Korea

Beautiful Days (Ah Reum Dah Woon Nal Deul) uses some of Korea’s well known actors to deliver a story of two orphan girls, two step-brothers and their entangled tale of greed, secrets and disloyalty. The story gives the main characters a chance to gain wisdom through life experiences. Both the story and the actors execute a great melodrama. The story is dynamic and realistically written. Showing the source of each main character’s notable traits from painful experiences, the story starts in 1975, then forwards to 1985 and 1995, and finally picks up 5 years later in 2000 where most of the story takes place. Within the first two decades shown, the audience learns why Min-chul is unloving to most people, why his younger sister, Minji, is rebellious, and why Sun-jae is so obedient to their father. In 1995, the audience learns why there is heartache between Sina and Yonsoo. Even while the story falls short to offer definite conclusions to sub plots, it does offer closure by establishing the main characters’ evolution or growth. Just as the audience is shown the source of the characters’ troubles and pains, the drama continues to unravel situations that force the characters to change. The realism and complexity of the characters starts with the story; however, the cast does an excellent job of bringing them to the screen. The cast works great together. First, Lee Byung Hun shows Min-chul as the resentful, cold-shouldered son to his father, brother and step-mother. While to Minji he shows Min-chul as the caring, trusting brother. Both are attractive personalities that together make up a complex character. When he and Choi Ji Woo are in a scene together, Lee Byung Hun is strikingly bold and demanding, sometimes not saying much at all. In fact, some of the drama’s best scenes are ones in which Lee Byung Hun doesn’t have many lines in but requires just as much performance. For example, when he and Choi Ji Woo are in the movie theater, not a single word is said, but the heartache and pain Min-chul feels is shown in his expressions. As for Choi Ji Woo, she begins portraying Yonsoo as a strong woman that is cautious of Min-chul. Her stuggle to trust herself plays out well. Next, Ryu Shi Won is noble as the intimidated brother and offers a certain amount of gentleness to the Lee family. Finally, Lee Jung Hyun and Shin Min Ah both represent the younger disobedient sister well, making the outrageous squabbling scenes convincing. The story and cast of Beautiful Days illustrate characters’ trials and growth skillfully. The complex beginning establishes a great source for the drama’s development while the well rounded characters are carefully crafted and displayed. The two elements, story and cast, brings one of the better performed Korean dramas to audiences. As for the music of Beautiful Days with Korean Pop Star, Lee Jung Hyun, as part of the cast as well as a story that revolves around music industry characters, the drama has amazing power ballads and lovely musical scores. Both Lee Jung Hyun and Ryu Shi Won have tracks on the OST and when hearing their renditions the memories of the pain and happiness the characters endured in the drama are easily relived. The actual Korean musician Zero is also featured on the OST, bringing a soothing voice to climatic ballads, like Yak Sok (track 2), that makes the heart soar. 李秉憲、崔智友、柳時元真情演繹"美麗的日子" 這部劇集情節錯綜復雜，愛恨情愁交融，對于主演這部劇集的韓國影星李秉憲、崔智友和柳時元來講確實是極大的挑戰。這部劇集在韓國播出時引起了巨大的反響，觀眾好評如潮。其中女主角的扮演者崔智友更出演了曾火爆亞洲的電視劇《� {色生死戀》的續集《冬季戀歌》的女主角。 《美麗的日子》講述了一個恩怨交雜、迸發青春活力、展示人間真情的故事。李善才（柳時元飾）是"影音"音盤公司老板的遺腹子，因為不明真相的母親改嫁來到了殺父仇人的家，與繼父的一雙兒子李民哲（李秉憲飾）和女兒共同生活，並不得不開始了與民哲的激烈爭鬥。一次偶然的機會，民哲認識了自小在孤兒院張大的金蓮秀（崔智友飾）。在民哲的邀請下，蓮秀成為民哲妹妹的家庭教師，並搬入民哲家居住，兩人逐步產生了感情，而u宰也被蓮秀的善良和文靜所打動，對其產生了愛慕之情，由此，民哲與善才的積怨更深。曲折的戀情風回路轉，民哲得知是自己的父親害死了善才的父親的真相後，決定補償u宰，退出與善才爭奪蓮秀的競爭。蓮秀的突病使得善才認識到蓮秀深愛的人是民哲，這才使有情人終成眷屬。