GENRE: ROMANTIC COMEDY DRAMA
NETWORK: KBS
RELEASE: 2006
EPISODES: 17
CASTS: Han Ji-min (mi-rae) | Kim Jae-won (hyun-se) | Kim Ji-hoon (si-wan)
LINKS: OFFICIAL WEBSITE | SOOMPI | ASIAFANATICS | HANCINEMA | KOREANWIZ | SPCNET.TV | KBFD

[ K o R e a N C r A z E e ] embracing the korean lifestyle
 
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GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Widaehan Yoosan

SYNOPSIS: Hyun-se is known for his rebellious living. Due to his unresolved conflict with his mother, he left home and worked for a gangster. When his mother passed away unexpectedly, he has to return back to claim the inheritance left for him.

Maru Kindergarten undergo a major management revamp when Hyun-se has to take over in fulfillment of the will. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. He has to work for it for 100 days. And since he was stereotyped to be careless and immature, nobody helped him settle in. But he knows the school's worth financially so he tried to live by the day despite of the irritating kids and demanding staff.

NK Corporation is in the process of building a theme park but Maru Kindergarten is in the way. They can't get them to agree on any terms even if they are willing to pay big. They hired Si-wan to fix the problem only to find out that he used to date one of the employees of the school, Mi-rae.

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As days go by, Hyun-se started to feel closer to the kids and even to Mi-rae. He finally found happiness but has to give up the school for their safety. His boss, who he considered as his mentor, conspired with Si-wan to get rid of the school illegally. They even have overridden the authority of NK's Director who turned out to be Hyun-se's father.

With Mi-rae by his side, Hyun-se found the will to fight for his rights to the school. His proposal was reconsidered and they compromised. He is happier now that he found peace with his father and love through Maru Kindergarten.

REVIEWS: The series started to be so hilarious because of the kids. At an early age, you could see their potential in acting. They have a good future ahead of them. I wouldn't be surprise if, in a year or two, they'll have their own series and it would be a hit. Actually, they are the ones that made me watch it because it was a little bit boring at first. But seeing them makes me laugh. I really admire their performance. They are so funny and cute. They talk like adults and very mature. But when they cry, they become themselves to remind us that they are just kids anyway.

Ha Ji-min's character started strong and interesting. But after awhile, when the problems started, she was left unnoticed. Not only did the story focus more on Kim Jae-won's and his ordeal with the school, but her performance also laid low. She became boring and has no intensity.

What I like about the story the most is how they emphasized more on loyalty to family and friends than the love triangle. It only shows that there is more to life than romance. I also like how they gave importance to history and forgiveness.