The First Volume

Be Strong, Geum Soon (2005) is a South Korean television drama (K-drama) that aired on the MBC network. It is a traditional K-drama and has all of the necessary elements to be a soapy, melodramatic production. The story is about a twenty-something girl who gets pregnant out of wedlock. She marries the baby's father, but the situation is complicated because her in-laws do not like her. However, the husband passes away in an untimely fashion and things get even worse for her. Despite the hardships, she continues to go through life with an upbeat approach. Be Strong, Geum Soon details her life in one-hundred and sixty-three thirty minute episodes. YA Entertainment has released the series in four volumes. This review covers volume one, which...Read the entire review

The K-Drama

Into the Sunlight (1999) is a Korean television drama (K-drama) from the South Korean network MBC. It consists of sixteen hour-long episodes. The series is similar to the common K-drama format with melodramatic content, complete with love triangles, some deception, and dirty family secrets. However, unlike many other K-dramas, Into the Sunlight is not always very entertaining. The quality varies and it tends to be a slow going, drama with little appeal. Personally, I have come to love K-dramas and was very disappointed with it. The show has a great cast, but the storyline and the presentation offer little. Overall, it is a rental at best.

The series is about four twenty-somethings who come from very different backgrounds and face hardships. ...Read the entire review

The K-Drama

Phoenix (2004) is a South Korean television drama (K-drama) that aired on the MBC network. It is a traditional K-drama and has all of the necessary elements to be a soapy, melodramatic production. The story is about a young couple in love and life's obstacles in the path to happiness. A young woman from a rich family marries a poor man against her family's wishes. After some drama they get a divorce. Ten years have passed. The rich girl is poor and the poor man is rich. When their paths cross again, their love resurfaces, but some people have other intentions for them. For a K-drama, Phoenix is engaging from the start. The storyline unfolds well and the drama is intense.

Jang Sae-Hoon (Lee Seo-Jin) is the male lead. He is a good-hearted...Read the entire review

The K-drama

Ruler Of Your Own World (2002) is a Korean television drama (K-drama) from the South Korean network MBC. It consists of twenty hour-long episodes. The series is similar to the common K-drama format with highly intense melodramatic content, complete with love triangles, some deception, fatal illnesses, and dirty family secrets. However, while the show has some pretty over-the-top, soapy material, it never feels like too much. The drama is expressed through the characters and their relationships in an addictive manner. After watching Ruler Of Your Own World, it will be apparent that it is topnotch drama. It has solid writing, great characters, and presents a storyline that is engaging, entertaining, and emotionally powerful. Overall, it is a K...Read the entire review

The K-drama

Sweet Spy is a Korean television drama (K-drama) that was produced in 2005 by the MBC network. The show consists of twenty hour long episodes. It is a romantic comedy set in a world of police officers and international spies. A young female police officer gives a man a traffic ticket, who she did not know was an international spy. From that moment, her life would not be the same as she slowly becomes wrapped in a world of deception and falls in love. Overall, Sweet Spy melds comedy, romance, action, and melodrama into one nice package, offering an engaging drama that is hard to put down. It is one that K-drama fans will not want to miss out on.

The story's primary female character is Lee Soon-Ae (Nam Sang Mi). Soon-Ae has a somber past. H...Read the entire review

The K-Drama

Medical Brothers is a Korean television drama (K-drama) about two brothers who work in a hospital and a mysterious past that slowly uncovers a truth no one wanted revealed. The K-drama is unlike the traditional K-drama, as it is not centered on juicy, soap opera quality melodramatic content. The traditional K-drama focuses on love triangles, scheming, the occasional memory loss, and more. As mentioned, Medical Brothers looks at different aspect of the drama genre by focusing on the professional and the personal lives of two brothers. The show's approach similar to Inside the White Tower (lack of romantic drama.) For the most part, it does not provi...Read the entire review

The Movie

Lovers' Concerto is a South Korean romantic melodrama from 2002. The film follows a chance encounter of three individuals that blooms into friendship and love. The story focuses on the love triangle aspect, jealousy, and includes a somber twist. As an overall movie, Lovers' Concerto is interesting. It has a slow going pace and not a lot seems to happen, but at the same time it keeps your interest with a likeable cast.

The story opens with Ji-hwan (Cha Tae-Hyun) reminiscing about his life -- five years into the past. At the time, Ji-hwan was a college student working part-time in a local cafe. Then one day, Ji-hwan fell in love. Entering the cafe was Soo-in (Son Ye-Jin) and Kyung-hee (Lee Eun-Joo), two girls he would become very close to. W...Read the entire review

Inside the White Tower is a South Korean television drama (K-drama) about the lucid politics surrounding the lives of two medical doctors -- which is based on the works of Yamazaki Toyoko. The series is a definite change of pace for the common K-drama, as it is not based on a love story. The majority of K-dramas follow a storyline with a love triangle or two, memory loss, villainous characters, mistaken identities, and other attributes that make a solid romance oriented soap opera. Instead, "White Tower" focuses purely on non-romantic drama.

Personally, I love the sordid love affairs and sappy romance commonly used in K-dramas, but at the same time I enjoyed the change of pace. The unfortunate part is that "White Tower" was not nearly as strong as I expected. It has...Read the entire review

I first heard of Korean TV dramas a couple of years ago. WhileI've only read good things about them, I knew they often involved love trianglesand unrequited emotions, which sounded too melodramatic for my tastes. When DVDTalk reviewer Jeffrey Robinson reviewed a few series and ravedabout them however, (including Jumongand Dae JangGeum) I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Which bringsme to Super Rookie, my first K-Drama. I was expectinga mildly enjoyable program, but this 20-episode series knocked me off myfeet. Filled with well defined and fleshed out characters and oneof the most engaging story lines I've seen in a while, this was an unexpectedpleasure.

Read the entire review

The Mini-Series

The Snow Queen is a Korean television drama (K-drama) that incorporates the short story of the same name, which was authored by Hans Christian Andersen. The series was produced by the South Korean network KBS in 2006. It is a somber love story about two individuals with painful childhoods who find love in each other. Along the way there are common K-drama attributes such as mistaken identities, love triangles, and all-around soapy melodrama. For K-drama fans, The Snow Queen is a must. It is very powerful and emotional; it will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you wanting to know what happens next.

The story begins in 1998. Han Tae-Woong (Hyeon Bin) is seventeen years of age and starting his first year at the High School of Sc...Read the entire review

The Mini-Series

Truth is a Korean television drama (K-drama) from the South Korean broadcasting company MBC and it first aired in 2000. The series has common attributes to other K-dramas, but unfolds with a few twists and turns and plenty of drama, romance, love triangles, mystery, intrigue, greed, and jealousy. The general premise is about four people and how their relationships unfold after a sequence of lies are set in place... and how the truth behind the deception affects them. All in all, it is a compelling drama with an easy story to get into and a good selection of characters.

The main story begins in the final year of high school for two of the primary character: Lee Ja-young (Choi Ji-Woo, Stai...Read the entire review

Volume Two

Glass Slipper is a Korean television drama (K-drama) produced by the South Korean television network SBS in 2002. The series is made up of forty episodes, which have been released on DVD in two separate volumes. Volume one contains the first twenty-one episodes and volume two the final nineteen episodes. The show is highly romanticized and melodramatic. For a K-drama, Glass Slipper gets two thumbs up. From start to finish, it is an intense show with one great soapy development after the other. This review covers the second volume.

In Glass Slipper's second volume, the drama is turned up a notch with some fantastic developments. At the fore is the love triangle between Tae-hee, Sun-woo, and Jae-hyuk. It pinnacles and takes a drast...Read the entire review

Volume One

Glass Slipper is a Korean television drama (K-drama) produced by the South Korean television network SBS in 2002. The series is made up of forty episodes, which have been released on DVD in two separate volumes. Volume one contains the first twenty-one episodes and volume two the final nineteen episodes. The show is highly romanticized and melodramatic. For a K-drama, Glass Slipper gets two thumbs up. From start to finish, it is an intense show with one great soapy development after the other. This review covers the first volume.

The story of Glass Slipper begins with the unfortunate past of the Kim family. Kim Hyun-ho (Ha Jae-young) is a loving father who gave up everything to be with the one he loved. His father Pil-joong disap...Read the entire review

The Mini-Series

Winter Sonata is a Korean television drama (K-drama) produced by the South Korean television network KBS. It was produced in 2002. The series is the second installment to director Yun Suk-ho's romantic seasonal TV dramas, Endless Love. The other TV dramas that make up the collection include Autumn Fairy Tale, Summer Scent, and Spring Waltz. The four series have no plotline or character intersections, but they have similar fundamentals in the romantic love story. As an overall K-drama, Winter Sonata delivers a soapy love story about tragedy and a sordid love affair involving multiple people. It has several strengths and proves to be a strong K-drama.

The premise is similar to K-dramas such as Read the entire review

The Mini-Series

Someday is a Korean television drama (K-drama) produced by the South Korean company Yellow Film. The story is about four individuals and how their lives are connected when a girl goes on an adventure to understand what love means. Along the way, the four find love with each other and endure various hardships and let downs. Overall, the drama is not as "soapy" or overly melodramatic as some series, but it still manages to offer an intriguing storyline with likeable characters to keep one's interest. It consists of sixteen episodes, each approximately an hour long.

The story focuses on Hana Yamaguchi (Bae Doo-Na). She is half Korean, half Japanese who resides in Japan with her grandmother. When she was young, she lost contact with her parents. ...Read the entire review

The Mini-Series

Over The Rainbow is a Korean television drama (K-drama) that can be loosely described as 8 Miles meets Honey mixed with a dash of Footloose. Despite how unappealing that sounds, it is not necessarily a bad thing. However, it is not a good thing either. Over The Rainbow is the story of four individuals that trails their love affairs and passionate careers, which is to (literally) sing and dance. The series shines as a K-drama, utilizing the strong elements that make up a K-drama (over-the-top drama, love triangles, etc.). However, I had trouble stomaching the underlying story about young adults wanting to dance and sing. It was a little too much for me. In short, Over the Rainbow is a compelling watch, but it ...Read the entire review

The Fourth Volume

Jumong, also known as Prince of the Legend, is a South Korean television drama (K-drama) from the MBC network. The series is a historical drama based loosely on the real life accounts of Jumong. He was a king in Korea's history that helped form a massive kingdom and protect its citizens from the oppressive Han Empire. The true details about Jumong's life and the events surrounding it are not historically accurate. The story is more a myth, which can be read about in the volume one reference guide booklet. The K-drama Jumong portrays a loose interpretation around the myths and limited information about him. There are a total of eighty-one episodes that make up the series. They are being released on DVD by Read the entire review

The Third Volume

Jumong, also known as Prince of the Legend, is a South Korean television drama (K-drama) from the MBC network. The series is a historical drama based loosely on the real life accounts of Jumong. He was a king in Korea's history that helped form a massive kingdom and protect its citizens from the oppressive Han Empire. The true details about Jumong's life and the events surrounding it are not historically accurate. The story is more a myth, which can be read about in the volume one reference guide booklet. The K-drama Jumong portrays a loose interpretation around the myths and limited information about him. There are a total of eighty-one episodes that make up the series. They are being released on DVD by Read the entire review

The Movie

My Little Bride is a cute and fun with a perfect blend of romance and Korean-style slapstick comedy. The movie is about two families who have been very close and want to be closer. Their youngest generation consists of a male college student and a female high school student. Their grandparents were war buddies in the Korean War and made a pact to become relatives. The grandparent's children were both males and unable to fulfill that pact. Little did future generations know or expect that they would be expected to fulfill that pact. The storyline is a little absurd (and pretty unrealistic from an American standpoint, but perhaps more realistic in an older Korea?). Despite this minor point, My Little Bride shines with two great leading characte...Read the entire review

The Second Volume

Jumong, also known as Prince of the Legend, is a South Korean television drama (K-drama) from the MBC network. The series is a historical drama based loosely on the real life accounts of Jumong. He was a king in Korea's history that helped form a massive kingdom and protect its citizens from the oppressive Han Empire. The true details about Jumong's life and the events surrounding it are not historically accurate. The story is more a myth, which can be read about in the included reference guide booklet. The K-drama Jumong portrays a loose interpretation around the myths and limited information about him. There are a total of eighty-one episodes that make up the series. They are being released on DVD by Read the entire review

The First Volume

Jumong, also known as Prince of the Legend, is a South Korean television drama (K-drama) from the MBC network. The series is a historical drama based loosely on the real life accounts of Jumong. He was a king in Korea's history that helped form a massive kingdom and protect its citizens from the oppressive Han Empire. The true details about Jumong's life and the events surrounding it are not historically accurate. The story is more a myth, which can be read about in the included reference guide booklet. The K-drama Jumong portrays a loose interpretation around the myths and limited information about him. There are a total of eighty-one episodes that make up the series. They are being released on DVD by Read the entire review

The Mini-Series

Spring Waltz is a Korean television drama (K-drama) produced by the South Korean television network KBS. It first aired in 2006. The series is the fourth installment to director Yun Suk-ho's romantic seasonal TV dramas, Endless Love. The other TV dramas that make up the collection include Autumn Fairy Tale, Winter Sonata, and Summer Scent. The four series have no plotline or character intersections, but have similar fundamentals in the romantic love story. As an overall K-drama, Spring Waltz delivers a soapy love story about tragedy and a sordid love affair involving multiple people. It has several strengths and proves to be a strong K-drama.

The two main characters are Park Eun-young (Han Hyo-ju) and Yoon J...Read the entire review

The Mini-Series

A Prince's First Love, also known as First Love of a Royal Prince, is a Korean television drama (K-drama) produced by the South Korean television network MBC. It first aired in Korea mid-2004. It is an uplifting tale about a sordid love affair involving multiple people who find drama, conflict, and the occasional laugh at every turn. The general premise is common to the other K-dramas in that the main focus is a sordid love affair with love triangles and bouts of jealousy. Overall, A Prince's First Love is an enjoyable drama that is also sweet and humorous at times.

The primary character in A Prince's First Love is Kim Yu-bin (Sung Yu-ri). Yu-bin is an adorable girl, who works for a sandwich shop making deliveries. She has ...Read the entire review

The Mini-Series

Freeze is a Korean television drama (K-drama) that comes from the South Korean television channel CGV and Yellow Films. The series is rather short for a K-drama, only five episodes and approximately five hours in length. It first aired in October 2006. Due to the short runtime, it does not develop its characters or build an intricate plot as other sixteen hour long K-dramas do. Still, the series manages to pack in a romantic love triangle, a fair amount of drama, and provides just the right amount of character detail.

The setting of Freeze takes place in a supernatural world, where vampires are common parts of society. They walk and live amongst humans. One such vampire is Baek Joong-Won (Lee Seo-Jin, Read the entire review

Fragmented storylines can be quite intriguing, even though the practice has become an exhausted medium with modern films. From Nolan and Lynch's masterful works early in the new millennium, breaking and rearranging narratives have become the technique du jour. Peppermint Candy, a Korean film from Lee Chang-dong, comes with a careless label "similar to Memento". How unfair this simple classification is breaches the unfathomable, and that is coming from an avid fan of Nolan's work.

This stark drama of deception, corruption, and dissolute love shares but one element with the aforementioned film: a unique time structure told in backwards form. From there, Lee Chang-dong's tour de force takes a myriad of different paths that are heart wrenching, brutal, and emotionally shattering. Peppermint Candy is a Korean character exposition that longs for savoring as a marvel of historical an...Read the entire review

The Miniseries

Tomato is a Korean television drama (K-drama) from the Seoul Broadcasting System that aired in 1999. This K-drama features intriguing, well-developed characters, plot twists, schemes, and all of the other elements that makeup a solid soap opera. The general story focuses on several individuals from multiple generations and romantic love triangles and competition in the fashion world. As an overall drama, I enjoyed Tomato to the point that I was eager to see what happened next, but at the same time it was not the strongest drama I have seen.

The show's main character is Lee Hani (Kim Hee-Sun, Sad Love Story). Hani is hard working girl who busted her butt to get ahead in th...Read the entire review

The Movie

The 2003 movie Singles comes from South Korea and it is dubbed as the Korean version of Sex in the City. The film is about four single twenty-somethings who are quickly approaching thirty. Life is about sex, work, friends, and trying to make something of oneself before turning the big 3-0. The movie was very popular; it was recognized at multiple international film festivals.

Na Nan (Jang Jin-Young) is the primary character. She is twenty-nine, and soon to be thirty. In the beginning of the story, her life is almost perfect. She has a great job; she is a fashion designer at a hip company called 1492. Her goal is to take the next step, which is tying the knot with her boyfriend before she turns thirty. Unfortunately, Nan's life comes crashin...Read the entire review

The Mini-Series, Volume 3

The South Korean television series Dae Jang Geum, which is also known as The Great Jang Geum and Jewel In The Palace, is a historical Korean drama (K-drama) based on the real life events of a historical figure from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. This figure was the first woman in Korean history to become the King's personal physician. Set in the 16th century, Dae Jang Geum follows the trials of Suh Jang-Geum, a sweet and brilliant woman who strives to restore her family's honor. This series has been released on DVD in the United States in three volumes, which each have eighteen episodes (there are a total of fifty-four episodes). This review covers the third volume. For additional information, refer to DVD...Read the entire review

The Mini-Series, Volume 2

The South Korean television series Dae Jang Geum, which is also known as The Great Jang Geum and Jewel In The Palace, is a historical Korean drama (K-drama) based on the real life events of a historical figure from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. This figure was the first woman in Korean history to become the King's personal physician. Set in the 16th century, Dae Jang Geum follows the trials of Suh Jang-Geum, a sweet and brilliant woman who strives to restore her family's honor. This series has been released on DVD in the United States in three volumes, which each have eighteen episodes (there are a total of fifty-four episodes). This review covers the second volume. For additional information, refer to DV...Read the entire review

The Mini-Series, Volume 1

The South Korean television series Dae Jang Geum, which is also known as The Great Jang Geum and Jewel In The Palace, is a historical Korean drama (K-drama) based on the real life events of a historical figure from the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. This figure was the first woman in Korean history to become the King's personal physician. Set in the 16th century, Dae Jang Geum follows the trials of Suh Jang-Geum, a sweet and brilliant woman who strives to restore her family's honor. This series has been released on DVD in the United States in three volumes, which each have eighteen episodes (there are a total of fifty-four episodes). This review covers the first volume. For additional information, refer to DVD...Read the entire review