Taking a cue from this week’s featured drama, I’m stepping back in time to bring you my favorite time-traveling, romantic dramedy, Rooftop Prince. Continue reading “FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Rooftop Prince”
FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Who Are You
This week’s drama is full of detectives, unsolved mysteries and one of the most good-looking ghosts you’ll ever see which, in and of itself, is more than enough reason to recommend Who Are You as your weekend drama to marathon. ㅋㅋㅋ Continue reading “FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Who Are You”
FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: The Master’s Sun
This week I’m recommending what could very well be my all-time favorite K-Drama, though to be honest, I’m not sure I’m ready to commit to one singular dramas as the best ever. However, if I ever were ready to make such a commitment, The Master’s Sun would definitely be at the top of my list of candidates because it is absolutely fantastic!
Hallyu Zombie Drama Review: Bride of the Century Episodes 11-12 (1/2)
Welcome to another week of Bride of the Century! I spent 2 hours yelling at my screen over the stupidity and just ridiculousness I’ve seen with some of the characters and their actions. My mind is all over the place, but it’s mostly been anger so this will feel like a rant instead. I will extend my apologies ahead of time. Continue reading “Hallyu Zombie Drama Review: Bride of the Century Episodes 11-12 (1/2)”
FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: The Prime Minister and I
This week brought with it the end of KBS’s most recent romantic dramedy, The Prime Minister and I so naturally, I have to recommend it as the drama to marathon this weekend.
I’ve heard some refer to The Prime Minister and I as the Korean version of The Sound of Music but to me, that’s such a shallow generalization that it doesn’t do either show justice. The Prime Minister and I is the story of a young, gossip rag journalist, Nam Da Jung (YoonA) who finds herself in an absurd scandal with the newly appointed Prime Minister of Korea, Kwon Yool (Lee Beom Soo). 
To save face and grant the drunken plea of a very distraught Nam Da Jung, Kwon Yool agrees to enter into one of my favorite DramaLand tropes, a contract marriage.
While the contract marriage is nothing new in the world of K-dramas, the addition of three children who want nothing to do with a step-mother they know nothing about, is. 
And here, I suppose is where the comparison of The Prime Minister and I and The Sound of Music makes the most sense, as Da Jung and all of her plucky optimism, works her magic and restores the broken relationships between Kwon Yool and his children, as she simultaneously wins each of their hearts. Yes, I’m happy to say that just as Maria won over the hearts of the Von Trapp family, Da Jung is slowly accepted by the Kwon family and the moments she breaks through each of their tough exteriors is absolutely adorable.
Unfortunately, the warm-fuzzies of this show are, in the end, overshadowed by the return of an unexpected character and if you haven’t already watched The Prime Minister and I you may want to stop reading here because I’m about to spoil this big-time for you! If there’s one thing I hate in DramaLand, it’s how often people who were believed to be dead, suddenly come back to life and
unfortunately, The Prime Minister and I falls victim to this overused and exceptionally annoying trope. What bothers me even more is how this person, who thought it best to fake her death and inflict that type of pain on her family, can come “back to life” and suddenly expect to have everything return to normal. But what bothers me, more than anything, is how this particularly selfish and (in my opinion, totally undeserving) individual can get everything she wants while almost everyone around her suffers. Why is it the only person in this drama who doesn’t deserve a happy ending is the only person who gets one? What’s up with that? 
What’s worse, we as viewers aren’t even given the satisfaction of a half-hearted kiss at the end of it all. Oh no! We’re left with a handshake and a smile. A HANDSHAKE! Seriously? I’d take a thousand horribly unenthusiastic lip smooshes (sorry Heartstrings, I’m still not over your ending “kiss”) over a stinking handshake any day!
Personal disappointments aside, I did enjoy The Prime Minister and I. I thought the story moved along at a decent pace, the actors did well in their roles and I was emotionally invested enough by the end to cry through at least half of the final episode (and not because of that stupid handshake). 
As an added bonus, Yoon Si Yoon plays the second male lead, Kang In Ho, and honestly, he’s was enough to have me coming back every week… I couldn’t help it, Si Yoon is just too adorable! If you’re a sucker for adorable second male leads, contract marriages, adorable children and sappy yet infuriating endings, The Prime Minister and I is the drama for you. Happy marathoning!
For those of you who’ve already seen The Prime Minister and I, I’d love to hear what you thought of it. Did you enjoy it? Did you hate it? What was your favorite scene? What did you think of that stupid handshake? As always, I’m more than eager to talk dramas so be sure to leave me a comment below!
FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Love Around
With so many dramas having come to an end in recent weeks and a new wave just starting, things are a bit slim in the currently airing drama department which is why I’ve decided to go back in time a bit and feature one of Taiwan’s rom-coms of the summer, Love Around for this week’s Friday Night Drama.
FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Marry Him If You Dare
This week brought with it the end of KBS2’s most recent time-traveling drama, Marry Him If You Dare. As I’ve spent the past eight weeks writing reviews on each week’s episodes for DramaFever, I’d think myself a slacker if I didn’t recommend Marry Him If You Dare for your weekly dose of drama.
Starring Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Dong Gun and Jung Yong Hwa (swoon), Marry Him If You Dare tells the story of the time-traveling Na Mi Rae, a young call center employee who is surprised by a visit from her very disgruntled future self. Desperate to change her fate, the Mi Rae of the future braves all sorts of peril to travel back in time, in hopes of changing the past and therefore her future. What the future Na Mi Rae doesn’t know is that once she starts changing the past, there’s no telling what will happen to her future.
I could go in to all kinds of details about the characters and plot in this drama but I don’t want to ruin the suspense for those of you who are planning to watch it for the first time. (Well, that and I’ve already thoroughly dissected this drama for DramaFever’s Marry Him If You Dare Drama Club which you can read whenever you feel so inclined.) However, I will tell you that having the chance to watch Yoon Eun Hye and Jung Yong Hwa in the same drama is 
pretty darn awesome. I’ve been a fan of Yoon Eun Hye since I first saw her in Lie to Me and (if you couldn’t already tell) Jung Yong Hwa is one of my biggest biases. That being said, I started watching Marry Him If You Dare just because I was curious to see how two of my favorite actors would interact on-screen and my fangirl side was intrigued enough to watch this drama through to the end.
As much as I would like to say Marry Him If You Dare is one of my favorite dramas, the truth is, it’s not. Once you start watching, you’ll understand why. It’s not that the show is bad (though the 4.1% viewer rating it garnered with its last two episodes might suggest otherwise) it’s just missing that something special that endears dramas to their viewers. Still, there are some lessons to be learned from Mi Rae’s antics and an underlying challenge to follow your dreams and find the courage to change your stars, which I really liked. Ultimately, that’s why I encourage you to make Marry Him If You Dare your weekend marathon. I hope you’ll come back afterwards to discuss it with me as I’m always ready to chat (or swoon over Yong Hwa) and I’d love to hear with you think of this drama. If you’ve already watch Marry Him If You Dare, I’d love to know what you think and if you haven’t, come back once you’ve finished and we’ll chat. Either way be sure to leave your comments below! Daume ddo bayo!
HALLYU ZOMBIE’S DRAMA REVIEW: Pretty Man Episodes 1-2 (2/2)
Zombie: So, you’ve had a chance to read my take on these first two episodes but we’ve yet to hear what you have to say. Two episodes in, what are your thoughts on Pretty Man?
Tanya: I have to say that I completely agree with your take. Selfish gigolo… I want to smack him. Creeper girl, kind of… I don’t even know where to go with that. These are such different characters than we are used to seeing from Jang Geun Suk and IU that I’m a little taken aback.
Zombie: They’re certainly not the characters I was expecting! I’m hoping that as time goes on, these two will develop into characters I can love and support…or at least care about. So far, the writers haven’t done much to endear their main characters to me which makes it hard for me to care about them or this show. Sad to say it but there it is!
Continue reading “HALLYU ZOMBIE’S DRAMA REVIEW: Pretty Man Episodes 1-2 (2/2)”
Friday Night Drama: Answer Me 1997
If, like me, you’re finding that the days standing between you and the latest episode of Answer Me 1994 seem to drag on for an eternity, I have a simple and entertaining solution for you…fill those endless days with episodes of the show that spawned Answer Me 1994, its equally hilarious and entertaining precursor, Answer Me 1997.
Originally airing on tvN in 2012, Answer Me 1997 garnered praise from critics and audiences alike, with its final episode recording, at that time, the highest ratings for a Korean cable drama. With so much praise for Answer Me 1997, I’m sure there a lot of you who’ve already experienced the joy of watching this drama but I know there are those out there (myself included) who have only just become familiar with the Answer Me world and if any of you are like me, you’re now completely hooked.
Trying to pinpoint what it is, exactly, about the Answer Me series that is so addicting, is as difficult as trying to answer the inexplicable question, “Why do you like me?” It’s nearly impossible to find a single reason why you like series, you just do. There’s something about the combination of reality, humor, awkwardness, drama, sincerity, sweetness and camaraderie that subtly draws you in and before you realize what’s happened you’re completely entranced by its spell; which is why I’m recommending Answer Me 1997 for this weeks drama marathon.
In true Answer Me style, Answer Me 1997 tells the story of six friends as the timeline moves back and forth between their eighteen-year-old selves, in 1997, and their thirty-three-year-old-selves at a high school alumni meeting in 2012, at which, one couple will be announcing their engagement. For those of you who are currently watching Answer Me 1994 but have never watched Answer Me 1997, you’re in for a pleasant surprise as you’ll quickly learn where some of your favorite elements of Answer Me 1994 originated. Love the bleating goat sound effect at all those hilariously awkward moments? It’s there. Love the baseball coach dad and the mom who cooks way too much? They’re there. Love the long-time friends who one day realize they’ve developed feelings for each other? Oh, they’re there! The humor, the pain, the friendship, the love, the sorrow, the heartbreak…they’re all there, in spades. Which is why you need to drop what you’re doing and start watching Answer Me 1997, right now. After all, what’s a holiday weekend without a little drama?
Find yourself wishing for a little drama during the week? You can join me in a discussion of the latest episodes of Marry Him If You Dare, in the DramaFever Drama Club here.
Fantastically Foreign Friday Vol. 4
Alright! Alright! I know I missed last week’s 3F post (blame it on a frantic rush to get Halloween costumes finished by Saturday) and for that I’m sorry; so to make it up to you, I’ll treat you to a Monday edition as well as a regular post on Friday. I know, you’re all squealing with delight now but try to keep it down or your boss may notice you’re not actually working right now.
Today’s feature band is the super poppy B1A4, who made their debut in 2011 with their single, “O.K.” (Which, by the way, has to be one of the catchiest songs ever. Seriously! Every time it pops up on my iPod, I have to dance.) 
Since their debut, B1A4 has released a full-length album in both Korea and Japan as well as four mini-albums, their fourth releasing in May of this year. If, like me, your home has been invaded by a tweenage girl and you feel that if you hear one more Justin Bieber or One Direction song you just might throw yourself out a window, I’d recommend introducing her to B1A4. In true Bieber/1D fashion, B1A4‘s albums are full of super catchy tunes that’ll have your tweenage princess dancing around her room as she sings into her hairbrush (well, at least to the lyrics in English) and maybe, just maybe, you won’t spend the rest of your life with the lines “You don’t know you’re beautiful” running through your head. *Hey, it’s worth a shot, right?* (And just in case you’re wondering where all the music videos for B1A4 are, the embedding of their videos on YouTube has been disabled so if you really want to watch one, click on B1A4 anywhere in this post and you’ll be taken straight to a video. Have fun!)
With Halloween fast approaching, I thought it only fitting to highlight a drama full of things that go bump in the night. Enter my favorite K-Drama of 2013 (so far)…The Master’s Sun. Written by my K-Drama writing heroes, the Hong Sisters, and starring Gong Hyo Jin and So Ji Sub, The Master’s Sun is the story of 
a poor, miserable girl, haunted by ghosts no one else can see. Labeled as crazy, she’s spent years alone, trying to hide from the unsettled spirits that refuse to leave her alone, until one stormy night, she happens to meet a man who, with the slightest touch can chase all her ghosts away. It doesn’t take much to imagine where things go from here but let me just say, this is one of the best dramas I’ve seen in a long time. There’s more to this story than ghosts and the seventeen episodes it takes to reach this story’s conclusion are well worth your time. If you only ever watch one drama, I’d recommend this one as its ending is probably one of the most satisfying in the history of K-Dramas and you won’t have to spend the days that follow in some miserable post-K-Drama funk because things weren’t resolved to your liking. Seriously, this was one of the easiest dramas to walk away from at its conclusion because it felt like everything had been really resolved. *If you watch any amount of K-Dramas, you know exactly what that post-drama funk feels like.*
So that’ll do it for this belated edition of Fantastically Foreign Friday. Join me this Friday as I introduce you to my second favorite Japanese rock band and one of the most beloved K-Dramas of all time. See you Friday! Oh…and Happy Halloween!