My Lovely Samsoon

Cast:

Kim Sam-soon : Kim Sun Ah

Hyun Jin-heon : Hyun Bin

Yoo Hee-jin: Jung Ryu Won

Dr. Henry Kim : Daniel Henney

Synopsis
Kim Sam Soon (SS) is a 29 years old, fat, pastry chef, who has just lost her job and her boyfriend on Christmas Eve. She has all the insecurities of a woman grazing 30. With yet another failed relationship, SS scrambles desperately to rebuild her career and her love life.

SS manages to find a job at "Bon Appetite" restaurant when she gets acquainted with the owner of the restaurant, Hyun Jin Heon (JH). JH is young, handsome but aloof and cold.
JH is the only son of a hotel chain owner. Although born with a silver spoon, fate had dealt JH with a hard hand. Three years ago, a fatal car accident, where JH was the driver, resulted in the death of his elder brother and sister-in-law; and at the very same time his girlfriend of 5 years left him for her studies in the US. JH had to endure both physical and mental pain to overcome his problems and rebuild his life. The death defying experience left JH scarred as he stops believing in love and happiness.
Due to a moment of convenience, both SS and JH ended up signing a dating contract, where SS will receive KRW 50 mio (which she needed to redeem her family house) and in turn she will pretend to be JH's girlfriend to fend off his mother's endless efforts to get him match made and married.

When JH's ex-girlfriend returns to seek reconciliation; SS realizes that she has fallen for JH, and their contractual relationship gets complicated.

Review:
If "Lovers in Paris" was THE romantic comedy to remember for the summer of 2004, then "My Name is Kim Sam Soon" (MNIKSS) is definitely the runaway hit for the summer of 2005.
Although "MNIKSS" has been compared to "Full House" because of the underlying nature of this kdrama was about a man and a woman faking their relationship with a secret contract, in spirit "MNIKSS" is totally different from "Full House". Its massive appeal was attributed the great writing and how well many of the audience relate to the lead character Kim Sam Soon.

"My Name is Kim Sam Soon" is adapted from an internet novel from the same author who wrote "18:29". Naming the lead character Kim Sam Soon, the writer had crafted this unattractive character with a totally uncool bumpkin name to match her pathetic existence. And the kdrama started off with SS getting dumped by her boyfriend of 3 years and losing her job on Christmas-eve. Sam Soon is hitting rock bottom of her life. But she continues to put up a strong front despite her failed relationships, and continue to lead her life held together by the fragile bonds of faith that things will look up.

However, the situation does not look good. SS is grazing 30 and she is fat (Kim Sun Ah put on 7 kg for her role but I will not call her fat as at 52kg, she is not fat at all in my opinion). SS is not your conventional beauty nor is she eloquent and refined. Neither does she have typical kdrama heroine qualities. She is loud, straight forward, foul mouth, and stands up for herself. She openly talks about constipation and piles, and she even pee-ed in public!

Yet Sam Soon syndrome swept South Korea raking in more than 40% in ratings, redeeming MBC as kdrama kingdom after suffering ratings drought for the most of 2005. The casting was excellent with great chemistry sparking amongst mostly good-looking actors, a great wardrobe to match the cast, and the dialogue was crisp witty and quick (I wish I could have the entire script). "MNIKSS" strikes home the problems many modern single 30-odd year old women face today, with seemingly expiring shelf life, the search to be married becomes a desperately futile attempt.

Unlike "Full House" where there were a lot of bickering and cute moments, "MNIKSS" was hilariously outlandish and yet warmly sensitive in depicting the dilemmas and insecurities faces by woman in SS's situation. But as like any kdrama, which always provide its audience with the ultimate escapism, an element of Cinderella was presented to SS in the form of her boss, HJH.
Sometimes I am appalled by what little credit kdrama gives to their female leads. I mean SS is an outstanding pastry chef who has studied in a world-class establishment â Le Cordon Bleu. Yet that quality of hers is not recognized at all! Not even by the character! Rather she rates success as getting herself hitched and married to an eligible man. Isn't that just down right demeaning? Somehow the success of a woman is never measured by her achievements in her career, rather it's with the type of partner they end up with.

I don't know whether it is true in South Korea but it seemed that the family background of a couple must be compatible as in like the old feudal days in China. CR was upset when she found out that SS was dating JH and pulled SS out from the patisserie accusing her how could see date JH when SS is the third daughter of a miller while as she is the second daughter of a banker. Also JH's mother could not approve of SS because of her family background too. And it also appears to be that family acceptance of your partner is just as important. And JH has to pass SS's mother before SS can date him, and vice versa too for SS in order to marry JH.

But despite all these minor complaints, "MNIKSS" was perfect to me every way a kdrama romantic comedy could be. There were no outright baddie, no terminal disease, no one died (well at least those who did, did not appear for you to feel sorry for), and instead of one hunk for kdrama fans to drool over, this kdrama had TWO!! And the ending was not fairy tale like, instead it left it as it is with SS still struggling with her career and her love. Isn't that what's life all about? We all continue to live as we deal with all the ups and downs in life! There is no happily ever after until I guess...death. Because there can be no eventuality until you've stepped into your grave. "MNIKSS" was totally realistic in every way!

There were also a fair bit of sub-plot with SS's elder sister, the other staff in the restaurant, Dr Henry Kim (how could you miss him!), Mijoo, MoMo and so much so much more...it is difficult to make a list although there were only 16 episodes, there was so much wisdom and depth in every episode.

The story was not something sensational or was it like a roller coaster ride, just a simple love story. The writing and flow of the story was exceptionally well executed and the comic moments and punch lines strikes relentlessly and when you least expected.

Kim Sun Ah was such a sexy fox in the movie "S Diary", yet she completely transformed herself in this kdrama. "MNIKSS" marks her return to television after a 5-year break, and she struck gold playing Kim Sam Soon. Although I was somewhat irritated by her "sick-cat" voice sometimes (as describe by a fellow kdrama addict), I truly felt that Kim Sun Ah has natural comic talent in her. She was able to crawl into her role effortlessly without resorting to over-the-top antics (You know those typical k-comedy expressions where the actress rolls her eyes to a corner or grit their teeth when they are angry). She was able to accurately display the character's strengths (in getting on with her life, standing up to JH and HJ) and her vulnerabilities (especially after the first kiss with JH, that expression in her eyes, it was priceless!)

Ironically, Kim Sun Ah is the one who is better on the piano, as she studied music and majored Piano in Ball University in the States, while as Hyun Bin had a 2-month crash course before the production of the kdrama started. Also, having studied in the States, Kim Sun Ah is proficient in English and actually helped as a translator for Daniel Henney during production. It's amazing how Kim Sun Ah was able to mask all that and gave us Kim Sam Soon, the Bridget Jones of South Korea, with a figure to match the character.

I first caught Hyun Bin in his debut performance with Lee Na Young in last year's "Ireland". I was disappointed with the kdrama although I thought Hyun Bin was credible for a first time effort (he won MBC's best newcomer in his role in "Ireland"). He did not have any chemistry with the quirky Lee Na Young at all.

But in "MNIKSS", Hyun Bin totally redeemed himself, especially with his dead pan serious looks and wonderful chemistry with the comical Kim Sun Ah. I especially loved him as the serious restaurant owner, when he told SS not to talk to another man, or look at another man. And his caring affection for his niece and that expression on his face when Mijoo spoke for the first time was really convincing. Hyun Bin had a colorful wardrobe and his tall built coupled with broad shoulders helped him carry off his clothes very well. The only time I was kind of put off by Hyun Bin's character was when he and SS started going out as I was not used to him behaving so whimpy and doe-eyed in front of her, I still prefer my men to take charge and lead. Just a personal weakness.
This is the first kdrama for both Jung Ryu Won and Daniel Henney. Jung Ryu Won crosses over from singing while as Daniel Henny from modeling. Daniel is an American Korean who spoke completely English in this kdrama and Jung Ryu Won spoke a fair bit of fluent English as well having lived in Australia since she was 10.