Beautiful Gong Shim Review

Title: Beautiful Gong Shim

AKA: Beast’s Beauty, Pretty Ugly

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 20

Broadcast Period: May-2016 to Jul-2016

Cast: Nam Goong Min, Bang Minah, On Joo Wan, Seo Hyo Rim, Oh Hyun Kyung, Woo Hyeon, Jung Hye Sun, Kyeon Mi Ri,

Gong Shim (Bang Minah) always feels over-shadowed by her older sister Gong Mi (Seo Hyo Rim) due to the way the people around her treat the siblings. The beautiful Gong Mi, who works at a top-notch law firm, becomes the breadwinner of the family, while Gong Shim, considered to be ugly and awkward, is jobless. Gong Shim had to use all of her money to rent a room on the roof top of the rented-house her family is living in, as her previous bedroom is being used as Gong Mi's walk-in closet. Having a plan to gather money for moving to Italy to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, Gong Shim decides to rent her rooftop room. This is when she meets Ahn Dan Tae (Nam Goong Min), a lawyer who works voluntarily for those in need, despite his delinquent personality. After much misunderstanding, Dan Tae finally moves in to the rooftop room and he becomes friendly with the son of a wealthy family, Joon Soo (On Joo Wan), through helping him out. 

It started out as the most funny drama I’ve seen in a long time. Every week I would laugh so much it felt like watching a variety. One of the factors to the comedy were the wig, the first few episodes was fun but it did test my patience watching the female lead with a wig. The wig annoyed me a lot like it almost gets to my nerve every time the wig is mentioned or have to focus on Gong Shim. Sure it made the whole situation fun, It just didn’t suit her. The leads did a splendid job, especielly Minah, she really surprised me. In the beginning I wasn’t sure what to expect, and was a little hesitant. I wondered why they had her as a lead, but just after the first episode I was convinced she was the perfect fit for that character. Then there was Nam Goong Min as Ahn Dan Tae, super goof-ball that makes him stand out of all the k-dramas over the years. Their onscreen chemistry with all their sparring hair pulling and banter was nice and easy to watch, a surprisingly good couple. As I started saying, it was a really funny drama, but somehow down the road it got super serious, and lost all the elements that made it stand out. As many other k-dramas, this started out as a fast growing drama, but hit a wall in the middle, and couldn’t pick up the pace again. So yeah, very dissappointed, but at least I enjoyed the main couple till the end. 

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥/ 3 out of 5 hearts

Scent of a Woman Review

Title: Scent of a Woman
Genre: Romance
Episodes: 16
Broadcast period: 2011-Jul to 2011-Sep
Cast: Kim Sun Ah, Lee Dong Wook, Uhm Ki Joon and Seo Hyo Rim.

Lee Yeon Jae (Kim Sun Ah) has a lousy job where her boss keeps harassing her and everyone takes her for granted, mainly by giving her all the work. 10 years she has had the job, but hasn’t complained, since she needs the job and by saving money, bits by bits, in hopes that one day she can get married, move into a house with a yard and have children. Her father died of cancer when she was young, so she is left with mother, which also a reason for her not is being able to actually start dating someone. Her life is turned upside down, when she goes to the hospital and meets her elementary school classmate Chae Eun Suk (Uhm Ki Joon), who at first ignores her, because she kept reminding him of his past. He finds out that she is terminally ill, and that she roughly has 6 months to live. Scared and angered she leaves the hospital, refusing to get treatment, as she is reminded of her father’s days with cancer, and as she arrives at the office only to be angered even more, when an incident that had occurred earlier with a missing ring, whom she had been accused of stealing by a powerful woman Im Se Kyung (Seo Hyo Rim), gets heated up in the office. She decides to quit her job, and take a vacation, using the money she had saved over the years.
In Okinawa, Japan, she by accident meets Kang Ji Wook (Lee Dong Wook), the general manager of the same company, and whom she has had a crush on for a very long time. The two spend a lot of time together, only to be ruined by Ji Wooks fiancé, who is no other than Se Kyung.
When Yeon Jae returns to Korea, she decides to make a list, of the thing she wants to do before she dies, but as it turns out she has already set things around her in motion, not to mention a man’s heart and a woman’s jealousy.

One of the year’s best Korean, no out of all, drama. I, like many others, watch drama because of Idols or actors that are beyond popular (Jang Geun Suk, Hyun Bin etc). When I saw this drama I didn’t really think of it, didn’t really read the plot, nor did I recognize the cast. While watching Running Man (Korean varity show) a guest named Kim Sun Ah was starring and they talked about her new drama. I really liked her in My Name is Kim Sam Soon/My Lovely Kim Sam Soon, so I hurried and read the plot, and had to download it! While watching, and this has only happened once while watching MARS, I couldn’t stop, heck I prioritized the drama over my sleep! It was even a school day :P
It’s a bit of a grown up drama, like My Lovely Kim Sam Soon and Can You Hear My Heart, but that doesn’t make it any less of a drama. I totally recommend this to those who like heartfelt and mature dramas.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
Really really nice drama, I really liked this, new kind of plot. It was fresh because I hadnt watched anything like this. And it's one of those dramas where you are just crying, and it's those problems you cant do anything about! So its like, you're helpless and you can only cry .. really tough. But then again, it's so cool, I dont really have words, it was really amazing to think about the "situation", and actually imagine, what it would be like. Really interesting drama, and as Bunji often told me, very grown-up. But I have to warn you, there's a lot of crying. But definitely recommend it.The actors too are fine, my first time watching Kim Sun Ah, and Lee Dong Wook as well I think, and it was really fine. 

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

World Within Review

Title: World Within
AKA: The World That They Live In
Genre: Romance, Movie Making
Episodes: 16
Broadcast period: 2008-Oct to 2008-Dec
Cast: Hyun Bin, Song Hye Kyo, Uhm Ki Joon and Seo Hyo Rim.

This drama follows the people behind the camera: directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, assistance etc. Jung Ji Oh (Hyun Bin) is a director who is loved by all this co-workers for his easy-going personality and care for others, even named the stations back-up. Even though he is highly appreciated, he hasn’t been able to have his breakthrough, and keeps getting low ratings. Joo Joon Young (Song Hye Kyo) is also a director, different from Ji Oh she is seen cold and thoughtless by her co-workers, but as far as work she is even more succesfull than her idol/mentor of a sunbae Ji Oh.
The two of them had a relationship at some point where Ji Oh had broken up with his girlfriend. After Ji Oh breaks up with Joon Young he returns to his girlfriends side, and Joon Young becomes Ji Ohs assistant director. The two of them maintain a friendship, but as years pass, so the does Ji Ohs too serious girlfriend. When he finally ends things with her, and as Joon Young breaks up with her boyfriend, the two of them decide to give it a shot again.

I wanted to watch this drama for a long time now, but kept putting it off because of my expectations being low (mainly because of the low rating). And I have to say, stupid! Like I’m so in love with this drama! You those dramas where you want to know what happens after ’the couple’ becomes a couple, this is exactly what is shown, with their work as a twist. Yes, it’s VERY adult like, a lot of serious talk, break-up and not to mention endless fights. But I swear, everything is perfect here, every single character, screen, dialogue, you name it, it’s as if it’s the real world. Hyun Bin and Song Hye Kyo aren’t just perfect together, but their characters are amazingly tailored for them. Now you ask, why didn’t I give them 5/5? Hmm, the answer is simple, I was satisfied at the end. Yes, that’s rare, but I was too satisfied. I just wish that there was this small portion left for us to imagine further. I mean, EVERYTHING ended… Well, peacefully. As if they hurried to wrap the ending up. Oh well…

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts