Brilliant Legacy @ Shining Inheritance

This could be a modern, korean version of cinderella story. A step mother who mistreated her step daughter when her husband has passed away while protecting and lavishing her own daughter.

But Go Eun Sung is no helpless Cinderella. She don't wait for fairygodmother to conjure her a large coach, beautiful dress and glass shoes nor does she wait for prince charming to find her, recognize her and swept her off her feet. "She work hard for the money, so hard for it honey, she work hard for the money, so you better treat her right!" :D

After her father died, her step-mother, Baek Sung Hee, saying that all her father's asset was used to pay his debts; even their house had to be sold. She gave Eun Sung a small amount of money, for her and her autistics brother, Eun Woo to fare for a little while. She said the room she rented was too small for the four of them.

Just as she was trying to make ends meet, misery come her away again, her younger brother disappears! This wont be much of a spoiler, not long after you'll find out it was because of the step mother. When Eun Woo runs into trouble, he recite his sister's handphone number but at the time someone damaged her phone so she can't be reached, so he recite his stepmom's number. Sung Hee come to take him away, that was then she realised Eun Woo's special capabilities to almost memorize anything, any numbers he had seen or heard. She knew that if she let it be, she'll always be burdened when her stepchildren runs into trouble. So she took him away, far away from Seoul and told him not to say anything or else he wont be able to see his sister again; and left him there.

Despite this heartbreak, Eun Sung preserveres and never gave up, she works hard to find enough money, she works hard to find Eun Woo. Her true friend was also there to help in these trying times; Lee Hye Ri (Min Young Won) and Park Jun Se (Bae So Bin). Although she was also having a hard time, she did not a hesitate herself to help Jang Sook Ja who suffered from temporary amnesia. She was really a president of a large food company and the grandmother of Sun Woo Hwan(Lee Seung Ki), who she crosses many paths before with and were not in good terms because of several misunderstanding.


Jun Se confessed that he had developed stronger feelings for Eun Sung but Eun Sung told him she was not ready, she wants to find her brother first. Jun Se said he will wait, it wont be hard waiting since he's gonna always be by her side anyway. But Eun Sung put in close proximity with Hwan and the misunderstanding cleared, started to develop tender feelings for him when she started to get to know him better, same goes for Hwan . And Hwan got Seung Mi- Eun Sung's step sister- who he kept close because of habits; he knows of her feelings for him but choose to ignore the issue and kept her hanging and hoping (Men!)

It took me a long time to finish this drama not only because it was hectic time (Raya!) but because I know Park Jun Se will be heartbroken in the end. Atypically, the second guy do not went to all means to get the love of his life while second gal;Seung Mi did, she who at first was against her mother's machinations and manipulations went along and even aid her, in her effort to keep Hwan to herself. Maybe, this is what happen in reality, people do bad things not because they want to be mean, but it's just the way to survive. Sung Hee who can't live in poverty anymore, Seung Mi because she think can't live without Hwan... but for Sung Hee to be so creative and strategic... haha I do think it takes a mean-smart-mind... or am I just too complacent, easy to give up, take whatever life throw at me, too lazy to fight that my brain can't conjure up such thinking? Cause I don't claim to be un-mean. HAHAHAHA!
This drama raise Bae So Bin's name that he's offered the lead role in Temptation of Angel - currently airing! But I don't like watching online, the slow buffering! :( then there's You're Beautiful, Smile, Iris and not to mention new season of Supernatural, Heroes, Leverage, Merlin etc. where can I find the time?


Casts:

• Han Hyo Joo as Go Eun Sung
• Lee Seung Ki as Sun Woo Hwan
• Bae Soo Bin as Park Jun Se
• Moon Chae Won as Yoo Seung Mi

• Kim Mi Sook as Baek Sung Hee
• Min Young Won as Lee Hye Ri (Eun Sung's friend)
• Yun Joon Suk as Go Eun Woo
• Jung Suk Won as Jin Young Suk (Hwan's friend)
• Han Ye Won as Sun Woo Jung

South of The Border

I wouldn't pick up this dvd if it wasn't because of Cha Seung Won, and this movie wouldn't make an impression to me if I have watched before I watch City Hall.

The movie plot follows Sun Ho (Cha Seung Won), a bumbling kind French horn player in a North Korean propaganda band, who falls in love with straight talking museum guide Yeon Hwa (Jo Yi Jin). Unfortunately, just after he asks her to marry him, his family receives news that their communist hero grandfather is not actually dead, but is alive and well in South Korea . Terrified that the government will send them to a concentration camp, the family flees across the border. Sun Ho wants to bring Yeon Hwa with him, but Yeon Hwa asked him to go ahead first and then send someone to fetch her and her parents later when he reached his grandfather; as his grandfather is well off there it wouldnt' be hard to hire someone.

Unfortunately, as they finally arrived safely in South Korea, they found out that the grandfather had already passed away. So Sun Ho had to work hard and saving and scraping to pool up funds to hire someone to get Yeon Hwa. Luck was not on his side, when he finally save enough and loan some, he got swindled by some gang who targeted people like him who wants to bring family from the north. He had to start from scratch all over again, which takes years. His sister seeing his gaunt face, told him to just forget Yeon Hwa but he stubbornly refused so she hadto tell him that she heard from a passing missionary that Yeon Hwa was already married.

After some tears, beers and years later, Sun Ho married the kind lady who had helped him. They modified her restaurant to cater to north cuisine delicacies. Just as Sun Ho was settling in to be a husband, he received good news - some north korean refugees has seek asylum in third countries and now have reached the south, among them is Yeon Hwa.

What was he supposed to do? In one hand he still can't forget his first love and feels guilty of the hardship she had to endured to get to him on the other hand, he was a kind and responsible man, how can he just abandon his wife and family now for his selfish heart?

I know this is typical, separated lovers who believe the other half is dead or had moved on so they too had moved on but later find out it wasn't so. So that person had to make decision which path they would choose, the path that hurt many or the path that hurt two? Hmmm... would I hate Sun Ho character for being so weak in deciding his life if it wasn't played by Cha Seung Won? I don't know, haha...I'm soooo a-little-too-much-into him now, darn City Hall's Ju Gook.

You would think that from the title it will have some demoralising view of one country's politocs and lifestyles over another, but I found none, just human tragedy without any finger pointing on which regime is wrong or right. I do find it funny though when Sun Ho point out similarities in religious preaching in the South and propaganda speeches in the North.

City Hall (4.5)

Isn't it ironic the reason I hesitate to buy and watch this drama was because not only I'm not a fan of Kim Sun Ah but mostly because I don't think the hero was good looking enough? But now he's the reason I love this drama so much from his expressive eyes to his goofy laugh. Anyway, City Hall as you can deduct from the title revolves around the world of politics (which I have no interest in and clueless about)and include some romantic comedy elements.

Shin Mi Rae is a level 10 civil servant (the lowest level in the hierarchy), at Inju City Hall while Jo Gook is a young elite government official who was raised by a single mother, with the ambition of someday becoming the President of South Korea after he successfully passed all civil service and law exams. He was sent over to Inju City Hall by his mentor to pave the way for this mentor of his to get back to the politics world. He was told to get rid of the current mayor and put his own "puppet" mayor for Inju City.

Shin Mi Rae, learn earlier on that life consists of making choices and the best choice sometimes is to remain neutral and the safe policy to remain in the background. She work her way to support her single mother and lend a hand to whomever needed her help. When she heard that the Bandaegi Paegent organized by the city hall will give a huge sum of money to the winner, she summarize this would be the ideal way to pay off her debt - left by her jerk of ex-boyfriend - and spare some to help the needy ones. Thus, she had to appeal to Jo Gook the new deputy mayor of Inju City who was left in charge of the paegent.

Well, one thing led to another....Shin Mi Rae ended up as the youngest mayor of Inju City, and though Jo Gook and Mi Rae bicker constantly, though they know they have different principles,; huge ravine separating them because of Jo Gook's ambition, they ended up falling in love.

Though I have finished watching the drama, I still wanting to read the episode recaps by dramabeans' guest blogger, but what to do she's currently preoccupied with her nearly coming baby. I'm gonna buy if there's another boxset with better subtitles that the one I've got! cause trying to make sense of what the bad subs means to convey is really irritating!

Name: 차승원 / Cha Seung Won
Birthdate: 1970-Jun-07
Height: 188cm
Weight: 80kg

Not bad for a 40 years old! Read somehwere he got 2 kids and the eldest was 20 years old already! I'm gonna search high and low for his other works (my niece already bought me South of The Border, gonna watch it tomorrow!) cause I simply fall in love in his character here. I was not envious of Kim Sun Ah, for having acted beside Hyun Bin or Gong Yoo before, but now I'm turning Incredible Hulk. Hmm... come to think of it I dont think I've bristled over any actresses starring beside a handsome actor even Jo Hyun Jae. Maybe, because Cha Seung Won seems like a 'man' while the others just a handsome guy. Sigh! are all korean guys as loving as potray in movies and dramas? or is this just another myth? Oh yeah, read also somewhere someone commented his eyes remind them of So Ji Sup, nah....I think he got better eyes!

I like also Mi Rae's best friend and supporter Jung Boo Mi (Jung Soo Young - she always play weird characters), and Choo Sang Mi, the 'lating' opponent of Mi Rae. She has many adorable facial expression and when she cries her heart out, it makes me uncomfortable. Oh yeah she was born on the same date as me also! Now I have found 3 Korean celebrities with same birthday as mine ^_^ The there is Lee Joon Hyuk, Jo Gook's personal assistant, he's also adorable in this drama, wish there was romantic ending for him in this drama also.

I'm trying to find the song that keep playing over the entire dramas but couldnt find it. But these MVs could speak better than the words I written above.

Loving, Loving You - Park Sang Woo



My Heart, I'm Sorry - Lee Ji Hoon



Can You Hear Me _ Tae Yeon




If- Tae Yeon





on a happier note....

Sorry Sorry - Super Junior

Tsunami at Heundae (Where had the time gone?)

One of the supernatural powers that I wish to have is the ability to freeze time. How time flies by nowadays even if you're not having fun...its already nearing the last quarter of 2009, and ahead I know busy work schedule awaiting; I had my normal workload, then there is the big national meeting my dept was organizing early Jan next year, the new budget preparation, and finally by tomorrow our hectic preparation for the ministry's hari raya celebration will be done with.

Talking bout the Ministry's Hari Raya preparation, haha for 2 weeks in a row I woke up early, earlier than I normally woke up during normal working days to go to Tamu Kianggeh. Today, met up my collegues at Sheraton by 0730hrs and we went to Kianggeh, done our shopping in jiffy but somehow we went to get breakfast at 0830hrs...hmmm, maybe its the walk from the parking lot to the tamu that takes a lot of time. So arrive at the 0ffice around 9ish and then straight to decoration tasks. Tick tock tick tock, the next time I look at the watch its already 3.30pm and I had to pick up my niece from her tuition class at 4pm. Me and my one remaining collegue start to clean up the mess we had made and I drive like a candidate to F1 to pick up my niece. Haha...I know she wont mind waiting a few minutes, but we had a date to watch the 4pm Tsunami, Korean Movie - but I didnt tell my collegue that...so SHUSH!

Now my right arm hurts cause for more than 12hours I wear that arm-glove-thingie cause my sleeves are short, therefore lack of blood circulation made my arm feels numb, but i still manage to play FB's Treasure Mania and harvest my Farmville, and wrote a few words here hehe... I've been meaning to write abour korean drama Brilliant Inheritance (Bae Soo Bin!) that I have finished watching weeks ago, but couldnt find the time....maybe sometime next week lah. At the moment I'm watching City Hall which I had hesitate to buy at first cause I'm not a fan of Kim Sun Ah and the hero does not look dashing from the cover of the boxset, but heck dont judge the guy by his look alone! haha...I'm falling with his character bit by bit (though his assistant was much cuter), he was this arrogant, ambitious, self-righteous jerk but underneath he's just a softie who dont want to wear his heart on his sleeve. I like that scene when he asked Min Rae if she can handle the truth? He doesn't ask her to go on the overnight trip because to ask her about 'this' but he use 'this' as an excuse to go on a trip with her. More on that later in another post....

Back to the movie, Tsunami starring what some well known actors that I know like Ha Ji Won (What Happened in Bali), Lee Min Ki (Dalja's Spring) and Uhm Jung Hwa (The Man Who Can't Get Married), we saw lots of disaster movies from Hollywood so I was intrigued to see how South Korea would do it. Like most good movies from Korea,Tsunami at was full of drama, comedy, romance and now a disaster scenario.

I think we missed out around 15mins of the beginning of the movie (I'm gonna find the dvd with good subtitles!), but I think it concentrate on Korea's most popuilar beach resort that have around a million visitors each year. The movie revolves around three main couples, there is no hero here just story of people's lives before and after the aftermath, so there's more attention given to the characters and their emotion.

Couple no 1, Choi Man-Shik (Sol Kyung-gu), who lost his best friend at sea during the earlier 2004 tsunami and has never returned to deep-sea fishing since and his deceased friend's daughter Gang Yeon-Heui (Ha Ji-won) who runs a small seaside fish eatery who has been dropping him hints and waiting for him to propose. Though Min Shik also have feelings for Yeon Heui, there something about the 5 years ago tragedy that keeps haunting him.

Couple no 2, Man-Shik's handsome lifeguard brother Hyeong-Shik (Lee Min-Ki) on the other hand, gets more than he bargained for when he rescues drowning university student Hee-Mee (Gang Ye-weon) and has to deal with her crazy stalking ways. Lee Min Ki as always was adorable in his dorky ways....

Couple no 3, a divorce couple, a marine geologist Kim Hwi (Park Jung-hun) tries in vain (it's always the case, isn't it?) to persuade the Disaster Prevention Agency to issue an evacuation following an undersea earthquake that he suspects will trigger a mega-tsunami. He also stumbles upon his ex-wife Lee Yu-Jin (Uhm Jung-Hwa) who's in town with the seven-year-old daughter he has never met.

With so many characters, you feel pushed and pulled with their story, and trying to catch up how one relates to another, and the special effects!, it can really compete with Hollywood's, sitting in the cinema seat I feel like I want to cowered back from the incoming waves or dashed to save the little girl while the huge wave was so near!

And the ending..... I shed a few tears (really just a few!) but my niece had to wipe her face and her eyes are a bit red. The movie will be more umph! I think if they depict how the survivor struggle to survive rather than they were being swept away by the water and then they were on top of a roof waiting to be rescued. And I dont understand how could the couple who are on one of the highest building couldnt survive while the one who just around 4 storey up could? And isnt when you are at sea, you can feel the wave of the tsunami but it was not as huge as it was coming to land? I'll give it a 3.8 stars lah because of the ending...