Gentleman’s Dignity (2012)

Gentleman’s Dignity
신사의 품격
(May – Aug 2012)

who’s in it
Jang DongGun (All About Eve, The Warrior’s Way-film)
Kim HaNeul (On Air, Secret, Stained Glass)
Kim SooRo (God of Study)
Kim MinJong (The Return of Iljimae)
Lee JongHyuk (Chuno)
Yoon SeAh (You’re So Pretty)
Kim JungNan (Creating Destiny, Bridal Mask)
Kim WooBin (Vampire Idol, School 2013)
Yoon JinYi
Lee JongHyun (idol group CNBlue - member)
Ahn JaeMin

what’s it about
Okay everybody, so this is the sequel to Boys Over Flowers and it explores the “what if” scenario of F4 all grown up and leading life as semi-responsible career-minded adults. JunPyo grows up to become an architect, JiHoo is his partner at a property development firm, YiJung’s a successful corporate lawyer, and WooBin totally marries rich.

Ha.
Ok, this is not true.

(What? You haven’t seen Boys Over Flowers and don’t get the inside? I’m telling you this as a concerned drama-watching friend, to be in this kdrama world, there are a few shows that are required homework. Unfortunately—yes I do mean unfortunately—BOF is one of them. Sorry, it’s a rite of passage. Go endure it, then come back.)

In all seriousness, this is the tale of four men—Jang DongGun (architect), Kim SooRo (construction tradesman), Kim MinJong (lawyer), and Lee JongHyuk (sexy beast)—who insist on living their lives as if still at a school playground even when they are climbing into their forties. As a collective group of handsome and monied, no one’s told them forcefully enough that “juvenile” is not a synonym for “aegyo” and that this particular type of youthful wear does not fly with real women.

Therefore when they actually encounter a few of these real women, it’s not so easy for them to adjust. This is where Kim HaNeul (highschool teacher), Yoon SeAh (pro golfer), Yoon JinYi (flirty young person), and Kim JungNan (awesome rich bitch) come in. They are the poor ladies that some cruel deity has decided should love these man-children.

Also, Kim WooBin and CN Blue idol Lee JongHyun add some younger pretty to the cast, giving a little something for the pigtailed fangirls, too.

As for a plot, there really isn’t one. This is all about four men clashing with four women and the fun all that should entail. Obviously saying a show has no plot doesn’t really sound like a positive thing, but this may be one of the rare exceptions.
 
commitment 
20 episodes

network
SBS

director
Kwon HyeokChan (Secret Garden)
Shin WooCheol (Secret Garden, On Air)

screenwriter
Kim EunSook (Secret Garden, On Air)
And it really does feel like Secret Garden mated with On Air.

first impressions
Without a doubt, Jang DongGun is a tall glass of handsome. This is a man that looks his part, a seasoned hottie who’s worked in the K-biz a long time, and he oozes confidence and sophistication. You can almost see him doing the Korean version of a Dos Equis commercial—“Well, hello, I am Jang DongGun, and I am the most handsomest man in South Korea.” He has a style that simply teases, “I’ve been there, done that, and that, and that too, and it makes me all kinds of panther sexy.” It’s hard to argue with his body language…when his body looks like Jang DongGun.

Next up, for his female lead, we have Kim HaNeul. Everything I said about Jang, just repeat it for her, but substitute panther with cheetara.

So for these two mega stars to team up on the small screen…let’s just say kfans around the world stopped breathing for a just a wee sec. The only thing that might have surprised more was if suddenly news rained down that Kim SunAh was going to reunite with Hyun Bin (please, please, please let that happen one day, I beg the universe!). That’s the kind of epic this pairing was, in case you weren’t aware.

And then we had this total anomaly of a character played with pure delight by Mr. Lee JongHyuk, and he defied every definition of what a sane woman should find appealing. I have so much hearts-in-eyes for him and so little words to convey it properly. He was the most lovable jerk I’d ever encountered. The last thing I remember seeing Lee in was Chuno, all historical and chasing after Jang Hyuk. I do believe I prefer the contemporary sexy on him. I have a new appreciation for starched white shirts and pants. 

Last but not least, Kim WooBin had a smallish part in here; this was one of his earlier roles. If ever there was the next generation of Jang DongGun, this might be the guy—like quite literally, Kim having recently been picked to play Jang DongGun’s son in the sequel to 2001’s film Friend. My only complaint with the casting...why didn’t he just play Jang’s son in this show, too?

City Hunter (2011)

City Hunter
시티헌터
(May – July 2011)

who’s in it
Lee MinHo (Boys Over Flowers, Personal Taste)
Park MinYoung (Sungkyunkwan Scandal)
Lee JoonHyuk (Three Brothers, Equator Man)
Kim SangJoong (My Man’s Woman, Life is Beautiful)
Goo Hara (KARA – idol group member)

what’s it about
In 1983, at night in the hostile waters of North Korea, a South Korean special forces group awaits evacuation after a clandestine assignment to infiltrate Pyongyang. However, instead of rescue, they are systematically executed by their own military. One survivor—Kim SangJoon—makes one of those maniacal blood vows to avenge the murder of his comrades.

Fast forward to now: Lee MinHo is the son of one those fallen comrades, one that had also been Kim SangJoon’s best friend. So naturally, to get the gears moving on his grand revenge, Kim SangJoon steals away his friend’s infant son into the jungles of Southeast Asia with the purpose of hoarding tons and tons of illicit drug money in order to train the kid into a lean mean handsome killing machine. Well, a lean mean killing machine, anyway, the handsome is just a lucky genetic bonus (for us).

The two converge upon Seoul like night vultures to exact their brand of justice—unfortunately, plans go awry when our faux-playboy slash secret-hunter-of-corrupt-politicians Lee MinHo finds himself questioning his purpose in life after falling in love with beautiful presidential guard Park MinYoung.

commitment 
20 episodes

network
SBS

first impressions
After the first episode of City Hunter, I was a smidge dismayed. Let’s see, we had several big explosions, a submarine, a couple of mass murders, jungle drug lords, landmines, and elephants—and that was all under one hour. Honestly, it felt like a hot mess, like some badly done sixty minute mash up of Lee JunKi’s 2007 kdrama thriller Time Between Dog and Wolf and the crazy 2008 Ben Stiller and Robert Downey, Jr. action spoof Tropical Thunder. Was this going to be yet another long nonsensical glare-athon mixed with some unintentional machine gun comedy? Everything about this premiere hour sat ill with me, the tone promising all kinds of mayhem that I normally feared of a typical action series.

At the time, I thought to myself, “MinHo, hon, I love ya, but I don’t know if I’m ready for this one.” The show was relocated to my back shelf and left to percolate. Months later, after the show concluded its broadcast run and kdrama fans around the globe unanimously loved it, I decided to go back for a second try. City Hunter fans, let your concerns ease away, the above is only my first impression of City, I have generally nice things to say south of here.

wildcard factor

As everyone knows, Lee MinHo is quite the CF princeling, a celebrity who can seduce people into buying almost anything, from coffee to Cadillacs. Realistically speaking, even in a fictional setting, the groundwork for the main character of this drama was a bit...um, how can I put this nicely...absurd? The concept of a trenchcoat-wearing city slick crusader called the City Hunter was a pretty tough sell: skinny pretty dude who looks like some sort of Burberry model is raised in the drug cartel jungles of Asia to master the art of assassination while cultivating superhuman ninja skills that can take out hordes of nefarious men in a frenzy of swirlies and kickeroos, and of course, not only is he a devil of a prizefighter, but an uber nerd with a surreal brilliant techgeek robot mind like Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook guy). This was a textbook example of improbable perfection...but Lee MinHo actually turned this far-fetched concept into a pleasing watch. I tell you what, he was good, really good at creating just the right persona and making you buy into it. Even if a part of you didn’t completely believe, your disbelief was no match for his self-confidence.

Lee MinHo goes undercover.

This was a huge wild card, in my opinion, as the character description on this guy was so hilariously implausible. I mean, how does someone raised for most of his life in a jungle become a hacker expert? How? Anyway, if Lee hadn’t done such a good job shrinking down the exaggeration into a credible person, this show would have flopped all ten thousands ways silly. They were really lucky to cast him.

Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010)

Sungkyunkwan Scandal
성균관 스캔들
(Aug – Oct 2010)

who’s in it
Micky Yoochun (music group JYJ)
Park MinYoung (OBGYN Doctors)
Song JoongKi (Unstoppable High Kick)
Yoo AhIn (Strongest ChilWoo, Antique Bakery – film)
SeoHyoRim (Good Days When the Wind Blows)
Jun TaeSoo

what’s it about
Let’s travel back to the Chosun (Joseon) Dynasty where we will visit the bedrock of what is now one of South Korea’s longest standing institutes of higher education: Sungkyunkwan. This voguish saeguk spin reinvents the rough and unjust days of yore into a more vibrant, young and happening place to visit, although still full of injustice. It would be like cleaning off the unsanitary grime of medieval England and refashioning historic Oxford University as a hip place of modern fraternity-like collegiate land, imagining its scholars young, gorgeous, and free-spirited, but dressed in traditional 13th century garb. Basically, we have a context ripe for some good old fashioned fun in anachronism.

The story follows four, well actually, five Sungkyunkwan students—three nice ones, one angsty, and the last only pretending to be a boy—aiming for greater knowledge in the way of Confucianism, but mostly studying to learn the ways of politics to serve as a government official. 

Park MinYoung plays the squeaky clean 19 year old [wo]man (refined in both face and moral fortitude) who has been forced to shelf her womanhood in order to work at a bookstore/book lending shop as a male scribe. This particular tome house also happens to be an underground cheat factory that sells services to Sunkyunkwan students trying to pass the entrance exams, among other things. She’s got photographic memory, beautiful calligraphy and is blessed with a mind racing with sharp wit and adaptability. When financial debt comes due (what else?) and the care taking of a sick younger brother threatens to undo her family, she grudgingly agrees to pimp out her mad scholarly skills to be a test-taker for rich kids who don’t cut mustard but still want to attend the venerated school. Park MinYoung is an “educated girl” during a time period when such a phrase would be considered an oxymoron. As her mother reminds her, being literate can prove to be poison for a girl in Chosun.

When fellow Sungkyunkwan hopeful who also happens to be the only son of a high ranking politician, played competently by veteran idol Micky Yoochun, realizes what kind of genius-level smarts this fellow scholar Park MinYoung has in his/her head, the young lord does everything in his own righteous power to get him (who he doesn’t realize is a her) into Sungkyunkwan. A little about Micky’s character: he’s a guy who’s moral compass is made of mettle insusceptible to corruption. 

In a way, both Park MinYoung and Micky Yoochun are similar people, you see, as they both carry dear their narrow ideas of right and wrong, but for the moment, only one has the luxury to move chess pieces. And if life were truly a game of chess, Park MinYoung is the rook that Micky Yoochun uses all his cleverness and pull to move forward. He makes happen what he thinks should unfold regardless of her wishes. This is how our heroine ends up joining the all-male fraternity of scholarship…and begins to wonder if this might be her one chance to try an existence that resembles that of a real life, instead of just getting by as a doormat for the privileged.

Coincidentally, these are Micky Yoochun’s thoughts as well. What is most intriguing about his character is this staunch belief that being born “noble” does not automatically translate to being a “nobleman” nor a good human being worthy of esteem—he believes this despite having a silver spoon already firmly situated in his own mouth. He values intelligence, honor and strength of character. Basically, he’s nothing like his peers. He’s Chosun’s version of a lefty-leaning bleeding heart liberal...in a room full of conservative rightwings. 

Things get stickier when she becomes dorm buds with this very idealistic, if a bit chilly, young nobleman. Certainly the fact that he’s also handsome will eventually pose a problem as well.

I must take time to introduce the rest of the Sungkyunkwan boys, as neglecting to do so would be completely unforgivable:

Song JoongKi:

Loved him! This flirty and affected gently bred man thinks life is a grand spectacle. He’s a wolfish peacock who plays at being insouciant very well, but beneath the veneer of easy smiles and cavalier malice is a man of careful attention and supernatural perception. He is first to suspect that Park MinYoung may not be so much a feminine boy, as just female. He likes games, takes pleasure in toying with the less intelligent around him...but more than that, there is a definite sense that when the game eventually stops, there will be a man beneath who does care about the world, perhaps even very much so. Ah, and Song JoongKi is almost as pretty as Park MinYoung...which never hurts.

Jun TaeSoo:

The entitled war minister’s son, Jun TaeSoo, is the student body prez of Sungkyunkwan and a man who likes the status quo. For him, campus is not a place to learn enlightenment, but the practice ground for proper management of the lower class. To him, Sungkyunkwan is where the powerful gain the know-how and the way-to of keeping the weak and disenfranchised in their proper place. With an uncanny twin-like similarity to his famous sister Ha JiWon, this young man’s glower was intense. Acting chops must also run in the family as he was a convincing moral derelict.

Yoo AhIn:

If I loved Song JoongKi’s playboy infidel, let it be known that I worshipped Yoo AhIn’s rebellious drunkard. Holy hot banditry—overload on the awesome factor. It is probably not too big a spoiler to reveal that Park MinYoung also inherits this bad boy as her second roommate, a somewhat hooligan-ish cynic played by Yoo AhIn, another unique-minded student who bends against the wind. He is described in delight by his Sungkyunkwan peer Song JoongKi as a “crazy horse,” and judging by the fact that he already has a nickname, he appears to be an upperclassman. These types of ultra-cool mysterious characters are always scene stealers despite the small doses in appearance, but more than that, Yoo AhIn simply reeks of charisma. He is First Guy material but somehow only ends up in supporting roles. Either way, he owns this role, as he always seems to give a proper delivery of all his characters, silly or serious.

A couple more screen shots of Yoo AhIn because he is all that and a bag of rice:

director
Kim WonSuk, Hwang InHyuk

screenwriter(s)
Kim TaeHee

commitment 
20 episodes

network
KBS2

first impressions
When done right, fusions are great fun. If done right. Most are not. Here’s the good news: there’s precious little to hate about this drama! It’s a flirty class act. And trust me, I’m as surprised as anyone else to be writing that sentence. We’ll see as the show goes on, but so far, it appears this drama isn’t interested in making a mockery of an esteemed institution, on the contrary, there is great deference afforded for Sungkyunkwan. Instead, Scandal is using the cast of fresh young faces to create the mass appeal but keeps the story set for a more serious direction. Yes, it does take liberties and it is a brightly colored comedic take on history, but it also has a great deal of honor, like the characters in the show. 

Park MinYoung plays a girl already a master at her masquerade so we don’t waste time waiting for her to get acclimated to her role as a boy, which is key to getting the viewer on the right foot with this drama. It makes it easier to accept her entry into Sungkyunkwan. She’s a pro at pretending manhood, she’s had long practice at hiding her true identity. Her family situation is a typical sob story, but manages to be touching anyway, mostly in part due to the actors. Park MinYoung takes her job as a boy with dire gravity, because it is a dire lie. The character never forgets that it is a matter of mortal consequence for her, so we do not forget either. It is a comedy we are watching, but we believe that for the character, life is no joke.

All the characters, lead by Micky Yoonchun, are struggling with a philosophical question that has no answer: can honor and power co-exist? The answer is grey and I like that Scandal has decided to use that as the focal point of the story, not depending only on romantic chemistry to carry it through. There appears to be an actual story here. Hurray! And enjoyably, some witty dialogue that befits a tale about scholars. In addition to the strength of all the youthful main characters, the supporting roles filled by senior actors also lend great credit to the show. There is actually quite a bit of plot going on behind the scenes and that makes this drama not just fun, but engaging.

As with every drama post-Boys Over Flowers that features a quad of handsome boys and one lucky girl who gets to be loved by them, this faced comparisons to BOF pre-airing, but this show is nothing like the 2009 Hana Yori Dango Korean adaptation. That’s all that really needs to said about that topic, I believe.

I was very hesitant about this one initially, but after its debut, I felt an instant affinity for all the characters, and you know, carry a big torch lit with complete and utter devotion to Yoo AhIn, so I can see myself getting very obsessed with Scandal if it keeps up the good work...hopefully its ratings will also look upward.

And last but not least, the cinematography in Scandal is so very rich and pretty. There is a nice tone and ambiance about the whole drama. For example, see below. How gorgeous:

(first impressions initially posted Sept 3, 2010)

wildcard
Yoo AhIn (henceforth Yooey for this review) and Song JoongKi (JoongKi).

I don’t think all that many of you would come to fisticuffs with me over the assertion that I’m about to make: Song JoongKi and Yoo AhIn were the hooks that held the choice bits of meat in this drama. I know, that’s kind of a gross association, but they did hook viewers in and they are hunks of Grade A. Heh. Without the two, I doubt Scandal would have been as successful in its delivery. They came aboard with more acting experience than Micky Yoochun and Park MinYoung (the main couple) and both actors became integral to providing the heart and acting credibility that kept this show from veering off too far into freshman fluff. Shows like this are meant to be fun, but only advance to being good when the acting is able to hold it all together. As likable as Yoochun and Park were as characters, I did not think either actor to be strong enough to have carried this show. The solid performances by the supporting leads, their “seniors” in the drama, both in character and in terms of acting experience, were greatly to their benefit.

Coffee House (2010)

Coffee House
커피하우스
(May – Jul 2010)

who’s in it
Kang JiHwan (Hong Gil Dong, Be Strong, Geumsoon!)
Park SiYeon (Story of a Man, My Girl)
Ham EunJung (member of idol group T-ara)
Jung WoongIn (Last Scandal of my Life)

what’s it about
Kang JiHwan is obsessive compulsive (a neurosis that has found quite some popularity among kdrama leads of late), selfish, eccentric and socially blunt. Basically, he’s a douchebag. He also happens to be a novelist, and of the genius variety, which is how he is able to function as an antisocial meanie with very few consequences. Park SiYeon is the cool, collected president of a successful publishing company…cool and collected unless she’s dealing with Kang JiHwan, of course. Lately, she’s had enough of his self-important ways and decides to quit the management of his difficult brand of literary genius. Unfortunately, this writer’s got a golden new story idea simmering in his brain and so she grudgingly agrees to keep him on for one more book.

Things get more complicated when cute Ham EunJung, of popular idol girl group T-ara (in real life), gets hired on as Kang JiHwan’s pencil-sharpening, java-making secretary. At about the same time, as if Kang JiHwan’s ego isn’t enough for poor Park SiYeon, another quirky and self-involved man blows back into her life—her ex! And he wants her back—and this weirdo is played winningly by Jung WoongIn.

These four odd people bumble and stumble forward…and seemingly head for some much needed personal growth and, naturally, that irksome thing called love.

commitment 
18 episodes

network
SBS

wildcard factor
I think Kang JiHwan was the wildcard for this one, as this entire show was really all about his character and, let’s not be coy, his character only. It was about one man’s [in]ability to exist in his own skin because of the demons of his past...and Kang’s ability to convince you that this guy’s hang ups were worth caring about for 18 episodes will probably be the selling point of this drama for you as a viewer. What I’m saying is, depending on how much you like Kang JiHwan as an actor will likely play a crucial part with your ability to connect with him.

The character he played was not an unsympathetic character, but he wasn’t the easiest to love either. I personally have no problem with Kang as an actor but neither would I consider myself a huge fan, so I watched his take on this eccentric role with a critical eye. Did it work? Was it a realistic caricature of an egoist? While I believe there were some occasional misses in the way he read some of the more emotional scenes, overall, Kang JiHwan did an exceptional job with a really complicated and risky character. A written part that could really have come across too ostracizing to be a good protagonist (notable failure that comes to mind is last year’s He Who Can’t Marry where Ji JinHee played an icy cool eccentric that never managed to connect with me on an emotional level). As for Kang The Actor, I actually know a drama fan who couldn’t get very far with this one because she didn’t like Kang or his portrayal of Writer Lee. She thought he was, in a word, annoying. That was unfortunate because she missed a really good show. Having written all of that, perhaps this is a futile worry on my part as Kang JiHwan is a much beloved actor so maybe he’s not a wildcard at all but a sure thing.

So in that case, if Kang JiHwan is not a worry factor for you, how about his leading ladies? A show like this, romance is important…or I should say, the lack of a procedural romance might play a part in how much you [dis]like it. The unconventional nature of the way the love lines developed may end up being the wildcard for you. I hate to borrow a now overused term from the zealous fans of a vampire series that-does-not-need-to-be-named, but I’m going to do it anyway—depending on whether or not you’re on Team EunJung or Team SiYeon, this drama may piss you off.

This one has the potential to create a great divide of opinions.

first impressions
The general feeling of the show was lively, like a cool spring breeze on a hot summer day. The characters felt original and well-casted and showed some interesting facets of their strange personalities early on in the drama. Ham EunJung was as spunky as her short, bristly hair and Park SiYeon was an endearing mix of sophistication yet goofy. Initially, the strength of the show appeared to lie with the female roles.

What concerned me about Kang JiHwan and Jung WoongIn after the first few episodes was the danger of their overly eccentric characters to become too distancing and cold for any real emotional connection. In the effort to paint them callously amusing and quirky, could they lose their humanity? Will they manage to stay sympathetic? Instead of the man wearing the suit, will the suit drown out the shape of the man?

Both Kang JiHwan and Jung WoongIn were capable actors, so it wasn’t so much their ability to deliver that caused me pause, but the direction of the drama as a whole. I liked the characters and the actors playing them, yes, but I wasn’t impressed with the story or language/writing of the show. After a few episodes, I was left with a feeling of...hovering expectation.

I only hoped the story was allowed to move out of the shallow end of the pool, and if failing to reach any substantial depth, at least be able to find an enjoyable, light-hearted middle wading area for some talented and attractive people to show their ability to charm (without overly pandering to silliness and ridiculousness). I’ve been satisfied if a loosie goosie plot simply stayed out of the way long enough for me to enjoy pretty people being goofy and fun.

Spring Waltz (2006)

Spring Waltz
봄의 왈츠
(Mar – May 2006)

who’s in it
Seo DoYoung (Friend Our Legend, Invincible Lee Pyung Kang)
Daniel Henney (My Name is Kim Sam-soon)
Han HyoJoo (Shining Inheritance, Iljimae)
Lee SoYeon (Super Rookie)

what’s it about
Poverty, death, and noble sacrifice (the usual trifecta) succeed in tearing apart young lovers Han HyoJoo and Seo DoYoung as children. When later they reunite as adults, there is an instant attraction between the two, like rain to the ground—destined for impact. Daniel Henney and Lee SoYeon have a go at derailing the fragile relationship but it’s the couple’s own tragic past that carries the power to separate Romeo from Juliet again. If you’ve seen any of the previous incarnations in this popular seasonal series (Autumn in My Heart, Winter Sonata, Summer Scent), you’ll already know it’s got melodrama in its genetic make-up.

commitment 
20 episodes

network
KBS2

wildcard factor
Daniel Henney - fans watching just for him might be disappointed by his second guy status

after the first episode
It was visually appealing, which is the selling characteristic of the entire Summer, Spring, Autumn and Winter collection. In this one, we started in winter’s icy snow and ended by the melting of frost with spring flowers—and since dramas that take place in spring and summer tend to have happier endings…well, you get the idea. Anyway, let’s just say its less of a downer bucket than the others. Sprinkled throughout, we get lots of fluttering waltzy music and a very GQ-fab Seo DoYoung. I was definitely going to watch this one all the way.

Really, Really Like You (2006)

Really, Really Like You
진짜 진짜 좋아해
(Apr – Aug 2006)

who’s in it
Eugene (Creating Destiny)
Lee MinKi (Evasive Inquiry Agency, Dal Ja’s Spring)
Ryu Jin (Powerful Opponents, General Hospital 2)

what’s it about
Eugene is a country bumpkin gifted with natural culinary skills. She finds herself interning at the Blue House kitchen (the South Korean equivalent of the White House) after the only family member she’s ever known passes away. While in Seoul, she befriends both the president’s son and a guard in the secret service.

commitment 
34 episodes

network
MBC

wildcard factor
The story meanders and was about 15 episodes longer than needed.

after the first episode
It took me a while to get used to Eugene’s unique way of speaking…and I didn’t care for RyuJin either (the doctor)…neither did I find Lee MinKi’s character especially charming. Basically, I didn’t like it at all so I made the decision not to watch this one…but accidently bumped into it again later while channel surfing. The show had progressed to episode 15 and with nothing else interesting on tv (thank gawd for hundreds of channels of crap!), I watched it. All of a sudden, I kinda liked it. My viewing sequence for this drama is a bit skewed. I started watching Like You from episode 15, finished it and then went back and skimmed through the earlier episodes.

Evasive Inquiry Agency (2007)

Evasive Inquiry Agency
얼렁뚱땅 흥신소 / Mixed-Up Investigative Agency
(Oct – Nov 2007)

who’s in it
Lee MinKi (Dal Ja's Spring, Really, Really Like You)
Ye JiWon
Ryu SeungSoo (Thank You, 200 Pound Beauty – film)
Lee EunSong

what’s it about
Not your conventional kdrama and when I say that, I really mean it. Four people spend sixteen episodes trying to solve the mystery of some gold leaf bars hidden in the wall of their work and residence, and the dead body that accompanies it. On top of that, there’s hardly any romance to speak of, which is downright unheard of in a kdrama.

commitment 
16 Episodes

network
KBS2

wildcard factor
No romance. A comedy, but not a romantic comedy. If the development of loooove is your favorite part of watching these things, this might be a stumbling block to your enjoyment.

after the first episode
I thought: man, this is an odd kdrama. Interesting…palatable…but strange. I kinda like it!