Yes, my last post was “The Best of 2007,” but rather than put up a Worst list, I’m lumping them all together with The Rest. Not all the dramas I’m mentioning here are bad; they’re just dramas I watched that didn’t belong in the Best list.

SONG OF THE DAY

War of Money OST – “알 수 없는 일” (unknowable thing) by Sweet Sorrow [ Download ]

(...)
Read the rest of The Year in Review, Part 4: The Rest of 2007 (4,355 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2007. | Permalink | 51 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Air City, Auction House, Bad Couple, Capital Scandal, Goong S, Hello! Miss, Legend, Oh Su Jung, stuff I dig, War of Money, Witch Amusement, year in review

 
I find the following article (indented stuff in dark blue font is the translated article; the rest are my comments) particularly interesting because I’ve thought this topic over a lot in the past, and pretty much completely disagree — not with the article’s logic, but the conclusion. The piece draws upon comparisons between kdramas and their American drama counterparts, which have multiple-season structures that differ from the kdrama format (of single-season, finite series). I have long believed — strongly, at that — that in this respect, the kdrama format far outstrips the U.S. model.

But I’ll get more into that after the article. First, here’s what it’s got to say:

“Demanding More Seasons of Television Dramas”

When popular dramas end, you’ll find these sorts of comments on the audience message boards: “Produce a season 2!” That was the case not long ago with MBC’s Coffee Prince Store #1, as well as Time of Dog and Wolf.

 
(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

The Hi-Lights – “Mister Tambourine” [ zShare download ]

 
(...)
Read the rest of Sequel Mania (1,805 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2007. | Permalink | 38 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Auction House, Bad Couple, Bad Family, drama production, drama ratings, Hello Franceska, Lovers, sequels

Don’t worry, that’s just the first scene of the episode. I’d have picked a more cheerful one, but I didn’t want to spoil anything. Even if it is the last episode so there’s not a whole lot I can spoil at this point.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Sol Flower – “Kiss the Kids,” a 25-year-old singer whose real name is Min Hana. She may be described as R&B, but that (to me) suggests a pop sensibiilty, and this is more… indie-soul? [ zShare download ]

(...)
Read the rest of Bad Couple: Episode 16 (Final) (1,566 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2007. | Permalink | 29 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bad Couple, Byun Jung-soo, Choi Jung-yoon, episode recaps, Ryu Soo-young, Shin Eun-kyung, Yoo Gun

So here’s the thing. I liked how Bad Couple ended in their last two episodes (15 & 16). I liked the resolutions and the character wrap-up. What I didn’t like, then, was how these resolutions were presented. Story = decent. Execution = hated.

I kinda hesitate to give my full honest opinion on the ending because I don’t want to ruin the satisfaction others may get from what is, in the end, a nicely wrapped-up story. It’s just that as I was watching the last two episodes, everything felt really weirdly off-balance. The editing felt slapdash, the music cues were off, the scenes went on a little too long, the dialogue tended to meander. I wonder if the production was really pressed for time — I know that final weeks are tough in kdrama production, as you can read for yourself here. Personally, I think they ran out of story, and what could’ve been one episode was stretched into two.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Tei – “나무” (namu / tree) [ zShare download ]

(...)
Read the rest of Bad Couple: Episode 15 (1,005 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2007. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bad Couple, episode recaps, Ryu Soo-young, Shin Eun-kyung

Ryu Su Young (Gi Chan) is really good this episode. Really good. Nobody does heartfelt cornball adoration as believably and adorably as him.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Biuret – “사랑해요” (I Love You). I really like the chorus and its intense overlapping harmonies from this song by all-female rock band Biuret. [ zShare download ]

(...)
Read the rest of Bad Couple: Episode 14 (1,602 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2007. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bad Couple, episode recaps, Ryu Soo-young, Shin Eun-kyung

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Noblesse – “이별이 버릇이 됐어” (Goodbye has become a habit) [ zShare download ]

(...)
Read the rest of Bad Couple: Episode 13 (1,830 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2007. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bad Couple, episode recaps, Ryu Soo-young, Shin Eun-kyung

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Dong Wan – “My Love” featuring Eric (and written by Minwoo, I believe?). I mentioned previously that I wasn’t that impressed with Kim Dong Wan’s solo album. There were a few tracks I thought were all right, like this one, which doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is my general critique of the rest of the album. [ zShare download ]

(...)
Read the rest of Bad Couple: Episode 12 (1,570 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2007. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bad Couple, episode recaps, Ryu Soo-young, Shin Eun-kyung