“One cup of coffee, five kilocalories. Equivalent to five minutes of kissing. What is the total calorie of all the kisses we shared over three years? And the calories of love?”

Kim Sam Soon is the driving force behind my love for this drama. While the other characters are also well portrayed, Kim Sun Ah essentially steals the show with her sassy and pugnacious, yet thoughtful, talented and sensitive portrayal of a broken-hearted patissier.

Although she can be fierce and unrelenting, at her core, Sam Soon is simply a woman who yearns for true love--as most people do. Does it really exist? And if we find it, can it stand the test of time? Where does the love go when we fall out of it? These doubts and questions are the driving force of this drama, and the characters of Kim Sam Soon boldly charge forward looking for the answers--despite knowing there might be consequences and pain along the way. Sam Soon in particular is truly someone who loves while leaving no room for regret. Something I find refreshing and admirable in a drama heroine.

The storyline of this drama isn’t particularly original, but what makes it sparkle are the subtleties in the writing and acting. Hyun Bin holds his own as the leading man against Sun Ah (not an easy task), and they often go toe-to-toe during heated arguments. Some of my favorite scenes involve the two of them going back and forth with killer timing. Hyun Bin also has a knack in this drama for saying much without saying anything at all.

I have a pet peeve for female antagonists in Korean dramas, as I feel they are usually the exact same girl, only played by different actresses. In this drama, however, she’s quite different... I’m not sure I can even label her “the antagonist.” Like Sam Soon, Hee Jin is also bold and unrelenting, stopping at nothing for love. Her approach is very different from Sam Soon’s and I personally don’t respect her rationale. But she’s an interesting character analysis, nonetheless.

Last point, the soundtrack to this drama is stellar! Clazziquai provides the two main themes, alternating between with the sultry "She Is" and quirky, upbeat "Be My Love." As if that's not awesome enough, the series flirts with fun French pop tunes and other melodic grooves to set various moods.

Bottom line, this drama is so well acted, mature, funny, thoughtful and witty that you’ll potentially see the same old drama clichés as something new and fresh! Each episode always left me hungry for more... and sometimes for a piece of cake or cookie, too! :)

Leia Mais

When I think of this drama, the thing I remember most fondly is the music. Mary Stayed Out All Night has a KILLER soundtrack! This is truly the first drama I watched where:

A) I even noticed the music in a positive way, i.e., not thinking to myself, “I'm sick of hearing this song.”

B) Halfway through, went desperately searching for the entire O.S.T.

C) Found it and played it on repeat in my iPod for months.

The sweet and thoughtful “I Will Promise You” was the first song to grab hold of me. Jang Geun Suk’s gentle crooning over the playful, melodic acoustic guitar chords reminds me of waking up on a rainy Saturday morning. You know, the kind of morning where you get up slowly, make yourself a yummy breakfast and snuggle up in your favorite, most comfy pajamas for most of the day? Yeah, it totally took me there. And the upbeat and flirty “Hello Hello” is the song you play as you leave home on a bright and sunny morning, ready to seize the day and give it your best!

I found that all of the songs on the soundtrack took me to someplace, and they painted a vivid and wonderful background for the drama. Which is good, since the plotline for Mary tasks the characters with creating an O.S.T. for a fictional drama within the drama.

Now that I’ve waxed poetic about the music, I’ll move on the actual drama details. :)

This drama is like junk food. It’s the kind of drama you watch when you’re in the mood for something cute, but not necessarily ground-breaking or deep. It’s good when you want to watch some eye candy with brains and emotions; when you want to watch a youthful, fun drama with a decent plotline and fairly witty writing. You can’t walk into a drama like Mary with high expectations about character development, moral issues (but it is successful with regard to some of that), and dynamic plot twists and turns. You really just have to take it for what it is. Quirky and kind of cute.

The actors are very likeable in their roles and do a good job portraying their characters. Moon Geun Young is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE in the character of Mary. It’s all I could do to resist putting her in my pocket. She and Jang Geun Suk have wonderful chemistry, despite the fact that they dress like homeless people. I chalked it up as being a part of their eccentric charm.

Geun Suk is a moody, stoic, slightly arrogant and detached rocker--a role he’s played before, I think--but he’s also pretty funny with good one-liners and shows growth as the drama progresses. Kim Jae Wook is the misunderstood and terribly awkward business man that also grows through the series. As I am someone who is commonly (and tragically) a lover of the secondary male lead over the primary, my heart went out to him.

The only warning and major dislike I have is that the parents in this drama drove me BANANAS. Their rationale for their actions was just absurd and outdated, frustrating me greatly. The thought of the parents alone have stopped me from re-watching this drama, unfortunately. If they weren’t so irrational, I’d rate this much higher for re-watch value.

The “re-watch” value for the music, however, is a 10, hands down!

Leia Mais

There are a lot of aspects of this drama that I respect. For one, I appreciate that this isn’t just one of those dramas jumping on the “older woman dating a younger man” craze of the past few years. Although it might look that way initially, it’s much smarter than that.

Without sounding too pretentious, this drama is really about human relationships and how societies expectations make us question our wants and needs in our personal lives. This drama addresses those thoughts that we all have to ourselves: “I like this, but what would my friends think about it? What would my co-workers say if they knew I was doing this? What would my parents say!? Am I wrong for feeling this way?”

The lead characters are complex and well acted by Kato and MatsuJun. Particularly with the Momo character, I really liked that there was more to him than meets the eye. He’s not just some shallow, free-loading bum with a pretty face. Just like Sumire, he too has his emotional scars and is being healed by their unconventional relationship.

In addition to being smart and well-acted, the drama is downright sexy! Not overtly so, but in very subtle and playful actions between the main characters. It’s funny how some of those moments are intended to be completely “non-sexual,” but still feel as such because of the undeniable chemistry between the two leads. There’s also a lot of sexual tension throughout the series, which is never a bad thing. :)

The script is also youthful and wonderfully comedic. Sumire’s best friend in particular is candid and absolutely refreshing in her role. I love characters that unabashedly say what the audience is likely thinking!

My only complaint about this drama is the use of the Fukushima character. Why must all melodramas portray their antagonist as a typical b*tchy, jealous and spiteful woman? I get really tired of that character. She’s in, like, EVERY drama. It would be nice if writers could re-think the antagonist role, or at least make it more interesting. The Hasumi character is also a bit too gullible for my taste, but he isn't completely intolerable and serves his purpose well enough.

Overall though, Kimi wa Petto is so well-acted, interesting, sexy and funny that the plusses greatly overshadow the small, b*tchy and gullible minuses. :)

Leia Mais

The good:

There are two things about this movie that I really loved. The first is the scenery and cinematography. The second is the exquisite acting.

A small country-side town showered in autumn light, roads sprinkled in blustering, fallen leaves and dreary, rain-soaked scenes under a cloudy sky... This movie showcased the seasons like a beautiful painting or poem. The way the film is shot transported me into the scenes with the characters. I could almost smell the cool, fresh autumnal air and feel the achy dampness of the rain.

Hyun Bin and Lee Yeon Hee portrayed their characters emotions convincingly and beautifully. Personally, I have seen Hyun Bin in three roles now. I’m not sure if he just so happens to be type-cast or if he chooses these roles, but it seems he consistently plays the same character-type: rich bad boy turns softie after falling in love with unlikely heroine. Well, with so much practice, he plays the part extremely well. Lee Yeon Hee on the other hand (who, coincidentally, I’ve also seen in three roles) has a more diverse portfolio, and I am quite impressed with her range as an actress.

The bad:

The plot of this film is unoriginal, sappy and at times very brusque. Emotions seem to unfold suddenly and without pretense, which left me feeling a little... WTF’ish. My train of thought during the early part of this movie went something like this:

“Gah, stop being so mean to her...Oh, you like her now?... Love her??... What!?... How did you get in the room????.... You want to take care of her?...No? Wait wait wait, now you *don’t* like her??....*utter confusion*”

By the time the plot smoothed itself out, I found I’d just accepted the way I was *supposed* to feel and just went with it--which isn’t necessarily a good thing. As a viewer, you know what the director wants you to feel. As such, I just threw my hands up and gave in, as if to say, “fine director, I’ll accept your sappy and rushed love story, sheesh.”

Not a bad movie overall. In a way, I suppose it breaks even--balancing a predictable and choppy plot line against great acting and gorgeous scenery.

Leia Mais

My experience in watching this drama was rather disappointing. I am a very big fan of Lee Seon Gyun, and while his performance in this drama was strong, it wasn't enough to carry the entire drama. Especially since I found him and essentially every other man in this series to be sexist and chauvinist.

What century are we in? This series, while modern in overall appearance and environment, is like something out of the 1800s before the women’s movement. I think women are fairly progressed in Korea, but this series leads you to believe otherwise. As a woman watching this series, I grew weary of the male leads putting down and disrespecting the female leads.

What's even more offensive to me is the characterization of the female characters in this drama. The lead female is weak and whiney. She argues momentarily, but crumbles rather quickly and is back to saying "yes chef" to everything that is barked at her. The only strong woman in this series is of course characterized as the "evil b*tch," and is also constantly disrespected and treated like crap by all the male leads.

Lastly, there are a gagle of typical gossipy, meddling women who really serve no purpose at all. Women overall are portrayed really poorly in this series.

To say something positive, if nothing else, the chefs on the Italian team serve as wonderful eye candy.

While this drama is not the worst out there, all the sexism, ignorance and stereotyping wore on me to the point where I wasn't sure what the message of this drama was. I suppose it's purpose is to be a "romantic comedy," but I don't find bigotry romantic or funny.

Leia Mais

Quick-witted banter, intriguing mysteries and a somewhat steady stream of awkward jokes make Trick a very enjoyable and fun series to watch. As someone with the humor of a 14-year-old boy at times, it was very easy for me to laugh out loud at the running boob and penis jokes throughout the series.

Anatomical humor aside though, this series does a great job of balancing fairly low-brow humor against thought-provoking mysteries. While in one moment you may find yourself genuinely pondering how this alleged psychic’s “trick” could have been accomplished, your train of thought might be suddenly broken upon glimpsing the inappropriately shaped bento box on the table. I actually enjoyed this dichotomy, because it helped to keep the series interesting, and from taking itself (and the characters) too seriously.

Dr. Ueda, who is a bit like a handsome mad scientist, is one of the oddest characters I’ve seen in a drama. He takes himself seriously, but then again he doesn’t at all. He has confidence, and yet, maybe not. It’s hard to pin point who he is as a person, because if nothing else, he is consistent in his inconsistencies. Is he a genius or is he an idiot? I’m genuinely not sure, but for me he’s just a lot of fun to watch!

Naoko is more the “straight woman” in the series. Naoko sees the big picture in the mysteries and is usually the one to solve the case. Even so, she can’t help but get wrapped up in the awkward hi-jinks that occur all around her. But she handles it with frankness and confidence and I adored that about her character.

Be warned though that this is not a particularly exciting series. Often, the mysteries unfold slowly (over the course of two episodes, sometimes) and there is a slice-of-life quality to this drama that deflects any air of fantasy or whimsy. But I actually like it this way!

Sometimes it’s good to watch a drama that is enjoyable, but not necessarily crack addicting to where it consumes your life. Trick is a pleasant refuge from the cracky, high-intensity dramas out there.

Leia Mais

There’s nothing particularly glamorous about The Woodsman and the Rain. It’s not adventurous or exciting, and there’s no romance. There isn’t even a ton of symbolism (there is a little bit, though) or epic displays of friendship.

Even still, something about this movie made me smile. And although the movie is very, very quiet with slow pacing, I would often--and suddenly--laugh out loud at a small gesture or response from one of the characters. And as the credits rolled, I found myself feeling quite happy and hopeful.

Emotions and situations in this movie are expressed in the simplest of ways. There aren’t any long dialogs or monologs to articulate the characters feelings or relationships. But much is said in the smallest of actions or gestures, and I really loved that. It makes you perk up and pay more attention to the subtle details.

My takeaway from this movie is that you just never know. You never know what small surprises or circumstances life has in store for you. Even when you immediately asses a new situation as bad or unwanted, it may just be exactly what you needed. It may indeed be a blessing in disguise to clear up the rain clouds all around you that you’d forgotten were even there. I appreciate this message, as I have found it to be a certain truth about life. Change isn’t always a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it’s usually good!

That being said, this movie isn’t for everyone. And many will find it boring and probably drop it less than halfway through. I considered it, but I’m really glad I stuck with it.

It served as a pleasant reminder that even when there’s rain, the sky will clear up again, eventually.

Leia Mais

I Do I Do is modern and stylish. It’s sexy and fashionable. It’s funny and witty. And the main characters are so damn attractive, young, talented, successful and cool. They are the kind of people you want to be, or at the very least, wish that you knew.

But above all these things, this drama is smart. It is perhaps the most cleverly written and well developed drama I have ever watched.

I Do I Do takes conventional ideas and attitudes and challenges them head on, like that bully in the school yard that turns a kid upside down to empty his pockets for lunch money. Where other dramas tip toe around sensitive topics, this drama puts a spotlight on those social taboos, and its characters handle them with grace, style, courage and dignity. It’s truly inspiring.

So many aspects of this drama were pleasing for me. But in this review, I want to highlight one actor in particular who absolutely shined. That person is Lee Jang Woo. I went into this drama expecting Kim Sun Ah to be amazing, and of course, she was. But what I was not expecting was to be blown away by this kid playing Park Tae Kang.

Ironically, within the first few episodes, I had written Jang Woo off. I’d hastily decided that, not only was Tae Kang an annoying and useless character, but also that Jang Woo’s acting abilities were questionable.

Less than halfway through the drama, I had to eat those words.

While all four of the lead characters grow and develop beautifully, Park Tae Kang did a complete 180 in this drama. The change was so gradual and subtle that I looked up and found myself smiling like a giddy school girl at the mere sight of his face on screen. And I don’t think it’s so much that HE changes, but rather my understanding of him became clearer. It’s amazing how a well written story line and some good acting can alter your perspective and emotions so quickly!!

Some might write this drama off too hastily because it starts off a little slower than most. But like any good story, it develops over time and gains momentum, getting better and stronger with each episode. I really can’t say anything bad about this drama. Nothing about it disappointed me. I wish I could literally embrace it in a nice, big hug.

One more point I would like to make. I am not some kind of rocket scientist, but there are a lot of dramas out there that, I feel, insult my intelligence as a viewer. But this drama never did that. Not once. It never fell into the same old clichés or patterns. Through all 16 episodes, the actions of the characters were believable, consistent and rationale. Also, the events therein even surprised me, intrigued me or moved me emotionally. This is very rare for me.

I really wish more dramas were like this one. And I hope I Do I Do can set a new standard for the quality of writing and acting that audiences desire and deserve.

Leia Mais

I absolutely adore this movie! From the original and fresh story line to the great cinematography and quirky soundtrack, so many elements of this movie are wonderfully executed and work together flawlessly.

I am someone who appreciates cultures. Especially getting a sneak peek, almost "fly on the wall" glimpse into niche sub-cultures. This movie definitely gives you that feel. Welcome to Nerd-Dom! Land of the introverted and not particularly brave. The filming of this movie makes you feel as if you are literally transported right into Akihabara, Tokyo. BAM! You are suddenly walking among the otakus, sitting in the manga cafes or browsing the loud, blustering computer hardware stores. I swear it's an almost magical experience.

The story is fast-paced and witty. There are moments that will have you falling out of your chair with laughter, other moments that might bring a tear to your eye, and yet some moments that will have you shouting at your screen! All of the actors involved do an excellent job of balancing between these emotions--especially Takayuki Yamada, who pulls off a believable, yet gradual, transformation of the main character. All of the sub-characters play into the story line so well that you don't feel as if this is a story about one person or two people. It feels like it's everyone's story! It's the story of many people being impacted by the actions and courage of one brave nerd. :)

If ever you're looking for a different kind of love story, this is it! Without giving too much away, this is a story about courage and being bold. It's about how if you want something in life, you have to be unafraid and take a chance, no matter how difficult it might be. Even if you might think you're undeserving, in life, you have to at least try.

It's a universal and simple message, but this movie succeeds in presenting it with a lot of heart.

Leia Mais

This drama is not what it seems. It’s much better.

As a critical drama viewer, I scoffed at the title and poster for this drama. It’s very easy to dismiss. The premise sounds ridiculous and the poster matches that assumption perfectly.

But I was very surprised by this drama, which does a fantastic job of creating intricate, thought-provoking murder mysteries that will make you ponder what’s right and what’s wrong. Situations in life are not always black and white--sometimes there’s a lot of gray.

Each episode is woven exceptionally well. So much so that the series becomes interactive, and as a viewer, I found myself attempting to guess the “who, what, when, where, why and how “of the crime.

The acting is also very well done--from the lovable prosecution team lead by the dogmatic, bullheaded and yet very sexy Min Tae Yeon to the suspects, everyone played their part flawlessly. I especially enjoyed the lead characters and their own quirky traits that seemed to balance the prosecution team perfectly.

Is it a perfect work of drama art? Not exactly. But it was very surprising and almost refreshing to watch something that involved vampires, and yet did not deal with oversexed, vulgar and lustful characters. That in and of itself makes me rate it higher!

Kudos, Vampire Prosecutor, for knocking some of the stale haze from an overused mythological genre!

Leia Mais

Dear Movie Directors/Producers,

If a movie is not officially labeled as a "musical," or intentionally adapted from a Broadway play, PLEASE do not allow for random fits of song and dance to interject themselves into a plot line. It is awkward for us as an audience, and probably not particularly pleasant for the actors involved, either.

Thank you for your consideration,
Omnichelle

----

I am not a fan of musicals in general. BUT, if I at least *know* that something is a musical going into it, I can prepare myself for it. Fair enough. But if you break into song and dance without pretense, rhyme or reason, I find it extremely awkward, and thus become a little agitated.

That bit of bias aside...

This movie is a very shallow and silly adaptation of a legitimately good story. I find that my complaint with most Korean movies is that they feel rushed and its characters commonly too undeveloped for me to care about them. You're My Pet is a shining example of this.

Jang Geun Suk pretty much does what he's done in other roles he's had similar to this--acted as a kind of rebellious yet "brilliantly talented" something or other. Kim Ha Neul plays her part well enough for what the weak, choppy plot allows. There are perhaps one or two "swoony" moments between the lead characters, but nothing particularly exciting.

Perhaps the best thing about this movie is the cinematography, which is very clean, modern and bright with interesting settings around Seoul. I enjoyed that much, at least.

If you're one of those hard core Jang Geun Suk fans, I suppose it'd be worth the watch for you. He looks pretty. But if you're like me and are a big fan of the Kimi wa Petto franchise (Jdrama and manga), skip this. You'll just be disappointed.

Leia Mais

Rooftop Prince has one of THE BEST first episodes among dramas I've watched. It pulls you in with quick pacing, multiple plot lines, time jumps and flashes of mysterious occurrences, and you can’t help but wonder how the heck everything and everyone are connected! It’s incredibly well written and executed.

In its entirety though, the drama is about three parts amazing and one part painfully annoying.

I genuinely liked all of the characters in this drama. The writers took care in creating unique, quirky personality traits for each character, and I really enjoyed learning about everyone as the intricate mysteries unfolded. My favorite characters being the boys from Joseon. I am a sucker for male camaraderie and adored watching them goofily interact and navigate through the plot. I was especially enamored with Micky Yoochun and his excellent portrayal of the prideful and serious crown prince. I would honestly re-watch this entire series just to listen to his old Korean accent as he incredulously shouts and screams at everyone! It just tickled me!

There’s something to be said about the “bad guys” in Rooftop Prince. Basically, they ran the show. They were so good at being bad, that watching them commit hateful, vindictive sin after sin and get away with evil after evil after evil became exciting. I would think, hell, what *else* can they get away with?? The antagonists in this drama were much stronger than the protagonists (almost TOO strong, but I’ll get to that next). But it doesn't mean that I liked the antagonists more--which was a delicate line to walk for the writers. I shouldn't root for the bad guys, but I don’t want to hate them with a burning hellish fire, either... Takes too much energy.

Now I need to complain. As I mentioned earlier, the bad guys were too strong. So strong, that in order for them to continuously do dastardly deeds, the writers needed the protagonists to betray their original character traits, and that bothered me.

For the bulk of the series, the lead protagonists are presented as strong, smart and fairly perceptive individuals. They picked up on small cues and hints, made good decisions in dealing with the “bad guys,” thought things through.... And then they just get dumb. Dumb and gullible. And it hurt my soul. The problem is that the drama is too long. At 16 episodes, the leads could have stayed smart and the story could have been wrapped up. But the longer the drama went on, the dumber and more naive they had to be to allow the bad guys to continuously get away with their evil trickery.

On the whole though, I had a lot of fun watching Rooftop Prince and I’d easily recommend it to anyone. Thankfully, the plot line was strong enough (and lead characters likable enough)to where I could suffer through the annoying bits. Through those times, I’d be screaming on the inside, “AHHH I JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS ENDS!!!!” And the fact that I cared that much was evidence enough that there was indeed something very right about this drama.

Leia Mais

Flat out, this drama is a big waste of time. It’s been almost a year since I watched this drama, and to this day, whenever someone mentions “Heartstrings,” I am reminded of the 22.5 hours of my life that I can never have back (yes, I calculated it).

I’m being harsh. But my point is that there are a lot of good dramas to dedicate your time to. Hell, there are even some bad ones that are so funny that they’re more worth your time than this!

Heartstrings presents itself as a “feel-good,” light-hearted romantic comedy. And within the first few episodes, it absolutely seems fun and cute! The two leads are very cute, the music is upbeat and catchy, and the settings are cool, hip and visually appealing. But the more you actually learn about the two leads and the storyline develops, the less appealing everything and everyone becomes and the drama takes a significant nosedive into mediocrity.

Park Shin Hye makes a series of obnoxious choices, making her character change from the cute yet naive “girl next door,” to a vapid, slightly idiotic doormat. Jung Yong Hwa is the typical popular guy that everyone in town loves and/or desires, but for no apparent reason other than being physically attractive. The man has the personality and charisma of an ice cube. He also spends much of his time walking around with a chip on his shoulder and being unkind to the people around him. Oooh, so attractive...But not really.

I also didn't care for the way the writers handled the issue of an eating disorder with one of the characters. It was casually referenced periodically, but the writers never took any responsibility or stance on the topic. That was pretty unacceptable to me considering the audience for this drama is primarily young women. Since they brought it up, they could have at least made an impactful statement on the issue, but alas.

And don’t get me wrong, not all dramas have to be profound, political, thought-provoking or mind-blowing. Some dramas are meant to be taken in like yummy junk food--fun and enjoyable in the moment, where you don’t need to think too deeply about the plotline. Guilty pleasures, if you will.

But even as a fun, junk-food drama, Heartstrings fails. I can’t think of anything worse than eating unsatisfying junk food. It’s already bad for you, and in the end, it doesn’t taste good either!

If you’re looking for a good “junk-food” genre drama, go with Mary Stayed Out All Night or Switch Girl. Those dramas succeed in their genre and won’t leave you pulling out a calculator to estimate how much time you wasted on them...Like I did watching Heartstrings... 22.5 hours...That’s almost an entire day...

Leia Mais

This drama is an interesting phenomenon for me. If I write this review as objectively and rationally as possible, I have to be completely honest with myself. This is not the best drama of the year. Nor is it particularly ground-breaking, well-acted or even well written.

That being said, this drama is sublimely successful when it comes to one thing only: romance.

This is a very, very romantic series. And the two lead characters have such believable chemistry and do such a good job of selling the romance that I think audiences are willing to completely ignore all of the other flaws within the drama. I think that in itself is impressive. Perhaps even a craft to be praised?

I like to think of myself as an intelligent girl. Yes, I like to swoon and sigh when watching a drama and I can absolutely appreciate a handsome face and a good kissing scene. And while this drama tries very, very hard to suck me in and give way to those emotions, I can’t. I won’t. And I will admit, within the first few episodes of this drama, I was singing its praises from the rooftops, recommending it to everyone who’d listen. If they were selling T-shirts, I probably would have bought one.

But just like a heavy dose of puppy love that slowly fades with time, I had to admit that all was not coming up roses.

First realized flaw in my puppy love: the historical scenes of this drama are confusing and unclear. They improve slightly as the drama progresses, but not enough. As a viewer, I shouldn’t want to skip through parts of a new drama because the plot line is confusing or simply boring. If the writing was clever, I would look forward to EVERY scene of the drama—appreciating the history and political intrigue of the Joseon era AND looking forward to the romantic complications of the modern world. It essentially means I’m bored with half of the drama. Not good.

Second flaw: the rules created within the fantasy are inconsistent. If, initially, you tell your audience that a particular object is the sole purpose for time travel, stick to it. And if you decide to alter that rule, then please create a plausible plot twist where—-within the pre-established rules of the fantasy-—the time travel is possible again.

For example, and stick with me, let's say a toaster is a key plot device in the drama. If the toaster doesn't work within the parameters of the rules given, but then DOES work suddenly to make it convenient for the plot... That’s lazy and unacceptable. Why did you bother telling me the toaster didn't work? It’s as if the writers gave up. I imagine that a conversation similar to the following took place during production:

“No! We can’t use the toaster! We have to use something else! We already wrote that it doesn’t work! How can we clean this up?? Any ideas??”

*a week later*

“Still no ideas? OK, let’s just go with the toaster. We’ve got a deadline.”

Anyway, this review is getting long but I felt the need to express my opinion amongst all the “Outstanding” ratings. I will admit, this drama is indeed “outstanding” at playing on my libido as a female viewer due to all of the romance and epic face-sucking. But when it comes to my intelligence and common sense, this drama is “good” if I’m being nice. “Fair” if my puppy love has totally dissipated and I completely ignore my libido.

Leia Mais

Before I say anything, let me say this: I don't like Korean historical dramas.

I have tried watching MANY and ended up hating ALL of them. In my humble opinion, all they ever really amount to are three things:

A) Cool/pretty costumes
B) Mildly interesting linguistics
C) A bunch of people running around in the woods

Usually by the 8th episode or so, some ridiculous mythological plot devices are non-sensibly and incongruously running amok, and we're falling into the same old plot twists used in ALL KOREAN DRAMAS..... Except for the cool costumes, interesting linguistics and everyone running around in the woods (and dying... lots of people always die in Korean historical dramas).

THAT BEING SAID........ I really enjoyed Gu Family Book!

It is THE FIRST historical drama I have watched and never once felt bored. The first where I didn't get confused and generally irritated with illogical plot twists. The first that captivated me to the point of talking out loud to the characters via my computer screen and or laying on the ground in a puddle of lovey-dovey goo (I am looking at YOU Lee Seung Gi). Call me crazy, but that is when I know that I am absolutely bewitched by a drama.

Yes, this drama does have cool costumes, a mythological plot and plenty of forest frolicking, but the strength is in its characters and their development. The best dramas are those where I actually care what happens to the characters. They're all just so darn charming!

EVERY character is given a certain level of depth and significance within the plot line. Not only did I care very much about Kang Chi and Yeo Wool, I also ADORED ALL of the random side characters--from the cheerful/sunshiney Sung and wise/cheeky Master Dal, to the rambunctious Bong Chool and his goofy gang of street thugs. I even cared about the bad guys, because they were so good at being despicable that I HAD to make sure they got what they deserved in the end.

And I must give a bit of kudos to the writers for the character Yeo Wool. One, I love a good, strong, "rough around the edges" female lead. Two, Suzy did a great job projecting Yeo Wool's unwavering bad-assness, which was necessary to properly support the character of Kang Chi.

At 24 episodes, this drama initially made me nervous with its length (I usually stay away from dramas more than 16 episodes long--the plot almost always drags). But I was SAD when this drama ended!! As if having to say goodbye to good friends. I wanted to know more!!

Who knew running around in the woods could be so much fun!?

Leia Mais