(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

2007 was a rich year for drama-land. There was something for everyone, whether your tastes ran toward dark thrillers (Devil), intense dramas (White Tower), heart-warmers (Thank You), off-the-wall eccentrics (Mixed-up Investigative Agency), trendy fare (Coffee Prince), romantic comedies (Dal Ja’s Spring), and so on.

2008, on the other hand… not so much.

Every drama has its good and bad points, but it’s a lot easier to decide how you feel about one when those qualities are expressed in the extreme — i.e., very good, or very bad. When everything is a muddle in the middle, though, it’s harder to draw the lines.

That’s why in contrast to last year’s “Best” and “The Rest” designations, this year I don’t really distinguish “good” versus “bad” — or even “favorites” and “hated dramas” — and can only grade on a spectrum. I call that spectrum “MEH” with the extreme poles representing “generally watchable” and “generally unwatchable.” It’s just been that kind of year.

SONG OF THE DAY

Painter of the Wind OST – “색” (Color) by JOO [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Finding Merit in the Mediocre [Year in Review, Part 4] (4,967 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 75 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Star's Lover, Beethoven Virus, Bulhandang/Robbers, East of Eden, Gourmet, Hong Gil Dong, I Love You, Iljimae, Love & Marriage, On Air, One Mom, Rivals, Strongest Chil Woo, Tazza, The Last Scandal of My Life, The World They Live In, Three Dads, When Night Comes, Who Are You?, year in review

The K-drama world rolled into 2008 still riding the high that was 2007, a year in which a startling number of quality dramas were made, and enjoyed. Maybe it rolled in too fast. It ended up getting smothered by the waves of its previous success. In fact, you could say that it even got hit on the head by a stray surfboard, and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Depressing enough intro for ya?

But seriously, 2008 was a dark year for the K-entertainment industry, with not only dramas, but also movies suffering and generally showing poor quality. And not only that, but the economy went kablooie, and we suffered a sobering amount of tragic K-celebrity news.

Personally, this was a supremely frustrating year for a longtime and devoted K-drama fan like me. Before this year, I always gave dramas the benefit of the doubt, and would usually watch at least a certain number of episodes before I passed judgment on them, and decided to continue or discontinue watching. But this year, with every stomach-churning dud, I became more and more impatient, and started going through drama episodes like a vulture searching for roadkill. And boy, did I find a lot of roadkill.

I’m pretty sure 2008 was a record year for me in terms of abandoning dramas. And to think that I used to be the girl who would finish every drama she started, no matter how bad or how boring they were! But the older I get, the less patience I have, and the more critical I become. Besides, I’ve now realized just how precious my time really is. I don’t want to waste it on useless pap, thankyouverymuch.

Still, despite all that, there were a small handful of quality dramas this year. None of them quite matched the heights of some of the dramas of 2007, but still, any kind of quality was more than welcome in this gloomy year.

SONG OF THE DAY

La Dolce Vita – “사랑 꽃” (Love Flower) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Dahee Fanel’s 2008 Review [Year in Review, Part 3] (4,255 words)

© Dahee_Fanel for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 60 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A Star's Lover, Beethoven Virus, East of Eden, I Love You, Iljimae, Kingdom of Wind, La Dolce Vita, My Sweet Seoul, On Air, Rivals, Spotlight, Strongest Chil Woo, Tazza, The Painter of Wind, The World They Live In, When Night Comes, Who Are You?, year in review

How should one convey bad news in writing? By creating a buffer first. Avoid traumatizing your audience with the bad news all at once, but instead cushion the blow so that you can maintain goodwill. That textbook approach (business communication, by the way) would be dandy if the crop of 2008 dramas I watched was anything like the stellar quality of 2007. But no, this was a harvest to make one downright grumpy.

This time last year, eight dramas vied to be in my Top 3. Even the ones that disappointed weren’t half bad and at least I finished them. Not this year. I picked up around twenty dramas and dropped at least fifteen. “Dropped” is putting it mildly. I ran from some of them like a kid fleeing an apparition: hands in the air and hair standing on end. As the year wore on, my patience wore thin and my grumpiness increased.

So, no, I can’t use the buffer approach when reviewing this year’s dramas. Hedging doesn’t work for this grumpy cookie. I will present to you the worst dramas first, followed by the so-so ones, and then the few gems of 2008. Even though the year was overcast and gloomy, the sun broke through the clouds occasionally and when it did the effect was glorious. Let’s get the bad news out of the way and we can enjoy the good stuff, shall we?

SONG OF THE DAY

Jin Yi-han – “This is the Moment” which he sang (live!) in Episode 3 of Who Are You. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of A Grump Reviews 2008 [Year in Review, Part 2] (4,881 words)

© thunderbolt for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 89 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beethoven Virus, Bulhandang/Robbers, Conspiracy in the Court, East of Eden, Gourmet, Hong Gil Dong, I Love You, Kingdom of Wind, La Dolce Vita, On Air, One Mom, Rivals, Strongest Chil Woo, The Last Scandal of My Life, The Painter of Wind, The World They Live In, Three Dads, Who Are You?, year in review

Ah, another final episode, another drama wrapped.

Let’s be honest: Strongest Chil Woo isn’t a great show. It’s probably not even a good one. But it has been often entertaining and despite its recent darker turns, I was holding out hope that the finale would see a return to lighter, goofier times. In that, I’m pretty satisfied. The resolution we’re given is hopeful without being too cartoony, and as far as last episodes go, it did the job.

But let’s get on with the show…

SONG OF THE DAY

Strongest Chil Woo OST – “내가 달려갈께” (I’ll run) by Lazybone [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Strongest Chil Woo: Episode 20 (Final) (3,101 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Eric, Gu Hye-sun, Kim Byul, Strongest Chil Woo, Yoo Ah-in

If I had to rate the recent episodes, I’d say the previous several haven’t been very good — and that’s by Chil Woo standards, so we’re talking pretty low stuff. Not awful, just boring. But today’s picked up considerably, and even managed a shocker — which I guess is to be expected since we end tomorrow.

SONG OF THE DAY

Strongest Chil Woo OST – “언젠가” (Someday) by Hye Na [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Strongest Chil Woo: Episode 19 (2,494 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Eric, Gu Hye-sun, Strongest Chil Woo

There’s something about this image I really like. The set may look artificial and the background may be too fakely blue, but it’s a nice, homey family scene that carries added meaning as a happy moment of calm before the storm.

As for the drama’s audience, the pre-empting of Gourmet‘s Episode 18 today probably accounts for the jump in Chil Woo‘s ratings. The numbers have held steady in the 10%-11% range (AGB numbers; TNS is typically about 1% lower) for much of its run, and jumped suddenly today to 14.5%.

Things wrap up for Chil Woo next week, so we start to feel the story setting itself up for its grand finale.

SONG OF THE DAY

Star Love Fish – “지워진 날들” (erased days) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Strongest Chil Woo: Episode 18 (2,444 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Eric, Gu Hye-sun, Strongest Chil Woo

They should create a spinoff with Orroz and Chul Seok, because these two are the only ones pulling their acting weight these days. Both are strong in today’s episode, in a way that transcends the cheese factor of the drama’s storytelling (the drama plot itself isn’t so cheesy these days, but it’s all in the execution). Although I’d accept some Kim Byul (Yeon Doo) thrown in for some comic relief, too.

Eric is actually not doing a BAD job, but in contrast, his performance isn’t able to break through that Barrier of Cheese. I’m not quite sure why, but when watching his more emotive moments, I keep getting the sense that it’s too bad since his acting might be effective in the hands of a competent director.

SONG OF THE DAY

Oriental Lucy – “Lorina Homestay” (Their song is listed as “Rorina Homestay” on various portal sites, but “Lorina Homestay” on their own.) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Strongest Chil Woo: Episode 17 (2,293 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Eric, Gu Hye-sun, Strongest Chil Woo

A lot better than the previous episode, since all the stuff that was set up in Episode 15 starts to play out now.

(Still no Zorro, Orroz, or fancy horse tricks, though. I’m being patient — they’re probably winding up for the big finish, with four episodes remaining — but I’d better have me some action shenaniganery back in full swing soon!)

SONG OF THE DAY

Airbag – “선인장” (Cactus) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Strongest Chil Woo: Episode 16 (706 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Eric, Gu Hye-sun, Strongest Chil Woo

This was an episode with a lot of maneuvering for future conflicts. That means that there are a lot of things going on, and we see lots of hints at what’s to come — but as an individual episode, it wasn’t as fun as I’ve come to expect of Chil Woo. It was necessary, yes, but not as goofy.

I enjoy the more complex conflicts that we’re starting to unravel, but I hope the happy-go-lucky fun spirit also returns, because I found myself missing the sight of Eric’s long, flowy glam-rock hair and silly mask and horseback antics.

SONG OF THE DAY

Seo Taiji – “T’ikT’ak.” I’ve mentioned Seo Taiji before; this track comes from his most recent single album. The title track is the song “Moai,” but I prefer this one — it’s more intricately layered and I find it more interesting than the other songs on the single, which strike me as a bit sanguine for what I expect from Seo Taiji. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Strongest Chil Woo: Episode 15 (2,395 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Eric, Gu Hye-sun, Strongest Chil Woo