Piece- Info and First Impressions

Name: Piece
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Year: 2012
Episodes: 13, about 25 minutes each
Studio: NTV
Writer: Matsuda Yuko (2012s Sprout and the Gokusen Series), and Oishi Tetsuya (2012s Platinum Town)
Starring: 
Nakayama Yuma  as Narumi Hikaru
Honda Tsubasa as Sugo Mizuho


Show Premise: When they were in high school, Narumi Hikaru and Sugo Mizuho, spent one summer falling in love and then suddenly stop being friends. Now when they meet, three years later, for the funeral of a high school classmate, they are thrust together, trying to unravel a mystery and figure out what they mean to one another.
Why I Chose This Show: It sounded really interesting and I've been away from JDramas for so long  (about two years since my last completed drama), I went on a search for new and recent Japanese shows.

Currently I've finished four episodes, and so far so good. The characters are interesting and have depth. Right now I just want to know what makes them tick, since both Narumi and Mizuho are flawed and emotionally stunted. Even though is supposed to be a mystery show, there hasn't been much in these first episodes, mostly they've been giving us the back story between Narumi and Mizuho.
I'm not sure this will be a great show, but so far it's been interesting.

I Hear Your Voice- Info and First Impressions

Name: I Hear Your Voice/ I Can Hear Your Voice
Genre: Thriller, Romance, Comedy
Year: 2013
Episodes: 16, 1 hour each
Writer: Park Hye Ryun (2011s Dream High)
Studio: SBS
Starring:
Lee Bo Young as Jang Hye Sung
Lee Jung Suk as Park Soo Ha
Yoon Sang Hyun as Cha Kwan Woo
Lee Da Hee as Seo Do Yeon

Show Premise: After witnessing the murder, Hye Sung, only a teenager at the time, becomes a witness. She earns the gratitude of Soo Ha, whose father was the one murdered. He vows to protect her, but loses track of her for 10 years. When they meet again, Hye Sung is not the type of person he has dreamed of all these years, but he must protect her because the murderer is out of jail and coming for them.

Why I Chose This Show: I missed School 2013, while it was airing, but I've heard so many good things about the show, so to get a feel for Lee Jung Suk's acting, I decided to give this show a shot.

Now that I'm watching, I have to say that picking this one, was one of the best drama decisions I've made in a while. After the ridiculous melodrama 'When A Man Loves', I didn't really know where to turn.
This show has been really good, so far, and I can't wait to see where it goes.
The interaction between Soo Ha and Hye Sung is deep and sweet, since they have such a terrible incident connecting them. They genuinely care for each other. Right now, I'm trying to hold my self back from shipping them too much, because I don't want to be disappointed in the end. Especially since Cha Kwan Woo, a lawyer working in the same office as Hye Sung, is such a good alternative.
The writer of this show, did a good job with Dream High, and so, I'm hoping that the great writing will continue.

When A Man Loves- A Mini Review

Name: When A Man Loves
Genre: Melodrama, Romance
Writer: Kim In Young (2012s Man of the Equator)
Studio: MBC
Year: 2013
Starring:
Song Seung Heon as Han Tae Sang
Shin Se Kyung as Seo Mi Do
Yeon Woo Jin as Lee Jae Hee
Chae Jung Ahn as Baek Sung Joo

Show Premise: Han Tae Sang has lived a hard life and ends up working for a loan shark, but he wants a better life. He becomes a very successful business man through hard work and his quick wits. One day he meets Seo Mi Do and he wants to help and protect her, because she reminds him of himself when he was younger. He falls in love with her and shows her what a man is capable of when he loves.

Why I Chose This Show: Honestly didn't really read much about the show, but the concept sounded interesting. I didn't realize just how melodramatic this show was going to be. I just wasn't paying attention to the genre description when I started the show.

As I said, I didn't realize this was going to be a Melo, so I just started watching and the first few things I noticed was that there were a lot of familiar faces doing familiar things. Yeon Woo Jin from Arang is Jae Hee  and just as before, his character keeps butting into a romance in progress. Chae Jung Ahn from 1st Shop Coffee Prince is Sung Joo and is being a nuisance to everyone, AGAIN. Sometimes she does something so good that you respect her, then she'll turn right around and do something clingy or desperate or just mean. It was hard to get a hold on this character. Just like in Fashion King Shin Se Kyung is Seo Mi Do and can't seem to make up her mind, she's always up and down, back and forth between the two male characters. Who does she really like?!

It seemed as though I was watching all those shows put together, with my least favorite aspects of each. But I persevered and continued on because of Song Seung Heon, not only is this the best acting I've seen from him, but his character Tae Sang is by turns cute, endearing and intense. His lack of experience in love is sweet, but what draws you in is his loneliness, you just want him to be with the one he loves.

I won't do the usual list of things I did and did not like because, honestly there isn't much that I did like. I will just say that if you like:
1. Melodrama
2. Song Seung Heon, especially shirtless, cute, and well-dressed Song Seung Heon
3. Some crazy, but true friendship

This may be right up your alley.

However, if you're like me, and dislike:
1.Clingy exes and never-will be lovers
2. Indecisive female lead roles
3. An almost entirely full cast of ungrateful and shameless people
4. Ambiguous endings
5. A couple that's ends up together, but you're still not sure if it's love or duty

Then you may want to just read the recaps (like I had to do for the last three episodes), or better yet, just sit this one out and find a better show to watch, that won't have you wanting to kill off every character just to end to madness.
This drama, will only receive a 4 Hearts rating. I would give it less but the acting by everyone except Stone-Face Shin Se Kyung, was actually pretty good.

Goddess of Marriage- Info and Episode 1 Mini Recap

Name: Goddess of Marriage
Year: 2013
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Family
Episodes: 32 (tentative)
Studio: SBS
Writer: Jo Jung Sun
Starring:
Nam Sang Mi as Song Ji Hye
Lee Sang Woo as Kim Hyun Woo
Kim Ji Hoon as Kang Tae Wook
Lee Tae Ran as Hong Hye Jung obvious cheating husband
Jo Min Soo as Song Ji Sun fishwife
Jang Young Nam as Kwon Eun Hee no english

Show Premise: Four very different women are in different stages of their romantic relationships. Some are married with cheating husbands and crazy kids and some are just trying to get there.

Why I Chose This Show: I usually like shows that have multiple couples, not just two, because it's always so interesting to me how the writers create and resolve the relationships. The character development for shows like this are, also, usually very good.

After watching the first episode, you know exactly where each woman stands in her current relationship.

First there is Ji Hye 'The Dreamer' who is in Jae ju when she meets a handsome stranger, Hyun Woo, and spends three fun and romantic days with, sleeping with him the night before she heads back to Seoul. When she gets there, her fiance, Tae Wook, is waiting for her. She is looking for an ideal love, and will have to just settle for one of these super hot guys instead.

Then there is Hye Jung 'The Good Wife' who is married to Tae Wook's older brother. The first time we see them she is walking into a bedroom where is is asleep with another woman. She doesn't yell or even reprimand him, she just calmly lays out his clothes.
I think this couple is going to upset me the most, because she is so timid and lifeless and her husband doesn't seem to give a crap about her feelings. If she doesn't leave him immediately, there better be a really good reason why.

Third is Eun Hee 'The Clueless One' whose husband is condescending to her and their two children, even though she loves him so very much.  She watches dramas and yells at the screen with food shoved in her mouth and curlers in her hair, and is probably supposed to represent the woman that 'let's herself go' after marriage.Her husband speaks in English to his girlfriend, in front of Eun Hee, because he knows that she can't understand him.
I hope she and the kids learn English and take him down a peg. Also looks like she might take care of the comedic relief with her air-head ways.

Lastly, there is Ji Sun, who as far as I can tell is 'The Fishwife'. Yelling and causing a scene wherever she goes, disregarding her husband.
I think that this couple will be really interesting to watch, because so often we see crappy husbands, and to see the reverse and how they develop, that will be worth watching.

This is supposed to run for 32 or more episodes, so I'm hoping that the writer will have enough to make this a really good show, about love and relationships. I'm also interested in how all the women will interact with each other, with such different personalities. So far I'm intrigued, let's see where this goes...

Mia Taeng/ Wedded Wife - Info and First Impressions

c. asianfusewiki.net

Name: Mia Taeng/ Wedded Wife
Year: 2011
Genre: Romance, Slap-Kiss, Drama
Studio: Channel 3
Episodes: 14 Episodes, 1hour and 40 mins each
Starring:
Araya Hagate (Chompoo) as Arunprapai
Patchata Nampan (Rome) as Kongkai
Pornchita Na Songkhla (Benz) as Proongchat

Show Premise: Arunprapai has just left her long time boyfriend because he is about to become the father of another woman's child, so in order to make sure she puts an exclamation point on the end of their relationship, and to pay back the kindness of a family friend, she agrees to marry Kongkai. He is the only child and heir to his family's company, a womanizer and too lazy to help the business. Kongkai is dating Proongchat when his mother gives him an ultimatum :Marry Arunprapai or get nothing. He agrees to marry but he does not break up with his girlfriend. With the three of them in such a twisted relationship, will any of them find happiness?

Why I Chose This Show: I watched Rome in Kularb Rai Narm/ Rose Without Thorns (2010 with Yaya) and he was so perfect and nice in that show that I wanted to see how he would be in a show where he is not obviously the choice for a spouse. Previously, he was sweet and gentlemanly,  now he is sly, mean and a womanizer, so yeah VERY different. Also, I thought Chompoo was Matt Peernanee Kongthai, because, in my opinion, they look really similar. After having to drop Kuan Kammathep/ Cupid Gang, I was going to give her another chance as well, only to, obviously, learn that this is a different actress...oops.


Right now I've completed 3 episodes, ( around 5 hours of viewing), and so far:
1. I'm impressed with Arunprapai's patience and strength. There is no way I would have been able to stand the insults. The fact that the marriage was arranged, makes it understandable that she isn't throwing fits over his  girlfriend, because although it is very disrespectful behavior, her heart isn't engaged.
2. Annoyed with Kongkai and Proongchat for behaving with such a lack of class, respect and decorum.
3. Interested in the glimpses of secrets that Proongchat's family seems to be hiding, and how Kongkai will mature as a person.

I will continue to watch this show, but it's going to take a while, I think, because the episodes are so long I need breaks in between. I just really hope there's no force scene between Kongkai and Arunprapai ( I just can't understand falling in love with your rapist, or expecting an audience to root for their love), and that the show doesn't get stale with all their verbal standoffs. I mean how long can they drag on about him and the other woman, when he's already married to Arunprapai?
Hopefully they don't beat this one like a dead horse. I'd love to see someone or something else added to the mix to make the drama enjoyable over the next 10 remaining episodes.

King of Dramas- Mini Review

Name: King of Dramas
Year: 2013
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Studio: SBS
Episodes: 18 at 1 hour each
Starring:
Kim Myung Min as Anthony Kim
Jung Ryeo Won as Lee Go Eun
Choi Si Won as Kang Hyun Min
Oh Ji Eun as Sung Min Ah

Minimal Spoilers Ahead

They have been written in white, so in order to view, highlight the blank space between {}.

The acting was decent from all, Kim Myung Min was very convincing as the seemingly heartless man, only out to get greater ratings, but Si Won was really funny, and in a lot of ways he stole the show. I don't have a Si Won bias or anything but I think he was really good playing this strange character.
As I'm at the end I can think of two things that I did not like:
1. The first half of the show, basically the same plot. In each episode a new roadblock prevented them from making/airing the show. It became a bit ridiculous after the fourth week. Fortunately that ended and they got down to business of actually filming the show in episode 10. 
2. I was totally engrossed, until episode 16 when Anthony Kim got the{ eye disease news}. I felt like it was really unnecessary to give him another stumbling block and make us feel the angst. It felt as though it was only included because the show was extended from 16 to 18 episodes. I wish they would stop waiting so late into the production to tell the staff, because the change in direction is always so noticeable. Episode 17 and 18 really were like filler from an anime, unnecessary and tedious. But all's well that ends well, I suppose.

The Things I Did Like:
1. The romance between Anthony Kim and the Go Eun was believable, and they had good chemistry, but not really very touching, since it sort of took a back seat in the show to the actual story. Although I love romance, it's nice that this show was really about making their show come to life through false-steps, hard work, and struggle.
*In those filler episodes they did delve deeper into the feelings they had for each other, but as I said, I wasn't really into those episodes.*
2. The fashion really fit each character. Anthony was almost always in a fur lined coat/suit jacket because even though he was down, he had a standard that he like to live up to.

Go Eun was always a bit disheveled and wearing bulky clothes, being a writer takes up too much time for fashion or layering on make-up.

Hyun Min, when he wasn't acting for the on-screen production, always had on sweats, tee-shirts and funny props because he spent his off time playing video games and lounging around his house.

Min Ah was perfectly coiffed and dressed in expensive clothes. In the later half of the show, she took over the plush fur look from Anthony.

3. The internal struggles that the characters faced. Each person had troubles that they had to face and hopefully come out better, and I think the writer did a good job making those struggles believable and interesting.
4. The fact that the secondary couple didn't come together to console each other after losing out on the main leads, and that their relationship was built up really well from the first time that they met. Also, they provided most of the comedic relief.

I enjoyed this show, and would recommend this to new Asian drama watchers, but especially viewers that have more shows under the belt, because this show was refreshing and for the most part a light and fun viewing experience.
I would give this drama 8 Hearts but I'm knocking it down to 7 for the last two episodes.


Some GIFs for the road:

c. audrezzzzzzzz.tumblr.com/

c. ohhmygoshh.tumblr.com

c. lary-asianlover.tumblr.com/