Reply 1994 (2013)

I have already professed my love for TvN's Answer Me 1994 (응답하라 1994), but it doesn't hurt to write a longer and more emotional post about it. The drama faltered a bit in the end, I admit. However, it's still the one drama that stayed with me the longest last year. Trust the team behind the series to churn a heart-warming story of family and friendship that can span decades. The love story may have taken the backseat, but we're still given a drama that's much loved by many of its viewers.

Answer Me 1994 tells the story of the college students renting space in Shinchon Boarding House. These country bumpkins learn to thrive and fail in the big city as they struggle to get through college. They represent what it feels to be confused in their early 20s, as they experience first love, heartbreaks, rejection, unfulfilled dreams, and goodbyes. Once again, the Reply franchise created a series that has the best semblance of reality than any Korean dramas. It's really more of a slice of life drama than anything else.

I cannot count the number of times I clutched my heart and while watching, because I could relate with the characters. Because I felt their pain. Because I felt their confusion. Because I perfectly understood what they're going through.

The series comes out slow but strong in the beginning. The characters are introduced one by one, and I knew from the get-go that I will love each one of them. The strength of the drama lies on how the characters are given their own arcs, how their stories are all fleshed out. It's easy to say that NaJung (Go Ara) is the main character, but this series made it seem like every character is the main one in their own corresponding narratives.

It's difficult for me to write about Reply 1994 without sounding more biased than I actually am. When I love a drama so much, it's easy for me to overlook its flaws. Yes, this series is too long that it comprised quality and coherence. Yes, this series has way too many filler scenes, but I don't mind one bit. Yes, I hate how they waited till the last episode for the husband reveal. Yes, there are way too many similar characteristics with Reply 1997, but I believe the script for 1994 was written first. Yes, my ship sunk but my love for this show didn't.

[SPOILERS ALERT!]

Thursday Readings: 2013 Movies, DBSK's Tense, Heirs, Abs, Abs, Abs, Etc.

Hey everyone! I hope you're having a ~daebak~ 2014 so far! Mine is going well, even though it started in quite a depressing note. But life goes on, so I must continue blogging. Because what else can a fangirl like me do with my time?

It's been a while since the last Thursday Readings so I'm back for more! I've been bookmarking some interesting pieces I've read for the past few weeks. And thankfully this time, I've included articles outside Korean pop culture. (But not a lot! T_T) I guess I need to spend more time reading. Hehehe.

• Tit For Tat's Top Local Movies of 2013 - A list of favorite Filipino movies last year! It's a pretty comprehensive list that includes mainstream and indie movies. I am amazed with the amount of movies he manages to watch every year!
• Pop Reviews Now's DBSK - "Tense" - A pretty good review of DBSK's 7th album. Nicole has her biases, but she always gives objective reviews. This one is thorough in discussing each song, making the listening to the album a lot more meaningful.
• Dramafever's The Heirs Problem - A comics written by the wonderful Nichola from Mykoreanhusband.com. I can totally relate! Hahaha. Check out her blog, too. It's one of the most entertaining blogs I've come across in a long time.
• Beyond Hallyu's Motherly Love: The exploration of Motherhood in Reply 1994 - TvN's Reply 1994 boasts complex character explorations, and this article shows one example of how the drama breathes life to the cast. This reminds me that I have to write my own commentary on the series!
• A Splash of Inspiration's 2013 Women in K-Drama Awards Poll - An ode to all the wonderful women in Kdramaland. They definitely deserve more attention for being kickasses. :)
• Wordsofconfession's Horimiya - An in-depth review of the manga Horimiya! Last year, I got enamored with a handful of mangas, and Horimiya is one of them. It's wonderfully drawn and written. And I'm just so in love with Miyamura, okay.
• Dramafever's The 25 hottest photos from Men's Health's "Cool Guy Contest" - YOU'RE WELCOME.

That's it! I hope you find something that's worthy of reading. I'd love to discover more blogs! Feel free to leave links on articles you also find enjoyable. I'll make sure to drop by and read them.

Have a lovely week, everyone~ (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*

Love,
Janey

The Heirs (2013)

상속자들

The Heirs (상속자들) was the most anticipated drama of 2013. It's also the most overrated. With a star-studded cast and the screenwriter of hits like Secret Garden and A Gentleman's Dignity, it's expected that this drama will garner all the media attention. I will try to make this rant as positive as possible, but this drama disappointed in so many incredible ways.

The story revolves around Cha EunSang (Park ShinHye) who's tired of juggling part-time jobs. She wants to escape her poor life with her mute mother by going to the US to live with her sister. Once arriving in LA, EunSang's surprised to learn that her sister's life isn't so peachy either. After running into some trouble with the police, she meets Kim Tan (Lee MinHo), a Korean teen exiled to live away from home. Even with the short time they spend together, the two find solace and good company in each other. Once meeting again in Korea, they realize that society has more to say about their relationship.

This series was pegged to be the Korean Gossip Girl. It's said to focus on high school students who are inheritors in their own rights. They're basically the generation that will South Korea's economy in the coming years. It sounds interesting enough, because I wanted to see them prove how they'll try to be on top of their games.

I had high hopes that it will not be just another Boys Over Flowers. I've been told that I shouldn't expect too much. But alas, I was disappointed even when my expectations were already low.

Why I'm Loving Answer Me 1994

I usually don't blog mid-series, but Answer Me 1994 is an exception. I knew I would like the series, but I didn't expect that I would love it this much.

There were many doubts from fans before the drama even started. It's the second installment of tvN's Answer Me series. Answer Me 1997 left such a mark that it became last year's most talked about series. People are afraid that 1994 won't live up to its predecessor and it will be just a complete rip-off. But two episodes in, I could already feel like I'll love Answer Me 1994 more.

It's not one with flaws. There are times when I feel like an episode is too long. But if there's one thing this drama knows how to do well, it knows perfectly well how to pull on the heartstrings. It probably has different effects on the viewers, but it resonates with me in so many ways. The characters are 20- year-old students in the series and they're just starting college. I was 19 going on 20 when I graduated from college, but I still felt like I went through the same thing as them.

It was around episode 7 when I realized how in love I am with the show. It's one thing to love a drama, but to fall in love along with the character is not something that happens often. The writing is just so well-written that every scene feels so thought of. There's also a theme in every episode so I just want to applaud the coherence of the series.

I think what makes me love this series so much is that it takes inspiration from real life and make everyday situation something magical, poignant, special. I'm also glad that I took Korean classes this year because it makes me understand the culture a little better. I'm still far from fully understanding, of course. But in episode 10, they made a big deal about the new year. They age a year older every new year and not on their birthdays, so the way Chilbong fussed about midnight suddenly made perfect sense.

We still have 9 episodes left in the series and I'm positive that the writers will sustain its awesomeness until the very end. Besides, I think that even when it gets messy and doesn't give me the ending I want, I'd still consider it as one of the best dramas this year.

Also, you can probably tell who I'm rooting for as husband. ;)

[Drama] Master's Sun (2013)

Master's Sun is the first 2013 drama that I loved from start to finish. This year, I have liked many dramas from the start, but it's only this one that sustained my love till the very end. I was hesitant to watch this series, but I'm so glad I did.

I usually like dramas by the Hong sisters, but Big was such a disappointment I was so scared for Master's Sun. I liked Big at first but ended up getting mad and frustrated the further I got into the story. Good thing that didn't happen for Master's Sun. For this drama, I started with little expectations and came out with so much love for it. Definitely the first drama, and only one so far, that I completely embraced this year.

Tae GongShil (Gong HyoJin) was a normal girl, an achiever in the standard world. But after waking up after three years of being in a coma, she can suddenly see ghosts. She starts to live a life of seclusion to avoid awkward situations in the workplace where ghosts nags at her. Without knowing it, she starts living like a ghost, too. It was a lucky night when she meets Joo JoongWon (So JiSub), the CEO of the Kingdom empire.  She learns that ghosts disappear whenever she makes physical contact with the CEO, and it was the start of a really weird and entertaining relationship.

Master's Sun isn't perfect, but it sure delivers. Every week, I look forward to the development of our two leads. They lead a very platonic relationship at first. There's a sense of necessity in the way they interact. They set clear boundaries that neither should cross. While GongShil is definitely the one that needs more from JoongWon, she still manages to be someone JoongWon can depend on. There's a co-dependency in the two. They eventually learn to use by themselves the strengths they discovered through the course of their relationship.

What I absolutely love about Master's Sun is how we actually see the two falling in love. We get to see why they end up loving each other. The audience isn't treated like idiots who just accept that falling in love is possible in that situation. In Master's Sun, we actually see their relationship progress, grow. It isn't something that happens in an instant. It's not something that happens one-sidedly. It happens at the same time, maybe not in the same degree, but it happens in both of them. What these two have is so beautiful, something that I rarely see in dramas.

(source)

There are so many things going on in this series. There's the horror part since the GongShil can see ghosts. There's the mystery of JoongWon's past in which no one really knows what truly happened in the kidnapping more than a decade ago.  There's comedy all thanks to our winner tandem. There's also everything else. Surprisingly, it doesn't feel too much. There's a bit of everything to keep it interesting, but the drama certainly knows where it's going. The suspense is kept until the very end, though I still feel like the the antagonist isn't played very well.

Usually when dramas have an extension, I brace myself for the worst. Master's Sun jumps through hurdles and makes sure than an extension will do nothing but good for the narrative of the story. Yes, there may be loose ends, but they definitely tidied up the arc of our main couple.

I wasn't a fan of Gong HyoJin before watching this show, but her portrayal of GongShil is so heartfelt, so real, that I ended up rooting for her every step of the way. She definitely is the star of this drama. She's not just Joo JoongWon's taeyang, but the entire show as well. This is probably my favorite So JiSub drama. I'm so used to him just brooding and sulking in a corner. Seeing him in a comic role is quite refreshing! He manages to be so serious but irresistibly endearing at the same time. In his minute body movements, I see his struggles, his pains, and his joys as Joo JoongWon. I was a fan before the show, but I'm definitely a bigger fan now!

Our second leads ended up being adorable, too. Seo InGook plays Kang Candy (I forgot his name in the series!!!) who's GongShil's neighbor and the head of security in JoongWon's mall. There were some questions left unanswered in his role but I am glad that he didn't really pose any disturbances in the development of our lead's romance. If anything, he even plays quite a crucial role in ensuring that the two get together. Also, he glows in this drama.

Master's Sun re-ignited my belief in the Hong Sisters. I am once again looking forward to what they have to offer in the small-screen. Master's Sun sets the bar pretty high when it comes to warmth and character development. We see depth in GongShil and JoongWon, wherein in most dramas we only see  one character who grows throughout the series. So much have been thrown in the way of these two. That's why they certainly deserve such a good series finale.

(source)

Heirs Starts Tonight!!!

Why, hello to this 14-minute trailer of Heirs that starts tonight! I didn't watch it entirely because it already felt like the entire episode! I'm not a fan of spoilers. But do watch it if you want, I saw a topless Lee Minho at around 3:15. Heehee.

First impressions first (ignore the redundancy!):

• I expected a more boisterous Heirs, when it comes to tone and music anyway. Kim Eun-Sook, the writer, is also the one behind Secret Garden and A Gentleman's Dignity. If you've watched either, then you know the writer seems to like obnoxious male lead. Lee MinHo in Heirs seems to be different, which I like! I like bad boys in dramas, but I like softies, too.
• Apparently, many people don't like Park ShinHye when she's crying, but I don't mind. I love how her character isn't squeaky clean like many female characters. She's not that much of a Candy, too!

That's it. I didn't watch further to see the other second leads. Haha.

It's not just Lee MinHo, though. I just watched episode 166 of Running man, and Choi JinHyuk is so kyot! I didn't expect it?! But seriously, he's so cute in the episode, it'll be hard for me to see him as the evil older brother. Ahuhuhu. Also, Woo Bin, saranghe~

I know that many people are getting turned off by the tons of teasers coming out every day. But I'm not, obviously.

So yeah, that's it! I'm excited! I hope the number of exclamation points is enough to prove how excited I am!!!!!!

Fall Dramas: The Heirs, Reply 1994, Basketball

I'm only watching one drama now (Master's Sun), but come October I'd probably be sleeping just an hour a day. Seriously though.

There are three fall dramas I'm excited for in varying degrees! Though more Kdramas means a happier me, I also don't have the time to watch them all. But for the sake of my Korean drama-loving heart, I will make time for them!

☆*･゜ﾟ･*\(^O^)/*･゜ﾟ･*☆

THE HEIRS

It has a much longer title (The One Who Wants To Wear The Crown, Bear The Crown) but I'll stick to the short one. It stars Lee MinHo in his first drama for this year, and starring opposite him is Park ShinHye, a.k.a. the luckiest Korean actress ever. Really though, just look at her list of co-stars and you just want to be her! And now she's teaming up with Lee MinHo. Ugh, so lucky.

(Photo credits)

I have many reasons to watch this drama but mostly because Lee MinHo! Apparently, the screenwriter wrote the role specifically for him. So I'm hoping for great things. I'm hoping for a role that will once again put Lee MinHo at the top of the ladder! I know Faith didn't do that well when it comes to ratings. I want this drama to succeed for obviously biased reasons.

Other reasons for watching this include Woo Bin. Heehee. There are tons of other fresh, young actors and actresses in this drama and I.CANNOT.WAIT. From the title itself, it's about young, rich kids and their plight. Just like what a reader from Dramabeans sad, a Korean version of Gossip Girl. That sounds exciting!

What irks me though is that Park ShinHye plays an ordinary girl. For once, I just want the lead character to be the Queen Bee, the ruler of the school, the jjang, the bitch if you may. I want her to be the richest among the characters. I want the girl to be as cunning as the other players. But alas, this is just like Boys Over Flowers. Well, hopefully not!

My friend said I shouldn't raise my expectations but it's Lee MinHo! I can't help but be excited.

☆*･゜ﾟ･*\(^O^)/*･゜ﾟ･*☆
REPLY 1994
The prequel to the much-loved drama last year is finally here, and it looks promising.
Reply 1994 is set three years prior to Reply 1997 (quick math lol), but it's set in a different town and deals with different characters. It's a different world altogether, but it's helmed by the same people who brought Reply 1997 to the mainstream public. I have high hopes.
It stars Go Ara in a boyish and cutesy role. It's so different from the pretty and feminine Go Ara I usually see! I have no idea how she acts but I won't judge too quickly. Starring opposite her is Yoo YeonSeok (Gu Family Book, A Werewolf Boy). He looks so cute in the poster, whereas I'm not really a big fan. Hmm.

Reply 1994

Unlike in Reply 1997 where they focused on the start of KPOP in Korea, Reply 1994 will focus on another trend during that time: basketball. So it'll be a sports drama, but I'm pretty sure that it will just serve as one of the main themes.

TvN has been delivering one quality drama after another so I don't think it's too much to believe that this one will be good as well. I have no super crush in this drama, and if you know me, you'll know that I only watch dramas in which I like the actors. Haha. But I'll still watch this. 

I seriously cannot wait.

☆*･゜ﾟ･*\(^O^)/*･゜ﾟ･*☆

BASKETBALL

Another basketball drama. And yes it's set on a different time period. And yes it's also form TvN. It sounds a bit buffling on how they can premiere two basketball-period dramas at the same time, but hey, fans like me are still itching to watch.

Set during the time from the Japanese occupation in Korea leading to the division of the two Koreas, basketball will serve as the ray of hope for our lead characters. It will be lead by Do JiHan, a new face in the land of the oppar.

What I love about TvN or cable dramas in general is how it gives chance to new actors and actresses to be the lead in dramas. Basketball will have a bunch of new faces, and it's interesting because it gives cable dramas a raw quality into it. And you see characters as characters alone and not as the actors who play them or the characters they used to play. I'm not sure if I'm making sense?

Anyway, it will be aired the same time as Reply 1994! I'm not sure how that will work. I hope audience will not get confused.

☆*･゜ﾟ･*\(^O^)/*･゜ﾟ･*☆

I'm not sure if I can watch it all while it's still airing, but I'm pretty sure that I'll watch all of it eventually. I work during the day and this week, I started my Korean language class, too. I wonder if I'll still have time for dramas. But hey, I had time for dramas when I was doing my thesis for college! So I'm pretty sure I'll still have time for my oppar.

Monstar (2013)

Title: MONSTAR
Network: Mnet & TvN
Cast: Yong JunHyung, Ha YeonSoo, Kang HaNeul, DaHee, Kim MinYoung, Kang UiShik, Park KyuSun, & Ahn NaeSang

Musical Korean dramas are becoming my favorites and all for good reasons. Monstar is no exception, especially how it partnered amazing music with a tight, heartfelt story. TvN continues to prove that they're the dark horse in the Korean drama landscape, and this time, they partnered with Mnet to do so. Quite a lot of amazing things came out of this series, too!

The drama revolves around SeolChan (Yong JunHyung), a KPOP idol forced to go back to school, and SeYi (Ha YeonSoo), a transferee student from New Zealand. They become seatmates in class and often find themselves in trouble along with the friends they meet in their musical high school adventure.

There are many things to like about Monstar, and one of that is how we're given the chance to really get to know the characters. The story gives us fleshed out characters who aren't stereotypical in this other side of television. In most dramas, we are given three leads to invest in and multiple secondary leads we end up not caring about. But in Monstar, we are introduced to a group of friends who end up forming one of nicest musical ensembles in Korean drama history: Color Bar! These aren't characters just thrown together to form a bad. Each and everyone of them are fleshed out really well. We are given characters with different dimensions that best represent how it feels like to be a teen. There's the difficult friendship, the mistrust, the infatuation, the insecurity, and most of all, the angst! It's difficult not to invest in them, even the ones you might is irrelevant in the group.

Their stories feel so real. There are so many tender moments in this series that will definitely tug at your heartstrings.  They are teenagers who act like teenagers. Though our main lead is a KPOP star, we see more of him as the teenager that he is and not as the star that he claims to be.

At first, I thought I wouldn't like this series. I'm a bit wary of dramas that touch the reality of KPOP idols, because it tends to get superficial. Also, I had a hard time taking Yong JunHyung seriously. He's not my usual type of actor and it took some time to warm up to him. But when I did, I really, really like him. Yong JunHyung surprises by bringing so much character to his portrayal of SeolChan. He could have been just any haughty idol, basking in his popularity. But he made it funny and curiously dimensional, and he's just incredibly entertaining to watch.

I also love the character of SeYi. Here's a girl who's frank, honest, and no pushover. Finally, a heroine I can root for! She's such a refreshing character in a kdramaland filled with goody-two-shoes-but-always-mad-at-the-hero type of character. Sure, she gets angry at SeolChan, but she can also be incredibly supportive and pleasant when she wants to. She knows how to stand up to bullies, and she knows how to cheer up a friend. She's also not perfect, and it's amazing to see her grow as a character. Also, she's sooooo0oooo0ooooo cute. I can't with the cuteness at times.

The main cast is filled with actors with little to no experience in acting, but it doesn't bring the drama down at all. In fact, I was blown away that it's the first time for most of them to act! But the one thing the cast have in common is that they're all clearly adept to music. All of them can sing and most of them can play an instrument. I think it's the two things you can't fake in acting. It's clearly obvious when one is just faking the guitar playing or when the singing is dubbed. But with this ensemble, we get a group of kids to act and to do one thing they're all good at: make music! I firmly believe that's what makes this drama so addicting.

Overall, Monstar is a series I thoroughly enjoyed. I waited for it every week because I always look forward to the silly antics of our characters. I get excited for their songs in the episode and how they can relate the songs to the current situation. The songs seem to always, always fit the situation. It's a series I incredibly love and I started to think that it might be my favorite drama this year.

That's why I get incredibly offended when I remember the ending. We could have had it all, Monstar, if only that aggravating ending didn't happen. How can a series so amazing be punctuated by an ending that's obviously rushed? I still try to forgive them by thinking that they obviously have more planned for the drama but were only given 12 episodes. Somehow, they still forced everything in the ending so it resulted in a mess. I have no words. I just can't help but sigh. I might as well stop writing, but I won't because I have to end this somehow. (Spoiler alert for the succeeding paragraphs!)

I just feel like it's so unfair to the kids. They at least deserve a good ending for all the things they went through. But it's most unfair to SeYi. She suffered for years not knowing the secret behind the accident that took the life of her father. It scarred her and only when she learned to make friends and to open up did she start to heal. Then in one blow, just a few minutes before the ending, we, along with SeYi, finally learn about the truth and it just devastates her (and me!)! What's even more frustrating is that she learns about it from some stranger who only appeared in the last episode. WTF, Monstar. I know that the healing this time around won't be so difficult because she has her friends, her music, her mother, and SeolChan beside her. But it still doesn't feel right.

Basically, I'm just not happy how they decided to dump everything in the ending. If they're really running out of time, I can pinpoint some things that can definitely be taken out. I just don't understand why they have to wait for the last episode for so many reveal, making many of the problem seem so big when they're really not. Then letting those graver conflicts have very little space to sink in to us audience.

Take SeolChan's case for example. How can the writers, director, producer, and everyone on board allow such important stuff to only have a space on the last episode? How can something so big not play any role in the stuff? HOW?

Also, I seriously do not care about the older generation. Seriously. In high school or college dramas, it's better to let the children's stories take center stage. I believe that the conflict in the adult's story could have been resolved a lot sooner. I just wanted the last episode to focus on SeYi and SeolChan's relationship and to know where they plan to take it. But alas, so many unnecessary things have to happen. I can't believe they think it's a good idea to start new conflicts in the last episode. Like, why?

I don't hate open endings. In fact, I even like it sometimes. But I don't like open endings in dramas, BECAUSE I DIDN'T SIT THROUGH A DOZEN EPISODES JUST TO LEARN THAT I WON'T KNOW THE ENDING. And it's just done so annoyingly that I want to cry when I think about it.

And I thought I wouldn't be able to say much, but I guess my passionate love for this drama coupled with my absolute hate for the ending is enough for me to write an essay. Haha! But you see, no matter how agitated I am over the finale, Monstar is still a drama I hold very dearly to my heart. And yes, it's still a drama I will happily recommend to anyone. Because what's a disappointing ending compared to the eleven episodes that made me incredibly happy? :) Besides, I know people who actually think the ending's okay.

To end this unbelievably long post, here's my favorite song from the entire series. If there's one thing the ending did right, it's the finale song.

(All photo credit goes to Monstar's Official Page.)

Gu Family Book (2013)

Gu Family Book

Title: Gu Family Book (2013)

Network: MBC

Cast: Lee SeungGi, Suzy, Lee YeonHee, Choi JinHyuk, Lee YooBi, Yoo YeonSeok, Bang SungJoon,  & Lee SungJae

When I neither loved nor loathed a drama, it takes some time before I get around to blogging about it.  It's like I don't really have anything to say because I didn't feel anything strongly towards the drama. That pretty much sums up my watching experience with Gu Family Book, and that's not exactly a positive thing. It's a drama ripe with so much potential but I feel like it didn't really get anywhere.

Gu Family Book tells the story of Lee KangChi (Lee SeungGi), a half-human, half-werewolf boy who grew up not nothing his beginnings. He's raised by a human father and he pretty much had a normal childhood. But as he reaches his 20th birthday, some secrets come out in the open and he slowly, but frighteningly, learns about himself.

It has a pretty good start, what with the story of SeoHwa (Lee YeonHee) and WolRyung (Choi JinHyuk) taking center stage. It's the heart and soul of this drama. For a simple two episodes, it tells a story of a heart-wrenching love that ruins the life of two people. And that simple two episodes tells a more compelling arc than the remaining 22 did.

Lee YeonHee and Choi JinHyk behind the scenes

That's what's extremely sad about Gu Family Book. It starts out with an engaging plot but it doesn't really take it anywhere deeper. There are so many character arcs that are left hanging. We don't really get much resolution for anything. In most parts, they just let burning emotions of many characters pan out and fizzle. I'm afraid the series focused on way too many characters' plight, that it didn't have enough episodes to resolve all the individual conflicts. KangChi's story is complicated as it is, maybe they should have just left it at that.

One of the character arc that left me hanging is ChungJo's (Lee YooBi). She's pretty much the present day SeoHwa, but she has no happy ending nor fulfilling finale for her vengeful life. I want so much more for her, but she ended up becoming a self-sacrificing third party. I seriously rooted for her more than I did YeoWool (Suzy). Speaking of YeoWool, I expected to have a more complex understanding of his character, but I didn't really see her past her love for KangChi. Her love and dedication for KangChi sums up the total of her arc, and in a drama filled with engaging storylines, hers failed in contrast.

Another character that I looked out for is Gon, played by Bang SungJoon. He's the reason I started watching in the first place. What can I say, he's a talent wasted on a stoic secondary character. It's weird how his character is present from the very beginning and revealed to be one of the four pillars, but nothing really important happened to him. Maybe it's just the biased fangirl in me talking. 

It's not Lee Seung-Gi's fault. I like him as an actor, and as KangChi, he carried out his role extremely well. He's amazing at the candid parts, and he's just engaging in the emotional scenes. He brings out a whole lot of depth to his character. It's really the story itself that's a bit disappointing. I think it started in such a frantic and passionate speed that it couldn't sustain it for 24 episodes.

The most shameful bit is that they titled it Gu Family Book, but it didn't really play any significant role in the story of our main lead. Yes, it may have played a part in the story of his parents, but it did no sort of impact in his trajectory. Instead of seeing him brave the transformation from being a half-gumiho to being human, we ended up seeing him spend thousands of years waiting for the reincarnation of the love of his life. I seriously don't get it.

Basically, I think the ending pretty much defeated the purpose of the existence of the Gu Family Book. It could have been a really good drama, but it suddenly went nowhere. If anything, at least it gave us the love story of SeoHwa and WolRyung.

Sirius (2013)

Title: Sirius (2013)

Network: KBS2

Format: Drama special

Cast: Seo JunYoung, Ryu SeungSoo, Park HyungSik

When other people rejoice every time a series is extended, I sit back and lament. I actually prefer short dramas and Sirius is a good example why. If it would have been longer, the drama probably wouldn't have maintained the suspenseful flow of narrative.

Do Shin-Woo (Seo JunYoung) is a straight-laced head of a police force unit. His team claims that he's obsessed with drug trafficking cases, but what they do not know is his past about his deceased mother and ex-convict brother, Do Eun-Chang (Seo JunYoung). Back in high school, Eun-Chang pretended to be Shin-Woo in order to threaten the students bullying his brother. The situation takes a turn for the worst when the bully dies accidentally, and everyone is suddenly blaming Eun-Chang leading to his imprisonment. Their mother consistently blames Shin-Woo for what happened, making him hate his convicted brother.

I probably didn't do the drama justice by that lame synopsis, but let me just tell you that this is a good family drama.  It only has four episodes, but those four episodes won't leave you hanging. In fact, the drama manages to utilize the few episodes to make it as exciting as possible. Any longer it would have probably lost its sizzle. It has a pretty engaging plot since you'll see the twins' lives transform simply due to a little incident back in high school.  The relationship between the two is already estranged, but the incident puts more strain in the relationship. A relationship that will never be mended it seems. 

At times it's more of a cop drama, but the relationship between two brothers take center stage. Seo JunYoung amazingly juggles two roles. He manages to breathe life in the characters of ShinWoo and EunChang, and the way he carries off the roles won't make you confused. I am just blown away by his acting, you know. He's playing two characters and he actually makes you feel like you're watching two actors and not just one playing two characters. It's amazing! Park Hyung-Shik, the one who plays the younger Shin-Woo and Eun-Chang is pretty convincing, too.

I have quite a few qualms in this series, though. First, I don't understand why cops don't carry guns with them. But since that probably has something to do with the laws in their country, I won't even comment how it made so many scenes baffling. My second problem is how Shin-Woo treats Eun-Chang! I know that's the way it's supposed to go, but it's frustrating how Eun-Chang is treated. Like, what did he do so wrong?!?! But that's just me being emotional.

The story manages to be compelling from start to end. They effectively link the past of the twins to the present. The director employs really good story-telling, but it's really Seo Jun-Young who makes this drama memorable.

Overall, this is a series I really enjoyed. With just 4 episodes, it really made sure that every minute will be worth it. It sure it didn't waste a single second on irrelevant stuff. I'm looking forward for other drama specials. If it's as well-produced and well-acted as Sirius, then I'm in.

All photo credits go to Hancinema.

Can We Get Married? (2012)

Can We Get Married? (2012)

Truth be told, I only watched Can We Get Married? because I am helpless when it comes to Bang SungJoon. I just want to watch everything he's in. You can say he got me wrapped around his fingers, heh. But sadly, he's pretty much the only reason why I stayed, too.

Don't get me wrong, I like this series. In fact, I think it's one of the rare ones that deal with situations so realistically. It's also rare to find a series in which we start with a boy and a girl and the marriage proposal. We don't meet them when they're just starting out. We meet them when they're about to start a married life, and this is pretty much what happens after the closing credits rolled after every korean drama.

It's so fresh for me, especially when we have Jung SoMin and Bang SungJoon, playing HyeWon and JungHoon respectively, leading the drama. They have been around Kdramaland for quite awhile now, but both of them haven't been on that many dramas yet. I think that's what's amazing about cable channels, they give chance to talents that haven't been tapped into much and end up giving us some of the freshest performances of the year. They are seriously one of the most adorable on-screen couples.

However, this drama made me realize something, and that's I'm not much into family dramas. Though Can We Get Married? focuses mostly on JungHoon and HyeWon's engagement, we also get a shitload of side stories focusing on the sister, the in-laws, the friends, the cousin, etc. This is why it's 20-episode long, this is why I felt like it it is too long.

At first, I enjoyed watching HyeWon and JungHoon struggle with the wedding preparations. Meeting the parents is no joke, and having both sides of the family agree on one thing puts the couple in awkward situations. They have crazy fights that they didn't have before the engagement, and it's interesting what it does to them. They show sides of themselves that wouldn't have been revealed if they weren't engaged.

Then it got too repetitive. The parents fight. One of them get hurt or arrive at a conclusion. They break up. They get back together. Repeat until fade.

It was tiring. I got tired of the mothers-in-law fighting all the time. I have more to say about this, but I think I'll keep it to myself since I don't have enough knowledge about the Korean culture. I do love JungHoon and HyeWon, but not even my love for them kept me from getting bored. Way too much time is spent dwelling on HyeWon's sister's divorce and the aunt's love life. It's okay at first, then about half of the episode is spent on them. Uhm no, I'm not here for them.With all that said, I still have to say that the theme of the drama's pretty consistent. Though they have tackled way too many side stories for my taste, they maintained it consistent all throughout the end. This is quite a feat because for a drama this long, it's supposed to lose footing by episode 16. Though it does get a bit dragging, it at least makes sure to stick to the main theme.

But then again, it's really the length that becomes its downfall. I guess when you have more hours to fill, you also feel the need to make sure that it reaches that number of hours, despite knowing that you can pretty much make it a lot shorter.

Can We Get Married? could have been a really strong drama if only it focused more on the lead and gave less time for the side stories. But I guess it all depends on who you ask.

That Winter the Wind Blows (2013)

That Winter the Wind Blows (2013)

[WARNING: This post isn't spoiler free.]

That Winter the Wind Blows was the comeback drama of the big stars Jo InSung and Song HyeGyo. Though the drama slipped quite a few times, I have to say it's saved graciously by our lead stars. I am not the type to watch heavy dramas, but I didn't hesitate watching this one.

Based on the movie Love Me Not, the drama looked depressing from the start. It's a story of Oh Young (Song Hye-Gyo), a blind young woman looking for her brother, and Oh Soo (Jo In-Sung), the man who pretends to be his brother. Oh Young's brother has the same name as Oh Soo, and they also happen to be friends. While the brother is a good man aspiring to be a chef, Oh Soo is a con-man and a gambler. When Oh Soo is suddenly in debt and his life is at stake, he is forced to pretend to be Oh Young's brother.

We all know what happens next. Suspicions arise but eventually, Oh Young will believe that he's the brother. And despite this, the two will fall madly in love with each other and the audience will have some philosophical crisis because yes they're not real siblings but it still feels so incestuous!!!  I love this show.

I have seen the movie years and years and I gladly have forgotten most it. I watched That Winter almost spoiler free, and yes, I instantly fell madly in love with the show, the way the pseudo-siblings did with each other. But you see, I feel like I fell too fast, because it truly has the ability to pull you in and the only thing you could do is follow. With such a gorgeous cinematography with the most amazing lighting in a Korean drama, That Winter is just so beautifully shot. I sometimes feel like I'm watching a movie. 

BTS from High Cut (also known as my favorite photo shoot ever)

The first few episodes offered a pretty tight writing with some of the most suspenseful and intense episodes I've seen in recent dramas. Maybe I haven't watched that many melo, but the episodes are incredibly full of emotions. It's not hard to care for the characters. We have Oh Young who learned how to be strong and tough despite her disability, and in turn, people turn to think that she's an ice queen. Then we have Oh Soo who is orphaned as a baby and grew up just to survive with no reason to live at all. So despite being flawed individuals, it's not hard to love Young and Soo. At the end of every episode, I just want to pull them closer to me and huge them and smell Jo InSung! So basically, at the end of every episode I'm a mess.

The story moved quite fast. I think I prefer this version over the movie for the mere reason that we have a clear understanding of every character, except Secretary Wang, that is. But really, the characters are so fleshed out, and I love how the characters are put to good use.

However, I didn't love this drama through and through. As much as I want to say that it's perfect, the latter half just didn't do it for me. The revelation has so many rough edges and I felt like Young is at the losing end so so so much. As much as I love Oh Soo, I felt for Young. I cannot hate her for wanting to die (spolier!), though I'm not saying that I'd do the same thing.

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There are so many questions left unanswered, questions that I feel like wouldn't have been addressed at all if the characters and the plot haven't pointed it out. For example, I didn't really ask why Oh Young's mom left with the brother and left Young. But they raised the question, so I expected an answer and got none. Another one, I didn't think for a moment that Secretary Wang is Oh Soo's mother, but there's this  scene in one of the last few episodes that they implied it! And it turns out that she's not. It's frustrating because there are things that I didn't question at all, but they did so I started to ask, too, but they left me hanging. Open endings are fine at times, but not this time.

Whenever people would ask me what happened in the ending of Love Me Not, I didn't know what to answer because I was pretty sure they won't like it. Thankfully, the ending of That Winter is completely different, but somehow, I still don't like it. I'm glad that Oh Soo and Oh Young got their happy ending, but it's really weird how they got there.

I feel like I've been cheated. I really don't like time jumps because I feel like the writers are merely being lazy when they do that. I do not like how the tension is raised near the ending and we're shown new conflict. A part me kind of wished they took a different path, depressing it may be, but at least it takes no shortcut. I do not like how I have to make my own conclusions, to guess what could have transpired for the characters to reach that point.

Good thing the ending is shot really, really well, that I ended up sighing anyway. I do have my complaints but I guess it still didn't change the fact that I want Oh Soo and Oh Young to be happy. They deserve that at least.

This drama is far from perfect, but at least it didn't disappoint. It's my second drama this year, and so far so good. I have yet to hate any drama, but I'm pretty sure this won't be my favorite. But I still love you Jo In-Sung, I love you even more now.

And this remains to be my favorite scene.

Flower Boy Next Door (2013)

이웃집 꽃미남 

Flower Boy Next Door is the third installment of TvN's Oh Boy! series. And for the nth time, I cannot help but laud the cable station for continuously churning out quality dramas one after another. Though Flower Boy Next Door, may not be their best, it's still one of the better ones in the land of Kdramas.

It was love at first episode for me. I was instantly hooked over the quirky and eccentric characters. Go DokMi (Park ShinHye) is a recluse, a homebody who has long chosen to stay indoors and avoid human contact. Enrique Geum (Yoon ShiYoon) is a reknowned animator. Though Korean, he grew up and became popular in Spain. Their lives intertwined so adorably that I couldn't help but quickly love these two. They are two different individuals who in the course of our story, brought out the best in each other. It's my favorite type of love story.

Park ShinHye being adorable; Yoon ShiYoon being Ke-geum-ah

There are many things to love about this drama and one of that is the amazing leads that are Park ShinHye and Yoon ShiYoon. I have seen most of Park ShinHye's works but this is my favorite role of her yet. Though I had only seen her as a cutesy actress before, her portrayal of Go DokMi exudes raw talent and depth in understanding her character. This is the first time I see Yoon ShiYoon in action, and I cannot help but just be awe by his interpretation of Enrique's character. He plays a child-like and boisterous character who can be annoying but Yoon ShiYoon managed to make it adorable. I was worried that I'd end up hating his character but the consistency and dimension of Yoon ShiYoon's Enrique is endearing until the end.

With winter as its backdrop, FBND tells an engaging story of a girl who hides herself from the world and a boy who tries to bring him back into it. It's heartfelt, it's emotional, it's heart-warming, it's real. These are what I felt just from the first few episodes alone. The tight writing brought to life by an amazing cast made me love this series. If only I felt this way till the last episode, I would have easily claimed this to be my favorite drama for 2013 despite the fact that it's only March. But the first half of the drama is really solid, almost flawless. I was head over heels in love with the character development of Go DokMi and Enrique. Then we reach the last four episodes and I wonder what happened.

DokMi with the flower boys!

It's not like I have many qualms about the series, but if there's one word to describe the last four episodes, it's underwhelming.

First, we have a secondary lead, Oh JinRak (Kim JiHoon), who seems to have a dark and mysterious past. But when we learn what this past is, we also learn how it is mysterious and it can be dark, but not that relevant to the story. I still don't understand why it's given so much importance from the very first episode when it really does nothing to the story. How it's so easily resolved and brushed over just makes me sad.

Second, I feel like it could have been a better drama if it's a lot shorter. The last few episodes felt like fillers, just so they could reach that 16-episode mark. The growth shown by Go DokMi is enough to make me feel proud like a mother, but the episodes after that really did nothing else for her character, and the same can be said for Enrique. The additional conflict in which Enrique should decide whether he'd go back to Spain or not just seems so forced. The nuance that is the fangirls and fanboys doesn't help.

And third, nothing else really happesn in the last two episodes. It's good that we see what happened with every character, but by that point, I no longer care because I already know that it'll be a happy ending. I also cringe at the last scene because it reminded me too much of Shut Up's last scene.

♚

It's really too bad because it is a good drama but the fact that the ending didn't match with the awesomeness of the first half is saddening. But if I will sum up all the good parts, it'll be like this:

1. Go DokMi and Enrique are two of the best characters in dramaland. Fleshed out characters who aren't perfect but perfectly written and portrayed.
2. The narration in the start and end of every episode gives a good insight on our leads' thoughts. It also sets the mood for quite an atmospheric drama.
3. DongHoon and Manager PD are the bestest OTP ever. Omg their every scene together!!!!!!
4. Still better than most of the mainstream dramas!

So basically, it's still a drama worth watching.

Faith (2012)

Rating: ☆☆☆☆ out of 5
Cast: Lee MinHo, Kim HeeSun, Ryu DeokHwan, Park SeYoung

Faith was posed to be the most epic Korean drama to date, and it sadly failed in all levels. The team behind the series used big words to entice the audience, with a promise that makes the audience set high expectations. Honestly, I don't think any of those expectations are met at all. It could have been a great drama, but it failed to deliver so many times. It's a shame since it truly has the makings of a drama that will leave you breathless, only if it's given a better treatment and a better pace.

So, did I like it? Yes and no. Yes, because there's still a lot to be loved. And no, because it really leaves you hanging time and time again.

WHY I LOVED IT?

Because of the characters

With a set of characters as amazing as the one in Faith, it really makes you ask what went wrong. I love so many characters in the series and I can't even pick which one is my favorite! But overall, the characters I enjoyed the most are:

• Woodalchi - You adorable dorks who are supposed to be the best warriors in the land but fail everytime, I so love you. Woodalchi aren't exactly as good as everyone expected them to be, but that doesn't stop them from being the cute sidekicks to our Woodalchi general. DaeMan, DeokMan and the gang surely liven up the scene whenever they appear. This drama could have been a drab if these dorks weren't being dorks. Heehee.

• Lady Choi - She's like the head of the household, but in this case, the palace. She keeps things in order and even the general of Woodalchi cowers under her stare! It's just enjoyable how she's an elderly who knows how to handle soldiers and how to pacify hot-headed men. You rock, Lady Choi!

• Noguk - The queen is a badass and everyone should bow down to her. She doesn't take crap from anyone, not even from the king. She doesn't just sit around waiting to be ordered around and letting everyone do the works for her. She thinks of solutions herself and devises ways to help the king. She carries herself pretty well, but she's always a good supporter to the king.

• Gongnim - The king is one of the best written characters for the drama. This drama is a good character study for the king in a way that we see him start from a weak king into one of the strongest in Korean history. In no way is he perfect but that makes his character even more amazing. He gets confused at times and craves for his people to trust him. But he holds his head high no matter what and when he trusts and uses the right people, he emerges victorious.

• Choi Young - He's the anti-thesis of a hero. He just likes to sleep a lot and doesn't really care whether he lives or dies. He's just intent to finish one task after another until he can finally leave the life of a warrior. But when he finds something worth fighting (living!) for and a king worth to be supported and hailed, he rises gracefully and become worthy to be the Woodalchi general. The fact that he's not just good in combat but also quite brainy when it comes to politics and warfare strategies make me love him even more. Daejang, I love you.

• EunSoo - The heavenly doctor is the life of this drama. I do not know what would have happened if another actress played EunSoo, but Kim HeeSun adorably portrays the doctor. In the present, she's a dermatologist who's only intent on finding a rich guy that can help her build her own clinic. But transport her to the past and she's the breath of fresh air. She brings humor to not-so-humorous situations and she uses her head at all times. I think it'll be different to hate her when she's basically being the most humane character in this series. She's not a noble idiot, that's for sure. She fights to live and she fights  to be with the man she loves. When I grow up, I want to be EunSoo.

A Gentleman's Dignity (2012)

A GENTLEMAN'S DIGNITY ☆☆☆

If there's one positive thing I can say about A Gentleman's Dignity, it's that it's highly entertaining. If there's one negative thing I can say about it, it's too long. What could have been told in 16 episodes, they tried to stretch into some tedious 20 episodes.

A Gentleman's Dignity is about four men in their 40's who grow old but didn't really grow up. They've been friends since high school and they're still together after heratbreaks, bankruptcy, marriages, etc. It has such a nice premise because we always get a story about women who are past their prime, and now, we get a look into the world of men who are really still kids once they get together.

I'd be lying if I say that this drama isn't good, because there are those times when I'm completely in love with it. But admittedly, there are times when I just want to stop watching. I cannot make a proper review because I know my opinions would be clouded with too much biases. I love Jang DongGun way too much to say anything harsh about AGD.

So let's start with the things I love about A Gentleman's Dignity:

The friendship of the four leads. It's the heart and soul of this drama, and as long as they keep it in focus, they don't do anything wrong. The chemistry of our four leads, Kim DoJin (Jang DongGun), Choi Yoon (Kim MinJong), Im TaeSan (Kim SooRo) and Lee JungRok (Lee JongHyuk), is undeniable. They are veteran actors who can go from serious to funny in a snap. My favorite scenes are the ones where all of them are in it. I love them, okay.

The first five minutes of each episode. I don't know what they're called, but every episode starts with a little side story, something separate from what's happening with the plot. It's usually about the four gentlemen, from the time they were in college or in high school. Of all the starters, my favorite is definitely the one when they're talking about SNSD. It had me laughing just by thinking about it! Which leads me to my next point...

The amount of funny in each episode. This is definitely the drama that keeps me laughing on and on and on. Who can ever forget that one time DoJin panics and pours coffee on YiSoo's laptop, thinking it would cover the fact that he's looking at YiSoo's photo? Or that one time DoJin and Yoon are bullied by high school students? And every time TaeSan would curse and they'll censor it? Hee. The funny is enough for me to forget the things I don't like about AGD.

Kim WooBin and Lee JongHyun ☀

The two cute boys, of course. Colin (Lee JongHyun) and DongHyup (Kim WooBin) are probably my favorite pair in this drama! Okay, they're not exactly in a romantic pairing but their bromance is just too cute. Too bad they have to meet late in the series but their screen time together is just too precious! Favorite scene together? Of course, the one when they're applying for the same position at a fast food chain and they're listing their strengths such as being tall and good-looking. Too adorable for words.

The fact the Kim DoJin is not a prude. I'm tired of Kdrama leading men who act like 15-year-old boys all the time. I guess I don't really understand how the censorship in Korea goes, but it's annoying when leads in other Kdrama act too pure and innocent, and I simply don't buy it. Kim DoJin is different, though, and he can be very vocal about him being a man (and being naughty and stuff). And it's not just Kim DoJin, too, but the other leads as well. As Kim DoJin puts it, "We are still invariably and perpetually men, the male species."

The OST of AGD. A good drama gets even better with a wonderful OST, and this one certainly has a good one. The songs would get stuck in your head and you won't even mind. Of all the good songs included in the soundtrack, my favorites are Everyday and Lee JongHyun's Illa Illa. I do hope they release a full version of JongHyun's Illa Illa. I can't find one anywhere!

The sassy, powerful wife, Park MinSook. There are four leading ladies in this series, and JungRok's wife, MinSook (Kim JungNan) definitely takes the spot as the best one. It's lovely how the four men are scared of her, but it's sometimes annoying how they only care about her and her money. But she often doesn't take their crap. She knows when to keep her marriage and when to give it up, which I think seems to be realistic. I love how she knows how to use her power, and how she puts people in their righteous place. But I also love how she's not just powerful because she's rich, but also because she has a dynamic personality. I need more girls like her in Kdramaland!

The outfit in every scene of Seo YiSoo.  Seo YiSoo (Kim HaNeul) is probably the best dressed high school teacher in the entire country. Be it in school or outside or at home, I want whatever she's wearing! Every episode, I take note of her clothes. They're all just so sophisticated! When I grow up, I want to be Kim HaNeul's hair, I mean, body. NOOOOO. I mean, I want to be Kim HaNeul. She's already in her 30's but she's still incredibly fit.