My Lovely Sam Soon (2005)

2005/MBC

So we're back in 2005, over 6-7 years ago. A rather youthful Hyun Bin delivers a performance that easily matches his role in Secret Garden. For some reason though, the writers still demand that he plays rather outrageous and unbelievable characters with little common sense that people could relate to. It's a Korean drama, so no big surprise there. Take that for granted and you will enjoy the performances of the other leads as well. Kim Sun-A as lead Kim Sam-Soon delivers a (relative to other dramas) very realistic performances which clearly translates itself into the ratings it received when it first aired. The other actors and actresses don't disappoint either, all of them give credible performances. Special attention deserves to go out to the performances of Yun Ye-Hee as Yoon Hyun-Sook (President Na's secretary) and Lee A-Hyeon as Kim Yi-Young (Sam Soon's sister) for both giving very good performances.

The usual paragraph that I spend on complaining about how the support characters did not get enough screen time can be kept short for this drama. The only issue I have is that a few ends remain loose and the fact that we lose sight of a few other supporting characters. I wish they would just cut the flashbacks accompanied by music and award the time to characters such as Lee in-Hye (played by Han Yeo-Woon ), Jang Young-Ja ( Kim Hyun-Jung ) and cute little Mi-Joo ( Seo Ji-Hee ].

The script is not very unfamiliar for those that have seen Bridget Jones' Diary, but there is enough Korean culture mixed into this drama in order for it to come across as original. It also makes this drama more daring than many of the popular dramas that have followed since. Many of today's dramas don't dare or simply don't care about that additional level of realism. I wish they'd try more though, but this is really an achievement that sets this drama apart from others.

I wasn't exceptionally moved by the music in this drama, although Bonbons au Chocolat was a very touching instrumental track, played throughout the drama in a few different variations. The slower ones were the better ones in my opinion.

I would recommend this drama, most definitely. It is ageing rapidly though, so if you're trying to catch up on kdrama's from the past, let this be high up on your list.

7/10

http://www.reddit.com/r/KDRAMA/comments/llv67/my_name_is_kim_sam_soon?_???_???_2005mbc_more/

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The first half of this worked quite well, nothing new in the plot but the characters were at least interesting. I liked Sam Soon, she had enough feistiness to make her interesting even though she still fell into the usual drama cliches. The fact she was plump (though still gorgeous!) was a really refreshing change. The initial squabbling between her and Jin Heon had chemistry, humour and timing, lifting the show above the relatively ordinary plot.

After a while though, the repetitive unpleasantness, wrist grabbing, shouting, arguing, cheating and so on just got wearing. The initial humour was transferred to other characters leaving the main leads looking a bit pathetic. It's really hard to care about the relationships of people you neither like nor respect.
By the time I dropped it I'd really had enough of Jin Heon, what a complete twat he turned out to be. I don't mind a lead who starts out as a pathetic man-child but grows and changes into something more...adult? Likeable? as the show progresses. Unfortunately JH just got worse and so by the time he at last started to come round a little bit I no longer cared. Which left Sam Soon with her repeated 'he's my last chance' as the only visible reason for sticking with him seem even more sad. Well he is rich I suppose...

The music has some gems thrown in to the mix and made me smile on a couple of occasions

Sam Soon I wish you could've found a nice guy or at least one that you could trust.

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Following a review by my fellow comrade, amrita-sshi, let me now share my two cents on this drama.



Story: Good storyline and after a long staple of rom-coms where the woman falls in love with a rich guy and the comedy that follows the story, this drama started a new genre of "noona love" - the romance between an older woman and a younger man. However, this drama still follows the long-proven formula of rich man and average/poor woman with a refereshing twist of realism. My Name is Kim Sam Soon (MNKSS)is the pioneer in rom-coms involving older women and younger men and this is perhaps the secret of its success. It is also a story between an average Jane Doe with the "prince", making this drama the first to depict the relationship between the average everyday gal with a fairytale-like man. The script was well written. The story has a form of realism in it mixed with the usual comedy. All in all, it is a drama that teaches the audience about being realistic in love and that even though one may fall in love, one may also one day fall out of love, but that should not stop us from living our lives to the fullest and enjoying the moment.



Acting/Cast: Overall, it is a wonderful cast and acting was good. The actress playing Kim Sam Soon had to gain weight in order to fit into this role - something many actresses in Korea would hesitate to do. So, kudos to her for her sacrifice. She successfully depicted the average korean woman - slightly "meaty", loud, occasionally foul-mouthed and with a big appetite for life and love. As for Hyun Bin, I must say that this is not his best acting, partly because this is one of his earlier works, hence the lack of experience. The other characters were very well done and I have no complains there. The only thing that got to me is the lack of chemistry between the two main leads. No matter how I look at it, they fail to bring out the "ah~~~" feeling from me when they kiss or fight. The interaction between them was so neutral that you know you are watching an act. There was zero chemistry between them. My heart did not pound, my breath did not get caught, I did not wait for the next kissing scene etc. Most times, I had the sneaky feeling of watching an older sister bullying her younger brother in scenes where they were supposedly having a lovers' fight. Therefore, I gave the acting a 7/10, recognising the talents of the cast but also the essential lack of romantic chemistry between the leads.



Music: What can I say - I am not a big fan of its OST. The OST is a patch-work of work from various artists put together with only a couple of songs that are originally made for this drama. Hence, I would say that the drama did not have a big focus on OSTs.



Rewatch value: When you run out of dramas to watch and you just want a lazy evening on the coach with a glass of wine to relax, this is a possible choice. It is safe, neutral and no fuss (you do not need your brains and tissues to watch this one).



Overall: Considering the impact it first aired and the then new concept of love between an older woman and younger man and the concept of love between an average woman and the arrogant rich man, plus its good cast but neutral chemistry between the leads, plus the average OSTs....I give this drama a 7/10. Also, I was thinking of all the crappy k-dramas I'd watched and compared to those crappy ones, this one is still considered ok. Just do not let the lack of chemistry between the leads get to you overly much.

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The realism of this drama, in which a lot of women verbalized on relating to. Why? Not all women look like Son Ye-jin or Song Hye Kyo. Not all women are pretty for a fact. There are more average looking women than to those who look like a walking model. So yes… they could relate big time with Kim Sam Soon because she is average, chubby and most of all a dork. A woman in her thirties with no fulfillment in life. This drama would hook up the old maids out there who’s mopping for not marrying that guy from their past because he cheated on her. Teenagers in their late blooming stage are crying out and are hopeful because though they won’t grow up looking like a cover model of a magazine, at least they can catch that Hyun Jin-Heon of their life. Even in their average self.

Ahhh… Hyun Bin, why are you so damn good looking?!?

This is a romantic comedy that would strike all women in every age level because… it is Kim Sam Soon.

No need for further explanation.

Though I would just like to add up that the soundtrack of this drama is quite catchy, and this is also the first drama I caught Daniel Henney in. Yep, Hyun Bin isn’t the only eye candy in this drama. I’m throwing in a towel for Daniel too!

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what to say.this drama stole my heart when i started watching it.i had no expectations when i started it but as i finished it..i think i was in love with t he lead heroine.she has so much spunk and th fighter spirit in her.she never lets her guy go.she holds on to her man and tells her that she is never lettig go

this drama is hilarious and creates situations where you laugh so hard that that you can fall from the bed..:D

this drama deals which an older woman younger man relationship.though Sam Soon is fat to the world i dnt find her one at all.she's pretty and has her priorities set straight.she is not like other leads in kdramas where they cry and thnink the guy will come back.she fights for it and this is the reson why sam soon steals the show from jin hun.hyun bin is overshadowed by Kim Sun ah because the woman is just too good at her acting.the leads share a commendable chemistry filled with quirky and tension filled moments.hyun bin had done a good job too as he looks amazing in this drama compared to secret garden.the whole conflicts that come in a drama all have reasons.


the saddest part is the 2nd lead.she's jst as amazing but it all doesnt end up in tragedy and Daniel Henney is a treat to watch

the drama is light and filled with enjoyable moments.:)

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When I first watched this series, I enjoyed it much better compared to the second time seeing it. I still like the show but it felt like a drag to watch after a while. I loved the FMC in this story. She's so upfront about her feelings and seeing how she wasn't written as the typical damsel in distress made the show much more easier to watch. I just wish that she ended up with a different guy. At times the constant hot and cold behavior turned me off from Jin-Heon.

Don't even get me started with the ex girlfriend and her doctor. I did like Henry but I didn't like the way Hee-Jin treated him at times. You can tell Hee-Jin is using him to get over Jin-Heon. Other than that, it's a funny show at times. The beginning episodes were more entertaining to me compared to the ending. This is probably going to be my last time watching this show.

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So I decided to do something I never do which is rewatch this classic. I wanted to see if my adult self would like it as much. I mean I was in high school when I watched this. So roughly about 8 years later, how does this fair?

My lovely Sam Soon has stood the test of time. It is over the top, at times ridiculous but still a funny, raw and engaging story with some of the most refreshing characters that would still shine even today.

Sam Soon is the center of the story, a not attractive, frizzy haired, slightly chubby girl with some horrendous table manners. She yells, she burps, she does it all and stands the test of time as the most realest female lead you will get.

What makes Sam Soon an engaging character is the little details that fully realize her character. She often imagines herself in scenarios far braver than she is and it's a quality that rings true in all of us. She's bold yet also insecure, she is so perfectly imperfect and little details like her constantly frizzy hair and awkward habits make her very relatable.

The other characters are definitely just as well done. We have a second female lead who seems so stereotypical at first, but as her side of the story is revealed she evokes sympathy and understanding. It's a drama that truly makes you torn as you start to understand all the parties involved.

The writers did a great job blending humorous and serious topics without changing the characters. I for one am very glad, there was no makeover involved in Sam Soon's character. Sam Soon definitely sells this plot though as a loud, at times awkward yet not clumsy female lead. She breaks all the stereotypes that we've grown accustomed to, so much so that surprisingly, when I was watching this, there were numerous comments about her unsightly appearance and habits. It made me realize we've been beaten into accepting beautiful, female leads that wake up perfectly with not a hair out of place. Funny thing is we all realize we're not like this.

An 8.5 this gets for me for just being a refreshing rom com that I would recommend to anyone.

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Old But Gold…

I’m late to the party with my review for this series and it will likely remain unnoticed but I still wanted to put in my two cents about my personal thoughts and feelings.

I think it’s easy as a 2021 viewer watching an old series from 2005 to claim that it’s “ unfashionable” with the subjects tackled but that’s untrue.

Yes, I can’t deny even in retrospect that ‘ My Lovely Sam Soon’ radiates mid-2000s with its filming, outfits and character roles but ultimately its a love story which has a pretty impactful presence through its characters.

My biggest draw to watching the series was undeniably our main cast. There are some notable names in the series and it’s hard to find one performance which outshone the other.

Nevertheless I can’t deny that I gravitated towards the main female lead. She was relatable and the main driving force of the series. Her gradual romance with the main male lead was also a highlight.

Maybe this is also where I was slightly annoyed a little. I felt the show did a wonderful job at presenting the characters as human beings. Even characters who you hated to begin with were given their moments also. On the other hand my one annoyance is that the series did lapse into some overused cliches. Not the end of the world but a bit annoying. Overall a sweet romance.

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Omg.... I can't believe I skipped this show for so long... any rom drama/rich poor/smoochie moochie kdrama fanatic...cannot miss this! I always leave out dramas older than 2010...coz I think I won't relate or bad video quality....so wrong when it comes to this drama... gr8 quality available and the content is so today...infact it is so ahead of its time.

What a yumm male lead....what sizzlin chemistry....and that catchy music....the first epi will def reel u in and keep u hooked like crazy...

The story is fresh and u don't really know what will happen next....it takes conventional turns but in a diff manner.

The acting is amazin...Hyun Bin 'aww' in his sexy voice is sooo awwww :) can't believe I did not realise he is secret garden actor....I so love him.

Comedy is damn good/ romance is excellent and despite being an old drama it is really good.

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