Starring:
Hyun Bin – Han Tae Woong/Han Deuk Gu
Sung Yuri – Kim Bo Ra
Im Ju Hwan – Seo Gun Woo
Yoo In Young – Lee Seung Ri
Other casts:
Kim Tae Hyun – Choi Choong Shik (DK’s friend from the boxing arena)
Ko Doo Shim – Park Yeong Ok (Tae Woong’s mother)
Chun Ho Jin – Kim Jang Su (Bo Ra’s father)
Oh Mi Hee – Bo Ra’s mother
Kim Weung Su – Lee Dong Sul (Seung Ri’s father/owner of the boxing arena)
Lee Sun Ho (not Andy from Shinhwa) – Kim Jeong Kyu
Kim Hak Jin – Ahn Sang Ho (Tae Woong’s roommate)
Lee Seo Yun – Hong Ji Hye (Jeong Kyu’s junior high/high school friend)
Ko Ju Heon – young Bo Ra
Jang Jeong Hee – Ko Sun Ja (Bo Ra’s house keeper)
Jeong Ji Ahn – Park Deuk Nam (Ko Sun Ja’s daughter/works for Bo Ra)
Lee Cheol Min – Park Dong Pil (boxer)
Park Jin Yeong – Jang Park Sa (Bo Ra’s doctor)
Choi Deok Mun – Oh Shil Jang (Kim Jang Su’s assistant)
Kim Beol Rae – college math professor
Sypnosis:
The beginning starts off with Tae Woong’s (Huyn Bin) moving into a boarding school. Already on the first day of class Tae Woong gets on Kim Jeong Kyu’s (Lee Sun Ho) bad side by pointing out the math question Jeong Kyu answered is wrongly phrase by the teacher. Jeong Kyu strongly believes that it is merely Tae Woong’s luck and nothing else. However, as times goes by, Jeong Kyu realizes that Tae Woong is a true genius and the two becomes best friend. Jeong Kyu insists on introducing a special someone to Tae Woong but Tae Woong refuses. Tae Woong by chance save a little girl, Kim Bo Ra, from being bully and the two already develop a bond with one another. The friendship between Tae Woong and Jeong Kyu gets deepen as they spend more time together and they both enter an International Math Contest. Jeong Kyu is confident that he will gets first prize but when the winner is announced to be Tae Woong, He is devastated and decides to end his life on that very day. The deeply sadden Tae Woong is effected by the death of his best friend, drops out of school and leaves to travel. He did not show up to meet Kim Bo Ra before he departs and therefore the two never know each other name.
8 Years later, Tae Woong becomes a Han Deuk Gu, named after Jeong Kyu’s favorite boxer, returns to Korea. He once again meet up with the snobby and naughty Kim Bo Ra but the two do not recognize each other. Deuk Gu saves Bo Ra several times from killing herself and learns that she is deeply effected by the death of her brother years ago. Deuk Gu understands what’s Bo Ra is going through and the two becomes closer. They soon find out that they’re indeed the other person whom they met 8 years ago. As their love blossoms, Deuk Gu learns that Bo Ra’s brother is Jeong Kyu, whose death he blame upon himself for. Bo Ra also finds out but her love for Deuk Gu but realizes that the suicide of her brother is due to her brother’s inability to think right and have nothing to do with Deuk Gu. However, Bo Ra’s father opposes their relationship but then give up when realizes that Bo Ra is suffered from a terminal illness. He has no other choice but to let the two be with each other. But happiness do not last long for them as Bo Ra is dying.
Comments:
I enjoyed the first half of this drama very much because the theme that was focused on the first half is different than the typical korean drama’s theme. The friendship between Tae Woong and Jeong Kyu is the highlight for the beginning. Although the drama fails to spend more time on the developing of their friendship, it succeeds in showing the depth of their friendship through the life Tae Woong live after the death of Jeong Kyu. Although I do not understand why Tae Woong chose the path that he is choosing, I nonetheless support his decision. Unlike other people, I don’t blame Tae Woong for Jeong Kyu’s death because it is Jeong Kyu’s own decision in choosing to end his life. However, I do feel unjust for Tae Woong for taking such a big guilt to himself and sometimes I do wonder if it is even worth it. It is apparent that Tae Woong treasures this friendship more than Jeong Kyu did because everything Tae Woong does thereafter Jeong Kyu’s death is for his friend, but there is never a moment in Jeong Kyu’s mind that he is considerate for Tae Woong. Since the beginning of this drama, Jeong Kyu is a competitive and arrogant fellow who feels threaten and envy of Tae Woong’s presence and he tries every way to find fault in Tae Woong. However, when he realizes that Tae Woong is truly capable, he befriends Tae Woong, but even to this point, he still never recognizes that he is not up to par to Tae Woong. One can argue that it is not his fault for not realizing that Tae Woong’s is better than him. But look at the moment after the Math Contest, everyone cheers hoping that Jeong Kyu would win and Jeong Kyu is so full of himself, too confident as a matter of fact, that he will definitely wins the competition. It never crosses his mind that Tae Woong is capable of beating him not even a little bit, that is why news of Tae Woong is winning hit him so hard. Other people blame his father for pressuring him to the point that he feels stress and being such a loser when he lost. I blame himself for doing the things he did and to a point, I hate his character for doing such an inconsiderate act that effects so many people who loves him. Bo Ra is right when she confronts her father that the death of her brother has nothing to do with anyone but the only one to blame is himself because of his incompetent to think clear. Jeong Kyu ends his life because he cannot accept the fact that anyone else is capable of beating him not even his best friend so when he lost to Tae Woong, he feels he has hit rock bottom and therefore commits suicide.
At times I cannot stop but curse at what Jeong Kyu has done to the people who loves him. He has basically ruins everyone’s life, his father, his sister, and of course Tae Woong. If only he stops to think one second of the impact of his action then it makes all the difference. But no matter how selfish I think Jeong Kyu’s character is, I cannot ignore the fact that he is a good person, a good son, brother, and friend. Just look at the effect of his death on those people to find out how much he mean to those people. I understand Tae Woong’s punishment for himself but I do not support him for doing the thing he did. I understand because Jeong Kyu is the only person who gives a damn for the existence of a poor person like Tae Woong. Because of Jeong Kyu, Tae Woong realizes what friendship is like and automatically Jeong Kyu becomes his whole world ever since they start hanging out with each other. This friend look pass his faulty background and forget the fact that he is from an upper social class to become his friend. However, I don’t support why Tae Woong do the thing he did after his friend’s death. Maybe the impact is deeper than I thought.
The love relationship between Tae Woong and Bo Ra is nothing special in my opinion. It’s similar to those typical love portrayed in all other korean dramas with the only difference as having the death of her brother as the obstacle between them. I do not understand Bo Ra’s character at all. It is given that the reason she wants to die in the beginning and her rebellious nature toward her father is because she blames him for her brother’s death. She thoughts that it is due to her father strict control over her brother that causes him to feel pressure which led to his death. She cannot help but punish her father by neglecting his feelings and do everything contrary to him. But when her father forbids the relationship between her and Tae Woong, she clearly explains to him that the death of her brother is caused by no one but her brother himself. So had she been wrongly accuse her father all this time? She has room to forgive when it comes to Tae Woong but no room when it comes to her father? Although I do agree that her brother’s death is not cause by anyone too, I do feel that she is a little unfair to her father.
Overall:
Like I have said above, I enjoy the first half of the drama very much while I drag the later half. I’m more interested in the friendship between Tae Woong and Jeong Kyu than the love relationship with Tae Woong and Bo Ra. I also do not like the last half because of such a sad ending. I don’t like the fact that Bo Ra is dying because I feel Tae Woong and the father deserve a happy ending for the horrendous 8 years they have been living. Especially for Tae Woong whom I doubt will ever again love because his love for two people resulted in the death of them both although none really associate with him. This drama gives me a sad feel that I do not like at all. I rather watch a nonsensical romantic comedy than a sad ending because what make me laugh makes all the difference.
