A Love to Kill (2005) A Complete summary (SPOILERS)

I just finished watching A Love to Kill starring Rain and Shin Min Ah and all I can say is  AISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A drama about revenge and love. Actress, Cha Eun Seok (Shin Min Ah) is distraught after breaking up from her boyfriend. CEO Kim Joon Sung (Lee Ki Woo) and Cha Eun Seok find themselves in a bad disposition due to Eun Seok's drinking. Meanwhile fighter Kang Bokgu (Rain) and his "girlfriend" Han Da Jeong (Kim Sang Ra)  was bullying people into paying money owed to her. The link to each other was Kang Mingu (Kim Young-jae). Kang Mingu was Kang Bokgu's brother, and Cha Eun Seok's ex-boyfriend. They all meet when just after Bokgu and Mingu are reunited, whether it's an accident on the brother's part or purposely Mingu jumps from the roof of the build in which he lives after seeing the announcement of Eun Seok and Joon Sung's engagement (which was Kim Joon Sung's idea of fixing the situation they were in because of her drunkardness). Bokgu blames Eun Seok and develops his plan to destroy her, so when a job comes up to become Cha Eun Seok's bodyguard he gets it in order to become close to her. Eun Seok ends up falling in love with Bokgu and he falls in love with her as well. Which makes Kim Joon Sung pull all kinds of stunts that only rich people can pull (send people to lock up the mom, sue the family, etc). It's when Eun Seok decides to run away with Bokgu who then says it was all a game and he never really loved her. Its revealed that Mingu is Bokgu's

brother. From there things just get kind of jumbled as they have to close the storyline. At this point I feel like they dragged the story along. And I have forgotten to mention the fact the Da Jeong was JEALOUS as hell because of he insecurities with herself. BACKSTORY Da Jeong saved Bokgu after a fight and a fire set out. She was burned in the process and as we know in South Korea, looks are a big deal blemishes are not cool! This was basically the reason Bokgu was with her as he pitied her as they say numerous times during the drama. When she found out the Bokgu was Eun Seok's bodyguard she was so jealous. Bokgu assures her its for a reason and he would be back to her soon. This is when he breaks Eun Heart, and send Eun Seok down spiraling into craziness. Bokgu also begins to spiral. In an effort to get her out of his life (as he was in love but didn't want to be) he "moved" his brother (he had him moved to another room) and made it so that Eun Seok couldn't see Mingu. What was sad was that she felt bad about Mingu because she had loved him and made promises to him, but was also in love with Bokgu. A Year passes, of course as fate would have it Bokgu and Eun Seok meet again. He lies and says the brother died, but of course come to find out the brother is with him alive but disabled. Eun Seok takes Mingu and begins carrying for him, but then he starts doing things like slapping tea out of her hands and other things that cause her alot of physical pain. Come to find out what he wants is for Bokgu and Eun Seok to be together he expesses this when he is hospitalized again. His last wish
for Bokgu was for him to take care of Eun Seok. He dies and then things REALLY spiral out of control for Bokgu and Eun Seok. He stops eating, picks a fight with anyone for any little thing and drinks heavily. Eun Seok eats and eats and eats until she's on the verge of vomiting. This is when Da Jeong sees that Bokgu isn't hers and that Eun Seok can help AND Kim Joon Sung sees that Eun Seok isn't his and Bokgu can help her. Bokgu and Eun Seok conclude that they can't really be together but decide to spend a day together doing whatever they want all day. They promised to live life to the fullest. After that day they did just that and lived. Everything seemed cool until Kim Joon Sung went to see Bokgu saying that he had hoped to find Eun Seok with him and that she had been missing for 3 days. Bokgu goes looking for her where they had spent their day together. BTW this is going on during the winter. After looking as its going into the night he finally finds her asleep on the ground. She is freezing and has basically lost most of her body heat. He tries to carry her, but has lost most of his energy and sits to hold her hoping his body heat will warm her only he freezes too... they freeze together in each others arms.

THE END!

The reason I summarized it this way is because this drama had me going crazy. I love happy ending and that is what I was waiting for. I wanted Bokgu and Eun Seok to be together. I never expected them to die in the end, which was the only time I shed a tear. The drama made me furious as fas as the storyline goes, only because I am always hoping for a happy ending. I had NEVER seen Lee Ki Woo as such a character. I mean he was the second male lead. I saw him as the second male lead in Flowerboy Ramen Shop, but he wasn't despicable. Rain was amazing. He's looks rather gruffy throughout BUT he is so sexy.

His mannerism. He would bite his bottom lip and let it bounce back out and there was one kiss with Shin Min Ah that I sweat I FELT! LOL!!! Shin Min Ah, she is also incredible. I enjoy the acting of all the actors and actresses BUT the ending upset me so much I almost wanted to give K-Drama's up. Unfortunately I am addicted and I'll just watch a romance comedy next time.

Where it all started: Flower Boy Ramen Shop

 Drama Title: 꽃미남 라면가게 / Kkotminam Ramyeongage/ 

Flower Boy Ramen Shop 

Year: 2011

Genre: Romance Comedy

16 Episodes

For me, Flower Boy Ramen Shop was the beginning of my life as a K-Drama fan, which is quite interesting as it is said that the hit K-Drama "Boys Over Flowers" is the gateway drug of a K-Drama addiction. Not this time, but don’t worry "Boys Over Flowers" has its own special place in my heart and will certainly find a place in this blog as well. 

Flower Boy Ramen Shop definitely stamped the Korean flag right on my heart as I followed Yang Eun Bi (Lee Chung Ah), a teacher intern (student teacher) who has doubts about being a teacher, but wants to be something in society as she gets over a break up with a long- time boyfriend and also deals with some daddy daughter issues. 

BUT WAIT…

First we meet the tall, slim, pretty faced Cha Chi Soo, (Jung Il Woo) who gets out of trouble by being cute and saying something charming. Females melt in front of him as he says something random such as: “That mole, it’s pretty” and then walks away looking back and giving the female a quick wink of the eye.

After Yang Eun Bi and Cha Chi Soo meet randomly (in a female bathroom stall) as the always insecure tomboy Eun Bi looks at Cha thinking he could be around his twenties. After an encounter with her EX she takes off with the unknowing Cha Chi Soo who is more concerned with his cashmere sweater possibly being stained than acknowledging the vulnerable Eun Bi. 

It isn’t until the teacher intern goes to her first day of work after embarrassing herself by calling Cha Chi Soo “oppa” (although Oppa really means older brother, it is growing as slang for honey/sweetie) before realizing he is in fact a student. Not only is he a student he is the richest student and his father’s company owns the school.  

Another thing you will learn about K-Drama’s is that there will usually be a second male lead. I will take the time to talk all about the beloved second male lead another time but with Flower Boy Ramen Shop the second male lead is Choi Kang Hyuk (Lee Ki Woo). Throughout the show he is known as Pillar. Yes ladies this is another tall and pretty faced man. Kang is usually found sleeping in a random place. Eun Bi didn’t even know he was there for a while. 

Through unforeseen circumstances, Eun Bi, Kang and Cha Chi Soo all become involved and end up working at Eun Bi’s father’s Ramen Shop. (I don’t want to give too many spoilers).

This show grabbed my attention because it was pretty funny. I could relate to Eun Bi. When I first watched Flower Boy Ramen Shop I was getting ready to enter my student internship. She also day dreamed which I do way too often. I also understand how it feels to be getting older without a boyfriend and without any prospects of getting married as many others are well on their way to marriage.  

BUT….

As you will find as you enter your own journey into K-Drama, the flower boys will get you every time. Cha Chi Soo ultimately stole my heart as I watched this rich kid fall in love and has absolutely no idea what he is feeling. He had never had such experiences having been sheltered and initially thought he was sick. (He went to the hospital saying a fist was in his heart).  Kang was also a great face and body to look at throughout the story line. As a reasonable woman I understood how it made a lot of sense to be with someone who would stand at a pillar for you. (Hence his nickname as pillar).

Again I am not into spoilers, but there is more to Cha Chi Soo than just a cute face and money. He has some secrets as does Choi Kang Hyuk. They both share a common bond (a shocking revelation) and a love for Eun Bi. By the way President Cha, Cha Chi Soo’s father doesn’t like the idea of being involved with someone who is below them on the caste system if you know what I mean. (Another reoccurring theme in K-Dramas). 

The cast members make the show colorful and keep the storyline moving and also are the reason for the show being called Flower Boy Ramen Shop as these cute young boys all find themselves working at the shop. There are also sub-plots as other characters help to Eun Bi with her problems and their problems are revealed. 

Jung Il Woo was so magnificent to me as Cha Chi Soo, so much so, I wanted to see him in more dramas, which will lead to my next review. Without even knowing anything about K-Dramas I could see genuine acting. I mean it takes skill to have the comedic timing for certain characters and to me he did well. He also was amazing with emotional scenes. We often see Cha Chi Soo with tears welled up in his eyes.  I even named one of my dogs, Cha Chi Soo, which was approved of as I showed my mother Flower Boy Ramen Shop and she also fell in love with the show and K-Drama, now she and I usually watch K-Drama together.  Imagine that K-Drama pulls families together.   

It was intriguing to see this Noona/Dongseng situation as well.  OH the Noona/Dongseng theme…yes…another topic I will have to discuss for another day as for now, it’s the older woman/younger man relationship.  In America this drama would have been more of a tragedy than a comedy (although Cha Chi Soo is 19, therefore of age). 

Be prepared to literally laugh out loud, cry, and root for Eun Bi to find her way.  Watch and tell me what you think.  Have you already watched it? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Who was your favorite character? Who would you choose?  Why?  

In the meantime check out a few trailers: