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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Read the rest of 2011 SBS Drama Awards (1,653 words)

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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

Awards, awards, awards! Friday, November 25, was the night of the 2011 Blue Dragon Film Awards, and — no surprise — the winners list was dominated by one of the biggest films of the year, sageuk-action-thriller Bow: The Ultimate Weapon. The film is a David and Goliath story of one man (Park Hae-il) taking down the enemy with his exceptional prowess with the bow and won awards for most of its leading stars.

A few other films also nabbed multiple awards, with best picture going to the thriller Bad Deal. (which also won for director and screenplay).

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Read the rest of 2011 Blue Dragon Film Awards (1,639 words)

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Post tags: awards, Byun Jung-soo, Go Soo, Gong Yoo, Han Chae-young, Jo Sung-ha, Jung Ryeo-won, Kim Haneul, Kim Hye-soo, Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Je-hoon, Lee Jung-jin, Lee Min-ho, Lee Min-jung, Lee Shi-young, Moon Chae-won, Nam Gyuri, Park Bo-young, Park Hae-il, Ryu Hyun-kyung, Ryu Seung-ryong, Su Ae, Yoo Sun, Yoon Kye-sang

This interview came out before the big news that Park Min-young was in fact dating her City Hunter co-star Lee Min-ho, but maybe that’s a good thing; anything published after that is bound to be overshadowed by questions of her relationship.

But since that romance IS bound to attract the most interest, let’s get some of those details out of the way first. As noted when the news was first confirmed, the two actors had known each other before working together on City Hunter, although they hadn’t been that close until this project. They shot a CF together before either was well-known, and a few years later she was the lead in the 2007 high school drama I Am Sam. Lee played one of the supporting characters as one of her schoolmates.

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Read the rest of Park Min-young: Over her slump and keeping busy (1,688 words)

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Post tags: City Hunter, interviews, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

javabeans: The City Hunter and Nana Bear?!! They’ve just confirmed it, via Park Min-young’s agency.

girlfriday: They’re DATING? In REAL LIFE?

javabeans: It’s like my fantasies have collided with real life and now I’m all confused where one starts and the other stops.

girlfriday: And that’s different from a regular day how? Maybe it’s a sign that we should just give into City Hunter being reality.

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Read the rest of Lee Min-ho and Park Min-young confirm they’re dating (350 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 551 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: conversation post, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young, star romances

javabeans: Hey, have you heard Lee Min-ho is on his way to your neck of the woods?

girlfriday: *drops everything, gives jb full attention*

javabeans: Uh, so, Lee Min-ho is on his way to your neck of the woods. He just hopped on a plane a few hours ago.

girlfriday: OMG, did I finally get through to the powers that be?

javabeans: You’ll have to fight it out with everyone else in LA who just dropped their Monday plans to stalk Lee Min-ho through the (very large, might I add) city.

girlfriday: Koreatown’s not so large. I’m on it.

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Read the rest of Lee Min-ho heads for Los Angeles (599 words)

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Post tags: conversation post, Lee Min-ho, Yoon-ah

Am I dead? I think I might be dead. City Hunter may have gone killed me dead.

This finale hits all the right notes for me, wrapping up the plot and giving us some emotional payoffs along with the narrative resolutions, and doing it with suspense, tension (my blood pressure is still spiked, I swear), and satisfaction. The ending leaves me feeling wistful and bittersweet at the cost it took to get to this point of resolution, but the series signs off with enough openness that I can imagine my own continuation of the story from here.

Or, you know, they could give us a Season 2.* JUST SAYIN’.

*Seriously! We have such ideas for another season! Really good ones. Auuuuugh, Season 2 aja!

SONG OF THE DAY

Mate – “Play” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 20 (Final) (5,418 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 1051 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

Not like you didn’t own me before, Show, but this finale-lead-in? Kicks so much ass. I honestly didn’t think City Hunter was going to go out as strong as it came in, but I’m happy to be wrong. So giddy. I knew my love was not for naught.

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 19 (4,303 words)

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Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

Woo, final stretch ahead! Yoon-sung says it in this episode, and as I viewer I can feel it: The end is in sight. The romance is a little less prevalent, but for the best possible reason, which is a return of our crusading hero and his action-packed missions to take down baddies. Phew. For some reason it feels like it’s been a while since we had that satisfaction — there’s plenty of other payoffs the drama has delivered regularly (and thanks for that), but I’ve been champing at the bit for some Bad Guy Takedowns.

So, what this episode gives us is a wrap-up of some of the looser threads, to propel us toward the final conflict. I can’t wait.

SONG OF THE DAY

Nell – “Afterglow” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 18 (4,142 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 1205 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

This show? It’s like Shakespeare on acid. Or watching Confucius kick Shakespeare’s ass. Or if Confucius and Shakespeare had a lovechild, it’d be City Hunter. Is anyone else’s head hurty with the daddy issues? Somebody please give this boy a hug. I’m scared for what’s around the corner.

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 17 (4,520 words)

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Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

Ooh, the big secret’s out — to us, at least, not to the characters — and the story takes a bit of a twist accordingly. It’s a point I thought I’d hate, but which actually turns out to work pretty nicely, in a symbolic and thematic sense. I think. I’m still waiting on full confirmation before I decide that I like it.

SONG OF THE DAY

Vodka Rain – “지워지지 않을 것 같아” (Something that can’t be erased) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 16 (4,913 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 883 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young