Profile Drama: Romance Full of Life (생동성 연애) Network: MBC Episodes: 3 Release Date: February 16 – March 2, 2017 Runtime: Thursday 23:00
Plot: In-Sung has been studying for the police officer exam for years but he keeps failing. In spite of that, he still maintains his sunny and optimistic personality. On the day that he failed the exam again, his girlfriend Sora dumped him with no explanation. Feeling sad and lost, he decided to join a high paying part time medical experiment and ends up becoming a super genius. He decided to change his style and became more confident. Suddenly all the girls are noticing him but all he wants is Sora. Will he be able to get back together with her and pass the exam?
Main Cast: Yoon Si Yoon – So In Sung Jo Soo Hyang – Wang Sora Kang Ki-Young – Jo Ji Sub Kim Min-Soo – Gong Moo Jang Hee-Ryung – Kim Tae-Yi
Review: I wasnt ready to let go of Yoon Si Yoon so i ended up watching his old drama and what a change from the serious Dowon in Train to the adorable nerdy Insung!
First, their names were too funny!! So Insung, Jo Ji Sub, Wang Sora, Kim Tae Yi, Gong Moo and Song Ae Gyo 🤣🤣
I liked the story of working hard for your dreams, that there is no short cuts to success. But at the same time, you should strike a balance between work and life and health.
I wasnt sure what Insung liked about Sora because she seemed like the kind of girl that was always sad about life. Episode 5 had a lot of flashbacks about their relationship and i wished they showed that in episode 1 so that we root for them. Most of the time i want Insung to get over Sora and find someone better than her.
I think their relationship failed because they (mostly Sora) both weren’t confident about themselves and they neglected each other instead of supporting each other. When the going gets tough, it’s good to have friends and family around to lessen the stress rather than push them away.
In the end, I honestly didnt understand why Insung had to go back to his nerdy self just because the experiment is done. It’s just a matter of fixing his hair and wearing better clothes. or maybe he is more comfortable as the adorable geek and Sora loved him the way he was.
Only 3 episodes so worth to watch if only for Yoon Si Yoon!!
Plot: A detective tries to catch a serial killer who was dumping bodies inside a luggage at the Mukyeong Train Station. The same killer kills his love, and he ends up in a parallel universe, where the people are the same but the circumstances are different. Will he be able to solve the crime or will he get stuck in the other universe?
Main Cast: Yoon Si Yoon – Seo Dowon Kyung Soo Jin – Seo Kyung
Review: Really intense, tightly written drama. Great acting from everyone, especially Yoon Si Yoon and Choi Seung Yoon. Very unpredictable story, it kept me guessing not only about the killer, but what will happen next and how it will end. Just when I thought I know who the killer is, the drama surprises us with one big twist after another. And another. I’ve never been so happy being so wrong and looking forward to the next episode with my mouth hanging open from disbelief and amazement.
I think I had an idea who might be the killer (because there were only a few characters to choose from, but what I didn’t know was why that person was killing. When they revealed the killer, it was so twisted and sick i wanted to steal Seokyung’s gun and just end the killer’s misery. The conversation between the killer and Dowon was shocking. I had the same expression of “no it cant be you’re kidding!” on Dowon’s face.
I really loved Yoon Si Yoon as the triple Seo Do Won, i mean man, sometimes i had to stop and remember that this was one person acting as 3 versions of the same character. That was how good and convincing he was! I wished more people had a chance to watch this drama and see Yoon Si Yoon, who has always been underrated but better skilled actor compared to his peers.
That one scene where Dowon told Seo Kyung that “There hasn’t been a single moment that I haven’t loved you” was like the most swoon worthy time travelling confession I’ve ever heard in my kdrama watching life! So simple yet so sincere. Beats even Lee Minho in The King Eternal Monarch!!
Due to the shorter episodes, there were several questions that were left unanswered, esp on how you can cross boundaries, but it didn’t deter me from enjoying the story because this drama didn’t focus on how you cross worlds. From the start it was all about the characters and how the consequences of their actions can change their world. The ending was left to our imagination, which i liked because it gave me hope that somewhere Dowon and Seokyung found each other again but felt like it was “too nice” of an ending from a very grim drama. I would have been have happy with them going back to their own worlds and treating it like a dream.
Drama: The Best Hit (최고의 한방)
Network: KBS2
Episodes: 32
Release Date: June 2 – July 22, 2017
Runtime: Fridays & Saturdays 23:00 (35 minutes each / 2 episodes per day)
Country: South Korea
Plot
In the year 1993, pop idol Yoo Hyun-Jae accidentally travels through time to 2017. Discovering that he mysteriously disappears in 1994 and is presumed dead, he begins to investigate into the reason for his disappearance while trying to adjust to life in the future. Meanwhile, Lee Ji-Hoon is an aspiring musician and is secretly enrolled as an idol trainee at Star Punch Entertainment. Ji-hoon struggles to hide this from his parents, who believe he has been studying for his civil service exams.
Main Cast
Yoon Shi-yoon as Yoo Hyun-jae
Lee Se-young as Choi Woo-seung
Kim Min-jae as Lee Ji-hoon
Cha Tae-hyun as Lee Gwang-jae
Review
I started watching the first episode without reading the synopsis so I was surprised that this was a time traveling series. The first part was very interesting – Hyun Jae from 1993 time travels to 2017 and he finds out he disappeared in 1994. He tries to find Lee Gwang Jae and when he does, he realizes the one of the kids who rescued him as actually his son. The rest of the series shows his bond with Gwang jae and his family, old time girlfriend Bo Hee, new romance with Woo seung and finding out what actually happened to him.
I had a great time watching the show (took me less than a week to consume all 32 episodes!!). I think it took too long to set up the show – Hyun Jae spent so many episodes doing nothing and just waiting at the rooftop – It was only when he decided to take action that things started moving along. And halfway through the show I realized that the whole time travel and his mysterious disappearance wasn’t the key point of the show, it was more on making new friends and changing from an arrogant and selfish popstar to a sweet and thoughtful friend, father, boyfriend – hence the slow pacing at the didn’t matter as much anymore. Plus, i had a great time watching Hyun Jae’s 90s fashion style and being so shocked at all the amazing gadgets.
Lots of romance did took centerstage in the middle of the series, which i didn’t mind because he was so sweet and had great chemistry with Woo seung. I like that they started out bickering and fighting but then later falling in love and supporting each other. I loved how Hyun Jae was attentive and just knew what to give and do with Woo Seung – and i think that is why he got the girl over Jihoon. I dont think that the only reason that Woo Seung didn’t return Jihoon’s love is that she doesn’t want to lose his friendship, i think she really doesn’t thing of him as a man. Besides, even if Jihoon and Wooseung had been childhood friends, he didn’t seem to understand Woo seung as much as Hyun Jae did.
As for Hyun Jae and Ji hoon’s relationship, it was strange that they became father-son-friends and I could underestand why Jihoon was angry at him at first. He didn’t know he was his dad, he just saw him as the guy that is stealing his love from him. They eventually made up and while they’re not in the real father-son relationship like Jihoon and Gwang Jae has, it was good enough that became mentor-mentee. and it’s nice to see Jihoon having 2 dads that he can depend on.
Gwang Jae and Hyun Jae – i loved this team – i wish they had more interactions and more fun scenes. Gwang Jae seems so serious and carried the entire family’s weight on his shoulders. I’m glad they made up too and i loved the ending when they said to grow old together (though of course Gwang Jae will die earlier since Hyun Jae’s body is still 20 years younger than Gwang Jae).
Something i wished had a better resolution was Young Jae and Hyun Jae’s friendship. They were a team even for a short while. Even though Young Jae did take advantage of Hyun Jae by using his songs, he did think Hyun Jae was dead anyways. It wasn’t enough that young Jae could just pay him and Hyun Jae continually talk down on him and do anything he wants, I wished Hyun Jae sincerely apologized for treating Young Jae like crap when they were younger. They had a short talk where Young Jae even cried that he was never taken seriously and he was betrayed when Hyun Jae just upped and left him with all their money, but it helped more that the scene wasn’t taken seriously. Hyun Jae just said, really, didn’t realize that, I’m sorry then that was it. While eventually Young Jae was nicer to them, they could have collaborated and Hyun Jae helping him in some of his songs.
I really felt the whole Bo Hee and Hyun Jae loveline was strange – and i guess it’s because we met Hyun Jae in 1993 when he barely knew Bo Hee so it didn’t made sense that they were secretly dating and even had a son. So when exactly did they start to date?? and technically he left her and their son when he knew he was dying – and now that Hyun Jae knew what really happened, i wished they could have had a better talk. Was it wise to really not tell Bo Hee that he was the real Hyun Jae and just let her think he just looked like him? at least she would have known that Hyun Jae loved her and it wasn’t a waste to wait for him. Though I think it wouldn’t have mattered because by then she already loves Gwang jae and i am sure Bo Hee can answer all of the outstanding questions like how they started dating, im guess she never knew he was sick, even though we saw the 1994 Hyun Jae was so sickly (more on him below). I also liked the relationship between Gwang Jae and Bo Hee, it may not be passionate, but this is a relationship that you know will last a long time.
Grandpa and Malsook were a sweet addition to the family. I loved their cute scenes together. Malsook was so cute – even though it was weird that she had a boyfriend and was thinking of love at such a young age. i thought 1993 Grandpa was a jerk but he has since mellowed down. I felt so sad seeing him when he got lost and he hallucinated and talked to his daughter and Gwang Jae finding him in the police station. and I love Grandpa’s fighting spirit! i believe that he can overcome his illness!
and speaking of illness — probably the most WTF moment in the show is finding out what happened to Hyun Jae. i will say it again. WTF. that storyline came out of nowhere and didn’t really make a lot of sense. there are a lot of unexplained timeline and it’s mostly because the whole trying to find answers started too late in the series (probably almost episode 24 or 25). So arrogant Hyun Jae left the agency, took everything and went away. we still dont know what happened for almost a year. then we find out he was actually sick.. so does that mean he knew he was sick so he left with the money for treatment? or did he leave because he was arrogant then later on found out he was sick and undergone treatment? and i still dont understand how the 1993 Hyun Jae can go to 2017 and “split” his body and meet the 1994 Hyun Jae? that also didn’t make sense. like he became two persons – in one of the episodes, Gwang Jae said to Hyun Jae (or was it the other way hearound) that he had to go back or else the future will be changed. so did go back and didn’t change anything (mostly because 1994 HJ didn’t want to) but then how can 1993/2017 HJ came back alive – so i guess that really meant that he became two persons. And his 1994 disappeared, looks like it’was because 2017 HJ took 94 HJ to the rooftop and 94 HJ never showed up anymore – he either dead or lived a private life. It was surreal seeing 2017 and 1994 HJ talking to each other. and kudos to Yoon Shi Yoon -such a great actor – i was amazed that he can play 1 character but totally different from each other – it was like watching two different actors.
Finally, another lost opportunity is MJ. at first i thought he was a jerk, but he turned out to be a really nice guy. I’m happy he had the courage to tell everyone that he didn’t write the songs. But then nothing happend to him in the end. he moved to World Entertainment but was just taking a break. i was hoping by the end of the show he would have written a song and released it and redeem himself but all he did was wait for Hyun Jae. also, i thought Hyun Jae and MJ were so similar to each other – i was even hoping that he was his actual son, not Jihoon.
Well, we eventually found out that Jihoon was as talented as his father – and i would have loved to see him on stage with MC Drill – they only showed the two heading to the crowd and not the performance. and what’s up with Hyeri? i also thought Jihoon and Hyeri would get together in the end but that didn’t happen too.
As for Woo seung, i loved that she had her own romance (after her pathetic ex boyfriend). I thought she was just so so during the first part and it was a bit unbelievable why 3 hot guys would like her – she wasn’t that great, very clumsy, always needed help, etc. but the actress was super pretty and sincere and that is why the guys probably fell for her. Honestly, i was ok if Hyun Jae died in the show and Woo Seung and MJ got together in the end. I thought the two were also cute. and i love how the 4 of them ended up being really good friends.
But of course, i would prefer alive Hyun Jae than dead Hyun Jae. I think he was the best part of the show. I loved how his character really changed and became mature. and I was so happy that he eventually found the family that he so longed for. and the intro was right – he was like a man from the future – he was ahead of his time and probably that’s why he was so at ease with living in the 21st century. He adapted to his surroundings, was very smart and thoughtful. However what i wished we had more of? it looked like Jay 2 only had 1 hit song (Tell Me), they won their first Golden Cup and he disappeared yet he was remembered by everyone 20 years from now. they should have made me super popular to be more believable. And i wished they could have shown more (rather than tell) how musically good he was! We only got to see him write/produce a few songs – i wish they had more and i wished that he got credited for MJ’s songs. Young Jae could have said it was Hyun Jae’s unreleased songs and gave him the proper farewell and credit for his fans’s sake (since everyone else thinks he died).
And Hyun Jae’s so hot .. whether he was the 1993 version or the 2017 version.
I admit, the show had a few flaws but overall, i loved it! i wish there is a season 2 because i’m not yet ready to say goodbye to the whole gang! Dabong!!!!
So cute that they actually showed the music video for Tell Me.
KDrama Dreaming 