Korean Romantic Comedy Drama

This romantic comedy revolves around a few couple of housewives who tried to work their own husband up the ladder in a company “Queens Food”. For the first few hours in this drama, you will see, in such a bad economy how competitive is for the people who are working in a big corporation and how their wives had put their heart and soul into helping their husband in their career.

The main actress Ji-ae (played by Kim Nam-Joo) was a very renowned gal at her high school days. Doesn’t this sound familiar?  I am sure that every single gal who has watched this movie has gone through this pace of life, where there is this particular gal in school who is famous, a dream gal for the guys and the envy of the gals. Ji-ae is married to Dal-soo (played by Oh Ji-ho) who was then thought will become successful since he was the number one student in Seoul University. However, their life does work out as expected, instead of living a luxury life, Ji-ae has to work to support her family even to the extend of selling her marriage ring.

Things become worse when Dal-soo has to work under Joon-hyuk, a manager in “Queens Food” (played by actor Choi Cheol-ho) who was dumped by Ji-ae 15 years ago in high school. Situation become even nastier, when Bong-soon (played by actress Lee Hye-young) who is the most unpleasant gal with extremely low self-esteem in school end-up to be the wife of Joon-Hyuk. As expected, Bong-soon makes life difficult for Ji-ae.

With the rich and famous loveless couple Queenz Food president Tae-joon (by actor Yoon Sang-hyeon) and wife Eun So-hyun (by actress Seon Woo-seon) comes into picture, the relationship between Ji-ae and Dal-soo turns even bitter.

 Some pretty touching scenes in this drama:

Tae-joon who has everything alomost pleading with Ji-ae in episode 19:

Tae-joon “Really? There is nothing between us?”

Ji-ae “What?”

Tae-joon “For the last few days, I feel like I almost become mad, even breathing has become difficult, this is the first time that I felt without siblings I am very lonely, now my life is very ardous, but looking at you, my breathing has become soothing, my head no longer in pain and I don’t feel lonely anymore, I feel like there is an energy to keep me going, nothing can compare to this.”

Will Ji-ae still stick with her husband Dal-soo then?

 With doubts in Ji-ae’s heart at Dal-soo in the last episode:

“Lately I have been thinking if I have ever love Dal-soo all these while, after thinking very seriously, I hope that  Dal-soo will become successful;  I wish he can earn and bring back a lot of money;  he can sustain a high position in the company, not despised by other people; in a family, all of us can eat and sleep well; I hope that he can be a good parent; he is too warm-hearted, I nag and scold him a lot; is this really love?”

A very typical housewife who hopes for the well-being in a family, right?

There is not much concentration on Oh Ji-ho playing as Dal-soo as a leading actor but with the couple Joon-hyuk and Bong-soon, (both actor Choi Ceheol-ho and actress Lee Hye-young) really brings out the laughter in the audience especially in the last few hours in the drama. I would say the image on actress in So-hyun (by actress Woo-seon) is very pretty while the main actress Kim Nam-Joo who played Ji-ae really dress down a lot in the scenes.

 Overall, I would see that this drama is more suitable for people in their 30s and above.

If you are looking for thrill, unnecessary jealousy then this drama is not for you. This drama is all about marriage and even partnership in a marriage life. 

Critic’s rating:

Beethoven Virus

Do not expect immediate emotional engagement in this drama. But BEWARE because this story will just grow deep rooted into your heart with the pieces of classical music without you knowing it. An unconventional romantic comedy, with full of heart warming scenes.

The story did not begin with the main actor but a lady name Rumi (played by actress Lee Ji-ah) who is working in one of the government department with the dream of becoming a violinist playing in an orchestra. This comes to her with a chance when she was asked to organize such function but she was con and all the sponsored money was gone. So, with her own hand she organize an orchestra with just a retired orchestra clarinet member, a flute student, a cellist housewife and two violinist who plays at the wedding plus a genius trumpet player Gun-woo (played by actor Jang Geun-seok). Of course it is not the best chamber orchestra in the country but how the members persevere of making the whole orchestra works is really heart warming.

The music conductor Kang Ma-ae (played by Kim Myeon-min) is a world rated conductor who is egoistic and strict in nature. He is someone who does not know how to express his emotion in a positive way and a loner. Although he doesn’t have the best character but deep down he is a sensitive and warm-hearted person.

His principle of being a top conductor “the conductor has to understand how the feeling of the composer is when the music was written no matter if the person is Beethoven or Mozart”.

You are right, this drama is all about classical music, well, classical is usually found bored but with the genius Ma-ae conducting the orchestra you will, I will say definitely will taste the difference in it. Just watch and listen you will never have another chance to watch a conductor that is so handsome in an orchestra. You will certainly love him when he is on stage conducting especially on the piece “Beethoven 9^th Symphony-Ode to Joy”.

This is not a drama that you would rush to finish in a few days because the urges to sit back and listen to the orchestra is the add-on plus in this drama.

Famous quotes from this drama:

Rumi “Teacher, there must be something great about me else I will not be born in this world.”

Ma-ae “Why haven’t you realized that everything had already come to an end for you and your orchestra?”

Gun-woo “Why is it the end? We have just started, if we continue to walk towards the path there shall be be roads ahead.”

Ma-ae “Then you may need to fail for 99 times before you reach the destiny”

Gun-woo “We are just following your path”

This is how the teacher-student relationship between Ma-ae and Gun-woo.

This drama had brought in other perspective in orchestra like money, power and politics but overall I would say it is a drama that brought classical music to another level by making this drama unique all the way.

Critic’s Ranking:

Watch this/Soundtrack at:

Beethoven Virus (MBC TV Drama)