Korean Drama watching updates

[alexandral]

Being a huge fan of organising things, making lists and all such things I can no longer resist posting drama "worklog" updates, listing the state of the dramas I am currently watching.

At the moment I am watching following Korean dramas (and have the bestest of intentions to finish them):


Barefoot Youth (ep. 8, my ratings so far - 6/10, the story is awesome and the characters are great but it has a very dated feel)

Chuno (ep. 9, my ratings so far - 10/10 - this might become my favourite 2010 drama)

IRIS (ep.7, my ratings so far - 7/10 - Lee Byun Hun's drama can't do wrong with me, especially when it also has some fabulous female characters but I can't get over the feeling I am watching "Alias". or "La Femme Nikita". or "Spooks". or Bond. or any other spy drama)

Jejoongwon (ep.8, my ratings so far - 7/10 - has the most awesome herouine of 2010 but on the whole is a bit naive)

Hero (ep.6, my ratings so far - 7/10 - When the herouine gave the hero a piggyback ride , my love was sealed. )

Pasta (ep.11, my ratings so far - 7/10 - deliciously fluffy)

The Slingshot (Story of a man) (ep.10, my ratings so far - 8/10 - a real understated gem)

Que Sera Sera (ep. 7, my ratings so far - 8/10 - this is seriously good)

Will it snow for Christmas (ep.13, my ratings so far - 6/10 - angst-fest I must finish soon)

Wish upon a star (ep.9, my ratings so far - 6/10 - forwind-worthy but adorable)

Comments

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I LOVE The Slingshot. It was a really well-written drama but it's criminally underrated. I'm glad you're liking it. The next few eps may be a little slow or at least I found them a bit slow.

I agree with you about IRIS. While I did love the drama and the female characters and thought it was pretty different for a kdrama, I got the same "seen this before" feeling. But I can't really hold it against it because I think that's just how the genre is and it's a pretty great drama.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

"Slingshot" has that "wow! this is quite original" wonder-feel for me, I always go mad for dramas like that. Plus I love both (or rather three) guys there : Shin is darling and Jae Myung is sex on legs but I have a soft spot for evil Do Woo too (you won't judge me , will you :D)

Yes, I am enjoying IRIS too! A drama full of Lee BYun Hun and his abs can never go below 7 for me. :D

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I love all those guys as well. They were all very interesting and hot (even Shin with his ahjumma perm) all on their own. The actor who played Do Woo did a fantastic job.

Ngl I enjoyed every scene of LBH shirtless :P

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I also LOVED the fact that Kyung Ah loved Do Woo and Shin fell in love with Do Woo's sister at the end. I am so tired of "normal" (totally predictable) love triangles and FIRST LOVE IS FOREVER thing (guys, I had a first love too - he wasn't the guy I married). Also this made Kyung Ah even more awesome, she didn't just hang around with Do Woo for the monetary aspect of it. She loved him, warts and all. I find their relationship very hot.

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

YES! I loved that about the show. The way the characters grew and so did their relationships and it all made sense. It made sense that Shin and Do Woo's sister fell in love and that Kyung Ah came to love Do Woo and I just loved how it all happened. It seemed very plausible and genuine.
They WERE hot right?! Some crazy stans didn't think so but I thought they were a great power couple.

Ugh don't even get me started on the first love thing. I hate those esp. when the two characters spent like a month with each other when they were 6 years old and they leave their partner of however many years for that first love. It's so silly and grating.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

They WERE hot right?! Some crazy stans didn't think so but I thought they were a great power couple.


There were many positively steamy moments there (the moment he was laying on her bosom?? OMPH!) , but on the other hand Shin/sister OTP had some amazing sweet moments.

As I said to timescout, sometimes I think that there are fans expect predictable scenarios and when things don't go the predictable way there is always outcry of "NO! THE WRITER SPOILED EVERYTHING" (he , yes I get so ranty sometimes. I wanna protect my "Slingshot").

[timescout.livejournal.com]

Yay! You are watching Slingshot - my favourite K-drama of 2009 and one of my top 5 now. I have such a major crush on Shin. XD

I should really make a move on with QSS and finally finish it. I think I got stalled at ep 10 or so. It's one of those dramas that has a special kind of angst that I'm finding hard to deal with.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Slingshot is really quite awesome. If I am to judge a drama purely by it's merits it will be my best of 2009. But I went crazy with YAB fever so it is still my favourite.

I am going really slow with QSS too. Sometimes I feel like watching something that makes me slide into pondering mood , and this is the time for another episode of QSS. But it is great- again, an understated gem.

Sometimes I feel that anything that goes slightly off the usual Kdrama route (clearly defined love triangle with clearly defined "who is going to get the girl" , good ending, etc.) never gets appreciated the way it should . ** pats QSS and "Slingshot" **

[timescout.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm getting rather tired of 'the usual' in k-dramas as well. I guess it didn't bother me so much at the beginning of my drama watching carreer but it's getting more and more clear that I like scripts that are a little bit out of the ordinary. As a non-shipper the overall story is also more important to me than who ends up with whom. I don't even need a clearly cut romance or OTP to enjoy the drama, provided the story is engrossing.

But, the masses seem to want go the 'safe and sound' route so what can one do.... It's the same with western TV as well I guess.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I think I am similar - at the start I liked literally everything but now I seem to be getting more and more discerning. Some of the stereotypes have been overdone so much that I don't like them anymore.

I think it might be easier for non-shipper, sometimes I get really frustrated when my OTP doesn't work out.

And yes, there is certain predictability in the Western TV too.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Chuno and IRIS terrify me a bit; they sound so horrifically angsty. But slave rebellions! How can I resist...

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Chuno has some angst but not too much of, it is more of manpain variety. Also slaves are killing their masters with guns. I am non-objective here - I LURVE IT.

IRIS reminds me of "Le Femme Nikita" (or "Alias") gender reversed - there is some angst but because 80% of every episode is taken over by very cool action.

[mishane.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, Hero was next on my list to watch.

I liked Slingshot but stopped at episode 8. I just. . .I had no more motivation to continue. I lost all interest, which is weird. I think it mostly had to do with the hero.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Hero has a really strong female character (she carries him on her back!!!!!) and Lee Jun Ki is still as pretty as ever.

Like sodahands said, it feels like there is a bit of a dip in the middle of "Slingshot". One part has been concluded, but the other part is just getting developed. I feel it too. But I am spoiled myself for the later developments - it really picks up again after 3-4 eps.

[mnemo-syne.livejournal.com]

I have never even heard of Chuno or The Slingshot (Story of a man). I should google and find out what they are...*is lazy*

The last drama I tried to watch was Tokyo Dogs and I didn't like it. I haven't been able to find one I liked and wanted to watch to the end in forever. Bah.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I was quite fine with Tokyo Dogs, but it has a slow start. There are good OTP moments later in the series though (but you not in there for romance, are you?).

hee- as you noticed I posted quite a lot about Chuno. I hope you'd like it.

[mnemo-syne.livejournal.com]

Right. I started watching TD because I like detective/mystery stories, but it was too unrealistic for me and I wasn't interested in the romance angle at all.

Yes! Hee. I have to say, all those abs DO look pretty enticing. I mean the story looks good too, cough cough. XP

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Yes, the detective/crime aspect wasn't the best thing about "Tokyo Dog", but I am usually in dramas for shipping sake. :D

I hope you will get to see the abs on screen soon. They are SO SO GOOD.