End of the Year TV Report: Part 1

So here we are at the end of the year.  There have been a lot of great TV shows and dramas this year and I thought this TV Report would  be a nice place to do a recap and talk about things that made the dramascape so great… and not so great.  And some made me just plain crazy.  (But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I think)

For simplicity sake, I’m breaking down the rating system into 5 different categories.

Must Watch – Where have you been all my life?
Watch - You have your flaws but I can look past them.
Just OK - I like you but I’m just not that into you.
If you’re bored - There’s an accident on the highway but I just can’t look away.
Pass – Do not pass Go.  Go directly to jail.  The dramaviewing firing squad is waiting for you.

Let’s go over some dramas and shows that have already completed.  In this way, it’s easier to judge these shows as they’ve already finished telling their story.

SECRET GARDEN (시크릿 가든)

The drama started in 2010 but finished early this year.  Body-swapping, supernatural drama starring Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won.  The supernatural stuff doesn’t start until about 5 episodes in but Hyun Bin’s brash, asshole personality had me cracking up.  I think there are many flaws with the storytelling but it was a really popular trendy.  So much so that lines like, “Is that the best you can do?  Are you certain?” and “Made by hand, stitch by stitch” is still being used a year later.  Personally I liked the supernatural element to the story and I wish more K-Dramas would try that type of genre with the exception of the Hong Sisters, who are already good at telling fables.

Verdict: Watch

ROMANCE TOWN (로맨스 타운)

I think the drama started out really well with a great ensemble cast.  I think the interest factor for the main two characters faltered towards the end.  I liked it partly because it was like watching this sociological experiment but I’m not sure if this will be everyone’s cup of tea.  This writer tends to write about the ongoings of everyday life which may seem bland to some dramawatchers.

Verdict: Just OK

CITY HUNTER (시티헌터)

I love when a drama blends in real-life events with a fictional storyline.  It’s your traditional Batman story.  Boy wants revenge, boy secretly fights crime and boy loves girl but can’t admit to it.  The action, cinematography, acting, music all work so seamlessly with each other.  I didn’t love the ending because it went from such a high-intensity to very subdued but I can look past it.

Verdict: Must Watch

GREATEST LOVE (최고의 사랑)

It’s a Hong Sisters drama filled with hilarity, heart and puns!  From Athena to this drama, Cha Seung Won definitely did a 180 between those two roles which shows how talented he is as an actor.  I don’t think anyone else would have been suited to play Gu Ae Jung besides Gong Hyo Jin.  She can play the sensitive, sweet type without being fake and that just makes me feel for her characters even more.

Verdict: MUST Watch

49 DAYS (49일)

Hmm, I did just say that K-Dramas don’t really go the supernatural route and yet here’s another supernatural drama. I love that the drama takes this Buddhist concept and creates an entire world of characters that ‘s relatable.  It’s heartwarming, it’s sad and it’s life-affirming, too.

Verdict: Must Watch

PARADISE RANCH (파라다이스 목장)

Oooh Chang Min.  This is first leading role in a drama.  I have to admit he’s better at the acting thing than his hyung, U-Know Yunho.  (That’s ok Yunho.  You’re hot.)  The drama is cute and Lee Yeon Hee is adorable.  I don’t think the drama has that much substance.  It’s a little like You’ve Got Mail in that the big, bad corporation is after the small, independent farm and the land they own.

Verdict: If you’re bored

DREAM HIGH (드림하이)

Confession: I didn’t really watch this drama.  I just watched it on the sidelines as my sister was watching it.  The story is a little like Fame but the hardships of inspiring high school students wasn’t really grabbing me at the time to commit to it.  However, you can tell the storytelling is pretty solid and I’ve been told that Ham Eun Jung is waaay better here than when she was in Coffee House.  Aww, don’t you just love it when someone grows as an actor?  Plus since Dream High 2 is going to come out soon, it’s worth watching so that you know why it was popular to deserve a… 2nd season???  Hmm… how to define.  It’s just another round of a drama you love, except with different people.

Verdict: Watch

CRIME SQUAD (강력반)

The story surrounds the Homicide team of detectives at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station.  I did like maybe one or two storylines but I felt that the production team focused more on the look of the set and costumes rather than the stories.  They try to rip these stories from the headlines but I think that was the wrong way to go.  Compared to the US, Korea just doesn’t have that many homicide stories to go on.  I think fiction would have been the better option.

Verdict: Pass

SIGN (싸인)

Part medical drama/part crime drama.  I did learn a lot of forensic medical terms in Korean by watching it.  The show was supposed to take it’s cues from the American TV show, CSI.  It just didn’t quite live up to it though.  I first saw Park Shin Yang in War of Money and loved him there.  Then went back to watch Lovers in Paris, the drama that shot him to stardom.  Here, I think his acting was too over-the-top and it was a real turnoff.  Plus, there were issues with the writing which caused the director to relieve his directing duties in order to help with the scripts… well, whenever there’s a change in the staff, it’s gonna be more of an uphill battle and I think they lost this one.

Verdict: Pass

LIE TO ME (내게 거짓말을 해봐)

Kang Ji Hwan, Yoon Eun Hye get caught in a web of lies and have to pretend they’re married.  Sounded like it would be fun and right up their alley.  Here’s a case where I think the writers failed their actors.  Not only do you have two top stars, I think the supporting cast was excellent as well.  I only discovered how great Hong Soo Hyun and Ryu Seung Soo was in other projects.  I’m usually very patient with dramas and rarely give up on them halfway through.  However, I couldn’t sit through this disaster.

Verdict: Pass, Pass, Pass

MY PRINCESS (마이 프린세스)

It’s a sugary, sweet of a drama where Lee Seol (Kim Tae Hee) discovers that she’s royalty.  It felt a little like Princess Diaries.  Plus, Song Seung Hoon is so hot.  This is another drama that lacks substance but has a nice, blend of fluffy, fun.  In retrospect, I’m not sure it’s worth spending your time on unless you want to drool over delicious eye candy.

Verdict: If you’re bored

SPY MYUNG WOL (스파이 명월)

Sigh, maybe I had too many high hopes for this one.  I liked the wacky premise to the drama.  A North Korean spy comes down south to marry and bring north a famous Hallyu star.  But not only was the drama plagued by a runaway actress, but the story didn’t work out the way I was hoping it would.  It confused me that the first OST they released was a ballad, a big indication on what the emotional development would be for the drama.  There were some great, hilarious moments but unfortunately I don’t think this is worth it.

Verdict: Pass

THE PRINCESS’ MAN (공주의 남자)

The story is about the son and daughter who fall in love despite the fact that they are from two opposing households.  In the backdrop of the drama, there is a regime change in which Prince Suyang forces his young nephew off the throne so that he can take the spot.  Kim Jong Seo fiercely opposes and pays with his life.  Kim Seung Yoo (Park Shi Hoo) vows to get revenge and Lee Se Ryung (Moon Chae Won) is the girl that’s stuck in the middle.  It’s a very Joseon Romeo and Juliet story but the drama has this epicness to it.  From the beautifully scored soundtrack to the beautiful cinematography to the charm of Park Shi Hoo, it’s a good ride to be on.

Verdict: Must Watch

YOU’VE FALLEN FOR ME/HEARTSTRINGS (넌 내게 반했어)

At an art department in a university, Lee Shin (Jung Yong Hwa) from the modern music department and Lee Kyu Won (Park Shin Hye) start off on the wrong foot but soon start to develop feelings for each other.  The drama is very cute but sorely lacks tension.  We were introduced to several storylines that I found interesting but they were quickly dropped which made me feel a bit cheated.  I’d say that there were a couple of things that makes it a bit worth watching: Yeo Joon Hee played by Kang Min Hyuk and Hyun Ki Young played by Lee Hyun Jin.

Verdict: Just OK

ATHENA: GODDESS OF WAR (아테나: 전쟁의 여신)

Ooooh Athena.  I only started watching it because I saw the poster and thought, ‘Hawwwt.’  That’s all it took.  I didn’t have to know the plot but upon discovering that it was kind of a sequel to IRIS, I made sure to finish IRIS first before starting it.  I don’t think you have to watch IRIS to get it because they do explain it in the beginning of Athena.  However, I wouldn’t rush out to go see this drama.  For an action drama, there’ s a lot of talking and I found my attention drifting during the conversations and explanations that happened to go on too long.  The reason being that dramaviewers aren’t stupid, we can figure it out for ourselves so you don’t have to explain everything in-depth.  And Son Hyuk (Cha Seung Won).  So badasss in the beginning (which includes the hawt sex scene between him and Han Jae Hee (Lee Ji Ah) but then his one-tracked mind just got tiring towards the end.  Perhaps if the drama were shorter in length.  There are some excellent action scenes in the drama and one of my favorites is the one where Lee Jung Woo (Jung Woo Sung) is chasing a suspect and gets hit by a car in Italy.  I heard that he did that scene himself and got hurt a bit.  It looked great.  The other is probably Cha Seung Won’s bathroom fight scene in episode 1 with UFC fighter, Chu Sung Hoon.  In which I yelled, ‘Please don’t kill the hot bad guy yet!  It’s only the first episode.’

Verdict: If you’re bored

PROTECT THE BOSS (보스를 지켜라)

After struggling with unemployment, No Eun Seol (Choi Kang Hee) gets a job as the secretary to a rich man’s son.  Except Cha Ji Hun (Ji Sung) is immature and eccentric, known for being the chaebol family’s screw up.  The overall premise itself didn’t grab me.  This drama is so character-driven and combined with the great acting from the cast, it makes this drama a fun ride that’s a must watch.

Verdict: MUST Watch

CAN’T LOSE (지고는 못살아)

It’s about two lawyers who fall in love quickly and discover the hardships of living with a partner that’s very different from you.  I love the growth of both these characters and the realism of their personalities.  It’s a very character-driven drama highlighted by some fine actors.  It’s your standard k-drama which puts it further down on my watch list but I still feel that it’s very watch-worthy.

Verdict: Watch

SCENT OF A WOMAN (여인의 향기)

I love, love, love Kim Sun Ah.  She’s so hilarious and quirky but in dramas, her characters always seem to follow the same path.  She always seems to start off on a high note and just sinks to blah-dom towards the end.  A part of me feels like if you seen one of her dramas, you’ve seen them all.  Plus, in this drama she’s a woman with cancer.  In the beginning, you see Lee Yeon Jae living life to the fullest but towards the end, the melodrama of it all didn’t draw me in as much.  Especially since the other dramas airing at the same time were so fresh in the subject matter and how they were filming the drama.

Verdict: If you’re bored

VAMPIRE PROSECUTOR (뱀파이어 검사)

This drama just finished yesterday and I think they need to do a Season 2.  The last shot does indicate that the 2nd installment is on the horizon.  Vampires have long been seen on American and British TV but I don’t think they were as big of a success on the K-dramascape.  Yeon Jung Hoon fights crime and drinks blood.  However, the drama isn’t without its flaws.  I’ll go into that deeper in my in-depth review but the drama had me wishing for more character development at a quicker pace.

Verdict: Watch

QUEEN OF REVERSALS (역전의 여왕)

Here’s your standard fare ahjumma drama.  I firmly refused to watch this at first.  Then, I accepted that I’m approaching the ahjumma status sans the permed hair.  (Blech)  This is a drama that’s kinda of a sequel to Queen of Housewives.  I say kinda, because the storyline and characters are all different.  But it’s the same genre, same production team.  Hwang Tae Hee (Kim Nam Joo) is at the top of her career game but then marries.  She’s shut out of the fashion corporate world.  At home, her marriage isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.  She struggles with challenges of life and then starts to fall for her boss (Park Shi Hoo), who is younger than her.  I fastforwarded through a lot of the beginning because it’s predictable but Park Shi Hoo and Kim Nam Joo are funny and cute together.

Verdict: Just OK

POSEIDON (포세이돈)

Drama is part Athena, part NCIS.  It’s about a team of investigators with the Korean Coast Guard who aim to keep the sea borders safe by taking down criminals who are using Korean ports for all kinds of illegal activity.  Characters that could have added additional tension and conflict suddenly went away mid-drama.  I wish it was more like the American TV show, NCIS.  It would have been more exciting that way but the drama was predictable and… kinda boring.

Verdict: Pass

Next up, K-Dramas and Variety Shows that are currently airing.

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Posted by chunkeemonkeeato on December 19, 2011

http://chunkeemonkeeato.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/end-of-the-year-tv-report-part-1/