Its called a special for a reason..

KBS2 fangirl here - watching and reviewing their drama specials. I will probably post some other drama reviews and memes. Or in all honesty forget that I started doing this.

[kimchislaphearts]

Joseon Chefs  (2023)

Genre: Food, Historical, Friendship

Plot: 

It tells the story of nobleman Kim Yu, a real person in the Joseon Dynasty who wrote the recipe book “Suunjapbang.” In his third year of taking the national civil service exam, Kim Yu meets Gye Am, who calls himself the best chef in Joseon and starts searching for the life he really wants as he gets immersed into the world of gastronomy.

Cast & Crew:

Yoon San Ha as Kim Yu

Kim Kang Min as Gye Am

Supporting Cast - Baek Sung Hyun, Kang Shin Il, Won Geun Hee, Jo Jae Yoon, Lee Tae Sung

Director - Choi Yeon Soo

Screen Writer - Kim Ik Hyun, Jo Soo Yeong

Music:  

No tracks of note, but the background music is well chosen and sets the tone of the drama well. 

Overall: 

In a hurry to finish my drama challenge for the year off with a quick historical drama I picked this up after spotting it on someone else’s challenge list. A fictionalised take on the creator of Korea’s 2134th treasure, the recipe book Suunjapbang. When I spotted it I thought, I might have found the perfect drama for me.

[Sidenote: I love how Korea categorises and numbers off various items as national treasures and now refer to my favourite belongings as treasures also.]

While watching I couldn’t help but think this drama special has a lot of themes that are still common in the modern day and we could easily transplant noble man Yu into a modern chaebol family and see him disappointing the family by failing to get into a SKY university instead. 

At times the drama special didn’t feel like it was completely faithful to the time period but I tried to ignore those little niggles and fully immerse myself in the story.

I enjoyed the story of Yu, who slowly realised over the period of the drama the pleasure that a good meal can bring to all people and wanting to make that his life's work. Alongside that the path from enemies to lovers friends of our two male leads was enjoyable to watch. There were some great comedic moments between the two, especially at the beginning of the drama when they were antagonising one another. The two actors did a reasonable job bringing their characters to life.

Some of the scenes were really visually appealing, I had to stop and appreciate them fully. I’m not even talking about the food porn scenes here, but the nature ones! 

Overall, the tone of the drama was light-hearted and it was an easy watch. At times it was sentimental and made me a little emotional. I really liked the message of the drama about finding one's own path but I think it just needed a little more oomph to really capture my heart.

Rating: 7/10

Watch it:  KOCOWA 

Trailer:  KBS Drama YouTube

[kimchislaphearts]

Find Handsome  (2024)

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Friendship

Plot: 

A story about Cutie, an unknown idol who dreams of making a comeback, and his journey to find Handsome, a missing former member of the disbanded group. (Source: MDL)

Cast & Crew:

Oh Seung Hoon as “Cutie”

Hong Jong Hyun as “Handsome”

Han Eun Seong as “Genius”

Lee Woo tae as “Shy”

Kim Beom Joon as “Tall”

Director - Son Seok Jin

Screen Writer - Lee Nam Hee

Music:  

There is of course the hit single by the fictional band Five Princes’, Never Stop. Alongside this the background music is well chosen and sets the tone of the drama well. 

Overall: 

This drama special tells the story of a group of former idols who broke up after popular member Handsome unexpectedly quit the group to pursue an acting career. It is set 13 years after this break up and mostly told from the perspective of Cutie who is still hanging onto his dreams of being a dancer while the rest of the group have moved on. 

The drama begins with the Princes on the verge of debut and being bestowed their names, the CEO rattles off one by one, “Sleepy”, “Grumpy”, “Happy”, wait no, this is not Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but that might be a better concept for a boy band than this… “Handsome”, “Genius”, “Shy”, “Tall” and “Cutie”, eugh. Honestly, I would have loved to know what the fans thought!  

The pièce de résistance of their idol career  is the music video that has been put together to showcase their brief glory. If you were a Kpop fan from the early 2010’s you’ll probably love this. 

In the present things are not so sunny for Cutie who still believes he can make it despite everyone around him encouraging him to move on. Meanwhile, it seems that Handsome has disappeared and when Cutie makes a blunder on camera Handsome’s fans turn on the Princes. To make things right they have to find Handsome! Which begins our road trip. 

I love a road trip story, and this one is short and sweet. I think they used the short time frame well to tell the story and it was an easy watch. My favourite parts were when the ML, Cutie let go and enjoyed himself with his friends once more. 

I didn’t personally find the chosen actors super believable as idols but despite this still found this drama special to be an enjoyable watch.  

Rating: 8/10

Watch it:  KOCOWA 

Trailer:  KBS Drama YouTube

[kimchislaphearts]

Dog Days Of Summer  (2023)

Genre: Youth, Drama

Plot: 

In the summer of 2002, South Korea hosts the World Cup and Yi Joon moves in with his aunt and uncle in Daegu. Yi Joon and his new classmates navigate friendship, family, and growing up over the hot summer. 

Cast & Crew:

Moon Woo Jin as Kim Yi Joon

Park Seo Kyung as Han Yeo Reum 

Supporting cast - Choi Hyun Jin, Kim Ji Sung, Jeong Hee Tae, Heo Dong Won, Kim Kwang Gyu, Kim Ji Won, Go Seong Bo, Lee Joo Won, Jung Yi Rang, Jeon Sok Chan

Director - Jang Min Sik

Screen Writer - Choi Yi Kyung

Music:  

The music felt pretty unobtrusive but on closer inspection the backing music was a mix of music of the time (2001-2002) mixed with some nice instrumentals. The featured music includes: 착각의 늪 -  박고테 프로 젝트, 떠나가라 - QOQ, Please Summer! - 인디고(Indigo),  비몽 - 코요태 (KOYOTE), and 백전무패 - 클릭비 (Click-B). 

Awards: Best Young Actor (Moon Woo Jin) - KBS Drama Awards 2023

Overall: 

This drama special tells the story of Kim Yi Joon, a 14 year old boy in the summer of 2002 who is moving from Anyang to Daegu to live with his aunt and uncle. At first he seems like your standard sullen teen but as the drama special goes on you peel back the layers and find out his story. 

As you watch the drama special you feel all of the hurt and pain piling up on this young boy and it’s quite heartbreaking. Watching him go through all the hardships wrung a surprising amount of tears from me. But he is resilient and it’s a wholesome and heartwarming coming of age story of finding your place in the world. 

Moon Woo Jin has been in a lot of productions since 2017, most recently Castaway Diva and The Atypical Family but this drama special is one of his first leading roles. He won the young actor award for his performance here and it's not surprising based on his performance. It was nice to see a cast of talented young people given a chance to shine. 

As well as Min Jun’s coming of age story, we get a glimpse of classmate Han Yeo Reum’s life. She also moved to Daegu in recent years and has adjusted to life there. At first she’s an adversary but when forced to work together and secrets are shared they form a bond. Like all her classmates she too is struggling through puberty and the hot hot Daegu summer.  

Korean dramas love the backdrop of their 2002 world cup to tell a story and I liked the way this drama special incorporated it into the story. Including footage from the various games and how it highlighted that Yi Joon was much more interested in basketball than soccer! 

Overall, I thought this was a well done drama special. I enjoyed the coming of age story set in the early 2000s. If you like youth dramas such as Racket Boys or coming of age stories in general this drama special is definitely worth a watch. 

Rating: 9/10

Watch it:  KOCOWA 

Trailer:  KBS World YouTube

[kimchislaphearts]

Love Attack (2023)

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Plot: 

Tired of always being ranked second in class behind Kyung J00, Seok Jin decides to try to distract her from studying by launching a "love attack" on his academic rival. 

Cast & Crew:

Kim Do Hoon as Cha Seok Jin

Chae Won Bin as Kang Kyung Joo

Supporting cast - Heo Jin, Park Sung Joon, Nam Joong Gyu, Baek Hyo Won, Han Ye Ji

Director - Lee Hyun Kyung

Screen Writer - Choi Yi Kyung

Music:  

The chosen music fit the drama special well. 

Awards: Best Actress in Drama Special/TV Cinema (Chae Won Bin) - KBS Drama Awards 2023

Overall: 

It’s been way too long since my last drama special, long time no see!

So many people told me about how cute this one was so I’ve been saving it for a rainy day. I’ve been sick for the last couple of weeks and the weather is miserable so I decided it was time. My sources were correct, this drama special is certified adorable and had me smiling, laughing and almost crying along the way. 

The story centres on Seok Jin who appears to have it all - looks, money, brains, however, he is perpetually stuck in second place thanks to his rival number one student Kyung Joo who despite working a million part time jobs still takes the number one spot. Things are going to change, however, as Kyung Joo is taking off to study abroad… or is she? How can Seok Jin possibly change his fate as a second place student? Hint: it’s the title of the drama… A LOVE ATTACK! 

This drama special has a lot of things I like in a drama; fake dating, cute youthful hijinx, cast chemistry, a cute halmeoni, gorgeous countryside trips with autumn foliage, shots of delicious food, and a nice backing track. All this combined into an almost perfect watch experience for me.  

I think that the writer did a decent job plotting out the story over the just short time frame, honouring the lead character’s journeys. Although it was so cute I could have taken a little more than what we got. Based on this I am now keen to watch the writer’s other special Dog Days of Summer.  

Throughout the drama I was often reminded of Park Hyung Shik and Park Shin Hye’s characters in Doctor Slump as if these kids could be an alternate universe version of them. I loved those characters and their journey too. 

The cast were all familiar faces and they did a good job of making their roles believable from the sad drunk friend to the sweet little halmeoni who doesn’t want her granddaughter missing out on life experiences. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama special and if you are in need of something short and sweet it’s well worth a watch. 

Rating: 9.5/10

Watch it:  KOCOWA 

Trailer:  KBS Drama YouTube

[kimchislaphearts]

Underwear Season (2022)

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Plot: 

Dae Sue was born kind, but due to his upbringing, he grew up to be cynical and apathetic. He thinks sincerity and passion are antiquated. Not good at expressing emotions, he's sassy when someone praises him or approaches him. After failed attempts in the overheated job market, he ends up in a bizarre underwear company. The owner, Mr. Tae, is like the last living Don Quixote. In the world of undies and among people who are serious about undies, Dae Sue finds himself declaring to carry them.

Cast & Crew:

Kang Seung Yoon as Ban Dae Soo

Supporting cast - Choi Jae Jub, Woo Min Gyu, Kang Sung Hoon, Jo Sung Won, Lee Yong Nyeo, Ji Joo Yeon

Director - Choi Jung Eun

Screen Writer - Lee Ji Woo

Music:  

The music/sound effect was mostly inserted for comedic effect and served the purpose well. The boss and his employee Cho Rok liked to break into their own version of MOMOLAND’s Bboom Boom.

Overall: 

I usually love myself a quirky comedy but this didn’t quite hit the spot. I watched it at random, so perhaps it is actually genius and I wasn’t in the right mood. 

The story is framed as the story that Dae Soo tells when interviewed about his rise to becoming the fourth best young entrepreneur, the only one not funded by his parents. Eventually the viewer forgets this until we are brought back to the story in the end. I feel like the writer could have done a better job of the framing mechanism as in the end the wrap up and moral of the story felt rushed. 

The main story was Dae Soo’s tale of youth as he dropped out of college and attempted to enter the employment market only to be repeatedly rejected. Eventually he ends up taking a job that definitely feels like a scam at a company that is definitely going bankrupt yesterday. His co-workers are, to put it nicely, passionate about underwear. They have spent many years researching and designing the epitome of men’s underwear, that lifts, separates and keeps everything ventilated but they have absolutely zero business know how.

Let's not forget the underwear, when you see it… even as a female it gives you the horrors. But for some reason beyond me (and apparently the writer too) comedy bad guys are plotting to get their hands on that patent. Down to his last few won after a bad investment Dae Soo realises he has to stick with the job for 6 months in order to claim unemployment benefits so he decides to give his all to underwear for now.

The highlight of this drama special is of course our male lead, Kang Seung Yoon. 

Playing the “normal” one at the company, his reactions to everything and everything are just so enjoyable. I do love an actor who can do physical comedy well. 

It’s the kind of drama where you just have to roll with it and pay attention otherwise you will have no idea what is going on and why we are suddenly doing Squid Game at a sauna. There were probably a lot more references that went over my head too. I did laugh a lot so not a complete failure. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Watch it:  KOCOWA 

Trailer:  KBS World YouTube

[kimchislaphearts]

Let’s Meet In An Unfamiliar Season (2022)

Genre: Romance, Drama

Plot: 

A drama that tells the story of COVID-19 confirmed patients in 2020 who enter a residential treatment centre, communicating through windows and comforting each other during unfamiliar and fearful quarantine times.

Cast & Crew:

Han Ji Eun as Oh Hee Joo

Kim Gun Woo as Myung Ki Joon

Supporting cast - Go Ae Ri, Oh Ji Yeon, Lim Ye Jin, Lim Hyung Joon

Director - Lee Min Soo

Screen Writer - Yeo Myung jae

Music:  

This drama special had a couple of really nice OSTs, 낯선 고백 (Strange Confession) by Ra.L and I Can’t Stop Thinking About You by Lee Joon Hwa. The use of music throughout was well done, I especially loved the use of Sunwoo Junga’s Run With Me. 

Overall: 

This drama special totally had my heart fluttering. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. 

This drama special tells the story of two individuals who meet as next door neighbours in lock down. Stuck together in a residential COVID treatment facility in Seoul, in stuffy rooms with windows that open mere centimetres that allow them to interact with one another. The female lead is quarantined after testing positive as a close contact and the male lead tests positive upon arrival at Incheon Airport from Australia. On his journey to the centre his phone was smashed so he has no ability to contact the outside world or access to news or entertainment. This is the catalyst for our leads to “meet” and become each other's confessional, close confident, friend, and more. 

The storyline is super relatable since we’ve all been through the pandemic and experienced the fear and stigmatisation of people with the virus from some perspective. At some point in our lives we have most likely experienced the sensation of utter boredom. It served as a sweet romance but also a thank you to the people on the front lines of the COVID-19 response. 

It took me a minute to realise the male lead was the hot douchebag from The Glory AKA Kim Tak Soo from Fight My Way. So this was the first time seeing him in a not complete-douchebag role and he pulled it off! The female lead is the very adorable Han Ji Eun. They both did a great job bringing their characters to life. 

The story used the short time frame well to tell the story and encapsulated the fear, boredom and budding friendship of the two who had never met face to face. I loved them going all analogue with a string telephone. The female lead picking the red string (of fate) from her handmade blanket to join the paper cups was a strong visual metaphor.  I also loved the journeys they took through their imaginations. They had me smiling and crying along the way. 

I enjoyed it a lot and would watch it again. 

If you’re looking for something short and sweet or have been waiting for the COVID romances to roll out this is your moment. 

Rating: 9.5/10 Watch it:  KOCOWA and Viki in selected regions

[silvertons]

[kimchislaphearts]

The Palace (2021)

Genre: Historical

Plot: 

This drama special tells the story of Court lady So Ssang who is blackmailed to make the Crown Princess miscarry and lose her position.

Cast & Crew:

Kim Sae Ron as So Ssang

Jung Da Eun as Bong Seon

Supporting cast - Seo Eun Young, Han Na Young, Jung Yong Hwa

Director - Lee Woong Hee

Screen Writer - Kang Han

Awards: Best Actress in Drama Special/TV Cinema at the KBS Drama awards 2021 (Kim Sae Ron)

Music:  

The chosen music fit the mood of the drama special. No tracks of note.

Overall: 

This drama special is interesting because it is a fictionalised telling of real history and because it is only just over an hour in length the political shenanigans don’t get too tedious for the viewer. I chose to watch this before reading about the real historical characters and I’m glad I did it in that order. 

I liked the way the story was told, starting with a key point and then going back to show us what happened to get to that point and what followed. 

It’s quite a dark and violent drama which I didn’t really expect going in. 

I thought the two main actresses did a good job in their roles. Jung Da Eun’s character was the more interesting of the two. I thought they did a good job moving the story along within the short time frame, there weren’t any moments that felt wasted. I really liked the directional choices for some of the imagery, it was quite beautiful at times. There was also some nice food shots in there which I am always a fan of.

I liked the progression of the two characters from mistrust to friendship. Overall it was a good drama special and I enjoyed it. 

Rating: 9/10

Watch it:  KOCOWA 

[kimchislaphearts]

Like Otters (2022)

Genre: Youth, Drama, Romance 

Plot: 

The story of a precarious and affectionate first love between two nineteen year olds who carried each other's dropout letters and sold banned items together.

Cast & Crew:

Shin Eun Soo as Kim Jae Young

Kim Jae Won as Seo Woo Kyu

Supporting cast - Lee Chan Hyung, Jang Ha Eun, Kim Ji Woo

Director - Kim Soo Jin

Screen Writer - Go Woo Jin

Music:  

The chosen music fit the mood of the drama special. The one OST track My Sea by Nine9 was quite moving. 

Overall: 

This drama special tells the story of two teens on the verge of graduating highschool who become like otters to one another. It’s not a light and fluffy story, but not completely dark either. The story begins as both teens run to the police station to find the waste of oxygen who has impregnated both Woo Kyu’s mother and Jae Young’s sister in custody for the “theft of condoms”. Jae Young threatens Woo Kyu to keep quiet. 

It’s hard to believe that we can move forward from this to develop a friendship but the writer wrote characters that are able to communicate well with and understand each other. 

The posters make this look like it will be a warm and sweet romance between two teens but it is a story about teens facing reality and surviving in the best way they can. Although there are sweet moments it is very clear that the writer wrote it to console those going through a tough time and feel less alone. 

I quite like Shin Eun Soo, I’ve seen her in a few things now. At first I couldn’t disconnect her from her character Bom in Summer Strike which I’ve been watching lately but eventually the differences appeared. I thought both of the young leads did a good job in their roles. 

This drama also made me laugh, there was some serious condom PPL going on. I did appreciate the jokes about the teenager who didn’t know teens could legally buy condoms pointing out the flaws in the sex education of teens.  

Overall, it was a decent watch with a meaningful story and some nice imagery. Also if you are watching for the otters alone you won't be disappointed (unless you were expecting 19 of them). 

Rating: 8/10 Watch it:  KOCOWA & Viki in selected regions

[kimchislaphearts]

Ji Hoon’s Born In 1982 (2011)

Genre: Drama

Plot: 

Ji Hoon is a 30-year-old, single man and he still lives with his parents. He dreams of marrying his girlfriend and having an ideal marriage life, with owning a house and car. To make his dream come true, Ji-Hoon struggles to change his current contract employee position into a full-time employee. Also, to make money to buy a house, Ji-Hoon invests 50 million won ($50,000 USD) with his friend, but things go wrong (Asian Wiki)

Cast & Crew:

Heo Jung Min As Kim Ji Hoon

Supporting cast - Choi Yoon So, Yoo Tae Woong, Lee Moon Soo, Ji Dae Han, Kim Seung Wook, Shin Hye Kyung, Kim Ki Doo, Go Gyu Pil. 

Director - Song Hyun Wook

Screen Writer - Seo Yoo Sun

Music:  

The chosen music fit the mood of the drama special. The music in the norebang scene was particularly fun.

Overall: 

Not to be confused with Kim Ji Young: Born in 1982, this drama special is another story about a member of the 880 000 won generation, Kim Ji Hoon. 

I’ve been a fan of Heo Jung Min since I first encountered him in Marriage, Not Dating. He’s a great comedic actor but he also has the abilities to pull on your heartstrings. So, I’ve wanted to watch this drama special for a little while now. Unfortunately it isn’t available with subs anywhere but it was recently added to one of KBS’ youtube channels so I was able to watch it using the autogenerated and translated subs combined with my hella basic Korean it was easy enough to follow. 

Ji Hoon is the picture of resilience, it’s actually kind of inspiring watching him keep getting up despite all the shit that keeps heading his way. Heo Jung Min is believable as Ji Hoon and not just because he too was born in 1982. We see his everyday struggles to be a part of the rat race and try to make it in the workforce and his romantic life. I felt his struggle to get out of bed the most. He made me laugh and he brought me to tears as he said goodbye to his father. 

I think this drama special would be quite relatable to many young people. 

I’d love to watch it with proper subtitles one day. 

Rating: 8/10 Watch it:  KBS 같이삽시다 Youtube (no subs)

[kimchislaphearts]

Kang Deoksun’s Love History (2017)

Genre: Historical, Drama

Plot: 

A drama about Kang Deok Sun, a naive woman who inadvertently gets wrapped up in an independence movement after following a man she has a one-sided love for to Gyeongsang province, and how she grows through her experiences. 

Cast & Crew:

Kim So Hye as Kang Deok Sun

Supporting cast - Oh Seung Yun, Kim Yeo Jin, Park Seo Yeon, Park Gyu Young, Shim Young Eun. 

Director - Hwang Seung Gi

Screen Writer - Baek So Yeon

Music:  

No tracks of note. The background music fit the drama special’s mood. 

Overall: 

If you don’t dig too deep you’ll go into this drama special expecting a rom-com. But that’s pretty far from what you get. Kang Deok Sun’s Love history is dedicated to the forgotten female independence fighters whose achievements throughout history have disappeared without a trace. 

We meet Deok Sun as she runs through a field, stumbling in the mud. She's a simple, strong girl, but she’s got some way to go before she becomes a strong character. She’s very likeable though, with her thick satoori, and her one-sided-love of Seok Sam. She’s definitely too good for him. 

Chasing after him to the big city she finds herself in an unknown world and she starts down her path of change from a “little girl” to an “independent” young woman. 

Kim So Hye did a pretty good job bringing Deok Sun to life and making her believable. The surrounding cast was full of familiar faces who shone in their small roles.

Overall, I liked the story and thought it was worth a watch but it was not one that I would rewatch. 

Rating: 7.5/10 Watch it: KBS World YouTube

[kimchislaphearts]

Pitch-Black Darkness (2014)

Pitch-Black Darkness (2014)

Genre: Drama, Crime

Plot: 

Umin gets hit by Hyeon Tae's bus and dies. Hyeon Tae falls into despair after the accident and begins to look for the perpetrator. Jeon Guk didn't even know Umin died but Hyeon Tae suddenly shows up saying that it's Jeon Guk's fault that Umin died. Jeon Guk becomes worried if it's really his fault. Yu Jeong can't accept her son's death and tries to find out the truth. After Umin's death, the three of them try their best to escape from the pitch-black darkness and later they find out that what they thought was true wasn't the truth... Who is the real perpetrator and the real victim? 

Cast & Crew:

Danny Ahn as Park Hyeon Tae

Kwak Jung Wook as Han Jeong Guk

Supporting cast - Kang Ei Shik, Yeo Woon, Jo Shi Nae, Kim Sun Kyung, Kwak Min Seok, Jo Mo Se, Chase Song Ah, Nam Tae Boo.

Director - Park Gi Ho

Screen Writer - Kim Mi Jung

Music:  

No tracks of note.

Overall: 

This drama special felt like a waste of potential. It had the potential to be a real tear-jerker but it didn’t quite get there for me. The concept itself was good, however, the execution was not. 

The writing at the beginning was a little disjointed feeling, had I not read the in depth synopsis I would probably have felt a little confused. The fight scenes felt really amateurish and took me out of the story.

I didn’t feel connected enough to the story and the characters to cry, which should have been the easiest thing in the world for the writer to do. It was a sad story, it should have been able to easily manipulate tears from me, but it didn’t. 

Disappointing.  

Rating: 6/10

Watch it: KBS World YouTube

[kimchislaphearts]

My Wife Natree’s First Love (2012)

Genre: Romance, Drama

Plot: 

Six months into their marriage, apple farmer Myeong Cheol and his Vietnamese wife Natree experience difficulties with their marriage. Myeong Cheol craves intimacy which seems to be lacking. Natree develops feelings for her doctor at the local clinic. Meanwhile, Myeong-Cheol's first love Eun Yeong returns. 

Cast & Crew:

Kim Ye Won as Natree

Park Won Sang as Myeong Chul

Supporting cast - Jung Heon, Kim Ji Young, Jung Hee Tae , and Kim Ki Yeon.

Director - Jung Kil Young

Screen Writer - Jo Soo Young

Music:  

No tracks of note, minimal use of music.

Overall: 

I wasn’t sure about this drama special from the beginning, the female lead didn’t really sell the “young Vietnamese bride with rudimentary Korean” but I went with it. It ended up being fairly sweet although cringe-worthy at times. 

The story was pretty simple and well plotted, a neglectful new husband doesn’t pay enough attention to his new young wife who is incredibly lonely and falls for the first bit of kindness she gets. Meanwhile the distracted husband tries his best to get the attention of his first love. 

I liked the sweet moments between the mother and daughter in law when she wasn’t admonishing her for her faults. As the drama went on I really felt for Natree having to lie to her family back in Vietnam that she was doing well. I fell for her character a little more as she fell for the doctor and was super pure, secretly making him a scarf and attempting to save him despite being unable to swim. I felt for her as her heart broke for the first time in her life.

I really liked the analogy that apples are sweeter after the first frost, and similarly only after experiencing innocent first love you can experience proper full blown love. Overall, this drama special followed this analogy too, if you can get through the beginning and the middle, the ending will leave you smiling. As a bonus it made me feel confident about my hella basic Korean as I could understand pretty much everything the female lead had to say.

바보 남편!

Rating: 7.5/10

Watch it: KBS World YouTube

[seawherethesunsets]

Just Woong sniffing coffee and drinking jujube tea at the same time to mask the taste like the dutiful boyfriend he is.

[kimchislaphearts]

I love him.

[kimchislaphearts]

The Scary One, The Ghost And I (2010)

Genre: Comedy,

Plot:

A comedic story of a gangster who hires the services of a detective agency to get rid of the ghost of a female student. Kang Doo Sub is a legendary gangster boss whose ugly face alone is enough to frighten off opponents. When a female ghost begins following his gang, however, he is forced to go to desperate measures to get rid of her and avoid becoming a laughing stock.

Cast & Crew:

Lee Won Jung as Kang Doo Sub

Park Ki Woong as Kim Yong Soo

Seo Min Ji as Ghost

Supporting Cast - Suh Joon Young, Bang Kil Seung, Jang Gi Eun, Shin Chang Joo

Director - Kim Yong Soo

Screen Writer - Park Yeon Seon

Music: They had me hooked using some Bowie, Cat People (Putting Out Fire) in the opening credits. The rest of the music and sound choices were less memorable but fit the drama special well.

Overall:

This drama special is by the same team who created White Christmas and like that it plays heavily on the big reveal so I wont go into too many plot details in my review.

I wasn’t planning on watching this one today, I just went to see how blurry the 360p footage was for future viewing and it grabbed my attention in the first few minutes so I kept watching. Sadly this one is not available the official KBS YouTube channel to watch because I think a slightly higher quality of video would have definitely added to the experience.

It held my attention for the first twenty minutes in which we met the main characters and Kang Doo Sub tried to work out what was going on. But as the story moved on they lost me a bit until the big reveal at the end, I admit I had to rewind a few times as I found myself staring at my phone instead of the subs.

I am a bit of a fan of Lee Won Jong. It was fun seeing him as this tough gangster who didn’t take shit from anyone. His journey to find out about the ghost that was following him was an interesting and fun ride. I didn’t come close to attempting to guess the answer.

The detective, played by Park Ki Woong made all sorts of hilarious facial expressions which made for some great comic relief along the way.

Overall, thanks to being well written and directed it was watchable despite the low quality images. The humour was the good side of quirky and if it was ever officially re-released I’d probably give it another watch.

Rating: 7/10

[kimchislaphearts]

The Effect of a Finger Flick on a Breakup (2021)

Genre: Drama, Romance

Plot:

A relatable romance of a man who can’t accept his breakup with his long-term girlfriend who decides to leave him for a playful flick. (Source: KOCOWA)

Cast & Crew:

Shin Ye Eun as Oh Jin

Kang Tae Oh as Cha Min Jae

Hong Kyung as Koo Won Bin

Ha Yoon Kyung as Jeong Yoon Jeong

Seo Yi Sook as Oh Jin’s Mother

Director - Goo Sung Joon

Screen Writers - Kim Mi Kyung

Award: 2020 KBS TV DRAMA “Excellent Work of “One-Act Screenplay Competition”

Music: A nice selection of music which fit and builded the mood of the drama special. The music choices are largely English and instrumental pieces, the drama opens with Phillip Phillips' “Home” which sets the mood well.

Overall:

This year KBS are doing things a little bit differently with their drama specials, the first 4 are 90 minute films and the remaining 6 are the more traditional drama specials. Things are feeling a little more slick and the budget has to be a little bit higher. The Effect of a Finger Flick on a Breakup is the first of the regular drama specials and we are off to a good start!

I’ve read a lot of complaints about the title, but I actually really love this title. I think it’s perfect, even if The Effect of one Night on a Breakup is a more accurate translation. It definitely suits it better than the title KOCOWA is using, A Moment of Romance. Ugh, can you be any more generic?

The more I think about this drama special, the more I like it.

Throughout the special we see the characters young and old learning about relationships and love. That the older generation can learn from the younger generation and vice versa. When Jin is reminded of the importance of care and affection as a part of love from one of her students going through a tough patch with her boyfriend she starts questioning her three year relationship.

So, unlike many Korean dramas in which we are racing towards the start of something, here we are hurtling head first towards the end. Rather than accepting a love that doesn’t feel right we are letting go, not accepting the toxicity, and damn it’s refreshing to see.

This drama has a small but excellent cast who do a great job making their characters and their stories feel real. Kang Tae Oh did an especially excellent job as the self centred soon to be ex-boyfriend as I felt myself wanting to slap him and pull his hair out on the behalf of the much calmer female lead.

The writer utilized their 65 minutes to the fullest exploring the separation and breakup of our leads. It’s no surprise this screenplay was lauded as excellent.

One of the set pieces in Jin’s apartment is a long mirror with the following James Baldwin quote inscribed, “Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle. Love is a war. Love is growing up.” I love how this reflects the journey of our main couple and the themes of the drama special. Along with this there were some really nice quotes and words of wisdom that we should all take on board, to cherish ourselves more and strive for the relationships we have to be positive ones.

I think this drama special is a bit special and one we can all learn from. Give it a watch.

Rating: 9/10

Watch it: KOCOWA

[kimchislaphearts]

Fake Family (2015)

Genre: Family, Drama

Plot:

36-year-old miss Eun-soo works at a dentist during the day and works part time in the evenings to take care of her family and debt. Her wish is to live for herself and away from her family for just a year. Now that the loans have almost been paid back, it's time for her to put her long-time plan into action. However, something unexpected happens and the time for her to be away from her family is postponed... (source: Hancinema)

Cast & Crew:

Lee Ha Na as Kim Eun Soo

Lee Hak Ju as Lee Min Soo

Supporting cast - Kil Hae Yeon, Kim Won Hae, Park Jong Hwan, Jo Dal Hwan

Director - Ahn Joon Yong

Screen Writers - Son Se Rin

Award: Best Actress in a One-Act/Special/Short Drama (Lee Ha Na)

Music: Some nice music choices throughout the drama special.

Overall:

This drama special was definitely a sponsored advertorial for Jeju Island and I’m 100% okay with that.

It told the story of Kim Eun Soo, a mid 30s woman who had spent her life working hard to pay off her family’s debts, along the way growing resentful of them. She dreamed of doing something just for her, to spend a year doing whatever she liked on the beautiful Jeju island. But when the time finally came to escape things got in the way.

This drama special was quite relatable, I think everyone has experienced plans not going their way and being frustrated with loved ones. Despite the female lead's feelings about her family the drama did have a nice message and ending.

The cast were all really great and played their roles well. The drama itself wasn’t life changing but it managed to expunge a single tear out of me. Overall, a decent watch about what it means to be family.

Rating: 7.5 /10

Watch it: KBS World YouTube