Showing posts with label Park Doo Shik. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Park Doo Shik. Show all posts

Thursday, April 10, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 20-21 (4/4)



Zombie: Can you believe it? The end of Emergency Couple has finally come… *sniff sniff* Yes, I’m holding back my tears… but honestly, it’s not because this drama has ended, it’s more “I don’t want to say goodbye to my lovely friends!”



Karen: Me too! I am really going to miss this drama because I’ve grown attached to a lot of the characters. What will I do now? There’s an empty void in my life.

Tanya: I’m in the world of both. The story was okay…. but talking with you guys was the best!

Zombie: So what did you think of this ending? Were you happy with the way things turned out or would you have liked to see things turn out differently?

Tanya: It was satisfactory. I mean, we got enough for it to be a conclusion without forever wondering what’s going to be happening in the immediate future, unlike a certain drama we shall not name.

Karen: ...which I shall not finish. Anyway, the Emergency Couple ending was more or less unexpected for me. I expected a happier ending than the one we saw, but I suppose a realistic ending is also okay.

Tanya: They would have either needed to go completely off the deep end into unrealistic or fast forward through a lot of time in the last five minutes to give us all happy endings. It was good enough.

Zombie: I thought it was fairly predictable but not unenjoyable. I actually liked where Chang Min and Jin Hee ended up by the end, they’re in the right place to heal old wounds and move on. I was pretty indifferent about everyone else… I guess I would have liked to see Drs. Gook and Shim progress a bit farther than they did but other than that, I’ve got no qualms with this show. I’m happy it ended better than it began!

Karen: I remember that I used to hate Chang Min from the beginning because he was such a jerk towards Jin Hee. Now, I feel genuinely happy that Chang Min and Jin Hee were able to continue their relationship. I just wish I could have seen their real wedding with all their relatives attending. I want to see another fight where they actually resolve their differences instead in their post-marriage life. As for the other characters, I wish Yong Kyu didn’t have to suddenly leave the country and I’m really confused about how Dr. Gook feels about Dr. Shim.


Zombie: I’m pretty sure Dr. Gook is beginning to realize just how important Dr. Shim is to him and I choose to interpret his request to her, at the airport, to come back, as his admitting that he still has feelings for her and he’d like the chance to start over.

Tanya: He’s speaking Drgookinese for “Woman, come back!” That’s pretty much all we’re going to get from his awkwardness, but it’s good enough. Dr. Shim recognized it.

Zombie: And that’s all that matters. You’re right about Yong Kyu though. He finally gets Ah Reum to fall for him and then he has to up and leave? What’s the deal with that? Why do drama writers always feel the need to separate characters in love for ridiculously long periods of time? I guess I should just be happy it’s not Jin Hee and Chang Min, right?



Karen: Exactly! That makes no sense. And what is so special about studying abroad or even working abroad? Well, music is everywhere and I don’t see why Yong Kyu has to go so far away. Even Kim Kwang Soo and Oh Jin Ae didn’t go anywhere (but maybe it is because they are financially poor.)

Zombie: Maybe Yong Kyu was suddenly recruited to join an idol band and he’s got to go away because they’re doing a world tour! lol

Karen: Most songwriters don’t need to go study abroad. If Yong Kyu is a songwriter, he can basically write songs and lyrics from anywhere. I’m just saying that Han Ah Reum might find another boyfriend in the meantime especially when she is so popular with the guys.

Zombie: If she did, I wouldn’t be too upset about it. There’s still a part of me that thinks Yong Kyu could do better. I mean it wasn’t that long ago we were all wishing she’d drop off the face of the planet. I maybe have softened my feelings towards her a bit but that doesn’t mean I’m super jazzed about her and Yong Kyu getting together. I’d be fine if they both went their separate ways in the future.

Tanya: I think he could do better, but at the same time maybe he sees something we don’t… like her connections? Lol.

Zombie: I’d like to think Yong Kyu is above that but I guess you never know… You know, I’d really like to know what happens to Jin Ae and her family. Does she ever get a solid gig? Do they ever move out of her mom’s house or do they stay there forever? If they stay, will Jin Hee move out? (and in with Chang Min maybe?) There are a lot of questions that never got answered.

Karen: We’ll never know. Jin Ae and Kwang Soo are such fickle people. One day they are homeless and jobless, the next day they are able to get jobs. I think Jin Hee needs to eventually move out of the house because she doesn’t even have her own bedroom anymore. Meanwhile, Chang Min has the most awesome apartments though.

Zombie: He does have a really great apartment! I wouldn’t mind living there if I were Jin Hee!

Tanya: I kind of think that the living apart without any commitments while they try to figure things out for sure is a good thing. They really don’t need to go through the pressure of marriage again right now with where they are in life career-wise. And props to the moms for finally being understanding that they are adults and they are going to do what they are going to do. Just let them deal with it and take care of your own.

Karen: It’s sad that it took a person’s death to make Sung Sook realize the reality of the situation. The divorce was also sad. I wish it didn’t have to get to that extreme, but otherwise, we might not have come this far that quickly.

Tanya:  It’s always sad when life has to dish out a reminder to someone that they’re an adult and should start acting like one. It shouldn't take something like that to make you into a decent human being.


Zombie: Word! Now, with this being the last of our chats, it’s time for us to come up with a rating for Emergency Couple so what are your thoughts? Out of five zombies, how many would you give this drama?

Tanya: I’m going with 3 zombies. It wasn’t a horrible show, but it wasn’t very cohesive at times. There were a lot of stories that went unfinished on the medical side. The storyline also jumped around a bit. Watchable, but could be better.

Karen: I concur because the storyline was a bit strange, there was little to no follow-up on patient story lines, and some of the plot simply didn’t make sense to me. Despite all these complaints, I still enjoyed watching the drama for what it is: a simple love story.

Zombie: I’m with both of you on this one, Emergency Couple started out a bit rough but it grew on me as the story progressed so I too have to give this drama three zombies.



 











And there you have it folks, the end of our Emergency Couple drama review. It’s been a ton of fun discussing this drama with all of you and I hope you come back for our next Hallyu Zombie Drama Review. In the meantime, you can leave all your thoughts on the finale of Emergency Couple in the comments below!




Be sure to check out our blogs for more Hallyu fun!
Miss something? You can catch up on all of our past discussions of Emergency Couple here:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 5-6: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 7: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 8-9: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 10-11: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 12-13: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 14-15: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 16-17: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 18-19: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 20-21: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 20-21 (3/4)

Emergency Couple has officially ended. What will I watch now? The ending was nice, but the story still left me scratching my head. My name is Karen and it has been a pleasure for me to write Emergency Couple Hallyu Zombie reviews with my partners, Zombie Mamma and Tanya. Over the course of eleven weeks, we have experienced the ups and downs of our Emergency Couple couples so I would like to give my final thoughts on each couple.



Emergency Couple #1: Oh Chang Min (Choi Jin Hyuk) and Oh Jin Hee (Song Ji Hyo)

I almost got what I expected with this couple. What I didn't expect was the overabundance of kisses in the last two episodes and Jin Hee's striptease in front of Chang Min. I loved that this couple decided to date each other again, but take it slowly. Realistically, this is the right thing to do, but I was really hoping to see another wedding scene and to see actor Yoon Joo Sang cameo as the officiant once again.



I was a bit confused about Oh Chang Min's mother, Yoon Sung Sook's (Park Joon Geum) words to Jin Hee. It seems as though she is telling Jin Hee to live her own life and find another guy and if Jin Hee and Chang Min decide to marry one day, Sung Sook does not want to be in their lives. However, Jin Hee and everybody else interpreted those words to mean that Sang Sook will not interfere with Chang Min and Jin Hee's relationship and the two lovebirds can do whatever they want. Either way, I think Sung Sook will eventually accept the couple into her life.



Emergency Couple #2: Kim Kwang Soo (Park Doo Shik) and Oh Jin Ae (Jun Soo Jin)

All along, Kwang Soo and Jin Ae's relationship was going really well, but suddenly they had a fight and had to go to Chang Min and Jin Hee for relationship advice. That sounded really fishy to me because out of all the people Kwang Soo knew, he chose to open up his feelings to Chang Min. It seems as though Kwang Soo and Jin Ae purposely looked for ways to keep Chang Min and Jin Hee together throughout the drama. After their meeting, Kwang Soo and Jin Ae made up immediately and spoke of going to a hotel. Fishy. With such a cute baby in their hands, I can't imagine Kwang Soo and Jin Ae ever breaking up.



Emergency Couple #3: Im Yong Kyu (Yoon Jong Hoon) and Han Ah Reum (Clara)

This couple really makes me scratch my head. I guess Yong Kyu is pursuing a songwriting career since Ah Reum asked him to write her a song. Honestly, I'm still weary of Yong Kyu suddenly changing his career. His story doesn't change the overall story line that much and I wonder if it's necessary for him to have a career change of heart. Yong Kyu and Ah Reum's relationship might have started since their musical kiss in the park, but Yong Kyu is going to study abroad just like every other drama character. Ah Reum seems to be okay with it, but I can't guarantee if this couple will last with a long distance relationship.



Emergency Couple #4: Park Sang Hyuk (Im Hyun Sung) and Lee Young Ae (Chun Min Hee)

I really expected happy endings with every couple, but I guess not everybody gets an absolute happy ending. As Zombie Mamma mentioned in her post, we watched Sang Hyuk and Young Ae go from a super lovey-dovey couple to a couple that is on the brink of divorce. I really hope that this couple does not break up over a small misunderstanding as Chang Min and Jin Hee did, but it is realistic that Sang Hyuk and Young Ae do not get an absolute happy ending. They are trying to make things work again and I hope they succeed.



Emergency Couple #5: Gook Chun Soo (Lee Pil Mo) and Shim Ji Hye (Choi Yeo Jin)

I saved this couple for last because they are the most complicated couple. All along, Dr. Gook had been giving me mixed signals as to who he really likes: Jin Hee or Dr. Shim. It's a mystery to me how Dr. Gook can confess his feelings to Jin Hee, but like Dr. Shim at the same time. Dr. Gook is lucky that Dr. Shim has not been taken away by another man throughout the drama. By the end of the drama, it seems as though Dr. Gook is mildly asking Dr. Shim to come back. We can only assume that this couple will start a relationship after the drama ends. I still think it's dangerous because Dr. Shim can always meet another guy in the United States, but hopefully, not another jerk.



It's nice to see that Dr. Gook received a postcard back from his biological father. Dr. Gook doesn't seem to have any intentions to meet his father or work in Africa though. I suppose everything is a new beginning.



Even Dr. Ahn was mildly embarrassed at the hospital when he refused to perform dangerous surgery on a patient whose family was not available in time to sign the consent form so he ended up backing off on ruining Dr. Gook and Dr. Shim's career. There are no evil people in this drama and only dying patients.



Dr. Shim claims that she worked at the Wusu hospital for a year,  but in the drama, she came back to the hospital after the new interns started working at the ER. That would mean that the interns worked at the ER for more than the two months that they were assigned at the beginning of the drama. Or is it possible that the interns had already visited the other departments and ended up back in the ER department after all this time? I was trying to be logical about how an intern spends his or her time at the hospital. I guess all the interns made rounds in other departments already because how else are Chang Min and Jin Hee able to pick their specialty without experiencing the other departments?



Lastly, Dr. Gook's nickname of being the "Devil" was only mentioned near the beginning of the drama and once again at the end of the drama. Honestly, the only time I thought he was harsh was when he tried to fire Jin Hee on her first day on the job. Otherwise, this goofy-looking man is very sweet and thoughtful to others. He would protect his team until the very end. I can only say that the awesome Dr. Gook is misunderstood.

It is with a heavy heart that I say farewell to this drama and its characters. Despite all the critical comments I made about this drama, the drama is still interesting enough for me to come back and watch the next episode. Emergency Couple has an addicting factor that many viewers will enjoy. For those who have not seen this romantic drama yet, now is a good time to start watching Emergency Couple. Coming up next: Please come back soon to read our last collaborative chat with Zombie Mamma, Tanya, and me.



Be sure to check out our blogs for more Hallyu fun!
Miss something? You can catch up on all of our past discussions of Emergency Couple here:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 5-6: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 7: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 8-9: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 10-11: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 12-13: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 14-15: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 16-17: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 18-19: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 20-21: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 14-15 (3/4)

too many feelsLast week Oh Chang Min made my heart skip more beats than a scratched CD and this week he broke it into a thousand pieces! I'm really not sure what next week will hold but I can tell you this, Emergency Couple has found a way to tug at every single one of my heartstrings and I'm on the verge of a total feels meltdown!
stare downWe left off last week, with Chang Min burning with jealously as he watched Dr. Gook drop Jin Hee off at home so, of course, that's right where we picked up this week. I would have felt a little bit bad for Chang Min, having to watch Dr. Gook make those first innocent moves on Jin Hee, if Chang Min hadn't barged in on and ruined what has got to be the cutest scene in this entire drama so far... Dr. Gook dragging Jin Hee out to eat, just because he thought his bad day would improve if he spent a little time with her. Seriously, that entire scene had me squealing like a crazed fangirl as I watched Dr. Gook, in all of his adorable awkwardness, try to spend a little quality time with Jin Hee and I wanted nothing more than to slap Chang Min for waltzing in and ruining everything! Grr!
i can't stand youThe only upside to Chang Min's interruption was that it forced Dr. Gook to straight-up admit his feelings for Jin Hee which is something I don't think he would have ever had the courage to do otherwise. The down-side to this whole debacle, at least from Chang Min's perspective, was that it forced Jin Hee to say some very harsh, albeit honest, things to him that I'm sure he immediately wished he'd never heard. I mean who wants to hear that the person you love honestly can't stand to be around you? I'm pretty sure no one wants to hear such harsh words, let alone a man desperately trying to win back his ex-wife. I wanted to feel sorry for Chang Min at that moment but honestly, I think it was good for him to hear the painful truth. Only after understanding where Jin Hee is coming from can Chang Min hope to move forward. If he's only focused on himself and his feelings, he's never going to understand why Jin Hee can't move forward with him. At  least now he's got an idea of where he stands with her and how impossible it seems, at least at that moment, for them to be together.
going their own wayFrom that moment on, Chang Min went from causing my heart endless flutters to causing it endless pain. Every time he appeared on-screen after that, he was so downcast and dejected and pathetic, I just wanted to cry! I think it's just because the reality of his situation and the hopelessness he's feeling at the moment is so plainly written across his face, it hurts me to look at him. I know that really he's being a bit melodramatic but he's trying, in his own way, to give Jin Hee the space she needs and I just want to hug him for that.
only after you've healedBut Chang Min isn't the only guy needing a hug this week. Turns out Dr. Gook has quite a painful history he's been hiding and now that we know the truth, how can we not love him? Abandoned and rejected for most of his life, with no one around to love or support him, Dr. Gook has spent far too many years alone and suddenly I find myself hoping he'll end up with Jin Hee. Well at least until he gets all self-righteous about his stance on divorce. Yes, I understand where he's coming from. It was his parents' divorce that ruined his life. I get that. But the way he went all cold towards Jin Hee, treating her like just another intern the moment he learned she was a divorcee... Not cool Dr. Gook. Not cool.
i'm divorced tooAt least Jin Hee was brave enough to finally admit she'd been married before. I'm sure it took a lot of guts to admit something as scandalous as being a divorcee but I think things at work will be better for her in the long run. It's been too hard for her and Chang Min to live like they're strangers. Now that everyone knows the truth, they can all get their two minutes of gossip in and then move on with their lives which is a good thing, especially if you're Yong Kyu and Ah Reum.
take my hankieAs much as I don't like Ah Reum, she really isn't the worst person in the world. It seems like she's finally come to accept the fact that Chang Min really does like Jin Hee and there's nothing she can do to change his mind. (About time!) But what really softened my opinion of Ah Reum was the way she treated Yong Kyu this week, as if she actually cared about him, at least as a friend. I was surprised to see that Ah Reum really could be a decent person if she wanted to be and I was glad to see her trying to help Yong Kyu deal with rather traumatic ordeal.
ptsdPoor Yong Kyu! As if living the life of an unrequited lover wasn't enough, he had to go and make a nearly fatal mistake in the treatment of a patient and ruin all of the confidence he once had in himself. As depressing as the men in this week's episodes were, I think Yong Kyu takes the cake for being the most pathetic. I felt so bad for him, seeing him go pale and break out into a cold sweat at the very thought of messing up again, I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him to press on because, being human, we're all bound to make mistakes from time to time. (See, there are a lot of guys who needed hugs this week!)
should we just watch him dieBleak though this week may have been, it wasn't until the end of Episode 15 that I actually felt like my heart was breaking. Watching Jin Hee and Chang Min try to save his father... Oh my word! The tears could not be stopped. The previews for next week make it look like he doesn't die at the exact moment they ended things this week but that doesn't mean he won't die soon! Ugh! The very idea makes me want to cry! I wanted Chang Min's dad to be the one to bring Jin Hee and Chang Min together but not because he dies! The very idea breaks my heart...
wake up fatherSo what did you think of this week's episodes? Did our dueling doctors make your heart flutter or break? What about Yong Kyu? Do you think he'll be able to snap out of this post-traumatic funk? Do you think Ah Reum will be instrumental in bringing him back to normal or will he find his way on his own? What do you think of Ah Reum? Do you think she's really going to give up on Chang Min, now that she knows he's never going to come to her, or will she hang on until the end? And how about Chang Min's dad? Is this really the end of him? I'd love to know what you think so be sure to leave me a comment below!
Be sure to check out our blogs for more Hallyu fun!


    Miss something? You can catch up on all of our past discussions of Emergency Couple here:

Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 5-6: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 7: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 8-9: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 10-11: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 12-13: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 14-15: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Monday, March 10, 2014

HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 12-13 (1/4)

smoochyTwo men, one woman and enough heart flutters to make me feel like I've just downed a gallon of espresso... That pretty much sums up this week's episodes of Emergency Couple.
let me feed you little burritoSo last week we left Jin Hee in Chang Min's arms as he pleaded with her to stay with him so she could recover from her injury in relative peace. This week picked up right where we all hoped it would, with Jin Hee giving in to Chang Min's request which conveniently gave them some much-needed bonding (or should I say repairing???) time alone together. While I found it extremely awkward to see Jin Hee rolled up into a blanket burrito, being treated more like an infant than an injured adult, I thought the thought and sentiment behind Chang Min's overzealous actions were admirable. His efforts to save Jin Hee from a lethal infection at the hospital were also admirable but what really got me (aside from his honesty in confessing his intentions to start over) was the way he stood up to him mother when it came to Jin Hee. I have a feeling, if Chang Min had had half the backbone he showed us this week, six years ago, Jin Hee wouldn't have suffered nearly as much at the hands of her evil mother-in-law.
she was hurt by youSpeaking of mother-in-laws... Why is it, every stinking evil mother-in-law in Dramaland is so ridiculously selfish and controlling? Do these women have nothing better to do than ruin their children's lives? Seriously woman? Why can't you just let you son live his life the way he wants? He's a frickin' adult yo! LEAVE HIM ALONE! (And now that I've finished my rant, I'll move on...)
it's rainingSo is it just me or is Dr. Gook becoming more adorable with every episode? Oh my giddy aunt! My poor heart can't stand the flutters this man is inducing! Not only is Dr. Gook's crush on Jin Hee absolutely adorable but the way he's choosing to express his feelings, taking Dr. Shim's advice and taking those first baby steps... A text, a smile, etc... He's just too adorable! What's even better is the way Dr. Gook is handling Chang Min's obvious affections for Jin Hee. Instead of getting all riled up and becoming petty, Dr. Gook is treating Chang Min with an even greater level of respect (granted Chang Min is taking steps to actually earn that respect) and calmly humoring him when Chang Min steps up and flat-out tells Dr. Gook to back off. It's totally obvious Dr. Gook has no intention to let Jin Hee go without a fight but the way he's chosen to fight just proves how cool Dr. Gook really is, he's so calm about everything, you can't help but love him.
I'm a fool aren't IUnfortunately Jin Hee isn't the only one interested in Dr. Gook. Poor Dr. Shim is obviously still not over her feelings for him but she's putting into practice everything she's been preaching to Chan Min, letting the person she loves follow his heart, wherever that takes him. She's so cool in the way she handles her feelings for Dr. Gook but there are times I wonder if it wouldn't be better for her to be a little more demonstrative with those feelings. Would it really hurt to let Dr. Gook know that she still loves him? I suppose at this point, it would do more harm than good but I can't help but wonder, if she's let on just a little bit earlier, that she held onto the hope that she and Dr. Gook would get back together, maybe she wouldn't be suffering the heartache she is now. I suppose expecting open and honest communication between Dramaland characters is asking a lot but hey, a girl can hope, right?
almost a smileSo what do you think of this week's episodes? Did you experience the same overwhelming amount of heart flutters that I did or am I just crazy? Who are you cheering for the most at this point? Dr. Gook or Chang Min? Who do you think Jin Hee will ultimately choose? I'd love to hear your thoughts to be sure to share them in the comments below!
Be sure to check out our blogs for more Hallyu fun!
Miss something? You can catch up on all of our past discussions of Emergency Couple here:
Episodes 1-2: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 3-4: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 5-6: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 7: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 8-9: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 10-11: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Episodes 12-13: [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]
Update cookies preferences