The Legend of the Blue Sea Review

Title: The Legend of the Blue Sea

AKA: Remember the Blue Sea

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Comedy

Episodes: 20

Broadcast Period: Nov-2016 to Jan-2017

Cast: Jun Ji Hyun, Lee Min Ho, Lee Hee Joon, Shin Won Ho, Lee Ji Hoon, Hwang Shin Hye, Shin Hye Sun, 

Sometime during August, 1598, newly appointed governor Dam Ryung (Lee Min Ho) stays for a night at an inn run by Mr. Yang (Sung Dong Il). During that evening, Mr. Yang shows Dam Ryung a captured mermaid named Sim Chung (Jun Ji Hyun). Later that night, Dam Ryung releases her into the ocean and, before she swims away, Sim Chung reaches out her hand to Dam Ryung which he briefly holds.

In the present day, Joon Jae (Lee Min Ho) is a smooth talking conman with magician like abilities. He works with Nam Doo (Lee Hee Joon) and Tae Oh (Shin Won Ho). For their next score, Joon Jae impersonates a prosecutor and swindles a large amount of money from a wealthy suspect's mother. Joon Jae then travels abroad and stays at an oceanside resort. Meanwhile, Sim Chung is swept up in a tidal wave and washed ashore near the oceanside resort.

It has been a while ago since I watched this drama, and my review was half finished, so I’m just going to try and sum up what I feel about it with the memory of it. I can already now say that it didn’t have an exceptional impact on me. It had the same feeling over it like  My Love From Another Star, and since it’s the same actress too, Jun Ji Hyun, I kinda expected something different. But I guess these kind of roles are her expertise, so she stays in the same lane. Lee Min Ho, I don’t know what to say, individually he didnt impress me, but as a couple with Jun Ji Hyun I kind of enjoyed their chemistry and humour. So I would say what saved him was his co-actors too, the 2 other conmans. One thing that stood out in this drama, was the beautiful cinematography, that I enjoyed for sure. I know this drama was really popular, but for me it didn’t hit all my expectations.

☆☆☆ ½ / 3½  out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Five Children Review

Title: Five Children

AKA: Five Enough, Five Kids

Genre: Family, Comedy

Episodes: 54

Broadcast Period: Feb-2016 to Aug-2016

Cast: Ahn Jae Wook, So Yoo Jin, Shim Hyung Tak, Shim Yi Young, Im Soo Hyang, Shin Hye Sun, Sung Hoon, Ahn Woo Yeon, Jang Young, Park hye Sook, Jo Hyun Do, 

When it comes to families, is bigger better? Lee Sang Tae (Ahn Jae Wook) lives with his in-laws and has been raising his two children, Lee Soo (Kim Hyun Soo) and Lee Bin (Kwon Soo Jung), on his own ever since his wife passed away. He works as the marketing team leader for a fashion company. Ahn Mi Jung (So Yoo Jin) also works for the company as an assistant manager. She is raising her three children — Woo Young (Jung Yoon Suk), Woo Ri (Kwak Ji Hye) and Woo Joo (Choi Yoo Ri) — alone for the past three years after her husband had an affair with her friend and left her. But Mi Jung has been telling her kids that their father is just working in the United States over the past three years. As Sang Tae and Mi Jung deal with the daily demands of work, extended family and the needs of their children, life can get a little hectic. 

For 6 month I have been so eager every weekend to tune in and watch the episodes. At first I started it, because I love family dramas, sometimes I feel like they teach us the small things we take for granted. But as the episodes went by, I felt I watched it only for the Sangmin- & Yeontae-Couple (Sung Hoon and Shin Hye Sun). The rest of the cast was alsogreat. Sang Tae's In-laws were annoying and overbearing at times but they were also one of the most interesting characters in the show. All the children were a delight to watch. In fact, the whole time you feel excited about the kids moving in together (one day) and being one big squad of siblings. Nevertheless I did enjoy the rest of the drama very much, it doesn't have any makjang and it's low on excessive melodrama. It's a nice family drama, almost has a slight slice-of-life feel to it. 

☆☆☆☆/4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½/ 3½ out of 5 hearts

Oh My Ghostess Review

Title: Oh My Ghostess
AKA: Oh My Ghost
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Episodes: 16
Broadcast Period: Jul-2015 to Aug-2015
Cast: Park Bo Young, Jo Jung Suk, Im Joo Hwan, Kim Seul Gi, Park Jung Ah, Shin Hye Sun, Kang Ki Young, Kwak Shi Yang

Na Bong Sun (Park Bo Young) has an extremely timid personality and low self-esteem, doesn't have any close friends, and is constantly getting reprimanded at her job as an assistant chef at Sun Restaurant. She also occasionally sees ghosts, thanks to a shaman grandmother. One day, Bong Sun gets possessed by a lustful virgin ghost named Shin Soon Ae (Kim Seul Gi). To make up for the lack of romance in her short life and believing that only by losing her virginity will she be able to "resolve her grudge" and move on to the afterlife. Soon Ae is determined to seduce as many men as she can by possessing various women, and she finds the perfect vessel in Bong Sun. Bong Sun's boss is arrogant star chef Kang Sun Woo (Jo Jung Suk), whom she secretly has a crush on.

OMG ~ ! I loved this so much! This is the first drama in a long time that I have been truly excited about watching the next episode. Overall, I really enjoyed this drama (clearly), and though there were spots that made me worry or could have been handled better, mostly in terms of the consent issues, it was a well-rounded drama. The murder-mystery part was intriguing, and played out nicely, and the end of that arc felt right too. The chemistry at the restaurant between the 'family' was just so nice and enjoyable, one of the highlights! The romance was delightful, and I’m glad it ended up the way it did. I was worried there for a while… Chef’s reactions were totally reasonable, I think. I LOVE Jo Jung Suk and he was fantastic in this, as he usually is in his dramas, and Park Bo Young was just adorable as the lead character. Kim Seul Gi was wonderful as the ghost. I really loved how this drama was made and the actors were all too good. I’m going to miss this one a lot.

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts