Korean Dramas/Actors

Ender's Girl wrote:Wynter, maybe the 2003 drama SANGDOO, LET'S GO TO SCHOOL will convince you of Bi's acting talent. He plays a gigolo with a heart of gold AND a sick kid. :puppydog:

I only made it through the first few eps.

Eve wrote:

If youre up for a bit of a tearjerker check out Crazy For you.
Its fab! WE both loved it!

A tearjerker, eh? I'll have to watch this one on my own. My sister's like Ralph in that they hate sad endings!

Ender's Girl wrote:Wynter, maybe the 2003 drama SANGDOO, LET'S GO TO SCHOOL will convince you of Bi's acting talent. He plays a gigolo with a heart of gold AND a sick kid. :puppydog:

O! O! I think I have this one, too! Another tearjerker it seems.

Eve wrote:

I only made it through the first few eps.

Why so? Why so?

Wynter wrote:A tearjerker, eh? I'll have to watch this one on my own. My sister's like Ralph in that they hate sad endings!

Oh it doesnt have a sad ending. It had sad bits earlier.

Wynter wrote:Why so? Why so?

I found the slickness of the main male character annoying I believe. But I saw it years ago.

Wynter wrote:YATTA! Just finished Full House. It was a lot of fun! Dunno what to watch next. I'll have to go through what I have.

Have you seen Story of a Man/The Slingshot ( http://wiki.d-addicts.com/A_Man%27s_Story ) It was a solid show with a good story line, though it isn't a comedy. I think this is the first show where I didn't really notice the female actresses, as both main male actors stole the show.

I have not seen any Korean dramas but won a free 1 year subscription to dramafever.com from SARS over the holidays! I have been interested in them, just don't know where to start. What can you recommend for my first? (one that is on dramafever please)

alexgamerz wrote:I have not seen any Korean dramas but won a free 1 year subscription to dramafever.com from SARS over the holidays! I have been interested in them, just don't know where to start. What can you recommend for my first? (one that is on dramafever please)

Cant go wrong with Jewel In The Palace. :victory:

alexgamerz

You might consider telling people what kinds of shows you normally enjoy. Romance, comedy, action... Do you like a "good cry", do you prefer snark?

Ask ten people around here what their favorite show is and you're likely to get ten different answers.

I think the drama 'SHINDON' is one of the best sageuks I have seen. It is long and convuluted and there are devious characters all trying to grab onto power in the higher society. You have a priest who is so political and so persuasive that he wraps the King and Queen around his little finger. His personal religious core is tainted and he knows it. This is not a funny story but it is very fascinating. The cast is wonderful and I guarantee that you will not be bored if you really want to see Korean drama at it's best.
This needs to be watched with English subs.

For fun the latest one I am watching is "ASSORTED JEWELS/JEWEL BIBIMBAP"
Splendid cast with veteran and younger actors. They are good, and you will find yourself wanting to know what is going to happen to all these characters. Get past the first episodes and then the shouting dies down and the story gets going. Don't fast forward the beginning.

I am watching 'AIR CITY ' Light on the romance but lots of action and some humorous scenes. I will watch anything with Lee Jung Jae. He has charm and can act. It is a story about Incheon airport and how they deal with security but there is also a good story about the characters. This is a very modern drama. Second time to watch this.

Agree that 'STORY OF A MAN/SLINGSHOT' is a good drama. Very different because it is a duel between two young men and a very dark basic story. However it is still interesting and the ending is quite tricky.

I do not recommend the new "IRIS" although I like Lee Byung Hun. This drama is so violent in a very vicious way. It lost credibility for me and I think it could have been produced without the ever present brutality. The actual story was good but I did not finish this after about the fourth episode. Msny people loved this drama.
Hope that some of these would introduce you to the Korean drama addicts world....Just dip your toes into the Korean drama sea and find all the treasures Alex...
I almost forgot to mention 'LA DOLCE VITA' also known as 'BITTERSWEET LIFE' Lead actor is Lee Dong Wook a very good actor and very handsome. Has a good presence. sure of himself. Very dramatic romance and will hold your attention because it is very intense and it is also a murder mystery. Worth a watch.


Peggy

There you go. I just finished "IRIS" and enjoyed the heck out of it.

Geezer :bow:

I know I am in a minority about 'IRIS' I was so disappointed... but it really was the violence that put me off. Just too graphic for me.

Peggy

alexgamerz wrote:I have not seen any Korean dramas but won a free 1 year subscription to dramafever.com from SARS over the holidays! I have been interested in them, just don't know where to start. What can you recommend for my first? (one that is on dramafever please)

As Geezer pointed out, what are you looking for?
If you're looking for a good laugh Soulmate is a good choice, I loved it.
My Lovely Sam Soon is also a must watch IMHO, dramafever lists it under "Feel Good" genre.
I'm not a fan of the historical shows, but Eve's right about Jewel In The Palace.
Couple or Trouble is a good romantic comedy, Han Ye Seul's best performance, that's really her niche I think.
Everyone has different tastes, but I will say this don't buy into the hype of Boys Over Flowers, probably one of the worst shows I've seen.

brad2 (Peggy)

In terms of the TV and movies I love, I find I'm in the minority with absolutely everyone I know in the real world. It's okay though. I find it roomy.

You don't care for violence.

In terms of shows that offer a "good cry"... I am, and always have been, baffled as to what a "good" cry is. Crying is bad and should be avoided at all cost.

Stick to your guns. It's TV, you should watch what you like.

Wynter wrote:
So I've seen only a measly 15 dramas, but I figured I'd share my top three favs.

It was hard to narrow down the boys, since, unlike Japanese actors, MOST Korean male actors are rather attractive and masculine.

Top 3 Boys:
Gong Yoo - Saw him in Coffee Prince, One Fine Day, and the movie She's on Duty. :smitten: Great actor, sinful body.
[image]

Gong Yoo is truly a fine actor. First saw him in One Fine Day.

Like KimuTaku he makes his female co-stars glow with sensuality and beauty. He certainly did with Sung Yuri in One Fine Day.

Thanks for Coffee Prince... I think it's always fun to watch him.

:applaud:

Geezer wrote: Do you like a "good cry", do you prefer snark?

Ask ten people around here what their favorite show is and you're likely to get ten different answers.

Actually Im not into crying at all. But once in awhile Ive actually started a series which was really well written, directed and acted and I got sucked into it. Crying or not. I dont really understand "the good cry" term. The only time in my life I watched a lot of weepy stuff was when I was really sad for several months, and my sense of humor was not on tap. So there was nothing to do but cry. I watched Winter Sonata during that time. Still love the OST.

And if you ask me on any given day I could have a different favorite.

Must be my multiple personalities.

:metaldevil:

Totally agree about Gong Yoo. He is delicious when he is doing anything romantic. Good joh he has finished his military duty so he will be back in drama soon. COFFEE PRINCE was really a most enjoyable drama. Very 'feel good'. Loved the dear young man who was killed on his motorcycle after making that drama. Very sad. Also fell for the young actor who played the 'Waffle Man'. Very fetching and he was later in KINGDOM OF THE WIND I think, doing a very different role and had to bone up on his martial arts. I'll find the names later.

As for Japanese actors..Well I admit I have been madly in love with Takuya Kimura for over ten years. He is everything I ever wanted in an actor and entertainer. Such talent and then there is that sexy charisma. He is magnetic. Nothing girlish about Kimura san. In real life he is very straightforward and protects his family from all publicity if possible.
Also there is Osawa Takeo who was just starring in "JIN' He is older now but still charming.
Better stop...

Oops..What about 'IL MARE' I don't mean the Hollywood rip off which was all wrong.
The Korean one had Lee Jung Jae another favourite. A fanciful story but really beautiful.
Peg

Geezer,

I don't cry anymore and certainly not at dramas. I am hardhearted or all cried out I suppose. Real life can take tears ,but not dramas. I can get teary with some music but that is very elemental with most people I think.

Like you, I enjoy the strangest dramas and films, and other people pass them by. It's all in the mind....

Peg

Jav_sol wrote:
Have you seen Story of a Man/The Slingshot ( http://wiki.d-addicts.com/A_Man%27s_Story ) It was a solid show with a good story line, though it isn't a comedy. I think this is the first show where I didn't really notice the female actresses, as both main male actors stole the show.

>>jots it down quickly<<

alexgamerz wrote:I have not seen any Korean dramas but won a free 1 year subscription to dramafever.com from SARS over the holidays! I have been interested in them, just don't know where to start. What can you recommend for my first? (one that is on dramafever please)

I would take Geez's advice about asking around, and both Eve and Peggy have mentioned some great shows.

Personally, whenever I start something new, I go with the fan favourites. Then branch out when I get into certain actors and genres.

You should post what types of dramas you like, to get a list rolling. For now I would recommend these:

- Coffee Prince
- My Name is Kim Sam Soon (aka. My Lovely Kim Sam Soon)

Both have a range of genres: comedy, angst, romance, etc. with a strong acting team.

Eve wrote:
I found the slickness of the main male character annoying I believe. But I saw it years ago.

Slick? Sang-doo? :headscratch: He was a struggling, uneducated single dad who had to work as a toy boy to pay the hospital bills for a leukemia-stricken daughter.

Jav_sol wrote:
Couple or Trouble is a good romantic comedy, Han Ye Seul's best performance, that's really her niche I think.

True that! It's like the role of Anna was written just for her. Loved all characters on that drama, except Flower Vase (the Female Second Fiddle). Poorly developed secondary female leads are really the Hong Sisters' Achilles heel. :shakehead:

Geezer wrote:brad2 (Peggy)
Crying is bad and should be avoided at all cost.

:lol:

Oh, a little melodrama won't hurt once in a while. :mrgreen: I don't mind the weepy if it's organic to the story, and doesn't get in the way of plausible plot and character development. (BEAUTIFUL LIFE! BEAUTIFUL LIFE! hehe) A lot of K-dramas I've seen (sadly) use the plot as a mere pretext for all the tearjerking and schmaltz, instead of using the weepy moments to serve the purposes of the story. Maybe that's why I got tired of all the gratuitous melodrama and hopped over to Jdoramas, where slapstick rules the land with an iron fist, lol. Gimme a canned Jdrama laugh track over leukemia/blindness/amnesia/switched-at-birth any day. (At least, for now. :beaten:)

It's like reading a Nicholas Sparks novel. I loved "The Notebook" but stayed away from his other books. Oh, he pushes your emotional buttons all right, and can effectively turn on the waterworks with a word, a phrase, but reading novel after novel will just as effectively reduce my brain to mush. :bleh: My mother was less forgiving when she said, "Nicholas Sparks? He drips all over the place." LOL

I suppose the moral of the story is... everything in moderation? :victory:

That said, I don't think Korea makes that many cancer-driven storylines these days. In all fairness to Kdramas. :victory: And the 2007 drama THANK YOU has a major character with HIV, but you never once feel like you're being emotionally manipulated. I guess it all boils down to treatment, rather than subject matter.

Geezer wrote:alexgamerz

You might consider telling people what kinds of shows you normally enjoy. Romance, comedy, action... Do you like a "good cry", do you prefer snark?

Ask ten people around here what their favorite show is and you're likely to get ten different answers.

haha.... good point :doh:

I really enjoy comedy (MR. BRAIN, Attention Please), but human dramas, "a good cry", are good too. I really liked Shiroi Haru, and just recently watched and LOVED Taiyou no Uta (Midnight Sun), the movie, with Yui. :shamefulcry:

First Korean drama I saw was Sassy Girl Chun Hyang, both a comedy and a serious drama, :doh: if you see it you'll understand why, there are better, but I really enjoyed it. Here's the opening theme song, wish I had the full length version, quite catchy. :applaud:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vg5zxzeo8U