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Seo In-guk really carries the story

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2014 South Korean drama with 17 (+1 Special), 1 hr, episodes. Also known as High School King of Savvy.

High School varsity ace hockey player, Lee Min-seok (Seo In-guk) is living as a normal high school student, when his brother, Lee Hyung-seok (also played by Seo In-guk) calls him and asks for a favor. His brother has been abroad and is due to report to a new job as a Director at an IT conglomerate. Something he won't divulge has happened and he needs Min-seok to pretend to be him and fill in until he can get free and take his place. Normally that would be an impossible request but, despite the 9 year age gap, the brothers look like identical twins. Being loyal to his brother, Min-seok agrees to the farce and a colleague at the company is aware of the ruse and helps Min-seok fit in - in the otherwise alien corporate environment. Min-seok is supposed to be a puppet but turns out the young man has a knack for the type of work and starts to make a name for himself at the company, and also gains favor with the company President. Jung Soo-young (Lee Ha-na), is originally a contract employee at the company who Min-seok finds himself drawn to. He eventually falls in love with her and helps her get a permanent job with the company. His rival, Yoo Jin-woo (Lee Soo-hyuk) senses something suspicious about this mysterious new director and vows to get to the bottom of it. He is also jealous that his father seems to find more favor with this bright new director and, eventually he is also jealous of Soo-young who he also falls in love with. To further complicate things, fellow high schooler and Soo-young's younger sister, Jung Yoo-ah (Lee Yeol-eum), has already confessed to Min-seok and, despite his repeated rejections, considers "hubby Lee" her man. With so many twists and turns can Min-seok continue to fool everyone until his brother steps in? Can he overcome the age and generation gap between him and Soo-young? What if she finds out he is only in high school?

spoiler 🚨 I really liked the beginning of this. In-guk is a great actor and I just enjoy watching him. I liked how he was able to handle both roles so well. He seems so different when he played the older brother it was almost eerie the way he was able to make that transformation. He seem like a different person. Soo-young has a freshness and innocence about her that is much younger than her age and he is actually rather mature for his age In the beginning. So early on it is easy to see the attraction. Towards the end it lost me a bit when it was revealed he was a high schooler and it just felt like his character underwent a dramatic change and he suddenly seems less mature. I also found it disappointing that his hockey career ended because he could’ve went on to be very successful and then could have taken care of her even though she was older. So it started really good but the last half or so was it not quite as good. It was redeemed though in that it ended well. I’m a fan of happy endings and this one definitely had a happy ending. There were some loose ends though that I did not feel were tied up such as the brothers never learned about the illegitimate child angle and I was unsure who exactly the illegitimate child was. It also wasn’t completely clear to me what exactly the president did to Min-seok’s dad. I wanted to know what happened with the brother since Min-seok did not wind up going to Germany. I thought at one point maybe it would be revealed he was the illegitimate one and find out that Jin-woo was his brother and then he could’ve stayed on at the company and just been a very young executive. It does allude to the fact in the end that he is going to make it big because as he won some thing but I wasn’t quite clear with that some thing was. That felt pretty sad. It was good but could have been a bit better. Well acted though. Jin-woo was somewhat of a villain yet I had a very deep sympathy for him and wanted to see where his life went and wanted the relationships he developed to continue at least as friendships. All in all I liked it just had a bit of a drag point and I wasn’t a complete fan of the change in Min-seok’s character and how he was on a very successful path but then all of a sudden hockey ended and he had nothing going on at the company. Worth the watch just not one of my top choices.

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Liked this for paranormal just a few things that fell a tiny bit short

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2016 South Korean supernatural romance tv drama spanning 16, 60 minute episodes. It is also known as Okay Ghost, Let’s Fight.

When Park Bong-pal (Ok Taec-yeon) was young, he gained the ability to see ghosts after a failed attempt to completely exorcise an evil spirit from him. Not long after the evil spirit murders his mother by pushing her into traffic. His father has a weapon that would destroy the evil spirit and stays away from his son so the spirit will chase him. From a young age, Bong-pal’s only parental figure and companion is the monk who failed to fully exorcise the spirit. At first he is terrified of the ghosts and his strange behavior makes him a social outcast. He learns he can fight and destroy malicious ghosts to earn money to live on and also save money for a procedure that would take his ghost site away. On one job he encounters Kim Hyun-ji (Kim So-hyun) a ghost of a different sort who begins to follow Bong-pal when she discovers something about him is allowing her to see the events leading up to her death in flashes. In order to get him to help her she agrees to help him fight ghosts that are stronger than he can take on alone. The evil spirit has inhabited the body of one of Bong-pal‘s professors and seems to have an unnatural interest in the duo. Feelings grow between Bong-pal and Hyun-ji but those around remind them their love is impossible.

Spoiler 🚨 I liked the early episodes and found it very interesting as they solved their ghost cases. I liked the romance between the two leads. About half way through it started to feel very predictable. When she came back to her body she was very different than she had been as a ghost and that was a bit disappointing. Still overall I really liked it just thought they could have kept her character more consistent and could have had a better, less predictable, plot twist.

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Short but good. If you want something to "fill the gaps" while watching something "on air"

8/10 is my rating for this 2017 Chinese comedy drama. Run time is 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is a remake of a 2015 South Korean movie entitled "Wonderful Nightmare."

After a fatal car crash Li Yuran (Gwei Lun-mei) who has been too focused on her career ro give any thought to having a family, is given a second chance. There was a mix-up and she was taken too early, so she is asked to assume a role of a woman was admitted to the afterlife too early while they sort out the error. After seven days she will be able to resume her life as a career focused, high power, attorney. The role she is in is about as different from her former life as it could be she has two children, a working architect husband, Zhang Tao (Chen Kun) and is a full-time housewife. Her daughter Xing Xing (Ouyang Nana) is an angsty teenager who has just began seeing a boy. Her son, Tian Tian (William Wang), is young and immediately senses something is different about his mother.

Spoiler 🚨 I really liked the premise. It had sort of a "Freaky Friday" feel. The fact that she was so out of her element in the beginning gave it a strong comedic aspect. I liked the relationships she developed with the daughter and the son although seven days did not seem like long enough to have that occur to the depth that it did. I could see her finding a way of having the "best of both worlds" if she were to be able to continue in that role. I was a little disappointed with the ending, not in the way the story went for her, but in not knowing what happened to the family she had been a part of. She looked for them but never found them and I did not feel there was a good explanation as to why she could not find them. Overall enjoyable but not a rush out to watch. I am interested in the South Korean version just to see how closely the two follow.

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Really the best of kdrama

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2013 South Korean television series with 18, 60 minute, episodes.

Jan Hye-sung (Lee Bo-young) and Park Soo-ha (Lee Jong-suk) share a bond around a crime that occurred when they were children. One was a victim and the other a witness. The tragic event impacts the lives of both main characters as well as the daughter of Hye-sung's mother's former employer (Hye-sung grew up with the daughter as her mother was a live in housekeeper). The killer vows revenge on Hye-sung for her testimony as a witness and Soo-ha states his intent to protect Hye-sung for her brave deed. Time passes and Hye-sung becomes a defense attorney. She had an impoverished childhood which makes her original intention in law just to make money. Soo-ha looks for Hye-sung knowing the killer will soon be released. Hye-sung does not immediately recognize Soo-ha from that childhood connection. However, when she finds out he has a unique ability, he can hear what people are thinking, she beings to utilize his skill in the court room to solve cases. Soo-ha's childhood housemate and frenemy has now become a prosecutor (who was with Hye-sung and was also a witness to the crime but did not testify). When the killer is out he begins his plot for revenge but in a society where reform is believed in, will anyone believe the two that he hasn't changed? Soo-ha will stop at nothing to protect Hye-sung but can she convince him that killing the killer makes him no better?

Spoiler 🚨 I loved everything about this drama. It had romance (and a love triangle of course), suspense, action and mystery. It was very well acted - I have loved everything I have seen with Lee Jong-suk. The roles he takes are complex and the storylines are always exciting and surprising. Lee Bo-young's evolution from a non caring only out for me person to someone that cares deeply about justice is great to see. You can tell it was always there and just took the right person and right set of circumstances to develop. I also liked the friendships that developed and the competitive nature of both the women and men who bettered themselves through their interactions with each other. It is a deep, moving and complex story. I would put it at the top of any list to watch especially for those that love a good mystery or suspense romance. Just a great drama!

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Both of the leads are great hard to miss when they star

This is a 2018 South Korean romantic comedy that has 32, 30 minute, episodes.

Yoo Jung-eum (Hwang Jung-eum) was a diving athlete until events in her life caused her to give up the sport. Her friend hires her into her match making agency because Jung-eum was a much better athlete than she is a matchmaker. Kang Hoon-nam (Namkoong Min) seems to be everywhere Jung-dum is and they have a series of encounters. Hoon-nam ghost writes a relationship column and is so successful at helping people groom themselves to be a love interest that he turns his cousin into a player who causes havoc in Jung-eum’s company to the point that she is blamed for her client’s bad behavior and given one last chance to redeem herself by getting dates for a cadre of clients who are deemed undateable. Not having the skill to turn the folks around herself she seeks out the person ghost writing the advice articles that have proven successful. Jung-eum is surprised to siscover the relationship guru is none other than Hoon-nam a man who, based on their earlier not so positive encounters made her agree to never appear in front of him again. Can she convince him to help her? If he helps can they get dates for the Undateables and even find love themselves?

Spoiler 🚨 Jung-eum’s job as a dating consultant or matchmaker is very interesting. I like how sweet yet feisty she is. This is another one where I wish I could split the female lead in two because I liked the second guy a lot. I like all of their friends and the side stories are really cute too. It is funny that the lead guy is supposedly a dating expert yet he has such a hard time figuring out his own relationships.The leads acted this very well as you can see them as a couple and their personalities, in terms of their characters, were very complementary. There was just enough intrigue with a mysterious past that it made you want to discover the whole story. I was surprised I liked this as much as I did. It is very predictable and not very complex but so well acted and overall still entertaining that it is one I would highly recommend.

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Well paced heartwarming romantic series with small town, friends to lovers and revenge elements

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023/2024 South Korean romantic comedy with 16, 70 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Cho Yong-pil (Ji Chang-wook) and Cho Sam-dal (Shin Hye-sun) were childhood friends who grew up in a small community on Jeju Island. The adults termed them soul mates as they were born minutes apart on the same day. And their life follows the trajectory of that destined fate as close friends as children then a young couple later on. An incident drives them apart and lead both to separately pursue their dreams. Yong-pil remains on the island as a weather forecaster to fulfill his dream of providing accurate forecasts so that others will not die from weather events as his mother did. While brilliant in his field, he is a thorn in the side of the other forecasters as he is very vociferous in his demands for perfection in forecasting. Many of the youth from the Island are eager to escape that limited geography and make their mark in big city Seoul. Sam-dal also wants to escape the small town and is determined to thrive in Seoul. After much hardship, Samdal finally becomes a highly successful fashion photographer known under the professional name Cho Eun-hye. At the peak of her career, she is in the circles with all the top celebrities as a highly demanded artistic and entertainment photographer. A series of events causes Cho Eun hye’s professional and personal life to completely come apart. Samdal decides to take a pause on her career and leave the city that now felt like it turned on her. Her hometown has always been her safe haven filled with all the people she was once very close to. When Samdal and Yongpil find themselves back in the same circles, they discover their feelings for each other never died. With two very different dreams is there a way for them to be together without sacrificing their own life goals? Can Samdal prove her innocence and re-establish her career?

Review

This is a really good romantic drama with friends to lovers, coming of age and even revenge elements. People who grew up in an island culture or in a small town will relate to a lot of the content. It is an overall feel good romance served up with slices of small town life. The small insights into Haenyeo (female diver) culture is a bonus.

Spoilers

Yong pil’s dad Cho Sang-tae (Yu Oh seong), was so emotionally and physically abusive to others I seriously disliked the character. It was satisfying, in the last few episodes, when the rest let loose in him. Look she wasn’t just your wife she was my best friend, my mother etc. You are not the only one grieving. I wish someone had said your wife would have hated this. He was obsessed with her leading up to them being together and was obsessed with her after she died. Blaming her best friend when his wife as an adult who chose to go was misplaced anger. He was such a cruel selfish person, I was glad he came around for the other characters but I did not feel there was any redemption for him.

The assistant who falsely accused her was eventually revealed as a liar. That was great to get to see some justice served. A little bit more about her and the fall out of her misdeeds would have been better as so much of Samdal’s story centered around her assistant’s lies.

I loved the story with her older sister and ex husband who so clearly still loved each other but had been driven apart by his horrible family. I would have liked to see them get remarried.

The chemistry between Shin Hye sun and Ji Chang wook was surprising. I just never pictured them together as they typically choose very different scripts. But they are both such great actors it was completely believable. I became a fan Of Ji Chang wook from his action shows but this sweet boy next door role worked perfectly too which just shows his diversity.



#WelcometoSandalRi

#JiChangwook

#ShinHyeSun

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Had potential

Also known by the titles “Hi” and “Welcome”. This is a 2020 Fantasy Romantic Drama with 24, 30 minute, episodes.

Kim Sol-Ah (Shin Ye-eun) has an artistic mind and an active imagination and works at an ad agency but dreams of writing Webtoons. She categorizes people as either dog like people or cat like people. She thinks she prefers dog like people because cats are generally quiet and independent. When the boy she has had feelings for since high school (10 years), Lee Jae-sun (Seo Ji-hoon) suddenly returns Sol-ah finds herself thrown back into longing for the guy who broke her heart by suddenly leaving and having anither girlfriend. It is a mystery as to why he kissed her and acted like he wanted to be with her and then suddenly left. Friends before the brief interlude Sol-Ah falls back into the pattern of friendship all the while wondering what happened and wanting more. Jae-sun seems relatively cold toward her but does not say why. Seo Ji-hoon newest ex brings a cat they both had and says she can’t keep it and for him to take it back. . The problem is he’s very allergic to cats so Sol-ah steps up and says she will keep the cat while he finds another place for it. What she doesn’t know is this is no ordinary cat. Something about being around Sol-ah makes the cat turn into a human. Suddenly this strange boy is appearing around Sol-ah. When she finds the stranger in her house she mistakes him for her step brother she never met but is to share a house with. She renames the cat Hong-jo and decides to keep hi. As her feelings grow for the cat she begins to feel an attachment for her new housemate as well. As she grows more distant from Jae-sun he discovers he still has feelings for her after all. Who will Sol-ah choose?

spoiler 🚨 I started out liking this one really well. The premise was interesting and I like the supernatural aspect. I was also really happy when the lead girl did not continue to pine after someone that did not seem to have any feelings for her. I thought the relationship she developed with the cat was one any animal lover could understand. They sort of creep into your heart even if you don’t really mean for them to. It was a little harder to understand how she developed such a deep connection when he turned into human form. While I was happy to see her able to move on and not long for somebody that didn’t seem to want her, it was sad for her to love so deeply someone she could never be fully with. When the second guy actually came around and you found out his backstory I found out I was rooting for him too. There were several ways this could’ve ended happily but, for me, it made me feel really sad towards the end and I was not happy with the way it ended. In fact I would’ve found it much better and rated it much higher if I wasn’t as disappointed with the ending as I am. For those that don’t mind endings a little sad it may not bother them as much but I don’t like ending a series I otherwiseI enjoyed on a sad note. It had “Pirates of the Caribbean” Syndrome in terms of a sad Situation. It reminded me of how I felt about “Absolute Boyfriend” where the ending had me irritated - it felt like such a waste.

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Too emotionally brutal for me, I do not like seeing people suffer

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean dating reality series with 15, 61-164 minute episodes.

First I will Provide a Unique Synopsis then Review

Synopsis

This show brings together 10 singles (5 women and 5 men) for a chance to rekindle old love or find someone new. Eight of the singles were formerly in a relationship with one of the other house members but broke up for a variety of reasons. During the show they live together and go on dates and do activities to get to know each other. They send texts to a person they are interested in at the end of each round. With each batch if texts the singles receive a separate message indicating whether or not their ex chose them

House Rules

You cannot reveal who your ex is or mention it directly.

Any expression of feelings or skinship, except confession, is permitted.

On the first day, your age and occupation are not revealed.

You cannot share each other's SNS or contact information.

Cleaning and meal duties are handled in a rotation of 2 people (1 male, 1 female).

Residents eat together every evening.

Celebrity Panelists

Jung ki suck (known as Simon Dominic) Hip hop artist and co-ceo of a record label. He has also been on many variety, shows and done cameo appearances on television series. Born in 1984.

Lee Yong jin Comedian and singer. Born in 1985.

Kim ye won is an actress and singer. Born in 1987

Kim Ah Young (known as Yura) Actress and idol singer with the girl group “Girl’s Day”. Born in 1992

Kunpimook Bhuwakul (known as Bam Bam) is a thai born idol rapper and singer with the boy group “Got7”. He was born in 1997.

Singles

MALES

Yoon Jeong gwon. Cafe staff. Instagram influencer. Born in 2001. So about 20 years old during the show.

Seon Ho min. Semiconductor technology sales representative. Majored in technological engineering. Born in 1992. So about 29 at the time.

Lee Joo Hwey Game company employee. Project manager who worked on games such as Battleground. Prepares launches for new games, and analyzes competitor games to make improvements to company games. Born 1994. He would have been about 27.

Kwak Min jae. Restaurant manager. Plans to open his own Mexican restaurant. Born in 1991. Would have been about 28 at the time.

Lee Sang woo Eyewear brand Ceo. Born in 1995. Would have been about 26 at the time of the series. Joined in episode 10.

FEMALES

Lee Hye seon Graphic Designer. Designs for web and mobile platforms. Edits youtube vidos and provides one on one tutoring.. Is a freelancer who works from home. Born 1995. Would have been about 26 during the series.

Kim Bo hyun Model and Youtuber. Majored in computer engineering. Liked coding from a young age and was designing an app. Born in 1995. About 26 during the series.

Go Min Yeong. English instructor for university admissions. Born 1997. She would have been 24 at the time.

Coco Lee. Singer and reporter. Hosted a part on Entertainment Weekly with the Hollywood actors from “The Avengers”. Ex Bladee and Cocosori. Born in 1991. About 30 at the time.

Jeong Hye im Model and Youtuber. Born in 1993. Would have been 28 at the time of the series. Joined from Ep. 8 (Round 8)

Review

In the most general sense it reminds me a lot of “Heart Signal.” The singles enter the house one at a time, there is all the awkwardness at first, they all live there and they send texts to those they are interested in. They also go on dates sometimes they pick and other times are more coordinated. All of that reminds me of “Heart Signal.” The entire central component, of there being exes is where it is dramatically different as the jealousy is ramped up when it pertains to someone an individual used to think of as their exclusive partner. I think it is a mistake to put people who have only been apart for months in a situation where their ex is flirting with other people. It caused a lot of drama (which may be the point?) but it was hard to watch the pain and heartbreak various individuals experienced. I also thought they should clearly screen out those that are only coming on the show to get their ex back. It should be someone that is open to considering a new love.

i thought this show had particularly harsh elements and I was not comfortable watching the emotional pain a lot of the individuals were going through. It also felt like it biased who they might choose based on such a heavy presence from their ex.

This is not one I would watch again nor recommend to others just because there are so many better options available. But, someone who really enjoys reality shows and wants to see the wide variety might want to watch it as the ex aspect is a very unique angle.

Spoilers

What was clear to me is people who have only been split up a short time are not ready to objectively consider if someone else may be a better choice for them as a romantic partner. Some of them indicated they broke up because of some very real problems with their relationship such as cheating and fighting a lot. If you break up because you are fighting all the time it is very unlikely a short break is going to resolve all your issues. As viewers I am sure we had our opinions of who was best for this or that person but that was rarely who they picked. Judging whether a relationship is good or not based on how happy the people seem when they are together does not seem to be a successful predictor of who the people will select.

South Korean’s are very private about their romantic lives in general so it is hard to look up if any of them continue to date after the show or if new couples form. There is a lot of interest on the part of those that follow the show on what happens with the singles after. I was in the Coco and Min Jae should get back together camp. I thought that had such healthy, mature, interactions and seem to have so much fun naturally when they were together. The rest I thought made a good original choice to break up as watching their interactions in the show I did not feel they were particularly good for each other.

i think it is a bit more challenging watching from an American culture lens as women in the US pride themselves on independence so the “taking care of” me expectation that some of females have has a very different interpretation for American women. Some American women would view that as having a “Princess” mentality or being needy. That definitely had influence on who I thought was good for this one or that.

There were times when an ex would sort of make their ex off limits and I didn’t think that was in line with the spirit of the show. Making someone feel guilty for dating an ex, I don’t think that would have happened if the exes had been split up for a longer period of time.

Each episode was long and there was a lot of emotion displayed. I had a hard time getting through a lot of it as so much of it felt unnecessary. Struggling couples and ex couples need to deal with their issues in a healthier environment. Simply seeing your ex with someone else can spark competition and make you forget what was wrong with your relationship in the first place.

I thought telling the exes whether or not their ex chose them and then, later, who their ex chose was particularly harsh. That type of emotional damage could last beyond the show.

#EXchange1

#EXchangeSeason1

#Jungkisuck

#SimonDominic

#LeeYongjin

#KimYewon

#KimAhyoung

#Yura

#KunpimookBhuwakul

#BamBam

#YoonJeongwon

#SeonHomin

#LeeJooHwey

#KwakMinjae

#LeeSangwoo

#LeeHyeseon

#KimBohyun

#GoMinYeong

#CocoLee

#JeongHyeim

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Joyously overly exaggerated muscle buildery romance

Review



10/10 is my rating. I have watched over 400 Asian Dramas, and this is one of the most fun romantic comedies I’ve watched! It provides a blend of fitness, humor, and emotional growth. If you have ever been around body builders, you know how muscle building laser focused they can be. Do Hyun‑joong, a former world‑class bodybuilder turned gym owner represents an exaggeration of that body builder mind set. It pokes some fun at it. Hyun-joong obsessively loves all things muscle and protein. His antics had me laughing again and again, especially with exclamations like “What the fat?!” paired with "what the (fill in the blank) about everything. His amusing sayings and over the top fitness focus provided hilarious comic relief.



The chemistry between Do Hyun‑joong and Lee Mi‑ran, a travel agency assistant manager who joins the gym post-breakup, was natural and heartwarming. Their dynamic felt grounded and sweet, balancing gym intensity with emotional support.



Side characters like Rosa (the veteran trainer) and Alex (the baby-faced muscle assistant) added fun layers, especially with Rosa’s fierce attitude toward Hyun‑joong taking over her gym. Even the subplot featuring Mi‑ran’s sister (Lee Ji‑ran) and her boyfriend (Lee Sang‑jin) brought hilarious chaos and warmth to the story.



It’s impressive how well-developed each character was across the twelve episodes — rare in short K‑dramas but executed here with skill.



If you’re craving a lighthearted, funny, and affectionate rom‑com with emotional stakes, Pump Up the Healthy Love should be on your watchlist.



Spoilers



I’ve got to say, separation tropes feel overused in many dramas—it bothered me when Mi‑ran took off to Hawaii; it felt like a detour rather than an emotionally necessary shift.

I did not expect Sol—who wasn't on the full-time—to be as sweet and selfless as she was. I was certain she’d be scheming to win Hyun‑joong back, but instead she was a loyal friend to Mi‑ran. That made her tragic death hit even harder.

Mi‑ran’s sister and her boyfriend could be cringy at times. Hard to see what she saw in him but different strokes and all that.

Despite a few pacing and trope-related missteps, the finale gave a satisfying and emotionally resonant wrap-up. Every key arc was tied up and Do Hyun‑joong and Lee Mi‑ran closed with real payoff. Minor flaws aside, the humor, chemistry, and heartfelt moments made this a clear favorite in my book

Synopsis

This is a 2025 South Korean romantic comedy-drama with 12, 60-70 minute episodes. It provides a slice of the gym life and muscle building fitness fanatics.

Do Hyun-joong (Lee Jun-young), was a world-champion bodybuilder but he inherited a gym and took over as director. His unique spin on fitness and training where "no pain no gain" is taken to the extreme does not site well with some of the staff who believe a softer approach is more appealing to draw in and retain members. Despite being open 24-Hours and having a world class bodybuilder at the helm, the gym is struggling financially. Not everyone can take his brand of training, which is a lot of "suck it up sister or brother type of training" but Lee Mi-ran (Jung Eun-ji), a woman struggling from a break-up with a longer-term boyfriend, decides she needs someone who will keep her motivated. Especially since the reason her ex gave for the break up was he was not attracted to her unfit body. It is not an easy change for Mi-ran who is a foodie and likes to explore new places to recommend in her role as a travel agency manager. But Hyun-joong promises to transform her body and life so Mi-ran says sign me up. Hyun-joong is the type who will show up as you are about to put the donut in your mouth and smack it out of your hand which sets up a lot of hilarious moments as Mi-ran has always used food for comfort. Having someone solidly in your corner with life's many challenges proves to be what Mi-ran needed and her energy revives the gym and softens Hyun-joong's approach. This series is a journey for both dynamic characters who learn from each other about fitness, life and love.

#PumpUptheHealthyLove #Lee Jun-young #Jung Eun-ji

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I looked forward to every episode as it aired. Great chemistry. Well acted. Enjoyable.

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2024 South Korean romantic comedy series with 12, 60 minute episodes.  Other titles are “Spice Up Our Love” and “No Loss in Love.”

 

First, I provide a Unique Synopsis then review. 

 

Synopsis

 

Son Hae-young (Shin Min-A) was an only child but grew up with her parents continually taking in foster kids and, as such not paying a lot of attention to their only child.  In the balance of life, she felt like she was constantly having what should have been hers taken away by others that may have just been passing through.  That early experience, and the resentment she still bears as an adult, has shaped her so she wants equity in every interaction.  At work promotions and many other opportunities are restricted to those that are married.  This unfair policy reminds her of her childhood which she felt was completely unfair.  When a competition opens at work that is only available to married employees, Hae-young makes a decision which would allow her to participate.  A fake marriage she determines is the only way to gain all the benefits she can at work. 

 

Hae-young has been in an ongoing battle with convenience clerk Kim Ji-wook (Kim Young-dae) who has gained the reputation of being an angel for his kind nature and selfless volunteer work.  So, it is out of character for him to be mean or petty but Hae-young’s over the top antics, which he observes as she frequents his store, have made him her anti-fan.  He pettily deprives her of her favorite snack insuring there is limited, or no stock, and she does stuff like mess up his store shelves.   But Hae-young is desperate for a fake groom and her rival in her mind is the perfect candidate because he dresses bum sheik and their conflict ensures no feelings will develop.  Ji-wook originally refuses Hae-young’s outrageous offer until he realizes Hae-young will choose anybody, including this con man he knows, to fulfill her plan.  Even with their cold war Ji-wook cannot stand to see Hae-young get hurt so he agrees to her crazy plan, pretending he is in it for the compensation and assurance of a quick divorce.  But things start to change when Ji-wook cleans up to above average handsome.  As the two work in partnership on the fake marriage, they learn things about each other that change their opinion. Maybe Hae-young’s heart may not be as safe as she thought it was. 

 

Review



 This was a super heart warming romantic comedy which I waited eagerly every week to air. I like both of the actors a lot and have enjoyed many things they have been in so was excited to see them in this one and I wasn’t disappointed. They had great chemistry and their romance was very believable. It was really fun in the beginning when they had this bit of a rival going, it made it very interesting. She was really unique and you could tell it was gonna take a lot to win her over and convince her that there were more important things in life than keeping a tally. I would watch it if somebody had it on I might even seek it out to watch it again. I highly recommend it to anybody that likes romance or any of the actors.



Spoilers



It definitely takes you an emotional roller coaster as I felt for him every time she pushed him away emotionally. It was so clear she really liked him and was just getting in her own way. I wish we had more of reunion in the end. It was really just the very last few minutes. We actually saw more of the second couple together.



Her friend/sister was in some polyamarous relationship and I just think that’s odd. I’ve never known anybody other than swingers in that kind of relationship. I don’t know why they felt the need to include that and I didn’t really like it, but it wasn’t a big enough part of the story to ruin it for me. I liked her long time boyfriend and liked it when he wanted to be exclusive and was willing to accept the baby even if it wasn’t his. Their relationship actually wound up being pretty cute. I just didn’t think they needed that part where they each had another partner and that she wasn’t sure who the babies’ father was. Again just seemed completely unnecessary and actually a departure from why I usually like Korean shows where they’re much more wholesome typically. So I think that was a Prime effect rather than anything. Korean writers would’ve typically done.



I wanted to reconcile with her mom and understand more why she did what she did with the foster kids, but they never really took it there.



It was good that the brothers were starting to come together. I would’ve liked to see more of their relationship develop because they were both lonely in a way and needed each other. I also wanted to see him get to know his dad a little bit.



While it was cool that she started her own business and took the secretary with her. It would’ve been a step cooler if it had been highly successful and she wouldn’t have had to go back to her previous boss for a loan. I mean the interaction where he sort of tease them and then end up giving it to them anyway and called them. Traders was cute, but I still would’ve liked to have seen her being really successful on her own.

 

#NoGainNoLove  #SpiceUpOurLove  #NoLossInLove   #KimYoungDae   #ShinMinA

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If you like simple, sweet, heart warming coming of age drama this is a must watch

is my rating. This is a 2023 Chinese romantic drama with 24, 30-40 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review

Synopsis

Su Zaizai (Zhang Miaoyi) and Zhang Lurang (Zhou Yiran) are complete opposites in personality. Where Zhang Lurang is cold and aloof, Su Zaizai is social and friendly. That doesn’t stop Zaizai from developing an instant crush on Zhang Lurang when they have a chance encounter at a corner store on a rainy day. Zaizai begins to persistently put herself in Zhang Lurang’s sphere to get his attention and win his friendship. Zaizai turns out to be just what Zhang Lurang needed to help him break out of his cold, lonely shell. Tolerance becomes friendship then evolves to something more.

Review

This is one of the most heart warming romantic comedies I have ever seen. The main romance is credible, well paced, believable and incredibly sweet. The bonus, second couple romance, is also very touching. So many interesting relationships between the friends and family. If you like heart warming romances, coming of age, or friends to lovers then you should definitely add this to your watch list.

Spoilers

Zhang Lurang’s mother was a tiger mom to the extreme. Her expectations were so unreasonably high she was not satisfied her son was a top student. His lack of self confidence and shy/withdrawn nature was the consequence of his mother’s extreme behavior. It is harmful to compare one person to another in a negative way. Does it happen in real life. Absolutely. My spouse was subjected to that same lens and had many emotional problems as a result.

To watch Zaizai’s sunny persistence draw Zhang Lurang out of his protective cocoon was a delight to watch. In one part someone said your girlfriend is clingy and he corrected them saying he was the one who was clingy. Later they commented all the women were after him romantically yet he never wavered. It made perfect sense because she literally saved him from himself and he said as much.

There were occasions where the group of five were together just enjoying their friendship and being young and I loved it. It is a gift to have people like that in your life.

I loved how all the kids loved the one friend’s grandmother. They hung out at her restaurant and she fed them good food


#ZhangMiaoyl
#ZhouYiran

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I like Legal Dramas - just did not find this one interesting

7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.

Jung Geum-ja (Kim Geun-ja) is a lawyer who, like a Hyena, has no issue with scavenging off other‘s weakness to win a case. She crosses paths with Yoon Hee-jae (Ju Ji-hoon) who works for a distinguished law firm that caters to the wealthiest of the wealthy. Yoon Hee-jae is confident in his ability and has risen through the ranks of his law firm at an accelerated rate due to his exceptional legal skill that is until he goes against Geum-ja. Their first encounter is on a divorce case and Geum-ja seduces Hee-Jae in order to get close enough to him to steal information that is critical to winning the case.

In general I did not find the cases they worked on very compelling. It was mostly corporate level cases or rich chaebol and that type of law was not very interesting to me. I did not feel a lot of chemistry between the leads. I also did not like Geum-ja's underhanded way of doing law. It was okay a lot of times for the criminals she was pursuing but tricking someone by pretending to love them then stealing information to win a case was cruel and it made it so I did not like her very much. She is supposed to be very attractive but her short hair did not make her look very attractive to me. I have been watching this for many weeks and I usually watch things quickly but I find it very slow.

It took me a long time to finish this drama. I did not hate it but I certainly did not love it. Spoiler Alert* I found the way Geum-ja treated Hee-Jae in the beginning reprehensible. She seduced him to steal information to win a case. Hee-jae was a nice guy so I could not excuse the way she treated him as just being competitive or breaking some rules for a good outcome. If he had been a jerk then maybe I could have gotten past that but he was nice and what she damaged his career. I also did not find the cases they were working on very interesting. Corporate intrigue is just not much my thing. Since I was not pulling for the romance between the leads, I was not super invested in them getting together. It was also very slow in some parts. If you are someone who really likes legal drama, particularly corporate law, or likes one of these actors a lot - you might find it worth the watch. In general I would say there are far better legal dramas to watch and I would pass this one over.

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Love knows no borders

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2019/2020 South Korean television drama with 16, 70-110 minute episodes.

Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) has lived the life of a Princess as a chaebol heiress to one of the largest conglomerates in South Korea. She is the only daughter and has always been somewhat of a black sheep leading her to form her own successful fashion sporting goods line. She has two older brothers who would be the logical successors to her father, however, he does not feel like his sons have what it takes to run the business. He announces his plan to have his daughter, Se-ri, run the company when he retires and plans to announce it at the next shareholder meeting. Se-ri is excited to have proven herself and vows to wrap up her own business and put it under management with just one final campaign. To test a flight suit she goes paragliding in Seoul and a freak weather event, with tornadic winds, blows her off course into North Korea's portion of the demilitarized zone. Having lived a pampered life she does not, at first, realize how dangerous the situation she has found herself in is. As luck would have it, she is discovered on patrol by Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) who is from a powerful North Korean family and is serving as a Captain in the Korean People's Army. Unlike Se-ri he knows all too well what might happen if she was turned in to the North Korean military police. After some reluctance he decides to protect her and help her get back to South Korea. Meanwhile, Se-ri's family, particularly her brothers, assume her dead, and began competing for the role of their father's successor. When they find out Se-ri is alive by chance, they conspire to keep her from returning to South Korea. Meanwhile Jeong-hyeok has been trying to solve the mystery surrounding his brother's death and winds up with an enemy in common with Se-ri who is determined to expose them both. Although Jeong-hyeok is engaged to a North Korean heiress, there is no love in the arrangement, and he finds himself drawn to Se-ri and she to him.
spoilers*. I like the glimpse into North Korean life that this show gives. It illustrates how people all over the world are very much the same in that we want good things for our kids, to have loving friends, and see the people around us happy and healthy. In the beginning, when the female lead first landed in North Korea I liked how they did not immediately befriend her but had a debate about what to do with this person who was possibly an enemy. It felt like they went through the same type of discovery and found that they had fewer differences and more similarities. I liked all the young military men and how loyal they were to each other and to their captain. I thought it was interesting how she found a way to fit in with the local women and came to be friends with them. The male leads fiancé and him were in an arranged marriage and it was interesting to see the conflict as he started to fall in love with someone. It also delved into love versus obsession and there was a lot of character growth on all of their parts. The female lead started as a spoiled and “Picky Princess“ but she learned through being around people that had so much less than she did yet still found ways to enjoy life and each other that she did not need all those things she had back in South Korea. I thought the way her family had very little love between them as they were too busy fighting for control of the company showed the way when the focuses is on the material a lot of the joyous things in life are lost. I would’ve scored this even higher but I was, unlike a lot of people, disappointed in the ending as I thought they might find a way to be together either her going to North Korea or him defecting to South Korea. I thought perhaps there was an angle with her being rich and them wanting her money as the father had mentioned. It turned out in the end that they were only able to be together in SwitzerlandJust a couple weeks out of the year. I was also disappointed that the side couple never got to be together because he wound up dying around the time he finally came around and redeemed himself. I still feel like it is Netflix influence that makes it so the females in these act as if they don’t need a man in their life. That is a very modern Western concept. I know some people would say there are families that live that way and that is considered a normal type of ending or at least one possible ending. To me I watch stuff not to see the harsher parts of life play out, I like the happily ever after stories as I think life is hard enough as it is. Still it was very good and very well written with excellent actors. The chemistry between the couples was very believable and the friendships were heartwarming. I highly recommend this to anyone that wants a glimpse into North Korean lifestyle as I understand there were many North Koreans who provided information and insight for the script so while it is still a movie and not entirely based on facts a lot of the major elements such as power outages, house searches, and a lack of technology for most people I understand accurately portrays life for many North Koreans.

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I wanted to Like it More

7.5 out of 10 is my rating. This is a 2012 South Korean TV show with 16, 30-60 min, episodes. Shi-Won (Jung Eun-ji) is a fangirl in the 1990s of a boy band called H.O.T. Flash forward to her at 33 years old and nearing a reunion, her and her 5 friends in high school recall what was like for them all back then. Yoon Yoon-je (Seo In-juk) is the younger of two brothers who grew up with Shi-won when his parents died. Shi-won’s parents were best friends of Yoon-je‘s parents and became like mother and father to the two boys when their parents died. Yoon Tae-Woong was in love with and fiancée to Shi-won’s older sister who died tragically. Tae-Woon later shows romantic interest in Shi-won. Yoon-je also loves Shi-won but feels his brother, who sacrificed so much for him, should not bear heartbreak again so he puts his feelings aside. Friendship, love triangles and flashes back to the 90's lots of interesting elements.

Spoiler 🚨 I was very lukewarm about this one. I found myself waiting for it to get over. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t like it either. It was a little bit like the United States television show "How I Met your Mother" in that it started in the future and had you wondering who Shi-won's husband was. They kept teasing you with it and you couldn’t figure out which one of the guys she was married to. Then in a series of extended flashbacks you get the story slowly throughout the episodes. Of course there are love triangles and side romances and also bromances and all of that was good. It ended the way I like them to end where I knew what was going on with all the characters. I did not particularly like the type of relationship the two that wind up together had. It was the sort of bickering and fighting that makes you wonder if they even like each other sort of relationship. The chemistry was there but the way they portrayed the relationship was hard to envision them lasting long term. One of the side couples would have been cute but they were constantly breaking up or saying they were going to break up which made them not seem that into each other either. It made me wonder what the writers idea of a good relationship is. It focused a little bit on the fan girl angle but I didn’t feel like I knew a whole lot more about that after having watched this. There were also some weird things like when the sister died I had to read some other reviews to even figure out that that was Shi-won's sister. They never showed the sister as a really being part of the family they always showed her doing things other than with the family. Then when she died suddenly and unexpectedly there was really only one passing comment about it made by the dad. And the fiancé, Tae-woon, it did not really show him going through much grief either. It made me wonder why they even bothered to include that storyline except for later when he falls for Shi-won she wonders and you wonder as well if it’s just because she reminds him of the sister. Shi-won even asked Tae-woon if he liked her because she reminds her of her sister and he said that’s not the reason. Which, if that is the case, there was no reason to even have the sister be part of the story. To me there were just a lot of elements like that that didn’t hold together or add interest. I would definitely not recommend this highly or even to get a feel for the genre or time. If you like movies told In flashback then perhaps you would like this better than I did. One thing it does well is keep you hanging on who she ends up with.

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Great time travel crime drama

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean crime drama based on true murders (Hwaseong serial murders). It consists of 16, ~60 minute, episodes.

While on the trail of a killer (they avoided calling them serial killers) in 1986, detective Park Gwang-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) is attacked and when he comes to and emerges from a tunnel he is in 2016. Those he left behind are left wondering what happened to him. He does not, at first, realize he has time traveled and goes to his station where he encounters Kim Seon-jae 9Yoon Hyun-min) an elite lieutant detective who has more rank than respect from his fellow ditectives (the old made an officer versus worked your way up through the ranks controversy). Shin Jae-yi (Lee Yoo-young) is a consult on the cases as a "visiting"/cooperating criminal profiler. When Gwang-ho realizes he is in a different time he is able to blend in a there was a detective, due to report, who had the same name. No-one, including, Gwang-ho knows what happened to that detective (but it seems he thinks it may be tied to the whole time travel event - they never directly say that but that is what it seems like).

I really like this. It was suspenseful the whole way through. The clues were intriguing and there were lots of plot suprises. The filmography was great as you really got a sense of the different times from the way the way the footage was shot. A great crime drama!

#Tunnel
#ChoJinHyuk
#LeeYooYoung

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