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!]

Monday Cutie: Yoo YeonSeok (유연석)

Yoo YeonSeok (유연석)

DOB: April 11, 1984

Height: 183cm

Known for: Old Boy, Gu Family Book

Wolf Boy, Answer Me 1994

For such a kind face, it's weird how Yoo YeonSeok seemed to attract antagonistic roles. From playing the young Yoo JiTae in Old Boy, to the annoying fiance in Wolf Boy, and even the godforsaken sunbae in Architecture 101, Yoo YeonSeok seemed to be cursed with roles that's begging for hate mails.

Then 2013 happened, and Yoo YeonSeok skyrocketed to fame with his role as Chilbong in Answer Me 1994. He stole the hearts of females everywhere (those that aren't stolen by Trash Oppa, anyway). He's no longer the character you hate. He's now the character that your heart hurts for. He's probably my number one favorite character this year, because he made an impossibly perfect character realistic and lovable. I usually don't like golden boys, but his portrayal of Chilbong made my heart ache and smile for all the good reasons.

I finished Answer Me 1994 earlier last week, and from start to finish I was rooting for him. Before Answer Me 1994, he didn't really stand out for me. Besides, he's too pale for my usual preference lol. But after Chilbong happened, wow, he deserves a spot on my Monday Cutie! As you probably know by now, I only write about actors/stars I passionately like. I've only liked Yoo YeonSeok for a couple of months, but he's such a versatile actor that I just ended up loving him to death.

The girl's lucky she didn't show her face. SERIOUSLY .\_/.
Yoo YeonSeok for Elle.

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.

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.