Thursday, May 23, 2013

HK Song Spotlight: 緣定今生 (Fate Determined This Life) by Amy Chan (陳秀雯) and Eric Mak (麥子杰)





Hong Kong actress and singer, Amy Chan, starred in numerous television dramas and even participated in the soundtracks for her TV series. Known for her television roles as a pure, feminine, caring, and sacrificial female, Amy also has a semi-hidden singing talent and typically releases her soundtrack songs in her albums. I actually bought her memorable 1995 album, 女人背 Behind All Women, in cassette form back in the 90s. Because of my passion for Amy Chan, I decided to translate one of her songs. In this case, I choose a sweet duet called, “Fate Determined This Life” sung by 陳秀雯 Amy Chan and 麥子杰 Eric Mak. Those who have seen one of Amy Chan’s famous 1996 ATV channel series titled, 《再見艶陽天》 or “The Good Old Days” might remember this song as it was an “interlude” song for the TV series.

I don’t know much about Eric Mak and it was difficult to find a lot of info on him, but from what I see from one of Amy Chan’s concerts, they act like they are very good friends. I love Eric’s voice as well and I wish I knew more about him.

The song, 緣定今, is such an uplifting song with a beautiful and relaxing melody. I can easily listen to this song over and over again. My favorite lyrics are:

碎花紛飛 (Broken Flowers swirl in the air)

As soon as Amy starts off the song, my heart swells up in emotions. Combining her sweet voice with the image of broken flower petals swirling in the air gives me a powerful, sweet, and sad emotion. The lyric really sets the mood for the song.

My other favorite part is:

緣訂今生(Fate determined this life)

This lyric is really drilled in my head. Everything is determined by fate including your soul mate. The words are such a romantic idea that I can imagine what an exciting life to have your romantic fate destined. I start imagining the love story formula for almost every single TVB drama. Man and woman meet. Man and woman fight. Man and woman learn to appreciate each other. Man and woman fall in love. It’s a hate/love relationship, but destiny will always tie them together.

This lyric made me second-guess the whole song:
前望愛漸結果 (Looking forward, love's gradual result)
多麼([is] so pitifully beautiful)

There aren’t many indications that this song is sad except for the first lyric, which describes petals flying in the wind. I guess the lyricist wanted to go back to the original mood where even though a scene is sad, it is also sad in such a beautiful way. The lyricist didn’t have to say “pitifully beautiful” and that last line really makes me think about the possibilities that love is great, yet sad at the same time. For an extra dose of sadness, the second half of the chorus is repeated again with minimal music to reinforce the mood.

With all this in mind, enjoy the song!

Sorry for the long intro in the video. The song starts at 2:09.

緣定今

作詞/Composed by: 楊紹鴻 
作曲/Arranged by: 陳子鴻

F= FEMALE
M=MALE
T= TOGETHER

:碎花紛飛 (F: Broken Flowers swirl in the air)
如行隨影ㄧ切也為你 ([how it] moves, following traces, all [of it is] also for you)
盡訴心意再這地 (completely telling the heart’s thoughts [at] this place again)

幸運是我這豔陽來的細膩 (Lucky is I, [that] this beautiful, sun came exquisitely)
願快樂快些趕走痛悲 (Wish happiness [would] hurry up more [in order to] drive out pains and sorrows)

: 碎花紛飛 (M: Broken Flowers swirl in the air)
柔情如妳ㄧ切也是美 (Tender feelings like you-  all [of it is] also beautiful)
共你分享是趣味 (Sharing [it] together [with] you is interesting)

就讓俗世裡妳是唯ㄧ知己 (Let [us] assume within [the] secular world [that] you are [the] only intimate friend)
讓美麗記起心祇得你 (Allowing beautiful recollections, [in my] heart, [there’s] only you)

:緣訂今生(T: Fate determined this life)
真心不會分離 ([A] true heart will not separate)
命運給我  (Destiny for me)
好比ㄧ齣好戲 ([Is] very much compared [to a] good film)
緣份是我與你 (Fate is you and me)
同渡每日每天千億世紀 (Together passing through every day, every day, [a] thousand, [a] one-hundred million centuries)
……(Ahhh…)

在這ㄧ生 (In this life:)
精彩得太新奇 (Brilliantly too strange and odd)
大地給我 (Mother Earth gives me)
呼吸清新空氣 ([a] Breath [of] fresh and clean air)
留下讓愛永記 (Leaving behind love [that’s] always remembered)
前望愛漸結果 (Looking forward, love's gradual result)
多麼美 ([is] so pitifully beautiful)

*REPEAT ALL*

:在這ㄧ生 (F: In this life:)
精彩得太新奇 (Brilliantly too strange and odd)
大地給我 (Mother Earth gives me)
呼吸清新空氣 ([a] Breath [of] fresh and clean air)
:留下讓愛永記 (T: Leaving behind love [that’s] always remembered)
前望愛漸結果 (Looking forward, love's gradual result)
多麼美 ([is] so pitifully beautiful)


Credits:

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

HK Song Spotlight: 歡樂今宵 (This Enjoyable Night) sung by 古巨基 (Leo Ku)

Credit: music.cdhaha.net

Updated: 04-FEB-2024

Originally sung by the ever-popular HK singer, Leo Ku, “This Enjoyable Night” is one of Leo’s most popular songs. The song title should not be confused with a popular Hong Kong variety show with the same name. The title of this song is commonly known as “Enjoy Yourself Tonight,” but honestly, I like my translation better. Having the word, “yourself” seems as though only one person is enjoying the night instead of two people enjoying the night together. If you are doing a Google search, it's best to use the "standard" translation of the song title instead of my title translation.

“This Enjoyable Night” was released in 1997 and quickly racked up numerous awards. In the year of 1997, the song won “The Top 10 Songs” at the Jade Solid Gold Songs Award Ceremony and The RTHK Top 10 God Songs Award Ceremony. In addition, at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation, the song helped Leo beat three out of the four Heavenly Kings: Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, and Aaron Kwok for the “Ultimate Music Circles Male Singer Silver Award”.

 In 1998, the song won “Most Outstanding Original Film Song” at the Hong Kong Film Awards since the song was featured as the theme song to the 1997 movie, “Cause We Are So Young” (求戀期), which also starred Leo Ku. In the film, Leo had a crush on Kathy Chow (周海媚)s character.

Leo Ku’s actual music album has the same title as the featured song. The “Enjoy Yourself Tonight” album sold 50,000 copies.

Celebrities such as G.E.M. and Sammi Cheng have covered this song and sang the song as a duet with Leo. My absolute favorite collaboration involves Raymond Lam and Leo Ku. Raymond sang his parts so beautifully. In doing so, Raymond gave the song a whole new fragile feeling. Leo’s style is poignant while Raymond’s style is fragile.



One of my favorite singers, Cass Phang, also covered the song, but I didn’t like the musical arrangement and style of her version too much.

My favorite parts of this song are the beginning lines and the actual chorus:

從夢裡伊甸 (From within the Eden dream)
來到我枕邊 ([That] came, arrived [at] my pillow side)
夢與真之間 (Between dream and truth--)
就只差一吋 (Just only falls short of an inch)

The lines are so dreamy with everybody including the subject believing the situation is semi-real.

In the chorus part, I especially loved when Leo sang:
歡樂今宵 (This enjoyable night) 

The term, 歡樂今宵, is supposed to be a  happy, joyous term, but Leo gave it new meaning by singing it so nostalgically sad. Two people presumably had a wonderful time, probably only to have fun with each other, but their feelings toward each other became real over the course of one night, though they do not allow themselves to pursue this feeling, perhaps due to possible rejection, which sounds painful.

Now, below are the full lyrics. I tried to translate it as directly (in blue font) as I could without ruining the natural English flow of words.




Lyricist:黃偉文
Composer:黃丹儀
Arranger:黃丹儀

從夢裡伊甸 (From within the Eden dream)
來到我枕邊 ([That] came, arrived [at] my pillow side)
夢與真之間 (Between dream and truth--)
就只差一吋 (Just only falls short of an inch)

要是留著你 (If [I was to] retain you)
真實地糾纏 (Truthfully entangle [ourselves])
怕沒權利以後留戀 ([I] fear [I would have] no right to recall [those memories] fondly afterwards)


情愫與相思 (Feelings and yearning) 
如最愛的書 (Is like the most loved book)
未了那一章 (Not yet [until] that one chapter)
沒翻開的勇氣 (The courage [doesn’t] open up)

故事何樣美 (How beautiful [is that] kind [of] story) 
終極是分離 ([The] ultimate ending is separation)
不敢好奇沾污結尾 (Don’t dare to be curious, smirching the coda/ending)

(CHORUS)

猶如無人敢碰 (As if-- no person dares to collide)
秘密現在被揭曉 ([What is] presently announced [is the] secret )
明日想起 ([When] tomorrow [comes], [I will] recall [that])
我們其實承受不了(We [are] actually unable to bear)

歡樂今宵 (This enjoyable night) 
虛無飄渺 (False, not faintly discernible)
再沒餘地繼續纏繞 ([Don’t have] leeway to continue to twine again)

談情一世 ([By] speaking [of] emotions for a lifetime) 
發現願望極渺小 ([I] discover wish[es] [are] extremely insignificant)
留下一點 (Leaving behind a bit) 
距離回味猶自心跳 ([of] distance, [the] aftertaste still pulses)

歡樂今宵 (This enjoyable night) 
虛無飄渺 (False, not faintly discernible)
那樣動搖不如罷了([with] that kind [of] wavering, it would be better, ceased)

(CHORUS)


歡樂今宵 (This enjoyable night) 
虛無飄渺 (False, not faintly discernible)
那樣動搖不如罷了([with] that kind [of] wavering, it would be better, ceased)


   
Credits:

If you enjoyed the song, consider buying the CD:

Enjoy Yourself Tonight (2018 Reissue Series)

How about the ultimate Leo Ku Karaoke series?
Steel Box Collection - Leo Ku - $13.99
from: YesAsia


Thursday, March 7, 2013

K-Drama Review: Birdy Buddy

Picture Credit: http://blog.dramafever.com

Birdie Buddy / 버디버디


Starring:

Lee Da Hee as Min Hae Ryung
Uee as Sung Mi Soo
Jin Ji Hee as the younger Mi Soo
Lee Yong Woo as John Lee
Yoon Yoo Sun as Jo Kyung Suk, Mi Soo’s mother
Lee Byung Joon as Sung Kyung Hwan, Mi Soo’s father
Oh Hyun Kyung as Min Se Hwa, Hae Ryung’s mother
Park Sun Woong as Choi Dong Kwan (Danny), executive assistant
Kim Jong Jin as Woo Joon Mo (Stephan), green keeper, suspected to be Hae Ryung’s father
Robert Holley as Yoon Kwan Baek
Choi il Hwa as Jay Park, our illegal gambling villain
Yoo In Na as Lee Gong Sook, Mi Soo’s friend
Gina  as younger Gong Sook
Park Han Bi as Sung Tae Gab, Mi Soo’s brother
Ahn Do Gyu  as younger Tae Gab
Yang Hee Kyung as Uhm Jung Ran, Caddy director
Han Seung Hyun as Ahn Joong Ki, Mi Soo’s childhood friend who eventually has a crush on her

Year: 2011
Episodes: 24
Network: tvN
Genre: Sports, Drama


Synopsis:

Two amateur-turned-pro golfers, rivals Min Hae Ryung (Lee Da Hee) and Sung Mi Soo (Uee) compete on the golf-course as well as for John Lee (Lee Yong Woo), their golf coach. Sung Mi Soo grew up in a poor family with her family giving up everything they could to support Mi Soo’s golf career, straining their resources, due to Mi Soo’s enthusiasm and passion for golf, an expensive sport, at a young age. Struggling to make ends meet, Mi Soo tries every path possible to ensure her path towards a golfer career and had the good fortune to meet John Lee, who eventually leads her to train with a legendary golfer and coach, Yoon Kwan Baek (Robert Holley). Mi Soo was known as a golfer with a power shot, but could not concentrate her power towards a target.  While steadily improving her golf skills, Mi Soo eventually gets caught up with Jay Park, an illegal-gambling ring leader and in between Hae Ryung and John Lee’s relationship.

Meanwhile, Hae Ryung has always trained under the best conditions due to her mother, Min Se Hwa (Oh Hyun Kyung), being the president of a prominent golf club. Hae Ryung’s precise and accurate shots are what makes her a winner and she actual sees the golf ball path before she takes a shot. She could have been a clear winner in any competition, yet she refuses to unleash her full potential due to the stressful relationship she has with her mother. Hae Ryung longed to find her real father much to Se Hwa’s dismay. After  Hae Ryung found who she believed is her father, a renowned green keeper, Woo Joon Mo (Kim Jong Jin), his eventual departure drove the mother and daughter pair even further apart. Eventually, in a moment of rage, Hae Ryung left her mother for good and aligns herself with the dangerous Jay Park and loses her love, John Lee, in the process.

Reasons to watch it:

The story is inspirational with a strong family bond. I love inspirational stories. We get to see Mi Soo’s long and difficult progress throughout the entire drama from her very first golf swing to her perfection of the famous “Fabian” shot that was once famous by her coach and teacher, Yoon Kwan Baek. Moreover, the sacrifice Mi Soo’s family made for Mi Soo is also endearing. Mi Soo’s mother, Jo Kyung Suk (Yoon Yoo Sun) supported Mi Soo by working many part time jobs, driving Mi Soo to her next practice or even her golf tournament after being sprayed with mud since the wheel of her van was stuck in the mud. No matter what the reason and in whatever condition she is in, Kyung Suk is there cheering Mi Soo on. Kyung Suk’s visible efforts for her daughter causes Min Se Hwa to be jealous since she has a cold relationship with Hae Ryung. Mi Soo’s father, Sung Kyung Hwan (Lee Byung Joon) ends up becoming a sailor to earn a bit of money for the family. His tearful letter before he left was so touching since he mentioned that he can not provide for both his children. Mi Soo’s brother, Sung Tae Gab (Park Han Bi), wanted to become a clarinetist, but was denied the dream due to financial circumstances. Even when Tae Gab was jail, he wanted the very best for Mi Soo. Tae Gab would never hesitate to scold Mi Soo during the times Mi Soo contemplated giving up golf. With such a strong family bond, how can Mi Soo not achieve her dream?

There is a foreign actor in this drama who seems to speak Korean well. I loved Yoon Kwan Baek (Robert Holley)’s character. Some viewers didn’t like his fake hair, but I loved it. I thought he did a great job as an actor, portraying a gruff, old-looking golf master. It would have helped if he explained the benefits to his training methods to Mi Soo during her strenuous training. In the end, I loved his softened heart after he decided to leave his lonely mountainous residence in order to buy Mi Soo some cosmetics.

The tournaments were fun and exciting to watch. We get to see how Mi Soo and Hae Ryung own the golf course with their amazing skills. I enjoyed every single challenge Mi Soo endured, not to mention the Fabian shot Mi Soo perfected. There’s a bit of fantasy in this drama with golf balls having wings, the Fabian shot, hitting a golf ball in mid-air with another golf ball, and Hae Ryung being able to see the golf ball path before she takes a shot, but it was all in good fun. This drama didn’t need to be too serious.

Reasons not to watch it:

Oh, I have so many reasons why not to watch this show.

Like the many reviewers out there, I did not like Hae Ryung’s character. She had princess syndrome throughout the entire series. She wanted her father. She hated her mother. She didn’t win golf tournaments when she didn’t feel like it. She embarrasses her mother in public. Hae Ryung can run away if she felt like it. She aligned herself with Jay Park. She took John Lee for granted. She wanted John Lee back when she felt like it. When she finally had John Lee back, she wanted to force the relationship further by wanting him to marry her. Finally, her numerous accusations towards John Lee and Mi Soo having some kind of affair drove me nuts. She always seemed to get what she wanted and even then, she wasn't happy.

The love story fell flat. I have a hard time believing John Lee would ever have feelings for Hae Ryung. Hae Ryung was so controlling and even after John Lee found out her other schemes including her schemes to hurt Mi Soo’s career, he’s still in love with her, but conflicted. Some people might be disappointed with the ending even though it was a happy ending. Hae Ryung was not a bad person by nature, but she was just too spoiled. The storyline gave us hope that perhaps John Lee would date Mi Soo, but that storyline was a tease.

The evil storyline was weak. We have the bad guy, Jay Park, but Jay Park was pretty weak to be a the main antagonist. Three-quarters into the storyline, Jay Park was arrested and went to jail. For the last quarter of the story, we’re left with Hae Ryung’s need and trust issues.

I didn’t care about Hae Ryung’s messed up family one bit. Yes, Hae Ryung grew up with a single parent. She had a lot of teen angst. Many temper tantrums later, I endured everything up until the point Se Hwa realized what she was doing to her daughter and tried to make it up to Hae Ryung by enduring Hae Ryung’s nasty comments and actually cooking a homemade meal for Hae Ryung. The ungrateful Hae Ryung left Se Hwa and continued to run away. I gave up on this family soon after. There’s too much drama going on with Hae Ryung’s family when this show should be about Mi Soo.

There were a lot of shallow side-storylines. When Mi Soo’s father, Sung Kyung Hwan, left to be a sailor, he came back with amnesia. That was so random and unnecessary in my opinion.  Sung Tae Gab never pursued his musician career afterwards, but instead, in an almost random moment with no emotional buildup, started pursuing Mi Soo’s best friend, Lee Gong Sook (Yoo In Na). Yoo In Na had such a great role in the drama, Secret Garden, but for her to become a minor side character in this show was a waste of her talent. Basically, Lee Gong Sook is needed to give Mi Soo emotional support. Uhm Jung Ran (Yang Hee Kyung), the special caddy director, had no special importance other than to bring the mothers, Jo Kyung Suk and Min Se Hwa together. I was also disappointed with Min Se Hwa and her executive assistant and boyfriend, Choi Dong Kwan (Park Sun Woong) otherwise known as "Danny" in that they never had any sweet moments and an incredibly weak relationship since Dong Kwan thought about leaving as soon as he thought Hae Ryung's family is complete. Lastly, what was the point in having the character, Ahn Joong Ki (Han Seung Hyun), Mi Soo’s childhood friend in the storyline? Joong Ki develops a crush on Mi Soo later on in his adult life, but his love is understandably unrequited as long as John Lee is around Mi Soo. I can perhaps do some wishful thinking to believe that Mi Soo and Joong Ki might like each other later on, but then, if Mi Soo liked Joong Ki, she would have done something about it already. Mi Soo is a strong character who wasn’t afraid to pursue John Lee. Let’s talk about John Lee’s hair for a minute. His hair was not necessary for this drama and it created a serious distraction. The storyline made a big fuss about his hair when he casually cut his hair without thinking twice to look like an ordinary man. All that drama happened for nothing.

Towards the end of the storyline, everything became melodramatic. I don’t want to ruin the ending for anybody who hasn't seen it yet. The entire ending, to me, was unnecessary. I could not believe what happened to John Lee in the end. Furthermore, I could not believe the change in Mi Soo and Hae Ryung’s relationship in the absence of John Lee.  I was also mad when I found out what happened to the golf ball marker present that Mi Soo gave to John Lee.

It was a pity that John Lee did not get to play golf in the drama due to a wrist injury that ended his career when he pursued the Fabian shot.

Favorite Couple and Chemistry Factor:

My favorite couple would have to be Mi Soo and John Lee.
Honestly, I have no idea why the writers didn't pursue the Mi Soo/John Lee love line. I felt that the storyline was perfectly setting them up to be together. John Lee and Mi Soo did not meet under the best circumstances, which caused Mi Soo to loath seeing John Park. Later on, when Mi Soo accepted John Park as her coach, she began to respect him. They were always playful around each other and John Lee affectionately called Mi Soo a “steamed bun” since her face reminded him of a steamed bun, but John Lee was always stressed when he was with Hae Ryung and many times, it was all business between them. John Lee was the perfect partner for Mi Soo. In golf, he set the stage and Mi Soo is the one who performs. I want to say that even though Mi Soo perfected the Fabian shot, she could have never done it without John Lee. John Lee was too much of a rebel around Hae Ryung. When John Lee rushed to the airport to stop Mi Soo from leaving, I was cheering him on. We never did see a kiss between the two of them, but the chemistry was definitely there.

Favorite Scenes:

The many sacrifices Kyung Suk made for Mi Soo selling vegetables, a janitor, working as a cook, driving Mi Soo to the golf competition after the wheels got stuck in the mud, believing in Mi Soo all the way, and ripping into Mi Soo when Mi Soo was thinking about quitting.

The young Mi Soo angrily yelled that people at the golf school were making fun of the fact her mother is a janitor. Kyung Suk calmly explained to Mi Soo, “I am a janitor. What else would you call a janitor's daughter?” Being a janitor did not sound respectable, but it was a fact.

When Mi Soo was thinking about quitting golf, she went to the coal mining place where her father worked and used it as her personal driving range. While she was swinging at the golf balls, tears streamed down her face as she was letting her dream go. Worst of all, her father heard her bawling.

When Kyung Hwan realized her son, Tae Gab was working at a night club to pursue his musical passion. The hurt in Kyung Hwan’s eyes could not be explained as he tried to beat some sense out of his son, thinking his son had been swindling women out of their money.

When Mi Soo trains with Yoon Kwan Baek (Fabian) and Yoon Kwan Baek develops a soft spot for her.

Mi Soo perfecting the Fabian shot.

John Lee rushes to the airport to stop Mi Soo from leaving.

Least Favorite Scenes:

I hated every scene where Hae Ryung throws a tandrum.

I hated every scene where Hae Ryung cast doubt on her relationship with John Lee. I especially hated every scene Hae Ryung tried to kiss John Lee. These scenes make my blood boil.

I hated the scene where we find out that Hae Ryung and Mi Soo became friends. Mi Soo sacrifices her relationships with John Lee and Hae Ryung in order to give John Lee and Hae Ryung and opportunity to be together.

I didn’t like the ending.

The Lesson:

Anything is possible with perseverance.

Theme songs:


Dream On - Joo Eun Ji (Pink Toniq)



Watch it on DramaFever for free!

Wehaiyo’s Dramafever Recommendations:

If you liked this drama, then consider watching these Korean dramas:

Jewel In The Palace: If you like shows about perseverance, Jewel In The Palace is about the ultimate perseverance of a palatial cook who constantly puts her life on the line and surprisingly becomes the first female royal physician for the King.

Baker Kim Tak Gu: Well, I did not watch this drama yet, but I believe the storyline is as inspirational as Birdy Buddy. It follows the story about a young baker who goes through many trials to become the best baker in Korea.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

K-Drama Review: Answer Me 1997

Credit: Picture from Koreandrama.org

Answer Me 1997 / 응답하라 1997

aka Reply  1997, Respond 1997




Starring:

Jung Eun Ji as Sung Shi Won
Seo In Guk as Yoon Yoon Jae
Song Jong Ho as Yoon Tae Woong
Hoya as Kang Joon Hee
Shin So Yool as Mo Yoo Jung
Eun Ji Won as Do Hak Chan
Lee Shi Un as Bang Sung Jae
Sung Dong Il as Sung Dong Il
Lee Il Hwa as Lee il Hwa

Year: 2012
Episodes: 16
Network:  tvN
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Mystery


Synopsis:

Answer Me, 1997 is about the lives of six high school friends and how they grew alongside K-pop culture, friendship, and love with many lessons learned along the way. The show is told in flashback since in the present day, the group of friends are at a high school reunion dinner fifteen years later. One couple announces their engagement while another couple announces pregnancy news. The answer as to who are the couples are kept secret, which brings a bit of mystery and also explains the title of the show where everything stemmed from the year, 1997. The concept is similar to the American TV show, How I Met Your Mother.

Reasons to watch it:

Fans of K-pop are bound to love this show, especially those who experienced that era in time: the late 90s in Korea. The story line particularly focuses on how dedicated fans are towards their idols. In this case, our main character, Sung Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji), is a hardcore H.O.T. fan and in particular, Tony Ahn’s fan. She is such a dedicated fan that she is known as Tony Ahn’s wife. During the main cast's high school years, there was an intense fan war between the fans of H.O.T. and their rival, Sechkies. There are many references to Korean pop culture of the time period. Even after fifteen years later in the present day, Shi Won continues to be a dedicated H.O.T. fan.

The show itself is very detailed. I find myself missing interesting parts of the show when I’m not paying attention. For example, before their SAT exam, Yoon Yoon Jae (Seo In Guk) gives Shi Won a box of taffy for good luck, but Shi Won did not have a present prepared for Yoon Jae. Improvising, Shi Won gets up, tells Yoon Jae that she’ll be right back, and then returns with a “S” shaped metal piece for Yoon Jae. A later scene would reveal Yoon Tae-Woong’s (Song Jong Ho) new car as he drives away, but we see that the “S” in the car name, “SONATA III” is missing on the back of the car. My husband actually watched this show twice and found even more fun references.

There’s also an interesting scene with Shi Won’s dog where fate comes into play, but I don’t want to ruin the ending for that. We also find out in the ending scene why Yoon Jae broke his arm back in high school.

All the actors in the show acted and portrayed their character really well and each character had significant screen time. I loved how each character was unique and each character had some quality time in the story to give each one of them depth. We see Tae Woong’s devotion to his brother and his urge to buy second-hand or knockoff stuff even though he’s well-off. We see Kang Joon Hee (Hoya) show his one-sided love and dedication towards Yoon Jae. We see Mo Yoo Jung (Shin So Yool)’s shocking side as she changes from being a H.O.T. fan to a Sechkies fan as well. We also see her heartbreaks and sunny smiles as her relationship with Do Hak Chan (Eun Ji Won) progresses. Hak Chan was an interesting character as he could not look girls in the eyes, but later on gains more confidence as his relationship with Yoo Jung progresses. Bang Sung Jae (Lee Shi Un) takes on a hilarious role as the motor-mouthed classmate and also the gossiper of the group. Lastly, a lot of credit is given to Sung Dong Il and Lee Il Hwa for their portrayal of Shi Won’s parents. They bicker one minute and love each other the next. I love how the story also showed how they fell in love as well. Basically, every character underwent his or her own journey through life in these fifteen years.

There are lots of cameos in this show as well as voice overs  Tony Ahn even shows up as himself, which I am thankful for because without his appearance, the show would seem a bit inauthentic. I also recognized Kim Jong-min, Shin Bong-sun, Kim Tae-won, Shin Dong-yup’s voice, and G.NA. Lee Jooyeon from the girl group, After School, also took a larger minor role and I honestly didn't recognize her in this show. She was stunningly beautiful. She was a totally different character in drama, Smile, Donghae. I also thought it was cute that Jung Eun Ji’s fellow A-Pink members Park Chorong and Yoon Bomi played minor roles as Shi Won and Yoon Jae’s mother during their youthful days.

Busan accent? How many shows do you know where all the main characters speak in dialect? I am not a Korean expert so I can only spot obvious dialect differences, but those who understand the Korean language well will definitely get a kick out of it.

Reasons not to watch it:

If you don’t like girls fanning over idols, then you’d probably not enjoy it too much. It could seem suffocating looking at all the things Shi Won does just for Tony and H.O.T. Other than that, there isn't much not to like about this show.

If you don’t enjoy gay story lines  you might be slightly uncomfortable with this show. The show does not explore Yoon Jae and Joon Hee’s relationship too much, but it is present. We only see Joon Hee longing for Yoon Jae, but Yoon Jae doesn’t know Joon Hee had such feelings. There is no big dramatic story line build-up for them and the story continues on as expected.

Favorite Couple and Chemistry Factor:

It comes as no surprise that the main love story draw is between childhood friends Yoon Jae and Shi Won. It’s cute when they share drinks all the time. I loved the whole coupon idea for birthdays and I even did the same thing for my husband. When Yoon Jae confessed to Shi Won in the karaoke room, it was so real, painful, and raw. It was also very memorable when he said that if a man tells a girl who doesn’t like him his confession like a fool, it means that he never wants to see her ever again. I think Yoon Jae emotionally jabbed Shi Won in the gut to make her realize that she loved him and she didn't realize it. I also felt that jab myself. I freaked out when I saw their kissing scenes later on in the show. Their kisses were so delicious and I can practically feel Yoon Jae’s longing feelings for Shi Won. Seriously, if I were Shi Won, I would forget about Tony and concentrate on Yoon Jae forever though I guess Shi Won has the best of both worlds: one worshiping Tony and the other, her husband. 

I must admit Seo In Guk really can act and played the role of Yoon Jae excellently. I never knew he could carry a whole series by himself. I saw him as a side character in Love Rain and I only thought of him as a side character and nothing more. A good script makes all the difference.

 I love the couple’s tender moments. I also liked whenever Yoon Jae shocked Shi Won, Shi Won is quiet and stiff. I am amused by that because I am the same way in real life when confronted with a problem or shock. Sure, Shi Won is also quietly shocked in other situations, but her shocked feeling is always the most potent when confronted by Yoon Jae. When Yoon Jae was crying out of control in the restaurant because he realized how powerful his brother's love was for him, Shi Won is innocently confused, but also so shocked in that she doesn't know what to say or do in order to comfort Yoon Jae. I feel like this couple has sprung to life and I have to remind myself this is only acting.

Favorite Scenes:

I think I loved the “Yoon Jae confessing to Shi Won” scene the most in the karaoke room. Everybody else left and it was just the two of them. Yoon Jae had been downing beers. His confession was really heartfelt and poignant. I’m not Shi Won, but I felt her pain as she tries to make sense of how she hurt Yoon Jae. I’m also surprised that Yoon Jae confessed everything he was feeling in one shot. It was disappointing to hear Shi Won ask if they could still be friends afterwards. Both characters were extremely heartbroken over this confession.

The scene where Yoon Jae ran for his life just to protect Shi Won from a potential rapist predator at night was also very touching. Without hesitating, Yoon Jae ran out of the house, lost a sandal, tumbled on to the floor after an accident with a bicyclist, and scratched his arms in a way where streams of blood came out just to protect Shi Won after receiving her scared phone call. I think that brought on the initial spark Shi Won had for Yoon Jae, though I’m not sure if she realized it or that she wanted to ignore that feeling. She definitely felt something because she was quietly stunned the whole time. I like how her character is very consistent.

When Tae Woong told Yoon Jae that he was still going to fight for Shi Won even after Tae Woong realized that Yoon Jae had liked Shi Won way before Tae Woong started pursuing Shi Won, Tae Woong set up a blind date for Yoon Jae and also a dinner meeting with Shi Won at the same time. I thought the storyline would take a melodramatic turn that would break the lovers apart and leave Tae Woong bitter with love, but I was shocked to see that the story took a different turn. It’s clear that the brothers love each other, but one of them have to yield to the other in order when it comes to loving Shi Won.

I loved every single Shi Won and Yoon Jae kiss scene. You can definitely tell they love each other.

Yoon Jae’s birthday scenes were funny. First there was Shi Won’s coupon scenes. Yoon Jae ended up redeeming them for odd favors like borrowing her parents for his middle school graduation, forcing Shi Won to stand at her own graduation exclaiming that what everyone is thinking is correct and that she has no parents. Tae Woong’s gifts to Yoon Jae is even funnier. Yoon Jae had a bunch of knockoff gifts: Adidos shirt, Westpak backpack, Safty Zone shirt, and lastly, a Guess! T-shirt.

When Hak Chan invited Yoo Jung over his house for the first time when his parents weren’t home, Yoo Jung was freaking out every time Hak Chan went near her because she thought he was asking for sex and she was in her period. The scene was so awkwardly funny. Yoo Jung screamed every time Hak Chan had his hands near her when he tried to take her coat and when he reached for the remote. Yoo Jung eventually screamed out that she was on her period. Lastly, the final punch came when during the movie they were watching, Hak Chan said that If Yoo Jung was expecting something else, he could still do what she presumably wanted.

The Yoon Jae dog scenes were very cute. I find it such a coincidence that there are two dogs that look alike. Yoon Jae spent so much effort to obtain a dog that looks like him only to give the dog to his friend Joon Hee. At the same time, Shi Won’s father ended up finding an identical dog in the park that belonged to a young girl who lost her dog. I think the dog scenes foreshadow future events very well.

Least Favorite Scenes:

Sung Song Joo (Kim Yewon)  was in a few episodes as she tries to woo Tae Woong, but she ends up dying shortly afterwards. Honestly, I think I would have been completely fine without this character even appearing. I also didn't like how quickly Tae Woong was able to move on afterwards. He wanted to marry Song Joo, but to me, he moved on fairly quickly afterwards. Actually, the story didn't really concentrate on Song Joo after her death. On a side note, Song Joo is super cute as she was the aggressor in the relationship.

The writer seems to be going nowhere with the Kang Joon Hee and Yoon Jae relationship. I would have wanted more drama between them, but they both just quietly accepted the fact that “it is what it is.” It was sweet how they both tried to enter the air force together. I appreciated how Joon Hee was always honest with Yoon Jae except for when it comes to his own feelings. I think at least Joon Hee should have at least told his best friend Yoon Jae that he was gay. They were friends for such a long time.

The Lesson:

Finding love is about timing, but the effort goes a long way.

OST songs:

Seo In Guk and Jung Eunji's remake of Cool's "All For You"

Seo In Guk and Jung Eunji's remake of "Just The Way We Love" from the movie, "Love Wind Love Song"


Watch it on Dramafever for free!


Wehaiyo’s Dramafever Recommendations:

If you liked this drama, then consider watching these Korean dramas:

The World That They Live In – The World That They Live In aka Worlds Within goes into depth with each character in the TV/film production business. We go into the individual lives of actors, program directors, directors, script writers, and the film crew. We get to see in depth the realistic situations that they face on a daily basis as well as all the problems that could arise during production and even post production. The characters of the main leads, Hyun Bin and Song Hye Gyo, go through ups and downs where they wish their life was as lovely or as perfect as a drama. I admit this drama may not be for everybody’s taste or mood. If you like realism, a serious tone, and no fluffy story lines  I recommend this drama. The story is basically a story within the story of making a drama. As a bonus fun fact, Hyun Bin and Song Hye Gyo actually dated in real life after this drama ended and that relationship lasted until before Hyun Bin entered the army.

The Bean Chaff of My Life – I have not finished this drama yet, but I've seen the majority of it so far. It is about two people who meet during their college years, go through Korean electoral events like campaigning for their candidate in order to earn some money,  and continue meeting on and off throughout their lives, but never going as far as dating each other. They somehow end up intertwined with each other even as they date other people. This drama might be frustrating to watch since the main leads don’t get together for the majority of the series and it might not live up to Answer Me, 1997 standards, but it does have the concept of friends who grow up without dating each other until later on. As an added bonus, we get a musical scene in each episode where characters burst into song. If musicals interest you, you might find The Bean Chaff of My Life interesting as well.

Update cookies preferences