Breaks with tradition - changing cultural norm

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2007 South Korean Drama spanning 16, 60 minute, episodes. Kim Dang Ja (Shin Eun Kyung) is the editor of a magazine who decides she wants to have a baby because her biological clock is ticking. Now she just has to pick the perfect father and convince him to be a no strings attached father. Choi Gi Chan (Ryu Soo Young) is a university professor who is smart and attractive and would make the perfect father in Kim Dang Ja’s eyes.

Spoiler ? I really liked the twist of having a Korean female deciding to raise a child solo. Seducing a man with no plan to have a relationship is something you would see more in American culture so I could relate to it from that perspective. The "side romance" was just beyond cute. I found I was as much, or more, interested in the outcome of that situation. It is very sad in the middle. I cried buckets of tears. I was not sure it would end well but it did. If you are okay with a sad sandwich (happy in the beginning and end but sad in the middle) I would recommend this one. I rated it down because I really felt I was dragged through the emotional ringer and that felt unnecessary to me.

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When a Little Lie spirals out of Control

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2011 South Korean t.v. drama with 16, 60 minute episodes. Gong Ah-jung (Yoon Eun-hye) is a dedicated civil servant who worked hard to work in her career with the hopes of impressing and gaining the attention of her first love. Before Ah-jung can enact her romantic plan her seeming friend steals her guy and marries him. Flash forward a few years and Ah-jung has maintained contact with this frenemy but is determined to get revenge. Still unmarried she chooses to lie about her status and says she is married. The lie snowballs through the gossip chain until it transforms into she is secretly married to the most eligible bachelor in Korea, wealthy hotel heir, Hyun Ki-joon (Kang Ji-Hwang). Ki-Joon is none too happy with the lie and is determined to exact his own revenge. Hilarity and heartbreak ensue amongst plots, revenge, romance, and love triangles.

Spoiler ? There were some slow parts as well as some parts where I felt sheer frustration with the female lead. The romances were believable and the plot held together well. I recommend this highly but warn there are some slow spots.

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Interesting Premise, slow in some parts

8.5/10 is my rating. This tv drama is also known as Another Miss Oh. This is a 2016 South Korean drama with 18, 60 minute, episodes.

Oh Hae-young (Seo Hyun-jin) grew up in the shadow of another girl, who went to the same school, who had the same name. Things finally seem to be going right for her in her adult life when she is on the verge of marrying Han Tae-jin (Lee Jae-yoon) an attractive businessman who is worthy of bragging about. However, the day before their wedding, Tae-jin breaks it off saying some very hurtful things. Park Do-kyung (Eric Mun) is no stranger to heartbreak, his fiance did not show up on the day of their wedding. Do-kyung finds out that Hae-young is going to marry another man, Tae-jin and Do-kyung and his friend formulate plot to ruin the husband to be and stop the marriage. Do-kyun is a successful sound director who supports his brother and his widowed mother. His mother is looking for a wealthy husband who just so happens to have the right connections to help Do-kyung carry out his plot. Only problem is he is breaking up the wedding, and ruining the husband to be, of the wrong Hae-young. Now there are two miserable, jilted, people who fatefully cross paths and find solace in each other. Hae-young does not know Do-kyung, who she is drawn to as if by fate, is the very person who caused her current unhappiness. Can a relationship built over such a deception last? Tae-jin is acquitted and returns to reclaim his intended bride. Will Hae-youngs feelings rekindle? The other "pretty" Hae-young returns and decides she made a mistake and wants Do-kyun back, will her beauty and style win back Do-kyun? Can the "normal" Oh Hae-young step out of the shadow of the other Hae-young and realize her own worth?

Spoiler ? I liked this one but I didn't love it. Some of the posters showed dolls and such so I thought it would be a lot more comedic than it actually was. The characters said things to each other that I cannot imagine anyone saying to someone else and that person still liking them. They also say things about other people and life that is a bit shocking. I really liked the side romance. I also liked the main male lead's sister and his friends. The story was compelling, the romance was sweetly satisfying but there were times, when I felt angry or shocked at things the characters said or did. I also found that it dragged a bit for me, in some areas. And her mom was strangely abusive to her daughter. it was good but I didn't think it was great. Totally worth watching but not a list topper.

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Very edge of the seat, fast paced and entertaining

9/10 is my rating. Also known as "I Remember You" is a 2015 South Korean drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes. Profiler Lee Hyun (Seo In-guk;Park Bo-gum) after a case he receives triggers a memory he thought long buried in the past. Detective Cha-Ji-an (Jang Na-ra) has never stopped investigating Lee Hyun as she knows that his brother disappeared and his father were murdered
and that Lee Joon Young (Do Kyungsoo), a criminal, was somehow involved. Things are not quite as they seem and the tangle seems to gain twists and turns even as they unravel it.

Spoiler ? I really liked this and it kept me engaged the whole way through. I am a big fan of the crime genre so this appealed to that interest of mine. I also like psychological thrillers and romances and it had all those elements. There were multiple serial killers and they really explore the nature versus nurture psychological concepts which I found very intriguing. I would have rated this even higher but the ending was just a tiny bit softer than I like it. Just being extremely picky but there were some elements that seemed as if it was being left open for additional episodes or even another season. But it ended well - just not with all aspects completely tied up. Some do not mind that at all so it will not diminish at all for those that like to have some pieces to ponder. It was very well acted as I have come to expect from the two leads. Their romance was "cute", heart warming and believable. I liked the interplay of the "team" that was built to track the killers. Parts were predictable but not in a bad way. But there were also a fair number of surprises. It is a great drama that I highly recommend.

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I enjoyed it - it was very different and that made it super compelling

9.5/10 is my rating. 2019 South Korean television series with 32, 30 minute episodes.

Eun Dan-oh (Kim Hye-yoon) has a heart condition that is terminal despite repeated operations. Despite that she is kind and hopeful that something in her life will change and her heart will last on. Her fiance, Baek Kyung (Lee Jae-wook) is the son of one her father's business partners and their parents paired the two. Eun Dan-oh's father agreed to the engagement because Dan-oh has had a crush on Baek Kyung for 10 years even though Baek Kyung can be cruel to her and does not return her feelings. Eun Dan-oh begins to have memory lapses and the sensation that she just "comes to" in various activites. As she digs to determine the source of these strange occurances, she discovers, by chance, that she is a character in a manhwa called "Secret." Not only is she in the Manhwa but she is a supporting character who must do things to aid the lead characters in falling in love. She begins to resent the role she must play and becomes determined to do things to change the story. She soon notices a boy that has no name. When she looks at the Manga she can see that he is a background character that is not even fully illustrated. Dan-oh realizes that because he is not a central part of the story he has more freedom to do things in the "offscreen" that can impact the way the plot plays out. His name is Number 13 (just number 13 alphabetically in the year-book) but, as Dan-oh begins to develop feelings for 13 (Kim Ro-woon), she give him a name. As time goes on, more of the characters discover that they are in a Manhwa and join Dan-oh in changing this up.

I started this one in October of 2019 not realizing it was still on air. I normally do not watch those that are on air as I prefer to be able to watch them all at once. 12 episodes in and I cannot wait for more episodes to post. If it continues as it is now it is going to the top of my list as one of my favorites.

Spoiler ? This was good the whole way through. I love the chemistry between the leads. I like the way Baek Kung realized that she would be happiest with Ha-Ru and yet is still always there for her. It had a sort of reincarnation angle to it without really meaning to. Some may not like the ending but I got it because they aren’t real. If it were a comic book series I could see myself reading all the comics even if it just re-told the same story. I highly recommend it - it’s very unique.

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He's Like a Male Version of Mary Poppins - I want one

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean Drama with 32, 30 minute, episodes. Kim Ji-woon (Ha Seok-jin) works as a House Helper a blend of "Mary Poppins", Dr. Phil, and House Brothers. He is an organizing and cleaning expert and only takes cases where he feels like he can improve the home environment as well as his client's lives. Im Da-young (Bona) is a young woman with a very chaotic life. She is an intern at an advertising company and works long hours trying to get hired on permanent. As the only daughter of a deceased architect, she lives in the house her father built and keeps it somewhat as a memorial to him. Her loneliness and work life are driving factors in the messy state of her house. She is riddled with debt from her late father but determined to keep the house he built. Her life changes dramatically when "Mr. Kim" agrees to help her restore order so that she can take on roommates to help with her financial situation. Her roommates turn out to be a couple of old high school friends who she became estranged with. Can these women get their messy lives back on track? Can "Mr. Kim" truly work miracles?

Spoiler ? I really loved this story. All of the relationships were interesting and the interplay between the characters and various story lines was compelling. There are even little household tips to pick up on and really, who wouldn't want a gorgeous House Helper to make sense of the chaos of modern life. It ended nicely and the length of the series was just right to fully tell the stories. The only slight drawback was not to see the story completely through to what happened after - but it was pretty clear where things were going so that was not a major fail point for me. I loved the central female lead. She was as kind as she was beautiful.

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Bristly, wealthy boss

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean tv series with 16, 60 minute, episodes.
A romance series about Lee Yoo-chan (Kim Jun-myeon) who used his genius level programming skills to become a young CEO of his company, Next In. His co-founder and Vice President friend, Min Tae-joo (Oh Chang-suk) is as warm and personable as Yoo-chan is cold and rude. Yoo-chan is a highly charismatic and successful CEO who hides the fact that he has a facial recognition disability from those he seeks to do business with. Kim Bo-ra (Ha Yeon-soo), is seeking employment and most are quickly dismissive as her near super human memory skills. However, while dismissive at first, Yoo-chan has a project where Bo-ra's skill is a perfect fit. His plan is to utilize her skill to land a big contract and then let her go. Bo-ra's goal is to get hired permanently and she has an ally in Tae-joo. Yoo-Chan has money to spare and often buys people off to appease and/or win favor. Bo-ra values more than money and calls the arrogant and snobbish young CEO to task about his values and treatment of others. Can two such seeming opposites find a path to love? Can Bo-ra show her real worth and be more than just a memory machine for Next In?

Spoiler ? I expected this to be a fluffy, predictable romantic comedy and it was that in a lot of ways. Which is just what I felt like I needed after watching some heavier shows. It actually had a lot of surprising surprising depth and insight into being a human and interacting with others. it is true there is a cultural divide when someone is extremely wealthy and someone else is not. But when you truly love somebody those types of things can be overcome. I liked the interplay and development of all the characters. The romance was sweet and believable. The female lead grew and evolved as well. It was fun seeing her go from someone with no real self-confidence and no idea what she was capable of to someone who is extremely capable and determined. It is amazing and true what everyone can learn from other people. Someone who is cold and does not empathize with other people can learn a lot from someone who is kind, warm and thoughtful. That is not incredibly surprising. What is surprising is that someone who is kind, warm and thoughtful can also learn something from someone that is cold and confident. Goes to show if we were all the same that we would not grow as a people. You often hear that everyone can learn something from someone else. At times it can be hard to believe specially if you’re someone who is sensitive and kind and you encounter someone who seems to just be awful. We can probably all think of someone in our lives like that. If you think long enough about it you might be surprised what you learned. And I find that I can relate and learn something even from dramas that I think are going to be pretty surface level. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would recommend it.

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Predictable arranged situation but still good

8.5 out of 10 is my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean TV Series with 16, 45 minute, episodes. It is also known as "One Percent of Anything". The male lead, Lee Jae-in (Ha Seok-jin) has to get married in order to inherit his family fortune. Kim Da-hyun (Jeon So-min) is an elementary school teacher who agrees to a six month, pretend marriage, with Jae-in to help him secure his inheretance. Will they forget they are pretending?
Spoiler ? I really liked this it was just a very solid if a bit predictable romance. I like the male lead a lot and think he’s a very talented actor. I had seen him in another drama called “House Helper” and I was very impressed with his acting ability. I have not seen the female lead in anything that I know of but I thought she played the role very well. I like the way both characters evolved and how you could see them being a good couple. There was not a lot of surprise to this nor very much side story which is the only thing that has me rating it down a bit. But I would still highly recommend it and will be looking for other dramas with either of these two in them.

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Surprising the Age Gap becomes a Side Issue

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean drama with 16, 60 minute,episodes. It is also known as Pretty Sister Who Buys Me Food. Jung Hae-in (Seo Joon-he)
Yoon Jin-ah (Son Ye-Jin) is an unmarried woman in her mid 30s. Her mother wants her to get married but has very high standards in who she thinks is acceptable for her children. Jin-ah is in her mid 30s and is a store manager for a coffee chain. Her boyfriend breaks it off with her and she winds up bumping into her best friend’s younger brother who just returned from an oversees assignment. Jung Hae-in (Seo Joon-he), Jin-ah’s best friend’s younger brother, is a character designer at a computer video game company. He is a handsome lady’s man who can have his pick in terms of girls to date however he finds his other half in Jin-ah. At first their age gap, the fact that they grew up together, and that he is Jin-ash’s best friend’s younger brother are the issue but it quickly becomes a matter of Jin-ah’s mother thinking Hae-in, who lost his mother at a young age and whose father re-married and left the children, is not good enough for Jin-ah. Can their love survive with so many challenges?

spoiler ? I liked this one to a degree. Jin-ash’s mother was particularly evil and mean but that’s not unusual in these types of dramas. I wanted her to change her mind but it never felt like she fully did. I got a little frustrated by the female lead‘s deceptions when it seemed like it would not of been hard for her to tell him the truth. He sometimes hid things from her as well and I think that made their relationship a little less believable. It was surprising to me that the age gap did not become the main thing they had to overcome it was more getting her family’s approval. I also do not like when they separate it was very sad and since the ending was a bit soft in terms of not knowing, for sure, they would remain together - the separation made it harder to believe seeing them get back together would result in happily ever after. For me a wedding scene would have been a better ending. Really good just a bit sad in parts.

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9/10 is my rating. This is a 2014 South Korean drama spanning 21, 60 minute, Episodes.

Oh Chang-min (Choi Jin-hyuk) was a 20 year old medical student when he met and fell in love with Oh Jin-hee (Song Ji-hyo) a dietician. They married thinking their love could withstand his family’s disapproval and their withdrawal of financial support. Chang-min gives up his goal of being a doctor and becomes a medical salesman to support the young couple. Both become miserable doing things they dislike and it puts too much stress on their relationship. They divorce after a heated battle. Six years later finds them both having gone through medical school and interning at the same hospital under a “Chief” nicknamed “The Devil”. The anger they felt from years ago has not dissipated but it seems some love remains to. Fate has thrown the two together but will their love rekindle and can they, with six years of life experience overcome the obstacles this time around?

Spoiler ? I really liked this romance and found the emergency room aspects really interesting. They have a lot of medical cases that mimic things that happen in real life and it really added to the story. It’s often true that people get stuck on the a track and don’t take care of their love. Being a couple takes a lot of commitment to making things work and weathering the difficult times by always thinking of the other person. I also like the side romances and just all of the character development. The only thing that kept me from a higher rating was there were aspects of the ending that were a little soft but that’s just my own personal preference.

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Surprisingly good and sufficiently complex

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes. It is also known as “Marry Me, Mary.”

Wi Mae-ri (Moon Geun-young) grew up in a tumultuous environment with a father who was frequently in debt and hiding from debt collectors. One day, while working odd jobs to support herself, she hits a pedestrian, Kang ul (Jang Keon-suck). Kang ul is a talented but struggling musician and reassures Mae-ri he is ok and won’t sue. Having trust issues she follows him and relentlessly persists he acknowledge he is not hurt and won’t sue in writing. Having a young single mother who was absent until she needed something, Kang ul quickly noticed a kindred soul when he realized Mae-ri’s living situation. Needing a place to stay he invited himself to Mae-ri’s and a friendship developed. While running from debt collectors, Mae-ri’s father, Dar-Han (Park Sang-kyung) runs into an old friend. Turns out it is a friend, recently returned to Korea, with whom there was an agreement for their children to marry when of age. Mae-ri's father sees the renewal of the agreement as a win win he can pay back his daughter by giving her a secure future with a wealthy and handsome husband and becoming a part of the family, his old friend will pay off his debts. His friend’s son, Byun Jung-in (Kim Jae-wook), always does as his father wishes. However Mae-ri has no intention of having an arranged marriage. Her friends and her concoct a ”fake” marriage with Kang ul just as her father counters her resistance by forging Mae ri and Jung-in’s signatures on a marriage registration. In order to persuade his daughter to do what he thinks is best for her Mae-ri’s father proposes a deal: for 100 days Mae-ri must spend time on a schedule with Kang ul and Jung-in and decide who she will marry at the end. Her father is confident she will choose steady and charming Jung-in over a struggling musician. Jung-in was promised investment by his father in his company so he is determined to win Mae-ri. Soon fake love becomes all too real and Mae-ri’s decision not so simple.

Spoiler ? I liked this overall. The romance was cute and it was well acted with great character development. I so strongly liked the second guy it was really difficult to watch as I could see in so many ways that he was a better choice. The fathers were pretty over the top and I thought Wi Mae-ri’s father, in particular, was a bit heavy handed given what his daughter had put up with from him. Kang Ul’s mom reminded me of some people I have known. She was an immature mother who leaned too heavily on her son for financial support. It kept me guessing until the end and even then I was a bit surprised.

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Fast Paced , Action packed, compelling story

8,5/10 is my rating. This is a 2018/2019 South Korean television series, with 16, 60 minute episodes. Takes place in Spain and South Korea.

Yoo Jin-woo (Hyun Bin) is a well known handsome and successful CEO of an investment company he co-founded with college friends. He is in the process of divorcing his second wife who has caused nothing but trouble for him during their short marriage. He receives an email about a virtual reality game that is poised to change gaming future. Jin-woo travels to Spain to meet Jung Se-joo (Park Chan-yeol) who created the game in the hopes of beating his rival to buy rights to the game. Upon arrival, Jin-woo finds out Se-joo is missing. Since Se-joo is missing he learns he must buy the rights from Se-Jon’s older sister, Jung Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye). There is a problem as Jin-woo is staying in Hee-Joo’s run down hostel and held back nothing in telling her what he thought of the state of the hostel and her personally. He has to swallow his pride and convince Hee-joo. All the while he is testing the game and is learning there may be some very dangerous flaws that are deadly. He also thinks the flaws may be behind Se-Jon’s disappearance. People who die in the game wind up dead in reality and then show up in the game as murderous assassins. Jin-woo discovers this and tries to tell his counterparts at the company but they label him crazy. Jin-woo begins to play the game near obsessively to level up thinking if he can master the game he will be able to prove and expose the flaws and find the young game creator. Hee-joo feels thankful to Jin-woo as the money he paid pulls her family out of poverty. Soon gratitude becomes something more and the two develop feelings for each other.

Spoiler ? This movie really had it all a compelling mystery, great cast, complex character development, an interesting storyline and believable romance. It had a lot of action and was fast paced. There were sad points and not all my favorite characters made it. I loved Hee-Joo’s younger sister, her conversations with Jin-woo were cheeky and entertaining. However, the ending left things up in the air. It strongly seems they left it open for another season. It also made it a bit sad. I would have preferred they wrap the season up and thread some elements into a subsequent season or create another stand alone that has the same central. I really liked and enjoyed this but the ending spoiled it. Still worth watching but it helps I think to know it has a very nebulous ending.

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A great story with lots of layers to the plot

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean television series with 20, 1 hr. episodes.

Oh Dong-baek (Gong Hyo-Jin) has always considered her life to be unlucky. Most people would consider single motherhood to be the unlucky part of her life but Dongbaek considers her son, Kang Pil-gu to be one of the few happy events of her life. Dongbaek opens a bar named Camellia in the small fictitious town called Ongsan. Being very beautiful and sweet Dongbaek quickly has many male regular customers who hope she is selling more than alcohol. The attention Dongbaek gets for her beauty makes the women of the town jealous and initially sets them against her. Despite the hardships created from being an outcast, Dongbaek manages to run her business successfully. Though not a place he would normally go one of the town sons and a very eligible bachelor, Hwang Yong-sik (Kang Ha-neul) reluctantly visits the Camellia with his work colleagues and falls in love at first sight with Dongbaek. He starts to frequent the Camellia to be near Dongbaek. Dongbaek is too busy raising her young son to give any thoughts to romance and the sometimes awkward but kind and gentle Yong-sik is not her normal type. Yong-ski is slowly winning his way into the hearts of mother and son when Pil-gu’s father shows up, does the math, and realizes that Pil-gu is his son. Dongbaek had been secretly wishing her ex boyfriend, now a wealthy baseball star, would find her. Kang Jon-ryul is surprised to discover that the girl he never quit loving gave birth to his son and vows to win her back over and gain a spot in his son’s life. Can the love that died be rekindled or is this new love what Dongbaek and her son need? Amidst this love triangle is a serial killer who went dormant for a time but is back determined to kill the one living witness Dongbaek. The mother who abandoned Dongbaek as a child suddenly reappears. And Yong-ski’s motherwho was formerly Donbaek‘s one friend and ally becomes her anti-fan when she learns of her son’s romantic interest. Pil-gu is also not keen on sharing his mother with any other man whether it be the biological father he just discovered or Yong-ski, the local police officer who is his mom’s best defense against the serial killer who wants her dead. Which love can overcome all obstacles?

Spoiler ? I really liked this series. Gong Hyo-jin is a very talented actress and I have enjoyed her performances in “Master’s Sun” and ”It’s okay That’s Love” to name a few. The young actor stole the show multiple times with his vigorous defense of his mom. I loved Yong-sik he was everything a nice man should be. I enjoyed seeing Hyo-jin’s life improve and flourish as she gained friends and experienced love. Trying to solve the mystery of who “The Joker“ serial killer was added a very exciting element. I loved how the community was cautious of outsiders but had each other’s backs. It was entertaining and heartwarming. There were some sad moments but the balance was happy. It ended well wrapped up and happily. Highly recommend this one.

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Rare modern arranged marriage

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2004 South Korean romance movie 115 minutes in length.

The movie is about a 16 year old high school student and the boy she grew up around. Both the girl Bo-eun (Moon Geun-young) and the boy Sang-min (Kim Rae-won) really love the grandfather enough to grant his wish to see them married before he dies. Their marriage also fulfills a pact Sang-min’s grandfather and Bo-eun’s grandfather’s made with each other during the Korean War which was to unite their families through marriage. Bo-eun wants to please her grandfather but, despite the marriage, continues with her high school life by dating her crush, the school’s star baseball player, Jun woo. Sang-Min actually loves his young wife and ignores her hurtful behavior realizing she is extremely young and was not ready for marriage. Things are further complicated when Sang-min does an art internship at Bo-eun’s school and the two agree to hide their relationship. Over time Sang-min’s patience and kindness toward Bo-eun to cause her feelings of resentment fade and she remembers the love she felt for the boy that was always b her side.

Spoiler ? I really liked this and thought it was cute for what it was. In movie form the story felt very rushed but I am more used to the deep character development and evolutions that occur in tv series. My mother was 15 and my father 18 when they married and I married my husband at 18 so that part was not strange for me at all. Just 35 years ago it was not at all strange even in the western world to have a young woman date or marry someone several years older. I saw Moon Geu-young in “Mary Stayed Out All Night” and enjoyed her performance in that role as well. Seeing this one cleared up why she is known as “Korea’s Little Sister“ as she did seem incredibly young in this one. I enjoyed it despite it feeling rushed.

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