Gaeul donghwa

i just love the girl... that's all :-)

The plot is not really unique, stories like that is very common here... although i still commend it for its thorough simplicity and no-twist plots. The actresses are very much reserved. From the beginning till the end of the series, you wont see anything from them except their face and hands unlike those from Mexican telenovelas. I guess some of Korea's culture and traits are notably and surprisingly similar with us. But the most astonishing thing about the story is its super simple plot. I can't help thinking 'is it the first time Korean's made such love stories'. In this modern story tellings, most dramas would contain so many add ons to complicate things for a series... mostly leads to ruining the entire plot... well well...

but i still love the girl...

Like many love songs, Gaeul donghwa is trite and over dramatic. But if you can allow yourself to be vulnerable and accept the story, you will be treated to many emotional evenings. The series unfolds like a modern fairy tale (donghwa stands for fairy tale).

In contrast to American soap operas, Gaeul donghwa was planned as an 18-episode soap opera. Some of the plot twists are dramatic and unexpected, but all essential to the plot and serve to enrich the characters.

That said, the series could've been trimmed by a couple of episodes or so, as it is filled with countless flashbacks and several moments of "come on, not that again!"

Still, rest of the series is so powerful that I suspect even the most jaded and macho viewers will surrender their ego and bring their eyes to tears.

What is the message? I like to paraphrase my review of my all-time favorite film, Breaking the Waves. It paints each facet of love (e.g., mother-to-daughter, friendship, romance) with palette of honesty and beauty.

And what beauty.... The series is very beautifully shot, like the "yellow umbrella" scene where one of the lead characters sees the other character for the first time in many years. And acting is superb throughout, including the children.

Highly recommended!

This series is excellent. In Korea it is known as "A Tale Of Autumn" or "Autumn's Fairy Tale" but when this TV drama was broadcast in Taiwan, the title was changed to "Endless Love". This moving TV series describes love in its various manifestations: love for family, unconditional love, and loving endlessly and is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes. The lead female character faces life's misfortunes with steadfastness and optimism, demonstrating her strong character and true inner beauty. It is equally loved by audiences in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing & even in the Philippines. This phenomenal series is very in demand here in the Philippines, actually it is still in broadcast. Now, it has a 3rd run on Philippine Television. Never in my life i ever seen such series. All the actors did a great job, they are all acting wise and considered famous not only in S.Korea but also in many parts of Asia. I truly adore Song Hye Kyo because she is so beautiful and well-suited for the role. I will say this endlessly that this series is perfect. No other series can compare.

. . .to fast-forward through the countless flashbacks and slow (if beautiful) establishing shots. Expect a lot of repetition in themes and even plot events. There's heavy foreshadowing, and the final two episodes still come to a fantastically melodramatic finish.

The basic premise concerns two girls switched at birth, one being from a rich household, the other from a struggling, poor one. They're in grade school before the truth is discovered. In Korea blood-ties are extremely important, so despite the pain each family experiences, the girls are restored to their "rightful" places. Years later, the older brother from the rich family searches for the sister he knew as a child-- and the drama ensues from there.

The cast is extraordinarily attractive, and the acting is-- all right. Won Bin apparently made quite a name for himself with his part as a jaded-player-with-a-heart-of-gold.

Endless Love (A tale of Autumn/ Gaeul donghwa) is the first soap opera to elicit an emotional response from this reviewer. Soaps are the usual target for mockery due to the presence of bad acting, lame plots and even lamer dialogue. Endless Love, however, managed to overcome these weaknesses. It stands as one of the best soap operas I've ever seen.

It's the story of Joon Suh (Song Seung Hun) and Eun Suh (Song Hye Kyo), who for 14 years believed themselves to be blood-siblings. They share a close bond as shown in the scenes of their happy and idyllic childhood. Yet an accident when Eun Suh was only 14 revealed that she was actually switched at birth with another baby. Her real family is composed of a single mother and a rascal brother living in the throes of poverty. The daughter (Shinae) who lives with that poor family is Joon Suh's real blood sister. After some dramatic scenes, the two daughters are switched back to their real families. Joon Suh's family leaves for the States as a way to start over while Eun Suh stays behind with her poor mother and grows up terribly missing her brother. Eight years later, Joon Suh returns to Korea in search for Eun Suh. They meet again via JoonSuh's best friend, Tae Sukh, who also happens to be attracted to Eun Suh. The two former siblings are deliriously happy to be reunited, but complications take place as they realize that they are falling in love with each other. Joon Suh is already engaged to Yumei, while Eun Suh has just "accepted" Tae Sukh's declarations of "love". To make matters worse, their parents cannot accept a romantic relationship between them as they still see Eun Suh and Joon Suh as siblings. These complications drive the plot to an ending that will surely melt even the stoniest of hearts.

Despite its predictable storyline, it still succeeds in conveying sincere emotions, largely due to the chemistry of the two leads, Song Seung Hun and Song Hye Gyo.

Song Seung Hun in particular, was amazing in the role of the strong and honorable Joon-Suh (Johnny). It was a character that barely had any speaking lines yet Seung Hun hit every emotional note required for the scene. His expressive face (particularly his gorgeous eyes) clearly conveyed all of his character's conflicting emotions: his love for En Suh (jenny), his respect for his parents and his affection for his friends. Everything about his acting is restrained, yet he never comes off stiff or wooden. He projected strength and vulnerability without resorting to exagerrated theatrics common amongst young actors. It's definitely an amazing performance which sets him apart from his peers. There is no doubt in my mind that only Seung Hun, with his talent and maturity, could have played this challenging role. The other actors in the movie simply played their characters in a stereotypical manner that doesn't stand out, but doesn't disappoint either.

The story is also wonderful in that it is different from the usual American love story. It teaches us that lovers do not exist for themselves alone. The characters of Joon-Suh and En Suh love each other deeply, yet they also can't bear seeing everyone around them suffer. As such, they sacrifice their own happiness just to keep their families and friends satisfied. With such sacrifice, the audience cannot help but root for the two underdog lovers.

Top it off with beautiful cinematography and sentimental music and the audience is defintely set for an emotional experience with this series. Take my advice, this series is for keeps. It's bound to become an Asian classic. In fact, I think it already is.