Strong Woman Do Bong Soon Review

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon was one hell of a ride. I laughed, I cried, and the antagonist ran chills up my spine. This drama draws you in with irresistible charm, ab aching laughter, and ice cold fear.

 Park Bo-Young lures you in with that sweet mischievous smile of hers. As her character, Do Bong Soon, tries to balance hiding her super strength powers with meting out justice. She often finds herself in interesting positions. This spunky, broke "Job Seeker" finds solace in video games, where she can be strong without hiding her identity.

Coincidentally, An Min-Hyuk played by eye candy Park Hyung-Sik, is the CEO of leading gaming company Ainsoft. These two become entangled with each other as they try to find the perpetrators messing with their individual lives.  Min-Hyuk hires Bong Song as his personal body guard and they realize they are more connected than they previously could have imagined. Their relationship quickly culminates into one of the cutest push and pulls I've ever seen.

Always playing the second lead, Ji-Soo, plays the role of  In Gook-Do. This stern character gruffly takes care of Do Bong Soon, while being completely oblivious to her infatuation with him. Though I don't get second lead syndrome with him in this drama, his earnestness is enough to melt any girls heart.

The most surprising character of all is Kim Jang-Hyun. This character was dark, creepy, and incredibly calculating. There is often a temptation to fall for his bad boy looks, but his character is just so evil and wily that you want to punch him in the face. Model turned Actor Jang Mi-Kwan delivered a wonderful performance.

Over all this drama is warm and mushy, with a surprising thrill element. The last episode is gushy, and wonderful and it's perfect for suckers who love a "Happily Ever After" Story.

Tomorrow With You

If you're ready for the craziest emotional rollercoaster of your life, watch Tomorrow With You. Heart throb Lee Je Hoon teams up with starlet Shin Min-A to deliver a mind-bending drama.

Shin Min-A plays Song Ma-Rin better known as Bap Soon. Ma-Rin tries to distance herself from the role she played when she was 10 years old, by  pursuing her dream of becoming a photographer.Though she is largely unsuccessful, due to her life seen as a cautionary tale of a child-actor,she tries to make the best out of her circumstance. 

Lee Je Hoon plays Yoo So Joon, CEO of a development company who happens to have the ability of time travel. Though his past is tragic, he navigates his life with a light charm.

When Yoo So Joon saves Song Ma-Rins life, he finds their lives are inexplicably entwined. Witnessing a tragic end to both of their lives, So Joon tries hard to manipulate the present so that the future is different.

I have to say, the episodes I watched I enjoyed. However, I got caught up in the comment section and would skip episodes to save myself some emotional angst. I also started watching this show while it was on air, and decided to wait until I knew there was a happy ending. Things were just a bit too tragic for my mental state, and I was concerned there would be a heart-rending close to the drama. I waited until the last episode was subbed, read the comments and picked up where I left off. The ending was so amazing, and even though I cried buckets of tears, it was definitely worth it.

I would recommend this drama for those who need a good cry, it's well written, and it the acting is superb.

Legend of the Blue Sea Review

Legend of the blue sea is a unique drama that seamlessly interweaves modern day reality with the melancholy legend of The Little Mermaid.
Switching between the reincarnated life of Heo Joon-Jae and his past life of as Dam Ryung, Lee Min Ho goes through great lengths to protect his one true love. Affectionately named Sim Chung, this stunning mermaid tries to navigate the modern world that is entirely different from the ocean which she is from. Jun Ji-Hyun plays this character with her special brand of physical humor that never ceases to stop me from cracking a smile. While the leads have a cute chemistry, it was the villain that saved this drama from being a predictable melodrama.

The veteran actor, Sung Dong Il gave a performance that left me with goosebumps as he delivered an eerie representation of a man feeling as though his life culminated in nothing more than punishment. Every interaction he had on screen left me with goosebumps. This role evoked fear and anxiety for the other characters that was brilliantly balanced by all of the comedic and romantic scenes.

The supporting cast gave us insight into Heo Joon-Jae's life and where his priorities in life stemmed from. For the most part they're hilarious and ridiculously self absorbed. The supporting cast that Sim Chung primarily interacts with is full of golden nuggets of wisdom we can all use.

This drama covers a range of genres from family, to crime, and last but not least romance. As much as it makes you laugh, and clutch your chest in fear, it can also make you cry. The interaction between all of the characters, the depth of loss, and the portrayal of regret also gives this drama the little oomph that's needed.

As much as I enjoyed this drama, I did skip a lot of parts. I was never completely sucked into the drama and was able to multitask other things while watching it.

If you need a cute drama, or something to pass the time with, I would def recommend it.

Until the next drama!

Goblin Review

Can we chat for a second? Is there anyone who believes that Goblin isn't one of the most poignant and sensational drama's ever created? Goblin has EVERYTHING you could want in a "build-a-drama" fantasy challenge. This show rocked my socks off, and I'm left with a gaping hole in my week, because I don't know how I should move on!

The blistering chemistry between everyone was what made this drama unique.  We got the privilege to ship two beautiful couples (no pesky second lead syndrome). First, we have the Goblin aka Kim Shin,  played by Gong Yoo. Then we have Ji Eun-Tak played by Kim Go Eun. If you haven't checked out their previous works, I encourage you to do so. These actors independently are able to portray the depth and complexity of humanity. Together, their innate talent brings out a specific charm and appeal, that could easily been over played, or over reached. Gong Yoo does a great job of portraying a warrior on a mission in the Goryeo era, he's gritty, determined, and there is a complete aura of danger about him.  Gong Yoo seamlessly transitions from that to being a charismatic, petulant, peculiar Goblin.

Kim Go Eun show a wonderfully charming young girl who navigates through life with the best of her ability. She's given no advantages, her family treats her like a modern day Cinderella, and she is bullied at school. If that isn't enough to juggle, she is also constantly pestered by ghost asking her to help them find closure. Despite her life challenges, she maintains a stubbornly positive outlook on life, while eschewing all bitterness. The period in which she is trying to confirm whether or not she's the Goblins bride, she is effervescent and down right adorable. How these two interact and get closer, begin to rely on each other, and then fall in love is k-drama magic. It's sweet, and full of hilarious misunderstandings while managing the cheese factor. Toward the end, they are staring deeply into each other's soul and viewing almost feels like an intrusion of their privacy.

 

Next up we have the Grim Reaper played by one of my favorite actors Lee Dong Wook. This character had so many layers and it was a pleasure to watch all of the facets of his personality. He was an A-Type, stick in the mud Grim Reaper hell bent on making sure things stay in a neat and orderly manner. Yet, when he encounters a brush with his past he is almost child like in his ignorance and earnestness. Finding out his past identity gives him this tragic gravity, and he emits sorrow, kindness, patience, and mystification in a way I've never seen before. This is all magnified when he interacts with stunningly beautiful Sunny.

 

This is all magnified when he interacts with stunningly beautiful Sunny.
Played by Yoo In-Ah, this woman is feisty, intelligent, quick witted, and sharp. However it's her ability to express a certain ennuyée in every singe action that left me enthralled with her character. Sunny, also reminded me a lot of the singer Sunny from SNSD (or girls generation). I don't if it was certain facial expressions or what, but there was a extra oomph for me that was reminiscent of the singer.

The Grim Reaper and Sunny's relationship was addictive. I longed for them to have more time together, and to have more in depth conversations that they weren't able to have in their first lives. Their ending was so freaking satisfying I wanted to squeeze something.

Then we have the bromance that was so sweet and cute, and Yoo Duk Hwa played by Yook Sung Jae added a specific tenderness while maintaining it's hilarity.

The real MVP's of this drama are the writer Kim Eun Sook, and director Lee Eung-Bok. The writing is exceptional and constantly surprises the audience. The director is a genius in terms of visual story telling. The way the lighting, the background, and the cinematography blended together was gorgeous. Also the OST is epic.

Over all I was a complete Babo for this drama! Def check it out if you haven't seen it, or you're contemplating.

Side Note:
One thing I had an issue with is Ji Eun Tak's age. I understand why they made it that way, but in the beginning I was def uncomfortable lol

Weight Lifting Fairy Bok Joo

Well, I've just finished Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, and I have to say I feel so sweet I ache. This drama was such a great ride. It would've been so easy to dismiss it as a typical romance K-Drama. There were so many elements that we've seen before. However, the writer, Yang Hee- Seung gave us depth, and authenticity. Topics covered ranged from  self image,  chivalry, first crushes, life spiraling out control,therapy, family issues, depression and many more. Yang Hee-Seung did an excellent job of interweaving sensitive topics while keeping us bursting with laughter, and cringing at the aeygo. It was absolutely wonderful.

Kim Bok Joo is played by the ever gorgeous Lee Sung Kyung. As with any project, her acting style is unique and completely her own.I can't imagine any other actress executing this role with the  level of vulnerability and curiosity we saw. Kim Bok Joo grows from a tom boyish weight lifter, to a girl with a first crush, to experiencing heartache and depression, to plunging in the passions of first love, and finally becoming an elegant, strong, young woman.

This growth happens because of  childhood friend Jung Joon-Hyung. Though the rekindling of their friendship started off rocky, they quickly began to confide and rely on each other in a way that promised a deeper relationship than simple friendship. Jung Joon-Hyung's character is played by the charming and handsome Nam Joo Hyuk. This talented actor has the ability to express all range of emotion from a twitch of his eyebrows. His eyes showed everything from him being cheeky and mischievous, to utter emotional confusions when he's confronted by his mother, to heartbreak when he learns the truth about his family. The array of expression given to us, is amazing.

We also get to peek not only into their family lives, but also the structure of their friendships. These characters were fun and lighthearted, while keeping the leading couple grounded and focused on their athletics.

Over all, I was an absolute fool for this show, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to sit down and enjoy a feel good drama.

Things I didn't like about the drama was Kim Bok Joo's fathers reaction when her secret got out. I was unable to see him with the same affection as I had previously. But still a great drama!

Dear K-Drama lovers

Hello, K-Drama Chingu's! I hope you're all enjoying the amazing New Year. I just stopped by to say hello, and to say that I will be resuming reviews! YEA! It's been way too long, and my previous posts were too short. Any ways, it's a new start and I'm ready to spill my thoughts and emotions about what's been going on in the K-Drama world. I'll begin with doing not only 1, but 2 new reviews. I'll try to post a review about twice a week. Primarily Tuesdays and Thursday's. I'll also be doing some personal rants and some shoutouts to K-Drama related items. If you're at all interested in anything in particular just let me know and I'll try to address it. Well that's enough chit chat, it's time to get into some k-drama reviews!

Reply 1994

                                                           Reply 1994

           I had no inclination to get sucked into the Reply series. I originally didn't know who any of the actors were and since I'm not Korean, 90's Korea held very little appeal. I thought that there would be references that would completely go over my head and I wouldn't be warped into the nostalgia that I thought was the purpose of the show. Then a very handsome man appeared on Three Meals a Day named Son Ho-Jun, and I was a bit smitten. So of course I was compelled to google stalk him and I found a YouTube clip of him speaking. It was in Korean and there were no English subtitles. So I had to continue google stalking him until I found a show called Boys Over Flowers. Two other ridiculously handsome men named Baro and Yoo Yeon-Seok were in the show as well as cast members of Reply 1994. So I tried watching the first episode, and I couldn't get through the first five minutes. I felt disappointed but I quickly put it out of my head. A few months later Reply 1988 is all over the place and I literally had nothing to watch so I binge watched the first 10 episodes and I fell in love. So I decided to give Reply 1994 another try and I have to say, I'm ecstatic that I did. This show was incredible.
           Reply 1994 follows the stories of a group of college kids who attend college in Seoul, Korea. They are country bumpkins who are adjusting to their new lives in a new place. The story is primarily narrated by Sung Na-Jung played by Go Ara. The purpose of the show is for the audience to figure out who she marries. Maybe she marries the guy who has very little common sense but excels in academics and is in school to be a doctor, but just so happens to be a close family friend, affectionately nicked named "Trash" played by Jung Woo. Maybe she ends up marrying Chil-Bong, who is destined to be the next great star in baseball, played by Yoo Yeon-Seok. Both are great catches, and the audience is quickly divided into Team Trash and Team Chil Bong. No matter who is chosen in the end the journey to getting there is incredible. It took me three days to binge watch because the episodes are basically an hour and a half. I laughed, I cried, and I got mad. This shows is a wonderful display of  what true camaraderie is. The friends fight, physically and verbally. They make up, they develop romantic feelings with each other. It's awesome. Pretty much everything you want in a drama, this show offers it. I have not watched Reply 1997, and when I was reading comments there were a lot of references that 1997 was better, all I have to say is Reply 1994 is a great, solid story on its own. I would def recommend starting it from the second episode and then binge watching it over the weekend.