Rebound

Japanese title: リバウンド

Aired on NTV, April/June 2011
10 episodes

Main cast:

Aibu Saki: Oba Nobuko

Hayami Mokomichi: Imai Taichi

Kuriyama Chiaki: Mimura Hitomi

Katsuji Ryo: Kazami Kensaku

Hankai Kazuaki: Kamiya Takayuki

Wakamura Mayumi: Morinaka Ran

Nishiyama Maki: Naito Yuki

Ito Kazue: Oba Tomoe

Ishizuka Hidehiko: Oba Mutsumi

Note:
Aibu Saki and Hayami Mokomichi who were in Zettai Kareshi are reunited in this drama. Also present is Ueno Natsuhi who has a small role here but was Riiko's "best friend" in ZK.

Review: +

Girl: Nobuko has always been overweight but recently with the help of a dietetician she slimmed down and got a job in a fashion magazine, something she wanted for a long time. However, she must be very careful with what she eats because she can rebound (gain a lot of weight) very quickly. We really get to know her in the drama (though sometimes the characters sum it up for us): she's meddling, always wants to help, gets into impossible situations because she can't tell the truth for fear of disappointing people and she's cheery and really expressive. (+)

Boy: He's a pâtissier and inherited the shop from his father. He's really impulsive, has a somewhat bad character, feels easily down especially when it comes to his shop but he's also very talented, dedicated and loyal. (+)

Plot/relationship: The relationship between those two is the main plot but it is intertwined with her job at the fashion magazine and relationship with her boss as well as with his quest to make delicious cakes, with her help. The series starts with a lot of talk about her weight and it remains a big element of the story but episode after episode, the focus shifts to issues like what path to choose for one's life, big dilemmas, happiness. The answers are kind of similar to what I've seen in most dramas but the ride is interesting. (+) I could see the resolution in the last episode from miles away but it was cute.

Other characters: I didn't really care for her parents or Kenzaku, an ex-boyfriend of hers. (-)
But I really enjoyed her boss who is a well-done cliché of a fashion magazine editor-in-chief and her best friend who is the introvert to Nobuko's cheery and is a character I'm less used to see though I think there are a lot of people like her in real life. (+)

Funny factor? Again, especially at the beginning but it's quite funny.

Music: Two days later, I don't remember it.

Bottom line: This drama is a good surprise. This premise is tricky but it managed to tackle some topics about life choices. The characters are all likeable but still flawed, something that is acknowledged in the drama itself. It rings true. I couldn't wait for the next episode. It's a (unexpected) +!

Absolute Boyfriend

Taiwanese title:  絕對達令 / Jue Dui Darling
Aired on FTV/GTV - April/July 2012
13 episodes

Main cast:

• Goo Hye Sun (dubbed): Guan Xiao Fei 官筱菲
• Jiro Wang: Wan Ni Te 萬奈特
• Kun Da: Yan Zong Shi 嚴宗史
• Cherry Hsia: Luo Mei Jia 羅美佳
• Na Wei Xun: Lei Wu Wu 雷霧霧

Notes:
- Still haven't read the manga.
- I will compare to the Japanese version.
- I DID NOT watch this drama entirely, I stopped at episode 4. So I'll review up to this point. I don't know if it gets better but this drama didn't hook me.

Review: DNF (episode 4 included)

Girl: Typical Taiwanese drama main character. She's earnest but dense when it comes to relationships (a bit too much in her case). She's likable but boringly standard: she doesn't have anything that stands out.

Boy: He's a robot. It's not as obvious as in the Japanese drama in which Night's moves are mechanical, we see him recharge, we see through his electronic eyes. However, Nai Te is socially awkward and too upfront about his love for Girl and it creates problems for her, more serious than in Zettai Kareshi in which they were mostly embarrassing. This Nai Te is more handsome than cute.

Other Boy: One of the biggest difference with ZK, he's actually closer to his manga counterpart, from what I've heard. He's a childhood friend of Girl and has a crush on her which he tries to hide by making fun of her. It's so obvious that I wanted to scream at Girl to get it already. I didn't really care for him at first because he was too serious and not fun at all but he grew on me by being good at his job and assertive.

Plot/Relationship: True triangle. But since Other Boy is in love with Girl from the start and Girl is more accepting of Boy than in ZK, I feel that there is less building to it. (When I stopped, I still didn't know what were Girl's feelings).

Subplots include how to earn money to pay for the robot (that leads to Jiro Wang cross dressing if you're into that kind of things ;) )and shenanigans at work (different from the manga in which they are in high school). Contrary to ZK, I'm not sure what their firm is into. Girl wants to be part of the pool of Secretaries but I really didn't care about this plot since it came out of nowhere and the actual secretaries were a cliché trio of meangirls.

Compared to ZK, I actually prefer the best friend storyline in this drama.

Other characters: I liked Other boy's brother and a random co-worker who played almost no role but who stood out because she seemed like a cynical person who walked into the craziness of a drama. I should also note that the inventor of the robot is more ostensibly extravagant.

Music: I remember that the opening theme song is quite good and I like the closing one which is... intense.


Bottom line: I haven't spend enough time on this drama to feel strongly about it (in a good or bad way) so this review must be boring. But there wasn't any character or story I care enough about. SO DNF.

Big

Korean Title: 빅

Aired on KBS2 - June/July 2012

16 episodes

Main cast:

Gong Yoo as Seo Yoon Jae/ Kang Kyun Joon

Lee Min Jung as Kil Da Ran

Shin Won Ho as Kang Kyun Joon

Suzy as Jang Ma Ri

Yoon Hae Young as Lee Jung Hye

Jang Hee Jin as Lee Se Young

Ahn Suk Hwan as Kil Min Kyu

Baek Sung Hyun as Kil Choong Shik

 

 

Review: -

Title: Big. Because the mind of a 18 years-old gets into the body of a 30 years-old man, I guess. But the drama is not about what it is to be "big" (an adult). Apart from the aging aspect, no relation to the Tom Hanks movie.

Girl: She's a high school teacher. She's normal. She's fine. Boy is too. The characters were better than the drama. The actors are good (I even like her father played by someone I complained about in a previous review) and Special mention to Gong Yoo! They were not the problem, the...

Relationship/Plot was. I wanted to DNF this drama but since I am writing this blog, I finished it to review it properly. So I kept watching but I kept comparing it to Zettai Kareshi and Rooftop Prince, and I kept wanting to rewrite the drama, instead of being drawn into it.

Big tries to sell us a controversial couple: a teacher and the 18 years-old boy who found himself in the body of her serious boyfriend. Yep. I think that if you decide to do something controversial, you have to be confident to own it and pull it off. But the drama is inconsistent in the way it deals with this premise. Sometimes ignoring it, sometimes flaunting it (He always calls her "Teacher", Kang Kyun Joon really looks like his age in his real body), sometimes trying awkwardly to say "it's okay". Anyway, I wasn't sold, I didn't want Da Ran and Kyun Joon together.

That's not even the only problem. Others include a mystery that takes way too long and too many fakeouts to be discovered and is not totally resolved, two characters who are transparent plot devices  (I felt really bad for one for how he was (not) treated), and a cop-out of an ending.

Other characters: Their family. Nothing particular but I want to mention some characters I really like: her brother and Ma Ri ("double double crazy"!).

Funny factor? D-stories involving C-list characters. Kind of funny but pointless. Funny moments at the beginning then none (as it's often the case).

Music: Okay.

Bottom line: There were cute bonding ideas, decent characters that were sadly wasted because it was too hard to enjoy when I was cringing at the couple and at the plot.

After the jump, discussion of the plot and of the ending. What I want to change... For those who watched it... and if you haven't, you can still read on since you won't watch it anyway, right? ;)

Zettai Kareshi

Other title: Absolute Boyfriend
Japanese title: 絶対彼氏。

Aired on Fuji TV - Spring 2008
11 episodes + Special

Main cast:

Aibu Saki as Izawa Riiko

Hayami Mokomichi as Tenjo Night

Mizushima Hiro as Asamoto Soshi

Sasaki Kuranosuke as Namikiri Gaku

Maya Miki as Wakabayashi Fujiko

Ueno Natsuhi as Ito Mika

Nakamura Shunsuke as Asamoto Masashi

Minemura Rie as Yoshioka Tetsuko

+ in the Special:

Kuninaka Ryoko as Kamiya Ayumi

Uchida Asahi as Nanase Jun

Notes:

- I haven't read the manga this drama is based one.
- Since I watched it just after Buzzer beat, I couldn't help but notice that Aibu Saki and Maya Miki star in both, and that they have characters called Kamiya and Riiko (Riko in BB).
- I want to watch the Taiwanese adaptation to compare but I haven't to this point.
- I watched this drama twice and I didn't remember much from the first time. I have to say that I liked it better the first time maybe because I had such low expectations.

Review: +/-

Title: Makes sense since 01 or Tenjo Night is a robot conceived to be the Ultimate boyfriend.

Girl: She's more of a relatable character. She doesn't have confidence in her skills and in one episode, she was a bit too defeatist (which is realistic but rarely makes for a nice viewing experience). However, she is energetic, funny-cute but not in a grating way. She was well-acted too.

Boy: He's a robot. That's the premise. The actor and the sound made a good job of making us aware of that. So Night was designed to love Riiko but he is totally clueless and keeps doing embarrassing stuff. However, he is very earnest and we end up caring for him. I also noticed that he doesn't have many facial expressions but still we know what he's "feeling".

Other boy: His family owns the company for which Riiko works as a temp. At first, he's slacking, seemingly not caring about work. Then we realise that he is actually caring about his grandfather's legacy. And writing this part of my review, I realise that I don't have much to say about him. Although we see that he is loyal and perseverant, he's kind of bland in my mind.

Relationship/plot: I have a problem with the premise. It's tragic. When I first started to watch, I thought: "This can't end well." It's also a problem with love triangles. Real love triangles which are the ones where the two love interests have equal chances with the one in the middle. Some dramas take the easy road and make one love interest less interesting or make us know from the beginning which one we should root for. But the main problem is that Night is a robot and it raises deep issues. It's really hard to pull off putting these issues in the center of a light drama. That's why, the first time I watched, I was worried and then pleasantly surprised by how it was dealt. But, the second time, I couldn't gloss over the seriousness/wrongness of what happens.

Apart from that, the relationships between people and how they progressed are believable.

The B-plot, which at first bored me, then made me think I'd like to see more of it, unravels slowly. The company where they work made pastries and the plot is about Riiko gaining confidence in her talent as a pâtissier and Soshi pushing for a return to the roots of the company (valuing taste over aspect) and working towards a goal. We learned of Riiko's dream of becoming a pâtissier some episodes into the drama and I wish it was more prominent before because it seems to come out of the blue.

The Special takes place three years after the final. It goes deep into the ethical issues by making a storyline with new characters. Which requires to care about them but it's hard to because they are new characters that we don't see much and were "antagonists". We're also too busy caring about the original characters. Speaking of which, I was disappointed not to see more of the Asamoto pastries plot. It felt like it was ditched in the middle of the special to make place for the "new" storyline. Of course, this new storyline has a point and is linked to the main one but for me it felt artificial. Now that I think about it, it feels like an after thought. "Oops! We forgot to deal with these issues! Let's do a special."

Other characters: There is the crazy landlady, the wise women who owns a bar. Most people are good people. One is perfect, like she is not jealous, not envious, she is confident, gracious... Does this kind of people exist? Well, not all characters are like these, some are "enemies" but they have clear motivations that make them complex and not total cartoons.

Funny Factor? Yes, at the beginning. Comes from some characters and Night's embarrassing actions.

Music: I liked the music but it was more of a background music. This isn't a criticism since I think some dramas go overboard with their use of music.

Bottom line: I'm sorry I can't get past the premise.
It's still not a minus because I give minus to dramas that triggered deep annoyance in me or caused me an bitter shock.

Wow, that was hard not to spoil! Hope it makes sense!

Buzzer Beat

Japanese title: ブザー・ビート

Aired on Fuji TV
July-Sept 2009
11 episodes

Main cast:

Yamashita Tomohisa: Kamiya Naoki

Kitagawa Keiko: Shirakawa Riko

Kanjiya Shihori: Ebina Mai

Ito Hideaki: Kawasaki Tomoya

Aibu Saki: Nanami Natsuki

Mizobata Junpei: Hatano Shuji

Kaneko Nobuaki: Yoyogi Ren

Maya Miki: Kamiya Makiko

Oomasa Aya: Kamiya Yuri

Nagai Masaru: Utsunomiya Toru

Review: +

Title: "Buzzer beat" is a basketball term. It is explained several times and what it describes happen several times in the drama. There is also some link to love attempted at one point. They could have called it "Love makes you stronger" because this is something expressed a lot in the drama and this slogan is prominent in the form of an ad.

Girl: I like her very much. She's passionnate about her music (and I always admire it because it requires a lot of work and perseverance). She knows what she wants and she's honest so we don't have lame misunderstandings and moping around. She's lively and charismatic. I do not really how they insisted on her not having much beauty products but still, it's a big (+)

Boy: He is a less common male lead in romance since he lacks self-confidence. He lost his mojo since becoming a pro basketball player but he is still passionnate about his sport. He isn't arrogant but on the contrary, he is very nice and doesn't speak much. However, he is not boring. (+)

Relationship: Cute and believable. The pacing is good. The only unnecessary cliché I noticed was the piggyback ride (Oops, I forgot waiting under the rain!). There are a number of it's-fate coincidences happening but the thing is that they are bonus and not used to propel the plot so they're just a nice, cherry-on-the-cake touch. One of the issues to be resolved in a drama is how to force these two people to interact and meet. Especially here since at the beginning, the two characters evolve in two parallel worlds. But they manage to find ways to slowly fuse their worlds so their meetings are not far-fetched coincidences. The obstcles thrown in their ways are common but they do not drag the story. The romance is intertwined with what is happening in their respective careers. The last act (last episode) is not as successful as the rest of the drama (I could have done without a last cringe-worthy utterance of "love makes you strong" but it's not on the mess level of the last act of Heartstrings. (+)


Other characters: As you can see from the people I chose as the "Main cast", they are many supporting characters that are quite important. I could describe and discuss at length each one of them and they have nuances with are good things. (+)

But (and this is a big but), there is a character I didn't understand at all. Like, at all. I don't understand what they want to say with her, what she's supposed to be. It's confusing. Seriously, it looks like she has a split personnality. I can't blame it on the actress, I don't know if it's a directing or writing issue. But her voice actually changes when she drops the mask/changes personnality. I know that we act different when we're alone but here it borders on creepy. Moreover, her motivations are mushy. She's not a nice but unfulfilled girl who made a mistake and then had nothing to lose. Which it sometimes looks like it should be. No, she rather appears as a mean and cold person who pretends to be warm and kind around some people for reasons that are never clear. She could have been as interesting and three-dimensional as the other characters but instead she is twice one-dimensional. (-)

Music: Very nice. Complements and enhances the drama. (+) However, I have to say that I liked the direction (some shots were inspired though sometimes a bit too on-the-nose) but that the editing was sometimes weird, like the cuts between scenes at times cuts the music in the middle (and I'm not talking scenes in which the music stops).

Funny factor: Yes! Not LOL but still nice. It's more romance than comedy.

Other points: Bonus for female friendship! It felt real. I enjoyed one conversation in the bus (first episode) in which they talked about random things like you do in a bus with a friend. There is also another moment that felt real to me when the guys are comparing their body in the locker-room... which brings me to another bonus:

Male nudity! Well, of course, not full nudity, but between the locker-room scenes, the bath ones and the beach trip, there are plenty of eye-candy.

I was reluctant to see it because I'm not into sports and I didn't want to watch endless basketball matches but it's not how it is. It's not a "sport" drama.

Bottom line: This is a Plus! I recommend it. Watching it, I wondered why it was not a Fav and I'm not sure why. I watched it many times but it just doesn't feel like one to me. I watch it with pleasure but it doesn't have that subjective thing that makes me fav a drama. I don't know if it's because of that one character. If it is, it's really too bad because almost everything else is so solid.

Rooftop Prince

Korean title:  옥탑방 왕세자

Aired on SBS
March/May 2012
20 episodes

Main cast:

Micky Yoochun as Yong Tae Yong/ Lee Gak

Han Ji Min as Park Ha / Bu Yong

Lee Tae Sung as Yong Tae Moo

Jung Yoo Mi as Hong Se Na / Hwa Yong

Choi Woo Shik as Do Chi San

Jung Suk Won as Woo Yong Sul

Lee Min Ho (not the BoF one) as Song Man Bo

Ban Hyo Jung as President Yeo

Ahn Suk Hwan as Yong Dong Man

Lee Moon Shik as Pyo Taek Soo

Song Ok Sook as Gong Man Ok

Na Young Hee as President Jang

Note:
I watched this drama week-to-week (starting from around the 5th ep), something I rarely do. I usually wait till all the episodes are out. I hate waiting ;) and the experience is more intense. But it also makes inconsistencies more glaring. I hope I would have liked Rooftop Prince as much if I had watched it in less sittings.

Review: Fav!

Title: I shouldn't have made fun of dramas titles because again this one is appropriate. I like it.

Girl: OK. Han Ji Min is in two of my favourite dramas and I don't especially like her. But let's talk about her character. She's a very generic drama girl lead. She's kind. She cares about her family. She's hardworking. She's brash at first but that is toned down quite quickly. More problematic: she does the DUMBEST action in the drama which stalls the plot. Plus she's a bit of a damsel-in-distress at some point.
However, she's brave. Like, a lot. In many ways. She faces whatever is going on.

Boy: Asian dramas are really good with male lead characters. They pretty much have to if the romance is a big part of the story. Here, Boy is just the right kind of arrogant and cute. But what I liked the most is that he's really smart. In a lot of dramas, Boy runs a big company usually thanks to his family and it is implied or mentioned that he is clever. But here, since it's a plot driven drama, we can see Boy using his brain to try to understand what is going on and what he should do. And he has good ideas. (+)

Other boy and girl: They have a lot of screentime so they deserve to be singled out. They are the "enemies" and I liked them. I think they are developed beyond the "they are just evil" theme (though it wouldn't have hurt to pad their motivations- I did that in my head) and their path is really interesting. (+) I can't say more without spoiling and I really don't want to spoil you on this drama because...

the Plot is the Number one reason this drama is a Fav. The threads were generic, especially the 'I want to take over a company" but :
I was seriously impressed by how many balls the drama throw in the air and how it managed to catch all of them. I like how everyone act mostly rationally (except for the DUMBEST action in the drama and it made it stick out even more). I like how expertly the plot and the characters interconnected. I like how it progressed steadily, almost never stalling (except after, you know, the DUMBEST action ever). I like how at any given point, the drama could go on many different directions and I had no idea which one it would take and it would end up one I hadn't even thought about. I didn't even like the end for many reasons but that couldn't spoil the enjoyment of everything that happened before.

Relationship: It worked well with the plot (though it could have been even more integrated). I like how it was built, the obstacles were natural. However, I don't know if it's because I'm lukewarm about Girl or... OK, I know. I think their characters don't match, for whatever reasons. (I would develop more but I'd need to heavily spoil what happens). Still, I'm willing to buy it because I love this drama!

Other characters: You see from the "main cast" that there are a lot of them. I like all the older ones except for the father of Other boy. The actor also played Geum Jan Di's father in Boys over flowers and he overacts. It was annoying. Other important characters are Boy's companions. They each have a distinctive strength and they are a treat. The way they react, the way they evolve... They are adjacent to the plot but at the same time, they are totally necessary.

Funny factor: A little. As many dramas, especially at the beginning since the premise of the drama is a huge opportunity for comedy.

Music: Plays its role. I grew to like it but it was sometimes distracting instead of enhancing what is happening.

Other points: There are historical parts and fantastic elements. Both are a Plus for me.

On another note, I have to mention the shameless product placements. At this point, the cars are a given (though I have no idea which brand they were using since I had never seen that logo before) but now, it's the phones. If you watch the Vampire Diaries, you know the scene where Klaus writes with a stylus "I will" instead of typing it. This (not exactly for the same app) happens twice and it's so obvious. Product placements are sometimes necessary but in these cases, they are litteral ads and become distracting. End of rant.

Bottom line: This is the first Fav I featured so I want to reiterate that this does not mean that the drama has no faults. I mentioned some of them in this review but in the end, the good was great enough to make me overlook its failings. Maybe on a second viewing, it will be different but for now:
- The storylines are strong. There are high stakes.
- The relationships between the characters are compelling.
- Events unfold naturally and logically. Actions have consequences. Nothing sticks out as totally unnecessary.
- It has heart.
FAV!


Developments after the jump: BIG SPOILERS ALERT! And I think that the surprises are important here...

Skip-beat!

Other title: Extravagant Challenge
Taiwanese title: 華麗的挑戰

Aired on FTV, GTV
December 2011 - April 2012
15 episodes


Main cast:

• Ivy Chen as Gong Xi 宮囍
• Choi Si Won as Dun He Lian 敦賀蓮 (dubbed by Xie Kun Da ep.1-2, Nylon Chen ep.3-)
• Lee Dong Hae as Bu Puo Shang 不破尚 (dubbed by Darren from 浪花兄弟The Drifters)
• Bianca Bai as Jiang Nan Qin 江南琴
• Jin Qin as Du Jin 杜金
• Ada Pan (潘慧如) as Yuan Yang 鴦鴦
• Allen Chao as Luo Li 羅

Notes:
1) I haven't read the manga this drama is based on and I haven't seen its anime adaptation.
2) Both male leads are from the boy band Super Junior.

Review: +

Title: I'm not sure what Skip-beat! is about. I can get Extravagant challenge since the Girl sets out to succeed in the entertainment.

Girl: Kick-a. She's kind and selfless. She's also really determined in achieving her goal. She's a naturally gifted actress and we can see it instead of only being told she is. Kudos to Ivy Chen because she nailed the bubliness of Gong Xi and her seriousness when she's acting. (+) At first, I was annoyed but then I got used to and she was developed so I ended up not caring that she is the kind of character that is totally unrealistic. She acts crazy. Mini CGI Gong Xi ghosts actually materialise when she gets in angry/want something mode!

Boy: We don't know much about him. We just know he's a great actor, he's very serious about his work and slams whoever he thinks is not. He's cool and keeps things for himself. However, when he opens up, he's quite cute. (+)

Relationship: Believable and cute. You know when in the review of Heartstrings, I said that the falling in love was too sudden and unearned? Here, it's really gradual, progressing touch by touch. (+)

Plot: The relationship isn't the main story: Gong Xi's journey is. I must say that you can see that it was adapted from a manga because you notice the big arcs and the transitions in between. As such, the journey consists mainly but not exclusively of challenges that Gong Xi takes up one after another. Likewise, secondary characters appear for an arc and then either are never heard of again or just randomly pop up at one point. This is more a remark than a criticism. Besides, the arcs are really interesting. I'm not sure it depicts accurately the way it is in real life but it makes acting as suspenseful as a life or death situation. It even makes want to see the imaginary final product (movie or music video). Finally, each acting challenge feels different form the one before. (+)

But a real problem stems in part from the fact that it is adapted from an ongoing manga and doesn't cover all of it. Though the end is okay as for the state of the relationship between the leads, there is a revelation near the end of the drama that is quite important but hasn't been developed or resolved by the end. I wonder if they could have avoided introducing it because it was frustrating.

I have another beef with the drama, it may be the one that made me give it a + and not a Fav: a great deal is made about characters not being able to LOVE. I could bear it but it was a bit annoying because it didn't make much sense to me. Actually, I can understand it in Gong Xi's case, because it was given a reason (though she's capable of love but not of the romantic kind, which is kind of weird). But other characters are also deemed unable to love which comes out of nowhere and is not properly explained. It could have interesting to explore why they didn't want to love but being unable to love? And for these other characters, it seem that it's not only romantic love... Confused? Well, it was confusing. (-)

Other characters: Most of them were great. I will only talk about the main ones.
1) The other boy. Gong Xi's ex-boyfriend who exploited her. He's the one who is the origin of the whole premise. His main characteristic is that he is self-absorbed and so is a douche. But in the end, they managed making him a little likeable. (+)
2) (Slight spoiler. Underline to see) The rival who slowly becomes the best friend. Her transformation from confident, no-nonsense, every-actress-for-herself to reluctant companion then BFF is well handled. She just has one pointless storyline. (+)
3) Boy's MANAGER!!! Sorry for the all-caps but he stole the scenes he was in. He was cute, funny, kind. (+)
4) The President of the entertainment company. He can afford every excentricity and believe me, he doesn't hold back! He doesn't know what too much means. It's amazing, you have to see it. However, I didn't like this character at all. I don't know if it is bad translation but I didn't get the meaning of most of what he says, maybe it's linked to the fact that he has to do with the whole "unable to love" thing. (-)

Funny factor: Pretty good. I will need to watch it again to be more precise.

Music: Two words. Love. Want.

Bottom line: Writing this review, I realise that I may want to watch it again. Perhaps, I will then bump the mark up to Fav. I would recommend it. The actors are all great (though the dubbing is annoying), the plot is exciting and suspenseful and it's cute.
If there is a second season, I will update this post and I could change the mark too.


Spoilers after the jump! I actually don't have much to add.

Secret Garden

Korean title: 시크릿 가든

Aired on SBS - Winter 2010/11 - 20 episodes

Main cast:

Hyun Bin as Kim Joo Won

Ha Ji Won as Gil Ra Im

Yoon Sang Hyun as Choi Woo Young/Oska

Kim Sa Rang as Yoon Seul

Lee Philip as Im Jong Soo

Lee Jong Suk as Han Tae Ssun

Yoo In Na as Im Ah Young

Kim Ji Sook as Moon Yeon Hong

Park Joon Geum as Moon Boon Hong

Kim Sung Oh as Kim Sung Woo

In supporting parts:
Hello "Bad guy" from Capital Scandal!
Hello "Director's friend" from Heartstrings! :)

[2020 July 18th edit : I just did a rewatch, and I have thoughts. I'll just add them in italics. My perspective have changed in 8 (!) years and I'm less enthused.]

Review: +

Title: I think it refers to the name of a place in a drama but I don't think it matches the drama.

Girl: Kick-a. Like, literally. She's a stuntwoman and it's glorious to watch the action scenes. She also has a cute side and the actress does a great job. I used to not get "girl crush" but now I do :). (+)

Other girl: I like her but I don't really know what to think of her. Is she supposed to be nice or mean? Is she doing everything out of resentment? (-) [Bizarrely, I actually like her more now and I understand her motivations. It's not her fault that she is trapped in a bad storyline.]

Boy: Arrogant and cute. He has his weaknesses and quirks which is sometimes funny and also gives him some personality. (+) [As someone who is now in the workplace and who know people who got severely depressed after being harassed at work, I was uncomfortable with how badly Boy treats his employees. Moreover, he's never really called out on it and never apologise for it or shown to have changed his ways.]

Other boy: As I said in another review, I don't know what is my problem with the actor Yoon Sang Hyun. He's a good actor and everything but... there's just something off. Anyway, back to more objective remarks: his character is interesting. He's funny (like saying cheesy things and being self-aware about it) and non-confident while being a huge star. Also, I really like his relationship with Boy. [I like him less now. I feel that he only has two modes: screaming and moping. It's too bad because his character of an aging Hallyu star, like Girl's, is not common in dramas.]

Relationships: The main couple has an insanely hot chemistry. Just for them, it was almost a Fav. (I think I remember from Sam-Soon that Hyun Bin is good with chemistry.) Anyway, it makes possible to overlook some of the stalkerish and borderline offensive stuff happening because it's obvious that she is sensitive to his courting. Their dynamic is at the same time cute and hot. (+) [This is the biggest change after my rewatch, I felt less chemistry and was more sensitive to the lack of respect for physical boundaries and the possessiveness. I kept thinking: "what if someone behaved that way with me, I would hate it." It only works if you watch it as fairytale like.]

Alas, there is another relationship happening at the same time... and I don't know what to make of this one. It's too melodramatic, it's simultaneously clear and not clear why they broke up and it's devoid of chemistry. I didn't care about them. Also a lot of their story is showed in flash-backs, not in chronological order, so it doesn't help to understand their relationship. (-) [This hasn't changed. This relationship is still a disaster. I forwarded almost all their scenes. I also realised that there is no progress, no evolution whatsoever between them for a good part of the runtime.]

Plot: The plot with the main couple is great. I love it, I love almost everything that happens. I can't really develop because I don't want to spoil and it's a drama for which spoilers should be avoided. (+)
But I didn't like the storyline with the mother. Not only it is a cliché (something I can be OK with if done properly) but it was annoyingly repetitive. (-) [This bothered me less now.]
The storyline with Other boy was okay. But I didn't find it as engaging as the main storyline.

Other characters: Family: I didn't have any interest in his family. As I said, it is one weakness of this drama. Friends: Very good. All of them were funny and nice. Bad guy: There isn't any bad guy per se, but I like the character that is the closest to being one.

Funny factor: Pretty good. Characters and situations and recurring jokes.

Music: It was ok. [On rewatch, I noticed the musical theme associated to the other main relationship and disliked it.]

Bottom line: I so wanted this drama to become one of my Fav! Because I loved the main couple and their story. Unfortunately, a not-so-great B-storyline/couple and an annoying, repetitive plot device with the mother makes it only a Plus. (Which is also good). I would recommend watching it and fast-forward some scenes. ;)
[I still really like this drama !! Its strengths: it's funny, there are strong characters (though some are kinda wasted), there are surprises (I won't reveal any of them though one is spoiled in every synopsis) and the end is satisfying.]


After the jump, a more complete review with spoilers!

Marrying a Millionaire

Other Title: To Marry a Millionaire
Korean Title: 백만장자와 결혼하기

Aired on SBS - Winter 2005 - 16 episodes

Main cast:

Kim Hyun Joo as Han Eun Young

Go Soo as Kim Young Hoon

Yoon Sang Hyun as Yoo Jin Ha

Son Tae Young as Jung Soo Min

Jung Jin as Jung Sung Shik

Rating (from memory): -/+

Title: Makes sense. It's the name of the real-TV show that is prominent in the drama.

Girl: For me, she's the biggest weakness of the drama. I hated her the first time I watched it. It was better the second time. On the paper, she's good: she works hard to support her loser family but I think I have a problem with this actress because even when she's supposed to be nice, I get mean vibes. (-)

Other girl: (Hello love square!) I like her. She's doing bad things to prevent the main couple to get together but she's soft and I buy her love. She knows what she wants.

Boy: He manages to be cute and hot. He's a rare type of lead and I want to praise the actor (Go Soo) for making him work. He's hard-working, loyal to his family but he also lacks confidence. He has a complex for not being intellectually bright. But he's so eager and yes, charismatic that you can't help but cheer for him. (+)

Other boy: I don't really like the actor so it's harder to like his character. And... I don't remember much about him so...

Relationships: The building to the love square is good. (+) But I have some qualms about the main relationship. His love seems childish and it makes him kind of childish too and her appear as a meanie. Why does he love her again? (-) I wasn't as struck by it on a second viewing and that's why this drama is not a Minus. Also it gets better.

Other characters: Her family is annoying but then her step-mother gets some depth and her step-sister is a comical relief. The sidekicks are pretty funny too. His family... well, I want to slap his older brother but his younger brother is cute. His relationship with his family is slightly interesting. The bad guy is a good sneaky bitter rival (the actor helps too)- I don't like him but I'm not annoyed by him.

Music: It hasn't stuck with me.
Funny factor: Apart from some minor character, not really.

Other points: Parts of the drama take place in France and they really shot there so it's nice!
It's also interesting to see the world of behind-the-scenes in the drama.

Bottom line: Plot is good, there are some clever ideas, Kim Young Hoon is a great character BUT I found myself more engrossed in his story and growth than in his relationship with Han Eun Young. It's still enjoyable but when a romance drama doesn't make you root for the main couple, it can't be a Plus.


Some more thoughts (not much) after the jump!

Love Contract

Taiwanese title: 愛情合約 (爱情合约)

Aired on TVBS-G
Summer 2004
20 episodes

Main cast:

Ariel Lin as Cheng Xiao Feng

Mike He as Ah Ken aka Liu Jian Dong

Bryant Chang as Ah Kai aka Lin Kai

Sa Sa as Li Xin Lei

Lai Zhi Wei as Xiao Bai aka Zhang Yuan Bao

Lin Yi Hong as Mu Tou aka Lin Song Bo

Phyllis Quek as Cheng Xiao Yun

Review (from memory): -

Title: "Love contract" makes sense, there is a love contract in this drama. I don't know about the Chinese title.

Girl: Xiao Feng is definitely strong. She's also very complex and sometimes, it's hard to understand her. She's hard on people and though deep down she cares about them, she is so bossy that I wondered how she still has friends.

Boy: I think Mike He is one of the most handsome drama actors. His character Ah Ken is the dreamy silent, taciturn type.

Relationship: Believable and interesting. They both are people that are hurt and don't open much to others and it's beautiful to see their love blossom despite her efforts.

Friends: He doesn't have many friends but she has. I liked all of them except the one who pined for her. I wish he didn't. It made him pathetic.

Family: Her family is a mess and that's one of the explanations for how she is. His family, well, is a tragic story.

Music: I forgot about it. It doesn't mean it was bad since I watched it a long time ago.
Funny factor: Some of her friends are an occasional comical relief but it's not a comedy.

Bottom line: Most of the things I said are positive because it's mostly a GOOD drama. But it's a drama that is permeated by sadness and melancholia. You have a sense that most of the characters are unhappy. They live because that's how it is.

After the jump, I explain more what I disliked. Don't look if you don't want to be spoiled.

Heartstrings

Other title: You've fallen for me

Korean title: 넌 내게 반했어

Aired on MBC - Summer 2011- 15 episodes

Main cast:

Jung Yong Hwa as Lee Shin

Park Shin Hye as Lee Kyu Won

Song Chang Ui as Kim Suk Hyun

So Yi Hyun as Jung Yoon Soo

Woo Ri as Han Hee Joo

Kang Min Hyuk as Yeo Joon Hee

Lee Hyun Jun as Hyun Ki Young

Im Se Mi as Cha Bo Woon

Review:  -/+

Title: Makes sense :"You've fallen for me" is the name of a song featured and "Heartstrings", well, there are romance and music.

Girl: She's kind, talented. She starts "amazing"(+) then unfortunately becomes "annoying"(-). It's ironic because the main supporting female character starts "annoying" then becomes great.

Boy(s): I want him! Them. The male leads are handsome (yes, I know it's not a surprise) and have a pretty voice. Despite some inconsistency in how Lee Shin is portrayed, he is basically perfect. And Kim Suk Hyun is just awesome. Awesome.

Relationship: The falling in/out of love wasn't very well-handled (-) but some very common cliches were avoided which was great and original (+).

Other characters: There are A LOT of other characters. Most of them are interesting (+) but they get backstories in a way that made me keep waiting for when this will get important in the plot and it never happens. So it feels like a waste of time (-).

Also (-) for the bad guy. He has a backstory and is good at hindering the main characters but something doesn't work with him. In the end, he's just not compelling. He's pathetic and it's not even tragic.

Music: Gimme the OST. (+) Bonus: Korean traditional instruments. Their sound is beautiful.

Funny factor? It's funnier than most "comedy/romance" dramas. I actually laugh several times. There are many good comical characters and also some recurring jokes that work. (+)

Bottom line: This drama had so much potential: The characters are interesting and mostly cleverly developed, it's funny, it's original and I love the musical set-up storyline BUT besides the issues I already mentioned, there is a late development that is so unnecessary that it feels like it was a blatant way to fill another episode (so annoying) and I wish the set-up of the musical was more prominent.

It's not a drama I couldn't stop watching but at least I finished it. Also episode 7 is a drag. If you watch this drama, I think you'll like it and laugh and swoon but don't expect too much and be prepared to be mildly annoyed by the plot and the characters.

 

After the jump, there is a review for people who have watched it.

How I review

The titles, cast and other general information are from DramaWiki.

How I will rate:

DNF: Did Not Finish. Could be because I got busy but if I didn't bother to finish it, it was probably because I didn't like it very much anyway. However, it does not mean that it's worse than a Minus.
- Minus: I did not like it.
-/+ Minus/Plus: It was okay. I liked it but it had issues.
+ Plus: I liked it.
++ Plus Plus or Fav: One of my all-stars. A favourite of mine. I love it. It was great. Do I need to go on? I could! However, it does not mean that it's perfect and that everyone will love it. It won't be a masterpiece. But, in the end, it works.

Criteria:

Title: just for fun, it does not bear on the rating but sometimes I just don't get it.
Girl: Annoying (weak and whiny) or Amazing (kickass)? and Other Girl (if relevant)
Boy: Why does she like him? or I want him! and Other Boy (if relevant)
Relationship and/or Plot: Credible? Interesting? Bad clichés?
Other characters: Awful/great family? Friends? Bad guy?
Music: Forgettable or OMG what's the name of that song and where can I find it, I want to listen to it all day for the rest of my life??
Funny factor? Coz I like funny.
Bottom line: Random stuff I haven't mentioned and a conclusion.

And of course, after the jump, a more detailed review with spoilers for people who did watch the drama.


You will notice that I don't provide a synopsis. One of the reasons are that official synopsis are often bad (my opinion) and don't help to make a decision about watching it or not. Second, it can make you have some prejudice. For example, I didn't want to watch Buzzer Beat because I have no interest in basketball (yes, it was stupid!). Ultimately, I think I don't care about what are these people's jobs or what's the premise as long as the execution is good, the plot well done, the main characters likable, well, you know the criteria...


I also have to say that I will review dramas that I watched some time ago therefore these ones won't be as precise as the "new" ones. I will always mention when I review from memory.

How do I choose a drama?

This is often hard. What I usually do:

First, I look at the most watched or the best rated or the suggestions on Asian dramas sites.
Then, I look at the genre and at the synopsis (which is often quite bad and doesn't give you any idea at all but whatever).

At one point, I got obsessed with an actor (maybe you'll guess which one from my drama list ;) ) and started watching dramas because he was in them. That's another technique.

Welcome! Some infos!

Hello! Welcome to My Reviews of Asian Dramas!!

As the name makes it clear, I will be writing reviews of Asian dramas.
They will be my personal opinion so I can dislike things you like or like things you dislike but I will always try to explain why I like something or not.

I always read reviews before going to a movie because I don't like spending time and money on something that's not worth it and I like reading reviews after to see if I agree with the reviewer :).

Therefore, when relevant, a review will consist of two parts:
- One that is spoiler-free for people who'd like to know if they should watch it. Again, my personal opinion but if I say I don't like it because it's too sad and you like melodramas then you know you should watch it! ;)
- Another one (after the jump) that takes the same points but is heavy on spoilers for people who have already watched the drama.

I watch and enjoy Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese dramas. Actually, at some point, I even consciously alternated: first, a Japanese one, then a Korean, then a Taiwanese and again a Japanese etc. But I think that they have different styles and I will make a post about it at some point.

My favourite genre is Romance/Comedy so most of the dramas I'll review are from this genre.

I will review some dramas I've watched a long time ago so it won't be much detailed, unlike the new ones.

Finally, a disclaimer: I don't pretend to be an expert (I'm so not!), this is for fun!

That's it! Hope you enjoy this site as much as I enjoy watching these dramas!