Korean Drama Review: Mary Stayed Out All Night

Title: Mary Stayed Out All Night/Marry Me, Mary! 
Director: Hong Suk Goo
Producer: Jung Sung Hyo
Screenwriters: In Eun Ah & Go Bong Hwang 
Network: KBS2
Originally Aired: November 8 - December 28 2010
Number of Episodes: 16
Starring: Moon Geun Young, Jang Keun Suk, Kim Jae Wook, Kim Hyo Jin 

Plot Summary:
Wi Mary has led a difficult life.  Her mother died when she was a little girl and her father is constantly getting into debt.  She's grown up taking care of herself and running from debtors.  But she's cheerful, optimistic and loves to watch dramas.  She enters into an interesting relationship with Kang Mu Gyul when she accidentally hits him with her friend's car.  At the same time, Mary's father is reunited with his childhood friend who is returning to Korea from Japan where he became immensely wealthy.  The two agree that they should keep the promise they made years ago to have Mary marry Byun Jung In, the son of her dad's friend. To escape getting married to a strange man she doesn't love, Mary convinces Mu Gyul to pose as her husband.  This only complicates matters when the fathers propose a 100 day trial period in which Mary will chose to marry either Jung In or Mu Gyul.  

What I Liked:

1. Wi Mary, Kang Mu Gyul and Their Relationship: Both characters were charismatic and easily likable.  Mary is cute, bright and bubbly.  I especially loved Jang Keun Suk's portrayal of Mu Gyul, he had that indie rocker feel to him and his smile is totally infectious.  I also love how we get to see him grow and mature a bit over the course of the drama.  I became invested in both characters and I really wanted things to work out for them.  Their scenes together were great, especially in the early episodes which were fun and lighthearted.  I found myself laughing and smiling a lot at their antics.  And of course the relationship that develops between them overtime was sweet and enjoyable to watch as well.  

2. The Gang!: i.e. Mary and Mu Gyul's friends respectively.  They're so much fun, especially when everyone got together.  They're just goofy and always seem up for having a good time, the kind of people I wouldn't mind spending time with.  They brought a lot of energy to the scenes they were in which made them fun to watch.  I wish we could have seen more of them and gotten to know them a bit better. 

3.  The Initial Interactions Between Seo Jun and Mary: In the early episodes I enjoyed seeing the two of them work together and become closer.  I liked how the two dealt with the misunderstandings they had between them and it would have been really cool to see their relationship develop further.  

4. Seo Jun's Relationship With Jung In: I liked how hard she worked with the Director to make their work successful and how he was there to support her through her own problems.  I also admired her unwavering loyalty for Jung In despite the numerous setbacks they faced.   

5. The Fashion: Of course.  I loved Mu Gyul's and Seo Jun's edgier, rock inspired outfits and how some of Seo Jun's looks seemed to come right off the runway.  I also really liked Mary's bohemian, heavily layered look which was cute and unique.  

6. The Music: I quite liked the music played by Mu Gyul's band, even if it was played a lot but I also just liked a lot of the music they had playing in the background throughout.  It was fun hearing 2NE1 when everyone was drinking and hearing "All By Myself" at an appropriate moment.  I love it when Korean dramas use old English songs in a scene that is relevant to the song. 

7. The Relationship Between Mu Gyul and Jung In: Here I'm referring mainly to the more comic interactions between the two of them.  There weren't many but when they appeared I found myself laughing a lot.  I wish we could have seen more of those moments between the two of them. 

What I Disliked: 
1. The Parents: Granted, I don't think we're supposed to like them that much and I am aware that there is a bit of a cultural difference here in that I never really understand the overbearing parents/in laws in most Korean Dramas...but these guys were too much for me.  I didn't like how the parents continually just did what they wanted without really talking to their kids and how the children just let them push them around repeatedly.  Again, to some degree I understand a child not wanting to go against their parents but their passivity was almost ridiculous as the parents' actions became more and more destructive.  My main issue though was that the whole conflict between the various parents and children became repetitive in the later episodes.  The same arguments and problems kept appearing over and over again without ever being resolved.  It became quite frustrating. 

2. Seo Jun's Relationship With Mu Gyul: I found it very hard to feel any sympathy for Seo Jun when it came to how she dealt with Mu Gyul.  She made a lot of immature decisions because of her feelings for him and I felt that it contradicted her character in a lot of ways.  

3. Jung In: There were times when I liked him, especially when he was being horribly awkward, but for the most part he was too cold for me.  As a result I never felt sympathetic towards him and so his aspect of the love triangle with Mary irritated me which is unfortunate because I really did want to like him.  

4. Manger Bang and Lee An Subplot: This whole aspect of the drama I never really cared for.  I had to resist skipping ahead of these parts in the episodes because I found them to be boring and unnecessary.  

Overview: 
I wanted to like this drama a lot more than I did.  It started off really well.  The early episodes with Mary and Mu Gyul doing stupid things and getting in and out of trouble were refreshing and a lot of fun.  But somewhere in the later episodes that was lost and the problems brought about by the 100 day contract became increasingly repetitive and frustrating.  Still, I'm glad I watched this drama if only for Moon Geun Youn and Jang Keun Suk who were fantastic.  I would recommend this drama for people who are fans of Jang Keun Suk, dramas that feature bands/music or are looking for something fun and cute. 

Rating: 3/5

So what did you think of Mary Stayed Out All Night?  And which Jang Keun Suk rocker is your favourite; Tae Kyung in You're Beautiful or Mu Gyul in Mary Stayed Out All Night?  Let me know in the comments! 

Korean Drama Review: You're Beautiful

Title: You're Beautiful 
Director: Kong Sung Chang 
Screenwriters: Hong Jung Eun & Hong Mi Ran 
Network: SBS
Originally Aired: October 7 - November 26 2009 
Number of Episodes: 16
Starring: Park Shin Hye, Jang Keun Suk, Jung Yong Hwa, Lee Hongki & Uee 

Plot Summary: 
Go Mi Nyu has never really known a world outside the convent she was raised in.  Her main aspiration in life is to become a nun.  Her training is interrupted when her twin brother, Go Mi Nam, is forced to go to the United States to fix botched plastic surgery.  Go Mi Nam has just been selected to be the new lead singer in the super popular band A.N. JELL but if he doesn't meet the band soon his career will be ruined before it can even begin.  Mi Nyu agrees to pose as her brother while he is in the United States after his manager begs for her help.  This brings Go Mi Nyu into close proximity with the other members of A.N. JELL who she now has to live with while pretending to be her brother.  It isn't long before the other members begin to suspect something.  Will Go Mi Nyu be able to keep her secret until her brother comes back? 

What I Liked: 

1. The Nun/Cross Dressing Concept: I know, the whole "girl pretending to be a boy" thing has been done quite a few times in Korean dramas before and it isn't entirely realistic.  But it's still a fun concept that I enjoy.  Plus Go Mi Nyu training to be a nun (and failing quite miserably it seems) of course reminded me of The Sound of Music which is one of my all time favourite movies.  

2. Kang Shin Woo's Initial Relationship with Go Mi Nam: When Go Mi Nam first joins A.N. JELL she has a very hard time fitting in so it was nice to see her relationship with Shin Woo.  He's a very caring and considerate person and takes on a sort of "silent protector" roll for Go Mi Nam that I thought was very sweet.  Jun Yong Hwa did a great job in portraying this aspect of his personality.  

3. Jeremy: He's just so cute! He's sweet and a bit childish and it was a lot of fun watching his reactions towards Go Mi Nam.  

4. Go Mi Nam and Hwang Tae Kyung's Relationship: At first I didn't like this aspect of the drama at all because I found Tae Kyung to be too irritating.  But he grew on me overtime and I liked watching his character grow a bit and the relationship between the two of them develop as the drama progressed. The two share a lot of really funny and sweet moments that I enjoyed a lot.   

5. Yoo He Yi: I won't say too much but I just found her personality to be really entertaining.  I also liked how her character grew and changed a bit over the episodes as well.  I mean, the change wasn't drastic, but it was there.  

6. Choi Soo Eun & Kim In Kwon: I loved A.N. JELL's stylist.  She's quirky and isn't afraid to boss around Kim In Kwon, Go Mi Nam's manager.  While I found the manager annoying at times, his interactions with Choi Soo Eun were hilarious.  

7. The Fashion: This comes as no surprise I'm sure!  Half the fun of watching Korean dramas is checking out the fashion and this drama didn't disappoint.  I loved the edgy, rock/punk inspired clothes that popped up throughout the drama.  

What I Disliked: 
1. The Relationship Between Jeremy and Go Mi Nam: Again, I won't go too much into this but for me their relationship wasn't developed enough.  This meant that incidents that occur in later episodes didn't have that much of an impact on me and I was actually surprised by some of the things that occurred later on.  It seemed really out of place.  

2. The Limited Interactions Between A.N. JELL Members: This really surprised me actually.    I expected the members to be closer than they were since they lived and worked together and I got the impression that A.N. JELL had been around for a few years.  But they hardly ever interacted to the point that I was confused as to whether they even liked or disliked each other.  There were a few scenes where we get to see them interact with each other and I really enjoyed them.  So I wish there could have been more of that.  Instead, the only one that any of them ever seem to befriend is Go Mi Nam.  

3. Shin Woo's Character Development: In the later episodes Shin Woo's character changes quite a bit which really surprised me.  To me his actions in later episodes totally contradict his initial attitude towards Go Mi Nam.  It confused me and Shin Woo actually became one of my least favourite characters by the end of the drama.  

4. Tae Kyung's Pouty Face: Okay, maybe we're not supposed to like this one...or maybe it's just me but seriously! Every time he made that face I wanted to punch him.  Repeatedly. 

Overview:
Overall I liked this drama.  It was a lot of fun to watch which I mainly attribute to the characters portrayed by Park Shin Hye and Jang Keun Suk and their relationship.  A lot of the characters were enjoyable to watch and the music and fashion really added to the drama.   There were some aspects that were contradictory and confusing at times but overall I enjoyed watching it.  If you're a fan of dramas that feature cross dressing or boy bands with gorgeous members than I would recommend this to you! 

Rating: 3.5/5 

So have you seen You're Beautiful?  What did you think of it?  What's your favourite Korean drama about music?  Let me know in the comments below! 

2PM is back with Comeback When You Hear This Song!

The Beast Idols are back after two long years with the ridiculously long Comeback When You Hear This Song! Finally, I was starting to think we would never see these guys again.  Towards the end there I think I could feel the collective anticipation of Hottests all over the world waiting for this day.  Though (and don't shoot me, please) I've never actually been a huge 2PM fan.  I'm not all that familiar with the members in the group except for Nichkhun and Taecyeon.  I do like a few of their songs, like I'll be Back and Hands Up (both 2011) but it usually takes me a long time to get into any of their songs.  So, like with Lee Hyori's comeback I was anticipating it but I wasn't sure what to expect or if I would like it.

I was really surprised then, when I first started to watch the video and I got super excited.  The song hadn't even really started yet but I was super excited and then the "JYP" whisper happened and I was so psyched.  Totally was not expecting that, also am I the only one that missed the "JYP" whisper? Is that ridiculous?  Anyways, I fell in love with this song by the time the first chorus hit.  Not even by the end of the first chorus, but during that initial buildup I was already rocking out to this song.  Which may be kind of surprising because it's so different from 2PM's previous songs but maybe that's why I ended up liking it so much.  

The song has a really upbeat feel to it.  It's the type of song that seems to have been designed to make you smile.  I love how it builds up in the beginning, it's very smooth and the escalating beat was perfect for me.  The chorus could have had a bit more to it, but it's fun and I find myself singing along to it every time.  It's also pretty catchy.  All of the guys sound great too, I wish I knew them better so I could name names but I was surprised at how nice they all sounded.  And I liked Taecyeon's rap part.  I like Taecyeon in general.  

I love the video too.  The speakers at the top of the building were cool and the nighttime skyline behind it was awesome.  The entire video looked beautifully shot actually.  I love the look of all the members too.  Their outfits have a cute retro feel with those suspenders and cropped trousers which I like a lot.  And the dance!  The dance is fantastic.  It fits the song perfectly and it has a very old school musical feel, something akin to Gene Kelly or Frank Sinatra.  I'm a bit of a musical lover so I thought that was awesome all around.  The Seven Deadly Sins was an interesting concept, though to be honest I didn't even notice it the first few times I watched the video because I was too busy rocking out to the song and gushing over the awesome dance.  Also the one-girl-for-six-group-members K-Pop trope was a bit tiresome as it is in every music video where it appears.  But all in all I really enjoyed the music video which helps explain why I've probably watched it thirty times today.  

Come Back When You Hear This Song is different from anything 2PM has released in the past.  I'm used to their more serious, melodramatic songs and I'm sure a lot of people were disappointed that this is so different.  But for me at least it was a pleasant surprise.  I already love this song and I know it's one I will have on constant repeat for a long time yet.  Definitely one of my favourite songs of the year so far!  If, for some weird reason you haven't seen this music video you can watch it down below! 

So what did you think?  Did you like the song as much as I did?  Or do you prefer their older stuff?  Who's your favourite 2PM member?  Tell me in the comments!

Lee Hyori is Back With Miss Korea!

After three years the queen herself is back!  Those of you who are newer to K-Pop might not know Lee Hyori but she's been around for a very long time, first debuting all the way back in 1998 with the girl group Fin. K. L.  She went solo in 2003 and was immensely successful throughout the decade.  Her comeback has been long anticipated so it's great to see she's finally back!

Despite her iconic status, I've never been a huge Lee Hyori fan though I do like U-Go-Girl (2008) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2010).  Still I wouldn't call any of her songs personal favourites.  I wasn't totally sure what to expect with her comeback or if I would even like it.  So I was pleasantly surprised when I first watched Miss Korea.

It's a lot different from her other songs which are more electronic, hip hop and dance focused.  Miss Korea is so retro and it really channels a 1950's feel with the outfits, makeup, and set.  It has a real jazzy feel to it that I personally love and I was sold on the song by the end of the first chorus.  It's got an easy beat and melody, especially in the chorus that makes it easy to sing along to.  Which is probably why it's been stuck in my head all day.  I was also surprised by the lyrics which cover a more serious topic on what it means to be beautiful by society's standards and the price people are willing to pay to achieve that beauty.  So while it's different from what I'm used to hearing from Lee Hyori, I really like it's mellow vibe and retro feel.


The video is simple and matches the retro feel of the song.  Again, very different from Lee Hyori's past work which tended to be more flashy, loud and in your face sexy.  Everything is more toned down in this video.  Lee Hyori is sexy as ever, though in a classy and grown up way that again suits the entire video and song really well.  I love her makeup in this video and all of her outfits channeled the 1950's/1960's in a way that reminded me a lot of the musical Dream Girls.  Also there are drag queens in this video!  I didn't even notice until the end but it was a cool and surprising addition to the video.  I can't think of another Korean music video that has incorporated drag queens.


To sum it up, I really like this song.  While it's different from Lee Hyori's previous work its smooth, jazzy sound had me hooked from the beginning.  If you haven't seen Lee Hyori's Miss Korea than check it out below!



So what did you think?  Do you like Miss Korea or do you prefer Lee Hyori's more wild dance tracks?  Let me know in the comments!