My opinionated opinions on airing kdramas...

[dangermousie]

Here it is...

WATCHING

Operation Proposal - sweet, melancholy, hopeful trifle. A good way to relax after a long day.
Shut Up Flower Boy Band - owns my heart, body, and soul. And possibly some more prosaic parts like spleen and toenails. I thought I was done with dramas forever (I am not even kidding) and SUFBB single-handledly brought me back into the fold.

WANT TO WATCH

Feast of the Gods - I have low expectations of this one - family dramas involving food aren't really my bag - but I plan to check it out due to my love for Sung Yuri and Joo Sang Wook, who play the leads.
God of War - clairiere has yet to lead me wrong as far as sageuks are concerned and the synopsis of slave rising to general, is very much up my alley. Plus, the clips look insane. Darksmurf is subbing (I thought I was going to go spare when I thought there were no subs) and I plan to hold off until the first 6-8 eps are subbed for a proper binge.
Light and Shadow - I am a sucker for both period dramas and Ahn Jae Wook. I just want to hold off until I have more time and more subs are out (once again, all hail ds).
Queen Insoo - this sageuk seems universally praised but no subs are in sight. Argh!
Vampire Idol - if only I knew where to find subs, this sounds insane and up my alley.

DROPPED

Dream High 2 - after one ep, I was both bored and lost (this has a cast of dozens and, as they are all played by idols, I had no idea who was who). I might give it another chance though, because I am fond of empty poppy spectacle. Once the ships straighten out, that is, because it seems the shipper confusion currently reigns supreme.
Fermentation Family - I was so excited for this, seeing that it starred Song Il Gook and was written by the people who did Mawang and Resurrection. And...it nearly put me to sleep. I've heard it gets good around ep 9 but the thought of sitting through 9 hours first kinda ruins any desire to verify. It's a very pretty drama but cooking as a topic is soporific.
Hanbando/Korean Peninsula - I was looking forward so much to this! Two eps in, and it makes Poseidon looks like a well of emotional truth. Seriously, no. No.
History of the Salaryman - smart but too way out there for me to watch every week. Maybe if the lead was someone I found more attractive than Lee Bum Soo. /shallow
Ojakgyo Brothers - I watched for Ji Eun and Tae Hee to get together and, when they did, I bailed. I am sure there will be some angst for them or something, but I am not in the mood. I might get back to it though - but for now I like the thought of my darlings being happy. Gloria remains the only 50-ep kdrama I watched in its entirety with no fastfowarding.
The Moon That Embraces the Sun - I genuinely get neither the rabid fandom nor the ratings - I have rarely have been this uniformly bored as I have been watching the first six eps of this puppy. Sageuk is my favorite genre and I couldn't even sit through this, which says volumes. It's so simplistic, it makes my brain hurt, but that isn't its cardinal sin (I've enjoyed plenty of dramas that made Moon look like Shakespeare), my utter lack of involvement in these characters or the plot, is.

NEVER STARTED

12 Men in a Year - I have no idea of the plot, except a vague notion it's about a professional woman dating, a topic I find duller than dirt.
Bachelor's Vegetable Store - I have yet to figure a single 'must see' thing about this drama. Maybe if I were fonder of Ji Chang Wook.
If Tomorrow Comes - I don't even know what this is about!
King Gwanggaeto the Great, sorry King, but there is only so much room on my sageuk plate and God of War sounds more like my thing. Especially since I've yet to see anyone enthused about Gwanggaeto.
Live with Style - all I think of when I think of this drama are its cutesy poster and the absence of any hook whatsoever.
Stroke of Good Luck - my mind is in the gutter :P
Take Care of Us Captain - airlines are boring but the real killer is Gu Hye Sun. I have learned the hard way that she's my kryptonite - I cannot stand her in any type of role.
Wild Romance - weird hair, OTT romcom lunacy, and sports. No, thanks!

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

So I'm totally with you on SUFBB-- It's totally my crack right now

Ditto! on Take care of us Captain and Dream High...

Imma Wild Romance-lover so I hope u give it a chance but even if you hate it all I swear just watch it for her bookworm best friend and his robot managers' relationship ( the BEST most awkward you-complete-me relationship ever!) if not for anything else.., ok that's all I have to say about WR (well I have more but yeah gonna stop now:)

Also I've been watching Feast of Gods for the same reasons you want to and I just have to say-- This is the first time Joo Sang Wook isn't a cold/quiet/robotic chaebol and it's SO weirrrrdd seeing him being all smiley and funny I can't tell if I love it or hate it :p
~Maqluba

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oooh, thanks for the Feast heads-up.

I am not very good with romcoms so I'll probably stay away from WR despite my LDW love.

[jamieguo48.livejournal.com]

dangermouise, WR is a romcom for about two episodes. After that it turns into a wild freeforall, with most of the focus turning to suspense, mystery, and the drama surrounding the cast. The romance and the comedy take a back seat. Mr. X talked about it much better then I could here.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[(Anonymous)]

Also I just wanted to tell you THANK YOU for introducing me to 'Haven'... I found the first season on YT and loved it all.. There are a lot of little inconsistencies that bother me a little but I ignore them cuz it's hard to find a good Series on TV these days.. Although Walking Dead started up again so I'm excited... Now off to find Haven season 2 somewhere... :)

~Maqluba

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

So many people like Walking Dead, I really must check it out.

[(Anonymous)]

If you like the Resident Evil movies or stuff that keeps you on edge wondering what's gonna happen next, you'll def like walking dead.. If you have a weak stomach though the gore might take getting used to.. Otherwise I def recommend it!

~Maqluba

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[december-clouds.livejournal.com]

Maybe if the lead was someone I found more attractive than Lee Bum Soo. /shallow

I felt the same way. ._. I thought he was just too... something. I couldn't focus.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Let's form a club :)

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

Feast of the Gods -- it's God of War's lead-out drama in the weekends so I'm somewhat familiar with the reactions on DCgall. They seemed to enjoy it well enough the 1st week, not so much lately. Some were saying they were reeling too much from GoW for Feast to register. What it's got going for is SYR's chemistry with both JSW and Lee Sang Woo, or so they say.

God of War -- the synopsis of slave rising to general, is very much up my alley.

Not just any slave-turned-general but one who outlasted his masters (4 generations of the Choi family) and lived to see both the end of the Age of Warriors and the invasion of Goryeo by the Mongols. He must have been a remarkable figure IRL, and if GoW's any indication, the dramatization will be just as compelling. Just have some oxygen tank on standby when you take the plunge. :)

Light and Shadow -- my one reservation was writer Choi Wan-Gyu (he spreads himself too thin, and always turns in his scripts at the last minute), but DCgall says L&S is his best effort in a long time, so that's a plus if I decide to give it a chance.

Queen Insoo -- it's all talk, talk, talk so no subs = no way.

Hanbando -- MrX says it's getting better but it'll have to become exponentially better to get noticed.

History of the Salaryman -- this is actually the first time I'm finding Lee Bum Soo and Jung Gyu Woon appealing, that's been a pleasant surprise.

Moon/Sun -- it's popular but I'm not seeing the rabid fandom. The childhood story, and esp. Yeo Jin Goo, yes. But when it comes to the 'adults', whether it's the actors, the characters, the couples/pairings... the reactions fall short of what Mishil, Bidam, the SKKS foursome or the TPM lovebirds generated. (Telling when even ockoala throws in the towel or javabeans can't help but notice how thin the story is.) Doesn't help Kim Soo Hyun's agency keeps spinning his performance or popularity as comparable to that of Han Seok-Kyu & Song Joong-Ki as King Sejong or Hyun Bin the Joo Won phenom. That did not go down well on DCgall.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I already have all the available GoW eps queued up and foresee a massive binge in a couple of weeks. I need a smart passionate sageuk after Tree has ended (and to cleanse my palate after Moon/Sun - I just hope its success won't lead to other empty-headed single-celled sageuks).

Salaryman - you are tempting me now :) I'll wait until it's over though.

Hanbando - MrX has excellent taste but yeah, it would have to improve out of all recognition to deserve a second chance - I've rarely seen something as utterly and blandly lackluster as its first two eps.

Moon/Sun - I get kinda ragey about this one but try not to post about it because a number of flisties like it. I think its ratings make no sense (and I am usually fond of big hits, even ones which have fandom split, like Baker Kim Tak Goo) and its the blandest, emptiest pap imaginable. His agency is comparing KSH to Sejongs and Joo Won? Oh, come on! Not only is KSH nowhere near the actor level of HSK, SJK or HB, even if he was, his role in M/S wouldn't enable him to show it, as an acting powerhouse it is not. I mean, he's better than Han Ga In, but that's not saying much.

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

SJK's still frequently mentioned as the actor they wish could have played the adult Yi Hwon on DCgall (and I've seen a number of M/S fanarts/mv's to that effect, pairing him with Moon Geun-Young, Moon Chae-Won, Shin Se-Kyung etc.), which is a credit to him. But someone as recently as yesterday said that it was a "mistake" for him to have turned it down (probably in reference to an article that said SJK, Park Yoo-Chun and Park Si-Hoo had been approached for the role, which sounded a little suspicious but anyhow...), and that's just ludicrous. Yeah, after the wonder that was Yi Do, I really would have wanted him to do a sageuk in which an entire episode can revolve around whether the king will sleep with the queen. Or go from working with Baek Yoon-Shik and Han Seok-Kyu to Han Ga-In.

re: future sageuks: well, there's one that sounds promising, Lee Jun-Ki's next project. Titled Arang, it's supposedly about a Joseon-era official who's sort of a healer/appeaser of vengeful spirits, from the writer of Chosun Police and PD of Can You Hear My Heart/Hon/Fantasy Couple. Details still being sorted out but looks like it's going to air on MBC in July.

[timescout.livejournal.com]

LJK in a sageuk with the writer of Chosun Police and the PD of CYHMH?! Really? Yup, it does sound promising indeed.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it would have been a huge waste for SJK to do this drama (or for any actor I like for that matter - I would have been really upset to see Moon Chae Won or Park Shi Hoo wasted here).

Arang sounds amazing. Thanks for the heads-up!

[timescout.livejournal.com]

I just read @ Soopmi that LJK and Shin Min Ah have been confirmed as leads for Arang.

Here's a short description of the plot they also posted: "The drama will be set in the Joseon Dynasty period and will be about a female ghost (Shin Min Ah), who was murdered, appearing in front of a government official (Lee Jun Ki) to ask for vengeance toward her murderers. The government official will try to appease her wishes."

Intriguing.....

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That certainly sounds unusual!

From gumiho to a ghost, that's an interesting niche :P

[hamster428.livejournal.com]

Since I'm hungry...
SUFBB-the Girl Scout cookies that I keep on binging
Salaryman-whole grain crackers: supposedly nutritious but too tiring to munch on
Wild Romance-Lays potato chips: once you pop you can't stop
MoonSun-the pretty ripe fruit that keeps on rotting riping
OperationLove-like the bubblegum that will get overchewed
OjakgyoBros-bibimbap: the comfort food with one too many ingredients. Someone also overdosed the pepper paste in this one

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Bwahahahaha, funny and 100% on point.

[ladysaotome.livejournal.com]

Let us know if you find subs for Vampire Idol - I also think it sounds like my kind of crack!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, I will, but sadly this seems unlikely.

[cleobulle.livejournal.com]

Is there no chance you'd consider giving Moon/Sun another try once the drama has completed its run and all the subs by With S2 are out?

Speaking for myself, I'm still madly in love with it. In some ways, I like it even better than The Princess' Man. I especially love the way Hwon speaks to his ministers and his relationship with his eunuch. Makes me laughs all the time and I always have a blast translating those scenes.

None of the other airing dramas interest me except perhaps Salaryman but I haven't started watching yet because I'm incapable of getting into another drama when I'm already translating one.

I'm not surprised about the Hanbando fiasco. Boy, that's one drama I wouldn't have touched with a ten-foot pole.

I was bored out of my mind watching the japanese version of Operation Proposal and never got past episode 2 or 3. I usually like K-Dramas better so maybe I should give OP a try. PLus With S2 is subbing and I like the main lead. I'll follow your posts about it and I'll see how it goes.

Not sure about Shut Up FBB. I still haven't finished What's Up -- I stopped at episode 4 and will start watching again after Moon/Sun ends-- and I really don't need another musical drama. They're not my cup of tea. I'm only trying What's Up because there's Im Ju Hwan in it *feels like a rewatch of Tamra*

The next crop of dramas seems more promising and it's still early in the year. The Princess' Man and City Hunter didn't happen until mid-2011 and they were my two favorite 2011 dramas.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Re: Moon/Sun. Seeing that I sat through and disliked 6 eps and the drama is only 20-24 eps long (so it's not like first 6 eps of a 60 ep drama), I am pretty sure M/S is just not for me. I didn't like a single thing about it, except for the clothes - not a single character or plot line hooked me, and I am not a dedicated fan of any of the leads, so there is basically nothing to tempt me. Sorry!

I like the type of drama Hanbando is supposed to be, so it's pretty shocking I loathed it so.

I love SUFBB better than Dream High, What's Up and Dream High 2 put together, but mmv and all that. It has a very shoujo feel.

[rectherapyfreak.livejournal.com]

I couldn't stand Gu Hye Sun in Chil Woo. I thought I liked her in BOF...but she is actually my least favorite version of Tsukushi. I hope she does well In Absolute Boyfriend. I loved Jiro Wang in the Tawain version of Hana Kimi so I plan on watching it. Hope she doesn't ruin it for me!!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hope she's bearable in Ab Bf because I adore Jiro.

[(Anonymous)]

Speaking of Absolute Boyfriend, the first teaser is out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXYgzSo40rw

Hello there, Jiro ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ooooh yay!

[kiaire-fly.livejournal.com]

There are subs for episode 1 & 2 for Vampire Idol on Youtube =)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think I love you :)