Time for another podcast! Here’s Numero 5…

In which javabeans and girlfriday discuss:

• our Dream High–My Princess bet;
• the upcoming 49 Days;
• Return of Iljimae, how we miss it, and Jung Il-woo’s Mane of Glory;
• our issues with Athena and IRIS;
• My Princess, cuteness, and the dullness of bad villains;
• Dream High, its awesomeness, and who we think K is;
• and Uhm Tae-woong joining 1 Night 2 Days.

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Read the rest of Dramabeans Podcast #5 (80 words)

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Post tags: Athena, Dream High, featured, IRIS, My Princess, Return of Iljimae, The Duo

Here we are! The last of the year-end review series.

This post is something new, but I thought it would be an interesting experiment. Although each of us reviewers has our personal favorites, which we outlined in our personal reviews, it’s a different thing to move past preference and try to be objective in a sort of Dramabeans Awards — hence, these Editors’ Picks.

We voted in rounds, first nominating all potential candidates, then narrowing them down to a small pool of finalists, then culling that to one or two picks. As a result, not all of us got picks that we may have personally felt were most fitting, but we all respected the process and the opinions that led us to these selections.

SONG OF THE DAY

Queen Seon-deok OST – “아라로” (Araro) by I.U. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of 2009 Editors’ Picks [Year In Review, Part 6] (4,806 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 112 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Accidental Couple, Again My Love, Assorted Gems, awards, Boys Before Flowers, Brilliant Legacy, City Hall, Friend Our Legend, IRIS, Kyung Sook Kyung Sook's Father, Queen Seon-deok, Return of Iljimae, Smile, Story of a Man, year in review, You're Beautiful

First, I’d like to start by thanking Sarah for inviting me to be a guest reviewer. I must admit that I was, at first, a bit daunted (okay, scared ****less would be more precise), but how else could I begin to pay a little back to those who have given me so much? I’m neither a blogger nor a writer, but I am an avid fan of kdramas (possibly, too avid), as well as Javabeans’ blog, and these past few years have been brighter and better because I get to come here, my home away from home, each and every day. Good company makes for good times. It truly is an honor to be included with the likes of Dahee, Thundie, JB…and, yes, even Samsooki .

Overall, I’d say 2009 had more to offer than the kdrama drought of the previous year, but as I watched more than 20 of this year’s fare (plus several more that I dropped midway), I found myself becoming increasingly…..well, grumpy. Usually, I tend to finish dramas that I start, I don’t have many expectations from dramas when they begin because I never know how they will affect me personally, and I don’t easily succumb to boredom…so what could’ve caused the permanent indentation on my forehead [from all the headdesking]?

Could it have been the number of daily dramas I was so easily suck[er]ed into watching due to fangirliness and the prospect of shared ogling and squeeing with friends (I haven’t forgotten who recommended those dramas to me, mind you!)? Had my tastes changed so drastically since reaching triple-digits for total dramas watched over the years? Or was I simply turning into one of those persnickety old ajummas with rapidly decreasing patience for idiocy? I’m sure it’s a combination of all that, along with an increased appreciation for solid writing, directing, and acting.

Then towards the end of the year, just when I thought I could not endure any more squama frontalis abuse, I finally watched Kwak Jung Hwan’s 2007 masterpiece, Conspiracy In The Court. It had always been a part of my Horn of Plenty (my ever-increasing list of dramas to watch), but it wasn’t until this mind-blowing experience that I finally realized why I had been drawn to the underrated gems of 2009 while being left unmoved by those that brought in the big ratings.

SONG OF THE DAY

Conspiracy in the Court OST – “Parallel Lines (평행선)” by JK Kim Dong-wook (Because this is just an awesome song, covered in a decadent awesome sauce with whipped cream and a cherry on top.)
[ Download ]

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Read the rest of Finding Hidden Gems And Lumps of Coal in 2009 [Year In Review, Part 5] (4,629 words)

© hjkomo for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 121 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Assorted Gems, Don't Hesitate, Everybody Cha Cha Cha, Family Honor, Hero, I Love You Don't Cry, Queen of Housewives, Return of Iljimae, Romance Zero, The Road Home, year in review, You're Beautiful

After a pretty meh 2008, I was ready for the drama landscape to fire back up with 2009. And while there were a number of misses and disappointments — isn’t there always? — I was pretty satisfied with the dramas I watched in 2009. I still don’t think there were as many top offerings as, say, 2007, but I found a number of series to entertain me and satisfy my drama craving. There were a few selections early on that got me pumped for the year and things lagged during and after the summer months, but all told, I had an entertaining year.

(Okay, this is LONG. I tried to contain myself, really.)

SONG OF THE DAY

IRIS – “Empty” by Juni [ Download ]

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Read the rest of All Told, A Pretty Fun Year [Year In Review, Part 4] (7,596 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 141 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Boys Before Flowers, Cinderella Man, Dream, Heading to the Ground, Hero, Hon, IRIS, Kyung Sook Kyung Sook's Father, My Fair Lady, Partner, Queen Seon-deok, Return of Iljimae, Smile, Sons of Sol Pharmacy House, Story of a Man, Style, Swallow the Sun, Tamra the Island, Triple, Will It Snow For Christmas, year in review, You're Beautiful

With the year coming to an end, that means it’s time to take stock of the past twelve months (well, eleven really) in kdramas. The broadcast stations will be holding their awards ceremonies at the end of the month, and I’m working on my wrap-up of 2009′s offerings — as are some very talented (and prolific!) drama-watching fans — which I’ll post up closer to the end of the year.

But this is your turn to weigh in on what you liked or didn’t. I didn’t do a year-end poll last year (after putting one up in 2007) and people seemed to really want one, so it’s back.

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Read the rest of How was 2009 for you? (1,304 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 410 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Star's Lover, Accidental Couple, Angel's Temptation, Boys Before Flowers, Brilliant Legacy, Cain and Abel, Cinderella Man, City Hall, Dream, Friend, Heading to the Ground, Hero, Hon, IRIS, Ja Myung Go, Job Well Done, Loving You a Thousand Times, My Fair Lady, Partner, Queen of Housewives, Queen Seon-deok, Return of Iljimae, Smile, Sons of Sol Pharmacy House, Story of a Man, Strike Love, Style, Tamra the Island, Triple, year in review

(These are short mp3 clips that you can download onto your phone IF your phone is capable of mp3 ringtones. I know some phones have size limits for mp3s — mine is 500kb — and most of these clips are under 30 seconds and in the 200kb-400kb range. Download link at bottom.)

For example:

YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL

I’m sure most of you are familiar with this soundtrack so I don’t need to post clips, but I’ll put them up just in case:

Jang Geun-seok – “말도 없이” (Without Words)

Jang Geun-seok – “Good Bye”

A.N.JELL – “Promise” verse

A.N.JELL – “Promise” chorus

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Read the rest of Drama theme-song ringtones (721 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 159 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Boys Before Flowers, Coffee Prince, Goong, Goong S, My Fair Lady, My Name Is Kim Samsoon, Return of Iljimae, Story of a Man, Strongest Chil Woo, The World They Live In, You're Beautiful

Ahhhh, another great drama ends.

Even though it took me forever to finish writing about this drama, I have to say that it’s one of the best I’ve seen in recent memory. I’m sorry to see it end and wish we had more offerings like it — directed with confidence, filmed with breathtaking scenery, acted with depth, scored with lush background music, and infused every step of the way with a heart-twisting dose of emotion. For being set against a large historical backdrop (of war and politics) and led by a famous fictional comic-book hero, The Return of Iljimae tells a surprisingly personal story.

SONG OF THE DAY

Jo Won-sun (Roller Coaster) – “천천히” (Slowly) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Return of Iljimae: Episode 24 (Final) (3,657 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 46 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jung Il-woo, Return of Iljimae, Yoon Jin-seo

What a packed episode — so much happens!

Iljimae has gone through a lot in his relatively short life thus far, and it seems like his life will never be calm. When it feels like his work will never be over, will he be able to ever be happy and content, as he once promised Wol-hee? I’m very curious to know how this drama will wrap up with only one more episode to go…

SONG OF THE DAY

Biuret – “Diamond” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Return of Iljimae: Episode 23 (3,772 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jung Hye-young, Jung Il-woo, Return of Iljimae, Yoon Jin-seo

Ohhh, this is such a good episode. I freaking love it.

It’s intense, and plot-twisty, and suspenseful. What more could you ask for, really? Well, maybe ONE thing…

SONG OF THE DAY

Mot – “11 Over 8″ [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Return of Iljimae: Episode 22 (2,627 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jung Hye-young, Jung Il-woo, Kim Min-jong, Return of Iljimae, Yoon Jin-seo

This episode really gets the action going, which is welcome because, as I mentioned in the previous recap, I prefer more personal storylines to politics. Not that politics is bad — it adds depth and historical context, certainly — but I like both in a nice balance.

SONG OF THE DAY

Return of Iljimae OST – “남자는 똑같다” (Men are all the same) by Park Jung-eun [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Return of Iljimae: Episode 21 (2,920 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jung Hye-young, Jung Il-woo, Kim Min-jong, Return of Iljimae, Yoon Jin-seo