相信大家对香港的医疗剧集如”妙手仁心”,”仁心解码”,”On Call 36 小时”系列等,并不会感到陌生。

“白色强人”也程搭了和医护人员息息相关的列车。那这部剧和以上剧集有什么不同呢?

“白色强人”之所以收视率超高和深受观众欢迎,除了描述医护人员的日常,手术的逼真程度和血腥指数,不拖泥带水的感情线,也道出了人性的真,善,美,贪婪与丑陋的不同面貌。故事剧情的写实感更让大众产生共鸣,息息相关的社会议题,甚至影响所有港民的医疗改革和政治问题,也能让大家进行讨论和自我检讨,可谓是部有教育意义和扣人心弦的电视剧。

这部剧集的演员阵容甚之强大。除了看”老戏骨”姜大卫和郭晋安在戏里大飙演技,你争我夺之外,这也是郭晋安在TVB的告别之作。另一个吸睛点就是大家都想看马国明和唐诗咏在戏里能不能擦出爱的火花。

“白色强人”覆盖的范围很广,除了讲述香港的医疗构架,政治课题,民众能不能负担就医的问题,让观众更了解医护人员每天面对的”十万火急”工作的情况。

这是个分秒必争的工作,医护人员必须果断,而不能优柔寡断。在面临难题时,该如何取舍才是对病患最大的利益?

故事节奏方面不会太快或散漫,也没有拖泥带水的感情纠葛。就算隔个一两天再继续,还是可以促进你的兴趣 follow 下去。可以看得出演员们都很努力的背下所有有关医疗用语和揣摩如何动手术的手法。

演员们都没以往戏剧里的那种太过”直接了当”的脸部表情或特别高潮起伏的情绪。或许是我们太习惯戏剧那种较为夸大的表情和情绪,而忽略了现实生活中会是什么样子的。但一到了故事的结尾倒数阶段,剧情更紧凑,也看得到两位主角的爆发力。戏里的其他主角与配角,甚至”奸角”都演得不错。

“白色强人”所讨论的课题:

1) 程序重要还是救人重要?
2) 权力会使人腐化量权利
3) “医疗改革”究竟是对民有益还是有害的政策?

4) 应变能力和医术同等重要

医护人员时时刻刻都得做好准备,以应对任何突发情况。就算医术再高超,如果不能及时做决定,也会带来沉重的后果。

5) 现今社会的精神压力和息息相关的社会议题

戏里出现的社会问题其实有很多,例如青少年堕胎案,流浪汉因没钱就医而拒绝医治,模范生因为压力而吸毒,但父母却不知情,父母因离异问题,大吵大闹而导致孩子酿成车祸,等。

6) 白色强人并不是超人

医生也是人,尽管他们竭尽全力医治病患,但他们并不能确保能够救每一条人命。他们虽然天天都面对生死,但当病人失救时,他们也会额外难过。

只要是人类,都会有私心。例如,并不想医治犯人,让他们在世上继续伤害其他人,或有想过如果病患不幸逝世,就能把器官留给需要器官移植的家人或朋友。

7) 医不自治

所有医生面对病人时,能够做及时的判断,但对于自己或亲人,就没了那份果断,因为会有所顾虑。

8) 感情纠纷

唐明&Zoe & Kennis, 这一组”三角恋”应是大家最关注和期待的感情线。现实生活中以”兄妹”相称,但观众都觉得马明和诗泳郎才女貌,很想把他们凑在一块儿。他们在戏里是一对离婚夫妻。虽然因为无法充分理解唐明长期不能陪伴在身边而导致离婚,但 Zoe 也因为和唐明在同家医院工作,而开始更了解对方。唐明也学着多花时间配 Zoe聊天。大家也因为理解而复合。

当Zoe 发现闺密 Kennis 爱上同一个男人时,我们并没有看到撒狗血淋似的尔虞我诈,或在背后搞小动作,而是以诚实和成熟的态度来面对。

YT为了利益,而任由两个喜欢他的女生在他身边默默守候,为他付出。你可以说 YT 很自私,也很会”摆布”这两个爱他的女人。虽然我们清楚知道他对康桥没什么非分之想,但却看不出他只是把 Ah Yan当成可以威胁吕院长的筹码,爱惜的徒弟,还是不敢表态。

德仔& Ceci 这一对应该是最”两小无猜”的欢喜冤家,而且大家都会觉得他们很 sweet. 有些时候,日久生情就是那么简单的一回事。

这部剧集虽然也有些不完美的部分,但能够把如此多题材浓缩在25集里,又不让观众觉得拖泥带水,把现实成面赤裸地摆在观众面前,让大家多多思考社会议题,已经是很成功的了。

续集的呼声很高,小编也希望能够如愿以偿。毕竟好的剧本,好的剧情,好的演员,好的默契是多难得的一个 Package.
Read More →

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 →

观赏了这部剧集, 你会深刻地体会到”平凡既是甘苦,也是甜蜜”。

除了那命运作弄人的相遇和悲惨的13年改变了许多人的人生,其他都是一些生活里的琐碎大小事。剧集里没有所谓的”奸角”。原以为这种”平凡无奇”的剧情,很难让观众感兴趣。但就因剧情写实,也很励志,收视率才能截截上升。

除了有可爱”小鲜肉”和昏迷了13年后醒来,仍然是17岁心智的30岁”少女”的搞笑甘苦爱情故事外,还有许多关于亲情,友情,和平凡人在现实社会里跌跌撞撞的机遇。你会看见这社会的冷酷与市侩,例如光靠有实力但没有文凭,或者是年纪大了一点,就很难找到工作。看剧里的主人翁们如何从不相识,到互扶持,交心,信任和一起走过人生重要的里程碑。我更爱的是戏剧里许多很有人生哲学的”金句”。

每个人物(即便是配角)也有着自己一段不为人知的故事。

虽没什么大起大落,但就是琐碎的平凡小事才会让你心里的涟漪波澜。我们都是心里住着长不大的小孩的,佯装成是大人的小孩。

They are strangers living under one roof, who grow to be like a family. However, there is a point of connection that is unknown to all till the ending – the accident on that fateful day.

Woo Jin 和 Seo Ri 两人在剧中起了微妙的互补作用。

一个为了好心帮助人而变成”害死”人,从此封闭自己,再也不对任何人或事,抱有热忱。另一个原有大好前途的”未来小提琴家”,一夕之间失去了家人,朋友,梦想,甚至自己的青春和13年的宝贵时间。

Seo Ri 虽因昏迷了13年,有点难适应一下子就是30岁的心态,但她却关关难关,关关过。

Shin Hye Sun 把这个角色掌握得非常优异。在苏醒后惊觉她的世界都变了,还在努力复健,寻回亲人和朋友之时,也显露了和这个时代格格不入的尴尬。她的表情动作也许会令人爆笑,但如果我们也一下子到了13年后的未来,也会显得那么突兀。

去应征侍应生被嫌太老, 去当小提琴助教又被嫌没正式文凭。虽尝尽了世间冷暖,但她仍然不放弃。即便没有文凭,她也没有气馁,想靠自己的双手养活自己。因手指头僵硬的关系,她需要克服许多障碍才能练回小提琴,只是无法回到之前的水准。她常告诉自己,那是她人生的”中场休息”。

Woo Jin 一直是 Seo Ri 的支柱,努力隐藏自己心里的恐慌和不安,也导致他也一直活在”17岁”的阴影里, 裹足不前。

严格说起来,他们都是外貌老成了,但内心深处还是属于那17岁的状态。所以两人的相处都帮助对方一起成长。

很多时候,是我们一味地觉得事情就是如此。但每件事情都是有两面性的。

虽然他把自己伪装的非常冷漠,事不关己的模样,但一旦 Seo Ri 遇到苦难或遭人欺负,他都会挺身而出。过了些许时间,大家都看得到他的转变。笑容变多了,做事也很积极,渐渐地释放封锁已久的真实个性。

他成了 Seo Ri 的朋友,知己和家人。

虽然 Seo Ri 成长的比较快,但要看 Woo Jin 因为”毁了” Seo Ri 的人生而深深自责的痛处,还真令人心疼。

他最终懂得逃避不是办法,选择留下来面对问题,做个有担当的成年人。

这两人的相处到相恋,充满欢笑泪水,和满满的感动。

Yoo Chan 是个非常乐于助人的阳光少年。除了偶尔流露出来17岁少年的懵懂模样,因为还在摸索着成长的过程,但他其实心智上比许多同龄人还要来得成熟。

他是第一个对 Seo Ri 敞开心扉,接纳她的朋友,让她在这即陌生又熟悉的家里,感到无比的温暖。

他和舅舅 Woo Jin 感情堪好, 但最担心是舅舅一遇到难题,就会”离家出走”,流浪个几年。

Jennifer 是大家最坚实的后盾,为他们打点日常的种种,也在他们遇到困难时及于安慰和开导,加上行动上的支持。感觉比较像”妈妈”,而不是帮佣的角色。但没人知道她的”木纳”是为了惩罚自己,因为不想让自己过得快乐或过于悲伤,而是要在中间取得平衡点

我喜欢 Woo Jin 和 Jennifer 在家后院的互动。他们其实都很关心彼此,也把他们各自所经历的种种都看在眼里。 平时不大会讨论,都会用”金玉良言”来开导或鼓励对方。

这是她对 Woo Jin 的忠告: “伤心和痛苦的事情,都会随着时间的流逝而慢慢被冲淡。但是如果选择逃避,只会往往让人错过那些正在发生的好的事情。到时候后悔的话,也改变不了任何事情,因为已是于事无补。”

其实她的这番话很有道理。我们往往都会在发生许多事情后, 认为不去触碰它, 事情就会慢慢淡化。但其实,有些事情乘早摊开来说,会比较有帮助。
Jennifer’s quote for Woo-jin: “The only cure for sadness is to do something, by J.H. Lewis.”
On Jennifer’s last day, Woo Jin said to her: “”I hope you smile when you’re happy and cry when you’re sad from now on. I hope you don’t live with your eyes closed anymore.””

大家都希望 Jennifer 能真正的快乐,也不希望她一只因为过去而惩罚自己。

As we age, we learn that dreams may get further from reality. Just like Seo Ri’s case, she didn’t get to be a violinist but she could still play violin for those who appreciate and need music therapy.

Similarly, Yoo Chan could have joined an adult coach team but he chose to remain with his school team.

It is not always about going for the best opportunities that would make you successful, but going for what suits you best.

Kim Tae Rin is a manifestation of our most inert insecurities.

她虽然已是世界顶级的小提琴家,但内心一直处在不安之中。从小就把 Seo Ri 当成是威胁,拉小提琴对她来说只是个责任,而非出于真正的喜欢和享受。

戏里最”凄惨”的是 Hyung Tae 吧? 从17岁就喜欢 Seo Ri, 就算在她昏迷的这13年都细心照料她, 可惜最后换来的并未如他所愿。

这世界是不会因为我们要它变得怎样,而能一一如愿。

There are not so many “What Ifs” in life. IF he was the one she saw the moment she woke, how different it might have been?

“Don’t think, Feel!”

这是在剧里听到最多的”金句”。的确,许多时候会因为我们把事情想得太复杂,有太多顾虑,而裹足不前。若试着跟着心里的声音迈步向前的话,或许就能成功。

有一幕是 Seo Ri 对 Hee Soo 说她其实很羡慕她,因为她就是 Seo Ri 心里想象30 岁该有的模样。而 Hee Soo 的解答是”其实很多人的心智和念书时是一样的,只是按照世上想要的30岁,活成”30岁”该有的模样。”

其实,我们都是披着大人外皮的小孩。或许心智还像个小孩,但行动却需要附和所谓的大人该有的担当。

“人生的 intermission 就是等着精彩的下一次演出,暂时停止的时间。 不是结束,而是暂时休息。”

休息是为了走更长远的路,适当的放慢脚步,让自己有喘气和沉淀的机会,未尝不是件好事?

很多时候,我们往往都过于死心眼,所以才会一直沉浸在过去种种的不幸, 而没发现其实有很多扇门正为我们打开着。

该看这部剧,因为它会让你在短短的16小时里,获益良多。Read More →

This drama is pretty well paced, exhilarating, shows many futuristic elements, coupled with some surprising twists and turns. There are sweet and endearing moments but also heartbreaking instances and cold hard truths that we have to experience as part of life’s journey. It gives us many life lessons about handling interpersonal relationships, holding close what’s dear to us, how destructive human greed can be and how we have always neglected people around us.

This drama’s theme is very much about love & acceptance. We always talk about loving and accepting people for who they really are, even when they are so diversely different. Would it have been any different to show our love and acceptance towards Artificial Intelligent (A.I) Robots?

While many may be driven by greed and ambition, which leads them to a destructive mode or even irredeemable state, some are driven by love and acceptance to be who they really are and to do good.

The drama started off with a pace quick enough to keep you entertained while anticipating subsequent episodes. You wonder how Namshin could avoid being tracked down, how could the Robot Namshin III act like the real McCoy without having his cover blown & all the conspiracies that were brewing within.

We love the “interpersonal” relationships that Namshin III has forged or helped Namshin to do “damage repair”, and how the 2 Namshins had to go through much ordeal when one wants to co-exist but the other wants to be the 1 and only Namshin.

Why do we FEEL so much for Namshin III?

He was created as a “replacement” for Laura Oh’s human son, Namshin. 他只是为了精神寄托,而制造和设定出来的。It feels sad whenever he has this yearning look when his mum shows favouritism, especially when he asked his mum if he is not her son anymore, just because he doesn’t behave like the real Namshin?

He would never say no to his mum, even if he knew that he would be abandoned someday. He just wanted to be “useful” and “helpful”; otherwise it defeats the purpose of his existence.

He’s more thoughtful than Namshin, since he’s observant and would buy medication for his mum when she has a migraine. He could even tell she was lying without his lie detector on anymore. That’s how he evolves by studying and observing the environment and people around him, he could tell from their minor expressions and body language.

Over time, he would only listen to So Bong as she is the only one who accepts him for who he really is and sees him as an unique individual. He often said that he may understand what people say, but he would not be able to experience those feelings himself. The saddest was when, he wanted to cry like a human being, but he just couldn’t.

H e shouldn’t feel any emotions and he supposedly couldn’t but many a times, he proved that he has his own persona. He’s able to DIFFERENTIATE on his own, what the things he should or should not do are and IF he wanted to do it. There came this powerful force called “Love” that overwrites his programming. It is similar to how human beings learn about their feelings too.

He is self-aware and seeks affirmation that he’s being liked and needed. You can also sense his compassion, love, jealousy and sadness many a times too.
That’s already being human.

I like the intricate details that Seo Kang Joon puts in to distinguish the 2 Namshins. How effortless it seems for him to do the switch instantaneously. It’s not an easy job to act with “less expressions” since he is a robot, yet his actions need to prove that he genuinely cared.

He not just has to act as a robot and a human, but also a robot who’s acting like the human Namshin. That’s something on a deeper level. How the look in his eyes went a little blurry, 善良, innocent or what we call the “puppy eyes”, would show that he is Namshin III and how when he has this sharp glare or anguish look in his eyes, with that smirk on his face or snarky look, would mean that he is human Namshin.

Namshin is full of himself, has a terrible attitude, filled with hatred and so lack of love. However, there are times you could see beyond his pain & anger. You can rationalise his “irrational” and “bratty” behaviours.

Namshin has the absolute right to be angry. It is understandable that he may go through extreme measures to “secure” his position.

It is an act of self doubt, self-defence and lack of confidence.

If only he did not continue to wallow in self-pity, things might have changed for the better.

We can feel the pain in both Namshins. They are just little boys who yearn for their mum’s love.

It felt like a relief when Namshin III could announce to the world that he is a robot and what impressive things and good deeds he has done. He wants to co-exist with human beings, doesn’t have to fear that people will discover his identity anymore. We always wanted to just be who we really are and hope that others can accept us for being ourselves too.

A robot-human romance is TOTALLY viable in this drama.

Obviously So Bong would be confused after being with him 24/7, even Young Hoon, who’s closest to Namshin also waivered. Namshin III also treated Namshin’s little cousin Hee Dong with much care and affection that the little kid could TELL he is not his real cousin.

He’s like your Superhero boyfriend – Iron Man to be exact.

He could stop traffic light, piggyback you without ever feeling tired, stop cars with his bare hands, save you from a burning building, manipulate anything that’s to do with technology & protect you from harm. The way he looks at So Bong affectionately, fusses over her, rushes to her rescue and gets jealous, is just so “human”. It also evokes laughter when he kept having “imaginary hallucinations” when he misses So Bong.

He could be dense, but he learns how to make his loved ones happy.

The ever so kind and pure Namshin III went “bersek” and stared inflicting harm on people who love him, including So Bong and CEO Nam, when he was controlled via manual mode by Namshin. He was so afraid that he would harm human beings that he told So Bong to stay far away.
Namshin III would rather destroy himself than to harm others.

The times when So Bong told Namshin III that she hoped he is human and when Namshin III asked if things would be better if he were a real human, were heartbreaking.

She became the one who he opened his “heart” to. They remained steadfast to each other. They were protective, would comfort and go the extra mile to ensure each other is okay. She could almost always tell both Namshins apart, except when Namshin “pranked” her by acting like Namshin III.

The rude shock she had when she went into the auditorium to tell Namshin III that she likes him (not realising he is Namshin) and wanted to take him away from all humans trying to harm him, was impactful.

2 persons may look alike, but it is how they are at heart, that sets them apart.

It’s like a prelude that Laura would be torn between her 2 sons ultimately. We know that Namshin is a very rebellious and spoil brat. He would not be forgiving towards a mum who has abandoned him for 20 years.

While she may have thought that she didn’t feel for Namshin III, which mother could ever sacrifice her children, be it by birth or by creation?

While I understand where Young Joon is coming from by embracing ALL bad things that Namshin has done, it seems incredible as to how he can have such high tolerance level and is oblivious to all temptations. What we do know is, he truly cares for Namshin like a little brother.

I pity Ye Na, despite the wilful & awful things she did to Namshin III & So Bong. Being possessive and trying all ways and means to win the heart of Namshin for 20 years but failed to do so, would not do her any good.

She was being delusional, but she has always been on Namshin’s side and this over-indulgence made things worse. It’s only towards the end when she felt that she needed to do what’s right so that she could save Namshin.

CEO Nam & Seo Yong Gil are the biggest villains. Both are driven by immense greed and ambitions, trying to outdo each other, in a world where victory belongs to “survival of the fittest”.

It may be karma that CEO Nam eventually got played by his own prank that he really had dementia, but I wasn’t going to empathise how he could do such things to his son & grandson.

As for Yong Gil, his quest to protect his position and to wanting something more, which means owning the entire PK Group, eventually leads to a road of no return.

There was this scene when So Bong’s dad disagreed when Namshin III said that he would never have a change of heart. Since he is learning to become human, he may also have a change of heart some day.

Namshin III is constantly evolving and we have no idea if So Bong would be tired of him some day too. It’s common to have breakups if it doesn’t ultimately work towards marriage, which is definitely not so viable for them.

It is probably towards the end that we realise So Bong’s love for him would not likely change, that have us feeling more relieved.

Why think so deep into the future when we should live in the moment?

It’s just like what So Bong’s dad said, “Love and hate to your heart’s content, so that you won’t regret later”.

Come what may, I’m sure that’s what our lead couple would say.

We should just cherish the present.Read More →

Supernatural/paranormal/fantasy dramas have been receiving much love from viewers worldwide. Some examples include “My Love from the Star”, “Goblin”, “Legend of the Blue Sea”, “Korean Odyssey”.

Ever since the overwhelming success of “The Master’s Sun”, we face a shortage of Suspense-Thriller-Rom-Coms with a tinge of dark humour (that grip your hearts). There were probably a few attempts, but none really satisfied that innate desire like “Master’s Sun” did. “Lovely Horribly” is a combination of “Master’s Sun” and “W- Two Worlds”, where it has defined its unique genre.

You would be intrigued to find out more from the very 1st episode, with many mysteries & questions waiting to be unraveled. It has a mixture of ill-fated destiny, ghosts, unknown powers of the supernatural, zero-sum romance, thriller, suspense, comedy, and how eerily that tragic events in the script would eventually become reality.

The one element that makes this drama stand out is the zero-sum fate of our lead couple.

It piques your interest to want to find out if it were the supernatural forces, ill fated destiny, or humans who caused this “zero-sum” fate.

They are polar opposites – when one is enjoying all the success, luck, happiness in life, the other would be extremely down on luck and be plagued with misfortunes.

How should these 2 persons co-exist then? If only 1 between the 2 can live on, who will it be?

The initial 7 to 10 ep were fast-paced and full of suspense. However, it fails to live up to its expectations for the last few episodes. Viewers may start to get weary after the story begins to unravel and you kind of know where the plot is leading you to.

Many characters in the drama harbour dark secrets and have their own agenda. It makes you wonder, if the unknown like supernatural beings are scarier than human beings or vice versa. As you age, you would fear for the safety of your loved ones more than other things.

The great CGI and sound effects attribute to how the drama has managed to grip audience’s interest. The “tock tock” sounds of the high heels, the landslide, murder cases, errie music and dark runways were all portrayed very well. I watched 80% of this drama during wee hours and it is so SHIOK, since it was packed with mysterious and eerie elements, and many bizarre happenings left you lingering for more. You would applaud at how they could all link one seemingly small scene to big incidents.

It’s cute watching how these 2 loggerheads bicker and slowly fell in love with each other. The chemistry is there but not compelling enough to make you totally believe the “I will die for you” rationale.

I love the funny interactions whereby Eul Soon would always be Philip’s life savior, be it during the “stabbing” incident, landslide and many more, where he would clutch on to her and find ways to make her stay around till the end of the drama filming. The one scene that Philip trimmed Eul Soon’s messy hair for her would send ripples through your heart.

It seems that Park Si Hoo is a little restrained in expressing the role. I can’t feel the depth of his love for Eul Soon as compared to Eun Soon’s love and sacrifices for him. There isn’t much 发挥空间 for him, except to add some comedic elements.

Song Ji Hyo has always been a natural and versatile actress, since “Wishing Stairs”, “Princess Hours” and “Emergency Couple”. She has the good looks, intelligence, wittiness and the ability to act with her heart.

She had messy hair, no makeup on for half the drama, had the worst of luck, no true friends or family members with her. From time to time, your heart would cringe when you see how sad her life has been and some of the flash backs with her foster mother.

This drama wouldn’t have kept up to its good raves and exciting pace without the help of the supporting roles.

Jang Young Nam was the key person to link through the story. As a mum to both of them (birth mother and foster mother), we see how she sacrificed for her children and took pains to make sure both of them would be safe, whether she was alive or dead.

Lee Ki Gwang’s role as Lee Sung Joong, a PD who has a hidden ability to see ghosts is a good addition. He’s Eul Soon’s “Black Knight” – the one who will always support her and catch her back whenever things happen.

Eun Jung always has her way in making her 坏女人 roles very convincing. She does irritate the hell out of you as someone who is over possessive over the man she loves and would do anything for him. She did not feel a tinge of remorse or guilt for what she has done in the name of “love”. We feel that she has a lot of potential to unleash in future works.

You would dislike Choi Yeo Jin in this drama. All the unscrupulous things that Eun Young would do to succeed would make you cringe. I also like the last few episodes where she “sold” her soul in order to be able to write better than Eul Soon.

I like how Ji Seung hyun depicted his character as a group mate who turned jealous and sour over Philip’s success and felt that Philip was responsible for the plight he is in.

Isn’t this mentality just so true to everyday life?

It’s always easier to blame others for the “plight” that you are in, than to really seek inner answers, which you already have.

There was one scene in Ep 6 which had very meaningful quotes and life philosophies.

“偶然不存在的。都是选择。偶然以及命运,都不存在什么无可奈何,因为一切都是我们的选择。所以,选择改变了,结局也会跟着改变。”

Human beings often ttribute whatever that has happened (that’s beyond our logical thinking) to a coincidence or destiny.

It is like a “butterfly effect” in life. When you make a conscious decision, it will affect how things will eventually fold out. If you chose to do something differently, the end result would have been different as well.

Love comes in all forms and magnitudes. It’s natural that we feel unfair if we love someone more than they love us, because we would end up the ones making more sacrifices in the end. This would lead you into doubting the other party’s love for you.

Such is love. It cannot be seen, can never be balanced at a 50:50 ratio, and may change any time. Too much possessiveness not just brings about destruction to others, but also to you.We need to learn to let go at times, when we feel that we couldn’t take it anymore.

It’s just that we never realised how strong we all are, till being strong is the only way.

To sum it up, if you enjoy some thrills and even chills along the way when chasing a drama, loves to also laugh out loud at rom-coms and have an investigative desire to solve mysteries, this is certainly one drama worth watching.

It still remains exciting till the very end, just that you would have satisfied most, if not all of your curiosity by then.Read More →