Brilliant Legacy/Shining Inheritance

Shining Inheritance (KDrama)


Summary from Wikipedia:


Go Eun Sung (Han Hyo Joo) was studying overseas in New York and she returned to Korea during her vacation to bring her autistic brother, Eun Woo, to the United States to study music. Sun-Woo Hwan (Lee Seung Gi), who was also studying in New York, was ordered to return to Korea by his grandmother, Jang Sook Ja, to learn how to manage her food company. Eun Sung and Hwan, who were on the same flight back home, accidentally had their luggage bags exchanged, which led to several misunderstandings between the two of them.

Go Pyung Joong, Eun Sung's father, struggled to save his company from going bankrupt. One day, his wallet and valuables were stolen by a thief who subsequently died in a gas explosion accident. The police, upon finding Go’s belongings on the thief, mistakenly identified the thief as Go and a death certificate for Go was promptly issued. Go decided to lie low and not tell his family that he was alive so that his family could claim his life insurance money and use it to clear the debts. However his second wife, Baek Sung Hee, kicked her stepchildren, Eun Sung and Eun Woo, out of the house after collecting the insurance money and moved into a new home with her daughter, Yoo Seung Mi.

Eun Sung asked for help from several of her friends, including her senior, Hyung Jin, who avoided her because she was no longer rich. She managed to find a job at a nightclub with the help from her friend, Hye Ri. At the nightclub, Eun Sung met Hyung Jin's senior, Park Joon Se (Bae Soo Bin), who was shocked to see her working there. She also met Hwan, who caused her to lose contact with Eun Woo. Realising that Eun Woo was missing, Eun Sung was devastated and tried searching for her brother but to no avail. With the help from Hye Ri and Joon Se, Eun Sung rented a small room and started a small dumplings stall while continuing her search for Eun Woo.

Meanwhile, Jang became deeply disappointed in Hwan as Hwan had no direction in life and did not know how to cherish her company and her employees. While pondering over what to do about her grandson, Jang visited a neighborhood that she used to live in when she was poor and encountered Eun Sung who was selling dumplings. Jang met with an accident and received help from Eun Sung. Jang, seeing that Eun Sung tried her best to take care of her even when she could not afford her own daily expenses, was touched by Eun Sung's compassion. Jang brought Eun Sung home and announced to her family that she was going to appoint Eun Sung as the heir of her food company...

***Modern Cinderella story at it's best! For those few people who haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend this drama. It focuses not only on love but tackles family relationships and one's philosophies or ideals about life.

Pros:

- Excellent direction
- Excellent writing
- Great acting by the whole cast (I can't even think of one actor/actress who didn't act well in this drama)
- I love the OST!

Cons:

- Common storyline but excellent delivery
- A few questions about the plot ("can it happen legally?" sort of questions)


Click HERE for the OST.

Boys Over Flowers (KDrama)

Boys Over Flowers (KDrama)


Summary from Wikipedia:

While delivering a student's dry cleaning, Geum Jan Di saves the life of a student at the most prestigious school in South Korea. Her actions soon became public and exposed the bullying within the school. To silence the public's attention, Jan Di is offered a swimming scholarship to Shinhwa which she declines but her family forces her to attend.

During her first day at Shinhwa, Jan Di learns of the famous F4 and of the other students' adoration and fixation with the boys in the group. Gu Jun Pyo, Yoon Ji Hoo, So Yi Jung, and Song Woo Bin are the richest and most powerful kids within Shinhwa and South Korea. Subsequently, they use their power to terrorize weaker students or those they do not like. Jan Di, instead of being impressed, becomes enraged and fantasizes about confronting Gu Jun Pyo, the leader and initiator of many of the bullying acts. She gains courage to confront him when a friend , named Oh Min Ji , accidentally spills ice cream on his shoes and he demands the girl to lick it off. Jan Di defends her friend and attempts to reason with Jun Pyo's tyrannical demand. When he refuses to relent, Jan Di turns violent, knocking Jun Pyo to the ground. Engaged by this, Gu Jun Pyo declares war on Jan Di and encourages the other students to bully her. Jan Di, however, is resistant, refusing to apologize to Gu Jun Pyo, and stands by her decision to fight him.

Ironically, Gu Jun Pyo, having never been stood up to, begins to develop feelings for her. He tries unsuccessfully to woo her as she slowly begins to spend more time with Jun Pyo and his friends. Jan Di teaches Jun Pyo that money cannot buy everything and in order to have real friends, he himself must be real or use his heart, but Gu Jun Pyo still does not understand why someone like Jan Di should dislike him. As the story progresses, Jun Pyo falls deeper in love with Jan Di and she learns how to open herself to his love as well.

As love begins to blossom, Jun Pyo's mother discovers them and deems it unsuitable. She does everything in her power to keep the two apart, even arranging a marriage for Jun Pyo. The other F4 members and Jan Di's best friend, Chu GaEul try to make their relationship better. So Yi Jung and Song Woo Bin came up with a few plans but it fails. They left with no choice but to use the last plan. The plan is So Yi Jung have to make a fake date with Ga Eul. At first their plan is successful but because of Jun Pyo's mother the relationship between them is getting further again.

After the fake date, Ga Eul finds her self falling in love with So Yi Jung. So Yi Jung feels the same way, but he won't admit that he is falling for her. Other factors keep arising as another member of the group falls in love with Jan Di (which was Yoon Ji Hoo) and in a twist of fate, Jun Pyo loses his memory. A girl named Jang Yu Mi which was on the same hospital where Jun Pyo was confined, takes advantage on him to make him fall in love with her. Geum Jan Di never gives up for Jun Pyo to remember his love for her, she falls in the swimming pool letting Jun Pyo reminise his love for her. On Jan Di's graduation, Jun Pyo proposes to her on the cable car at the NamSan Tower where their first date was held. Gu Jun Pyo told Jan Di that he needs to study abroad to fix problems regarding Shinhwa. Jun Pyo asks Jan Di to accompany him as his wife but Jan Di refuses because she has also plans for her future becoming a doctor. The two agreed but Jan Di told Jun Pyo that she will be waiting for 4 years in one condition--if Jun Pyo comes back as a handsome and charming man.

The story ends with F4 four years later with each cast revealing happenings on their current life--Yi Jung coming back form Sweden for helding his art exhibit and visits Ga Eul to a kinder garten and she was surprised , Ji Hoo who just opened his Grandpa's clinic, Ga Eul who was teaching the art of pottery to preschoolers and Woo Bin becoming a happy man but his career was never mentioned in the story. Lastly, Geum Jan Di went to the beach to see Jun Pyo.He then proposes to Jan Di but the answer was still a question among viewers because when Jan Di was about to answer--Ji Hoo, Yi Jung and Woo Bin arrives saying that they object to the proposal because Jun Pyo and Jan Di didn't ask for their permission first....and they live peacefully.

***Who wouldn't want to watch the Korean version of Hana Yori Dango? With all the hype that surrounded it? Even if just to compare it with the Taiwanese and Japanese versions? Although, if I do say so myself, the Japanese version was way better, plot, script and direction wise.

Pros:

- Two thumbs-up for the props, set and wardrobe designers

- A bit on the shallow side, major eye candy (It doesn't hurt, right ladies?)

- Over-all, it was just fun to watch

- Nice OST

Cons:

- Let's just say, the viewers can tell it was rushed from the script to the production itself!

- I have read a lot of harsh reviews about BOF particularly about the acting of the the main leads (F4 & Geum Jan Di) but for me it was not that bad particularly LMH's acting


Click HERE for the OST 1.
Click HERE for the OST 2.
Click HERE for the F4 Special Edition Album songs.

Worlds Within (KDrama)

Worlds Within (KDrama)


Summary from Hancinema:


Broadcasting station, especially television drama production, is often called as the core of desire and materialism. TV station is the place of envy for many people, but they also criticize it as the place where unethical thoughts are generalized. However, those who work in drama production team are not different from us; they are common people who need love and care just like others. Most of Korean dramas are focused on family problems and troubled relationships between lovers. However, for the moderners, workplace is where they spend most of their time. If one fails to build decent relationships with others in his workplace, it would be hard to read his life as a success. “Worlds Within” will bring out the stories of drama production staffs; the warm, touching stories of their love and life.

*** I don't know why this wasn't a hit maybe because it wasn't the usual drama wherein there is the thrill of first love or the "all-encompassing love" most of the other dramas have.

Pros:

- Excellent direction
- Good writing
- Good acting of the entire cast
- I love that I got to glimpse the fast-paced world of drama production
- I love the that the two main leads, Hyung Bin & Song Hye Kyo, got together in real life after filming this drama (we don't get to see that kind of thing happening often particularly in asian dramas)
- Realistic ^_^

Con (only one):

- Some scenes were dragging

Goong/Princess Hours (KDrama)

Goong/Princess Hours (KDrama)


Summary from Wikipedia:


Set in an alternate 21st-century reality where Korea possesses a royal family, since 1945 to present, this show revolves around the lives of the Crown Prince(Hwangtaeja) Yi Shin, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong. The depicted royal family in the show is modelled after the last royal family of Korea, which in reality reigned until the start of the Japanese Occupation in 1910 and was not reinstated after Japanese surrender in Second World War, 1945.

The series starts off with the news that the King, Shin's father, is very ill. With the grim outlook on the King's health, the royal family scrambles to find a wife for Shin, so as to allow him to take over the royal throne if the situation requires. Despite being in love with another girl, the ambitious and talented ballerina Hyo-rin whom Shin initially proposed to (she rejects him to pursue her ballet dreams), Shin eventually marries a commoner to whom he was betrothed by his late grandfather in an old agreement with the girl's grandfather. Shin marries the headstrong yet lovable Chae-kyeong after Hyo-rin's rejection. Despite initially feeling nothing for Chae-kyeong, love eventually blossoms between the couple.

In the meantime, however, matters are further complicated with the return of Yi Yul and his mother Lady Hwa-Young, who was once the Crown Princess (Bingoong) before the death of her husband, the late Crown Prince, older brother of the current King. Yul and his mother were chased out of the palace some time after the death of his father, and it is later revealed that this was due to the King's discovery of an affair between Yul's mother and the current King who was his father's younger brother. Yul's mother had returned with a sinister motive in mind; to restore her son back to the throne, which would have been his eventually, if his father had not died. A series of events befall the palace with the schemes Yul's mother carries out, and is further intensified by the various scandals involving the royal family, which are inclusive of the Shin's continuing relationship with his old flame Hyo-rin, and the budding love Yul develops for Chae-kyeong, his cousin's new-found bride.

***Fourth in my list. What interested me about this drama is the storyline. Who wouldn't want to be a princess, right? And have the haughty prince fall in love with you? It is every girl's dream. Also, the response to this drama was amazing!

Pros:

- Storyline's appeal
- The cinematography was amazing
- For newcomers, Joo Ji Hoon and Yoon Eun Hye, their acting was quite good (They won Best New Actor and Best New Actress, respectively)
- Great acting by the rest of the cast particularly Kim Hye-ja (the Queen Mother) and Yoon Yoo-seon (the Queen)

Cons:

- It started out great but by the second half of the drama, I was waiting for it to end already
- Some of the scenes were dragging and repetitive
- Shin Chae-kyeong (Yoon Eun Hye) was lovable and funny @ first but by the 2nd half of the drama, i thought to myself, what happened to her?

Click HERE for the OST.

Coffee Prince (KDrama)

***photo credit as tagged

Coffee Prince (KDrama)

Summary from Wikipedia:


Choi Han Kyul, played by Gong Yoo, is the cocky son of a very rich family who runs a damaged food corporation. He doesn't believe in love and certainly doesn't want to get married despite his family's requests. On the other hand, Go Eun Chan, played by Yoon Eun Hye, is a 24-year old tomboyish female who gets mistaken as a guy quite often. She takes up every job possible — waitress, food deliverer, etc — and has the responsibility of taking care of her mother and younger sister. Eun Chan accidentally meets Han Kyul twice, once on a delivery and once during a robbery. During the robbery, Eun Chan's delivery motorcycle ends up being damaged. Han Kyul, not knowing that Eun Chan is actually a girl, decides to hire Eun Chan as a false "lover" so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother. Meanwhile, Han Kyul's cousin, Choi Han Seong, is an established music producer and his ex-girlfriend Han Yoo Joo, who Han Kyul secretly loved for nine years, is a famous artist who studied in New York. The two were lovers for about 8 years but their relationship ended when Yoo Joo broke up with Han Seong. Two years after they separated their paths cross again when Yoo Joo returns to Seoul.

After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han Kyul takes over a run-down severely damaged old coffee shop, later renamed Coffee Prince, to prove his ability, both to his grandmother and Yoo Joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good looking male employees. In a struggle with money, Eun Chan, whom Han Kyul has already mistaken as a boy, hides her gender identity to get a job at Coffee Prince. Soon feelings start to spark between Eun Chan and Han Kyul. Because he's unaware that Eun Chan is a girl, Han Kyul starts to question his sexuality.

***Third in my list of favorite asian dramas, tied with You're Beautiful and not because of the similar story line, "girl pretending to be a boy", but because I can't decide which one i like better. I think Jang Geun Suk has a lot to do with my indecision... keke...

Pros:

- Hands down the best acting of two leads in a Kdrama, Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye particularly Gong Yoo. Great work! (both won Best Actor & Best Actress, respectively)
- Excellent acting of the supporting cast, I love their chemistry
- Excellent direction (won Best Drama of 2007)
- Excellent writing
- Great OST


Cons:

- Same old story line (thankful for the wonderful script and great director)
- Same with You're Beautiful, a question persisted in my head, "How can Han Kyul not notice Eun Chan is a girl?
- I was not satisfied with the ending. It left me hanging.
SPOILER ALERT: (for those few people who haven't watched it yet)
It seemed Eun Chan doesn't want to get married (scene inside the car when she arrived after 2 years) or were they setting it up for The 2nd Shop of Coffee Prince that didn't materialize?

Click HERE for the OST.

You're Beautiful (KDrama)

You're Beautiful (KDrama)


Summary from Wikipedia:


Go Mi Nyu is a sister-in-training. When her identical twin brother Go Mi Nam was reported to be in the United States having surgery to fix his previous plastic surgery effort, she was approached by the Manager of the singing band A.N.JELL to pose as Mi Nam for the time being that he is away. Mi Nam had just recently been accepted by the President of A.N.JELL to join the group. Against her wish, Mi Nyu accepts after remembering why her brother wanted to be a singer in the first place (to find their mom). Now posing as Mi Nam, Mi Nyu enters the group A.N.JELL and meets the members: Hwang Tae Kyung, Kang Shin Woo, and Jeremy. Initially disliked by Tae Kyung, the group's leader and composer, Mi Nyu later falls in love with him and finds herself being entangled in a love triangle between him and Shin Woo, while Jeremy harbors a one-sided love for her. Additionally, Mi Nyu finds herself being rivaled against Yoo He Yi, an actress who also has feelings for Tae Kyung.

***Third in my Best Asian Dramas list!!! (Tied with Coffee Prince) My current obsession: Jang Geun Suk and You're Beautiful. Obsessed more with the former, of course. Shoot! I can't think of anything to write because I'm still experiencing withdrawal symptoms. IT IS EXCELLENT!!! You have to watch it, trust me.

Pros:

- Excellent writing (as can be expected from the Hong sisters)
- Excellent acting by the cast especially by the two leads (Jang Geun Suk & Park Shin Hye)
- Good direction even though at times, a bit over the top
- I love the comedic factor (just right)
- I liked the transitions & continuity
- Good cinematography
- Nice OST

Cons:

- Just a bit sceptical about the whole 'Mi Nyu is Mi Nam' thing since it is obvious Mi Nyu is a girl with the singing voice and all...
- The story line is a bit exhausted but still good @ the execution
- Since they are in a band, i expected more from the OST but they still delivered even though
somewhat lacking

Click HERE for the OST.

Asian Dramas

I have always been watching movies and dramas (or series as i've always called them) since I was a kid. Hollywood movies and series have always filled my time. I was so into murder mysteries and true crime stories but these days, or should I say, months, I have been addicted to asian dramas. Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese ones, to be exact.

The one who influenced me is my best friend. She told me to watch one particular Korean movie and by the end of it, I was hooked. I find asian dramas more interesting. They let their audience become part of the drama that's why when a particular drama I've been watching comes to an end, I'd feel sad because it feels like an important part of my everyday life comes to an end too. They just know how to tickle my funny bone or to let my tears flow. And because of this addiction to asian dramas, I have not watched one Hollywood movie or series for the past 7 months with one exception, of course, The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

When I first started getting interested in asian dramas, I watched online but i wanted to have a dvd collection of my favorite ones so that I can watch them again and again so i started buying dvds w/ english subtitles. Now, i prefer watching these dramas on dvds, even the ones I haven't watched yet.

And since I have watched a considerable amount of asian dramas already and I still remember my predicament when I was searching for other dramas to watch, I found it hard to choose one because there were not a lot of reviews or recommendations to be found about asian dramas (that i know of). So for my fellow asian-drama addicts, particularly the ones who have just found out about their addiction, I wanted to share my views on some asian dramas I have watched and loved.

I'll be posting my views on one asian drama per blog in the coming days...