Fabulous Korean Dramas 2 ~♥

Continue of Fabulous Korean Dramas =)

Title: Playful Kiss/Mischievous Kiss
Genre: Romance & School Life
Total Episodes: 16 (+ 7 Special Edition Episodes)
Broadcast Year: 2010

Brief Summary

Based from the popular manga, Oh Ha Ni (Jung So Min) is a clumsy student who carries a torch for a genius student, Baek Seung Jo (Kim Hyun Joong). Seung Jo is however uninterested to her love and rejects her. One day, Ha Ni’s house collapses due to earthquake and both she and her father moves in with a long time friend. Turns out that family friend is Seung Jo’s parents, which gives Ha Ni the opportunity to get near Seung Jo.

 

Comment:

I have seen this drama in different versions, the first one is the Japanese version “Itazura na Kiss”. I like the male lead (Kashiwabara Takashi), thought he is really cute! The female lead (Sato Aiko) reminds me of the cartoon, Dumbo, the cute flying elephant with big ears..Haa..Anyway I find the Japanese version short and sweet with only 9 episodes. After which I watch the anime manga version of “Itazurz na Kiss” and realised there are actually more scenes and storyline that I have not seen, I find the manga version more fun. Then in recent years there is a Taiwan version “It started with a Kiss” & “They Kiss Again” which I also watched and enjoy the process, because Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin make a very compatible couple, they are by far my most like couple in all the versions of “Itazura na Kiss”. I think Joe Cheng really looks like the male lead of the anime manga version with his height and stuck up good looks. However, I find Taiwan version quite draggy especially the second part “They Kiss Again”.

And now there is the Korean version “Playful Kiss”, frankly I’m not really looking forward to it initially as I have already seen quite a number of versions and know the story inside out so there isn’t really much excitement, is there? But I still watch because of Kim Hyun Joong as I have seen him in “Boys over Flowers” and find him quite charming. The story is not so bad and I like the humour added in the drama, both main and supporting casts are very funny! I really had a good time laughing while watching it. Jung So Min is very adorable and likeable as Oh Ha Ni, actually I do not really like her when I watched “Bad Guy”, but my opinion of her change to the better after watching “Playful Kiss”. I like the Korean version of the female lead better because she is not as ‘naïve’ and dependable as the Taiwan version, though she is still as desperate, LOL! I like Kim Hyun Joong’s straight hairstyle better in the first few episodes, after which he kind of perm his hair slightly..erm..just like him better with straight hair, anyway it is subjective.

One of my favourite scene is when Ha Ni prepared a lunch box for Seung Jo to bring to work in his father’s company, although Ha Ni’s cooking sucks and Seung Jo appear to be indifferent but he actually feels very happy when he opens up the lunch box in his office. In fact I think the special 7 episodes in YouTube is much more entertaining then the original episodes, and I really enjoy watching it! This drama though not too addictive for me but I think it is a heart-warming and happy drama that manga lovers will enjoy.
 

 

Title: You’re Beautiful/He’s Beautiful/Minami Shineyo



Genre: Romance and Comedy

Total Episodes: 16

Broadcast Year: 2009

 

Brief Summary:

A popular male idol group A.N.JELL intends to add a new singer member to the group as the lead vocal, Hwang Tae Kyung’s (Jang Geun Suk) voice was hurting. However, the new member, Go Mi Nam (Park Shin Hye) had to undergo a surgery for eye job in the States before the contract signing. His agent approached his twin sister, Go Mi Nyu to stand in for him and act as her twin brother for the time being. Both Mi Nam and Mi Nyu grew up in an orphanage and the latter have decided to be a nun. She agreed as she hopes her brother’s fame will make looking for their mother easier and hence end up living with the members of A.N.JELL while struggling to keep her real identity a secret.

Comment:

You’re Beautiful is just fabulous, all the characters are fantastic, I really love this drama and it is the best for me although the plot is quite typical with a girl pretending to be a guy. It has been a long time since I’m totally hooked up in a drama and so obsessed that I will replay scenes and purposely wake up early in the morning to catch the latest episode before going about doing my daily stuff and frantically search for NG and behind the scenes clips online. It is so entertaining it never fails to crack me up from first episode to the final one. Each episode’s duration is only about one hour but I ended up using two hours to watch just one episode due to replaying of scenes, etc. As I really can’t wait to catch the next episode each episode ended and the one week wait is just pure agony. The characters in the drama were very well portrayed and I especially love the character Hwang Tae Kyung played by Jang Geun Suk, he is so expressive that you can never predict his next facial expression. Though his character appear to be quite cold initially, audience will slowly fall in love with him as the drama progress and he show a softer, loving and protective side of him as he grows to fall in love with Mi Nyu.

I adored his unique way of saying “Go Mi Nam”, how he twitched his mouth when irritated and his sour expression when eating lime, LOL. I was hoping that Jang Geun Suk and Park Shin Hye will become real couple and was surprised to read that Jang Geun Suk’s mother also likes Park Shin Hye a lot in real life! Haha. Anyway the only thing I don’t really like in this character is the eyeliner he wear as I’m not really into guyliner, but I still find it acceptable because it’s gorgeous Jang Geun Suk! The soundtrack of this drama is very good as the songs were sang by the artists themselves and their voice are so beautiful and soothing, it makes me hope that they are a real idol group! Some of the scenes I love were when Tae Kyung’s room were destroyed by Mi Nam, Tae Kyung expression when he saw Mi Nam as a girl, Tae Kyung and Mi Nam night dating in the cinema, Tae Kyung being chased by a boar, etc. Among other things there were also the couple’s very own pig rabbit, pig nose action, ribbon hairclip and star necklace, etc. You’re beautiful is definitely a drama you will not regret watching!

Title: The 1^st Shop of Coffee Prince/Coffee Prince

Genre: Romance & Comedy

Total Episodes: 17

Broadcast Year: 2007

Brief Summary:

Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) was in many jobs in order to pay off debts, due to working too hard her image is not really that feminine. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the son of a affluent family who decided to set up his own café, Coffee Prince. He mistaken Eun Chan as a guy and hire her to be his fake guy lover and work in his café. Things get complicated as he began to realise he has fallen for her and thought she is a guy.

Comment:

I do not know who Gong Yoo is when I first watch this drama, I remember thinking ‘oh my gosh, how can this fellow be the male lead’! But after I watch this drama I have a different opinion of him. He is a very good actor! I was surprised at Yoon Eun Hye’s performance in this drama because she is really very good, I always thought she is the feminine type and can’t imagine her in boyish outfits and chic short hairstyle. She really look like a cute and delightful boy in this drama. This beautiful drama gives me a better understanding of homosexuality, on why guys can like their buddies.

I think there is nothing wrong in loving your same gender because love has no boundaries and should not focus on gender, looks, status, etc. The plot is pretty exciting and fun especially when Han Kyul is in such a agony when he began to fall for Eun Chan not knowing that she is in fact a girl. The sweetest part is he did not even mind that he might be a gay and just wanted to keep things simple and try to work things out and have a better understanding with Eun Chan.

I love their simple relationship where they are comfortable with one another. Coffee Prince is a relax romance comedy drama that is quite different from other romantic dramas, it is more on wonderful friendship and love between two different individuals that makes you feel for them.

Title: 9 End 2 Outs/ 2 Outs in the 9^th Inning

Genre: Romance and Comedy

Total Episodes: 16

Broadcast year: 2007

Brief Summary:

This drama is about singles in love in their 30s. Working in a publishing firm, Hong Nan Hee (Park Soo Ae) is a girl always falling in and out of love. Until one day she realises that her long time best friend, Byun Hyung Tae (Lee Jung Jin) is always there for her when she need it.

Hyung Tae is an ideal bachelor in the eyes of numerous women but to Nan Hee, he is just a cowardly boy she grew up with. 9 Ends 2 Outs uses the baseball theme to evaluate to the destiny and life of individuals in love. (Source: Dramawiki)

Comment:

9 End 2 Outs is a hilarious and heart-warming drama, as Bong Nan Hee and Byun Hyung Tae are very relaxed with each other since they have been best friends for 30 years. Their bickering with each other is funny and they can even live together without any awkwardness though both are single. I like how they talk to each other without any boundaries and they know each other’s secrets so well and support one another. I especially love the song they sing along together every time out of the blue and the flash backs of their past and happenings when they were younger. The way they talk to each other is so frank, you just have to laugh out loud; for instance a scene when Hyung Tae saw Nan Hee making out with her younger baseball player boyfriend outside his apartment and he come out with the sentence, “Hey, do you think you guys are hamsters?” And how Nan Hee digs her nose and smells her feet in front of Hyung Tae until he feels like throwing up with her mucky acts! He is organized and is a cleaning freak, while she is untidy and grimy.

This drama is in fact not really about baseball regardless of its title, more on sometimes in life people search for love and realise the one for them is actually right in front of them. I like the fact that every episode consists of a saying based on the baseball game and also reflect on the love life and fate of main leads, which is momentous and candid. This drama makes me wonder; can a guy and gal can really be the best of friends? And after watching this drama it makes me also want to have a guy best friend. A meaningful story that is not typical with marvellous chemistry of main leads, their bickering is so natural and funny you would not get bored. This on screen couple is so compatible, it makes the drama so much more interesting and worth watching!

 

 





Title: Couple or Trouble/Fantasy Couple

Genre: Romance and Comedy

Total Episodes: 16

Broadcast Year: 2006

Brief Summary:

Anna Jo (Han Ye Seul) is an aggressive, rude and spoiled American-bred heiress who is not easily satisfied. Upon returning to Korea, she goes on to being a domineering wife to her cowardly husband, Billy Park (Kim Sung Min). One day she appoints a local handyman Jang Chul Soo (Oh Ji Ho) to fix her yacht and got into a fiery argument with him over issues on her displeasure. Shortly after she had a quarrel with her husband and gets herself drunk; went overboard in her yacht and become a victim of amnesia. When she woke up she found herself in the company of Jang Chul Soo as the latter take advantage of her losing memory and begin to fool her around as revenge to her arrogant attitude before. This drama is based on the 1987 American movie Overboard.

Comment:

Couple or Trouble is filled with adorable characters that make the drama so much funnier and light-hearted. Every episode is entertaining and the main star is Anna Jo’s character, as she is really stuck-up and spoiled, her expression and high-pitch voice is so exaggerating that it is hilarious and her character wins the hearts of audience. Her character’s is also very funny especially when she acts high and mighty when people persuade her to try out Korea traditional wine ‘soju’ or play Korea card game ‘flower cards’ and Korea dish ‘jjajangmyeon aka black bean sauce noodles’. But in the end she turns out to be really hooked into drinking soju, playing flower cards game and eating jjajangmyeon.

Other characters in the drama also add sparks in it such as the ahjumma’s love story, crazy flower girl and three cute little boys who played Jang Chul Soo’s nephews. I think what makes me attracted to this drama is not just the romance of the story but also the comical scenes that will catch you unaware and bring joy to watching it. This drama makes me realised that being rich does not equals to happiness, sometimes there are many things in life that money cannot buy, and common simple folks from time to time are actually happier than rich folks. This drama is the funniest one I have seen in the year 2006, I just can’t stop laughing. It is a witty and touching love story with characters you won’t bring yourself to hate, if you love funny drama you must really watch this.