Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy, Family
Episodes: 20
Main Cast:
Synopsis:
It is 2000, and Ki Ha-myung is leading a happy life with
his parents and older brother Jae-myung, until his father Ki Ho-sang, the
captain of the firefighting squad, dies in a factory explosion during a rescue
attempt along with several of his men. When Ho-sang's body is initially
missing, the media sensationalizes the case by scapegoating him.
In a battle for ratings, cold and calculating MSC reporter Song Cha-ok alleges
that Ho-sang survived the blast, and is currently in hiding because he was
responsible for the deaths of his men. This causes the Ki family to
become outcasts in their neighborhood and objects of national scorn.
Ha-myung's mother attempts to kill herself and her younger son by jumping off a
cliff, and Jae-myung blames their deaths on the media, particularly Cha-ok.
But Ha-myung is alive, having been rescued from the water
by Choi Gong-pil, a kind elderly man who lives on Hyangri Island. Gong-pil, who
may either have Alzheimer's disease or trauma-induced memory loss,
believes that Ha-myung is his older son Choi Dal-po, a simpleton who had died
thirty years ago. Ha-myung, who has no one else in the world, embraces the
deception and treats Gong-pil as his father. Gong-pil officially adopts
Ha-myung, now named Dal-po, and places him in the family register as his eldest
son. So five months later, when Gong-pil's younger son Choi Dal-pyung moves to
the island with his daughter Choi In-ha, they are flabbergasted to be told by
Gong-pil to address a mere boy as their "older brother" and
"uncle," respectively. In-ha has "Pinocchio syndrome,"
which causes her to hiccupwhenever she tells a lie. She idolizes her
mother, and hates living on the island after her parents' divorce. The
fledgling friendship between Dal-po and In-ha is dashed, however, when he
learns that In-ha's mother is none other than Song Cha-ok.
Five years later, Dal-po and In-ha are high school
seniors and classmates at their small-town high school in 2005. Dal-po,
who is actually a genius, pretends to be dumb (like the real Dal-po) and gets
all zeroes in his test scores. With his last-place class standing and scruffy,
country bumpkin hair, Dal-po is friendless at school while In-ha is the most
popular girl. Dal-po secretly likes In-ha, and he is forced to join a
televised quiz show at first to prevent an admirer from confessing to her on
national TV, then later to protect her from losing a bet. At the TV
studio, he runs into the show producer Hwang Gyo-dong, who had been a YGN
reporter and one of Cha-ok's rivals, but changed careers after what happened to
the Ki family. After seeing Dal-po on TV, and despite knowing that her
Pinocchio syndrome limits her career choices, In-ha decides to become a
journalist.
In 2013, the Choi family has moved back to the city.
While In-ha has spent the last three years after college studying to become a
reporter after failing her job interviews 35 times, Dal-po works as a taxi
driver. Cha-ok, who hasn't seen her daughter in a decade and is now MSC's
nightly news anchor and section chief, fails In-ha at her final interview,
saying a reporter with Pinocchio syndrome would be useless. Seeing how hurt
In-ha is at her mother's rejection, Dal-po becomes determined to help her
achieve her dream so he announces that he wants to become a reporter as well. A
month later, In-ha and Dal-po apply at YGN's "blind" audition for
broadcast news reporters, but only Dal-po gets hired. When confronted by
Gyo-dong, now-chief of YGN's news desk, Dal-po confesses his real identity as
well as his real motive for taking the job: he wants to find his older brother
Jae-myung and clear their father's name. But what he doesn't know is that
Jae-myung has taken revenge on the factory workers who lied about their father
by killing two of them and framing the third one. Meanwhile, with
MSC's credibility rating at an all-time low, Cha-ok hires In-ha, using her
Pinocchio syndrome in a publicity stunt. Thus, Dal-po and In-ha become
rookies at rival networks, and among their colleagues are Seo Beom-jo, who
comes from a rich, sheltered chaebol background and has a connection
to In-ha via a wrong cellphone number, and Yoon Yoo-rae, once
an idol sasaeng fan who now uses those obsessive and determined
traits in her new job.
My Thoughts:
First, sorry for the long synopsis. But this synopsis is
better at explaining the story. So I chose it.
Second, Gotta say this is one of the best or maybe the
best drama to be released in 2014. I was recommended to watch it by a friend
and the reviews was okay. So, I thought why not... And I was truly and honestly
blown away. I was deeply into the story. There are so many great factors about
this drama that made me felt like wanting to rewatch this drama once it ends
and that already is showing that this drama is the best.
Because, I watch many dramas but there are only a
handsome few that I actually want to rewatch. I was almost brought to tears
from the sadness and also the comedy in it. And one more thing, I am a person
that really relies on recaps when the story proves to be boring at the time but
amazingly this story does not require me to search for recaps. It keeps you
excited and enjoying every scene and moment. So, I highly recommend those who
have not watch this drama to go and watch it.
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