Deeply movie story with lots of plot twists

rating is 9/10. This is a 2020 suspense drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.

On the surface, Ji Eun-soo (Lee Yoo-ri) seemed to have a perfect life having married a handsome chaebol who is heir to a cosmetics conglomerate. What people do not know is her handsome husband is both physically and mentally abusive. Eun-zoo’s life takes a cruel twist when, after trying to escape her abuser, he finds her and begins beating her. Eun-soo fights back and is somehow rendered unconscious. She wakes to a living nightmare, she is covered in blood with a knife clutched in her hands and her husband’s bloodily, lifeless body is next to her. Seeing it as an open and shut case, Eun-soo is arrested and thrown in prison for the murder of her husband. Reviewing the case the details do not add up for one astute reporter, Kang Ji-min (Yeon Jung-hon) but before he can explore the details he is given a dream job outside of South Korea. Eun-soo gives birth in prison to a daughter in prison and believes her former mother-in-law when she claims, despite her hatred for Eun-soo, that the child is her last blood relative and she will raise her as a heiress. Ten years pass and Eun-soo is eager to see her daughter only to discover her mother-in-law played a cruel trick which ended in her infant daughter being adopted by a childless couple. Eun-soo finds out the details from a former employee of her mother-in-law and devises a plan to get close to her daughter. Her daughter’s adoptive father divorced his wife for infidelity and is now raising the little girl alone. Will Eun-soo’s plan to win his heart in order to be a mother to her daughter be successful? Can she unwind the twisted details of her husband’s murder to prove her innocence in order to be a mother her daughter is proud of?

Spoiler alert⏰ The first part of the series was very interesting because they left you uncertain what exactly happened that she was accused of killing her husband. The last scene they allowed you to see, before she was incarcerated, was of her holding a knife to keep him away from her. I was fairly sure that it was not her but was a little bit confused why she was not more outspoken about that. I wondered how her having her baby with her in prison was going to play out. It did keep you guessing a lot and I was surprised by a lot of the plot twist. I really liked the lead man because he seemEd like such a genuinely good person. I also liked her childhood friend in the fact that even when he realized he was not going to be able to be with her romantically he staged by her side as her friend and substitute family. I also liked the male lead’s family although the sister frustratEd me a bit because she would make decisions to do things with the little girl that I don’t think were in her best interest. I was also very uncomfortable in the beginning when the lead female was virtually stalking her own daughter. Without the family knowing anything about her she just seemed like a nefarious character. For the most part it was interesting and fast paced but there was a bit of a drag in the storyline about 3/4 of the way through the movie. It wasn’t significant enough of a slow down to make me dislike the story but I felt like it could’ve done without some of the details in that part and added some more happy to the ending. In fact I got really concerned about the ending because it seemed like it could’ve ended very sadly. It did not end sad but they let you think it might head that way until the last few scenes. But then the happy part only lasted just a few minutes and I would like to see less of the sad dramatic part that and more of the happy resolution but that’s just me. Overall it was a very good story and very believable in the way the entire plot played out. While the evil mother-in-law was very hard to understand in terms of why she had it out for the female lead that is the way it is sometimes with people who are sociopaths in that they do not see their own wrongdoing in anything. I recommend this series as a mo and deeply emotional drama but it certainly isn’t on the lighthearted side.

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A comeback revenge story but with central storylines that are heart warming

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean romantic drama with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) is a person with a very strong sense of justice and moral integrity. He is an only child being raised by his widowed father and the father and son are the most important thing in each other's worlds. Sae-ro-yi is very goal driven, his dream is to become a police officer, but the dream is shattered when he inserts himself in a bully situation. As the eldest and only legitimate son if the Jangga group, Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun) has been groomed by his father to think of those of lower socioeconomic status as beneath him. He is a bully at school, which leads to a violent conflict with Sae-ro-yi who is not the type to stand by and allow it. When the high schoolers are disciplined the school allows Jang Dae-hee (Yoo Jae-myung), Geun-won's father and CEO of Jangga group, to decide the punishment. Since Sae-ro-yi's father happens to work for Jangga group and is a favored employee Dae-hee says he will forgive what he perceives as an insult to his son and family if Sae-ro-yi will kneel and apologize. Sae-ro-yi does not feel as though he has done wrong and refuses to kneel. He is expelled at the recommendation of Dae-hee and Sae-ro-yi stands behind his son and is forced to resign. Things seem to level out when Sae-ro-yi's father utilizes savings to open a restaurant but tragedy strikes and Sae-ro-yi's father is killed in a traffic accident by, none other, than Geun-won. At first Sae-ro-yi does not know the culprit but when he chances to find out who it was, he nearly beats Dae-won to death and serves a 3 year prison sentence for attempted murder. Sae-ro-yi spends his time studying business toward the goal of opening a competing business, DanBam, and ruining Jangga group. An unlikely group of employees/friends work for Sae-ro-yi and he also has the help of a social media guru, Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi) who, after several chance encounters with the affable Sae-ro-yi vows to stay by his side and help him reach his goals. Sae-ro-yi's school friend and first love, Oh Soo-ah (Kwon Nara) works for the Jangga group and Sae-ro-yi still has feelings for her. Will a school drop out and ex-con be able to pull off the take down of a well established conglomerate like the Jangga group? Will Sae-ro-yi go with his feelings for his old love or is this new woman more of his second half?

Spoiler Altert** This is a great story that reminds of so many other good stories I have seen in the past. It has elements of "The Count of Monte Cristo" and some Rocky Balboa like elements as well. Like his father who the viewer got to know briefly, Sae-ro-yi is one of those rare people who lets nothing deter him from the right path. He is kind to those that deserve it and harsh on those that do harm to others. The people around him make mistakes but he never holds those types of things against them and it causes everyone in his inner circle to like and admire him. At first I was cheering for his first love, to be the FL and main love interest, but as soon as Yi-seo entered the picture I loved her spunk, energy and the way she was all in with whatever she was doing, including her pursuit of Sae-ro-yi. One of his inner circle is transgender and I was surprised that it portrayed the South Korean people as not very tolerant of different sexual identities. She was one of my favorite characters. Another person in his inner circle was black and there was a lot of prejudice about him being a black Korean. I loved how his business model was about his people and how they, as a result, respected him and loved him like family. He accepted them all for the people they were black, transgender, a little bit psycho and helped them realize their own potential. There were some characters tome that did things that did not make sense. Sae-to-hi did change and harden just a bit which is not such a bad thing but did result in him not forgiving to the same level he did in the past. I loved the friendships and the love story. There were some slow parts toward the end where an element of the story was dragged out more than necessary. Very good and I highly recommend.

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Quick, predictable yet still good

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean drama. It has 20, 15 minute episodes. I really liked the main characters in this one. Lee Kang Hoon, played by Sung Hoon is a dashing, arrogant character who has to drop some arrogance and come a bit more down to earth to learn to love (remind me a bit of Beauty and the Beast). Cha Yoon Seo (played by Kim Jae Hyung) is a plucky veterinarian who is extremely down to earth.

Spoiler 🚨 The story in this does follow the typical boy meets girl, boy and girl do not get along, boy and girl slowly grow feeling and understanding, fall in love then live happily ever after. But the female lead’s fierce independence and plucky attitude add a lot of depth to the story. Lee Kang Hoon’s mother is trying to marry him off which is pretty typical in most of these dramas. His mother doesn’t think Cha Yoon Seo is good enough for her son and it is true they are not from the same social standing. Added a little bit of a Cinderella element. It was a quick one – each episode was short (15 minutes) and there were only 20 episodes total. Relative to others, the last I watched was 30 one hour episodes – this was short and quick. I was a bit worried they would not be able to tell the story in this short of a version but it worked. 

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Stars slow but evolves into “Friends” like episodes

9/10 is how I would rate this. It is a 2016 Taiwanese drama spanning 17 (90 minute) episodes.

A "refresh man" is basically someone who punches the clock but doesn't put in any real effort into excelling at what they do. Yu Tang (Joanne Tseng) was head of her class and one that would have been considered likely to succeed. She is a secretary and anticipates continuing her career in the lead/executive secretary roles. Ji Wen Kai (Aaron Yan) was a frenemy in high school and was a very low achiever. As life happens, Ji Wen Kai reappears in Yu Tang's life as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the cosmetic company she works for. When Yu Tang fails to perform to his standard he does not hesistate to reassign her to a team of "refresh men" which is a humiliation for Yu Tang. She feels it is revenge but grows determined to succeed at all costs.

Spoiler 🚨 I loved this one – one of my favorites. The CEO was so arrogant and mean to the female lead in the beginning I thought man I really am not going to like this guy. But then you start to understand and realize it is not what it seems. As you understand their past – the two grew up together – the story just continues to evolve. Joanne Tseng and Aaron Yan have great chemistry. The team he puts her with are all a bit eccentric but evolve into great friends and a strong team. In fact nearly episode is like watching an episode of friends once she is placed with the team. For me this drama had a very slow start but once it started going I had a hard time turning it off even when I knew I needed to get some sleep. There is, of course, love triangles and you fall in love with those characters as well and feel their heart ache. But it is great and entertaining love story.

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An emotional roller coaster yet so good

10/10 is my rating. This is the newest (Chinese) rendition of story that has been told a couple of times. In 2001 this was aired, under the same title, but with 27 episodes. It is also a retelling of a Japanese Manga "Boys Over Flowers." Reading the review on those I am actually glad I started with this because a consistent comment is that this telling in 49 episodes (45 minutes per episode) allowed for telling some side stories and greater character development which which were two of the things I really liked. In this version, Shen Yue plays the female lead, Dong Shang Cai. I loved her spunky nature. Those that had watched other versions did not like this element they felt that rather than responding to injustice she played it more like she had a chip on her shoulder. But I will say more about that in a minute. She works hard and finds herself in an elite university that has a boy group called F4 which is made up of the handsomest, wealthiest and most talented boys in the school. Of course, Shang Cai has a run in with them and, most particularly, their leader, Dao Ming Si (Dylan Wang). He is basically an arrogant bully and Shang Cai basically has no problem standing up to him because she doesn't hero worship people. That and her spunky nature, sets it up so these two main characters will have a lot to learn from each other.

Spoiler 🚨 As the plot develops, you begin to understand why Ming si is the way he is and that just because someone appears to have everything does not mean that they do. His friends - the remaining three of F4 - Hua Ze Lei (Darren Chen), Yan Ximen (Caesar Wu), and Feng Meizuo (Connor Leong) were also arrogant and seemingly spoiled on the surface but as you got to know each of them you realized there was so much more to each. I loved Hua Ze Lei he was one of my favorites. He was there when he needed to be and not when he shouldn't be for all of the characters. I both loved and hated this movie deeply. I loved it because it was a well developed, beautiful story. The romantic story was wonderful but the relationship between the boys was equally moving. We all want friends like that. The way they all came to like her because they could see how happy she made their friend was one of my favorite parts. There are a lot of sad parts and I do not typically like anything that makes me feel sad. That was the part that I did not like. I cried, along with the characters, multiple times. But, in this case, the story was so good and ended so well I was willing to forgive it. You definitely have to understand the culture to get why they do certain things and I don't think you need to understand it up front but you do have to approach certain parts with a level of curiosity and seek out the answers if you don't understand. If you have immersed yourself you will likely get it but if you know little then you will not get certain things. I personally grew up in poverty and can tell you that some of the elements in this movie still exist within the culture I am most familiar with, the American culture. There was certain people that were sort of off limits because of their wealth and social standing. Much more subtle but definitely there. So I could identify with that. I know I will watch this again in the future (and not too distant) as I know I would gain even more if I watched it again. Grab some tissues if you are a crier and saddle up for a bit of an emotional roller coaster. You will be glad you did.

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Interesting and entertaining

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2014 South Korean drama with 16 episodes (65 minutes per episode). Kong Ki-Tae (Yeon Woo-jin) is beyond marriageable age and comes from a wealthy family. Basically the females in the family are like get married to the appropriate female or else. So he strikes up a deal with Joo Jang-mi (Han Groo), the wildest, and, in his mind, most unlikely bride candidate for him - to be his fake intended.

Spoiler 🚨 As the male lead, Kong Ki-tae is not incredibly likable, to me at first. He and his best friend just seem like major players who tromp on women's emotions so I wasn't sure I was going to like either of them enough to be the one for the female lead. Although there were times when I was like – can you say drinking problem – with her. There are twist and turns and love triangles. Some enjoyable side stories. It was predictable in a good way yet very enjoyable and worth the watch.

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More than just a super hero movie

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 jSouth Korean television series series spanning 16 (67 minute) episodes. Park Bo-Young plays Do Bong-soon a woman born into a family that has a line of women with super human strength. Use the strength for good, and you can keep it. Use it for personal gain or evil and you are right back to being normal (dang pickle jars are hard to open). Do Bong-soon is madly in love with Guk-doo (Ji So) a local police officer. Due to her acts of heroism she finds herself the body guard of the CEO of a gaming company (Park Hung-sik) and the two do not like each other much at the outset. He just sees her as a useful “tool” and she sees him as a meal ticket.

Spoiler 🚨 The beginning of the series I wasn't a huge fan of the two main leads as a couple I was actually rooting for her to get with the side character. I also was afraid it was going to be some silly super hero-ish movie with no real plot. But, by the end, I loved her and the main lead so much. They are still one of my favorite Asian Drama couples – so cute together. The only thing I didn't like about this was they went almost too far into the after story. She also became too much of a super hero at the end – it was really different than what she had been about through the whole series.

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Loved this one. Total transformation

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2015 South Korean drama with 16 episodes. Having a painful and debilitating childhood illness, Kim Young-Ho (So Ji-Sub) is now a personal trainer to Hollywood stars. Although he has stayed away from Korea because he and his father do not get along, he returns to avoid a scandal that erupts in America with one of his clients. Kang Joo-eun (Shin Min-A) is a 33 year old layer who was recently dumped by her 15 year boyfriend and finds that her physique is not what it once was. In her younger years she was a locally famous beauty who was even encouraged to try for miss Korea. After finding out about Kim Young-Ho's secret identity, she strikes a deal with him to help her transform back into the slender beauty she once was.

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked this one as I could identify with it on so many levels. I struggle with my weight and have Hashimotos (hypothyroidism) so that was a compelling and interesting element. Some might have felt there was fat shaming going on but I do not think it always helps to hide the elephant in the room. I have always felt if I was able to line myself up with a lifestyle trainer who was a good fit for me (it would have to be a balance between empathy and suck it up sister) I could have the success I have various times on the yo yo. It's like a new type of night in shining armor he is a medical expert so he well knows what she needs to do to cure her body. I liked how you could see their feelings toward each other growing over time. I loved his two “sons” and the way they were with the female lead. She became like their surrogate mother/older sister. I loved when she would “fall off the wagon” and sometimes it was like “treat day” and other times it was no – really you don't need to eat that. She was a kind person regardless of what she looked like and it definitely showed that. I liked the “we all have our struggles” message and how you can do whatever you set your mind to. I also like the way her relationship between her, her boyfriend, and long time female friend evolved over time. The male lead was willing to fight for their love without hesitation (he was going to take Grandma ON). But he didn't need to because Grandma saw all she needed to in terms of knowing that was the right girl for her grandson. I liked that our girl was an ethical lawyer and how they pointed out weak points in the law (such as stalking). It was just a great, feel good, movie for me. If you are overly sensitive to people calling it how it is (you have some weight to lose) you may not like that aspect of this or it may spoil the movie for you. But if you get the connection between weight, hypothyroidism and health and feel that those that care about you should help on that journey – you will.

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Young to older was not a great transition - hard to believe it was same people

7.5/10 is how I would rate this. A 2014 South Korean drama spanning 21 episodes. A new girl from the country, Jang Juk (Yoon So-hee), moves to to the big city and falls for one of the most popular boys in school, Yu Jun-su (Lee Won-keon). They spend one night together and Jang Juk winds up pregnant. After securing reluctant approval from their parents to marry, it seems the two might find some happily ever after. However, an accident causes Jang Juk to lose the baby and, in the parent's eyes, their reasons to remain together. Jang Juk is sent to the United States and Yoo Jun-Sun stays behind. 12 years later Jang Juk/Jang Dal-lae (Lee So-yeon) is back in Korea after a near complete physical and life transformation and Yoo Jun-Su (Namkoong Min) and Jang Juk wind up in the same work place.

Spoiler 🚨 One thing I really did not like about this was the difference between the young characters and the aged characters they were not only different in appearance but also in personality. I had a really hard time getting past that. I was also disappointed that there was not some long lost child to bring back into the picture. To me she also gave up on love a bit too quick. I understood the scandal and the heart break but I did not get just leaving. I also wanted, at some point, for “the big evil” to be revealed, in terms of how jealous girl ultimately caused the tragedy that led to Jang Guk leaving. Despite all that I did still enjoy it but, for me, I really felt like I watched one romance (the youngins) that ended in tragedy and another one (12 years later) that felt rushed but was happily ever after. This was the first movie that revealed, to me, an aspect that I never fully realized, and I was like, Dang – Asian mothers be harsh. It made a lot more sense to me growing up with Asian friends and having Asian friends also as an adult, certain things they said when they would refer to their family. I think the level of respect and compliance displayed would be more in line with American culture maybe up to the 50's. And I am not implying that is bad – balance in all things. I didn't feel like I ever got enough of the story of what had happened with the two in the 12 years. Would I recommend it? Yes, just not as a top choice maybe down the list quite a bit. But I don't think would watch it again.

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ML is very cold it was hard to get past that

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2016/2017 Japanese television drama spanning 2 seasons and 27 episodes (17 in the 1st season and 10 in the second season).
Each episode is about 48 minutes long.
Nao Yoshikawa (Haruka Fukuhara) is a teenage girl who is allowed to rent and stay in her own apartment so she can finish up school in the city. She rents a, too good to be true, apartment only to find out that she has been scammed. Another teenager, Hisashi Uehara (Shunya Shiraisha) has been rented the same apartment and both think the apartment is theirs. They quickly realize what has happened and that neither can afford the apartment on their own so they agree to share. Hisashi is the school heartthrob and has all kinds of conditions – pretty much pretend you don't know me at school. They also have to hide their living arrangements from basically everyone. Over time they develop feelings for each other.

Spoiler 🚨 I liked this but was really disappointed that the male lead's character never really showed an evolution or a reveal that this gruff, arrogant exterior was only a front. It still felt like, even at the end, an unbalanced love. Despite that I did still really like it. It's just it felt like there were so many other better choices in life journey partner she could have made. I know those kind of relationships can work in reality (in a sense) but the one who loves more always winds up, through time, carrying just a tiny bit of heartbreak. So that was a bit disappointing. I wanted to see him madly in love with her and just never really got that.

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I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the leads

8/10 is how I rate this drama. It is a 2012 South Korean drama spanning 16 episodes. Da-Yang (Yoon Seung-Ah) is an optimistic orphan who is determined to save her family bakery to honor her parents. Go Seung-ji (Lee Donghae) learned how to be a top patissier in prison and is looking to get his life back on track- if only he would be given the chance. Panda takes a chance on him and her bakery is quickly saved by this unlikely knight. There is mystery surrounding his past, his family and why he is so driven to outshine the current to bakery.

Spoiler 🚨 All of the side relationships in this were really interesting to me. There was a beautiful family element to it. I loved the relationship/bromance between the lead and side lead. It was great that they wound up being brothers. I loved the relationship he had with his grandfather. I didn't mind the Panda and Hedgehog relationship but I wasn't all that excited about it either. But I loved the side characters so much that alone made it worth it.

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A solid workplace romance

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean Drama spanning 16 episodes (~60 minutes/episode). The female lead is played by Park Min-young. Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young) has been secretary to Lee Young-joon (Park Seo-joon) for 9 years and feels like it has consumed her life. Vice Chairman, as Secretary Kim mostly calls him is narcissistic, handsome and very capable but also very difficult to work with. Overly the 9 years they both have developed feelings for each other though neither fully realizes it. When Secretary Kim announces she is going to resign, it is a wake up call for both. There is also a mystery surrounding the childhood of both.

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked this one. The plot was relatively simple although there were the love triangles, friend groups and side romances. There was also a bit of mystery and flashbacks to childhood. The child characters were adorable and amazing at acting for children so young. It was cute to watch the romance develop. Secretary Kim would annoy me sometimes because she could be very insensitive to Vice Chairman's feelings. She was also more “chaste” than is even usual in this culture and I would feel frustrated for him. But it was really good. They looked perfect together and the male lead character evolved quickly to be super sweet.

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Such a magical drama - love it

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean drama spanning 12 episodes.
The female lead plays Kang Cho-hong (Yoon So-hee) who learns the hard way that an act of betrayal can make a witch lose their magic. She is told she must find her destined one to have her magic restored. Enter a wealthy Director with a troubled past who buys the building where Cho-Hong and her two elderly grandmothers (also witches) make a magical rice soup that people cannot get enough of. One of her best customers, Hwang Jae-wook (Go Soo-Hee) is in love with Cho-Hong and not keen on the idea of the wealthy young building owner who decides to move in to solve a mystery from his past.

Spoiler 🚨 I loved everything about this story. It was a little bit like Sabrina, maybe Practical Magic - just the right amount of magic sprinkled in. I love all the characters and the two Grandmas are great for comic relief. I liked the ending so much I had to rewind it and watch it again. This is one of my new favorites - it would be hard to pick between this and I am not a Robot.

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Very creative, surprises at many turns, cute and believable romance

10/10 is my rating. This was a 2017 South Korean television series that consisted of 32 episodes (each episode is only ~30 minutes). Depending on where it is viewed after 2017 it may be collapsed to 16 episodes. There are three central characters who are able to see future events involving the trio in dreams. The primary male lead, Lee Jong-suk, plays prosecutor Jung Jae-suk, the other male lead is a police officer, Han Woo-tak (Jung Hae-in) and the female lead Bae Suzy plays Nam Hong-joo who is a reporter. Between the three they work together to change future events to avoid tragedy and to solve cases. I avoided watching this because of the title and I thought it was just a re-make or new interpretation of the American Movie by the same name. The two are not related at all.

spoiler 🚨 This series combines elements of all your favorite crime shows as a backdrop to an engaging story of friendships, family, and love. I enjoyed this movie from start to finish. It is a legal drama/romance that is exciting and engaging the entire way through. It also has a paranormal aspect with the dream element. This one definitely moves to the top of my list and I would recommend anyone who is a crime show fan to watch this one. The romance in it was also heartwarming and believable. This is one of my new favorites.

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Non-traditional Age Gap Romance

7/10 is my rating. This 16 episode (~60 minutes/episode) series ran in South Korea in 2006. The female lead, Go Byung-hee (Go Hyun-jung) is an "old maid" by Korean standards. At 33 she feels like her life has not gone in the direction she would like. She works for a risqué magazine targeted at adult males and hopes to one day have a reporting job she can be proud of. She is also looking for that "perfect" man with which to start a family, or so she thinks. Park Cul-soo (Jung-myung) is not who she pictured as marriage material. He is her best friend's younger brother, whom she helped to raise after his parent's unexpected passing. She has always thought of him as a "baby" and as her younger brother. After a health scare that may have resulted in infertility she goes on a drunk bash and Park Cul-soo is sent to retrieve her. They wind up sleeping together and feelings long buried deep send Go Byung-hee into the arms of her "perfect" man, a urologist who was writing advice for her magazine. He seems ideal, he is close to her age, attractive, and well off. She denies her feelings for Park Cul-soo because he is nine years younger and also because everyone, herself included, has always thought of him as family.

spoiler 🚨 I had a hard time understanding how nine years was as big of a deal as this made it out. Even in American culture though there is cultural bias against older women with younger men. However, this was like she was robbing the cradle or something. I loved both characters, loved the character development and enjoyed exploring the ageism thing. I was a little disappointed in the ending as, for me, I felt it left me to decide what happened to all involved. It seems to be a common theme in Asian dramas where things are not wrapped in neat little packages. But, for me, it reduced my enjoyment. Not only did we not know, for sure, what happened with the main couple but the secondary romance was even in doubt. It is worth watching. I would not put it at the top of the list. More like somewhere in the middle.

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