DVD Info
Year: 2005
Country: Korea
Director: Kim Yoon-chul
Cast: Kim Sun-ah, Hyun Bin, Jung Ryu-won, Daniel Henney, Lee Ah-hyun
Running time: 960 min
Language: Korean

Winner of the 2005 Baeksang Awards Grand Prize for TV Drama.

She's 29 years old, single, and overweight. She doesn't have a college degree, a boyfriend, or a job. She's outspoken, obstinate, and fed up with society's expectations of her. Her name is Kim Sam-Soon, and she's Korea's unlikely sweetheart!

Thanks to its everywoman protagonist, My Lovely Sam-Soon (a.k.a. My Name is Kim Sam-Soon) has been billed as Korea's answer to Bridget Jones. Kim Sam-Soon (Kim Sun A, who gained 15 pounds for the role) is a Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef who doesn't conform to the stereotype of the typical K-Drama Cinderella. Sam-Soon won't let men push her around, will eat and sleep her way out of a depression, and could care less how other people see her.

When Sam-Soon loses her job on Christmas Eve, her problems are just beginning. She spots her boyfriend going into a hotel with another woman. At first she wants to charge right in there and confront him, but instead decides to wait for him to come out. She plans on dumping him in front of everybody, but when he finally does materialize, Sam-Soon breaks down and begs him not to leave her for the other woman.

Realizing she has made a fool of herself in public she runs to the bathroom, but accidentally goes into the men's room. Hyun Jin-Hun (Hyun Bin), on a blind date he has no desire to go through with, walks in on Sam-Soon, embarrassing her even more! But Jin-Hun turns out to be Sam-Soon's future employer - in more ways than one. He's a rich restaurant owner who hires Sam-Soon, not only to be a chef, but also to be his pretend girlfriend! So begins a series of surprising and touching events that would try the emotions of any normal woman. But this is no normal woman - this is Kim Sam-Soon!

When My Lovely Sam-Soon first aired, audiences immediately identified with Kim Sam-Soon's stereotype-breaking character. With her foul mouth and "unladylike" behavior, Sam-Soon challenges traditional ideas of what Korean women are like, by providing a glimpse of what a Korean woman is really like! Audiences responded by making My Lovely Sam-Soon the most watched K-Drama of the year, with a viewership rate of over 40 percent. Alternately hilarious, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, My Lovely Sam-Soon - and Kim Sam-Soon herself - will win you over!

Discover the most talked-about K-Drama of the year with YA Entertainment's DVD edition of My Lovely Sam Soon, which comes complete with English Subtitles prepared especially for Western audiences. The set also includes a My Lovely Sam-Soon Mouse Pad and the first two episodes of hit series Dae Jang Geum starring Sympathy For Lady Vengeance star Lee Young Ae.

Review taken from Yesasia, also other articles and character synopsis available:
http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/pid-1004059979/code-k/section-videos/

FACTSHEET
Title: Little Bride or Sweet 18
Type: VCD (#16 episodes)
Genre: Drama
Setting: Korea
Produced: 2004

This Korean drama begins with a marriage pact between two families, from 2 generations ago. Two best friends agreed to link families by arranging the marriage of one's grandson, who is the 宗孙 of a prestigious tribe and will eventually head and carry on the family line, and the other's granddaughter, who is 10 years younger and from a humble background.

The rest of the story revolves around the two grandchildren, how they met by chance, then realised they were to be married, and thereafter, how they came to care and fall in love with each other in spite of the many differences and obstacles they faced, including the appearance and conniving schemes of his first love.

Now why did I choose to write a review on this? Actually, I'm not, ha!
You can visit this link for the detailed plot and review, complete with spoilers!
http://www.spcnet.tv/reviews/review.php?rID=469

But watching this over a period of two days left me with some thoughts. The ongoing tussle and tiffs the couple experienced in the process of getting to know, communicating with and respecting each other was insightful as I saw how the girl showed her love and adoration for her husband in all that she said and did. And while she threw tantrums like a little girl to have "her way" in showing her love for her husband, he was endearing in his ways, even though he didn't love her to start with and didn't always understand her intentions; how he paid attention to what she said and how she felt, reflected on them, shared them with his best friend, took his good advice and set out to make her feel better. The very tenderness with which he looked at her can melt hearts. Of course, I'm aware that I risk sounding like a gushing teenager face to face with her fav idol. But.. watch it for yourself, man! But I digress.. Anyway, because of his repeated efforts and humility (he said many sorries and thank yous!) in caring for and paying attention to her, he realised in the process how much she had become a part of his life and that he loved her dearly.

While watching the first 14 episodes, I had thought that the takeaway for me was personified in the young gal's life - how she had this simple desire to marry her first love, who was also her pre-arranged mate, and abandoning the pursuit of University studies to do so, making marrying and caring for her mate her only goal and the reason for her existence. Which, essentially, would be the case since her grandfather had pre-arranged her marriage to an heir and she would have to spend the rest of her life taking care of her husband's household - its name, prestige, family line, culture, values, etc.

My sister and I marvelled at her; what she represents, contrary to a modern day woman's complexity of wants and desires. And yes, amidst a tiny bout of self-pity, we both feel we are complex and difficult to understand.

Yet, the unfolding of the last 2 episodes brought out an aspect on PASSION - she discovered that she needed a passion to live/die for, apart from her husband, setting her on a quest to question/uncover what she was good at and passionate about.

As I was raving about this drama to some friends, one asked if watching this brought me closer to knowing what I'm looking for in a life partner. And I realised my focus had been on the girl all along - on who she was, then grew to be/mature, because of her love for her husband, which led to her search for something greater to live for. Yes, well, I did notice the guy of course, but I was more intrigued and drawn into this young woman and her ideals. It brought me closer to securing my own identity.

I suppose therein lies the rested key - to be the person God wants each precious one to be each step of the way, await His marvellous plan to unfold in His own timing, and act in obedience according to the Spirit's gentle leading!

Rating: 4 stars for such a heartfelt tale, and the fifth star? not for perfection, but for the precious insight gleaned =)