Monday Marathon: Love Cells

You know that I only watched the drama because the name "Kim Woo Bin" popped up on the cast list. Even though I came for Kim Woo Bin I stayed for the adorable main cast and the fun story line. 

Overview: A young man is in danger of losing his love cells because he has yet to date anyone. One of his love cells escapes and takes over his cat and coaches him on how to get the girl of his dreams who just so happens to be an untouchable idol.

Why it's Worth Marathon-ing:
1. LENGTH
The length is really a key point. The writer(s) managed to fit everything you might love or hate from a full length drama in about 6 to 12 minutes. It'll only take about 2 hours to watch from beginning to end but you can also watch during your lunch or study breaks if you can't find the time. I watched it on DramaFever.

2. CAST
There is a cast of wacky characters including the main character's next door neighbor played by Jang Hyuk and Park Joon Hyung as an ad model for all the special tools Navi has. The main cast includes: Park Sun Ho as Ma Dae Choon, Kim Yoo Jung as Navi (love cell/cat), Nam Ji Hyun as Seo Rin, and Baek Sung Hyun as Chun Ji Woon. The short also features Kim Woo Bin as the Love Cell Hunter.

3. PLOT
The main story line is pretty original, and the show was sweet and funny. Though romantic comedies are a dime a dozen this one has a pretty original concept. The idea that one has love cells that die off if you live your life as a single person too long is an interesting idea and one that I was happy to see played out. It was sweet in the fact that the romance never felt overly forced. From the beginning the concept was to force the romance so that the main character's love cells wouldn't die but it never got to a point where I cringed at it. It was very hilarious too see some big name stars act pretty wacky and it was funny to see the main character Ma Dae Choon try to win over the affections of Seo Rin, the idol he had a crush on.

4. ENDING
The ending was pretty surprising. I don't want to spoil anything but I will say that there was quite the turn of events near the end. The very ending also seemed to be promising a sequel in which the Love Cell Hunter's story would be told. I finished the drama feeling satisfied even if the story didn't exactly go as I planned in my head I thought the writer(s) did a very good job. 

If you are currently looking for your next short, I definitely recommend this one. I am actually thinking of re-watching it just so I can see it from beginning to end without a whole week between some episodes. 

I know it's been a a while since I've done one of these, but a whole bunch of shorter drama are starting to be released so hopefully I'll be able to keep Marathon Monday alive for a while.

Monday Marathon: Another Parting

A return to the miniseries. Another Parting is strange but really good.

Overview: "This miniseries is about a man and woman who decide to spend their last day together." Many of the descriptions went like this so I didn't exactly know what to expect when I started the show. I'm going to give just a touch more background so you will have a better idea of what's going on in the show. The main guy is an alien who takes over a humans body. He must carry out a mission on earth. He meets the woman (Hana) and spends the day with her in order to fulfill his mission.

Why It's Worth Marathon-ing:
1. It's really short. It'll take like an hour to watch the entire series which frees up time to freak out over how great it is.

2. SEO IN GUK! He's really great in this show. It is a different side from his usual sweet best friend roles.

3. The story line. It's a weired show, but it's a good weird. I don't want to spoil the show but I can tell you that after it's over you'll be like "That's was so off...but I liked it."

4. The OST. "Melody Day" is a sweet sounding song that fits the mood of the series.

You can watch it on YouTube!

Monday Marathon: Nail Shop Paris

Nail Shop Paris was my very first K-Drama and I'll never forget it. After discovering the K-Drama fandom, it was nice reading the reviews on the show. Although most of the reviews weren't positive I was still tempted to watch the show again and found a few good reasons why others should watch it too.

Overview: This show is about a young female author that is accused of plagiarism. Because of this, an offer to publish her work is rejected just as she is about to sign the contract. In order to get "original" material she follows a mysterious man she sees in the subway. She thinks he is some sort of spy/gangster but finds out that he is actually a male manicurist at "Nail Shop Paris," a high end nail shop which only has male employees. In order to get closer to the hero of her next story she pretends to be a guy and joins the staff. From there, hilarious and sometimes annoying high jinks ensue.

There are 10 episodes, each about 50 minutes long.

Why It's Worth Watching:
1. You don't have to think too hard to watch the show. Let's be honest some of us spend way too much effort thinking about the show we're watching instead of just watching it. This is a very light story so there's no need to over analyze every little bit of it. In fact, it's better that you don't try to analyze it at all because the moment you do, you'll probably stop watching and you may miss out on some funny stuff.

2. The cast. There are 2 idol/actors (Park Gyulee from Kara and Cheon Dung aka Thunder from MBLAQ) in this show and though their acting isn't all that great they're cute enough that I'll give them a pass. Besides them there is also Song Jae-Rim (Two Weeks, Inspiring Generation), Jun Ji-Hoo, Byeon Woo-Min (Tamra, the Island), Kim Chae-Yeon, and Han So-Young. 

3. The characters are a bit different from your usual line-up. There's a love triangle between the girl/guy and two guy/guys so that part is typical. However, the main guy isn't a jerky chaebol who falls for the girl and wants to force her to fall for him. And the second guy isn't that nice doormat that most second male leads tend to be. He expresses his feelings quickly and often. I didn't realize how refreshing that could be until I watched more dramas and saw how little that happened.

3. SPOILER ALERT: Second male lead gets the girl! If that's not a good enough reason to at least watch the first episode then I don't know what is.

Though I enjoyed the show I could clearly see the flaws in it, especially the second time around. The ending was a complete mess, the nail art was hideous, the lead female character's interjecting story line for her book got worse with every episode, and the fact that no one could tell was a girl was crazy because she wore tight pants and wedge sneakers all the time. Despite it's problems it was fun to watch and I have no regrets.

Monday Marathon: Aftermath

Hope it is another happy Monday for everyone. It was an action packed Monday for me because I marathon-ed the miniseries Aftermath starring Kim Dong Jun of ZE:A.

If you are looking for a ton of action in a little amount of time then this is the drama for you. I watched it on DramaFever.

Overview: This show is about a student that gets into an accident that nearly kills him. When he wakes up he realizes that he has the ability to see when and who will die or who will murder by the color of their eyes. How does he react to his new power? Well he uses it to try and save people, but he soon realizes that heroics aren't always easy.

Why it's Worth Marathon-ing:
1. The drama is full of action to say it's so short. It's two seasons: the first consisting of 5 episodes, the second, 6 episodes. Each episode is between 8 to 11 minutes long. However, that time limit did not limit the amount of fights, chases, and chaos that went on in the drama.

2. You should watch it because of Kim Dong Jun. He was really great in this show. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see anything else he's acted in but from what I saw in this drama he's very talented. He's also really cute.

3. The other cast members are also great. Kim Min Suk (Shut Up Flower Boy Band), Sun Joo Ah, Kim Geun Hyung, and Kim Ri Ah are all a part of the cast and they acted their parts out flawlessly.

4. You'll want more. A sign of a great show is never wanting it to end. This is definitely one of those shows.
A lot of the comments on the last episodes were complaints that it was too short, but also compliments on how much it accomplished in such a short amount of time.

So if you're tired of the cutesy miniseries and looking for a thriller then check out Aftermath.

Monday Marathon: After School, Lucky or Not

Happy Monday! I know there may not be anything happy about it if you're headed to school or work, but there's still something to look forward to.

If you are in need a good laugh, quickly then check out today's Marathon Monday pick--After School: Lucky or Not playing on DramaFever.

Overview: This manga/anime inspired drama stars Kim So Eun (Ga Eul of Boys Over Flowers) and members of idol Group 5urprise (Seo Kang Joon, Gong Myung, Lee Tae Hwan, Kang Tae Oh, and Yoo Il). It is about 5 friends who make up the "Lucky or Not Club" and invite a shy girl to join the club. The club completes missions every episode in order to fulfill the wish of their friend.

Why It's Worth Marathon-ing:
1. It's super short. The show only has 12 episodes and each episode is about 13 minutes, give or take. If you are at school or work you can easily watch an episode or two during your lunch break.

2. It's hilarious! Crude at times, but really funny. I couldn't stop laughing.

3. A lot of eye candy. Whether you're a guy or girl their are a lot of pretty faces in this show.

4. Awesome cameos. There are cameos galore, in every single episode, so there's always something or someone to look forward to with every episode.

5. It's sweet. Once you really get to the heart of the show you realize why these friends are going on all these ridiculous journeys together.

It really is an amazing show that not only shows off 5urprise's acting ability, but also their vocal talents. I wish them many successful years.

Monday Marathon: Ma Boy

Every Monday I will share a show that is short enough to marathon in one day. Why Monday? Well, I need something to get me pumped up for the week, plus I have Mondays off from work.

Today's drama is a really short show that is super funny and adorable. Ma Boy! I watched Ma Boy, subbed, on GoodDrama.net. Here's the link: http://www.gooddrama.net/korean-drama/ma-boy

Overview: It's your standard gender bender drama however, there is a twist. Instead of the cross dresser being a girl, it's a guy! The main characters are Geu Rim played by Kim So Hyun and Irene/Hyun Woo played by Sun Woong. Geu Rim and Hyun Woo attend a performing arts high school in hopes to someday become stars. When Geu Rim enrolls in the school she is roomed with the most popular girl in school, Irene. Little does she know, Irene is actually a guy--Hyun Woo--who dresses up as a girl in order to be a star. Obviously this causes for some misunderstandings that are hilarious to watch.

Why It's Worth Marathon-ing: For starters: There are only 3 episodes. You can get through this drama and then some. Me, I watched it twice. It was that great! Since, it's so short the story line doesn't drag on, but it also doesn't feel rushed either.

Next: It's amazingly funny. I cried while laughing, it was that funny. It's also super sweet but not in an obnoxious way.

Lastly: It's perfect for non-drama watchers. If you are trying to get your friend into dramas and they like romantic comedies then this should be on the top of your suggestions list. It's length won't overwhelm them and because it is so funny it is enjoyable for anyone.

After watching this drama you'll want more episodes, but you'll know that more episodes probably would have ruined such a perfect drama.

If you have some time, say 3 hours, and are in between dramas I suggest that you watch this drama. You won't be disappointed.