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:
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| 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?!!
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?!!
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| Nodame Cantabile |
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!!
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.
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.
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!!
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!!
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| Jumong |
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.
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| Lovers |
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.
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| Coma |
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
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| 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.
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!
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