Korean Dramas

[cabbagekid]

I've been watching "Birth of a Beauty," it's about a wife who's a little over-weight and considered "ugly" by Korean standards. The husband and his family think she's dead because her car fell over a cliff, but in reality, she was able to get out of the car after it fell, went to a plastic surgeon and made her this beautiful, skinny woman. Obviously there's a lot more involved to this plot, but the male main character is hilariously adorable.

[sumire]

Last year, I mentioned Modern Farmer in the "What are you watching?" thread. It was the first Korean show I've ever watched organically (i.e., because it was on TV and it interested me, and not because someone was foisting DVDs on me and insisting I watch.) I really enjoyed it, but I stopped watching once PBS started airing Downton Abbey in a conflicting time slot. I was thinking of finishing up watching Modern Farmer online, but I spoiled myself with episode recaps for the rest of the series, and I got kind of mad at the show when I read that

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Hyeok doesn't end up in a relationship with anybody. I mean, I wouldn't want to date him, but I really got to like the character. If Sad Sack Dying Guy can end up finding true love with that grouchy treasure-hunter he's obsessed with, set up Hyeok with the webcast girl--she's supposedly "homely," but she's bossy and she can sing, which seems to be what he's looking for in a woman, and the two of them have similar parental issues (deceased mother, disapproving father).

Anyway, I've been spending weekends doing home stuff lately, and I've discovered some other Korean shows that are on in the dead zone otherwise occupied by golf and infomercials.

I've been watching Jewel in the Palace for a month or two now; I have zero interest in cooking and I never expected I'd get into a historical Korean show, but it's pretty addictive watching the protagonist Mary Sue her way through all obstacles.

Then I found out that after the station filler after Jewel in the Crown, there's another show, A Man Called God, which is cheezy as all get out, but the main character's tousled locks remind me of one of my first crushes, and the Good Girl reminds me of Honey Lee from Modern Farmer, and also, there's nothing else on TV.

During these shows, they show the same commercials for Korean health and skincare products over and over, so I LOLed yesterday when I noticed that the Spoiled Rich Girl on A Man Called God has Cetaphil products prominently displayed on her vanity.

[sumire]

I was really enjoying the start of Here Comes Jang Bo-ri, about rival daughters-in-law competing to inherit their mother-in-law's haute couture hanbok business, so I was kind of irked to go online and learn that it was going to get even soapier with amnesia and false identity and stuff. (Of course, I should have known something was up when a show called "Here Comes Jang Bo-ri" didn't have anyone named Jang Bo-ri on it.) But the show's first-act climax was some glorious pathos (SUCK IT, IN-HWA!), and after the time skip, Bo-ri is pretty cute, and even though Jae-hwa grew up to be kind of a jackass, he had such a sad, sad childhood, I'm glad to see him finally enjoying himself.

The other show I'm watching regularly is Heard it Through the Grapevine, which is totally different from all the other Korean shows I've seen so far. It's about a poor family and a rich family thrown together by their kids' shotgun wedding, but a lot of it is very quiet and still, with a maze of dim, claustrophobic interiors, voyeuristic camera work, and some really odd incidental music. I guess it's kind of a dry comedy. I find my eyes glued to the screen trying to figure out who's who and what's going on, and I can't tell if I'm clueless because I'm not Korean, because I missed the start of the show, or if the show is deliberately holding things back.

[sumire]

I'm still super-addicted to Here Comes Jang Bo-ri, as are my mom and every other K-drama viewer we know.

Heard it Through the Grapevine ended satisfyingly and unrealistically, pretty much in keeping with the odd, artificial, allegorical tone it had throughout.

I watched The Girl Who Sees Smells for a while, but I was disappointed that the actress I like, Park Jin-Joo (the girl with the internet show on Modern Farmer) was hardly in it, and the cute love story was an odd mix with the creepy serial killer procedural.

I started out hate-watching Fabulous Neighbor; that's turned into regular-watching it while marveling at all the ways in which the characters can be stupid selfish assholes.

Aside from Jang Bo-ri, I think my current favorite is Divorce Lawyer in Love. So freaking cute. I'm sure if it were a Hollywood rom-com, I'd gag or refuse to watch it, but formulaic story + foreign language/culture make a good combination.

[sobe]

Apr 6, 2015 22:39:15 GMT -4 sumire said:

Last year, I mentioned Modern Farmer in the "What are you watching?" thread. It was the first Korean show I've ever watched organically (i.e., because it was on TV and it interested me, and not because someone was foisting DVDs on me and insisting I watch.) I really enjoyed it, but I stopped watching once PBS started airing Downton Abbey in a conflicting time slot. I was thinking of finishing up watching Modern Farmer online, but I spoiled myself with episode recaps for the rest of the series, and I got kind of mad at the show when I read that

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}Hyeok doesn't end up in a relationship with anybody. I mean, I wouldn't want to date him, but I really got to like the character. If Sad Sack Dying Guy can end up finding true love with that grouchy treasure-hunter he's obsessed with, set up Hyeok with the webcast girl--she's supposedly "homely," but she's bossy and she can sing, which seems to be what he's looking for in a woman, and the two of them have similar parental issues (deceased mother, disapproving father).

I really enjoyed Modern Farmer for most its run. It was the first Kdrama I tried to keep up with while it was on-air in Korea and i loved it because it was incredibly silly, but very sweet, and was mostly respectful of the assorted villagers, who were all pretty great (except that the drunk dude and his ex were kinda boring).

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}But I thought it ended with a thud. I didn't love one-year time jump. The ending felt really rushed, and I did want Hyuk to end up with the girl. Classic Second-Lead Syndrome, I guess. Webcast Girl would've been a decent option, except: 1) the character was still in high school, and 2) I was waiting for the show to give me some payoff for the obvious crush that the female lead's little brother had on Webcast Girl. I did like the role reversal with Ki Joon and Bul Ja ending up in Yanbien.

Right now my friend is making me watch The Time I loved You/7000 Days. Which I am amenable to because I like romantic comedies and Lee Jin Wook is so, SO handsome. The chemistry between the leads is easy and cute. Though I am occasionally distracted by how much the female lead's face has changed since I first saw her in Secret Garden.

I finally started watching Gaksital (Bridal Mask) because I'm on an extended Joo-Won kick (so talented and such pretty eyes). It's as good as advertised. The male leads are great, the pacing works really well for me and the action sequences are well done.

[sumire]

::checks wiki::

Oh, hey, Gaksital has the #2 guy from Stairway to Heaven! I liked him back when I watched that.

[sobe]

Since Joowon's my favorite, the chances were good that I was going to like Yong-Pal, but it is legitimately entertaining. After seeing the first four episodes, it's good to see that it's not a typical medical drama. There a nice blend of action, melodrama, political intrigue, social commentary, with some lighter moments sprinkled in. Visually, it's very stylishly shot. Not what I was expecting when Modern Farmer's PD was subbed in at the last minute. Joowon's had to carry the show for these four episodes and so far seems to have again fleshed out a complex and believable character. I also like that there are a few female characters who are strong, competent and don't seem limited to being potential love interests.

We'll have to see what happens when Kim Tae Hee's character gets more to do. I haven't ever seen her in anything, but I keep hearing about what a terrible actress she is. I'm not sure how much of that is saltiness from girls in love with Rain, though.

So anyway, strong creative start. And apparently crazy good ratings in Korea. Crossing my fingers it doesn't go off the rails. With all of the plot lines and genres they are mixing, the potential for the writing to go wonky is there.

The other currently airing drama I was watching, The Time I Loved You (7000 Days), got kinda dumb and wheel-spinny, so I haven't bothered to watch the last five episodes.

[sumire]

Aug 14, 2015 19:45:30 GMT -4 sobe said:

The other currently airing drama I was watching, The Time I Loved You (7000 Days), got kinda dumb and wheel-spinny, so I haven't bothered to watch the last five episodes.

My mom and I are watching that right now--it's being broadcast here under the title "The Time We Were Not in Love," so I had to do a bunch of Googling to make sure it was the same show. "Got kinda dumb and wheel-spinny" sounds about right--lately, my mom calls me as soon as it's over to complain about the female lead still being interested in her ex. The male lead is sort of Takeshi Kaneshiro-y-looking --I approve.

[sobe]

Aug 20, 2015 4:06:00 GMT -4 sumire said:

Aug 14, 2015 19:45:30 GMT -4 sobe said:

The other currently airing drama I was watching, The Time I Loved You (7000 Days), got kinda dumb and wheel-spinny, so I haven't bothered to watch the last five episodes.

My mom and I are watching that right now--it's being broadcast here under the title "The Time We Were Not in Love," so I had to do a bunch of Googling to make sure it was the same show. "Got kinda dumb and wheel-spinny" sounds about right--lately, my mom calls me as soon as it's over to complain about the female lead still being interested in her ex. The male lead is sort of Takeshi Kaneshiro-y-looking --I approve.

I first noticed him in Miss Granny (which I would recommend to everyone - it's a great "young again" comedy). As far as dramas go, Lee Jin Wook (and his gorgeous face) were much better served in the time-travel drama Nine. Much better show. While I've only watched a limited number of kdramas, but Nine (and LJW) had the best kissing in any of the ones I've seen (usually so, so chaste and stiff). I've also heard he was good in Three Musketeers, which I haven't seen because it wasn't on Drama Fever back when I was looking for it.

Re: The Time I Loved You/The Time We Were Not in Love

I think everyone knew there was going to be trouble when there was a writer swap before the series went to air and then another writer swap four episodes in. So many things were nonsensical. Why, WHY would Won wait 17 years to say anything? Why would the ex-Fiancé wait three years to explain why he didn't make it to their engagement party? I stopped watching by the time they tried explaining any of that, because they were wasting so much time on the super-douche ex-fiancé. I did read recaps, but still don't think the rationales were particularly convincing.

On a shallow note, I just could not with the second lead's (the ex-fiancé) face. He was not good-looking enough for me to put up with his character's bullshit.

[Deleted]

I finished Mask last week, about a poor girl who has a rich doppelgänger whose identity she is bribed to assume. I enjoyed it, but felt the end was lacki a little something, like it kind of ran out of steam and left some plot threads dangling.

I just started Last about a day trader/stock manipulator who gets caught up in a deal gone wrong and loses everything and winds up living in the streets. He's battling to become King of the Homeless Guy Underworld. The #1 Underworld boss lost several million dollars in the deal gone bad,and I think he's about to put our guy to work.