b e . s t r o n g . g e u m . s o o n

Wow, it has been awhile. I admit I have been avoiding dramas lately. They are like an addiction. Truly. But I have been procrastinating, and putting off a BIG end of term project. And my favorite way to procrastinate is to watch Korean (etc) dramas! Yay. Enough of me sobbing on the inside.

I may be shallow but I don't like looking at ugly hair while I watch a show. Haha. And Geum Soon (played by the lovely Han Hye Jin) has some nasty hair for about a good thirty episodes. I watched a few episodes and lost interest. But when I needed a security blanket it was there for me!!! A weird habit I am proud of. Not the huddling in front of the TV/computer drooling and ignoring the stress. Yes we all get that I am stressed (and dead tired! I pulled an all nighter. Yes it was just that good!).

Be Strong Geum Soon is about a young widowed mother, who tries to make her dream of becoming a hairstylist come true, despite the opposition of her in-laws.

Okay, we all saw it coming. Geum Soon's baby daddy dies. I think it is a known fact. If not I spoiled it for you. Anyway, I was eagerly awaiting his death...because that was when the real story was going to begin. But they dragged it out. Geum Soon was VERY VERY annoying. That was partly why I couldn't stand it at first. That whine! That immaturity! That HAIR!

I never really watch daily dramas, which is what this drama is. 163 episodes worth of goodness. Of course they have to make it complicated, to drag the plot/story out. The truth is never expressed directly. Everyone is SUPER emotional. Emos, cutting themselves. I actually was half awake and wondering why they do this to me. Then I realized the show would be over in ten minutes. Everything is so repetitive I wish it was ten minutes per episode. But it does make it easier for first time viewers to jump in at the odd episode. Not that I fully recommend that.

I cannot say it is a complicated plot, but the story contains many...uh...secrets? Secrets that are all strategically revealed to other characters, much to my delight. This person birthed this person, this person loves this person, that person killed this person. Fun fun.

Of course we all know this is a love story. Oooh oooh! So my main interest is Geum Soon's and Jae Hee's interactions. Kang Ji Hwan (as Jae Hee) plays a rude and self-centered doctor. KHJ is crazy funny. I have to name my favorite parts...oh and they show him half naked. They HAVE to show off his sculpted body, right? I just imagine the casting director salivating (I don't know why I pictured her next to the director attention rapt on KHJ, haha!).

I loved it when Geum Soon spilled scalding tea on Jae Hee's crotch. He stuffed ice cubes down his pants. His facial expressions are priceless! "Don't look mom!!!" And when Geum Soon runs him down with her scooter! Haha, another glorious comic expression! The elevator scene is another favorite. At first Jae Hee was cold to Geum Soon whenever they met, he was baffled by her actions. He thought she was a troublemaker...but no! She was something more! Eventually Jae Hee started looking for her when he knew she was around. After all their encounters he would smile fondly or chuckle. Do I sense....love? I think I do!

Another favorite actor of mine is in the show, besides hot abs KJH, it is Lee Min Gi! Woot woot! I have a fond place in my heart for anyone who can make me laugh. Even though his hair was equally bad as Geum Soon's I forgave him. Haha. Of course he plays the jerky brother-in-law Tae Wan. But you know Geum Soon is going to win everyone over. Op! Did I spoil the story again?!?

There are side stories of course. Tae Wan wants to be an actor. His brother brother/hyung Shi Wan (Kim Yoo Suk) wants to get the girl, who happens to be his first love. There are a bunch of oldies running around too. Ping pong game with Geum Soon: from halmoni's/grannie's to the in-laws and back...and back...and forth...and back. A little blah. And I can never remember where I saw the older actors. Most have been in many dramas I have watched, but I never remember. Heck I can't remember yesterday, no joke.

This drama is a little nostalgic for me. Not that I watched it before or anything, but the American songs in the background remind me of high school. I do believe age makes everything better...or at least the memories. High school wasn't perfect, but when I think back on it I do it fondly. So now I am listening to Mario's "Let Me Love You" on repeat. I kinda miss 2005. Oh, and the scene they had the song in was perfect for it.

I highly recommend this drama. I cannot speak for the whole thing, being that I have barely watched half of the existing episodes. But the first 40 are very good.


My Rating: 9/10