A Story Retold Across Asian Dramas - Another Great Twist on a Great Story

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2009 South Korean drama that is a re-make of a series of books (Japanese manga) entitled "Boys Over Flowers" written by Yoko Kamio. The series spans 25, 60 minute, episodes.
Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun) saves a student of an elite high school earning her a "scholarship" and entry to the school. While there she gets bullied by the leader of the school's "F4" - four of the richest, talented, and most sought after boys in the school of the wealthy and connected. Jan-di is not one to be "put in her place" and stands up to F4 an action which earns her their grudging admiration. Gu Jun-Pyo (Lee Min-ho) pulls a series of mean spirited pranks on Jan-di in an effort to bring her around to the fear and worship like behavior that most bestow upon him. Yoon Ji-hu (Kim Hyun-joong) is another member of F4 but he has a streak of kindness and sticks up and/or saves Jan-di on several occasions causing her to develop feelings for him. It is not long before Gu Jun-Pyo starts to fall for this very different girl. The other two F4 members Song Wui-bin (Kim Joon) whose family owns a construction business and So Yi-Jun (Kim Bum) who is a skilled potter whose family owns an art museum, are the other two boys who have been friends since they were young children. Yi-Jun later falls for Jan-di's best friend and gives up his lady's man ways. The central story is about Jun-pyo and Jan-di. Is love enough to overcome the expectations for the heir of an empire?

Spoiler 🚨 I watched "Meteor Garden" (2018) Chinese drama prior to watching this. I found that, having watched that, I understood certain aspects of Boys Over Flowers (BOF) that were covered more in-depth in Meteor Garden then in BOF. To me, in BOF, it did not explain, as much, what the big deal was about F4 and how they came to be so revered in the school. There is a much more in-depth focus on each boy and their special talents. I think each character was cast well in each rendition but I personally liked Yoon Ji-hu (Kim Hyun-joong) character in BOF. I was more torn in this one over the love triangle than I was in Meteor Garden. I agree with another blogger that said the additional episodes in "Meteor Garden" 2018 allowed for a lot greater character development than BOF and a lot of the plot details were explored more fully. I am a fan of Lee Min-ho which is one of the reasons I wanted to watch this and he didn't disappoint. Strangely I liked the beginning and ending of Meteor Garden more because I felt like it did better setting it up and closing it out. But I loved the grand nature of BOF and I like the characterizations. I think it is worth watching all the various renditions as each brings out different aspects of this very compelling story. What girl wouldn't want four gorgeous guys watching out for her?

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About the Other Sister - cute love story

9/10 is my rating. This South Korean television drama is also known as Dear Fair Lady Kong Shim. This drama spans 20, 60 minute, episodes.
It can be tough to grow up in the shadow of an older (or younger) sibling who seems to be doing much better in life than you. Gong Shim (Bang Minah) finds growing up in the outskirts of the limelight cast on her older sistter, Gong Mi (Seo Hyo-rim), leaves her feeling inadequate in many ways. The older sister is beautiful and successful (a lawyer in a top firm) and pays for all the families' living expenses. Gong Shim is a jobless artist who does odd jobs to gather money to change her life by moving to Italy and studying art. She has a rooftop apartment as her sister was given her bedroom as a wardrobe - leaving Gong Shim the choice of sharing the closet/room or finding her own space. She decides to rent the rooftop room to Ahn Dan-tae (Namkoong Min) a pro bono lawyer with some personality flaws. Through a series of coincidences Dan-tae becomes friends of Joon-soo who is the son of a wealthy family. The older sister smells money and becomes interested in some of her little sister's male acquaintance.

I really liked this drama. Kong shim is very understandable and love-able. I like the character development and the plot twists at the right moments to keep it interesting.

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Love, love, love this one

My rating is 10/10. This is a 2013 South Korean romantic comedy television series with 16, 40 minute, episodes. It is also know as "Cute Guys Next Door" and is based on a webtoon "I Steal Peaks At Him Every Day" by Yoo Hyun-sook based on the webtoon by Yoo Hyun-sook. Go Dok-mi has become agoraphobic after suffering from extreme bullying in high school. She rarely ventures out and her main "escape" is stealing peeks at her handsome neighbor in an apartment directly across from hers. Things change though when her "flower boy" neighbor has a visitor, his younger brother, Enrique Geum (Yoon Shi-yoon), who spent most of his time growing up in Spain. He catches Dok-mi spying on his brother Tae-joon ( and him Park Shin-hye as a lonely girl who never ventures outdoors, but is caught spying on her neighbor across the street by a different guy (Yoon Shi-yoon) Oh Jin-rak is a webtoon artist who lives right next door to Dok-mi and has observed her, and loved her, from afar. He wants her to stay just the way she is and protects her and her privacy. A Japanese visitor who desires to learn Korean cooking also moves in and all of the "flower boys" form a friendship. Once Enrique discovers the reason for Dok-mi's spying he becomes determined to draw her out in the world. Dok-mi becomes the center of attention for two very different men one who wants her to stay as she is and the other who wants her to explore what life has to offer.

Spoiler 🚨 Although I found a few things surprising and not really necessary I really loved this show. I thought, from reading descriptions, that this would be about Dok mi's love from afar of the "flower boy" she had been spying on. But the brother plays only a very minor role and actually leaves quite early in the series. The Japanese neighbor was also such a minor role that it seemed it could have been left out and you would not have noticed much difference. I found her behavior completely understandable as I know several people in my life that have withdrawn for similar reasons. I loved how persistent the men in her life were and how she changed and grew throughout the episodes. The romance was perfect and sweet and the friendships were also very heart warming. It is just a thoroughly enjoyable watch for anyone that loves romantic comedies. I am a huge fan of Park Shin-hye and I thought she played this role perfectly. I had never seen Yoon Shi-yoon in anything that I am aware of but I loved his character so much I will be looking for other things he may be in. I was surprised some rated this lower - maybe they have not experienced agoraphobia and did not find it believable. I am not sure. Because, for me, it had all of the elements needed for a great romance. I was cheering for the characters the whole way.

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Great all round drama - highly recommend

0/10 is my rating. This is a 2012 South Korean TV series with 16, 45 minute, episodes. The flower boy band consists of a group of teenage boys who, while they share a love of music, are different in the way they approach the world. The vocalist Joo Byung-hee (Lee Min-ki) is carefree and wild. He leads up the band "Eye Candy" who exist in the underground rock scene. One of the band members is playboy Kim Ha-jin (Yoo Min-kyu) who is a study in contrast from fellow band memeber baby-faced Seo Kyung-jong (Kim Min-seok) . Fashionable Lee Hyun-soo. Their school closes down and they elect to go to a neighboring school when a rival band, Strawberry Fields, is found to be the ruling band at that school. Tensions flare between the rival bands and Eye Candy's lead singer is killed. The band has to pull it back together and make their dream, and their dead friend's a reality. This is an installment of the Flower Boy series by TVN. Spoiler 🚨 I liked the other two I watched so well that I decided to give it a try even with the sad element the summaries on other sites reveal (the death of one of the band members).

Main cast:
Joo Byung-hee (Lee Min-ki) the original lead singer of "Eye Candy" He is wild, crazy and free spirited. He is a talented vocalist and song writer.
Kwon Ji-hyuk (Sung Joon) He become the leader of "Eye Candy" after Byung-hee's unexpected passing. Byung-hee was his best friend and they wrote songs together. His original goal is to realize Byung-hee's dream and play on stage.
Lee Hyun-soo [L (Kim Myung-Soo)] "Eye Candy" guitarist. He was originally Ji-hyuk's closest friend as children until Byung-hee arrived. He learned to play guitar because of Ji-hyuk and his desire to share something with his friend. He has the personality to interact and be the front person for the band. As a caregiver for his younger sister he has motivation to make it big.
Jang Do II (Lee Hyun-jae) is "Eye Candy's" drummer. His father is a mob boss and Do II is often referred to as "the Prince" as a result. He is the peace keeper of the group and makes suprisingly mature observations.
Kim Ha-jin (Yoo Min-kyu) is "Eye Candy's" bass player. He is a playboy/ladies' man. He spends his time, outside of music, dating one girl after another and staying out at clubs.
Seo Kyung-jong (Kim Min-suk) is Eye Candy's keyboardist. He is best friends with Ha-jin and spends a lot of time as his wing man. He is very loyal and often brings levity to the group.
Im Soo-ah (Jo Bo-ah) was Byung-hee's muse and he started a song, before his death, based on his first encounter with her. She was once one of the "rich kids" but her family fell on hard times and she is hiding her new impoverished life. Her and Ji-hyuk are similarly alone in life - with no family close - and form a friendship as neighbors.
Ye-rim (Kim Ye-rim) has known the boys since their younger years and is viewed, by some, as one of the family. She loves Ji-hyuk but he does not return her feelings. She is jealous of Soo-ah who gets a lot of Ji-hyuk's attention.
Yoo Seung-hoon (Jung Eui-chul) lead of the rival band "Strawberry Fields" he is Soo-ah's childhood friend and self professed boyfriend. He is very jealous of Ji-hyuk and Soo-ah's relationship and vows to get revenge.

Spoiler 🚨 I am really glad that I decided to watch this. I have been enjoying the "flower boy" series by TVN. This highlighted some of the prices of fame. I think it is much more extreme in South Korea than in the United States but it is "lonely at the top" for most famous people regardless of the country. I really feel sorry that fans make it so hard on celebrities. I know some of the young celebrities in the United States get a tough rap because they are constantly under the microscope. I liked the bromances - the relationships between the guys in the band was really heartwarming.

I loved this one - the music was great, the story was really compelling and well developed. A lot of reviews rated this lower but I thought the story was so original, the acting and music was really good and I enjoyed it from the first episode to the last.

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A very sweet romance with a slice of life look at book publishing

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Television Drama with 16, ~ 60 minute, episodes.
Cha Eun Ho (Lee Jong-suk) is charming, handsome, and good at practically everything. He was a successful author at a very young age and was invited to be a senior editor at a start up book publishing company that gains success utilizing Eun-Ho's works as one cornerstone. Kang Dan-i is Eun-ho's childhood savior and friend who, after a failed marriage, seeks Eun-ho out with nowhere else to go. She has a child who she is solely supporting after her dead-beat ex husband left the sole care to her. Prior to becoming a wife and mother she had been a very successful copywriter, however she is finding no-one wants to give someone who has taken such a long pause a chance to show her abilities in a position. After being homeless, Dan-i returns to Eun-ho, her friend, with a plan to stay just long enough to get her life together. Eun-ho is a player who has never taken any relationship seriously largely because he has deep feelings for Dan-i. Will their love get another chance? Can Dan-i prove to the world that her career break and current single motherhood does not mean she cannot recapture her former brilliance in advertising.

I put off watching this one for a long time because the title, description, and pictures made it look rather dull. However, after reading some rave reviews I decided to give it a try and am not at all sorry I did. Honestly I should have known that Lee Jong-suk would not take anything but a very deep and compelling role. I think he is an extremely talented actor. I thought the female lead looked unattractive in some of the cover pictures but she is actually very pretty and the character she plays if very sweet. Since Lee Jong-suk is so handsome it is hard to buy that he would pursue someone that was not attractive so that was off putting and I thought the story would not hang together until I realized that the promotional pictures did not do the female lead justice. I also did not realize that the character would be so interesting and that it would explore cultural biases around single motherhood, the competitive nature of certain jobs, and how sometimes the perfect person for someone is the person they never imagined in that light.

Spoiler 🚨 The story is further compelling as you get a glimpse into the book publishing world. So do not let the short descriptions be offputting as this is actually very interesting and well developed. The friendships of the side characters are also well done and interesting. The main romance is super cute, heartwarming and very believable. There is no super evil villain in this one which is kind of refreshing in a way. The villain, if there is one, is more the circumstances that make it difficult for a woman or a man who took a career break to get back into their field of choice. Highly recommend this one.

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Very shallow not much character development

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Japanese drama With 10, 25 minute, episodes. Risa Shiroki (Haruka Fukuhara ) is a shy, naive 20-year-old university student. Originally from the countryside, she moved to the big city, Tokyo, to attend a university. Risa gets constant male attention as she is really pretty and nice and struggles to avoid the many advances. As she is uncomfortably on the run from one amorous suitor, Hiroto Fukami (Dori Sakurada) steps in and pretends he is just late meeting her. Looking handsome and suave in a business suite, the 30-year-old Immediately catches Risa’s interest. Risa and Hiroto are very different she is naive and innocent and he is worldly with a dark past. This drama is based on the manga series "Coffee & Vanilla" by Takara Akegami.

spoiler 🚨 I was really surprised how risqué this was. Their relationship turns physical really quickly. I felt a little frustrated with her total lack of confidence. He is gorgeous and it was a bit challenging to understand what he saw in her. It was entertaining and interesting for me to watch a Jdrama as I watch mostly Korean dramas. I enjoyed it. It just lacked complexity and character development. It ended well which I find important.

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One of the best show with Romance in a Restaurant

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2018 South Korean drama series with 38, 35 minute, episodes.

Seo Poong (Lee Jun-Ho) worked hard to become a star chef and the hotel restaurant has raised the status of the entire hotel. He is on the verge of marrying the daughter of his deceased mentor not only because he loves her but to fulfill a promise to take care of her. He is also receiving recognition for his skill and anticioates a promotion. Little does he know that jealousy and greed have caused a turn of events where he loses all he holds dear. Seo-Poong swallows his pride and strikes up a deal with the former gangster loan shark who bought a restaurant to provide honest work for his friends who are also former gangsters. The restaurant owned by the former gang members failed in the shadow of the prestigious hotel restaurant. Now it looks like the star chef has vowed to turn the failed restaurant into a winning competitor to draw business and get his revenge on the hotel executives who back stabbed him. Doo Chi-Sung (Jang Hyuk) was a tough gangster but hides a kind and soft side along with a deep loyalty for those he considers friends. He agrees to help Seo Pong if he will turn the former gangsters into successful cooks. Training former gangsters with no respect for authority is a challenge Seo Poong may not be up to. Both men had chance encounters with Dan Sae-woo (Jung Ryeo-won) whose husband left her after her father suffered financial scandal and rJin. This down on her luck heiress keeps bumping into the men and tugging their heartstrings. Can this unlikely group make a successful go at the restaurant and will Seo Poong get his revenge? Which of the men will the damsel in distress choose?

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked this and am surprised this is not more prominent in searches of good Asian romantic comedies. I loved so many of the characters in this. The "thugs", in particular boss thug, Chi-sung, had great character depth. He was someone who became who he was in order to survive being orphaned at a young age. He seemed tough on the surface but, in reality, he had a warm heart and giving nature to all of those in his inner circle. Poong approached him early on to strike a deal to be able to get revenge on those that had stabbed him in the back. The love/hate relationship between Poong and Chi-sung was destined to be a great bromance. I really was not sure, until toward the end, who the lead lady would choose. Both seemed like they were great for her in their way. The story was interesting and compelling, it was well acted, the plot moved along at an appropriate pace, and it ended well. The only thing I did not like was there was some loose ends. There was an almost romance between Chi-sung and a woman he kept encountering that you never know what happens to. Chi-sung's mother - you do not know the outcome with her. You suspect that the two that end up together get married but do not know for sure. Still, it was not enough to totally detract from how good this story was. I was interested from beginning to end and was sad to have it end. I know when I get drama withdrawal that I really liked the series. And I felt that way with this one.

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Interesting Twist on Celebrity Romance

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2009 South Korean television drama spanning 16, 60 minute, episodes. Hwan Jung-min (as Gu Dong-baek) is a post office insurance salesman who terms himself "an average Joe". Kim Ah-joong (as Han Ji-soo) is a top South Korean celebrity who is in a relationship with her college love who is engaged to another woman for political reasons. They must hide their relationship to avoid tarnishing his father's political career. When nearly caught together by a tenacious reporter they turn to the nearest shield, Gu Dong-baek and ask him to switch places and pretend to be the one Ji-soo was with. When doubt is cast on Gu Dong-baek and Ji-soo's dating relationship they find they must take the next step - a sham marriage. Can two such different people thrown together by fate fall in love?

Spoiler 🚨 It was interesting because Ji-soo's engaged boyfriend played the lead in "Cunning Single Lady" and he was a very likable, nice character in that one. In this he is the jerk that is two timing and lets down and disappoints the lead lady character time and again. He played both roles well but I didn't like seeing him as more of a villain. I liked the male lead as he was just a normal nice guy. I enjoy seeing the nice guy get the girl for a change. Some reviewers felt this normal person getting with someone famous was unrealistic. That is probably more true for South Korea than for the US. It is rare here but some of the longest Hollywood marriages have been between someone famous and someone non famous. I like to think that South Korea may get there someday as famous people deserve happiness just like everyone else. They should be free to love as they choose.

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Loved this show

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean romantic comedy drama television series with 16, 60 minute episodes.

Eun Hwan Ki (Yeon Woo Jin) is about as shy and introverted as they come. He is the CEO of a top public relations firm founded by his father. Unable to speak publicly, Hwan Ki hides in dark clothes and under a hoodie while his long time best friend, Kang Woo-Il (Yoon Park) does all the public appearances and company presentations. People, including his father mistake Hwan Ki’s extreme shyness and social anxiety for incompetence when, in reality, the brilliant ideas Woo-il presents are actually from Hwan Ki. Chae Ro Woon (Park Hye Soo) is a lively and outgoing stage performer and Hwan Ki is one of her top fans. Things get complicated when Ro Woon steps off the stage and takes a job with Hwan Ki’s company to discover the reason behind her sister’s sudden suicide. Her sister committed suicide by jumping from a high level at the company, and Ro Woon is determined to find out why. She is convinced it has something to do with the shy, socially distant CEO who earned the Knick name “silent monster”.

Spoiler Alert!! I really liked the boss character and could identify as there are several people that I know that have extreme social anxiety. He was misunderstood by many people both inside of his family as well as his employees and others. I like the way the story unfolded and you understood a little how he got the way he was and also how his sister and his best friend both became the way they were. The male lead’s sister’s suicide attempts and desperate need to be lived traced back to her father’s failure to properly show love. He was both physically and emotionally abusive and she used self harm to cope. The female lead sister’s suicide was a bit harder to understand but seems to fit with what I understand of being “ruined” in the sense of being a relationship or marriage partner in terms of purity being tarnished in what I understand of South Korean culture from dramas (and it may not be an accurate reflection of the true culture). There was a time, perhaps 60 years ago in American culture when casual sexual encounters would have been viewed the same. I thought the female lead character was perfect as she was exactly the sort of person I could see being able to draw somebody with severe social anxiety out of their shell. I love that she told him at one point that he was OK and not to change. Some do not understand that social anxiety, shyness and being introverted by nature are often slow and/or hard to alter because it is a personality trait and thus is not something you can radically change. I also liked the friendship between the boss and his best friend and how his best friend supported him by being his voice and carried the company forward With his extrovert nature that fit so well in the public relations arena. One being brilliant but withdrawn and the other extroverted but not above level brilliant was actually a benefit for them both and made for two halves of a very effective whole. I thought it ended absolutely perfectly. Unlike so many dramas that leave things open to interpret or end with things unresolved, I was really happy it all wrapped up well and ended happy.

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A complex suspenseful thrill ride

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean supernatural crime drama with 16, 60 minute, episodes.

Dong Baek/Sung Ju-ho (Yoo Seung-ho) has the power to read living people's memories a skill which is well used as a criminal detective yet has made him many enemies within the police community as there is a fear that who needs the rest of them when he is around. Han Sun-mi (Lee Se-young) profile to the extent that she may as well be able to read people's minds.
At first, she is not a fan of the arrogant, shoot at the hip Dong Baek and even suspects he could be involved in some of the serial crimes she is investigating. After all several of the crime scenes have the trade mark of someone with supernatural abilities. However, the more the two encounter each other in the course of their work, the more they find they have some things from their deep dark pasts in common. And they are not the only one that knows it, the serial killer seems to be using their past to draw them toward someone future event he planned especially for them. Every clue they uncover reveals involvement of very high level public figures and more ties to events that occurred 20 years ago. Can they beat the serial killer at his own game and uncover the mysteries of their past?

The suspense in this was incredible. Had me on the edge of my seat frequently. I really liked the memorist character and found his abilities fascinating. Sun-mi was very talented as a criminal profiler and the interplay between the two was very interesting. They made a great, if at times reluctant, team. There were a lot of characters to keep track of so pictures with names and faces would be a helpful guide otherwise it is easy to lose track of who they are talking about at times. There were a lot of twist and turns and they did a great job of keeping you guessing. I felt like it was so complicated at times I would lose interest. If I had a character map or guide it would have helped. I also wish the rest of the law enforcement community was not so down on Dong Baek as he spent a significant amount of time hiding and skirting to investigate. I love romance so was a little disappointed there was no real romance. I really liked Dong Baek’s partners and the bromance between them was very heart warming. This would be a good one to watch for someone that likes complexity and does not mind or actually prefers it focuses on suspense, thriller and not romance.

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Unique twist on historical romance

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2012 South Korean period romance also known as "The Tale of A-Rang". It has 20, 60 minute, episodes.

Kim Eun-oh (Lee Joon-gi) is not interested in being a Magistrate when he comes to Miryang, a town besieged by ghosts. Eun-oh is tricked by a high spirited virgin ghost, Arang (Shin Min-ah), into becoming the Magistrate and winds up agreeing to help resolve the mystery of her death. Much to his annoyance, as he does not like helping people, particularly ghosts and, most particularly this ghost, Eun-oh discovers something about Arang that compels him to do just that - help her.

Refusing, at first, to call her Arang (which means virgin ghost) Eun-oh instead nicknames her Amnesia/Memory Loss. They quickly determine that Joo-wal, a handsome nobleman, and possibly Arang/Lee Seo-rim's fiance, had something to do with her disappearance. As they search for answers, along the way, they must also avoid A-Rang being captured by the Grim Reapers.

Things in Miryang may be way more horrifying than they seem and the Gods themselves, The Jade Emperor, The King of the Heaven (Yoo Seung-Ho) and Yeom-ra, The King of the Underworld (Park Jun-gy) are watching as events unfold.

I liked the unique angle where she was a ghost and he was someone who could see ghostws. The beginning was a lot of fun because she was a tough and mischievous spirit. The Magistrate was cold and uncaring to start then underwent a high degree of character development that unearthed the gentle caring person he was inside. The evil people in this, the Fairy, and Lord Choi, you wanted to see things turn and go bad for them. The love stories between Arang and the Magistrate and their friends the Shaman and his "slave" were very cute and heartwarming.

Spoiler Alert ** What I did not like was the ending. You knew from quite a long way before the end that she would have to go to Heaven or Hell and would have to leave him. The Jade Emperor made it clear, when he turned her from a ghost back into a human, that her time was limited to three moons. I thought perhaps the Jade Emperor would be so pleased with Arang and the Magistrate for ridding the world of the evil that he would make an exception and allow her to stay alive. I wanted her to be able to live out her life with the Magistrate. Especially since he did not start as a good Magistrate, he was only doing it because of the trick, but then, as his love for Arang started to thaw his character and reveal his true nature, he became something the people really needed. I wanted to see him continue in the role of Magistrate after Arang finally admitted her feelings for him. It took a long while for Arang and the Magistrate to come together as she foolishly was concerned about him loving her and then having to leave him. She thought that it would be more painful that way than for her to reject him. I also hoped the young master was not involved in the murders as much I hoped it would turn out the evil fairy was controlling him. In the end he had done those things for her promise to make him wealthy (he had been a starving child) and just had her wipe his memory so he would not suffer the guilt. When she stopped wiping the memories (to punish him for not doing as she wanted) he had such guilt that he committed suicide and became a Reaper. I wanted to feel sorry for him, and I still did a little, but I could not condone what he had done and the reasons why he did it enough to want to see things go well for him. The Evil Fairy had loved a man and they both died (did not catch how) and when they reincarnated they were brother and sister. They also became immortal incarnations that lived in the heavens, a Reaper and a Fairy. She though wanted to return to being a human and wound up being cast out and having young women killed to steal their energy and possessing the bodies of some in return for favors. I think it was supposed to be a tragedy that painted the evil fairy in a more sympathetic light - but it never made me feel that way. It made for a sad and somewhat creepy (she still had feelings for her "brother") side story. The Magistrate, in the end, went to hell in Arang's place sacrificing himself, before she could stop him, so she could go to Heaven. And this is what I really did not like. Watching the whole story and seeing how the villagers had come to love and rely on the Magistrate, it made me sad that he essentially died in their eyes. The Magistrate also earned the respect and had a touching relationship with his father and you knew, for him, his son died. Arang and the Magistrate's love story continued when they were reincarnated and, as small children, it shows them playing together and her giving him a hard time because he does not remember being the Magistrate or her and she remembers everything. It flashes forward and shows them as young adults and she is still giving him a hard time for not remembering, they are obviously in love, and he basically says why does it matter. However, as much as they pointed out that Arang and the young girl, who died in the place of her love, the young master, were not the same person, the two reincarnated "Magistrate" and "Arang" did not seem like the same people and it felt like they never got to live out their love story. I know reincarnation includes beliefs that people who are close in life may come back to be close but the relationships may be different like a father may come back as a son, etc. I am not a fan of the reincarnation angle for love stories as when individuals reincarnate they may have elements of the previous life - but they are essentially different people. So it is very good and I would highly recommend but would say do not expect too much from the ending.

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Surprisingly good with a fresh angle on time travel

This is a 2017 South Korean Romantic Comedy’ also known under the titles “Hit The Top” and “Best Punch”.

Lee Hi-Joon (Kim Min-Jae) must hide that he is pursuing music and wants to become an idol from his parents. They think he is studying for the civil service exam like his friend Choi Woo-seung (Lee Se-young) but he is sneaking off to take idol training. What Hi-joon does not know is his real father, Yoo Hyun-Jae (Yoon Shi-yoon) a famous idol, went missing in 1993. The father Hi-joon never knew actually traveled forward in time to 2017. His adoptive father Lee Gwang-jae (Cha Tae-Hyun), used to be Hyun-jae’s manager but had a one sided love for Hi-Joon’s mother whom he married when Hyun-Jae disappeared.

I loved the male lead character so much in this. He started as a very arrogant, seemingly full of himself idol but you could tell that was not who he really was. The time travel component was very interesting and I really had no idea how it would play out. His previous manager and the mother of his son were both very sweet and I liked the non traditional relationship they had. Their little family was touching. I wanted to see them all fulfill their dreams. It was a place I really missed when it was over as I found them all very likable. It ended very well. I recommend this very well done feel good story.

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Title is misleading Sort of like the taming of the shrew

This is a 2014 South Korean romantic comedy with 16, 60 minute episodes.

At the top of her game, Ban Ji-yeon (Uhm Jung-hwa) has everything except for a husband. Her work colleagues not so fondly refer to her “as the witch” as she pulls no punches in the very competitive field of news reporting. Those that cross her path are likely to leave after experiencing her sharp wit and brutal truth telling. Yoon Dong-ha (Park Seo-joon) seems to be Ji-yeon’s complete opposite. With his best friend he runs a part time agency and they do just about any odd job which puts him in Ji-yeon’s path frequently. At 39 Ji-yeon’s mother wants her to get over having been left at the alter by her long time boyfriend, and take the next steps of marriage and children. Dong-ha lost his serious girlfriend under tragic circumstances and, hasa maturity born of tragedy at 25. A twist of fate has Ji-Yeon and Dong-ha not only working together but also next door neighbors. The more Dong-ha gets to know.her the more he sees that “the witch” hides a very caring and nice interior that she takes great pains to hide. Just when it seems Ji-yeon may be able to win over Ji-Heinz and convince her their age gap does not matter her ex-fiancé shows up. He has a story to tell and is determined to get Ji-Yoon back. He is handsome, rich and is now a world renown photographer.

Spoiler 🚨 I was surprised at how much I liked this movie although I should not have been as Park Seo-Joon was in one of my favorites, “Fight My Way”. It was a little bit taming of the shrew in that she seemed pretty vicious on the surface. I thought they were very compelling and sweet as a couple. I also like all of the supporting characters and the friendships were very fun to watch. It was believable to watch her struggles with the age gap and also how she had to work through the feelings she had for her ex fiancé. There was a middle section where it felt a bit frustrating that she was slow to realize her Luke warm feelings for her ex-fiancé and her growing and persistent feelings for Dong-ha. Still I really loved this movie and highly recommend it as an outstanding romantic comedy.

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Great Action Movie

9/10 is my rating. This is a South Korean drama with 20 episodes (60 minutes/episode). Lee Yoon-Sung (Lee Min-Ho) was raised to seek revenge for his father who was killed by his own country men upon the order of five high ranking officials. His adopted father, who was the only surviving member of the elite troup that was targeted by the officials, raises Yoon-Sung as a key player in his revenge plot. As part of that plan Yoon-Sung attends an elite United State technological institute and excels enough to be hired as a telecommunications expert at the Blue House in South Korea. Yoon-Sung encounters Kim Na-Na (Park Min-Young), at the Blue House where she works as a body guard. His adopted father warned him to never fall in love as his "mission" would involve a lot of blood shed in his adopted father's mind. Yoon-Sung has his own way of doing things though.

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked the action in this movie. City Hunter reminded me of Batman maybe or James Bond. His character was extremely well developed and you understood his motivation in the things that he did. The romance between him and Kim Na-Na character was sizzling but very tragic. My heart broke for both so many times throughout I nearly lost count. I read that Lee Min-Ho does his own stunts and that made his performance as an actor all the more amazing. Everyone in this drama acted very well and the characters were well developed and evolved as you would expect based on the happenings. I read that the romance was left up in the air and some even wondered if City Hunter was still alive or if she was seeing a ghost. That would have bothered me if he would have died but I read a summary of that final episode from the producer/writers and they said he was not a ghost. So the ending is not sad the romance just doesn't wrap up in a happily ever after. You have to decide, for yourself, if them seeing each other a year after the final big action - if that means they will be together or not. So if you are in it for the romance you might be disappointed by that. I think it is still more than worth it to watch it for the suspense and action.

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Unpopular opinion here but I prefer heart warming romance and happy endings over harsh reality

This is a 2019 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16, 60-73 minute episodes. Also known as Mellow is My Nature.

6/10 is my rating. First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

This is a story centered around three female friend who are roommates and one of their brothers.

Lim Jin joo (Chun Woo hee) is fresh out of a tumultuous seven year relationship when a script she is writing finally catches the attention of an up and coming director. Finding intrigue in his particular brand of sarcasm, Jin joo falls for the Director, Son Beom soo (Ahn Jae hong). Relatively fresh out of a failed 7 year relationship, her feelings for Beom soo ignite while reworking the script for a 16 episodes drama. Having met his match, Beom soo reciprocates her feelings. Since fate has a sense of humor, it turns out her ex boyfriend, Kim Hwan dong (Lee You jin), is the assistant director and she has to work with him in order to get her big break.

Lee Eun jung (Jeon Yeo been) is still grieving the sudden loss of her fiancé, Hong dae (Han joon woo) to cancer. Her grief is so severe that she suffers persistent complex grief disorder and sees and talks to her departed fiancé as if he were still there. Her younger brother, Lee Hyo bong (Yoon Ji on) has continued living with Eun jung after she attempted suicide and her two friends form part of the team that live together and watch over Eun jung. Hong dae invested in a documentary Eun jung directed and she achieved wealth and success as a result of that project.

Hwang Han joo (Han Ji eun) was the school beauty who was conned in love by a man who was not good at committing to anything. She married him after an unexpected pregnancy but they quickly divorced, Now her three close friends and roommates are helping her raise her young son, Hwang In-kook (Seol Woo Hyung). Her role with the marketing and production department is to ensure the production meets the product placement advertisements that were agreed to. She later is promoted to a producer position.

Review

Based on other reviews, some people really liked this or at least enjoyed it. For me it’s one where I’m trying to figure out what people might’ve liked about it. I guess if you really like pure dramas with very little comedy and you want it to be reality based, then you might enjoy this one. I watch dramas to escape reality so I don’t want or need things to happen exactly as they might in reality. Give me the well-developed happy endings that’s what I want. I was interested in the story throughout most of it although there was nothing super exciting or any huge plot twist or anything like that. The characters were interesting and it was a slice of film industry life. Where I really lost interest in it was towards the ending when it became obvious things were not going to end the way I hoped they would. Sort of a soft ending in that things were wrapped up just not completely or well. In my opinion I would not watch it again nor would I highly recommend somebody else watch it. However, if you particularly like any of the actors, they did very well and the script was written well for what it was

Spoilers

Lim Jin joo (Cho Woo hee) was not a very likable character. In the relationship with Kim Hwan dong (Lee You jin) I thought she was wrong in the arguments a majority of the time. It appeared she picked fights with him for no apparent reason. She really wasn’t different with Son Beom soo (Ahn Jae hong) but he didn’t fight back. He more joked her out of it. I think they were trying for her just being a unique personality who could not match well with just anyone. They tried to portray that some some of the roughervaspects of her personality were due to being that element that made her an edgy writer. This was supposed to lead tona determination that the only one that could handle her was another quirky person such as the somewhat edgy Director. I got where the writers were going with it but I just found her very abrasive and not very likable. I still rooted for the romance a little bit which was why the way they never really fully got together was annoying. They were dating, although still having frequent fights, but nothing much else like a solid long term commitment which was not a very satisfying ending.

Lee Eun jung (Jeon Yeo been) was just a sad case the entire time. I hoped the drama would take the turn that she found new love in Kim Ah-rang (Ryu Abell) a fellow director but that never fully happened. There were some hints they might meet up abroad but nothing definite. She was working on her complex grief but was still imagining Hong dae (Han joon woo) enough it was clear she had not fully let go. So there was no resolution to her grief and we did not get to see her happy in a new relationship.

Hwang Han joo (Han ji eun) says she is ready for a romance and there is all this build up between her and her subordinate, Chu Jae hoon (Gong Myung) and it seems headed for romance. But nope. Instead he seems to get back with his crazy ex, Ha yoon (Mi ram) who they portray as the victim in their very tumultuous relationship when everything I saw it looked like she was the aggressor. But that was an overall trend in this film that no matter how wrong the female appeared, she was in the right, and the man was the wrong one. Then, in the end, she is dating some guy she met at a club who we barely knew anything about. Why did I care she had some random romance? I wanted her with her cute assistant who seemed like her other half. Instead he is back with his personality disorder ex and she is with some rando.

Jung Hye-Jung (Baek Ji won), who was Jin joo’s former boss turned rival script writer has this whole flirtation going with Sung In-Jong (Jung Seung gil) and there is even a bit of a love triangle for awhile. So this leads you to expect she will quit being such a horror with her work and get with In jong who seems to mellow her sharp personality. But we do not know what happens as tge writers just drop that story and there is no outcome with all that build up.

There were a couple of side romances that got very little screen time that were cute but not central enough to carry the story. Eun jung’s younger brother, Lee Hyo bong (Yoon Ji on), marries his partner and moves out because his sister is finally well enough he no longer has to be on suicide watch. Probably the cutest romance of the show was between Lee So min (Lee joo bin) and her manager Lee Min joon (Kim Myung joon) as they had been friends and it was obvious he felt more for her. So them realizing their feelings and getting together was heart warming,good friendships can stand in for love,

Overall it felt like the writers wanted to convey a proposal is not necessary for a happy ending, good friendships can stand in for love, and strong independent women do not need a man. A disappointing surprise for me to find in a Korean drama.

#BeMelodramatic #MellowIsMyNature #HanJiEun #JeonYeoBeen #AhnJaeHong #ChunWooHee #HanJoonWoo #YoonJiOn #SeolWooHyung

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