Playful Kiss (Korean, Drama)

This is a take it or leave it know of drama. Well, all because just one flaw. Of we ignore that flaw it is quiet good and enjoyable. So if you ask if I like this show, I can say I don't particularly dislike it. Ya, sort of like it. Because the actors are too cute, and lovable. And we can sit and watch the show just for the actors  instead of the way the story is going.

The show is based on a popular Japanese manga, named 'Itazura na Kiss', and it's original Hangul name is 'Changnansuron Kiss'. It also has names such like 'Mischievous Kiss', or 'Naughty Kiss'.

Maybe because it is based on a manga is why this one particular flaw occurs in it.   Well of course, manga is a field where girls have no self respect, and guys can do anything. Well, the story is sort of like this in this drama. Because, after one point you began to hate the hero's character, and wonder why the girls still loves him. Well, I can sort of understand that the girl had a crush on this guy since always, and crushes of that long time is hard to ignore or forget, or recover from. So half of me can understand why Ha-ni still likes Sung-jo even though he is sort of a jerk. Still, to endure Sung-jo through out is a big task. I mean, even after the marriage, Sung-jo doesn't soften up much...
I mean, we can give a bit jerk heroes, but Beak Sung-jo is the limit. He should have turned good at least at some point. Even his love is kind of selfish, and proud. That irritates the viewers.

The story start off well enough, and we will really really love the drama till up to episode 6. That is till the characters are still in school. When they move up to college, the drama becomes a bit boring and we feel irritated with Sung-jo's character as he stays as a jerk, and is too difficult to understand. Also we may get irritated because of entry of Hae-ra.

Anyway, enough with the bad points. I will tell the good points now. The heroine is too cute and we will like her at once. Also even though Sung-jo's mum is a bit of a nut-case, she is funny and adorable. And Eun-jo is too cute and is to die for. We will love Ha-ni's friends and will love Bong Jun-gu also.
And they all makes the drama worth to watch. And will make us smile at times...

There is a series that got released after this, that depicts the life of the characters after the first season, and that is released in YouTube as 'YouTube special edition'. I have not included the details of that in this particular section.

Technical details : The drama is of 16 episodes, and each episode is of about 1 hr long. it is available in both Torrent and AsiaTorrents.


Characters :

Oh Ha-ni : A really cute, funny and happy girl. She lives with her father who runs a noodle shop. Her mother died when she was young. She is not a very bright student. In fact she is one of the bottom most students in the school. But she is hard working, and can achieve anything if she puts her mind to it. Her grand-mother has nick-named her Noah's snail, based on the story of a Snail which got left behind when Noah's ark came and it worked hard and moved slowly an inch day by day, and got on the ark. People say Ha-ni is the same as that Snail. Well, she is too. Ha-ni's plus point is that she never gives up, and never gets sad. She is always happy...(Well, almost always) and is really a fun loving person.
She has a crush of Baek Sung-jo, the most intelligent student in school. She innocently dreams about the guy with a real optimism.

Beak Sung-jo : The top scoring student of Pa-rang High School. In fact, he is such a genius that he scores 500/500 in every exam without even bothering to study much. He is good in sports of all kind and also in cooking. Is good looking. And in short is perfect, with only the flaw that he is a a lot self co incited, and is arrogant, and doesn't really care about others. He can also be called a bit selfish. And he says he hates stupid people the most. He can't stand people who has no intelligence, which include a lot of low scoring students in the school.


Bong Jun-gu : A guy from the remote Busan fishing village, with a village accent and wired hair style. He has a crush on Ha-ni, and his life's dream is to do things for Ha-ni and get place in her heart and life. Even though he is a bit of an idiot, he has a pure heart and he loves Ha-ni from the bottom of his heart.
Jun-gu has a love for music, and has formed a band with a set of his followers; and they take entry in any scene, by combing their hair. Jun-gu also has a talent to cook.
He is a character we can love, coz he brings laughter to us at first, and then makes us feel sympathy and at last makes us sad for him, and then..finally things end in a happy ending for him, making us like hi again.

Yoon Hae-ra : She enters the life of Ha-ni and Sung-jo when they move up to college, and she is sort of a female version of Sung-jo. She is 2nd compared to Sung-jo, but that makes him and her sort of good friends. She even likes Sung-jo. So that puts Ha-ni in sort of an unsure position.

Hwang Gyum-hee : Sung-jo's mother. She always wanted a daughter, but got only sons. So she is really excited when she get Ha-ni. And she tries her best to set up a relationship between Ha-ni and Sung-jo constantly.  Her hobby is blogging. And hence she always goes around clicking photos  Well, almost to the extend that we will feel she is even a bit mad. Well, she is actually sort of mad... (The character is adapted from Manga, so I can understand why it it this way). But yet, her madness is sort of lovable.

Beak Eun-jo : The little brother of Sung-jo. He is in grade 4, and he adores his hyong. He is in fact a little version of Sung-jo, though a bit more tamer version. He likes to do whatever Sung-jo does, and always likes to consult his brother for doubts in studies. He also says he hates people who are stupid, and dislikes Ha-ni slightly and calls her stupid always. Even though, with all these points, Eun-jo is really lovable and we will love that character.

Jung Ju-ri : Ha-ni's friend. She is a bit plumpy, and is really fun loving and enjoys live fully. Just like Ha-ni she is one of the bottom most scoring students. But she has a talent of hair cutting and hair styling.

Dok Go Min-ah : Another best friend of Ha-ni. And although her grades are better than the other two, it is still not enough to be called as a good mark. She has a talent to draw, and hence join animation course in college, in the future.

Oh Gi-dong : Ha-ni's father. He is an excellent noodles cook, and he runs the noodle shop. He miss his wife who died, but always was an excellent and loving dad to Ha-ni.

Beak Soo Chang : Sung-jo's father. He runs a video game company. Is a bit of a fat and plumpy person. He is kind and loving. His dream is that Sung-jo inherits his business.

Hwang Kyong-soo : The vice-president of the Tennis club in the college. Even though he is just 21 he looks like a middle aged man. He is a sweet and caring person, until he is not holding a racket. Once he holds a tenis racket he becomes extremely strict and can scold to death on the name of tennis. He has a crush on Yoon Hae-ra. He and Ha-ni are really good friends.

Hong Jang-mi : Ha-ni and Sung-jo's junior in school. She has a crush on Sung-jo, or more like she likes him coz he is popular. She is a bit arrogant, and she dislikes Ha-ni. She likes to roam around Sung-jo calling him 'Sung-jo Oppa' and claiming that her mother and his mother are friends, when they are more like acquaintances and have met once or twice.

Story line :

Oh Ha-ni is a poorly performing student in Pa-rang High school. She has a crush on the brightest student in the school, Beak Sung-joo.
The story begins with On Ha-ni dreaming about Sung-jo. In the dream, she is sleeping in a magical forest, when Sung-jo who looks like a forest spirit, comes near her and gently kiss her and then vanishes. She opens her eyes to see a white horse, and she follows it and goes deeper in to the forest, and she see Beak Sung-jo again. He is just about to kiss her, when Ha-ni really wakes up, and notice she is in school, and the whole was a dream.
In class Bong Jun-gu who has big time crush on Ha-ni is gazing at her, and get scolded by the teacher.

She tells her friends Jung Ju-ri and Dok Go Min-ah, her friends, about the dream. That is when The junior Hong Jang-mi finds trouble in getting the cola can out of the vending machine. Ha-ni goes to her, and kick the vending machine, and help get the cola out. Then, after a minute Beak Sung-jo comes and tries to get a cola, and it doesn't come. So Jang-mi asks Ha-ni to do what she did earlier, and Ha-ni sis all troubled, coz she has crush on Sung-jo. Anyway, she does the kick, and gets the cola for him. And Sung-jo, he doesn't even notice her, even when Ju-ri tries her best to make Ha-ni noticeable, by yelling Ha-ni's name at the top of her voice.
I short, Ha-ni is still invisible for Sung-jo.

At he noodle shop Ha-ni's father tell her that the best way to propose to someone is to write a love letter. So Ha-ni writes a love letter and puts in Sung-jo's locker. Later, Sung-jo comes to her, and gives her back a paper in front of all students. She assumes that it is a reply  and shyly oppens the letter, and her expression change to sadness and shock. Jang-mi steels the letter from her hand, and began to read. And apparently, it is the same latter that Ha-ni gave Sung-jo, and he has corrected the spelling mistake in that letter, and gave a grade 'D-' to it. Ha-ni is publically humiliated. Though Jun-gu tries to fight for her against Sung-jo, Sung-ju tells her that he just hates people with no brain.
Ha-ni is heartbroken and sad.

About this time Ha-ni and her dad moves to their new house. That day, the friends, Ju-ri, Min-ah and Jun-go comes to have lunch at Ha-ni's place, and then in a mild earth quake, the newly built house crashes and stumbles down.
Ha-ni is now home less. And when Jun-gu tries to put a collection of money for her house, and he tries to make Sung-ju give money, Ha-ni yells at Sung-jo and tell him that even if she has to sleep under a bridge she won't take his help. And she challenges him that she can also get high marks. So a bet is set that if Ha-ni makes in to top 50 students on school and get in to special study hall (top 50 students get to be in special study hall), then Sung-jo will give her a piggy-back ride around the school.

That night Ha-ni's dad tell her that his long lost childhood friend called him after seeing him on tv regarding the house breaking down, and has offered to let him and Ha-ni stay in his house for a while. They go there...to stay in the house. And to Ha-ni's shock, it is Beak Sung-jo's house.
The dad's friend's wife, that is Sung-jo's mother,  is really excited to have Ha-ni there.She always wanted a daughter and had only sons, and now she got a daughter. She decorates the room for Ha-ni and even buy her a shoe as a present.

Sung-jo has warned Ha-ni  not to tell anyone in school about them living in same home. Ha-ni is really excited to be in the house, living under the same roof as her beloved Sung-jo.
The next day Sung-jo saves her from a flasher. The adoration for Sung-jo increases in Ha-ni's eyes.

Late, Sung-jo's mother shows Ha-ni some old pictures of Sung-jo, in which he looks like a girl. Mother says that since she wanted a girl, she used to dress Sung-jo as a girl when he was a kid. Ha-ni gets hold of one of the photo and in school, she blackmails Sung-jo that she will return that photo to him only if he help her study, and make it possible for her to be in top 50. Sung-jo asks if she is doing this coz she likes him, she says that 'no, i got over you'. As he is standing close to her, the students who are secretly watching think they might be kissing, and thinks there might be something going on between them.

Sung-jo starts tutoring Ha-ni. And even though Sung-jo is trying his best to make her understand, Ha-ni is just too stupid. But then slowly, Ha-ni begins to understand and study. One night., they both falls asleep while studying on the table itself, and Sung-jo's mum comes and see it, and get excited and takes a photo of it.

In the exam Ha-ni gets the 50th rank, and makes it in to the special study hall. Then the students demand that Sung-jo to give her piggy-back ride. Ha-ni tell to students that that was cancelled and apologize to Sung-jo.

Then comes a sports festival, in which Sung-jo participates and wins the last relay-run coz of Ha-ni's stupid and silly mistake. But we can see that Sung-jo, whose life was just studies is slowly opening up to new things because of Ha-ni. And that he is a bit jealous of Bong Jun-gu.

When the Beak family, and Oh, family goes to celebrate Ha-ni's victory of making in to top 50, Ha-ni accidently gets drunk and tells Sung-ju is bad and how she hates him, on this Sung-jo recites the love letter, and every one knows what actually happened between Sung-jo and Ha-ni. But in the end, Sung-jo has to carry Ha-ni home, coz she is too drunk.

Sung-jo's mother takes a printout of the photo of Sung-jo and ha-ni sleeping on the table, and puts in Ha-ni's text book, which gets discovered by her friends, and the fact that Sung-jo and Ha-ni are staying in one house, gets public. Sung-jo is too angry over this and yells at Ha-ni for it.

They one day, they all go for a picnic to the sea, and there Eun-jo began to get drowned, and Ha-ni who doesn't know swimming jumps after him to save the child. Sung-jo see this, and saves Ha-ni and his brother.

A lot more little things happen such as all the students in Ha-ni's class wanting to study with Sung-jo and coming to their home, and Ha-ni and Sung-jo being left alone home, and Sung-jo getting Ha-ni's text book, in which his name is written all over with heart shapes and things. And Sung-jo's mum making Sung-jo and Ha-ni go to watch a musical together.

Then it comes the final exams and going to university. Ha-ni wants to go to university by her grades are not good enough coz she went from 50 to bottom in the next exam itself. But her teacher says that maybe she can get in to Pa-rang college. She tries her best to get in. And she manages to get in Pa-rang college.
Sung-jo doesn't want to go to college, because he doesn't know what to do in life yet. But since Ha-ni ask him, he goes to write the exam. But on the day he is supposed to go to admission of the top class university Ha-ni gets in to an accident and he is unable to go. Ha-ni gets depressed over this. But then Sung-jo informs that he got in Pa-rang collage as a honour student with 0 fees.

Jung Ju-ri is sad coz both her friends got in to college and she didn't...and she doesn't want to go too. But then, Min-ah, and Ha-ni tells her that she has the talent of hair styling and cutting. She decides to take that field.
Ha-ni works part time to get Sung-jo a present.

And on the graduation day, a lot of things happen. Fist Sung-jo gives a spectacular speech at the graduation  in which he mentions what Ha-ni's grandmother said, and then Ha-ni makes a fun of herself on stage.
Sung-jo takes a pictures with Ha-ni, also figures out that she did part time work.

Then when they go to celebrate the graduation, Bong Jun-gu sings for Ha-ni, and even tries to hold her hand. A slight expression change on Sung-jo tells us that he doesn't like that. Then, after the song, in between talks, Sung-jo calls Ha-ni a fool, and Ha-ni gets angry and tells he is a bad person. He ask her if he is a bad person, why she still likes him and why is her books full of his name and dreams about him and all... He talks in a really annoying bad way, making fun of her emotions.
Ha-ni gets angry, and takes out Beak Sung-jo's childhood picture out of her pocket and gives to the students, and Sung-jo gets laughed at.
Sung-jo grasp Ha-nis' wrist and pull her out to the back of the restaurant  and ask her why she did that, and she tell that she is over with the crush, and she is going to stop liking him.
He asks her, 'do you think you will be able to do that?" She tells 'yes, when i go to college, I will fine a new guy..'
'will forget me?' Sung jo asks...
'Yes.' Ha-ni says.
'Try forgetting then...' says Sung-jo and kiss her. Ha-ni's mind and determination is blown off by that kiss. But then, after the good kiss, Sung-jo bakes out and tells her, 'you face is worth looking at. I was just playing with you'... And walks off.
They move up to college, and Sung-jo doesn't even behave as if he kissed Ha-ni and is as arrogant and selfish and annoying as ever.
In college they meet Hea-ra who is like the female version of Sung-jo, and sweet Kyong-soo sunbae. Ha-ni joins tennis club because of Sung-jo, but Hae-ra is also in it.
Bong Jun-go takes the job of assonant cook, and waiter in Ha-ni's dad's noodle shop during evening and night, and takes the job of canteen helper in Pa-rang college at day. Jung Ju-ri gets a job in a saloon in front of Pa-rang college.
Life moves on, as Ha-ni begins to feel insecure about Hae-ra being close to Sung-jo. Then Ha-ni and Kyong-soo sunbae unite to form a league against Hae-ra and Sung-jo's friendship, coz Kyong-soo likes Hae-ra and Ha-ni likes Sung-jo.

One day, Sung-jo is a bit (only a bit) soft towards Ha-ni and tells her that he doesn't dislike her, even though he doesn't like to be with her. This gets Ha-ni really happy.

In between this, Eun-jo gets sick and, Ha-ni arrives at the scene and has to get him hospitalized. Ha-ni was scared to handle sick Eun-jo alone, and she cries after everything is settles down, and she hugs Sung-jo while crying.
In hospital Eun-jo, Ha-ni and Sung-jo gets friends with the kid that has bed next to Eun-jo. That is when Ha-ni puts the idea to Sung-jo's head that he can be a good doctor.

Sung-jo wants to lead an independent life, so he leaves home, and goes to live alone...
Then Ha-ni gets misunderstanding that he lives with Hae-ra and gets really sad. But that misunderstanding clears out and she is happy again.

Once day, a guy proposes to Ha-ni and ask to date him, and with Sung-jo's mother's instructions Ha-ni tries to make Sung-jo jealous. But Sung-jo doesn't get jealous. Instead Jun-gu gets jealous and fights with the guy, and then Sung-jo arrives at the scene and tells that guys that 'there is no profit in you two fighting, co in the end the one Ha-ni likes is me', and takes Ha-ni away from there, and then tells her that he understood his mothers and her intentions and that is not going to work.

On the vacations  Sung-jo goes to work as a guide in a tourist resort. And Ha-ni follows him there with En-ju. After a bit of problems that clears out eventually, Ha-ni goes for a walk on one morning, and falls asleep on a bench, and dreams that Sung-jo is kissing her. She wakes up and say, 'ah it was just a dream', but then touches her lips and say 'why does my lips feel wired then...?' And we seen Eun-jo standing a little apart looking thunderstruck

One day Ha-ni gets trapped at Sung-jo's house due to heavy rain, and they have to sped a night together. Sung-jo tells her that he won't do anything, so don't expect anything, because if he does, then it will be him giving away to his mother's plans, and he doesn't want to live according to his mother.

Sung-jo declares in house that he wants to be a doctor, instead of inheritting his dad's company. This comes as a shock for his father, who gets a heart attack. And due to his father's hospitalization, Sung-jo has to join the company and be in charge of the realise of the new video game that can help the company out of its crises.

He tells Ha-ni one night that, even if he may not be happy while running the company if that makes his dad happy, isn't that enough. Ha-ni feel too sorry, and goes and hugs Sung-jo from behind, and stays like that for a while.
Later to help out Sung-jo Ha-ni also joins the company.
That is when an investor shows interest in Sung-jo and ask him to meet his grand daughter for marriage.Sung-jo has no choice because the company needs money for the game release, and hence he goes to see the investor's grand daughter who turns out to be Hae-ra.  He and Hae-ra gets engaged for marriage.
Ha-ni is heart broken, and then she decides to give Jun-gu a chance. She starts dating Jun-gu. This annoys the hell out of Sung-jo and he is stricken with jealousy.

Sung-jo's mother is sad and worried that Sung-jo and Ha-ni are going in different directions, and she is crying over this saying it is all Sung-jo's fault for not liking Ha-ni, that Eun-ju comes to her and says that 'hyong likes On Ha-ni, so don't cry mum'. But without explaining, Eun-ju runs off. Then En-jo remembers how, that time at the tourist resort he had gone for catching bugs in the morning, and saw Ha-ni fall asleep on the bench, and then after a while Sung-jo had come along, and seen Ha-ni fast asleep, and then sat beside her, and kiss her without her realising. Sung-jo then see Eun-jo and justers him to not tell about this to anybody and goes away. Eun-jo recalls this incident and wonders if his hyong likes Ha-in why is he marrying Hea-ra.

One night, the both pair of couples, Sung-jo-Hea-ra and Ha-ni-Jun-gu,  meet at a restaurant, and Ha-ni is sad after that. Then Jun-gu proposes to her and ask her to marry him.

When Sung-jo hears about the proposal from Ha-ni's friends Min-ah ad Ju-ri, he can't handle any more  and he goes to pick up Ha-ni from the bus stop that evening in rain. As they walk, he ask her if she likes Jun-gu. She says he is tired of one side love, and so likes Jun-gu now. Sung-ju declares with anger, and confidence that it is him that she likes. She asks what good will that do to her, then, He kiss her in the middle of the rain, and they become a couple.

The marriage gets called off. And Sung-jo's dad comes back to the company, and gives permission for Sung-jo to go to Medical college.
Jun-gu is heart broken. (we feel really sad for him at this point of time)

Then a new character enters the story - Chris. Chris is a half British half Korean girl who comes to visit the noodle shop, and starts liking their food, and also gets acquainted with Ha-ni and her dad well.
After the results come out and Ha-ni fails the first year, she don't know what to do. And after a lot of thought, ha-ni fugues out that she wants to be a nurse, now that Sung-jo is going to be a doctor.
Then Sung-jo's mother declares that Sung-jo and Ha-ni should get married asap, and then the marriage is held.
Before the marriage, to give Ha-ni confidence Eun-jo tells Ha-ni about the kiss at the resort. And then the marriage takes place, and then they go for honeymoon...
At this time, Kyong-soo sunbae and Hae-ra comes closer. Also Chris declares to Bong Jun-gu that she is in love with him.
When Ha-ni comes home, she gives the test for nurse exam, but fails at the interview. Bong Jun-gu is constantly rejecting Chris. Then Ha-ni talks to him and makes him understand to accept Chris. There is also a small love story of Jung Ju-ri going along in this time.
When at last Chris ties to leave Korea, Bong Jun-gu goes to the air-port to bring her back, and they become almost a couple and have a happy ending.
Even though Ha-ni fails at the nurse interview she saves a life the next day with proper CPR and hence she and Sung-jo decide that she will apply again and Sung-jo will help her.
The drama ends with a note of all being happy and giving us a snap of everyone's and each ones's happy life.

As I mentioned earlier the drama gets a bit boring after the 6th episode. But after the marriage of Sung-jo and Ha-ni, we feel that is is just being extended for no reason. But ya, we do enjoy seeing the after marriage romance scenes (it's barely there though...just a little is there.)

Also since it is adapted from manga, the story has not much of a constancy. Although the characters are lovable, it is still a take it or leave it story.
And ya, we will really hate Sung-jo's character after some time.
The main problem is that this is adapted from manga. And it follows the pattern of a manga itself. So it doesn't become a good drama. Well be good as a manga though. I enjoy reading manga, so i think it would have been a good manga. But this just fails to be a good drama. Anyway, since 99% of the characterised are kind of cute, we can sit though it and enjoy it to some extend.

My Rating of this Drama :  8/10

My Top 10 Korean Dramas

Share this post