One More Happy Ending Review

Title: One More Happy Ending
AKA: Happy Once Again, The Rewrite
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 16
Broadcast Period: Jan-2016 to Mar-2016
Cast: Jung Kyung Ho, Jang Na Ra, Yoo In Na, Kwon Yul, Yoo Da In, Seo In Young, Sandara Park,

A romantic comedy about a once-popular first generation girl-group, whose members are in their 30s and are living very different lives, and the men they encounter as they fall in love once again. In the 1990s, Han Mi Mo (Jang Na Ra), Baek Da Jung (Yoo Da In), Go Dong Mi (Yoo In Na), Hong Ae Ran (Seo InYoung) and Goo Seul Ah (Sandara Park) were once members of the successful idol group “Angels". However, the group struggled internally due to Seul Ah's intolerable attitude and meanness, which was further aggravated by her being the most popular member. Fed up with Seul Ah's selfishness, Mi Mo got into a highly publicized physical fight with her and the group disbanded in 2003.

Due to certain comments I expected One More Happy Ending to be a cliché, boring rom-com, since 2015 to 2016 is filled with those dramas. Plus, the fact that Jang Nara was the lead actress, really didn’t appeal to me. But here I am, writing a review to it. I got to say it took me by surprise. One More Happy Ending was a fun little ride.  There is the wonderful friendship between four girls at the center of the drama.  They are always there for each other as they work to overcome life’s challenges throughout adulthood.  It was nice to see. It wasn’t all a pink cloudy ride, as there was some seriousness to it, since it dealt with divorcees, single-parenthood and a lot more. It wasn’t the perfect drama, since it felt into a loop a couple of times, but it did manage to pull out of it and ended with a nice feeling to it. BUT, a review is not a review if I don’t mention the lead actor, the one and only reason for me to have watched it.  We finally get to the king of the show. You know what is amazing? How he managed, in a show that focuses on women, and had 4!! female leads, to rise above everyone and have the most important, interesting, touching, funny and adorable character of everyone. His acting could have been as forgettable as the other lead actor but he managed to own the show! True king!

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Mr. Back Review

Title: Mr. Back
AKA: Mr. Baek / Mister Baek / Mister Back
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Family
Episodes: 16
Broadcast date: 2014-Nov to 2014-Dec
Cast: Shin Ha Kyun, Jang Na Ra, Lee Joon, Park Ye Jin and Jung Suk Won.

Choi Go Bang (Shin Ha Kyun) is a 70-year-old CEO of the business firm Dae Han. He lives with his younger brother who is the vice president, sister-in-law who only cares for position, younger sister who only cares about money and Go Bang's only son Choi Dae Han (Lee Joon) who doesn't care about the firm at all and has a reputation of sleeping around and spending money. Go Bang himself is an old geezer that only knows how to yell and preach. Eun Ha Soo (Jang Na Ra) is a bright woman who becomes an intern at Dae Han Company. After a misunderstanding, Go Bang fires Ha Soo, and ends up fighting with Dae Han.
Go Bang receives a pill from his doctor which is supposed to help his health, and when he gets into a car accident he reaches for the pill, but ends up swallowing something very different: a piece of meteor. After surviving the accident, he goes home, and while taking a bath comes out 40 years younger.
Unable to explain his sudden youth and afraid he would become a test subject, he decides to fake his own suicide and pretend to be his own bastard son called Choi Shin Hyung, as he refuses to let his son or siblings have his company. At the same time, he starts to feel something he has never felt before: love.

So this drama I watched because of Lee Joon, and I would never finish it if it wasn’t because of him. It is not a bad drama; I just don’t like these types of themes especially when there is no rea explanation about it. The cast was okay, I rather disliked Jang Na Ra in this one, no idea why exactly, but her character and the entire love story was boring. Shin Ha Kyun I don’t remember seeing anywhere, but he was okay, a bit too comedic, but still okay. I liked Choi Dae Han’s story the most, not only because it is Lee Joon, but I liked the growth of the character, even though the entire ‘I think I am in love with you girl’- is pretty old and boring.
I am not gonna spoil any more but the drama is funny, and well thought, but just not my cup of tea. So all in all a good drama, with decent acting.

☆ ☆ ☆ ½/ 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

I Remember You Review

Title: I Remember You
AKA: Hello Monster
Genre: Romance, Thriller, Mystery
Episode: 16
Broadcast Period: Jun-2015 to Aug-2015
Cast: Seo In Guk, Jang Na Ra, Choi Won Yung, Lee Chun Hee, Park Bo Gum, Min Sung Wook, Son Seung Won,

A criminal profiler, Lee Hyun (Seo In Guk) who previously work as a consultant at the police department in New York and had given a lot of lectures in Seoul University has received a mysterious mail about his past. Drawn by this mail he returns to south Korea, and gets to work with a special criminal investigation team. Due to his special insight, he can analyze the crime scene and the suspect at one glance. He works together with an elite detective, Cha Ji An (Jang Na Ra) to solve one murder case after the other. Cha Ji An already knew about Lee Hyun since she has been stalking him every time he was in Seoul. Together they unknowingly unlock the mysteries of the past.

The plot make it sound like this drama is going to be a romance drama, I thought it would be like that. Sorry if it’s misleading, but the drama really do start like that, but the more you watch, the more you realize this drama is not focusing on the main couple but rather the main siblings! I really did enjoy the two brothers hate and affection for each other. I don’t know why, but I preferred that over the main couples relationship. The drama is filled with gominams (flower boys)! It was thrilling and pleasant for the eyes at the same time. I can’t believe I wasn’t going to watch this drama, but an interview with Seo In Guk made me want to watch it. Oh boy, this is definitely one of my favorite drama of the summer, maybe the best actually. The mystery caught me from the beginning with all the psycho profiling talk and it made me really interested in profiling. It’s not like CSI or anything, it got its own flavor in this drama, hmm.. maybe that’s why I fell for it from the beginning. The story is filled with thrilling murder cases (one more plus), but because it had a 15 age restriction you don’t get to see any hardcore murder scenes, but somehow they made it creepy anyway. That must have been a hard job for the production crew and writers, but they managed it with awesome results. All of the actors were brilliant, I can’t pinpoint just one, that would not be fair to the rest, they were all amazing with their respective characters. I really don’t know what more to say to make you watch it :b

☆☆☆☆☆ / 5 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Bunji's Verdict

After spending a lot of time trying to start, which by the way has a both confusing and quite dull introduction, I managed to start this drama and to my surprise I finished it in matter of 2 days. As profiling/psychological/crime dramas go, this one was quite close to what I expect from a complicated yet interesting plot. As a Korean drama I have to admit it was a bit darker than usual, but still managed to add the ‘typical flavor’ of both overdramatizing and over sentimentalizing both the sob story and the ‘bromance’, as all of us Asian drama lovers adore. To be fair I get all characters – which I very important for me when I am watching a drama – but I felt as if they were too much of stereotypes. It’s not as if it ruins everything, it is just too typical. And I have to say that the romance was weird – not bad – just felt out of place. A lot of you will probably disagree, as it is a typical Korean drama move (the entire know each other from childhood blah blah… and the second lead trying to ruin all), but I was just annoyed most of the time.

On the other hand, this has to be hands down the most decent portrayal of a female cop. So far most female cops in drama are damsel in destress and THANK GOD Korea has understood the meaning of COPS... Like don’t they do training or anything like that... seriously… But this drama showed what I was waiting for, and even if the female would be kidnapped or whatever, she’d kick ass… Though most of the time she’d still be saved by a male, I think that Jang Na Ra was the one fighting the most in this drama... Which is cool. Seo In Guk was cool as always, and those tight fitted suits really suit him!

Okay so all in all, a quite interesting drama, but a bit too typical for my taste – though I liked the darker elements.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Successful Story of a Bright Girl Review

Title: Successful Story of a Bright Girl

AKA: Cheerful Girl’s Success Story / A Bright Girl’s Success Story

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Episodes: 16

Broadcast date: 2002-Mar to 2002-May

Cast: Jang Na Ra, Jang Hyuk, Han Eun Jung and Ryu Soo Young.

Cha Yang Soon (Jang Na Ra) is a happy and rather naïve high school student living on the countryside. Because of her parents’ swindling tendencies, everyone who has been swindled goes looking for Yang Soon demanding their money back. So she decides to accept a job in Seoul as a housekeeper in order to pay back.

Han Gi Tae (Jang Hyuk) is a newly appointed CEO of his late fathers’ cosmetic company. Arrogant and cocky has made his cousin Oh Joon Tae (Ryu Soo Young) jealous of the success and believes he is entitled to the company. But he is keeping it to himself, dreaming of overthrowing Gi Tae.

One day while parachuting, Gi Tae falls into the bathtub of Yang Soon, and the two bicker, which eventually leads to remarks and hostility. What both don’t know is that they meet again as the housekeeping job Yang Soon landed is no other than Gi Tae’s house.

When Gi Tae suddenly and cruelly is betrayed by the people he trust the most, he is surprised to find help from no other than his house maid Yang Soon…

This is one of the most recommended love stories and Korean dramas on the drama addict web, and I really don’t know why. I’m usually open to all kinds of dramas, and I tend not to let my emotions get in the way, but this was one loooong drama. I never knew 16 episodes could feel like this. Maybe I was expecting too much because I like both actors (Jang Hyuk and Jang Na Ra), but it really didn’t work at all. It made me remember why I don’t like old Korean dramas. There are way too many clichés, way too much unnecessarily jealous fighting and just too much pretending not to like each other. Also too little actual genuine ‘love’, like I didn’t feel it at all. The only thing I did like was what happened at the beginning, but that was also the grandma who was center, and you gotta admit, if a grandma steals the limelight you really need to step up the game.

LOL, all in all, probably a classic and if I had watched it 12 years ago I would have loved it, but now that I have watched so many dramas, this just was not unique enough…

☆☆☆ / 3 out 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Baby-faced Beauty Review

Title: Baby-faced Beauty
AKA: Youthful Beauty / Pretty Young Woman
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 20
Broadcast period: 2011-May to 2011-Jul
Cast: Jang Na Ra, Choi Daniel, Ryu Jin, Kim Min Seo and Oh Yeon Soo.

Lee So Young (Jang Na Ra) a 34 year old baby face is usually judge as younger than she actually is. When she is fired from a fabric factory after the company starts to cut down people. In order to keep the firing a secret from her mother, she tries to get a job at a tailor. Her younger sister So Jin (Oh Yeon Soo) busts her, and demands money for it, but when So Young turns her down, she steals a designer jacket and runs away from there. When So Young finds out about it, she finds So Jin in a night club, but the jacket is in the hands of a man names Choi Jin Wook (Choi Daniel). Jin Wook works as a MD in a fashion company, and looks much older than he actually is. So Jin had given Jin Wook the jacket so she could run away, but this is seen by So Young, so she tries to get the jacket back. Things escalate and the two destroy the clubs property, and are told to pay $20.000. So Young betrays Jin Wook by running away, leaving him with the debt and anger. Not knowing who she is, he puts her face on wanted posts, with a reward for information.
Due to So Young’s sister’s tardiness, So Young has to save So Jin from getting fired from her part time job, by acting as a 25 year old, instead of her. That very company happens to be the very same company where Jin Wook works..

I didn’t think I’d like it, but the lead couple has become a favorite. They really complement each other, even though he is at least 30cm taller than her, and his head is x3 bigger. The plot in the beginning was silly, but as it continued, it became interesting, and worth the wait. And I believe that this is the first time the lead actress falls for a co-worker and not the CEO… Like that made me so happy. 
The script is good too, and the screenplay adorable, though a bit cliché- might only be in my eyes, but I did expect most things to happen. 
I think it’s one of those that you either love or loath. I happen to love it (And I unwillingly have started to like Choi Daniel - doh!)
All in all great watch!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

School 2013 Review

Title: School 2013

AKA: School 5

Genre: School, Friendship

Episodes: 16+SP

Broadcast period: 2012-Dec to 2013-Jan

Cast: Daniel Choi, Jang Na Ra, Lee Jong Suk, Park Se Young, Hyo Young and Kim Woo Bin.

This drama is the fifth season of the popular “School” serial, which was the stepping stone for many famous actors and actresses.

Jung In Jae (Jang Na Ra) is literature teacher at Seungri High School, and with only 5 years of experience, she has never had a class on her own. When she is told she is to be the homeroom teacher of 2-2, she is somehow excited but also frightened. No other teacher wants the class, mainly because the class is unmotivated and rude, but also because of the infamous Oh Jung Ho (Kwak Jung Wook), a bully with no respect for anyone.

Go Nam Soon (Lee Jong Suk) is a student in that very class tries to stay out of everything from studying to other class related stuff. He is not interested in studying or getting involved with other classmates, and he usually sleeps in class.  One day, doing his part time job as a delivery boy, Nam Soon delivers to a lesson school  (sort of like a cram school, but paid by the students’ parents), he encounters Kang Se Chan (Choi Daniel) a cocky but famous lecturer, and also his fellow classmate Song Ha Kyung (Park Se Young) dressed in a different school uniform. On his way out, he is stopped by Ha Kyung wanting to pay him to keep his mouth shut - so that her cram mates won’t know - but Nam Soon has no interests.

The next day a classmate gets bullied by Jung Ho, and Nam Soon stops him by throwing a book at him. Nam Soon, who is usually targeted by Jung Ho, gets nominated as class president, and ends up being chosen which results in him getting involved in his classmate’s problems, with or without his consent.

At the same time Kang Se Chan gets enrolled in Seungri High School, as a literature teacher. And due to his famous reputation, parents want Se Chan instead of In Jae as homeroom teacher for 2-2. Se Chan’s teaching ways are different than In Jae, mainly because he is focusing on grades and tells students to leave the classroom if they don’t want to go to college, whereas In Jae just wants the students in class. This results in Nam Soon and Se Chan having a feud.

The two teachers end up both being homeroom teachers for 2-2, and Nam Soon starts to get used to school life, until one day a familiar face from his past, Park Heung Soo (Kim Woo Bin) joins the class. The class fears him, and the ‘top’ Jung Ho, tries to overpower him, but not with much success. For some reason Heung Soo resents Nam Soon to the core, and tries nothing to hide it - and Nam Soon for some reason would do anything to obey him…

Most defiantly my favorite drama of the year, or half year (2012-2013?!). I have to say my review/summary does not in any way make the drama justice - so bad. Like this drama made me do a varity of sounds from happy, to sad, to sobbing, to laughing and most yelling out loud. I mean, it’s been a while where I didn’t just focus on the heaviness of the love stories, like or the family problems, I could seriously sit back and enjoy the drama completely. Every single moment and also, for the first time in maybe ever, I found that 16 episodes was just rude. I mean, I wanted more, waaaaaay more, and I really wasn’t satisfied with the ending. Okay, good ending, but I didn’t want it to end! I loved all characters, some I wanted to punch, but still good acted. The only reason I didn’t give it a 5 stars is mainly because the drama should have been at least 2 episodes longer, I really didn’t feel it as finished and maybe just a little love story, nothing hardcore, but just a tiny bit more. But the drama is worth 5 stars, and really recommendable. Kim Woo Bin and Lee Jong Suk make a great performance, and so do the rest also - for newbie actors they are amazing.

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars (5 stars actually!)

♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
This drama really has all a high school drama needs. It has the good bad boys, the cool bad boys, the uncool bad boys, the bad boy followers, the best friends, the making up, the bromance, a tiny bit of romance which is perfectly fine in my opinion, and it has the korean crazy we-have-to-study-all-the-time, the crazy study-system, the crazy parents, the dedicated teachers, the "scary" teachers/ the tough punishing teachers, ect ect ect.. wait why did I mention all that? Anyway, just the bromance and friendship story is enough for you to watch this drama. It is one of my favorite things (kekekeke) and the actors WOW! did an amazing job playing their roles. It did remind a bit of the japanese high school dramas because we saw a lot from the teachers and they would "preach" to the students but it wasn't that much again. Though we did see alot from the teachers, and their personal lives. Or at least the struggles the teachers have to go through, that is if they are dedicated to their job. I definitely agree with Bunji that the ending could have been better, or they could have added more since it ended a bit too loose, or the story was a bit too thin. But then again it was decent. I recommend this drama to anyone who likes, well all the things I mentionen in the beginning. Especially bromance... hah!

 ☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars 

♥♥♥♥½ / 5 out of 5 hearts