ChFilm to DEFINITELY Watch: This Is Not What I Expected (2017)

This Is Not What I Expected (2017)

Viewing Platform: Netflix

 

Talented but young and with no credentials to her name, Gu Sheng Nan is a hotel chef, secretly dating the hotel manager. He unceremoniously dumps her, but begs for her help in pleasing the mysterious guest in room 1123, after he turns down dish after dish, even from Michelin rated chefs. The hotel manager pieces together from news reports that their mysterious guest is famous cutthroat businessman Lu Jin. If the hotel manager can convince Lu Jin, then their place will be bought out and turned into a true international, high-class, highly rated hotel, so he calls upon Gu Sheng Nan's talents. Lu Jin is intrigued by the young chef's dishes, and he spends an entire day challenging her knowledge and creativity, instead of moving on to acquire another hotel chain, as is his job. What happens when Lu Jin realizes his mystery chef is none other than the girl he found mistakenly scratching up his car in the parking lot the other day? Will Gu Sheng Nan be able to keep her job at the hotel?

*This is one of the BEST rom-coms I've seen in AGES! It was so cute and funny, with an interesting musical score and gorgeous lighting in many of the scenes, and Takeshi Kaneshiro (Lu Jin) steals the show with his fastidious and stern yet likable nature. (He even uses one of my FAVORITE acting techniques near the end, but I won't spoil it!) My only complaint is how they portrayed the scene between the two (spoiler alert) personal chefs: it was a play on a man sleeping with two women, which could be funny, but it took away some of the humor because of the hurt and betrayal that goes on in those situations in real life. Fortunately that scene doesn't last very long, and overall it's a good foil to add some tension to the will-they-won't-they aspect of the story. I will DEFINITELY watch this again!*

KDrama to Watch: My Horrible Boss (2016)

My Horrible Boss (2016)

Grade: B-

16 Episodes

Viewing Platform: Netflix, Dramafever

Simpering, cowardly and timid Nam Jung-gi has a son, father and brother to help care for, but he loses his job after blowing a marketing presentation to the large Gold Chemicals that was supposed to be a “sure thing.” Gold Chemical's new team leader Ok Da-jung is in charge of finalizing Jung-gi's proposal, but she turns Lovely Cosmetic down after Jung-gi inadvertently spoils the lotion sample and sexually harasses her, all because the inconsiderate new neighbor's moving crew blocked his apartment door with moving boxes. What happens when the ill-tempered Da-jung decides to quit and join Lovely Cosmetic instead? Will Jung-gi be able to provide for his family? And how will Da-jung's three ex-husbands influence life at the burgeoning cosmetics company?

*I've only seen Yoon Sang-hyun as a confident male lead and slightly insecure but still full of himself supporting character (“My Fair Lady” as the butler; “Secret Garden” as the Hallyu star cousin). While many of his situations are cringe-worthy awkward in the beginning of this drama, much like the humor in American film “Meet the Parents” - which I can't stand - I still wanted to see him play this totally opposite type of character. It was intriguing to see what happened to the character developmentally. The music is fun and well done, but there is very little in the romance department, as the drama focuses on the business side of the employees' lives and relationships. I probably won't watch this again since it lacks romantic tension, but the musical score is good, and there is good character development, so it's worth at least one viewing.*