Musings on comparing

Hello!

First, a disclaimer. These are just some observations of mine, I'm not pretending that they are particularly insightful, especially since I haven't watched that many dramas, all things considered. Almost all of them have been romance / comedy, and broadcasted between 2005 and 2012. So my observations are probably biased and possibly outdated.

You're welcome to politely disagree and enlighten me!

When I was updating this blog, I chose to watch an equal amount of Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese dramas, but what dramas did I tend to prefer ?

In order to know, I looked at the list of my reviews and... I realized that I had actually reviewed 17 J dramas, 13 K dramas and 13 TW dramas.

Oops. I totally blame Yamashita Tomohisa. *cough*

Anyway, there are no significative differences in the Fav nor in the +/- or in the minus/ DNF (I added these two categories since there are no Japanese DNF, probably because J dramas are shorter). I have 7 J dramas rated + compared to 4 K and 4 TW dramas, but it could be explained by the fact that I have watched more J dramas. So I can say that I don't really have bias, and it's confirmed when I add the Fav and the Minus/DNF of dramas I've watched but not reviewed. But I would be more affirmative if I had actually watched/reviewed the same amount of each.

That (kinda) established, I'd like to say that music is always important in J, K and TW dramas, with recurring motifs and songs, and I always like the OST.

Now, moving to a basic difference : the length. There are exceptions, that I didn't watched because I didn't want to get into a 50 or 100 episodes drama, but here are the usual :

Japanese : usually 10 or 11 episodes of 45 minutes

Korean : usually from 16 to 20 episodes of 1h

Taiwanese : usually from 13 to 20 episodes of 1h15

J dramas are the shortest, which may also explain why I used to watch more of them, considering that I usually binge them. They also sometimes have sequels, like second season or "special" (i.e. a TV movie).

I noticed that some TW dramas have a "turning midpoint" which is a traumatic event, after which the drama jump a few years in the future. I think it may be due to the length. This jump allows the drama to reset itself and keep things fresh.

The length difference also explains that K and TW dramas, but especially K dramas, tend to have a B-couple, or almost 4 leads, who has its own storyline. It adds difficulty because the other couple must be as interesting as the main one.

Onto the style/content, I've watched two J dramas that I consider "crack": Anna-san no Omame (2006) and Mendol (2008). TW dramas Brown Sugar Macchiato and The Legend of Brown Sugar Chivalries, which were vehicles for groups Lollipop and Hey Girl, were kind of "crack-y". However, all the K dramas I've have watched have been straighforward (but still funny when they were supposed to, just not in the weird how-did-this-make-it-to-air way).

On the other side, I've learnt to be prepared for TW dramas, they hold nothing back, even in romance. Suddenly killing beloved character ? No problem at all!

Since I didn't want to spoil any dramas I've reviewed, I wanted to use as an example "Mars", a 2004 TW romance drama I've never finished. It was a big deal at the time, but I bailed because it depicted too much misery. The first episode gives us the aftermath of a crippling accident, sexual assault, hallucinations due to a trauma and the second episode, murder attempt, sociopathy, bullying. Yeah... Then, I read that it is actually based on the manga "Mars" by Soryo Fuyumi and that there is a 2016 Japanese adaptation. So, not a good example for my point of Taiwanese romance dramas not afraid to go dark.

TW dramas acknowledge sexuality more than J and K dramas. I think this has started to change but dramas, especially J dramas, are very soft in depictions of "sexuality". Love interests used to barely even kiss. Now, it seems that kisses have gotten more passionate. Sexuality is more in the subtext, like sleeping in the same bed is quite common but then there are the "saving the apparences" or "embarassed" parts. By the way, this is not a complaint, but it's something that stands in contrast to Western media.

Now, last topic I want to address talk about : the multiple adaptations/remakes.

Something I wish I could do would be to read the source material, then watch and compare all of the adaptations. If someone did so, let me know!

In the list below, I underlined those I've watched entirely. I DNF Absolute Boyfriend (TW) because I didn't like it and Hua Yang Shao Nien Shao Nu (TW) because the lead made me think of my brother. I could try to watch more of them. I also mentioned Chinese (mainland) adaptations.

Besides Mars, I know of :

Boys over flowers / 花より男子(1992-2008) : manga by Kamio Yoko

Adaptations : Meteor garden (TW) 2001 / Hana Yori Dango (JP) 2005 / Boys over Flowers (KR) 2009 / Meteor garden (CH) 2018

Absolute Boyfriend / 絶対彼氏。(2003-2005) : manga by Watase Yuu

Adaptations : Zettai Kareshi (JP) 2008 / Absolute boyfriend (TW) 2012 / My Absolute boyfriend (KR) 2019

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (Hana Kimi) /花ざかりの君たちへ (1996-2004) : manga by Nakajo Hisaya

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e or Hua Yang Shao Nien Shao Nu (TW) 2006 / Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (JP) 2007 / To the Beautiful You (KR) 2012

Nodame cantabile / のだめカンタービレ (2001-2010) : manga by Ninomiya Tomoko

Adaptations : Nodame cantabile (JP) 2006 / Nae Il's Cantabile (KR) 2014 / Symphony's Romance (CH) 2020

No manga. Also the worst.

Fated to love you (TW) 2008 / Fated to love you (KR) 2014 / Unmei Kara Hajimaru Koi (JP) 2020

No manga. Also, I only remember it was fine.
The Man who can't get married or Kekkon Dekinai Otoko (JP) 2006 / The Man who can't get married (KR) 2009

Best couples in dramas I've watched

No ranking, like children, I love all of them equally ;)

Kamiya Naoki & Shirakawa Riko, Buzzer Beat

portrayed by Yamashita Tomohisa and Kitagawa Keiko

They're both nice and honest people, and passionate about their chosen professions. Friends first, they encourage each other when they're feeling down. They care a lot for each other. There is cute, angst and romantic chemistry. Riko is a bit more outspoken while Naoki is quieter. She helps him feel more confident and he helps her feel secure. Their growing connection, the obstacles they face, everything is so good.

This drama made me fall in love with Shirakawa Keiko (I was already in love with Yamashita Tomohisa ^^).

"Love makes me stronger."

Kim Joo Won & Gil Ra Im, Secret Garden

portrayed by Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won

Unlike the other couples on that "best" list, I've only watched the drama in which this couple appear once (it's been twice for Coffee prince and My Lucky star, around three times for Autumn concerto, and countless times for Hotaru no hikari and Buzzer beat) so it may be harder for me to talk about them.

Anyway, they left a strong impression on me.

They're both headstrong people and start as "I can't stand this person but I'm kinda falling for them and always end up ingratiating in their lives."

They can be cute and hot, separately and together, sparks fly. Their connection is intense real fast and only goes deeper.
[2020 July 18th edit : So. I decided to to do a rewatch, to find which defining "quote" to give them. As I was watching, I wondered what I was smoking in 2012 and considered taking them off this list because for a good part of the runtime, these two are definitely not couple goals. However, for the last stretch, they work very well and are so cute that I decided to keep them.
Now, the quote, I have to go with the references to the Little mermaid. I tried to resist and find another one but the drama really leans on it, so here it is.
"... disappear like foam on the sea."]

Amemiya Hotaru & Takano Seichi, Hotaru no Hikari (season 1)

portrayed by Ayase Haruka and Fujiki Naohito

"Forced to live with my boss" ? Yeah, in theory, this is all wrong. There is a part of "opposite attract", with Amemiya being an absolute slob in her private and home life while Takano is very neat and worldly. And maybe some Pygmalion/My Fair lady vibes with Takano helping Amemiya, but in a good way, in order to build her confidence and improve herself without betraying who she is. As for Amemiya, she brings out his playful and joyful side which had been buried for some time. He also appreciates how dedicated she is when she puts her mind to it.

But, though I love them dearly, there is some kind of imbalance in their couple, with Takano being more invested and Amemiya gaining the most ? Something that unfortunately worsens in season 2 and becomes unbearable in the movie. Let's ignore the "ever after" and appreciate the quasi perfection of the first season. Oh, fair warning, this is a verrrry slow burn, if there is even a burn. They are the lost low-key couple of this list.

"AMEMIYAAAAA!!! BUCHOU!!!"

Liang Mu Cheng & Ren Guang Xi, Autumn's concerto

Portrayed by Ady An and Vanness Wu

Sorry, it was hard to find a relevant non spoilery picture. But it shows that this couple goes through very rough times.

Guang Xi is a spoiled heir but he becomes impressed by Mu Cheng's quiet strength and resilience. He helps her and for maybe the first time in her life, someone is on her side, fighting with her. She helps him take down his cynical walls, showing him that there are honest and kind people. The circumstances conspired against them, there is a lot of angst (!) and when they have their happily ever after, it's so satisfying.

Air on the G string

Go Eun Chan & Choi Han Kyul, Coffee Prince

Portrayed by Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo

These two are full of chaotic energy. Their banter is funny and cute. They're both looking for direction in what to do with their lives. They help and support and encourage and care for each other. They're so natural together that it seems that they're a couple even before they're actually a couple.

"It’s so warm and great that I almost forgot that I’m in a lie."

Xia Zhi Xing & Zhong Tian Qi, My Lucky Star

Portrayed by Yoo Ha Na and Jimmy Lin

They both are outspoken and confident people, who need a new start. They start as enemies but they work so well as a team. They have great chemistry (obviously or they wouldn't be on this list).  They also go through many harships together, which shows how strong their bond is.

☆⭐☆

Worst couples in dramas I've watched

The best and worst couples were supposed to be the same post since I wanted to balance the negative by the positive but thinking about what I wanted to write, I realised that they would be two very different posts.

This post will actually be me ranting to the world (or more correctly, to the few people who wandered here... hi few people !) about two dramas in particular.

This is because there are some couples I didn't buy (Kil Da Ran & Kang Kyun Joon from Big, Iwase Ken & Yoshida Rei from Proposal Daisakusen...), but they're not in the same league as the very worst which are the ones I want to highlight here: Lee Young Jae & Han Ji Eun from 2004 Korean drama Full House and Chen Xin Yi & Ji Cun Xi from 2008 Taiwanese drama Fated to love you.

These two dramas have been crazy popular. Full House starred Rain, one of the biggest idols ever and Fated to love you was remade in 2014 by MBC under the same title. [I just learnt that there is also a 2020 Japanese remake... What !! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!... I wished I had never known that. 😩] I haven't watched the Korean remake. I don't think I have it in me to check if it breaks me as much as its predecessor .

This is why I actively dislike those two dramas, and it all comes from how much I disliked the main couples. There are three elements, that taken separately, would not be as awful, but in conjunction? Oh boy.

1- An Arrogant jerk taken too far or better said, an abusive bully

I actually like the Arrogant jerk trope in romance (Braime, Zutara maybe?) but you have to dose it well, add some wittiness, redeeming qualities and you know, not just relentlessly have him treat his romantic prospect as dirt. There is a reason why in most dramas, this kind of character is quickly toned down.

2- A meek woman who's in love with him even though he treats her horribly

Again, it's okay for someone to be meek, but paired with someone who takes advantage of it, it's a catastrophe. The Arrogant jerk works in romance when their love interest challenges them. If they are just a doormat, it's not interesting, it's painful.

To be fair to Fated to love you, the fact that Chen Xin Yi is someone who never stands for herself is acknowledged and is the basis for her character development, from "Sticky Note Girl" to a confident woman. But, if I remember well, that whole character development happens offscreen. Oops.

I also thought about other male characters who treats their love interest terribly in dramas but which I don't hate. The closest example I could remember was from Hana Yori Dango/Boys over flowers. Tsukasa/Joon Pyo is a bully to Makino/Jan Di, he treats her horribly. But, at that time, she despises him. She only falls in love with him after he starts treating her well and stops bullying others. Imagine if Makino/Jan Di was in love with Tsukasa/Joon Pyo while he was insulting and tormenting her. Yeah... that was my experience watching Full House and Fated to love you.

3- Who are trapped with each other.

So you have these two characters who have no business being together, and what do you do? Well, you make it so they (and especially both women Han Ji Eun and Chen Xin Yi) can't leave the "relationship". Why, do you ask if you haven't seen these two dramas ? Because they have been forced to marry and are now forced to live and stay together. I actually forgot that they also had to get married in Full House, I only remembered that they had to live in the same house for some reason.

Again, I actually like the "arranged marriage" trope, done well. And this was not done well.

So now, if you still don't believe me that these two couples are the worst, let's read the synopsis for Fated to love you (and it's for real the premise of the drama) with some of my interjections since I can't hold them :

A really unfashionable working class girl Chen Xin Yi has the desire to tie down her handsome boyfriend to be with her [just ugh! No, no, no. I know it happens in real life, but she is our main character, not the villain]. Due to certain reasons, her boyfriend gets her to go on a love cruise and she started to ponder on how to lose her virginity and tie down her boyfriend. Xin Yi ended up taking cold medicine which made her drowsy and went into Ji Cun Xi's room. Cun Xi is the sole male heir to his family's company and has been in love with his girlfriend, Anna, for a long time. He planned to propose to Anna on the boat but she didn't turn up on the cruise. An island owner added drugs into Cun Xi's drink and Cun Xi became disorientated and returned to his own room. Xin Yi and Cun Xi end up having a one night stand. [So, the first time they have sex, they are both intoxicated and both in a relationship with someone else, and she thought he was her boyfriend. Mmm okay.] So, Xin Yi later finds out that she's pregnant and Cun Xi's grandmother forces them to get married. Will a couple forced to marry for the sake of their unborn child find love with each other? [Spoiler : they will at the end, but for a long time, Cun Xi actually resents her and as previously said, treats her horribly.]

The synopsis for Full House is slightly less terrifying but still you have the premise of Young Jae exploiting the situation of Ji Eun, and again, to get to the happy end, you have to endure Ji Eun being mistreated.

Han Ji Eun is an innocent woman who gets swindled by her best friends in need of money. After a few unfortunate encounters with top actor Lee Young Jae, Ji Eun finds out that her house was bought by said actor. Young Jae has been in love with his best friend, Kang Hye Won for more than a decade but she has her eyes on Yoo Min Hyuk, their senior. After growing tired of waiting for her to come around, Young Jae proposes a contract marriage to Ji Eun in order to spark some jealousy and get the media off his back. In an attempt to earn back her house, Ji Eun agrees to be his wife for a year. But as they live together, they start to learn what it means to live a married life, genuinely care for one another and have each other's back when they're up against the world.

So, this is why these two are the worst couples I've ever seen and also why I really really don't like these two dramas.

And why I don't understand how they could be so popular (or at least, they were at that time) so this is me taking this off my chest. I don't really feel better. Actually I feel worse, after being reminded that they got married in Full House and finding out about the Japanese remake *facepalm*).

Bye, few readers! I'm going back to the "Best couples" post.

Top 3 Drama actress crushes

What? Only three? But you had a top 10 for the guys!
Yes, I know, my sense of symmetry is offended and I really want to give the girls equal treatment but the truth is that there are only three actresses for whom I'd check the dramas they star in.

By the way, it's not on purpose that there are a Japanese, a Korean and a Taiwanese.

The absolute number 1 is, funny enough, the other half of Buzzer beat.

     1- 北川景子 (きたがわ けいこ) Kitagawa Keiko

Born in 1986.
Lead in Buzzer Beat, Akumu-chan.

     2- 하지원 Ha Ji Won

Born in 1978.
Lead in Secret Garden.

(Wow! so weird to see her with long hair!)

     3- 陳意涵 (陈意涵) Ivy Chen

Born in 1982.
Lead in Skip beat!.

Top 10 Drama actors Crushes

So, let's get full-on, unabashedly superficial!

But, first, because we have to do this seriously, a definition of « crushes » for the purpose of this post. Basically, all leads in drama are handsome but for reasons, some appeal to me more and make me want to check out (but not always watch in their entirety) dramas in which they appear. These crushes are based on looks and on the characters portrayed. Obviously, I don't know them. Nor do I want to. In this case, fantasy is better.

Note: I chose pictures in which I could recognise the actor, based on what I know they look like in dramas.

Hum... no surprise for number One.

     1- 山下智久 Yamashita Tomohisa.

Born in 1985.
Lead in Nobuta wo produce, Kurosagi, Buzzer beat, Proposal daisakusen, Summer nude. In his dramography, I haven’t watched Code blue past the 1st episode coz of serious real-life stuff like blood and grim surgeries. [Edit: since then, I've watched and reviewed Monsters, Algernon ni Hanataba wo and From 5 to 9, so yeah, he's still number 1, no contest].

This Google images search just killed my heart.
One hour later:

     2- 郭品超  Dylan Kuo.

Born in 1977.
Lead in Prince + Princess 2 and Borrow your love.

     3- 速水もこみち Hayami Mokomichi

Born in 1984. 

Lead in Oh ! My girl !!!, Zettai Kareshi, Rebound. Also supporting in From 5 to 9.

     4- 藤木直人 Fujiki Naohito.

Born in 1972.
Lead in Hotaru no Hikari, supporting in Proposal daisakusen.
So nice and earnest.

     5- 敖犬  Ao Quan

Born in 1982.
Lead in Brown Sugar macchiato and only guest in The legend of Brown sugar chevalries :(. 
I like his features (especially his ears! :) ) and his character is fun.

    
  6- 주원  Joo Won.

Born in 1987.
Lead in Bridal Mask (Gaksital). Based on one drama but I plan to watch more of him. [Edit: since I've wrote this post, he's played the same role as the next one on this list. Lead in Nae Il's Cantabile. Is it random or do I have a type lol ?] So intense.

Wow, it was weird to see him cheerful in the results of my Googling!

     7- 玉木宏 Tamaki Hiroshi.

Born in 1980.
Lead in Nodame Cantabile and Love shuffle.

     8- Mike He.

Born in 1983.
Lead in Love contract, Devil besides you (DNF) and Love keeps going (DNF), guest in 1 episode of Yukan club. As you see, it's because of Love contract, because he was quite terrible in Love keeps going. I couldn't get into Devil besides you but he was okay in that.

     9- 고수  Go Soo

Born in 1978.
Lead in Marrying a millionnaire.

     10- Jimmy Lin.

Born in 1974.
Lead in My Lucky Star. He's on the list based on this drama I watched years ago so it really left me an impression. After rewatching and reviewing it for this blog... yeah, he belongs on this list.

Honorary : 

(I've had a crush on you but I won't watch a drama because you starred in it.)

- 吳尊 Wu Chun

Born in 1979.
Lead in Romantic Princess and Hana Kimi taïwanais (DNF).
After I started watching Hana Kimi, I got this weird impression that he looks like my brother (He does not !) and got creeped out.

- 김범 Kim Bum

Born in 1989.
Supporting in Boys over Flowers.

And this guy: 고주원 Go Joo Won

Born in 1981.
He isn't in any dramas I've watched but coming across these pictures when I was searching for Joo Won makes me want to check them out.

 

2020 June 16th edit : I changed this list in order to remove an actor I used to like, since his turn in Capital Scandal, one of my early fav dramas. Even his terrible hairstyle in the last part of Coffee House couldn't turn me off. But I just found out he has been convicted of sexual assault so... yeah, now he's just awful and disgusting.

Hahaha

This is where I will group together some pieces about thoughts I have about dramas. They won't be deep and comprehensive theses but some thoughts I will write down when I have time.
The subjects will be for example a comparison between Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese dramas or the prudery of dramas (the way they deal with sex is really different from Western TV).


Update: OK, maybe I was too ambitious...

But here are two blog posts from the same person, mostly about Boys over flowers. If you seriously believe it is the best TV series ever, do not read. If you have a sense of humor about it, go on:

1- "My secret shame", from The Importance of Being Alix, August 18, 2011.
Here is the beginning of the post:

"I have an addiction. It crept up on me... I saw some friends doing it, and it seemed harmless enough. I thought I'd try it just once to see what the fuss was about, and then before I could realize what was happening, it had taken over me. I tried to stop, but I only went through withdrawal. Obsessed, I kept asking friends where I could get my next hit from. I even tried to convince other people to try it, when hours of my own life were missing. What's my drug of choice?

I am a Korean Drama addict."

2- "Netflix Fix: Boys Over Flowers", from Forever Young Adult, October 4, 2012
An extract:

"This adaptation of the hit manga series follows the exact same plot of every other Korean drama! Unassuming high school student Jan Di enrolls at a fancy Korean prep school lorded over by four douchey rich kids -- Hairsuit, Blondie McBlonderson, Ceramics, and Mafia.* The ringleader of this group, Hairsuit, is an incredibly spoiled (but misunderstood! always misunderstood!) sociopath who decides it would be fun to torture Jan Di for a little bit. Then, when she roundhouse kicks him to the face, he deludes himself into thinking she is secretly in love with him and does things like order his security detail to kidnap, chloroform, and makeover Jan Di into his new girlfriend."