Doctors Crush Review

Title: Doctors Crush

AKA: Doctors

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Medical

Episodes: 20

Broadcast Period: Jun-2016 to Aug-2016

Cast: Kim Rae Won, Park Shin Hye, Yoon Kyun Sang, Lee Sung Kyung, Kim Young Ae, Jung Hae Kyun, Han Bo Bae

Yoo Hye Jung (Park Shin Hye) has had a tough childhood and difficult life. She has dealt with the life challenges by becoming emotionally guarded and acting like a tough bully at school. When Hong Ji Hong (Kim Rae Won) meets Hye Jung, he recognizes her intelligence behind her gangster facade. However revenge sets her on a path to become a doctor in a neurosurgery residency at a major hospital. Hye Jung works alongside fellow residents Jung Yoon Do (Yoon Kyun Sang) and Jin Seo Woo (Lee Sung Kyung). But when Seo Woo becomes Hye Jung’s biggest rival both professionally and personally, can Hye Jung overcome yet another major obstacle to her own personal happiness? 

I’m still not quite sure whether to like and recommend this drama, or to dislike it. I don’t wanna sugarcoat it, so i’m just going to put it out there. I loved it at some points, but hated it towards the end. I fell for it’s charm in the beginning, the cute innocent love story, the attractive characters and especially Park Shin Hye. I’m amazed by her development from the childish actress she was in Beautiful You, till the confident her in both Pinocchio and this one. It showed us a different side of Park Shin Hye. The cast was strong and the story was very promising. So what went wrong? Well, first of all they could have made Ji Soos part bigger, I mean a hot delivery guy… Why not :b On a serious note though, the storyline got dragged, every episode had it’s own mini-stories, but the overall background story went so slow, and at times you even forgot it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there was too much romantic stuff between the lead couple, you kind of get wearied of it. In the end I started supporting the second lead, because I felt that would be more convincing! The first few episodes were probably the best part of the drama. I kept watching till the end though, because of the character developement in the beginning. The director did a good job with hooking us on the drama till the end, but he leaves you dissapointed! Overall this drama lacks a strong plot. This is not the drama for you if you're hoping for a complex plot.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts

Bunjis verdict

As a start I have to say this: my rating might be a bit ‘nicer’ than Kamjis, but that is not because I disagree with her. It is because I can bring myself to rate harshly – it is quite hard expecially since I enjoyed a bit of it.

Okay that said, I have to almost totally agree with Kamji. Though I already at the beginning knew this would be one of those dramas: weak. This drama has the thinnest plot every, and the weakest story EVER. I mean 20 episodes of doctors crushing at each other, and a bit of bickering here and there does not make a drama. This drama actually had potential; with some of the most amazing characters written – and with some of the wittiest dialogues ever made (in Korean drama world that is). But that is where it ends. As a medical drama there was a bit too little – or at least not enough – of medicine. Patient story were too short and few if you ask me… even if they were good, there weren’t enough. Then again that is MY opinion.

I enjoyed this drama mostly because of Kim Rae Won and some of the supporting characters – other than that I was bored. Like this drama is generally boring with a few laughs (because of the clever lines) here and there.

So all in all, a drama that will very soon be forgotten, even if it was hyped and had a lot of viewers.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Punch (2014) Review

Title: Punch

Genre: Melodrama, Legal, Thriller, Romance

Episodes: 19

Broadcast period: 2014-Dec to 2015-Feb

Cast: Kim Rae Won, Kim Ah Joong and Jo Jae Hyun.

Park Jung Hwan (Kim Rae Won) is a prosecutor very close to the ‘grey’ area of law, which means as long as it’s under the table he is willing to do it. Though not completely corrupt to the core, his boss prosecutor Lee Tae Joon (Jo Jae Hyun) is, and by aiding his boss, Jung Hwan wants to climb to the top. On the other hand his ex-wife prosecutor Shin Ha Kyung (Kim Ah Joong) is as white as they come, as she believes that law is a way of living, and by not abiding that law her ex-husband Jung Hwan should be cuffed.

After finally managing to put his boss on the spot as the Prosecutor General, Jung Hwan is diagnosed with brain cancer, and is told that he only has 6 months to live. Refusing to admit reality he tries to find a doctor and manages, but this particular doctor is a criminal who is soon to be trialed. Promising to save the doctor, Jung Hwan goes under the knife, ony to have the surgery fail, and reducing his 6 months to 3 months.

Tae Joon, thinking that Jung Hwan has died, cuts Jung Hwan off and in order to save his own brother makes Ha Kyung out to be a criminal. After waking up Jung Hwan is told his situation and about Ha Kyung, which makes his face Tae Joon, who refuses to release Ha Kyung.

That is when Jung Hwan promises to make sure that not only is he going to get her out, but he will make Tae Joon pay for framing her…

Okay! First of all sorry for the kind of misleading/boring summary, but this drama is really good! Besides being mature, this drama had me cling to my seat most of the time. Some people might find it boring, and it can be as the complication of the entire law part, is really boring, but the fact that they are able to make me follow and understand every part of the law and also the conspiracy. I like Kim Rae Won’s portrayal of this ‘good-guy-gone-bad’ and how he changes after his life gets shaken up. I have to admit I was quite terrified how little they valued a human life, and how easy it was for them to not only not care of their dying co-worker, but also how little they cared for his family. I know it sounds weird, but they seriously were all waiting for Jung Hwan to die, and kept implying that. Anyways, really good acting and amazing cast. The story is almost perfect, though it can become too confusing at times - boring at others…

☆☆☆☆½ / 4½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts

Attic Cat Review

Title: Attic Cat
AKA: Cat in a Rooftop Room / Cats on the Roof / Rooftop Room Cat / Rooftop Romance
Genre: Comedy, romance
Episodes: 16
Broadcast period: 2003-Jun to 2003-Jul
Cast: Kim Rae Won, Choi Jung Yoon and Jung Da Bin

Lee Kyung Min (Kim Rae Won) is a law student, who has a crush on Hye Ryun (Choi Jung Yoon), a rich girl who happens to be the friend of Nam Jun Eun (Jung Da Bin), a girl he had embarrassed and fought with. He himself is somewhat a brat living alone, but raised by his spoiling grandparents, so money had never been a problem for him. In order to get on Hye Ryun’s good side, he decides to befriend Jun Eun, even lends her money so she can buy an apartment which was something she had wished for, so she can get away from her family, who want to move away from Seoul. But due to complications the two end up living in the same apartment, which is the start of an interesting relationship…

I usually sum up everything I watch in one word, but this one I had a bit hard time doing so. I mean I started with ‘typical’, but it really wasn’t a typical Korean drama. Then I thought it was ‘cliché’, but realized that it wasn’t. Lastly and the one I’m still thinking is ‘classic’: a classic Korean drama with a lot of typical clichés, but manages to be a bit different at the same time. I have to admit, I didn’t fancy it, since it reminded me a bit too much of Full House, which I btw didn’t like - and no surprise: same writer. There were scenes that caught me off guard with amazing acting abilities - like you could seriously see it on the face of the actor that he was heartbroken, that is damn rare! On the other hand I wouldn’t recommend it unless you like the typical “admit-you-love-one-another/jealousy-with-or-without-reason/refusing-to-be-together-due-to-ridiculus-fights-or-misunderstandings”…

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of 5 hearts

Lovestory in Harvard Review

Title: Love Story in Harvard
Genre: Drama, Romance
Episodes: 16
Broadcast period: 2004-Nov to 2005-Jan
Cast:  Kim Rae Won and Kim Tae Hee

The story revolves around Korean students studying in Harvard. Kim Hyun Woo (Kim Rae Won) came to Harvard to study law with high hopes, but found himself having a hard time keeping up with his classes. He finds out that not only he, but most of his fellow dorm mates have it the same way, actually to the point of stress.

One night, by accident, he stumbles upon a girl Lee Soo In (Kim Tae Hee) who he starts to get interested outside his hotel hanging around with an old man. When he meets his idol also a teacher the school, he sees them together, and gets the impression of her being a prostitute.  When Hyun Woo needs help for a medical case, he asks for a tutor, and surprisingly Soo In arrives. After the misunderstanding clears up the two get closer, and somehow love starts to blossom, but with a rival just around the corner things get surprising turns…

This drama was recommended to me by fellow drama viewers, telling me it’s probably one of the best dramas ever. I think that the reason I’m not all into this is that I have watched so many of the new ones that remind me of “Lovestory in Harvard” that I didn’t really feel like watching it. It’s not bad, it’s just too typical, a lot of clichés and way to predictable. I guess if I had watched it before when it came out I might have liked it, but with all the other dramas in my pocket, this is just ‘another Korean drama’.

The acting is great, got to expect that from Kim Tae Hee, but the rest were good too. The chemistry of the lead is pretty good, kind of sweet.

☆☆☆/ 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥/ 3 out of 5 hearts

My Little Bride Movie Review

Title: My Little Bride
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Origin: Korea
Release date: 2004-Apr-01
Cast: Moon Geun Young and Kim Rae won.

Having their families knowing each other for generations, the teaser and somewhat pervert Park Sang min (Kim Rae won) and the sassy but innocent Seo Bo eun (Moon Geun Young) basically grew up together. When Sang min returns to Korea, after being told that Be oun’s grandfather (he calls him grandfather too) is sick, the two of them are told to get married. Because Bo eun is much younger than Sang min (she’s 15), and still a high school student, everyone is against it, especially Bo eun, since she has fallen for her schools baseball ace, and finally is able to date him. After long protests the two of them are eventually forced into marriage, but Bo eun has a plan: date her crush without anyone finding out about her housebound, which becomes problematic after Sang min starts as the new teacher.

I’m sitting here and having one question in mind: how did this manage to be the second most popular Korean movie of 2004? Yeah, it’s fun, but it wasn’t all that… I felt it was lacking, and not to mention slow. On the other hand, very 90’s.. but this is released in 2004`? Doesn’t make sense.. The lead couple is brilliant though, not to mention Kim Rae Won, he actually outshined Moon Geun Young… Do you believe it?
Okay, it’s not like the movie sucks, it is good, and picks up the pace occasionally, and you don’t hate it in the end, or I didn’t anyway :P

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts