Showing posts with label Jang Nara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jang Nara. Show all posts

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Review: One More Happy Ending (2016)


Once upon a time, there was an angel named Han Mi-mo, a sweet and bubbly girl who, together with four others, form the washed-out idol group called Angels. However, after her fall-out with one of the members, the group got disbanded. This led Mi-mo to thread on another path and being a divorcee herself, has decided to run a matchmaking agency for divorcees like her. Will her matchmaking prowess be effective enough though when her own chance at a brand new love finally begins to present itself?

Image via MBC.

One More Happy Ending may not be among the best romcoms that I have ever seen, but nonetheless, it delivers. It has just the right dose of comedy and heart, and serves as a great ice breaker from all the heavy melodramas, crimes, and mystery thrillers I've seen in a while.

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»


1) Jung Kyung Ho. I was in a binge watch spree after seeing Jung Kyung Ho in Prison Playbook, and when I found out that Jang Nara starred alongside him in this drama, I became all the more interested to binge watch. Kyung Ho was charming as Song Soo-hyuk. He was able to bring out various facets of Soo-hyuk's character compellingly well. What I loved about Soo-hyuk was how thoughtful and selfless he was, a snark contrast to his best friend Hae Joon who was obnoxious, selfish and downright cold. Soo-hyuk's selflessness is evident in how he has always put Mi-mo's feelings and happiness first above anything else. It didn't help that he was also such a great father, despite being a widower and a single dad. I think this is what I loved best about Jung Kyung Ho playing Soo-hyuk-his realistic portrayal of an adorable man and at the same time a loving father to Min Woo.



And this:




2) The Funny. One More Happy Ending has a cute dose of funny (and silly) incorporated in it, adorably sprinkled here and there through half of its entire run (the latter episodes got a little bit of angsty, in a way). Its light-heartedness, combined with a few ridiculous yet endearingly hilarious comical scenes, were among the things that I loved most about the show. Plus, Jang Nara and Jung Kyung Ho not only has abso-fuxxing-lutely chemistry, they complement each other comedically well, too.



And this:




3) Geun Hak and Da Jung's Arc. Baek Da Jung was among the "fallen" angels, whose marriage was threatened by a divorce. She also seemed to have had a bit of inferiority after she had given birth, and because of this, felt a little less loved all throughout the years. This takes a toll in their relationship, and Geun Hak and Da Jung grew so far apart to the point where they no longer sleep in the same room nor in the same bed. In the end, it was so gratifying how Geun Hak and Da Jung has taken a shot into rebuilding their relationship. How they were able to overcome this phase in their relationship and at the same time find healing in Da Jung's severe health condition were among the best aspects of the show for me, and fits the title "One More Happy Ending" to a T.


4) Song Min Woo. This kid is a very good example of parenting done right.  Even if he has been raised by a single father, I love how Min Woo was such a bright and mature child for his age. He was just as thoughtful as his father was, and I love how observant and perceptive he was of his father's well-being and emotional health. It's evident how well adjusted he is to his father's situation, and it was absolutely adorable to not see Min Woo complain the least bit about it.

❀ RANTS ❀ »•»


1) Goo Hae Joon. Hae Joon has got to be one of the most annoying second lead characters to have sprung to K-Drama life. Nothing against Kwon Yool, though I don't find him as handsome as he is supposedly described. This is probaby why I do not get where the adoration for him of women in this show technically comes from. Rather than swoon-worthy, I find Hae Joon super obnoxious and selfish. He's self-centered and inconsiderate, and doesn't really take into account the feelings of those around him, as seen in how he has treated Mi-mo. 


2) Han Mi-mo. Although Mi-mo was quite a fun character, there were times when she felt somewhat superficial for me. For one, I hated how she impulsively declares she has fallen in love like it's nothing serious. I also didn't like how she kept going 'round the bush in some parts of the show, thus repeatedly ignoring her own feelings in the process. She had this bad habit of not thinking about the repercussions of her actions and decisions prior to realizing it, making her not really naive in my eyes but just plain superficial.




3) Less Screen Time for the Actual OTP. It was sort of glaring how the show spent quite more than half of its run with Mi-mo and Hae Joon's relationship as this led to Jung Kyung Ho's character getting a little less screen time with Nara when he's supposed to be the main OTP. I would have appreciated it more had the show shifted focus on Soo-hyuk earlier instead, because this means his feelings and his relationship with Mi-mo would have been highlighted even more.

❀ RULING ❀ »•»

Save for the mid-series drag, angst, and quite a few flaws in writing, One More Happy Ending is a light-hearted watch that very well serves its purpose of delivering a romcom drama. Both Jung Kyung Ho and Jang Nara were great in this show, and there's also a lot of unexpected lessons you'd get to learn from it. It lives well with the title's promise of a happy ending, too, making it a show that's perfect to try when you're feeling down and in need of a sweet and uplifting boost.


Sunday, November 19, 2017

Review: Go Back Couple (2017)

If you were given a chance to travel back in time and relive your past, would you do anything differently?

Image via KBS News.

Go Back Couple (alternate title Go Back Spouses, Confession Couple) is a 2017 South Korean television series that centers around Choi Ban Do and Ma Jin Joo, their struggles as a married couple and the second shot they take at life as they unexpectedly travel back in time. It is a drama that sounded very cliche on paper but delivers differently as you watch. It's quirky and hilarious, yet at the same time, touching and beautifully written. 

❀ RAVES ❀ »•»


1) Introspective and Full of Heart. Go Back Couple is an emotional roller coaster that's got a lot of thought and heart put in it. It's something that will grab you and carve its way onto you without you even knowing. It gave me the same feels that I had when I've first seen Reply 1997, and instantly shot up among my most favorite dramas to date because of its warmth. It's got a plot that dealt deeply with its characters' own feelings and emotions, so much so that it will suck you right into the story and the characters' own plights. Sure it might have sounded simple and cliche, yet in true drama fashion Go Back Couple was definitely all that and more.


2) Jin Joo and Her Mom. Kim Mi Kyung was a stealer as Jin Joo's mom in this show. I love how she served as a pillar of strength to Jin Joo—she was wise and loving and proved to us that a mother's love is not only the purest, but is also the most selfless love of all.



Special shoutout to this:




3) Life Lessons. One of the greatest strengths of Go Back Couple for me is how it poses various life lessons poignantly well all throughout the show. Through Ban Do and Jin Joo's journey, we are able to rediscover the importance of family and the choices that we make in life. The experiences that our leads went through served as a reminder for us to not take the people we love for granted, as well as to deem time and honesty as something of significant value. But I think the lesson that resonated to me the most from this show is that even if we do get a shot at second chances, it wouldn't mean anything if we still have not learned from our past mistakes. Second chances aren't given, they're earned; and only those who work hard for it are the ones deserving of a second chance.
Choi Ban Do: "At one point in life, we begin to take some things for granted because we get comfortable and used to them. We live on considering the kindness of our love and the happiness that we have are something we deserve and then take them for granted. But we only realize this after we lose everything—even someone's existence itself is not supposed to be taken for granted."
Let me just add another one:
Choi Ban Do: "It's not easy to find something enjoyable in your life. What you want to do does not always align with what you need to do. If that doesn't happen, you need to make it happen. If you focus too much on the things you need to do, nothing will be left when you can't do what you need to do anymore. If you did something fun, at least you got that experience. Nothing lasts forever, so you should do what you want in that moment."

4) Son Ho Jun and OTP Chemistry. I didn't know who Son Ho Jun was prior to this show, so it was a big surprise to find him oozing with chemistry opposite Jang Nara. These two were perfectly cast as Choi Ban Do and Ma Jin Joo as not only were they able to portray the angst and maturity of their 38-year old selves compellingly well, they were also able to radiate the liveliness and youth of their younger counterparts quite believably well, too. Yet what I loved the most about this OTP was Ban Do and Jin Joo's growth. Through their trip back to the past, they were able to reassess where they stand in each other's life. By traveling back in time, Ban Do and Jin Joo began to see each other in a new light. They began to realize the important thing they have been missing along—the thing that made them fall in love with each other in the first place. Rediscovering this made them learn to appreciate each other more, and at the same time, cherish their new lives together as a married couple.




5) Non-Linear Narration. Since Ban Do and Jin Joo traveled back in time, their 2017 life are now technically their past, as portrayed in "flashbacks" during their 1999 lives. But even if this is the case, we are not deprived of what really happened in the past—the one that actually took place in 1999—through epilogues that are cleverly interwoven into the show. Go Back Couple is a show that's good at this—it isn't distinguished by a specific timeline; yet the non-linear narration works. The said narration effectively helped in making the viewers understand each characters more, and I love how it has drawn me into the story much deeper than I had expected.

Image via Bugs Music.

6) OST. Go Back Couple is one of those rare shows that has both a beautiful and an emotionally driven OST. I think the last OST where I have felt sad and bawled my eyes out for still clearly remembering the emotions I have felt from some scenes in the drama (even if it has already ended) was Im Sun Hae's Will Be Back. For this show, Sohyang's Wind Song as well as Lee Seok Hoon's You and I tugged at my heart the most. 




❀ RANTS ❀ »•»


1) The Ending and Time Travel. No gripes about the ending, it was satisfactorily done and the happy ending that Jin Joo and Ban Do had was really well earned and well deserved. My only concern is the use of the deities as a deus ex machina solution for the time travel aspect of the show. I'm well aware that Go Back Couple isn't a time travel drama per se. Rather than a central theme, time travel only serves as a plot device to get the story moving. However, I find it sort of anti-climactic to incorporate two deities as the reason behind the magic of Ban Do and Jin Joo's rings at the last stretch of the show. Even though I appreciate how the rings cleverly served as an agent for time travel and that weaving the deities into the story connects the time travel dots pretty well, my mind couldn't help but balk at how cheesy it was to have these deities thrown into the big picture like that. It's not really that big of a deal especially since Go Back Couple isn't really a time travel drama to begin with, however, I just couldn't help but feel sort of meh for the lack of a better approach regarding the said magic. Was I expecting too much because of all the time travel dramas that I have seen prior to this?


2) Missing People. I can't believe I'm seeing a drama again where a fun character goes missing in the end once more (here's to looking at you, Squad 38). So yeah, can anybody tell me where Dok Jae went? I want to know how he is and what he's doing in this redone future... More importantly, did he get to cut his hair? ๐Ÿคช

❀ RULING ❀ »•»

Go Back Couple may not be a romcom that solely focuses on the grandeur of young, sweet love, but nevertheless, it delivers. It accounts for an absolutely beautiful tale of familial love and second chances, one that will play with your emotions, provoke your thoughts, and definitely stay with you for a long, long time.


Sunday, August 9, 2015

Random Thoughts on Seo In Guk & I Remember You

Wow. Just. Wow.

Image via OhmyNews.

I never expected to fall for I Remember You this much. Although I love(d) Jang Nara, the plot initially felt quite heavy for my inkling. That, plus Seo In Guk was someone new to me. I didn't know what to expect, or if I really should be expecting anything. But alas, my curiosity won me over. And boy was I glad with the results. ๐Ÿ˜

That being said, here's some random thoughts on the show and Seo In Guk. Just because I couldn't get enough of these two.


On Seo In Guk. One of the most valuable and unexpected gem I got to know from the drama: the handsome, manly and very talented Seo In Guk. Though High School King of Savvy (which he also stars in) piqued my interest in so many levels when it got released, I never really got the chance to actually have it tried since I was, well, busy. That being said, I Remember You was the official drama that introduced me to Seo In Guk; because if not for this show, I still would have put Savvy on hold until now. Watching these shows made me realize what I have missed all these years because yes, In Guk is really one hell of an actor. I am absolutely amazed by how great his acting skills are especially when he wasn't originally an actor but a singer who debuted from a reality search. Discovering In Guk is like opening my eyes to a set of other good dramas I've neglected for so long (hello, Reply 1997, I've heard so much about you) and I do plan to marathon EVERYTHING that involves him going forward especially if it cures withdrawal symptoms I'd experience once I Remember You ends. (Sorry, Junki-ssi. I think I finally found THE ONE — someone to love forever, and a lot dearer than you at that. I'm also pretty sure I'll be able to finish all of his dramas faster and sooner than yours. PS. I haven't even started Hero yet. But don't worry, I still love you.)


On the plot. Heavy and dark psychological dramas aren't really my cup of tea, so if I spend my precious time watching these instead of romcoms or crimes or immersing myself in a book, it sure has got to be pretty, pretty good. Otherwise I wouldn't give a damn. Haha. Say for instance: the last mystery/thriller/ drama I've watched was God's Gift over a year ago. That show was a blast. Well yes, except for the ending. And some other loopholes. I Remember You is going to be a pretty different story compared to that though. and I'm very very sure of it. It's intriguing, interesting and simply cleverly written I have confidence that it will. I haven't seen any plot holes from it yet, and I hope to not see any going forward (given the fact that we only have two more episodes to go with still a whole lot of mysteries to solve). Everything that this show throws on us seem to have been carefully planned from the get-go. Everyone is interconnected in one way or another, and no one can get away without being suspicious. The people you least expect something from turns out to be the actual people you should expect something from (hi, Eun Bok), and I love the shocks I get every single time. Writer-nim has been pretty witty in laying out a story like this right before our very eyes, and I believe she wouldn't thwart our confidence in her by writing an ending unacceptable both to us viewers and the plot as a whole.


On the romance. Oooohhh. This is one aspect that's pretty hard to handle in this kind of drama. I sometimes worry that the romance would soon fly out of the window given how serious and heavy the tone of the show is, but I'm glad to be proven wrong everytime a new episode comes up. The slow but sincere romance hidden beneath I Remember You didn't fail to get me, and I am very much addicted to both In Guk and Nara right now. Really. I even fear for my sanity sometimes. Haha! I feel like an idiot for laughing and squeeing like a hopeless fangirl when there isn't even much of a fan service between them. Hats off to writer-nim for making a romance like this work despite the very limited "romantic" interactions. I take it that she knows how to write her script a little too well, because yeah... how else will she be able to pull off a romance as cute as this if not for some witty and clever writing? Never in my life have I swooned over a simple peck in the forehead, nor an awkward good morning smile especially in terms of a drama. But with I Remember You... I've been moved beyond comprehension. And that's incredible writing I should say. Let's admit that no matter how great In Guk and Nara is in making the chemistry between them work, great actors can't do justice to great romance alone. There has to be a story to win the audience over — a backbone of some sort — which then lies within a writer's script. Struck me gold. ๐Ÿ’˜

I believe I still have a lot more to say, but it's way past bed time and it's Monday tomorrow. I have to sleep! That being said, let me collect my thoughts come Tuesday and I'll be back with a review after the show ends.

In the meantime... let me end this post with this.


Ang pogi! In Guk-kie fighting! ❤

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Fated To Love You: First Impressions

Epic win!


Fated To Love You is too much of an epic win. I don't know how much of the original version do I actually remember, and seriously... I don't effin' care. This version is funny and cute and sweet in its own right and I'm really really loving it straight from the get-go. 

Thoughts on Episodes 1 & 2


The impromptu commercial. Hahaha!

Fated To Love You's first two episodes were hands down funnnnneh! Jang Hyuk could really use a tone-down for that insanely annoying maniac-like laugh of his, but other than that, his comedic timing is still as superb as gold. I love that scene where they got chased by big fat Cherry the dog—his facial expressions were priceless! And that opening scene where he shows out of nowhere to film an impromptu commercial? HAHAHAHA. That was a winner. Whoever said that Jang Hyuk can't do comedy should definitely watch Dated To Love You before judging. Likewise, Jang Nara is doing a pretty good job as sticky note girl Kim Mi-young, and I love how she's owning the character from the looks to the voice down to the body language. She still has sooooo much chemistry with Jang Hyuk even after all these years, and I'm really getting pumped up with excitement to see them interact more on screen. 

What I love even more about the drama is the heart that's evident in it this early, in that Jang Hyuk doesn't seem as cold a jerk as Ethan Ruan was in the original version (which I hope will continue all throughout), Mi-young has a friend who cares for her other than just having Dylan, and yes, she's already starting to grow some spine. That scene where she broke into sobs just because of an earring had me right here: ❤, and I pretty much understand why she kept on insisting that the earrings be given back to her. It was hers. It was hers just because. Or does that even make sense?

  
It's been quite a while since I've laid eyes on a romcom drama I've loved this early since most of what I've recently watched were either thrillers or melos. I absolutely missed seeing Jang Nara and Jang Hyuk together, too (Talk about 11 years!). So of course... I'm in for the long for the haul. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ


PS. Despite all my raves, I'm pretty serious on this: Jang Hyuk, I still don't like your hair!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Fated To Love You Teaser 2, 3... and more!

I'm seriously loving this remake.

If my memory serves me right, I wasn't able to finish the entire run of the Taiwanese original of this drama. It started cute, but right at the middle it had gone down that draggy path and... I don't know. I just couldn't watch it anymore.

But this one? Yeah, I bet I could pull through. =) Aside from those two Jangs (who I absolutely love in Bright Girl), I think I'm going to like the writer and the director's attack in making this version fresh and new. So yeah. Fated To Love You, fighting! ♥

Teaser 2:


Teaser 3:


Official Posters:

Official drama poster. Image via MBC.

Official drama poster. Image via MBC.

Official drama poster. Image via MBC.
And this:


Oh, Jang Hyuk~ way too funny to pass up. :D

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Fated To Love You Update! Additional stills + 1st Teaser video

These stills! Oh, the cute. =)

Image via SBS News.

Image via MBC.
Image via MBC.
Image via Hancinema.

 Such a sweet tycoon, that Jang Hyuk. =) See more in this trailer.


All I can say is... HAHAHAHA that was soooo cute! =)

Fated To Love You premiers on July 2 replacing A New Leaf via MBC.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Review: Successful Story of a Bright Girl (2002)


Hate at first sight.

This is what Cha Yang Soon (Jang Nara) and Han Gi Tae (Jang Hyuk) initially felt for each other during their first encounter, after Gi Tae suddenly barged at a bath session Yang Soon was having outside her house. Triggering their fates to forever become intertwined, Yang Soon and Gi Tae meet again when the former went to work as a maid to the latter's house in order to pay for her family's immense debt. Hilarity then ensues, with Yang Soon teaching Gi Tae a thing or two about manners and heart. But hilarity isn't everything for these two as their encounter take a serious turn when Gi Tae lost control of his father's company after being betrayed by his uncle and cousin. Not having anyone else in his life, Yang Soon had to deal with Gi Tae in his distraught state, and at the same time teach him more than just manners and heart. Will they be able to succeed and get back everything that Gi Tae has lost in time?  

The Successful Story of a Bright Girl, or just Bright Girl as known to us, is a 16-episode romcom drama aired by SBS around 2002. It was the first K-Drama I ever laid my eyes on and the show that typically started it all — be it my love for korean dramas or korean dramas being shown in the Philippines as a whole. Though Endless Love was the first K-Drama to catch attention thus subsequently setting a trend for korean dramas in the country, it was actually Bright Girl that was first to be shown here, having been aired by GMA on July 2003.

Image via SBS.

Bright Girl wasn't really much of a story plot wise, in that it involves your typical chaebol, a poor girl, love, and struggle over family business. It's simple and sometimes childish, but then again is also evidently cute and fluffy fluffy fluffy! ๐Ÿ˜ And yes, it was the fluffy that eventually got me hooked to the drama. I loved the main leads — Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara. I love their chemistry, and their push and pull at love made me feel really really giddy back then. It was fun to watch Gi Tae fall for Yang Soon yet deny it as much as he can, only to fall for her over and over again.

And, even after years has passed, Bright Girl is still one of those "classic" romcom dramas that will forever have a special place in my heart. Not just because it made me appreciate romcom dramas more, but because it was the very first show to ever introduce me to the wonderful world of K-Dramas. And yes, it was what introduced me to Jang Nara too, whom I've been a fan of for like five years... though that was rather short-lived.

Edit 04/03/14: My first loved pairing is reuniting! Yay! Twelve years after Bright Girl, Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara is teaming up again in the small screen for the korean remake of the popular taiwanese drama "Fated To Love You". It's slated for a June/July broadcast following MBC's Wed-Thurs drama, A New Leaf. That's two new dramas (the other being Lee Jun Ki's Joseon Gunman courtesy of KBS) to follow come June. I'm excited!