KDrama Stars: The Guys

I wasn't planning on including a post like this, but the more I think about it, I might as well talk about the actors I have come to love after watching all these dramas :) 

First, my absolute favorite: Kang Ji-Hwan

 Let's just take a moment to appreciate this beautiful man. I've discovered that he is like the South Korean version of Johnny Depp - a versatile actor that can pull off any role swimmingly. Here are the few shows in which I've seen him:

Lie to Me (2011)

Coffee House (2010)

My Girlfriend is an Agent (film) (2009)

"Lie to Me" was the first time I saw him. It was a fabulous drama, one of my all-time favorites. After that I watched the movie "My Girlfriend is an Agent," and that's when I realized just how much talent this actor has. "Coffee House" wasn't my favorite - it's a bit too quirky for my taste - but it is yet another example of the crazy roles this guy can pull off.

Second, there is Song Seung-heon. I didn't think much of him at first, when I saw him in "Summer Scent" (2003), because that drama was pretty lame all around.

But just because a drama is bad, it doesn't necessarily mean all the actors are  bad. Case in point: Seung-heon stars in "My Princess" (2011), and he is fabulous. Lesson learned.

I haven't seen any other dramas with him in them yet, but it would be worthwhile to search out his other works.

Third, I'd like to mention Yoon Sang-hyun. He's an older actor, having his stardom start later in life, but he is also talented and worth watching.

I first watched him in the drama "My Fair Lady" (2009), which is a twist on the typical rich guy/poor girl formula. I was pleasantly surprised to see him in "Secret Garden" (2010) as a supporting actor, and while I didn't like the character nearly as much, he still did a great job. (LOVE LOVE LOVE "Secret Garden" by the way - look for its review in the near future :)

Fourth, there is Lee Min-ho, from "Boys Over Flowers" (2009). While the drama was well-written and has received rave reviews, it wasn't my favorite. It's a bit too dark and violent for my taste (more to come in my official review), but I did enjoy Min-ho's portrayal of the spoiled rich kid. 

I'm VERY excited to see him in his latest drama, a historical-fantasy released on Netflix, "Faith" (2012)!

The last South Korean actor worth some mention is Lee Seung-ki. I recently watched "Shining Inheritance" (2009), and it wasn't until that drama was nearly over when I realized I had seen one of those actors before! 

Actually, it was the hubby who pointed out I had seen him in the very fun "My Girlfriend is a Gumiho" (2010) drama. (Don't tell him I told you - he makes it a point to not be in the room while I watch my dramas :)

He's a pretty cute kid. I think I didn't recognize him while watching "Shining Inheritance" because he never, ever smiled, for the duration of the entire drama. Maybe the director was like, "Don't smile. You look like Julia Roberts swallowed a barracuda." 

There are plenty of other talented actors out there, these are just some of my favorites that keep popping up in the best shows! I'll have to make another special post in the future about the actresses I enjoy watching!

A KPop Blog!

This is a shout-out to my friend's collaborative blog, F4plus1. Their blog focuses primarily on Korean pop, or KPop, although it does look like they have some drama reviews as well.

Take a look for another perspective on Korean pop culture!

http://f4plus1.blogspot.com/ 

InFilm to Miss: Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002)

Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002) 

Raj, Tina and Pooja are childhood friends when Raj moves away. He wants Tina to write to him, but Pooja ends up emailing him in Tina's name for 15 years. When the friends finally reunite, Raj tells Tina he loves her, but in fact he is really in love with Pooja. Raj finally realizes it was Pooja writing him the letters and they go to tell their family but then Tina's father dies, and Pooja doesn't want to take Raj away from her friend. Tina finally figures out that Raj and Pooja had agreed to not marry for her sake, and drama ensues.

*This was a really cheesy, dramatic movie, and it looked like something out of the 90s. The female singer they chose drove me up the wall, (hated her voice) so I skipped over most of the song and  dance numbers because of it. I won't watch this again.*

InFilm to Watch: Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011)

Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011)  

Kush (actor Imran Khan) is tasked with finding his brother a suitable wife. Kush then crosses paths with former college mate, Dimple, a daring girl that had intrigued him before, but they went their separate ways. Now Dimple is looking to get married to please her parents, and while Kush sets everything up for Dimple and his brother Luv to get married, Kush and Dimple realize they have feelings for each other. Now they must convince Luv and his ex-girlfriend to get back together and then pretend it is their parents' idea for Kush and Dimple to be married instead.

*Great soundtrack, cute characters, have watched and will watch again! I enjoy all of Imran's films.*

ChFilm to Miss: Love In Space (2011)

Love In Space (2011)

(Chinese film) The film follows three sisters and their love stories (one sister is an astronaut in a space station). It was under the “romantic comedy” listing, but there was more drama than humor. It had a decent ending, but it was nothing to write home about.

*Decent, but I probably won't watch it again, as there are better films out there more worth my time.*

ChFilm to Watch: Sophie's Revenge (2009)

Sophie's Revenge (2009)

(Chinese film) Sophie is a a comic book artist who falls in love with the surgeon that removed her appendix. He cheats on her with a movie star, Joanna, and Sophie subsequently plots her revenge. She teams up with the photographer that worked with Joanna in an effort to make the ex-boyfriend jealous, but it is a romantic comedy, so the expected happens :)

*It had great color and an offbeat humor throughout. Good movie, would probably watch again.*

KFilm to Miss: Spring Bears Love (2003)

Spring Bears Love (2003) 

Hyun-jae works at a local grocery store and is checking out a library book for her dad when she notices a love note written inside. The note leads to another book and so on, the writer of the notes professing his love for her. Hyun-jae's friend Dong-ha comes to town for his work as a subway train driver and tries to woo Hyun-jae, but she is too busy wondering about her “Vincent,” as she dubs her mystery note writer. Eventually Hyun-jae finds out that Dong-ha loves her just as much if not more so than the man writing love notes in the library books.
 

*The characters felt more real than most films, in that they do things like slurp, scratch their butts, pick their noses, but it makes them weird and not likeabley quirky. This had funny moments, but overall it was more strange and slow than endearing and memorable. Some people may like it, but I didn't care for it overall and wouldn't watch it again.*

KFilm to Watch: My Girlfriend is an Agent (2009)

My Girlfriend is an Agent (2009)

 Jaejoon (actor Kang Ji-hwan) breaks up with his girlfriend Sooji over the phone because she always lies about her whereabouts and has to leave unexpectedly (he doesn't know she is a spy). Three years later he returns, and they run into each other while she is undercover and watching a scientist suspected of selling a bio-weapon. He is actually following the Russian interested in purchasing the bio-weapon, as a rookie spy, and eventually the two find out they are working for the same cause. Lots of physical humor, some suspense and romance - a very entertaining romantic comedy action flick.

*Ji-hwan is the Johnny Depp of the Korean world: handsome and a very talented, versatile actor. I loved seeing him acting klutzy and a little dopey, as compared to the stoic, hard-hearted characters in his other pieces. I would definitely watch this again*

KDrama to Miss: Summer Scent (2003)

Summer Scent (2003) 

Grade: D

20 Episodes

Florist Hyewon meets a man while hiking in the mountains, Minwoo, who rescues her after she falls. Her heart beats erratically whenever he is near, and soon the two fall in love, much to Hyewon's fiance Jungjae's dismay, as well as his sister Jungah, who has had her eyes on Minwoo. During the series we find out that Hyewon reminds Minwoo of his ex-girlfriend, Eunhye, who had died in a car accident, and the rest of the show Hyewon and Minwoo figure out if they really love each other, or if it's just Eunhye's influence. (Favorite character in the whole show was Minwoo's best friend, Daepoong.)

*Very slow, sad, bittersweet show, and no characters kiss, ever. But beautiful scenery. Probably won't watch again, very boring and depressing.*

KDrama to Watch: Flower Boy Ramen Shop (2011)

Flower Boy Ramen Shop (2011)

Grade: A-

16 Episodes 

Yang Eun-Bi is a college student studying to become a high school teacher. She runs into Cha Chi-Soo, a spoiled rich kid who she mistakes for a professional her own age but he actually goes to the high school where she is trying to intern. Eun-Bi's father dies, leaving her his ramen shop (which she hates). A family friend, Choi Kang-hyuk, enters the scene and helps run the ramen shop. Kang-hyuk and Chi-Soo end up competing for Eun-Bi's affections, Chi-Soo's father disapproves the union, and threatens to disinherit Chi-Soo for liking working-class Eun-Bi. Other friends and romances parallel the main love triangle (Eun-bi's friend Kim Ba-Wool and snobby girl Yoon So-yi; Eun-bi's girlfriend Kang Dong-joo and their former volleyball coach).

*Very first Korean drama I ever watched, and I LOVED it! Will watch again!*

Introduction!

I started watching Korean dramas in 2013 on Netflix, and out of habit from the time I briefly reviewed movies for a local community paper, I also wrote about each show I watched. This blog is primarily for anyone looking for a recommendation, as well as a reminder for myself of which shows are worth watching again or not.

Later I started including movie reviews in my notes, for the same reasons - in case I ever started a blog, and in case I decided to share my findings. There will also be postings about Chinese and Indian foreign films on this blog.


All the shows I post about were originally found on Netflix, so if it's not available, it's because Netflix has taken the show out of its current rotation. Hulu is another place to look for these dramas, although you have to watch commercials if you use that website. Same thing with Viki. Amazon Prime offers a few kdramas as well.

This blog will be updated as I finish watching new shows.

Hopefully I will be able to make this easy to navigate and helpful for anyone wanting to try something new :)

Welcome to the wonderful world of Korean dramas and foreign films!  

KDrama = Korean drama

 On average, most Korean dramas are 16 episodes long. I have watched dramas with as many as 28 episodes (usually a sign it was doing well so the writers kept going), and as few as 12. Each episode is about an hour long, and all dramas only last one season, so don't bother looking for a next season if you liked one of the shows. 

At best you'll find a show that's done in a similar vein, like "Boys Over Flowers" (2009) yielding the loosely related "Flower Boy Ramen Shop" (2011) and "Flower Boys Next Door" (2013). 

The reason I like these so much is because it's basically a 16 hour long romantic comedy, and they are clean! Minimal kissing, and if there is a bedroom scene, the characters are married and stay fully clothed. They don't really show anything.

KFilm = Korean film

Korean films are about the same length as American movies, an hour and a half. They do not have a rating system (that I know of).

ChFilm = Chinese film

Chinese films are also about the same length as American films, 90 minutes or so. They do not have a rating system (that I know of).

InFilm = Indian film

These are your typical "Bollywood" type films with lots of music and dancing, and they usually last two to two-and-a-half hours. These films are typically very clean. For some cultural reasons, Indian films shy away from on-screen kissing (meaning it is very rare to have a bedroom scene), and even the kisses are innocent. However, there is often more skin showing, as their ideas of modesty are different than ours (more bare midriffs, for example), which can sometimes make the dance numbers somewhat suggestive.

One More Note

ALL of these tv shows and movies have SUBTITLES, so if you don't like reading while you watch television, these are not for you!

Don't worry, though, you'll get faster and it will get easier over time!