City Hunter Review

City Hunter

Korean Title: 시티헌터

Genre: Action, Thriller, Romance

Year: 2011

Language: Korean

Episodes: 20

Box set available on Amazon

Synopsis:

After the Rangoon bombing that killed several South-Korean officials, five officials, known as the Council of Five, decide to get even with North Korea. Not known even to the president, they send a team of 21 men on a secret mission to assassinate North Korea’s high ranking officials. However, after the South Korean president announces that they won’t retaliate, the Council of Five is left no choice but to abandon their men. The team includes Lee Jin Pyo (Kim Sang Joong) and his best friend Park Mu Yeol (Park Sang Min) who has just borne a son. When they are about to embark on a submarine that would bring them back to South Korea, the men onboard shot them, killing everyone except Jin Pyo who is shielded by Mu Yeol. Realizing that they have been betrayed by their own country, Jin Pyo vows payback.

He returns to South Korea and steals Mu Yeol’s newborn son from Kyung Hee. He leaves for Thailand where he raises the child, Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho), as his own. He gives Yoon Sung extensive training and tells him years later about his biological father and his plot for revenge. After studying in the US, Yoon Sung goes back to Korea with a mission and a warning on not falling in love.

He meets Kim Nana (Park Min Young), whom he develops feelings for, and Kim Yoong Ju (Lee Joon Hyuk), a prosecutor with a strong sense of justice. As he hunts down his enemies, Yoon Sung is conflicted with having to choose between heroism and revenge, and between love and his mission.

Cheerfulnuts’ Review:

City Hunter has everything in store for you. There is action, thriller, drama, and romance. The drama is well cast, with Lee Min Ho and Park Min Young as the lead characters. They are both well-known actors and the storyline is good so it makes this series a must-watch especially to K-drama fans.

The drama starts strongly and looks promising. Most Korean dramas are sprinkled with unrealistic events, and City Hunter doesn't exempt from that. That said, the plot is very well-developed. It gets better and better in each episode. The series is packed with suspense that it never fails to keep me on the edge of my seat!

I don't know much about politics. I don't even watch the news anymore. But I can relate to this drama. A lot of corruption exists not only in Korea but in most, if not all, countries around the world. So it feels really satisfying to watch City Hunter kick the asses of those corrupt officials.

There is some character development here. As the story unfolds, Lee Yoon Sung has to make some important decisions. I like that he always sticks to his principles despite his dad’s threats. I also like Kim Yoong Ju’s being righteous and upright. Although he can be annoying at times, having such a guy hunt City Hunter adds more depth to the story.

About the romance department of the show, Yoon Sung doesn't act sweet and all but I can't hate him. Having been trained as an assassin doesn't make him good with expressing his feelings. It's fun to watch how his relationship with Nana grows despite his playboy persona and his lack of social skills. He doesn't act like Gu Jun Pyo in Boys Over Flowers as he doesn't try to impress his love interest at all. He protects Nana from afar and keeps his feelings to himself, which I find really sweet.

I love that the antagonist, Lee Jin Pyo, is someone dear to our hero, which makes the story very exciting. There is no one harder to defeat than someone you love. Kim Sang Joong's portrayal of Lee Jin Pyo is amazing. He's the type of villain that you can't totally hate. Even if I don't agree with his ways (who would?), I can sympathize with him and can't help feeling bad for him. He also makes me shudder when he's one step ahead of Yoon Sung.

The series do have some flaws. As I've said, there are unrealistic events, such as having too many coincidences (e.g. the hotel room incident). Despite that, I love City Hunter. It's one of the most heart-pounding dramas that I have ever seen. With a very strong plot, great cast members, hot male lead, a creepy yet likeable villain, awesome action scenes... I couldn't ask for more! You don't have to be a K-drama fan nor a female in order to like this one.;P I highly recommend City Hunter to everyone!

Cheerfulnuts’ Verdict:

9 out of 10 stars

Boys Over Flowers Review

Boys Over Flowers Review

Alternative Title: Boys Before Flowers

Chinese Title: 花檨男子

Korean Title: 꽃보다 남자

Year: 2009

Language: Korean

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Episodes: 25

Boys Over Flowers - Korean drama (5DVD Digipak - Complete Set, 25 Episodes) All Region with English Subtitles

Synopsis:

Geum Jan Di (Ku Hye Sun) is an average girl living an ordinary life. She is happy with her life until she crosses paths with a suicidal student in Shinhwa School, an exclusive school for the rich. Since then, her life starts to change. She is offered a scholarship to Shinhwa which she reluctantly accepts. There, she meets the infamous group known as F4. She tries to avoid the group, though she develops a crush on one of its members Yoon Ji Hoo (SS501's Kim Hyun Joong). Jan Di can't stand the obnoxiousness of F4, especially its leader Gu Jun Pyo (Lee Min Ho), the heir of Shinhwa Group. When Jandi’s friend is insulted by Jun Pyo after she accidentally drops her ice cream on his shoe, Jan Di stands up for her friend. Jan Di automatically becomes the target of bullying for going against F4. Jan Di perseveres and continues to go to school, something that has never been done by anyone who becomes the target of F4. Jandi earns the group's respect, and Jun Pyo unexpectedly falls for his very nemesis.

Review:

This drama is based on the popular manga Hana Yori Dango. Boys Over Flowers isn't the first live action adaptation of this manga. The first ones are the Taiwanese version Meteor Garden and the Japanese version with the namesake of the manga. Though I haven't read the manga, I have seen and loved both drama adaptations. So when I first learned about the Korean version, I thought that it could just be another adaptation. Nevertheless, it didn't stop me from watching. I have seen a lot of Korean dramas and I believed that they wouldn't just create a carbon copy of the manga. I'm curious how they're going to make it the Korean way.

In the first few episodes, I was a bit disappointed because about 80% of it is just like Meteor Garden. Boys Over Flowers may have changed a few details and sequence of some events, but it's still quite predictable. However, it did get better and I started to think of it as an entirely separate drama (and not just another Hana Yori adaption). I got excited and anticipated episode after episode.

The first time I saw Boys Over Flowers, I was amazed by the great similarity between Lee Min Ho and Jerry Yan. Both of them made Jun Pyo/Dau Ming Si's character work. The other F4 members are pretty much what I have expected, though I think I like the Korean F4 better. However, Geum Jan Di (played by Ku Hye Sun), the lead female, is different from her two counterparts. She's very goofy and I find her acting too exaggerated. Her cartoonish actions can be a bit annoying sometimes, especially when things started to get serious. I think she has to loosen up a bit and stop being too cartoonish so the viewers can connect with her. Granted, I still sympathize with her when her classmates bully her. Honestly, who wouldn't feel bad for a girl who's mobbed with eggs in school?

I don't know if everyone would agree with me, but I think Lee Min Ho fits perfectly into this handsome but cocky Gu Jun Pyo character. Jun Pyo is the only heir to the great Shinhwa Group. He is practically every girl's dream. Yes, he is a jerk, but his extremely good looks and his fortune make it almost impossible for girls not to swoon over him.

In real life, I would probably dislike Jun Pyo. But everything is different in dramaland. I just love seeing this seemingly callous guy fall head over heels in love with an average girl who hates him. He seems to be a god, but being in love makes him look human for the first time. You get to see how weak and lonely he actually is. I love seeing lots of character development, and this is what I like about this drama. So yeah, the meaner the character, the more interesting it gets as I couldn't wait to see how he'd change into a better person (as if I haven't watched to other versions LOL).

Boys Over Flowers is very pleasant to watch. And I'm not just referring to the good-looking boys. The places are very pretty to look at. I enjoy the scenes in Macau the most.

Despite what I have said about Jan Di, her character started to grow on me. As I have wished, Ku Hye Sun's acting got more serious and looks more natural after a few episodes of goofiness. Though Jun Pyo-Jan Di isn't the strongest couple in dramaland, I still think they look cute together. They don't really have to look perfect together since they practically belong in two different worlds. Speaking of looking good together, I love the pair up of So Yi Jung and Chu Ga Eul. Unlike in other versions, their story is much more developed here. I find myself anticipating for them in each episode!

In the first few episodes, I didn't like Yoon Ji Hoo, Jun Pyo's friend and rival. He did a lot of things that I don't understand. I wasn't convinced with his character and I didn't understand him at all. But I admit that I fell in love with his character in Macau! I like the fact that Boys Over Flowers has made Ji Hoo's love for Jan Di much more obvious. I guess his love explains why he did all those stuff in the earlier episodes.

Another thing that is worth mentioning is Jun Pyo's mom Kang Hee Soo (played by Lee Hye Young). I read a lot of people saying how scary she looks. She is. Her glare can really pierce right through you, and it's terrifying. I like how BOF made her much scarier though. I think this is one aspect that is lacking in the other versions. I like how the drama has shown more on the scarred relationship between the Gu children and their mother and how it made her more evil yet more human.

Okay, so this drama may not be everyone's cup of tea. But if you love Cinderalla-like stories, this drama is worth watching. If you're a hardcore fan of Hana Yori Dango and have watched the other adaptations, you shouldn't miss this one too. I'm not sure if this is the best Hana Yori Dango adaptation, but I like it because they have shown so much emotion in it, just like a Korean drama should be. Plus, the boys are really hot.:)

Cheerfulnuts’ Verdict:

9 out of 10 stars

Hi My Sweetheart Review

Hi My Sweetheart

Chinese Title: 海派甜心

Year: 2007

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Language: Mandarin

Episodes: 14



Image: Amazon

Synopsis:

Xue Hai (Show Luo), a dorky guy who wears an ugly mushroom hair and a pair of huge glasses, has been left to the care of his much older sister (Fang Fang) after his rich parents died. As the heir of a very wealthy family, his sister has been overly protective of him. To get away from his sister and to explore the world outside, Xue Hai decides to go to Hangzhou to study. As told by his sister, Xue Hai goes with the fake name Lin Da Lang and pretends to be poor to protect himself from kidnappers or something of that sort.

In Hangzhou, he meets a strange and friendless girl Chen Bao Zhu (Rainie Yang). Bao Zhu rejects him at first, but his naivety and kindness touch her. They become friends and eventually, lovers. However, due to some misunderstandings plus some nasty rumors about Bao Zhu, Da Lang thinks the latter has dumped him after she mysteriously disappears. He is devastated and goes back to Taiwan.

Years later, Xue Hai transforms into a hot guy that every girl dreams of. Since the “breakup”, he never believes in love anymore and changes from one girlfriend to another. Because of his extravagance, he is known as “Hai Pai Wang Zi”. When Xue Hai accidentally hears a popular radio program called “Sweetheart”, he recognizes the DJ’s voice as the voice of Bao Zhu. He immediately buys the radio station and plans his revenge against the girl he believes to have dumped him. Little does he know that Bao Zhu has never stopped loving him and has been searching for him for years.

Review:

When I first saw the poster for Hi My Sweetheart, I told myself I would never ever watch this drama. The characters look too goofy – Show Luo wears this silly mushroom hair while Rainie dresses like a punk. I wasn’t really attracted to the drama, but after seeing the good ratings (and since I love Show Luo to death), I decided to give this drama a chance. In the first few minutes, I was immediately immersed into the drama. Despite his dorky appearance, Da Lang’s character grows on me as I watched the series. He is naïve, but he is kind, gentle, and sees goodness in everyone. He is actually more funny than annoying (which in the beginning, I thought he was). He is so likable and it’s not hard to understand why Bao Zhu falls for him. A lot of viewers commented that they would sometimes forget that Da Lang is Show Luo!

I really like watching how Da Lang and Bao Zhu’s relationship grow. The chemistry between Show and Rainie is amazing. I’m not exaggerating. They look so cute together that it scares me. After three years of romance, Da Lang finally decides to reveal his real identity to Bao Zhu and propose to her. He waits for her in their usual meeting place, but she never came. Unwilling to give up, Da Lang gathers as much courage as he can muster and goes to Bao Zhu’s place. Her mother, who has always been against Bao Zhu and Da Lang’s relationship, shows him a “breakup” letter from Bao Zhu. Da Lang didn’t know that the letter is just a lie. He believes it and leaves in tears. As if the torment is not enough, he sees the pink panther, the one he gave Bao Zhu, laying in the trash. That was one unforgettable scene for me. I’m really amazed how Show could act so seriously and convincingly even in his funny Da Lang appearance. Maybe I’m overly attached to his character, but I could feel his pain.

I also didn’t expect that Rainie Yang would act so naturally in this drama. This is the first time I’ve seen her act so good, and I’m really impressed. I’ve been so used to her sweet image, but she had surprisingly portrayed Bao Zhu Jie so well. I could feel her emotions and it didn’t look forced at all. The drama focuses more on Xue Hai/Da Lang’s perspective. But after Da Lang turns into a hot Xue Hai, it starts showing Bao Zhu’s point of view too. When Da Lang hears Bao Zhu’s voice in a radio program, he recognizes her. He buys the radio station and becomes Bao Zhu’s new boss. Unbeknownst to Xue Hai, Bao Zhu has never stopped loving Da Lang and has been searching for him for years. Of course she can’t find him because she has only known him by his fake name. Just when she decides to give up and forget about Da Lang, Xue Hai shows up.  Seeing Xue Hai and not knowing that he is actually Da Lang, Bao Zhu is haunted more by the memory of the man she’s trying to forget.

Basically, the story is about Xue Hai wanting revenge while trying to ignore his feelings for Bao Zhu, and Bao Zhu trying to forget Da Lang (who she thinks doesn’t want to see her again) but keeps on being tormented by his look-alike Xue Hai. I just love seeing their love-hate relationship. As people say, couples wouldn’t know how much they love each other unless they fight. And this drama has just proven it true. The more Xue Hai hates, the more he realizes how much Bao Zhu means to him. It was painful yet sweet at the same time.

I like how the drama is done. It is able to capture the emotions of the characters. The camera angle, the focusing of the faces, they’re just awesome. The OST is superb. The songs are sung by both Show Luo and Rainie Yang, and I think it works perfectly as you get to feel more of their emotions when the tracks are being played in the background.

Like most idol dramas, Hi My Sweetheart contains lots of corniness and clichés. Granted, it does have touching moments. I got teary-eyed in some parts that I had to stop watching just to go to the bathroom (I don’t like anyone seeing me cry over a TV drama LOL). I do have some complaints though. I hate the three staffs of He Yan Feng (Bao Zhu’s senior). Their parts are forced and too trying hard to be funny. That said, they don’t really affect the entire series since they only play minor parts in it. My major complaint, however, is the last couple episodes of the drama. I don’t want to spoil you, so I won’t say much except I think those parts are totally pointless. I’ve always thought that the drama has a very nice message about love, but the latter part ruins it. It was a big disappointment as I’ve really loved episodes 1 to 12.

So, after revealing my total dissatisfaction with the ending, you may ask me, is Hi My Sweetheart worth watching at all? Even after completing the drama and hating the ending, I still don’t regret watching it. I really love the two leads, and their chemistry is really worth watching. The drama is full of emotions and even if they were in a lot of unrealistic situation, I would still find myself saying aaawww to myself. Besides, I don’t think this drama would get popular if it isn’t worth seeing. Just be warned about the ending. :P I still haven’t gotten over with my disappointment.

Cheerfulnuts’ Verdict:

7 out of 10 stars

                                    

Operation Love Review

Operation Love
Alternative Title: Proposal Daisakusen
Year: 2007, 2008 (special)
Episodes: 11 episodes, 1 special
Language: Japanese
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Synopsis:

Iwase Ken (Tomohisa Yamashita) attends a wedding of his childhood bestfriend Rei (Masami Nagasawa). He is secretly in love with Rei and regrets for not being able to confess his feelings to her. A fairy then appears to his rescue by giving him a chance to go back to the past and try to win her heart.

Seriousnuts’ Review:

As soon as I watched the first episode, I could already empathize with the protagonist. This drama is seen more from the point of view of a male. Seeing the story through a guy's perspective has always been interesting to me (especially because I'm a girl). At the start of the story, as I saw Ken rushing to the wedding, I had the wrong impression that he was the groom. As the scene went through the wedding, I learned that it wasn't his wedding and his long time secret love Rei was to be wed to another man (awwww). The couple exchanged their vows, and the reception proceeded. After Ken gave his congratulatory speech with an unhappy and bitter expression, a series of photos of the bride were shown in the big screen. Since Ken is Rei's best friend, he too was included in most of the photos. For each picture that was shown, Ken reminisced the events that occured during those times. He regretted each chance that he let pass by without showing his real feelings for Rei. Rei would then occasionally give him meaningful glances as the pictures appeared. She too was affected by those memories, and if I were the groom, I would get jealous. Ken seemed to have really a deep connection with Rei, yet, they didn't end up together. What could have gone wrong? What could have been the story behind those pictures? I was so intrigued and that made me watch the series episode after episode. A male fairy appeared before Ken to the rescue. He used his magic to give Ken a chance to go back to each photo to try and change the past, and hopefully, win Rei's heart. 

This is not just an ordinary drama. Although romance between friends is a common feature of many love stories, the drama was able to stand out. I think the magical element in the story made the series more interesting and entertaining. Each time travel Ken made, he still failed to win Rei. Yet, for each time he came back to the present, he saw the changed photo, with Rei smiling instead of the originally sad expression. Despite being unable to win her heart, he was able to change her sorrows into happiness. He tried his best but the main ending (wedding) was still the same. After so many struggles, Ken finally realized that he couldn't change the past. He could only change the present. As he failed in his last attempt to win Rei's heart, he took a picture of himself (a method to go back to the present) and went back to the earlier present. He was back to the present times, but instead of finding himself standing in the reception hall (as always throughout the series), he was outside the building smoking. He realized that he haven't given the congratulatory speech yet. There he decided to confess his love to Rei. If he could not make it in the past, he could make it in the present.

The drama does not only focus on the love story, but to friendship as well. I enjoyed watching the friendship among the five people. They really reminded me of my own youth and school life. We were able to follow Ken and his friends from high school to work. As they grew older, they became busy with their own lives that they seldom see each other anymore. This shows a very common part of real life. As we grow older, we start losing more and more things. What would be left are the memories. I admire the friendship they had in the story. Despite the physical distance, the five of them remained very good friends. 

I think that the drama made a superb job into relaying its message to the viewers. Using the time travel concept is brilliant, a thought-provoking concept. I too had so many regrets in life that I wished a fairy would appear and help me go back to the past. But instead, the story only showed how useless it is to dwell on the past and live with regrets. We should rather focus on what we can do at the present. Aside from the good story, the acting is also praiseworthy. The actors are convincing, each of them were able to portray the roles perfectly. At first I find Yamashita (Ken) to be too poker-faced. Whenever he had to go back to and fro the past, he had to let out a yell yet his face was expressionless. I grew to love him anyway, and he was able to earn my sympathy for his struggles to earn Rei's love. It's also fascinating how some of the extra characters reappear each time Ken goes back to the past. The restaurant owner, the foreigner athlete, their classmate Socrates, and the teacher who turned into a potter seem to be always just around the corner. It's funny how they show up each scene despite their little role in the main story. Their inclusion into the drama made it even more heartwarming and unforgettable. I highly recommend the drama for it's thought-provoking message and highly entertaining story as well as the great performance of the actors. Definitely not a time-waster. Two thumbs up for the drama!

Seriousnuts’ Verdict:
10 out of 10 stars.

Asian Stars Trivia: Ryunosuke Kamiki

Japanese: 神木 隆之介

Birthdate: May 19, 1993

I saw this lad for the first time in Koukousei Restaurant. He plays Yosuke Sakamoto, the best student chef in Shouka High School. I wasn’t a bit familiar with Ryunosuke, and I thought there must be something about this boy that had landed him to such an important role in the drama. It turned out that I knew him all along! Well, not really by face, but by voice. Yes, Ryunosuke is a voice actor. He has lent his voice to many popular characters: Spirited Away’s Bo, Arriety’s Sho, and Summer Wars’ Kenji, among others. If you have watched the movies I’ve mentioned, you’ll know that the characters are very different from each other. I didn’t have a clue that they were voiced by the same actor until I read it on Wikipedia. I really have high respect for Japanese voice actors. In my opinion, Japan has one of the best voice actors in the world.

Note: In the images shown above, The Great Yokai War is a 2005 fantasy movie that stars Ryunosuke Kamiki and in which he was nominated for the Newcomer of the Year Award.

Puzzle (2007) Review

Puzzle

Year: 2007

Episodes: 4

Language: Japanese

Genre: Mystery

Source: Amazon Japan

Synopsis:

A group of armed men seizes a school and takes a teacher and a student as their hostages. The hostage-takers ask the top class to complete a puzzle in exchange for the hostages’ lives.

Cheerfulnuts’ Review:

Aside from sharing the same title, being aired on the same TV network, and having Yamamoto Yusuke in both dramas, Puzzle isn’t related to 2008’s Puzzle in any way. The former is about a group of students from the top class who are forced to search for 2000 puzzle pieces and complete a picture within 48 hours. A group of armed men barges into a school which happens to be empty except for two teachers, the students from the top class, and a student who is about to quit from school. The events are slowly relayed to us through interviews carried out by an unknown man whom I presumed to be a police officer. During the entire interview, only the faces of the victims are shown. The delivery method had instantly caught my curiosity and I thought something as horrible as the Battle Royal must have taken place. I was wrong.

The hostage-takers aren’t as evil as I’ve expected. In fact, they aren’t scary at all. The students, on the other hand, are not a bit memorable. It’s shameful that the female teacher cannot take charge and seems to be the most panicky among the victims. I also fail to sympathize with any of them. I find the students’ detachment to each other hard to believe.

Still, I like the delivery of the story and I was suddenly drawn to it. It’s not boring (each episode lasts only about 24 minutes) and it’s actually quite entertaining. But it isn’t as good at it has promised. This is a type of drama that would catch your attention in the beginning and would keep you from switching off the TV until the very end, only to realize that it’s not really worth your time.

Cheerfulnuts’ Verdict:

4 out of 10 stars.

Ghost: In Your Arms Again Review

Ghost: In Your Arms Again

Japanese Title: Gōsuto Mouichido Dakishimetai

Alternative Title: Ghost in Love

Year: 2010

Language: Japanese

Genre: Romance, Drama

Synopsis:

CEO Nanami Hoshino (Nanako Matsushima) falls in love with Korean potter Jun-Ho Kim (Song Seung Heon) and marries him. Not long after, Nanami is killed in an accident. Seeing her devastated husband, Nanami decides to stay on earth as a ghost. As she watches over her grieving husband, she starts to realize that her death is caused by a planned murder and Jun-Ho’s life may be endangered. She goes to a fake medium named Unten Sazuki (Kirin Kiri), the only person who can hear her, and asks for help.

Cheerfulnuts’ Review:

When I first saw the cast in the Japanese remake of Ghost, I was excited. Two well-known actors in one movie. One is my favourite Japanese actress since childhood; another is a charming face in Korean dramaland. I have to admit that at first, their team-up felt a bit weird. If you’ve seen a lot of Nanako’s previous works, you may not appreciate her having a “pretty” leading man. Nanako looks more mature than Seong Heon, but she still is the elegant and beautiful actress that I grew to love. They may not be the perfect match, but they’re just okay.

The plot is pretty much the same. I’ve seen the original Hollywood movie several times, but I still get excited and wondered how the remake would show certain scenes or how it would be different from the original. It’s interesting that the ghost is the wife instead of the husband. Without seeing the trailer beforehand, I was surprised with the twist. Though the story is very familiar, the change is quite refreshing. That said, I still prefer the ghost to be a man. I just find it more romantic for a male ghost to watch over his wife rather than the other way around.

The Hollywood film focuses more on Sam Wheat’s (Patrick Swayze) being a ghost and how he befriends Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg). I like to see their friendship grow as the movie progresses. Unfortunately, in the remake, less focus is given to Oda’s counterpart Unten. Unten lacks Oda’s charisma. She is annoying, unlikable, and kind of creepy. Honestly, I think it’s hard to compare with Whoopi’s Oda. Oda is one character that is hard to forget. Unten may be charming to other viewers, but not to me.

Aside from making the ghost a woman, the Japanese version tries to be different by showing more of Jun-Ho and Nanami’s love story. Probably one-third of the movie shows how the couple met, how they fell in love, and how they got married. Despite the movie’s effort, it’s still hard for me to understand their love for each other. They made pots together and the next day, Jun-Ho tells Nanami he loves her. Everything is so fast. After Nanami’s death, it’s sad to see Jun-Ho’s devastation. But his pain is just unrealistic. How can he feel tremendous pain when he hardly knows his wife? They’ve been together for only months and it seems like Jun-Ho couldn’t live without her. It’s just not convincing. Perhaps the movie failed to fully show how their love developed due to lack of screen time. They could shorten the first part and just show a few flashbacks of their happy times when needed.

One last gripe, I wish the movie had paid more attention to details. I find it silly when the murderer chases Seong Heon and attempts to stab him in front of several witnesses. They should make it a dark alley or an empty warehouse to make it more believable instead of a crowded place.

My conclusion is, the remake is not as good as the original but it’s still watchable. Despite Seong Heon’s reputation as a mere pretty boy with no acting skills, the movie still managed to make me teary-eyed.  His portrayal of Jun-Ho works for me. I missed Nanako and I’m glad to see her here. Die-hard fans of the Hollywood Ghost may hate this film, so if you’re one of them, you may skip this movie. On the other hand, if you enjoy watching good-looking couples (as much as I do) regardless of the story, or if you didn’t like the Hollywood version, you may try watching this version.

Cheerfulnuts’ Verdict:

6 out of 10 stars.