School 2013 (2013)

School 2013
학교 2013 / School 5
(Dec 2012 – Jan 2013)

who’s in it
Lee JongSuk (High Kick 3, I Can Hear Your Voice)
Kim WooBin (Vampire Idol, Gentleman’s Dignity)
Park SeYoung (Faith)
Ryu HyoYoung (Greatest Love)
Jang NaRa (Baby-Faced Beauty, My Love Patzzi)
Choi Daniel (High Kick 2, The Musical)
Uhm HyoSup (Golden Time, Nine: Time Travel 9 Times)
Kwak JungWook (Queen SeonDuk)
Lee YiKyung (Nine: Time Travel Nine Times)
Lee JiHoon (Lee SoonShin is the Best)
Choi ChangYeob (Faith)
Jun SooJin

what’s it about 
The question posed: is school merely a building of stone and mortar created to drill book knowledge or is it an organic womb that should nurture and guide kids in more than just test scores? School 2013 follows the blood that is shed when a school system intent on profit fights against its own teachers and students, creating an environment bent only on survival. The drama is a collection of stories about teachers, administrators, parents, and of course, the students caught in this pressure cooker.

The entire cast is a fairly long list of people but the chief figure is played by Lee JongSuk. He is an underachieving young man who spends most of class time asleep. He’s a kid of few words, a lone wolf cub, but despite his standoffish demeanor, he is mostly well-liked by his classmates. While outwardly meek, there is a self-possession about him that irritates the class bullies Kwak JungWook, Lee YiKyung, and Lee JiHoon, and the three make daily harassment of Lee standard practice.

As if his conflicts with the local class jerks weren’t headache enough, when a new tough guy transfers into their school, Lee’s world gets rocked to the core. You see, Kim WooBin isn’t just any new punk on the block, he’s a blast from Lee JongSuk’s mysterious past, and this old ‘friend’ brings the walls of Lee’s carefully constructed image of ambivalence crashing down. When a past comes knocking with bloodied fists, wanting an accounting of all the wrongs done, is it for better or worse? Does one face it, or run away?

This is where teachers Daniel Choi and Jang Nara come in. Not only do they try to defuse Lee JongSuk and Kim WooBin’s seething student war, but they also try to solve the many other tough personalities resident to Class 2-2, and in doing so, walk the line between being teachers and guardians. How invested should teachers get in the personal lives of their students?

commitment 
16 episodes + Special

Be sure to watch the talk show style special. It was a totally weird and awkward talent show kind of thing, but the behind the scenes clips of the drama filming was enjoyable. For one, we got to see how cold the entire cast was during the shooting. What’s with KBS and their refusal to heat their sets? Remember Dream High and the huge fogs of breath throughout the show?

network
KBS2

director
Lee MinHong
Lee EunBok (Dream High)

screenwriter
Lee HyunJoo
Go JungWon

first impressions
I never intended to do a full review. In fact, I had already posted a blurb months ago in my Bite-Sized Reviews section, which went something like this, in brief:


“ Enjoyment Factor: 6/10
The underlying argument in education philosophy was interesting, but the tale itself often took easy shortcuts, as it was overburdened with a huge cast of young people with too many problems and only 16 eps to sort it all. The show was at times completely engaging, other times profoundly dull, and in the end, turned out School was mostly only interested in the bromance between Kim WooBin and Lee JongSuk. Specifically, what was most obviously not present was a more thoughtful development of the female student leads. Overall, an imperfect but enjoyable boyhood schoolyard romp powered by some fun glower power.

”

But lately, I’ve been feeling pretty warm and fuzzy with a lot of overflowing good will toward dramas and felt like enjoying some gangster-lite tales + a Lee JongSuk, thanks to current enjoyables Heartless City and I Can Hear Your Voice. So I went back and rewatched a few dramas, including School 2013, which lead to some refreshing new feelings on my part.

My second verdict for this drama: I don’t necessarily disagree with what I wrote earlier this year, as I still think the show was too short for all the serious problems these kids faced and wrapped too quick/handily, and I still wish the two main female students had been given more time, but I was clearly in a bad mood about something when I first watched it.

Warning: it is quite possible that below is The Longest drama review I have ever written on this site. So much for the quick in my ‘quick and biased’ tag. On the bright side, it’s a totally positive review.

Nice Guy (2012)

Nice Guy
세상 어디에도 없는 착한남자 / 
No Such Thing As Nice Guys / Innocent Man
(Sept – Nov 2012)

who’s in it
Song JoongKi (Tree With Deep Roots, Sungkyunkwan Scandal)
Moon ChaeWon (The Princess’ Man, It’s Ok, Daddy’s Girl)
Park SiYeon (Coffee House, A Man’s Story)
Lee SangYeob (I Live in Cheongdam-dong)
Lee KwangSoo (City Hunter, High Kick Through the Roof)
Lee YooBi (Vampire Idol)

what’s it about
Here’s the crashdown: a brilliant young man with a promising career in medicine voluntarily tosses everything into the life gutter when he takes the fall for a girlfriend who accidentally kills someone. There’s either a really sad country song (‘I loved her but she murdered a man’) or a super angry hip hop track in here somewhere (‘Ho be ruining my life!’), but either way, when Song JoongKi finally gets let out of prison, he realizes he’d been played for a fool. You see, the girl he totally Bruno Mars’d his life over (‘I’d catch a grenade for you!’) had hitched onto a rich sugar daddy and moved on.

This girl of his youthful passions has now become a calculating woman of grand ambitions, and Park SiYeon is a rich bitch who has tasted the good life, has gained it all, but still wants more. The only obstacle in Park SiYeon and her adolescent son’s path to industrial super wealth is Moon ChaeWon, the sulky and furious biological daughter of her new husband, a stepdaughter who sees her new gold-digger slut stepmother as the reason for her own bio-mother being kicked to the curb, then dying in the middle of nowhere by herself, abandoned.

When Song JoongKi and Moon ChaeWon respectively decide that the other person might be the best means to exact some mega-revenge on Park SiYeon, they find themselves on an unexpected side journey that may end up destroying not only their intended target, but more devastatingly, their own hearts in the process. 

commitment 
20 episodes

network
KBS2

directors
Kim JinWon
Lee NaJung 

screenwriter
Lee KyungHee (Will It Snow At Christmas, A Love to Kill)

first impressions

Look at this boy (above). Song JoongKi, pretty boy bunny, in a story about revenge and murder? Hmmm. I dunno. But this one was getting hella impressive good press, doing well in the ratings, and winning international audiences over. I still thought it was likely that I would dislike it very much but all the hullabaloo around it piqued my interest. If you’ve read my 2012 Year in Review, you’ll note that Nice Guy was my favorite drama of the year. Not only that, but it made my all-time drama fave list, which trust me, is a rarely updated roster. Whaaaa-daaa-who-huh? How did that happen? Sorry, I’m jumping ahead and giving away my conclusion.

Even from the very first twenty minutes, I was hooked. I found myself drawn into the immediacy of the crazy. This show didn’t give a girl a chance to think, it immediately went for the “holy crap” factor and grabbed me by the face and smacked me into the tv. Almost instantly, the story snarled around my emotions, I found myself yelling at Song’s main character, “No, don’t do it! No don’t do it! Noooo!” Even after only the first hour, I already cared too much about this poor shmuck! When Song JoongKi’s nice guy unfairly gets sent to jail, the injustice of it kept me in my seat, still yelling at the tv (like a lunatic sitting at home yelling at her tv while her roommate looks on with rolling eyes). I was totally under water, mesmerized, gasping for breath like a goldfish yanked out of the tank by an eight year old.

Hm, I kind of made my own head spin a little. Was the “gasping for breath like a goldfish yanked out of the tank by an eight year old” too much a weird visual? Yeah, yeah, I’m a little bit painting the lie, but the point is, I really liked it. And, it’s no falsehood when I say I have a roommate who often looks at me like I’m crazy when I watch kdramas, because I’m kind of a noisy tv-watcher. You know, I like to inform characters of their options even when I know they don’t care about my opinions: “Kiss her, stupid!” “Don’t do that!” “Why are you crying!?” “Kick him in the nuts!” Well, you get the picture.

Anyway, Nice Guy:
Likable, pitiable hero. Check.
A killer ‘what would you do in his shoes?’ story. Check.
Possible mega villainess in the works. Check.
Strong, kickass female lead. Check.
Brisk, brisk pace. Check.

Dream High (2011)

Dream High
드림하이
(Jan – Feb 2011)

who’s in it
Kim SooHyun (Giant, Father’s House)
Taecyeon (Cinderella’s Sister, 2PM-member)
Suzy (Miss A-member)
Ham EunJung (T-ara-member)
IU
Wooyoung (2PM-member)
Uhm KiJoon (Hero)
Lee YoonJi (Goong)

what’s it about
The entire drama is actually a flashback about an artist called K who rises to international fame—WORLD STAR fame (oh, Rain, you better watch yo back!). Right away, we know K is a [money-making] big deal because our first introduction to K is at a Grammy awards ceremony, and we all know only the best of the best [who sell lots of albums] get to go to the Grammys [don’t mind my raging cynicism =)].

But K’s real identity is kept secret from us because...

Alright, let’s travel back in time and get to the facts. The director of Kirin Art School gets the story rolling, and he is played by Bae YongJoon, aka Mr. Winter Sonata (that’s what I call him, the show calls him Ghost…I like my nickname better). Real kpop idol-con Kim HyunJoong makes a quick cameo and gets named-dropped as a former student of Kirin, so we know two things right off the bat: 1) Kirin is a well-known performing arts academy in Seoul, and 2) this is not a violin and ballet kind of education, they totally do the kpop at this school.

Back to Mr. Winter Sonata, who is a man who wants to encourage aspiring young talent—which is…not too far from real life, actually. He handpicks three “special” students, letting them bypass the school’s traditional selection process, which sets off sparks between the jealous incoming freshman and these leapfroggers. There is also some mythology and wonder about some kind of pendant that supposedly gives good mojo to its owner…it is symbolic of dreams, I believe, but these kids take it more literally. It is the shape of a K. Dun-dun-dun.

The drama is about these Kirin students and their struggles to overcome their personal and professional growing pains. During Kirin’s open auditions, Mr. Winter Sonata tells all the hopefuls, “The contest has now begun. Don’t fear it, enjoy it.” It’s like he’s talking to us, the viewership.

Not unlike a sitcom, this one is an ensemble cast with multiple story threads intersecting a million different ways. Here are your main idols characters:

Relatively new, and real female kpop act Miss A donates Suzy (who plays Go HyeMi), a richly voiced girl with a richly bitchy attitude to match. When her comfortable world comes crashing down around her due to her father’s business failures and loan shark debts, she is forced to give up her dreams of Juilliard and head for Kirin instead. Her main motivating factor to attend a school she considers crappy is her fear that the loan sharks will focus their terrorizing intent on her little sister if she doesn’t somehow get rich and pay them back their money. Yet again, a kdrama Dad has run away all by hisself and left children to deal with the bag of horse pile.

Suzy

Of Bo Peep Bo Peep fame, cutesy female kpop act T-ara donates to the drama cause Ham EunJung (Yoon BaekHee), the most veteran idol-actor of the gathered crop. She plays Suzy’s meek ex-friend, a girl who has been contently living in her friend’s over-talented shadow...until she suspects her deep feelings of sisterhood may have been one-sided. When opportunity gives her the chance to shine alone, she gets a taste of glory and public validation…and realizes it is something worth a fight.

Ham EunJung

Popular male act 2PM gives up Taecyeon (JinGuk) for a while. In his second effort at acting, Taecyeon finds himself playing another character with some rough edges. Like every kid collected in this special group, he also suffers from father issues. It may (or may not) be of interest to you to know that he rides a motorcycle and has awesomely spiked highlighted hair. He’s gonna do just fine. Also, it’s obvious he has a thing for our lead gal Suzy.



Taecyeon

 2PM is feeling generous (or maybe it’s just cuz this show is one-half produced by Park JinYoung, their boss…), but not only do 2PM fans get Taecyeon’s ab-licious presence, they get a cool and charming Wooyoung (Jason) in the deal, too. He plays a foreign-Korean freshman, a kind-hearted dude who thinks life is just chill and, turns out, this seemingly unambitious starlet is the #1 ranked talent in the frosh Kirin class.

Wooyoung

Real life ingénue singer IU (Kim PilSook) makes her tv debut as herself (kind of). She is a musically gifted girl who has trouble managing her weight (I’ll let you figure out which part of that sentence is the departure from real life). She is, in a nutshell, completely lovable. She almost instantly falls head over heels for her foreign classmate Jason (above), who has charmed her with the usual classy Casanova trick: not being a douchebag. He notices her despite the fact that she tries to stay unnoticed, and wins her over completely with his common decency, a personality trait none of her other peers have learned from their parents.

IU

The best thing about having IU on the show? We kpop fans get little gems like the clip below. IU doing a cover of 2AM’s tearful crooner 죽어도 못 보내 (Can’t Let You Go Even if I Die):



Alrighty now, I’ve saved the best for last. Our lead-lead is played by the only actor-actor among the main cast (thank you drama gods), the natural talent-overflowing Kim SooHyun (Song SamDong). He plays a musical genius trapped in the package of a “country bumpkin,” but the sage Mr. Winter Sonata recognizes his musical talents and recruits him as one of his special project kids. Our country boy immediately falls for Suzy, the tough-talking city girl, and follows her to Seoul to join Kirin. Oh right, he also goes there to pursue his dreams of becoming a big star so he can make lots of money and take care of his mother.

Kim SooHyun

(what’s it about initially posted Feb 4, 2011)

My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox (2010)

My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox
내 여자친구는 구미호 / My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
(Aug – Sept 2010)

who’s in it
Lee Seunggi (Shining Inheritance)
Shin MinAh (A Love to Kill)
No MinWoo (Pasta)
Park SooJin (Boys Over Flowers)

what’s it about
If a siren is that of the sea, a gumiho, or nine-tailed fox, is a siren of the mountain, a fabled creature that can manifest as a beautiful woman in order to seduce men. What is her purpose in life? To eat their hearts, or livers…or all parts, depending on which time period you’re looking at during the evolution of the K-myth. But what if it’s all a misunderstanding? A warping of the truth when the tale was passed down through the ages? What if a gumiho is merely a victim of slander and defamation by jealous village women back in the day? Anyhow, Lee Seunggi, a college student who aspires to be a motion picture action star, is about to find out just how much of the gumiho legend is fact…and fiction. When he foolishly releases Shin MinAh from her papyrus prison at a Buddhist temple, he finds his life at the mercy of her whims. With no other choice but to keep her by his side, Lee Seunggi is in a fight to keep his liver...and perhaps, his heart?

Also, No MinWoo is a young mysterious man lurking around…and on a hunt, or so it appears.

director
Boo SungChul

screenwriter(s)
Hong MiRan, Hong JungEun

commitment 
16 episodes

network
SBS

first impressions
To begin, let me just say, I had really really been looking forward to this one ever since it was announced. These are my reasons: ONE, I think Lee Seunggi is just all kinds of adorable. TWO, I’ve enjoyed almost all of the dramas written by Hong MiRan and Hong JungEun, writers who have a clever way of wiggling and twirling a seemingly simple story into something completely unexpected and untrodden. They truly have a gift of nurturing a seed of an idea into something truly wonderful. In fact, You’re Beautiful and Couple or Trouble are two of my all time favorites. Last, but not least, THREE, the idea of using a fantastical mythological creature who wants to eat her boyfriend’s liver as the central romantic conflict is…simply too horror film carnivorously strange to ignore! How could you not be curious? With these three solid reasons, I had very little doubt this one would end up being a must-watch for me.

After the first couple of episodes…

ONE, I still think Lee Seunggi is all kinds of ten thousand ways adorable. His hyper-narcissistic-but-good-guy character suited him perfectly, for we all know that a large part of Lee Seunggi’s innate charm is the fact that he comes across as an average nice-guy-who-happens-to-be-hot, and so he complements Shin MinAh’s scary slash innocent charm very well.

TWO, as with previous dramas by Hong and Hong, the intricacies within Nine-Tailed aren’t exactly what I’d expected when I’d first heard the premise, but a corkscrew take on an old convention. The worlds they build are often based in reality but over that basic setting, a transparent film of unique details are placed to create a completely new feel. This one, for example, feels like some weird mock-horror-romantic-fantasy genre—and I love it! Credit to the art director for making this work and not feel too comic-booky. Also, the H & H dramas often spend a great deal of time picking and prodding at the knot between the main characters, which I soooo appreciate in a kdrama. My favorite parts of dramas are always the details within characters so I love the ones that spend more time with the people than plot tricks. Sure, we have some distractions here too, a fancy little set-up about a boy and a supernatural ‘monster’ of sorts, which will be delightful because it is so different, yes, but when we get down to business, this one feels like it’s a winner not only because of all that packaging but because it’s clear the story is really about both characters and their respective journeys to become “human,” and not only in the literal sense. 

And THREE, I very much like this particular knot holding Lee Seunggi and Shin MinAh to one another, the “knot” being the main misunderstanding set up between the two leads…I can see the inherent symbolism in it (again, layer upon layer of meaning for every thing set and said), and oddly enough, the use of imminent death as a bargaining chip between the two leads…is kind of sweetly romantic, in a really morbid kind of way! She literally holds his fate in her hands, or more accurately, in her almost-kisses! Well, I guess love is a matter of life and death...for some. Besides, love is inexplicable, and these days, it seems the inexplicable supernatural love is the raging trend. If a bat can find love, why not a fox?

So excited about this one. There have been some great dramas so far this year but I wonder if this is the one that could end up at the top of the class when the year comes to a close...omg! When 2010 ends in only four months from now! Where has the year gone?

(first impressions originally posted August 19, 2010)

wildcard
Shin MinAh is so perfectly cast as this contradiction of fox and innocence that it’s surprising to learn she was not the first choice. Shin SeKyung was originally set to star...and personally speaking, I do not approve of that particular almost-casting. This drama would not have been the same with the younger actress. Shin MinAh brings pure joy to this role. You know a character really belongs to an actress when it is impossible to imagine anyone else playing the part.

Personal Taste (2010)

Personal Taste
개인의 취향 / GaeIn’s Taste
(Mar – May 2010)

who’s in it

Son YehJin (Alone in Love, Summer Scent)
Lee MinHo (Boys Over Flowers, I Am Sam)
Kim JiSuk (Chuno)
Wang JiHye (Friend, Our Legend)
Im SeulOng (2AM – member)

what’s it about
Son YehJin plays a woman who is having the worst week of her life—the kind of week that would make a normal person like you and me wither away in defeat. Her new business venture in furniture-designing is a failure. Her boyfriend has been sneaking around on her with her friend of 10 years, who by the way, is a mega biatch. Her assistant tries to have sex with her while she’s drunk and this same twerp has stolen $10,000 from her and put her home up as collateral with a loan shark, a beautiful manor that is an architecturally significant accomplishment by her father. She’s bankrupt and heartbroken. Her one non-backstabbing friend assures her, in a bit of foreshadowing, when one steps out of a crappy car, a Mercedes will drive up. Well, she just says a new car, but...turns out, Lee MinHo, a gifted architect from a small, struggling firm does in fact drive a nice car, a Benz. He himself is a Mercedes Benz, actually, as we learn he’s a pretty decent guy with good work ethic and a sense of responsibility. I suppose this makes Son YehJin’s ex, played by devilishly hot Kim JiSuk, a BMW—Bad Man Walking.

Son YehJin and Lee MinHo’s co-habitation begins when her lack of finances force her to accept him as a tenant, which she allows despite the fact that he’s a man because prior run-ins with him have incorrectly lead her to conclude he’s gay. But why does he want to sublet a room in her home? Well, it’s all business. He needs to study the design of her home in order to win a large contract for a project that could be the savior, or death, of his entire firm.

commitment 
16 episodes

network
MBC

wildcard factor
Four beautiful leading actors/actresses, lead by the incomparable magnetic duo of Son YehJin and Lee MinHo. Need I say more?

first impressions
I didn’t really have a problem with the premise, the situation outlined was extravagant, but a *fairly* plausible one. What didn’t work [initially] was the chemistry between all the characters. It was a lot like flat soda, slightly fizzy, but a bit lacking in bite. To be honest, I thought Son YehJin was subpar and didn’t stand out amongst her lively costars. Fortunately, Lee MinHo reminded us quickly why he was the breakthrough star of Boys Over Flowers (acting-wise) by effortlessly shaking off all the pressure he must have felt in this first attempt to shed Goo JunPyo. He did a credible job playing the more modestly contained architect and proved to be the best part of the Personal Taste introduction. Kim JiSuk (BMW) continued to impress here with his acting presence, as he did during his ab-tastic turn in Chuno as the playboy slave hunter.

I looked forward to continuing this drama more than any other that was airing at the time (including Oh! My Lady) but despite my positive reaction, I felt this one had the higher chance of failure because of the great foundation provided…and therefore the greater expectation. On the other hand, a solid base meant it had a higher chance for greatness as well. After the first few episodes, I thought the characters needed to rise beyond the cleverly arranged plot and find more heart. Son YehJin and Lee MinHo needed to find a way to defy the beginning awkwardness between them and find their mutual fizz, so to speak. If these two couldn’t convince us of their couple-mojo, despite all the interesting character setups, this show was likely to fall short of expectations.

Time Between Dog and Wolf (2007)

Time Between Dog and Wolf
개와 늑대의 시간
(Jul – Sept 2007)

who’s in it
Lee JunKi (Iljimae, My Girl, Hero)
Nam SangMi (ILPK, The Grand Chef)
Jung KyungHo (Smile You)

what’s it about
Lee JunKi plays Lee SooHyun, a haunted National Intelligence Service agent who follows in his father’s footsteps both in career and purpose. His father had been a spook agent stationed in Bangkok to bring down a crime syndicate shoveling drugs into Korea, a far-reaching triad with its base in Thailand. This investigation lead to his own murder as well as Lee JunKi’s mother (eventually). As a rookie NIS agent, Lee JunKi attempts to avenge his family by finishing the job his father had long ago started and also hopes to kill the man who murdered his mother. 

Another significant part of Lee JunKi’s childhood in Thailand is Nam SangMi, a fellow expat in Bangkok he’d developed a crush on as a young boy. The two were separated when both children left Thailand due to their respective family situations. After the death of his mother, the orphaned Lee JunKi is adopted by an old NIS colleague of his father’s and taken back to Korea.

Many years later, Nam SangMi and Lee JunKi reunite in Korea by chance through Lee JunKi’s adopted brother, Jung KyungHo, and find themselves rekindling their friendship and their mutual attraction. Nam SangMi is now an art dealer who has more of a connection to his parents’ murderer than Lee JunKi initially understands. All the while, the triad has expanded their base of operations into Korea and just as the couple’s feelings grow for one another, their secrets from one another also accrue, one big secret being Lee JunKi’s job as a super secret spy—one driven by torment and revenge.   

When Lee JunKi loses himself, both in identity and purpose, during a deep cover assignment into the crime syndicate he is desperate to destroy, the moral lines that separate justice and revenge, brother and enemy, love and hate become blurred—the balance between right and wrong becomes obscured by the lies and secrets between them all. 

commitment 
16 episodes

network
MBC

wildcard factor
Who isn’t fascinated by the dark underbelly of our society, the places where betrayal and blood is a way of life? Who doesn’t find a strange allure for the emotionally splintered people who live in that violent playground? Show me a person who isn’t, and I’ll show you a liar. The reason why we regular humans are unable to resist this kind of brutal escapist fare is because it is so far away from our own realm of reality but we understand on some level that these worlds are very real for others. Someone pisses you off? Well, bash his brains in, of course. Not for you or I, but for some, this is how their world works. These kinds of high-octane plots take place in an insane world populated by people equally mad, on both sides of the fight. They’re two sides of a coin, you see, these tales about organized crime and the intelligence agencies that try to bring them down. They are the two sides of humanity. Inevitably, moral lines will become muddied when dealing with a fight that occurs in the dark and that is what makes conflicts between cops and criminals timeless. That area of grey where black and white meet, that muddy area where the good guys and bad guys fight.

If you can get past the beyond-cheesy poster and the occasional tendencies for overdone melodrama, you may end up really enjoying this one, like I did. Not only was the drama actually decently written, it was exciting and thrilling to watch. In playing a tormented NIS agent caught between two worlds, Lee JunKi essentially got to play three characters and all of them were miserable people, but amusing to follow, especially if you enjoy the charismatic, macho-crying-only-on-the-inside type of heroes (which I do).

Besides, it was an opportunity to see Lee JunKi and equally handsome Jung KyungHyo play international spies that shoot bullets and missile-like glares at one another...well, I ask you, what’s wrong with that? Not very much, I assure you.

first impressions 

Wolf was unexpectedly surprising, but in a positive way. I hadn’t expected to enjoy any part of this at all and the only reason why I even bothered despite my prejudices against what I assumed would be yet another transparently melodramatic, half-baked spy story was my inability to say no to Lee JunKi. Having just written that, yes, it was melodramatic and sometimes half-baked, but the story wasn’t half bad either, in fact, I’d give it credit for at least recognizing its strengths and weaknesses and focusing on what it did well: Lee JunKi’s badassery. As expected, it does adhere to some of the usual genre conventions, but all in all, the emotional heart behind the characters manage to pull it away from becoming a boilerplate action dud. It definitely had its moments of clunkery, but the awesome swagger about it kept me coming back for more.

The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry (2010)

The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry
아직도 결혼하고 싶은 여자
(Jan – Mar 2010)

who’s in it
Park JinHee (Come Back, SoonAe)
Uhm JiWon (Ruler of Your Own World)
Wang BitNa (Hwang JinYi - drama)
Kim Bum (Boys Over Flowers)

what’s it about
Three successful, single women, played by Park JinHee, Uhm JiWon and Wang BitNa, find themselves in their mid-thirties still struggling with the unique challenges of their respective love lives (or lack thereof). Even as they’ve grown wiser through age, they continue to wrestle with the societal pressures put upon them to live, date and behave a particular way because they are, well, women. Some of their issues include a woman’s age old dilemma of being forced to choose between success or marriage, the woes of having overly high expectations of romance, the trials of scoring a good match without a lofty family background, and last and definitely my favorite, trying to make work a relationship with a much younger man.

The main plot: Park JinHee is an established if not quite successful television journalist still struggling to find her career break after 10 years of hard work. Her job is a landmine and it demands too much of her time which directly correlates to her unfulfilled love life. When an old flame wants to return to her side, a man she long ago thought was “The One” until he dumped her for choosing her career over their marriage, she is torn between a comfortable old blanket and the new electric one tugging at her heart. This electric blanket strolls around in the form of whipcream dreamy ice cream flavor called Kim Bum, who plays an indie singer-songwriter. Where’s the dilemma, you ask? Isn’t it obvious who she should pick? Well, the problem is that Kim Bum is 10 years her junior. Ouch. In this society and in Korea especially, that’s a gap of Grand Canyon proportions.

Rounding out the cast we have a string of excellent supporting characters (they could even be called equally-billed characters) such as her two best friends Wang BitNa and Uhm JiWon, who are the right amoung of fleshed out and complex, and two handsome men angling for love themselves, played by Choi ChulHo (Partner) and Lee PilMo (Sons of Sol Pharmacy).

commitment 
16 episodes

network
MBC

wildcard factor
The chemical bubbling between Park JinHee and Kim Bum was seriously hot stuff percolating on the Bunsen burner. Charming and flirty, the two were very enjoyable to watch. The popular way of introduction for main couples tend to be in outright antagonism, but in this case, it was mostly tentative flirting and mutual interest. I like it. It’s teasing in a different way than the familiar complete-hate-at-first-sight.

Man, some girls have all the luck, don’t they? I believe Park JinHee is also starring with TOP in the film Into the Gunfire!

after the first episode
I saw a lot of potential, including some faint whiffs of Dal Ja's Spring and Sex and the City (without the gratuitous shots of sex, boobies, or dangling bits). This is a story about dating but it’s also about the friendship between men and women. Also significant, Kim Bum has never looked more delectable – I couldn’t be more serious when I say that, too. I'm totally liking! The other two women who played Park JinHee’s best friends were instantly relatable and lovable as well.

On the whole, I was pleasantly surprised by how refreshing I found the entirety of the show and how successfully it balanced humor and character development.

Attic Cat (2003)

Attic Cat
옥탑방 고양이  / Rooftop Room Cat
(Jun – Jul 2003)

who’s in it
Kim RaeWon (The Grand Chef, Socrates - film)
Jung DaBin (Smile You)
Choi JungYoon
Lee HyunWoo

what’s it about
Two collegiate-aged young adults share a rooftop apartment…is this a romantic comedy, you ask? Yes, what gave it away? The sharing of a rooftop apartment being the central plot perhaps? Anyway, this was a big deal because of the co-ed housing situation (as non-married co-habitation is not exactly the norm nor encouraged behavior in the Korean culture). Kim RaeWon spends most of the drama being a lovable and noncommittal horndog jerk (that sort of sounds like a negative description, but isn’t meant to be), and Jung DaBin is the waif that feeds and falls in love with him. 

commitment 
16 episodes

network
MBC

wildcard factor
It felt a little long considering the really lean plot premise of lazy law student crashing at hard-working female friend’s rooftop pad while pining for the prettier classmate. Thaaat was about it. BUT Kim RaeWon was full of long-limbed goodness and all kinds of puppy dog adorable that somehow a viewer is tricked into watching...and watching...and watching...well, I was anyway. Hmmm, and I guess technically, he was supposed to be a stray cat...but truly, he felt more like mongrel.

after the first episode
Quick and light-hearted. This one felt like it would go by fast (and it did).

Something Happened in Bali (2004)

Something Happened in Bali
발리에서 생긴 일 / Memories of Bali
(Jan – Mar 2004)

who’s in it
Ha JiWon (Secret, Damo)
Jo InSung (Shoot for the Star, Classic - film)
So JiSub (Cain and Abel, Glass Slippers)
Park YeJin (Queen SeonDuk, Family Outing S1 – member)

what’s it about
Ha JiWon is working as a perky tour guide in Bali when she first meets Jo InSung (rich imbecile playboy), So JiSub (honorable but penniless) and Park YeJin (socialite who’s engaged to the first but loves the latter). That’s part one. Part two starts when Ha JiWon’s boss runs off with her savings and she’s forced to return to Korea to start over. That’s when things get really messy.

commitment 
20 episodes

network
SBS

wildcard factor
Do you like dark and twisted? This was a kdrama and a half, baby. It’s heavy and you can hear everyone’s hearts make a bloody splat as they are torn out of chests and thrown to the floor. I’d say it’s a nod back to your parents’ kdramas where things were just a lot weepy and corkscrew and the people were so wretched, you wonder why they even bothered to get out of bed.

after the first episode
Oh dear, oh dear…this is not going to end well…I must watch!!!

Last Scandal of My Life (2008)

Last Scandal of My Life
마지막 스캔들 / Last Scandal
(Mar – Apr 2008)

who’s in it
Choi JinShil (Jealousy, Wish Upon A Star)
Jung JoonHo (IRIS)
Byun JungSoo (What’s Up, Fox?, Style, Pasta)
Jung WoongIn (Outrageos Women, Queen Seonduk)

what’s it about
So, Choi JinShil’s character is supposed to be “past her prime” and worn down by the trials and tribulations of her life but it’s sooo ridiculous because the woman is still beautiful and not even a mop perm and bug-eyed glasses could detract from her cuteness. Anyhow, Jung JoonHo is her leading man, a famous actor who hires on Choi JinShil to be his housekeeper out of pity, but the catch is this, these two are each other’s “the one that got away” person. THE first love.

Jung JoonHo is petulant, childish and bratty as the arrogant and over-indulged actor who is just beyond the age that is considered the prime of youth that Korea idolizes and Choi JinShil is a hard-working but ‘plain’ woman trying to get by in life. When these two reunite, old feelings are stirred awake, like hibernating dust under a sofa, and not just because Choi JinShil is a great housekeeper, if you know what I mean. Wink.Wink. 

I will add, despite my description of Jung JoonHo’s character, he is handsome and likable in this role. Very handsome. I was surprised by how good he looks in a close-up.

commitment 
16 Episodes

network
MBC

wildcard factor
I guess because it boasts of an older cast, some might flippantly classify it as an “ahjumma” drama, and by that I mean a drama that the younger generation might not take an interest in watching. Perhaps this is an unfortunate truth but it would be a pity if ageist prejudices kept someone away from this gem because it really was a gem of the rarest kind - a kdrama that was thoughtful and caring to its characters and not simply intent on cashing in on stereotypes of the genre. And sadly, while this is not directly relevant to the quality of the drama itself, but I do believe this was Choi JinShil’s last role before her suicide.

after the first episode
Pleasantly delighted. It was funny and sweet and I took an instant interest at the obvious quality in the writing and acting.

On Air (2008)

On Air
온에어
(Mar – May 2008)

who’s in it
Kim HaNeul (Stained Glass, Secret, My Tutor Friend – film)
Park YongHa (Story of A Man)
Lee BumSoo
Song YoonHa

what's it about
A peek into the process of bringing a Korean drama to birth, from the writers to the directors to the actors and their agents. We follow the growing pains and heartaches of successful female drama writer Song YoonHa and her loyal drama PD Park YongHa as they try to produce a great kdrama starring mega-famous actress Kim HaNeul, who is of course a mega-famous actress in real life as well. HaNeul is good enough in this role that never once does it feel like she’s just playing herself.

Going by the title, I initially thought this drama was going to be about radio broadcasting. I was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t.

commitment 
21 episodes

network
SBS

wildcard factor
Song YoonHa – she’s a likeable actress but her character did have a tendency to be grating. She was the main character so your enjoyment of the show may depend on how relatable you find her. In the end, I decided her delivery of this flawed and sometimes childish writer turned out to be heartfelt and endearing, but it would be a lie if I didn’t admit that, in a way, I preferred to see Kim HaNeul on screen more. Even though Song YoonHa did have good spark with Park YongHa, I thought Kim HaNeul had fire.

after the first episode
I knew almost right away that this one was going to be a very good drama and looking behind the curtains of the Korean entertainment world is always fascinating, whether factual or fictional.

My Love Patzzi (2002)

My Love Patzzi
 내 사랑 팥쥐
(Aug – Sept 2002)

who’s in it
Kim RaeWon (Attic Cat, The Grand Chef)
Jang NaRa (School 2013)
Kim JaeWon (100 Days With Mr. Arrogant - film, Hwang Jini)
Hong Eun Hee


what’s it about
A feisty, loud-mouthed girl lands a job at an amusement park dressing up as cute (or creepy) over-sized animals (depending on your views regarding such things) and simultaneously lands the affections of the local seal trainer and the amusment park owner’s son. Not jealous at all? Well, let me put it another way: lands the affections of Kim RaeWon and Kim JaeWon. There you go. You’re not the only one jealous, though, cuz she’s got a vixen disguised as her best friend.

commitment
10 Eps

network
MBC

wildcard factor
A skinny 10 episoder with a zippy plot…some might say a thin plot, I say just enough of one to make this one an amusing diversion.

after the first episode
I liked Jang Nara in this, she was plucky and likable, and I could see why all the boys at the kiddie park thought she was rad. I wasn’t completely sold on Kim JaeWon as the rich-but-heart-of-gold heir to the fun park fortune, but that might be because he’ll always be Daffy #2 in my eyes (there are five Daffys in the KDrama world for me, it’s a long story and not necessarily a bad thing). I kept wondering if he was supposed to be guy #1 or guy #2. Who was Jang Nara going to pick? The outcome was vague enough to keep things interesting.