Drama Ratings
Since this blog is evolving into a collection of my drama-related obsessions and analyses, here’s a list of what I’ve seen. Maybe someday I’ll have enough time to write about all of them, because if I’ve seen it, chances are I’ll have a lot to say about it.
Note: These are only series I’ve seen in their entirety. (I’ve seen a lot more series that I haven’t come around to finishing, whether it’s because I got bored, forgot, or couldn’t find the time. I haven’t “graded” those here.)
Also, I’ve separated ratings into how much I like something and how good I think it is objectively. Because there’s often a big difference. 
Because there’s nothing wrong with liking populist material. I just can’t quite bring myself to rate one, for instance, above something less “fun” but more substantial.
| K-DRAMA SERIES | HOW MUCH I LIKE IT vs. HOW I RATE IT (of 10) | |
| Air City (2007) 에어시티 |
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Hot guys. Cold plot. (5 / 5) |
| Bad Couple (2007) 불량커플 |
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Great start out of the gate, then slows. Lost interest after episode 6. (6 / 7) |
| Bad Family (2006) 불량가족 |
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Love it. Heart-warming and hilarious, but not cheesy. Diverse and funny supporting cast, and Kim Myung Min is a hoot. (9 / 9) |
| Coffee Prince Store #1 (2007) 커피프린스1호점 |  |
Proof that popular does not always equal mediocre. At times cheeky, at times poignant. Standout soundtrack. (9 / 9) |
| Dal Ja’s Spring (2007) 달자의봄 |
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Fresh and fun, once you get past Chae Rim’s makeup. Adorable main couple, amusing side characters, easy to zip through. (9 / 8 ) |
| Delightful Girl Chun Hyang (2005) 쾌걸춘향 |
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High comedy factor with strong chemistry between the leads. Jae Hee is wonderful, and the director is sharp and skilled. (9 / 8 ) |
| Exhibition of Fireworks (2006) 불꽃놀이 |  |
Started great, went downhill. Kang Ji Hwan is the only good thing here. (5 / 4) |
| Fantasy Couple (2006) aka Couple or Trouble 환상의커플 |
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Flawed but enjoyable. Its humor sometimes overdoes the slapstick, but the Hong sisters writing team do a good job keeping the plot moving. (7 / 7) |
| Flowers For My Life (2007) aka I Came In Search of Flowers 꽃찾으러 왔단다 |
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Criminally underrated. Lovely, witty with a touch of dark humor. (10 / 10) |
| Friends (2004) 프렌즈 / フレンズ |
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Joint collaboration between Korea and Japan. Pleasant, with gorgeous leads Won Bin and Fukada Kyoko, but unexceptional. (6 / 6) |
| Full House (2004) 풀하우스 |
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Overrated (plot becomes tired and repetitive in the last quarter), but enjoyable (7 / 6) |
| Goong (2006) aka Palace or Princess Hours, 궁 |
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Beautifully executed but slow. Overrated but entertaining. Mediocre acting at best. (6 / 6) |
| Goong S (2007) aka Palace S or Prince Hours, 궁S |
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Disappointing start and poor acting. Still, picked up toward end, inversely to its ratings. (5 / 5) |
| Hello! Miss (2007) aka Hello Baby 헬로! 애기씨 |
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Light and jokey, but not much emotional depth. Lee Da Hae has done better. (5 / 5) |
| Hong Gil Dong (2008) 쾌도 홍길동 |
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Action, comic gags, romance, political intrigue, betrayal — the only thing it lacks is subtlety. The tone is uneven, but Kang Ji Hwan is wonderful. (7 / 7) |
| Hyang Dan Jeon (2007) aka The Story of Hyang Dan, 향단전 |
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Laugh-out-loud fun blending historical fact, folktales, and modern humor in a fusion romantic comedy. Who knew? (8 / 7 ) |
| The Last Scandal of My Life (2008), 내 생애 마지막 스캔들 |
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One of very few dramas I’d recommend without qualification. Hilarious, touching, well-acted. Never a dull moment. (? / ?) |
| Lovers (2006) 연인 |
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Started strong but quick descent into weepy melodrama. By the end I couldn’t stand it. Oh! The! Tragedy! (3 / 6) |
| Mixed-up Investigative Agency (2007) 얼렁뚱땅 흥신소 |
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Quirky, offbeat, extremely well-plotted. A comedy romp, treasure hunt, and mystery rolled into one. (9 / 9 ) |
| My Girl (2005-06) 마이걸 |
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Fantastic fun, speedy pace. Super chemistry between the endearing lead couple. (9 / 8 ) |
| My Name Is Kim Sam Soon (2005) 내 이름은 김삼순 |
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Poignant and funny, worth the hype. (9 / 9) |
| Only You (2005) |  |
Bleh. I can’t remember why I bothered. Han Chae Young is pretty, but Jo Hyun Jae is wasted. (3 / 3) |
| Que Sera Sera (2007) 케세라세라 |
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Took a few episodes to fall in love, but boy did I. Intense and unapologetic. Not for the casual watcher. (8 / 9) |
| Soulmate (2006) 소울메이트 |
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Hilarious, witty, trendy, with a fabulous soundtrack and surprisingly tight plotting. Extra points for skillfully executed narrative and use of chronology. (10 / 10) |
| The Vineyard Man (2006) 포도밭 그사나이 |
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Mildly amusing, but overall extremely ordinary. Oh Man Seok is great, Yoon Eun Hye is forgettable. If you’re a Yoon fan, skip it and see Coffee Prince instead. (5 / 5) |
| What’s Up, Fox (2006) 여우야 뭐하니 |
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Good follow-up by writer of Samsoon. Go Hyun Jung is always a treat to watch, as is Chun Jung Myung. Not necessarily exciting, but humorous and witty. (8 / 8 ) |
| Who Are You? (2008) 누구세요? |
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Surprisingly better than I expected at first, and gets better as you go along. Yoon Kye Sang is a standout. Cute, funny, and poignant. (9 / 8 ) |
| Witch Amusement (2007) aka Witch Yoo Hee, 마녀유희 |
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Endlessly mockable, but in the fun way. Pure eye candy, no nutrition. (6 / 4) |
And for the old stuff…
| Feelings (1994), 느낌 |  |
One of the earliest trendy dramas boasting a hip, young, good-looking cast. Probably the first college campus drama. |
| Jealousy (1992), 질투 |  |
THE original trendy drama starring still-famous Choi Jin Shil and Choi Su Jong. Funny and cute, see the drama that started the trend. |
| Last Match (1994) 마지막 승부 |
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Superstar Jang Dong Gun in one of his earliest roles, featuring an extremely young and new Shim Eun Ha! Spawned the sports-drama trend. |
| Sandglass (1995) 모래시계 |
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Still one of the highest-rated dramas ever, and one of the most highly regarded. Stellar cast, stellar writing, this is a drama that swept the nation and deals with some intense historical events, such as the Gwangju Massacre of 1980. |
| Star in My Heart (1997) 별은 내가슴에 |
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Early Hallyu hit and one of the first Cinderella-story dramas. Over-the-top by today’s standards, but who doesn’t love a rags-to-riches romance? |
October 29th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
Hey Javabeans,
Since you’re such a fan of Coffee Prince, have you checked out Gong Yoo’s previous work in Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy? He was really adorable in that too.
January 28th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Love your work!! Found your site when I was hunting down latest updates on coffee prince a while back and it was great to have you be a step ahead of us anticipating this series.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:22 am
hey! i have never commented before on your blog, but i visit your blog a lot ever since the start of CP. i totally love all the information you have on this website and all the amazing songs you upload. i read your reviews or chk out your ratings once im done with any show. i saw soulmate on your recommendation and loved it! i saw que sera sera recently (and dal ja’s few months ago) as well and really loved it. i kept comparing your updates to the shows, and reading it was the same as watching it, coz your updates are well…..simply perfect.
i was actually posting to ask you whether you have seen any taiwanese dramas? ISWAK/TKA or Sweet relationship or Devil beside you or any other…? if you have, it would be nice to hear your reviews or ratings of these as well. =)
thank you for all that you post. keep up the excellent work.
February 9th, 2008 at 4:34 am
i love how u rate MNIKSS…
LOL
February 13th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
I second the recommendation for 보리건빵생! It’s really great because it tells so many different stories.
Should I watch 모래시계? Can you even be considered Korean if you haven’t watched it? Haha.
February 24th, 2008 at 5:28 am
Same here! Love how you rate MNIKSS… gives me goosebumps. Very well said “Poignant and funny, worth the hype”… like your comment for What’s Up Fox as well, which is indeed a good follow up of Kim Do Wo after her MNIKSS. Love Kim Do Wo. If you’ll be able to find some info about her, pls include it here.
~~Can’t wait for your review of MNIKSS…
March 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
i’m surprised you haven’t watched Capital Scandal… Kang Ji Hwan was wonderful in it as well! made me fall in love with him! and the drama itself was great.. the entire cast did a great job! highly underrated drama…
March 9th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Thanks for including Star in My Heart in your oldies ratings. It has been my favorite drama for years. Great music and great looking stars. I wish Ahn Jae Wook still looked like that.
March 9th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I loved QSS too, I was dissapointed not to see the tandem MJH and EH but I think it worked even better with the female lead being there. It was well worth the watch. Since I have watched MJH in Firebird I followed his acting career so far I have loved the rookie i think it was really hilarious. Didn’t like the parachute like i did the first 2, it was good he had it good with QSS.
Since your preview of coffee prince, I have been checking out all of those you reviewed well that I haven’t watched. I think am going to check out soulmate.
March 9th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
as an “old bird” heading toward my “golden years” who has recently discovered the treasure of KDRAMAS please review all the Korean dramas as my goal is to watch every single drama I can get my hands on… I am not Korean but am currently a die hard Kdrama addict….I do my best to get to your blog spot daily…Enjoy your work, keep it up…!!!
March 10th, 2008 at 4:06 am
Hi!! Found your blog while browsing CP related sites.. I guess this list could serve as a guide for my next Kdrama :).. I’m not a Korean, but I usually listen to the dialogues in Korean and read the Chinese subtitles (as I found Korean kinda similar to Chinese in the pronouciations sometimes, so I’m able to catch parts of the speech). It’s good to read your recaps in English, as it helps to capture what was missed out after the subtitling :).. All the best in your blogging.. Aja!!
March 11th, 2008 at 8:31 am
great site. I love to read you recaps of HGD. I really love the drama. I had tried to watched Flower of My Life which you rated 9/9, but can’t finished it. Not because of the plot but because the heroin looks too young for the hero. She looks like 17.
March 14th, 2008 at 5:08 am
i absolutely agree with ur rating, cp and mnikss was my fave ever and now im obsess with soulmate! it really is an underated drama!
March 19th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Hi. I love your blog and thanks for uploading CP unofficial soundtrack. I agree most of your ratings, well done.. In my opinion, CP is the best so far especially the soundtrack. i will use your ratings to watch k-dramas.. gonna watch soulmathe
keep up the good work.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
mnikss should’ve been 10/10 ……..can’t argue w/flower for my life (i agree!)
CP didn’t really impress me much..i skipped after 3episode (will try to watch it later)….thanks dramabeans!
March 27th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
The fact that you gave Soulmate and Flowers for My Life both 10s is mind boggling, but to each his or her own. Soulmmate was slow and painful to watch, I endured it out of pure irritation. While Flowers for my Life had me feeling like I just attended a funeral for a horrible storyline. I admit it appears the drama content lately have been lacking and uninspiring, but I wonder if it is because the writers assume we will accept whatever they produce as good entertainment or just boring fillers. I saw an oldie the other day “Country Princess” and I laughed remembering why I love the absurd and predictable at times, but I still have hopes of seeing a drama that will be new and fresh not just full of eye candy and one liners.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Now that HGD is finished, I’m waiting for your rating….
I’m thinking of an 8/9. If the pacing and mood could’ve been more consistence (like, the ending and the parts near the beginning but not EXACTLY at the beginning were great, but the jokey-tragic swing mood could’ve been transitioned much better and some parts were just plain repetitive) it would’ve deserved a 10…..
I’m glad some of my faves got high marks. MNIKSS was my first drama and still remains my fave, but I can see why you didn’t make it all the way 10….I might check out Soulmate and Flowers for My Life.
March 29th, 2008 at 11:53 am
I’m glad that you rated Hong Gil Dong 7/7. While I enjoyed watching this drama, I didn’t find it to be all *that* good, given the hype and massive interest shown by netizens. Sagueks in previous years like Damo and Jumong were much more memorable with stronger development of the central characters and better pacing, imo.
March 30th, 2008 at 10:04 am
You don’t know how satisfy I was when I saw you rate HGD 7/7. lol.
I loved HDG, yeah, past tense. But the ending is like an arrow shot my heart and threw me off the cliff. (LOL)
March 30th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I must have seen more than 50 Korean dramas since being introduced to it by friends in New Jersey last year.
I agree with you 100% with Flowers For my Life. I also enjoyed Delightful Girl. One of the best made Kdramas is Lovers in Paris and I enjoyed Tree of Heaven though I must have finished 2 boxes of tissues while watching. Thank You is also a good one and Heart of 19.
The series I am currently watching and enjoying so much is YI SAN and the very hilarious drama HAPPINESS which I am liking more than LIKABLE OR NOT.
March 31st, 2008 at 7:54 am
Hong Gil Dong deserves a 10 in my opinion! It was the best drama ever!!!
April 1st, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Hong gil Dong, the best movie i wacth in this year…
April 5th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Coffee Prince is amazing. I had the chance to watch the entire series a year after it originally aired, and was so very sad to see it finally end.
Recommendations:
Winter Sonata
First Love of a Royal Prince (Not the correct English translation)
April 9th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Hong Gil Dong was sooooo awesome! I totally loved it! I’d give it a 10/10!
April 13th, 2008 at 1:59 am
I’ve been newly discovering K-dramas, and I don’t think I could have done it so quickly without your reliable guiding - thanks! My own ratings would differ from yours largely as a matter of personal taste, I think. For instance Dal Ja’s Spring didn’t quite push my buttons, but I agree it was more original than most. I find myself returning to Goong because I adore its beauty and lyricism, notwithstanding its risible plot and acting. I am now watching Exhi of Fireworks for my KJH fix, and it’s such a mess I’m speechless (but still watching out of what I can only imagine is morbid fascination). No doubt you have been told before, but you really have to somehow or another fit into your busy viewing schedule my favourite, Mawang. It is stupendous!
April 16th, 2008 at 8:54 am
you should watch ‘wonderful life’, ’sweet 18′, ’surgeon bong hal-dee’ and ‘new heart’. those are in my opinion some of the better k-dramas def worth watching.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:39 am
I;ve watched like 89% of these drama and i totally agree with your rating..My fav drama are MNIKSS..Whats Up fox (in love with it)..Goong..The Vineyard man was great and so many more..Wonderful Life..Great Inheritance loads more
April 19th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
dear javabeans, have you seen “alone in love?” if so, how did you rate it? i finished it in january, but even now, I still miss the drama. i am rewatching the scenes i enjoyed. i am sad that i’m not currently following a drama that affects me the same way as “alone in love” does.
April 20th, 2008 at 4:39 am
Hello, I just wanted to thank you for your drama ratings! Because of them, I’ve watched shows that I would have skipped otherwise, like Flowers, Soulmate and EIA.
EIA was an AMAZING ride. & I loved the fact that you’ve provided recaps, so I had a chance to go through the whole drama again (which I did, almost immediately after finishing the last ep)! Can there be any actor more perfect than Min Ki for the role of Mu Yeol? He was soo hilariously cute
He was terrifically suave in Dalja’s Spring as well sigh. Anyway, I’m really enjoying your site, so keep it up!
April 20th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Thank you for all the great summaries and comments. They are very helpful to lure other people into watching the shows.
One kdrama that took me by surprise is “One mom three dads”. At first I was very sceptic, what with the “Three men and a baby” premise, but I was pleasently surprised at how they have handled it so far. It’s a very warm and heartfelt drama with lots of humor, and currently fighting over the “top spot” of fav drama with “Who are you”…
April 21st, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Your site is very informative. Nice, easy read and most enjoyable. You write well. Most of the dramas you’ve rated I’ve seen (except the old ones) and I agree except for one, which is Lovers. I thought it was one of the best I’ve seen for a Korean Drama (not that I prefer anything else, LOL), probably because the interaction of the two leads are most natural, their perfect chemistry shined throughout. I always thought that when they are together, interacting, they are literally alive (and thus, the drama). Like you, I loved Que Sera Sera! I was feeling it completely.
Goodluck to you! Please keep blogging! Hopefully one of these days you’ll write about the current drama Hapiness/Bliss. Please be particulary obervant about the character being played by Ha Suk Jin and Eun (sorry forgot her full name, she plays Ae Da). They are good and so is the drama.
April 25th, 2008 at 1:08 am
agreed with you on A LOT of dramas
delightful girl choon hyang was my fav! loved your analysis on all the dramas XD
April 28th, 2008 at 5:48 am
everytime i look for a good k-drama to watch, i go to this page, and it never disappoints. your picks are awesome! they’re not typical, (mostly) underrated, fresh and offers something different from the usual k-drama stuff. otherwise i wouldn’t have watched and loved soulmate, bad family, and que sera sera. please do watch more dramas for us to pick! i know this blog’s all about k-dramas, but it would be great if u can recommend some great k-movies too.. pretty please?
April 30th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
just wanna ask you..what nationaly are you?
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:44 pm
whaaaat? javabeans you haven’t yet watched stairway to heaven?! why is it not on your list?
May 4th, 2008 at 9:39 am
very pleased WHO ARE YOU got high rating..
May 4th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Javabeans - thanks so much for sharing your reviews of Korean dramas; this does help in deciding what to watch next among numerous dramas out there. Majority of your highly rated selection I’m in alignment with like My Name is Kim Sam, Delighful Girl Chum Yang, Coffee Prince and Full House. However, I tend to differ with your outlook of Only You and Lovers. My Mom who is 80 likes the Only You series so much she watched it 5 times to date. Both of us have fallen in love with JHJ, and thinks he’s a good actor. Lovers I enjoyed especially how the attraction developed between the lead actors. I think some of the episodes should have been edited out, some of the scenes were melodramatic, but overall I liked it.
As always, keep up the good work!
May 4th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
FYI, much ppl in indonesia fall in love in korean drama because of FULL HOUSE . the cast was good, pretty, fresh and funny..lots of ppl admit that. they like funny story than the sad one. and so with the Dae Jang Geum and Princess Hours (goong) drama. these drama make a remarkable korean wave here. so, i must give the three drama two thumbs up!
May 4th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
you should watch Capital Scandal with Kang JI Wan especially since you seemed to enjoy Hong Gil Dong.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
You have not rated 4 of my all time favorites
1) Resurrection
2) The devil (Mawang)
3) White Tower
4) Thank you
Good to see two old favorites on the list “sandglass” and “jealousy”. Coffee Prince was entertaining fluff. The only new thing was the gender bending angle. It doesn’t hurt that they have a gorgeous cast either.