The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop Review

Title: The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop

AKA: Laurel Tree Tailors / Bay Tree Tailors

Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama

Episodes: 54

Broadcast period: 2016-Aug to 2017-Feb

Cast: Lee Dong Gun, Jo Yoon Hee, Cha In Pyo, Choi Won Young, Hyun Woo, Shin Goo, Kim Young Ae and Oh Hyun Kyung.

This drama follows four men, who get affiliated with a small tailor shop called “Wolgyesu Tailor Shop”.

Lee Man Sool (Shin Goo) is the second-generation owner of the Wolgyesu Tailor Shop. After being unable to get anyone to take over the shop, he decides to leave his family, leaving them with a letter. His son Lee Dong Jin (Lee Dong Gun) is wealthy manager in a clothing company owned by his wife’s diseased father. Due to internal conflict he is outed of the company and returns home. Here he meets Na Yeon Sil (Jo Yoon Hee), a seamstress that was supposed to get married, but her fiancé was arrested on the wedding day.

Due to the vacancy of a tailor in the shop, Bae Sam Do (Cha In Pyo) a former pupil of Man Sool, finally manages to persuade his aggressive wife Bok Sun Nyeo (Ra Mi Ran) to close down their chicken shop, to start living in the Lee household. At the same time Lee Dong Sook (Oh Hyun Kyung), the daughter of Man Sool and sister of Dong Jin, persuades their mother to let her first crush and forgotten singer Sung Tae Young (Choi Won Young) live in the house, only to create even more havoc. Kang Tae Yang (Hyun Woo) is the youngest of four, who is the childhood friend of Yeon Sil. After getting dumped by his longtime girlfriend for a rich CEO, Tae Yang decides to join the company - which happens to be the company Dong Jin was fired from.

Soon enough the four create an alliance and together they fix the issues surrounding their family and new home…

I remember reading about this drama long before it came out, and I was more than excited to watch it because of two of the leads, Cha In Pyo and Lee Dong Gun. Besides the fact that they are great actors, I have never seen them act together in a movie or drama - which made it even more exciting. Unfortunately, I felt quite confused in the beginning, because of the huge number of plots entwined in the main plot - making me forget not only names, but also the relationships between the characters, both kinship and other. This made me forget about the two leads, as I tried to wrap my head around it, and when I finally figured it out, they all kind of became less ‘famous actors’, and more their characters. The story and screenplay were great, even though I felt the acting could’ve been a bit better, I was satisfied with the overall.

So, all in all, it is a good family drama that made me laugh, and happy.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Super Daddy Yeol Review

Title: Super Daddy Yeol

AKA: Super Daddy / Super Daddy Yul

Genre: Family, Comedy, Romance

Episodes: 16

Broadcast period: 2015-Mar to 2015-May

Cast: Lee Dong Gun, Lee Yoo Ri, Lee Ra, Seo Joon Young and Seo Ye Ji.

Cha Mi Rae (Lee Yoo Ri) is a single mother and doctor aiming to become a chief, in order to make life better for her daughter Sa Rang (Lee Ra) and herself. Having a strong and dominant personality, Mi Rae makes sure that no man can come close to her, even with her friend and hoobae Shin Woo Hyun (Seo Jun Young) trying to woo her. Mi Rae believes that no matter what, if it isn’t 100% it’s not worth it, which also is the way she bring up her daughter. Her entire life is turned upside down when she one afternoon passes out on the bathroom floor. She is diagnosed with terminal cancer, which will only give her few months to live. Now her daughter will be without a parent, so she decides to try and find her ex-boyfriend whom she believes would be the best father, Han Yeol (Lee Dong Gun).

Han Yeol is a former baseball player who has become a rehabilitation coach for that same team.  Filled with anger over Mi Rae leaving him years ago and breaking his heart, he has become a rather dull person.

When Mi Rae appears in front of Yeol with the goal of marrying him, he can’t believe her words. At first he refuses her, but remembering the past he decides to agree on a marriage contract…

I for some reason like Lee Dong Gun, but I have no idea why. I thought it was because of a drama from before, but I really don’t have any drama of his that I am fond of. Anyhow, this drama is quite good, though it has some of the typical Korean clichés, it really is very funny. Also it is very interesting as it is good. I mean the story is quite typical and so is the buildup, but nevertheless the drama is charming.

Lee Dong Gun and Lee Yu Ri are great together, though the chemistry felt a bit forced. The little Lee Ra was quite adorable, so no complaints there. I really liked the supporting actress Seo Ye Ji, but I dunno why: she was just kind of likable.

Well to sum up: a cute and nice drama, with a bit of comedy and romance.

☆☆☆☆/ 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½/ 3½ out of 5 hearts

Marry Him If You Dare Review

Title: Marry Him If You Dare

AKA: Future Choice

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 16

Broadcast period: 2013-Oct to 2013-Dec

Cast: Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Dong Gun, Jung Yong Hwa, Han Chae Ah and Choi Myung Gil.

Na Mi Rae (Yoon Eun Hye) is a call center agent who takes calls from people every day. Without ambition or any confidence to do anything in her life she convinces herself that she is happy and lives every day cowardly. Everything changes when she one day meets a woman (Choi Myung Gil) who tells her that she is her but in the future. Freaked out at first she runs away, but when one warning she receives about a car accident comes true, she gets confused. Shortly after the woman stops by at Mi Rae’s house and convinces her, telling her that she has to whatever she can and not meet announcer Kim Shin (Lee Dong Gun) who is the reason for the woman’s return in time. After making her win a contest and winning a trip, the woman tries to convince Mi Rae to change her occupation, and find Park Se Joo (Jung Yong Hwa) a rich grandson of a CEO in order to get married to him, though she fails finding him, Se Joo notices Mi Rae. Mi Rae wakes up from her so called “happy life” by deciding to follow her dream: to become a broadcast writer. But you cannot avoid fate, not matter how ill-fated it is… 

Putting aside the fact that I had to spend so long time finishing this drama, I have to say I couldn’t be more annoyed with the half assed ending. I am not saying that these kinds of endings work in dramas, but when you make a drama based on one girl choosing one of two’s, even returning back in time in order to fix the actual result, and not telling the viewers what her choice was, is like having a drama with a random name. Like in Korean the drama is called “Mirae’s Choice”, but surprisingly no choice was made, or maybe it was but we weren’t told what it was. Sorry for the spoil, but I would not recommend people to watch this unless they like that kind of dramas. To say something nicely about this Lee Dong Gun is the star here, no one else. I was disappointed in both Eun Hye and Yong Hwa for such random and boring characters that I couldn’t care less for their relationship. BUT to say something nicely the first part (6 first episodes) are quite amazing, just ruined it later on.

So here are my ratings, and I hope you get anything out of it.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts

Sweet 18 Review

Title: Sweet 18
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 16
Broadcast period: 2004-Jan to 2004-Mar
Cast: Han Ji Hye, Lee Dong Gun and Lee Da Hae.

This drama is about the 18 year old Yoon Jung Suk (Han Ji Hye) and prosecuter Kwon Hyuk Joon (Lee Dong Gun), who are to get married due to a promise made by their grandfathers. Both refuse; Hyuk Joon because he finds Jung Suk way to young and basically dislikes her, and Jung Suk because she is in love with a guy, whom she doesn’t know the name of, but met by an accident in an ally. Jung Suk tries hard to make Hyuk Joon stop the wedding, even fakes a relationship, only to find out that Hyuk Joon is the man she is in love with.
Despite difficulties the two get married, and start to get feelings for one another, but Hyuk Joon’s first love, Moon Ga Young (Lee Da Hae) who broke his heart and left him with the pieces, has returned to get Hyuk Joon back, and she is not held back by the fact that Hyuk Joon is married.

First My Little Bride and now this! And in the same year! Eissh! What’s with these people and marriages, feels wrong… Don’t get me wrong it’s fun, great fun, but just… Well, the storyline is little boring and it is, I don’t know, not exciting? LOLS.
I love all three actors, all have good dramas, but their characters are weak, and the lead are too goody-goody. He is worrying too much, and she is trusting him way out of the ordinary. BUT, still it’s sweet, and funny. I laughed out loud, A LOT! Haha…

☆☆☆½ / 3,5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥/ 4 out of 5 hearts

Smile Again Review

Title: Smile Again
AKA: Smile, Honey
Genre: Romance, Sports
Episodes: 16
Broadcast period: 2006-May to 2006-Jul
Cast: Lee Dong Gun, Kim Hee Sun, Lee Jin Wook and Yoon Se Ah.

Ban Ha Jin (Lee Dong Gul) lost his parents when he was a little boy, and managed to live his life alone all that while. Despite having a sad life, Ha Jin is intelligent and is good at school, and has a dog nose, meaning he has an insane sense of smell. He has dreams of going to college, but does not have the money.
Oh Dan Hee (Kim Hee Sun) is not that good a student, but she is brilliant when it comes to baseball. His first meeting with Ha Jin is during a baseball game, where by coincidence her idol Yoon Jae Myung (Lee Jin Wook), a baseball talent and son of a millionaire, ‘saves’ her, but the real saviour is Ha Jin. Dan Hee’s worst ‘enemy’, ever since childhood wants to bring Dan Hee down, so he tells Ha Jin that is he’s going to pay the college money for him, if he helps making a fool of Dan Hee. Being a good liar and as smart as Ha Jin is, seducing Dan Hee isn’t a problem for him, but he happens to fall for her as well.
On the night, where the “big embarrassment” is to happen, Ha Jin has second thoughts, but as his childhood friend Choi Yoo Kang (Yoon Se Ah) is being beaten by her abusing father, Ha Jin comes in the middle, and Yoo Kang ends up hitting her father in the head. Back in school. as Ha Jin enters, Dan Hee has been humiliated, so she runs out crying and heartbroken. Ha Jin runs after her, but is stopped by Yoo Kang, who tells him that they killed her father. The two of them run away, so nobody knows about it.
Four years later, the all-time baseball star Yoon Jae Myung is hurt and goes to Switzerland, to get away from people who tell him to leave baseball, where Yoo Kang happens to study, and Ha Jin visits her. Ha Jin notices that Jae Myung is on the verge of mental breakdown, so he decides to take advantage of him and befriends him.
At the same time, Dan Hee comes to Switzerland to support her friend and find out that her baseball hero is devastated, so she tries to help him. She then happens to meet Ha Jin again after four years, whom she swore never to talk to again. Ha Jin on the other hand knows that Dan Hee is his one and only true love.

Waaah, I finished it. At the beginning I had a hard time getting through the first episodes, but it’s one of those drama which you have to watch in one go. What surprised me was that I actually ended up liking it. I seriously couldn’t wait to know what would happen, and I felt several times that the story was picking up pretty neatly, which is unusual for a Korean drama. If you watch one, you’ll notice they have one mayor problem and then creating small right next to it, which ends up making you feel drained all the way through. Yes, it does have the ‘drainy’ feeling to it, but with class. It’s more of 5 big problems needing fixed, making it easy to follow, and not getting annoyed.
It has all ‘korean-drama’ elements, except for the lead actor being amazingly bad, like really bad, even made me chill a couple of times. But of course it’s about how the lead actress makes the bad boy good, typical. Anyhows, I’ve become a fan - Lee Dong Gul’s – the lead actor, and honestly I'm gonna watch some of his dramas now.. Hihi..

☆☆☆½/ 3½ out of 5 stars

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts