“Absolute Boyfriend” (절대 그이)
At its core, “Absolute Boyfriend” isn’t about whether the female lead would choose a robot over a human being. Rather, it’s about longing for the robot’s human traits that are lacking in too many people today.
Tag: SBS
True Romance, “The Secret Life of My Secretary”
Leave it to South Korea to make a romantic comedy that revolves around a character who suffers from prosopagnosia. Say what? The condition is more commonly known as face blindness, which prevents the person from recognizing family members, friends and — sometimes — themselves. But such is the plot for “The Secret Life of My Secretary.”
Ko-Ko-What? No! It’s KOCOWA!
KOCOWA’s a streaming site that provides sub-titled Korean content within hours it airs in Korea. It’s perfect for K-Drama fans who hate waiting.
The Best of “Running Man”
Since it’s 2010 premiere in South Korea, “Running Man” has been a weekly favorite. Though the ratings aren’t as high as it was during its heyday, the show still has a strong following of Korean and international fans. It also survived the departures of original cast members Song Joong-Ki and Gary. Though it’s difficult to narrow it down to just a few favorites, here are 5 episodes that I enjoyed very much!
“It’s Okay, That’s Love” (괜찮아, 사랑이야)
“It’s Okay, That’s Love” is sold as a wacky K-Drama about a psychiatrist and a playboy celebrity author. And the first couple episodes did little to disprove that storyline. But as it progressed, the series laid out the plot in a beautiful, languid way that was full of love and heartbreak, before culminating in the kind of glorious truth that is both liberating and intoxicating.
“While You Were Sleeping” (당신이 잠든 사이에)
One of the things that I really love about Korean dramas is that many of them center around protagonists who knew each other as children — and reunite as adults. And such is the case with “While You Were Sleeping,” which follows a group of young adults who inexplicably see each other in their dreams.
“Pinocchio” (피노키오)
I was going to review “Pinocchio” simply as I would any other K-Drama. But I started to write this at the same time that Soon-Yi Previn broke her silence about her relationship with Woody Allen (her husband) and Mia Farrow (her adoptive mother, and Allen’s former long-time girlfriend) — and that affected my take on this Korean drama. Is it wrong for family members who aren’t biologically-related to have a romantic relationship? If you condemn Allen and Previn, can you condone the two lead characters in this series?
“I Hear Your Voice” (너의 목소리가 들려)
I finished watching “I Hear Your Voice” around the same time that I started “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food.” Both deal with older women/younger men plots, where the woman is about eight years older than her partner. The problem I had with “I Hear Your Voice,” though, is that the boy is a high school senior when the relationship begins. And while Soo-Ha certainly is more mature than Hye-Sung in many ways, he is still a teenager.
“Five Fingers” (다섯손가락)
“Five Fingers” is what I categorize as a “Melrose Place” series, where an evil character treats people like garbage, but viewers are expected to root for them, because they occasionally show signs of humanity. No. Just no!
“Suspicious Partner” (수상한 파트너)
A legal thriller filled with comedy and romance, “Suspicious Partner” is an addictive K-Drama that will keep viewers engaged. Don’t let the 40 episodes put you off. Each episode is less than half an hour long. And the plot is so engaging that the 20 hours goes by quickly.
“Loving You a Thousand Times” (천만번 사랑해)
The heroine of this Korean drama is the epitome of a long-suffering doormat, whose life would’ve been so much better if she grew a spine and stood up for herself. Instead of being guilted into giving up her hard-earned money — that she had ear-marked for returning to college — to her ungrateful older half-sister, who is “studying” overseas in the United States; or giving up her own body, so that she can pay for her father’s surgery; or letting virtually everyone treat her like a servant … Eun-Nim just swallows her pride and accepts it as her life.
“The Heirs” (왕관을 쓰려는자, 그무게를 견뎌라-상속자들)
I always viewed “The Heirs” as a much-better followup to “Boys Over Flowers.” Park Shin-Hye and Lee Min-Ho share amazing chemistry as the lead couple.
“Running Man (런닝맨)”
The combination of slapstick humor and witty banter makes “Running Man” a fun viewing experience, even for those who don’t understand Korean. For instance, there is a recurring game where participants will stand in front of mike stands that are rigged to blast air in their faces if they answer incorrectly. My son, now 8, has no comprehension of what’s being asked, but he will search these episodes out to laugh at the slo-motion expressions on the cast members faces when they are “punished.”
“Doctor Crush” (닥터스)
“Doctor Crush” is full of bad characters full of bad intentions: the money-hungry father-son duo trying to take over the hospital; Ji-Hong’s uncle, who steals his inheritance and then dumps him off at an orphanage; Hye-Jung’s father, who abandons her; and even Hye-Jung’s raison d’etre for much of the series: revenge.
“My Love From Another Star” (별에서 온 그대)
Sold as a romantic comedy, “My Love From Another Star” definitely delivers on that front. But it’s also a wonderful story about true love, alienation and sacrifice.
“Ghost” (aka “Phantom”) (유령)
“My motto is, ‘Don’t believe anything with a mouth.'” That’s sound advice, coming from Kwon Hyuk Joo (aka Crazy Cow), the head of the cyber unit. And that’s also good advice when trying to figure out who’s telling the truth in this 2012 police procedural.
“The Master’s Sun” (주군의 태양)
As with many series, “The Master’s Sun” would’ve benefited from some judicious editing. Too much time is spent on whether or not this couple will get together. We all know they will end up together. That’s a given. The real meat of the storyline is Gong-Sil’s ability to put restless souls at ease. When she goes all Nancy Drew and he revs up his inner Remington Steele, they are perfection.