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Ok in the beginning, cheesy and cliche in the middle, but hey a happy ending

4/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 Chinese romantic comedy drama with 24, 30-47 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Su Yan xi (Lu Xin Yi) is living a challenging life as a beauty influencer as her mother is gravely ill and the medical bills exceed her earnings. Chance or perhaps fate causes her to cross paths with Gu Xi Cheng (Luo Zheng) , a wealthy president of a company, on several occasions. Gu Xicheng is looking for a fake girlfriend to make his grandmother happy by allowing her to think that he is pursuing a relationship. When a misunderstanding leads Yanxi to interview, Gu Xicheng decides she is the best fake girlfriend candidate even though she refuses when she finds out the real purpose of the interview. After she leaves, Gu Xicheng runs a background check and accidently recieves the information on Yanxi’s identical twin sister who has gained some celebrity. Yanxi’s sister is also in need of money for an urgent surgery that is to be performed in the USA. So she signs a relationship contract with Gu Xicheng then coerces her sister to play her so she can go to the US. When real feelings develop between the fake couple things get complicated. Can Xicheng forgive the deception? Is there a way forward for a couple that started on such deceptive terms?

Review

I read other reviews before watching this and a lot said it was cliché but that alone was not enough to deter me as one person’s cliché can be another person’s tried and true. A cliche here and there I can handle but this was like the cliche dump truck spilled over turning it into a B grade soap opera. It is reasonably good in the beginning, cheesy and ridiculous in the middle, and has a happy ending. It also has so many flash backs of their developing relationship that they could have cut it by multiple episodes. I would not watch it again. But it might be worth watching it, with low expectations for the content, if you are a fan of any of the actors. The grandmother is a cute enough character to watch it for.

Spoilers*

Some reviewers criticize this for having a male lead that exhibits “toxic masculinity“. With the train wreck that was the plot, I am like THAT is what you focused on? I wholeheartedly disagree with him having toxic masculinity as a woman that likes men that act like men and not little soy boys who ask permission to sneeze. The female lead is not a push over, she exerts herself and her opinion when appropriate. Well she does in the beginning but then goes through this change to wimpy uncertainty but it had nothing to do with the male lead.

Grandma Gu (Zhao Shu Zhen) drugging the chicken soup to make the couple amarous and quicker to produce offspring is one of the most comedic elements I have experienced in the over 300 dramas I have watched so far. Grandma’s chicken soup then becomes an inside joke among the couple. I love the grandmother and have seen her play the grandmother role in other series. In this one she is caring, genuinely wants her grandson’s happiness but is just a wee bit mischievious.

It did have a happy ending if you can survive all the over dramatized scenes, cheesy lines, and some draggy parts.

How did they overdo tropes you say? Well they had the push someone out of the way and then fatally get hit by a car trope not once but twice Thy had first one toxic female after lead guy in the beginning, then later another one. But wait. There is more. There was the hidden identity trope, the contract relationship trope, the con man parent trope, the obsessed ex trope, the Cinderella trope, the I like you but you never wanted me but people think that means you have to accept me trope, the parachute at the company trope, the I’ve never done this thing before but I am suddenly better at it than everybody trope, the it is raining so I might die trope, the sexy kiss in the rain trope, the umbrella trope, the someone got me drunk and took risqué pictures trope, the looked like I was cheating trope, the I was a capable person and a little sassy but now I met you and am helpless trope, the I am going to pledge my unfaltering love but the minute there is adversity it falters trope, the childhood friend trope, tge separated twin trope, the evil twin trope, the almost kiss trope, the hidden box of secrets but then you find it and I freak out trope, the scheming at work to make a lead look bad trope, the stealing your work trope, the sick parent need money for hospital bills trope, the kidnapping trope, the blackmail trope, the confession while dying trope, the parents ditched me for the grandparents to raise trope, the plastic surgery trope, the got sick “don’t leave“ trope, the I am going to leave you to make myself worthy trope and more. A few tropes here and there are okay, they become tropes often because the viewers like them but this many tropes sometimes repeated and even layered was too much.

Then there were things that just did not make sense. Like why it was such a big deal she was not her sister. I understood he did not like that she lied to him but, had she told him early on, he was just looking for a fake relationship at that point anyway. But they made it like it had to be her sister without making it clear why.

They way over dramatized many of the kiss scenes, still framing, slowing it down then a bunch of different camera angles.

She was doing okay as a streamer and I thought had a gig with his company for doing make up. Then Grandma decides she should be at the company to keep lead guy and crazy 2nd gurl apart and she winds up agreeing to work with crazy 2nd girl. Why? Made no sense she let her torture her.

They played the same refrain of music ad nauseum. You are my dream, YOU are my dream ok music I get it they are each other’s frickin‘ dreams.

I do not care how much you like this girl, who pays that much for a necklace? And second guy, who find out later was just being a psycho for second girl, also tries to buy the necklace.
He was pretending to like her to steal her away so his actual love, second girl, could have lead guy. Because he loved her so much he just wanted her to have what she wanted even if it was another guy. But they gave zero indication he felt that way through all of his chasing of lead girl. He even acted jealous of lead girl when only us viewers would know. I know they were trying for a plot twist but that was a turn if not a complete reverse. We should have been able to think back and remember times when he seemed into second girl. But there was not a time if anything it seemed he thought she was ridiculous.

#TimetoFallinLove
#LinXinYi
#LuoZheng

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Very funny and cute romance

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 Chinese romantic fantasy drama with 24, 35-47 minute episodes.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Nan Xing (Shen Yue) has talents at all ends of the spectrum and as a former athlete she has gained somewhat super heroin status in her ability to aid the police in stopping criminals. Another of her interests is writing fan pieces and other online literary posts so when one of her characters is criticized as lacking depth and not being villainous enough, she rewrites his character to be super bad. Little does she know that action will come back to haunt her. Because she has such a strong and unique character she scares off potential suitors who trend to the fragile femme fatale. Frustrated with her fails in the romance department she makes a spontaneous wish for unforgettable love in front of Fairy Zhen's water fountain. At first she does not realize that the appearance of the villain from her web novel, Xiao Wudi (Chen Zhe Yuan) is connected to her wish for love. Having a character come to life is startling enough and why would she think a villain is her heart’s desire? Xiao Wudi is not pleased to be summoned from his past world and by none other than Nan Xing, a woman he does not find suitable as a romantic partner. Threatening to expose his presence to her mother, Xiao Wudi gets Nan Xing to allow him to stay in her spare apartment next door. He is able to gain some wealth and independence in this new to him world by selling jewelry he was wearing. He also learns all about this time 500 years in his future by using his photographic memory to absorb reference materials. He plans to carve out his own life in this new realm until he discovers Nan Xing can summon him, from wherever he is, when she needs boyfriend like services. Since he was pulled from his world to satisfy Nan Xing's wish for an unforgettable love, Xiao Wudi determines if he plays fairy godfather/cupid and finds an unforgettable love for Nan Xing, he can return to his world. After all nothing in the wish fulfillment dictates that unforgettable love must be him. However the mire time Xiao Wudi spends around Nan Xing transforming her into an ideal romantic partner, the less villainous he feels toward her. He was after all summoned by magic as her unforgettable love and fate might have known its business.

Review

If you like heart warming romance that is not overly complicated and ends happy then I highly recommend this one. I laughed so often at Zhe Yuan’s antics. I thought the main couple were believable as I could see two people such as them fall for each other. The story was well paced and there was resoltion to all major plot points and a very happy, well developed, ending.

Spoilers

It was a little odd that Nan Xing makes a wish, this character from her story appears, and then that is not even a big part of the story. She seemed incredibly underwhelmed that this strange miracle just happened. Some people thought, in the end, when she was reading parts of her novel to her fans, that the whole thing had been a dream and never happened. She did say some things like that about time travel and all but I just took that as the “cover story” so no one would examine her relationship further. He did have her childhood love’s identity but the mother never acted like he was her actual son.

Xiao Wudi did not show any obvious magical ability in the beginning. She could summon him but that magic seemed external to him. He used what seemed like concrete physical abilities for most of the series. So I thought it was odd when he was suddenly able to fly around like when he wanted to prove the story to the mother. He was not a God or any other supernatural so they did not integrate nor explain that ability well.

I thought it was strange that he was not her made up character after all. They never explained how this character made up by two people independently would have the same name and so many similar characteristics. They were calling him a hero when he went back to the past but there was no details on what made him heroic.

The love she had for her childhood sweetheart was not at all compelling as, up until the fire, he was fairly cruel to her. It felt very much like “he pulls your pig tails because he likes you.” So I never found that unrequited love that was actually requited angle very engaging. To me it felt like he was meant to be the reincarnated son, but for some reason they never went that route, but they had everything set up for that to be the case. Instead, he just had some of his memories for some reason we never really fully got to understand.

When he was desperate to find her the unforgettable love and set her up with all the potential Mr. Rights he dressed her so over the top then set her up with the most ridiculous possibles but then acted confused when she was mad at him about it. He did not dress her well as an actual potential marriage partner but perhaps as an escort. It was unfortunate there was no friend or other outside character to point out to him that he had foiled his own attempt, perhaps deliberately, as he was already starting to like her.

The lead male character‘s animosity towards Nan Xing’s boss, never made a lot of sense, because he was never set up to be a romantic rival as he never showed any interest in her that way. It was like they were Frenemies for no real reason. I determined he acted that way towards him simply because he didn’t like anybody else having her attention but that was never made clear that that was his motivation.

I honestly was just never very interested in the second couple. They were sort of late in telling us their backstory, which helped in understanding why he was so into her. Without knowing their backstory, and the fact that they had a romantic thing going until she made the agreement with his dad, it made no sense why he was doggedly pursuing her, as there was no clear basis for his feelings. They were such opposites that understanding their tie was important to getting their romance.

It was weird that they made the female President of the company out to be a tragic character like she sacrificed so much taking on that role was a little hard to swallow. Being that high up in any company in any country in the world is a hard roll to get and a lot of people would dream to have that job even if it didn’t pay a lot. She did not seem picked on holding such a rare position, that she excelled at, if not for the wealth then just for the status and prestige that came with it. The fact that the company was successful indicated there must’ve been some cash flowing in or they wouldn’t have continued, she had to of been making some money. Ifshe really did not want to work in that job she had built her resume enough to work elsewhere. President Ye striking out on her own and working with her family in the restaurant was weird because it did not seem preferable to being some high-powered president of a company. Then she comes back but only as his assistant. I cannot see anybody being happy dropping rank and influence. I mean if you hate it that much, get an a vice president that can take on some of the responsibility when you’re gone. That also made their relationship a bit awkward because it made it like she sacrificed the whole time when it felt like she really only sacrificed in the beginning.

The wedding night to me was cringy. Their awkward physical advances was unnecessary. That is usually left to the imagination and I am fine with that. The may I this can I that made it weird. And seeing the kids and so forth felt like a little too much of their after the happily ever after.

Having the other office couple catch the boquet and confess at their wedding was not good timing for a third romance.

#MrBad .
#ChenZheYuan
#ShenYue

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Cheesy romance with Romeo and Juliet ish vibes

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2014 South Korean romantic comedy drama with 16 ,~60 minute episodes. Also known as the hundred year bride.

First I provide a unique synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Na Doo Rim (Yang Jin sung) agrees to impersonate a wealthy heiress for a hefty sum of money not knowing she is subjecting herself to a curse. It seems the Choi family, who own the Taeyang group, a major South Korean conglomerate, have been under a hundred year curse. As her luck would have it she looks exactly like rich heiress Jang Yi Kyung (Yang Jin sung) who was set to marry the eldest son of the Choi family which would have triggered the curse. The curse is the first bride if the eldest son always dies and now Na Doo Rim is in the role of that first bride. It is an arranged marriage for business reasons and the eldest son, Choi Kang Joo (Lee Hong ki) did not love Jang Yi Kyung his would be bride. When Jang Yi Kyung disappears, in their desperation to keep the wedding going forward, the Jang family finds doppelgänger Doo Rim. But the two women only physically look alike and are opposites in nearly every other way. Where the heiress is rich, Doo Rim is poor, where the heiress has a cold, indifferent personality, Doo Rim is warm and bubbly. Choi Kang Joo does not know his bride has been swapped but finds he is seeing a new aspect to his fiancee and he likes this new leaf he thinks Jang Yi Kyung turned over. He surprisingly falls in love with this woman when he thought it would be a marriage of convenience and he would keep a distance. Na Doo Rim realizes Choi Kang Joo is kind under his cold exterior and falls for him as well. But what will happen if Choi Kang Joo discovers he was deceived? What if the real Jang Yi Kyung returns? And will Na Doo Rim become the victim of the curse?

Review

If you consider in 2023 this is now about a decade old it is easier to overlook some but not all of the way the romance is portrayed. There are rare instances where people fall in love pretty much at first sight although I would argue that that’s not love at the beginning it’s more love the way the person looks but love can develop from that. In this series it’s not love at first sight but It is a bit of a quick transition from him being mostly indifferent, but perhaps a little intrigued with her to having some kind of undying love for her. For her to fall for him it was a little bit hard to understand because he was so arrogant and cold for so long that it also felt like she just suddenly decided she was deeply in love with him. It is a good example of romance during that time frame where you did not have a slow build up to love. If you want a point in time romance that has all the flavors and tropes of romances a decade ago you might
like it. If you are a fan of FT Island’s Lee Hong ki you might watch just to see him in this role. He also sings a lot of the songs for the series.

Spoilers

I depart from a lot of other reviewer‘s in that I thought a lot of the romantic scenes were over the top and cheesy in the things they said and gestures they made regarding their romantic feelings. Like I thought Na Doo Rim saying that she didn’t care if she died as long as she got to be his bride for a day, was not something anybody, but perhaps a teenage girl in their overly dramatic hormonally driven phase, would say or think about someone they knew such a short time. Her overly dramatic actions around being apart from him were out of her earlier character and not something a grown woman would typically say or think. Most mature women would realize that no love is truly worth just a single day unless you’re suicidal and then I would say you need mental health help. To add to the over the top love at all costs element when Kang joo is pushing her away because of fear of the curse she jumps in front of a car and uses emotional blackmail to get him to listen to her. To me that was completely an immature action, and it didn’t suit her earlier character where she is very responsible, and if anything, somewhat mature for her age. I also thought he changed a lot in terms of he just suddenly had this undying love for her which didn’t fit or makes sense. I am not a “giving your heart” fan. If you give your heart to someone they have absolute control of it and that is not a healthy dynamic. Having someone in your heart is a better way as that means they have a place in your heart but not absolute control. It is a healthier love.

The whole ghost angle, wound up being rather disappointing. It was not a curse but rather a trick. It was a twist, and I generally like twists, but in this case it detracted rather than added to the story. Since the ghost was not deadly, it was ironic that it wound up being the people around the First Bride, that were more of a danger to her than the “family curse.” I thought it was completely out of character for Doo rim to be willing to sacrifice her life and leave the grandmother she loved so much. I felt like in the latter half of the series a lot of what she did seemed selfish, and that she didn’t care if she hurt the people around her as long as she could be with Kang Joo. It had a very tragically fatalist vibe like Romeo and Juliet but those characters were much younger so their over the top made more sense for immature teenagers to respond that way.

There was way too much forgiveness of atrocious behavior for me. For example, I did not like that they tried to make the murderous grandmother a sympathetic character, and that somehow her guilt was enough to absolve her of murdering somebody. The fact that Kang joo’s mother was willing to make her son marry Yi kyung simply to cover her mother and to avoid some damage to the family business made me like her less. After being such a strong and formidable character through most of the series, it was ridiculous that she would allow herself to be black mailed. Yi kyung’s mother had nearly murdered her own step son and Doo rim, and Kang joo’s mother could’ve turned that into the police as a current crime where the grandmother’s crime occurred long ago. I get that Doo rim was supposed to be some super magnanimous person but she over forgave so many it made her seem a push over. She forgave Yi kyung who had no problem her dying as first bride and did not care her mother attempted to murder Doo rim. She forgave both Kang joo and Yi kyung’s mothers who were willing to have her die under the curse.

It was such a minor point that the grandmother was a runaway bride that it simply distracted from the main plot elements. And I had really liked the grandmother to that point but, after her confession, she was also a flawed character. I mean if she that adamantly did not want to marry why wait until the wedding night to make your break? I am assuming her family had already derived whatever benefit. I know part if it was to reveal the origins of the curse lore but it conficted, a bit, with what the ghost said. The grandmother’s husband said he spread it to discourage the well positioned brides from marrying him so he could marry her. The ghost said it was a true love test. I realize the meaning of such things can twist over time but she is this all seeing ghost so why didn’t she reveal the full story? And the reveal of why Doo rim and Yi kyung looked identical, that the ghost visited baby Yi kyung and changed her features was silly. How would a ghost have that power? And it never explained why she did that. It leads you to think she saw the future and set the whole thing up but again, how does a ghost have that power?

There was a reincarnation angle as it seemed the ghost, Yi kyung’s mother, and Doo rim were all tied together in the past. It was an important aspect but was not even hinted at until late in the series. The ghost changed Yi kyung’s features ensuring the ancestor she was protecting, Kang joo, would have a better suited bride. Or at least Ithink that is why it never really says.

#LeeHongKi
#YangJinSung
#BrideoftheCentury
#TheHundredYearBride

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Could have been an exciting and compelling story about legal cases during the Josean era

8;10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean historical legal romance drama with 16, 60 minute episodes. It is based on a webtoon of the same name. Also known as Josean Attorney: A morality. It has 16, 60 minute episodes.

First I provide a synopsis then review

Synopsis
Kang Han-soo (Woo Do-hwan) is an attorney with a strong sense of justice just as his father before him. It was that strong sense of justice that led to his father and mother’s early death as those that are powerful and corrupt wish to operate outside the law. Orphaned as a child and with his only sister married off just prior to the tragedy, Han-soo is now grown and determined to avenge his family. Along the way he encounters the Princess whi has disguised herself to avoid the same evil politicians. Josean Princess Lee Yeon-joo (Kim Ji-yeon or Bona) was wrapped up in the incident that occurred so many years before and feels responsible for the tragedy. In disguise she works with Han-soo enamored by his caring for the average Jisean people and united in their quest to bring down their common enemy. When Han-soo discovers her true identity nit inky is his devastated at her deception but also realizes how impossible their love is. Can the two overcome obstacles to pursue happiness and ontain revenge for themselves and others who were wronged by the corruption?

Review
It was good, worth watching but not great. I really expected the lawyer to be some super lawyer but that did not turn out to be the case. My hooe was that I would learn more aboit the laws in the Josean period through a bariety of interesting cases. There were a few, early in but then it quickly switched to the revenge arc and there was not a lot of interesting legal cases after that. If youlike either if these actors you would likely enjoy their performance as they did a great job acting their characters. The romance was okay but I am not a huge fan of romance where there isn‘t a slow build and clear events that draw the two together. Sice they were mostly at odds with a lot of the cases it is hard to see how that would have drawn them close.

Spoilers*

If you do not like sad shows there are some sad events in this one. Particularly when he finally finds his sister only for her to die as a result of the same corrupt elite that caused the death of his parents. Her death seemed unnecessary as there were so many ways she could have lived. She also had a side romance going on with 2nd guy that I thought would play out and would have been good.

I was disappointed he was not more successful as an attorney and that success did not lead to a position of position of power next to the king. He won some big cases but he also lost some important ones. And he was falsely accused and tortured. He did not get oit if that situatiin with his brilliant legal prowess , instead it was due to the pleas of the people he helped. I know they were trying to keep it real but I watch for good to win over evil so I did not like that part. He wound up just being the legal lackey.

I did not feel there was a believable romance between the Princess and the lawyer. Maybe their chemistry was just off for me. She spent so much time early on suspecting him of being unethical and disagreeing with his actions I did not see where there were enough events for her to have fallen for him.

I was very disappointed in the King. He started as a very likable character but then somehow changed so he had his finger poised on the kill switch. He basically killed lead guys sister (well drove her to suicide) because he was hurt Han-soo hadn’t recognized his power to stop her execution. He wanted him to come and implore him to save her. Because he did not do that he made Han-soo read the execution verdict. That was so psychologically cruel it was nit a redeemable action in my opinion. Then he simply says he will reflect in it for the rest of his life and Han soo seems to forgive him completely. That whole thing was just messed up and unnecessary. And where was the king’s bride? Where was the pressure on him to marry? That was a missed opportunity for the evil element to force a bride of their choosing on him. It was just odd that was missing because that is such a strong element in other Josean dramas.

So many flaws in and around the Princess character. As strict as the Regent Queen was with palace rules it never explained how the Princess was able to live as a commoner outside the palace. That is what allowed her to meet and fall in love with Han soo so it was odd not knowing why she was living outside. If the elites were able to get the rules changed so their sons could retain their positiin yet marry into the royal family how was it the only solution the Regent Queen could come up with was to fake her granddaughter’s death and exile her?

I like happy endings so I looked into this quite a bit and many say it was a happy, well wrapped up, ending. I do not agree as it was very sad and heavy in several episodes toward the end that it felt pretty sad, on balance, to me. thought it was silly and selfish for her to go off after being reported dead from poisoning and not let him know she was alive and well. He had horribly lost so many people and suffered so much yet she was okay with him suffering because if her. I thought, as much as he wanted kids, her being infertile was sad for him. He lost his entire immediate family and, being with her, he would not be able to build a family of his own. I mean I am sure they could adopt but they did not even discuss the issue or how they would resolve it.

#JoseanAttorney
#Bona
#KimJiYeon
#WooDoHwan

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Heartwarming romance with a slice of high fashion life

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 Chinese romantic drama with 45, 45 minute episodes.

First I provide a synopsis then review

Synosis

Infatuation at first sight occurs when workaholic Ming Xuan (Hans Zhang)encounters talented design student Mo Fei (Xu Lu) At the design fair they both attend Ming Xuan overhears the feisty girl passionately telling her friend how the designs featured in the show could be improved. Like Cinderella dropping a shoe, Moi Fei drops a notebook in which she sketched many of the designs from the show, along with improvements and some of her own thoughts and designs. Ming Xuan finds the notebook and is slow to return it as he finds the girl, and her concepts fascinating. Ming Xuan’s family company, Yuan Fashion Group, has a traditional line they are trying to reimagine and globalize. Mo Fei’s designs often incorporate her passion for traditional embroidery which is an aspect that fits well with Ming Xuan’s concept for the future of the traditional fashion line of his business. With so much in common, the two quickly become a growing part of each other’s lives. But there is a top designer with a grudge against Ming Xuan, his former childhood friend, Fang Xiao Yu (Hing Yao) who also finds the beautiful young designer interesting both professionally and romantically. The stage is fully set for romance except Mo Fei wants to continue her studies in Europe and Ming Xuan is convinced bachelorhood is the best way to keep his aspirations for his business in focus. Not willing to alter their goals separation is inevitable and Mo Fei heads to Paris while Ming Xuan remains in China. This separation could have been the end to a budding romance until fate steps in and Ming Xuan has the opportunity to launch a European fashion line which intersects with Mo Fei in terms of a joint business opportunity.

Review

This was recommended by someone when I said I like happy endings and female leads that are not whiney. She recommended four Chinese drama series and this is the third one I have watched and the recommendations were perfect.

If you like love stories where the leads fall in love and stick with each other through everything this is one of the few where there isn‘t a huge break up. The slice of life in the Chinese and French fashion industries is really compelling. All of the characters were well developed. There were so many likable characters and the villains we’re motivated by jealousy and narcissism which made them suitable love to hate characters. The central love story follows a predictable pattern but there is enough intrigue around it that it makes it an enjoyable watch from start to finish. I would rewatch it and highly recommend it for those that
like slice of life, heart warming love stories and strong female leads.

#TheSunshineofMyLife
#ZhangHan
#XuLu
#HongYao
#WangRuiZi

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Great martial arts action scenes, comedy throughout, well written with characters you will miss

10/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean Comedy, Crime Action drama with either 20, 1 hour or 40 1/2 hour episodes.

I will first provide a synopsis then review

Synopsis

Many combat soldiers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and when coupled with guilt resulting from innocents in the combat zone It can be severe. Kim Hae-il / Michael Kim (Kim Nam-Gil) has severe PTSD from things that happened when he was with the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Hae-il found solace in the church when his father figure and mentor, Priest Lee Young-joon (Jung Dong-hwan) encouraged him to heal through faith. Following the murder of Priest Lee, which corrupt officials proclaim a suicide, Hae il is determined to call on his skills and resources as a former NIS agent to solve the crime and obtain justice. Comedy surrounds the simple fact that there is a priest who is willing to use force to punish transgressors. Hae il must not only combat a group of gangsters but corrupt officials such as female prosecutor Park Kyung-sun (Lee Hanee). Kyung sun and others are surprised when this priest says you are not welcome in God's house if you think you can shed your sin and go out and sin again. His first requirement is don't come to confession until you genuinely apologize to those you sinned against. With near super hero like skills, the Fiery Father will take them all on, save a few souls and get those beyond redemption locked up.

Review

I waited a long time before watching this. Have seen nearly 300 Asian dramas before watching this one. I don't know why but with everything I read up to that point I thought it would be slap stick and it definitely is not. It definitely has a central comedic element but it is situationally funny. The priest himself is not simply a character that could use anger management, his character is deep and very compelling. Even the bad guys and gals in this have well developed characters and in depth stories. I love a good martial arts action scene and this has plentiful action scenes. The priest has super hero like status. He starts out very misunderstood by all but his mentor but those around him learn, as the viewer does, who he really is and he improves them through his own brand of caring and healing those around him. "When you say that you really sound like a priest," you get renditions of that throughout and will understand that he is definitely a human first. He is definitely one of God"s warriors. For me the timing of watching this was perfect as I feel like I am living through times when justice keeps getting the short stick. So seeing characters that deeply care about what is good and right and morale and not only seek justice but tow justice along sometimes kicking and screaming (you will get the pun if you watch it) is refreshing. I just recommend this one in general. This is another where you will grow to like the characters so much you will miss them when it is over. If you like comedy, crime dramas and/or action then this is definitely one that should be on all those watch lists. If you are looking for romance there are plenty of bromances and it skirts around some flirty scenes, but there is no direct romance. I am one that will rarely watch anything without a romantic element. This one is worth it regardless.

Spoilers

I really did not expect some characters would have a redemption arc and certainly not one I could buy into but the skilled writers for this series proved me wrong. Prosecutor Park or self proclaimed "Phoenix" was a wholely unlikable character in the beginning. She was rude, selfish and corrupt. She was unkind so many times to the main character that I was convinced I would never find her likable. But then their banter became amusing. And then her interactions with him, and I think God inserting some life changing events, started to turn her. But they did not try to jam down your throat that she was suddenly good or that her turn around excused her earlier actions. Same with some of the mobsters. They did not seem capable of redemption but slowly, and believably, you saw some redemption for them and yet they were not let off the hook for their past misdeeds. The priest's dark back story was heart breaking but it clearly exhibited how simply hearing "it wasn't your fault" at the right time, from the right people, can generate emotional healing. His friends and allies also came to understand him so much they knew the level of blame he would put on himself and how he would react when someone around him was hurt to get at him.

#fierypriest
#kimnamgil
#Leehanae
#KimSungkyun
#LeeHanee
#GoJun
#KeumSaerok
#JungDonghwa.

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Great Actors, interesting premise but it can’t decide what it wants to be

9/10 is my rating. This iis a 2023 South Korean fantasy romance drama with x, 70 minute episodes.

First I provide a synopsis then review.

Synopsis

Rembrary (Kim Min-kyu), is a high priest battling evil to keep the Devil from returning to power. Mid battle with the actual devil, he is transported from this alternate world to modern South Korea in the body of Woo Yoon-woo, a failed idol in the process of making a comeback. Yoon-woo aspired to be an actor but was debuted as the visual for boy band Wild Animals. Rembrary is completely confused by this sudden switch but quickly finds that the dark forces have also come to this world and are embedded in the music industry. Kim Dal (Go Bo-gyeol) was a former talent manager for a girl group and became extremely depressed and guilt ridden when one of the group members committed suicide. She feels beholden to Yoon-woo as he gave her hope during one of her darkest days. She follows the band closely and when she notices they are struggling she prizes the job of their manager determined to give them the professional and emotional support to avoid any more tragedy. At first she goes along with Yoon-woo’s “delusion” he is a high priest from another dimension and convinces him the best way to achieve his goals is to become a successful idol. And the thing is the real Yoon-woo has also been transported to Rembrary’s world but he doesn’t want to leave. Who wants to go back to being a failed idol with a non existent acting career? So the real Yoon-woo strikes a bargain. if Rembrary becomes a successful idol, and in a whisper voice, that Rembrary dldn’t hear, a successful actor, he will swap back with him. The situation makes for a very comedic setting, but also a slow build romance between the manager who is going crazy, trying to manage this delusional idol, and the high priest who doesn’t usually give in to worldly concerns.

Review
Overqll this is very good. The leads have a lot of chemistry and their relationship is believable. I love the idol genre because it is such a unique life choice so glimpses into it are always interesting. The relationship between the group members is compelling and getting to know a bit about each makes it interesting. Highly recommend to those that like romances and the idol genre. It ends happy.

Spoilers*
The god aspect was a bit chaotic and did not make complete sense. I felt as frustrated as he did when it turned out that after decades of fighting evil, Redlin was selfish and evil Herself. With that it would have made sense if he was a true god but her having made him from a part of herself made less sense. In the end there is just no God or devil in that world? If she wasn’t a true God then what? There just never was? How did she come into being if there was no divine in that realm? That seemed like a big, important part of that world. He goes to Redlin to confront her and she tries to kill hIm and steal his divine powers but is stopped at the last second when Kim Dal essentially offers up her soul to destroy Redlin’s power. But then he goes back for seconds? That made no sense. The he is back as an idol and is just going to hang out? I mean he got a mission of rounding up the remaining evil elements but it didn’t show him pursuing that. I was disappointed we didn’t get to see “Wild Animal“ perform. They achieved success but we really did not get to go along for the ride much. It seemed more focused on his divine goals but that was so ill defined that being the greater focus was disappointing. Kim Min Kyu really just carried it because his acting and visuals made even the most chaotic plot points watchable. The Grim Reaper was confusing as he was supposed to be there to keep him from interfering in human lifelines but he winds up doing very little of that. He mostly seems to take the road manager thing seriously like okay I am not a reaper I am just doing this now, But then he is but then he isn’t. And how, even when their fame was growing, were they able to just go out without being recognized? They are popular enough to win an award but where are the groups of screaming fans every time they emerge? How many times are Min-kyu and Kim Dal going to walk out on a balcony and get all affectionate knowing there could be scandal. Just have your emotional moments inside. He would say he wanted to be a successful idol or actor and put a bunch of effort into it for a minute then be like never mind I am doing the divine thing now. Then the end, the God says Kim Dal will be punished because she won’t remember those she loved but there she us right there doing the same thing and it only takes her a brief direct encounter to remember. That made it feel rushed like there could have been at least one episode with her not remembering but things triggering her memory. I liked the premise just wish it was written in a more logical manner.

#KimMinKyu
#GoBogyeol
#LeeJangWoo
#HeavenlyIdol

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Some questions from the series answered, new interactions, and new friends

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean Reality Show with 12, 35 Minute Episodes.

Please I will provide a synopsis then a review

Synopsis
Viewers got to know and like so many participants from all seasons of heart signal and this provides an opportunity to get to know them a little more and see what has happened for them after they took part in the show. It also provides an opportunity for the participants to reacquaint with friends they met during the show as well as people from the other season. It follows participants from Heart Signal season 2 and 3 as they live their daily lives and they get to meet a "friend" from the seasons and provides a variable amount of funds to meet up with them in a get to know you "date".

Hosts

Lee Sang Min Born in 1973 he would have been 48 when this show aired. He is a South Korean songwriter, singer, television personality, and record producer. He is a former member of the dance and hip-hop group Roo'ra. He was the host/panel in all three seasons of Heart Signal.
Kim Hee Chul Born in Born in 1983 he would have been 38 when this show aired. He-Chul is a South Korean singer, songwriter, presenter, and actor. He is a member of Super Junior and subgroup Super Junior-T and the disbanded pop-rock duo of himself and Kim Jungmo.
Hung Seung Hee Born in 1996 she would have been 25 when the show aired. She is a South Korean presenter and main vocalist in the girl KPop group "Oh My Girl"
Shin Dong Hee (ShinDong) Born in 1985 he would have been 36 when the show aired. He is an actor, singer, presenter, and member of the very well known KPop Boy Band Super Junior (he dances, raps, sings and writes lyrics for the band). He is also a radio personality, presenter, comedian and actor.

Guests

Song Jia Born in 1997 she would have been 24 when the show aired. She is a South Korean Fashion Influencer/You Tuber and was a participant in the reality show "Single's Inferno." She appears as a guest in episodes 9 and 11.
Kim Eana Born in 1979 she would have been 42 years old when the show aired. She is a pop song lyricist and was a regular host in the three seasons of Heart Signal. She appears as a guest in episodes 5, 6 and 9.
Han Hye Jin Born in 1983. She is a model and a regular on variety show "Witch Hunt." She is a guest in episodes 10 and 11.


Friends Participants from Heart Signal 2
Oh Young Joo - Born in 1991 she would have been 30 when the show aired. She is a television personality and you tuber. She received her education in the United States.
Jung Jae Ho - Born in 1990 he would have been 29 when the show aired. He is Harvard educated and an entrepreneur who has been the CEO of several start ups including company Spendwallet but was working on another enterprise with photo frames when the show aired. He is a former idol trainee and is also an entertainer.
Kim Do Kyun He was born in 1988 and would have been 33 when the show aired. He is a doctor of Korean Medicine.
Kim Jang Mi She was born in 1989 and would have been 32 when the show aired. She is a social media influencer in fashion and sells high fashion clothing.
Kim Hyun Woo He was born in 1985 and would have been 36 when the show aired. He is a chef and restaurant owner.

Friends Participants from Heart Signal 3
Lee Ga Heun - Born in 1996 she would have been 25 when this show aired. She is a veterinary intern.
Park Ji Hyun - Born in 1996 she would have been 25 when this show aired. She is a YouTuber and has a social media following.
Seo Min Jae - Born in 1993 she would have been 28 when this show aired. She is a mechanical engineer who specializes in automotive mechanics.
Jung Eui Dong - Born in 1992 he would have been 29 when this show aired. He is an animal sculptor and social media presence.

New friend (not from either season): Lee Ki-hoon. He is a CEO of a Coffee business. He appears in friends but was not in the Heart Signal series.

Review

I liked getting to see some of the participants from the seasons in their daily lives beyond the regular show. After viewing them in the show over a months time, I had grown attached to some and wondered how they were doing in their lives after the show. Following them through their morning routine was a bit odd. Not sure that was a necessary element. Having them select a friend and a money for their meeting out of a gum ball type machine was unique and interesting. It was very satisfying for participants from the other season to get to meet participants outside of their season. introducing some new people that hadn't been in the heart signal shows was a unique twist. Having the hosts eat what the friends were eating was unique. I don't think it would ever be enough because we got such a glimpse into these people's lives they sort of feel like friends for all the viewers even though they don't know us at all.

We did get to see a lot of "what ifs" in terms of what if this person from this season met that person from that season - what would they think. And I think it was good for the participants to expand their circle of friends that way.

There was not a lot on what happened with the other half of some of the couples from the seasons that were not on this friends show. So you don't get a lot of resolution there. Like did they date for awhile? Are they friends now? If the person did not appear in this Friends show then you don't get to know any more about them which makes sense as they are real people going on about their actual lives. But, as a viewer it's hard not to be curious and just know that any curiosity you have like that, for participants from Heart Signal that are not on Friends - you are unlikely to get those questions answered.

I found their daily routines a little tiring and wanted to fast forward but was afraid I would miss something. It was like "The Truman Show" or maybe interacting with SIMS not to diminish the fact that these are real people but I am sure watching just about anyone make their breakfast and brush their teeth is not all that interesting.

Spoilers*
I watched "Singles Inferno" before "Heart Signal" so it was weird when Song Jia met with Jae Ho in a blind date situation. I think Jae Ho was very manipulative in Singles Inferno and that she led a lot of the male participants on and liked having the attention all focused on her. It causes others a lot of emotional pain from rejection and it kept them from having interactions with others when she was never fully interested in them. It made me worry about Jae Ho because I think he is very nice and sweet. But knowing that Jae Ho was on Singles Inferno after her appearance on Friends indicated that her and Jae Ho did not have a lasting relationship.

We got to see Young joo and Hyun woo spend some time together and make up. It is unclear if they started dating. But it was nice that they mended that relationship as even if they are just friends they seem to enjoy their time together.

#Friends
#OhYoungJoo
#JungJaeHo
#KimDoKyun
#KimJangM
#LeeGaHeun
#ParkJiHyun
#SeoMinJae
#JungEuiDong
#LeeSangMin
#KimHeeChul
#ShinDongHee
#ShinDong
#HungSeungHee
#SongJia
#KimEana
#HanHyeJin

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Solid slice of life, interesting serial killer angel, cute romances but the chemistry was a bit off

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean comedy romance drama with 16, 70 Minute Episodes.

First I provide a synopsis then a review.

Synopsis
Nam Haeng-seon's (Jeon Do-yeon) has been all about supporting the niece her sister abandoned and her autistic brother. After giving up a spot on the national handball team to raise her niece and take care of her disabled brother, she carries on with the recipes her deceased mother used and runs a banchan shop that became a favorite of food bloggers. Money is tight as a single wage earner and the last thing she needs is to deal with an eccentric spoiled celebrity who breaks her autistic brother's phone following an misunderstanding. Or so she thinks. Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho) works at an elite academy where people line up quite literally to get their child a prized spot in one of his tutor classes. The two are destined to interact though as Haeng-seon's niece requests a slot in Chi-yeol's sessions so she can bring up her scores and Chi-yeol finds that, for some reason, Haeng-seon's food is the only food that does not trigger his eating disorder. It provides a slice of life of South Korea's competitive educational system which provides a backdrop for an unlikely romance.

Review

Overall a very light hearted romantic comedy with a slice of life into the competitive world of academics. I found that view on how much power and influence wealthy parents can have interesting and not all that different than what you might see with ivy league colleges in the United States. I recommend it for anyone that likes straight forward romances, slice of life and family dynamics.

Spoilers

The male and female lead had a 10 year age gap in the actual ages of the actors with the Jeon Do-Yeon being 10 years older than Jung Kung-ho. Do yeon is a beautiful and elegant lady but she looks her age. Kung-ho has a young face that looked even younger than his age and made the gap seem even larger. Both did an amazing job acting but the physical appearance of the age gap really disrupted the chemistry in my opinion. It was more sweet than passionate.

It was a little disappointing that the issue with Chi-yeol's assistant Ji-Dong Hee (Shin Jae-ha) ended with suicide. It felt like too little for everything he had done.

The chemistry between Haeng-seong's best friend, Kim Yong-joo (Lee Bong-ryun) and her brother, Nam Jae-woo (Oh Eui-shick) was also off. With the brother's autism it would have taken a slow build over the series with them slowly showing feelings for each other. Her abruptly expressing interest in him seemed like she was doing it only out of loneliness and his reciprocation wound up feeling like pity. There was no "ah finally" when they became a couple because it really wasn't that much of the series where she expressed interest in him, he initially rejected her, then they were together.

As a fan of the reality dating show "Heart Signal" I was fan girling when Bae Yoon-kyung had a role as Chi-yeol's blind date and 2nd romantic interest. I am excited her acting career has taken off and I thought she did a great job in this show.

I loved the relationship between the daughter/nice, Nam Hae-Yi (Roh Yoon-seo) and her aunt/mother Nan Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon). If you love and raise a child biology does not matter. And, an aunt, because of dominant and recessive genes can be more closely genetically related to their niece or nephew than the mother anyway.

I loved the relationship between the daughter/niece, Nam Hae-Yi (Roh Yoon-seo) and her aunt/mother Nan Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon). If you love and raise a child biology does not matter. And, an aunt, because of dominant and recessive genes can be more closely genetically related to their niece or nephew than the mother anyway. did I not want to see Hae-Yi try to fix him or feel like she owed anyone that, I felt like he wasn't there for her during some really key times when he withdrew and basically ghosted her. That is why I was more a fan of her dating the ice hockey player and fellow student Seo Geon-hu (Lee Min-jae) because he was more straight forward with his feelings, always there for her, and I thought he would have been very good for the often too serious and underconfident Hae-yi. Instead he wound up with selfish and spoiled and almost mean girl Bang Soo-ah (Kang Na-eon) who he claimed was nice but, aside from one time when she welcomed back Hae-yi when she returned from the hospital and gave her notes, never showed a kind side. I thought the ice hockey playing, lovable and handsome Geon-hu deserved better.

The friendship between Geon-hu and Seon-jae was cute as it developed out of their rivalry over Hae-ri. I felt like Geon-hu gave up Hae-ri as he could tell her hear was with Seon-jae but also he started to like Seon-jae as a friend and was willing to give up the girl for the friendship. Still I wish he hadn't settled for a character I did not find likeable. Hae-ri's loyal girl friend Jang Dan Ji (Ryu Da-In) would have been a better choice as she was consistently nice and loyal and he did seem to have a flirty friendship going on with her before he suddenly switched to Soo-ah.

#CrashCourseInRomance
#JeonDoYeon
#JungKyungHo
#RohYoonSeo
#LeeChaeMin
#ShinJaeHa
#OhEuiShick
#LeeMinJae

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Great slice of trainee/idol life with a romantic element

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean romantic drama with 12, 60 minute episodes. It is based on a webtoon of the same title.

First I will provide a synopsis then review.

Synopsis
This is a slice of life drama about the music industry that follows struggling artists from their trainee time through finding success or struggling to get their big break. The lead female character, Ma-Ha (Jung Ji-So) is a hard working trainee who has relentlessly pursued her dream of going on stage with a group. She was on the verge of debuting when tragedy struck and her and her fellow group members were literally pulled off their debut stage. Trying make a break for herself she is doing side shows where she imitates her idol, Ri-Ma (Park Ji-Yeon) who doesn't take the imitation as a compliment. Ma-ha gets a sudden second chance at debuting with her original debut group. CEO Ji-Hak (Danny Ahn) has a reason for giving the the trio a second chance which is slowly revealed through the series. The new group, which they title Teaparty is being funded in a very unique way, they are salaried at first. The other two group members, Ri-A (Minseo) and Hyu n-Ji (Lim Na-Young), had been undergoing hardship as well since their failed debut but they all stayed together even being roommates. Ma-ha does a little of everything capitalizing on this unexpected chance and her presence in many aspects of the music and acting world brings her into frequent contact with Kwon Ryeok (Lee Jun Young) who, at first, has no respect for her as he sees her as an imposter who can only imitate others. Ma-Ra gets a lot of hate over imitating such a popular star. Her fellow band mates, and her friend from her trainee days, Lee Yoo-Jin (Yun Ho) keep Ma-Ra's spirits up as they know she has her own unique talent. Shax, whom Kwon Ryeok is center stage for, has found success but like all high profile boy bands has to be very careful of their image particularly to their fans. As Kwon Ryeok's feelings change from hostility to understanding to admiration to infatuation for Ma-ha they both find that life in the limelight does not look favorably on romance. Yoo-Jin sees Ma-Ra as more than just a friend and is a little earlier in his career and takes more risks to get close to Ma-Ra but she doesn't, at least at first, see him that way. Who will Ma-Ra be drawn to and can they all find a way to make their growing fame, romance and friendships all work out?

Review
I really like slice of life stories in general and those that focus on the acting or music industries in particular. The South Korean music industry has so many unique aspects it is very interesting to get a little bit of inside perspective. So few actually make it to debut and even those that debut may not become well known. This drama explored many issues specific to to being an Idol and the journey that trainees take. Professional jealousy, slave contracts, good companies versus bad companies, suicide, and relationships. I enjoyed it for the music and talent on that level alone. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys slice of life, likes watching about idols or the industry, or likes a fairly straight forward story line. There are not a lot of surprises or twists or turns. It is not light hearted, it deals with very heavy topics but it is entertaining just not deep or complex.

*Spoilers
Ryeok and Ma-ha's slow build romance was compelling. There was a definite loneliness for him and she was one of the few that could break through his rough bad boy persona. I found their relationship very heartwarming. I appreciated the irony of how much grief he gave his former group member, Lee Eun-jo (Kang Chan-hee) over his relationship with Girl group member Annie (Yeon Si-Woo) only to have a relationship like that himself. He felt very guilty over his role in Eun-jo's disappearance. The story between Eun-jo and Annie was very tragic. What was a little confusing is why they showed her collapsing from exhaustion and then never really explaining that but suddenly she is dead. I think they were trying to make that part of the mystery but it seemed disjointed for her to have had that issue and then suddenly suicide it made it seem the overwork was what was driving it and not larger issues. All of the relationships and even conflicts within and between the groups was interesting. I did not find it very believable that so many relationships would have developed where all of the Tea Party members were seeing one of the the Shax members. There were so many problems, early on, when Shax fans got wind that Ma-ha and Ryeok had even interacted, it was odd that later so many were actually seeing each other romantically but it was as if the fans no longer cared. And they never addressed that change. They indicated they were seeing each other in secret but we saw how, before, the secret could never stay hidden so it didn't make sense that all of a sudden they were all able to keep it a secret form the fans. They say Eun-jo's and Annie's song as a group but it seemed only Shax got the credit for it. With Tea Party it appeared they only had one or maybe two songs which made it hard to envision them as a super success.

Unlike other reviewers I did not find the fact that the male lead or female lead weren't idols a huge downfall. I thought they both acted very well and their role as idols was believable. In fact I thought Lee Jun-Young had this amazing super star aura especially when they had the shots where Shax was sort of lined up in a V formation walking toward the camera, it was breath taking. If Ma-Ha was a bit unpolished because the actress was not a K-pop idol in real life, the storyline really accounted for that. She was a struggling trainee then a newly minted idol so any awkwardness or lack of polish was fully understandable with that in mind. Plus there was this overall impression that Tea Party would have this sort of limited success. They constantly showed this contrast between sort of B string idol groups like Tea Party and super stars like Ri-Ma and Shax. I thought the story dealt with and showed how those two levels of success cause this stratification within the K-pop world where that limited success means those B String are often treated as lesser when those A listers are around.

For me personally the suicide aspect was very heavy. I have two work colleagues that committed suicide so it really brought it all back. In both cases I had spoken with the person the day before and now constantly replay that final conversation any time something like this reminds me. I liked the way this drama portrayed the way the pain of something like that never goes away and how, while the person may think their action will hurt at first but make things better later is not true. Annie's death did not save Eun-jo in fact it ended his career. So many people around her were impacted by that tragic event. I think that is ever present on trainees and members minds as they are under an undue amount of pressure for people so young and isolated from their normal friend and family network.

#Imitation
#JungJiSo
#ParkJiYeon
#ParkJiYeon
#MinSeo
#DannyAhn
#LimNaYoung
#YunHo
#LeeJunYoung
#TeaParty
#Shax
#Sparkling
#KangChanHee
#YeonSiWoo

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A reality dating show with surprising depth

8/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean Reality Dating/Game show. There are 14, 54-102 minute episodes.
This is a dating reality show where the participants live together for one month. They cannot reveal their age or occupation but can reveal interests and other aspects of their personality. Participants work during the day and go back to the house they are occupying together in the evenings/weekends and other times off work. There are originally six occupants but two more occupants are added through the course of the show. Each night the participants anonymously send a text to the person they found most interesting and the panel has to guess who texted whom. Panelists who guess right are given a token. They act as a 4th wall, commenting on what is going on, analyzing participants behavior and interests in each other, and competing to get the most correct guesses on who is contacting whom. Participants go on dates but are not allowed to directly confess their feelings.
Panelists
Yoon Jong-shin is a South Korean singer and song writer. He is also a record produceer and is the CEO of Mystic Story. He was born in 1969 so would have been 48 when the show aired in 2017.
Lee Sang-min is a South Korean singer, song writer, record producer and television personality. He is a former member of hip hop and dance group Roo'ra. He was born in 1973 so would have been 44 when the show aired in 2017.
Kim Eana is a South Korean song writer who wrote hit songs for some of the top singers in South Korea. She was born in 1979 so would have been 38 when the show aired in 2017.
Yang Jae-woong is a South Korean psychiatrist, motivational speaker, You Tuber and entertainer. He was born in 1982 so would have been 35 at the time this aired.
Shim So-young is a South Korean stage, drama and film actor. He was born in 1970 so would have been 47 when the show aired.
Shin Dong-hee (Shindong; Super Junior) is a South Korean rapper, singer, dancer, host, radio personality and video director. He is most widely known as a member of Super Junior and its subgroups. He was born in 1985 so would have been 32 when Heart Signal aired.
Guest panelists
Jung Jin woon (Jinwoon) was a guest panelist in episode 7. He is a South Korean Singer and Actor. He is a member of the k-pop group 2 AM but has also been in television dramas. Born in 1991 he would have been 26 during his guest appearance.
Jang Do Yeon was a guest panelist in episode 9. She is a South Korean Comedian that has appeared on some variety shows. She was born in 1985 so would have been 32 at the time of her guest appearance.
Lee Yong jin was a guest panelist in episode 8. He is a South Korean comedian and singer. He is the owner of a famous sashimi restaurant "960." Yong jin was born in 1985 so would have been 32 when this aired in 2017.
Heo Kyung Hwan was a guest panelist in episodes 9 and 12. He is a South Korean comedian born in 1981 so he would have been 36 when he appeared on the show.
Participants
Jang Cheon (age 32) lawyer
Kang Sung-wook (age 32) Musical Actor
Seo Joon-won (age 23) Race car driver
Yoon Hyeon-chan (age 32) Chef and Restaurant Owner
Bae Yoon-kyung (age 24 ) Actress
Kim Se-rin (age 24) Marketer at Cirque du Soleil
Seo Ji-hye (age 21) Student at Ewha Woman's University
Shin A-ra (age 22) First runner-up at Miss Korea
Age is at the time the film was released in 2017. Depending on when filming occurred they could have been younger. Age is calculated from year of birth and is based on US aging standard (zero when born).
Review
It is a wild emotional ride and is fun to play along with the hosts as they try to determine the signals and who will express interest in whom. I have come to realize this is really a game and the participants view it mostly as such. I have looked on some other reality dating shows and even contestants that seemed to bond during the show did not stay together for any significant time or depth after leaving the show. If your realize that this is not something most are pursuing as an actual attempt to find that one person, a lot of their actions and behavior make more sense.
*Spoilers
A fan favorite couple and mine as well were Bae Yoon-kyung and Seo Joo-won. It was clear from the way he looked at her when she first entered Signal house and how impressed he was with her abilities to design shoes. They were very compatible on their dates and seemed to enjoy many of the same things despite the fact that Yoon-kyung was a little older than Joo-won. The cracks in the match started to appear in that Joo-won was not able to read Yoon-kyung's reactions to his teasing nature. He thought she was bored when she was actually enjoying herself and totally misread when she was showing jealousy. I thought he was "push pulling" her when, in reality, he was just teasing her and thus was not capitalizing when he brought out her emotional reaction to his interest in other women in the house. He made a huge error when he was talking to the other men and he expressed that he was not sure about Yoon-kyung's interest and that he thought she might even find their times together boring. Cheon, who found Yoon-kyung beautiful and charming originally thought Joo-won and Yoon-kyung were a solid match but Joo-won's comments illustrated that there were cracks in their relationship that could be exploited.
Joo-won also made a mistake with Yoon-kyung when they were out and others asked about their relationship and he relayed back to her that he responded she was just a female participant in the house. Later, when he misunderstood her saying she did not enjoy the day she went to see him race, he actually made some cruel comments about not being sure who he was interested in and showering attention on Ji-hye. What I concluded with the Yoon-kyung and Joo-won was there was a lot of chemistry between them, and they had some things in common but their absolute failure in communicating with each other would never have lasted in the long run. You have to be a fool for love sometimes and be willing to put yourself out there and chance being rejected and neither one of them would do that. Which told me that, while they were interested in each other it wasn't enough to take any risks. So, in the end, although I was a bit disappointed, they were better off not being together.
To me the race car driver who is young, very handsome, and obviously has some money and means to afford racing, would be the obvious romantic interest but another male in the house, Jang Cheon captures the women's interest because of the stability of his job and his calm and steady behavior. He catches Yoon-kyung for a spontaneous date when he picks her up from the bus stop. Problems arise when Yoon-kyung stays after the meal and comes back to signal house with Cheon making it very obvious they spent time alone together. She misleads Joo-won into thinking it wasn't like a date and missing timing when she could have told him so that he did not hear from Cheon in the men's private discussions. So Joo-won goes on an impromptu date with Seo Ji-hye presumably to make Yoon-kung jealous. When a relationship sinks to a one up type scenario that is never an indication of a healthy situation.
Seo Ji-hye is the house member all of the men were originally interested in. She is very good at being clumsy and feigning being cute and helpless which is apparently very attractive to Korean males. However, Cheon's interest in her fades after they have a date and he sees through her act. She loved drawing all of the attention and playing innocent and cute when she is not really, and will play all the men against each other intentionally. When her and Cheon went on their date, their age gap was significant however, when she found out he had a steady and prestigious job, as a lawyer her interest renewed in him. Ji-hye mentioned that her family was facing difficulty and she would have to look for a job immediately when she graduated, making Cheon's stability a Siren call for her. Having a fairly wealthy husband would be a balm to her chaotic life, and when she mentioned she wanted to rush marriage with a past boyfriend that was a huge turn off for Cheon. During their date, he mentioned later, she was on the phone a lot and then dozed off when they were watching a movie. Which clearly showed she was not all that interested or excited by him as a person. It was a pleasant surprise that the men in the house slowly discovered that her appeal was very superficial and most of them moved on.
What made me feel Ji-hye's behavior was not innocent and that it was manipulative and fake was how she acted toward Kang Sung-wook. She several times called him exhausting to the other women and would actually grimace if he came near her. A lot of her behavior was downright mean to him and she said and did things that seemed to hurt his feelings several times. But she would do just enough to keep him on the hook which made it very infuriating. She would pull him back in any time he seemed to be paying attention to one of the other women. When he would turn his attention from her she would pull out the cute helpless act or pay him compliment to get him back in the line for her.
Both Cheon and Ji-hye redeem themselves later when he acknowledges being a bit cold and cruel to her and not taking how young she was, as a source of her behavior, into consideration. I, as a viewer, was guilty of the same thing. She actually dropped the act and started showing more genuine reactions and thus having more genuine interactions with all the house members. She quit sabotaging the other female's efforts to get the attention of the men they were interested in and acted like a good friend to a lot of them. I think her earlier behavior was a result of her being really young and thinking that was a good way to attract the men. It worked originally but backfired and she quickly dropped it to her credit.
I could see why the women found Cheon appealing. I gained a lot of respect for him when he saw through Ji-hye's act because, on other reality shows, I have seen other men completely fall for that type of behavior and pursue women that were just stringing them along. I was disappointed that Cheon's interest seemed to be very appearance driven. His initial interest was in Ji-hye because of her cute and innocent look and he only turned his interest to Yoon-kyung when she showed up to a group outting looking drop dead gorgeous in a red dress and high heels. I also thought it was not fair for him to be a kind ear for his house mates at night and used Joon-won's comment to him about his doubt of Yoon-kyung's true feelings for him as an impetus to pursue her. But, if you look at it as the game/competition it really is and not genuine love matches, then his behavior makes sense. And, a relationship, even one that is just budding, that is built on a solid foundation would not have cracked so easily.
The immediate attraction between Kang Sung-wook and the relatively new house member A-ra was a surprise as he had been, to that point, not one of the men the female house members showed a lot of interest in. They made sense as she was a Miss Korea runner up and he was a musical actor so both were used to having that type of attention and running in those circles. She would shop with him and walk his dog with him which drew them closer than either were with other house members. Sung-wook though allowed Ji-hye to pull his strings in front of A-ra often derailing their burgeoning romance. When Sung-wook is competing with one of the other males he says he is not worried because if she is that easily swayed he doesn't want her anyway. I don't think that is something to say out loud Sung-wook was always right out there with his thoughts which is something I think A-ra liked about him. He was an open book. I agree with that, as long as you have laid all your cards on the table with the person and genuinely confessed your feelings. If you have a relationship going or started with someone then if they are drawn away it means they were not that committed in the first place. I think that was going on Joon-won but he wasn't as open of a book about it. I think he thought if Yoon-kyung was that easily swayed by Cheon, then they did not have as much between them as he thought they did. And I would normally agree but the two sent such mixed signals to each other I don't think you could say they fairly knew what their relationship was. So the two were the same but showed the two different aspects of a "he/she is just not that into you" assessment.
One of the other females, Kim Se-rin, wondered aloud why men often friend zoned her and you saw it play out with the men in the house. She is a lovely person and does a lot of special activities for her house mates. Her main romantic interest is Cheon and she doesn't waver from that interest at all even getting the other men to help her woo him. She is very capable and career driven and unintentionally sends the signal to the men that she does not need them which endears her as a friend but does not set her up well as a romantic partner. It is a very western way of being. I wondered if it was her time spent abroad that made her so different that way. The date she arranged for her and Cheon was so adorable I could not believe she did not change his interest at all.
Yoon Hyeon-chan is a very late addition to the house. He is a chef who captures everyone's attention with his amazing cooking skill. The women find his profession very sexy but most already have started on a path with the men who most caught their interest and whom they have already developed a relationship with. Like the rest of the men his first interest is in Ji-hye because she was sure to help him a lot settle in to the house and acting all cute and innocent which, as mentioned before, has immediate appeal. However, it may be a trait of men over 30 but he also quickly discovers her behavior is an act and quickly loses interest. A-ra's grace and beauty immediately catches his attention and he tries to capitalize on the cracks that exist in the relationship with Sung-wook.
It was interesting to me when they did that reunion that the panel realized some of the things they said in analyzing the participants were harsh and apologized for some of their comments. Unfortunately I think, the panel in the next season may temper their comments realizing that the participants will see it all. I liked their very honest, unfiltered, comments because it was often what I as thinking.
During the reunion show it was apparent, to me that Joon-won and Yoon-kyung still had feelings for each other based on their body language and comments. They were being careful because Koon-kyung was dating Cheon but the chemistry between them was still very apparent and their comments about different events made it clear they still cared about what the other thought. I think they had a very genuine connection that was torn apart by a lot of misunderstanding and others inserting themselves at inopportune times.
Deep Spoilers******
I was really interested in what they all did after and if any of them were still in contact with each other. Several are following each other on instagram but the main "couples" are really not. I was super surprised to find out that Sung-wook went to prison on a rape charge and that Cheon initially was his lawyer but dropped out for unknown reasons. His acting career was taking off as a result of participating in the show most likely but his conviction derailed anything he had going on (rightfully so). It seemed out of character for the person we got to know in Heart Signal so I was very disappointed. I actually learned that before finishing watching the show so it made me root for A'ra with Hyeon-chan more. Ji-hye is now gaining fame as an actress which was not surprising considering how much the men liked her overall. She had that star quality. Yoon-kyung's career in acting also seemed to take off after the show. Joon-won appears to still be racing and actually married a famous actress not long after the show. One of the Super Junior members asked his ideal type and he said it was this one influencer, Aori, who he had a crush on since high school. They knew her and actually introduced them. Joon-won married her and now there are rumors of divorce. Hard to say where that all has gone. Cheon I read is a major and he is still one of the people Yoon-kyung is following on her instagram but she knows and follows a lot of people so not much can be read into that. Se-rin also follows a lot of people and it just looks like she is leading a very busy and happy life. Cheon has Sung-wook's dog while he is incarcerated it seems. If you are missing the dog you can see a lot of pictures on Cheon's instagram. It was a complete surprise that the participants saw the contents of all texts sent along with who sent them at the end of the show. It was a surprise to them as well as the panel and the viewers. It was funny and surprising but unless they mix it up I am sure it will impact how participants text on future seasons.

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Rare friends turned more trope that is good but not great

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2022 South Korean romantic comedy series with 16, 60 minute, episodes.

I will provide a synopsis first then review.

Synopsis
Goo Yeo-reum (Lee Da-hee) is a struggling production director for the reality section of a production company. She is aware of her biological ticking away and is anxious for success in love and her career. Park Jae-Hoon (Cho Si-won) has been Yeo-ream’s close friend for many years and is the first person she thinks of when encountering life’s difficulties. Jae-Hoon once had a promising medical career but past tragedy has him now doing plastic surgery in a clinic. He is cynical about love and spends most of his time with Yeo-reum. When the two wind up working a reality show together will the feelings they long held for each other surface?

Review
Friends turned lovers is one of my favorite tropes. This was very good for that particular slice of romantic drama. Si-won is always a great male lead because he has that bon next door charm. I liked their friendship a lot particularly when, later in the show, you learn why he is so devoted to her. Their group of friends were all very kind to each other and to others as well so it made you want to see them succeed in love and life.

Spoilers* When the ex boyfriend comes back I did a lot of face palm to forehead reactions. So this guy does not tell you of his plans to leave the country and thinks you can just leave your job and join him but does not have the respect for your relationship to consult you first. then when you react as most people would when something messed up like that is sprung on you he leaves you at a rest stop. He did come back you find out later but still his first reaction was to leave her when she was crying. And this was after he asked her to marry him so this was her fiancé. He comes back a few years later, declares he is not over her and asks her again to marry him. And our foolish lead girl, biological clock ticking and parents eager to get her married, says yes. She was so lucky she found out he got another woman pregnant and called it off. It would have been a life time of misery with someone who has so little regard for your input.

Then our lead guy finally confesses his feelings to her albeit a little soon after the cancelled wedding and she cruelly turns him down. The way she did it was out of character for her and was not the way I think you would treat such a close friend. I was happy he gave her the cold shoulder she deserved it.

The 2nd girl was annoying in her pursuit of him. I have noticed in some South Korean dramas that there is this general expectation if someone likes you then you have some kind of romantic obligation toward them. I think people are responsible for their own feelings you cannot make someone love you. She was very pushy that way but not just that she played guilt trips on him. I thought he was as kind to her about her feelings for him as he could be. She knew she was stepping in the middle of a friendship verging on something more.

I did not like the way our lead girl let the other director push her around and I thought she was finally going to tell her off. But she never did. Not in any forceful or meaningful way anyway. I also wanted the head Director to tell the other program director that he had our lead girl work the project with her because she took things too far and the lead girl was there to balance her out. There was no acknowledgement of the many times our lead girl saved the show. In the end it does not show the lead girl returning to her job and having some of those discussions.

The ending was happy but, after she was abandoned prior to the wedding twic by the other guy it would have been so satisfying to have it end with their wedding.

#loveisforsuckers
#leeDaHee
#ChiSiWon

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Surprisingly funny and often underrated

9/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 South Korean Fantasy Romance drama with 32, 35 minute episodes.

I first provide a synopsis then a review.

Synopsis: At a point where she should have had everything in life, a loving family, stability and living her best life in her middle aged years Min Jae-hee's (Hae Jae-sook) life takes a sudden and tragic turn. That all changes though when Jae-hee discovers her husband Kim Tae-joon (Jo Han-chul) is having an affair with a younger woman. Saddened by the fact that she is no longer young and able to start over she decides suicide is the best way out of what she sees as an inescapable situation. Just when she is about to fulfill her dark fantasy of ending it all fate steps in, in the form of a delivery man with a magical perfume that transforms her back into a beautiful young woman with a second chance at life. She becomes a top model, goes by the name of Min Ye-rin (Go Won-hee) and works with a top fashion designer Seo Yi-do (Shin Sung-rok) who is unlikable in nearly every way. He also has a lot of allergies and phobias that makes it so he drives people even further away when he freaks out because someone triggers one. Can life change for both as they interact, conflict and grow?

Review: I hesitated for a long time in watching this because it reviewed so low. When I looked into it more some of the low ratings were not because of the story or acting it was due to one element of the plot line which some felt was "fat shaming." I think there is a fine balance between calling a spade a spade and actual fat shaming. If someone is heavy I don't think everyone should have to pretend they are svelte. I also do not think anyone should have to make believe that people who are physically fit are going to see the beauty inside and be okay and attracted to someone carrying around a lot of extra weight. So, I did not see it as fat shaming I just saw the reality in life. Those that are on the heavier side of average, are likely to find not as many people are going to be attracted to them in a society that admires skinnier body types. Men, and particularly women that are heavy might have self esteem issues because of societal pressures. There was a time and place in history where portly was actually favorable and skinny people were not looked on in a good light. It all has to do with what body type is favored by the majority. If you can get back the early episodes, where her husband is just a jerk who quits loving her because she gains weight, you find that the main characters are not as shallow as he is.

Spoilers**
What I liked
It was funny. Yi-do is over the top dramatic. And it is very comical. He is one of those that seems very rough on the outside but is very caring and kind internally. The designs they showed were actually something I could see people wearing. The slice of high fashion life was interesting. There was a little bit of idol trope with the younger brother. I liked that he was very nice. I really liked Yi-do's assistant and how he became one of Ye-rin/Jae-hee's top confidents and friends. I liked the romance between Ye-rin and Yi-do they had chemistry and it was believable. A magical perfume that transforms her into a younger and more beautiful version of herself was a unique premise and I really enjoy series with magical elements. I liked that the daughter finally realized she had been unkind to her mom and decided her dad did not deserve her loyalty.

What I didn't like
I didn't like the romance between Jae-hee and Yi-do. There was no chemistry between them and it wasn't because she was heavy. It really just did not seem like they were romantically a couple. They seemed like someone that would be really good friends. I thought the personality was too dramatically different when she was Jae-hee. Not only was the appearance different but the personality was different. To me Jae-hee seemed cold and bullish. She was mean to Yi-do a lot of times when she really did not need to be. Ye-rin seemed sweeter and more innocent. Really they should have seemed like the same person but they didn't. I think it would have worked better if they had used a skinnier model in a heavy suit. I also was disappointed, at the end, that her 1 year transformation did not result in her being a healthier version of herself. I mean I liked that he loved her no matter what but I just thought, for her own self, that going off and getting healthy would have been a success/win over her horrible husband. I was disappointed that the Idol younger brother was so disturbed when she turned into the "Auntie". I didn't expect him to still be in love with her in that form but it just made he seemed a lot more shallow. I didn't mind that the ex husband harassed her through a lot of the series but for him to come back, yet again, and break the perfume bottle, and then immediately be captured by the police just seemed like too much.

Overall
I enjoyed this series a lot. It was great comic relief and I enjoyed the characters. I liked the magical element. I would watch it again and recommend it to others.

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Great slice of life classical music school - heartwarming romance

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean romantic drama with 16, 65 minute episodes. It is known by the alternate titles: Beuramseureul Joahaseyo , Please Love Brahms , Liking Brahms , beuramseuleul jonghahaseyo , and beuramseuleul jonghahaseyo.

Chae Song Ah (Park Eun Bin) originally majored in business but decides to pursue her love of classical music, violin in particular, at the same university. This alone sets her apart from the other students who came from music focused programs and are going through their first major interest. She is not a prodigy and instead struggles and works hard to develop her ability with violin. This causes a lot of conflict as she is already seven years older than the other students in the program and having a working rather than natural talent makes pursuit of her dream all the more difficult . Her family also strongly disapproved of her change in major. Feeling like an outsider, Song Ah finds comfort in beautiful music so when she hears Park Joon Young (Kim Min Jae), who is a prodigy, masterfully playing “Träumerei," she is drawn to the talented pianist. Caught in a love triangle which has left him with a broken heart he is in love with Lee Jung Kyung (Park Ji Hyun), a friend he has known for a long time. Because of timing his other close friend, Han Hyun Ho (Kim Sung Cheol) is in a romantic relationship with Jung Kyung. When he decides to keep his distance from Jung Kyung, he meets Song Ah and is drawn to her passion for music. This slice of classical music life is a deep look at classical music as a field of study and a slice of life of those that choose to pursue it.

I loved the "slice of life" of those pursuing classical music. Like so many other educational pursuits there is a lot of "dog eat dog", elite structures, power plays and all those things that can make or break anyone. It actually gave me some flash backs to my Ph.D. study days. Spoilers ** It took a lot of courage for Song Ah to have completed an undergraduate program in Business and change to something so radically different. One thing I did not think was well explained was how she came to play violin. Had she played it as a child? Did she pick it up as a teen? It was hard to see her consistently discriminated against for being an "older" student and for coming from outside music. The love story between the leads was believable as they were both very similar in the way they approached things and how soft and gentle their personalities were. They both did not like crossing people and others took advantage of them because of their sweet natures. That became a source of conflict between the two as Joon Young was constantly manipulated by his former love interest, Jung Kung. There were several attempts to make Jung Kung a character to feel sympathetic toward, her loss of her mother at a young age, a cruel violin instructor and her mother coldly making her practice endlessly, and her loneliness in being a heir to a foundation she had no interest in running. I wanted to see a lot of character growth from her, and there was a little, but I still felt she was, on balance cruel. She had opportunities to bridge gaps with those around her and did not take them. After all the struggle Song ah had with pursing her dream to play violin, and her final success with it, it was disappointing that she completely gave it up. I thought perhaps the "key" to her musical success would be playing music with Joon Young and their performance was her shining moment but, in the end, she gave it up completely after so many years of struggle. I loved that Joon Young discovered a renewed love of piano with having Song Ah in his life. Most of the major plot elements were completed and that was refreshing. There wasn't an overlong separation and that was a welcome departure from that tired trope. Park Eun bin is so pretty and I enjoyed her acting in "The King's Affection." I was not disappointed with her performance in this role either. She is someone I will be watching and seeking out things she is in. Kim Min jae is also extremely talented and just fun to watch. He has very soulful eyes and portrays the emotions of the moment very well. Overall I loved this drama for the immersion in classical music, insight into that world, and the heart warming romance. The main detractor for me was Song ah giving up the violin - that marred the perfection of this drama as it did not make sense that someone who sacrificed so much would give it up completely. I recommend this drama to anyone that loves classical music, enjoys these actors and likes uncomplicated (in terms of plot twists and mysterious pasts) heart warming romance.

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Under-rated, hidden gem, solid legal romance drama

9.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean Legal Romance Drama with 16, 60 minute episodes. It is alternatively known as Witch in Court.

Ma Yi-deum (Jung Ryeo-won) is an aggressive and egotistical prosecutor who has worked in multiple prosecutors' offices and is known for using whatever it takes to win. It is a challenging time for females in a man's world and she reluctantly supports a female reporter who was sexually assaulted by her boss. When Yi-deum finds out the boss lied about promoting her she feels she has nothing to lose and and tells all about what she saw him trying to do with the female journalist. This gets her an assignment in the special task force for text crimes, a job no one wants. Well no-one that is except for Yeo Jin-wook (Yoon Hyun-min) who feels passionate about defending victims of sex crimes. Although a new prosecutor he not only graduated top of his class but also has a background in psychology. The two opposites team up to use their complimentary skills to solve some tough cases. As they work together they begin to understand each other and admire each other more. Will the hate that turned to like now turn to love?
I loved this drama. It had everything, exciting cases, interesting and deep character growth and interactions. Yi-deum was edgy and had a mischievous quality about her but was very bright and cared deeply about justice. Jin-wook is the quintessential straight arrow who wants nothing more than to do the right thing the right way. Which is why the conflict he encounters around the situation with his mother is such a dilemma for his character. Spoiler alert** it was during the very last portion of the last episode when Yi-deum and Jin-wook got together in a romantic sense. I was so enjoying their interplay as a couple I regretted there was not just a bit more time spent with them as a couple. It was a very happy and overall well wrapped ending but the only very minor critique was just not getting enough of the Yi-deum and Jin-wook romance. But it is such a well written and enjoyable drama that is not a huge fail. I would watch this again and would highly recommend it to fans of this genre, of these actors, or just anyone that wants a well written, nicely paced, exciting, legal romantic drama.

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