Pump which are worth listening can be found in the original sound track. However, I don't know why they should miss a nice song by Ami which they play all the time in the serial!

There is another instrumental version of the songs that come in 10 tracks. MVP Valentine fans aren't happy, though with so many different versions. Firstly, 5566 releases their debut album with a bonus VCD of the 4 theme songs. Then in 2 weeks' time, they come up with another album with the same songs but different MTVs which include an MTV which states the final ending of Prince and Xiao Xi!

Although in this MTV, all look dashing especially Shao Wei being bespectacled and in a doctor's robe, it arranges Prince to die in exchange for Xiao Xi's life in an operation. Many find it upsetting to see Prince being pushed on another hospital bed beside Xiao Xi - to look at her and hold her hand reluctantly in tears for the last time. The title of the song is 'Without your Love' - which is very sad.

Yes, there is nothing that hinders Prince but isn't it stupid for him to die to let her live? Why do they like to create tragedies like 'Meteor Garden 2'? I will definitely boycott it if it really comes out the same way in part 2! Many expect to see Prince and Xiao Xi together but if they don't want it this way, it is still ridiculous to kill him!

All are unhappy with the arrangement. All MVP fans will go broke spending so much money if they really want to buy all of them for a complete set.

Conclusion

Actually this serial covers only about 50% on basketball and the rest on love relationships. Certain parts can be boring when dialogues are long. Many are really raw in their acting and read the lines without emotion. However, it is considered good as compared to the other considered 'trash' idol dramas because of the attractive storyline. At least we see a fresh breeze of air from the usual predictable stories.

I look forward to have a part 2 because the story can still be developed further - maybe on how all play the sport again in the university? And...please have the original cast back if there is one because I believe all are already used to the artistes and are unlikely to accept changes in the cast. We sure do not wish to see the same drastic result as in 'Meteor Garden 2' or 'Healing Hands 2'.

 

 

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Sad Sonata

frm sokorean.com

Starring: Kwon Sang Woo as Suh Jun Hyung, Kim Hee Sun as Park Hae In, Yun Jung Hoon as Lee Gun Woo, and Kim Yun Joo as Cha Hwa Sung.

Instead of Yun Jung Hoon, it was supposed to be Song Sung Hyun but since he went to Goon-dae...But the director still made the drama.

The story starts off as Jun Hyung, Hwa Sung, and Hae In as children. Hae In, blind, moves into Jun Hyun's house. Jun Hyung' s mom owns a night club and constantly with other guys, while Jun Hyung' s dad is kicked out of home by Jun Hyung' s mom and isn' t really in the story until later. Hwa Sung, a girl with a crush on Jun Hyung, quickly develops a rivalry kind of feeling towards Hae In. To make matters worse, Hae In likes Jun Hyung nd the two of them get together. Another guy in the neighborhood Lee Min Woo likes Hwa Sung and hates Jun Hyung for breaking her heart and Hae In for being the cause of it. The four of them continue to grow up while their hatred for one another begins to get out of hand.

As Hae In and Jun Hyung grow older, they begin to realize how hard it truly is for the two of them to be together since Jun Hyung' s mom doesn' t like Hae In. Thus, his mom tells Hae In and her aunt to leave. Jun Hyung' s mom gets in a rage when he gets into another fight with Min Woo. His mom sends Jun Hyung to his dad, who lives in Seoul. In Seoul, Jun Hyung gets a new name, the name that his father gives him, Choi Jun Kyu. At school, "Jun Kyu" meets Gun Woo and the two of them become close friends. Then, Gun Woo goes to New York for college...

Meanwhile, Hae In' s aunt finds an American man through her friend and gets married. The aunt' s husband promises her that Hae In will get her eye sight back if the two of them get married and leave for New York, but finds that it was all a lie. The husband gets a drinking problem because of the money budget and starts to beat Hae In' s aunt. Hae In and her aunt leave his house and lands on the streets. There, they meet Gun Woo and Gun Woo falls in love with Hae In.
Hwa Sung finds out about Hae In and sends a letter to her and her aunt that Jun Hyung is dead when he's not. Gun Woo pays for Hae In's surgery and the two plan to get married...

Gun Woo and Hae In come back to Seoul, Korea and Jun Hyung sees Hae In but doesn' t tell Hae In or Gun Woo after finding out that Hwa Sung said he was dead. Jun Hyung stuggles with the fact that he can' t stand next to Hae In and starts to act cold to her because he wants to avoid the risk of Gun Woo getting hurt... Hae In realizes that the person named Jun Kyu is really Jun Hyung and runs back to him.

Jun Hyung and Hae In start over again and the two try to live happily ever after but somehow, no one seems to want them together...

Gun Woo gets angry at Jun Hyung for hiding his identity and tries to do anything to get Hae In back. But near the end, he realizes that nothing is stronger than Hae In and Jun Hyung' s love. Not even death...

 

Sassy Girl Chun Yang

frm sokerean.com

Starring: Han Chae Young as Sung Choon Hyang, Jae Hee as Lee Mong Rong, Um Tae Woong as Byun Hak Do, and Park Shi Un as Hong Chae Reen.

This drama a cute story between two very unlike people that fall in love with each other, just like they had in their before life. Sung Choon Hyang is a girl born and raised in Nam Won and Mong Rong is born and raised in Seoul, meaning they are from totally different environments. Mong Rong moves to Nam Won because of his problems with fights at school and his grades, while Choon Hyang is the best student in her grade level. The two meet when Choon Hyang goes to a tour site spot climbing a wall when Mong Rong was video taping the sky at the tour site with his cellular phone. Choon Hyang breaks his cellular phone and the two meet again when Choon Hyang fixes Mong Rong' s cellular phone.

They end up going to the same school and the two of them drive each other crazy, meaning literally acting weird and being mean to each other. Choon Hyang' s friend, Park Jin Hyuk and Mong Rong become friends when Choon Hyang tries to stop Mong Rong and him from fighting at school but pulled his pants down instead. Then one day, Choon Hyang gets sick because of Mong Rong, so out of guilt, Mong Rong goes to Choon Hyang' s house to take care of her with Jin Hyuk - Jin Hyuk goes because he wants to see Han Dan Hee, Choon Hyang' s best friend. While Choon Hyang' s mom goes to work, Mong Rong gets drunk drinking grape wine thinking it was grape juice. -_- When Mong Rong' s parents and their teacher arrives at Choon Hyang' s house, Choon Hyang' s mom was beating Choon Hyang and Mong Rong who was half naked out of the house. The two parents, thinking that Mong Rong and Choon Hyang had slept together, decide that they have to get married... -_-

Mong Rong confesses his love to his first love, Chae Reen who is older than him, and gets rejected, thus allowing him to agree that the two would get married. Choon Hyang moves in with him and his parents, and the two argue and fight constantly. ^^;; Then one day, Choon Hyang realizes that she likes him and keeps being nice to him, etc...
Choon Hyang moves away when she sees Mong Rong kissing Chae Reen. Mong Rong then realizes that he likes Choon Hyang and then moves back in with her to her place. The two fight and argue constantly again. -_- I know, it seems as if they never want to stop arguing... But the two realize that they love each other. Unfortunately, Byun Hak Do also known as Mr. Byun likes Choon Hyang and tries to do anything to separate the two. He blackmails Choon Hyang, which in my opinion is stupid, after framing him, causing him to go to jail. Choon Hyang files for divorce and leaves Mong Rong heart broken. The two of them were supposed to get married soon, also...
They split up until they meet again later....

In the end, Mong Rong and Choon Hyang get what they were waiting for, a wedding!

 

Spring Waltz

It is not too much to say that 2005 was the year of Daniel Henney. The model-turned-actor gained the status of a national heartthrob by playing angel-hearted doctor Henry Kim in last year's mega-hit television soap opera "My Lovely Sam-soon." While it was only his debut drama, he quickly became one of the most wanted commercial models, with his image leading to a rise of metrosexuality.

This year, the Korean-American actor is to be back on TV, with a new role in the upcoming KBS drama "Spring Waltz." The drama will be produced by the renowned producer Yoon Suk-ho, a conclusive work to his previous successes of "Autumn in My Heart," "Winter Sonata" and "Summer Scent." The combination of Producer Yoon's success as a leading Hallyu or Korean Wave producer and Henney's appeal abroad brought foreign media, including from the Philippines and Indonesia, to a press conference of the actors and producer of "Spring Waltz," following the preview of the drama at Yongsan CGV in Seoul.

"Spring Waltz" is a love story of two young sweethearts who meet again after losing touch for 15 years, which is set against the backdrop of Austria's continental beauty and spring in Korea's South Cholla Province. Similar to Yoon's previous works, "Spring Waltz" also focuses on a fateful love based on childhood memory. Even before being shown in Korea, it has added new momentum to the Korean Wave hallyu, by signing contracts for broadcast rights with nine countries including Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Macao, Brunei and the Philippines.

This time Henney plays Philip, a global manager of successful pianist Jae-ha. The character is a mixed son of an Austrian father and a Korean mother who has an urbane appearance, manner and love of music. Along with Henney, actor Seo Do-young and actresses Han Hyo-joo and Lee So-yeon, who are relatively new faces in the entertainment circle, will star in Yoon's latest drama.

Philip in a new drama is different from Henry Kim in 'My Lovely Sam-soon.' Philip is more of a playboy, active and popular, whereas Henry Kim was shy and extremely pure," said Henney. As if absorbed into the character, a dandy aura seems to have replaced his previous shyness when he was playing Henry Kim.

According to the drama's producer Yoon, initially Philip's character did not exist. However, after seeing Henney in audition, Yoon became attracted to the actor's unique facial expressions, exotic image and gestures that are rarely seen in Korean actors. So the producer decided to create a new role just for him.

"I really enjoy working with the producer. He pays extreme attention to every detail. Every time he discovers a specific color or shape, he would stop and shoot. I feel a great pressure to satisfy him," said the 26-year-old Henney.

Like Henry Kim in the former drama, in "Spring Waltz," his character again becomes involved in a difficult love triangle between his best friend Jae-ha over Eun-young. "If I were in such a situation, it always depends on the level of love involved in the relationship. Love is a very powerful thing and I think it is always right to pursue what I feel," said Henney.

He also expressed his anxiety over the drama as he believes it will determine whether people consider him a serious actor or not.

"While Henry Kim appears to be without a childhood, Philip experiences difficulty with his parents from a young age and grows up scarred. Because he is a character with a past, delicate acting skills to express his internal feelings are importantly required," he said.

As Korean is not a native language for Henney, Korean lines in the drama are the biggest challenge for him in making his acting natural. Most of his lines in the drama are either English or Austrian, reflecting the mixed-race and international background of Philip's character.

"Reading Korean language script is the most difficult part for me. It's very trying. And actors, they speak so fast," he said. "In the early stage of the drama, since the character grew up in a foreign country, his Korean speaking is limited to phrases like, 'it's cool,' and 'that's strange.' It is lower than my actual Korean level. However, my Korean lines become longer as the drama unfolds, and longer phrases are still challenging for me."

It is up to viewers to judge whether he will be able to overcome a language barrier and make "Spring Waltz" a meaningful turning point of his acting career. It will air from next Monday.

 

 

Sweet 18

by may pascual

 

Starring: Lee Dong Gun and Han Ji Hye

Summary:

Yoon Jung-sook (Han Ji Hye) is a happy-go-lucky 18 years old girl who previously comes from a rich family. Both her father and grandfather are scholars. On the other side, there is also another scholar who happens to be the best friend of Jung-sook's grandfather. Her grandfather's best friend has a grandson named Hyuk Joon Kwon (Lee Dong Gun). When Jung-sook was only month's old and Joon Kwon was 9, the two grandfathers made a contract that they will let the children marry someday.

After a couple of months, something went wrong to Jung-sook's family and they were forced to run away from Andong. Jung sook's grandpa became ill and died later. Few years later, Hyuk Joon Kwon's family desperately looked for Jung sook's family so that the traditional arranged marriage be finalized. By this time, Jung sook is already a beautiful 18 years old young lady. She is with high spirit, lovable and bubbly. She is also the leader of a gang in their school called the “Five Mirror Princesses”. She never knew that she will soon be the wife of the first son, Hyuk Joon Kwon.

One day, she and her friends did not attend their classes. Instead, they went to disco to enjoy themselves. On their way there, she was bumped by a man wearing a traditional Korean costume. Looking at the eyes of the guy, she knew it was love at first sight. At the disco house, they were apprehended by the police officers because they were minors. One of the officers who raid the disco club was Hyuk Joon Kwon, who is already a prosecutor by profession.

As Jung sook was about to meet her friends one time, a man who works for the Kwon family came over to their house and looked for her. This time, they discussed about the marriage of Hyuk Joon Kwon to Jung sook. However, Hyuk Joon's elder sister, Sun Hwa Kwon is the only one who does not approved
of the said marriage.

Some unexpected things happened after the two got married. Ga Young Moon, Hyuk Joon's first love returned to Seoul with the intention of winning back Hyuk Joon's heart. With the help from Sun Hwa Kwon, she tried every means to make the couple apart. Ga Young made Jung sook suffered so much that she always find a way to compete with the young wife. But Jung sook is a brave young girl and will not let anybody ruin her marriage to Hyuk Joon Kwon. After several fights with Jung Sook and confrontation with Hyuk Joon Kwon, Ga Young realized that she can no longer win back Hyuk Joon Kwon's heart and she decided to let him go.

The young couple realized that they were really meant for each other and no one could make them apart.

NOTES :

Sweet 18 is a comedy romance movie that was beautifully written. Lee Dong Gun and Han Ji Hye do fit the role of Hyuk Joon and Jung Sook in the story. And I must say that they are lovely couple and this drama is very entertaining.

I'm sure every woman would like to have a husband like Hyuk Joon. He's not only handsome, he's also an honest husband who tells everything to his wife. Remember the scene when Ga Young was trying to seduce him? Well, he was brave enough to reject her. I don't think there's another Hyuk Joon nowadays. Lucky Jung Sook.

 

Super Rookie

 

We are hooked on yet another Korean drama, called Super Rookie . It's a corporate dramedy, a genre that doesn't really exist in the U.S. but seems to be popular in Korea. I don't think I've ever seen an American TV show that was really about work. Of course American shows are set in workplaces (usually hospitals or police stations or law offices) but they usually focus more on relationships or "issues" than on the work itself. What I like about Super Rookie is that while there is a romantic subplot, the main focus of the show is on corporate corruption, ass-kissing, and office politics. Oh, and the show is hilarious too.

Of course, Korean shows, while different from American ones, are just as formulaic. Here are some common elements I've noticed in Korean workplace dramas:

1. There is usually a love triangle between three co-workers, typically an ex-boyfriend/ girlfriend, then another outsider who is interested in dating one of them.
2. At some point after a breakup, the jilted lover threatens to throw himself (or herself) in the Han River.
3. Often the reason for the breakup is that the lovers are from different social classes.
4. Usually the hero of the story is a lovable buffoon who doesn't fit in the upper-middle-class corporate world.
5. At some point, a parent always hits an adult child about the head and shoulders. (This happens on every single Korean show, to the point that it's become sort of running joke between A and me.)

One of the first Korean words I learned was chon-nom . It translates "hick" or "country bumpkin". But it also sort of means working class or uncouth. It's an insult, but on Korean shows the hero is often a chon-nom . Invariably there is a scene with the chon-nom eating ramen noodles from the lid of a pot.

Another thing I've noticed about Korean shows is that references to English or travels abroad are a mark of higher social status. In Super Rookie , the main character doesn't speak English very well, so I was shocked to learn that the actor is actually Korean-American . He certainly does a good job of faking bad English on the show!

Sweet18

by gunner of spcnet.tv

what makes this drama such a pleasure to watch is how well the plot is paced. There are no boring moments and the interesting plot just keeps making you want to watch more. The humour is not overly wacky but funny enough to keep a smile on your face for most of the show. Feel good moments are also generously used and while some might consider that an exploitation of the viewer's intellect, I personally watch a show for to enjoy it and a feel good plot does the same job for me as a more complex intellectual one. What is really refreshing about the drama though is that it does not fall into the melodramatic trappings that most other Korean dramas do. While there are definitely scenes that are meant to draw some tears, they are incorporated thoughtfully and not overdone. The minor characters are also used very effectively and are integral to plot development. You never get the feeling that they are just there to add some cheap laughs or as a distracting subplot to follow.

Furthermore, behind all the wackiness and romantic themes that the show has, there are actually some very meaningful and though-provoking themes incorporated into the story. For example, the theme of one's responsibility to his family is touched upon throughout the show in Hyuk Joon's obligations to fulfil his duties as heir to the Kwon household with the eventual fate of him having to give up his career to take over as the Kwon patriarch looming over him. There are also the themes of trust and compromise in marriage as seen though Jung Sook's gradual maturation where she learns to trust Hyuk Joon's love for her and where both parties are forced to sacrifice many aspects of their lives to be together like Hyuk Joon his selfishly-guarded privacy and Jung Sook her chance to further her education. However, the biggest underlying theme behind the story would be the definition of what is true love in a marriage as both parties struggle throughout the drama make their marriage work. At the end there is also a very beautiful portrayal of family love that I'll leave potential viewers to find out.

The biggest plus point of the show would have to be the cast who fit their roles to perfection. Han Ji Hye is a new and very unique actress who seems to have this energy around her that makes her just right for Jung Sook's role. Incidentally she is almost the same age as her character (she was 19 at the time of filming) and puts all her youthful characteristics to good use in her portrayal of Jung Sook who is naïve, bubbly, cute and yet stubborn at the same time. Lee Dong Gun on the other hand is the perfect foil playing Hyuk Joon who is essentially a serious and conservative man. Though only 24, he plays the 28 year old Hyuk Joon well, conveying across his seriousness without being too ‘stiff'. He also expresses his emotions well and you can see his character really starting to develop genuine feelings for Jung Sook. It helps that Han Ji Hye and Lee Dong Gun have a very good on-screen chemistry that allows them to successfully play their roles as a mismatched pair that eventually fall in love. Mention should also be given to the actress who plays Ga Young who really looks the part of a conniving and bitter ex-lover and the actor who plays Jung Chan who you can feel has this close ‘buddy' friendship with Hyuk Joon.

Drawbacks:
I may be biased, but I really cannot think of any major drawbacks for this drama. At 16 episodes, it is not too short or too overly-draggy. I may not be an avid follower of dramas, but I've watched my fair share of J-dramas and K-dramas (though I have yet to watch any of the 4 season dramas) and would rate this up there among the best as a classic. The only drawback I can imagine is that the initial impression the show might give is that it is overly sweet and lacks a serious backdrop. However, if you can get over these initial apprehensions, you'll find a drama that successfully takes a simple plot with very mundane but yet identifiable themes and makes a good story. The result is a very unique and refreshing piece of work that I believe most people will enjoy.

 

Stairway to heaven

by il mare of spcnet.tv

I really resisted this serial. First, I can't stand the idea of going through another sappy Choi Ji Woo serial; secondly the plot is the cliché of all Korean drama clichés, and lastly this drama had a terribly sad ending. But I was curious about all this Kwong Sang Woo rave, and I finally persuaded myself to spare 20 hours of my time to go through this.

Predictably, STH is a mish-mash of the standard Korean drama recipe, you name it (you can call it Choi Ji Woo re-runs, think of a cross between Winter Love Song and Beautiful Days), this drama's got it: evil stepmother, evil stepsister, stupid dumb father, perfect rich handsome male lead, quietly suffering female lead, love triangle, car accidents, amnesia, terminal disease, death and of course, tears, more tears, lots of tears. If this had been my first Korean drama, I would foresee the need to see an eye doctor from all that crying. Thank goodness I was saved from all those heartaches. After having caught Winter Love Song and Beautiful Days, Choi Ji Woo's crying does not affect me anymore.

Now I know why the KSW fever is blazing through everyone who's seen this series, and I understand why every girl is crazy about him. Who wouldn't?! Cha Song-ju is such a prince charming, the ideal flawless lover. He is smart, strong, charming, loyal, steadfast in his love for Jung-suh, and to top it off, he is handsome, has a great body (my vote for the Korean actor with the best bod, did you see those abs!!!!) and is extremely rich and eligible! Perhaps he is heaped and blessed with so much in life that he has to live it out without his one true love.

His relationship with Jung-suh is so intimate, so playful and lovable. They are truly soulmates. And how can your heart not go out to him, losing Jung-suh not once but twice, once to amnesia, and then to cancer. Their relationship is so emotionally close yet so physically far apart, just like the mobile conversations they have with each other at the police station after Song-ju's engagement to Yuri, at the cafe after Jung-suh finds out that she's got cancer, and at the hospital when Song-ju finds out Jung-suh is dying.

Kwong Sang Woo's healthy celebrity image is reinforced in this serial. He was totally adorable, wickedly charming and surprisingly he had a lot of chemistry with CJW (I initially felt that the pairing was inapproprite as CJW looked older than KSW, but I was SO WRONG!).

My favourite scenes were all the times they fooled around (you can really feel that they were having fun, and it was refreshing to hear CJW laugh so much), and all their kissing scenes. Well done! Again, I am glad he didn't do much bawling (but I have to say that his breakdown outside the café after meeting a blind Jung-suh was the one of the few well-justified ones that I've seen), and gave enough tears at the right moment. I wonder whether KSW got a good workout from all that running and piggybacking from this serial? And did his driving improve considerably with so much driving to the beach, and driving next to buses and trains to chase Jung-suh?

CJW reprised her role of the perfect, kind, self-suffering heroine in this drama. There were no surprises in her performance, and she has once again found another winner with KSW as her leading man.

Han Jung-suh is lucky to have the unconditional love of not 1, but 2 men in her life. Her life may have been short, but she managed to complete all that she wanted to, and perhaps more. The good thing about Jung-suh (vs CJW's previous roles in BD and WLS) is that she was not afraid to display her disgust and stood up to her step mother and step sister. She was also outspoken and forthcoming in her love for Song-ju. I would consider Jung-suh to be the least restrained amongst CJW's previous roles. But I really hated the screaming and bawling at Tae-hwa when she regained her memory, at Yuri when she realised what Yuri had done, at Song-ju when she lost her eyesight, etc etc. (Yawn! Yawn!) Can I see something new from CJW?

STH is a sappy love story through and through with no sub-plot for the other characters in the series. The writers dedicated almost all the air time to develop the love story of the characters and did not inject any effort to build the characters and profiles of the different roles they have created in the series. The roles were quite one-dimensional and unbalanced. There were perfect lovers, perfect villians, and perfect dumbos.

Yet with such a flat and one-dimensional storyline, I still don't understand what the underlying theme of this story is. Is it that true love will always come back, like a boomerang? Or that you will meet your love in this life or in heaven? Or that love does not mean you need to stay together? I resent it when the writers give unrealistic/over-idealistic portrayals of love. Especially the character of Han Tae-hwa. Is it realistic to find a lover like Tae-hwa? Someone who is willing to kill himself for Jung-suh? I think the writers have taken the topic of sacrificing for love to an unbelievable level.

Having said that, I was most touched by Han Tae-hwa. The sheer sadness of his unrequited love hurts much more than anything else in this story. He may have been selfish initially hiding Jung-suh from her family and Song-ju, but in the end he was willing to give up everything, even his life to atone for what he did in exchange for Sung-ju's happiness. He watched Jung-suh closely like her guardian angel. Although he must be dying inside seeing Jung-suh marry Song-ju, he helped paved the way for their eventual union. He lived his life for Jung-suh, and ended it for her as well. Can it get any sadder than that? I didn't like Shin Hyun Joon initially as I thought he was not good-looking enough. But toward the end, my heart was going out to him all the way. So I guess in that way, SHJ captured my heart with his performance.

I felt the role of Tae-hwa was a little inconsistent. The adolescent Tae-hwa was brash, reckless and rash. The adult version seemed more watered down and less bashful (perhaps almost wimpish). If the writers had carried on the bad boy role of Tae-hwa, and had someone like perhaps KMJ (of Damo and Into the Storm) to play Tae-hwa, I think the story will be much more interesting.

Tidbits : Lee Wan who played the younger Tae-hwa is apparently the younger sibling of Kim Tae-hee, the older Yuri.

Lee Hui Hyang and Kim Tae Hee were the perfect partners in crime as the evil stepmother and stepsister in this serial. I find Kim Tae Hee to be extremely beautiful, and yet she was able to conceal that beauty and brought out only the ugliness of her role. The jealousy and hatred were vividly conveyed in her eyes every time she saw Jung-suh. But I felt the writers overdid the bad part of Yuri and underplayed her love for Song-ju. She is made out to be hated by the audience, with no sympathy at all for what she did. I wished the role could be more balanced.

My Favourites
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1) All scenes of Song-ju and Jung-suh fooling around and man-handling each other
2) All kissing scenes of Song-ju and Jung-suh
3) Song-ju walking around the mall and playground with his formation of "henchmen" walking behind him - such a stud
4) Song-ju chasing after Ji-Suh on his engagement day
5) Everything Song-ju did to try to get Ji-Suh to remember her old self
6) The 3 gifts Song-ju gave Jung-suh – trust, hope and love
7) Song-ju losing his temper over the mobile when Jung-suh did not show up at the café
8) Song-ju and Tae-hwa cooking for Jung-suh in the house on the beach when she was blind
9) The wedding – extremely touching how Song-ju finally got his mother's blessings
10) The first and only dinner that Jung-suh made for Song-ju
11) The OST - especially Ave Maria. Can you hear my heart beat with the drums every time Song-ju chased Jung-suh...
12) Yuri's long earrings

I hated
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1) Song-ju walking around the mall and playground with his formation of "henchmen" walking behind him - so overdone!
2) The sitting in the carriage dressed in hideous frills and gowns
3) The wedding – I think the outfits the groom and bride wore looked terrible
4) The wedding night – either you take your clothes off, or your don't
5) CJW's wailing – and she did a lot of it in STH. I feel there must be a different way to display despair, anger and hysteria. Why must she be wailing all the time?
6) Jung-suh dying at the beach - all that heavy breathing, and poor dialogue, and oh yes who can forget about the microphone being captured in the scene, which incidentally it happened more than once in this series, I spotted it 3 times! Unforgivable.
7) The ending - so Tae Hwa wasted his life for nothing....
8) The ending - so you expect a stud like Song-ju to live it out all alone till he meets Jung-suh in heaven? In the mean time, can I give him my number...

What I can't comprehend
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After trying so hard to regain Jung-suh's memory, why didn't Song-ju tell her he loved her the moment she remembered her identity? What else was there to stop him, after regretting all his life for not doing enough for Jung-suh? Why didn't he break off the engagement immediately? Why? Why? Why?

For first-timers to Korean drama, be prepared to be sucked into the sappiness of STH, and I pray you come out ok after watching this as it will grip you, tear you apart and leave you completely heartbroken.

For veterans, if you want a story to get lost in (or drown in tears), this is one you should pick. Unfortunately, I watched it with well-guarded tear ducts, and as such, I was not sucked into the story as much as the fans were, but I can understand why this is a hit.

STH deserves only 4 stars although the story was well structured (but one-dimensional), had with a pair of captivating leads and flawless execution by the cast, because I think the love depicted here was really too far-fetched and over-idealised.

I can't help but wonder what the writers would do if they were to have a sequel for the lonely Song-ju? Wouldn't it be interesting? Having stuffed all the winning ingredients for a successful love story in STH, SBS writers, wouldn't it be challenging to see how you can out-do this with a sequel?

P.S. Do K-drama screenwriters have a thing for men who plays the piano? Remember BYJ in Winter Love Song, RSW in Beautiful Days, and now KSW in STH.

P.P.S. I'd better watch some happy serial soon. After 3 depressing ones (Damo, The Bali Story and STH) consecutively, I am immune to the tragedies of K-drama!

 

Summer Scent

by il mare of spcnet.tv

It was with great expectations that I saw Summer Scent and with great disappointment that I write this review. I followed Summer Scent in quick succession to Winter Love Song, and I regret to inform all fans of the 4-seasons series that the highly anticipated third installment is so far the weakest one that has been produced. I am not sure whether the problem was with the script, the poor execution of the actors or the weak plot.

There were also many similarities with Winter Love Song, e.g. subject of destiny and fate having laid out the one person for you; the male lead's hairdo; the male leads involved in architecture-related work; the key place that love blossomed between the male and female leads a result of working on revamping a resort (Ski resort for Winter Love Song, and a Holiday resort for Summer Scent); both leads starting off with partners that were crazy about them; the female lead had to betray all those whom she loved to be with the male lead, both leads separated for 3 years before getting back together, etc. Too many similarities, too little originality, too few memorable moments, and too weak a plot basically sum up my view of the show.

The drama started out with a good story about the female lead being the beneficiary of a heart transplant, and eventually falling in love with the fiancé of the heart donor. The entire build up to their eventual union was good and convincing. The only unbelievable part was the steadfastness of Jung-jae's affection for Hye-won. He was willing to ignore the fact that Hye-won was falling for Min-woo. He also refused her request to break up, and firmly believed that she would be his, and that he was the only one for Hye-won. And he even suggested marriage to Hye-won when she was trying to break up with Min-woo so that Min-woo would give up on her completely.

But it goes downhill after they got together. I felt that the latter part of the serial required much stronger delivery by the leads as it deals with mostly the emotional struggles on trying to affirm their relationship. The story got draggy and the execution by the leads was not convincing.

The entire script is peppered with “I'm sorry”, and “Thank you”, which is extremely frustrating to watch as they keep repeating the same lines over and over again. The serial was not able to carry my emotions as the story proceeded, like it did in the previous installments.

The only saving grace was that the serial kept with the traditions of Autumn Tale and Winter Love Song, exhibiting some of Korea's beautiful sights, and had an excellent OST. The director used matching umbrellas and outfits when shooting the raining scenes, and applied different color schemes to bring out the different characteristics of the various roles in the serial.

 

 

 

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Winter Sonata

by il mare of spcnet.tv

What I like about the serial
1.Namiseom Island's winter scenes
2.The haunting ballads by Ryu and the entire soundtrack
3.The well crafted storyline
4.The execution of the scenes by the leads towards the end

My favorite scenes
1.First love scenes while Yujin and Joon Sang were in high school
2.Yujin telling Min-Hyung that he does not understand what it is to love someone, how it feels to lose that one person yet the rest of the world continues without him
3.Min-Hyung listening to the tape recording he made for Yujin when he was Joon Sang
4.Yujin telling Min-hyung the differences between Joon Sang and himself
5.Joon Sang throwing the necklace, the disposable camera and the coin into the sea, and collapsing in tears.
6.Joon Sang telling Yujin to eat well and sleep well, and not to meet again so as to keep the beautiful memories of the day at the sea forever in each others hearts
7.BYJ's smile as he explores the house of love, and the gentle kiss he gave CJW when they finally met as he touched Yujin's face.
8.The crying scenes (although I found them excessive) were well executed by the leads. It was amazing how drops of tears just rolled down their cheeks effortlessly. I would have hated if anyone had wailed like a baby.

What I dislike about the serial
1.How successful the stylists were to make the lead look ugly. I did not like BYJ's hair as a teenaged Kang Joon Sang. And I do not see how could BYJ's hair stayed so well-coiffed anytime of the day. And those bright coloured suits! My goodness, they are such an eyesore. CJW's hair for the larger part of the series made her look old and unattractive. I actually like the styling when they finally met in the last episode after parting for 3 years. BYJ's hair looked more natural with a toned down color, and CJW looked so feminine and beautiful with those long locks. And she was exuding such a sexy aura that was lacking in the entire serial.
2.Yujin behaving like an idiot with her indecisiveness with Sang Hyuk in segment 2.
3.I was really hoping that CJW did not have to cry so much, I felt sorry for her.

What I can't comprehend
1.For 2 people who are so in love, the only physical closeness displayed were hugs and light pecks on the lips (I would not classify that as kissing and it only happened like less than 3 times over the entire serial). Maybe it is a culture thing that Korean serials are more reserved than Japanese or Chinese ones. I don't understand. It will intensify the leads' onscreen relationship, and convey the deep emotions the leads felt for each other. It was so unbelievably reserved.

2.The metaphor of Joon Sang putting on the shoes for Yujin. Does it means he will always be the one to take care of her?

3.Yujin's parents' union was a result of her father breaking his engagement with Joon Sang's mother. As such, I could not comprehend Yujin's mother insisting that Yujin marry Sang Hyuk.

4.Did Yujin love Min-hyung as Min-hyung, or as Joon Sang? Or vice versa? Or vice-vice-versa???

5.The moment Yujin told Joon Sang the reason why her mother objected to the marriage, alarm bells were ringing all over that they may be siblings! I can't see how an intelligent man like Joon Sang did not detect that straightaway.

6.How could Joon Sang's mother be so selfish? First, she replaced his memory so that he would love her. Then she told such a big lie that tore the couple apart. One mistake was forgivable, but two were not.

7.Where is the stepfather of Lee Min-Hyung?

8.I don't know whether anyone agrees with me, but I swear that BYJ looked bulkier throughout the serial until the last scene. Either he wore a lot of thick clothes during the winter scenes or he actually lost weight at the last scene.

Success of the serial
I think we women are all suckers for a good love story. Especially when the lead actor is portrayed as a good-looking and eligible man falling head over heels for the virtuous female (need not be good-looking) lead (CJW being so beautiful, but made to look ugly, was a bonus), and that in everyone's destiny, there is THE ONE for you. Nothing could stop their union. Not amnesia, not 2 car accidents, not previous engagement to boyfriend of 10 years, selfish mother etc. And of course a happy ending after hours of sobbing always brings warmth to my heart.

I think that the audience in Asia is also yearning for new faces and new material. As Hong Kong and Japanese serials see stagnation in their scripts and the lack of new talent, Korean serials are like a breath of fresh air. Coupled with outstanding scenery, exceptional screenwriting and a good looking cast, I am on my way to watch my next serial soon.

 

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