Mrs Cop 2 Review

Title: Mrs. Cop 2

Genre: Crime, Thriller

Episodes: 20

Broadcast period: 2016-Mar to 2016-May

Cast: Kim Sung Ryung, Kim Bum, Kim Min Jong, Im Seul Ong, Son Dam Bi and Kim Hee Chan.

This drama is the sequel of the 2014 drama, though with a completely new cast.

Go Hyun Jung (Kim Sung Ryung) is recently divorcee who returned from her sabbatical in US with her son. She lives with her father who runs his own cooking blog and is a former cop. Wanting to return to work, she is introduced to Park Jong Ho (Kim Min Jung), the Team leader of the former group Team 1, in order to take up Choi Young Jin’s (Kim Hee Ae) former job. She encounters hostility and dissaprovement by the male dominant workspace, and when she is told to recruit the rest of the team or else she will be fired, she is desperate to find her team. At the same time, a young CEO Lee Ro Joon (Kim Bum) uses his power and wealth in order to maintain his position…

Okay so I know compared to the first season this review is bit duller, and to tell the truth everything except Kim Bum is dull. Yeah the stories are good, just not memorable. Yes, the cast are well written, just boring. And, agreed it has a bit more consistency compared to season 1, but I really felt they dragged the storyline on. I personally enjoyed every episode of the first season, but season 2 only had me excited for one thing: Kim Bum. At first, I disliked having him as the bad guy, because smiling pretty boy boys who are evil freak me out, but after a while I really felt like he stole the show. And considering his last drama of his that I watched was Hidden Identity, this one really took it up a notch. You’ll understand once you see it for yourself...

Other than that I felt everyone was rather mediocre, then again the first season really set the bar high.

To sum up: a lesser sequel yet watchable with mediocre performance, except for the main bad boy :D

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Mrs. Cop Review

Title: Mrs. Cop

Genre: Crime, Thriller

Episodes: 18

Broadcast period: 2015-Aug to 2015-Sep

Cast: Kim Hee Ae, Kim Min Jong, Lee Da Hee, Son Ho Joon and Lee Ki Kwang.

Choi Young Jin (Kim Hee Ae) is the squad head of her police squad, and close friend to the captain Park Jong Ho (Kim Min Jong). She is good at her job, and deals with some of the most brutal cases in the police station, but is also a single mother to her 6-year-old daughter, who is being taken care of by her aunt; Young Jin’s younger sister.

When her chief and even higher ‘higher-ups’ want to make an innocent man go to jail, so the story about the actual murder can be hushed down, as it involves some politicians, Young Jin becomes furious and wants to fix I, but the entire situation, as well as her job, gets complicated, and she resigns.

Two years later, Young Jin now has much more free time and spends much of her time with her daughter. Though she misses her work, she is unable to tell her sister and daughter. That is until Jong Ho asks her to return: she is made the head of a special task force that is to uncover the murder of a young girl. And she is joined with 5 other members, whom all are a tad more different than the usual detectives…

Hmm, I am not content with my summary, but I think I covered most of it.

This drama is one of the funniest and coolest police dramas I have seen, and it’s not all that amazingly made. On a Korean crime/police/action rate, this one is up there with IRIS (the first one) and Phantom. I enjoyed almost every single bit of it, and the couple in the drama were one of my favorites in the year of 2015. Even though they had little romance, their chemistry was incredible – and funny! Or rather my type of funny… Just enough without being ridiculous (I’ve heard complaints about my humor… So you might not agree on it being a comedy). I liked all characters to be honest and I found the storyline good to. So hell year recommendable!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts

Secret Door Review

Title: Secret Door
AKA: Uigwe Murder Case
Genre: History, Mystery, Political, Action
Episodes: 24
Broadcast period: 2014-Sep to 2014-Dec
Cast: Han Suk Kyu, Lee Je Hoon, Kim Yoo Jung, Park Eun Bin, Kim Min Jong, Kim Chang Wan, Lee Won Jong,

This drama is the historical remake of the conflict that occurred between the Joseon King Yeongjo (Han Suk Kyu) and his son the Crown Prince Sado (Lee Je Hoon). They had two very different ways of how to rule the country. King Yeongjo wanted to pursues the strong royal authority, and to strengthen his political power. While Crown Prince Sado insisted on the more ideal thought of equality for everyone. It was known that King Yeongjo, even after 30 years on the throne felt threatened by his son, and therefor he sentenced him to death. Nevertheless, mystery surrounds Crown Prince Sado’s death, even 100 years after. This drama will explore the truth behind one of Joseons greatest struggle for power.

This show takes Korean dramas to a whole other level. I have to start with saying I’m a geek when it comes to history, it’s one of my passions, so I really enjoyed this drama. Especially when I know that, it’s based on a real event.  Yes, this is a very powerful drama with an awesome cast line; if you are a saeguk fan (like me), this is a definite watch. This story has been tackled so many times in dramaland, that it makes it no easy job to bring an exciting and thrilling atmosphere to it. Just in 2014 there is already two works about king Sado, (Bonus info: Yoo Ah In plays King Sado in the movie!!!)
After watching the first episodes, I realized that this was a little different from the others; somehow, I was so confused I couldn’t continue, so I decided to research the background for this mysterious king. In addition, it definitely helped me get through it, and it opened up so many questions about him. Now I know why every historian thinks he is interesting.
I was surprised they casted Le Je Hoon as king Sado, and that’s because I’ve only seen him in Fashion King (2012), and he really didn’t make an impression on me, plus he really doesn’t have other projects, so he is kinda unknown. After watching him play this role, I see why they said he is the perfect fit. He really pulled out an amazing and interesting character I think only he can do, and the fact that he is kinda unknown in dramaland makes him perfect for this role. You’ll see why in the drama :b
All in all a very interesting drama, that I’m happy I decided to watch, the reason it doesn't get the perfect score is because of the lack of romance, in real life King Sado was known as the ladies man :b

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

A Gentleman's Dignity Review

Title: A Gentleman's Dignity

AKA: Gentlemen's Class / Grace of Gentleman

Genre: Romance, comedy

Episodes: 20

Broadcast period: 2012-May to 2012-Aug

Cast: Jang Dong Gun, Kim Ha Neul, Kim Soo Ro, Kim Min Jong, Lee Jong Hyuk, Yoon Se Ah, Kim Jung Nam, Yoon Jin Yi and Lee Jong Hyun

This drama revolves around four successful best friends in their 40’s, and how they deal with life, family and love. Kim Do Jin (Jang Dong Gun) is a director of architectural firm and is the ultimate bachelor out of the four, until he meets Seo Yi Soo (Kim Ha Neul), an ethics teacher at an all-boys school. The two have an embarrassing meeting, and that leaves an impression on the playboy. But little does he know that Yi Soo happens to be in love with Im Tae San (Kim Soo Ro), one of Do Jin’s friends and his firm partner, and the boyfriend of Hong Se Ra (Yoon Se Ah) Yi Soo’s roommate and best friend. Tae San’s little sister Im Mae Ri (Yoon Jin Yi) is in love with Choi Yoon (Kim Min Jong), another of the four friends who lost his wife a couple of years ago, so he became the one in the group that they all took extra care of during that time. He is a lawyer, and no matter the situation he would help his friends in need, also the reason for him being the lawyer of Do Jin and Tae San’s firm. The last one of four is Lee Jung Rok (Lee Jong Hyuk): he is the younger housebound of the billionaire Park Min Sook (Kim Jung Nan) who married him for his looks. The two have constant fits, due to Jung Roks infidelity and Min Sook’s jealousy, and it usually is the three friends that make alibies for him, because she owns their businesses.

Their lives suddenly get twisted after a young man named Colin (Lee Jong Hyun) arrives…

It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a nicely written screenplay, makes me all teary. The dialogues, the storyline, and the acting was pretty amazing, and somehow they turned out to be much more than the usual Korean drama (or any drama at all). While watching, I was reminded of the drama ‘Secret Garden’, extremely enjoyable, and to my surprise it was the same writer. The difference is the acting ability: if secret garden is a 10, “A gentleman’s dignity” is a 15. Good acting + good screenplay = enjoyable tv-time :P

Even though it’s different, funny, cute and romantic, it ended up, like in Secret Garden, being just a bit too long; with the extra episodes of ‘should we be together’, but still good evolvement and very interesting. Recommendable!

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's Verdict
This drama is actually quite different from many of those I've watched. So it was a "mature" drama, since the male leads were in the 40's which was really fun to watch, also because it's about these four guys who have been friends since high school and seeing their relations and so. Really funny and I actually liked pretty much all couples, all of them funny and special. My favorite was Yoon and Mae Ah Ri, I was supporting them all way through hahah, and I liked how they all evolved, and changed. I just didn't like Kim Do Jin, not sure if it is because of the character or the actor. I think the actor maybe. I just reeeeally didn't like him. But I survived. I actually only feel like it was a bit too much with Kim Do Jin and Seo Yi Soo, the others were pretty fine. So really not many complaints. Very different from what I am used to and I liked it. Recommend it really!

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

The Return of Iljimae Review

Title:  The Return of Iljimae

AKA: Iljimae Returns / Moon River

Previously known as:  Iljimae

Genre: Historical, romance, drama docu.

Episodes: 24

Broadcast period: 2009-Jan-21 to 2009-Apr-09

Cast:  Jung Il Woo, Yoon Jin Seo, Kim Min Jong and Jung Hye Young.

This is the story of Iljimae, from his birth to his fame. Iljimae  (Jung Il Woo) grew  up believing he was the son of his Chinese adoptive parents, until one day, a man comes by an gives him a letter his real mother had written him when he was a baby. He leaves his childhood home to find his father and mother, but when he arrives in front of his house he refuses to see him as his son. To make things worse the man who said to be his friend, the one who told him about his parents, betrays him, leaving Iljimae in fury and decides to run away to the mountains. There he meets Dal Yi (Yoon Ji Seo) and her father; he falls in love with her and they live together for some time until the royal guards find them, and it’s found out that Dal Yi is the daughter of a noble man who betrayed the king and the man who was her father is that noble man’s right hand. The two get executed in front of Iljimae, which leads to him going out in rage. He destroys most of the city, and the police try and find him. As he runs away he hides in a house, and sees a girl, Wol Hee who looks exactly alike like Dal Yi. She saves him and he disappears.

Several years later, Iljimae re-appears, fighting against the corrupt, steals from the rich and gives it to the poor…

I have no idea why, but I really love this drama! I honestly hate most historical dramas, but somehow this one was amazing, and the couple was perfect. I remember finishing and somehow my heart dropped by the thought that I wouldn’t be seeing this couple anymore.

I think the reason I like this drama has to be that I’m able to follow, since there is someone updating me all the time (the narrator talks in between), and it switches from sad to light comedy to love story. Oh yeah, and I’ve fallen in love with Jung Il Woo too… My crush list keeps growing *sigh* Somehow he reminds me more of ‘Iljimae’ than Lee Jun Ki. (I did not say that out loud :P)

I would recommend it, but it’s nothing like the other Iljimae, nor does it have anything to with the other drama, so don’t expect that…  

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts