Kdrama - My Name is Kim Sam Soon/My Lovely Sam Soon (2005)

Synopsis - DramaWiki
Photos - Soompi

Kim Sam Soon (Kim Sun Ah) is a baker who has a talent in making pastries and cakes. On Christmas Eve, she caught her boyfriend, Min Hyun Woo (Lee Hyu Han), cheating on her and breaks up on the same night. On that same night, she accidentally went into the men's restroom and met Hyun Jin Hun (Hyun Bin), a somewhat callous fellow but sometimes considerate guy. By sheer coincidence, Jin Hun needs a baker for his restaurant Bon Appetit and Sam Soon is unemployed. Sam Soon is hired as the restaurant's chief baker and the two fights like cat and dog. Nevertheless, they started to have feeling for each other and Sam Soon agreed to post as Jin Hun's girlfriend so his mother would leave him alone. Things got complicated when Jin Hun's ex-girlfriend Yoo Hee Jin (Jung Ryu Won) came back from the States intending to win him back.

 

Regardless of exactly how the title is suppose to be. I absolute loooooove this drama. My ignorance almost made me not watch any dramas. A lot of people were crazy for Autumn in My Heart/Autumn's Tale and Stairway to Heaven. Those dramas are not my type, way to slow and sappy for me. I read all the spoilers. There is no way I would watch a drama! I stereotyped Korean dramas to be all sappy, slow, someone is going to die and/or be sick. In addition, I stereotyped dramas to be like American soap operas. No!! However, I was proven wrong. Finally! It was Kim Sam Soon. My friend told me I would like it and it's a romantic comedy which I enjoy watching. The first episode got me! I just couldn't stop watching. Not only was I hooked. There's hottie Hyun Bin. Yummy!! Sam Soon (Kim Sun Ah) is the kind of girl I want to hang out with. With hottie Hyun Bin, add in Daniel Henney too. Eye candy. For the guys, there is Jung Ryu Won. I watched the whole drama in one night! No sleep at all. I laughed and cried.

What I really like about this drama - Sam Soon. Although I don't think she's overweight at all, I love the fact she's got some meat on her and still able to charm the guy she's in love with. She doesn't have to lose weight, go on a strict diet, or look a certain way for Jin Hun to fall for her. Her sassy attitude is what made me really like her. Ironically I didn't like My Sassy Girl! Perhaps it's the overweight girl with a sensitive side made me fall for Sam Soon. Or the girl in her late 20s need to hurry up and marry a guy soon that made me fall for Sam Soon. Or her being insecure about her name and wanting to change it to a more commond Korean name. Kim Sun Ah, you're officially my favorite Korean actress. I'm not as sassy as Sam Soon but I hate watching movies when the heroine is weak and all she does is cry. Yes, I know Sam Soon had her teary moments but that's common. Even I get teary hiding behind my tough skin too. Like most Asian women, if you're not married by the time you're 21, you're considered "old" and no man would want you. I hate that stereotype!! What if the woman hasn't found her true love yet? Or she wanted to finish her education? Lastly, Sam Soon was considered overweight. Many Americans would say no way, she's not overweight!! That's true but in many Asian community, if you're not a size zero, you're considered fat. The name Sam Soon isn't that bad but since I'm not Korean. I don't know the signifance of it. Why do so many minorities want to change their names in the USA? To make it so others could pronounce it! Sam Soon just wanted to be like the other girls and not get laughed out when someone realizes that's her name. I love it that Sam Soon has all these traits and loveable at the same time!

Hyun Bin is just so irresistible. Of course, Jin Hun was a jerk, but he made it all up. I'm glad Sam Soon was able to beat him down more than one time!! Even though he pretends to be tough guy, he just had a sweet side to him. Not only does it help that he's so good looking, he can see his true self later when he opens his heart out to Sam Soon. We, women, fall for these guys who are opposite of us or least likely who we'll fall for. When he became jealous when Sam Soon was just talking to other guys, I found that so adorable. Although he denied ever liking Sam Soon, he started to develop feelings for her when kept reminding her of their contract. What made me most attractive to him was he was younger than Sam Soon and fell for her! Even though he was confused between his live with Sam Soon and his ex flame Hee Jin, he was still true to Sam Soon and never lied to her about his whereabouts. Hyun Bin, I'm in so in love with you! 

Jung Ryu Won is so cute and adorable. Even though I loved Sam Soon, I felt really bad for Hee Jin. She really deserved Jin Hun just as much as Sam Soon did. However, Sam Soon is more my kind of gal and she was true to herself. To me, Jin Hun had more anger towards Hee Jin than love anymore. He had more love and fun for Sam Soon now. No more living in the past for him. I really liked Jung Ryu Won and want to see more dramas/movies of her. I wished Hee Jin and Henry would fall for each other in the drama. 

Daniel Henney is so freaking good looking! But….I still prefered Hyun Bin. No matter how good looking I find Daniel, I am not impress with his acting. Even though he was a doctor in the drama, I didn't find him convincing as a doctor. He looked more like an intern. His love for Hee Jin was sweet. I really wanted them to fall for each other. Glad she had someone to lean on. On a side note, I think Daniel and Ryu Won look hot together and should date each other in real life.

I can watch this drama over and over. Of course since it's a drama, there are some episodes that dragged a bit but overall, worth it!!