I wasn't particularly interested when I read that it was a Korean version of Bridget Jone's Diary. It sounded to me to be lacking in creativity.
I am thrilled now that I have not let that remark to stop me from checking out what it is like. Within just one week, I have watched this 16 episode (1 hour each) twice.
Different from all three other Korean dramas that I have watched so far (Coffee House, My Girl and Full House), this one is a breath of fresh air. The heroine, though not embraced with a plastic surgery perfect face (or body, for she is plumb), is a strong lady that knows what she wants in life and will not let anything to get in her way. When she realises that she has fallen in love with the man of not her type, she chooses to tell him and later on, questions him if that feeling of hers is reciprocal. When she is asked by his soon-to-be-former girlfriend to give him up, she tells her (despite her plead and a 35% of chance to survive her illness) that it is up to him to make the decision whom he would like to be with, and that for her part, she is never going to give up just for her sake. When she thinks that she is being fooled (again) by her boyfriend, she goes out with another man to seek happiness rather than moaning on the loss of a true love... At the end of the film, we also learn that the mum of her boyfriend objects to their relationship but that they are still seeing each other and that despite the occasional worry if they will fall out, she is not going to let this concern to bother her too much and that she is getting on with her life as her heart is taking her to.
In short, different from those 'angelic' figures (usually in their late teens or early twenties with a perfect face and modern figure) who is willing to sacrifice their true love for the sake of his family or his career, this Sam-soon of no particular beauty or wealth, stands up for herself and fights for what she deserves. And where no physical relationship seems to be involved in those dramas focusing on first love, this one features a man (though with a perfect face and body but not a perfect character) who constantly desires the physical contact with his beloved and is sent out late at night to find 'it' by his girlfriend only to find her fast asleep when he returns.
It is not just the characters though that has made this drama stand out from the rest of the comic romance. The incredible performance, especially that from Kim Sun-ah, the leading lady; the comic scenes (Hyun Bin is getting better in later episodes), the romantic scenes (especially the 20 minutes sequence where Sam-soon sings a love tune when her then boss playing the piano), and the music, etc, also work extraordinarily well and magically to give it an exceptional quality that outshines its competitors. This is a drama of a real woman in the street with a scriptwriter that understands how it feels to be a 'plain looking' woman over her 'sell-by' date in Korea and knows a secret or two of how to lead a happy life ('Love, as if you have never been hurt; Sing, as if no-one is in the audience; Dance, as if you are on your own...'); and the words of wisdom from her father in the dream sequence when she meets him for the final time - to live happily everyday and not let any concerns to get in the way). All these make it little wonder for its huge success with its native audience (a 50% viewing rate for its finale) and the international ones.
If you have time for only one Korean drama, this is certainly one you cannot afford to miss.
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