#kim joo won/gil ra im

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Love to Hate You (2023)

A rom-com for the 2020s

Synopsis

Yeo Mi Ran is a woman of many talents. She's a street-smart fighter, a sharp lawyer, and a notorious pick-up artist. She only uses her powers for good though, so when she crosses paths with the famous actor Nam Kang Ho, she can't help but make him fall all over her (*wink wink*). Though they are both determined to believe that the other is intrinsically evil based on their gender, they are forced to fake date when Kang Ho's career is put on the line. Will their prejudices keep them apart, or will love prevail?

MZ Overall: 10/10, so fun, WHY was it only 10 episodes!?

I knew in the first 5 minutes I was gonna love this show. Something about seeing Mi Ran break up with a guy when she catches him cheating WHILE SHE IS ALSO BEING CAUGHT CHEATING is so... right. I'll admit I was a little shocked to see how quickly things were progressing between the leads, but when you realize it is only 10 episodes, it does make a lot of sense. My only gripe is that I wish it was longer! There is a ton of physical comedy which the actress portraying Mi Ran, Kim Ok-vin, nails. If you want something that will get you actually laughing out loud, this is your show.

MZ Review (spoilers!): If I had a nickel for every time my favorite drama had the main female lead be a stunt double, I'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice, right?

I'll say off the bat that I decided to watch this show because Netflix told me that the main female lead was a stunt double. My alarm bells started going off because one of my top favorite dramas of all time is Secret Garden, where the main female lead, Gil Ra Im, is a full-time stunt double. I said to myself, "self, you need to watch it... just in case." In case of what, you must be wondering. Well, me too... Just in case...

...Anyway, one thing about me is I'm going to make everything about Secret Garden. I definitely enjoyed this drama because it works so well just as it is (which AC will be able to tell you in her review). But I saw a commentary recently that pointed out its faults as a commentary on misogyny that really got me thinking about rom-coms as a genre. I disagree with the author on a lot of points, but I realized that a key difference in our disagreements stems from where our analytic focus is. That is, I'd argue that our focus as (re)viewers should be on what Yeo Mi Ran and the women around her are doing, not on Nam Kang Ho and the himbo CEO Do Won Jun. If we look at how both main male characters develop, all we are going to see is misogyny because that is pretty much all they are able to do. Patriarchal society does not allow for men to develop a critical consciousness about gender dynamics as much as it does not allow for women (and queer people, for that matter) to participate in its systems equitably. The game is rigged!

I'm not going to sit here and say that the show is unproblematic or that the author of the commentary is completely wrong. But I think there is a reading of this show that takes into account how it uses the rom-com genre as a vehicle for feminist commentary that is at least self-aware, though not necessarily subversive. This makes me bringing up Secret Garden perfect, because it is a near-perfect foil for Hate to Love You, though both are squarely within the rom-com genre.

You see, Ra Im, who is a full-time, life-long stunt double in Secret Garden, spends her life being pushed around on film sets and pining over the director of their action company. She is in relation to three other women: her roommate/best friend, her "love rival," and Kim Joo Won's mom. So at least two are adversarial, and for the best friend's part she does her best to make sure she helps Joo Won in his quest to harass Ra Im into a relationship.* Obviously we've come a long way from when this was made in 2010, but if we look at the same sort of character set up for Mi Ran, we can already see important differences. For instance, they set Mi Ran up with a Barbie-esque range of skills and jobs, from crime-fighting ability to lawyer-ing. The organizing impulse behind most of what she does is a strong sense of justice, especially when considering gender-based inequities in society. Her core set of women includes her best friend/roommate, her mom, and her first client (who was also the reason that she got hired at her firm at all). All of these relationships are based in mutual respect; when Mi Ran does encounter women she disagrees with, such as her "love rival" and Kang Ho's fan group, she is not there entirely as Kang Ho's lover, but as someone who is trying to be herself and have a relationship. She goes out of her way to not be defined by her relationship to men, though over and over we see that this is inevitable, even for someone as savvy as her.

The key imagery that makes this comparison between shows made 13 years apart is around when the female lead gets a serious injury (because of course this has to happen). Gil Ra Im, in the very first episode, is robbed of agency in her decision to go to the hospital for her arm, instead whisked off by Joo Won. She is belittled by him and her stunt director for not being more careful or for looking out for herself and her health. This is supposed to be the romantic part, because oh look, both of these guys like her so much that they are getting mad at her. Swoon? When we look at Mi Ran's case, it's almost inverted. Firstly, rather than her injury being a complete accident (which Ra Im's was), she intentionally put herself into the fray when she saw a (potentially fatal) accident about to happen. When she took a fall and was taken to the hospital, she was heralded by everyone for saving so many people. Well, everyone but Kang Ho, whose ideology did not account for a woman being able to make a decision. But instead of being able to whisk her away wherever he wants to take care of her, he has to beg her to stay in his room to look after her. So here, the romance comes from hearing him over and over try to argue that he should be there to look after her after she saved his life. Swoon!

I'm not going to continue these comparisons, but my examples speak to how the creators of Hate to Love You are (presumably) using the moments that are expected in these dramas as points for reorganizing the power dynamics between men and women. Ultimately, its goal is not to say that rom-coms in general are problematic, but that there are a lot of dynamics that are. I mean, the leads still end up together, and we still have a lot of the same beloved shows of affection that are characteristic of rom-coms. I think Hate to Love You just does so in ways that poke fun at the expectations rather than subvert them entirely.

I think the ending brings together a lot of the societal-level commentary. For example, Mi Ran, far from regretting her decision to date a lot of men, fully tells someone off saying that at least she did her due diligence in finding someone she really likes rather than trying to make it work with someone she didn't trust. We even see that at the end, she doesn't "learn a lesson" that what she did by dating a lot of men was wrong. Rather, she learned that public opinion is more often going to rule in favor of patriarchy than not. This is even seen in the final scene with Choi Soo Jin, her client, who comments that there were more reporters when she was being accused of cheating on her chaebol ex-husband than when her name was ultimately cleared. So the commentary on misogyny, rather than pointing at the interpersonal level between Kang Ho and Mi Ran, is actually pointing at the societal factors that organize relationships between men and women.

This got a little meta, so I'll conclude by saying the key point: This rom-com is not about men. They are there, they are problematic, and they are (regrettably) in charge of many aspects of life. I think this drama has done a really good job of creating a hilarious commentary on all of that, while highlighting Mi Ran's relationships with other women. While the men in her life may view her as "not like other girls," she herself is a staunch defender of womens' wrongs, as much as their rights.

*This sounds harsh but I really (really) love Secret Garden. I can be critical and still love it!

AC Overall: 9.5/10, so fun!

UGH! It's been a long time since I enjoyed a kdrama THIS much. I, sorry to say, had forgotten kdramas could *actually* made me blush and laugh OUT LOUD--often! I had to stop myself from bingeing the whole thing So. Many. Times. It was short and sweet, full of funny moments and a romance I actually rooted for?! It's good from first to last ep, and from the cast to the production to the direction, everything was *chef's kiss* damn near perfection. There was such attention to detail in the scenes and camerawork, I just...AND Teo Yooooo! So so good in this (as in everything else I've seen of his--officially a fan). Truly a "modern" kdrama rom-com, updated to better fit today's viewers' appetites while still employing the tropes we know and love. If you want a more mature enemies-to-lovers, relationship contract, and a not-so-typical female lead, give it a shot!

AC Review (spoilers)

I feel like I don't have much to say, MZ really nailed the whole this-is-not-perfect-and-it-was-great-two-things-can-be-true-at-the-same-time-thank-you-very-much thing I had planned, and the connection to Secret Garden that I didn't recognize has only strengthened my views of this drama. One of the things I liked about Love to Hate You was the theme of respect that ran throughout: Mi Ran sought to bait disrespectful boyfriends who were cheating on their partners, her friend Shin Na Eun demanded Do Won Joon respect Mi Ran after seeing the contract (and because of this Won Joon respects Na Eun), Kang Ho repeatedly said how much he respected Mi Ran as a person, and then there's public opinion/respectability politics...the list could go on. For me, what made the romance so pleasing was Kang Ho's fully realized attraction to Mi Ran--more than the basic I-like-you-because-you've-cured-me, or you're-not-like-other-girls feelings he starts with. He actually sees her for who she is and loves her for it (and played so well by Teo Yoo, his emotions were palpable and portrayed in a different way from what I'm used to from male leads in kdramas). SWOON!

My cringe moment: the talking and touching Kang Ho does while Mi Ran was thought to be asleep TWICE was...not cute. Did not appreciate that. And yeah, more could've been done to subvert and blah blah blah....but you get what you come for, and many come to kdramas for those tropes, right? Not a huge deal, and--this drama is a step in the right direction?

[sanjaycr]

The "back hug" moment in "Secret Garden": This iconic moment between the two main characters, Kim Joo-won and Gil Ra-im, became one of the most memorable scenes in K-drama history. Joo-won surprises Ra-im with a back hug and whispers, "Can't I like you?" in her ear.

[theonemyleejongsuk]

BINGE WATCH ALERT‼️

[Soompi] 9 Lee Jong Suk K-Dramas That You Need To Watch

Lee Jong Suk just recently wrapped up his latest project “#BigMouth” alongside Girls’ Generation’s YoonA. The series did very well ratings wise until the very last episode, which is really no surprise when it comes to any project that Lee Jong Suk takes on.

There are more than enough dramas that he has been in that have all been solid watches. Here are nine of those K-dramas.

Disclaimer: List is in no particular order.

Keep on reading👇

No.1 "#SecretGarden"

This body swapping series stars Hyun Bin as Kim Joo Won, a CEO of a department store, and Ha Ji Won as Gil Ra Im, a poor stunt woman. The two meet by chance through Oska (played by Yoon Sang Hyun), who is Joo Won’s pop idol cousin. The two leads are from totally different worlds, but somehow end up falling crazy in love with each other.

Lee Jong Suk’s role in this series is a smaller one, but it’s very memorable. He played the singer-songwriter Han Tae Sun, who Oska is desperately trying to track down. Their interactions are hilarious at times, but Tae Sun is also a complex character despite being a minor one.

He made quite the impression playing the brooding and rigid piano player who had some personal issues which stopped him from using his skills to his full advantage. Shortly after this series aired, Lee Jong Suk’s career took off, and the rest is history.

👇👇👇

2. "#School2013"

Go Nam Soon (Lee Jong Suk) and Park Heung Soo (Kim Woo Bin) are two teenage boys who have to go through the wrath of high school drama. They deal with the stress of getting good grades, bullying, maintaining a good reputation, and the peer pressure of falling into the bad crowd. Nam Soon is elected class president but finds himself dealing with a lot of stress from particular students in the school.

Early on in Lee Jong Suk’s career, he played brooding young male characters very well, which is probably why he was cast in “School 2013” as the moody Go Nam Soon. Through the character of Nam Soon and his bromance with Kim Woo Bin, Lee Jong Suk was able to draw viewers into a world of relatable adolescence and angst.

The story is intriguing and was able to provide insight into the Korean education system that many international fans were not aware of.

👇👇👇

3. "#IHearYourVoice

“I Hear Your Voice” stars Lee Jong Suk as Park Soo Ha and Lee Bo Young as Hye Sung. Soo Ha has the special gift of being able to read other people’s minds, which he gets after seeing his father murdered when he was younger. He tries to track down Hye Sung, who was a key witness in putting away the murderer. He eventually finds her many years later and discovers that she is a lawyer.

“I Hear Your Voice” is a delightful and adorable romantic comedy that is definitely one of Lee Jong Suk’s best works. His ability to portray a character who can read the thoughts of others could have come off as being cheesy, but Park Soo Ha is so charming and lovable.

His chemistry with Lee Bo Young is also perfection despite their age gap. This was the start of a string of romantic roles that the world would come to know and love.

👇👇👇

Watch on Netflix

4. "#DoctorStranger"

Park Hoon (Lee Jong Suk) was trained to become a doctor in North Korea and is a genius at it. He runs away to South Korea and tries to make money in order to bring the woman he loves to where he is.

“Doctor Stranger” was a project that won over the hearts of many. Park Hoon is a strong character who has a very sentimental love story that tugged at the heartstrings of viewers. Not only is his character incredibly intelligent, but he is also sweet and has a soft spot.

His character development drove the intriguing storyline, and it had you on the edge of your seats while yearning for a happy end for the character.

👇👇👇

Watch on Netflix

5. "#Pinocchio"

Choi Dal Po (Lee Jong Suk) and Choi In Ha (Park Shin Hye) are two aspiring reporters who are working hard to achieve their goals. Dal Po’s intentions of becoming a reporter are more for revenge, as the death of his mother was broadcast on national television by a malevolent journalist. As for In Ha, she has to figure out how to become a journalist without letting her “Pinocchio Syndrome” (inability to lie) affect her. Dal Po and In Ha have known each other since they were children, and Dal Po has always had feelings for In Ha.

Infamous for that quirky bread kiss scene, “Pinocchio” is a series that cannot be left off this list. With his endearing chemistry with Park Shin Hye, the two were able to provide a romance that carried much of the series. The buildup of their history and flirting between the two kept viewers anticipating their eventual relationship.

Also, we can’t fail to mention that astounding makeover and transformation that Choi Dal Po goes through a few episodes into the series!

👇👇👇

Watch on Netflix

6. "W" (#WTwoWorlda)

Oh Yeon Joo (Han Hyo Joo) has created the ideal guy of her dreams, but he doesn’t exist in real life. He only exists in a comic book world that her dad helps to create. When a supernatural force brings her into Kang Chul’s (Lee Jong Suk) world, they fall in love with each other, but when she is forced back into the real world, he can’t follow her. The two must figure out how to be with each other even though they are worlds apart.

“W” has a bit of everything, which is probably why it’s such a memorable and great series. With the elements of fantasy, romance, and thrill, “W” kept viewers emotionally engaged with the story.

The driving force is wanting to see if Kang Chul and Oh Yeon Joo end up together, and how, despite being from different worlds, they will make it work. It’s an emotional story that unfolds perfectly from the start.

👇👇👇

Watch on Netflix

7. "#WhileYouWereSleeping"

“While You Were Sleeping” involves Nam Hong Joo (Suzy), who can see the deaths of others in her dreams. She has tried desperately to prevent them but has failed numerous times. It is a curse that she is unable to get rid of.

The chemistry between Hong Joo and Jae Chan (Lee Jong Suk) is the highlight of the series. Seeing how jealous Jae Chan gets and how hard he falls hard for Hong Joo was most memorable, not to mention seeing Jung Hae In getting in the middle of their budding romance.

Jae Chan supporting Hong Joo and helping her overcome her fears of being a bad jinx to the people she loves is an epic love story and one that will remain in many hearts!

👇👇👇

Watch on Netflix

8. "#RomanceIsABonusBook"

A more recent drama, “Romance is a Bonus Book” stars Lee Jong Suk as Cha Eun Ho, a writer and editor of a publishing company, and Lee Na Young as Kang Dan Yi, a mother who is trying to get back into the workforce. The two meet when they are children, and in a twist of events, become best friends. Fast forward to when they’re adults, Dan Yi gets a divorce and has to find a job in order to support her daughter. She turns to Eun Ho to help her, and Dan Yi ends up getting a job at the same company as Eun Ho.

“Romance is a Bonus Book” is like a warm cup of coffee on a cold winter’s day. It provides a blanket of warmth and comfort that not many K-dramas offer to their viewers. You get healing from the story of Dan Yi, watching her go from hitting rock bottom to achieving her dreams. Not to mention, she also forms a relationship with Eun Ho, who happens to be head-over-heels in love with her!

They’re a sweet duo, and they even made headlines as Lee Jong Suk had mentioned that Lee Na Young is his ideal type – too cute!

👇👇👇

Watch on Original Netflix

9. "#BigMouth"

Park Chang Ho (Lee Jong Suk) is a lawyer who is not making a lot of money. His wife, Go Mi Ho (YoonA) is not very happy with how her husband is not making good money. One day, Chang Ho gets dragged into a murder case, and he doesn’t realize that his life is in danger as a result of it, while Mi Ho works in trying to get her husband out of trouble.

“Big Mouth” is the most recent project of Lee Jong Suk’s and it was a big hit. The ups and downs of the storyline and seeing if Chang Ho will ever get his life back to normal was so enthralling to see. The cliffhangers at the end of each episode provide a desperate need to want to complete the series. And the chemistry between Lee Jong Suk and YoonA is also adorably playful – it’s a must watch!

Hey Soompiers, which of Lee Jong Suk’s K-dramas is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!

👇👇👇

Watch on Disney+

Adding: "#HymnofDeath"

Adding on the list:

The Hymn of Death is a 2018 South Korean TV miniseries based on true events,Bstarring #LeeJongSuk and Shin Hye-sun.

The series depicts the tragic romance between Joseon's first soprano Yun Sim-deok and the genius playwright, Kim Woo-jin.

Availane on Netflix worldwide.

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Source🔗https://www.soompi.com/article/1545679wpp/9-lee-jong-suk-k-dramas-that-you-need-to-watch?s=09

Posted 25 Sept 2022

Thank you for sharing🙏

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#BigMouth

[alexiethymia]

a matter of time till the flowers bloom

title: a matter of time till the flowers bloom fandom: Secret Garden (2010) Korean Drama pairing: Kim Joo-Won/Gil Ra-Im notes: Because of all of the hype surrounding Hyun Bin lately it made me want to re-watch my favorite kdrama and I just had to write a fic for it even if it's not likely anyone will read it

summary: they meet thirteen years earlier than planned but nothing much has changed. Kim Joo-Won still finds himself smitten with Gil Ra-Im. the time may change, but that stays the same. 

or the AU where Gil Ra-Im’s father had lived and he introduces Kim Joo-Won to his daughter like he promised. 

When we get out of here, I’ll introduce you to my Ra-Im. She’s so pretty that you’ll faint.

It’s not hard for Joo-Won to request that the firefighter that saved him be treated in the same high-class hospital room as him without the latter knowing. After all, it’s the least he could do.

 He’s still being treated for his ankle with Ahjussi – Gil Ik-seon, he later tells him – right beside him, when the hospital doors burst open and a high school girl with a tear streaked face, all but tackles the firefighter he owes his life to.

 Ah, this must be the daughter he’s already heard so much about.

 He should be more sensitive to her plight. After all, she was a turn of fate away from losing her father, and with that thought, Joo-Won is back in that moment looking at Mr. Gil Ik-seon in that cramped elevator and thinking he’d see someone die in front of him without being able to do anything about it.

 But all that comes out of his mouth is –

 “Ah, ah, what’s this Ahjussi? You said your daughter would be so pretty that I’d faint. All I can see is an ugly face that’s even uglier when it cries.”

 He really doesn’t know why he’s insulting his savior’s daughter, only that he can’t stand to see her cry.

 For what it’s worth, it works, because although there are still tear tracks on her face, she glares at him with so much fire in her eyes.

 The machines in the hospital must be faulty because he’s suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

She comes by often – Gil Ra-Im, after her death stare her father had introduced them– a cheerful ‘Appa, I’m here!’ to her dad, and more glares for him.

 He has too much respect for Mr. Gil Ik-seon but he can’t help wanting to rile up his daughter, and he doesn’t even know the reason why.

 One day she comes by with home made food and out of the corner of his eye, he sees Secretary Kang bring in the high-class hospital food from near the doorway. He shooes the man away with his eyes when she’s not looking and whines about not having food.

 “What, none for me? I’m a sick man you know. Shouldn’t you be feeding me?”

 “Are you really too poor that you can’t even afford your own meals?” is her tart response.

 “What?!” If only she knew who he was…”You can’t treat me that way. If only you knew who I was, later on you’d say ‘Oh I was actually in the same room as that guy!’, that’s what you’d say.”

 “Now, now Ra-Im, let’s share some of our food. Don’t deprive me of the chance to boast about my daughter’s cooking!”

 She’s disgruntled but follows her father’s orders. He pretends he can’t even lift his arms and opens up his mouth.

 “Ahhh…”

 “You’re crazy if you think I’ll feed you! Do you want your fifth vertebrae to become your sixth!?”

 “What? You can’t be violent against a sick person.”

 “Now, now, Ra-Im…”

 She eventually does it, hand-feeding him, but it would have been better without that disgusted look on her face. Now, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Joo-Won has eaten from five star restaurants, dishes prepared with the finest ingredients and the most skilled of chefs, and yet this meal prepared by this ordinary girl, there’s no other word for it. It’s –

 “Delicious.”

 She looks skeptical at first, but he keeps his face serious, and then he’s rewarded with the most brilliant smile.

 “Really? It’s really delicious?” She giggles for once looking like the high school girl she is, and with her sparkling eyes, he can finally see what Ahjussi meant.

 For once in his twenty-one years of existence, he’s struck dumb.

 He drives them both home personally – waving off Secretary Kang’s concerns that his ankle wasn’t well enough and that his mother would kill him for letting him drive in his condition, but that’s Secretary Kang’s problem, not his. He drives them both to a run-down place, the kind you see on the background of one of those National Geographic documentaries, and he thinks this isn’t right.

 Shouldn’t someone have been by to compensate the Gil family already? He thinks, even a new house wouldn’t be enough.

 They invite him in and though he doesn’t even know anyone personally who rents, he can’t find it in himself to say no.

 He remedies it the next day, presenting new appliances – vacuum cleaner, washing machine, flat screen TV, the works – on their doorstep with a flourish. They’re all from grandfather’s department store so it wasn’t much.

 By their astounded faces, he can tell he’s shocked them; yes this is who he really is – scion and future CEO of Loel Department Store – not some mooching patient.

 Discreetly, he looks at Gil Ra-Im’s face, but his satisfaction is short-lived as her surprise turns to consternation.

 Ahjussi speaks first. “Joo-Won…We appreciate the gesture, we really do, but I didn’t save your life so I could get all of this.”

 He knows this, and he knows whatever he’s giving them doesn’t even compare.

 Later on, even Ra-Im pulls him aside.

 “For Appa, whether you’re some bigshot son of a wealthy family or even if you were some homeless man with tacky tastes in track suits (‘Listen you…!’), a life is a life that’s precious. And also he told me what happened. He said you saved him and that you wouldn’t let go. I should thank you for that. Kamsahamnida!”

 She bows formally and Joo-Won is a confused mess of emotions. What is she acting all shy for now after hitting him constantly for his annoying comments in the hospital? It leaves him giddy seeing her act cute, but also apprehensive because it seems like they’re distant strangers.

 Why must the Gil family be so hard to thank?

 “Well if there’s one thing you could do for me. I was wanting to watch my daughter’s Taekwondo match. Would you want to come with me?”

 If playing chauffeur is the only thanks they’ll accept, then Joo-Won will take what he can get.

 Gil Ra-Im is a marvel of motion and deathly grace. She brings down men twice her size with ease. Sweat flows off her brow with every kick and strike.

 Joo-Won can’t even blink. It looks like she’s sparkling. He is fascinated, enraptured, captivated.

 “That’s my daughter,” says Ahjussi with pride.

 She must be a health hazard and no one told him. Why else does she make it so hard for him to breathe? At this rate, he really will faint.

 “Hey Ji-Hyun, what does it mean that I can’t take my eyes off of someone who could probably break every bone in my body? You know me I prefer the intellectual type. And what does it mean that I actually look forward to when she hits me?”

 “Wow, we haven’t even broken up for more than four months and here you go talking about another girl in front of me.”

 “You’re the one who dumped me.” Joo-Won points out helpfully.

 ‘It’s not as if you look that broken up about it’ Ji-Hyun thinks, but doesn’t say. “We’re better off as friends.”

 “Anyway, if I thought you actually had the capacity for it, I’d think you were in love.”

 Joo-Won snorts in disbelief.

 He offers to drive her to her school since it’s on the way to his University. He opens the door and tells her to get in.

 “Are you really crazy? What would people think if I was driven to school in a sports car. No thanks. I’ll ride the bus.”

 “Most high school girls would go ‘kyaaa’ at this rare opportunity, You’d be the envy of everyone, having a handsome university student like me drive you to school. “

 At that, she just rolls her eyes, leaves him gaping as she gets on the bus.

 The one time she agrees because she was running late, she demands to drive, and again Joo-Won doesn’t know what compels him to entrust his precious car’s keys to her, but it’s one experience he never wants to relieve again.

 Ever.

 With the pretext of paying back his debt, he visits them often, Ahjussi and Gil Ra-Im

 “I’m very exacting about these things.”

 Ra-Im rarely accepts getting driven to places and forget about handing Ahjussi any money. Instead he pays for when they go out to eat rinds, much to his disgust.

 “Don’t melt it. Chew it and swallow like a man.”

 Funnily enough, it’s Gil Ra-Im who constantly says that while Ahjussi just laughs at him.

 He wonders how many rind sessions it’ll be but they pay for the meals as many times as he does, not to mention he always has a place at their table whenever he drops by for dinner. At this rate, paying the debt is slow-going, but Joo-Won finds he doesn’t mind.

 One night, he doesn’t realize how much time has passed and how many soju they’d consumed. Maybe it’s not his place to say but –

 “Ahjussi, should Ra-Im really be drinking?”

 Ra-Im scowls at him as expected but Ahjussi just laughs good-naturedly. “It’s medicinal, don’t worry.”

 Joo-Won raises an eyebrow at that but lets it go, long ago accepting that he’ll never understand the workings of the Gil family.

 It’s really late and he’s drunk, so Ahjussi doesn’t let him go home and offers him a place to sleep in their living room. Again, Joo-Won has only slept on silk sheets and down pillows imported from Europe, but he still accepts the offer.

 “Wait for a bit, I’ll just bring Ra-Im to her room.”

 “Don’t worry Ahjussi, let me do it.” Joo-Won picks her up easily, and for all of her tough talk, she weighs as light as a feather. He places her on her bed and places her stuffed toys near her. If he’s staring at her for a bit too long, well that’s just because he’s drunk. There’s a furrow in her eyebrow that makes his own furrow so he eases it away with his finger until her face rests peacefully again.

 A soft smile touches his own features though he doesn’t notice it.

 “Sweet dreams, Ra-Im.”

 Joo-won’s body is in a jacuzzi pool in Deoksan but his mind is in a run-down apartment in Seoul. In his mouth is the taste of caviar, but he can’t help but wish for the taste of home-made tteokbokki. Physically he is present, laughing while being surrounded by pretty girls near his ideal sizes, but in his mind he can’t help but criticize.

 Her skin is too smooth and fair. A bit darker would be nice.

 Her hair is too long, a bob cut would be more chic.

 Her legs are too thin. It’d be better if she had more muscle.

 One of the said pretty girls caresses his arm. “Isn’t this fun, Joo-Won?” Her eyes don’t sparkle.

 Joo-Won thinks of arguing over rinds, watching some late night drama, a hand on his shoulder and a curt but sweet voice, as they both tell him to take care in going home and drive safely.

 The girl is waiting for a response. He smiles blankly. “Yeah, it’s fun.”

 Choi Woo-young has been a thorn at his side at worst and an annoying Hyung at best. But never before has he had this visceral feeling of wanting to bury him where he could never be found. Until now.

 “A fan you say? Why, my dongsae should’ve have introduced us sooner so I would’ve found out I had such a charming fan!”

 “Never on your life,” mutters Joo-Won under his breath.

 In the first place, they only found themselves in this situation because Woo-young was following him.

 “I was only worried about you!”

 “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”

 He never wanted for them to meet anyway, but to make matters worse Gil Ra-Im is apparently a fan of ‘Oska’.

 This is the first time he’s seen her this way. Ra-Im has stars in her eyes and is honestly twirling her hair and popping her foot like in a classic Hollywood movie. It’s sickening. If there’s anyone who should see her like that, it should only be him.

 “Can I call you Oppa?”

 “Of course!”

 “Hyung, if you don’t leave in three seconds, I’ll leak to the media outlets some very interesting photos I have. An artist just beginning his music career wouldn’t want that kind of scandal right?”

 “You’re a demon.”

 “2 seconds.”

 After he’s finally, finally, left, Joo-Won doesn’t waste time. He whirls on Ra-Im, face livid.

 “Oppa?! I should be the one. You should be calling me, Joo-Won Oppa!” He knows he sounds childish, but he doesn’t care.

 “Never.” She has the gall to stick out her tongue at him. No, no way. She had no right to act this cute after what she just pulled.

 Later after Choi Woo-young gets to know Ra-Im better - much to Joo-Won’s frustration- he pulls him aside to talk to him.

 For once Joo-Won actually listens because his Hyung never sounds this serious.

 “I wasn’t joking when I said I was worried. Your friends say you haven’t been around much lately. What kind of healthy twenty-one year old doesn’t go to parties? You should be having the best time of your life. Is it the accident? Are there still some side-effects?”

 Joo-Won waves off his Hyung’s concerns. “I’m fine. There’s no need to make a fuss.”

 “Well it looks like it. You seem happier and more, I don’t know if peaceful is the word. So, where have you been lately?”

 “You know that fireman who saved me? The girl you met, Gil Ra-Im, that’s his daughter. I’ve just been visiting them.”

 “So I’ve heard. Whenever we meet, Miss Ra-Im is always complaining about you sticking around. She’s said it’s like they’ve adopted a stray dog or something.” He laughs boisterously. What Woo-young doesn’t tell Joo-Won though is how Miss Ra-Im looked when she said it, contented, with a secret smile on her face. His Dongsae’s head doesn’t need to get bigger than it is.

 Predictably, Joo-Won fumes, “That brat…!”

 “So does that mean you? And her?” Woo-young leaves it open-ended, free for Joo-Won to interpret however he sees fit.

 “What are you talking about Hyung?” He laughs, but it only sounds fake to Woo-young’s ears. “I’m just playing around with her.”

 “I’ll tell on you!” He can’t believe what he’s hearing.

 “Go ahead. It won’t make a difference to her.”

 For all that this is nothing new for Joo-Won, careless as he is with other people’s feelings, Woo-young wouldn’t be so worried if this was a ‘playing around’ that he recognized.

 When Joo-Won played around, it involved candle lit dinners and expensive dates. Woo-young doesn’t recognize this playing around that involves him visiting a girl and her father, and having meals with them. Woo-young sincerely wonders if Joo-Won even recognizes the painful domesticity of it.

 As a Hyung, he can’t help but worry.

 Ahjussi texts him to ask for a favor, probably the only one he has ever asked of him.

 Ah-young is out on a trip so could he stay with Ra-Im for tonight since it looks like he’ll be late in coming home. (He’s met Ah-young, Ra-Im’s best friend once before. She exclaimed ‘omo, omo’ and shook Ra-Im’s shoulder excitedly when they’d met. That is how girls react when meeting him. Ra-Im is just a strange and fascinating anomaly.)

 He was expecting a scowl to greet him when she opened the door. He’d actually revel in it. Instead what he gets is a split second where her face falls when she realizes it isn’t her dad at the door. That hurt more.

 She tries to keep herself together, pretending everything is normal, throwing insults his way, and yet preparing his meal for him. But Joo-Won can see right through her. He’ll take angry Ra-Im, annoyed Ra-Im, a fawning Ra-Im any day over this withdrawn and scared girl. It reminds him of when they first met.

 He plays along with the motions. He says something that makes her throw a punch, an insult no doubt, but he misses his cue, because instead of avoiding it, as he would’ve done, he catches it, and pulls her in for a tight hug.

 She struggles, though even that is weak.

 “I understand that you’re worried.” He whispers it on her hair, and hugs her tighter. She stops trying to escape. “I’m worried too. But I’m here. You’re not alone. We’ll wait for him together.”

 How can he explain to her? That moment that he saw in her father’s eyes that he was willing to let go because he would be dragging Joo-Won down with him. It was just a flip of a chance, but there could’ve been a world where Ra-Im was without a father and it’d all be his fault. So though he doesn’t understand this obnoxious, infuriating, astounding, precious girl half the time, he can confidently say, he understands what she’s going through right at this moment.

 Miracle of miracles, she hugs him back, tight as he is hugging her.

 It slips out.

 “I love you with all my heart.”

 She stills.

 “Your father wanted me to pass his words on to you.”

 And relaxes.

 Meanwhile, Joo-Won is the opposite. Because those may have been her father’s words, but the emotion behind it is all his.

 They don’t eat dinner yet. Knees drawn, her fisted hand enclosed in his, and his thumb running soothing circles over it, they wait together.

 They wait together, and pray for rain.

Would your father have liked me?

 Definitely not. What kind of father would like a guy who always looks down on his daughter and makes her cry.

 Gil Ik-seon likes Kim Joo-Won. The boy has good intentions even if he goes the wrong way about it. He’s insistent on thanking him and standing by his principles no matter what those principles may be.

 But more importantly, he likes Kim Joo-Won because he loves Ra-Im. The most precious thing in the world to Gil Ik-seon is his daughter. And because Ra-Im is the most precious to him, he likes Kim Joo-Won.

 For all of Ra-Im’s scathing words against him, Kim Joo-Won makes it so her sad eyes aren’t so sad anymore, even if as a result they become angry instead.

 But often she’ll also ask, “Is moron coming by over today Appa? I need to know if I need to make extra servings.” She says it as if it was too troublesome to do so, but he still catches her small smile whenever Joo-Won drops by.

 So Gil Ik-Seon likes Kim Jo-Woon, and he’s sure Ra-Im likes him too. 

[imeggsywafflex]

Secret Garden (2010)

Hyun Bin as Kim Joo Won 

[glitch-h]

Is this not a summary of their relationship

[mykxz]

Now watching: Secret Garden Episode 12. Great acting oppa Hyun Bin no wonder you won Best Actor in this Korean drama.

[psalm40speakstome]

Secret Garden. Episode Three.

“You’ll regret it if I do it properly.”

I had no idea sit-ups could be so sexy

[animaex]

[dilebe06]

Secret Garden ( ep 6-7-8-9-10)

Questa serie è composta da personaggi da prendere e farci un caricone verso un centro di riabilitazione mentale. Stalkeratori, bipolari, matti, masochisti....

La cosa più assurda di questo drama sono i personaggi. 

Arrivata a metà serie, posso bocciare quasi tutti ( tranne il direttore) e pochi altri.

Discorsi allucinanti tra ex che durano un eternità, frasi infantili, comportamenti immaturi...

Parto da lei, Gil Ra Im.

Ci sono momenti dove è una ragazza determinata e dura. Momenti dove, soprattutto con lui, tira fuori le unghie e si fa rispettare.

E poi ci sono altri dove si fa trattare come un cane sia da lui, che dalla madre di lui. Scene dove lascia che lui, con un infantilismo che fa paura, la colpevolizzi per cose che non ha mai fatto, solo per nascondere il sue essere un codardo:

Lui le dice che quando lei era nel suo corpo, ha fatto si che lui perdesse addominali, o che firmasse contratti che non doveva firmare. Quando lui, nel corpo di lei, ha fatto esattamente le stesse cose se non peggio. E lei rimane lì, ad ascoltare queste cazz...te. 

Tutto ciò, solo perché lui voleva vederla ma non aveva coraggio di dirlo in un modo umano. O da persona che ha superato le elementari.

Inoltre la sua bipolarità è spaventosa: non lo vuole in giro, passa episodi senza nemmeno pensare a lui...e poi compra i libri che ha visto nella sua libreria. Io ho capito che a Gil Ra Im, Tutina Scintillante piaccia un pò...è la resa di questo “ amore” ad essere brutta. 

Non lo cerca, non lo chiama mai per prima...fosse per lei, loro due manco si saluterebbero.

Ha quindi ragione @veronica-nardi quando dice che manca una scena dove ci vengono mostrati i sentimenti di lei riguardo alla relazione con lui.

Ma il peggio è lui.

Tralasciando la grazia e la delicatezza con cui le dice che non la sposerà mai e che le viene dietro solo perché pensa di essere allo zoo, dove lei è l'animale esotico del momento, la pochezza e l'immaturità di quest'uomo mi destabilizza.

Non ha rispetto per nessuno: lei, il suo lavoro come dirigente, il lavoro di lei, i suoi sottoposti, l'ambiente intorno a lui...nada.

Quest' uomo si muove nella società come se ne fosse il padrone, inconsapevole di essere così odioso.

L'incoerenza, l'infantilitá, l'irragionevolezza, la mancanza di rispetto e di empatia, rendono questo personaggio insopportabile.

Ancora di più dopo lo scambio di corpi.

Avevo supposto che questo servisse a mettere uno nei panni dell'altro, mostrando ad entrambi un pezzo delle vite dell'altro. Un modo per avvicinarli ( VISTO CHE NON HANNO UN CAISER IN COMUNE).

Invece, oltre che farci fare risate, non è servito ad un bel niente: lui continua a trattarla senza nessun rispetto, mostrandoci che essere nel corpo di una poveraccia non è servito a fargli imparare un bel niente sulla vita vera. E lei è tornata a fare la vita di prima senza nessun problema.

Va beh, contenti loro.

Di una cosa sono contenta però: le prove attoriali.

Durante lo scambio di corpo, i due attori sono stati bravissimi nell'interpretare l'altro in modo convincente.

Ma oltre alle grasse risate, altro non c'è.

Mi riesce difficile vedere il romanticismo in questa commedia romantica, quando il massimo che mi ha offerto è lo stalkeraggio selvaggio e baci rubati. Tutto ciò sembra molto bello, ma se al posto di quel figone di Hyun Bin ci piazzi un vecchio di 80 anni, senza denti, che puzza e ha la panza...DUBITO FORTEMENTE CHE QUALCUNO TROVEREBBE QUESTA STORIA ROMANTICA. 

Sono a metà serie attualmente ed io voglio credere che lui possa cambiare e che la loro storia si responsabilizzi un pò. Qua mi serve di vedere un’evoluzione e maturazione, perchè io promuova questo drama. 

Si va meglio quando si parla di Oska, che oltre a farmi sorridere con i suoi modi e il suo comportamento giocherellone, è l’unico che cerca di mettere del sale in zucca al cugino. 

Anche perchè le due madri sono terrificanti. Quella del protagonista specialmente: ecco da chi ha preso lui. 

Tornando ad Oska, è vero si che seguo le sue vicende volentieri, ma è anche vero che il “tira e molla” con la ex sta diventando pesante. Spero che tra qualche episodio giungano ad una conclusione o che decidano una linea di azione. Ha comunque più profondità dei due protagonisti. lol 

Dove questa serie da il meglio di se è nella parte comica: ci sono stati dei momenti meravigliosi ( come la sbronza collettiva) o Oska che regala sempre ottime perle. Persino lo scambio di corpo allontanando la logica  ha portato delle grosse e grasse risate: il cambio di firma, le abitudini della coinquilina, gli atteggiamenti diversi dei due personaggi e le reazioni delle persone attorno a loro, completamente stravolte da questo cambio di personalità. 

Ripeto: sono a metà serie, ergo, tutto questo pensiero è provvisorio. Mancano ancora 10 episodi dove può accadere di tutto. 

Stringiamo i denti e andiamo avanti!

[imja-thedoctordramawatcher]

drink your coffee faster

[kittyann]

10 Quality Body Swap (aka: Gender Bender) Dramas

1) THE SHIPPER (2020)

2) TENGOKU TO JIGOKU: PSYCHONA FUTARI (2021)

3) PROUD OF LOVE (2016)

4) LEH LUB SALUB RARNG (2017)

5) GREAT MEN ACADEMY (2019)

6) KING IS NOT EASY (2017)

7) SECRET GARDEN (2010)

8) GO PRINCESS, GO (2015)

9) YAMADA-KUN to 7-NIN no MAJO (2013)

Side note: The premise is fascinating, but the manga & anime are better than the drama series. Because it’s adapted from a shounen work, the depiction of females in manga can lead toward ecchi and harem tropes. Still, the story and characters have a lot of merit regardless.

10) BOKU TO KANOJO NO XXX (2005)

[goalhofer]

2020 Olympics South Korea Roster

Archery

Je-Deok Kim (Gyeongbuk)

Woojin Kim (Iwon)

Jin-Hyek Oh (Incheon)

San Ahn (Pyeongchang)

Min-Hee Jang (Seoul)

Chae-Young Kang (Gwangju)

Athletics

Wilson Erupe (Lodwar, Kenya)

Jong-Seop Sim (Seoul)

Byeong-Gwang Choi (Hwaseong)

Sang-Hyeok Woo (Seoul)

Min-Sub Jin (Busan)

Seulgi An (Seoul)

Kyung-Sun Choi (Seoul)

Badminton

Kwang-Hee Heo (Seoul)

Sol-Gyu Choi (Seoul)

Seung-Jae Seo (Buan)

Se-Young An (Gwangju)

Ga-Eun Kim (Gyeonggi-Do)

So-Yeong Kim (Incheon)

Hee-Yong Kong (Jincheon)

So-Hee Lee (Ulsan)

Seung-Chan Shin (Gochang-Gun)

Yoo-Jung Chae (Suwon)

Baseball

Won-Joon Choi (Seoul)

Woo-Suk Ko (Ganghwa-Gun)

Min-Woo Kim (Seoul)

Eui-Lee Lee (Gwangju)

Tae-In Won (Daegu)

Woo-Chan Cha (Gunsan)

Sang-Woo Cho (Uijeongbu)

Seung-Hwan Oh (Jeongeup)

Young-Pyo Ko (Gwangju)

Se-Woong Park (Daegu)

Jin-Uk Kim (Suwon)

Min-Ho Kang (Pohang)

Eui-Ji Yang (Gwangju)

Joo-Hwan Choi (Gwangju)

Kyoung-Min Hur (Gwangju)

Jae-Gyun Hwang (Seoul)

Baek-Ho Kang (Incheon)

Hye-Seong Kim (Seoul)

Jae-Il Oh (Guri)

Ji-Hwan Oh (Gunsan)

Hyun-Soo Kim (Seoul)

Jung-Hoo Lee (Gwangju)

Hae-Min Park (Seoul)

Kun-Woo Park (Seoul)

Basketball

Ji-Hyeon Sin (Seoul)

Lee-Seul Kang (Sacheon)

Ye-Bin Yoon (Boryeong)

Hye-Ji Ahn (Busan)

Hye-Jin Park (Busan)

Ji-Hyun Park (Seongnam)

Dan-Bi Kim (Bupyeong-Gu)

Hye-Yoon Bae (Seoul)

Jung-Eun Kim (Cheonan)

Min-Jeong Kim (Seoul)

Ji-Su Park (Seongnam)

Han-Byul Kim (Sacheon)

Boxing

Aeji Im (Hwasun-Gun)

Yeon-Ji Oh (Incheon)

Cycling

Ah-Reum Na (Naju)

Hye-Jin Lee (Geonggi)

Diving

Yeong-Nam Kim (Seoul)

Yeong-Taek Kim (Seoul)

Ha-Ram Woo (Busan)

Halim Kwon (Seoul)

Su-Ji Kim (Seoul)

Equestrian

Dong-Seon Kim (Seoul)

Fencing

Young-Jim Kweon (Iksan)

Segeon Ma (Seoul)

Sang-Young Park (Jinju)

Kwanghyun Lee (Seoul)

Bon-Gil Gu (Daegu)

Jung-Hwan Kim (Seoul)

Sang-Uk Oh (Daejeon)

Se-Ra Song (Seoul)

In-Jeong Choi (Geumsan)

Young-Mi Ko (Gwangju)

Hee-Sook Jeon (Seoul)

Soo-Yeon Choi (Ansan)

Ji-Yeon Kim (Busan)

Ji-Su Yoon (Busan)

Soccer

Bum-Keun Song (Seongnam)

You-Hyeon Lee (Gwangyang)

Jae-Woo Kim (Seoul)

Ji-Soo Park (Myungyeong)

Tae-Wook Jeong (Jeju)

Seung-Won Jeong (Jeonju)

Chang-Hoon Kwan (Seoul)

Kang-In Lee (Incheon)

Min-Kyu Song (Chungju)

Dong-Gyeong Lee (Seoul)

Dong-Jun Lee (Busan)

Young-Woo Seol (Ulsan)

Jin-Ya Kim (Daegun)

Dong-Hyun Kim (Seoul)

Du-Jae Won (Seoul)

Ui-Jo Hwang (Seongnam)

Won-Sang Um (Gwangju)

Joon-Soo Ahn (Uijeongbu)

Yoon-Sung Kang (Daegu)

Sang-Min Lee (Busan)

Changi An (Seoul)

Jin-Kyu Kim (Pohang)

Golf

Sung-Jae Im (Jeju Seom)

Si-Woo Kim (Seoul)

Jin-Young Ko (Seoul)

Park Inbee (Seoul)

Sei-Young Kim (Seoul)

Hyo-Joo Kim (Seoul)

Gymnastics

Jun-Ho Lee (Seoul)

Han-Sol Kim (Seoul)

Sung-Hyun Ryu (Seoul)

Hak-Seon Yang (Gwangju)

Jae-Hwan Shin (Jecheon)

Yun-Seo Lee (Seoul)

Seo-Jeong Yeo (Yongin-Si)

Handball

Yu-Ra Yung (Seoul)

Jun-Hui Jeong (Tongyeong)

Yun-Ji Kim (Seoul)

Kyun-Ming Kang (Seoul)

Hui Ju (Seoul)

Seon-Pil Won (Jeongseon)

Eun-Hee Ryu (Incheon)

Su-Min Choi (Seoul)

Hae-In Sim (Seoul)

Eun-Hye Kang (Seoul)

Ha-Rang Jo (Gwangju)

Mi-Gyeong Lee (Seoul)

Jin-Yi Kim (Taebaek)

Ji-In Jung (Busan)

Karate

Heejun Park (Busan)

Judo

Won-Jin Kim (Seoul)

Baul An (Anyang)

Shōrin An (Seoul)

Dong-Han Gwak (Pohang)

Gu-Ham Jo (Gangwon)

Min-Jong Kim (Seoul)

Yu-Jeong Kang (Yeosu)

Da-Sol Park (Seoul)

Ji-Su Kim (Seoul)

Hee-Ju Han (Seoul)

Seong-Yeon Kim (Gwangju)

Hyun-Ji Yoon (Seoul)

Mi-Jin Han (Seoul)

Pentathlon

Ung-Tae Jeon (Seoul)

Jin-Hwa Jun (Ulsan)

Se-Hee Kim (Seoul)

Sun-Woo Kim (Gyeonggi)

Rowing

Hye-Jung Jung (Seoul)

Rugby

Chang Yong (Seoul)

Jeong-Min Jang (Seoul)

Yon-Sik Jeong (Incheon)

Hyun Kim (Seoul)

Kun-Kyu Han (Seoul)

Nam Kim (Seoul)

Seong Lee (Seoul)

Won Park (Seoul)

Jin Lee (Seoul)

Andre Coquillard (Seoul)

Seong-Min Jang (Seoul)

Seong Choi (Seoul)

Gwong-Min Kim (Seoul)

Shooting

Dae-Yoon Han (Seoul)

Mo-Se Kim (Seoul)

Sang-Do Kim (Seoul)

Jong-Jun Lee (Seoul)

Jong-Oh Jin (Chuncheon)

Tae-Yun Nam (Seoul)

Jong-Ho Song (Seoul)

Eun-Young Cho (Seoul)

Ga-Eun Choo (Seoul)

Eun-Ji Kwon (Seoul)

Hee-Moon Park (Seoul)

Bo-Mi Kim (Seoul)

Min-Ji Kim (Ansan)

Min-Jung Kim (Seoul)

Climbing

Jongwon Chon (Seoul)

Chae-Hyun Seo (Seoul)

Swimming

Sungjae Cho (Seoul)

Seungwoo Moon (Seoul)

Yoo-Yeon Lee (Seoul)

Woo-Min Kim (Seoul)

Sun-Woo Hwang (Suwon)

Ju-Ho Lee (Asan)

Ho-Joon Lee (Gwangju)

Eunji Lee (Seoul)

Hyun-Young Jung (Seoul)

Da-Kyung Han (Gwangju)

Seo-Yeong Kim (Gyeonggi-Do)

Se-Hyeon An (Seoul)

Table Tennis

Woo-Jin Jang (Daejeon)

Young-Sik Jeoung (Seoul)

Sangsu Lee (Busan)

Ji-Hui Jeon (Seoul)

Yubin Shin (Seoul)

Hyo-Ju Choi (Busan)

Taekwondo

Jun Jang (Seoul)

Dae-Hoon Lee (Seoul)

Kyo-Don In (Incheon)

Jae-Young Sim (Seoul)

Ah-Reum Lee (Seoul)

Da-Bin Lee (Incheon)

Tennis

Soon-Woo Kwon (Sangju)

Volleyball

Eun-Jin Park (Seoul)

So-Young Lee (Asan)

Hye-Seon Yeom (Mokpo)

Hui-Jin Kim (Busan)

Hye-Jin An (Seoul)

Ji-Young Oh (Daegu)

Yeon-Gyeong Kim (Ansan)

Su-Ji Kim (Ansan)

Jeong-Ah Park (Seoul)

Hyo-Jin Yang (Busan)

Ji-Yun Jeong (Seoul)

Seung-Ju Pyo (Ulsan)

Weightlifting

Meong-Mok Han (Changwon)

Dong-Ju Yu (Jinan-Gun)

Yun-Seong Jin (Goyang)

Eunji Ham (Wonju)

Seon-Mi Lee (Gyeongsan)

Su-Hyeon Kim (Seoul)

Yeoun-Hee Kang (Seoul)

Wrestling

Han-Su Ryu (Busan)

Min-Seok Kim (Busan)

[the-inner-weebs]

K-Drama Recommendation Masterlist

RICH GUY POOR GIRL

Coffee Prince (2007) 커피프린스 1호점 ~

Genre: Food/Friendship/Comedy/Romance/Drama

𝐆𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝗼𝗼 ~ Choi Han Gyul

𝐘𝗼𝗼𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐧 𝐇𝐲𝐞 ~ Go Eun Chan

Choi Han Gyul is the grandson of chairwoman Bang of Dong-in Foods, a company that has a thriving coffee business. He has never had a job and does not care for responsibility. Han Gyul is hung up on his first love, Han Yoo Joo, who only sees him as a friend.

Go Eun Chan is a 24-year-old tomboy who is often mistaken for a guy. Her father died when she was 16 years old and since then she has taken over as the breadwinner in her family.

When Han Kyul and Eun Chan meet, he, not knowing that she is a girl, decides to hire her to pretend to be his gay lover so that he can escape the blind dates arranged by his grandmother. After getting an ultimatum from his grandmother, Han Gyul takes over a rundown old coffee shop, later renamed "Coffee Prince," to prove that he's capable, both to his grandmother and to Yoo Joo. In order to attract female customers, he only hires good-looking male employees. Eun Chan, desperate for money, continues to hide her gender to get a job at Coffee Prince.

Director: Lee Yoon Jung

Secret Garden (2010) 시크릿 가든 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodramatic/Supernatural

𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Kim Joo Won

𝐇𝐚 𝐉𝐢 𝐖𝗼𝐧 ~ Gil Ra Im

The drama tells the story of Kim Joo Won, an arrogant and eccentric CEO who maintains the image of seeming perfection, and Gil Ra Im, a poor and humble stuntwoman whose beauty and body are the object of envy amongst top actresses. Their accidental meeting, when Joo Won mistakes Ra Im for actress Park Chae Rin, marks the beginning of a tense, bickering relationship, through which Joo Won tries to hide a growing attraction to Ra Im that both confuses and disturbs him. To complicate matters further, a strange sequence of events results in them swapping bodies.

Director: Kwon Hyuk Chan/Shin Woo Cheol

Personal Taste  (2010)  개인의 취향 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝗼 ~ Jeon Jin Ho

𝐒𝗼𝐧 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Park Gae In

Jeon Jin Ho is a straight guy who is mistaken as gay when he applies to become Park Gae In's roommate. His hobbies include organization and ironing, and he's known for his stoic poker face. He's a stickler for cleanliness, but he also has a talent for figuring out a women's feelings. Gae In is very trusting even though she has a habit of being betrayed. However, that doesn't stop her from giving people the benefit of doubt and Jin Ho is no different. How will Gae In react when she finds out that her gay roommate is not actually gay at all and that he has fallen for her?

Director: Song Hyung Suk/Noh Jong Chan

What’s WrongWith Secretay Kim (2018) 김비서가 왜 그럴까 ~ 

Genre: Friendship/ Business/Comedy/Romance

Park Min Young ~ Kim Mi So

Park Seo Joon ~ Lee Young Joon

The series revolves around the narcissistic Lee Young Joon, the vice president of a company run by his family. He is very self-absorbed and thinks highly of himself, so much that he barely acknowledges the people around him. Lee Young Joon has a capable and patient secretary Kim Mi So who has remained by his side and worked diligently for 9 years without any romantic involvement. However, Mi So now wants to set her life & focus on herself so when she decides to resign from her job, hilarious misunderstandings ensue. After 9 years of their strictly-workplace relationship, can it now develop in something more?

Director: Park Joon Hwa

SUPERNATURAL

Goblin (2016) 도깨비 ~ 

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Fantasy/Melodrama/Supernatural

Gong Yoo ~ Kim Shin

Kim Go Eun ~ Ji Eun Tak

Kim Shin was once an unbeatable general in Goryeo's military who died a tragic death. He now possesses immortality but is tired of living while everyone else around him dies. For 900 years, Kim Shin has searched for his bride, a mortal who can pull out the sword and end his life. One day, he encounters Ji Eun Tak, a positive, upbeat high school student who can see the dead and has gone through tragic events, yet still stays strong. She claims to be the Goblin's bride who can end his immortal life, but what appears to be an easy task, only gets complicated, as the two fall in love.

Director: Lee Eung Bok

Moorim School (2016) 무림학교 ~

Genre:Action/Romance/School/Drama/Martial Arts/Fantasy

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐖𝗼𝗼 ~ Yoon Shi Woo

𝐇𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Wang Chi Ang

𝐒𝐞𝗼 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢 ~ Shim Soon Duk

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝗼𝗼 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Hwang Sun Ah

The Moorim School is a hidden school that can only be seen by special individuals, it isn't focused solely on high academic scores but on physical abilities. The school teaches its students great virtues which include honesty, faith, sacrifice, and communication. The teachers and students at the school come from different countries and each has their own stories. Everything is very extraordinary and normal until a student who doesn't seem to fill the role wanders into the academy and changes the destiny of all the students.

Director: Lee So Yeon

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) 힘쎈여자 도봉순 ~

Genre: Action/Thriller/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Supernatural

Park Bo Young ~ Do Bong Soon

Park Hyung Shik ~ Ahn Min Hyuk

Ji Soo ~ In Gook Doo

Do Bong Soon is a petite, unemployed woman who is honest and kind. She appears little and sweet on the outside, but she is in fact very, very strong. In her family, for generations the women have been gifted Herculean strength to use for the greater good. If abused, however, their power will be taken away. Whilst standing up for herself after gang members bully her, she finds herself approached by Ahn Min Hyuk, the handsome and somewhat childish CEO of Ainsoft, a gaming company. Ahn Min Hyuk, who holds a great distrust towards the police, witnessed the whole exchange of Bong Soon's superhuman strength, and now wants to employ her as a bodyguard after being threatened by an unknown enemy. Min Hyuk falls in love with super-strong Bong Soon at first sight, but there's a catch. Bong Soon has eyes for someone else; police officer and childhood friend, In Guk Doo, whom she has known since high school. When chaos ensues after a series of kidnappings in Do Bong Soon's hometown of Dobong-dong, Dobong-gu, Bong Soon must decide whether to use her strength and stand up to evil, or play it safe and keep her powers hidden from the world. Combined with the love triangle she faces between In Guk Doo and Ahn Min Hyuk, as well as having to keep Min Hyuk safe, Bong Soon's life is thrown into turmoil. Can she use her strength for the greater good, or will it prove in the end to be too much?

Director: Lee Hyung Min

He is Psychometric (2019) 사이코메트리 그녀석 ~

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Fantasy

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝗼𝐮𝐧𝐠 ~ Lee Ahn

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐧 ~ Yoon Jae In

𝐊𝐢𝗺 𝐊𝐰𝗼𝐧 ~ Kang Sung Mo

After losing his parents in a fire, Lee Ahn acquires the power of psychometry, the ability to read a person or an object's past through physical contact, and he decides to use it to take bad people down. While he does not know how to control his power yet, he meets Yoon Jae In who tries her best to hide her painful secrets. Together with his foster guardian, prosecutor Kang Seong Mo, and the latter's colleague, investigator Eun Ji Soo, they team up to solve an elusive case that has been haunting the lives of Ahn, Sung-Mo, and Jae In. The case revolves around the life of prosecutor Kang his mother and father who were the main cause of the fire. Jae In and Lee Ahn heal each other through their past present and future and find the culprit.

Director: Kim Byung Soo

Memorist (2020) 메모리스트  ~

Genre: Action/Thriller/Mystery/Crime/Supernatural

Yoo Seung Ho ~ Dong Baek

Lee Se Young ~ Han Sun Mi

Dong Baek has an extraordinary ability. He can peer into the memories of whoever he touches. With his supernatural power, get it done attitude, and eye-pleasing looks, he is fervently revered worldwide as a superstar detective. However, when his punches meet with suspects before words, he can be a bit of a headache to his comrades. Starting from the age of twenty, Han Sun Mi is the youngest to have passed the bar exam, obtain a doctorate in criminal psychology, and become a senior superintendent in the police force. Having solved five cold cases that even a detective with supernatural powers couldn't do, she is a genius profiler. She has a secret that drives her to do what she does. These two highly-skilled professionals meet their match—a serial killer with abilities that transcend theirs combined. It's going to be a fight worth watching.

Director: So Jae Hyun, Kim Hwi

Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020) 구미호뎐 ~

Genre:Action/Suspense/Thriller/Horror/Romance/Fantasy

Lee Dong Wook ~ Lee Yeon

Jo Bo Ah ~ Nam Ji Ah

The mythical nine-tailed fox, or gumiho, Lee Yeon had to settle in the city many centuries ago. Able to transform into human form, he eradicates supernatural beings that threaten the mortal world. His real aim is to find the reincarnation of his lost first love.

The talented television producer Nam Ji Ah works in a show that features urban myths. In the past, her parents were involved in a mysterious car accident and disappeared, and she suspects that Lee Yeon might be connected with this accident.

The half-brother to Lee Yeon is the captivating Lee Rang.  Despite being half-human himself,  he harbors a deep-seated contempt for all people. For sport,  he will unleash his seductive prowess upon his human-du-jour,  by promising to grant them their wishes, only to trick them into paying a hefty price for their earthly desires.

Director: Kang Shin Hyo

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Heal Me Kill Me (2015) 킬미힐미 ~

Genre: Psychological/Comedy/Romance/Drama

Ji Sung ~ Cha Do Hyun

Hwang Jung Eum ~ Oh Ri Jin

A traumatic childhood experience leaves Cha Do Hyeon, suffering from memory loss and dissociation. The latter has resulted in the creation of seven distinct personalities. Wanting to regain control over his life, he asks Oh Ri Jin, a first-year psychiatric resident, to help him, but she eventually falls in love with one of his personalities. Ri Jin’s twin brother, Oh Ri On, a famous mystery novelist, investigates Do Hyeon and his family.

Director: Kim Jin Man, Kim Dae Jin

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) 사이코지만 괜찮아 ~

Genre: Psychological/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Family

𝐊𝐢𝗺 𝐒𝗼𝗼 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 ~ Moon Gang Tae

𝐒𝐞𝗼 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢 ~ Ko Moon Young

𝐎𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞 ~ Moon Sang Tae

The story of a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who lives on 1.8 million won (approximately $1,520) a month and a storybook writer suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. A man who denies love and a woman who doesn’t know love defy fate and fall in love, finding their souls and identities in the process.

Moon Gang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who was blessed with everything including a great body, smarts, ability to sympathize with others, patience, ability to react quickly, stamina, and more. Meanwhile, Ko Moon Young is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant, and rude.

Director: Park Shin Woo/Jung Dong Yoon

MEDICAL

Emergency Couple (2014) 응급남녀 ~ 

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama/Medical

𝐒𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐢 𝐇𝐲𝗼 ~ Oh Jin Hee

𝐂𝐡𝗼𝐢 𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐤 ~ Oh Chang Min

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝗼 ~ Gook Chun Soo

Jin-Hee led a satisfying life as a dietitian. She then met medical school student Chang-Min. Despite his wealthy family's strong opposition, Jin-Hee and Chang-Min decided to get married. Chang-Min's family is full of doctors. Chang-Min though gave up his medical internship and began working as a pharmaceutical salesman. Their marriage life was not happy. Chang-Min's family looked down on Jin-Hee and even Chang-Min seemed to change. Chang-Min began to think terribly of Jin-Hee and they finally divorced. After their divorce, Jin-Hee became a medical student and now works as an intern. Chang-Min also graduated from medical school and begins to work as an intern. One day, they meet in the emergency room of a hospital where they will both work together.

Director: Kim Chul Gyu

Doctor Stranger (2014) 닥터 이방인 ~ 

Genre: Thriller/Romance/Drama/Medical

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐉𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐤 ~ Park Hoon

𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝗼𝐧 ~ Song Jae Hee

𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝗼 𝐑𝐚 ~ Oh Soo Hyun

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐚𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Han Jae Joon

As a child, Park Hoon and his father were kidnapped by North Korea. In North Korea, he was trained to become a doctor by his father who was already a doctor. Park Hoon became a genius-like heart surgeon. He then flees to South Korea. Park Hoon begins to work as a doctor in South Korea's top hospital Myeongwoo University Hospital, but he feels like a complete outsider. To bring his love from North Korea, he does anything to make money.

Director: Hong Jong Chan/Jin Hyeok

Blood (2015) 블러드 ~

Genre: Action/Vampire/Romance/Drama/Medical/Supernatural

𝐀𝐡𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 ~ Park Ji Sang

𝐆𝐮 𝐇𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝗼𝐧 ~ Yoo Ri Ta

Park Ji Sang is a doctor specializing in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery in the best cancer research hospital in the country. He is also a vampire. Despite seeming cold and unfeeling, Ji Sang masks his soft heart and inner pain and yearns for closeness with people. He believes very strongly in the sanctity of human life and suppresses his thirst for blood to treat terminally ill patients and save lives.

Among his colleagues is Yoo Ri Ta, a hotshot physician who entered medical school at the age of 17 and is also the niece of the chaebol group chairman who owns the hospital. Ri Ta is highly capable but snooty and prideful, yet Ji Sang finds himself falling for her. He also gets drawn into a conflict between good and evil as he encounters Lee Jae Wook, a two-faced hospital chief who gains everyone's trust with his gentle demeanor but inwardly harbors a dangerous ambition for power and a talent for cruelty.

Director: Lee Jae Hoo/Ki Min Soo

D-Day (2015) 디데이 ~ 

Genre: Romance/Drama/Medical

Kim Young Kwang ~ Dr. Lee Hae Sun

Jung So Min ~ Dr. Jung Ddol M

An unprecedented 6.5-magnitude earthquake has struck Seoul, destroying roads and buildings, and preventing ambulances from reaching victims. Woefully unprepared for such a massive disaster, Korea can only watch the desperate situation and listen to the pleading cries for help. Hae Sung, a competent surgeon, can’t resist doing everything he can to help the injured people during the emergency. This upsets his hospital and they put him on a blacklist, as his benevolent help is against the hospital's profit. Ddol Mi, beautiful and ambitious, chased money and fame as a doctor, but now wants to become a truly compassionate doctor after meeting Hae Sung. Woo Jin has been building a successful career as Korea’s rising doctor, but secretly, he truly cares about being a genuine doctor, saving the lives of the sick. These three characters team up to rush into emergencies, holding onto hope in the most desperate situations, and taking all sorts of risks for the sake of saving lives.

Director: Jang Yong Woo

Hospital Ship (2017) 병원선 ~

Genre: Romance/Drama/Medical

Ha Ji Won ~ Song Eun Jae

Kang Min Hyuk ~ Kwak Hyun

Lee Seo Won ~ Kim Jae Gul

Army doctors board a hospital ship, which is a floating hospital that serves people who live on remote islands. But were these doctors interested in helping underprivileged people for free? Not at all. There is the non-army doctor Eun Jae, a cold perfectionist surgeon whose fast-track career was derailed. Kwak Hyun who practices internal medicine is the first army doctor to volunteer for duty on the hospital ship. Then there is the irritating Jae Geol, an oriental medicine doctor who drew the short straw and now has to serve on the hospital ship. A bunch of doctors with different backgrounds finds themselves afloat at sea. They are too old to be called youthful doctors as they are all in their thirties. Though they have skills obtained through long years of studying in medical school, their hearts and souls are barren. This is a coming-of-age story about doctors who have experienced setbacks in life that they are trying to bounce back from while they learn how to be a compassionate doctor and pursue fulfilling lives.

Director: Park Jae Bum, Kim Sang Woo

Doctor John (2019) 의사 요한 ~

Genre: Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Life/Drama/Medical

Ji Sung ~ Cha Yo Han

Lee Se Young ~ Kang Shi Young

“Doctor John” is a new medical drama about doctors specializing in pain management. In a refreshing take on the genre, “Doctor John” will portray the doctors’ search for the cause of their patients’ mysterious pain as a thrilling chase, almost like a detective hunting down the perpetrator behind an unsolved crime. 

Cha Yo Han is a genius anesthesiologist, who is also the youngest professor at his medical school. The brilliant doctor goes by the nickname “10 Seconds,” referring to his ability to figure out his patients in the 10 seconds that it takes for them to enter an examination room and walk to their seats.

Kang Shi Young is a legendary anesthesiologist, who was always at the top of her class throughout medical school. The talented doctor inherited her skills from her cool-headed, rational mother, while she inherited her empathy, listening skills, and warm bedside manner from her father.

Director: Jo Soo Won

ROMANCE COMEDY

Pinocchio (2014) 피노키오 ~

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Melodrama

Lee Jong Suk ~ Choi Dal Po 

Park Shin Hye ~ Choi In Ha

The idealistic Choi In Ha has her work cut out for her when she becomes a broadcast journalist, especially when she suffers from a condition known as “Pinocchio syndrome,” which makes her break out into hiccups whenever she tells a lie. Her rookie colleagues include Choi Dal Po, whose shabby appearance masks his true eloquence and sharp memory; Seo Bum Jo, a wealthy heir who has had everything handed to him in life; and Yoon Yoo Rae, whose fangirl knowledge comes in handy in covering the news. The 20-something newbie reporters pursue justice as they try to discover themselves in the process.

Director: Jo Soo Won

I am Not a Robot (2017) 로봇이 아니야 ~ 

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Sci-Fi

𝐘𝗼𝗼 𝐒𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝗼 ~ Kim Min Kyu

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐞 𝐒𝗼𝗼 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Jo Ji Ah

𝐔𝐡𝗺 𝐊𝐢 𝐉𝗼𝗼𝐧 ~ Hong Baek Gyun

Kim Min Kyu is the largest shareholder of a financial company. He suffers from a "human allergy", preventing him from normal interactions with other people. He becomes interested in a robotic project named Aji-3 created by the Santa Maria robotic team. The team is headed by Hong Baek Gyun,  inventor of Aji-3 and world-renowned robotics professor. He modeled Aji-3 after his ex-girlfriend, Jo Ji Ah, a struggling inventor that also works as a personal shopper to make ends meet.  Just when Kim Min Kyu wants to test the robot, an accident causes the malfunction of the robot's battery. Hong Baek Gyun begs Jo Ji Ah to take the place of Aji-3 and pretend to be the robot so they can get funding from Kim Min Kyu. But, Aji-3 becomes the closest thing that the lonely Min-Kyu has to real contact with another person.

Director: Jeong Dae Yun

My Shy Boss (2017) 내성적임보다 ~

Genre: Business/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodrama

𝐘𝐞𝗼𝐧 𝐖𝗼𝗼 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Eun Hwan Ki

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝗼𝗼 ~ Chae Ro Woon

When a young, energetic employee joins a public relations firm with an introverted and severely misunderstood boss, she makes it her life’s mission to show the world who he really is.

Eun Hwan Ki is the boss at a PR company. He is really shy. So shy that even his employees don't know him that well. He prefers to hide in his office. Everyone thinks he is a cold, prickly, arrogant grouch. They call him the "Silent Monster".

Chae Ro Woon is a recent hire at the same company. She is energetic, bubbly, loves to be the center of attention, and always has something to say. The exact opposite of her boss, who she seems to have an old grudge against. Her goal in life is: to expose the big boss man for who he really is and take her revenge.

The same company also employs Kang Woo Il, co-boss at the company. He, unlike his partner, is warm, sensitive, and well-liked.

Eun Yi Soo is a chaebol heiress who has been engaged for three long years.

Director: Song Hyun Wook

Thirty But Seventeen(2018) 서른이지만 열일곱입니다 ~

Genre: Friendship/Music/Coemdy/Romance/Life/Drama/Family

Shin Hye Sun ~ Woo Seo Ri

Yang Se Jong ~ Gong Woo Jin

Woo Seo Ri, a violin prodigy at 17 who was about to study in Germany, got into a bus accident and fell into a coma waking up 13 years later. Mentally she is still only 17, while physically she is now 30.

Due to a trauma he experienced 13 years before, Gong Woo Jin does not want to have a relationship with others.

This series is about a man and a woman whose lives in their own ways essentially stopped when they were 17. Together, they use all their might to try and open the door to the happiness that they once thought had been closed to them.

Director: Jo Soo Won

Romance is a Bonus Book (2019) 로맨스는 별책부록 ~

Genre: Frienship/Business/Comedy/Romance/Life/Drama/Melodrama

Lee Na Young ~ Kang Dan Yi

Lee Jong Suk ~ Cha Eun Ho

Cha Eun Ho is a successful and handsome writer who is also the youngest chief editor at a publishing company.  He has a calm demeanor and remains reasonable at work.  He then becomes involved in the life of his childhood friend, Kang Dan Yi who was once a popular copywriter. She is now divorced, a single mother, unemployed and struggling in life though still attempts to find a job, but even with her once good career, she cannot. 

However, in a desperate attempt to find a job, she lies about her background and begins to work as a temporary worker in the same building under none other than Cha Eun Ho. As they become involved in each other’s life more than often, a love story begins to unfold.

Director: Lee Jeong Hyo

DoDoSolSolLaLaSol (2020) 도도솔솔라라솔 ~

Genre: Music/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodrama

Go Ah Ra ~ Goo Ra Ra

Lee Jae Wook ~ Sun Woo Joon

Goo Ra Ra is a naive rich girl, who dreams of being a great pianist with her father's love guiding her. But her path becomes rocky when her father passes away, and she finds herself going bankrupt. Being scammed of home and needing an escape, she goes on a ride where she encounters an accident trying to avoid Sun Woo Joon, a diligent worker trying to meet ends. Being hospitalized with a broken arm and no place to go, guilty Sun Woo Joon decides to take responsibility and take care of her. With Go Ra Ra’s naive personality, she slowly begins creeping into Sun Woo Joon's heart, while trying to deal with the challenges of living an adult life.

Director: Kim Min Kyung

YOUTH/LIFE

You’re beautiful (2009)  미남이시네요 ~

Genre: Friendship/Music/Comedy/Romance/Drama

Jang Geun Suk ~ Hwang Tae Kyu

Park Shin Hye ~ Go Mi Nam 

Jung Yong Hwa ~ Kang Shin Woo

Lee Hong Ki ~ Kang On Yu

The management company of the idol group A.N.JELL insisted on adding a new singer to the group as the lead vocal, Tae Kyung's voice was hurting. However,the new member, Mi Nam, had to go to the States to repair a botched eye job just before signing the contract. His agent came up with the idea of having his twin sister, Mi Nyu,to stand in for him and pretend that she was her brother. The two of them grew up in an orphanage and Mi Nyu, who was all set to become a nun, agreed to this charade as she didn't want to spoil her brother's chance of fame which would make it easier to look for their mother.

Director: Hong Sung Chang

Boys Over Flowers (2009) 꽃보다 남자 ~ 

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Romance/School/Youth/Drama

Gu Hye Seon ~ Geum Jan Di

Lee Min Ho ~ Goo Joon Pyo

Kim Hyun Joong ~ Yoon Ji Hoo

Kim Bum  ~ So Yi Jung

Kim Joon ~ Song Woo Bin

Geum Jan Di comes from a poor family who owns a dry-cleaning shop. One day, she visits Shinhwa High School, a prestigious school for the wealthy, and saves a student trying to commit suicide because of bullying. For her heroic act, Jan Di receives a swimming scholarship and starts attending the school.

In school, she meets the notorious F4, the most popular and powerful group of boys at the school, consisting of Gu Jun Pyo; the leader of F4 and heir to the Shinhwa Group, Yoon Ji Hu; the grandson of a former president of Korea, So Yi Jung; a skilled potter who comes from a family that owns the country's biggest art museum, and Song Woo Bin; whose family runs the country's largest construction company.

Her life at school starts out miserable, as she doesn't fit in with other students because of her status, and later becomes worse when she is labeled as the new bullying target of the F4.

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

To the Beautiful You (2012) 아름다운 그대에게 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/School/Youth/Drama/Sports

Sulli ~ Goo Jae Hee

Choi Min Ho ~ Kang Tae Joon

Lee Hyun Woo ~ Cha Eun Gyeol

Tae Joon became Jae Hee’s strength during her toughest time, and she leaves the US for Korea to enroll in a men’s physical education high school to help Tae Joon restart his high jump career.

Tae Joon announces his retirement from the high jump national team and closes his heart, but his closed heart begins to open after meeting Jae Hee.

Eun Gyul is confused about his sexual orientation as he falls in love with Jae Hee who is masquerading as a man. The student-athletes have a fun time training with each other and are not tied down to setting a record or competition. 

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

Strongest Delivery Man (2017) 최강 배달꾼 ~

Genre: Friendship/Business/ Comedy/Romance/Life/Youth

Go Kyung Pyo ~ Choi Kang Soo

Chae Soo Bin ~ Lee Dan Ah

Choi Kang Soo is a deliveryman. In spite of his humble beginnings, Choi Kang Soo is fearless and gives it all in everything he does. Lee Dan Ah is another delivery worker. She hates her current socioeconomic status so much that she, like many young people, calls her country “Hell Joseon.” Lee Dan Ah is so focused on making money and changing her life that she has no time for men. But when she comes across the charming Choi Kang Soo, her attitude is due to be moved.

Together, Choi Kang Soo and Lee Dan Ah have a budding competition and romance in their quest for glory. And, for them, glory means being like rich folk Lee Jin Yoon and Oh Jin Gyu. They compete to conquer life but, as our two delivery workers soon learn, being the strongest does not guarantee success.

Director: Kim Shin Il, Jeon Woo Sung

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016) 역도요정 김복주 ~

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Roamnce/School/Youth/Sports

Lee Sung Kyung ~ Kim Bok Joo

Nam Joo Hyuk ~ Jung Joon Hyun

Bok Joo is a weightlifter who is pursuing her dream of winning the gold medal but she then finds romance for the first time in her life. While she is a woman who trains with heavy steel weights, she is also very feminine when it comes to relationships. To focus solely on weightlifting would jeopardize her relationship but leaving her weightlifting career for love would keep her from attaining her dreams. Can she find a way to have love as well as glory at the age of 20? The characters within this drama are elite athletes in weightlifting, swimming and rhythmic gymnastics who work hard to reach their goals in life. It covers their coming-of-age stories and relationships through hectic life.

Director: Oh Hyun Jong

Itaewon Class (2020) 이태원 클라쓰 ~

Genre: Food/Friendship/Business/Romance/Life/Drama

Park Seo Joon ~ Park Sae Ro Yi

Kim Da Mi ~ Jo Yi Seo

Kwon Na Ra ~ Oh Soo Ah

Park Saeroyi's life has been turned upside down after he gets expelled from school for punching a bully and his father is killed in an accident. Following his father's steps, he opens a pub named "DanBam" in Itaewon and, along with his manager and staff, strive towards success and reaching greater heights.

Director: Kim Seong Yoon

ROMANCE

One Spring Night (2019) 봄밤 ~ 

Genre: Romance/Life/Drama/Melodrama

Jung Hae In ~ Yoo Ji Ho

Han Ji Min ~ Lee Jung In

Feeling trapped in a stale four-year relationship and reluctant to take the next step into marriage, Lee Jung In stumbles into Yu Ji Ho's pharmacy one morning, nursing a hangover after a night of drinking with her friend. As she tries to reassemble herself before going to work, Jung In discovers that she has forgotten her wallet and cannot pay. Ji Ho kindly helps Jung In, despite her prickly personality. What begins as an innocent daily interaction, develops into a deeper attachment as the two find themselves drawn to one another. They embark on a secret friendship while navigating the minefield of familial and societal expectations. 

Director: Ahn Pan Seok

Crash Landing on You (2020) 사랑의 불시착 ~

Genre: Military/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Political

Hyun Bin ~ Ri Jung Hyuk

Son Ye Jin ~ Yoon Se Ri 

Tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, a South Korean heiress and a North Korean elite who also happens to be an army officer. One day, while paragliding, Yoon Se Ri has an accident caused by strong winds, leading her to crash land in North Korea, where she meets Ri Jung Hyuk, a North Korean army officer, who agrees to help her return to South Korea. Over time, they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

Director: Lee Jeong Hyo 

THRILLER

Extracurricular (2020) 인간수업 ~ 

Genre:  Friendship/Psychological/Crime/Life/School/Youth/Drama/Mature

Kim Dong Hee ~ Oh Ji Soo

Park Joo Hyun ~ Bae Gyu Ri

"Extracurricular” is centered around three high school students who start committing crimes to earn money and the unpredictable dangers they face as a result.

Kim Dong Hee will portray Ji Soo, who goes from a model student to a criminal after committing an unthinkable act. Jung Da Bin as school bully Min Hee, who gets caught up in Ji Soo’s crime. Park Joo Hyun will portray Ji Soo’s dangerous partner in crime Gyu Ri, while Nam Yoon Soo will appear as Min Hee’s boyfriend and the school’s most popular guy Ki Tae.

Director: Kim Jin Min

[imeggsywafflex]

Secret Garden (2010)

Hyun Bin as Kim Joo Won 

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: Secret Garden (2010)

Pride and Prejudice, but if Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy switched bodies halfway through the novel. Alternatively: Boys Over Flowers for people who don’t like kidnapping plots. 

Synopsis

Gil Ra-Im is the only woman member of a professional stunt team; Kim Joo-Won is the CEO of a mall owned by his grandfather. Their initial meeting was the result of a misunderstanding, but Joo-Won continues to pursue Ra-Im, for reasons unknown even to himself. An encounter with a strange woman in a forest in Jeju Island seals their strange fate: they have mysteriously switched into each others bodies and need to figure out how to fix it. Hilarity ensues. 

Overall: 10/10, I’ve seen it at least 5 times now, please send help

Easily my second or first favorite drama, but not necessarily for the ~quality~ of the show. For the most part it is light-hearted and funny, with characters that are hard not to love. The main plot is straightforward and easy to follow, and while the side plot with Oska doesn’t add much to the overall story, it still adds to the overall experience. That being said, if you’re watching for amazing visuals or anything other than cheesy romance, you will be disappointed. And when I say cheesy I mean cheesy. Think of that video with the guy who put cheese in a fondue fountain that ended up attacking him. That is what you are getting with this show: whacked in the face with cheese, but in a way where you wouldn’t mind trying again. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a must-watch for anyone.

Review 

If you’ve heard of this drama, you might have heard about the body-switching between the main characters. Indeed, this is the cause of the main conflict between the leads. What may surprise you (or not, I’m not a particularly discerning viewer) is that they don’t actually spend that much time on the body switching elements. Or at least, as much as you might expect. This gave the show a lot of room to focus on other, equally important things, like Oska’s (Joo-Won’s middle-aged washed-up Hallyu star cousin) attempt at reviving his career through trying to hire a young, unknown singer-songwriter Han Tae-Sun (played by Lee Jong-Suk) to write his songs. Absolutely necessary! 

This show had by far the best second woman lead of any drama, whose arc rivals only that of Prince Zuko’s in Avatar: The Last Airbender (if you know, you know). Big claim for someone who as only seen like, 30 dramas, but this is a hill I am willing to die on (short some very conclusive evidence). Yoon Seul just knows what she is worth and is not willing to compromise on how a potential partner would treat her! I have to stan. 

My only real problem with this show is how they treat Tae-Sun, who is canonically gay. I won’t spoil anything here because I think you should watch it. I will say that while his character isn’t exactly tragic or a plot device per se, he also isn’t.... not tragic or a plot device. Hard to say unless you watch it for yourself. 

Definitely watch!