''I am Sam'' () is a 2007

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television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

starring

Yang Dong-geun Yang Dong-geun (; born June 1, 1979) or YDG is a South Korean actor, rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and breakdancer. Yang majored in Theatrical Performance at Yong-In University. Biography Yang enlisted for mandatory military ser ...

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, and

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in his acting debut. It aired on

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

from August 6 to October 2, 2007, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 ( KST) time slot for 16 episodes. Based on the Japanese

comic series This page provides lists of best-selling comic book series to date. It includes Japanese manga, American comic books, and European comics. This list includes comic books that have sold at least 100million copies. There are three separate lists, ...

''Kyōkasho ni Nai!'' (in English, ''Not in a Textbook!'' or ''Very Private Lesson''), Yang plays a geeky, straight-arrowed, under-qualified high school teacher who becomes a live-in tutor for the troublemaking daughter of a notorious gangster, in exchange for one million won. The title is a

word play Word play or wordplay (also: play-on-words) is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement. Examples of word play include puns, phonet ...

since ''sam'' in Korean roughly translates to "teacher" in slang, thus the international title, ''I am Your Teacher''.

Synopsis

Yoo Jae-gon (

), head of an infamous gangster organization, becomes troubled by the future prospects of his only daughter, Eun-byul (

), who refuses to study. Then coincidence or fate brings together Eun-byul and goofy-looking high school teacher Jang Yi-san (

) in a somewhat sticky situation. After finding out that Yi-san can actually inspire his troublesome daughter to focus on her studies, Jae-gon offers a deal to Yi-san: become his daughter's private tutor in exchange for one million won. The catch is Yi-san has to move in with her. And the money? It's given as security for his own life.

Cast

Main

as Jang Yi-san *

as Yoo Eun-byul *

as Shin So-yi *

as Yoo Jae-gon (Eun-byul's father) *

as Chae Moo-shin

Supporting

* Park Chae-kyung as Min Sa-kang (Eun-byul's friend) *

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as Kim Woo-jin (Mr. Yoo's right-hand man) * Jo Hyang-ki as Hong Dae-ri (Mr. Yoo's assistant) *

Kwak Ji-min Kwak Ji-min (born Kwak Sun-hee on February 13, 1985) is a South Korean actress. She is best known overseas for her leading role in the Kim Ki-duk film ''Samaritan Girl'', for which she won Best New Actress at the 2004 Busan Film Critics Awards. ...

as Da-bin * Dan Ji as Ye-bin * Ban So-young as Hyo-bin *

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as Heo Mo-se (Principal's son) * Choi Jae-hwan as Han Tae-sung (Moo-shin's friend) * Park Chul-ho as Kim In-seol * Kim Yoo-bin as Kim Hee-chul * Joo Jong-hyuk as Ji Seon-hoo * Kim Hong-shik as Park Nam-kyu * Yoo Tae-woong as Go Dong-sool * Choi Joo-bong as Heo Deok-bae (Principal) * Park Sang-hyun as Park Han-suk * Shin Pyo as Kang Ha

Reception

''I Am Sam'' received average viewership ratings of around 6.5%.

Awards

2007 KBS Drama Awards The 2007 KBS Drama Awards () is a ceremony honoring the outstanding achievement in television on the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) network for the year of 2007. It was held on December 31, 2007 and hosted by Tak Jae-hoon and Lee Da-hae. Nomin ...

: Best New Actress -

Source material

* Title: () * Original story: Kazuto Okada (岡田和人) * Genre: Comedy, Romance * Age rating: 10+ Oraku is a lucky man... He has a comfortable job teaching at a local high school. He has Satsuki, a fellow teacher whom he hopes to marry someday. He has Aya, a beautiful student who has fallen in love with him. He has Aya's father, a wealthy man who wants so much for his little girl to be happy that he has sent her to live with Oraku. Oraku is a very lucky man. Of course Aya loves nothing more than to come on to Oraku by lounging around his apartment half naked. Unfortunately for Oraku, Aya's father happens to be wealthy because he is a major crime boss, and he will have Oraku slowly murdered if Aya doesn't remain absolutely pure. Now Oraku must not only restrain himself, but also protect Aya from the hordes of men and women at school... And of course, if Satsuki or any of the other teachers find out that Oraku is living with one of his students, he will be permanently dismissed from the teaching profession.

References

External links

''I Am Sam'' official KBS website
* * * {{Works by Pan Entertainment Korean Broadcasting System television dramas 2007 South Korean television series debuts 2007 South Korean television series endings Korean-language television shows South Korean romantic comedy television series Television series by Pan Entertainment