In-soon Is Pretty (인순이는 예쁘다 / In Soon I Neun Yeppeuda -2007)

Starring:
Kim Hyun Joo as Park In Soon
Kim Min Joon as Yoo Sang Woo
Seo Hyo Rim as Kim Jung Ah (In Soon's sister)
Lee Wan as Jang Geun Soo
Lee In Hye as Han Jae Eun
Extended Cast
Nah Young Hee as Lee Sun Young (In Soon's mother)
Uhm Hyo Sup as Seo Kyung Joon / Teacher Seo
Lee Hyun Joon as Seo Eun Seok (Teacher Seo's son)
Choi Il Hwa as Yoo Byung Gook (Sang Woo's father)
Kim Mi Kyung as Oh Myung Sook (Sang Woo's mother)
Park Soon Chun as Park Ok Sun (In Soon's aunt)
Cha Young Ok as Nam So Jung (Sun Young's friend)
Lee Mae Ri as Han Mi Jin
Jang Young Ran as Go Mi Hwa
Na Yoon as Song Jin Tae
Jo Duk Hyun as Go Jae Sik
Hong Yeo Jin as Nam So Jung
Kim Ji Young as In Soon's grandmother
Hong Ah Reum

This is the second time I've watched this. I've told y'all that I'm rewatching some shows that I haven't seen in a while. And luckily this is one that I haven't reviewed before. See here I go.......

This is a typical Korean drama. Story is original I will give it that. And I won't lie.......Lee Wan is the finest Korean male EVER. Let's just say that I had a Lee Wan eyecandy fest this past weekend......(Tree of Heaven, Let's Go To The Beach, and Snow White----review on this one is forthcoming).

This started out really well. The plot line, that is. Then as she became a "spokeperson", the story got really stupid and boring. Too the point that I fast forwarded through to the Lee Wan scenes. *giggles* Okay, past the idiot scenes really. There were just tooooo many things that weren't realistic. But the story based on the fact that she murdered someone and how they are treated once released....that I can believe. But they threw that part away near the middle. I couldn't take it anymore.

I didn't like they way they made Kim Min Joon character either. This charismatic actore was made into a pansy whiner. Geez, I wanted him to man-up. The teacher came across more manly. Ugh!

I will give the ending an okay. At least it was happy and smart. I really wanted something a little mushier but it sufficed.

To save this drama......they needed more Lee Wan. But then, I'm biased.

Lee Wan


Kim Min Joon

The Vineyard Man (포도밭 그사나이 / Podopat Geusanai -2006)

Starring:
Yoon Eun Hye as Lee Ji Hyun
Oh Man Suk as Jang Taek-Gi
Kim Ji Suk as Kim Gyung-Min
Kang Eun Bi as Park Hong-Yi
Lee Soon Jae as Lee Byung-Dal
Jung So Young as Kang Su Jin (30)
Jang Jung Hee as Lee Jang Daek (43)
Lee Dal Hyung as Oh Young Bae (39)

In this romantic-comedy, (an adaptation of the book The Vineyard Man by Kim Rang), Yoon Eun Hye plays Lee Ji Hyun, a clothing designer in Seoul, who reluctantly leaves home for one year to work at her grand uncle’s vineyard in a small village. However when arriving in the country, she reunites with a Jang Taek Gi Oh Man Suk, a local resident who had been wrongfully arrested in Seoul by police after Ji Hyun reported having a dress-which she had designed-had been stolen. The two clash frequently as Ji Hyun has a difficult time adjusting to life in the country and working with Taek Gi. However, after many twists and turns Ji Hyun adapts to rustic life while falling in love with Taek Gi.

LOL! This was a riot. Yoon Eun Hye, the queen of situation comedy, was brilliant. This had the making of a typical romantic Korean drama but the story itself was unique and original. Enough so, that I had to watch it in one go. Oh Man Suk, the not the most handsome of men, but cute as the shy, naive vineyard worker (Taek-gi) who eventually falls in love with Ji-hyun. The bickering that eventually led to understanding then to love was truly heartwarming. Hey, even the ending was nice. This drama not the greatest, but truly original, will gladly put smiles on faces and leave us with a beautiful sigh at the end.

You will truly fall in love with the characters. A very beautiful love story..............

Bloody Monday (ブラッディ・マンデイ -2008)

Starring:
Miura Haruma as Takagi Fujimaru (Falcon)
Kawashima Umika as Takagi Haruka
Newspaper Club
Sato Takeru as Kujo Otoya
Fujii Mina as Asada Aoi
Tokunaga Eri as Anzai Mako
Hisano Masahiro (久野雅弘) as Tachikawa Hide
THIRD-i
Tanaka Tetsushi as Takagi Ryonosuke
Matsushige Yutaka as Kano Ikuma
Katase Nana as Hosho Sayuri
Ashina Sei as Minami Kaoru
Yoshizawa Hisashi as Kirishima Goro
Nakahara Fumio (中原文雄) as Sonoma Takao
Kubota Masashi (久保田将至) as Kudo Akira
Anan Atsuko (阿南敦子) as Sawakita Miki
Kudo Shunsaku (工藤俊作) as Okita Koichi
Harada Kana (原田佳奈) as Nakagawa Saori
Saito Ayumu (斎藤歩) as Kamata Junichiro
Terrorists
Narimiya Hiroki as J (Kanzaki Jun)
Kichise Michiko as Orihara Maya
TET as Demon Joichi
Yamaguchi Ryuto (山口龍人) as Bluebird (Ando Ken)
Takito Kenichi (滝藤賢一) as Shirota Manabu
Taniguchi Shota (谷口翔太) as Kobayashi Daisuke
Nagakura Daisuke (永倉大輔) as Tanabe Ryo
Tsuneyoshi Rie (恒吉梨絵) as Arimura Nozomu
Abe Marie (安部魔凛碧) as Miyamoto
Tozawa Yasuaki (斗澤康秋) as Nishida
Kojima Koichi (児島功一)
Kaneko Takanobu (金子貴伸)
Officials and Police
Hamada Akira as Yasuoka Keitaro (Chief Cabinet Secretary)
Nakane Toru as Osugi Kenichi (PSIA Chief Director)
Kokubo Joji (小久保丈二) as Ikeda Katsuhiko (Chief of Detectives)
Ryu Raita as Kujo Akihito (Minister of Justice)
Hotaru Yukijiro as Detective Funaki
Ozaki Usoh (尾崎右宗) as Detective Iba
Others
Shimada Kyusaku as Kamishima Shimon
Jinbo Satoshi as Shikimura Sosuke
Nomaguchi Toru as Ishikawa
Saeki Arata (佐伯新) as Asakura
Namiki Shiro as Hikage Kiyoshi
Miyazawa Miho (宮澤美保) as Tominaga Kyoko
Yananaka Atsushi (山中敦史) as Kurosaki
Watanabe Shiho (渡邊志穂) as Murakami Anri
Takeshima Yasunari (竹嶋康成) as Sada
Mihara Iona (三原伊織奈) as Ishikawa Matsuko
Wada Satoshi (和田サトシ) as Yoshioka Keisuke
Seki Keisuke as teacher
Eguchi Noriko as Yasuda Yukiko
Oyamada Sayuri as Yamamura Yoko

After a biological terrorist attack kills off the population of a Russian town; Japan's Public Safety Special Third unit, code name THIRD-i, believes that the terrorist organization responsible plans to unleash the same virus known as Bloody X into Tokyo. Subsequently, THIRD-i recruits the help of genius hacker Takagi Fujimaru to find out what happened in the Russia. However, as Fujimaru becomes involved, he soon finds out that he is in over his head and that the terrorist groups influence reaches not only his school but even the police. Fujimaru must now rely on his skill as a hacker to unravel the organizations sinister plot and find out the truth behind "Bloody Monday."

I don't know if these are tears of joy or happiness. From episode 10 to the end, I have been a blubbering idiot. It's not like this was a sad drama. Well, it was but not like a melodrama. I cried because of the fear of betrayal for Fujimaru. I cried because I couldn't believe his best friend would be "K". Man, I was sick and jittery to the bitter end.

This is by far the best damn DRAMA I have EVER seen. This is now my ranked #1 drama at this moment. The script had me on pins and needles. I couldn't wait find out the outcome. And you know what? They left an opening for a second season. PLEASE SAY IT IS SO! I really didn't want this drama to end. My favorite young actors and older as well were in this drama. The character portrayals were perfectly matched by the actors and actresses who played them.........

This....God!....this was just wonderful. Okay, and I balled and boo-hooed at the very end because there was a sad but beautiful ending to this story. Can I go on living?

The plot twist in episode 10 had me hook. line and sinker. You never really know who we can trust and we we can't. But I was so totally pleased to know that Fujimaru's instincts were true.

Such a smart drama. I might have to watch this again. I might have missed something.........

Now I'll go hide in the corner and suck my thumb because I can't go on living without more episodes of this. Please....oh, please....I hope they make another season.

Damn! This rocked my world!

The Hidden Truth...............

I've been so busy watching old dramas, new dramas, Christmas came and went, that I haven't posted in here in so long. My sincerest apologies. There have been some dramas that I'm rewatching or giving second chances. I'm so caught up that I'm actually waiting for the newest series to be premiered and subbed. *sigh*

I'm so backed up on reviews, no lie....I have about 25 sitting in my saved list, that it'll take me forever to catch up. But I will eventually get it done today and/or tomorrow. So many reviews and pictures....so little time.

On a good note to all my most fait hful readers and friends, I spoke to my husband and it looks like that we'll be going to Korea sometime next year. I'm so excited and scared at the same time. I've never been out of the United States ever and I'm in the "almost 40" category. Or I will be when that time comes for us to leave.

My oldest son is excited, my youngest son is timid because he doesn't want to leave his friends (but that is the life of a military brat), and my daughter (who is only 3) could not really care.

The kids and I have already made our vacation plans once we get to Korea (station unknown at this time). We plan to visit Japan....oh hell yes! The boys want to see Hong Kong (home of Jackie Chan, you know....LOL!). And I would like to visit Taipei as well. Got to hit all the hot spots where all my favorite dramas are made. Tokyo...yes! My list is set. Akihabara and Shibuya are definites. Seoul...yes! I'm not so sure at the moment but just walking through will be good enough for me. Hehe!

Anyway, this is what is going on. Plans are being dreamt and hopefully will be fulfilled next year. *sigh*

EDIT: Husband put in for Korea. So orders haven't been decided as of yet. Keeping fingers crossed.

Hoo-ah!!!

Iryu Team Medical Dragon (医龍 Team Medical Dragon, 2006-2007)

Season One
Starring:
Sakaguchi Kenji as Asada Ryuutarou
Inamori Izumi as Katou Akira
Mizukawa Asami as Satohara Miki
Koike Teppei as Ijyuuin Noboru
Natsuki Mari as Kitou Shoko
Kitamura Kazuki as Kirima Gunji
Abe Sadao as Arase Monji
Sasaki Kuranosuke as Fujiyoshi Keishi
Kishibe Ittoku as Noguchi Keno
Ikeda Tetsuhiro
Mukaichi Mion
Kanai Yuta (ep5-6)
Shimizu Koji (ep8-11)

Ryutaro Asada is enjoying his peaceful life in the countryside, when he is visited by Akira Kato, assistant professor of the Faculty of Cardiac Surgery at Meishin University Medical Hospital.

Ryutaro is a genius surgeon who used to lead "Team Medical Dragon," a world-class NGO medical team. In harsh environments that lacked medicine and electricity, Ryutaro witnessed many lives pass away. At the same time, he saved many other lives, helping his matchless skill overwhelm other doctors.

As a female doctor, Akira managed to become an assistant professor. She has ambitions to be promoted to professor by succeeding in a surgery using the Batista technique — an extremely difficult type of heart surgery — and also by writing a paper on it. A year ago, Akira witnessed Ryutaro's skills when he was an NGO doctor. That's why she recruits him and asks him to use the Batista technique. Since Ryutaro's arrival, urgent patients who would have been abandoned in the past, are miraculously saved by the "hands of God." --Fuji TV


Season Two
Starring:
Sakaguchi Kenji as Asada Ryutaro
Uchida Yuki as Kataoka Kazumi
Koike Teppei as Ijyuuin Noboru
Otsuka Nene as Kodaka Nanami
Kitamura Kazuki as Kirishima Gunji
Abe Sadao as Arase Monji
Mizukawa Asami as Satohara Miki
Sasaki Kuranosuke as Fujiyoshi Keisuke
Natsuki Mari as Kito Shoko
Kishibe Ittoku as Noguchi Takeo
Ikeda Tetsuhiro as Kihara Takehiko
Sato Jiro as Matsudaira Kotaro
Shiga Kotaro as Zenda Hideki
Takahashi Issei as Toyama Seiji
Nakamura Yasuhi as Nomura Hirohito
Supporting Cast
Ryo as Togashi Yukari (ep1)
Tanaka Minoru as Togashi Tsuyoshi (ep1)
Itao Itsuji (ep1)
Kawahara Sabu (ep1)
Kikuchi Kinya (ep1-2,10-11)
Nakamura Keiko (中村慧子) (ep1,10-11)
Umishima Yuki (ep1-2,10-11)
Yoshino Maki (吉野真希) (ep1,3,10-11)
Aoki Hajime (ep1,10)
Asari Shogo (浅里昌吾) (ep1,4,10-11)
Okamoto Ryuta (ep1)
Tawaragi Tota (ep1)
Utagawa Shiko (歌川椎子) (ep1)
Otake Koichi (大竹浩一) (ep1,6)
Watanabe Kouhei (渡邉紘平) (ep1,5-7)
Minami Shuhei (南周平) (ep1)
Kobayashi Setsuko (小林節子) (ep1)
Nakazawa Junko (ep1,3-9)
Tsuchiya Fumiko (土屋史子) (ep1,3-9)
Nozaki Kazuma (野崎数馬) (ep1)
Hida Koji (飛田晃治) (ep1,5)
Fujita Sasami (藤田三三三) (ep1-5)
Imamura Koichi (今村公一) (ep1)
Komori Kotoyo (小森琴世) (ep1)
Kato Masato (加藤雅人) (ep1)
Michael (ep1)
Hershel (ep1)
Manfred (ep1)
Takeda Yuko (武田祐子) (ep1,6)
Muta Teizo (牟田悌三) as Nishizawa Takafumi (ep2-3)
Yamamoto Yusuke as Nishizawa Eita (ep2-3)
Kodama Raishin (児玉頼信) (ep2)
Tokunaga Atsushi (徳永淳) (ep2,6,11)
Saeki Arata (佐伯新) (ep2)
Hoshino Akiko (星野晶子) (ep2)
Miyashita Tomomi (宮下ともみ) (ep2)
Fujimoto Itaru (藤本至) (ep2)
Ogura Terukazu (小倉輝一) (ep2)
Hamachika Takanori (浜近高徳) (ep3-4,6)
Ichikawa Chieko (市川千恵子) (ep3)
Mitsue Takashi (三枝貴志) (ep3,5-8)
Hofuku Norihiko (法福法彦) (ep3)
Tsutsumi Masataka (堤匡孝) (ep3,10-11)
Ryu Raita as Onda Tetsuzo (ep4-5)
Kurokawa Tomoka as Ogata Miu (ep4-5)
Ono Ryo (ep4-5)
Yanagida Erika (柳田衣里佳) (ep4-5)
Yoshino Yoshiko (よしのよしこ) (ep4)
Otsuru Gitan (ep4-5)
Uchikura Kenji (内倉憲二) (ep4,10-11)
Haneda Yoichi (羽根田陽一) (ep4)
Okuwa Maimi (大桑マイミ) (ep4)
Ninomiya Satoshi (二宮聡) (ep4,7)
Deguchi Takashi (出口高司) (ep5)
Inaba Daisuke (稲葉大助) (ep5)
Hashimoto Chieko (橋本智恵子) (ep5)
Yamauchi Kumi (山内紅実) (ep5)
Kusamura Reiko (ep6)
Kawashima Umika (ep6-7)
Hiyama Takekazu (樋山剛一) (ep6)
Yamada Goichi (山田吾一) (ep6)
Sugiyama Ayano (杉山あやの) (ep6)
Kurana Rin (くらなりん) (ep6)
Kubozono Junichi (窪園純一) (ep6)
Takehatsu Shiro (武発史郎) (ep6)
Takahashi Hitomi (ep7)
Sunaga Kei (ep7)
Kugasawa Toru (久ヶ沢徹) (ep7)
Nakamura Keita (中村圭太) (ep7)
Inoue Ko (井上康) (ep7)
Nomura Hironobu (ep8)
Hongo Kanata (ep8)
Nakagome Sachiko (中込佐知子) (ep8)
Okazaki Hiroshi (岡崎宏) (ep8)
Arakawa Fumiko (新川史子) (ep8)
Kikawa Junichi (木川淳一) (ep8)
Takagi Ryo (高木涼生) (ep8)
Nagano Satomi (長野里美) (ep9-11)
Tanaka Oga (田中碧海) (ep9-11)
Shimazu Kentaro (島津健太郎) (ep9)
Mukai Osamu (向井修) (ep9)
Hisamatsu Nobuyoshi (久松信美) (ep9,11)
Nakamura Seiya (中村星哉) (ep9-10)
Kishibe Daisuke (岸部大輔) (ep9)
Kojima Yasushi (小島康志) (ep9)
Sugimoto Hitona (杉本妃音奈) (ep9)
Nakamura Makoto (中村まこと) (ep10-11)
Kumabe Youhei (隈部洋平) (ep10-11)
Mori Kouko (森康子) (ep10)
Nishiyama Shugo (西山周吾) (ep10)
Ishikawa Yasuko (石川泰子) (ep10-11)
Sugimoto Jyunya (杉本潤哉) (ep10-11)
Yasuoka Sunao (安岡直) (ep10)
Miyanari Ryuji (宮成竜二) (ep10)
Kishi Hiroyuki (ep11)
Hiwatashi Shinji (樋渡真司) (ep11)

In Iryu 2, Asada Ryutaro wages a new battle against the realities of Japan's medical care system. The government has drafted legislation to tackle the recent inflation of medical fees; hospitals have entered an era in which they will go bankrupt if they aren't independently run. At the same time, hospital mergers and takeovers are also taking place. Additionally, the obstetrics and pediatrics departments are being closed in succession, and there are inadequate doctors in the region - issues that are closely related to these hospital management problems. Now, hospitals, like the average corporation, face collapse if they are not profitable.

OMG! This drama rocked my freakin' socks off! Sakaguchi Kenji is so damn fine. You will know why in the first scene of the first episode in the first season. Naked + godlike body + sex scene = hentai thoughts. OMG!

From there on in, the drama was simply amazing. Both seasons. The second was more repetitive but that was okay. Really. I thought Code Blue was cool until I came across this and decided that Code Blue was a pansie-ass drama. Same idea but this drama was more indepth. OMG! A definite must see. The comedy was just right. You'll know why when you see Ikeda Tetsuhiro's character and Koike Teppei's character intermingle. Go Harry!! (You'll know what I mean by that once you see it......)

Truly touching drama! Truly. Truly!

Nanase Futatabi (七瀬ふたたび -2008)

Starring:
Renbutsu Misako as Tanaka (Hida) Nanase
Shioya Shun as Iwabuchi Kosuke
Miyasaka Kenta as Hirose Akira
Ichikawa Kamejiro as Detective Takamura
Sainei Ryuji as Detective Eto
Kaku Tomohiro as Henry (Kishitani Naoto)
Mizuno Miki as Sunadori Fujiko
Yanagihara Kanako as Mayumi Ruri
Kohinata Fumiyo as Hida Seiichiro
Kitamura Soichiro as Masuda
Imai Tomohiko as Nishio Masahito
Guests
Nakamura Kumi as Tanaka Shizuko (ep1)
Ito Yumiko (伊東由美子) as Akira's aunt (ep1)
Achiwa Satomi as Nanase's aunt (ep1)
Izawa Hiroshi (伊沢弘) as retirement home director (ep1-2)
Yasuda Sachiko (安田祥子) as Watanabe (ep1-2)
Tashiro Tadao (田代忠雄) as Shinozuka (ep1-2)
Mori Koko (森康子) as Takahashi (ep1-2)
Hirabayashi Kotaro (平林弘太朗) as bartender (ep1-5)
Hamada Michihiko (浜田道彦) (ep1-2)
Oshita Genichiro (大下源一郎) (ep1)
Sakamaki Takahiro (酒巻誉洋) (ep1)
Abe Shohei (阿部翔平) as assistant (ep2)
Nagasawa Nao (長澤奈央) as woman in red (ep2)
Cho Songha (チョウ・ソンハ) as serial killer (ep2)
Yamauchi Nata (山内ナタ) as bank clerk (ep2)
Karauchi Hideki (蔵内秀樹) as guard (ep2)
Shirakawa Masayuki (白川正之) as waiter (ep2)
Yoshida Natsumi as beautician (ep2,4-6)
Nakahira Yoshio (中平良夫) as Sakata (ep3)
Ito Eiko as Masuda Naoko (ep3,5)
Ono Ryo as real estate agent (ep3)
Hasegawa Hiromi (長谷川博己) as Takeda Yuji (ep3,6)
Waki Tomohiro as Sudo Takeshi (ep3)
Takase Misaki (高瀬岬) (ep3-4)
Higashiyama Mami (東山麻美) as Koyama Sayaka (ep4)
Kaku Chie (加來知恵) as woman at Yuji's home (ep4)
Ube Hiroyuki (宇部洋之) as Toshi (ep4)
Abe Shohei (安部翔平) as Kanzaki (ep5)
Miyamoto Yume (宮本侑芽) as Inoue Misato (ep5-6)
Hasegawa Mayumi as Inoue Kaori (ep5-6)
Mitsuishi Ken as Sakura Shogo (ep6-9)
Sakurada Seiko as Gomi Yuriko (ep7-8)

A suspense story about a girl with an ability to read people's mind. Together with her psychic friends, Nanase, the telepath, tries to save others from danger and fight those who try to abuse her power. --NHK

I really, really, really loved this drama. Something about the thought of all of us having a hidden talent like reading minds or controlling our surroundings or even crossing time is really not a new idea but the way it was brought out in this story was amazing. Every character was superb in their abilites. I even loved the "romance" between Nanase and Kosuke.

This scene was so beautiful. *sigh* I wanted to be Nanase!!!

The end....well, I can't say if it was a happy ending or a sad ending. Oh there were some really sad parts. I cried the last 20 minutes of the whole last episode. I was moved beyond to tears and then some. But most of all, the "thought" that Nanase narrated to everyone's mind was so moving.....*sigh* OMG! I think I'll tear up some more. I loved this drama so much I have it downloaded to my hard drive ready for DVD burning.

Brown Sugar Macchiato (黑糖瑪奇朵 / Hei Tang Ma Qi Duo -2007)

Starring:
Ao Quan as Ao Quan
Wang Zi as Wang Zi
Xiao Yu as Xiao Yu
Xiao Jie as Xiao Jie
William as Wei Lian
Ah Wei as Ah Wei
Ya Tou as Ya Tou
Da Ya as Da Ya
Gui Gui as Gui Gui
Julie Cai as Tong Tong
Mei Mei as Mei Mei
Xiao Xun as Xiao Xun
Xiao Jie as Xiao Jie
Apple as Apple
Xiao Man as Xiao Man
Xiao Ma as Xiao Ma
Li Quan as Li Quan
Ke En as Ke En
The Faculty
Na Dou (納豆) as Homeroom teacher
Li Qian Rong as English Teacher Ms. Miranda
Miao Ke Li as Principal
Xiao Xiang as Gym teacher
Extended Cast
Candice Liu as Rong Jia
Lin You Li as Tian Tian
Kenji Wu as himself (guest star, ep.4)
Guo Zi Qian (郭子乾) as the boys' father
Akemi as father's assistant
Li Xing Wen (李興文) as father's assistant

One day, six boys with different personalities and backgrounds are notified they shared the same father. And on top of that they are entitled to a large inheritance. There is only one catch. They must attend the same school and live in the same house for one year to become loving brothers.

But, the boys not only hate each other, they have to deal with nine mean girls from their class. Will the brothers band together and successfully pass the inheritance test? Or, will falling in love with their classmates pull them farther apart?

Interesting....no.
Funny....sometimes.
Stupid....yes.
Cute guys....yes.
Well acted....no.
Worth watching....sort of.

It was alright. Some of the story was interesting but there were too many people to keep up with and not enough of a plot to keep it together. I really don't want to give this a bad review but as I think about this over again. I don't see myself watching this again. The story between Gui Gui and Wang Zi was pretty much the only thing that kept me watching this.

*sigh*

Fight TVN (맞짱 / Mazzang -2008)

Starring:
Yoo Gun as Kang Gun
Lee Young Jin as So Hee
Lee Jong Soo as Kang Jin
Baek Do Bin as Choi Dae Ri
Kang Sung Jin
Jung Suk Won
Uhm Tae Woong as Kang Gun's father
Kim Soo Ro (cameo)

The drama about men who engage in fights and the deep bond that develops between them.

OMG! Can Yoo Geon look hotter and Baek Do Bin? Aye Carumba!!! The fight scenes were incredible and so believable. Really scripted and so totally well rehearsed. This was a totally awesome drama. I did have only one beef with this though. The very last episode was almost rushed to the extreme. What the.....??? There should have been at least, AT LEAST, 2-3 more episodes. I really wanted to see more of a fight between Choi Dae Ri and Kang Gun. They were leading us up to it......and "poof".....that was it. I really think more could have been done...but the fight scenes throughout the rest of the drama were so amazing that that is what keeps me from giving this drama a failing review. Holy enchilada! The girl, So-hee, well.....she wasn't all that pretty to me. I guess I was expecting someone more "meatier". She was so scrawny and thin. I just don't like those types. Anorexic is soooooo OUT!

I'll admit that I was so enthralled that the thought of searching for fight clubs DID run through my mind. Whew!! Oh, and the opening song is so freakin' awesome that it is now downloaded to my ever loveable iPod.

GiraGira ( ギラギラ -2008)

Starring:
Sasaki Kuranosuke as Nanase Kohei
Maya Miki as Sonobe Yuki
Hara Sachie as Nanase Momoko
Miura Shohei as Shoji
Sato Tomohito as Ichikawa Kenta/Hideyoshi
Abe Tsuyoshi as Eiji
Ashina Sei as Yuuna
Tanaka Yoji as Fukami
Kotegawa Yuko as Jinguji Rena
Ishibashi Ryo as Katsuragi Taisei
Yamazaki Hajime as Tahira Hiroshi
Yuki Jutta as Toma
Sakimoto Hiromi as Yuki
Sakuragi Ryosuke (桜木涼介) as Akira
Nishiyama Sosuke as Rikuto
Yuji as Ken
Matsumoto Hiroya as Ren
Nagamachi Taro as Ryo
Matsushita Kouji as Leo
CHIKARA as Sakuya
Suzuki Mie (鈴木美恵)
Fujisawa Karin
Shikanai Daishi as Haruki
Guests
Igarashi Shunji as Eagle (ep1-2)
Hara Mikie (原幹恵) as Sayo (ep1-2)
Toda Keiko as Asaoka Misa (ep1)
Mitsuya Yoko as Kyoka (ep3)
Kobayashi Emi (小林恵美) as Saki (ep3)
Nonami Maho as Kazuki Sarina (ep4)
Kikawada Masaya as Sachiel (ep6)
Nishihara Aki as Hime/Oohara Maiko (ep6)
Wada Masato as Kazuma (ep7-8)

Based on a hit manga, this adaptation depicts the life of a married man Nanase Kohei after he returned to his former job as a male host. He woos the clients with his gentle and caring nature, and soon retrieves his former credit as the ace of the club. However, the transition back for this middle-aged man is not without its challenges. Afraid that his wife will find out about this job, Nanase is also garnering jealousy and displeasure from the younger hosts. Throughout the course of his employment, he demonstrates to others that hosting should not be the vulgar occupation it has become where the entire goal is to make the women frivolously spend money, rather, it is about a human connection that is so often overlooked.

This was a pretty good show. Not the overly best. It started out really interesting but got sorta of boring near the middle. It was the same old, same old where Kohei had to save the day and the woman. I wanted to see more character development with Shoji and the other hosts at the club. More so of Shoji since he was the closest to Kohei.

The ending was sort of abrupt and ended differently to that I thought it would. It was a happy ending but sort of lame. This show was a great boredom buster if and when I ran out of my other dramas to watch. I will say there was plenty of eye candy galore and was pleasantly surprised to see Wada Masato (Shigeshoshi) in the last two episodes. I am so looking forward to his dramas. He is a great actor and hidden talent in the Japanese TV world. If I were to see him on the Tokyo streets one day, I'd be all over him like "a fly on poo."

Another talent, that is starting to show up more often than not is Igarahi Shunji. Cute, not handsome, but something about him draws your attention to him. And he, too, costarred with Wada Masato in Shigeshoshi.

Miura Shohei


Wada Masato

Lobbyist (로비스트 (说客) -2007)

Starring:
Song Il Gook as Harry / Kim Joo Ho
Jang Jin Young as Maria / Yoo So Young
Han Jae Suk as Kang Tae Hyuk
Jung Yoon Jo as Jang Mi Ran
Yoo Sun as Eva / Yoo Moon Young (Maria's sister)
Extended Cast
Hu Joon Ho as James Lee (Maria's teacher / trainer)
Kim Mi Sook as Madame Chae
Kim Seo Ra as Maggie (Harry's aunt)
Lee Mi Young as Jung Soon (Maria and Eva's mother)
Seong Ji Roo as Yoo Sung Shik (Maria and Eva's father)
Kim Sung Kyum as Mr. Kang (Tae Hyuk's father)
Kim Joon Sung as Michael (mafia member)
Choi Ja Hye as Karen / Kim Soo Ji (Harry's sister)
Kim Da Hyun as Andy (Madam Chae's son)
Lee Jae Yong as Jang Tae Sung (Mi Ran's father)
Lee Jin Ah as Reporter Song
Lee Hyun Woo as young Joo Ho
Nam Ji Hyun as young So Young
Park Eun Bin as young Moon Young

This drama is about a female lobbyist dealing with international arms traders. Kang Tae Hyuk is a successor of a main munitions business company in Korea. He is a young businessman with perfect appearance using a refined phraseology. He has an innate ability as a lobbyist and is a master schemer. He plans to sweep over the whole of Asia.

This was a totally rockin' drama. No, one of the best ever. Not a single disappointment to this drama. Well, maybe the length was a little overwhelming. But then that is typical of most Korean dramas. They could have shaved off about 4 episodes I think.

This was not at all what I thought it was about. I really didn't know what a "lobbyist" was actually. I just wanted to see this because Song Il-gook was in it. *Just discovered that he got married this past year. I'm weeping in agony. Why couldn't he have waited for me? I'll be in Korea in a couple of years. He's my age and he's so freakin' fine that he makes my "girly" parts tingle. LOL!*

Okay, okay.....back to the drama itself. This was a high octane drama. Almost every episode....no, EVERY episode was action packed solid. Not a boring drama one bit. And, I'm happy to say it had a surprisingly happy ending. Not the best of happy endings but happy enough to not make me contemplate suicide. (Note: Watched Heaven's Tree again and made it to the fifth episode before I broke down in tears and wailed myself to a double dose of Tylenol from the headache brought on by the horrible torment of sadness. This drama was so sad that when I had watched it the first time.....I cried straight almost a full month. The story is so beautiful and hauntingly sad. And, yes, I know this has nothing to do with the Lobbyist but just wanted to note about the unhappy endings of some dramas that leave you so distraught that suicide seems like a viable option.)

Anyway, this drama is a shoot'em up, suspense, thriller type drama with a romance set into the background. It has a little bit of everything that will keep both genders equally mesmerized in front of their TV's or computers.

Song Il Gook

Umm......is he not a delectable speciman of the "almost 40" genre?