Pinocchio is a Korean drama series released in 2014 with 20 episodes. Even though this series is almost 10 years old, it keeps showing up on recommended watch lists for K-drama lovers. Based on my viewing experience, Pinocchio should definitely be placed in that group of K-dramas that are old but gold.
♦ What is The Pinocchio Syndrome?
Do you know what a Pinocchio is? If you don’t know, this Korean drama series will teach you something new. Supposedly for some people, when they tell a lie, they experience what’s called The Pinocchio Effect. “According to Science Daily, whenever someone tells lies, the temperature around their nose and in the orbital muscle in the inner corner of their eye will increase.” (Quote Source)
♦ Who Says a Pinocchio Can Not Be a News Reporter?
The main female character in this series is Choi In-ha. She can not tell a lie. Nothing happens to her nose. Instead every time she tries to lie, she hiccups. Her mother is a famous news reporter. But how did she achieve her success? Evidently, her mother built her career by manipulating the news stories she reported and telling lies. One news story, in particular, resulted in deadly consequences.
- A family was devastated by the way her mother created news reports with the intention of deceiving the viewers. Her reports turned the public against an innocent man and his family, and the consequences were deadly. Both parents died, and the two brothers got separated and grew up without each other’s love and support. If that wasn’t bad enough. 14 years later, the mother tried to do the same thing to another innocent family.
Choi In-ha does not know about her mother’s wrongdoings. In her eyes, her mother is beautiful and an awesome news reporter. She dreams that when she grows up, she’ll be a reporter too. EXCEPT: A Pinocchio can not be a reporter.
A Pinocchio can not be a reporter? WHY? Everyone tells her that reporters have to know how to tell lies and she can’t do that. Choi In-ha refuses to accept that and applies for a job to be a reporter, at the same news station where her mother works. She gets the job because her mother pulled strings. Her mother had a hidden agenda. Choi In-ha was unaware of her mother’s true intentions and was very happy for the opportunity to prove that a Pinocchio can be a competent news reporter.
♦ A New Life With a New Family and a New Name
The main male character in this series is Ki Ha-Myung. This is how he and his brother got separated. He was about 8 to 10 years old, and his mother intended to commit suicide and persuaded him to join her. The mother perished but Ki Ha-Myung was found alive by an elderly man who adopted him. When he was asked what his name was, he lied and said he did not remember. So his new family gave him a new name: Choi Dal-po. His new home consisted of a new father, a new brother, and a niece (his new brother’s daughter), Choi In-ha.
Ki Ha-Myung liked his new life and hoped he would never have to remember the tragedy his family experienced. But it’s a small world. While watching the news on television, his niece happily exclaimed: “That’s my mom. Isn’t she beautiful?” When he realized her mother was the same person who destroyed his family, he became angry; but kept it a secret from his new family.
Ki Ha-Myung and Choi In-ha were about the same age, so they attended school together. When they became young adults, Ki Ha-Myung agreed they should both become reporters. They got jobs as reporters but worked for competing news stations. Ki Ha-Myung did not reveal that his reason for wanting to be a reporter was to expose the acts of malice committed by Choi In-ha’s mother. However, his emotions were conflicted. He hated the mother but loved her daughter. How could he get revenge without hurting the woman he loved?
♦ The Brothers Reunite
Meanwhile, Ki Ha-Myung’s real brother believed he had died along with his mother, and thought he was all alone in this cruel world. Eventually, he meets his younger brother but by that time, terrible things have happened in his life. Ki Ha-Myung regrets that he did not try to find his real brother sooner. Their reunion, even though joyful, is also painful and sad. Nevertheless, their brotherly love is strong and they manage to work through the unfairness, the injustice, and the difficulties they’ve experienced.
Main Characters:
- Ki Ha-myung played by Lee Jong-Suk
- Choi In-ha played by Park Shin-hye
Viewership and Rating:
- IMDb Rating: 8.1 out of 10 stars
- My Drama List: 8.4 out of 10 stars
- KoreanDrama.org: 8.4 out of 10 stara
- Viki viewers gave “Pinocchio” 9.5 out of 10 stars
My personal rating aligns with the Viki viewing audience for two reasons.
(1) Best Couple: The two main characters in Pinocchio are both likable and lovable. Their young lives crisscross because of a tragic event, yet romance develops. It’s a corny expression but “love conquers all.” Although this is a fictional love story, you want to believe that, in real life, the power of love can overcome anything that threatens to keep lovers apart. Both actors won several awards for their performances in this series. It’s no surprise they won the Best Couple Award, at the 2014 SBS Drama Awards.
(2) Best Big Brother Ever!: You will also love Ki Ha-myung’s older brother, Ki Jae-Myeong (played by Yun Kyun-Sang). The bad decisions he made can not be excused, but he was an awesome big brother. Once he realized his younger brother was alive, he made decisions that were needful and right, in order to try to make his brother’s future life better than his own.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
- 9 Lee Jong Suk K-Dramas That You Need To Watch | Soompi
- 7 Sets Of K-Drama Brothers That Taught Us Something About Brotherhood | Soompi
TRAILERS/TEASERS:
Zan. “Pinocchio (2014) Trailer Ep.1 (4) – Romance Drama Comedy Korea TV Series.” YouTube, 19 Nov. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji8VBCtuhVI.
