Suspend disbelief and enjoy the story play out

Coffee Prince is one of the mistaken gender identity dramas - in this case, Go Eun Chan, the head of a household because her father passed away, is working 3-4 jobs to support her mother and sister. She meets the rich grandson of a coffee empire and things transpire from there.

There are 2 problems which prevent me from rating this higher. First, I'm not sure if others noticed it but either there's a lot of orange tone stuff in the sets, or they over-used the orange light filter in a lot of scenes so it looks like everything has a brownish Orange hue to it. This was rather distracting in some parts. Second, this drama requires suspension of disbelief because there's no way any one in their right mind would mistake Go Eun Chan as a male in real life, as I'd expect 98% of people would automatically guess she's a female. That makes some parts of her acting a little implausible.

However once the viewer gets past these flaws, the rest of the series is a joy to watch. The cast works well together, there's no real bad acting and as the story plays out it almost has a "fluffy" and innocent type feel even though there are several raunchy type scenes. There's genuine chemistry between the 2 leads, plus it's impossible not to love Gong Yoo. In one scene he even admitted he's a clothes horse, and he's right. Everything looks so good on him all I want to do is buy those outfits for my man even though there's no chance they will fit him or look half as good.

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Great Story - really it should be episode 21

This really should have been episode 21 of Dr. Romantic as the events take place after Episode 20, and two big things happen. The hospital's rumor mill goes on overdrive as soon as 2 letters arrive. The overseas letter is for Doctor Kang, and he begins to act all mysterious about it. And then a mysterious lady turns up at Doldam Hospital - she's come there to ask Master Kim to treat her very sick work colleague, as they have a past history.

If you enjoyed Dr. Romantic, you'll enjoy this. It shows some additional character growth, and reveals quite a bit about Master Kim's past. I loved it and want to see more! Season 2, please!

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Finest Prison Slice-Of-Life Drama met all my high expectations and then some.

Went into this with high expectations, since it has super high MDL ratings. Just finished it and must say, I am NOT disappointed. It starts as a story about a famous baseball player that accidentally kills the man who tried to rape his sister and turns into probably the finest Prison Slice-Of-Life Drama made. This is primarily character driven, and the ensemble cast are ALL excellent at portraying guards, inmates and their families. Their stories interweave as they interact and this is all very well done, with nothing feeling forced or strange. Kudos to the scriptwriters for this.

The 2 main leads are Park Hae Soo as Star Baseball Pitcher Kim Je Hyuk, and the handsome Jung Kyung Ho as his childhood friend, Lee Joon Ho. Both disappear into their characters. As a viewer, I found it IMPOSSIBLE not to like Je Hyuk - he's clearly protective of his family, is smart enough to "act" dumb and has a "psycho" mode. Joon Ho is the perfect foil, he's smarter but cunning enough to do good things for others by subterfuge, like when he tells the other guards to come watch Je Hyuk pitch so Lieutenant Paeng can change in peace, or when he goes off on a prisoner so the same Lieutenant won't get another demerit. That's a good man right there. Both romances were also done well.

Of the other cellmates, I found myself liking the old gangster Min Chul, the Innocent man in prison Captain Yoo, Kaist the swindler and towards the end I started to love Crony for how his arc turned out, as that last statement he made to Je Hyuk actually reduced me to tears. But NONE of them grew on me like Loony. When he took drugs he was smart. Then he went cold turkey and we laughed and cried as he went through withdrawals. Then, RIGHT After he got released ... argh, I was so angry when that happened both me and the spouse actually said "NOOOOO" at that scene. We were FULLY invested in him and even though what he did was probably more realistic it still hurt, bad. Great acting, and writing.

The guards were also fun - the smarter than expected warden, that obnoxious and hateable rules Chief Na, kind Leutenant Paeng, Prison guard Song the motormouth even the bumbling Dr. Go. Supporting cast also had their own story arcs, I especially was fond of Je Hee (Je Hyuk's sister) and Joon Dol (Joon Ho's brother the stalker level super fan).

The last episode made me cry, too many feelings. I was for the most part very satisfied and how nearly all the various plots wrapped up so there was hope, recovery, friendship and ultimately redemption. This is one of the game-changing Korean dramas that has elevated the genre as a whole and I hope more people see it.

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Great Food + Police Action Comedy

A kind internet stranger recommended this movie when I was looking for a good comedy for family movie night, describing it as "undercover cops buy out a chicken restaurant to get close to their surveillance target, but the recipe is so tasty they suddenly have way too many customers". The premise sounded hilarious, so I told my family we're watching this tonight, it will be a good action comedy.

It lived up to its promise and hit all the check marks - slap stick comedy, incredible situations, great oddball characters who all have ... special talents, tasty looking food and a few good villains. When we finished it we were happy and satisfied, which is what audiences want. I later found out from reading the comments on MDL that this was a very high grossing movie in South Korea and it's totally understandable why.

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Wish I had friends like this, now I want to join a band.

First review! Hospital Playlist is about a group of 5 friends who happen to be doctors. A few of them were friends before they all met at medical school, and they come together when hiding in supply closet to avoid the usual "talent competition" section of their medical school Orientation. They form a band, and have been friends since.

It takes a while to learn about the separate personalities and each character's story, but I have to say it was easy to fall in love with all of them as they are all compelling in different ways. So the story and characters are awesome.
* Song Hwa, the only girl, is a superwoman. She has it all and does it all uh ... except singing well, in that area she's slightly challenged. She's smart, cute, efficient, gets things done and is also empathetic and kind to everyone. If I were a man I would absolutely be trying my best to put a ring on it.
* Lee Ik Sun is the genius in the group, gets the best grades without studying, is kind, funny AND a good father. The interactions between him and his cute, chubby cheeked son had me going awww numerous times, too adorable.
* Jun Wan the heart surgeon seems like a jerk at the start, but he's the most driven of them all, and is blunt when needed.
* Suk Hyung, the chubby obstetrician with the terrible haircut, has had the most DRAMA in his life, I'm sure not all of it is revealed but suffice to say his dad is a real piece of shit and has damaged the son to the extent the son doesn't want to be in any relationships ever.
* Andrea (Jung Won) is the sensitive, new age, super Catholic guy. He wears all his emotions on the surface and of all the characters I wanted to cuddle him the most, just to protect him from being hurt.

Then, there's the band/music aspect. One is a terrible singer, but Ik Jun is really good. I had the warm fuzzies during most of their band / karaoke sessions, LOVED Aloha by Cool (Light of my life), Canon Rock, many of the songs in this were fitting with the story. I don't know if these are pop songs or released for the show, but the soundtrack elevates this from a great drama to a 10.

Watching this I realized when I moved countries I lost my Karaoke friends and we used to drink way too much and sing a lot either in public or even in private rooms. I miss that a lot, it's been over 20 years since I've had a fun karaoke time like these guys had. I wouldn't even mind joining a band, except I have no idea how to find people to do this in the age of COVID.

Loved the drama. Please, give me season 2 as soon as possible. I need more.

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Exciting super hero series with dark political undertones

In a world where demons escape from the afterlife and cause chaos on Earth, a group of special people called "counters" are humanity's defenders and protectors. When I see the word "Uncanny" the first thing I think about is the Uncanny X-men, super heroes with special unique powers, which is exactly what the 4 lead counters are. Very early on we're exposed to what they do, why they do it and how dangerous it is. So dangerous death might result from them trying to do their duty. 3 of the 4 counters work at a gourmet noodle shop which always has long lines when it's open. Shout out to the production team, those noodles look mouth watering and I had to go get food after that. The 4th counter dies and his power transfers to our unlikely hero.

This new counter has a deformed leg from a childhood car accident that killed both his parents. His story is tragic but the hero is SUPER likeable. He's dealing with school bullying and a grandmother suffering from memory loss. It's impossible not to like or sympathize with him. As we learn more about each counter we realized they may be more connected than we thought. There's also chaebol level criminal happenings backed by politicians and dirty cops, showing high level corruption on a massive scale.

The villains are well fleshed out. There are 2 lead demons, both are easily hate-able especially the female one who seems to have a face made for bitch slapping. In some ways even with limited screen time they seem more interesting than the leads. The action is exciting which makes this an easy show to watch and recommend.

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Funny Thriller that will leave you breathless!

So this started out as a family show, with some comedy sprinkled in! Yong Nam (Jo Jung Suk) is an unemployed man who rock climbs. He is of course the family black sheep disgrace, but has to put up appearances at his mother's 70th Birthday. The celebration reunites him with Eui Joo (Im Yoon Ah) a climbing companion from his student days, a girl he had previously asked out and been rejected by! How backward.

Then suddenly the movie morphs into a terrorism play where an employee who has been fired and his patents stolen by a company, takes revenge by releasing a bunch of poison gas at the company, gas that spreads outwards and upwards, killing all in its path. I'm not gonna lie, at this point I was worried this was going to turn into another Korean Zombie movie, because, well ... Korean Zombie movies? But it didn't! It's just poison gas. Now the entire city and our intrepid family (among others) is at risk. What follows is a taut, tight, exciting action thriller which showcases both the main leads ingenuity, resourcefulness, partnership and most of all, the lengths people will go through to survive. Sprinkle in some drones and good music and now the climbing scenes are both exciting AND poetic.

Now the rock climbing is pretty tame. I'm a fan of mountaineering movies so this wasn't the same caliber as Free Solo, The Summit (K2), Nanga Parbat, Touching The Void, The Wildest Dream (George Mallory) or even the cheesy Vertical Limit. But we did manage to see some examples of technical climbing including an exciting drone assisted improvised zip-line. Nice!

This review can best be summarized in the words of my almost teenage child - "I nearly had a heart attack Mommy! I'm out of breath and I wasn't even there." I guess this means we both enjoyed the laughter and thrills this had to offer!

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Must Watch Superb Character Driven Plot Heavy Medical Drama.

Entertaining from start to end - this show has everything and nearly all of it is better than Season 1 - urgent social issues, more numerous and bigger badder villains, scarier surgeries, multiple side romances and the soundtrack featuring old time hits (in English) is somehow even better too. It didn't shy away from discussing Equality in Treatment, Patient's ability to pay, Gender discrimination, Domestic Violence, Rape, Consent, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, Organ Donation, Treatment Priority during Triage and numerous other issues currently plaguing society. Some of those were done so well, I wasn't expecting it but actually couldn't help bawling several times during this drama - particularly during the Organ Donor and President Yeo portions.

The only things I thought were inferior to season 1 are there's not enough food porn, Dr. Seo is not as good a kisser as Dr. Kang and Dr. Cha's actress Lee Sung Kyung really needs to step up the acting as she is the worst in the whole show. Lots of pouting lips (distracting) then hysterics in a loud voice, just not great. I didn't buy her as a doctor at all. It really reinforced how good the Season 1 Female Lead's acting is.

This being said, it's a great drama and I would LOVE a 3rd Season.

INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER ROASTS AND AWARDS

Master Kim - Loved him even more after seeing he has Abs ... mmm Abs. We need Season 3 asap so I can see more of him, preferably shirtless. Funniest scene - when he caressed the chest of the "stripping" gangster I spit out my tea.

Dr. Seo WJ - He's not as dreamy as the ML from Season 1 but he's a great actor and really needs to take up shirtless running for the sake of us female fans.

Dr. Cha EJ - Female Eye candy, needs to improve acting skills. Really enjoyed when she finally had enough and went nuclear.

Dr. Park - He's not bad, just a jealous guy with mad skills who with enough love ended up Breaking Good.

Dr Yang Ho Joon - If his surgery skills were as sharp as his eavesdropping ears, he would be Master Dr. Kim Junior, instead of the most hated character in the series.

Dr. Shim - Risk averse Ice Cold anesthesiologist with sad history had an epiphany and changed. Great character development and ability to act JUST with her eyes. Muah *chef's kiss* Best Resting B Face in the series.

Dr. Bae - Weirdo guy with his bone harem (Jessie and Elizabeth), but so good looking most women wouldn't mind dating this Bone Bae.

Dr Yoon - Her Genius single dimple Smile and bubbly personality won me over. She so sweet everyone around her for extended periods might come down with diabetes. If only she had better skills with men because Nurse Park is RIGHT THERE and if I were here I'd put a ring on it before someone else does.

Nurse Park - IDK how a he's single as he looks like a GQ model and should be carrying a stick to beat off suitors

Chief Nurse Oh - LOVE her, she's especially sexy during her temper tirades.

Manager Jang - Hides mad espionage skills behind a ass-kissing exterior. Well played my friend, well played.

Dr. Nam the anesthesiologist - Please tell them to let you cook more delicious looking food. You always look like you could use a hug and I'd love to give you one.

Mr. Goo - Reminds me of the Giant Teddy Bears they sell at the stores, except he's real, and probably more cuddly when not enforcing Hospital Peace. For some reason I want to see him carrying TWO women, one in each arm.

President Yeo - he minor character who didn't appear in many scenes in Season 1 or 2. THIS is the best example of how the limited screen time of a minor character doesn't reflect the impact of the character's influence on other main characters or the show. When he finally passed, I couldn't help crying because we would no longer have his steadying influence and presence. Well done Kim Hong Pa. I'm really going to miss this guy. A lot.

Former Dr. Im Hyun Joon - bit role with big impact. Stellar actor.

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Must Watch first rate Rom-Com with Bromance and fashionable clothes

There is a compelling story, interesting characters, a good bromance, comedy and a tragic romance. The soundtrack, editing, production values, costumes, food and locations are all top notch. This is quality all around, and done very well.

The 2 male leads have a genuine bromance going on, loads of chemistry, so much a viewer could feel it. These 2 were hilarious and look very different. The Goblin looks like the cute guy from next door but the Gong Yoo's charisma is so OFF the charts, it's virtually IMPOSSIBLE to not like him and thus the character he plays. You can't buy that. He has it. Lee Dong Wook as the Grim Reaper is classically handsome with sexy bedroom eyes. He literally smolders while exuding tall, handsome and mysterious vibes. Irresistible really. With this amount of eye candy and camaraderie, what's not to love?

As a bonus, both these actors make every item of clothing they wear look appealing, sleek, chic AND sexy. From long, tailored coats and beautiful knit sweaters to perfectly ironed pants, I don't think I've ever seen a drama where I NOTICED the cut and quality of clothes on the main actors because I felt they enhanced the look / feel of the clothes. Just gorgeous. These 2 could easily make a living as male models, I bet they could even make a sack look expensive and sexy. Mmmm. The female leads clothes were nice. and I have to give kudos to Yoo In Na who plays Sunny for making her square platform high heels look sexy as work shoes (impractical in real life but hey those shoes looked great). All in all the fashion in this show is top notch, kudos to the stylist.

The story actually played out very well. I could have used way less flashbacks but it was okay. The soundtrack melds seamlessly with the scenes they are used in. The songs are ear candy and sentimental. There are 2 sets of romances and both are very well done. The 4 leads have good chemistry together. As a viewer I was actively rooting FOR both couples to get together as I thought they needed some long term happiness not just short bursts of joy. If a drama gets me invested, it's a good drama. All the acting was fantastic, even the side and smaller characters.

The locations chosen for this show were varied and high quality. The Goblin's house for example, each room has a different feel, style and vibe. Canadian scenery set was wonderful. The field of buckwheat flowers. Snow. All in all the production budget spent on locations, costumes, props and special effects were well used. It worked to transport the viewer to different locales.

They managed to sneak in a fair amount of product placement too - visit Canada. Eat a steak there and bring back a maple leaf and was that a bottle of Canadian Maple Syrup? There's a lot of cars featured, and one subtle/prominent Tag Haeur watch. Also, for some strange reason, watching this will make you crave steak, wine, Soju and Olive Chicken. I don't know why. Actually I do know why, but I can't help it.

Overall this is an almost perfect (editing could be tighter) blend of historical plus modern rom com with a dash of bromance thrown in. It's a must watch for those who like great Korean Drama.

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