Fan-story?

I'm not new to the world of fan-fiction, I've even tried my hand at it a few times with other fan clubs that I'm a part of (i.e. Firefly, Harry Potter, Supernatural, etc).  Though I'm always reticent about portraying a canon character because if I set out to write their unwritten stories I have to be sure that I am true to the character.  And with a fan-fiction it can be so very easy to change the character to fit the story you want to tell.  To me that defeats the purpose of the fan-fiction.  If you aren't being true to the character completely then you aren't writing fan-fiction, you're writing a story based on a character that you are head over heels in love with.  Which is completely fine, just don't call it fan-fiction.

Currently I've been watching Heirs, though I gave up at episode 14.  The show had so much potential and it felt as if the writers were just coasting through the story depending on the big stars they had on screen.  So I threw my hands up in the air and walked away.  I'm certain once its complete I'll go back and watch the rest, because I do want to see how it ends.  So why mention Heirs?  Well the character of Choi Young Do absolutely inspired me to want to try my hand at fan-fiction again.  However, the same old doubts kept nagging me and I love the character so completely that I do not want to mess up in portraying him.  So that got me to thinking... why not write a fan-story that is based on my love of Choi Young Do, but make something completely new.

So that's what I've started to do.  I've taken what I love about the character and I've created a story all my own based around that.  Its a story that I've thought about and outlined previously, but once I made the choice to base the main character on Choi Young Do I made some simple changes and bam I've got a new story to tell that allows me to take all the things I love about the character and make it my own.

I'll be posting the chapters on the Heart Murmurs page here on my blog.  You'll see it above in the navigation bar.  Every so often when I have a few chapters to show I'll make a post to let everyone know there are some words over there to take a gander at.  I hope that people enjoy the story and I look forward to feedback and suggestions.  So please comment to your heart's content here.

So Many Shows So Little Time

Sometimes when I’m trying to decide on the next drama I want to watch I feel like I’m drowning in choices.  Which, in essence, I am since there are hundreds of dramas out there to choose from.  I’ve compiled a rather lengthy list of dramas I do want to watch, which is only a pin drop in the ocean of dramas.  As I’ve talked about in a prior post, I want that happy ending, so I often search the net for lists of dramas that have happy endings.  And then I search out each individual title and try to discern from posts and reviews which of them have a confirmed happy ending.  That’s at least where I start.  Though having this list of dramas that all sound good story and premise wise with a confirmed good or at least mostly good ending is just as overwhelming as looking at all the dramas out there which are available to watch.  So I sit there for an hour, sometimes more, and try to figure out what I want to invest my time into.

Honestly I depend a lot on reviews that I find on Dramabeans, Drama Fever, Crunchyroll, and other various sites focused on dramas.  Personally a recap review is less valuable to me than a review that talks about the writer’s likes/dislikes about the series.  I don’t want to know exactly what happened, but I do want to know if the viewer enjoyed the show.  And of course, if there was a happy ending.  I do a lot of searches that are similar to “does Insert Drama Name Here have a happy ending”.  I can usually ascertain quickly from the snippets in the google search results if the show ends happily or not.  Sometimes I get mixed signals, some say it was good and some say it was satisfactory and some say it wasn’t what they had hoped for.  I put those into a second list that I title, “Mostly Happy Ending.”

With so many shows to choose from and a large chunk with a happy ending, how do I pick one fish out of the sea to watch?  It depends on what I just finished watching.  If it was a lighthearted romantic comedy with a very simple feel and youthful story then I’ll probably focus on something a little more mature or with more serious story themes.  For example after I finished Flower Boy Ramen Shop I picked A Gentleman’s Dignity.  Flower Boy Ramen Shop was cutesy and lighthearted so I wanted something a little more mature.  The main actors in A Gentleman’s Dignity are all in their forties and so the themes were much different.  But sometimes I just want more of the same so I’ll go right into another sweet romantic comedy right after finishing one.  Like when I finished You’re Beautiful and started Heartstrings right away.

I’ve tried making lists ranking the shows I do want to watch with the information I know about them and then just sticking to it.  Then my current show ends and I look at the number one choice… and then still spend ages reading reviews looking at suggestions, and researching any number of aspects about any number of shows to finally choose something not even on the list.  If I could only make a plan and stick to it I’d have more time to watch my dramas.  But I just can’t help but look at other shows, read up on a show I’ve never heard of before, contemplate re-watching one of the shows I’ve already watched but loved so much it left a hole in my heart when it was done.  I keep telling myself I’ll just follow my list no matter what.  Maybe this will be the time that I can, maybe after I finish My Princess I’ll be able to go right to I Need Romance.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!   

Playful Kiss

This review will go against the popular view, but I just couldn’t get truly invested in Playful Kiss.  It was the third drama I watched and after the first episode I turned it off.  It was too over the top, too campy, too much of everything, and not enough of anything to draw me in.  I went back to watching something that I can’t remember now, because through Hulu there weren’t that many Korean, Taiwanese, or Japanese dramas to choose from that I could easily find.  Combined with the fact I hadn’t really become fully addicted which meant I just didn’t take the time to look around I just moved on instead of trying something else.  However, after about a week or so I decided to give Playful Kiss another shot.  The second episode wasn’t as bad and the third was alright, and so on and so forth.  But, I just never really felt invested in the story or involved in the characters like I had with City Hunter and Boys Over Flowers.  I picked this drama because I absolutely loved Kim Hyun Joong in Boys Over Flowers, that was my only reason.  I learned my lesson about watching a drama just for a bias and now I do my research about the story and reviews before devoting my time.

I really liked the idea of the story.  Girl has a huge crush on arrogant boy, a series of unfortunate events has the two families living together, and slowly arrogant boy sees the girl as his soul mate.  A totally sweet and cute idea and I was pretty excited to see it.  However, for me the execution of the story was lacking.  I kept wanting to like it, kept wanting to have it move me, kept wanting more from the show.  It just never got me in the feels.

Throughout the entire shore I saw little growth in the characters themselves, they remained as immature and aloof as they were when the show began.  I wanted to see more development of Oh Ha Ni, there was so much they could have done to show her growing up.  Yet she remained perpetually a child in actions and mentality.  Then Baek Seung Jo never seemed to change, he began as a narcissistic and egotistical character and ended exactly the same.  Once Baek Seung Jo admitted that he loved Oh Ha Ni he was as cold to her as he had been when he hated her.  There was no warmth, no affection, and certainly no chemistry between them.  For me the main couple totally fell short, and left me cool.

Even though the lead couple didn’t really meet my expectations, I loved the secondary couple.  Bong Joon Gu and Chris were absolutely adorable!  The moment she came into the noodle house and stared at Bong Joon Gu with that puppy love gaze I loved them.  There was real emotion there and reaction.  However, the bromance of the fathers Oh Ki Dong and Baek Soo Chang was amazing.  Every time they had a scene together I loved it!  They were just cute together and I wanted to see more of them.  On top of that Oh Ha Ni’s relationship with her father, Oh Ki Dong was lovely.  Their moments almost made up for the lack of feeling between Oh Ha Ni and Baek Seung Jo.

I also really enjoyed the big reveal kiss in the rain.  Even though I didn’t care for the series as much as I wanted to, that kiss is in my top five best kisses.  For that moment, for whatever reason, the leads made me believe that they were in love.  I just wish that passion and fire had carried through to the episodes after the kiss. 

Playful Kiss just dragged for me.  If it were me now as opposed to six months ago I would have stopped watching and just moved on to something else.  However, back then I felt guilty for not sticking with a show from beginning to end.  But with full time work, a husband, and a rambunctious five year old I just don’t have the free time to commit to a show that doesn’t immediately capture my heart.     

For a full synopsis of the story check out this link.

Noona's Rating
Overall: 7 (I rated this 3 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 7
Cast/Actors: 7
OST: 7
Sets/Costumes: 8
Feels: 6

City Hunter

I watched City Hunter immediately after having finished Boys Over Flowers.  Since I was pretty much clueless on K-Dramas and what to watch I only picked City Hunter because it had Lee Min Ho in it.  Also, it was the first suggestion on Hulu after I rated Boys Over Flowers so highly.  It was a lucky happenstance that I watched this next, but I’m pretty sure that I would have gotten to it sooner rather than later anyway.  This is in my top three best/most favorite dramas so far.  I’ve only watched fourteen dramas in the six months since I discovered Korean Dramas, so I’m sure that as I delve further into dramas my top three will change.

As with Boys Over Flowers it is difficult for me to look at City Hunter with an objective eye.  And since this review is just my opinion anyway I’ll just gush over it as much as I want.  I really enjoyed this one.  Prior to K-Drama’s my usual genre of movie/show was action and adventure.  So the fact that this is an action/spy based story line, well I fell in love even more.  The basic story is South Korean Spec. Ops group is sent to North Korea by politicians, once there a deal is struck with the States and the South Korean politicians end the mission and hide any evidence of its existence.  Then they kill off their own people, only one man survives.  He then steals his friend’s baby and raises the child for one purpose, revenge.  When the baby, now a man, returns to Korea he completes the revenge for the man who raised him.

I’m not even sure where to start because I loved everything.  So I suppose I’ll start with Lee Min Ho.  He did an amazing job.  The character grows from a rambunctious teen to a young man with a purpose and he truly did a fantastic job showing that.  Additionally, Lee Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho’s character) is being asked to do some truly despicable things by the man who raised him.  You can really see the pain Yoon Sung feels at disobeying the only man he’s ever known as family.  And that pain only intensifies as Yoon Sung’s past comes to light.  He really pulled me in and I felt his suffering with him.

Kim Na Na is my favorite female lead in any drama so far.  So often when a ‘tough girl’ part is being cast the actress is not right for the part or just way over acts in order to appear strong.  It can ruin a show when the ‘tough girl’ is trying too hard or not believable at all.  Kim Na Na was just perfect.  She was an excellent mix of strong and tough woman with vulnerable and soft.  I truly believed that she could beat the snot out of anyone attempting to harm her charge (the president’s daughter).  Though on the other hand when she’s home alone I believe that she just wants someone to lean on and make her feel safe too.  Park Min Young did such a phenomenal job portraying Kim Na Na.

Sometimes the chemistry between the leads falls short, but not here.  The main leads and their secondary counterparts just had the perfect mix of tension, aggression, attraction, and sensual interplay.  Along with that, the supporting cast was perfect.  I especially enjoyed Ahjussi, he added just the right amount of comic relief to a story that was intense.

Lee Jin Pyo, who went by Steve Lee when he returned to Korea, was the man who stole Yoon Sung and raised him.  Oh I just loved to hate this man.  He was so focused on his revenge and so set in his ways that he didn’t care what it was doing to Yoon Sung.  He was an evil and horrid man who I hated with a passion.  Yet, he’s my favorite villain to date.  I loved him, he was so broken, but had such a strong will that he didn’t let his broken heart stop him.  And then at the end he redeems himself and I loved him even more.

Additionally I really loved Yoon Sung’s City Hunter look.  The face mask and the clothing he wore.  It was simple and easily obtained which makes it realistic in the sense that anyone could have those items.  He wasn’t wearing anything that was cumbersome or tacky just for the look.  It was clean and simple and functional.  Also, for me this is my favorite look of Lee Min Ho’s.

The only criticisms that I have are minor and really just a few nit-picking items.  Yoon Sung is supposed to be a genius and the Blue House is very pleased to have him there.  However, he just comes and goes whenever he wants without a word or a reason.  I would assume that the Blue House is tightly guarded, scrutinized, and watched.  It seemed a little improbable that he would have such free reign to do some of the things he did while there.  Additionally, speaking of improbable.  Being raised on a drug farm and then somehow managing to enter the US with valid identification to fabricate a past and go to school.  I understand that with most action flicks you need to suspend your disbelief, but this just seemed like to much.  Though I’m not sure what they could have done to make it a little more believable.

The last thing that I could possibly say as a negative was the fact that it felt like the characters were written to be particularly slow in figuring out who the City Hunter was.  Yoon Sung didn’t exactly cover up his actions very well.  I thought it would have been much better had they discovered his identity sooner and we could see the struggle they had in deciding what to do with the information.  They had the epiphany too late in the series for my tastes.

However, eve with those few small things this is definitely in my top three best dramas of all times.  I would absolutely recommend it to anyone and will most definitely watch it again. 

For a full synopsis of the story check out this link.

Noona's Rating
Overall: 9 (I rated this 5 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 9
Cast/Actors: 9
OST: 9
Sets/Costumes: 9
Feels: 9

What's Up Fox

I picked this drama because I saw it in a blog article on dramabeans about Noona Romances.  Being a Noona myself I love this story trope.  There’s something about the younger man doggedly perusing the older woman that just pulls me in.  There aren’t as many Noon Romances as I’d like and sometimes it is the secondary story.  So if you have some suggestions I’d really appreciate it.

There were several things about What’s Up Fox that I really loved and a few that fell short for me.  First, some more mature themes were mainstays throughout the drama.  The main character, Go Byung Hee, is a reporter for an adult man’s magazine and writes erotic stories along side actual reports relevant to the male readers.  The daydream scenes of her stories were hilarious.  Because sensuality was such a main theme in the story it dealt with sex in a much more straightforward way than is typical in a Korean drama.  It was refreshing.

The humorous moments were well placed throughout the show.  It was funny without being over the top, and added in just when it was getting too serious.  Being a Rom-Com, that’s part of the formula anyway, but I found myself enjoying the series more because of it.  Additionally, there were very few instances that I felt the story progressed too slowly.  The whole show moved along at a steady pace, never really very fast, but moving things along at a rate that I wasn’t bored with it.

The main couple was great together.  Park Chul Soo took a little bit of time to admit his feelings, even after the big whoops of the first episode, but once he committed he was dedicated to wooing her.  Just the way he looked at her was adorable, puppy love all the way.  Chul Soo did his best to prove to Byung Hee that he was really in love with her, but she fought against the idea valiantly.  It was great to watch her evolution, starting out seeing him as nothing more than a little brother to denial that she was attracted to him, and finally to accepting what her heart had been trying to tell her all along.  Their chemistry was just right, the perfect amount of tension and playful banter.

Doctor Bae Hee Myung just never really felt all the strong to me.  I understand that the character was written to be pretty low key and accepting, but as a part of a love triangle he just fell short.  Doctor Bae never fought for Byung Hee, he never made an attempt to really tell her that he loved her.  And on that note, he admitted that he didn’t feel love or want to feel love.  He just wanted someone to live with, something comfortable and warm.  Not the kind of talk that sweeps a girl off her feet.  As far as a second male lead goes he just didn’t really make me pull for him.  Perhaps I’m comparing Doctor Bae to other second male leads and that’s why he just seems lacking.  But to me the other guy in the love triangle should be like Ji Hoo (Boys Over Flowers) or Kang Shin Woo (You’re Beautiful).

The side story of Go Jun Hee and Park Byung Gak was so much fun.  They were just as strong as the main couple, for me anyway.  Their love-hate relationship was hilarious.  They were just as horrible to one another and then would turn around and be wonderfully sweet.  As they grew closer and closer to one another I just couldn’t help but root for them even though they were seventeen years apart in age.  It was just such a sweet love that formed between them.

As we all know I’m a sucker for a happy ending and What’s Up Fox had a satisfyingly happy ending.  The stories were wrapped up well and the things I’d been hoping for through the whole show came to pass.  I got the warm-fuzzies, and really that’s what I love at the end of the day.  The ending didn’t have as much punch or fireworks as I wanted, and was just a little rushed I think.  But even though they didn’t show as much sensuality and love as I wanted they left it open enough I could imagine.  All in all this was a good time.    

For a full synopsis of the story check out this link.

Noona's Rating
Overall: 7.6 (I rated this 4 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 8
Cast/Actors: 8
OST: 6
Sets/Costumes: 8
Feels: 8

Why K-Dramas?

Since becoming immersed in the world of Korean and Taiwanese (I have yet to watch a Japanese drama though I have a few on my list that I do want to watch) dramas my friends and family have often asked me a simple question, why?  No matter how many times I try and explain I just can’t seem to get them to understand.  I also can’t seem to get them to try and watch them with me.  Oh but if they would only give them a chance!  Because I get asked why so often I thought I’d try my hand at putting down my thoughts and defining the reasons for my addiction.  Not an easy task and it has become harder than I anticipated.  A great deal of my reasons have to do with feels and that doesn’t translate so well to the non-fan.  Anyway, I’m going to do my best to put some of my feels down on paper (or down in cyber-space).

I still watch American TV(only about 4 shows) and I watch a lot of British TV (dying for the new Sherlock episodes!), but they’ve lost my interest in a big way.  I don’t have that overwhelming need to see the next episode.  The cliffhangers seem less emotionally traumatizing.  I can guess the plot of the episode within a few minutes (Doctor Who and Sherlock don’t qualify for this one).  I don’t get invested in the characters, even for shows that run for a long time and build up the stories and histories.  I just can’t seem to invest in these characters like I used to.  In essence I just don’t have much interest in Western TV. 

So what is it about Korean Dramas or Taiwanese Dramas?  Prior to six months ago I would have looked at anyone talking about Eastern Dramas with a blank expression, not getting it at all.  Now, I look at people who have never watched a Korean or Taiwanese Drama with that same look.  I’m not really certain I can adequately explain my obsession and why it exists, but I’m going to give it a try.

These are in no particular order.

I love the actors, from the main casts to the supporting casts and even the extras.  Compared to Western TV, at least in my eyes, the actors look more like real people to me.  Less make up, less perfectly crafted hair styles, less plastic like bodies/faces.  They just look and feel real.  I’m not sure how their acting training is approached, but the people feel more natural to me.  Granted I don’t speak the language and there are only so many subtleties that can be picked up through subtitles and body language.  But regardless I feel like the acting just flows better, as if I really have become a fly on the wall for people a few thousand miles away.

Perhaps a large part of my addiction stems from my fascination for Asian Cultures.  These dramas give some valid insights into the cultures of Korea and Taiwan.   Logically I know some of the social rules have been exaggerated, we do that in American and British TV too, but I love seeing how society functions there.  It fascinates me that asking a persons age is polite and expected so that you can address them in the correct manner.  I love that there are formal ways to interact to show respect and honor and also a familial language.  There are so many ways to bow, so many reasons to bow, and certain lengths of time for certain situations.  I could really go on and on within this section, but I think you get the idea.

I have a five year old son and there are just too many things that are ok to show on regular TV in American and British shows that I do not want my son to see.  Which means that most shows that I might have an interest in must be watched once my son is in bed.  I work full time (sometimes more as I’m salaried) and I work a later shift in the day.  This doesn’t leave a lot of time before bed to watch these shows.  But with Korean and Taiwanese dramas I can watch most of them with my son and never have to worry that he’ll be exposed to something inappropriate.  And, as an added bonus, he’s started to pick up on words and asks what they mean.  Which, come on, that is super cool.

There is so much focus on the flash factor, effects, gross out factor, and various other visual things that a lot of story is ignore or lost in Western TV.  There are of course gems out there that defy this; however, I think that Korean and Taiwanese TV dominates the story and character development market.  There is a definite path, a predetermined number of episodes, a known ending…  All of this helps to sharpen the focus on the story and the people of the story which lets them forget the over the top visual effects that don’t really add anything at all.  Each episode (usually an hour) delves deeper and deeper into the relationships of the characters.  Be it a sixteen episode run or fifty, you can actually see the characters grow and evolve and mature in front of your eyes.  This might be the most important thing for me.  I really love the focus on people and relationships.

So far I’ve only watched a tiny number of dramas, but I am addicted to the plot twists.  Some of them are so outrageous and ridiculous you know it would never happen in real life.  Others are so down to earth and grounded that it sends chills down your spine, because it could happen to anyone.  I never know what is going to happen.  I’m not certain how the characters are going to deal with the issues thrust upon them.  I’ve no idea how they are going to handle the obstacles they encounter.  And each issue or situation or obstacle pushes the characters to grow and evolve and change.  It is a journey that I love to be involved with.

Lastly, I wanted to mention the Variety Shows.  I do not watch American or British variety TV.  It has just never captured my attention.  However, Korean Variety TV tosses their hottest stars into crazy games/places and films it.  Oh boy what a concept!  I love seeing them as people, just regular folks having to deal with silly and physically challenging situations.  I think I’ve watched more Running Man than actual dramas combined.  I laugh like an idiot with each episode and leave it feeling good.

I know there are so many reasons that I’ve missed.  Arguments to make in favor of Korean and Taiwanese dramas that I should make.  The feels and reasons I love these dramas are endless.  But I think for a first attempt at putting my feels into words I’ve done a decent job.      

Boys Over Flowers

I got the urge to re-watch this drama recently.  The feels will never change, I loved this drama when I watched it.  It caused my addiction and I will always have fond and sweet and warm memories of those hours I spent getting to know this show.  However, when I re-watched it after having not seen it for seven months... It did not live up to the memories I had.  I won't change this review, because it was written like my other reviews after only one complete watch through.  However, I am updating my rating numbers, because sadly it didn't live up to the pristine memory I had created.

Oh boy... this is the first drama that I ever watched, the one which started it all.  It will always hold a special place in my heart, on a high-high pedestal, perfect in every way, the drama to which no other drama could ever compare.  Well... it is really hard to think another drama might take its place in my heart.  However, as I've watched more and more dramas I've found this level of love for other dramas for a whole plethora of reasons.   But no matter how many dramas I watch I highly doubt that the special and honored place that Boys Over Flowers has in my heart will change.

In my opinion this drama is an excellent choice to introduce the non-K Drama-believer to the world of K-Dramas.  For me it made me hungry to know more about the culture of Korea, the language, and the story concepts used to tell this tale.  Because of this drama I was introduced to some very basic concepts of the K-Drama scene.  Chaebol, Eomeoni, OTP, OST, STP, Flowerboy, Sunbae, Wae/Wae-yo, Ya!, Second Male Lead Syndrome, and Oppa.  As I watch more and more dramas I gather more and more terms and words to my knowledge base.  I’m sure there are other really phenomenal choices for a person’s first drama, but I’m biased and really believe Boys Over Flowers is in the top three best choices to bring people into the fold.

I won’t summarize the story here, there are so many places and blogs which rehash and retell the store in its entirety.  Instead, my goal is to talk about what I liked and disliked about the story itself.  Hopefully help others to decide if Boys Over Flowers is for them.

Let’s start off by saying if you’re watching a drama for the eye-candy then Boys Over Flowers has it in abundance.  All of the F4 are handsome Flowerboys.  Each fulfilling a different character archetype.  Goo Jun Pyo is the cold hearted Chaebol who torments and tortures others with a smirk.  Yoon Ji Hoo is the tender hearted and warm second male lead with a smile that can melt your heart.  So Yi Jung is the suave Casanova/Plyaboy who can charm the pants off anything.  And Last but certainly not least is Song Woo Bin, the enforcer and smooth talker of the group who will defend his friends no matter what.  Something for everyone that’s for sure.

Geum Jan Di is the poor, working class gal who finds herself wrapped up in the world of the excessively rich.  She is stubborn, cheerful, hard working, and a bright light to her friends.  For me she was amazing to watch.  The story put her through the gamut of emotions and she still remained strong and true to her own morals.  For me that was an amazing journey to witness.

I keep saying what I loved about this show, so I should add a few notes about what I didn’t like.  Geum Jan Di’s family caused me no end of frustrations.  The more I learn about the culture there and the image portrayed in their TV shows I can see where they were coming from.  However, this poor noona just couldn’t get over the fact that they were pretty much trying to sell their daughter to a rich family for their own improvement.  Plus the strained/strange relationship between the parents didn’t sit well with me.  Because Jan Di was so hard working I really wanted to see a family that supported her and was happy at home.  Lastly, it bothered me that the parents left the high school daughter in charge of her middle school brother and left to make money. 

The Eomeoni, Jun Pyo’s mom, yeah I hated her so much.  I understand the role she played and the way she created dramatic intensity in the story, however, she was a bit much.  I wanted to see her part toned down a little, because then it would have been a little bit more believable.

This story introduced me to Second Male Lead Syndrome, I’m sure there are a ton of other names for it.  But what it boils down to is that I loved Ji Hoo so much that by the end of the story my heart was broken and bleeding for him and his unrequited love.  I hated that he didn’t get a happily ever after, it still bothers me to this day.

Other things that I loved about this show was the secondary love story between So Yi Jung and Cha Ga Eul.  It was fun to watch Yi Jung grow as a man and to see Ga Eul slowly fall in love with him.  The friendship that blossomed between Ji Hoo and Jan Di makes my heart all warm and fuzzy (as long as I don’t think about his unhappy ending).  I loved how Goo Jun Hee (Goo Jun Pyo’s older sister) and Min Seo Hyun (Ji Hoo’s first love) protected and supported Jan Di.  I also just loved the story.  Angry, rich, spoiled, brat who slowly becomes a good man through his love for a woman he shouldn’t want.  The acting was superb and writing amazing.  Best of all, for me, it had a mostly happy ending.  There were a few sad things which I wish could have turned out better for the characters I adore, but even with these road bumps the ending was happy and sweet.          

For a full synopsis of the story check out this link.

Noona's Rating                                                               Noona's Rating After Watching a 2nd Time
Overall: 9 (Rated at 5 Stars on DramaFever.com)                                           Overall: 7.4 (rated 3 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 9                                                               Story/Writing: 6
Cast/Actors: 10                                                               Cast/Actors: 9
OST: 9                                                                            OST: 6
Sets/Costumes: 7                                                             Sets/Costumes: 6
Feels: 10                                                                          Feels: 10

Happily Ever After

My first foray into the world of Korean Dramas turned out to have a happy ending.  I was very lucky indeed.  Though I have a feeling from the words of netizens that a great many people’s first K-Drama is Boys Over Flowers.  Regardless, I feel pretty lucky that my first drama had a happy ending (for the most part).  Throughout the entire twenty-five episodes I was uncertain if there would be a happy ending, Jun Pyo and Jan Di kept encountering such immense obstacles that the ending was never definite.  However, the last episode wrapped it up in a sweet bow and I melted away from happiness. 

I am such a sucker for a happy ending.  Always have been.  This love of the feel good closure to a show/movie/book/graphic novel/etc has carried over to dramas.  I’ve experienced enough hardship and tragedy in the real world, I don’t like to end a drama on a note which rips my heart out.  Now, that isn’t to say that I don’t appreciate the twists and turns, ups and downs, and climactic moments within the drama itself which keep you guessing.  Those I absolutely love.  The moments where I am bawling my eyes out and unsure of the fate of the characters are some of my most favorite.  Yet at the end of that emotional rollercoaster I want to be left with a warm glow, a happy ending is a must.

Once I finished Boys Over Flowers I needed more, it was evident even then that I was obsessed and addicted.  Admittedly I chose my next drama because it had Lee Min Ho in it.  After watching him for twenty-five plus hours as Jun Pyo I really wanted to see more of him.  So I immediately started City Hunter, which was a completed different vibe from Boys Over Flowers.  It wasn’t until about halfway through City Hunter that I started to worry that the ending would tear my heart out and stomp on it.  It wasn’t enough to make me stop watching, but I found that as I closed in on the ending of the show I was terribly anxious.  I needed him to succeed and desperately wanted Yoon Sung and Na Na to be together with a happily ever after ending.  By the last episode I was so high strung with insecurity that it was a traumatic experience to finish the show.  It ended and I got my wish.  But boy was I exhausted after that ride.

That terrifying ride didn’t stop me from diving right into another drama.  This time I followed Kim Hyun Joong (Ji Ho from Boys Over Flowers).  I needed something light and fluffy and silly after City Hunter and Playful Kiss seemed exactly perfect.  Now, to say that I dove right in and started the show is a lie.  I took some time to research.  I read review about the show, well to be more exact I literally typed into Google ‘does Playful Kiss have a happy ending’.  Yup, I wasn’t going to commit to a show unless I knew that no matter how insane or crazy the plots twists and obstacles were that I’d get the warm-fuzzies when the show was done.  There were plenty of snippets out there and it was easy to ascertain that Playful Kiss would have a satisfying ending, so at that point I did dive right in… once I was sure I’d survive the ride.

Now before I commit to any drama I spend a few minutes searching the internet for a clue as to what I’m getting myself into.  Some people might say this is cheating or that I’m ruining the ending for myself.  I can’t deny that, I am ruining the ending because I go into the story knowing how it’s going to end up.  For me though I can’t handle the anxiety and chance that I’ll be left with this hollow pain because the characters I’ve fallen in love with end up dead or unhappy.  I watch dramas to escape reality and I want my fantasy to have happiness and rainbows at the conclusion of every tale.     

A Spiraling Obession

I wish that I could pin-point the exact moment that I entered the world of Korean Dramas.  That moment in which I became so obsessed that I stopped watching anything but dramas that were subtitled.  The instance that I fell over the precipice.  I know what show it was which stole my heart and captured my undying attention, but the details of how I discovered the show are a bit fuzzy.  However, despite my inability to recall the exacts of my entrance to this world I am going to try and recount my spiral into obsession.

In the grand scheme of obsessed K-Drama addicts my time here has been relatively short, it has been exactly half a year since I discovered Boys Over Flowers.  I was blissfully watching a TV show on Hulu.com, right now I have no idea what show that was.  However, when it concluded Hulu graciously suggested other shows that were similar to the one I had finished and given four or five stars to.  There were about ten suggested options, all but one were British or American shows.  Then, at the end of the line, there was Boys Over Flowers.  I remember finding the title humorous, the image of the four men intriguing considering the posh and somewhat effeminate clothing they were wearing, and being intrigued because I had no idea what it was.

Now, as I am a firm lover of all things of the Korean Drama world, I wish I could say that I dove head first into Boys Over Flowers with excitement and an open mind.  In truth, I clicked on it to see just how ridiculous the show turned out to be.  I watched the first episode and chuckled at the concept, told myself it was all very silly, and went on with watching some other show which had been in the suggested list.  However, I couldn't get that first episode out of my head.  I kept thinking about how strong Geum Jan Di was, how her exuberance made me wish other female leads had that attitude.  Of course I was drawn to the absolutely gorgeous faces of the F4 group as well.  It wasn't more than three to five days later and I was back on Hulu and watching Boys Over Flowers again.

The moment that I gave in and went back to watch the second episode I was hooked.  I fell in love with the acting, the filming style, the story concepts, the character archetypes... all of it.  I watched seven hours of Boys Over Flowers that day and spent every hour of my work week trying to determine when I could fit in time to watch the rest of the episodes.  Once I completed all twenty-five shows I wanted more... no that isn't actually true I needed more.  I was three-hundred percent addicted and there was no going back.  Truthfully I didn't want to go back, I was in love.

Since then I have spent every free moment I can watching dramas from Korea and Taiwan.  I have found blogs about others who share my love of these dramas, I have subscribed to Dramafever.com so I can watch my dramas without the interruption of commercials... I think about the drama I am currently watching all the time and debate which drama will fill my need next.  Obsessed... absolutely obsessed and loving every moment of it.