Showing posts with label Heirs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heirs. Show all posts

Monday, February 3, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4 (1/4)



Welcome back to the Emergency Couple review, episodes three and four with Karen, who is reviewing Emergency Couple each week with Zombie Mamma and Tanya. If last week's introductory episodes were incredulous, then this week's episodes are bound to be more interesting because of additional background information on our main characters. Unfortunately, there are still some ridiculous plot lines that bother me.

Last week's episodes ended with Oh Jin Hee (Song Ji Hyo) shocking a suicidal patient and her ex-husband and intern colleague, Oh Chang Min (Choi Jin Hyuk). Immediately afterwards, almost all medical personnel rushed to Oh Chang Min's side. What about the suicidal patient? He was never seen again nor did I see anybody treat him. I thought it didn't make sense to focus all the energy on Chang Min and not the other patient. Even the patient who was accidentally shot by the suicidal patient had more screen time than the actual suicidal patient. Was the suicidal patient's life not as important as the other patients? I had unresolved feelings about that mini story. In fact, the nurse said the drunkard, suicidal patient was discharged afterwards. Shouldn't he go to the police station?



Once again, I have my doubts about what intern life is really about at the hospital. From what I learned from the drama, interns are lucky if they even have one hour for lunch because they never know when an emergency can happen and they are summoned. How much sense does it make to leave the hospital to go out for lunch and on top of that, a blind date? Even worse, Oh Chang Min's blind date was supposed to be fellow intern, Han Ah Reum (Clara). Chang Min is so obedient towards his mother that he didn't have any common sense. Is it that hard to change the blind date to an evening time after interns get off of work? Profession aside, a lunch date isn't really enough time to get to know somebody anyway. Han Ah Reum's family should have known that it would be quite impossible for Han Ah Reum to go to this lunch date when she is an intern at a hospital. The lunch date was doomed to fail from the beginning.


I really like Dr. Gook's (Lee Pil Mo) response to an intern taking lunch during an emergency. Even with his buried pain, he's becoming quite the comical character from his expressions to his view on hospital life.



Actress and comedian Jung Joo Ri has a few cameo scenes as the person who attends the blind date in Han Ah Reum's place. The way Jung Joo Ri looks at art is basically how I look at art. She mistakes the artist's name (but, thankfully corrects herself) and criticizes the man's hairstyle in Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawing of the "Vitruvian Man."



In a way, I love that Han Ah Reum is from the United States or at least has a western mentality. I get to see how she reacts to Korean culture. Foreigners such as I would learn a lesson or two about how to assimilate into Korean culture.


I am intrigued by what Oh Jin Hee said about referring to others who are more than five years in age difference by name. My Korean husband, however, says it really depends on the situation, but either way, I would feel more comfortable referring to my colleagues by surname if I were working in a hospital.



On the other hand, I feel that Han Ah Reum is so rude. I hope her behavior doesn't reflect badly on all Americans. I would never make fun of other people's age and their insecurities. The way she bullied Oh Jin Hee was such a turn-off to me that I hope Chang Min never falls in love with her.



On a positive note, I have a better understanding on why Oh Jin Hee became a doctor. She has been supported by Oh Chang Min's father, Oh Tae Suk, all along. I believe Oh Tae Suk had been burdened by the guilt of his wife separating Oh Chang Min's marriage to Oh Jin Hee so Oh Tae Suk decided to secretly support Oh Jin Hee's path to become a doctor. I find Oh Tae Suk and Oh Jin Hee's relationship very sweet even though they can no longer meet due to the awkwardness of their relationship. Perhaps Chang Min's father will take the Vice-Director job at the hospital after he learns of Jin Hee and Chang Min's fateful working relationship.


On a side note, the way Chang Min's parents fight seems to be way more vicious than Chang Min and Jin Hee's martial fight, yet Chang Min's parents are not divorced.



Lastly, I will talk about the Emergency Couple love gauge. Finally, the drama gives me what I want when Oh Chang Min shows a bit of concern for Oh Jin Hee when they found out that their patient, whom they performed tracheotomy on, had died. As they both tried to take the blame, Oh Chang Min was more forceful in protecting Oh Jin Hee, but I will have to wait until next week's episode to find out what exactly will happen. Previously, Chang Min hated Jin Hee so much that he would rather be shot by the suicidal patient than be saved by Jin Hee. Will protection turn into love again?


Check out our blogs for more dramatic fun!


Emergency Couple:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Thursday, January 30, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 1-2 (4/4)

Zombie Mamma, Tanya, and I are back with our first chat about tvN's new drama, Unemployed Romance. What are our first impressions? Read on to find out.

Zombie: So it seems we’re all in agreement that the first episode of Emergency Couple wasn’t nearly as awesome as maybe we were all hoping it would be. Maybe it’s because we’re all married that we don’t find a hugely gianormous fight between our OTP all that funny; especially when said fight brings about the end of a marriage.



Tanya: I don’t know if it was so much the fight itself, but rather the fact that we’re thrown into the conflict with very little backstory. Don’t get me wrong, the fight was super dramatic and over the top, but when you have nothing to really base that level of violence on it is a little overwhelming.

Karen: That’s true. I want to know the story of how they fell in love, but maybe we’ll get some of that back story later on.

Zombie: I hope that’s the case because the entire first episode just felt a little out of whack. Or maybe a lot out of whack… Something was just off about it. Maybe it’s just the fact that, like you said, we just don’t know the backstory so seeing such venom without a cause is a little off-putting.

Tanya: I still have hope for this drama though! A lot of the characters have very distinct personalities already and I like it. As long as the characters can successfully push the story forward, it’ll be good.



Karen: I wanted to ask you both what you thought is the reason why Jin Hee hesitated after being asked why she wanted to become a doctor. What are your thoughts on that?

Zombie: I think it’s because she doesn’t want anyone to know that her reason for wanting to become a doctor is to prove to Chang Min and his family that she isn’t/wasn’t worthless and actually could have been an asset to an incredibly snobbish family of doctors.

Tanya:  I honestly think it’s because Chang Min, as well as everyone else, have always told her she’ll never amount to anything. Chang Min couldn’t finish medical school because of their marriage and she wants to be better than him somehow. Becoming a doctor can prove that.



Karen: But then, why couldn’t she say her reasons out loud?

Tanya: She probably doesn’t want to seem petty in a new environment with people she barely knows. And she hasn’t told anyone she was married… neither has Chang Min and definitely not to each other!

Zombie: Would you want it known that you were once married to Chang Min? I’m pretty sure divorce isn’t as widely accepted in Korea as it is here in the U.S. so the fact that you’ve been divorced is probably something you wouldn’t want to share with the world.

Karen: I think that in front of your own boss, you should have at least something to say even if it’s a lie. Haha.

Zombie: Maybe she thinks her boss is kind of cute in a scary sort of way and just doesn’t want to admit the fact she’s a divorcee.



Tanya: There is also the possibility that she didn’t want to slip up and go on a rant. Every time she starts talking about anything to do with Chang Min she tends to explode, as we saw in the bar that ended up with her in the ER in the first place. I always say things I don’t intend to when I go off, so maybe she thought his name would come out.

Karen: That was an unfortunate event for her just before she started her job as an intern. I think that was how her intern colleagues started disliking her.

Zombie: That and because she’s “old.” Seriously, if I have to watch another drama where the thirty-something female lead is constantly berated because she’s “old” I might have to scream. C’mon people, thirty-something isn’t old!!!



Tanya: So let’s talk about some of the characters we met in these episodes. What do you guys think of the Lee Young Ae and Park Sang Hyuk couple?

Zombie: Honestly, they’re one of those annoyingly cutesy newlywed couples I just want to smack!

Karen: I find it hilarious that they wanted to keep their relationship secret, but they were so openly affectionate towards one another. They end up calling each other, “honey,” anyway.



Tanya: Did anyone else notice that Lee Young Ae is actually very affectionate toward Jin Hee although she pretends not to like her? There were a few times that Jin Hee would space out or think of other things and Young Ae would bring her back to reality. Case in point, when Jin Hee froze in the ER upon seeing it the first time and Young Ae grabbed her wrist to make her come with.

Karen: I think Lee Young Ae is just worried that her team will receive a “F.”

Zombie: I’m actually more interested in watching the relationship develop between Jin Hee and Dr. Gook. Yes, it’s no secret I’m a sucker for the second male lead (I suffer from SMLS on a painfully frequent basis) but I think that dynamic to this story is what’s going to spark the feelings in Chang Min that are needed to bring him and Jin Hee back together.

Tanya: Any thoughts on Shim Ji Hye and Dr Gook’s relationship? There’s obviously some history there.



Karen: I can’t wait to see how they interact in the ER. Perhaps, they dated once?

Zombie: I’m pretty sure they’ve had some sort of relationship in the past, my guess is it’s something similar to Jin Hee and Chang Min’s past relationship and I’m pretty sure they’ll end up back together, just as our OTP will, by the end.

Karen: Though they don’t seem to be the type that fight like cats and dogs.

Zombie: Let’s hope not! I don’t think I can stand more than one couple constantly at each other’s throats.



Tanya: I was happy to see Kwon Min as Kim Min Ki, one of the other interns. We haven’t seen much of him since Monstar. He’s adorable.

Zombie: So glad he’s not a jerk this time around! Well, not yet anyway…

Tanya: Rounding out our interns is Han Ah Reum, who is hilariously named after a supermarket.

Karen: That’s the first thing I thought of: H-mart, aka Han Ah Reum!



Zombie: I wonder if the writers know they named her after a giant Korean market in the U.S.? She’s the most stylish so they decided to name her after a store??? I suppose crazier things have happened.

Karen: Maybe there is a different meaning? Haha. I don’t know. I was so surprised she showed up in a miniskirt to work as an intern at a hospital. Does she know where she is?

Zombie: I think that’s what gets me the most about this drama… There’s so much of it that’s just completely unrealistic, especially when it comes to the happenings at the hospital. It makes me wonder if the writers of this drama simply watched a plethora of medical dramas and drew all their knowledge of the workings of a hospital from those because seriously, this drama is so far out there when it comes to all things medical.

Tanya: The medical theme actually seems a little out of place, but it makes for a more interesting setting than an office or department store like we see so often with adult characters.

Karen: As long as the audience doesn’t get any wrong ideas. Who knew a defibrillator can be a weapon?



Zombie: And this is where this show starts to get good… The absolute bizarreness of the circumstances that are bound to arise over the next eighteen episodes is sure to bring us the laughs that were somewhat missing in these first two episodes.

Karen: I am missing the romance part of this series!

Zombie: So basically, what we’re saying is that for a romantic comedy, Emergency Couple is missing both the romance and the comedy.

Tanya: I love when shows are miscategorized. I hope that’s not the case with this one because I can see the potential.

Karen: Me too. I hope our audience will stick with us to find out. We still need to watch Changmin’s blind date, Dr. Shim and Dr. Gook’s past history, and Jin Hee’s chance to shine at the hospital.

Zombie: Oh! There’s still so much more this drama has to offer! Good thing it’s only just begun ‘cause we’ve still got a long way to go!


So now that we’ve shared our thoughts, we’d love to hear yours! Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! You can also find us on Twitter: @dapowerz, @Hallyu_Tanya, and @TheZombieMamma!


Zombie Mamma | Hallyu Know? | Wehaiyo!


Emergency Couple:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 1-2 (3/4)


Welcome to the Emergency Couple review with Zombie Mamma, Tanya, and Karen. My name is Karen and for the next ten weeks, my partners and I will be sharing our thoughts on the newest episodes of Emergency Couple. Our thoughts will be simultaneously and exclusively posted on each of our blogs: Zombie Mamma, Hallyu Know?, and of course, this blog, my very own, Wehaiyo! You can find our latest updates on either of these blogs. All three of us are Dramafever Drama club reviewers for the Dramafever website, but decided that we would review this drama independently.



What I am anticipating in the Emergency Couple drama is the chemistry between actor Choi Jin Hyuk, who plays Oh Chang Min and Song Ji Hyo, who plays Oh Jin Hee. When I first heard of the story line for Emergency Couple, it sounded very similar to the story line of the 2011 SBS drama, Paradise Ranch. The two main characters of Paradise Ranch are played by Shim Chang Min, who is most famous for being one half of the TVXQ band and actress Lee Yeon Hee. Their characters married young against their parents wishes, but divorced soon after. Years later, they meet again and fall back in love by the end of the drama. Paradise Ranch was the first full drama I watched on the Dramafever website, but the story line left me so disappointmented and worse, I felt that there wasn't enough chemistry between Chang Min and Lee Yeon Hee. I sincerely hope that Emergency Couple does not fall into this trap. I can deal with a bad story line, but I don't think I can handle another chemistry-lacking couple.



Emergency Couple is the third Korean medical drama I am watching. I have watched the 2007-2008 MBC drama, New Heart, which focuses heavily on the medical part and I have watched the 2013 KBS2 drama, Good Doctor, which has an equal dose of medical and love in the drama. By the way, if you haven't already, I have reviewed all episodes of Good Doctor for Dramafever so feel free to browse through those reviews as well. So far, Emergency Couple seems to be the type of drama that focuses more on love than the medical part. We don't get any political bickering at the hospital as seen in Good Doctor and there is no hint of any staff member who has familial ties to any hospital administration executive as seen in New Heart.



Still, with a third medical drama under my belt, I should be more familiar about how a hospital works, but I don't. I am still very surprised at what an intern life was about. How are interns different from resident doctors? I notice that all interns go to work and leave at the same time. I wonder if the residents take over after the interns go home. Why didn't they go home in shifts like residents do? I understand the interns of team four are assigned to the emergency room for three months, but what are the other departments? I would have liked to know the name of the other departments. I was also extremely surprised when Oh Jin Hee poured a bag of a patient's urine on top of Oh Chang Min's head, exposing him to contamination. I work in a medical-related field so I know that this is definitely a very dangerous thing to do. Who knows if the patient had any kind of infection and the urine actually got into Chang Min's eyes. He would need to go to an eye washing station and report the incident to his supervisor immediately as well as get medical treatment as needed. Jin Hee would have lost her job immediately as she did it on purpose and Chang Min would have to deal with the medical consequences. This is never something to ever joke around with because everyone has a right to be safe at the workplace. Chang Min could not simply go to the bathroom and "wash it off." I am very bothered by that scene as it was a reckless move by interns who should know better.



On a related note, I am disappointed that, like the plot of Good Doctor, there is bullying going on in this drama as well. Jin Hee's first day was not only tough because of her mistakes from the previous night, but because all her team members wanted her to quit the hospital because she looked old and unreliable. I have low tolerance for people who judge other people without spending the time to understand the other person. Even the chief, Gook Chun Soo (Lee Pil Mo), tried to fire Jin Hee on the first day without giving her a chance to work. On that note, I felt sad for Jin Hee, especially after she removed her medical diplomas and placed them in her desk drawer instead. What a way to knock someone down. On the other hand, why couldn't she tell Chief Gook the reason why she wanted to be a doctor? That's really suspicious. In a way, I am not sure if she should quit or not quit because of that hesitation.



So far, I cannot take sides on this love drama war. Chang Min and Jin Hee equally annoyed me and I don't see a reason to take either side. Jin Hee seems to be such a weak character who is physically and emotionally influenced easily. Chang Min's words are so poisonous and his character is very selfish. As a married woman, I found their famous fight scene so dramatic. No matter how angry I am, I would not take my anger out on such expensive items. I guess they didn't show Chang Min and Jin Hee hitting each other because otherwise, the audience would be too shocked and uncomfortable with domestic violence. From what I see, both sides have their faults and I wonder how they will fall back in love within one year at the hospital. I expected Jin Hee to be more competent as an intern since she obviously worked hard to get where she is, but she messed up a simple thing like a blood draw, making me lose some of my faith in her abilities.


Those suffering from an Heirs drama withdrawal will experience a bit of deja vu because actress Park Joon Geum is playing Choi Jin Hyuk's mother again, only this time she is his real mother and Jin Hyuk seems to be a mama's boy.


Yoon Joo Sang, who I will always affectionately remember as Shin Sang Duk from the 2013 SBS drama, I Hear Your Voice, makes a cameo appearance as Chang Min and Jin Hee's wedding officiant. Actress Jun Soo Kyung also makes an appearance as a hospital director who flirts with Chang Min.


Since we ended with a ridiculous plot line where a suicidal patient had easy access to a security guard patient's gun, Jin Hee shocked the suicidal patient and Chang Min with a defibrillator, which was a bit comical because I don't know if her facial expression at the time meant that she enjoyed it or not. I think, at this point, I can't take the medical part too seriously so I better enjoy the romantic comedy parts and that's exactly what I signed up for.

Look for our upcoming collaborative chat about episodes one and two soon, exclusively on our blogs.

Zombie Mamma | Hallyu Know? | Wehaiyo!

Emergency Couple:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
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