Seo In-guk really carries the story

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2014 South Korean drama with 17 (+1 Special), 1 hr, episodes. Also known as High School King of Savvy.

High School varsity ace hockey player, Lee Min-seok (Seo In-guk) is living as a normal high school student, when his brother, Lee Hyung-seok (also played by Seo In-guk) calls him and asks for a favor. His brother has been abroad and is due to report to a new job as a Director at an IT conglomerate. Something he won't divulge has happened and he needs Min-seok to pretend to be him and fill in until he can get free and take his place. Normally that would be an impossible request but, despite the 9 year age gap, the brothers look like identical twins. Being loyal to his brother, Min-seok agrees to the farce and a colleague at the company is aware of the ruse and helps Min-seok fit in - in the otherwise alien corporate environment. Min-seok is supposed to be a puppet but turns out the young man has a knack for the type of work and starts to make a name for himself at the company, and also gains favor with the company President. Jung Soo-young (Lee Ha-na), is originally a contract employee at the company who Min-seok finds himself drawn to. He eventually falls in love with her and helps her get a permanent job with the company. His rival, Yoo Jin-woo (Lee Soo-hyuk) senses something suspicious about this mysterious new director and vows to get to the bottom of it. He is also jealous that his father seems to find more favor with this bright new director and, eventually he is also jealous of Soo-young who he also falls in love with. To further complicate things, fellow high schooler and Soo-young's younger sister, Jung Yoo-ah (Lee Yeol-eum), has already confessed to Min-seok and, despite his repeated rejections, considers "hubby Lee" her man. With so many twists and turns can Min-seok continue to fool everyone until his brother steps in? Can he overcome the age and generation gap between him and Soo-young? What if she finds out he is only in high school?

spoiler ? I really liked the beginning of this. In-guk is a great actor and I just enjoy watching him. I liked how he was able to handle both roles so well. He seems so different when he played the older brother it was almost eerie the way he was able to make that transformation. He seem like a different person. Soo-young has a freshness and innocence about her that is much younger than her age and he is actually rather mature for his age In the beginning. So early on it is easy to see the attraction. Towards the end it lost me a bit when it was revealed he was a high schooler and it just felt like his character underwent a dramatic change and he suddenly seems less mature. I also found it disappointing that his hockey career ended because he could’ve went on to be very successful and then could have taken care of her even though she was older. So it started really good but the last half or so was it not quite as good. It was redeemed though in that it ended well. I’m a fan of happy endings and this one definitely had a happy ending. There were some loose ends though that I did not feel were tied up such as the brothers never learned about the illegitimate child angle and I was unsure who exactly the illegitimate child was. It also wasn’t completely clear to me what exactly the president did to Min-seok’s dad. I wanted to know what happened with the brother since Min-seok did not wind up going to Germany. I thought at one point maybe it would be revealed he was the illegitimate one and find out that Jin-woo was his brother and then he could’ve stayed on at the company and just been a very young executive. It does allude to the fact in the end that he is going to make it big because as he won some thing but I wasn’t quite clear with that some thing was. That felt pretty sad. It was good but could have been a bit better. Well acted though. Jin-woo was somewhat of a villain yet I had a very deep sympathy for him and wanted to see where his life went and wanted the relationships he developed to continue at least as friendships. All in all I liked it just had a bit of a drag point and I wasn’t a complete fan of the change in Min-seok’s character and how he was on a very successful path but then all of a sudden hockey ended and he had nothing going on at the company. Worth the watch just not one of my top choices.

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Liked this for paranormal just a few things that fell a tiny bit short

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean supernatural romance tv drama spanning 16, 60 minute episodes. It is also known as Okay Ghost, Let’s Fight.

When Park Bong-pal (Ok Taec-yeon) was young, he gained the ability to see ghosts after a failed attempt to completely exorcise an evil spirit from him. Not long after the evil spirit murders his mother by pushing her into traffic. His father has a weapon that would destroy the evil spirit and stays away from his son so the spirit will chase him. From a young age, Bong-pal’s only parental figure and companion is the monk who failed to fully exorcise the spirit. At first he is terrified of the ghosts and his strange behavior makes him a social outcast. He learns he can fight and destroy malicious ghosts to earn money to live on and also save money for a procedure that would take his ghost site away. On one job he encounters Kim Hyun-ji (Kim So-hyun) a ghost of a different sort who begins to follow Bong-pal when she discovers something about him is allowing her to see the events leading up to her death in flashes. In order to get him to help her she agrees to help him fight ghosts that are stronger than he can take on alone. The evil spirit has inhabited the body of one of Bong-pal‘s professors and seems to have an unnatural interest in the duo. Feelings grow between Bong-pal and Hyun-ji but those around remind them their love is impossible.

Spoiler ? I liked the early episodes and found it very interesting as they solved their ghost cases. I liked the romance between the two leads. About half way through it started to feel very predictable. When she came back to her body she was very different than she had been as a ghost and that was a bit disappointing. Still overall I really liked it just thought they could have kept her character more consistent and could have had a better, less predictable, plot twist.

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Short but good. If you want something to "fill the gaps" while watching something "on air"

8/10 is my rating for this 2017 Chinese comedy drama. Run time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is a remake of a 2015 South Korean movie entitled "Wonderful Nightmare."

After a fatal car crash Li Yuran (Gwei Lun-mei) who has been too focused on her career ro give any thought to having a family, is given a second chance. There was a mix-up and she was taken too early, so she is asked to assume a role of a woman was admitted to the afterlife too early while they sort out the error. After seven days she will be able to resume her life as a career focused, high power, attorney. The role she is in is about as different from her former life as it could be she has two children, a working architect husband, Zhang Tao (Chen Kun) and is a full-time housewife. Her daughter Xing Xing (Ouyang Nana) is an angsty teenager who has just began seeing a boy. Her son, Tian Tian (William Wang), is young and immediately senses something is different about his mother.

Spoiler ? I really liked the premise. It had sort of a "Freaky Friday" feel. The fact that she was so out of her element in the beginning gave it a strong comedic aspect. I liked the relationships she developed with the daughter and the son although seven days did not seem like long enough to have that occur to the depth that it did. I could see her finding a way of having the "best of both worlds" if she were to be able to continue in that role. I was a little disappointed with the ending, not in the way the story went for her, but in not knowing what happened to the family she had been a part of. She looked for them but never found them and I did not feel there was a good explanation as to why she could not find them. Overall enjoyable but not a rush out to watch. I am interested in the South Korean version just to see how closely the two follow.

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Really the best of kdrama

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2013 South Korean television series with 18, 60 minute, episodes.

Jan Hye-sung (Lee Bo-young) and Park Soo-ha (Lee Jong-suk) share a bond around a crime that occurred when they were children. One was a victim and the other a witness. The tragic event impacts the lives of both main characters as well as the daughter of Hye-sung's mother's former employer (Hye-sung grew up with the daughter as her mother was a live in housekeeper). The killer vows revenge on Hye-sung for her testimony as a witness and Soo-ha states his intent to protect Hye-sung for her brave deed. Time passes and Hye-sung becomes a defense attorney. She had an impoverished childhood which makes her original intention in law just to make money. Soo-ha looks for Hye-sung knowing the killer will soon be released. Hye-sung does not immediately recognize Soo-ha from that childhood connection. However, when she finds out he has a unique ability, he can hear what people are thinking, she beings to utilize his skill in the court room to solve cases. Soo-ha's childhood housemate and frenemy has now become a prosecutor (who was with Hye-sung and was also a witness to the crime but did not testify). When the killer is out he begins his plot for revenge but in a society where reform is believed in, will anyone believe the two that he hasn't changed? Soo-ha will stop at nothing to protect Hye-sung but can she convince him that killing the killer makes him no better?

Spoiler ? I loved everything about this drama. It had romance (and a love triangle of course), suspense, action and mystery. It was very well acted - I have loved everything I have seen with Lee Jong-suk. The roles he takes are complex and the storylines are always exciting and surprising. Lee Bo-young's evolution from a non caring only out for me person to someone that cares deeply about justice is great to see. You can tell it was always there and just took the right person and right set of circumstances to develop. I also liked the friendships that developed and the competitive nature of both the women and men who bettered themselves through their interactions with each other. It is a deep, moving and complex story. I would put it at the top of any list to watch especially for those that love a good mystery or suspense romance. Just a great drama!

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Both of the leads are great hard to miss when they star

This is a 2018 South Korean romantic comedy that has 32, 30 minute, episodes.

Yoo Jung-eum (Hwang Jung-eum) was a diving athlete until events in her life caused her to give up the sport. Her friend hires her into her match making agency because Jung-eum was a much better athlete than she is a matchmaker. Kang Hoon-nam (Namkoong Min) seems to be everywhere Jung-dum is and they have a series of encounters. Hoon-nam ghost writes a relationship column and is so successful at helping people groom themselves to be a love interest that he turns his cousin into a player who causes havoc in Jung-eum’s company to the point that she is blamed for her client’s bad behavior and given one last chance to redeem herself by getting dates for a cadre of clients who are deemed undateable. Not having the skill to turn the folks around herself she seeks out the person ghost writing the advice articles that have proven successful. Jung-eum is surprised to siscover the relationship guru is none other than Hoon-nam a man who, based on their earlier not so positive encounters made her agree to never appear in front of him again. Can she convince him to help her? If he helps can they get dates for the Undateables and even find love themselves?

Spoiler ? Jung-eum’s job as a dating consultant or matchmaker is very interesting. I like how sweet yet feisty she is. This is another one where I wish I could split the female lead in two because I liked the second guy a lot. I like all of their friends and the side stories are really cute too. It is funny that the lead guy is supposedly a dating expert yet he has such a hard time figuring out his own relationships.The leads acted this very well as you can see them as a couple and their personalities, in terms of their characters, were very complementary. There was just enough intrigue with a mysterious past that it made you want to discover the whole story. I was surprised I liked this as much as I did. It is very predictable and not very complex but so well acted and overall still entertaining that it is one I would highly recommend.

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Perfect classic romantic drama

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean romantic comedy series with 16, 60-77 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique Synopsis then reviiew.

Synopsis

Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah) has finally landed her dream job as a concierge at the King Hotel. She has a smile that was made for the role and her beauty and above average capability has her climbing the ranks at the hotel rapidly. Although her aspirations and goals are on path, Sa-rang often finds herself squarely in the cross hairs of Goo Won (Lee Jun-ho) the handsome chaebol who is set to inherit the conglomerate.

At first the two only find the other annoying. But they soon realize there is way more common ground in common as they each pursue their dreams in the hotel world.

Review

This was very good and perfect for anyone that likes a slow build, well developed, heartwarming and enduring romance. The lead couple had perfect chemistry to the point if you discovered they were dating in real life it would not be a surprise. It has a happy ending and all major plot points are resolved.

Spoilers*
Lee Jun ho plays a chaebol that is sensitive and caring and very sweet. He has a gruff exterior but it is a very thin veil for a vulnerable but very kind person. Once he fell for her he did not change his feelings or interest from that point despite family and social pressure.

Even those who tried not to like Sa-rang were unsuccessful. Her amazing competence and unflappable concern for the customers and all those her around her won over virtually everyone.

I loved that she reached the dream team level and realized that it was not all about providing an experience and making people happy. From the classic maid uniform to the tone of that highest privileged experience of serving the Chairman and his guests, it was clear that it was about the elites flashing their elevated status by having the best wait staff at their beck and call. It paid extremely well but she did not think it was worth prostrating your pride on the alter of social narcissism. It was disillusioning for her. So when she decided to quit the King Hotel and create her own experience it made sense. But I was not a fan of the cliff hangar where it made the viewer think she was going to break up with him for his or her own good. I hate that trope and it just so happened that was the episode I was ending on for that night. It was a good and surprising twist but not one I was fond of.

I loved Sa-rang’s grandmother, Cha Soon-hee (Kim Young-ok) is a character that is always in lead girl’s camp, strongly supporting her in all she does. Soon-hee plays the elder in many dramas but thus very cantankerous exterior was a new twist on her usual much more amiable roles. Social status did not intimidate her or overly impress her and she felt her granddaughter was invaluable and not someone to be won with mere money and social status. Her relationship with Won was endearing. Although she made it hard to win her favor, once she decided he was the one she was proud and happy to have him as her grandson in law. It was cute he tried so hard but also that he seemed to genuinely care for her and felt like her trials were reasonable as he understood it reflected the deep caring and love she had for her grandchild.

I did not feel like the story between Won’s parents made a lot of sense. She was supposedly his great love where he was willing to buck social traditions, and be with her, but the minute she did something his father seriously disapproved of not only did he abandon their relationship, but he stole her son and cast her out. They never showed who the wife of his daughter was (his other wife and someone that was socially acceptable) and that might’ve helped explain how that whole situation went down. It just did not make sense that somebody who loved another enough to go against society would so easily give up on them. Later when she comes back, he doesn’t seem to have any remorse over what happened in the past, and instead sort of doubles down on the way he is with his son until the very end when he does have a slight reversal. On has a brief touching encounter with his mom but, other than her attendance at the wedding, we do not get to see the mother and son grow closer. Overall the way that played out did not do justice to the build up to that point. .

The other minor plot flaw was how much it showed her roommate and friends unfair treatment at work without significant satisfaction is seeing them flip the script. I mean the airline stewardess revealed who the ex was and kicked him in his sensitive parts (which he well deserved) but you never saw her make that next level. There was significant screen time devoted to jer desire to become purser and how she was continually passed over unfairly. The romance with her friend and fellow flight attendant was bonus level but it would have been good to see some positive resolve to her unfair work situation. Her other friend had a dead beat husband who she got back at but it never seemed like she had the relationship with him she deserved.

When Won’s sister gets in a verbal altercation with her soon to be ex husband and he slaps her, I was shocked and not okay with that scene. It played through like she had it coming but I personally do not think partners should be physically violent with each other, She slaps him back and that was slightly satisfying but still, men should not hit women in general. Now if it is some psycho woman who started things, and he has no choice, then defending himself is acceptable. But that was not the case, he was angry she bought his girlfriend off and slapped her. Men are built more robustly than women and have greater muscle mass so they should protect not harm.

#KingtheLand
#ImYoonAh
#LeeJunHo

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Heart Sizzling Romance that will hit all your feels

This is a 2023 Chinese romantic drama with 25, 45 minute episodes. It is adapted from the web novel entitled “Secretly. Secretly but unable to hide it”.

First I will provide an original synopsis then review

Synopsis

Sang Zhi (Zhao Lu Si) is your typical younger sister who engages in all the standard sibling rivalry but acually looks up to and relies on her older brother a lot. Her older brother, Sang Yan (Victor Ma) brings his best friend, Duan Jia Xu (Chen Zhe Yuan) over a lot to hang out and play video games. The spirited Sang Zhi is immediately drawn to the kind and more tolerant than her big brother, Jian Xu. She asks him to help her with some trouble she is having at school and that sets the stage for a relationship of quasi sibling hood that develops between the two. He becomes like her second brother but the good brother who never torments her. Amd she is like the mischievous amd charming little sister he never had. After all she is five years his junior and a kid still in school while he is in college. As the years go by and their relationship deepens, Sang Zhi is the first to realize the feelings she has are not at all sisterly. As things develop you realize the spark was always there and these two, who have hidden their feelings from long, even from themselves, are unable to force an ending only because of their beginning.

Review

Overall it is one of the best romantic comedy dramas I have ever watched and I am currently at over 270 Asian dramas, mostly romance, watched. There is a reason the majority of reviews are overwhelmingly positive. If you like coming of age, age gap, she falls first but then he falls harder, romances this one is perfect for all of that. If you like a lot of intrigue and plot twists then this may not be as much your ideal. The chemistry between the two leads is so on point it would be easy to understand them dating in real life. Both actors are amazing and you really feel every emotion they go through.
Spoilers*
I read several reviews where people were worried that Zhao Lu Si might be in a role where she suffers as a character, that is how much people like this actress. So for those that worry about that it is not like that. She does have some scenes where she is heart broken but they more than make up for it later. So your favorite actress is not going to be in some Nicholas Sparks like Greek tragedy. It is very heart warming and she plays the role spectacularly as I am sure, if you are a fan, you would expect.
I did not feel like the age gap was large at all. I did wonder how they would transition from their brother/sister like relationship to a romantic one but it actually made sense. It was like he also had hidden feelings for her way earlier than he even admitted to himself. They were very soul mate like so it is not at all hard to envision them gravitating toward each other. Once the brother got over the fact that his best friend was attracted to his little sister it seemed he picked up on just how perfect they were for each other. This was apparent when the brother actually stuck up for them a bit with the parents by going with Jia Xu and nodding his approval in the background.
Personally I identified with the sibling relationship between the brother and sister. My brother is 5 years older than me and our relationship was much like theirs. I did date one of his friends and he dated several of my friends (I called him the friendship killer). The difference was he actually trusted his friends to date me more than someone he didn’t know. He really should not have because his friend was one of the worst people I ever dated and I only dated just that one of his friends. So I could see where it could go either way. Of course I did not date his best friend, the one he trusted acting on his behalf, I dated just a regular one of his friends. It may have been different, and my brother may have felt betrayed more, if it was his best friend. But, because my situation was very similar I could really relate to that sibling relationship and I am sure others would as well. It was a very nice part of the series to explore that relationship.
I did not get the age gap thing being an issue once she was an adult. Five years is not a huge age gap it is within most normal ranges. The girl that played the younger Sang Xi (Zhang Xi Wei) did a fabulous job but did not look 14, she looked much younger. So, it did make the age gap seem a lot larger in their younger years. They did a remarkable job with Zhao Lu Si making her look younger than her actual years by just changing her hairstyle and makeup.
There were no compelling 2nd or 3rd romances and the love triangle was not that persistent. But the romance between the lead characters was so intense none of that was needed. It would have been nice to see the brother with someone and they did drop a hint about something when he knew so much about birthing centers and that never bore out.
I think the second most heart warming and interesting relationship was between the brother and sister. He called her “Little Demon” which was so cute as it reflected that kind of playful rivalry siblings can have for the parent’s affection. She was your typical little sister and he was very much within how most older brothers are. It also reflected what I understand about the shifting view of daughters in China. There were so few females at one point because of the one child policy and favoring boys during those times that daughters actually became precious once the policy opened up. There was a part where she was having a really hard time on her internship and she just wanted her brother. But, it showed he was accepting her relationship and even embracing it when he said you have Jia Xu.
I loved what a warrior to his defense she became when anyone was “bullying” Jia Xu. He had such a hard life because of the horrible incident surrounding his father that I wanted nothing but happiness for him. When the crazy daughter of the man who was hit and killed by Jia Xu’s father threw water at him and she, without hesitation, turned and threw water right back at her I cheered. I also loved that she made it clear to him that she did not all feel the sins of the father were his own. She even was willing to combat her brother when he beat him up. I was a bit angry with her brother for doing that as well and was disappointed when they seemed to lie about him hitting him back. The cut away scene when they showed that he actually did hit him back was a perfect way to wrap that up. I was glad he did not lie to her even to protect her brother.
In other dramas I have been disappointed when the lead would be made to distance themselves because the parents did not approve so I loved that she even took her parents on for him by leaving early when their harsh words drove him away. In really good relationships, the significant other is the first person you can count on being on your side and having your back. The depth of their relationship and connection was apparent in the fact that you could see they were hurt too when the other one was hurt either physically or mentally.
There was a separation, but it made complete sense. He was going back to her hometown to set things up for their future. And neither of them were okay with it but went through it as they knew it was the best in the long run. The scene at the airport where she wanted every last second with him and he indulged her because he actually wanted it too was so cute. I loved that they did not follow the tired trope of I must go away and I am just okay abandoning you in the middle of a deep relationship. And the reason the person is going away is usually inane and you feel like yeah I get you want to do that but why do you insist on doing it now. Or can’t you just do that with the person you love? This wasn’t like that. His going was actually because he knew how important her relationship with her family was to her and there was no reason he couldn’t resettle there as he no longer had a family tying him to his hometown. He also was taking steps to make their financial future more secure. And he wanted to make her parents more comfortable with his ability to provide and take care of her. So all of the reasons he had were good ones.
The proposal scene was just beautiful. I was fully tricked by his surprise as well. It was really sweet and seeing her family there just beaming about it was very heart warming. It was clear that they fully accepted it and that he was now going to be a part of that loving family.

#HiddenLove
#ZhaoLuSi
#VictorMa
#ChenZheYuan

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Had potential

Also known by the titles “Hi” and “Welcome”. This is a 2020 Fantasy Romantic Drama with 24, 30 minute, episodes.

Kim Sol-Ah (Shin Ye-eun) has an artistic mind and an active imagination and works at an ad agency but dreams of writing Webtoons. She categorizes people as either dog like people or cat like people. She thinks she prefers dog like people because cats are generally quiet and independent. When the boy she has had feelings for since high school (10 years), Lee Jae-sun (Seo Ji-hoon) suddenly returns Sol-ah finds herself thrown back into longing for the guy who broke her heart by suddenly leaving and having anither girlfriend. It is a mystery as to why he kissed her and acted like he wanted to be with her and then suddenly left. Friends before the brief interlude Sol-Ah falls back into the pattern of friendship all the while wondering what happened and wanting more. Jae-sun seems relatively cold toward her but does not say why. Seo Ji-hoon newest ex brings a cat they both had and says she can’t keep it and for him to take it back. . The problem is he’s very allergic to cats so Sol-ah steps up and says she will keep the cat while he finds another place for it. What she doesn’t know is this is no ordinary cat. Something about being around Sol-ah makes the cat turn into a human. Suddenly this strange boy is appearing around Sol-ah. When she finds the stranger in her house she mistakes him for her step brother she never met but is to share a house with. She renames the cat Hong-jo and decides to keep hi. As her feelings grow for the cat she begins to feel an attachment for her new housemate as well. As she grows more distant from Jae-sun he discovers he still has feelings for her after all. Who will Sol-ah choose?

spoiler ? I started out liking this one really well. The premise was interesting and I like the supernatural aspect. I was also really happy when the lead girl did not continue to pine after someone that did not seem to have any feelings for her. I thought the relationship she developed with the cat was one any animal lover could understand. They sort of creep into your heart even if you don’t really mean for them to. It was a little harder to understand how she developed such a deep connection when he turned into human form. While I was happy to see her able to move on and not long for somebody that didn’t seem to want her, it was sad for her to love so deeply someone she could never be fully with. When the second guy actually came around and you found out his backstory I found out I was rooting for him too. There were several ways this could’ve ended happily but, for me, it made me feel really sad towards the end and I was not happy with the way it ended. In fact I would’ve found it much better and rated it much higher if I wasn’t as disappointed with the ending as I am. For those that don’t mind endings a little sad it may not bother them as much but I don’t like ending a series I otherwiseI enjoyed on a sad note. It had “Pirates of the Caribbean” Syndrome in terms of a sad Situation. It reminded me of how I felt about “Absolute Boyfriend” where the ending had me irritated - it felt like such a waste.

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One of the better Josean era dramas, even pokes fun at some of the over used tropes

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Romantic comedy drama with 16, 60 minute episodes

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Shim Jung-woo (Rowoon) is still salty about being “sold” into marriage into the royal family. To make things worse his new wife, the Princess, died from poison on the eve of their wedding. Which locks him into celibate bachelorhood and makes it so he has way too much time on his hands. He is known as the grouchy Prince (resentful man) as he uses his exceptional intellect to ensure no one else is having fun either (in the guise of upholding strict Josean law). Jung Soon-deok (Cho Yi-hyun) loved her husband but is a young widow locked in the role of little madam as the second daughter-in-law of the Left State Councilor. She prefers to use her skills as a matchmaker to playing lady of the house. Fate lands these two unlikely accomplices in league to get three old maidens married in order to manipulate the politics to allow the young crown prince to marry. Neither should be interested in anyone romantically as social tradition ties them to their deceased spouses. Will the two succeed in their unlikely task of getting all three old maids wed? Will their hearts abide by the dictates of society?

Review

One of the better Josean dramas I have seen. It even pokes fun at some of the tropes such as the “I love You So I am Going To Leave You” trope. Rowoon is always a joy to watch, he can play such a diversity of characters well. Multiple romances in this, as would be expected given the topic, and they all end well. It is entertaining throughout and ends happy. I recommend to fans of either of the main leads, Josean drama fans, those that like a little action, and a little mystery and not an overwhelming amount of politics. If it was on, I would watch it again and I recommend it as an excellent drama.

Spoilers

I liked the “resentful” man angle and was a little disappointed to find he was not coerced into the marriage. It was less appealing to me that he actually loved the Princess. I thought him being forced made his intractable nature more understandable.

The character growth in this was amazing. The King, for example, I did not think I would like him but he turned out to be one of the best characters. The way he saved both Jung-woo and Sein-dook in the end was heart warming. It was clear he grew to love and appreciate Jung-woo as not only a close trusted advisor but like another son. The queen was also an awesome character in the way she lived her son and how kind she was to others. The young Crown Prince was bright, wise and kind. The royal family in this series is one of few royal families, in Josean dramas, I have liked.

Soon-deok’s mother-in-law (MIL) was purely evil and I know it was supposed to be her punishment was being alone but I would have liked to have seen her seriously punished. Or for her to come around, accept her daughter’s choice, and allow her daughter-in-law to have a life. I was disappointed Soon-deok did not see her MIL’s tweet true character sooner. She admired her through most of the series even when many of the things she was doing were underhanded and evil. I got she was being filial but there were points when I wish she had stood up to her or turned away from her more.

It ending with Jung-woo and Soon-deok just having a magical romance, a courtship, prior to marriage was a little unsatisfying. After all they had gone through to be able to be together, ending in their marriage would have felt more “happily ever after” than we are just going to essentially date and marry later.

#KimSeokWoo

#Rowoon

#TheMatchmakers

#ChoYiHyun

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If you like simple, sweet, heart warming coming of age drama this is a must watch

is my rating. This is a 2023 Chinese romantic drama with 24, 30-40 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Su Zaizai (Zhang Miaoyi) and Zhang Lurang (Zhou Yiran) are complete opposites in personality. Where Zhang Lurang is cold and aloof, Su Zaizai is social and friendly. That doesn’t stop Zaizai from developing an instant crush on Zhang Lurang when they have a chance encounter at a corner store on a rainy day. Zaizai begins to persistently put herself in Zhang Lurang’s sphere to get his attention and win his friendship. Zaizai turns out to be just what Zhang Lurang needed to help him break out of his cold, lonely shell. Tolerance becomes friendship then evolves to something more.

Review

This is one of the most heart warming romantic comedies I have ever seen. The main romance is credible, well paced, believable and incredibly sweet. The bonus, second couple romance, is also very touching. So many interesting relationships between the friends and family. If you like heart warming romances, coming of age, or friends to lovers then you should definitely add this to your watch list.

Spoilers

Zhang Lurang’s mother was a tiger mom to the extreme. Her expectations were so unreasonably high she was not satisfied her son was a top student. His lack of self confidence and shy/withdrawn nature was the consequence of his mother’s extreme behavior. It is harmful to compare one person to another in a negative way. Does it happen in real life. Absolutely. My spouse was subjected to that same lens and had many emotional problems as a result.

To watch Zaizai’s sunny persistence draw Zhang Lurang out of his protective cocoon was a delight to watch. In one part someone said your girlfriend is clingy and he corrected them saying he was the one who was clingy. Later they commented all the women were after him romantically yet he never wavered. It made perfect sense because she literally saved him from himself and he said as much.

There were occasions where the group of five were together just enjoying their friendship and being young and I loved it. It is a gift to have people like that in your life.

I loved how all the kids loved the one friend’s grandmother. They hung out at her restaurant and she fed them good food


#ZhangMiaoyl
#ZhouYiran

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Love knows no borders

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2019/2020 South Korean television drama with 16, 70-110 minute episodes.

Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) has lived the life of a Princess as a chaebol heiress to one of the largest conglomerates in South Korea. She is the only daughter and has always been somewhat of a black sheep leading her to form her own successful fashion sporting goods line. She has two older brothers who would be the logical successors to her father, however, he does not feel like his sons have what it takes to run the business. He announces his plan to have his daughter, Se-ri, run the company when he retires and plans to announce it at the next shareholder meeting. Se-ri is excited to have proven herself and vows to wrap up her own business and put it under management with just one final campaign. To test a flight suit she goes paragliding in Seoul and a freak weather event, with tornadic winds, blows her off course into North Korea's portion of the demilitarized zone. Having lived a pampered life she does not, at first, realize how dangerous the situation she has found herself in is. As luck would have it, she is discovered on patrol by Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) who is from a powerful North Korean family and is serving as a Captain in the Korean People's Army. Unlike Se-ri he knows all too well what might happen if she was turned in to the North Korean military police. After some reluctance he decides to protect her and help her get back to South Korea. Meanwhile, Se-ri's family, particularly her brothers, assume her dead, and began competing for the role of their father's successor. When they find out Se-ri is alive by chance, they conspire to keep her from returning to South Korea. Meanwhile Jeong-hyeok has been trying to solve the mystery surrounding his brother's death and winds up with an enemy in common with Se-ri who is determined to expose them both. Although Jeong-hyeok is engaged to a North Korean heiress, there is no love in the arrangement, and he finds himself drawn to Se-ri and she to him.
spoilers*. I like the glimpse into North Korean life that this show gives. It illustrates how people all over the world are very much the same in that we want good things for our kids, to have loving friends, and see the people around us happy and healthy. In the beginning, when the female lead first landed in North Korea I liked how they did not immediately befriend her but had a debate about what to do with this person who was possibly an enemy. It felt like they went through the same type of discovery and found that they had fewer differences and more similarities. I liked all the young military men and how loyal they were to each other and to their captain. I thought it was interesting how she found a way to fit in with the local women and came to be friends with them. The male leads fiancé and him were in an arranged marriage and it was interesting to see the conflict as he started to fall in love with someone. It also delved into love versus obsession and there was a lot of character growth on all of their parts. The female lead started as a spoiled and “Picky Princess“ but she learned through being around people that had so much less than she did yet still found ways to enjoy life and each other that she did not need all those things she had back in South Korea. I thought the way her family had very little love between them as they were too busy fighting for control of the company showed the way when the focuses is on the material a lot of the joyous things in life are lost. I would’ve scored this even higher but I was, unlike a lot of people, disappointed in the ending as I thought they might find a way to be together either her going to North Korea or him defecting to South Korea. I thought perhaps there was an angle with her being rich and them wanting her money as the father had mentioned. It turned out in the end that they were only able to be together in SwitzerlandJust a couple weeks out of the year. I was also disappointed that the side couple never got to be together because he wound up dying around the time he finally came around and redeemed himself. I still feel like it is Netflix influence that makes it so the females in these act as if they don’t need a man in their life. That is a very modern Western concept. I know some people would say there are families that live that way and that is considered a normal type of ending or at least one possible ending. To me I watch stuff not to see the harsher parts of life play out, I like the happily ever after stories as I think life is hard enough as it is. Still it was very good and very well written with excellent actors. The chemistry between the couples was very believable and the friendships were heartwarming. I highly recommend this to anyone that wants a glimpse into North Korean lifestyle as I understand there were many North Koreans who provided information and insight for the script so while it is still a movie and not entirely based on facts a lot of the major elements such as power outages, house searches, and a lack of technology for most people I understand accurately portrays life for many North Koreans.

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I wanted to Like it More

7.5 out of 10 is my rating. This is a 2012 South Korean TV show with 16, 30-60 min, episodes. Shi-Won (Jung Eun-ji) is a fangirl in the 1990s of a boy band called H.O.T. Flash forward to her at 33 years old and nearing a reunion, her and her 5 friends in high school recall what was like for them all back then. Yoon Yoon-je (Seo In-juk) is the younger of two brothers who grew up with Shi-won when his parents died. Shi-won’s parents were best friends of Yoon-je‘s parents and became like mother and father to the two boys when their parents died. Yoon Tae-Woong was in love with and fiancée to Shi-won’s older sister who died tragically. Tae-Woon later shows romantic interest in Shi-won. Yoon-je also loves Shi-won but feels his brother, who sacrificed so much for him, should not bear heartbreak again so he puts his feelings aside. Friendship, love triangles and flashes back to the 90's lots of interesting elements.

Spoiler ? I was very lukewarm about this one. I found myself waiting for it to get over. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it either. It was a little bit like the United States television show "How I Met your Mother" in that it started in the future and had you wondering who Shi-won's husband was. They kept teasing you with it and you couldn’t figure out which one of the guys she was married to. Then in a series of extended flashbacks you get the story slowly throughout the episodes. Of course there are love triangles and side romances and also bromances and all of that was good. It ended the way I like them to end where I knew what was going on with all the characters. I did not particularly like the type of relationship the two that wind up together had. It was the sort of bickering and fighting that makes you wonder if they even like each other sort of relationship. The chemistry was there but the way they portrayed the relationship was hard to envision them lasting long term. One of the side couples would have been cute but they were constantly breaking up or saying they were going to break up which made them not seem that into each other either. It made me wonder what the writers idea of a good relationship is. It focused a little bit on the fan girl angle but I didn’t feel like I knew a whole lot more about that after having watched this. There were also some weird things like when the sister died I had to read some other reviews to even figure out that that was Shi-won's sister. They never showed the sister as a really being part of the family they always showed her doing things other than with the family. Then when she died suddenly and unexpectedly there was really only one passing comment about it made by the dad. And the fiancé, Tae-woon, it did not really show him going through much grief either. It made me wonder why they even bothered to include that storyline except for later when he falls for Shi-won she wonders and you wonder as well if it’s just because she reminds him of the sister. Shi-won even asked Tae-woon if he liked her because she reminds her of her sister and he said that’s not the reason. Which, if that is the case, there was no reason to even have the sister be part of the story. To me there were just a lot of elements like that that didn’t hold together or add interest. I would definitely not recommend this highly or even to get a feel for the genre or time. If you like movies told In flashback then perhaps you would like this better than I did. One thing it does well is keep you hanging on who she ends up with.

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Did not enjoy and would not re-watch. It's iconic so perhaps worth the watch for that

7.5/10 is my rating. This is 2016 South Korean TV series with
16, 60 minute, episodes. Hong Seol (Kim Go Eun) is a university student who wants to make it through college with as little drama as possible. That all changes when she notices that her Sunbae, senior, Yoo Jung (Park Hae-Jin) does things that are psychotic in nature. Those around her do not see it and she seems to be alone in noticing his dark actions. Ironically the fact that Hong Seol can see through him causes Yoo Jung to be strangely attracted to her. Yoo Jung is wealthy and used to those around him using him for his money.

spoiler ? I liked elements of this. I found the side romances a lot cuter than the main one. I like the friendships a lot. Now it’s a bit of a spoiler. I found it hard to believe with him as cold and vindictive as he could be that someone with a personality that started out as sweet as Seol would find him attractive. The things he did would fall under a sociopath. I think they were trying to sell that someone with those attributes could change. I really liked the second guy. At first I thought I would be disappointed that she didn’t end up with him but in the long run I decided she changed so much that she became a lot like the main male lead. I understood that he’d been hurt by those closest to him as a child but still could not excuse things like watching as his essentially younger brother was beat up and his hand injured. I know he said some things that weren’t exactly nice but kids say things like that sometimes. And I was really shocked later on when he would do things to get back at somebody that was way beyond what they had actually deserved and Seol seemed OK with it. And after all of that for it to end not really knowing for sure if he ever came back into her life felt like a real waste of time. I mainly just felt sorry for the siblings and the way that they were used and the fact that the father never really loved them as children but was simply using them as playmates for his son. It was a very twisted story way too much for me to like it very much. I probably rate this a lot lower than some others because I’m not super sympathetic with people that treat other people poorly so I couldn’t feel sympathy for some of the characters like I think they expected and that lessened my enjoyment a lot. I also got to where I did not like Seol a lot anymore because the way that she changed and became very cold towards the people in her life was very off putting to me it was almost as if they wanted you to believe she had become a sociopath herself. This is not one I would watch again nor recommend.

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Great time travel crime drama

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean crime drama based on true murders (Hwaseong serial murders). It consists of 16, ~60 minute, episodes.

While on the trail of a killer (they avoided calling them serial killers) in 1986, detective Park Gwang-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) is attacked and when he comes to and emerges from a tunnel he is in 2016. Those he left behind are left wondering what happened to him. He does not, at first, realize he has time traveled and goes to his station where he encounters Kim Seon-jae 9Yoon Hyun-min) an elite lieutant detective who has more rank than respect from his fellow ditectives (the old made an officer versus worked your way up through the ranks controversy). Shin Jae-yi (Lee Yoo-young) is a consult on the cases as a "visiting"/cooperating criminal profiler. When Gwang-ho realizes he is in a different time he is able to blend in a there was a detective, due to report, who had the same name. No-one, including, Gwang-ho knows what happened to that detective (but it seems he thinks it may be tied to the whole time travel event - they never directly say that but that is what it seems like).

I really like this. It was suspenseful the whole way through. The clues were intriguing and there were lots of plot suprises. The filmography was great as you really got a sense of the different times from the way the way the footage was shot. A great crime drama!

#Tunnel
#ChoJinHyuk
#LeeYooYoung

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If you are not focused just on the romance, it is a great supernatural series

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean Dark Fantasy, Action Legal thriller. With 14, 60-73 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then a review

Synopsis

Judge Kang Bit-na (Park Shin-hye) is mysteriously stanbed to death in a park and erroneously winds up before Hell’s judge, Justitia (Oh Na-ra). Justitia does not like humans nor does she feel any empathy for the murder victim who was before her by accident so she sends her to hell. This angers Bael (Shin Sun-rok), a major demon who is essentially second in charge of Hell. To punish her, Bael forces her to inhabit Kang Bit-na’s body and identify ten evil amd remorseless sinners who do not get full punishment through the justice system and send them to hell. eternal punishment. She only has one year or her existence will be snuffed out by Bael. During the course of serving as a human judge, Justitia/Bit-na encounter Han Da-on (Kim Jae-young) a violent crimes detective, who becomes suspicious of the judge when he notices many of those who appear before her meet an early demise.

Review

This was a fresh take on sins and judgements and the role of supernatural characters such as demons and angels.  It reminded me of a book series I read by Piers Anthony "Incarnations of Immortality" where every role, God, Satan, Grim Reaper were just jobs.  I found the Hell's judgement aspect of this series very interesting.  Who wouldn't like to think that those truly evil among us might experience an "eye for an eye" type punishment.   It was entertaining throughout.  Well-acted.  And ended reasonably well.  I might watch it again and highly recommend it to fans of the genre.  It's not as strong in terms of the romance but very strong as a supernatural drama. 

Spoilers

Like so many others my main critique was with the romance element.  I did not dislike that it had a romance running through it felt like an afterthought in many ways. It would have felt more integrated if the ending had not been so nebulous.  Does she love him enough to stay behind and be human or not?  I thought the chemistry was fine between the leads but it was just hard, in general, to envision someone so strongly enamored with justice being okay with a partner that is essentially a serial killer.  She was just doing her job and wasn't going after anyone that did not deserve it, but the absolute joy she exhibited in carrying out the brutal and grisly punishments was disturbing.  It was like a serial killer that found a sanctioned purpose for what they already enjoyed doing. The main guy was so good that pairing him with someone who could kill anyone in that manner was just a hard match up to buy. 

It also made no sense why she would be offered the chance to essentially send 10 to hell in exchange for becoming human.  What did it benefit hell to grant her such a thing?  She would have had to carry out her job whether or not she was rewarded.

They seemed to leave it open for there to be another season.  It ended, they were together, but it could be only temporary (three years and she is on her last year when it ends) depending on whether or not she decides to become human.  I don't like nebulous ending.  I know streaming platforms like to do that so they have the option of additional seasons if it is popular.  But it breaks what is great about South Korean shows where you know generally there will be one season.  And there isn't this open-ended decision about future seasons or not. 

#TheJudgeFromHell. #ParkShinHye #OhNaRa #ShinSunRok #KimJaeYoung

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