30 Day Kdrama Challenge: Day 13

Day 13: Your Favorite "I love you"

My favorite "I love you" happened in Rooftop Prince when Park Ha texted "I love you" to Lee Gak by mistake. She proceeded to try to bury his phone in the ground so he wouldn't see it. He did, of course, end up seeing it, and then things began to shift in his mind.... OK STOP. I'm getting sad just thinking about it. This drama is just so amazing in every way. If haven't already, you can watch Rooftop Prince free and subtitled on DramaFever

The Best Korean Drama of 2012: Revisiting Rooftop Prince

Park Yoo Chun as Lee Gak and Han Ji Min as Park Ha

I originally watched Rooftop Prince while it was airing March 21st through May 24th of last year. Each week I was freaking out while I had to wait for new episodes because I loved it so much. I recall watching the last 5 episodes or so and crying the whole time. As I was watching it, I had already planned on watching it again all together down the road. Sure enough, I was stricken with the unavoidable desire to watch  Rooftop Prince last week, and I am very glad that I did.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

I have watched My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Coffee Prince, and Personal Taste all twice each, so I already knew going into it that I can enjoy a drama when I watch it more than once. I didn't expect I would such an intense reaction like I did to watching Rooftop Prince again, though. One would assume that knowing everything that happens and how it will end before hand may ruin the suspense, but I gained a whole new perspective on the drama this time around. Since I already knew that Prince Lee Gak (Park Yoo Chun) and Park Ha (Han Ji Min) were going to end up loving each other, I started getting emotional from episode one. As soon as I saw the dead corpse floating in the water and I knew it was Boo Yong, I started to feel sad. The drama takes on a whole new meaning when watched from the perspective of knowledge as opposed to ignorance of the plot.

When I started to think about the fact that Lee Gak went back to Joseon where Boo Yong was dead, the princess and her family had tried to kill him, and he wouldn't be able to live with Park Ha, I felt my heart breaking. I think that watching it for a second time also shed light on the significance of the final scene of the show. The scene, which flashes from Yoo Chun as Yong Tae Yong (Lee Gak's reincarnation) with Park Ha to Tae Yong in Joseon garb appearing as Lee Gak, was very confusing but beautiful to me the first time I saw it. Now that I have watched the entire drama twice, I think I have a better idea of what that scene means. Lee Gak/Tae Yong loves Boo Yong/Park Ha and vice versa. It is a very simple answer, but I was thinking of it too literally the first time around and trying to figure out if Lee Gak had come back from Joseon to be with Park Ha. What I believe now, though, is that just as Boo Yong had loved Lee Gak 300 years before and then again as her reincarnation, Park Ha in present time, Tae Yong fell in love with Park Ha via their souls' eternal connection. I really love this story because I can imagine them being reincarnated to infinity and still finding each other.

Choi Woo Sik, Lee Min Ho, and Jung Suk Won

Of course, I cannot fail to mention the prince's posse. Lee Min Ho (1993) as Song Man Bo, Choi Woo Sik as Do Chi San, and Jung Suk Won as Woo Yong Seul are perfect. During my initial viewing I hadn't noticed how quickly they picked up on the ways of the contemporary world. It amuses me that these Joseon men could learn to master smart phones in such a short period of time, but many people who have lived in this time period all of their lives can't figure them out. I understand that these characters are not real, but the portrayal of them becoming technology whizzes was hilarious to me when I relate it to the stupid people I deal while working in tech support.

In essence Rooftop Prince is one of those rare shows/movies that I could watch over and over again without getting tired of it and also pick up new things each time. I am already planning to watch it again in another 8 or 9 months. So, to those who loved Rooftop Prince the first time around, I suggest you watch it another time and experience the ecstasy all over again. Watch it on DramaFever.com.

The Best Kdramas of 2012 (preliminary)

So, the year 2012 is nearly over, and it is time to look back and begin to make judgement. I started watching Korean Dramas early on this year, therefore, I am new to the game. I have made my best efforts to catch up on the classics, but there is so much to watch and only so many hours in the day. What I am going to do now is make a rough guess at what will be my favorite dramas from 2012. Obviously I didn't watch every single drama that aired this year, so my judgement must be taken with a grain of salt. It is fun to make lists, though, so I will lay down the best Korean Dramas of 2012 here. Please weigh in with your favorites in the comments section.


1. Rooftop Prince

I genuinely love this drama. Mickey Yoo Chun and Han Ji Min make a beautiful couple. I find it to be a hilarious comedy and an emotional romance all rolled in to one. I am a sucker for the ever-funny scenes that take place when a person from the past is thrust into the modern world and bombarded with the substantial advancements of technology since their time. I think Rooftop Prince is by far the best of the time travel dramas that I have seen (Faith, Queen In Hyun's Man, and 3 episodes of Time Slip Dr. Jin).

Mickey Yoo Chun and Han Ji Mia

Watch Rooftop Prince with English subs http://www.dramafever.com/drama/4101/1/Rooftop_Prince/

2. The Innocent Man (Nice Guy)

The Innocent Man (Nice Guy) become a big part of my life for a while (as sad as that sounds). I originally had planned to watch it when it completed airing, but I started this blog on October 20th and decided I need to write about this show because it is daebak. I watched the first 14 episodes over the course of 2 or 3 days (it's all a blur now) and began my screen cap/ blog writing fury. Now that it is over, I feel an emptiness. I am not loyal enough to say that I won't be able to fill the emptiness left by The Innocent Man (Nice Guy), but it might take some time to be replaced in my heart. Song Joong Ki is amazing as Kang Ma Roo because he has an angelic baby face, but does some very bad ass things in the show. Also, I fell in love with Moon Chae Won while watching this drama. She is gorgeous, and I love when she gets to act strong-willed and ferocious.

Moon Chae Won and Seo Eun Gi

Watch The Innocent Man (Nice Guy) with English subs http://www.viki.com/channels/7995-nice-guy

3. Arang and the Magistrate

Arang and the Magistrate is one of the first dramas I wrote about. Watching Korean Dramas to write about them is a very different experience than just watching them, I believe. While I am much more efficient with my time when I watch a drama without worrying about what to write about it, I feel that I get a better insight into the drama when I stop and think about it. With Arang, I was able draw out many beautiful ideas and lessons from this drama during my writing process. It really makes me think about the power of desire and will and how considering other people can be the most rewarding way to live.

Shin Min Ah and Lee Jun Ki

Watch Arang and the Magistrate with English subs http://www.dramafever.com/drama/4133/1/Arang_and_the_Magistrate/


4. Queen In Hyun's Man

Queen In Hyun's Man is one of the best love stories I have seen in a Korean drama. Maybe not everyone will agree with me on that, but that's okay. I think that the love between Kim Bong Do (Ji Hyun Woo) and Choi Hee Jin (Yoo In Na) is pure and sweet. Unlike some Kdramas where the main couple starts off with
a relationship of hate and hostility, they were never tarnished by that dirty feeling of "are these people masochists or what?" that I get from some couples. As a time travel drama, it is almost (but not quite) as amazing as Rooftop Prince. I don't really like to compare these two dramas too much, though, because I think that they each have their own individual spirits. Queen In Hyun's Man is a must-see drama for any Korean drama lover.

Yoo In Na and Ji Hyun Woo making out!

Watch Queen In Hyun's Man with English subs http://www.hulu.com/queen-and-i

5. Reply 1997

Reply 1997 (Answer Me 1997) is a treat. Sung Shi Won (Jung Eun Ji) is such a spunky, relatable female character that it is impossible (for people with warm blood) not to love her. She lives in the world of super fandom and worships her kpop idol with an extreme (almost dangerous) passion. This drama features an array of interesting and well-developed characters that interact flawlessly with each other in their realistic environment spanning from the late 1990's up to present day. The ending has a sweet twist that is both funny, and romantic (clearly, I love that combination), and there is really nothing but joy, youth, and fun (with some tears too) to be had.

Seo In Guk and Jung Eun Ji

Watch Reply 1997 with English subs http://www.viki.com/channels/9462-replay-1997-answer-me-1997

Honorable mentions: I do, I do and The Moon That Embraces the Sun

Right now I am watching Bridal Mask which seems to be another contender for my 2012 list. I am also watching I Miss You and May Queen too. I will try to get a few more Kdramas from 2012 in before the end of the year so that I can come up with a more accurate judgement of the dramas of this year. Please, please, please tell me if there is something great from this year that I should watch.