Radiant Office First Impressions

Something of a black comedy with a slow start, but potential to grow into a decent story.

Honestly, I’m getting flashbacks of My Shy Boss right now–at least the feelings I had while watching it. That is to say, I don’t love the main girl, and I despair at the lack of chemistry between…well anyone.

This story starts off with a despondent female lead, Eun Ho Won, who is both frustrated at the literal years she has gone without a real job, and a lack of mental efficiency to change her circumstances. Did the writers intend for Eun Ho Won to look like HeiHei the chicken wearing a tie and applying for a job at a competitive company intern program?

I’m not sure. But it sure seemed that way. Not only is she awful at interviewing, largely unqualified despite her insistence that she really really can do a good job, and rather prone to giving people the stink eye, she also gives up at the least resistance in her path. Her character says she’s patient and able to endure. She mutters it to herself constantly. But we don’t see a lot of that in the first three episodes. Or any of it?

On top of sucking at life (doesn’t this show sound uplifting?), she finds out that she might have a terminal illness after she unsuccessfully tried to kill herself. I’m not putting a spoiler alert there because it’s in the premise of the show, and all the trailers, so I figure you know that going into this. This plot point is the one that annoys me the most.

It is SO PAINFULLY OBVIOUS that a simple visit to the doctor would clear up her uncertainty about how long she has to live, or whether she’s even truly sick. But is that sort of logic found here? Of course not! They use all kinds of excuses to keep Eun Ho Won from going to a doctor. She’s too poor, or she doesn’t want to know, or she prefers living her life like she’s dying. It’s super fun!

And I’m sure that the writers have something in mind here, but the choppy excuses to keep Eun Ho Won from the doctor isn’t suspenseful. It’s dumb. And it doesn’t make sense. Or does it? We are talking about HeiHei the intern, here. Darwinism at work.

I will say, that as exasperated as I was for the first three episodes, just hanging in there and waiting for Eun Ho Won to make good on her many promises that despite what it looks like (over and over and over and over and) she is a capable human being worthy of someone’s respect, they did finally give us a glimpse of her fabled work ethic. Episode four showed Eun Ho Won pulling herself up by her bootstraps and fighting for her job.

Expectation met, kiddo.

And if you’re wondering why I haven’t mentioned any male leads or romantic interests, that’s because there are none.

I mean he’s there. His name is Seo Woo Jin, and he has all the personality of a generic Birthday card with a Visa giftcard inside. He’s her boss, and so far, he has done nothing but…well…be her boss. There’s not even anything simmering or bubbling beneath the surface here.

There was one small romantic interaction with the second lead, who is a doctor. Who offered Eun Ho Won a free physical. Which she turned down.

Because she’s a chicken brain.

But other than that, I guess I will have to wait for this aforementioned “romantic interest” that may or may not develop.

As far as the office drama plot goes, it’s really not too bad. I like the company, and so far, the little challenges they have faced have been enough to keep me interested. With the glimmer of hope given to us in episode four, I’m willing to hang in there to see Eun Ho Won grow a backbone that hopefully extends up to her prefrontal cortex so she can start making rational decisions that don’t make me want to poke attack her through my computer screen.

Two more things:

1.) Eun Ho Won is also maybe schizophrenic? Wtheck is with those weird visions she keeps seeing?

2.) Does everyone in Korea live in rooftop apartments? What do they do with all those rooms underneath?

And that’s pretty much it for my first impressions! I’m glad I waited until watching all four episodes before reviewing it, because believe it or not, this whole rant would have been at least 12x more scathing.

I ended up dropping My Shy Boss, so I’m really hoping Radiant Office picks up and adds some spice to their characters.

Have you watched it yet? What are your thoughts?

Have an awesome weekend, peeps!

-Devon-

 

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Tasty Dude Tuesday

As you can see, my “man feature” posts are at the mercy of my inconsistent posting schedule. So we will be doing a Tasty Dude Tuesday this week instead of Man Candy Monday.

I do what I want.

This week we will sing the praises of one of my favorite Korean actors. I’m talking weak-in-the-knees, don’t care what he’s acting in, yes please let me watch him doing anything and everything…

Gong Yoo

First of all, it’s that cheeky smile that really won me over when I first saw him in Coffee Prince. But upon closer inspection, one cannot help but notice his smoking…

Hot…

Personality.

For real though, post-military abs aside, that smile is what really melts our hearts.

Also, it must not be overlooked that he is the best kisser in all of Hallyu. I’m not even accepting opinions on that. He just is.

And he’s not just a pretty face. He’s got some serious acting chops, and his role in Train to Busan absolutely blew me away.

And I really did know that in Coffee Prince when he fully convinced me that he had fallen in love with someone he thought was a boy, and was fully prepared to love her anyway. Hence, that infamous “I don’t care if you’re a man or an alien” kiss. He was so confused. And so attracted to her. He just went for it.

Yeah. He is sheer perfection.

Don’t be bashful, oppa! It’s the truth! *happy sigh*

What do you all think? Gong Yoo yes? No? Not your cup of tea? Never mind don’t answer that. I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life.

Happy Tuesday!

-Devon-

GIF Review Shopping King Louis

It’s that time again!

That’s right! It’s time for a GIF review! Today, we are giving our thoughts on the popular 2016 drama, Shopping King Louis.

I had my reservations about this one, since “spoiled rich guy who shops too much” didn’t sound terribly appealing to me. And my fears were nearly justified when at first it seemed like Louis truly was just a spoiled, ungrateful weirdo.

But then. Oh, then, he lost his memories, and had to live with an impoverished young woman until he figured out who he was. That was when he unleashed his CUTENESS on me!

And Bok Sil unleashed her sweet, kind, generous, beautiful soul on me. Who else would take in a strange, homeless kid with a shopping addiction and no idea where he came from?

I spent the rest of the drama completely in love with both of them as they tackled the challenges of their past while trying to make enough money to survive in the present!

Then the side characters developed, and ALL their plot lines had me loling so hard:

The sad parts really did break my heart. Poor Louis! Poor Bok Sil! Poor Halmoni!

But then just as soon as they broke my heart, it would be mended with a sweet Louis and Bok Shil moment that had me laughing out loud again.

I guess the one negative I might give is that while Louis was affectionate enough for the both of them, Bok Sil didn’t exactly invite “skinship,” so their physical chemistry suffered a little bit. Just a little.

But who the heck cares. Look at how adorable they are:

Also the way that Louis reacted to bugs lol

All in all, two big thumbs up from me! This drama made me super happy!

I guess I’ve really been in the mood for those sweet, sugar rush dramas lately! This definitely fit the bill, and while it did have moments where it slowed down a smidge, or it suffered from Kdrama filler scenes, it always picked right back up. And best of all, it ended so nicely, with loose ends tied up, and happily ever afters established. Yay for fluffy love!

I would highly recommend this drama, so add it to your watch list!

Peace out, drama fans.

-Devon-

 

5 Kdrama Titles Renamed

We all love our Kdramas, but let’s face it: Some of those titles are weird!

Whether it’s because the exact translation has no English equivalent, or because the translators wanted to preserve the purity of the interpretation, the result is often the same. Completely confusing!

That’s why I wanted to try something fun, and have a go at renaming some of these titles so they make more sense to the American viewers.

Now, granted, I know that the translators who officially Americanize these titles are just doing their jobs–they’ve been asked to take Korean words and find the closest equivalent in English. But just for the heck of it, I think I can find some alternatives that you know…actually mean something when we read them.

1.) Boys Over Flowers

Okay, okay. Here’s what happened with this one. This was originally a Japanese manga, and the author of said manga made a title that is a pun in Japanese. They have a common expression that, translated, says, “dumplings before flowers.” Apparently, it refers to a flower festival they have, where people flock to the food first, and totally ignore the flowers, which were the reason they were supposed to be there in the first place. She changed the character for “dumpling” to be “boys,” which I’m sure is quite clever.

In English, it don’t make a lick o’ sense.

So, in keeping with the original meaning of the title, which really tells us to put what we love above all else, I give to you…

Love First

 

If I’m being honest, I wanted to do something five hundred times more corny, but my husband wouldn’t stop laughing, so I went with his suggestion. It’s short, it makes sense, and hey, it’s what the author meant to say!

 

2.) Something About 1%

Even after watching this drama, I do not fully understand what they were trying to say here. There was a whole monologue at the end about how 1% of people are…really awesome? Or there’s a 1% chance you’ll find love? Or something? I brought my husband into the living room and made him watch the speech, and even he wasn’t exactly sure what they were going for. I am absolutely (100% haha) certain that in Korean it’s profound. In English translation it’s an odd title.

So after finishing the drama, and getting the general gist of what they were going for, I vote that we rename it:

 

You Are My 1%

It’s a slight change, really, but I think it makes all the difference. Not only are we playing off the idea that he is the 1% financially (i.e. rich as Croesus), but we are going with the theme of the show, which is that she is the 1% in terms of rarely found selflessness, love, and true compatibility.

3.) My Love From Another Star/My Love From the Stars/My Love From the Star

We seriously could not agree on a title for this drama, could we? I’ve seen several variations, and all of them were really just trying to preserve the original translation. I give them points for exactness, but it’s a mouthful to say. My suggestion?

Star-Kissed Love

The story is all about their love, and it just happens to be twinkled with a touch of starry space background. I think this title evokes romance, without focusing too hard on the fact that he’s an alien. Exactly like the drama.

4.) City Hunter

If you just said “sh***y hunter” in your head, then congratulations–you know why we really can’t call this drama City Hunter with a straight face. I know, I know, I KNOW. In the drama that’s what they call him. They even say it over and over again. “SH***Y HUNTER!” (For those of you who haven’t seen this one, the Koreans pronounce “City Hunter” like “sh***y hunter,” and it is impossible to ignore.) But even if THEY are saying “city hunter,” that doesn’t mean we have to. Especially because it’s an awesome drama, and it deserves a title that doesn’t cause me to giggle every time I say it.

Seoul Hunter

Seoul sounds like “soul,” which makes it sound more bad-a. Add to that the fact that the main character is actually hunting down the men whose dirty souls managed to kill innocent people, and it’s just too perfect.

Seriously SBS. Call me. Anytime. I’m here for you.

 

5.) Moonlight Drawn by Clouds/Love in the Moonlight

This is another title that was wildly different from translation to translation, and I’m sure they did their best. But even the better title “Love in the Moonlight” doesn’t make a lot of sense. It just didn’t sit well with me. And since I happened to really enjoy this one, I’m going to rename it. Because I can.

Chasing Moonlight

As best as I could figure, the symbolism for this drama had the prince compared to moonlight. So the original title–I think–was meant to be something like the fluffy white clouds (our main girl) chasing the moonlight (our prince). Alternatively, it could refer to the prince chasing moonlight, as in a brighter future for his people. Either way, I feel like this grabs the feeling of the adorable drama more succinctly.

So there you have it!

Not that the original titles are bad, per say, but I like to play with words. What do you think? Any that you like? Are you cursing me out for messing with the classics?

Or, do you have some Kdrama titles you’d like to see rewritten? Let me know!

Cheers,

-Devon-

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon: First Impressions

Quick Verdict: Fast pace, lovable characters, and promising intrigue.

Last week, the new drama Strong Woman Do Bong Soon premiered, and I’ve been waiting for this one, so I jumped right on it. And it was actually better than I expected it would be! Which is saying something, because I’ve been desperate for something to love after Shy Boss and Tomorrow With You kinda let me down. I had high hopes for miss Do Bong Soon!

For starters, Do Bong Soon is flippin adorable. Look at this cuteness.

And while we’re on that scene, this whole word play was hysterical.

She asked if he offered “stop motion,” when she really mean “stock options.” Aigoo, I love it when their word play is English-based so I can get it!

As far as the story goes, I like that her abilities are supernatural. She’s the Korean Supergirl, with super strength that disappears when she uses it selfishly. I’m sure that will be a great plot point later on. I also like that she kind of wants to use her super strength, but it mostly just causes her anxiety, and she uses it sparingly.

The humor in the drama, so far, has been a little slapstick. I confess, that kind of stuff makes me giggle! Bring on the silly.

The lead guys are hot, but I don’t know which one I like better yet. They’re both quite stoic, which is unusual for Kdramas. The second lead acts like he doesn’t like her, and the main lead, of course, just things Bong Soon is nuts. I’m looking forward to how that dynamic plays out!

The bad guy is CREEPY AS SIN.

I mean, sweet baby cheez-it, who thought of this monster? ALKjla;jdsfljsdijfkdj

So even though this drama is quite silly at times, and definitely plays up its aegyeo factor, it also has an intriguing plot that is sure to keep me interested for the time being.

Overall, I love it, and I’m hoping the pace can stay strong! Especially when its second episode left off with a classic double wrist grab and two hot guys fighting over one cute Supergirl!

 

Yes please. More please. Thank you.

Have you watched this one yet? What did you think? Thanks for stopping by, Kfans!

-Devon-

Kdrama Beginner’s Tour: Rest of the Best

Woot! Woot!

Here we are at our last stop in our Kdrama Beginner’s Tour! Thank you so much for riding the newb train with us, and I hope you’ve found some entertaining Korean Dramas to get you going with your addiction.

So far, we’ve looked at gateway dramas, young love dramas, action dramas, and sageuk (historical) dramas. For our last stop, I wanted to throw out a bunch of my other favorite dramas that didn’t make it to the previous lists.

Introducing…

The Rest of the Best

Let’s kick this off with a classic. I have seen this drama three times all the way through, and after looking for pictures to put in this post, I might be tempted to watch it a fourth.

Secret Garden

This beloved drama. There are so many things that put this one in my top 5 dramas of all time, and still holding. At the time, a lot of the Kdrama “tropes” were still new to me, and the plot felt completely original.

This drama is about a wealthy CEO who finds himself captivated by a poor stuntwoman. At first he chases her based on curiosity, but then mystical forces intervene in their lives, and ZAP! Body swap. The body swap was hilarious, don’t get me wrong, but it’s their chemistry and interactions that made this one of my top dramas. Hyun Bin plays the CEO jerk-turned-besotted-lover extraordinarily well. Hawt.

My next random, must-see drama is one that recently finished airing. I might be taking a gamble in posting this now, because I’m still swooning over the feels from the show, and might not be clear-headed about it. But I don’t care. I know you’ll enjoy it.

Goblin: The Great and Lonely God

Wow, how do I count the ways I loved this show? The music was entrancing. The scenery was jaw-dropping. The love story was epic. I really couldn’t ask for anything more!

Goblin is actually the story of a dokkaebi, which is a Korean supernatural creature that we don’t have a good word for. Someone decided “goblin” would be a good translation, which I don’t agree with, but oh well. It is what it is. The dokkaebi is an immortal being, cursed to live forever with a blade in his heart as punishment for the thousands of men he killed as a soldier 900 years ago. The only way he can pass on to the next life is if he finds the goblin’s bride, and she pulls it out for him.

As you can imagine, the tragedy of finding his bride is that he loves her, only to have the sword ripped from his chest, and his life ended. How does one overcome this????

That is the epic love story told in this drama, and I loved. it. Loved it.

My only word of caution is that the pacing is a little slow-ish. They spend a lot of time focusing on pretty imagery and inner conflict in the middle of the plot, but personally, I didn’t mind one bit. Because they were nice to look at, and I enjoyed the characters so much.

But if epic isn’t what you’re hankering for, I’ll give you a hilarious comedy, and see if that grabs your interest.

Marriage, Not Dating

The main girl in this drama is a hoot! She’s completely outrageous, but her antics gave me several hours of laughter. Also the skinship in this drama is pretty significant, and I enjoyed their chemistry as a whole. Looking back, the plot is really simple, but the shenanigans they get into were too much fun to pass up! Basically, a successful plastic surgeon has parents nagging him to get a wife, so he presents this crazy chick as his girlfriend to get the ‘rents to shut up. Only, it backfires, and she turns out to be just the kind of mania he never knew he needed.

Also in the RomCom category, and not to be missed is this one:

Personal Taste

Oh baby, there’s that Lee Min Ho guy again. Can he do no wrong? (Heirs…>.>)

Here we have the hilarious, but heart-felt RomCom about a young woman who is a little strapped for cash, and puts out an ad for a roommate in her lovely, one-of-a-kind home that her father built. It just so happens that an architect who is desperate to get into that house, sees the room for rent. In order to live with her, he allows our main girl to mistakenly believe that he is gay, so she doesn’t feel uncomfortable about the whole thing.

The thing I really loved about this show was that it was initially built on a silly pretense, but quickly built into a memorable relationship that is chock full of romantic gooeyness. Also, this is the drama with the infamous “game over” kiss.

That might be a bit of a spoiler, but I’ll bet you’re wondering what “game over” means, and how they even got to that point right? Right?!

Right.

And that, my friends, is the end of our journey together!

Of course, after you’ve watched a few of these, and find yourself intractably gripped with all things Korean, you can hop right back to our blog and follow along as we review dramas and give you updates on our Kdrama-inspired romance novel!

So how about it, friends? Did you watch any of the dramas we suggested? Let us know which ones are your favorites!

And thanks for visiting our blog!

-Devon-

Kdrama Beginners Tour List

Gateway Dramas

Young Love Dramas

Action Dramas

Sageuk Dramas

Rest of the Best

Kdrama Beginner’s Tour: Sageuk

Stop 4

Wow, what a ride this has been so far! We’re nearing the end of our journey, and by now, you might be starting to feel a lot less new to Kdramas if you’ve watched any of the ones I have suggested! If you’re just joining us here at this stop, take a look at our gateway dramas, young love dramas, and action dramas!

For now, we will be delving into the Sageuk genre of Kdramas. These are usually set in the Joseon era of Korea’s history, which was anywhere from 1100 to 1900! I guess Korea didn’t change too drastically during that time, because the drama costumes stay pretty much the same. (At least to my untrained eye!) Once you get used to the get-ups, you will love all the interesting situations and historical facts you learn while watching these stories!

Sageuk (Historical) Dramas

Sungkyunkwan Scandal

Try saying that ten times! This drama features a scholarly young woman who, out of necessity, must dress like a boy to stay safe. However, she accidentally gets tricked into enrolling in Sungkyunkwan University, and must keep her identity as a woman hidden from all her curious male roommates. If she doesn’t, she could lose her life. But if she keeps it hidden much longer, her best friend is going to start questioning his sexual orientation. The chemistry and fun of this drama is what got me hooked on Kdramas! It was my first ever Kdrama.

The Princess’s Man

Oh gracious, do I dare add this one?

I dare.

I know you are Kdrama beginners, but I have faith in your ability to be CONSUMED by this drama. It is a marathon of emotions, and you will feel every one of them in watching this drama. It is absolutely something you must add to your list when you are feeling ready to fall head-long into something sweeping, beautiful, and impossibly addicting.

I decided not to give you a summary of the plot, because I’m going to fail miserably. Just think Korean Romeo and Juliet.

Gu Family Book

Lee Seung Gi must have liked dating a Gumiho, because in Gu Family Book, he decided to be one! This Sageuk is more of a Fantasy, which is set in the Joseon time period, but tells the story of a young male Gumiho in search of his origins. The cast in this drama is off the chain! And the action, combined with the humor, romance, and adventure, really makes this one a winner! I even got my husband to watch this one with me!

As a bonus, look at the guy who plays his father.

Hubba hubba. Suzy can have Lee Seung Gi. I’ll take Choi Jin Hyuk any day!

The Great Doctor/Faith

I don’t get this drama’s title, you guys. I always knew it as Faith, but I keep seeing The Great Doctor, which totally makes more sense. I dunno. Regardless…

This drama rocks!! It was in my top five for a really long time, and is still in my top ten. Faith tells the story of a war general from the past who finds a rift in time to the future. His queen is dying, and he needs a doctor. So what does he do? He kidnaps one, of course! Fortunately she’s cute, she’s feisty, and she’s smart, so between the two of them, they manage to save the kingdom.

Also Lee Min Ho. Look at this guy. LOOK AT HIM.

Scrummy.

Empress Ki

 

Alright, so I know that my drama suggestions are basically all about the guys. I realize that. But my friends, this drama is all about Empress Ki. All. About. Woman.

Her fierceness

Her cunning.

Her manipulation of man’s world, and her determination to survive.

The romance is there, don’t get me wrong, but it’s as much about a lowly servant rising from nothing to becoming the Empress of Goreyo as much as it is about who she gives her heart to. And that, she does not give easily!

If you want something epic, stunning, and gripping, then you must watch this drama. The performances are flawless, and the story is mind-blowing. The best part? It’s based off a smidgeon of historical fact. It will make you want to look her up, because her reality is almost as unbelievable as the drama.

Who better to round off our Sageuks than a strong queen? There’s my top five suggestions for historical Korean Dramas!

I realized as I was writing this post that I have so many Sageuk dramas that I love. I didn’t think I was a Sageuk super fan, but I might be, because I’ve seen a lot of them!

What are your thoughts on historical dramas? Any favorites?

Thanks for joining me on our fourth stop, and look forward to our LAST stop, where I finish us off with all my random beginner favorites. Have an awesome weekend!

-Devon-

 

Kdrama Beginners Tour List

Gateway Dramas

Young Love Dramas

Action Dramas

Sageuk Dramas

Rest of the Best

Kdrama Beginner’s Tour: Action!

Stop 3

Welcome back to our tour for those just entering the world of Korean Dramas! Our first two stops featured gateway dramas and young love dramas to really get you into the spirit of Korean romance TV shows! We hope you enjoyed those, and if you haven’t read them yet, go on back and start at the beginning! This is a process, after all.

For today’s stop, we are going to take a look at possibly my favorite sub-genre:

Action Dramas

I love some good tension when it comes to romance. Not just internal conflict, which you might find in melodramas (something you might note I did not include in my tour. Not my fav), but external, scary, fast-paced AWESOME tension. There are so many of these that it was hard for me to choose, but I did my best for you! And fair warning…three of them have the same actor. I don’t know how that happened, but he just picks the best dramas. Lee Jong Suk for the win!

I Hear Your Voice

This drama wins the award for creepiest bad guy. He had me on edge! But the romance that develops through all the intrigue and danger is what makes I Hear Your Voice really shine. This drama is about a young man with the ability to hear what other people are thinking. He is on a mission to save a lawyer from a murderer she put into jail as a child with her testimony. She happened to save his life when they were younger, and he won’t stop until he knows she’s safe.

As a warning, if you haven’t experienced it yet, this might be your first “noona romance!” “Noona” or, in hangeul (Korean writing) “누나”, is a term that means “older sister.” I have a Korean friend who is maybe four years younger than I am, and he calls me 누나, so it doesn’t mean you have to be related. A noona romance refers to the female character being older than the male character. It’s strangely rare in American romance, but is definitely a thing for Korean dramas! It weirded me out at first, but I soon got used to it. They are a fantastic pair!

City Hunter

Oh the feels! Finally, I get to add an Lee Min Ho drama onto these lists. He was the first actor I got totally addicted to, and I watched every drama he’s made! City Hunter was his first foray into action, and I thought it paid off pretty well.

It’s been a while since I saw this one, but it is an action/romance about an undercover assassin working at the Blue House (Korea’s White House), and is on a mission to get revenge for the death of his father. While at the Blue House, he meets fellow body guard, Kim Na-Na, a spunky young woman who happens to have ties to his past. Our sexy assassin uncovers numerous political plots, and in his quest to avenge his father, he finds purpose and love.

If you ask me honestly, I will tell you that I liked Healer more than the very similar City Hunter, but they are both really fun to watch, and will get you hooked immediately!

W

Here he is again! That Lee Jung Suk really knows how to pick the dashing hero role.

You guys, this drama was AMAZING. It totally blew my mind when I watched it, and from beginning to end, it kept the intrigue high. W features a leading lady whose father is the artist of a world-famous manhwa (Korean manga/graphic novel). Our girl Oh Yeon Joo accidentally gets pulled into the manhwa world, and comes face-to-face with its hero, Kang Chul. The lines of reality and fantasy become blurred when Kang Chul begins to make his own decisions in the story, and Yeon Joo often gets pulled into the manhwa at the most unlikely times.

And that plot summary really just scratches the surface of the first episode…there is so much in this drama. And it really does have it all–the romance is perfect, the action is gripping, and the plot will keep you guessing until the last episode.

You’re All Surrounded

If you’re feeling like a little touch of levity makes your action-packed romance sweeter, then You’re All Surrounded is for you! It tells the story of a group of rookie detectives doing their best to protect the city they love, and survive some highly suspicious crimes that might be related to main character Eun Dae Gu (Lee Seung Gi), and his mysterious past. The comedy in this one had me belly laughing pretty much every episode, but then they knew how to reel it back in and get us focused on a thrilling plot I just had to resolve.

If you liked Lee Seung Gi in My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, then feast your eyes on him here, because he is scrumptious as a police officer! It took me a few episodes to get into this (their set up is a little slow-moving), so give it a solid three episodes!

Pinocchio

Recognize him? Yes, our darling Lee Jung Suk sneaks in for the third time, and caps off our action drama list!

To be fair, this one was really quite similar in feel to I Hear Your Voice, so it can be easy to get the two of them mixed up. But Pinocchio has a little more quirk, and a young coming-into-your-own kind of vibe. It is the story of a boy who washes up on the shore of a poor community, having hit his head and lost all his memories. He grows up with a girl his age, and they both end up entering the same internship for a news station. But his past begins snaking its way into his present, and both of them must work together to find answers to the questions that will affect their futures.

My synopsis doesn’t remotely tap into what this drama is really about, but it’s a rather complicated plot, and all you really need to know is the leads have great chemistry, the plot had me sucked in every single episode, and the characters are well-constructed for every role. It was a fantastic action drama! I rate it right on par with I Hear Your Voice.

And there you have it!

Those are my top 5 action dramas for beginners getting into Kdramas. Obviously I’m more into shows that are romance-centered but action driven. The action is all for the romance, in other words. And if you kind of like that too, then I know you will love these Kdramas!

Did I leave any out? Are you thinking of trying any of these? Let me know in the comments below! And stay tuned for the last two stops of our tour soon!

-Devon-

 

Kdrama Beginners Tour List

Gateway Dramas

Young Love Dramas

Action Dramas

Sageuk Dramas

Rest of the Best

Kdrama Beginner’s Tour: Young Love

Stop 2

Welcome back to our Kdrama Beginner’s Tour, where we are introducing all you newbies to the fantastic world of Korean drama romance shows! Our first post, Gateway Dramas, was your introduction to how addicting these Korean shows can be. Today, I’ll be showing you a sub-genre of Korean dramas that are plentiful, fun, quirky, and heart-hammering romantic.

Get ready for some…

Young Love

Playful Kiss

This classic love story has been adapted many times, from its manga version, to its anime rendition, and on to many interpretations, including the Korean drama I love so much. This is the story of a High School girl who must move into the house of a family friend after her house collapses in an earthquake. Except she finds out when she gets there, that she’ll be living in the same house as the very popular, insanely hot Baek Sung Jo. She has loved him for a long time, and sees this as her chance to finally get close to him.

If cold and unfeeling heroes make your skin crawl, you might want to skip this one. Baek Sung Jo takes a long time to admit his feelings for Oh Ha NI. But I adore the character development of this drama, and it is the real essence of a young love that matures into marriage. It’s also the most satisfying love victory of all time when Oh Ha Ni finally breaks down this guy’s iron-clad walls. No one else could love Baek Sung Jo like Oh Ha Ni!

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

What a delightful surprise this drama turned out to be! This drama tells the story of a young college weightlifter who struggles with going for the gold, but also finding self love and true love. The chemistry between Kim Bok Joo and athletic swimmer (I repeat, SWIMMER. The bod.) Jung Joon Hyung is really sort of palpable. I loved the pace of this show, and I felt like it was both romantic and sweet as a coming-of-age story.

The only thing you have to get past is that the actress does not look like a weightlifter. At all. She’s a model in real life, and she does look like it! But that’s okay, because her acting was on point, and the entire plot is delicious from beginning to end. I think I might have to lick sugar off my fingertips after even typing about it.

Reply 1997

I hesitate to post this one only because I haven’t actually seen it! But that’s not because I think it will be a bad drama–I know it’s one of the best Kdramas of all time! (Literally, it’s last episode broke viewership records!) I just haven’t been in the mood for a High School drama recently, and I’m keeping up with current ones!

But enough about me and my excuses. You SHOULD watch this drama. It’s a charming story about High School friends and their love lives as they develop in 1997, and then where they are at 14 years later. The cool thing about this show is that is has tons of adorable, romantic moments (yes, I happen to know that even without having seen it!), but it also strategically keeps you guessing about who ended up with whom, and how they got there! It’s clever, humorous, and poignant in all the best ways.

I will take my own advice and watch it soon!

Coffee Prince

Oh, this drama. I’m categorizing it as “young love,” even though the characters are totally adults. But there’s a lot of self-discovery, and the main girl is pretty young.

This one is about a young woman who has always been mistaken for a boy. She doesn’t particularly mean to look boyish, but that’s just how she appears, and she has accepted it. She is in desperate need of a job, and in a moment of insanity, takes a job as a MALE waiter, or “coffee prince.” But soon her manager starts to get some funny feelings about the new “boy” on his team, and their romance ensues.

I think my favorite thing about this drama is that their relationship develops almost entirely with him thinking she’s a boy, and at first assuming he just likes “him” as a younger brother. She falls for him hard, but she doesn’t want to lose her job and tell him she’s actually a girl!

The kisses in this drama are off. the. chain. You can spoil it for yourself by googling them if you don’t believe me. *fans face*

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho

Context: A Gumiho is a nine-tailed fox creature from Korean folklore.

This story is about a female Gumiho who has been trapped for hundreds of years in a temple. A young man stumbles upon the temple, and accidentally frees her. Little miss Gumiho, attaches herself to him, and although he isn’t totally sure he wants to help a nine-tailed demon learn how to human, he obviously falls for her cuteness.

And you guys, YOU will fall for her cuteness, too. Like, immediately. She’s perfectly quirky, and he’s adorably unfit to teach her how to actually adult, and the whole story was sheer enjoyment from the first episode to the last.

And that’s it for our “young love” stop!

I hope you enjoy these dramas, and if you find that this category really appeals to you, then you will be happy to know that there are many, many more! Including, but not limited to:

Boys Before Flowers, You’re Beautiful, Monstar, Heartstrings, Shut Up Flower Boy Band, To the Beautiful You, and School 2013.

If you head over to http://www.mydramalist.com, you will find several lists about High School and young love!

If you’ve seen these dramas, which one was your favorite? Any that I missed that you would want to add?

Stay tuned for our next stop: ACTION!

-Devon-

 

Kdrama Beginners Tour List

Gateway Dramas

Young Love Dramas

Action Dramas

Sageuk Dramas

Rest of the Best

Kdrama Beginner’s Tour: Gateway Drama

Are you wondering what all this “Kdrama” talk is about? Well, you’ve come to the right tour guide! Korean Drama Land is a busy, confusing place, with hundreds of thousands of shows to choose from. Once you realize how many there are, you are left to wonder: Where do I start?

That’s where I come in! I might not be Barbie, but I make a pretty great Kdrama Tour Guide for your Kdrama Beginner’s Tour, or KBT. Here on your KBT, I will lead you from beginner’s dramas, and onto all the different kinds of Korean Dramas that will inevitably get you hooked on some of the best love stories of all time. If you follow this map of posts, I will show you the best path to becoming a Kdrama fangirl:

The first stop on our KBT is what I like to call, your “gateway drama.” This is the drama that opens the gilded doors to the Drama Land beyond. This should be a drama that is somewhat familiar to the Western shows you already enjoy, but delightfully unique enough to suck you into the fandom you will never escape.

Gateway Dramas

My Love From Another Star

This addicting, Sci-Fi Romance has enchanted viewers from all over the world. From its steamy but stoic male lead who happens to come from another planet, and it’s quirky but confident female love interest, this show has it all: Passion, action, gripping story, laugh out loud comedy, heart-rending sorrow, and a happily-ever-after to tie it all together. (Just make sure you watch the “extra” episode to get that happy ending you’re looking for!)

I insist you watch this drama. Now.

Healer

Healer is an Action Romance about an “errand boy” who does the shady dirty work rich people need done, and he’s really good at it. But when an innocent girl gets caught up in a dangerous plot, he has to both protect her, and clear his own name. Think Jason Bourne with smexy romance. I wish I could dedicate the rest of this entire post to just pictures of Healer in all his hot spy outfits.

Okay, maybe just one.

You’re welcome.

Queen In-Hyun’s Man

This is probably my number one favorite couple of all time–Kdrama or not. They have chemistry for DAYYYSSS. This Paranormal Romance features a man from the Joseon era, which is Korea’s historical period from 14th century to 19th century. He mysteriously finds his way to our modern day, and falls in love with darling actress Choi Hee Jin. Not only does this drama dip your toes into the Joseon era (which can take some getting used to), but the pure, delicious romance between these two characters is something you cannot miss! Also of note is the fact that most Kdramas don’t show a lot of sexual chemistry. They are very sparing about showing us kisses, and definitely keep “skinship” (which is physical chemistry) fairly PG. Queen In-Hyun’s man pushes that boundary just a bit. Which is refreshing for us Americans!

Speaking of Americans…

Descendants of the Sun

This right here is a grown up, sexy as heck, super interesting drama. It’s a bit of a risk to call it a gateway drama, because in many ways, Descendants of the Sun broke the Kdrama mold a little bit. It’s shot in a fictional, foreign country, which is not the Kdrama norm. But it allowed them to add all kinds of scrumptious elements like danger, American bad guys (totally not a normal thing you find in Kdramas! I was happily surprised), and super sexy military uniforms.

Super.

Sexy.

Uniforms.

Okay, so that last one might have been more about the lack of uniform. But still, you get my point. It’s a great drama to ease into Korean culture, because they are dealing with a whole lot of other cultures anyway. The gist of the show is that a very driven female doctor is sent to a war-torn country to give relief aid, and be stationed at a military base. While there, she meets a very fine soldier who finds her absolutely irresistible.

I hope you enjoyed your first stop on our Kdrama Beginners Tour! As you can see from the map, there will be several more stops forthcoming. But for now, I suggest you sit back and enjoy the ride with one of these fantastic gateway dramas.

**Where to find Kdramas**

I felt it was important to add this, especially if you are new to watching them. There are two main websites that feature Kdramas: Viki and Dramafever. Both can be viewed from your computer, or from an app on your phone, tablet, or streaming device. All you have to do is download the apps, and you’ve got access to pretty much every Kdrama ever made!

You can also find some of them on Netflix and Hulu. My good friend over at I Know my Writes has recently made a post with some of the best dramas found on those two apps you might already have. Check it out here:

How to Create Korean Drama Addicts

Kdrama Beginners Tour List

Gateway Dramas

Young Love Dramas

Action Dramas

Sageuk Dramas

Rest of the Best