KFilm to Miss: A Perfect Match (2002)

A Perfect Match (2002) 

Professional matchmaker Kim Hyo-jin comes across a difficult client, Park Hyeon-su, that she eventually falls for. Hyo-jin is clumsy and has some funny moments as a klutz, but overall the movie was slow and just not that interesting. The music was dull or nonexistent in the background, and the characters weren't all that compelling. Several F-bombs from one of the more colorful characters, (a definite minus) and a funny klepto (a definite plus), but nothing else interesting.

*Won't watch again. Kind of boring overall.*

KDrama to Watch: Coffee House (2010)

Coffee House (2010) 

Grade: B-
 
18 Episodes

 Quirky author Lee Jin-Soo hires immature Kang Seung Yeon as his secretary as a way of paying a friend for research done (this friend had feelings for Seung Yeon). She can't do anything right but decides to stick by Jin-Soo, caring for him despite his rude and mean tricks. Jin-Soo had been married before, but soon after a divorce, his ex died, who was friends with Jin-Soo's current publisher, Seo Eun Young. Through Seung Yeon, Jin Soo learns to be less selfish, since she respects and trusts in him so absolutely.

*Very offbeat from most of the dramas I've watched so far, still not sure I liked it as much as the others (primarily watched because of Kang Ji-hwan), but it is a nice break from the usual Kdrama formula.*

KDrama to MISS: Playful Kiss (2010)

Playful Kiss (2010) 

Grade: C (formerly A-)

16 Episodes

Clumsy, less than intelligent, yet warm and sweet high school girl Oh Ha Ni has a crush on the smart, arrogant, and cold Baek Seung Jo. An earthquake destroys her and her father's new house, and the father's childhood friend offers to take them in. That childhood friend is none other than Seung Jo's father! Ha Ni is now living at her crush's house. Will Ha Ni manage to win over Seung Jo with her consistent interference in his life and plucky determination? Or will another girl, who is basically the female version of Seung Jo - highly intelligent, athletic, driven to success - steal him away? How will Bong Joon Gu handle seeing Ha Ni - his crush of four years - throw herself at the seemingly indifferent Seung Jo again and again? And what will Seung Jo's mother have to say about all of it?

*UPDATE (12/13/2020): I cannot believe what I saw in this drama the first time around! Seung-jo is an egotistical nightmare, whose constant belittling of the blindly devoted Ha Ni sets them up for an extremely unhealthy, toxic, parent-child relationship dynamic. It's a pattern I've noticed in Japanese anime and manga, where the "benevolent" yet distant male lead patiently endures the female lead's clumsiness, stupidity, and overall obnoxious presence in exchange for her near-worship of his good looks, intellect, and general know-how. A GOOD kdrama will show character development and a softening of whoever was rough in the first place; that development, despite covering nearly 5 times the average "time span" which kdramas cover, was almost nonexistent in this show. There were a few cute moments, but it really dragged, and the unhealthy dynamic between the leads was too much to stomach. I even had "second male lead syndrome," which has only happened one other time in the dozens of kdramas I've watched! Do yourself a favor and skip this one.*

*Definitely one of my top 5 favorite dramas. It's a little annoying how Ha Ni keeps going back to Seung Jo despite all his verbal abuse, but the rest of the drama's quality makes up for it.*

Special note: There is an extra episode on YouTube as a series of 7 webisodes – type “Playful Kiss special edition,” also known as “Naughty Kiss.” 

I Watch KDramas for the Plot

Came across this gem while browsing Pinterest the other day:

 

And this is one with which we can all relate, wouldn't you say?

(P.S. I did not create these images and I do not take credit for them - feel free to let me know if you happen to know the original source! They were just too perfect not to share!)