Yay, we’re back on track! Last week was a weird week in that it was the New Year with a pre-emption, giving us fewer episodes than normal, but it was also a rare week that didn’t really speak to me. Considering that the show’s been on the air for months and it was the first week to do that, I’d say it’s pretty impressive.

In any case, I love the movement we get this week, for multiple couples and storylines. This show just has so much heart.

SONG OF THE DAY

Sweet Sorrow – “그대에게 하는 말” (Words Said To You). I did just post Sweet Sorrow recently, but this song is played in Episode 88. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 85-89 (3,650 words)

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Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

Hearts are broken this week, along with mine. We’ve got a lighter load of three episodes and though I don’t mind a lesser workload, our story feels cut off and I feel a little short-handed. Each of these stories could stand on its own but please sir, I want some more.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kang Ta and Taeyeon – “7989″ [ Download ]

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 82-84 (2,001 words)

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Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

Yessss! Finally, some major developments on one front! It’s pretty much what we all expected, but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying when it happens. The teasing was drawn-out, but the pay-off sure is satisfying.

(Four episodes this week, due to a pre-emption.)

SONG OF THE DAY

Sweet Sorrow – “첫 데이트” (First Date) from Episode 80. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 78-81 (3,597 words)

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Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

It’s a knockout week for High Kick with laughs, love, and life.  How can a show leave me so content but demands that I have a box of tissues by my side? Seung-yoon seems to be the prominent character this week and he finally faces some serious identity issues of his own. Then there’s Ha-sun’s… I’ve said too much already.

SONG OF THE DAY

Taru – “쥐色 귀, 녹色 눈” (Gray ears, green eyes) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 73-77 (3,782 words)

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Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

More strong moments this week, along with cute moments that, in true High Kick fashion, are never without that tinge of heart-tugging poignancy to counter the sweetness.

I know that High Kick 3 is performing pretty well in the ratings and it’s certainly not an overlooked show, but I can’t help but thinking it’s an underrated one, in terms of critical appeal. It’s a popular show, but it’s also a damn good one at getting you in the heart with the characters, making you care about them and making you cry. Plus, with the addition of that beautiful camera (for select scenes), it’s also just as pretty on the eyes as a high-budget prime-time miniseries. What a great thing to have a gem like this so consistently churning out solid story after solid story.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kang Seung-yoon – “본능적으로” (Instinctively) from Episode 71. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 68-72 (3,736 words)

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Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

What a way to wrap up 2011, High Kick 3. It’s another excellent week for our characters as they prepare to finish off the past year, tying up some loose ends and boy do we start of 2012 with a bang. Just when I was about to throw in the towel, we finally hear the words we’ve been longing to hear.

SONG OF THE DAY

Brian McKnight – “Another You” which plays in the background in Episode 67.
[ Download ]

EPISODE 63 WEECAP

It’s nearly Christmas and the fellow nurses suggest Jin-hee to chip in for Kye-sang’s present. Way out of her budget, she stares at a lonely bill in her wallet before that too is handed over to raise funds for the clinic’s holiday drive.

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 63-67 (2,916 words)

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Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

We’ve hit the halfway point in our series (already?!) and I’m astounded how High Kick can have me in a fit of giggles one minute to nearly breaking down in tears the next. The week started off light enough, with fur ears and frantic Ji-seok outbursts, and now I’m going to need a box of tissues by my side at all times if people are going to keep stabbing me with their heartfelt emotions.

Note: A shorter week of 4 episodes, due to the news of Kim Jong-il’s death.

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 59-62 (2,572 words)

© gummimochi for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

Lots of little beats to sympathize with this week, I thought. Even when the show isn’t going dramatic in tugging on the heartstrings, I’m finding that there are a lot of smaller bits that resonate with me and make me look fondly on High Kick. These characters feel like they live in my world, and possess the same set of emotions as I do, even if our experiences have been, for the most part, entirely different from each other.

SONG OF THE DAY

Rossy Punky Perfume – “Falling In Love” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 54-58 (3,700 words)

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Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

More unexpected connections pop up this week, which is something High Kick does so well. This is one thing that makes a months-long, 120-episode series worth it, because it has the luxury of exploring different storylines with different sets of characters.

On a side note, I can’t believe we’re nearly halfway through already — the time has flown. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re enjoying every episode. It’s impressive for a series to churn out a consistent level of quality for such a long time, and on a daily basis.

SONG OF THE DAY

Star Love Fish – “미안” (I’m Sorry), which plays in Episode 49. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 49-53 (3,592 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun

This week on High Kick 3, we get a lighter dose to relieve us from the heart-tugging events from the previous week. Some of our characters remain stubborn in their ways while others take a turn for the better. A bit of the funny is back, giving us some delightful moments to balance the other more heartwarming ones. I get this overall wholesome feeling from this week, like comfort food. Oh and lots of Ji-seok and Ha-sun, if you’re keeping count.

Note: Wednesday’s episode was pre-empted, so only 4 episodes aired this week.

SONG OF THE DAY

“Have You Ever Been In Love” – Kang Seung-yoon’s cover of the same song title by Standing Egg [ Download ]

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Read the rest of High Kick 3: Episodes 45-48 (2,784 words)

© gummimochi for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 26 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Ahn Nae-sang, Baek Jin-hee, featured, High Kick: Counterattack of the Short Legs, Jung Il-woo, Lee Jong-seok, Park Ha-sun, Seo Ji-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoon Yoo-sun