Duds and delights of 2009 [Year in Review, Part 1]
by Dahee_Fanel
(Just to clarify, this is the first of four guest reviews and is written by Dahee Fanel, whose insights you can read regularly on her own blog, Dahee’s Plastic Castle. I hope you’ll enjoy reading the guest reviews and get as much as I do out of their diverse opinions. Thanks all, especially Dahee! —javabeans)
And to think that I headed into 2009 feeling so hopeful, too.
2008 was an awful year for K-dramas. That year ended with me feeling like I’d just swum through an ocean of excrement, and I figured that I’d need to soak myself in some good dramas for at least another year before I’d manage to wash the stink off of me.
Alas, that was not to be the case.
Thinking back on which dramas I saw in 2009, it occurred to me that, goddammit, I’m a lot more resilient than I’d thought. It awed me that I’d managed to watch crap like Cain and Abel and Everybody Cha Cha Cha all the way through, without even any fastforwarding! A year ago, this would not have been possible. A year ago, my stomach would have protested three seconds in, and I’d have had to be rushed to the doctor’s, only to be told (again) by dear old Dr. C that my condition is a complete mystery to him.
But this year, I discovered the secret to watching bad dramas without ending up gagging over a toilet. That secret has been spread so thick over my digestive organs that no amount of stress or disgust can penetrate it. We’ll get to what that secret is later, but the point of all this rambling is, I’ve discovered other reasons for watching dramas besides their innate quality. Call it a survival instinct. Reasons for drama-watching are a lot more complicated than I’d once thought.
So for this year’s write-up, I’m dividing the categories into the various reasons I watched the dramas in the first place. It’s going to be kinda embarrassing, but honest. I’ve found that honesty is always best in the end, whether people like it or not. As my mom likes to say: “If I find out you’re lying to me, I’ll turn your legs black and blue.”
SONG OF THE DAY
Broccoli, You Too? – “2009년의 우리들” (Us in 2009) [ Download ]
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FAMILY SUCKS
If you have family members or friends who watch K-dramas as well, then you’ll know what I mean. My dad is especially bad when it comes to forcing me to watch certain dramas with him. He can’t do it as often now, since I’ve moved out, but he’ll still pester me over the phone. He has strange taste in dramas – he loves the really good, critically-acclaimed ones, but every once in a while he’ll like something that’s so terrible that it gives me hives. And I’ll look at him and ask, “Why are you, of all people, watching this crap?”. And he’ll reply without batting an eye, “Because [insert actress’s name here] is hot.”
The apple sure doesn’t fall far from the tree…
Boys Before Flowers
It wasn’t my dad, but my mom who was the culprit for this one. My dad wouldn’t go near this drama with a ten-foot pole, but my mom, the Kim Hyun Joong fangirl that she is (damn you, We Got Married!), jumped on it like a wolf on a raw steak. And she forced me, her oldest daughter, to watch (some of) it, too.
Well, okay, it wasn’t all because of my mom. I tuned in to a couple of later episodes because I love Kim Hyun Joo, as well. And I saw the first episode all on my lonesome, without anyone’s prodding, purely out of the goodness of my heart.
Unfortunately, the first episode left me swearing up a storm, cursing my foolishness for wanting to give this drama a chance, despite the astronomical signs that it would be very, very bad. Why didn’t I trust my instincts, I wondered? I mean, I’d seen most of the anime version (Hana Yori Dango, you pain my soul, even all these years later). I knew what I was getting myself into. But still, against all logic, I hoped it would be better. But I was wrong. It wasn’t better. It was actually – wait for it – worse than that cursed anime that should never have even seen the light of day, what with its anti-feminist and classist messages. It boggled my mind that that could have even happened.
I watched this drama intermittently, like I’m sure a lot of viewers back in Korea did. But every glance into this show made my stress levels rise to monstrous heights. Not only was the script so terrible that it would have gone to better use in a compost heap, but the directing, as expected, was a complete and utter mess. And don’t even get me started on the music. If I have to hear “Almost paaaaradiiiiise” one more time, I’m going to bash my head into a wall. (Take note, variety shows.)
The acting, too, was just laughable. My heart broke watching Goo Hye Sun here – those who haven’t seen her in the 2007-2008 sageuk The King and I will probably assume that she’s just a bad actress normally, but she’s really not. She started off rocky in that show, but slowly improved to the point that she became one of the highlights of the drama. She was so luminous, so strong, so mature in The King and I. And then she turned into that overacting petulant child in BBF. I felt like crying, watching her. Also, I like Kim Hyun Joong in variety shows, but he should stay far, far away from acting in future. I cringed every time he appeared. And I know Lee Min Ho is beloved by all BBF fans, and that everyone considers him to be this great actor or something, but I was deeply unimpressed. Then again, could anyone shine, when they’re given that kind of material to work with? If he chooses a good project next time, where one can really see if he has talent or not, I may change my mind. (Then again, there were a couple of acting highlights. Lee Min Jung, as usual, was a breath of fresh air, and Lee Hye Young was deliciously evil.)
Boys Before Flowers may have been a pop culture phenomenon and all that, but for me, it’s one of the very worst dramas of the year, and was a complete waste of my time and energy. I should have listened to Dr. C’s advice, and just stayed away from any stress triggers.
Style
Sometimes I really resent my dad. Especially when he makes me watch a show this idiotic. I saw the first episode of my own volition and hated it, but the next time I saw my dad, he said he was lonely watching it by himself, so we watched a few episodes together. Never has my pity been more misplaced.
Like Boys Before Flowers, I watched this intermittently. But every time I saw it, I swear I gained at least three gray hairs. Talk about an over the top, self-absorbed, arrogant show. It seemed to be under the delirious impression that it was fresh and glamorous, but it really, really wasn’t. If I could, I would have slapped it across the face. Some shows are at least quiet and unassuming in their mediocrity. This one had to broadcast it to the whole world. How much more obnoxious can you get?
What a waste of an actress like Kim Hye Soo. At least most of the rest of the cast was utterly forgettable. Ryu Shi Won is his usual boring self, while Lee Ji Ah is her usual crazy chipmunk on speed. Newbie Lee Yong Woo has about one facial expression, and I had no interest in seeing it.
Final verdict: The faster I forget this drama, the better.
FANGIRLINESS
I know, I know, it sounds silly. I sound silly. But it’s true. Fangirliness is the armour that protects my stomach from terrible, terrible cramps. If there is an actor I love with my heart and soul (and possibly my loins) involved with a terrible project, then I will watch that production, and I won’t stop, because goddammit, I just can’t quit him/her. It’s the great tragedy of my life. And so are the following dramas.
Everybody Cha Cha Cha
Oh Man Seok, why did you have to pick this drama? Why? And why did it have to be a daily drama, one that is set for 150 EPISODES? Do you know what it’s been like, for me to have to trudge through each half hour of this torture? I’ve wasted over fifty hours of my life with this garbage, all because of you. IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF YOU.
It actually didn’t start out so terribly. I had hope that it would have little moments of family warmth and heartache, and that there would be semblances of human beings present. And the early cute moments between Jin-woo and Na-young were refreshing (mostly, I suspect, because of the good rapport and acting between them). But now it’s all gone to hell, and then some.
I know daily dramas aren’t exactly known for their quality, but this is ridiculous. Park Han Byul and Lee Joong Moon’s so-called “romance” was bad enough, but now the pace has actually slowed to the point that the same scenes are being recycled, over and over. I remember watching one episode and thinking, “Wait a minute, why does this all feel so familiar?”. And then I realized that it was because the characters were all spouting the same tired sentiments, in the exact same places, as they had in the episode immediately previous to it. The only difference was the slight variation in dialogue. THAT’S CALLED LAZY WRITING.
Put on top of that sudden and unexplained changes in affection and motivation, parental disapproval, memory loss and random car accidents, and you have, right there, one of the worst dramas of the year. What an utter waste of talents like Oh Man Seok, Jo Ahn, Shim Hye Jin, Kim Young Ok, and Park Hae Mi.
Cain and Abel
The last time So Ji Sub was in a drama was in 2004, when he acted in what would become the major turning point of his career (so far), I’m Sorry, I Love You. It’s been five years since then, and for a fan, that’s a millenium. I’m not the praying kind, so I can’t say that I prayed that his comeback drama would be a good one, but…I hoped very, very hard.
And the drama he chose to make his comeback was…Cain and Abel. Oy vey.
Perhaps all of that hassle over cancellation and PD/writer switches and whatnot made everyone involved feel confused and rushed. Perhaps they just chose the wrong writer to take charge. Whatever it was, this show was a major, major disappointment.
I’ve talked extensively about this already in my review on this drama over at me wee little blog, but Cain and Abel is one of those dramas that thinks it can handle more than it can. It wants to be several different things at once, but it doesn’t succeed at any of them. When it does anything, it goes big, but only touches on each element in a shallow way. As a consequence, it’s all flash without any substance.
And don’t even get me started on the writing. How anyone can write that kind of script and still have a job is beyond me. Characters suddenly change motivations for no reason, random people die purely for dramatic effect, the hospital setting is a mere afterthought, the romance is saccharine and strained. There’s zero subtlety, and that transfers over even to the acting. At first glance, this is not a bad cast, but no one was really able to shine, despite their best efforts. Oh, a lot of tears were shed, and So Ji Sub’s acting has changed in some subtle way that I can’t yet pinpoint, but without real characters to work with, how could anyone show any truly meaningful acting? The characters in this drama are mere caricatures, nothing more. There’s no heart here, no soul. So why on earth should I care?
The Accidental Couple/That Fool
As I mentioned in my Accidental Couple review here months ago, I love Hwang Jung Min. And, as expected, he’s an absolute marvel here, pulling off what I consider to be the best performance of the year (and, if not the best, at the very least the most heartfelt). His exquisite acting elevated this drama, which should have been utter crap that would have been better off in the bottom of the ocean where no human eyes could see it. Just imagine what this show would have been like without him – terrible acting, caricatures for characters, cliched writing, clueless directing. What a mess!
But with his magic touch, it became a puzzle, a head-scratchingly enjoyable ride (at least for the last eight or so episodes). It’s really rather miraculous that, after its molasses-slow beginning, and its generous usage of cliches, it managed to pick up after so many episodes and find a halfway recipe for success. I like to attribute it all to the power of Hwang Jung Min’s acting. He’s already proven himself, over and over in his films, to be one of the best actors in Korea today. One can only look forward to the kind of performances he will show in future.
Queen Seondeok
Look at the cast list for this drama: Lee Yo Won, Go Hyun Jung, Kim Nam Gil, Uhm Tae Woong, Baek Do Bin, Park Ye Jin, Yoon Yoo Seon, Yoo Seung Ho, Lee Moon Shik, etc, etc, etc. With the exception of Lee Yo Won, that’s quite a fine bunch of actors. So, despite my trepidations about everyone behind the camera, I was really looking forward to this show before it aired.
I really should learn to crush hope before it flutters up to choke me.
It actually didn’t start out so bad. The first few episodes were fun, if somewhat shallow, and the child actors did well. From the very beginning Go Hyun Jung was exquisite as the sultry, evil, irresistible Mishil, and upped the entertainment aspect considerably. I enjoyed myself.
And then, somewhere down the line, it all started to feel…exhausting. I kept waiting for a deeper moment of intelligence or sense to pop up to counter all the fluff, but it never happened. I watched as logic was absolutely crushed repeatedly (running away from a village that’s dying away from drought, only to come across a booming waterfall just ten minutes away?), and as characters showed no signs of real development or depth. And historical accuracy? What historical accuracy? If that even remotely resembles what really happened back in good ol’ Silla, then I’ll eat my grandmother. And I imagine that she wouldn’t be very impressed if I tried that.
This is just such a repetitive, unimaginative, even, yes, stupid show. It’s so incredibly episodic in its format, without any sense of it all actually going somewhere. Okay, so it’s about Queen Seondeok. What about her? What did she accomplish in history? Why is she so important? What are you trying to say, dammit?
Oh, wait, it doesn’t matter what you’re trying to say. You’re too busy trying to gobble up as many ratings as possible through the easiest and laziest means. Sorry, I forgot for a second there. Silly me.
Even the actors, usually so good overall, seemed to realize that there was no point in trying, and churned out rather lackluster performances (my poor Uhm Tae Woong, sob). The only real exception was Go Hyun Jung, but this is no Accidental Couple. It invests too much pretense in grandeur and scale for that. As a result, it’s crippled every time she’s not in a scene. What does that say about a drama’s innate quality?
Monstrously overrated, this is one show that gives other sageuk a bad name. Call me when it’s January 6th, and we get to see what a real sageuk looks like (ChunoChunoChunoChuno).
Smile, You
Despite the PD/writer combo (I wasn’t at all enthralled with The Last Scandal Of My Life), I was looking forward to this show, because the cast was so solid. I mean, Jung Kyung Ho, Lee Min Jung, Lee Chun Hee, Choi Jung Yoon, and Lee Kyu Han, all in ONE drama? Consider me sold.
However, yet again, I was proven to be foolish. This is an incredibly over the top, silly, and childish drama, that wouldn’t know subtlety if it hit it in the forehead with a killer truck. And talk about over-usage of music! Every time I watch this drama, I’m reminded of something my old screenwriting professor once said: “Today’s movies really need to learn the power of absolute silence.” Replace “movies” with “dramas”, and there you’ll see my point. We don’t need music every five seconds to cue us in on what we should be feeling. We ought to know how we should feel from the set-up, dialogue, and acting, and not have it bashed into our skulls with yet another sudden blast of obnoxiously bad K-pop.
There are only 2 reasons I’m still watching this drama:
1) The overall good acting
2) Lee Min Jung and Jung Kyung Ho’s romance
Yeah, that’s right. Me, the girl who’s notoriously picky with romance, is actually enjoying one. The two of them infuse so much energy into their characters, and they just mesh so well together. And I love how forward Jung-in is with her feelings, how she’s not just some mopey damsel in distress. And I love that Hyun-soo isn’t a jerk with machismo problems like most K-drama heroes. They’re the best K-drama couple of the year for me, and are what make the drama bearable. Let’s hope it continues in this vein!
MISPLACED HOPE
These are the dramas that I had some expectations for going in, and that ended up disappointing me deeply. Or, if not deeply, then at least a little bit. A little deeply?
He Who Can’t Marry
As one of those people who saw the classic Japanese dorama Kekkon Dekinai Otoko on which this drama was based, there were a lot of expectations for this show going in. Would it be able to reach or even surpass the brilliance of the original, I wondered? Was that even possible?
Well, as it turns out, it wasn’t possible. At least not this time around.
At first I had hope. Kind of. It was just such a close copy of the original dorama. It duplicated the exact same scenes, sometimes with even the exact same camera angles and whatnot. And because it did that, it managed to capture a kind of shadow of what the original had been. Kind of like buying a knock-off purse instead of the real thing (god, I really want a new purse right now). It may look the same, but there’s something innately different about it. It just ain’t the same, y’know?
Even worse, whenever it did deviate from the original, it ended up showing its massive flaws. Unlike the original, this show was not subtle, and it didn’t appear to have any deep understanding of its very subject matter. It had no spark of life, none of the quirky charm that made the original so appealing.
Part of the problem was the casting of Ji Jin Hee. He’s normally a solid actor, but here, he failed to make the character his own. He was so caught up in chasing a spectre of Abe Hiroshi’s amazing performance in the original that he just ended up looking silly and foolish. Over the top and full of nervous energy, he missed all the right emotional notes. It was unintentionally sad to watch.
The rest of the cast, however, was good. Kim So Eun continues to be one of the most promising young actresses in Korea today, and both Yoo Ah In and Yang Jung Ah pull off solid performances. Uhm Jung Hwa, too, while not at her best, looks lovely and managed to differentiate herself from Natsukawa Yui’s glowing performance in the original. It’s just too bad that none of that could make any real difference.
If anyone wants to provide an example for an argument that all remakes suck, then congratulations. You’ve found it, right here.
You’re Beautiful
I resisted for as long as I could. I vowed to never go near this drama with a ten-foot pole.
I always break self-made promises.
There was just so much open adulation for this drama, you know? I had to know what the hype was about. My curiosity, as always, got the better of me. All of my past pet cats should’ve come back and warned me what would happen.
I approached this drama with as much optimism and open-mindedness as I could muster. I tried to tell myself that no drama is perfect, and that sometimes, entertainment value isn’t about innate quality, but something more elusive. With the end of each episode, I told myself that it would get better, that I should just give it one more chance. And another. And another.
I am such an idiot.
This is not as horrible a drama as, say, Boys Before Flowers or that stain on Korean drama history known as Wife’s Temptation. But it isn’t a good drama, either. Oh, I know all you You’re Beautiful fans all going to come rushing at me with burning pitchforks, yelling “Off with her fat head!”. I don’t care. Honesty is my policy, and I’m being honest when I say that I regret the day I decided to start watching this drama.
Oh, there were moments when I saw glimpses of hope. There were glimmers of cleverness, like every scene where Tae-kyung outwitted He-yi (that scene where he throws her shoes actually made me laugh out loud…for once). And episode eight was the closest this show ever got to showing any real human emotion, where it seemed for a moment that there was actually going to be a semblance of character development and depth. Alas, it was not to be.
You’re Beautiful has a strange sort of quirkiness to it, and I can see why people were so addicted. But it was just inconsequential and unoriginal fluff for me. I never felt for the characters because they were never real. They were just pretty cardboard cut-outs who lipsynched every once in a while. And don’t even get me started on the overwhelming angst (a definite recurring flaw in the Hong sisters’ dramas), the terribly shallow acting (go back to singing, Jung Yong Hwa), the super-cheesy dialogue, the ridiculous plot, or the annoying over-usage of two or three songs (if I have to listen to an A.N. Jell song one more time, I’m going to amputate my ears). And that ending! Talk about being one of the laziest drama endings of the year. (Should I put a semi-spoiler alert here?) I mean, I get that they were just making an allusion to what is probably the most famous trendy drama ending of all time, the ending for the cliched and ridiculous but oh-so-entertaining 1997 drama Star In My Heart. But it wasn’t even a parody, not really. I would have felt much better about their choosing not to come up with their own ending, and ripping off another, better one, if they had taken it and injected some kind of humour or twist. But no. It was done in complete seriousness, straight-faced, as though it was the most romantic moment EVAAAAH. Uh-huh, right honey, we’ve all been there, seen that. Next!
Seriously, can someone invent a time machine for me? I feel like I’ve wasted so many hours of my life with this childish drivel.
Will It Snow For Christmas?
I’m kind of a fan of writer Lee Kyung Hee. That is, I’ve seen 5 1/2 dramas she’s written: The short one episode drama My Older Brother, some of Let’s Go To School, Sang-doo!, I’m Sorry, I Love You, A Love To Kill, her two episodes of Beating Heart, and Thank You. And she’s been an overall hit with me, with the notable exception of A Love To Kill.
This drama in particular…is not her best work. Far from it. After 2007’s Thank You, despite its flaws, I thought that she had noticeably improved. I was hoping that her next work would be even better, and that her tendencies towards cliches and excessive melodrama would tamper down.
However, Will It Snow For Christmas?, while it holds all of the charms of an Lee Kyung Hee drama (nice sense of nostalgia, quiet touching moments, engaging romance), it showcases all of the glaring flaws as well. One of the things about Lee Kyung Hee dramas is, they need really strong actors in order to work. Without that, everything can fall apart in a moment. And unfortunately for Will It Snow For Christmas?, it has a very weak link in its leading lady, Han Ye Seul.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Han Ye Seul or anything. But she’s always been a weak actress, and although you can tell she’s trying here, she just isn’t making the cut. And it’s hurting the drama as a whole.
That doesn’t mean that all of the faults of the drama rest on Han’s shoulders. Far from it. The directing tends to make things seem more dramatic than they really are; I really wish he’d tone things down a little bit, create a calmer kind of atmosphere. The overwhelming music tends to invade scenes that shouldn’t be invaded. And Lee Kyung Hee’s gone right back to where she’s always been, writing cliches by the handful. Her skill is in making those cliches somehow work and feel a little different by creating living, breathing characters to carry them through, but hasn’t everyone who’s seen an Lee Kyung Hee drama seen these characters before? She’s just recycling the same traits that made her past characters so popular and beloved. It’s disheartening, to say the least. And when you have such a weak leading actress who can’t completely bring your character to life, then you find the drama tripping itself up every so often.
And while I’m on the subject, let me just say that I wish Lee Kyung Hee would go back to writing dirt-poor male characters. At least back then, they weren’t perfect catches. Now that she’s trying to escape that trend, she’s fallen into the Rich Guy With A Secret Heart of Gold cliche, and it’s aggravating. If she writes one more scene showcasing how smart and kind and perfect Go Soo’s character is, I’m going to scream. I’d like to see more flaws in the guy than a quick temper. Pretty please?
TRUE LOVE
The dramas that swept me off my feet and refused to let me down again. The best dramas of 2009, the ones I’ll choose to remember this year for.
Friend, Our Legend
I’ve had the same core group of best friends since the first grade. The four of us have watched each other grow up, suffer, and gain a little bit of wisdom with age. And we’ve gone through it all together. I live thousands of miles away from them now, and we don’t get the chance to see each other often. But every time I do see them, it’s like nothing’s changed at all. It’s like time has stopped. They’re the kind of friends whom I know I’ll love for the rest of my life.
So watching Friend, Our Legend was a somewhat painful yet beautiful experience. It was beautiful because I could sympathize so deeply with its characters, and get swept up in their lives and the events that led them down different paths. And it was painful because watching the break-up of a close friendship is like watching a little part of someone die. I remember watching one scene in a later episode where nothing much is said – Dong-soo simply looks at Jun-seok once and walks away. But my eyes immediately filled with tears watching this tiny little interaction. I could actually feel the gulf widening between them, and thus my heart ached for these two friends who were experiencing such pent-up, unspoken grief.
Friend, Our Legend is full of little moments like that, moments that seem to have been sliced out of time, to be presented to us for our consideration. The early episodes of Friend are particularly strong on the slice of life feel, giving the viewer a light-hearted, warm approach to the memories that surround this group of four friends (seven if you count the ladies). This makes for a not particularly exciting but deeply important first few episodes, where you can actually taste the youth and all the confusion that goes along with it. As the years pass and the characters grow up and drift apart, one can’t help but feel a certain sense of inevitability. The viewer knows what is going to happen – even if you haven’t watched the film version, it’s revealed to us very early on. So what we’re engaging in is not the question of what will happen, but how it got to that point, and why.
After last year’s My Sweet Seoul, this drama is another strong argument for the move for directors from Chungmuro to Yeouido. I can’t say I was ever a fan of Kwak Kyung Taek (I’ve never even seen the movie version of Friend), but I love his work here. Friend, Our Legend is just breathtaking to look at, its visuals so beautiful and gritty and enticing. I remember watching the opening scene of the first episode and thinking, “Damn, that’s gorgeous.” The mood and atmosphere for this drama is just about perfect, soaked in nostalgia for the past, and bathed in a subtle whisper of tragedy. True, the music is average at best, and can be jarring in its appearance in certain scenes, but that’s mostly a minor quibble. And yes, there are times when the stylistic elements come forward too strongly, and it ends up feeling like you’re watching a glossy music video instead of a drama depicting a living, breathing story. But those moments, too, are few and far between, and grow progressively infrequent as the drama goes on. At the end of the day, it’s the strengths of the story and the way it is told that stands out, leaving all of those flaws in the dust.
But what I really want to talk about is the acting. I mean…Holy crap of a seagull, is that really Hyun Bin? What on earth has happened to this guy? Suddenly his eyes are glowing with passion and energy, suddenly it seems like his body is housing a dormant volcano ready to explode at any moment. Watching his character slowly evolve from quiet, hurt, gentle soul desperate for just a hint of love to twisted shell of a human being is just wondrous, as well as heartbreaking. And Hyun Bin pulls it off beautifully. He took my very breath away. He’s had a rough few years after the enormous success of My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, quality-wise, but I think he’s finally back, and a million times better than he ever was before. This is easily the best performance of his career. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in future.
Even actors that I previously brushed off as mediocre, like Kim Min Joon, completely changed before my eyes. When did he become this natural, this into his character? It’s just amazing. And then there are folks like Wang Ji Hye, Jung Yoo Mi, Lee Shi Eun, Bae Geu Rin, Seo Do Young. Hell, look at the entire supporting cast, too, with folks like Kim Dong Hyun. There’s not a bad seed to be seen anywhere (although I’d argue that Seo Do Young is the weakest link).
I fully admit that before I started watching this drama in earnest, I assumed that it would be a show drenched in machismo and male posturing, exactly the kind of thing I can’t stand. But by the time I hit the third episode, I realized that I’d been completely wrong. The four main friends are male, yes, but the women – Jin-sook, Eun-ji, Sung-ae – are just as important. They’re not relegated to mere window dressing moved around to give the boys their necessary minute of romance. No, they’re portrayed as tough, strong, resilient, smart and independent, with their own lives separate from men and their own hopes and heartaches. And the actresses portray all of that beautifully, with so much charisma that it could easily overtake other aspects of the drama, if it weren’t controlled carefully.
Friend, Our Legend is not a perfect drama. But it’s a complex, smart, and heartfelt one, and has the ability to dig straight into your heart and potentially tear it apart. As much as I’m loving writing about it right now, it hurts me to do so at the same time. The characters are no longer just characters to me. They’re real people, ones I love and hate and cherish. And, y’know, the more you love, the more opportunity for pain awaits you.
Kyung-sook, Kyung-sook’s Father
Who knew that such a little drama, comprised of only four hours, would sneak up on us in this kind of year and prove itself to be one of the lone gems glowing in a pile of trash?
Kyung-sook, Kyung-sook’s Father was the main reason I entered 2009 feeling hopeful. It aired early this year, and after I finished watching it, my eyes starry-eyed with excitement, I said to myself, “If 2009 is starting out with this kind of quality, imagine what kind of dramas await us in the rest of the year!”.
But instead of being an indicator of how 2009 would turn out, it ended up being one of the very few exceptions in a very dark year – a year full of scandals, tragedy, and political asshattery (asshattery which has now reached even our beloved Korean dramas. Sigh). Looking back, I realize how lucky we were to be given the opportunity to watch this kind of drama this year. I wonder when will be the next time we see something that tackles a sore part of Korean history in such an intelligent and interesting way?
First things first: Kyung-sook is not for everyone. As a black comedy, and as a drama that is set during the Korean war, it deals with some very serious issues: food shortages, parental abandonment, adultery, betrayal, war, death, prejudice. And yet it does so in a light-hearted, humourous way, presenting all the bare facts, raw and painful as they are, and dealing with them perhaps in the only way they knew how: laughter. As someone who grew up in a family that refused to talk candidly about the pain of living through the Korean war, or about the scars they still feel from the events of the Gwangju Massacre, all I know is that I’m glad it’s being talked about at all, and in such a candid way. There is no blindness here, no illusions. The characters are not heroes who freely help others before themselves and stick together as a perfect family. Kyung-sook’s father is a jackass, a coward who thinks of himself before even his own family. Kyung-sook is not exactly being raised by the best of people, and she has to deal with that with all the pain and tears that implies. And yet she endures. It occurs to me that this drama is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, to the ability to find humour and hope even in the darkest of situations. And most of all, it is about the (dysfunctional, fraught, complicated) relationship between a father and his daughter.
The directing and writing is awesome, but it’s the acting that really sticks in the memory here, particularly the acting of little Shim Eun Kyung, who is quickly proving herself to be pretty much the best child actress working in Korea today. And that’s saying something, considering the talent pool of child actors that Korea apparently holds. And then there are veterans like Jung Bo Seok, once again essaying one of the best performances of the year, showing without restraint all of the father’s faults, but also making it impossible to hate him in the end. Hell, the whole cast is wonderful, from the smallest child actor to the oldest veteran. With so many good things going for it, not to mention the legacy of the classic stage play from which this drama is adapted, is it any wonder it turned out to be the best drama of 2009? Friend, Our Legend had bigger moments of raw power, but Kyung-sook, Kyung-sook’s Father is the one that came closest to consistent perfection.
THE FUTURE
I admit, I’m looking forward to January. Jejoongwon looks very promising (if only it weren’t airing on SBS!), and I’m so excited for Chuno that it’s kind of ridiculous. Road Number One, too, can’t air soon enough. With such promising projects looming on the horizon, it’s tempting to say that 2010 looks brighter than 2009 was. But I don’t want to jump ahead of myself just yet. Let’s just say that now that I kind of know the secret to enduring bad dramas, maybe I’ll be okay in future. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll learn to love dramas for reasons that I can’t quite comprehend right now. At the very least, I hope I won’t be paying another drama-induced visit to Dr. C anytime soon…
RELATED POSTS
Tags: 1 show to rule them all, Accidental Couple, Boys Before Flowers, Cain and Abel, Everybody Cha Cha Cha, Friend Our Legend, Kyung Sook Kyung Sook's Father, Queen Seon-deok, Smile, Style, The Man Who Can't Get Married, Will It Snow For Christmas, year in review, year in review 2009, You're Beautiful
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101 robotmatsuri
December 29, 2009 at 1:06 AM
I for one, loved your honesty with a side of snark. I also agree with your review of You're Beautiful. *dodges flying rocks*
As for Will It Snow For Christmas, I don't know if it's Han Ye Seul's acting or her character, but it's getting a bit tiring. I started off loving the series, but I'm gradually losing interest. I hope it starts getting exciting soon. Oh, and ditto to "I’d like to see more flaws in the guy than a quick temper. Pretty please?" ;)
I've been wanting to check out Friend, Our Legend--will have to put that on my to-watch list.
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102 deeta
December 29, 2009 at 1:16 AM
It's kinda funny reading comments that say "It's just drama, calm down!" but then they get worked up themselves defending their favourite dramas. Come on.
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103 Ariel
December 29, 2009 at 1:19 AM
Thanks for the review Dahee, I've been waiting for these to come out. It's a sarcastically hilarious read. Nice that you and your dad could watch a drama together. Now I have to watch "Kyung-sook, Kyung-sook’s Father" I'm familiar with the actors, "Friend Our Legend" I have to take a raincheck on this I don't think my heart and stomach is strong enough for this drama. I have to disagree on you on some point, liked Your Beautiful and Smile You, they are fluff but entertaining fluff nontheless. Agreed with you on Style spot on critique.
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104 paige scott
December 29, 2009 at 1:19 AM
wow, we most definitely have different tastes in dramas.
Smile, you is far from being a disappointment to me, & has at no point made me want to stop watching. & I absolutely loved you're beautiful. Every episode made me laugh, & i thought the acting was well done. & i dont get what you mean about the music. Every drama I've seen has the same music every episode. Did you just mean the music is bad? Anyways, yes, it had flaws, like EVERY drama i've seen, but it did not take over the good qualities, at least to my eyes.
But, as most others have written, i agree with you on boys before flowers. I only started watching it because i loved the Jdrama version. & then i kept watching it because i just thought 'hey, its only 2 hours a week.'
but the thing is, i dont regret watching it. i dont regret any dramas ive watched, because everyone of them so far has given me a few moments that give me a great feeling while watching. i guess that sorta makes me an addict =]
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105 vudoolady
December 29, 2009 at 1:30 AM
Wow, Dahee!!! You have balls!!!
This is what I call OUTSTANDING REVIEW with great writing, strong arguments, interesting point of view, critical analysis and so daring.
Definitely not agree with everything you wrote, but do you need me to? Guess NOT...
Living in a time when popculture and mass media have the highest influence on people's taste and thinking, it is such a delight to have somebody who openly choose to refuse accepting all those rubbish.
Respect!
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106 Mari
December 29, 2009 at 1:35 AM
In Style, the actor's one expression was puppy dog eyes. He whipped them out all the time. He did a constipated expression too, which makes it one and half expressions he has down. Because the puppy dog eyes were always paired with the constipated look.
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107 Eleven11
December 29, 2009 at 1:50 AM
I was reading this and chuckling at myself the whole way, its so true! Well not all of it, I'm still a big fan of Smile, You (though I admit your points are probably valid and I'm just blinded by the DAAAAW-ness of it all). I confess that I did get sucked into You're Beautiful for a while, I was a raging fan until about halfway through (Although I moved to an area with a slow connection, and couldn't be bothered watching the last ep by that point). It was addictive, definitely, and fun to watch.
Anyway, thank you, I thought it was quite funny and well thought-out! I'm impressed you're not afraid to offend rabid fans =p
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108 aiqcn
December 29, 2009 at 2:07 AM
Well...I respect your honesty.
I was planning to watch Friends, our legend. After reading your review, I decided not to watch. I wouldn't like it.
Yes, BBF is a mess. But it is a hot mess just because of Lee Min Ho. I do think that the boy is talented.
I absolutely love You're Beautiful. I know it's not original. But how can you ignore Jang Geun Suk's talent in there? The show itself is not original or great. But the casts are absolutely fresh breath. Did you even see the scene that Lee Hong Ki's crying and singing on the bus? I agree that the characters on not real. That's why we call fictional characters and dramas.
I see that you are honest. I also see that you don't like giving credits to young actors and actresses in K-dramas.
Anyway, thanks for your honesty.
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109 Laura
December 29, 2009 at 2:10 AM
Im going to list the dramas you have listed here and compare taste and opinion. Although I will not write long reviews or anything. Is just a comment…
BBF--- Watched the first episode because I enjoyed the anime (even when I hated the female lead) after the first episode I didn’t even bother. BBF SUCKS BIG TIME!!!
Style--- Reason why I didn’t even try to watch, the lead actor. I don’t like him. So, I’m glad that prevented me from watching it.
Everybody Cha Cha--- I love Oh Man-suk (the vineyard man… that kiss, sigh) But I rather watch The King and I even when it has like thousands of episodes.
Cain and Abel--- I like the whole revenge kinda thing. I agree it was not a good drama, however I enjoyed it very much. So Ji-sub was great but not as great as people said he was in this drama, I liked him in We are Dating Now. But I have yet to see I’m Sorry, I Love You.
That Fool--- I didn’t watch that one, but thanks to your review here I will refrain from even taking a peek at it.
Queen Seo Deonk--- It happened with Titanic, it happened with Twilight and now its happening with Queen Seo Deonk. When people make such a fuss out of something I just can’t help but hate it, if, only if, I think its over rated.
Smile, You--- The only comedy drama that Im watching this year. I love LBH absolutely, with all my heart. I stopped watching IRIS and continue to watch Smile, You.
He Who Can’t Marry--- I thought it was fun, and refreshing. I watched the original, and I hated that it was only like what? 11 episodes? I think. But even when at some point my opinion of Ji Jin hee was that his acting here was awesome, I agree with you that it was overacted by him a lot.
You are Beautiful--- Didn’t we watch the whole girl disguise as a boy thing with Coffee Prince? Didn’t we get so much of it (in a good way) that any other drama with this plot will just not make it. I mean Coffee Prince was it. It left no room for any other. Sorry You are Beautiful.
Will it Snow for Christmas--- was tempted to watch it, but never got to start. Now after your review, I know my intuition was right. Thanks, I wont waste time on this one.
Friend Our Legend--- What can I say? Awesomeness!!! The best drama of the year. Although you are right about Hyun Bin acting, he was excellent. I give two thumps up to Kim Min-joon , he blew me away.
Kyung Sook, Kyung Sook’s Father--- I haven’t watch this one.
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110 coollady
December 29, 2009 at 2:13 AM
really? you only liked two dramas out of the numerous dramas of 2009? i'm surprised because i thought 2009 was a great improvement from the bland 2008.
though i only watch about 4 dramas a year, i thought 2009 was great. it had so much variety for people of all interests, and i appreciated this very very much!
i understand that everyone has their own opinions, and i sometimes go to your blog, but sometimes i get the impression that you just don't like anything. i enjoyed reading your review nonetheless.
i'm not a YAB fan, but i thought it was occasionally fun to watch. not the hong sisters' best, but it was hilarious.
BOF will always be one of the worst dramas ever. i shudder at thinking why i even watched it in the first place.
Smile, You was addicting in the beginning, but after a while, i just lost complete interest and i have no idea why. one day i just woke up and didn't care about the happenings of the drama at all. still love Jung Kyung Ho to bits, but Lee Min Jung is kinda annoying to watch.
Will It Snow for Christmas is my current obsession, but it hasn't finished yet so i won't form an opinion just yet.
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111 missjb
December 29, 2009 at 2:32 AM
thank's GOD, i'm not you.. My standard about korean drama maybe too low... But bcoz of that i'm very enjoy watching you're beautiful...
I need fantasy to forget a real life abit....
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112 nana
December 29, 2009 at 3:01 AM
agree with comment 101. lol you put every single drama down
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113 Smiles
December 29, 2009 at 3:08 AM
Thanks for your review - it had me laughing out loud several times, you are a funny writer and I will be checking out your blog shortly.
But I have to say, there are one or two things I disagree with and one I reject passionately....I’m afraid I will be one of those YB fan coming at ya with burning pitchforks, yelling “Off with her fat head!” lol. I thought it you’re Beautiful was funny sweet and cute. It knew what it wanted to be and did it well - yeah there was some questionable acting in it and yeah, the ending was a little "lacklustre". But after a year of absolute shit....it was bloody brilliant, maybe that’s why everyone was so enthused about it.
Anyway, we are not all going to agree - that’s what makes this so much fun - fingers crossed that 2010 will be the year K-drama's make a comeback! Thanks again for your review, really enjoyed reading it...
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114 nell123
December 29, 2009 at 3:14 AM
Thank you for the review. :)
It's always nice to compare different opinions.
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115 Net-chan
December 29, 2009 at 3:16 AM
Wow Dahee Fanel... You seem to be quite a difficult person! Nothing can be perfect, but you made like 10 reviews and you only liked 2 dramas? Yes, I'll assume you've liked "That Fool". I haven't watched half of the dramas you've reviewed :p, so I won't give my opinion on half of them (that is to say, Style, Cain & Abel, Queen Seon Duk, That Fool, Everybody Cha Cha Cha, Friend, Our Legend...)... You're honest at least :). But too bad you're not able to see what is good among what is bad!
I agree with you on ONE point: the use of music in dramas. It always wastes everything (I'm currently watching Smile, You, and I don't know what to think about the music... it is just horribly annoying).
About BBF --- Ditto. I was expecting something really great, but the disappointment was huge. I'm sure Gu Hye Sun is very talented, however, she didn't shine in there... And Lee Min Ho... Well, I cannot call what he did "acting". He's cute, and that is what saved him (I think). But I would lie if I say I didn't enjoy watching it. Because I did!
Smile, You --- So far so good. True, it's a bit childish, and I don't even know how they'll make 45 episodes, but it's cute and the acting is very good, so we can't say anything about the actors. They're are all completely into their characters, and Lee Min Jung and Jung Kyung Ho form the cutest couple ever.
YAB --- I watched it because of the Hong Sisters' trademark :p. I've watched every single drama made by this duet and liked every single one. YAB was no exception. Yes, it was a bit childish as well, but I cannot resist the Hong Sisters' comedy and way of turning a classic situation to an awkward one (the scene where Mi Nam fall on the lips of Tae Kyung is just... disgusting!)! Not overrated (because of IRIS) but underrated (my opinion of course). Jang Geun Seok is awesome, Park Shin Hye (I really didn't like her, because of Goong S, which was, by the way, what you can call a REALLY bad drama) is not very convincing in her boy's outfit, but I may have been intentional. In the end, the lead actors save it all :). The Hong sisters always choose their actors very well as they always have good chemistry (Jae Hee/Han Chae Young: awesome, Lee Da Hae/Lee Dong Wook: marvellous, Oh Ji Ho/Han Ye Seul: awesome, Kang Ji Hwan/Sung Yu Ri: I would have liked to be Sung Yu Ri there... XD), and Jang Geun Seok/Park Shin Hye is no exception. I'll admit there are lots of flaws in this drama, and YAB is not as good as the other Hong sisters' dramas, but it is so much fun it can't be bad.
He Who Can't Marry --- I'm on the same mind as you. Great Japanese version that could not be beaten. I like Ji Jin Hee, but watching him was painful. The young actors (Kim So Eun and Yoo Ah In, that I've seen in Antique Bakery, a movie) were great. I kind of enjoyed the drama though. But Abe Hiroshi was too good, Ji Jin Hee could not do anything about that :).
Thanks for the review though :). Be more positive, and you'll see that nothing is just black (or white, but I can see that nothing can be white to you xD)!
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116 SHALINI
December 29, 2009 at 3:54 AM
Let's not overuse the word Honesty for a year-end review.
I haven't watched half of the dramas on your list. But I enjoyed YB for its infectious
joie-de- vivre. Your review was an interesting read. Whether one agrees or not with what has been said. I just found it to be too self-indulgent, and the word Honesty seems to be terribly misuse. I don't know it looks like a Review and yet there's 'something innately' missing. Some proper, impartial analysis maybe.
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117 xiahkixiri
December 29, 2009 at 4:03 AM
Ouch. I haven't even seen the ones you liked so I can't fully comment but.. well, it's just confusing. The caustic tone is all well and good but I just find it strange that someone with your ostensible taste would be a kdrama addict. The majority of them are ripe with the kind of things that turned you off of this bunch.
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118 avid_reader
December 29, 2009 at 4:46 AM
thanks Dahee_Fanel!
it was seriously refreshing reading your opinions.
i felt the same way for BBF, after i watched all the episodes, it really really lacked substance or just something....and Goo Hye Sun definitely is a great actress but this project she took on isn't the best choice. She was awesome in Heart of 19.
hmm, as for Smile, You; it's really the best drama that i've watched so far.
it actually does have its moments of silence, except perhaps using the same music again and again, though the music is not bad, it could be more varied.
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119 charis
December 29, 2009 at 5:44 AM
Ah I love your writing! Family can be a cause of watching bad dramas. grins. I really have to check out your blog. :D Thanks for sharing!
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120
December 29, 2009 at 5:58 AM
Glad that somebody thinks that You're Beautiful is soo ridiculous and overrated. I gave it two episodes and I was lucky to escape. It was like making myself watch Full House all over again. Gaahhhh
I admit that Boys Before Flowers was a bit flat but I think the appeal to the show is seeing how the other side lives. The nice house and cars can't hide rich people insecurities kinda thing... For me, it was my fangirlyness to Kim Bum.
The acting for Partner wasn't bad but it was the stories that they tried to pull off. I'm a girl who watches a lot of CSI, Law and Order:SVU and Dexter (me loves!) so the stories that they had on the drama was kinda laughable.
Will it Snow for Christmas? Come on! Yes the leading lady is bad...I agree completely but Go Soo is worth it. Personally, I watch dramas because it takes me out of reality and Go Soo is definitely my fantasy...a rich, nice guy with a golden heart! Sign me up please! He makes me melt. Also, the drama has a lot of potential. But I agree, adult Han Ji Wan is a complete bore...
Thanks for your review. Everyone is knocking yours down because you're honest...Whatever. Yours is well-written than the second reviewer. First two sentence of hers left a bad taste in my mouth.
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121 mishane
December 29, 2009 at 6:00 AM
Thanks so much for writing this. Sometimes I feel like there's a lot of fanservice and fangirling going on so it's nice to read something honest by someone who goes against the grain.
I actually haven't seen either of the dramas that you called your favorites but I do agree with the ones that you didn't like.
You're Beautiful was a complete mess to me and I don't understand why so many people loved it. I guess maybe I'm too old? I'm only 23 but I felt like I was watching the antics of teenagers and I couldn't relate to it at all. And I agree about there being no emotional connection. It was fluff. Pure fluff.
I'll halfway agree with you on Smile You. Actually, thinking about it, I guess I'll fully agree with you. Smile You can be a little over the top but the thing that's making me watch it is the sweet romance between the OTP. If it wasn't for Jung In and Hyun Soo, I'd probably have dropped this drama a long time ago.
Thanks for writing this! I'm a frequent reader of your blog so it was nice to see this.
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122 mishane
December 29, 2009 at 6:20 AM
Also, I see no problems with your honesty. I'm sure you're a seasoned k-drama viewer. It seems like you've been watching them forever. So you're probably used to the cliche's, the acting, the directing, basically you know what you like and what you don't like.
See, I'm pretty new to k-dramas (only 2 years of watching them) so I'm still testing the waters. I'm not used to specific directing styles, writing, Korean history so I haven't had a chance to be picky yet.
But I find that I have your same opinions when it comes to movies or US TV shows, with things that I've been watching for ages. I can become overly critical sometimes. But that's because I know what I like and what I don't like. I know what makes me sigh in annoyance, at the tired plot uses, etc.
In the end, it's all just opinions. And honesty can be very refreshing.
So thanks again.
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123 thunderbolt
December 29, 2009 at 6:25 AM
Dahee, your Friend review made me tear up. It was so beautifully written.
An awesome year-end review, as usual. I expected nothing less from you and you delivered. *hugs*
#120 Anonymous, sorry that my first two sentences left a bad taste in your mouth. :oops:
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124 diane
December 29, 2009 at 6:36 AM
Dahee, I love your witty sarcasm. Thanks for the reviews. I need to check out your blog.
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125 mimim
December 29, 2009 at 6:45 AM
i am sorry i think you only review dramas that you have seen.
i thought you will review it all.. subjectively not according your taste
Surprise!!..
no
a Story of a man??
Queen of housewife??
Temptation of wife??
i even surprise you mentioned Friend, Our Legend than a story of a man.
ok i think this review is a review according your thought and your taste.
i still loves Javabeans for review and recaps
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126 Ina
December 29, 2009 at 6:55 AM
I guess I wasn't the only one mistaking writer's indentity........I was gonna say that this write up was a bit over the top with harshness for it to be Drama Bean's!!!! With that said, thank you for sharing us your opinions.
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127
December 29, 2009 at 7:11 AM
I appreciate the time you took to write this review. It obviously must have taken quite a while to write.. though I do agree that perhaps your tone was condescending sometimes, I agreed (and wholeheartedly disagreed) with a few of the things you said. Like you, I feel like BBF was very overrated and unlike the rest of my Lee-Min-Ho-obsessed friends, I never really got into it. In fact, I couldn't even bring myself to finish the drama.. frankly Gu Hye Sun's acting just annoyed the hell out of me, and Kim Hyun Joong... while I loved in WGM, that boy should just stick with his singing. However I understand its appeal, even if it was not for me. Surprisingly, even my mother (who is almost as critical of dramas as you seem to be) enjoyed it, simply because it was so over-the-top and cartoon-ish. Alas, she also had the Kim Hyun Joong fan girl syndrome..
Unlike you, two of the dramas you seemed to despise were my favorites of the year: You are Beautiful and Queen Seon Deok. You are Beautiful was just such a refreshing drama for me; for once, none of the characters annoyed me (except for Yoo He Yi, but then again, I guess that means she did her job) and I really enjoyed Park Shin Hye and Jang Geun Seuk's chemistry. The other supporting actors were great as well, considering they had no acting experience.. Lee Hongki was a surprise. His scene on the bus was one of the best in the series and nearly brought me to tears.
Queen Seon Deok-- I have to say, that yes it did have its flaws, but I was amazed by Ko Hyun Jung's charisma. Never have I ever felt so much respect for a villain, or felt so sad at her demise.. every scene she was in, she gave so much life and she made up somewhat for Lee Yo Won's wooden expressions. I was also very disappointed by Uhm Tae Woong... he was absolutely brilliant in Resurrection but his character Yushin was so dull. I can understand why the ratings for this drama decreased significantly after Mishil's death-- in fact, I would have stopped watching this drama had it not been for another gem in this series. Kim Nam Gil as Bidam... in my opinion he had almost as much charisma as Ko Hyun Jung, and the scenes of them together were electrifying. I especially liked the scenes when they first met and the scene when Mishil removed the grass from his armor... I feel like these two actors really were the heart of this drama. The earlier episodes of this drama were the best for me; unfortunately after Mishil died the drama lost a bit of its appeal. I did not understand how Deokman, who had been steadily loving Yushin for the past fifty episodes, suddenly started liking Bidam. Granted, I prefer the Deokman-Bidam couple to the Deokman-Yushin couple (just because I liked Bidam more) but the change of heart seemed a bit sudden to me. However on the whole I loved this drama and its ending, though it broke my heart, left quite an impression on me...
Other comments
I agree with your criticisms on Will it snow on Christmas. At first I thought I would enjoy it but Han Ye Seul's lack of facial expressions annoys the heck out of me. Also not too big on the second guy... however Go Soo.. that man is sexy as hell.
I really want to watch Kyung Sook's father now after reading your review, although I think I will pass on Legend... I feel like that would be too heavy for me.
Thank you once again for your time! I look forward to reading the other reviews!
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128 Lisa
December 29, 2009 at 7:13 AM
All I can say is...the two of us have extremely different tastes. haha
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129 Laura
December 29, 2009 at 8:21 AM
I found your review refreshing, even though I don't share the same point of you of most of the dramas you reviewed.
I appreciate your review and all the time you took to write it.
Greetings from Mexico.
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130 Lena S.
December 29, 2009 at 8:44 AM
it's refreshing to see that not everyone enjoyed You're Beautiful , i liked a few episodes and i assume i was entertained but it was far from being my favorite drama, now i can barely remember the good things from YB XD
if it wasn't for Story Of a Man (and QOH, My too perfect sons and BL 2009 would suck at the drama department =_=;
Thanks for your review!
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131 mainichimuri
December 29, 2009 at 8:48 AM
hey javabeans! :D
this is the first time i'm visiting your website actually! ^^;
its amazing how you have SO MUCH TIME to watch all these dramas! really, awesome!
i wish i had as much time ><
anyway, wanted to say, I THINK I AGREE WITH YOU ALOT. although i havent watched 8/10 of the dramas you mentioned here, but seeing your review for you're beautiful and BOF alone, i totally agree 100% and i also agree about the whole "armour" thing. watching a show simply for those that we like can really, be amazing. o_o
anyway, just in case you're confused, i'm a drama addict too, really ^^
i just do japanese ones. haha. seeing your blog like these almost makes me want to open a similar one for the japanese side! lol. ;D
anyway, good luck with watching more of these dramas! :D and thanks for all the detailed reviews!
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132 heejin
December 29, 2009 at 8:54 AM
I don't really understand how someone so critical would even watch dramas. If you spend your time pointing out all the flaws and hating every single drama why even watch dramas in the first place? I'm not trying to hate or anything, but your review seemed like a child was ranting about something that she didn't like. Your tone was very condescending, and it seemed like you were looking down upon the writers and directors.
Most of the dramas up there were not the best, yes, but the ones that you liked, were not really loved by many. Also, Queen Seondeok, as unhistorical as it was, was considered one of the best dramas of 2009, to people who do not watch dramas like their life depends on it.
To finish my comment, you didn't seem to have watched the dramas that were actually really good, like 'Story of a Man', 'Shining Inheritance', etc.
I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I can't really find myself understanding yours.
Sorry if I offended you, ><;;
Heejin.
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133 Kil
December 29, 2009 at 9:04 AM
Can we have Dramabeans back please? Your review was utterly boring. And the dud of the year.
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134 lili
December 29, 2009 at 9:18 AM
wow you really don't like anything.
seriously, learn to be more open-minded about things....
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135 langdon813
December 29, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Thanks Dahee! I always enjoy reading what you have to say!
I could not agree more about Friend, Our Legend. I was so blown away and heartbroken by Hyun Bin. Hands down best male performance in 2009 for me! In my opinion no one else really compares, although there were some great ones, Jung Il-woo in Return of Iljimae, for instance, and Kim Kang-woo in Story of a Man, both were wonderful. Cha Seung-won was awesome in City Hall (one of my very favorite 2009 dramas). But for me, none of them came close to how brilliant Hyun Bin was in Friend.
Can't wait for Chuno!!
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136
December 29, 2009 at 9:52 AM
@heejin
AGREED X10000000000000000000000.
This is like reading a RANT not a review!
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137 pongs
December 29, 2009 at 10:00 AM
wow! what a review. i felt like i was forced to down a shot of martini doused with m-16 bullets (ok, maybe some exaggeration there but you get my point) - it's in your face (much appreciated here thanks dahee) and hard to swallow for some. i definitely agree with some of overall analysis .. in the case of the man who can't marry, the korean version produced similar settings, camera angles etc. but failed to replicate the essence of the original story. i guess one of the charms of the original was in the way dialogue could fit in culturally witty jokes that would only be understood in a japanese society context. But.. it's only my opinion. Looking forward to the rest of the recaps JB!
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138 su-pah
December 29, 2009 at 10:06 AM
I feel as though I'm the only one who enjoyed the bendy twisty melodrama that is Cain and Abel, even if it was for superficial reasons like So Ji Sub's stupendously good looks (and acting ofc.) and his romance with Oh Ji Young.
''So Ji Sub’s acting has changed in some subtle way that I can’t yet pinpoint.''
I definitely detected a spark that wasn't there before, besides this drama was very actiony, and he shifted from the lackadaisical tragic fool to the fired up tragic fool.
Love the way he smiles with his eyes in the drama and the sweet little romance scenes like where he edges his cheeks against OJY's lips, so it's like she's kissed him (lucky girl), I tried it with my beau and he looked at me like as though I've gone batsh*t insane!
I seem to love a lot of the dramas that are getting a good battering over here (C & A, BBF, YB, Will it snow and dramas like World's Within, Bad Love and more) and not a fan of the ones being glorified (ducks shoes). Ahaha! It's why they say 'it's all very subjective'.
All in all appreciating these in-depth reviews. Love the blog in spite of the clashing tastes!
Oooh! Must watch Friend, Our Legend, I am sooo head over heels for Hyun Bin! That gorgeous, gorgeous, beautiful guy! *Squeaal*!
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139 ar_arguably romantic
December 29, 2009 at 10:11 AM
@126 mimim
of course daheel fanel only reviewed the ones she watched- why would she review something she didn't watch? if dahee fanel were to watch every single drama aired in korea, then she wouldn't have time to sleep! That is why there are multiple year in review reviewers, so that we not only get a variety of opinions but so that as many dramas get covered as possible. and of course she reviewed about her own opinions. if the review was devoid of any subjective opinion, it wouldn't be a review, but a synopsis. she even said she was going to be honest and I respect her for it even if I don't agree. I think it is because she has watched so many dramas that she has become sort of cynical.
as for YAB: I am a fan of the drama and loved it, but I do notice that it isn't as developed as the Hong Sisters previous dramas, though I'm glad they skipped the whole "time-jump" in the middle of the series. When you think back, it seems like a lot had happened, but not a lot of what happened really progressed the drama. I put it to bad editing and decision making. The staff opted for more cute scenes to cater to the fangirls (which i understand, because the ratings were low and it's a thank you to the loyal fans) than substantial scenes.
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140 pongs
December 29, 2009 at 10:29 AM
oops i read through my comment again and it seems that i could have sounded sarcastic.. totally not my intention. what i meant to say was that dahee's comments was very personal and while it did not go down well with some, it definitely found me nodding my head with agreement towards many observations pointed out. thanks for the effort dahee! really appreciated it.
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141 Jane
December 29, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Why do so many people think this was written by javabeans? It only says Dahee's name at the top in big old letters...
Anyway, I don't always agree with your views Dahee, but I also feel that the dramas this year were somewhat lacking. I forced myself to finish City Hall despite the fact that it felt like "MNIKSS 2: the hero is taller and sneakier!" I forced myself to finish BBF thinking "how cute are Sojirou and Yuki?" and "at least he fits the role better than Matsujun..." I forced myself to finish so many dramas this year just because I wanted that happy couple ending. Dramas shouldn't be like that, there should be a sense of, well, DRAMA!
The only drama that didn't feel that way to me this year was You're Beautiful. Yes it had issues, yes the heroine was mind-numbingly obtuse, but I found it to have certain moments of beauty. The stuffed animal surgery scene with Tae Kyung was perfect. The scene where Tae Kyung throws Yoo He Yi's shoes was like a balm to my soul for all the times a seemingly intelligent character would fall for the machinations of a bitchy kdrama manipulator. Were certain aspects of it childish and overdone? Yes. Was it a strange amalgamation of The Sound of Music (badly behaved nun wins over the hearts of children and emotionally frozen man with song), the manwha Chocolat (young Korean fan-girl through accident becomes involved with all three members of a male idol group and lives in fear of the unnaturally beautiful/spiteful president of their fan club), the dramas Hana Kimi , BBF, and Coffee Prince? I believe so. Could it have been better? Maybe? I mean the basic premise was for a rather ridiculous idea. That a female could convince others she is male is plausible, but when a woman impersonates a particular man and no one notices you are heading into "White Chicks" territory (a place no one wants to go). That said impersonator would then go on to join a top idol group takes one further into the ridiculous category. The only family she has is her twin brother and they are out of touch? Her twin brother is undergoing surgery and she knows nothing about it? In the four monthish span of the drama she and her brother have absolutely no contact? There are many similar issues with the show's continuity, but it was still fun to watch, and at the very least I was excited to watch new episodes. As for the over the top romantic ending, I'm not sure, I mean how would you have ended it?
Let's cross our fingers for 2010. Happy new Year :)
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142 cathy
December 29, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Ar my age, I usually go for serious dramas, so I was hesitating to watch YAB. But after reading Javabean's reviews, I decided to give the drama a try and I was really surprised that I enjoyed watching it and have watched it for about 3 times already. I had watched so many wonderful korean dramas but YAB is really very entertaining. Even my son who's already 21 years of age and never watched any korean dramas enjoyed it after forcing him to watch it.
Btw, I also tried to watch BOF but I stopped watching it after episode 15.
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143 Angelica
December 29, 2009 at 11:23 AM
I think maybe perhaps I can help you Dahee, or maybe you can help people like me.
For me it is that you cannot compare apples, oranges, barbecue, wine, and chocolate. A lot of what makes something a hit is what people are craving at the time and so how well it satisfies that craving shows how good it was. It might be good for that year or part of the year because of how people think and feel then and not be seen as good later. That is why some see an old movie that they thought of as crap and then change their mind and say they forgot how good it was. They have the same need again.
For people like me we need a different type of review and reviewing catalog, one that tells us what the flavor and fulfillment of the drama is beyond just being told it is comedy or drama so that we can choose to need as well as to taste.
Boys Over Flowers - Comedy/Drama - Laughs and tears. Why it was hit - This show makes you feel good about being an average person, that wealth is another type of cage that many have to live in and that we should not be so afraid of wealthy people because even average people have good things to offer them since a good personality is not something that can be bought. Need Filled - Offers encouragement to be brave and strong in entering new situations where all those around you seem more powerful than you. Script - Fair. Acting - Fair. Scenes and locations - Excellent. Eye candy - Excellent. Lasting value - Fair. Appeal is very much set to current time through locations and scenes, but third remake may be last.
You Are Beautiful - Comedy - Laughs. Why it was hit - This show makes you not take yourself so seriously, to keep a light heart in your pocket, that circumstances can overtake anyone at any given moment and turn any situation into a comedy or a tragedy depending on how you choose to handle it. Need Filled - Offers comfort for those who feel life is chaotic, out of control, and encouragement to pray, meditate, and especially just laugh at it as they push on. Script - Fair. Acting - Fair. Scenes and locations - Fair. Eye candy - Excellent. Lasting value - Fair. Appeal is very much set to current time through show foundation of current music trends.
Heading to the Ground - Comedy/Drama. Why it was flop - This show makes you feel helpless, useless, powerless, and stupid if you put too much effort into anything. It shows that no matter how hard you try at anything, success in any new venture all depends on already having great wealth and wealthy connections. Need denied - Encouragement and hope. Script - Poor. Acting - Poor. Scenes and locations - Fair. Eye candy - Excellent. Lasting value - Poor.
Dream - Drama. Why it should have been hit.- This show makes you feel that everyone can get a second chance and that success all depends on you and how long and hard you are willing to work for it. Why it was flop - Bad casting. Teen idols currently connected to light comedy and kpop drew on wrong audience base to launch this type of drama. Need Filled - Encouragement to pick yourself up and try again, that failure is not a permanent state unless you stop trying. Script - Excellent. Acting - Excellent to fair. Scenes and locations - Fair. Eye candy - Excellent. Lasting value - Good. Set to time period of growth and development in Korean sports agencies and not tied to trends of the present for appeal.
Queen Seondeok - Drama. Suspense and tears. Why it was hit. - This show makes you think about the choices you choose in life and long term consequences. It also makes you think about life as a path and that you can have a very strong positive or negative effect on others by allowing or asking others to share your life path with you. Need Filled - Cleansing self confrontation and accepting the responsibility of your choices and actions on others as well as on yourself. Script - Excellent. Acting - Excellent to poor. Scenes and locations - Excellent. Eye candy - Excellent. Lasting value - Good. Historical and not tied to any current trends for appeal.
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144 soon2soon
December 29, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Friend, Our Legend -
i really wanted to like this, but could not get into it that much cause I had seen the movie just before starting the drama. interesting that Dahee did not watch the film. I don't know if that's better - so you can watch the drama on it's own merits; or if you are missing a huge piece of the context that a lot of ppl will be watching the drama with.
also - the things I've seen of Kim Min Joon, i thought he was really really good, so no surprise for me that you liked him
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145 gemini28
December 29, 2009 at 11:48 AM
you're terrible dahee! Am now having stomachache from your reviews..you really crack me up! At least I now know that I'm not alone in the BOF thingy despite looking foward to it ( am a manga fan), now I shall forever be known as the crazy bitch who occasionally laughs to herself (your comment on the "ohh paraadiise" had the song stuck to my head)
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146 ockoala
December 29, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Thanks for a great, incisive review, Dahee. I agree with you about 10%, but I soak up every insight you provide, because it really allows me to understand opposing points of view.
I've finally made the decision to watch Friends, the Legend - not because of Hyun Bin (whom I love!), not because of samsooki and langdon's ravings (which I trust implicitly), not because of the awesome source material - but because I just watched Damo and have decided to finally watch Kim Min-joon and Lee Seo-jin's old dramas. I've seen all of Ha Ji-won's works, but I need moar of those two men stat!
Gonna start Friends after CitC (promised hjkomo and better get started before Chuno descends!).
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147 elisa
December 29, 2009 at 12:46 PM
LOL i know what you mean about the ggotnam themes played all over variety shows. it wasn't that great so please stop trying to imitate it! ADLKFJAF ESP YOU YOO JAE SEOK! (ugh but i love that man hehehe)
but i agree with heejin's comment up there. seon deok i don't think was overhyped (okay maybe a litttleee, but i probably wouldn't have watched it if it's ratings weren't so high.... and if yoo seung ho wasn't in it). i think it deserved its good ratings, and i don't think that go hyun jung was the only person who was worth watching either - i hate that actually. yes, mi shil was killer, but l;kajf;lakjf;adlfj since when were the first fifty episodes reliant just on her? sooo many more characters made me love this drama more than mi shil. for someone who started to watch this drama only near its ending, i felt like i was almost forced to appreciate mi shil cause everyone else did. a;lkdjf; and i can't stand people calling lee yo won wooden because it's not even her fault. the character just develops that way! if you watch her earlier performance in the drama, it's not like that at all. (but i do agree with your last part - what did queen seon deok do? this drama is so off historically... and doesn't really focus on showing seon deok's wit at all... when she finally becomes queen and is empowered to do something about the country, all we get is bi dam's love story [kim nam gil is a darling though~])
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148 La Plume
December 29, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Although I wouldn't have spoken so aggressively... I felt the same about all the dramas you've mentioned... I forced myself to finish You're Beautiful which I thought was... corny at best... I gave up Smile You, because I don't want to waste my time for just one couple... Gave up Queen Seon Deok because I got bored... Gave up Cain and Abel... Complete nonsense...
Never watched neither Friends neither Your best drama of the year... Although I did consider them...
So, the only drama I've managed to watch entirely this year was You're Beautiful ( Boys before Flowers, I managed 8 episodes before sending the whole lot in a bin) and it was dreadful ( the actress acting Mi Nam just FREAKIN' GOT ON MY NERVES with her seumnida every two seconds and the cutey cutey act, which felt so foooooooooooooooorced - and the script OH MY GOD the script! Makes you want to vomit seriously!!!).
Currently watching Will it snow at Christmas and I have to say, I felt the same about Han Ye Seul... She's badly casted here. The image she gives as an adult doesn't fit with the performance of the child actress... Ji Wan appears as a strong willed character, despite her flaws as a child. As an adult, she merely appears weak and shy! How can such a weakling have left home, managed to find a job, study herbs and the rest? Frankly it doesn't make any sense...
I'm about to give up that one too but I still want to hope it's worth wasting a little of my time...
EDITO: I forgot Brilliant Legacy!!! That One was great. Compared to all the rest, that one was worth the trip, loved it from the first to the last ep, if you haven't seen it you should give it a go ^^
As for 2010, I'm also looking forward to Chuno and Jejoongwon. Pasta seems like a fun drama as well.. But I don't want to hope too much.
I want to thank MBC, SBS and KBS for a year full of trashy drama, thanks to them I watched LOTS of BBC documentaries and Read TONS of essays and novels this year. Who would have thought that watching Korean Dramas made you smarter huh?
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149 Jay Jay
December 29, 2009 at 1:16 PM
Dahee, you reminded me all the flaws in every single drama. It was sort of depressing. It made me felt embarrassed and a shame for liking the dramas that you hated so much. Is that what you were aiming for? Everyone has different taste, but what is your taste exactly? Looking at this rant, it seems like no drama can live up to your expectations.
I'm sorry for sounding so mean and rude. I'm not trying to hating here, it just seems like your writing just reminds everyone of the bad things and makes the readers forget why a certain drama was once enjoyable. Maybe you should leave your brain at the door next time you watch a drama, so you might be able to enjoy it, without all the bitterness.
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150 chisaicherry
December 29, 2009 at 2:25 PM
wow, it doesn't seem like you liked any drama this year. I almost feel like you dove into each drama ready to dissect it's very existence. Dramas really aren't meant to be critically analyzed at each angle; and most of the dramas mentioned above were actually quite good in most aspects. I enjoyed a lot of the dramas mentioned above just for the sheer entertainment factor. Maybe QSD wasn't completely logical and dragged a bit, but overall, there were great action sequences and acting. And what if You're Beautiful wasn't as clever as you wanted, but the characters were definitely adorable and had great chemistry.
But this is where I'll just say, to each their own.
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