The Legend Premieres in Singapore

Singapore fans of Bae Yong Jun must have rejoiced as The Legend made its much awaited premiere on small screens via Channel U at 7.30pm last night (Sunday). It must have been a long wait for many since the drama has been released for quite some time in Korea.

I happened to switch over from the 'live' coverage of the F1 Monaco GP, being a Ferrari fan that I am, to watch the sequence showing the 3 gods taking on the black phoenix. It felt great to rewatch this sequence and relive the part where Bae Yong Joon had to kill Lee Ji Ah to put an end to the destruction wrought on by the black phoenix conjured by Lee Ji Ah's anger.

I noticed that the picture quality of the drama suffered greatly on the telly. I can tell the difference as I watched this series on dvd. Not sure if it has something to do with the fact the Channel U is currently not a HD channel. It's a real pity that the full glory of the special effects in the drama cannot be enjoyed by fans in Singapore.

For those who can afford the dvds, I suggest that you grab a copy and enjoy the drama in its full High Definition glory which it was meant to be seen in the first place. For your info, I bought the below version. It's pretty good, the chinese dubbing is quite well done and I had no problem with any of the discs. And I paid around S$25 for it. So it's pretty cheap for a series running for 30 plus episodes. Since it's the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) season, you might get it even at lower prices!

Btw, Hellohallyu am in no way advertising for this particular version. We are just giving some honest opinions on the version we bought! :)

KBS found a winner in Hong Gil Dong

(Image Source: chosun.com)

The latest KBS drama offering Hong Gil Dong seems to have struck the right note with audiences in Korea. Going by the various reviews and comments made in the Korean media, I gather that Hong Gil Dong is doing well in the ratings war with dramas by the rival networks.

Debuting on KBS 2 last Wednesday, words like "young and fresh" were used to described the drama. According to The Korea Herald, "this new take on the traditional historical drama presents the most unlikely mix of global pop culture references to ever hit TV screens".

"From Hong Kong action stunts to Bollywood belly dancing to a touch of Shakespearean stage humor, this drama gives the classic story of one of Korea`s most popular heroes, Hong Gil-dong, a radical makeover."

You know that this drama must be that good to garner such positive comments. Frankly, having watched a couple of Bollywood movies, I know the producers of Hong Gil Dong must have done a lot of homework if Sung Yu Ri is to look good and natural doing belly dancing around a coconut tree. That's a fantasy of mine, not sure if Sung Yu Ri actually did such a scene in the drama.

But I know that she did this. . .

" . . . Sung Yu-ri, a former member of the hit girl-group Fin.K.L., turns bathroom humor into an art in her role as the boyish heroine Heo Lee-nok. In the second episode, Sung, 26, defecates in the wilderness, to put it nicely. From her singing while she does her business to her delicate selection of the right leaf to use as toilet paper, Sung pulls off the scene with perfect comic timing."

Reading it already sounds hilarious! I would like to see how the icy snow queen turns into a bathroom humour queen in this drama.

Now, I just have to wait another 1 - 2 weeks before it hit the screens on KBS World.

Life's good in 2008.



Releated Posts:
Pictures - Hong Gil Dong
Sung Yu Ri's New Drama - Hong Gil Dong

Source Article:
The Korea Herald, New KBS Drama takes fusion to extremes (link leads to main page as there's no article specific link)

Best Kisses in 2007 K-Dramas

No Korean drama is complete without one classic smooching scene. Who can forget the time when Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) disregarded his sexual orientation to plant that kiss on a stunned Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) in The First Shop of Coffee Prince.

Here's what Korean TV viewers thought were the best kissing scenes in K-dramas for the year 2007. The results were based on a survey carried out by Naver.com (the English version of the news can be found at HanCinema)

Unexpected kiss scene ("Prince Hours")

To kiss or not to kiss ("Thank you")

Love is wafted on the rain ("Que Sera, Sera")

Wretched tearful kiss scene ("Merry Mary")

Refreshing Cucumber flavoured kiss ("War of Money")

A low-rated but heart-fluttering kiss ("Capital Scandal")

Gong Yoo's coming out ("Coffee Prince")

I strongly suggest that you read the English translation of the survey results at HanCinema since the way Naver.com described the kisses, or how it got translated, is kind of interesting to say the least. Trust me, you will understand why the kisses were described in such a way after reading the article.

Personally, I found Gong Yoo's coming out kiss in the Coffee Prince as one of the most sweet and, for want of a better word, powerful kissing scenes I have seen in any Korean drama this year.

It's not an everyday occurence to see a guy who's doubting his own sexuality planting a kiss on another guy who happens to be his mate (as in best buddies). Credit to the director in making the scene both believable and touching.


Here's a photo collage that was taken off the source article from Naver.com.

Pictures - Hong Gil Dong

HelloHallyu is back to normal service after a festive weekend of feasting on turkey ham and beer basted pork knuckle. It was a great weekend. Anyway, I am kinda rusty having been out of touch with the Korean entertainment scene, barring watching Jumong, over the last few days.

To bring myself and everyone up to date, my X'mas, or post-X'mas offering, is a batch of photos from the press conference for the upcoming KBS drama Hong Gil Dong that took place yesterday.

(All images are taken from chosun.com)

The costumes alone is already reason for me to look forward to this drama. Don't they remind you of anime characters coming to life? Kang Ji Hwan certainly looks cool and yet comical with his rose tinted glasses. And Sung Yu Ri is so. . . kawaii!!!

I have a feeling that Hong Gil Dong will take the slot for Pretty Insun on KBS World once the latter ends. Keeping my fingers crossed since I have been disappointed before.

Oh, did I tell anyone that I am following Pretty Insun too? Time constraints meant that I have only seen the first 2 episodes of Pretty Insun. But I definitely liked what I have seen so far.

Darn, so many good Korean dramas, but so little time! Thank God for DVD recorders!!!

DVD Boxset 2 for The First Shop of Coffee Prince is now available!

Somebody must be listening to the grouses of Korean drama fans in Singapore. If not, what can be the reason for the sudden influx of the latest Korean drama titles on the shelves of dvd shops? Well, I am definitely not complaining!

Today, with my purchase of the second box set of the dvd for The First Shop of Coffee Prince drama series, I can finally declare that I have the full collection. Yay!

Frankly, I can't wait to start watching the whole series again! Just got to make time for it though.

A gripe I have is that HMV 'overcharged' me by $7! If you look at the price tag in the picture below, which is a scan of my dvd box, the box set is going for $25.90 per set at the shops. So, Hellohallyu recommend all Korean drama fans to play their smart money on non-HMV shops, such as TS and Poh Kim, to get your Coffee Prince dvds.


If Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo are not incentives enough for you to buy this series, than perhaps the free coffee that comes with each box set may loosen the purse strings a little. Yes, TS is actually giving a packet of Super Coffemix 3 in 1 (containing 10 satchets) for the purchase of each boxset.

Now you can catch Go Eun Chan and Choi Han Hyul in action while sipping on a hot cup of aromatic coffee. What a wonderful way to enjoy a Korean drama.

A cuppa to go with the drama!

DVD for The First Shop of Coffee Prince is now available in Singapore

Imagine my joy when I saw the dvd boxset for The First Shop of Coffee Prince on a shelf in HMV Citylink Mall last weekend.

Nine to 12 months is, or used to be, the norm for dvds of the hottest Korean dramas to reach Singapore's shores. Being able to get my hands on Coffee Prince in Singapore, barely 3 months after its screening in Korea, definitely qualifies as a hugely wonderful experience.

For fans who are itching to watch this drama, head down to HMV Citylink Mall and head for the section for dvd-drama. The boxset, 1 out of 2, costs S$32.90 and comes in the Code 3 version. I will be keeping a lookout for the release of the second boxset. I will update again once I get my hands on the second boxset.

Have a Cuppa! The First Shop of Coffee Prince premieres on Fieldmarshal's Goggle Box

Something aromatic is wafting from my television screen. Sniff. Sniff. Smells nice, warm, delightful and a tad bitter. It reminds me of something. Oh yeah, it smells like a good cup of hot coffee made from the best roasted arabica coffee beans!

No, I am not behaving this way because of my coffee addiction, nor have I become a connoisseur of coffee, although I did have a stint of studying coffee consumption for an academic thesis before. The coffee-like 'aroma' comes from the new Korean drama - The First Shop of Coffee Prince.



After much agonising, my wife and I finally succumbed to the temptation of catching this latest drama offering from MBC. Our original plan was to hold out till the release of the dvds, which usually means around a year, so that we can get the version dubbed in Chinese. Guess our need for a Korean drama 'fix' was just too strong.

Korean dramas were just not the same after Flowers for My Life, which, in our opinion, is still the best Korean drama out there.

The First Shop of Coffee Prince stars the ever bubbly Yoon Eun Hye (Princess Hours and The Man in the Vineyard fame) and the oh-so-delectable Gong Yoo(One Fine Day). The First Shop of Coffee Prince is MBC's response to falling viewership for its drama as competition heats up for eyeballs in Korea and other parts of the world.



Based on what I see in the first episode, also known as the "1st Cup", I believe that MBC has recaptured the magic which we saw in Princess Hours. Filmed in a style akin to the Princess Hours and Alone in Love, The First Shop of Coffee Prince, in all its HD (or high definition) glory, is a slick, stylish and beautiful made drama.

Images are so crisp, that it beat the signals I get from my cable service provider! Alone in Lovewas the only other show where the images were so crystal clear and sharp, and I watched that on dvd mind you. This is another reason why everyone should upgrade to a HD-ready tv and download HD programmes off the internet. Doubt there's any infringement of IP since the drama was shown on free-to-air MBC channel in Korea. Yay to technolgy! Yay to all the hardworking fan-subbers out there! Yay! Yay! Yay!

Image quality aside, Yoon Eun Hye plays the role of tomboyish girl - Go Eun Chan- really well. We all know that she's a girl and one can't help but feel amused that all the men and the women in the drama seem blind to her delicate feminine features. Their ignorance is played out to the maximum effect as Eun Chan and Choi Han Kyul(Gong Yoo's character) are put in some gender-awkard positions.



As for Gong Yoo, he plays the role of Choi Han Kyul. Han Kyul is a happy-go-lucky epicurean who does nothing all day apart from partying and getting his mum and granny all worked up. Female fans would be glad to know that he has gamely bared (for the benefit of female readers and fans) his upper torso for a few scenes in the 1st Cup.



I have to hand it to Gong Yoo for maintaining such a well-sculpted body. As a guy, I can't help but admire a beautiful specimen of my gender within the species. Makes me wonder what I should do with the excess flab on my own body. hehe... ...

Anyway, I have not laughed so much, or so hard, for some time. The First Shop of Coffee Prince is a great drama to lighten the mood after a hard day's work. What's more, there's eye candies in the form of Yoon Eun Hye, for the guys, and Gong Yoo, for the girls. If these are not enough, the supporting actress - Chae Jung Ahn - is also another pretty face to look out for.



I am already itching and urging my PC to burn the next episode on the dvd. That way, I get to watch the drama on the big screen! Here's a toast to the drama that's giving me the reason to stay addicted to, coffee, well actually Korean dramas. I am already looking forward to the next serving of coffee.

Eun Chan! Where's my cup of coffee? I need it now!!!

(This post first appeared in my personal blog - Fieldmarshal. So don't be alarmed if you come across the same piece in 2 different blogs! Aja!!!)

Watched the final episode of Flowers for My Life with Mydaemon earlier in the week. We were unsure of what to expect since this drama is so "un-stereotypical" of Korean dramas. Just like the real world, Flowers for My Life unfolds in a orderly yet chaotic way reminisence of our daily lives.

The realistic yet fluid way of storytelling meant that the series is likely to end "happily" with Hosang (Cha Tae Hyun) surviving his pancreatic cancer (with a 98% fatality rate) or "less happily" with the passing of Hosang. However, the wonderful part of this series is that despite our hope for Hosang to survive against the odds, we are already at peace for an alternative ending.

Why should I be contented with a less than fairy-tale ending?

Simply because the director and scriptwriter have both done a good, if not great, job in telling a story of how a dying man and his love learn to understand that death is no obstacle to love and that a life lived is indeed a life fully experienced.

This drama is about the meaning of what it is to be truly alive. My lack of vocabluary do great injustice to the sensitive and rich manner in which the story for Flowers for My Life was told.
I highly recommend this series to anyone who is handling a difficult situation where a loved one is sick as well as those who wants a wake up call to the daily drone which we call life. Do be prepared for a roller-coaster ride of emotions as moments of joy will be interspersed with moments of grief and sadness. Do not be too worried that you will be left an emotional wreck at the end of the drama as all emotional aspects of the drama was handled in a highly sensitive manner.

Everything that happened in the drama happened for a reason. Expect no fluff and superficiality associated with most other Korean dramas. This is a drama about 'humanity' from the beginning to the end. I have no regrets about the accidental manner with which I stumbled across this drama while channel surfing a month or two back. Guess this is one of life's little surprises and ongoing lessons for me.

Watch this as it is even better than Alone in Love - a drama which is also highly rated.

Poll results out

Goong won the top position in our previous Readers' Choice for favourite K-drama.

My Name is Kim Sam Soon was a distant second, with The Snow Queen right on its heels.

So I've put up a new poll - check out the sidebar. :) This is a new Blogger page element. I hope it works. Cheers, and have fun voting.

Korean Star all Suited Up for New SBS Drama

Read in Chosun Ilbo that one of the hunkiest, well I think he is, Korean male stars is donning a fat suit for an upcoming drama. This brings back memories of other stars, both global and regional - Asia, who had donned fat suits before.

See the pictures below. Do they ring a bell? People, no peeping at the source! It will take away the fun of guessing who these stars are. :)

Fat Suited Girl: Who is she?

(Source: themakeupgallery)

Fat Suited Hunk 1: Who is he?

(Source: acdrifter.com)

THE KOREAN STAR IN FAT SUIT! Who is he?

(Source: http://www.sbs.co.kr/)

Fat Suited Girl
Here's the answers. Fat suited girl is none other than Gwyneth Paltrow. She donned the suit in the 2001 movie - Shallow Hal. The make-up artists sure did a good job in transforming this stunningly elegant and beautiful actress into the unrecognisable girl in the picture above.

Fat Suited Hunk 1
This should be easy. Perhaps more so for fans in Asia. He's an Asia and global star whose face has appeared on the silver screens all over the world. Hint: Think House of the Flying Daggers.

Fat Suited Hunk 1 is none other than Hong Kong's very own heart-throb - Andy Lau. Frankly, I think Hong Kong's make-up artists, for the movie Love On a Diet, did a so-so job for Andy's fat suit. It is pretty obvious that they "allowed" him to maintain some of this natural good looks despite slopping tons of make-up and rubber on his face. Guess they did not want to "uglify" him too much. Compared Andy's fat suit with that of our Korean hunk of the day.

So did anyone get it right?

The Korean Star in Fat Suit
Readers who guessed Oh Ji Ho is correct! Yup, he's the hunk who played the character Chul Soo, the male lead with the chiseled looks and sculpted body in the Fantasy Couple. Oh Ji Ho dons the fat suit for the upcoming SBS drama Butcher Oh Soo Jung. Read more of this drama in this thread in soompi's forum (you gotta be a member to log in though), loads of pictures showing how he transformed from the hunk we know him to be into the huge guy you see in the picture above.

Here's more selected photos of Oh Ji Ho in the fat suit. :)

(Source: http://www.sbs.co.kr/)

(Source: chosun.com)


(Source: HanCinema)

1 Day to First Shop of Coffee Prince

One more day to go before our lucky Korean friends get to catch First Shop of Coffee Prince on MBC! Guess I will have to contend myself with the preview clip, yay, on the First Shop of Coffee Prince's official website. Check it out. It's really cool. A pity I have yet to start my Korean language lessons. Guess looking at the pictures in the website is a fitting consolation.

First Shop of Coffee Prince Special

[Source: Chosun Ilbo]


[Source: Chosun Ilbo]


[Source: Chosun Ilbo]

More photos of the upcoming MBC drama for you to feast upon. :)

Before this, I never really knew what the plot was about. I suspected it had something to do with a cafe (um, obviously...) but that's about it. Today I finally unearthed a bit more information. Anyway, a correction to my previous post. This new series is slated to air on 14 July, not 2nd as I thought earlier.

Short synopsis: Yoon Eun Hye plays a young woman with a talent for distinguishing the different types of coffee based on their aroma. She ended up working as an assistant in First Shop of Coffee Prince. There, she met - and eventually fell in love with - the cold and aloof cafe owner, played by the dashing Gong Yoo (oh yes, after watching One Fine Day, I think he is quite yummy!). Her father passed away when she was still young, so Yoon had to depend on the goodwill of neighbours and relatives to get by. Despite all this, she maintained her sunny, upbeat self. At Coffee Prince, she learnt all about coffee and slowly developed a passion for it. Thus began her dream of becoming a world-class coffee sommelier...


[Source: Chosun Ilbo]

Anyway, the plot reminds me a little of My Name is Kim Sam Soon. Was that based on a manhwa too? Well, these storylines do get a little repetitive and familiar after you watch enough. But there's always more to appreciate in K-dramas, and stories aren't exactly their strong suit, I feel. For me, the appeal lies more in the sensitive portrayal of emotions and the characters one could relate to.


[Source: Chosun Ilbo]

Sigh, now I just wish I understand Korean. This way I can appreciate the full range of emotions displayed by the actors. Think I'll have a little fund set aside to start going for language classes!

Review: Fantasy Couple - Episode 2

This is the episode which finally sparks off the relationship between Chul Soo and Jo Anna.

Anna was half drunk and in a reflective mood after a quarrel with Billy, her husband. Her expression while she reminiscing about Chul Soo's tirade, in a previous conversation, was one of hurt and pain. Life must be tough for this rich a rich girl. There must be a yet to be revealed side story on how Anna ended up being the bitch she is today.

Anyway, in her anger, she flung her wedding band away. While trying to retrieve it, she falls into the sea and lost her memory. This is poetic justice since she had just pushed Chul Soo overboard earlier. It so happens that Anna was admitted into the hospital where Chul Soo was recuperating from his earlier "accidental" fall off Anna's yacht. Counting his monetary loss due to the atrocities meted by Anna on him, Chul Soo decides to teach Anna a lesson by telling her that she's his live-in girlfriend. He even pointed out her mole on her bust when challenged by the indignant Anna. What Chul Soo wants is for Anna to be a cleaning"ahjumma", or auntie, who will help to look after his nephews and household chores.

Pandemonium erupts when Anna sees the state of Chul Soo's house. It's really hilarious to see Anna getting her just desserts for all the mean stuff she has done so far. But don't bet on that fact that she will humbly obey Chul Soo's wishes. Chul Soo will find out that Anna, with or without her memory, is one tough nut to crack.


Another interesting development is the introduction of a new girl - Oh Yoo Kyung (Park Han Byul). This, extremely, sweet looking girl appears to be Chul Soo's ex-love. Can't tell what part she's playing in the story yet, but I am sure her appearance will add a much needed dimension to the current simple Chul Soo-vs-Anna storyline.

Coffee Prince anticipation heats up

The series is slated to air in Korea on July 2nd, and the anticipation surrounding it is really quite unbelievable. One obvious reason: Yoon Eun Hye in short hair!

[Image source: Popseoul]
Stills of First Shop of Coffee Prince are already making their rounds online. We got our first glimpse of the series, thanks to the folks at Popseoul. I'm not sure when the series will actually hit Singapore shores, but if there aren't any more good shows for the Hallyu fan in me to watch on KBS World after Flowers of My Life, I'll be ordering the Coffee Prince DVDs online. When it comes to artistes I support, I make sure I buy original. :)

link

Review: Fantasy Couple (Episode 1)

(Source: Hancinema)

Woman with a "bad-ass" attitude. Naked man in a female bathhouse. A cat that's worth 10 million won. Put these together and you get the Korean drama - Fantasy Couple (Couple in Trouble). Honestly, my interest in Fantasy Couple was sparked off only by the fact that this MBC production piped, well, trounced would be a more fitting word, KBS' The Snow Queen when both were aired at almost the same time at the end of last year. Having enjoyed Snow Queen immensely, I just have to find out what's the big deal with Fantasy Couple.

Fantasy Couple contains similar themes to that of The Snow Queen. Each has its own "snobbish" female protagonists, Kim Bo Ra (Sung Yu Ri) and Jo Anna (Han Ye Seul), and good looking leading men, in the form of Han Tae Woong (Hyun Bin) and Jang Chul Soo (Oh Ji Ho). What sets the dramas apart is that the Snow Queen is a depressingly sad show, while Fantasy Couple is a romantic comedy offering lots of laughs. Put them back to back on the TV at the same time slot and you know where viewers would head for.

Think I talked too much about The Snow Queen when I should be writing on Fantasy Couple. Anyway, based on episode 1, I can say that Fantasy Couple makes for great entertainment after a hard day's work. It's definitely worth a laugh for those in need of a good laugh. Adding to these is the fact that both Han Ye Suel and Oh Ji Ho are both eye candies. This drama contains the right ingredients for a rollicking good time!

Music Video - The Snow Queen

Found this fan-made music video for the Snow Queen. I absolutely love this track. "Mackie", the MV creator, did a great job in capturing some of the most memorable scenes in the drama. A big thanks to Mackie for bringing us this wonderful video. Enjoy!

Review - "The Snow Queen" (2006)

After I finished watching The Snow Queen, I was so sad I couldn't bear to listen to the OST of the series for a while. It was that depressing. Beautiful but melancholic is how I'd describe the whole story. But of course I've recovered from all that and nowadays the OST is always playing in the background when I'm working.

[Image source: Hancinema]

I actually think this is one of the better Korean dramas I have watched lately. I used to like An Autumn's Tale a lot, but now if you ask me, I think I prefer The Snow Queen.

The story revolves around Han Tae Woong (Hyun Bin), a Maths genius who went to one of the top science schools in Korea and became best friends with a fellow student, Kim Jeong Kyu (Lee Sun Ho). Unfortunately, fate dealt a cruel hand in the lives of the two young men, and Tae Woong - instead of achieving the greatness his talents promised - sank into the depths of depression. (I must add, though, this part of the story didn't really convince me. But let's leave it at that.)

Eight years later, and still struggling to overcome his grief, Tae Woong became a boxer (um, actually he's more like the sandbag for other boxers). He then met the very beautiful but also extremely obnoxious Kim Bo Ra (Sung Yu Ri). What he doesn't know is that Bo Ra and him had actually met a long time ago when they were still schooling. Both of them still cherished memories of each other (especially for Bo Ra) but as such stories would have it, they took the next ten episodes to find out. Of course, there were also other distractions, like a handsome doctor who had his mind set on winning Bo Ra's heart and a tomboyish girl hopelessly infatuated with Tae Woong.

I enjoyed watching Sung Yu Ri display her versatility in this show. Not just in her fashion sense (that, as far as I know, is the most talked-about thing about her) but also in the unveiling of Bo Ra's character. At first she was just a mean and spoilt rich little girl, but as the story unfolded, her profound sense of loneliness (hence the title of the series) came across much stronger and it really touched me. For some reason, I'm always drawn to such characters.

[Image source: Hancinema]

Things were never meant to be simple between Bo Ra and Tae Woong, and as their relationship deepened, events from the past began to rear their ugly heads. Whatever fragile trust and feelings they had built started to crumble. The fact is, the two of them needed each other to undo the past and find the happiness that had long eluded them, especially for Tae Woong (whom I feel is really suffering needlessly at times). But like in 99% other Korean dramas, fate had other nasty tricks up its sleeve. I have to admit, by this time, I could predict what was going to happen. All the classic signs were there. To the credit of the director, though, I was hooked till the end because of the strong emotions and the beautiful filming (each scene was picture perfect).

If you throw in everything - the actors, scenery, music, story - I think I'd give The Snow Queen 7.5/10.

New Drama: Flowers for My Life (KBS)

Playing on the goggle box at Hello Hallyu's "headquarters" is the new KBS drama Flowers for My Life. Cha Tae-hyun (My Sassy Girl) and Kang Hye-jeong plays an unlikely couple brought together by the most bizarre twist of events. Cha Tae-hyun plays Yoon Ho-sang, a typical good for nothing bum, stumbling along with his nondescript life. Life took a dramatic turn when he, (a) takes on the identity of a rich man, (b) meets Na Hana (Kang Hye-jeong), a girl looking for a rich man who's dying so as to inherit his wealth, and (c) eventually falling in love with Hana. These ingredients add up to make a really campy and hilarious drama.



Having watched just 5 episodes of the drama, and I have to say that Flowers for My Life is one of the better romantic comedies after 2006's The Man in the Vineyard. The posturing from both Ho-sang and Hana lead to situations which really cracked me up. Flowers for My Life is a light-hearted drama with lots of laughs and fun. This is one drama that doesn't try too hard to be a good, cause discerning viewers will know its true value once the drama starts playing.

Although it is too early to make a rating call, Hello Hallyu highly recommends Flowers for My Life to everyone who's looking for a drama that doesn't pretend to be something it isn't and doing all the rights things that it was trying to achieve. Kudos to KBS, its director and scriptwriter.

New SBS Drama "Perfect Match" pips MBC's "Air City" in ratings

After 3 episodes, SBS' latest drama offering - Perfect Match has overtaken MBC's Air City in viewership ratings. Shin Eun Gyeong (申恩庆) stars as a successful fashion magazine editor who places her career above all else, even love. However, a series of incidents convinced her that life would be kind of lonely in the later part of her life should she end up all alone. The fear of loneliness drove her to look for a man. Not any man mind you. She's looking for the perfect man to father her child, the child who would provide her with company in her golden years. And of all people, she meets a guy - Ryu Soo Young (崔智友), of the conservative "love forever" sort, to hatch her 'devious' plan. No prizes for guessing the awkward and interesting situations such a couple is likely to face together.

(Photo source: Chosunilbo)