Title: 최고의 연인 / Best Couple
Also Known as: The Greatest Couple / Best Lovers / The Dearest Lady
Chinese Title: 最佳戀人
Genre: Family, Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 120 (To Be Confirmed)
Broadcast network: MBC
Broadcast period: 2015-Dec-07
Air time: Monday to Friday 19:15
Synopsis
This is a drama about love and relationships, from the point of view
of a mother and two daughters. The story is told through their flings,
love and relationships, and marriage, and the drama will try to tell its
viewers about the trials and strife of the single, divorced, and
re-married women in our era.
Han Ah Reum (Kang Min Kyung) is a design assistant at a high-end boutique clothing shop. She is the younger daughter of a divorced woman, Na Bo Bae (Ha Hee Ra). Meanwhile, Han Ah Jung (Jo An) will be her elder sister.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
[Ratings] "I Have a Lover" recorded 7.4%
According to Nielsen Korea, the twenty-sixth episode of the SBS drama "I Have a Lover", recorded 7.4% which is 0.6% more than the previous episode.
"I Have a Lover" started increasing in percentage starting November and it set a record of 11.2% on the twenty-third episode. However, it dropped to 7% by the twenty-fourth episode and hasn't shown much improvement since then.
Meanwhile, comedian Yoo Jae-seok made a special appearance on MBC drama "My Daughter, Geum Sa-Wol" which rated 27.3%. KBS 2TV "Gag Concert" recorded 9.9%.
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"I Have a Lover" episode 25 recap
SBS drama "I Have a Lover" is about a woman with memory lost falling back in love with the husband she hated so much and the reunion of a pair of twin sisters.
Hae-kang (Kim Hyeon-joo) was going through a hard time after seeing pictures of Jin-eon's (Ji Jin-hee) affair in the past but he begged for forgiveness and said he won't do that again. The two of them got wet in the rain and they headed to Jin-eon's house to change.
The couple then ordered Chinese for dinner and had a cozy time. Jin-eon was watching Hae-kang mix her noodles but got jealous when she said she learned it from Baek-seok. He also thought it was strange seeing Hae-kang eat the pork that she usually doesn't eat.
Hae-kang got close to Jin-eon to wipe sauce off his face and Jin-eon said, "I can't help it, I..." and she kissed him saying, "Forget the kisses you shared with other women". They shared a deep kiss after that.
Meanwhile, Sully decided to bring back Hae-kang's past to break up Jin-eon and Hae-kang.
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"All About My Mom" episode 30 recap
In the KBS 2TV drama "All About My Mom", Jin-ae (Yoo Jin) is in love with Hoon-jae (Lee Sang-woo), the son of her company director Yeong-seon (Kim Mi-Sook) who is against them. When Jin-ae was simply an employee, Yeong-seon was so nice to her but now she was cruel to Jin-ae and asked her to leave her son alone. In the end, Yeong-seon gives Jin-ae the opportunity to go on the New York trip she always wanted in return for breaking up with her son.
Cheol-woong (Song Seung-hwan) found out that Yeong-seon's son was his son and told Hoon-jae who is confused at this sudden appearance. At the same time, Jin-ae tells Hoon-jae that she wants to go to New York and breaks up with him.
Hoon-jae feels disappointment in Jin-ae who thinks more about her career than him and returns home from Jin-ae's house where he was staying. At home, he told his mom, "I always felt like I was trapped in a wall" and confessed that her excessive attention pressures him.
Jin-ae later found out that Hoon-jae was going through a hard time because of his father and asks him to resolve things. Hoon-jae was happy that Jin-ae was going to come to him but he fell unconscious when a construction material fell from above and hit him in the head.
Hoon-jae was always smiling because although his mother was excessively fond of him, he knew what she'd gone through to raise him. He was also calm about the appearance of his father. He got angry at Yeong-seon for the first time in his life and told her how hard it was for him. Hopefully, this turns out to be a happy ending for the poor guy.
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"Riders: Get Tomorrow" Episode 4 recap
Well, in all fairness it's possible that So-dam is actually Yoon-jae's love interest. It's kind of difficult to tell because it seems like Tae-ra is Yoon-jae's love interest but she doesn't act like it. Incidentally, we find out this episode what Tae-ra's relationship is to the wide world of cycling and of course, it seems like she would be a good candidate for working for a rickshaw company. Maybe. So far "Riders: Get Tomorrow" is less about cycling and more about rickshaw business models.
The weird thing is that at this point the rickshaw business models are, to me, the most interesting part of the drama because rickshaw business models are not something I've ever put that much thought into. Gi-joon is asking questions that most people never do, so the answers actually end up being fairly interesting. I like that Gi-joon has a ridiculous dream and gosh darn it, he's going to find some way to make it work.
Compare that to much more tired material like So-dam asking Yoon-jae for a loan to deal with legal expenses. I mean for pity's sake, why is this still a plot point? So-dam could just claim that she was acting in self-defense after having just been groped. This is exactly the kind of case the cops don't like to bother themselves with, because the easiest solution by far would be to just have both parties go home and forget that they ever even met each other.
The bigger crime "Riders: Get Tomorrow" commits right now, is simply that it's boring. I can tolerate a fair amount of bad writing logic if it at least gives the actors a chance to put out interesting performances but right now the drama isn't even getting us that much. I'm legitimately unsure what the point of "Riders: Get Tomorrow" is even supposed to be right now, and I'm starting to worry that the drama's going to practically end before we get to any of the interesting rickshaw stuff.
Review by William Schwartz
"Riders: Get Tomorrow" is directed by Choi Do-hoon, written by Park Sang-hee and features Kim Dong-wuk, Lee Cheong-ah, Choi Min-I, Yoon Jong-hoon, Choi Yeo-jin, Jo Byeong-gyu and more.
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"Drama Special - Contract Man" recap
That's what Jin-seong's job is for the moment. He's supposed to track Soo-yeong (played by Choi Myeong-gil), who runs a mental institution and keeps it under control with similar methods to what Jin-seong is using to track her- except even more harsh and extreme. It's Soo-yeong's job to help keep mentally ill people happy. And really, these days, with depression the way it is in developed countries, aren't we all just a little bit mentally ill?
What makes the atmosphere in "Drama Special - Contract Man" so disturbing is that it is, from our vantage point, low-tech science fiction. Nothing that happens physically is all that implausible. When the drama does veer to more implausible adventures in the latter portion, the very implausibility of these late events is precisely the point. As the director of a mental institution Soo-yeong, in some very concrete ways, controls reality.
It's a factor of mental facilities that's often forgotten- most of the patients are there willingly. For a general minimum level of comfort and happiness most people are willing to tolerate quite a bit of discomfort and even straight up refuse to acknowledge a certain level of reality. As the man who can see through the illusions and knows what reality actually is, Jin-seong would seem to be the strong-willed hero. But in truth, Jin-seong is the craziest one of all- defined by arbitrary social normalcy, you have to understand.
"Drama Special - Contract Man" is a criticism of the police state which pretends like it's not, because certain specific trappings aren't there. If we aren't being pushed around by nominal leaders, and it's for our own good, that means the system is inherently just...right? Director Lim Se-joon presents a reality that exposes these concepts as arbitrary social constructions. In the world of writer Lim Ye-jin, what matters isn't the letter of the contract, but the spirit. And power belongs to those who get to interpret.
Review by William Schwartz
"Drama Special - Contract Man" is directed by Lim Se-joon, written by Lim Ye-jin and features Choi Myeong-gil, Oh Jeong-se, Park Hye-jin, Choi Hong-il, Park Ji-ah and Oh Eui-sik.
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"Awl" Episode 12 recap
I found that whole decision to be really irritating, because after all the work the union has gone through to get this far, they're just going to let themselves get shut up by a bunch of thugs? The fact that management plays dirty isn't new information. It's quite literally the entire reason why Soo-in went to the trouble of forming a union in the first place. Even granting that people have been seriously hurt, it seems to me like it would be much more insulting to them to let that sacrifice be for nothing.
No, the ending isn't actually as gloomy as this review is making it sound. By and large, though, the runtime is mostly the same generally discouraging material "Awl" has been focusing on in the latter portion without much in the way of reprieve. There's only the most piecemeal barely alluded to character development. I've never minded the weak characterization in "Awl" that much, but it's a pretty impossible problem to ignore in the context of a drama's ending.
About the only part of this episode that I especially liked was the final rundown of Min-cheol. When you get right down to it Min-cheol is a tragic figure. For the sake of acceptance he's always been willing to act as a toady, never really appreciating the fact that his bosses would jettison Min-cheol from the team in a minute for any kind of minor tactical advantage, to heck with all the loyalty he's shown them so far. The flashbacks are especially sad because they're just so very much in character.
Although even this just calls attention to how the other characters have lacked similarly meaningful characterization. We pretty much knew all there was to know about Soo-in and Go-sin within the first episode. None of the characters in "Awl" really inspired anyone else to do anything except continue the good fight. There is admittedly some merit in this approach, but as the drama drifted away from explanation regarding labor movements and more into thicker storytelling the weaknesses in the narrative have only become much more obvious. While interesting enough in concept, the execution of "Awl" left a fair amount to be desired.
Review by William Schwartz
"Awl" is directed by Kim Seok-yoon, written by Kim Su-jin and Lee Nam-gyoo and features Ji Hyeon-woo, Ahn Nae-sang, Kim Ga-eun-I, Park Si-hwan, Hyeon Woo and Baek Hyeon-joo.
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"Awl" Episode 11 recap
The same can't be said for the way that "Awl" has been approaching its themes. The drama is just repeating itself at this point. The employees have to struggle with the fact that management is not willing to let them unionize, and is willing to resort to underhanded tactics to try and bully them into stopping. Soo-in is sad because this was all his idea in the first place and so the situation is kind of his fault. Except, of course, that this bullying started before the union idea even came up, back when "Awl" was still about military metaphors.
The last leg of this episode, by the way, is just another long military flashback. And even these are getting tangential to the situation at hand. Mostly I'm having trouble with the metaphor in this case because soldiers acting insubordinate on base is not a concept I'm very familiar with. Out of context that whole sequence kind of comes off like a conservative attack on a lack of proper respect in military institutions. Was that really a problem in the early nineties?
Not that this matters. Again, "Awl" is moving toward a strike, and yet the entire situation lacks much in the way of serious urgency. Part of that just comes from this being the penultimate episode. There's only two ways this can resolve. Either the end of the next episode ends with the success of the labor movement, or "Awl" decides to copy "Cart" and make the ending not much of an ending at all.
I can't really hide my very serious disappointment in "Awl" right now. Normally the problem with this drama is that it tries to pack too much information into a limited period of time. Now the story is limping toward the end, taking its ideas to the most logical conclusion and just sort of leaving it at that. Some kind of intriguing flourish would be nice, is all I'm saying- something more memorable than So-jin's make-up.
Review by William Schwartz
"Awl" is directed by Kim Seok-yoon, written by Kim Su-jin and Lee Nam-gyoo and features Ji Hyeon-woo, Ahn Nae-sang, Kim Ga-eun-I, Park Si-hwan, Hyeon Woo and Baek Hyeon-joo.
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"Answer Me 1988" Episode 8 recap
In all fairness it's not really his fault. Bo-ra is so busy being in control of everything that she doesn't seem to make that much of an effort to see him. That much ends up going predictably badly, although so little serious screen time is dedicated to this plot point I hesitate to discuss it in that much serious detail. The very existence of Bo-ra's boyfriend in the first place appears to mostly be a plot point designed to serve as an obstacle for Seon-woo.
The other not-really-secret significant other has the exact opposite problem- overexposure for a character we've never seen before. Well, in that case it's the scene at the police station that's the real problem, because it just keeps going on and on long after there aren't really any more jokes to tell. Yes, everyone related to this family is very bad at sign language. We get it.
Seong-gyoon's family does go through a serious crisis. Well, not really. The entire point of that plotline is that there isn't actually a serious crisis, one just kind of manifests out of a serious-sounding situation and of course nothing all that bad actually happens. While I can appreciate the basic sentiment "Answer Me 1988" seems to spend an inordinate amount of energy this episode undercutting its own dramatic tension. It's fairly uninspiring stuff considering how subtly effective the Christmas episode was.
The drama's more silly strengths remain mostly intact. Like Hyeri making silly faces and doing silly dances while having an unnaturally peppy attitude. I'm not sure that having the heroine act like a complete goofball really counts as a strength, but then that is the kind of drama "Answer Me 1988" is. The story is at its best when directly addressing the immaturity of the characters and wondering just how we managed to survive being stupid teenagers. Well, that and the music. And the parents. Neither of which were essential strong points here.
Review by William Schwartz
"Answer Me 1988" is directed by Sin Won-ho, written by Lee Woo-jeong-I and features Seong Dong-il, Lee Il-hwa, Ra Mi-ran, Kim Seong-gyoon, Ryoo Hye-yeong, Hyeri, Ko Kyeong-pyo and Ryu Jun-yeol.
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"Mom" episode 26 recap
On the twenty-sixth episode of the MBC drama "Mom", Kim Yoon-hee (Jang Seo-hee) knew Min Tae-seon (Sin Seong-woo) was back and looked for him.
Kim Yoon-hee guessed Min Tae-heon was back when her daughter Heo Ha-na (Kim Soo-an) said a man gave her a drawing at the playground.
The two met at last and Min Tae-heon told Kim Yoon-hee that he missed her. She asked how he could say her name so easily.
Min Tae-heon said, "I can't, I'm sorry" and Yoon-hee said, "Sorry is when you accidentally step on someone's foot and not something you say to me".
Kim Yoon-hee said, "I saw later that you left a scribble on the bookmark. Just think of me as dead. We're both dead to each other".
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"My Daughter, Geum Sa-Wol" episode 26 recap
On the twenty-sixth episode of the MBC drama "My Daughter, Geum Sa-Wol", Chan-bin (Yoon Hyeon-min) proposed to Sa-wol (Baek Jin-hee).
Just then, Yoo Jae-seok the top star appeared and Sa-wol cried in joy.
She told Yoo Jae-seok that he was much better looking in real life and Chan-bin pointed a finger at him asking who he was.
He said to Yoo Jae-seok, "You ruined everything. Be careful. I'm watching you" and disappeared doing the 'grasshopper' dance.
Yoo Jae-seok made a surprise appearance in "My Daughter, Geum Sa-Wol" as a genius artist, assistant and top star.
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Friday, November 27, 2015
[Ratings] 36th Blue Dragon Awards rated 6.5% and 8.4%
According to Nielsen Korea, the KBS 2TV drama "The Merchant: Gaekju 2015" set a record of 13%. This is 0.8% more than the previous episode.
MBC drama "Sweet, Savage Family" also increased by 0.6% to 8.2%.
Meanwhile, the first part of the 36th Blue Dragon Awards rated 6.5% and the second part rated 8.4%.
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"The Merchant: Gaekju 2015" episode 19 recap
Bonb-sam applied for the task to transport the seol-wha-ji, of which carriage should pass through the Poongdeung mountain ridge, where mountain pirates prevailed. So-gae had to buy seol-wha-ji at ten nyang, which are originally traded at 40 nyang. Also, Sin Seok-joo (Lee Deok-hwa) requested So-gae to stop Bonb-sam.
Bonb-sam and his company departed towards Poondeung Ridge. Bonb-sam told the family of Songpa Stagle Inn, "I'll risk my life".
Man-chi (Park Sang-myeon) was happy to Bonb-sam leading Songpa Stable Inn confidently. However, Mae-wol (Kim Min-jeong) was getting worried because she drew a divination sign saying that Bonb-sam was destined to die on his journey towards Poondeung Ridge.
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"Sweet, Savage Family" episode 4 recap
On this day, Lee Choon-boon (Oh Mi-yeon) encountered Sohn Se-woon (Kim Won-hae)'s mother on a street. Sohn Se-woon's mother was a fortuneteller. Lee Choon-boon took Sohn Se-woon's mother to her house.
The fortuneteller told Yoon Tae-soo (Jeong Joon-ho) and Kim Won-ok (Moon Jeong-hee), "Why do you have only one child between you two. Try to have one more child, a son will be great".
Yoon Tae-soo and Kim Won-ok were baffled. Yoon Tae-soo clarified, "We have two children, one son and a daughter. The older one is son". However Sohn Se-woon's mother said, "He doesn't look like you, father", which implied there might be secrets in Yoon Seong-min's birth.
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Wednesday, November 25, 2015
"The Merchant: Gaekju 2015" recorded 12.2%
According to Nielsen Korea, the KBS 2TV drama "The Merchant: Gaekju 2015" came in first with 12.2%.
This is 0.5% more than the previous episode and a record breaker.
"The Merchant: Gaekju 2015" is the success story of Cheon Bong-sam (Jang Hyeok) who starts off as a seller and in the end becomes a merchant.
Meanwhile, SBS "The Village: Achiara's Secret" and MBC "Sweet, Savage Family" recorded 5.9% and 7.6%.
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"Because It's the First Time" Episode 8 recap
Tae-oh is unable to resolve the sexual tension with Song-yi, so Song-yi does it for him by making a statement so absolute, and so definitely angry, that Tae-oh can't disregard it this time. In fact, the whole speech she gives in Gunsan is poignant because it points out the big problem with Tae-oh's protective attitude. Song-yi is twenty too. She's also learning about life for the first time, and Song-yi needs to be able to approach these major life crises on her own. This is Song-yi's mother, after all, and Tae-oh has no right to try and stand in the way of that.
Ji-an also gets a good word in on Song-yi pointing out that as his boyfriend, she needs to give him more credit. The fact that Tae-oh was even in a position to go after Song-yi when Ji-an wasn't is an issue. Ji-an doesn't want to lose Tae-oh as a friend any more than Song-yi does, but proper boundaries are needed. As relationship chats go this isn't a particular deep one. Still, it's pretty good for twenty-year-olds.
Se-hyeon, though- she continues to show maturity far beyond her years. All the cast members in "Because It's the First Time" are good, but Eugene Jung especially shines as the young woman who struggles to be as cool and sophisticated as her physical appearance implies. Her own speech about the importance of first time also manages to be touching, in part because Se-hyeon isn't shying away from the reality of Tae-oh's emotional issues while still admitting she enjoyed having, well, a series of first times.
It's fitting that "Because It's the First Time" was, itself, a first time for the OnStyle network. And like the misadventures of Tae-oh and his friend, its imperfections are easily forgivable as growing pains for the network to find its own groove for future dramas. "Because It's the First Time" is a high quality production that exceedingly well captures the ups and downs of being twenty. At only eight full length episodes, it's well worth a watch for anyone.
Review by William Schwartz
"Because It's the First Time" is directed by Lee Jeong-hyo, written by Jeong Hyeon-jeong and features Minho, Park So-dam, Kim Min-jae-I, Jo Hye-jeong, Lee I-kyeong, Eugene Jung, Yoona and more.
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"The Village: Achiara's Secret" episode 14
When Ji-sook (Sin Eun-kyeong) was away from the spot for a moment, Baengyi Ajimae asked Yoo-na, "You still have the thing with mirror. Give it to So-yoon". Yoo-na was surprised to hear the words and asked, "Grandma, how do you know about it". Yoo-na however went to So-yoon and gave it to her.
So-yoon looked at the lacquerware that she was handed over from Yoo-na. Yoo-na explained. "I bought this at a lacquerware store in the village. Grandma told me to give it to you".
When So-yoon took the object home and was just looking at it. At the moment, she heard a voice saying, "Save me". When So-yoon turned around, there stood Hyejin, who was dead". So-yoon said, 'Unnie' in such voice revealing her surprise and how much she missed her sister.
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"The Merchant: Gaekju 2015" episode 18
When Cheon Bong-sam was about to be executed, Seon-dol (Jeong Tae-woo) came back with the letter from Kim Bo-hyeon (Kim Gyoo-cheol), which saved Cheon Bong-sam's life. His sister Cheon So-rye (Park Eun-hye) won Kim Bo-hyeon over to their side with the account book of illegal asset accumulation and a promissory note worth one million nyang.
When Cheon Bong-sam was set free, Cheon So-rye in tears promised, "I'm not going to be away from you even one second" and Cheon Bong-sam said, "Try, I won't let it happen".
When everything seemed to be peaceful again, Gil So-gae (Yoo Oh-seong) was not happy. He tried to kill both of them. The letter from Kim Bo-hyeon, which saved Cheon Bong-sam's life actually had an order to kill Cheon So-rye afterwards.
Cheon So-rye found this and took bullets in place of Cheon Bong-sam. After Cheon So-rye died, Gil So-gae came to Cheon Bong-sam and said 'Am here to see Cheon So-rye'. Cheon Bong-sam blew him a slap on the face.
Gil So-gae said, "It's not me. It's Kim Bo-hyeon". However, Gil So-gae did another horrible thing to Cheon Bong-sam when he said, "So-rye died to protect you". It made Cheon Bong-sam feel so guilty that he barely could handle everything in his hands.
Under these circumstances, Sin Seok-joo order to arrest Cheon Bong-sam for losing the grains sent to the government. Jo So-sa (Han Chae-ah) saved Cheon Bong-sam this time. Jo So-sa knelt down in front of Sin Seok-joo and begged to kill her in place of him.
Cheon Bong-sam saved his life thanks to two women. Cheon Bong-sam was determined to gather his wits and pull himself together.
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[Ratings] "Six Flying Dragons" rated 12.6%
According to Nielsen Korea, "Six Flying Dragons" rated 12.6% on the 25th.
Meanwhile, "Oh My Venus" rated 9.4% and MBC "Glamorous Temptation" rated 8.3%.
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"Glamorous Temptation" episode 16 recap
Hyeong-woo asked him why he had given the edited wiretapping log to Eun-soo while he had already known the account book had been manipulated.
Seok-hyeon asked Hyeong-woo, "Why should I answer your question" and Hyeong-woo shouted, "Because I love Eun-soo".
Seok-hyeon said, "Your love seems to be as light as a feather. If what you've just said is true, then you've been using Il-joo for the last 15 years".
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'Six Flying Dragons' episode 16 recap
He even touched Haedong Gapjok clan, whom no one had ever dared to touch for the last 700 years. Haedong Gakjok was surprisingly swayed by the threats from Hong In-bang and it pushed Yi Seong-gye (Cheon Ho-jin)'s family into a critical situation.
The one who saved both the families was Yi Bang-won (Yoo Ah-in). Min Da-gyeong (Gong Seung-yeon) obtained the secret information through a deal and he went to the place where the conference was being held. He took a box of explosive gunpowder with him, accompanied by Gabyeolcho, his father's private army,
He lit the wick of the bomb he took and said, "I'm here to impeach Hong In-bang, Gil Tae-mi, Yi In-gyeom. Repel the three figures of Dodang and void the hell happening today". His gallant act turned out successful.
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"Oh My Venus" episode 4 recap
Kim Yeong-ho (So Ji-sub) talked to the doctor as a guardian for Joo-eun and stayed next to Joo-eun while she fell asleep. When Im Woo-sik (Jeong Kyeo-woon) came to see her at the hospital and saw Kim Yeong-ho there, he strangely felt jealous in such a way he wouldn't understand himself feeling that way.
Woo-sik asked Yeong-ho carefully, "Can I ask you what the relationship between you and her is?". Yeong-ho said, "We're in the relationship as in one falls down and another saves the one over and over. I haven't decided yet if it's accidental or we're meant to be this way". When he finished his words, a strange competitive mood was created between the two.
"Bubble Gum" Episode 10 recap
That's about the only critical perspective I can offer for "Bubble Gum" right now. The drama has chosen this route, it's going to stick to it and...I don't really think there's any way to discuss what happens without creating some pretty major spoilers and really, most of the dramatic impact here is from the way the characters are blindsided by surprise revelations and apparently inexplicable decisions. Which do, unfortunately, have a rational basis.
This much we can see in the moments when characters discuss what's happening. The conversation between Ri-hwan and Seong-joon was, in my mind, the most informative because these are the two men who know the best what kind of mental state Haeng-ah has when it comes to romantic relationships and possible loss. The events of this episode do not take place in a vacuum. They've been built up to for a long time.
...And to be honest, I'm not sure that's convincing enough for me. The emotional problems we see in "Bubble Gum" are serious enough that throwing medical conditions on top of that just seems to be overdoing it. We have characters who are scared less because of things that are happening, and more because of what might be happening in the future. Again, note how everyone has a relatively easy time dealing with Seon-yeong, when she's already much more difficult to deal with. It's the fear that's more powerful in this case than the actual consequences.
For a drama to tackle mostly hypothetical conflicts like "Bubble Gum" is doing is a tough balancing act. When done correctly, the emotional hits are powerful. But when does less well, the story just ends up turning into a boring drag. What's more the calculations between good or bad here are so precise that I'm inclined to think viewer mood is a stronger influence on interpreting "Bubble Gum" than the actual creative decisions being made on an episode-to-episode basis. For me, at least, that's why I keep vacillating between liking this drama and not really getting it.
Review by William Schwartz
"Bubble Gum" is directed by Kim Byeong-soo, written by Lee Mi-na-I and features Lee Dong-wook, Jeong Ryeo-won, Lee Jong-hyuk, Park Hee-bon, Bae Jong-ok, Lee Seung-joon and more.
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Monday, November 23, 2015
[Ratings] "Oh My Venus" recorded 8.4%
According to Nielsen Korea, the KBS 2TV drama "Oh My Venus" recorded 8.4% which is 0.2% more than the previous episode.
Starring Sin Min-ah and So Ji-sub, "Oh My Venus" is a romantic drama about a health trainer man and an unfit lawyer who attempts to go on a diet.
SBS "Six Flying Dragons" and MBC "Glamorous Temptation" rated 14.6% and 7.8% respectively.
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"Bubble Gum" Episode 9 recap
One issue with this kind of storytelling is that it's frequently really, really difficult to tell what's actually happening in "Bubble Gum" as far as the story is concerned. The closest thing we've really had to conflict was Seon-yeong's opposition to Ri-hwan and Haeng-ah having a relationship, and now that plot point doesn't really even exist anymore. What else is there to focus on? I-seul acting depressed? I'm kind of tired of watching that at this point mostly because I-seul's scenes just end up making me feel depressed too.
There is some movement with the the third-string storylines, although the very fact that these are third-string storylines makes it difficult for me to get that invested in them. All I can really respond with is, hey, don't you listen to those jerks Se-yeong. You've still got it, and nobody would care if you were a man. Also Joon-soo is adorable and I like it whenever he's on-screen.
In broader perspective I'm increasingly getting the feeling that "Bubble Gum" is likely to be a more satisfying drama to watch than appreciate, if that makes any sense. I keep getting reminded of "Sensible Love", which started about this time last year. Even though that drama too frequently had moments of profound beauty, eventually "Sensible Love" didn't seem to have any idea what kind of statement it wanted to make, and I can barely even remember the ending.
"Bubble Gum" still has time to get onto more coherent footing, although the cliffhanger here doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence. The dementia storyline is handled much better here than it was in "Sensible Love", mostly because there was appropriate foreshadowing, but even so I feel like director Kim Byeong-soo is distracting us from a fairly standard melodrama storyline by using excessively beautiful visuals. While that might work for now, "Sensible Love" is a good case in point for how it can't work forever.
Review by William Schwartz
"Bubble Gum" is directed by Kim Byeong-soo, written by Lee Mi-na-I and features Lee Dong-wook, Jeong Ryeo-won, Lee Jong-hyuk, Park Hee-bon, Bae Jong-ok, Lee Seung-joon and more.
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"Oh My Venus" Episode 3 recap
Joo-eun went to see Ji-woong (Henry) while she had not doubt that he was John Kim. Yeong-ho (So Ji-sub), whose identity as John Kim could not be revealed, agreed that he along with Ji-woong would train Joo-eun under the condition she would keep the secret about John Kim.
While Joo-eun was doing the training, she happened to appear in a live show because she was recommended by Soo-jin (Yoo In-yeong). Although Joo-eun knew it was a revenge from Soo-jin, she decided to accept the offer to appear in the show.
Joo-eun was not feeling well but she still went out to the show. Yeong-ho was watching the TV show and was surprised when Joo-eun fainted during the show. Joo-eun was sent to an emergency room.
Yeong-ho rushed to the hospital where Joo-eun was admitted and he stayed next to her. When Joo-eun woke up, she wondered why Yeong-ho was next to her. He just said, "The closest one available might have been me". And then he handed over his jacket to her.
Yeong-ho asked her, "You want to lose weight that much?" and Joo-eun asked, "You're not going to live with me even, why the question?" Yeong-ho said, "You never know".
Yeong-ho gave a ride to Joo-eun to her house. He grabbed Joo-eun and said, "If we'd have to do this any ways, let's do it well. I'm John Kim".
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"Glamorous Temptation" episode 15 recap
Sin Eun-soo (Choi Kang-hee) confessed to Seok-hyeon that the man behind the phone was a different person not Hyeong-woo. Hyeong-woo also revealed the man was Kang Il-do (Kim Beop-rae).
Seok-hyeon told the two that they should keep it secret, and then he let them go. Hyeong-woo later went to see Eun-soo.
Hyeong-woo asked, "Why did you say it's all done by you alone? You knew how dangerous it was". Eun-soo looked at him and said, "You did even more dangerous thing for me". And then the two shared a kiss.
Eun-soo asked him, "Do you really have to take revenge? Can't you leave normally like other people?" Her sincere question brought up the ardent mood between the two.
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'Six Flying Dragons' Episode 15 recap
The political and ambitious wedding between the two captivated the viewers' hearts. However, Boon-yi's heart was aching, while she was watching the wedding.
Muhyul noticed Boon-yi's sorrowful feeling and tried to comfort her. However it did not work well.
Meanwhile, Min Da-gyeong refused to spend their first night together with Yi Bang-won. As she had decided to wed Yi Bang-won for the sake of her family's interest and her political belief, she told him, "I'm going to have our first night together later after watching how your family's future turns out. I'm going to make my best efforts for you and your family. However, if things go wrong, I'm going to abandon you".
Yi Bang-won responded, "Understood well. I'll do well so that I'm not going to be abandoned by you. Thus, please relax and have a good sleep". And then he left the room.
http://www.hancinema.net/spoiler-six-flying-dragons-yoo-ah-in-and-gong-seung-yeon-get-married-sin-se-kyeong-cries-tears-88788.html
Mom episode 24 recap
Kang-jae (Lee Tae-seong) got a job thanks to a friend at a liquor wholesale company but he didn't even start a day because of Si-kyeong (Kim Jae-seung).
Kang-jae didn't know his job got cancelled because of Si-kyeong and thought it was because of his time in lock-up. However, he didn't give up and started working at the car wash.
However, Si-kyeong found out he was working there and took Yoo-ra (Kang Han-na) there to see him.
Kang-jae kissed Kong-soon (Dohee) in front of Yoo-ra who had come in front of his house to see him. He then told Kong-soon that it was a mistake and made things awkward between them.
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My Daughter, Geum Sa-Wol Episode 24 recap
Yoo Jae-seok was assistant to Heather Shin (Jeon In-hwa).
Previously, in the MBC TV show "Infinity Challenge- Charity Auction Show", Yoo Jae-seok was auctioned by the "Geum Sa-wol" drama team for 20 million won.
"Infinity Challenge- Charity Auction Show" is all about the members of the team donating their talents and appearing in various shows. The bid is donated to charity.
Yoo Jae-seok played the role of assistant Yoo who takes revenge on Man-hoo (Son Chang-min). Yoo Jae-seok pretended to be a genius artist and a sommelier to drug Man-hoo's wine.
After the making, Yoo Jae-seok said, "I practiced a lot but watching the great actors and actresses do their job taught me a lot of thing. I was in awe at the fact that did their jobs so well without a single NG".
He also added, "I thank Jeon In-hwa and Son Chang-min for helping me out a lot".
Meanwhile, "My Daughter, Geum Sa-Wol" rated 26.7%.
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Remember – War of the Son
Title: 리멤버 – 아들의 전쟁 / Remember – War of the Son
Chinese Title: Remember – 儿子的战争
Previously Known as: 리멤버 / Remember
Genre: Legal, Thriller
Episodes: 16 (To Be Confirmed)
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2015-Dec-09 to 2016-Feb-04
Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 22:00
Synopsis
Seo Jin Woo (Yoo Seung Ho) has the condition of Hyperthymesia which allows him to remember almost every day in perfect detail. To prove the innocence of his father, Jin Woo becomes a lawyer. He struggles to prove his father’s innocence, but he begins to lose his memory due to Alzheimer’s.
Chinese Title: Remember – 儿子的战争
Previously Known as: 리멤버 / Remember
Genre: Legal, Thriller
Episodes: 16 (To Be Confirmed)
Broadcast network: SBS
Broadcast period: 2015-Dec-09 to 2016-Feb-04
Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 22:00
Synopsis
Seo Jin Woo (Yoo Seung Ho) has the condition of Hyperthymesia which allows him to remember almost every day in perfect detail. To prove the innocence of his father, Jin Woo becomes a lawyer. He struggles to prove his father’s innocence, but he begins to lose his memory due to Alzheimer’s.
Madame Antoine
Title: 마담 앙트완 / Madame Antoine
Chinese Title: 安托万女士
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 16 (To Be Confirmed)
Broadcast network: jTBC
Broadcast period: 2015-Dec-04??
Air time: Friday & Saturday 20:30
Synopsis
This is a Romantic-Comedy drama revolved around psychological themes, and viewers will get to experience a wide range of emotions as they follow the onscreen medical experts’ lives.
Go Hye Rim (Han Ye Seul) is a famous fortune-teller. She is known as “Madame Antoine” and insists that she is spiritually connected to Marie Antoinette, but that part is a lie. She is able to see through people’s stories due to her intelligence and keen sense. She dreams of having love in a romantic film. She then takes part in a psychological test project conducted by psychotherapist Choi Soo Hyun (Sung Joon). His goal is to prove that true love does not exist. Coincidentally, the name for his psychological treatment center is Madame Antoine.
Chinese Title: 安托万女士
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 16 (To Be Confirmed)
Broadcast network: jTBC
Broadcast period: 2015-Dec-04??
Air time: Friday & Saturday 20:30
Synopsis
This is a Romantic-Comedy drama revolved around psychological themes, and viewers will get to experience a wide range of emotions as they follow the onscreen medical experts’ lives.
Go Hye Rim (Han Ye Seul) is a famous fortune-teller. She is known as “Madame Antoine” and insists that she is spiritually connected to Marie Antoinette, but that part is a lie. She is able to see through people’s stories due to her intelligence and keen sense. She dreams of having love in a romantic film. She then takes part in a psychological test project conducted by psychotherapist Choi Soo Hyun (Sung Joon). His goal is to prove that true love does not exist. Coincidentally, the name for his psychological treatment center is Madame Antoine.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
"Drama Special - Pa" recap
I think "Drama Special - Pa" is attempting to provide some sort of commentary on the cutthroat world of Korean education. One of the weird initially inexplicable plot points is that Gi-cheol (played by Kim Gyoo-cheol) has decided to cooperate with the police by confessing the murder which he knows full well was actually committed by Ji-hye, and which he can easily prove. For that matter, we eventually find out that initially Ji-hye herself just wanted to go see the police. So why didn't she?
Well, that's where the social commentary comes in. Unfortunately any meaningful statement about the Korean educational system is mostly undone by director Kim Sin-il's insistence on a deadpan thriller tone. The basic plot of "Drama Special - Pa" is, to put it simply, just too absurd to be believable as serious drama. Seon-woo's generally nonchalant reaction to the discovery of his mother covered in blood is the main essential plot point, and through this, writer Yoo Jeong-hee appears to be condemning the warped moral attitudes kids these days seem to be learning.
In a satirical presentation this could potentially work a lot better- especially since the characters are little more than cardboard cut-outs. Take the dead man, Tae-man (played by Choi Joon-yong). He swaggers about the screen exultantly with no apparent sense of shame. His wife (played by Ban Mi-jeong) is about as comically smilingly cold-hearted as Tae-man is, and by the end of the drama her attitude even manages to exceed that absurdity.
I really do wish there was a satirical tone here, because most of the cast really doesn't seem to have any idea what they're supposed to be doing with themselves here. Time and again a character is floored by a major revelation and the actor manages to avoid giving much of a reaction at all. It's just too hard to visualize "Drama Special - Pa" happening in the real world. When a major plot point involves the specific location of a bloody shoe, well really, do I even need to finish that sentence?
Review by William Schwartz
"Drama Special - Pa" is directed by Kim Sin-il, written by Yoo Jeong-hee and features Sin Eun-jeong, Kwak Dong-yeon, Go Bo-gyeol and Go Bo-gyeol.
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"Awl" Episode 10 recap
They do make the passive move of hiring Manager Ko (played by Kong Jeong-hwan). The guy looks and acts like a gangster, and it's weird to see Min-cheol acting all generally helpless and aloof considering hiring decisions which affect his branch. Most of the conflict involving Manager Ko would seem pretty avoidable. Surely Go-sin has given a lecture some point on how important it is to not let yourself be baited by management.
But then Go-sin relationship the labor struggle here is fairly limited, as instead he gets visit by a ghost from the past. While I can appreciate the character building involved in noting that Go-sin used to be involved in labor movements under a much worse context, at the same time, this backstory really does come out of nowhere. Which has gotten to be a bit of a recurring trend for "Awl".
Consider this- Soo-in is married. Brief reference had been paid to this in the past, but this fact was so irrelevant when initially brought up that I completely forgot about it until Soo-in's whole family shows up this episode. Narratively, I understand that the reason for all this is to show the stresses that everyone has to go through while they wait for the legal issues surrounding the union to resolve. Even so, "Awl" has been, at its best, such a lecture on labor movements it's easy to forget that the characters are actual people.
I'm beginning to wonder if "Awl" is really more intended as a visual exposition for the benefits of webtoon fans than it is a drama necessarily intended for a broad audience. Without more exciting, dynamic plot movement, or even more discussion of how labor movements work "Awl" is having increasingly more trouble justifying its own existence. By and large the drama is still a decent quality production, although that's increasingly mattering not that much.
Review by William Schwartz
"Awl" is directed by Kim Seok-yoon, written by Kim Su-jin and Lee Nam-gyoo and features Ji Hyeon-woo, Ahn Nae-sang, Kim Ga-eun-I, Park Si-hwan, Hyeon Woo and Baek Hyeon-joo.
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