Korean, Japanese & Asian Dramas

Thanks to anime, I also discovered the world of Korean Dramas. I was a bit hesistant at first simply because it would require the usage of subtitles, whereas with anime I was more familiar with english dubbed shows.  It was a tough one trying decide which one would be my first Korean Drama. Based on the promotional photos and not viewer ratings helped me to facilitate this decision. The first drama I picked was Boys Over Flowers.

Currently watching:

Better Man (Taiwanese Drama)
W (Korean drama)


Just finished: 

Voice
(Korean drama)

Perfect Match (Taiwanese Drama)

Next in line to be watched:

Antiquarian Bookshop Biblia's Case Files (Jdrama)



Top 5 Asian Dramas I have Watched


  1. The Hours of My Life (Jdrama)
  2. City Hunter
  3. Shine or Go Crazy
  4. Fireworks
  5. Seeking Love (aka Creating Destiny)


Currently Watching (all on hold)
  • You Are All Surrounded 
  • Love Affairs in the Afternoon (Jdrama)
  • Dear Future Diary (Jdrama)
  • Love Cheer
  • School 2013

Next in line to be watched:
On the search for a new medical drama...

  • Inspiring Generation
  • Master's Sun



23. Voice (5/5)
23. The Perfect Match (3/5) ~Taiwanese Drama
23. Beautiful Mind (4.5/5)
23. Romantic Doctor Kim  (4.5/5)
23. Monster  (3/5)


22. In Time With You ~Taiwanese Drama (5/5)


21. Doctor Affairs ~Jdrama (4/5 stars)

Doctors' Affairs: Saito Takumi, Ishida Yoriko, Aibu Saki, Hirayama Hiroyuki. #jdrama:
20. Shine or Go Crazy (5/5 stars)



Brief Synopsis: The lives of a cursed prince and cursed princess cross paths and love blossoms between the two. However sometimes love means letting go....

My 14th Korean Drama.
A tiny round of applause, I can't believe it's only been about 2 years since I stumbled upon Asian Dramas. Yet compared to others I feel like I haven't watched many. Nonetheless the journey continues...

After Medical Top Team, I was in search of a new medical drama...the search continues. I actually tried to watch the first episode of the new kdrama Blood, but it wasn't the right fit. After searching multiple shows and trying to resume shows I had previously commenced (see above list) nothing seemed appealing. Until I stumbled upon Shine or Go Crazy. I really grew to like Oh Yeo Seo (played doctor Choi-An from Medical Top Team) and discovered she would be one the main leads in this show. I also found out the one of the Queen's in this show is played by no other Lee Honey (from Pasta) !

What makes this kdrama different than the others was the tone of the show. It wasn't gut wrenching sad the entire time and their was humor. It was nice not having to sob-away each episode. The twists and turns were well employed, as well as the many life lessons this show brings to light. 


If you are destined to meet someone, whether you try to or not. Your fates will eventually meet.


Each individual you encounter is meant to cross your paths and be part of your life for a particular purpose and time.


There is so much to discuss about the show however I do not want to post any spoilers. I will say this, the main leads they chose were exceptional. Loved the cast, the writers and the score music. Truly a blossoming drama that will leave you to think and reflect more about your own life.



19. Medical Top Team (4.5/5 stars)


My 13th Korean Drama.
One of the Doctors (Dr Bae) in this show was a lead character in Pasta and Hospital VP is from Moon Embracing the Sun.

Wow seems like I've been watching Kdramas for years, but can't believe  this is only my 13th one !?
Truly passionate series depicting the power struggles within the hospital environment and how far one would go to save a patient. Main lead, Dr. Park Tae Shin aimed to keep characters grounded and never lost sight of why he practices medicine- to save as many lives as he can. I absolutely loved his character, and it were not for him I'm not sure if the series would have survived. Each doctor had their own ulterior motives in practicing medicine, and you will see their motives evolve throughout this 20 episode show. Romance was not a focal point (only towards the ending of the series) and the series opted from a more serious-tone with minor humor. I really enjoyed this drama, and encourage anyone who is interested in the health care field to watch it.

P.S Series Soundtrack was good! (Listen to John Park "Light")

18. The Con Artists (aka The Technicians) 6.5/10 stars



Kim Woo Bin. Need I say more? Good film overall, well-done ending.
Oh yes and how could I forget! The soundtrack...Two thumbs up.



17. Like Father, Like Son (10 stars-Japanese Film)



A film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. I was unable to view it at the time. But I finally got around to it. It was an extraordinary heart-string pulling film. A must watch and is now on my fave list of films. These Japanese films and dramas are really blowing me away. In particular the last Jdrama I watched called The Hours to My Life


16. Reason I Can't  Find Love (5 stars) ~Jdrama



There's something refreshing about Japanese Dramas.

I've grown to like them more than Korean Dramas. Korean dramas have too much drama, if you know what I mean. This show gave us insight into the lives of 4 women who struggle with love and wonder why they too can't fall or keep in love. I really enjoyed this feel-good drama, and makes you question what will you sacrifice to be with your loved one.


15. Emergency Couple (4 stars)



It's been a while since I've done reviews for dramas ....I watched this about over a month ago so everything is a bit foggy....

Dude from Heirs is in this and so it that darn rich girl from Creating Destiny. Loved the cast overall in this show. Everything mirrored the realities of the married life and ups and downs. But it beautifully depicted the crossed paths of the divorced couple and their future careers, and possible paths for new love. The show was also very funny, but got more serious towards the end. Better than Heirs, Just as good as MLFAS (almost lol).

14. The Hours of My Life (5 + stars) ~ Jdrama



I cried. and I cried. and I cried.
AMAZING DRAMA. AMAZING ACTING. BEST SHOW.
Brought awareness to the neurological disease ALS and the struggle of teens/adults trying to find their way in the job industry while pleasing their parents. Takano is new graduate seraching for a job, whom later discover he has ALS. There is no cure, and he doesn't know who to turn to. 


13. My Love From Another Star (5/5 stars)



Brief Synopsis: Alien (Kim Soo Hyun) lives on earth for thousands of years, falls in love with an actress (Jun Ji-hyun) who has a strong connection to his past. Love triangles emerges alongside murders that pinpoint every which way-except to the real culprit. With few months to spare this Alien has to make the decision to either carry on living his life peacefully and ignore helping others and falling in love. Will he remain on earth or go back home to the stars?

My 11th Korean Drama. First off, I was ecstatic to learn that Kim Soo Hyun from The Moon Embracing the Star was starring in this drama.This kdrama was exceptionally well done. After watching Heirs (biggest disappointment), MLFAS can be classed on a whole new level. The acting was SUPERB.  All the characters did an outstanding job. Jun Ji-hyun defined acting. These two actors...I haven't seen acting like this since well....ever. Jun certainly demonstrated her range of emotions throughout the series. The overall plot was very well composed, and the drama ended on a realistic note- Which I really admired, it wasn't a blown out fantasy and left room for your own imagination.
I strongly recommend this drama to all kdrama fans. This drama deserves high recognition. I rate this drama 5 stars.


12. Hakuba no Oujisama (5/5 stars) ~Japanese Drama


"Time for Pure Love"

My first Japanese Drama. Completely different than the mystery Tragedy of W. This drama focused on the life of a single 33 year old teacher named Takako (Hara-sensei ). She has had no luck with love in the past except with her senpei who is married and does not leave his wife for her.  Takako, falls for the new young male teacher Kotaro whom is also engaged. She realizes their tremendous age gap, however still struggles to let go of her feelings for him. I must say this story was heart-moving, and relate-able. The story line depicted the non-flowery side of love and how love is viewed and desired as you get older. I absolutely loved this show, and the ending was done beautifully. That being said, I only wish they elaborated more on Egawa-san view on the situation.



11. Heirs (The Inheritors) (3/5 stars)


Star Studded Cast.
Lee Min-Ho and Park Shin-hye return to the screen is this highly anticipated Korean Drama.

Focusing on the lives of future teen heirs and heiresses & its' perks and disadvantages. Of course Lee-Min Ho falls for a girl out of his social class, Park Shin-Hye which is only leads to chaos. Honestly, if it wasn't for this cast I would have given up on this show altogether. I had to push myself to watch the end of this 20 episode series. Story line was pretty predictable but it lacked sparkle. It's like this build-up of a story that really goes nowhere. I truly enjoyed however Lee-min ho's co-star friend/enemy Young Do character's development. All in all, not so great of a show, could have been made into a movie or could have cut down on the number of episodes.

I rate this show 3/5 stars.



10. The Tragedy of W (4/5 stars) ~Japanese Drama

.

I'm branching out- I have started to watch J-dramas. This is the first one I have actually completed, the other I am currently watching Hakuba no Oujisama is still airing new episodes.  I am noticing a difference between the K and J dramas.  Korean dramas for me anyways sends me on an emotional roller coaster whereas J-dramas seem more serious and more realistic. Now my opinion is only based on the 2 J-dramas I have seen so I still have much to learn! Overall good J-drama, loved that it was a mystery.



9. The Moon that Embraces the Sun (4/5 stars)



This is my 9th Korean drama. After viewing modern day kdramas I decided it was time to try something new and explore traditional/historical kdramas. I was hesitant at first as I was worried the story lines wouldn't be as interesting or to my understanding as I have no prior knowledge on Korean history. The beginning of this show was overwhelming simply because I was unfamiliar with the roles and how things are conducted in a palace. Telling the characters apart was difficult for 2 reasons: 1. All the male characters wore hats and similar clothing just in different colors. 2. Many characters were introduced at the start of the show. Ha! At one point I was confused because I thought there were only 2 young girls (Yeon-Woo and Lord Hun's daughter Bo-Kyung) but to my surprise the episode after displayed 3 daughters. Including Princess Minhwa.
The plot simply evolved around the Crown Prince's love for Yeon-Woo. However Yeon-Woo is predicted before birth by a shaman that she will face a a difficult life. The Crown Prince's brother Yang-myung also falls in love with Yeon-woo, Bo-Kyung falls for the Crown Prince. Together these 2 suns (the boys) and the moons (the girls) all face a fate of trouble in the quest of love power and politics.

I was thoroughly impressed by the plot, but what really captured my attention was how well written  the characters lines were often woven with poetry and wise words. 

There were many twists in this show. One thing is certain this show is a tear jerker. There was not one episode where I did not cry. Thankfully the Crown Prince and his eunuch lighten up the mood with their humorous relationship. I give this show a rating of 4 stars. Its downfall was the prolonging of the plot unnecessarily. I felt like the story could have been wrapped up a few episodes earlier. Another downfall was its ending. I was a bit annoyed (as I'm sure some viewers can agree) that the ending was a little to cheerful to be true. Too many innocent lives were sacrificed for the love of the moon and the sun. However I guess looking at the brighter side of this, the only good that came forth was the dismantling of the political corruption in the palace. One more thing to add was my heart's yearning for Prince Yang-myung to be happy. 

Good show- if you are not afraid to shed a few tears it is worth watching.



8. Pasta (5 stars)

I know previously it was noted King 2 Hearts would be next, however I was not in the mood lol.


My 8th Korean Drama. I rated this drama 5 stars, and I was debating if it was worth that score in comparison to the other titles I rated similarly (City Hunter and Boys Over Flowers). However I came to the realization I could not compare this show really to either as they were all completely different. This was not your typical kdrama in comparison to the other I watched. It was actually quite educational in terms of Italian cuisine, and depicted the ups and downs of falling in love, and how selfishness can hurt those you care about. Synopsis: This show focused on the lives of Italian chefs at the La Sfera Restaurant; past lovers reunite in the restaurant's kitchen (Chef Hyun-Wook and Sae-Young). Chef Hyun-Wooks position as the new chef at La Sfera causes a number of uproars among staff, in particular when he decides to fire all the women. However Yoo-Kyung (the kitchen assistant) stands firms and comes back anyways regardless of the numerous times he fires her. Yoo-Kyung is also the lead of the series, and it focuses on the obstacles she encounters as she is finally able  to hold a frying pan in LaSfera's kitchen after 3 years of being an assistant.

The show was great. Truly funny, yet with some teary eyed moments as well. You grow to like Chef Hyoi-Wook while despising others. This was the second kdrama I've watched that actually ends decently so I was glad. Chef'  HW character truly steals the show as he is brutally honest (which can be just mean sometimes), but has a big heart. You see his character evolve throughout the series thanks to the kitchen assistant Yoo-Kyung.

I think one of my biggest pet-peeves of the show was Yoo-Kyung's coworkers lack of courtesy towards her and just pure disregard for her feelings while occupying about their own. It also displayed how they used her gender as a "woman" to commonly put her down. Meanwhile Yoo-Kyung regardless- always went of her way to help those who have or had not hurt. 1 thing that piqued my interest was...This was the first kdrama I've watched where the women in love (or the ex) are not devious. It was remarkable- this is regarding Chef Seo-Young. At first she seems to portray this conceited woman but you notice quickly how she changes for the better.

Overall great show, I know it's a long review but I will try to keep it short next time. Enjoy!


King 2 Hearts (Next in line to be watched!)




7. Fireworks (5 stars)



This show had the best soundtrack- like they had tunes playing from MaryMary to India Arie, to Mase (Breathe, Stretch, Shake). The list goes on.

This brings me to my 7th Korean Drama. I haven't had an emotional rollercoster like this since Seeking Love. If you recognize a familiar face, the main female leads have appeared in other shows. The main character Na Ra also played Jihu's lover in Boys Over Flowers. The second female lead Mi Rae plays the lead in the show Pink Lipstick.

Briefly, the show revolves around Na Ra whom is told by her boyfriend of 7 years on their anniversary that he cheated on her on a business trip. To make matters worst, he claims that he still wants to marry Na Ra but also discloses he is still unsure of his feelings towards his fling. Seewong (Na Ra's now ex) resumes his relationship with Mi Rai (his fling) and falls in love with her. While this story involves another character In Jae (brother in law of Mi Rae) all of the character's paths cross in this cumbersome love square.

What made this show stand out from the rest, was for once my love for the mother in a kdrama. Usually the moms in kdramas tend be extra and extremely rude and conniving. This time she was the complete opposite; as a character she was witty and knew how to put her foot down. Another thing I wanted to point out was how I fell in love with the villain in this show. Although I hated him at first, as the show progresses you have to admire his honesty.

Overall great show. Definitely in my top 3. I give this show 5 stars.


6. The Secret Lover (3.5/5 stars)



My sixth korean drama. I really enjoyed this one, it wasn't too long; just the right amount of episodes. Although this follows somewhat a cinderalla story it certainly addresses how much appearance plays a role in both society and individual perceptions. A story on love clothed in rags versus riches is played up in a love square. I encourage you to watch it, it really makes one think about "being shallow" and how this affects who and how a person loves. I give this show 3.5 stars.

P.S Soundtrack song "I'd rather dance with you" bu Kings of Convenience

5. Heartstrings (3/5 stars)



My 5th korean drama. This show was actually recommended to me. I read previous reviews, and noticed how much people raved about how good it was. Seeing that increased my expectations. Getting to episode 3, I kid you not- I was ready to quit watching this show. I tried again and by episode 8 I was truly ready to call it quits. I thought it was too predictable (yet again most kdramas are starting to follow a similar pattern as I watch on). It was a nice story line, but it wasn't for me. To give a quick synopsis 2 music students from different genres (traditional music versus pop/rock) cross paths with obstacles along the way. They in turn both end up working with each other for a school musical production but love starts to blossom between the two.

I admired the main lead vocal's Lee Shin. He truly has been blessed with a beautiful voice. He is also apart of the boy band CN Blue in real life.If you like teen romance this may be for you, I prefer something with more twists and turns as well as humor. I give this show 3 out of 5 stars.


4. Seeking Love  (4.5/5 stars)




I didn't think I could ever watch another kdrama again and ever be satisfied after watching City Hunter. The beam was just too high for any other kdrama to meet it. I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed and highly recommend City Hunter.

Moving on, I decided to settle on a lighter genre that wasn't action-packed. This brings me to my 4th korean drama Seeking Love aka Chasing Destiny. This drama has to be the FUNNEST drama I have seen so far, especially halapoji  (Alex's grandpa). The show would not be the same without him. The one major critique I have for this drama was that it was too long (31 episodes c'mon!). I felt like the the middle of series dragged on for months (and I finished the series in a month). I was ready to quit this drama until suddenly the momentum starts to build once more by the last 10 episodes. There are so many surprises within that last 10 episodes that I felt like happens in an entire kdrama series.

To recap, this show revolves around an Korean-Australian girl named Alex who's been arranged to marry a family friend in Korea named Yeojun. The two despise each other, and have their own lovers they would rather marry. They face quarrels from both side of the families and end up falling for each other, and things start to spiral out of control.

If you want a good laugh, this show is it. Give it a try. I'm sure once you meet halapoji in the show, you won't want to turn back. I rate this show 4.5 stars.

3. City Hunter (5 stars)



THE BEST KOREAN DRAMA I HAVE EVER SEEN.
NO.....
MAKE THAT THE BEST TV SERIES I HAVE EVER WATCHED.

Need I say more? This show crosses boundaries and is just deep. It also stars Boys Over Flowers lead Lee-Min Ho.

So much happens that I don't even know where to begin. You just have to watch it for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

2. I am a Flower Too (4/5 stars)



My Second Korean Drama, naturally I selected this title as it was similar to the title of Boys Over Flowers.This show also has a similar Cinderalla plot; commoner meets elite, rich dude falls for poor girl. However in this case, this commoner, Bongson is a police offer whose duties often cross paths of the hard working and charming Jae Hee. The love between the two blossoms as they learn about each other and try to resolve their troubling pasts.

After having Boys Over Flowers withdrawal, I quickly fell in love with this series as it was more fast paced and was completed in the span of 15 episodes. The humor in both shows helped to balance the sadder elements. However I found this show to more depressing than Boys Over Flowers. It was somewhat of a relief when it came to an end simply because I could not handle the numerous heartbreaking moments in this show. Interestingly, I never thought I would encounter another character like Junpyo's mother (Boys Over Flowers), however I was sadly mistaken as her character traits are also taken on by another woman in this show. Overall, definitely a good watch.


1. Boys Over Flowers ( 5 stars)



My first Korean Drama, and I am stunned and at a loss for words. I could not believe how well written this plot was. Although it is based off the manga Hana Yori Dango (have not read it), this show has certainly trumped  previous television shows I have viewed. Each episode was 1 hour long, and I kid you not, this show defines an emotional roller coaster. You could not sit for five minutes within an episode without changing emotions and wanting to slap a character for their stupidity. I am sure lots of viewers can agree that Junpyo's mother, Yumi and Jaeyong topped the lists for this. I do not want to spoil this for anyone who plans on watching this show but I will say this- The story revolves around a commoner who saves a students life at a rich academy. Because of her heroic efforts, Jandi is invited to attended the academy. The head student group of this academy, F4, are the elite whom in which this commoner shows no regards for them and their rules. Seeing this, F4 leader Junpyo is intrigued and ends up falling for Jandi the commoner. This storyline continues to enfold following their lives as well as the other members of the F4 group.



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