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The Good, The Bad, and The Hmmm… of 2011 [Year in Review, Part 2]

 

First off, I have to deeply thank – and bow to – Javabeans and Girlfriday – it’s an honor to be included with the most respected K-drama writers for this year. Compared to these fine people, I am an utter noob.

Speaking of being such a noob, I shall now complain: It’s so hard to write a year-end review! It requires going back to all the dramas I have seen in the past year and then come up with something intelligent to say about them. Can’t I just say, “Me Likey!” “Me No Likey?” and be done with it? No? (I can feel the death glares coming from Javabeans and Girlfriday right now…*SQUEAK*)

OK – I’ll start in chronological order, because I have no other way to do it. This year, I became a truly picky watcher. I have not watched a lot of dramas this year because I don’t just consume everything and anything like I used to. This time, if I don’t like a drama, I stop watching it, rather than painfully suffer to the end. I was vicious with the chopping block – with Lie To Me, Queen of Reversals, A Thousand Days’ Promise, Greatest Love, Spy Myung Wol, and even The Princess’ Man suffering the sad fate. (Although I may resuscitate The Princess’ Man for the winter break, it won’t make it to this year-end review.)

Here goes!

Paradise Ranch

Omigod. Was it a train wreck or what? I absolutely despised this drama. If this drama was supposed to be Max Changmin’s debut vehicle, it just shows how terrible he is as a leading man. He redeemed himself only slightly in Athena, because his character was pretty straightforward; he didn’t “sell it” as a genius spy/computer whiz/bomb extraordinaire, but it’s OK – I wasn’t expecting him to. I feel terrible for Joo Sang Wook, who had to mar his resume with this drama, and I was unimpressed with Lee Yeon Hee considering this is the first drama I ever saw of her. Yoo Ha Na was also quite forgettable, though in hindsight I think her character reminds me a little of Lee Da Hee in Birdie Buddy. She was complicated and really wanted her love to work, but the writing of her character was too shallow. At least Lee Da Hee’s character was developed more fully.

In 16 episodes, we went through all the ups and downs of a “first love” romance – Changmin and Lee Yeon Hee were together; they divorced; they bickered; they dated other people while feeling jealous; they got together; they separated again; and they got together FINALLY. I mean, seriously?! And the most interesting part of their relationship was their divorce, but I never got a full understanding of why they had to divorce. It was always teased and referenced, and then when it was spelled out, I thought – “That’s it?” I don’t even remember what it was… *goes to look it up. pauses. turns back to post* Sorry – I don’t even care enough to find out.

The writing was off-kilter, and too expositional for me. I like it when stories are shown, not told, to me. Makes it more interesting. Throw me another flashback – as long as it tells me new information or adds a solid emotional beat.

Category: Bad. One of the worst dramas of the year – and a bad omen for pre-produced dramas. Even the bright horses couldn’t save the drama for me.

Athena

Technically, it began in December 2010, but I’ll review this one anyways. Honestly, I liked it initially. I definitely like(d) it more than IRIS, so that’s something. However, it was tedious to rewatch and recap it; my method is always watch the episode first, then watch it again for recap purposes. The first time around, I was invested, I was excited, and I was interested. The second time around, I was blah…

The nature of an action/spy drama is that it should always thrill you in some way. Once you figure out the mystery, then it’s no longer fun because you know exactly what is going to happen. For Athena, it felt like a rehash of IRIS except it was cobbled together so messily that you knew exactly what was going to happen. Someone in the Blue House is going to betray the president again. Someone is going to die. Of course, the main spy falls so deeply in love with the main girl, and you won’t understand why.

The side characters were more fun to watch (*cough*Kim Min Jong*cough*) because they could afford to be wacky, and less angsty than Jung Woo Sung. I feel bad for the main characters because they had to deal with a script below their acting potential. Jung, Cha Seung Won, and Su Ae could do so much more, and yet they were limited by the script. So not fun. The best episodes were the Italy mission (even though it was disappointingly a dream sequence) and Kim So Yeon‘s episodes. She brought a layer of mystery and complexity that was missing in the drama.

Someone – PLEASE give Kim So Yeon her own spy drama! And have Kim Min Jong as her sidekick!

Category: Hmm…. I would have given it a Bad rating, but it would mean ignoring my initial enjoyment of the drama.

Sign

This drama, hands down, is my pick for best drama of the year from what I’ve seen and completed. I have heard of how great The Duo is, the awesomeness of Dream High, the amazing crack of City Hunter (which by the way, for City Hunter, is TOTALLY true), etc. But this drama is A-MAZING. I think the only other drama that’s almost tied for this spot on my list (or creeping up there) is City Hunter.

Park Shin Yang was over the top in the beginning; Kim Ah Joong looked a little too perky as a forensic scientist; Uhm Ji Won was so severe as a prosecutor; Jung Gyu Woon was so lovable. But they all blended quite well and got comfortable in their characters as the series progressed. Plus, the creatives behind it were so strong! (They wrote Harvest Villa, which is another awesome drama.) Sign was a bit new for Korean dramas because it’s a procedural, but it worked quite well because each case helped develop the characters, raise the stakes and tensions, and culminated in a final showdown over the case that started it all: the death of an idol singer. I thought that that case was going to be dragged out for all 20 episodes, but thankfully it wasn’t. When it finally took up the final 4-6 episodes, I didn’t even think it was dragging down the drama. You just wanted Park Shin Yang’s Yoon Ji Hoon to succeed. You wanted to slap that frozen fake smile off Hwang Sun Hee’s face. (By the way – one of the best villain casting ever. And I like her in City Hunter too.) You wanted him to beat Jun Kwang Ryul and defeat all corrupt politicians. And most importantly – you wanted them to find one piece of evidence that wouldn’t be burned, lost, or destroyed!!! I mean – how frustrating was it that the good guys just couldn’t win!? Yoo Ji Hoon could have been a genius scientist, but it didn’t matter – his brain always lost out to sheer human manipulation and greed.

It was becoming ridiculous how in every single episode they lost the one piece of evidence that could possibly tie it all together, but intensely engaging because I had to know how it would end. And then when it ended with Ji Hoon’s death, it was like the world was playing an evil trick on you. I was shocked, depressed, felt like bawling at the sight of Jun Kwang Ryul bawling. I was so mad that the writers had to kill off the main character, especially when that in general is a risky move for any drama. But then – I was really happy. In a way, there was no other way for the drama to end. It was fitting for the series… and they finally solved the case!

This drama also had some of the best cameos. I love that procedural dramas allow amazing actors to guest star for 1-2 episodes; you can get these actors for such a short time and they can have a nice impact to your story. Case in point: Kim Sung Oh‘s episodes. Best maniacal, deranged son ever.

Category: GOOD!

49 Days

So you go from one melodramatic thriller to… a melodrama. It’s not really a drama I would have watched based on my interests this year, but it had an awesome cast, intricate plot, and interesting twists and turns. And – it was So! Hyun! Kyung! I’ll probably watch any drama written by that woman! This is a favorite, though not up there like Prosecutor Princess. Nevertheless, I like how she interweaves everything, even if it makes the world insanely small for her characters.

The one thing I will fault upon this drama is how the plot points unravel so quickly rather than being plotted out throughout the episodes. At times, it felt like everything culminates so quickly and is solved so quickly that each week we get another bombshell. I appreciate the fast pace, but I also wish So Hyun Kyung could pace out the hints a little better. For one thing – the twist about Lee Yo Won and Nam Gyu Ri being sisters was so sudden that I had a mental whiplash. Why drop all the evidence for that fact in the last two episodes, when you could have hinted at it all throughout, and made us eager in anticipation for everyone to figure it out? Admittedly, it was teased earlier with the mother’s outburst of “losing another child,” but then the topic was dropped for the next, oh, 10 episodes. I hate to compare, but the way the birth secret in City Hunter played out for Lee Yoon Sung was better; it may have happened suddenly at the end, but it was played out thoroughly and in a more effective way for the remaining 3-4 episodes.

I enjoyed the acting – particularly from Bae Soo Bin, Jung Il Woo, Lee Yo Won, and Bae Geu RinJo Hyun Jae was the straight-up nice guy, which can be a bit boring. I am so happy that there’s a hint he may end up with Ji Hyun, as I always thought Jo Hyun Jae had more chemistry with Lee Yo Won even though he was supposed to be in love with Nam Gyu Ri. Jung Il Woo was a hoot to watch; he made death cool, and I don’t think I’ll ever say that sentence again. Lee Yo Won was earnest in her role, and it hearkened back to the earlier episodes of Queen Seon Deok, when she’s still pretending to be a boy and hasn’t been discovered as a princess yet. I think in a weird way, she encapsulated the role of Ji Hyun better than Nam Gyu Ri. Bae Soo Bin was consistently great as usual, and Bae Geu Rin – I only wish there were more scenes of her bitching at Shin In Jung.

This drama was my melodrama-romance crack of the year. Solid, kind of forgettable, but poignant still. The ending though, doesn’t beat Sign‘s.

Category: Good.

Greatest Love

Pro: It had Cha Seung Won playing totally against type.

Cons: It had Cha Seung Won, playing totally against type. The story. The execution. The mind-numbing ridiculousness of it.

OK – you may argue, “How could you not like the Hong Sisters?! They’re so funny! And punny! And witty!” or “If you loved You’re Beautiful, how could you hate this one?” Two things – I think the Hong Sisters are becoming a bit overrated. Back in the day, they were funny, but without being overly saccharine and ridiculous. I look at My Girl as an example.

I could not sit through Greatest Love, and I dropped it after episode 10. To which you may then say, “How could you give a review for something you didn’t finish!?” But that’s exactly my point – it was so bad that I couldn’t finish it. This drama was an example of a cast that was all wrong for the script. If you’re going to change your characters to an older set just so you don’t get slapped with a plagiarism label, then change your script to accommodate the older characters! You want me to believe a 30+ year old man who looks 40 does not know love?! And it’s not like he’s a chaebol abandoned at birth with mommy/daddy issues. He just had a heart transplant!

Hmm… he forgot love because he had a heart transplant… his heart was transplanted somewhere else… har har… OK I’ll stop.

Cha Seung Won actually disappointed me. He was best during the quiet moments as he watched Gong Hyo Jin from afar, slowly falling in love with her. Whenever he saved her with his cool, movie star grace, he was great. The moment he was alone in his house, he just became insane.

Yes, the idea may be good on paper, but the actors are part of a drama too. And if I can’t believe in the actors, then I can’t believe the story. And then I can’t believe the drama. This drama is like the opposite of Athena – where Athena wasted good actors with a bad script, this drama had a potentially good script wasted on actors totally wrong for the part.

Category: Bad.

Spy Myung Wol

The hate parade continues with Spy Myung Wol. Admittedly the actors here were a better fit for their roles. Eric had an interesting character that didn’t get interesting for me fast enough, Jang Hee Jin was the most annoying, vacuous side character I had ever seen in my life, Han Ye Seul was bland and soulless, and Lee Jin Wook always looked pained. But they somehow made it work.

I think the behind-the-scenes controversies were FAR MORE intriguing than the actual storyline. I watched this drama a little out of order – episodes 3 and 4 first before going back to watch episode 1 and 2. Perhaps because I saw it out of order, it colored my view of the drama; I thought the first two episodes were more entertaining than the next two, but I had seen the “boring episodes” first. I usually get excited with makeover-story lines or someone pretending to be someone they’re not, but in Spy Myung Wol, I couldn’t really care. I want to blame both Han Ye Seul and the script for this, because neither made me interested in her or her mission.

And since I didn’t care for her mission or her character, I didn’t care about the drama. And since I didn’t care about the drama, I stopped watching after episode 5 or 6. After three weeks, it left me unimpressed – so much so that in between episodes, I would forget what happened.

Category: Bad. Ta-ta to the guillotine for you!

Romance Town

 

Starring my other sweetie-pie-honey-buns Jung Gyu Woon! I had very little expectations going into this drama, and it had the most low key first episode ever. Then again, the writer of this drama did Pasta. It had a similar tone going for it – slice of life, more about the dialogue than the action, the characters than the plot. Like I said before, a bumpy ride – but hey, what life isn’t?

To be frank, approximately the first 10 episodes were far more enjoyable for me. We had glimpses into everyone’s lives on First Street, and we dabbled in both the issues of money, social hierarchy, and romance. Then we got a heavy-handed dose of power, greed, and corruption – which totally sucked – but it wasn’t like it came out of nowhere. Rich people ending up poor, and therefore doing anything they can to be rich again? Of course. Maids with nothing and impoverished backgrounds wanting to keep the money to themselves? Understandable. Wanting to spend all the money herself out of revenge? I get it. Learning how to play fair? Such a bitter pill to swallow – but thankfully done.

We knew these characters were going to get greedy and dark. While it was painful to watch the money/lottery ticket trade hands a gazillion times (The money’s all mine! No it’s not! 50-50? Split it five ways! No, four ways! Whatever, I’m taking the money!), the best part about this series was how each character unfolded and showed his/her different sides. My favorite was the kind gangster Hwang Yong, played by the awesome Jo Sung Ha. How can you not like a loan shark who gives you candy and love advice?!

 

This was also my first Sung Yuri drama. I saw glimpses of her here and there, but this is the first drama I watched her fully in. I actually liked her here. She probably fit the character very well, and I’m really glad she wasn’t one of those silently-suffering types. When she got frustrated, she got really frustrated, and you could share her pain. Jung Gyu Woon has had more impressive roles than this one; as for Kim Min Joon? Friggin’ awesome. He just exudes “cool” – even if he acts idiotic sometimes.

The story was fairly straightforward, with little tangents, which made it easy to remember. (The grandmother-getting-sick storyline was soooo cliched and unnecessary, and it was the only tangent that made little sense in the drama.) The characters were unforgettable. But the number of episodes? A bit too long. It would have done better as a 16-18 episode drama.

Category: Hmm…

You’ve Fallen For Me

This was my cotton candy for the year. It was a shallow, mindless brain fluff, full of beautiful shots and pretty people to look at all day long. I actually enjoyed this drama (except for the last two episodes), so don’t take my words to be sarcastic. It was also directed by Pyo Min Soo, so what’s there not to like?! (He’s doing Flower Boy Ramen Shop too, and I like that one too.) I think after a heady first half of the year with more “serious” dramas, I was ready for a break when this drama came along.

First off, I loved the tone and the feel of the drama. It was marketed as a “fresh, youthful summer drama,” and it certainly was. I liked that it was laid back, and it wasn’t trying to stuff “STORY” down your throat. You knew there was going to be a musical. You knew that Park Shin Hye was the dark horse, and that Woori was the stuck up diva. You knew that Jung Yong Hwa was going to get over his crush on So Yi Hyun, and that she was going to end up with Song Chang Ui. So it was predictable. All you were watching really was how the romance developed, and how Lee Kyu Won grew a spine and decided that she wanted to try musicals and singing Western music rather than be stuck with traditional Korean folk music all her life. Secondly, I enjoyed the actors – especially Song Chang Ui. Who can forget the bromance between Ki Young and Soo Myung? Or what about little sister Jung Hyun and Grandpa? Or lovable Joon Hee? Just from watching the actors together, it was clear that they all had good chemistry off-screen, and were all good friends, and that helps make the drama feel more intimate and also fun. It’s like I wanted to join them in that green, sunny campus.

I was fairly disappointed with the drama by the latter half. First off, we were constantly teased at snippets of the musical’s songs, and so I was really expectant of the final performance. However, when they finally did perform, not only did Kyu Won gallantly give up her spot for Hee Joo, but those rehearsed songs were all we ever saw!!! They danced more numbers, but I wish they sang more songs too. And as much as Lee Hyun Jin‘s abs were salacious, I’ll never understand why he decided to rip his shirt off in the middle of the musical.

Perhaps, I should just not try to understand.

I do feel bad that this drama was the victim of the live-shooting system, with Park Shin Hye’s injury causing the drama to get postponed a day, and thus shortened by one episode. However, with less episodes, this series had the opportunity to provide a tighter, faster-paced narrative. And it did well… perhaps too well, because by the last episode, we went from “Wrist Injury Conflict” to “Noble Idiocy” to “Break Up and Unnecessary Angst” to “Skip Forward in Time” to “More Angst, with a Side of Comic Relief” (coming from the other characters), and then “Happy Ending.” Unnecessary emotional whiplash if I ever saw one. I look at the last two episodes as extra icing, of which I scrape off and keep to the side, while I would eat the rest of the cake over and over again.

Category: Hmm….

I Need Romance

Short version: Best. Romantic Comedy. Ever.

Long version: OK maybe I should explain why this drama is so great, and if you haven’t watched it already, get moving on your little tushy and start watching. I think this was a drama that most deserved to be compared to Sex and the City, and yet I’m also proud to say, it is not like Sex and the City. This drama was all about friendship and love, and growing up to understand what love is. For In Young (Jo Yeo Jung), she learned that love is both painful and sweet. She forgave Sung Soo (the ever charming Kim Jeong Hoon) for cheating on her and went back to him, and I can see why: the two of them have such a strong foundation that they’re constantly growing and learning about each other.

For innocent Hyun Joo, she learns that love isn’t like a fairy tale or like in the books; love is messy and imperfect, but real. You can’t choose who you love – you just do. (Just for the record though, Duk Soo is one damn fine tall drink of water, so despite his poor background and “unclean habits,” he’s pretty perfect for me.) And for the woman-on-the-prowl Seo Yeon, she learns the hard way that love isn’t something to be treated so carelessly. It’s about give and take, and she’s always “taking.” I’m glad she ends up with no one, because for someone who spouts so much wisdom about the dating habits of men and women, and has all this knowledge about sex, she is the most immature about it. She needs to appreciate herself and men before she can end up with anyone.

There could be comparisons to The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, but I think I Need Romance is superior. In WWSWTM, what made things enjoyable was the storyline and intertwining relationships. Girl loves younger boy. Her ex loves her younger boy’s mother. Her best friend is innocent about love and ends up in a less-than-perfect marriage because she’s all about the ideal. Their situations are interesting; the characters aren’t as much. In I Need Romance, it’s the opposite. I think their situations are kind of banal: they’re either dating, flirting, or taking revenge on a cheater. Simple events – but what makes them unique is how each one responds to it. It’s their characters that make the situations unique. Hyun Joo and Uhm Ji Won‘s Jung Da Jung are quite similar in that they need to find the perfect man. However, Hyun Joo learns to trust her gut feelings, and from there becomes a woman who knows what she’s worth and that you can’t choose who you love. Da Jung simply realizes that marriage isn’t all that she thought it would be because of the circumstances surrounding her, and she is more inclined to run than to face her terrors. Similar situations, two different reactions to it – and the characters’ reactions are what counts. It’s how we learn more about the characters, and feel an affinity to (or hate) them; and I believe that if you can hold a certain emotion towards a character – whether it be positive or negative – it’s good for the drama and the actor involved. Here, I personally identify more with Hyun Joo.

Another thing I liked about this drama was that we got a good taste of how the men feel – most particularly Sung Soo and Sung Hyun. Both had their merits, and both had their flaws, and I think because they both weren’t really the right fit for In Young, that made the competition even more interesting. Don’t tell me that Sung Hyun was perfect in every way; I think that he was still a bit too selfish and possessive over In Young, and me no likey. For our female lead in WWSTWTM, Kim Bum was perfect, and Lee Pil Mo was incredibly flawed (though only he showed more depth and some change throughout the course of the series). Guess who was the better guy there?

Anyways, in conclusion: Watch It. Category: Good.

Birdie Buddy:

It’s a shame this drama was not picked up earlier. It was actually a good drama – one that focused on characters and had one plot that stayed consistent throughout. In a way it’s similar to Romance Town, but it was certainly easier to watch. I think the one benefit it had for going cable was that it had shorter episodes, but a longer series (with 24 episodes). The pace of the drama was fast (despite the weird episode endings at times), and the characters were given a chance to grow, to understand, and evolve. In one series you get all the K-drama cliches packaged into a neat box: the Cinderella Story, the Training Days of an Amateur, the Melodrama of Rivalry, the Separation of Lovers, the Falling in Love for the First Time, the Family Drama, and even Death!

I have to give major kudos to UEE – I think that she showed more of her acting range here than she did in You’re Beautiful. She was good in that drama too, but she’s better here. I think it’s because it’s a little easy to play someone so catty, whereas here, she plays a cheerful, diligent golfer, but with enough range to know that she can do melodrama. I mean – her scenes when she found out her mentor died? I felt sad, but she made me feel worse. (Speaking of her mentor Fabian – he was such a hoot. He was a rare non-Korean actor speaking in Korean who actually acted well in a drama.)

The other characters – Hae Ryung (Lee Da Hee) and Jung Woo (Lee Yong Woo) were well written as well. Hae Ryung had deep-seated issues, and I think she was one of the better developed characters. She was hateful, annoying, and bratty, but she grew up in stages. She first accepted her mother, then accepted her mother’s secretary as a possible stepfather, then accepted that her love with Jung Woo was not meant to be, and finally accepted her friendship with Mi Soo. As much as I hated her character by the end of the series, I grudgingly admit that she was a good second female lead character. The one thing I do not like was how she ended up with Jung Woo in the last episode. I wholeheartedly believe that Lee Yong Woo just has better chemistry with UEE and that the way the plot developed, it supported a Mi Soo-Jung Woo pairing more than a Hae Ryung-Jung Woo pairing. We see more of Jung Woo and Mi Soo growing to like each other and work together, and that for me is so much more substantial than a couple kisses here and there. Anyways – this romantic resolution is my one gripe with this drama.

Category: Hmm… I think the romantic pairings and the last few episodes killed my ardor for it, putting it just a notch below the “Good” category. But I enjoyed this drama overall, and if you want a series to check in every so often and watch leisurely, I think this is it.

The Musical:

[Note: at the writing of this review, I have only seen up to episode 13]

I didn’t expect to like this drama at all, mainly because I was more familiar with the fan wars about the actors rather than the actors themselves (“Gu Hye Sun is awesome!” “Gu Hye Sun can’t act!” “What do you know, hater?!”). I had seen glimpses of Daniel Choi in High Kick Through the Roof, Gu Hye Sun in Pure 19, and Park Ki Woong in Story of a Man. Also, I was more excited for What’s Up…but because that drama didn’t air soon enough, I watched The Musical instead.

The first episode had me hook, line, and sinker – and it was mainly because of the infusion of well-known Korean musical numbers, and actresses like Hong Ji Min and Ock Joo Hyun. Also, Gu Hye Sun was just such a bad singer – so I really wanted to know how she improved. Her journey for the first 8 episodes or so were quite fun to watch – she was in the middle of a tug-of-war between Jae Hee and Kang Hee that was riddled with so many deep-seated issues. She was also the object of Jae Hee’s undying love and enthusiasm. And she improved as a singer, gaining Yoo Jin’s respect along the way.

But somehow, I feel like the drama got lost in the middle. It had started out so strongly, focusing on a woman’s dream to be in a musical, and showing the process of rehearsing, overcoming financial obstacles, and putting the musical onstage. But now the drama is focusing so much on the angst – on Eun Bi falling apart because she can’t be with the man she loves due to her own fears of losing him at the end of the musical. On Jae Hee moping about Eun Bi, but respecting her wishes to stay away. Though this angst may be necessary for the characters, to me, I just yell at the screen and go, “Just get together already! You’re both being stupid!” But of course, no K-drama is that easy. The angst sounds good on paper, but frankly I think the execution is a little lacking, and dragging. The broadcast delays also don’t help since this drama airs only once a week; with each delay, you forget a little bit more about the last episode. With each delay, you also get a lot of repeat information and very few steps forward.

The only character – and reason – I am interested to watch each week is Yoo Jin. He started off as cold and calculating, but not completely inflexible. He’s become a warmer character with Eun Bi’s presence, and I think he didn’t mean to. I think he only became nicer towards her because she confronted him about his aloofness, and he was in denial that he could really be that mean – but being nice to her ended up paying off anyways. I do feel quite bad that he’s hurting his long-time girlfriend Ra Kyung in the process, and so I’m curious as to what will become of them. They’re not a bad couple to root for.

With only three episodes left to this series, I’m a little worried on how things are going to come together. You still have Yoo Jin dealing with his emotions between Ra Kyung and Eun Bi, the “Count of Monte Cristo” musical to go onstage, the “Chungdamdong Gumiho” musical getting its act together, Eun Bi going onstage for at least one of these musicals, and the fate of Jae Hee-Eun Bi relationship to be resolved. This is one series that will definitely need a time jump into the future – and I would welcome it when it comes. There’s plenty of loose ends for this drama, and these characters all need some time to heal, reflect, and grow before they can meet each other again.

Category: Hmm… and I’m afraid I may end up being nonchalant for the rest of the series if they don’t resolve these issues soon enough.

Vampire Prosecutor:

[Note: at the writing of this review, I have only seen up to episode 9]

Yeon Jung Hoon – you kill me with your wonderful guyliner! Seriously dude – what brand do you use? And how do you put it on? Is it pencil? or kohl? or cream? Do you use black or brown eyeliner on the bottom? And also, do you curl your lashes a bit, or leave it sticking out straight?

OK – aside from the pretty, I really enjoy this drama. It’s similar to Sign, and once again we have a procedural drama with an overarching mystery – who turned Min Tae Yeon into a vampire, and killed his sister? The thing is, the story is a little less connected than Sign, and a little more… shall I say, American, in its execution. The reason I say this is because in an American procedural drama, it’s all about the case at hand. You get glimpses of the character and some outside-of-the-case development that amount to maybe 15 minutes of total show time, unless the case has to do with a particular character. Case in point (har har): episode 9, where Yoo Jung In’s father becomes a suspect, and we find out all about her childhood. In Sign, there was more focus on character development and trying to solve the overarching case while solving the case at hand.

The plots for every episode are usually well done, and I particularly enjoy the little twist that occurs with each case. Not everything is what you think it is – and it’s the same for the characters involved. I love that Prosecutor Min and Detective Hwang have such a great bromance going on, and that there is at least one person on his team who knows Tae Yeon’s identity as a vampire. It allows for more jokes about it, and lends more gravity to the situation as there is someone who understands the great danger of having a vampire walk and work among humans. As for Jung In, she’s got quite a messed up and dark past, which goes against her righteous personality and go-for-it attitude. I sometimes think Lee Young Ah is a little miscast for her role, only because she looks like a little kid next to her costars, but I can’t deny that she acts “spunky” well.

As it nears its end, this drama only makes me feel sadder that there are so few episodes left, and all I want is moar! I want more bromance, more of Tae Yeon going out of control in front of his coworkers, more secrets revealed about his relationship with the Chief, more clues towards who turned him into a vampire – just more! I think it’s great that this drama doesn’t need cliffhangers to make me want to tune in every week, because it has set up solid characters that I just want to see clash every week. Plus, the cases are interesting.

Category: Good – so far!

Tree With Deep Roots:

[Note: at the writing of this review, I have only seen up to episode 20.]

love this drama. But I’m scared that if I extol its virtues, it will start sucking completely.

I rarely watch historical dramas. In fact, this is my first historical for the year. Perhaps you may say that I’m very biased towards this drama since I have nothing else to compare it to, but I really do like this drama. It has mystery, comedy, action (oh the fight sequences!), conspiracy, and Han Suk Gyu.

Yes – Han Suk Gyu is a category all on his own. He’s brilliant as King Sejong, being both fierce and timid, serious and comedic, all at the same time. He’s eager, and yet reticent – unwilling to share all of his secrets at once. He’s both wise and foolish, wanting to tread carefully and yet also being quite daring and risking his life for certain beliefs. I think Song Joong Ki helped establish the character, and Han Suk Gyu just let the character blossom. I love him.

Now as for the mystery. Once the mystery unraveled to be that Sejong was creating the alphabet, I thought I was going to think, “That’s it?” I mean, people killing each other over an alphabet?! But this drama helps emphasize that there are so many cultural and political repercussions to creating a new alphabet, and the opponents were threatening enough that you just wanted Team Sejong to win in the end. The noblemen are such elitists, and yet their logic is correct too. They have such a single-minded, narrow view of the world, unwilling to think that universal literacy might actually be better for all, and wanting to keep the power to themselves. It’s such a deep and resonating conflict: when everything you know is turned upside down, do you trust in the change to eventually make things better, or do you resist and do all your best to stop it?

You have your dash of comedy in Jang Hyuk‘s portrayal of jokey Kang Chae Yun in the beginning, in his friendship with his two officer buddies, and in Sejong’s friendship with Mu Hyul. However, when it turns melodramatic, you never feel bogged down because the characters aren’t all crying “Woe is me!” Even Sejong’s psychotic breakdowns as his scholars were getting killed had me entranced. With the dialogue, you feel like you are constantly discovering new things – whether it be about the history of Joseon Dynasty or something new about how the characters logically think. And that, for me, is what makes this particular drama adventure so fun.

Category: Good – so far!

Here’s to 2012!

 
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I'm soooo glad to see someone else who is a fan of the Hong sisters dislike Best Love! My Girlfriend is a Gumiho was my drama of the year last year, but I couldn't finish Best Love... like you, I just felt it was too far-fetched to buy this man who looks to be 40 acting like a 15-year old. I can see the in-drama explanation of it, but I feel it's just too far removed from reality or anything I've ever seen in reality to buy it.

That said, some parts were funny (like PAAANTSU!!), but I just keep thinking I would have enjoyed this a whole lot more if they had stuck with younger actors. Gong Hyo-jin and Cha Seung-won are great, but I think the script would just have worked better with 20-25-year olds, because I actually do know a lot of guys in this age range who act as whacky as Cha's character in Best Love. I guess it's a big reason why I can buy and even like Jung Il-woo's Cha Chi Soo character in FBRS, because even though he's as emotionally constipated as Cha Seung won's Best Love character (sorry, totally forgot the name), he has the excuse of being eighteen years old.

Well. Each to their own. Just gotta say, I'm so glad to find people who agree with me! I thought I was the only one who had liked You're Beautiful and Gumiho and My Girl but just couldn't like Best Love.

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hey! and i'm glad to find you!

My Girlfriend Gumiho is also my drama of the year last year (dont tell me City Hunter is your drama this year, you could be my twin then haha) and i dont like Best Love!

i wish i have friends like Cha Chi Soo because his character is also beyond me now. is there really a person who doesnt know what is jealousy at the age of 19, where has he been?

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I've seen only five dramas from your list. We’re on the same page when it comes to PR, SPW and 49Days. But me no likey INR. Not only that that girl has no clue between a poop and soybean paste, she doesn’t even know the difference between PMS and constipated.

Last but not least, Best Love, Loved it! For me it's the best of Hong sisters'. I loved Dokko Jin's insanity, but I see your point about that absurdity of 38/39 year old man has no clue about love. It didn’t bother me when I watched BL tho, but now that we’re watching FBRS, I kinda see where HS wanted to take the show with LSG. However Best Love+CSW still worked awesomely for me. Thank you for the review. ^^

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Although I LOOOVED Best Love, I can easily see why some people may have not liked it. Yes, it's utterly ridiculous, over the top, exaggerated, even too plain with its story(even though it's better written than YAB!). To me what made it a stand out was the dialogue, the metaphors and puns, even though I greatly enjoyed the insanity portrayed by Cha Seung Won. It certainly is absurd to have a character of a man on his late 30's who's never been in love, but the fact that he's always been a narcissistic Hallyu star can somehow justify it.

But I have to say, the chemistry between Cha Seung Won and Gong Hyo Jin was to me the weakest of the year...

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lol, kaedejun.... I love your review, it's so witty, though I didn't fully agree with you in some drama, I really enjoy reading your point of view.. I'm surprised you write a review In Javabeans site this year. I didn't expected iT. You covered up a drama who are not popular, which is a plus for me.

And finally there is someone who feel the same way about best love. Though I think CSW is great as dokko jin, but I really didn't connected with the story, and the character... But I still think this is the best hong sister drama despite I don't like it at all.

There are 2 drama that we have different opinion though, I could't finished sign, and romance town.

Thanks kaedejun for your review..

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"Sign" was such a good drama! great cast, history and each episode makes you wish more and more..

For sure, best drama of the year (with New tales of gisaeng.. beautiful drama too)!

Thanks for the review and sorry for my bad english (I'm brazilian) :)

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Thanks for the year end review, kaedejun! I appreciate your frank and honest comments. It's always interesting to get someone else's perspectives on the dramas I've watched. It makes me feel justified when someone shares the same opinion I do, and when we don't see eye-to-eye it makes me ponder my own reactions to a particular drama. You also reviewed a few dramas I haven't watched yet, so I found it very helpful!

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Nice to hear your thoughts on the year kaedejun. I haven't watched too many dramas this year either (thanks real life), and have only read or watched the popular ones, so it was nice to get a perspective on the ones I overlooked.

Kaedejun, you are brave for voicing an unpopular opinion on best love.I can see how it wouldn't appeal to everyone, as Dokko Jin was a character I couldn't fully get behind because his antics drove me crazy for at least the first few episodes, so I can understand your lack of love towards it.

Bleh, The Musical was good until they went on that long, long retreat. I have to agree, the delayed broadcasts are definitely not helping, I think I'm still stuck on episode 10.

I watched Romance Town here and there when it was on tv and I followed your recaps for a while, but the characters started to drive me nuts, so I stopped. I might go back and read your recaps when I feel like getting invested in the characters again.

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Great review! I'm glad 'Tree With Deep Roots' is getting such high praise, it's totally deserved. Here's hoping they won't let us down these coming weeks!

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i liked Sign too! I was devastated when PSY had to die but the suspense of leaving his body as a sign completely got me.

I'm glad you were able to speak up and quel all the Best Love gushing. That drama was annoying.

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Great year end review, Kae~

Fingers-crossed 2012 will be filled with more gems than lumps of coal.

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With each year that comes and goes, it seems that I'm getting pickier about my dramas, especially now that I'm in the LITSFBD (Life is too short for Bad Dramas) camp. Or perhaps that's part of growing up, too. That being said, I'm a firm believer that enjoyability trumps anything else; if you like a drama and you have your own personal reasons for liking it, then that's what's most important.

Still, I can't help but chuckle when people like a drama, be it good or bad, and make it their life's goal to get everyone else to like it too; they just can't take a "no, this drama sucks and I don't like it" as an answer. Oy, vey. Now that's where we've got a problem.

Anyway, moving on -- I really enjoyed reading your review and comparing it to my own thoughts about the dramas you wrote. Too bad I've only watched three that you wrote about -- Best Love, 49 Days, and Romance Town, the latter of which I still need to finish.

I certainly didn't hate Best Love as much as you did, but I agree that this was one Hong Sisters' drama that I just didn't come to love. Or perhaps their brand of comedy isn't really my cup of tea anymore. My biggest gripe with Best Love was also a problem connecting with the characters, which I, by the end of the day, felt nothing for. They weren't believable for me, either, and since I couldn't relate to them, I couldn't love this drama.

As for Romance Town, I think we're on the same page. It started off well and was actually quite cracktastic until halfway through. I actually have no desire to complete it and though I will eventually, it will only be for completion's sake and for seeing my beloved Jung Kyeo Woon onscreen.

49 Days was probably one of my favorite drama offerings from 2011, despite the fact that I still have about six or more series to complete by the end of this year. I loved the curveballs and the characters that came to life and were totally relatable in all the episodes. It's a drama that wasn't predictable and one that got people like me talking and writing. In addition to this, it was a drama that was as much about death as it was about life. I agree that the last two episodes threw in some unnecessary plot lines, but it certainly didn't taint my love for this drama. In fact, I'll always come away from it remembering Scheduler's awesome last conversation with Yi Kyung by the river and how wonderful Jung Il Woo was during this scene:

"We can’t leave together. Even if you choose death to follow me, that moment will be our final farewell. That’s what death is."

And the part where he throws away his ring and tells her to do the same, "You know now how precious you were to me. You weren’t thrown away, you were the most important person to me. An incredible person. And so, you’ll become someone else’s incredibly precious person. Promise me that for my sake, you’ll be happy. So that I can leave this world without regrets, so I can start over in the next life. Yi Kyung, be happy for my sake."

God, that gets to me every time. *wipes away tears*

Thanks again for the hours you spent to write this review, Kae. Aja aja fighting! ❤

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Oh Finally someones with me on best love..i din't like the drama one bit & i actually thought Cha seung won was a lil bizzare in the drama..love u Kadejun :-)

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Wow! I didn't agree with you totally on all your reviews but I was delighted to learn that there is someone else out there that thinks the Hong Sisters are overrated! I like Gong Hyo Jin and Cha Seung Won but did not enjoy Greatest Love at all and Dokko Jin irritated me to the max. I also loved I need Romance and thought it was an excellent story. Down the toilet for me for The Musical and Paradise Ranch. I might be one of the few that actually enjoyed Myung Wol the Spy.

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Now I have to comment! :)

Kaedejun - good for you and sticking to your guns - after all it's your review and your opinions :) thanks for sharing with us. I enjoyed reading it.

Anyhow - I also did not like or was just completely indifferent to Best Love. I just could not understand the hype and repeatedly wanted to fall in love with the show, but couldn't. I do like the Hong sister's YAB, Delightful Girl CH and HGD. I think it's just a matter of preference and my tastes at the time. And here I was thinking I was the only one who did not like BL. :)

I do want to see Sign. I followed your Recaps for INR while it was airing - and I liked it ok. There were some interesting parts to it.

I also fully agree that Paradise Ranch was absolutely the worst drama of the year. At least with LTM, I loved the OTP, even though everything else went to the dumps. PR just had nothing!!!

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Wow! I could not have disagreed more with 'most' of your opinions on the dramas I watched. But please don't get me wrong! It's what I loved most about your post!

My favorite time of year in Dramabeanslandia. The end of the year Reviews. I love reading all the different opinions and wrap ups; on Dramabeans and other blogs as well. Part of the fun is reading reviews which are different than mine. How do we all watch the same drama and come to such opposing conclusions?

btw...thank you for all your recaps. Without your willingness and passion to do so, we wouldn't have recaps for some of the shows we were watching and enjoying. I know Javabeans and Girlfriday would have been too busy to add to their list...so your hard work is greatly appreciated.

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"The Greatest Love" is the Hong Sister's most complete romcom and this is coming from someone who doesn't find their earlier work that good.

TGL is more complete than "MGIAG" which had a pretty good central story and development of the relationship btwn the 2 leads, but the other parts, including supporting characters/storylines were a bit weak (still a pretty enjoyable watch, much better than "HGD" which was not very good).

I don't know what kaedejun was watching but "My Girl" was simply AWFUL - horrible script/dialogue not to mention bad acting (it's a few levels worse than HGD which is saying something).

TGL is leaps and bounds better than MG.

As for Cha Seung Won "playing totally against type" - nothing could be farther from the truth.

CSW's roots were in comedic performances (if you see the film "Ghost House" - you'll not only see CSW in a totally comedic performance, but the physical transformation of the "old" CSW to the "new" CSW).

I agree tho, that "Spy Myung Wol" is bad and that TWDR is good (so very good).

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Kaedejun, thank you for your honest and straightforward review. I agree with your take on Best Love, the Musical Sign and Tree with Deep Roots- the dramas I watched. Sign was awesome but so under-rated. Best Love was hilarious but the romance was not believable. The Musical was great for the first 8 episodes and I really think it suffered from being produced over a long period and uncertainty over the time-slot,production costs,etc. Tree with Deep Roots is just amazing.

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I agree with your review on Best Love.....I tried so hard to like it because of the Hong sisters, but dropped it, because I found the acting seem too force and the leads seem too scripted in order to be funny/comical, so that didn’t come off naturally to me. But that’s just my opinions.

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Hey Kaedejun! Finally someone goes against the popular view! Yes best love wasn't the best 2011 drama.. I did like it and finished it but it wasn't a rewatchable drama for me and this is a feat for me because I think the Hong sisters are way too much overrated I didn't finish any of their drama worst of them being My girl couldn't go past ep 3... I'm not a fan of musical drama so you've fallen for me and the musical would surely send me on a snoozing fest. Romance town started good then went downhill. 49 days is on my best drama list. Myung wol the spy I want my 9 hours watching it back!! I need romance was my crack! I'm all for heroines owning their sexuality!! But the ending,well, made me angry... As for city hunter as you say hmmm... I will be making a sangeuk marathon in january with the princess man, Tree with deep roots. So thank you for your review!

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I admire and appreciate that you SLAMMED Best Love, especially since javabeans and girlfriday LOVE the Hong Sisters. But I agree--I haven't been able to watch their recent dramas because it's just that--tacky and ridiculous. I hate exaggerated acting and this is the reason why I couldn't finish Gumiho.

I'm going to check out your recommended dramas. I think my taste is quite similar to yours, seeing that you debased many that I also didn't find appealing...

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!

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Finally! Someone who likes Sign just as much as I did! That drama was fantastic! My mom and I cried so much at the end of the series.

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Thanks kaedejun for your review

It's always good to hear a different opinion on the dramas. you may agree or disagree it's their opinion.

I must have to agree on Greatest Love that Cha Seung Won didn't fit the role. but i still enjoy the drama none the less.

i had some high hopes for You’ve Fallen For Me but i don't know what happend near the end but i only watched up till ep 12.

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Kaedejun,

Thank you for your review and for your opinions. I have never posted in this site but I just want to encourage you in your writing and contribution. There are some people here who seem to be so shocked that you did not like Best Love. I was one who did not like it and I only liked the second guy.
I couldn't agree more with you that SIGN and Vampire Prosecutor are very good. Life is too short to watch bad dramas. I will start soon on Tree With Deep Roots, keep up the good work!!

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TWDR does get you thinking & it is enjoyable because it is interesting in regards to the creation of the Korean alphabet and all the spectacles it causes, but I don't think it is the best drama of 2011. They wasted the characters of the two young scholars after a couple of episode, which I thought will be the humor in the show. And the Mings just disappeared --and just recently came back in the most recent episode. Also, SY was so much more of an interesting character when she couldn't speak. Plus I can't stand the close up shots of JKJ's mouth anymore. Otherwise, I really do like team king SJ, but he so bipolar---thank god for CY's coolness!!! I haven't watch a drama where it -seems- like the king have so little power in a while, even a palace maiden seem to have more power than him....guess I watch too much chinese dramas.

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Thanks for reviewing 2011. Sure, there were lots of choice and thus the need to be picky. It made me realized that it was a pretty good year for me. It had Sign, Vampire Prosecutor, Tree with Deep Roots and Brain. Loved these shows; tight writing, solid acting (from A list actors) and my favourite "twist in the tale" element.

Then, you have the lighter, fluffy, "mock me"dramas like Flower Boy Ramyun, Best Love and Dream High. really enjoyed these. These made me laugh and giggle like a heady fan girl.

The highlights for 2011 was definitely the introduction of cable tv (which improved the quality of dramas greatly) and the influx of heavy weight actors back to the small screen. We are spoiled for choice for best actors this year. Thank you for the good year. Here's to more good dramas! Happy New Year to all drama fans!

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wow, i completely agree with you. I thought i was the only one who thought that Best Love was boring. Nice to know that other pplz think so too.

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I won't with Best Love cause I LOVED it.

I didn't get too much into dramas this year. Guess I was just at tilt on dramas. Also drama let down, great casts, good starts and then nothing. (I disliked immensely My Girl btw).

Anyway City Hunter was good..thats all. Myung Wol was good.
I liked I Need Romance.

Thanks for the critique, I will watch Sign.

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I agree almost word for word with your review on Sign! I loved that drama.
This year I really enjoyed 49 Days, Baby-Faced Beauty, City Hunter and Dream High, and am currently enjoying Flower Boy Ramyun Shop and Vampire Prosecutor (my favorite so far! I'm biting my nails waiting for the finale).

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I disagree with you about BEST LOVE. It is indeed the BEST Kdrama for the year if not of all that i ever watched. It has great actors and acting and the witty plot and every episode makes audience addicted and want some more. I watched many many times and the memory of DOKKOJIN is still fresh in mind.

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I like how Birdie Buddy ended. It really make a glimpse ^^
Because JW already give his love for HR long before. And he admit, it will really great if he had two heart to love. But he must choose.

VP totally rock...It tense me to watch every episode ^^ And I'm really glad they reconsider to make the season 2. Just give us the cliffhanger ending ^^

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Miss Kaedejun,

Thank you for this review. I like others opinion (other than JB and GF) about dramas, what they like and what they dont like. We all have our own personal taste but i appreciate and respect your views.

Best Love... I like
49 Days.... I like everything except the ending
Spy Myung Wol....Was promising in the beginning but I couldnt finish, lost interest in the end.
Romance Town... Was quite interesting at first.. Did not finish. Followed your recaps though just to know what happened in the end.

The rest i have not seen

Looking forward and excited for the rest of the reviews.. (thundie, ockoala, dahee fanel etc... ) The more the merrier.

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Thank you for your wonderful review although I did not finish that many K drama this year, I 100% agree to you SIGN is the best drama of the year, I like the other dramas e.g 49days, city hunters and best love too but to be fair, none of them have achived the level of what SIGN had done. SIGN has a tight script, directing and acting are also very good - particulary between Park and Jun. At the end of the drama, you know Park will go to extreme to get the truth out and feel sorry to Jun being a pitiful villian. I count this is the best because you will care about the characters and remember them too. Don't forget to maintain the good level of a 20 episodes drama is much more difficult than a short one see how many drama you ditch after 4 or 5 episodes. This is my two cents.

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I agree with you on I Need Romance. I really enjoyed watching the women's friendships. Those women were hilarious together. It didn't really matter to me how any of their male relationships were resolved because at the end of the day they had each other. A lot of people didn't like the ending but I felt the show was very real. I have a theory that the older you are the more likely you are to enjoy the show. Maybe it's because I'm well into my thirties but I do not understand why people think she chose the wrong guy. One of my favorite lines in the drama is when she tells her chaebol "there's someone else I love more, ME". Giving up her whole life, identity and everything she had ever worked for to pretend to be someone else was supposed to be a better ending? I didn't want her to forgive the cheater but I could understand why she would.

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Great job, kaedejun! And so brave too, LOL.

This time, if I don’t like a drama, I stop watching it, rather than painfully suffer to the end.

Like I tweeted recently, forbearance is overrated, haha. Cut your losses and run! :D

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Eep, spoke too soon, kaedejun. Check out javabeans and misterX's friendly debate here (scroll down to comments):

http://thundiesprattle.com/2011/12/12/serendipity-takes-a-stab-at-2011/

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i read that review plus comments and all i can say is WHOA... i know these writers go through a lot just to put out these articles but something was just wrong with the tone of the review AND the comments *sigh*

i appreciate recaps and reviews as they can give me better insights on the drama i am watching or considering to watch... but i don't buy everything they say lock, stock and barrel...

ultimately, it's really a matter of personal taste... the dramas that some people bash may be the very things i might enjoy watching *haha*... i don't think too much who wrote the drama, or who's acting in it... if i enjoyed watching it, that's enough for me :)

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Thanks Thundie for the comment and the link to the debate!

Here's my two cents on the debate, and hopefully it can clarify even more what I think about Greatest Love to others:

I would whole-heartedly agree with JB that the most reliable reviewer would be one who finishes it completely and then judges it. I would trust that same reviewer. (I'm surprised less people are bashing about my review of Spy Myung Wol, of which I saw less of!) I also take some sadistic pleasure in knowing that for every fan, there's a non-fan for this drama.

HOWEVER - I still stick by my review because the flaws of the series became overwhelming for me, and made me lose interest. I admit - in my reviews of episodes 5-8 on my blog, I was quite favorable towards the series. And I loved Lee Seung Gi's cameo in episode 9 apparently - though I have absolutely no recollection of the cameo. (It's simply stored in a draft somewhere in my blog.) But just because something is so fun and fluffy for that moment does not make it a good drama, or one of my favorites. It does not compel me to finish it either. After spending nearly 10 hours on it, I think it's safe to say that I've had enough, and I can't give it another six hours just hoping that it will turn around for the final 6 episodes.

Put it this way - the overall packaging of the drama was not acceptable for me, so I returned the gift. It was nice to have received it, and it was nice to open and see what was inside, but it was not suitable for me.

So as for "making a snap judgment" without having seen the entirety, I believe that one should not discount emotions felt during a drama when writing a review - whether they completed the series or not. The review itself is an opinion, and subjective to one's emotions as well. When a drama makes me feel something so strongly, I need to give my feelings due justice - whether it be negative or positive. Even if a person watches a drama in its entirety, I may not necessarily think the reviewer is reliable if that person and my tastes differ. Or, I may still discount that person's opinion simply because I'm not interested. I'm not saying that you should trust a reviewer who watches one episode, but I'm also saying that you don't have to necessarily trust the reviewer who watches the whole thing. In the end, everyone is entitled to his/her own tastes, and his/her own prejudices to a drama.

I don't want my review to end up being the banner for "See! Proof that this drama sucks!" All I intended with the Greatest Love and Spy Myung Wol reviews was to show that yes - certain (beloved) dramas ended up on my chopping board, and there's a good reason (for me) why. And that no one should be afraid to cut a drama loose. You're not required to like/love everything that comes out of Korea.

That being said - I still look forward to a new Hong Sisters drama, albeit with some apprehension.

I'm curious and interested to see what anyone else has to say on this, as I love that any review of a drama is a great place for discussion!

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Too bad you miss the best part of the show, Miss Kae.... Episodes 11 to 16 is the "top" of the drama. Awesome acting skills and wonderful dialogues. The "comical" character who is 30+ and never know love before become "human" because of "human" touch called "love".... That's why i like it. This interesting, smart and genius transformation did really well by the cast. If you have more time... (*smile*) just try to continue and finish it .......

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sorry, but i'm one of those who feel that if you haven't watched the whole series, why do a review at all?

what if you missed something good on the episodes that you didn't watch, how would you know?... i think it would be more honest to say, i didn't watch it all but these are my thoughts about it or my impression of it, but not a full "review"...

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LOL so out of 16 episodes If he like ONE episode and find it funny, it will make we like the entire drama? No. Of course not.

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Ooops, meant to reply to this one here, but clicked wrong button and my comments went to the recent end of the comments.

To me, there’s an important and respectful difference when comments are made liking/disliking a drama – that the reviewer does NOT question others’ intelligence for staying on or preferring it. Or making derisive comments. In this case, to me kaedejun is just stating her preference.

1-3 eppies and a "slam" = ok, bit much to make a conclusion or pass judgement.

10 eppies = more or less enough to decide whether or not a drama is for you.

Best Love was NOT my cup of tea either, for a Hong Sisters' drama.

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it doesn't matter whether they say the drama is good or bad, as long as they give a review based on the entire drama...

using your example, i would not really rely on a review if they watched 1 episode then declare that it's bad...

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I read the recaps for Best Love on here, but just wasn't interested in it enough to watch it. Honestly, I got bored with the recaps too. I totally agree that's it's overrated. But I absolutely loved I Need Romance.

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i thought best love would be one of best dramas for 2011,i find it really good,also their 0ST,and i really disagree on ur comment bout best love,maganda xa tlga girl,dapat tinapos mo panoorin....

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Totally agree about Best Love, I cringed over episode 1 then tried to make a run through up to episode 3, hoping it will get better, since majority of the comments were good. But then gave up after that. I don't see the point of watching a show where I'm absolutely annoyed by the female lead character. No offense to the actress,loved her in " Thank You". The last 3 Hong sister's show just did'nt click with me, starting from Hong gil dong, Gumiho ,then Best Love. Loved my girl,fantasy couple and chun yang though. I'll heed your advise and check on I need romance, thanks for the review, it was insightful.

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Thanks for the review. However, I'd wish I'd known there were going to be such significant spoilers in the reviews. I mean, I expect a certain amount of spoilers when I read year-end reviews, but I was surprised to read, without any warning, about what happens to the main character at the end of Sign. I have to admit, the beginning of your review made me want to watch the show, but then immediately finding out the character's fate made me lose interest right away, especially since it seems like the viewers are supposed to be surprised at what happens.

I was reading these reviews as a way to gauge whether I should watch the shows I've missed in this past year, but now I feel discouraged from watching many of them because I know many of the (seemingly unexpected) plot points. I do appreciate the time and effort you took to write this review, but if you could perhaps warn the readers beforehand that such significant spoilers are going to be imbedded in the reviews, that would be helpful.

I guess I just expected (perhaps unrealistically) that I would get a spoiler warning or a review that might allude to plot twists without abruptly revealing them. Thanks.

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phew, sure glad to know there's someone out there who likes SIGN as much as I do :D

though as disappointed and mad as hell when the main lead in SIGN died, I was glad it ended that way. it sure made a difference in all the kdramas I've seen.

ah .... hopefully there's really a 2nd season of Vampire prosecutor !!!

thanks for your recaps !

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Totally agree about Best Love. The story line is really too ridiculous. It is a missed opportunity since all the actors were so great.

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Great review! Good job! Will appreciate it if you can do a review for "City Hunter" next. Thanks.

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I LOVED SIGN TOO! I can't believe it wasn't included much in the Beanie awards :( It was pure brilliance and suspense, but also romantic and cute. oh, and I love Jung Gyu Woon too! <3

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I think it's safe to say that for the most part, you like the dramas that I do but love the dramas that I've hated. =X

I make my own reviews and don't read into much of others reviews anyway since every person has their own preference. I just have my differences with dramabeans; nonetheless, the recaps alone are worth the read! :D

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You're pretty brave for your review of Best Love! I loved Best Love, but the thing that really prevents me from loving it as much as some of the other Hong sisters' dramas is the fact that we never really got to know much about Dokko Jin's background, except that he was sick as a child (which will explain his weirdness).

I mourn Romance Town. It was pretty good at first, but it went downhill when Soon-geum had disguised herself as a rich gal and then JGW's character got annoying.

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I loved Paradise Ranch! Very predictable, and Max Changmin's acting was not very good, and the story was not very...actually, it *was* a bad drama. But I still enjoyed it. Experiential value and all that. And your and Javabeans's reviews just mean that I'll have to marathon Vampire Prosecutor when it finishes.

Thanks for your year-in-review!

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SO.AGREE on Sign and Birdie Buddy's review!! am soo happy that someone shared my view on these 2 dramas..the best i've watched so far..!!

all the scenes from how the Idol was killed and the introduction to the villain in Sign, is THE BEST ever!

and i looovveeee the first 2 episodes of Birdie Buddy!! it's a bit shame on the last 2 episodes though,..but well, i think we can't win it all, right? @_@

Thanks Kaedejun!

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tbh, CH didnt really impress me...didnt feel anything special about it.
but i gotta agree about Sign, like drama of those genre...

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I only read a couple of recaps of Best Love when they came out since I'm not very attracted to Gong Hyo Jin (saw her in Pasta) and didn't know who Cha Seung Won was. Wasn't really interested.

I watched it at a time whem I wanted to see something that seemed fun and heartwarming and was surprised that it satisfied. Yes, Dokgo Jin was exaggerated but I think the craziness sort of highlighted his sentimental moments. The contrast was effective on me.

I think Best Love is the kind of show where you'll find enjoyment if you will not take it seriously. It's a comedy so expect the exaggerations and simple (or unbelievable) plot. It's like watching Taiwanese rom-com.

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I totally agree with you on Best Love. Guess I'm not really a fan of the Hong Sisers. Like you..I was up Episode 10 and could not finish it. I've watched most of the Hong sisters' drama and the only two I really enjoyed was My Girl and YAB. Just goes to show..everyone has different taste.......and that's not a bad thing either.

I love all the dramas you liked that I've watched or watching, especially TWDR. I might watch Sign now and INR...thanks to your positive review.

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Finally! A kindred soul, or sentiments, over "Greatest Love" being not that great.

Kudos to you though coz I only lasted till ep. 8.

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