My Lovely Sam-soon is a 2005 kdrama rom-com whose lead is a brassy pastry chef named Kim Sam-soon played with gusto by Kim Sun-ah. Sam-soon starts the series being cheated on then dumped. Her public emotional reaction is watched by the spoiled cool President of Bon Appetit restaurant named Hyun Jin-heon, played by Hyun Bin. Sam-soon ends up involved with Hyun Jin-heon and their courtship ups and downs are the basis for this appealing show.
What I liked about the show a) Kim Sam-soon is a bit raw and willing to take risks for her career, family and love. She is the star of the show and the actress portrays Kim Sam-soon with appeal. Even when yelling, you see Kim Sam-soon cares through her passion. b) Hyun Jin-heon is one cool customer and the fact he is drawn Kim Sam-soon takes a while for him to accept. Once he is "all in" the relationship, he has his own quiet charm. c) Kim Sam-soon's mother and sister are embodied with similar zest and the ensemble family works. Hyun Jin-heon's devotion and respect (and some terror) for Kim Sam-soon's mother is wonderful to see. I want to karaoke with that family. d) Refreshingly the obstacles to their relationship didn't annoy me (unlike many kdramas). His mother, his ex-girlfriend, her ex-boyfriend, etc. were written so that they impeded but mattered to the evolution of their relationship. e) No subtitles needed when character Dr. Henry Kim was on screen (played by American born Korean actor Daniel Henney). I'd love to know how accurate the subtitles were for the English dialog. f) The first kiss scene sizzles and in a nutshell reflects the characters.
What I did not like about the show a) Fat? Kim Sam-soon is supposed to be fat in this series. She may be a couple of dress sizes larger than the other actresses, but she is in no way fat. The actress reportedly gained 15 pounds for the role. The references to size only heightened my awareness how thin all the other actors were. b) The "I hate my name" storyline never resonated with me.
