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Reviews
Widaehan Yuhokja (2018)
Underrated Korean Drama
Three long time friends Kwon Shi-Hyun (Woo Do-Hyun), Choi Soo-Ji (Moon Ga-Young), Lee Se-Joo (Kim Min-Jae) are all from very privileged, wealthy families. To all appearances, they "have it all." They stick together through thick and thin, doing many wild things, push the envelope for boundaries on a regular basis, and are pretty outrageous in their behavior while always having each other's backs. Lacking nothing materially, we learn quickly that they have another area of common ground - emotional holes and needs.
For various reasons, each one has at least one area of abandonment by a parent, if not outright abuse. This has strengthened their bond to each other as they have supported each other through many instances of pain and suffering in their young lives. Shi-Hyun's mother died when he was younger at the same time that his father rejected him. Soo-Ji's living with her doctor mother who is consumed with her career and new love. Se-Joo is the whipping boy for his abusive father and family, who does his best to lay low and stay out of reach as much as possible, not always succeeding.
Due to their incredible good looks and very affluent pocketbooks, these kids have lived some wild times that many adults have not.
Into this scenario, Soo-Ji is dumped by a guy (whom she's better off without!) and to recover her pride tasks Shi-Hyun to go after the new girlfriend and win her away from Soo-Ji's ex. Only problem is, they don't know they have the wrong girl - or do they?
Enter Eun Tae-hee (Red Velvet's Joy), a very levelheaded young lady with her own pain-filled past. She's smart, savvy, and very skeptical of Shi-Hyun's tricks and charm. Instead of melting in a puddle or falling at his feet like most people do, she throws him repeated curves, challenges and leaves him scratching his head. The more time he spends with her, the more intrigued he becomes, which presents its own problems with his two friends.
Being intrigued with her differences keeps him returning to her like a moth to a flame, falling deeper all the time, a real problem when the original task was to love her and leave her.
A secondary love story in this is the long-term unrequited love of See-Jo for Soo-Ji. The hiccup is that Soo-Ji thinks she's in love with See-Jo's best friend Shi-Hyun, and See-Jo knows this. To keep from losing his two friends completely, he stays in the background, remaining supportive to them both and holds his love for Soo-Ji, and his wounds about that love, closely in his own heart.
The story gives us the opportunity to see how past as well as present trauma and pain affect people, affect how our characters respond to challenges, to others, what choices are available to them in each situation, then what choice they make and what outcome that brings. Overall, this is a story of the character of each one involved when presented with life's hurdles, set-backs and disappointments - which road will they take? It gives us the opportunity to ask ourselves, "What would I do?"
Ultimately, the main story is a Gidget kind of story, which is one of my favorite scenarios - a good girl changes a "bad boy" into a better man. With Joy as the leading lady, it shouldn't be a surprise that there are also some really good songs included. I think Tempted is a show with some real depth, presenting some real-life issues to ponder along with a pretty powerful romance.
Hilleo (2014)
Fantastic
One of the best K dramas I've seen, and I've seen a lot! Well written, directed and acted, there's not one plot point missed, overlooked, or useless in this FASCINATING story of the best-in-his-field covert operative whose assignment brings across his path a unique woman with whom he will ultimately fall in love.
There are incredible twists and turns along the way, plenty of action for guys (this one kept my subtitle unloving husband engaged and on the edge of his seat), with a powerful romance along the way.
This has pieces of so many other stories like Superman, Three Days of the Condor and the Bourne Trilogy, but I think this one outshines them all. I really don't want to say more, because I don't want to give any of the story away.
This is one that can be watched multiple times, and more pieces will click as you do.
This one is NOT to be missed!
Just watch it.
You won't regret it.
I promise.
Taeyangeui huye (2016)
Blockbuster Show
Descendants of the Sun was is my very first K drama, and from the opening scene of hand-to-hand combat between North and South Vietnamese Special Forces on the edge of the DMZ, it's a buckle your seatbelt fantastic ride.
The story is of a Captain Yoo Si Jin (Big Boss) of the South Korean top Special Forces unit and his second-in-command Sergeant Seo De Young (Wolf) as they fight for their country and fall in love with two doctors.
The Captain falls for a civilian Doctor at first sight, but the civilian Doctor knows nothing about the military and can't understand his disappearances until she ends up in a Third World country and sees him in action.
The Sergeant is in love with an Army Lieutenant Doctor, whose father is the three-star General over the South Korean Special Forces units. Between the non-fraternization policy and the many hurdles that come their way, theirs is the toughest situation of the two love stories.
Along the way these four face a natural disaster, gangs involved in arms smuggling, human trafficking, and many other evil deeds, a plague, and trying to work out their feelings for each other.
It is well worth the time to see and is quite frankly better than any American show I've seen in many years.
Since watching DTOS, I have a come in avid K drama fan, now having an excess of 80 dramas under my belt, having found their plots, acting, directing, music, etc., to be far superior to American shows.
Regardless of whether or not you become a K drama fan, don't miss this one. It's great.
Un-myeong-cheol-eom neol sa-rang-hae (2014)
AKA: Fated to Love You
This is a powerful story of forgiveness, humility, kindness and grace triumphing in the face of huge adversity and bringing forth an incredible and unbreakable love between the main characters. However, to get there, there's a lot of pain and sadness so be prepared for several episodes of heartbreaking, tears pouring down your face angst, but the journey is worth it and the ending is wonderful. I gave it nine stars instead of 10 simply for the length of time the viewer is kept in emotion agony along with the characters during this series.
Kimbiseoga wae geureolkka (2018)
A Promise Kept - Wholeheartedly
The first time I saw this I had very mixed emotions about it, especially in the first few episodes. Knowing the characters better and watching it the second time, I truly liked it.
It's a sweet romance with many unexpected twists. I didn't care for the hero's attitude in some ways the first time, nor the creepy stuff either time, making this a 9.
When the hero awakens to his need and love for the heroine and is determined to win her, it becomes a fantastic story and a very beautiful romance. It was easier the second time around to focus on the romance and not the negatives since I understood where this was headed, making the second time a much more enjoyable viewing.
Him-ssen yeo-ja Do Bong-soon (2017)
Wonderful Show!
This is definitely one of my top K dramas, so far. It also has lots of laughs and suspense, but what makes me rewatch it is the love story and Park Hyung Sik's acting job, in particular. He does an amazing job and his portrayal of his character is what makes it so special. How he relates his character falling for Bong Soon and step-by-step working to win her heart is beautiful. I love his complete, "I will never leave you, even in the face of death" love for her and his determination to make her heart his. I also love that he is fearlessly verbal about how he feels about her, and has a good sense of humor in dealing with and relating to her. In real life, those truly help to cement lasting relationships.
This one is definitely a willing suspension of disbelief since the script is of a superhero type in a teeny tiny woman. The gangsters are a little OTT along with some other points, but overall this is just pure fun.
I also have to give a shout out to the songs. WOW! Great OST!!
This is one we have already watched multiple times and will continue to do so.
Warning: does contain casting spells, but it's easy to FF past it and lose nothing.
W - Du gaeui segye (2016)
One to watch multiple times
Like Three Days of the Condor or The Hunt For Red October, this is a mind bending show that can be seen repeatedly just to get all the pieces in place in your mind. Just don't start watching unless you can do so non-stop! Once started, there's no good place to stop until the end. There is one creepy part, but overall, this is an amazing show. It has romance, adventure, crime solving, and the puzzle of the two worlds and how they are intertwined. You get to learn it as the characters figure it out. Truly fascinating.
Hilleo (2014)
Fantastic
One of the best K dramas I've seen, and I've seen a lot! Well written, directed and acted, there's not one plot point missed, overlooked, or useless in this FASCINATING story of the best-in-his-field covert operative whose assignment brings across his path a unique woman with whom he will ultimately fall in love.
There are incredible twists and turns along the way, plenty of action for guys (this one kept my subtitle unloving husband engaged and on the edge of his seat), with a powerful romance along the way.
This has pieces of so many other stories like Superman, Three Days of the Condor and the Bourne Trilogy, but I think this one outshines them all. I really don't want to say more, because I don't want to give any of the story away.
This is one that can be watched multiple times, and more pieces will click as you do.
This one is NOT to be missed!
Just watch it.
You won't regret it.
I promise.
Taeyangeui huye (2016)
Blockbuster Show
Descendants of the Sun was is my very first K drama, and from the opening scene of hand-to-hand combat between North and South Vietnamese Special Forces on the edge of the DMZ, it's a buckle your seatbelt fantastic ride.
The story is of a Captain Yoo Si Jin (Big Boss) of the South Korean top Special Forces unit and his second-in-command Sergeant Seo De Young (Wolf) as they fight for their country and fall in love with two doctors.
The Captain falls for a civilian Doctor at first sight, but the civilian Doctor knows nothing about the military and can't understand his disappearances until she ends up in a Third World country and sees him in action.
The Sergeant is in love with an Army Lieutenant Doctor, whose father is the three-star General over the South Korean Special Forces units. Between the non-fraternization policy and the many hurdles that come their way, theirs is the toughest situation of the two love stories.
Along the way these four face a natural disaster, gangs involved in arms smuggling, human trafficking, and many other evil deeds, a plague, and trying to work out their feelings for each other.
It is well worth the time to see and is quite frankly better than any American show I've seen in many years.
Since watching DTOS, I have a come in avid K drama fan, now having an excess of 80 dramas under my belt, having found their plots, acting, directing, music, etc., to be far superior to American shows.
Regardless of whether or not you become a K drama fan, don't miss this one. It's great.
Saui Chanmi (2018)
Not for me
Yes, the acting is well done, but from a Western point of view this is a hopeless and depressing drip.
While I realize this is based on a true story, this is about an impossible love that has no hope to go anywhere, drug out in three hours of depression, gloom, and nowhere to go but death. I realize the culture of honor in Asia is very important, but in the West we do not believe in having to live someone else's life nor have them dictate to us what to think, who to marry, what interests us nor what we will do with our lives. They get to live their life and make their choices and we get to do the same. Each of us gets one life, so we get to make our own choices and choose to live our own life according to our own interests and desires. This was a waste of three hours of my life. I only watched it because I really liked the leading man in W.