A.k.a. My Lovely Sam-Soon
Language: Korean
2005, Drama-Comedy
16 Episodes
Characters: Kim Sam Soon (Kim Seon-Ah); Hyun Jin Hun (Hyun Bin); Yoo Hee-Jin (Jeong Ryeo-Won); Kim Henry (Daniel Henney)
Proclaimed as the Korean version of Bridget Jones’ Diary, this derama is definitely on my recommendation list. Simply just LOVED it! Cause to tell you the truth, watching Korean deramas with their silky black hair, thin figure and early twenties heroines do become nuisances sometimes.
Kim Seon-Ah did a great job playing her character. Kim Sam-Soon’s funny, sincere, and talented—I think; the kind of girl you surely would befriend with. Being a 29 years old, she already knew what kind of life she would like to lead and comfortable doing what she enjoyed best: baking patisseries. Though described to be fat, she looked completely and absolutely normal to me. I have to emphasize this: She is NOT fat, AT ALL! Yes, a little chubby on the cheek but certainly not oversized! Ups, somebody’s being over sensitive right now… Hehehe.
Unlike Bridget who found love in a hotshot 40 years old attorney, Kim Sam-Soon was falling for her 27 years old restaurant owner, Hyun Jin Hun, played nicely by Hyun Bin. The main love conflicts were age difference, social status (the girl’s poor-the guy’s rich thingy), and the hero’s old love. Although I (still) cannot understand the need of making Korean deramas’ hero annoying, rude, childish, shout-a-lot type, Hyun Bin’s chemistry with Kim Seon-Ah was pleasant to watch.
My Name is Kim Sam-Soon was a hit because it dared to explore Korean women’s contemporary issues, especially on the definition of beauty. On one scene, Kim Sam-Soon went to a matchmaker agency and imagined being scolded by one of the agent because she’s overweight and hasn’t done any plastic surgery to help her finding a suitor. In this derama, the characters subtly protested against plastic surgery that has somehow become the nonchalant action for women to get Mr. Right. Kim Sam-Soon also asked, “Why men only want skinny-flat tummies young women, when they themselves have receding hair-lines and beer belly?”
Not less important to mention was the gorgeous Daniel Henney. Wow wow my heart melt like marshmallow, that man certainly was picture/camera perfect! This half Korean half American guy did not get too much scenes, but every time he showed up I got my eyes widened. He played as Kim Henry, Yoo Hee-Jin’s (Hyun Jin Hun’s ex) American doctor who was also devotedly in love with her. I agree with some reviews that said he played naturally here, using English and very little Korean. I also agree that Daniel and Seon-Ah didn’t get enough scenes together, while the scenes they played together were always hilarious. I even secretly craving for the Kim Sam-Soon/Kim Henry pared up, but of course that was a long shot.
The forever-not gonna be-forgotten line of Kim Henry, said in such an adorable way: “My mom warned me not to come to Korea, cause she said that she felt sorry for all the Korean girls who will be mesmerized by my good looks.” Too bad, dearest, the warning should’ve been extended to other countries, cause this Indonesian girl had definitely been mesmerized by you… ;-p
The ending was sadly a bit dreary but all was forgotten in the name of fun opening and middle part.
Kim Seon-Ah did a great job playing her character. Kim Sam-Soon’s funny, sincere, and talented—I think; the kind of girl you surely would befriend with. Being a 29 years old, she already knew what kind of life she would like to lead and comfortable doing what she enjoyed best: baking patisseries. Though described to be fat, she looked completely and absolutely normal to me. I have to emphasize this: She is NOT fat, AT ALL! Yes, a little chubby on the cheek but certainly not oversized! Ups, somebody’s being over sensitive right now… Hehehe.
Unlike Bridget who found love in a hotshot 40 years old attorney, Kim Sam-Soon was falling for her 27 years old restaurant owner, Hyun Jin Hun, played nicely by Hyun Bin. The main love conflicts were age difference, social status (the girl’s poor-the guy’s rich thingy), and the hero’s old love. Although I (still) cannot understand the need of making Korean deramas’ hero annoying, rude, childish, shout-a-lot type, Hyun Bin’s chemistry with Kim Seon-Ah was pleasant to watch.
My Name is Kim Sam-Soon was a hit because it dared to explore Korean women’s contemporary issues, especially on the definition of beauty. On one scene, Kim Sam-Soon went to a matchmaker agency and imagined being scolded by one of the agent because she’s overweight and hasn’t done any plastic surgery to help her finding a suitor. In this derama, the characters subtly protested against plastic surgery that has somehow become the nonchalant action for women to get Mr. Right. Kim Sam-Soon also asked, “Why men only want skinny-flat tummies young women, when they themselves have receding hair-lines and beer belly?”
Not less important to mention was the gorgeous Daniel Henney. Wow wow my heart melt like marshmallow, that man certainly was picture/camera perfect! This half Korean half American guy did not get too much scenes, but every time he showed up I got my eyes widened. He played as Kim Henry, Yoo Hee-Jin’s (Hyun Jin Hun’s ex) American doctor who was also devotedly in love with her. I agree with some reviews that said he played naturally here, using English and very little Korean. I also agree that Daniel and Seon-Ah didn’t get enough scenes together, while the scenes they played together were always hilarious. I even secretly craving for the Kim Sam-Soon/Kim Henry pared up, but of course that was a long shot.
The forever-not gonna be-forgotten line of Kim Henry, said in such an adorable way: “My mom warned me not to come to Korea, cause she said that she felt sorry for all the Korean girls who will be mesmerized by my good looks.” Too bad, dearest, the warning should’ve been extended to other countries, cause this Indonesian girl had definitely been mesmerized by you… ;-p
The ending was sadly a bit dreary but all was forgotten in the name of fun opening and middle part.
1 comment:
hi indah. Nice reviews. I love this movie, which happened to be my first Korean series. I just read someone's blog somewhere, and she noted that in the real life, Kim Seon Ah is the one who is proficient in piano (as she studied majoring piano in US), forgive me if i'm wrong. And Kim Seon Ah was actually the one who help translating to Daniel Henney. Well, she's definetely a brilliant actress, not to mention the fact that she intentionally put some 7 kg just to be "kim sam soon".
Post a Comment