Can You Hear My Heart? - An Overview
Apr. 17th, 2011 07:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
walkwithheroesCan You Hear My Heart? is a thirty episode Saturday/Sunday family/romance drama. On the surface it's a story of birth secrets, revenge, and family. But, at its heart its a love story between two people: a man who went deaf during his childhood and a woman who is searching for her missing stepbrother.
Cha Dong Joo (Kim Jae Won) went deaf after a fall when he was ten, but thanks to therapy (and k-drama miracles) he reads lips and fools people by speaking normally - no one can tell he's deaf. In his childhood, he briefly befriended a strange girl who claimed she wanted to learn how to play the piano, because she wanted her deaf mother to see music. Sixteen years later, he still fondly remembers the girl, as his first love. He lives with his mother and adopted brother, Jang Joon Ha. He's coming across as the usual 'cool rich boy' whose heart needs to be melted.
Honestly, as of episode six, I do not find his character that interesting.
Bong Woo Ri (Hwang Jung Eun) is a woman with a genius IQ. In order to make her mentally disabled stepfather feel needed, she pretends to be somewhat dim. Her stepfather has the mental age of eight. Woo Ri lives with her stepfather, step-grandmother, and another family - a couple and their son, Lee Seung Chul. Woo Ri's deaf mother married when Woo Ri was nine, and Woo Ri was added to the Bong family registry as her stepfather's daughter. Shortly after the marriage, Woo Ri's mother died in an accident and her stepbrother disappeared. For the past sixteen years, Woo Ri has been searching for her stepbrother. When she first sees Dong Ji, she mistakes him for her brother, because they have the same mannerisms.
So far, I think Hwang Jung Eun is doing an awesome job as the intelligent and sweet Woo Ri.
Jang Joon Ha (Nam Goong Min) is Dong Joo's adopted brother. He's also Woo Ri's adopted brother. Joon Ha grew up with Bong Young Kyu as his father. However, unknown to Joon Ha, Young Kyu is really his adopted uncle. His real mother dumped him when he was a baby, so his adopted uncle raised him as his own. After Joon Ha's stepmother died, he was told his father could be arrested for punching the factuary manager (who played a hand in his stepmom's death). Joon Ha went to Dong Joo's mother for help. He was told that he would have to give up his father and become Dong Joo's bodyguard/friend/brother in order for Dong Joo's mother to help. Since then Joon Ha has lived as a ghost, forgetting his old family, and being jealous and angry at Dong Joo.
So far, I am loving Nam Goong Min in this role. He is such a complicated character! He loved his father, but was ashamed of him. And, that has shaped everything. I'm also shipping Joon Ha and Woo Ri, because of their childhood scenes. Ops!
Lee Seung Chul (Lee Kyu Han) is the son of two people who run a fried chicken store. He has known Woo Ri since they were nine, and they are friends. Slowly, it seems as id Seung Chul will fall in love with Woo Ri. He hasn't been see a lot yet, but I love that he is protective and loyal to Woo Ri. I'm sure he'll break my heart, as he slowly loses Woo Ri to someone else.
Kang Min Soo (Go Joon Hee) is a friend of Dong Joo and Joon Ha from their teen years. She appeared in episode six. I watched it RAW - she got drunk. And, had to go back to Seung Chul and Woo Ri's house. So far, she seems rather sweet and I hope she'll be like the new 'secondary girl' - getting her own love interest and storylines. Apparently, she'll become jealous of Woo Ri, because her two "boys" start spending time with Woo Ri. So. . .I'm hoping she won't go evil or go bitchy.
Bong Young Kyu (Jung Bo Suk) is the father of Woo Ri and Joon Ha. He has the mental age of a child, but he's loyal and kind. He's a good son to his adopted mother and cares deeply for his friends. He married Woo Ri's mother sixteen years ago, and still wears his wedding ring. He's looking for his son and dreams of living as a family soon.
Jung Bo Suk is amazing in this role. I want Young Kyu to be my dad! It is so hard to believe that this is Satan Daddy from Giant.
Tae Yeon Sook (Lee Hye Young) is Dong Joo's overprotective mother. She adopted Joon Ha as her own, in partly for revenge. On the day of Dong Joo's accident, she learned that Joon Ha is the son of her husband, Choi Jin Chul and their old employee. She planned to raise Joon Ha to hate Jin Chul and his birth mother. Despite this, so far, she seems to love both Dong Joo and Joon Ha.
Choi Jin Chul (Song Seung Hwan) is Dong Joo's stepfather (his real father died before he was born) and is the unknowing real father of Joon Ha. So far, Jin Chul has come across as a selfish man. He isn't a very likeable character. He's currently keeping Joon Ha's mother as a mistress, because sixteen years ago, she told him she would reveal where their son is,only when she's completely happy. And, Jin Chul is desperate to have a son, so he can pass Yeon Sook's family company to his heir, instead of Dong Joo.
Hwang Soon Geum (Yoon Yeo Jung) is the adopted mother of Young Kyu (she adopted him when he was a child), the birth mother of Shin Ae, and the grandmother of Joon Ha and Woo Ri. She lives with her son, granddaughter, and family friends. She is a tough woman, who cares deeply for the family she's made herself. To her, family isn't about blood, it is about love. I love her a lot.
Kim Shin Ae (Kang Moon Young) is Soon Geum's daughter and Joon Ha's birth mother.She's as the mistress of Jin Chul. Shin Ae is a selfish woman. She's using her son - she has no idea where he is - to keep Jin Chul. And, when Joon Ha was born, she dumped him on her mother, because Jin Chul left her to marry someone else. She's the character you love to hate.
Seung Chul's father (Lee Sung Min) is Bong Young Kyu best friend. They are really adorable and funny together.
Seung Chul's mother (Hwang Young Hee) is a tough and caring lady, who keeps the whole make-shift family in line.
I've watched the first four episodes with subtitles. It mostly dealt with the main characters as children and laid out all the birth secrets. You really should watch them to understand the remaining episodes. It's an interesting show in that you do know, more or less, who you need to be rooting for and/or against. It's a simple show, but an enjoyable one.
Moon Hee Jung is the writer, and he/she has written other human dramas, so she/he knows how to deal with family and human issues. I've enjoyed several of this writers past projects (Last Scandal, Tree of Heaven, and Smile, You), all of which dealt with family and romances. My one issue with Moon Hee Jung is that he/she tends to have favorite characters that end up with more screen time, so other storylines get ignored or forgotten about half-way through the series. Still, Moon Hee Jung knows how to write good family scenes.
Overall, I would rec this drama to my friend-list, especially if you've enjoyed the writers other works. The drama has a fresh feel to it, and I think it will be a fun watch. It's not a melodrama (yet), but he has some tense moments. Yet, it also has some lovely family moments and some great moments of humor. Watch it.
Cha Dong Joo (Kim Jae Won) went deaf after a fall when he was ten, but thanks to therapy (and k-drama miracles) he reads lips and fools people by speaking normally - no one can tell he's deaf. In his childhood, he briefly befriended a strange girl who claimed she wanted to learn how to play the piano, because she wanted her deaf mother to see music. Sixteen years later, he still fondly remembers the girl, as his first love. He lives with his mother and adopted brother, Jang Joon Ha. He's coming across as the usual 'cool rich boy' whose heart needs to be melted.
Honestly, as of episode six, I do not find his character that interesting.
Bong Woo Ri (Hwang Jung Eun) is a woman with a genius IQ. In order to make her mentally disabled stepfather feel needed, she pretends to be somewhat dim. Her stepfather has the mental age of eight. Woo Ri lives with her stepfather, step-grandmother, and another family - a couple and their son, Lee Seung Chul. Woo Ri's deaf mother married when Woo Ri was nine, and Woo Ri was added to the Bong family registry as her stepfather's daughter. Shortly after the marriage, Woo Ri's mother died in an accident and her stepbrother disappeared. For the past sixteen years, Woo Ri has been searching for her stepbrother. When she first sees Dong Ji, she mistakes him for her brother, because they have the same mannerisms.
So far, I think Hwang Jung Eun is doing an awesome job as the intelligent and sweet Woo Ri.
Jang Joon Ha (Nam Goong Min) is Dong Joo's adopted brother. He's also Woo Ri's adopted brother. Joon Ha grew up with Bong Young Kyu as his father. However, unknown to Joon Ha, Young Kyu is really his adopted uncle. His real mother dumped him when he was a baby, so his adopted uncle raised him as his own. After Joon Ha's stepmother died, he was told his father could be arrested for punching the factuary manager (who played a hand in his stepmom's death). Joon Ha went to Dong Joo's mother for help. He was told that he would have to give up his father and become Dong Joo's bodyguard/friend/brother in order for Dong Joo's mother to help. Since then Joon Ha has lived as a ghost, forgetting his old family, and being jealous and angry at Dong Joo.
So far, I am loving Nam Goong Min in this role. He is such a complicated character! He loved his father, but was ashamed of him. And, that has shaped everything. I'm also shipping Joon Ha and Woo Ri, because of their childhood scenes. Ops!
Lee Seung Chul (Lee Kyu Han) is the son of two people who run a fried chicken store. He has known Woo Ri since they were nine, and they are friends. Slowly, it seems as id Seung Chul will fall in love with Woo Ri. He hasn't been see a lot yet, but I love that he is protective and loyal to Woo Ri. I'm sure he'll break my heart, as he slowly loses Woo Ri to someone else.
Kang Min Soo (Go Joon Hee) is a friend of Dong Joo and Joon Ha from their teen years. She appeared in episode six. I watched it RAW - she got drunk. And, had to go back to Seung Chul and Woo Ri's house. So far, she seems rather sweet and I hope she'll be like the new 'secondary girl' - getting her own love interest and storylines. Apparently, she'll become jealous of Woo Ri, because her two "boys" start spending time with Woo Ri. So. . .I'm hoping she won't go evil or go bitchy.
Bong Young Kyu (Jung Bo Suk) is the father of Woo Ri and Joon Ha. He has the mental age of a child, but he's loyal and kind. He's a good son to his adopted mother and cares deeply for his friends. He married Woo Ri's mother sixteen years ago, and still wears his wedding ring. He's looking for his son and dreams of living as a family soon.
Jung Bo Suk is amazing in this role. I want Young Kyu to be my dad! It is so hard to believe that this is Satan Daddy from Giant.
Tae Yeon Sook (Lee Hye Young) is Dong Joo's overprotective mother. She adopted Joon Ha as her own, in partly for revenge. On the day of Dong Joo's accident, she learned that Joon Ha is the son of her husband, Choi Jin Chul and their old employee. She planned to raise Joon Ha to hate Jin Chul and his birth mother. Despite this, so far, she seems to love both Dong Joo and Joon Ha.
Choi Jin Chul (Song Seung Hwan) is Dong Joo's stepfather (his real father died before he was born) and is the unknowing real father of Joon Ha. So far, Jin Chul has come across as a selfish man. He isn't a very likeable character. He's currently keeping Joon Ha's mother as a mistress, because sixteen years ago, she told him she would reveal where their son is,only when she's completely happy. And, Jin Chul is desperate to have a son, so he can pass Yeon Sook's family company to his heir, instead of Dong Joo.
Hwang Soon Geum (Yoon Yeo Jung) is the adopted mother of Young Kyu (she adopted him when he was a child), the birth mother of Shin Ae, and the grandmother of Joon Ha and Woo Ri. She lives with her son, granddaughter, and family friends. She is a tough woman, who cares deeply for the family she's made herself. To her, family isn't about blood, it is about love. I love her a lot.
Kim Shin Ae (Kang Moon Young) is Soon Geum's daughter and Joon Ha's birth mother.She's as the mistress of Jin Chul. Shin Ae is a selfish woman. She's using her son - she has no idea where he is - to keep Jin Chul. And, when Joon Ha was born, she dumped him on her mother, because Jin Chul left her to marry someone else. She's the character you love to hate.
Seung Chul's father (Lee Sung Min) is Bong Young Kyu best friend. They are really adorable and funny together.
Seung Chul's mother (Hwang Young Hee) is a tough and caring lady, who keeps the whole make-shift family in line.
I've watched the first four episodes with subtitles. It mostly dealt with the main characters as children and laid out all the birth secrets. You really should watch them to understand the remaining episodes. It's an interesting show in that you do know, more or less, who you need to be rooting for and/or against. It's a simple show, but an enjoyable one.
Moon Hee Jung is the writer, and he/she has written other human dramas, so she/he knows how to deal with family and human issues. I've enjoyed several of this writers past projects (Last Scandal, Tree of Heaven, and Smile, You), all of which dealt with family and romances. My one issue with Moon Hee Jung is that he/she tends to have favorite characters that end up with more screen time, so other storylines get ignored or forgotten about half-way through the series. Still, Moon Hee Jung knows how to write good family scenes.
Overall, I would rec this drama to my friend-list, especially if you've enjoyed the writers other works. The drama has a fresh feel to it, and I think it will be a fun watch. It's not a melodrama (yet), but he has some tense moments. Yet, it also has some lovely family moments and some great moments of humor. Watch it.
