프로포즈 대작전 (a.k.a. Operation Proposal) Review 1 of 2: Episodes 1-11

프로포즈 대작전

(a.k.a. Operation Proposal)

2012

CSTV

Main Cast:

Yoo Seung Ho 유승호 as Kang Baek Ho 강백호

Park Eun Bin 박은빈 as Ham Yi Seul 함이슬

Lee Hyun Jin 이현진 as Kwon Jin Won 권진원

Go Kyung Pyo 고경표 as Song Chan Wook 송찬욱

Park Young Seo 박영서 as Joo Tae Nam 주태남

Kim Ye Won 김예원 as Yoo Chae Ri 유체리

Lee Doo Il 이두일 as Jo Kook Dae 조국대

Park Jin Joo 박진주 as Jo Jin Joo 조진주

Synopsis:

     Kang Baek Ho and Ham Yi Seul have been best friends since elementary school. Actually Baek Ho has had feelings for Yi Seul but kept them wrapped in his heart. Finally, when Yi Seul is about to marry another man (Jin Won) at a wedding ceremony which is attended by Baek Ho, Baek Ho regrets that he never confessed his love for the bride. Such a fantasy, a fairy appears and gives him a second chance to win Yi Seul. Then Baek Ho travels to the past and recreates every moment he has with Yi Seul in order to win her heart. Will he succeed?

(credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Proposal#Plot)

     When I first started watching Operation Proposal, I thought it would be a story about someone who gets to go back to a moment he regrets and change something, thus changing his future to be exactly what he wanted. I figured it was a nice storyline. I mean, who doesn't have a moment they wish they could go back to and change? But then I figured that would be too simple of a plot line so I wondered how they were going to make things interesting. Well, lo and behold, he went back to the present and things were still pretty much the same. Ok, so maybe he has to work for his happiness. Fair enough, right? I mean, he already gets a chance to go back and change things, so why should everything else be so easy?

     Well, after going back even 5 times, he still ends up in a similar place as before: losing the girl. At this point I started getting really frustrated at Baekho, Yiseul, and even the coach. Baekho makes the same mistakes every time because that’s who he is. That’s his personality. I mean sure, every time he goes back, his career gets better,  his friends' relationships and careers get better, and Yiseul ends up getting her dream job. But the relationship between Yiseul and Baekho seems to end up always in the same place. Of course, Baekho isn't the only one at fault. I personally think that Yiseul should have more nerve. She’s such a stereotypical Korean drama girl that it's just downright pissing me off! If she likes the guy she should admit it, or when he does confess to her and try hard to be there for her, maybe she should hold onto that. Ok, sure, with his immature jerk personality before, I could see why it was hard to tell him how she really felt. And of course it must have been difficult for her to even imagine that his kind thoughtful actions meant little more than a joke. Even I (and I'm not exactly the most fragile girl in the world....) would be scared of being belittled and laughed at by him. But once he starts going back to his past to try to fix things, I don't think she tried as hard as she could have, especially since he would have been very positively receptive of her feelings, and especially since he was trying hard to make amends and show her how he felt.

     But by the 11th episode, I have to wonder if some people are destined to go a certain path. No matter how hard Baekho tries, Yiseul ends up going to the teacher. And seriously, it's getting seriously frustrating watching him keep going back to try and fix things. I mean dude, come on! you need to know when to give up. I’m not saying it’s easy, but at some point he should think about what would make the person he loves happiest. She always feels neglected or forgotten or hurt at some point when she is with Baekho, but the teacher has always been there for her. And they seem pretty happy together. Sometimes the best thing you can do for the person you love is to let them go. At this point in the drama, I feel like Baekho is acting very selfishly. and I understand that it sucks to admit that the one person who can make the one you love happy is not you. It’s a terrible and painful thing to realize. But wouldn’t it be more painful still to keep fighting it and going back to change things and getting hurt over and over and over again? Wouldn’t it be better to have the pain of admitting defeat and letting go for a short while, and then be able to move on? I understand Baekho’s motives. I understand his regret. Heck, I’ve been there, and I’m sure many of you readers have also felt the heart-wrenching pain of regret. So I understand why he keeps trying over and over and over. But if he were to really sit down and think about it, especially at this point in the game, maybe he could come to the conclusion that maybe Yiseul and the teacher were always destined to be together, no matter how hard he tried to change his past actions.

     Another frustrating fact about all this is that after he goes back to the present (Valentine's Day 2012), he has no control over his past self’s actions after the point in time that he was changed (does that make sense? Time travel gets so confusing..). I would assume that his past self would go back to being his normal immature self, which is why he keeps losing Yiseul. Perhaps what the Conductor is trying to show him is that no matter how much he changes his actions in his past, he can’t change who he was as a person. Which brings me to the conductor! What a strange fellow! I think its pretty awesome that he keeps giving Baekho chances to go back and change his life and his relationship with Yiseul, but I wonder what his motive is. Does he figure that destiny is destiny and even time travel can’t change that, but he wants Baekho to be able to move on and live with no regrets after he runs out of chances, so that’s why he keeps sending him back? That would be nice if it were true. Baekho would feel more so that he tried his hardest but it just wasn’t meant to be. That would really be a moral worth learning; that some what-ifs were never meant to be, even if you go back and change things. But after trying so hard and going through the pain of going back to his past and dealing with his skeletons (like the injury, the army, his mother, and of course losing Yiseul again.... and again....), I kind of wish he could just get the girl, get his dream job, have his friends all be successful and happy (and married), and live happily ever after. I would much rather have a happy ending than a story with a moral. Most of the time. But I guess we’ll see how it plays out from here on out. And by the way, I am a rather cheesy hopeless romantic in case you didn't know (how could you? But now you do. Hehe..), so I am always really excited and happy when the male and female protagonists end up together... So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a satisfying (maybe even happy?) ending.

Feel free to leave a comment! I would love to read your comments and feedback! Thank you!!

49일 (a.k.a. 49 Days) Final Review: Episodes 17-20

~~ Note: I know this final review is coming out months after 49 Days ended, but it’s definitely not easy keeping up with real life and the drama world. It never occurred to me so drastically that the drama world never slows down or stops.... It’s nearly impossible to catch up once you’re behind!! So I will make it a priority goal to keep up with these reviews! Thanks for reading!!~~

First off, I’d like to say the ending was unexpected, that’s for sure, but it wasn’t unpleasant. I’m rather satisfied with the way it ended, but it wasn’t particularly terrible or terrific.

I applaud Jung Ilwoo tremendously for such an a-ma-zing performance!!!! Those scenes with Yikyung were truly heartbreaking!! I really loved how they were written. Everything the couple did was so full of love for each other. I loved the things Yisoo did for Yikyung... That’s probably what made the farewell so much harder to watch. And his goodbye speech to her was so well written!!! I don’t know which is sadder, the farewell scene or Yisoo’s accident scene...

In the end, I was pretty happy with the acting from the entire cast. Nam Gyuri did improve her acting. Of course it could just be because the character became more complex, but still, she wasn’t totally hopeless. She was a bit wooden at times, and her reactions felt kind of forced, but still, I’ve seen worse. (By the way, don’t you think Nam Gyuri and IU look alike?). Lee Yowon’s acting was very consistent to the end. I really enjoyed the interaction between Yikyung and Jihyun, it was so cute and heartwarming to see them so happy together. I know I’ve said this before, but I was extremely impressed with Lee Yowon’s acting!! Her emotions weren’t so forced and she played the two different personalities so well. The male leads are very talented and played their characters with skill and experience. All the minor characters were so cute and lovable and they were all cast so perfectly! I think this was a good choice for Jo Hyunjae’s come back to the drama world after his military service. It had a good cast and a pretty good following of fans from what I can tell. It would be pretty fun to see him play a villain role though. 

Even though I really enjoyed the soundtrack, I’d have to say it does not make my list of top 10 soundtracks. None of the songs really stand out and get stuck in your head, but I love that they got some of the cast to sing the songs!! 

The special effects used were pretty fun and creative. They did not seem too out of place or super obviously CG, which I was pretty happy about. I especially liked the Scheduler’s appearing and vanishing acts!! Of course that’s editing more than special effects, but still, well done and fun nonetheless.

The storyline is very unique and one of a kind in the Korean drama world, from what I can tell. It’s got some similarities to Secret Garden, but overall, very different. I loved the story and writing for 49 Days until the last episode... Story twists are much more shocking when they’re planted early and pondered over for more than five minutes.

*****Spoiler Alert!!*****

I was rather shocked that they would kill Jihyun in the end. It was such a twist, the way the events played out. If Jihyun did die, I only thought she would not gain all three tears. It never occurred to me that they would bring her back only for her to die. I’m not all that upset that Jihyun died, actually. I thought it was a very balanced ending. It’s kind of a "life goes on after losing someone" kind of story.

The one thing I disliked about the ending was how they tied in the sister relationship between Yikyung and Jihyun. It was just so rushed and poorly planned. I heard some speculations about Yikyung finding out one of the lead characters was her younger sibling (I don’t think they ever specified the gender), but my impression was that those ideas were purely fan based speculations. Of course, I should have remembered that more likely than not, when something is mentioned in a drama, there’s a good reason for it. But just the way they played out that story was just so rushed. If they had introduced something about it even a couple episodes earlier, that would have tied in a lot better in my opinion. And I always wondered if Jihyun ever found out that Yikyung was her sister and that’s why one of the three tears was not hers. Thinking from Jihyun’s perspective, it would hurt to think Yikyung didn’t cry genuine tears for her. I mean, they got really close towards the end. Of course, Jihyun could have just assumed that Seowoo and Injung cried for her first. But anyways, it definitely answers the question as to why Yikyung was shown crying at least three times for Jihyun, but the tears were never counted. 

The ending had gaping flaws but I was still quite content with it. Most things did fit together well. Even though the end wasn’t the ideal outcome, it was more realistic than a lot of other dramas in a sense. It was definitely not your typical romantic comedy. The conclusion was very open-ended in that Yikyung doesn’t start dating Kang, but they don’t say to leave that possibility out. Since they have each other and they got their closure with their significant other, it is definitely possible for them to heal and move on and fall in love again, possibly with each other. I really do love that Yikyung is no longer alone and has a family and friends who genuinely love her, but again, could have been played out better. And as for Jihyun and Yisoo, they don’t have any regrets, so they got their closure too. Pretty satisfying, if you ask me.

Thanks so much for reading my 49 Days reviews! I would love comments and feedback! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this drama, or your thoughts on my thoughts! =D

49일 (a.k.a. 49 Days) Review Part 2 of 3: Episodes 7-16

49 Days Review Part 2

(Episodes 7-16)

4 more episodes!!

So, strong start, a little slow around episode 6-10, but then it REALLY picked up these past few episodes! I’m satisfied with the acting overall; very well done. A few characters have plateaued some, but Jung Ilwoo’s acting makes up for all of it! What a performance in episode 16! WOW! Nam Gyuri’s performance is improving as well, although I can’t really say if it’s just that her character is growing so she has a better opportunity to show us her skills. Lee Yowon is also such an amazing and talented actress. I find myself forgetting that this is really just one person performing as two people. It’s so believable that she is inhabited by two different souls! She is such a heartwrenching cryer, but then her happy scenes are so cute! 

I love the whole you-know-that-I-know-but-we’re-all-pretending-we-don’t-know-anything thing that is going on with Kang and Yikyung/Jihyun. The scenes itself are just so adorable and heartwarming, but then deeper meaning once you calculate that they knew each other’s knowledge of the situation is just so ironic, funny, and CUTE!!

The storyline is getting really intense! They finally started revealing a lot of answers to some seemingly insignificant questions (and items) from earlier on, which was a total OHHHHH moment (or several moments, for that matter). I love how what seemed to be set rules and boundaries are getting broken and pushed... it’s so confusing, but refreshing because it’s unexpected. I love how the in limbo world is able to interact with the real world people all of a sudden. I wonder, does this happen with other 49 day souls, or is it just these people because of all their intertwining connections....

I love Jung Ilwoo and Jo Hyunjae’s songs for the soundtrack. The lyrics are very fitting for the drama, and I love when the main actors sing for the soundtrack, especially since they both have beautiful voices. Jung Ilwoo’s voice is more on the melancholy side, which fits since they revealed our Scheduler’s rather tragic past. Jo Hyunjae’s is full of love and longing.

I really wonder who will give Jihyun her last two tears. I don’t think it will be Seowoo, even more so because she found out that the guy she likes (Han Kang) is in love with Jihyun, so now she has the whole bitter love taken away thing going on. But also because it seems too simple, too obvious of a plot line. 49 Days is far from simple, so I don’t see why they would make that part simple. I almost feel like Kang Minho will end up crying for Jihyun, which would be in fact the most ironic of all. And perhaps the other person would be Yikyung, the borrowed body. I suspected that may happen earlier, but now that we know Yikyung can hear (and see?!!) Jihyun, I feel it’s almost certain. 

Then again, I wonder how likely it is that the writers will kill off Jihyun... Say Jihyun gets all three tears, comes back to life, marries Kang. Say Kang helps her find Yikyung and they become friends (which, by the way, raises another questions... all the people who figured out the 49 days deal, will they forget like Jihyun after it’s all over?), what is Yikyung going to do? Yisoo is dead, and there’s no way around that. I don’t particularly fancy Yikyung marrying the doctor, though we know his wife died a few years ago, so he is available. I guess the writers could leave her love life open ended, though that doesn’t appeal to me much either. Yikyung is such a lonely character, I feel like she needs someone (besides a friend, potentially Kang and Jihyun) to be with her. I almost want to pair her up with Kang, but then that seems rather disrespectful to Jihyun if she dies and somewhere down the road Kang starts dating Yikyung. Of course, I hate when the main character (male or female) is killed off, so let’s try not to think about that. 

On a more comical note, the Scheduler’s wardrobe is seriously more complex than many of the female characters’ wardrobes! He easily has at least three or four different outfits per episode. But perhaps we notice the constant change of eccentric colors and dangling accessories because of Jihyun’s lacking wardrobe. Besides getting tired of her same dress, I feel rather bad for the actress. There may be signs of spring in Korea with all the flowers abloom, but it definitely is still too cold for that dress!! But still, the Scheduler’s colorful variety of arrangements are a good balance to Jihyun’s constant pink. 

I wonder what happened to the “S love K” rings... wouldn’t the people who cleaned up the accident have picked those up? Why weren’t they given to Yikyung? I wonder if it’s because he’s an orphan and legally they aren’t siblings or even married, so they refused to hand over his belongings... usually the cops in dramas aren’t all too finicky about whose who’s guardian and proof and such... I hope they touch on that... If Yikyung had known about the rings, would she have been more or less depressed? I wonder what is her real reason for living like that for the past five years? I know it has to do with Yisoo, the way they separated, and his death and all that, but what is the real motive... Does she think he was cheating on her? Does she feel regretful that she didn’t trust him and they separated and he died still loving her even though she doubted him? Did she get the rings, so that’s how she knew of his intentions? Oh, and another question.. When Dr. Noh said he felt responsible for Yisoo’s death, what did he mean? Was Yikyung going to the psychiatrist before Yisoo died, showed him the pictures of Yisoo with another girl, and Dr. Noh said Yisoo was definitely cheating on her? (By the way, that accident scene..... That has to be on my top 5 list of most heartwrenching scenes to make me cry ever!)

I love when the antagonists get what they deserve!!!!! I could have use a little more hair tearing when Seowoo started beating up Injung! And when Kang started punching Minho for Jihyun.... beautiful! Not only because Jo Hyunjae looked awesome all angry and punching someone... but also I love when a guy beats up another guy for a girl... hehe. But probably the most satisfying is the fact that Jihyun does to Minho the same thing he did to her... she kind of lead him to believe she was interested him, which she did only for her own gain, and then he finds out that he fell for her but she is indifferent. And then he finds out it was Jihyun all along?!?! Serves him right! But truth be told, Minho kind of scares me.. He’s willing to go to any lengths, use whatever means necessary in order to complete his plans... In a way he has nothing to lose.. Those are the scariest people, because you never know what they will do.

I can’t wait until the finale of 49 Days. I’m quite a bit sad at the idea that it’s coming to an end (no more Scheduler, bipolar Lee Yowon, softy Jo Hyunjae....), but alas, all good things must come to an end. But that’s what DVDs are for... Right?

Until next time.

49일 (a.k.a. 49 Days) Review Part 1 of 3: Episodes 1-6

49 Days

49일

SBS

Main Cast:

Nam Gyuri 남규리 as Shin Jihyun 신지현 (the soul in limbo, 49 days traveller)

Lee Yowon 이요원 as Song Yikyung 송이경(body taken over by Jihyun)

Bae Soobin 배수빈 as Kang Minho 간민호 (Jihyun’s backstabbing fiance)

Jo Hyunjae 조현재 as Han Kang 한강 (Jihyun’s old high school friend)

Jung Ilwoo 정일우 as the Scheduler 스케줄러 a.k.a. Song Yisoo 송이수 (modern day Grim Reaper, Yikyung’s [past?] lover)

Seo Jihye 서지혜 as Shin Injung 신인정 (one of Jihyun’s “best” friends)

Synopsis:

        A few days before her wedding, Jihyun was looking forward to her future with her seemingly perfect fiancé, Minho. In contrast, Yikyung was unhappy with her life and resolved to end it by walking into a busy street. Their two worlds collide as Jihyun gets into an accident and falls into a coma as a result of Yikyung's actions. However, Jihyun is given a second chance at life by a reaper. He tells her that if she collects three genuine tears from people that aren't her blood relatives in the 49 days allotted to her, she can live again. In order to maneuver the world of the living, she's given use of Yikyung's body, but she cannot use it past midnight and must keep her true identity a secret, including everyone she knew as Jihyun.

Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49_Days

Episodes 1-6 Review

        Nam Gyuri as the lead? I was very unfamiliar with her, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d heard some negative reviews, but she’s growing on me slowly. Nam Gyuri plays Shin Ji Hyun, the (other?) lead female. This is only her second? drama, and before that she was in a girl band called SeeYa. I can’t really say I was all that impressed by her acting or if I did not like her acting, or even why I did not like it. We’ll see as the drama carries out. Right now, her character is very naive and a bit oblivious, which may be the reason I’m not impressed. She gave a small sample of her singing, it sounded a bit generic, but not all that bad. But there is absolutely so much room for Jihyun to grow, and likely the writers will take advantage of that to the fullest.

        I was initially disappointed that Bae Soobin was playing such an antagonistic role. I was looking forward to seeing him in this role (after watching Dong Yi and Shining Inheritance) but I guess at the same time it is a nice change. I was actually getting tired of him not getting the girl (the same girl, I might add) for two dramas in a row. There’s speculation that he may not get this girl either, which implies that he wants the girl. At first, that seemed very doubtful, especially after the whole engagement party scene. But after episode 5, I can see how that could happen. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how this will all play out.

        I thought I recognized the lead, Lee Yowon, when I saw her. Her simplistic but beautiful face triggered my memory, someone I’d seen before, but different. 6 years really changes a person’s facial features. So, since it kept irking me, I went to Wikipedia, the place to go for answers. She played the lead female role in Fashion 70’s (2005). Her more recent role was Queen Seondeok. Anyways, I found her acting to be quite fascinating since she is essentially portraying two different souls, if you will. As Song Yikyung, she is a very depressed person with some sort of dark past, involving a doctor and the death of a loved one (mother? sister?). She is very quiet, always neutral faced, always seeming exhausted. Emotionless, blank. As if she wants to be invisible. On the other hand, when she is Shin Jihyun, she is full of life, energetic, determined, tearful. She wears her emotions on her sleeve and is always running everywhere. The contrast is so much that I find it easy to forget that this is in fact the same woman. 

        Jo Hyunjae... Well first of all, I’d like to welcome him back from military duty. I’ve only seen his work Only You with Han Chae Young and have not had a chance to see much else. I definitely enjoy his work and look forward to watching past and future shows. As for his character, I really hope he gets the girl. Well, not that I see how else this would turn out. The only conflict is that he finds himself attracted to Yikyung, even though he was in love with Jihyun. Then again, he is in love with her personality, and the previews are hinting that he will figure out what’s going on. We’ll have to see how that plays out. I’m really anticipating it. His portrayal of Han Kang is very well done. Many actors come out of the military with a more mature image and in a way, the ability to add depth to a character, and Jo Hyunjae’s case is no different.

        Seo Jihye was in Over the Rainbow, a drama I rather enjoyed. The storyline was acceptable, cute. The acting, for the most part was pretty decent. The singing? Mostly good. The dancing was definitely the strong point in my opinion. But, since this is not a review of Over the Rainbow.... Seo Jihye’s character in Over the Rainbow was kind of a simpleton, a country girl in a way. Pretty happy for the most part, moody when it came to boys. Her character is very different as Shin Injung. Injung is very... dark, mysterious, manipulative. She doesn’t ever seem to smile. Then again, she is deceiving her best friends and her company’s president aka her friend’s father. Who could be happy doing that? And the man she loves was supposed to marry her best friend in order to complete the plot to ruin the company... My question is why? Is money the only motive? I’m very curious as to how this will play out, what will she do?

        The special effects used weren’t so obvious that it was unbelievable. I loved how they showed Jihyun’s soul going in and out of Yikyung’s body. The necklace effects (the tears and red warnings) again, were believable. Of course, great acting definitely had a huge part! Same goes for Jihyun not being able to touch anything. The elevator could have gone oddly awry, but I liked the way it turned out. All the special effects were backed up by solid acting by the cast, which is why it was so believable, especially the elevator scenes with the Scheduler (he just can do no wrong).

        I’ve not had a chance to see Jung Il woo in The Return of Iljimae. I heard he put a lot of effort into that drama (not that anyone ever does otherwise). Have no fear, it is on my to watch list (along with some 50 others). So as my first time watching his performance, I must say I’m not disappointed, though I will admit, I’m not a huge fan of that perm he’s got going on.... Maybe it will grow on me. Anyways, I’ve been hearing positive reactions to his work, but at the same time it was not super overhyped, so I was not easily disappointed. His character as the Scheduler is quite amusing. I find myself laughing at some of the things he says. At the same time, when he gets upset, he’s rather intimidating! I wonder how his role in the story and his character will play out. I can’t wait to see the upcoming episodes! 

        I loved the sets and locations used for 49 Days. I think it’s safe to assume most indoor scenes were shot using sets. The two sets I saw via behind the scenes were Yikyung’s studio and Jihyun’s hospital room. It was quite fascinating how real they looked! Of course, that’s the point, but still, wow! Editing is a powerful tool indeed; all the outside shots of Yikyung’s house and neighborhood seem to be on location. I would love to work on a tv show set to learn how everything works. Maybe in another lifetime? The outdoor locations really showed off the beauty of Korea. All the blossoms everywhere! I would love to go to Korea just to see all the flowers! But I really did feel bad for Nam Gyuri for having to film outside in that short pink dress in the chilly early spring weather. The two building exteriors I really liked were Jihyun’s house and Heaven! I loved the Heaven restaurant building! It was very artsy and modern. And Jihyun’s house was just huge and awesome with a nice yard. My dream house? The coffee shop, Seowoo’s bakery, and the different parks were obviously shot on site. I wonder how much that disrupted business? Although that was definitely a good advertising opportunity, even if it was under a different name (Purple Coffee anyone?). I really love how beautiful those parks were. I wonder if they’re really that nice in real life. A lot films make the place look so much better, but when you go it’s rather... anticlimactic (example: the Orange Circle in Clockstoppers). 

        General storyline, I’m really really dying to know what will happen. By episode 6, this drama has really caught my attention. I feel like its pretty obvious who two of the three people are who will cry genuine tears for her (Han Kang and Seowoo), but who’s the third? Her fiance, Minho? That would definitely be a twist. At the same time, he seems very defensive of her character, which is strange since he’s only using her. But then, he thought he was talking to a stranger, so to keep up the charade of loving fiance, it’s a given that he would do so. 

So many questions, so little answers..

신데렐라 언니 (a.k.a. Cinderella's Sister)

Cinderella’s Sister

신데렐라 언니

2010

KBS

Main Cast:

Moon Geun-young 문근영 as Song Eun-jo 송은조 (stepsister of Hyo-sun, very cynical, cold, and shy)

Chun Jung-myung 천정명 as Hong Ki-hoon 홍기훈 (young college student working for Gu Dae-sung, Eun-jo’s love interest)

Seo-woo 서우 as Gu Hyo-sun 구효선 (our Cinderella, very naive and bubbly)

Taecyeon 택연 as Han Jung-woo 한정우 (Eun-jo’s friend from her past)

Lee Mi-sook 이미숙 as Song Kang-sook 송강숙 (Eun-jo’s mother, manipulative, the reason for Eun-jo’s cynicism)

Kim Kap-soo 김갑수 as Gu Dae-sung 구대성 (Eun-jo’s stepfather, kind and loving father to Eun-jo and Hyo-sun)

Synopsis:

Song Eun-jo, who lives with her mother since years ago (and also her mother's current lover), finally gets a new family and a home when her mother remarries to a kind man who owns a winery. At first, she denied it, and even attempted to escape rather than dealing with the attempt of being schooled. The cynical Eun-jo is unable to accept the affection of her new step-sister Hyo-sun and step father Gu Dae-sung. Hyo-sun, with her bright character, is the apple in her father's eyes and Eun-jo's mother goes out of her way to fulfill the role of Hyo-sun's mother, causing her to neglect and act harshly towards Eun-jo. However, Eun-jo finds a friend in Hong Ki-hoon, a college student working at the winery who becomes her own prince. Ki-hoon eventually leaves to take care of personal issues, but Hyo-sun's jealousy of Eun-jo causes her to make Eun-jo believe that he has abandoned her. The three reunite 8 years later to begin the main plot - a modern adaptation of Cinderella with a twist. Han Jung-woo, a boy that Eun-jo considered her little brother 8 years ago, appears in order to be near her and fulfills the role of a "fairy godmother" to her. A love triangle forms when Hyo-sun falls for Ki-hoon, who is still in love with Eun-jo. The feeling of betrayal lasts with Eun-jo, creating misunderstandings and difficulties. However, the kindness of Eun-jo's stepfather (Gu Dae-sung, Hyo-sun's father) begins to change everyone's lives, making this a tale of growth and redemption.

Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella%27s_Sister

Review:

        Cinderella’s Sister’s plot follows a few basics of a classic Cinderella story. Evil stepmom and stepsister, daughter of dad who passes away early on, rich inheritance left to stepmom, who is plotting to have everything left to her own daughter (and young son).

        
        However, like the title says, this story is about the stepsister of Cinderella. The plot is much darker and heavier than most other Cinderella story. And Cinderella does not end up with the man. Not that you want her to. Sometimes you hate Eun-jo, the sister. Sometimes you feel very sympathetic and sorry for her. Sometimes you feel so bad for Hyo-seon (Cinderella) for how naive and oblivious she is, and how ill treated she is by her step family, yet here I was rooting for Eun-jo to end up with the man, Ki-hoon. The storyline itself wasn’t all that unique or extraordinary, so the main point of this drama is more about the character development and the interaction and conversations between the characters.

        It did get frustrating that Eun-jo was so cold and hateful to everyone around her, even her stepdad, who genuinely loved her. You could tell that sometimes she wanted to respond differently, but she is surrounded by this defensive wall that she could not break through, so ends up constantly pushing everyone away. The female lead, Moon Geun-young, did an amazing job with this drama. Every time she cried, her grief was so genuine that I cried along with her. The few times she smiled, I smiled. And the rare laugh made me laugh too. The role of Eun-jo could not have been an easy one, especially when compared to her usual happier characters in the movies Innocent Steps and My Little Bride. 

        Chun Jung-myung is Hong Ki-hoon, the kind-hearted and gentle college student living at the Gu Dae-sung Winery. Hyo-seon has a huge crush on him and is always claiming him as her man. Ki-hoon felt a strong bond with Eun-jo when they first meet because he saw his past self in her cynicism and bitter hatred. He changed and became the kind loving man he is because of Hyo-seon’s father, Dae-sung. He begins to warm Eun-jo’s cold heart slowly as he never gives up on her and takes care of her. When Eun-jo won an award in school, the only praise she wanted to hear was his. For most of the drama, you never see Eun-jo smile. Eventually, with the help of her family, Ki-hoon, and her childhood acquaintance Jung-woo, she begins to smile, laugh, and love.

        I was very impressed by the casting. I felt everyone fit their roles perfectly. The people you were supposed to hate really made you hate them, the characters meant to be loved really made you love them. The depth of their characters was believable. The character development was well written. Everyone grew up and became better people. They learned something about themselves and about life and about the people around them. They learned where their loyalties lie, what family is, how to love and be loved. And of course, the villains got what they deserved (my personal favorite type of ending). 

        Overall, the soundtrack isn’t uber amazing, but one or two songs stand out. My favorite is “It Has to be You” by Yesung of Super Junior (directly translated it the title says “If it’s not you, it can’t be”. It went so well with the drama, and the song itself is nice to listen to.

        I would love to watch this drama again (if only it wasn’t so long). I tend to enjoy every drama I watch, so my way of determining if it really stood out is if I would buy it or not. Even though it definitely was a heavier drama, certainly not a romantic comedy, Cinderella’s Sister is definitely on my to buy list!

매리는 외박중 (a.k.a. Mary Stayed Out All Night)

Mary Stayed Out All Night

(a.k.a. Marry Me, Mary!)

매리는 외박중

KBS

2010

Main Cast:

Moon Geun-young 문근영 as Wi Mae-ri 위매리

Jang Geun-suk 장근석 as Kang Mu-gyul 강무결 (Indie band lead vocal/guitar; Mae-ri’s boyfriend)

Kim Jae-wook 김재욱 as Byun Jung-in 변정인 (Music producer; Mae-ri’s fiancee/husband?)

Kim Hyo-jin 김효진 as Seo-Joon 서준 (Actress; Mu-gyul’s ex-girlfriend)

Park Joon-gyu 박준규 as Byun Jung-suk 변정석 (Jung-in’s father)

Park Sang Myun 박상면 as Wi Dae-han 위대한 (Mae-ri’s father)

Lee Ah-hyun 이아현 as Kam So-young 감소영 (Mu-gyul’s mother)

Synopsis:

        Mae-ri is a young woman with the energy of the sun. She looks like her late mother, but her hot temper comes straight from her deadbeat father. Her father always makes troubles as a failed businessman, but Mae-ri also loves him the most. Because Mae-ri can't afford to pay her college tuition fees, she temporarily stops attending school. Without having any special skills, Mae-ri starts to work odd jobs. One day, Mae-ri's father proposes that Mae-ri marry a man named Jung-in (with the agreement of Jung-in’s father to pay of his debts). When Mae-ri hears of her father's plan she devises her own plan. Mae-ri takes fake wedding pictures with her new friend Mu-gyul, whom she has just met over the last couple of days. She sends the pictures to her father's cellphone with the message that this is the man she loves and will marry. Unfortunately for Mae-ri, her deadbeat father has already registered a marriage certificate on her behalf with Jung-in! Jung-in then proposes that Mae-ri spend 100 days of marriage with both men and decide whom she wants to live with.

Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Stayed_Out_All_Night

Review:

        My first impressions of this drama (up to episode 4) are that the story is very captivating and I am dying to know how everything will turn out. The acting is very cute and comedic. There is a decent balance (although at rather odd moments) of serious romance versus comedy. I find myself saying one more before bed, just one more! When I finish it, I’d say “but just one more... I really will go to bed after I watch one more!” Moon Geun-young and Jang Geun-suk won (one of) the KBS 2010 Best Couple awards for this drama. They really do have great chemistry! I find myself wanting to see more screen time of the two of them together. When Mu-gyul starts to get attached to Mae-ri it is totally cute and sweet!!! I really want to see more of their relationship and their interactions and romance. Mu-gyul is a more complex character than he seems at first glance, being the child of a young mom. The two of them are more friends than mother and son. He grew up with no father, always staying at distant relative’s homes without his mom. He really wants what any child wants, a close relationship with his mom, and to live with her, like a real family. But his mom is very flaky and flighty, not at all dependable. It’s the typical story of disappointing family. No matter how many times she lets him down, he still welcomes her with open arms... It is rather heart-wrenching really... Mae-ri’s father, on the other hand, is hilarious! He is such a troublemaker yet he feels like he has the right to be telling Kang Mu-gyul what he should and shouldn’t be doing. 

After completing the drama...

        I agree with other opinions out there, the storyline did go in circles several times. It was excruciatingly frustrating to watch Mae-ri tell her dad and her “father-in-law” multiple times that she had no intentions of marrying Jung-in, to the point where I wanted to smack them upside their heads. And the arguments seemed a little redundant. You would think, after thinking your girl screwed you over 2 times, then finding out that there was a misunderstanding, that by the third or fourth times, maybe you should trust her instead of believing your eyes... But hey, it is a drama. And it does not help that they changed writers after episode 10. I have also heard that this drama felt a little slow in the middle, which I will not deny it since there were no significant events; rather, it was just something to enjoy watching: the bantering, the flirting, the near misses with Mae-ri’s father. I suppose you could call them filler episodes, but at the same time I still enjoyed them. It gave more screen time to Mae-ri and Mu-gyul, which I had no complaints about. Not just because he is enjoyable to look at (no denials here) but because their chemistry was very cute and well, happy. 

        As I mentioned earlier, the parents of all the characters were suffocatingly frustrating. All of them. One dad is a control freak, super strict, and intimidating, the other is trying to have authority without having any right to do so, plus he’s immature and extremely gullible. And the mother... well, she is the prime example of why teen moms have a bad rep: irresponsible, a total flirt, always spending and borrowing money, the list goes on. She does seem to genuinely love her son, no denying that, but she is too selfish to do anything about it. I almost wish she had just cleanly given him up for adoption. But, then again, there would be no story, now would there? As for the casting, I am more than content. Park Sang-myun is an actor I am vaguely familiar with, having seen him in King of Baking, Kim Tak Gu, as well as a few other dramas. His character in this drama is so different from that in Kim Tak Gu; I was pleasantly surprised by his acting. Same goes for Lee Ah-Hyun. I have watched her as the older sister in My Name is Kim Sam Soon and I enjoyed her character and her acting. As Kam So-young, she did a remarkable job! The naive flaky desperate behaviors were quite believable. I do not believe I am familiar with Park Joon-gyu, but my, was he an intimidating father! I would love to see him in an opposite role, someone happy and loving, but for real, not two-faced, like how he treated Mae-ri.

        The soundtrack is pretty good, I actually rather enjoyed it a lot. The songs fit the mood of the drama very well, I thought. Some of the song’s lyrics fit certain scenes so perfectly. The instrumentals and main theme song went very well with the light cheery mood. I will admit, the songs by Jang Geun-suk have got me addicted! I am listening to them as I write this review (my excuse is that it helps me remember the drama).

        This is the first drama I have watched with Jang Geun-suk, and I am hooked! I can not wait to watch You’re Beautiful! His singing is charming, but even more bewitching is watching him perform. Singing and playing guitar? Can’t beat it. I could have used a little more performance scenes, but that’s just me. But hey, that is what you call replay value, right? And I will admit, I rather enjoy his long hair. I know it's a rather feminine look, and I usually hate long hair on guys, but it grew on me. Looking at some of his other pictures, I would say the long hair fits him better than short.

        I’ve seen quite a few movies and dramas of Moon Geun-young’s, and I love her! She’s beautiful and adorable, and in Cinderella’s Sister, lonely and angry. I watched Cinderella’s Sister right before Mary Stayed Out All Night (actually, it’s the reason I started watching it), so I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed by Moon Geun-young’s acting. She was absolutely incredible in her serious role as Cinderella’s stepsister, but as Mae-ri, she was more naive. A major part of it likely was the character profile, but still, sometimes there was something missing. And my perspective definitely has been affected by watching Cinderella’s Sister beforehand.

        Overall, I would watch certain scenes again, perhaps just for the bantering and flirting between Mae-ri and Mu-gyul, or just to watch Jang Geun-suk again. But as for the story line and all, there is not much incentive for me to watch it again, and I must say, by the 14th episode, some of those songs were starting to sound really overplayed.  I will admit I was disappointed because the first 5 episodes were quite fun and addictive, but after that, it went a little downhill, and I am pretty sure it is not because I was watching at 5 AM. But I would still recommend watching this drama, even if it’s only for Moon Geun-young and Jang Geun-suk, or to just to watch the sexy latter sing and play his guitar. 

        So, out of five stars, I would rate Mary Stayed Out All Night a three and a half star drama. Though Mary Stayed Out All Night definitely has it’s flaws and it’s storyline lagged after a few episodes, somehow I find myself wanting to watch it again. Something about the charisma and chemistry between all of the cast, especially the “Geun-Geun” couple! Or maybe it’s the music that really draws me in. For me, this ended up being a really addictive drama with a lower rating. What a contradiction, huh?

Thanks for reading!