Kim So Roo

Rating: ***.5


Genre: Historical
Episodes: 32
Cast: Ji Sung, Seo Ji Hye, Bae Jong Ok, Yoo Oh Sung, Go Joo Won


SYNOPSIS:
"This drama charts the life of Kim Soo Ro, the legendary founder of the city-state of Geumgwan Gaya during the Three Kingdoms Period. He unified 12 small countries to create the state of Geumgwan Gaya in southeastern Korea during the Three Kingdoms Period in Korea."




REVIEW:
Although I enjoyed the series, I have to say that they should have been more realistic.  I mean, seriously?  Just watch the first episode and I think you'd know what I mean.  Just because it's mostly legend doesn't mean you should exaggerate the effects like that.  Also, I found the martial arts sequences to be kind of bad.  The swordsmanship looks more like a sword dance than fighting.  All the characters leave so many openings.  If this was a real fight, none of them would live after fighting like that.

I don't really have much to say other than that.  It was nice, but it could use a touch of reality.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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The Kingdom Of The Winds

Rating: ****


Genre: Fantasy, Period Drama
Episodes: 36
Cast: Choi Jung Won, Kim Hye Sung, Jung Jin Young, Park Gun Hyung, Song Il Gook


SYNOPSIS:
"The drama about the life of Jumong's grandson, Moo Hyul, who later became Daemusin. it features Song Il-Guk as King Daemushin of the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668).  Moo Hyul was born with a curse to kill his parent, siblings, son and destroy Goguryeo."



REVIEW:
Song Il Gook has once again made me addicted.  After playing Jumong in 2006, he came back to play Jumong's grandson Moo Hyul.  I love the fact that he plays Moo Hyul after playing Jumong because it makes it very easy to watch the Kingdom of the Winds right after watching Jumong.

Although addicting, I cannot say that there were no errors.  In fact, this had a lot more errors than the 81 episodes of Jumong.  I would list them, but I was too lazy to do so when I was watching.  I think that I'll let it go for now.

P.S. Did anyone else think that Kim Hye Sung (as Prince Yeo Jin) looked really feminine?  When I first saw him in the drama, I couldn't tell if he was a girl or a guy.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Jumong

Rating: *****


Genre: Historical, Period Drama
Episodes: 81
Cast: Kim Seung Soo, Han Hye Jin, Hu Joon Ho, Song Il Gook, Song Ji Hyo


SYNOPSIS:
"Meet a hero bigger than the myth.Alexander, Genghis Khan, we have the hero who overwhelmed his generation and changed history, Jumong! Up to now we have been used to dramas dealing with the history of kings and knights but now we are about to challenge in creating a drama with the birth of a true hero. A name only remembered as a myth. Get ready to meet Jumong, the hero who opened up the skies of the Old Joseon, which was once ours, by fighting thousands and thousands of armies.Meet the love even bigger than the history.‘Love’ seems to be the one common denominator across people of all generations and nations. ‘Love’ gets swept away with the waves of time and also gets hurt with biased views in societies, but it also creates a new kind of history by wrestling against adversity and the trials of time. True love, which is uncommonly seen in history, is re-drawn through the drama of our once forgotten history.Through the wisdom and courage of Korea’s first queen So Seo-no..."


REVIEW:
Completely addicting.  I mean, wow!  What could I possibly say about this drama?  Action, adventure, comedy, history, and myth are all fused into one amazing story.  Now, I cannot say (without a doubt) that there were no mistakes.  As I've said many times before, a long drama is like a marathon.  However, this drama won in the end.

I think the only problem with this drama is that there is a monopoly on it.  I couldn't find many episodes on any site other than crunchyroll.  Also, whoever did the subtitles (I think it was WITH S2) did not do a great job in QCing them.  There were times when you couldn't read the subtitles because they disappeared too fast, and Mr. Unavoidable continued to show up.  I think you will understand what I mean if you watch it, but don't worry if you have no idea what I'm talking about. 

As far as the storyline is concerned, my favorite couple was the slash couple.  Everytime I saw Bae Su-bin I started cracking up.  Bae Su-bin, saranghae~!  Daisuki~!  Wo ai ni~!  I've seen the actor before, and I'm still a big fan.  He definitely made Sa Yong my favorite character in the whole series.  Sorry, Song Il Gook.  Jumong may be the main character, but I still like Sa Yong better for some reason.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Romance Town

Rating:***.5


Genre: Comedy, Romance
Episodes: 20 
Cast: Jung Gyu Woon, Kim Min Joon, Lee Jae Yong, Min Hyo Rin, Sung Yu Ri


SYNOPSIS:
"The story of domestic help who work for rich households. No Soon Geum is one of these housekeepers; despite the master-maid heirarchy, she's bold, fearless, and unafraid of doing hard work in order to support herself. As a child, Soon Geum had dreamt of living a grand life in a Cinderella story, complete with her own white knight, but that dream had faded as reality took over. However, she reaches a turning point in her life when she is hired as a maid for the rich and handsome Kang Gun Woo."


REVIEW:
Although the show was worth watching, I have to say that this series has the worst title I have ever seen.  Originally, the title was going to be "maids," which was not that great.  However, there were many complaints about it because the word apparently isn't a great word in Korea.  Truthfully, I really don't know what the big deal is about the original title, as I know very little Korean or it's history.  Anyway, they decided to change it to "Romance Town" instead because of the complaints.  Let me just say that the title only got worse.  Seriously, it sounds like a soap opera.  Maybe this drama is actually supposed to be a soap?

Anyway, as far as comedy is concerned, I wouldn't get too excited.  Although the drama is worth watching, there is practically no comedy.  You're better off watching the news if you want comedy.

The thing I hated the most about it, though, is the end.  Can someone say "WTF?"  It's fine if a drama is a little unrealistic, but this one just takes the cake.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Miss Ripley

Rating: ****


Genre: Drama, Romance
Episodes: 16
Cast: Hwang Ji Hyun, Kang Hye Jung, Kim Seung woo, Lee Da Hae, Micky Yoochun


SYNOPSIS:
"Two men fall in love with a woman whose life is a complicated web of lies, propelled by her greedy desires that stem from an unfortunate childhood."





REVIEW:
Horrifyingly addicting.  That's really all I can say to describe this drama.  Unlike other dramas where you root for the main character, all I could do was watch in horror.  As the series continued, I felt more and more afraid for her.  I also felt more and more sad that the main character kept making excuses for everything that she did.  However, I could not help but watch.  Even though it was hard, I kept wanting to watch more.

"Miss Ripley is based on the real life case of Shin Jung Ah, a university professor and art curator at Dongguk University who was discovered to have forged her creditials in order to get hired, with the help of her boyfriend (then presidential secretary) Byun Yang Kyoon, and embezzled funds from the art gallery's corporate sponsorship." -- Dramabeans

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Love Or Bread

Rating: ****

Genre: Comedy, Romance
Episodes: 12
Cast: Joe Cheng, Ariel Lin, Bryant Chang, Wu Jian Fei, Zhang Jia Hui


SYNOPSIS:
"Joe plays a person who looks rich and elegant on the outside but is in reality poor."






REVIEW:
What to do?  I thought I reviewed this drama months ago!  Why is it not in my review blog? 0,o  I mean, I remember watching it.  I'm so lost. T.T  See, this is what happens when you are lazy and don't review the drama right after you finish.  You just assume that you reviewed it already, so it never gets done.

This drama is wonderful.  I can't remember too many details, as it's been too long since I've seen it, but I enjoyed it.  I tried watching this several times, but it never really clicked.  I don't know why I didn't watch it before.  In any case, that's all I have to say about this drama.  Well, except for "Why does he have her pet in the last episode?" 0,o

P.S. Can you spot the "I <3 Ariel" hat in the last episode?

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Heartstrings

Rating:****


Genre: Music, Romance
Episodes: 15
Cast: Lee Hyun Jin, Park Shin Hye, So Yi Hyun, Song Chang Ui, Jung Yong Hwa


SYNOPSIS:
"Lee Shin is a university student majoring in modern music. He is also the vocalist and guitarist of the band “The Stupid.” Shin is known for his good looks and strong passion for music, but in reality he is cold, lacks interest in anything unrelated to music and has neither dreams nor plans for the future. He initially likes Jung Yoon Soo, a dance professor at university, but this all changes when he meets Lee Kyu Won. Lee Kyu Won is a bright and outgoing student who was born into a prestigious family and is majoring in traditional Korean instruments, especially the gayageum. Kyu Won’s grandfather, Lee Dong Gun, is one of the top 3 traditional musicians of his age and his biggest wish is to see his granddaughter become a traditional music prodigy. Trying to live up to her grandfather’s expectations, Kyu Won immerses herself in training and becomes a university student who knows nothing outside of her studies. As her friends are fans of “The Stupid”, she was forced to go to the band’s concert with them. There she saw Lee Shin performing live, and is immediately captivated by him."


REVIEW:
So...  I've kind of avoided watching the last episode for a while now.  I don't know why, but I just didn't feel like watching the end.  Maybe it's because I didn't want it to end?  That being said, I've forgotten a lot of the details.  I'll come back and add more to this post if I remember something, but I kind of doubt it.

As some of you might know, I'm kind of biased when it comes to pretty boys.  If the drama is bad, I can sit through it if there is a pretty boy in it.  That being said, I don't know if there is bias in my evaluation.  After all, I'm kind of a fan of CN Blue.

Sorry, I haven't gotten to the point yet, have I?  The drama was  AWESOME!  I loved the music and the story wasn't bad either.  I'm even more of a fan of Kang Min Hyuk now.  He's like the little brother I never had.  I really just want to pinch his cheeks!  The ones on his face, you pervy ajummas! 

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself.  That joke was just too easy. lol)


What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Dong Yi

Rating: *****


Genre: Historical
Episodes: 60
Cast:Han Hyo Joo, Ji Jin Hee, Jung Jin Young, Lee So Yeon, Bae Soo Bin


SYNOPSIS:
"Set during the reign of King Sukjong in the Joseon dynasty, the story focuses on Dong Yi, a water maid who gains the trust of Queen Inhyeon and later the favour of the king when he is moved by her prayers for the health of the Queen during the court disputes caused by Jang Hee Bin. Dong Yi becomes a concubine with the rank of sook-bin and bears a son who will later become the 21st king of Joseon, Yeongjo."


REVIEW:
Ottoke?  I think this drama is the best historical drama that I've ever seen!  Okay, so that's not saying much.  The only other historical drama that I've watched was "Yi San."  However, I think this was much better than some of the completely fictional dramas that I've watched.

It starts off with one of the best sequences I've seen.  Who thought of this scene?  Whoever it is, I think that person is genius.  With that scene sequence, it really showed the many roles that her brother was in. Showing the change from a sword alliance member, to a normal citizen, and then to a royal musician really set up the whole show.  I know that most would prefer to have the beginning scene to start with the main character, but I think this supported the main characters past and set the stage for the events ahead.

As far as the history of the real "Dong Yi," I have no idea.  Truthfully, I don't exactly want to know the real details, as I might be disappointed in the differences in the series.

The drama made me roll on the floor laughing, it made me cry, and I was completely addicted.  I think my favorite character in the whole show, though, was the head eunuch.  He was always very blunt, but he always said aloud the things that the King was thinking.

Best conversation ever (Warning! Do not highlight if you don't want spoilers!):
"Bring Palace maid Chun."
"To your bed?"
"Yes.  What?"

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Yi San

Rating:*****


Genre: Historical, Period Drama
Episodes: 77
Cast: Han Ji Min, Lee Jong Soo, Lee Seo Jin, Park Eun Hye, Sung Hyun Ah


SYNOPSIS:
"This drama is about the life of King Jeong-Jo, Joseon’s 22nd Monarch, who is remembered in Korean history as one of Korea’s greatest Kings who loved the people and reigned for the commoner."




REVIEW:
Wonderful! :)

Let me just say, before I continue in my review, that I really did not want to watch this drama.  Truthfully, the magnitude of the episodes pretty much freaked me out.  I mean, seventy-seven one hour long episodes is a very long drama.  I hate committing to things, so committing to such a long drama kind of freaked me out.  However, I have to say that it was worth it.  The story, characters, and the way it was shown was wonderful.  I also feel that it followed the history pretty well, even though many of the elements are most likely fictional.  The male lead, Lee Seo Jin, is wonderful.  Then again, I'm probably biased because I love his dimpled smile.  Kawaii~!

*CoughCough*  Anyway....  -.-"  Back to the review.

There were a few things that I didn't really think were that great, though.  The whole eunuch situation in the beginning kind of grossed me out a bit.  I know that they were trying to show the way someone becomes a eunuch, as well as Park Dae's background, but I found it a little....  Well...  I found it to be a little excessive.  I think there were a lot of scenes that didn't need to be that realistic, if you know what I'm saying.  There were also a few mistakes, such as lighting errors.  However, this wasn't a huge deal, so I won't make too much of it.  (By the way, I guess the Dae Su's uncle, the eunich, must have been related to the musical director in the drama Dong Yi lol.  They are played by the same person!)
 
P.S. Did anyone else mistake the dragon on the Crown Princes' headband to be the number 25?  At first glance, on episode five at 2:57, I thought that was a 25 on his headband.  I kept wondering why they would have numbers in a period drama before I realized it was supposed to be a dragon.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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New Reviews Coming This Monday

Sorry.  죄송 해요 (Joesong haeyo.)  抱歉 (Baoqian.) Lo Siento.

Yeah, that's all the different ways I can say it.  I forgot how to say it in Japanese.  (I really need to study my languages more often.)

As you can see by the fact that I didn't post Monday, my laziness was at an all time high.  However, I finally finished most of my backed up reviews, so there should be a regular review each week like before.  Right now I have about five scheduled, so it should last until November.

However, I have to say that I was watching two very long dramas, so I should get some leeway.  I actually watched Yi San (77 episodes) and Dong Yi (60 episodes), so at least I wasn't being completely lazy.  When you are addicted to a long drama, it's kind of hard to get any time to actually review.

So, to make up for it, I will show you one of my favorite anime series.  I hated the actual series, but the abridged is really fun.  Enjoy!