My Year in KDramas + 2017 KDrama Wishlist

This has been an interesting year for dramas. Many dramas I had high hopes for fell flat, for no reason other than bad writing and my own personal pickiness. Other dramas blew my expectations out of the water and gave me an amazing, lasting experience. Let's take a look at this year in dramas.

DRAMAS THAT DISAPPOINTED ME

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (Source)

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo: Biggest letdown of them all.

The K2: Second-biggest letdown.

Sweet Stranger and Me: Cute and adorable until it began to lag, with a 'meh' ending.

Cinderella and the Four Knights: I grew too furious with one character to finish it.

Mirror of the Witch: I actually LOVED this drama right off the bat... but I couldn't get over the fact the male lead is in his thirties while the female lead is a minor.

Neighborhood Hero: Lee Soo-Hyuk suffers from the particular calamity of being the One Great Thing in an otherwise lackluster drama, and sometimes even he can't make up for everything else.

Goblin: I actually shouldn't put this drama here, since I've only seen the first episode, but it was 95% meh with 5% beautiful potential, and I'll give it a few more tries.

DRAMAS I LOVED

W: Two Worlds (Source)

Bad Guys: I was late getting to this one, but it's now one of my absolute favorites.

Oh My Venus: Just... so cute and strangely inspiring.

W: Two Worlds: Incredibly tight writing, wonderful plot twists, and delightful characters.

My Love From Another Star: Adorable.

Descendants of the Sun: It took a while to grow on me, but grow it did.

Legend of the Blue Sea: Lee Min-Ho as a con-man and Jun Ji-Hyun as a mermaid? Flawlessly adorable chemistry? Yes, please.

Beautiful Mind: In spite of its shortened ending, this drama was beautiful and kept me hooked.

 The Girl Who Sees Smells: This one lagged slightly but remains dear to my heart.

DRAMAS I FELL OUT OF BUT STILL INTEND TO FINISH

Vampire Detective (Source)

Vampire Detective: An intriguing drama with a cast I adore, but fairly slow storytelling style that doesn't particularly grip me.

Moonlight Drawn By Clouds: This drama is gorgeously adorable, but I took a break after my favorite minor character left because I missed him.

Warrior Baek Dong Soo: This drama is 70% 'I don't care' and 30% 'HOLY COW THIS IS AMAZING' so... yes. Slowly but surely.

Entertainer: This drama is touching and I want to see where it goes, but the writing of Ji Sung's character is extremely awkward sometimes and makes it a little difficult to watch.

I Remember You: This one has a good plot and a good cast, but is also quite slow.

It's an incomplete list as I don't employ MyDramaList or any other nifty tools to keep track of which dramas I've watched or dropped, but it's a colorful list in any case. I have high hopes for several upcoming dramas (mainly Man to Man, starring my man Park Hae-Jin), but I also have a personal list of things I would love to see in 2017.

THINGS I WANT OUT OF DRAMAS IN 2017

• A comedy/action drama starring Kim Woo-Bin.
• Anything starring Kang Dong-Won. (Literally anything, although urban fantasy would be incredible.) 
• Another drama starring Jang Hyuk and Park So-Dam as the romantic leads.
• Any drama where Park Hoon has more than a three-minute role.
• Ditto for Sung Chang-Hoon.
• A drama starring Han Hye-Joo in serious, non-comedic role.
• A thriller starring Shin Sung-Rok as the hero. (PLOT TWIST!!)
• A drama where Lee Soo-Hyuk has a role as epic as Gwi from Scholar Who Walks the Night, but with a story that deserves him.
• A drama starring Xiah Junsu. Yes, I know he's a musical star. Yes, I know he doesn't do dramas. That doesn't stop this from being my biggest drama dream.
• A drama version of Dracula.  
• A thriller starring Yeon Jung-Hoon.

I don't ask for much, right?

What's YOUR drama wishlist for 2017?

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Man Doo-Shik: My Favorite Minion

If you've ever seen a Korean drama, you've probably heard of City Hunter. It's one of the most iconic Korean dramas and one of my personal favorites. It's the story of a young man named Yoon-Sung raised for revenge, and it follows him as he becomes the upright, black-hat-wearing, alter-ego-performing vigilante known as the City Hunter. When I first saw the drama, soon after it aired, I initially thought Lee Min-Ho would be my favorite thing about it. Not only is he one of Korea's handsomest, most talented young actors - every role he chooses is a delight.

Imagine my surprise when he was not my favorite part of the drama. Anyone who knows me knows I have a penchant for falling in love - usually with minor characters. Usually with sketchy minor characters. Usually with sketchy minor characters who die. And I don't choose them on purpose - they just jump out of dark alleys and force me to notice them.

Such was the case with Man Doo-Shik (Sung Chang-Hoon), the ex-boxer who now serves as a villain's henchman. It takes a few episodes for him to show up, but once he does, he is a steadily recurring character until the end. I love Doo-Shik. In fact, I love Doo-Shik so much that I get in the mood to watch City Hunter just for him. I can take or leave the rest.

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Why do I love him so much? I'll tell you.

I've only ever seen Sung Chang-Hoon in two roles - his role as Doo-Shik in City Hunter and his role as Ppoolte in Mask. (I never call him Doo-Shik anymore, like I am for the sake of this article. I just call him Ppoolte no matter the context, for several reasons - one, it's a hilarious name meaning 'Horn-Rimmed' and I have no idea what happened to make people give him that name. Two, he's basically the same character in Mask that he is in City Hunter - just a little older and possibly more mature.) Chang-Hoon is one of those people who is not 'handsome' in any classical sense but who possesses a certain magnetism that makes him difficult to look away from. If he's in a scene, he's the one you're watching - not the main character.

Doo-Shik might be a minion, but he's a strangely likable one. Granted, he runs around attempting to kill the hero, and he occasionally resorts to base means; but he's not wholly bad, especially compared to other kdrama minions. He carries out his orders to the best of his ability, but is never 'out for himself.' He bows at his enemies in public hallways. He doesn't endanger innocent bystanders - unlike, say, Vick from IRIS. He's not a terrorist - he's just a guy trying to do his job, and the constant thwarts are getting on his nerves.

He's also the only real opponent Yoon-Sung ever has in a fight. When everyone else turns and runs, terrified of getting beat up by Yoon-Sung, Doo-Shik steps in and takes him on, without backing down. In fact, he never backs down - he keeps coming, unafraid, until he is literally unable. It's not often a minion serves as a worthy opponent for the hero, but Doo-Shik does and is. 

This is also why I call him the Angry Penguin. (Source)

He is also, at times, strangely unpredictable - and unnecessarily nice. (At least as nice as a frowning thug can get.) In one scene (the scene where I first fell in love with Doo-Shik), the villain becomes irritated at a little boy in a hospital hallway. 'Get rid of him,' he orders. Now, coming from this man, 'get rid of him' could very easily mean 'shoot the kid and stuff him in a broom closet.' Especially when that kid is the son of a woman causing the villain problems. Instead, Doo-Shik takes money from his own pocket and gives it to the boy, effectively 'getting rid of him' without violence. In another scene, Doo-Shik is ordered to force the kid's mother to place her thumbprint on a document - and again, Doo-Shik does not resort to violence. He uses his strength against the weaker individual and forces her to place her mark on the document - a move interesting for two reasons. 

One: The woman's small son was right outside, and Doo-Shik knew it - but chose not to take advantage of the fact.

Two: He could have injured the woman or physically harmed her to make her sign - but Doo-Shik is not a vindictive man, unlike many of the slimier minions in Kdramaland. He goes in, does the job, and leaves without unnecessary fuss. 

There's a scene near the end of the drama where Doo-Shik uses Na-Na, Yoon-Sung's love interest, to capture Yoon-Sung. He does this by endangering Na-Na's life; submerging her in a fish tank at the aquarium. It's a fairly heartless thing to do, but notice I said near the end of the drama. Doo-Shik has been chasing Yoon-Sung for nearly twenty episodes by this point, and not until the end, when he's tried literally everything else and is now receiving enormous pressure from his boss, does he resort to using an innocent. (Also he was rejected earlier by a girl he hadn't even asked out, so I, too, would be miffed.)

His plan, of course - although nearly successful - is an ultimate failure, and Doo-Shik is captured by Yoon-Sung. (The scenes illustrating his captivity are some of my favorite in drama history - because it's not often my favorite character is tied to a chair and forced to listen to self-help books.) Still, he remains loyal to his boss - until Yoon-Sung makes a phone call and Doo-Shik overhears his boss openly throw him under the bus. It's also a moment of brilliant acting for Chang-Hoon, who manages to portray a deep hurt and betrayal using only his eyes. 

I even made him into a meme. I use it with some regularity.

Overall, Doo-Shik is my favorite character in City Hunter because he's the most interesting and charismatic. Is it a small role? Comparatively, yes. Is he a good guy? Not by a long shot. But we get to know him, to an extent, over the course of the drama - and we see a quiet professional who walks the line between comedic relief (his consistent irritation at the world is honestly pretty funny) and intense antagonist. 

Also, just a heads-up: if Sung Chang-Hoon is ever cast in anything but a minor role, you will hear my ecstatic screaming across the globe. He deserves it.

Who is your favorite drama minion? 

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Descendants of the Sun: A Review

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When I first heard about Descendants of the Sun, Song Joong Ki's first drama since his release from the military, I wasn't terribly excited. Sure, I love Joong Ki, but the promos didn't interest me much. Then it began airing, and became so popular that I wondered if maybe it was too 'Western.' Then my fellow dramaphile watched it and told me I needed to see it as soon as possible so we could discuss it. I wasn't disappointed. It was far from flawless, but what it did well, it did very well. However I'm going to start with what I didn't like, to move that out of the way and get to the fun stuff.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

The first two episodes attempt to be emotionally impactful, but they don't have enough to work with. They treat a budding romance like a tragic love story, even though the main couple has known each other a grand total of three days. The drama continues to rush itself here and there, but the first two episodes are the worst culprits. Also, there is a huge amount of bad English in this drama, as the majority of it takes place in the fictional country of Urk, and not South Korea. I blame Kim Eun-Sook, the writer behind the disaster that was The Heirs (2013). It seems she has a thing for making people speak English - even if they can't. Also, the drama does not follow one solid, backbone plotline - unless you count the romance between Captain Yoo Shi-Jin (Song Joong-Ki) and Kang Mo-Yeon (Song Hye-Kyo). Rather the drama is a series of events - not my favorite way to tell a story, but by the end of the drama, I didn't mind. Also, while I adore the Alpha Special Forces Team, I wish the writers had given some more love to the three soldiers who weren't the main characters. They deserved more screen time. Also, many of the scenes between Seo Dae-Young (Jin-Goo) and his 'it's complicated' girlfriend, Lieutenant Yoon Myung-Joo, (Kim Ji-Won) were cut, even though their relationship was a focal point of the drama.

WHAT I DID LIKE

There's a lot to love here. My personal favorite element of the drama is the relationships - particularly between the Alpha Special Forces team. Shi-Jin (Joong Ki) and Sergeant Seo Dae-Young (Jin-Goo) have one of the best on-screen friendships I've ever seen, providing the perfect balance of quiet understanding and humor. I also have to give an enormous shout-out to the little-known Hoon Park, who played Staff Sergeant Choi Woo-Geum. Against all odds, he rose to the rank of My Favorite Character - even surpassing Dae-Young and Shi-Jin. He's a complete gem.

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The emotions in this drama are extremely well-written - by which I mean, even if you know somebody isn't dead, you'll cry because everyone else thinks they are. When the characters go through trauma, you go through trauma. When characters laugh or cry, you laugh or cry. Also, in spite of the serious subject matter and the gut-wrenching emotions, there are many hilarious moments to be had, and several times I laughed so hard I cried.

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The male leads are unique in that the usual Lead/Second Lead position is reversed, and the wisecracking, cheerful one is the First Lead, and the stoic, more enigmatic one is the Second Lead. Shi-Jin's character is also the most honest male lead I've ever seen - in spite of the fact he lies out of necessity as a special forces captain, he is totally honest whenever he can be.

Also, it's important to watch Jin-Goo's ears when he smiles. It's the best medicine.

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The OST for the drama is also my favorite since… well, it might be my favorite. It features artists like Xiah Junsu, Chen (EXO), Gummy, and K.Will, and I guarantee the songs will get stuck in your head for a very long time. Also this was Onew's (SHINee) first solid drama role, and while I expected him to be good, he surpassed my expectations and proved his acting chops. I look forward to seeing him in more dramas. The romantic relationships (after the rushed-ness of the first two episodes) drew me in and had me wishing they would "JUST KISS" for the better part of the drama. Also, and I'm going to spoil things a little for you, the drama has a surprisingly happy ending. I honestly expected more heartbreak before the credits rolled, but no - if you want a heartbreaking, emotional roller-coaster of a drama with a happy ending, this is the one for you. 

ARE YOU READY TO CATCH ALPHA FEVER?

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My Top 3 Feel-Good Korean Dramas

 Sometimes you need to watch something feel-good. Maybe you're feeling low, you've had a bad day/week/month, and you want to immerse yourself in something that will make you laugh - but won't numb your brain due to lack of substance. (This is why I'm not usually a fan of chick flicks - the lack of deeper elements usually means I'm bored rather than diverted.) Here I’m going to list my three favorite feel-good Korean dramas for your viewing pleasure!

1. Oh My Venus

This drama has everything. It is, first and foremost, a comedy; but it also delves into deeper, more varying themes like physical and mental health, overcoming difficult backgrounds, emotional healing, determination, and ideas of beauty and perception. It stars Shin Min-Ah (one of my favorite comedic actresses) and So Ji-Sub (one of my favorite actors) as the main romantic couple, and co-stars Bang Sung-Hoon (who deserves a leading role one day, honestly) and Henry (of Super Junior fame). Mom walked in when I was watching this drama one day and she loved it so much that she started it herself - and finished it in record time. Hilarious, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, this drama will leave you feeling inspired and happy.

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2. The Girl Who Sees Smells

Also known as 'Sensory Couple,' this drama stars Shin Se-Kyung (adorably hilarious without being over-the-top) as a hopeful comedienne, and Park Yoo-Chun (better known as Mickey, of JYJ fame) as a hopeful homicide detective. They each carry strange abilities - after being in respective comas, Oh Cho-Rim (Shin Se-Kyung) can physically see smells, and Moo-Gak (Park Yoo-Chun) feels no physical pain. This leads to hysterical antics as the two awkwardly meet, team up, and fall in love - while on the trail of the serial killer who murdered Oh Cho-Rim's parents and Moo-Gak's younger sister. 

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3. Full House Take 2

This is one of the most downright hilarious dramas I've ever seen. Sure, it has its fair share of heart-wrenchingly painful moments, but 80% of the drama is purely comedic. The drama stars Hwang Jung-Eum (She Was Pretty, Kill Me Heal Me) as Oh Man-Ok, an aspiring fashion-designer/martial artist, and No Min Woo (of TRAX fame) as Lee Tae-Ik, a famous singer struggling through financial issues. It co-stars Park Ki-Wong (Gaksital) as Won Kang-Hwi, Tae-Ik's musical partner. The drama follows the three as they try to cover up secrets, stumble their way through a love triangle, and fight through the various troubles and rumors that accompany fame.

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 Do you have a favorite feel-good drama?

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Playing Favorites: Liar Game

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I have many favorite Korean dramas, dramas I would (and have) happily rewatched. But as time goes on, Liar Game remains my consistent favorite, constantly re-emerging as the victor whenever someone asks me, 'So what are your favorite Kdramas?' I unroll a long list, with Liar Game as #1.

At only twelve episodes, it's quite short as most Kdramas go. Loosely based on the Japanese manga, Liar Game follows kind, naïve Nam Da Jung, struggling in debt her father left when he ran away. She is approached by Kang Do Young, the emcee of a new show about money, lies, and betrayal, aptly called 'Liar Game.' If she wins, she'll be able to pay off her father's debt. She enlists the help of genius psychologist and 'human lie detector,' Ha Woo Jin, to help her beat the other contestants. But as the game progresses, Ha Woo Jin begins to realize just how deep lies run, and Da Jung is drawn into a far more dangerous game masterfully concocted by Kang Do Young, who has intentions of his own.

I like to joke that if the writers behind Liar Game wanted to, they could take over the world. Liar Game is the sharpest, most intelligent, complex, and multilayered Kdrama I've seen - in almost nine years of watching them.  

The cast is relatively small and keeps the story centralized around Da Jung, Woo Jin, and Do Young as they navigate their way through a labyrinth of lies, truths, and plot twists. Psychology is the show's largest element - what moves people (Is it honesty? Is it trust? Is it money?), what causes people to change, is trust wise or foolish? Psychology has always fascinated me, and my fascination with it continues to grow (probably why this show is my favorite) - but never fear, this drama has several different elements. 

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For those who like to ship people (and really, who doesn't?), this show provides you with the opportunity to ship Da Jung with Woo Jin or Do Young (I do both, honestly) based purely on chemistry and interest. It also provides dry, subtle humor, while not being a comedic show.

My favorite element of the show, however, is Shin Sung-Rok's fantastic portrayal of Kang Do Young. It's hard to find an accurate, detailed portrayal of a psychopath, but Shin Sung-Rok brings perfectly creepy, perfectly sympathetic dimensions to the antagonist of the drama. Everything from his body language to his perfectly calculated facial expressions are designed to send a chill down your back - and he's the snappiest dresser in Dramaland, too.

If you want intrigue, psychological tests, plot twists, and mystery, this is probably the show for you. If you want to find yourself questioning every reality show you've ever seen, this is definitely the show for you. And if you finish season one, I guarantee you'll want a second season as much as I do.

 Are you ready to play the Liar Game?

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KDrama Dreamcast: Pride and Prejudice Edition

Two things desperately need to be made into Korean dramas: Shakespeare plays and Jane Austen novels. It hit me the other day that a modern version of Pride and Prejudice would make an amazing KDrama, that I should petition SBS, and that I should also suggest a cast of my own, just in case they decide to take me up on the idea.

Lizzie Bennet: Yoo In-Young

Yoo In-Young is a very flexible character actress who can play everything from a clever Mongol general to a scheming heiress. She has the perfect look and attitude for Lizzy.

Mr. Darcy: Shin Sung-Rok

Shin Sung-Rok's striking looks and charismatic acting ability would be perfectly suited to Mr. Darcy's misunderstood, aloof demeanor.

Jane Bennet: Jo Bo-Ah

While I've never seen Jo Bo-Ah in any dramas (yet), she has the perfect look of sweetness about her.

Lydia Bennet: Goo Hara

Goo Hara has proven she can play the willful, troublemaking spoiled child before in City Hunter, while not being totally unlikable. She would be a perfect option for Lydia's flirtatious, chaos-causing character.

Mr. Bingley: Jin Yi-Han

Jin Yi-Han's wholesome, handsome looks and cheerful, personable personality would be a perfect match for Bingley.

Mr. Bennet: Jeon Guk-Hwan

While he frequently plays iron-fisted patriarchs or despots, Jeon Guk-Hwan has a kind, grandfatherly look about him - not to mention a perfect exasperated expression.

Mrs. Bennet: Kim Mi-Kyung

Kim Mi-Kyung is my favorite older actress. She can play literally any role, and she loves new challenges - I think she would be able to embody the role of Mrs. Bennet and have loads of fun doing it.

Mr. Wickham: Park Si-Hoo

Park Si-Hoo can play a convincing good guy and a convincing bad guy; plus, he has those endearing good looks that seem almost a little too obvious.

Mr. Collins: Jo Jae-Yoon

Jo Jae-Yoon is loads of fun no matter what role he plays, and no role would be more fun than Mr. Collins and his well-meaning but painfully awkward blundering.

Lady Catherine DeBurgh: Kim Young-Ae

Kim Young-Ae is excellent at playing the stern, rich, family matriarch, and she has a powerful eyebrow game.

What do you think of my choices? Do you have suggestions for the rest of the cast?

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Playing Favorites: Five Of My Favorite Villains

Nearly every story needs a striking antagonist. Whether he's a truly evil villain or a circumstantial force working against the hero, his role is pivotal. It creates conflict and provides an interesting storyline - if done right. The best villains give you as many feelings as the heroes - hatred, sympathy, and sometimes the confusion of 'wait, is he bad or not?' I'm going to talk about five of my favorites, and why I appreciate them so much in spite of their villainy status.

GWI

(Lee Soo-Hyuk)

Scholar Who Walks the Night

A vampire who secretly runs the country from the shadows behind the throne, I love Gwi for many reasons (not the least of which is the fact Lee Soo-Hyuk is one of my favorite people). He's deliciously exaggerated but not to the point where he discredits himself. He's a luscious villain; beautiful, graceful, pouty, with that perfectly classic mixture of childish selfishness and ancient wrath. In some ways, his viewpoint is one of righteous indignation, which lends him a certain kind of sympathy.

SHISHIO

(Tatsuya Fujiwara)

The Rurouni Kenshin Live-Action Trilogy

Shishio is one of those villains who comes from an understandable - even heartbreaking - viewpoint. He was betrayed by the nation he fought for, brutally stabbed multiple times and left to burn alive. A miraculous survivor, his hatred and revenge for the nation who destroyed him make very painful sense, no matter how horrible his means are.

ADAM

(Burn Gorman)

Forever

Adam was my favorite character in the whole of 'Forever.' An immortal looking for a  way to die but afraid of death just the same, Adam was delightfully intriguing. Occasionally vicious and even brutal, he possessed an aloof self-confidence and a polite, classic demeanor that made him impossible to hate. He had a dry sense of humor, a clever, almost mischievous desire to find out what made Henry tick, and a somewhat twisted but strangely sensible moral code.

 

 PETER PAN

(Robbie Kay)

Once Upon a Time

 Pan is one of my all-time favorite villains - anyone who knows me at all is well aware of my love for this character. I'm a fan of twisted fairytales to begin with, and this is by far my favorite twisted childhood character. Patient, annoyingly clever, unbearably cocky, and frequently downright despicable, he was so purely enjoyable to watch that he was impossible to hate. Not to mention, he had killer eyebrows and a sassy sense of humor that was beautiful to behold.

Kang Do-Young

(Shin Sung-Rok)

 

Liar Game

 

 

Do-Young was an instant favorite and actually the reason I started 'Liar Game' in the first place. The psychopathic MC of a reality television show where contestants lie and betray in order to win money, Do-Young is incredibly intelligent and strategic. He is an elegant predator who is revealed, bit by bit, for what he really is. These revelations make it impossible to hate him. There are reasons for why he is the way he is, and as heartbreaking as Do-Young is, he's a joy to watch. Bonus: he interrupts his own speeches with evil laughter, and it isn't weird at all.

 

Who is your favorite villain, and why?

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NaNoWriMo According to K-Dramas

During my travels through dramaland, I have collected copious amounts of screencaps which I use on a daily basis. (They're better than gifs, okay?) As I was sorting through these screencaps in a vain attempt to organize them, I realized that many of them perfectly portrayed the various stages of NaNoWriMo. If you're participating in National Novel Writing Month, you may relate to these as much as I did.

THE STAGES OF NANOWRIMO

 

When you realize your plot is flawed:

 

 

When you're struck with genius:

 

 

When your characters refuse to behave:

 

 

When you ask someone's opinion of your novel:

 

 

When someone suggests going outside/anywhere:

 

 

When there's that one character you really hate:

 

 

What people say to you all month:

 

 

 When people keep asking 'how's the writing coming' even when you've said 'fine':

 

When you decide you don't like your novel halfway through the month:

 

 

When other humans won't leave you alone:

 

 

When you have to give yourself a pep-talk:

 

 

When the entire dramatis persona misbehaves:

 

 

When you find that pesky plot hole:

 

 

When you fall behind your wordcount goal:

 

 

Your response to people who ask if you'll put them in your novel and kill them:

 

 

The best thing about writing:

 

 

And of course, December First:

 

 

 

Are you doing NaNoWriMo? How is your novel progressing? Can you relate to this post, or has it all been a piece of cake with icing on top?

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