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.

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.

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.