Rediscovering The Beauty In Kdramas

When everything falls into place, we get drama gold. Most aim for it, but very rarely achieve it. Just a handful make the cut each year, but once they manage to grab our attention and our hearts, we never let go. These dramas become a part of our lives and we embrace what it means to us for quite some time. Some never even leave our thoughts while others fade into the past as quietly as they entered. That is the evolution of Kdramas. They’ve come a long way. How much more they grow and change, we will be here to keep track. I would say don’t let us down, but every year they never do.

*Softy’s Note: Believe it or not, I’ve been working on this for over a month now. I can prove it cuz this is what I wrote the first day.

“Winter is officially here. I woke up to the sound of shovel scraping cement and knew exactly what I would see when I looked out the window. Sure enough the entire street was covered in a white blanket and my heart felt what it always does when I see the first snowfall of the season: contentment. Despite all the ups and downs people have in their real lives, there is a certain solace in knowing the world continues on and the seasons come and go on their own time. The same thing applies to Kdramas. Each year a fresh batch of entertainment rolls out and our hearts choose new favorites among them. We tell ourselves it can’t get any better than this, but then another drama makes its presence known – some in a whisper like “I Live in Cheongdam-dong,” while other runaway hits shout it from the rooftops. Every show has its own unique blend of allure so what will hook you in is anyone’s guess, but when it does, dramas have amazing staying power.”

See? I told you. 🙂

Does anyone ever forget their first kdrama. The one you loved so much you were willing to lose sleep, neglect your obligations, and break your own rule of talking to yourself by directing your frustrated comments at the screen?  It took me a while to think about it and I realized my favorite dramas have become my staple ones – those I use as a standard to gauge the caliber of present and future dramas. Longevity for dramas means they stay good no matter how many times I want to re-watch. Classic Kdramas have that quality which makes them the most satisfying to watch. The kind of contentment you only get when it fills every corner of your heart. I don’t know if anyone believes in serendipity, but just when I was trying to finish up my year end review and wrote that line, something coincidental happened. It sort of freaked me out cuz the weird thing is I rarely turn on my TV cuz everything is in Korean. It’s mostly cuz my stupid brain doesn’t know when to stop so even watching commercials drives me crazy cuz I find myself translating everything. So imagine my surprise when I was flipping channels and came across a few on cable that plays old dramas. I got to watch Coffee Prince and Kim Sam Soon through fresh eyes with an outlook that is a little jaded from viewing some bad dramas since those aired. If you compare the dramas from even five years ago to today, the biggest difference you will note is the speed. Back then they took their time with the story and didn’t rush it. They added quiet little moments and touches of simplicity done the right way. The charm was in the details. These days the plot has to move quickly or the audience might flip channels or in most cases – abuse the fast forward button. Watching those old shows got me thinking about what makes a great drama or a memorable character. I think the answer lies in the actor.  You have to love the character so much you are willing to sacrifice a little of yourself. It’s just too bad not that many actors are willing to go that extra step nowadays. For those who do, we are eternally grateful.

I’m a strong believer of actors peaking too soon. You know what I mean right?  When they get the role of their lives that put them on the path to a brighter acting future. The ones they can’t live down cuz they did such a great job so others keep expecting that same level of outstanding performance. It’s like that one shining role defines their work for years to come. Perfect examples of that off the top of my head are Gong Yoo and YEH in Coffee Prince, Kim Sun Ah for MNIKSS (the way she gained weight, the way she walked, talked, and behaved – she became Samsoon heart and soul), Hyun Bin from Secret Garden, SJK from SKKS, and our favorite couple from OB to name just a few. Sure others have achieved that same greatness many times in a row, but there are very few cases of that. Kim Soo Hyun is one of them. When he was younger, he took on cameos for the child parts and did so well, he became more famous than the actors playing the grown characters. He should be nicknamed the “thunder stealer” cuz once he steps out of view, that character shines a little less bright. He’s like one of those consummate actors who are consistently good by choosing the right role that can showcase their talent or they take a small role and make it be the only thing people remember. Aside from KSH, the only other name I can think of that fits that bill is JW. He did his best work for Gakistal, but he put more of himself into Tae Hee.  I would categorize SJK as one too cuz I heard he was great in Nice Guy. Before that, I only remember how chillingly spellbinding he was in that scene in the woods when he played the king in Tree with deep roots. As for LMH’s breakout role, I would agree with most and say he dipped his toes in showing off potential with BOF cuz he was about the only good thing about that show, but City hunter and Faith put him on the right path to becoming a more serious actor. If he could tackle more challenging roles like SJK’s Nice Guy then he will definitely be in the running.

Based on the dramas and scene clips I watched this year, I would have to choose these as the break out stars to keep an eye out for cuz their time in the limelight is just one role away. Lee Sang Yeob from ILICDD and Nice Guy, Kim Yoo Jung and Yeo Jin Gu from MTETS, Jo Jeong Suk from K2H, Kim Sae Ron and Kang Chan Hee from Heaven’s Garden (he had a cameo on TTBY and Nice Guy as well). I didn’t watch Equator Man but I saw enough scenes from it and watched all of TTBY to know that Lee Hyun Woo is someone his peers need to consider as stiff competition cuz he can do both comedy and dramatic really well. Then there is Kim Woo Bin who can brood like nobody’s business. Problem is he needs to stick around in a drama and be the lead and stop taking on smaller roles and cameos. His talent deserves better than that. Who are your picks for the breakout stars of 2012?

An overview of Kdramas from 2012:

Why do these reviews feel like some kind of report card for the year. If the dramas could, I bet some would beg for us to grade on a curve by citing excuses like they had no choice but to lean heavily on the use of artistic license for so and so’s character to go off the deep end. Good thing I am not a harsh grader. Probably due to the fact that I am not a drama expert by any sense of the word. Mostly cuz I haven’t watched enough and don’t care to remember anyone’s names either real or fictional. That’s why I feel pigeonholed using the phrase “2012 Kdrama review” and wasn’t too sure if I would ever post this. Considering the fact that my blog is not one of those constant sources of info about kdramas and entertainers, I thought I should have at least one or two posts each year that are not “live recap” related. I’m not here to convince you or dissuade you from watching any of these shows so please don’t expect to read something that dissects what the whole show was about. I apologize in advance if I wrote anything negative about a show you love cuz I know how that feels, but I wanted to be honest about my opinions so please keep that in mind. In my humble opinion, the following shows made 2012 a great year in Kdramas.

A cut above the rest. I Live in Cheongdam-dong: Bet some of you didn’t see this coming, but this is my pick for the best drama of 2012. I know – I’m just as shocked as you. I certainly didn’t set out to fall in love with a 170 episode cable sitcom, but there you have it. No matter what I tell myself, it comes back to this drama and my love for it will not wane. If I had the option to hand pick everything I wanted in an ideal drama, this one is overflowing with each and every requirement. It’s not just that you get some of life’s greatest lessons packed into 20 mins or so of each episode that culminates to you declaring your love for this sitcom from the highest rooftop you know (like your own blog), it’s more about how a great show can make you see your own life and the world around you differently. With eyes that are less jaded and more optimistic and hopeful. There is no price for that and investing 170 episodes worth of your time seems painless in the long run with the reward you feel in every fiber of your being in the end. I’m telling you – when people write about meaningful shows that changed their lives, this was their go-to source for inspiration. Certain episodes make you pause and take a moment to see who you have become and check to see how much you like what you see reflected back and let me tell you, sometimes that silent answer is too deafening for words. It’s like this show has the power to point a moral compass mirror in your face and dare you to look.  As long as you have the courage to look and admit what you lack, there is hope for change. For all those moments of eye opening awareness alone, I owe this sitcom a heap of gratitude for some newly discovered parts of my humanity.

This is a perfect example of what I mean. You don’t just see the love in his eyes, you actually feel it. When you can feel the love in his heart through a screen, that’s when you know you are watching the best any drama can offer.

A Wife’s Credentials: Years from now I will recall certain scenes and I bet it will make me break down in tears again. Emotionally this drama is draining, but on the flip side, you are uplifted by the humanity interwoven in the love story. This drama shattered my provincial views on adultery and opened my heart to seeing how sometimes love just comes along and there is no need to qualify a relationship or give it a title. I used to wonder why it was called “A Wife’s Credentials” until I realized it might be a misnomer. It’s not just her role as a wife and mother that gives her the right to seek out the happiness she deserved. It was simply because she was a woman first and foremost. Despite her actions, she had every right to call herself a good mother and a decent human being. As you watch her go through her struggles, you find yourself cheering her on, only to realize later you are rooting for an affair. These two lead characters followed their hearts and paid a high price for their happiness by breaking some of their loved ones’ trusts along the way. What kept them morally upright was the mere fact that they had the kind of love that would compensate for the pain they caused and make up for it with their undying devotion to each other for the rest of their lives. This wasn’t an impulse affair that could easily bow out due to hardships or roadblocks, but a love that would transcend even both of their expectations that went beyond their ken. As a viewer transfixed on what would become of them, it was hard for us to look away. This was one drama that gives back as much as it shares with us. If any show could have the power of leaving us feeling like a better person for having watched it, this was it. That is why I placed this on my top two favorite of 2012.

The Moon That Embraces The Sun: This was one of those epic love stories that just sweeps you away and your feet have a hard time reaching the ground for a long time. It had everything a great drama needed and more. I can’t even think of anything it lacked and only wish they had followed the book a little more. Those quiet moments in their childhood when their love began to blossom deserved more time in the limelight. As I watch this show garner more awards, I realize a lot of us were caught up by this drama to the extent that we couldn’t see any faults with it at the time. A few months ago before I saw many more great dramas after it, I would have sworn this was my top 3 favorite of 2012, but now I’m not so sure. Does it mean that it hasn’t lasted the test of time or does that only count after years have passed? One thing is for sure and I believe this very strongly – KSH deserved to win every award he got for his role as a king in love. Some of his scenes still haunt me, not just for his convincing acting, but more so cuz of how I feel watching him play Hwon. He really embraced that character and became Hwon in attitude and tone. It’s not fair to the show itself, but now I can’t help but feel this drama was out shadowed by its lead actor.  That’s what happens when you have greatness thrust upon you and you just run away with it by nailing every scene.

Queen In Hyun’s Man: There is a term for shows like this – sleeper hits. You have no idea what you are getting into by starting it, but by the end, all you want is more. I have no issues with the ending cuz everything that came before it already made up for any faults it could possibly have. Most of the time it felt like watching one long date that was headed towards a solid lasting relationship. These two leads blurred the lines of reality and confused what you saw on the screen with what was happening in real life. It got to a point where I didn’t know where the drama ended and reality began. That’s what you call sizzling chemistry and these two crackled and popped till the very end. I took the entire plot with a grain of salt to begin with so I had no qualms whatsoever with how they took liberties to tie up the loose ends at the finale. As long as it remains a drama I will relish the thought of viewing again, what is there to quibble about?

Arang and the Magistrate: I love this drama like crazy. I couldn’t get enough of it and looked forward to each and every episode. The story of Arang and her Sato had that perfect blend of romance, mystery, and suspense to draw in any viewer. I fell so hard for these characters and their plight and could relive every moment with them, but one problem is holding me back. I’m too chicken to ever watch this drama again. More than likely I wont be able to buy the DVD for it either cuz the thought of staring at that scary woman’s face on my bookshelf gives me chills all over again. I lost track of how many heart attacks I got translating this late at night. Every little sound would make me jump out of my skin from fright and all that spooky music and cackling laughter didn’t help my poor nerves. Despite all that, someday soon I am going to muster up the courage to watch this again, but during the day when it’s sunny and with other people around for company. Under those conditions, who knows I might just make it through an episode without biting my nails. Totally skipping the scenes in the cave though cuz no amount of sunlight is going to help me get through those spine-tingling moments again.

Bridal Mask/Gaksital: {Spoiler alert – dont read if you havent watched yet} On one of my recaps for SKKS, I wrote an introduction about how much I appreciated that drama for bringing me closer to my heritage, but now I am going to have to amend that to include this show. To be perfectly honest, before it aired, I dreaded recapping this. If it wasn’t for JW, I would have never watched or recapped this show. I was so mad at JW for choosing to do this cuz he was leaving me no choice whatsoever. Pretty much, his dimples were tying my hands. There was nothing about Gaksital that appealed to me at all – the time period, the costumes, the premise, the fictional character of Gaksital, and the other actors – I would have avoided all of that if anyone other than JW was starring in it.  Soon after it began, I complained to my friends that I wanted to watch Big instead. Then one day I realized something shocking. I was actually enjoying it. I found myself genuinely caring about what happens to Gaksital and all those other characters.  What pushed me over from a regular fan to die hard was that scene in the woods when Gaksital was chasing down the trucks with the comfort women. I swear I cried buckets that night as I watched that girl’s grandma crying and waving as her granddaughter left for what she thought was a better future. The realization that her truck was never stopped and that someone like her went on to become a statistic in history just broke my heart in so many pieces I needed a moment to pull myself together. Then in that finale scene when Gaksital marched with all the other Koreans in the rain for a demonstration they knew could end their lives, I got so choked up and it never really cleared. I kept thinking about how, even if he survived that march, he would end up living as shadow of his former self cuz he lost everyone who mattered to him. It makes you wonder. No matter how great the cause, is it enough to sustain a grieving man’s will to live. My heart still feels full with everything I witnessed in this drama. I can’t believe it took a fictional character like this and his bravery to make me open my eyes to the tragic history Korea had to endure to be where it is today. So it turns out Gaksital was just one more reason why I should be praising JW’s great choices in projects. I will never doubt you again.

Rooftop Prince: I still get goose bumps from this show cuz I loved it so much I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.  While it was airing, I actually tracked down that rooftop home on the hill just to see if the view was as great in real life. It’s sort of like the drama itself – what you see is what you got. What you took away from it was what you invested in the characters. This is one of those dramas that you look back on after you get some perspective and realize it dazzles a little less than you originally thought, but once you watch it again, that initial sparkle comes back to life once more.  It was the first of the time traveling dramas to air and for a good while it was the best, but then two others followed in its wake and made me reassess my original opinion that this was the best of the bunch. For comedy, it beats out the other two, Faith and QIHM, hands down. As far as which one tops the others, every individual will have to decide that for themselves.

Faith/The Great Doctor: There isn’t enough room on this post to explain why I love this drama so much. It grabbed my full attention from the first episode and it was full speed ahead. I just got caught up in the story and the characters and never slowed down till the last scene. The experience of it took my breath away cuz I felt like I was caught in a whirlwind of fun and only allowed to slow down at the end. After the dust settled, I looked at it more carefully and should have been able to see the faults others see, but I just can’t. I like my dramas to go to places where I can’t imagine what will happen next. That’s the fun part and this drama did that. I refuse to backstab a show that was so entertaining and turn around weeks later saying something contrary. It’s not only unfair to the spirit and intent of the drama, but it’s something I won’t do in real life as well. There is one sad truth about it that I want to share. Turns out when you recap a drama live and have so many fans cheering you on, it enhances the enjoyment of the whole drama experience. Once the drama ends, you lose that. But as a testament to how good a show it was, I was watching it again these days on cable and realized I was right from the start. It’s still just as fun and engaging.

Big: I adored this little drama. It was like a cute giant teddy bear you wanted to squeeze like crazy every chance you got. The story tugged at the heartstrings just the right amount and kept you laughing with hilarious antics. It was honest when it mattered with just a tinge of melancholy mixed in when necessary. It never took itself too seriously and just as you would expect from a Hong sisters drama, you walked away feeling better for the experience of having watched it. Most importantly, it reinforced what I knew all along – that Gong Yoo is aging very well. I would watch this all over again in a heartbeat. It’s like this, I don’t need my presents wrapped up in neat tidy bows and I certainly don’t need my dramas to cross every “t” and dot every “i” cuz sometimes it’s better to fill in what’s missing with our imaginations. The Hong sisters trusted us to do that and I for one listened.

Shut Up Flower Boy Band: Oh boy. This was one cable drama I didn’t see coming. I ended up joining the party late in the game, but once I got there and enjoyed every minute, I was cheering and rooting for the lead couple all the way. I am a huge fan of loyalty and self sacrifice for the sake of others and this drama had that in spades. It not only made you appreciate how a great band struggles to get their music out there, but you also learn about the sacrifices they must make to maintain their integrity for their music and each other. Every episode you watch repays you with a great story, moving dialogue, and kick a*& music. You will never look at a struggling rock band the same way ever again.

King 2Hearts: This is a perfect case of not being able to drink the Kool-Aid cuz it just wouldn’t go down smoothly. Trust me – I genuinely tried and really wanted to, but the plot had holes so big I could fit my hand through them. Every once in a while a drama comes along that the rest of the kdrama world loves and adores and I am left on the sidelines wondering why all the fuss. I love Seung Gi more than anyone, but I just didn’t see why everyone saw them as the perfect onscreen couple. Yes they had their moments of chemistry, but what two leads can’t in those same situations. I perpetually saw HJW as his noona and nothing I said could convince me otherwise. One thing I do agree with the masses about is this drama is worth watching. There are scenes with the king and his younger brother you just don’t want to miss. Plus the scenes with the princess and the man who loves her so adoringly need to be watched and savored for hopeless romantics to swoon over for years to come.

Heaven’s Garden: This is the oddest drama ever. There are so many great scenes, original plot, and actors who are riveting, but the story moves like molasses. At first I was only able to download a few episodes and just got a taste of what was going on and was eager to watch the rest, but by the time I finally got the entire series downloaded, I had already moved on. It’s like a case of the writer being in the moment and churning out winning scenes, but lost the momentum and slowed everything down till he or she could get back into the groove again. Call it interspersal greatness if you will. At the time, I didn’t have the patience for that, but maybe years from now I will and go back and rewatch from the beginning to savor the experience properly.

To The Beautiful You: I remember liking this a lot more as I was watching, but now my feelings have changed. At first, I needed to watch this to balance out all the scary scenes from Arang so this drama was my saving grace those nights. I don’t need my dramas to be loud and obnoxious, but they need to make some noise. This one was too quiet. Everything was understated – the acting, the plot, the ending. The only thing it was “loud” about was how good looking the cast was – especially the leads. That adorable dog and the cameo by Kim Woo Bin was the added bonus. I never saw the other versions of this so I have nothing to compare, but I would call this harmless fun for the most part. Granted it did have certain moments where you question the writer’s sanity a bit, but other than that, for a drama with so many idol singers, it could have been far worse. Yes I mean Dream High 2.

Fashion King: Don’t let their smiles fool you. I wish I had a lobotomy to wipe this drama from my memory. I almost didn’t write anything for this cuz I figured the less I say the better, but it turns out there are people who actually didn’t watch this yet. To those who enjoyed this drama, out of respect for you, I want to warn you not to read what I am about to write. For starters, I broke my own rule and went off the deep end after the finale and posted long rants on my blog on the side widgets. I felt such a betrayal when I learned that the last scene had been scripted from the start so they all knew exactly how and when this train wreck of a drama would derail. To think all that time, I trusted YAI and Lee Je Hoon’s acting chops enough to invest time in watching what was obviously a very poorly written drama – only to have my faith in their talents shattered. I truly believed if those two signed up for this, there just had to be nuggets of golden moments where I wouldn’t regret watching, but boy was I wrong. It’s a good thing Lee Je Hoon is in the army now so I have time to forgive him and forget about this. It’s sort of like he is doing penance for subjecting his fans to this crap. We all loved and admired him for his work on that war movie and Intro to architecture, but then he turned around and gave us this nightmare of a drama. At one point, I tried to justify the terrible acting and wondered if their characters were written like this so in a sense, they were doing a great job at their portrayals cuz they were making their characters so despicable. Then I snapped back to reality and thought if their acting was at least good, I could have tolerated the rest, but the quality of their work just wasn’t here at all. It’s like they didn’t like their own characters and just wanted to be done with this drama as well. The lesson I learned from all this was never solely trust the history of great acting and simply rely on what you see on the screen now. If it’s crap from the start, it’s not going to smell any better waiting for the drama to improve over time. If anything the stench will only increase, but by that time, I didn’t even have to hold my nose anymore cuz I had become immune to everything, but that finale just drove me over the edge. YAI is going to have to do at least three more great roles for me to give him a chance again cuz even now when I see his picture anywhere, I want to punch him. The only reason why I left his photo up on my side widget is cuz Thundie made me that when I began blogging and back then, foolish me vowed to never take MJS’s photo down. Besides YAI’s bad acting offended me in this drama, but the character of MJS is still innocent. Word of advice: if you’ve never seen this drama and want to remain a YAI or LJH fan, run for the hills and never look back.

Currently airing:

I Miss You: There is a Korean term used frequently these days on all the dramas about the push and pull of love and I feel like that’s what is happening with this drama and me. All the great looking characters and beautiful cinematography pulls me, but then the makjang storyline pushes me out again. It keeps happening for almost every episode. Does this mean I will have fallen head over heels in love by the end? I sort of hope not cuz I don’t want this drama to end up being one of my favorites later. Mostly cuz I don’t relish the thought of having to re-watch any of those previous sad scenes ever again. This drama does make you think thought about what you would do in Jung Woo’s place. If you ask me, missing someone should have a limit. Just like hate – you only hate for a short time then let it go. Don’t let it fester and consume you or take up residence in your heart. Sometimes emotions like longing or even hatred fill a space of emptiness, but still leave gaping holes where a part of your soul feels missing. Guess there is a reason why writers talk about an empty hole in people’s hearts so often. This title fits the drama perfectly cuz it applies to all the characters, but you have to wonder when he stopped missing just her cuz now it’s the idea of her mixed in with his guilt. I used to replay a mental message to Jung Woo while I was watching him cry. I wanted to tell him: Forgive yourself for the mistake 14 yr old Jung Woo made cuz he was just a scared kid in a difficult situation and shouldn’t be held accountable for his actions. Grown up Jung Woo deserves better cuz he has repented and made amends to her mother and family over the years since then. You’ve earned your forgiveness so you don’t need to grovel for hers.

Alice in Cheongdam-dong: Who knew throwing soy sauce on someone could get my enthusiasm for this drama rolling, but that’s what kick started my love for Seung Jo. I am 100% on his side now and will continue to watch to see just how many pieces Se Kyung’s plan will break his heart. I am hoping sooner or later he realizes her love for him was genuine, before it was glossed over with her greed for wealth and prestige.  Maybe that grain of truth will ease his heartache somewhat. It makes you wonder though. If a love started out unblemished and pure, just how tarnished can it get with the truth of her seeking a lavish lifestyle? Will it take losing that love for her to realize wealth has no place to reside in an empty heart? Even when she is this close to achieving her objective, she is hit with a wave of self doubt by questioning her actions and goes through a crisis of conscience – how genius is that. I’ve always been a sucker for fairytales and this one came around just about the same time as one of the best from last year – Secret Garden. Coincidence? Maybe. Fortuitous? You bet. Made this holiday more merry for everyone.

School 2013: I always wondered what it would be like to attend school in Korea and with this show, now I know. I would have been in sheer H-E-double hockey sticks. Thank goodness I got my education in the States. I want to kick out that principal cuz she is the worst administrator ever. Instead of placing importance on the kids and their education, she cares more about the school image and its reputation. You have to have students to exist so why just cater to their parents and step on the needs of the kids. I love that old gym teacher. He is the coolest guy ever. With every new episode, I find myself fascinated by the fact that I am into this drama heart and soul. From the first moment it made me cry, I knew I was a goner. I never dreamed I would care what happens to a group of high school kids this much, but I am rooting for them to all graduate to the next grade. It’s like other stories about underdogs, but told much better than you expect from a show like this. I think I fell for this drama mostly cuz of the two boys. I am a huge fan of bromance. Watching how Nam Soon jumps through hoops to get back into Heung Soo’s good graces just breaks my heart. What’s even more telling is how much Heung Soo is trying to keep him at bay, but that old lingering feeling of wanting to be friends again just tugs on his conscience. Every kind act by Nam Soon just chips away at the wall Heung Soo built around him to protect himself from letting Nam Soon inflict further pain. Judging from how it ended recently, I would say that wall is going to crumble down soon and I can’t wait to see how that unfolds.

King of Dramas: For starters, I never once planned to watch this drama cuz I don’t care for any of the leads or the story. But I found out the actress from “I Live in Cheongdamdong” is in it so I jumped in at E3 and decided to kill one bird with two stones cuz I heard that was the episode Si Won came out. (I read about how Si Won flashed his abs in this episode so I thought if the comedy during that scene doesn’t grab my attention then nothing will.) That idea sort of backfired cuz I had no idea what I was getting myself into since I never saw any of his dramas before. For starters, in his opening scene during his fan concert, am I the only one who thought he sang “You wake me up” at the start of the song instead of “You raise me up?” That’s when frown number one formed. Then halfway into the show I had to fight off sudden drowsiness cuz Anthony has this droning voice like one of my professors that just puts me to sleep faster than I can say the drama title. The hardest to overlook is Anthony wearing more eyeliner and lip gloss than Si Won. The other thing is whoever his stylist is for this drama watched too much BOF cuz she thinks having a grown man wear fur trims on his coat makes him look dashing, but only someone like LMH could have pulled that look off and he barely managed to with his young good looking face. Safe to say, I am not invested enough to watch every episode. The two leads just don’t do anything for me. I can’t root for characters I don’t feel invested in and so far I only like that guy who is in charge of the broadcasting company. He is the only ethical “high up” person and I like how he thinks and works. I think some of the earlier obstacles the characters faced getting their drama on the air made me roll my eyes too much so now there is no way to go back from that. Damage is done and initial impression of KOD is not looking any better now that ratings have picked up. *wow I was a bit harsh huh? I wrote this a while back so take it with a grain of salt.  I do like the drama a little better now, but I can’t say I still like Anthony or the actor playing him any better. He still looks too old for her and I don’t get romantic vibes from them at all. On nights this airs, I always watch School first and then download this one for later.

Jeon Woo-chi: If I got bored enough, I was going to check this out, but I got caught up on my BBC and American dramas and totally forgot. If it hasn’t happened yet, I doubt it ever will. Totally cheering on CTH and Uee to do well though in the ratings cuz knowing how hard they work, they deserve the honor.

Will get around to watching one day:

Answer Me 1997: read and heard great things about this so I tried one random episode and realized I might need subs for this cuz their dialect is really hard to understand – even more than Joseon talk.

Nice Guy: I love and adore Song Joong Ki, but the makjang was just too much for me to swallow. I need time to forget the premise so I can dive in and maybe keep my head above water so I don’t drown in melo. My mistake the first time was not knowing what to expect and just kept my eyes focused on SJK. Even though he is handsome, that is no way to watch a drama.

Tried, but couldn’t finish for whatever the reason:

Gentlemen’s Dignity: I am a huge Secret Garden fan so same writer and the fact that it was Jang Dong Gun’s comeback to dramaland meant I was going to watch at least the first episode. I should have known a story revolving around four grown men who sort of act like high school boys wouldn’t appeal to me no matter how many more chances I gave it. It just got too depressing to watch cuz I couldn’t get past the wrinkles – counting them, comparing which one has more, which guy looked older, wondering whose bright idea this was to cast these four together, fast forwarding to Kim Woo Bin’s scenes only, etc so after a while, I just stopped. The more I watched the more my crush on JDG faded away. Now there is nothing left so it turns out you can outgrow a crush. You just have to wait till he comes out in a mediocre role that does nothing to improve his career cuz he could have phoned in his performance and it wouldn’t have mattered. Ok that was a bit harsh, but not sure if it was uncalled for. I guess I was holding onto a bit of a grudge. This is the writer for Secret Garden and JDG, a very solid actor –you would think the combination of those two would bring about drama magic. Maybe I should point my accusatory fingers elsewhere like most of the female characters I disliked – with the exception of that wealthy woman cuz some of her scenes were pretty good. I don’t know when, where, or how this drama fell apart for me, but it was early on and walking away from it made sense at the time. Life is too short to be so frustrated over a drama for an hour.

I Do I Do: One day I just realized no matter how much I want Kim Sun Ah to be good in this, after a certain point you need to wave that white flag and admit it’s never going to happen. The story was shallow to begin with and it pretty much stayed that way and no amount of wishing it would get better was going to change that. Going to chalk this up to her maybe wanting to wear great looking shoes so much she agreed to do this drama for a replica of that shoe closet to take home for her own. That would be my only incentive to play this character.

I love Lee Tae Ri: I heard great things about it so I checked it out and then realized it would never make any difference if I stopped watching so I did.

May Queen: I managed to watch some earlier childhood episodes while fighting off sleep and boredom and just knew I would never make it to the episodes with the cast grown up. I blame the whole shipping story line cuz nothing puts you to sleep faster than staring at a scene overlooking a busy harbor repeatedly on every episode.

Wild Romance: I love LDW so I really tried, but his crazy hair and her unruly mop of a hairstyle just made me pull mine to look like theirs.

A drama that made me realize I need to play more puzzle games to improve my memory cuz I nearly forgot to mention it:

K-Pop: The Ultimate Audition: I almost forgot about this little cable drama until I realized why. They ended abruptly cuz of low ratings. Not the best way to exit, but at least while it was on, some of us felt entertained and tuned in. Looking back on it, I have no idea why, but it may have been just the curiosity to watch how Micky’s little brother does in his own drama as the lead.  I think where the drama failed was cuz it took a premise that has been overdone and tried to turn it on its head, but all they did was make people dizzy cuz we felt like we were watching it upside down. Just the fact that I remembered watching it should count for something.

Never wanted to watch and highly unlikely I ever will:

Full House 2: The off beat fashion and nutty hairstyles proved to be too much of a turn off for me. If it’s good, you shouldnt have to sift through so much nonsense to get to it. I need the dramas to work hard to get my attention – not the other way around.

Dream High 2: more like “Nightmare High” cuz judging from some clips I saw, that was some terrible acting. Sort of hate they used the same name cuz it tarnished it.

No attempts to watch these: Take Care of Us, Captain, Light & Shadow, What’s Up, Padam Padam, History of the Salaryman, Dowager Queen Insoo, Color of Woman, Bachelor’s Vegetable Store, Love Rain, Feast of the Gods, I need romance 2012, Fermentation Family, The Equator Man, Dr. Jin, Ghost, Operation Proposal, Five Fingers, You Who Rolled In Unexpectedly, Haeundae Lovers, Standby, Vampire Idol, Oohlala Spouses, Horse Healer, Vampire Prosecutor 2, The Chaser, The Great Seer, My Daughter Seo Young, King’s dream, Rascal sons, My Love Madame Butterfly, Can We Get Married.

In closing, I just wanted to add that my blog turned two on November 7th and I had this whole special post planned replete with more gorgeous cake pictures, but after Faith ended, I took a short break from recapping and time got away from me. I caught up on my neglected American and British dramas and didn’t go anywhere near a Korean drama for weeks. It’s been so long since I watched shows without translating so I must admit, I ended up stepping back from Kdramas for longer than I intended. What brought me right back was a Kdrama that kicked my emotions around and left me reeling just from its first impression alone. That was around the time 170 episodes of “I Live in Cheongdam-dong” floored me so much I had a hard time getting back up. It was just the jump start I needed to realize just how much I loved recapping. The whole time I kept wanting to post and share ideas I had about the episodes.

Even though I didn’t celebrate with an actual cake and candles, that didn’t stop me from making a mental wish and it happened to be JW related. In one of his past interviews, he mentioned making an album on his list of agendas so I hope that gets moved up sometime soon. Either that or he sings one or two song on the OST for his new drama. More than that, I want him to film one of those travelogues. So far I watched Kim Bum traveling solo in London and SJK traveling through Australia and Japan alone. Kim Bum’s trip was sort of dull cuz he just doesn’t have that skill for charming the camera and felt more like a fashion show cuz he kept changing outfits, but SJK’s trips were amazing – especially his trip to Japan.  A small film crew follows them as they narrate about their lives, thoughts, experiences, but more importantly they share some very personal stories about their families, past loves, and friends. The whole show feels like an intimate trip with someone you just met and you grow closer as the trip progresses. I would literally kill to see JW film one of those cuz I bet he would open up a lot more than he should and probably giggle about it as the last scene fades out. I say he should travel through Europe or go backpacking cuz he seems more outdoorsy. I would watch that show in a new York minute and translate every word. I wonder how many candles on the cake I need to blow out to make that happen.