#looking like an early 2000s kdrama lead

[taroddori]

the longer hair suits him so much

[chaos0pikachu]

Your post reminds me of the early 2000s when people were speculating on which Disney Channel and Nickelodeon actors were actually together IRL (which is weird enough to speculate on the romantic lives of children) and how crazy the tabloids were in general back then when it came to actors personal/romantic lives.

I think people in Western culture tend to downplay the prevalence of that behavior nowadays because it’s not as front and center as it used to be but it does still happen and a lot of the time it’s still used by studios to promote their shows. Definitely not a phenomenon unique to Asia.

Omg you just made me remember the Lindsey Lohan, Hilary Duff, Aaron Carter 'love' triangle that existed back then lmaoooo what a time

I do think western fans, particularly ones in BL/GL fandoms, are so hyper focused on those fandoms/sub-fandoms they either don't pay attention to what's happening outside of those fandoms or don't know general media history. I don't blame~~ ppl for this fandom is ultimately a hobbyist space first and foremost, but I do think it can lead to damaging assumptions about non-American/British cultures and a prevalent belief that these types of occurrences only happen in BL/GL fandoms which can - and has in my observations - lead to some xenophobic beliefs about East Asian cultures in general.

This is a bigger problem in general of xenophobia when it comes to consuming and/or engaging with non-white/non-american media like this belief that Korean media isn't horny in general isn't just something I see BL fans saying but also ppl who watch romance kdramas b/c that's their main focus, romance kdramas not Korean media in general. Which is vast and varied, and exists beyond Crash Landing Into You, Guardian, Squid Game and Parasite

(sidenote, everyone knows Bong Joon-ho for Parasite but his filmography is varied and amazing, The Host is such a clever subversive of a B monster movie and Snowpiercer is probably one of my fave films of all time and Chris Evans best on screen performance to date)

Like, I see folks saying "shipping" a lot when it comes to fans believing idk Mew and Gulf were irl dating when in my fandom experience that shit was called "tin hatting" b/c it was a conspiracy. There was a fine line difference between ppl who like just enjoyed and liked Dom and Elijah's friendship and wrote silly (even if it was sexy) fanfic about them and the ppl who literally stalked Elijah to a gay bar once b/c they legitimately believed Dom and Elijah were in a secret romance. Like way to much fandom shit, Jared and Jensen also popularized tin hatting or rather their fandom did. J2 crawled so Larries could fucking RUN. Back in the days of LiveJournal there were anon communities that had threads with 1000s of comments about how Jared and Jensen were secretly in a relationship b/c omg look at the way they act at cons! They're so touch-feely! They make innuendo jokes!

We'd call this "fan service" with a Thai acting pair and I would argue that's what Jared and Jensen were doing, fan service just in the early 00s. Idk if they still do this at cons I don't follow SPN anymore but you saw the same comments about like the 1D members. In my experience I would argue western tin hatters of western celebs are worse than what I see from BL fans even with the "fan service" or whatever b/c there's a sense of heightened conspiracy think involved. And again, it's not just for same-sex couples the actors for Outlander have been harassed by tinhats for almost as long as the show has been on (so like 8-ish years). At the height of the popularity for Scandal tin hats were saying Kerry Washington's baby was gonna come out light skinned "proving" it was her white costars (for those who don't know Kerry is a Black woman and her husband is a Black man, her former costar is a white man).

idk where I was going with all this but like, this isn't something specific to Thailand or Korea etc it's not even something specific to same sex pairings. I would argue Thailand's just learned how to monetize off people's already pre-existing lack of boundaries towards public figures.

[mejomonster]

So Lee joon gi was amazing in Flower of Evil, I realized he's in 2 other kdramas I'd considered Watching - Moon Lovers and Scholar Who Walks The Night. So guess what's way higher on my list now?

Also I Did start Moon Lovers. I enjoyed the individual scene pacing, it felt good like you could keep attention then it would end at a good break point, so for someone with short attention like me (where kdramas are a struggle cause i can usually do 20 minutes of focus or 40 minutes with a halfway break but kdramas tend to be 1-1.5 hours) it helped a lot. Also the eps were only 1 hour versus 1.5. It didn't capture my attention like Flower of Evil or Beyond Evil so I couldn't focus super well, but definitely one of the better paced things I've seen recently! Especially since it's not my ideal genre so it was fairly solid to keep my attention, much better at it than King's Affection (which had good premise but got so lost and slow)

1. I love the lead actress, i loved her in Hotel Del Luna, it's cool to see her earlier acting. While I imagine she's not as solid as she'll be in later performances, her core is already there and helps a TON with selling the protagonist as relatable to us the modern person like her and selling the protagonist as a real girl with a past she was running from. I never saw the chinese Scarlet Heart, but I did see Jade Palace Lock Heart (with a similar premise - I loved it) and what that show was missing was a compelling backstory life for the main girl. So it's nice seeing in Moon Lovers even in ep 1 I feel I know her view on her life and situation and love and untrustworthy people already. (Jade Palace Lock Heart likewise to this, worked well because the lead actress did a good job at a realistic modern girl trying to survive and make a life in the time-travelled new place, which is critical, the protagonist has gotta be someone I can connect to for these)

2. My man has EMO HAIR TO RIVAL THEM ALL I love it! It's so Yang Yang Xiaoge! It's so edgy early 2000s! It includes a DRAMATIC DARK MASK how very Shen Wei Black Cloak Envoy of him! To some this will be too cringey or awkward compared to today's expectations, but for me I LOVE a dose of camp in my stuff, I love an anime esque flair of that ever popular mask used in dramas and I LOVE emo hair being fully committed to and gone with in a character design. If ur gonna go emo, screw it, do the full half face hidden right? Commit! And Moon Lovers sure did

3 I noticed our emo man shows up FIRST as far as all the princes go, so I'm assuming he's the endgame love interest. At least he better be ToT. First because I love his acting along with IU so id be super happy for them both to be the most on my screen. Second, because he's the shadier character archetype right now and I love when a show goes with that as the endgame, it's fun. Then also, I wonder if Lee joon gi gets casted often as the almost off-putting cold dangerous man? He clearly brought that to this role, and to his Flower of Evil role in parts. I wonder if it also turns up in Scholar that Walks the Night

4 I actually like all the princes. I'm excited to see more of them. And very worried. I know Jade Palace Lock Heart ISNT Scarlet Heart, but I heard they're similar. And in JPLH the prince the protagonist likes first? He ends up being quite cruel, ruining anyone he uses if it helps him, killing anyone if it helps him. (And hes played by the very hot Mickey He). Since OUR protagonist in Moon Lovers is looking fondly at the married "kind" prince, I'm quite worried he is cruel and since she doesn't know her identitys past life she is not aware of whatever cruelty he might have shown her before. I'm scared (but would also find it fun writing wise) that our kind married prince will be like JPLHs Mickey He prince. Back to the other princes: I like that their personalities are already getting distinguished even though it will take me a while to get all their names more. I think the political plots will keep my attention okay if the start is any indication. Also, oddly, the astrologer actor looks Super familiar to me. I remember liking his acting in whatever else I saw him in, so I'm happy to see him here.

5 all in all Moon Lovers is a Strong Start for me! Liked the episode a lot for a first one!

[baenxietydad]

An Incomplete List of Kdramas Mu-yeol Makes Hatter Watch With Him

@davidhatter

He tries to avoid anything from like .... pre-2017 if he can help it bc HOLY misogyny and toxicity from these male leads Batman, but sometimes a show is either A. GOOD, B. iconic staples for the genre; or C. so awful he must subject him to it.

This list only has some of the good dramas lmao

Her Private Life

A cute romcom! He started him off with this one. It includes some classic kdrama tropes: memory loss of a specific traumatic event, childhood connection, rich man not rich woman, long-lost brothers. It's cringe and camp enough to be a good primer for K-dramas-- it's good, great even, but not so good that it ruins every drama after it. But it also does avoid a lot of the most annoying and cringe tropes, things that an avid drama watcher might eat up but not good for a first look into the genre. The leads, Park Min-young and Kim Jae-wook are two of Mu-yeol's favorite actors so it's worth it just for them. Also, it goes into fangirl culture and idol fandom which, fan culture IN Korea is it's own interesting subculture that he can use the drama to explain that aspect to him.

Vicky said Hatter's review of it was positive, he had a nice time, which means now Hatfish watch dramas together lmao. Mu-yeol explained that after HPL there were five plans of attack for first-time drama watchers he explains to Hatter:

A. you like the lead actor a lot, so you watch something else he's in (Crazy Love, Marry Me, Mary, or for a small role when he was younger Coffee Prince)

B. you like the lead actress and want to see her in something else (Healer, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, Forecasting Love and Weather, Marry My Husband)

C. you liked the second male lead (Eun-gi's actor) and want to see a drama where he gets the girl (See You in My 19th Life)

D. "we go to Netflix or Viki and watch the first thing that I've seen before and liked" (Crash Course In Romance, Jealousy Incarnate, Flower of Evil, When The Camellia Blooms, It's Okay That's Love, Oh My Ghost, Twenty-five Twenty-one, Reply 1988)

E. "we go to Netflix or Viki and watch something I haven't vetted yet for cringe level"

Crash Course In Romance

A cute romcom about middle aged people falling in love! Also there's a serial killer subplot lol happens a lot, you and Hatter will get used to those in K-dramas. The female lead is a single mom! Well, tech aunt but that's HER CHILD she raised her!

Jeon Do-yeon is a cutie, amazing as the female lead and Jung Kyung-ho as Choi Chi-yeol is so pathetic (affectionate, highest praise.)

Reply 1988

This is one of Mu-yeol's favorite dramas! Anything set in the late 80s-early 2000s is so nostalgic for him. This is a great period piece for 80's South Korea. It also delves lightly into the political turmoil at the time which he'll happily pause to explain to Hatter in more detail. It's his favorite in the Reply series, even though he really enjoys Reply 1994 and Reply 1997 too, which he eventually makes Hatter watch but not all back to back.

The song that open's Reply 1988, To You by Shin Hae Chul is like one of the most iconic Korean songs. Your cat knows this song if you live in Korea lmao. It's so beloved that EXO, a current K-pop group (well 3rd gen but still active) performed it a few years ago and this massive audience of people who were not around in the 80's when it came out were screaming and singing along, so ofc Hatter had to listen to the whole song too lmao. Just getting a full Korean pop culture history lesson.

Prison Playbook

UGH Prison Playbook is so GOOD. It stars the male lead from Crash Course In Romance alongside Park Hae-soo, one of the leads from Squid Game. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it's about friendship! It's about family! UGH!!!!

Twenty-Five Twenty-One

Another one that is SO GOOD. This one deals with the 1997 IMF Crisis that rocked Southeast and East Asia. Mu-yeol has detailed memories of this time period and explains what that time was like as he observed it while they watch this. It's a drama with a bittersweet but realistic ending, it will rip your heart out it will make you laugh, it's everything.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

Another romcom! This time with a proper happy ending! But not without ripping your heart out too :):):) Gongjin is giving Swynlake lmao Mu-yeol thinks Hatter will really like it.

Jealousy Incarnate

Now, this is MY favorite drama. I've watched it 6 times straight through. It's so good and the description doesn't do it justice! I love Gong Hyo-jin but find a lot of her characters frustrating and just not good characters despite her being a great actress. But this drama gives her an interesting character!

And the soundtrack? AMAZING.

Youth Of May

Another drama that takes place in the 80s! This one is centered around the Gwangju Uprising which happened the year before Mu-yeol was born. This one is really good for Mu-yeol pausing to explain history lmao but oh my god this drama is UGH I loved it, he loved it.

When The Camellia Blooms

Another Gong Hyojin vehicle! She's a single mom! Good drama for explaining several aspects of Korean culture, stigmas, norms, etc around single parents, orphans, the concept of your fate affecting people around you.

Welcome to Samdal-ri

I'm watching this one right now. I like it a lot!

It's Okay, That's Love

One of the only sympathetic portrayals of schizophrenia I've seen in media ever. EVER. And the soundtrack of this drama? One of the best.

Also D.O. from EXO is in it!

Love To Hate You

A good palatte cleanser after some heavier dramas. Not the silliest of silly romcomc but a romcom nonetheless. Also Kim Jihoon and Yoo Teo are hot!!!

This scene lmao

Money Heist: Korea

Based on the Spanish show, also slaps. Mu-yeol finally gives Hatter a Manly TM show to watch after making him watch romcoms. A dudebro show, as a treat. Except it's actually really good!!! and it's got hot middle-aged men (Kim Ji-hoon, Park Hae-soo) for them to look at!

Hell Is Other People

It's homoerotic, it's got Lee Dong-wook, it's got serial killers, it's got homoerotic serial killers, what more do you want?

Touch Your Heart

A cute romcom! Yay!!!

But honestly, Mu-yeol thinks Lee Dong-wook's chemistry is...kinda wack with women. His on-screen chemistry playing opposite other men like in Goblin, Bad & Crazy, and Tale of the Nine-Tailed and Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 is SO good, but to him (and me) it tends to fall flat with women.

He's cute here with Yoo In-na though!!! But in Tail of The Nine-Tailed his best scenes are with Kim Bum lmao

Summer Strike

It's just so good!!!

[arizona-trash-bag]

felt like rewatching the first korean movie I ever saw - my little bride (2004, dir. kim hojoon)

man, back in those days kdramas and movies were hard to get your hands on. there were no official sources, fansubs were always a crapshoot, and if I wanted to own something i’d have to wait for a china trip to get a physical copy. I remember coming across this dvd in a random video store in my dinky little hometown and being elated.

the plot is pretty simple - arranged marriage, hijinks ensue. one thing that I appreciated on rewatching though is how the gender roles are reversed in the development of their relationship - bo eun is the one who does whatever she wants and sangmin quietly looks out for her and plays the self sacrificing spouse role.

man, i’m obsessed with moon geun young. I was already a fan from autumn in my heart (THE og classic kdrama❤️), and she freaking owned this movie. she’s just so good. she has so much range, and she nails it every time. her knack for physical comedy is insane, she portrays the cheeky teenage girl character so well. all her cute little mannerisms in this are super naturalistic and charming. I miss her doing comedy, I really do.

kim rae won also gets to work his comedy chops here, and acquits himself admirably. I have no idea what he’s up to now, but I remember when he was one of the Hot New Things. this made me feel super old - the realization that my contemporaries are part of the previous generation of pop culture now🥲

also wow shin se kyung is stunning in this. they put a little too much makeup on her for my taste, but man she’s just so pretty. no surprise she went on to become a leading lady.

watching this sent me on a massive nostalgia trip. the 2000s was when the hallyu wave was really starting to peak, and so many mainstays of k-ent were formed during this era. the music, fashion, actors, story tropes, all of it reminded me of how exciting it was to be a k-ent fan at the time. the internet made everything accessible to the west, and I remember going on the d-addicts forums (now there’s a name you haven’t heard in a while!) every day to gush about the popular new shows. veteran actors like hyun bin, song hye kyo, song seung heon etc were just getting their breakout roles. looking back, it’s insane how far we’ve come and how much k-ent has proliferated. I appreciate the ability to just pick up my tv remote and netflix any new kdrama, but i’ll always have fond memories of those early years.

[5558rosatorresospino]

+ SUBCULTURES +

South Korea has 3 main subcultures that have the biggest influence in their current society:

The term Ulzzang translates as “beautiful”. These subcultures appeared when in South Korea, a group of beautiful people in the 2000s started uploading their photos to their related websites, social media, or blogs; after that, they started running contests both online and in real life to choose the best ulzzang. This subculture not only relied on the internet but many of them gained popularity in school for being attractive, there have been cases where ulzzangs get chances to be on television or in kpop groups due to their popularity. For you to become an ulzzang, must-win fame online and participate in a contest with your photos where the people that follow you on any social media must vote as if they are your fans. These people usually follow the standards of beauty in South Korea which are difficult to achieve and tend to spend a lot of money on plastic surgery like rhinoplasty or to increase the incision of the eyes, they also spend money on treatments to increase their skin condition. They care a lot about their looks because in South Korea, being pretty is synonymous with being healthy and wealthy, so it's really important to be beautiful. Also in Korea, beauty is determined by the whiteness of the skin due to colorism, these leads to ulzzangs protecting their snow-white skin by wearing special face masks, large hats, and also covering all parts of their body when they go to work on the streets, their skin is also carefully lightened with creams. That is why Korea doesn't have solariums.

Webtoon is a direction of Korean comics in a digital format, like anime but with different styles of drawing. They are readable on smartphones and have a huge army of fans which made webtoons a subculture in South Korea. Koreans of all ages like to read webtoons so they can be found at every step: subway, bus, street, even school. Korean webtoon contains pictures, music, and animation and many of them become series or movies with real people, examples of these are when the popular webtoon "True Beauty" became a kdrama and was broadcasted in 2020 with the well-known actor Chan Eunwoo as one of the protagonists (which was the original inspiration for the main character's physique in the webtoon). Liking webtoons has become a trend and many Koreans follow the weekly releases of their favorite history.

The unique musical style that has the industry of Kpop became a huge subculture and spread beyond Korea gaining multiple fans all around the world. Many people think that due to K-pop, fans come to SK as tourists after been influenced by the Hallyu Wave. The Korean Wave (Hallyu) is a Chinese term which, when translated, literally means “Korean Wave”. It is a collective term used to refer to the phenomenal growth of Korean culture and popular culture encompassing everything from music, movies, drama to online games and Korean cuisine just to name a few. Since PSY’s Gangnam Style in 2012, Kpop has been a widespread subculture internationally. However, Kpop has long been influential in Korea and the surrounding Asian countries as the mainstream popular culture in the East since the early 1990s.

[tomorrowsdrama]

Give me your romance drama recs / drama update

I’m in the mood for a romance drama but am kind of stumped on what I should watch, so PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR RECS!  It can be kdrama, jdrama, cdrama (just maybe not contemporary cdrama since those really aren’t my bag), whatever.  Or even a period English piece.  I’m watching Do You Like Brahms? and really enjoying that so I wouldn’t mind something similar.  Of course, I am also down for something more adult/steamy.  Dysfunction is fine but it needs to have a happy ending.  I guess I’m feeling kind of sappy.  The key is that I want to swoon/feel those butterflies.  

To kind of give you an idea of what I’ve watched/am watching:

Currently Watching

Do You Like Brahms? - LOVE LOVE LOVE.  Slice of life and sweet romance done right.  When Song Ah and Joon Young smile at each other, I smile along with them.  Adorable and sweet without being twee.  An undercurrent of melancholy without being morose/a kill joy.

My Beautiful Bride - I’m loving this and highly recommend it for anyone who likes thrills, action, and a HOT  male lead single-mindedly devoted to his otp, who will go to the ends of the earth to be with her.  He literally lives only to make his otp happy.  While his love for her is what drives the plot of the story, this isn’t necessarily a romance drama.  I mean, sure, I swoon and my heart flutters when I see him beat a group of gangsters to a bloody pulp with nothing but his fists and a key.  And trust me when I say my hormones rage like crazy whenever he’s onscreen.  But I’m looking for a more ordinary kind of love story to add to my roster of dramas.  My Beautiful Bride is like two straight shots of the strongest whiskey in a shady dive bar - it’s intense, exciting, and totally gets me amped up.  However, sometimes I need a break from the Johnnie Walker and slight sense of danger and want a nice, soothing, cup of warm tea instead. 

Cruel City/Heartless City - So I know I just said I needed to mellow out my current watch list but I just LOVE this drama.  It’s got a great otp but again, its main focus is not romance.  Although, it does have one of the hottest kiss scenes in recent years.  If you thought Jung Kyung Ho was nothing but a lanky, beta, weenie, this drama will totally change your mind.  Plus, this is a re-watch so I don’t have to pay attention to everything.

Finished

Flower of Evil - I fully expected to not like this drama before it started because of the terribly misleading promos.  The only reason I checked it out was because I liked Moon Chae Won and Lee Jun Ki.  And boy am I glad I did!  I love me a devoted otp who also stop to take the time to make out.  The way Ji Won saved Hyun Su by just being herself and loving him and the way Hyun Su devotes his entire life to taking care of Ji Won and being a good husband to her - *chef’s kiss*.  OH, also, Kim Ji Hoon’s glorious long hair.  

My Unfamiliar Family - I don’t usually watch family dramas, but this was a nice little surprise.  The romance was sweet.  The healing family trauma aspect was heartwarming and done very well.  Not overwrought at all.  Some of the red herrings/misleading endings threw me a loop but overall, I enjoyed how they resolved the misunderstandings and conflict.  The re-discovery of love between the parents was nice to watch.  Really easy and enjoyable watch with a great slowburn friends to lovers pairing.  I identified with the female lead a bit too much sometimes heh.  Fun fact: The actor playing the dad also played the king in The King and the Clown who was obsessed with Lee Jun Ki’s character.

Dropped

When I Was the Most Beautiful / When I Was the Prettiest - This drama was so disappointing, it kind of upset me to be honest.  The first two episodes started off so promising.  My early 2000s dysfunctional jdrama with questionable teacher/student relationships loving ass thought I was finally getting a return to the good ol’ days (before anyone says anything, no, I do not condone teacher/student relationships in real life).  I mean, they had Ji Soo, the king of playing high school students with impossible one-sided crushes who you want to root for, playing a high school student with a one-sided crush on his art student-teacher.  We also had renowned hottie Ha Suk Jin playing his older brother and Im Soo Hyang playing the woman in between the two hot brothers.  It had all the makings of a wonderful throwback to the old school dramas. But instead, we got stuck with whatever the hell this drama is.  Anyway, disappointing!

The Merchant: Gaekju - I love Jang Hyuk.  I love sageuks.  I love Jang Hyuk in sageuks.  But this story just wasn’t working for me and there was not enough shirtless Jang Hyuk to keep my attention.

Kinda Watching On/Off

Me Too, Flower!  - An old drama that I randomly picked up because I wanted to watch something with Yoon Shi Yoon.  I am only watching this because of the Yoon Shi Yoon-Lee Ji Ah pairing because frankly, the rest of the drama kinda bores me.  Something I put on after work when I don’t want to be too involved/don’t need to concentrate too much.

Angry Mom - I started re-watching portions of this drama because of how pissed off I was about When I Was the Most Beautiful and the disappointment I felt when I foudn out Kim Hee Sun was playing Joo Won’s mom instead of lover in Alice (although from the looks of the posts in the tag, maybe she’s gonna be both? hahaha).  This is Ji Soo’s break out role and for good reason.  His crush on Kim Hee Sun’s undercover high school student mom is adorable and not creepy at all because (1) He doesn’t know she’s an ahjumma (a bit of suspension of disbelief is required for this drama because no matter how great KHS looks, high school student she is not); and (2) it’s completely one-sided and not reciprocated by KHS at all.  Sigh, I just want to watch KHS in a hot noona romance and Ji Soo in a good romance where (1) he gets the girl and (2) the plot is not completely asinine.

Stopped Watching but Really Need to Return to 

Ever Night S1 - Ok, I literally have less than 10 episodes left of this drama but for some reason I keep on putting it off.  I have a real problem finishing dramas I love.  Aside from the fact that I get easily distracted and hop from one drama to the next quite often, I think it’s also because I don’t want the drama to end.  I know there’s a second season, but it just doesn’t seem the same.  Anyway, I should just buck up and finish this drama already.

Novoland Eagle Flag - I took a break because the angst was just non-stop and I needed something a bit lighter. 

Six Flying Dragons - I binged like 10 episodes one day and took a break to give my poor eyes and brain a rest.  Then, in true me fashion, I got distracted by some other drama and now I can’t remember where I left off.

Mr. Sunshine - I love Lee Byung Hun as an actor and I am also a big fan of Byun Yo Han.  This is also the hottest Yoo Yeon Suk has ever looked to me.  But I kind of lost interest when it became apparent that all three male leads were going to be in love with the female lead.  I like the female lead just fine but it’s kind of annoying how everybody is in love with her.  I know this is a quality drama but honestly, I don’t think I will return to this unless I have nothing more interesting to watch. 

[theoptimisticdaydreamer]

The King: Eternal Monarch is halfway over and to say these past eight episodes have been a struggle would be an understatement. Am I keeping up with this drama week-by-week, watching as soon as a new episode is uploaded? No. Even watching an entire episode all the way through was difficult. So I stopped. 

The only way I am even keeping halfway interested in this drama is skipping over any scenes featuring Lee Gon and Tae Eul together and Lee Gon and Tae Eul individually. Not surprisingly, the watch time is more than cut in half as a result but is way more palatable.

The drama is at its halfway mark so in the traditional (and logical) sense of drama pacing, the “foundations” have long been developed. How a drama lays the foundations for the plot and for each of the characters determines not only audience interest in the show in general but for each character. You screw up the foundations of the drama, it is hard if not impossible to recover.

And that is what TKEM did which is probably why so many people have dropped it and why the ratings keep falling.

The foundations they most ruined were the foundations of the main characters and the main relationship.

First and foremost, THIS PLOT DID NOT NEED A ROMANCE. It can stand on its own without one. The drama could stand on its own if they could also FOCUS ON ONE PLOTLINE instead of a million and five.

Second, this romance is perhaps the most lackluster romance I have seen on a drama in quite some time. The leads possess absolutely no chemistry whatsoever and it really drags the entire drama down (especially considering they take up a ridiculous amount of the runtime). What the successful kdramas with out of this world premises had in common was phenomenal chemistry- the chemistry really carried the show. TKEM lacks main lead chemistry which makes the romance they try to shove down the audience’s throats considerably more forced and really unenjoyable to watch (every second is GAG-WORTHY). As a result I don’t give a whit about this “romance” and take glee in skipping every scene they have together.

Did the actors not participate in a chemistry test? Because chemistry tests need to be a thing to avoid dumpster fires like this one.

Moving on to the main characters themselves- Lee Gon and Tae Eul. Neither of them are likeable.

Lee Gon looked promising for 0.00005 seconds (his initial scenes with Jo Yeong) and then my perception of him soured. He has approximately 2 facial expressions and wears a consistent smirk on his face with a “I know everything already” attitude. He consistently talks down to everyone around him and chases after this girl who he is infatuated with simply because he had her photo for 25 years. NO. He is a terrible king and an asshole of a person. He also seems to have had zero character development in eight episodes. Also would it kill him to care about the people who have been there since the start (Court Lady Noh, Jo Yeong) and put them above a girl he barely knows.

Tae Eul is the female lead that I was cautiously optimistic about. Safe to say the optimism is gone. Her personality seems straight out of a early 2000s female lead catalog where being a consistent bitch and overall unpleasant was the only way a woman could be strong and being callous was “spunky��.It was enjoyable when she took out the criminal with a roundhouse kick to the head in the beginning episode but it became seriously annoying after eight straight episodes. Not only that, she treats the people around her terribly and she consistently has the air about her that everybody is just wasting her time. Her attitude just rubs me wrong and every scene with her in it is currently rendered unwatchable. 

They chose the actors for Lee Gon and Tae Eul based upon their star factor and the hype that both of them being paired in their comeback drama would receive and it was a MISTAKE. Having the plot centered around these lackluster annoying one dimensional characters and flat acting when the supporting cast had so much talent was a lost opportunity.

Because Tae Eul, Lee Gon, and their relationship rubbed me wrong during the foundational development of the drama, I can’t like them. The emotional attachment and interest is gone, that bridge is burned.

Then we have Prime Minister Koo. Who had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. But we again are going all stereotypical early 2000s where women in power were simply power hungry evil witches. Ulgh.

Part of me wonders when exactly this script was written because these characters are very dated in their characterization and it just is not enjoyable to watch.

Woo Do Hwan and Kim Kyung Nam are carrying this drama on their backs and if this drama gets any awards- it should go to them.

Currently I watch primarily for Jo Yeong and Jo Eun Sup (IF EITHER OF THEM DIE I WILL RIOT).

This drama was certainly overhyped with absolutely terrible pacing and is on the verge of being dropped every week.

Maybe, when enough time is passed I will actually properly watch this drama. Maybe not.

[popculture-etc]

Kenny Rogers, Adam Schlesinger,...coping with 2020

Worst year ever although there were some good.

It’s too early yet for me to do a quick look back on what 2020 is like here as we’re only going to be in the first of December tomorrow (it’s Nov 30 here) but I just have to as two losses this year broke me. Kind of, well, especially the second one.

You see, before East Asian pop, Jpop and Kpop, Western pop culture was my thing. It still is and this pandemic has made me go back to that recently starting with...the Beach Boys (their westcoast sound caught me, hook, line, and sinker and I wasn’t very fond of the Beatles to begin with...to be completely honest) I’m currently chillin’ to right now, as I write this post. I’m really weak to the westcoast sound. Beach sound/s in general, rather. I’m a big fan of the beach where nature goes, for one. Since some time, a few years ago, deep chill and tropical house music has been my go-to when I want to chill or calm myself down after an outburst of sorts and I put them on when I just feel meh, especially on Fridays. When I dream of being by the sea, the beach or in some island on my own. I live in a country with a lot of beaches and the Visayas here is basically island region Philippines, lol. Like most people, I listen to music according to mood just like the way I dress according to mood. And...it’s no wonder, really that I’m so into the Beach Boys now. RIP the Beatles. My dad played some songs of theirs on the guitar or so but the hold they have on me waned later on and I just think now how overrated they were back then. They did have good songs but when talking of good music, as in really good that it retains the same sound style or so, it’s the Beach Boys for me. Brian Wilson is the man despite his issues and personal struggles.

Anyway, we’re going quickly off tangent. I’ll save the Beach Boys fangirling for another day. lol.

I grew up with western pop culture rife all around me thanks to my American, cowboy country and folk music listening dad, my Carpenters-loving mom and then, college-aged aunts who’d made me see the Titanic film more than my fingers could count---the third is clearly an exaggeration but well...some of it is true and they were why I got into American films like Pretty Woman (we have this in good ol’ VHS in our family home, my grandparents’ in Jasaan), Mannequin, Ghost etc. in the late 80s, coming into the early 90s. So, tired of all the kdrama and uninteresting kvariety shows on tvn and the rebranded local channel, Kapamilya (long story for what we formerly know as ABS-CBN, the nation’s a mess right now and our gov’t’s just...ick!), I’d retreated to my cave and got into old tv shows I’d watched as a kid instead like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed and it’s been, well, moving on from there. I’m checking out Twin Peaks later. I’ve been watching old Hollywood films too. Some revisits on this include: Casablanca, Gone With The Wind, and especially A Streetcar Named Desire will always and forever be my favorite. Very young and cute and good looking Marlon Brando, ugh. I have some others in the stash which include Bonnie and Clyde I’ll be getting into much, much later, maybe over the weekends and holidays. In sum, I have a long history with western pop culture, especially America’s, more than I have with Japan’s and South Korea’s. The latter being very, very recent so it doesn’t really compare as much.

Let’s get right down to it...

So 2020 had us lose Kenny Rogers to natural causes on March 20 in a hospice and after, Adam Schlesinger to COVID 19 complications on April 1. I know the latter as the songwriter of The Wonders’ That Thing You Do from the film sharing the same song title. I know Kenny Rogers well because my dad listens to him over and over in the car. In pretty much the same way, I know the words to Islands in the Stream by heart and I accept and revere it as one of the best, if not THE BEST country-pop duet songs of all time between Kenny and Dolly Parton...as far as country and pop music in the US of A’re concerned, of course. Miley and Shawn Mendez’s cover of it I’d seen recently was alright but nothing still beats the OG one, as always. With music, it’s just, really always the case.

Kenny departing from us March this year was alright. He was well cared for in a hospice and at the right age too, to leave us and this mess of a world behind for the afterlife. Sounds grim but not really. Heh. He died of natural causes so we know he was at peace and accepted then that his time has come. Fans and long-time listeners of his should also be at peace with this knowledge. I don’t consider myself a fan but since he’s been around so much because my dad plays his songs in the car often, I’m the same. I’ve accepted his passing away early this year. He’s lived his life well and given us good music to listen to should we like to remember him and his works and celebrate his life and legacy doing so.

Schlesinger’s case was way worse because, well, COVID 19. And it’s well...I guess we all saw it coming, me included, that I’d just learned, watching the one of many national English news on ANC that ‘pandemic’ is the word of the year according to Merriam-Webster. Timely, huh? Yep. Predictable, really. Sarcasm noted here.

So if someone ever asks what 2020 was about, we only have to say that according to Merriam-Webster, it’s the global (COVID 19) pandemic. Short, not-so-sweet, succinct, and grim. Yep.

This one, Schlesinger’s case, is something I still find difficult to accept. He was only 52 years old! He was at the prime of his life and had some projects still he was working on at the time of his passing so WHY?! I suppose that’s all of us who followed him and his extensive work on tv, film, the stage and his own band, Fountains of Wayne when we heard news he’s passed away due to COVID 19 complications. It’s definitely me now though I learned of it late. Heh.

To cope with the sadness of losing Schlesinger, gone too soon at 52 years old and with an impressive Hollywood tv, stage, film resume to his name since and his own band’s, Fountains of Wayne (FoW) really good discography, by the way, I’ve been listening to FoW’s Welcome Interstate Managers---all of the contents of said album/record---and That Thing You Do’s OST with the Beach Boys’ Sounds of Summer Best of in between. My favorite song on Welcome Interstate Managers is the sarcastic take on real life as an everyday worker in sales, Bright Future in Sales. As much as I like chill sounds where music goes, I like me some music with lyrics jolting us back to grim reality in much the same way I like films (indies, mostly, or lesser known short and full-length ones) that tackle social issues not frequently discussed in public or so but we are aware are there, still plaguing much of today’s society. I live for cynical, satirical, ironic, and even hyperbolic stuff about real life actually. It may be why I’m so entrenched and attached to the era where we all hated ourselves---the 90s. Although one would say much of that sentiment or feeling did carry itself to the 2000s, though. I don’t know about you, but until now, I still hate or have heavy dislike for myself and everything else around me, especially our gov’t or current admin here in the Philippines, and people in general so I don’t think it ever really goes away. And going off tangent again for the nth time today.

Anyway, my 1996 was That Thing You Do on HBO in our household...on and off along with other 90s films like The Craft, Clueless, Jawbreakers (I think this still plays in Cinemax from time to time) so of course losing Schlesinger also was...rather, is hard. He’s done so much and he was supposed to be working on more and he’s left such a deep mark here for us, avid fans of American pop culture...I suppose, even the casual ones. Aside from his That Thing You Do, I’d also seen Josie and the Pussycats at some point. I don’t remember when, where...though I did watch some episodes of the cartoon on Cartoon Network (CN) so of course, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the film of it as well. He worked on a track or some tracks there, too. 

2020 sucks. COVID 19 sucks. This global pandemic sucks. But at least there’re films, tv shows, music, stage musical plays turned movies (Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick...Boom! is coming to us soon with Andrew Garfield in the lead---I’m wary of Garfield being a forgettable actor since The Amazing Spider Man because Dane Dehaan was what made that for me, to be quite honest so I’m not so sure of him being Jon here and as a self-respecting Larson fan since Rent, I’d rather they casted Neil Patrick Harris/NPH since he was in the London stage for this way back anyway...) to keep us entertained and fine until then. What would it take for ‘rona, and I’m not talking about the American Corona beer here that’s really popular in the west coast, to go away? I, like the rest of you in self isolation or quarantine, tend to think so but I don’t think we’ll have any answer to that until the vaccines are well underway by spring next year. Or at least, that’s what health authorities and scientists tell us anyway. I get reminded of it often in the news and I only tune in to that once in a while now because even that, following that daily, breaks my mental faculties down due to stress and pressure and all and I can’t have that when I still have so much, at the back of my mind, to do.

But anyway, time to conclude this one with one of my favorite The Wonders songs, All My Only Dreams just to end on a good note, better than the last paragraph’s ending at least and to remember Schlesinger as well that we’d lost this year along with plenty others we’d met in passing who’ve also left this world especially due to COVID 19 complications. I know we know a lot of those. For me, it’s a distant relative or family member I’d known since young but don’t have particular fluffy bunny feelings for because of some things that happened between the guy and me growing up in the NCR/Caloocan City to be exact. There’s also my good friend and former co-worker’s only remaining parent, her dad and a few more, I’m sure. So I hope 2021 would be better but I doubt it...very much. It’s still looking pretty dim, grim and bleak from here, where I’m currently standing in 2020.

Before we really end though, COVID 19 is definitely not a hoax. It hasn’t been since the first cases started in Wuhan, China. It’s just, only been getting worse and still continue to claim lives and spread to more people even those at home. So as someone who comes from a household of mostly medical workers or health care workers here, we should really be very careful about and around it. Let’s take the necessary health protocols seriously like wearing a mask out and maybe the face shield too and always keeping the sanitizers, alcohols in our bags among others---hygiene and sanitation, disinfection. It may come off really anal of me and I am not anal (I don’t like people with Type A personalities in the first place, lol...I’m just a very cautious Virgo, really, and a Type X---mix of Type C and D personalities) but seriously, SERIOUSLY, I can’t stress this enough, COVID 19, the virus SARS-COV2, that causes it is real. Very real and once it’s in your system, it can go the fatal, deadly way or just the mild and you’ll recover later anyway way. It’s not picking which people should die next and which should not, really. It’s really just there making a mess of things that are already messy since the beginning. My point being, it’s just better if we don’t spread it or are careful enough not to contract it with following health protocols set by health experts, scientists to help us get by this...pandemic. 

Well here’s to 2020 being over soon and 2021 creeping in on us soon enough. 

P.S.

Billie Armstrong of Greenday upped a cover of That Thing You Do as a tribute to Adam and the youtube live of the Wonders coming together again to pay tribute to and celebrate Adam’s life may still be up on the ‘tube. I have yet to see the latter but enjoyed the former. They are just so...sweet and precious. Ugh. Adam Schlesinger, gone too soon indeed. :(

PPS

Another songwriter/contributor in the TTYD OST passed away last year, too. Rick Elias. Cause of death is brain cancer. I had a friend from college, young and so full of life and dreams, who passed away due to the same thing so I’m kind of aware how this goes. Ugh. Cancer sucks. All of these are just so...sad. Depressing, actually.

[kpopnkoffee]

Drama Review: My ID is Gangnam Beauty

Show: My ID is Gangnam Beauty

Starring: Im Soo Hyang, Cha Eun Woo, Kwak Dong Yeon, Jo Woo Ri

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Episodes: 16

Synopsis: Kang Mi Rae, an insecure middle-schooler, decides to get plastic surgery after being constantly bullied for her looks. When she joins university, she struggles to adjust to her new-found beauty and this is only made more difficult with Do Kyung Seok, her old middle school classmate. Mi Rae’s insecurities dominate the way she looks at others and the way she thinks of herself and this drama is her beautiful journey to finding inner beauty.

Click “Read More” to see my review! ***Potential Spoilers!***

Review: This drama was so heart warming and touching!! I absolutely fell in love with the characters and the journey Kang Mi Rae goes on. This drama is honestly a huge life lesson and I’m so happy I finished it. Though it wasn’t a perfect drama, it made me really happy and I think I would watch it again. Let’s start with the negatives...

Like almost all kdramas, I think this drama also has issues with its pacing, mostly with the reveals/dramatic aspects or plot points. Hyun Soo Ah’s (the second female lead) background was revealed in the last 2 episodes and I thought it put a lot of pressure on the audience to connect the dots. It also made it difficult for me to sympathetic for her when I saw her tragic background only an hour before the show was going to end.

The dramatic climax could also have been paced better and I think putting it in the last hour of the drama was a mistake. A slow reveal of Soo Ah’s background and a build up to Kang Mi Rae’s climactic monologue could have lead to a better ending. I also think this drama’s ending left way too many strings untied. I don’t mean that the open endings were bad, but some endings weren’t even shown. For example, what happened to the relationship between the Do siblings? And the relationship between Kyung Seok and his mom? And the relationship between Woo Yeong (second male lead) and  Mi Rae’s friend? There were just so many aspects that weren’t shown in the end, which made it difficult to digest that the drama had actually ended. Also what on Earth was the point of showing Hyun Jun’s interest in rapping??? That plot point ended in 1 episode and was such a pointless filler.

The biggest negative for me is the lack of screen time of the relationship between Kyung Seok and his mother. We get to see it in the beginning/middle of the drama and then she sort of takes the sidelines and that relationship never fully develops. The relationship between them could have been such a beautiful side-plot and I think the producers really missed out on a good opportunity. You don’t even see the mother and son together in the last episode! It’s so frustrating and I really wish I could have seen more of their relationship blossom.

I think the styling/casting of the female lead was also kind of odd. Don’t get me wrong, I love Im Soo Hyang and I think she’s a fantastic actress. She’s so funny and down-to-earth, but also confident and her skills shone through in this drama. But she looked too old to be a college student. I understand that maybe that was the vibe they were going for since she is supposed to “look” like she got plastic surgery, but I think her hairstyle and the way they did her makeup just made her look artificially old. If they were going for the “mature” look, I think they nailed it with some of the side characters, but Mi Rae looked unnaturally old. I think it’s the hairstyle tbh, cuz she looks so young in other dramas/shows!

Now on to the positives!!

THE ROMANCE!!!! Ahhhhh the romance gave me sooo many feels. I literally felt my heart drop everytime I saw the 2 main leads interact. I definitely did not have Second Lead Syndrome with this drama because the main leads had so much chemistry and such beautiful interactions. Do Kyung Seok only sees people’s inner beauty and Kang Mi Rae can’t help herself from judging/feeling judged for outer beauty. The growth and love between these characters made the scenes so cute and sweet to watch. I honestly fell in love with both of them and was definitely sad I didn’t have my own Do Kyung Seok. The OST (Something in your eyes) made me swoon every single time and I can feel myself blush whenever I hear it.

I don’t think my heart can take any more romance...

The Actors. I tried not to be biased with my review of the actors and I feel like I’m pretty unbiased tbh. I know Eun Woo is a part of ASTRO, but I don’t really stan/listen to their music/follow them so I feel like I can be unbiased. I honestly loved all the actors. I think Soo Hyang was so beautiful and portrayed her role so well. I got annoyed with her character sometimes because of how insecure she was, but this was honestly the most realistic portrayal of insecurities and growth. Eun Woo was fantastic! His cold facade was done so well that I still felt affectionate for him when he was cold. Maybe because he was never really cold to Mi Rae? The transition from a cold, arrogant-type boy to a sweet, loving boy was honestly pretty smooth. I couldn’t even tell that Kyung Seok was acting differently because Eun Woo transitioned in that role so well. It didn’t help that all the actors were gorgeous and so entertaining! Cha Eun Woo’s smile makes my heart stop. I guess if I had to pick one actor that didn’t really make me feel anything it would be Kwak Dong Yeon (Woo Young). Maybe it wasn’t the actor’s fault and it was the producers, writers, or directors, but I just didn’t feel any interest or chemistry in his romance with Soo Hyang. I could snicker at his comedy scenes but I never felt touched with his emotional ones, even the sad ones.

The Morals. This was probably my favorite part of the drama. I felt so touched by the morals in this drama...Suicide prevention, depression, therapy, love, inner beauty, friendship. I mean this was literally the most heart touching drama I’ve watched, which is why the negatives don’t matter as much to me. Romance aside, I think Kang Mi Rae had beautiful character development and I’m so proud of her and happy that she became a confident and happy person. Her dramatic monologue at the climax just made me feel so motivated and inspired to stop thinking of my looks all the time and stop unnecessarily judging others’ looks.

Overall thoughts: This drama was honestly one of the best. It has its flaws, but I feel like they pale in comparison to the romance, the entertainment, and the learning value of the drama. This is how a good drama should be written and produced. The romance, the chemistry, the acting, the comedy, the lessons were so valuable and so touching. Honestly, this drama reminds me of an early 2000s drama without the cringe-fest. I would 100% watch it again (mainly for the romance scenes...)

Rating: 4.5/5

[doramaticbites]

Nihonjinron: Just a couple of thoughts on why Jdramas aren’t as popular as Kdramas

I came across this great thread on quora that includes many great replies about why Jdramas are not as popular as Kdramas. I’d recommend the thread to anybody, but at the same time I’m not on quora so I’m going to give my two cents here.  

First some things I don’t agree with. One user gave a great reply, but in her answer she mentioned two particular points that I couldn’t agree with.  

First, I disagree that Jdramas aren’t doing as well because they are written by men while Kdramas have women writers. Some of Japan’s most popular screenwriters are female and there are plenty of female screenwriters across the broadcasting companies. I haven’t looked into the number of female producers or directors deeply, but they do exist. And active female screenwriters? Most definitely. Not to forget that female screenwriters contributed to the once explosive popularity of Jdramas across Asia. Talk about Getsu9 dramas and it’ll be hard to talk about Kitagawa Eriko as well.

Next, I disagree that Jdramas lack variety. The reality’s quite the opposite! Jdramas cover multiple genres from comedy, romance, crime, mystery, scifi, adventure and etc. In fact, the primary reason why I’m such a fan of them is precisely because they cover a broad spectrum of genres and topics.

Now for the things I agree with. One user, Michael Do gave a brilliantly comprehensive reply and goes in depth on an issue which I think is the most pertinent one as to why Jdramas are not as popular. That is, the lack of accessibility. Japanese companies are notoriously stringent in taking down illegally uploaded videos, which is fair. But in place of these, they hardly ever support legal avenues through which people can potentially watch said shows. Of course, with the increasing popularity of Netflix, we are starting to see more mainstream dramas on legal online avenues, however, most of the offerings are exclusive to Netflix Japan and do not include subtitles of other languages.

On top of that, which is not as discussed, is that in the early to mid 2000s when Kdrama was on the rise, Jdramas were sold at higher rates than Kdramas. As such, given the choice between them, international broadcasting companies were more reluctant to pick up on Jdramas. And as the Korean government and relevant parties made more effort to improve on their dramas, it effectively decreased the demand for Japanese drama.

Both of these I think, is linked to the fact that for a long time Japan never saw the need to look outward – and this sentiment is echoed by a character in one of my favourite dramas, Manhattan Love Story. Manhattan Love Story is a postmodern drama about people who gather in a café. Because the café is right next to a broadcasting company, these characters are all, in some way, connected to the entertainment business. Among them is a popular female screenwriter (probably based on Kitagawa Eriko), who, in a great self-reflexive moment in drama, complains about being given an award by an overseas awards ceremony. She laments ‘I write dramas for Japanese people.’ That, I think, encapsulates the mindset of the main players in the Japanese industry really well.

But why do the Japanese not look outward? Why the lack of motivation to venture overseas for so long? I think an attempt to answer this question has to start with a look at nihonjinron.

Essentially, nihonjinron are theories on what it means to be Japanese. It’s a broad genre that covers sociology, ethnology, anthropology and so on. Historically these texts emphasise how unique Japan is – and how special its position is in the world. Thoughts associated with the nihonjinron include how the Japanese are direct descendants of the gods, Japanese are homogenous (aka, biracial? You’re not really Japanese), that Japanese have their own unique set of thinking and moral values, and that the Japanese are leaders to their ‘backward’ Asian counterparts.

I’m a fan of golden age Japanese cinema directors, and their surprised reactions to the positive reception of their films are well-documented. They didn’t think films made for a Japanese audience could be understood or appreciated by a foreign audience – and that has a lot to do with this concept of a unique identity and way of thinking as Japanese people. In the same way I feel that Japanese execs kind of have a ‘I don’t think these foreign people are actually gonna GET this’. So marketing to an international audience is not the first thing on their minds.

Then I think that this idea that geographically Japan is part of Asia but not really a part of Asia hinders them from expanding. I remember back when people were really interested in Japanese entertainment, early 2000s when Korean entertainment was just starting to make its mark in Asia but not quite the force it is now. Back then you’d be hard-pressed to find any artiste that would want to have a concert in, say, Singapore or attend an Asian awards show. The furthest some would venture to would be Taiwan, which historically has ties with Japan. So the underlying sentiment seems to be, ‘This is an Asian thing – I’m not really part of y’all.’ And the interesting thing is that this thought is so pervasive that as an Asian I too sometimes felt that Japan was kind of unique. But that kind of haughtiness led to their inwardness and downfall.

Lastly I want to talk about the decline of the international Jdrama fandom. Decline of the fandom is due to Japan not marketing its shows outside of Japan, but the decline of the fandom may lead to Japan being unable to market its shows successfully outside of Japan too. Chicken and egg? Yes.

I love Jdramas, I really do, but Japan’s crackdown on fans who devote time and effort into subbing work and growing an international fandom has really hurt its reach. A weakened, wary fandom results in less subbed works, which leads to less exposure – especially when no legal forms of exposure exist. Big TV companies need to start partnering with Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime on a larger scale – allowing them to market these shows to an international audience, if needs be. It’s all about motivation – motivation to adapt, change and explore new methods. I’m slowly starting to become more optimistic as I see the media streaming trifecta (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon) start to produce more interesting originals, but I hope it’s not a case of too little too late. 

What I do know is that there is still a fanbase for Japanese dramas. People like me who adore them, yes, for their uniqueness, for the language, for the atmosphere, for the outlook on community and life, and for the diversity. Japan, please acknowledge us.

[jewlloves2-blog]

My Top 10 Oldie KDrama List: KDrama’s that you should have watched, and better get to it.

10. Innocent Man/ Nice Guy: I’m not much of a melodrama kind of girl but this drama had some amazing writers. This was your typical revenge story that got you confused and frustrated with what the main characters intentions were. I was most impressed with the writing of this screenplay. The dialog between the characters were just so deep and heart wrenching. As a writer and an avid fan of screenplay writing this was like heaven. This storyline in particular played with your heart but you wanted more. More Song Joongki that is. This drama really made me fall in love with Song Joongki and I don’t regret watching such a dramatic storyline.

9. I Really Really Like You: An oldie but a heartfelt story. Country bumpkin meets city boy. The love triangle in here will make you frustrated. I mean what love triangle doesn’t. But I was really frustrated that we were as unsure as to who the main lead was and who second lead was. Thankfully I was satisfied with the end result. Lee Minki was the highlight in the drama, he play a stupid jerk but ultimately a softy at heart. Honestly, if they didn’t have his character I don’t think I would have watched and finished it. I can tell you this, I cried. (Evil laugh as I move on to the next.)  

8. Full House: This is a classic. The all-time marriage contract, living together, celebrity romance story. This drama has a special place in my heart because it sort of inspired me to start writing. Song Hyekyo’s character was a writer and the whole drama was pulled from an online story itself. I was like “I’m going to write my own story and hopefully someone will see it and want to make it a drama too!” Ahhh, what a young mind I had. But seriously I wouldn’t mind seeing this drama being remade because the story is such a classic. But it has to be good. Not like Full House 2. (Such a disappointment…)

7. The King 2 Hearts: Fantasy drama’s like this where there are Kings and Queens are always good. It can come off as cheesy but this one was pretty good with all the political topics. The creepy parts were creepy and the sweet parts were sweet. Han Jiwon’s character was so cute and lovely with a side of bad ass chick, which she always does well. It was frustrating that it took time for Lee Seunggi’s character to love her though when it does start to work out, it’s like the nation just gained another powerhouse couple. The side characters story were good too, especially the sister and bodyguard. Let’s just say there were some water works here too. (Muahahaha…)  

6. City Hunter: I think this might be the only Lee Minho drama I actually like. No, it’s not this might, this is the only one I like with him. This was a melodrama with action. The Korean Robin hood story with a revengeful past. I love romance stories, but I appreciated that this wasn’t so romance heavy and more on the lines of what the actual story is. The hype was real whenever he went to go do his missions and I loved how the detective/lawyer was always one step behind him. Thank goodness there was no love triangles and thank goodness the girl was not always a damsel in distress, just slightly, not all the time.

5. Hogu’s Love: One of my favorites and not too old. Choi Wooshik was the perfect Hogu. I swear I want a boyfriend who would love me just as much as Hogu. His character was just the sweetest and the most loving. This drama also put some serious subject in light, such as rape and homosexuality, which I commend the writers and director for telling a story like this. I mean I would have liked the issue to end certain ways too, but I guess it just showed the reality of society. All in all this drama made me happy and Hogu will always have a special place in my heart.

4. Wild Romance: Lee Dongwook needs to do more dramas like this. He’s a serious actor, but roles like in this drama are so nice to see him play. He is an amazing actor in general. This is a rom-com with a little suspense. The comedy in here made the eerie parts smoother to watch because it would be so funny you forget that it was creepy just a minute ago. I love the main couple together, they make the perfect team. Jessica, former GG member is in here too. And as much as I don’t like her, I don’t like her even more in this drama. Did I forget to mention that some of these characters have mental issues? Yeah.

3. Smile, You: One of my all-time favorite family dramas. This was probably the first 25+ episode drama I had ever watched and it was amazing how much I enjoyed watching it. The story revolves around two families that can’t stand each other but are forced to try to live under one roof. The main couple fall in love unintentionally and stir up more trouble in the house. Of course all the family members have to have a say in the relationship and create even more drama. Your typical overly protective mother in law, ridiculous father in law, and grumpy grandfather.

2. Reply 1997/ Answer Me 1997: As a big time k-pop fan girl I connected to these characters so much it became a favorite. This is such a heartwarming story about friendship, first loves, and growing up. Jung Eunji and Seo Inguk were just the cutest couple ever. They portrayed the perfected besties turned boyfriend girlfriend. Everyone from the friends to the parents where such amazing characters. I loved it so much that it was hard for me to accept the other series, 1994 and 1988, but these writers just have a way with telling such amazing stories that though they were different stories, I fell in love with them once again. I’m not sure if they’ll continue the series. If they do I would love to see an early 2000 story.

1. My Girl: My ultimate favorite drama. A Hong sisters drama. A drama that I can watch over and over again. This was probably the first drama that I ever watched fully and understood. I was about 10 or 11 when it came out. Just the right age to fall in love with Lee Dongwook I guess. Hahaha!! But really, I consider Lee Dongwook my first love. I still love him. This drama made drama real. From the tearful goodbyes to the overly dramatic symphony playing in the background. This was when Lee Junki still looked like a girl and his long hair was prettier then Lee Dahae. The we’re secretly in love, but fake cousins, rich boy poor girl drama. Watch it and see why I love this drama.

Honorable mentions: Goong (Princess Hours), Sweet 18, Dalja’s Spring, My Lovely Sam Soon, Jewel in the Place, Master’s Sun, What Happens To My Family, Creating Destiny