My Top 5 Dramas for 2007

Top 5 Dramas for 2007

These are my picks for the top dramas that I've seen from 2007. Again, they not are arranged in no particular order as I love them all equally and are not limited to Korean dramas alone. Compare it with your list for 2007:

Liar Game

Stars Matsuda Shota and Toda Erika. Kanzaki Nao (Toda Erika) is an honest college student who receives a hundred million yen one day, along with a card saying she has been chosen to take part in the "Liar Game". 

The aim of the game is to trick the other players out of their hundred million dollars. At the end, the winner gets the hundred million and the loser is a hundred million yen in debt. The next day, she receives notification that her opponent is her former teacher, Fujisawa Kazuo. She goes to him, seeking help, but ends up getting tricked into handing her money over. 

Desperate, she approaches the police for help, but they are unable to do anything. However, she is told of a mastermind swindler, Akiyama Shinichi (Matsuda Shota), who is to be released from jail the next day. Desperate, she goes to him for help.

It is rare that a drama can get me so excited that I turn around and watch the entire series, one after another (see Liar Game Post). I was totally riveted while watching this drama. It was my first introduction to both Shota and Erika. This drama is a total mind game! From one episode to another, you are trying to play the game along with the players; trying to figure out strategies and determine loyalties. I don't think for one moment that I truly understood every game played or should I say, figured out the outcomes. One thing I can say, the writer(s) must be sadistic!! Some of the games were seriously twisted.

This drama is definitely not a romance. This is a drama that fits into the genre that I feel that the Japanese writers do very well: suspense/psychological.

Bad Couple

Stars Shin Eun-Kyung and Ryu Soo-Young. Choi Gi Chan (Ryu Soo-Young) is an University Botanic Professor with the "perfect genes." The drama is about an editor of a fashion magazine, Kim Dang Ja (Shin Eun-Kyung), who suddenly develops an urge to have her own baby despite opposing the idea of marriage. The story will talk about Dang Ja striving to look for a man with perfect genes to accomplish her mission. Gi Chan happens to be her "target" in order for her to accomplish her mission. The story later develops as Dang Ja must persuade him to do it without any commitments, which is a problem because Gi Chan doesn't believe in the idea of sex before marriage.

That's right, read the description again! This drama was exactly as it was described. When I saw this, I was not prepared for what I was watching because so many Korean dramas are so straight-laced and near pure; however, when I watched this, I had to remember that I was watching a Korean drama! This is what you would classify as an unconventional drama. It is a drama that somehow slips through and is totally unlike any you've ever seen before. It was also the first Korean comedy drama that I actually got! My problem with a lot of Korean humor is it generally goes over my head but this was so raw and dealt with real life situations.

However, the best part of the drama was watching all of the things Dang Ja was willing to do to entice Gi Chan into bed. No, you are not going to see this type of drama very often. Unfortunately, in usual KDrama fashion, there were periods of the drama that the writer went to sleep but overall, it was really fun to watch and you're just not going to see this type very often.

Time Between Dog and Wolf

Stars Lee Joon-Ki, Nam Sang-Mi and Jung Kyung-Ho. After his mother is brutally murdered by the Triad in Thailand, Soo-hyun (Lee Joon-Ki]) is adopted by NIS agent Kang Joong-ho, and he grows up with Min-ki (Jung Kyung-Ho) like brothers. Min-ki and Soo-hyun both become NIS agents later on. One fateful day, Soo-hyun meets Ji-woo (Nam Sang-Mi) after last seeing her in Thailand when he was a child. They start dating. 

One day, Soo-hyun ruins a mission when the suppressed memories of the day his mother died surfaces in his mind. NIS Director Jung gives Soo-hyun an undercover assignment to infiltrate the Triad and Soo-hyun takes the job. Soo-hyun fakes his death and assumes a new identity to become a member of the Triad. With his fake identity and new name, he prowls the back alleys of Bangkok...

I developed an ahjumma crush on Lee Joon Ki after watching Iljimae and wanted to see everything he had starred in, both dramas and movies. I came across this on Netflix. I watched the first disc from Netflix and immediately went and ordered the entire drama! I've never done this before (and haven't since). Never have I been swept into a drama so thoroughly that I immediately wanted to own it! The action, superb; the story, excellent; the acting, phenomenal! 

I became an obsessed fan of Lee Joon Ki after this. This drama is on my computer, iPad so it travels with me. There are very few moments where this drama is uninteresting. It takes you to Korea and Thailand; showing you the darker sides very well. I was hoping when Lee Joon Ki returned from service he would do another action (okay Two Weeks, so far is somewhat action) drama but because I have total faith in his acting ability, I am looking forward to whatever he does in the future. I don't want to give away any plot lines away, let's just say I highly recommend this to all, you will not be disappointed!

Coffee Prince

 Stars Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun-Hye. Han-gyeol (Gong Yoo) is a smart young man who hates to be tied down to one career in his life. Abhorring the idea of joining the family business, he is ordered by his grandmother to manage a cafe. Unable to disobey his grandmother, he reluctantly takes over the responsibility of running a cafe and begins to immerse himself in the gourmet coffee business. One day, he meets Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-Hye), a cheerful girl who has an unpredictable personality, and learns the meaning of true love...

Who hasn't heard of this drama? I'm quite sure it is on the list of many people's top favorite dramas ever. Having watch Eun-Hye in Goong, it was only natural for me to be drawn to this drama. This was the first time seeing Gong Yoo and boy oh boy! That's all I'm going to say. Not only Yoo but it also introduced me to Lee Sun-Kyun and of course, Kim Jae Wook, even though his role was not very big, it left a lasting impression on me.

I wonder how many people also couldn't understand why everyone thought that Eun-chan was a boy? It boggled the mind in my estimation! She looked more like a girl than a guy to me! Maybe I've spent too much time on the beaches of Venice, California, the city streets of New York City, and in the French Quarters, New Orleans, Louisiana to ever mistake a girl for a guy. 

Overall, a really fun drama to watch and most of all, it has Gong Yoo!!

Thank You

Stars Jang Hyuk and Gong Hyo-Jin. Min Ki Seo (Jang Hyuk) went to Blue Island to fulfill his deceased girlfriend's last wish to find the single mother and her little girl who was infected by HIV and to apologize to them on her behalf as she had unknowingly given the girl tainted blood when she was being treated at the hospital. Lee Young Shin (Gong Hyo-Jin), the single mom, was having a hard time caring for her grandfather who has Alzheimer's and keeping her daughter's HIV condition a secret while teaching her how to live with it. Min Ki Seo was an arrogant person who looked down on people and in meeting Lee Young Shin who accepted her fate and tried to make the best of it despite all odds, he slowly changed for the better and became a warm and caring person.

A lot of people probably never heard of this. This was my first exposure to Jang Hyuk! The fact that the subject matter covered (HIV) also contributed to this being an amazing story! I fell in love with the young child actor, Seo Shin-Ae (recently in The Queen's Classroom) who played the young daughter, Lee Bom, was simply amazing! I am truly going to watch her career! 

The story covered every aspect of a person with HIV living in South Korea; the fear of being found out; the attitudes of people when they do; the suffering of a HIV patient, especially a young child. Couple this with a seriously tortured soul (Jang Hyuk’s character Min Gi-Seo) added to the phenomenal acting displayed. I will never forget Gong Hyo-Jin who plays the mother, Lee Young-Shin. Her story consisted not only of single parenthood but raising a child with an illness! Amazing story and amazing acting! Made me a lifetime fan of Jang Hyuk as well as Gong Hyo-Jin!!

So What Are Your Top 5 for 2007?

Let me know in the comments!

My Top 5 Dramas for 2006

Top 5 Dramas for 2006

These are my picks for the top dramas that I've seen from 2006. Again, they not are arranged in no particular order as I love them all equally and are not limited to Korean dramas alone. Compare it with your list for 2006:

Rondo

Plot: Nishijima Sho (Takenouchi Yutaka) is a Japanese detective whose father was murdered in Korea when he was still a boy. In hopes of discovering the truth behind his father's death, Sho is working undercover in a huge secret organization. Choi Yuna (Choi Ji Woo) is a Korean woman who visits Japan in search of her missing father. She opens a Korean restaurant with her younger sister, but soon faces the mercy of fate. The couple meets in a corner of Tokyo and fall in love. But what waits ahead of them. A "rondo" of fate, love, and history is about to begin.

Stars Choi Ji Woo and Takenouchi Yutaka. Okay, let me state a fact that you must be a lover of the crime/suspense/action genre. If you are not, this is not the drama for you. I was pleasantly surprised by all of this drama. I'd seen both actors in different works but in this collaboration between Japan/Korea; they reined supreme. Takenouchi Yutaka as Shou/Takumi was phenomenal. As the gangster Shou, he played the role really well. I loved that! And boy is he a sexy man! Choi Ji Woo as Yuna was a treat! Except for movies, I'd never completed one of her dramas but as Yuna (the ever changing Yuna), she was on point. In addition, I would be remiss in leaving out Sato Ryuta as Hide. Afro-ed down and funny as hell!

But beware, this is a dark. dark drama. You are talking about gangsters, crooked cops; no drama of this ilk would be complete without some serious action! No, no club and knives but serious gun action so the squeamish, beware.

As far as the romance; It was nicely done and I must say, very believable. You will definitely feel and experience as these two, Shou and Yuna fall for each other. It was also nice to see that they expressed that affection too with hugs, kisses, etc.

Talk about a roller coaster ride!! There are so many twists and turns in this drama, I guarantee, your head will spin like you are possessed. HAH! I'm kidding but you will be shocked, dismayed and pleasantly amazed at the number of twists in this story; well done. And the music?! I loved the songs that were featured and there were times that the instrumental music reminded me of one of my favorite movies called Ghost Dog; same beat. You'll be bopping your head from time to time listening to it.

The writer definitely closed this drama with a bang and I was very, very happy. But as usual with JDramas, you must watch until the very end. I'm always sad when I do not understand why a drama has a certain title. Now I know what Rondo means. LOVED IT!! Completed in 2 days! Can't you tell?!!

Nodame  Cantabile

Plot: Based on the hit comic book by Tomoko Ninomiya, this is a fun-filled quirky romantic story of two very opposite people. Megumi Noda (Ueno Juri), or "Nodame" is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a kindergarten teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat, sometimes stealing her friend's lunchbox when it is filled with delicacies. Shinichi Chiaki (Tamaki Hiroshi), is Momogaoka's top student. They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame's unusual qualities.

Stars Ueno Juri and Tamaki Hiroshi. Stunning! Absolutely stunning! A lover of the classics would find no fault in this drama at all. It was fun to watch, the music was sensational, and the acting was amazing! 

This was my first Ueno Juri experience and she was great as Nodame! She was funny, expressive in her emotions when needed and just an amazing actress in this. Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki was so good! He was the stuck up music man at first but he morphs into this character that you soon learn to love, even his prickly self. And let's not forget Koide Keisuke as Masumi! His constant antics to block everyone from his love, Chiaki was hysterical! Every time he is on the screen, you laugh, laugh laugh. 

I have to applaud the writer and director for making this the first drama I've ever watched where the ending had NO FAULTS! NONE! I'll never forget the scenes when Chiaki meets the family. I'm still chuckling over those scenes! And boy, these two have some serious chemistry! Who else can make a back hug SO ADORABLE! 10's? I'd give this 20's for the music alone! Excellent drama! EXCELLENT!!

Jumong

Plot: Jumong (Song Il-Guk) was the founder of Goguryeo in 37 BC. He was the son of General Hae Mo Su and Lady Yoo Hwa, and was raised by King Geum Wa who took him and his mother in when Hae Mo Su was believed to have been killed in an ambush by the Han Dynasty. So Seo No (Han Hye-Jin) was a merchant's daughter who helped Jumong in realizing his dream to build a new country, and later became his second wife.

Stars: Song Il-Guk and Han Hye-Jin. 81 episodes, 11 days later, I completed this drama which is, to date, the longest historical based drama that I've seen. Jumong's story is very compelling! The writer does a wonderful job in conveying it, especially the fight and military training sequences were amazing! Portraying a master archer, every scene where Jumong picked up a bow was breathtaking! Every battle scene was so realistic, I had to wonder how many animals were hurt during the filming, it was so realistic! 

The love stories were interesting but were not the main focus so if you are looking for a romantic drama, you might want to skip this one. All I can say, the portrayal of the two women that love Jumong was one you may never see again. Usually when two women love the main man, you get to see strife and bickering, they left that for Emperor Geum Wa's Queen and Lady Yoo Hwa (Jumong's mother). 

I can remember each moment I cried because the moments were so sad: the death of Ha Mo Su as Jumong watched, the slaughter of the Tamul Army's women, children and seniors at Mt Bonghe, death of Lady Yoo Hwa and Mugol. There were times where the story was just okay but those periods, thankfully were short! I found with the later episodes with the story of Yuri, Jumong's son to be the only period that I literally could not stop watching. This drama is truly for the historical drama lovers. If you are not completely into the genre, you might want to skip this because it is time consuming to watch.

Lovers

Stars: Lee Seo Jin and Kim Jung Eun. Kang Jae (Lee Seo Jin) is a wealthy businessman and gangster and Mi Joo (Kim Jung Eun) is a plastic surgeon. These two meet after Mi Joo mistakes Kang Jae as being her sleazy brother-in-law. Kang Jae just happens to be the boyfriend of Mi Joo's pregnant neighbor, Yoo Jin. Sae-yeon (Kang Jae's half brother) meets Mi-Joo and falls in love with her feisty attitude. Kang-Jae works for the father of Sae-Yeon who is a gangster. Minister Yoon is faced with problems when the orphanage shelter is seized. Kang-jae is filled with contempt when Mi-ju tell him to buy the land that the orphanage is sitting on. While Mi-ju keeps pressuring him to buy the land since he's rich, Kang-jae is knifed in the back by an unidentified assailant. Mi-Joo and Kang-Jae fall in love.

This was the last of the "Lovers" drama series which consisted of Lovers in Paris, Lovers in Prague, and lastly Lovers. Having seen all three, I have to say that this was my favorite! It not only introduced me to Lee Seo Jin (the man with the best dimples in the business) but also to Kim Jung Eun (who also stars in Lovers in Paris). I thought the chemistry between these two actors was off the charts! It wasn't until later that I discovered that they had began an off-scene relationship that almost led to marriage but alas, ended 1 1/2 years later (I was disappointed!). 

Seo Jin as the gangster, Kang Jae was totally believable and lovable in his own way. His resistance to a relationship between himself and Mi-Joo was honorable as he was betrothed to Sae-yeon, his pregnant girlfriend. The gangster life style was not the main focus throughout the entire drama; the main focus was the evolution of the relationship between Mi-Joo and Kang Jae as it morphed into a love that took a prison sentence to curtail. Their scenes together were....okay, them dating in real life made perfect sense after some of the scenes from the drama. Again, this drama definitely falls into the action/suspense with just a touch of melo. Cannot recommend to all because there is violence portrayed but if you can sit and watch Cruel City, you can definitely watch this.

Coma

Stars Lee Se Eun and Lee Jeong-Heon Behind the doors of Namwon Hospital lies a chilling secret, one that the hospital's inhabitants have kept buried for the last 10 years, and all centered around one coma patient, Lee So Hee (Cha Soo-Yeon). With the hospital's reputation steadily declining from countless medical accidents over the years, it is forced to shut down. However, as the hospital closes its doors, another opens, and secrets that have long been hidden come out with a vengeance. 

No list is complete without a little horror!! But let me say, I rarely watch horror! If I can't sleep at night after watching a movie, drama, whatever; I just don't watch; however, This was AWESOME!! Now, let me say it again, I NEVER watch horror. So if you don't like horror, I suggest you go running kicking and screaming from this series!! 

Wow! When I finished the last episode, my heart hadn't stopped pounding yet!! The first episode takes you right into the story. The thing with this drama special series, you have to watch from the beginning to end for the pieces to nicely fit together. Did I tell you I'm still scared?!! Amazingly filmed. 90% in the darken night or hospital rooms. This is not for the faint of heart!! Damn, did I tell you my heart is still beating?!! Yes, it's that scary. Only episodes to relax were ep 2 and parts of 3!! Otherwise, it is definitely a horrorfest!!

Honorable Mention

to

Snow Queen

Plot: At 17, Tae Woong (Hyun Bin), a mathematical genius, meets two people who will later become people he loves. One becomes his best friend and the other, his love. Tae Woong's best friend, Kim Jeong Kyu (Lee Sun Ho), also classified as a genius, competes for academic accolades. After Tae Woong beats him in an international math Olympiad Jeong Kyu commits suicide. During this same time, Tae Woong meets a little girl who develops a crush on him. However, he loses touch with her without finding out her name. These tragic events take their toll on the rest of Tae Woong's life. At 25, eight years later, Tae Woong is now a third class boxer and in unexpected events, finds Bo Ra (Sung Yu Ri), the little girl he once knew. Although this winter will be very cold and scary, winter is not the end of the seasons, but the beginning of the hope for a greater love.

Stars Hyun Bin and Sung Yu Ri. Don't ask me why I like this sad, sad dramas with no possibility of having a happy ending!! Admittedly, the main attraction to this drama was Hyun Bin and he really was the main reason that I watched this; however, if you can get past the ending, it really was a good drama.

So What Are Your Top 5 for 2006?

Let me know in the comments!