Healer Review

Title: Healer
AKA: Hilleo
Genre: Romance, Comedy, thriller, action
Episodes: 20
Broadcast Period: Dec-2014 to Feb-2014
Cast: Ji Chang Wook, Park Min Young, Yoo Ji Tae, Kim Mi Kyung, Oh Kwang Rok, Ji Il Joo, Park Sang Myun, Park Won Sung

Chae Young Shin (Park Min Young) is a bright and cheerful girl  whose only dream is to be a real reporter, that’s what she shows her surroundings. She carries a heavy pain, which has left her traumatized. One day she runs into a weird man who attacks her, stole her bag and cut her fingernails.
That man is a night courier that goes by the code name Healer (Ji Chang Wook), which job is to do what people can’t do, the only thing he don’t do is hurt or kill people. His safety depends on the fact that no one knows who he is. He receives a job one day to find a certain person; little did he know that person would change his life forever. The one that hired him to do the job, was none other than the famous reporter at a major broadcasting company, Kim Mon Ho (Yoo Ji Tae). Together all three of them gets tangled into a mystery from the past, that will either break them or heal them.

I know if I write this review right after finishing the drama my opinion would be too biased (Ehm Ehm, I’m a big fan of Ji Chang Wook), but even after a few days I can’t seem to cool down, so here it goes; BEST DRAMA EVAAAAR! No, but serious, it was an amazing action romance which covered a mystery that connects two generations. I’m satisfied with it and the great cast! And the plot! The first episodes might leave you confused and with a feeling that you have overlooked an important clue, but fear not, they did it intentionally, because the more you watch pieces of the story slide into place and reveals an intriguing and very well thought off plot. I read an interview with the writer behind the story and she claims to have written this plot with only Ji Chang Wook on her mind as the main, how can I ever thank ýou!  He delivered a great performance that gave us a character that not only makes you want him to save you from the wicked people with his uber cool fighting, but you also want to hug and squeeze him. He got that talent to play a vulnerable and tormented incredibly well, making you feel his pain and loss as deeply as if it’s your own. I was actually satisfied with Park Min Young, I like her quirky character, she is not like a typical female lead (although she have a hard time acting out those crying scenes). Something I read about the drama really struck me, it’s that each character feels like their own drama, own story to tell. Healer managed to really present every character as complicated as real people, not an easy job to squeeze all that to a 20 episode drama, but they did it! As intriguing and interesting the main characters were, the characters from the past managed to be on the same level (Loved them!). The crown or the finish touch on the drama were definitely the OST, that background melody that comes every time Healer were fighting really sets the mood. Sigh… I can’t conclude this. I’m not over the fact it ended yet. Definitely a drama I’m going to watch again.

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

A New Leaf Review

Title: A New Leaf

AKA: Repentance / Reformation

Genre: Drama, Human, Legal

Episodes: 16

Broadcast period: 2014-Apr to 2014-Jul

Cast: Kim Myung Min, Park Min Young, Kim Sang Joong, Chae Jung Ah and Jin Yi Han

Kim Seok Joo (Kim Myung Min) is a cold, ruthless and cruel lawyer that is merely concerned with cases as long as they give him any kind of profit. If the evidence is against his client he’ll buy the witness’ out or he’ll make new solid evidence. At his law firm, every single lawyer thinks and acts the same: the more ruthless the better, except for the new intern, Lee Ji Yoon (Park Min Young), who Seok Joo had met some time before and ended up having a one-night stand with. She is filled with ambition, talent and justice, but is a blabbermouth. The two butt heads, and when Seok Joo gets into and accident and loses his memory; Lee Ji Yoon tries to help him. However the amnesiac seem different somehow by going up against his law firm and he happens to have an effect on the people around him…

I don’t really know what I was expecting of this drama, since I only knew Park Min Young, so I kind of still am in a drowse after it. The drama is a good one, but the financial terms and discussions lefts me confused and dazed, since I had zero knowledge about what on earth they were talking about. As a general you could understand most of it, but I have no idea what the climax was about, let alone the ending.

The main actor Kim Myung Min is fairly new to me, I think he was popular in Korea from before. And OMG, his voice: eargasms. 80% of the time he was talking I didn’t look at the subtitles, and made me go back because I missed it. Min Young was as she always is, not a favorite of mine. The drama is kind of a realistic every-day, with a twist of amnesia in the middle.

To sum up: okay drama, for the serious ones.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Kamjis Verdict
Finally finished! A 16 episodes drama have never felt as long as this one. On the other side, I think I can easily become a lawyer in Korea now, the drama was bombed with all those facts and laws and stuff, so those 16 hours were satisfactory used.

The drama itself were okay, not bad as I had a hard time watching it, but not as good as I was looking forward to next episode. Nevertheless, I managed to finish it, and that was a success for me since I had many other dramas I wanted to watch more. I can’t really say more about it without spoiling anything, but one thing I can assure you of, the writers did a good job with all the cases and trials. There were really intimidating and believable, so good job with that. 

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Time Slip Dr Jin Review

Title: Time Slip Dr. Jin

AKA: Dr. Jin

Genre: Period, Medical, Time travel, Romance

Episodes: 22

Broadcast period: 2012-May to 2012-Aug

Cast: Song Seung Hoon, Park Min Young, Kim Jae Joong and Lee Bum Soo

This is the Korean version of the Japanese drama JIN.

One night, Jin Hyuk (Song Seung Hoon) wakes up in a forest dazed and confused. As he walks he stumbles upon people fighting with swords and dressed in historical cloths. Believing they are actors filming a period movie, he approaches, only to witness a man getting slayed in front him. When he is noticed the people start to follow him, and he starts to run and almost falls of a cliff. Yelling for help, a man saves him in the last minute, where after he passes out.  Few hours ago he had surgically removed a fetus-looking-a-like tumor, from a badly hurt patient. That evening had been preparing to propose to his girlfriend Yoo Mi Na (Park Min Young), who is a fellow doctor at the same hospital where he is. But due to a fight the two spilt up in anger, and Mi Na ends up in a car accident witnessed by Jin Hyuk, who ends up operating on her, though with slim chances. Being upset he goes to the rooftop, and sees his badly hurt tumor patient, follows him and ends up falling off the hospital building. Coming to his senses he finds himself on the cliff, with his savior (Lee Bum Soo). He informs him that he is in Joseon in the year 1860, 150 years in the past. Not believing, he is stunned by the view striking him, untouched scenery.

Now the questions are: how and why did he come here?

This drama is a partial copy of the Japanese drama JIN, like the entire storyline is almost identical, except for the third love interest - JaeJoong.  It might have been because I am so fond of the Japanese drama that I really found the Korean version boring, and long. The scenes that should have been exciting were not, and the romance was just bad - like I felt absolutely nothing, not even a inch. I really felt bad for the supporting actor, like Dr. Jin was the reason for his misery, mostly, and then he just walks back to his reality and gets the girl he wanted. Like ruined a life of two - probably more - people and just walks back as if nothing happened.

I thought the acting was mediocre, but have to admit I was astonished by JaeJoong. Actually thought he did a good job, and I didn’t want to watch it in the beginning because I though his acting was bad - how wrong I was. In my eyes, he - and the brother of the leading female character - was the star.

The drama is okay, you can watch it, I just wasn’t too excited in watching it - that might’ve ruined it for me, but generally good drama. I think, again my personal view, if the drama only had focused on the historical par, without Jin in it, it would’ve been way better.

☆☆☆½/ 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥/ 3 out of 5 hearts

Glory Jane Review

Title: Glory Jane
Also known as: Man of Honor / Young Kwang's Jae In / Young Love Jane
Genre: Romance
Episodes: 24
Broadcast period: 2011-Oct to 2011-Dec
Cast:  Chun Jung Myung, Park Min Young and Lee Jang Woo

Kim Young Kwang (Chun Jung Myung) is a falling baseball player, who is thrown into the minor league after a fight with top star Seo In Woo (Lee Jang Woo), and is told that he only has two months to show his worth or he’ll be thrown out of the team. After an accident in a game he is brought to the hospital, but with the twist of fate In Woo is also brought to the hospital with an broken nose. Young Kwang is ignored, even though he is almost dying, but is noticed by Yoon Jane (Park Min Young) an aide nurse, who runs to the doctor in charge and manages to save Young Kwang, only for him to find out that he needs two months to finish his recovery, which means no chance to return to the baseball field. Yoon Jane on the other hand is ecstatic about Young Kwang, telling him that she is his number one fan, after watching him make a homerun when she was younger. 

When Jane’s nun from her orphanage shows up and gives her the letters of her father, Jane finally believes that she can reunite with him, only to find out that it is Young Kwangs father. This starts war at home, with the entire family refusing to accept her, and Young Kwangs father refusing to tell the family anything. But the truth is something else: betrayal.

Lol, sorry for the dramatic review, didn’t really mean it : P. I have to admit it’s somewhat refreshing, this drama. I don’t know haven’t watched this kind of drama before, so I sort of enjoyed it, even though it takes a lot of time to finish, I mean really, LONG. The acting was good, the chemistry is not that good, I mean they act as if they were in love, but you don’t really feel it, and I sort of believe it is Park Min Young’s fault: felt the same as City Hunter. I don’t know if it just by coincident or that she refuses to do anything like that, but I really wish for her to at least talk to any of her love interests. I mean kiss, or at least hug. Really ruins your view of the couple.

Anyways, a fresh Korean drama, or at least not a totally draggy one.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

City Hunter Review

Title: City Hunter
Genre: Action, suspense, romance
Episodes: 20
Broadcast period: 2011-May to 2011-Jul
Cast: Lee Min Ho, Park Min Young anad Lee Joon Hyuk.

After the political murder of his fellow comrades, Lee Jin Pyo (Kim Sang Joong) kidnaps the child of the comrade that saved his life, to train him to execute his revenge against the politicians who ordered the murder.
20 year old Poo Chai (Lee Min Ho) finds out about this when he one day almost dies from a mine, but is saved by his foster father, Jin Pyo. He decides to follow his father’s revenge plan, to put down the 5 men responsible for the murder of his biological father.
When he returns as Lee Yoon Sung to Korea, after 7 years in America, he is asked for help by Bae Man Deok (Kim Sang Ho) his friend, who asks him to look after Kim Na Na (Park Min Young), for unknown reasons. Na Na happens to work as a security guard at the Blue House where Poo Chai starts his revenge plan. But it won’t be as easy as that; prosecutor Kim Young Joo (Lee Joon Hyuk), a righteous man is on his trail, using every means to catch him…

Ah, buyaa.. Making such an awesome climax, and end it with the weirdest ending.. At least he could have hugged her or something… tsk, Koreans… Anyhow, the drama is neat, no doubt about that, I think I liked most of it… There were spots where I went like almost pulling my hair out of shock, or biting my nails till blood. But as a whole, the drama just felt a bit empty, hallow to be exact. Lee Min Ho = Daebak, Park Min Young = brilliant, but the screen-couple just didn’t get enough to make them seem in love. Besides the fact that they kept repeating that they love each other, and the fact that the kept going on with the ‘I’m too dangerous for you’, there was not as much chemistry. But daiim, both are damn talented in crying scenes, there are TONS of them..
All in all great action drama, not so great romance drama…

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
I liked it. I liked it a lot. Yeah i know bad ending (except for the fighting scene O.O) but still i liked it. And yeah Lee Min Ho got something to do with it but still. It was interesting and exciting and awesome fighting scenes and good looking (mildly said) guy. Yes i agree the love story was a bit like "ughh.. come on!" and back and forth but it still wasnt that bad. It was a bit weird in the first few eps because like "why does he keep a picture of a young girl he doesnt know" and stuff like that, and some really surprising things you dont expect but a bit over the top i thought lol. But i definitely recommend this its another one of those great action, love, drama dramas >.< 'wondaafuul'!!

☆☆☆☆½ / 4.5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½/ 4.5 out of 5 hearts

Sungkyunkwan scandal Review

Title: Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Genre: Romance, comedy
Episodes: 20
Broadcast period: 2010-Aug-30 to 2010-Nov-02
Cast: Micky Yoochun, Park Min Young, Song Joong Ki, Yoo Ah In, Seo Hyo Rim, Kim Min Seo ...

The story takes place in old time korea, Kim Yoon Hee is a young girl who lost her father at a young age and lives with her mother and sick brother. She disguises herself as a man to be able to work at a bookstore so she can earn money for her family. One day she is hired to help someone at the enterance examn for the school sungkyunkwan. But then she accidently tries to help the wrong person, Lee Sun Joon (Micky Yoochun) and he actually convinces her to take the exam herself, she then does and passes so she enters the school. Then fate strikes again and she is to share room with him, and a senior Geol Oh who is the "good bad-boy", the one that never shows up at classes and is rebellious. While she is at the school she get closer and closer to her roommates but she must not be found out, if they find out that she is a girl she would get punished. But the senior student and friend of Geol Oh suspects Yoon Hee and tries to find out the truth. The 4 of them develop a great friendship through lots of trials and are even pointed out by the king for a secret mission.

So the first thought is probably "typical!" and yes it is typical,, but,, in a refreshing way. no wht i mean is that even though its that same old story we hear again and again it is fine as long as it got what a good drama needs. It had great actors and a great story with lots of fun. I liked every detail about it like those fun moments between them as friends. But one thing that i wasnt too crazy about was micky yoochun in this drama. Its not that i got anything against him its just that his role didnt feel right, and that make me think "please dont end up with him!!" throughout the whole drama because kyaaa a real namja is there!! geol oh! he is the good badboy and he is soooo good at it! love that kind of roles! and lol the guy that calls himself yorim, he was real fun and cute. Anyway, i guess also the last few episodes are too much about "love", which was kinda.. i dont knw.. it was too much of it in the end. But still it was a really nice endning LOL

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict
Okay, to start out I have to say, this is the first historical drama I’ve finished, since I could never relate nor understand the stories of the others. But Sungkyunkwan Scandal is different, you get what they are saying, even though it’s completely formal, not to mention ‘poetic’, and all characters are relatable. I was surprised to see myself favoring the lead actor, which has never happened before; I usually fall for the jerk, the badass, or the ‘all-over-the-place-guy’, but this time and very first time, I fell for ‘Mr. Justice’/’Mr. Expressionless’. Yes, Micky Yoochun was the lead, but that didn’t make me like him, and I was almost 100% sure that I would fall for Gu Yung Ha. And honestly I was disappointed by the supporting actor; they did a HUGE job in making him feared and ‘the-toughest’, but besides people running away from him, he ended up becoming, I don’t know, not so deep, but then again that may be because the two characters Lee Sun Joon and Gu Yong Ha were insanely thick, that the Geol Oh character, didn’t shine as much, even the lead actress sort a flushed out.
Micky Yoochun surprised me, like insanely; never thought an Idol could act like that. I even ended up feeling bad for him, and started cursing.
But the drama is good, great actually, especially if you have watched a lot of bad/dull dramas. Personally for me it was a bit hard, since 80% of the time I knew what was going to happen, and besides yawning, rolling my eyes and repeating the same sentence (“Damn, Yoochun is hot”), there are only few scenes that made me interested, and most of them are either Yoochun’s or Song Joong Ki’s.
To sum up, a interesting watch, but since I can’t rate that I’ll write great.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts