Are you...Jealous?!?

     Many things seems unattainable for Pyo Na Ri  (Gong Hyo Jin from Master's Sun & It's OK That's Love). She tries to be the best weather girl possible but she has to humiliate herself just to barely stay on the air.

     And if that isn't enough she does any odd job needed for the station in order to make ends meet for herself and her younger brother, Pyo Chi Yeol (Kim Jung Hyun - 1990).  

     Across the water Lee Hwa Shin (Jo Jung Suk from What's Up? & Oh My Ghostess) is an overseas reporter in Bangkok awaiting to be called back home after his time in exile.

     Fortunately for him his television station is trying to promote the anchors and reporters to boost ratings and get a better selection of incoming candidates for their job postings. 

     The station sends a small crew to shoot Hwa Shin for the promo spot. What he doesn't know is that the woman who's had a 3 year crush on him will be part of this group! (Yup it's Na Ri... Omo!)

     Na Ri is trying her best to be of assistance to Hwa Shin but she can't help that she irritates and angers him. (What is his deal?) 

     She is in charge of getting him ready for the shoot, per the Director's instructions, and Hwa Shin is not agreeable to any of their foolishness! (Does he NOT want to be part of the promo?)

     But in their tug of war with his white shirt Na Ri cuts him! She tries to tend the wound on Hwa Shin's chest..(Yowza!) Na Ri takes her time feeling his chest and is puzzled by what she finds... 

     As the day goes by Hwa Shin is met on set by his best friend - Go Jung Won (GoKyung Pyo from Flower Boy Next Door & Tomorrow's Cantable). They catch up and reminisce. And then Na Ri finds them.

     Na Ri is captivated by Jung Won. Not only is he young, handsome, and rich but he gave up his seat on the airplane for her when they were flying together on their way to Bangkok!

    Hwa Shin sees this close interaction and immediately gets jealous! So much so that he takes Jung Won away from the set...and Na Ri. (HA!)  

     Back in Seoul Na Ri accidentally meets up with Hwa Shin as they are both headed to work and she takes advantage of the opportunity and feels him up again!  

     This second more careful examination confirms what she thinks she knows is happening to Hwa Shin.   

     Hwa Shin is finally fed up with Na Ri's antics! He grabs her and pulls Na Ri behind a TV in the lobby of the station where they both work.

     Hwa Shin demands an explanation for all the touching and groping that she has done to him and states that if she still likes him that this was NOT the way to show it! (Arrogant much?)

     Na Ri tries to explain that she doesn't like him and he doesn't believe her...until she explains why she has been feeling his chest all this time...   

      Jealousy Incarnate is a story that is relatable. Whether you've ever felt jealousy over a friend, lover, or crush we have all been on one side of this coin or the other.

     And the beautiful complication of a possible fatal disease has all the earmarks of KDrama fun! (It gives me the feels!)

     Director Park Shin-Woo and Writer Seo Sook-Hyang created many memorable scenes where love is given deeper meaning and weight because of the pain that the characters have to endure.

Fantasy Online and Off in Love O2O!

     For those of us who love to play video games (I'm a Nintendo and Online gamer!) this next C-Drama is right up your controller sticks! 

     Love O2O is a drama that goes into a popular online historical action game called, "Chinese Ghost Story". Here players join clans (or gangs), battle players and monsters, have quests, and they can even get MARRIED!

     Reed Wei Wei (ZhengShuang) is the only top 10 female player and she is married to Zhenshui Wuxiang (Zhang He) and they rack points and kick butt!

     Unfortunately, every time Zhenshui Wuxiang asks Reed Wei Wei for a photo or to meet IRL (in real life) she always declines... 

     This is wonderful bumbling sidekick is Zhao Er Xi (Mao Xiao Tong) she is Reed Wei Wei's (or Bei Wei Wei - offline name) BFF!

     She is clumsy and Bei Wei Wei is always bailing her out from one jam to another...lol   

     After Zhao Er Xi killed Bei Wei Wei's laptop she dropped it off to get repaired and went to an online cafe to get her game ON!

     What Bei Wei Wei could not have anticipated was that Xiao Nai (YangYang) - the most popular boy at her university - was having a meeting at the same place! (What!?!) 

     I absolutely love the cinematography in this series! For me it became another character to play with the narrative...this is seen when the two leads kinda meet for the first time.

     The first thing Xiao Nai notices about Bei Wei Wei is her hands! (Wow!)

     So...since Zhenshui Wuxiang had been making no headway with Reed Wei Wei he asked for a DIVORCE in the RPG (role playing game). What he forgot to mention is that he already had someone he wanted to marry instead of her.

     I absolutely LOVE Reed Wei Wei reaction when he divorced her and then she saw his marriage train with his new bride - she did NOT care. For Reed Wei Wei it was all just a game! (HA!)

     On the bright side another interesting character pops up and asks Reed Wei Wei to marry her! 

     Who?...none other than the number one top player Yi Xiao Nai He!

     Meanwhile, back in the man cave Xiao Nai calmly explains that he can no longer fix any random girl's computer because he is now a Married Man! (...things that make you go mmm...?)

     I did want to take a moment and talk about two characters that I absolutely loved in this series. Hao Mei (ZhengYe Cheng) and KO (Zhang Binbin)!

     There are many flower boys in this series and the bromance is brimming on a saturated cup but these two characters touched my heart dearly. 

     Hao Mei and KO  share a caring and sweet almost romance that is not always seen this clearly in Chinese Dramas. I'm grateful it was present in this one.

     Definite kudos to Director Lin YuFen for having great vision and to Writer Gu Man for an imaginative story!

Can a Monster have a Beautiful Mind?

     Every good story has a monster to fight. We the viewers need to see the leading man or woman defeat the odds and slay their particular dragon!

     But what happens when a story twists within itself and gives the monster a leading role in the heroine's tale?

     First, we meet Dr. Lee Young-O (Jang Hyuk Park), the cold arrogant neurosurgeon, who most definitely does NOT play well with others...

     It is devastating to be on the receiving end of his brilliance...and ambition!

     To balance Dr. Lee Young-O calculations is warm hearted Patrol Officer Gye Jin-Sung (Park So-Dam).

     Officer Gye has a very clear sense of right and wrong but she tends to believe in the general goodness of people.

     But don't underestimate her level of commitment...she always gets her man...

     At the hospital there's an opening ceremony that gets crashed by a very upset individual...

     Is this a crazy person or does he know what's REALLY happening at this seemingly benign hospital...?

     As the disturbed man is being taken care of by security Dr. Lee Young-O makes an even more absurd statement!

     He tells the celebrity speaker that he only has moments to live! (but no one believes him!!)

     After Officer Gye left the hospital she had more questions than answers! 

     And while contemplating her next move she witnesses something so evil that she is devastated by the truth and she begins an investigation that throws her onto the biggest roller coaster ride of her life!

     At the hospital Officer Gye meets up with Dr. Hyun Suk-Joo (Yoon Hyun-Min) who is working in the ER and is trying to revive the guy who Officer Gye found!

     To complicate matters Dr. Hyun Suk-Joo is Officer Gye's personal doctor...since she was a teenager and she has a MAJOR CRUSH on him...(unfortunately the show never really explores this...?)

     Officer Gye is dumbfounded when told that the patient she rescued of the street has died!!!

     It wasn't until much later that she began to suspect the new doctor who had operated on the patient...Dr. Lee Young-O! (Oh NO!)

  Beautiful Mind is the story of a man who fought to prove that he wasn't a monster...

     But Director Mo Wan-Il and Writer Kim Tae-Hee (Monstar) make us doubt his humanity at every turn!

     I also want to give a shout out to Bernard Park (Park Nak Jun) of JYP Entertainment for creating a wonderful and memorable OST for Beautiful Mind!

     This story was well told and my only critique is that Jang Hyuk Park as Dr. Lee Young-O was a little too well played. He was so cold blooded that I hated him through most of the drama! Why would I want him to win?

     The viewers had no "good guy" to root for! There was nothing but bad guys or good guys turned bad guys for most of the show...

     I felt that Officer Gye was being fed too many clues without her properly finding out WHAT was going on!! 

     It's unfortunate that this great premise unfolded as it did. The ratings were so poor that the original 16 episode drama got sliced to 14! 

     I don't think the extra two episodes could have undone what the story had already become...

We Will be Remembered as Descendants of the Sun!

     I have been an avid Asian Drama Watcher for more than 4 years (my Husband can attest!). 

     And in that time there have been some favorites (Boys Over Flowers, Lie to Me, Master's Sun, Scent of a Woman and A Gentleman's Dignity) that have deeply stayed with me and I have re-watched all of these series to the point of memorization! 

     The stories I'm most drawn to are a balanced mixture of romance, sarcasm, sassiness, great writing and sincere acting. 

   The latest KDrama that has done this so magnificently has been Descendants of the Sun!

     Yoo Shi Jin (Song Joong Ki of Sungkyunkwan Scandal) and Seo Dae Young (Jin Goo of Ad Genius Lee Tae Baek) are brothers in arms who keep the peace...any way they can..(OMO!)

     *Interesting side note...this drama was filmed shortly after Song Joong Ki finished his military service!!   

      Sigh... Even on vacation Shi Jin and Dae Young have to right wrongs and catch criminals! 

     Whenever these two are left to their own deices they always get into some kind of trouble! (HA!)

     They were having some fun at the shooting range in an arcade when they catch Kim Ki Bum (Kim Min Suk of Doctor's Crush) as someone yells "Thief"!

     It's funny how they messed Ki Bum up and then they tried to fix him!

     As Ki Bum was being taken away by the ambulance he stealthily took Dae Young's phone as the dynamic and very handsome duo made sure that the thief survived the crash...

     ...I doubt that the stolen phone will come back and bite him...right?

     At the hospital Ki Bum meets Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Gyo of Hotelier) who is impressed and appalled at Ki Bum's condition...

     Ki Bum does everything possible to leave; so Dr. Kang takes his phone to make him stay...but it's not HIS phone!!

     Ki Bum knows that he's in trouble but he has to escape the hospital! 

     Not only is Dae Young going to want his phone back but there are worse things in store for Ki Bum...

     Shi Jin and Dae Young make their way to the hospital to retrieve Dae Young's phone but what they find is Dr. Kang...and her suspicions that they are the people Ki Bum is running away from...(how did this get soooo complicated?!?)

     Dr. Kang kicks Shi Jin and Dae Young out of the ER and they go hunting for Ki Bum...

     Dae Young, as an ex-gang member, knows the many pitfalls and wrong turns a person can take so he decides to take Ki Bum's side and stand up for him as his brother.

     What an unbelievably well written twist! Up to this point we hadn't really seen Dae Young's vulnerability and caring for another person! (WOW!) 

     I wonder where the story will go from here now that Dae Young has added Ki Bum into their brotherhood...?  
   

     ...ugh...After the fight they all go back to the SAME hospital!

     Dr. Kang is now convinced that Big Boss/Shi Jin is at the center of her patient's new bruises and broken body...

    You would think that after covert operations and a violent street gang Sergeant Major Seo Dae Young would never have any mortal fears...


     ...that is until confronted with his true love First Lieutenant Yoon Myeong-Ju (Kim Ji Won of Heirs)!

     As one pair of love birds prepare to fight a war another start their romance...

     After Dr. Kang Mo Yeon alibied Captain Yoo Shi Jin with the CCTV footage of the fight to save Ki Bum he asks if she could tend to his wound...?


     She believes he is faking and mocks his pain only to be embarrassed by his real need of medical attention! (HA!)

  As Mo Yeon re-stitches Shi Jin's cut they discuss how he got this and other wounds.

     Shi Jin flirts with Mo Yeon telling her tall tales of his bravery and she smiles and calls him on his lies!


     They are cute together and the sincerity for each other is heartwarming!

     Descendants of the Sun is a search for love regardless of what life may throw at you! It teaches about patience and forgiveness and letting go. 

     Writers Kim Eun-Sook and Kim Won-Suk created a realistic halfway point between an action and a romcom and I enjoyed the melding of these two worlds! 

     But the writing was consistently enhanced by the breathtaking cinematography of Directors Lee Eung-Bok and Baek Sang-Hoon. The directors rose to the challenge of the Writers and told the full intertwining stories that moved through so many lives...

Dream High 2...(Where's 1?)

     As I was re-watching (yes...I do that...frequently) Dream High 2 I knew that I wanted to tell this story because there is one character in this series that I identify with very much.

     This person has a lot of obstacles to overcome through the series and I can feel the (eternal?)struggle as this character tries (with varying degrees of success) to achieve their dreams... Can you guess which one it is?

     The series starts showing musical talent with a Girl Kpop group by the name of "HershE" (like the candy bar) and they are at the top of their game!  

     This group consists of SISTAR's Hyolyn and Ailee as well as T-Ara's Jiyeon as  "HershE" Members Nana, Ailee, and Rian. 

     Rian is struggling with becoming more than the "Face" of "HershE" and dumps fellow alum JB to focus more on her acting career...(Omo!)

   "HershE" and the duo "I:dn" (Eden) were both raised through OZ Entertainment.

    "I:dn" is made up of two artists JB (from GOT7) and Si Woo (Park Seo Joon  of "Kill Me, Heal Me").

     JB and Si Woo see their respective careers extremely differently. JB is the rule follower (and has a relationship with Rian) and Si Woo is the rebel always getting into trouble.

     So it is a shock when JB breaks the rules...and the consequences are felt by ALL!

     As JB's extreme fan (watch out JB!) Shin Hae-sung (Kang So-ra of "Warm and Cozy") goes greatly out of her way to make an impression.

     Unfortunately, it's not always the best impression...

     Hae-sung feels a connection to these artists that she's come to support and watch because she is training to become one herself!

     Hae-sung is studying at "The Kirin School of Arts" to become a world class singer and no one is going to stop her...

     On her way back from the concert Hae-sung meets up with Jin Yoo-jin (Jeong Jinwoon of 2AM and "Madame Antoine")...unintentionally...

     Yoo-jin is a child star and talented musician. You would think that would make him arrogant but it just keeps him rebellious! (HA!)

      Yoo-jin has very specific ideas of what he wants to do musically and refuses to let anyone have artistic control over him...

    Hae-sung gets caught sneaking in (but not  Yoo-jin!) and tries to dispel any bad karma with a spell...?

     When her room catches fire she forces her whole dormitory to evacuate including Teacher Yang Jin-man (Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment) who just wants to be left alone until retirement...(LOL)

     Obviously, Hae-sung's luck won't change unless she tries to change it herself! And with that thought in mind she tries to create a song, by herself, to submit for a contest at school.

      Hae-sung asks Yoo-jin to help make her song better but after he listens to it Yoo-jin belittles her efforts! (Really?)

     Then he harshly compares her meager attempt to write a song with her favorite artist's, JB's, last published song stating that it had been plagiarized!

     After all the trouble that his artists were making and the new law for underage entertainers President Lee Kang-chul (Kim Jung-tae of "Oh My Venus") of OZ Entertainment came to "The Kirin School of Arts" to set some things straight.

     Principal Joo Jung-wan (Kwon Hae-hyo of "Lie to Me") was minding his own business when President Lee  popped into his office to drop a bomb...

    From this day forward "The Kirin School of Arts" belongs to OZ Entertainment and all their artists will be attending this school!

     Dream High 2 is a RomCom Musical that never gets old. Writers Heo Sung-Hye and Jang Eun-Mit tell timeless stories of each person's journey as they grow and reach for their dreams. And Directors Lee Eung-Bok and Mo Wan-Il showed us through great cinematography that the story is also found in its silent moments...   

Do You Know What's UP?

     Every major crossroad in my life has been influenced by the people who were making the same journey. 

     It is gravely important that we surround ourselves with those who make us want to be better and help us achieve our goals. 

     It is very easy to push each other to great heights or push each other off a cliff. 

     "What's Up" is the story of a group of musical theater students who must live, learn, and love as they reach for their dreams.

     As the story begins we find ourselves at the beginning of the semester as the students are called to audition for the Musical Theater Program for the University!

     Kim Byung Gun (Jo Jung Suk from "Oh My Ghostess") is an older student and trying a new career path.

     He doubts his self worth and his family has no idea of what he's up to...

     Will Byung Gun be able to find his voice? (I hope so!)

      The auditions begin! 

     While Byung Gun is having trouble breathing (at the thought of his upcoming audition) a fair breeze floats in as Eun Chae Young (Jang Hee Jin of "Big") tells Byung Gun that he's going to be ok.

     Byung Gun can relax now! He's found a friend in Chae Young!...right?

     In the audition we find out that Chae Young is actually a well known actress! (Omo!) 

     The audition committee question her reasons for coming to their department...mmm...I wonder too!

     As Chae Young's audition continues there are people who still haven't even found the audition building!


     Jang Jae Hun (Im Ju Hwan of "Oh My Ghostess") desperately tries to find the acting department but no such luck! (it doesn't help that his friend signed him up for Musical Theater! HA!) 

     On the other hand Park Tae Yi (Kim Ji Won of "Heirs") who's been to the school many times...is just as lost! (Oh no!)

     Tae Yi finally finds the audition room (with help from the University Security Officer) and finds a kindred spirit in Ha Do Sung (Kang Dae Sung of BigBang)! 

     Tae Yi and Do Sung had barely started their conversation when Jae Hun interrupts them to ask a very simple question...

...really...???

     I know that every Mother wants the best for her child but Oh Doo Ri's (Im Joo Eun of "Heirs") Mother is undoubtedly overbearing! (she makes you want to rebel!)

     Doo Ri needs this audition to help remove her from her Mother's grasp and allow her a moment to breathe...

     "What's Up" has a great ensemble cast of young actors who reminded me of my younger days and how I tried my best to see through my darkest times with empathy, humor, and sarcasm. (and I still do!)

     Director Song Ji-Won and Writer Song Ji-Na created a campus where the "teachers" taught each of the "kids" lessons about life, human nature, and strength of will! And how together they could figure out "What's Up"!