The Man Living in our House Review

Title: The Man Living in our House 

AKA: Sweet Stranger and Me

Genre: Family, Comedy, Romance

Episodes: 16

Broadcast Period: Oct-2016 to Dec-2016

Cast: Soo Ae, Kim Young Kwang, Lee Soo Hyuk, Jo Bo Ah, Kim Ji Hoon, Kim Mi Sook, KimHa Kyun, Ji Yoon Ho,

Hong Na Ri (Soo Ae) is a middle-aged flight attendant who suddenly comes home to find her deceased mother's husband, Go Nan Gil (Kim Young Kwang), has decided to live in her house. The problem is her mothers husband is three years younger than Hong Na Ri. Go Nan Gil runs a dumpling shop inherited from his late wife, where the shop and Na Ris house are located on a hotly disputed land.

During this drama I had so much to say about it. I should have kept notes, because now that I have to write the review nothing comes to mind.
One thing for sure is that they really wanted it to be a suspense drama, but failed miserably. The first 10 episdodes they kept hinting at a dark secret that would throw our lead actress into some real distress. However the last 6 episodes instead of a big revelation of the past (which they make you really curious about), they just dodge the whole thing and trying to put an end to the story. For one thing it made me disappointed and another: what a huuuuge waste of time. While watching the drama it’s enjoyable, and you like seeing the lead actress tumbling through life and trying to figure out how to get out of her midlife crisis. The lead actor also did a splendid job as the step-father despite his young age. However, it’s only when you finish it, you feel incomplete and with so many unanswered questions. 

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

Joseon X Files Review

Title: Joseon X Files

AKA: Secret Book / Secret Investigation

Genre: Mystery

Episodes: 12

Broadcast period: 2010-Aug to 2010-Oct

Cast: Kim Ji Hoon, Lim Jung Eun, Jo Hee Bong and Kim Kap Soo.

Kim Hyung Do (Kim Ji Hoon) is a Joseonean inspector, who finds out that his mentor has been accused of treason. While trying to uncover the truth he is told to let the incident go, as it is the order from the higher ups. Unwilling to let his mentor die he decides to do it in secret, and is stunned by the things he discovers: a witness saying that a flying object with flickering lights passed through the sky, and an entire town vanishing. Due to the belief that only the king is allowed in the heavens, the newly build society doesn’t allow that kind of statement.

Still unable to believe it, he is surprised as he one day bumps into Ji Seung (Kim Kap Soo) and Heo Yoon Yi (Lim Jung Eun), who both are urging to stop investigating, but due to his persistent personality Hyung Do uncovers the mystery and is dragged into the society of ‘the secret records’…

Okay so I watched 12 episodes of something I have no idea what was about. I remember watching the X files (American series) and yeah it was weird, but what on earth are they thinking about making an alien show in the Joseon time? Like the only thing these people do is meet aliens/paranormal and write it down? What’s so interesting about that… you want to know? Absolutely nothing. I really felt like each episodes ended like suddenly and never really got connected to the next episodes – and if it did, the entire episode would be even weirder. The only good part – and which kept me watching – was the several guest appearances: they were really interesting, though I didn’t get anything.

I don’t recommend it, but I won’t tell you not to watch it – as it may just be me who is unable to understand it.

☆ / 1 out of 5 stars

♥½ / 1½ out of 5 hearts

Flower Boy Next Door Review

Title: Flower Boy Next Door

AKA: My Neighbor Flower Boy / The Pretty Boy next Door / My Flower Boy Neighbor

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Episodes: 16

Broadcast period: 2013-Jan to 2013-Feb

Cast: Park Shin Hye, Yoon Shi Yoon, Kim Ji Hoon, Park Soo Jin, Go Kyung Pyo, Mizuta Kouki and Kim Jung San.

After some traumatic event in her younger days Go Dok Mi (Park Shin Hye) locked herself in her apartment, and only goes out once every other season, becoming a hermit. She has made her apartment her sacred place, where she lives alone, does work as an editor, and prefers not to go outside. Across the building of hers, she occasionally peeps into her neighbor Han Tae Joon’s (Kim Jung San) house whom she has had a crush on for some time. Next door, lives a webtoon artist Oh Jin Rak (Kim Ji Hoon) and his assistant Yoo Dong Hoon (Go Kyung Pyo), who never bothered her, and Jin Rak even helps her with situations she doesn’t want to deal with, and secretly loves her by the sideline.

Everything suddenly changes when a famous young game creator Enrique Geum (Yoon Shi Yoon) comes to Korea to help his childhood friend, who happens to be his first love and his brother Tae Joon get together.

Enrique catches her peeping from her apartment, and runs to confront her, basically forcing her to interact with people, which she fears. Things get more chaotic when Cha Do Hwi (Park Soo Jin), who is part of Dok Mi’s past, arrives to live in the same apartment blocks…

The drama has heart, and depth, but why doesn’t it work for me? Hmm, I honestly didn’t fall for the love triangle, nor did I fall for the lead couple. I thought that everyone did a good job, but I really didn’t feel it. Maybe I am tired of these dramas with storylines that are too typical. And omg, this one I didn’t even understand why the supporting actors where in it. They didn’t even seem worth the screen time. Anyways, yes they are flower boys, yes it is funny, and yes 80% of people watching this will love it. But I just thought it was okay.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Stars Falling From The Sky Review

Title: Stars Falling From The Sky
AKA: Pick the Stars / Wish Upon a Star
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Family
Episodes: 20
Broadcast period: 2010-Jan to 2010-Mar
Cast: Choi Jung Wonm, Kim Ji Hoon, Shin Dong Wook and Chae Young In.

The loudmouth and annoying Jin Pal Kang (Choi Jung Wonm), gets a slap of reality as her parents die, in a hit and run accident, and is left with five siblings to take care of. Living life without any ambition, and using money without worries, her life hits rock-bottom as the house she was living in, with her siblings, is sold and they are left out on the streets. Not knowing what to do, she turns to her friends, who are not able to help her, due to family issues. They can’t stay at a motel because of them being too many, so they sleep at a sauna house, and due to lack of money she goes to beg her Team Leader, Won Joon Ha (Kim Ji Hoon), in her firm, whom she had had an appointment with earlier to become the maid of his house. Won Joon Ha is the younger brother of her five year long crush Won Kang Ha (Shin Dong Wook) who is known for being a heartless lawyer. At first her goal was to be the maid, in order to make Won Kang Ha fall in love with her, but since she and her siblings have nowhere to go, she asks for the maid position. After she moves in, she tries to hide her siblings, but hiding four children and one baby isn’t easy, and not knowing how to cook, doesn’t quite help her maid job.

I liked it. I liked the families, the humour and not to mention the children! Gosh, adorable!
Though the female lead annoyed the hell out of me, even AFTER she became ‘responsible’, her personality and her ‘I-don’t-need-anyone-but-need-to- have-help’. I know you are suppose to be stunned of her buckling up, but it just seemed fake, and she is a bad actress. And the one I felt bad for was actually the male lead, who had a shit life, and doesn’t see himself as worthy living. The love story wasn’t IT for me, I mean with SO much happening, it’s actually almost impossible to make a heart-warming love story, though the director tried to do it in the end with the love confessions, again male actor. If you are going to watch it, watch it for the children, I mean that Pa Rang was ADORABLE, as well as the other children. The story is pretty cool, hey, it was a 5 stars when I started out, of course it’s hard to keep it up :)

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Jenji's verdict
A really fun family drama with romance (which korean doesnt have romance? lol) . Cute guys all fall for the same girl, or well we always have the guy that doesnt really know or show it lol. A great plot with humor but still serious. Unlike Bunji, lol, i thought it was really nice, for me the lead actress was annoying at the start lol, but i kinda got used to it, but i absolutely hated the lead actor, whom i absolutely liked later on hahaha, but i hated the second guy reeeallly a lot! i couldnt stand that guy ! alright yeah some of the acting could be better but really i enjoyed it. And of course the story about the tough guy that doesnt care about feelings and all slowly softens and realizes he loves the girl and all , typical romance, dont we just love it :P it has its cute moments <3

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Great Inheritance Review

Title: Great Inheritance
AKA: Kindergarten Love
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Bussiness
Episodes: 17
Broadcast date: 2006-May to 2006-Jun
Cast: Kim Jae Won, Han Ji Min, Kim Ji Hoon and Lee Mi Sook

Due to his sad childhood, Kang Hyun Se (Kim Jae Won) was taken in by a mafia boss, who helped him by accepting him as a son. Different from other gangsters, Hyun Se doesn't like to use violence, but wont hold back if he's asked to use it. His life changes as his birth mother, whom he had tried to cut ties with, dies and leaves a will, where it says that Hyun Se is to inherit the kindergarten she owns. At first he tries to sell the kindergarten, and bumps heads with Yoo Mi Rae (Han Ji Min), a kindergarten teacher whom he had encounterd before, but as the kindergarten director Go Ah Ra (Lee Mi Sook) talks to the inheritage lawyer, they find out that Hyun Se has to work as a teacher for 100 days before getting the kindergarten. Hyun Se refuses, but as he finds out that his boss needs the land, he ends up agreeing to become a teacher for 100 days.
As Hyun Se and Mi Rae start to devolp feelings for one another, the ex-boyfriend of Mi Rae, Choi Shi Wan (Kim Ji Hoon ) returns to take her back, and to complicate matters more, he is competing company to Hyun Se's boss, meaning he also wants the kindergarten..

When I started this drama, I thought it would be a faveorite, which is rare for korean dramas. It's fun and the kindergarten children are waay cute! The lovestory was good, just didnt feel it, might be since I'm used to draining korean lovestories, which this drama isn't. The negative in this drama is the bussniss part, which consumes a big part of the series, and to be frank, it's insanely boring. But the children are soooo worth the watch. Kim Jae Won I only know from 100 days with Mr Arrogant, but he does this character pretty well and he looks pretty good :P. To sum up, good watch :)

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts