By:
On:
In: Korean Dramas
With: 0 Comments

Rom Coms never get old.

Would you accept a business proposal that guarantees a release of endorphins to relieve stress, gives you a good belly laugh & “happy hormones” through the course of its run?

The delectable cast, fun-filled and hilarious scenarios are bound to make your day.

Cast your rationality aside as you hop on this vagabond to a KDrama rom com that’s filled with destiny and coincidences (that are usually hard to make-believe).

All you need to do is sit back and relax.

Let’s revisit the most hilarious/cringe-worthy, lovey dovey, touching moments, while also reflecting on the life lessons that the drama bestowed us. Read More →

By:
On:
In: Korean Dramas
With: 0 Comments

“Ghost Doctor” is a well-paced medical fantasy drama. that surprised us with its refreshing twists and endearing character developments that bestowed us valuable life lessons.

It’s a well-rounded product that encompasses laughter, hilarity, heartwarming , poignant moments, looking at multiple facets of human nature – be it the good, bad or ugly.

The supernatural and comedic elements, heightened by the oozing Bromance chemistry between Rain & Kim Bum, are sure to set you glued to your screens!

Read More →

By:
On:
In: Dramas, Korean Dramas
With: 0 Comments

Missing the banter of your favourite doctors from “Hospital Playlist 2”? What about your favourite songs from their band practices?

Let’s take a walk down memory lane as we gush over some lovey-dovey moments, memorable quotes and life lessons from this feel-good and therapeutic medical drama.
Read More →

By:
On:
In: Dramas, Korean Dramas
With: 0 Comments

It was more than the hilarious plot of a free-spirited modern age chef trapped in Queen Cheorin’s body wreaking havoc in the Joseon era, that earned “Mr Queen” its position as the 5th highest rated drama in TVN history.

The rom-com factor that made us chuckle, cast’s endearing & stellar performance, awesome teamwork & chemistry, cliffhangers at end of each episode, fusion of modern thinking in the olden days, infusion of KPOP, K-Beauty, KFood, giving new meaning to modern day phrases like “No Touch” & “Anti-Fan”, improvising food cuisines in Joseon Dynasty, scheming and plotting against one another, a King with a Hyde & Jekyll personality, & the struggle between a homosexual vs heterosexual love line, were the many reasons that whisked me through the 20 episodes.

Mr Queen’s theme boils down to freedom.

The freedom to break away from the shackles of society norms & standards, be who we really are, do what we have always wanted, love whoever we want and to express how we truly feel.

Bong Hwan’s adventure allowed us to experience life in Joseon with a modern filter. His quick wits, great survival instincts and adaptability allowed him to pull through the biggest ordeals.

“Mr Queen” broaches on a bold but taboo topic on homosexuality, bisexuality & gender identity crisis. While this pushes the boundaries in South Korea’s conservative society, it did not deter the ratings from escalating steadily.

What we learnt:
– Love transcends time & gender
– 在宫里，没有任何人是真正的好人或坏人，只有立场和利益的不同
– The “truth” is based on what people choose to believe in
– Never lose the most important person – yourself

Director Yoon strikes a balance where Shin Hye Sun’s responsible for the wackier, light-hearted moments while Kim Jung Hyun on the serious & melodramatic parts.

Was it Bong Hwan in So Yong’s body or was So Yong hiding in the subconscious state all along?

When she’s Bong Hwan, she’s a spitfire and pompous with a total disregard regarding palace protocols. So Yong’s more composed, graceful & shy around Cheoljong, while So Bong’s a contradicting embodiment of good vs evil, rough vs gentle, rash vs composed.

Kim Jung Hyun’s lauded for portraying his multi-faceted character with much depth. The intricate portrayal of his facial and eye expressions, vocal tone, body language, aids in delivering Cheoljong’s complicated & intense emotions. On the surface, he’s a lazy, timid, lecherous puppet king , while the real CJ’s ambitious, capable, prudent, witty, has plans for the greater good.

It was gratifying to watch them 同台飙戏。Their ad lib improvisations made scenes more enjoyable for the viewers. Tension building up in the initial episodes when both were double guessing , wary of each others’ intentions, pitting against each other were served like a bowl of piping hot jjamppong.

The right person will love you for being you.

From his 中殿词典, abiding by his queen’s “No Touch” rule and the crossed eye portrait, Cheoljong never failed to show his affection in the most subtle ways.

Kim Hyun Jung & Shin Hye Sun made this “No Touch” couple much more endearing.

Na In Woo’s supporting role created ripples in viewers’ hearts. Byeong In’s the tall, handsome, 深情专一 堂哥, who’s a skilled swordsman & shrewd strategist with a never give up attitude. He’s a sorrowful character with a twisted love obsession. Only Byeong In noticed the change in So Yong. He’s the only one who truly understood her.

The penned up emotions, rage, jealousy, unwavering devotion and sheer possessiveness were so well executed. Not to mention the several breathtaking fighting scenes with Cheoljong were impressive.

We often regret what we didn’t fight for, but he put up a good fight for the love of his life.

The pretty, intelligent, composed Hwa Jin is definitely Queen material. When So Bong usurped her “throne” in Cheoljong’s heart, that’s when she turned to the dark side. Love, hate and jealousy can drive people to behave in irrational and destructive ways. The palace can turn someone into a monster as they lose themselves in the pursuit for more wants.

The supporting roles instilled so much vibrancy, fun and laughter. They are proof that friendship exists in the palace.

It’s more than an “employer-employee” relationship between So Bong, Court Lady Choi & Hong Yeon. They are her best friends and support.

Court Lady Choi & Royal Chef’s budding romance, Hong Byeolgam & Kim Hwan’s friendship, love triangle between Kim Hwan, Hong Byeolgam & Hong Yeon were some of our favourite “ships”.

From the scheming & merciless Kim Jae Geun, domineering Grand Empress Dowager who had a weakness for good food & beauty products, superstitious Queen Dowager Jo who plotted her revenge by preying on the weak minds, to the corrupted officials, you wished you could grind them all.

Does Cheoljong only lovesBong Hwan or both Bong Hwan & So Yong?

This is an open-ended question that’s up to viewers’ discretion.Read More →

By:
On:
In: Korean Dramas
With: 0 Comments

如果能够回到1999年，那美好的年代。。

你会试图改变些什么? 最想做的又是什么?

I may be slow to jump onto this journey to the past with “Go Back Couple”, but it’s better late than never. It’s a 温馨小品 that you should watch, or even re-watch since it relates so closely to our daily lives.

A trip back to 18 years ago could be nostalgic, but it also brings back bittersweet memories.

This drama is not just about dealing with marriages, but all your interpersonal relationships. It’s about every aspect of life, the rationale behind your decisions and their consequences, youth, first loves, growing up, dreams, passion, etc. It makes you reflect and laugh at the same time. 充满感触和感慨。

I’m not a fan of drama themes with going back to the past or future, for the ending is definitely about parting and returning to where they belong. You can relate well to the drama because of real life struggles that we face in our 30s, the many regrets and “What If”s in life. Traveling back in time allows the leads to revisit, mend or rekindle relationships with their family members and friends in the past.

人生就是一段旅程。能够回到过去，或许就像戏里说的”也许我们只是暂时去了一趟旅行，而所有的旅行终究是为了回归。是为了更爱惜自己的所有，才选择出发的。 ”

If you like 那些年 or 我的少女时代, you should like this too. I like how they go back to the past and look the same as they were in their 20s but with a more matured mind set of a 38-year old. You would laugh at yourself for all the silly things you did when you were in your 20s.

The breaking point of their relationship is the death of Jin Joo’s mother. It is a painful void that cannot be erased from their hearts.

我们常听说”时间是最好的良药”，但并非所有的情况都是如此。有些事情放在心里不说，以为时间会冲淡一切。但其实只会让彼此间的疙瘩越来越多，像雪球一样滚。

I like how the story started with the wedding ceremony that was so sweet & comical, for we know the “happily ever after” in romance comedies don’t exist in reality.

接下来的画面就是14年后离婚，摧残的模样，形成了强烈的对比。结了婚之后, 爱情会由农转淡，渐渐转换成亲情，感情和责任。这是种相呼应的关系。或许小时候童话故事看多了，听多了，人们都会对婚礼和婚姻有着不切实际的憧憬，但慢慢长大之后，许多人都会对婚姻有莫名的恐惧。

婚姻是爱情的结晶，终点。。还是坟墓?

之前浪漫的二人世界，被现实狠狠不断冲击着。天天只为了赚钱养家，照顾家人和孩子，几乎没了原有一个人时的自由和自我。所谓的”梦想”更是不复存在。开始埋怨对方，厌倦彼此，有了倦怠感，互相折磨。

夫妻之前少了沟通，也就变得很少会体恤对方，站在对方的角度思考。

Jang Nara still looks quite pretty and youthful, though she made herself look like a shagged housewife. She portrayed the agonizing parts about being a mid 30s housewife vs a 20-year old college student very well. Son Ho Jun is very comical but he can also make you tear with some of his more somber moments.

They both experienced heart thumping moments again when they met their first loves back in varsity days. Well, it does take you on a memory lane.
Their chemistry is very much on point, not overly dramatic or lacking. They are definitely a “make-believe” couple that we see in our daily lives.

After being together for 18 years, they lost the passion and took things for granted. They tried to avoid each other at all costs when they returned to the past, but they eventually realized they still love and care for each other.

Jang Ki Young did a pretty good job too. It’s a 10 yrs difference between him & Jang Nara. You fully understand why Jang Nara thanked him at the awards for being able to look at her like a college girl.
Love is never about the conditions or how well someone treats you. It has to be something reciprocal.

故事策划方面还挺 detailed 的，例如90年代发生的大件事和许多90年代流行的发型和服饰，还有当年的 Pager, Flip hand phones, cassette, video tapes, movie DVDs.里头也看到了”阿飞正转”的 DVD, 听见红极一时的”Titanic”主题曲”My Heart Will Go On”，还有1999年的”世界末日”论。

回到1999年在念大学时，珍珠变年轻，肌肤紧绷，没了鱼尾纹，恢复纤细的身材，应该是所有女人都向往的。但看见已逝去的亲人的那份悸动。。会令人感觉既温馨又心酸。

那些念大学时的校庆和 Open House，还真的让人仿佛回到了学生时代。他们当时最想做的是即兴旅行。The carefree days when you could just go BBQ, camping and have fun with your friends. 顿时，好想脱离只有还贷款的年代。

It’s a chance for them to regain those feelings they had when they were younger, so that they understand why they did what they did.

这也算是上天想给他们重新认识彼此，也更了解自己的机会。

他们两人都很勇于地争取自己想要的。但这一切也会连带地影响到其他人的未来。

我想除了半岛和珍珠的感情线，最感人的就是珍珠和妈妈的感情线。

The scenes on how she tried to make up for the lost time and cherished every single moment and create more memories with her mum, would grip your hearts. The final scene when they bade farewell and her mum finding out that she came from the future, was heart breaking enough to make me tear nonstop at 3am.

珍珠20岁时是”校花”类型，但成了 ahjuma 后，别人都只是为了卖保险而靠近她。

崔半岛年轻时血气方刚，脾气火爆，容易闯祸，长大后却得看别人颜色受人凌辱来谋生。

其实踏入社会多年后，我们都只是忙着赚钱，而忽略了自己和深爱的感受，也变得不那么经常沟通。有些时候，放慢脚步，试着从不同角度看事情，会让我们变得没那么暴躁，也更懂得体恤别人。

大家对初恋的定义都不一样。是第一个令你怦然心动，第一个接吻，或第一个交往的人呢?看到主角们在争论自己那最美丽的初恋时, 嘴角会不禁的上扬。

一个想要的是陪着她，不是守护她的人,不是顾着赚钱而是陪她一起吃饭，一起哭和悲伤的人。另一个则只想让她笑, 再也不想看见她哭。

两人都以自以为是为了对方好的方式来相处，却不知这却渐渐地加深恋人之间的磨擦。
Communication is the key to any relationship.

世界上没有什么是理所当然的。我们往往对于习惯的事物，别人对我们的好，都习以为常。不是所有事情都 comes in a package.

这戏想带给大家最大的message 就是人与人之间最重要的就是沟通，不要把一切都当作理所当然，要珍惜现在和眼前人。

This is a heartwarming drama, which gives us some important life lesson. The script is meaningful; the main and supporting cast delivered their roles well with good chemistry. It gives you a warm feeling after watching the entire drama.

希望大家都有所领悟和收获，也能把受益的运用在各自的生活里。Read More →