Recycled content alert: I am going to repost a thread about K-dramas that I originally made in December 2024.
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The writers have done a great job of weaving several complex storylines into a coherent whole. The cast is fabulous including many truly hateful villains, along with many good-hearted characters who are there to save the day at key moments. They really pack in a lot of story in 16 episodes, but the direction and acting are top-notch. The story never loses its impact or coherence as it unfolds, and you'll be on the edge of your seat for every episode. Five stars.
49/N
#kdrama
#QueenOfTearsMy wife and I were still on our road trip when we finished Queen of Tears, and I wanted to watch a more low-stakes romance for a change of pace. Somebody on this site had mentioned "Run On," which is notionally a cute and lighthearted opposites attract story. Our ML is Ki Seon-gyeom (played by Im Si-wan), a national track star and a child of wealthy parents who seems to daydream through his life.
50/N
#kdrama
#RunOn
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My wife and I were still on our road trip when we finished Queen of Tears, and I wanted to watch a more low-stakes romance for a change of pace. Somebody on this site had mentioned "Run On," which is notionally a cute and lighthearted opposites attract story. Our ML is Ki Seon-gyeom (played by Im Si-wan), a national track star and a child of wealthy parents who seems to daydream through his life.
50/N
#kdrama
#RunOnSeon-gyeom has a simple and good-hearted personality, in spite of his father being a scheming politician, and his mother a popular actress "the Queen of Cannes". Enter our FL, Oh Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung), a worldly wise and scrappy translator of cinema subtitles. Mi-joo, an orphan, loves film, collects handgun replicas and is always on the hustle for her next gig.
51/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
Seon-gyeom has a simple and good-hearted personality, in spite of his father being a scheming politician, and his mother a popular actress "the Queen of Cannes". Enter our FL, Oh Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung), a worldly wise and scrappy translator of cinema subtitles. Mi-joo, an orphan, loves film, collects handgun replicas and is always on the hustle for her next gig.
51/N
#kdrama
#RunOnWhen Mi-joo is ripped off by a shady guy over a handgun deal, Seon-gyeom happens to be running by and helps apprehend the baddie. Their first meeting winds up with the two of them at the police station. They meet a second time when Mi-joo is hired to serve as Seon-gyeom's translator at an international meet and it seems that fate has brought them together.
52/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
When Mi-joo is ripped off by a shady guy over a handgun deal, Seon-gyeom happens to be running by and helps apprehend the baddie. Their first meeting winds up with the two of them at the police station. They meet a second time when Mi-joo is hired to serve as Seon-gyeom's translator at an international meet and it seems that fate has brought them together.
52/N
#kdrama
#RunOnThere is a compelling secondary/parallel romance, involving Seon-gyeom's agent Seo Dan-ah (played by Choi Soo-young of Girls Generation!). Dan-ah, like Seon-gyeom, comes from money, and her high-powered career representing athletes does not seem to leave time for dating. Dan-ah is also very brusque and seemingly inconsiderate of others. She does love art, and finds herself getting lost in a painting that hangs in the cafe where she gets her morning coffee.
53/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
There is a compelling secondary/parallel romance, involving Seon-gyeom's agent Seo Dan-ah (played by Choi Soo-young of Girls Generation!). Dan-ah, like Seon-gyeom, comes from money, and her high-powered career representing athletes does not seem to leave time for dating. Dan-ah is also very brusque and seemingly inconsiderate of others. She does love art, and finds herself getting lost in a painting that hangs in the cafe where she gets her morning coffee.
53/N
#kdrama
#RunOnThis leads her to track down the artist, a struggling but fun-loving art student named Lee Yeong-hwa (Kang Tae-oh). Yeong-hwa falls pretty quickly for the dazzling Dan-ah, but she keeps him at arms length. She just wants to him to make her a painting, and has no time for frivolity. Dan-ah plays up the fact that she is older, and from a completely different economic strata than the student Yeong-hwa.
54/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
This leads her to track down the artist, a struggling but fun-loving art student named Lee Yeong-hwa (Kang Tae-oh). Yeong-hwa falls pretty quickly for the dazzling Dan-ah, but she keeps him at arms length. She just wants to him to make her a painting, and has no time for frivolity. Dan-ah plays up the fact that she is older, and from a completely different economic strata than the student Yeong-hwa.
54/N
#kdrama
#RunOnYeong-hwa is nothing if not persistent, and eventually Dan-ah does reveal feelings for him. I confess that this drama made wish I had a better understanding of Korean language and manners. Much of the humor plays off a native understanding of Korean formalities, and modes of address. Dan-ah would frequently act (fake) shocked at Yeong-hwa addressing her informally.
55/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
Yeong-hwa is nothing if not persistent, and eventually Dan-ah does reveal feelings for him. I confess that this drama made wish I had a better understanding of Korean language and manners. Much of the humor plays off a native understanding of Korean formalities, and modes of address. Dan-ah would frequently act (fake) shocked at Yeong-hwa addressing her informally.
55/N
#kdrama
#RunOnAt various times characters would pause to debate whether or not to use honorifics, and I couldn't help but feel that I was missing some of the humor. Another way the characters' emotions are revealed is through elaborate dream sequences, styled as movie scenes based on whatever film Mi-joo is working on. These were cute and comical, with the soft-spoken Seon-gyeom appearing as a gangster, and Mi-joo and Dan-ah as runaways or street urchins.
56/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
At various times characters would pause to debate whether or not to use honorifics, and I couldn't help but feel that I was missing some of the humor. Another way the characters' emotions are revealed is through elaborate dream sequences, styled as movie scenes based on whatever film Mi-joo is working on. These were cute and comical, with the soft-spoken Seon-gyeom appearing as a gangster, and Mi-joo and Dan-ah as runaways or street urchins.
56/N
#kdrama
#RunOnI understood that the director was making some kind of meta commentary with these sequences, but I will conceed I frequently felt like I was missing something. On one level, we have a completely enjoyable romcom with two very appealing couples being cute on screen, and let's be honest that's what many of us are here for. We've got some societal and cultural commentary, and some bossy patriarchs who get their comeupance.
57/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
I understood that the director was making some kind of meta commentary with these sequences, but I will conceed I frequently felt like I was missing something. On one level, we have a completely enjoyable romcom with two very appealing couples being cute on screen, and let's be honest that's what many of us are here for. We've got some societal and cultural commentary, and some bossy patriarchs who get their comeupance.
57/N
#kdrama
#RunOn -
When Life Gives You Tangerines is perhaps my favorite genre of k-drama - an emotional and intimate examination of the lives of working class Koreans. The Netflix thumbnail for this drama - a smiling young couple standing in a field of flowers - suggests the series will be a romance. And there is a great love weaving through the series, but that is only one thread among many.
59/N#kdrama
#whenlifegivesyoutangerines
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When Life Gives You Tangerines is perhaps my favorite genre of k-drama - an emotional and intimate examination of the lives of working class Koreans. The Netflix thumbnail for this drama - a smiling young couple standing in a field of flowers - suggests the series will be a romance. And there is a great love weaving through the series, but that is only one thread among many.
59/N#kdrama
#whenlifegivesyoutangerinesThis is an epic and often tragic story that in a way mirrors Korea's own metamophosis from a poor, traditional society to a prosperous and modern one. Our story follows the life of Oh Ae-Sun, born in the 1950's on Jeju Island in Korea. Ae-Sun's mother Gwang-rye is a haenyeo, a woman who dives in the chilly depths every day for abalone to support her family.
60/N -
This is an epic and often tragic story that in a way mirrors Korea's own metamophosis from a poor, traditional society to a prosperous and modern one. Our story follows the life of Oh Ae-Sun, born in the 1950's on Jeju Island in Korea. Ae-Sun's mother Gwang-rye is a haenyeo, a woman who dives in the chilly depths every day for abalone to support her family.
60/NGwang-rye is one of those indomitable women who works tirelessly to provide for her family, and her one wish is for Ae-Sun to have a better life, and certainly not one as a haenyeo. Gwan-sik is Ae-Sun's contemporary, a boy from a marginally more prosperous fishing family. Gwan-sik latches on to Ae-Sun from the time they are children, though she rebuffs him and treats him like something of a simpleton.
61/N -
Gwang-rye is one of those indomitable women who works tirelessly to provide for her family, and her one wish is for Ae-Sun to have a better life, and certainly not one as a haenyeo. Gwan-sik is Ae-Sun's contemporary, a boy from a marginally more prosperous fishing family. Gwan-sik latches on to Ae-Sun from the time they are children, though she rebuffs him and treats him like something of a simpleton.
61/NThe drama picks up with teenage/young adult Gwan-sik and Ae-Sun, played by Park Bo-Gum and k-pop idol IU respectively. She wants to be a poet, go to college and 'marry a boy from Seoul', but she is thwarted by poverty and family obligations. Ultimately she realizes that she really does love Gwan-sik, and trades in her dreams of Seoul and college to be a fisherman's wife and mother.
62/N -
The drama picks up with teenage/young adult Gwan-sik and Ae-Sun, played by Park Bo-Gum and k-pop idol IU respectively. She wants to be a poet, go to college and 'marry a boy from Seoul', but she is thwarted by poverty and family obligations. Ultimately she realizes that she really does love Gwan-sik, and trades in her dreams of Seoul and college to be a fisherman's wife and mother.
62/NI'm not going to go into a lengthy plot summary. If this sounds like your thing, I encourage you to settle in and watch this drama. It is a genuine masterpiece, and everything about it is moving and exquisite. All of the actors are first rate, with IU in particular compelling as Ae-Sun. I really liked Ae-Sun's mother Gwang-rye, too. She seems stern and harsh at first, but we see how she treasures her daughter and struggled to give her a better life.
63/N -
I'm not going to go into a lengthy plot summary. If this sounds like your thing, I encourage you to settle in and watch this drama. It is a genuine masterpiece, and everything about it is moving and exquisite. All of the actors are first rate, with IU in particular compelling as Ae-Sun. I really liked Ae-Sun's mother Gwang-rye, too. She seems stern and harsh at first, but we see how she treasures her daughter and struggled to give her a better life.
63/NEven though she dies somewhat early in the series, her mom's presence is never far from Ae-Sun as we see in numerous flashbacks. I think I cried at some point during every episode, but they were good, cathartic tears. And there is laughter and triumph as well. Highly recommend 5/5 stars!
64/N
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Even though she dies somewhat early in the series, her mom's presence is never far from Ae-Sun as we see in numerous flashbacks. I think I cried at some point during every episode, but they were good, cathartic tears. And there is laughter and triumph as well. Highly recommend 5/5 stars!
64/N
cw: spoilers
After the epic When Life Gives You Tangerines, my wife and I needed some more lighthearted fare. We watched the drama Backstreet Rookie - reviewed previously - since she had not seen it and it was leaving Netflix in July. That prompted us to look around for another drama starring the adorable Kim You Jung, one of many former child actresses who acquired the "Nation's Little Sister" label. We settled on the preposterously titled "Clean With Passion For Now".
65/N
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cw: spoilers
After the epic When Life Gives You Tangerines, my wife and I needed some more lighthearted fare. We watched the drama Backstreet Rookie - reviewed previously - since she had not seen it and it was leaving Netflix in July. That prompted us to look around for another drama starring the adorable Kim You Jung, one of many former child actresses who acquired the "Nation's Little Sister" label. We settled on the preposterously titled "Clean With Passion For Now".
65/N
This is an "opposites attract" tale about a germophobe guy, Jang Sun Gyeol (played by Yoon Kyun Sang), and chronically messy Gil Oh Sol (played by Kim You Jung. As is inevitably the case, the dorky premise belies a multilayered and quite compelling love story and pleasing character arcs. Our story begins when Sun Gyeol's robot vacuum goes missing. Oh Sol finds the vacuum in the street and, thinking someone has thrown it out, brings it home.
66/N
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This is an "opposites attract" tale about a germophobe guy, Jang Sun Gyeol (played by Yoon Kyun Sang), and chronically messy Gil Oh Sol (played by Kim You Jung. As is inevitably the case, the dorky premise belies a multilayered and quite compelling love story and pleasing character arcs. Our story begins when Sun Gyeol's robot vacuum goes missing. Oh Sol finds the vacuum in the street and, thinking someone has thrown it out, brings it home.
66/N
Sun Gyeol offers a reward and subsequently she gets in touch to return the vacuum. Unfortunately their meeting goes spectacularly wrong, with Oh Sol crashing into Sun Gyeol's car, resulting in him demanding 3,500,000 won for repairs. Oh Sol, who is looking for work and already short on money, is despondent. After bombing out of several interviews for office jobs, Oh Sol decides to try out for a high-tech cleaning firm called Cleaning Fairy.
67/N
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Sun Gyeol offers a reward and subsequently she gets in touch to return the vacuum. Unfortunately their meeting goes spectacularly wrong, with Oh Sol crashing into Sun Gyeol's car, resulting in him demanding 3,500,000 won for repairs. Oh Sol, who is looking for work and already short on money, is despondent. After bombing out of several interviews for office jobs, Oh Sol decides to try out for a high-tech cleaning firm called Cleaning Fairy.
67/N
After proving to be the top candidate, she discovers that the CEO is none other than Mr. 3.5 million won himself, Sun Gyeol. This sets up the central conceit of the story. The action bounces back and forth between some great comedy, and the unfolding backstory (and tragedy) that ultimately connects Oh Sol and Sun Gyeol. Despite their comically opposite personalities, our two leads really have a lot of chemistry.
68/N
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After proving to be the top candidate, she discovers that the CEO is none other than Mr. 3.5 million won himself, Sun Gyeol. This sets up the central conceit of the story. The action bounces back and forth between some great comedy, and the unfolding backstory (and tragedy) that ultimately connects Oh Sol and Sun Gyeol. Despite their comically opposite personalities, our two leads really have a lot of chemistry.
68/N
Oh Sol is just so appealing with her messy hair, crumbs on her mouth and adorable heart shaped face. ML Sun Gyeol takes a little warming up to, as he spends a lot of the drama scowling at messes, running his white glove disapprovingly, and being impossibly awkward around Oh Sol. This is softened by a sympathetic perspective of Sun Gyeol's psychological condition, and his struggles to overcome a crippling germophobia and participate more fully in life.
69/N
