Midnight Diner

Title: 심야식당 / Shimyashikdang
Also known as: Late Night Restaurant
Genre: Human Drama, Food
Episodes: 20
Network: SBS
Broadcast: 2015 -July to Sept
Related TV shows: Shinya Shokudo

Cast

Kim Seung woo as Master Park Joon myun as fat woman

Synopsis

The chef of a late-night restaurant takes requests from his customers.

My Take

This is 20 as-they-were-released episodes filled with Korean food.

 20 dishes unique to the region, and behind each meal is a story that is played out for the under one-hour duration.

 These stories about people are linked to the food they ask Master to prepare. 

Master owns a small shop somewhere in Seoul, though it is ancient Seoul, if not somewhere along the outskirts of that huge metropolis.

 The restaurant's unusual hours are from midnight to seven a.m.

 The menu is just as unique and consists of whatever the customer asks for, which the Master will prepare -- if he has the ingredients on hand -- and, he always does.

 However, there are times when a customer will show up with the ingredients needed for Master to prepare whatever meal he or she would like to eat that night.

 The only other unique quality is that Master limits alcohol consumption to a 3-drink maximum.

 There are regulars to this eatery, and they are a fun, interesting group from all walks of life, but if they are not having a personal or social issue, then someone new will enter the eatery and then their story unfolds.

 One of the stories took two episodes to unravel, so there were actually only 19 unique dishes served, but as absorbed in this drama as I became, it didn't really matter.

 And not being too huge a fan of Korean fare, I still enjoyed watching Master prepare a majority of the dishes being requested by his patrons.

 There is good and bad about their food, and with some of it being simple and others elaborate in not only the preparation but the ingredients as well -- stuff I wouldn't likely find at Kroger, or be able to recognize at H-Mart.

 Aside from the startling appearance of Sir Oh Ji ho (the dual-episodes segment), this was not about hot boys, fan-girly excitement, or even love and family.

 Which is probably why I enjoyed it enough to give it a 5-star rating.

It was simple, thought-provoking, and concise -- another plus in the Korean drama scheme of things.

They're the kind of people hanging out in the kind of a place where we'd like to be but can't seem to find in real life.

 Sadly, it is a take-off on another Japanese drama, which came first, but is impossible to find online in order for me to watch, review, and compare the two.

 I did find the first 2 episodes on Youtube, but the subs were horrible, which might be why I wasn't able to find the rest of the original show.

 Honestly, I would have preferred to watch Japanese make their original dishes over Korean fare, but that is just me, I think.

 The Korean version won me over with relative ease, and getting to listen to and look at Master (Kim Seung woo) for 20 episodes was an added bonus.

 I'm a whole lot confused by the South Korean ratings for this one: a 2.3 average.

 Now, I have no idea how this works or what those numbers represent since I failed at every attempt to learn about it online, but . . .

 The 2.3 average seems too low, and I find it hard to believe that the locals wouldn't want to watch this each week just for the food aspect alone.

 Ratings here are much higher, with everyone who waited and watched with me at aznv.tv and Drama Fever giving it glowing reviews, and there are several blog posts that sing its praises as well.

Curiosities

At the start or end of most episodes, a woman is seen standing in the doorway of this diner, and with her back to the camera.

 It gave the impression of her being the key to Master's secret life -- at least that was how I saw it.

 Only, she never made an actual appearance, and we never got to learn more about Master OR about the scar above his left eyebrow.

 That was touched upon in one episode, but Master said nothing and the scene shifted over to something else.

 There were subtle hints about a sequel to this show, and I would be more than happy to sit through another 20 episodes, but only if they stick to the original premise and continue to teach us outsiders even more about unique Korean fare.

Recommendation

Highly recommend you give this a watch and see if you don't crave at least one of the meals Master prepares :D

Read More

Sensory Couple

Hangul: 냄새를 보는 소녀 / Naemsaereul Boneun Sonyeo
Literal: The Girl Who Sees Smells
Manhwa Writer: Lee Hee myung
Network: SBS
Episodes: 16
Release Date: April - May, 2015

Cast

Park Yoo chun as Choi Moo gak, Shin Se kyung as Oh Cho rim / Choi Eun seol, Namgung Min as Kwon Jae hee, and Yoon Jin seo as Yeom Mi gyeong

Plot

(per Asiawiki) Three years ago, a man lost his younger sister in the Bar Code murder case. Since then, he has lost his senses. A girl miraculously survived the Bar code murder case. Since then, she has lost her memory, but has also gained the ability to see smells.

Review

It is true that this is about two people thrown together on account of the same serial killer case.

Boy meets girl as a result of horrific tragedy on both counts.

She was in high school at the time her parents are the latest victims in the serial killer's Bar Code mystery, and she comes home and happens upon this psycho in the act of disposing of the bodies.

She manages to escape when she runs into the street and that damn Korean driver hits her.

He was an aquarium employee responsible for a younger sister, also named Choi Eun seol.

The serial killer follows Eun seol #1 to the hospital and mistakes her for Moo gak's dongsang, Eun seol #2.

Now, three years pass after this tragedy, and Eun seol #1 is now Oh Cho rim, the adopted daughter of a detective who'd been working the Bar Code case and retired to take Eun seol/Cho rim home after she'd finally emerged from a coma.

Her left eye makes her look like a 'monster' to Koreans on the street since it is kind of a purplish-blue.

That eye is what affords the new Cho rim to 'see' scents.

Meanwhile, Moo gak has worked diligently in those three years to become a detective so that he can solve the Bar Code murders, capture the bad guy single-handed, and make him pay for slashing his dongsang's throat for the wrong reason.

Namgung Min as Kwon Jae hee, is your average Korean hot guy with a typical Korean hot guy career as a celebrity chef with his own restaurant and book deals.

Nice face, bod, hair, and even voice -- smooth, mellow, like a terrific Bordeaux during a seductive meal.

But, he's also got this askew sense of vision that makes it impossible for him to remember what anyone looks like.

He never sees the same face twice.

And believe it or not, there are zero spoilers so far! :D

That was merely the premise of the entire series.

It is in the next 15 episodes dedicated to tracking down and then busting the serial killer that make this drama.

It is about Moo gak and Cho rim ending up working in tandem with the police to help solve the crimes, then slowly unraveling the truths of their shared pasts, and then just as slowly working toward romantic involvement.

Issues

Inconsistencies occurred, but not on a frequent-enough basis to make me deduct a star in my rating system.

My biggest pet peeve was Moo gak's inability to feel, taste, smell, etc.

Not that I don't believe it is possible, because I know a few people who have lost one or more of their senses. No, what I'm upset about is that they made him appear invincible when it isn't possible.

So what if he can't feel the pain of being hit over the head with a sledgehammer or struck down by a speeding car.

Either blow is still enough to knock a human unconscious.

And, yes, he did go down a few times, but never once received medical attention or suffered the after-effects of a concussion or became immobile due to fractures or broken bones.

Sipping scalding hot coffee and downing boiling food.

Okay, so you can't taste or feel anything, but that doesn't mean your tongue, lips, and throat aren't permanently damaged now by second and third-degree burns!

The love story gets a big hurray, though!

Kissing, touching, teasing, holding hands, smooth-talk, innuendo on his part, making goo-goo eyes, playing footsies, it all went on during the course of this 16-episode (feels weird saying it, but) Korean psychological thriller of a drama.

She wasn't this macho-butch able to take on the bad guys without the help of anyone else. Well, maybe I'm confusing Korean drama with American romance novels.

And, I'm sorry, folks, but you can't convince me that Park Yoo chun is 'hot' or 'sexy' because he's not. He's very average, boy-next-door, what a lot of Asian men look like, and you know it.

He's 'cute', of course, and it is his personality more than his looks that sets him apart from the crowd. He is the guy who manages to grow on you and get under your skin without much effort, and THAT is what makes him seem hot.

I like him, too.

I've always liked him, and he still gives off a Jordan Chan feel whenever I see him, which adds to his down-home appeal. He's funny, talented, and he takes himself and his work rather seriously without being stiff or over-the-top macho about it.

Se kyung is pretty and has talent, too, but it always came as a huge relief to see her with that mop of hair tied behind her head instead of hanging in her face all the time.

There is no balance between hair/face in her case, and if she can't keep it behind her ears, then she needs A. bangs, B. hair bands, or C. a forever ponytail.

Choi Tae joon played a rookie detective, Ye, and yeah, the guy was what you'd describe rather honestly as a scene stealer.

He's got the look, the height, the hair, and . . . them eyes. Poor guy's been working steady since 2012 but received Best New Actor award for Mother's Garden, which aired at the end of 2014.

One last thing: the next time a deranged psychopath opens a door, and even if it does startle the crap out of you, just do yourself and everyone involved a HUGE favor and scream your fool head off, okay?

That way you don't end up being duct taped, tied up, and made to sweat it out in some abandoned warehouse waiting for your own death to occur.

So, to wrap up, Sensory Couple/The Girl Who Could See Smells was worth the episode-upload wait each week.

Every episode was filled with a fair amount of drama, respite, humor, and romance to make it a well-balanced yet still (lol) psychological thriller of a show.

I recommend it highly.

Read More

Hyde, Jekyll, and I

Hyde, Jekyll, and I

Title: 하이드 지킬, 나 / Haideu Jikil Na
Genre: Romance, comedy
Episodes: 20
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2015, Jan to 2015, Mar

 

Synopsis

Goo Seo Jin is the director of Wonderland theme park and Jang Ha Na works in the Wonderland circus. She falls in love with Seo Jin's alter-ego, Robin. Seo Jin is the Jekyll; possessing a cold personality. Robin's personality is Hyde; possessing a sweet and innocent personality.

Main Cast

Hyun Bin as Goo Seo Jin (mid 30s, Executive Director of Thema Park Wonderland) / Robin (early 30s, Seo Jin's alter-ego)
Han Ji Min as Jang Ha Na (mid 20s, Commandant of Wonder Circus)
Sung Joon as Yoon Tae Joo (early 30s, Hypnotist)

Review

I really tried to get into this one and like it for what it was worth, but that never happened, and 20 episodes was pushing it way beyond its rightful boundaries, too.

There was just too much going on for me to really get to know the two leads, want to like either of them, or even care how it all turned out.

This was Hyun bin's comeback role after having served in the military, and I suppose the script sounded like something right up his alley, but even as fantasy meets reality as it turned out to be, his performance as a split personality wasn't memorable.

Even Sung Joon wasn't enough to keep me interested, and I adore him.

He did well as the antagonist with a vendetta against Seo jin.

He played the psychotic nemesis superbly, but . . . I don't quite know or understand what, exactly, went wrong here.

 I did like Han Ji min's performance, though. She's very pretty, like-able, and did a good job acting the part of a family-less Korean woman trying to make it on her own.

I'm thinking maybe it is because Hyun Bin ALWAYS plays the part of a wealthy heir living in some fantasy realm who is a hard-nosed bastard that ends up melting in the arms of the leading lady that this story fell a bit flat?

Maybe it is because the theme of this story took too long to unfold, so that even the so-called comedy bits and aside players who cropped up every now and again weren't enough to motivate me to want to see more.

I didn't like Robin at all and got really tired of hearing his name pronounced Korean-style for 20 episodes, too. Row-been.

He was a childish twerp who behaved more like a nine year old than a 30 something grown man and it was off-putting to say the least.

I didn't like that she had this really cool job but we never ONCE got to see her in action or watch a single performance from her circus troop.

What a bummer that turned out to be.

And, I especially couldn't stand (never do like) the fact that for 20 long, repetitive episodes of just about the same thing, the same dialogue, and the same motions, the two leads never once kissed or showed their true emotions for one another.

No I Love You, no stealing kisses here and there, no affection or warmth on either part, which always frustrates the hell out of me and makes me not want to root for their so-called romance.

Lastly, I got tired real quickly of the running theme song.

Agonizing, and I don't want to be walking around for the next few weeks with that tune stuck inside my head.

So, for those of you who are interested in watching, it is about an heir and his best friend (the son of the chauffeur) who are kidnapped at a young age.

The traumatic scars inflict both boys, and they grow up with two separate mental disorders.

The story begins in the present, slowly unravels the past, and in between there is a fast but yawn-fest romance that occurs.

The action picks up when Sung Joon's real personality is revealed, and for a few episodes we watch the same thing being rehashed until the director decides it is time to move on.

One of the two personalities has to go, and by the end, neither personality is ready to give up on the other.

Meh.

Read More

Hotel King #Review

I finally finished the 32-episode Korean drama Hotel King today.

That's right, I typed 32-episodes.

It was another of their drawn-out-deliberately dramas based entirely on ratings and not because the story needed that much time to be told.

Still, it wasn't so bad, or at least not so bad or tiring that I even once felt compelled to skip episodes just to get the thing over & done with, which says something, I think.

 

It was about a guy who started out in a rough situation after being adopted by Americans and then left on the 'mean streets' to fend for himself (LOL).

By age 11, he is picked up by a Korean man who claims to know the boy's background, and that it is the boy's duty to get revenge against the father who abandoned him.

The father in question is heir to a hotel with world-class accommodations and a higher than usual 7-star rating. The man who found the boy is cruel, vindictive, and heartless -- especially to the boy who later becomes General Manager of this hotel. 

The handsome GM believes he is the son of the hotelier and sets out to destroy him when he meets his supposed 'sister', the real heiress to this 7-star, world-class hotel.  

Lee Da hae as Ah Mo ne falls instantly for our charmer with a troubled past while he continues to ignore, resist, and finally self-abuse the budding feelings he's having for what he believes to be his own sister.

Lee Da hae is beautiful. Stuning, even. Great face, hair, eyes, and body. Amazing, really, and a good actress as well.

Long story short, a third of this story had bits of purpose, but it was still a drawn-out Korean affair filled with too much unnecessary angst, pregnant pauses, and recap to truly satisfy my need to know or want of more.

All of the cast gave stellar performances, and while I appreciate the need for levity in a 32-episode nail-biter, sometimes it came at the cost of that tension build-up while at other times it was just inappropriate or misplaced within a scene.

The main reason I chose to watch this drama was because I came from having watched the first season of Roommate in which our handsome hero, Lee Dong wook as Cha Jae wan, stars as well.

During the first Roommate season, Dong wook was filming Hotel King, which worked to intrigue me about him and the drama.

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars at aznv.tv, where the use of Crunchyroll subs made it nearly impossible to understand what was going on due to an illegible font.

I'm unable to duplicate the issue here, but it went something like this . . .  "I&*%ll have to see if it*(^s okay to go into detail*&%s about the problem%$#s we*%@re having with the font."

Dramafever has yet to upload any episodes, which makes me think they are reworking the Crunchyroll subs so that they are perfect and legible prior to being uploaded to their superior yet expensive website.

 

Read More

They Actually LISTENED!

Bet you can't tell how excited I am to discover that MY MAN ... Mr. So-Fine himself, So Ji sub will be starring in a ROM COM this summer! Someone heard my plea (nod to SBS) and gave it a whirl, so I hope he actually can pull off a decent comedy routine or three during this August, 2013 debut of The Master's Sun. (The Master's Sun) will be filling in where (I Can Hear Your Voice) left off. Another great thing about this is that they hired Seo In guk (Reply 1997, Love Rain) as a co-star.

Read More