Tag Archives: Haeundae Lovers

Dear kfangurl: What are some shows that are not set in the big city?

Ushahin writes:

So, I’ve been looking through all the kdramas that have really helped me feel a bit better since the start of the lockdown. I found I am really craving stories that are set somewhere other than a large metropolis like the one I’m currently stuck in.

So, something relaxing and contemporary as opposed to historical and action/suspense oriented. The last one I really loved was Racket Boys; for both characters and settings.

Before that I watched When the Weather is Fine and found it soothing mostly based on the atmosphere. I’m having a hard time finding more though. Your recommendations have never once let me down. Can you help?

All the Love.

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Review: Fated to Love You

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

A drama that’s fantastically cracky in its first half, but unfortunately meanders into Sad Angstville in its later episodes and never quite recovers fully from its detour.

Fated To Love You is extremely easy to fall for in its early episodes.

Fabulously committed and nuanced deliveries by Jang Hyuk and Jang Na Ra not only bring the funny, but also land the emotional beats extremely well. Their lovely, very believable chemistry as our OTP is also a big draw.

All of this, combined with a story that clocks a brisk pace, and finds time to serve up a variety of cheeky meta, makes Early Show one deliciously addictive package that charmingly sweeps us off our feet as it engages us in its confident, off-beat dance.

Unfortunately, the brisk pace slows to a crawl in the show’s last stretch, and it feels like our story gets weary from doing time on a Going Nowhere treadmill.

On the upside, The Cute eventually comes back; Show’s just not quite as cracky at its end as compared to its glorious beginnings.

Depending on your love &/or patience levels, your mileage with this show as a whole is likely to vary.

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Review: Haeundae Lovers

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THE SHORT VERDICT:

A drama that positions itself as a breezy rom-com, but that also happens to have birth secrets and corporate politics hidden up its deceptively fluffy sleeves.

Because of plot pacing that jerks between campy comedy and more melodramatic arcs, watching this drama can be a very uneven experience at times.

Still, if you’d care to peel away this show’s flaws – layers made up of sudden melodramatic dips, lots of yelling and screeching by two-dimensional secondary characters, and more overacting than I’d care to mention – there might be just enough cute and just enough heart to keep you hanging in there.

Plus, there’s quite a lot of Kim Kang Woo pretty on display. Depending on where you’re coming from, that could potentially count for a lot.

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Pure Pretty: Kim Kang Woo

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So recently, I’ve been watching Haeundae Lovers (2012). While the drama itself is a mixed bag with some gaping flaws, I have to give credit where it’s due. This show has reminded me all over again, just how pretty Kim Kang Woo is.

Before, I’d seen Kim Kang Woo in 2009’s Story of a Man (aka The Slingshot), a show which I didn’t end up loving, unlike everyone else. Back then, I’d noted the Kim Kang Woo pretty, but didn’t think to seek him out afterwards and he quietly slipped off my radar.

Fast forward to 2014, when I decided on a whim to check out Haeundae Lovers. When Kim Kang Woo sauntered onto my screen, I hafta admit, one of my first thoughts was, “Oooh.. Prettyyy~”

And that just inspired me to, er, extend the appreciation with this post. 😉

Come gaze with me, y’all.