Dorama of the Year 2003-III Summer - Boku Dake no Madonna

After some hesitations happy to nominate another small masterpiece Boku Dake no Madonna .

1. Koibumi - Watashitachi ga Aishita Otoko  [恋文〜私たちが愛した男〜] (Finished 2/10) Tags: Romance, Drama The husband leaves home, leaving behind his wife and child and his job as a middle school teacher. He leaves all this to live with a former girlfriend so that he can nurse her as she battles with terminal illness. He has decided to nurse her until the end. This sudden take-charge approach from a man she thought of as indecisive causes the wife to look at her husband in a completely different way. To top it off, the husband asks her to drop in on the ex-girlfriend from time to time to keep her company. Despite herself, she agrees to her husband's request. She thought that cursing her husband and celebrating the ex-girlfriend's suffering would make her feel better but instead she finds herself even more attracted to him. She even finds herself growing closer to the ex-girlfriend, creating a curious bond between the two women. In the midst of all this, the relationship between the husband and wife continues to change. Surrounding the three are others; such as the girl sharing the ex-girlfriend's room at the hospital, others at the husband's part-time job who turned their backs on society before him and the newcomer at the wife's editorial department. Each of them has their own problems with love that in turn affect the development of the story. Terminal illness is never a good sign, but this series is also slow and rather boring so far, plus no outstanding cast.   Overall Rating: 5/10

2. Something about 1% [1%의 어떤 것] (Finished 1/26) Tags: Comedy, Romance Kim Da Hyeon is a young and sincere middle school teacher who has little interest in money. She is also extremely warm-hearted and loves to help other people. When she helps carry an elderly man's belongings from the train to another location, the elderly man is extremely thankful. This grandfather turns out to be the extremely rich owner of a well-known conglomerate. His grandson, Lee Jae In, is a quick-tempered businessman who rivals his grandfather, but in an almost comical way. In order to "tame" his favourite grandson, the grandfather agrees to give his entire fortune to the person who marries Kim Da Hyeon, therefore forcing Jae In to meet the girl whom his grandfather chose. Although at first, Kim Da Hyeon and Lee Jae In don't get along because of Lee Jae In's extremely cute but bad temper, their arguments bring them closer together. Lee Jae In starts to get jealous when Kim Da Hyeon's fellow teacher starts liking her, too. Through the clever conditions that Lee Jae In's grandfather makes, Lee Jae In starts a relationship he does not look forward to. However, what looked like a relationship that would 99% not work out turns out to be the "perfect" match, the 1% chance. The whole concept is to tie two horrible quick-tempered persons together. I'm not happy managing this hysterical mess.   Overall Rating: 5/10

3. Hearts of Fencing  [當四葉草碰上劍尖時] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Romance, Youth, Sports  This series is based on college life, love, and one sport - fencing. The story starts off with Cheng Ka Lam and her aunt, Mei, trying to put together a newspaper group with at least 5 people for the school magazine. Lam makes a bet with her aunt and ends up winning with 5 people joining: "Man Man", "Ah Ching", who are Lam's best friends, and two more girls, "Dai Sik Mui", and "13 Mui." These 5 girls work together to create the school's magazines and soon become the best of friends. Four guys, Ah Yat, Ah Lok, Don and Lung, all got off to a rough start. Like most siblings, Ah Yat and Ah Lok sometimes bicker, but they are loving brothers who get along well most of the time. Don and Lung have been friends since they were little, but Lung is more of Don's little sidekick. Lung is very loyal to Don. These two "teams" are rivals and disliked each other. "Mr. Sword", their fencing teacher, knows about this, and tries his best to make the "teams" work together by testing them in different ways. As expected, can't stand this childish spokon.   Overall Rating: 5/10

4. Hitonatsu no Papa e [ひと夏のパパへ] (Finished 3/10) Tags: Life, Family A high school student's mother passes away leaving her alone with her grief. The girl, Marimo, discovers the name of a father she never knew. Marimo sets off to meet him, but is completely shocked when she finds someone very different from the father she envisioned. Her father, Shinpei, a 38-year-old would-be private detective, is shocked too, and doesn't believe her until he sees the paperwork. With Marimo muttering "The worst father in the world" and Shinpei lamenting the loss of his freedom, these two are about to learn how difficult and rewarding a father/daughter relationship can be. Draggy, boring, artificial, habitual, with strange dances and little focus on leads, so was just wrong, in my opinion.   Overall Rating: 6/10

5. Kougen e Irasshai (2003) [高原へいらっしゃい] (Finished 0/10) Tags: Business As a former manager of a top hotel, Seiji has been entrusted with the reopening of a hotel in the high plains that has been boarded up and closed for years. With a budget of ¥20 million, he begins to hire interesting characters to work there and rebuild the hotel. However, his attempts to get a top chef to draw customers fail. The staff members begin to worry about the hotel's future and try to leave, but at precisely that moment, an elderly man who used to be a chef at a top hotel pays a visit. Will this mean success for Seiji or just add to his troubles? There are subs, but failed to find raws, sadly.   Overall Rating: 0/10

6. Sang Doo, Let's Go To School [상두야, 학교 가자!] (Finished 1/16) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Drama Cha Sang Doo and Chae Eun Hwan were childhood friends until tragedy struck when Sang Doo accidentally killed someone while defending Eun Hwan's family belongings. After serving prison time, he discovers Eun Hwan and his family have disappeared. Years later, Sang Doo becomes a gigolo to support his sick daughter and unexpectedly reunites with Eun Hwan, now a math teacher. To win her back, he enrolls as a student in her class, but unforeseen circumstances keep them apart. Usual hysterical Gong Hyo Jin was ok'ish as support, but absolutely horrible and untolerable as a lead for me.   Overall Rating: 5/10

7. He Is My Ex-Boyfriend [元カレ] (Finished 2/10) Tags: Romance, Life, Drama Toji, a manager of a food section in a medium-sized department store, has to put up with a tough boss that makes every day a real struggle. But things start to look up for him though when he meets a pretty elevator girl named Nao who is. Just as he is starting to enjoy a new-found happiness at work, a new account manager from an advertising agency visits Toji's division, and it is none other than Toji's ex-girlfriend from university, Makoto. Toji is surprised to see her again but Makoto treats him as if she has never met him before. Now dealing with a tough job and caught in the middle of a jealous Nao and Makoto who dumped him, things couldn't get much worse for Toji! Hirosue Ryoko started to irritate me lately with her constantly the same mimics and moves. With a toxic setting like this it gets even worse than usual, so not going to continue with what I dislike.   Overall Rating: 5/10

8. Semishigure  [蝉しぐれ] (Finished 2/7) Tags: Historical, Drama Duty and honor were the principles of the samurai, but just like others throughout history, greed and power motivated some while friendship, truth and love guided others. This is the story of Bunshiro, a true warrior who survives tragedy in his youth to become a great swordsman and defender of the weak, and Fuku, the love of his life. They first fall in love as teenagers, but her poverty and his tragedy separate them. After a corrupt official forces Bunshiro's father to commit suicide, he is treated like an outcast. Later, the same official tries to use Bunshiro in a plot to kill Fuku, who has become a wife of the local lord, but he turns the tables, saving Fuku and her child and uncovering the corruption. Many years later Bunshiro and Fuku meet again to reminisce about their lives and the love that remains smoldering in their hearts. Honorable samurai, pure love, corrupt officials... I'm not bying this banality.   Overall Rating: 5/10

9. Stand Up!!  [スタンドアップ!!] (Finished 3/11) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Youth Four schoolboys find themselves the last virgins left at school. During the summer holidays, a girl they knew as children 11 years ago, moves back to the neighborhood. Despite their childhood attraction to her, they realize she is a mere shadow of the "princess" they all thought they knew. This story of summer - love, friendship, school, family, the hypocrisy of adults, complications of life, experience and failure is set in an everyday shopping district and shows the clumsiness of children who have developed a little later than their peers. It's a bright romantic comedy that both young and old can appreciate. Light silly fun. But for the same reason it's too brain dead to get a masterpiece.   Overall Rating: 6/10

10. Summer Scent [여름향기] (Finished 2/20) Tags: Romance, Melodrama Three years after losing his first love in a tragic accident, Min Woo meets Hye Won, a florist who reminds him of her. As his feelings for both women become tangled, he remains unaware that Hye Won received a heart transplant from his first love. When they cross paths, Hye Won notices her unusual heartbeat, unknowingly tied to Min Woo’s first love. As Hye Won begins to fall for Min Woo, conflict arises between her and her fiancé, Jung Jae. Melodramatic, sterile, boring.   Overall Rating: 5/10

11. Water Boys [ウォーターボーイズ ] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Youth, Sports Two years ago, five high-school boys brought fame to a small town in Japan. What was so unique was that they formed a "men's synchronized swimming club." Their involvement and struggles while learning synchronized swimming - known to be a sport for girls - brought much attention to their school and town. Two years have passed since that summer, and the boys of Tadano High School are still in the club. The Fuji Television drama "Water Boys" shows how these young boys fight to learn synchronized swimming, fall in love, and enjoy friendship with one another. Just a spokon. Nothing special.   Overall Rating: 5/10

12. Love Storm [狂愛龍捲風 (狂爱龙卷风] (Finished 1/21) Tags: Romance When love and disaster approaches at the same time, the only road to obtain true love is through bravery! Jia Le was never able to forget, the day that her aunt got married. At that time, her aunt of excellent upbringing was forced to break up with the one that she loves by the pressure from the family. But on the day of the wedding, young Jia Le saw with her own eyes, her aunt's lover, for love, he put on a heroic posture that blocks the whole line of cars, including the wedding car. Super primitive. Did not expect Chinese SOL to be this bad.   Overall Rating: 5/10

13. Bodyguard (2003)  [보디가드 ] (Finished 2/22) Tags: Action, Romance Since Kyung Tak was forced to retire from his military services due to the fault of his superior, he is jobless and tries to make a living helping out at his parent's restaurant. As luck would have it, he saves the client of bodyguard Yu Jin, during his attempt to find a new job, causing him to be employed by a security company. Kyung Tak's life is headed for further changes as Na Young moves into town with her grandmother and becomes a friend of his younger sister Kyung Mi. Typical korean lackluster mess, but now also with cringy bodyguard action scenes.   Overall Rating: 5/10

14. Boku Dake no Madonna [僕だけのマドンナ] (Finished 11/11) Tags: Romance Kyoichi Suzuki is an average college student in his junior year. Although he's not in one of the top universities, he's satisfied with his college life studying architecture. Kyoichi left home and is finally on his own, living in a beat-up apartment in Tokyo. However, this apartment building is home to some out-of-the-ordinary residents, who are always bugging Kyoichi. His next-door neighbor hits Kyoichi up for a loan when he finds out that Kyoichi just got paid. His other next-door neighbor who works at a nightclub, always calls Kyoichi, demanding him to come pick her up because she's so drunk. Other than that, Kyoichi is satisfied with his normal life until he meets a girl one day. Kyoichi comes home from his part-time job as a night-time security guard. He returns to his room to find a girl sleeping on his bed - a girl he has never seen before. She looks a bit older than Kyoichi and is quite beautiful. Kyoichi can't believe his eyes. Kyoichi closes the door and goes outside to the entrance of the apartment, to make sure he's in the right apartment and room. There's no mistake. He returns inside, but the girl is gone. There's nobody in his room. Was it just his imagination? Was he hallucinating? Kyoichi can't understand what just happened. Later, he discovers that something is missing from his grocery bag - the Chinese noodles he was looking forward to eating are gone. This is how Kyoichi first meets Surumi Kataoka. After they meet, Surumi continues living in Kyoichi's room. She points to an apartment visible from Kyoichi's room and says that the guy living there dumped her for another girl. Surumi says that she's waiting to check out the girl she was dumped for. Kyoichi doesn't know if he ought to believe her or not. All Kyoichi knows is that while Surumi is such a charming girl, the expression on her face is sad at times. Kyoichi is not that disappointed about sharing his room with a cute girl. He starts to think that this lifestyle may go on forever, until one day, Surumi suddenly disappears-just like the day she suddenly appeared. All she leaves for Kyoichi are unanswered questions. I'm so hesitant about the score. On one hand, if I saw it before Ichigo no shortcake, it would definitely be firm masterpiece in my system of coordinates. On the other hand, it happened after Ichigo no shortcake, and it's such a close imitation of it - alike music, same male lead, and even female lead personality is very similar.  Of course, setting is now with adults and partially because of that female lead can't be as reckless even though she definitely stretches that limit. There are also many small irritations and artificial elements. In the end, I can't put a low score as Hasegawa Kyoko really did her best for her first female lead role, female supports were great and male lead is hands off the most natural juvenile actor so far, so does not irritate even when has to come through plot banalities. I also appreciate different from Ichigo no shortcake ending and some memorable novelty small things like treasure hunt with notes.   Overall Rating: 7/10

15. Aisuru Tame ni Aisaretai [愛するために愛されたい] (Finished 1/10) Tags: Romance, Supernatural Motoharu Akiyama is an elite pilot who has just completed astronaut training at NASA. Something happened in his past that caused him to go out searching for the meaning and purpose of life. However, he hasn't been able to find a satisfactory reply and the void in his heart has only expanded. But Akiyama has a meeting that changes his life. He meets Reiko Nishina, a director at an investment bank, who is looking at investing in an attempt at the first Japanese space shuttle launch. Although the meeting was pure chance, it affects Reiko greatly. She realizes that although it looks like she has everything, there is something she wants that she doesn't have. And this meeting has an effect on those around them also... First episode did not have anything supernatural, but I'm already super furious about pompous and empty dialogues here. Can't go on with this bs.   Overall Rating: 5/10

16. Jewel in the Palace [대장금] (Finished 1/54) Tags: Food, Historical, Romance, Medical About 500 years ago during the time of Chosun Dynasty, Korea boasted a rigidly hierarchical and male dominated social structure. Based on a true story about a legendary girl, Jang Geum, who became the first woman to be the supreme royal physician of her times. Despite her poor condition as a low class girl in the male dominated society, Jang Geum overcame a series of social discrimination and landed herself as a royal cook, later becoming the royal physician, then ultimately the physician in charge of the king. She was even given by the king the title "The Great Jang Geum." The story of her checkered life on her success and breakdown as well as her love story beautifully unfold. All I see is palace intrigues, and that's just not why I started watching jidaigeki for.   Overall Rating: 5/10

17. Jone Plone Jai [โจรปล้นใจ] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Romance, Drama, Family Puripat's mother loved only his younger brother, Pee and she disapproved Pee’s relationship with a young poor singer named Mak, our heroine. Therefore, she hired thugs to kidnap Mak to separate her son from her. Mak got kidnapped by these thugs a few weeks later and was almost raped by them only to be rescued by our hero. She woke up only after he had rescued her and seeing her blouse quite torn, she immediately accused him of violating her. As he refused to face the accusation and end up going to jail for it, he took our heroine to a countryside home and kept her there against her will. Typical lakorn - violence, toxicity, kidnapping.   Overall Rating: 5/10

18. Tok Kra Dai Hua Jai Ploy Jone (2003) [ตกกระไดหัวใจพลอยโจน] (Finished 2/14) Tags: Comedy, Romance, Drama Roikaew sacrificed her college tuition to get married with the head sheriff because he saved her father's life from a gang who uses drugs. At the end of their wedding, the gang member interrupted and killed the sheriff. The sheriff's last wish was for Roikaew to take care of his 2 kids. Years pass and Cholchat has finished his studies. He became the new sheriff of the town. Coincidently, Roikaew's father is the leader of the town so that means Roikaew and Cholchat get to meet each other every day to help their community. Cholchat's girlfriend Supasi came back from America and came to stay with Cholchat and his worker. She dislikes Roikaew because they both used to go to the same university but then she would taunt her because she didn't get to finish school. As Cholchat got to know Roikaew more, he was falling for her and forgetting about Supasi. At the same time, problems erupted in the community as drugs were being used again. It's something different for a change, but no matter, still too primitive to consider a decent score.   Overall Rating: 5/10

19. My Fair Lady (2003) [요조숙녀] (Finished 3/16) Tags: Romance, Drama Min Kyung just graduated high school and finished paying off her father's gambling debt at a liquor restaurant. However, with some borrowed money, she runs away, promising herself that she will find a rich man and live happily ever after. Three years later, she is a stewardess at Asiana Airlines. She constantly looks at the materialistic objects any man has, judging everybody by what they are capable of buying. She meets two-three guys at a time while also attending blind dates with her co-workers. On one blind date, she falls in love with Young Ho, thinking that he is one of the few people in the Yacht Club (a meeting of the few richest people in Korea). Young Ho is the son of a poor rice cake house, and works to pay off his dead father's debt. He falls in love with Min Kyung, because she looks exactly like his dead girlfriend. When Min Kyung finds out that Young Ho is not rich, she dumps him, and goes back to a rich man who proposed to Min Kyung once before. However, Min Kyung wakes up to true love and realizes that happiness does not necessarily come in money. Imitation of Yamato Nadeshiko. Did not like original, not finding remake much better, within typical expectation range.   Overall Rating: 5/10

20. Dr. Koto Shinryojo [Dr.コトー診療所] (Finished 1/11) Tags: Drama, Medical After making a serious mistake in his work in Tokyo, talented surgeon Goto Kensuke is invited to take charge of the only clinic on the small island of Yonaguni, Okinawa. It is difficult to get competent doctors to serve on this remote island, and the islanders are now used to traveling for hours via boat for proper medical care. Despite seeming weak and unreliable (he gets very seasick and does not have a driving license), he wins over the skeptical islanders with his skill and dedication. Some children of the island make a flag for his clinic but get his name wrong. Thereafter he is known by all as Koto. Normal rural medical drama when doctor is one-man laboratory and majority of villagers blame him already from all their previous woes. Seen stuff like this multiple times.   Overall Rating: 5/10

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