And now to conclude the Big 3 Broadcaster awards with SBS, featuring some of the most popular dramas of the year. Tree With Deep Roots was the big winner of the night, winning six trophies in total, including the Daesang for Han Seok-kyu, and the Top Excellence Award for Best Drama. There were no big upsets in any category, because they kind of have a category for everyone, but that’s the name of the game. I’m just happy for Han Seok-kyu’s big win, and the fact that he didn’t have to share the glory with any split-award hullabaloo.

Protect the Boss cleaned up as well, winning Best Couple and acting awards for the stars, as well as an additional netizen popularity award for Choi Kang-hee. As expected, Thousand Day Promise had a strong showing in the acting categories, as did fellow melodrama Scent of a Woman. It certainly was the year for tearjerkers. The winners…

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Post tags: awards, Choi Kang-hee, Eom Ki-joon, Gu Hara, Han Seok-kyu, Im Soo-hyang, Jaejoong, Jang Hyuk, Jeon Gwang-ryul, Ji Chang-wook, Ji Sung, Jung Kyeo-woon, Jung Yumi (2), Kim Rae-won, Kim Sun-ah, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Mi-sook, Lee Min-ho, Lee So-yeon, Lee Yo-won, Seo Hyo-rim, Shin Hyun-bin, Shin Se-kyung, Song Joong-ki, Su Ae, Wang Ji-hye, Yoon So-yi

What a heartwarming, funny, adorable finale for a heartwarming, funny, adorable series. You know what I love about this show? It’s just simple, steadfast, and best of all, it’s earnest. No fancy tricks, not even many surprises. But I walk away from it feeling like every character was worth meeting, and that love – real, everyday kind of love – is worth the risk.

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 18 (Final) (2,371 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

As we head into the finale, ends are tied, realizations are come upon, and decisions made. It’s funny to think of how many times this couple has circled around each other, almost reuniting but the pulled back by some badly timed reminder that they’re just not ready for it yet. Normally these forces keeping a couple apart are just narrative devices pacing us for the eventual realization of love, but in this drama they’re relevant to these characters’ development, proving why they’re just not there yet. It may be a bit roundabout, but it gives me more faith that once they finally get it right again, it’ll really stick.

SONG OF THE DAY

Can’t Lose OST – “돌아와줘요” (Please Come Back) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 17 (3,488 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

What’s better than romance? Why, bromance of course. In the best episode yet, we get the height of both funny and sad, all in one go. The rivalry heats up, an unexpected friendship emerges, and it comes time for Eun-jae to face some harsh consequences for the choices she’s made. There’s only one word for this episode: DAEBAK.

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 16 (3,608 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

The love triangle is set and the men’s jealousies start to assert themselves, although it’s kind of a lopsided fight, with Hot (Hyung-woo) facing off versus Cold (Seok-hoon). Maybe this is where the we should be welcoming the extension, since it’ll give us more time to delve into Eom Ki-joon’s character instead of trotting him out as a token late-game obstacle. And I’m all for delving into Eom Ki-joon.

SONG OF THE DAY

Standing Egg – “Little Star” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Can’t Lose: Episode 15 (2,785 words)

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

Eom. Ki. Joon. Need I say more? I dunno what happens in this episode, because Eom Ki-joon stops by, and I lose all sense of reason. What? What’s that you say? Eom Ki-joon isn’t the star of this drama? It’s just a cameo? Lalalalala. I can’t hear you!

 
EPISODE 14 RECAP

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Choi Ji-woo, Eom Ki-joon, featured, Ha Suk-jin, Kim Jung-tae, Yoon Sang-hyun

Ahh, so this is how they’re going to introduce conflict for Can’t Lose’s extension.

Eom Ki-joon (Scent of a Woman, Dream High) is making a recurring appearance on the drama starting from today’s Episode 14 through Episode 17, playing Eun-jae’s (Choi Ji-woo) ex-boyfriend. That means he’ll probably mess with the couple’s budding reconciliation in the same way that Lee Soo-kyung‘s guest appearance as Hyung-woo’s (Yoon Sang-hyun) ex-girlfriend rocked the boat in the drama’s early episodes.

On the one hand: Manufactured conflict, boooooo. On the other hand: Eom Ki-joon!

I love him, and think he has a wonderful presence no matter what role he’s playing, whether it’s cold and collected (Hero), dorky and bumbling (Dream High), or my favorite, cold-on-the-outside and dorky-on-the-inside (Scent of a Woman). I miss my Dr. Poopy. Eom’s always a nice bonus, even if the appearance is as unremarkable as his cameo in Miss Ripley earlier this year (he was fine, his prosecutor character was fine — it just seemed like a waste of his talent for a role that could’ve been played by any no-name rookie).

But since the bottom line is more Eom Ki-joon, I guess I’m onboard.

Via Yonhap News

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• Scent of a Woman: Episode 1
• Moon Geun-young and Eom Ki-joon cuddle up in rehearsals

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Post tags: Can't Lose, Eom Ki-joon

It’s the end of the road, and time for Yeon-jae to say her goodbyes and tie up all her loose ends. Normally I loathe finales that are a lineup of all the players, saying goodbye like a checklist, but when you’re talking about going to the big dance floor in the sky, everything takes on heightened meaning and each hug and kiss feels precious. I guess that’s what makes a bucket list different from a regular list.

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Post tags: Eom Ki-joon, featured, Kim Sun-ah, Lee Dong-wook, Scent of a Woman, Seo Hyo-rim

No more secrets, just acceptance. It takes us 15 episodes to arrive here, at the message packed in this drama (and this episode in particular): Live with love, build your happiness on that, and make the most of the life you have while you have it. The message is universal and oft-heard, but still packs a punch when you see it lived out in characters you’ve grown attached to and rooted for over this many hours.

SONG OF THE DAY

Scent of a Woman OST – “Bucket List” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Scent of a Woman: Episode 15 (3,405 words)

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Post tags: Eom Ki-joon, featured, Kim Sun-ah, Lee Dong-wook, Scent of a Woman, Seo Hyo-rim

I think this episode may have dehydrated me, with all the tears I shed. But in contrast to the last several episodes, I loved all the tearful moments in this episode, which were peppered with warmth and tons of heart. It’s probably my favorite Scent episode in quite a while, maybe overall.

The reason I found the last few episodes duller than usual and trying to my patience was because they felt empty and manipulative — lots of strings being pulled but no emotion behind them. This episode, on the other hand, brings us back to what the drama had done so well: drawing out moments of connection between people, playing up a small detail that turns out to carry tremendous emotional impact, and doing it in a way that moves you.

SONG OF THE DAY

Yellow Monsters – “끝인사” (Goodbye) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Scent of a Woman: Episode 14 (3,198 words)

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Post tags: Eom Ki-joon, featured, Kim Sun-ah, Lee Dong-wook, Scent of a Woman, Seo Hyo-rim