FRIEND (Chingu) 2001, 2009, and 2013

친구

Director - Kwak Kyung-Taek
Writer -  Kwak Kyung-Taek
Genre -  Gangpae, Reminisce
Related titles -  Friend, Our Legend | Chingoo, Woorideului Jeonseol (MBC / 2009)
                          Friend, The Great Legacy | Chingoo 2 (2013)
Release Date -  March 31, 2001

Cast

Plot

The director's experience with his real friends, a semi-autobiographical account set in Busan. The actors speak with a strong Busan dialect.
Joon-suk, son of a vigilant gang boss; Dong-su, only son of an undertaker; Sang-taek, a diligent student; and Joong-ho, who never keeps his mouth shut. They walked the streets with their heads held high, shoulders straight, and chests out, fearing nothing when they were together. Friends who share their porn magazine fantasies and awe of Bruce Lee's Kungfu. Each life takes a different turn. Joon-suk becomes the leading henchman of his father's crime ring and Dong-su is serving for Joon-suk's rival gang. Sang-taek and Joong-ho find themselves helplessly watching their two best friends wield knives at each other.   ~DramaWiki (w/edits)

Friend was nominated for five awards and won three. At the 46th Asia-Pacific Film Festival, Yu Oh-seong and Jang Dong-gun won the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards.

Review

Gritty, intense, and bloody account of four young men growing up in Busan back in the seventies and through approximately twenty years, when lives climax and fade away.

It is obvious why this film garnered nominations, awards, and is one of the highest watched films from Korea.

Long-running as well, with a 2009 MBC remake, Friend, Our Legend, directed by Kwak Kyung-taek, was 20-episodes for television and starred Hyun Bin as Dong-su and Kim Min-joon as Joon-seok.

This was an adaptation of the original movie and was far more bloody and indepth than the original, with greater emphasis falling back on the personal lives of all four boys, their connection to one another throughout, and their eminent demise toward the end -- except for the narrator (writer) who chose an entirely separate path from the other three.

And Friend: The Great Legacy, Director:Writer Kwak Kyung taek (again) is the 2013 sequel where Yu Oh-seong reprises his role. It takes place seventeen years after the events of the original film. In it, Joon-seok meets the grown-up son of Dong-su (Kim Woo-bin), and is interspersed with scenes of Joon-seok's own father (Joo Jin-mo) in 1963.

친구 2

Plot

Joon seok (Yu Oh-Seong) is in prison for almost 17 years now when a woman comes to the prison and requests that Joon seok protect her son from other gang members. Joon seok then takes Sung hoon under his wing in prison.

When Joon seok is released from prison, he learns that Eun ki (Jung Ho-Bin) has gotten rid of his men and now dominates the gang which Joon seok's father (Joo Jin-Mo) started. Joon seok plots to take back control.

When Sung hoon is released from prison, he works for Joon seok in a power struggle against Eun ki.



My introduction to this story came with the MBC Television remake that starred Hyun bin, which I watched three times over the years.

This is my very first viewing of the original movie (2001), and last night I finally watched the sequel that stars Kim Woo bin.

The direction that the 2001 movie and its 2013 sequel take are more obvious about who is actually behind the scenes and calling a majority of the shots (writer, director Kwak Kyung taek) since this is his story and his childhood we're watching unfold.

A lot of the original cast (those who weren't massacred in 2001, that is) returned for the 2013 sequel, which added depth and interest.

2001 is about the four boys and their lives after coming-of-age, and the 2013 sequel centers around Woo bin's character. The sequel also delves a little deeper into the life of Lee Jun seok's father, the original gangpae wizard.

Loose ends are cleared up in the 2013 version as well, but for those of you who haven't watched either yet, I can't say anything that won't end up being a spoiler, so . . .

I thought that Yu Oh seong did a terrific job in both. He's a bad ass through and through and has that look that terrifies, doesn't he?

As for our young, brash Woo bin, he's a keeper.

Like Oh seong, Woo bin has the look, and both men use their eyes to convey a whole lot, without the need of words or a loud voice to get their message across.

It's as sexy as it is terrifying, but I love it in either case because it is so compelling.

The cigarette drop toward the end of 2001 comes up again in 2013, but after having watched both movies (in a row), I still don't see or comprehend Jun seok's knowledge of what occurred as a result.

Well, I do and I don't, and maybe that has something to do with Jun seok's reaction in 2013.

I'd recommend both movies as a 'pass some time' event, but not if you're squeamish (like me) because you'll be turning away from the screen on more than one occasion.

Woo bin's performance is worth the anxiety, though.

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The Producers

The Producers

Title: 프로듀사 / Peurodyusa
Genre: Drama
Episodes: 12
Broadcast network: KBS2
Broadcast period: 2015 - May to Jun

 

Main Cast

 

 

Synopsis

At the center of Yeouido, there is a building which never goes to sleep 24/7; It's Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). And inside the building, on the sixth floor, people are busy working between the partitions who to produce renowned variety shows including and more. Here, which seems to be an ordinary office, the highly-educated are being treated as a fools when their programs record low ratings even after hectic work schedules of filming, editing, and all-night meetings. This drama features various anecdotes about producers and non-producers happening in the Entertainment Department. (KBS World)

Plot

 

Okay, so that is what the head honcho's at KBS World want you to believe, but it isn't entirely true, surprise-surprise.

This was a cut-short, supposed to be reality-based and semi-live action drama ABOUT working in the KBS studios and what a day in the life of a PD is 'actually' like.

Only, it wasn't and it didn't happen the way it says it would or even the way I had anticipated.

This was about 3 PDs, one a rookie entering the world of KBS on a whim because of a pretty sunbae who isn't the least bit interested in him.

He's heartbroken and drags his feet for a few episodes before turning his amorous intentions on one of the other 2 PDs.

That female PD is interested in the other PD, though, and throughout this show, he behaves about as clueless to her vibes as a piece of debris being whipped around in a hurricane.

My Take

 

It was different, I'll definitely give it that much.

It had loads of potential with its being different, the use of a dynamic cast, and with heaps of material to lean on in the form of the REAL ins and outs of a day in the life of a PD.

Trouble is, none of that worked to make this the high-value form of entertainment it set out to be and what I anticipated would occur throughout.

Shocking, really.

The first episode was completely boring.

The second episode was utterly boring.

The third episode was yawn inducing.

The fourth episode was blah.

The fifth episode was [face palm].

The sixth episode was fail.

The seventh episode was just like the previous episodes.

And, the eighth episode was more of the same bland boring-ness.

Then about a third of the way through the ninth episode, it actually picked up and was worth watching.

Sadly, the tenth, eleventh, and last episodes reverted back to boring, bland, go-nowhere, do-nothing, slow-paced . . . meh.

Slow, I think, is the key to this drama's failure.

A failure to go anywhere, do anything, and capture my interest so that I would want to watch more.

The potential, though.

Think about it.

What actually goes into the production of a variety show, the how and why of its success or failure.

What it takes to become a PD, and even the occasional use of live interviews or commentary from actual PDs in the business.

Instead, they gave us more of the same.

Too much dwelling, reflection, and struggle to get a point across in the love sequences.

The audience gets it within the first 2 seconds, so to continuously beat any aspect of cat/mouse over our heads episode after episode is annoying as much as it is redundant.

JUST DO SOMETHING!

And, not that romance is a bad thing or didn't belong here!

The aside characters did a better job of getting that out of the way than our 3 leads, so what was the point?

The Acting

 

Sun-A rocked it

Right out of the gate, I didn't like IUs character.

Even after it was revealed just how awful it can be to become famous in la-la land, I still didn't want to root for her or hope that our young bit of male eye-candy fluff would set his sights on her instead of the elder PD.

Hardly anyone at the few message boards I browsed after watching each episode agreed with me.

#DramaFever viewers agreed with me about it being too slow and surprisingly boring while die-hards kept insisting that the two younger leads needed to get together and the two elder leads needed to either get together themselves or back off.

Soo hyun is cute, a good actor, and he did really well portraying the thoughtful, introverted, tongue-tied bumbler who is heedless to wearing his heart on his sleeve yet possesses the wherewithal to plod ahead regardless of minor/major set-backs.

We learn at the last second that he is a reprint of a younger Joon mo, who basically behaved a lot like Su hyun's character when he first started at KBS - and for a similar reason as well.

Tae hyun, being a veteran actor, pretty much carried the others along in typical sunbae fashion.

I kind of felt sorry for him as he infrequently struggled with the SOLE issue of attempting to save his flagging variety show, 1N2D, which I'll always prefer to refer to it as IL - BAK - I - IL.

In the last episode they did something unique by bringing back the original host of some 80s show for an impromptu interview.

And, for a brief 5 seconds, we got a glimpse of live 1N2D during its hey-day.

After dwelling on it for a time, I realized that this was where the show failed to win my heart.

The potential thing being lost somewhere in all of the boring dialogue, go-nowhere romance, and same scenario throughout when it could have been riveting with the continued use of real, actual footage from the variety shows we all know and love.

Yes, Lee Seung ki made an appearance and made us all laugh, too, by portraying the guy everyone wants to believe he is, but that was for all of ten minutes in one episode.

Cindy had a rough time and it showed in everyone but her.

That deadpan, fuck you attitude that got under my skin right away and made me not care.

Still, it was good to know that the industry is at least aware of the issue with agent/star and that things need to change.

I think it's been long enough now and damaging enough now to want to change the way these kids are farmed, don't you?

Hyo jin was actually the only one who behaved like a PD and an actress.

There was and continues to be nothing phony and presumptive about her, which is refreshing.

 Her PD position on Music Bank could have been thrilling if they had bothered to use a live performance or even actual footage, but that didn't happen, either.

Final Thoughts

 

To be perfectly honest, I watched all 12 episodes because I kept hoping something would happen, but aside from episode 9, nothing did.

The aside characters and their stories were actually more entertaining than the leads, and I wanted to see more of them, discover more about their stories, and even rooted for a few of them to get together.

Heck, I was even hoping that bombshell of a newbie writer at Music Bank would end up with dork Soo hyun's character.

I found the Neilson chart for the South Korean audience participation and was quite shocked by it:

Maybe it was a curiosity thing with them, just as it remained for me over here in Migu, but despite the surprisingly high ratings toward the end, the bounce rate is more consistent and makes me wonder if 12 episodes was planned or became necessary.

Instead of chalking it up to experience and moving on, I'd like for the big-wigs in the entertainment industry to keep this one on their desks as a reminder of what great viewing CAN be as opposed to what it turned into via this drama.

They were sooo close to a hit, it isn't funny, so I'd rather they go back to the drawing board and try again rather than never touch on this kind of formula again.

You can do it. I'm rooting for you.

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Divorce Lawyer in Love

 

Title: 이혼변호사는 연애중 / Yihonbyunhosaneun Yeonaejoong  
Genre: Romance, comedy  
Episodes: 16  
Broadcast network: SBS  
Broadcast period: Apr 2015

 

 

Cast

 
Jo Yeo jung as Go Cheok hee, Yun Woo jin as So Jung woo, Shim Hyung tak as Bong Min kyu, and Wang Ji won as Jo Soo ah

 

Synopsis

 
Go Cheok hee is a successful divorce lawyer who treated So Jung woo terribly when he was her firm's office manager. The tables are turned when Cheok hee loses her license and can no longer practice law and Jung woo has become a successful lawyer. The two cross paths again when Cheok hee becomes Jung woo's office manager. (DramaWiki)
 

My Take

 
The above synopsis actually sums up the entire show, so not much to add there.

It is also safe to say that the reference to its being both a romance and a comedy are true as well.  

The first kiss occurred in episode 5, so no lie, this was filled with as much romance as there was comedy and some serious stints spattered here and there.  

Yeah, it was another run-of-the-mill Cinderella story laced with fairy-tale elements, and surprise-surprise, ONE lowly chick has TWO hot dudes on her ass.  

HOWEVER . . .  

This turned out to be an enjoyable ride from the word go for a number of reasons that do not exclude the painfully obvious fact that it was still a Korean drama filled with a lot of unnecessary-ness.  

The formula strayed over into J-Do territory, and BELIEVE IT OR NOT, did not back away a quarter of the way through (as was the case with Sweden Laundry) and turn itself into another family-oriented bit of nonsense we've seen too many times to count or want to recall.

Each episode had a new divorce scenario play out, although in-between these issues there was more main-cast air time than delving deeper into the why, how, who, and what of the couple wanting a divorce.  

Which is cool, a refreshing change from the norm, and a delight to behold for the weary-worn such as myself and I'm sure countless others.  

Yes, it was family oriented; yes, two hot guys are vying for the affections of one low-born mousy chick, and yes, there were a few catty females tossed in to mess with her throughout.  

Oh, and yes, there was that ridiculous, stupid, childish nonsense kiss scene where her eyes are wide open and their lips are sucked in.  

Ugh.  

She stuck by her man from start to finish, too. 

No straying off the chaste path for our mousy do-gooder.

Well, Chuck-y wasn't exactly a goody-two-shoes, and no one wanted to work for her while she was a divorce attorney at her own law firm. 

Brash, bold, mouthy, and stubborn, she plowed her way through the first few episodes as loud as a big, brass band.  

When the tables turned and her license was suspended temporarily, she goes back to her humble roots for a few years. 

Three years later, she's back and biding her time as an office manager and subordinate for the former office manager at her former firm. 

He is now an attorney and he can't wait to pay Chuck-y back.  

Chuck-y has learned a few lessons, but her personality is still the same, which shocks some, off-puts others, and helps to endear her to the clients that come through the door seeking a divorce.  

The hands-down winner in the scene-stealer department goes to Shim Hyung tak as Bong Min kyu. 

He'd be a leading contender in one of those popular second-string Oppa battles (#bias) you see a lot online now. 

Dude definitely shone brighter, worked harder at being casual cool, and did practically nothing to still set my heart aflutter, that's for sure.

Woo jin isn't bad. A bit too Ken doll, straight-laced, boy-next-door for my taste, and he's got those wack-a-doodle eyes that go berserk depending on his mood and the camera angle, but he still performed well as the leading man first abhorring his connection to Chuck-y before slowly and surely falling for her.  

His mother was the ubiquitous permed-hair bitch, but this also starred the QUINTESSENTIAL queen mother Korean Drama bitch . . .

 

Park Jun keum as Ma Dong mi

I copied this image because of the subs, though. 

They weren't too bad, but I need to know if the Korean calendar is different from the Western one in that their June would have 31 days?

"Thirty days has September, April, JUNE, and November." Right?
 

The Wrap

 
Yeah, it's worth the watch.  
No, the OST wasn't anything to sing about.  
Yes, everyone on screen did a great job of convincing me they had real-life issues.  
Yes, the lesser divorce issues were painful to have to sit through with them.  
Yes, there were quite a few chicks who got their faces slapped.  
No, I wasn't rooting for the two leads to get together.  
and Yes, what would a Korean drama be if there weren't a few scenes where one of these bitches tossed water/wine into another's face?
 

Lastly

Lee Pil mo and Shim Hyung tak could pass as bros.

 

          

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Hanasaki Mai Can't Be Silent

Title (romaji): Hanasaki Mai ga Damattenai
Title (english): Hanasaki Mai Can't Be Silent
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Comedy/Suspense
Network: NTV, YTV
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 16.0%
Broadcast period: 2014, Apr to Jun

 

Cast

Anne as Hanasaki Mai, and Kamikawa Takaya as Soma Ken

Synopsis

--NTV-- Based on bestsellersing writer, Ikeido Jun's novel from the Hanzawa-series. Hanasaki Mai is but an ordinary employee of a bank with zero diplomacy. She doesn't think twice about pointing out her boss's mistakes. Her job is to investigate any wrongdoings in the bank branches. She is the voice of the suppressed staff who are unable to go against their bosses. Her partner is the veteran staff, Soma Ken, whose career with the bank had reached a dead end, no promotions in sight. Together, they resolve all the non-compliance issues at the bank.

My Take

Now THIS is what I'm talking about.

 Leave it to the Japanese to come up with yet another mundane topic based on a novel (I'm betting Manga) and turning it into something anyone and everyone would enjoy.

The cornball, dated background music and slapstick, pratfall antics aside . . . this was worth the watch.

Another of their dramas that has the main characters doing basically the same thing each week, only under a new premise or situation.

And, it works.

 These two are bankers, and they're pulled from their respective branches to work at headquarters in a created division that investigates issues within the bank's many branches while also bringing to light corruption, greed, and slipshod mentality from within.

Issues

I thought that Korea was awful in its Hegemonic, Patriarchal ways.

I think Japan has them beat in that regard, though.

Working women are still degraded, made to dress a certain way, talk and act a certain way, and only hire in at positions traditionally deemed a woman's role.

Things like sexism, chauvinism, and antiquated notions about power still exist over there, sad to say.

Besides that upsetting issue, there was the appalling subs.

Brit-speak that just sounds stupid, grammatical issues clean through, and spelling errors galore.

The typical lazy typing as well. Punctuation and youth don't go together very well anymore, and I think it is stupid.

... is not a . . .    

and ... is not a .    

and ~ is not a ?    

any more than a . is a ?

And yet there were a few ? tossed in at the appropriate moments, so go figure.

I don't think we needed to have to read [tel] or [knock], either.

she was super tall compared with every man she worked alongside

This was a good series that appears as if it may have a follow-up, or season 2 in the works, which is a good thing.

I'll definitely be looking out for it and then watching.

Thank you, Japan, for the refreshingly delightful bit of entertainment.


However, I do ask that you reconsider the silly background music that sounds like 1956 elevator stuff, and enough with the ridiculous and outdated humor.

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My Unfortunate Boyfriend

Romanization: Naui Yoogamseureowoon Namjachingoo
Hangul: 나의 유감스러운 남자친구
Writer: Lee Jae-Yoon
Network: MBC Drama
Episodes: 16
Release Date: April - May, 2015

 

Plot

A love story between Yoon Tae woon (No Min woo), who always sticks to the truth, and Yoo Ji na (Yang Jin sung), who lies when necessary.

Synopsis

Well, yes, and no.

The two leads do think that way, but as for it being the plot?

No.

Has zero to do with the plot.

This is the story of two people (4, really) who start out on polar opposite paths yet are thrown together by happenstance and don't exactly hit it off right away while constantly getting in each other's way regardless.

She is desperate to get away from the parents she's looked down on for years, and he is lost in a make-believe world on account of the tragic way in which his parents had to die when he was young.

The other two are the wealthy stand-ins who get in their way for a majority of the show.

(1. a region created or considered as a state by or for a people of a particular ethnic origin -- who knew S. Korea consisted of so many separate 'countries'? I think the misguided subber meant homeTOWN)

 

My Take

 

Holy cripe, was this a yawn-fest.

Unfortunate is right with this one, let me tell you.

It never needs to be, of course, and it was odd that this (and Producer) turned out to be just that, too.

The right actors were employed, can't argue there.

But, it became painfully obvious early into this one that they were hired as eye candy and not for any amount of substance or effort.

It was another poor girl gets tangled up with two wealthy hot guys, too.

Honestly, I don't really know where to begin to explain why this didn't cut it and why I couldn't wait for it to end.

To put it bluntly yet succinctly, it was boring.

Along with the Cinderella done-to-death theme, there was the intermittent stupid music that didn't help to lighten the load or make me even want to hum along at any point.

What was Tae woon supposed to portray, anyhow? Was he - what is the PC term for retarded now? Mentally challenged? Or, was he just a completely immature adult living in his own fantasy land?

I still don't know for sure, but ugh, what a turn-off.

Tae woon acted like he was perpetually nine (and a GIRL nine at that) for all sixteen episodes, and by the fifth, I kinda wished he would have an epiphany and start acting his age at least.

By the end of episode seven, it was just too hopeless to wish for anything -- even for the story to pick up at some point.

I will admit to there being one hilarious scene with him having a helium voice, and he has to chase down a van he thinks was used to kidnap Ji na sshi. Laughed like an idiot during that scene, and for awhile afterwards, too.

And then there was the It guy with the looks, power, and money.

When I said earlier that the producers hired these guys and told them to just act cool, Yoon Hak as Kang Hee chul took it to the hilt.

He spent 98% of his on-screen time leering and posturing - nothing more.

 B.o.r.i.n.g.

It was like the director kept reminding him that he was nothing more than eye candy and to hold back on any and all attempts at giving the audience what it deserved . . . like acting ability and substance.

Too many pregnant pauses, dwelling instances, recaps, you-just-said-that moments . . . yeesh, it was bad.

One of my favorite halabeoji's, Yoon Joo sang as Boss Yoon, starred in this, but not even he was enough to turn this yawn-fest around and make it worth my while.

He always looks like he's smelling his own farts, doesn't he?

Korean Hollywood producers and director are going to have to wake up and realize that eye candy just isn't enough to make a drama worthwhile anymore.

Yes, we want to see the hot guys.

But, we also want to see the hot guys DO something. And, I for one don't want to see them doing the same, blessed thing again and again and again and again until my eyes cross and my head starts to swim.

I'm beginning to think that part of the reason why this didn't work for me is because as I mentioned in a previous review, it is all done-to-death.

If one mousy virgin gets bug-eyed when a guy leans in for a kiss, then they've all done that . . . to death.

If one mousy virgin is chased by two wealthy hot guys, then they've all been chased . . . to death.

If that same mousy virgin comes from humble stock, then they've all come from humble stock . . . to death.

If the good guy is a pussy and the bad guy isn't, then they've all behaved the same way . . . to death.

If the mousy virgin is determined to make it in the world PRIOR to meeting Mr. Goodbar, then they've all done the same damn thing . . . to infinity and beyond.

And, Lord help us all, if we've seen one Fairy Tale themed drama, then we've seen them all to death at least five lifetimes now.

Please, please, and please let's get the creative juices flowing again!

Please?

I would not recommend Unfortunate Boyfriend even if it does star Min woo.

I don't blame him for the fail, but this was just all-around wrong.

I did like that they incorporated a lot of antiquated gadgetry in this story. Record players, cassette tapes, and freaking LOVE THEM flip phones. I still use a flip phone since my eyes don't like tiny phone screens and I don't necessarily care for phones anyhow.

That bit was fun stuff.

And, one of the bit-part characters is precisely what our adorable Lee Seo jun will look like in 20 years.

               

(and then his paternal halabeoji in 60 years)

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Mr. Baek

Title: 미스터 백 / Miseuteo Baek
Genre: Romance, comedy, fantasy
Episodes: 16
Broadcast network: MBC
Broadcast period: Nov to Dec, 2014

 

Main Cast

Shin Ha Kyoon as Choi Go Bong / Choi Shin Hyung Jang Na Ra as Eun Ha Soo Lee Joon as Choi Dae Han Park Ye Jin as Hong Ji Yoon

Synopsis

A conglomerate CEO in his 70s, who has known nothing but money all his life, one day suddenly turns into a young man in his 30s and after 70 years of his life, he discovers love. (DramaFever) Mr. Baek is a successful hotelier who's more interested in hoarding his money than in enjoying his golden years. But in a strange turn of events, this classic scrooge gets a second chance at life when he wakes up as a younger version of himself. With no way to prove his identity, Mr. Baek must enter his own company as a rookie and is forced to work his way up once again. With precious little time, Mr. Baek is given the opportunity to take stock of his life — and to give love a chance. (DramaWiki) An old man is given the power to age backwards, but every time he falls in love he ages forward. (DramaFever)

Judging from the above variations on the same theme, you would guess this drama is all about Mr. Baek -- old and young versions, and you wouldn't be entirely misled -- but you still are if you believe what you just read above ;-)

So, if you haven't watched this one yet, let me explain without spoiling the plot.

It IS about a wealthy hotelier in his early 70s who is as curmudgeonly, cantankerous, and stodgy as the stereotypical old man comes.

He's leaving an award ceremony and being chauffeured back home during a meteor shower when the ground opens up and his car falls inside what the subbers continue to refer to as a sink hole.

He's grasping at life AND one of the pills a doctor recently prescribed, but he mistakes a glowing blue meteor shard and swallows that instead.

This is how he reverts back to age 34 -- Korean male prime as I'm always being led to believe.

Naturally, with a premise like this one, inconsistencies, continuity issues, and just plain stupidity are bound to crop up.

 I wanted to like this one. I really did.

And for the first few episodes, I was actually riveted to the screen.

It was quite fascinating to watch this seemingly interesting concept unfold, and I was curious to know where it would all lead, too. But then the dumb stuff took center stage and I quickly lost that fascination and interest. I did, however, enjoy the theme song.

Very pretty.

First Issue

The love story.

Prior to his reverting in age, he is dumped off at one of his hotels that isn't doing so well profit-wise, and he ends up losing his glasses.

The girl -- Jang Na Ra as Eun Ha Soo -- is working with the elderly there (later we learn that it is a retirement 'hotel') when she happens upon this old man on the ground fumbling around for his specs.

She tries to help him and he pushes her away, snaps at her, and basically behaves in a way that would make any normal, sane person flip him off and walk away to let him fend for himself regardless of his age or circumstances.

But, we must remember that this is a Korean drama and therefore the perfect girl is the perfect lady who will gladly forget herself for any and all men.

She finds him a new pair of clothing, washes his hands, and mends his glasses for him.

She is also involved in the sink-hole incident because his young, handsome son has ordered her to deliver a necklace to the mansion wa-ay after office hours, and she does so without question because she doesn't want to get fired and because he's a guy and she's not.

The son is crushing on Ha soo, which translates to his treating her like shit all the time, walking all over her, making a lot of unnecessary and unreasonable demands . . . you know the drill.

She falls for his young-version father instead, though. And, this, friends, is where everything went wrong for me. He knew the whole time that it wasn't going to last, and yet . . .

Second Issue

Theme time.

The writers juxtaposed these two with Beauty and the Beast.

Can you believe it?

I can't.

I don't get these types of dramas, I don't like them, and I resent being subjected to their trite, make-believe nature when they're using supposedly real-life characters to depict said fairy tale characters.

The Acting

It was good.

A bit over-the-top on his part, but I got to know him better and like what I saw.

I adore her and probably always will. She's cute, pretty, I love her hair, and her eyes.

The voice I can do without, but that is neither here nor there.

My Take

When, I wonder, are we going to start seeing more reality-based drama filled with realistic content?

When, I wonder, will we begin to stray from this formulaic story line of one poor waif versus two hot, rich hunks?

When are they going to stop following a stale, old formula (the same way I ask when are writers going to stop doing the same thing) and start coming up with more original work?

If we've seen one drama that depicts a helpless virgin with two sexy, rich guys vying for her love & affection, we've seen them all.

All 8,603,749 of them.

And, when, for crying out loud, will we get to see nail-biter, cliff-hanger, OMG stuff again?

I get this feeling that if twelve of us Korean drama junkies got together to watch a new release, that we'd be able to foreshadow, accurately guess at, and even recite verbatim the lines prior to their being spoken.

It's just no fun anymore, watching these shows when they are all the same.

Asides

How is it humanly possible for family members to NOT be able to recognize one of their own?

Even his own son didn't recognize him as a younger man?

Am I to believe that there are zero pictures and zero family albums in the Korean household?

I mean, even the faithful chauffeur, who spent a majority of the first few episodes pointing out the fact that he'd been with this old man forEVER, and yet he wasn't able to recognize the man's younger version?

Right.

Oh, and if a DNA test comes back 100%, common sense would raise at least one red flag, wouldn't it?

The Quatrantids occur in early January. The Perseids arrive in mid August. The Geminids usually show up in mid December. So, to ask this man to go back to the scene of the accident on Christmas Day, wait for the meteorites to arrive, and then take care of business is asking an awful lot.

He'd freeze to death waiting for nothing to happen, wouldn't he?

It is also a known/proven fact that any city in any area of the world will lessen the chances of visibility.

You just don't see meteorites flashing by the night sky any more than you can accurately pick out all but two or three visible constellations, if that.

Lastly, he swallowed a meteorite shard.

Which would mean it entered his stomach, which would mean it'll eventually pass when he takes a shit.

So, the writers devised an extremely unlikely get-around-that-fact to annoy me.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in fairy tale dream stuff and a stale concept.

I will always hate this stupid ~pop-eye~ kiss scene

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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.

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Unkind Women

Title: 착하지 않은 여자들 / Chakhaji Anheun Yeojadeul
Also known as: Unkind Ladies
Genre: Family, drama, romance
Episodes: 24
Broadcast network: KBS2
Broadcast period: 2015, Feb to 2015, May

 

Main Cast 

Kim Hye ja as Kang Soon ok, Chae Si ra as Kim Hyun sook, Do Ji won as Kim Hyun jung, and Lee Ha na as Jung Ma ri.

Synopsis

 

Courtesy KBSWorld: This drama features the women of three generations and people around them.  Ma Ri grows up as a good teacher of this generation where there is no true mentor. Hyun Sook, who has been a troublemaker, realizes the love and support of her family. Kang Soon Ok regards herself as unlucky, but later on realizes how happy she has been.  How can you hold up when your life gets tough? You will figure it out by holding up day by day, just like these women in the drama.

Again, it makes little sense after having watched all 24 as-they-were-released episodes. And, with thanks to Dramafever, the subs were relatively painless a majority of the time.

What this was really about was Kang Soon Ok, a troubled teen who ended up being expelled for selling stolen goods and then lying about it to her homeroom teacher. 

The story begins in present-day Seoul with Soon ok living with her grown daughter, a Ph.D holder in Korean Literature, in her mother's traditional Korean home and still struggling to try and make some sense of her desolate life.

Her mother spent the last 30 years raising two daughters and then a granddaughter in this traditional home and makes her living as a traditional Korean dish cook. She teaches classes from within this home, and the two daughters are faithful to her and her cause.

That is because after 30 years, they are beginning to understand what it was their mother went through in the absence of a father-figure. A man who ran away with another woman, though the three women are led to believe that he died in a club fire.

After 30 years, the puzzle pieces are slowly and methodically put together and the truth is finally revealed. Now these three women are made to readjust not only their way of life but their thinking about such things as the past, the lies, the betrayal, and the confusion that ensues.

It is basically a story about two women who suffer from past transgressions who in present-day are made to have to deal with them directly and in a mature fashion while also learning how to grow, forgive, and move on.

And, yes, it was well worth the 24-episodes. Not a one was slapped together or unnecessary, although I will admit to there being a slight bit of redundancy, and to a disappointing outcome in the 'romance' category between young Ma ri and her two, eligible suitors.

My Take

I thought everyone did a marvelous job. Every character (and there were dozens) did a great and convincing job of portraying whomever it was involved with this family.

I adored the mother. She's cute, endearing, and has a passive yet wicked sense of humor. For a woman of her age and stature to pull off a few of those hilarious stunts was amazing, so kudos to her for being so marvelous!

I thought that Lee Ha na was cute, too, and funny in a stunted-serious way that goes against the grain of comedy. If that makes no sense, you'll just have to watch the drama and then it will.

As for the two love interests (half-brothers in the show) I was always rooting for the younger, more handsome, and of course, more physically fit of the two. There was just something about the elder that irked me and rubbed me the wrong way -- and even if he, too, did a wonderful job of portraying the eldest, responsible one with a stable job and a warm heart.

                       


Then again, I'm biased on account of my past memories of said second hunky guy! Oh, how I wish they'd stay young forever :D

                           

And, of course, Lee Soon jae as Kim Chul hee will always be my favorite halabeoji!

Last but not least, there was Kim Hye Eun as Ahn Jong Mi -- a scene stealer from the very start and who's character never changed throughout the drama. I really like her.

Curiosities

Why couldn't Soon ok just re-enroll at another school? 

It was even pointed out that her older sister attended another high school, and I'm pretty sure there are more than one in any part of that large city.

Getting a bit tired of the hair-perm as being a sign of weakness, age, and lack of social or monetary status.

I'm also noticing a disappointing trend in the romance department that pits two unlikely people against each other, has them grow to fall in love, and then separates them with the ubiquitous Migu trip to study.

Talk about gaping holes in a plot!

The title is a bit off-putting as well as being untrue. 

These women weren't all unkind, but there were two unkind souls involved in their lives -- and the father was a dick who chose to have an affair. 

The two very vicious, hateful, spiteful, and vindictive women both chose to try and ruin the lives of the mother and her second daughter as well as to come between the budding romance that eventually fizzled and died anyway.

Isn't it just a little bit ironic, then, to create all of these magical 'family values' dramas and then bump off the romance? 

Education, wealth, and career are far more important than romance. 

Okay, so if that is true, then where will all of Korea be in 20 years if no one is getting sexually involved or wants to get married and raise a family?

It just seems counter-productive to a mass-media hype intent on influencing a generation of mindless followers of said law, doesn't it?

And why, then, would The Return of Superman be so popular?

Very confusing message not jiving in this very un-Korean mind of mine.

Speaking of TRS, when little Uhm Ji on grows up, she'll look exactly like Lee Ha na.

. . . or her mother :D

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