Faith Review

Title: Faith (shinui)

AKA: The Great Doctor

Genre: Historical, romance, time travel, fantasy

Episodes: 24

Broadcast period: 2012-Aug-13 to 2012-Oct-30

Cast: Lee Min Ho, Kim Hee Sun, Yoo Oh Sung, Lee Phillip, Kim Soo Yun, Sung Hoon, Shin Eun Jung, Jo In Pyo, Choi Suk Jin, Hwang Woo Yun, Ryu Duk Hwan, Park Se Young, Lee Byung Joon, Kim Mi Kyung, Kwon Min, Park Yoon Jae aso..

The Queen’s life is in danger, she was hurt while people were after the King. The Woo Dal Chi general Choi Young (Lee Min Ho) has been ordered to go through the Heaven’s Door and get the famous doctor Hwata, who once before came to their world to heal. And so does Choi Young, he goes through the door and arrives, but not to heaven, but rather the future. Here he somehow finds his way around and spots a woman, a doctor. Yoo Eun Soo (Kim Hee Sun) is a doctor, but a doctor who retired from being a general surgeon and instead took on plastic surgery. Eun Soo is literally dragged by Choi Young, back in time, where she has to use her medical skills to save the Queen. But what happens when it is ordered for Eun Soo to stay, and will Choi Young be able to keep his “Woo Dal Chi” promise of returning her?

I am quite unsatisfied by my own review. I often am but this I seriously should do better. I have a really tough time conveying to you the story, the plot, without telling you everything. It’s actually much much better than I thought it would be. I was struggling so much with the two first episodes actually. It just seemed sooo.. ridiculous. I was asking “seriously…?” all the way through. The reason? Well, they have “superpowers” of some sort, and it was already enough with the time travel, I was thinking it should stop there. But I really wanted to give it a chance, since it’s lee min ho, of course. Plus somehow Lee Min Ho’s acting seemed a bit stiff at first, maybe because of the character. So as I was complaining to Bunji how ridiculous it was and I thought it would seriously be good (because of tumblr) she told me these magical words “Ano san, trust Lee Min Ho, he wouldn’t choose a crappy drama right? And think about Secret Garden, did the portion/body switch make it a bad drama?” , or something like that. So I thought “That’s right!” and I’m really glad I gave it a shot because I am actually really satisfied by this drama. It actually worked out really well. And I really liked the romance too. And it also managed to keep me curious and hoping aaaalll the time, till the last scene in the last episode I was hoping so much and right when you think it’s over, what a crappy ending, it gets that last twist and boom. Nice ending. And the nice thing too is that it somehow in my opinion wasn’t even too much. It was “ttak” perfect. Kim Hee Sun was really cute too. Btw, this drama is also about the making of a king, and all the mess in the palace. Which I actually reeeally hate but it’s in most historical dramas, but I liked it here. 

☆☆☆☆ / 4 stars out of 5

♥♥♥♥  / 4 hearts out of 5

Bunji's Verdict

I’ve already wended my frustration of this drama to Jenji, but here we go. This drama is period drama with a capital P. Like I used all my energy to really understand this drama, and you somehow do, but damn it’s so political, and if you are like me, disliking period dramas, this one is going to fry your brain. I like history and I love that this drama is somewhat true to the real historical part, but this is just I don’t know, period to the bone. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, but just, well not my cup of tea completely. I have to admit, this is Lee Min Ho’s best acting - very close to Personal Taste - but yet I guess cold attitude and the old formal Korean suits him more. I didn’t like Kim Tae Hee, not because of her character or even because of her being opposite Min Ho, it was more her acting - totally reminds you of the mid 20s kind of drama - not the best kind. The couple didn’t really have any chemistry honestly, I preferred to second couple, the one that didn’t even have a kiss scene, the King and the Queen, looked forward to every minute of their romance. And I loved the King; just the way the character was portrayed was amazing. The drama is interesting and action packed, so it isn’t lacking. All in all, it’s and okay drama, actually recommendable.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Rooftop Prince Review

Title: Rooftop Prince

AKA:  Attic Prince / Oktabbang Wangseja

Genre:  Fantasy, Comedy, Romance

Episodes: 20

Broadcast period:  2012-Mar-21 to 2012-May-24

Cast:  Micky Yoochun, Choi Won Hong, Han Ji Min, Jun Min Seo, Lee Tae Sung, Jung Yoo mi, Kim So Hyun, Lee Min Ho, Choi Woo Shik, Jung Suk Won, Ban Hyo Jung, Ahn Suk Hwan, Park Joon Geum, Lee Moon Shik, Song Ok Sook, Na Toung Hee ..

Park Ha/Bu Young (the young Han Ji Min) is to be married with the young crown prince (young Yoochun), but she gets scarred for life by her sister by accident, so her sister young Se Na (young Jung Yoo Mi) is to be married with the crown prince instead. Several years later, Se Na is found mysteriously dead. The people believe it wasn’t a murder, but the crown prince knows it can’t be otherwise and that he must investigate the matter. The same night as the crown prince and his 3 retainers are fleeing from some strange men, they are suddenly transported into the future, and land on the rooftop apartment of Park Ha/Bu Young. Park Ha is the reincarnation of Bu Young, and she somehow ends up unwillingly taking care of the four, teaching them how to get by in the new life. Meanwhile the crown prince also sees Se Na, the reincarnation of his wife, and desperately tries to meet her and find out what really happened. He gets a great opportunity as he finds out his reincarnation had disappeared and his family (rich business family) is looking for him, his reincarnation was killed, and so he also tries to figure out that mystery.

This drama was quite not what I had expected. I was a bit disappointed, maybe because I had too many spoilers on tumblr and I expected quite a lot. But it’s not that it was bad, it really did have its funny moments and the story overall is quite good and I get it, but really not my thing. It’s kinda like I didn’t really know what the whole point really was? For him to realize that whole thing with Bu Young, or to find out who his wife really was? Or what? It had its funny moments and I get that it’s a comedy and fiction but it still had some things that didn’t make any sense, and I know it might not be comparable to Queen In hyun’s man but that one was better. Though the only thing similar is the timeslip thing, so not sure if I can compare. But it wasn’t bad at all and I don’t regret watching it or anything. It’s just not as good as I wanted it to be.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ stars out of 5

♥♥♥½ / 3½ hearts out of 5

Bunji's Verdict
Summing up in one word: likable. Lol, okay I can’t really sum it up in one word, but the drama has heart (of course depending on the character). The beginning actually captures your attention, but somehow it becomes heavy, though not worse than many others (City Hunter, Man of Honor etc.), you know the entire “rightful/righteous” part. The difference is that in this the lead couple actually fights together, not “trying-to-protect-while-pushing-each-other-away”. Yoo Chun is cute no doubt, and does a pretty good job with the acting as a king, was actually stunned by the acting - it’s been a while I guess. I didn’t really enjoy Han Ji Min’s acting, or being, call it what you want, there is just something that bothers me about her (same with Park Min Young and Park Shin Hye), even though her character was adorable and her acting okay, I found her annoying - but managed to look past her, and enjoy the drama.
Two things bothered me though: One, the fact that they came to the future, but weren’t interested in finding out what happened in the past, and two, the sudden long lost appearance of the mother in the picture… but else, it’s very reasonable..

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5  stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts