Sunnyelf's blog review of Asian Dramas and Movies.
This blog is a personal labor of love in a constant flux of improvement.
Please Note:
One * = Didn't like it, Don't recommend. Two ** = Typical. Worth seeing at least once. Three *** = I enjoyed it! Worth seeing more then once. Four **** = It's great! Add it to your all-time favorites list! Five ***** = Epic! Highly Recommended. A totally memorable drama/film.
Blade Man/ Iron Man/ 아이언맨/ Aieonmaen *** (Korean)
18 episodes
Lee Dong Wook as Joo Hong Bin
Seems a good combination of drama and a superhero tale to me... Which certainly seems fit with Hong Bin's occupation as CEO of a game company. He seemed rather like a cross between the Hulk and Edward Scissorhands, with the super attributes of the former and the looks-style of the latter. Favorite character(s): Secretary Ko, the best of comical sidekicks if ever there was one.
As head of a large game company, Joo Hong Bin, is in the worst need of anger management. The fury just seems to eat him up inside resulting in a pincushion display of sharp pointy cutlery in random spots over his torso and arms. This seems particularly apparent when confronting his father, who he blames for the death of his relationship with Tae-Hee, whom he finds hard to believe at first, is dead.
Then he gets a run of surprises, There is a woman who smells just like he remembers his love smelling like. He receives and has to care for his and Tae-Hee's son. And then there's the rumor that says, counter to what everyone is saying, maybe Tae-Hee is still alive but hiding.
You can also find:
Links go to other reviewed shows the actor has been in.
Mr. Baek/ 미스터 백/ Miseuteo Baek/Mr Back **\ (Korean)
16 episodes
Shin Ha Kyoon as Choi Go Bong
Good story!.. even if it did have a rather drawn out goodbye. Favorite character(s): Choi Dae Han for showing his more vulnerable side in adapting to his fathers changes.
A crazily rich old coot gets into an accident and finds himself with a new, if temporary, lease on life. He quickly adopts an identity and copes with the upheaval of his family and company, then he falls in love and learns more on the value of living in that short time then he had in his whole life. What to do when the time is up though?
You can also find:
Links go to other reviewed shows the actor has been in.
Substitute Princess/ Jin Da Hua De Hua Li Mao Xian/ 金大花的華麗冒險/ The Adventure of King Flower ** (Taiwanese)
20 episodes
Nikki Hsieh as Jin Da Hua
A market girl look-a-like, is asked to sub, in secret, for a rich guy's girlfriend, who was in a hiking accident. This comes at a time when Da Hua's father is horribly in debt due to gambling. As Da Hua undergoes transformation in secret, Her 'adopted' brother and love, Guan Jun, makes a deal with the shark holding the notes... and takes on a job as realtor and 'date' for the shark's daughter. Then, just as things seemed to be smoothing out a bit, Ouyang Tai's gf.. dies.
You can also find:
Links go to other reviewed shows the actor has been in.
The Secret Angel/ 秘密天使 / Mìmì tiānshǐ ** (Korean-Chinese colab)
web drama 10 episodes.
Jang Woo Hyuk as Hwan
Interesting tale. Those 100 days flew by on speedy angel wings too!, Could be the reason I thought it seemed a little too short. I do hope I get to see more from the actors in this drama sometime soon. Favorite scene(s): The angel wings attack.. which was no more then a few light pounds on the death agent's chest.
Story about a clumsy angel who gives away her necklace to a dying human and then has to protect his life for 100 days from an agent of death.
You can also find:
Links go to other reviewed shows the actor has been in.
Romantic comedy. Loved Soo Nam's goofiness. Somehow I wasn't really satisfied with the ending, seemed the storyline had nearly gotten stuck with Yeo Ok's stubborn unforgiveness then somehow jumped to a happy ending. Least Favorite character(s): Ki Chan For general mean spiritedness and insensitivity for his parents, especially toward his dad.
An unhappy couple divorce after the husband's adultery with a hotel co-worker is discovered. The matchmaker of fate and the goddess of love decide it was time they lent a hand to the star-crossed twosome. In an effort to teach the two a many-lives lesson, Their souls are switched and they are forced to work together to be able to keep one-anothers jobs.
You can also find:
(Na Yeo Ok) Kim Jung Eun -in- Lovers, Princess Lulu, Lovers in Paris, Le Grand Chef 2, Marrying the Mafia
(Go Soo Nam) Shin Hyun Joon -in- Kiss Me, Kill Me, Marrying the Mafia II
(matchmaker of fate) Byun Hee Bong -in- My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox, Witch Amusement, Great Inheritance, My Girl, One Percent of Anything
(Park Bong Sook) Jung Jae Soon -in- My Fair Lady
(Go Il Ran) Hyun Jyu Ni -in- IRIS, Beethoven Virus
(Han Man Soo) Kim Myung Kook -in- Take Care of the Young Lady, Spy Girl
(Kang Jin Goo) Song Young Kyu -in- Me Ri, Dae Gu's Attack and Defense Battle
(Lee Baek Ho) Choi Sung Gook -in- Mischievous Kiss
(Na Ae Sook) Ryu Shi Hyun -in- Goong
(Bae Jung Ah/cameo) Nam Gyu Ri -in- Haeundae Lovers
(Eugene/Go Soo Nam ex-girlfriend/cameo) Eugene/Kim Yoo Jin -in- King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo, Creating Destiny, One Mom and Three Dads, I Really Really Like You, Wonderful Life, Save the Last Dance for Me
(expert who specializes in catching cheating spouses/cameo) Kim Byung Man -in- Athena: Goddess of War, One Mom and Three Dads
(Jin Sook/cameo) Wang Bit Na/Woo Jin -in- Can Love Become Money?, Me Ri, Dae Gu's Attack and Defense Battle,
(Go Soo Nam's guest/cameo) Lee Sook -in- Faith, The Vineyard Man
(red bean roots monk/cameo) Lee Bong Gyu -in- It's Okay, Daddy's Girl, Beethoven Virus
(Samshin granny/cameo) Kim Soo Mi -in- Hooray for Love, Daring Women, Marrying the Mafia II
(devil assistant/cameo) Park Sang Min -in- City Hunter, Bad Couple
I Love Lee Tae Ri/ 아이러브 이태리/ I Love Italy ** (Korean)
16 episodes
Kim Ki Bum as Geum Eun Dong/Min Soo
Romantic Comedy. Had some surprising lols in this moving along drama. Had some difficulty finding all of the episodes working. Translation was sketchy to horrible in places. ending was ehh. Still, it was a great storyline with good acting. Fav scene(s): A spotlight smooch, a flyswatter doubling as flypaper, and a super cool sundial in lighted motion.
Because of curiosity turned heartbreak, a tearful need for a friend, a couple of wishes, and a peculiar eclipse, a young teen finds himself instantly 'grown up' and quickly becomes embroiled in a difficult mess between a vengeful uncle, an adopted daughter and a museum in the cross-hairs.
You can also find:
(Lee Tae Ri) Park Ye Jin -in- My Princess, Hateful But Once Again
(Choi Seung Jae) Yang Jin Woo -in- My Tutor Friend 2
(Geum San) Im Ho -in- My Sassy Girl
(Oh Mi Ja) Jang Young Nam -in- Vampire Prosecutor, One Mom and Three Dads, Dal Ja's Spring. Hello Ghost, Finding Mr. Destiny, My Girlfriend is an Agent
(Hwang Min Gook, coach) Jang Seo Won -in- You've Fallen for Me, Secret Garden
(Geum Hak Sa/Tae-Ri's uncle?) Lee Moon-Su -in- Hello Ghost
(Head of a department) Kim Young-Hoon -in- Poongsan, Art of Fighting, He Was Cool
The ending didn't quite make sense to me. Figured it would be the image of the kid who had returned, not his older brother. Well anyway, good story. Fav scene(s): "too big!"
A teacher suspecting her doctor bf, is given a moments support and motorcycle ride by a transfer student, then, while she waits by the lake, the student and doctor get into an auto accident and fall into the water, in a moment of reckoning the two switch minds and the body of the student lapses into coma leaving the student turned doctor to carry on.
You can also find:
(Seo Yoon Jae) Gong Yoo -in- The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, Hello My Teacher, Finding Mr. Destiny, She's on Duty, Spy Girl, My Tutor Friend
(Kil Da Ran) Lee Min Jung -in- Smile, You, Boys Before Flowers, Who Are You?
(Kang Kyung Joon) Shin Won Ho -in- Bachelor's Vegetable Store
(Jang Ma Ri) Suzy/Bae Su Ji -in- Dream High
(Lee Se Young) Jang Hee Jin -in- Myung Wol the Spy, Hello My Teacher, Marrying the Mafia III
(Kang Hyuk Soo) Jang Hyun Sung -in- Vampire Prosecutor, Great Inheritance, The Perfect Couple
(Lee Kyung Mi) Go Soo Hee -in- Lovers
(Kil Min Kyu) Ahn Suk Hwan -in- Rooftop Prince, Paradise Ranch, Fugitive: Plan B, Personal Preference, Cinderella Man, Boys Before Flowers, My Girl, Delightful Girl Choon Hyang
(Kil Choong Shik) Baek Sung Hyun -in- That Fool
(Na Hyo Sang) Moon Ji Yoon -in- Iljimae, Delightful Girl Choon Hyang
(Kim Young Ok) Choi Ran -in- You're Beautiful, Thirty Thousand Miles in Search of My Son, My Girl, Delightful Girl Choon Hyang
( Lee Ae Kyung) Shin Ji Soo -in- Scent of a Woman, Thirty Thousand Miles in Search of My Son
200 Pounds Beauty/ 미녀는 괴로워/ Minyeo-neun goerowo ** (Korean)
Movie 120 mins
Joo Jin-Mo as Sang-jun
I liked it well enough, I suppose. Even as it was more to do with the quick-fix of plastic surgery then about Hanna's natural talents. Light comedy-romance.
A not-so-pretty and not-so-thin Hanna, desperate to gain her dreams of becoming a singer and the attention of her one-sided-love (or was it?) goes under a plastic surgeon's knife and remakes her life as Jenny. But how long before her former life becomes big news once more?
(Record Company Exec) Sung Dong-Il -in- Color of Women, The Fugitive: Plan B, My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox, Karl and Su-jung, Lovers in Paris, Can't Live With Losing, Witch Ma
(plastic surgeon) Lee Han-Wi -in- Hello Ghost, Wild Romance, Athena, Oh! My Lady, Tamra, the Island, Beethoven Virus, My Sweet Seoul, Coffee Prince, Princess Lulu, Sassy Girl Chun-hyang, Bread, Love and Dreams
(Fortune Teller) Lee Won-Jong -in- Wild Romance, Vampire Prosecutor, Scent of a Woman, Gourmet
(Hanna's Fan) Park No-Shik -in- The Relation of Face, Mind and Love, Marrying School Girl, Personal Taste, Merry Mary
This comedy/romance hits a 4 star with me as best of the best I have so far seen.
I laughed along with the silly fumbling antics of a staunch man helpless in the bonds of love before he even truly understood what hit him (or kicked him in the shin for that matter). I cried with all the tension this caused, the concern for the people around them and the complication of the magical changes of rainfall. I gasped and snarled at the 'bad' people in the story who couldn't seem to see just what they were doing to the people they cared so much for... and probably never would. and I sighed in sadness and yet, with a nod of acceptance, for the last scenes. It wasn't a fairytale ending after all... (like alice in wonderland or... the little mermaid) and yet, it was satisfying that the results were well done... even for the young 'producer' whose heart's direction was fairly one-sided.. and yet, caring was still received.. and given.
Favorite scene: a dancing kiss and a warm confession, thanks in part to the girl's fairy godmother...erm fairy godbrother (temp duty).
The CEO 'president' of a large hotel meets and instantly falls for a stunt-woman, whose visage haunts him into clinging to her determinedly in spite of her many rebuffs. His mom is seriously unhappy about all of this and swears to put a stop to her son's relationship with such a low nobody...no matter the cost.
Then one day, while in a contest bike race to the finish line, he loses her to a wrong turn. They reconnect near a shabby diner in the woods, and when they ask why the woman there made homemade brew, she said only that 'it's to save my daughter', before giving the girl two bottles to take home.
When the girl tries to give one to the Ceo's famous singer cousin, whom she admires.. The CEO intercepts it. By drinking the stuff that evening, the two find themselves having swapped bodies by morning's light. This causes quite a bit of confusion between them and a fair number of quizzical looks from others as they try to cope with one another's job and duties... along with a deeper forgotten secret.. at least until the next big rain.
You can also find:
(Kim Joo Won) Hyun Bin -in- My Name is Kim Sam-Soon
(Im Ah Young) Yoo In Na -in- The Greatest Love, Birdie Buddy
(Moon Yeon Hong) Kim Ji Sook -in- Me Too, Flower!
(Moon Boon Hong) Park Joon Geum -in- Smile, You
(Kim Sung Woo/Joo Won's secretary) Kim Sung Oh -in- Myung Wol the Spy, She's On Duty
(Kim Hee Won/Joo Won's sister) Choi Yoon So -in- Lie to Me
(Moon Chang Soo) Kim Sung Kyum -in- Gourmet, Who Are You?, Dal Ja's Spring, My Lovely Sam-Soon, Country Princess
(Park Bong Ho) Lee Byung Joon -in- Birdie Buddy, Myung Wol the Spy, Dream High, Call of the Country, Tempted Again, Cinderella Man, Don't Ask Me About the Past, Me Ri, Dae Gu's Attack and Defense Battle
(Park Bong Hee) Sung Byung Sook -in- Le Grand Chef
(Choi Dong Kyu) Yoon Gi Won -in- Vampire Prosecutor, Birdie Buddy, Get Karl! Oh Soo Jung
Dream High *** (Korean)
16 episodes + special concert
Bae Yong Joon as Jung Ha Myung
Dream High 2 ** (Korean)
16 episodes
Jin Yoo-Jin as Jinwoon
Almost as if it were based off of Fame. (or perhaps vice-verse?) It had quite a few crack-me-up-laughing scenes especially those, I thought, involving the country 'bumpkin' and teacher Kang. Season 2 is just as good really, involving new students and yet the occasional seasoned face. I hope to see more of several of these actors.
dream high 1-Fav character(s): Song Sam Dong, Kang Oh Hyuk, and Kim Pil Sook.
dream high 2-Fav character(s): BP Fav scene(s): B Class Life Performance
Dream High 1
Hye Mi fails the audition to get into an arts school, but is given a 'second chance' when the school's director scouts her for a conditional entry. She just has to get a certain two others to go with her. With her new shepherding Teacher Kang helping as much as he's able, she runs off to the countryside to find Sam Dong, while the teacher locates and convinces Jin Gook to join them. But the school is in essence against them, and they are shunted into a 'prep class' where they are not allowed to use the schools performing practice rooms. Its just the start for the group though, As they quickly take their practice times (and a secret new preforming arts teacher helping out.) to a clubhouse, sauna, nightclub, and other such places en-route for a determined depute.
Dream High 2
An ailing Kirin school of the arts, gets bought out by an entertainment company, who adds their young idols to the regular students in efforts to get by the new law restricting underage from the stage after 10pm. This causes all sorts of difficulties for the idols and students both.
You can also find:
(Kang Oh Hyuk/1-teacher) Uhm Ki Joon -in- Scent of a Woman
(Shi Kyung Jin/1-teacher) Lee Yoon Ji -in- Goong, Hello My Teacher
(Yoon Baek Hee/1-student) Ham Eun Jung -in- Coffee House, Goong, Hello My Teacher, The Beast and the Beauty
(Joo Jung Wan/1-Principal) Kwon Hae Hyo -in- Lie to Me, Who Are You?, What's Up Fox?, My Name is Kim Sam-Soon, My Fair Lady
(Lee Kang Chul/2-President) Kim Jung Tae -in- Can't Lose
(Ahn Tae Yeon/2-Vocal teacher)Choi Yeo Jin -in- I Need Romance, Hello My Teacher, Art of Fighting
My Girlfriend is a Nine-tailed Fox/ 내 여자친구는 구미호/
Nae Yeojachinguneun Gumiho/ My Girlfriend is a Gumiho ** (Korean)
16 episodes
Shin Min Ah as Gumiho
Nice plot, i thought. I seem to recall watching a tiny bit of this one before. not sure just how far I got that first time... glad I watched the whole thing this time though. *yeass this is all green's fault. lol!*
A 9-tailed fox in the guise of a girl escapes an old painting and pursues the guy who freed her and possesses her healing bead, in spite of mounting interference from hunter and humans alike.
"Fox Rain"
by Lee Sun Hee
Is it a blank spot? Click to listen & then
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