L’ESCARGOT [TVB]

Written by Bridget Au

If there’s one lesson that L’escargot teaches, it’s that life sucks

SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title

“Kuet Jak Lam Lui”

Released In

2012

No. of episodes

30

Foreword

If there’s one lesson that L’escargot teaches, it’s that life sucks.  I think I need to watch some fluffy Taiwanese / Korean romcoms after this, because even though this series was an insightful, realistic portrayal of everyday life and relationships, it was also downright depressing.  

Review

I wanted to like this series, and I did… until the ending happened.  For once I wanted the predictable, happy ending or the poetic justice ending, but instead the ending here was the worst case scenario for me.  

It is easy to get emotionally involved in this series because it had a solid, promising premise with dramatic potential.  Thematically, the family struggles over their home and their complex relationships really hit home for me, and I suspect, for a lot of the audience as well.  Definitely one of TVB’s better series recently.    

On Characters

Lok is probably one of TVB’s most baffling characters.  A lot of it is the writing’s fault, as the scriptwriter seemed reluctant to make Lok into a full-on villain / mistress hell-bent on revenge against Dai Ding.  My take on Lok is that she had a crush on Jim, didn’t really know and wasn’t strong enough to act against it, which resulted in the cheating.  After she cheated, she realized that Dai Ding was the one she truly loved, which explained the immense guilt and the bathtub scene, which was a strong reflection of the guilt.  A big part of the guilt too was that she felt she disappointed her family, especially her older brother given the values she was raised with, which explains the heart-wrenching scene of him finding out and slapping her.  

What is confusing is everything that happens with her character afterwards.  It was hard to tell whether Lok ever really fell in love with Jim.  If she wasn’t, why did she accept the necklace from him?  If she was, how come Lok didn’t once question Jim’s love for her given that he was married until the third-last episode?  Unlike Dai Ding who wooed Joyce for revenge, it didn’t look like Lok wanted to take revenge at all.  Sure, she wore the necklace once to make Dai Ding mad, but she admitted that to Jim and that act could hardly have been for revenge because it was done in a moment of anger and was also provoked.  The nail in the inconsistency coffin was the confrontation scene between her and Jim’s wife.  Lok’s response to the accusation was “I’m not the one who isn’t leaving him alone, he is the one who won’t leave me alone… I’ve told him to leave me alone”.  Um, she never actually really rejected Jim, unless you count smashing the dollhouse that he gave her – and even then, she went back and apologized.  She lets him whisk her away to a private island, she dines with him, she even invited him to her house for coffee, fully knowing his feelings for her.  She never told Jim “you are married, I don’t love you, stop bothering me” until the series was almost over and she realized it was DD that she loves.  Yet, two episodes before that, she declared that she loved Jim?  A few episodes later, she decides it’s Dai Ding that she really loves.  I don’t know about you, but I was like “what da eff?!”  One can argue that she was so heartbroken over her breakup with Dai Ding that her feelings were all over the place, but the pacing was so off in this series that even that argument is hard to defend.  

It’s also hard to believe that Lok, who is supposedly someone who was raised with integrity (albeit committed a dire mistake in cheating against her fiancé, but at least she owned up to it in one of the most honest scenes with her older brother) would have willingly become a participant – even a passive one – in an affair.  Even if she was confused or heartbroken, even if she really loved Jim.  It would have been more logical and interesting to watch Lok had become more of a self-loathing character, launching herself into an affair with Jim, not for revenge against Dai Ding but because the guilt ate away at her.  But instead, the writer didn’t decide what to do with the character until the last episode, so none of the dots connect properly.  That is one of the biggest problems of this drama.  

Dai Ding started off as one of my favourite characters but quickly evolved into a jerk.  I did not like the way he basically toyed with Joyce’s heart, even though she knew what he was doing and was willing to go along with it.  I know a few fellow reviewers who disagree with me, but my interpretation of him was that it was Lok, it had been Lok, and it will always be Lok that he loves.  Maybe eventually he would grow feelings or even fall in love with Joyce, but even in the last episode I feel he still loved Lok.  To me, Joyce would always be second choice.  Yeah, I know that rhymes.  I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it.  That rhymes too.    

Anyway, to me Dai Ding and Lok spent a lot of the time confusing love with gratitude, and even in the end when they realized their true love, they were both too weak to try and make it work.  Neither of them were persistent enough to try and salvage their relationship, and too much hurt had happened between them, which I guess is the only part that makes sense with their love story.  But if that was the case, then why did Dai Ding end up with Joyce?  Both DD and Lok should have ended up alone.  

And that’s why the ending was depressing to me.  Lok ends up alone, even though from beginning to end DD and she were truly in love and all was revealed and forgiven at the end.  Dai Ding ends up with Joyce, which was definitely the head-scratcher.  Even when they started dating, DD had told Joyce “I’m not over Lok, but let’s try this and maybe I’ll forget about her”.  And they end up together!?  What the f-ck?!  Jim ends up back with the wife, but I saw it more as gratitude for saving his life, not out of love.  If Lok hadn’t completely rejected him near the end of the series (and maybe if he wasn’t in jail), I don’t believe for a second that Jim would have given up on her.  In the last episode, Jim never told his wife he loved her.  He only thanked her for being by his side the whole time and that she was the one who treated the best.  That’s not love, that’s gratitude.  

Both Joyce and Jim’s wife were second choices to Lok.  In a depressing way, that’s a pretty accurate portrayal of reality – so many times people settle or go with second choice because they can’t be with their first choice, or they desire companionship and stability so they end up with someone they may not passionately love, but still care about.  I’m a very all or nothing type of girl.  It’s first choice for me, or I would rather be alone.  Is that an idealistic view on love?  Maybe.  But that is my view and that’s why this series – especially the ending – bothers me.    

For awhile, Jim was another character who I couldn’t figure out.  It’s not like his wife is some socialite daughter, she was just some former actress and the series suggests that they initially married for love because at the time Jim wasn’t wealthy yet.  So if Jim was that much in love with Lok, then why not just divorce the wife and marry Lok?  To put it bluntly, it’s not like he needed the marriage and he didn’t seem in love with the wife anymore at all (despite what he says about being able to love two women at one time; I didn’t believe his statement – Jim just stayed in the marriage because Lok never accepted him).  

Besides, if the argument was that too much hurt happened between Lok and DD for them to reconcile, why doesn’t this logic apply to Jim and Man Wah?  Jim cheated as well; he is just as guilty as Lok for breaking a long-time commitment, and arguably worse because he didn’t just break an engagement, he broke a marriage.  Every single one of them should have ended up alone.  Yes, I know I’m a drama queen.  Like I said, it’s all or nothing for me.  

Wing and King (whose name is hilarious – one of the funniest scenes in the series was her introducing herself “Hello, I’m Book King” and Wing replies “What?  I don’t have a booking”) were almost cartoonish in a sea of serious characters.  Their story was also much too rushed and pretty much acted as filler to the main plot.

On was a very realistic portrayal of the big brother in Asian culture and reminds me a lot of one of my friends who is also the oldest in a family with four children.  In fact it was kind of disturbing how realistic the Kwan family is.  

On Acting

Did Ron Ng go on some acting course recently or something?  Because that 10-minute scene post-breakup was probably the finest acting moment of his entire career.  Unfortunately, the rest of his performance leaves much to be desired.  He’s his usual wooden self – not angry or vengeful enough in his scenes opposite Michael Tse, not mean enough in his insults toward Linda.  Maybe he was just possessed during the post-breakup scene.  However, he does make a pretty young couple with Linda.  I won’t lie.  I could hardly bear to watch the couple get broken up the way they did (even though I knew that was going to happen) because something about their relationship hits me personally.  Their relationship was sincere, lovely, and real in the sense that the two were the only ones each other had ever known and loved since youth, so the fact that they were torn apart was a tragedy of Greek proportions for me (the ending, the ending… BAAHHHH).  You know, the last episode where DD finds out Lok is leaving overseas?  For once, I was waiting for the classic airport-chase-reunion-hug scene.  And you know what?  TVB didn’t give it to me.  What did I ever do you to you, TVB?!  I’ve stuck with you through thick and thin, and the one time I want the airport scene, you don’t give it to me?!  I barely stopped from crying myself silly.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, Ron.  So he’s the usual Ron in this series, except for the post-breakup scene.  I would consider his performance ‘mediocre plus’.        

Linda Chung is my favourite young TVB actress, bar none.  I’ve seen every single one of her performances but it was A Journey Called Life that made me a true fan.  That performance not only trumped everything she ever did, but also demonstrated that she has the most raw acting talent out of most, if not all, of the fadans acting today.  Granted, she got a very well-written character in Journey, but it was Linda who really breathed life into the character.  She gets an imperfect character in L’escargot, but manages to do the most with her character in the first half of the series.  The terror when she realizes her older brother found out about her cheating, the way she looked at the dollhouse when Jim first gave it to her, her dejection when she sees DD with Joyce – all great acting moments.  Her scenes with Michael Miu were also enjoyable to watch.  Linda tends to have chemistry with most of her male co-stars, and she is believable in Lok’s respect and love for her older brother and sister-in-law.

Unfortunately, after Lok’s cheating, Linda’s performance becomes as inconsistent as her character.  For example, why was she smiling so happily in the star-watching segment?  This isn’t Meteor Garden where Dao Ming Si is giving you a shooting star necklace and professing his undying love.  Lok was supposedly at the lowest of the low at this point of the drama.  Even if she were to smile, it should have been a reluctant smile.  Same with the sunset-watching on the island.  Overall, not her best performance, but not her worst either.  

Sonija Kwok is robotic here.  She has two problems in this series.  Her face doesn’t register emotion and her voice is also automaton.  Make sure your fast-forward button works, especially for her scenes with the other robot actor (the guy who plays her boss).  

Michael Tse seems to be stuck in chok mode ever since Laughing Gor, and this series is no exception.  He choks his way through much of the first half of the series, and it isn’t until the last 10 episodes or so where he offers something different, such as his loving glances toward Linda and the subtle, demure guilt towards Joyce Tang.  

Oscar Leung, Mandy Wong and Him Law lend ample support to the drama.  Their best moment was definitely the explosive scene when they were arguing about the title of their family home.  Again, this situation hit very close to home and I suspect for many others, so this scene was one of the most memorable scenes in the entire drama.  Generally competent performance by these three.   

Considering JJ Jia comes from a variety show (she won the young-girl version of Beautiful Cooking so you know, if acting doesn’t work out for her she can always open a restaurant), she’s fine as the sweet-tempered, innocent Joyce.  Her Mainland accent makes it hard to believe that she’s Michael Tse’s sister, though.  

Michael Miu gets a relatively straightforward character to portray, and overall I think he does well except I don’t think he looked burdened enough.  On reminds me a lot of Gallen Lo’s Ivan from Golden Faith, and Gallen was able to give Ivan this burdened / weary vibe that flowed through much of the series.  Here, Michael is believable as the big brother role, 

Joyce Tang was a shocker, a complete 180 from the cute, earnest Mrs. Lam from Ghetto Justice.  In fact, she was almost scary in here, with the half-open eyes and daggers-in-smile expressions, and the quiet, soft voice.  She gave Man Wah a sinister edge, so sinister that I thought she was going to go psycho in the end.  And she has some daring, suggestive bed scenes with Michael Tse.  An excellent performance, in fact the best of the series.  

Who is the little girl who plays On’s daughter?  She was adorable and acted the pants off Sonija – fantastic performance.

To Watch or Not To Watch, That is the Question

No one is going to get the warm and fuzzies after watching this, and also not recommended for those who want a diversion from real-life problems.  Recommended if you want something to think about.  

Rating

3.5 out of 5 

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SUNNY HAPPINESS [TV][TW]

Written by Bridget Au
... at best it’s predicable, and at worst, forgettable

SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title
“Xing Fu Zui Qing Tian” (rough translation)

No. of episodes
25

Theme song
“Shang Re Kuai Le” (Happy Sad Day) – Angela Zhang (closing)


Cast
Mike He as Xiang Yun Jie
Janine Chang as Fang Yong Yong
Li Yi Feng as Xiang Yun Chao
Zhou Zi Han as Wang Lan
Li Jin Ming as Kong Xin Jie
Li Zhi Nan as Huang Si Han
Zheng Wei as Wang Nian Jie


Foreword
Don’t ask me why I chose this series to recover from Love Buffet, but I did.


Review
Have you ever felt like something was wrong or kind of off, and you just couldn’t quite put a finger on what it was? This series makes me think of those situations. Sunny Happiness is not horrible and yet it’s definitely not fantastic – at best it’s predicable, and at worst, forgettable. An underwhelming effort for people who need more practice, such as:

1) The Casting Team
I’m blaming these guys because a lot of why this series doesn’t work is bad casting. Zhou Zi Han as Wang Lan, for one, is a decade too old for Mike, and looks it too. Needless to say, they have no chemistry and their acting styles are polar opposites (Zhou being classic Mainland acting with a heavy accent and Mike trying too hard to emote). It was a horrible idea to pair these two because one is distinctly Mainland and the other distinctly Taiwan, with their kid being very Mainland. I swear I thought the plot would reveal that the kid wasn’t really Jie’s. Now that I think about it, it’s a pity that didn’t happen – it would have made the storyline way more exciting.


2) Mike He
Sorry, but I don’t applaud him for taking on this role as a challenge because it’s eons beyond his current acting ability. He has zero chemistry with the actor who plays his son, and isn’t convincing in the least as a future powerful CEO of a successful company. His crying scenes were painful to watch. I think I need to stop watching Mike He series.


3) Zhen Wei
He’s a kid so he has time to practice, and he needs it. Too pretentious, talks and behaves like he’s older than Mike, and yet not perceptive enough for an 8-year-old. He doesn’t look at all like Mike, which doesn’t help their storyline.

There are a few redeeming factors, such as Janine Chang… though even she is a square peg in a round hole here. It was much more comfortable to watch her as the ice queen in Wayward Kenting. However, I appreciate that she doesn’t try to act cute in SH because she naturally isn’t, as she is more ladylike than your usual Taiwanese pixie face. The result is that she infuses a character who is supposedly the mandatory Taiwanese bubbly, sweet girl, with a certain quiet elegance, which makes her performance an intriguing one.

The other redeeming factor? The closing theme (Happy Sad Day by Angela Zhang). Yay, sad pop music.

To Watch or Not To Watch, That is the Question
Strictly for Mike He and Janine Chang fans… or if you have nothing better to do with your time.

Rating
2.5/5

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LOVE YOU [TV][TW]

Written by Bridget Au
Grounded in realistic situations and emotions, the series is highly successful at showing that love gone wrong seriously sucks.

SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title
“Zui Hou Que Ding Ai Shang Ni”

No. of episodes
18

Year
2011


Cast
Joseph Chang as Jie Xiu
Rainie Yang as Xiao Ru
Kingone Wang as Yi Xiang
Tiffany Xu as Ai Wei
Wang Chuan as Jie Xiu’s mother
Tom Price as Rickie
Deng Jiu Yun as Peggy


Foreword
Proof positive that decent execution can make something that sounds lousy on paper into something watchable and entertaining.

Review
It’s official – Rainie Yang is back. I dropped her off my to-watch list after some recent cringe-worthy output (Miss No Good, Hi My Sweetheart), but Love You brings us the Rainie that the audience got to know and love from Devil Beside You.

As the second installment of the Fated to Love You manga trilogy, Love You’s plot is nothing far-fetched in the idol drama genre. Jie Xu (Joseph Chang) and Xiao Ru (Rainie Yang) accidentally get married after a drunken escapade following break-ups with their long-time significant others (a somewhat stale Tiffany Xu, whose selfish Ai Wei is more interesting on paper than in performance; and Kingone Wang as cheater-in-love Yi Xiang). They stay married for contractual reasons that are logical only in Taiwanese (or Korean) idol drama, and while each tries to salvage their respective broken relationships to no avail, they eventually repair their broken hearts and find love in each other. Can we get anymore clichéd?

It’s not all bad though. What sets this series apart from the usual idol drama is its portrayal of breakups. Grounded in realistic situations and emotions, the series is highly successful at showing that love gone wrong seriously sucks. Anyone who’s been in a relationship when things aren’t going great will relate to the moments of hopelessness, frustration, and ultimate heartbreak shown in this series. Fuelling much of the series is the acting by the two leads.


Readers have long realized that I’m pretty brutal when it comes to reviewing, so I guess I’ll say right here that when I first saw the poster for this series, I thought it was about a girl who falls in love with someone with a mental disability, because Joseph Chang looks like one in the poster. I know, I’m terrible. However, he does look better when he’s not static in a photo. In fact, of all the Taiwanese male leads, he looks the manliest and appears quite mature. Of course, that’s relative given the competition.


While Joseph is lacking a bit in the charisma department, he delivers in terms of acting. He looks intelligent and I believe him as an architect. Surprisingly, he has some chemistry with Tiffany Xu as well as Rainie Yang, and his performance here even hints at some comic talent. It’s the first time I’ve seen Joseph, and I would watch something with him again based on this performance.


Rainie Yang’s performance is a familiar one, reminiscent of her work in Devil Beside You, with the added bonus of less pouting and more acting in this series. She is relatable and honest here, and manages some very effective emotions in the earlier part of the series where Xiao Yu first gets dumped by Yi Xiang. One of her best performances to date, and easily the best since DBY.


I feel sorry for Kingone Wang, because he is actually a pretty decent actor but his (lack of) looks probably prevent him from collecting a legion of fans like his fellow male actors. I find his character’s ending in this series a bit disturbing – the whole concept of having to marry a girl despite the fact that you’re not in love with her and you’re marrying her just assuming that you will eventually fall in love with her is unsettling. Maybe this series is trying to teach a lesson that karma’s a b-tch and cheaters will always pay.


There’s no use pretending that at the end of the day, Love You isn’t a Taiwan idol drama, due to the unnecessary subplots, such as the paparazzi guy (portrayed by a super-annoying performance by the actor in the role) and Xiao Yu’s search for her biological mother, and caricature characters such as Jie Xu’s boss.


In terms of acting disappointments, they’re not lacking either. Tom Price is hilariously bad as Rickie, and his lack of chemistry with Tiffany suggests you should have your fast-forward button at hand for their scenes. Tiffany’s acting is still stiff and generally uninteresting. She’s lovely to look at but something about her doesn’t connect on an emotional level. She needs more practice as she is hovering dangerously close to being labeled as a flower vase. Den Jiu Yun, who portrays Peggy, is appropriately b-tchy in the role, although she switches gears to Overact as soon as her character turns good.

Overall, a perfectly fine entry into the idol drama genre. Next!


To Watch or Not To Watch, That is the Question
Recommended for fans of the idol drama genre and Rainie Yang.

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GROWING THROUGH LIFE [TVB]

Written by Bridget Au

"Better than The Drive of Life, but only because it’s half the length"






SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title
“Jak Sing Zhi Lui” (roughly translates to journey to a star)

No of episodes
30

Theme songs
Opening
“Sor Wai Lei Seung” (A So-Called Dream) by Raymond Lam

Closing
“Ngor Moon Han Ho” (We’re Doing Very Well) by Raymond Lam

Year
2010

Cast
Damian Lau
Cecilia Yip
Raymond Lam
Zhao Zi Qi
Bosco Wong
Dominic Lam
Toby Leung
Supporting Cast
KK Cheung
Vionn Song
Power Chan

Foreword
Better than The Drive of Life, but only because it’s half the length.

Review
Growing Through Life has all the hallmarks of a TVB corporate drama: An inheritance battle, a villain, someone is paralyzed, terminal illness, a patriarch death, and an opening theme that starts with thundering operatic chords. It has a Chinese title that is more poetic than your usual brand of TVB titles, and a cast list with a few big names.

So what’s wrong? Well, a lot.

One of the key reasons is pacing and a lot of predictability in the story. This is one of those series where the ending is written from the beginning. The audience knows that, but usually series like these make the journey to the end a worthwhile, or at least entertaining, one. At the beginning, GTL is promising. The flashback and explanation of why each character is at the stage that they are at were well-developed and the performances are good and consistent. The series starts wavering, oddly enough, when things just start to get interesting (Damian finds out Ray is his son, Bosco starts to turn evil, Ray’s mom dies, etc.). This is partly because the explanations of why characters become the way they are is not very well-done. Bosco, for example, doesn’t really have the acting chops to demonstrate how he moves from buddy-buddy with Hanson to full-on murder to achieve his goals. A lot happens throughout the series but somehow the whole thing fails to connect on an emotional level, so you can watch this whole thing, know and/or guess what’s going on, without really paying attention or needing to pay attention.

The series also fails to affect due to filming technique, which is surprising considering that this looks like a big budget series. The general set designs are always dark. Business meetings were held in the dark, dinners were eaten in the dark, even the hospital is always dark. The company looks glamorous, but also strangely cold and lonely. So do the houses – there are no framed photos, not a lot of furniture, and it’s always dark. There’s also a blatant absence of extras and supporting actors – so blatant that the whole series just seems cold and almost inhuman, like a large gorgeous vase that’s untouchable. Strike two.

The acting is a question mark. On one hand, we’ve got anchors such as Damian Lau, Cecilia Yip, and the now-overexposed Raymond Lam, who lead the pack in terms of acting skill. Damian Lau is iconic as the patriarch, his one single best moment being when Hanson called him ‘dad”. Cecilia Yip hovers dangerously close to overacting in most scenes, but she does portray a convincing nut job. Ray does his usual Ray thing, which means a solid performance with no chemistry with his female co-stars. Maybe he should take on a gay character next time. No joke.

Btw, his English name sucks. Oh Ray, will TVB ever give you a decent English name? I hope he’s getting paid extra for his character’s names because they are getting worse by the year (mmm bop, bop bop bop, doo-wop, do it all!). How about actually using all the names as his middle name? Now, he can be known as Raymond Alfred Kingsley Hanson Lam, otherwise known as Raymond A.K.H. Lam. Nice ring to it, no? And while we’re on the topic of terrible English names… Linus?! What kind of name is that? I thought it was a disease.

There are some lights in this big tunnel. Dominic Lam, for example, was surprisingly effective as Linus’ dad. I’ve never liked him much as an actor (or a host) but in this series he delivers one of his strongest performances. KK Cheung was fantastic as Raymond’s mom. She looks really familiar but I can’t place her.

But even with half the cast performing above-average, they can’t save this series from failure in the acting department. Yep, the rest are just that bad…especially since they’re in pivotal roles. Bosco Wong, for example, who is given the villain role for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, it is simply too early in Bosco’s career to take on this character and his performance is highly flawed – something Bosco realized as it was reported he became depressed after watching his performance in the series. Toby Leung is less annoying now and demonstrates some acting potential as the angelic daughter, although I would argue that she doesn’t have the X factor. And then after all that, you’ve got the “who the hell are these people” Mainlanders who are – or should be – dubbed, such as Zhao Zi Qi and Vionn Song. Zhao Zi Qi is irritating and a bad actress to boot, something that is compounded by the fact that she is dubbed. She’s got nil chemistry with Ray, too, which doesn’t help her case. Vionn Song fares much better as the bitchy Yiu Kwun, and she has decent chemistry with Bosco.

I think if they had gone with some decent actors for these characters and also warmed up the filming technique a bit, this series would be a hit. Not surprisingly, though, GTL got a much colder audience reception than initially anticipated. For once, I’d have to agree with the audience on this one.

Rating
3/5

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MISCHIEVOUS KISS [TV][Kr]

Written by Bridget Au

"...the acting is weak, and the pacing of the story even worse..."




SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Year
2010

Origin
Korea

Korean Title
장난스런 키스 / Jangnanseureon Kiss

No. of episodes
16

Produced by
MBC

Based on
the manga Itazaru Na Kiss ("prank's kiss") by Kaoru Tada

Cast
Kim Hyun Joong as Baek Seung Jo
Jung So Min as Oh Ha Ni
Lee Tae Sung as Bong Joon Gu
Lee Si Young as Yoon He Ra
Jung Hye Young as Seung Jo’s mother
Oh Kyung Soo as Seung Jo’s father
Choi Won Hong as Baek Eun Jo (Seung Jo’s brother)
Kang Nam Gil as Ha Ni’s father
Hong Yoon Hwaas Jung Joo Ri (Ha Ni’s friend)
Yoon Seung Ah as Go Min Ah (Ha Ni’s friend)

Foreword
Korea is now 0 for 2 when it comes to remakes. Oops.

Review
If Boys Over Flowers and Mischievous Kiss are any indication, Korea really needs to stop making remakes of manga stories. They’re not very good at them. Aside from cramming two much plot with major pacing problems, they also change the original characterization and story so much that they become unrecognizable, and not in a good way. The acting is nothing to write home about either, and there has been a surprise lack of chemistry among cast members for these remakes.

Kim Hyun Joong was undoubtedly the weakest link in this series. He is robotic throughout most of it and it is only when he smiles that I noticed something is different in his facial expression. A major disappointment and Joe Cheng is eons ahead of him when it comes to acting. He does have decent chemistry with Jung So Min though. I’m also surprised that Kim performed so poorly in this series as he delivered one of the stronger performances in BOF.

It doesn’t help that Korea’s version of the male lead is more or less butchered by the writers. He’s even more arrogant and aloof than the other versions, and most importantly, very cruel and cold towards Ha Ni. I mean, who says things like “I wish I never married you”? Ha Ni should have kicked him in the a--… after all, she has had plenty of experience with fixing vending machines via fly kicks.

Jung Hye Young and Oh Kyung Soo were not very good either, and although Lee Si Young is photogenic and pretty, her performance was forgettable. Kang Nam Gil fared a bit better as Ha Ni’s father, though.

It’s not all bad. I like how this series shows another reason why Seung Jo’s mother likes Ha Ni. Whereas in other versions the explanation is that she just thinks she’s good for Seung Jo, his mother also sees herself in Ha Ni, when she tells her father: “She’s like me. In my family, I’m the only one who makes mistakes and the only one who laughs. My sons don’t have that type of personality and my husband is too busy with work”. I get the feeling that underneath all the silliness, Seung Jo’s mother feels lonely in a family full of straight-forward, stone-cold males and this series shows a bit of that.

I liked Lee Tae Sung’s performance. He is a natural comedian although for the first half of the series I thought he was speaking Japanese! His accent is weird. Another plus was Choi Won Hong as Eun Jo. A cute kid and a total brat, exactly what Eun Jo is supposed to be.

Jung So Min was a delight to watch. She sports some cute hairstyles in this series and gave a fine performance as Ha Ni, especially since the Korean version of the character is a bit brighter and less useless. Definitely the highlight of the series. The actresses who portrayed her friends were very good as well.

So was it better than the Taiwanese version?
If you can’t tell already, I can give you a quick answer: Hell no. It Started With A Kiss might have been a wack-fest but it had charm and some terrific performances and cast chemistry. Korea’s version is missing charm and even raw emotions, because the acting is weak, and the pacing of the story even worse. While the plot and key scenes are identical to the Taiwanese version, the pacing is off, so much so that a lot of what happens in the Taiwanese sequel (the honeymoon, the appearance of Christine’s character, etc.) is crammed into the last 2 episodes of Mischievous Kiss. And with an inadequate performance in one of the pivotal characters, the whole ship comes down. A miss.

Rating
2.5/5

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HEAR ME [Mov][Chi]

Written by Bridget Au

"The movie manages genuine surprise in its final act and because we’ve grown to care about the characters so much that by that time, something poignant, maybe even magical, is felt."




SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title
“Ting Shuo” (I heard)

Genre
Romance

Year
2009

Origin
Taiwan

Cast
Eddie Peng
Ivy Chen
Michelle Chen
Lo Bei-an
Lin Mei Shiu

Foreword
It’s been awhile since I cried at a movie. An excellent example of when less is more.

Review
Recent entries in Taiwanese cinema have been impressive (Cape No. 7, Secret and this year’s smash hit Monga) and now Hear Me can add itself to the list of reasons to watch Taiwanese movies. There’s nothing that new in here, but the movie is well-made enough that you think you are watching something new.

Eddie Peng is Tian Huo, a local delivery boy who meets and falls in love with Yang Yang (Ivy Chen), a girl who is working numerous jobs to raise funds to send her sister to the Deaflympics. Tian Huo is immature and not that bright, but his unconditional love for Yang Yang and the way he interacts with his parents – who clearly dote on their only son – is pleasant to watch and makes him a very likeable male lead.

The sister relationship between Yang Yang and Xiao Peng was equally engaging. Well-written and thoughtful, their relationship offers the opportunity to present revelations about the barriers that people with hearing disabilities face, such as the sisters living in a flat with basically no rooms, as deaf people prefer to be able to see everything in their surroundings. The movie never tries to fish for audience sympathy, but they get it anyway, as the way these barriers are presented in a way that is simple and unpretentious.

Hear Me reminds me a bit of Korea’s …ing, where nothing really happens in terms of plot until later in the movie, but the simplicity of the story, heartfelt performances and portrayal of Taiwan’s underprivileged urban charm is honest and genuine, which is appreciated in today’s world of brouhaha film-making. The fact that the movie manages to affect even though most of the story happens in silence (since most of the dialogue is communicated via sign language) is even more impressive.

For some reason, Asian actors are ace performers at portraying people with disabilities who use sign language (Yuko Fueki in Wuri’s Family, Julian Cheung in Return of the Cuckoo, and Fala Chen in Moonlight Resonance), and Hear Me is no exception. Michelle Chen delivers her best performance to date as the deaf Xiao Peng, although there is a bit too much head-jerking in some scenes. Eddie Peng continues to improve and he is charming, cheerful, and aw-shucks likeable as the juvenile but optimistic Tian Huo.

The big plus is Ivy Chen, who performs admirably as the timid, thoughtful Yang Yang. Her acting is infused with a total lack of pretension and raw emotions, and it also helps that she looks like she walked out of an anime production. And Lo Bei-an and Lin Mei Shiu, who portray Tian Huo’s parents, are warm and funny, and although their characters are sometimes nagging and long-winded, they clearly consider Tian Huo’s happiness their chief priority, which is refreshing.

The movie manages genuine surprise in its final act (and for once I won’t ruin it for you in this review) and because we’ve grown to care about the characters so much that by that time, something poignant, maybe even magical, is felt. All you need is love.

To Watch or Not to Watch, That is the Question
Highly recommended.

Rating
5/5

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A GREAT WAY TO CARE [TVB]

Written by Bridget Au

"There’s a lot of stigma associated with mental illnesses and while this series teaches us what the different disabilities are called, it didn’t quite address the societal stigma"




SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title
“Yan Sum Kai Ma” (roughly translates to deciphering the human heart)

Released In
2009

No. of episodes
20

Theme song
Juno Mak

Cast
Alex Fong as Ko Lap Yan
Kate Tsui as Man Yee (Monkey)
Cheung Chi Kwong as Dr. Lin
Raymond Wong as Chun
Vivian Yeo as Ka Bik
Supporting Cast
Ellesmere Choi
Michelle Chan
Ngok Wah
Lee Kwok Lun
Suki Tsui
Yoyo Chen
Hung Tin Ming

Foreword
May not have the A-list cast and media buy, but a well-paced plot, intriguing subject matter, and better-than-expected performances make A Great Way to Care much better than say… Healing Hands. One of the better series of 2009.

Review
A Great Way to Care was reportedly frozen due to the broadcast of Sweetness in the Salt after the success of Rosy Business, and I have to say, TVB could have picked some other series to banish to the warehouse. A B-list cast, previously unexplored territory and a May-December romance usually spells doom for a TVB series but in this case, things work out just fine and the result is an affecting, accomplished little drama.

Looking for a Miss HK to don a fat suit in TVB might have been a ridiculous thought prior to this series, but thanks to the brave Vivian Yeo, look no further. I’ve never liked Vivian in the past but she gives a winning performance as Ka Bik: sweet, cute, and genuinely likeable and she had good chemistry with Raymond Wong as well. She is definitely one of the highlights of this series.

I like Monkey because she is ballsy, good-hearted, and tough. She makes an interesting and I would say fantastic couple with Dr. Ko, and not just because of their age difference. I like how they tell each other off half the time, but beneath the no-holds-barred “Shut your mouth!”, there’s a genuine mutual respect between them. Monkey, for example, calls Dr. Ko ‘Ko Yan’ (the first and last character of his Chinese name which also translates to something like a deity-type expert, someone you go to for advice). I also like how the growth from mutual respect to mutual love is portrayed realistically.

While questionably talented, I’ve always suspected Kate Tsui had this untapped potential to play a total psychopath (she’s got those “I’m gonna kill you” eyes) and AGWTC gives her an opportunity to portray a schizophrenic girl. Unfortunately, she only gets to play that for a total of 2 episodes. She was downright terrifying in those sleepwalker scenes. If I worked in that hospital I would have believed she was guilty for murdering that guy too! I like her as the gutsy Monkey because she seems similar to Kate Tsui’s real-life personality, but otherwise her performance is just adequate.

Alex Fong, Cheung Chi Kwong, and Raymond Wong would probably top my list as the least likely casting choices for a trio of good buddies, but they have this oddball chemistry that works and brings back memories of the good-old TVB camaraderie days such as the Bobby / William / Cheung / Michael quad of Files of Justice. They also each excel at their role. Raymond is consistently a B-liner, but his performance as the unambitious, low-tension Chun was enjoyable and entertaining to watch.

Cheung has always been one of TVB’s dependable secondary actors and this series is no exception. While he doesn’t look like a doctor per se, he does convince as the research / medical journal writer type and his portrayal of the filial son, good father, and even better husband is agreeable though underwhelming.

At first, I did not know what to think of Alex Fong as the mouthy, sarcastic but very bright Dr. Ko. I thought he looked convincing as a doctor, although age-wise he is a bit too old since Dr. Ko is supposedly only 34 (which makes no sense given his supposed breadth of experience). Alex usually strikes me as oh-so-serious, but I was pleasantly surprised by his performance. His deadpan delivery of Dr. Ko’s acid wit and make-no-mistake instructions to the trainees at the hospital were hilarious. An excellent performance – who would’ve thunk? He’s got chemistry with Kate too. Their tearful breakup scene was one of the best acted since the Fei / Quin breakup from Detective Investigation Files IV.

Pierre Ngo was fantastic in his cameo performance as the religious cult leader in the earlier part of the series. Yoyo Chen continues to impress in her secondary roles. With a bit of voice training she can probably be one of the next fa dans along with Vivian Yeo. Lee Kwok Lun was also great in his role as the wimpy older brother to Dr. Ko.

Michelle Chan delivers one of the weaker performances and I find her contrite, somewhat manufactured, and even irritating as Dr. Lin’s wife. Maybe she should stick with hosting. Suet Lei was even worse; she is one of the few veterans who you can always count on for a terrible performance. Ngok Wah wasn’t too much better as his voice tends to be monotone.

This series has some more rough spots. While well-intentioned in its goal to raise awareness about mental disabilities, like many TVB profession series, they simplify matters to the point of ridicule. Mental illnesses are complex. They require a hefty dose of research and investigation into one’s background and circumstance, and still are very much misunderstood by your Average Joe on the street. But nope, one conversation with these super doctors and they’re diagnosed. Another 2-3 conversations and they’re cured! Isn’t TVB great?!

I also thought this series didn’t make full use of the opportunity to dispel the myth that people who have mental disabilities are just “crazy”. There’s a lot of stigma associated with mental illnesses and while this series teaches us what the different disabilities are called, it didn’t quite address the societal stigma. It’s also bizarre how involved Dr. Ko gets in the investigation of the cases, to the extent where it begins to seem as if the cops don’t do anything and just wait on Dr. Ko to enlighten them as to who the real culprit is (shades of The Mysteries of Love – yikes). But I should remind myself that this is TVB, and not everything needs to make sense.

To Watch or Not To Watch
Recommended as one of the underrated efforts of 2009. A pleasant surprise.

Rating
4/5

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THE MYSTERIES OF LOVE [TVB]

Written by Bridget Au

"The Mysteries of Love began badly. Very badly… so badly, in fact, that I thought at first that I was watching the wrong series."



SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title
“Tam Ching Suet On” (roughly translates to Of Love And Cases)

Theme song
Until You Stop Looking For Me by Raymond Lam

Released In
2010

No. of episodes
25

Cast
Raymond Lam as Kingsley
Tavia Yeung as Sai Lei Mui
Kenneth Ma as Gordon
Bernice Liu as Nickole
Evergreen Mak
Mary Hon
Lee Kwok Lun

Foreword
Not as bad as its title, but still pretty bad. Starring some guy named Raymond Lam.

Review
I am one of the many who watched Japan’s Galileo before this series and I can tell you without a doubt that no matter what TVB says, The Mysteries of Love definitely copied / loosely based / is inspired by its Japanese counterpart. I can also tell you without a doubt that TVB butchered everything that was great about Galileo and put its own horrendous spin on the plot and characters.

The Mysteries of Love began badly. Very badly… so badly, in fact, that I thought at first that I was watching the wrong series. You have to watch the beginning for yourself but I am fairly confident in saying that it is probably the cheesiest introduction of a family feud between two lovers in recent history. What a dumb plot gimmick.

And so we think – it’s only uphill from here, right?

Wrong.

The cases were boring and predictable. I watched this series only a few weeks ago and if you ask me about the cases, I can tell you I don’t remember a single one. Give me Detective Investigation Files over this any day. I’m also tired of how the villains always get a long confessional soliloquy in TVB series. Isn’t there a more refreshing way to explain how cases got solved?

The ending was one of the worst anti-climax endings I’ve ever watched. First off, Sai Lei Mui tells Kingsley she tried to commit suicide after he broke up with her. If the subject wasn’t so serious I think I would have laughed at how anti-climax this revelation was. This was so out of character for Sai Lei Mui and a lame attempt at last-minute drama. After that, she forgives him after watching him declare his love on national television, followed by a proposal scene where everyone and their mother encourages her to forgive him and accept his proposal. I don’t know about you, but I won’t go accepting an ex’ proposal days after I tell him I attempted suicide because of him. This was lazy writing to the core.

I am a shameless Raymond Lam fan so it pains me to tell you that I did not like his performance here. For one thing, the casting is all wrong. Ray is too young for the role. While he looks intelligent in that very academic way, he is not convincing age-wise as an assistant professor even though he’s supposed to be an accomplished genius.

And what’s with the vests? Can’t he just hang out in a lab coat, please? And the name - Kingsley King?! I thought they were joking. Why does TVB insist on giving Ray’s characters horrible English names? Alfred in Heart of Greed, for one… but seriously, Kingsley? The name was so bad and laughable that my friends and I started referring to this series as “Kingsley”. We would ask each other things like “What episode of Kingsley are you on?” or “Have you finished watching Kingsley yet?” TVB, please give the poor guy a decent English name next time. Hell, just call him Raymond Lam.

The absolute worst part of his character was that he was pretentious – as – hell. TVB has got to stop thinking it’s portraying a realistic professional just because he has a ridiculous English name, texts his girlfriend in English (and she doesn’t speak English, btw), and is referred to by his English name by his blue-blood parents. And while it may not be Ray’s fault, I was annoyed out of my mind by the constant English phrases he uses in his dialogue. At least Ray speaks decent English, unlike the other actors TVB forces to speak the language in so-called ‘profession series’…like here, where they kept calling Nickole “Nickel”.

Casting and pretentiousness aside (which is mostly the scriptwriters’ fault), I didn’t quite like Ray’s interpretation of his character either. Kingsley is supposed to be a genius driven by logic and scientific explanations. These people are usually a) loners or social outcasts b) not very in tune with their emotions c) not very expressive or a combination of the three. While again, most of this is the writers’ fault for giving him a best friend in Gordon and a quick girlfriend in Sai Lei Mui, Ray was not deadpan enough in the role. He smiles, his eyes sparkle, he’s polite and even charming in the role. The one exception would be the confession scene in the restaurant when he tried to explain how he fell in love with Sai Lai Mui. So formulaic, so logical, and very in character for Kingsley. I was laughing! Ray actually looked deadpan in that scene, which was good. Overall though, Ray fans won’t be too well served with The Mysteries of Love.

If Ray’s performance was a surprise, so was Kenneth Ma’s, but in a good way. In series, Kenneth usually bores me to tears but in interviews he seems chatty, interesting and even silly at times. I think with this series as well as his performance in Survivor’s Law II, Kenneth has found his “golden character” - the ones who are bright but goofy, not very polished, even a bit crass. He’s got chemistry with Bernice Liu and their friends-with-benefits relationship was more interesting to watch than the Ray-Tavia overused storyline. Kenneth’s performance is both entertaining and brave here, what with his very intimate scenes with several actresses.

Bernice Liu was reduced to a cameo here, so I don’t have much comment on her performance other than the fact that she has improved in the dramatic scenes. A decent performance.

Tavia Yeung was a question mark for me. She looks a lot like the actress in the Japanese version, and though her character is kind of annoying in here (she is all over Kingsley all the time), Tavia can act. Her best scene was the scene with her father, when she broke down in tears after breaking up with Kingsley. It reminded me of a similar scene in Love Bond with Kenix Kwok and Paul Chun. I also liked Tavia’s bantering scenes with her co-workers here and the scenes with the actor who plays her nephew. I felt nothing for her scenes with Ray, though. Anyone feeling overexposed to these two actors may need alcohol and/or a fast-forward button to get through their scenes. In fact, they behave almost like siblings. While I have no complaints about Tavia’s acting in this series, I have to say she lacks charisma. I really think she should stick to the secondary characters. However, I will take her as a female lead any day over Charmaine or Shirley.

With the exception of the veteran who portrayed Sai Lai Mui’s father, no supporting cast member was especially memorable. Casting missed the mark again with Mary Hon and Lee Kwok Lun as Kingsley’s parents. They were almost cartoon versions of snobby old-money people, and from the way they behaved and talked, were beyond pretentious – the antithesis of class. I was happy to see Evergreen Mak again, although this role didn’t make much of his acting skills.

To Watch or Not to Watch, That is the Question
Strictly for Kenneth, Bernice, Raymond, and Tavia fans… and even then, I make no promises. A miss.

Ratings
2/5

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GALILEO [TV][Jap]

Written by Bridget Au

"Clever, entertaining and fast-paced, Galileo is a refreshing departure from your usual Asian idol drama or romcom"



SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Year
2007

Japanese Title
“Garireo” (Japanese loan words)

No. of episodes
10

Cast
Kou Shibasaki as Kaoru Utsumi
Masaharu Fukuyama as Manabu Yukawa
Kazuki Kitamura as Shunpei Kusanagi
Hiroshi Shinagawa as Shiro Yuge
Ikkei Watanabe as Hiromi Kuribayashi
Miki Maya as Sakurako Jonouchi

*Based on the mystery novel Tantei Garireo (“Detective Galileo”) by Keigo Higashino

Foreword
Clever, entertaining and fast-paced, Galileo is a refreshing departure from your usual Asian idol drama or romcom. What Taiwan’s Pi Li MIT should have been.

Review
As anyone can tell from scanning my review list, I don’t watch many Japanese series. However, this series came highly recommended by a fellow reviewer who tends to share my tastes (most of the time). After Googling the series and seeing the poster, my first thought was “What the – is that Ekin Cheng? And Emme Wong?” Can you tell I’m from Hong Kong?

Before I get stabbed by the, er, enthusiastic Fukuyama fans, let me say that he only looks like Ekin Cheng in the poster i.e. when he’s not moving. Same with Shibasaki. Moving on.

I was not disappointed with this series, unlike all the other times I’ve been duped into watching overhyped series (I’m still recovering from War of In-Laws). The basic formula for Galileo is similar to the detective-style series of 90s TVB, but of course with striking differences:

1. The cases are creative, clever, and some are borderline creepy in that very Japanese way. Case in point (pun intended) is the fake suicide one with the hanging contraption. Some of my favourite cases were the very first one with the laser beam, and the one involving the mirage in the factory.

2. The romance between the two leads is subtle and doesn’t really end in a “Ashiteru!!!” (I love you in Japanese) nor is it the main focus, thankfully.

3. Unexpectedly funny moments. My favourite was when Yukawa is trying to dismantle the bomb in the last case to save Utsumi, and at first she talks about pink and blue chords and Yukawa dryly says “You watch too many cartoons”. Then when he gets to the last dismantling task, he sees a pink and blue chord and then mutters “I should have watched more cartoons”.

4. Case-solving is based on actual logical explanations topped by physics theories. Whereas you get half-assed, not very scientific resolutions in TVB cases (the NOT MATCH flashing screen in Forensic Heroes is my example of choice here), the cases in this series seem impossible at first – with a touch of paranormal – but after the revelations by Yukawa, everything makes sense. Unfortunately, similar to TVB’s detective series, every case ends in a confession. Boooooooring.

5. Great characterization. Though the character of Utsumi is nothing new, Yukawa sensei was very well-written and Fukuyama’s performance nailed the character to a T.

My complaints about the series are minor. Whereas the plot and cases are fast-moving, fun, stylish, the character development stays flat. For someone used to character arcs and/or linear development, Galileo won’t quite float your boat. The way Yukawa always scrambles to find something to write with when he gets the AHA moment to solve a case also gets somewhat tiring. Aside from Fukuyama’s and Shinagawa’s spot-on performances, the acting was pretty much a bore. All that aside, though, Galileo sticks to its purpose and pretty much delivers.

To Watch or Not to Watch, That is the Question
Highly recommended for mystery fans or for anyone who is getting bored with the same-old formula for Asian series.

Rating
4.5/5

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NEW HEART [TV][Kr]

Written by Bridget Au


"Korea’s version of Healing Hands isn’t bad, but I pray I’ll never need heart surgery if I ever visit Korea one day"





SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Korean Title
“Nyu Hateu” (Korean loan words)

Released in
2007

No. of episodes
23

Cast
Jo Jae Hyun as Choi Kang Gook
Ji Sung as Lee Eun Sung
Kim Min Jung as Nam Hye Suk
Lee Ji Hoon as Lee Dong Koon
Supporting Cast
Sung Dong Il as Lee Seung Jae
Jung Dong Hwan as Park Jae Hyun
Lee Ki Young as Kim Jung Gil
Jung Ho Geun as Min Young Kyu
Kang Ji Hoo as Woo In Tae
Jang Hyun Sung as Kim Tae Joon
Shin Dong Mi as Jo Min Ah
Lee Chang Joo as Lee In Ho
Son Yeo Eun as Choi Hyun Jung
Shin Da Eun as Kim Mi Mi
Park Chul Min as Bae Dae Ro

Foreword
Korea’s version of Healing Hands isn’t bad, but I pray I’ll never need heart surgery if I ever visit Korea one day.

Review
Finally, the roles are reversed! For once, the girl is the one who is intelligent, well-off, and unapproachable, and the guy is the poor, optimistic, and friendly one.

Lee Eun Song is an orphan who went to medical school in the countryside who goes from zero to hero when he scores an internship at the prestigious Kwang Hee University Hospital in Seoul alongside stone-faced top scholar Nam Hae-suk. Both are under the direction of brilliant surgeon Choi Kang-gook. Under his tutelage, both become excellent doctors in their own right, but not after numerous challenges. Choi himself has a rough time re-establishing himself in the profession, after previously leaving the hospital due to conflicts with its management. He frequently bickers with arrogant colleague Kim Tae Joon, who is jealous of Choi’s brilliance and also happens to be hiding an affair with a fellow doctor of the hospital, Jo Min Ah. To top it all off, Choi also experiences family problems throughout the series, with wife and daughters believing that he isn’t as devoted to the family as he should be. Eventually, relationships are repaired some others begin. Yay.

I first saw Ji Sung in the blockbuster All In and was not impressed. He was lacking in charisma but New Heart has changed my mind. He is a delight to watch as the sunny, caring Eun Song with boundless energy and his character contrasts well with the stiff, steely Hae-Suk. What I like about Eun Song is that he isn’t unrealistically optimistic and is someone with a less-than-rosy past who got a second chance at life. He works hard for his patients, caring not only about their health but also mental well-being. He has his own failures and times of disappointment or sadness, but he always manages to eventually see the silver lining in the cloud. His best trait is that he has an ability to make the most serious/depressing situations lighthearted, like when Hae-suk was threatened with HIV, she hugs him in a moment of distress and he comforts her while saying “You’re not as pretty as a dying heroine. Stop writing novels”. An effortless performance radiating energy and spirit that will make you smile. And how funny is it that this guy spends his free time sewing teddy bears?

Nam Hae-suk is one of the more interesting heroines in Korean drama. Not your usual emotional waif or damsel in distress, nor your screeching, messy tomboy in the average Korean romcom. What I like about her is that she has principles that she doesn’t deviate from. You may not agree with them, but she couldn’t care less. She’s often mistaken as cold, but I see her more as aloof. And that’s only on the surface. The writers did a great job with her character. She is surprisingly three-dimensional, a talented, bright young woman who eventually finds love in the caring, devoted Eun Song. On the surface, Hae-suk seems stone-cold, emotionless and fundamentalist, not caring about anything or anyone except her ambition to become a cardiac surgeon. But the series makes it clear that this ambition is driven by one thing and one thing only – her desire for approval from her father, the hospital’s President. An illegitimate daughter from birth, she worked hard to become the top scholar in the nation and was devastated – clearly so – when she got rejected for the first time for the internship. In a way Hae-suk doesn’t only want her father’s acknowledgement, she also wants his love. It’s why she broke down in tears when reading her father’s letter near the end of the series, where he told her to learn from Dr. Choi and that he was sorry he caused her so much pain. The former was very much what a father would say to a daughter, and it was a poignant scene to watch.

Kim Min Jung did well in the role. She appropriately conveys Hae-suk’s toughness but also conveys her hysterical tears and yearning for love and also in a way, her loneliness until she finds Eun Song. She has very good chemistry with Ji Sung and I really like how the series portrayed their relationship from mutual confusion, to mutual respect and understanding and finally to mutual love. What is missing in this series, however, is her relationship with her mom. I was expecting a lot more on the role that her mother plays in the frosty relationship between her and her estranged father.

Jo Jae Hyun was magnificent as Dr. Choi. He looks intelligent, he looks principled, and his relationship with both star pupils was fun to watch. He was also unexpectedly funny in that snarky, sarcastic way, like when Eun Song runs to catch his elevator and stops the door with his hands, he hits him on the back and scolds: “Idiot! Why did you stop the door with your hands? Do you know how important a surgeon’s hands are? Next time stop it with your foot! Better yet, stop it with your head”.

Korea offers consistent, quality supporting cast actors and New Heart is no exception. Jang Hyun Sung and Shin Dong Mi had chemistry, the former whose arrogance masked his guilt and love for his childhood sweetheart and the latter ladylike and elegant. I recognized Shin Da Eun instantly from I Am Happy, and she delivers another funny performance here. The actors who played the other residents in Eun Song’s and Hae Suk’s room were also very funny.

The one weak link is Lee Ji Hoon who threatened to kill this series with his irritating performance. Good thing he only appears in 2 or 3 episodes.

I’m from a place that prides itself on public health, so I was beyond intrigued by all the “board meetings”, where they discussed various upcoming surgeries and made decisions on them, such as which surgeon would perform the operation. Do doctors in Korea really decide who to operate on based on who’s more rich or influential? And are we to believe that these people are actually doctors and perform life-or-death surgeries?! All of them, from the interns to the veterans, are over-emotional and borderline psychotic. I cannot count the times one of the interns screamed and bellowed when a patient was in an emergency state, or when the surgeons argued with each other in the operating room! The only exceptions are the head nurse, Choi, Nam and Lee, who actually look and behave like medical professionals. But geez, if New Heart reflects reality, I seriously hope I never need heart surgery in Korea.

These sore points aside, New Heart is entertaining, well-written and surprisingly compelling. A recommended, underrated effort from Korean drama.

Rating
4/5

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LET'S GO WATCH THE METEOR SHOWER [TV][China]

Written by Bridget Au


"My vote goes to Let’s Go Watch Something Else"





SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title
“Yi Qi Qu Kan Liu Xing Yu” (direct translation)
(technically it is "Let Us All Go Watch The Meteor Shower Together - Funn)

Released In
2010

No. of episodes
36


Cast
Zheng Shuang as Chu Yu Xun
Zhang Han as Murong Yun Hai
Yu Hao Ming as Duanmu Lei
Wei Chen as Ye Shuo
Zhu Zi Xiao as Shangguan Rui Qian
Wang Jian Xin as Murong Zhong Shi
Li Ying as Shen Han Feng
Xiao Han as Murong Yun Duo


Foreword
You’ve seen Let’s Go Watch the Meteor Shower before. Now all that needs to be done is for TVB to film their remake. Can you stand the wait? I know I can’t.


Review
If you ask me why I watched this series, I will tell you it’s because … well, I’ve seen the other remakes already, I might as well keep up with any others that are made. No? Oh well.

Let’s Go Watch the Meteor Shower, produced by China’s Hunan TV, is loosely – very loosely – based on Japan’s best-selling shoujo manga of all time, Hana Yori Dango. It is the fourth Asian country to film a TV adaptation of the comic, after Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. The comparison stops there. 10 episodes in and you will realize that this adaptation basically combines every flaw of previous adaptations into one big grab bag of “what the hell did I just watch?” Let’s Go Watch the Meteor Shower has its merits as a standalone idol drama, but as an adaptation – even a loose one – it gives new meaning to the word “butcher”.

When the posters for this series were first revealed, I was as appalled as the rest of the netizens. Out of 1+ billion people, these were the best-looking actors China could find?! F4 is supposed to be the dream of every girl; rich, tall, and handsome (although I will be the first to tell you that Taiwan’s version and even Japan’s version also left much to be desired in terms of looks).

I am positive I wasn’t the only one who laughed when Duan Mu Lei made his appearance. Yu Hao Ming not only looks like a girl, but he also cannot act. I kept thinking that he would make a good gay best friend for Yu Xun à la Korea’s Personal Preference. Yu doesn’t manage to convey Rui’s mysteriousness (Vic Zhou’s performance) nor his inner compassion (Kim Hyun Joong’s performance). Not only do I see absolutely nothing in his appearance and/or demeanor that would convince me that Yu Xun would fall so hard and fast for him, the actor is uncharismatic and delivers a train wreck of a performance that could possibly incite death via unintentional laughter.

Wei Chen and Zhu Zi Xiao were both unexpectedly good, for different reasons. Wei's performance was the best out of the younger cast, and Zhu is goofy and appropriately smart-aleck.

A good point about this series is that it explores a lot of back story in side characters. Yun Duo’s plotline about her relationship with a man who constantly felt lesser than her was intriguing, and Xiao Han delivers one of the better performances of the series in the role.

I remember Alec Su once said that acting with Koreans was different and challenging because their style of acting consists of delayed, prolonged reactions. And while neither of them are Korean, both leads in this series suffer from the same acting problem – delayed reactions.

Zheng Shuang reminds me of a kiddy version of the actress who portrayed Qing Er in Princess Pearl. She has very good chemistry with Zhang Han though she has little comic timing and is not nearly as tough as Makino is supposed to be. Zheng is a lovely crier and at her best in the dramatic, romantic scenes. Her scenes as the tomboyish, brash Yu Xun are much more of a tough sell – she overacts and her expressions always come 3 seconds too late. Her performance is partially adequate as deep down, Makino is actually a romantic soul.

The writers shamelessly butcher the original characterization for Doumyouji’s remake Yun Hai. No way in hell would the original character blurt out lines like “We’ve experienced life and death. I’ll love you for all eternity” or “You’re the first girl I’ve fallen so hard for”. The hot air balloon scene was the absolute worst: “I, Mu Rong Yun Hai, swear on the land and sky and fresh flower rainbows that I will love only Chu Yu Xun until death do us part”. And then Yu Xun repeated the same vow. I was in shock. I think I actually said out loud “What the f-ck was that?!” For you TVB fans out there, remember in Detective Investigation Files IV when Quin and Fei jumped into bed (literally) immediately after Fei realized Quin was safe after falling from a building? This is what this scene reminded me of. It was so completely out of character for both leads that I just about died laughing.

So though the script hangs him out to dry, Zhang Han is actually not that bad. He is shaky at the beginning but improves gradually towards the end. He has chemistry with Zheng but his best scenes are those with his sister and mother. A big gap though, is his friendship with Mu Lei and how it’s affected by Yu Xun’s appearance. Not only does the Chinese version completely change the nature of their friendship by having Yun Hai befriend the 3 much later than they’re supposed to, I don’t see the friendship chemistry between the actors.

To Watch or Not to Watch, That is the Question
Raise your hand if you want a sequel. Too bad, there will be one anyway. And since I like torturing myself, I will watch it. You’ve been warned – if you’re a fan of the original manga and story, you may want to request a title change. My vote goes to Let’s Go Watch Something Else.

Rating
2/5

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BEYOND THE REALM OF CONSCIENCE [TVB]

Written by Bridget Au

"I had high hopes for this series. They were dashed."



SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Chinese Title
“Gung Sam Gai” (roughly translates to scheming in the palace)

No. of episodes
33

Theme songs
“Gung Sam Gai” (Schemes) by Susanna Kwan (opening);
“Fung Che” (Windmill) by Charmaine Sheh (closing)

Hear, download and read translated lyrics of Windmill here - Funn

Released in
2009

Cast
Moses Chan
Tavia Yeung
Charmaine Sheh
Kevin Cheng
Michelle Yim
Susanna Kwan
Supporting Cast
Lee Kwok Lun
Selina Li
Lui San
Yoyo Chen
Cheong Chi Kwong
Lau Dan
Crystal Tin
Mandy Cho
Tracy Yip

Foreword
I had high hopes for this series. They were dashed.

Review
Great name, not-so-great series. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. When you recycle material, you better bring something new to the game. Otherwise, you’re just wasting money and (my) time. The question that kept reappearing for me while I watched this series was: Doesn’t TVB know anyone else?!

TVB’s answer to Korea’s Jewel in the Palace, Beyond the Realm of Conscience was supposed to be the Moonlight Resonance of 2009. They cast 5 of the MR actors in key roles. Hell, I half-expected Ha Yu to stroll out at some point as the Emperor. Let’s remember that the 2009 awards ceremony was pushed back into December just so Beyond could be included. And yet, the only award it picked up was Most Favourite Female Character, and that was mostly due to Tavia’s popularity. You gotta love the irony.

After casting 5 of the MR actors, TVB then decided to go with two of their usual suspects: a pair of highly promoted, overused, questionably talented actors for the other important characters: Charmaine Sheh and Kevin Cheng. This pair has got to be the most uninspiring casting decision ever. I am so bored with these two. Neither is a gifted actor, and the amount of improvement they’ve shown despite the amount of opportunities they’ve gotten is just, well, not enough. I guess it’s one of life’s cruel jokes that the reason they are so compatible onscreen is that they have both become astonishingly uninteresting.

It’s not just the uninspiring casting. The script tries to reinvent the success of War & Beauty and The Dance of Passion and fails epically. W&B was addictive, cleverly written and had an unconventional ending. DOP was tense, compelling and boasted terrific performances and refreshing casting. Beyond is characterized by bad continuity, poor writing, and choppy editing. For instance:

1) Siu Yong, a palace maid, hangs herself early on in the series. Two episodes later, Yuen says that she’ll “ask Siu Yong to bring some water”. A few episodes later, Sam Ho says she’ll get Siu Yong to do something else. Writers: please remember when you kill people off so that you don’t bring them back later.

2) St. Sam Ho helps Yuen and Chung reconcile, but a few episodes later they’re bickering again and giving each other a hard time. This happens on several occasions and half the time, the arguments weren’t really provoked and it seemed like the reconciliations never happened.

3) People enter and exit the palace way too easily. It seemed more like a shelter house rather than a palace. Sam Ho and Hin Yeung, especially, come and go as they please and the fact that Sam Ho was able to leave the palace even after she became a concubine was just laughably ridiculous. This is topped off by the fact that most characters have a few-episode stint, which means the audience doesn’t get time to get to know them or care about them.

4) Hin Yeung appears as a swordsman (more on this later), so I think “OK, he’ll probably become the Emperor’s guard” (predictable). And then the next scene switched to the fact that he’s a master at chess. After that, this skill in chess was never mentioned again.

5) Things are revealed, too little too late as lame plot attempts at killing people off. This happens in the case of the original Head of House, eunuch Zhong and Lui San’s character.

6) There is no way in hell that the Emperor would survive in the ruthless palace with only two loyal subordinates, both who left the palace at the end.

7) Kam Ling’s fate was so anti-climactic. She deserved some kind of glorious, dramatic end and the writers didn’t give it to her.

8) The writers suggest that Kam Ling had fallen in love with the Emperor early on in the series, but this wasn’t mentioned or alluded to anytime after that and only focused on her thirst for power.

Other problems:

1) The makeup is borderline terrifying. I never believed in dark eye shadow for men and if it takes makeup to make you look evil, then all I can say is that maybe even TVB had their reservations about their actors’ ability to act ruthless.

2) Can’t they just shut up about the beans (seeds?) already? Every time they mentioned them, I pressed the fast-forward button.

One of the few qualities of this series is that you do get to see some faces who are in ancient dress for the first time, such as Tracy Yip and Mandy Cho. Too bad they look better than they act.

Another gem in this series is the highly promoted character of Kam Ling. She is easily the most well-written character, multi-layered and morally ambiguous. Very late into the series, she tells Sam Ho “You and I are different. You treat everyone very well, but I treat only you well”. This line explains much about Kam Ling. Throughout their childhood and into their early adulthood, Kam Ling is protective only of Sam Ho and in a way, her friendship with Sam Ho kept her in check about her less-than-noble intentions. This also brings me to one of the other missing pieces of the series. What if Kam Ling was forced to choose between Sam Ho and her power? After all, she risks her life a few times to save Sam Ho’s. Buh. Clearly I am being way too analytical over this series.

Evaluation of Cast & Characters
Kevin Cheng
I will confess right here that I laughed when Kevin first appeared. He just does not work in an ancient series. That is one of his (many) problems in Beyond. First of all, he is all wrong for this character:

1) Hin Yeung is supposed to be DASHING. Ok?! Dashing. Kevin is good-looking, yes. Tall enough, yes. But dashing?! He is not dashing. In fact, he has this problem where he looks like a cross between boredom / arrogance unless he tries very hard to look interested.

2) He is supposed to be a swordsman. There is not a single ounce of “warrior” in Kevin’s being. I was laughing my ass off when he appeared flashing the sword around in his first scene.

Horrid casting aside, Kevin is – dare I say – boring in here! He tries hard in this series but let’s just say he attempts more than he delivers. For one thing, he isn’t very scholarly – weird because he thoroughly convinces as a beta academic in modern series. His performance here is flat throughout but it was his dad’s death scene that really killed it for me. I kept asking myself: “Where are the tears”? I guess this proves that good looks can only take you so far. A mediocre performance.

Charmaine Sheh
She looks tired and I am also tired of her. Charm is too old for this role and I can name 4 or 5 series off the top of my head where she played the same character. Sure, she looks very compatible with Kevin, but what do you get when you add boring to boring? That’s right, double boring. The scenes with Hin Yeung belong in a music video and both are too old for the cheesy “love at first sight” scene. While Charm conveys the femininity of Sam Ho and to a certain extent her quiet strength, she also comes off as extremely pretentious. While this is partly the script’s fault for ramming it in our brains that Sam Ho is a good person and somewhat of a know-it-all, Charm’s acting does not help it. She did excel in the moments where she tearfully looked at Kam Ling, wondering why she has become the person she has become.

A better actress could have done more to flesh out what is basically an unrelatable character on paper, and Charm offers nothing new here. A largely unsatisfying performance.

Tavia Yeung
I’m not a diehard Tavia fan but I respect the fact that she chose the real way to stardom by going to acting school instead of short-cutting her way through beauty pageants. And I will be the first to agree that she can act the pants off most of the pageant queens currently being promoted by TVB (Charm included). I’ve always felt that she tends to do better in ancient series or secondary characters in modern ones (the one exception being The Building Blocks of Life, my most favourite performance of hers) and in Beyond, she takes on the role of the villain for the first time. To a certain extent, Tavia rises to the challenge and delivers what is the most consistent performance of the series. Her acting was best during the earlier parts when she hadn’t yet crossed over to the dark side, when her character starts to consider doing bad things but is still held back by her friendship with Sam Ho. When she becomes evil, I thought Tavia was good, but very much helped by her Cat Woman makeup. I would have preferred to see how ruthless she could be without help from her makeup. Overall, definitely one of the better performances of the series.

Moses Chan
My favourite character of the series and an adequate performance by Moses. He offers nothing earth-shattering here but (I can’t believe I’m saying this) he does convey the gentlemanly, loser-in-love side of the Emperor well.

The Headmistresses & Four Heads of House
Yes, I’m a Harry Potter fan. Anyway, I have never seen Susan Tse but based on this performance alone, I think she belongs more in stage theatre rather than television. She has this rhythmically odd speech and is not nearly despicable enough as the Dowager Empress. Though she looks good in ancient dress and exudes royal elegance, she is not “daggers-in-smile” enough for this role. Nor does she breathe the authority that the role warrants. Mary Hon doesn’t quite exude royal elegance either but her acting is still very good in this series.

Michelle Yim and Susanna Kwan were exceptional. Their characters go through the most illogical crap in the series, yet both actresses managed to give them very intriguing interpretations. Michelle came off as girly and almost whiny despite her age, Susanna’s Yuen was straightforward, unafraid to voice her opinion and sometimes even brash. The actresses who portrayed the Head of the four houses and her niece were excellent.

Lee Kwok Lun was fantastic as the evil Ma and the actor who played upright general Man Kin Fung was also very good.

The Young Guns
Edwin Siu has never been a good actor (or singer, which is his official profession) and his performance here proves it again. The good thing about him is that he does not have an ounce of charisma or royal aura, which is exactly what his Emperor is supposed to be – useless. It also helps that he lasts a total of probably 5 episodes. Selina Li usually does better in ancient series than modern ones, and she doesn’t disappoint in this series, the best scene being her death scene. Yoyo Chen was surprisingly good, although her voice is a bit grating on the ears. If she can get her offscreen act together and dial back some of the overacting, she may be a talent to be reckoned with in the future. Her rumoured boyfriend Vin Choi impressed me in his minor role as eunuch Siu Sun.

So back to the question that begs to be answered: Can TVB recruit some more actors or bring back some good ones?! It’s the same incestuous party over and over again! For instance, how interesting would Beyond be if it was made up of the following cast?

Replace Kevin and Moses with Steven Ma and Bosco Wong! I’m not a Bosco fan but for some reason he comes off as very gentlemanly in ancient series, which is bizarre because he has somewhat of a playful / goofball image out of camera. Steven Ma always does well in ancient series and has a very scholarly, gentlemanly demeanor.

Replace Michelle Yim and Susanna Kwan with Akina Hong and Florence Kwok. They’re beautiful, look great in ancient costume, are convincing for the roles age-wise, and fantastic actresses. Or what about Louisa So?

Replace Charmaine with Nancy Wu, who is also a competent actress and looks great in ancient series.

To Watch or Not To Watch, That is the Question
I don’t think many people will care about what I said in this review. By the sheer fan base of some of the stars, and the hype that this series has gotten, people will watch this anyway. Just be prepared to be bewildered and/or disappointed. Beyond the Realm of Conscience is what happens when you get lazy.

Rating
2.5/5

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MY NAME IS KIM SAM SOON [TV][Kr]

Written by Bridget Au


"The best Korean romantic comedy of all time."





SPOILERS ... SPOILERS ... SPOILERS

Korean Title
“Nae Ireum-eun Gim Sam-sun” (direct translation)

Alt English Title
My Lovely Sam Soon

No. of episodes
16

Released In
2005

Cast
Kim Sun Ah as Sam Soon
Hyun Bin as Jin Hun
Jung Ryo Won as Hee Jin
Daniel Henney as Henry
Kim Ja Ok as Sam Soon's mom
Lee Ah Hyun as Sam Soon's sister
Na Moon Hee as Jin Hun's mom
Suh Ji Hee as Mi Joo
Lee Kyu Han as Hyun Woo
Kim Hyun Jung as Jang Young Ja

Foreword
Sometimes things really do live up to the hype. The best Korean romantic comedy of all time.

Review
South Korea’s answer to Bridget Jones’ Diary, My Name is Kim Sam Soon took Asia by storm, and rightfully so. While not flawless, the good far outweighs the bad, enough that you forget about the flaws. Most of the good stems from the fact that all the elements of a solid, entertaining series is found here: a strong script, a relatable contemporary subject matter (the social stigma of a 30-year-old spinster who is plump and not very pretty), well-written characters, brilliant performances by the main and supporting cast, and a healthy balance between drama and comedy. Most importantly, it knows its genre and sticks to it.

Most of the flaws of the series lie with Jin Hun’s character. Sure, he’s tall, handsome, and rich, but he also happens to be an ass. But hey – they works for some girls. However, though he treats Sam Soon like dirt half the time (kicking her bike, yelling at her) and never tells her she’s not fat later on when they start dating, there are some redeeming factors to his ungentlemanly behaviour.

Another key flaw is Henry’s lack of professionalism. Doctors are not supposed to fall in love with their patients. When he kisses Hee Jin on the forehead, I was thinking, OK, this guy is someone she met in the U.S. and now he’s followed her back to Korea. Then when he reveals to Jin Hun that he’s her doctor, I had the same expression on my face as Jin Hun: “What?! Really?!”

Aside from those two flaws, though, MNiKSS is worth every bit of success it’s gotten.

Breathlessly engaging and hilarious.

Evaluation of Cast & Characters
Kim Sun Ah
In one of the later episodes, Jin Hun tells Sam Soon: “You’re attractive. You don’t know how attractive you are, and that is your greatest attraction”. This summarizes Kim’s performance in a nutshell. She gives her character the very lack of self-awareness and honest simple-mindedness that makes her such a loveable character. Most importantly, she is relatable. I have watched some of Kim’s more recent performances (When It’s At Night, City Hall) and none of them hold a candle to her Sam Soon. Her performance anchors the series and without her, believe me, MNiKSS would not be half as successful. Kim is Sam Soon - undeniably charming, brutally frank, and endearingly unfeminine. Her swift delivery of lines and insults combine to make this a flawless performance.

Hyun Bin
He has his work cut out for him in this series because Kim is absolutely winning as Sam Soon. And though Jin Hun is a major ass through most of the first half of the series, Hyun plays him with a smart-aleck, deadpan arrogance that works for the character. Hyun is at his best when throwing the tantrums; the way he widens his eyes in complete fury is, I have to admit, very entertaining. He also has terrific oddball chemistry with nuna Kim; their interaction is heartfelt, funny and a very realistic portrayal of a younger man / older woman romance. He also makes a perfect couple with Jung. An excellent performance overall.

Jung Ryo Won
I fell in love with her after watching Which Star Are You From, and though in MNiKSS she plays the girl who comes back for her man even though he’s already in love with someone else, I liked her performance. She looks way too thin (but I suppose it works for her character since Hee Jin is sick), but there is a lovely elegance and classiness about her that I like and that is appropriate for the character. Jung is a very pretty crier, like many Korean actresses. Her absolute best scene was when she tearfully looked at Jin Hyun when he said that Sam Soon was his girlfriend. They weren’t pleading tears; it was an expression of quiet determination to not let the tears fall, yet the hurt was clear in her eyes.

She speaks very good English too, with an Aussie twang.

Daniel Henney
With a disarming smile and what is easily the most chiselled face in Asian drama, Daniel’s looks help him greatly in his depiction of Prince Charming Henry. He is adequate in the dramatic moments, has very good chemistry with Jung, but his one flaw in here is that he doesn’t look angry enough when he’s supposed to be. His absolute best scenes, however, were those with Kim. These two are so remarkably different in appearance and demeanor that the scenes where they get to know each other and bond over being “second choice” were absolutely hysterical.

Supporting Cast
The supporting cast delivers some of the best performances I’ve seen from second-line actors. Kim Ja Ok and Na Moon Hee are absolutely terrific as the mothers, eyes twinkling when things are going their way but loud and brash when things are not. Lee Ah Hyun doesn’t look remotely related to Kim, but she displays a feistiness that is somewhat different from Sam Soon’s. Lee Kyu Han’s performance made you want to slap him, which is exactly what Hyun Woo is – a jerk. A special mention to Kim Hyun Jung who is hilarious as Young-na, and Suh Ji Hee who is cheek-pinchingly adorable as Mi Joo.

Best Scenes
When Jin Hun pushes down the door to the bathroom stall and Sam Soon is sobbing with mascara running down her face. He asks her “Are you a pervert?” A priceless introduction between the leads.

Drunk Sam Soon goes to the ATM machine with Jin Hun in tow. She tells him “Don’t look!” and then drunkenly reads out the numbers as she types it into the machine. I cracked up.
Sam Soon goes to Jin Hun’s house as his fake girlfriend and when his mom asks if she loves him, she nods solemnly and then the camera pans down to her hands, which she is using to make the shape of a heart. The poker-faced Kim and the unexpectedness of the scene was hilarious. I almost died laughing.

When Sam Soon stares at Jin Hun and thinks to herself: “He’s really good-looking. How did he come from Mrs. Blowfish?” That nickname just killed me.

Any scenes between Henry and Sam Soon. There is nothing quite like language barrier humour and these scenes were hysterical.

The infamous karaoke scene when Jin Hun tries to win Sam Soon’s mom and sister over. This was preceded by a 10-second scene where Jin Hun Googles “how to get your mother-in-law to like you”.
Any scenes between Jin Hun and Mi Joo. There is clear affection between the two actors and Mi Joo is too cute for words.

When Jin Hun orders Sam Soon to not change her name, and she tells him with a deadpan serious look on her face: “If you change your name to Sam Shik, then I won’t change my name to Sam Soon”.

To Watch or Not To Watch, That is the Question
If you haven’t watched this yet, you don’t know what you’re missing. A must-watch for anyone who has ever felt fat, ugly, stupid or old.

Rating
5/5

Through the Grapevine

This series won a slew of awards, including Best Drama, Best Screenplay, Most Popular Couple and Best Cast at the 42nd Paeksang Awards and Best Mini-Series at the 2006 Seoul Drama Awards. Awards received at the 2005 MBC Awards include: New Actor (Daniel Henney), Popularity Award, Best Couple, Excellence Award, and Top Excellence Male & Female.

Daniel Henney and Jung Ryo Won are actually very good friends in real life, and Hyun Bin is now dating the darling of Korean drama, Song Hye Kyo.

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