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...

Weirdness Brings Us All Together...It's Okay, That's Love...

    Most human beings are in the search for love. Whether or not we achieve this elusive state of happiness has a lot to do with the people we surround ourselves with in our daily lives. 

     ...and making sure that our mental health is always working hand in hand with our hearts.

     Jang Jae Yeol (Jo In Sung) is a famous novelist and radio DJ. He writes about the darker aspects of the human psyche. 

     He's had plenty of chances to view the dark roads of humanity...just ask his brother... 

Hyung (Yang Ik Joon) Crashes the Party!

     Ji Hye Soo (Gong Hyo Jin) is a psychiatrist who shares a house with her mentor Jo Dong Min (Sung Dong Il) and a younger waiter Park Soo Kwang (Lee Kwang Soo)...who has a form of Tourette syndrome. 

     Their house is always in disarray and all the housemates thrive living in chaos. Yet, the one thing they do not lack is love.

     Sometimes it's tough love...but it's love.    

It's Complicated...

     Jae Yeol has weird sleeping arrangements and his girlfriend of 3 years Lee Pool Ib (Yoon Jin Yi) is frustrated and doesn't understand him! 
  
     It's easy to betray the one you love if he won't let you in. Jae Yeol won't lower his barriers for anyone ...not even Pool Ib. 

You didn't SEE that Coming?

     There are many cases that come to the hospital where Hye Soo works. Usually it's people who want help and work through their psychological problems.

     Other times patients come in who are standing at the edge of a great abyss and they are crying out to be helped. 

     Hye Soo has her own psychiatric issues and hopes to one day overcome them. Until then she helps those that she can.

The Doctor is IN!

     Hye Soo and Jae Yeol meet because they are on a tv talk show together! He's there to promote a new book and she is there to offer clinical psychological insight...

    What a ruckus they caused! 

     The sparks that where flying as they argued their points were visible!

     It probably didn't help that Hye Soo had caught Jae Yeol looking down the shirt of the lady that put on his makeup! (Gotcha!)

     As Jae Yeol makes his final (smug) point and promotes his book he winks at the audience and sees Han Kang Woo (Do Kyung Soo (D.O.) from EXO).

     Kang Woo is a "writing dongsaeng" that Jae Yeol is mentoring.   

The Fight is ON!

     After the tv show Hye Soo and Jae Yeol bump into each other at a nightclub and he tries to talk to her and she is not having it!

     They are quickly interrupted by Hye Soo's patient who gets violent with her.

     They both help subdue the patient and get injured as a result. Jae Yeol hopes that by helping Hye Soo with her problem patient he will be one step closer to being intimate with her.

     Nope!

     Hye Soo still treats Jae Yeol with professional courtesy and Jae Yeol becomes angry and sullen.

     Jae Yeol has an opportunity arise and he takes it to the next level! (Ha)

The Beginning...?

     "It's Okay, That's Love" delves into the psyche of what love means in all its facets. 

     Love for your friends, love for yourself, love for your job, and love for your partner.

     Love is never smooth and steady (especially not in KDramas). It is a very bumpy road to travel and Director Kim Kyu-Tae with the help of Writer No Hee-Kyung share not only their talents in this series but their love of their craft!

Will You Bend to My Personal Taste...?

     Sexual orientation can often be considered a taboo subject and many misunderstanding can happen if questions are left unanswered. 

     For one architect, Jeon Jin Ho (Lee Min Ho of Boys Over Flowers), letting people believe he's Gay is the only way his company can survive! 

     What he didn't plan on was meeting Park Kae In (Son Ye Jin) and having to continue the charade...when he obviously doesn't want to. 

Trying to get rid of Na Hye Mi...

     Kae In is an artisan furniture maker, accident prone, and has great difficulty in love. She is a human welcome matt letting the world step all over her...(sigh) 

     This does not deter her from trying to achieve her own happily ever after but she gets discouraged at times (even though she tries so hard!).

She is a MESS!

     Kae In meets Jin Ho through unfortunate circumstances (ofcourse) and believes that he has sexually assault her on the bus!

     Jin Ho cannot deny it fast enough and is troubled to have met such an unfortunate person as Kae In! 

Meet Cute...?

     One of the good things in Kae In's life is her boyfriend Han Chang Ryul (Kim Ji Suk of Cheer Up!)! He is a successful architect and heir to his Father's (Ahn Suk Hwan) construction business (also Jin Ho's business and love rival).

    Kae In's naivete in dealing with Chang Ryul is elevated as she misinterprets his words and actions as he tries to break up with her. (Ugh!)   

...is he going to propose?!?!

     Entering in the Seductress role is Wang Ji Hye as Kim In Hee! She is beautiful and destructive. Not just of those around her but herself as well...

     In Hee grew up with Kae In as sisters in the same house! Which Kae In's Father Park Chul Han (Kang Shin Il of Lie to Me), who is a famous architect and Professor, drafted and built. 

     So it is a great shock as Kae In walks into her sister-friend's wedding to see In Hee marrying her boyfriend! (Oh NO!)

BETRAYED!

      Personal Taste takes viewers on a hilarious ride through misconceptions, assumptions, and the hard truths about love.  

     Directors Son Hyeong-Seok and No Jong-Chan with the help of Writers Lee Sae-In and Kim Hee-Ju let us discover, through cinematography and the emotions displayed by these talented artists, that love finds a way through. Maybe not as you wished but definitely worth the sacrifice.

Bromance to Romance in 19 Episodes or Less...?

     What happens when the culture you are born into has rules and regulations that can shape your life to an almost alternate state? That's exactly what happened to Pi Ya Nuo (MeganLai)! 

     When she was born her parents, who are truly trusting and loving, went to a fortune teller to get advice on their newborn child (feels very fairy-tale like...). 

     They were told of great misfortune for Ya Nuo in the future if they did not take steps to change her fate! (oh no!) 

Tricking Fate?

     On a parallel storyline Du Zhi Feng (BaronChen) also had a rough start in life and was rescued from being an orphan by a generous mafia family! (ok...I know how it sounds but they're nice!)

     Zhi Feng is facing challenges, on his own, since his Father disappeared 7 years ago...does tragedy follow this duo throughout the drama?

Love Thy Father

     As Ya Nuo continues to hide who she is (for almost 26 years) she has lived her life as full as she could. Her best friend, Liao Guang Chao (YangMing Wei), helps to create laughter and a sense of stability in her life.     

Working Man

     As the story unfolds Zhi Feng is keeping his Theme Park running and waiting for his Father to come home...but rivalries won't leave him alone! All he really needs is a friend to have his back...(mmm...wonder who that could be?)

Gentleman in Distress?

     Zhi Feng and Ya Nuo hit it off but Ya Nuo doesn't want any rewards for helping Zhi Feng. 

     But when Ya Nuo rescues Du Zi Han (Elleya Tao),  Zhi Feng's  sister ...things get really complicated! 

(...and funny!)

Sworn Brothers!

     Bromance is a hilarious view on the gender bender theme (when a character dresses/acts like the opposite gender) that many Asian Dramas have.

     I find this Taiwanese twist delightful because Ya Nuo has been living this lifestyle for almost 26 years and has become adept to the role! She truly is a boy through and through. 

     She fights, has swag, and drinks just like all the male characters! ...sometimes better! 

     Watching this drama was addictive most especially since Ya Nuo got to rescue her "Prince" on more than one occasion and I loved to watch her kick butt!

A Gentleman's Dignity is Sometimes the Last thing he has Left...

     Loyalty and friendship go hand in hand in this 2012 bromance romantic comedy. Kim Do Jin (Jang Dong Gun), Im Tae San (Kim Soo Ro), Choi Yoon (Kim Min Jong), and Lee Jung Rok (Lee Jong Hyuk) have known each other since high school. 

     They consider each other family and go to great lengths to help and cover for each other (the good, bad, and sometimes very ugly! HA!). They have been there for each other through heartbreak, military training, and death. 

4F (just older?)

     Kim Do Jin has two chance encounters with Seo Yi Soo (Kim Ha Neul)... but they keep missing each other... Is this destiny or just not meant to be? 

He Missed his Chance

Meet Cute (well...not for her...)

     Seo Yi Soo is the Ethics Teacher at an all boy's school and a group of her boys has an altercation with Kim Do Jin. She needs to talk with him to try and talk him out of suing her students but he refuses to speak to her (or even listen!).

Their Punishment!

     They finally meet because Seo Yi Soo's the umpire at their baseball games! He tries to get her to notice him because he recognized Seo Yi Soo as the woman that he couldn't catch and has been on his mind...
 

Homr Run?

     Kim Do Jin FINALLY figures out that the pretty (ippuda) umpire is the same teacher, of the delinquents who were harrassing Kim Do Jin and Choi Yoon! (Oh No!) Kim Do Jin is kicking himself for not giving in to her sooner...

Who is She Again?!? 

     To add more complications a boy, Colin (Lee Jong Hyun), appears out of nowhere claiming that one of the four is his biological father...?  

 Colin (Lee Jung Hyun)

     This KDrama called to me because, even though it had a lot of sweet romantic moments, it definitely had a lot of adult themes that are not seen commonly in popular KDramas. 

     Writer Kim Eun-Sook and Directors Shin Woo-Cheol and Kwon Hyuk-Chan captured great moments in these character's life and reminded us that its never to late to have fun with life and have A Gentleman's Dignity.

Sometimes all She Leaves Behind is Her Scent...

      Working at a travel agency should be glamorous. But not for Lee Yeon Jae (Kim Sun Ah). She is yelled at, overworked, and she has been inappropriately touched by her Boss (Ewww...). Disappointed in all that life has had to offer Lee Yeon Jae she trudges along with little hope of happiness.

Her Boss's Mistreatment

     Her co-workers use and degrade her and she stays quiet. She believes that she is being a "good" person by taking the abuse; just keeping her head down and trying to get by. Her life is no fairy tale and she is no princess.

I am not a welcome mat

     Lee Yeon Jae meets her longtime (if not clearly remembered) friend Chae Eun Suk (Uhm Ki Joon) who is a doctor at her local hospital. He desperately needs to talk to her (as if her life wasn't bad enough) to explain to Lee Yeon Jae that she has Gallbladder Cancer.

The truth will set you free

     Devastated with the news that she only has six months to live Lee Yeon Jae starts questioning the way she has been living her life. She finds the strength to tell her Boss off, to put her co-worker's in their place, and to finally believe that she is the Heroine of her own story!

The Makeover

     As Lee Yeon Jae reinvents herself (and gets a little male attention...) she decides to go on a vacation (probably her last one) since she had never taken one in the ten years that she worked for a travel agency. She visits Jeju Island looking for adventure...and a piece of paradise.

The Meet Cute

     Fate is a funny thing. While Lee Yeon Jae finds fun in life (although her time is running out). Kang Ji Wook (Lee Dong Wook) shuffles through like a bratty child suffering to do his homework. They find in each other strengths and kindness (with a little heartache) and the will to be better for each other. 

     It is incredibly interesting the chemistry that these two characters have with each other. Scent of a Woman is filled with a special passion that Writer No Ji-Sul and Director Park Hyung-Ki put on the screen and it is breathtaking (especially when they dance! Yum!).

Love Now...there may not be a Later...

     How do you get a workaholic to take a time out to smell the flowers? Convince her she only has six months to live! (Oh no!)

     Yang Yi Ru (Annie Chen) is on her very first vacation in years because her Sister, Yang Yi Qing (Yang Yong Cun) and Father, Yang Hao (Shen Meng Sheng) have convinced her, for her own good(really?), that she only has a few months to live!

The Scam!

   The downside is that she meets Lan Shi De (George Hu), who falls for her in three seconds (or less), and wants to spend all his time with Yang Yi Ru. The romance is put on hold however when Yang Yi Ru breaks down and confesses about her impending death.

The Confession...

   Lan Shi De makes the next few days an incredibly fun filled and sexy vacation turned honeymoon...(Oh My!)

Let's Get Married

   

Great Adventure!

     Unfortunately for the pair of lovers Yang Yi Ru's family's deceit comes to light and she is too ashamed to face Lan Shi De. (even though NONE of it was her fault)

     Yang Yi Ru tries to get her life back together (trying to forget Lan Shi De - good luck with that!) and back to work with her boss Sun Qi Ming (Bobby Dou); who was also in on the scam to make Yang Yi Ru forcibly take a vacation.

The Lie stops Here!

   Oh! To make matters worse Lan Shi De is the owner of a large family owned business who is suing Sun Qi Ming's production company!! (yup! Yang Yi Ru is in for a nasty surprise) 

     Love Now is a great Taiwanese Drama that is filled with humor and heartaches which created an unforgettable story thanks to the writing team behind these lovable and endearing characters. (Writing Team: Shao Hui Ting, Lín Pei Yu, Zheng Ying Min, and Huang Xiang Min)