...a very enjoyable, worthwhile series with some crazy ups and downs.
A Korean drama would not be complete without a love triangle. Sure enough, rivals appear to make things more complicated. Throw in some amusing supporting characters and some amazing food, and you have a very enjoyable, worthwhile series with some crazy ups and downs.
Kim Seon-Ah, who plays Sam-Soon, reportedly gained weight for this role (again, drawing comparison to Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones) but really, if that is how she looks after gaining weight, she must have been a toothpick before. She looks perfectly normal to my eyes, so the constant problem of her weight throughout the series is somewhat baffling. However, her performance is brilliant. She perfectly captures Sam-Soon's tough personality, but gives her a believable vulnerable side. Hyeon Bin as Jin-Heon is handsome and dashing. Newcomer Daniel Henney manages to get through the whole series speaking only English, and while his acting is not quite on the level of the rest of the cast, it is a decent debut that promises better performances in the future. Jeong Ryeo-Won as Hee-Jin is pretty, and also shows off an impressive grasp of English.
"My Lovely Sam-Soon" is 16 episodes spread across 6 disks. Each episode is about an hour long, for a total running time of 960 minutes. It has everything I can ask for in a romantic comedy. Truly likable leads, charming supporting characters, excellent writing, good comedy, and enough twists and turns to keep me wanting more.
Video:
"My Lovely Sam-Soon" is presented in 1.33:1 full-screen, and looks wonderful. The picture is crisp, bright and clean. I did not notice any problems with the video quality.
Audio:
There is only one audio track available in this release – a strong Dolby Digital 2.0 Korean track. This is paired with an excellent, easy to understand, English subtitle track. "My Lovely Sam-Soon" is a romantic comedy. There are no spectacular action sequences, so a full-blown 5.1 surround track is not really needed. Dialog and background music make up the bulk of the audio, and this track suits that purpose just fine.
Extras:
As a bonus feature, YA Entertainment generously provides 2 full episodes— that's a good 120 minutes— of another drama series they have released, "Dae Jang Geum," also known as "Jewel in the Palace." It is an engrossing historical piece that is also worth checking out.
--Miscellaneous--
This set comes packaged in a very sturdy custom box. There is a red strap on the top with which you can lift out an equally sturdy section that holds two multi-disk keepcases. There is also a small, yet cute, Sam-Soon mouse pad included with the DVDs. Nice bonus!
Film Value:
"My Lovely Sam-Soon" garnered huge ratings and won a pile of Korean Drama Awards, and it's easy to see why. This is a fun, romantic, entertaining, comedic twist on your standard Cinderella fairy tale. The 16 hours just flew by as I watched this strong-minded heroine try to capture her tarnished prince. The performances are strong and it is an all-around top-notch production. I highly recommend this drama.
Kim Seon-Ah, who plays Sam-Soon, reportedly gained weight for this role (again, drawing comparison to Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones) but really, if that is how she looks after gaining weight, she must have been a toothpick before. She looks perfectly normal to my eyes, so the constant problem of her weight throughout the series is somewhat baffling. However, her performance is brilliant. She perfectly captures Sam-Soon's tough personality, but gives her a believable vulnerable side. Hyeon Bin as Jin-Heon is handsome and dashing. Newcomer Daniel Henney manages to get through the whole series speaking only English, and while his acting is not quite on the level of the rest of the cast, it is a decent debut that promises better performances in the future. Jeong Ryeo-Won as Hee-Jin is pretty, and also shows off an impressive grasp of English.
"My Lovely Sam-Soon" is 16 episodes spread across 6 disks. Each episode is about an hour long, for a total running time of 960 minutes. It has everything I can ask for in a romantic comedy. Truly likable leads, charming supporting characters, excellent writing, good comedy, and enough twists and turns to keep me wanting more.
Video:
"My Lovely Sam-Soon" is presented in 1.33:1 full-screen, and looks wonderful. The picture is crisp, bright and clean. I did not notice any problems with the video quality.
Audio:
There is only one audio track available in this release – a strong Dolby Digital 2.0 Korean track. This is paired with an excellent, easy to understand, English subtitle track. "My Lovely Sam-Soon" is a romantic comedy. There are no spectacular action sequences, so a full-blown 5.1 surround track is not really needed. Dialog and background music make up the bulk of the audio, and this track suits that purpose just fine.
Extras:
As a bonus feature, YA Entertainment generously provides 2 full episodes— that's a good 120 minutes— of another drama series they have released, "Dae Jang Geum," also known as "Jewel in the Palace." It is an engrossing historical piece that is also worth checking out.
--Miscellaneous--
This set comes packaged in a very sturdy custom box. There is a red strap on the top with which you can lift out an equally sturdy section that holds two multi-disk keepcases. There is also a small, yet cute, Sam-Soon mouse pad included with the DVDs. Nice bonus!
Film Value:
"My Lovely Sam-Soon" garnered huge ratings and won a pile of Korean Drama Awards, and it's easy to see why. This is a fun, romantic, entertaining, comedic twist on your standard Cinderella fairy tale. The 16 hours just flew by as I watched this strong-minded heroine try to capture her tarnished prince. The performances are strong and it is an all-around top-notch production. I highly recommend this drama.
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[release]23058[/release]