[Nygus]

Reviews of K-dramas I've watched from beginning to end.More to come as we go along.
Beethoven Virus
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
Kang Gun Woo (Kang Mae) is a world renowned orchestra maestro who is a perfectionist in his work. He is not an easy person to work with and is fear by all his players. By chance, he comes across Du Ru Mi, a violinist, and a young cop who has the same name as his and discovers that even without formal training, the young Kang is a music genius. The three soon get tangled in a love triangle.

Review: [Disclaimer: As a violinist, I do not take responsibility for any biased remarks. Read on if you agree to these terms and conditions]
Familiar with Nodame Cantabile? Aren’t we all…...Beethoven Virus is not and never will be…well, at least not in this life time a copy cat of Nodame Cantabile. Like many, I enjoyed N.C with the antics and shenanigans of the shower-missing protagonist, prim and proper, Chiaki, the S-orchestra and other affiliated characters like, ‘Mr. cow milk’. Beethoven Virus however delves a bit further into the music. We don’t only get the heart warming performance that we see but behind the curtain orchestra politics that patrons never hear of, the sacrifices made by instrumentalists from all walks of life, frustration and depression, family obligations, bouts of shouting and nastiness, the unlocking of potential in resigned people, all that in the representation of that very title Beethoven Virus.
Like the composer it takes its name from, resignation to the shit sign over your head is not acceptable. Just like the famous dead man who refused to resign to his fate even as he was losing the most important thing in his life, his hearing; The virus transmits to the lead Du Ru Mi who despite having been swindled out of millions of the tax payer’s money in addition to discovering that she will lose her hearing within months as a result of the Ménière's disease , still wants to play in an orchestra. While it may seem that Kang Mae is a difficult maestro who is a perfectionist with solid integrity to stay true to the composer’s feelings and will never applaud let alone conduct any orchestra that fails to reach that bar, he has his own tragedy to tell. Third wheel in this equation is the gifted genius turned cop, Kang Gun Woo whose musical dreams happened to be crushed by Kang Mae as a teenager and later ends up under his tutelage. With these three spinning the web, their chemistry on camera is instantaneous from episode one. You can’t help but laugh and cry at the same time which I recklessly did and nearly killed myself. The acting never entered stoic territory even for a bit, there was always a wheel of emotion being turned that any audience can relate to. However, I think many were disappointed with the vagueness of several aspects to the show. We all like our packages nicely tied up but BV Leaves a lot of loose ends.
Overall
Vouch: Absolutely yes to watching the show and getting the DVD.
Pros: Strong cast with great chemistry. Good script writing, focused on the reality of music and how people with other agendas can strangle or nurture it.
Cons: The tragedy seems to drag on a bit too much making the later episodes dark and eventually the ending became an anti-climax. Misleading genre, for those ladies looking for romance, its not over done here so don’t go expecting too much. Really, don’t.The only issue they failed or probably on purpose missed out on were addictions (but that’s just between us).

Queen Seon Duk
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
Deokman was born a twin but was abandoned as a baby and sent to a place far away by her father, King Jinpyeong in order to protect her from being killed by an influenced royal court lady, Mishil who tries to snatch away the throne from the royal successor. Deokman was later brought back to the Silla palace, where she joined forces with her twin sister Princess Cheonmyong to oppose Mishil. However, Mishil devised sinister plans to have the two Silla princesses exiled from the kingdom, and in a secretive battle, Princess Cheonmyong was accidentally killed. But Princess Deokman shrewdly enlisted the help of General Kim Yusin and eliminated her archenemy Mishil. She then became Queen Seon Deok, the first female ruler of the Silla kingdom. This drama is about a story of a beautiful queen, who has to give up her love to save the people and thus, leaving behind many brilliant achievements.

Review:
Where do i even begin with this series? A standing ovation,perhaps? 62 episodes of pure entertainment and edutainment that still managed to keep you at the edge of your seat,biting your nails or clutching on your arm rest in an adrenaline rush you can't describe in English. Personally a fan of historical dramas, the tale of Queen Seon Duk is part actual events/part fiction so the writers did a good job of injecting their own personal thoughts on scenarios they envisioned could have happened. The dialogue was refreshing, the music was more than fitting blending with emotions of the varying scenes. But the stunning performances of the cast was simply mind blowing from the calculative and emotionless Mishil played by the beautiful Ko Hyung Jung to the righteous and exemplary Kim Yoo Shin played by Uhm Tae Woong (for those who have watched Delightful Girl Choon Hyang, he played the Dodo production boss a.k.a ahjussi)
The pacing never seemed to reach a point of calm as every action dictated a future crisis whether to the protagonist or antagonist so you're always wondering what's going to happen next. The scenarios are engaging with Princess Deokman and Lady Mishil in a constant battle of wits and smarts in order to rule the ages but still doesn't fail to show the human side of the story with the anguish that Queen felt as the king sent the palace maid to run away with Princess Deokman or as a 15 yr old Deokman seemingly watched the mother she's always known suffer from a lung ailment and presumable die later.
Overall
Vouch: Do you even need to ask? It would be a shame If this drama did not make it to your must-watch list or DVD collection (secured mine ages ago). 62 episodes later will make you not only appreciate the acting profession but Silla as it was in its greatness.
Pros:Excellent chemistry(emphasis on the excellent) among the entire cast..extras inclusive. Spot-on writing with great scenarios, detailed costume design made you feel like you were in Silla. Oooh and before I forget, ladies...there is a romance though subtle but you'll hardly pay attention to it once they introduce Kim Nam Gil *melts into puddle of goo*.
Cons: The fight scenes were a bit too prolonged during some scenes making me fast forward to see who had been killed.

[spudgie]

I have been watching this one casually. I have enjoyed it. I totally agree with your listing for the Pros. I am going to have to wait until the end until I find whether I agree with your cons.

[Nygus]

Glad my review helped in some way,Spudgie. Would you care to share your own take on Beethoven Virus?

MORE REVIEWS

My Princess
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
An ordinary college student, Lee Seol, finds out she's a princess. The grandson of Daehan Group, Park Hae Young, is put in charge of educating Seol on proper etiquette. However, Hae Young is put in a precarious situation when he finds himself drawn to Seol, the girl who will take away his inheritance if the monarchy is restored.

Review:
To be fair, the synopsis leaves a lot of unsaid about this drama. If you think its your typical love story between 3rd Generation Chaebol (term used to refer to a conglomerate owned usually by a single family) and a free spirited girl then you're in for a shocker. The twist is that she's the reason he has all the money his family has. Let me start from the beginning. Park Hae Young serves his country as a diplomatic officer but is also the heir to the prestigious and wealthy Daehan group.Lee Seol is the adopted daughter of Kim Da Bok who raised her with love after she lost her childhood memories following an incident

( Click to show/hide )

her father's death

. Lee Soon Jae, PHY's gradfather tasks him to find Lee Seol which he does and he makes the announcement that all assets of the Daehan group(which came from the treasury of the state during the war) shall be turned over to the reinstatement of the Royal family since the Princess of the last emperor has been found. From then on, its more of a political vs. naivety battle with people trying to take advantage of Lee Seol's innocence and putting a stop to the Lee Soon Jae's plans. If I say more, it will reveal way too much so onto reviewing. Kim Tae Hee oozed a natural aura with grace..almost like she was destined to be a princess...sometimes though you wanted to slap her character for her naivety which dragged on a tad bit too much but all in all, she's the injured bird you want to protect which gave great use for the lead male protagonist PHY played by Song Seung Hun to step in as her knight. Park Ye Jin who played Oh Yoon Joo also shone as Lee Seol's rival, and main foe.I believe If someone gives you the achieved reaction that their character is meant to bring out then that's excellence and she did it her part as resident sour puss so well that even I found it hard to peel the layers to Park Ye Jin the person.

Overall
Vouch: The entire series was anticipated but ended being so-so...just a few degrees short of being an anti-climax. Its worth watching for many females but doesn't make you reach for your wallet eagerly to buy the DVD.
Pros: They tried not to cling so much to the romantic comedy and injected realism in the scenarios. The four lead actors had somewhat good chemistry however the two protagonists had the best especially during their comedic rants. Good cinematography,costume design and very nice mellow Soundtrack.
Cons: The first episodes were worth a series of laughs but once the revelation and political mash up came in, the pacing became slower not to mention grimmer and dragged on way too much. In tune, Lee Seol as a character seemed not to develop from her free spirited nature to a mature woman within the time you expect her to making you want to scream,"God! Open your eyes,woman!"

Oh My Lady
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
A spunky 35-year-old housewife, Yoon Gae Hwa, takes on the job of manager to prickly top star Sung Min Woo in order to earn enough money to regain custody of her child from her ex-husband. Romantic hijinks and hilarity ensues when they find themselves in an awkward living situation as Min Woo pays Gae Hwa to take care of his daughter, Ye Eun.

Review:[
Let’s get right into the thick of things. Chae Rim = AWESOME, Plot = Passable with the potential to make it a memorable show. Choi Si Won = Withholding excessive bashing in regards to the fact that he’s a novice actor would have been the right way to go but when you’re handed a script on a silver platter mirrored to your persona in real life, you expect a little effort. Guess acting isn’t as natural as thought to be. In the words of my father, “How can you be defeated by kids?”
Even the kids were better portrayals of themselves. The story became scattered and tried so hard to piece things back together in haste that nausea ensued (atleast on my part). Half of the time, I tried to understand what the use of the other characters were seeing as Sung Min Woo was there to sing and flaunt his packs at screaming fans, Yoon Gae Hwa’s ex hubby was there to belittle her and use her to siphon money from his dad who has a soft spot for her, her best friend was there to be her support, Sung Min Woo’s high school crush was there to pout and complain about Yoon Gae Hwa’s presence, SMW’s manager was there to showcase his natural talent (look at all his shots as he sits and you’ll know)….everything about the script frustrated me…but the cuteness of Ye-Eun kept me going.

49 Days
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
Shin Ji Hyun was enjoying absolute bliss as she was about to marry her fiancé, Kang Min Ho, but her perfect life is shattered when she gets into a car accident that leaves her in a coma. She is given a second chance at life by a reaper, but it comes with a condition: she has to find three people outside of her family who would cry genuine tears for her. In order to do this, she borrows the body of Yi Kyung, a part-time employee at a convenience store for 49 days.

Review:
I haven't felt happy and content about a drama since 2010. Yes, even before its premiere we were bombarded with still shot after still shot of promotional banter but I'm glad that it didn't pull a 'Mary stayed out all night' on me. We start this tale at a traffic jam where naive and innocent Shin Ji Hyun played by "too perfect" Nam Gyu Ri is stuck with her two bestfriends, Seo Woo and In Jung she in a princess like gown running a little late for her engagement ceremony to her perfect knight Min Ho. Although she makes it in time, long time friend, Han Kang doesn't. In order to secure a business bid, Ji Hyun's dad convinces the kids to hasten their wedding but days before, she is involved in an accident

( Click to show/hide )

someone attempts to commit suicide and there's a car pile-up

that boots her soul out and keeps her body in a vegetative state. She meets the suave, guitar-playing,somewhat quirky 'Scheduler' who becomes her afterlife guide as she verges on her quest to secure 3 tears of true love. Yi kyung played by the beautiful and talented Lee Yo Won (Queen Seon Duk) serves as her container for the next 49 days. However, the catch is, no one must find out that she is Ji Hyun either by word,letter or emotion or the 49 days contract will POOF and she will ride the elevator to the afterlife.

I'm not kidding when I say, Nam Gyu Ri is "too perfect", she needs to refer me to her plastic surgeon..oh, her acting? While she nails the crying scenes perfectly (the tears were 100% natural and not in zigzags),finding a pity thread was more difficult than finding an ear stud after her soap opera staccato line delivery. Guys, you might like her pout though, its uber adorable(I'll cut her some slack since its her second TV show and as the series reached its peak, you could see some improvement).
But thank goodness for Lee Yo Won who as Song Yi Kyung and Ji-Hyun's container helps unravel and confuse supporting characters when she isn't attending her 5 year pity party after the dearest person to her passed on tragically and suddenly. As Yi-Kyung, her daily routine is waking up at midnight, eating her cup noodles or ramyun then walking to her job at a convenience store to work the night shift since she prefers less human interaction and returning home in the morning to sleep till midnight again (Its so painful to watch someone with no will to live like that). But once Ji-Hyun sets up shop, 10 a.m till 12:00 a.m become occupied with her efforts to get the tears. Not easy for sure.... while some secrets and schemes were a tad bit predictable, there are some that blew you off course in turn hooking me to know more (admits to a 49 day marathon in 32 hours)
The supporting actors were superb though some where a bit under-used by the script writer IMO. If these snippets don't woo you, then leave it up to the scheduler played by Jung Il Woo to hook you even more. He gives a stunning performance as the force who can't interfere but just has to interfere because he happened to be in charge of an 'airhead' of a soul. Really, the character Ji-Hyun is that sweet airhead who frustrates you but at the same time whom you just want to shield from the evils of the world.

Overall
Vouch: Absolutely! For the girls, this is a nice follow up to Secret Garden since they're both SBS....not too mellow or mushy and not too frustrating either. If you fall into the others category then watching this drama will leave you with a feeling of appreciation for life a little more with the ones who truly love you and aren't out for ulterior motives.
Without spoiling, the show is wrapped out realistically,leaving you content and not at war with your screen.
I'll leave the pros and cons for you to decide because I'm a bit biased right now (still in the 49 days high).

[Nygus]

Still Marry Me/ The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
This drama depicts lives of three women who are closing one chapter of their life and entering the next. Lee Shin Young (Park Jin Hee), Jung Da Jung (Uhm Ji Won) and Kim Boo Ki (Wang Bit Na) are three women in their 30s whose romantic relationships have faltered due to their career ambitions, but find themselves given a chance to make a fresh start.

Review:
Age..age..age...what's in a number? Oh that's right, market value A feel good chick drama is the best way to describe this. Shin Young is a reporter for UBN and happens to catch her fiance red handed with a younger woman when she goes to report on a fire break-out in an apartment complex they were in. To make matters worse, she's hit a wall at work in terms of creativity and the bosses think its time she leaves the reins to someone else and find a suitable marriage partner before she dies alone.BTW, that's what every supporting character seems to badger her about...what about her hair, her nails, fashion sense? anyone? Nope...no? Okay, by coincidence she runs into alumni Jung Da Jung is a successful,poised,translator who seems to have made it but deep underneath, JDJ has a crazy streak. Paint this image with me, you drink with your friend and she says she'll be able to get home fine. While home, she calls you and says she fell onto a freshly tarmacked lane thinking it was her bed in a drunken stupor and now is stuck (Didn't see that coming,eh?) Then we have the savvy, uber cool, i-wanna-be-like-her-when-i-grow-up Boo Ki who is the independent of the bunch and runs her own consultancy firm(not a cheap one, at that). She is the voice of reasoning as these three discover love well into old maid territory.
The love interests come in the form of Ha Min Jae,a journalism student/aspiring musician or music director played by Kim Bum and a comedic but sweet Chinese traditional medicine Doctor,Nan Ban Suk. Another interesting attraction develops in the form of Shin Young's-ex and an unexpected character

Overall:
Vouch: Hmmm...if you aren't in the need of a fast paced drama and need something not too mellow but not too funny to make your ribs hurt then this is it. Like I said earlier,its a feel good chick drama that's classy in its own right though predictable.
Pros: It doesn't strive to be what its not and wraps up nicely leaving you satisfied. Good chemistry among the cast members though I can't shake the feeling that Kim Bum was giving fan service through his cute dimpled smile.
Cons: Chick drama, need I say more? Sometimes got too slow...sometimes Kim Bum's acting didn't convince me but then he smiled and poof! Hot air..,'what was i talking about?'
Pretty predictable...don't go into this with 100% anticipation (looks back at Full House in anger...what a kill joy of a drama!)

Full House
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
Han Ji Eun is a naive writer who got swindled out of everything she owned including her house by her best friends. Stranded in China, She managed to borrow money from an actor Lee Young Jae to return to Korea. On her return, she found out that her house was bought by Lee Young Jae. In an attempt to get her possessions back, she entered in a contract marriage with Young Jae for one year. In spite of losing all, Ji Eun manages to be cheerful and takes things in strike and the business relationship between the two becomes personal as they start to rely and care for each other. Based on a popular manhwa of the same title.

Review:
I'll summarise this.

• House on a beach belongs to Han Ji Eun.
• Coerced by friends to take an all expenses paid vacation in China.
• Returns to find empty house that has been sold to actor Young Jae.
• Adamantly refuses to leave and he hires her as his house keeper/wife.
• Cleaning, cleaning,cleaning and more cleaning....breaks to chase swindling friends down a street.
• Bicker with Young Jae then clean,clean, cook,cook,clean.
• Some love triangle BS.
• More cleaning...gaaaargh...they end up together!!! There!Waste of my bloody time.

Vouch? BITE ME! Some manhwa's should just stay in their A4 format and leave our screens alone. How this acquired an average of 42 million viewers beats my understanding. I'd rather watch the ....American Full House than this *yes, I said it*.

My Name Is Kim Sam Soon/ My Lovely Sam Soon
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
Kim Sam Soon (Kim Sun Ah) is a baker who has a talent in making pastries and cakes. On Christmas Eve, she caught her boyfriend, Min Hyun Woo (Lee Kyu Han), cheating on her and breaks up on the same night. On that same night, she accidentally went into the men's restroom and met Hyun Jin Hun (Hyun Bin), a somewhat callous fellow but sometimes considerate guy. By sheer coincidence, Jin Hun needs a baker for his restaurant Bon Appetit and Sam Soon is unemployed. Sam Soon is hired as the restaurant's chief baker and the two fights like cat and dog. Nevertheless, they started to have feeling for each other and Sam Soon agreed to post as Jin Hun's girlfriend so his mother would leave him alone. Things got complicated when Jin Hun's ex-girlfriend Yoo Hee Jin came back from the States intending to win him back.

Review:
And now we return to our normal programming, thank you for your patience.Not to bias any of you but this is my number one rainy day drama that doesn't get old, really it doesn't get old...well that's until they develop Super High Beyond High Definition to top the camera quality but as demonstrated by another charming drama,Delightful Girl Chun Hyang which was shot in SD, sometimes its the story and how its brought to life that counts. Sam Soon may come off as abrasive and rough around the edges but she's like a box of chocolates when it comes to those she loves. Dumped on Christmas eve by her long term boyfriend, she retreats to a hotel bathroom to compose herself not aware its the men's room and its here she meets Mr. splinter tsundere, Hyun Jin Hun a.k.a Sam Shik who asks her whether she's breast feeding in the loo given her haggard,disheveled appearance. As events like in all dramas turn out, she ends up under his employment and agrees to play his girlfriend after his mother barks up his behind to get married for 50 million Won which Sam Soon needs to pay off loan sharks.
But the story is far from over as Sam Shik's ex/we never really broke up girlfriend, Yee Hee Jin returns to Korea resolved to pick up from where they left off.There's a reason she left too and finally, we have eye candy Daniel Henney who plays Dr. Henry Kim to hit our sweet bits and remind us why interracial baby making should be a mandatory law.
I will try and be unbiased as I carry out this review so here goes. The script is plain, really...plump girl 30 yr old still looking for love in a world where she's old and undesirable merchandise. The male love lead finds it hard to accept he's into her and your usual ensemble of supporting characters i.e; screeching mothers, talkative sister, ex's and work colleagues. So how come this drama garnered 50 million viewers? Its simple,the delivery. Taking off from the title, it should be noted that Sam Soon is considered an old fashioned 40's name so the character has always had a complex with it since childhood and wished to be called ironically Hee-Jin. By looking at her life however, its easy to find reasons to empathize with her character when it comes to love not to mention that she's quite the comedian and go-getter normally (just how i like my female protagonists) which is why she and Sam Shik suit each other. He wasn't always a tsundere; more or less recent events in his past created the persona he has become.
Face to face with with Sam Soon,his present on one side and Hee-Jin,his past on the other..he has his work cut out for him because both women in my opinion are important fragments of his life he can't do without but at the same time, can't keep by his side. Inevitably, he'll have to stop being selfish and make the choice and Hyun Bin managed to capture that fairly well. But don't go hating on Hee-Jin just yet, this girl makes you want to cry for all she's been through and all she's had to hide from the person she loves. In fact at several points of the show, you might find her more like-able than Sam Soon. Henry Kim is eye-candy..literally. Sweaty basketball game=check! Swimming in sexy trunks=check! His acting comes off as cue card-esque and stoic, almost like someone has a blade at his back. However, his charm lies in his smile,interactions and funny antics with Hee-Jin come that off naturally earning him a passing grade. I can't say how many times, I've watched this drama but usually the smile on my face remains plastered.

Overall:
Vouch: Need I say more on this matter? For every dozen or more RomComs Korea throws at us, this is one of the few gems that can entertain both sexes without the male group gagging in readiness to dispose of their dinner.
Pros: Good chemistry among the actors. Colouful dialogue (if u speak Korean,that is)
Cons: Hmm..well for some the fact that its a RomCom could put you off. Soundtrack and costume design was a tad bit cheesy. The screeching...oh gosh the screeching got on my nerves once it was overdone. Because this was done in 2005, you have to contend with not so great definition.

[sozen]

nice reviews hope you add some more that i have yet to watch.

[Nygus]

Originally Posted by Kappa

nice reviews hope you add some more that i have yet to watch.

Thanks, Mayor! Will update as regularly as I can, the next ones to go onto the review platter will be My Girl,Marry Me Mary, Last Scandal of My Life,Couple Or Trouble,Love Marriage,Worlds Within,Pasta,Delightful Girl Choon Hyang,You're Beautiful, Call Of the Country,Athena...etc. List could go on forever. Currently watching the long 50 episode new Tales of Gisaeng and Sparkling so hopefully will get those outta the way first.

Secret Garden
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):

The drama tells the story of Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin), an arrogant and eccentric CEO who maintains the image of seeming perfection, and Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won), a poor and humble stuntwoman whose beauty and body are the object of envy amongst top actresses. Their accidental meeting, when Joo Won mistakes Ra Im for actress Park Chae Rin, marks the beginning of a tense, bickering relationship, through which Joo Won tries to hide a growing attraction to Ra Im that both confuses and disturbs him. To complicate matters further, a strange sequence of events results in them swapping bodies.

Review:
The synopsis from Dramawiki pretty much sums up the plot behind this drama except for the part where they say her beauty and body are the object and envy amongst top actresses...maybe its just me but any feeling of inferiority concerning her looks never struck me in the drama. But wow, what a show..it hooked even the actors and actresses of K-cinema world. To be fair, this show is a RomCom but none has ever reached nail biting,leave you tossing and turning in bed after an episode territory like this has and with the body swap aspect blending in, you get hooked more.
Honestly, I watched this drama on a whim even though Hyun Bin is a huge brand persona in Korean entertainment and well, their promos didn't catch my eye till the night of the premiere but boy,was I blown away. Not by Hyun Bin but by everyone. Ha Ji Won who plays Gil Ra Im was stunning, portraying the realism in the struggling and constant apologetic bows that normal people have to go through when the money to buy that exclusive prestige isn't there. Yoon Sang Hyun as Oska...oh what more can I say about him...he is that older brother clown born with a silver spoon in his mouth yet pursued his dream and learns along the way the meaning of love,friendship and understanding.Lee Phillip as Im Jong Soo (stunt school director) is the hawk that watches over Gil Ra Im and close friend. Kim Sa Ran (IRL:former Ms.Korea) was equally as stunning as Yoon Seul, she and Oska have a past that I will not divulge here but theirs is a cute and painful story that doesn't feel like a forced addition to the show. A lot has been said about Hyun Bin and his character Kim Joo Won, where do I even begin to describe this fictional critter really? Let's just put it this way,at the beginning of the show this is a human who has no need for human friends..in fact he doesn't deserve friends (who are inexistent throughout) and he doesn't care one bit since he's all hoity toity up on his high horse, born into piles of money,I am a perfectionist and any speck of normalism will infect me platform but as the show progresses and he learns how to put on a bra whilst falling in love with himself, he adapts to the world not to mention possibilities that he's been for so long been shunning. But not entirely, we may give up a few things as we enter a body exchange relationship but not everything
Carrying this review any further would reveal way too many spoilers so I'll end it here for now.

Overall:
Vouch: F**k YEA! Ooops, fell off my poised horse there. What I'm trying to say is,the impact Secret Garden made is deep and stretched pretty far. If you haven't seen it, don't deliberate, see it. If you've seen it, don't hesitate to get the DVD because acting and a script like this comes once every five years for a K-drama.
Pros: The cinematography.. I heard they filmed in a small rural town but I find that hard to believe...someone needs to tell me where the heck it is so I can head there.They didn't put Garden in the title for nothing,from Kim Joo Won's estate to the villa and the forest or the garden that saw their lives change..uber Gardeny. The soundtrack...oh gosh, every instrumental,OP and Ed theme fit just perfectly. Actor Chemistry = BRAVI! Even the supporting characters like KJW's mum....oh wow, she and Margaret Thatcher must be buddies (iron lady to the core).So many pros yet I can't think of any. Especially enjoyed the introduction(not seen any drama that's centered on it yet) of the stunt profession, Ha Ji Won looked especially cool during those scenes.
Cons:None,really. Even for the weak supporting actors, they were more or less complemented by other actors around them.

Marry Me,Mary/ Mary Stayed Out All Night
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):

Wi Mae Ri is the cheerful, pragmatic daughter of a failed businessman who had grown used to being constantly on the move to escape from debtors. She becomes fast friends with the free-spirited indie singer Kang Moo Kyul when she nearly ran him over in a car. Meanwhile, her father Wi Dae Han is saved from his debtors by his old friend, Jung Suk, who had just returned from considerable success in the Japanese entertainment industry. Jung Suk, who had harboured a secret love for Mae Ri's mother, sets up a deal with Dae Han to have Mae Ri marry his son, Jung In. In her desperate to escape this predicament, Mae Ri begs Moo Kyul to pose as her husband, and finds herself in even more trouble than before when her father proposes a 100-day period in which she has to divide her time equally between Moo Kyul and Jung In, after which she has to decide who to marry.

Review:
The cuteness of this drama still gets to me every time I watch it, sadly it didn't reflect in the ratings department. Oh and probably because the original writer threw her papers up and walked away from it...oh yeah,nothing like good ol' production drama. Well, putting all that aside, the synopsis is a good sum up of the plot for this drama and while the first episodes gave us more laughs, can't say the same for the latter which didn't quite hit the bar giving it an anti-climax feel. Oh well, at least the actors were cute hence Marry Me, Mary takes its spot as one of the shows that left shards of my heart broken on the floor and till now they remain un-swept on the cold floor. Sigh~
Following the trend of romantic K-dramas, you know that someone is being chased by loan sharks which in this case happens to be Wi Mae Ri’s widowed father,Dae Han. Coincidentally as he was escaping his assailants, he was saved by his ‘hyung’, not by blood of course who has just returned from Japan and schamazoo and then some, Maeri is paired with his son, Jung-In played by the delectable Kim Jae Wook (who surprisingly still looks hot with short hair raaawr)but how does the free spirited almost like a stray dog musician, Kang Moo Gyul fit in? Well, genius Mae Ri runs into him one evening in a car, well more like bumps into him since she must have been going below 15 km/hr at the time and they quickly become friends/squatter/ I’m bored and being around you is much more fun. Meanwhile, father dearest proposes the marriage to her and like every girl she has no desire to marry someone she doesn’t love. After cheerful chiding from both KMG and WMR’s friends,a fake wedding to put out the fire is orchestrated but none of the fathers are willing to let it lie and Dae Han criminally marries off his daughter showing her the signed and sealed marriage certificate when she gets home meaning the only way out is by getting a divorce or pressing charges against her father.
Eventually, a 100 day interim period is suggested with time divided equally between both male leads leaving WMR the final choice on the preferred suitor at the end. Inevitably,Jung In who has no sights besides keeping his father’s investment for his upcoming drama,’Wonderful Day’ gets ropped in with threats and this three-way romcom is on its way to silliness and eventually a conclusion that will turn this into one of your rainy or alone time dra….WTF?! This drama did nothing but leave me angsty right at the end. The chemistry between the actors isn’t harnessed enough even though it exists, this time the shoe is flying at the original writer. How dare you secure fresh,talented and cute characters to throw them into a sewer? This is one of those dramas that makes you feel disappointed like a parent with good-gone-bad-child syndrome, really. Supporting characters were similarly there to just to be whiny and the relationship between KMG and Seo Joon seemed a bit forced for me...we all have relics of past r/ships but theirs feels constipated. The dads half the time are just ordering and yelling at their children with the exception of KMG's young mum who is the comic relief parent we all need. Reviewing this gives me a sad feeling so rely on the overall analysis for any help.
Refer to next post>>

[Nygus]

Overall:
Vouch: Nyaa~ fangirls of Hello Kitty and long haired,Jang Geun Suk would like to disagree but for we the slightly abnormal and objective, this is a 4/10 anti-climatic one. I hate it when PD's start with quirky,up-beat,comedy only to turn us into melodrama Autumn Fairy tale,look-the-protagonist-can't-stop-crying-and-they-can't-be-together-sob-story. This drama could have done so much better but then again, they were competing with Secret Garden in the winter so we all know what everyone else was watching.
Pros: They chose some really memorable locations like this one scene when Jung-In and Maeri had a heart-to-heart walk through some park that reminded me of Secret Garden..both adaptations BTW. The soundtrack is memorable as well and perhaps one of the few saving factors of the drama.I would like to commend the actors for sticking through till the end and not to spoil it for many, we get a little of the quirkiness that should have been throughout towards the last episodes.
Cons:Cliche misuse of supporting characters, constipated script,product placement all over the place, back stories that could have been explored more but were deliberately ignored. One more thing, I'm not a neo-hippie but is it just me or did they make Indie seem a little too Indie wearing designer clothes...just my 2 cents.

Last Scandal Of My Life/ Last Scandal
Synopsis (According to Dramawiki):
Hong Sun Hee is a housewife who accidentally meets her first love, Jang Dong Chul, again. Now he is known as Song Jae Bin and is a famous movie star who didn't recognize her. Sun Hee's husband lands himself in jail for debts and Sun Hee applies to the wealthy Dong Chul for aid. He isn't inclined to help her bacuase she's no longer the beauty she once was but eventually she moves into his house as a housekeeper. The two bicker constantly but slowy they discover the feelings they had at 19 aren't completely gone.

Review:
The drama where the word,'jummarella' was coined. A play between 'Ahjumma' and Cinderella but one thing it didn't mention was how adorable the drama played out. To be fair, the main characters are on the brink of 40 but don't get put off by their ages, this show is worth the hours put in watching. Sun Hee and Dong Chul were high school first loves but 20 years down the road, their lives are far apart. She a mother of one and housewife, a disgruntled one at that and he a famous movie,drama and CF star under the psuedonym, Song Jae Bin. Their paths cross in a humorous way during the first episode(re-watched that over and over and still managed to chuckle) but at that point, none of them recognised each other. Sun Hee later discovers her husband,Ahn Yoo Sik is millions in debt but what she doesn't know, is that he has entered an agreement with a mystery woman to pay it off. I will leave you to find what the terms of the agreement were and who she is. In normal situations, his family should be understanding towards Sun Hee who has been a good sport about everything, even going as far as selling her condo to pay off said hubby's debts but instead they play the old trick in the book,shunning her as a daughter-in-law and mother

( Click to show/hide )

all a part of Ahn Yoo Sik's plan

Without revealing anything, we all know the two spin artists of this drama have to meet. Sun Hee moves into Dong Chul's house as a live-in house keeper at the insistence of his brother Dong Hwa.
Before I begin the review, its fair to say that Korean celebs have a harder time than most which is evident in the spiking suicide rates of the aforementioned individuals. Well, its been about 3 and a half years since the tragic death of Choi Jin Shil who played the loveable Sun Hee..having to deal with abuse, depression,her career and false allegations over the internet concerning money lending which led another actor to take his own life, it makes you want to turn back time so that a 'Dong Chul' would be there to ease her burden. May her soul rest in peace. That said, this was the last TV drama she did and I can truly say she was all I could remember. She burnt like a bright star till the end.
Now back to some serious business, Last scandal is more or less a family oriented drama given the ages of the protagonists. Sun Hee is a loveable yet interestingly nagging character and you can see it best through her interactions with Dong Chul that are as carefree as the wind. Whenever they enter a mini argument, its like watching two kids fight over who gets the last Popsicle in the fridge.Dong Chul/ Song Jae Bin is an almost 40 yr old masquerading as a 32 yr old and is under the impression that Sun Hee is out to rat him out which she threatens half the time..well, only when he's unreasonable. He's literally like a kid who can't get enough of their long lost toy when he's with Sun Hee whilst he is sentimental as well which I felt Jung Joon Ho portrayed excellently.
Dong Hwa is the calmer,older brother and serves as the tower of reasoning, he may come off as hard to digress but any girl would kiss this man for all he's done to mop up Dong Chul's messes at the cost of his own happiness (Do all brothers do that? Coz mine's just an ass). He is played by the 'chameleon' Jung Woong In..that's just my opinion, he's able to wear the jester hat,gentleman's top hat and villain mask with ease (Yeah, I wubs him). Dong Chul's past love relic comes in the form of actress Lee Na Yoon played by Byun Jung Soo, while she's got a nice 'set' to look at, found myself unconvinced by her acting ability. Half the time, you wonder whether to feel pity for her character or swat her off like a meddling fly that wants some of your vanilla ice cream.
The kids were great especially the portrayal of Jang Hoon, Lee In Sung who hasn't acted since this drama was a wave of comedic relief and cuteness. The supporting characters stumbled a bit too much into the cliche puddle but all in all, it was worth my time at least, if i got to see Dong Chul and Sun Hee argue.

Overall:
Vouch: Yes, watch it over a nice dinner and a glass of wine. Its got so many spit at the screen moments..well,not as much as the Hong sister's scripts. Regardless of that ,its got charm that leaves you feeling a little warm around your cheek area(The cheeks on thy face,people.) In short, Its a Cinderella story just with an older than the fairytale implies cast.
Pros: Instantaneous cast chemistry,excellent back stories that were each given adequate screen time. Nicely wrapped finale.
Cons:Cliche pond waddle concerning supporting characters, Pacing got slow towards the middle.

[ChaosMaster]

Secret Garden was a great drama. How about separating them, instead of having them all in one thread. Having said that, my last review didn't get much views, as AnimeTakes Drama section is really quiet.