Goblin Review

Title: Goblin
AKA: Guardian
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Episodes: 16 + 3 SP
Broadcast Period: Dec-2016 to Jan-2017
Cast: Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na, Yook Sung Jae, Lee El, Jo Woo Jin, Park Hee Won, Kim Min Jae, Kim So Hyun

In ancient times, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is an unbeatable general in wars, but the young King (Kim Min Jae) is jealous of Kim Shin and kills him. Kim Shin becomes a Goblin, possessing an immortal life. At first he thinks that he is blessed, but he realizes that he is cursed. Closer to the present day, Kim Shin has waited 900 years for a human bride to end his immortal life. One night, he saves a dying pregnant woman (Park Hee Won) who is destined to die. Meanwhile, the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong Wook) is unable to find the dead pregnant woman. The woman gives birth to a baby girl named Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun). 9 years later, Ji Eun Tak lives with her mother and is able to see ghosts. One night, her mother suddenly dies. On that night, she meets the Grim Reaper.
In the present day, Ji Eun Tak is a high school student. She still sees ghosts and hears their whisper of “Gobins bride”. She now lives with her aunt’s family, but she is mistreated by them. On her birthday, Ji Eun Tak sits by the sea with a lighted birthday cake. At that time, Kim Shin suddenly appears in front of her. Kim Shin does not know why, but he can hear her voice and appears in front of her against his will.

So 2016 ended and 2017 started with TvNs new record-breaking drama, Goblin. I have to say, it was one heck of an emotional drama. It’s ALL about emotions, it’s a simple story. Everything had a purpose, and it gradually expanded to a problem, and then the journey for the solution. So story-wise it’s good, but the action and excitement is missing. However, the key function (I personally think) is that the writers were depending on the viewers emotional needs. And by that I mean that the actors and actress’ for this drama, was carefully handpicked because it needed a lot of face-acting. Emotions had to be carefully delivered. And they did. I have never been so sad and so happy and excited for a drama as I was with this one. It’s right to say that I couldn’t get over it, a long time went by before I started on another drama. As great as it was, it still had its flaws. For me a lot of flashbacks ruins the storyline. I would rather they used an episode and just showed us the story what happens, it doesn’t have to be in the beginning, just so we see it one time and not a trillion times throughout the drama. Because the same scene from the past got repeated multiple times, then comes the next bit and etc etc. However a great watch, definitely going to watch it again when my heart is healed.

☆☆☆ (1/2) / 4(1/2) out of 5 stars
♥♥♥♥♥ / 5 out of 5 hearts

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

My Secret Hotel Review

Title: My Secret Hotel
Genre: Romantic, Mystery, Comedy
Episode: 16
Broadcast period: 2014-Aug to 2014-Oct
Cast: Yoo In Na, Nam Goong Min, Jin Yi Han, Choi Jung Woo, Uhm Soo Jong, Kim Bo Mi, Choi Tae Hwan, Lee Young Eun, Go Yoon Ho,

Nam Sang Hyo (Yoo In Na) and Goo Hae Young (Jin Yi Han) were married in less than 3 months and got divorced, they meet again 7 years later. Nam Sang Hyo works at The Secret Hotel as a wedding planner, where she by mistake starts a rumor that if a couple marry at that hotel they will divorce after 3 months. To kill the rumor she have to plan the perfect wedding, the only problem was that the groom happened to be her ex-husband, and a dead body falls down from the ceiling in the middle of the wedding. Things got complicated when everyone get sucked into a murder case at The Secret Hotel, so how will Nam Sang Hyo save the hotel?


Ok so, since I am extremely emotionally distressed right now, after watching this drama, I will try my best to give an honest opinion of this show. This was a pretty typical romantic comedy with a little murder mystery thrown in. It was cute and had seasoned actors in the lead roles, and apparently it was written by a famous screenwriter in Korea just before she died, therefor it was expected to be a success. But in the end, it just didn’t do it for me (and the rest of Korea I guess, since the ratings were really bad), there were too many twists and holes in the drama, and you think something new will be revealed episode after episode, but nope, it will slowly drain you for energy. There was a lot of time where I just wanted to give up, because it felt like it was stuck, but the chemistry between Nam Sang Hyo and Goo Hae Young was so cute I had to finish it (have you heard his voice before; CHARISMA). Ok, to sum up what I’m trying to say is that if you have a boatload of good stuff on your “To watch” list, you can let this one on hold for a while.

☆☆ / 2 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts

You Who Came From the Stars Review

Title: You Who Came From the Stars
AKA: My Lover (/My Love/You) From Another Star
Genre: romance, comedy, fantasy, melodrama
Episodes: 21
Broadcast period: 2013-Dec-18 to 2014-Feb-27
Cast: Jun Ji Hyun, Kim Soo Hyun, Park Hae Jin, Yoo In Na, Na Young Hee, Uhm Hyo Sup, Ahn Jae Hyun, Hong Jin Kyung, Jo Se Ho, Nam Chang Hee, Kim Chang Wan, Shin Sung Rok, Lee Jung Gil. . .

Chun Song Yi (Jun Ji Hyun) is a top actress who has got it all and it ruling movies, dramas, commercials and all. But she has got the attitude as well. She considers herself the best, a queen of entertainment. However things are about to change when she is accused of murder and soon she will have to show another side of herself. Destiny has quite a lot to offer, amongst which is Do Min Joon (Kim Soo Hyun), a quite unusual guy, who does not pay much attention to her, except when he finally figures out that she is the same girl he met 400 years ago reincarnated, when he landed on planet earth. With his special powers, Min Joon will try to help her get back on her feet but it won't be easy with all the secrets surrounding the mysterious murder, committed by someone closer to them than they know.

This drama is not my style and my style in one. Its the comedy I enjoy and the sci-fi I hate. It was hilarious but I could not wait to get over with it because the love story and the alien stuff was killing me. Usually with sci-fi dramas I somehow try to make it all seem real, but they make it so bad that it makes no sense and then that love story is a killer with the back and forth and all the other people bugging the main couple. Basicly the only thing I liked was the comedy. So if you dont really mind the sci-fi maybe this drama is just for you. It was cool a lot of times but I had a too hard time finishing it.

☆☆☆½ / 3½ out of 5 stars

♥♥½ / 2½ out of hearts

Greatest Love Review

Title: Greatest Love

AKA: The Greatest Love / Best Love

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Episodes: 16

Broadcast period: 2011-May to 2011-Jun

Theme song: Pit-a-pat by Sunny Hill

Cast: Gong Hyo Jin, Cha Seung Won, Yoo In Na and Yoon Kye Sang

Goo Ae Jung (Gong Hye Jin) used to be a top idol together with Kang Se Ri (Yoo In Na) called “Treasure Girls”. In 2002 they rose to popularity and became national idols. At the same time a patient is undergoing heart surgery with only 5% of survival, but when the surgeon listens to the Treasure Girls’ hit during the surgery (where as usual surgeons would listen to classic), the patient miraculously survives.

10 years later Ae Jung is now a job-to-job celebrity hated by most people due to her bad image and reputation. After a variety job she notices a celebrity car, where she is made a fool of by top star Dokko Jin (Cha Seung Won), who throws trash at her, but leaves without her knowing his face. When his film hits the boxoffice, he waits for the American director Peter Jason to call him for a Hollywood role, which he auditioned for and is very confident about having gotten the role.

Ae Jung and Dokko Jin meet again, this time Ae Jung overhears him talking to his manager, and she by accident ends ups mentioning him on a radio show, and telling the world how close they are.

This goes completely wrong, as she is offered a job, only if she can make Dokko Jin answer the phone on the show…

I had heard and read about this drama for some time now, but I never really felt like watching such a cliché drama every again. First of all I am glad I didn’t watch it before, because I seriously don’t know how I would have reacted to it while watching all those other dramas. I mean this was a drama at the exact time I needed, since I seriously needed a good drama. This is funny, romantic, well-acted, without idols, amazing screen play and such a good scenario. I love both Gong Hyo Jin and Cha Seung Won now, a lot. The reason for it not being a 5 star is because I felt that the ‘ridiculous’ was overboard, but if you like that you should be able to watch it with pleasure  -  I had to bite my tongue a couple of times not to roll my eyes, but else it was pretty good.

A most definite recommendation!

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥♥½ / 4½ out of 5 hearts