SINCE THIS POST WAS WRITTEN THE CONTRACT PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN RESOLVED AND THE DRAMAS ARE SAFE TIL 2015. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO LET THE COMPANIES INVOLVED KNOW OUR FEELINGS.
Big upset for those of you (like me) watch MBC dramas on Hulu. It seems that the two companies are having licensing issues (at least that is the rumor) and all MBC kdramas will be pulled from the site in 5 days!!!!!! That means no more Empress Ki, King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang, Scandal, Golden Rainbow and many classic dramas (Greatest Love, The Duo, Gu Family Book, etc.). This is extremely disappointing since for many of these dramas, this is the only place that provided quick subs. Not to mention it takes away another legal way to view kdramas for international fans.
If you are as upset as I am about this situation please email/contact Hulu and let your voice be heard. Also if you are searching for a drama that was on Hulu but has now been taken off I am happy to try and find another site for you to watch it. It is very frustrating when something like this happens when you are mid drama.
It's the first week of March and the crazy, funny, and sexy is coming out strong as we countdown the best kdrama moments. Check out all the scenes that you have missed, and rewatch those that you love in this weeks Top 5 Kdrama Countdown!
Song of The Week - 2ne1 Come Back Home
I chose this song for several reasons. The first being that I know that my fellow Crazy Ahjumma Shannen is in love with it (which is actually the reason I even watched it in the first place). And second, it really gets stuck in your head and refuses to leave, so maybe by passing it on to all of you I will be able to stop hearing the chorus every time I close my eyes. With an amazing heavy slow beat, Come Back Home has some great vocals as well as rap sections. Add to that a very flashy MV about the dangers of technology addiction and you have a great combo. So check out 2ne1's video Come Back Home and tell me what you think in the comments.
#5 We are Finally Back to the Beginning.
It has only taken us 101 episodes to get back to the first scene of the drama. The scene that personally sucked me in and made this a must watch show for me. I love how when I originally watched this in episode 1 I just saw the power hungry sister that was greedy for the throne (and don't get me wrong, she is a totally greedy ruthless female). But a hundred episodes later we see the same scene and realize that she is not heartless per say as just plain crackers crazy. The girls mind has broken and there is no fixing it. In her insanity she stabs the only person who loves her and is forcing her sister to kill her to keep her from hurting the country. A powerful beginning and an even more powerful ending to one amazing story arc. I am already dreading the ending of this show and it is one of the few kdramas I wish could just go on and on.
She's A Little Bit Crazy Clip
#4 Bathroom Hijinks
OK I'll admit it, Bride of the Century is my new crack drama. I don't know how it does it but it took every cliche out of the kdrama book, smashed them together, and hooked me in. I love the cheesy OTP (One True Pairing) hijinks, I love the slightly weird B Lead romance with the brother and his sisters look a like, I really really really love the random fate (more like a ghost forcing fate) situations that our couple get into. And my favorite fated scene (so far) happens in episode four and it has won a slot as #4 on my top list.
Na Doo-Rim & Choi Kang-Joo enjoy (although neither would admit it) a dinner together after which Doo Rim tells Kang Joo to do the dishes. This of course has him snarling and spitting that he is not a person who does dishes. She pretty much tells him to suck it up and thrusts all the dirty pots into his hands. He retaliates by letting some of the sauce dribble onto her cream colored dress. To save the dress she goes into the bathroom, takes it off and is scrubbing it clean only to slip, crack her head on the tub, and end up unable to move, lying only in a towel on the floor. Of course our main guy comes crashing into her rescue only to be distracted by her lack of clothing. He calls 911 and brings some clothes for her to wear, and since she can't move his help is needed to get clothed. Doo Rim makes him turn off the light first and then the two awkwardly attempt to get clothes on her. I love that she is constantly yelling at him to not touch there. HEHEHE This drama has the best unsubtle skinship and every time something like this happens I just have a huge smile on my face.
Naked in A Bathroom Clip
#3 Mo Il Hwa is Back!
SQUEEEEEEEEEE that is me totally going into fangirl mode when the character Mo Il Hwa (Song Jae Rim- 2 Weeks, Moon That Embraces The Sun) came back on episode 16 of Inspiring Generation. I have been a fan of Song Jae Rim since back when he was the stoic bodyguard in The Moon That Embraces the Sun, but my love of him has grown to the point that I officially put him on my bias list after this drama. His psychotic smiles and gentleman thug character have won my heart and when he was not in several episodes I have to admit that I was despondent. But never fear since he is not only back, but back in a big way. In episode 16 we see our Hero Shin Jung Tae
& his boss, Jung Jae Hwa (Kim Sung Oh- When a Man Loves), take on a large amount of ruffians wanting to take over their club. The two fight the mob but slowly start to lose ground just when Mo Il Hwa shows up, saving the girls, kicking a significant amount of thug bootie, and flashing his creepy smile. Sigh... I am seriously in love and can't wait til next week when he and Shin Jung Tae are forced to go head to head.
Mo Il Hwa is Back Clip
#2 Kidnapped
Wow! God's Gift-14 Days shot out of the gate and smacked us over the head with a huge rock of intensity. Even now my heart races at the thought of all the suspense packed into a single episode. I am very excited to see where this drama takes us and am amazed at Lee Bo Young's acting. I really enjoyed her in My Daughter Seo Young and I Can Hear Your Voice, but this time she puts both of those characters to shame. My #2 moment comes at the end of episode 1 where Kim Soo-Hyun (Lee Bo Young) is working at her true crime TV show. They are doing a live broadcast about a serial killer who had recently gone on a killing spree. I guess so said serial killer took this broadcast personally since he calls in the tip line and on air tells everyone (in the creepiest mechanical voice ever) that he is bored so he is going to change the game. We then hear a little girls voice say mommy over the phone just as Kim Soo Hyun is told that her daughter is missing by her nanny. The scene gave me chills. Truly terrifying and the start to a very intense and interesting drama.
Serial Killer Broadcast Clip
#1 An Ice Cream Kiss
We have a first for my kdrama countdown. For the first time it has nothing to do with a kdrama but actually a drama from Thailand..... that is a remake of a kdrama. OK, so it is kdrama related in a roundabout way, but still! I just have to tell you how extremely happy I am that I gave the Thailand's remake of Full House a try. It is absolutely the best! It fixes all of the things that I disliked about the original Kversion. For example I felt that the main characters in the kversion did not have the best chemistry (sorry Rain fans). Their hateful fighting and harsh words took a lot away from the romance. Not to mention it suffered from bad pacing, and the last third of the drama dragged on forever. Luckily for us the Thai's were able to fix these problems and produce a version with absolutely adorable leads with oodles of chemistry and a script that has perfect pacing. I was enjoying it so much that I quickly dramathoned all 16 episodes last week and was able to get caught up to the currently airing episodes. So in celebration I am giving Full House and its super steamy Ice Cream Kiss the #1 spot on my countdown.
To set the scene for those of you who don't know the story. Mike D.Angelo (an idol) and Aom-am (a writer) are in a contract marriage. His PR people decide that they are going to film a reality documentary about their epic love and requested that the couple do an ice cream kiss for the camera. An ice cream kiss is where both people share an ice cream cone together until they eventually are kissing. This is slightly awkward since they have never kissed but no worries, their chemistry explodes and one cold sticky steamy kiss is the result. Ice Cream Kiss Clip (I could not find a clip of just the kiss but it is the first scene following the opening recap)
Thanks for joining me for my weekly countdown! I really enjoy writing this blog post each week and look forward to any comments you might have. Am I really getting the best scenes of the week? Am I missing any dramas that you think are "must watch" dramas? Also if you are having any problems finding subs or links to any dramas I would be happy to help you out. I am very excited for the next several weeks since, in case you did not know, we are having a huge turnover with a lot of new dramas joining our list!!!!!!!! YAY, I love this time when all the planets align and I suddenly have 10 new dramas to watch all at once. I will be giving each drama a more detailed description and first observations recap later this week so be sure to check back if you are looking for something new to watch. Because there is nothing better then starting a new kdrama. Till next time.
Dramas that I am currently watching: Potato Star 2013QR23 A Well Raised Daughter (subs are behind in relation to the filming schedule) Bride of the Century Sly and Cunning Lady Can We Love King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang Empress Ki Full House (Thailand version)- can find subs on Viki and Youtube. Lets Eat Golden Rainbow Inspiring Generation I Need Romance 3 - Be sure to check out my recaps! Emergency Couple Angel's Revenge (seconds away from dropping this one) Beyond the Clouds/Full Sun Ghost Seeing Detective CheoYong Wonderful Days Three Days God's Gift: 14 Days
So I would just like to apologize to all my viewers who were driven crazy by the fact that I had skipped a month in my last three blog posts. In all the titles I stated it was March instead of February. Ooops. The only excuse I have is that my birthday is in March and so I must have really really been looking forward to it and skipped February all together. I have since gone and fixed all the posts and am feeling very very absent minded. I don't know why, but I have no problems keeping track of 17 different dramas cast, airing times, subbing locations, plot lines, and all. But ask me what month it is and I am sure to get it wrong half of the time. Priorities Kmuse, priorities - face palm to head.
Song of the Week
Kim Soo Hyun - "In Front of Your House"
My Love From Another Star OST
I decided to add a favorite song of the week to the top 5 countdown. Usually there is some OST (Official Sound Track) that I play over and over again or there is a really great kpop release that deserves a mention. This weeks, and our first ever, song of the week is brought to us from the My Love From Another Star OST. Towards the last fourth of the drama, they introduced us to this song sung by the leading man himself Kim Soo Hyun. Many of you are aware of his amazing singing ability from Dream High, but for those of you who are not, be sure to check him out!
#5 Accidental Meeting in the Rain
Usually I don't add this drama into my countdown. Part of the reason
is that this is the drama I am currently recapping every week, but also
since the majority of the drama is very subtle and slow moving so there
are not often those WOW scenes that I love to put in the countdown.
But congrats to INR3 pulling out all my emotions right before the finale
with this amazing scene.
Joo Yeon starts walking home but gets caught in a sudden rain storm and
runs to a pavilion in the park to avoid the downpour. Joo Wan, having
given up and come back to see her also ends up in the same pavilion and
she assumes he is just another hallucination. (for those of you not following this drama he moved out of her house and she is constantly having visions of him in her life still) "Get lost I don't want to
be considered a crazy person talking to myself." Joo Wan tells her " I
am the same, I close my eyes and see you, I open my eyes and see you." Joo Yeon gets snippy and says that they were not even dating when he yells "We were dating.What we did is what normal women
call dating." He starts to stalk off but comes right back telling her
that he is so angry with her and angry that he can't walk away because
he can see that she is sick. And while he does not care AT ALL, he is
going to stay with her til the rain clears and then he is gone.
This is a great scene depicting the push and pull of a relationship. Can't wait to watch the final two episodes this week. INR3 Rain Clip
#4 The Hand Under the Freaking Bed!
Our #4 moment comes from the drama Let's Eat, known for its cute food porn moments and quirky characters. But can we leave all the sweet and happy behind for a second and talk about the creepy hand under the bed? This show has done an amazing job of mixing lighthearted romance and situations with the sinister serial killer creepiness to the point that you totally forget about the bad guys until BANG.................. A hand is shown under one of the characters bed! In episode 14 we get the resolution to the local serial killer (in his own right is creepy as heck) who is caught by the police so we the viewers assume that it is easy sailing for the last two episodes. I am all ready to fall in love with our OTP and have everyone wrapped up in a pretty pink bow of happiness. But just when you think it is safe to live by yourself we see the cute next door neighbor girl leaving her apartment with packages in hand, and then DUN DUN DUN (imagine sinister music) the camera pans towards the side of her bed and we see a human hand slowly move out from under the bed. What the HECK drama, you gave me nightmares. I was home alone by myself and could not get to sleep til 4 am because of this scene. So kudos to you for scaring the bajeebies out of me.
I could not find a clip for "the hand" so you guys get to enjoy the creepiness of serial killer boy. Love how crazy this actor made his eyes look. And his sing song speech gave me the chills.
Serial Killer Clip
#3 Act Like A Lady
YAY! We have a new drama making it's debut on our countdown this week. When I started watching Bride of The Century I have to admit that I was not expecting much. The trailers and synopsis had been slightly vague and confusing with talks of ghosts, look a likes, and curses. But after watching episode 2 I am now a firm fan and have been waiting impatiently for the next episodes. The two main characters played by Lee Hong-Ki (You're Beautiful - this drama might even break my need to call this actor Jeremy every time I see him) and Yang Jin-Sung (smaller characters in She Is Wow, City Hunter) have great chemistry. And while I don't see this drama being one that reinvents the genre, I still feel very happy when I watch it. My favorite running concept so far is how Na Doo-Rim (pretending to be her rich doppelganger) continues to let her lady persona slip in front of her "fiancee" his reaction to it. Don't know why but I just can't get enough of it.
My favorite moment so far is when she invades his bedroom, plays with his toys, and is caught by her having a sword fight by her fiance. Then when he tries to get frisky with her she literally causes him physical pain. Every time he gets his "what the heck are you" look on his face I just crack up. My new favorite couple clip
#2 A Father's Regret
For those of you watching King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang you know that this is by far one of the best Sageuk (historical) dramas ever made in the genre. If you have not started watching this for whatever reason, then you should suck it up and start. IT IS AMAZING! 97 episodes in and it continues to just get better and better. In episode 95 we see King Muryeong have to deal with the consequences of his actions when his "real" son is found to have murdered his true love in a misguided act of revenge.
OK QUICK PLOT DESCRIPTION (the condensed version). King Muryeong's cousin (the current king) is murdered and he is forced to take the throne. Wanting to make sure his cousin's son eventually inherits the crown he switches him with his own son so that he can ensure the kingdom will go to the late kings son and not his. He sends his own son to be raised by the faction of the leaders that are against him to ensure his sons safety. Then he takes his cousins son and raises him as his own. Needless to say this causes problems later on when his own son seeks revenge for the person he assumes is his father, therefore killing his "real" fathers epic love and causing everyone involved some serious pain. Especially the King who finds out that when he thought his real son was happy living on the fringes of the court, he was really jealous and lonely causing him to betray the king.
I hope that made sense. Anyway back to the current episode. The king is forced to strip Prince Jin Moo of his title and is so angry he threatens to kill him. Prince Jin Moo tells him to do it since then he can go to the afterlife with his father and no longer be lonely. This of course destroys the King who was unaware his "real" son had such bitterness and pain within him. What follows is one of the best scenes of the whole drama.
A Father's Regret Clip
#1 One Last Memorable Kiss
With the ending of My Love From Another Star, was there any question of it not receiving my #1 spot, we were left on a whirlwind of crying, crying, hope for a happy ending, and more crying. And whether you liked the ending or not we were sure dragged along for the emotional ride. The scene that stood out the most however was that "last" epic kiss. There have been some great kisses in this series. The time stood still kiss, the 15 sec kiss, the selfish kiss, but there was always something missing. They were all beautifully done but there was just not that extra oomph of passion that I know these two actors can deliver. So I was one happy camper when the final kiss was dramatic, intense, and passionate. Not to mention I totally loved the fact that he continued to "out" himself on the red carpet in order to claim his girl. Very romantic and made me so happy.
Red Carpet Kiss Clip
It has been such a great week for kdramas and I apologize for the lateness of my countdown this week. I was sick and had some vertigo problems and as I discovered, it is impossible to write a blog that makes any sense when everything is spinning. But something good did come out of my forced bed rest. I have found one doozy of a #1 for next week. It is a kiss that stands out among kisses and I bet that most of you have not even started the show yet. So be sure to check back next week to find out what drama/kiss I am talking about and see what other four scenes make it onto my top 5!
Dramas that I am currently watching: Potato Star 2013QR23 A Well Raised Daughter (subs are behind in relation to the filming schedule) Bride of the Century Sly and Cunning Lady Can We Love King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang Empress Ki Full House (Thailand version)- can find subs on Viki and Youtube. Lets Eat My Love From Another Star Golden Rainbow Inspiring Generation I Need Romance 3 - Be sure to check out my recaps! Emergency Couple Angel's Revenge (seconds away from dropping this one) Beyond the Clouds/Full Sun Another Parting (check out my recaps) Ghost Seeing Detective CheoYong Wonderful Days
Since I just finished with my review of Pretty Man I am now left with no weekly drama to recap (at least until I am inspired to review a new one). I kept trying to decide what I wanted to blog about in the meantime. I could review older shows that maybe have not gotten much notice (and I might still do this now and then) but that did not sound like much fun to do weekly. So instead I decided to start my very own Top 5 Countdown. Since I watch a lot of currently airing dramas (See the list at the end): I have a lot of options to choose from and it also gives my readers a tiny glimpse into the style of different dramas. I really don't have any type of specific theme to the top 5. Mostly just chose those moments that I thought were really well acted, written, or both. So without further ado, here is my first top 5 kdrama moments for January week 2!
#5 Prime Minister Plays White Knight
I know I have mentioned it before but this show totally gives me the warm fuzzy's. It is like a bowl of hot homemade soup on a cold rainy day.....absolutely satisfying. In episode 9 we see Nam Da Jung (Yoona - Love Rain) and Kang In Ho (Yoon Si Yoon - Flower Boy Next Door, Me to Flower) set up in a compromising position at a hotel. Fleeing from a hoard of ravenous reporters they head to the stairs which have "conveniently" been locked. Stuck and discovered they are cringing at the accusations of cheating when the Prime Minister (Lee Beom Soo - Iris 2, History of a Salaryman) arrives looking dashing, calm, and collected to save the day. He says that he had reserved a room for a romantic get away with his wife and his aid was escorting her to him. He thereby saves the day, makes the reporters look like idiots and gets some quality alone time with his fake wife in a hotel room. A win win for everyone involved. And again the best thing about the scene is that he looked so suave while doing it. Love him so much.
I hate when I cant get the youtube video to link up. However if you are interested in seeing this scene for yourself here is the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWuahL_Ws4
#4 15 seconds in heaven
I am not sure if there is an actual scene in either of the two episodes that does not deserve to be in my top 5 (which is why two scenes have made it onto my list). The first of the scenes is the ending of episode 8 where we get our first "serious" kiss. Song-Yi is completely miffed as to why her sexiness does not seem to effect Min-Joon....I think she is also still upset that he said that he compares her to a pretty vase or a plant, pretty but does not really cause his heart to flutter...... So she orders him to stare at her for 15 seconds and if he does not feel anything by the end then she will believe he is not moved by her. We see her do seductive model poses and then go to the cutesy expressions. Just as the time runs out and she starts to turn away, Min Joon grabs her, pulling her towards him and kisses her. And when I say kisses her, I mean the boy all out sizzling kisses her leaving fans of this show squealing with happiness. Also if you have not already watched this moment, be sure to stay tuned for the little clip at the end where he talks about living for the moment. It just adds the extra amount of awwww that you wanted.
Best Kiss of the WeekClip
#3 Sharp Dressed Man
Lets Eat is another one of those dramas that has a ton of possibilities for my top 5 list. There is the scene where the main girls BFF's husband eats eel tail (I guess that is a romantic aphrodisiac? Why are so many supposed aphrodisiac's so gross) and decides to get frisky in his wife's apron. The scene where the son of before mentioned couple decides he has a crush on Yoon Jin Yi resulting in a hilarious display of player moves.
But the real shining moment of the drama was the opening sequence where secretary Lee Soo Kyung was clothes shopping with her twitterpated narcissist boss Kim Hak Moon. When setting the scene imagine that you see an upscale men's suit store in the background plays the song Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison. A sexy young lawyer tries on suit after suit doing a whole catwalk performance to show off the cut of his awesome potential suits, and his crush/secretary is...........falling asleep and drooling on her hand. HAHAHAHA Seriously was such a great moment, made even better with the running joke of her having to return the suit he buys and then re-buy the suit a second time as punishment for her lack of appreciation. (there is no clip for this scene but if you want to watch it then check out episode 7 time stamp 2:44)
#2 Saving the Damsel in Distress Alien Style.
My number two pick this week goes to our most awesome drama My Love From Another Star (has a million other titles as well but for now this is what I am going with). Cheon Song-Yi has been kidnapped from the hospital by lackeys of our resident serial killer. Taking her to a cliff they disable her car, put her behind the wheel, and push it toward the edge. Waking up just as she starts to move she scream Do Min-Joon's name in terror (how cool was it that she called out for him when she was in trouble). Hearing her with his super alien senses he transports himself, dropping right in front of her car and doing an awesome Edward Cullin twilight impersonation, stopping the car just before it careens off the cliff. This is how a sci-fi/action drama should be shot. Great action, minimal special effects, amazing directing, all combined to equal a top notch action sequence that was unexpected in a weekly drama. I could not have been more thrilled and probably watched it again enough times to see it in my sleep.
This is how you Save a Damsel in Distress with Style Clip
#1 Confessions, Kisses, and Blue Lips = Epic moment.
King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang is one of the best Sageuk's that I have watched in my kdrama watching history. And the strength of the drama is mostly because of an amazing OTP. Through 65 episodes we watch them fight, flirt, and eventually discover love and I would not give up one moment of their relationship. It all culminates in what I consider the most sincere and heart wrenching confessions. Kidnapped and stored in an empty warehouse by enemies to the crown, Seol Nan and crown prince Myung Nong starve and freeze for 2 days trying to keep their spirits high even at the face of impending death. The last night as they struggle to stay awake for fear they will die from hypothermia, Myung Nong gathers Seol Nan tight and admits that he loves her and wishes that he had told her sooner before they were so close to the end. He then kisses her forehead and then her lips for the first, and what they assume to be last time. They then fall asleep in each others arms. I was truly touched at how beautifully simple the scene was. It did not need that dramatic sizzle moment since their love was enough to make the scene shine without the extra bells and whistles. Luckily for us they did not die so we now get to watch them attempt to be a couple in a court full of intrigue.
There is nothing like death to help one confess - Clip ep 65
I hope you all enjoyed my first ever countdown. I look forward to being "forced" to watch everything each week to give you the best up to date input on the must watch scenes. Someone has to do it so it might as well be me! Be sure to check in next week for my second Top 5 and also for Dongsaeng's upcoming reviews on My Love From Another Star. I cant wait to see what insight she brings to this awesome drama.Have an amazing week
Sincerely,
Kmuse
Dramas that I am currently watching:
Potato Star 2013QR23 (subs are behind in relation to the filming schedule) A Well Raised Daughter (subs are behind in relation to the filming schedule) One Warm Word King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang Pretty Man (ends this week) Empress KI Lets Eat Prime Minister and I My Love From Another Star Golden Rainbow Age of Feeling (Starts Next Week) I Need Romance 3 (Starts Next Week) Emergency Couple (Starts Next Week)
So with all the dramas I watched this year I decided that picking my favorite and least favorite is just to hard. How can I mention everything I loved and hated about this years dramas in just one post. So instead I am going to break it up into posts all through December (and maybe just bit into January depending on how much time I get to blog). So to start with I am going o discuss Sageuk dramas. For those of you who are new to the kdrama lingo, Sageuk is in reference to historical dramas and yes I do have to constantly check to see if I am spelling it right.
I often hear that Sageuk is king in the drama industry. It is the staple big ratings maker and if you get a popular one you can even get higher then 30% of the ratings. So when they choose to make one they tend to put a lot of money behind it as well as some serious time. It is uncommon to find one that is under 20 episodes.
The Good: Gu Family Book:
Choi Kang Chi is a half Gumiho half human baby who is found floating in the river and raised by a local nobleman. When his powers start to show he begins a search to find a mystical book that can make him completely human.
This drama is a great one to start with if you are not used to historical dramas. It is easy to understand and kind of dumbs down a lot of the politics. It also has a super cute OTP and some great visual effects and directing. I personally would say you should watch it for Choi Jin Hyuk, nicknamed Papa Gumiho, who skyrocketed to fame for his role in this drama. And Lee Seung Ki and Suzy had some really great chemistry and were a couple you could root for. Gu Family Book Trailer:
Papa Gumiho MV (does contain spoilers) - enjoy the pretty.
Jang Ok Jung
I went into this drama not really expecting to like it. They were taking the story of Queen In Hyeon and doing a switch to see the story from the Jang Ok Jung's viewpoint (for those of you who dont know, she is the usual villainous to the story). Kind of the equivalent of trying to make people sympathetic for the evil stepsisters of Cinderella. The first few episodes were a little slow for me, but once the main couple started interacting I was hooked. Was it because they were "meant to be", was Kim Tae Hee's acting so stellar i instantly wanted the best for her? ................ Nope it was for one reason and one reason only:
PLEASE WATCH (THERE ARE NO SPOILERS): This is the reason you should watch this drama the things he can do with his mouth:
Yoo Ah In stole the show with his portrayal of King Sook Jong, a character usually overlooked in the story. His sexy and ruthless King dominated ever scene he was in and made me really care about what happened in the story. I would even watch it again he was that good. So work through the politics and court intrigue because this show is worth every minute after around episode 5.
King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang
King's Daughter is my current cracktastic drama of the moment. It is a daily drama (30 min episodes) Monday through Friday, and I cant get enough. All the actors are top notch and I would even say that they are better then the majority of the actors in the prime time dramas. The story is very thorough and engaging and I have absolutely no complaints so far at ep 46.
The hidden daughter of the king, Solnan grows up poor but happy. Her sister Solhi finds out about her royal past and stills her sisters place as the lost princess. What ensues is a wonderful tale of fated love, strength, loyalty, and one sociopath evil sister who will stop at nothing to keep her royal place. I would suggest this drama to anyone who wants to watch a good story. It is not to confusing and flows at a very fast pace but at the same time makes you really understand and enjoy all the characters. I literally sub stalk this drama every day!
I could not find a trailer to show so instead I put the opening scenes of the drama up. You can instantly feel the intensity of these actors and hopefully it will convince you to give it a try.
Empress Ki
I was so excited when Empress Ki was announced. Not only does it have one of my all time favorite female actresses as the lead ( Ha Ji Won - Secret Garden, King Two Hearts) but it is being written by my all time favorite, most epic, writing team of all time. They also wrote Incarnation of Money, History of a Salaryman, and Giant, three dramas that are all at the top of my MDL list in rating.
Empress Ki is the story of a girl from Goryeo who receives the love both from a King and an Emperor and later becomes the Empresses of Yuan. With its super fast pace, great acting, brilliant OST, and some amazing chemistry between all three leads, we are fully engaged into their world and their emotions each week. If you are looking for a historical drama that does not dwell on the back story and has lots of action then I would suggest this drama.
Empress Ki Trailer
The Bad:
Knife and Flower (also known as Sword and Petal)
How can one describe the despair I experienced with this drama. It had all the elements of a great drama. Good actors (I love Choi Min Soo so so so so so so so much after Warrior Baek Dong Soo and Faith) and it had some of the most stunning cinematography out of any drama this year. So what went wrong? First, I have rarely watched a historical drama this boring. The characters, who on paper and should have been really interesting (It was one of the bloodiest Coup's in Korean history), falls flat. And instead of action we get a whole lot of staring into the camera (I swear the whole cast must have eye issues from not being able to blink on screen) and lackluster dialogue that made no sense. I kept thinking that it has to get better but was left disappointed over and over. Save your 16 hours and instead watch anything else. This drama was a huge dud.
Cruel Palace - War of Flowers
I really hoped this drama would be interesting. A cruel story that depicts the battles between concubines within the
royal palace who turn to the dark side in their bid to gain love and
power from the king. It centered around the royal
concubine Jo So Yong as she tries to gain the attention of King In Jo with her beauty and wit to control the power of the Joseon. It was over acted by almost all the actors (I can only assume that is what the director was going for) and while there were moments where all the politics were interesting those were overshadowed by how much political maneuvering went on in the drama. I like politics and it even had to much (without any break or other storyline) for me to really enjoy. Dropped Counting these since the went several months into 2013. Horse Doctor - Such a slow drama. Made it 10 episodes in and it just bored me to tears. I guess I just don't care about historic vets. Jeon Woo Chi - I was surprised that I was not more into this drama. I am a sucker for mystical storyline and hijinks. But because of all the distracting flying martial arts and so so characters I was just bored and after I had not gone past episode 8 in six months I added it to the dropped pile. I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the dramas I enjoyed this year. I am hoping to have various categories such as Comedy, Melodrama, Family Drama, Favorite OST, Best Kiss, ect throughout the month so keep checking back for new posts. Sincerely, Kmuse
