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Eom-ma Chin-gu A-deul (2024)
A sweet heart warming romance with surprising depth. Friends to lovers a favorite trope.
10/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 70-80 minute episodes.
First, I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min) seems to be living the perfect life abroad as a upper manager in a global company. Her career appers to be going well and she is doing well in her personal life with a prestigious international lawyer fiancé, Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo). Her mother, Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) has a lot to brag about she feels to her friend and rival Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam). Hye sook is the mother of Seok-ryu's friend, Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in), who she grew up with. When Seok ryu decides to return to South Korea suddenly to "reset" her life, she finds herself interacting with Seung-hyo frequently as their mothers are friends and they are in the same social circles. Mi sook is not happy with her daughter's decision to upend what she perceives as a perfect life path. Can Mi sook convince her family and friends she made the right choice? And what about her childhood friend who suddenly sees her as more?
Review
I read a lot of reviews before watching this and, there were a lot of positive reviews but there were also some more negative reviews. I have watched over 300 dramas now, mostly Korean but some Chinese, Tiawanese and Japanese dramas as well. I have watched all of the outstanding dramas so I am really picky when it comes to new dramas. But I loved this drama from start to finish. It has everything I love about a good drama. There are so many heartwarming moments with the family, the friendships, side romances, characters overcoming difficult situations, and of course, with the main couple that it is just a spectacular drama. I would watch it again, even seek it out, and I highly recommend it to anyone that is a fan of any of the actors (they all did outstanding, this type of drama, or are just fans of Korean drama in general.
Spoilers
Let me just say if you haven't watch this yet and are looking at reviews to decide if you want to, I envy you. Because, if you decide to watch this, I think you will very much enjoy it. You could be among the few that enjoyed it less. But I can see why the majority that I read, really loved it.
It ends very happy. The main couple are together, obviously well on the path to marriage, but, more than that we can see what their future life will be like together. They have a little fight in the end and we see how they will come through conflict like that. All of the side romances are either together or you can see very easily where those relationships are headed. There are some sad moments, but we don't live through the sad, it's just telling what happened in the past with her illness. So, it's what I like to call a happy sandwich. It starts happy, there is some sad event in the middle, but it ends happy. I do not like sad content and will avoid it like the plague but can deal with a little saddness as long as everything resolves and ends happy. I don't need a rehash of life where that is not always the case, life is usually what I am trying to take a mental break from in watching dramas.
So many nice bonus romances in this. There is main guys mom and dad. Where she was an ambassador so focused on her career she forgot about her husband and son. They are on the verge of divorce, because they aren't communicating what is really going on with either of them, and then she has that alzheimer/dementia scare that brings home what their true feeling for each other are. That family had to do so much healing and the drama did a great job of taking us on that journey. Surprisingly the mom Seo Hye-sook (Jang Young-nam) was one of my favorite of the older, female characters.
Lead female character's mom, Na Mi-sook (Park Ji-young) and her emergency medical technician (EMT) friend's mom, Do Jae-sook (Kim Geum-soon) were what, through so many dramas, we come to expect with a drama mom. They are hyper controlling of their child's lives even into their 30s. I do not know how true to the culture that is. Asian friends have told me their moms are like that but I don't know if that is still super prevalant. I found lead female's mom infuriating at times. Even I, sitting in the 4th wall, knew there had to be something more to the female lead's sudden return thatn just a "reset". So the way she treated her, when she first came back, seemed abusive. But, it was a true character type. I knew an American mom that was very much like her. She so did not want her children to make the mistakes she made in her life, that she was completely intolerant of them trying anything remotely similar. They feel like they know the outcome. But two people can do the same thing with different results. It is just harder when you watch one of your children roll those type of dice.
I thought the romance between Jeong Mo-eum (Kim Ji-eun), and (Kang Dan-ho) was on par with the main romance. Not quite as good but reqlly close. She always liked superheroes and the whole "Mudflats Man" concept was cute. They were really very much alike. It was such a wonderful story and the thought they would both be raising the little girl was very wholesome. I felt annoyed when Moeum's mother was originally opposed to their relationship and even a bit cold to the little girl, but was glad she quickly came around.
I don't have to spend too much time on just how endearing lead guy was. One of my favorite tropes is the friends to lovers trope because friendship builds such a strong base for a relationship. He was just so there for her it was completely sweet to watch. Yeah he had that error, where his jealous feelings got the better of him and she was reaching out to him during her cancer and he was ignoring her. But he didn't know she had cancer and she seemed to be clearly with someone else. In a lot of other dramas that would be second guy. Second guy who is her friend, but has feelings for her, but then always misses the timing to tell her. Then, when he tells her, it is too late. What we essentially got to see was second guy successfully get the girl. And I love that. Sweet, loyal second guy is usualy the loser in those situations. It just doesn't feel as much like he is second guy because we only see her relationship with her ex fiancé in flashbacks. I love the actor. He has the smiliest eyes. And he just portrayed all the emotions so well
I loved Jung So-min in "Alchemy of Souls" so I am biased that it will be good whenever I see her in something. And this did not disappoint. The way she brought out all the emotions in a character that went through something like she did, and the ways she showed the hidden love with lead guy blossom, I loved every minute of it. She is one of my favorite Korean actresses.
The friendships was what set this apart from a mere fuzzy feel good, no depth romance. Thise long standing, with you through it all friendships is the type of connection we all aspire to. The dads were funny drinking buddies. The moms were as volatile as you would expect with a group of close female friends. Watching the bromances and female friendships was like flavorful icing on an already delicious cake. You think you do not want or need it but it is there and it is nice.
This is the type of drama that, when it ends, you miss people that don't even really exist. It makes me understand, a little, how the actors may feel as they dive into a character and interact for months in another world. As they bring it out and we are feeling all the emotions of events they have to play that through their actual emotions too. I imagine this was a harder one for them to move past as it was so immersive. So I am always so thankful when there is a good drama to everyone that worked so hard to make it possible. I saw an interview with Jung So-min where she talked about this and how much she enjoyed acting with Jung Hae-in and it showed. I though they had amazing chemistry and could see them as a real life couple.
When we learned the real reason she had suddently departed the United States and returned to South Korea, it was such a highly emotionally charged moment. The writers and actors did an exceptional job of illustrating how each family and friend would feel when something that important was kept from them. And yet they were able to make us understand why the main character would have withheld that, in that moment. I wish they had heard more on the way they treated her as someone beneath them because she was a foreigner. Only lead guy really knew that. Because for her to work through not only the fight for her life with cancer but that completely toxic work environment, it was a wonder she didn't break sooner.
I thought I was going to dislike her ex fiance, Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo), but was pleasantly surprised I did not. At first I was annoyed he pursued her to South Korea. How dare he come disrupt this beautiful relationship. But, as they built their back story, and he revealed his character it was evident he was not a bad guy, she had just unknowingly had been in love with main guy nearly her whole life. The way he let her go without bitterness showed that he did love her enough to just want her happiness. Same with lead guy's ex girlfriend, Jang Tae-hui (Seo-hyo). At first I am like who is this love killer but they told their backstory and why she liked him as much as she did that I understood. She also let go of him at the right time and exhibited that she loved him enough to want him to be joyful.
#LoveNextDoor #JungSoMin. #ParkJiYoung. #JangYoungNam. #JungHaeIn #HanJoonWoo #KimGeumSoon #KimJiEun #YoonJi-on.
Piramideu Geim (2024)
A suspenseful and very well done bullying and revenge drama
9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean psychological thriller drama with 10, 49-64 minute episodes. It is based on a web toon of the same name.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Seong Soo-ji (Kim Ji-yeon) is a military child who has moved around her entire life and thinks she has the new student thing down. But that all changes when she enters an all girl school where the students in her class are playing a very dark game called the Pyramid Game. The "game" creates a stratified hieracrchy where those at the top of the pyramid can order and direct horrific acts of bullying and violence. As a new student, Soo-ji immediately finds herself at the bottom of the pyramid which means she is a target at the outset. Her father told her they would be moving on in about three months which seemed easy enough to survive until she became an unwilling participant of the game. To "win" and put an end to the "game" Seong Su-ji must figure out who started this game and why and among the girls around her, who all seem to be playing roles, who is actually good and who created and is perpetuation the evil "game".
Review
9.5/10 is my rating. This is a very well done bully and revenge theme drama. They mostly skip the romance although there are a few characters where something seems to develop. If you have read the web toon it sticks closely to that script with a variation at the ending. The actors they cast fit very well with the way the characters are depicted in the manga. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes this genre, is a fan of any of the actors, or are looking for something where there is little to no romance. I would watch it again as it has a lot of depth and complexity.
Spoilers
It ends happy with all major plot points resolved. Two aspects of the ending that I wasn't as happy with are first, I though they could have easily made the relationship between Jo Seung Hwa (Jo Dong In), the convenience store worker and brother of the student severely bullied, and Seong Su Ji (Bona). And I seriously disliked they introduced two new characters, twins, whom the school was renamed after, who were suggesting they wanted to play the Pyramid Game. That was completely unnecessary. And stupid. First, you have Seong Su Ji in that class and she would never allow it to even start. And, the rest of the class has already seen how the game can be stopped. So, I think that the producers did that to open the door for a second season but a second season does not make sense with the same main characters in the mix.
I wish Soo Ji's father, Sung Hee-Seok (Choi Dae-Chul) would have seen video of teacher Im Ju-Hyung (Choi Sung-won) smacking on his daughter. We saw him getting arrested, but we could assume that was for the cheating and bribery and perhaps allowing the bullying. But he should have been called out for the stuff he himself directly did to the students.
#PyramidGame #KimJiYeon. #JoDongIn #ChoiDaeChul.
Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale (2024)
If you can look beyond the slapstick portions, it is a really good heart warming romance
9/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy series with 10, 45 minute episodes.
First I provide a Unique Synopsis then Review
Synopsis
Shin Jae-rim (Pyo Ye-jin) lives in the typical Cinderella type household with a stepmom and two step-sisters and a father who unfortunately dies. But that is where they fairy tale similarities end. In fact, her stepmom is very kind to the point that "Cinderella" feels she has another mouth to feed. Her father was a worthless bum who did not leave any of them anything but debt. And her two step-sisters aren't all that bad. In fact, as expensive as the world is she needs them as roommates. One piece of crazy advice her father left her was to not struggle in life but find someone wealthy and marry them. At first she chalks it up to just more worthless advice from her do no good parent but as life continues to kick her down she decides what would be the harm in exploring that option. Which is what leads her to seeking a job at Cheongdam Heaven, a social club for the wealthy. She figures if she positions herself to interact with wealthy people she might wind up with a wealthy husband. Which is what puts her in Moon Cha-min's (Lee Jun-young) line of site. An unlikely Prince if there ever was one, he is the head of Cheongdam Heaven who experiences dislike at first site with Jae-rim. But the spunky, tells him how she really feels, Jae-rim is intriguing to the born with a silver spoon Chaebol. Most people "kiss up" to him so her take me or leave me attitude has him intrigued. He doesn't like most people and any woman with the Cinderella complex in particular. Will the untraditional "Cinderella" and the grouchy "Prince" find their own happily ever after?
Review
It has its slapstick moments but that does not detract overly from what is a heart warming romance. There is good chemistry between the leads and their romance is believable. Their banter in the beginning just builds the friendship aspect of what seems it would develop into a very healthy and lasting relationship. I liked the play on Cinderalla where none of the traditional roles were as you would expect. I loved this. Would readily watch it again. And highly recommend it for its pure romance.
Spoilers
I know a lot of people wonder about the ending and this ended very happy. He produced a ring and it was very clear they were on the path to permanence. You could tell she had really brought joy into his life and filled all the lonely corners for him by bringing his mom back to him and providing him with new people (her family) who were already showing signs that they would pull him into the fold.
There is quite a bit of cartoonish level slapstick that you have to wade through. Some may lie it but I don't prefer it because it breaks the 4th wall for me.
An added bonus was Cha Min's martial arts abilities. It was enjoyable to watch the fight scenes where he used his trusty umbrella to clobber the bad guy.
I liked that his mom came back. And she explained why she left in the first place. The fact she was pushed into it made her actions less egregious. And I could see where that family would be able to heal so it was a happy story with them.
There was that underlying deeper message on what constitutes a family. I loved the the "evil" step mother wasn't at all evil she was in fact very kind. The dad wasn't some wonderful person that passed he was sort of a bum. And the sisters were just your regular pick on the younger sister family type sisters. It was a fun spin on the story.
Some reviewers did not like it this at all and I think it was largely due to that super slapstick element. But, if you can see past that, you will definitely love this one.
#DreamingOfAFreakingFairyTale #PyoYeJin #LeeJunYoun.
Gooreumi Geurin Dalbit (2016)
My new favorite Crown Princes. Once he fell for her he didn't waver.
9/10 os my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean coming of age historical romance with 18, 60 minute episodes. It is based in a web novel entitled "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds".
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Crown Prince Lee Yeong (Park Bo-Gum) is awash in palace intrigue as he navigates the dangerous waters of becoming a monarch. His journey is made better with his friendship with Hong Ra-on (Kim Yoo-jung) who serves as one of his few allys and offers loyal friendship. Most servants avoid extensive contact with Lee Yeong as he is mischievious amd has the unpredictable nature of someone whose interest center in music and art. A series of unfortunate events involving debt collectors and being sold into servitude lands Ra-on in the palce seving as a Eunich. Although Ra-on has pretended to be a male her whole life, this turns out to be her most dangerous and complex ruse. As the two start to fall for each other, can Lee Yeong see through Ra-ons guise to discover he is not engaged in a forbidden attraction? Will the reason Ra-on has pretended to be male be what keeps them apart?
Review
This is a must watch for romance fans. It has that sort of slow burn romance that is so appealing. One of my favorite tropes is where main guy is hard to win over but once he falls for the girl, that's it. You do have to put up with a lot of the typical politics in Josean era historical romance with the infighting for power. But that just comes with the territory with historical romance. It is well paced, the romance is believable, and there are enough interesting things that happen and mysterious back story to make it all flow nicely and remain engaging. I highly recommend it and would watch it again.
Spoilers
It ends happy in the sense that the good overcomes evil and the couple wind up together. I see what a lot of other reviewers said about it being very rushed. To watch 18 episodes and only get to see them be fully together in the last tens of minutes is a bit disappointing but not enough to ruin it as a very good, superior even, historical romance.
For the longest time I could not get the total fixation with Park Bo Gum. He is undeniably handsome and just has this air about him where he seems like a very kind person. I got that. But I hadn't seen anything where his acting was beyond just really good. But this showed me why people are so invested in him as an actor. His portrayal of Lee Yeong was nothing short of masterful. I think he is now my favorite Crown Prince. He was playful in a spiteful I really hate this position that was thrust on me way. I liked how loyal his character was to all of those he cared about and the people in general. Every aspect of his acting was spot on and his expressions and even his body language were perfect for the role. It was such a highlight of his talent for really brining out the unique aspects of a character so that they felt real. Great acting makes you feel thankful. I am very thankful to him for the magical journey he took me, as a viewer, on with this character.
The only disappointment I had in the way the Lee Young's character was portrayed was around his relationship with Jo Ha-Yeon (Chae Soo-Bin) who later became the Crown Princess. Although I think it is true to life in a way, I still did not like it. She falls for him basically because he is handsome and debonaire. And that is when she starts being clingy and manipulativ, both traits I really dislike in females. I don't know why he wasn't annoyed when she followed him in the marketplace. I did not like how arrogant and entitled she acted from their first encounter and how she continued to act that way even after she found out who he was. He doesn't ask her to accompany him, but she follows him and essentially puts him in more danger trying to protect her while fighting the masked ninjas that attacked them. I liked when Lee Young was like stay out of my space but then, later, he does a reversal when she manipulates him into believing she is willing to be the Crown Princess just to help him. As a position/title but not like his spouse. And he falls for that. Then she proceeds to invade his space as much as she wishes even bragging that because she is the Crown Princess they just let her in to wait for him. When he was pushing her away, he clearly told her he was already in love with someone else, but she did not respect that at all. I do not know why when she screwed up and winded up feeding him poison that didn't get her deposed. Like an idiot she guilted him into drinking some tonic they had been trying to get him to drink and he almost dies. But she didn't act remorseful about her role at all. And she did not get deposFor the longest time I could not get the total fixation with Park Bo Gum. He is undeniably handsome and just has this air about him where he seems like a very kind person. I got that. But I hadn't seen anything where his acting was beyond just really good. But this showed me why people are so invested in him as an actor. His portrayal of Lee Yeong was nothing short of masterful. I think he is now my favorite Crown Prince. He was playful in a spiteful I really hate this position that was thrust on me way. I liked how loyal his character was to all of those he cared about and the people in general. Every aspect of his acting was spot on and his expressions and even his body language were perfect for the role. It was such a highlight of his talent for really brining out the unique aspects of a character so that they felt real.
The only disappointment I had in the way the Lee Young's character was portrayed was around his relationship with Jo Ha-Yeon (Chae Soo-Bin) who later became the Crown Princess. Although I think it is true to life in a way, I still did not like. She falls for him basically because he is handsome and debonaire. And that is when she starts being clingy and manipulate, both traits I really dislike in females. I don't know why he wasn't annoyed when she followed him in the marketplace. I did not like how arrogant and entitled she acted from their first encounter and how she continued to act that way even after she found out who he was. He doesn't ask her to accompany him, but she follows him and essentially puts him in more danger trying to protect her while fighting the masked ninjas that attacked them. I liked when Lee Young was like stay out of my space but then, later, he does a reversal when she manipulates him into believing she is willing to be the Crown Princess just to help him. As a position/title but not like his spouse. And he falls for that. Then she proceeds to invade his space as much as she wishes even bragging that because she is the Crown Princess they just let her in to wait for him. When he was pushing her away, he clearly told her he was already in love with someone else, but she did not respect that at all. I do not know why when she screwed up and winded up feeding him poison that didn't get her deposed. Like an idiot she guilted him into drinking some tonic they had been trying to get him to drink and he almost dies. But she didn't act remorseful about her role at all. And she did not suffer any repercussions for her role in nearly poisoning the Crown Prince.
I don't think there has been a 2nd male lead I have liked as much as I liked the Kim Yoon Sung (Jung Jinyoung) character in awhile. Excellent acting. His love and caring for the main girl was palpable. The conflict he felt over his loyalty to his friend and family obligations was real. He did so much for Ra-on and the Crown Prince behind the scenes and never felt the need to get the credit for it. He was smart, and foiled so many plots. I loved that character.
The other character I completely loved was Kim Bryung-yeon (Kwak Dong Yeon). He was such an amazing martial artist and swordsman and such a loyal friend. I was so happy he survived and that it was Yoon Sung that discovered he was still alive.
I have been a fan of Kim Yoo-jung for quite some time. Perhaps it is her youth, but she brings such a whimsical feeling to every role. When she smiles her whole face just lights up and it makes it so convincing why the men fall for her. She is an amazing actress, and she was so good in this role.
I don't think there has been a 2nd male lead I have liked as much as I liked the Kim Yoon Sung (Jung Jinyoung) character in awhile. Excellent acting. His love and caring for the main girl was palpable. The conflict he felt over his loyalty to his friend and family obligations was real. He did so much for Ra-on and the Crown Prince behind the scenes and never felt the need to get the credit for it. He was smart, and foiled so many plots. I loved that character.
The other character I completely loved was Kim Bryung-yeon (Kwak Dong Yeon). He was such an amazing martial artist and swordsman and such a loyal friend. I was so happy he survived and that it was Yoon Sung that discovered he was still alive.
I have been a fan of Kim Yoo-jung for quite some time. Perhaps it is her youth, but she brings such a whimsical feeling to every role. When she smiles her whole face just lights up and it makes it so convincing why the men fall for her. She is an amazing actress, and she was so good in this role.
They showed where Lee Young pardoned Ra-on for her "crime" (which to me is odd crime was basically being born the daughter of a rebel) so that she was able to live normally as a woman. The Crown Princess basically had their relationship annulled. So, he is free but there is no indication they will have any kind of public facing permanent relationship. Knowing those royal positions, at least as they are portrayed in other historical dramas, he would normally have a wife and maybe some consorts or concubines. But he is changing the rules so we don't know what that means for him or f.
Son-hae Bo-gi Silh-eo-seo (2024)
I looked forward to every episode as it aired. Great chemistry. Well acted. Enjoyable.
9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy series with 12, 60 minute episodes. Other titles are "Spice Up Our Love" and "No Loss in Love."
First, I provide a Unique Synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Son Hae-young (Shin Min-A) was an only child but grew up with her parents continually taking in foster kids and, as such not paying a lot of attention to their only child. In the balance of life, she felt like she was constantly having what should have been hers taken away by others that may have just been passing through. That early experience, and the resentment she still bears as an adult, has shaped her so she wants equity in every interaction. At work promotions and many other opportunities are restricted to those that are married. This unfair policy reminds her of her childhood which she felt was completely unfair. When a competition opens at work that is only available to married employees, Hae-young makes a decision which would allow her to participate. A fake marriage she determines is the only way to gain all the benefits she can at work.
Hae-young has been in an ongoing battle with convenience clerk Kim Ji-wook (Kim Young-dae) who has gained the reputation of being an angel for his kind nature and selfless volunteer work. So, it is out of character for him to be mean or petty but Hae-young's over the top antics, which he observes as she frequents his store, have made him her anti-fan. He pettily deprives her of her favorite snack insuring there is limited, or no stock, and she does stuff like mess up his store shelves. But Hae-young is desperate for a fake groom and her rival in her mind is the perfect candidate because he dresses bum sheik and their conflict ensures no feelings will develop. Ji-wook originally refuses Hae-young's outrageous offer until he realizes Hae-young will choose anybody, including this con man he knows, to fulfill her plan. Even with their cold war Ji-wook cannot stand to see Hae-young get hurt so he agrees to her crazy plan, pretending he is in it for the compensation and assurance of a quick divorce. But things start to change when Ji-wook cleans up to above average handsome. As the two work in partnership on the fake marriage, they learn things about each other that change their opinion. Maybe Hae-young's heart may not be as safe as she thought it was.
Review
This was a super heart warming romantic comedy which I waited eagerly every week to air. I like both of the actors a lot and have enjoyed many things they have been in so was excited to see them in this one and I wasn't disappointed. They had great chemistry and their romance was very believable. It was really fun in the beginning when they had this bit of a rival going, it made it very interesting. She was really unique and you could tell it was gonna take a lot to win her over and convince her that there were more important things in life than keeping a tally. I would watch it if somebody had it on I might even seek it out to watch it again. I highly recommend it to anybody that likes romance or any of the actors.
Spoilers
It definitely takes you an emotional roller coaster as I felt for him every time she pushed him away emotionally. It was so clear she really liked him and was just getting in her own way. I wish we had more of reunion in the end. It was really just the very last few minutes. We actually saw more of the second couple together.
Her friend/sister was in some polyamarous relationship and I just think that's odd. I've never known anybody other than swingers in that kind of relationship. I don't know why they felt the need to include that and I didn't really like it, but it wasn't a big enough part of the story to ruin it for me. I liked her long time boyfriend and liked it when he wanted to be exclusive and was willing to accept the baby even if it wasn't his. Their relationship actually wound up being pretty cute. I just didn't think they needed that part where they each had another partner and that she wasn't sure who the babies' father was. Again just seemed completely unnecessary and actually a departure from why I usually like Korean shows where they're much more wholesome typically. So I think that was a Prime effect rather than anything. Korean writers would've typically done.
I wanted to reconcile with her mom and understand more why she did what she did with the foster kids, but they never really took it there.
It was good that the brothers were starting to come together. I would've liked to see more of their relationship develop because they were both lonely in a way and needed each other. I also wanted to see him get to know his dad a little bit.
While it was cool that she started her own business and took the secretary with her. It would've been a step cooler if it had been highly successful and she wouldn't have had to go back to her previous boss for a loan. I mean the interaction where he sort of tease them and then end up giving it to them anyway and called them. Traders was cute, but I still would've liked to have seen her being really successful on her own.
#NoGainNoLove #SpiceUpOurLove #NoLossInLove #KimYoungDae #ShinMinA.
My Man is Cupid (2023)
Plot is chaotic. It cannot decide what it wants to be.
6/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean fantasy romance drama with, 16, 60 minute episodes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Cupid's arrow never fails. So when Cupid, Cheon Sang-Hyuk (Jang Dong-yoon) accidently shoots himself, he falls in love with a human woman, Oh Baek-Ryeon (Im Jin ah;Nana), is a veteranarian who is so physically alluring men cannot helpbut fall in love with her. But due to a curse, or maybe just bad luck, every suitor has a close brush with death which causes them to leave her. But there is a much longer relationship between the two of them than either is at first aware. Can a human and a fairy find lasting love?
Review
Disappointing. I liked so many elements of this. Liked the premise, am a fan of Jang Dong-yoon, like serial killer stories, always up for romance and find supernatural interesting. But the plot was all over the place chaotic. It was like it could not decide which one of those things it wanted to be. It was okay, not completely unwatchable but with so many better choices out there it ranks low on my list. I would not seek it out nor sit down and watch it if someone else was. I do not recommend it.
Spoilers
It ends happy in the sense the main couple get together. They even give a little after story to show they had kids and remained happy.
I liked Dong yoon's acting. He is a great actor. I thought he made a great Cupid and a detective.
Nana's acting was fine I just disliked the character she played. I do not like overly clingy females it is cringy. And she was super clingy. When she let the serial killer trick her I could not believe someone bright enough to be a skilled veterinarian could be that stupid. It did not fit the character. Then she gets a brain injury and just acts weirder than her normal weird.
I thought it was going to be a movie about cupid and it was sometimes. Sometimes they do the cupid thing. Then oh wait it is a serial killer thing. Oops it is reincarnation story. All of the could have worked together but the writing did not accomplish that.
Her friend An Do-ra (Gong Min Jeung), falls for the weird cupid. Then weird cupid disappears but then reappears but they don't get back together. So why take us through their whole relationship?
Why did the other cupids hang out with main guy? He dissolves, they all dissolve, then he comes back and so do they. What is their role with him? Never fully explained. Will the one fairy quit being a dog?
The serial killer story was interesting but it was an awkward fit with the rest of the plot.
It was a show that could have been good but wasn't because of a chaotic script. It would shift and be all about the serial killer, then hard shift and he is on the roof shooting Cupid errors, then it's date time. It was weird. It was like they could not decide if it was a serial killer show, supernatural story or a romance and they did not blend them well or otherwise all of that could have worked.
The whole she is my woman and he is my man was just strange. I do not know many couples that refer to their significant other that way. It seems territorial like you own the person. Do not like those terms and I am not a feminist.
#MyManIsCupid. #JandDingYoon. #ImJinAh. #GongMinJeung.
Yûgure ni, te wo tsunagu (2023)
Pure drama that will elicit a roller coaster of emotions but they are a cute couple
9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 Japanese romantic drama with 10, 46-60 minute episodes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Asagi Soramame (Suzu Hirose) is heart broken when her childhood friend, Shota Yano (Kaito Sakurai) now her fiancé, breaks it off with her. After having thrown all of her caution to the wind, and traveling from her home in the country to the big city of Tokyo, the sudden break up swept her world out from under her. Too embarrassed to let her friends and family, who were preparing for the wedding back home, know that she is no longer getting married, she decides to find a way to live in Tokyo. However, after going on a bit of a drunken depressive binge, she spends all of her money on a hotel which quickly runs out and now she has nowhere to go. But fate was about to play some tricks and bring a man she had a brief encounter with back into her life. Umino Oto (Ren Nagase), was a man Soramame bumped into when she first arrived in Tokyo. During that brief encounter, they discovered a mutual love of the same music, had a pleasant conversation about music, and then went their separate ways. But Oto felt an instant connection with the beautiful girl he bumped into and was about to go after her only to see her go up to a man who appeared to be her boyfriend. What Oto did not know is that was the last time the pair he saw were together as a couple. Now Soramame is all alone in Tokyo, has spent most of her money, and decides to go to a spa in order to have a place to stay while she gathers her thoughts on where she's going to live next. But Soramame spends too much time in the hot sauna and winds up passing out and is rescued by a woman who happens to be Oto's landlord, Kyoko Yukihara (Mari Natsuki). Feeling sorry for the young woman after hearing her story, Yukihara takes Soramame in and offers her a job and place to stay. Her motivations are not completely pure, secretly Natsuki views the beautiful 23 year old as a good romantic prospect for her son Sosuke Yukihira (Yoohei Kawakami). Hoping if the young girl lives with her, and is around her son, sparks could develop. But what Yukihara does not know is her other tenant Oto, and Soramame have already started falling for each other from that first brief encounter. Living in the same house the young pair bother each other like siblings all the while inspiring each other to become their best selves. Will their silly banter develop into something much more romantic?
Review
Don't expect any levity in this one, it is a pure drama with only minor points where it is lighter or funny. It is a good romantic drama. The leads have great chemistry amd it is well acted. I recommend it for those that like drama, are fans of any of the actors or enjoy romance of any genre. I would watch it if someone had it on and would recommend it for romance fans or for anyone that is a fan of any of the actors.
Spoilers
It does have a happy ending. The finally get together.
Their interplay when they are harassing each other is flirtatious playfullness. It is fun to watch as things between them evolve and it is evident how they fall in love.
Her fashion gets frustrating because she works so hard to make it then was like, never mind. It was disappointing. At least she does start back to designing for the singing duo.
There were so many near misses with them kissing or telling each other their feelings it became frustrating. I had the timed comments on and others were indicating frustration as well. Some were so frustrated they were like I cannot watch this anymore. They do not get together until the very end so there is very little time to enjoy them together as a couple after so many incidents where they nearly confessed.
The songstress/scammer/liar they just forgive her way too easy. She inowingly and intentionally emotionally hurt someone she professed to love. Thatis so selfish. And they barely react.
#HoldMyHandAtTwilight. #SuzuHirose. #RenNagase #MariNatsuki # YooheiKawakami.
Geunyeoneun Geojitmaleul Neomoo Saranghae (2017)
This is more of a story about producing music and struggling musicians than about a liar
8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 62-68 minute episodes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Kang Han-gyul (Lee Hyun-woo) was a bass guitarist in the pre-debut boy pop rock band "Crude Play" and helped make the band successful with his amazing song writing skills. Along the way, he discovered he had more talent as a producer and song writer than a guitarist. With the encouragement of the company CEO, Han-gyul quit the band to focus on perfecting his skills behind the stage. He is considered a genius in his field of music production but his people skills leave a lot to be desired. It does not help he represents his former band members who often resent him for losing site of the people in the product. He was recently in a relationship with popular female solo singer, Chae Yu-na (Hong Seo-young) but she did not feel he was dedicated to their relationship and felt he prioritized his work over all else. He is shocked and hurt to discover Choi Jin-hyuk (Lee Jung-jin), his mentor in the music world and CEO of the company started a relationship with Yu-na after she and Han-gyul had a fight. Devastated by the betrayal and already struggling through conflicts with his friends/former band mates, Han-gyul has a chance encounter with student Yoon So-rim (Park Soo-young). In a moment of inspiration Han-gyul bumps into So-rim in a park amd asks to borrow her phone to record some lyrics that came to him, Later he realizes the young woman now has his chart topping song and tells a series of lies to disguise his identity and attempts to charm her to get it back. What Han-gul does not realize at first is So-rim is a talented, singer and song writer herself. But So-rim fell in love with the talented Han-gyul at first sight. So-rim gets her break in the music industry and it so happens to be atthe same company Han-gyul works with. Despite his rocky romance with his former female singer girlfriend and despite the fact that So-rim is younger than he thought, Han-gyul finds himself drawn to her. Once his lies are exposed will So-rim still like him the same? Will their careers interfere with romance?
Review
Titles can be so deceiving. I thought this was going to be about a con man or someone who was a pathological liar. But this was more like the genius, prodigy musician who told some lies to protect his famous identity. And the story is really centered around the struggles of producing music and being a musician. There was a very sweet romance and it was a strong focus of the story but there still was a heavy focus on music and it was definitely an idol drama. It was good, I would watch it again. Would recommend it to fans of any of the actors as they all acted their roles well. And it ends happy.
Spoilers
I liked that there was not a separation trope because it seemed to be leaning in that direction. There were no annoyingly overdone tropes. Which is always refreshing.
I wish the jealous brat teenage girlfriend, Lee Se-jung (Jeon Yoo-rim) would have suffered more consequences. Some social shaming would have been something. Lee Kyu-seon (Park Jung-hyuk) going after her and comforting her after she was rightfully chastised was disappointing. Call me spiteful but I like to see people who act atrocious out of jealously get some serious karma. At least Chan-young what's like? How could you possibly think I would've noticed you or liked you after what you did?
I do not know why they had So-rim's childhood friend and band mate, Baek Jin-woo (Song Kang) be secretly in love with So-rim.
The President of the company, Yoo Hyun-jung (Kim Sung-joo) was horrible. She forced Crude Play to fake then was angry when they wanted to tell the truth.
It was a bit of a soft ending. I wanted to see both bands find real success after they chose to be honest in their music. It showed things were "taking off" but not that they arrived. There was also no real ending or resolution with Han-gyul's father, Kang In-woo (Choi Min-soo) and having his music stolen and all that. And so what President Yoo was in love with him, nothing ever came of it. So In woo who could have made it big, just remains a street
Chae Yu-na (Hong Seo-young) cheated on Han gyul but then turned it around and made it his fault. You made me do this type thing. And it seemed he accepted that because he was not as angry with her as it felt like he should be. Like he was mad for a minute then back to writing songs for her. At least Han gyul's friend and band mate, Seo Chan-young (Lee Seo won) told Yu-na off about how she cheated.
Seo Chan-young (Lee Seo-won) was a bit ridiculous. He gets his golden opportunity that so few musicians get to play with a band on the eve of debuting and all he can think of is how he is supposedly. I thought he was a huge whiner. Then he selfishly insisted that so rim saying his music when she would've more likely came out bigger if she had use the most successful songwriter, Han-gyul. I felt like it was cool he was supportive of all Mush & Co at the end but he was a little bit responsible for them being in danger of being spilt up because they did not debut as well as they could have.
#TheLiarandHisLover #LeeHyunWoo #HongSeoYoung. LeeJungJin #ParkSooYoung.
Green in my heart (2020)
Too short to be a well developed story. But ends happy and the cast does well.
7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean romance drama with a run time of 57 minutes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
When award winning film director Han Seo-rin (Jun Hyo-seong) returns to South Korea from abroad, her prodigy level success as a director means she has her pick of films and actors. But she decides to work with her childhhod friend, Cha Soo-hyuk (Choi Kyu-jin) who is now a top actor. He confessed his feelings before she left for abroad but she said she only thought of him as a friend out of fear. Now Soo-hyuk seems to have moved on with a top actress who is co-starring with him in the film Seo-rin is directing. Have his feelings really changed? Can she remain unaffected when the man she loves, and always has, is filming a love story in front of her?
Review
It was good overall for being such an extremely short movie. It ended happy, but it was so rushed. There wasn't much time to reflect on the happy resolution. It felt like a lot of the show was done in flashbacks, which, I am not a huge fan of flashbacks at all. If so,eone were looking for something quick, simple and that ends OK it would fit the bill. It's not something I would seek out if I were in the mood for a good, well developed, romance. It's worth watching if you like any of the actors although it's hard to find a complete list of the cast it mainly just mentions the male and female leads in all the descriptions I found. I won't seek it out to rewatch there just wasn't enough of it to make it very good, but I don't regret watching it once.
Spoilers
The story definitely could've been told in much longer format and that would've made it a lot better. There were so many flashbacks that became extremely annoying. It's like just tell the story already in a forward fashion, if so much happened in the past you have to foash back every few scenes, then you should have started the story in the past. With so many flashbacks it gave a sense that a lot had happened in the past, and that was where the real love story was. So, it felt even more of a cheat for the viewer because you really only got to see a little bit of their feelings develop. They get together at the very end but it's like the last minute or somewhere they share an emotional hug (not even a kiss) and talk about what they will call each other as a couple.
#GreenInMyHeart #JunHyeoSeon #ChoiKyuJin.
Literary Virgin (2018)
An Innocent Woman of Literature
8/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 Japanese Romantic Drama with 8, 24 minute episodes. Also known under the titles "Literary Virgin" and "A Virgin of Literature".
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
8/10 is my rating. Kanoko Tsukishiro (Aoi Morikawa) is an editor of literature for a prestigious publishing company that edits and publishes books for some of the top authors. She is a relitively new editor, looking to make her name in her field. She has always loved books and one of her favorite authrs is Saku Kagaya (Yu Shirota) who is currently known for writing mystery books. When Kanoko is assigned to be Saku's editor, she could not be more happy. Although he writes mystery, his original book, which made her fall in love with his work, was a romance. In fact Kanoko, who has never been in love herself at 26 years old, says her first love was the male character in Kanoko's romance book. Saku is still very popular but has hit a bit of a lull in his career and Saku is convinced he can write that next great book in the romance genre. With the goal of helping this greata author write a book you can "cuddle up with", she approaches Saku with much excitement. But Saku turns out to be a playboy who flits from one romantic interlude to the next. Having Kanoko near Saku greatly disturbs one of her work seniors, Chhiro (Masaki Nakao) who is secretly in love with the refreshingly innocent Kanoko. Can Kanoko get Saku's attention long enough to get him to write that next great novel? What is she to do when she feels her own heart stirring for the first time over the difficult to work with Kanoko?
Review
8/10 is my rating. Like Japanese dramas can be at times, this is a bit more risqué than the usual Korean dramas I watch. That being said, it does not show as much skinship (physical contact) as others I have seen with similar content. It is not a new premise, woman meets man, they do not originally seem interested in each other or compatible but slowly fall for each other. But it was entertaining watching a woman, who is a virgin still in her mid twenties, dealing with a man who is a Cassanova. It was good, kept me engaged and was overall a happy story. The ending was happy but soft in that it was not completely wrapped up. I would not seek it out to watch again because I like well wrapped endings. But for those that want a relatively quick romance, like any of the actors, or simply enjoy this type of premise, it is worth the watch.
Spoilers
The romance never fully took off for me. There were some teasers where they would seem to be getting close then something would happen to disrupt them fully getting together. For such a relatively short series thre was a lot of character development which made it even more frustrating to not see the full outcome for the characters. There were multiple love triangles going on with all the main characters and some resolution with some but not with others.
In the end it seemed Saku confessed his feelings for Kanoko through a piece of literature he sent to her publishing company, and she rushed to reunite with him because of what he said in the literature, but it ended there. That is why I said it is a soft ending. We didn't get to hear much of what he said that had Kanoko so hopeful for their reunion. I don't like things being left for my imagination, tell me the story.
The chemistry was there, the characters were developed well, the premise was intersting, and it just fell short of completing the story. It could have been a really good romance but those flaws made it more of a just slightly above average one.
#AnInnocentWomanofLiterature #AVirginOfLiterature #LiteraryVirgin. #MasakiNakao. #YuShirota. #AoiMorikawa.
U-yeon-il-kka (2024)
A good romance. Not great or unique but enjoyable for what it is.
8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean Romantic Drama with 8, 63-71 minute episodes. Based on the webtoon "Is it Fate" by Nam Ji-eun and Kim In-ho.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Lee Hong Ju (Kim So Hyun) fell in love with Bang Jun-ho (Yoon Ji-on) the last year of high school. He is an accomplished author but very narcissistic and broke Hong Ju's heart when he just up and left to research a novel in the middle of their relationship. At the same time she was initially pursuing Hong Ju, she was also trying to help her best friend, Kim Hye-ji (Kim Da-som) confess her love to Kang Hoo-yeong (Chae Jong-hyeop) one of the most popular boys in the school who was known for coldly refusing the many love confessions he received. Hye-ji was too shy to approach Hoo-yeong so Hong-ju was delivering love notes on her behalf. And Hoo-yeong was uncharacteristically accepting the notes from Hong-ju (as he had secretly fallen for her). Ten years have passed and Hoo-yeong is back in South Korea after spending his college years and early career in the United States. He is now an ace financial planner for a company that has interests on both sides of the ocean. His first goal is to see Hong Ju who was his first love he very got over. Hong Ju is now an animation producer which puts her back in contact with Junho who would like to just take the relationship up where it left off. Hye-ji is eager to re-unite with Hoo-yeong in the hope of finally winning his heart. Can Hoo-yeong finally get Hong Ju to realize he has feelings for her not Hye-ji? Will Hye-ji give her narcissistic ex another chance or finally give her heart to Hoo-yeong who has stayed in love with her all these years?
Review
I had reservations as Kim So-hyun has been hit or miss in the roles she has taken recently. I did not like "Love Alarm" at all. Like it almost makes me angry when I see that title I disliked it so much. I also did not like "My Lovely Liar" at all. When the last few roles of an actor have been premises or, particularly endings, I do not like it leaves an impression. It makes me think they are not choosing roles/scripts I would like. So, it was with reluctance I watched this as I was concerned it may not end well or the premise may be "off". With this one it was good. It didn't have a lot of the problems that were off putting for me in the last couple she has done. All in all it was a pretty straight forward predictable romance. Which I often like. I am a romance fan. I can see the same basic thing repeated over and over. No huge surprises, relatively heart warming and ended well I thought their chemistry was really good and Kang Hu Yeong (Chae Jong Hyeop) was like the perfect boyfriend/husband material. He was so sweet to her most of the time. . I would watch it if someone turned it on, would not seek it out to re-watch, but do recommend it for anyone that likes this genre or any of the actors. It was well acted and reasonably well written. The ending is relatively happy although I would have liked to see a few things go a slightly different way.
Spoilers
I get that it happens, but I found it annoying that her friend, Kim Hye-ji (Kim Da-som) kept having Lee Hong-jo give Kang Hoo-yeong love letters. I totally understood what he said, no answer is an answer. I have no idea if it accurately depicts South Korean culture at all that if someone likes you, there is a responsibility to them. A few love letters, okay whatever. But the number they did, that starts to become no means no. The fact that Hye-ji acted like she had a chance with Hoo-yeong when he came to South Korea on business was a little bit irritating. She acted as if she had not been rejected in high school.
Teenage girls are notoriously oblivious to when guys like them. Some, young girls in particular, think a guy will hang out with a girl strictly for friendship. Not that it never happens but it is rare. When a popular guy, like he was, is hanging out with a girl, it is because he likes the girl (so rarely the case otherwise might as well say it isn't the case). But she totally did not get that. Not even later when she first reflected on their time together in high school. I thought she was rather inconsiderate of his feelings. When he came back to South Korea and showed no interest at all in Hye-ji, Hong-jo continued to push her friend on him. I think, at one point, any reasonably emotionally intelligent person would have known who he was interested in or, at minimum, that he was not at all interested in Hye-ji. When she got him to come out to meet for drinks then ducked out and left him with Hye-ji it was rude. It made me not like her character as well. When she gave Hye-ji his phone number without asking him if it was okay, that was also inconsiderate. "Stealing" his dream was an odd thing to do. And it was not very realistic that someone with such a thin resume, and no real skills, would land that sort of job. I get it is fiction, and I don't want it to perfectly replicate reality all the time, but it has to be at least within the realm of possibility. She was someone who cut class, did not focus at all on academics, then just walked in and got a job people with far more credentials and experience would struggle with? Just not believable.
Bang Jun-Ho (Yun Ji On) was such a poor second male lead character. I was with everyone else in the drama that said he was no good. He had the typical personality of a narcissist. He leaves her with no word when he should have known her past given the length of their relationship. If he didn't know she had abandonment issues, then he never cared to learn much about her and if he did and ignored them then he was just an unfeeling jerk. I never got a sense for how their relationship developed and what they were like when they were together. But he was a selfish narcissist to the end. Kim Bok Nam (Kim Won Hae), his uncle was rather harsh with him and said look you were a complete jerk leaving her like that so just leave Hong-jo alone at this point. So, he even had another perspective on his behavior and chose to still try to get her back. He, as is typical with narcissists, tried to turn it around and make it about him. "Oh you don't feel sorry for me because look how sick I am?" I was so glad she did not fall for it. They did a good job with making him a completely undesirable character. I did not think they did a very good job explaining why she was so attached to him. We really only saw her fan girl following him, then he says this is day one basically, then them broken up. The missing middle made it hard to understand how she had such a hard time getting over him.
Baek Do Seon (Kim Jung Nan), Hu Yeong's mom was also completely unlikable. She was the typical overbearing mother who totally disregards their child's feelings. He never told her "look, I have loved this girl for a decade and finally have a chance to be with her." I did not like that she essentially won in the end forcing him to go back to the United States. That was not a happy way for that to end in my mind. He told her he missed South Korea and she just completely disregarded his feelings. That is going to be Hong-jo's mother-in-law at some point and so a happier ending would have been he or she put her in her place or the mom had an epiphany. But neither of those things happened. The whole here's my credit card thing was just bizarre. It was a pride/pity thing and maybe that is what they were trying to show as revenge when she spent it on the convenience store items. I don't know. But that was not what it accomplished. It was like why did you spend on it? It actually made you look lower. Like you were accepting her pity. Or just after money. Why didn't you reject it with dignity?
So, Hong-jo surprises him and she is going to the USA with him. But, only with the leave she cobbled together. So that means she has to go back and he will still be in the USA for an indefinite amount of time. I mean I like she didn't give up her job and all that but stay or go. You love each other then one of you need to fully commit one way or another.
#SerendipityEmbrace #KimSoHyun #YoonJiOn #KimDaSom #ChaeJongHyeop.
Kwa-sok-seu-kaen-deul (2008)
A cute family movie. Simple. Predictable. But that is not a bad thing.
8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2008 Soith Korean comedy drama movie with a run time of 108 minutes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Nam Hyeon-soo (Cha Tae-hyun) is enjoying his 30 something life with some remaining fame from being a teen idol turned radio show host. He revels in his single bachelorhood. His talk show is enhanced by the story of a young woman named Hwang Jeong-nam (Park Bo-young) shares stories of her life as a young single mother who hopes to meet her biological father. Little does Hyeon-soo know that when he is encouraging the young mother to bravely meet her father that he's encouraging her to meet him himself. It is all rebuild when Jeon-nam shows up at Hyeon-soo's place with her young son, Ki-dong (Wang Seok-hyeon) in tow. Hyeon-soo at first vehemently denies she could be his daughter until Jeon-nam/Jae-in tells him her mother's name and it turns out it was his first love and a woman he had intimate relationships with (Jae-in was originally using her deceased mother's name but starts going by her own name). Despite her father at first discouraging her lest the scandal around her birth be revealed, Jae-in realizes her dream of becoming a singer. With public exposure, Ki-dong's father Park Sang-yoon (Im Ji-kyu) finds Jae-in. Hyeon-soo slowly realizes that he actually enjoys being a father and grandfather. Despite his early worries, when it is discovered he has a child and grandchild it does not have the career ending consequences he feared.
Review
If you're looking for a quick watch, mostly feel good family drama, then this fits the bill. One of my favorite aspects of this is the relationship between the grandson and grandfather. There is no strong, romantic component to it. It's good particularly if you take it within the context of the time frame it was produced. I would not seek it out to rewatch it, but I would watch it if somebody else had it on again. I recommend it for those that like any of the actors as it is enjoyable to see them acting at younger ages. It ends happy and is happy through most of the show..
Spoilers
I am such a fan of series. I am often to say with movies. It would've been better if it had been done in a series format there was so much that could've been into deeper. I would've liked to have seen more on the relationship that developed between the daughter and father, never portrayed them having a super relationship. He seem to grow to really like her, but they were never those warm fuzzy moments where they talked about how they felt about each other.
Spent a lot of the movie being frustrated with the mail lead because he was so concerned about optics. I know that's the reality a lot of times when someone finds out they have a child they didn't know about particularly after was verified. I was like dude you have an actual daughter and a grandson, it would've been best if he had found a way to bring it out to people and let them know a positive way
I also really wanted to see the daughters career takeoff even more than it did. It was like OK. You got to sing a little, but it didn't really show her game thing or anything like that that would've made it even more enjoyable.
I love that there was some focus on the grandson and the grandfather's relationship because that was super cute. What was he probably my grandson to accept it it came out, but he never really touted it himself. That would've made it a level better.
#ScandalMakers. #ChaeTaeHyun #ParkBoYoung #WangSeokHyeon. #ImJiKyu.
Ojik geudaeman (2011)
A nice story for the length. Intense but ends well.
7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2011 South Korean action, sports, romance drama with a run time of 106 minutes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Jang Cheol-min/Jang Marcelino (So Ji-sub) was an ex boxer who had given up on happiness in life. He was working multiple low level jobs and just getting by in life. Everything changes for him when Ha Jung-hwa (Han Hyo-joo), who is a tenant in the building where he is working as a security guard, comes to the security booth to find a friend who used to work there. Jung-hwa was going to watch a movie with her friend so she starts spending time and watching shows with Jang in the security booth. A tragic accident blinded Jung-hwa so she enjoys Jang's patience and willingness to describe what they are watching. Feelings bloom between the two and Jang now has a reason to improve his life. There is someone he wants to protect. So, he goes back to the fighting world but this time he takes on the more dangerous and intense sport of mixed martial arts. There is more money to be made in that sport and he wants to make enough money to support them both. A condition that Jung-hwa has requires expensive surgery and Jang elects to do something really dangerous to earn the money for Jung-hwa's surgery. Will he succeed? Can the young couple have a promising future?
Review
Other reviewers indicated this was a heartwarming story with some violent and bloody parts. It has strong "Rocky" vibes with a little bit of "Fight My Way" mixed in. It is easy to understand how two people who have faced so many challenges in life would be drawn to each other.
For what it was, it was good. I don't often watch movies just because I feel movies are too short to really develop the story. It was still true to some extent that there would have been a lot more depth to the story if it had ran over episodes rather than in movie format. Based on other reviews, I was super concerned it would be a blood fest and was not sure if it would end happy. There is blood, but it is about what you would expect from a boxing or mixed martial arts show. Nothing too excessive. Another thing I could not tell from other synopsis and reviews was whether she was actually blind. She is blind. It seemed like she had an ability to see light and shadows but it was so limited she was fully blind. They meet and fall in love when she is blind. The content would make you worry about the ending but it does end very happy. I might watch it again and would recommend to others. Just have to be aware that it is a movie that is very representative of the period in which it was produced.
Spoilers
Because it was movie length there were so many things I wanted to know that were not covered. What happened after he was stabbed in Thailand? After he was stabbed, next we see him he is back in a hospital in South Korea a couple of years later. Without knowing those details, the viewer must just assume someone found him and rescued him and he spent a long time recovering before returning. But I was curious what happened and I think it would have explained more why he was away so long and then showed up a couple of years later still recovering.
#Always #SoJiSub #HanHyoJoo.
Banjjagineun Woteomellon (2023)
A really well written and thoroughly enjoyable coming of age, time travel romance
9.5/10 is my rating. This is 2023 South Korean Coming of Age, Time Travel, Fantasy romance. It has 16, 59-73 minute episodes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Han Eun Gyeol (Reyoun, Go Yoon-hwan) grew up in a household where the other family members, his dad, mom and older brother were all deaf and he acted as the interpreter and spokesperson for his entire family. It was a large burden for a young person, so he found refuge in the company of a grandfather figure who taught him to pay guitar at a local music shop. Growing up, he continues to pursue guitar but keeps it a secret as his father, Ha Yi Chan (Choi Hyun Wook) is determined his son become a doctor, or something else, to elevate the status of the family. Just when Eun Gyeol's secret is discovered by his father, and they are amid a huge falling out, Eun Gyeol is transported back in time to 1995. A magical music store appears, because it has musical instruments he goes in, sells one of his guitars, then he steps out back in time. In the past, he encounters the younger version of his father, who is forming a band but is also very interested in a beautiful but icy cellist, Se Keyong (Seol In Ah) who is problematically not Eun Gyeol's mother. To get his mother, Cheong Ah (Shin Eun Soo) and father together Eun Gyeol he has to join his father's band and make it successful. Will he succeed in uniting his parents in this new past and can he return to his own timeline?
Review
I did not fully read the description before starting this series, so I was surprised it turned into a time travel show. I thought the main element was just going to be a family where most of the members were deaf. That would have been enough to write a compelling story, so when it switched to time travel, I was surprised. The switch from a family centered drama to a time traveling drama, would have been okay, but I did not feel they did it well. It was confusing a lot of times. The switches back in forth in time were not very clear at times. But then it got really good. It had a bit of a rough start, but the latter half of the series was very good. There were a few, relatively minor, issues in terms of time travel concepts. I liked it a lot and I am not a huge fan of time travel. The romance was not completely central to the story, it was more focused on the family relationships. But there were two very heartwarming romances. I liked this a lot, would definitely rewatch it and recommend it to anyone that likes time travel, romance, stories about musicians, magical content, or are fans of any of the actors.
Spoilers
I am not a fan of time travel series. I like things to happen in the order they occur. Switching back and forth between timelines can be confusing and I felt like this story suffered a lot in that process. For instance, when the younger version of the dad was first introduced, we were simultaneously following the main guy in the current time and I kept wondering who that character was and how they fit into the story. We hadn't yet been introduced to the time travel so I was not considering the possibility it could be a younger version of one of the characters. After the big reveal on time travel, and I realized that was the younger version of the father, I had to mentally review what happened with that character. There were times when, rather than just abruptly change the scene to something that transpired earlier, they could have had a character reflect back so it was clearer the events happened in the past. Instead they just throw a scene in with past events and you wonder if that is present or past.
I found it annoying how oblivious the main character was to the fact that the people, in the past version of themselves, would not know who he was. I get it would be exciting to come across a young version of a parent, other relative, or close friend but you would have to temper that with the knowledge they haven't lived the future yet. If they were time travelers too, sure call someone "dad" or "ajumma" but if you call someone that, who you are a stranger to, they will think you are crazy. And he didn't just call them like that once, realize his error, and act like you would towards someone you just met, he continued to call them familiar titles. He persisted even when the person would say I don't know you or why are you calling me that. I'm like dude they don't know who you are. No wonder he is running from you, you seem crazy.
The main character, who is supposed to be super smart, not only didn't realize people in the past wouldn't know him, he was also really frustrating in getting practically any point across. Like when he is trying to convince the younger version of his dad he can play guitar, he doesn't say let me play guitar and show you. So, they would be arguing about whether or not he is telling the truth about his musical abilities and there would be a guitar right there. I am like grab the guitar, and do a riff, that would convince your "dad" way more than any verbal argument. But they tease that through scene after scene until they finally have him playing and the dad hears him from a distance. There was the same frustrating situation with the past version of his mom. She is deaf, and the dad keeps misunderstanding her because he doesn't know she is deaf, it has to be apparent to her that is going on yet she never grabs something and writes "I am deaf." In both situations the situation could have been resolved quickly. And I get it is entertaining to have that carrot move as you are just about to grab it, but if you do that too much it quits being amusing and just becomes frustrating. And both were such smart people, it is not credible within each character that they would fail to think of something so obvious.
A "hole" in the time travel concept was when one of the main female leads traveled back in time and people mistook her for her mother, she let them think she was her. The grand plan was, she wanted her mom not to fall in love with her dad but with someone else. She was suicidal and figured if her "mom" fell for someone else, then she would never be born. But, the problem with that was, people thought she was her mom, but she wasn't really her mom. Her mom was studying abroad. They never explained how her getting someone else to fall in love with her would have any impact on her mom's future. So that was an inconsistency, to me, with the theories around time travel.
#TwinklingWatermelon #Ryeon #GoYoonHwan #JungHeyonJun #ChoiHyunWook #ChoiWonYoung #SeolInAh #LeeSoYeon #ShinEunSoo #SeoYoonHee.
Fight Song (2022)
Love grows out of an experiment of sorts
9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 Japanese drama with 10, 45-70 minute episodes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Kisara Hanae (Kiyohara Kaya) did not let being abandoned to an orphanage hold her back for long, she began self-teaching karate, until a local dojo saw her passion and took on her training. Her career was just taking off when tragedy struck and irreparably damaged her career as an athlete. After a long period of mourning the loss of her former self, she goes to work as a cleaner for a fellow orphan and childhood friend, Shingo Natsukawa (Fuma Kikuchi), who started a cleaning business. As she re-emerges and begins living life again, she encounters Ashida Haruki (Shotaro Mamiya) who is known as a one hit wonder who so happened to write the song that Hanae credits with getting her through her difficult childhood and motivating her in her athletic career. Haruki is about to lose it all, his management firm, his apartment and his career if he doesn't produce a hit song. Desperately trying to think of how to salvage his career, his manager suggests if he experienced love it might give him inspiration to write new songs. Hanae caught his interest when she was shadow boxing in the courtyard and winds up at his house cleaning. He asks Hanae if she will be his girlfriend to inspire him and she agrees as long as the relationship is over by a set date. What she does not tell him is something life changing is going to occur for her on that date. Will their fake arrangement result in real feelings? Will their love experiment result in musical inspiration and also change Hanae's life.
Review
This was a predictable, but sufficiently complex romantic drama with a few comedic elements. It was on balance happy and had a happy ending. I would watch it again and would highly recommend it to those that like romance, sports dramas, idol drama, and shows where a main character has to overcome a major health challenge.
Spoilers
I really liked Hanae but was really frustrated with her when he leaned in to kiss her and she basically told him he needed to ask. To me someone asks in the slow approach. You don't want the kiss? You just dodge it. I mean naturally if someone grabs you unexpectedly and mauls you that is unacceptable but the slow lean has been the signal forever. This "ask me" is such a modern thing and is likely why so few long term couples form these days. So, I was disappointed when that ideology was incorporated in the script. It's not romantic to me to have to ask"may I kiss you." So, that disappointed me in that character. She made him feel bad, like he had done something wrong, and there wasn't a thing wrong with him leaning in for a kiss.
I got incredibly frustrated with her not telling anyone about her upcoming surgery. I mean, you might be deaf afterward, that is going to be a little hard to hide. When she did finally tell her family and they did the "punishments" I totally understood why they were like you did wrong, because it was wrong of her to keep that from the people that loved and cared about her. And she only told them when they literally had her backed into a corner. Only after they essentially already knew. For her not to tell Haruki why she wanted to end it with him was not being very kind toward him. She made the decision for both of themthat he should not go through it with her. I mean tell him and give him that option. I was upset she broke his heart a little and he was just such a nice guy. I don't like lies or selfishness and I felt like she was lying to him and being selfish in what parts of her life she shared.
I was a bit surprised that none of the deaf characters used sign language. It was all lip reading, voice to text or writing the message down. They seemed to get along fine with a combination of methods which makes me wonder if that is a true depiction of modern hearing impaired.
#FightSong #KayaKikyohara #ShotaroMamiya #FumaKikuchi.
Hap joek nam nui (2017)
Too rushed to be really good. Okay but not one to top a watchlist.
7/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 Chinese comedy romance movie with a run time of 96 minutes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Xiao Bo (Joseph Chang) works long hours as a deliveryman to save up money to fund his deaf nephew's surgery. Nothing is more important to him than his nephew having the life changing surgery which will restore his hearing. Ye Jin (Sammi Cheng) has it all, she is a successful CEO of an insurance company with a fiancé who will fulfill her desire to start a family. Everything changes for Ye Jin when she discovers her fiancé has been unfaitful. She decides to give up on men but not on her desire to have a child. She asks her secretary to find a man who meets all her criteria as a sperm donor. They are not honest about the true nature of the job up font and let the men think they are interviewing for Ye Jin's assistant. Just when Ye Jun is about to give up, not finding any suitable men among those that applied, she has a chance encounter with Xiao Bo when he saves her from being injured by a disgruntled employee. The lucrative salary causes Xiao Bo to wholeheartedly agree to the rigorous interview process as he is so eager to apply the generous salary he would make to the savings for his nephew's surgery. He is selected and after he works with Ye Jin for awhile, they pitch the sperm donor with a huge financial incentive idea to him. It seems Xiao Bo is already developing feelings for Ye Jin and wants to help her fulfill her wish. As time goes on, the two fall deeply in love which makes Xiao Bo desire a real relationship with Ye Jin. But Ye Jin had a traumatic childhood, where she would have been better without a father. And then Ye Jin was betrayed by her fiancé causing her trust issues to deepen. Can Xiao Bo convince Ye Gin to see him as more than a donor?
Review
It was simple, straight forward, and ended happy. I would not seek it out to watch it again but I would not turn it if someone else had it playing. It ends well.
Spoilers
The humor in this was very slap stick in parts. A bit too silly for my liking. When the disgruntled employee went after Ye Jin, the whole swirly scene was unbelievable. If we had seen him being a talented fighter before his sudden fight, his ability would have been more believable.
It felt rushed. It went from you are my assistant, to you are my donor, to you are my boyfriend really quick. If they had decided to make a baby the traditional way and he slowly fell in love with her it would have increased the chemistry factor. But it was like warp speed from one stage to another. Too rushed.
#LoveContactually #JosephChang #SammiCheng.
Geugjeogin Harutbam (2015)
Pleasantly surprised I liked it better than I anticipated
9/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean romantic comedy movie with a run time of 107 minutes. Also known as "A Dramatic Night".
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Jung-hoon (Yoon Kye-sang) and Si-hoo (Han Ye-ri) meet at the wedding of their exes who cheated on them to end their long term relationships. Heart broken they wind up hooking up with each other and having a passionate one night stand. What started as console themselves revenge sex turned into a friends with benefits relationship. Since the idea of having a purely sexual relationship started at the coffee shop, Si-hoo proposes that they meet at the coffee shop for their booty calls and once they fill up the coffee card they end their relationship. But they soom discover they habe more in common than just sexual compatability. Can a relationship built on such shakey ground turn into something more?
Review
This would normally be too risque for me but the intimate scenes were tasteful amd there was a lot of interaction outside of the the hook ups. Both were lokable characters and the relationship that developed made sense. I would watch it again and would recommend it to other fans of the romance genre.
Spoilers
I would have loved this even more as a series. It was great as a movie but I liked the characters enough a series would have been enjoyable.
I liked that it showed they both had their lives on a good track. I just wish they had showed them get engaged or married.
#LoveGuideforDumpees #ADramaticNight. #YoonKyeSang #HanYeRi.
Clover (2014)
Not my idea of a healthy love
7/10 is my rating. This is a 2014 Japanese romance movie that runs 120 minutes.
First I provide a Unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Saya Suzuki (Emi Taeki) is a hard working hotel employee who works on event planning. Her immediate supervisor, Susumu Tsuge (Tadayoshi Okura), is hyper critical and is always scolding Saya for her many small errors. Which is why Saya is beyond surprised when Tsuge asks her out. Having a bit too much to drink, and feeling insecure about the real reason for Tsuge's sudden interest, Saya shares that her first love was Haruki Hino (Kento Nagayama), a famous singer and actor. Saya tells Tsuge that she and Haruki were in love and tried to elope but since they were still in school, the police brought them back to their parents. A belief the young first loves had was if they found a four leaf clover it would reveal their true love and were searching in a field when the police found them. She tells Tsuge that Haruki was sent to the United States and she has been waiting for him. Upon hearing this, Tsuge offers to be her love rehab until her heart heals. So it is little wonder that when Haruki returns and befriends Saya, Tsuge is jealous. Jealous enough to get himself roped into an engagement with the hotel owner's daughter, Shiori Tsutsui (Natsuna). Will the two unlikely lovers find the courage to stay together or allow themselves to take the safe route with people who are so clearly in love with them.
Review
It is a simple, straight forward romance. I would not watch it again. I recommend it if someone wants a happy ending romance.
Spoilers
I thought Tsuge was unduly harsh to Saya. A lot of her errors were made from always being criticized so that she was often nervous. He was like the boy that pulls the girl's hair because he likes her. So I could not understand his sudden interest. I really liked Haruki for her. Haruki was always there when Saya needed someone to talk to because Tsuge made her sad. I was also very disappointed necause Tsuge allowed himself to be put in a position to be tricked into an engagement. He did not act like someone in love. But Saya also spent a lot of alone time with Haruki and seemed like she was exploring her feelings for him. Since it felt like we saw them both more with other people than with each other it made their relationship less genuine. I was not rooting for them. He was a little sorry in the end. But I had the sense he would do something like that again.
I also wish he found out Shiori drugged him to fake that they were together. That was a horrible thing she did and it never came out as such. But he seemed to be considering sleeping with her as she tequested as long as she would let him go. Tsuge was willing to sleep with Shiori more to save his career than to be with Saya. It cheapened his love for Saya.
#Clover #EmiTakei. # TadayoshiOkura. #KentoNagayama. #Natsuna.
20segi sonyeo (2022)
Sad alert! I am not into sad but this fooled me
6/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 coming of age romance movie with a run time of 119 minutes.
First I provide a Unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
At 17, Na Bo-ra's (Kim Yoo-jung) world centers around her best friend, Yeon-du (Roh Yoon-seo). They have been friends since childhood and Bo-ra is particularly protective as her friend has a chronic heart condition. On the eve of going to the US for life changing heart surgery, Yeon-du vows to skip out as she just met a boy, who she believes to be Baek Hyun-jin (Park Jung-woo) whose kind act caused her to develop a crush on him. To get her friend to go, Bo-ra promises that she will find out everything about Baek Hyun-jin and send the information, video and pictures to Yeon-du. True to her word, Bo-ra starts to follow Hyun-jin and records facts about him to send to her friend. This also brings her into close contact with Hyun-jin's friend, Poong Woon-ho (Byeon Woo-seok). In a bizarre twist both boys develop feelings for Bo-ra who seems to be everywhere they are which causes them to notice her. To be a good friend, Bo-ra immediately rejects Hyun-jin but does not see a reason to contain her feelings for Woon-ho. But when Yeon-du returns they discover they had the names switched and the boy Yeon-du liked was Woon-ho. Can Bo-ra give up the boy she came to love for her friend?
Review
If you want to know how this ends, scroll to the spoilers. I liked 3/4 of this movie. A lot. Liked the characters, thought the love story was believable amd thought it was well paced. But the last of the movie ruined it for me. I will not watch it again and do not personally recommend it.
Spoilers
If the story had stopped when she finally admitted her feelings for him at the train station I would have liked it. If he returned from New Zealamd and they had a heartfelt reunion I would have loved it. But I do not like sad endings and this had an extremely sad ending.
I seriously dislike sad movies. Every once in awhile I get suckered into one. This was a heart warming love story where the lead couple goes through all this stuff then finally get to be together. I know I know I just described practically every romance. But it is a solid formula that I like. But in this one, he has to go abroad and tells her he is coming back for her. That is a common trope, the separation trope. I do not like the separation trope but can deal with it if they get back together. So she waits, and waits and you think they are just drawing it out for dramatic effect but nope. Turns out he died. That is why he doesn't come back. And I am like what in the Nicholas Sparks just happened here? But wait, there is more. She pops in this video and it is all about when he first saw her and fell in love with her which is way earlier than she thought. And then what in the "P. S. I Love you" in a "Notebook" hell, he has this videography of all their time together and ends with I love you and I am coming back. No in the "Nights in Rodanthe" you are not. You freaking "Bridge to Tarabithia" died, we know that. But it continues just "Lovely Bones" long enough to give us very false hope that it was not true. And my heart sank like the Titanic. And it made me a little sad but mostly mad.
I did not find much to like about the ending. For some reason they decided that Kim Yoo-jung would play the teenage Bo-ra and Han Hyo-joo would play the adult Bo-ra. Normally I would've hated that. It's not that hard with hair and make up to make a 20 something year old look a little older so they could have kept the same actress. But given that the male lead character dies, it was actually easier for it not to be the same actress as it sort of felt like a different character and didn't make me as sad. But I don't think that is why they did it. They seemed to enjoy evoking tears. Still it worked out for me, it seeming like a new character, because it did not feel like the Bo-ra I had grown attached to was suffering.
What was the deal amd what was the point of him dropping the note to her in the rain? I thought maybe she, or maybe her best friend would find it and it would reveal that he liked Bo-ra before Yeon-du liked him. But they never found it. So I guess the point was just for the viewer which was pointless.
#TwentiethCenturyGirl #KimYooJung. #HanHyoJoo #ByeonWooSeok. #ParkJungWoo #RohYoonSeo.
Dugeundugeun Seupaikeu (2016)
Good for what they are. Both are thematically tied but can stand alone
Thumping Spike
8/10 is my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean sports romantic drama with 20,15-19 minute episodes.
First I provide a Unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Kang Se Ra (Hwang Seun Eon) is a National volleyball player hoping to be picked up to play professional sports. She is considered the volleyball diva and is often asked to promote products as she has achieved some fame as a beautiful woman at the top of her sport. Due to an injury, Sera has hit a slump, but is hiding the extent of the damage for fear it would end her career. Last thing she needed was a scandal, but she winds up having one when overzealous fans chase her into the men's room, and she assaults who she thinks is a pervert. To keep her name out of the newspapers, her manager swings a deal with the victim's high school sports team for Sera to temporarily coach. The superstar returning member, Hwang Jae Woong (Song Jae Rim), is just returning from an injury himself and Sera is surprised to see him on the team as she met him previously when they battled over a carnival prize. Turns out Jae Woong is not a minor, he is twenty, so he is more on Sera's level in terms of age. As Sera gets to know the team more, she realizes coaching the team may not only help them but her as well. Can Sera reignite her career options and find love in this unexpected place?
Review
Good as a short, lighthearted uncomplicated romance. I recommend it to anyone that wants some quick romantic fluff but caution not to expect a lot. I might watch it if it was on but would not seek it out to rewatch it.
Spoilers
The largest problem with it to me was simply how short it was. For the length, they did a good job developing characters and telling the story, but I have to emphasize for the length. There was a lot of potential in this basic premise, and if it went into more depth then some of the intricacies of being a volleyball player either on or with potentiql to go to the national team it would've been better. I really wanted to know more about how she got to be known as such an awesome player and see her in a coach role really work on skills with the players or develop strategies. It was very minimal on the technical aspects of volleyball. I'm a fan of the slice of life type shows. I think the nest sport dramas are where I get to learn more about a particular sport and I didn't come away from this feeling like I had learned very much about volleyball in South Korea. I really wanted to see her shining as a coach. A lot of times. I expected her to either train a player or make an important decision that would impact the outcome of the game. There was the one instance where she changed the lineup, but that was pretty minimal. A lot of the major decisions seem to be made by the male coach amd it did not highlight how her presence increased their skill and led them to wins.
Because she was the coach and several years older than the male lead, it made it feel like the teacher student love trope. I would've enjoyed it more if there was never a teacher to student relationship.
Her manager was overbearing and did not have her best interest at heart. It showed her catching onto that a little, but not to the degree that I wish she would've. I think some of that was because of the timeframe where women did not speak up for themselves as much as they might now.
In the end, the viewer didn't really get to see what happened with her career. They showed a little bit that she had healed and went back, but not her fully getting back into her sport and excelling. I wanted to see him do great things too, and then see them doing great things together, I know I asked for a lot, but it's not reality and I want it to be a really good. Happy story.
I think this is one they could pick up at some point in the future, retell it and develop it a lot better. They could make each episode longer and make the volleyball part of it a lot more exciting and suspenseful. All aspects of it have a lot of potential, it just needs to be longer. A longer format would allow more slow build in the romance, more about volleyball and more suspenseful games.
#ThumpingSpike #HwangSeunEon #SongJaeRim
Thumping Spike 2.
8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean sports romantic drama with 20,15-19 minute episodes.
First I provide a Unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
If you watched thumping spike 1, this is more of the elements you enjoyed but with a whole new cast of characters. Han Da Woon/Han Ah Reum (Kim So eun) falls almost instantly for star volleyball player Dong Hae Sung (Lee Won Keun).
Review
It is a light, short, very predictable romance. Good for what it is. If you want a lighthearted break from more intense storylines then this would fit the bill. I would watch it if it was on but would not seek it out. It is a stand alone from the first one with only a time or two they even reference characters from the first one. There are some characters that carry over from the first series but it is some of the volleyball administration and a few of the more side characters on the volleyball team. You could watch the second season without ever having watched the first and still understand it without missing any important details.
Spoilers
My biggest complaint about both series is just that it is so short. I wound up liking this second series just slightly better as there was more of a love triangle, a bit more intrigue around lead guy's career and injury, and I felt the chemistry between the leads was a degree more than the couple in the first season. I did have a hard time getting into the story. Some of it can be quite "cheesy" at times. The music is a bit overbearing and the intro, review and then closing takes up a significant portion of what is already a very short episode. But, this was 2016 and I think it is why the more current series moved away from this model.
I was pleasantly surprised they could tell the story as well as they were able in such a short amount of screen time. That success was due to the simple story lines where more time could be spent on character development and the relationship aspects. What severely lacked was any slice of life on volleyball, the technical aspects of the sport were very minimal. They showed games a little but there was no time spent on aspects of different skills for the different positions, nor showing intense one on one coaching. What I enjoy most about series that focus in on an activity, is learning more about the details of that activity. I didn't come away feeling like a knew more about college and professional volleyball in South Korea.
#ThumpingSpike2 #KimSoEun. #LeeWonKeun.
Nolajuneun Yeoja (2024)
I am picky, I have watched over 300 Korean dramas at this point, and I loved it
10/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.
First, I provide a unique synopsis and then review
Synopsis
Go Eun-ha (Han Sun-hwa) is an influencer and web entertainer who has a persona "Sister Mini" with content targeted for young audiences. She is beloved among her young followers, and they want whatever product placement items she shows. When a milk product she was promoting lands children in the hospital, it sends Eun ha's web career into a tailspin. She offers to go on sabbatical to minimize the damage to the image of the company she works for as well as give herself time to personally recover from what she feels like is her responsibility. During this volatile time, Eun ha encounters former mobster, and current CEO, Seo Ji-Hwan (Uhm Tae-goo) and his team of ex-cons who run a food company intended to offer ex-convicts a fresh start. Ji Hwan is enamored with Eun ha and finds her television persona particularly compelling becoming a closet fan of her content. And most of his closest friends and management team Joo Il-young (Kim Hyun-jin), Kwak Jae-soo (Yang Hyun-min), Jung Man-ho (Lee Yoo-joon), Yang Hong-ki (Moon Dong-hyeok), and Seo Dong-hee (Park Jae-chan) are willing to play match maker to see their mentor and friend find happiness.
Review
I loved this. One of my new favorites. I have watched over 300, mostly korean, drama series now so I am really picky. I thought the characters were very well developed. The "thugs" were very likable and it exhibited how you can firm a family with people that love and mutually support each other. The friendships and romances were very heart warming. I highly recommend it and will be watching it again.
Spoilers
Il Young and Koo Mi-ho's (Moon Ji-in) second romance represents one of my favorite tropes. The playboy who encounters that one girl he just can't seem to forget. I liked his friendship with Jihwan and her friendship with Eunha. They were both very supportive friends and it made sense in their interactions, that ultimately got the main couple together, they would have noticed each other.
I never felt too bad for second guy, Jang Hyun-woo (Kwon Yul) as he had so many opportunities to romance main girl but had this sort of aloof wait for her to catch the feels that was sure to make him lose out to the far more compelling Jihwan. I found him very admirable in his support of main girl, and he was a stand-up person in telling Eunha the truth about who Jihwan was as well as his willingness to re-evaluate what he thought about Jihwan. He finally fully let go of her and just wished her happiness even if not with him. He was just a great guy who became a great friend for Jihwan as well.
I loved the ex-con team. They were such great friends to Jihwan and I liked the way they did not like Eunha at first but then became her greatest advocates. Jaesoo calling Eunha "Little Rat" in derision in the beginning then later as a pet name was a cute addition to the storyline.
#MySweetMobster #UhmTaeGoo #HanSunHwa #KwonYul #KimHyunJin #YangHyunMin #LeeYooJoon #MoonDongHyeok #ParkJaeChan #MoonJiIn.
Kyô, koi o hajimemasu (2012)
Predictable but not in a bad way. Sweet romance with a well resolved, happy ending
8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2012 Japanese romance movie that runs 121 minutes.
First I will provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Tsubaki Hibino (Emi Takei), is a socially awkward loner. She dresses in very drab, old style clothing, and wears her hairs in braids which is not very fashionable. In complete contrast, Kyota Tsubaki (Tori Matsuzaka) is one of the most sought out, attractive, guys at the high school. Tsubaki is completely surprised when Kyota begins paying attention to her, teasing her incessantly at first but then pursuing her romantically. The more the two interact the more what started as a joke on Kyota's part starts to become real. Kyota draws Tsubaki out of her shell and Tsubaki makes Kyota look at his life and re-evaluate the shallow relationships he had been pursuing. Can two such dramatically different people make it work in the long term?
Review
This is a very sweet, well-paced coming of age romance. If you are okay with it being a bit aged, it is not a bad offering in the romance genre. The characters are well developed and you can see the progression of their relationship and feelings for each other. It is predictable but not in a bad way. Super popular boy meets not so popular girl and they fall for each other.
I t ends happy and there aren't any unresolved or outstanding plot points or sub plots. I would recommend it for anyone that is a romance fan as a quick easy watch. I might watch it again if it was on but wouldn't seek it out to rewatch.
Spoilers
From the hair styles and the clothes it is not hard to tell this movie is over a decade old. So, when they criticize main girl for being old fashioned it is like old fashioned criticizing old fashioned from our modern perspective.
The music was not my favorite. Pretty screachy but not so disruptive it made it unwatchable.
There was no solid second couple. There was the sister and her romance with the lead guys' best friend but given she said he wasn't really her type, and that she was originally interested in main guy, it wasn't much of a romance. The best romances usually have more than one couple that forms and this really only had the main couple.
It was a bit odd that the description for the movie said she was really good at doing other's hair but not her own so I thought that would be a central part of her character throughout the story. But it really wasn't. It showed her doing her sister's hair in the beginning, then a few of her classmates' hair a bit later but that was really it. Then, she goes to work at the hair salon and then it becomes a central thing for her. But that didn't happen until close to the end. That is why I think a better description of how she was before is that she was focused on studying.
#LoveForBeginners #EmiTakei #ToriMatsuzaka.
Romance by Romance (2023)
I loved it. Heartwarming and simple.
10/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 Korean romance movie with a run time of 119 minutes.
First I will provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
After having multiple romances end at or before the 100 day relationship landmark, Ha Joon (Lee Eun Bi) has a tendency to cling on to the relationship even when her boyfriend wants to break up. Which is why, when her current boyfriend, Nam Tae Ryeon (Cha Hun) wants to break up before their 100 day anniversary, she strikes a deal with him to delay the break up until her birthday. They come up with a "break up grace period" agreement where they both see each other, just more casually and less frequently, while they consider and possibly pursue other romantic interests. The deal ends when they find someone else, or when it is her birthday, whichever comes first.
Ha Joon wants to make Tae Ryeon change his mind so she makes another agreement, with her best friend, Kang Jin whom she has known since college. Reluctantly Kang Jin (Kim Jin Woo) agrees to be her fake flirtatious dating relationship with the goal of making Tae Ryeon jealous so he will realize he still has feelings for Ha Joon.
This sets up a love triangle that is sure to not come out the way any of them expected. Once Kang Jin starts his flirtation with Ha Joon in front of Tae Ryeon in the place they all work, Tae Ryeon finds himself immediately jealous. And he decides he wants Ha Joon back. But, Kang Jin realizes that he liked Ha Joon since college and the feelings he had never went away. So rather than Kan Jin simply making Tae Ryeon jealous he decides to confess his feeling to Ha Joon which sets Tae Ryeon up as his romantic rival.
Will Ha Joon choose the safe and comfortable relationship that makes her heart race, or the risky but exciting relationship that makes her heart race?
Review
I loved this movie! I like heart warming romance and this was certainly that. I highly recommend it to anyone that wants a quick, but very well developed Korean romance. I highly recommend it and would watch it again.
Spoiler
This is one of those rare movies/series where the 2nd guy actually gets the girl. He isn't a classic second guy in that he gets more airtime than 1st guy but the role he plays is second guy. One of my favorite tropes is friends to lovers. It showed just enough of their back story to get a clear sense for when their feelings started.
I typically root for the main couple to get back together but, in this case, you could clearly tell 2nd guy was a better match for the lead girl.
#RomancebyRomance #LeeEunBi #ChaHun #KimJinWoo.
Midnight Photo Studio (2024)
Romance lacked chemistry, lost interest about halfway overall just an okay series
6.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean Supernatural romance series with 16, 68-73 minute episodes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review
Synopsis
Seo Ki Joo (Joo won) is the 7th owner of a photo studio whose purpose is to allow the recently deceased one last opportunity to interact with their loved ones and capture the moment photographically. But he did not come by this supernatural skill amicably, his ancestor struck a deal with reapers that they would perform this duty in exchange for saving the male child who would otherwise have died in childbirth. But it comes at the additional cost that all heirs from that point onward will be tormented by ghosts and die during their 35th year. Ki joo performs his photographer services with the help of Assistant Manager Go (Yoo In Soo) and Baek Nam Gu (Eum Moon suk) who run the office and help with each ghostly case. As his 35th year approaches, things become more chaotic and Kijoo notices that the granddaughter of his landlord serves as a ghost deterrant. The granddaughter, Han Bom (Kwon Nara), is a lawyer who is between jobs because her inability to look the other way in unjust situations doe not sit well with her superiors. Kijoo, eager to keep her near as a ghost repellant, asks Han bom to work with him on the legal issues tied up in recently departed client's last wishes.
Review
With relatively fewer offerings in the supernatural genre in terms of Korean dramas, I would say that alone would be a reason to watch it if you are a fan of the genre. The premise is unusual with the whole last photo of the recently deceased angle. It is interesting that the camera offers a way for those with regrets to have that last interaction with those they care about and resolve things before they depart. But, if you're considering watching this one for the romance, there are better romances out there. I am a bit biased simply because I have watched over 300 Korean dramas now and have seen all the best ones. So, it makes me really picky with the content. I share the impression other reviewers that the chemistry with the leads was off. It was like they went through the motions, the first kiss, the longing stares, all the elements but it just did not add up with the two characters. May have been more palatable if there were strong 2nd or 3rd romances but there weren't. The second romance was just not very believable. So, you have one romance with little to no chemistry and the other one that is not believable. So, in terms of recommending it to anyone I would only recommend to those like the very niche supernatural genre but for those looking for anything else, like a good romance, I would not recommend it. Those that are fans of any of the actors might like it as the actors did an excellent job with their roles. The lack of chemistry and other issues were issues with the writing not the actors. I will not watch it again as I had a hard time getting through it the first time. I found it boring after about half-way just because I wasn't all that interested in most of the characters.
Spoilers
The lack of chemistry between the leads for me began when she wasn't very nice to him in the beginning of the series. She tried to get him kicked out of the apartment and told some untruths simply because of something her grandmother did. Her grandmother kicked her out because she wasn't paying the rent, which I thought was odd given the character of the grandmother. They did not fully explain why the grandmother kicked the main girl out, if it was to give her incentive to get back into practicing law or if it was simply because she needed the income from the rent. But generally, the main girl's misplaced anger made me not like her very well. I know that is a common trope, where the leads at first do not like each other at first. And that is often used as comedic moments. But there was nothing funny in her behavior, it just seemed mean. I think they sometimes have the main leads gaze at each other too long before kissing but this is a good example of how too short is not a good thing either. The kisses were just awkward in a way. Like two strangers kissing because there weren't the looks of love and longing gazes around it. It just felt like, okay time to kiss now. Same with holding hands. There wasn't this huge build up and anticipation.
I thought the whole mystique around the camera was not very well-developed (pun intended). I understood that the camera allowed recently deceased people an opportunity to see their loved ones, one last time, resolve issues and capture last memories. And they showed it was only those ghosts who were willing to go through the hardship of navigating back through the netherworld and finding the door that got the opportunity. But why did that camera even exist? Why did the supernatural beings feel the need to provide a camera for that purpose? Who had the camera before main guy's family got it? How did main guy's ancestor even know to go to the afterlife and steal the camera? The Grim Reaper in this one was all dark and spooky looking with like black smoke and stuff around in like an evil spirit. In other dramas the Grim Reapers are attractive individuals, and the only difference is their skin may be a bit paler and they have supernatural powers. Interpreting Grim Reapers in a different way wasn't the problem the show should have at least explain why that Grim Reaper looks like he did. Why the spooky black, evil spirit looking, smoke?
I found the bromance aspects of the series more compelling than the romance. The lead guy and his two ghost assistants and their friendship was more interesting than the relationship between the male and female lead. However, I didn't understand how those two ghosts, out of all the ghosts that were moving through his studio, became his helpers. I mean ghosts were coming and going all the time and his goal was to help them resolve whatever they needed to and then take the photos quickly to move them on to the afterlife. So why did the two ghosts that assisted him get to stay and why did they not only stay but become his assistants? It was emphasized several times that lingering too long could cause the ghost to become an evil spirit. So, how were they able to stay so long without becoming evil spirits? I also don't know why they had to make the main guy like a bad boss. They made jokes several times about him being cheap and working them too much. Given the one guy died from overwork, why did he stay with main guy? And how did main guy even have money? It wasn't like he was getting paid for his role photographing ghosts for the netherworld.
I wasn't sure why they put the grandma character in there only to have her leave. And it seemed out of character for her, not to want to say bye to her granddaughter. The grandmother gave some lame excuse for leaving without that final moment and photo but it was out of character of her to leave her granddaughter that way. I was glad main guy got the main girl to see her grandmother anyway. But the whole grandma dying seemed pointless. A big deal was made out of how that was her last family and how devastated she would be without the grandmother but then, once that final photo opportunity happened, they never focused on her again. It was odd.
Hands down what I liked least about the story was the police officers' situation. They tried to make his wife a sympathetic character because she was lonely, but she never told him that she was lonely so that he had a chance to be there more. Basically, she pretended to be understanding and told him it was okay when it wasn't okay to her at all. She was lying and deceiving him into thinking everything was okay and then she was supposedly noble for doing it. So, she has this "affair" with the florist guy, and it is spun so that it is his fault for making her lonely. I wasn't even clear on what type of affair it was. Was it emotional cheating or did she have a physical relationship or both? We didn't get enough of a glimpse into that relationship to understand any of that nor what was so great about the floral guy that she would cheat on her husband. I thought the whole pity party around her was ridiculous as she knew she was marrying a police officer and that his job kept him away a lot. In fact, they showed, during wedding preparations, where he did not have time to participate in the arrangements much and she was basically like it's okay just do this one thing. Many people, early in their careers, work long hours to establish themselves. Given they were a new couple just starting their life as a married couple, and she was a stay at home, you would expect he would need to work long hours to support them in this new venture of a married life. I found her whining and playing the victim annoying. So, I was very disappointed his story ended that he disappeared forever. He was one of my favorite characters in the show and that was a horrible and unnecessary ending for him. I wanted him to confront his wife and maybe apologize for not being there but say you should have told me you were lonely. And she would say something like I know, I was wrong too, and apologize for the affair. Maybe he would have had words with the guy who was such a slime to cheat with a cop's wife. I didn't like that guy at all, here he has an affair with the wife of a hero in uniform, then turns around, after the police officer dies in the line of duty and says bad things about him. He deserved some heated words. But instead, they made cheater florist guy out to be a good guy for easing the cop's wife's loneliness. What? Even main guy was like I thought you were going to bop him. And then he doesn't go to the afterlife in the kind, peaceful manner where you capture a beautiful last photograph and he dissipates, nope he goes down with the evil spirit and since he went all evil spirit briefly h.
Honki no shirushi: Gekijôban (2020)
Definitely an anti-romance. Two very broken leads who complete each other but not in a good way.
6/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 Japanese Romantic Drama with a run time of 3 hours and 52 minutes. Known under the Japanese title "Honki no Shirushi: Geijoban". This is an adaptation of a 2000 era manga by Fukada Koji that originally aired as a 10 episode mini-series.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Tsuji Kazumichi (Win Morisaki) is in upper management at a business that sells toys and fireworks. His daily existence is very calm, ordinary and too predictable and he has several casual relationships. His life takes a dramatic turn when he encounters a troubled woman and saves her from tragedy. While he could have turned away after his heroic act he is drawn to the little bit of chaos that surrounds the beautiful and intriguing stranger. What follows is a tumultuous, and at times dangerous, romantic interlude that leaves them both forever changed. Prior to his encounter with Hayama Ukiyo (Kaho Tsuchimura) he spiced up his existence with romantic interludes with a couple of his office co-workers. He has a flirty relationship with his 24 year old Minako (Fukunaga Akari) and allows his more steady friends with benefits co-worker, the older woman, Ms. Naoko Hosokowa (Kei Ishibashi) to play housewife.
Review
This film was ranked among the top foreign films so I thought it would be heart-warming or at least an emotionally compelling romance. But you wind up asking yourself what you just watched. Early you may form an impression of Ukiyo as a damsel in distress and Tsuji as a knight in shining armor but that does not characterize either of them well. So you start out thinking you are watching one kind of movie and, mid-way, you realize it is not what you originally thought. It is an emotional ride but not, in my opinion, in a good way. I would not watch it again nor would I recommend it to anyone that likes romances or dramas on the lighter side. It has been termed an anti-romance and I would agree with that assessment. Some people like the darker content, exploring difficult topics, and/or experiencing many different realities. If you are okay with weighty emotional content and fractured personalities, you may like it. It just wasn't for me. I avoid these types of movies when I can as I am an empath, so I absorb a lot of the emotions. Which is okay when it evokes light-hearted emotions but not so good when it elicits darker emotions.
Spoilers
From the title you might think that Tsuji is going to move from the rather shallow relationships he has been participating in, to a deeper, more genuine connection. But you would be wrong. Actually, the bond between Tsuji and Ukiyo is toxic as neither of them turn out to be as noble as they first seem. They play this long push and pull game that is often as frustrating as it is un-nurturing. There is nothing wholesome or heart warming about the two of them together. I do not like dramas or sad movies and this is very dramatic and it is actually sad to see two people who are broken in so many ways bring out some of the worst aspects of each other. The movie attempts to show that only the two can truly understand one another as they come from a similar mental place but, from a psychological perspective, that type of relationship is always unhealthy.
The portrayal is the main characters are the users, but a closer examination reveals that the other people take advantage of the vulnerability of the two. This is alluded to when others say Tsuji is "too nice" and how Ukiyo is always compliant and apologetic. Tsuji and Ukiyo are both damaged in that they do not know themselves well, allow themselves to be steered by people and events, and are not happy in their current lives.
#TheRealThing #WinMorisaki. #KahoTsuchimura #FukunagaAkari.