Song Joong Ki, I Can Wait 2 Years For You

Song Joong Ki as Chul Soo in A Werewolf Boy

Because our beloved Song Joong Ki has left for his mandatory 2-year military service, I decided to write my first profile in my new blog format about him. I have included a resume above with SJK's basic info and his projects (read below for a text version of his projects with links). While he's on a hiatus from making new movies and/or dramas for the next two years, we can all comfort ourselves by watching his previous work. Even if you've already seen everything he's been in, there's no harm in repeat watching, right? Also, you can listen to "Really" and "The Water is Wide" every night before you go to sleep. I strongly recommend his most recent drama Innocent Man if you haven't watched it yet. Of his movies A Werewolf Boy is great if you are looking to cry, and Penny Pinchers is hilarious and sweet. My Friday review this week will be of Penny Pinchers, so look forward to that.

Return to us safely, Joong Ki-yah!

photo source

30 Day Kdrama Challenge: Day 23 Your Favorite Couple

Day 23: Your Favorite Couple

Well, back in February, I wrote a post listing my favorite couples (read it here). My FAVORITE FAVORITE FAVORITE Korean drama couple is Shin Min Ah and Lee Sung Gi as Cha Dae Woong and Mi Ho in My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. Read the post I mentioned above for more of my favorite couples along with demonstrative YouTube videos. Watch these adorable Kdrama couples on DramaFever

30 Day Kdrama Challenge: Day 17

Day 17: A Kdrama you've watched more than once

Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye in Coffee Prince

Yes, I am a repeater, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. When something is AMAZING, why would I only watch it once? I will add, though, that sometimes I get really jealous when I think about people who are watching my favorite Kdramas for the first time. I will never get to have that experience again with those dramas. That strong, emotional, almost crazy reaction to watching a drama the first time and really loving it, I only hope that I can find more dramas in the future that affect me the same.

30 Day KDrama Challenge: Day 8

Day 8: Favorite Line(s) by a Female Lead Character

Moon Chae Won as Seo Eun Gi

Oh god, I'm getting choked up just thinking about this scene. My favorite lines from a female lead character are the ones in Seo Eun Gi's monologue during episode7 of Nice Guy. The scene I'm referring to happens after Eun Gi breaks free from her house imprisonment to confess her love to Ma Ru who was beaten upon Jae Hee's order. In that moment I forgot that I was watching a scripted TV show. I felt as if I was witnessing someone pouring out their heart with complete sincerity. Eun Gi was seeking love so desperately because of the lack of affection from her father that when she found Kang Ma Ru, she let her guard down and become completely vulnerable. What a great scene. Watch Nice Guy (Innocent Man) subtitled and free on DramaFever

The Best Korean (and Taiwanese!) Dramas to Watch When You Want to Cry

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes it feels good to just completely let go and bawl your eyes out.  This is especially true when you're not crying about something horrible happening in your own life, but about something horrible happening to beautiful Asian actors. I have come up with a list of a few dramas to watch when you are looking to cry your eyes out. So get your box of tissue, roll of toilet paper, or whatever you use to blow your nose ready because it's time to start the water works. Note: this list is a work in progress because I am always finding new dramas to cry about so I will update it periodically.

I'm Sorry, I love You
There once was a hot ahjusshi and a sad woman who looked like a little girl. This drama is the epitome of melodramatic Asian entertainment. If you don't cry while watching this, then I don't think you have a heart. Watch it on DramaFever.com

49 Days
This drama is about what happens after death and death's devastating affect on those who remain living. The beautiful lead actors give heart-wrenching performances and the plot of this drama is so unique that it lays the perfect foundation for complete emotional immersion into the world between life and death. Watch it on DramaFever.com

Summer Fever
This is the first Taiwanese drama that I really loved, and it initiated my Tdrama obsession. I describe this drama as a miracle because it appears, on the surface, to be an ordinary story of young summer love, but it becomes a beautiful account of a woman's struggle to live and love. I cried so hard while watching this one night that the next morning my eyelids were so puffy and crusty that they would barely open. I had to use the cold spoon treatment to lessen the swelling. I promise I'm not being dramatic. Also, I listen to the opening and closing themes from this show almost every night. They are amazing songs. Watch it on DramaFever.com.

Nice Guy
This drama ends up on a lot of my lists mainly because it's so great and all-encompassing. The push-and-pull love story between the two leads is emotionally draining, but their shared fate keeps them together and makes for a glorious tearjerker. Watch it on DramaFever.com.

Fated to Love You
This Taiwanese drama begins with an over-the-top story about two people who slept together completely by mistake. I wasn't fully convinced of their love at first, but this show took me by surprise. Episode 12 is so sad it will break your heart. Unfortunately the last half of the drama drags on for way too long, but there are enough good scenes in this drama to make up for the unnecessary ones. Watch it on DramaFever.com

Full House
This is one of those unfortunate tales of two people who are forced together, hate each other when they have a chance to start something, and then love each other when it's extremely inconvenient. Song Hye Kyo and Rain make such a gorgeous couple that it's easy to forgive their naivety in the beginning. I cried a lot while watching this mostly out of sheer frustration and sadness for them. Watch it on DramaFever.com.

How to Watch Innocent Man (Nice Guy) in 2 days

Song Joong Ki as Kang Ma Ru and Moon Chae Won as Seo Eun Gi

Let's start off with the facts: This is the second time that I have watched every episode of Innocent Man (Nice Guy) which is 20 episodes long and each episode lasts 1 hour and 4 minutes. There are 48 hours in 2 days. So, 48 hours minus about 21 hours leaves 27 to work with. Twenty seven hours is plenty of time to do other things, I will demonstrate how!

Here's a break down of my Innocent Man weekend

Saturday

8AM- wake up, go to the bathroom, and watch 2 episodes

10:30AM- eat breakfast

11AM- watch 1 episode

12PM- take a shower, go to the mall and get a haircut, eat KFC

4PM- watch 1 episode

5PM- take the dogs for a walk

5:30PM-10PM watch more episodes

10PM-11PM play Tekken on my brother's WiiU

11PM-5AM watch up to episode 12

Sunday

5AM- sleep

8AM- get rudely awoken by a dog, who has no idea that you've only slept a few hours, and then leave room for the sake of sanity

9AM-11AM- sleep

11AM-3PM- watch

3PM-5PM- take a shower and go to the grocery store

5PM-2AM- with intermittent breaks for sleeping, peeing, etc. watch the remaining 5 episodes while crying over the beautiful Kang Ma Ru and Seo Eun Gi (Chae Ki ship 4 lyfe!)

2AM- go to sleep because you have to wake up for work at 6:30AM

Anyway, this is my way of explaining why I haven't posted much lately too. I have been in the mood to marathon, and writing for my blog gets in the way of that. I definitely got a lot more from watching Innocent Man the second time. I cried harder, that's for sure, and I paid more attention because I wasn't focusing on getting awesome screen caps. I don't know if I will be posting much for now because my watching mode has shifted back to what it was before I started this blog, but I will most certainly shift back at some point. So, thanks for reading my blog if you do. 잘 자... good night!

Have your own Innocent Man marathon on DramaFever.com

That Winter, the Wind Blows Episode 1-3

Zo In Sung as Oh Soo and Song Hye Kyo as Oh Young

I am completely hooked on That Winter, the Wind Blows. It has everything that I value in a Korean drama: hot Korean guys, layered plot lines, a romantic coupling that seems impossible at first, crazy rich people, and a very dramatic OST. So far, I am feeling a strong connection between this drama and last fall's Nice Guy (Innocent Man). The first similarity that stood out to me right away is the music. The opening theme music which is used often throughout Nice Guy is almost identical to the music that plays during dramatic moments in That Winter. Other similarities I noticed: the fragile yet strong leading lady, Oh Soo is a man doing bad things because he was wronged by a woman (his mother who abandoned him and ex-girlfriend who sent him to prison) like Kang Ma Roo (Jae Hee, the girl he loved, caused him to spend years in jail), and the muted but vibrant coloring. Maybe I am stretching to compare the two, but that's what I've noticed so far.

Zo In Sung and Song Hye Kyo

In the first 3 episodes that have aired so far Oh Soo was falsely accused of embezzling millions of dollars by a psychotic girlfriend (played by the queen of crazy-eyed girls Seo Hyo Rim), spends a year in prison, is stabbed and beaten over the money, and takes on the identity of his recently-dead friend of the same name. By a twist of fate, his dead friend is Oh Young's long-lost oppa which leaves him an opening to get the money he needs to stay alive. Oh Young is the blind daughter of a dead billionaire. So, from that summary it is easy to see how complicated the relationship between Oh Soo and Oh Young will become.

Song Hye Kyo is so perfect at portraying the beautiful sad girl (see Autumn in My Heart and Full House) that I feel like the role of Oh Young was written for her. Whereas Moon Chae Won as Seo Eun Gi in Nice Guy had a bitchy bite to her that made her soft-hearted love for Ma Roo slightly hard to believe at times, the sadness in Hye Kyo's eyes makes it seem like the lonely Young will be open to trusting her fake oppa.

Zo In Sung, on the other hand, makes up for the bitchy bite that Hye Kyo is lacking. Though I love Song Joong Ki as Ma Roo, his extreme self-sacrificing pissed me off sometimes. The whole reason Ma Roo got himself into the intial mess of being accused of murder was because he took the fall for Jae Hee. I don't see that personality trait in Oh Soo at all. He appears to be much less of a "nice guy" than Ma Roo, and his aim to entangle himself in Oh Young's family problems is not for revenge, but because he needs the money to save himself. It's too early to predict how he will evolve throughout the course of the story, but I hope that he doesn't become unbelievably selfless for Oh Young's sake. Loving her is one thing, but taking it the extreme kills the sincerity.

Jung Eun Ji as Moon Hee Sun

Kim Bum as Park Jin Sung

The lighter side of That Winter is brought to you by Jung Eun Ji (Reply 1997) and Kim Bum (Boys Over Flowers). They act as Oh Soo's side-kicks that are aware of his true identity. Kim Bum is adorable and silly and he looks like a cute little elf when standing next to the over-six-feet-tall Zo In Sung. Eun Ji portrays a spunky florist who has been keeping tabs on Oh Soo ever since he dumped her older sister who subsequently died in a motorcycle accident. At this point in the drama they are helping Oh Soo in pretending to be the deceased Oh Soo. I doubt they will contribute much to the overall plot, but only time will tell.

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

The Best Korean Dramas of 2012

Wow, I can't believe it's 2013. I've been watching Korean Dramas for nearly a year now, but I feel like I have only begun to scratch the surface of this crazy Kdrama world. I tried to watch as many of the Kdramas that aired in 2012 as I could. See my "2012 Korean Dramas" post for information about the dramas that I watched. Now, I will list the best dramas that I watched from this year. This is similar to my "The Best Kdramas of 2012 (preliminary)" list, but I did make a few adjustments


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).

Park Yoo Chun and Han Ji Min

Watch Rooftop Prince with English subs DramaFever.com

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.

Song Joong Ki and Moon Chae Won

Watch The Innocent Man (Nice Guy) with English subs DramaFever.com


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.

Lee Jun Ki and Shin Min Ah

Watch Arang and the Magistrate with English subs DramaFever.com


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.

Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na

Watch Queen In Hyun's Man with English subs DramaFever.com

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 DramaFever.com

6. The King of Dramas

The King of Dramas is not finished airing yet, but it is a great show and I wanted to it to my list. I was skeptical about watching it at first because he premise sounded boring and cliche to me, but I was very wrong in that assumption. This drama is exciting, hilarious, and has a subtle, sweet romantic side to it. There are only a few episodes left, and, as we all know, the ending could ruin the show (i.e. Big). I am adding this drama to the list, though, for the episodes of it that aired during 2012, and hopefully the final episodes will prove to be just as awesome.

Kim Myung Min and Jung Ryu Won

Watch The King of Dramas with English subtitles Viki.com

What were your favorite dramas of 2012?

2012 Korean Dramas

Happy New Year! It's 2013 now so get ready for a 2012 Kdrama bonanza! I tried to watch quite a few Korean dramas that aired this year, so I hope I have amassed enough information to be helpful to the netizens. I am going to list the 2012 dramas that I watched in chronological order by start of airing date. I will be listing the drama's title, air date, number of episodes, prominent cast members, my own special Korean Drama genres, a description of the drama using a few key words, and whether I think people should watch it or not.

The Moon Embracing the Sun

Air Dates: January 4th - March 15

Episodes: 20

Cast: Kim Soo Hyun, Jung Il Woo

Genres: historical, romance, supernatural, memory loss

Key Words: magical, romantic, epic

Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

Wild Romace

Air Dates: January 4th - February 23rd

Episodes: 16

Cast: Lee Dong Wook, Lee Si Young, Jessica

Genres: romantic comedy, sports

Key Words: cute, funny

Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

Notes: I tie this drama with Arang and the Magistrate for best ending. This drama ended perfectly.

Shut Up Flower Boy Band

Air Dates: January 30th - March 20th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Sung Joon, Kim Myung Soo, Lee Hyun Jae

Genres: music, high school, romantic comedy, friendship

Key Words: fun, cool, fresh

Watch it? Yes
DramaFever.com

Kpop The Ultimate Audition

March 19th - May 1st

Episodes: 14

Cast: Park Yoo Hwan, Go Eun Ah

Genres: music, romantic comedy, girl pretending to be a boy

Key Words: fun, silly, sweet

Watch it? Yes

Notes: The ending was shortened, but it's still a good drama. Plus, Yoo Chun's brother Yoo Hwan is cute!
Watch it on Hulu

Rooftop Prince

Air Dates: March 21st - May 24th

Episodes: 20

Cast: Park Yoo Chun, Han Ji Min

Genres: time travel, supernatural, romantic comedy

Key Words: funny, romantic, awesome

Watch it? ABSOLUTELY

Notes: My favorite drama of 2012
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

King 2 Hearts

Air Dates: March 21st - May 24th

Episodes: 20

Cast: Lee Seung Gi, Han Ji Won

Genres: romance, political

Key Words: epic, dark

Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles
DramaFever.com

Love Rain

Air Dates: March 26th - May 29th

Episodes: 20

Cast: Jang Geun Suk, Yoona

Genres: melodrama, romantic comedy, melodrama again

Key Words: slow, colorful

Watch it? No

Notes: Geun Suk and Yoona look great together, but this drama is slow-moving and often depressing for no good reason.
with English subtitles
DramaFever.com

Queen In Hyun's Man

Air Dates: April 18th - June 7th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Ji Hyun Woo, Yoo In Na

Genres: time travel, romantic comedy

Key Words: funny, lovable

Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

A Gentleman's Dignity
Airing Dates: May 26th - August 12th
Episodes: 20
Cast: Jang Dong Gun, Kim Ha Neul
Genres: romantic comedy, friendship
Key Words: funny, endearing
Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

I Love Lee Tae Ri

Air Dates: May 28th - July 17th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Kim Ki Bum, Park Ye Jin, JUB

Genres: body swapping, romantic comedy

Key Words: weird, sweet, fun

Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles Viki.com

I Do, I Do

Air Dates: May 30th - July 19th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Kim Sun Ah, Lee Jang Woo

Genres: romantic comedy, fashion

Key Words: playful, colorful, fresh

Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

Notes: You'll love this drama, trust me.

Bridal Mask

Air Dates: May 30th - September 6th

Episodes: 28

Cast: Joo Won, Park Ki Woong

Genres: historical, political, action, romance

Key Words: epic, bloody, dark

Watch it? Yes

with English subtitles Bridal Mask

Notes: This drama is long and boring at times, but worth the effort.

Big

Air Dates: June 4th - July 24th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Gong Yoo, Lee Min Jung, Suzy

Genres: body swapping, romantic comedy

Key Words: silly, emotional, magical

Watch it? Yes

with English subtitles DramaFever.com

Notes: The ending did not satisfy, but the drama was enjoyable for the most part.

I Need Romance 2012

Air Dates: June 20th - August 9th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Jung Yu Mi, Lee Jin Wook

Genres: romantic comedy, friendship

Key Words: playful, quick

Watch it? Maybe

Notes: My least favorite drama of 2012.
DramaFever.com

Answer Me 1997

Air Dates: July 24th - September 18th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Jung Eun Ji, Seo In Guk

Genres: high school, romantic comedy, friendship

Key Words: hilarious, fresh, awesome

Watch it? ABSOLUTELY
DramaFever.com

Haeundae Lovers

Air Dates: August 6th - September 25th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Kim Kang Woo, Jo Yeo Jeong

Genres: romantic comedy, memory loss

Key Words: funny, cute

Watch it? Yes
DramaFever.com

Faith

Air Dates: August 13th - October 30th

Episodes: 24

Cast: Lee Min Ho, Kim Hee Sun

Genres: time travel, romance, supernatural, historical

Key Words: epic, emotional

Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

To the Beautiful You

Air Dates: August 15th - October 4th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Choi Min Ho, Sulli

Genres: high school, romantic comedy, girl pretending to be a boy

Key Words: young, enjoyable, light

Watch it? Maybe
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

Notes: I recommend this for people who like light, fluffy romcoms, it's not everyone's cup of tea.

Arang and the Magistrate

Air Dates: August 15th - October 18th

Episodes: 20

Cast: Shin Min Ah, Lee Jun Ki

Genres: historical, supernatural, romantic comedy

Key Words: funny, scary, awesome

Watch it? ABSOLUTELY
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

Panda and Hedgehog

Air Dates: August 18th - October 7th

Episodes: 16

Cast: Lee Dong Hae, Yoon Seung Ah

Genres: romantic comedy, baking

Key Words: sweet, funny

Watch it? Yes
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

The Innocent Man/ Nice Guy

Air Dates: September 12th - November 15th

Episodes: 20

Cast: Song Joong Ki, Moon Chae Won

Genres: melodrama, revenge

Key Words: amazing, emotional, dark

Watch it? ABSOLUTELY
with English subtitles DramaFever.com

Full House Take 2
Air Dates: October 22nd - December 13th
Episodes: 16 (2 parts each)
Cast: No Min Woo, Park Ki Woong
Genres: romantic comedy, music
Key Words: cheesy, silly, light
Watch it? Maybe
Notes: This drama is so wrong that it's enjoyable to watch.
DramaFever.com

I am also watching May Queen (aired August 18th - December23rd), I Miss You (started November 7th), and Cheongdamdong Alice (stared December 1st).

My Chronological Kdrama List (with statistics!) OUT OF DATE

Lee Min Ho in Personal Taste

I haven't revealed this to anyone until now. It is the list of Korean Dramas that I have watched with the dates that I finished them. I think it certainly proves how serious my addiction is at this juncture in my life. Keep in mind that I did watch many of them in a marathon fashion, but some of them I did start and then watch slowly over a period of time, so the finish date may be a bit deceiving on a few. The list is formatted with the drama name, the number of episodes, and the date that I completed it (Drama | number of eps | date). Some dramas are listed multiple times because I watched them multiple times. The dramas at the end of the list haven't been completed and only list the amount of episodes I have watched out of the total amount there are.
Visit mydramalist.com

I've been watching Kdramas for: 1 year 5 months
Total hours watched: 2079
That's about: 87 days
Last updated: August 29th

1. My girlfriend is a Gumiho | 16 | 3/8

2. Secret Garden | 20 | 3/14

3. Shining Inheritance | 28 | 3/19

4. Lie To Me | 16 | 3/21

5. Coffee Prince | 17 | 3/22

6. My Princess | 16 | 3/27

7. Boys Over Flowers | 25 | 3/29

8. Protect the Boss | 18 | 4/1

9. Playful Kiss | 16 | 4/3

10. Personal Taste | 16 | 4/5

11. Pasta | 20 | 4/7

12. Flower Boy Ramyun Shop | 16 | 4/11

13. 49 Days | 20 | 4/13

14. City Hunter | 20 | 4/18

15. Scent of a Woman | 16 | 4/19

16. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho | 16 | 4/24

17. You Are Beautiful | 16 | 4/25

18. Heartstrings | 16 | 4/28

19. My Girl | 16 | 5/1

20. Shut Up Flower Boy Band | 16 | 5/3

21. Prosecutor Princess | 16 | 5/11

22. Personal Taste | 16 | 5/18

23. Sungkyunkwan Scandal | 20 | 5/24

24. Rooftop Prince | 20 | 5/25

25. My Lovely Sam Soon | 16 | 5/29

26. Mary Stayed Out All Night | 16 | 6/4

27. Queen In-Hyun's Man | 16 | 6/11

28. Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge | 10 | 6/16

29. Hana Yori Dango | 9 | 6/20

30. Dream High | 16 | 6/24

31. Princess Hours | 24 | 7/6

32. Wild Romance | 16 | 7/19

33. I Do, I Do  | 16 | 7/20

34. Big | 16 | 7/24

35. I love Lee Tae Ri | 16 | 7/25

36. Hello Miss | 16 | 7/27

37. Hana Kimi | 12 | 7/31

38. Office Girls | 25 | 8/1

39. The Moon That Embraces the Sun | 20 | 8/7

40. Invincible Lee Pyung Kang | 16 | 8/9

41. Spy Myung Wol | 18 | 8/14

42. Stars Falling From the Sky | 20 | 8/22

43. Creating Destiny | 31 | 8/30

44. K-pop Strongest Survival | 14 | 9/4

45. The Vineyard Man | 16 | 9/6

46. Coffee Prince | 17 | 9/16

47. The Greatest Love | 16 | 9/24

48. Haeundae Lovers | 16 | 9/26

49. King 2 Hearts | 20 | 9/27

50. Full House | 16 | 10/1

51. Couple Fantasy | 16 | 10/4

52. To the Beautiful You | 16 | 10/4

53. Answer Me 1997 | 16 | 10/8

54. Baby Faced Beauty | 20 | 10/14

55. Arang and the Magistrate | 20 | 10/21

56. Panda and Hedgehog | 16 | 10/24

57. Faith | 20 | 10/30

58. The Princess' Man | 24 | 11/10

59. Innocent Man | 20 | 11/16

60. I Need Romance | 16 | 11/27

61. Bridal Mask | 28 | 11/30

62. A Gentleman's Dignity | 20 | 12/7

63. Full House Take 2 | 16 | 12/14

64. Love Rain  | 20 | 12/15

65. Take Care of the Young Lady  | 16 | 12/22

66. Bread, Love, and Dreams | 30 | 1/5

67. Becoming a Billionaire | 20 | 1/8

68. The King of Dramas | 18 | 1/8

69. I Miss You | 21 | 1/18

70. Autumn in My Heart | 16 | 1/26

71. School 2013 | 16 | 1/28

72. Rooftop Prince | 20 | 1/29

73. Me Too, Flower | 15 | 2/3

74. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho | 16 | 2/10

75. Tamra, the Island | 16 | 2/17

76. Can You Hear My Heart? | 30 | 2/24

77. What's Up Fox? | 16 | 3/1

78. Innocent Man | 20 | 3/3

79. It's OK, Daddy's Girl | 17 | 3/14

80. I'm Sorry, I Love You | 16 | 3/17

81. Flower Boy Next Door | 16 |  3/22

82. Padam Padam | 20 | 3/29

83. That Winter, the Wind Blows | 16 | 4/3

84. Summer Fever | 30 | 4/6

85. Delightful Girl Choon Hyang | 17 | 4/12

86. Fated to Love You | 24 | 4/19

87. Incarnation of Money | 24 | 4/26

88. Ice Adonis | 108 (half hour) | 5/20

89. All About My Romance | 16 | 5/31

90. Gu Family Book | 24 | 6/26

91. When a Man's in Love | 20 | 7/21

92. We Got Married Global Edition | 15 | 7/30

93. Something Happened in Bali | 20 | 7/31

94. Heartless City | 20 | 8/1

95. Shark | 20 | 8/ 2

96. Innocent Man | 20/20 |

97. May Queen | 17/38 |

98. High Kick | 4/167 |

99. Ouran High School Host Club | 3/11 |

100. Cheongdamdong Alice | 10/16 |

101. IRIS | 12/20 |

102. Level 7 Civil Servant | 1/16 |

103. What's Up | 7/20 |

104. You're the Best Lee Soon Shin | 5/50 |

105. Substitute Princess | 11/20 |

106. Personal Taste | 15/16 |

107. Crazy Love | 71/100 (half hour) |

108. Glass Mask | 70/122 |

109. Love Around | 11/15 |

110. Loving You a Thousand Times | 22/55 |

111. Golden Empire | 5/24 |

112. I Hear Your Voice | 16/18 |

113. Barefoot Friends | 5/100 |

114. Good Doctor | 8/20 |

115. Master's Sun | 6/16 |

116. Who Are You | 10/20 |

117. Two Weeks | 1/20 |

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.