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!)

InFilm to Watch: Dil Bole Hadippa! (2009)

Dil Bole Hadippa! (2009) 

A spirited Indian girl wants nothing more than to play professional cricket, but there are no girl's teams in Veera's area. While having to fill in as a man in her uncle's dance crew one night, it hits her: Veera could disguise herself as a man and play cricket. The local leader of the Indian Tigers asks his son, Rohan, to come back from London for six months to train the team so they can win their next match against the Pakistan Champs. Meanwhile, Rohan meets and falls for Veera, thinking she is her own brother, Veer, from the team. Rohan doesn't realize this until the middle of the championship cricket match, and he loses it. Will he manage to forgive Veera and win the game?

*I would probably watch this again - I really like the main actress. The music was fun, the actors were attractive, and it reminded me a lot of the American film "She's the Man" (which was based off Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night").*

InFilm to Watch: Chennai Express (2013)

Chennai Express (2013)

 Rahul is raised by a kind yet needy grandfather, and it is not until he dies that Rahul, at the age of 40, gets the chance to explore the world – just as soon as he scatters his grandfather's ashes. While on the train to spread the ashes, Rahul helps a girl catch the train, and then he unwittingly assists her four captors. The girl, Meena, is being forced to marry someone, and they try to escape several times, but the “goons” thwart them. Rahul is then introduced to Meena's powerful father and the village. Rahul doesn't speak the language and simply nods along to Meena's story when she tells everyone she and Rahul are in love, and then they run!

*This was a fun story and quite comical. It has some romance and drama, but overall it was just upbeat and happy. I'd probably watch this again, even though there was NO KISSING. *

KDrama to Watch: Faith, a.k.a. The Great Doctor (2012)

Faith/The Great Doctor (2012)

Grade: B-

24 Episodes 

 Plastic surgeon Yoo Eun-soo is kidnapped by the famed General Choi Young of medieval Korea. The queen had been attacked, and the only hope of saving her (and the early nation of South Korea) was to find a doctor from “heaven” through the “heaven's gate.” Eun-soo is pulled back through time and saves the queen, but along the way she finds mysterious clues addressed to her, in her own handwriting, from paper that looks at least a hundred years old. The king refuses to let Eun-soo return, as he realizes that having a doctor from heaven at his side will help him in his political endeavors. All Choi Young wishes to do is uphold his vow to help Eun-soo return.

*I LOVED Lee Min-ho as the General, but the romance was not the primary focus of the story, as I would have liked. It was also pretty violent (probably true to the times), they didn't do as much with the “inner power” as they could have, and the ending was somewhat lackluster. Might watch again* 

Bonus Picture, just because Lee Min-ho is so good-looking!