Romance in the Hotel -- Hotelier

I am introducing another TV series of Bae Yong Jun. I know Bae after I have watched this series. It is called "Hotelier"and it is from the year 2001. Guess what, all the actors and actress in this TV series are very popular now. No doubt, Bae Yong Jun is one of them The other co-stars are Kim Seong Woo (from IRIS), Song Yun Ah (from On Air) and beautiful Song Hye Kyo (from Full House and Autumn in My Heart). So, you can see that there are many big stars in this TV series! :P

"Hotelier" contains a total of 20 episodes. The word "Hotelier" literally means "a person who owns or runs a hotel". The drama was set in Seoul Hotel, a five-star hotel which embarked on expensive, construction upgrading. It also around the story of romance. The story is about Jin Young, a very open-minded and energetic woman, worked for the Seoul Hotel. Her ex-boyfriend Tae Joon resigned and had left for Vegas three years earlier due to an unfortunate incident w/ a guest. The owner of the hotel had always believed in Tae Joon even more so than his own son, Young Jae. When he died of a heart attack, his wife realized that Jin Young must go to Vegas to bring Tae Joon back so he could help run the hotel, which was falling into pieces. Their rival, Kim Book Man, was determined to acquire the Seoul Hotel.

Title        : Hotelier / 호텔리어 / Ho-te-li-eo
Genre      : Drama, Romance
Episodes : 20
Story       :
President Choi, hotelier of Seoul Hotel, died from a heart attack hours after Kim Bok-Man, his old friend, informed him of serious plans his company, Hankang Distribution, had to buy over shares of Seoul Hotel. He was succeeded by his wife, Yun Bong-sook, who had never assumed any positions in the past to run the hotel. The reason for Yun assuming the position was to carry on the works of her late husband. Her son, Choi Young-Jae, was a dissolute man who refused to work and was capable of taking drugs.

Yun was confronted by pressures from Kim, who was making his way to buy up Seoul Hotel's shares. To fend off the competitor, Yun sends one of the hotel managers, Suh Jin Young, to America to try to rehire Seoul Hotel's former Head Manager, Han Tae-Jun (Kim Seung Woo), who was forced to resign after a scandal involving the hotel. Han was taking care of a drug-addicted, dissolute Korean-American girl who was nearly forced to take drugs.

Kim was looking forward to make his attack and hired Attorney Frank Shin Dong-Hyuk (Bae Yong Jun), a wealthy Korean-American takeover businessman, to assist him in buying over the hotel's shares through various means. Frank Shin agrees to the job only after meeting Suh Jin Young (Song Yun Ah) when she travels to America (to find Han) and learns that she actually works at this "Seoul Hotel" of Bok-Man's proposal. Travelling to Seoul Korea for the first time since he left as a child, Frank and his loyal business assistant Leo move into a "Seoul Hotel" chalet to purportedly conduct their secret business with Bok-Man.

Kim learnt of Seoul Hotel's mismanagement through Frank Shin's infiltration as a double-agent. Whilst carrying out his duties, Frank found himself in love with Suh. Suh was later torn between relations with Frank and Han Tae-Jun.

Seoul Hotel proprietress Yun Bong-sook's dissolute son Choi Young-Jae fell in love with Kim Yun-Hee (Song Hye Kyo), the daughter of Hankang Distribution's manager Kim Bok-Man, during a nightclub meeting. However, relations went downhill as Kim Yun-Hee developed a crush on Han after a birthday party held at Seoul Hotel.
Han was weighed with duties of defending the hotel from their competitors at the same time protecting Kim from her abusive father and Suh Jin Young from falling in love with Frank. Han was also burdened with the additional duty of mending the ways of the previously dissolute Choi.
Frank soon discovered his dissolute sister, whom had been in Han's care. They went to meet their father, who called them by their Korean names, Dong-hyuk and Dong-hee. Frank's attitude changed as he switched sides to helping Seoul Hotel.
Han Tae-Jun and Frank eventually re-established Seoul Hotel's position, but Yun was diagnosed with cancer and died soon after. Frank and Suh were engaged; Han travels to Las Vegas where Kim Yun-hee was sent to study business. This implies that they will eventually meet.

For me, I think Bae Yong Jun is very good looking in this series and he always dressed in very smart and made him very smart-looking! :P So, if you are interested to catch this series, please click into "Hotelier"! 
Enjoy watching! ^.^

Romance in the Winter -- Winter Sonata

After I blogged for my #2 favourite K-actor, Bae Yong-Jun in my last post, now I would like to story for his TV series. No doubt, "Winter Sonata" is a TV series that made him a heat throughout the Asia. I remember when this TV series was airing on TV in many years back, many people, especially lady, are crazy for this series and Bae Yong Jun. All the working people were went back home sharp (after the working hours) to catch this series. So, you would know how heat it was at that time! :P

Anyway, "Winter Sonata" is the second part of the Endless Love installment directed by Yoon Seok-Ho. It stars Choi Ji-woo (from The Stairway to Heaven) and Bae Yong Joon. Filming also took place on the resort island of Namiseom. It has also been adapted into an anime series.

The story of "Winter Sonata" is about Joon-sang moves to a new high school in search for his biological father. Yu-jin and Sang-hyuk are close childhood friends, although Sang-hyuk wants to be more than a friend, Yu-jin sees him as a brother. On a trip together with other high school mates, Oh Chelin , Jin-suk and Yong-kuk , Yu-jin is saved after an accident by Joon-sang. They become close and she opens up his cold heart. However, circumstances and fate dictate that their love will never be. He abruptly disappears from their lives. Ten years later, the old High School buddies gather to celebrate Yu-jin and Sang-hyuk's soon-to-be wedding. Yu-jin, who was deeply in love with Joon-sang, still has a fire in her heart for him. But at the party, Oh Chelin's new boyfriend arrives, who appears the same as Joon-sang.

Title         : Winter Sonata / Winter Ballad / Winter Love Song / Endless Love 2 / 겨울연가 /
                    Gyeoul Yeonga / 冬季恋歌
Genre       : Drama, Romance
Episodes  : 20
Story         :
The story begins when Joon-Sang, the son of an eminent musician, moves to Chooncheon, a rural city in South Korea. As an extraordinarily talented student, Joon-Sang is welcomed by his fellow students as well as teachers, but remains a quiet, introverted young man. As a result of his belief that his father is dead, as well as conflict with his mother, Joon-Sang believes that no one truly loves him.
One day on the ride to school, Joon-Sang's classmate Yoo-Jin interrupts him on the bus. Joon-Sang soon falls in love with Yoo-Jin, who opens herself to him with an innocent heart. Their love, however, is cut short after Joon-Sang is involved in a serious auto-accident and, due to brain damage, is unable to recall his past life.
Joon-Sang's mother, desiring Joon-Sang's love and respect, has Joon-Sang brainwashed by a psychologist, so that Joon-Sang will not remember his painful childhood, as an illegitimate child. As a result, Joon-Sang's memories prior to the accident are erased. Joon-Sang's mother decides to move to the United States with Joon-Sang, where he can start a new life under the identity of Lee Min-Hyeong. His friends and teachers are told that Joon-Sang is dead.
Ten years later, Min-Hyeong is an award-winning architect in the United States. He does not remember anything about his life in Korea. He is completely different, an open-minded person who cares about other people, including his mother. He returns to Korea and Yoo-Jin sees him on the street, prompting her to put off her engagement to childhood friend Sang-Hyeok. Little does she know that Min-Hyeong is dating her friend and sometime rival Che-Rin. The story's plot intensifies when Yoo-Jin begins work at the firm where Min-Hyeong is employed, and tries to find out if he is her lost lover Joon-Sang.

Cast :
Bae Yong-joon as Kang Joon-sang / Lee Min-Hyeong
Choi Ji-woo as Jeong Yoo-jin
Park Yong-ha as Kim Sang-Hyeok
Park Sol Mi as Oh Che-Rin
Lee Hye Eun as Jin Seok
Ryu Seung Soo as Yong-Gook

Choi Ji-woo & Bae Yong Jun

Park Yong-ha

Park Sol-mi

It is a sad news that one of the actors in this series, Park Yong-ha had committed suicide in year 2010. Actually his acting was not bad in this series. He also had became popular after this series has out. Like I mentioned above, this series was filming at the Nami Island. I visited this place before and no doubt, it is a very beautiful place. I visited there in year 2007, I was so excited and happy when I reached there due to I was standing on place where this series, which is also my favourite series was filming. :P I was taken many pictures here.

As per the tile of the series, " Winter", this series is having snow scenes most of the time. This makes the series so romantic and beautiful. Moreover the songs of the series are also very beautiful. The theme song of this series, " My Memory" performed by Ryu, I like this song very, very much as I think it is a very beautiful ballade.

OK, let us take a peek of some of the beautiful scenes of "Winter Sonata" here.

Animation series has been made after few years of the TV series. The story is quite similar to the TV series. Provides here some scenes of the anime series for you.

Below are the links for the TV series and anime series of "Winter Sonata".

Winter Sonata TV Series

Winter Sonata Anime Series

Enjoy watching! ^.^