The Best Korean Dramas of 2013

Annyeong! It has been a hot minute since I've posted last, but here I am sharing my year's Korean drama-watching work. This year there was a good assortment of dramas to suit viewers' varying taste buds. This year also featured some of the most hyped Kdramas ever (Gu Family Book and The Heirs). Even though I found some great dramas to watch in 2013, not every drama was watchable. So, look forward to my "The Worst Korean Dramas of 2013" list in a few days. But, let's get back to positivity and celebration for now. Here's to an even better year for dramas in 2014!

5. That Winter, the Wind Blows

Jo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo

That Winter, the Wind Blows was the first, what I consider, "blockbuster" drama of the year. It features Jo In Sung, Song Hye Kyo, Jung Eun Ji, and Kim Bum. The music was divine (download the OST here), the aesthetic was soft and breathtaking, and this drama, while not the best of the year, was never dull. Read my full review here.

4. Good Doctor

Joo Won and Moon Chae Won

Good Doctor fills the void of feel good medical drama better than any I've seen before. The chemistry between Joo Won and Moon Chae Won made the fact that Park Shi Won (Joo Won) was autistic seem like just another obstacle that any couple faces. I am pretty sure that I cried at least once during each of the 20 episodes of this sweet drama.

3. The Heirs

Lee Min Ho as Kim Tan and Park Shin Hye as Cha Eun Sung

When I first started watching The Heirs/ The Inheritors, I was in disbelief. I had a hard time accepting that Lee Min Ho was still playing a high school kid (he's 26 now!). I was also put off by the strange scenes that they filmed in California. I decided to let my skepticism go, though, and allow the story to wash over me. This drama is a blatant combination of all things that viewers want to see, rich kids, love triangles, birth secrets, Cinderella story, coming-of-age, I could go on for pages. What I think makes this drama great, though, is that the actors managed to shine through the achingly cliche plot lines and dialogue to show us genuine feeling and the pain that comes with transitioning from childhood to adulthood no matter how rich or poor you are. Also, the sheer volume of popular Korean actors is enough to make my list, The Heirs had Lee Min Ho, Park Shin Hye, Kim Woo Bin, Kang Min Hyuk, Krystal Jung, Choi Jin Hyuk, Lim Ju Eun, Kim Ji Won, and Kang Ha Neul... MIND BLOWN.

2. Heartless City

Jung Kyung Ho and Nam Gyu Ri

Heartless City/ Cruel City was the drama that I looked forward to watching the most every week while it aired. It was the most exciting and sexiest drama of the year, in my opinion. It wasn't, though, an epic romance drama. There was a strong connection between the two leads Jung Kyung Ho and Nam Gyu Ri, but it seemed more like a plot-driving relationship than an a heart-wrenching love like the one from my number 1 drama of the year. Read my full review of Heartless City here.

1. Secret

Hwang Jung Eum and Ji Sung

Ahhh yes, Secret Love, what year of drama isn't complete without a high-intensity melodrama? My year certainly wouldn't have felt complete without Secret. Hwang Jung Eum pulled off her best performance yet as the wronged Kang Yoo Jung who lost years of her life in prison, her son, and her bright-eyed optimism. Yet, she was able to love again and make the best decision for herself and her child. I just loved this drama and it's fast moving action and romance.

What were your favorites?

That Winter, the Wind Blows Final Episode 16

Zo In Sung (Jo In Sung) as Oh Soo

***************SPOILERS*****************

Before I really delve into this drama, I want to get my two main critiques out of the way. First, I think 16 episodes was not long enough for this particular story to unfold. I don't think that Oh Soo and Oh Young shared enough sweet, intimate moments or enough painful moments for us viewers to really build a strong emotional attachment to them as a couple. If this drama had 20 episodes, I think we could have also seen more of Jin Sung (Kim Bum) and Hee Sun's (Jung Eun Ji) characters and their cute romance. Kim Bum and Eun Ji are two popular actors who are building quite a large fan base, but neither of them had more than a few minutes of screen time per episode. As for my second critique, I wish That Winter, the Wind Blows would have kept the same feeling of the first 3 episodes throughout the entire show. Those first scenes were  pretty but had a dark, twisted side lurking beneath the softness that the show's aesthetic displayed. To me the later episodes relied heavily on the typical Korean drama tropes like the sick person in love, the evil mother (or mother-like figure), the self-sacrificing bad guy, and the jump through time in the last episode in order to sort things out without really explaining anything, and it lost the magic I felt during the first week it aired.

Song Hye Kyo as Oh Young

Now let's discuss the final episode. It began in a rather gruesome fashion. Oh Young was bleeding in a bathtub after just having cut her wrists, and Moo Chul (Kim Tae Woo) was stabbed by a thug and proceeded to violently break the thugs shoulder and arm. Of these two bloody scenes only one is fatal, and I am sad to report that Moo Chul died. Even though he was a bit of a douche, I liked him. He was busy protecting everyone without taking any credit for it. Again, his character could have seen a lot more development had there been 20 episodes in this series. But, the important thing about the first part of this episode, I suppose, is that Oh Young survived that bloody night, and, happily her surgery a few days later.

Of course she forgave Oh Soo for lying to her about being her brother. He was the first person who came into her life and really had fun with her and made her feel loved and happy. Even though Secretay Wang (Bae Jong Ok) had taken care of Young for most of their lives, Young didn't trust her because of the deceptions she carried out surrounding her sight. I had trouble believing the resolution of Secretary Wang returning to Young because I'm not sure how Young found the strength to forgive her, and I felt the plot line involving her, Myung Ho, and the company was left unresolved.

Kim Bum as Jin Sung and Jung Eun Ji as Hee Sun

The ending that came about in the final 10 minutes of the series was a happy one for most characters. After stabbing Oh Soo to save his family, Jin Sung moves to the country with Hee Sun to live the simple life away from the city and gambling. We see this after the show jumps about a year into the future. At this point Oh Young has survived surgery and can see. Her vision isn't perfect, but it looks like a soft filter from Instagram so she seems to be pretty satisfied with it. And after a fake-out conversation between Jin Sung and Hee Sun that makes it sound like Oh Soo is dead, it is revealed that he is serving tea near Oh Young. At first I had a horrible thought, "Oh no. He better not have lost his memory." Thank god they didn't use that trick again because Oh Soo and Young needed another hot kiss to end the drama. On that note, another positive thing to add about That Winter, the Wind Blows on top of my many critiques is that Zo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo shared some soft, sexy kisses in the final episode, redeeming them from the forced kiss that happened a few episodes earlier.

Soo and Young, fighting!

Don't forget to download the beautiful and addictive That Winter, the Wind Blows OST just click here!

Watch That Winter, the Wind Blows with English subtitles DramaFever.com

That Winter, the Wind Blows OST

NEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For the full OST Please see my new post The Winter, the Wind Blows FULL OST

Zo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo

A big part of what makes That Winter, the Wind Blows enjoyable is the music and how well it is placed throughout the drama. This is impressive considering that the OST is comprised of only 5 songs. The most important songs being "Winter Love (겨울 사랑)" performed by The One (더 원) and "And One (그리고 하나)" by Taeyeon of SNSD (태연 of 소녀시대). Each of the 5 songs that make up the OST are slow, sad, and beautiful, but "Winter Love" and "And One" are special to me. Just like any song from a good OST, they bring back memories of especially emotional scenes from the drama. Below I have compiled some links to download each of the songs. I personally downloaded the songs from those links so they work as of when I am posting this. Stay tuned for my blog post about this drama after the final episode airs in just a few weeks! NEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For the full OST Please see my new post The Winter, the Wind Blows FULL OST

Click here to download: Gray Paper by Ye Sung

Click here to download: Winter Love by The One

Click here to download: Snow Flower by Gummy

Click here to download: Tears Fallin' by Kim Boa of SPICA

Click here to download:  And One by Taeyeon

NEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For the full OST Please see my new post The Winter, the Wind Blows FULL OST

Watch That Winter, the Wind Blows with English subtitles DramaFever.com