The Suspicious Housemaid

Given Synopsis (viki.com): 
Can a stoic new housekeeper help the Eun family recover from the tragedy of losing a mother? Park Bok Nyeo (Choi Ji Woo) is a mysterious housekeeper who never cracks her serious demeanor and is rumored to be able to do anything that is asked of her by her employer. Her new charges are Eun Sang Chul (Lee Sung Jae), a recent widower, and his four troubled children, Han Kyul (Kim So Hyun), Doo Kyul (Chae Sang Woo), Se Kyul (Nam Da Reum) and Hye Kyul (Kang Ji Woo). Can the enigmatic new domestic worker help the family members heal their emotional wounds? “The Suspicious Housemaid,” also known as “The Mysterious Housemaid” and “The Mystery Housemaid,” is a 2013 South Korean drama series. Inspired by the 2011 Japanese drama “I Am Mita, Your Housekeeper,” the series is directed by Kim Hyung Shik.

Review: 
         This was alright for me.  Probably won't watch this again. Characters angered me too much at times. Also how does a woman act like a robot? It didn't feel realistic.  I hoped it would have been like some Robo-nanny...like Mary Poppins kind of thing...where she robots her way into the family and fixes all the messes that was left behind. All in all...ehh...
       I really liked the child actress though (Kim So Hyun). I look forward to her work where she becomes the main lead instead of the child role. The children all did an outstanding job. There were times when I found the issues portrayed annoying. I didn't like the father because of his spineless character. It was just very unrealistic to me.

Miss Korea

       

Given  Synopsis (viki.com): 

Can a former high school beauty queen help save a failing cosmetics company? Oh Ji Young (Lee Yeon Hee) used to be the most beautiful girl in her high school but she now scrapes by making a living as an elevator girl for a department store. Her former classmate, Kim Hyeong Joon (Lee Sun Kyun) works for a cosmetics company that is about to go out of business, if he doesn’t find a way to save it. He and his colleagues come up with a brilliant idea that they hope will help save their company and their community: Find a local girl that they can groom to become the next Miss Korea. Could Ji Young be the woman who can save them all? “Miss Korea” is a 2013 South Korean drama series written by Seo Sook Hyang and directed by Kwon Seok Jang, the same writer-director team behind the popular 2010 drama “Pasta.”

Review:

         This felt repetitive since it was about the competition and saving the company while rekindling a high school romance. I don't have much to say about it. It just felt very distant from me. I had trouble relating to the female character because her high school attitude vs her current attitude were polar opposites and I had trouble investing myself into the growing relationship. True, I still kept coming back to watch it and to get closure...but it was frustrating for me. The girls in the competition were catty and used relations and bribery. I did not like that. Competition was not fair and square and that angered me. Girls worked hard to abash one another through revealing secrets and causing scandals. The relationship within this drama was a sub-plot. I felt like the drama was basically about the competition and a girl rising to her full potential while finding romance in a high school sweetheart. There were a lot of "awww" moments but the chances of me coming back to this drama to watch it for those moments are highly unlikely.

        I just really appreciated the teamwork, the hard-working characters and their perseverance to maintain that "waikiki" smile, and the ability to remain strong despite other girls trying to win and sabotage chances. It was a battle of who was the smartest and who was the one that could cause the crowd to swoon. It was pretty good on those aspects. But the story-line focus didn't strike me as interesting as some dramas make it. I guess I was expecting a romance that wasn't so confusing. Half the time, I wasn't sure if they were actually going to be together or if they were just reminiscing old memories while remaining professional and friendly in their current state.  However, I stayed with this drama because it was fascinating as to how she went through the hurdles and how her relationship with the male lead matured from their high school one. So toward the end, you see a lot of high school nostalgia because things work out for both of them.

This is probably a good choice to go to if you want inspiration to work out, to study harder, to strive to be more than you are through hard work, and so forth.

Summer's Desire

       

Given Synopsis (wikipedia): 
The story may revolve around summer's desire, but it is really a love triangle between three people colder than winter itself. Yin Xia Mo is a girl loved by two men. Luo Xi is an orphan who garnered fame and fortune with his infallible charisma. Even though others believed him to be kind and smart, he was really a cold, ruthless, and wicked man who manipulated others to get what he wanted. When he was introduced into Xia Mo's family, he fooled everyone with his sweet words-except for Xia Mo, who only saw the con artist in him. Ou Chen is a rich heir whom everyone feared, and was extremely overprotective of his high school girlfriend Yin Xia Mo. When he found out that Luo Xi was living with her, he became extremely jealous. This started a chain of events-as both boys were in love with Xia Mo, but their love for her was so all-consuming that they started a war to have her. Five years ago, Luo Xi lost and was sent away to England. Yet, Ou Chen didn't win as his action caused him to lose Xia Mo's favor and his own memory. Five years later, they met again. Would history repeat itself, and would the desires of summer enter their wintry hearts?

Review:
          This was so-so for me. All the characters were twisted and I couldn't see myself in any of them. It felt a little bit unrealistic. The two men in the love triangle did not intrigue me or satisfy me in what I thought an ideal drama man was like.  Dramas are supposed to fulfill that desire and need to know that some men out there are perfect and realistic with flaws that can be accepted. However, this one was so dark and twisted, none of the characters were normal despite how "perfect" their surrounding and status made them look. The girl was just as twisted and icy as well.
         I did not like the characters because I felt the girl was too emotionless and too unrealistic for me. Nobody is ever that dull just because they fear being loved. People have emotions that play out regardless of childhood trauma. It doesn't have to be happy but I didn't even see the pain and desperation in the girl's eyes. It made it hard for me to feel strongly toward her. I didn't like the male leads because they were either too masochistic and needy or too controlling and demanding. I couldn't like any of them. The story line progressed toward a more softer approach as it went but I still couldn't fall for the characters at the point so Summer's Desire lost it's appeal.
         The only appeal this drama held for me were the actors. I always enjoyed their works and I'm quite familiar with their intensity in acting. However, in this drama, I felt that all three could not display their full potential because there were so many stoic moments. In all honesty, I did not feel summer in this drama. It should have been called Winter's Desire for all the emotionless characters of this drama. Dark, twisted, emotionless Winter's Desire.

Boss and Me/杉杉来了

33 episodes

Given Synopsis (viki.com):
Xue Shan Shan (Zhao Li Ying), begins to work in a major company. She may not be the smartest but she's hardworking, sweet, and caring. When she helps her boss's sister by donating blood (which is a rare blood type), her boss's sister begins sending her lunch every day. She would go outside to eat the lunch to avoid the jealousy of co-workers. However, the place she ate was actually right outside the boss's office which had stained glass. Her boss, Feng Teng (Zhang Han), a young heir to a corporate conglomerate, begins to develop a crush on her. The two build their relationship overtime in this 2014 drama.

Review:

Loved it!!!

     Xu Shan Shan is cute, bubbly, realistic. She felt human and that is why I liked her so much. The guy wasn't focused on his wealth...very down to earth. It is one of those few dramas where the rich guy didn't flaunt his wealth in a snobby way. His love for her didn't feel condescending. He liked her because of her personality and he mentioned, more than once, that he didn't care about wealth, status, or etc. He genuinely cared for her. Xu Shan Shan and Feng Teng's relationship was based on honestly, trust, care, love, respect, and equality. It felt realistic and neither were in it for materialistic things or for fun. The drama even ended on a tone with respect and a sense of feminism as Xu Shan Shan began to work toward her own business success/wealth while dating him. He supported her and encouraged her character development as she matured throughout the entire drama.  

         This drama didn't have a lot of the drama that typically revolves around rich families and girls that like the male lead. Instead, it felt like something that might actually happen. Everything felt real and not just for the sake of keeping the audience on their toes.  This was such a calming and peaceful watch. The devotion between the main characters denied me of ever feeling annoyed with minor characters. The minor characters weren't even that annoying because they felt so genuine. For example, his sister was extremely nice to Xu Shan Shan and treated her as a friend even when she had worries about the social difference.  At the same time, because she was also the friend of Yu Shu's, she was also telling Yu Shu to continue to pursue her "dreams." Yu Shu is the girl that liked Feng Teng. I didn't mind her presence that much and she wasn't that big of a threat and even became Shan Shan's friend. Throughout the drama, you also see a lot of character development and relationship development as she found her own love story. This drama was just so light-hearted, realistic, and comfortable to watch. This is definitely a drama to watch when you're in the mood for something lighthearted or after watching some turbulent drama.  

Beautiful Man

I honestly don't know what to say about this drama. I liked it but at the same time I didn't like it. It didn't leave a strong impression on me and I actually got bored with it sometimes. I felt like there could have been room for more memorable scenes. I understand the majority were probably there to watch IU and Jang Geun Suk, but I looked past that and it just felt like a very cliche and slightly embarrassing drama to watch. I felt like it put too much emphasis on the fact that Jang Geun Suk's character is beautiful. It makes the love seem more like infatuation than anything else. Whenever IU's character is asked why she likes oppa, she immediately says it is because he is good looking and that doesn't seem like an extremely touching factor or strong foundation in a drama that is supposed to give me the idea that the two are going to last as a couple even after his beauty fades. 

Synopsis: 

        Ma Te is a physically attractive man and he knows it. He is unbelievably self-absorbed and thinks highly of himself. His appearance is the epitome of perfection and he might as well be considered the most beautiful man in the world. With his dashing good looks and charms, he uses it to attain wealth and success. He's likable and quite eloquent with his words when talking to women...actually, he doesn't even have to talk because the majority just drop to their knees upon seeing his heavenly face. (Is my sarcasm toward how ridiculous this drama is showing?...Oops) 

         Anyways, the story picks up and became interesting for me when his ambitions are noticed by Hong Yoo Ra. She acknowledges his ambition, potential, and ability. She decides to mentor him to success and wealth. To allow him to control his abilities to his advantage, she gives him a mission to seduce ten women who are all successful in different career fields. 

           Meanwhile, our girl lead is head over heels and infatuated with Ma Te. She's an ordinary girl called Kim Bo Tong (her name literally meaning ordinary). She begins to try to help in every way she can even if she causes problems at times. She tries to get his attention while giving him all her affection. While she was vying for Ma Te's attention and love, David Choi is doing the same for her. He loves vintage things with a passion. He also gets along well with Bo Tong. In this drama, you watch to see their relationships forming and how sincerity can move one's heart. Personally, this was more of a cute and light-hearted drama than one of those really dramatic and realistic dramas that I adore. 

In Love With Power/Beauties Without Tears

After watching a couple of dramas with really disappointing endings *ahem...Qing Shi Huang Fei....Deja Vu.* I literally began watching this thinking: This better be good. And it did not disappoint me. I actually liked this drama. Even though I felt that our second lead was kind of pitiful throughout the entire drama (since he was supposed to be the male lead if our female lead did not mess up). This was a pretty interesting drama with rivalry, competition, love, power, and revenge all mixed together. All these components make sense when we're dealing with an imperial family and living behind palace walls and being a part of the emperor's harem. None of the characters were truly evil. They all started off as very kind and naive women who hardened to a point where they became the way they did. I liked how even though the women were all getting stronger with their power and sense of competition/rivalry, you could still see their original personalities within their actions.

Synopsis:

         Yu er is a Khorchin Mongolian princess during the reign of Huang Taiji. She has a half-sister named Hai Lan Zhu who is considered a lowly servant because her mother was one. Regardless of their obvious status difference, the sisters loved and cared for one another. Yu er was considered the lucky star because the snow that fell when she was born saved her people while Hai Lan Zhu was considered the unlucky star because the snow that fell when she was born caused famine. It was decided upon since their births and the events that followed that Yu er would be loved while Hai Lan Zhu was destined to be lower than Yu er. In the event of a small accident, Yu er was saved by a masked man wearing a pendant of a flying eagle. This was the start of her first love. 

          Huang Taiji had come to form military alliances by marrying the daughters of Mongol and Manchu clans. He married Yu er's aunt and made her his primary wife. At the wedding, she encountered both Huang Taiji and the brother of Huang Taiji, Duoergun. Both of them had the same pendants. She immediately decided it was not Duoergun because he teased her a lot. She assumed it was Huang Taiji (when in fact, it turned out it was Duoergun who saved her).
        Hai Lan Zhu also had a lover named Zhuo Lin. She was getting married to him and all was well. However, he was sent to battle and it was reported that he was most likely eaten by wild beasts after falling off a cliff. Devastated, she attempts suicide and was almost burned to death by Yu er's mother who simply wanted Hai Lan Zhu gone with the excuse of her accompanying her dead husband. To help get her mind off things, Yu er and Hai Lan Zhu head to the palace to accompany their aunt who had married the emperor (Huang Taiji.) Huang Taiji had no interest in Yu er; but when he heard that she was the lucky star and that a fortune teller said that one day she'll rule as queen, he married her and renewed the alliance with the Khorchin Mongols. 

       Meanwhile, things were not going smoothly for Hai Lan Zhu. Her mother had been killed by Yu er's mother. Her husband was still not found despite her belief that he's still alive. Her brother seeks revenge in trying to kill Yu er. She also had to contemplate if she is to marry Huang Taiji for her own safety and her brother's. Huang Taiji was developing strong feelings toward Hai Lan Zhu and favored her greatly. However, Zhuo Lin's appearance as a crazed man who suffered severe amnesia led Hai Lan Zhu to the decision to leave the palace to be by his side. Unwilling to let her go, Huang Taiji ordered to have Zhuo Lin killed. Her brother and Hai Lan Zhu immediately assumed that Yu er's mother (the Queen) had followed them and murdered Zhuo Lin. She begins to seduce Huang Taiji, taking advantage of his favoritism towards her, and ends up marrying him to begin her revenge and also to protect her brother. 

           Hai Lan Zhu was no longer the kind sister that Yu er once loved. There was a sense of coldness and rivalry between them. Hai Lan Zhu couldn't help but think that Yu er was the daughter of the woman who ruined her happiness. The favoritism and love Hai Lan Zhu got instigated jealousy among the women in the harem. The drama continues when Hai Lan Zhu discovers that the man she was married was the one that killed her one and only love. Yu Er, devastated of never being loved by a man she adored, decides to embark on a quest to place her son on the throne since she would not get Huang Taiji's affection. The entire time, Duoergun never stopped loving Yu er. He helped her constantly and pitied her for the life she had to deal with. Toward the very end, he still loved her even though they all had married and had children with other people. She admits her mistake when she chose between the two brothers in search of her hero. They had grown old and they had to deal with so much. Drama and deaths occurred in the palace, all for different reasons. The naive and sweet Yu er now knows the schemes of the palace as she watches her son's life as emperor be filled with drama. When her son decides to run away and be a monk, she takes her grandson's hand and seats him on the throne, while she sat behind the throne making all the political decisions. Yu er indeed became the queen she was predicted to be...but at such costs and plenty of drama.

Inspiring Generation

I was excited to watch this action drama with our beloved Kim Hyun Joong. Would I see a vast range of emotions and an improvement in acting? I was anticipating it. I got to say, I was pretty hooked in the beginning. It stunned me how well the director did when choosing the child actors. The actor who played the teenage Kim Hyun Joong in this drama was a smaller replica of the actor. It was all flowing beautifully and the action kept me on my toes...train jumping, bridge jumping, fist fights, and the starting sparks of young love.
*Spoilers included in the following paragraph.*

     The characters were also not so bad either. Let me just focus on Gaya, Ok Ryeon, and Jung Tae for now. Everyone adored Gaya because she was a strong character. And the girl knew how to fight without even changing her facial expression...that's pretty impressive. Though some people would say that Ok Ryeon was weak compared to Gaya, I actually liked Ok Ryeon a lot more than Gaya. She was sensible and caring throughout the drama. She was very consistent to the very end. But, I have a question for the writers of this drama and Bridal Mask (the following sentence has a spoiler). Is it necessary to have the girl die on her wedding day? It's kind of a coincidence that the situation was so similar in both action dramas (Bridal Mask and Inspiring Generation). As for Jung Tae, it started off pretty well and he did show a lot of emotion (especially at the last episode), but I felt he was very similar to Gaya. They had no facial expressions throughout the whole drama while you could see emotions in Ok Ryeon's eyes. Gaya and Jung Tae just felt so monotone and sullen to me. Maybe it is just me? Though this drama was pretty good in the beginning and at the end, I did get bored of it in the middle and wondered just how much of this expressionless acting I would have to see. I did not get attached to the characters in this drama and I would probably not rewatch this. It felt like it was dragging it out and all the action was supposed to make up for my dying interest in the drama. 

Synopsis:
     This story takes place in China...which I couldn't help but find it confusing since the entire drama was mostly in Korean. Our story is about a young fighter named Shin Jung Tae. He works and fights in the streets during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in the 1930s. His father had disappeared from his life and his mother had passed away. Shin Jung Tae was left in charge of taking care of his sickly little sister. He does a bunch of risky jobs like jumping off of trains and fighting just to earn money for the medicine and later on, surgery. All the while, he has a close relationship with a girl named Ok Ryeon. You could see the developing love between the two. There is also Gaya who met Jung Tae as a teenager also. You could also see her admiration for our main lead. Jung Tae ends up getting caught up in the Dobinori smuggling gang which promises him the money he needs for his sister. When his sister decided to leave home in fear of being a burden to him, she is assumed to have jumped off a cliff and died.
      The teenagers grow up to be adults. Gaya, a girl of Japanese descent, has trained to become a sword fighter to avenge her parents' death with the idea that Jung Tae's father had committed the crime. Though she is out to kill Jung Tae, she still doesn't have the heart to do so because of her feelings toward him. Ok Ryeon has stayed by his side since they were children. She looks out for him in every possible way. Though she's not tough and skilled like Gaya, she's still endearing in her own ways. She aspires to be a singer and constantly sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Jung Tae is torn between Gaya and Ok Ryeon. The action builds throughout the entire drama. Jung Tae probably gets into at least one fight in every episode.
       Spoilers are going to be included from here on.
       Jung Tae ends up with Ok Ryeon. You kind of expect it since they were together for so long with growing feelings while Gaya was very distant from them and planning to murder people. I couldn't help but rage at the stupidity of Ok Ryeon's end when she drinks the poison that was supposed to be for Jung Tae. She swapped the cups so that Jung Tae wouldn't drink the poison. Could she not have just poured her drink out discreetly? They weren't even looking at her. Or she could have done it in a broad gesture. Pretend to take a sip and then say something like, "I do not drink well. But I shall empty my cup in respect." And then pour it out. I honestly just felt her death could have been so easily prevented. I also couldn't help but note that her death was awfully similar to how she died in Bridal Mask/Gaksital. Both her characters that the actress portrayed died on their wedding day and in the arms of their beloved. In both, she told them to stay by her side since she knew she was going to die. Gaya remained strong till the end even though you could see her buckling a little. Jung Tae's emotions are heightened after Ok Ryeon's death. And the best part yet, they gave him a reason to continue living by ending it with his sister appearing again. It works out but I kind of got tired in the middle of the constant fighting. A lot of people liked it, I just feel that it could have been improved in a few aspects to make me anticipate each coming episode.