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...

A New Spin on DramaWorld!

     As you follow my blog you'll start to notice certain similarities in a typical KDrama. 

     Poor girl meets rich boy, then she has unrealistic expectations that he'll love her forever, and there's always someone to mess with their relationship! (Monster-in-law, 2nd male lead, the Temptress). 

     "DramaWorld" starts EXACTLY like a typical KDrama...

                                                                                  ...then EVERYTHING changes!!

     Viki has broken all the KDrama rules and has given all KDrama fans an incredible treat! This web series crosses cultures, languages, reality, and worlds! Set in Los Angeles and Seoul, the first-ever American-Korean mashup (Omo!) 

     Claire Duncan (LIV HEWSON) is a 20 year old college student who works at her Father's cafe. She feels invisible and her only way of coping with her life (or lack thereof) is by living vicariously through the KDramas she watches. 

Addicted to KDramas!

     Chef Joon Park (SEAN DULAKE) is Claire's favorite actor and plays the male lead in "Taste of Love" the hottest KDrama at the moment! Claire has been following the KDrama religiously and knows something is wrong... 

Meet the Love Triangle...Maybe?

     Claire continues her lonely existence as she tries to figure out what's wrong with her series, "Taste of Love".

     She tries to explain that there is a problem with the KDrama to the many customer's at her Father's cafe but all she does is drive business away.

Claire explains...

       Episode 12 takes a nasty turn in "Taste of Love" as someone kills Chef Joon's Father forcing the story into a darker course. And the love triangle takes a turn for the worst.

The tale continues...

   As Claire re-watches episode 12, trying to catch anything she could have missed in the plot, her Father furiously takes her smartphone in an effort to make her wake up and start living life in reality.

I want to be in KDramas!

     Unable to let the KDrama go Claire watches the next episode as she cleans up. Unfortunately, a spilled mop bucket fuels Claire's desire to stop Chef Joon and the Temptress (KIM SA HEE) from kissing and transports Claire into "Taste of Love"!

Dream come true?

     Claire wreaks havoc on “Taste of Love”. Her only ally is Seth Ko (Justin Chon), a fellow "real" person who also landed in DramaWorld, and is a "facilitator". Seth keeps all the KDramas on track to their happy ending. 

     Seth insists Claire help him because her interference has created an off-balance which is causing other dramas to splice into the series !

     With as many Asian Dramas that have been produced the creation of DramaWorld was clearly anticipated and greatly welcomed by all KDrama fans (Me included!)

     This wonderful series was written by Josh Billig and Chris Martin.  Chris also directed the show and he's been in the industry for about 10 year! I had fun watching it, laughing at all the KDrama rules, crying with all the heartwarming scenes and seeing how much fun Josh and Chris had with the series...

     Many fans are clamoring for a season 2 and I clearly anticipate the possibilities!

I Don't Care WHO You are...You're Beautiful

     This KDrama pushes the possibilities of reality to the its very limits (I love it!). In true Cinderella-esque fashion a nun-in-training meets three hot guys in a rock band when she pretends to be her own twin brother!(Oh No!)

     Park Shin Hye (from Heartstrings) plays the part of Go Mi Nyu-the pure hearted (but always making trouble) soon to be nun. She reminds me a lot of the character Maria from "The Sound of Music"!

I'm not late...Your just All Early...?

     Meanwhile, Hwang Tae Kyung (Jang Geun Suk from Mary Stayed Out All Night) the Leader of the band A.N.Jell is an arrogant yet highly talented musician, composer, and lyricist! 

     Unfortunately, Tae Kyung's personality leaves a lot to be desired and he makes life hard and miserable for all those around him including his band mates Kang Shin Woo (Jung Yong Hwa of CNBLUE) and Jeremy (Lee Hong Ki of FT Island).  

Rockin' in Out!

     These two vastly different worlds collide when Ma Hoon Yi (Kim In Kwon) who is Mi Nam's manager locates Go Mi Nyu at the Nunnery to plead for her help.

     Hoon Yi tells Mi Nyu that Go Mi Nam is in the hospital getting work done and will not be out in time to sign the papers to join the boy band A.N.Jell-which is Mi Nam's biggest dream!

     After much fighting Mi Nyu gives in to Hoon Yi's demands and pressure to help her brother...just this once (yeah...right).

Begging on My Knees!

     As "Go Mi Nam" was signing the papers for the contract to join A.N.Jell Tae Kyung barges in and demands that "Mi Nam" show him and the rest of the band his singing talents! (Omo!)

I Don't Want You in MY Band!

     "Mi Nam" was accepted by the band members! Just one problem...the REAL Go Mi Nam won't be able to join the band for some time YET!

     Hoon Yi begs Mi Nyu to play the part of her brother so that he doesn't lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in his musical career. 

     Mi Nyu is having none of it! She is on her way to Rome to become a nun. Pretending to be something and someone she's not is against everything that she stands for!

What is HIS will?

     In true KDrama form Mi Nyu bumps into Tae Kyung at the airport and drops her airplane ticket in the process (Yikes!). 

     As he tries desperately to find her and give her back her ticket she equally and desperately tries to avoid him! Mi Nyu fears that Tae Kyung will recognize her and she will be in trouble.    

     Tae Kyung cannot wait forever and departs on his flight with Mi Nyu's ticket! Now she cannot go to Rome and continue her studies. 

     Mi Nyu reflects back on her conversation with Mother Superior about following God's will and decides that helping out her brother must be part of His plan.

Family comes First...

     Park Shin Hye as Go Mi Nam and Go Mi Nyu gives this KDrama a new twist on the Gender Bending trend in You're Beautiful. 

     There were many moments that I loved during this series. One of my favorite scenes is when Jeremy confesses to Mi Nyu on the bus. He completely broke my heart. I have watched this show time and time again and I still rarely watch this scene. 

     Director Hong Sung-Chang and Assistant Director Park Yong-Soon collaborated with Writers Hong Jung-Eun and Hong Mi-Ran to make this RomCom into a delightful, heartfelt, and very funny story. 

Rah! Rah! for Cheer Up!

     The never ending struggle with class society is a continuing KDrama must have! In Cheer Up! we find two groups, the haves and have nots, represented by the 1% of a competitive school's highest and lowest achieving students. Baek Ho "Cheerleading Club" and the Real King, a street dance club, come head to head in this prince vs. pauper tale.

The Introduction

     The leaders of both groups are Kang Yeon Doo(Jung Eun Ji) of the Real King and Kim Yeol(Lee Won Geun) of Baek Ho. Their relationship starts out rocky but in true KDrama fashion they find people and situations to bond over and a need to protect those they love...and don't forget that they sizzle together onscreen.

The Kiss?

     Of course it wouldn't be a High School KDrama without the second male lead, Seo Ha Joon(Kim Ji Soo), who woos the fair maiden's heart, or at least confuses the audience and gives lots and lots of feels!(Whee!) 

     This love triangle is one of the best written in a very long time. Writer Yoon Soo-Jung provided enough depth in the bromance between Seo Ha Joon and Kim Yeol which encouraged them to be honest and worthy of their friendship.

Bromance

     This group of talented actors show the incredible pains and pressures that many Korean high schoolers, especially in a highly competitive school, go through in order to achieve greatness. Unfortunately, the greatness that they are trying to grab on to is mostly their parent's and society's version of happiness. In Cheer Up! the students are thinking for themselves and learning how to become truly happy.