My Drama List of 2013

Dramas are quite different from K-pop because even though I know that I have probably missed a lot of music, I feel good about the amount of things that I have been able to listen to. Music videos are normally over in a matter of minutes and then you can listen to them on repeat afterwords in you like it enough. Dramas take a considerable more amount of time so there are only so many dramas that a person can watch, and it feels like you are playing a continuous game of catchup which you know you can never win at.

After that happy note, there are quite a few dramas that I heard were awesome that I didn't watch this year and hopefully in the future I will be able to watch them. There are also dramas that I have heard I shouldn't go near with a ten foot pole, unfortunately, I watched some of those ones.

So here are all the 2013 dramas that I watched this year from best to worst.

I Hear Your Voice

You know the feeling you get when you are presented with a puppy that just wants to love you? That is what this drama makes me feel, it gives me the warm fuzzies, that is until people start trying to kill each other and then the puppy isn't so cute anymore.

I seriously loved this drama and would totally watch it again and tell everyone I know to watch it as well. There was the giant question that was never answered: where did Soo Ha's powers come from and why did they appear and disappear? but aside from that, it was a very well written drama. I didn't even mind when they threw us the amnesia card because that gave us more opportunities for cute puppy moments and it actually moved the plot forward. The resolution of the amnesia was a little sudden, but I have definitely seen worse.

This is also the first thing that I have seen Lee Jong Suk in other than Secret Garden because I started watching School 2013 and then didn't finish because like got in the way. I know, I'm terrible. I'll finish it eventually.

The Master's Sun

Like I Hear Your Voice, this drama also had a few weird plot moments, but was otherwise amazing. I know that there are a lot of people in the drama community who have been watching dramas for years and have seen all the Hong Sister dramas and they are only content with this drama. I have only seen You're Beautiful and there are a few others that I want to watch as well, Big is not one of them, I've heard stories.

If the chemistry in I Hear Your Voice was cute and made you squeal with joy, this couple's sexual tension was almost tangible through the screen. Gong Hyo Jin and Seo Ji Sub acted off each other so well and you could tell that the actors liked each other too which made their relationship that much more believable.

The one main issue I have with this drama is that the ghost stories were sometimes boring. I really liked the episode with the ghost children but then others like the cheating husband were a little bland. Then there was the whole "sell your soul" to the creepy ghost marriage lady just to have it ended suddenly by Joong Won. I'm still scratching my head over that one. 
 
Dating Agency: Cyrano  

One of the main reasons that I started to watch this drama was because Jo Yoon Woo. I really liked his character in Flower Boy Ramyun Shop and I thought that it was funny that he was cast in another Flower Boy drama in a similar role. It did make me sad that his story ended in a similar way though. You'll get the girl someday. I also really liked Hong Jong Hyeon's character and he was one of the reasons that I decided to watch White Christmas. My friends and I all affectionately named him Roppa (robot/oppa) because that's what we do.

I really liked the story too and the theme that is brought forth about can a person be tricked into liking another person and what happens in the figure it out. I was always interested in the stories too I liked that they were their own stories, but they were also used to bring the main couple together. It was cute.

Now about that main couple. I wasn't really feeling it. I think that Lee Jong Hyuk was just too old for Sooyoung and when they kissed at the end, it didn't feel genuine and it made my skin crawl a little. I mean, he is 15 years older than her! I was rooting for Lee Chun Hee through most of the drama anyways. He still had 11 years on Sooyoung, but I felt that they had better chemistry and she seemed to like him more that Jong Hyuk at times.

Gu Family Book 

This drama was pretty good, but it wasn't amazing. I thought that it was going to focus more on Kang Shi's journey to become human and the battle with his dad and less about his love story with Yeo Wool. Not that I didn't like their story and their chemistry was fantastic but the drama did turn into a giant love story rather than a story about finding yourself.

One thing that I absolutely loved unconditionally though was Wol Ryung and Seo Hwa. That was beautiful and I might have cried a little. You know a drama has some good writers when you cry about some characters you see for a short time at the beginning and then for an equally short amount of time at the end.

But then there was that ending. What was that? Like, seriously. What the heck? Unless there is going to be a part two, there was no need for any of that. I just like to pretend that the last ten minutes didn't even happen.

Flower Boy Next Door 

To be perfectly honest, I don't remember a lot about this drama other than the fact that I did like it. It was cute and playful and didn't require too much brain power. I have really liked all of the "Flower Boy" dramas as well, the best, of course, being Shut Up! Flower Boy Band, wow was that good.

One thing that I do remember is that the second OTP was fantastic. They were so funny and such an odd couple you can't help but root for them to get together. I also had some serious second male lead love for Oh Jin Rok and his stupid pants that occasionally made him look like he was wearing a diaper.

I am also always down for a retold fairy tale, this one being "Rapunzel", kind of. It took that general idea and used it in it's storytelling. I also liked that this drama would be used as an example of a lot of people's lives. How many of us live in a neighborhood, whether house or apartment, but don't actually know our neighbors? Why do we coop ourselves up when there is so much out there to live for?

The ending did slow a lot compared to the zippy pace of the beginning and the ending was a lot like Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, but this drama has the most natural kiss scene that I have ever seen Park Shin Hye give, like ever. Good job Yoon Shi Yoon.

Who Are You?

And the award for worst use of an amazing actor goes to *drum roll* Kim Jae Wook's role as Lee Hyung Joon in Who Are You. Congratulations! Now go sit in the corner and think about what you did. Seriously, he was the best actor in this drama and he spent 90% of it staring longingly and looking mournful.

I would also like a rewrite of this drama that either involves Yang Shi On dying so she could be with Lee Hyung Joon or Hyung Joon pulling a Arang and becoming human so that the two of them could live happily ever after. I don't know what the writers were thinking in making Hyung Joon's character so likable and sad and showing us all those wonderful flashback of the couple before his death. Taec's character didn't stand a chance with me, maybe next time.

All that being said, I didn't love this drama. It wasn't bad, but if someone asked me which ghost drama to watch, I would direct people to The Master's Sun. The story line was a little weak and so was Shi On who supposedly was this honored graduate of her academy, but she was always taken down pretty easily. The ghosts also disappeared from the story and all the energy was focused on Hyung Joon. Not that I'm opposed to that, but it was suppose to be a ghost drama right?

The end was also a little weird. I understand why the writers made it the way that they did in a kind of open ending, "what will the future hold for them?" but I didn't totally buy it.  

Nail Salon Paris 

Thinking about this drama makes me want to weep anew. I'm trying hard to forget that it ever happened. It started out with a good idea, a girl dresses like a boy to get a job and then there is also a dash of fantasy with the gumiho element. I was excited for it to begin, and then I was excited for it to end.

This drama just tried to be too many things at once though and it was it's downfall. There was the easy nail salon, secret girl thing, but then there was also therapy sessions, birth secrets, magic, love triangles, and some near death experiences all within ten episodes. The only thing that kept me watching was that it was such a train wreck, I had to find out how it all ended and Song Jae Rim and to a lesser extent, Thunder.

I had only seen Song Jae Rim in Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, where he sits in the background with his hair and cheekbones and The Moon that Embraces the Sun where he also flaunts his hair and cheekbones but he also gets to do a little acting. He was also the shinning light it a sea of bad acting. It's not even like it was this phenomenal performance, he just didn't suck.    

The only thing that this story did that brought me any joy though (SPOILERS) was that Song Jae Rim, our second male lead, got the girl in the end. It was kind of a backhanded victory with the whole "is he or isn't he" angle, but at least I got something for my pain.

Mi Rae's Choice

This drama had so much potential to be awesome, but unfortunately the writer got tangled in his own web which caused this dramas web to become unsalvageable.

This dramas one saving grace is that everyone got to see that Jung Yong Hwa's acting skills have vastly improved. Even though he has gotten better, his character was not a great character. But let's be honest, nobody's character was that great with the exception of Yoo Kyung. All the characters were so indecisive and annoying and because of that, the plot never really went anywhere.

Something else that left me scratching my head was, what was Mi-rae's choice? She never made one! Future Mi-rae goes back to the future and somehow receives the box that Present Mi-rae buried (which breaks the rules that they set up). Then Present Mi-rae never chooses a man! It is left annoyingly open! After all that time and all that set up, nothing happens! I think I need a drink.
  
Heirs 

Yes, Heirs is last. Why? Because I didn't even finish it, I read recaps for the last four episodes. I was bored to freaking tears and it became a waste of my time to watch it. I was sad about that too because the acting was good but I didn't like all the characters which also added to the boredom.

Everyone in this drama, especially our main trio, were always being acted upon instead of them making decisions on their own. This resulted in the same situations happening over and over because they didn't know what they wanted and even if they did, they rarely did anything to remedy their situation.

With all of that, there was a lot of wasted talent in this drama that was filled to bursting with some fantastic actors and actresses, namely Choi Jin Hyuk. Hopefully, in his next drama he can be given a roll where he actually does something.

~~~~~~~

As for what I am watching right now, Beautiful Man is going to finish up next week and I have been fully enjoying that. The way that the writers wrote Myo Mi out was sloppy, but whatever, I can deal with that. I am really sad that I will probably have my heart broken though because I am totally in love with David. I will go down with my ship!

I am also watching My Lover From the Stars which started recently and that it also fabulous. I will not be suffering from Second Male Lead love here because I totally love Kim Soo Hyun and the second male lead is a little desperate and annoying.

The last thing is Golden Rainbow which is a weekend drama and will have, by the end, a whopping 50 episodes. I will not give up on this one like I did on Cruel Palace though, and I would like to pick that up again. I like the family angle that is being played along with all the intrigue that is going on within the Golden Fisheries. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top and who comes out dead, because I feel like a few people might come out dead in the end. Hopefully it's not our main people.

Well, I had a bit of a mixed bag this year, but there were a lot of good dramas that came out and I know there are a lot more excellent dramas that I need to watch. Drama watching is seriously a never winning battle or catch up.

Here's to another great year!

~ Alora

Gu Family Book

I think that this drama is a classic example of a drama that has an amazing plot line but then craps out on you in the end. The writers try to be clever in wrapping up the story, but, in reality, they could have done it in such a better way. Maybe that better way would be to make the story end on a mournful note, sure that would be sad, but it would be better than having the audience sit there wondering what the heck just happened. Then to make matters worse, you try to be Marvel and throw a weird after credit scene at us. Does this mean that there will be a season two or were you a little heavy on the soju when you were writing?

Questionable ending aside, this drama was very well written and the actors were wonderful. Our main hero, Choi Kangchi, was played by the wonderful Lee Seung Ki who I had never seen in a drama before. I already knew that he was one of those actors that everybody loved, but I have never seen him in action before, and I am glad that I finally have.

This story is center around the Gumiho legend and the desire that a Gumiho has to become human when they find a human and fall in love. Unfortunately, becoming human is not easy and almost all Gumiho fail and that is the premise that our story is built upon. 

The first couple of episodes is the back story to the drama and it is so sad and beautiful. It is about a Gumiho who falls in love with a human, but ultimately fails in his quest to become human and becomes a demon.

Even though the beginning of this drama was heartbreaking, there were plenty of funny moments to break through the sadness of both the beginning and what is peppered through the drama. Here are some funny scenes that you will get no explanation for. You just get to be confused. You're welcome.

Yeah, this drama is awesome. Most of the time. That sword at the beginning......

Another reason why I loved this drama so much is because the cast meshed with each other so well. Before I began watching the drama I would see articles about Lee Seung Ki and Suzy and how natural they were with each other on and off the camera, and that was not a lie. You could tell that they honestly liked to work with each other and they we comfortable with each other which is always a good thing.

My main problem with sageuks, fusion or other wise, is that sometimes I feel like there are too many characters and I can't remember who everyone is, but I didn't have that problem in this drama which I was thankful for. There aren't a million old men who all look alike all conspiring against each other, but there is definitely one big bad, this guy.

He was such a nasty little skeeze ball and every time that he came into the scene I got the heeby jeebies, especially whenever he went to gibang house and his sick desire for some of the girls. I had to find a rage face to correctly express how I felt when he came on the screen. I feel like I found a pretty good one.

Eternal Contempt

Spoilers!!!!!! Like I did with Nail Salon Paris, I'm going to be grumpy at the ending. If you don't want to know what happens, scroll down three pictures, I also advise you to maybe cross your eyes or something, because these pictures should not be viewed by those who don't know what's happening. Let's go!

I get what you were trying to do writer, I do, you wanted to show that Kangchi's love is able to withstand centuries of being alone. Love conquers all and blah blah blah, but really? I absolutely hated the fact that they killed Yo Oul from the gun shot wound. I was expecting that Kangchi and Yo Oul's story would end happily where Mom and Dad's story was tragic, but how much more tragic did the kids story end up? Mom and Dad at least had a reconciliation, as sad as that was. Since it did end up this way, what was the point of Kanchi wanting to find the Gu Family Book? It didn't even matter in the end because he just remained a Gumiho hoping that some day he would come into contact with a reincarnated Yo Oul. 

I think that I would have been happier if the story ended with Kangchi walking away and the purple flower coming back to life. Then we could have had some bitter sweet voice over. It would be really sad, but I think that that would have been a more satisfying ending.

 

Once we were in modern day land, I'm not sure how I feel about the position Kangchi's dad has in his life. You couldn't have given you dad a better job than your secretary? That seems kind of low for the guy that adopted you as a river orphan. Something that I did think was clever was the use of Tae So's and Kon's actors name's when they cam onto the scene, but it's still weird.

Then with Yo Oul, it's her, but it's not her. Sure she has the same name, but she is no longer Kangchi's Yo Oul and I feel that that could come back and bite him in the butt. He will want to treat her the same, but she's not.

Now with Kon's reincarnation, what the heck was up with that after credits scene? Do they somehow still have their memories and they are going to go all SHIELD on Kangchi? Before I started watching this drama I would always see these posts of "Oh my gosh! I hope there's a sequel!" I never thought much of it because people say that a lot about dramas they like, but now I am seriously wondering too. You can't have that kind of ending without having more, can you? CAN YOU? That would just be rude. 

One of my favorite themes of this drama is that it explores what it really means to be a human. Kangchi wants so badly to become fully human, but how much of a better person is he than many of the other characters in the drama, both bad and good. I am a sucker for a drama that explores the human condition. Not that this drama goes that deep, but it does dip into those ideals. 

Overall, even though I was a little disappointed in the ending, even though I could see what the writers wanted to do, I really liked this drama. There was love, friendship, betrayal, strong females, and it pulled all sorts of emotions out of you.

What else am I watching? 

I Hear Your Voice - Oh. My. Gosh. Is it Wednesday yet? 

Cruel Palace: War of the Flowers - I finally watched more of this drama and I continue to love it. My relationship with this drama is I watch an episode and think "Oh my gosh! Why have I neglected you? I love you! I'll never do that again!" but I will definitely do it again.  

White Christmas - I thought that it was a pretty good story. It explored the human psychology and whether or not a monster is created or born. It's a little like Lord of the Flies, where a group of people are trapped together and what they do when they have nothing, or everything, to lose. It definitely had some continuity issues and the last episode was kind of confusing, but I did enjoy it and I would fully recommend it to others.

~ Alora