RECOMMENDED/FAVORITE KDRAMAS (ask for suggestions here)

sukkee!! · Post by **sukkee!!** » Apr 14th, '08, 04:42

Silentwolfdog wrote:Hmm, can anyone tell me if The Legend of King Four Gods has a sad ending?

If not, then I guess I'll give it a chance. I liked Hong Gil Dong, but it's ending is what I can't stand. If anyone know shows similar to Hong Gil Dong but with happier ending, please let me know.

I hate sad ending.

the ending is not sad but rather unexpected..it give u good lesson if you truly understand the whole story..

for me its ok..but for my friends, it just ###..sorry to tell you..

kobe23 · Post by **kobe23** » Apr 14th, '08, 17:17

Thanks for X's top 10 thundie and belleza. Interesting list. I haven't even heard of half of them. Lots of crime dramas by the looks of it, and where's all the trendy stuff? No Coffee Prince as mentioned, but then, X is probably too embarrassed to admit he likes it!

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 14th, '08, 18:00

WRoW -- Did you happen to see Sa Yug Shin, the one produced in North Korea? I was curious about that one!

Interesting list. I haven't even heard of half of them

A lot of SBS stuff, which is more of a blind spot in general for K-drama fansubs. The selection for Catch a Kang Nam Mother caught me off guard, so I'll definitely be looking for that one. Noona / My Sister mostly ran in 2006, I think made by the people who did Pheonix. Totally expect First Wives club to make X's 2008!!

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 14th, '08, 18:10

belleza wrote:WRoW -- Did you happen to see Sa Yug Shin, the one produced in North Korea? I was curious about that one!
D

No never even heard of it

. Ist it a mordern or a historical drama?

The only drama in his list I have never heard about is Eight Days Mystery Of Jeong Jo Assassination ...but it sounds interesting

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 14th, '08, 18:16

Ist it a mordern or a historical drama?

http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sa_Yug_Shin

Am I reading the above right? A North Korean sageuk?!? For all we know, Jumong may be popular as "Jumong-Il" over there.

Oh another one -- did you see Shin Don? Is it as good as reputation?

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 14th, '08, 18:31

belleza wrote:
Ist it a mordern or a historical drama?
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sa_Yug_Shin

Am I reading the above right? A North Korean sageuk?!? For all we know, Jumong may be popular as "Jumong-Il" over there.

Oh another one -- did you see Shin Don? Is it as good as reputation?

Not yet I will start with it when I have more time. But I am very curious myself since X loves it so much but he says you'll love it or hate it.

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 14th, '08, 21:00

Speaking of, I forgot about X's Top Sageuk List. I think Jang Noksu is the same story as King and the Clown. And dude, you know THIS list has to be tha dog's bollox (i.e. good!) because Immortal doesn't even make it . . .

1. Shindon (2006, MBC)

2. Hanseong Byeolgok (2007, KBS) (Conspiracy in the Court)

3. Tears of the Dragon (2006, KBS)

4. Sangdo (2001, MBC)

5. Jang Noksu (1995, KBS)

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 14th, '08, 21:42

belleza wrote:Speaking of, I forgot about X's Top Sageuk List. I think Jang Noksu is the same story as King and the Clown. And dude, you know THIS list has to be tha dog's bollox (i.e. good!) because Immortal doesn't even make it . . .

1. Shindon (2006, MBC)

2. Hanseong Byeolgok (2007, KBS) (Conspiracy in the Court)

3. Tears of the Dragon (2006, KBS)

4. Sangdo (2001, MBC)

5. Jang Noksu (1995, KBS)

Sangdo aired on arirang last year. But I couldn't keep up with their airings

. I really need to see Conspiracy in the Court with good subs

... and tears of dragon is 2006 but I haven't heard of it

bshater · Post by **bshater** » Apr 15th, '08, 00:32

belleza wrote:Speaking of, I forgot about X's Top Sageuk List. I think Jang Noksu is the same story as King and the Clown. And dude, you know THIS list has to be tha dog's bollox (i.e. good!) because Immortal doesn't even make it . . .

1. Shindon (2006, MBC)

2. Hanseong Byeolgok (2007, KBS) (Conspiracy in the Court)

3. Tears of the Dragon (2006, KBS)

4. Sangdo (2001, MBC)

5. Jang Noksu (1995, KBS)

what the heck, Hur June didn't even make it to his list? in my opinion, that was like the best saguek ever, but then again, i haven't seen that much of saguek except Jumong, Legend, Dae Ja Geum, etc.

man, i seriously need to watch Shindon.

anyway, i've seen Conspiracy in the Court and i say its pretty good even with the average subtitles from the DC boxset. its much superior to Damo imo. but i wouldn't rate it higher than White Tower, which was absolutely brilliant. however, i spent half of my time trying to figure out the true meaning of the subtitles instead of following along with the drama. that probably deterred me from enjoying it as much as i would if it had proper subtitles.

also, i believed Tears of the Dragon was produced somewhere in the mid-90s, not in 2006. that must've been a typo.

by the way, where did you get this list from belleza? is it on his blog?

southbound · Post by **southbound** » Apr 15th, '08, 00:55

Two underrated dramas:

Bad Family: HILARIOUS and touching show. There were a few things near the end that made me go "eh" but the good far outweighed the "bad" (I am just picky about certain details).

Evasive Inquiry Agency: Whoooaaa, this show is so amazing. I don't even have anything bad to say about it. The romance level is low, but the story quality and acting are soooo good. And there is romance, it's just not a love story.

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 15th, '08, 01:43

by the way, where did you get this list from belleza? is it on his blog?

Oh I took that from thundie/thunderbolt's link. I think X (aka K.I.N.G., recognize foo'!!

) wrote that very quickly, since yes Tears of the Dragon is from 99-00.

what the heck, Hur June didn't even make it to his list?

Exactly. If THAT doesn't make the list, then those 5 shows must all be heartbreaking works of staggering genius. Respekta!

but i wouldn't rate it higher than White Tower, which was absolutely brilliant.

I haven't made up my mind on White Tower, because Shiroi Kyoto (both movie and drama) itself are classics. And I mean, Shiroi Kyoto is literally on the short list of greatest J-dramas of this decade. But the casting itself was magnificent. It's almost unfair to indulge Kim Myung Min's inner alpha male (is there any other kind for Serious Korean Actor?

) in a realpolitik story. There will be blood ma' boy!

Alone in Love is kinda like that for me. It has a special place for me, even though I'm very aware of where the plaster was laden over the original material. I can enjoy its banter and bossa nova, its delightful people and its sucker punches, drunkily meandering over each episode's ending aphorism. But the actual words, Eun Ho's incomplete thoughts completely disappearing into daily tedium, betray a pulsing anxiety toward relationships and its relation with meaning and mortality. Like Thom Yorke during his premillenial tension, about the inability to ignore emptiness even when everything is in its right place. Novel, as the show is, it still must fit within sensibilities of a K-drama, and thus it eventually gets glossed over. Kim Gab Soo's (probably my favorite actor in K-drama) performance walks in it. Yeh Jin seems most alive conveying it. Maybe if "It" was all over the piece, the work would be unpalatable in a 16-episode format. I don't know.

Sangdo aired on arirang last year. But I couldn't keep up with their airings

I think my mum has that one. Maybe this w/end or next, I'll catalogue what sageuks she has, and we can start sharing them around.

Nice link here:

http://koreanhistory.tv

Hanjae · Post by **Hanjae** » Apr 15th, '08, 01:49

WroW wrote:Sangdo aired on arirang last year. But I couldn't keep up with their airings . I really need to see Conspiracy in the Court with good subs ... and tears of dragon is 2006 but I haven't heard of it

X mentioned that he might be interested in doing Sangdo subs after he finishes Shindon, so you might get a chance to catch those

: He said something about super pretty HQ dvd rips, too.

bshater · Post by **bshater** » Apr 15th, '08, 02:49

Hanjae wrote:
WroW wrote:Sangdo aired on arirang last year. But I couldn't keep up with their airings . I really need to see Conspiracy in the Court with good subs ... and tears of dragon is 2006 but I haven't heard of it
X mentioned that he might be interested in doing Sangdo subs after he finishes Shindon, so you might get a chance to catch those : He said something about super pretty HQ dvd rips, too.

definitely sold on that. but its too overwhelming for mister X to sub Shindon by himself, let alone another 50 episode series.

it'd be awesome if we had a group of people that sub saguek dramas exclusively.

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 15th, '08, 06:03

Oh, it's not too overwhelming. I have scripts so translating takes about an hour, another hour or two for timing, that's it. We'll do a poll when Shin Don is over, you'll choose what's up next (of course if I translate it, it must be something "I" liked enough to spend dozens of hours on it, that is. ^^)

Sayukshin is quite fine, especially if you like older sageuk. But as a self-proclaimed (how pathetic is that?) Korean history buff I'd say the... how should I put it, historical mentality? Anyway it'll all too simple. The Six martyrs sanctified, Sejo becomes some kind of Godfather. Eeeeeh. King & The Queen's portrayal of the whole affair is a lot closer to reality, methinks. Power struggle, no martyrs.

Coffee Prince? I think I lasted, what was it, seven minutes? Just about when Yoon Eun-Hye ranted in the sauna about her sexual direction something in my head clicked and said:

Burn this file. Now. And no I don't mean open Nero and burn it to DVD. Just erase it from this planet.

So, too bad. Couldn't see the rest.

Oh mama... why did I write Tears of the Dragon is from 2006?

1996~1998. Best "baritones start the war of who's got deeper lungs" sageuk of all time.

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 15th, '08, 06:14

bshater wrote:

anyway, i've seen Conspiracy in the Court and i say its pretty good even with the average subtitles from the DC boxset. its much superior to Damo imo. but i wouldn't rate it higher than White Tower, which was absolutely brilliant. however, i spent half of my time trying to figure out the true meaning of the subtitles instead of following along with the drama. that probably deterred me from enjoying it as much as i would if it had proper subtitles.

I heard that the subs are bad but I didnt know they are that bad

...good thing I didnt buy the DC set.

thundie · Post by **thundie** » Apr 15th, '08, 06:50

MisterX wrote:Coffee Prince? I think I lasted, what was it, seven minutes?

Let's see. Five minutes for Three Dads, One Mom, seven for Coffee Prince, fifteen for Hong Gil Dong. So gone are the days when you watched the likes of Loveholic in their entirety and even reviewed them? You've got to watch at least a couple of episodes to give something a 2/10 rating, no?

The subs for Conspiracy in the Court aren't really that bad. First episode gave me the

but the translation did get progressively better. (Altho' to be honest, I sometimes wish this wasn't subbed by KBS so that we can badger X to do it.

) Still an aweome drama, nonetheless!

Dahee Fanel · Post by **Dahee Fanel** » Apr 15th, '08, 07:10

X, I think I said this before, but Coffee Prince did get better after that rather aggravating first episode (or was it two episodes? I don't remember). It's enormously over-hyped and certainly not a masterpiece, but it was certainly loads better than Three Dads, One Mom. *shudders*

All this talk of Conspiracy is making me want to start watching it, like, right now. Too bad it's past one in the morning, and I should be going to bed. *sigh*

wuff · Post by **wuff** » Apr 15th, '08, 08:05

southbound wrote: Evasive Inquiry Agency: Whoooaaa, this show is so amazing. I don't even have anything bad to say about it. The romance level is low, but the story quality and acting are soooo good. And there is romance, it's just not a love story.

I definitely agree with you! It is one of those few dramas, which did NOT make me bored till the very last minute. The main trio was fantastic together and especially

Lee Minki

cel · Post by **cel** » Apr 15th, '08, 10:42

I would recommend The Legend

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 15th, '08, 10:52

Weeeeelll... I kind of was one of the people who bitched to no end to get the DVD and the review book done (although indirectly), so it would be sort of unethical to subtitle it anew. Shame the subs aren't up to par (haven't watched it with subs myself), but then again the complexities of the show can't really be fully translated. It's stuff that grows on you when you know a little the history this thing is covering. I remember when this aired I was looking at the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty after every episode. It's that deep.

But... going from "Thank You, Sir" to "Your grace is infinite, Your Majesty" wouldn't change much the score. Still a 10. ^^

I read Coffee Prince got better, but frankly... uhm. How should I put it. I didn't care enough. The moment I sense that smell of trendy... stuff, I kind of get this pungent allergy and scratching hurts your skin! So to prevent dermatological issues I just gave up. Alas, such is life...

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 15th, '08, 10:57

thundie wrote:
MisterX wrote:Coffee Prince? I think I lasted, what was it, seven minutes?

Let's see. Five minutes for Three Dads, One Mom, seven for Coffee Prince, fifteen for Hong Gil Dong. So gone are the days when you watched the likes of Loveholic in their entirety and even reviewed them? You've got to watch at least a couple of episodes to give something a 2/10 rating, no?

The subs for Conspiracy in the Court aren't really that bad. First episode gave me the but the translation did get progressively better. (Altho' to be honest, I sometimes wish this wasn't subbed by KBS so that we can badger X to do it. ) Still an aweome drama, nonetheless!

Dear... been watching K-Dramas long enough to raise a teenager. I can smell the burning sensation of cow manure right the moment it appears. ㅋㅋ Then If I'm wrong well, Hallelujah. Me still no care, uh.

That and the older you get the more grumpiness affects your writing. :alcoholic:

bshater · Post by **bshater** » Apr 15th, '08, 14:35

thundie wrote:
MisterX wrote:Coffee Prince? I think I lasted, what was it, seven minutes?

Let's see. Five minutes for Three Dads, One Mom, seven for Coffee Prince, fifteen for Hong Gil Dong. So gone are the days when you watched the likes of Loveholic in their entirety and even reviewed them? You've got to watch at least a couple of episodes to give something a 2/10 rating, no?

The subs for Conspiracy in the Court aren't really that bad. First episode gave me the but the translation did get progressively better. (Altho' to be honest, I sometimes wish this wasn't subbed by KBS so that we can badger X to do it. ) Still an aweome drama, nonetheless!

hmm, were you watching the Director's Cut boxset? because i thought the subs for episode 1 was decent, then it turned to **** in the later episodes.

bshater · Post by **bshater** » Apr 15th, '08, 14:42

off topic but, X what was your final thoughts on Ashita no Kita Yoshio? you gave it a pretty good ratings for the earlier episodes, but didn't see a wrap-up review for the entire series.

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 15th, '08, 15:27

Yeah, actually still have to finish. ㅋㅋ Should review it this weekend. Watched up to Ep 7 and it was still really cool.

But even better is Pandora that's airing right now on WOWOW. Just the right channel name for this drama... just, wow. 1st ep was phenomenal. White Tower meets Cancer Research.

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 15th, '08, 15:57

Since this has become the Mr.X interview thread (and with that the best thread ever) I have to ask...what did you think about TWSSG? I was suprised you didn't say much about it be it positive or negative

bshater · Post by **bshater** » Apr 15th, '08, 16:05

MisterX wrote:Yeah, actually still have to finish. ㅋㅋ Should review it this weekend. Watched up to Ep 7 and it was still really cool.

But even better is Pandora that's airing right now on WOWOW. Just the right channel name for this drama... just, wow. 1st ep was phenomenal. White Tower meets Cancer Research.

good to hear you're still enjoying Ashita. will definitely watch it when i get the time.

now, Pandora is White Tower meets Cancer Research?!! too bad there are no subtitles for it. wish i was a multilingual.

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 15th, '08, 16:19

now, Pandora is White Tower meets Cancer Research?!!

But that makes sense -- Pandora's writer is Inoue Yumiko, who did the J-drama adaptation of Shiroi Kyoto (White Tower.) Yumiko kinda struck out on First Kiss (still mad about that, considering the level of acting/direct/writing talent attached to that project), but she also did 14 Sai and the TV adaptation of Hotaru.

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 15th, '08, 17:35

I know, hence the comparison ^^ (But I'm thinking more Korean version of White Tower in terms of how she presents the social strata inside this new white tower. Shiroi Kyoto was a lot more concerned about form and viewpoint about the game itself. Korean version was like a universal look at Korean job culture more than anything). She also did one of my favorite taiga Hojo Tokimune and that lawyer drama (machiben). I think she's a major hit whenever she tries these social critique/suspense dramas. Wonder how her other more mainstream works are, not too familiar with those.

TWSSG... "To Watch Sh... (stuff?) Sitting, Groaning" would sum pretty much my thoughts on it. Pretty yes, music is great, but huge waste of money on an indecent script. Can a drama about one of the greatest heroes (if expansionism means cool) in Korean History arrive in the middle of production with the protagonist asking himself "Who was King Gwanggaeto, really?" Certainly not a walking, breathing panten-pro V ad with no charisma. No sirre. And don't get me started on the Hwandan Gogi inspired madness. Oh mama. West Baekje? I'd roll on the floor laughing but then it's still too cold to do that.

Pandora... hmmm. When it's over if there's no English subs out there I could just do them myself.

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 15th, '08, 17:42

MisterX wrote: Certainly not a walking, breathing panten-pro V ad with no charisma.

lol good thing we don't have those crazy yonsama fangirls/ajummas here on d-addicts

BTW is the Japanese Version of White Tower very different from the Korean or are the similar? I never watched the Japanese version because I didn't want to watch the same again (even though it was great)

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 15th, '08, 18:23

It's worth watching both. Shiroi has been remade so many times but people never get tired of it.

(Novelist also wrote the original Karei-naru Ichizoku.)

Actually I've been meaning to ask, does anybody know whether the C-drama The Hospital also loosely based on the White Tower, or is the alt. name just coincidental?

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 15th, '08, 18:29

belleza wrote:It's worth watching both. Shiroi has been remade so many times but people never get tired of it.

Actually I've been meaning to ask, does anybody know whether the C-drama The Hospital also loosely based on the White Tower, or is the alt. name just coincidental?

If than its very very loosely based on it. Its also about hospital politics but it doesn't really have the same storyline. For a TW Drama it was okay even though it dragged a little.

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 15th, '08, 18:59

Both are really cool, both close to the original but in different ways. I like the Korean version more because it's more... realistic? But the battle of different philosophies re: medicine in the Japanese one is quite good too, and the second half. Wow. Writing is strong in both, production wise I think the Korean is a little better, acting the Japanese is better on average but Kim Myung Min can't be matched. And well, then there's personal taste getting in the middle. ^^

That C-Drama I heard was based on White Tower, but just sounds like a superficial rehash. Might be wrong.

belleza · Post by **belleza** » Apr 15th, '08, 21:00

I like the Korean version more because it's more... realistic?

The Korean version has great ego. It's less about one philosophy or the other, but "MY way" is better than "YOUR way." (Which is closer to how doctors and research scientists often are, though they protest much!)

The version also has generous and free acting space and the writing takes care of the micro. Air get sucked out in the operating room, because people really breathe in the scenes. You're not so much thinking the lead guy is well acted; you think he's a world class son of a ****.

Shiroi Kyoto is just so marvelous and ingenious from a gestalt view. You're watching equals at works and though you have a rooting interest, you probably come more toward a middle.

bshater · Post by **bshater** » Apr 16th, '08, 00:09

is anyone watching Yi San at the time being? i wanna try a new saguek, but not sure if i wanna invest my time in a long drama unless its worth it.

Hanjae · Post by **Hanjae** » Apr 16th, '08, 07:52

bshater wrote:now, Pandora is White Tower meets Cancer Research?!! too bad there are no subtitles for it. wish i was a multilingual.

I knew it looked awesome for a reason! Definitely going to try and watch it raw since X recommends it. I was totally sad when it's obvious no group's going to do it because 1. it's a medical drama and 2. everyone's too busy watching the trendy idol dramas like Gokusen 3. *shudders* Actually, some of us over in B.O.N are interested in doing Pandora, but translating medical dramas are hectic (Iryu 2 was hard enough). If there are people interested in helping out (particularly with translating), Shima would probably give it the go ahead.

Looks like I gotta watch White Tower

The only Korean medical drama I've seen so far is Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, which I liked, albeit it being very Grey's Anatomy-ish.

bshater: I'm watching Yi San, though I'm not really keeping up with the subs/raws. Up to 41, will probably save 41-60 for a huge marathon one weekend

I personally think it's awesome, but then I'm no expert with Korean history so I'm not distracted by incorrect details. Others might think differently~

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 16th, '08, 09:52

bshater wrote:is anyone watching Yi San at the time being? i wanna try a new saguek, but not sure if i wanna invest my time in a long drama unless its worth it.

It's ok, some episodes are really exciting and some are boring. But we gave the guru here, can always wait for his opinion

thundie · Post by **thundie** » Apr 16th, '08, 10:28

WroW wrote:
bshater wrote:is anyone watching Yi San at the time being? i wanna try a new saguek, but not sure if i wanna invest my time in a long drama unless its worth it.
It's ok, some episodes are really exciting and some are boring. But we gave the guru here, can always wait for his opinion

Hmm, our resident guru has commented on Yi San. Didn't you liken it to raw meat or something, X? ^^

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 16th, '08, 10:31

OK since we're in off topic overdrive (sorry mods ^^), are any of the other 2nd Quarter dramas any good? Was mildly interested in Muri Na Renai but first ep was eh... not too fond of the style.

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 16th, '08, 10:36

thundie wrote:
WroW wrote:
bshater wrote:is anyone watching Yi San at the time being? i wanna try a new saguek, but not sure if i wanna invest my time in a long drama unless its worth it.
It's ok, some episodes are really exciting and some are boring. But we gave the guru here, can always wait for his opinion
Hmm, our resident guru has commented on Yi San. Didn't you liken it to raw meat or something, X? ^^

I did?

Yeah, must be. Ah, that filet mignon and raw meat thingy? I'll just say Lee Byung Hoon needs to seriously consider a position as the guy on top of the MBC Building who chooses the color of the cover on the brochures for overseas buyers, and give up his RPG Sageuk nonsense. After Sang Do it's a free fall, and I don't mean the ski championships with all the red things to guide you. Just, avalanche. Oh mama.

Well it's still scoring 30% so he won't. C'est la vie.

Sakari · Post by **Sakari** » Apr 16th, '08, 14:44

bshater wrote:is anyone watching Yi San at the time being? i wanna try a new saguek, but not sure if i wanna invest my time in a long drama unless its worth it.

I stopped watching Yi San at E10. I felt there was altogether too much resemblance with Seo Dong Yo (which I stopped watching at about E28). That is, the hero is almost powerless and almost alone, while his enemies are all-powerful and all-numerous. Every time anything untoward happens, it is always the hero who is blamed (unjustly), while his enemies are never even suspected of any wrongdoing.

Of course, I believe the hero will triumph in the end. But I got weary of waiting...

kobe23 · Post by **kobe23** » Apr 16th, '08, 15:48

It's amazing the amount of clout Mister X has over the English speaking k-drama community - I see quite a few members post in this thread who were previously inactive, but are now very active since X's response

I think many of us here would love to see X set up a K-drama blog in English (not a hint!). Personally, I would almost be as excited as the announcement to Song Hye Kyo's new drama. Almost.

And to echo what Wrow said: "Best Thread Ever!". Even though I have no idea what you guys are talking about

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 16th, '08, 16:10

Didn't know I had clout. ㅋㅋ

As for English reviews/blogs... well. Who knows what's written in the heavens.....

thundie · Post by **thundie** » Apr 17th, '08, 00:10

Sakari wrote:I stopped watching Yi San at E10. I felt there was altogether too much resemblance with Seo Dong Yo (which I stopped watching at about E28). That is, the hero is almost powerless and almost alone, while his enemies are all-powerful and all-numerous. Every time anything untoward happens, it is always the hero who is blamed (unjustly), while his enemies are never even suspected of any wrongdoing.

Of course, I believe the hero will triumph in the end. But I got weary of waiting...

Same reason why I stopped watching at ep 4. If his enemies were already braying for his blood when he was neither grown up nor king, imagine the shenanigans they were capable of when he finally ascended the throne. I just couldn't stand seeing how the young Yi San was treated. I also read in soompi that LSJ and HJM's chemistry wasn't anything to write home about and that the plot was getting loopy, so those were two more reasons to bail out. Finally, I was surprised by the awkward acting of the child actors (not young Yi san but the other two, a girl and a boy).

X, that last line... ㅋㅋ Been having the giggles since watching Transformation. The smallest things crack me up.

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 17th, '08, 07:17

Nah, young Yi San (Park Ji Bin) was quite disappointing as well. You can see clearly Lee Byung Hoon can't lead young actors. Same thing happened in Seo Dong Yo, Dae Jang Geum well... Jo Jung Eun has talent of her own so she was cute at least. But look at Park Ji Bin and all you see is a kid thinking he's a good actor and sageuk is a more serious genre so he goes all "Oh... so... if I talk!.... like that... maybe... it will.... look cool!"

Think Eun Seo Woo from Phone to Clementine. They're kids, not Jeon Do Yeon and Song Kang Ho. You can't let them act without direction or that's the mess you get.

beertax · Post by **beertax** » Apr 17th, '08, 19:03

As a Korean who has watched many dramas for the past 20 years, I feel that the best period dramas were done in the early to mid 90s, such as Im Jin Wae Ran (drama about The Seven year War that started when Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered Japan to invade Korea in 1592). Back than the dramas were more true to actual history, and the storyline were more about drama and human interaction. The contemporary period dramas incorporate too much flashy action and romance, as if period dramas are supposed to be just action thrillers clothed in ancient costumes.

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 17th, '08, 20:04

You watched 임진왜란~ that's like one of the classics (1986). I watched a few tapes a friend had, but it was so fun. They only used miniatures and mid-close shots, but it was so much more realistic than most of what you see nowadays.

Actually I think things like Shin Don and Conspiracy in The Court have a view of history none of the older dramas ever dared to display, but yeah. Anything from post 개국 (1983) up to around the late 90s is much more educational than what passes on as period drama nowadays.

Sakari · Post by **Sakari** » Apr 18th, '08, 16:06

Is anyone familiar with King's Woman, currently aired by Arirang (satellite) TV? I have only caught glimpses of it so far. Park Seon-yeong is in it, which is always a plus in my eyes, but seeing her in a hanbok is... weird. I have only seen her in modern dramas before (like Truth and 18 vs. 29).

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 18th, '08, 16:15

Sakari wrote:Is anyone familiar with King's Woman, currently aired by Arirang (satellite) TV? I have only caught glimpses of it so far. Park Seon-yeong is in it, which is always a plus in my eyes, but seeing her in a hanbok is... weird. I have only seen her in modern dramas before (like Truth and 18 vs. 29).

I wished they would have chosen another actress in that role but overall the drama shouldn't be too bad. It's written by the same writer as King and I. But as always on arirang...I can't follow it everyday and I'm to lazy for recording

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 18th, '08, 16:18

Sakari wrote:Is anyone familiar with King's Woman, currently aired by Arirang (satellite) TV? I have only caught glimpses of it so far. Park Seon-yeong is in it, which is always a plus in my eyes, but seeing her in a hanbok is... weird. I have only seen her in modern dramas before (like Truth and 18 vs. 29).

Drama is crap, but even worse is the treatment it's getting from Arirang. They're splitting eps into three parts, cutting scenes whenever they please... it's a huge mess. Ever since management changed the channel has become a cesspool of tourism types. What's the point of having almost HD-looking digital satellite channels when they even screw up their own material... Eh...

Anyway, back on topic. Drama is quite bad, putrid writing and cliched direction, although a few of the actors did well (namely Park Sun Young and the usual veterans). Funny is that the director (Kim Jae Hyung of King & I) actually did the same story almost ten years earlier, in 1995's West Palace, and he managed to screw that too. This is such a fascinating period... West Palace had better actors (Lee Young Ae, Kim Gyu Cheol etc. etc.), but well... it's "vintage" 95, I guess. Recently bought the Japanese DVD and it looks magnificent. The drama... well. Still crap.

Best drama covering the period (Gwanghae-gun, Seonjo etc. etc.) is the little known 2001 KBS drama Roll of Thunder (천둥소리) with Choi Jae Sung, Oh Jung Hae, Choi Jung Yoon et al. I'm waiting for VHS rips from a friend, but this could be our third subtitled drama after Shin Don and whatever gets chosen after that (be it Sang Do, 8 Days or whatever).

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 18th, '08, 16:22

WroW wrote:
Sakari wrote:Is anyone familiar with King's Woman, currently aired by Arirang (satellite) TV? I have only caught glimpses of it so far. Park Seon-yeong is in it, which is always a plus in my eyes, but seeing her in a hanbok is... weird. I have only seen her in modern dramas before (like Truth and 18 vs. 29).
I wished they would have chosen another actress in that role but overall the drama shouldn't be too bad. It's written by the same writer as King and I. But as always on arirang...I can't follow it everyday and I'm to lazy for recording

Same director. ^^

Yoo Dong Yoon wrote Ladies of the Palace (여인천하). Can be confused easily as... well. They're both crap. ㅋㅋ

WroW · Post by **WroW** » Apr 18th, '08, 16:24

MisterX wrote:
WroW wrote:
Sakari wrote:Is anyone familiar with King's Woman, currently aired by Arirang (satellite) TV? I have only caught glimpses of it so far. Park Seon-yeong is in it, which is always a plus in my eyes, but seeing her in a hanbok is... weird. I have only seen her in modern dramas before (like Truth and 18 vs. 29).
I wished they would have chosen another actress in that role but overall the drama shouldn't be too bad. It's written by the same writer as King and I. But as always on arirang...I can't follow it everyday and I'm to lazy for recording
Same director. ^^

Yoo Dong Yoon wrote Ladies of the Palace (여인천하). Can be confused easily as... well. They're both crap. ㅋㅋ

Ups my bad...well good thing I haven't wasted my time on that.

thundie · Post by **thundie** » Apr 19th, '08, 02:13

MisterX wrote:Best drama covering the period (Gwanghae-gun, Seonjo etc. etc.) is the little known 2001 KBS drama Roll of Thunder (천둥소리) with Choi Jae Sung, Oh Jung Hae, Choi Jung Yoon et al. I'm waiting for VHS rips from a friend, but this could be our third subtitled drama after Shin Don and whatever gets chosen after that (be it Sang Do, 8 Days or whatever).

Choi Jae Sung? As lead? Wow, X, let's do this!! This guy has such a presence on screen. I practically

when I see him in Immortal Yi Soon Shin. Of course, not as much

as I do for Kim Myung Min.

How many episodes is Roll of Thunder? (You can tell I love the title already.^^)

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » Apr 19th, '08, 08:48

Don't remember. I think... 50? Anyway will have to wait for VHS Rips first, so might take months.

Have you seen Boys of Tomorrow? Heard Kim Jin Min casted Choi Jae Sung in Time Between Dog & Wolf after seeing that role. It's quite the good little flick actually.

Shindo Hikaru · Post by **Shindo Hikaru** » Apr 23rd, '08, 04:49

i recommend New Heart. it's quirky, funny and really educational.

Sakari · Post by **Sakari** » Apr 23rd, '08, 07:17

By the way, if anyone has not noticed... 대망/Daemang is becoming available:
http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=211298

But no, there are no subtitles...

alchocoholic80 · Post by **alchocoholic80** » Apr 23rd, '08, 19:28

Did anyone like que sera sera? I thought that was pretty good. Have tons of fav kdramas that everyone else has already mentioned them (eg. winter sonata, dal ja's spring, evasive inquiry agency etc) but one of my all time favs is flowers for my life or i came in search of a flower. Awesome series!!

Jaja · Post by **Jaja** » Apr 24th, '08, 08:04

Eric is hot in que sera sera, and the sound track was awesome but I did not like the story - just my personal opinion.

real_cruz · Post by **real_cruz** » Apr 24th, '08, 11:38

Try
Surgeon Bong dal hee -simply the best, love it
Bad Couple-funny and dramatic

southbound · Post by **southbound** » Apr 25th, '08, 01:34

I recently finished Dal Ja's Spring, and I have to agree with everyone who has said it's good. It was sooo funny, touching, and amazing. There was a little bit of cliche drama at the end, but it was easy to get past, and it had a great ending. It's definitely on my list of favorites now.

southbound · Post by **southbound** » Apr 27th, '08, 20:36

I have a question: What have people thought of Fireworks (the K-Drama of the month)? I know I've heard opinions about it, but I can't remember if people said that they hated it or loved it. As I watch more dramas, I have less tolerance for shows that disappoint. I would prefer to not to start watching it without any idea of how it's going to turn out.

amru · Post by **amru** » Apr 30th, '08, 08:18

id definitely recommend watching bad family.

bshater · Post by **bshater** » May 3rd, '08, 04:27

FYI, the first volume of Sangdo with english subtitles is being released on May 18. you can find the link over DVDAsian.com. really excited to see this series.

Hanjae · Post by **Hanjae** » May 3rd, '08, 05:26

Argh, too bad it's about 90 bucks per volume. All three volumes come to about half of my whole month's paycheck, woot. Looks very shiny though.

adacomey · Post by **adacomey** » May 7th, '08, 04:20

guyssssss...

better watch this drama
you gonna luv it....!!!

Title: 누구세요 / Who Are You?

Cast

Yoon Kye Sang as Cha Seung Hyo
Go Ah Ra as Son Young In
Jin Yi Han as Shim Jae Ha
Kang Nam Gil as Son Il Gun
Kim Sung Eun as Yoo Ha Young

Synopsis

Cha Seung Hyo is an abandoned child who gets adopted in the United States and grows up to be a cold hearted person. Son Il Gun is a father who died, but he left things unfinished with his daughter. In order to make sure that his daughter is provided for he controls Seung Hyo’s body for three hours a day for 49 days. He buys his daughter the things he couldn’t do when he was alive with Seung Hyo’s money. Il Gun’s daughter, Young In, is a quick-tempered girl who meets Seung Hyo during her part-time job. At first she has a bad impression of him but she gradually starts to fall for the lonely Seung Hyo who is unable to open up to anyone else because of his bitter past.

ekay · Post by **ekay** » May 7th, '08, 22:39

These are few that i've watched and the rating given out of 10 (how much i like it/ how i rate it)

Must Watch List
1. My sister in law is 19 (10/10)
2. Goong (10/9) the ending turned me off..but luckily it was the end
3. Time between dog and wolf (10/10)
4. Hong gil dong (9/9) ending was too quick.
5. Sassy girl Chun Hyang (10/10)
6. Coffee Prince (9 /

the ending was not beautiful as expected from such a great drama
7. Bicsuit Teacher and Star Candy (8 /

10. My Girl (10/9)
11. Snow queen (10/8) bit slow.
12. Surgeon Bong Dal Hee (9/9)

Great story with HUGE BUT
1.Bad Love
half of the story towards the end was boring and slow
2.A love to kill
first half was very slow, last half was quick, story line doesn't evolved much..but the acting was soo good..and..i don't like the ending
3.Full House
funny, entertaining but repetitive.

just to kill time:
1.9 Ends 2 out
2.Sweet 18
3.One Fine Day
4.Witch Yoo Hee

watching list: Soulmate, Hwang Jin Yi, Who are you and Three Dads and one mom.

littledraci · Post by **littledraci** » May 7th, '08, 22:44

Fantasy Couple was surprisingly fun ^-^

Who are you? with good actors and a good story

for the rest.. 'til now I go with the must watch list from ekay ^-^ except the last *but only because I haven't watched it 'til now*

And ekay's other lists are mine, too ^-^

beein bean · Post by **beein bean** » May 10th, '08, 19:53

Watched quite a few dramas, especially within these past two years...would say personally that these were the ones that lost my interest or just didn't like...
-I'm Sorry, I Love You (it was quite dragging, and some of the supporting characters were getting annoying..perhaps I'll give it another try when I have time, but it wasn't all that realistic either...almost too dramatic for me)
-Que Sera Sera (could have gone without watching this one...)
-When Spring Comes (couldn't finish watching it, just lost interest but had some good parts here and there)

These were alright...there's potential, and then went downhill from there...or were amusing, but awkward (personal preference)
-Hello my teacher (aka Star Candy & Biscuit teacher)
-Marry a Millionaire (1st half was actually not so great, but 2nd half was better...the writing got a tad annoying)
-Taste Sweet Love (aka Snow White)
-Witch Yoo Hee (aka Witch Amusement)

Pretty decent dramas & enjoyed (though some annoying parts with how the story line went...)
-Delightful Girl Choon-hyang
-Full House
-The Man in the Vineyard (pretty good OST too!)
-9 end, 2 outs (pretty insightful drama, more about maturing)
-Sweet 18
-1% of Anything (dragged on alot towards the end...seemed to try to do too much)

Ones that enjoyed watching and were good...(this differs from above category, in terms of overall - acting, directing, script, scenary, etc)...
-Goong (had reservations about this drama initially, but it's quite addicting and very well implemented)
-1st Shop of the Coffee Prince
-My Name is Kim Sam Soon (great script and acting)
-Hong Gil Dong (awesome acting! directing was good, it was like there were two different people shooting at times. some story lines that got rather repetitive and artificial, was fun to watch)
-My Girl (was little dragging in the character development in the beginning, but pretty good overall. writing was quite good)
-Lovers in Paris

Currently watching...
-I Really Really Like You
-Red Bean Bread (aka Sweet Buns)
-Three Dads and One Mom

Sorry if anyone disagrees...but that's how my preferences roll...

gulugtca · Post by **gulugtca** » May 12th, '08, 09:21

best drama that all of u should watch:

1. All In(some of my friend said that it was boring but i think it is awesome and pretty good..)
2.Stairway to heaven( very sad drama)
3.Snow Queen(really sad...and enjoy)
4. my girl..(comedy and romance was good)
5.full house(great!)
6.into the sun(maybe most of you didn't watch it..but it was really funny comedy and great chemstry between the hero..kwon sang woo and...)
7.time between dog and wolf(really really amazing..i never expect this drama will turn very very best among the best..packed of action and thriller..and also unpredictable plot..the cast also amazing..lee jun ki and nam sang mi..i never boring to watch this til the end..highly recommended..but people who dislike cruel and ferocious action maybe hate this drama..)

and now i want to watch hong gil dong..so many people said this drama was pretty good..so i want to take a try...enjoy!!!!

euniceng446 · Post by **euniceng446** » May 17th, '08, 23:41

MUST WATCH

-My Lovely Kim Sam Soon- my first korean drama. but not on this list because it is my first but because it is romantic, FUNNY and with a great plot. Plus the characters/actor/actresses are phenominal. Not long and draggy but not too fast. great one must watch!

-The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince- absolutely funny, cute and romantic. Very original plot and characters. The actors/actresses are so genuine and real. Very funny people in it plus a great ending! Not too draggy as well

-You are My Destiny- Cute and funny with a good plot. It's a sitcom so it's like 100+ episodes, but don't let that scare you. You'll want it to never end. EVER. A newbie actress but very genuine and not fake. Good plot and great looking guys

HEHE.

-My Girl- Very original plot as well. The girl and the guy are the perfect couple. Great storyline and not too draggy. 16 episodes. Really funny and cute as well. Great ending and well deserveed to be on this list!.

Autumn Tale- OHMYGOD. this is definetly one of my favorites. Be ready to get your tissues ready. This is SOOO romantic and very sad. It's just the perfect length. Very original script and nothing corny. Not the cutsey-type. Very hihg maturity level. SO SAD yet romantic. yeah i already said that. But the couple have great chemistry!
well written story. SAD SAD ending.

-Spring Waltz- oOH! GReat drama. Love the plot and the characters. Very romantic and somewhat sad. DANIEL HENNEY IS IN IT! I shouldn't have to say anymore. LOL but yeah it's a great storyline with very good actors. Not too draggy or long.

supavix · Post by **supavix** » May 23rd, '08, 22:26

can anyone help find these dramas:

용의눈물 (tears of dragon)
왕과비(king and queen)
제국의 아침 (dawn of the empire)
무인시대 (age of warriors)

either download or dvd box set.
preferably download.

i signed up for chol.com ... they had a foreigner signup even...
i signed up for the sole purpose of downloading from simfile.chol.com but i'm unable to because here is *another* registration that requires a korean national ID number. ugh.

anyhow, any hints are welcome.

btw, i can only find up to about 30 for sindon raw files. anyone have above that, let me know
thx

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » May 23rd, '08, 22:54

You can find the first three on clubbox. Search at boxfile.co.kr (though the box that has them is on blind until the 26th). All 150mb asf/wmv files, but quite watchable.

Age of Warriors might be a little more difficult as it's disappeared just about everywhere (three days after I finished my downloads, thankfully. ㅋㅋ)

But recently The Immortal Lee Soon Shin, Age of Warriors, Tears of the Dragon and The King and The Queen have been sold to Japan, so there's a slight chance they might release on DVD.

supavix · Post by **supavix** » May 23rd, '08, 23:13

hard to believe they haven't ever been released on dvd or vhs.
asf/wmv files are horrid...i feel the need for at least 350 avis!

MisterX · Post by **MisterX** » May 24th, '08, 00:43

well, hard. Tears of the Dragon is 160 eps, King & The Queen 186, Age of Warriors 158, Dawn of the Empire 94. Not so hard to understand why they never surfaced on DVD. They're all over cable TV anyway. Well, some of them.

salaliman85 · Post by **salaliman85** » May 25th, '08, 14:37

I just finished watch My Name is Kim Sam Soon / My Lovely Kim Sam Soon .... Really2 nice drama ... I think this type of drama is quite equal to My Girl .... Very2 love these 2 Dramas ..... Can someone recommend me any drama that is equal to these 2 Drama (MNIKSS and My Girl) ?? .... Thank you for your help .... Really2 love romantic comedy drama and phenomenal chemistry btwn the actor and the actress .... thanx

BOGCHI · Post by **BOGCHI** » May 25th, '08, 20:06

salaliman85 wrote:I just finished watch My Name is Kim Sam Soon / My Lovely Kim Sam Soon .... Really2 nice drama ... I think this type of drama is quite equal to My Girl .... Very2 love these 2 Dramas ..... Can someone recommend me any drama that is equal to these 2 Drama (MNIKSS and My Girl) ?? .... Thank you for your help .... Really2 love romantic comedy drama and phenomenal chemistry btwn the actor and the actress .... thanx

I think you'll like Soulmate, Full House, Delightful Girl, and Lovers in Paris.

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