One Zombie, Sharing Her Love of all Things Hallyu With The World
Last week we were left wondering whether Chang Min or Jin Hee would realize his/her feelings for the other first, this week, we’re left wondering which man will step up and be Jin Hee’s hero/savior as she stuck in mid-fall for an entire week. (Do I sense an homage to My Love From Another Star here?)
Continue reading “HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 5-6 (3/4)”
Welcome back to Karen’s portion of the Hallyu Zombie Emergency Couple Drama Review, episode five and six. This week, Tanya started us off with some ridiculous situations. I found this week’s episodes really interesting, but I found Oh Jin Hee’s (Song Ji Hyo’s) honest and true excuse to be a doctor disappointing and unbelievable.
I can’t believe Oh Jin Hee’s real reason to become a doctor is to experience what it’s like to be a doctor because a doctor is somebody special and she’s a nobody. At first, I thought she was joking when she told her ex-mother-in-law, Yoon Sung Sook (Park Joon Geum) her reasons, but then, when she repeated the reasons of her true intentions to Dr. Gook Chun Soo (Lee Pil Mo), I was devastated. Jin Hee’s motivations are so shallow. Surely, I don’t believe it. If that was true, she wouldn’t do all she could to help her patients. She could have merely sit back, watch the show, and let her ex-husband and fellow intern, Oh Chang Min (Choi Jin Hyuk), handle the mess of a patient’s death. All those sticky notes she had in her medical book and all the effort she put in to become a doctor is way too much effort to make me believe she simply wanted to be a doctor, but not play the part. Then, Zombie Mamma, Tanya, and I could have been doctors too, though who knows if we can all get through some medical books and still retain all the knowledge that one needs to become a doctor. I know for sure that my eyes will glaze over. I’m just trying to prove that it takes more than a mere effort to become a doctor and I believe Jin Hee got this far because she is interested in becoming a doctor and saving lives.
Dr. Gook’s wise response was really touching to me. In fact, I respect his honest response to Jin Hee’s confession, which sums up my feelings as well:
Then did everyone become a doctor to cure sick people and save the world like Jesus? Are you saying that only the people with the right intentions can become doctors? Are you saying that their intentions are never swayed by their lives? That kind of perfect idealism doesn’t exist.
Meanwhile, contrary to what I said in my first Emergency Couple review, there are politics in the hospital after all when Jin Hee is the one to be dismissed for the death of a patient while Chang Min’s job position remains safe. We can’t escape the political madness in every hospital drama!
Honestly, with all these clues becoming obvious that Jin Hee and Chang Min have some type of relationship that goes beyond one of colleagues, Dr. Gook is still questioning everything. Even their fellow interns already speculated Jin Hee’s and Chang Min’s mysterious relationship and it’s only a matter of time before they all figure it out.
Chang Min needs to step up as a man. He still disappoints me very much when he doubted that Jin Hee might harm his mother when Jin Hee went into the VIP room and when he failed to stick up for Jin Hee in front of his mother. Yet, if he didn’t care about Jin Hee, he wouldn’t have lied about performing the tracheotomy only to lose his job, which he spent many years pursuing. I really can’t root for him too much.
Chang Min’s mother, Yoon Sung Sook, should have became a doctor herself if she’s so obsessed with doctors. Honestly, she needs to get her priorities straight. Being rich does not automatically bring happiness. Why is she pursuing such unrealistic goals? She wants a high society-ranking woman like “Jessica” Han Ah Reum (Clara) to become her daughter-in-law and she wants Chang Min and Han Ah Reum to represent her pride as doctors in order to match up with the rest of her family. She even knew that her rich sisters didn’t visit her after she collapsed in the hospital and that the joke is on her when her former daughter-in-law, Jin Hee, became a doctor. As a bonus, Jin Hee thoughtfully saved Sung Sook’s life. Furthermore, because of her schemes, Sung Sook already lost her husband’s heart. He didn’t bother to visit her at the hospital either.
This week, another new character is revealed and she is Oh Jin Ae (Jun Soo Jin), Jin Hee’s sister. She is really rude, but also ignored by the family. I don’t know whether to scold her or to feel pity for her. Initially, I was really mad at her for stealing her sister’s wedding ring and pawning it for a guitar. Honestly, since Jin Hee says that Jin Ae is older than Han Ah Reum, Jin Ae should be old enough to get her own job to support herself. She’s not a teenager, but it’s because she is still dependent on her sister that there is still hope that the family can reunite again. Jin Ae seemed to be the forgotten child. What took so long for Jin Hee to find Jin Ae anyway when Jin Hee could have just made a couple of phone calls at any time to check on Jin Ae’s whereabouts? Or is Jin Hee giving her sister some space?
Lastly, it’s cameo hunting time. Dubbed the “Monday Couple” from the ever-popular Running Man variety show due to their hinted relationship, Gary, who is one-half of the hip-hop duo, Leessang, reunites with his Running Man teammate, Song Ji Hyo, in episode six of Emergency Couple. In her drunken state, Jin Hee mistakes Gary for Gary while showing him her godly hands, but Gary assures her that he is Dari, God’s substitute driver who is hired by Dr. Gook to escort her home. Dari has a feeling he will see her again on Monday because why? Because, they are the Monday Couple on Running Man, of course!
There is more drama sure to come as Zombie Mamma takes over with her thoughts for part three of the Emergency Couple Hallyu Zombie Drama Review series. Check back soon!
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Zombie Mamma | Hallyu Know? | Wehaiyo!
Hello everyone! I spent most of this week’s episodes being super annoyed by the ridiculous situations the drama brought forward, so let’s recap!
Chang Min is still in over-protective mode and insists to Dr. Gook’s face that he’s the one that performed the surgery even though Gook knows he didn’t. I understand Chang Min doesn’t want Jin Hee to get in trouble because there will be an inquiry into the death, but I don’t know many who would sacrifice their career for someone they don’t even get along with.
Later, “the intern who performed the tracheotomy” is called into the review board’s conference and both Chang Min and Jin Hee show up, however only Chang Min has the guts to walk up to the podium and say he did it. Jin Hee cowers in the walkway until Chang Min starts taking questions from the other doctors. At the point she speaks up, she makes both herself and Chang Min look like idiots because one of them obviously has to be lying. You could tell by the look on Dr. Gook’s face even he thought she should have just kept her mouth shut at that point.
Our lovey dovey couple was at odds with one another as situations in the ER became tense. Honestly though, I think Sang Hyuk had every right to get annoyed with [his wife] Young Ae. She’s in there venting and then gets frustrated because she dropped something. He’s trying to help her out by picking it up and she just keeps going off and he finally speaks up in defense of himself. They way she asks if he’s annoyed is more like, “How dare you speak up against me” and I am unhappy with that. I know there is usually a stronger personality in a relationship, but they just got married… There should be more equality present.
We are then greeted by the Chang Min’s mother who took pills, seemingly on purpose, so she could herself into the hospital that he is working at. Jin Hee is assigned to work with her and is mistreated of course. Mother requests that Jessica (aka Han Ah Reum) be her attending intern instead and pulls strings to get her way, to the annoyance of Dr. Gook. It is an obvious ploy to work on getting Chang Min and Ah Reum together.
In the end, however, Jin Hee comes through and ends up saving her life because she puts an EKG on her after remembering she had previous heart failure. Again, the mother treats Jin Hee like she is worthless and continues her tantrum.
Lastly, we are introduced to one more issue: Jin Ae. This girl freely comes into Jin Hee’s home, steals her stuff and sells it for money, then demands her sister send her more money because what she stole was worthless. I would have put the smack down… It’s ridiculous.
What did you think of this week’s episodes? Let me know in the comments below or @Hallyu_Tanya on Twitter!
In case you’ve been glued to your computer watching B.A.P’s “1004” all week (and let’s face it, who hasn’t?) here are some of this week’s other new K-Pop releases…
1. Soyou X Junggigo “Some”
This week brought with it the end of KBS’s most recent romantic dramedy, The Prime Minister and I so naturally, I have to recommend it as the drama to marathon this weekend.
I’ve heard some refer to The Prime Minister and I as the Korean version of The Sound of Music but to me, that’s such a shallow generalization that it doesn’t do either show justice. The Prime Minister and I is the story of a young, gossip rag journalist, Nam Da Jung (YoonA) who finds herself in an absurd scandal with the newly appointed Prime Minister of Korea, Kwon Yool (Lee Beom Soo). 
To save face and grant the drunken plea of a very distraught Nam Da Jung, Kwon Yool agrees to enter into one of my favorite DramaLand tropes, a contract marriage.
While the contract marriage is nothing new in the world of K-dramas, the addition of three children who want nothing to do with a step-mother they know nothing about, is. 
And here, I suppose is where the comparison of The Prime Minister and I and The Sound of Music makes the most sense, as Da Jung and all of her plucky optimism, works her magic and restores the broken relationships between Kwon Yool and his children, as she simultaneously wins each of their hearts. Yes, I’m happy to say that just as Maria won over the hearts of the Von Trapp family, Da Jung is slowly accepted by the Kwon family and the moments she breaks through each of their tough exteriors is absolutely adorable.
Unfortunately, the warm-fuzzies of this show are, in the end, overshadowed by the return of an unexpected character and if you haven’t already watched The Prime Minister and I you may want to stop reading here because I’m about to spoil this big-time for you! If there’s one thing I hate in DramaLand, it’s how often people who were believed to be dead, suddenly come back to life and
unfortunately, The Prime Minister and I falls victim to this overused and exceptionally annoying trope. What bothers me even more is how this person, who thought it best to fake her death and inflict that type of pain on her family, can come “back to life” and suddenly expect to have everything return to normal. But what bothers me, more than anything, is how this particularly selfish and (in my opinion, totally undeserving) individual can get everything she wants while almost everyone around her suffers. Why is it the only person in this drama who doesn’t deserve a happy ending is the only person who gets one? What’s up with that? 
What’s worse, we as viewers aren’t even given the satisfaction of a half-hearted kiss at the end of it all. Oh no! We’re left with a handshake and a smile. A HANDSHAKE! Seriously? I’d take a thousand horribly unenthusiastic lip smooshes (sorry Heartstrings, I’m still not over your ending “kiss”) over a stinking handshake any day!
Personal disappointments aside, I did enjoy The Prime Minister and I. I thought the story moved along at a decent pace, the actors did well in their roles and I was emotionally invested enough by the end to cry through at least half of the final episode (and not because of that stupid handshake). 
As an added bonus, Yoon Si Yoon plays the second male lead, Kang In Ho, and honestly, he’s was enough to have me coming back every week… I couldn’t help it, Si Yoon is just too adorable! If you’re a sucker for adorable second male leads, contract marriages, adorable children and sappy yet infuriating endings, The Prime Minister and I is the drama for you. Happy marathoning!
For those of you who’ve already seen The Prime Minister and I, I’d love to hear what you thought of it. Did you enjoy it? Did you hate it? What was your favorite scene? What did you think of that stupid handshake? As always, I’m more than eager to talk dramas so be sure to leave me a comment below!
Zombie: So I just have to ask, last week we weren’t so sure we were going to like this drama, have any of us changed our minds now that we’re four episodes in?
Karen: I think my overall reactions are still positive. I do miss a lot of the medical drama though because that’s what gets my heart pumping.
Continue reading “HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4 (4/4)”
With the release of B.A.P’s first official album, First Sensibility, it should come as no surprise that “1004” wins this week’s Tune of the Week spotlight.
Welcome to Part 3 of Hallyu Zombie Drama Review for Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4! I find it funny that Karen, ZombieMamma, and I are all seeing pretty eye-to-eye on this drama so far. Since they have both done awesome recaps, I want to focus a little more on my personal opinions here.
I’m honestly finding this drama too easy. We have established that pretty much every relationship in this show is flawed or broken, and it’s completely true. However, it’s too easy… and conflict free. For example, our main characters Chang Min and Jin Hee hated each other in episodes 1-2. By episode 3, that hatred is wavering…. and in episode 4, it seems to be completely non-existent like it was never a thing to begin with. You don’t forgive someone in that short amount of time, no matter what nice things they have done for you. You certainly don’t forget what happened in the past that quickly.
I understand that relationships can move on and mend, but not realistically in the time period that this drama has set. Yes, you can have concern for others, even those you don’t like, but this over-protective vibe is a little extreme for this early in the series.
And no, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want them to end up together. It is very clear they should, but were not at a place in their lives to do it when they were younger. So fighting!
Lastly, the medical aspect of this drama is ridiculous. Karen mentions the conflict in what interns actually do and we talked about it. The standard definition of interns is those working at a hospital as part of their academic curriculum. They wouldn’t be called doctor, nor would they do any tasks beyond basic blood draws and assisting. There was a side note that some countries also refer to first years residents as interns, meaning they have graduated but need practical experience. I am seriously hoping the later is the case for this show, otherwise we have some very uneducated people performing serious tasks.
Even without all that business, patience aren’t being cared for properly. As ZombieMamma said, where did “psycho ahjussi” just disappear to? There were probably others to care for him since we see a lot of other doctors and nurses in the background often, but not all of those interns would have rushed to Chang Min and been able to stay with him. Doctors would have given them instructions to help with the suicidal patient and the cop that had been shot.
This shouldn’t have been billed as a medical drama, but rather a drama that takes place in a hospital. They only use the setting to create situations of conflict between the characters, it isn’t actually about what is taking place in the hospital.
All negativity aside, I’m optimistic that this drama will be a decent on in the end. There seems to be conviction to have real resolution between the characters and, as we already know, I hate open-ended stories! Give me an actual ending please!
Be sure to check out our blogs for more dramatic fun!
What started out last week as a tumultuous drama I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get behind, has morphed, this week, into a drama to which I am now completely addicted. So what happened in this week’s episodes of Emergency Couple that changed my tune? Well, let’s dig into them and find out!
Continue reading “HALLYU ZOMBIE DRAMA REVIEW: Emergency Couple Episodes 3-4 (2/4)”
Welcome back to the Emergency Couple review, episodes three and four with Karen, who is reviewing Emergency Couple each week with Zombie Mamma and Tanya. If last week’s introductory episodes were incredulous, then this week’s episodes are bound to be more interesting because of additional background information on our main characters. Unfortunately, there are still some ridiculous plot lines that bother me.
Last week’s episodes ended with Oh Jin Hee (Song Ji Hyo) shocking a suicidal patient and her ex-husband and intern colleague, Oh Chang Min (Choi Jin Hyuk). Immediately afterwards, almost all medical personnel rushed to Oh Chang Min’s side. What about the suicidal patient? He was never seen again nor did I see anybody treat him. I thought it didn’t make sense to focus all the energy on Chang Min and not the other patient. Even the patient who was accidentally shot by the suicidal patient had more screen time than the actual suicidal patient. Was the suicidal patient’s life not as important as the other patients? I had unresolved feelings about that mini story. In fact, the nurse said the drunkard, suicidal patient was discharged afterwards. Shouldn’t he go to the police station?
Once again, I have my doubts about what intern life is really about at the hospital. From what I learned from the drama, interns are lucky if they even have one hour for lunch because they never know when an emergency can happen and they are summoned. How much sense does it make to leave the hospital to go out for lunch and on top of that, a blind date? Even worse, Oh Chang Min’s blind date was supposed to be fellow intern, Han Ah Reum (Clara). Chang Min is so obedient towards his mother that he didn’t have any common sense. Is it that hard to change the blind date to an evening time after interns get off of work? Profession aside, a lunch date isn’t really enough time to get to know somebody anyway. Han Ah Reum’s family should have known that it would be quite impossible for Han Ah Reum to go to this lunch date when she is an intern at a hospital. The lunch date was doomed to fail from the beginning.
I really like Dr. Gook’s (Lee Pil Mo) response to an intern taking lunch during an emergency. Even with his buried pain, he’s becoming quite the comical character from his expressions to his view on hospital life.
Actress and comedian Jung Joo Ri has a few cameo scenes as the person who attends the blind date in Han Ah Reum’s place. The way Jung Joo Ri looks at art is basically how I look at art. She mistakes the artist’s name (but, thankfully corrects herself) and criticizes the man’s hairstyle in Leonardo da Vinci’s famous drawing of the “Vitruvian Man.”
In a way, I love that Han Ah Reum is from the United States or at least has a western mentality. I get to see how she reacts to Korean culture. Foreigners such as I would learn a lesson or two about how to assimilate into Korean culture.
I am intrigued by what Oh Jin Hee said about referring to others who are more than five years in age difference by name. My Korean husband, however, says it really depends on the situation, but either way, I would feel more comfortable referring to my colleagues by surname if I were working in a hospital.
On the other hand, I feel that Han Ah Reum is so rude. I hope her behavior doesn’t reflect badly on all Americans. I would never make fun of other people’s age and their insecurities. The way she bullied Oh Jin Hee was such a turn-off to me that I hope Chang Min never falls in love with her.
On a positive note, I have a better understanding on why Oh Jin Hee became a doctor. She has been supported by Oh Chang Min’s father, Oh Tae Suk, all along. I believe Oh Tae Suk had been burdened by the guilt of his wife separating Oh Chang Min’s marriage to Oh Jin Hee so Oh Tae Suk decided to secretly support Oh Jin Hee’s path to become a doctor. I find Oh Tae Suk and Oh Jin Hee’s relationship very sweet even though they can no longer meet due to the awkwardness of their relationship. Perhaps Chang Min’s father will take the Vice-Director job at the hospital after he learns of Jin Hee and Chang Min’s fateful working relationship.
On a side note, the way Chang Min’s parents fight seems to be way more vicious than Chang Min and Jin Hee’s martial fight, yet Chang Min’s parents are not divorced.
Lastly, I will talk about the Emergency Couple love gauge. Finally, the drama gives me what I want when Oh Chang Min shows a bit of concern for Oh Jin Hee when they found out that their patient, whom they performed tracheotomy on, had died. As they both tried to take the blame, Oh Chang Min was more forceful in protecting Oh Jin Hee, but I will have to wait until next week’s episode to find out what exactly will happen. Previously, Chang Min hated Jin Hee so much that he would rather be shot by the suicidal patient than be saved by Jin Hee. Will protection turn into love again?
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