O Casal da Emergência (2014)

This is worth watching passed the first few episodes where the female lead is the standard klutz. I find portrayals of women in this vein really boring these days, however, by episode 6 she is turning things around and from then on I really enjoyed the show. It was laugh out loud funny in many places too.

BEFORE: They got married young and cracks showed quickly. The horrible mother-in-law preyed on all the female lead's insecurities adding to what seemed like obvious depression to me, caused by her own sense of unworthiness. Both Chang Min (male lead) and Jin Hee (female lead) only think of things from their own point of view and divorce.

The bones of this part of the story take place in episode one...

NOW: They then bump into each other at a mutual friend's wedding - excrutiating (you can't help feeling for her) and very funny... (the dress! He is horrified. We only realise later how sentimental she is, which is probably a big reason why she still has the dress...) She responds Korea style (what is it with these shows portraying so many Koreans as borderline alcholics?) and drinks herself into the emergency room...

OMG... what a disastrous way to arrive for your first day of work... so disastrous you have to laugh. She is an excellent actress and does not over act, allowing you to really feel for her while also either laughing out loud or smiling broadly. Can you imagine her ex's reaction when he realises his nemesis is an intern along with him? He was always so much "better" than her, now they are on a level playing field. His expression... so funny...

The story is played out via the emergency room at a teaching hospital in Seoul, there are 4 other interns (the "perfect" girl by mother-in-law's standards, a newly married couple as the main leads' mirror, and the nice guy whose love of the "perfect" girl is unrequited), a Chief resident aka The Devil (he is tough, "capable and always right"), and the Chief's ex (a general surgeon).

For all that, I really liked the complex issues that were brought in to the story, mostly around relationships and marriage, including
♡ their own youthful "failure" to re-considering their relationship now they are older and wiser,
♡ her sister's unexpected marriage and how she and her husband are, together,
♡ his parents' relationship (why did his father give up practising medicine and separate from his wife) and the growth of his mother (so much of her behaviour is about anger, frustration, control and selfishness, until she has reason to reflect)
♡ the Chief's issues/ fears with marriage and divorce because of the impact of his parents' divorce on him.

I'm sorry we saw so little of his dad and it is clear his abilities were wasted, but as time goes on we realise he quietly took care of a few things behind the scenes. I left the show with the feeling Chang Min would emulate all his father's good traits while coupled with his mother's bold, daring side. It's what Jin Hee realises she has always loved about him.

I took one star off for the clichés - using alcohol to deal with her problems and making her so incompetent initially, plus the typical awful mother-in-law (although she is the worst I've seen in shows to date... when he picks up his mother and carries her out is an excellent scene!!).

Enjoy!

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Here's one of the best dramas that I watched recently. The co-stars were good, supporting cast also, and the storyline kept on going.

The scenes were done in a realistic setting, and the cast really seemed to know their medicine (from a layman's point of view). However, the supporting cast, especially Lee Pil Mo was my favorite. His cool demeanor and constant long face, as he tries to suppress his happiness was a constant source of hilarity to me - I really, really liked him a lot, and made me want to take him home there and then, and give him a hot supper and cuddle!

Another job well done here.

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I started watching this because I wanted to see Lee Pil Mo (who played Kook Cheon Soo) after seeing him in Pinocchio playing an excellent role as reporter Hwang Gyo Dong. He hasn't had many (any?) lead roles but he really stood out as second male lead here. I initially cared about his role, but as someone else has said this in their review, ended up caring about everyone. I found the arguments between the two leads a little hard to get into at the beginning, and so being interested in Lee Pil Mo was a very good distraction. But it always takes me a couple of episodes to get into things and the Emergency Couple's romance and the way they rediscover it, and navigate discovering changes (i.e. character changes from the time after their relationship and during their time in the ER) and with that adjusting how they see each other - and with a good amount of other things going on at the same time - was really lovely. The Mother-in-Law's acting was initially pretty extreme/exaggerated too, but it calms down over time. I felt like it was a drama that softened and matured over time, too. It felt like the right length - I wasn't bored or impatient at any point, and it didn't feel rushed or forced. I loved that it had an original storyline and carefully navigated a couple getting together in a way that really felt natural and enjoyable to watch.

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This show started off slow, but has found its rhythm. This love/hate relationship situation is built on a hospital background, is filled with misunderstandings, social class stigmas, overbearing/domineering mothers, etc.

Through an internship, the main characters reconnect. The male tries, unsuccessfully, to influence his superior to terminate the relationship with the woman--does his superior know best? The hearts of two hardened men are being touched by the humble skils and pure desires to help others--neither one knows what has hit him.

As must happen, other characters are introduced to the situation and love triangles appear all over the place.

You must watch it if for no other reason than to count the number of love triangles that exists and to learn that the heart truly knows what it wants and it will not be denied. Chalenge it if you dare!

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I instantly shipped her with the chief:) I didn't care for the ex-husband at all!:)

Well, they met in the hospital at circumstances that were most dramatic and funny!:) The first episode drama peaked on THEIR first introduction. And it continued... If it was not romance, then it was fromance, I didn't care. I just ENJOYED it...:) And so, the other parts of it, I considered those all side-characters. Her family as the sister and her guy, the ex-husband (typical korean girly face, and the character was not that likeable either), or the ex in-laws (pretty unwatchable)...

First, I thought her past was just something she needed to get... well, past. I didn't realize the scriptwriters intended some kind of getting back story. But it's true she's got her ex and he's got his ex, there in the hospital every day. So, instead of the two people I liked getting together, they were both supposed to get back to their respective exes?

I never watched the opening credits until about 10 episodes... Then I finally realized that the leading role seemed really to be the ex-husband. So, the whole time I shipped different couple than was intended:) At epi 9-10, I could see the script TRIED to look romantic for the two leads, but why was I only looking forward when the chief would show up? Epi 12, the ex husband started to act real creepy. NOT what I wished to watch here... I really don't like Choi Jin Hyuk and his type of face (even after a decade of watching korean dramas, I'm still having trouble to accept how their MEN look like).

Epi 18, I had to smirk when the lead girl ran several floors upstairs and then let the ex husband listen to her heart thumping as a romantic "proof". That way I am in love with my aerobic trainer, LOL. But the chief... he admitted to his ex there is someone new to his heart! Aw... So cute:)) And episode 14 there is him interacting with a little boy with no parents, which could be so annoying or soppy but instead, it was touching in a brilliant funny way. So, was I really shipping the wrong guy? I don't think so!:)

But, I admit my viewing enjoyment rather dropped... When I was occasionally having a good time during an episode that has a lot of scenes with the chief (he was SO cute and funny at the same time:) then still the ex-husband got in the middle of it and spoilt the party for me. I really didn't get what his "drama" was. That story of their past marriage was so dead from the start. Why didn't they just let the new drama flow? The new surroundings, chief was clearly dominating the scene. I might not just as much as NOTICE the ex-husband if not for the constant inserted flashbacks. But then, even the chief had to split his endearing scenes in between the main heroine and the ex-girlfriend of his own. It's really like the opening credits. We just GOT TO have her and her ex. Him and his ex. Not just her & him. *Sigh*.....

I grew more and more bored and disengaged with the main story (I found even the hospital cases more interesting)... By episode 19 out of 21, I was still rooting for the chief. And it was not just him, also her. She repeatedly showed more than common interest in him. I do know many k-dramas suffer with the "second lead syndrome". Still, this seems rather extreme case. Right from the start to almost end of this drama, I mostly ignored the supposedly main guy and the drama did not suffer for it.

But seriously, I just don't see the point of having a second guy for the main heroine there untill the LAST EPISODE, watching wistfully as she kisses somebody else. Even if I imagined that he's NOT more likeable than the lead, why keep having him there? Why for TWENTY ONE episodes, he must keep hanging? Is this called drama writing? Forgive me, but I consider this incompetent scriptwriting, morelike. GOOD romance doesn't need a threesome. Having additional one to keep the story going proves there's not much good about the story to begin with. Also, there will always be some viewers liking the secondary guy more than the lead guy and I don't see any reason to undermine the main romance like that. Even in less extreme cases as this. Anyway, the final was as draggy and uneventful more than anything else, lol. The most emotional moment was when a SECONDARY character received a POSTCARD. Now, read the previous sentence again, as it speaks best about this drama on the whole.

I liked the main actress, also her character. She knew how to be humble, not just feisty:)

NOTE: I don't like the poster. The main girl has different hair colour, her face is unrecognizable, plus she's there with the wrong guy.

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Emergency Couple stands out from the Kdrama crowd by making its main couple begin as divorcees. An unlikely starting place for a romance but this comedy was ready to take on the challenge. Rise above and surpass the challenge they did and with a grace that makes it look easy.

This drama is adorable. It's light, fresh, unique, and oh so funny. It manages to balance the seriousness of Jin Hee and Changmin's past with the ridiculous coincidence of their present. My favorite part of Emergency Couple was how it didn't shy away from the more serious issues that can arise in a relationship. Though it remains at its core a comedy there are so many refreshingly real moments between our leads as they begin the slow and arduous process of learning to trust and love each other again. The pay off for the audience is so worth the wait. Episode to episode we wait with bated breath hoping they will be able to overcome their past, his family, and her misgivings; it all finally culminates in an explosion of romance, passion, and love that they are so tentatively grasping and at risk of losing forever at any second. The tension doesn't break until the very end and the audience is left with a sense of euphoric relief.

The thing that made this drama not just good but exceptional for me was its character development. Jin Hee and Changmin begin the drama as fundamentally broken individuals. Jin Hee has come a long way from the version of herself we see in flashbacks to the time she was married to Changmin, but she has yet to heal or move past her self doubts. She is putting on a mask for herself and everyone else but her confidence is only skin deep. Changmin on the other hand feels defeated and empty. He has lost the woman he loved mostly because his family refused to accept her, and now that she's gone they welcomed him back with open arms. He's conflicted and feels lost but he's pretending that everything is better without her when in reality he just misses his wife. She learns to see her own self worth both with and without Changmin through her growing confidence in her abilities as a doctor. He learns to reorganize his priorities to reflect what he wants and needs in his life to be truly happy. They needed their time apart to grow and mature as people and when they come together again it's as fully realized versions of themselves who can lift the other up through love and mutual support.

If you're looking for a more mature take on a comedy I can't recommend this drama highly enough.

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Comfort Zone

Alle elementari ero solita vedere in compagnia di mia madre la serie americana "ER: Medici in Prima Linea" e guardando questo drama ora mi è sembrato di tornare indietro nel tempo. Le serie sono completamente diverse ma giocano su alcuni fattori in comune, ovvero dare tanto spazio alle emozioni e alle relazioni dei dottori. Qui le varie coppie sono molto belle perchè ben sviluppate e ho notato con piacere che alcune sono "particolari", ovvero poco trattate solitamente negli altri drama del settore (divorziati, problemi di novelli sposi, coppia molto giovane con figli, etc). La storia d'amore principale è cmq la più bella e apprezzata: ero scettica all'idea ma ha saputo sorprendermi e trasmettermi tanto. Ho amato questi due personaggi, la loro crescita, la maturazione, e a volte anche le cadute. Il contesto medico ospedaliero è la mia comfort zone per eccellenza, quindi so essere molto stronza/cattiva quando una serie gioca male nel ruolo. Per questo non prende 10 pieno. Per quanto le scene in cui trattano i pazienti siano molto belle, ho trovato il tutto come se facesse di contorno alle storie d'amore e non uno dei temi portanti della serie. Nel complesso mi è piaciuto cmq tantissimo.

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outstanding drama ,,,,,beautiful casting,,,,so funny,,,absolutely romantic....very useful on so many levels ...interesting dramatic events ...amazing music ......also very realistic in every thing ,,,,,,and about the ending was just amazing and different from any Korean drama i have ever seen and that's why this drama is very goooood ,,,,,,also i hope it will be another part and have more than season like any medical drama all over the world .......it will be a hit drama always,,,,,,,,... really was sooo different an i enjoyed it soo much ,,,,,,, you must watch it ,,,,,,, and regarding to the all the characters ....really WELL DONE !!!! hoping for the squeal soon :)

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There's always a 2nd Chance in LOVE~!!

This drama gave me that emotions I longed to for quite a while now. I've always appreciate drama pieces which tackles Couple misunderstandings such as divorce and break-ups because seeing the characters growing and maturing always satisfies my crave.

I love how the Main Lead handle theirselves up after they experienced hurdles and misjudgement with their marriage. It was a new feeling seeing the characters trying to start over after their marriage failed. The hesitations, worries and guilt they felt made it emotional but the appreciation, time and love they used to have kept on becoming the greatest tool for them to start all over again.

Learning to appreciate your spouse; not just his good qualities but also his flaws and mishaps requires so much emotion and this drama delivers all that. I saw various emotions and maturity on both sides that it move me to tears several times. Some of it were painful but realizing, rebuilding and rekindling their once passionate love is the sweetest.

Story - 10, Story like this just where couples try to rekindle their love always moves me. This story is the best! I love how they handle the situations rationally and didn't ended up hurting each more while expressing their love to each other.

Acting/Cast - 10, They're all good. What can I say? Song Jihyo and Choi Jinhyuk did an amazing job expressing their characters and i received it greatly. The 2nd leads and the other couples are good too.

Music - 10, When it comes to K-drama OSTs, You can always trust! I was crying while Choi Jinhyuk was seeing that Ballad song ughh. T.T

Rewatch Value - 10, One of my favorite among all dramas I have watched! It's definitely on TOP of my list and will watch whenever I needed some good advices when it comes to making huge marriage decisions.

Overall - 10, Well deserved. I love how it is mature enough to handle great decisions and for that I must say that I was sold! This piece do have some flaws but it was overshadowed by how good the plot and dialogues are.

IF you find my reviews helpful please let me know.

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One of the mature dramas I’ve watch. Very realistic and significant with the society right now where youths think that life is just about love; where adults takes for granted the feeling of love and let it fade away; where mistakes happen, where feelings changed – but that’s how LIFE is. That’s how people learned the value of life with love.

Best line I will remember from this drama: “A perfect life doesn’t exist. Unexpected accidents happened in life and we make irreversible mistakes too. But every time we fall and get hurt in life, we definitely find ourselves changed in the midst of it. We realized other people’s pains or we realized ourselves maturing. Wouldn’t it really be like the beginning of love? So even if we keep making mistakes and falling, we’ll keep growing and challenging ourselves. –Oh Chang Min and Oh Jin Hee”

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