Reviews on Korean dramas 2014

I’d like to take this chance to review some of the good and terrible dramas which were aired in early 2014 via MBC, KBS and SBS broadcasting stations in South Korea.

Sly & Single Again 

The cast of this drama is rather interesting from various ages- Ju Sang Wook, Lee Min Jung, Seo Kang Jun & Kim Gyuri. A happily married couple ended up in some

 

misunderstanding and divorce. 3 years later wife discovers ex-hubby is a successful CEO of DONTALK IT company. In order to revenge back on her, he hires her as an intern to torture her with tons of work. Meanwhile cutie Seo Kang Jun as 2nd male lead and he has managed to capture the audience with his emotions and great acting. I will give it 3.5/5 stars for this drama. It’s a 2nd collaboration drama for Ju Sang Wook & Lee Min Jung after their first drama Kimchi Radish Cubes with Park Shin Hye (years back! That was an old drama where everyone looked so young!)


Joseon Gunman
Yes…Lee Jun Ki is back with another Sageuk period drama as double character- Park Yoon Kang and Hasegawa Hanjo. *Swoons*…honestly I must say Junki looks good in Sageuk and with his taekwondo skills, he fits well in action dramas. 2nd time he collaborates with actress Nam Sang Mi after the first drama Time Dog & Wolf. 

After the tragic death of his father and been framed as a traitor, Yoon Kang trades his sword for a Western rifle as he embarks on a revenge mission ending up becoming a hero for the people. Choi Won Shin as the ambitious stoned face assassin has an important role in this drama…he’s done it well for the main villain. Although his daughter’s role Hyewon played by Jeon Hye Bin was small and rather boring but she did it well too. Their ending for father-daughter was tragic- led by greed and plain jealousy. I must give credit to Otani Ryohei as the Japanese translator for Hanjo. He’s a Japanese actor who has stayed in Korea for 10 years and fluent in Korean. What a cutie! I will watch Roommate 2nd season because of him! Ha ha! 4/5 stars.

It's Okay to Love

Jang Jae Yeol (Jo In Sung) is a famous mystery novelist and popular radio DJ who suffers

from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). When he meets Ji Hae Soo (Gong Hyo Jin), a first-year psychiatry fellow at the hospital where he is being treated, they help each other work through their deep-rooted emotional issues. 


But how will Jo Dong Min (Sung Dong Il), Hae Soo’s senior colleague and first love, and Lee Pul Ip (Yoon Jin Yi), Jae Yeol’s girlfriend, feel about their growing closeness?

A great cast of Gong Hyo Jin, Jo In Sung, Sung Dong Il, D.O from EXO Group and Running Man's Lee Kwang Soo. Basically Gong Hyo Jin has gotten all the great handsome actors to work with. She's done dramas with Jang Hyuk, Seo Ji Sub, Cha Seung Won and now with Jo In Sung. Love...loved the chemistry of bromance among Soo Kwang, Dong Min and Jae Yeol in the boarding house. They are hillarious especially with Soo Kwang's antics. It's a first attempt for D.O from EXO group as the younger hallucination version of Jae Yeol. He's done it well. 3.5/5 stars 


Wonderful Days
This is a long family weekend drama which has taken top spot with top veteran actors such as Lee Seo Jin, Kim Hee Sun, Kim Ji Ho & Ok Tacyeon. Surprisingly 2PM group leader Tacyeon fits well in this drama despite being an idol but with his Busan ascent and acting skills, he has improved a lot and I love to see his character Dong Hee in this drama along with his pair of twins and Teacher Mari. Seo Jin is the hot blooded Prosecutor who left his hometown Gyeongju 13 years ago. 

There he meets again his first love, Hee Won and through many struggles-laughter’s & tears, they finally got consent to marry. One funny thing of this drama is their useless father who returned home with his 2 twin brothers who’re baldy and does nothing except floating around in this drama with nonsense talks. Kim Ji Ho’s Dong Ok role is interesting when she meets the innocent doctor who has interest in her even though she is slightly slow. 4/5 stars. Good drama and happy ending too!


TRIANGLE

How can I forget this touching drama on 3 long lost brothers reunited again after been separated for years. It’s the 2nd time for Jae Joong to work along with veteran actor Lee Bum Soo after their periodical drama Dr. Jin. ZE:A’s Im Si Wan as the youngest brother- cynical and spoilt Yoon Yang Ha is a rather interesting character to watch. Lee Bum Soo was the main lead in this drama but his spotlight was somehow taken by Jaejoong who has portrayed so well as the street petty gangster, Heo Young Dal earning a living in casinos. Oh Yeon Soo’s role as a psychiatrist and LBSoo’s girlfriend doesn’t have a significant appearance so the credit goes to Baek Jin Hee who plays as Young Dal’s love interest. The OST for this drama is moving when first 2 brothers were reunited; meet their mother for the first time and tears for remembering what happened to their late father. Every time I listen to Jaejoong’s smooth voice for the song싫어도 (Even Though I Hate It), it is so emotional . 4/5 stars for this one. 

 

You’re All Surrounded
4 rookie detectives in Gangnam police station- Eun Dae Gu (Lee Seung Gi), Uh Soo Sun (Go Ara), Park Tae Il (Ahn Jae-Hyeon) and Ji Guk (Park Jung-Min) arrive at the Gangnam Police Station for their first day of work. Their boss is none other than the hot headed Seo Pan Seok (Cha Seung Won) Dae Gu recognizes Seo. He hasn't forgotten him in 11 years when he was the detective asking his mother to become the witness in a homicide incident. He lost his mother to a murderer when Seo failed to protect them. From there Dae Gu has never forgiven Seo and intends to search for the main culprit. 

Seung Gi has always hoped to work with Cha Seung Won after appearing cameo in Greatest Love. Indeed they managed to work together. Go A-Ra’s bubbly character is interesting, loved it when she kept calling Dae Gu – ‘hey, my partner’ when he coolly ignores her. The best couple would be Tae Il and Guk. These 2 are cute and hilarious. For those who remember Cheon Song Yi’s little brother in My Love from another Star…he’s Ahn Jae Hyeon.  Cha Seung Won is great in his acting whether he plays the good or baddie role. 3.5/5 stars.

Jang Bori is here!

Another long family weekend drama of 50 episodes but it was typical draggy at the first 20+ episodes that wrecked my nerves. As a child, Jang Bo Ri (Oh Yeon-Seo) was adopted by a single parent woman without much money.

Unknown to her she is the missing daughter, Eun Bi of a wealthy family who owns the famous Hanbok designing house Bi Sul Chae. Bo Ri goes through the drastic change in her life and tries to become a successful designer of traditional Hanbok. Meanwhile, her adopted stepsister, Min Jung (Lee Yu-Ri) tried hard to win the heart of Eun Bi’s parents.


I must say Kim Ji Hoon’s as Jae Hwa is funny as hell…he’s comical and yet he’s smart. His step mother and father are a hilarious couple. Thumbs up for Lee Yu Ri as the main villain. Her eyes and expression gave it all when she is sneaky and frightening. She has done well for the 2nd time after she did in Twinkle Twinkle alongside Kim Hyun Joo. 3.5/5 stars.

Emergency Couple

A happy bubbly drama about a divorced couple who ended up meeting each other again at the hospital's Emergency Room. Choi Jin Hyuk and Song Ji Hyo plays the comical couple who were rivals at the start but ended up falling in love with each other at the end. Ji Hyo who is famous for being Miss Mong (Blur and dazed) all the time in Running Man program is hillarious at the start. She often gets into trouble in the ER especially with her boss. There's the sexy Clara in the drama who has an interest in Choi Jin Hyuk's role but realizes he still hasn't forgotten his ex-wife. I'd give it 4/5 stars though it's a cable network channel from TVN. As for those who remember Papa Gu (from The Gu Family book) - Choi Jin Hyuk was Lee Seung Gi's father in the sageuk fusion drama. Choi Jin Hyuk's acting has improved so much from his recent drama 'The Heirs' as Lee Min Ho's cold hearted brother.


Hotel King
The story unfolds revenge and love whereby a loner, Cha Jae Wan (Lee Dong Wook) is an outstanding General Manager in CIEL Hotel. He has been adopted by the ruthless businessman, Lee Jung Goo (Lee Duk Hwa) to revenge on the President Ah Sung Ahn. Ah’s only daughter Ah Mo Ne (Lee Da Hae) returns from US to take over her late father’s hotel only to realize everything is crumbling apart with the VP and GM against her.  

First few episodes were a drag for me even though Lee Dong Wook is one of my favourite actors. Visually he’s handsome and stylish but Lee Da Hae as his love interest in this drama somehow didn’t feel so right. She was great in My Girl with Dong Wook but I reckon she has done so much plastic surgery to her face that her expressions were so stiff. Lee Duk Hwa was the main villain and yet this old man has great acting. He’s been always a great veteran actor in so many dramas. I remember the first time I saw Lee Duk Hwa was in All In drama as Ji Sung’s father.  3/5 stars…a letdown… sighs…