A Romance with a Watch that has a Leading Role

If living your life and falling in love resulted in the loss of life for the one you love but you could go back in time, would you do this to change the life of the lost loved one? Most would say yes. The series is about this scenario. Kim Hye Yoon's Im Sol tries over and over to save her love from death, but always fails. A nondescript watch is the time machine. The series details and narrates her attempts to save his life time and time again but always fails until she changes the narrative to where they never meet. All this in order to save his life. It's the tale of a GREAT love between two people.

I read some reviews before I started the series, and they were not flattering. While I can understand the weaknesses these reviews highlighted, my take is different. This series is a modern day Romeo and Juliet without the family anguish. Two people with such a great love for each other it withstood the test of time, space, death, and time travel.

The weaknesses that I saw were in the editing and somewhat in the writing. There is a lot of detail built into the time travel that can easily confuse the viewer. Im Sol goes back in time 3 times. Sometimes I wasn't sure if I was in the future or past. It didn't help that random scenes were thrown in periodically. In one regard I can understand as it helped to establish the strong connection between the two main characters and it also relieved the sadness and anguish (through comic relief and supporting character subplots) this storyline would inflict on the viewer. After all how much sadness can a viewer take before switching off? Some of the chaotic-ness of the storyline helps to bring the viewer along in the story. At least it did this for me as I never wanted to stop viewing.

If you're going to watch this, see it for what it is. A great love story of two people trying desperately to be together but fate just keeps interfering, yet they keep trying. I have to say kudos to the two main actors, Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon for their tremendous leading roles....nice!! This series had an amazing supporting cast as well. Song Geon Hee (smooth-like- butter, this actor is amazing!! I'm looking forward to future dramas with him), Jung Young Joo, Seo Hey Won, Kim Won Hye (three of my favorites from previous dramas, they did not disappoint), Baek In Hyun and Song Ji Ho added so much to the story and their loyalty to the main leads, and Heo Hyung Kyo was so so very evil. Well done to this amazing cast!!

I hope you give this series a chance. It does wander around a bit, and that is frustrating for the viewer. However, what it boils down to is the story of a great, GREAT love between two people. And who doesn't love a story like this?

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The First Rule of Fight Club is You Don't Talk About Fight Club

Not really my favorite type of Kdrama. But if you want to see Park Seo Joon get the s#@t beat out of him every other scene, then this is the drama for you. Same for Han So Hee. It was an action-packed fantasy thriller where the main star were the highly choreographed and graphic fight scenes. I rated this fairly high because I can appreciate the production value and the enormous amount of stunt work that had to go in to all the fight scenes. The acting was superb, The story line, both part 1 and 2 were well written, and the ending (the extra ending past the credits) was sublime. I was not expecting that at all! I also enjoyed seeing Kim Kang Min, a contestant on Physical 100, playing a guest role in it.

The only thing for me that I didn't like was all the fighting which came with lots of blood, and all the crunching and breaking sounds (kudos to the sound engineer). It was just too much. However, I realize it would not be the same without. it. It was a good Kdrama, just not my cup of tea. Out of the two parts, I enjoyed part one better. I enjoyed the historical sets and costumes. There also seemed to be more story than fighting. But, again, this is an action fantasy thriller, and it definitely lived up to that.

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Fun Reality Show Will Make You Hungry for More

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I tuned into this show, but it has turned out to be very enjoyable. These Korean celebrities are legitimately running a Korean restaurant in a tourist destination in Mexico. They are working hard making delicious food to serve their customers with little downtime while the restaurant is open. It didn't take long for tourists and locals to discover this great food and the restaurant stays packed. They even have a local, loyal dog who has adopted the restaurant as a place to hang. You will be craving Korean dishes once you watch this!! Most of these dishes I've eaten, and I can tell you they are delicious. Korean food is no joke...the best food!! I kept thinking that at some point customers would recognize that they are being cooked for and served by celebrities. Although this didn't happen as often as I thought it would, some did recognize V, Park Seo Joon, and Lee Seo Jin. A young customer even left a note on the receipt that said, "I love you Kim Tae Hyung." That was really precious! I didn't think Park Seo Joon could make me a bigger fan of his, but he is absolutely amazing in the kitchen as a chef!!! So versatile, and one of the calmest personalities ever! He is truly amazing! They all are, and I'm impressed at the English and Spanish they speak to the customers. I think the only disappointment in this production will be that Jinny's Kitchen will close one day. I truly believe with the popularity of Korean entertainment and culture today, there should be a Jinny's Kitchen open in every major city around the world with my city being the first. I know they would be enormously successful, and people could sit, enjoy food, drink, and good friends. Really these celebrities and/or production company should seriously think about this. It's a great business idea. If you haven't already tuned into this, give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Edit: Just finished the series, and it is delightful. Well worth watching!! The interaction of the cast members with each other is entertaining, but what really makes this good is Bacalar, Mexico, the customers, the food, and. how the cast interacts with all of these. I hope Jinny's Kitchen becomes a real business and establishes restaurants around the world. I hope this cast gets together again in another location for some more delightful fun and food, and it is filmed so we can go along on the ride.

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By the End it Was A Lovely Story

Well I came back and changed my initial rating, the headline, and adding an updated review after finishing this Kdrama. I left my initial review below which you can read if you want, or not. In the end, I enjoyed this story. While my connection with the two main leads ebbed and flowed, I really enjoyed the secondary plots the most, especially between Ji Seung and JaeWoon. Lee Kyung Han's Jae Woon was amazing. I really liked his character and thought he brought a lot to the drama as a whole. Although Jae Shin was made out to be such a cad for using the FL, I still liked his character especially as his story unfolded. I thought Yun Seung's support of her husband as he finds himself was amazing. How many people in real life would actually do that? What a great message. I loved the KLAR team, and how fun they were at work. I loved the three siblings and how much they supported each other.

I won't repeat my initial impressions about the two main leads and the beginning of their storyline. Most of the way through I was at odds with these two. I chalked it up to just a lack of chemistry between the two actors. However, around episode 12, I began to change my mind. I think seeing them in more playful scenes made the romance more believable. In the end I was rooting for them to get back together for that happy ending.

Two main things I loved about this drama were the fashions and the weather. I loved the clothes!! The costume director did an outstanding job here. I loved that it was set in the winter, so we saw lots of sophisticated winter fashion. Loved the long coats and scarves!! Loved the setting....I'm sure most was shot in Gangnam, I know the last scene was. The offices, the shops, the restaurants, the coffee places!! I really didn't like the advertisement they did for McDonalds. That added nothing to the storyline. There are still aspects of the story I didn't like because to me they didn't make sense, but overall it was a sweet story of coworkers falling in love.

First 4 episodes:
I've only watched the first 4 episodes, and although this felt like an interesting story at first, by the 4th episode it's turning into the same old thing. I'll add more to this review as I progress through. That is, if I do continue watching it. Just a few things that are bothering me.

First, the script. It appears so far this is the typical Kdrama trope that has been used a million times over. A tall, strong, handsome, wealthy ML falls for a pathetic FL and they have some sort of adventure together. This storyline plays out in the workplace where the FL is having a secret relationship with her boss who (unbeknownst to her) is getting married to another woman. As co-workers, the ML has a puppy-dog crush on the FL, but finds out about her relationship with the boss. Almost simultaneously he finds out the boss is engaged and getting married to another woman. His crush and protective instincts kick into overdrive. While his protectiveness sounds romantic, it really isn't coming off as such. It is more stalker-like, which I do not like a series projecting toxic behavior into something romantic and normal.

So why is the writing a problem? Believability and toxic masculinity
The ML, played by tall and handsome Ro Woon, is from a wealthy family who owns a department store (?? I think---nope, it is a wedding business). Why is this person working for another company instead of his family's business? This doesn't make sense.
He meets the FL while in college where he attends a career fair for the cosmetic company she represents. He is filling out an application when her stomach rumbles. Apparently he falls in love at this moment, sprints to a convenience store to buy her food, then while she is eating he guards the door so no one can disturb her lunch. So, stomach growling is now an aphrodisiac?? This doesn't make sense.
The ML is hired by the cosmetic company and the FL becomes his "trainer." His crush progresses to the point of obsession. He follows her around and this is how he finds about her relationship with the boss.
He engineers it so that she finds out that she is in fact the "other woman." Talks her into a fake relationship with him, and then proceeds to stalk her every move (under the guise of protecting her). The scene in the nightclub where he goes down on the floor to protectively stand behind her while she is dancing is awkward, stupid, and completely unbelievable. This really doesn't make sense.
I'm having a hard time with the level of obsessive, controlling, and stalking-like behavior in the ML being presented to the viewer as a loving, protective person. The way this role is written is toxic, and not loving by any stretch of the imagination.

A little about the FL. I saw this actress in Just Between Lovers with Lee Jun Ho and absolutely loved her, and loved the drama. For this part, she is doing as well as she can considering the unrealistic storyline. Her role is smart and career driven, which I like, but the pathetic side she has to carry out in order for the ML to "rescue" her stands in too much opposition to her role's personality. So, it doesn't make sense. Also, although I like both Won Jin Ah and Ro Woon as actors, I don't think they go together very well. I feel like she has more connection with the actor playing her boss, Lee Hyun Wook. I have a hard time hating him even though he deceived her because the two have more chemistry. Her wardrobe in the drama is superb---I love how they are styling her. Except for the shoes. So far she has been in high heels the entire time. I don't know if they don't fit her feet well, or if they are incredibly uncomfortable, but in some scenes she is walking very awkward. High heels can be tricky. Instead of walking where the heel meets the pavement first following by the foot and toe (the typical human gate), a female in high heels will plant the entire foot down all at once. This produces an abnormal stomp motion, rather than a smooth natural walk. That's what she is doing.

All in all, at this point its a bit of a disappointment.

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There is ANGST in coupling up

Singles Inferno 3 brought the drama big time, and for that reason, it has been my favorite season so far, and that is saying a lot as I just loved season 2. Love him, hate him, swoon, or wish to throw a drink in his face, Gwan-hee brought the drama. It was entertaining, and it got people fired up and responding to the show. It also supercharged the panel and they were highly entertaining in the commentary of Gwen-hee's antics.

Here are my PROS and CONS for this season:
PROS:
The twist of the two Infernos and mixing up the contestants in the beginning. Loved this! Just wish it would have gone a little longer.

Dex being part of the panel. He really brought an insightful and entertaining contribution to the show.

All of the panel!! I loved their commentary!!

Strong personalities in the cast. I loved Hye-seon and Ha-jeon, their confidence, and not being afraid to speak their mind to Mr. You-know-who when his ego and just all-round jerkness got out of hand.

The drama Gwan-hee brought to the show. Most of the time I wanted to slap him for stringing along the girls, but at the same time, what he brought to the show was highly entertaining.

CONS:
Paradise was BORING!!! All they did was sit in a hotel room and eat. Let them have real dates where they actually do stuff.

The flower petal hot tub scenes were the worst! All the couples were excruciatingly awkward and they were hard to watch. I think it was the producers attempt to bring sexiness to the show, but instead it was just cringey.

I miss the kitchen on the island and the cooking scenes.

While I loved the drama Gwen-hee and his trio of ladies brought to the show, for the most part it seemed staged and fake.

The women in heels and carrying a bag on the beach. Let them wear comfy beach clothing!!

Really good season with a good deal of drama that can't be beat. The panel adds their reaction to the events unfolding both on the island and in Paradise. They are funny and honest in their reactions to the contestants, and brought even more to the entertainment level of the series.

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