***Does contain spoilers.***
The names of all of the WINTER SONATA characters are spelled very differently here on IMDb than in the English subtitled version seen in the USA on THE INTERNATIONAL CHANNEL / AZNTV, so I will not attempt to call the characters by name in this review.
WINTER SONATA is no romantic comedy. It is a Korean tear-jerker drama with emphasis on the tears. The leading lady is crying or near crying for 90+% of the series, and when she is not crying, some other character is crying. The plot and subplots of the Korean TV series WINTER SONATA are outlandish and implausible. The dialog between the characters is unrealistic and often dumb. However, the raw emotion expressed by the actors, and the amazing sincerity in which they deliver every line, is thrilling.
The Winter photography is a joy. It is disappointing watching American TV series filmed in sunny Southern California attempt to have stories set in Winter snow country. Hollywood snow is fake and the actors do not really appear to be cold. However, the outdoor photography in WINTER SONATA is captivating. The real outdoors -- not a fake indoor set. Real snow. Real Winter cold. Not only is the snow mostly real, but in the early episodes the photography is artistic and pleasing to the eye.
The series begins with boy meets girl, and this first love story is engaging and interesting. Unfortunately, the original love story is abandoned and time advances 10 years into the future. A major unrealistic plot twist is introduced and the viewer is left yearning for a more traditional story. To its credit, the first 8 or 9 episodes of WINTER SONATA end with interesting cliffhangers. But even the cliffhangers fade to nothing by the 10th or 11th episode. The 19th episode begins with a good recap of the entire series, but sadly the series ends much like ROOFTOP ROOM CAT -- there is no traditional romantic connection and there is another jarring, off-putting, advancement in time.
In fact, the plot of WINTER SONATA seems more like a mean spirited parody created by a writer who hates the romantic drama genre (for goodness sake, young adults everywhere but there is not a single moment of passion).
That being said, the acting is completely captivating. The side characters are charming. The music is wonderful.
Mention must be made of the beauty of Sol-Mi Park, who plays the challenger to the leading lady. Sol-Mi Park plays the part of a trouble maker, but there are some short bits of time when she smiles and laughs, and comes across as a real life super charming nice person. Her overwhelming attractiveness (at least from a guy's point of view) makes it difficult to imagine any guy wanting to leave her in order to be with a sullen melancholy lady.
Also, the male actor who plays the challenger to the leading man also comes across as being a charmer in real life. In fact, the Winter outfits worn by the leading man all during the 10-years-later period had a very nerdy "Dr. Who" look. While, his romantic challenger wears many sharp looking jackets throughout the series. In other words, the side characters are more attractive than the two lead characters.
The music is powerful and effectively used. The CD soundtrack is available in many countries. For example, in the Philippines the Tagalog language re-recording of the WINTER SONATA soundtrack was a leading seller.
WINTER SONATA is a drama with enough good points to keep viewers watching, but the story and dialog keep the series from achieving greatness. A more highly recommended K-drama would be ROOFTOP ROOM CAT, and the J-dramas WITH LOVE along with the great LONG VACATION.
One other note, the IMDb lists WINTER SONATA as having 60 minute episodes. But as seen on AZN here in the USA, each episode is a full 90 minutes (or 83 minutes taking away commercials).
The names of all of the WINTER SONATA characters are spelled very differently here on IMDb than in the English subtitled version seen in the USA on THE INTERNATIONAL CHANNEL / AZNTV, so I will not attempt to call the characters by name in this review.
WINTER SONATA is no romantic comedy. It is a Korean tear-jerker drama with emphasis on the tears. The leading lady is crying or near crying for 90+% of the series, and when she is not crying, some other character is crying. The plot and subplots of the Korean TV series WINTER SONATA are outlandish and implausible. The dialog between the characters is unrealistic and often dumb. However, the raw emotion expressed by the actors, and the amazing sincerity in which they deliver every line, is thrilling.
The Winter photography is a joy. It is disappointing watching American TV series filmed in sunny Southern California attempt to have stories set in Winter snow country. Hollywood snow is fake and the actors do not really appear to be cold. However, the outdoor photography in WINTER SONATA is captivating. The real outdoors -- not a fake indoor set. Real snow. Real Winter cold. Not only is the snow mostly real, but in the early episodes the photography is artistic and pleasing to the eye.
The series begins with boy meets girl, and this first love story is engaging and interesting. Unfortunately, the original love story is abandoned and time advances 10 years into the future. A major unrealistic plot twist is introduced and the viewer is left yearning for a more traditional story. To its credit, the first 8 or 9 episodes of WINTER SONATA end with interesting cliffhangers. But even the cliffhangers fade to nothing by the 10th or 11th episode. The 19th episode begins with a good recap of the entire series, but sadly the series ends much like ROOFTOP ROOM CAT -- there is no traditional romantic connection and there is another jarring, off-putting, advancement in time.
In fact, the plot of WINTER SONATA seems more like a mean spirited parody created by a writer who hates the romantic drama genre (for goodness sake, young adults everywhere but there is not a single moment of passion).
That being said, the acting is completely captivating. The side characters are charming. The music is wonderful.
Mention must be made of the beauty of Sol-Mi Park, who plays the challenger to the leading lady. Sol-Mi Park plays the part of a trouble maker, but there are some short bits of time when she smiles and laughs, and comes across as a real life super charming nice person. Her overwhelming attractiveness (at least from a guy's point of view) makes it difficult to imagine any guy wanting to leave her in order to be with a sullen melancholy lady.
Also, the male actor who plays the challenger to the leading man also comes across as being a charmer in real life. In fact, the Winter outfits worn by the leading man all during the 10-years-later period had a very nerdy "Dr. Who" look. While, his romantic challenger wears many sharp looking jackets throughout the series. In other words, the side characters are more attractive than the two lead characters.
The music is powerful and effectively used. The CD soundtrack is available in many countries. For example, in the Philippines the Tagalog language re-recording of the WINTER SONATA soundtrack was a leading seller.
WINTER SONATA is a drama with enough good points to keep viewers watching, but the story and dialog keep the series from achieving greatness. A more highly recommended K-drama would be ROOFTOP ROOM CAT, and the J-dramas WITH LOVE along with the great LONG VACATION.
One other note, the IMDb lists WINTER SONATA as having 60 minute episodes. But as seen on AZN here in the USA, each episode is a full 90 minutes (or 83 minutes taking away commercials).