Sungkyankwan Scandal license issues

Just as sungkyunkwan scandal was getting good, license issues became a problem on viikii and now the subtitles are unavailable in the US. That being said, I'm quite upset as I was really looking forward to watching the next episode (#7) with English subs. I'm hoping that some good souls will translate this series somewhere other than viikii that way we can all enjoy it on a regular basis instead of waiting until god knows when. :/

I guess I'll have to watch it raw until it starts being subbed again.

King Of Baking, Kim Tak Goo

Rating: *****

Genre: Baking, Bread, Comedy, Romance
Episodes: 30
Cast: Choi Ja Hye, Eugene, Lee Young Ah, Yoon Si Yoon, Joo Won

"Kim Tak Goo is the eldest son of Goo In Jong, the president of Samhwa Enterprise, a legend in the baking industry. Although he is an extremely talented baker and seemed destined to succeed his father as president, Goo In Jong's family plotted to rob him of his inheritance because he was born to In Jong's mistress. Tak Goo's determination to become number one in the baking industry drives him to rebuild his career from scratch despite the many trials he faces."

I've just watched the finale and I just have to say that I absolutely loved it. The cast, script, and production was all wonderful. I really enjoyed the story and I'm sure you will to. I know some people stopped watching it because they found out that Eugene wasn't the lead female, but in all honesty I think Eugene was perfectly casted in her role. I don't think Eugene would have matched the character opposite of Kim Tak Goo. Even though I figured out the ending way before I watched the finale, this drama just made me smile. I whole-heartedly recommend this drama.

Road Number 1

Rating: *****

Genre: Korean War, Romance, Drama
Episodes: 20
Cast: Choi Min Soo, Kim Ha Neul, So Ji Sub, Son Chang Min, Yoon Kye Sang

"Based on the events occurring around “Route 1”, which lies between Seoul and Pyongyang. The story about Officer Lee Jang Woo who finds himself in a war that he is not prepared for in order to protect Soo Yeon, the woman he has known and loved since youth. However, he is able to put it past him and he displays extraordinary survival skills, friendship, cooperation and ideology under brutal war conditions. Soo Yeon awaits Jang Woo's return, but eventually gets engaged to Tae Ho. When Jang Woo returns alive, however, Tae Ho discovers Jang Woo and Soo Yeon's unbreakable bond and feels betrayed."


I'll be honest in saying I was never really interested in this story. I was just bored one day and decided to give it a try since I heard good things about it. Well, I have to say, I'm glad I got bored. This drama is one of the best war dramas I've seen. I think a lot of melodramas get too caught up in the drama that they forget that it's supposed to be sweet as well. This drama really got a step ahead in the fact that it delivered a very balanced story. The bitterness of war and death was balanced perfectly with comradery and romance. I normally don't give melodramas the time of day, but this drama was definitely worth watching... Be advised, though, some of the scenes are very gory.

Bad Guy

Rating: *****

Genre: Melodrama, Thriller, Mystery
Episodes: 17
Cast: Han Ga In, Kim Jae Wook, Kim Nam Gil, Oh Yun soo, Jung So Min

"Gun Wook (Kim Nam Gil) plans a revenge against the Haeshin Group. A company to whom Tae-sung (Kim Jae Wook) is the heir. "

What can I possibly say about this drama? Truthfully, I don't know where to start. I guess I should say this: ASTOUNDING! I am now a big fan of Kim Nam Gil, the man who plays Gun Wook in this drama. His acting was so good. As far as the drama goes, it really was interesting. The characters and plot were well rounded and the dialogue was great as well. I do think that it would have been better if it hadn't been shortened to a 17 episode show. However, I guess you really cant change what happened. It was originally supposed to be a 20 episode drama, but Kim Nam Gil got drafted so they had to cut it off a bit short. Anyway, this was definitely a drama worth watching.

Strongest Chil Woo

Rating: ****

Genre: Period Drama
Episodes: 20
Cast: Eric, Lee Eun, Jun Noh Min, Koo Hye Sun, Yoo Ah In

"Kang Chil Woo is a lowly officer during the Joseon era. Chil Woo is not a very smart and one of his life long goals is to become a midlevel officer. However when night falls, he is no longer that low level officer but instead a top assassin in an assassination organization. He gives out punishment to criminals and gives justice where needed. So Yoon and Chil Woo have a tragic love story. Yeon Doo is the daughter of a fallen yangban who owns a textile shop. She falls in love with Chil Woo after he rescues her from thugs who were harassing her. "


Strongest Chil Woo is a lot like spray can cheese. It's fun and cheesy with just about no nutrition in it. The drama is a very light take on more serious situations. You'd think that the characters in this drama (who've all gone through many trials and tribulations) would be a bit more serious. However, I kind of found the silliness quite fun. Even though there were "transformation sequences" like in power rangers (lmao), and the fighting scenes were a bit unrealistic it still was interesting enough to keep me hooked.

P.S. I never knew how gorgeous Yoo Ah In could be before this drama. I swear, when he has his long wig on he looks so pretty. I'm jealous. I wish I could look as good as him hehe XD

9 End 2 Outs

Rating: *****

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 16
Cast: Hwang Ji Hyun, Lee Jung Jin, Lee Sang Woo, Lee Tae Sung, Soo Ae

"The drama is about love of singles in their 30s. Hong Nan Hee is an ordinary worker at a publishing firm, she's a girl who always falls in and out of love since she was young until one day when she meets an old classmate, Byun Hyung Tae, who is a team leader of an advertising company again. Hyung Tae may seem to be a good catch in the eyes of many women but he's only a cowardly boy to Nan Hee whom he has grown up with. '9 End 2 Outs' is using the baseball theme to compare to the fates and lives of the people in love. "

I'll be honest here. I passed up this drama so many times I can't even count it. Many people said it was good, but I just kind of walked away from it. However, I was really bored lately so I ended up watching it. Let me just say that it was worth it. Good acting, dialogue, and production. Not only that, I just loved the story. It was very cute and it's definitely a drama you should check out.

Le Grand Chef

Rating: ***
MOVIE!

Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Kim Kang Woo, Jung Jin, Kim Sang Ho, Lee Ha Na, Im Won Hee

"At a press conference, a cooking knife of a special spirit is being presented to the public. The knife belongs to the last Korean royal chef of the Chosun Dynasty who cut his arms with this knife to show his loyalty to the king and the country. The Japanese bureaucrat at the time was deeply moved by his conviction and returned to Japan with this knife. Now, his son has come to Korea to return the precious knife back to someone who really deserves to own it and announces a cooking contest to find the best cook for this knife. Thus the destined match between the grandsons of the two apprentices of the royal chef has begun… "

I don't always agree with what the critics say about dramas and films, but I think I'm going to agree this time. Le Grand Chef wasn't bad, in fact it was actually interesting, it's just it was kind of.. well... Let's put it this way. According to all sources I've come across, it's supposed to be a comedy/drama. However, I barely even cracked a smile throughout the whole movie and the drama wasn't all that dramatic if you get my drift. In all honesty, I don't think this fit very well as a movie. I think the story would have been a lot better as a short drama. Because they tried to fit in the story in a two hour time frame, they never rounded the characters out. The viewer only saw the typical bad guy and the typical "hero" of the story. Very flat characters. However, however, I did enjoy the movie and I loved the dishes that they showed. It was worth watching, even though it wasn't as wonderful as it could have been.

Currently Watching Update 7/30/10

After finishing up Coffee House, I don't have as many Korean dramas that I'm looking out for on a weekly basis. Bad Guy and Baker King Kim Tak Goo are the two leading dramas I'm currently into.


BAD GUY~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After watching episode 15 of Bad Guy on viikii I'm even more excited to see the next episode. I can't tell you the details, but it seems like the next episode might just go toward a topic I hate to have in any drama: amnesia. Now, I don't know for sure if the next episode will actually contain that topic (as I'm not psychic), however it did end with a certain someone looking out the window with a blank face. If you watch Korean dramas, you know that amnesia seems to be a more common occurrence in their dramas. I think that's the only thing I really don't like about Korean dramas. Amnesia is a very rare occurrence, so to have it show up in so many dramas makes the drama seem more unrealistic. Usually when I see amnesia play a part in a drama, I take it as the writer had a writers block and didn't have time to think of a better solution to the problem other than wiping out a characters previous history.


KIM TAK GOO~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's rare that I watch any drama over 25 episodes, much less 30, however the baker king's drama is something I'm really excited about lately. At first, I was kind of annoyed in the first few episodes. They spent a lot of episodes on KTG's childhood. However, as I continued to watch, I'm kind of thankful that they took the time to slowly paint the back story of the character. Unlike some dramas where they continuously flashback trivial facts to waste time, the writer took the time to use the childhood memories to really develop the characters. Now as I am getting into the middle of the drama, I am completely entranced. After watching episode 14 with english subs, I was really annoyed that I couldn't watch 15 & 16 with subs yet. This is why I'm upset that I cannot watch it on viikii anymore. The viikii translators usually do a good job of translating episodes fast. Because I couldn't watch it with the english subtitles, I ended up watching them without. Let me just say, even without subtitles, I really enjoyed episodes 15 & 16. Okay, so I only understood 10% of the language, but I guessed about 15% more from information on the previous episodes. Anyway, I don't know where the story will go, but I'm still on board.


Hotaru no Hikaru 2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've only watched one episode of this so far. Really, I don't know if I should even continue with it.

My Country Calls~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've watched the drama through episode 14 and I stopped there. There's only 2 episodes left, but I think I'll put it on the back burner for now. Ever since the user who was uploading the episodes was deleted from veoh, I've been too lazy to look for a new provider for my drama addiction. I really did enjoy it so far though.

P.S. Man~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS Man has been on the back burner for a while now. I watched up until episode 14, but I suddenly just have no interest in it. Is it just me, or does it seem like the drama should have been shorter? It seems like it should be 14 episodes, not 21. I don't think I have the nerve to sit through 7 more episodes of this. The beginning was great, I really liked it, but I'm not sure if I want to keep watching. Anyone know if it is good enough to continue?

Cinderella's Sister~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I heard a lot of great stuff about Cinderella's Sister, so I watched the first episode. I have yet to watch anymore of it. I'm not sure if I should continue. I know everyone is saying it is great, but I'm just not that interested in it. I guess if I get bored I will continue.

There are more dramas that I'm in the middle of, but those are the main dramas I'm watching as of yet. What is your opinion on these dramas? Let me know!

Gumiho / Nine Tailed Fox

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance, Action, Fantasy, Horror, Drama
Episodes: 16
Cast: Han Ye Seul, Jo Hyun Jae, Jun Jin, Kim Tae Hee, Park Joon Suk

"Shi Yeon is a Nine-Tailed Fox living undercover in the human world. By day, Shi Yeon is an employee at a natural history museum. By night, she's a top-ranking woman warrior in the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, charged with preserving the delicate balance between man and fox. But her world is sent spinning when an atrocious serial murder - where the victims have had their internal organs gouged out - is uncovered. Detective Min Woo believes the murders may relate to the organ trafficking trade, and goes undercover in a seedy organ smuggling ring. But Min Woo's cover is blown, and it's only through the intervention Nine-Tailed Fox warrior Mu Young and Shi Yeon that he's able to survive! But he's seen their true identities as Nine-Tailed Foxes…can he be allowed to live?"

This bittersweet drama is a big hit in my book. However, there are a few unrealistic parts in this story. For instance, Shi Yeon (a Gumiho) was supposed to have grown up thinking she was human. However, Gumiho's are supposed to eat human liver, right? How could she have zero inkling that something was off when she was supposed to eat human liver? Another thing I thought was kind of off is that when the Gumiho's die they turn into ash. Gumiho's aren't supposed to be some mystical creature exactly, they are supposed to be the next step in evolution (basically). Unlike vampires, who are dead but continue "living" for thousands or so years, Gumiho's have a more normal life span. Why would they turn into ash after they die? It makes no logical sense at all.. Anyway, other than that it was a good drama.

Ying Ye 3+1

Rating: ***.5

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Action, School
Episodes: 16
Cast: Chen Qiao En, Jerry Huang, Jason Hsu, Ming Dao, Viter Fan

"Xia Tian, Jia Jiang, Fang Wei, Bulu all four grew up on Westside Street together and currently study in Ying Ye School. One month away from graduation. Xia Tian's dad is a police officer in Westside Street and is retiring tomorrow. But just on that day, they all had a fight with the Dinosaur gang in the school and were almost expelled by the principal. Officer Xia went to settle the conflict and not only did it not get settled, his gun got misplaced by the principal too. Everyone thus discussed things over and decided that AJ they all will remain in the school and they must find the gun within the one month of graduation to let Officer Xia retire peacefully and happily. Jia Jiang, Fang Wei and Bulu then can successfully graduate. While finding the missing gun, they discovered that a ex-convict Grey Wolf who escaped from prison is possibly connected with the missing gun and even more surprisingly, the Grey Wolf is actually having close communication and contact with students in Ying Ye."

Anything with Ming Dao and Chen Qiao En in it is a good drama. However, I'm not too interested in the way the fight scenes and such were made.. Anyway, it is something to check out.