Rich Man, Poor Woman: Romance, Intrigue and so much more

I suppose it makes sense that the first Japanese Drama that I review stars Oguri Shun in the leading role, since he is by far one of my favourite Japanese actors.  So, Rich Man, Poor Woman is the first to make it on to my blog, but it won't be, by any means, the last.

Unlike K-dramas, J-doramas tend to have a shorter run time, ranging from 10 to 11 episodes and lasting 45 to 50 minutes.  While sometimes, it can feel as if the drama hasn't really delved into everything possible, it can also make for a well put together and compact tale.  Rich Man, Poor Woman falls under the well put together category.

Basically, the title is self-explanatory.  We have a rich man, Hyuga Toru (Oguri Shun), founder and C.E.O of Next Innovation.  It is the leading computer design company in Japan, growing daily and constantly producing new an innovative products.  It is at the forefront of its sector and full of promise.  Hyuga is the typical computer geek, meaning he is skilled in developing new technologies, but not so skilled in dealing with people.  He has zero tact, and his direct and to the point nature comes over as condescending and insulting to those around him.  Hyuga is a further enigma, due to a peculiar malady, which causes him simply forget the names of people he has met, or even worse, forget the people all together.  We witness this repeatedly and most clearly, through his assistant Yasuoka (Asari Yosuke) whose name he doesn't know even though Yasuoka has worked for him for a number of years.

Then, there is the poor woman, Natsui Makoto (Ishihara Satomi).  She is a final year Tokyo University student caught up in the massive job search of recent graduates.  She is a talented and bright individual with a photographic memory, however, she has been unsuccessful in her job search.  She attends a job interview at Next Innovation and is immediately dismissed with hundreds of other candidates, simply because Hyuga won't interview anyone who doesn't currently have three other job offers.  With no offers on her plate, something overcomes her and she rises in protest.  She gives a moving speech, but that has no effect on the tactless and socially repressed Hyuga.  Interestingly, she gives her name as Sawaki Chihiro, which strangely but, clearly has an affect on Hyuga.  Natsui, eventually makes it into the company on a trial basis, due to her ability to memorarise large amounts of data, and her presence further surprises everyone at the company when Hyuga remembers her name- Sawaki Chihiro.  It's an interesting twist, as we try to uncover why that name holds such particular importance to him.

Rich Man, Poor Woman is a definitely a romantic comedy, but there is so much more within this tale than simply the growth of love between two individuals.  We also look at the issues of friendship, trust and loyalty, as well as the deception and lies that make up the corporate world.  Hyuga's relationship with his business partner Asahina Kosuke (Iura Arata) demonstrates how cut throat the corporate world is, where a friend can turn to foe in a matter of seconds.  Furthermore, it wouldn't be a drama without some love triangle popping up along the way, and the other Asashina in the tale, Kosuke's sister, Yoko (Aibu Saki) fulfills her role to a tee, as the other woman that the viewer really dislikes and wishes she would just get out of the way so that the main pair can move forward.  Hehe.  

As is usually the case with J-drarmas starring Oguri Shun, it is funny, yet serious.  He always does a phenomenal job portraying that aloof business mogul, with a soft interior, who just needs the right woman to crack his outer shell.  It is well put together and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Therefore, Rich Man, Poor Woman get 4.5 stars on the Bel Scale.

According to Bel: It's a richly romantic tale that you won't want to miss.

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho: Nah, she's just a fox!

Appreciation for the work of sisters Hong Jung-Eun and Hong Mi-Ran, better known in K-drama circles as the Hong Sisters, continues with a look at their 2010 drama My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (Nine-tailed Fox). 

Fox Rain by Lee Sun Hee

When I watched this drama for the first time, it was for one single reason- Lee Seung Gi.  Yup!!! I loved him in Shining Inheritance and was eager to see him in another drama.  That led me to this Gumiho drama.  This drama is a melding of fantasy and reality with a whole lot of comedy.  It's what the Hong Sisters do best, and a thrill to watch.

We open a with a voice over of spoilt rich boy Cha Dae-Woong (Seung Gi), who explains that his girlfriend (Shin Min-Ah) is a beauty and all the men around him fawn over her and are jealous of him. Interestingly, we see that Dae-Woong is clearly scared of her.  Why?  Because she is a gumiho.

We are then taken to some earlier moment in time when Woong-ah (this is the name Miho will call him, and I kind of love it, so I'll use if from now on) is skipping his university classes to attend training in an acting school instead.  He has aspirations of becoming an actor in action movies and is secretly practicing to do so without his grandfather's knowledge.  Woong-ah  has been lying to his grandfather and using his university tuition to attend these classes. His grandfather Cha Poong (Byun Hee Bong) learns of Woong's deceit and a chase ensues, which ends with Woong's grandfather planning to ship him off to the military.

Woong, however, is pretty devious and manages to trick his grandfather and escape his impending fate in the military, while on a bathroom break, no less.  After escaping his grandfather, he finds himself in front of a temple, with no money and eventually no cell phone reception.  He finally manages to make a phone call, but unknown to him his phone battery dies.  He continues his conversation, only to discover that he is conversing with someone on a phone with no battery life.  He of course, is petrified and fears that a ghost is present.

The mysterious voice is in fact Miho (the name Woong will eventually call her) the gumiho.  She has been trapped in a painting for over a thousand years, and sees this as an opportunity to escape.  She convinces a scared Woong-ah, through a series of threats to draw  nine tails on the painting, which houses her.  He does, and after some magical woodoo, she is released her from her prison.  Of course, Woong-ah has long gone before he sees the affects of his deed, since fear had already overcome him.

His fear takes him into the forest and he falls from a cliff and is fatally injured.  Thankfully Miho  followed him and decides to save his life as thanks for his help.  She places her magical gumiho bead inside of him and it miraculously heals him.  Woong-ah awakens the next morning surprised that he is feeling quite normal, and not realising that he almost died the night before.  He is surprised by Miho and thinks that she is crazy and tries to avoid her.  She informs him, in a mater of fact way, that he will die if she leaves and takes her bead with her, but Woong-ah still considers her nuts and abandons her in the city, telling her that if she can find him, she can take her bead back, he doesn't care.  Of course, he is found and Miho reveals her nine-tails to him and takes back her bead, but rather than killing him, she decides to forgive him.  

Miho and Woong-ah therefore become intertwined as he is now her guardian.  She realises that threatening to eat him, guarantees that he will look after and care for her, which results in a round of hilarious "threats" against Woong-ah's life.  Miho is cute, funny and amusing as she learns to adapt to the modern world. 

There's a lot of other intriguing parts of the story including a gumiho hunter, and an annoying girl who wants to be the the only woman in Woong's life even if she doesn't want him.  However, before I ramble on further revealing every detail of the plot, the crux of the matter is that the tale of My Girlfriend in a Gumiho is based on Miho's quest to become human.  It is the one thing she dreams of: finding love, marrying and having a regular family.  So, we have a Little Mermaidequese journey taking place where the mythical creature wishes to become human, but there is obviously some cost for such a desire to be fulfilled.

The Hong Sisters did a marvelous job keeping this drama lighthearted and funny, while emotionally engaging.  I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between a human and a gumiho.  Furthermore, the typical Hong Sisters' puns, innuendos, allusions to other movies and dramas and their plain old Laugh out loud funny moments were in full swing.  For these reasons, I give My Girlfriend is a Gumiho a four stars on the Bel Scale.

According to Bel:  Enjoy being showered in the Fox Rain of Love.

Baker King: Who knew becoming a baker was such an arduos journey?

Baker King: Kim Tak Goo is the first "long" Korean drama that I attempted, and one that I enjoy to date.  Since I was introduced to Asian dramas via Japanese dramas, I welcomed the longer K-dramas which were often 16 to 20 episodes long.  I didn’t feel adventurous enough to watch anything longer, but I am glad that I did.  Quite simply Baker King: Kim Tak Goo is a tale of talent versus ambition.  Set in the 1980s, we are introduced to a chaebol (essentially rich business) family, where the father Goo Il Jung (Jung Kwang-Rhul) desperately wants a son to carry on his family name and business, but his wife continually gives birth to girls.  

Now the inner feminist in me says this is a load of crap, then I remember what time period it is set in, and things make sense.  It’s still a male dominated world, so I will forgive him this once.  The marriage between the husband and wife Seo In Sook (Jun In Hwa) is clearly not a happy one, as it is the typical marriage for business reasons and not love.  At least not love on the part of the husband.  The wife seems pretty head over heels for hubby.  Wifey is so desperate for a son that she heads to a fortune teller to learn of a method to get a son, only to learn that she and her husband are not destined to have a son together.  She is told that she can have a son but only with another man.  The kicker is that before said child is born, her husband will have a son with another woman.  Seriously, a fortune teller can see all of that?  Anyway, wifey to sleep with husband’s assistance Hang Seung-Jae (Jung Sung-Mo), who just happens to be head over heels for her.  Unbeknownst to wifey hubby has already slept with the daughters nanny Kim Mi-Sun (Jun Mi-Sun).   The result is the birth of our two main characters Kim Tak-Goo (Yoon Shi-Yoon) and Goo Ma-Joon (Joo Won). 

Baker King follows Tak Goo through a turbulent childhood, in which Seo In-Sook continually tries to kill him.  From the moment he was born, his mother had to go into hiding to protect him.  But, as is the norm in K-dramaland, young Tak-Goo (Oh Jae-Moo) cannot escape his fate as a baker's son.  He has a remarkable sense of smell, and a perfect palate.  He meets his father, by chance, and ends up living with him.  Young Ma-Joon (Shin Dong-Woo) is pushed into competition with Tak-Goo by his mother In-Sook.  Yet, the more Ma-Joon works to prove he is better that Tak-Goo, the more he falls short, since Tak-Goo has natural talent.  Tak-Goo on the other hand just focuses on being a good hyung to his donsaeng, but Ma-Joon does not give him the time of day. 

Meanwhile, In-Sook, who is furious with Tak-Goo's mother for sending him to live with them, uses Seung-Jae to dispose of her, and Tak-Goo watches as his mother is driven away and lost to him forever.  He chooses to leave his father's home and abandon his place as a baker in search of his mother.

When we finally meet Tak-Goo again, he is now in his 20s and a hooligan.  He has lived a hard and difficult life, but still continues his search for his mother.  This search leads him to Pal Bong bakery, where he believes the man who kidnapped his mother lives.  number of intense difficulties and hardships in order to achieve his destiny which of course is to become a baker.  Tak Goo is gifted with the sense of perfect smell, which in turn gives him a most discerning pallet, a skill that allows him to replicate baked goods simply based on their smell.  It is the idea of destiny that so many K-dramas love to present, but I think Baker King does it rather wells.  

Baker King is a heart breaking journey full of angst, tension and deception.  There is romance and passion, and a journey of growth and self-discovery that is phenomenal.  The friendships and bonds are nothing short of amazing and even our resident baddie Ma Jun pulls at your heart strings, so that you feel pity for him.  Tak Goo’s ability to remain positive despite the horrid experiences he faces in life give such hope and wonder, that in the face of immense misery you can still see the ray of hope.  

Overall, it is a well-rounded, well-developed and coherent tale. I enjoyed that I could watch the drama from beginning to end, and for the most part, it made sense.  All story lines were wrapped up quite well.  My one issue with Tak Goo, lies in the parents story line.  Well, mainly his mother.  I understand his search for her was a necessary part of the tale, but I found his mother's character annoying.  She was the typical weak woman in dramas, and although she got some spunk back towards the end, to me she was always so pitiful and I don't like it when characters are made in that way.

Not only was Baker King: Kim Tak Goo a thrill to watch, it also a temptation with bread being baked in almost every episode.  So prepare to be hungry when watching this drama.  It gets fours stars on the Bel Scale.

According to Bel:  It's a tasty drama.