A wonderful feel-good romp

I had no idea what to expect going into this one and I was delightfully surprised. This is feel-good romantic comedy—with a little mystery, suspense, and action thrown in--and I absolutely loved it. Petite, doe-eyed Park Bo Young was perfect for the role of Do Bong Soon. Her diminutive stature and schoolgirl innocence fit the part perfectly and she was a delight to watch. Her chemistry with Park Hyung Shik as Min Hyuk was terrific, and they looked wonderful together. Kim Ji Soo was also good as the brooding cop who discovers too late that he let the love of his life slip away.

The rest of the cast is also good. I can only imagine how wild it must have been filming some of this stuff. How anyone kept a straight face is beyond me. Kim Won Tae goes completely over the top in the dual roles of gangster Kim Kwang Bok and the swishy Oh Dol Pyu. It is hilarious in places and cringeworthy in others, but he held absolutely nothing back. Jang Mi Kwan was super creepy as the villain Kim Jang Hyuk. All in all, it was a wonderful ensemble they assembled for this production.

A couple of special shout outs: First, to the team that created the subtitles. I watched this show on Viki and the translation to English was wonderful, often explaining the double meanings, alliteration, word play, and cultural references in the Korean dialog. Outstanding! Second, I don’t normally pay much attention to the OST, but I immediately recognized the voice of Jeong Eun Ji singing the “Secret Garden” love theme. What an amazing talent.

So what kept me from rating this one a “10”? Some of the other reviews have complained a bit about the jarring contrast between the mostly happy, cartoonish theme, the bumbling gangsters, and the violence and gore related to the dark, sinister bad guy. I have to agree with that. If there were a machine to create the perfect drama, I would use it to tweak the settings on this one. I would dial back the violence and darkness a bit, dial back the cutesy on romantic lead Min Hyuk just a little and the shreeking campiness of the queen Dol Pyu a little more. I would also dial back the Keystone cops effect on the bumbling mobsters just a little bit, add a dash more of grandma, and a little less of Bong Soon’s mom beating up on her dad. However, these are all mostly quibbles. Don’t let any of it stop you from watching this wonderful show.

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A bit of a disappointment

This show, which was highly rated by some of my favorite MDL reviewers, didn’t live up to expectations. While it did evade some of the worst K-drama tropes—like a breakup only to makeup in the final act, or overbearing in-laws for whom social status is much more important than love when it comes to marriage—the story offered nothing to replace them with. The one bit of suspense was confusing and far-fetched (memory transference?!!), and the inevitable romance plodded along, albeit pleasantly, to the end.

After having seen Park Seo Joon in the lead role now in two K-dramas (Itaewon Class and this one) I have to say I’m not a fan. I find it very hard to connect with his characters. His Lee Yeong Joon is such a colossal jerk through the first 4 episodes that I found the very idea of the angelic Secretary Kim (played by Park Min Young) falling for him exasperating considering what he’d put her through for the previous 9 years. And even though Yeong Joon mellowed out in the second half, I never really recovered. His narcissism was at times self-mocking and played to comedic effect, while at other times—like when we heard his internal monologue—he appeared to be disturbingly self-absorbed. In either case, the cringeworthy “aura” humor wore thin rather quickly. I also found his transformation from complete jerk to compassionate, considerate boyfriend beyond belief.

The angelic Park Min Young played Secretary Kim (Kim Mi So) and did a good job with what she had to work with. She was absolutely lovely, but all she was asked to do was be pretty and sweet and flash her startled doe-eyed look a few times per episode. The real stars of this show were in the supporting cast. Kang Ki Young had all the best lines and absolutely nailed the part of Yeong Joon’s only friend, President Park You Shik. He was hilarious, and his interactions with and his secretary Ma Eum (Kim Ye Won) were highlights of the show. Other characters shined too, like Bong So Ra (Hwang Bo Ra) and her wacky relationship with Secretary Yang (Kang Hong Suk), and Kim Ji Ah (Pyo Ye Jin) and office heartthrob with a secret, Go Gwi Nam (Hwang Chang Sung).

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A sweet love story

I'd been putting off watching this one for a while, fully expecting it to be one non-stop tear-jerker. The tragic premise--a recently deceased young mother returns to her grieving husband and young son and spends a rainy season healing them enough to continue life without her--with Son Ye Jin starring as the young mother Im Soo Ah, was the perfect recipe for it. And while there were a few tears and some heartache, Be With You turned out to be much more. In the end, it is mostly a sweet, heartwarming love story about a family learning to cope with tragedy. It starts with a sweet fable, which then plays out in real life, and is followed by an epilog that sheds new light on all that had come before it. They combine to form a story that will stick with you long after the movie ends. Son Ye Jin is simply transcendent. She is a national treasure. So Ji Sub does a terrific job playing the heartbroken husband and loving father, Jung Woo Jin, with an understated grief, strength, and grace. Jung Ji Ho, who plays the young son Jung Ji Ho is marvelous too. This a very good movie, with a heartwarming love story. Don't miss.

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Wonderful, witty dialog in this must see K-drama

The production values (lighting, sound) of the this 2005 K-drama aren't quite up to today's standards, and it was a bit off-putting at first. I almost back-burnered show after the first episode or two, but there was something about it that dragged me in--so much so that I did something I've never done before: I binge-watched all 16 episodes in two days.

Kim Sun Ah plays the chubby, lovelorn Kim Sam Soon and is absolutely brilliant. A *very* young (22 or 23?) Hyun Bin plays her love interest, Hyun Jin Heon. His acting chops aren't up to Kim Sun Ah's, but he carries his part well enough. And I found his round, baby-face and wild hair somewhat amusing to see in light of how strikingly handsome a man he has grown up to be. (At times it is hard to believe that it's the same man who starred in Crash Landing On You.) The supporting actors are mostly terrific. I especially loved the hilarious interactions between the Chef Lee Hyun Moo (Kwon Hae Hyo) and Sam Soon's sister Yi Young (Lee Ah Hyun).

This is a great story, well told. The dialog is sharp and witty, often laugh-out-loud funny. For fans of K-drama, this should definitely be on your "must see" list.

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Potentially good drama spoiled by a lackluster performance

Middle of the road K-drama with pleasant, likeable leads with good chemistry that will resonate with anyone who has ever been "friend-zoned" or watched helplessly as an unrequited love interest falls into a poisonous relationship. However, everyone else will tire of this K-drama rather quickly.

Ha Ji Won is lovely as Oh Ha Na and her relationship with nice guy Choi Won (Lee Jin Wook) is very endearing and believable. But problems with the story start when the despicable ex-boyfriend Cha Seo Hoo (Yoon Kyn Sang) shows up. Of the nearly 40 K-dramas I've watched so far, Yoon Kyn Sang's performance as the ex-boyfriend Cha Seo Hoo is by far the most wooden and unengaging (if not downright irritating). I initially thought the problem was with the part as written, but as the story unfolded I became more convinced that it was Yoon Kyn Sang's performance that was lacking. There was just so much about him/his character that wasn't believable, and the chemistry between the actors Yoon Kyn Sang and Ha Ji Won was sorely lacking. How was the delightful, innocent character Oh Ha Na *ever* attracted to Cha Seo Hoo in the first place? And even if she suffered some momentary lapse of judgement, how did he manage to hang onto her with his stone-faced, emotionless demeanor? I just didn't buy their relationship at all, and I can only attribute it to Yoon Kyn Sang's stiff performance. By episode 10 I was so irritated that jumped ahead to see how the show ends, and I *never* do that. (Suffice it to say that what I learned allowed me to keep watching...)

Looking past the Cha Seo Hoo character and Yoon Kyn Sang's performance there was much to like about this show. At its heart, it is a story about a long-lasting friendship between two friends that love each other dearly and how it slowly transitions into something even deeper and more meaningful. Along the way it explores love in many of its shapes and colors--including infatuation, angst, romance, and an almost agape-type love--and how we can transition in and out of these in the course of a long term relationship. But with its problems, this K-drama is really just for those that remember the angst of young love and the feeling of being friend-zoned. Others will simply find it frustrating.

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