In a nutshell: flawed but cute.

In a somewhat larger nutshell: There are definite weaknesses and some contrivances, but it’s been a long time since a first episode made me actually wish I could watch the second right away, rather than giving me reservations or a “wait and see” feeling.

Love & Marriage is like a cross between Dal Ja’s Spring and My Sweet Seoul, albeit probably not as good as either drama. But it retains the good-natured spirit of both, and is powered by a bright effervescence.

SONG OF THE DAY

F.T. Island - “사랑이라 부르는 이름” (A name called love) from their new album. [ Download ]

LOVE MARRIAGE Episode 1 >>

Filed under: Drama Recaps by javabeans - 31 Comments →

Kim Min-hee poses in red for a scene in the upcoming KBS rom-com series Love Marriage. This recent shoot took place in a club in Seoul’s trendy Apgu neighborhood, wherein Kim wore clothing and accessories totaling a cost of 25 million won, or approximately $25,000.

Apparently the fashionista actress handles much of the styling of her own character in the drama, who plays a “love manager,” aka a romance coach. Balancing out Kim Min-hee’s “bright and lively” character, Kim Ji-hoon plays her love interest, a “rational, thorough, and perfectionist” divorce lawyer, because this is a trendy drama which means we must have symmetry in all aspects! (Actually, I’m not complaining. It’s clichéd, but I think it could be cute. Kind of like Alicia Silverstone’s blink-and-you-missed-it dramedy Miss Match, except her character there was both a divorce lawyer AND matchmaker.)

Park Ki-woong plays romance rival as Kim Min-hee’s younger boyfriend; also cast is Hwang Bora.

Love Marriage is written by In Eun-ah (Goong) and directed by Kim Hyung-seok (Goodbye Sadness), and will take the next Monday-Tuesday slot after Strongest Chil Woo wraps up later this month. Its first episode airs on August 25.

Via Segye.com, Asia Economy

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Park Shi-yeon (recently of dark drama La Dolce Vita) takes on the role of a spy in the new movie Dachimawalee: Bye, Villain! Take the Express Train to Hell [다찌마와 리: 악인이여 지옥행 급행열차를 타라], a comedic action spy film which from all appearances looks like a period Bond flick by way of Mr. Bean.

The movie, directed by Ryu Seung-wan, also stars Im Won-hee (M, Le Grand Chef), Gong Hyo-jin (Thank You), Hwang Bora (Rainbow Romance), and Ryu Seung-beom (Radio Days, Family Ties), with Im as the titular top-secret spy Dachimawalee who takes on a sexy new partner (Park Shi-yeon). Naturally hijinks ensue.

The movie opens August 14.

Via Joy News

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Actress Hwang Bora (Rainbow Romance, My Girl) is making her television comeback after she was caught last December for drunk driving. She was found driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.135% (U.S. legal limits are 0.08%; South Korea penalizes BAC of 0.05-0.09 with a 100 days’ license cancellation, and over 0.10 with cancellation of a license). Public opinion was (rightly, for once) censorious, and needless to say, she’s laid low since the incident.

Now she’s been cast in the upcoming KBS drama Love Marriage, a romantic comedy set to take Strongest Chil Woo’s place on Monday and Tuesday nights after that drama wraps next month. The series will be penned by Goong scribe In Eun-ah and stars Kim Min-hee (Some Like it Hot) as a “couple manager” at a dating service, while Kim Ji-hoon (Why Did You Come to Our House?, Flowers For My Life) is cast as a divorce attorney. Hwang Bora plays a part-time employee at Kim Min-hee’s office.

Love Marriage premieres August 25.

Call me girly — I wear the badge proudly! — but I may just really dig this one. I like the two lead actors, and I liked Hwang Bora well enough before her stupid mistake, which she’s hopefully learned from (taxis, people! You’re famous stars, why are you driving yourselves around anyway?). And despite finding Goong highly overrated, I think the writing was decent until the drama extensions caused all that boring, convoluted nonsense toward the end.

Via Hankyung.com

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• Check out the new poster for the Jeon Ji Hyun–Hwang Jung Min movie The Man Who Was Superman, photo above.
• End-of-the-year awards ceremonies are approaching, and KBS has selected Lee Da Hae as its MC, along with Tak Jae Hoon.



• Don’t drink and drive. Actress Hwang Bora (24, to right) learned that the hard way when she was arrested for driving under the influence despite claims of only drinking one glass of wine. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps you’ll remember her as Yoorin’s goofy best friend in My Girl. She was also in the Nonstop series Rainbow Romance and Lawyers.
• Cable channel Mnet just had its M Countdown Christmas-themed concert, featuring mostly artists I don’t care about, like Super Junior, SG Wannabe, Seeya, and Girls Generation, and some I do, like FT Island, Dynamic Duo, and Lee Soo Young.
• Chun Jung Myung is busy cramming in as much Hansel & Gretel promotion while preparing for his upcoming January 2 military service enlistment, which starts even earlier than Gong Yoo’s on January 14. Sob.
• Actress Han Ji Hye, girlfriend of actor Lee Dong Gun, has released photos of herself with her older sister and younger brother online.

SONG OF THE DAY

Lucite Tokki - “비오는 날” (Rainy day). Lucite Tokki is an awesome new indie band from the Pastel Music label, with a similar sound to (similarly awesome) labelmates Love & Pop, Fanny Fink and Misty Blue. [ zShare download ]

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