Man to Man Review

Title: Man to Man

AKA: Man X Man

Genre: Action, Thriller, Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 16

Broadcast Period: Apr-2017 to Jun-2017

Cast: Park Hae Jin, Kim Min Jung, Park Sung Woong, Yun Jung Hoon, Chae Jung Ahn, Jung Man Shik,

A longtime celebrity Yeo Woon Gwang (Park Sung Woong) suddenly has a need for a bodyguard and hires Kim Seol Woo (Park Hae Jin), a man trained in special investigations and a mysterious man of many talents. In reality, Kim Seol Woo is a NIS black ghost agent who has his own agenda and the role of a bodyguard is only a cover to achieve his goals. The drama is about the twisty events they encounter and the budding bromance between the star and bodyguard. In addition, Kim Seol Woo gets romantically involved with Cha Do Ha (Kim Min Jung), the manager of Yeo Woon Gwang.

Yes! Park Hae Jin in a decent role that fits him so well, was so much more enjoyable than anything else in this drama. I was just really happy for him, that he got this opportunity, and I hope he will get better ones in the future. Storywise I liked, but I think it dwelled too much in the entertainment than the action and secrets society. I know that there should be two aspects to this, but personally I think they considered the one with the superstar actor and his people more than the ghost agent. And that is a little sad, since he should be the focus point. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this drama, and was looking forward to it every week. The romance part didn’t appeal to me, it felt forced somehow, maybe the focus wasn’t on the romance at all, definitely no chemistry. To sum it up, I really liked the drama and I do recommend it. You can find it on Netflix!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3 ½ out of 5 hearts

Entertainer Review

Title: Entertainer
AKA: Ddanddara
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Episodes: 18
Broadcast Period: Apr-2016 to Jun-2016
Cast: Ji Sung, Hye Ri, Chae Jung Ahn, Kang Min Hyuk, Jun Noh Min, Heo Joon Suk, Ahn Nae Sang, Jung Man Shik

Shin Suk Ho (Ji Sung) is a successful manager turned director who works for KTOP entertainment, one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea. After deciding to become independent and trying to develop his own company, Mango Entertainment, he suddenly faces many hardships and loses everything he has and goes to prison. After release, while he is trying to find a way back to life, he finds a talented high school student, Jo Ha Neul (Kang Min Hyuk) and decides to turn him into a famous singer. But he realizes that Ha Neul is an ex-convict and was accused for sexual abuse by his friend, Lee Ji Young (Yoon Seo).

The plot of this drama is very normal and ordinary. Me being a big fan of Ji Sung and have watched every single one of his dramas, would not miss this one. So of course I had high hopes for this drama, but the only thing I could think while watching: “What were the writers and director doing with such a predictable and cliché story, and they chose such a huge and awesomely talented star like Ji Sung as the lead?! Why”. I’m not sure I have a single orderly opinion about it. I enjoyed it at points. I found it frustrating the rest of the time. If you are looking for alternate reason to ignore this one, then let me give you several. Besides the unnecessary attempt at a love triangle dead on arrival, the writing is shit. I mean, completely shit. And that two episode extension didn’t help anything. The premise was thin enough without trying to spread it out over two more hours. Some moments and some performances were solid, but overall I felt I might have wasted my time on this one. Since I have nothing better to say, I'll stop here.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥ / 2 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict

This drama… I went in and expected it to be “shit” (quote from Kamji), and ended up enjoying it. This drama is what you call a “modern” Korean drama, which has ALL the charms of a Korean drama, except it unfortunately falls into the category “another Korean drama”. There are quite a few these days, because the audience has become picky and judgmental. The competition for Korean dramas has also risen, which means now the dramas must be EXTRA creative to be liked or watched. This drama is one that has unfortunately fallen in that category, but it is actually like all the dramas we all liked just 2-3 years ago.

I enjoyed the screenplay, characters and most defiantly the story, but I must say, Hyeri was useless. Her character, her acting and her overall existence in the drama was unnecessary and quite frankly a pain. I understand what Kamji says about the love triangle - UTTERLY DUMB AND UNNESESSARY. I needed up playing on my phone every time she was on the screen – I really don’t understand WHY, she was needed.

Ji Sung was made for this role, and honestly, he made this character alive. Everyone else was good (except for Hyeri), and I think that if they didn’t have the love story forced on the storyline (and down our throats), this would have been great drama. Also, I agree that 18 episodes was too much – why they needed 2 episodes more to show that annoying love triangle beats me.

But to sum up: a good Korean drama that I think I could recommend to new watchers or Ji Sung lovers.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Yongpal Review

Title: Yongpal

AKA: The Gang Doctor

Genre: Medical, Drama, Romance

Episodes: 18

Broadcast Period: Aug-2015 to Oct-2015

Cast: Joo Won, Kim Tae Hee, Jo Hyun Jae, Chae Jung Ahn, Jung Woong In, Bae HAe Sun, Stephanie Lee, Jo Bok Rae

Kim Tae Hyun (Joo Won) who’s an unerring surgeon by day and at night he turns into the healing redeemer of everyone willing to pay as soon as it remains between them, far away from hospitals and the law. He’s better known as Yong Pal. It’s not like he woke up one day and thought of making money, he’s got his own reasons and his family is above everyone, even himself. Instead of being chased by loan sharks, he tries to pay his debt by working as Yong Pal in order to be able to keep helping his sister’s kidney dialysis. On the other side of the fence, Han Yeo Jin (Kim Tae Hee) has more money than one could ever imagine and that was the reason why she and her boyfriend found themselves in a car chase with him passing away. What is the outcome of two different people from two different worlds crossing path be?

Okay, I must be honest with you guys. I was forced to watch this drama in the beginning, not that I wasn’t going to watch it, but I would rather have waited until it was complete. Although I only had to watch the first episode and I fell too hard for it. Like unrealistically too much, I would check for new episodes everyday, even though I knew when it was scheduled till. That excitement didn’t last for long, after a while I kind of forgot about it, I only watched the last two episodes because I felt obligated to do it. Despite the high ratings and the huge success it was in the beginning, the production team kept cutting episodes and put more, first it was scheduled to 24 episodes, then cut down to 16 (freaking 8 episodes!!). But that seemed too short for them, so they prolonged to 20, and then lastly cut to 18! So the storyline after episode 10 gets so messy. Its so sad that such a great drama with a huge potential would get destroyed like that. All the actors were A-list actors, amazing. You really get sucked into their world. If not for the formidable performance and chemistry between them all I would have probably dropped it. However I will recommend this drama, despite the messy ending, because of the great first half of the drama filled with action, excitement and mystery. The love-line was okay, it was no big deal, no drama between, just… them. I want to end this review with a big applause *clap-clap* to Joo Won! Astonishing act by him! He almost got the whole show going by himself, he delivers the feelings on spot.

☆☆☆☆/ 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Coffee Prince Review

Title: Coffee Prince
Aka: The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
Genre: Romance, comedy
Episodes: 17
Broadcast period: 2007-Jul-02 to 2007-Aug-27
Theme song: Lalala, its Love, by The Melody
Cast: Yoon Eun Hye, Gong Yoo, Lee Sun Gyun, Chae Jung Ahn, Kim Ja Ok, Choi Il Hwa, Kim Young Ok, Park Won Sook, Kim Chang Wan, Kim Jae Wook, Kim Dong Wook, Lee Un..

Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is a girl who lost her father at young age and has been working ever since so that her mother doesnt have to work and her sister can go to school. While she has been working so much since she was young she has lost her femininity and is often mistaken for a boy, which is sometimes good because then it is easier to find a job. One day as she has to deliver some food to a costumer she witnesses a purse being snatched away from a young lady, she immediately sets after the thief but then notices that it is the guy who likes her younger sister, so she lets him go. The man who was with the young lady who got robbed (Choi Han Kyul played by Gong Yoo) then accuses her for being a part of it and just trying to get money out of them. Eun Chan denies several times and then gives up leaving the place. When she returns to her workplace her boss makes her responsible for the damage done at the scooter she used and tells her that she has to pay for the reparation. She then has no choice but to ask Choi Han Kyul for money. After much pursuing and discussing she ends up working for him, she has to play his boy-lover so that he doesnt has to go for match-making. He still believes that she is a man and so he gets closer and closer to each other, and even become buddies. Choi Han Kyul is put in a dilemma where he has to start up a café for his grandmother and even triple the income within the time he has to return to the USA. Eun Chan supports him and encourages him to do the job and so he does and she also starts working with him, the only problem is that he thinks she is a boy and the café even only hires men. He starts to develop feelings for her while still thinking she is a boy and so he goes mad trying to solve his feelings.

In the review i chose to focus on the relationship between the two lead actors because it is really hard for me to write a review without exposing the whole story. At first i really loved the drama, wondered why i hadnt seen it earlier. Its alot of fun even though its again that typical girl-disguised-as-boy-and-boy-thinking-he-gay-story. It had a lot of humor at start but at some point in the middle it loses that and even becomes tiring as its those GAH!-problems that are so annoying. Its not a love drama you watch for love but a romance comedy. A thing i really liked though is that there is no mean mother, thank God for that!. And the "in-laws" arent that bad even though they are from another social class.. u know.. so it was more the development between the two of them.. And also i thought that the side-love-story between the other actors was cute and "bearable" (LOL!). And lol the actress is the same as the one from Vineyard man which surprised me. She's a really good actress i didnt even recognize her at first because she looked so different in this drama. Did i forget to mention anything? -.-'

☆☆☆½ / 3.5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ 4.5 of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict
This is one of the few brilliant dramas ever made, even though we’ve heard the story a million times, this one is defiantly a winner. Of all ‘girl-dressed-as-a-boy dramas’, it’s THE best, beating MANY great dramas (You're Beautiful, Hana Kimi JP, Hana Kimi TW, Sungkyunkwan Scandal). Okay, now you’re reading this, probably protesting, but different from those ‘teenage-crushes’ and ‘horrible-parents-being-mean’, Coffee Prince brings much more fun and is more relatable than the other dramas. And to be honest, probably the first time I didn’t want to punch the female lead in the end, like in all those other dramas. Eun Hye is magnificent, so is the only actor who able to shine as much as she is, Gong Yoo. I’m a BIG fan of his, because of his acting in CP, I had to watch Hello My Teacher.
To be frank, and simple a definite recommendation! (I have no idea how Jenji’s brain works, but THAT rating is just ridicules!)

☆☆☆½ / 4½ stars out of 5

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ hearts out of 5

Cain & Abel Review

Title: Cain and Abel
Genre: Action, Romance, Medical
Episodes: 20
Broadcast period: 2009-Feb to 2009-Apr
Cast: So Ji Sub, Shin Hyun Joon, Han Ji Min and Chae Jung Ahn.

This is the Korean adaption of the biblical story about the two brothers, sons of Adam, Cain and Abel, where the older brother Abel is jealous of his younger brother for being popular and liked by everyone.
Lee Cho In (So Ji Sub) and his older brother Lee Seon Woo (Shin Hyun Joon) are brothers by adoption, meaning Cho In is adopted whereas Seon Woo is their fathers real son, and both are very known and accomplished surgeons. Since little they have had a great relationship and didn’t care about the fact that they aren’t blood related.
Kim Seo Yeon (Chae Jung Ahn) has had a heart problem ever since she was little, like Cho In, but started a relationship with Seon Woo. The relationship doesn’t last, and Seo Yeon finds love and comfort with Cho In.
Before their father became comatosed, he wanted to make a clinic where Cho In was to be the head in charge, believing that Cho In knows the heart of the hospital, whereas Seon Woo is a bit selfish. Cho In’s adoption mother, Seon Woo’s mother also a surgeon, hated the fact that her son is not to take over the hospital, so she tries to arrange the board to change their minds about the decision about the clinic, while Cho In is in China for study. In China he meets Oh Young Ji (Han Ji Min), a north Korean trying to make money by tour guiding people through China, and as she is taken by some gangsters and told she is to make sure the ‘swindler’ Lee Cho In doesn’t run away from her, not knowing those gangsters are ordered by Seon Woo's mother, to make sure Cho In doesn’t return to Korea, alive.

This drama is by far one of my favourite drama, K.O’ing The Vineyard Man, God of Study and IRIS. I more than loved this, seriously, just about the thought of watching another episode made me hyper and nervous (Yes, nervous! Gosh, rarely happens). Love everything about it; the brothers relationship, the love story(s), the hospital stuff, EVERYTHING!
I have to admit, Korean directors should just stick with action and war, that’s what they do best.
You’re probably sitting, thinking that the first part of the review doesn’t really sound interesting, well I have to admit that what I wrote is actually not what made the drama good. The drama starts with Cho In walking through the desert, shot and bleeding, actually dying, and the story starts with the back flash of his life. LOVE IT! I totally recommend this.

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
OH MY GOD! OOOHH SAESANGAE ! i totally recommend this drama. no, i dont recommend i command you to watch it. If you want action, drama, and romance, i dont think i have watched anything like this, This drama got me keep going like forever , each episode passed so quickly and left me speechless. The first time a checked this drama out i thought i would never watch it, i saw bunji's ratings but still it didnt seem like it would be that great, BUT IT WAS! this is definitely one of best dramas evaaaaaah, the story is great, the actors are amazing (and ehmm ehmm good-looking) . I was scared, nervous, happy and all while watching it. Its one of those that bring alll the feeling back like those dramas where you think "this is what ive been waiting for! this kind of drama" . i really dont know what to say, i just extremely recommend, just watch first ep, and you'll automatically move on to the next. I didnt expect it to be that good while watching first episode but then i completely changed my mind.

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts