Couple or Trouble (2006)

When I started to watch this Drama, I didn't have high expectations, since a lot of people don't like it.

In the beginning, I was totally annoyed by Anna's personality. She was just some high society lady, never satisfied with anything, always greedy. Oh Yoo was friendlier and more sympatic. But as the story continued, I noticed how special Anna is.
You may think she is just like all those spoiled young women that appear in a lot of shows and Anna really is. But somehow she has grown dear to me. I can't really say why. Her character developes during this Drama, but still she is very unfriendly to everyone. She experienced so much already, so she can't change this much anymore.
After completeing the Drama, I'm really missing the Anna who was always yelling and complaining. Just like Chul Soo's love to her my affection to her also grew. I just love the way she developed but still remained the same.

Even thought Anna was the main character and carried nearly all of the story by herself, the side stories were very amusing as well. They made me laugh several times, but still they fit in well since they had some dramatical scenes as well. I was disapointed because there were one or two scenes where the comedy part didn't quite fit.
Over all I think the comedy and drama parts were well timed and well balanced.

The music was also fitting very well, I seldomly enjoy an OST this much. I'm even listening to it at the moment (:

Overall I'd highly recommend this Drama. I'm sure it won't fit everyones taste, but to me it seemed very well balanced, except some scenes of a side story. Still I liked the whole cast, especially Anna and Kang Ja (her friend). The main story was enjoyable, so I'm considering watching the original movie, even thought I'm afraid that it might be a bit disappointing...

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I seldom give a drama a 10 on 10. Because no matter how well a plot has been handled and cinematized there's always room for improvement. But in the case of this fabulous Hong sisters venture, I can think of no other way to improve the story. From the cast, to story, to direction, to solid comic chops, to acting, to music and plot and character development, nothing was lacking in this gem. Although to be truthful I'd have liked for the romance to be a bit more pronounced. But I think the subtlety of feelings the leads had for each other, was needed to suit the general mood of the story. Another thing-people who had started hating Han Ye Seul after the whole Myung wol The Spy controversy, please watch this drama and prepare to be mesmerized. The way she brings out Jo Anna's arrogance and pompousness and Na Sang Shil's innocent charm onscreen, is a treat for the senses. And Oh Ji Ho proves that a solid, toned body isn't all that he has got. He made Jang Chul Soo appear so genuine and sincere. MUST watch Hong sisters drama, and on some accounts I'd rate this even higher than You're Beautiful yes!

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It was tough at the beginning because of Jo Anna and her irritating horrible personality but thanks to the nice, kind and so lovable Jang Chul Soo I didn't drop it and I'm glad to.

Jo Anna is the most hateful character you can ever meet but along the drama she soften but keep her straight and direct talk. She can appear like a cold person but she speaks the truth and even if it hurts she doesn't lie and I like it. Well maybe if she was smoother or nicer or less arrogant that would be even great. Oh ! And I so liked when she put in her place the second girl ! Na ! finally a girl who isn't shy to say out loud what we could never say ! ;)

I loved Kang Ja, the crazy high girl. Always make me smile with her pure and childish mind.
I loved the 3 children and how Jo Anna teach them life and how to survive ;) (hard way but at least they understand XD) And I loved their relationship. So kawaï.
Two characters made me laugh so hard because they reunite ALL the old clichés in Dramaland and oh god that was so funny because so obviously over act and totally a big joke from the writers.

And what can I say about Oh Ji Ho..... A must to see character. He's so kind, so nice, so altruistic, always ready to do everything (well in exchange of money but he has 3 children to raise, he need this money for them.), so lovable, so funny, so smiling, so caring, so.... well he's everything ! And those dimples.... *sigh* ;)

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Wow, what an enjoyable feel-good rom-com this drama was.

First of all, HAN YE SEUL. Need I say more? Me finding out she was in this already piqued my interest, but finding out this was a remake of one of my favorite Goldie Hawn movies sold me. If I loved Overboard and that whole set up, I just knew I'd love Couple or Trouble.

And it didn't disappoint. Couple or Trouble wasn't exactly like Overboard, but it was very similar. Just as the MDL summary says, Anna Jo is rude, feisty, and audacious. She's also a rich heiress who's married to Billy, and she considers him her only family. But everyone is uncomfortable around her because of her cold demeanor. While returning to Korea from America, she has an bad encounter with Jang Chul Soo all due to a misunderstanding, but because of that incident the two of them have bad blood between them. Jang Chul Soo is a hardworking handyman who can fix just about anything. One night while drunk because of an argument with Billy, she falls off her yacht overboard (haha) into the water. Next day she wakes up in the hospital with amnesia. Jang Chul Soo happens to be there, so to exact revenge against her, he tells her her name is Na Sang Shil, lies about being her lover and makes her come home with him to basically be a housekeeper. You all can guess what ensues from there.

It's a really fun setup. Overboard itself has a great setup, and Couple or Trouble does it justice. You can sympathize with all the characters (except the second female lead, ugh). Casting was great! Ji Ho was a great match with Han Ye Seul. Also, some of the scenes are just so cute! There were actual moments (as in more than one time) where my heart fluttered and I got butterflies. Some parts just had me smiling from ear to ear. This drama is pretty funny too!

I loved the fact that Anna Jo, even while she had amnesia, didn't lose the core of who she was. She was still full of confidence, she still had her own opinions about things, and she was no push-over. I loved how we slowly get to see her opening up her heart. And my favorite part about her and this drama is how honest she was. She remained honest to a fault, even for things where it'd be understandable if she lied, she was still truthful. Everyone knows Oh Ji Ho oozes sex right off the screen, so his portrayal of Jang Chul Soo was no different. Jang Chul Soo is just a good guy at his core, and he's all about saving his money. When the two of them eventually admit their love for one another, it's just the most touching beautiful thing.

The one and only thing that really annoyed me in this drama is the was Na Sang Shil would say Jang Chul Soo before every sentence while addressing him. I mean every. single. one. Idk, I just found it annoying, but it didn't take anything away from the drama.

After watching this, I now know not to trust the ratings on MDL. Even reading through the comments section, I don't understand why so many people didn't like this drama. It was seriously highly enjoyable. Not one episode was boring, it was marathon-worthy, and I'd totally watch it again. The only way I can understand someone not liking this is if they don't like rom-coms, or their heart is black. I recommend it, it's a fun watch!

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This was a fairly simple story. I wondered how they would stretch a drama out to 16 episodes that was based on an average length American movie. They did surprisingly well, even if some of the elements became a little repetitive. I would have liked to have seen the resolution come just a little bit sooner so we could see more "happy couple" time, but for the most part I was satisfied. I liked the growth of Sang Shil/ Anna, and seeing her develop relationships with the new people around her. While Sang Shil's words to others may sound cold and calculating, she's not trying to deliberately hurt others. She just speaks blunt truth with no sugar coating to spare their feelings.

The acting and casting were done well. Han Ye Seul's delivery was very dry, but I think that was supposed to be down to her character. Jo Anna is a very blunt character, but we also learn the why behind her seemingly cold exterior. As Sang Shil, a woman that cannot remember who she is or anything about her life, she still carries around that air of a wealthy heiress. Oh Ji Ho was lovable as Chul Soo, and I definitely enjoyed all his smiles. He should do more rom-com as it suits him very well. The 2nd leads were played well. The second female lead was appropriately annoying. And the secondary romance with the older couple was cute and funny. The character of Kang Ja provided several laughs, and I probably enjoyed her character most after the leads because she's also a sympathetic character.

The music was fitting, but of course, still dated since at the time of viewing, this drama is 10 years old.

I enjoyed this for a one-time watch, but I doubt I will re-watch this anytime soon. (This may again be due to the fact that this drama is a lot older at the time I viewed it.)

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A Long Watch

...(sigh).....honestly the only reason I watched this drama was to see Oh Ji Ho. It was a long watch for just 16 episodes as I found the drama dragged on a little bit too long, for so little material. The most agonizing to watch was Han Ye Seul's character Na Sang Shil which was obnoxious, arrogant and full of herself. This attitude carried out throughout the drama, though I was hoping it changed during the middle of the series. But it did not.

What a waste of talent as I think the characters of the main lead Oh Ji Ho and Han Ye Seul had great potential for a more memorable couple as they looked great together.

As for the story, full on amnesia.

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I was hesitant to go into this because of the lowish rating (for mdl), but after reading lots of good reviews and comments I ended up watching it and I'm glad to say this is one of those dramas I think is underrated here on mdl. It's obviously not a new drama when you watch it, but if you enjoy the feel of older dramas, this encapsulates that feel and runs wild with it without becoming annoying!

Story (9.0):
Okay, there's no brilliant detective solving the worst crimes known to man or conniving businessmen taking over the world through genius cunning; there's nothing mind-bending and heart palpitating at all really. But the story takes a fun premise and carries that fun through to the end which I find a major accomplishment. Yes, it's not realistic and there's lots of stupidity that wouldn't hold up in a detective drama, but this isn't a detective drama! It's a rom-com folks!
And as someone who drops dramas right and left because I get annoyed or just don't want to watch anymore, I'm frankly surprised how quickly I flew through this one, especially since I've had a hard time getting through (romance) dramas from this same time period.
Personally, what I liked most through the show was the main character and seeing her change while remaining who she is; this was all given a backdrop of great supporting characters who became her friends and helped her become a better person. In the end, there was a marked difference from the selfish person we saw in the beginning, but she had also not changed who she was... It's hard to explain. I've never watched the movie this is based on, but I've heard the character had a more drastic change in that storyline. I think I would much prefer how the main character in this drama stays true to herself while also changing for the better. The PD for this drama said in an interview that he started that movie but never finished it and didn't know how it ended :D
One part of this story I was worried about was the second leads.
First, the female second lead, Yoo Kyung; honestly, there's not much to worry about. Yes, she tries to sink her claws into the man, but it doesn't bring about the annoying drama I hate so much. In fact, Yoo Kyung kind of shoots herself in the foot by being a bit duplicitous and not telling the whole truth before Chul Soo is firmly pointed in a different direction. That is, towards our heroine, Sang Shil (Jo Anna), who in contrast to Yoo Kyung, is very straightforward with who she is and what she feels, even if it doesn't give off the sweet persona Yoo Kyung has adopted.
In the case of the male second lead, Billy, it's a bit different, namely because he's already married to Anna. However, he somehow manages to shoot himself in the foot far more spectacularly than Yoo Kyung. In fact, he might have the greatest character arc in this whole drama as he makes the initial mistake and then tries to fix it by digging deeper and deeper holes and only realizing how far he's sunk by the time he's dug his own grave. Poor guy.
Anyway, I can't stand dramas that throw meaningless drama at the viewer to keep the story moving, and this did a good job of adding tension and drama without going overboard while throwing in dashes of comedy in all the right places. Finally, if you didn't know, this is a Hong sisters story! If you've liked any of their previous works, then you'll enjoy this one. Frankly, I have loved some of their works and promptly dropped others, so I was glad to see this stick to the straight and narrow.

Acting/Cast (9.0):
Han Ye Seul. Hate her or love her, I thought this role was perfect for her. Yeah, her voice got a bit overly screechy at times, most notable when she was arguing with the placid Yoo Kyung, but wow, it just worked. She made this role for me. As the rich Anna Jo, I thought she did a splendid job with her imperious and notorious look (I can FEEL that searing gaze in her wedding picture), but what really got me was how she played Na Sang Shil. I can't get over it and it's part of what really made this drama for me. And of course, you can't have Na Sang Shil without the reason for her antics: Jang Chul Soo!!!! (read that in her yelled voice as he turns away)
I have to admit, this might be the first drama Oh Ji Ho has starred in that I have completed. I'll be honest, whenever Na Sang Shil was on the screen, Jang Chul Soo kind of faded into the background as an accessory for me, but then when he had some emotional scenes, I was like, oh wait this guy can act!
There are some well known actors in the supporting cast and everyone regardless did a good job of portraying their characters. Due to the nature of this drama, there's a lot of the overacted style, but it usually seemed to fit.

Music (7.0):
Probably my least favorite part of the show, I'm still giving it a 7 because it was also a bit funky and usually fit the mood even if I can only remember 4 or 5 distinct pieces.

Rewatch Value (10.0):
I'm going out on a limb and proclaiming that I will without a doubt rewatch this drama. Personally, my favorite kind of shows to rewatch (which I do rarely), are ones that aren't too dramatic and are funny and romantic. This fits the bill perfectly.

Overall (9.0):
I'd say out of all the Hong sister dramas I've seen, this is probably #2 right behind Master's Sun. In my opinion, it's infinitely better than You're Beautiful which counts among the list of dramas I had to force myself (over many months) to eventually finish even if parts were fun.
I'll admit, going from a current Rom-com I was watching (Perfume) to this was a bit jarring in style, but they're both unique and I like both the old and the new. All in all, if you've ever liked an older drama or a Hong drama, then this should be just your cup of tea...
Or Makgeolli.

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It's feels sincere

A light drama that encapsulates the story of a rich lady and a rural man and his three nephews. The drama is cute and wholesome and in contrast with the rich lady's pompous personality, it sets an unusually interesting scene. The acting is good and feels like characters that live in this rural part of Korea. The location of the shoot is beautiful and iconic. There's some comical and sleek cinematography in this drama as well. The people involved, really went with these cool and bizarre shots and I really appreciate some of them (even pausing and going back to see them replay). The music was a pleasure to listen to as well.

If you like to just relax and watch a cozy drama, this one's for you

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