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Coffe Prince

Choi Han-kyeol adalah seorang pria sombong yang berasal dari keluarga terpandang dan kaya raya, ia termasuk pria yang tidak percaya akan cinta dan tidak menginginkan pernikahan terjadi dalam hidupnya. Sifat pemuda itu sangat kontras dengan Go Eun-chan yang saking tomboynya, orang sering salah mengira dirinya sebagai seorang laki-laki. Ia tipe perempuan pekerja keras karena harus menghidupi ibu dan adiknya, serta mau melakukan segala macam pekerjaan mulai dari menjadi seorang pelayan, pengantar makanan, susu, koran, dan lain-lain. Pertemuan keduanya terjadi dua kali tanpa sengaja. Yang Pertama saat Eun-chan mengantar makanan ke rumah Han-kyeol dengan memakai helm dan kaos oblong. Mengira gadis itu adalah pria, dengan cueknya Han-kyeol mempersilahkan Eun-chan masuk sementara ia hanya mengenakan sehelai handuk. Bisa ditebak, Eun-chan langsung terbirit-birit keluar dari tempat itu secepat mungkin. Yang kedua terjadi saat ada pencopetan. Kebetulan Eun-chan mengenal si pencopet yang tiada lain tiada bukan adalah teman adiknya. Mengira Eun-chan adalah komplotan si pencopet, hampir saja kemarahan Han-kyeol meledak. Cerita bertambah menarik saat tokoh-tokoh selanjutnya muncul. Yang pertama adalah sepupu Han-kyeol bernama Choi Han-seong, seorang produser musik yang cukup sukses, namun gagal dalam kisah asmara. Perempuan yang ia cintai Han Yoo-joo tiba-tiba pergi begitu saja. Kebetulan, perempuan itu pula yang selama 9 tahun secara diam-diam dicintai oleh Han-kyeol. Dua tahun setelah kejadian, Yoo-joo mendadak kembali ke Seoul dan berusaha keras untuk bisa kembali ke pelukan Han-seong. Namun karena masih sakit hati (ditambah mulai tertarik dengan sosok Eun-chan yang dianggap unik), pria itu menepis keras ajakan sang mantan kekasih. Sama seperti dengan Han-kyeol, perkenalan Eun-chan dan Han Seong juga penuh kejutan. Setiap pagi, Eun-chan selalu mengantar susu dan mengajak bicara anjing kesayangan pria itu. Perilaku unik tersebut mengundang rasa ingin tahu Han-seong tentang gadis tomboy pengantar susunya. Sementara itu setelah mendapat ultimatum dari sang nenek, mau tidak mau Han-kyeol harus menangani sebuah kedai kopi yang baru dibeli oleh keluarga mereka. Awalnya Han-kyeol menolak tugas itu namun akhirnya berubah pikiran karena ingin membuktikan kemampuan. Demi menarik pelanggan wanita di kedai yang diberi nama Coffee Prince tersebut, Han-kyeol memutuskan untuk mempekerjakan karyawan yang semuanya berjenis kelamin laki-laki. Dasar nasib, Eun-chan yang sedang kesulitan keuangan akhirnya melamar pekerjaan disana. Karena mengira Eun-chan laki-laki, maka Han-kyeol langsung menerima `pria` itu. Saat ini lah kita bisa menyaksikan banyak kekonyolan, saat Han-kyeol mulai merasakan getar-getar aneh saat berdekatan dengan Eun-chan. Sempat meragukan seksualitasnya sendiri, Han-kyeol bahkan sempat pergi ke psikiater untuk mengetahui apakah dirinya telah berubah menjadi homoseksual. Demi menjaga harga dirinya, ia pun menghindari Eun-chan. Keruan saja, gadis itu kebingungan dengan perubahan sikap bosnya yang tiba-tiba. Namun pada akhirnya Han-kyeol tak bisa menahan lagi dan ia mencium sang bawahan seperti layaknya laki-laki mencium perempuan. Ia bahkan mengesampingkan harga dirinya dan tak peduli pandangan orang lain yang menganggapnya aneh. Tidak bisa dipungkiri, serial garapan MBC ini merupakan salah satu melodrama Korea yang paling banyak dibicarakan di tahun 2007 meski pada kenyataannya Coffee Prince alias Keopi Peurinseu 1 Hojeom 'hanya' menduduki peringkat tertingginya di posisi kedua untuk urusan rating sepanjang pemutaran. Uniknya, kasus serupa juga sempat dialami Goong alias Princess Hours setahun sebelumnya. Kebetulan, keduanya sama-sama dibintangi oleh Yoon Eun-hye yang aktingnya disebut mengalami kemajuan pesat. Bahkan untuk perannya kali ini, aktris yang mantan personil BabyVOX itu sampai nekat membabat rambut panjangnya. Sama seperti serial Korea lainnya, tidak lengkap membicarakan Coffee Prince tanpa menyebut deretan aktor yang tampil. Sudah tentu, nama pertama yang diingat adalah Gong Yoo yang tampil dingin. Selain itu, tidak ketinggalan Lee Seon-gyoon dan Chae Jeong-ahn yang mampu memanaskan konflik yang terjadi. Coffee Prince terasa makin lengkap dengan deretan lagu apik yang mewarnai serial berdurasi 17 episode itu, sebut saja mulai dari The Melody dengan Goodbye hingga Kopi Hanchan Ottae yang disuarakan oleh Humming Urban Stereo featuring Yojo. Meski akhir cerita drama romantis ini sudah bisa diperkirakan, ditambah cerita yang sedikit bertele-tele di bagian akhir, namun bagi penggemar melodrama Korea khususnya yang ingin melihat sekuat apa chemistry antara dua pemeran utamanya, Coffee Prince pantang untuk dilewatkan.

Full House

Inilah drama seri Korea yang “best seller” dengan tema cerita sederhana, namun dikemas dengan sangat memikat. Drama ini termasuk salah satu ikon Korea yang membuat banyak orang yang dulunya tidak menyukai Korea, akhirnya kepincut abis untuk terus menyaksikan drama Korea yang lain.

Dikisahkan tentang Li Yeong-jae, seorang aktor yang parlente dan tengah naik daun. Dalam perjalanannya ke Shanghai untuk pembuatan film terbarunya dengan artis lokal,ia dan Han Ji-eun (seorang gadis biasa yang cenderung naif) bertemu di pesawat. Han Ji-eun yang baru pertama kali naik pesawat dengan cuek bertanya ini itu bahkan memuntahkan makanan ke baju Yeong Jae. Dari sinilah “perjodohan” mereka sebenarnya telah dimulai.

Setelah Ji-eun pulang ke Korea, ia kaget karena rumahnya Full House yang dibangun almarhum ayahnya telah dijual oleh sepasang sahabat karibnya– yang merupakan satu-satunya sahabat yang dia punya. Lebih kaget lagi, karena yang membeli adalah Yeong Jae lewat perantara manajernya. Karena kasihan dengan Ji-eun yang telah yatim piatu dan sempat jatuh sakit, serta tidak punya siapa-siapa (karena temannya kabur entah ke mana), Li Yeong-jae menampung Ji-eun di rumahnya. Tapi ada syaratnya, Han Ji-eun harus mau bekerja sebagai pembantu — bersih-bersih dan memasak — karena Ji-eun juga harus membayar utangnya kepada Yeong-jae yang dipinjamkannya waktu di Shanghai.

Di sisi lain, Yeong-jae mencintai temannya semenjak kanak-kanak Hui-yuan yang juga menjadi desainer Yeong-jae. Namun ia bertepuk sebelah tangan, karena Hui-yuan justru mencintai seniornya Liu Mingge yang juga merupakan teman sepermainan Yeong-jae dan Hui-yuan sedari kecil.

Karena kesal cintanya ditolak, Yeong-jae melamar Ji-eun. Ji-eun yang tidak tahu apa-apa menolak mentah-mentah. Tapi ia luluh juga, karena ia diiming-imingi mendapatkan Full House. Ji-eun akhirnya setuju, karena perkawinan itu cuma kontrak 6 bulan, punya perjanjian tidak mencampuri kehidupan pribadi masing-masing, tidak ada kontak fisik, mendapatkan gaji sebagai istri, dan paling menggiurkan adalah mendapatkan Full House kembali. Perjanjian bisa batal– terutama hak mendapatkan Full House, jika membocorkan hal kawin kontrak ke pihak lain.

Sangat masuk akal, tinggal serumah, bertemu setiap hari,menumbuhkan benih-benih cinta di antara Li Yeong-jae dan Han Ji-eun. Meskipun pertemuan terbesar mereka adalah bertengkar, tidak mampu menghambat tumbuhnya benih cinta di antara keduanya. Bahkan Li Yeong-jae mencari-cari alasan untuk memperpanjang kontrak perkawinan menjadi 3 tahun.

Dalam perjalanannya, Han Ji-eun yang berprofesi sebagai penulis novel bertemu dengan Liu Mingge, orang kaya yang mempunyai perusahaan penerbitan. Bisa ditebak Liu Mingge yang sebelumnya acuh tak acuh dengan perempuan yang hanya mengejar-ngejarnya karena ketampanan dan kekayaannya, tergila-gila dengan Han Ji-eun yang polos.

Pertarungan pun dimulai. Liu Mingge yang geram melihat Li Yeong-jae yang sering menyia-nyiakan Ji-eun karena sibuk mengejar cinta Hui-yuan, berusaha menyenangkan dan selalu menjadi tempat curhat bagi Ji-eun. Li Yeong-jae pun dibakar api cemburu, meski di sisi lain tidak mau melepaskan Hui-yuan. Sedangkan Hui-yuan memanfaatkan Yeong-jae sebagai pelarian setelah cintanya ditolak Liu Mingge. Ia bertekad menghancurkan rumah tangga sahabat karibnya itu dan membawa kembali cinta Li Yeong-jae untuknya.

Meski sering bertengkar, berpisah dalam waktu lama dan “bercerai”, tidak membuat bara cinta antara Li Yeong-jae dan Han Ji-eun padam. Bahkan semakin menjadi-jadi. Cinta yang dipupuk oleh kebersamaan dan waktu itu membuat mereka akhirnya dipersatukan dalam mahligai rumah tangga yang seutuhnya dan sesungguhnya.

Para pemain Full House :

Rain Bi berperan sebagai Li Yeong-jae.
Li Yeong-jae digambarkan sebagai seorang aktor yang populer, dipuja banyak gadis, namun mempunyai kepribadian yang masih labil, bahkan cenderung masih kekanak-kanakan. Ini terlihat dari cara ia memperlakukan Han Ji-eun istrinya yang sering diperlakukan dengan tidak adil. Namun kekuatan cinta mengajarkannya untuk bisa berkorban dengan cara menjauh dan meninggalkan Ji-eun dengan tujuan istrinya tak bakal menderita lagi karenanya.

Song Hye-Gyo sebagai Han Ji-eun
Berperan sebagai gadis biasa yang cenderung naif,polos, jujur dan apa adanya. Meski sering dikatakan bodoh (burung bodoh) dan tidak mempunyai bakat dalam menulis oleh Yeong-jae, ia tidak pernah putus asa. Dengan bimbingan Liu Mingge, akhirnya ia bisa menjadi penulis novel sekaligus penulis skenario film yang laris dan berbakat. Dalam hati dan pikirannya ia tetap setia menyimpan cintanya rapat-rapat hanya untuk Yeong-jae, meski ada tawaran cinta tulus dari Liu Mingge.

Kim Sung-soo sebagai Liu Mingge
Dalam film ini ia berperan sebagai anak konglomerat yang kesepian jauh dari sanak saudara dan orang tua yang sibuk berbisnis di luar negeri. Ia mapan dan dikejar-kejar banyak wanita, tak terkecuali Hui-yuan yang hanya dianggap adik oleh Mingge. Sifat playboy-nya mendadak hilang setelah bertemu dengan Ji-eun yang tak peduli dangan kekayaan dan ketampanannya. Ji-eun tulus bersimpati untuk berteman dengan Liu Mingge, bahkan menemani Mingge saat ia berulang-tahun.

Han Eun-jung sebagai

Kurang lebih sama dengan karekter Liu Mingge, Hui-yuan adalah anak orang kaya yang juga kesepian. Kesibukannya sehari-hari adalah mengelola butik miliknya dan konsultan designer bagi Yeong-jae. Semula ia mencintai Liu Mingge yang suka melindunginya sewaktu kecil dari gangguan bocah laki-laki lain. Tapi karena ditolak, ia berbalik mengejar Yeong-jae yang kemudian disadarinya sebagai pelindung sejatinya. Ia tidak mau melepaskan Yeong-jae, meski tahu sahabatnya itu sudah menikah. Bahkan ia menantang Ji-eun untuk memenangkan cinta Yeong-jae

Prince Hours

Goong S (Korean: 궁S, Hanja: 宮S) is a spinoff of Goong. It is produced by PD Hwang with the production company, Group Eight. The main cast includes Se7en, Heo Yi Jae, Park Shin-hye, and Kang Doo. The series began its season on January 10, 2007, on MBC, and airs consecutive episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. This series is also known by the title "Prince Hours"^[1].

Plot

South Korea is a constitutional monarchy. The reigning queen (Myung Se Bin), already in her thirties, is not married yet and has no children, so the court looks for a Crown Prince. They encounter Lee Hoo (Se7en), a young man, the son of the empress' uncle. However, another competitor arrives at the court: Lee Joon (Kang Doo), the son of another uncle of the empress. They compete for the title of Crown Prince via a trial of several tasks to determine the worthy future king of the country. Along the story, Lee Hoo encounters an old childhood friend, Yang Soon Ae (Heo Yi Jae), who works as a Palace Maid and falls in love with her. However, Lee Joon also develops feelings for her -- and the court itself wishes to matchmake Lee Hoo with the beautiful Shin Sae Ryung (Park Shin Hye), the daughter of the Premier Minister. Circumstances get even more complicated, as Lee Joon's father (Chun Ho Jin) wants his son on the throne and uses any means possible to achieve his goals. Meanwhile, Lee Joon falls in love with Yang Soon Ae, too, and Lee Hoo finds out about his mother's fate: Lee Joon's father made her leave the palace and framed her. In the end, Lee Joon refuses his claim for the throne and offers the position of Crown Prince to Lee Hoo. All ends happily: Lee Joon leaves the palace and becomes a member of a band, Shin Sae Ryung becomes a school teacher, Yang Soon Ae becomes new internal manager of the Palace, Lee Hoo becomes Crown Prince and it is implied that he will marry Yang Soon Ae.

Characters

Kang Hoo/Lee Hoo: A prince raised as a commoner because his mother was thrown out of the palace shortly before his birth. His mother died sometime during his teenage years and he was raised by one of the former Palace Guards, although Kang Hoo is unaware of the real identity of his guardian. The royal family was unaware of his existence until he was twenty and he was quickly taken into the succession line by his cousin, the Queen of Korea, because she was looking for a fitting successor for her throne. His name was changed to Prince Lee Hoo and he had to learn the ways and life of a royal. At the beginning, Lee Hoo seemed to be the least likely candidate to fill the spot of Crown Prince. He was rash, lacked focus and was seemingly selfish to most but as he struggled to learn of the life he was destined to live, he turned into a considerate, mature and responsible young man. He is also fair and has a great sense of right and wrong.

Yang Soon Ae: Prince Lee Hoo's childhood friend and one of the few that still refer him as Kang Hoo (the name he was raised as). She is a very sensible young woman who works at the palace as a palace maid. She has had crushes on Kang Hoo since they were young and has always been his friend. She seems insecure and jumpy but she has an exceptionally good heart. Prince Lee Hoo especially depends on her and she has been somewhat of his center. She kept cheering for Prince Lee Hoo for the best and later revealed her feelings and realized it is not a one-sided love. She also managed to attract the attention of Prince Lee Joon, the other candidate to fill the position of the Crown Prince of Korea, though she made it clear that her heart belongs to Prince Lee Hoo and only him.

Lee Joon: Raised by nobility, Prince Lee Joon seemed to be the best candidate to fill the position of the Crown Prince. He is exceptionally popular among the ladies and had his mind set to be the next King of Korea and seemed to be on the right path. He was shown as a calm and collective young man at first and was certain of what he wanted in life. He was to be engaged to the Prime Minister's daughter Shin Sae Ryung and agreed to the arrangement, but later resented it as he fell for palace maid Yang Soon Ae. He tried a lot of ways to persuade her into accepting his love but none were successful and he was rejected time after time. He later refused the throne after realizing that his father's greed was to no end and because he was tricked into believing that his father was not his biological father (in truth he is), he felt that he was not worthy to fill the position since he was not of royal blood. Later he learned the truth and was happy that he was able to pursue his own dreams of becoming a musician. He gave up on pursuing Yang Soon Ae as well seeing that she is truly in love with his cousin.

Shin Sae Ryung: The daughter of the Prime Minister, she was raised to be a proper lady and groomed to be the next Queen of Korea. She had always followed her father's instructions and believed her mother to be the wrong one because she left her for a life of simplicity and away from greed. At first her only interest was to be the Queen and she was willing to go to extra lengths to get to the position. Though she did eventually fell for Prince Lee Hoo, she was rejected as Prince Lee Hoo was already in love with Yang Soon Ae. She was determined at first, but later learned that her mother was the one who was right and abandoned her father to chase her own dreams. She remained friends with both Princes and no longer harbours any feelings or interest in either prince.

The Queen: South Korea's current reigning Queen. She is already in her thirties and is not married nor has any children to succeed her throne. In public, she seems to be the most well-formed woman with high regards but in truth she was concealing her feelings and having to force herself to chose between her love and her people. She had been in love with a half-Korean, half-English professor whom she met during her study in Oxford University. She left him to return to Korea and assume her role. Later, she was conflicted because her former love, Alexander, came to Korea to teach at the Royal Academy, and she was forced to once again chose. She chose her people even though it broke her heart.

Alexander: The Queen's love interest. He's half-Korean, half-English, and though unable to speak fluent Korean, he is able to understand the language. He came to Korea, accepting a job offer at the Royal Academy and at the same time seeking for an answer for the choices the Queen had made. He later backed out, realizing that he could not make the Queen chose between the people and him. He didn't want to stay after learning that even if he did, it wouldn't make much difference and rather would make it difficult for the Queen. He left Korea and later it was revealed that he also contributed to Yang Soon Ae's education fund.

The Queen Mother: The mother of the current Queen, she is rather detached from the outside world from having been living in the palace for a very long time. She is unable to distinguish the difference between the latest technology. She is very fond of Prince Lee Hoo to a point where it is comical. She was the one who supported Prince Lee Hoo's father when he chose to marry a commoner, but in Prince Lee Hoo's case, she strongly opposed his choice, Yang Soon Ae, for fear of history repeating itself.

Princess Hours

Princess Hours (Korean: 궁, Hanja: 宫, romanized as Goong and also known as The Imperial Household, Love in Palace, Palace Love or Palace, its literal translation and alternate official title) is a popular soonjong manhwa (Korean girls' comic) by Park So-Hee. It was adapted into an even more well-known live-action comedy/drama series, which had its first season run from January 11 to March 30, 2006. It was distributed by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, which ran episodes on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week until the show's completion. The original manhwa (which, as of January 2009, has run for 17 volumes in Korea, and by 2012 17 in America) is being published in English as Goong, while the drama has been released on DVD in North America as Palace by YA Entertainment.

Princess Hours became one of MBC's most popular dramas of 2006, second only to Jumong^[1]. Overall, the show was the tenth most popular drama of 2006, according to TNS Media. Due to the success of the first season, a second season was to be produced, a rare occasion in the Korean television industry. However, there was controversy over who had the rights to make the sequel, and as a result, two separate parties planned different seasons. However, the sequel, Goong 2 will no longer be produced due to the withdrawal of two main actors. The spin-off Goong S started its run on January 10, 2007.

Synopsis

Set in an alternate 21st-century reality where Korea possesses a royal family, this show revolves around the lives of the Crown Prince (Hwangtaeja) Yi Shin, and his new bride, Chae-kyeong. The depicted royal family in the show is modelled after the last royal family of Korea, which in reality reigned until the start of the Japanese Occupation in 1911 and was not reinstated after Japanese surrender in WW2.

The series starts off with the news that the King, Shin's father, is very ill. With the grim outlook on the King's health, the royal family scrambles to find a wife for Shin, so as to allow him to take over the royal throne if the situation requires. Despite being in love with another girl, the ambitious and talented ballerina Hyo-rin whom Shin initially proposed to (she rejects him to pursue her ballet dreams), Shin eventually marries a commoner to whom he was betrothed by his late grandfather in an old agreement with the girl's grandfather. Shin marries the headstrong yet lovable Chae-kyeong after Hyo-rin's rejection. Despite initially feeling nothing for Chae-kyeong, love eventually blossoms between the couple.

In the meantime, however, matters are further complicated with the return of Yi Yul and his mother Lady Hwa-Young, who was once the Crown Princess (Bingoong) before the death of her husband, the late Crown Prince, older brother of the current King. Yul and his mother were chased out of the palace some time after the death of his father, and it is later revealed that this was due to the King's discovery of an affair between Yul's mother and the current King who was his father's younger brother. Yul's mother had returned with a sinister motive in mind; to restore her son back to the throne, which would have been his eventually, if his father had not died. A series of events befall the palace with the schemes Yul's mother carries out, and is further intensified by the various scandals involving the royal family, which are inclusive of the Shin's continuing relationship with his old flame Hyo-rin, and the budding love Yul develops for Chae-kyeong, his cousin's new-found bride.

Main Characters

Shin Chae-Kyeong (신채경)

Portrayed by Yoon Eun Hye, Shin Chae-kyeong is a very creative and outgoing, normal high school girl. She attends the same school as Yi Shin, the Crown Prince of Korea. Her grandfather was best friends with the previous King. To honor his friend, the previous King dictated that Chae-kyeong is to become the Crown Princess, which means that she is to marry whoever is the Crown Prince at the time of the marriage (Yi Shin) . Although she often seems immature and irritating, she is a kindhearted, innocent, honest person. Often called "Pig" by her younger brother, Chae-kyeong marries the prince to save her family from bankruptcy. Her initial reaction to Yi Shin is one of irritation but she falls in love with him in the earlier part of the series, not knowing that he, in return, feels the same way, until the last few episodes. Although she regards Yi Yul only as a friend and cousin-in-law, he falls in love with her.

Yi Shin (이신)

The crown prince of Korea, Yi Shin, as portrayed by model and actor Joo Ji Hoon, is seen as a smug, indifferent, insensitive young man. After getting rejected by his girlfriend when he proposes to her, he decides to go along with his elders' arranged marriage with Shin Chae-kyeong. At first, he was irritated by her naivete and enthusiasm, but as he recognizes how genuinely sweet she is, he begins to open his heart to her, and falls in love. Throughout the series, it becomes obvious that inside, he is just a lonely, sensitive, warm and kind young man. He also owns a teddy bear, Alfred, the only thing that he can let his guard down for, which is used as a focal point throughout the series. As his cousin re-enters the picture after being forced out of the country many years earlier, the prince quickly butts head with him, as Yi Yul is a contender not only for the throne, but for the crown princess Chae-kyeong's love. Chae-kyeong does not realize this until later on in the story.

Yi Yool (이율)

Kim Jeong Hoon plays Yi Yool, Shin's cousin. He returns from a long stay in England with his mother, the widow of the former crown prince. He is the opposite of Shin, he is warm, kindhearted, sweet, romantic, and charismatic -- an instant hit with the girls. Interested in Chae-kyeong, their friendship grows to love on his side, while she remains innocently unaware of it until much later. Although the position of the Crown Prince originally belonged to him, it was given to his cousin when Yool's father died in a car accident and his mother was found to have had an affair with his uncle, who she was originally in love with, but she decides to marry his brother, the crown prince, wanting her son to inherit the title of crown prince. Originally uninterested in the throne, Yool decides to follow his mother's wishes and compete with Shin for the throne after falling in love with Chae-kyeong. In the end, after realizing that Chae-kyeong and Shin truly love each other, and after discovering his mother's affair with the King, he passes up both the chance of being King and having Chae-kyeong as a wife.

Min Hyo-rin (민효린)

Portrayed by Song Ji Hyo, Hyo-rin is a skilled ballerina. She is beautiful, intelligent, accomplished--basically, perfect in every way possible,but she is also poor. Prince Shin and her ballet instructor paid for her tuition fees at school. In the beginning, she is Shin's girlfriend, and he proposes to her. However, she rejects him, not only because she thinks he is joking, but also because she does not wish to give up her dreams of becoming a star ballerina. When she sees Chae-kyeong and Shin's wedding and how Chae-kyeong is loved by the people (similar to Diana, Princess of Wales), she regrets her hasty decision, and does everything she can to oust Chae-kyeong from her position. Hyo-rin finds ways to draw Shin back to her, including a "chance" meeting in Thailand, but simply ends up hurting herself, resulting in attempting suicide. Later, however, she decides that Shin does truly love Chae-kyeong, and she ultimately gives him up and decides to just concentrate on her ballet.

Kal Ho Naa Ho

Berlatar di Manhattan, New York pada masa kini, kehidupan terasa menekan bagi seorang gadis cantik keturunan India, Naina Catherine Kapur (Preity Zinta). Naina merasa tertekan lantaran sebuah tragedi dalam keluarganya yang separuh Punjabi dan separuh Katolik, mengguncang hidupnya dan membawa pergi kebahagiaannya. Di rumah dari hari ke hari terjadi pertengkaran antara anggota keluarga, kerepotan Naina dalam menjaga adik lelaki dan perempuannya serta harus membantu ibunya, Jennifer (Jaya Bachchan) untuk mengatasi masalah finansial rumah tangga mereka.

Belum lagi kerepotan Naina menghadapi neneknya yang bersifat pemarah.
Tidak heran jika Naina tidak punya waktu untuk dirinya sendiri. Jangankan bersenang-senang dengan teman sebayanya, Naina pun seperti tidak punya waktu bersikap ramah pada orang lain. Pokoknya kehidupan itu suram bagi gadis cantik yang baru berusia 23 tahun tersebut. Namun terjadi perubahan dalam hidup Naina ketika seorang pria bernama Aman Mathur (Shahrukh Khan) datang ke wilayah tempat tinggal Naina yang didominasi keturunan India.

Berlawanan dengan sifat Naina yang introvert, Aman adlah orang ekstrovert yang periang dan supel. Aman selalu berusaha bersahabat dengan siapapun dan selalu berhasil memenangkan hati orang-orang di sekelilingnya dengan kegembiraan dan ketulusannya. Begitu melihat kesedihan dan kemuraman dalam Naina, Aman pun bertekad membawa kegembiraan dalam hidup gadis tersebut. Dalam usaha mendatangkan kegembiraan pada Naina, Aman mendapat bantuan dari sahabat baiknya, Rohit (Saif Ali Khan), seorang bujangan tampan yang disukai banyak gadis.

Walau harus bersusah payah, Aman dan Rohit akhirnya berhasil membuat Naina tersenyum kembali dan mulai merasakan kebahagiaan pertamakalinya sejak bertahun-tahun lalu. Naina mulai sadar bahwa masih ada kebahagiaan yang bisa diraih walau di tengah-tengah masalah keluarganya. Tidak heran jika kemudian Naina, Aman dan Rohit pun menjadi tiga sekawan yang saling menyayangi dan saling memperhatikan. Namun lama-kelamaan Naina merasakan cinta pada Aman, namun Aman ternyata tidak peduli, malah berusaha menjodoh-jodohkan Naina dengan Rohit yang memang telah jatuh cinta pada gadis tersebut. Aman sebenarnya mencintai Naina, namun punya rahasia yang membuatnya sadar bahwa ia tidak bisa bersatu dengan gadis itu.

Love

Salah satu frase yang terkenal mungkin adalah ‘Aku mencintaimu’.
Dalam Bahasa Jepang, ‘cinta’ berarti 'ai', dan bentuk kata kerja ‘mencintai’ adalah 'ai suru'. “Saya mencintaimu dapat pula diterjemahkan sebagai ”aishite imasu”. “Aishiteru”, “aishiteru yo” atau “aishiteru wa” [gaya bicara perempuan] biasanya dipakai dalam percakapan. Walau bagaimanapun, orang Jepang tidak berbicara “saya mencintaimu” sesering yang dilakukan orang Barat dikarenakan adanya perbedaan kebudayaan. Saya tak akan terkejut bila sekalangan orang Jepang mengatakan bahwa mereka tak pernah menggunakan ekspresi semacam ini dalam hidup mereka.

Orang Jepang umumnya tidak mengekspresikan perasaan cinta mereka secara terbuka. Mereka percaya bahwa cinta dapat diekspresikan melalui tingkah laku. Ketika mereka menuangkan perasaan mereka melalui kata-kata, biasanya dipilih frase “suki desu”. Ini dapat berarti, “menyukai”. “Suki da”, “suki dayo” [gaya bicara lelaki] atau “suki yo” [cara bicara perempuan] adalah ungkapan dalam pergaulan sehari-hari. Sebenarnya banyak variasi pada frase yang satu ini termasuk dialek dari suatu daerah [hogen]. ‘Suki yanen’ adalah salah satu versi dari dialek Kansai. Sejak frase ini dapat juga berarti ‘saya menyukainya’ [nya  merujuk pada suatu benda], dank arena kepopuleran dialek Kansai, frase ini dipergunakan sebagai nama.