Secret Garden: A Place where two become one

Since I just reviewed A Gentleman's Dignity, with reference to Secret Garden, I felt it only fair to give Secret Garden it's review too.  This 2010 drama was the highlight of my early 2011.  It was a lighthearted romantic comedy, with that little hit of fantasy mixed in with tension.  It gave me everything and more that I could want from a K-drama.  I stumbled upon this particular drama upon the recommendation of my sister.  The synopsis of the drama was not one to grab my attention as it spoke of a body switching.  And to be frank, I can't stand those kinds of dramas in English anymore since I've seen so many, so I was not at all interested in watching on as a K-drama.  As seems to be the case with Kim Eun Sook's drama, I was pleasantly surprised.

The body switching premise was important to the drama, however, it was the characters that got me hooked.   The chemistry between Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won as Kim Joo Won and Gil Ra Im, respectively, was off the charts.  Joo Won is the snobby elitist chaebol that you can't stand.  However, what is most intriguing about Joo Won is that the things that he speaks are not the truth.  He faces the fact that his life as a chaebol is a Merger and Acquisition deal, and love is an unnecessary element.  He simply wants the best relationship to assist his business and believes rich should stick with rich, since that is the way it is meant to be.  He does not have a condescending attitude about him, just a matter of fact one.  But in saying such things, it comes across as being insulting and condescending.  Ah, how I love the conundrums of K-dramaville. 

Of course, Joo Won's perfect philosophy is obliterated when he meets stunt actress Ra Im.  She does not conform to his preconceived notions and does not give him the time of day.  Sound familiar?  It will because its a trope repeated frequently in K-dramaville.  The difference in this drama I find is the way the actors portray these characters.  I enjoy watching Ra Im take Joo Won by surprise and watching him fall slowly for her without any rhyme or reason.  To him it is completely mystifying and I enjoy that.  His chanting of the mantra "Kim Soo Ah Mo" whenever his daydreams of her began to pop up were a welcome element to highlight his conflict.

By the time the body switching came around, I was already so invested in the characters emerging relationship, that it took me by surprise and I had to go, "Right that is a major part of the plot."  Being in each others bodies did provide chances for them to learn more about each other, and also brought a new twist into the proximity resulting in a love situation.  By literally pretending to be each other, it led to development in the relationship.  Another plus for this drama was how utterly fantastic Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won performances were as swamped persons.  Hyun Bin's facial reactions when he was a female totally thrilled me to the core and brought several laughs along the way.

What I also enjoyed about this drama is how everything was tied together neatly.  Connections that were established were explained and one could see how the characters got from point A to point B.  It was coherent and well presented, which is not an easy feat in a production with a fantasy element.  For these reasons, Secret Garden gets a well-deserved 4.5 out of 5.  For its rich and interesting presentation of the typical tropes.  I could continually watch this drama and still not get enough of it.

According to Bel:  You will want to switch bodies with someone after this.

Gentlemen do have Dignity, but more importantly, they have Friendship

I have to say that  A Gentleman's Dignity is one of those dramas that took me by surprise.  I wasn't sure about delving into it because the synopsis told me that it covered the lives of forty year old men and their journey together.  Not exactly something I was particularly interested in.  I had some time on my hands and didn't want to necessary begin a new currently airing drama, so I decided to give a it a try.  I am glad that I did.  It was 20 episodes based on one of the most heartwarming, intense and awe inspiring friendships.  All I could keep thinking throughout each episode was that I want to have a group of friends like that.  Friends so close that they are family.  They know everything about each other and accept each others good along with the bad.

I wouldn't say that A Gentleman's Dignity is one of the best drama's out there, but it is one of the best friendship tales I have seen.  As a group of men in their forties, it's like seeing those typical Flower Boys that have permeated dramas like Boys Over Flowers, Flower Boy Ramyn Shop and Shut Up Flower Boy Band.  It is a great view into what a friendship of pretty boys can evolve into after 20 years when they become pretty men.  Do they grow up?  The truth of the matter is no.  It highlights that inevitable truth that no matter what you do in life, once you are around friends that you have known since youth, you always keep a part of that experience.  And although these men may excel in business and life and come across as mature and respectable, it is fascinating to see that once they get together they are just like 20 year old boys enjoying what life has to offer.  In essence you are as old as you feel.

As I watched the drama, I noticed several similarities in the dry humour, the scene changing and the imagination sequences that screamed Secret Garden at me.  So, of course, I checked and realised that the same writer of that amazing drama composed this one.  This began to make a lot of sense.  Why that slight hidden humour brought hysterical laughs, and the aloof, yet charismatic lead male seemed to grab my attention despite him being a complete pain.  It seems this writer's style to write elitist male characters who accept the harsh reality of different words and have life plans mapped out for themselves, even though it always gets disrupted by that one female, who just doesn't conform to the norm.  It may be a bit cliche, but it definitely works.

So what pray tell is A Gentleman's Dignity about?  We follow the life of four men in their 40s Kim Do Jin (Jang Dong Gun), Im Tae San (Kim So Ro), Lee Jung Rok (Lee Jong Hyuk) and Choi Yoon (Kim Min Jong).  They are all successful in their careers with Do Jin and Tae Sun being partners in a construction and architectural firm, Yoon, a successful lawyer and Jung Rok who married into money but lives the life of a playboy.  These four have been friends since high school and to be perfectly honest, as I watched them walking down the streets in the first episode I had an immediate flashback to Boys Over Flowers with that all in a row march that Flower Boys do.  

Right, off the bat we meet Do Jin's love interest, school teacher Seo Yi Soo (Kim Ha Neul).  She waits in the rain for someone and Do Jin spies her from the coffee shop window and cannot take his eyes off of her.  The kicker is that the drama then takes on the fated meeting and the typical K-drama trope that everyone is connected in some way when we learn that Yi Soo has a crush on Tae Sun, Do Jin's friend and business partner.  She is acquainted with both him and Yoon form their shared hobby of baseball.  However, Tae Sun doesn't see Yi Soo that way and has a crush on her roommate Hong Se Ra (Yoon Se Ah).   It is truly amazing how small K-dramaverse is.

As the story unfolds more and more opportunities arise for Do Jin and Yi Soo to come across each other including one of those classic thread of red fate themes, however, Yi Soo doesn't give Do Jin the time of day continually knocking at his playboy pride.  For Do Jin his philosophy is that he doesn't have the confidence to be faithful to one woman, so he is equally unfaithful to all women.  What a prick right?  Yet, underneath that annoying exterior there is of course the more complicated individual and it is he that grabs the audience's attention.  The entire storyline basically revolves around the way in which the romance between the stuck up annoying player and the innocent school teacher unfolds.  It is both an amusing and intriguing storyline but not entirely original.

What kept me clinging to A Gentleman's Dignity episode after episode is that friendship I mentioned earlier.   These Ajusshis sucked me in and wouldn't let go.  I particularly loved how each episode began with recaps into their relationships that were not entirely tied to the present day storyline, but showed how their friendship evolved and grew over the 20 years together.  I believe one of my favourite in these recapping sequence was at the death of Yoon's wife.  We watched as his friends literally dropped everything in their daily lives and rushed to their friends side.  They cared for him and dressed him as he prepared for the funeral and even participated in the funeral duties with him.  Tears streamed down my face as I watched that scene unfold.  It was so poignant, rich, powerful and deep.  These four men can act.  I wouldn't expect any less considering that they are all well-established in Korean acting circles.  Though I haven't seen many of their dramas as most of them came out in the 1990s and I wasn't a K-drama fan then. They have established reputations and I can see why.  The way they teased each other, laughed with each other and simply had fun together was an amazing journey to be a part of.  I was intrigued by their lives and wanted to see more of them.   That is the element that I will miss most now that I have finished the drama.  

It was a wonderful journey of love and friendship and I truly enjoyed the ride.  I give A Gentleman's Dignity 4 out of 5 on the Bel Scale.  

According to Bel:  It's the friendship you wish you could be a part of. 

You're Beautiful! Why thank you, I know I am.

Alright, enough with the depressing and the miserable.  Time for some light-hearted comedy.  And nothing says lots of laughs more than You're Beautiful.  If your an avid fan in K-drama land, you have heard of the Hong Sisters.  They are the writing duo behind a plethora of amazing comedic dramas that leave you begging for more.  I will review a few of their dramas, but I figured there is no better place to start than with the first of their dramas that I watched.

You're Beautiful tells a similar tale that seems to permeate Asian manga and fiction of a girl who dresses as a boy for some reason and the hilarity that ensues from the interaction between the girl in disguise and the males around her.  Of course, being in the close proximity to several guys, there is always the guy who falls for the girl and questions his masculinity and the over arcing question of whether he is gay, and the lead guy who the girl falls for.  You're Beautiful was no different.  In this drama, we meet Go Mi Nyeo, (Park Shin Hye) she is the twin sister of Go Mi Nam (Park Shin Hye), who's musical exploits have landed him a contract with the super popular Idol group A.N.JELL. Though Go Mi Nyeo is not involved in the musical world in any form or fashion, in fact she is a nun in training.  Due to an accident in a plastic surgery procedure her brother is unable to make his contract signing, as such his manager seeks out Go Mi Nyeo and convinces her to pose as Go Mi Nam for the sake of her brother's future.  Being the great sister that she is, she complies, after a bit of hesitation, and this leads to a series of events which conclude with Mi Nyeo becoming Mi Nam and working with the Idol group.

Question: What happens when you put a pig and a rabbit together?

A.N.JELL is the typical idol combination with the eccentric leader of Hwang Tae Kyung (Jang Geuk Suk), who is super stylish and super picky, the second in command, so to speak, Kang Shin Woo (Jung Yong Hwa) the more down to earth cool guy in the group and Jeremy (Lee Hong Ki), the lovable, friendly cuddle bear in the group.  It is with these three guys that Mi Nyeo must cohabit.  What makes You're Beautiful stand out above other dramas with a similar storyline is the way it is directed, performed and written. 

The obvious cliche tropes are twisted ever so slightly that the viewer finds oneself chuckling hysterically with laughter.  I mean the entire "Pig Rabbit" scenario is probably one of the cutest and most romantic things I have ever seen in a drama.  Yet, it is also one of the most simplistic.  I think the beauty of the entire drama lies in the simplicity of the approach to love.  There is no need for intensely crazy situations (that's not saying the situations in You're Beautiful are every day ones) but, it's the little things that tend to touch us.  The warm fuzzy feelings that bud throughout the drama just take you on a journey of joy and amusement.

I think my favourite element of the drama is watching Tae Kyung in his own eccentric way fall for Mi Nyeo.  Their journey together is so cute and funny it pulls the laughs out of you.  Of course, there are obstacles to that love, I mean it wouldn't be K-dramaland if there was smooth sailing all the way.  Uee does a good job as the romantic rival Yoo He Yi, though the romantic feelings are all her own, and Mo Hwa Ran (Kim Sung Rung) excels as the mother you never want to have.  There is an excellent acting combination here, that when combined with a good script and great directing leads to a sure fire hit.

Answer: You get a Pig Rabbit

The musical score in the drama is also amazing, and as a drama based on an idol group they did a fabulous job with song choices and performances.  The music continually rings in your ears and even if you don't speak Korean you find yourself humming along.  The best thing about You're Beautiful is that you can enjoy yourself from beginning to end without the tortuous and treacherous love story line.  It is the perfect comedy to warm the cockles of your heart.  That's not to say you won't shed a few tears, because I've found that no matter the genre most K-dramas have a knack at pulling on those emotional cords.  

My one issue with You're Beautiful has nothing to do with the storyline, directing or performance.  Believe it or not, it's all about the fashion.  I really had a hard time handling the hair styles (especially Tae Kyung's) and the clothes they forced the characters to wear.  I think that is based on a cultural difference, I just found the whole wardrobe over the top for my taste.  Yet, despite my dislike of the fashion I suppose it suited the image the idols were supposed to have, so then again it might just be appropriate.  Hmm, what was my point again?  I guess it's not important.

For me You're Beautiful is an exceptionally well compiled artwork that I never tire of watching.  It's the perfect musical and comedy combination.  An exciting summer watch and great to spread the love with.  On the Bel scale it get a 5 star rating.  

According to Bel:  Have a laugh because you are beautiful.

Not so Sorry, I Love You

Let's leave sageuk dramas for a moment and take a look at another interesting genre- the Korean melodrama. In my opinion, it is a fact that no one does melo better than South Korea.  There is tension, angst, pain and stress.  It moves you to tears and just when you think you've given the drama all of you, it takes just a little more.  After such a harrowing experience you would think the audience would give up and leave it alone.  NEVER.  You go back yearning for more.  Because of this, today we look at what is one of the favourite K-drama melos rotating in dramaland: "I'm Sorry I Love You".  There seem to be a million reviews in K-drama land on this drama already, but I can't be left out of the mix so here is my 50 cents.

SPOILER ALERT:  THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SEVERAL SPOILERS.  AVOID IF YOU HAVE NOT YET WATCHED THE DRAMA.

Referred to by many as "MISA" because of the Korean title-Miamnida Saranghae, I'm Sorry I Love You introduces you to a doomed love relationship.  Basically, it says it all in the title, doesn't it?   We are introduced to Cha Moo Hyuk (So Ji Sub) a Korean living abroad in Australia.  He was adopted by an Australian family but was abused by them and has ended up on the streets.  He lives his life as a con and a gangster of sorts without any real ambition or focus in life.  He has learnt Korean through his girlfriend (Choi Yeo Jin), and seems happy to lead an unfocused life. 

Then we meet Song Eun Chae (Im Su Jung) a manager for the famous idol Choi Yune (Jung Kyung Ho) whom she has known all her life as her parents work as his mother's housekeeper and road manager.  She is also secretly in love with him although he just sees her as a sister.  He enlists her help in courting his co-star Kang Mi Joo (Seo Ji Young) in a MV, and of course, as the loyal friend, she complies.  While Yune is off with Mi Joo, Eun Chae meets Moo Hyuk after she is conned by his fellow gangsters.  He ends up helping her get back her luggage which was taken and the journey of a series of interactions begin from that point on.

Moo Hyuk's current girlfriend leaves him to marry a mob boss and at their wedding Moo Hyuk is shot in the head while saving her.  The bullet cannot be removed as it is a life threatening position.  The kicker is that with the bullet in or out, Moo Hyuk has a limited time left on this earth, at most a year.  His ex-girlfriend who feels sorry for him gives him a large amount of money and tells him to go back to Korea.  He complies and slowly searches for his family.   What he discovers is not at all what he expected.  His mother was not a destitute woman with no choice but to put her child up for adoption, she is a famous actress and Yune's mother, making them brothers. (Of course K-dramaland would go there wouldn't it.  I mean what love triangle isn't awkward enough without having siblings fall for the same girl). 

Moo Hyuk also learns he has a twin sister, who is mentally challenged after being injured in an accident.  Overall nothing looks bright.  Due to anger for his mother and his current situation, Moo Hyuk plots to take revenge by destroying the happy life of his mother and brother.  He becomes Yune's road manager and the two bond and become close, while Moo Hyuk slowly plots his brother's downfall.  All the while, Eun Chae and Moo Hyuk become closer and closer.  A series of miscommunications and misunderstanding exist between the two as Eun Chae finds it hard to let go of her life long obsession with Yune, though she feels an attraction to Moo Hyuk.

Through the slow and intense journey, we see a love bloom in the midst of a situation that can have no happy end.  Moo Hyuk is dying and as we watch him struggle with his impending death in solitude (he tells no one in Korea that he is dying), the audience is taken on a world wind emotionally as we see Moo Hyuk falls ill physically, collapses, and behaves erratically due to bullet in his brain.  It is heartbreaking to watch that as he suffers those around him take these changes to be his "bad" and "wild" personality, treating him without feeling or concern.  This is especially poignant in Eun Chae's treatment of Moo Hyuk.  When Yune falls seriously ill and Moo Hyuk asks Eun Chae if he should just give Yune his heart, since Yune seems to be the only person she cares for, she agrees with him out of anger and even orders him to die so that Yune can survive.  I find it is a classic example of people saying things that they don't mean, but more importantly it looks at the value of the words we say.  Sometimes we say things in anger, however, the result of that anger is never truly known.

I'm Sorry I Love You is an intense drama and not suitable for everyone.  It is heart-wrenching and tear jerking from beginning to end, because you cannot escape the fact that Moo Hyuk is living with a death sentence hanging over his head.  No matter what progress this lead couple makes, we know the story will not end happily ever after, and I find that is what makes the drama stand out more for me.  Also, by the time Eun Chae realises that Moo Hyuk is dying and wants to be with him, he is content to push her away.  The time spent between the couple as Moo Hyuk slowly worsens is the descent of the drama into the valley of despair.  Eun Chae wants to make memories with Moo Hyuk to recall him after death, and he is determined that she forgets him.  As such, when she takes pictures of him while he sleeps, she awakens to find the pictures erased from her camera.  Representing Moo Hyuk's attempts to erase himself from her life.

Even though the heartbreaking romance is a powerful part of the drama, the realisation made by Moo Hyuk that his mother did not intentionally abandon him or his sister is a damaging blow.  It is as if the effort he has been putting into his last moments of life have been wasted, causing the viewer's heart to ache even more for him.  Also, when he informs his sister and his young nephew that he is going to buy them a shop, but will have to leave them forever, the realisation made here by his family that he is going for good and the tears shed as they beg him not to leave them, cuts me to the core.  It is through the eyes of these two childlike minds that the pain of loosing someone close to you becomes the most intense and hurtful.

In terms of the tempo and speed of the drama, it is a lot slower than your typical K-drama, in fact, I found it took a while to build up the pace, however, I think that pacing and timing were chosen for a reason, because for Moo Hyuk time seemed to stretch on, or he tried to make it stretch on for as long as possible.  I think what also makes I'm Sorry I Love You so immensely popular is the ending of the drama.  It is one of those stories that stay with you, hurting you to the core every time you recall it.  I haven't re-watched it since the first time I viewed it, but that is not because it was a bad drama, it is simply that I cannot take the journey more than once in a short space of time.  

So Ji Sub is known in K-drama fandom as a man stuck in treacherous and tortured love and  I believe I'm Sorry I Love You was the start of all of that.  His role is so simply played that you feel the pain and torture of the character.  The character is seemingly already dead, but just existing and it is that portrayal that So Ji Sub has captured exquisitely.  Im Su Jung's character for me as the naive girl obsessed with the friend is not my favourite kind of K-drama heroine, but she was the kind of personality needed for this drama, as such she played her role well.  My issues with the character cannot negate a stellar performance by the actress. 

On the Bel scale of drama I'm Sorry I Love You receives 3.5 out of 5..  Since I am unable to re-watch it easily points have to be deducted, since for most K-dramas no matter how harrowing, if I enjoy it I can return to it.   I'm Sorry I Love You does not allow me to do that because I cannot handle it. If you haven't see it yet, prepare for an emotional journey that you might not recover from.  Hold on to your box of tissues and call a friend over for moral support, because you will need it to get through the journey together,

According to Bel: It's a heartbreaker.  Prepare to be moved. 

King Gwanggaeto- The Great Bore

YAWN!!!  Yeah that's about as good as it gets for King Gwanggaeto- The Great Conqueror from me.  I am sorry KBS, but I always find your historical dramas more drawn out than MBC.  Just my preference though I guess.  This drama was way too long for the storyline that it was telling and I think that was it's biggest flaw.  It started out so rushed and confused, which I found extremely disappointing considering it had 92 episodes in total.

We begin with an aging King narrating his youthful exploits as he struggled to protect his people and his nation, he then in turn takes a huge calligraphy brush and proceeds to etch some huge Chinese characters which I assume read the country's name.   We then head to the past and meet Dam Deok as a regular prince and the Ghost General for the Gorguryeo empire.  Now I love a good tale on Gorguryeo, based on my tracking of Jumong and Daemushin and of course the Hodong tortured love from Ja Myung Go.  He fights to protect his country and family with his excellent military skills and we begin in an already conflict filled war between the nations on the plain trying to obtain their own power. 

I initially thought, they would take us further back to childhood to see how they got to this point, after all with a 92 episode count there is plenty of time for that, however, that never materialised.  We continue to watch as Dam Deok goes from being a regular, prince, to crown prince, to king.  He goes through a series of difficult situations including internal conflict within the court, after all it wouldn't be a sageuk drama without those elements of people working for the royal court trying to control the royal family in order to get more power for themselves. There is even the issue of Dam Deok's marriage as a means of gaining power and control over him, an fascinating military coup, and a power struggle for Dam Deok to assert himself.  At times I also shed a tear when certain characters passed away. 

However, I find that after Dam Deok became king the drama took a turn towards the monotonous and boring.  It was all war, war, war, war.  Whether with the Houang, the Khitan, the Mughals, Baekjae, or Silla, it was constant war.  Dam Deok would do something, the other countries would retaliate, and then another country would form and alliance and it was a process that repeated continually.  There was no intrigue to mystery, no more character development, no love story, no heartache, just plain and simple war.  20 episodes straight with no real plot development, only Dam Deok giving inspiration words about the protection of his people being paramount, and then his followers realising how "wise" he is.  It lost me along the way.  It got the point where I skipped ahead a few episodes to see if it would make a difference, and it felt like if there was no change.  I missed one war and was then in the mist of another.

For me, I enjoy sageuk's to tell a tale.  It is the development of the characters and their growth  from weak individual to strong one.  A leader that is faced with turmoil and overcomes this to lead his people confidently.  While King Gwanggaeto does have this, it looses its focus along the way.  What I find most interesting was that the drama was slated for longer broadcasting.  This is one time I have no idea why.  Perhaps it is due to my lack of deep knowledge of Korean history that I could not relate to this drama, however, that was not the case for Jumong: Prince of Legend.  Though that too began with Jumong as an adolescent, I found the tale to be coherent.  I could watch Song Il Gook transform from a playboy weakling, to the powerful first king of Gorguryeo, and support him as I watched.  In the case of DamDeok, I didn't really care.  There was no fascination or connection to the character.

For me it was not worth my time and effort to watch it.  I finished it by simply skipping through the later episodes.  So on the Bel scale it gets 1 out of 5.

According to Bel: It's not worth 92 hours of your life.

Jumong: The Prince of Legend and so much more

Have I mentioned that I love sageuk dramas?  Jumong: The Prince of Legend is globally renowned and I know exactly why.  It contains everything.  It is a well told tale of one man's growth from errant fool to omnipresent king.  It will make you laugh, cry, cheer and dream.  

I found my way to watching Jumong, simply based on its popularity globally.  At 81 episodes, I thought, nah not for me, but then I figured it was the equivalent of four seasons of Bones so why not.  I am glad that I made time to watch it.  After watching this drama I did some research into the real Jumong, and found out that his birth was giving a mystical feel as he was hatched from an egg.  He is seen as the person who paved the way for modern Korea's birth.  In this particular drama, he is humanised quite a bit, which I prefer.  He is the son of a General of Buyeo Hae Mo Su and Lady Yoo Hwa.  His father is "killed" after the king of Buyeo fears his strength and sees his as a threat to his son's future as crown prince.  The Crown Prince Geum Wa, however, loves and respects Hae Mo Su, and they are great friends.  

Upon Hae Mo Su's death, Yoo Wa learns she is pregnant and Geum Wa , who is also in love with her, decides to take her in as his second wife claiming her son Jumong as his own.  We jump ahead to decades later, when Jumong is the weak third child of now King Geum Wa, overshadowed by the power and strength of his older brother Prince Dae So.  Jumong is happy to lead his life without a care in the world and without much seriousness.  However, things begin to change, when the three brothers, (Prince Young Po- Geum Wa's second son) are giving an assignment to go on the pilgrimage to the country's sacred treasure.  The elder brothers plot to kill Jumong and almost succeed, however he is saved by the beautiful and tough So Suh No, who is the daughter of a travelling merchant.  The whole idea of fate is again established here, since we saw in the past that Jumong's father, Hae Mo Su, had saved So Suh No's family on the night of So Suh No's birth.  

Through her help, Jumong makes his way to the sacred treasure on his own, after his brothers have been and gone.  The mission was simply to pay homage to the bow, but each of the brothers attempted to string the bow as well.  Both Dae So and Young Po were unable to string the bow, however, Jumong does it with ease.  He then proceeds to break the bow.  This is the start of the issue of destiny.  Jumong returns to Buyeo with the knowledge that he has destroyed a national treasure and his brothers have tried to kill him.  He now knows he must be weary.

The journey begins from this point as Jumong slowly transforms from the weakling to a man with a purpose- survival.  He is banished from the palace for a mistake on his part, and "abandoned" by his mother so that he can grow up.  In the outside world, he meets a group of loyal supporters and slowly builds up his abilities.  Perhaps, one the most poignant parts of the storyline is that Jumong is then in turn trained by a mysterious blind man, who aids him in becoming an exceptional swordsman and fighter.  The knowledge gained from these experiences open Jumong's eyes and he becomes the man that he is destined to be.

The epicness of Jumong is expanded through the fact that all avenues and paths that he takes on his journey lead him to the path of becoming a great King.  From the time he was born, when a soldier attempted to kill him, that soldier was mysteriously struck dead by lightning, or as he made his journey, little parts of his heritage assist him in reaching his goal.  The audience admires and supports Jumong along his way as he takes the honorable and righteous approach, while other characters namely, Dae So take the darker path.

Of course, Jumong follows the typical sageuk drama issues of political conspiracies with alliances and allegiances shifting and changing.  However, for me what makes Jumong stand out are the interactions between characters.  Jumong's men are loyal to him and with good reason.  There is camaraderie in the ranks that lasts a lifetime, and it is a friendship born through trust and experiences together.  Perhaps one of my favourite scenes is when Jumong punches his three most loyal followers for running off to rescue his captured wife.  His reason for being angry with them is shown when he says:

"How am I supposed to go on and achieve my great mission if I sacrifice my three brothers in the process?"  

EPIC!!!!!!  That is the kind of stuff that sets Jumong apart.

The love story between Jumong and So Suh-No is also one of the best parts of the drama.  Although, it is not entirely historically correct, it doesn't matter.  It makes the story more personal.  Jumong and So Suh-No's love and trust of each other is such a balanced one.  She is a woman who can fight for what she wants and support him along the way.  Even when they are separated by "fate" (I hate that word) so I will use circumstances beyond their control, they both continue to support each other.  Though the love evolves and changes with time, it still remains a mutual respect and admiration between the two.  The saying behind every great man is a greater woman, is clearly proven in the relationship between Jumong and So Suh-No.  

My one issue with Jumong, as a drama, was the use of his first wife Ye So-Ya.  I know that she had to be included to be historically accurate, but the way she was presented in the drama is a sore point for me.  Their entire marriage and pairing to me was one of pity and nothing more.  Jumong always had a sense of duty towards her and nothing more.  Also a woman of such a weak character should not be around a man with such great strength.  Perhaps, they made her character that way so that she was the polar opposite of someone like So Suh No's character, but I found that her role in the drama simply irritated me.  

On the casting side of the drama, I think all the actors and actresses selected played their parts extremely well.  Villains were good enough to hate and Heroes stood out like pinnacles of shining hope.  I mean Song Il Gook was just made for the role of Jumong.  I cannot even imagine any other actor portraying him.  His presence and aura was so commanding and domineering, that it impressed me.  He oozed the regal and proud stance of a leader who established a nation.  Han Hye Jin gave a phenomenal performance as the beautiful but strong So Suh No and Kim Seung Soo was the perfect villainous Dae So.  It was great cast selection.  Also, cinematically, there was beautiful scenery and surroundings.  The archery within the drama is probably the highlight of my entire drama experience.  The epic background music whenever Jumong was about to achieve something major helped to build the moment to the perfect crescendo, and the excitement it created was phenomenal. The directing on this drama was also amazing, especially with the choreography of the fighting scenes. 

It was well worth the time and effort to watch this drama, for a tale and experience that was well crafted and told.  It was a pleasure to watch.  For that it gets a 5 out of 5 on the Bel Scale.

According to Bel:  It's a must watch.

A Story of Self-Destruction was never more Beautiful

Princess Ja Myung is another one of those sageuk's that I just can't let go of.  I wouldn't say that it is one of the best directed or constructed K dramas, but it has that one element, which I thrive on from time to time ANGST.  This drama is packed from beginning to end with extreme tension, heartache, pain, turmoil and suffering.  Sounds horrible right?  Wrong.  It is the story of doom and it tells the tale of that doom exquisitely, making no qualms about it.  It is referred to as the story of self-destruction, and I kid you not, there is not a more adept title than that.

Princess Ja Myung is based on the Korean mythology of the Ja Myung Go (Ja Myung drum).  In the mythology, the daughter of the King of Nak Rang, Princess Lahee falls in love with the son of the King of the neighboring Gorguryeo, Prince Hodong.  For her love of Hodong, Lahee chooses to tear the ja myung drum which protects her country and people from attacks of other territories, as it mystically sounds an alarm to warn against the attacks.  In destroying the drum, she essentially destroys their line of defense against the enemy and NakRang falls to Gorguryeo.  This drama adapts the mythology and suggests that Ja Myung was a real person and not just a drum.  She was in fact the younger sister of Lahee and a Princess of Nak Rang as well.  The love story then shifts from a love story between Hodong and Lahee, to one of a love so strong and so impossible between Hodong and Ja Myung. 

WARNING!!! MULTIPLE SPOILERS AHEAD!! RUN NOW, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DRAMA!!!

Lahee and Ja Myung are born on the same day, but to different mothers (problems always arise when men have multiple wives, you see why I tend to take issue with polygamy in dramas), anyway, Lahee's mother is the second wife and she of course wants to gain more power than that afforded to a second wife.  Therefore, she seduces the mystic in the village into proclaiming that one of the daughter's will cause the destruction of the nation and the daughter Ja Myung is labelled as the threat.  As a result, the second wife stabs her with a coral pin.  Before the baby dies it is shipped off on a boat into the middle of the sea so that it's fate is left to the spirits, as neither mother or father can bare to kill the child themselves.  

Miraculous (as things tend to go in TV land), the baby manages to survive, despite being stabbed in the heart with a poisoned pin.  She was not sent off to sea alone, but with the son of her mother's trusted lady in waiting, who had been killed by the second wife earlier.  Anyway, this baby is raised in a circus, while the other is raised by the first wife as her own, since husband gives her the other daughter to make up for loss of first.  (Yes, I know its illogical, but deal with it). Through a series of varying circumstances including the second wife killing her own brother, in order to put her husband on the throne, the two girls grow up leading very different lives.  One as a circus performer, the other a princess.

By the time they reach adulthood, the circus performer has learnt martial arts skills and is the adept fighter, but is determined to make her way back to Nak Rang and discover who she is.  On her journey there, she encounters Prince Hodong, who is plagued by his own sets of troubles as we see, that although he is the eldest son of the King, he is met by great opposition in being proclaimed crown prince due to the fact that his mother was from a different country.  He is basically not safe in his own home, as his step mother the current queen attempted to kill him as a young boy.  As such, he too has become a skilled fighter, depending on his marital arts ability to stay alive.

On an assignment to Nak Rang, he has made it his mission to seduce the Princess Lahee as per his father's wishes, since after all his father will one day rule Nak Rang.  With Lahee, it is all sweet words, and the art of seduction, bewitching the naive in love princess who is accustomed to gaining everything she wants.  On the way-side, he stumbles upon Ja Myung known as Puku at that moment, and through some strange circumstances she becomes one of his body guards.  Of course, as per K-drama rules, proximity between members of the opposite gender leads to romantic feelings developing and the viewer sees the love grow between Hodong and Puku.  A situation intensified by Puku's rescuing of Hodong from a near death experience after his step-grandfather and step-mother, sent troops to kill him.  Puku almost dies to save Hodong and as such they become forever intertwined.  Of course, Hodong's mission is still to marry princess Lahee, after all it is his royal duty.  Here is where that issue of marriages for political reasons comes up and makes me think, ok, in this case more than one wife kind of makes sense.

Events unfold and changes take place, and Puku discovers she is Ja Myung, which makes her Lahee's sister.  It also means that Hodong is her enemy.  A lot of sacrifice and heart ache follow, as these three deal with an impossible situation that cannot end happily.  Anger and jealousy emerges, and tensions ride high, resulting in several cases of poisoning and attempted murders.  It is a drama filled with threats of death, danger and uncertainty, yet what I love most of all, is that throughout all of this, the love that blossoms between Ja Myung and Hodong is so intense and so real.  Every step they take closer to each other brings them closer to the tragic end, and every step away from each other leads closer to the tragic end.  There is no way to escape the tragedy that awaits them.  As such the story of self- destruction is all too clear.

I love the way that, the director has cleverly allowed the audience to determine when Hodong is being genuine and when he is being fake.  Everything in his relationship with Lahee is a lie of seduction to gain her trust and in turn get her to betray her people, while with Ja Myung, the safety and security, so lacking in his life he finds with her, and their relationship is one of the most intense and deeply real things to be seen.  It is so easy to dislike Hodong and then feel sorry for him and end up liking him.  His intensity and vileness is based on the cruelty of the life in which he grew up, and that allows the viewer to sympathise with him despite his harsh deeds.  In turn, his love for Ja Myung and his need for someone to truly care for him is understandable, but his conflict between his love and duty is a terrible price to bear.

My issue with the drama was that it had the feeling of being incomplete.  It became clear why this feeling existed, since the drama was originally slated to have 50 episodes and only aired 39.  The broadcast station was not receiving the ratings it wanted and it was decided to end the drama early.  This therefore led to a conclusion that was chopped together and not fully explored.  Now, don't get me wrong, the ending left a strong and lasting impact.  In fact, the intensity and impact of that drama has not been surpassed by any K-drama for me.  I am a fan of the dramatically tragic end in a tortuous love story, because in my book there is no other way for a forbidden love to end, and boy did Princess Ja Myung deliver that.  I would just have preferred that some other arches that were opened in previous episodes to be fulfilled, especially in a drama that started from a point in the future and then reverted to the past to build up to that point.  The present shown, and the present reached were slightly incoherent, but I can forgive the drama this flaw, since it filled me with enough tension and angst to last a lifetime. 

In terms of the acting, I think all of the actors did a phenomenal job and the pairing of Jung Ryu Won (Ja Myung) and Kung Kyung Ho (Hodong) was a great choice.  I thought they were great together, fighting for their tragic love.  I also enjoyed Park Min Young as the spoilt and privileged Lahee.  I disliked her character thoroughly, which meant she was portrayed well.  The choreography as also exceptional, with intense fighting scenes that were beautifully performed and executed, of course the flying around and jumping can have a slightly unrealistic feel, but in this drama it worked with the fantasy element. 

Despite all of its flaws, Princess Ja Myung remains on my top list of Korean dramas and it earns a 4 out of 5 on the Bel Scale.  I recommend it only if you enjoy heart-wrenching and tortured dramas.  It is definitely, not a drama for everyone.

According to Bel:  Approach with caution, but worth it, if you do seek it. 

King 2 Hearts: Love is a Battlefield, but we can win the War.

I know, I know, I am rattling these off like wildfire, but I seem to be on a role tonight, so I will write until I feel tired.

At the moment I am also sticking to K dramaland, since I have seen quite a few K dramas recently.  All I can say is, that it's an addition.  Once you start, you can't seem to stop.  So here we have "The King 2 Hearts".

One look at the title and you go, WHAT?  Based in a fictional modern world, where South Korea still possesses a royal monarchy. In 2012, we find ourselves in the mist of the royal family made up of King Jae Kang (Lee Sung Min), who's successor is none other than his younger brother Crown Prince Lee Jae Ha (Lee Seung Gi).  ( I love how Korean families tend to name their children with similar characters, it seems to reflect such coherence and closeness, but I digress).  King Jae Kang is the responsible older brother, who you know that you can depend on to confidently rule the kingdom and look out for the benefits of the people, while Crown Prince Lee Jae Ha is the 30 year old playboy without any focus or direction (or is he really?)

The story centres around the topic of Korean unification, which has been a recurring theme in several K dramas and movies throughout the years, but in this particular drama, North and South Korea are attempting to join forces to create a joint military team for the upcoming and fictional WOC games (I really never did catch what the acronym for the games means).  It order to effectively promote the unification, older brother Jae Kang tricks Jae Ha into participating.  It is at this joint training that Jae Ha meets the tough North Korean officer Kim Han Ah (Ha Ji Won).  It is from there that the journey begins as these two from opposing sides of the 38th parallel fall in love have to work together to secure that love.

Overall, The King 2 Hearts is a beautiful, typical and romantic story, set in what is probably the most unlikely scenario, a real battle field.  They say that love is a battle, in their case it literally is.  Ever development in their relationship is countered by the repercussions not only between the two, but between two nations desperate for peace, but unable to achieve it.  The lack of trust, questions of support and loyalty that plague all couples in relationships are amplified by a gazillion when one realises that these difficulties not only apply to them, but to their countries.

Upon initial inspection of the drama's background, it would seem that it is an intense and heavy drama all about a political situation, but that is not the case.  The dynamics between Lee Seung Gi and Ha Ji Won are off the charts, and sizzling with chemistry, so much so, that whenever they drink alcohol the audience is thinking what trouble are they going to get themselves into.  The romantic tension between the two leads at the beginning of the drama is conveyed with such depth and earnestness, that one cannot help but support the budding romance between them.

Lee Seung Gi was once again playing the role of an entitle rich boy, who evolves into a man with a deeper heart and warmer personality than we originally gave him credit for.  I don't think it gives too much away to note that Seung Gi's character becomes King after his brother's death, since as the title King of the drama, he must at some point assume that crown.  What is great about Jae Ha's character is that we get to see him evolve from the entitled idiot, to becoming a better king than his brother was.  That is not to discount the strength and value of Jae Kang, in fact, there is no doubt that Jae Kang shaped Jae Ha, into becoming the king that he was.  The personality traits are what define them in terms of being better kings.  Jae Kang was too "nice" to be a truly great king,.  Jae Ha, is just "bad" enough to be a great king. 

Ha Ji Won's character of Kim Hang Ah is also a vital person.  She becomes the support needed for a King like Jae Ha.  While he is the brains, she is the brawn (not that she isn't smart as well), but I just love the fact that while Jae Ha is good at scheming and plotting and finding the next way to handle his opponents, she is able to go in and kick some butt all on her own, without needing to be rescued.  Jae Ha and Hang Ah are two halves of a whole, without one, the other does not reach its full potential, and I love that about the drama.  There relationship becomes such a strong metaphor for the country of Korea as a whole.  From my studies of Korean history, the issue of separation between the North and the South is always seen as a weakness for the whole Korean.  Mirroring the relationship between Jae Ha and Hang Ah, the two nations are simply not complete without each other.

Regardless, of all those metaphors and analogies, The King 2 Hearts excels because of the acting of its amazing cast.  Of course, the leads were fantastic, but the performance of Jo Jung Suk as the loyal guard Eun Shi Kyung has got to be my favourite character.  His unwavering faith and loyalty to a crown prince who became king was both moving and uplifting.  He is the man behind the king, believing in his abilities, even when the king does not.  For Jae Ha entering the role of King, one that he never wanted, having someone like Eun Shi Kyung was vital.  He too helped to shape the unworthy crown prince from a boy to a man.  The youngest of the royal family, sister Jae Shin (Lee Yoon Ji) was also fantastic.  Her strength of character and perseverance were inspiring, not to mention the Queen mother played by Yoon Yeo Jung.  Her portrayal of the difficult path of a mother in a royal family was exceptional.  A steadfast matriarch and the most important family of the country, she was an excellent choice for the role.  As for the resident bad guy.  John Mayer a.k.a as Bong Gu was creepy and nuts.  It is never a good thing when your enemy is a psychopath.  Although, I guess things even out when you are apparently one as well.  What I loved about the Jae Hae, his ability to go toe to toe with an evil mastermind, by simply being your witty self.  The characteristics which made him a carefree playboy, helped to shape his ability to be a phenomenal king, and that is perhaps why his role as king is better than that of his older brother groomed and shaped for the role. 

Though the acting was phenomenal, it could not have been achieved without an great script and good directing.  Therefore, great appreciation also goes to the production crew.  Though, there are many takes as to why the title is "The King 2 Hearts", I tend to settle on the romantic side of things, that the king is torn between his love for a North Korean woman and his duty as a South Korean king.  

The King 2 Hearts is a romantic, fantasy drama that touches you at the heart, while thoroughly entertaining you.  For that reason I give this drama a 4.5 out of 5 on the Bel Scale and I strongly recommend it.  The strong acting, and great performances leave a lasting impression.

According to Bel it's a definite hit.

Dong Yi: The Dawn of my Sageuk Journey

 

Dong Yi (English title Dawn) is perhaps my favourite sageuk (historical) drama from South Korea.  It was the first one I watched, and believe me, seeing 60 episodes when the longest K-drama I had dared to view was 30 episodes, it seemed quite a feat.  I kept hearing about Dong Yi over and over on internet pages, but the 60 episode total continually deterred me.  It was only until I realised that actress Han Hyo Joo, who had done such a phenomenal job in Shining Inheritance was in this drama that I decided to give it a go.  I LOVED it.  It exceeded all expectations.

The story of Dong Yi traces the journey of a young girl, from her slave roots to become a Royal Consort in the Joseon court of King Sukjong.  One of the things that deterred me from watching Dong Yi was the write up describing her as a royal concubine, and to be perfectly honest I was not a fan of stories dealing with polygamy no matter what time period it was in, but somehow in K-drama sageuk's I don't mind.  I don't know if its attributed to the writing, or greater understanding of history, but I accept it, and even more often than not, think it is better for them to have multiple wives than just the one, cause in these dramas they never love the first wife. 

There are always marriages of convenience or for political alignment.  That kind of selfishness and power struggling cannot lead to any happiness for anyone.  However, here I am ranting on something else, I need to back track.  As I was saying, the storyline of Dong Yi.  We watch, the girl transform from her humble roots as a regular slave, to a palace slave (a little more prestigious), to a palace investigator, to a royal consort, to the person 2nd in line to the throne after the Queen.  It is a phenomenal and heart warming journey.

Dong Yi's path to the position of Consort Suk is not an easy one.  It is filled with love, personal loss and several struggles.  As described by the seer within the drama,

"She is a child who has lost everything and will encounter seven major obstacles, if she can achieve those she will be the light of the future."

It is an exceptional tale of courage, with political schemes and plots.  Everyone is fighting for power, and the strong will not suffer the weak.  There is no one to be trusted, and a friend can easily become a foe.  Alliances change with the drop of a hat, and danger lurks around every corner, yet the warm and genuine presence of Dong Yi is such a shining light, that those who come to her side, are swept away. 

The same is done to the audience.  You are swept away in her journey, supporting her and feeling for her.  Every injury and failure brings you to despair, and every victory lifts you to new heights.  You fear for her safety and revel in her success.  But most importantly, you share in her love story.  I believe what truly makes Dong Yi stands out above all the other sageuk's that I have seen to date, is the romance between herself and King Sukjong.  It is friendship and mutual trust that grows into a powerful and deep love.  Not only is there deep romantic love, but other kinds of love.  The love between parent and child, brother and sister, friend and confidant, superior and subordinate. 

A litany of emotional scales are depicted in Dong Yi and one cannot escaped.  This drama grabs you at the emotional core and doesn't let you go.  Backed by a astounding OST and musical score that enhances each and every emotion, you are transported from the 21st century to the 16th Century Joseon period.  The stellar performances of Han Hyo Joo, Ji Jin Hee, Bae Soo Bin and Lee So Yeon drew you into the story and there was no escape.  Also the child actress Kim Yoo Jung, who portrayed the young Dong Yi, brought me to tears on several occasions and set the stage for pulling you into Dongyiverse (Not a real place).  From then on there was no escaping. 

The cinematography on this drama was also splendid.  There were beautiful shots in the rural parts of Korea, on cliffs, in traditional villages and within royal palaces.  The costumes were bright and colourful depicting the beauty of the Joseon era.  Although, not all elements were historically correct, these inconsistencies failed to raise any red flags as, the tale itself overpowered these issues. 

Dong Yi is the sageuk that has in something for everyone.  Mystery, Romance, Comedy, Thrills, Action, and so much more.  From episode 1 to 60 it is well written, well directed and well acted.  It is definitely worth your time.  I give Dong Yi the full 5 out of 5 on the Bel Scale.  All I can say is to grab a box of tissues and hold on to your hats, cause Dong Yi is the emotional roller coaster that you wont want to get off of. 

According to Bel: It's a smash hit.  So do enjoy it.

Ghost: The Cyberworld Of the Phantom

I am the first to admit that I did not know what to expect from the Korean Cyber drama "Ghost" which just concluded on the SBS station.  I have found in the past that dramas based on the American CSI and NCIS like programmes in K drama world tend to leave a lot to be desired and I usually do not enjoy them.  So what attracted me to "Ghost".  Simply put, So Ji Sub.  What can I say, he is a whole lot of pretty, and I am not ashamed to admit that I watched a drama solely based on an actor.  He was great in the 2011 movie "Always/ Only You" with Han Hyo Joo (Shining Inheritance, Dong Yi), not to mention the dramas of "I'm Sorry I Love You" and "What Happened in Bali".  He does that dark, mysterious look so well, and I mean look at that. 

That look while wearing a black suit, how could I not watch this drama?  Do I really need to say more about the pretty?  However, I was pleasantly surprised right from the start.  Episode 1 had me at the edge of my seat and as I was pulled into the world of cyber crime investigation, I found myself hooked week to week. No matter how many times, I tell myself to wait until a Korean drama has finished airing before I watch it, somehow I always fall into the trap of watching some of them while airing and suffering for the agonising torture of having to wait week to week.

A murder investigation, a hacker, and a mysterious criminal dubbed the phantom, not to mention the fantastic musical score from one of my favourite operatic pieces "The Phantom of the Opera".  Though of course, at times I was screaming at the detectives use your brains, this is obviously a trap, or that person is in danger, throughout the entire series I was at the edge of my seat filled with intrigue.  Not only was So Ji Sub great in this, but Choi Daniel's cameo performance was exceptional, as the genius hacker "Hades" I loved him thoroughly.  After all what is hotter than a guy on a computer breaking all the rules.  Kwak Do Won, whom I had never seen in any other drama before this, was also exceptional as "Mad Cow".  The audacious and tenacious police officer, who was still fun and interesting on the team.   Lee Yeon Hee  (East of Eden, Paradise Ranch) also blended in well, as the "Useless" but effective female cyber agent.  I was just thoroughly impressed with how the drama approached the issue of cyber crime, both instructing and intriguing at the same time.  All I can say is, I will never look at my PC the same again.

I have to admit, that with a hacking theme, this drama did cause me to cast my mind back to the Japanese drama of "Bloody Monday", however, besides the signature appearances of the hacker's secret handles such as "Falcon" in Bloody Monday and now Hades in Ghost, the dramas are on two different spectrum and that is where the similarities end. 

The use of the individual cases to further build on the larger case of finding the phantom was executed extremely well, and I enjoyed that we knew who the baddie was  and watched as the detectives came to conclusion.  It reminded me of those Columbo movies where you see the crime being committed and then watch as Columbo solves it.  In those instances, I really don't mind knowing the conclusion and working to see how it all fits together.

Ghost was a puzzle to solve.  Every episode added another piece to the story.   It was also fantastic writing that allowed for the elements of episode 1 to link back to the conclusion in episode 20, many police dramas in K drama world do not seem to do that. 

On the fan service side, for those of you, who wanted the ab shot that So Ji Sub is so well known for I am afraid it doesn't exist. Ghost is a serious drama, that shied away from not all the pretty.  Besides, him in a suit every episode was quite pleasing all on its own.  I mean the man is fine no matter what he wears.  Also those dark brooding eyes, that give that deliver the tortured strong silent type, don't require the usual skin shot.  For those looking for the melo and romantic storyline, I am afraid that you will also be disappointed on that front.  There was of course some romantic tension between the male and female leads, but the series was not about that.  I applaud the writers for not going there.  The show did not need it.  It was all about finding the phantom and avenging the death of those gone before.  I found that more fulfilling. If they wanted to make a season 2 and then throw in the romantic line there, I could live with that.  But for season 1, it was definitely better without it.

On a whole, I would have to say that overall "Ghost" gets a 4 out of 5 on the Bel scale.  I enjoyed the cinematography, acting and storyline.  Also, as the first K-drama action and crime drama on a non-cable channel that I have been able to watch without getting bored or lost, it gains extra points for me.  I definitely recommend it. 

According to Bel: Go enjoy some Ji Sub hotness, you know you want to.