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

If I tried to explain this episode in a paragraph, I think I’d spill more tears, and frankly, I don’t know if I have any left. So here it is in a nutshell: It’s FUCKING PERFECT. Gah. Okay, fine, it’s maybe a hair shy of perfect, but damn if it isn’t the most satisfying ending I’ve seen in a long time. It solidifies the assumption that I started this drama with—that the best thing about this show would always be the writing, which elevates everything else, and brings all our characters full circle.

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Read the rest of 49 Days: Episode 20 (Final) (5,531 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, Bae Soo-bin, featured, Jo Hyun-jae, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyuri, Seo Ji-hye

Oh man, I think I’m out of tears. 49 Days, you owe me tears! Like, a bucketload of them — I need to rehydrate. Drama, I’ll accept my payment in lattes, please.

How can a story with such sad elements be so satisfying? We start wrapping up our story threads, but the drama still manages to keep one step ahead of us, with new curveballs thrown into the mix just when you think everything’s all resolved.

SONG OF THE DAY

Urban Zakapa – “우리 처음 만난 날” (The Day We First Met) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of 49 Days: Episode 19 (3,986 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, Bae Soo-bin, featured, Jo Hyun-jae, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyuri, Seo Ji-hye

HO. LY. CRAP! That would be the sound of my heart exploding. Basically, this is the episode where I die a thousand deaths, from the Swoon / Tears / Cute / Cry / Cute … aaaaaand back to Tears. There’s only one cure after this emotional rollercoaster of an episode: a hug from Kang in a Trenchcoat. It’s the latest model, and it sure is pretty.

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Read the rest of 49 Days: Episode 18 (4,401 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, Bae Soo-bin, featured, Jo Hyun-jae, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyuri, Seo Ji-hye

Woo, the foursome has assembled! Not that they can all see each other, mind you, but it’s nice to have ‘em all inhabiting the same space, and aware (on some level) of each other’s presences. I’d wondered if Kang had found out about Ji-hyun’s condition too early to make for a satisfying resolution, but as it turns out, this “I totally love you but I can’t say I love you and I know you love me too even though you won’t acknowledge it” angst-conflict is kind of great.

SONG OF THE DAY

Monni – “기억의 시작” (The beginning of memory) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of 49 Days: Episode 17 (3,952 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, Bae Soo-bin, featured, Jo Hyun-jae, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyuri, Seo Ji-hye

Well, Kang-ah got to celebrate his birthday onscreen with some birthday soup, so now it’s actor Jo Hyun-jae‘s turn; the 49 Days star celebrated his 31st birthday while on set this past weekend (the day fell on May 9), pictured here with some birthday cake (and co-star Lee Yo-won).

Jo uploaded the above photo to his me2day account (a Korean Twitter-like service) with the simple note: “I’m celebrating this birthday on the set…Thank you for your birthday wishes.”

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Read the rest of Happy birthday, Kang-ah (120 words)

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Post tags: Jo Hyun-jae, Lee Yo-won

Ahhh, what a satisfying episode! It’s essentially an episode of payoffs, which is great when you have a drama so chock-full of secrets, plots, and multiple layers of truth and discovery. The worst dramas are the ones where there’s one big secret at the beginning, and the drama’s all about that same secret the whole way through. Here, things keep evolving, so we’re on the hook, just desperate for another crumb, to see how each new setup pays off. And they all just happen to come to a head in this one. (To girlfriday: Neener neener!)

SONG OF THE DAY

Thornapple – “플랑크톤” (Plankton) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of 49 Days: Episode 16 (4,201 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, Bae Soo-bin, featured, Jo Hyun-jae, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyuri, Seo Ji-hye

Go, go, Drama, go! Things heat up all around, as loyalties get tested and jealousies flare up. And you know how I feel about jealousy and posturing and KANG-AH. Need I say more?

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Read the rest of 49 Days: Episode 15 (4,174 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, Bae Soo-bin, featured, Jo Hyun-jae, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyuri, Seo Ji-hye

You know what I love about this drama? It’s not subtle or new or anything, but damn if it isn’t addictively satisfying. It does something that few dramas do—it keeps changing the game, little by little each time, and it actually allows characters to figure things out before we’re left pulling our hair out in frustration. I think I’ve gotten SO used to k-drama characters being blind to the things that we notice, that I find I’m actually surprised when these characters proactively search for clues and deduce things on their own. I mean, nobody’s gunning for Sherlock Holmes territory, but there’s nothing like a little sleuthiness to brighten up my day!

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Read the rest of 49 Days: Episode 14 (3,562 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, Bae Soo-bin, featured, Jo Hyun-jae, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyuri, Seo Ji-hye

Yay for more secrets getting revealed! I like when people find out stuff and are forced to deal with the fallout, rather than constantly trying to keep the same old secrets hidden all series long. Keep the revelations coming, please!

Also, this is a good episode for evolving our rules, and delving into Yi-kyung and the Scheduler’s past. And also for manipulative backstabbers to get served, a little bit. That’s always fun.

SONG OF THE DAY

Loptimist – “연어” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of 49 Days: Episode 13 (3,940 words)

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Post tags: 49 Days, Bae Soo-bin, featured, Jo Hyun-jae, Jung Il-woo, Lee Yo-won, Nam Gyuri, Seo Ji-hye