Air Dates: November 29, 2019 - January 18, 2020

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Netflix

Genre: Romantic Drama

Starring: Yoon Kye Sang and Ha Ji Won

As a child, Moon Cha Young stumbled into a restaurant in a small seaside town.  She met the owner's son, Lee Kang, who gave her a free meal and promised to make her his favorite dessert tomorrow.  He was her first love and her happiest memory.  And his kindness inspired her to pursue a career in cooking when she grew up.  Years later, she runs into a doctor with the same name.

He doesn't remember her, but she knows immediately that it is him.  Embarrassed, she flees.  But when she begins cooking at a local hospice he shows up again, as the new doctor assigned to work there.  Work ing together  to heal the hearts of the hospice patients and their families, they also begin to find healing for their own scars.

Ha Ji Won as Moon Cha Young

Cha young's life changed dramatically when her mother abandoned her at a mall on her birthday.  When that mall collapsed, she was left alone, fighting for her life.  Now, as an adult, she bears the physical and mental scars of her past.  She became a chef to minister to people's hearts through their stomachs.  Working at a hospice, she has an opportunity to feed the souls of people who are hurting.

An old flame is rekindled when her first love is assigned to work there as the lead doctor.

I love Ha Ji Won as an actress.  This role is so unlike her usual confident, tough character.  This character is gentle and quiet.  It gave her a chance to show off another side and show that her talent is multifaceted.  What a joy it was to fall in love with her subtle charm.

Yoon Kye Sang as Lee Kang

Kang's dream was to live in his small seaside town and cook in his mother's restaurant.  But instead, he discovers he is the son of a rich medical family.  He lays aside his own dreams to become the doctor his mother wanted him to be.  When his aunt and uncle get him fired from their hospital, he is sent to a hospice center in the country. At the hospice, he meets a chef who manages to win his heart, even before he finds out that she was his first love.  Through the patients and their families, he also learns how to treat the emotional side of illness and grief.

At first, Kang is cold and distant on the outside.  At the hospice he is given an opportunity to begin to heal his heart.  Through this, he begins to open up to the people around him.  Inside, he hides a generous and caring personality. In my opinion, his character was very realistic and sincere.  His careful personality helped keep the show's tempo moving at a smooth, comfortable pace, without the feeling that things were being rushed.

Jang Seung Jo as Lee Joon

Lee Joon is Kang's cousin. Under constant pressure from his parents, he is pushed to compete with Kang.  But he is drawn to the idea of having an actual relationship with Kang and becoming a success based on his own abilitiy, rather than the meddling of his parents and grandmother.  In the beginning, he comes off as kind of a jerk. But as his character progressed, I found myself really liking him.  It's easy to understand how he feels to be stuck in the middle of his family's drama.

Min Jin Woong as Moon Tae Hyun

Moon Tae Hyun is Cha Young's twin brother.  He and his mother abandoned Cha Young when they were younger, but he came back to find her.  Now he spends his days living off of her generousity and looking for an easy way to make money and take advantage of people.  I heard a lot of hate for his character, but I love Min Jin Woong as an actor, so it was hard to totally hate him.  But the truth is that Tae Hyun is selfish and undeserving of such an understanding and compassionate sister.

Kim Won Hae as Kwon Hyun Suk

Kwon Hyun Suk is the director of the hospice.  His son was also Kang's best friend before he died of cancer.  Kim Won Hae is always a welcome familiar face.  But it was nice to see him in  a role where he had some story line of his own, instead of just supporting the main story arch.

Hospice Theme

After being gutted by Andante, I didn't think I would ever watch another show that took place in a hospice ward.  I even put off watching this one when I heard that would be the setting.  But once I gave in, I really enjoyed the way they handled the hospice stories.  Yes, they were tearjerkers, but they also showed healing and dignity.  It was a perfect backdrop for this special love story.

Emotion Through Food

The way that Chocolate used food to represent love, healing, redemption, and a host of other emotions is appetizing and poetic.  From the first meal that Kang gives Cha Young to the last meals that Kang eats while waiting for her in Greece, every table tells a story.  Even the sound effects of crispy chewing and sizzling cooking enhance the emotional tones.

Character Development

I often say that I appreciate a slow, character driven drama over flashy and exciting shows.  This one did a beautiful job of allowing us to get to know the main characters and understand them.  I felt like the slow development gave the characters a depth that can be lacking in faster moving plots.  Of course, this can't be done without a skilled cast who understands the characters themselves.  Thank you to the cast for bringing these wonderful characters to life and making them feel like old friends.

Lee Joon Ending

After making us all come to like and feel sorry for Joon, I wish they would have given us some closure to his story.  He is left with no love, job, or family.  I could understand leaving some of the story open ended, but it would have been nice to see that something was turning around for him.  Yes, there were hints with the woman in the ambulance and the fact that he jumped in to treat her, but I wanted just a bit more.  He went through too much to not get a little happy ending.

Unresolved Lie

The drama missed such an important opportunity in leaving the truth about Kang's mother's death unresolved.  This is a bond that the lead couple shared.  Cha Young deserves to know that the woman she is so grateful to was actually Kang's mom.  And how can we expect them to build a stable relationship without getting such a pivotal event out in the open.

Cha Young Running Away

As much as I loved Cha Young's character, I didn't get why she would run away in the final episode.  She had finally reunited with her first love and things were on the right track.  It didn't make sense for her to just pick up and run back to Greece indefinitely.  Cha Young had stood strong through so much adversity.  She was a quiet fighter not a runner.

Overall, I felt like the ending was good.  Obviously, with the exception of Joon's story and Cha Young's momentary character shift.  It's hard to argue with a happy ending against the beautiful backdrop of Greece.  Most of the secondary storylines finished up as we went along.

So we really just needed to find out how our lovely couple get back to that overlook we saw them in at the beginning.  Like the rest of this series, the ending is understated but satisfying.

I really loved this drama.  It has a great cast with amazing chemistry.  So much so that fans have had a hard time moving on now that it is finished.  This drama is strong all around.  There is plenty of romance, some political conspiracy, and lots of comical moments that lighten the mood and give depth to the characters.  The cinematography provides some beautiful scenery, from North Korea and Switzerland.  I guess it does ask you to suspend your disbelief from time to time, but the charm of the story makes it worthwhile.  Definitely give this one a try.  I think you'll be happy you did.  I give Crash Landing On You a 5 out of 5 ramen.

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Air Dates: March 27 - May 16, 2020

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Viki

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Starring: Eric Mun and Go Won Hee

A world-famous chef retires to a quiet, country town after a tragic accident kills his parents.  When a stranger wanders into town with no memory of who she is or where she is from, she comes to stay with him.  But when their home and the whole town are threatened by a major fashion corporation, the two of them team up with the town's people to try to save it.  And in the meantime, they may be able to rediscover the passions and talents they had left behind.

Eric Mun as Moon Seung Mo

Chef Moon is a successful international chef.  He travels, doing pop-up restaurants around the world.  He has lived his life doing what he loves;  traveling and cooking.  He has avoided roots and responsibilities, knowing he had a home to go back to whenever he felt lonely.

But when his parents are killed, and a mysterious young daughter shows up at his door, he is forced to reevaluate his life.  He puts down roots in a quiet village, where he meets a woman with no memory and learns the value of family and community.

Go Won Hee as Yoo Yoo Jin

Yoo Yoo Jin, know as Bella, is a driven fashion designer with a scarred past.  A trauma from her youth left her with a fear of camera and flashing lights.  So she never shows her face or does interviews.  She is emotionally closed off and selfish.  But when is involved in a car accident and wakes up with no memory, she becomes a totally different person. 

Suddenly she is part of a loving community, where she experiences the give and take of a true family.  But what will happen when she finally remembers who she is really is.  Will she be forced to give up everything she has come to love to go back to her previous life?

Go Do Yeon as Kim Sul Ah

Kim Sul Ah is the true star of the show.  She is a smart young girl who claims to be Chef Moon's daughter.  She is alone in the world until she comes to live with him.  She is bright and enthusiastic.  She quickly wins over the whole village, as they all chip in to care for her.

Ahn Nae Sang as Im Chul Yong

Im Chul Yong is the villian.  He is the son in law of the chairman of Donghan Group.  He is greedy and power hungry.  The only thing that matters to him is taking over Donghan Group from his aging father in law.  And he will go to any lengths to accomplish it. He is responsible for the deaths of Yoo Jin's mom and Chef Moon's parents.  He is also behind the plan to destroy their village.

Kil Hae Yeon as Jang Sun Young (Madam Jang)

 Madam Jang worked with Yoo Jin's mother.  When she died, Madam Jang took Yoo Jin in and raised her to be a successful fashion designer.  She loves Yoo Jin in her own way, but she appears to be more interested in success than filial love.

Found "Families"

I love the way Chef Moon, Sul Ah, Yoo Jin, and Chef's best friend Da Hoon settle into a happy little family.  It was fun to watch those relationships grow and gel.  For people who had all lived pretty solitary lives before they came together, it was rewarding to watch them become a real family.

Eric Mun

This was Eric's first project in 5 years, and although it was no Another Oh Oh Hae Young, it was great to see him back on the small screen.  He has a certain charisma that is always a joy to watch.  Here's hoping that we won't have to wait another 5 years to see him again.

Villagers

Besides the family within Chef Moon's house, the villagers represent an extended family.  They all pitch in to help take care of Sul Ah, the restaurant, and Donghan Group.  There were too many to write up individually, but this supporting cast carried the story whenever things got too slow.  Each one added their own flavor to the mix and I liked the diversity they brought to the story.

Disappearing Anorexia

Lots of fans have complained about this, so it probably isn't new to you.  But the handling of anorexia as a problem that just disappeared with Yoo Jin's memory is just not realistic or a fair representation of such a serious condition.  It seems kind of pointless to have included it at all, when it is really only discussed the first episode.  I wish they would have just skipped it all together if they weren't going to treat it more seriously.

Scattered Themes and Plot Hole

I think the biggest issue with this drama for me was the writing.  The cast did the best they could with the material.  But there really were some glaring issues with the story as a whole.  Serious mental issues that just disappear, a reference to an ex-wife of Chef Moon's who we never hear about again,  and a lack of any clearyly defined genre or theme left me feeling like this drama was just missing something.

Crazy Im Hyuna

Im Hyuna is the daughter of Im Chul Yong.  She is obsessed with Bella and idolizes her.  I get that , but the character just doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  Her obsession is pathological.  So, is she certifiably crazy?  And if so, how did she end up so twisted?  More importantly, how does she just turn it off toward the end of the drama and become totally lucid and sane.  Is she crazy in the same way Yoo Jin is anorexic?  It just goes away all by itself.  I don't really know, but I couldn't really make much sense out of her motivation and true mental stability.  The character just didn't really work for me.

The ending was a lot like the rest of this drama.  I was happy that they did tie up a few of the storylines.  Yoo Jin is back and obviously intends to stay and put down roots, since she gave Sul Ah her necklace.  Da Hoon is in husband training, which seems to make everyone happy.  Madam Jang and Im hyuna are carrying on the designing business together.

And the village and restaurant are here to stay.  In terms of the simple storylines that were explored, things ended on a good note.  There's no grand ah-ha moment  or even a very enthusiastic welcome home with our main couple.  Things just kind of coast in for a nice, quiet happy ending.

 This isn't a great drama, but it is a good one.  It's a good if you are looking for a little breather from some of the more complex and intense dramas out there.  It's not that the storyline is always light and fun, but it's fairly simple.  The leads are solid although the chemistry is a bit understated.  The writers seemed to struggle with what kind of a show they were writing.  Was it a food show or a show about fashion.  Was it romantic comedy or drama?  Was it predictable or totally illogical?  The answer is that it was all of these at some point but never chose one to focus on.  But with those flaws in mind, I did enjoy watching, and Eric Mun is always worth my time!  I give this drama a 2 out of 5 ramen.

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Air Dates: December 12, 2019 - February 16, 2020

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Netflix

Genre: Romantic Drama

Starring: Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin

Crash Landing On You is about a South Korean heiress who is in a paragliding accident.  She is forced to make an emergency landing and finds herself in North Korea.  A North Vietnamese military officer finds her while on duty.  Worried for safety, he agrees to help her find her way home.

Of course, that proves to be more difficult than either one of them thought.  As they start to develop feelings for each other, the idea of succeeding becomes more and more bittersweet.

Hyun Bin as Ri Jung Hyuk

Ri Jung Hyuk dreamed of being a famous pianist when he was young.  So his brother, Moo Hyuk chose a career in the military to follow in their father's footsteps.  But when Moo Hyuk is killed in an "accident", Jung Hyuk gives up his dream and becomes a military officer.  He is quiet and a bit aloof.

The men under his command respect him but keep their distance.  The women in the soldiers' village flirt and vie for his attention.  His life feels lonely and disappointing, until he runs into a South Korean woman while on patrol.

Son Ye Jin as Yoon Se Ri

Yoon Se Ri grew up as the illegitimate daughter of a rich businessman.  Her stepmom raised her along with her 2 stepbrothers.  None of them have ever had any affection for her or treated her like she belongs.  Because of this, she has spent her life trying to be successful and prove that she is a worthy person.  She creates her own company called Se Ri's Choice that sells fashion and beauty products.  Even though her life has lacked love and suppport, she has lived  pampered and spoiled.  After a paragliding accient, she wakes up in a tree in North Korea.  The land and people are rough and far removed from so many of the luxuries she is accustomed to.

But in the company of the North Korean captain and his troops, she learns about love and acceptance.  And she begins to gain a new perspective on what's really important in life.

The chemistry between this couple is no joke.  And as they get to know each other, they discover that fate may have played a major hand in bringing them together.  But how do they build a future where it will be impossible for them to contact each other once Se Ri returns home?  Can they overcome cultural differences and a divided homeland to find happiness?

Kim Jung Hyun as Goo Seung Jun

Goo Seung Jun is our con man with a conscience.  Seung Jun cheated Se Ri's brother out of a large sum of money and tried to marry Se Ri to take her portion of the family money.  When he is caught,  Seung Jun hires someone to help him relocate and hide in North Vietnam.  In the beginning he is rude and selfish.  But as he starts to learn about love and friendship, he becomes quite sweet.  This is one of those characters designed to break all of our hearts.

Seo Ji Hye as Seo Dan

Dan is the unfortunate second lead.  The families have arranged for her to marry Jung Hyuk.  But it isn't all a random arrangement.  Dan has had a crush on Jung Hyuk since they attending the same school when they were younger.

But Jung Hyuk never noticed her and isn't even aware they have a past.  Dan knows she is in trouble as soon as she sees Jung Hyuk with Se Ri.  She does everything that she can to keep them apart and force Jung Hyuk to follow through with their wedding.

North Korean Soldiers

Because North Korea's conscription is so long, it is natural that men serving together would become family.  This group of guys is so fun.  They find out that Jung Hyuk is helping Se Ri to get back home, and jump in to offer help and support.  At first, they don't know what to do with a modern South Korean woman who is strong-willed and independent.  But as they all get to know each other, they become protective brothers to her.  Their different friendships are so cute.  Each one has their own special relationship with her.

Women in the North Korean Village

These women all live in the village used for military families.  That means they are all married to the men who are serving.  Which doesn't keep them from flirting with Jung Hyuk!  When he announces that Se Ri is his fiancee they are all shocked  At first they hate her for being their competition.  But she wins them over  with beauty and style advice.  Eventually they accept her as part of their community.  This also brings them closer to each other.

North Korean Insights

The scenes that took place in North Korea were fascinating.  It's so interesting to get an idea of what life is like there.  I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to live in a place like that, so I really enjoyed getting a small peek into it.

Cast Chemistry

The whole cast is phenomenal.  The chemistry between the leads was so sweet to watch.  But the supporting characters are also amazing.  It's a large cast, and I feel that we get to know a little bit about each character individually, which I loved.

Beautiful Scenery

Visually, this drama is stunning.  From the small villages of North Korea to the beautiful lake side of Switzerland, it is all a gorgeous backdrop for  the story.

Seung Jung/Dan Ending

I think most fans agree that Seung Jung's death was heartbreaking. They could have easily found a way to let him settle in North Korea with Dan.  He fought so hard to straighten out his life and become a good man.  I would have like to see him rewarded for that.

Se Ri's Family

In my opinion, Se Ri's family were the only weak link in the characters.  They were villians, but not even close to being bad enough to compete with Cheol Kang.  They just kind of fell flat for me.

Unrealistic Event

I know that Dramaland is not real life.  And I don't mind suspending my belief for the fun of the story.  But there are definitely some far fetched scenarios.  From paragliding through the middle of a tornado to tiptoeing back through the DMZ.

Overall, I felt like the ending was strong.  Obviously, with the exception of Seung Jun.  After all the talk about fate and destiny, they resisted the urge to wave some magic wand and give them a happy life, just like any other couple.  The ending has a bittersweet feel.  They do get a happy ending, but it has it's own unique twist, just like them as a couple.

It is a little sad to think that Se Ri will never see any of the wonderful friends she made during her time in North Korea.  But when I think of our happy couple, walking the shores of the lake in Switzerland once a year, all is right in my heart.

I really loved this drama.  It has a great cast with amazing chemistry.  So much so that fans have had a hard time moving on now that it is finished.  This drama is strong all around.  There is plenty of romance, some political conspiracy, and lots of comical moments that lighten the mood and give depth to the characters.  The cinematography provides some beautiful scenery, from North Korea and Switzerland.  I guess it does ask you to suspend your disbelief from time to time, but the charm of the story makes it worthwhile.  Definitely give this one a try.  I think you'll be happy you did.  I give Crash Landing On You a 5 out of 5 ramen.

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Air Dates: September 28 - November 17, 2019

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Viki

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Starring: Ji Chang Wook and Won Jin A

I read an awful lot of bad press about Melting Me Softly before I started it, so maybe that caused me to lower my expectations.  I didn't agree with all the haters, but I do see how some people felt like the writing missed it's mark a bit. Melting Me Softly is a romantic comedy with a touch of sci-fi and some suspense on the side, to keep things interesting.  The story is  about a man and woman who agree to take part in a medical experiment in 1999.  The experiment involved being frozen for 24 hours, but due to an accident they end up waking up 20 years later.

They wake up to find a world that is very different from the one they left, in terms of friends, family, society, and technology.  There are also lingering side effects from the experiment.  Most importantly, they have to maintain a body temperature of 31.5 degrees Celsius.  At first, this is merely inconvenient, but it soon becomes apparent that their bodies cannot sustain the effects long-term and a cure has to be found.

To make matters more complicated, as they spend time together learning to adjust to this new life, they begin to develop feelings for each other.  But in Korean Tv's answer to Five Feet Apart, they realize that too much interaction between them can be fatal for them both, because it raises their body temperature.

All sci-fi aside, this is a story about a man and women who just want a chance to live their lives like everyone else, and have to fight to find a way to make that happen.

The male lead is Ji Chang-Wook (Suspicious Partner, Healer).  Let's just let that sink in!  It is so good to have him back on the screen after finishing his military service.  He plays Ma Dong-Chan, a television  Producer/Director.  His goal in life is to make the world a better place through his programs.  He agrees to do the frozen experiment because he believes a good producer should do the things no one else will do.  When he wakes up, so much has changed.  His family lost their fortune and had to open a restaurant.  His father was dead.  His sister is a drunk divorcee.  And his older brother (Played by the same actor as his father before the experiment) has a child and has given up his dreams to be a concert pianist.  On top of all that, his girlfriend is now 20 years older than him and does not make his heart flutter.  And his irritating assistant has become the production chief at the television station.

He also feels like he should protect the other participant, Go Mi-Ran, since he talked her into doing the experiment in the first place.  As he watches over her and takes care of her, he begins to fall in love.  This only intensifes his need to  find a way to return their body temperatures to normal, so they can be together.

Dong-Chan is a spontaneous risk-taker, but he is also a thoughful, overly responsible person.  The way he takes care of his family and the people he loves makes him a very likeable character.  He is confident, but he doesn't come off as arrogant.

The other experiment participant is Go Mi-Ran.  Won Jin-Ah (Life, Just Between Lovers) is a refreshing change from the fragile leading lady.  She does the experiment hoping to be a part of the cure for her autistic brother in the future.  When she wakes, up her biggest regret is the time she missed with her family, especially her younger brother.  Her two best friends were told that she moved to America suddenly, with no explanation.  They have moved on with their adult lives and Mi-Ran has a hard time identifying with them the way she used to.

Mi-Ran is only twenty four when she gets frozen, so she is still very young.  She hasn't graduated from college or been in love.  She often feels cheated out of the experiences that everyone else had while she was sleeping.  Dong-Chan gives her a job as an intern at the television station and she throws herself into it, getting her first taste at the opportunity to build a career.  It doesn't take long working with her charming producer for her to fall for him.

We see Mi-Ran as an enthusiastic free-spirit.  She approaches each new experience with a positive outlook and the feeling that she is trying to make up for lost time.

The girlfriend who spends twenty years waiting for Dong-Chan to come back to her is Na Ha-Young.  Yoon Se-Ah (SKY Castle, Love of Eve) plays this complex character.  She is still in love with Dong-Chan, even though he has been very clear that he doesn't feel the same.  This makes her pitiable.  But she also agreed to keep the information about the experiment a secret in exchange for a promotion, which makes me feel less sympathetic. 

As I said earlier, there are a lot of great secondary characters.  My favorite was Mi-Ran's brother, Nam-Tae.  Yoon Na-Moo (Love Alarm, Beautiful World) performs this heartwarming role to perfection.  Nam-Tae lovingly accepts everyone with open arms.  His relationship with the professor and Dong-Chan was especially sweet. 

Seo Hyun-Chul almost has a double role at Professor Hwang Gap-Soo.  He is the refined and confident researcher when he has his memory.  But he also spends a large portion of the middle of the show as the simple, innocent man who doesn't remember anything about who he is or what his research is about. 

A lot happens to bring this one to a conclusion.  First, Professor Hwang Gap-Soo finally regains his memory and finishes the antidote to safely unfreeze Dong-Chan and Mi-Ran.  Dong-Chan insists on testing the drug first to make sure it's safe before giving it to Mi-Ran.  The process takes a full week and has some rough spots, but when the week is finished, Dong-Chan is back to normal.  Unfortunatly, Mi-Ran is busy and puts off getting the antidote for a week.  Before she can receive it, she is stabbed by the man who has been chasing them to keep the experiment a secret.  (To be honest, I had forgotten there was a guy chasing them, but he's back)  Mi-Ran's injuries are life-threatening without surgery, but surgery is impossible since she is still frozen inside.  Her body can't wait the week it would take for the antidote to take effect, so they have no choice but to put her back into the frozen chamber until they can discover a quicker cure.  In the meantime, all her family and Dong-Chan can do is wait.

One of my favorite parts about the ending is the way Dong-Chan moves in with Mi-Ran's family to take care of them while they wait for her.  He assumes the role of their son and it's very cute to watch their relationship develop.  He keeps a daily diary so that when Mi-Ran wakes up, he can share everything that she missed.  He misses her every day but plugs along.

Fast forward, three years.  What an agonizing wait that must have been.  They are finally ready with a fast-acting antidote.  But the cure is not immediately successful.  Mi-Ran stays sleeping and at one point they think she might still die.  But, on Christmas day, she suddenly wakes up.  Dong-Chan is away on shoot at Jeju Island.  He rushes home and they have a sweet, if not a bit anti-climatic, reunion in the snow.

The happy ending, like the reunion are a little toned down.  Mi-Ran has lost 10 years and isn't really ready to jump into marriage, but after reading the diaries that Dong-Chan kept, she realizes that she doesn't want to live without him either.  They decided to travel together while she does further training for her job, and he hosts a youtube channel, at the recommendation of his neice.

And that's a wrap.

I enjoyed watching Melting Me Softly as a fun love story with some interesting twists and turns. There is plenty of over-the-top humor to keep things light. It is written by the same person who wrote Strong Girl Bong-Soon, and the similarities are evident in the humor, so if you enjoyed that one, I definitely recommend giving this one a try too.

The cast did a great job. The forbidden attraction element between the leads gives them a fun push-and-pull chemistry that feels like it takes everything they have to keep their distance. And there is a fairly big pool of interesting, supporting characters to add some flavor to the plot. But it is true that the script and story had some disjointed moments, where different storylines float in and out randomly, and seemed to lack some continuity. I think for a lot of the haters, it is important to remember that sci-fi always requires a bit of creative license. It's not a story that is meant to be heavily analyzed or realistic. For the few criticisms that I have, I think this one is a worthwhile watch. I give it 3 out of 5 ramen.

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Air Dates:  August 9 - September 28, 2019

Episodes: 16

Where to Watch: Viki

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Starring: Chun Woo Hee and Ahn Jae Hong

This drama surprised me. I hadn't heard much about it going in, so my expectations weren't very high. But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Melo is My Nature is a romantic drama about three thirty year old women who have been friends since college. They are roommates who all work in some form of the entertainment industry. Through these women we experience success, love, and loss, with an overarching theme that being thirty is just a weird age. At thirty, we are too old to be considered a young person and not experienced enough in life to be wise and mature.
The script is smart and character driven. The dialogue itself is more important than any of the events. The characters are realistically flawed, and therefore relatable as a whole. The storylines are modern and down to earth and the relationships are complex. It's not meant to be light and fluffy but it also isn't over exaggerated drama. I liked the subtlety of the stories and the way their relationships impacted their lives.

Chun Woo-Hee (Argon, Prominent Woman) plays the lead, Lim Jin-Joo, an outspoken script writer.  Jin-Joo has been working as an assistant for a famous screen writer, but decided to enter a writing contest with the local network.  Though she doesn't actually win the contest, a successful director gets her script and decides to film it.  Of course, she and the director butt heads in the beginning, but slowly become closer and fall in love.  Jin-Joo's past experiences in love have made her jaded yet realistic, which gives her script a unique tone.  We watch her grow as she moves into the role of lead writer and also leading lady in her own love story.

Ahn Jae-Hong (Fight for My Way, Reply 1988) is  Son Beom-Soo, the gifted director who becomes obsessed with Jin-Joo's script and eventually the writer herself.  First off, let me say Ahn Jae-Hong is so fun in this role and the constant mentioning of Reply 1988 as the perfect drama are hilarious.  He is cluelessly arrogant and somehow still naive.  He comes from a wealthy family and has been lucky in directing very successful tv shows.  He puts a lot of effort into getting the support and resources to make Jin-Joo's script into a drama.

As a couple, these two are surprisingly straightforward, unike most of the other characters.  They are both attracted to each other at a pretty equal rate and they agree on the ground rules of how to balance dating and work.  Jin-Joo has an ex-boyfriend who has a small presence, but it is pretty obvious that he doesn't stand a chance against Beom-Soo.  They are cute without being sappy and I liked their scenes together.

Han Ji-Eun (Twelve Nights, beautiology101) plays Hwang Han-Joo, the college beauty who ended up pregnant after a one-night stand. After a brief marriage, she divorced and is raising her son as a single mom, with the help of her roommates. She works for a drama production company, as their marketing team leader. Between work and being a mom, Han-Joo doesn't really have time for a personal life. She is romantically inexperienced and innocent, in spite of having been married, and really wants to be in a relationship again. I felt like we didn't get to see the same depth from her character as the other two.

Chun Jae-Hoon, played by Gong Myung (Feel Good to Die, Revolutionary Love) shows up as Han-Joo's assistant. He is an eager worker, and he and Han-Joo have an instant attraction to each other. But Jae-Hoon also has a girlfriend that he lives with. Although he has tried to break up with her, they continue coming back to their dysfunctional relationship.

Jeon Yeo-Been (Live, Save Me) plays the third roommate. Lee Eun-Jung is a documentary director. She is thoughtful and reserved. Her first documentary was a surprise success that left her wealthy, but the death of her first love put a shadow on that success. After trying to kill herself, she now imagines he is with her instead of coping with the loss. Eun-Jung's friends move in with her to keep an eye on her and make sure she stays safe. They have agreed not to mention her hallucinations until she is ready to deal with it. Her story is genuine and heartbreaking. She portrayed a vulnerability that was beautiful to watch, and it was wonderful to see her finally begin to heal.  I found her story most appealing of the three women.

Sang-Soo, played by Son Seok-Koo (Designated Survivor: 60 Days, Matrimonial Chaos) is a fellow director who Eun-Jung meets while filming a documentary about a famous actress. He is a vicious director who screams and loses his temper on set, but when Eun-Jung runs into him at a local orphanage, she finds there is another side to him. He is kind and humble, and he dedicates his money and free time to help the children. With his help, and the support of her friends and a therapist, she begins to move past her pain and face life again.

Lee Joo-Bin (The Tale of Nokdu, Love is Jungle) is Lee So-Min, an actress who they all knew in college. She had a successful film career, but as she has gotten older, the offers have become few and far between. Eun-Jung's newest documentary follows her life and career. There is a very cute love story between her and her manager, played by Kim Myung-Joon, who has been her protector since high school. Through the documentary we see that her arrogant attitude is made to cover her insecurities.

Eun-Jung's gay younger brother also lives with the girls. He is a musician, and the only one of them to be in an actual relationship. He often offers romantic advice from a male perspective and provides a male presence for Han-Joo's son. He is a sweet, likable character and I enjoyed the addition of him in the apartment scenes.

While I didn't love the ending for all the characters, I do have to give credit for the creative way they handled the last episode. Jin-Joo presents each person as a character from her script, and writes the ending for each story. Of course, Jin-Joo isn't big on happy ever afters, so Beom-Soo is there to try to convince her to go for more traditional endings. The result is a bit more open-ended than the usual kdrama, but not bad.

I was a bit sad to see Han-Joo ended up dating some guy that she met while clubbing instead of Jae-Hoon. I thought they were kind of cute together, but instead we see Jae-Hoon go back to the original girlfriend he had worked so hard to get away from. Han-Joo convinces him that he has been unfair in his expectations and he seems ready to try a fresh start.  Han-Joo gets an apartment from her ex-husband, so she and her son can finally move out on their own

Eun-Jung's second documentary, starring So-Min, is also a success. Eun-Jung has a final goodbye with her first love and decides to do some traveling and then meet Sang-Soo in Africa for some charity work. It is not the expected kdrama ending, but it's a miraculous step on her path to recovery. I think it was the perfect wrap up to her storyline, and I think the next chapter in her life will bring some hard-earned happiness.

Jin-Joo and Beom-Soo don't really write their own ending. But we do find out that even though Jin-Joo's script was not as well-received as they had hoped, Beom-Soo continues to support her work and believe in her. My bet is that this couple will stay together for the long haul.

The usual happy endings are reserved for the secondary characters. After the popularity of Eun-Jung's documentary, So-Min's career seems to have gotten a boost and she announced her engagement to her adorable manager. Hyo-Bong is also ready to make the big move out of the apartment. He has moved in with his boyfriend and seems pleased with the direction life is taking him.

Were you satisfied with this finale? Would you like to see a season 2? What are your thoughts on this drama?

I would definitely say this one isn't for everyone, but I would also say it has been severely underrated. It's made for people who enjoy analyzing deep conversations and aren't put off by a slower moving plot without a lot of action. From friendship to careers to love, it's all understated. I personally love relatable characters in sincere relationships, so it worked well for me. If character driven dialogue is your thing, this one is a gem. I give it 3 ramen out of 5
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