Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 2061 Location: Melbourne Country:
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2014 1:26 am Post subject:
I have watched quite a few Korean dramas lately. Even though some had a lot of promise, I can only recommend one or two of them.
Emergency Couple
The first 8 or so episodes were really fun to watch, they had a great balance between relationship, work and personal struggles/growth but the series focus heavily on romantic relationship later on and it became a bit dull for me. The main couple didn't convince me when they were not fighting and I was actually rooting for a different pairing.
Doctor Stranger
They were very successful in making a big impression when the main character first started in the hospital, but really, this series felt like nothing more than a vehicle for the lead actor to look cool. The plot is not very unpredictable actually but still manage to keep me watching, so in that way, it wasn't too bad.
Master's Sun
Quite amusing, there are some funny moments. Nothing very deep but I enjoyed most of it.
I Can Hear Your Voice
I had great hope for this series in the beginning. The back story and the changes/transformations that the main character went through was intriguing and had a lot of promise. The set up here would have made a great Japanese drama I thought. Really enjoyed the first third but aftet that I found the plot to be too over the top and ridiculous. The scriptwriter's understanding of the legal system also felt very immature and subjective, that was a big disappointment too. A bit strange that the mind reading ability in the title is actually peripheral and almost unnecessary to the story.
Let's Eat
This is the only series I can fully recommend. Nice, fun to watch romantic comedy centered around people enjoying food. The characters are all likeable and it's very undemanding, relaxing, no pressure whatsoever. Warning, watching this series will make you hungry.
My Daughter Seo-young
They did a great job with the romantic story between the main couple and the relationship between Seo young and her father. Lee Bo Young was great at playing this complex character and showing her internal conflicts and what she went through. She was also very elegant and beautiful in this. I really felt for this character and there were some very moving moments. Unfortunately, the rest of the story and characters weren't interesting to me and I skipped most of it. The main story revolved around a unintentioned lie/secret and while I generally dislike this kind of plot device, they made it work once the secret is revealed. The theme of sincere apology and forgiveness is again central to this drama.
Joined: 15 Nov 2005 Posts: 241 Location: No California Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 7:09 am Post subject:
^ In your list I saw Let's Eat ,Master's Sun and My Daughter Seoyoung.
In Let's Eat every time they did a close of the food and them eating , I got so hungry.
Did you know Kim So Eun is playing the Erika Toda part in the Korean Version of Liar Game. I just found out. The drama all ready ended I think. I didn"t keep up with her dramawiki page
Joined: 11 Jul 2011 Posts: 50 Location: California Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 2:02 pm Post subject:
I liked the beginning of I Can Hear Your Voice too before the story branched out into too many side stories and boring court cases...and then the villain got on my nerves every time he snickered.
Some other dramas I watched lately:
You Who Came From The Stars. Another pretty-boy-with-a-mop-hairstyle-and-super-powers drama... now is mop hairstyle the new rage in Korea? Anyway...this guy is just about to return to his planet after living a quiet life on earth when an invasive and egomaniac movie star whose career is in a tailspin moves next door and turns the guy�fs life upside down...it�fs funny and has a pretty tight plot...but wait...the villain snickers too here even when he�fs about to drop off a skyscraper...but villains are all cowards in real life, right?...well I shouldn�ft argue this when we�fre talking about a drama that involves a 400 year-old guy who looks as fresh as my brother.
Cunning Single Woman. Nice plot about a divorcee who learns that her ex has turned his money-losing business into a big corporation...but she�fs still licking her emotional wounds and so she decides to get hired by his company and she plots her revenge...it�fs funny and entertaining but why do they always populate these dramas with annoying relatives?
Scent Of A Woman. This is a very sweet and sometimes funny drama about this office worker who�fs been abused and bullied all these years...but when she learns she has only 6 months left to live she decides she�fll get abused and bullied no more and she sets out to tell people off and live the Grand Life before hers ends...it took me awhile to recognize the actress who starred in My Name Is Kim Sam Soon minus 50 pounds...but the ending was perfect...nothing like I imagined. _________________
Americans know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
--Oscar Wilde
Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 2061 Location: Melbourne Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:16 pm Post subject:
MikeNolan wrote:
Did you know Kim So Eun is playing the Erika Toda part in the Korean Version of Liar Game. I just found out. The drama all ready ended I think. I didn"t keep up with her dramawiki page
Oh yeah, I watched this too, except the last two episodes. It's only 12 episodes and ended only last month I think. Kim So Eun was pretty and cute as usual, wish she could get a better role though. They didn't follow the manga totally, added some new elements, characters and games to it. Most of the new stuff were not interesting IMO. 2 episodes for every game, so plenty of original material left for sequels if they decide to continue. The Korean version is actually more concise, less long-winded than its Japanese equivalent, don't know any other Korean drama I can say that.
I also watched half of Blade Man/Iron Man. It's actually a light romantic comedy, not what I expected. The superhuman stuff is quite boring, but Shin Se Kyung was so pretty and delightful in it. I watched it just to see her.
Emergency Couple is really enjoyable for the first third or half. I recommend it highly if you are looking for something funny and entertaining.
Joined: 15 Nov 2005 Posts: 241 Location: No California Country:
Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2014 5:25 am Post subject:
xploring wrote:
Oh yeah, I watched this too, except the last two episodes. It's only 12 episodes and ended only last month I think. Kim So Eun was pretty and cute as usual, wish she could get a better role though. They didn't follow the manga totally, added some new elements, characters and games to it. Most of the new stuff were not interesting IMO. 2 episodes for every game, so plenty of original material left for sequels if they decide to continue. The Korean version is actually more concise, less long-winded than its Japanese equivalent, don't know any other Korean drama I can say that.
I also watched half of Blade Man/Iron Man. It's actually a light romantic comedy, not what I expected. The superhuman stuff is quite boring, but Shin Se Kyung was so pretty and delightful in it. I watched it just to see her.
Emergency Couple is really enjoyable for the first third or half. I recommend it highly if you are looking for something funny and entertaining.
I am looking all over for Liar Game with subs. I'm happy you said that its different from the japanese version. I can't wait to watch.
I just finish watching Blade Man. I thought it will be comic action hero crap drama, but like you said it was a nice romantic comedy. Shin Se Kyung was great in this drama
I'm going to look for Emergency Couple with subs. Song Ji Hyo is a funny lady. Running Man
Joined: 11 Jul 2011 Posts: 50 Location: California Country:
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 3:20 pm Post subject:
Just finished 2 weeks...great drama...lots of suspense to keep you on the edge of your couch...but also some romance and father-daughter love...spine-chilling and heart-warming... _________________
Americans know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
--Oscar Wilde
I loved 2 Weeks. It was so good. Very suspenseful. It was very much like the Japanese drama Runaway, which I also love. I wish I could find some other dramas like those two.
Answer Me 1997 (Reply 1997) is another favorite of mine. I'm sure that one has been posted about many times. The lead character is such a crazy fangirl.
Joined: 09 May 2015 Posts: 99 Location: New York Country:
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 4:44 am Post subject:
I like Koirean Dramas but, i now watch the shows for one actress i like the most- Jo Eun Ji
it is ok if i watch dramas just for her? don't get me wrong i also like Gong Hyo-Jin, Yang Jin-Sung, Park Si-Yeon. fpr males- almost all like Gong Yoo and Ji Sung
Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 2061 Location: Melbourne Country:
Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 1:40 am Post subject:
I am watching Reply 1988. I have seen 1997 but not 1994. It's pretty good, very much slice of life. What stood out to me most was how it told the stories of the parents, what they go through, what they think and feel for their children and also for themselves in trying to care for them. A lot of things were ignored, unnoticed, unappreciated, misunderstood... It brought back some memories, some I can only imagine now.
It was nice to be reminded of how daily living was like in those years, but we weren't that poor I think so we didn't have to do some of the stuff they did in the drama. The friendship between the younger characters is nice but I haven't really felt attached to any of them yet.
I also watched most of Descendants of the Sun. It was really compelling and addictive the first few episodes, but it felt rather formulaic and contrived after the first half. I took a break in between so may be that had something to do with it.
It's been three years since I started a k-drama from the first episode. Currently watching Goodbye Mr Black, which is really all over the place writing and direction-wise, but still tolerable because of the leads. Lee Jin-wook is sexy but not emoting as much as I'd like, while Kim Kang-woo is generally excellent in whatever he does. Moon Chae-won has had better written roles than this, I'm sure, but she's doing the best with what she's been given.
I just wish logic had been present in a greater quantity in this drama. But I suppose if I think too much about the hero's baffling choices, I'd end up with an aneurysm like he did. Sigh. _________________
I just finished watching "Schoolgirl Detectives" on Netflix and liked it lots, with some caveats.
I'm far more a fan of Japanese culture in general than in Korean culture, mostly because I find Japanese history to be just as interesting as its contemporary culture, and I don't have that kind of interest in Korean history. But modern Korea bears some similarities to modern Japan - also a lot of contrasts - so I'm warming up to it. I didn't know what to expect with this drama and it took me awhile to get into it, but by midway through I found it as addictive entertainment as some J-doramas.
The two elements that make "Schoolgirl Detectives" work are its characterization and style:
=> Each of the principle characters is a unique, quirky and appealing personality. In conformist America they'd be labeled "nerds" or "geeks" - precisely because they have unique personalities - but then with the exception of Amazon's "Bosch" there's been precious little in American television over the last couple decades that isn't mind-numbingly boring ...because of that bland conformity.
=> In addition, throughout this series the producers interject a bunch of funky sound effects to add emphasis and humor - when someone blinks their eyes there'll be a "tinkle-tinkle" sound; when someone frowns there'll be the sound of a dog whining; when the computer-whiz detective makes a prediction based on a logical deduction there'll be this weird voodoo warble-chant sound that's just hilarious.
Lastly, the stories at the core are well-written - the "cases" they tackle at their school. My only complaint is that the big, overarching story that was in the background of every episode -
Click on button to reveal/hide spoiler:
involving one of the teachers and his past involvement with a student who committed suicide, and his interest in one of the detectives
- when it got to its climax or "boss level" in the final episode, it rested so much on convoluted psychological motives that it was anticlimactic, despite an excellently-conceived dramatic play in the school's auditorium, where the whole thing came to a head.
I'd give it an 8 out of 10. IOW, time well spent. If you have Netflix, look for it and give it a try.
Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 2061 Location: Melbourne Country:
Posted: Fri May 13, 2016 7:30 pm Post subject:
Almost finished Reply 1988. Funny, moving at times. It's the only drama that made me think more about my own life than the characters'. There are times when it's not that interesting (different age group) but I really enjoyed most of it. In hindsight, not much actually happened but I still had a good time watching them carrying on in their daily life.
Joined: 16 May 2016 Posts: 5 Location: Greece Country:
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 6:21 am Post subject:
There are two k-dramas that I liked
1. The King of Dramas: It's about a drama producer that does everything for money and ratings until everything starts going into a downward spiral...
It was interesting wtching a drama about dramas although for me it was difficult to empathise with the protagonist (cause of the whole mess that he has caused at the start), but anyways this drama was something different.
2. Triangle: Three brothers reunite after 20 years of separation cause of their prents death. The oldest has become a detective, the middle one is a gang leader and the youngest has become the adopted son of a rich family and the heir of a chain of casinos
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玉木宏、藤木直人、佐藤健 
