This (2014) drama basically tells a story of how a (intentional) misconstrued news report ruins a happy family.
Ki Ha-Myeong (starring Lee Jong-Suk) and his older brother have always look up to their father who is a heroic firefighter. However, a fire at a waste facility destroys the happy family. The Ki family is further broken by the news report that their beloved father might have fled from the scene since his body was never found. The brothers are adamant that their father would never do such things but alas, there isn't any evidence to prove their point. Ha-Myeong's older brother is detained in a police cell one night after he tried to argue with the anchorwoman whom he felt had reported the news unfairly for the sake of viewership.
The night he is detained, Ha-Myeong's mother decided to end her life together with Ha-Myeong. Ha-Myeong is saved by a kind elderly man, Choi Gong-Pil, who suffers from memory loss and thinks he is his eldest son, Choi Dal-Po, who passed thirty years ago. Ha-Myeong doesn't mind the deception, after all he has no family and he treats Gong-Pil as his father. He is then officially adopted by Gong-Pil and lives his life as Dal-Po. Ha-Myeong also befriends Choi In-Ha (starring Park Shin-Hye), who is Gong Pil's granddaughter and though they are "uncle and niece" relationship they are in the same age range. In-Ha has "Pinocchio Syndrome" and whenever she tells a lie she will hiccup. She idolises her mother who is a successful anchorwoman, but they rarely contact each other since her parents divorced. Ha-Myeong soon learns that In-Ha's mother is none other than the anchorwoman who had destroyed his family and he vows to bring justice back by becoming a reporter himself, but he also finds himself having feelings for In-Ha and it's not kinship.
(I especially loved this scene, whereby In-Ha unknowingly brought a faulty umbrella for Dal-Po but is saved by the traffic cones over their heads, a witty yet sweet gesture by Dal-Po. It beautifully captures of their young love during their high school days.)
The night he is detained, Ha-Myeong's mother decided to end her life together with Ha-Myeong. Ha-Myeong is saved by a kind elderly man, Choi Gong-Pil, who suffers from memory loss and thinks he is his eldest son, Choi Dal-Po, who passed thirty years ago. Ha-Myeong doesn't mind the deception, after all he has no family and he treats Gong-Pil as his father. He is then officially adopted by Gong-Pil and lives his life as Dal-Po. Ha-Myeong also befriends Choi In-Ha (starring Park Shin-Hye), who is Gong Pil's granddaughter and though they are "uncle and niece" relationship they are in the same age range. In-Ha has "Pinocchio Syndrome" and whenever she tells a lie she will hiccup. She idolises her mother who is a successful anchorwoman, but they rarely contact each other since her parents divorced. Ha-Myeong soon learns that In-Ha's mother is none other than the anchorwoman who had destroyed his family and he vows to bring justice back by becoming a reporter himself, but he also finds himself having feelings for In-Ha and it's not kinship.
(Their grown-up version and work as rookie reporters at rival networks)
Well, I was impressed and was filled with various emotions after finishing watching Pinocchio. It has all the elements I had hoped for in a melodrama like this - suspense, thought-provoking issues, complex relationships and romance. And most of all, I loved the storyline and the issues raised on misconstrued reports (to gain news impact and viewership at someone's cost? Are the reports we read based on facts or merely rumours/assumptions?) A reporter's job not only gather and report news but also carries the responsibility of giving informative as well as honest and accurate news timely. And I loved the spirit of the young reporters in this drama; they show us what it takes to be a reporter through many things they have to do to ensure those news are reached to you timely. And then, there is the romance between Ha-Myeong and In-Ha, which is both heartwarming and fluttering at the same time. Overall it was a touching drama with a great storyline in my opinion. Actor Lee Jong-Suk's latest drama in "W" was a joy to watch (a comics hero!), but this drama left a deeper impression on me.
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I was disappointed to learn that Drama Fever didn't have W yet, but I'll wait.
I enjoyed Pinocchio last year. :)
Jenclair - I've sent you the link via email. Hopefully you're able to watch it. :)