An Epic romance
This series was intriguing, suspenseful with a breakout performance by Yang Jin Sung. She looked stunning with the short hairdo. In my opinion, she carried the entire series. Not that the other actors weren’t good, they were. But Jin Sung was really on her game. Playing two characters is not easy to pull off. Her facial expressions were brilliant. No matter how many times the scenes changed, you immediately knew which character it was.I’m not a fan of vengeful ghosts, but in this case, it drove the entire underlying story. Each character had a connecting plot to the upcoming wedding night and/or the spirit itself. Each plot was dependent on the others. I must say, they did an excellent job connecting them. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Na Doo Rim and Choi Kang Joo initially, but that’s what romance is all about. Please make no mistake about it; this is not a ghost story. It’s a full-blown romance and a great one at that.
The plot developed slowly, and they took the story in directions that I didn’t think were necessary, but it moves fast. There is enough drama and suspense for everybody. The romance was different and at times hurtful, but isn’t that what love is all about? The story of two people from different walks of life tied together by the red string of love. Usually, that’s not a unique storyline, but they made this one feel like the love of a lifetime, two souls clashing together drawn by the hands of fate reaching over a century. To me, it was beautiful.
The development and flow of the characters are critical to making a good series. The overall storyline was solid.
Some of my impressions:
A few things didn’t make sense but not enough to hurt the story. I didn’t understand Na Doo Rim’s complete switch away from Kang Joo midway through the story. Why say all the hateful things? Was it to protect her friend and Grandmother? Because she now loves Yi Hyun? It wasn’t clear, and it diminished Jin Sung’s character and made her seem less important. I thought the story was shaky at this point, but it comes back together.
As the show winds down, the wine drinking scene between Choi Kang Joo and Jang Yi Kyung feels a little contrived. Why would he even meet her at this stage in the story with Na Doo Rim waiting for him? However, this scene and the aftermath drove the rest of the storyline. Somehow lost in the whole thing, Jang Yi Kyung’s mother tried to strangle Na Doo Rim to death. Now she’s a victim? Having all this happen near the end of the show feels like a storyline put in to make the show longer or create a better finish.
Another thing I didn’t understand, at a press conference Choi Kang Joo tells everybody that he got married in secret and loves Na Doo Rim. Why at the end of the show is she still living with her grandmother if she’s married? The two mothers and Jang Yi Kyung are unhappy with her, so Na Doo Rim is depressed? These are the people that tried to kill her. I found myself looking for a connection for this to make any sense.
Shin Eun Jung did a brilliant job portraying Jang Yi Kyung’s mother. It may have been an evil part, but she did it well.
Nam Jung Hee was so much fun to watch as Na Doo Rim’s grandmother. For decades she’s supported a wide variety of stories. Almost every series she’s been in has been a rating success.
The Yi Hyun character didn’t fit. I never felt anything romantic about him at all. He looked like the “Lurker” always hanging around. His character was bland and unappealing. It took him five minutes to start liking Na Doo Rim and not much longer to propose. Don’t people have to have a romantic relationship before a man asks a woman to marry him? Even after she rejected him, he returns to tell her what she can and can’t do and continues to lurk. I’m not sure if I ever saw him smile. I thought she treated him like a brother when she lived there. I guess he felt more. The moral? Don’t ever buy a tie for a guy unless you want him to start getting ideas? If they intended him to be some outside protector for Jin Sung, that didn’t work either. It made me cringe at times. Even when he tried to save her, I didn’t feel a connection. He doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body. His facial expression never changed the entire series, never. If that was the role he was playing, then he did a good job. However, I accepted this character as he was because he wasn’t relevant.
The character Lee Roo Mi going around investigating like she was the chief of detectives had me scratching my head. But I had to wait for the big picture to develop. Some of her stunts to upset the relationship between Yi Kyung and Kang Joo were funny and made sense. But after a while, it just got repetitive until she learned the truth. After that, her presence was the only voice of reason left.
I thought Lee Hong Ki did a great job as the male lead. I was surprised by how well he adjusted from his typical style. He played his role well and didn’t waver.
Subtitles:
There were a few blips in the subtitles, which is very unusual for Viki. I’m so used to reading subtitles it’s almost as if they are speaking English. For that reason, I rely on facial expression, body language, and timing to feel the emotions of a show. Thus my feelings about the Yi Hyun character. In English shows, I know if there is any bad acting right away. In non-English shows, the spoken voice only accents what I read. I don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse, but it’s opened my world to a flood of amazing shows.
Was this review helpful to you?
Don't Expect Romance
A replay of the marriage for convenience theme. While there weren’t a whole lot of new concepts, there were some funny moments. The acting was ok. Ko Sung Hee was great as Hae Joo the 30-year-old woman who wasn’t ready to get married. The music was good, in that it didn’t overpower anything. The story was somewhat bland with an ending that went nowhere. I kept expecting it to ramp up into an attraction between the two but for some reason, the writers decided to just dump the ending. So don’t expect any romance. This movie is held together with a series of comedy skits. It felt like a writer somewhere had these comedy skits in his pocket and they decided to write a movie around them. There was no romance, no chemistry, no story and I wouldn’t waste my time watching it unless you are a Ko Sung Hee fan, then it was ok.Was this review helpful to you?
Don't Miss the one
A well-done story of two lawyers with some great drama and suspense with a beautiful romance. I liked all the characters in this series. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun are both fantastic actors. They have the ability to spread their emotions across the screen. Being able to carry a scene with facial expressions is a talent. There was a superb balance of drama vs humor. I like the romance because even though they had some rough patches they never strayed to another person. The romance did drop off a bit as the show unfolded but it was still believable. I found myself unable to stop watching. The series had a good flow to it with a nice ending making it easy to watch. I highly recommend it. I wish more shows were this well done.Was this review helpful to you?
A Love Story that didn't work.
First, let me say that I don’t speak a word of Korean. For that reason, I rely on the acting (facial expressions and body language), the music, and the sub-titles when I watch a show that’s not in English. I’ve watched thousands of romantic based movies and TV shows because it’s a genre that fascinates me. Maybe I’m one of those eternal romantics. With that foundation, here is my review.The storyline in this romantic comedy was interesting. With each of the 12 episodes being about 20 minutes, you can easily watch it in one day. Ga Doo Ri (Lee Joo Bin), a Tarot reading Susi Restaurant owner with a depressing background in love and work, lights up the screen. People flock to her restaurant for food and love advice, even though her own love life is a wreck. Cha Woo Bin (Hyuk), the CEO of an underwear company, shows two different personas that make the story enjoyable. The interaction between the two is the foundation of the story. The story moves fast, but it still gives you a sweet romantic feel if you can overlook the flaws.
The comedy, however, was weak and, to be truthful, unnecessary. The wacky assistant to the CEO is an overplayed idea and just not funny. They made Ga Doo Ri look weird with her midnight Karaoke. There are other ways of getting the sound idea across without undermining the strength of the main character. I also didn’t understand her going out and getting drunk with the strange assistant. They nearly destroyed her image with that interaction. They built her up as a self-aware female with tough lessons learned in her past, then tore it apart with that outing. The past connection between the main characters pulled it back together but left me wondering how I would react to her fling with the assistant.
Was this review helpful to you?
A fun Rom/Com that will keep you entertained.
If you are looking for an easy rom/com to watch with lots of kisses then you need to watch this one. The acting was decent and the story, while not too compelling, was light and fun to watch. I don’t watch many CDramas because they are sometimes full of repeating scenes and unneeded fluff. That was not the case with this one. Every episode contributed to the story and character development. Fair Xing may be a small, which fits the title, but she is a strong actress. She was beautiful and shined with her portrayal of Cong Rong the intern lawyer. Daddi Tang is an accomplished actor in his own right and did a good job with his portrayal of Dr. Wen Shao Qing.If you watch this one you will see a romance from childhood to the birth of babies. That’s one of the things I really liked about this romance. The drama took it to completion leaving you no questions what happened. I don’t like dramas that leave it to your imagination in the end.
The only downsize to me was the on-screen chemistry. While I am sure others will disagree with me, I didn’t feel a strong chemistry between the FL and ML. There was a little too much staring at each other and not enough body language to sell the relationship. Keep in mind that I’m a man so when I say Daddi Tang is not the essence of a romantic actor, don’t hate me. It felt a little awkward. The story made up for it with a bundle of kisses between the two leads. The comedy also felt contrived and sometimes interrupted the flow of the romance making it even more awkward.
Overall I enjoyed the drama so don’t let my comments keep you from watching a fun show.
Was this review helpful to you?
At great addition to the Doldam saga.
As I’ve said many times I love medical dramas especially if they have a little romance mixed in with them. This drama was easy to watch because each episode kept you involved. At first I was a little disappointed to discover that the same villain with different helpers was back for a second appearance. It felt a little like rinse and repeat, but I was wrong.Han Seok Kyu was great again as Master Kim. His presence brings reality to the Doldam Hospital. I could easily watch a third version of this story with him in it. The two new additions to Doldam were also fantastic. Lee Sung Kyung as Dr. Cha Eun Jae and Ahn Hyo Seop as Dr. Seo Woo Jin were both great and made this story of Doldam Hospital worth watching. Both characters were interesting and well developed. It was exciting to watch as they gradually blended into the Doldam experience and fell in love.
At first I felt like I wanted a different approach to the storyline. It was get rid of Master Kim and takeover Doldam Hospital just like the original story. However, as I watched I realized it was an extension of the original story. Since I like the original drama so much I was happy to see it continue. After a couple of episodes I was fully immersed into a continuation of a story that I truly enjoyed. The villain was irritating and his crew of cronies were just as bad. There was an instant feeling of protection towards Master Kim and his doctors.
The side stories during each episode were all interesting. Sometimes they were sad or heartbreaking but others were happy and emotionally rewarding. Medical dramas are not easy to develop. I’m never critical of the medical procedures because I’m not versed in medical knowledge. However, they were realistic enough to emphasize the drama going on over the operation table which is what the story was really all about.
The romance was there but it was not enough that you could call this story a romance. The two leads slowly developed a romance that seemed realistic enough but once it was there the story let it fade. They brought the two back together in the end. At least I think they did. I would have liked to have seen them meet when she came back to Doldam but they only gave about 15 seconds of her returning as the drama ended.
It left me wanting more. How about a third story with the title Doldam?
Was this review helpful to you?
A journey of two souls driven by fate who find true love.
If you believe in fate and true love that will always find it’s soul mate, then this drama is for you. Start with an unlikely event that brings the two destined souls together. Mix that in with suspense, explosive turmoil and family love, no matter how good or bad, and you have the makings of a fantastic drama.The acting was amazing. Son Ye Jin’s portrayal of CEO Yoon Se Ri was perfect. Her on screen chemistry with Hyun Bin who played Captain Ri Jung Hyuk was beautiful. You get to watch a relationship grow from mutual concern to full blown over the top love. It was fun and heart warming to watch. Ye Jin is so good at showing emotions with her facial expressions. She will pull you into the drama and immerse you with feelings you didn’t realize you were sharing with her.
The story was captivating and I had a hard time turning it off at the end of the day. It was too long to binge watch in one day but I made it in three. The music was great and the scenes from both North and South Korea made me feel like I was there.
If you want to witness love as you have never seen it before, then watch this funny, sweet, emotional, suspenseful journey of two people as they navigate the difficult road to find each other.
Was this review helpful to you?
A historical drama
If you’re looking for a historical drama with court politics and war then this is that and more. The thing that makes this drama interesting is the focus on one man, General Gye Baek, a powerful general that never loses a battle. He is bigger than life but unfortunately he makes decisions, as do most of the other characters, that just don’t make sense. The storyline has twists and turns that take characters in directions that a sane person would never take. However I must say, the story does have a certain draw that kept me watching.The main problem with this one was the twisted and sometimes creepy relationships between the King, Gye Baek and the women in their lives. There was no real romance like the genre says, it was just strange interactions between two people of the opposite sex, with zero chemistry. Just when you think things have a least shown some normality the General does the unthinkable to his family in the end. Did the writer think that would bring some realism into the story? I didn’t care what happen to Gye Baek after that and it lessened the value of the entire drama to me. But, that’s just me.
A convoluted story with a strange appeal and a terrible ending. Very few, if any, happy moments.
Was this review helpful to you?
Drama, Suspense with a Fluffy Romance
I love the storyline concept of chemical memory after a heart transplant. I knew the heart transplant was coming but I didn’t anticipate all the ramifications that came with it. FOI is a compelling drama and it will draw you in right away. The plot seems to drag on a little with a villain that keeps on giving. I will say this, Yoon Hyun Min makes a great villain. His portrayal of Lee Joon Hee will bring all your emotions to the forefront. He is such a good villain that it will be hard for me to see him in any other role.The twists and turns will keep you guessing. Suspense never ending and a romance you think will never happen with capture all romantic junkies (like me). It wasn’t a smoldering romance, it was just nice.
The FL and the ML were both great in this suspense/drama with a fluffy ending romance. Give it a try.
Was this review helpful to you?
A Great Story
An unusual story of the supernatural combined with a murder mystery. It was entertaining from start to finish. There was a lot of emotion and drama that will keep you immersed in every episode. I liked every side story and every character in this drama. The script is very well written and will make you laugh and cry.The only thing between a 10 and my rating of 8.5 was the romance. It was sold as a romance so I looked forward to watching that unfold. For me, it never really did. The kisses were awkward. The last kiss, which followed the loving stare of two people, looked like she couldn’t wait for it to be over. I wonder how many takes they had to do to make it look even that good. It looked like he was trying but she was not into it. In fact, she never sold the chemistry between them at all. The words were there but words don’t make chemistry, romantic acting does. This is just one man’s opinion.
So don’t let my opinion of the romance stop you from watching this great drama. It is well worth your time.
Was this review helpful to you?
Nice story that will keep you involved.
If you think medical dramas are all the same, you need to watch this one. A unique twist on doctors who manage pain with an overriding theme of euthanasia. Throw in a little romance and you have something exciting to watch. Don’t let the 32 episodes discourage you, the 30 minute episodes will fly by.The storyline concentrates on pain management and does a good job of bringing excitement to an otherwise boring topic. Each doctor in the group has their own personality making it that much more interesting. Ji Sung was amazing as Dr. John (Cha). He fit the part and made it believable.
The love interest between Dr. Cha and Dr. Kang started slowly and peaked briefly at an airport farewell. It was a nice scene with love confessions on both sides. Other than a few minutes later in the story, there was no more real romance, and there definitely wasn’t much chemistry between the two leads. I don’t know if it was the story or the actor, but Ji Sung just didn’t seem to warm up to the romance concept. Lee Se Young, on the other hand, had much better chemistry and gave you a warm feeling that she was really in love. They tried to bring them back together in the last few minutes of the drama but that never really works to anybody’s satisfaction. But this drama really wasn’t about romance, it was about pain management.
In summary it has a good storyline and a strong supporting cast. I liked this drama. The music was fantastic, some of the best I’ve ever heard.
Was this review helpful to you?
Unforgetable Memory of Love and Passion
A story of love and passion. Two souls that meet and share a day together. One a broke mystery Guy and the other a Girl about to get married to a different man she doesn’t love. I don’t think this is an everyday occurrence, but they made you feel the raw emotions of it all. Sung Hyun Ah is as sexy as they come and she played the part of Girl perfectly with passion that will make your heart pound. Jo Dong Hyuk also did a great job portraying Guy the mystery heart throb.You almost feel you shouldn’t be watching these two as they love each other and share their one and only day together. Their chemistry was through the roof. As with most one night (day) stands, things come to and end. But every once in a while you touch something special that will leave a memory forever.
Was this review helpful to you?
Family issues and dueling chefs.
A touching story about family, food and the spirit of an ancestor. It’s also the story of good over evil and the meaning of never giving up. It will take you through an intense food competition between two rivals with a long history. The prize, an ancestral knife, the pride of a nation. You will feel the pressure of the competition but most of it is predictable. The story fails to pull the characters together in an organized manner leaving you a little confused at times. The entire movie feels a little strange as the scenes switch from one to another. I think this is due to the production of the film.I found the drama to be less about food and more about the faults in the past generations of each family. It wasn’t a bad film it just wasn’t great.
Was this review helpful to you?
A great medical drama
I like doctor and hospital shows, so this one was perfect for me. It also had romance, which made it even better. As a bonus, Park Shin Hye was the female lead. She was excellent as usual. I watched this because I searched for dramas with strong female leads. This one had a strong female lead from start to finish. I’m glad I took the time to watch, and it kept me entertained for the entire series. The operating scenes were realistic, and there was enough drama and suspense to satisfy everybody.If I were to find a fault, it would be the flow of the story. The focus was on the medical drama, sometimes leaving the romance and character development aside. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the medical stories. Some were suspenseful, and some were heart-wrenching. I think they followed Yoo Hye Jung’s life very well, which was the main focus of the entire drama. Again, Park Shin Hye played this part beautifully. She captures the screen with every move she makes.
The four residents were more like first-year med students. With a drama focused on brain surgery, you would think the residents would have a little more professionalism. I think this was supposed to be funny, but it didn’t come across very well. Punching, smacking on the head, and kicking the shins, isn’t funny. It was a weak attempt at humor.
Now let’s talk about romance. The storyline tried to force a love triangle with Yoo Hye Jung as the focal point. Unfortunately, they overplayed it so much I expected massive changes in the love interests. Jung Yoon Do knew her for just a short time. Hong Ji Hong had a history with her. It might have worked if it was an ex-boyfriend or something, but it just didn’t fit in this case. Yoon Kyun Sang didn’t seem to be the right fit in this drama for romance. As a doctor, he was great. Why push the love stuff on him? It was not romantic or funny, and it was awkward to the end. Do all writers think it’s required to have a love triangle?
Almost every episode interjected Yoon Do’s feelings about Hye Jung. As a result, it diminished the romantic relationship that was growing between Ji Hong and Hye Jung. I kept wondering why they kept focusing on Yoon Do’s feelings. After she rejected him several times, why didn’t they just let it go? On the other hand, it was nice to watch the relationship between Hye Jung and Ji Hong grow from start to finish. I didn’t see great chemistry between the two, but I did see love blossom into a sweet and romantic ending. There were four kisses which helped with the lack of chemistry.
This series gave me precisely what I was looking for, a strong female lead. Park Shin Hye was so good at displaying martial arts and the toughness of spirit. I would highly recommend this drama to everybody.
Subtitles: 7.5
There were numerous missing lines and some strange translations. Never using contractions in the entire drama was also cumbersome, but I’m getting used to seeing that in subtitles. Also, I’m getting used to common differences. Using “why?” in places that “what?” should be used or “get off the car” instead of “get out of the car.”
Was this review helpful to you?
Lost Potential
When I saw the genres Romance and Medical together, I was all-in. The drama started out fairly strong. The idea of a married woman (FL) being treated like a slave by her husband (ML), children and mother-in-law was a little hard to swallow, but I knew eventually she would fight back. When I found out her husband had a second family and cheated on her for 17 years, I felt certain he would pay the price. So, we waited, and we waited. Eventually she did fight back, and I tried to feel better, but the creepy husband was still around trying to keep his wife a slave.Finally, the handsome doctor that treated her liver arrives on the scene and you would think. Here comes the romance. So, we waited, and we waited. But alas, no romance. I probably could have overlooked the awkward attempt at romance if there was any. Two women, two men all interacting with each other, you would expect something to happen. But the story takes a couple bizarre turns and fizzles out into the middle of nowhere. It took 15 and a half episodes for the FL lead to say she never really saw herself with the liver doctor. You could have fooled me. After 15 episodes of the ML being a monster (even if it was an attempt at comedy), the story, as predicted, tried to redeem him. It didn’t work.
Have you ever watched a drama and the last two or three episodes just don’t make any sense? Well sadly Doctor Cha is one of those dramas. The only sliver of romance was between Doctor Cha’s son and his female boss. There was no romance between the leads, and the terrible ending ruined the entire potential of the story.
Was this review helpful to you?
