Introducing an obsession: Asian TV drama
Let me introduce my obsession: Asian TV drama. Specifically Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese ones. (And the Taiwanese shows don't get enough love!)
This is mini-reviews of most of the dramas I've watched so far. Please note that I don't necessarily recommend all of these - if you're new to drama, I'd say chose something rated 4/5 or higher.
A few things:
- Sorted after country of production, from highest rating (5/5) to lowest (0/5)
- random awesome things about the drama ("+") and not-so-awesome things ("-")
- hottie factor = how hot the male cast is (because uh, I'm shallow?)
- clicking title of drama takes you to its DramaWiki page
- names of actors being hyper linked = visual aid ;D
- also? don't get too offended if I didn't like your fav show/actor, mmkay? These are just opinions. Specifically mine.
Ratings
5/5 Excellent!
4/5 Really good.
3/5 Good, but with some flaws. Still worth watching.
2/5 Might want to stay away...
1/5 Not worth your time.
Quick links:
Korean Drama | Taiwanese Drama | Japanese Drama
Korean drama
Rating: (5/5)
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
The drama of all dramas. Probably the biggest MUST-SEEs of all time. Believe the hype. It is that good. A lot can be said about Coffee Prince but one of the things that I love about it, that I had completely forgotten when I watched it the second time around is how funny it is. It's not all out slapstick humor, no one's really cracking jokes or one liners, instead there's a warm, friendly comedy running throughout the show, with a big, big heart. Yoon Eun Hye is absolutely adorable as the poor girl who's mistaken for a boy, who has to keep pretending to keep her job at a coffee shop (where only male baristas are allowed). Enter a love story with her boss (who of course doesn't not know she's a girl), a man who rather pretends to be gay than suffer the pressure of having to get married; a group of absolutely charming side characters, an amazing soundtrack, a big dose of coffee and you're gonna be hooked. If you haven't already seen this. Which you should have.
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ KIM JAE WOOK (need I say more?). Pretty much every scene with Eun Chan and Han Kyul,
- The ending (but everyone might not agree with me on this)
My Name is Kim Sam Soon
Was described to me as Korea's Bridget Jones. Partly true. The main character might be incredibly embarrassing at times, but she's also very human. Sam Soon could be you or me or anyone. She's considered fat and old and a failure. But what she does have is integrity and that counts for a lot. And the part where she ends up with the younger, rich hottie is such a self-indulgent plot line, almost too good to be true, but it is done in quite a sweet way. This drama also has Danniel Henney as one of the most likable characters ever. I recently re-watched this and it's just as great the second time around. A must watch!
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Hyun Bin!
- Sam Soon being considered fat when she's, you know, NORMAL. Oh, Korea. *sigh*
Time Between Dog and Wolf
This is usually a drama I rec to people who's used to American shows. Why? I feel it has more the feel of a movie, and since it's an agent series, it's not solely about romance (like 99%of the other dramas I watch, *ahem*). Time Between Dog and Wolf is action-packed, with a lot of (successful!) twists and turns; it has a darker mood and never ceases to be nerve-wrackingly exciting. Lee Jun Ki plays an agent who fakes his own death and goes undercover to infiltrate the mafia that killed his mother. Add a love triangle with his childhood love and brother and you have yourself some pretty juicy stuff.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Jun Ki being absolute KICKASS and HOTASS
- I have nothing at this moment.
A Love to Kill
Rain plays a man with nothing left to lose, who plots out his revenge on the woman his brother loved, a woman he blames for the fact that his brother has ended up a human vegetable. Of course, he hadn't counted on falling for her... *dum-dum-dum*
I love this drama because it's darker, it has barely any funny filler characters and it's one of those really achy dramas, where you're heart is breaking with he cast, over and over again. It's surprisingly well-paced and quite well-written. You can watch it solely because of Rain, and boy what a performance he puts on. I don't usually think Rain is particularly pretty but I was DROOLING over him in this show. He's rough, rugged and just completely broken. Remember: bring tissues!
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ broken!Rain. Rain in a suit. Rain kicking ass. Overall Rain awesomeness.
- sad ending? If that's not your cup of tea. (I thought it was perfect.)
Iljimae
Iljimae is the first, and so far only, historical kdrama I've watched. And honestly I wouldn't have watched it if Jun Ki didn't play the main character. This drama tells the tale of legend Iljimae, a Korean Robin Hood, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor in the search for the sword (and man) who killed his father. I have to admit, I saw this drama with incredibly bad subs (Chinese dvd copy) so I'm a little fussy about the plot sometimes! Still, I was completely hooked on this (which should tell you something!). Jun Ki is fantastic in the role of Yong/Iljimae. It's especially Yong's own acting - how he has to pretend to be the same cheery, no-good punk he's always been, when really he's got more sorrows weighing on his heart than anyone can imagine - that really gets to me. The first few episodes are hard to watch - misfortune after misfortune seem to be coming young Yong's way. I was impatiently waiting for him to grow up, learn how to fight and strike back. But the wait is worth it. Iljimae (the drama) has some of the most stunning fighting scenes. The drama is overall beautiful, the cast, the wardrobe, and the soundtrack. Don't be scared off because of the historical setting.
Hottie factor: 5/5. Lee Jun Ki is girlishly pretty as Iljimae, even in the old-fashioned clothes.
+ Iljiimae in action!
- The politics. Sometimes Iljimae learn a little too fast, or is a little too smart, but I'm not really complaining.
Rating: (4/5)
Brilliant Legacy
The plot of this drama is one of the hardest I've tried to summarize, especially since the first few episodes take their time in introducing the actual plot. Which goes like this: When Go Eun Sung, a hardworking young woman's father "passes away" and her autistic brother goes missing, life is looking grim. This is why she sympathizes with, and takes in, the old woman with amnesia she finds passed out in the streets. When the old woman's memory returns it turns out she's Jang Sook Ja, the CEO of a food company, and Sook Ja demands poor Eun Sung moves in with her and her family in gratitude for her good samaritan act. But Sook Ja's grandson is a spoiled brat and him and Eun Sung butt heads, to say the least. The two have actually met before, by coincidence when Eung Sung grabbed the wrong bag at the airport and a number of misunderstandings followed.
As I said, complicated plot, a net of characters all tied together (often unknowingly). That doesn't mean Brilliant Legacy isn't a good drama though. One of the most impressive things about it is how the male lead goes from being an immature, spoiled brat to a decent human being in the course of the show. Lee Seung Gi with his boyish look is perfect in the role and he plays it well. Han Hyo Joo is even better in the role of Go Eun Sung. (She cries so beautifully!) The bad guy, Eun Sung's stepmother is especially evil, to the point where you almost can't believe there is such a person (well, thank god it's fiction). The entire main cast is splendid. This drama had some of the highest ratings when it aired recently and I can't say the viewers were wrong. Definitely worth watching.
Hottie factor:
+ The boy playing Eun Sungs autistic brother. What a performance!
- The soapy plot. But it's okay.
You're Beautiful
Fall 09's most popular drama? Possibly. In this light, fluffy, romantic comedy aspiring nun(!) Mi Nyu is thrown together with the three pretty boys of pop idol group A.N.Jell; broody Tae Kyung, considerate Shin Woo, and funny Jeremy. Her twin brother, who was supposed to join the group is no where to be found and Mi Nyu is coerced by their manager to secretly take his place, cross-dressing and all. But the three pop idols falls for Mi Nyu one after the other and add a bitchy 'fake fairy', an uncaring mother and a nosy reporter into the mix and you have yourself a recipe for intrigue.
This is one of the more successful light dramas I've come across. It's silly and it's cheesy but it never loses its charm. And You're Beautiful is very charming. It's easy to love the characters you're supposed to love and hate the ones you're supposed to hate. It won't rock your world or tell you something insightful about the human race, but it will make you laugh and cry and aww in all the right places. It's involving and entertaining and oh so funny. The performances from the main cast are strong; Jang Geun Suk of course, but who surprised me was Hongki who shows he can handle both comedy and more serious scenes.
I will definitely recommend this.
Hottie factor: 5/5 The three male leads really are idol pretty...
+ All the hilarious dream scenes
- The first episode is a little slow to get started. Don't make this lose your interest!
Rating: (3/5)
Goong
In a modern Korea where monarchy still rules, a poor girl suddenly learns she has to marry the prince because of a promise her grandfather made to the late king. Moving into the palace, she has to deal with a rather distant prince/husband and learning how to become a queen.
This show is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The people are beautiful, the wardrobe and locations are beautiful. Everything's beautiful. It's a pleasure to watch. The soundtrack is amazing. The story is a classic Cinderella story. So. Problem? Main guy is incapable of growing as a person. It's draaaaaaagged out. for too. damn. long. Such a shame! Could have be amazing. The premise in itself is so interesting. Still, now that Joo Ji Hoon's career might be over, you should watch it just to get a glimpse of the boy.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ the scenes with Chae-kyung hitting her Shin doll
- how Yul goes from being sweet and adorable to evil!sceming!bastard
Boys Before Flowers (Korean "Hana Yori Hango")
Surprised to see this at 3/5? Well, it might be too soon to judge how good it actully was since I've only watched this once, while it was airing. But. There's just too many problems with this drama, small flaws that probably could have been avoided if they had more TIME to plot it out and say, the actors got a chance to rest. Because it feels rushed. Those things aside, it is a very cute drama, quite a good manga adaption (some parts actually better than the Japanese version), and no matter how 'wth?' it got, we STILL kept watching, you know? And that has to count for something. Boys Before Flowers was entirely entertaining and oh so addictive. Did I mention there's pretty boys too? :P (If you've somehow missed what this is about, I've kinda described the plot down at the "Hana Yori Dango" review.)
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Yi Yung + Ga Eul OTP, Jun Pyo's perm, Jan Di's round kick, Prince Song... Quite a few things!
- Fugly animated ducks, Jan Di's "drowning scenes", the godforsaken soundtrack, and all the other small things that made you roll your eyes...
Delightful Girl, Choon-Hyang
Boy and girl accidentally sleeps in the same bed (when she's sick and he's drunk) and getting caught the morning after, they have to get married to escape the shame/town gossip.
I love the premise of this drama, I admit, and large parts of it are really good. But it's also one of those shows where you want to kill yourself and the entire cast come say, half-way in. It's typically dragged out in kdrama style, with leaps in time and evil!scheming secondary characters. But Jae Hee is my darling and the banter between the main leads make it interesting. It also has one of my favorite kdrama soundtracks.
Hottie factor: 4/5 (Jae has bad hair and ugly clothes but still manages to be hot)
+ Jae Hee's fighting scenes in the beginning
- the absolute HATRED you feel for Uhm Tae Woong's character
Couple of Fantasy
This one is special. It's amnesia!drama. It's hilarious. The female lead, an absolute bitch who is turned into a maid when she loses her memory, is possibly the best ever. Very charming. I'm not sure why I don't rate it higher, I just can't remember being completely hooked while watching, and can't put my finger on why. Give it a shot, you might like it better than me.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ hottie with kids! ovaries!explode
- gets you SERIOUSLY wanting jajangmyeon
My Girl
Your regular 'girl-poses-as-boy's-[insert relation here]-and-they-fall-in-love' story. Some people seem to have watched it because Lee Jun Ki is pretty, but I seriously didn't find him very appealing in this drama. He looks like a girl. Egh. The rest of the story is sweet and interesting enough for you to keep watching. I feel like a lot of what I associate with a typical drama comes from this show and that it has shaped a lot of shows coming after it. But I'm not sure if that's actually true. Probably a good first drama.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ The couple from "Delightful Girl"'s cameo in the final.
- Jun Ki in turtleneck, earring and bad hair. No.
Full House
The first, say, 10 episodes of this drama, I could barely justify why I was watching. Nothing was moving forward, the characters were just stomping in the same old places. Then after, say, 12 episodes things actually started happening, roles were reversed, we became involved. And the main couple do have this banter thing going on, even though I found it tiring after a while. It's the typical 'poor-girl-owes-rish-guy-money-and-has-to-be-his-maid' plot. Why should you watch it? Because Rain will always be Rain.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Rain has ugly clothes. lulz.
- Rain has ugly clothes. >_<
Witch Yoo Hee
This drama starts out so well, but seems to lose some of its charm during the course of the season. It also suffers from weak secondary characters (Jae's girlfriend who can't take a hint that they're OVER, Kim Jeong Hoon's character ("Yul" from Goong) being the most boring and unsympathetic person ever etc...) It also has the *eye-roll* plot of a bitchy woman having to change (her personality and her looks) to find a man. So why watch it? Because Jae's character is absolutely ADORABLE and perfect. You can't get away from it. The scenes with him and the female lead are always amazing. And for once it's a boy who has to be the maid to pay off his debt. It also has a pretty amazing wardrobe and a lot of eye candy. xD
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Jae Hee being TOO PRETTY FOR WORDS. Dennis Oh.
- The whole 'makeover' theme. Fail!
Moving on to...
Taiwanese drama
Rating: (5/5)
Hua Yang Shao Nian Shao Nu (Hana Kimi)
Based off the manga about a girl who dresses up as a boy and enters an all boy's school because of a high jumping broody boy she's seen on TV (and who she of course ends up falling for). I might be the only person in fandom who prefers the Taiwanese verison of Hana Kimi over the Japanese one. But the truth is it's just too fricking ADORABLE. This version's Sano (played by Wu Chun) is far from the cold broody guy he is in the Japanese version. He and Rui Xi(/Mizuki played by Ella) have the cutest friendship bordering on something more. It's just filled with sweet aww-worthy scenes. It's terribly flawed, sure (low production etc), absolutely WHACKY sometimes, but I can't not love it and it still is 5/5 in my book. But remember: don't compare it to "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" (like I just did...)
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Wu Chun + Ella being ADORABLE. Cutest opening song ever.
- The "feed her like bird scene", grosses me out. The ending. :(
Silence
Such a beautiful drama. Much calmer than your usual TWdrama. It feels like a kdrama to me. Not much comic relief, which fits the subject at hand (guy having 3 months left to life, love story with mute girl...). It's absolutely wonderful seeing the main character trying to redeem himself during the last months of his life. And somehow it doesn't get unbearably depressing, until like the last episode. It's beautiful. (And I think this drama had a higher budget because it doesn't have that low production feel some TW dramas have.)
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ Vic Zhou being pretty
- Park Eun Hye's character being almost too good of a person sometimes. Does that make sense?
Fated to Love You
I love this one. It's hilarious. I love how it's paced, how you can almost divide the season into different chapters. I love how the female lead is allowed to go from timid (aka your regular drama girl) to strong career woman. I love how the male lead aka Mr Cold Guy (played by Ethan Ruan) has to realize his mistakes and fight to get her back. I love the unbelievable one-night-stand (her being high on flu meds and walking into the wrong room, him being drugged - both thinking the other is someone else...) I love the cracky pregnancy plot and all the whacky side characters.
Hottie factor: 5/5 (Ethan is pretty, y'all)
+ the CRACKY sex scene (around 2:35)
- same as above, the CRACKY sex scene? lol
Rating: (4/5)
Mars
This is close to a 5/5. But it has a few too many soapy plot lines to fit there. My friend recced this to me because it has one of her favorite drama couples, and I agree. The main leads get the chance to actually be a couple, without it ever becoming boring (hooking them up is usually the fun part, you know?). The male lead's background, which runs as a mystery arc throughout the season is very well executed, and some of the tougher topics (rape, suicide, death) are handled fairly well.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Sweeeeeet couple
- The female lead's tendency to psychoanalyze the male lead. Gets on my nerves, lol.
Prince Turns to Frog
I'm not sure why I love this one so much. It has a little too much crazy Taiwanese comic relief for it to be 5/5 but it's a close one still. It's just so adorable. It's an amnesia drama, actually with multiple cases of amnesia, if I remember correctly. Rich arrogant guy ends up with amnesia in the countryside and is taken in by poor girl (who believes she caused his memory loss) and discovers his own humanity. Then add like, two more amnesia twists and you have this show in a nutshell. It's awesome.
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ Ming Dao
- the poor quality of the production. (Or might have been the low-res version I was watching?)
Love Contract
One of the darker TW dramas out there. Ariel Lin's broken character is absolutely beautiful. Her relationship with Mike He is so sweet; their scenes together really make the whole show, enough to make the things around them boring. The ending... is completely fucked up and unnecessary, but I still see it as a drama very much worth watching. Remember: bring tissues!
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ The scene where Ariel Lin's character finally breaks. Not gonna say more.
- Did I mention the ending? You need to be prepared for it. :S
Sweet Relationship
Sweet Relationship might be the slowest drama I've watched (love story-wise) but it is also one of the dramas that I've been most engrossed in lately. It's absolutely lovely in it's portrayal of family, friendship, and chasing of one's dreams. Vic Zhou plays chef Zi Tian, an expert in French cuisine but with a bad temper and a tragic childhood. Bai Hui is the cheerful girl equipped with extraordinary tastebuds and a love for food. Set at the neighborhood restaurant Little Bear the two are thrown together much to Zi Tian demise. As mentioned, the love story progresses almost in slow-motion. It's not the focus of the drama, but it's ever present yet the same. Vic plays your typical cold guy turned sensitive, but the drama stays true to his personality and the transition is as with everything else, slow and unforced. Bai Hai might be your typical spunky good girl, but I found her incredibly likable and on the occasions when they touch upon the fact that she's a female chef (in a very male-oriented workplace) things get interesting.
Hottie factor: 5/5 Vic Zhou biassss
+ Jin Dao granny ftw!
- Did I mention it's slow?
Rating: (3/5)
Devil Beside You
Another really sweet drama couple, also with Mike He. If you're not squicked out by the premise, girl and boy falling in love and then becoming "siblings" (their parents getting married), it's a Taiwanese drama classic. I had a friend tell me she laughed through the first couple of episodes, but she wasn't used to TWdrama and I think you need to give it a shot. It's mostly the poor production that drags it down. Why I think it's 3/5? See "-"
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Adorable morning after scene
- Mike He's hair pins. BAD HAIR!!!
Rating: (2/5)
It Started with a Kiss
I can NOT understand why this drama is so popular. Can not. I wanted to kill myself and the female lead while watching it. (No, I haven't seen the sequel and not planning to.) The male lead is your typical Cold Guy who decides to be nice only when he feels like it, often calls the female lead stupid and other insults. All while the girl in question is a failure at absolutely EVERYTHING, can't stop swooning over him and is practically planning their wedding. Drove me NUTS. Ariel Lin's character might be the most brain dead girl on TV. EVER! In the typical drama Mr Cold Guy usually breaks down his cold exterior somewhere in the end of the series, but in this one? Joe Cheng's character shows absolutely no growth.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ The wedding scene. Or, their clothes in the wedding scene... :P 9The reason why this is 2/5 and not 1/5...)
- Everything else?
Smiling Pasta
This is cute, I guess. But the cheesily promising plot (common girl accidentally kisses pop star and has to pretend to be his girlfriend) somehow turns boring. It's a good drama when you don't want to get too involved. It's cutesy enough for you to stay interested for a while but not enough to need several-hour long marathons.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ The first couple of episodes being quite amusing...
- ... and the rest not as much.
Finally...
Japanese drama
Rating: (5/5)
Nodame Cantabile
Drama about a students at a music university? Yes, it works! The whacked out humor in this one shocked me at first (it's definitely live action manga!), but soon turned hysterical. The female lead is priceless, the male lead to die for. And one cannot NOT fall completely in love with classical music when watching this. It's impossible. The show IS music, it's the character's lives, and we FEEL it. Somehow you're spellbound, on the edge of your seat, every time Chiaki-senpai conducts. It's fantastic. (Remember to watch the SPs!!)
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ the scenes in ep1 when they are cleaning Nodame's room (around 5:00). And of course: The music!
- this kind of humor might not be for everyone...
Orange Days
One of my absolute favorite jdramas. Portraying the lives of four college students, it's incredibly well-paced, well-written and has very human main characters. What I love most about it is how it describes that time right before a big change (in their case graduation), the anticipation, the stress, the friendships that may or may not last the separation... It's a tale of growing up. And the female lead's handicap (she's deaf) is handled, according to me anyway, in a very careful and thought-through way.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ How the deaf girl is never really victimized. How it feels like it could almost be a slice of real life
- that there isn't more? xD
Kimi wa Petto
What to say? Matsumuto Jun plays a woman's pet? Can it get any better? It sounds like a completely cracky premise but it's actually darker and moodier than you'd expect. Business woman is torn between the cute boy she finds in a box outside her apartment complex (and ends up "keeping as a pet" at home) and the "perfect" man at her office who's husband-material. I wanted to fast-forward through all the scenes that hasn't Matsujun in them, but that's just me being impatient. Really cute drama. (I remember thinking I should be upset over the whole pet, boy-as-possession, no-human-rights thing, but it's actually handled quite well.)
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ All of Matsujun's pet antics
- The opening song (V6's "Darling") that just completely ruined the mood for me.
Nobuta wo Produce
Odd girl Nobuta (Horikita Maki) is the new girl at school. Shuji (Kamenashi Kazuya) is the popular guy everyone likes. Akira (Yamashita Tomohisa) is the weirdo even Shuji doesn't understand. The three unexpectedly (and secretly) join forces to "produce" Nobuta as the popular girl in school.
What to say about Nobuta wo Produce that hasn't been said before? I put off watching this drama feeling I had too high expectations, but I can say I was not disappointed. There's a few things about this drama that really hits the spot with me. The first thing being its portrayal of popularity. I feel Kame's charade to keep his popularity in school is true to much of what went on during my school years. The second thing is the actual "producing" of Nobuta. Many dramas have used the makeover theme, but never has it been done as in Nobuta wo Produce. I was happy that producing had little to do with changing the appearance of Nobuta. One would think that producing, which brought he three friends together, would be the focus of the drama, but it is half-forgotten further into the show. It's absolutely heart-warming seeing the friendship of the three, watching Kame's character realize there are more important things than popularity, watching Yamapi being, well, Yamapi, and watching Nobuta slowly gaining the liking of her classmates (and I'd say she does it all on her own).
Hottie factor: 5/5 (Can't deny the prettiness of the JE boys)
+ So many things, but Nobuta's school TV show in particular
- I have nothing.
Love Shuffle
In Love Shuffle, four people meeting in the elevator of their apartment building decide to "shuffle" themselves and their respective partners in their own kind of speed dating, in an attempt to find out about true love and if it really exists.
I was thoroughly entertained by Love Shuffle. It's a bit more "grown-up", while still incorporating a lot of comedy and without getting too heavy. It also has an amazingly pretty cast. It's so much fun seeing the "couples" change every episode, how they match up, how they play off each other and how we learn about them through them learning about each other. You end up finding favorite couplings but I was surprised at how I often couldn't tell who were going to end up together in the end. With a few more or less surprising plot twists thrown in, you have, in my opinion, one of the best Japanese dramas released recently. I can wholeheartedly reccomend this.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ DAIGO is adorable as the shy, rich boy and does a fairly good job at acting.
- Tanihara Shosuke's psychiatrist creeped me out. Big time.
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
This was described to me as a classic, and it really is. Has time has taken its toll on Ikebukuro West Gate Park? Only fashion-wise. The story holds up extremely well. I was spellbound from start to finish. It is a lot more daring that other dramas. There's (gang) violence, foul language, and a lot more casual approach to sex - all wrapped up in a big dose of comedy. Nagase Tomoya plays Makoto Ikebukuro the neighborhood's reluctant hero. Ikebukuro West Gate Park's inhabitants, the member's of the local gang GBoys, the yakuza, the sex workers, everyone seem to turn to Makoto to solve their problems. Makoto might complain, might exclaim "what a pain in the ass!" but his heart and soul is in Ikebukuro, and his love for the neighborhood is what really keeps it (and the show) together. The acting is superb. It is a drama in a league of its own, because I've never seen anything like it. The resolution to the murder mystery might be questionable, but it doesn't take away from Ikebukuro West Gate Park being an effortless 5/5.
Hottie factor: 4/5. Kobozuka Yosuke is gorgeous...
+ ...and gives the most memorable performance. Such a talent.
- I've been recommended to not watch the SP. I'm staying away, which sucks, because I want more!
Rating: (4/5)
Last Friends
Hairdresser Michiru meets childhood friends Ruka, a tomboyish motocross driver, for the first time in 4 years. Soon after she finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship, and her escape become Ruka's "sharehouse" which she shares with her friends; the kind Takeru, laid-back Eri and cowardly Ogura.
Last Friends is a drama that tackles a lot of hard topics, the most prominent domestic violence and transsexuality. For the most part, these subjects are handled well. It's a heavy drama. There's barely any comedy, but instead the light scenes with the friends together, being just that, friends, are worth so much more. The sharehouse is a source of warmth, its inhabitants people you wish you knew. The acting, especially on Ueno Juri's part is impressive. Sure, I could nitpick and say the way they referred to Ruka's sexuality as "Gender identity disorder" irked me to no end and say I would have wanted the violence to be more suggested, and let's not get me started on the pregnancy... But! Last Friends tried to do a lot of things. In many ways, it succeeded. At the very least, it's a very good try.
Hottie factor: 4/5 (Entirely Eita! ♥)
+ Ruka being one of the most awesome female character's I've sen in drama in a very long time. Also: the last couple of lines of the drama. So perfect.
- "Gender identity disorder" :(
Hanazakari No Kimitachi e
The Japanese version of Hana Kimi. I know my utter dislike for Oguri Shun (yeah, I'm probably alone in this) is the reason this isn't 5/5, but I don't care. I just can not find him appealing at all, ESPECIALLY not as Sano. Sano is another Cold Guy and not a very likable one. Why Mizuki doesn't see Nakatsu is above and beyond me. Because yeah, Nakatsu, the best friend, is absolutely AMAZING. He goes GAY for her, damnit. Boy needs some love. Aaaanyway. I mentioned the premise right? Girl dresses up as a boy in an all (pretty!) boy's school, ends up being roomies with the high jumping broody boy she came there for (and they fall in love). Juicy!
Hottie factor: 5/5 (and that's Oguri Shun excluded, lol)
+ Ikuta Toma as Nakatsu ♥forever! GHOST BOY!
- Oguri Shun's bad posture
Hana Yori Dango
Another super popular drama. And worth the hype, kind of. Based off the manga with the same title, it's basically like this: poor girl goes to elite school where four pretty rich boys, "Flower 4", runs things. Girl gets on F4 leader's bad side, (which means the whole school turns on her), but there's a thin line between love and hate, as we all know...
Being a teen show and based off a manga, this drama has some very soapy elements (Sakurako, anyone?) and with sometimes weird pacing, like the two leads going from hating each others guts to looooving each other in like, 2 episodes. But! It's a classic. The performances, especially from Matsomuto Jun, are amazingly intense and believable, and Makino is rather kickass, especially at the beginning of the drama. I'm going to refrain from hating on Oguri Shun this time, but yeah, I couldn't stand him.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Makino's "declaration of war" scene
- the cheeeesy ending of the final movie
Tatta Hitotsu no Koi
This is surprisingly sweet. And for once, it's the rich girl falling for the poor boy and not the other way around. It's one of those dramas where you're satisfied all the way through. It's well plotted out; it just works. I can't even find anything else to comment on. I just get this smile on my face thinking back to watching this.
Hottie factor: 3/5 (probably higher for KAT-TUN fans :P)
Ryusei no Kizuna
In the middle of the 90's, Tokyo: the owner of a small restaurant and his wife are brutally murdered in their home while their three children are out watching shooting stars. Fast-forward to present time and the three siblings have come together to once and for all find the man who killed their parents.
There's something about Ryuusei no kizuna, and I can't quite put my finger on it. It's somewhat (and surprisingly) quirky in its approach to a murder mystery in a way that puts it apart from other shows. I was surprised by the amount of laughs I had watching this drama. All of the main characters does a phenomenal job (I was particularly impressed with Nino and his delivery of the comedy), the mystery holds up pretty well and it keeps you interested until the end. If nothing else, it gets you seriously craving Japanese curry (or really, Hayashi Rice)
Hottie factor: 5/5 (Might have fallen in love with Nino in this... Didn't find him attractive before. o_O)
+ Ryo's custumes!
- Not sure I actually liked the conclusion of the murder mystery...
Tiger and Dragon
I was not prepared to be so thoroughly hooked on Tiger and Dragon as I was. Reading this list of dramas you'll realize I watch mostly romance shows, and Tiger and Dragon focuses little, if at all, on romance. Nagase Tomoya plays a Kotora, a yakuza that ends up learning the art of Rakugo (traditional Japanese comedy/storytelling), in a deal to collect debts from a Rakugo master. He unexpectedly becomes friends with his master's estranged son, who left the household to sell his clothing designs, as well as the rest of the master's family and disciples.
The core of Tiger and Dragon is the story Kotora has to learn in every episode. Unable to tell it the traditional way, he connects the story to modern times and things happening to his friends and the yakuza he's a part of. While this basically means we'll hear the story twice (once while it's taught to him and once when Kotora gets a chance to tell it) I never got bored of hearing Kotora's adaption. I'm quite certain that the amount of comedy lost in translation for a person like me who doesn't know Japanese and don't have a full understanding of the Japanese culture is enormous in a show like this, but I was still so, so amused by this drama. It's dripping with hilarity.
Hottie factor: 4/5, entirely Okada Junichi
+ I'm not really much for jpop, but T&D has one of my favorite ending themes ever: V6's Utao-Utao
- That I probably missed so much funny stuff...
Anego
Noda Naoko is a 33-year-old office lady, desperately wanting to marry and always helping everyone else out with their problems, earning herself the nickname "anego" (older sister). But her good woman status is at stake when she gets involved with a colleague 11 years her junior (played by Akanishi Jin) and simultaneously falls for her close friend's husband.
I like how this drama tries to portray the importance of marriage in Japanese culture, the pressure and desire Naoko feels is sometimes extreme, but still realistic. I like how she's allowed to have true romantic feelings for more than one man at the same time, to the point that I'm starting to doubt she'll end up with the one I want (i.e. Jin, who's absolutely adorable playing the naive 23-year-old who's completely smitten with Naoko). Her jumbled love life feels much more like a slice of real life than a lot similar story lines in other dramas. I just wish the SP was less of a recap (use that fast forward button!) and not left as open as it was. I was a little less than satisfied with the way they tied things up.
Hottie factor: Jin is a cutie...
+ ...and all of his scenes are adorable. The way he looks at Naoko!
- the portrayal of Mongolia...
Rating: (3/5)
Sore wa Totsuzen Arashi no You Ni
Married woman falls for teenage boy. Yes, they went there. Yes, I watched this for Yamashita Tomohisa, yes he's hot in it. His acting... is not always as convincing though, but I do appreciate the more "real life" kind of feeling to this drama, especially the realistic ending.
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ Yamapi is pretty, yes
- Yamapi having, like, exactly one expression. :P
Innocent Love
Horikita Maki (from Hanazakari no Kimitachi e) plays a girl who's brother is in prison for supposedly killing their parents. Although she's basically being run out of their hometown and can't keep a job without hiding this fact, she believes in her brother's innocence. Moving to the city she meets and falls in love with a composer who has that same deep faith in the person he loves the most.
I admit I think Yuzu are adorable and I was happy to see Kitagawa Yujin in a drama. His acting... is ok, I guess. Some parts of this drama are quite touching, other parts almost too saintly. It feels a little too Christian to me at times. The "mystery" of the parents' death is kind of see-through and doesn't always work. However, the main leads almost platonic romance is quite endearing.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Yujin singing
- the Christian feeling of it
Proposal Daisakusen
A pitiful man at a wedding, watching the woman he's loved all his life getting married to another man. That's the starting point of this drama. With the help of a fairy and through the pictures shown in a slide show at the reception, this pitiful man is able to go back in time to change things and maybe win the heart of the girl he loves before it's too late.
Proposal Daisakusen is repetetive. The same basic plot of Yamapi's character going back in time (and coming back to the wedding day) is used in every episode. I don't blame those who gave up on Proposal Daisakusen half-way in. But I also found it inexplicably charming and I have to say Yamapi role is one of his more likable ones (he has a way of always looking expressionless). It might not be the drama you you watch all episodes over one night, but it's sweet enough. I was close to giving this a 4/5, but objectively, without a Yamapi bias, it's a 3/5.
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ The lame pose Yamapi has to do when going back in time.
- The lame pose Yamapi has to do when going back in time... XD
Koishite Akuma [rating: 3/5]
The Japanese Twilight? If you want. I was surprised at this drama. I expected something cheesier than cheese, something I could mock and watch absentmindedly. But honestly? I was entertained. It's almost.... good. Sure, it IS cheesy, you have to have some tolerance for the whole vampire thing, Nakayama Yuma's acting is weak at times (but the boy is fifteen (!!!!) so I'll forgive him) but the overall story kept me interested. Nakayama's vampire boy is emo, a drama queen and all that rebellious stuff a teenager his age would go through. Add his 'vampire puberty' (and don't get me started on the metaphors for sex hidden here) and the result is hilarious, but touching. Nakayama's character is thrown into the human world to learn how to grow his fangs and drink blood (something he hasn't done before). But it all gets complicated when he realizes he has a 'fated female' - a one and only human he can draw blood from, and that person happens to be his homeroom teacher. And when it comes to his feelings for her...
I actually recommend this. Don't expect a masterpiece, but it's cheesy sweet enough. At least it's a hundred times better than the Twilight series.
Hottie factor: Nakayama is a cutie. But jailbait. No score today.
+ Yes, 3/5 is my non-biased rating. I was close to putting this in 4/5... XD
- WARNING. Did I mention Nakayama Yuma is fifteen and romantically involved with his teacher who's 10 years his senior? Yeah. If that squicks you out...
Boku dake no Madonna
College student Kyoichi (Takizawa Hideaki) comes home one day to find a girl, a stranger, sleeping on his bed. Confused, he has to go out again to check it's really his room and coming back, the girl is gone, but the evidence that she's been there is obvious; his take-out dinner is gone.
She comes back every night when he's not there, and finally Kyoichi has to call her out on what she's doing, asking what she's doing and why. Turns out she's watching the man living across the street through Kyoichi's window and soon a strange friendship forms between Kyoichi and his guest.
I liked this one a lot. The initial plot is quirky and strange and the girl, Surumi, is one of those impulsive and strong-willed characters, bordering on a bitch at times. Kyoichi, or Kyon, is intrigued by this beautiful girl who came into his life and weak when it comes to saying no to her. Falling for her, he can't help to be used by her time and time again. It's true that this drama gets a little draggy towards the end, but I didn't mind too much. It's nothing more than a simple love story, so if you're expecting more plot than that you'll end up disappointed. I found most of it absolutely adorable. The ending is predictable but satisfying and the side characters, who have a tendency to annoy me in dramas, were really likable in this one.
Hottie factor: 4/5 Tackey's face... man.
+ That the girl isn't weak and such a good girl? Yeah, I loved that.
- If you haven't fallen for Kyon, this might get boring.
Rating: (2/5)
Maou
A detective with a dark past and a lawyer with a good Samaritan exterior are turned against each other in this suspense drama. I admit I watched this solely for Ikuta Toma. Who's acting is SHITTY in this show. Ohno, on the other hand, is pretty damn good. I haven't seen the Korean original yet (I need to forget the lulz of Maou first). I'm not sure what to say about this. It just doesn't work when you're like, 3 episodes ahead of the police in the detective work solving the so-called mystery. Sometimes I actually started to wonder if they want you to take the show seriously.
Hottie factor: 5/5 (Toma is really pretty, ok?)
+ Points for trying? xD
- Um, how it fails at being suspense?
Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend)
Believing she's signing up for matchmaking, the patissier Riko ends up acquiring a robot programmed to be her boyfriend. Enter her hot boss who's falling in love with her and you have yourself a love triangle...
I know this was popular. I didn't like it. The idea of a perfect robot boyfriend sounds good enough, but just doesn't work when the robot in question has nothing on the hot REAL PERSON. I personally found the robot clingy, annoying and not very likable. (Not to mention looking a little bit haggard most of the time, lol)
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ REAL PERSON = Mizushima Hiro (dorm leader from Hanazakari) = too gorgeous.
- The whole robot thing. The ending.
Mei-chan no Shitsuji
This is another one of those recent quite popular dramas that I didn't really get. Mizushima Hiro's hair looks like he just got out of the shower (CONSTANTLY = eh, no) not to mention his acting (WTH?). The plot of a poor girl ending up at rich girl school where everyone has a personal butler... Meh. If that wasn't enough, the same subplot is basically repeated in every episode, again and again. Shibata, the best friend, is a ray of light though as well the overall prettiness of the cast.
Hottie factor: 4/5 (would be 5/5 if Hiro had better hair)
+ Shibata being an adorable spazz
- Lucia-sama. Just plain annoying as far as evil characters go.
Kurosagi
Yamashita Tomohisa plays a boy who's family was destroyed by a swindler. Sworn on revenge, he himself swindles - other swindlers. Yamapi is cute in this one, sure, but I can't help but wish the love story got more room. Because as it is, it's basically the same story of Kurosagi going after a swindler in every episode. Which gets sort of old after a while. And I haven't even been able to watch the whole movie yet, I stopped somewhere in the middle. xD (Should I keep going, anyone?)
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ Yamapi's crazy disguises/costumes.
- the repetitiveness
Atashinchi no Danshi
In Atashinchi no Danshi Horikita Maki plays Chisato, a girl who, due to her useless father and his debts, is living as a homeless person. One day a man named Okura Shinzo saves her from the rage of debt collectors and she ends up agreeing to marry him in exchange for her debts to be paid. But Okura Shinzo only has a limited time left to live and there was more to their wedding contract than Chisato realized. She has to move into with Shinzo's sons, become their "mother" and complete a number of different tasks for the debts to be paid.
I got a strong HanaKimi feeling from this drama. And with the same writer and director + part of the cast, it's not exactly coincidence. Both dramas have a single girl living under the same roof as a number pretty boys (6 sons in Trick Heart Castle instead of the students of the 2nd dorm) and both have the same kind of random silly comedy antics and eccentric side characters. But truth be told, most of it feels unnecessary instead of wonderfully quirky like in HanaKimi. And when Atashinchi no Danshi gets serious, with monologues of the meaning of family etc, I mostly want to cringe. I suggest watching HanaKimi instead.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Yamamoto Yusuko (better known as GHOST BOY!<3) in blue eyesahdow and his sauna scene with Seto Koji (who's ridiculously adorable in this)
- That nobody demanded to see that ENTIRE marriage contract the first time it was revealed there was more to it *eye roll*
(And that's it, yo.)
Finished dramas, reviews to be added if I still remember these...:
Why Why Love
14 Sai no Haha
Cain and Abel
Code Blue
Bloody Monday
Pride
Sapuri
Buzzer Beat
Curently unfinished:
Korean
Sorry I Love You
I am Sam
Taking Care of the Young Lady
Japanese
Majo no Jouken
Rookies
akihabara@deep
Beautiful Life
Smile
Taiwanese
Romantic Princess
My Queen
Ying Ye 3 Jia 1
Easy Fortune Happy Life
Currently watching that's airing:
You're Beautiful (♥ ♥)
IRIS
Ohitorisama
On my to-watch list (just a handful of them):
Korean
The Devil
Beethoven Virus
Dal Ja's Spring
Que Sera Sera
Taiwanese
ToGetHer
Wish to See You Again
Japanese
Kisarazu Cat's Eye
Gokusen (s1)
Galileo
+ a lot more. Feel free to rec me stuff.
Handy links for drama nerds...
Places to watch dramas online:
Mysoju
Veoh
viikii (Has mostly the new stuff and what's currently airing - make sure to turn of 'discussion')
YouTube (duh)
Places to download dramas:
Veoh
D-addicts torrents
Via Soompi forums
AJA AJA
Via subbing teams (that's a link to FansubWiki)
There's also a lj community which I can give you the link to in a screened comment if you ask nicely.
Last updated:
Nov 17 2009
This is mini-reviews of most of the dramas I've watched so far. Please note that I don't necessarily recommend all of these - if you're new to drama, I'd say chose something rated 4/5 or higher.
A few things:
- Sorted after country of production, from highest rating (5/5) to lowest (0/5)
- random awesome things about the drama ("+") and not-so-awesome things ("-")
- hottie factor = how hot the male cast is (because uh, I'm shallow?)
- clicking title of drama takes you to its DramaWiki page
- names of actors being hyper linked = visual aid ;D
- also? don't get too offended if I didn't like your fav show/actor, mmkay? These are just opinions. Specifically mine.
Ratings
5/5 Excellent!
4/5 Really good.
3/5 Good, but with some flaws. Still worth watching.
2/5 Might want to stay away...
1/5 Not worth your time.
Quick links:
Korean Drama | Taiwanese Drama | Japanese Drama
Korean drama
Rating: (5/5)
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
The drama of all dramas. Probably the biggest MUST-SEEs of all time. Believe the hype. It is that good. A lot can be said about Coffee Prince but one of the things that I love about it, that I had completely forgotten when I watched it the second time around is how funny it is. It's not all out slapstick humor, no one's really cracking jokes or one liners, instead there's a warm, friendly comedy running throughout the show, with a big, big heart. Yoon Eun Hye is absolutely adorable as the poor girl who's mistaken for a boy, who has to keep pretending to keep her job at a coffee shop (where only male baristas are allowed). Enter a love story with her boss (who of course doesn't not know she's a girl), a man who rather pretends to be gay than suffer the pressure of having to get married; a group of absolutely charming side characters, an amazing soundtrack, a big dose of coffee and you're gonna be hooked. If you haven't already seen this. Which you should have.
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ KIM JAE WOOK (need I say more?). Pretty much every scene with Eun Chan and Han Kyul,
- The ending (but everyone might not agree with me on this)
My Name is Kim Sam Soon
Was described to me as Korea's Bridget Jones. Partly true. The main character might be incredibly embarrassing at times, but she's also very human. Sam Soon could be you or me or anyone. She's considered fat and old and a failure. But what she does have is integrity and that counts for a lot. And the part where she ends up with the younger, rich hottie is such a self-indulgent plot line, almost too good to be true, but it is done in quite a sweet way. This drama also has Danniel Henney as one of the most likable characters ever. I recently re-watched this and it's just as great the second time around. A must watch!
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Hyun Bin!
- Sam Soon being considered fat when she's, you know, NORMAL. Oh, Korea. *sigh*
Time Between Dog and Wolf
This is usually a drama I rec to people who's used to American shows. Why? I feel it has more the feel of a movie, and since it's an agent series, it's not solely about romance (like 99%of the other dramas I watch, *ahem*). Time Between Dog and Wolf is action-packed, with a lot of (successful!) twists and turns; it has a darker mood and never ceases to be nerve-wrackingly exciting. Lee Jun Ki plays an agent who fakes his own death and goes undercover to infiltrate the mafia that killed his mother. Add a love triangle with his childhood love and brother and you have yourself some pretty juicy stuff.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Jun Ki being absolute KICKASS and HOTASS
- I have nothing at this moment.
A Love to Kill
Rain plays a man with nothing left to lose, who plots out his revenge on the woman his brother loved, a woman he blames for the fact that his brother has ended up a human vegetable. Of course, he hadn't counted on falling for her... *dum-dum-dum*
I love this drama because it's darker, it has barely any funny filler characters and it's one of those really achy dramas, where you're heart is breaking with he cast, over and over again. It's surprisingly well-paced and quite well-written. You can watch it solely because of Rain, and boy what a performance he puts on. I don't usually think Rain is particularly pretty but I was DROOLING over him in this show. He's rough, rugged and just completely broken. Remember: bring tissues!
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ broken!Rain. Rain in a suit. Rain kicking ass. Overall Rain awesomeness.
- sad ending? If that's not your cup of tea. (I thought it was perfect.)
Iljimae
Iljimae is the first, and so far only, historical kdrama I've watched. And honestly I wouldn't have watched it if Jun Ki didn't play the main character. This drama tells the tale of legend Iljimae, a Korean Robin Hood, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor in the search for the sword (and man) who killed his father. I have to admit, I saw this drama with incredibly bad subs (Chinese dvd copy) so I'm a little fussy about the plot sometimes! Still, I was completely hooked on this (which should tell you something!). Jun Ki is fantastic in the role of Yong/Iljimae. It's especially Yong's own acting - how he has to pretend to be the same cheery, no-good punk he's always been, when really he's got more sorrows weighing on his heart than anyone can imagine - that really gets to me. The first few episodes are hard to watch - misfortune after misfortune seem to be coming young Yong's way. I was impatiently waiting for him to grow up, learn how to fight and strike back. But the wait is worth it. Iljimae (the drama) has some of the most stunning fighting scenes. The drama is overall beautiful, the cast, the wardrobe, and the soundtrack. Don't be scared off because of the historical setting.
Hottie factor: 5/5. Lee Jun Ki is girlishly pretty as Iljimae, even in the old-fashioned clothes.
+ Iljiimae in action!
- The politics. Sometimes Iljimae learn a little too fast, or is a little too smart, but I'm not really complaining.
Rating: (4/5)
Brilliant Legacy
The plot of this drama is one of the hardest I've tried to summarize, especially since the first few episodes take their time in introducing the actual plot. Which goes like this: When Go Eun Sung, a hardworking young woman's father "passes away" and her autistic brother goes missing, life is looking grim. This is why she sympathizes with, and takes in, the old woman with amnesia she finds passed out in the streets. When the old woman's memory returns it turns out she's Jang Sook Ja, the CEO of a food company, and Sook Ja demands poor Eun Sung moves in with her and her family in gratitude for her good samaritan act. But Sook Ja's grandson is a spoiled brat and him and Eun Sung butt heads, to say the least. The two have actually met before, by coincidence when Eung Sung grabbed the wrong bag at the airport and a number of misunderstandings followed.
As I said, complicated plot, a net of characters all tied together (often unknowingly). That doesn't mean Brilliant Legacy isn't a good drama though. One of the most impressive things about it is how the male lead goes from being an immature, spoiled brat to a decent human being in the course of the show. Lee Seung Gi with his boyish look is perfect in the role and he plays it well. Han Hyo Joo is even better in the role of Go Eun Sung. (She cries so beautifully!) The bad guy, Eun Sung's stepmother is especially evil, to the point where you almost can't believe there is such a person (well, thank god it's fiction). The entire main cast is splendid. This drama had some of the highest ratings when it aired recently and I can't say the viewers were wrong. Definitely worth watching.
Hottie factor:
+ The boy playing Eun Sungs autistic brother. What a performance!
- The soapy plot. But it's okay.
You're Beautiful
Fall 09's most popular drama? Possibly. In this light, fluffy, romantic comedy aspiring nun(!) Mi Nyu is thrown together with the three pretty boys of pop idol group A.N.Jell; broody Tae Kyung, considerate Shin Woo, and funny Jeremy. Her twin brother, who was supposed to join the group is no where to be found and Mi Nyu is coerced by their manager to secretly take his place, cross-dressing and all. But the three pop idols falls for Mi Nyu one after the other and add a bitchy 'fake fairy', an uncaring mother and a nosy reporter into the mix and you have yourself a recipe for intrigue.
This is one of the more successful light dramas I've come across. It's silly and it's cheesy but it never loses its charm. And You're Beautiful is very charming. It's easy to love the characters you're supposed to love and hate the ones you're supposed to hate. It won't rock your world or tell you something insightful about the human race, but it will make you laugh and cry and aww in all the right places. It's involving and entertaining and oh so funny. The performances from the main cast are strong; Jang Geun Suk of course, but who surprised me was Hongki who shows he can handle both comedy and more serious scenes.
I will definitely recommend this.
Hottie factor: 5/5 The three male leads really are idol pretty...
+ All the hilarious dream scenes
- The first episode is a little slow to get started. Don't make this lose your interest!
Rating: (3/5)
Goong
In a modern Korea where monarchy still rules, a poor girl suddenly learns she has to marry the prince because of a promise her grandfather made to the late king. Moving into the palace, she has to deal with a rather distant prince/husband and learning how to become a queen.
This show is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The people are beautiful, the wardrobe and locations are beautiful. Everything's beautiful. It's a pleasure to watch. The soundtrack is amazing. The story is a classic Cinderella story. So. Problem? Main guy is incapable of growing as a person. It's draaaaaaagged out. for too. damn. long. Such a shame! Could have be amazing. The premise in itself is so interesting. Still, now that Joo Ji Hoon's career might be over, you should watch it just to get a glimpse of the boy.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ the scenes with Chae-kyung hitting her Shin doll
- how Yul goes from being sweet and adorable to evil!sceming!bastard
Boys Before Flowers (Korean "Hana Yori Hango")
Surprised to see this at 3/5? Well, it might be too soon to judge how good it actully was since I've only watched this once, while it was airing. But. There's just too many problems with this drama, small flaws that probably could have been avoided if they had more TIME to plot it out and say, the actors got a chance to rest. Because it feels rushed. Those things aside, it is a very cute drama, quite a good manga adaption (some parts actually better than the Japanese version), and no matter how 'wth?' it got, we STILL kept watching, you know? And that has to count for something. Boys Before Flowers was entirely entertaining and oh so addictive. Did I mention there's pretty boys too? :P (If you've somehow missed what this is about, I've kinda described the plot down at the "Hana Yori Dango" review.)
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Yi Yung + Ga Eul OTP, Jun Pyo's perm, Jan Di's round kick, Prince Song... Quite a few things!
- Fugly animated ducks, Jan Di's "drowning scenes", the godforsaken soundtrack, and all the other small things that made you roll your eyes...
Delightful Girl, Choon-Hyang
Boy and girl accidentally sleeps in the same bed (when she's sick and he's drunk) and getting caught the morning after, they have to get married to escape the shame/town gossip.
I love the premise of this drama, I admit, and large parts of it are really good. But it's also one of those shows where you want to kill yourself and the entire cast come say, half-way in. It's typically dragged out in kdrama style, with leaps in time and evil!scheming secondary characters. But Jae Hee is my darling and the banter between the main leads make it interesting. It also has one of my favorite kdrama soundtracks.
Hottie factor: 4/5 (Jae has bad hair and ugly clothes but still manages to be hot)
+ Jae Hee's fighting scenes in the beginning
- the absolute HATRED you feel for Uhm Tae Woong's character
Couple of Fantasy
This one is special. It's amnesia!drama. It's hilarious. The female lead, an absolute bitch who is turned into a maid when she loses her memory, is possibly the best ever. Very charming. I'm not sure why I don't rate it higher, I just can't remember being completely hooked while watching, and can't put my finger on why. Give it a shot, you might like it better than me.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ hottie with kids! ovaries!explode
- gets you SERIOUSLY wanting jajangmyeon
My Girl
Your regular 'girl-poses-as-boy's-[insert relation here]-and-they-fall-in-love' story. Some people seem to have watched it because Lee Jun Ki is pretty, but I seriously didn't find him very appealing in this drama. He looks like a girl. Egh. The rest of the story is sweet and interesting enough for you to keep watching. I feel like a lot of what I associate with a typical drama comes from this show and that it has shaped a lot of shows coming after it. But I'm not sure if that's actually true. Probably a good first drama.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ The couple from "Delightful Girl"'s cameo in the final.
- Jun Ki in turtleneck, earring and bad hair. No.
Full House
The first, say, 10 episodes of this drama, I could barely justify why I was watching. Nothing was moving forward, the characters were just stomping in the same old places. Then after, say, 12 episodes things actually started happening, roles were reversed, we became involved. And the main couple do have this banter thing going on, even though I found it tiring after a while. It's the typical 'poor-girl-owes-rish-guy-money-and-has-to-be-his-maid' plot. Why should you watch it? Because Rain will always be Rain.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Rain has ugly clothes. lulz.
- Rain has ugly clothes. >_<
Witch Yoo Hee
This drama starts out so well, but seems to lose some of its charm during the course of the season. It also suffers from weak secondary characters (Jae's girlfriend who can't take a hint that they're OVER, Kim Jeong Hoon's character ("Yul" from Goong) being the most boring and unsympathetic person ever etc...) It also has the *eye-roll* plot of a bitchy woman having to change (her personality and her looks) to find a man. So why watch it? Because Jae's character is absolutely ADORABLE and perfect. You can't get away from it. The scenes with him and the female lead are always amazing. And for once it's a boy who has to be the maid to pay off his debt. It also has a pretty amazing wardrobe and a lot of eye candy. xD
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Jae Hee being TOO PRETTY FOR WORDS. Dennis Oh.
- The whole 'makeover' theme. Fail!
Moving on to...
Taiwanese drama
Rating: (5/5)
Hua Yang Shao Nian Shao Nu (Hana Kimi)
Based off the manga about a girl who dresses up as a boy and enters an all boy's school because of a high jumping broody boy she's seen on TV (and who she of course ends up falling for). I might be the only person in fandom who prefers the Taiwanese verison of Hana Kimi over the Japanese one. But the truth is it's just too fricking ADORABLE. This version's Sano (played by Wu Chun) is far from the cold broody guy he is in the Japanese version. He and Rui Xi(/Mizuki played by Ella) have the cutest friendship bordering on something more. It's just filled with sweet aww-worthy scenes. It's terribly flawed, sure (low production etc), absolutely WHACKY sometimes, but I can't not love it and it still is 5/5 in my book. But remember: don't compare it to "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" (like I just did...)
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Wu Chun + Ella being ADORABLE. Cutest opening song ever.
- The "feed her like bird scene", grosses me out. The ending. :(
Silence
Such a beautiful drama. Much calmer than your usual TWdrama. It feels like a kdrama to me. Not much comic relief, which fits the subject at hand (guy having 3 months left to life, love story with mute girl...). It's absolutely wonderful seeing the main character trying to redeem himself during the last months of his life. And somehow it doesn't get unbearably depressing, until like the last episode. It's beautiful. (And I think this drama had a higher budget because it doesn't have that low production feel some TW dramas have.)
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ Vic Zhou being pretty
- Park Eun Hye's character being almost too good of a person sometimes. Does that make sense?
Fated to Love You
I love this one. It's hilarious. I love how it's paced, how you can almost divide the season into different chapters. I love how the female lead is allowed to go from timid (aka your regular drama girl) to strong career woman. I love how the male lead aka Mr Cold Guy (played by Ethan Ruan) has to realize his mistakes and fight to get her back. I love the unbelievable one-night-stand (her being high on flu meds and walking into the wrong room, him being drugged - both thinking the other is someone else...) I love the cracky pregnancy plot and all the whacky side characters.
Hottie factor: 5/5 (Ethan is pretty, y'all)
+ the CRACKY sex scene (around 2:35)
- same as above, the CRACKY sex scene? lol
Rating: (4/5)
Mars
This is close to a 5/5. But it has a few too many soapy plot lines to fit there. My friend recced this to me because it has one of her favorite drama couples, and I agree. The main leads get the chance to actually be a couple, without it ever becoming boring (hooking them up is usually the fun part, you know?). The male lead's background, which runs as a mystery arc throughout the season is very well executed, and some of the tougher topics (rape, suicide, death) are handled fairly well.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Sweeeeeet couple
- The female lead's tendency to psychoanalyze the male lead. Gets on my nerves, lol.
Prince Turns to Frog
I'm not sure why I love this one so much. It has a little too much crazy Taiwanese comic relief for it to be 5/5 but it's a close one still. It's just so adorable. It's an amnesia drama, actually with multiple cases of amnesia, if I remember correctly. Rich arrogant guy ends up with amnesia in the countryside and is taken in by poor girl (who believes she caused his memory loss) and discovers his own humanity. Then add like, two more amnesia twists and you have this show in a nutshell. It's awesome.
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ Ming Dao
- the poor quality of the production. (Or might have been the low-res version I was watching?)
Love Contract
One of the darker TW dramas out there. Ariel Lin's broken character is absolutely beautiful. Her relationship with Mike He is so sweet; their scenes together really make the whole show, enough to make the things around them boring. The ending... is completely fucked up and unnecessary, but I still see it as a drama very much worth watching. Remember: bring tissues!
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ The scene where Ariel Lin's character finally breaks. Not gonna say more.
- Did I mention the ending? You need to be prepared for it. :S
Sweet Relationship
Sweet Relationship might be the slowest drama I've watched (love story-wise) but it is also one of the dramas that I've been most engrossed in lately. It's absolutely lovely in it's portrayal of family, friendship, and chasing of one's dreams. Vic Zhou plays chef Zi Tian, an expert in French cuisine but with a bad temper and a tragic childhood. Bai Hui is the cheerful girl equipped with extraordinary tastebuds and a love for food. Set at the neighborhood restaurant Little Bear the two are thrown together much to Zi Tian demise. As mentioned, the love story progresses almost in slow-motion. It's not the focus of the drama, but it's ever present yet the same. Vic plays your typical cold guy turned sensitive, but the drama stays true to his personality and the transition is as with everything else, slow and unforced. Bai Hai might be your typical spunky good girl, but I found her incredibly likable and on the occasions when they touch upon the fact that she's a female chef (in a very male-oriented workplace) things get interesting.
Hottie factor: 5/5 Vic Zhou biassss
+ Jin Dao granny ftw!
- Did I mention it's slow?
Rating: (3/5)
Devil Beside You
Another really sweet drama couple, also with Mike He. If you're not squicked out by the premise, girl and boy falling in love and then becoming "siblings" (their parents getting married), it's a Taiwanese drama classic. I had a friend tell me she laughed through the first couple of episodes, but she wasn't used to TWdrama and I think you need to give it a shot. It's mostly the poor production that drags it down. Why I think it's 3/5? See "-"
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Adorable morning after scene
- Mike He's hair pins. BAD HAIR!!!
Rating: (2/5)
It Started with a Kiss
I can NOT understand why this drama is so popular. Can not. I wanted to kill myself and the female lead while watching it. (No, I haven't seen the sequel and not planning to.) The male lead is your typical Cold Guy who decides to be nice only when he feels like it, often calls the female lead stupid and other insults. All while the girl in question is a failure at absolutely EVERYTHING, can't stop swooning over him and is practically planning their wedding. Drove me NUTS. Ariel Lin's character might be the most brain dead girl on TV. EVER! In the typical drama Mr Cold Guy usually breaks down his cold exterior somewhere in the end of the series, but in this one? Joe Cheng's character shows absolutely no growth.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ The wedding scene. Or, their clothes in the wedding scene... :P 9The reason why this is 2/5 and not 1/5...)
- Everything else?
Smiling Pasta
This is cute, I guess. But the cheesily promising plot (common girl accidentally kisses pop star and has to pretend to be his girlfriend) somehow turns boring. It's a good drama when you don't want to get too involved. It's cutesy enough for you to stay interested for a while but not enough to need several-hour long marathons.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ The first couple of episodes being quite amusing...
- ... and the rest not as much.
Finally...
Japanese drama
Rating: (5/5)
Nodame Cantabile
Drama about a students at a music university? Yes, it works! The whacked out humor in this one shocked me at first (it's definitely live action manga!), but soon turned hysterical. The female lead is priceless, the male lead to die for. And one cannot NOT fall completely in love with classical music when watching this. It's impossible. The show IS music, it's the character's lives, and we FEEL it. Somehow you're spellbound, on the edge of your seat, every time Chiaki-senpai conducts. It's fantastic. (Remember to watch the SPs!!)
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ the scenes in ep1 when they are cleaning Nodame's room (around 5:00). And of course: The music!
- this kind of humor might not be for everyone...
Orange Days
One of my absolute favorite jdramas. Portraying the lives of four college students, it's incredibly well-paced, well-written and has very human main characters. What I love most about it is how it describes that time right before a big change (in their case graduation), the anticipation, the stress, the friendships that may or may not last the separation... It's a tale of growing up. And the female lead's handicap (she's deaf) is handled, according to me anyway, in a very careful and thought-through way.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ How the deaf girl is never really victimized. How it feels like it could almost be a slice of real life
- that there isn't more? xD
Kimi wa Petto
What to say? Matsumuto Jun plays a woman's pet? Can it get any better? It sounds like a completely cracky premise but it's actually darker and moodier than you'd expect. Business woman is torn between the cute boy she finds in a box outside her apartment complex (and ends up "keeping as a pet" at home) and the "perfect" man at her office who's husband-material. I wanted to fast-forward through all the scenes that hasn't Matsujun in them, but that's just me being impatient. Really cute drama. (I remember thinking I should be upset over the whole pet, boy-as-possession, no-human-rights thing, but it's actually handled quite well.)
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ All of Matsujun's pet antics
- The opening song (V6's "Darling") that just completely ruined the mood for me.
Nobuta wo Produce
Odd girl Nobuta (Horikita Maki) is the new girl at school. Shuji (Kamenashi Kazuya) is the popular guy everyone likes. Akira (Yamashita Tomohisa) is the weirdo even Shuji doesn't understand. The three unexpectedly (and secretly) join forces to "produce" Nobuta as the popular girl in school.
What to say about Nobuta wo Produce that hasn't been said before? I put off watching this drama feeling I had too high expectations, but I can say I was not disappointed. There's a few things about this drama that really hits the spot with me. The first thing being its portrayal of popularity. I feel Kame's charade to keep his popularity in school is true to much of what went on during my school years. The second thing is the actual "producing" of Nobuta. Many dramas have used the makeover theme, but never has it been done as in Nobuta wo Produce. I was happy that producing had little to do with changing the appearance of Nobuta. One would think that producing, which brought he three friends together, would be the focus of the drama, but it is half-forgotten further into the show. It's absolutely heart-warming seeing the friendship of the three, watching Kame's character realize there are more important things than popularity, watching Yamapi being, well, Yamapi, and watching Nobuta slowly gaining the liking of her classmates (and I'd say she does it all on her own).
Hottie factor: 5/5 (Can't deny the prettiness of the JE boys)
+ So many things, but Nobuta's school TV show in particular
- I have nothing.
Love Shuffle
In Love Shuffle, four people meeting in the elevator of their apartment building decide to "shuffle" themselves and their respective partners in their own kind of speed dating, in an attempt to find out about true love and if it really exists.
I was thoroughly entertained by Love Shuffle. It's a bit more "grown-up", while still incorporating a lot of comedy and without getting too heavy. It also has an amazingly pretty cast. It's so much fun seeing the "couples" change every episode, how they match up, how they play off each other and how we learn about them through them learning about each other. You end up finding favorite couplings but I was surprised at how I often couldn't tell who were going to end up together in the end. With a few more or less surprising plot twists thrown in, you have, in my opinion, one of the best Japanese dramas released recently. I can wholeheartedly reccomend this.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ DAIGO is adorable as the shy, rich boy and does a fairly good job at acting.
- Tanihara Shosuke's psychiatrist creeped me out. Big time.
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
This was described to me as a classic, and it really is. Has time has taken its toll on Ikebukuro West Gate Park? Only fashion-wise. The story holds up extremely well. I was spellbound from start to finish. It is a lot more daring that other dramas. There's (gang) violence, foul language, and a lot more casual approach to sex - all wrapped up in a big dose of comedy. Nagase Tomoya plays Makoto Ikebukuro the neighborhood's reluctant hero. Ikebukuro West Gate Park's inhabitants, the member's of the local gang GBoys, the yakuza, the sex workers, everyone seem to turn to Makoto to solve their problems. Makoto might complain, might exclaim "what a pain in the ass!" but his heart and soul is in Ikebukuro, and his love for the neighborhood is what really keeps it (and the show) together. The acting is superb. It is a drama in a league of its own, because I've never seen anything like it. The resolution to the murder mystery might be questionable, but it doesn't take away from Ikebukuro West Gate Park being an effortless 5/5.
Hottie factor: 4/5. Kobozuka Yosuke is gorgeous...
+ ...and gives the most memorable performance. Such a talent.
- I've been recommended to not watch the SP. I'm staying away, which sucks, because I want more!
Rating: (4/5)
Last Friends
Hairdresser Michiru meets childhood friends Ruka, a tomboyish motocross driver, for the first time in 4 years. Soon after she finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship, and her escape become Ruka's "sharehouse" which she shares with her friends; the kind Takeru, laid-back Eri and cowardly Ogura.
Last Friends is a drama that tackles a lot of hard topics, the most prominent domestic violence and transsexuality. For the most part, these subjects are handled well. It's a heavy drama. There's barely any comedy, but instead the light scenes with the friends together, being just that, friends, are worth so much more. The sharehouse is a source of warmth, its inhabitants people you wish you knew. The acting, especially on Ueno Juri's part is impressive. Sure, I could nitpick and say the way they referred to Ruka's sexuality as "Gender identity disorder" irked me to no end and say I would have wanted the violence to be more suggested, and let's not get me started on the pregnancy... But! Last Friends tried to do a lot of things. In many ways, it succeeded. At the very least, it's a very good try.
Hottie factor: 4/5 (Entirely Eita! ♥)
+ Ruka being one of the most awesome female character's I've sen in drama in a very long time. Also: the last couple of lines of the drama. So perfect.
- "Gender identity disorder" :(
Hanazakari No Kimitachi e
The Japanese version of Hana Kimi. I know my utter dislike for Oguri Shun (yeah, I'm probably alone in this) is the reason this isn't 5/5, but I don't care. I just can not find him appealing at all, ESPECIALLY not as Sano. Sano is another Cold Guy and not a very likable one. Why Mizuki doesn't see Nakatsu is above and beyond me. Because yeah, Nakatsu, the best friend, is absolutely AMAZING. He goes GAY for her, damnit. Boy needs some love. Aaaanyway. I mentioned the premise right? Girl dresses up as a boy in an all (pretty!) boy's school, ends up being roomies with the high jumping broody boy she came there for (and they fall in love). Juicy!
Hottie factor: 5/5 (and that's Oguri Shun excluded, lol)
+ Ikuta Toma as Nakatsu ♥forever! GHOST BOY!
- Oguri Shun's bad posture
Hana Yori Dango
Another super popular drama. And worth the hype, kind of. Based off the manga with the same title, it's basically like this: poor girl goes to elite school where four pretty rich boys, "Flower 4", runs things. Girl gets on F4 leader's bad side, (which means the whole school turns on her), but there's a thin line between love and hate, as we all know...
Being a teen show and based off a manga, this drama has some very soapy elements (Sakurako, anyone?) and with sometimes weird pacing, like the two leads going from hating each others guts to looooving each other in like, 2 episodes. But! It's a classic. The performances, especially from Matsomuto Jun, are amazingly intense and believable, and Makino is rather kickass, especially at the beginning of the drama. I'm going to refrain from hating on Oguri Shun this time, but yeah, I couldn't stand him.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Makino's "declaration of war" scene
- the cheeeesy ending of the final movie
Tatta Hitotsu no Koi
This is surprisingly sweet. And for once, it's the rich girl falling for the poor boy and not the other way around. It's one of those dramas where you're satisfied all the way through. It's well plotted out; it just works. I can't even find anything else to comment on. I just get this smile on my face thinking back to watching this.
Hottie factor: 3/5 (probably higher for KAT-TUN fans :P)
Ryusei no Kizuna
In the middle of the 90's, Tokyo: the owner of a small restaurant and his wife are brutally murdered in their home while their three children are out watching shooting stars. Fast-forward to present time and the three siblings have come together to once and for all find the man who killed their parents.
There's something about Ryuusei no kizuna, and I can't quite put my finger on it. It's somewhat (and surprisingly) quirky in its approach to a murder mystery in a way that puts it apart from other shows. I was surprised by the amount of laughs I had watching this drama. All of the main characters does a phenomenal job (I was particularly impressed with Nino and his delivery of the comedy), the mystery holds up pretty well and it keeps you interested until the end. If nothing else, it gets you seriously craving Japanese curry (or really, Hayashi Rice)
Hottie factor: 5/5 (Might have fallen in love with Nino in this... Didn't find him attractive before. o_O)
+ Ryo's custumes!
- Not sure I actually liked the conclusion of the murder mystery...
Tiger and Dragon
I was not prepared to be so thoroughly hooked on Tiger and Dragon as I was. Reading this list of dramas you'll realize I watch mostly romance shows, and Tiger and Dragon focuses little, if at all, on romance. Nagase Tomoya plays a Kotora, a yakuza that ends up learning the art of Rakugo (traditional Japanese comedy/storytelling), in a deal to collect debts from a Rakugo master. He unexpectedly becomes friends with his master's estranged son, who left the household to sell his clothing designs, as well as the rest of the master's family and disciples.
The core of Tiger and Dragon is the story Kotora has to learn in every episode. Unable to tell it the traditional way, he connects the story to modern times and things happening to his friends and the yakuza he's a part of. While this basically means we'll hear the story twice (once while it's taught to him and once when Kotora gets a chance to tell it) I never got bored of hearing Kotora's adaption. I'm quite certain that the amount of comedy lost in translation for a person like me who doesn't know Japanese and don't have a full understanding of the Japanese culture is enormous in a show like this, but I was still so, so amused by this drama. It's dripping with hilarity.
Hottie factor: 4/5, entirely Okada Junichi
+ I'm not really much for jpop, but T&D has one of my favorite ending themes ever: V6's Utao-Utao
- That I probably missed so much funny stuff...
Anego
Noda Naoko is a 33-year-old office lady, desperately wanting to marry and always helping everyone else out with their problems, earning herself the nickname "anego" (older sister). But her good woman status is at stake when she gets involved with a colleague 11 years her junior (played by Akanishi Jin) and simultaneously falls for her close friend's husband.
I like how this drama tries to portray the importance of marriage in Japanese culture, the pressure and desire Naoko feels is sometimes extreme, but still realistic. I like how she's allowed to have true romantic feelings for more than one man at the same time, to the point that I'm starting to doubt she'll end up with the one I want (i.e. Jin, who's absolutely adorable playing the naive 23-year-old who's completely smitten with Naoko). Her jumbled love life feels much more like a slice of real life than a lot similar story lines in other dramas. I just wish the SP was less of a recap (use that fast forward button!) and not left as open as it was. I was a little less than satisfied with the way they tied things up.
Hottie factor: Jin is a cutie...
+ ...and all of his scenes are adorable. The way he looks at Naoko!
- the portrayal of Mongolia...
Rating: (3/5)
Sore wa Totsuzen Arashi no You Ni
Married woman falls for teenage boy. Yes, they went there. Yes, I watched this for Yamashita Tomohisa, yes he's hot in it. His acting... is not always as convincing though, but I do appreciate the more "real life" kind of feeling to this drama, especially the realistic ending.
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ Yamapi is pretty, yes
- Yamapi having, like, exactly one expression. :P
Innocent Love
Horikita Maki (from Hanazakari no Kimitachi e) plays a girl who's brother is in prison for supposedly killing their parents. Although she's basically being run out of their hometown and can't keep a job without hiding this fact, she believes in her brother's innocence. Moving to the city she meets and falls in love with a composer who has that same deep faith in the person he loves the most.
I admit I think Yuzu are adorable and I was happy to see Kitagawa Yujin in a drama. His acting... is ok, I guess. Some parts of this drama are quite touching, other parts almost too saintly. It feels a little too Christian to me at times. The "mystery" of the parents' death is kind of see-through and doesn't always work. However, the main leads almost platonic romance is quite endearing.
Hottie factor: 3/5
+ Yujin singing
- the Christian feeling of it
Proposal Daisakusen
A pitiful man at a wedding, watching the woman he's loved all his life getting married to another man. That's the starting point of this drama. With the help of a fairy and through the pictures shown in a slide show at the reception, this pitiful man is able to go back in time to change things and maybe win the heart of the girl he loves before it's too late.
Proposal Daisakusen is repetetive. The same basic plot of Yamapi's character going back in time (and coming back to the wedding day) is used in every episode. I don't blame those who gave up on Proposal Daisakusen half-way in. But I also found it inexplicably charming and I have to say Yamapi role is one of his more likable ones (he has a way of always looking expressionless). It might not be the drama you you watch all episodes over one night, but it's sweet enough. I was close to giving this a 4/5, but objectively, without a Yamapi bias, it's a 3/5.
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ The lame pose Yamapi has to do when going back in time.
- The lame pose Yamapi has to do when going back in time... XD
Koishite Akuma [rating: 3/5]
The Japanese Twilight? If you want. I was surprised at this drama. I expected something cheesier than cheese, something I could mock and watch absentmindedly. But honestly? I was entertained. It's almost.... good. Sure, it IS cheesy, you have to have some tolerance for the whole vampire thing, Nakayama Yuma's acting is weak at times (but the boy is fifteen (!!!!) so I'll forgive him) but the overall story kept me interested. Nakayama's vampire boy is emo, a drama queen and all that rebellious stuff a teenager his age would go through. Add his 'vampire puberty' (and don't get me started on the metaphors for sex hidden here) and the result is hilarious, but touching. Nakayama's character is thrown into the human world to learn how to grow his fangs and drink blood (something he hasn't done before). But it all gets complicated when he realizes he has a 'fated female' - a one and only human he can draw blood from, and that person happens to be his homeroom teacher. And when it comes to his feelings for her...
I actually recommend this. Don't expect a masterpiece, but it's cheesy sweet enough. At least it's a hundred times better than the Twilight series.
Hottie factor: Nakayama is a cutie. But jailbait. No score today.
+ Yes, 3/5 is my non-biased rating. I was close to putting this in 4/5... XD
- WARNING. Did I mention Nakayama Yuma is fifteen and romantically involved with his teacher who's 10 years his senior? Yeah. If that squicks you out...
Boku dake no Madonna
College student Kyoichi (Takizawa Hideaki) comes home one day to find a girl, a stranger, sleeping on his bed. Confused, he has to go out again to check it's really his room and coming back, the girl is gone, but the evidence that she's been there is obvious; his take-out dinner is gone.
She comes back every night when he's not there, and finally Kyoichi has to call her out on what she's doing, asking what she's doing and why. Turns out she's watching the man living across the street through Kyoichi's window and soon a strange friendship forms between Kyoichi and his guest.
I liked this one a lot. The initial plot is quirky and strange and the girl, Surumi, is one of those impulsive and strong-willed characters, bordering on a bitch at times. Kyoichi, or Kyon, is intrigued by this beautiful girl who came into his life and weak when it comes to saying no to her. Falling for her, he can't help to be used by her time and time again. It's true that this drama gets a little draggy towards the end, but I didn't mind too much. It's nothing more than a simple love story, so if you're expecting more plot than that you'll end up disappointed. I found most of it absolutely adorable. The ending is predictable but satisfying and the side characters, who have a tendency to annoy me in dramas, were really likable in this one.
Hottie factor: 4/5 Tackey's face... man.
+ That the girl isn't weak and such a good girl? Yeah, I loved that.
- If you haven't fallen for Kyon, this might get boring.
Rating: (2/5)
Maou
A detective with a dark past and a lawyer with a good Samaritan exterior are turned against each other in this suspense drama. I admit I watched this solely for Ikuta Toma. Who's acting is SHITTY in this show. Ohno, on the other hand, is pretty damn good. I haven't seen the Korean original yet (I need to forget the lulz of Maou first). I'm not sure what to say about this. It just doesn't work when you're like, 3 episodes ahead of the police in the detective work solving the so-called mystery. Sometimes I actually started to wonder if they want you to take the show seriously.
Hottie factor: 5/5 (Toma is really pretty, ok?)
+ Points for trying? xD
- Um, how it fails at being suspense?
Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend)
Believing she's signing up for matchmaking, the patissier Riko ends up acquiring a robot programmed to be her boyfriend. Enter her hot boss who's falling in love with her and you have yourself a love triangle...
I know this was popular. I didn't like it. The idea of a perfect robot boyfriend sounds good enough, but just doesn't work when the robot in question has nothing on the hot REAL PERSON. I personally found the robot clingy, annoying and not very likable. (Not to mention looking a little bit haggard most of the time, lol)
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ REAL PERSON = Mizushima Hiro (dorm leader from Hanazakari) = too gorgeous.
- The whole robot thing. The ending.
Mei-chan no Shitsuji
This is another one of those recent quite popular dramas that I didn't really get. Mizushima Hiro's hair looks like he just got out of the shower (CONSTANTLY = eh, no) not to mention his acting (WTH?). The plot of a poor girl ending up at rich girl school where everyone has a personal butler... Meh. If that wasn't enough, the same subplot is basically repeated in every episode, again and again. Shibata, the best friend, is a ray of light though as well the overall prettiness of the cast.
Hottie factor: 4/5 (would be 5/5 if Hiro had better hair)
+ Shibata being an adorable spazz
- Lucia-sama. Just plain annoying as far as evil characters go.
Kurosagi
Yamashita Tomohisa plays a boy who's family was destroyed by a swindler. Sworn on revenge, he himself swindles - other swindlers. Yamapi is cute in this one, sure, but I can't help but wish the love story got more room. Because as it is, it's basically the same story of Kurosagi going after a swindler in every episode. Which gets sort of old after a while. And I haven't even been able to watch the whole movie yet, I stopped somewhere in the middle. xD (Should I keep going, anyone?)
Hottie factor: 4/5
+ Yamapi's crazy disguises/costumes.
- the repetitiveness
Atashinchi no Danshi
In Atashinchi no Danshi Horikita Maki plays Chisato, a girl who, due to her useless father and his debts, is living as a homeless person. One day a man named Okura Shinzo saves her from the rage of debt collectors and she ends up agreeing to marry him in exchange for her debts to be paid. But Okura Shinzo only has a limited time left to live and there was more to their wedding contract than Chisato realized. She has to move into with Shinzo's sons, become their "mother" and complete a number of different tasks for the debts to be paid.
I got a strong HanaKimi feeling from this drama. And with the same writer and director + part of the cast, it's not exactly coincidence. Both dramas have a single girl living under the same roof as a number pretty boys (6 sons in Trick Heart Castle instead of the students of the 2nd dorm) and both have the same kind of random silly comedy antics and eccentric side characters. But truth be told, most of it feels unnecessary instead of wonderfully quirky like in HanaKimi. And when Atashinchi no Danshi gets serious, with monologues of the meaning of family etc, I mostly want to cringe. I suggest watching HanaKimi instead.
Hottie factor: 5/5
+ Yamamoto Yusuko (better known as GHOST BOY!<3) in blue eyesahdow and his sauna scene with Seto Koji (who's ridiculously adorable in this)
- That nobody demanded to see that ENTIRE marriage contract the first time it was revealed there was more to it *eye roll*
(And that's it, yo.)
Finished dramas, reviews to be added if I still remember these...:
Why Why Love
14 Sai no Haha
Cain and Abel
Code Blue
Bloody Monday
Pride
Sapuri
Buzzer Beat
Curently unfinished:
Korean
Sorry I Love You
I am Sam
Taking Care of the Young Lady
Japanese
Majo no Jouken
Rookies
akihabara@deep
Beautiful Life
Smile
Taiwanese
Romantic Princess
My Queen
Ying Ye 3 Jia 1
Easy Fortune Happy Life
Currently watching that's airing:
You're Beautiful (♥ ♥)
IRIS
Ohitorisama
On my to-watch list (just a handful of them):
Korean
The Devil
Beethoven Virus
Dal Ja's Spring
Que Sera Sera
Taiwanese
ToGetHer
Wish to See You Again
Japanese
Kisarazu Cat's Eye
Gokusen (s1)
Galileo
+ a lot more. Feel free to rec me stuff.
Handy links for drama nerds...
Places to watch dramas online:
Mysoju
Veoh
viikii (Has mostly the new stuff and what's currently airing - make sure to turn of 'discussion')
YouTube (duh)
Places to download dramas:
Veoh
D-addicts torrents
Via Soompi forums
AJA AJA
Via subbing teams (that's a link to FansubWiki)
There's also a lj community which I can give you the link to in a screened comment if you ask nicely.
Last updated:
Nov 17 2009