You Only Have One Life to Live, So Be Happy

This Kdrama resonated with me in a significant way. I grew up in a single-parent family visiting my dad in the summers. He would always say to me, "What I want most for you is to be happy in life. If you ever find you are unhappy, figure out why and change it." This story embodied this same wisdom from my father.

I know there were many who found fault with this Kdrama. I'm not going to disagree with any as I respect people's right to their individual opinions. That said....here is my opinion. One of the best dramas in 2023.

First, it has a great storyline. You don't have to give in to parental and societal pressures, you can forge your own path. Gu Won and Cheon Sa Rang were individuals first who knew what they wanted in life, what was important, and made decisions that represented these values. They were authentic to themselves first then came together as a couple. A representation of a healthy relationship.

Second, employees help make companies great so they should be appreciated and rewarded as such. Instead of looking as people in a hierarchal-type of existence, see people in terms of their contribution towards the end goal and reward them for hard work. My favorite scene was when the employees of the smaller King hotel were seeing the space that would become the employee lounge. Also, Sa Rang's work on her own vision and dream of a hotel. I'm so glad the writers and producers gave a space in this story to the dream of a visionary woman.

Lastly, the acting was superb. Whether comedy, drama, vicious drama, action, or heartwarming scenes between friends, family, and lovers, the acting was superb. My favorite Korean actor is Lee JunHo. As always, the commitment he gives to the profession, whether its music, acting, modeling, or just being himself, is of the highest value, is exemplary, and worthy of respect. I also add Im Yoon Ah to this category as I was blown away by her performance. Their interaction was sublime and perfect. I also want to give respect to Kim Sun Young (she was so delightfully vicious, well done!!), Kim Dong Ha (such angst at such a young age), Go Won Hee and Kim Ga Eun (BFF's forever!!), Ah Se Ha (this story would not be a story without his comedic contribution), Kim Jae Won (the perfect boyfriend), Kim Young Ok (I have seen her in so many dramas and she is superb!!!), and lastly Son Byung Ho (he gave the perfect performance for someone who has lots of regrets). The acting in this drama was top-notch.

There have been many good dramas this year...one could almost dub 2023 as the year of great Kdramas. So far, King the Land is my favorite and what I consider the best drama of 2023. Congratulations to the writers, producers, actors, and production staff for this drama. Well done!!! I hope you were rewarded in a King the Land fashion because you deserve it!!!

Leia Mais

Sequel Needed

Outstanding mafia drama! Korea just created its own version of Al Pacino's Godfather with Vincenzo. Yes, you heard me right. I think Song Joong-ki has the right balance of good and evil in his Vincenzo character to create a mafia trilogy. What I enjoy about Korean productions is the overall story value and how it ebbs and flows. I look at the big picture. This had it all. Good vs. evil, with good prevailing, but just enough bad to take the sugary edge off, suspense, comedy, romance, characters you hated, characters you wanted to have a beer with, and those you want to see more of in future dramas. I don't live in Korea so I didn't succumb to the hype of this drama, so I didn't have any expectations going into it other than it was on a list of recommended dramas. I was blown away. I thought this was a superb production. As a foreigner, I kept pausing the drama and googling Seoul locations for filming different scenes. I know so much more about Seoul now than before, and have come away from these explorations with a respect for this great city. The actors were versatile and multi-dimensional, and I've added several to my list of favorite Korean actors. I hope there will be a sequel.

Leia Mais

Gripping!!

Full of twists and turns....you think you've got the story figured out, you think it's predictable, then bam!....something unexpected changes with the storyline. This one kept me glued to the screen. Amazing writing, amazing cast, and well produced. You think you're watching a storyline about getting revenge, but it's so much deeper and more meaningful, only you won't realize it until you watch it to the very end. One of the best laid out and thought out plot lines I've seen in quite awhile. The kind of drama that has South Korean entertainment taking over the world. I highly recommend this series. Congrats to all the cast and crew on this one!!

Leia Mais

Typical but Not Typical Rom Com

It was the typical girl meets boy, they can't stand each other in the beginning, boy has some sort of issues to work through, they are thrown together through an "arrangement," and end up falling in love.

It was not typical in the female lead's character. Strong, independent, a fighter, she doesn't just take on the role society has deemed she should have. Her character is what kept me going through the series. I loved Kim Ok Bin's Mi Ran!!! Feisty, stubborn, physically talented, a brain, witty, always there for the underdog. I loved this character. She wasn't unsure, lacking confidence, overly needy, or any of the other stereotypical female roles that you usually find in rom coms.

Also good in the series, the supporting characters, although I think their storylines could have been expanded. It was a really good, funny, feel-good, all-around enjoyable rom com, and I would highly recommend it. The actors all did well in their parts.

Leia Mais

Youthful Angst Meets Adult Wisdom

This was a coming of age story with all the happiness, sorrows, ups, downs, and amazing experiences one has with a group of friends that just go through it all together. I like that they diversified the group of friends. Friend groups that are all alike, their families are carbon copies of each other are so boring and cliche'. This group was well mixed. The top athlete/superstar yet whose family is poor and sacrificing everything for her, the fatherless child whose single-parent is so busy providing for their home she is neglecting her daughter (I could relate to this one), the son thrust into poverty by the mistakes of his father yet taking responsibility to care for his brother and mother, the smartest kid in the school and bored to tears by everything, and the kid who fails academically because the school fails to offer him and his skill set anything other than studying for the next test. These kids came together and experienced first love, bullying, pressures from school, parents, life, disappointments, failures, successes, forgiveness, fun, fear, and heartache. They took the viewer along with them every step. I laughed, I got bored, I cheered, I got angry, I cried. The storyline moved me along with the lives of these 5 people just like surfing a wave onto the sand.

I read a lot of reviews that were angry and disappointed at the ending. I wasn't. This is the type of story where you get hooked into the characters and want more. I think the ending was purposeful to provide a second series. Anyway, I hope so. There were some unanswered questions, and information about these 5 characters that could lead easily to another series to fill in the gaps. The writers know how to provide a rich storyline and very developed characters. I do believe they could provide us with another amazing story of Na Hee Do, Baek Yi Jin, Go Yu Rim, Moon Ji Woong, and Ji Seung Wan five or ten years later that would be very satisfying to those of us who loved this story. I hope we will see more.

Leia Mais

A Chip Off the Old Kdrama Romance Block

This drama fits the mold, which must be successful because there sure are a lot of them. "Scarred in youth" boy meets "going through hell" girl and it's hate at first sight. But then they are thrown into an adventure together, which magically causes them to fall in love, psychologically heals the boy's scars of the past, and gives the girl a new lease on life. While the typical-ness of this drama made it mediocre, several of the actors kept me moving through the storyline. I come for the storyline plus the acting, but minus a really good storyline, its usually the actors that keep me watching, and this one did not disappoint. I thought some of the music in it was really good as well. It's a good drama to just turn off your brain and be entertained for awhile. But keep the expectations low.

Leia Mais

There is ANGST in coupling up

Singles Inferno 3 brought the drama big time, and for that reason, it has been my favorite season so far, and that is saying a lot as I just loved season 2. Love him, hate him, swoon, or wish to throw a drink in his face, Gwan-hee brought the drama. It was entertaining, and it got people fired up and responding to the show. It also supercharged the panel and they were highly entertaining in the commentary of Gwen-hee's antics.

Here are my PROS and CONS for this season:
PROS:
The twist of the two Infernos and mixing up the contestants in the beginning. Loved this! Just wish it would have gone a little longer.

Dex being part of the panel. He really brought an insightful and entertaining contribution to the show.

All of the panel!! I loved their commentary!!

Strong personalities in the cast. I loved Hye-seon and Ha-jeon, their confidence, and not being afraid to speak their mind to Mr. You-know-who when his ego and just all-round jerkness got out of hand.

The drama Gwan-hee brought to the show. Most of the time I wanted to slap him for stringing along the girls, but at the same time, what he brought to the show was highly entertaining.

CONS:
Paradise was BORING!!! All they did was sit in a hotel room and eat. Let them have real dates where they actually do stuff.

The flower petal hot tub scenes were the worst! All the couples were excruciatingly awkward and they were hard to watch. I think it was the producers attempt to bring sexiness to the show, but instead it was just cringey.

I miss the kitchen on the island and the cooking scenes.

While I loved the drama Gwen-hee and his trio of ladies brought to the show, for the most part it seemed staged and fake.

The women in heels and carrying a bag on the beach. Let them wear comfy beach clothing!!

Really good season with a good deal of drama that can't be beat. The panel adds their reaction to the events unfolding both on the island and in Paradise. They are funny and honest in their reactions to the contestants, and brought even more to the entertainment level of the series.

Leia Mais

Fun Reality Show Will Make You Hungry for More

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I tuned into this show, but it has turned out to be very enjoyable. These Korean celebrities are legitimately running a Korean restaurant in a tourist destination in Mexico. They are working hard making delicious food to serve their customers with little downtime while the restaurant is open. It didn't take long for tourists and locals to discover this great food and the restaurant stays packed. They even have a local, loyal dog who has adopted the restaurant as a place to hang. You will be craving Korean dishes once you watch this!! Most of these dishes I've eaten, and I can tell you they are delicious. Korean food is no joke...the best food!! I kept thinking that at some point customers would recognize that they are being cooked for and served by celebrities. Although this didn't happen as often as I thought it would, some did recognize V, Park Seo Joon, and Lee Seo Jin. A young customer even left a note on the receipt that said, "I love you Kim Tae Hyung." That was really precious! I didn't think Park Seo Joon could make me a bigger fan of his, but he is absolutely amazing in the kitchen as a chef!!! So versatile, and one of the calmest personalities ever! He is truly amazing! They all are, and I'm impressed at the English and Spanish they speak to the customers. I think the only disappointment in this production will be that Jinny's Kitchen will close one day. I truly believe with the popularity of Korean entertainment and culture today, there should be a Jinny's Kitchen open in every major city around the world with my city being the first. I know they would be enormously successful, and people could sit, enjoy food, drink, and good friends. Really these celebrities and/or production company should seriously think about this. It's a great business idea. If you haven't already tuned into this, give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Edit: Just finished the series, and it is delightful. Well worth watching!! The interaction of the cast members with each other is entertaining, but what really makes this good is Bacalar, Mexico, the customers, the food, and. how the cast interacts with all of these. I hope Jinny's Kitchen becomes a real business and establishes restaurants around the world. I hope this cast gets together again in another location for some more delightful fun and food, and it is filmed so we can go along on the ride.

Leia Mais