Drama Ratings

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 ENJOY IT vs. HOW I RATE IT (of 10)
Air City (2007)
에어시티		 Hot guys. Cold plot.
(5 / 5)
Bad Couple (2007)
불량커플 		Great start out of the gate, then slows. Lost interest after episode 6.
(6 / 6)
Bad Family (2006)
불량가족 		Love it. Heart-warming and hilarious, but not cheesy. Diverse and funny supporting cast, and Kim Myung Min is a hoot. (9 / 9)
Boys Before Flowers (2009) aka Korean Hana Yori Dango
꽃보다 남자		 Such a hot mess, but such a blast to watch. How can I hate something that gave me so many hours of fun? To be honest, though, the fandom frenzy was sometimes more fun than the show itself. (8 / 5)
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 		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 		High comedy factor with strong chemistry between the leads. Jae Hee is wonderful, and the directing is sharp. (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 		Flawed but enjoyable. Its humor overdoes the slapstick, but the Hong sisters writing keep the plot moving. (7 / 7)
Flowers For My Life (2007) aka I Came In Search of Flowers
꽃찾으러 왔단다		 Criminally underrated. Lovely, witty with a touch of dark humor. (10 / 10)
Friends (2004)
프렌즈 / フレンズ		 Joint collaboration between Korea and Japan. Pleasant, with gorgeous leads Won Bin and Fukada Kyoko, but unexceptional. (6 / 6)
Full House (2004)
풀하우스 		Overrated (plot becomes repetitive in the last quarter), but enjoyable. (7 / 6)
Goong (2006)
aka Palace or Princess Hours, 궁 		Beautifully executed but slow. Overrated but entertaining. Mediocre acting at best. (6 / 7)
Goong S (2007)
aka Palace S or Prince Hours, 궁S 		Disappointing start and poor acting. Still, picked up toward end, inversely to its ratings. (5 / 5)
Gourmet (2008)
식객		 Solid execution perhaps obscures a banal story, but Kim Rae-won makes this work. Predictable but enjoyable, like comfort food.
(8 / 7)
Hello! Miss (2007)
aka Hello Baby
헬로! 애기씨 		Light and jokey, but not much emotional depth. Lee Da-hae can do (and has done) better.
(5 / 5)
Hong Gil Dong (2008)
쾌도 홍길동		 Action, comic gags, romance, political intrigue, betrayal — but lacks subtlety. The tone is uneven, but Kang Ji-hwan is wonderful. (7 / 7)
Hyang Dan Jeon (2007)
aka The Story of Hyang Dan, 향단전		 Fun blending of folktales and modern humor in a fusion romantic comedy. Only two episodes, it’s a silly, Shrek-like goof. (8 / 7)
The Last Scandal of My Life (2008),
내 생애 마지막 스캔들 		Hilarious, touching, well-acted. Never a dull moment. (9 / 8 )
Love & Marriage (2008)
연애결혼		 It’s like a meal of dessert. Sweet filler, but speedy, flirty fun. (7 / 7 )
Lovers (2006)
연인 		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 		Quirky, offbeat, extremely well-plotted. Strong acting, particularly by Yeh Ji-won. A comedy romp, treasure hunt, and mystery rolled into one. (9 / 9 )
My Fair Lady (2009)
aka Please Take Care of the Lady aka Lady Castle
아가씨를 부탁해		 Terribly written plot, even if the chemistry of the couple carries the drama. Skip.
(6 / 5)
My Girl (2005-06)
마이걸 		Fantastic fun, speedy pace. Super chemistry between the endearing lead couple.
(9 / 8 )
My Love Patzzi (2002)
내 사랑 팥쥐 		Short, cute drama with two too-perfect guys and a spunky heroine as an anti-Cinderella. Not very deep, but easy to watch.
(7 / 7)
My Name Is Kim Sam Soon (2005)
내 이름은 김삼순 		Poignant and funny, worth the hype.
(9 / 9)
My Sweet Seoul (2008)
달콤한 나의 도시		 Halfway between indie and trendy. Plotting is loose, but refreshing atmospheric feel and good directing. Unfortunately, I hate the main character. (6 / 8 )
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 		Took a few episodes to fall in love, but boy did I. Intense and unapologetic. Not for the casual watcher. (8 / 9)
The Return of Iljimae (2009)
돌아온 일지매		 Gorgeous. Poignant. Soundtrack and cinematography are exceptional.
(10 / 10)
The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House (2009)
aka My Too Perfect Sons, 솔약국집아들들		 Hilarious, heartwarming family comedy.
(8 / 7)
Soulmate (2006)
소울메이트 		Hilarious, witty, trendy. Fabulous soundtrack and surprisingly tight plotting. Perhaps isn’t perfect despite the 10, but extra point for skillful use of chronology and narrative. (10 / 9)
A Star’s Lover (2008-09)
스타의 연인 		Pro: Choi Ji-woo and Yoo Ji-tae’s acting and great chemistry. Con: Everything else (slow, repetitive, predictable).
(6 / 7)
Story of a Man (2009)
aka The Slingshot
남자이야기 		Intense, thrilling, smartly woven together with great balance of light and dark. Hits on all three points of acting, directing, writing. Not only well-written, it’s actually FUN. (10 / 10)
Strongest Chil Woo (2008)
최강칠우 		This is not a good drama, but thankfully its outrageousness — both intentional and not — keep it entertaining. Alas its hilarity doesn’t come as frequently as one would like. (6 / 6)
Triple (2009)
트리플 		Breezy and refreshing, but also slow. Tone feels like Coffee Prince, but lacks focus and direction. (6 / 6)
The Vineyard Man (2006)
포도밭 그사나이		 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 / 6)
What’s Up, Fox (2006)
여우야 뭐하니 		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?		 This drama’s all heart. Surprisingly better than its silly start, gets better as you go along. Yoon Kye Sang is a standout. Cute and poignant. (9 / 8 )
Witch Amusement (2007)
aka Witch Yoo Hee,
마녀유희 		Endlessly mockable, but in the fun way. Pure eye candy, no nutrition. (6 / 4)
You’re Beautiful (2009)
미남이시네요		 Hilarious and fast-moving.
(? / ?)

 

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		 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		 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		 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?
No tags for this post.

261 Comments

  1. 1 all4movies - Oct 29, 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.

    [I haven't, but I like Gong Hyo-jin, so maybe will have to eventually. -j ]

  2. 2 vanessa - Jan 28, 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.

    [ Thanks! Glad it's helpful. -j ]

  3. 3 Anonymous - Feb 1, 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.

    [ To be honest, I haven't tried much in the way of Taiwanese or Chinese dramas, although I tried watching Meteor Garden. I have nothing against them, I just feel more pull when I can understand the language, as with Korean or Japanese dramas. If I hear of an outstanding one, though, I may have to give it a try. -j ]

  4. 4 nadseventh - Feb 9, 2008 at 4:34 am

    i love how u rate MNIKSS…
    LOL

    [I take it you agree? ;) -j ]

  5. 5 Sue - Feb 13, 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.

    [ Sandglass is one of those seminal kdramas. I think everyone has at least *heard* of it and knows the general idea. I wouldn't push someone to watch what they don't want to, but it's a good one to know. -j ]

  6. 6 Alodia - Feb 24, 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…

  7. 7 hmm - Mar 4, 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…

    [I know, I know, I'm a bad KJH fan! I tried, but found it too slapstick. Maybe will go back one of these days... -j ]

  8. 8 bumper - Mar 9, 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.

  9. 9 dae - Mar 9, 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.

  10. 10 melmac - Mar 9, 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…!!!

    [I'm trying my best! I wish I had more hours in a day, that's for sure. -j ]

  11. 11 crrabb - Mar 10, 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!!

    [Thanks! -j ]

  12. 12 malen - Mar 11, 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.

    [Lol, funny because she's about a decade older than that! -j ]

  13. 13 lea85 - Mar 14, 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!

  14. 14 Helda - Mar 19, 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.

  15. 15 mzpakipot - Mar 19, 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!

  16. 16 RoShBob - Mar 27, 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.

    [Yep, to each his/her own. I stand by my assessments, but obviously that's my opinion. -j ]

  17. 17 Miki - Mar 28, 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.

  18. 18 Felicity - Mar 29, 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.

  19. 19 Pully - Mar 30, 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)

  20. 20 Imee - Mar 30, 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.

  21. 21 sungjin - Mar 31, 2008 at 7:54 am

    Hong Gil Dong deserves a 10 in my opinion! It was the best drama ever!!!

  22. 22 devi noviani - Apr 1, 2008 at 11:50 pm

    Hong gil Dong, the best movie i wacth in this year…

  23. 23 Morgan_Marie - Apr 5, 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)

  24. 24 Jhansu - Apr 9, 2008 at 5:03 pm

    Hong Gil Dong was sooooo awesome! I totally loved it! I’d give it a 10/10!

  25. 25 serendipity - Apr 13, 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!

    [Haha, Fireworks is almost trainwreck bad, isn't it? It's almost a separate enjoyment to watch out of curiosity. -j ]

  26. 26 corn - Apr 16, 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.

    [They're on the (ever-growing, sigh) list. -j ]

  27. 27 L!nda - Apr 18, 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

  28. 28 gail - Apr 19, 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. :(

    [Ah, must go back and finish! I agree it's an excellent show, but I started watching when I was super-busy... -j ]

  29. 29 km - Apr 20, 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 :D He was terrifically suave in Dalja’s Spring as well sigh. Anyway, I’m really enjoying your site, so keep it up!

  30. 30 Bee - Apr 20, 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”…

  31. 31 Row - Apr 21, 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.

    [I do think Lovers is a decent show, but I had a very strong negative reaction which was totally personal. -j ]

  32. 32 debbie - Apr 25, 2008 at 1:08 am

    agreed with you on A LOT of dramas :D delightful girl choon hyang was my fav! loved your analysis on all the dramas XD

  33. 33 celia - Apr 28, 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?

    [I'm glad to be of help! As for movies, I'm not nearly as familiar with them as I am with dramas, but who knows, maybe one of these days i'll write about 'em... -j ]

  34. 34 phuongthanh - Apr 30, 2008 at 5:07 pm

    just wanna ask you..what nationaly are you?

    [I'm Korean by ethnicity, American by nationality. -j ]

  35. 35 *dramas2 - May 3, 2008 at 1:44 pm

    whaaaat? javabeans you haven’t yet watched stairway to heaven?! why is it not on your list?

    [I know STH has its diehards, but sorry, all the weepiness gives me hives. -j ]

  36. 36 polarmi - May 4, 2008 at 9:39 am

    very pleased WHO ARE YOU got high rating..

  37. 37 Katrina - May 4, 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!

    [Makes sense -- I think if you love the lead actors, the series are much easier to like. If you don't (like me), things were less interesting. -j ]

  38. 38 vieny - May 4, 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!

  39. 39 innocentsteps456 - May 4, 2008 at 7:21 pm

    you should watch Capital Scandal with Kang JI Wan especially since you seemed to enjoy Hong Gil Dong.

  40. 40 kim - May 4, 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.

    [The first three are on my must-watch list. They're darker though, which means I've gotta be in a particular mood to watch them. I've tried to start Thank You about four or five times but it never gripped me. -j ]

  41. 41 sticyo - May 8, 2008 at 2:42 am

    Hong Gil Dong…I rated it 9/9
    It’s really completely… full of comedy,action and romance…
    I like the chemistry between Hong Gil Dong and Yi Nok … So romantic…

  42. 42 smiley6yrl - May 8, 2008 at 8:38 am

    hey javabeans, i was wondering the same thing. Since you are so into Kang Ji Hwa, why arent you watching Capital Scandal yet? I think that it was a great drama done by him along with his cast members. You should really check it out.

  43. 43 YEHfanGirl - May 10, 2008 at 10:49 am

    OMG thank god i read your Blog because i was about to watch bad couple but i said no then i said ill give it a try but i read this and now i wont. i didn’t like the synopsis of it in the first place.

  44. 44 epyc - May 10, 2008 at 10:25 pm

    just a note to the KJH fans out there. I think his talent in Capital Scandal is wasted in that the drama itself is very one-dimensional – beautiful set with eye-catching costume and so on but the emotional side is very lacking due to a very thin and unconvincing plot. I actually can’t believe it came from the author of Coffee Prince which I adore to bits. The female lead character played by HJM, to me, is the weakest of all to the point of unbelievably naive. The only more appealing aspect of CS with gravaitas is actually the second couple. Having said that, KJH did a great job nonetheless.

    For a good KJH fix, watch Be Strong Geum Soon which brought KJH to stardom. Dont’ get scared by the length of over 160 episodes, you’ll feel rewarded after watching it. I went through the journey of fast-forwarding all the what I consider unneccessary bits but then returned to watch in full after falling in love with almost all the side characters whose personal strengths and weaknesses make this is a very ‘complete’ and fulfilling drama.

  45. 45 Dele - May 11, 2008 at 8:24 pm

    Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!! Soulmate got 10/10…duh its the best drama I have ever seen to date. Your rating were pretty fair:)

  46. 46 mys - May 12, 2008 at 12:51 pm

    the vineyard man is one of my favorite dramas. the first time i watched it..i didnt like it much..the second time i felt like i saw it through different eyes. love the way the country life was depicted even though its ur typical cheesy 4 way romance drama. The countryside..Eun Hye’s hilarious antics..her acting wasnt the best but she always made me laugh and of course Oh Man Seuk’s great performance made it worthwhile.
    Many people consider Coffee Prince to be hyped up only due to the gender bending turn but the drama is a lot deeper than that and not ur typical romantic comedy…the script was very cleverly written..the supporting cast were given importance…close attention was given to set details, the producing and acting were great and so was the chemistry between all the characters.

  47. 47 momo - May 13, 2008 at 2:56 pm

    Totally agree with your ratings especially of soulmate. I really wish there’d be a season two. Although its quite obvious they’d meet again. I think I’ll check out flowers for my life. I heard it got real low ratings so i kept on putting it off. Anyways keep up the good work. will be visiting your site frequently from now on :)

    [I wished for a Season 2, too, but it's okay. I was satisfied with the way it ended, and I totally have my version of how that story continues in my mind. -j ]

  48. 48 leanie - May 13, 2008 at 5:37 pm

    xD you’re missing…

    1) stairway to heaven
    2) all about eve
    3) my girl

    have you really not watched those or do you just not feel that they’re good enough to be on this page? lol just curious.. ’cause those three are all AMAZING dramas!

    [STH I didn't react well to. All about Eve, ooh, I did watch it, but I barely remember it now. My Girl's on the list. ;) -j ]

  49. 49 nygrl - May 16, 2008 at 2:15 pm

    Agree Stairways to Heaven was terrible. That and Autumn Tale were the two dramas that I despise the most. It was so trying and annoying. I don’t even think I finished watching either of them.

    Though I enjoyed watching Coffee Prince it didn’t leave much of an impression on me after I finished it. I would hardly call it deep and its not a drama I would watch twice. I do applaud it by pushing the kdrama envelope to another level by exploring a topic of loving someone despite their gender and having a less conventional kdrama heroine.

    [I was impressed by that aspect as well, being fairly progressive considering the usual kdrama conventions. -j ]

  50. 50 DharAl - May 17, 2008 at 11:24 pm

    I’m not sure that “Who Are You” should receive 9/8 since the story itself somehow a bit boring, and I don’t think there is a chemistry between the two lovers. Because the character building is very weak. my opinion, the girl did a very terrible acting compared to the guy.
    Soulmate, Hong gil dong, Flowers of my life are some of the best i’ve ever watch.

    [How you react to the characters is probably the biggest factor in whether a person likes a drama, so I can see your point. Personally, I loved Yoon Kye Sang, which is why I was so drawn in. -j ]

  51. 51 Peggy - May 18, 2008 at 12:06 pm

    Just finished Who Are You. Loved it. Took a long time as I needed Eng.subs and finally resorted to streaming site. Lead man such a good actor and become so attractive as he became warmed up by his ghostly intruder.

    Really loved Flowers for my Life. Just good feelings all the way through.

    One of my first dramas was AJW in ‘STAR’ He was so wonderful despite the terrible hairdo …. Glad that changed. He still sings as well if not better. My first Korean heartthrob and I still like him. So attractive and mischievious.

    Love your writings and agree with most of your opinions.

    Ja ne.

    [Lol, that hairdo! Totally agree. Seriously, I don't know what some of those idols were thinking back then... which is probably what our kids'll say about our favorite idol stars now. -j ]

  52. 52 Lily - May 19, 2008 at 11:09 am

    I agree, Who Are You was great. Something about this drama was fresh and fun for me, especially Yoon Kye Sang’s acting. I think this drama is quite underrated but I’m glad to hear that many people enjoyed it. It may have not had any A-List actors, but this drama proved to be enjoyable in my book.

  53. 53 nixxochick - May 19, 2008 at 10:53 pm

    i just came to looking at this section of your blog and i am REALLY happy that you gave Soulmate, Que Sera Sera, and Flowers for my Life the ratings you did…

    those three are my favorite dramas of all time….nothing that ive watched has even come close to how great their acting, directing, and music is!

    and i totally agree with your rating for Who Are You…this is one of those dramas i didnt expect much from but got a whole bunch in the end :)

    [Thanks! Always great to run into people who have similar tastes. :) -j ]

  54. 54 nixxochick - May 20, 2008 at 9:31 am

    i got to work and my co-worker was watching the Hana Yori Dango Finale trailer….

    so i couldnt help but wonder what you would rate that drama?

    i know its not a korean drama but im just curious cause to me its a 10/10

    [I enjoyed Hanadan, although I didn't watch it with as critical an eye as I do most my kdramas. It gets high points for execution (direction, lighting, overal aesthetic) and the acting. I think the second season got a little repetitive and the storylines are little over the top, but it's great fun. A 9/8, perhaps? -j ]

  55. 55 Anonymous - May 20, 2008 at 10:35 pm

    I agree with you on “Only You”. I didn’t even bother finish watching it…what a waste of my time (and money…since I bought the dvds!!). And absolutely loved “My Girl”….! My fav so far.

  56. 56 Liz - May 23, 2008 at 10:25 pm

    Hi there! My goodness, we must be around the same age because I think Jealousy with Choi Jinsil and Feeling with Son Ji Chang and Kim Min Jong is probably one of the first Korean dramas I have ever watched. I’ve been addicted ever since. The hype with Korean entertainment in other areas aside from Korea seems like a more recent phenomenon and am glad that because of subbing such as yours Koreans can share such great stuff. I am Korean American…probably more American yet there’s something in Korean dramas that really gets me/ touches me more than Friends, Sex and the City or something of the sort. I consider myself a Korean drama connoisseur and am glad websites such as yours have started popping up. Keep up the good work!

    [Ha, I'd bet we probably are around the same age. I agree that while I love American television, it doesn't ever get me on as emotional a level as kdramas routinely do. Can't explain it since I'd consider myself more American than Korean, too. One of those han/jeong things, maybe? -j ]

  57. 57 amb - May 23, 2008 at 11:16 pm

    javabeans…ty for ur ratings..they are quite useful in my opinion…but i think that u shud av given MNIKSS 10/10 n CP oso..hello!miss shud get oni a 4/4

  58. 58 snow_drop* - May 24, 2008 at 7:54 pm

    I have “started” to watch the majority but actually, completely, finish up to date I can only count a few. One of your highly rated one, Coffee Prince, I thought wasn’t that great. it was good until episode 12 where I thought it was dragging. No offense since different people have different opinions, likes and dislikes. I agree with the majority but I only like about 3 comedies and 4 sad dramas – that I completely finished watching – including: full house, my name is kss, my girl, and Glass Slipper (quite draggy but it was the first I watched), Winter Sonanta, Stairway to Heaven, and Save the last dance for me.

    ^^ Since the majority of the dramas are recycled, I’m not too fond anymore. Maybe I will try QSS and Soulmate. I want to look into the ones you highly recommended…

  59. 59 Amanda - May 28, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    java, I LOVE your site! i stumbled on it whilst searching out a Coffee prince synopsis (*which you did BRILLIANTLY*), and whenever I need a drama recommnedation, I always come here, b/c you have good taste. AND AN AWESOME EAR for good music. srsly. The Soulmate and Coffee prince OSTs are my favs. :)

    continue being awesome…I’ll continue reading.

    [Thanks! Music is a great love of mine, so I admit to a fondness for series that make great use of it. -j ]

  60. 60 avery - May 30, 2008 at 11:15 am

    gosh, why dont you like only you, the guy so good looking, i was so into this k drama , princess hours, my girl and only you, are the k drama im going gaga, gosh…..my all time fav these three, and with only you, its my be and end all, hook line and sinker… i wonder whats your basis, i guess, im more a rich guy meet poor girl type of plot thing…and im a sucker for handsome guy, thats why i dont watch full house coz i dont find rain so dashing, really…and right now , im into taiwanovela, so i guess all the more reason for me to misunderstand the reviews… just expressing my opinion coz( only you )made my day when it was shown before, i like the guy with way he fought for his love, the way he grab han chae young, gosh,im so dead……lol

    [I think the guy (Jo Hyun Jae) was much better than the girl (Han Chae Young), but she was so wooden that it really killed the story for me. -j ]

  61. 61 avery - May 30, 2008 at 11:28 am

    right now, im so hook with taiwanovela series, fated to love you, omg its top the ratings in taiwan, 6 something, equivalent to 10million viewers, as i mention, im for rich boy meets poor girl…….theres they kiss again a sequel to iswak I, romantic princess, devil beside you, why why love ….. really, all the lead guys so dashing…….but anyway, every person has different opinion…. this means, if i watched ONLY YOU, more than five times,not everyone’s perception coupled with mine, guess it answers me….

  62. 62 ANNIE BANANIE - Jun 3, 2008 at 11:17 am

    WHAT BOUT THREE DADS & ONE MOM. I LIKE BUT AT THE END THEY WRAP TO QUICK, DO YOU THINK THEY WILL COME OUT WITH 2ND DRAMA?

    [There aren't any plans for another season. Esp. since the two lead males are off in the army now. :( -j ]

  63. 63 ANNIE BANANIE - Jun 4, 2008 at 6:41 am

    good morning Javabean
    I watch the Delightful girl last night it was very good. thank you.

  64. 64 Andrea - Jun 10, 2008 at 5:09 pm

    I’d love to read your reaction of Princess Lulu. It’s not a popular one but watch it! and then write about it! ok?

    [Really? Hm, all I know is that Princess Lulu was considered such a failure that the lead actress tried to get out of her contract because it made no sense to her... -j ]

  65. 65 mel - Jun 11, 2008 at 3:20 pm

    thax for the ratings… We have similar tastes, though certain shows I don’t agree with your ratings. hm.. maybe I shouldn’t give up on “que sera sera” or “who are you”. I’ll try some of your suggestions :) Flowers For My Life? Never heard of it..

  66. 66 Wo - Jun 11, 2008 at 7:40 pm

    You should watch Rondo (輪舞曲)! It’s a 2006 Korea-Japan collaboration drama with Choi Ji Woo and Takenouchi Yutaka in it. The show is a romance/thriller, and there is a considerable amount of gunshot and action in addition to the romance. The show NEVER drags, which in Asian drama is of virtue in and of itself. Oh, and it is nothing like Air City – I watched some of that too and found it just too gruesome/boring. Plus it is only 11 episodes long, like the typical Japanee drama!

    [I've heard good things about Rondo... maybe will have to add to the list. -j ]

  67. 67 it's all good - Jun 12, 2008 at 9:33 pm

    Wo, I should watch Rondo. Only 11 episodes? That’s about the perfect amount.

  68. 68 Mapenzi01 - Jun 13, 2008 at 3:52 pm

    i reaally like the way you rate!!! you are so fair!

    [Thanks! I try. -j ]

  69. 69 Philip W. - Jun 19, 2008 at 8:42 am

    I see your only 10/10 so far is Soulmate. Soulmate is one of my favorites as well, and I can’t believe it was such a commercial failure. One thing I realized about watching an entire drama series in 3 or so days is that by the 5th episode, you get tired of the same song popping up every time something happens.

    Not for Soulmate. I agree that Soulmate had an amazing soundtrack. Every track seemed to fit perfectly with the situation it was used for.

  70. 70 venturamama - Jun 23, 2008 at 1:13 am

    Have you ever watched Whatever Happened in Bali..? Amazing, eye opening, couldn’t “put down” kdrama…have you seen it?? Please rate…I continue to salute you on your entertaining and informative blog site…great work!!!

  71. 71 Sono - Jun 24, 2008 at 2:16 pm

    Hotelier ….One of the best !!! It’s missed

  72. 72 my Kdrama addiction is back :) « random ramblings - Jun 29, 2008 at 11:45 pm

    [...] watched 2 of them now…Since I’ve been out of the loop for a while, I have to depend on reviews now to decide what to watch. In the past there was a time when I actually was watching a drama that [...]

  73. 73 sscrumb - Jul 7, 2008 at 7:12 pm

    Hi Javabeans, Great Site! Love your writing style. I’ve started to check out some of your kdrama recommendations since we seem to agree on the ones we’ve both watched. Have you seen Angry Mom/Mom’s Dead Upset? It’s a big time commitment but worth it.

    [Aie, I have an aversion to long series, not because they're bad but because of the time commitment. I figure I can watch five to eight dramas in the time it would take to watch a long one... -j ]

  74. 74 einnoc - Jul 8, 2008 at 5:48 pm

    hey there :)
    thank you very much for your reviews.
    i was looking for good dramas to watch this summer .

    [Thanks and you're welcome. Happy watching! -j ]

  75. 75 sarah - Jul 13, 2008 at 6:13 pm

    hi i’m actually a korean drama addicted,i’ve been looking for a way to watch the drama “Springtime” starring Jang Dong Gun,will someone pls plssssssssss tell me where i can watch it,i’m gonna be crazy about it i’ve got a lot of memories with it since i watched it when i was 10years old now i’m 19 y.old.
    it was my first Kdrama,can u help? thank you.

    [Hmm, tough one. It's pretty old so the only place you're likely to find it is clubbox. If you're willing to learn the clubbox thing, there are detailed instructions on d-addicts. It's a bit complicated, but once you're up and running, it's convenient. -j ]

  76. 76 Aisha - Jul 14, 2008 at 4:56 am

    I ve seen few korean dramas, just love them..though they had happy endings but none of them were satisfying.

    I ve seen who r u?, she is 19, crazy for u…I know I know they all have YKS ^_^. well now looking forward to you list. :)

  77. 77 kimmy - Jul 14, 2008 at 5:54 am

    i like kim jung eun’s dramas especially Lovers with lee seo jin

  78. 78 Ellen - Jul 17, 2008 at 2:28 am

    javabeans ,have u watched snow queen?

    [Nope. It never seemed all that interesting to me, although I agree it's beautifully shot. -j ]

  79. 79 Arlyn - Jul 17, 2008 at 6:20 pm

    I love k-dramas & watched a lot already & thought I’ve seen all the good ones.. when I checked out your ratings I realized I’ve missed out on some. I saw delightful girl in your list, watched it & had a blast. Jae Hee was really terrific & Chae Young matched him well. I really believe that for k-drama to work out, the leads must have great chemistry, all the hype won’t help if they just don’t click on screen….Thanks for your recommendations & really love your site :) Will watch Soulmate next ;)

    [You're welcome, and thanks. Hope you like Soulmate. -j ]

  80. 80 ivanovie - Jul 22, 2008 at 7:54 am

    Wow..i agree with your ratings..that’s why i keep coming to your blog to find out which drama i should watch..coz we’re almost at the same taste.. but i’m surprised you haven’t watched or finished Memories of Bali which i think is a good drama too, being on my top ten along with QSS, MNIKSS..and others..
    Thank’s for all the wonderful reviews..^^

  81. 81 Chachan - Aug 5, 2008 at 2:43 pm

    So there’s someone actually who loves Soulmate! Thanks God.. I thought i was the only one..

  82. 82 fraulein - Aug 14, 2008 at 2:28 am

    Like u Javabeans, I love QSS to bits. It was the first drama I’ve watched that made me think so much, on so many levels. Many ppl I know who also watch korean dramas dun agree but I was glad to see so many ppl on the QSS message boards who love

    MLSS was the first drama that got me hooked on korean dramas and it’ll remain my all time favourite. I dont see anything surpassing it,not even Full House which I also love. I was quite partial towards

    Thanks to your blog I have started watching Delightful Girl Chun Hyang – which is very enjoyable by the way. My next ” projections ” will be Dalja’s Spring and The Last Scandal of my Life respectively.

    I am curious – have you seen Women of the Sun ? Will you be writing something on it ?

    Thanks for doing a great job of maintaining this site = )

    [I hear Women in the Sun is supposed to be good, but I don't like those kinds of melodramas... -j ]

  83. 83 fraulein - Aug 14, 2008 at 2:29 am

    Oops forgot to add,

    QSS is more profound than it looks. Dont you agree?

    And I am one of those (only a few compared with the number of fans it has spawned, as I’ve gathered) who does not like Coffee Prince. It did nothing for me..

    [Oh no, you're not alone. There's a very vocal minority who hate Coffee Prince. It's all a matter of taste. -j ]

  84. 84 Deuk-gu - Aug 20, 2008 at 11:19 pm

    And where are Dae Jang Geum, Snow Queen, Damo, Alone In Love? These are dramas to watch, not such mediocre stuff as Soulmate…

    [Meh, meh, perhaps someday, and on the list. -j ]

  85. 85 Ma - Aug 24, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    What do u think of “Hello My Teacher”/ “Biscuit teacher & sugar candy”…this is one of the most unforgettable korean drama that I’ve seen. There’s not many review of it, “underrated” but excellent acting by all especially the leads Gong (the hero in Coffee Prince) & heroine!! It began with a crush by a notorious bad boy on his teacher which sustained till adulthood…also dealt with the teaching profession & its challenges…I find it great…How do you rate this 2005 drama?

    [I haven't seen it. I'll give it a shot when I've got some time... -j ]

  86. 86 Anonymous - Aug 25, 2008 at 2:47 am

    hehe

  87. 87 elle - Aug 27, 2008 at 8:42 pm

    hey javabeans! im just curious, what dramas are you watching right now??? share with me so i know which ones are good and which ones to watch! please notice me, haha, if u can[:

    omg i just wanna say THANK YOU for giving me such GREAT drama recommendations. I LOVE flowers for my life, wow, just a moving drama. After i saw that drama, no other drama can compare to that number of moving moments. MIA was just enjoyable as heck! i fell in love with all the characters and i will never forget them. You have GREAT taste in dramas and people like you are rare! so please give me some great suggestions! thanks[:

    [Thanks! And you're welcome! Glad you found some good dramas to watch. -j ]

  88. 88 Anonymous - Aug 30, 2008 at 6:09 pm

    i loved likable or not

  89. 89 Anonymous - Aug 30, 2008 at 6:12 pm

    why is the website for likable or not unavailabe. i truly love this drama i am african american. i love chinese people. i wish i could me all the characters. i now wish i could visit china.

    [I didn't keep up with Likable or Not. Too long to keep me hooked. -j ]

  90. 90 toshirofan - Aug 30, 2008 at 8:18 pm

    Have to say that I really agree with most of your reviews. However, I’ve watched the first two episodes of “Flowers for My Life,” and I don’t find it very fabulous. Does it get better at episode 3?

    [If you dislike it after two episodes, you probably won't change your mind that drastically later. It must be a matter of preference. -j ]

  91. 91 NDog - Sep 6, 2008 at 1:16 am

    모래시계 is a very serious drama. It is heart warming and is done on an epic scale, that is why I enjoyed it so much, it makes you feel as if the entire nation is involved in this drama, and as if it is really happening in time. Also the old-school feel of the film effect (1995) makes it feel even more genuine.

    Must watch to be Korean?

    Ask any Korean if they know it, and they will say yes.

    Thanks

    [Absolutely. I remember when it aired. Everyone I knew was watching it. -j ]

  92. 92 Serena - Sep 6, 2008 at 4:00 pm

    ok, so a few months ago, I checked this entry and decided that my next drama would be Soulmate (you gave it the highest rating and I trust you. Plus our tastes seem to be similar. Like Bad couple. I started watching cos a friend had recced it to me, but I couldn’t even get to ep 6. I stopped at 5. The start was great, but then…meh). Anyway, I got the first ep. Then RL happened and forgot all about the ep, which sat quietly on my HD.

    In the meantime, another friend of mine, whom I trust, sent me Spring Waltz, the whole thing. Anyway, tonight Iwas in the mood for starting a new drama, and guess which one I started? Soulmate, of course. Even though I only have one ep.

    Boy, am I *glad* you recced this thing. I LOVED it. I *giggled* during the whole ep, starting from the very beginning, LOLling throughout the text scene (Oh God, don’t we ALL do that? Analyze every single word of the text to try to decypher what the other one is thinking or feeling) right until the end. And I. Do. Not. Giggle. That has never happened to me while watching a series or movie. Laugh? yes. Tear up? sometimes. Giggle? Never, ever ever happened.

    Ok, this long winded and contorted comment is to thank you! This drama is a thing of beauty. I don’t think I’m going to be disappointed, if the premiere is any indication of the quality of the script, acting, etc. I’m SO going to rec it to my friends. And hey, I’ve just started it, which reminds me that I somehow have to find the next installment. LOL Thank you so much!

    [So glad you liked Soulmate! Some dislike it, but I consider us fans in a special club. lol. -j ]

  93. 93 Bored.. - Sep 7, 2008 at 4:40 am

    Nice! We have the same opinions =) …My least favourite drama is Stairway To Heaven, KSW does not deserve the fame he gets. Well..my fav is My Girl, Coffee Prince, MNIKSS and Hotelier.

    [Ooh, we do have similar tastes... -j ]

  94. 94 thosaid - Sep 9, 2008 at 1:06 am

    good job!! You gave Soulmate the ratings i would’ve definitely given it!
    it is so underated that it’s upsetting

    [Yeah, it's underrated but I'm glad to hear of more people joining in the love. -j ]

  95. 95 shasha - Sep 17, 2008 at 10:51 pm

    ~Hi, javabeans..I totally agree with how you rate Goong a.k.a Princess Hours…I didn’t get how everyone is hooked onto the drama for so long..even manage to watch it many times… I hardly set my self awake while tuning in to the drama..probably slow-paced drama is not my area…
    Like your review on Soulmate also …
    Thanks javabean…

    [You're welcome, and thanks! -j ]

  96. 96 Alvina - Sep 18, 2008 at 9:12 pm

    You’re right… I just watched Who are you? today and Yoon Kye-sang is an AMAZING actor.

  97. 97 iznaberry - Sep 30, 2008 at 4:00 pm

    soo love the site. first time i’ve seen the summaries of the coffee prince novel. thanks! good to hear other’s opinion on korean dramas. and what to watch for. thanks for that! keep up the goodwork. i also love the blog’s design. keep up the goodwork java beans. you’re like the coffe while i’m working overnight! super thanks! i’m super inspired to write my own blog for my obsession. thanks!

    [I owe lots of credit to my banner designer, Luv. And yes, by all means start your own blog! It's great fun. -j ]

  98. 98 deannadsc - Oct 1, 2008 at 9:34 pm

    my life has never been the same since coffee prince (i’m a devoted gong yoo fanatic)!! since then, i’ve become such a KDAddict, having watched # least 40 Kmovies & 40 Kdramas, by this time.
    i sooo rely on your blogs & reviews, mainly because you give the BEST!! especially love your detailed episode reviews..they influence me a lot as to what series to buy or watch online.
    hope you keep it up!! thanks!!

    [Thank you! Glad you enjoy the recaps & reviews. -j ]

  99. 99 c_gunawan541 - Oct 1, 2008 at 9:58 pm

    I think we do have similar taste in terms of ratings and liking dramas.
    Que Sera Sera actually reminds me of “What Happened In Bali”
    which made me love Jo in Sung, Ha Ji Won and So Ji Sub more than ever.
    I liked that drama better than MISA which is good as well but i think Jisub’s character is kinda dull in Bali but i’m always anticipating for his interactions with Jiwon.

    I’m wondering how will you rate MISA and what happened in bali…
    btw, i’m still loving Choi Jin Shil’s Star in my heart. All time favorite, i watched it when i was small and i still love to rewatch it again……. love Ahn Jae Wook in that drama, he’s hot in there. A pity that CJS left…

    [You're not alone! I remember a lot of fans comparing QSS to Bali when it was airing, and fearing that it would end the same way. -j ]

  100. 100 shp - Oct 6, 2008 at 10:29 am

    Hi Sarah,

    I was introduced to your blog in the spring, and am now a daily reader and fan. (I’m so nervous writing to you now in anticipation of a response! That’s a sly way to “force” you to reply. LOL!)

    First of all, many thanks for the copious amount of time you spend on your blog. (It sounds as if you are a grad student. You made a reference once that you were behind on your reading.) Your love of kdramas shows through in your smart, sometimes irreverent, writing. What I really appreciate is the way you are able to put your finger on the “feeling” of a drama. You are able to articulate what I enjoy about a drama but am unable to put in words myself.

    Having been born in Korea but growing up in Canada since the age of four, my Korean is not strong enough to watch a drama without subs. Even though I am Canadian by nationality, like you, Korean dramas pull at my heart in a way many Western dramas/movies don’t. Many Korean songs in the dramas make me so emotional without me even understanding the lyrics. Thank you for your wonderful and varied song of the day selections.

    Your glossary is very informative and your insights on fansubbing are fascinating. I can appreciate the difficult art of translating. I notice your grammar is impeccable, but that you have a great handle on slang, as well. (One very minor point that the teachings of my grade 10 English teacher compel me to point out to you:a person is “hanged” to death not “hung”. I believe that was from a recap of an episode of Strongest Wil-Choo)

    I’ve only watched about a dozen kdramas, having arrived late to the Hallyu scene, but your views on the ones I have seen resonate with me. Because of your recommendation, I watched Flowers for My Life and enjoyed it immensely. It sits at the #1 or #2 spot on my favourites list. The other being Que Sera Sera which I just finished watching over a period of 2 days. (My kids ate a lot of cereal and sandwiches over that time because I didn’t want to “waste” any time cooking. Thank goodness I have a really Korean mother like Dal-ja (Dal-ja’s Spring) and Eun-Joo (My Sweet Seoul) whose mothers pack food for them to take home!)

    The emotional intensity of Que Sera Sera was exhilarting. I just love the way Eric Moon’s character was put out-of-kilter by the blatantly innocent Eun-Soo. (Sometimes I wonder if it is healthy for me to get so wrapped up in the lives of fictional characters…I have a great relationship with my husband and kids but I find I am thinking about drama characters’ lives a lot! Or is this part of the fun/attraction of kdramas?)

    Your episode recaps add so much to my drama enjoyment. Your insight and opinions give so much more depth to the whole experience. After I watch a really good episode or two, I read your recaps and then watch the episodes again!

    I watched the first episode of Soulmate a few months ago, but was not really pulled in, but since I enjoyed your other recommendations are so much I will have to give it another try.

    This is a long-winded THANK YOU for all you do. Sorry that it’s so long.

    [Thanks so much for your words! Recapping is a lot of fun, but it's even better when I hear that they've been helpful and enjoyable to fans of the show. And I love that I'm able to introduce people to series they may have not known about. Sometimes my recs don't click with people (I don't expect them to, always) but I'm really glad to hear when they do. You must have similar taste to mine, seeing which dramas you've responded to! -j ]

  101. 101 shp - Oct 6, 2008 at 5:49 pm

    oops, I mixed up the name *Strongest Chil Woo* (how embarassing)

    *exhilarating*

  102. 102 MALEN - Oct 7, 2008 at 1:04 am

    .Just finished watching Who are You… a diifferent sense of story line, very funny. Very enjoyable .Because kdrama takes about 16-20 episodes and I have so many things to do and still have desired to watch dramas ,I’ve be changing my obssesion to jdrama which is short. So I’ve been missing a lot of latest kdrama lately . But I still in love with the kdrama. Next maybe Gourment…..

    [I agree, jdramas are short and sweet. Personally, I think the sweet spot is between 12 and 16 episodes... -j ]

  103. 103 Laura - Oct 7, 2008 at 12:44 pm

    I’ve been reading your blog for a month now, and it’s been really helpful when I’ve been trying to figure out what to watch next. I was a bit reluctant to start watching Soulmate, but after having read what you had to say about it, I decided to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did! It’s absolutely brilliant. I’ve only watched seven episodes so far, but I gotta tell you that it’s the best drama I’ve seen in a while. Can’t wait until I get to see the rest…

    [Yay, another Soulmate convert! :) -j ]

  104. 104 geumja - Oct 7, 2008 at 2:21 pm

    just 5 words ‘Ruler of Your Own World’

  105. 105 dusabe - Oct 9, 2008 at 6:08 pm

    I have just discovered this blog and love it. Thanks for your hard work. I am an African living in Japan and enjoy Korean drama a looooooot!!!! Thanks for all the information on your blog, it helps to understand most of dramas.

  106. 106 KIKI - Oct 12, 2008 at 4:51 pm

    You should watch “Women in the Sun” -it was really good.

  107. 107 XGirl - Oct 12, 2008 at 5:17 pm

    What did you think about Dae Jang Geum, Javabeans?

  108. 108 Ana - Oct 13, 2008 at 12:57 am

    hi javabeans,

    I’m a daily reader of your blog, newly addicted to korean dramas. I fell in love with kdrama after watching my name is kim sam soon. I used to think that kdramas are weepy melodrama where one of the character has cancer and ends up dead. But after my name is kim sam soon, I found myself searching for other kdramas to watch. Our local tv stations don’t air much kdramas, and when they do, they always dub it to bahasa (Indonesian language), which I think ruins the drama. And they always air the series at noon, which means I can not watch since I have to work. And here they don’t sell original kdrama series, so I have to rely on pirated dvds to watch kdrama. The english subtitle usually sucks, and my chinese is not good either. So I’m glad to discover your blog, and be able to read your recaps of some drama.

    I’ve decided to buy coffee prince and last scandal of my life based on your rating. I agree with you, coffee prince soundtrack is very very good, but the drama itself is a bit dragged a few episodes towards the end. I haven’t finished last scandal, but already fall in love with choi jin sil. Sad that she had to end her life, really wish I could see more of her works.

    Well, this comment is longer than I intended ^_^ a big THANK YOU to you, javabeans. Good job on recapping the dramas.

    PS : How did you choose javabeans as your cyber name ? just curious, since I am from the island of Java, Indonesia.
    Cheers

  109. 109 miny - Oct 15, 2008 at 2:47 pm

    hellou~~
    never commented here, but came here many times 8D
    i have been in serious need of a new drama to watch, but…
    they’re all so extremely disappointing.
    =(
    so BORING and UNORIGINAL and without any kind of PERSONALITY!
    the last drama i loved SO MUCH, it made me cry like an emo taking myspace pictures, was coffee prince.
    and as i could see, you loved it, too!
    so your liking for it made me trust your opinions on dramas.
    i thought ‘hey, i’m tired of trying 84939489 dramas out before finding a great one, why not come here and look for your favorite ones?’
    so i finally found a ratings section!
    i was glad coffee prince got 9/9 and kim samsoon, too! my second favorite drama.

    BUT…. now comes the actual reason i am writing this…
    why in god’s name did SOULMATE get a 10/10?!
    oh my.
    +_+
    i watched the drama, yes it was.. funny… but…. it lacked just way too much to come anywhere NEAR coffee prince and samsoon!
    the thing i missed most of all was character.
    a certain personality and chemistry, the “fated souls” were so.. i don’t know.
    not really a good match. dongwook was great, kind of, but she… there was just nothing about her.
    and it took WAY too long til everything between them started off andandandand.
    soooooooooo why i wrote?

    yes i wanted to know, why it really got a10/10?
    especially in comparison to coffee prince (and maybe kim samsoon)

    mkai. so. 8D
    thanks if you could give me some answers!
    and thanks for doing all that work, i mean ALL of that work, it’s just.. incredible.
    the subbing, the recapping, the news…
    i am truly grateful, thank you <3
    you’re doing a tremendous, great job.

    and i am loving it.

    bai :D

  110. 110 xiaoSxin - Oct 21, 2008 at 9:10 am

    hello j!

    i have always been a lurker at your site.. kind of like a parasite that feeds off your interesting blogs!! keep them coming!
    it is such a joy to find this site because it keeps me updated on all thing about Kdrama, and also about entertainment and music industry in korea. I have been a fan of kdramas for over 4 years now and still counting!!!!
    now I am saving money to visit seoul!!!

  111. 111 xiaoSxin - Oct 21, 2008 at 9:14 am

    i just finished GOURMET.. i think Kim Rae Won really made this drama! the few moments he have with Nam Sang Mi are precious! I wish there could be more.. but Gourmet didn’t really focus on its love angle very much.. only a bit which makes me yearn for more!!!!! i agree with your ratings on it,

  112. 112 W - Oct 28, 2008 at 1:07 am

    I like Soulmate a lot. I’m suprised that there won’t be season 2. I wonder why the rating wasn’t a hit in Korea, does people in Korea think differently from people in America. I don’t know how to explain it, but Soulmate is too funny not to like. I wish there will be more drama like Soulmate… funny and just loveable.

    By the way, you’re the best in you’re writing. I love it! Thanks for making reading so fun.

  113. 113 emily - Oct 31, 2008 at 4:14 am

    hey..you should check out 9 ends 2 outs..underrated but very enjoyable..
    love the chemistry between the 2 leads..

  114. 114 Anonymous - Nov 2, 2008 at 8:58 am

    i agree with emily, 9 end 2 outs is amazing, but sadly underrated.
    my favorite drama ever.

  115. 115 qnhu - Nov 8, 2008 at 1:25 am

    Hey javabeans, thanks for all your hard work. I enjoy reading your recaps, especially when I can’t wait to see the next episodes :) I noticed that you haven’t put up any ratings for “Sweet Soul” and “Love and Marriage” – really looking forward to the rating! Keep up the great work!

  116. 116 pigeon - Nov 10, 2008 at 4:07 am

    Admittedly, I’m always biased when Lee Seo Jin is involved thus i definitely do not agree to your rating regarding LOVERS. I always tell my friends to watch LOVERS. PHOENIX is one excellent catch as well. Just because you hate weepy dramas, that gives you the right to judge them negatively. I am saying this coz i wouldnt have had the pleasure of watching LOVERS if i knew your rating beforehand. I would have been greatly influenced. Even if i beg to disagree to your opinion at times, but this doesnt erase the fact that your site is a gold mine. Very informative and entertaining.

  117. 117 rahesah - Nov 11, 2008 at 2:38 am

    u’re site is awesome….i realie enjoyed recaps of coffee prince.that was awesome. well i also agree with your rating…..but i would like to give 10/10 to full house and coffee prince.nywys have you seen autum in my heart??? i want to see how you rate it u know coz i totally hated it. the only good thing about autum tale is won bin…i lllllluuuuuuvvvveeeed him but the song hye kyo’s character was just…..anyways kwwp up the good work.

  118. 118 noor - Nov 11, 2008 at 6:42 am

    tq so much for the infos given…i love kdramas but strictly to romantic comedy kind of thing…currently watching love match,,,loooooove the storyline and both leading characters.

  119. 119 Esther - Nov 11, 2008 at 8:50 pm

    Hi…I don’t remember how I came upon your website but I really love your updates on the dramas and other stories. By the way, have you checked out “On Air” with Park Yong Ha? This is a pretty cute drama about filing a drama. Check it out sometime.

  120. 120 shp - Nov 14, 2008 at 7:26 am

    Hi Sarah,

    I’ve just watched the first 3 episodes of Super Rookie and found myself actually guffawing (!) at the goofy antics of Eric Moon’s character, who is a major slacker…it’s so funny, and so completely different from the suave and cool character he played in Que Sera Sera.

    I don’t remember reading anything in your blog about this drama. Have you seen it? I’d like to hear your opinion on this one. Has it just recently aired in Korea?

  121. 121 nog - Nov 14, 2008 at 9:54 am

    I’m watching Super Rookie…at ep 5 and it’s very funny..i fell inlove with Eric , he is very talented..

  122. 122 shp - Nov 15, 2008 at 7:43 am

    @shp
    in reply to my own post, Super Rookie must be from 2005. Although mysoju.com has it labelled as aired in Nov.2008, I just remembered Eric is currently serving out his military duty. Was Super Rookie well-received when it first aired?

  123. 123 ina - Nov 17, 2008 at 10:16 pm

    Korean drama’s are my guilty pleasure…I confess ^_^!! I have lost a lot of sleep and valuable life moments just watching these drama’s. My problem is that I cant find the right ones to watch sometimes. All of them are beginning to be pretty similar and it seems as though the writers are recycling the same old cliches. Love triangles(sometimes squares), rich boy-poor girl, enclosed living spaces, bicycle rides, cancer/amnesia patients, family dissaproval of partners and ahh, my personal “least favorite”….the wild dashes to the airport/train station.

    Thanks for the review…I wish I found it earlier. It would have saved me from watching some of the yucky ones *cough* – hello miss, *cough* – robbers
    *cough* – how to meet a perfect neighbor.

    When I do finally find the ones that are truly different, for example, mixed up investigative agency, my girl, coffee prince, etc…its like christmas! They say one has to kiss a couple of frogs in order to find a prince – I guess that goes for drama’s as well :-)

  124. 124 jameela - Nov 20, 2008 at 10:58 am

    wooh you rated soulmate 10/10. i tried to watch it but im unable to start the first episode. if its really good maybe ill try next time, im focussing now on WW. BTW i agree with ur ratings….

  125. 125 shp - Nov 20, 2008 at 8:01 pm

    Attention, please! Important announcement: I am officially another Soulmate convert!!! ^o^ thanks to Javabeans’ recommendation.

    It took me 3 or 4 tries, but I finally got into this wonderful drama, and loved, loved, loved it! I think the intricate dialogue with a lot of wordplay made it a bit difficult for me to appreciate the first few episodes, but the drama kept getting better and better. Phillip and Su Kyeong’s parting was so bittersweet & Dong Wuk’s falling for Su-Kyeong was precious. The soundtrack ,as Javabeans has already pointed out, was brilliant.

    THANK YOU, Javabeans for the wonderful job subbing this series! I am sure it was a lot of work, and I am a VERY grateful fan. I can’t decide yet if it has knocked off Flowers for My Life or Que Sera Sera as my #1 or #2 favourite drama.

    (P.S. I have an ID/idea! Let’s go out someday/Sunday. Perhaps this fried day/Friday for supper. We can have hamster/lobster and watch the film about Austria/Australia.) LOL

  126. 126 DC - Nov 25, 2008 at 10:58 pm

    new here… but your comments are very helpful… thanks!

  127. 127 dc - Nov 26, 2008 at 4:07 pm

    I just finished Sandglass, I haven’t felt this lousy after watching a movie/drama since Deer Hunter. They are both very good.

  128. 128 Pickles - Nov 30, 2008 at 9:08 am

    OMG, I just finished Flowers for My Life today and I can’t believe it took me this long to sit down and “marathon” this drama! It is so, so, sooooooo WONDERFUL! I haven’t cried so much in a drama before. But like you said, it wasn’t the tragic kind of crying. It was just so cathartic and beautiful. At the same time, I was always kept amused by Ha-na’s funny antics. Hahaha. Plus, it totally makes me want to go to Chun Cheon! The flowers are just too pretty! :)

    Thank you so much for reccommending such a beautiful drama! If not for you, I would have missed this gem!

  129. 129 Lil - Dec 10, 2008 at 10:32 pm

    I just want to say that I adore your blogs and your sense of humor!!! Keep it up!

    Thank you,

  130. 130 hyde - Dec 14, 2008 at 12:33 am

    fantastic drama WHO are you…..I enjoyed it thoroughly.thanks for recommending. looking forward to future drama recommedation! and fell in love with Cha seung hyo!

  131. 131 Anonymous - Dec 25, 2008 at 7:55 pm

    Thank you for these ratings. They sure did help!

  132. 132 luzette krystle G. almeda - Dec 26, 2008 at 11:21 pm

    low
    lovvers

  133. 133 nog - Jan 3, 2009 at 7:42 am

    Where is 9 End 2 Outs drama?…it’s realy good drama and also “every night”

  134. 134 icarusfalls - Jan 5, 2009 at 7:40 am

    I love your website as I am a huge non-korean kdrama fan! I especially love reading the episode recaps… as I absolutely adore reading as well! After ‘finding’ your website about 6 months ago, I have continued ignoring school, food, sleep etc… to watch the following dramas in addition to the 45 I have previously watched and 62 I have partially watched (I stopped watching them midway and in some cases near the end!! )

    1) Hong-Gil Dong : loved KJH and Sung Yu Ri but was apathetic towards Jang Geun Suk and the ending…I agree with your rating though I’d probably rate it higher! =P
    2) Bad Couple
    3) Love and Marriage
    4) What’s up fox?
    5) Couple or Trouble
    6) Exhibition of Fireworks
    7) Dal Ja’s Spring – LOVED IT!
    8) Mixed-up Investigation Agency: I absolutely LOVED this series and totally agree with your rating! I want to re-watch it!
    9) Soulmate – Loved it!!! I also have a season 2 version in my head as well!!

    And am currently watching ‘Flowers For my Life’

  135. 135 Lally - Jan 7, 2009 at 5:55 pm

    I’ve noticed there aren’t many historical dramas reviewed?
    Considering your ratings, I think you and I might have similar tastes so I would recommend Damo, which is fairly short but good. Also, Yi San looks promising.

  136. 136 nnnn - Jan 18, 2009 at 7:29 am

    very nice na na goon drama chuva yu na chuhaheyuuuuuu

  137. 137 nnnn - Jan 18, 2009 at 7:32 am

    aaaaaaaaaa han ga in saranhe

  138. 138 nnnn - Jan 18, 2009 at 7:33 am

    cho mongolia saram imnida’

  139. 139 T - Jan 24, 2009 at 1:01 pm

    I love your website, and I am so glad I found it. I am currently watching Snow in August after reading your comments on it. Looking forward to your updates. Keep up the good work!

  140. 140 L - Jan 27, 2009 at 6:54 pm

    Hey.. I ran across your website looking for recaps on Coffee Prince. Your recaps and comments are one of my fave!! I enjoyed reading all other recaps. I started watching other shows that you’ve recommended. I enjoyed it all.

    I read other people’s comments on here and one jumped out to me is the one about watching Taiwanese shows as It started with a Kiss or Fated to Love You. I recommend you watch these shows on http://www.mysoju.com. It contains all kinds of shows from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and etc.. All of the videos have english subtitles.

    Looking forward to reading more of your recaps!! :)

  141. 141 Salena - Jan 28, 2009 at 3:40 pm

    Have you watched Pure 19/ Heart of 19?
    It’s long but after a few episods, you’ll definitely fall in love with it :)
    I didn’t see any mentions of it on your website, so I thought I’d let you check it out.
    try veoh.com (:

  142. 142 gongchan - Jan 29, 2009 at 5:46 am

    i love korean drama

  143. 143 gongchan - Jan 29, 2009 at 5:46 am

    i love all korean drama

  144. 144 Capital Scandal fan - Feb 1, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    i agree with #7 hmmm that Capital Scandal was a “highly underrated drama.”

    “[I know, I know, I'm a bad KJH fan! I tried, but found it too slapstick. Maybe will go back one of these days... -j ]”

    Capital Scandal is one at the top of my list in the “modern sageuk” category, along with Seoul 1945, which *nobody* has seen. ^^ CS has two very different interwoven stories/moods: the slapstick part and the much much darker part (which I preferred) which deals with Japanese occupation in the 1930s. I don’t want to give anything away, but this supposedly zany silly comedy becomes very serious indeed. And KJH goes from being the ultimate superficial playbody to someone who has to confront the society he lives in. As #7 notes, the entire cast was superb, and I believe Han Go Eun won an award for her performance.

  145. 145 Peggy - Feb 2, 2009 at 3:16 pm

    I am looking forward to hearing your critique of ‘WORLD’S WITHIN’ I have almost finished this drama.
    L LOVE this drama. It has given me the same kind of satisfied feeling that Coffee Prince did. However it is not quite as sweet in story but it is romantic enough.

    There are several subplots and older actors playing characters that are so interesting. It intrigues me to see a cast of actors playing PDs and cinematographers and other people behind the camera. They are all engaged in making TV dramas and we see the hardships that actors sometimes have to endure and the difficulties of the PDs and breathtaking time elements.

    It made me think that I was watching a group of actors playing film makers being photographed by a group of people actually filming a drama. mirror images…

    Anyway I love this drama and love Hyun Bin. He is so good in this role.

    Looking forward to whatever you may think.

    Peggy

  146. 146 Aya - Feb 10, 2009 at 12:01 am

    I want to say thank you for creating this site because I liked one of the dramas you especially recommended (Soulmate), and I started watching some dramas because you are recapping it and I found it interesting (Evasive Investigative Agency comes to mind). More than that, I felt as if I have watched other dramas I don’t think I’d ever watch just by reading your recaps — I probably will watch said dramas eventually, who knows?
    I liked Soulmate, Legend of Hyang Dan, Love Marriage, Evasive Investigative Agency. I really enjoyed watching Full House, Princess Hours, and Hello! Miss; they may not be the best dramas but these are some of the dramas I don’t mind watching again… My Girl and Delightful Girl Chun Hyang were both so-so for me.

  147. 147 grumpy - Feb 13, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    This site is the best for kdrama info…THANK YOU!!! This is not related to kdrama but I thought I would try asking anyways. I have been looking everywhere for
    Lee Dong Gun singing Sarang Hae. Would you know where I can get it. I am a bit slow with computer usage. Able to load on to Windows Media Player and can get things off of Media Fire but that is about it. I figure if anyone would have the answer it would be you…Thank you in advance if you can help me!!

  148. 148 Jenzzz - Feb 20, 2009 at 11:37 pm

    It’s such a joy reading your insightful and humorous reviews, esp. on MNKSS. I value your taste on these dramas and will definitely try to watch the high-rated ones on your list. I am wondering if you have mentioned about “Ruler of Your Own World” starring Yang Dong Geun and Lee Na Young. It’s one of a few Korean dramas that stay on my mind for a very long time. I also like H.I.T, Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, Bad Family and Sandglass. Somehow I can’t bring myself to like Coffee Prince and Full House though. I found the plots are so repetitive and childish.

  149. 149 dimpler - Feb 22, 2009 at 9:33 am

    I love the drama coffee prince,hope for season 2,Im a fan of yoon eun hye,and i love all her drama,i hope she make a new drama this year,keep up the good work,i like your kdrama info.god bles……….

  150. 150 Abstruse Musings - Feb 22, 2009 at 9:35 am

    I would love, love, love to see what you feel about “Time Between Dog and Wolf.” If you are looking for something different and a drama that has great acting and more testosterone-fueled than any other drama out there, try this one. Lee Joon Ki rocks in this role as an undercover cop with a sad family history. Editing/storylines are really tight though you do wish it was speedy at times. There’s a big revelation ending, but the writing and dialogues is so fresh.
    I can someone else like Lee Min Ho in this role though – so much action and so much angst. 9/10 for me.

  151. 151 gracee - Feb 26, 2009 at 5:09 pm

    have you watched I Am Sam/I Am Your Teacher?
    ahhh, its a nice short k-drama (:
    16 eps & its pretty good :D

  152. 152 Siti NY - Feb 27, 2009 at 1:35 am

    As for me, Sassy Girl Chun Hyang is still the very best of all K-dramas… I have watched quite a number of K-dramas.. Some being funny, full of fun, romance, action etc.. I started with All about Eve, back in 2005.. Though it was shown on TV much earlier, my passion and love for K-drama only began after watching All About Eve.. Well, I also had watched Full Hse, Only You, Lovers ,Coffee Prince,Exhibitions of Fireworks etc,etc, etc…. But I find Sassy Girl Chun Hyang is the BEST!!!!!!
    Jae Hee and Chae Young had great chemistry and most of all, I really like Jae Hee’s superb acting skills…..
    He is indeed ONE GREAT ACTOR!!!! Love U Jae Hee

  153. 153 c - Mar 1, 2009 at 9:43 am

    Are you serious? FRIENDS? UNEXCEPTIONAL? Sorry but I have to disagree with that and your ratings. The ones you rated really high are all so cliched and overly long with no specific plot (my girl, my name is kim sam soon, goong, coffee prince). I personally think that’s a bit unfair; Friends was cute, memorable, and sweet to the point. Like you said, how much you like it and how you rate it should be different. Just my opinion.

  154. 154 isabel - Mar 2, 2009 at 2:54 pm

    Just a thank you – I never would have watched Que Sera Sera but for your review and it’s now one of my all-time faves. Appreciate the effort and the blog!

  155. 155 k john - Mar 4, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    Thank you for this ratings list. It’s really been helpful. I’ve been trying to work my way through your higher rated dramas, and have enjoyed most of them so far, except Witch Amusement, but I absolutely love Soulmate. I found myself getting lost in it and staying up way too late. I laughed so much! It all went by too quickly, especially as I couldn’t stop watching it. I really wish there was another ’season.”

    Anyway, I probably wouldn’t have watched it if it hadn’t been for your recommendation, so thank you very much!

  156. 156 Samsooki - Mar 6, 2009 at 7:11 am

    Dear dramabeans,

    Thank you for your hard work. So many of us K-Drama fans appreciate the work you put in, and we love reading what you write.

    My question to you is whether you have any favorite actors and actresses.

    I always a little bit dismayed when it comes to male leads in Korean dramas – they tend to be monochromatic but with a change of heart. The one lone exception that I can think of is Gong Yoo in Coffee Prince (I’ve not seen MISA yet, so I will leave that out). Just a tremendous job by Gong Yoo acting and so vulnerable, so unlike most male leads (cf. Coffee Prince, episode 12). I think that these dramas tend to be vehicles for korean actresses to showcase their spirt, energy and personality, but not the male actors.

    Song Hye Gyo in Full House, Lee Da Hae in My Girl, or Han Chae Young in Delightful Girl Choon Hyang, even Eugene in Save The Last Dance… the popular K-Dramas all seem to forget about the male lead, and just focus on the female leads.

    What are your thoughts?

    -Thanks in advance,
    Samsooki

  157. 157 chris - Mar 6, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    i’ve enjoyed your site and agreed with many of your ratings. based on your high rating for delightful girl chun hyung, i thought i’d give that one a try. it started off ok, but then got more and more painful to watch–just ridiculous plot points, totally drawn out for no reason….can’t believe i finished it. maybe i thought there would be something redeeming at the end. too painful to think about anymore.

  158. 158 jin - Mar 8, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    lol i’ve watched everything on your list except the old ones you left at the bottom – and so much more… LOL now i realize how much i’ve watched. but theres three or four dramas i haven’t watched on the list – and i actually gave up on que sera sera after half of the first episode passed by. maybe i gave up on it to early? ^^
    i’m planning to try out que sera sera again and also soulmate – i admire lee dong wook so not a bad idea. i never actually knew such a drama existed lol how sad.

    but thanks! and all the best – ^_^ maybe one day i’ll be able to collect all my thoughts on all the dramas i’ve ever watched as you have :) thanks!

  159. 159 etee - Mar 9, 2009 at 3:07 am

    hiya,

    hv not seen any replies from u since 7 oct….just checking up that u r A-OK. thanks for this website..spot on for most of the kdramas listed and have watched those myself. (i m a new comer to kdrama….4Q of 2008)..will follow up on those you rated high and hv yet to watch them. take care!

  160. 160 Yume - Mar 9, 2009 at 11:53 am

    If you really like Kang Ji-Hwan you should probably watch Capital Scandal. You don’t rate any j-dramas? or taiwanese? or chinese dramas? Would be cool if you did thanks.

  161. 161 just another person - Mar 10, 2009 at 8:27 pm

    Have you seen spring waltz? If you have can you tell me what songs are in the episodes. Theres one im looking for in episode 4 and i cant seem to find it. If you know the songs can you post it. Please and thank you.

  162. 162 Peggy - Mar 15, 2009 at 11:30 pm

    I am still remembering ‘La Dolce Vita’

    It was a powerful drama with good acting. Never quite knew how it would end. Actually it was not a feasible story entirely and there were some scenes that I could have left out as they were supposedly imaginations of one of the characters toward the end. Just my nit-picking.
    All in all it was a very dark and different drama and worth staying for all the way through.
    Hope you see it.

    Peg

  163. 163 Peggy - Mar 15, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    I have a mixed up bag of dramas I am watching right now. I also watch a lot of Japanese stuff because I am madly in love with Takuya Kimura for his real life qualities and his acting and great entertaining. Unfortunately he is tagged with the ‘IDOL’ description from way back and that does get in the way of people seeing his talents in dramas. The there is Ichikawa Somegoro..and Kazuki Kitamura and a few more really fine actors. All in my heart….got a large heart.

    Recently watching Ha Jung Woo in ‘The Chaser’ Shivers.!!
    His US film ‘Never Forever’ Crazy plot but it was worth sticking it out for Ha Jung Woo and his hold on his character which made it worth while.

    HJW is a well trained theatre actor and he was also in the drama ‘H.I.T.’

    Peg

  164. 164 Peggy - Mar 15, 2009 at 11:41 pm

    Almost forgot…

    Just saw drama ‘GOODBYE SOLO’ for the first time.

    It is not new but it will never be old. Lovely drama with such good actors.

    Really worth watching and you truly want things to work out for that darling young man.

    I loved it.

    Peg

  165. 165 Samsooki - Mar 16, 2009 at 6:36 am

    Just finished Choon Hyang.

    Jae Hee (Lee Hyun Gyoon) is, surprisingly, the reason this drama works.

    I have to take back my previous post (#156). This is what I said:

    “Song Hye Gyo in Full House, Lee Da Hae in My Girl, or Han Chae Young in Delightful Girl Choon Hyang, even Eugene in Save The Last Dance… the popular K-Dramas all seem to forget about the male lead, and just focus on the female leads.”

    I guess it really depends on the actor/actress. LHG makes this drama, and I have to agree with my wife on this one. HCY did not particularly impress one way or another. This isn’t to say that she wasn’t adequate or suited for her role; that said, it wasn’t the strongest acting job I’ve seen.

    LHG on the other hand, sparkled as Mong Ryong. I’m a guy, and I told my wife that I liked LHG. So that’s how good he was.

    -Samsooki

  166. 166 tazz - Mar 17, 2009 at 11:29 am

    I’m actually starting to watch the dramas that you rated well…so far I agree with everything, next time I won’t waste time watching a drama and realising halfway or the penultimate episode that I really couldn’t be bothered any more, hehe.

  167. 167 Lisa - Mar 17, 2009 at 3:07 pm

    I stalk this site constantly for shows to watch, your opinons of shows I have watched and general k-celebrity info. In fact, me and four friends are following boys over flowers, we have a email stream where we discuss each episode I think everyone one of us has quoted your recap for something.

    Even when I disagree with you it still makes me think of scenes in a dif way which helps. Not only that I am learning Korean (purely to be able to watch dramas sans the subs lol) and your insightful comments about language/grammar/culture are a great help.

    As for your ratings, I feel like your ratings validate me (Soulmates was stupendously entertaining, i used your rating to justify that my sister watch the show) or make me feel like a fool (my sister mocks me mercilessly for my love of WItch Yoo Hee, in my defense I watched it early on in my k-drama watching and I really like the clothes and bright colors in the drama).

    Sorry for the rambling. I just love these ratings. I eagerly await your numbers for boys over flowers

  168. 168 more - Mar 19, 2009 at 9:10 pm

    please add more drama ratings

  169. 169 lomabee - Mar 19, 2009 at 9:31 pm

    Don’t know if you’ve already viewed this drama, but you should definitely check out the drama War of Money 2007. I’ve only watched the first episode so far but it makes for great entertainment. Just hope it won’t be as horrible as What Happened in Bali, all that back and forth between the two guys and the crying made things redundant.

  170. 170 Camille - Mar 20, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    Dramabeans,

    I remember reading somewhere on your site that you were gonna recap Soulmate. Now I’m pretty positive when I say this – because I don’t think you ever did. If this sounds rude then I apologize but I don’t mean it like that. I mean, I absolutely LOVE your recaps and I enjoy reading them.

    Is there a reason why you never did recap Soulmate? Unless you did..(then, um, no, I’m pretty sure you didn’t) I’m just curious.

    PS: I just finished watching it. Absolutely amazing. Why can’t there be a season 2? :(

  171. 171 lady maddie - Mar 24, 2009 at 2:26 am

    love your site…
    i wonder why you have a recap or rating abt spring waltz…
    i love that story!!!
    thanks!

  172. 172 lady - Mar 25, 2009 at 2:31 am

    youre #1 is coffe prince and goong got high rate also…this means you like eun hye?(but in vineyard is no good rating)….
    do you think there is a possibility too for princess hours part2? i really love it!!!
    please do a recap or rating abt spring waltz…

    thanks and keep up the good work!!!

  173. 173 Marjjx - Mar 25, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    Dramabeans,

    LOVE your site! Check your recap every week when Boys Before Flowers comes up online. Almost enjoy reading your posts/recaps as much as I do watching the drama… which is a lot. I mean, you have F4 to compete with after all…

    I’ve explored the site throughout the short period I have known of it. It’s so interesting, and I’m such a big fan of Korean Drama anyways. It all started on a holiday when I went back to the Philippines – they are totally in love with Korean Drama over there and I remember my gran forcing me to watch My Girl. Loved it to pieces; I will always hold a special place for it. It just all took off from there I guess, and well, now I’m a total addict.

    You’ve got great taste in your dramas too. However, I do have to disagree with the rating you gave Goong because it’s totally one of my favourites even though I wanted to hit Yoon Eun Hye so badly by like the 2nd episode already.

    Still, I love your work and you’ve interested me enough to watch Flowers For My Life now after reading your ratings.. thanks so much for all the recaps/ratings etc!

    Eagerly awaiting your next posts about Boys Before Flowers… and going back to what you said in Episode 22’s post about it ending, I am so sad about it too! Don’t know what I’ll have to do to get through Mondays and Tuesdays without the thought of a new episode waiting for me at home..

    x

  174. 174 andy - Mar 26, 2009 at 2:42 am

    Hi, javabeans,

    Your website is great and quite motivating for interest in korean drama.

    I just want to share with you some thinking of Korean actors’ performance. Well, I trust you so much on this. You can email me back if you have some feedback.

    I divide actors’s performance in three categories:

    1/. Appearance character: actors cannot perform the character as it should be but their appearance on the drama is good looking and entertaining, such as Kwon Sang Woo, Sung Yu Ri, Choi Ji Woo , Song Seung Hun. . .

    2/ Situational character: actors can perform the character according to the story, and this makes the drama good, such as Shin Hyun Joon, Jo Hyun Jae (Only You), Kim Seung Woo, Yun Jung Hoon, Kim Hyun Ju . .

    3/. Spiritual character: actors can perform the character perfectly and may be more than expected. They live their characters’ life and carry the story to a greater depth of meaning, such as Jo hyun Jae (Love Letter), Yun jung Hoon (Daddy Long Leg), Hyun Bin (Ireland), Lee Na Young, Cho Seung Woo, Jung Woo Sung, So Ji Sub, .Son Yeh Jin, Jeon Do Yeon . .

    It’s hard to reach spititual charater. It depends much on the script, the director and the talent of the actor. Some actors may touch this honor in one drama and fall back to situational character in another drama. For instance, Jo Hyun Jae was excellent in Love Letter but only good in Only You and then just so so in Three Dad and One Mom, the same as Hyun Bin (Ireland, great), (Kim Sam Soon, good) (The world they live in, so so). Another case is Yun Jung Hun, this actor has potential, but he should refuse dramas like East of Eden or Sad Love Song which just size him down.

    Some actors are always shining and they made good choice like, Lee Na Young, Cho Seung Woo, Jung Woo Sung, Son Yeh Jin, Jeon Do Yeon, So Ji Sub. Their work is not just performing but very creative, a real art. They are all-time spiritual-character actors.

    The most interesting is where all the lead actors can reach spiritual characters in the same drama. At that point, we cannot tell whether we are watching a drama or we are living together in that story because we are so carried away with their great co-performance. Examples are “Love Letter “with Jo Hyun Jae, Soo Ae, Ji jin Hee; or “Seoul 1945″ with Ryu Soo Young, Han Eun Jung, Kim Ho Jin.

    I wonder why Drama Beans did not rate these two great dramas where story, performance, music are all great. I myself listen to Seoul 1945 OST all the time while working at my design work.

  175. 175 andy - Mar 26, 2009 at 2:53 am

    Oh I mistyped. Dramabeans, not Javabeans. so sorry !: D

  176. 176 Nuur - Apr 2, 2009 at 1:09 am

    how’s your rating for boys before flowers?

  177. 177 guha - Apr 2, 2009 at 8:05 pm

    oo i thought from your comment you did not like boys over flower, your rating same with me too 9 , but one thing i will skip when i watch about seoulmate couple. the flaw in this drama sometimes ok with me and sometimes make me crazy.

  178. 178 Raiinbow_girl - Apr 4, 2009 at 2:32 am

    0_o wow. your BOF ratings are eh… high ?
    well i just finished watching QSS and i couldn’t stop watching it
    I thought you liked QSS better..because of the comments in your recaps
    QSS was so awesome..BOF sometimes good sometimes too much of clichées and – for me- sometimes rather boring….
    well just my opinion….
    oh and i wanted to thank you a lot!
    At the beginning i didn’t want to watch QSS because it didn’t seem interesting to me…but then i read your ratings and that it would take a while to fall in love with
    and…I REALLY fell in love with it :)
    thank you very much

    ps.sorry for my poor english :P

  179. 179 KaOri - Apr 4, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    I think the rating that you gave Boys Before Flowers was fair. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and left a LOT of issues hanging. I know that they want to make the story a lot more complex but I didn’t think adding the last girl in the hospital was necessary to achieve that. The dynamic between the mom and Jan Di went nowhere. Are they getting along now or is the mom not backing down? The only reason that they left some issues hanging is maybe a Boys Before Flowers 2? I’ve seen the Japanese version of this show and I couldn’t finish it. The Korean version is so much better. The actors are better looking and the acting was much better. I’ve stumbled on your site and I really like how you summarize and rate the dramas. I’ve seen that you rated one drama a 10/10 (Flowers for My Life). I’m going to check it out since I don’t know what drama to start next.

    Thanks for all the drama reviews. I also enjoy your headers. ^-^

  180. 180 Lui Sneakers - Apr 6, 2009 at 12:31 am

    I can almost swear that your rating for Soulmate used to be 10/10. Wasn’t it?

  181. 181 boosushi - Apr 6, 2009 at 4:14 pm

    YOu shoudl totally watch Capital Scandal. One of the best yet! I would love to read your review on it.

  182. 182 whatever0024 - Apr 8, 2009 at 2:07 am

    I’ve watched some of the dramas based on your recaps/reviews. Most notably would be Soulmate. I had never read or heard anything about this drama/sitcom until I read your glowing review of it. And, I, too, loved it. It’s my favorite Korean drama. Everything worked, the storylines, the OST, the characters, and I do have a fondness for anything that deals with destiny, fate, and soulmates.

    @ 165, I agree with what you wrote about Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang. I felt it was more about Jae Hee, than Han Chae Young. I even made a remark to my friend that it should have been called “Delightful Boy Mong-Ryong.” I’m a guy also so it was nice to have the lead actor outshine the lead actress; usually, it’s the other way around. Ever since this drama, I’ve watched everything Jae Hee’s in. He’s such a great and expressive actor. Without him, DGCH probably wouldn’t have garnered such an immense popularity.

  183. 183 spilut - Apr 11, 2009 at 4:41 am

    hello there..em just wondering..how about Beethoven Virus eh? What will you rate on this drama?

  184. 184 yetta - Apr 12, 2009 at 8:15 pm

    what’d everyone think of
    antique bakery?
    stairway to heaven?
    a love to kill?

  185. 185 JO - Apr 13, 2009 at 5:52 am

    im looking for BOF episode 23 the song that is played when yi jung and ga eul were watching the sunrise? (aka the message board scene.)
    Do you happen to have it?
    Could you send it to my mail?
    Thanks a million~

  186. 186 Kobe - Apr 14, 2009 at 3:19 am

    What does everyone here think of ‘Hello Miss’? I actually feel like watching a silly light-hearted romcom but have read so many bad things about it. I’m not expecting it to be as good as My Girl of course, but is it watchable at least?

  187. 187 hoohoo - Apr 15, 2009 at 6:08 am

    Kobe: Don’t read any spoilers on it or carry too much expectation, and just watch and enjoy it for what it is – lighthearted entertainment. It’s definitely more than watchable, give it a shot!

  188. 188 spilut - Apr 20, 2009 at 8:13 am

    hello miss??
    i did not like that story at all..
    seems like silly..and lee da hae??
    i’m not so fond of her..

  189. 189 topluv114 - Apr 22, 2009 at 1:36 pm

    i love your site and thanks so much for the recaps. I just finished Soulmate and i absolutely loved it, too bad there won’t be a season 2. :( i was wondering if you know any more recent dramas that’s just as good.

  190. 190 smiley_kotot - Apr 29, 2009 at 9:25 am

    Waahhh… i just realize you have this rating/review thing. the dramas that I enjoyed got all high scores. i’, so happy. keep it up. i’m going to watch some dramas that u mentioned to good, like “who are you.”

  191. 191 CoffeeLove - Apr 30, 2009 at 4:18 pm

    How come you don’t have a rating for “The Return of Iljimae”?

    All your posts about it have made me so excited to watch it, but I can’t find it where I am :(

  192. 192 Sumee - Apr 30, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    I really laughed out loud when I read your comments about boys before flowers..Sucha hot mess…lol…I agree with you..But I loved the drama anyhow…it was a like a breather after a long time…

  193. 193 yan - May 2, 2009 at 1:10 pm

    where’s i’m sorry, I love you?

  194. 194 chuchu - May 2, 2009 at 3:45 pm

    How about “which planet are you come from”?

  195. 195 akira - May 5, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    @ 186 kobe

    What does everyone here think of ‘Hello Miss’? I actually feel like watching a silly light-hearted romcom but have read so many bad things about it. I’m not expecting it to be as good as My Girl of course, but is it watchable at least?

    ——-
    Really? I didn’t know a lot of people didn’t like it.
    I actually loved it. It’s definitely watchable in my opinion.
    I actually know of a blogger who also liked Hello! Miss. If you don’t mind some spoilers, do read what she has to say about it. It’s a really short review but interesting.

    I copied this from her blog at http://film-enthusiast.blogspot.com/2008/03/hello-miss.html
    Hello! Miss is the quintessential typical Korean drama, albeit with some modifications on the time-tested winning formula. So if you’re looking for something original and different, this is not the drama for you.

    In terms of characters, everyone is accounted for… The main leads are of course, the good guy (Dong Gyu) and the simple pure-hearted girl (Su Ha). The playboy (Chan Min) fights for the lead girl’s attention but everyone knows his efforts are all in vain. The wacky best friend (Jung Sook) provides the comedic entertainment and out to make the lead girl miserable is, of course, the liberated independent woman (Hwa Ran).

    But unlike most Korean dramas, it is the lead guy (Dong Gyu) who falls in love with the lead girl (Su Ha) first. It’s refreshing to see a lead guy not caught up with some other girl who left him and who realizes belatedly that the one he truly loves is the person that he thought he hated.

    It is also a novel concept that the lead girl (Su Ha) and the other guy (Chang Min) were never romantically involved. Although Chang Min is infatuated with Su Ha, it is obvious right from the start that Su Ha has no feelings for him.

    The lack of a believable love triangle is what I like best in the drama: the love story is straightforward and pure, the romantic scenes innocent and subtle, the fact that the lead guy and the lead girl will certainly end up together too obvious right from the start. Perhaps this is the reason why some people found the drama boring — it is too predictable and simple.

  196. 196 Anonymous - May 7, 2009 at 7:33 am

    Hi, I have been trying to look for DVD or VCD for star in my heart drama, I really want to watch this one. : )

  197. 197 KOK - May 7, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    Agree with nearly everything (esp the crapfest that was Witch Yoo Hee), but I wouldn’t rank Kim Sam soon so highly, the drama was average only at times was it really good, Kim Sun ah acted really well but her character was at times too hypocritical. The plot and the surroundings weren’t really explored as much as they should have been either but there are some stand out moments. Meh I’d give it a 7.

    Oh and Que Sera Sera, wow loved it, the main leads especially. Great dialogue, well written, nice plotting, never dull, never repetitive, great chemistry among the cast. Good drama.

  198. 198 Summer_rain - May 8, 2009 at 5:43 am

    Won’t you rate ‘Story of a Man’?
    Just wondering…
    I recently got addicted to this drama
    Damn…it’s so good…
    btw i love Do-woo although he’s so creepy
    i just love how Kang…(forgot his name) plays the character
    Thank you Dramabeans :) thanks to you i got to see such a great drama

  199. 199 pure - May 8, 2009 at 9:47 pm

    this is the first time i run into your blog.
    i think i’m going to be a regular visitor here.

  200. 200 jo - May 9, 2009 at 4:31 pm

    *sighs*
    I wish you could write recaps for “Brilliant Legacy/Shining Legacy/찬란한유산”. it’s soooo good!

  201. 201 jean - May 22, 2009 at 5:17 pm

    I just have to thank you for ranking your fave dramas. Cause of this I decided to watch Soulmate and I finished it in one evening! This is my fave drama now, I can watch it over and over again. I never laughed this hard.. and shed tears as well

  202. 202 lovapalooza - May 26, 2009 at 10:45 am

    hey.. what about wonderful life.

  203. 203 coachdms - May 28, 2009 at 7:01 am

    I’d just finished watching So Ji Sub and Han Ji Min new drama ” Cain and Abel “, it’s a masterpiece in Korean’s drama beside ” East of Eden ” . I’ve been a fan of Kdrama for over 15 yrs+ (i’m a non-korean , living in the US) . That gor to be the best 2 drama of 2009 . I don’t see that on your drama rating , How come and other site like there were very little mention of Cain and Abel, how come ?? can you tell me your outtake of this drama

  204. 204 Sindy - Jun 4, 2009 at 12:44 am

    Hi… I’m not korean but i’m k-drama addicts, I find Kdrama more interesting than any other asian dramas like taiwan or jdrama.
    I totally agree with your ratings, but where are the others such as : Rivals aka. Powerful Opponents, etc (specially the new ones)?
    And one thing that i want to ask, is there anyone agree with me that I don’t like Winter Sonata, I can’t even finish watching it, it’s so boring, full of sadness, oh I hate it. I find myself wondering why it was such a big hit back then…

  205. 205 retsnom_Adedekutsu - Jun 8, 2009 at 12:40 am

    I can’t believe Fantasy Couple, Hong Gil Dong, Goong, and the Legend of Hyang Dan have the same “how good you think it is” rating. 0_0

    Does it mean that all of them have the same drama quality?

    I believe Fantasy Couple and Hong Gil Dong are better.

  206. 206 melai04_yukashii - Jun 9, 2009 at 7:33 pm

    Wow! I can’t believe that you’ve watched all these dramas and spent tons of time writing reviews, ratings ang recaps.

    Don’t you have anything else to do?

    Btw, great job! I enjoyed visiting your blog. ^_^

  207. 207 yan - Jun 12, 2009 at 1:34 am

    thanks for your rates…..now i know what to watch!!!^___^

  208. 208 whiteclover - Jun 13, 2009 at 7:51 am

    hi.

    i just want to say i am totally agree with ur ratings. esp abt soulmate. that 1 sweet drama. in fact i am listening to the soundtrack now. u were right, the soundtrack is brilliant. and honestly, i knew soulmate from ur site, thx to u, now im addicted. and coffee prince too..i’ll check out the other drama that u listed here, cause believe it or not, i havent watch almost all drama u listed, and might never heard about them too. but i’ll do some homework. thx then=)

  209. 209 tombrady - Jun 17, 2009 at 2:45 am

    I really, really loved QSS. I have watched it twice – over 2 weeks! – because I really loved how the story unfolded. It made me cry both times – hehehe.

    The first time, i was in a hurry to see how it ends but took my time the second time to better appreciate the nuances in the story and characters. Such depth shown in the characterization, dialogue and directing. I credit the actors, the writer, and the director for that.

    I loved each and every character because they all seemed so real. Their mistakes did not seem contrived at all just to make the story more dramatic. Each mistake is very relatable for a common person like me. Sometimes, in our selfishness, we do terrible things despite the potential consequences.

    QSS moved me, especially Kang Tae Jo. I felt his pain and wept, I felt his joys and celebrated with him. I have never loved anyone else (YET!) as deeply as the main characters loved each other so I have not been hurt the way they had. Watching Han Eun Soo made me wonder: do I really want to love someone so much that I risk pain and suffering?

    … hehehe. As you can see, I can watch eloquent about Que Sera Sera.

  210. 210 adelle - Jun 18, 2009 at 3:11 am

    just wonder how u rate the beethoven virus? i’m waiting so long after yr final episode on june 2. hope to see your rating soon. ; )

  211. 211 Nymphe - Jun 20, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    Coffee Prince bored me, Witch Yoo Hee was fun in the beginning, but the main character was really annoying, and Return of Iljimae is absolutely disgusting. I quit watching after seeing 4 minutes of the beginning. Jaded.

  212. 212 Rachel - Jun 21, 2009 at 9:19 pm

    First of all, thank you so much for all the hard work you do!! I think I’d be lost without Dramabeans to keep me connected to my k-pop and k-drama obsession!! I’m glad that you recap everything the way that you do – I’m trying to beef up my list of drama to watch, and your reviews help me cut out some of the things I shouldn’t waste my time on. (Before my method was…ooh, hot guy. watching. oooh, cool poster, watching. Needless to say, many hours wasted…)

    I’m really glad you rated things with what you thought of it vs what you’d rate it – I find too often I’m swayed by personal feelings. Like Witch Yoo Hee for example — I LOVED that drama because it gave me something to do when I was down on my luck for a while; it lifted my spirits so to say. But thinking back on it, the drama itself wasn’t all that great. Filler, like you said, but nothing to really substantiate itself. I guess in today’s fan eat fan world, it’s nice to have someone who realizes that good dramas can be good dramas, even if you don’t personally like them.

    That being said, thank you so much!!

  213. 213 chin - Jun 22, 2009 at 7:11 pm

    i really love korean drama series.. hope that abs-cbn( the philippines’ largest broadcasting company) will air more korean drama series.. i love koreans!

  214. 214 babymee - Jun 23, 2009 at 10:50 pm

    oh wow~~ It’s my first time coming around to your blog and i just can’t believe i never came across it before. i just read your ratings of the dramas and its amazing how i agree with you on almost all of them. i dont know if it’s cuz of the all that ‘han ryu’ stuff going on but lately i’ve seen a lot of websites and forums dealing with kdrama. makes me feel good and proud lols.
    i have a chinese friend who just recently got hooked on kdramas (well acually i was the one who got her hooked on it lols) i should definitely tell her to come
    visit your site lols. well i’ll be looking forward to your next ratings.

  215. 215 kristenlf_031496 - Jun 26, 2009 at 1:56 am

    Honestly… haven’t watch all this shows.. i had watch many romantic shows, I like them. I don’t watch boring stuff.. i am a picker, but most of what i have watch and like are not on this…. ill just try to watch what the others had voted.. im sure ots pretty good,too.. its summer and i dont know what to do. im bored… please, i need something to watch. i had been watching meteor garden and boys over flower a lot of times….

  216. 216 more - Jun 26, 2009 at 5:48 pm

    please review some J dramas there not all bad

  217. 217 chance - Jun 27, 2009 at 8:38 am

    hey,

    y do some kdramas aren’t there..

    please consider these dramas and may i know how you react with these:

    1. i’m sorry i love you
    2. save the last dance..
    3. money war
    4. lovers in paris
    5. endless love 1, 2 and 3
    6. be strong geum soon
    7. ju-mong
    8. jewel in the palace
    9. cruel love

    thanks!

  218. 218 PhuongThanh - Jul 4, 2009 at 6:47 pm

    Story of a Man 10/10?? WOOOOHOO! Holly mama, cannot agree more! I started to watch it only due to ur recaps n recommendations and ta-dah/voila/abrakadraba… IM IN LOVE WITH IT! I used to think that drama without love troubles as the main theme could barely catch my attention but I was completely wrong. (W-R-O-N-G haha, as Mangaz´d say)..whatever…thanks for introducing me this wonderful drama javabeans!!!

  219. 219 Baliji - Jul 5, 2009 at 8:41 am

    Hi,

    Just read your ratings of the Korean dramas. I myself have not seen them all, but for some that I have had a chance to see, I do agree with your ratings. By the way, have you had the chance to see City Hall? You can’t miss that one! Let me know what you think of it. I loved that drama, it is my number one Kdrama so far!!

    Looking forward to reading some more of your blogs….

    cheers,
    Baliji

  220. 220 CrimemasterGogo - Jul 5, 2009 at 4:55 pm

    So 10/10 for Story of a man heh, I had some minor niggles with the drama personally but I can understand why you’d give it a 10. Well acted, well plotted and ep 13/14/19/20 are some of the best television I’ve watched in the last 4 years.

  221. 221 Ray - Jul 8, 2009 at 6:30 am

    I would rate Story of a Man 10/10 also. It’s the best Kdrama I’ve seen. All the actors not only embodied their characters but even took their character to the next level. SOAM was engaging from start to finish. It was such a thrill ride watching Kim Shin and Chae Do Woo go at it every single episode. Shin losing and getting back up and Do Woo cracking.

    Loved Story of a Man to bits. This is how a drama should be done.

  222. 222 Laura - Jul 10, 2009 at 2:43 am

    I came across your page because of Cain & Abel, as I was dying to find out more about the story after watching the first episode. I read the whole review you wrote about it (I never read all the way) You are a very good writer, and I enjoyed your review very much because I completely agree with you on everything… well, almost everything.
    I have made notes on some of the dramas you have rated here like, Que Sera Sera, Soulmate, Last Scandal, Story of a Man etc. I just want to say that I agree with you on Boys Over Flower. I watched the anime (Im a big anime fan) and I loved it, but I hate the drama. I have only made an attempt on the Korean version, and I really hate how everybody else seems to love it, which is why you are one of my favorite people right now, for giving it the rating it deserves whether you liked ir not.
    I hate dramas like Full House and My Girl, I haven’t watched Full House and I never will. My Girl was one of the first dramas I watched and I hate, hate, hate the lead male character. I love, love, love Lee Da Hee, and I like lee Jun Ki. I think there is potential in him.
    Sorry this is too long, but I had to express how I felt about your reviews. Also I want to ask you, since it seems like we have the same taste (Pretty much. You didn’t thought much of Vineyard Man, and while I agree on your rating, I like it) and feel the same way about some dramas/characters/actors lol.
    My question: What is your opinion about Lee Byung Hun?

  223. 223 HazyMonsoon - Jul 12, 2009 at 5:00 am

    Hey,

    I came across your blog awhile ago when I was trying to find recaps on a certain drama (which I’ve now forgotten xD)

    Just wanted to say that your ratings are really useful, apart from Soulmate, dramas you rated between 8-10 (like Dal Ja’s Sping, Last Scandal, My girl, Delightful Choon-hyang etc) were all really good!! So yeah.. thanks? xD

    Oh and I’m debating whether I should watch Flowers For My Life, because you rated it 10/10 but it doesn’t look too interesting to me.. Oh and have you watched Iljimae with Lee Joon Ki?

    Anyway thanks again, awesome work!! :D

  224. 224 Shini - Jul 23, 2009 at 5:44 am

    Haha, your ratings are something I can always fall back on when I have nothing to watch…I agree with almost all of them…

    Next up! Story of a Man!

  225. 225 darksyd666 - Jul 23, 2009 at 11:11 pm

    i disagree with what you said in vineyard. Yoon eun hye executes a good character there. shes not forgettable. she even won best actress for that drama.

  226. 226 WHATISGUD - Jul 25, 2009 at 3:26 am

    Hi dramabeans, thank you for rating + comments on the drama series. It’s very useful since I can use it as a guide for what to watch/buy. I watch korean dramas by reading the subtitles and the body language. My daughter said that korean dramas are the best.

  227. 227 LoveKoreanDrama - Aug 2, 2009 at 12:05 pm

    Overall Korean dramas have a beautiful quality of everyday life stories and struggles, the Korean actors make american actors look so phoney…..take for example Winter Sonata….even the open scene when she comes running down the little side street to catch the morning bus, one feels transported into an enchanced world…..

    But for a European, there seems to be too much everyday violence; father’s beating sons, lovers hitting each other, and all that face slapping to just way too much to believe. Just like Vinyard Man…..terrible story, and the audience is supposed to believe that after all the physical and emotion abuse he delivers, she in the end loves him? Totally impossible. AirTime is in my all time top 10 favorites, because the story was so complex and the acting so sophisticated; there is nothing in american film that could even come close (may be the film: People Will Talk, but it is old).

  228. 228 Taj - Aug 2, 2009 at 8:30 pm

    Hey!
    I really love your blog so much. I visit it all the time. It’s helps with understanding the dramas when the translation is weird. Thanks for the ratings!!!
    Peace and Love. xoxo

  229. 229 Silverbright - Aug 5, 2009 at 9:10 am

    Really like your blog and ratings.

    Have not seen all (will definitely have to see “Soulmate” & “Flowers” now) but from some of the one’s I have seen – definitely agree with you on a few e.g. Goong, Dal Ja, My Girl, STH et al .

    Would personally rate Coffee Prince a complete “10″ since I totally fell in love with it despite all the hype which made me think I would dislike it . But I so loved it. The reverse was the case for me with MNKSS – something personal I think – no matter how much I tried I just couldn’t like it on any level – so would disagree with you and lower the ratings a bit there. And on a personal level liked Lovers a lot so I would raise ratings there – not for the storyline but something in the way the leads interacted – but thats personal as you say.

    My reason for rambling here is that I am nearing the end of a Kang Ji Hwan series – “Be Strong Geum Soon” – and I so love this drama despite its length (which was actually a big deterrant initially)that I have to share it here. This drama is so engaging, heartwarming, with wonderful characters, gorgeous KJH & a very cute lead actress – that it was amazing the speed with which I finished it. It was one of those which make you want to sit up night and day and finish the drama…..So I recommend it highly esp to all Kang Ji Hwan fans……Every single character has done a great job and it is a totally captivating drama ……Also known as Aja Geum Soon…

    Aja aja

  230. 230 starletbang - Aug 8, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    Thanks for the ratings. I think I’m going to go and watch the Last Scandal of My Life now!

    I definitely agree with your ratings (I saw almost all the dramas on your list)

    Thanks dramabeans!

  231. 231 tuswit - Aug 9, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    @230 you will enjoy Last Scandal, it’s one of my favorite Kdramas! Jeong jun ho is so good, funny and i loved the chem btwn him & the late Choi jin shil. I’ve seen this maybe 3x now.
    @javabeans – i also agree with your ratings cause i’ve seen most of these dramas on your list. thnx – i love visiting your site!

  232. 232 Suzumi - Aug 10, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    I love your ratings for SOAM and Soulmate. Those are seriously my favorite kdrama series, along with Fashion 70s and Capital Scandal! I can’t express how happy I was to see SOAM get a 10/10 from you. I’m watching Return of Illjimae right now and will try Flowers for My Life later on~

  233. 233 Vee - Aug 12, 2009 at 11:47 pm

    you are so right. soulmate was so much fun. i especially loved sa kang’s character. she is just so lovable.

  234. 234 Jackie - Aug 13, 2009 at 3:36 pm

    can you do recaps for My Girl? i’m watching it now because of the high rating you gave it and its popularity, but i really don’t like it. i’m TRYING to, but i just can’t bring myself to. i want to see why everyone loves it so much :/

  235. 235 tonia - Aug 14, 2009 at 8:39 am

    Hello! I came across your blog while surfing the net for good K-series and when I saw your ratings of K drama I decided to watch some of your recommendations. I’m actually an Lee Da Hae fan, loved her since My Girl and then I watched her in Green Rose and just can’t stop from watching her other series. When I learned that she will be in East of Eden, somehow the series Sandglass kept coming up and when I saw that it was in your list of recommended dramas I decided to see what it was all about and OMG, I loved that series SANDGLASS for me was just so great, I just loved it and so when I watched East of Eden I was expecting something great to but unfortunately I was just disappointed and loss complete interest especially when my fave K-actress dropped out. But to everybody please watch SANDGLASS, you won’t regret it. That was a very intense series. I’m off to watch The Story of Man, been hearing some great things about it. :)

  236. 236 adelle - Aug 21, 2009 at 4:04 am

    will you consider to rate beethoven virus too?

  237. 237 Anonymous - Aug 21, 2009 at 5:57 am

    Or all the shows that you’ve seen, that would be great. :)

  238. 238 Shini - Aug 25, 2009 at 1:43 pm

    OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Seriously, I would not have given Story of a Man, a second look if it werent for your ratings…and even then I was pretty doubtful…but seriously, omg!!!! How can such an awesome drama be made? How is it possible someone made this good of a drama?? I enjoy every second of it, every look, every scene, it’s skipped all my fav’s till know, and settles itself in my No.1 drama (for now =P still need to watch 3 more episodes..but i’m kinda scared finishing it…it’s too sad T__T) And how can it get such low ratings? This is blasphemy!!

    Thanks again for rating everything ;) I wont doubt again xD

  239. 239 luraaa - Aug 26, 2009 at 11:03 am

    Shini,

    We all know here who have seen Story of a Man that it didn’t deserve its ratings in Korea. But then again, its not really all about the ratings. I’m glad I was able to watch SoaM because for me, it will always be my number 1 drama of all time. Everything was just perfect.

    And JB,

    I thank you for giving it a 10/10 rating here because it deserves it. Return of Iljimae looks pretty too, I’ll be giving it a try sometime.

    Thanks for this awesome site. (btw, I’ve been wanting to say this weeks ago, but dramafever is now available in North America, not just in the US. yey! )

  240. 240 reeyuh - Aug 27, 2009 at 7:39 pm

    your ratings are helpful! im soo on a roll catching up on my Kdramas. it all started with boys over flowers. i loooove junpyo hahaha right now, im watching coffee prince, it’s my fourth kdrama.. (yeah, still a newbie) from BOF, full house, autumn in my heart, coffee prince. so far, im loving all the series i’ve watched. though autumn in my heart is too melodramatic for me. hmm, no review for autumn in my heart (endless love)?

    i’m nearing the end of coffee prince. sooo kawaiii hehehe though im still biased with BOF. haha i like how the story still proceeds with the 2 leads reconciling and giving their relationship a go.. this time with full knowledge that eun chan is actually a gurl hahaha

  241. 241 tamu - Sep 1, 2009 at 12:51 am

    you forgot “ALL ABOUT EVE”..this made me watch k dramas…

  242. 242 nara - Sep 9, 2009 at 12:30 am

    Actually..I only like comedy drama..but Story of A Man is exceptional…It’s makes me curious ’till the end…..It deserve 10….I suggest you to watch J-drama “Smile”…the music, directing, and acting.are best….

  243. 243 From nyc - Sep 15, 2009 at 7:39 pm

    amazing blog….I check it often for drama updates…hope you get paid for all the hard work you put in but till then I guess it is good that you can keep collecting eyeballs over time. Why don’t you commercialize your blog? I am sure that Korean TV and music cos will pay hand over fist for someone with such a captive audience – just make sure that u talk to a contract lawyer before doing a deal so they dont get free advertising for pennies.

  244. 244 Julia - Sep 16, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    Hey javabeans you have the most amazing esipode syn of k dramas and I was wondering whether you watched rebirth or queen of the housewives?

  245. 245 tonia - Sep 17, 2009 at 3:56 am

    Just finished watching Story of a Man and Soulmate and I both fell in love with both series. SoaM was just so gripping and I love Chae Do Woo, evil personified. Soulmate was just so endearing and never thought I would fall in love with this series but I thought to give it a try and what can I say, it was a very good love story and so different from what is being shown out there these days. I love how their lovestory was played out all throughout the series. Wished that they would have continued and made a season 2 it would have been interesting to see it.

  246. 246 oppa888 - Oct 3, 2009 at 11:22 pm

    Hi Javabeans,

    I think that Swallow The Sun is a great drama, huge production, from S.Korea, USA, South Africa. Im very impressed after 10 episodes and have not found any flat spots within this drama. Fast paced, well scripted, cinematography is also fantastic.. etc…

  247. 247 glacierkn - Oct 4, 2009 at 10:03 am

    Hi Javabeans,

    I’m just another one to pester you about how much I liked Capital Scandal. True, it was slapstick at times, but that just added a lighter side to the overall dark story. Anyway, I love your site…thanks so much!

  248. 248 eneria143 - Oct 8, 2009 at 1:10 am

    hello, i really enjoy reading all that is written in this site…. thank you so much…im a fan of yoon eun hye and kdrama addicts… but seems that MFL is not for yoon eun hye… (just my opinion)… i like her being simple like in coffee prince and princess hours…

    More power and hope for more updates on You’re Handsome series and also pretty Han Hyo Joo, and Yoon Eun hye…

  249. 249 Yaya - Oct 11, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    Hi Javabeans,

    Your rating is actually very helpful. I tend to look up on this site before deciding to watch some dramas, especially the old ones and the underrated dramas. Too bad that certain dramas receive all the hypes but did not meet the viewers’ expectations; in contrast certain series did not well in terms of the rating but really have good combination of plot, cast, directing and scripts.

    Have you watched Capital Scandal? It’s my all-time-favorite KDrama, especially from KJH.

    Thanks for your review.

  250. 250 Kajova - Oct 18, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    Hey Javabeans
    love your blog, it keeps me informed of the best in korean actors and dramas, I have dificulty remembering their names tough, but love your reviews and am trying to find time to watch the ones you comment on. Gracias!!!!

  251. 251 Anonymous - Oct 19, 2009 at 1:05 pm

    i liked BOF a lot.

  252. 252 Vanessa - Oct 19, 2009 at 5:06 pm

    Hi !

    I love your site, because I’m from Brazil and here korean dramas aren’t much known, so everyday I’m here to see the news..
    and I agree with your ratings .. but have you ever tried to watch THE SNOW QUEEN ? it’s awesome .. very sad, but it stills good ! hong gil dong (I LOVE KANG JI HWAN) and swallow the sun are very good too ..

    Sorry, my english isn’t perfect, but I hope you understand.. LOL

    Bye ;)

  253. 253 Bao Bei - Oct 21, 2009 at 6:33 am

    Hi..
    reading ur comments, makes me want to watch The last scandal of my life…and soulmate….
    might give it a try next time….

    Flowers of my life..wow..10/10..perfect score…? I love Cha Tae Yun…but feels a bit annoyed with the female lead….urgh…

  254. 254 Nay - Oct 23, 2009 at 8:30 pm

    Do you have a rating for Tamra the Island?

  255. 255 Mish - Oct 28, 2009 at 9:54 pm

    woot agreed with most of your ratings. i only watched a few of them, the popular ones that is, and then watched other dramas that had the same actors. lol. i was looking for episode 7 of you’re beautiful and stumbled on here o: it’s soo hilarious! i can’t get enough of jang geun suk’s acting.

  256. 256 Layla - Oct 29, 2009 at 8:11 pm

    Hi,

    I LOVE your blog. As a die-hard KDrama addict, and for someone who’s not even Korean, this is a Godsend. Thank you for all your hard work, you’re incredible to do this.

    I was just wondering if you had any recommendations of dramas that aren’t already on your list?. I was looking for something along the lines of Who are You, which I LOVED. Funny, without being slapstick, poignant and interesting. Also, if no one would die at the end, that would be great as well lol. I love KDramas, but the melodrama SERIOUSLY gets me down =)

    thanks!

  257. 257 polip - Oct 31, 2009 at 1:00 am

    hi java ^^
    thank you for your wonderful website, im fan of your web, among the series i think you’re beautiful is somehow like boys over flowers, but have some differences that if we look at them deeply we might find them big difference, im waiting for the ratings for you’re beautiful and would like to know which one caught your attention more, and my question is that, were these ratings done while the series were airing? or a period of time was past after the airing, then rated? because for me my feeling will be different between when im watching a hot drama and when 1 month or some weeks is past after it is finished
    thanks ^^v

  258. 258 pottrings - Nov 4, 2009 at 9:28 am

    Hi!
    I came upon your website while searching for news of “you’re beautiful”. Wow your drama recap is really detailed lol. It has the snapshots of the drama with snippets of the dialogue and your views on it…You must spend a lot of time on it. But I do like reading it :) and the song of the day with the translations is a nice touch!

    I’m now only at ep6 Of “you’re Beautiful” as the subbing team has yet to complete the 7th. It’s an interesting drama although some parts are a bit cliche. It’s quite fast moving too…just watched 3 episodes back-to-back.=)

    I’m going to take you up on your recommendations of dramas as i share the same opinions as you of those that i have watched. You couldn’t have phrased it better!

  259. 259 Angela - Nov 4, 2009 at 5:09 pm

    Hi,

    Just stumbled on your website the other day. I”ve only watched My Lovely Sam Soon, which my daughter and I both loved. I’m so glad our first kdrama was this one, though, now I’m completely spoiled and may expect all dramas to live up to that standard, which is probably unrealistic.

    My Korean isn’t that great and my daughter wants to learn to speak it, so this is our fun way of learning it, I hope it helps. Thank you so much for your honest and funny comments.

    I started watching Boys Before Flowers and though I was really hooked at first, but I started to get annoyed with the silly plotlines(JanDi acting like an airhead,being so incredibly indecisive and making really stupid moves, Ji Hoo coming to her rescue, does he have GPS chip on her or what?!!, and Jun Pyo keeps coming back for more abuse.

    I laughed so hard about your comments when JanDi got lost in the snowstorm.

    Angela

  260. 260 JanDi - Nov 6, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    well angela, you didnt get the essence of BOF… just watch it until the end… is just one of the best!

  261. 261 baoi - Nov 6, 2009 at 8:46 pm

    I really want to know what your take (rating) is for the Kdrama Great Inheritance. I like how you’ve graded several dramas i’ve seen (Coffee Prince and Bad Family, I agree!!)

Rant and/or Rave