---> the 1st shop of COFFEE PRINCE

aaahhh... COFFEE PRINCE,  revisiting you has once again reminded me why i love and adore thee...

and because i just saw the blog stats and surprisingly, there are still people reading my random thoughts... no matter how belated this one is written...as some sorta tribute to the two lead actors that did an exceptionally awesome job here ...this drama needs at the very least, a few choice words from me to encourage viewers to check it out and spread the the word about how awfully nice this drama is. 

Short Synopsis: The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye or YEH) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo or GY) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"? *credit to DramaWiki

YEH, why oh why are you sooo good in this drama?  you have set the bar so high as far as portraying a gender-bender character is concerned. all the other actresses that i've seen in similar roles have become a BIG letdown in my eyes *cough... Park Shin Hye in You're Beautiful and... *cough... Park Min Young in Sungkyungkwan Scandal...
GY oppa,  i felt your inner and emotional struggles in this drama.  He was exceptionally good in that confrontation scene after he found out the truth... his tears,  his indignation, his frustration,  he was so angry and bitter and felt so betrayed... all those feelings was well conveyed to the audience you can't help but commiserate with the guy.  a romantic love that goes beyond gender is sooo touching to see... i feel you oppa... and i don't blame you, YEH is an adorable "boy".

ok, so i'm debating/arguing with myself right now on how to better write this.  since there are so many wonderful scenes, i was initially inclined to write a per episode review, but then again that would be way too long and would be a major disaster for your average reader. a general overview without the details on the other hand would deprive you of the chance to decide for yourself if it is indeed as good as i say it is.  for now, the plan is to just write about the really good scenes and turning points in the drama.  but then again, i'm not fully decided yet and i sometimes have the tendency to write about the most trivial of things so, i'll just write as i watch and see how it goes... hopefully this will not turn out to be another novel :p

Lemme get the ball rolling with one of my fave episodes,  ep2... when she rode on his car on the way to the train station, you could tell, a certain fondness was growing between the leads... at that time he only sees her as his male dongsaeng.  but if you look at his smile... from then on, he wouldn't know what hit him... HE WAS DOOMED... waaahahaha...
 ...in the same episode, when YEH first played the part of GY's young male lover to scare away GY's blind dates... wow... she's a total guy...  the walk, the talk, the bearing... YEH, i'm sooo impressed.

...again in ep2, when they were in a chinese resto,  the way YEH was stuffing her mouth with food and booze and using her "dog nose", she's all sorts of adorbs.

 Now, ep6 is when all the swoon-worthy scenes abound.  Here, you can see the1st time he looked at her differently... when she blew air to lift the fringe off her forehead and the way he stopped himself when he was about to touch her face while she's asleep,  that was an "aaawww" moment:)))

it's ALWAYS in TheSmile when he makes fun of her that tells the story of how it all began from fondness to affection and then from attraction to sexual tension, and eventually love. before the episode ended he was seriously questioning his sexual orientation.  of course you have to see TheHug people... it's a must! you cannot miss how he requested, okay, practically begged her for that hug and their reaction and facial expressions specially his*it sez, "wtf, i'm screwed! *.... when she closed her eyes and gave in to the moment, add to that the background music... omaigggaaaddd... hands down,  one of the best love scenes from a kdrama, ever!  great episode, great scene that continued until ep7.  they were both struck by Cupid's arrow straight to the heart!  weeeeeeeeee :)))

credit should also be given to the ensemble cast.  most notable the 2nd male and female lead.  how the relationship of these 4 developed and evolved was so well crafted, i was totally sold to the idea that it could really happen in real life.

at this point i realize i shouldn't enumerate all my favorite scenes here 'coz that would be too much of a spoiler for you guys.  judging from what i wrote above, my pattern of writing excessively long drama review when a particular drama is really good is rearing it's ugly head, so, i have to stop myself now and just let you discover for yourselves all those wonderful awkward skinship, flirtations, jealousy, all the uncomfortable/tricky situations our leads get themselves in at the time when he still thought of her as a he because those were SOOO fun to watch when you least expect it. what made those scenes so effective and special was the fact the i could feel they were both always "in character"... YEH is Eun Chan and GY is  Han Kyul and their story was unfolding right before my eyes.

is there anything more that i should say without giving out spoilers?  ...nothing except for you to start watching so we can all spazzz together!
*spazzing to no end, after all these years is AWESOME!

---> REPLY 1997

so i'm watching this drama just because of Seo In Guk.  i thought he did extremely well in King of High School and checked out his other works.  true enough, the guy is a naturally gifted actor even if he is originally a singer*he won in a singing contest*. as far as his acting career is concerned,  i learned from the net that he gained prominence in this particular drama and boy, now that i have seen it, i can understand why...

there's really something about this guy that draws me to HIM*lead guy*.  is it those tiny swollen-looking slits oriental eyes and the full lips that looks like it is forever pouting... i'm not gonna lie and say that good looks doesn't help but honestly,  it's the depth of his acting... You have to understand, this is his 1st starring role, the guy has onscreen "presence" in abundance ... that is the main attraction!  it is something that i rarely see, but i know a real gem when i see one^^ someday i hope to see him in a heavy drama, i feel like he's a guy that can hack those kind of roles and pass any acting test with flying colors^^
SHE*lead girl* did really well in this drama too.  for an idol,  she is a natural and i did not see any awkwardness in how she portrayed her role. impulsive, blunt that borders on violent, straightforward, brutally honest.  

the 1st thing i like about this drama is the story.
Short Synopsis:  the story of 6 former high school friends from Busan who met again in 2012 and brings back memories of the 1990's... a time when extreme fan culture emerged and Kpop was blossoming and idol groups take center stage.

the 2nd thing i like about this drama are the relationships... the high school friends,  the lead girl and her parents,  the lead guy and his brother, the brothers and the lead girl's parents, the lead guy and his gay friend, and even how the lead girl's parents relationship is sometimes odd and loud and loving...  all these are not always harmonious, oftentimes dysfunctional but definitely loving^^ 

what i love the most about this drama is the love triangle... sooo sweet, and yet there's also a tinge of tragedy >.<   usually,  i want to beat the crap out of those characters that are written to be oblivious to their feelings for each other.  you want to smack some sense  into them and say "she likes you, you like him... so get on with it!".  but here i love how they went about the struggles and  the sacrifices,  until the 2 finally got together. the 3 of them,  it was not an easy path but it helped a great deal that they have the elusive CHEMISTRY^^

everything else considered... i think this is the best TVN production that i have seen so far.  although i'm sometimes confused what year a particular scene is*it's sometimes 1997, 1998, 1988 even 1968*,  i wasn't lost for long.  the relationship between characters are beautifully written and executed,  it's like were happily reminiscing about things that really happened in the past... heartwarming ^^ 

Let me leave you with this one picture below, it took awhile to get here but it got there alright ...

---> CUNNING SINGLE LADY

Short Synopsis: Ae-ra is a local beauty that took her mom's advise about the kind of man to marry seriously by falling in love and marrying Jung-woo, a geeky computer engineer studying to enter civil service. She happily kept home for her husband but at their 100th day wedding anniversary, Jung-woo resigned from his job and set up his own business. with Jung-woo's business struggling,  Ae-ra made ends meet by working multiple jobs. After suffering a tragic event from the stress of being the sole breadwinner and living in poverty, Ae-ra divorces Jung-woo after four years of marriage. Three years after the divorce, Ae-ra finds out that Jung-woo became successful and wealthy, while she is still paying debts. The fun begins when Ae-ra schemes for revenge, while Jung-woo believes that Ae-ra wants him back because he has become wealthy.

given the storyline that you read above, we all know that even if they are already divorced in the story, they would eventually get back together and live happily ever after.  and that's the reason why i'm in this, any romantic comedy that has something to do with marriage then i'm in!  i'm already looking forward to seeing jealousy,  rekindling of attraction and desires, being drawn to each other against their better judgement... aaahhh*spazzing*... love always finds a way... i'm too cheesy it's giving me goosebumps*toinks!*

this drama could do without some of the characters*a tad too many if you ask me*, they seem unnecessary in the story but the second lead guy and girl are a very welcome addition. Their own issues added more drama, fun and excitement in the lives of our ex-lovers*as if dont have more than enough of that as it is*.

And what about Ae-ra's family, now they're an interesting bunch ^^ her mom... so capable and wise and yet so putty in the hands of her aging lothario of a husband*we all have an Achilles heel*.  Back to mom... one of my fave scenes was when she lashed out at Jung-woo for the way he treated her daughter... so fierce, like a lioness protecting her cub!

i love Jung-woo and Ae-ra and the actors that portrayed them.  HE is so dashing as a CEO and so funny and dorky when he is with Ae-ra and lets his guard down. Behind his cool, polished and sophisticated exterior is still the same awkward geek.   The storyline and these two leads are the reason why i have a very strong feeling that this is one of those very few dramas that i will watch over and over and over again! In fact, i have already revisited it twice!

im happy that issues did not drag for too long to affect the flow of the story and they were able to wrap-up all the loose-ends nicely... well, except for one... Ae-ra's in-laws and their opinion of her.  where's the justice in that? Apart from that, i give this drama a two thumbs up 👍👍

---> KING of HIGH SCHOOL

yet another drama that i am watching simply because it is a TVN production^^ i may not always go ga-ga over every drama that they produce but what i always look forward to is how they are going to surprise me each and every time. now,  with a lame plot where the male lead*a high school kid* has to pretend to be his brother*a company executive*,  i'm asking myself..."why are you even considering watching this drama?"
i have no answer to that one except maybe... sometimes, i'm pretty lame myself!

 

i have to confess though that as early as the 1st episode i already like the male lead^^ ahhh,  who is this kid???  there's something about him and the way he looks and carries himself that i totally dig.  when he smiles his eyes are like that of someone who is about to get into a naughty mischief and when he's mad his eyes are menacing in a way that penetrates your soul.  he's perfect for that role... cute but somewhat brutish teenager with raging hormones.  the way he grabbed the lead girl on the streets and kissed her that one night...  then in ep11 when he called the lead girl noona in the elevator... and in ep12 when they got back together,  the way he hugged her outside his school... kid, that was so sweet.

i have a serious and i mean SERIOUS problem with the lead girl... her hideous hairstyle that has to be disheveled at all times to further piss me off... those unflattering specs that sits on the tip of the bridge of her nose that looks like it's about to fall at any time... does she get up from bed in the morning and just tie her hair at her nape without at least running a comb throught it?  and, while her fashion sense doesn't leave much to be desired most of the time*ahjumma dresses and socks with shoes /sandals, urgh*,  my bigger problem is the way she speaks is totally dreadful, her geeky manner,  and her personality coupled with her dorky posture that spells L O S E R in all-caps! ohmaigattttt... having described her like that,  HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU CONVINCE ME THAT OUR MALE LEAD CAN FALL IN LOVE WITH HER??? she looks and acts so pathetic the only way anyone would give her a 2nd look is out of pity!  and please, im not being mean,  it's the reality people, THE REALITY!

When a guy gets jealous when he has no rights whatsoever to be... that's my favorite situation in every rom-com. But here, instead of me enjoying those scenes, i couldn't bring myself to watch it i had to reach for the fast forward *Orz*

So, i was about done with episode7 and that's when the kiss happened*the pic above*, the hug was in ep6 and i'm debating with myself if i should... If i could continue watching this.  I couldn't watch the kiss it was sooo awkward for me *Orz*  just saw the preview of ep9 and i dunno if i have to prepare my tummy for some major vomiting.  They were acting all lovey dovey and sh*t... I dont think i can take it. Oh, oh, oh... Did i forget to mention that aside from all my complaints above there's also this little matter about our male lead still in high school and that he is 10 yrs younger than our female lead? I did forget didn't i?  Mr or Ms Writer of this drama,  couldn't you have at least made our female lead a little bit more visually palatable to your average viewer?  had you made our female lead a little more likable by doing away with some of the things that drives me off the wall as i stated above, it doesn't have to be all, just some, then i'm sooo ok with the 10yr age gap... really!  the woman is actually pretty*see the pic below*.  i know she's not suppose to be pretty in this drama but did you have to make her look and sound that bad*Orz*

what's even more frustrating is that, i love almost everything about the love story part.  all the scenes... the dialogues... and the lead guy... he did sooo well... the way he hugs her, and kiss her and stares at her... ahhh,  i feel like an over-protective older sister watching her younger brother fall for the wrong chick! i just can't get over that "mismatch" of epic proportions!!! just look at the 2 pics below and tell me, do you see those 2 getting together in a romantic way, even in your nightmares???  eeewww right? *Orz*

despite all my complaints and rants,  there may be some of you who may be tickled pink at the thought of this odd pair falling for each other and all that.  by all means, i'd recommend it for you for your viewing pleasure.  it's well made, even i am interested to know how the story will end.  its just for me, as far as the love story is concerned,  i will ALWAYS CLICK ON THE FAST FORWARD BUTTON SPECIALLY AFTER HOW THE PICTURE BELOW CAME ABOUT.  excuse me ladies and gentlemen while i find myself a good size brick and smash it on my head*for finishing the drama*... and an even bigger brick for the writer's head*for writing the stupid wedding as it is...Orz*  no matter how cute and funny and realistic the arguments of the people around them were written, IT STILL DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT HE IS STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL.*bwahahaha...i'm sooo affected^^*  i guess it's for shock value huh writernim?  well congratulations, you did not only succeed in shocking me, you also succeeded in annoying me at the same time*Orz*

if after watching this drama you agree with what i wrote here or if you think i'm just being petty and shallow... I leave that up to you. TO EACH HIS OWN BABY!  ^^

---> FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR

Short Synopsis: Ko Dok-Mi lives peacefully in apartment #402. She a recluse that rarely leaves her apartment and obviously has some "mental" issues. Peeping out of  her apartment window at her neighbor has become part of Dok-Mi's daily routine. Her comfortable and peaceful life is shattered, when a group of handsome neighbors appear at her door, one of whom is Enrique *Que Geum*, a brash young man that unwittingly managed to drag our heroine out of her comfort zone whether she likes it or not.

TVN productions has this way of presenting something new in their dramas that somehow always pleasantly surprise me. this is the 3rd of the "Flower Boy" series and i have to say that i wasn't too impressed with the first episode but soon enough it proved that it was worth the watch^^  how Dok-Mi's dark, reclusive, quiet and lowly existence became boisterous and exciting when a group of flower boys "forced" its way into her life is interesting to see.

I have to say though that i wasn't too confident about our lead's onscreen chemistry. in fact, when it was becoming apparent that they are gonna get together, there was a huge question mark on my head. also,  for some reason, HE and SHE looked somewhat awkward together because HE was unbelievably childish and looked  unbelievably young in the entire drama, like, junior high school level young! Besides, i have a serious love-hate relationship with his personality and gestures and mannerisms and the way he delivers his lines... not always cute Que Geum. dunno if it was what the director asked for or it was all him though*Orz*

truth be told,  if i were to re-write the story and pick a better match for our lead girl,   i'd pick the webtoon writer neighbor and explore his rich family and how he or is it they(?) cut ties with each other angle.  His issues seems more interesting to me, not to mention his looks*ehem^^*  and let us not forget his long devotion to our female lead as attested by his webtoon entitled "Flower Boy Next Door"

the "screaming dialogues" needs a special mention as far as any review for this drama is concerned.  it is an extremely... annoying and unique feature that it deserves to be noted accordingly *Orz*  i have a feeling some of the actors may have developed some vocal chord problems and likely grew nodules on their throat after filming this drama for excessively screaming their lines at the top of their lungs! way too often... way too much... just to drive a point!
the love angle is always my "main thing" in watching dramas no matter how cheesy or lame it may be presented.  for as long as i see excellent onscreen chemistry between the leads then i'm in.  unfortunately, i dont feel it here.  BUT, despite having said*well... written in this case* that,  what this drama has offer is something else...a fresh take that sometimes borders on being dark on the melodrama side what with Dok-Mi's character being sooo lonely all the time... it could be quite tiresome.  and then here comes Enrique's quirky personality that lightens the mood preventing it from being all dark and gloomy.  let me just leave you with this MV that sums up this drama...*credit to the owner of the vid

---> IN TIME WITH YOU

SO... i'm writing this review just about the same time i'm watching it*eps2 to be exact!*, which is so not me, can you guess why? ........ohmygattttttttt......... i'm sooooo into the lead guy, big time!  i i i i i... sometimes, i just dont get me at all, i usually prefer the bad boys in dramas and this one is like, the boy next door and he's not "always" particularly handsome*by conventional standards*,  well, on second thought,  his smile and dimples, they're the killers*kill me now please*^^ and guess what else... i dont even know his freaking name!  anyway*breathe in, breathe out*... i just had to let this intro out... let's see if this excitement will hold. in the meantime, imma check Li Da Ren's real name first....tada...

ladies and gentlemen,  his name is CHEN BO LIN and oh... he just happen to snag a best actor award for this role in the Taiwan version of the Emmys.  watch out for the scene at the farewell party given by his colleagues... that tormented look...wooooo.... he was so sad at the thought of leaving her *well done, clap, clap*  Did i live in a cave that i don't even know the existence of this outstanding actor and have never heard of this awesome drama that has been aired like centuries ago?*please excuse the slight exaggeration^^*  that's what i get from being out of the drama loop for extended periods of time :(

is it the actors?  their roles? their chemistry? WHAT?  what is making me fall in love with this drama with every episode that i see?   for me, its Chen Bo Lin and Ariel Lin! SHE is always a delight to watch and particularly good in this one.  even if sometimes i want to seriously hurt the both of them for being sooo oblivious to how the other one feels, i still want to watch them make a fool of themselves ...yeah, frustration and sweet torture is still sweeet. just look at the gif below... gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....

here's our lead's dilemma ...he is so and i mean SOOOOO in love with his best friend BUT he is afraid and i mean SOOOOO afraid that he might lose even her friendship in case he tells her how he feels and she doesn't return his feelings. for short,  to him any relationship with her is better than having no relationship with her at all.  Her feelings for him on the other hand is more vague.  aside from her family, HE was the one constant person in her life. boyfriends come and go but her bestfriend Li Da Ren remains.  always at her beck and call, ready to listen, ready to help, always available for her. I read some peeps describe Li Da Ren as a doormat... aaahhh, i'd say, close to being a doormat but not exactly a doormat ^^ 

When and how the two of them finally get together is a joy to watch.  nothing hurried, realistic and again, sweeet^^  what a lovely onscreen pair. 

lemme end this by leaving you a screencap of Chen Bo Lin as Li Da Ren in episode 2 AND his heartbreaking song for Ariel Lin as You Qing*the beautiful lyrics below* ...let us all collectively spazzz... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

🎶 i think i should not, should not fall in love with you  🎶 because i'm trying hard, trying hard not to love you  🎶 that's why i told myself to just like you, so this way, you wont have the heart to part with me  🎶 i think i hate, i hate the arrogant you 🎶 i also hate the beautiful, wonderful you  🎶 that is why i let myself pretend to hate you. So you won't have the heart to part withme  🎶 i needed to say that... I really, really won't love you  🎶 i don't like you occupying all my waking thoughts 🎶 even your mocking smile seems like encouragement  🎶 from breakfast in the morning to saying goodnight after dinner  🎶 stop laughing, stop laughing... I will never love you 🎶 i tried to let go, to set myself free  🎶 you are still in my eyes  🎶 i've loved and i've hated ...but i can't change the way i breathe  🎶 as it is, i can no longer free myself  🎶 i've secretly fallen in love with you  🎶 ...from the sun until daybreak, to the moon in the deep of the night  🎶 don't think about it, don't think about it anymore... i will not love you. 🎶

---> 1% of ANYTHING

Broadcast period: 2003-Jul-06 to 2003-Dec-28

This is one of the few Korean dramas that i often re-visit.  For a drama to warrant a second look... a third look or even more than that from me is quite simple...i have to love the leads and the storyline.  'Coz i'm a self-confessed shallow fangirl,  it really doesn't matter if the overall production and script is mediocre or even bordering on being bad.  i can even forgive that stupid turn of events when someone was kidnapped and letting the person go scot free that easily *Orz*  i'm only looking to be entertained and have zero illusions that watching asian dramas will benefit my intelligence quotient! ^^

The bad-tempered CEO,  the simple but sassy grade school teacher and the manipulative but very wise grandfather that played as their matchmaker.  I've been a fan of Kang Don Won since i've seen him in the movie Temptation of Wolves and since he rarely accepts acting jobs these days, i'm ever so grateful there is at least, 1% of Anything. I would have to agree with grandpa, Da-hyung*dont know the actress' real name Orz* is so adorbs, a perfect match for ill-mannered, posessive and the always jealous-stricken Jae-In*KDW*.  Their constant bantering... i mean their verbal clashes are like what i look forward to at every episode.

there are 2 other love story in this drama, Jae In's younger sister and his lawyer bestfriend, and Da-Hyung's bestfriend and Jae-in's cousin*i would have preferred Da-hyung's elder brother for her tbh*.  while their own stories and situations are noteworthy for some if not for most viewers, im afraid for me, im only ever interested in our main leads and their journey towards the altar^^ i think i also need to mention her family, the parents in particular, such principled lot, them all.  i love the scene when our cunning old grandpa manipulated all of them into agreeing to let our leads marry... the hurried engagement and wedding... aaahhh... harabeoji*grandfather in korean*, you're the man!

good script,  good acting and  awesome ensemble cast... funny, witty and a lovely chemistry from the main leads... and more importantly,  there's the 2003 version of Kang Dong Won... so what are you waiting for? watch, watch, watch ^^

---> RICH MAN POOR WOMAN

finally got to watch this popular dorama 2 yrs since it was first broadcasted.  watching online and/or downloading with a super slow internet connection prevented me from seeing this much earlier than i wanted but with patience and more patience and oh, did i forget to add, more patience... the deed is now done ^^

can i get this irritant out of the way first... why the h*ll is this dorama titled "Rich Man Poor Woman"???  wae?  granted, there is a rich man AND a poor woman in the story BUT, their being rich and poor is NOT the focus of the story!  i wont even go as far as try and read the mind of the person responsible for this, coz' that would only result in my mood turning sour but,  I JUST HAVE TO ASK! movin' on...

in a nutshell, i believe the story is based slightly? largely? but definitely not wholly, after the story of Steve Jobs and Apple Computer.  Hyuga is Jobs... the eccentric visionary computer geek masquerading as a mean but very casual CEO of Next Innovation. Even the companies, Next Innovation and Wonder Wall could be based on Apple and Mac!  of course, Asahina is not Wozniak but the fact they were the guys behind the larger-than-life frontmen in the company adds to the accidental?... incidental?... or is it, intentional comparisons. i just have a slight problem with one part of the story of Hyuga and Asahina... how could a supposedly mean guy in the person of Hyuga just let Asahina's betrayal pass?  it was a treachery of the worst kind by a best buddy... i mean... all is forgiven, come back home? wae???

as i mentioned earlier, the "rich and poor" title comes from the love angle of the story.  in fact,  Hyuga may be rich, but he was not born rich and Natsui is definitely not dirt poor!  movin' on...but yeah,  i was sold to the idea that their characters did fall for each other, specially him*'coz she was sold to the idea from the get go*  aahhh, what is it about Oguri Shun... the guy really carries himself well. Here he's such a bad boy and i love it. he was sooo cute when he excitedly waited for Natsui at the train station to tell her a good news and yet when he saw her he turned into a shy boy hiding behind a wall... cuteee^^  there maybe people who doesn't like Natsui because half the time she's a hysterical dork who talks too much but hey, i think it's intentional to try eccentric Hyuga's patience...well, she succeeded on a number of occasions... and i dont blame him^^ How they resolve their issues is well written, believable, well acted and wonderful to watch, specially in the SP*special episode* aaahhh...  love^^

on a last note before i end this...  while the story of Next Innovation and the journey of Hyuga and Asahina are ok to watch too,  im afraid for me the attraction is Oguri Shun the actor and... Hyuga and Natsui the characters.  what can i say, for me it's always been about... love love love^^

---> DEKICHATTA KEKKON (Shotgun Marriage)

When Chiyo met her sister’s friend Ryu for the first time, they had a one night stand and she ended up pregnant.  Immediately after learning of her condition, they decided to marry despite the objections of her father and both of them not really knowing each other very well.  Of course,  reality follows and problems arises between the two and to the colorful characters around them.  Welllllll, that’s basically the premise of the story ^^

Common sense dictates that we shouldn’t commit to spend the rest of our lives with someone we barely know.  SO,  do people really do that in real life? i would like to say OF COURSE NOT but, we all know not everybody in this planet is... sensible... let's leave it at that ^^ Anyway,  if you’ve read my reviews in the past, this review will not be a surprise for you.  For some reason, I’ve always been very forgiving of romantic comedies… specially Japanese romantic comedies.  To the average viewer who’s not familiar with them,  doramas are more often than not ridiculous and absurd and out-of-this world but what the heck,  to me they are anime/manga pretending to be a live action drama. 

As odd and weird some of the lines and it’s delivery may be,  the characters, the actors that portrayed them and the message of the story are good.  When Chiyo said that… to women marriage is their ultimate goal and happiness while men regard marriage as the end of their life…  what struck me was that… hey,  there is a huge amount of truth in that statement.   Ok, ok, before the other half of the population protests,  or, lest I be accused of being overly cynical,  im not saying all men and women think that way but, let’s face it,  most think that way right?

I dunno exactly what it is but individually,  im “in like” with the 2 main leads.  Is it their,  “no make up” look?  On him, more like scruffy/rugged looking, on her, it’s the fresh face appeal.  Is it the relaxed natural way they tackled and portrayed their roles?  Or, was it the characters Ryu and Chiyo itself that I liked?  Hmmm… I think, its all of the above ^^ you all know how I feel about those scruffy looking, casual and carefree bad boys that play lead roles in dramas… well… I equally like sleek, rich and snobbish bad boys too *bad boys being the common denominator^^* … anyway, I love ‘em, and when I saw how unconventionally cool Ryu gave that ring to Chiyo… i was more than “in like” with the actor and the character^^ I also like how 20 year old Chiyo is sooo adorably young and childish and cute sometimes and she has this elusive chemistry with her onscreen love interest, 30 year old Ryu that is delightful to watch.  I’ve always love this particular game that couples play,  you know when the girl in a fit of anger or tantrum decides to go home to the parents and all the while anxiously waiting if or when her boyfriend will fetch her.  Its silly and cute all at the same time ^^

yet another simple dorama for you to watch even if it was aired ages ago... almost 13 yrs ago... still relevant, well acted and entertaining enough.