Review:// Beautiful Gong Shim

Beautiful Gong Shim is a romantic comedy centered around a quirky couple who become neighbors. Gong Shim (Bang Min Ah) is an aspiring artist who had to give up on school because her parents invested everything into her sister, Gong Mi (Seo Hyo Rim). As a result, Gong Shim works part time jobs while wearing a wig to cover the bald spot she has developed from being stressed about her future. Ahn Dan Tae (Nam Goong Min) goes around in short pants and sandals, eating convenience store food, and having no memory of his early childhood. Gong Shim finds him suspicious, but is surprised as she finds out more and more about him.

The Good:  The cast is really excellent. Gong Shim and Ahn Dan Tae are adorable and offbeat, evoking many laugh out loud moments. With the addition of the chaebol prince, Suk Joon Soo (Ohn Joo Wan), as the second leading man and bromantic partner, there is a lot of nice chemistry despite many misunderstandings. Gong Shim and Joon Soo's parents are silly and charming as well, The villain in this tale is a formidable opponent, which of course, always makes things more exciting.

The Bad:  It seemed that writer, Lee Hee Myung, was having some difficulty as the drama progressed. There was so much potential for more strife involving Gong Mi, for the villain to be more nefarious at the end, for more temptation by Joon Soo and for a charming and just conclusion for everyone. Everything was set up so well, and the drama ran for 20 episodes, but it spent many hours dragging on the plot involving Dan Tae's mysterious past instead of further developing the various characters and their relationships. I was expecting an emotional roller coaster ride, but the writing lost steam and brought us to a lukewarm and rather forced ending.  In addition, there were a few inconsistencies in the plot, which I won't list here because it's more enjoyable that way for those who might not catch them. 

Despite this seemingly fatal flaw, I would still highly recommend this drama for the sheer entertainment value. The cast is good enough to overcome the disappointing writing and make us love these unforgettable characters.

Review:// One More Happy Ending

One More Happy Ending is a 16-episode romantic comedy about a group of ex-idols, now 30-somethings, who are looking for fulfillment in their relationships. The story centers around Han Mi Mo (Jang Na Ra) who owns a matchmaking company for divorcees, and who is desperate to marry for the second time herself. Song Soo Hyuk (Jung Kyung Ho) is a single dad and gossip rag reporter who had a one sided crush on Han Mi Mo in elementary school. The two run into each other while Song Soo Hyuk is pursuing a story, and discover that they live right across the hall from each other.

The Good:  There were a lot of charming scenes that make this a very likeable drama. The two men in our romantic triangle were heartfelt, and then there was Conan O'Brien whose Korean was painful to listen to, but I applaud him for doing it. 

As a bonus, there were period scenes parodying other dramas that poked fun at our triangle. The flashback scenes from Han Mi Mo and Song Soo Hyuk's childhood were also cute and touching. Child actors, Lee Young Eun and Choi Kwon Soo did a great job.

There was bromance! Emotional and hilarious bromantic scenes between Song Soo Hyuk and Goo Hae Joon (Kwon Yool) in addition to their college-days flashbacks made for a painful conflict when they both went for the same woman. 

Aside from our triangle (and Conan), the rest of the characters are compelling. Go Dong Mi (Yoo In Na) is a style-challenged elementary school teacher, desperate for love, but her relationships always come with complications. Baek Da Jung (Yoo Da In) is trying to keep her family together, but her husband wants out of the cold marriage they have. Hong Ae Ran (Seo In Young) struggles with business and aging, and is hesitant to settle down with the man she's dating. Each character grew and changed as they learned from their relationships, and there were some twists and turns along the way making the story somewhat unpredictable.

The Bad:  Our leading and second leading man were attractive and evoked sympathy while they were single, but once they were in a relationship, they were completely obnoxious. I really couldn't stand either of them. And once Han Mi Mo stopped being a vapid goldfish, the obstacles thrown in to trip up the main couple's pairing were superficial and silly. The side characters had storylines that were more interesting and meaningful. If some of that authenticity could have been applied to the main couple, especially towards the end, I think the drama would have come together better.

The lack of substance and cohesiveness with the main storyline is what probably hurt its ratings. One More Happy Ending finished with a nationwide AGB Nielsen rating of 3.0%, though it averaged 5.2% overall. Despite the drama's flaws, it was entertaining and ended in a satisfactory way, so it's worth watching once you're caught up with your other dramas and want something to pass the time. 

Review:// Cheese in the Trap

Cheese in the Trap is a 16-episode melodramatic romantic comedy based on the webtoon of the same name by Soonkki. Hong Seol (Kim Go Eun) is a diligent student, putting herself through college. Though she tries to lead a peaceful life, trouble seems to find her in the form of obsessive and sometimes sociopathic people. Yoo Jung (Park Hae Jin) is the chaebol son who puts on a good face for others, but gets annoyed when he notices that Hong Seol has seen through him. Baek In Ho (Seo Kang Joon), rash and prone to violence, finds himself protecting Hong Seol as his developing feelings for her motivates him to change his life.

The Good:  I was a fan of the webtoon first, so I wasn't sure if a drama could capture all the twists and turns of the storyline, but it did in a big way. The school campus served as a microcosm of society with the various personalities that can pull a person down, and where the judgement of the majority is harsh and powerful whether justified or not. The leads were perfectly cast, and so were the more psychotic side characters like Oh Young Gon (Ji Yoon Ho) and Baek In Ha (Lee Sung Kyung). It was like literally seeing the webtoon come to life.

The Bad:  In the webtoon, the story unfolds chronologically, revealing little glimpses of Yoo Jung's strange behavior that makes you wonder about him. As Hong Seol's life becomes more harried and dangerous, and Yoo Jung's expressions become more chilling, the tension just keeps building. The drama, however, skips this unveiling of Yoo Jung, and we start a year later when he has started to like Hong Seol, and his duplicity is already known to her. The previous year is shown in flashbacks throughout the drama. This obliterated one of the main reasons I got hooked on the story in the first place, which was that growing uneasy suspenseful tension that I felt along with Hong Seol as she went through the first year of the story. They did capture Yoo Jung's creepiness, though, and all the key points of the storyline were still included, so this was something that I could overlook. Perhaps it was handled this way to draw the audience into the romantic aspect of the story as soon as possible.

The Controversy:  After I watched the drama and felt that it told the story well, even though it concluded on a very mundane and predictable note, I found out that fans had been upset, and Park Hae Jin had made complaints after the drama had ended.

Fans were angry because Park Hae Jin had less screen time in the last half of the drama, especially episodes 13 and 14. They complained that Seo Kang Joon had too many piano scenes and that a sponsor must have influenced the director to focus on him more. People even talked about boycotting his next drama. This type of thing really annoys me because Seo Kang Joon was not at fault and has no power over the sponsors who have their own agenda. I'm sure many dramas are affected by bureaucratic forces, not saying that that happened in this case, but it's a fact that it's the nature of the business. 

Putting all of that aside, Yoo Jung wasn't around during a certain period in the webtoon, so I didn't miss Park Hae Jin in the part of the drama that covered that time frame. It seemed in keeping with the story from my point of view. People have accused PD Lee of changing the lead in the middle. I don't see it that way. From reading the webtoon, I understood that the star is unequivocally Hong Seol. After her, there are two male leads, Yoo Jung and Baek In Ho.  In Ho was never a side character, and he was more than a second leading man. One of the compelling aspects of this story is the fact that there are two very strong and opposite leading men, and you're just not sure which one will win out in the end.

Park Hae Jin complained that Yoo Jung's character was not fully explained, making it hard for the audience to understand him. Some scenes that were filmed, were not used, or were edited to have a different meaning. And he said that PD Lee made a lot of revisions on set that made having a complete script meaningless.

I felt that Yoo Jung's character was explained adequately. The nature of Yoo Jung's role was to put the audience off balance, and question what he is for as long as possible, and I think that was achieved. In the end, his past, feelings and motives were revealed. If anything, there was one childhood scene that I was expecting, but missed because it wasn't included.

It's too bad that Park Hae Jin felt the need to complain after the fact, given that it just fanned the flames of dissatisfaction for those fans who were upset with the drama and PD Lee. I'm sure he was disappointed that some of the scenes he filmed were cut, and perhaps the drama would have been better had they been used, but after everything is already wrapped, what is the purpose behind feeding the frenzy of angry fans? It generates public empathy for him, but increases hatred for PD Lee and Seo Kang Joon, and ultimately diminishes the success of the drama.

Soonkki wanted the drama to be completely different from the webtoon and had also requested that new campus life episodes be written instead of using antagonistic characters like Son Min Soo, Oh Young Gon, and Kim Sang Chul. However, these characters are fundamental to the Cheese in the Trap story, so I'm glad that the producers did not listen to her in this instance, and instead remained true to the original storyline.

Because the drama was airing true to the original, Soonkki requested scripts, but did not receive any after episode six due to confidentiality issues. It seems that her biggest complaint is that she requested for the drama to have a different conclusion than the one she planned for her webtoon, but the production team used her ending anyway. It's unfortunate that the writer of the original material was disregarded; a common occurrence in show business. The producers may have done her a favor by using her boring predictable ending, though, because now maybe she will be motivated to come up with something a bit more imaginative. I do hope she incorporates clinical psychology which I've been hoping for with anticipation in the webtoon. I think it would make for a much more interesting and fitting twisted end to the story.

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Cheese in the Trap is above average as far as dramas go, for its originality, complexity and colorful characters. 

Review:// Madame Antoine

Madame Antoine is a 16-episode romantic comedy that centers around the volatile relationship between a psychologist and a fortuneteller. Go Hye Rim (Han Ye Seul) is a divorcee who runs a cafe where she tells fortunes under the guise of communicating with Madame Antoinette. When she runs into some financial difficulties, her landlord proposes that she work with the psychologist who has moved into the building's second floor. Choi Soo Hyun (Sung Joon) is a jaded psychologist, bent on proving that true love doesn't exist. He naturally clashes with Go Hye Rim who he considers a fake, harming those who get readings from her when they actually need professional counseling instead. He decides to make her the subject of an experiment, convinced that she will prove that women fall in love based on financial security, and are therefore incapable of sincerely loving another person.

The Good: It's interesting to note that Sung Joon has no problem playing a character that is over ten years older than he is. And even though there is a nine year difference between the leads, they played off of each other well and had good chemistry. 

The plot touched on the interesting subject of what true love is, and how it changes after the three year hormonal period of being "in love". There were a diverse range of characters as well, with their strengths and foibles, who developed into more balanced people by the end of the drama. Through one-sided love, confused love, parental love, and first love, these characters evolved (sometimes hilariously so) in a believable way.

The Bad: At times scenes seemed a bit repetitive, however, it still fit within the nature of a story that showed how it takes time for people to change and grow. There were a few times where I thought certain conflicts could have been simply avoided, but again, given that we're supposed to be dealing with flawed personalities, I could still justify these instances as being appropriate for the storyline.

Overall, Madame Antoine kept me looking forward to each episode. It took the tropes that I enjoy in kdramas, and expressed them in a refreshing way, with pacing that maintained tension through to the last, very satisfying scene.

Review:// You're My Pet

You're My Pet is the Korean adaptation of Yayaoi Ogawa's manga, Kimi wa Pet. Ji Eun Yi (Kim Ha Neul) is a smart, attractive career woman who can't seem to sustain a successful relationship. Kang In Ho (Jang Geun Suk) is a dance prodigy, who gave up ballet after an accident with another dancer left him unable to work with a partner again. The two meet and settle into a master/pet relationship that is strangely satisfying for them both. However, when Eun Yi's old crush comes back into town, change is inevitable.

The Good:  The light-hearted approach to the manga makes this a feel-good movie where you can just enjoy all the cuteness without too much heartache. Jang Geun Suk is naughty, adorable and sexy.  Kim Ha Neul balances seriousness and comedy perfectly, and together they have great chemistry.

The Bad:  All the dance choreography in the film is excruciatingly horrible. It really took me out of the story every time I had to look at it. I was also disappointed that In Ho wasn't developed more. The reasons why he needed to be dehumanized, and why he found fulfillment in being a pet were pretty much left out of this version of the story. Granted, the 2003 Japanese drama (Kimi wa Pet) starring Matsumoto Jun and Koyuki had ten hours to flesh out the plot, but there was more than enough time in the movie to depict the enormous pressure and expectation that In Ho had been subjected to. Instead, much of the story's impact was lost.

Many viewers commented on the master/pet relationship being sick or abusive, some mentioning that if the genders were reversed, everyone would be of this opinion. The fact is, this story can only exist because Eun Yi is a woman and In Ho is a man.  Eun Yi is a professional woman in a male dominated Asian workforce, and as such is alienated and stunted in her career. She's also a strong, attractive woman in a male dominated society, and that intimidates men on a social level. She craves control in a world where she feels out of control no matter how qualified she is, or how much effort she puts into it. Over time, her protective shell becomes impenetrable, so it stands to reason that the only man who can get past it, is one who is not a man, but a pet who she can let her guard down around.

In Ho is a dance prodigy, so you can imagine his life was full of pressure. When he walked away from his career, there was disappointment and continued expectations. To give up control and live as someone else's pet was a big relief for him.

This is a story about two dysfunctional people who started out using each other as a crutch, but who grew stronger as their relationship evolved.

Although the Japanese drama was more true in mood and story to the manga with the exception of the end, which was not very satisfying (the drama was produced in 2003 before the end of the manga in 2005), the Korean movie did capture the spirit of the manga and concluded in a better way which was more in line with the manga's actual ending. Though the story is not as deep or impactful, You're My Pet is worth watching.

Review: Shine or Go Crazy

Shine or Go Crazy is a 24-episode fictionalized historical drama depicting King Gwangjong's rise to power. Wang Soo (Jang Hyuk) is banished to the mountains as a child because of a prophecy foretelling his bringing bloodshed to the palace. Shin Yool (Oh Yeon Seo) is a princess of Balhae who is also a victim of prophecy, as she is fated to become the light for a country not her own. She barely escapes with her life, to be secretly raised by a palace maid and warrior. The two meet under unusual circumstances that will link their destinies and bring the prophecies to fruition.

The Good:  Though the pacing was ponderous, the storyline was rich with romance, comedy and political intrigue, entertaining gender bending, and a poignant love triangle as well. There were enough twists in the plot where it wasn't entirely predictable, which made up for a less than exciting pace. The drama had an excellent cast of characters. Each had their own motives, and it was interesting to see how allies could become enemies and vice versa, Although there was a definite antagonist, it was clear that each "side" was doing what they thought best, especially in light of Wang Soo's rather radical intentions for that point in history.

The Bad:  As I said, the pacing was ponderous, and there were about four episodes in the middle that absolutely dragged. Despite this, the finale seemed a bit rushed and choppy in the way it wrapped things up, even leaving a loose end. And while I did not mind the actual ending, the way it came about was entirely unsatisfactory as it was inconsistent with the lead characters' behavior up until that point.

Shine or Go Crazy is based on the 2014 web novel, Bitnageona Michigeona by Hyun Go Woon. It received an average AGB Nielsen rating of 11.3% nationwide and 14.4% in Seoul which reflects how entertaining and memorable it was. With some improvements to the writing, it could have been great.

Review:// She Was Pretty

She Was Pretty is a romantic comedy about childhood friends who got separated and experienced a reversal of fortunes before reuniting as adults. Kim Hye Jin (Hwang Jung Eum) was a pretty, popular girl who took the chubby Ji Sung Joon (Park Seo Joon) under her wing. After his family immigrated to the United States, her family went bankrupt and they lost touch with each other. Now Sung Joon has returned to Korea as a successful editor, while Hye Jin is still trying to find permanent employment. Due to a misunderstanding, she feels the need to hide her identity from Sung Joon, but fate has made it impossible to avoid him.

The Good:  This is a feel good comedy that retains enough tension to make it worthwhile. There are wonderfully excruciating scenes, fan service in the way of bromance, womance and the classic shower scene, and a good balance of injury and redemption. 

Our four leads all gave endearing performances. Although Hwang Jung Eum seems to play every role she gets in the same exaggerated way, this one actually warranted her acting style, and her physical comedy was very much an asset.

Choi Shi Won shed his pretty boy image for a rugged, manly look. His portrayal of the zany reporter (and Second Leading Man), Kim Shin Hyuk, was over the top, but in an appropriate way. However, he also brought a sensitivity to the role that was heartbreaking.

Alongside these more extreme characters, Park Seo Joon's hot/cold/funny and Go Joon Hee's sweet and conflicted performances interplayed well which created a compelling chemistry among all four of them. This was a perfect tonic for those feeling sorry for Park Seo Joon's character in Kill Me, Heal Me.

The Bad:  The chaotic state of Kim Hye Jin was unbelievable to the point where it took me out of the story a bit at first. She had been refined and feminine as a child, but turned into a tomboyish woman with no sense of style whatsoever, with the vague explanation that she had been through hard times. Even if I accepted that her personality had completely changed, the fact that her stylish best friend and roommate had not given her a makeover so that she could pass a job interview was puzzling to me.

The pacing faltered going into the second half, which would ordinarily make me think that the season should have been shortened by a few episodes. Although it wasn't to that point, I wish they had spent less time on all the extraneous happy scenes involving the main couple, and spent a little more time fleshing out the subplots for the side characters.

The drama's flaws didn't detract too much from its entertainment value, though, which was reflected in its ratings which averaged 13.4% nationwide, and 14.7% in Seoul (AGB Nielsen).

Awards:  Hwang Jung Eum and Park Seo Joon won in several categories at the 2015 MBC Drama Awards including Top 10 Stars, Popularity, and Excellence Actor and Actress in a Miniseries. Hwang Jung Eum also won the PD Award. Additionally, Hwang Suk Jung was named Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries, Yang Han Yeol received the Best Child Actor Award, and Jo Sung Hee won Writer of the Year. 

Review:// Kill Me, Heal Me

Kill Me, Heal Me is a 20-episode medical mystery/romantic comedy about a chaebol son with multiple personalities who gets treated by a first year psychiatry resident. Cha Do Hyun (Ji Sung) loses a year of his childhood memories after traumatic events splinter his mind into several identities. Because of his position, his condition cannot be revealed, and strangely enough, he's only responsive to Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung Eum), a psychiatrist with no experience with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Meanwhile, her twin brother Oh Ri Ohn (Park Seo Joon), is a mystery writer digging into Cha Do Hyun's history, but it seems he already holds a big secret.

The Good:  Ji Sung gave a brilliant performance, assigning different facial expressions, voices and body language for each personality. He inspired empathy for each, and sold every scene he was in as believable, touching and entertaining.

Although the chemistry between the leads was a bit lacking at first, it warmed up in the second half and improved through to the end.  Cha Do Hyun and Oh Ri Ohn's "bromance" was spectacular and worth watching over and over.

Oh Ri Jin and Oh Ri Ohn have a warm and funny sibling relationship, though there is a sad and poignant side to it that adds another layer of emotion to the overall story.

The action and intrigue unfolded in an interesting and well-paced manner. Though somewhat predictable, the storytelling still created a sense of curiosity as to how it would all be revealed and resolved.

The Bad:  There didn't seem to be much research done for the medical aspect of the drama. It was more a romantic comedy with a medical theme, since psychology didn't play a part in the actual handling or treatment of Cha Do Hyun's condition. And although I didn't expect it to be very realistic, the resolutions that came about completely devoid of psychological input were not satisfying, and I was left feeling like all the loose ends were not tied up.

Oh Ji Rin was completely unbelievable as a psychiatrist. She was extremely annoying for the first ten episodes with her histrionic shrieking and the disingenuous, condescending tone she took at times. She was too clueless and easily flustered to have the mind or training of a psychiatrist, and it pulled me out of the story for more than half of the episodes which was a big disappointment.

Despite that, there was a lot of emotion built up in the story which ignited expectations for a ending that was at least as engaging as one of the many endearing scenes. Though many viewers might be satisfied with the conclusion, it was just lukewarm for me. After laughing and crying with these characters for 20 hours, I expected an ending with a little more intensity.

Awards:  Kill Me, Heal Me's Neilsen rating  averaged 10.1 nationwide, and 11.1 in Seoul. Ji Sung, Hwang Jung Eum and Park Seo Joon received a slew of awards at the 2015 MBC Drama Awards where Kill Me, Heal Me was Drama of the Year.  Additionally, Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum won the 2015 Daum Best Couple award, and at the 10th Seoul International Drama Awards, Hwang Jung Eum was named Outstanding Korean Actress and the drama won for Excellent Korean Drama. The touching soundtrack won for Best OST at the 8th Korean Drama Awards.

Interesting Notes:  Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum played opposite each other in the 2013 suspenseful crime melodrama, Secret Love.  Hwang Jung Eum and Park Seo Joon went on to star together in She Was Pretty which aired later in 2015.

Review:// Oh My Venus

Kim Min Ho (So Ji Sub) is a rich chaebol son who has been moonlighting as a physical trainer in the United States. He meets Kang Joo Eun (Shin Min Ah) on the way back to Korea, and his life becomes entangled with the overweight, former beauty. Though she has physical problems, and Min Ho has emotional scars from a traumatic childhood, they each have strengths that the other needs to heal.

The Good:  This drama contained a veritable laundry list of every cute thing a drama should have. The leads gave amazing performances, watching So Ji Sub be shocked and cute and frustrated was the ultimate fangirl dream, there was a trademark kiss, sexy workouts, an adorable three-way bromance, a cute chubby kid, the stern but caring assistant, the stereotypical date full of cute activities, warmth and fuzziness, and a handmade gift (of course). Even the soundtrack is cute and upbeat.

Though the plot basically revolved around a fat girl getting skinny and reclaiming a happy life, it was nice that health over appearance was stressed. More important than Min Ah looking better, were the results of her blood test and physical examination. Min Ho repeatedly tells her that good health is pretty and sexy. The drama also conveys that becoming thin and beautiful doesn't automatically bring happiness.

Jang Joon Sung (Sung Hoon) and Kim Ji Woong (Henry) gave endearing bromantical performances as the MMA fighter and manager working with Min Ho. They were such a pleasure to watch, I want them to have their own spin-off drama. Though Joon Sung did have a sub-plot, more time could have been spent on it, in addition to further developing Ji Woong's character. Though they weren't cultivated to their fullest potential, the fact that they were so lovable as to make me want more of them is still a good thing.

Oh My Venus was captivating enough to be marathon worthy up to episode 14, with anticipation for the problems that would arise in the home stretch. Although they dropped the ball in the last three episodes, in my opinion, the final scene was so perfect, it made up for it.

The Bad:  Some might like a feel-good drama from start to finish. I prefer to have a decent amount of pain and strife to maximize the impact of the sweet scenes. There was lots of potential for conflict to be developed, but it was all diluted, and negative situations were quickly cleared up. The biggest obstacles they faced were themselves, and because it was all their own choice, there was no question that everything would be resolved . 

Im Woo Shik (Jung Gyeo Woon) and Oh Soo Jin (Yoo In Young) represented one of the main sources of conflict in the drama, but their relationship with each other was portrayed as a bit depressing to the point where you have to wonder if there was ever any spark between them. It was sorely underdeveloped to begin with, which made them difficult to relate to as the drama progressed.

The last three episodes started to drag with continued happiness and lots of flashbacks. Where the story could have had more tension and meaning (and attention to the side characters) all the way to the end, it was filled with slow paced feel good moments. There were about a dozen scenes that could have been the happy ending. Despite my love for all the characters, I was ready to rate this drama a seven, until that final perfect scene bumped it back up to an eight. With better writing, it could have been a ten.

Oh My Venus received an average Neilsen rating of 8.7% nationwide, and 9.5% in Seoul. Yoo In Young received a Popularity Award at the 2015 APAN Star Awards. So Ji Sub won for Best Actor at the 2015 KBS Drama Awards, where Shin Min Ah won for Excellent Actress in a mini-series, and together they received the Best Couple award.

Review:// Scholar Who Walks the Night

Kim Sung Yeol (Lee Jun Ki) is a vampire who has been searching 120 years for the secret method for defeating the tyrannical vampire Gwi who controls the palace. Jo Yang Sun (Lee Yoo Bi) is a bookseller who was raised as a boy and continues to disguise herself to earn a living for her family. Fate brings them together in a bloody quest to save the country.

The Good:  The storyline and characters were interesting, and even though it didn't reach its full potential, the drama was enjoyable to watch. It offered political intrigue, romance, mystery, horror, and the very beautiful Lee Soo Hyuk as Gwi.

The Bad:  The leads did quite a bit of over-acting. It may have been the director pushing them to open their eyes wider and deepen their expressions; a bit distracting, but forgivable. However, with the exception of Gwi, the vampires made such exaggerated grimaces and rolling of their eyes that it looked comical. Director Lee Sung Joon of The Moon Embracing the Sun fame, does not have experience with supernatural or horror productions and it shows.

Jin Se Yun was originally offered the role of Jo Yang Sun, and I think she would have done a better job. Yang Sun is an earnest woman with a child-like sense of wonder. Lee Yoo Bi portrayed her as not just child-like, but as if she were a child. Despite that, there was some chemistry between the leads, however, I kept wondering how in the world a grown man could fall in love with someone who seemed 10 years old.

The ending was lukewarm, evoking no real emotion after all that build up. The last scene seemed to be thrown in as an afterthought that had no explanation. I was expecting more from writer Jang Hyun Joo who previously worked on Coffee Prince and Paradise Ranch.

Though there were a lot of negatives, the drama was visually beautiful, the cast of side characters was lovable, and the story was interesting enough to carry me through to the end.

Scholar Who Walks the Night is based on the manhwa Bameul Geotneun Sunbi written by Jo Joo Hee, and wonderfully drawn by Han Seung Hee. Unfortunately it is not licensed in English and there are no scanlations available. I would love to be able to read it and compare the storyline with the drama.

First Impressions:// My Secret Hotel

 

tvN's rom/com mystery is light and charming, with the possiblity of being clever, depending on how the mystery aspect is handled. The first four episodes were written by Kim Ye Ri, who also penned Lie To Me, which started out strong and ended up crashing about midway. Sadly, she lost her battle with cancer in March. Script duty has been taken up by Kim Do Hyun of Goodbye Dear Wife. Director Hong Jong Chan also worked on Tamra, the Island, which I enjoyed, so I have hope that My Secret Hotel will deliver on its promises.

 

Our divorced couple are shocked to see each other after seven years. Goo Hae Young (Jin Yi Han) happens to be getting married again at the hotel Nam Sang Hyo (Yoo In Na) works at, and she has to plan the wedding. It's obvious that their parting was due to a misunderstanding, and it's also obvious that they aren't going to clear the air anytime soon. Instead, more misunderstandings are added to the mix, and you have to wonder if it's because they really aren't meant to be.

 

After his sexily stoic role as Tal Tal in Empress Ki, and his disappointingly limited stint in A New Leaf, a comical, tempermental, emotional leading man role is just the right fit for Jin Yi Han. It's gratifying to see him wear his heart on his sleeve, gesture and yell, and let frustration get the better of him.

 

Yoo In Na gives an acceptable performance, but she's not a complex actress. She can do one emotion or another, but isn't genuine as she makes transitions. It seems that she's more of an intellectual performer, following directions, but not feeling the emotions.

 

Our main couple does have chemistry, which is built up through comedic scenes of animosity driven by heartache. Sang Hyo seems to have an uncontrollable arm that punches of its own accord, and it's quite amusing to watch her keep it in check - or not. You can feel their history, confusion and pain, which allows for sympathy for both sides.

 

Jo Sung Gyum (Nam Goong Min) is the hotel's director and our Second Leading Man. He's amused and sympathetic towards Sang Hyo, though as of the first two episodes, he isn't full swing into SLM mode yet. He's poised and charming, and would be a calm and grounding haven for Sang Hyo's brand of neediness.

 

I'm excited to see Kim Bo Mi get her evil on as one of Sang Hyo's staff members. I'm not sure if she's a real villainess or just the sour girl in the office, but it's nice to see her step out of her sweet and innocent supporting role. I'm rooting for her to be a leading lady one day, and this will hopefully get her one step closer.

 

Jung Soo Ah (Ha Yun Joo) is Hae Young's ditzy fiancee, though I suspect she could have a shrewd side to her. One has to wonder why Hae Young would agree to marry her in the first place as she is perfectly annoying, but I suppose there were circumstances that we will hopefully be made privy to.

 

Then there is Yang Kyung Hee (Uhm Soo Jung) who seems like the perfect assistant, but she's got something going on in her personal life, and possibly an edgier side to her personality.

 

Sang Hyo shares a rivalry with colleague, Yeo Eun Joo (Lee Young Eun), especially for Sung Gyum's affections. Hopefully this has a chance to escalate because the comic dynamic between them is really entertaining.

 

The mystery at the hotel is tied to the death of Sung Gyum's father. The only two people who are still around from that time are manager Lee Moo Yang (Choi Jung Woo) and the delinquent worker, Hwang Dong Bae (Kim Byung Choon). They seem shady, but that could be misleading. I'm looking foward to seeing history revealed and how everyone is tied together.

 

And then of course, there's the corpse which really sets things into motion at the end of episode two. There's real potential for wacky humor, a smart plot, and poignant romance. The cast is certainly up for it, I hope the writer is too.

Review:// A New Leaf

Legal drama, A New Leaf, had so much potential. With Kim Myung Min as the brilliant cold lawyer Kim Suk Joo, opposite Park Min Young as the adorable intern, Lee Ji Yoon, the scene was set for explosive chemistry. However, this drama had a knack for disregarding my expectations completely.

In a strong start, Suk Joo and Ji Yoon meet in confusing and hilarious circumstances while Jun Ji Won (Jin Yi Han), whom Ji Yoon had been wanting to impress, looks on curiously. My Expectations: Ji Yoon would continuously astound the iceberg Suk Joo, getting them into silly situations that would turn out for the best in the long run. Suk Joo would start to melt, though would it be fast enough to keep Second Leading Man, Ji Won, in check? Did it happen? Not at all. The pacing and tone of the drama did not remain consistent, there was no satisfying melting, and I don't think Second Leading Man was a role that existed at all.

 

As the top lawyer in a ruthless firm, Suk Joo made a lot of enemies. It was no surprise that he suffered an attack, resulting in amnesia. When his boss, Cha Young Woo (Kim Sang Joong) and Ji Yoon see his bizarre (for him) behavior at the hospital, they can't believe their eyes. My Expectations: Suk Joo continues to show a surprising side of himself, which Ji Yoon can't help but be drawn to. However, the fact is that his attacker is still out there, so there is some urgency for him to regain his memory. Did it happen? While it's true that another side to Suk Joo invariably surfaced, it wasn't very entertaining to watch. Not that Kim Myung Min did a poor job; he's always great in his roles. The script was just very one note and a dry one at that. As far as a sense of urgency, it wasn't to be found anywhere.

Ji Yoon proves to be a naive, but competent intern with a promising future. As the only person besides the CEO who knows about Suk Joo's amnesia, she works closely with him to keep the secret from clients and the rest of the firm. My Expectations: this couple would get closer despite a strong and sweet Second Leading Man in the mix. Did it happen? At best you could say that Ji Yoon came to understand Suk Joo more. I soon got the sense that she wasn't what you could even call a Leading Lady. She seemed more like a cute side character that kept popping up to advance the plot here and there without any real growth or meaning to her.

 

When a woman from Suk Joo's past present shows up, he has to decide whether or not to reveal his amnesia. My Expectations: things get complicated, and Ji Yoon's twinges of jealousy help her realize what her true feelings are. Did it happen? HA! I mean, no, no it didn't.

 

Ji Won, as a judge, was valuable as a mentor for Ji Yoon, but living in the same neighborhood could also give them opportunities to get to know each other on an informal level. My Expectations: Ji Won's softer side would appeal to Ji Yoon, and her goofiness would win him over. Did it happen? Nooo it did not. Really, they could have cut out all their scenes together and it would not have made a difference to the plot or their relationship.

 

Perhaps the most fulfulling pairing of the drama is the bromance between Suk Joo and Park Sang Tae (Oh Jung Se). They went to school together and now they work at the same firm, but have opposite personalities and approaches to life. Sang Tae is charming, funny and indulges in his hobby of auditioning to be a performer. It would have been nice to cut out some of the dragging legal action to spend more time with him. Finally some chemistry!

 

Other side characters weren't treated as well. Ji Yoon's father and aunt were tied to the legal aspect of the plot, but weren't really utilized as more than a sidenote. Her cute mischievous brother could have popped up here and there to stir things up being the brat that he is. It's a shame he only appears a few times. I guess it makes sense, though, seeing as how Ji Yoon herself was treated as an underused side character.

 

 

As a legal drama, the courtroom action was at times gratifying, but mostly just lukewarm. Though Ji Yoon's earnestness and prosecutor Lee Sun Hee's (Kim Suh Hyung) passion did incite a bit of interest, for the most part, I didn't care about the cases. Suk Joo functioned well even without his memory, so there wasn't a need for him to recover for his clients' sakes. And where you would expect there to be resolution, it's not provided. The drama being cut by two episodes might have had something to do with it, but since I wasn't all that interested anyway, it was merciful that they spared me from having to watch two more hours of mediocre writing.

 

In the end, it seems that Suk Joo's amnesia was the best thing that could have happened to him, but it all plays out in such a subdued manner. He and his estranged father (Choi Il Hwa) both have such non expressive personalities that their nuanced facial expressions have much to communicate. Though writer Choi Hee Ra could have done so much more with the events of their past, at least they made more progress than any other relationship in the drama.

I was hoping A New Leaf would be a legal thriller with gripping courtroom action, danger that would have me screaming for Suk Joo to recover his memory before it was too late, an unlikely but touching romantic triangle and at times excruciating comic relief. Well, there was comic relief, anyway. The script just wasn't smartly written, and I have a feeling that the legal and banking aspects of it were oversimplified or just not authentic. I know procedures differ between countries, but how can someone out on bail be allowed to leave the country, and who doesn't know that Forex trading is extremely risky?

What started out so charmingly, turned into hours of increasing disappointment, and finally ended with loose strings that I didn't care about anyway. In fact, I preferred that the drama end sooner, rather than make me sit through wrapping everything up properly. The only thing holding this series together was its excellent cast who I hope make better decisions about what projects to be involved with in the future.

First Impressions:// It's Okay, It's Love

It's Okay, It's Love is a romantic comedy with a psychiatric theme. Director Kim Kyu Tae, and writer No Hee Kyung also paired up together for Padam Padam and That Winter the Wind Blows, so expectations are high, especially considering the caliber of the cast. Not surprisingly, the series has the gritty, serious feel of a melodrama, despite the presence of silliness and charming comedic scenes.

Ji Hae Soo (Gong Hyo Jin) is going through her first year fellowship in psychiatry. She has intimacy issues which impacts her relationships and she can't seem to work through them, even with therapy. She's flawed, but fun, and cares about her patients even if she may not quite understand them.

Jang Jae Yul (Jo In Sub) is cocky and arrogant; he's like an incarnation of Oh Soo from That Winter, The Wind Blows, incidentally also played by Jo In Sub. Not that I mind, I like his evilly smug smiles and the fact that he has the smarts to back up his attitude. Jae Yul is a radio DJ and popular author which gives him celebrity status, not to mention, lots of money.

Hae Soo and Jae Yul meet on a talk show where they have a debate on topics pertaining to his book; crime, justice and human nature. Jae Yul is condescending towards Hae Soo as he plays to the audience. Hae Soo is annoyed, but confident as she counters him.

After the show, their opinions of each other are less than flattering. Luckily they probably won't cross paths again, right? Actually, their paths do more than cross, and the fighting that ensues is just the right precursor for the love that is sure to follow.

Despite the absence of romance in the first two episodes, the presence of romance is made abundantly clear with the soft light infused close ups in key scenes. The photography is really outstanding in the drama which gives it a movie-like quality.

The beloved duo of comic relief are a doctor/patient team who also happen to be Hae Soo's housemates. Jo Dong Min (Sung Dong Il) is a psychiatrist and Hae Soo's sunbae. He's a bit crude, but is the voice of reason in the house. Park Soo Kwang (Lee Kwang Soo) is a cafe worker and patient, suffering from Tourette Syndrome. Together they are funny and endearing, and have a very organic and affectionate dynamic with Hae Soo as a kind of oddball family.

 



On Jae Yul's side, well, he's got some complicated relationships in all aspects of his life. It's enough to evoke compassion for him even though he seems impossibly pompous. Then there's Han Gang Woo (D.O.), a student and aspiring writer who follows him around everywhere. Apparently he's abused by his father and Jae Yul treats him like a little brother. There's something that feels a little odd about their relationship, and seeing as how this is a psychiatric drama, I get the feeling that Gang Woo is actually a part of Jae Yul's personality that he's become disassociated with. At least that's how I would write it.

The first episode felt a little gimmicky. We get right into a violent attack that wasn't intelligently carried out, but served to raise questions about Jae Yul's past. There's also a foot chase and a car chase that weren't vital to the story, but seemed written in as if to fulfill a checklist of "exciting elements" to include.

However, the rich characters and delightful interaction between them all are really the charm of It's Okay, It's Love. Though it follows the basic formula, something feels different about this drama. It's a quirky rom/com in melo clothing with a lot going on without being overwhelming. The writing got better in episode two, and by the looks of the previews, it seems that things will continue to improve as the drama unfolds.