Before We Get Married: Episode 4

At this point, Wei Wei and Ke Huan are extremely unhappy. Wei Wei is also experiencing doubt. Meanwhile Hao Yi and Zi Yuan are clueless/delusional. A plethora of emotions. Let’s dive in.

Ke Huan sells his apartment to Hao Yi at a discount. When Ke Huan decides to sell the house, it seems like he’s ready to step back. He wants to contribute to Wei Wei’s happiness. Yet, this happiness doesn’t involve him and he realizes letting go is easier said than done.

Hao Yi finally proposes to Wei Wei with a ring that Ke Huan helped him picked. This should be a joyful event as Hao Yi and Wei Wei are now home owners and a future married couple. Although Wei Wei accepts the proposal, she is not that thrilled and that’s an understatement.

One Spring Night

 

Another great mature drama! I have been impatiently waiting for new episodes of this drama and Before We Get Married to air.

This show gives me vibes of Something in the Rain because of the serious themes tackled. The stories are quite different but both deal with societal issues and pressures.

Plot

Lee Jung-In is a librarian who has been dating her successful and wealthy boyfriend, Kwon Ki-Seok, for about four years. In many people’s eyes, their relationship is perfect but what they don’t see is the lack of passion. When Jung-In meets Yoon Ji-Ho, a pharmacist and a single father, she starts to re-discover the meaning of love.

To make things more complicated, Ji Ho turns out to be a junior (hoobae) of Jung In’s boyfriend.

Other characters to look out for are Jung-In’s two sisters, especially the older sister who is dealing with serious issues of her own.

Single fatherhood

Ji Ho being a single father will probably be the hardest hurdle to overcome for the lead couple. This is something both are well aware of. This is also one of the reasons why Ki Seok refuses to let go of Jung In. Ki Seok never imagined Jung In breaking up with him. Ki Seok finds this break up especially hurtful since Jung In fell in love with a man with a child. For Ki-Seok, this is unimaginable and this tells you all about how single fathers are perceived. They are seen as defective, not worthy of love or consideration. That’s also why I am thoroughly enjoying this slap in the face to Ki-Seok. I am happy that his ego is bruised. It gives me a sense of satisfaction because he belittled Ji-Ho, not knowing that is the same man is girlfriend is falling for.

Before We Get Married

Wow. I realized it’s been over a year since we’ve published anything. Life happens and ours have been pretty hectic lately.

Regardless, I wanted to take the time to discuss this drama which has me hooked! It’s been a while since I’ve felt this way about a drama. I also noticed that Before We Get Married is not getting the attention it deserves when compared to other currently airing dramas.

Let’s talk about the plot before I share my first impressions (SPOILER ALERT).

Chu Ke Huan, a successful financial trader, has been in a relationship for about ten years with his fiancee. The female lead, Zhou Wei Wei, has also been in a relationship with her co-worker for three years. At first glance, both couples seem pretty happy in their relationship.

However, appearances can be deceiving. Wei Wei’s boyfriend, Li Hao Yi, has been obsessed with saving money to achieve specific goals such as buying a house at a certain price point, having two children and retiring by 65. Even their sex life is planned and scheduled. They can only stay at each other’s place during weekends. This is all good for Wei Wei until she meets Ke Huan. The latter makes her question if this is the life she really wants – always counting every penny, being unable to splurge once in a while, etc.

Meanwhile, Ke Huan’s encounter with Wei Wei also reveals the cracks in his relationship. Ke Huan and Zi Yuan have been together for 10 years but it seems that only one person seems emotionally invested at this point… and it’s not Ke Huan. If you’ve watched the three first episodes, you’ll quickly realize that Ke Huan seems to suffocate in his current relationship. Several times, he tries to have hard conversations but Zi Yuan always avoids them. Instead of facing the issues they are encountering, Zi Yuan seems determined to force the marriage on Ke Huan. She often reminds him of the promise Ke Huan made to her mother – taking care of her sister and her. Zi Yuan also often takes decisionS regarding Ke Huan’s private and professional life without consulting him and using “I am doing what’s best for you” excuse.

Heart Signal 2: Episodes 6-10

Jae Ho is the MVP

He’s been playing cupid in the house and I am here for it. He has a clear grasp of people’s emotions. I honestly believe that the Hyun Woo – Young Joo ship wouldn’t be sailing as it is right now if it wasn’t for him. Thanks Jae Ho!

Remember when he helped Hyun Woo – Young Joo clear their misunderstanding?

Or when he created an oppoortunity for skinship between Hyun Woo and Young Joo?

Bpoop Phaeh Saniwaat (Love Destiny)

This lakorn has stolen my heart. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a historic lakorn and more.

Kadesurang is a 20-year old archeologist who gets in a car accident alongside her friend/classmate/love interest Ruengrit. Following the accident, Kade wakes up in 17th century Ayutthaya. That’s shock number one. Shock number two is Kade waking up in somebody’s else body: Karakade. Shock number three is that Kade is Karakade’s doppleganger.

If this was not traumatic enough, Kade realizes everybody else hates Karakade. Karakade was now angel. Far from that. Karakade was mean-spirited and self-centered, which is what ultimately caused her death.

In an attempt to kill a rival, Karakade causes an accident but ends up kiling an innocent servant instead. Pretty much everyone suspects Karakade from the get go, including her betrothed Por Date and her future in-laws. To find the culprit, Por Date and his father perform a ritual, the moon mantra, which ends up killing the real Karakade.

Imagine everyone’s surprise when the fake Karakade, 20th century Kade, seems literally unbothered by the moon mantra.

When Por Date and his mother realize that our girl is still alive…

Cross: Organ Transplants

While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I love me some medical dramas (only if they are done well and realistically, so BYE DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN). Cross is a medical drama focused on organ transplants which I am very familiar with as I work on a transplant ICU! The main character Kang In Kyu is on a revenge warpath to dig out the organ harvesting rings and stop the illegal trading of organs. His journey starts when his father is brutally murdered and all his organs harvested because they were scrapped for money for his sister’s treatments. As a result of a scuffle between In Kyu and the leader of the ring, Hyung Bom, In Kyung injures his head which in turn gives him a sharper sight than most humans. In Kyu decides to make it his life goal to find Hyung Bom and punish him. Under the guidance of Jung Hoon, a organ transplant doctor, he becomes a doctor as well. His personality is exceedingly cold and robotic as he is so focused on capturing the perpetuator that made him suffer for 15 years. Thus he becomes a doctor with an aim to harm rather than heal. Soon he becomes a prison doctor in an effort to kill Hyung Bom slowly with medicine. However, this plan is derailed when Hyung Bom finds out and escaped. In Kyu is shortly transferred to the same hospital that his foster father, Jung Hoon, works at. He tries to repair the strained relationship between him and his foster father due to past misunderstandings. However, he soon finds out that the hospital executives themselves are involved in illegal organ trading. With the help of tentative friendships he made along the way, he sets out to trap Hyung Bom and put him away forever.

While Ko Gyung Po was decent in the drama, I felt like this role did not suit him very well. He has a very puppy dog lost kind of look and just doesn’t feel harsh enough. I think a grittier actor may have fit this role better. However, it was fun to see how his sharper eyesight worked to his favor when fighting! Now for the unfortunate sexual harassment scandals that Cho Jae Hyun was involved in, I cannot fault him on his acting skill which is superb, but I am glad he come forward to admit his transgressions. This resulted in his removal from the drama, albeit the drama was in it’s final stages anyways. All in all it was a decent watch with realistic organ transplant ethical dilemmas to think about.

Week of May 7th: Tear by BTS

Mother: Go Hug Your Mom Now

It took me a long time to post this. To be honest, this is more of a review than a first impression of Mother, the Korean remake of the famous Japanese Mother drama. Even now, as I write this, my heart aches in a way that is hasn’t been before.

Mother is a drama that documents the journey of a woman who rescues an abused and neglected child and goes on the run with her. Soo Jin is a socially awkward bird researcher is currently between jobs as she prepares to go to Iceland to fulfill her dream career. She has a cold and distant personality which leads her to stay out of complicated situations. However, her attention is drawn to mature and pitiful child in her kindergarten class that she is the substitute for. She noticed the telltale signs of abuse on the poor child and grudgingly helps a fellow teacher pursue the case. Time after time again, she encounters Hye Na and can’t help but have emotional flashbacks to a past trauma she also endured. It finally comes to a point where Hye Na’s mother leaves her for dead in a trash bag by the curb. Soo Jin decides she will take this child and go on the run with her to save her. She fakes Hye Na’s death and thus begins their arduous quest out of the country. Their journey is incredibly difficult and then encounter many unfortunate situations. However, Soo Jin and Hye Na, who goes by Young Bok, develop a deep emotional relationship. Young Bok sees Soo Jin as the mother she never had and just soaks up all the love that Soo Jin gives her. She learns to let go of her past and embrace each day as it comes. This journey also matures Soo Jin who learns to accept other’s help and brings down her tall wall that she had built around her heart. Without this journey, she would never have encountered her birth mother along the way or made up with her adoptive mother.

Without giving away the ending, I must say it is one that is very realistic, but also so optimistic and perfect. There was not one episode where I was not crying. The story is incredible touching and it features all types of mother and daughter relationships, good and bad. It showcases the sacrifices a mother is willing to make to protect her child, whether they be biological or not. The story is very dark and has a lot of triggering content, so please watch at your own risk.

I must say that there was not one character that was wasted in the story. You even feel twinges of sympathy for the unlikable characters as most of them are molded by their circumstances. Lee Bo Young is very talented at playing the role of a “mother” as showcased by her previous drama, God’s Gift, where she was also searching for a child. She is so natural and raw in this drama, that you can feel her pain. And now, Heo Yool, god what an AMAZING child actress. This is her first drama and she carried it on her back! I can’t believe that this is her first one as she is so immersed in such a difficult role for a child to play. Can you imagine playing an abused kid in the drama? She has a air of maturity that you just don’t see in kids her age. I just am astounded at what a masterpiece this drama was and it will be forever in my favorite dramas list even though I used a whole box of tissues while watching it.

Heart Signal 2: Episode 5

Do Gyun and Hyun Ju grab ice cream

I was not a fan of Do Gyun, but that has changed. The more I see him interact with other people in the house, especially Hyun Ju, the more I believe he’s thoughtful. He doesn’t say a lot but he seems to be a good listener. Exhibit A: Do Gyun remembered exactly what Hyun Ju was craving – ice cream – and the exact flavor. This was something Hyun Ju herself even forgot that she mentioned. There is not a lot that we get as viewers from this interaction. We don’t learn anything new. We already know Do Gyun is crushing pretty hard on Hyun Ju.

Young Joo takes a step toward Hyun Woo

If Young Joo keeps making a move on Hyun Woo, she might end up heartbroken. Ugh. It’s great that she took the initiative and went on a date with Hyun Woo, but I am not sure this is leading anywhere. I would rather her focus her efforts on Gyu Bin. She could get to know him better and give him a chance.

Heart Signal 2: Episode 4

The Christmas Dates

Hyun Woo and Hyun Ju

The two meet at a coffee shop then go to a VR cafe. Lastly, dinner.

I felt like Hyun Woo was surprised and not necessarily overjoyed to see Hyun Ju. That changes during the date.

• Hyun Woo turns out to be super caring, putting food in Hyun Ju’s plate and cutting her food for her. He was also being that way with Young Joo in the previous episode so now I am confused.
• As usual Hyun Ju was her bubbly self, which got on my nerves. I’ve said this before but given her age the aegyo seems fake. Ughh, it also rubs me in the wrong way how the love forecasters keep praising Hyun Ju. It’s like they are trying to force her down viewers’ throats.
• Hyun Ju seems possessive and jealous. On the date at the coffee shop, she keeps asking questions that give hints: Oh, did you come here with a woman before? Was your ex-girlfriend from Busan? She also indirectly asks how he feels about Young Ju…
• When it comes to Hyun Woo, the charisma is slowly wearing off. During the date, I found him slightly shy. This is not what I’ve seen of his personality in the previous episodes.
• Overall the date was pretty cute. There definitely is potential for a relation here. I was shipping Hyun Woo and Young Joo, but I am not so sure anymore.