Air Dates: May 4 - October 23, 2020

Episodes: 122

Where to Watch: Kocowa

Genre: Family Melodrama

Starring: Hyun Jyu Ni and Lee Jae Hwang

A single mom has spent her life struggling to make ends meet to provide for her family, while hoping to fulfill her dream of becoming a full time PE teacher.  So she is shocked and hurt when her children come to her and beg her to get married so that they can have a rich and handsome dad.  For their sake, she agrees to try, but things get complicated when a picky male lodgers moves into their room upstairs.  Though they don't get off to a great start, living together brings them closer and feelings start to develop for both of them.  But someone who needs lodging in their home is obviously not rich and will not pass the test for her children.  Or is there more to his story than they assume?

 Hyun Jyu Ni as Oh Pil Jung

Oh Pil Jung is a single mom who dreams of becoming a full-time PE teacher.  Her life isn't glamourous, but she is content.  But one day a mysterious man forces his way into her home as a lodger in their extra upstairs room.  Pil Jung doesn't plan on falling in love with him, but that is exactly what happens.  Unfortunately, their past  history and the lives of their families are much more deeply entwined than either of them could ever imagine.  As secret after secret are revealed and his family does their best to break them apart, she can only rely on him and their feelings for each other to hold them together.

Hyun Jyu Ni fit this part well.  She is kind, even to those who don't deserve it.  It is admirable that she rarely takes time to wallow in self-pity and manages to stay positive, no matter what rotten things life throws at her.  She even makes the transition from sweatsuits and track clothes to business attire look easy.  Her character isn't especially unique but she is consistent and easy to emphathize with.

Lee Jae Hwang as Kang Seok Jun

Kang Seok Jun is the second son of the chairman of LX Corporation.  While he grew up in a wealthy family, his life hasn't been easy.  He has always been favored by his father as the best heir for the company, but his mother and brother both hate him and want his older brother to inherit the company.  He originally moves in with Pil Jung's family to convince them to sell their house to LX so they can put a new building in it's place.  But as he gets to know all of them and understand their reasons for wanting to stay in their house, he tries to find a way to help them save it.  Never one to examine his own heart, it takes him awhile to realize that his feelings for Pil Jung and her family are more than just pity.  Now he wants to protect his father's company and Pil Jung from his mean-spirited brother and greedy mother.

 Seok Jun is a stable, loyal kind of guy.  There were times when it felt like he could have made things a lot easier if he wasn't so determined to please everyone.  I did appreciate the way he stepped up to act like a dad for Min Ho and Min Ji.  Their interactions were sweet to watch.  I also like the fact that no matter how shocking a secret was revealed, he never let it come between him and Pil Jung.  He took everything in stride and always stayed true to his promise to stay by her side no matter once.  And it definitely wasn't always easy.

Kim Hyung Beom and Moon Bo Ryung as Kang Seok  Hwan and Lee Eun Joo

 Kang Seok Hwan is Seok Jun's older brother.  He meets Lee Eun Joo after standing her up for a blind date and falls hopelessly in love.  These 2 are scheming and terribly all the way through.  All they care about is making Seok Hwan the chairman.  They manipulate every situation, including each other when needed.  I guess they did their jobs as the villains because I had no problem hating them!

Seo Hyun Suk and Nam Yi An as Lee Tae Woo and Oh Sun Jung

 Oh Sun Jung is Pil Jung's younger sister.  She has lived with Pil Jung and helped her raise her family since Pil Jung's husband's death.  She is gutsy and has no problem fighting the system to get what she wants.  She falls in love with Eun Joo's younger brother, which infuriates Eun Joo.  These 2 manages to rise above all the drama of their families and stay fair and grounded through it all.

Gil Jung Woo and Hong Je Yi  as Park Min Ho and Park Min Ji

 Min Ho and Min Ji are Pil Jung's children.  Min Ho is the middle-school son who actually isn't her biological son, although he doesn't find out until much later.  Min Ji is the daughter Pil Jung was pregnant with when her husband died, so she has never had a father.  It's easy to understand why she would be jealous of the other kids in her class who all have dads.  The 2 have a good relationship, so their scenes together are fun to watch.  But I do feel sorry for their mom on occassion, when the kids get an idea into their heads and refuse to be denied.

Rock Steady Guys

So, Seok Jun's character was not bad.  But let's give a shout-out to 2 of the male characters who never wavered in their loyalty and support.  First off, Lee Tae Woo, was always there to defend Sun Joo from his mom and sister.  Without causing a lot of drama, he would step in and support her.  I really loved how mature and calm he was through everything.  It's unusual, especially in such a long drama, to find a character that doesn't mess things up at least once.  When Tae Woo and Sun Joo first moved in with his mom, he was a little slow to catch on to what was happening and I was afraid he might blow his great track record.  But once he figured it out, he stepped right in to fix it.

Second is Wang Gi Beom, Seok Jun's friend and eventually co-worker.  Again, at some point the friend who knows all the secrets usually falls for some trap that causes the lead trouble.  But this guy knew it all and kept everything to himself all the way through.  It would have been easy to gossip with his other co-workers, but he kept quiet and was an amazing friend from start to finish.

Choi Yoo Kyung

Choi Yoo Kyung did a terrific job as Dr. Choi's daughter and Pil Jung's student.  Her character started out rough and I wasn't sure, but I see great things in the future for this young actress.  Yoo Kyung's support of her dad's love life was very cute.  I also enjoyed the friendship she had with her coach and Min Ho.  I liked that even though Min Ho had a crush on her, they focused on them as friends and left the budding romance to the adults.  She handled the role well and showed maturity in her acting.

No Yo-Yo Break Ups

With such a long drama, it is amazing that Mom Has An Affair managed to avoid the kdrama trope that includes a break up and reconciliation every few episodes.  Each couple did experience a near break up, which is necessary to keep the drama plot moving, but it wasn't a continuous cycle like many others.  This also meant that they needed to find other plot twists to tell the story, which kept things interesting.  It would have been easy to fall into that kind of cycle, so I appreciated their effort to offer some variety to the storylines.

Lee Eun Joo

I already said above that Lee Eun Joo played her role of villain to perfection, which made me hate her character completely, but I really got tired of her scheming evil facial expression straight into the camera to end every scene.  Whether the expression was complete with a snickering smile or a shocked panic, it was always the same and got really irritating as time went on.  In a drama that tended toward overacting anyway, she was way over-the-top.

A Practice Marriage

The solution of Tae Woo's mom to have Tae Woo and Sun Jung live together as if they were married but promise not to get married for a year made no sense to me.  Does that really work?  What would make her think that was a good way to break them up?  It just seemed bizarre to me.  And, of course, she ended up pregnant.  That doesn't seem like much of surprise to me.  I've never seen a show use this strategy before and I thought it was really weird and irrational.

Dr. Choi

I thought Dr. Choi was good as a friend who supported Pil Jung through the school stuff, but I just didn't buy him as a second lead love interest.  I know that he and Pil Jung have kids who are a similar age, but he seems so much older than Pil Jung and there really was no real chemistry between them.  This storyline was a dead-end for me and it felt like a waste of screen time.

The ending of Mom Has An Affair was pretty good. First of all, it was happy to see a show where justice actually wins in the end.  There was no last minute redemption or change of heart. Seeing Seok Hwan, his mom, and Eun Joo all end up in jail was strangely satisfying.  Even with all of their efforts to change the outcome with the police, in the end, each of them was left to face their own actions.  Both Pil Jung and Sun Jung ended up with a happily ever after.  Min Ji finally got her dad and Min Ho made peace with his dad before he was sent off to prison.  And Seok Jun's dad will have Pil Jung and her family to fill his empty house, now that everyone else has been locked up.

It should go without saying that these long family dramas are not for everyone, and the 122 episode version in particular.  I grew up watching American style soap operas with my mom, and these feel very similar.  Mom Has an Affair features long drawn out plots about birth secrets and double identities, overly dramatic acting and facial expressions, and in between it all, a star-crossed love story.   Maybe it's the feeling of nostalgia for me, but I enjoy the ride, long though it may be.  I also enjoy getting to know a whole family at one time.  It gives some variation to the storylines, which is nice.  If you have the patience and enjoy a longer format, Mom Has An Affair was a good story with some good characters and some hateable villains. I'm giving it 2 out of 5 ramen.

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Air Dates: September 4 - October 24, 2020

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Viki

Genre: Romantic Melodrama

Starring: Lee Yoo Ri and Yeon Jung Hoon

A young woman is wrongly imprisoned for the murder of her husband and gives up custody of her baby daughter to protect her.  Now, 10 years later, she finds the single dad who is raising her child.  Desperate to reconnect with the daughter she lost, she devises a plan to seduce the father and become her stepmom.  But when he discovers who she really is, will all of her plans be ruined or can she convince him to let her stay by their side?

 Lee Yoo Ri as Ji Eun Soo

Ji Eun Soo served 10 years in prison for a murder she didn't commit, and had her daughter, Woo Joo, taken from her.  Now that she has done her time, she wants to be a part of her life again, but Woo Joo has been adopted by a kind, single dad named Kang Ji Min.  If she could become the child's step-mom, she could be with her without having to confess to who she really is or what they say she has done.  At first, making Ji Min fall in love with her was just a piece of her plan, but as she gets to know him her feelings become real.

 Lee Yoo Ri is an amazing actress and she brought an elegance and grace to this role.  Eun Soo is kind and compassionate, but due to an abusive first husband and her time in prison, she is also cautious and timid.  She is a devoted mother, even when her daughter has no idea who she is.  She has never had anyone love or take care of her, until Ji Min came into her life.  Now for the first time in her life, she has the opportunity to love and be loved.  But in the face of all she has to lose, Eun Soo is generous and honest. I can't imagine anyone who could have carried the role better

Yeon Jung Hyun as Kang Ji Min

Kang Ji Min has been raising his adopted daughter on his own, ever since he caught his first wife cheating on him.  Because of this painful past, he has never been interested in marrying again.  When Eun Soo first begins approaching Woo Joo, Ji Min is very distrustful of her, but as he gets to know her and see her interact with his daughter, he is won over by her love and sincerity.  And the more he gets to know her, the more his feelings begin to grow. Ji Min works as a reporter and actually had suspicions about the case Eun Soo was involved in, but he was conveniently sent to be a foreign correspondant before he could pursue the truth.  Now he has a second chance to help her find justice and clear her name.  And he may be able to find love in the meantime.

Ji Min's character is not especially complex.  He is a good father and a good son.  And he had done his best to be a good husband, even though he was betrayed.  There is no doubt that he is likeable and sincere.  But emotionally, he is guarded.  Even his mother says that she can't ask him because if she does he will never tell her.  It's easy to be invested in seeing him happy and emotionally healed.

Lee Il Hwa as Kim Ho Ra

Lee Il Hwa is an excellent villain.  She is cold and calculating, and it's easy to root for her downfall.  Her son is the husband that Eun Soo killed.  Now her only goal in life is to cause pain and suffering to her ex-daughter-in-law.  She is a rich and powerful CEO who is admired by everyone for her acts of kindness and generousity.  But all of it is an act to cover up her illegal activities.

Im Ju Eun as Eun Se Mi

Eun Se Mi is Ji Min's ex-wife.  She not only cheated on her husband, but she left Woo Joo alone in their apartment and Woo Joo almost died.  Humiliated, she ran away to the US, where she has been working as a sports agent.  Now, she is back in Korea and wants her family back, but Ji Min is not interested in rekindling their romance.  Se Mi is furious when she realizes that Eun Soo is trying to take over her role as mother and wife.  And Se Mi will do anything to get them back.  Even if it means joining hands with the evil Kim Ho Ra.

Kwon Hwa Woon  as Kim Yeon Joon

Kim Yeon Joon met Eun Soo when he was a young boy.  She took him under her wing and adopted him as a little brother.  After leaving Korea to begin a career as a pro golfer in the US, he never forgot everything Eun Soo had done for him.  He has carried  a torch for her for years, even though he had no idea where she was or what had become of her.  So when his job brings him back to Korea, he immediately starts looking for her.  When he does find her, it quickly becomes obvious that he is too late, and that her heart already belongs with Ji Min and Woo Joo.  To his credit, he adjusts without much fuss or scheming and decides to stay by her side as the little brother she has always wanted him to be.

Go Na Hee as Kang Woo Joo

Kang Woo Joo is Ji Min's adopted daughter.  Ji Min has kept the circumstances of her adoption secret from her, even though, unbeknownst the him, she actually found out about it by accident. The abandonment of her adopted mother has left her with some deep scars, so she easily becomes attached to Eun Soo when she begins showing the girl attention.  When Eun Soo and Ji Min find out that Woo Joo needs a lung transplant in order to survive, Eun Soo finally gets a chance to sacrifice everything for the life of her daughter.

Ji Min's Family

First of all, I love Im Ye Jin from her days as Geum Jan Di's mother.  Once again, she plays the caring mother with a tendancy to overreact.  Ji Min's whole family brings a sweet and inspiring feeling to this drama.  They are supportive both in what they say and how willing they are to jump in and help wherever needed.  It seldom happens in kdramas that we see a mother who puts her own feelings aside right away for the good of her son.  Meanwhile, his father is the buddy he seeks out when he needs advice or a good drink.  His sister could be a bit much admittedly, but her intentions were good and that earned her the right to be a little eccentric.

Limited Information

For the mystery element in Lie After Lie, they often used a technique where they showed us the facial expressions of someone as they learned an important, new piece of information, but they didn't show the audience what the information was.  I found this to be a unique way tor present the story.  Usually in dramas, we know whatever the characters know.  I found that not knowing made me even more curious about what it was that they could have found out.  Obviously this is not the only drama to ever use this style, but it is the exception and because of that, it caught my attention.

Kim Yeon Joon

I already hit on this point above, but I have never seen a guy who starts out as the second lead so quickly accept that he is not the chosen one.  There were no last minute pleas or desperate attempts to make her change her mind.  And he continued to support her and help her find happiness with Ji Min.  Maybe it was because his childhood crush was never actually love in the first place.  But even still, that is no an easy realization to make.  His mature attitude made me love his character so much more.  

No Kiss

Lie After Lie is more suspense drama than romance, but even still, I found it disappointing that there wasn't a single kiss in the whole drama. I could understand that if they had just avoided a romance story all together, but one of the main points to this drama is that Ji Min and Eun Soo managed to overcome the odds and are now happily married.  For a love that was strong enough to rise above any obstacles, you would think we would see them share at least one kiss.  The lack of passion made their relationship fall a bit flat for me.

Eun Soo's History

After finding out that not only was Eun Soo's husband abusive, but he also had some very deep psychological issues and drug problems, it made me wonder how Eun Soo ended up with him in the first place.  I mean, I understand that people end up married to creeps all the time without knowing their true natures.  But this guy seemed pretty extreme.  It seems hard to believe he could have held it together and seemed normal for any length of time.  Besides that, if his mother was so worried about him producing an heir, why wouldn't she have told Eun Soo about his issues to scare her away.  Their marriage just doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

Mi Jin's Secret

I loved Mi Jin's character.  She was a great friend and her family relationships were adorable.  So I was disappointed that she never ended up telling her husband the truth.  He seemed to absolutely adore her and I would hope something that happened in the past wouldn't change that.  Also, as long as she keeps it a secret from him, she can't be there as a friend for Eun Soo.  It makes sense that she didn't tell him before, but with so much coming out into the open now that Eun Soo is living nearby, I wish Mi Jin would have taken the opportunity to finally come clean with her family.

There is nothing disappointing in this ending.  All the loose ends seemed to get taken care of and there is a great happily ever after.  Our leads are married and Woo Joo is happy and healthy.  Kim Ho Ra and her "secret son" are locked up where they belong.  And there is a little hint that maybe romance is blossoming between Se Mi and Yeon Joon.  Not a lot of surprises, really.  Everything pretty much ended up where you would expect it to.  I didn't appreciate the few moments where they left us thinking Eun Soo might actually die during surgery, but I held on to hope that they were just messing with us.  All  in all, I liked the ending and felt like it fit the rest of the drama well without rushing to tie up everything at the last minute.

Lie After Lie is suspenseful and touching.  If you like a good melodrama with some crime and mystery thrown in, you will like this one.  Unlike many of this style of drama, Lie After Lie does not ignore the romance or leave it hanging, but it also doesn't overplay it.  The relationship between the 2 leads is foundational to the plot but handled in subtle scenes rather than being the focus.  The true heart of the story is much more centered on a mother's love for her child.  So if you are looking for a light-hearted romance or fast-moving action, this is not it.  I give Lie After Lie 4 out of 5 ramen.

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Air Dates: August 21 - October 17, 2019

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Viki

Genre: Revenge Drama

Starring: Im Soo Hyang and Lee Jang Woo

Mo Seok Hee is the rich heiress to South Korea's MC Group.  She has spent the past  15 years living in the U.S., away from anyone she knows.  But now she is back in Korea with one goal;  to solve the mystery of her mom's murder and to make sure the true killer is punished for the crime.

To find the truth, she will have to outsmart MC Group's TOP team, which is responsible for doing whatever it takes to make sure MC Group's reputation remains untarnished.  And Seok Hee finds an unlikely ally in a quiet, unassuming lawyer who has been hired by TOP to keep tabs on her.

Im Soo Hyang as Mo Seok Hee

15 years ago, Mo Seok Hee's mother was murdered and she was sent away to America.  But she is sure that the person in jail for the murder is not the actual killer.  So, when Soek Hee receives word that her grandfather is seriously ill, she decides it's time to go home and find out the truth of what really happened to her mom.  Determination and spontaneity are her specialty, and with a little help along the way, she is sure she can bring justice for her mom.

This was a breakout role for Im Soo Hyang.  She really shines and shows some depth and maturity in her acting.   The character had such a fun strength and attitude. Im Soo Hyang also managed to balance that with a genuine honesty and vulnerability that gave the character authenticity.

Lee Jang Woo as Heo Yoon Do

Heo Yoon Do is a struggling lawyer who meet Seok Hee by chance when she is arrested on her way home from the airport.  Because she can tell he is honest and diligent, she talks him into coming to work for TOP to be her overseer.  And it turns out that Yoon Doo also has a secret of his own.  His mother used to work for the Mo's as a housemaid and she is the person currently in jail for Seok Hee's mother's murder.  Of course, he is more than willing to help Seok Hee find the real killer and bring down MC Group.  Working for TOP often puts him in moral dilemmas, but he remains calm and unwavering in his promise to stay by Seok Hee's side until justice is established.

Lee Jang Woo didn't have a lot to work with for Yoon Do's character.  Somehow he managed to make his quietly loyal and stoic character endearing.  Yoon Do was genuine and I always trusted that his motives were good, even when I wasn't sure why he was doing something.  That kind of reserved role can come off as boring if the actor can't carry it well, but I didn't find that to be the case with Yoon Do.

Bae Jong Ok as Han Je Kook

Director Han is in charge of TOP Management and has worked for MC Group for many years.  Unlike many villans who serve under powerful leaders, her loyalty is not to the chairman himself but to MC Group.  MC Group's reputation  must be protected at all costs.  Her motive is simple:  to be the power behind the curtain that is MC Group.

Bae Jong Ok was very believable as a ruthless and evil person who never allows her emotions to interfere.  Director Han is not the kind of villain that you understand and empathize with.  The actress does a great job of keeping her character so intense that you never start to feel sorry for her.  She is evil from start to finish.

Lee Kyu Han as Mo Wan Soo

Mo Wan Soo is Seok Hee's oldest brother.  Rather than following in their father's footsteps, Wan Soo has given up his position as heir to become a movie producer.  His action seem carefree and slightly jaded, but under the surface he is a broken child who never recieved his parent's love or support.  In the end, it is a wound that destroys him.

Kim Jin Woo as Mo Wan Joon

Mo Wan Joon is the perfect son.  The Chairman and his second wife adore him as the heir who has done everything right since he was a child.  The secret that he carries is that he is transgender.  This is something that would never be accepted by his father, so he has kept his lifestyle hidden from everyone.  When it is finally revealed, his position in the family is endangered.  But with his mother's tireless support, he will fight to keep the position he has been groomed for his entire life.

The Squad

No revenge drama is complete without the squad who backs up our fearless leads.  In this case, we have 2 journalists and a detective who help do the leg work behind the scenes.  We learn a little about each of them individually, but their importance is tied to them as a group.  Nothing gets done without a little teamwork!

Romance Arc

I'm sure that some would disagree, but I thought the romance arc was well timed and executed.  Most often in these kinds of revenge dramas we have 2 kinds of romance story arcs.  Either they have chemistry and flirting that never evolves into anything or they get together too soon and enter into a push and pull that is frustrating and distracts from the plot.  In Graceful Family, there was a very natural, subtle progression that led to a perfectly timed kiss, and still left time to see them act a bit as a couple, linking arms and holding hands.  This worked for me.

Plot Twists

Graceful Family isn't the kind of drama where you watch the first episode and already have a pretty good idea of how it will end.  It kept me guessing all the way through, with twists and turns right up until the very end. The story and characters were unique and well written.  This was definitely one of the best things about the drama as a whole.

Im Soo Hyang

Im Soo Hyang really was a highlight for this drama for all of the reasons I've already mentioned.  Her kick-butt, wild, and unpredictable personality were a refreshing change from the pure and meek woman leads that are common in kdramas.  I love a strong female lead and Im Soo Hyang really delivers that.

Mo Wan Soo Ending

I will admit that I suspected Wan Soo might be the culprit from the beginning.  Only because he was the only person who didn't seem to have a motive, which seemed suspicious.  Even still, I was hoping for a plot twist until the very end.  He was one of the only decent people in that family and the only one Seok Hee really cared about.  Killing him off in the end just seemed a little harsh.  Especially in light of the fact that the real villain, Director Han, served 4 years in jail and waltzed back out again.

Unexplained Characters

There seemed to be a lot of random characters and I didn't always understand their place in the story.  For example, the old lady loan shark or some of the politicians Director Han destroyed along the way.  Again, they seemed kind of pointless and just took time away from the characters we actually cared about.

Too Much TOP

Sometimes you really wondered if this drama was actually  about the family or their Crisis Management Team.  Too many scenes focused around TOP and it's workers.  We even get back stories for some of the TOP team that never really factor into the plot at all.  I could have used less time on these soulless vultures and more time seeing our leads.

The ending for Graceful Family wrapped things up pretty well.  There were a few disappointments for me.  As I said, Mo Wan's ending made me sad.  More importantly, where was the justice?  Graceful Family's final scene reminded me of SKY Castle.  The villain is back and ready to do it all again, and just hope they don't get caught this time.  It hardly seems fair after all that the leads lost.  Even the family members whose crimes were much less, seemed to suffer much more.

Seok Hee and Yoon Do's ending was a bit unexpected.  I guess I could understand why Seok Hee might have needed to get away for a while and regroup.  They were together in the end, and that is what's really important to me. And again, it was definitely not predictable, which I have to appreciate.

Graceful Family is extremely well done.  And Mo Seok Hee's character delivers plenty of tough attitude that had me rooting for her from the very beginning.  Also, it managed to tell the story of each of the family members like the longer family dramas do. But in only 16 episodes.  There is drama, revenge, mystery and romance.  I would definitely recommend giving this one a try.  I give it 4 out of 5 ramen.

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