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List of KDramas and Their Grades

To make your next drama selection a little easier, I have sorted all the Korean dramas I've watched into one list, ranked by grade. They...

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

List of KDramas and Their Grades

To make your next drama selection a little easier, I have sorted all the Korean dramas I've watched into one list, ranked by grade. They are in no particular order aside from grade at this point, but when I update this list, I will put new entries on the bottom of the corresponding section. 

And here's a link to a list of all the films I've watched if you're in the mood for something quick! 
List of Foreign Films

A


My Princess (2011), A


Playful Kiss (2010), A-
My Lovely Sam Soon (2005), A-

B




 Heirs (2013), B+














The Man's Voice (2021), B-

Anything below a B- I wouldn't watch again or recommend, but the synopsis can help you decide for yourself.

C

JDrama 99 Days With the Superstar (2011), C+
Memorist (2020), C+
Chinese Accidentally in Love (2018), C+
My Sassy Girl (2017), C
ChDrama Love 020 (2016), C


D


F


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KDrama to MUST Watch: Dramaworld (2016)

Dramaworld (2016)
Grade: A
10 episodes, about 15 minutes each
Young college student Claire Duncan is obsessed with kdramas, driving her father to distraction when she won't put down her phone even while working in their sandwich shop. He urges her to do something with her life besides watching fictional romance, but one day the fiction finally becomes reality. Will Claire be able to facilitate true love's kiss between her favorite leading man Joon Park and the latest leading lady? What happens when her own feelings start to cloud her judgment and threaten the existence of Dramaworld?
*This show is amazing! It pokes fun at all the typical Kdrama tropes while making it just a little more real for the American girls who love them by making an American girl a key player. It takes the entire Kdrama experience to another level to hear a leading man speaking in my native tongue! Sean Dulake is excellent in his role as the “typical” leading man – handsome, arrogant, yet capable of true love – and I'm surprised I haven't seen him before. The drama moves very quickly (probably because each episode is only about 15 minutes long), but they leave it wide open for another season, which I hope they pursue! The plot of the kdrama itself feels very similar to “Pasta” (2010), and I was surprised at how many familiar faces I saw – cameos from more famous stars as well as just the secondary characters that agreed to do what I would consider a minor project for them. DEFINITELY watching this again!*
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Kdrama to Maybe Watch: Love Cells (2015-2016)

Love Cells (2015-2016)
Grade: B-
2 seasons, 15 episodes, then 12 episodes (6 minutes each)
Unemployed, 29-year-old Ma Dae Choong is about to lose his love cell, and when that dies, he will lose all ability to ever love again. What happens when mischievous cat Navi swallows the waning cell, turning into a human? Will Dae Choong be able to woo the impossible and save his love cell's life? Or will he let the movie star date a more suitable man instead?
In the second season, famous chef Tae Joon has locked his love cell at the local love cell bank, so he can focus on his career instead of stewing on a past failed relationship. Will Navi be able to convince Tae Joon to take back his love cell and take his cooking to the next level, or will this love cell incarnation die at the hands of the flirtatious co-host who wants Tae Joon for herself?
*These webisodes moved really quickly, but the ending of the first season was rather ambiguous – I still don't know if Dae Choong kept his ability to love or not. While I liked the idea of a second season, using Navi in more than one capacity, it was not as funny as the first, probably because she didn't use any magical tricks like before. It was also odd that suddenly everyone knows what love cells are and keeping them in a bank was acceptable, when in the first season, nobody seemed to know what they were and it was imperative to use the love cell or it would expire. I would be interested to see if they do a third season and how Navi is used then. I might watch this again.*
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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

InFilm to Watch: Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)


Business student Naina and her family are unhappy with their lives in New York, with a failing restaurant burdening Naina's widow mother, until the neighbor's nephew Aman comes to town. His mischievous nature sparks a wave of happiness in Naina's family, despite their deep wounds from her father's suicide and the obvious strife between Naina's mother and paternal grandma. How will Naina's family take Aman's high-spirited meddling in their affairs? What happens when Naina mistakes Aman's efforts to build a connection between her and her classmate Rohit? Will his lie be enough for her to accept Rohit's love instead of Aman's?

*This film has a surprisingly fast pace despite the 3 hour runtime, with lots of quirky charm throughout as it pokes fun at itself with fast-paced dialogue and humorous pauses for emphasis at just the right moments. The music is upbeat, with lots of American themes as it does take place in New York, including rap and clothing indicative of the time period (the early 2000s). There was a startling barb of racism towards a Chinese family, and several scenes with scantily clad women dancing provocatively – including a strip club – but other than that, it was a fun film. I'd rate it as a strong PG-13 because of the immodest clothing as well as the more adult themes of suicide, infidelity, and loss. It was sad towards the end, but only for the last 15 minutes or so, and Shah Rukh Khan (“Swades” 2004, “Chak De! India” 2007) was delightful in his role. I might watch this again.*
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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

KDrama to Miss: Cheese in the Trap (2015)

Cheese in the Trap (2015)

Grade: C-
16 Episodes
Hong Seol is a college student who has a few run-ins with the rich, charming Yoo Jung, and she knows he hates her. His actions are so subtle, however, Hong Seol has a hard time convincing others of Yoo Jung's true character. Over time, will Hong Seol be able to teach the sociopath how to be more honest with his feelings and restore his relationships with his adopted siblings? What happens when the adopted sister sees Hong Seol as a threat to her way of life and her relationship with Yoo Jung? Will the adopted brother be able to convince Hong Seol of Yoo Jung's potential for harming those around him?
*This drama is full of passive-aggressive power struggles, half-truths and emotionally unstable young adults. The music is boring, the plot is dull, and the main characters are just plain unlikable creatures. While the plot and dialogue is more realistic than most Kdramas, making it refreshing initially, once the novelty wore off it was just boring. The ending was lame, too (although the webtoon is still being written, so that might have had something to do with it.) Won't watch this again.*
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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

KDrama to Watch: Full House Take 2 (2012)

Full House Take 2 (2012)

Grade: B+
16 two-part episodes (32 half-hour segments)
K-pop stars Lee Tae-ik and Won Kang-hwi are not getting along well, despite their rising fame. Tae-ik's goal is simply to earn enough money to buy back his childhood home, named “Full House,” but he is losing popularity for not having as stylish a wardrobe as his counterpart Kang-hwi. Tae-ik ends up firing his stylist, and he runs into a young hapkido master, Jang Man-ok, who secretly wants to design clothes and be a stylist. In order to pay off her debt for the interference she caused, Man-ok becomes the group stylist and moves into Full House with the boys. What happens when Tae-ik starts having feelings for the common girl? Will Kang-hwi be able to keep the secret about his eyesight, and will Man-ok be able to keep the secret about her new job and living arrangements from her grandfather once he returns from his trip abroad?
*This k-drama had a slightly unusual rhythm simply because of how the episodes were structured – in half-hour segments instead of full 1-hour shows. (It was a Chinese, Korean, and Japanese production, so they probably had to divide it differently than usual.) The background music was a bit redundant, probably because more effort was put into the main performance songs for the big musical numbers. I enjoyed the bromance between Tae-ik and Kang-hwi, but Kang-hwi's ailment made him a little too pitiable to be truly likable. I hated both of Man-ok's hairstyles, curly and straight, and her wardrobe as a so-called stylist was distracting. (She wears a lei of teddy bears at one point – very odd.) It was fun to see Tae-ik in a more dynamic role (he was in “My Unfortunate Boyfriend,” 2015), and I liked that Man-ok was a strong female that the pretty mean girl couldn't rattle. I'd probably watch this show again.*
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Sunday, June 5, 2016

InFilm to Miss: Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania (2014)

 


Kavya is a month away from an arranged marriage, and she decides to spend that time with an uncle in Delhi in an effort to purchase a designer wedding skirt. She runs into the aimless Humpty, and together they help her friend while having a lot of fun together. An attraction sparks, and the two soon sleep together. But what will happen when Kavya's month is up? Will her father allow Humpty to pursue Kavya instead of the perfect suitor he found for his daughter, or will Humpty surrender to the much better marriage candidate?
*I wasn't impressed with the characters. By the end of the film I liked them, but they were too self-centered and immature to be endearing until at least halfway through the film. I was also surprised the characters kissed and even slept together – a rarity among Indian films. Not the worst one I've seen, but I won't watch it again.*
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