Dream High

• Title: Dream High / 드림하이
• Genre: School, comedy, romance
• Episodes: 16 + Special (Concert)
• Broadcast network: KBS2
• Synopsis: Six students at Kirin Art High School work to achieve their dreams of becoming stars.

I took me two episodes, and I was already hooked.  This series is highly addicting.  It’s another school drama, which generally tends to be a hit.  Not only that, but it has a really great cast (you’ll see when you start watching).  It’s cute, it’s funny, and it’s got your high school drama in it too.  It’s about a music school (or school for creating stars), which makes things unique and different from your average kdrama.   It’s all about making a star. If you’re into kpop, there is an extremely high chance that you will love this. Park Jin Young (JYP)  is one of the producers of this series so you will see a lot of appearances from celebs under JYP Entertainment (including JYP himself) and references to their songs.  It has a great soundtrack and it’s just one of those feel good dramas.  Not once was I ever tempted or bored enough to drop this series.  It was consistently great.

This series is a must watch. I definitely recommend it.

My Rating: (4.5/5)

Credits: Dramawiki
You can watch this series over at DramaCrazy.

Mary Stayed Out All Night

• Title: Mary Stayed Out All Night / Marry Me, Mary! /  매리는 외박중
• Genre: Romance, comedy
• Episodes: 16
• Broadcast network: KBS2
• Broadcast period: 2010-Nov-08 to 2010-Dec-28
• Synopsis: Wi Mae Ri is the cheerful, pragmatic daughter of a failed businessman who had grown used to being constantly on the move to escape from debtors. She becomes fast friends with the free-spirited indie singer Kang Moo Kyul when she nearly ran him over in a car. Meanwhile, her father Wi Dae Han is saved from his debtors by his old friend, Jung Suk, who had just returned from considerable success in the Japanese entertainment industry. Jung Suk, who had harboured a secret love for Mae Ri’s mother, sets up a deal with Dae Han to have Mae Ri marry his son, Jung In. In her desperate to escape this predicament, Mae Ri begs Moo Kyul to pose as her husband, and finds herself in even more trouble than before when her father proposes a 100-day period in which she has to divide her time equally between Moo Kyul and Jung In, after which she has to decide who to marry.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of this drama is “cute”.  It really is adorably, but not overly cute if you get what I’m saying.  This series is based off the internet comic “Maerineun Uibakjoong” by Won Su-Yeon.  The female lead reminds me of a kitten, while the male lead reminds me of a puppy.  The plot is is pretty unique and interesting considering the situation Mary is in.  It has a somewhat stereotypical love triangle square for a Kdrama.  Nonethess, it is really addicting, mainly for the fact that it has some really adorable scenes.

My Rating: (4/5)

Credits: AsianMediaWiki, Dramawiki
You can watch this series over at Viki

Housewife Kim Kwang Ja’s Third Activities

• Title: Housewife Kim Kwang Ja’s Third Activities / 주부 김광자의 제3활동
• Genre: Comedy, Family
• Episodes: 1
• Broadcast Network: MBC
• Synopsis:Kim Kwang Ja is an ordinary 42-year-old housewife who has spent most of her years devoted to her gruff husband and indifferent daughter. When she discovers the music of a popular idol boyband, she becomes a fan of the lead rapper, Jin, and finds new joy in her life.

Looking for something short to watch? Well, this could be it.  It’s a 1 episode kdrama (almost like a movie).  Now you may think its a love story, but it’s not.  I’m kind of glad it’s not because I know for a fact some people would have found this “couple” a little bit weird considering the age difference.

Despite the main characters age being “old”, she is totally likable.  I mean, she’s not really a typical “ahjumma”.  The drama itself is very cute and funny.  It’s a good distraction that doesn’t take up too much of your time.

My Rating: (4/5)

You can watch this over at Viki.

JOKER Yurusarezaru Sosakan

• Title: Joker Yurusarezaru Sosakan / ジョーカー 許されざる捜査官
• Genre: Crime
• Episodes: 10 + Special
• Broadcast network: Fuji TV
• Synopsis:Date Kazuyoshi (Sakai) is a detective on the Kanagawa prefectural police force. During the day, he is known as a “Buddha” for his gentle personality, pouring all of his energy into resolving each case. At night, however, he transforms into a cruel punisher as his gentleness gives way to his anger towards the criminals. The series poses questions about what justice and evil truly are. –Tokyograph

It may be another cop drama, but this series is very unique.  It’s mysterious, but not too mysterious, and yet it somehow keeps you guessing.  I loved the plot and did not get bored watching it.

The main character is very interesting. Despite his dark past, he seems to have a smile on his face all the time no matter what he is feeling.  His smile is not a superficial fake smile, but rather a smile of innocence.

On a side note, I absolutely love the theme-song for this drama (SCAR by Rip Slyme). On another side note, Ryo (NEWS) is in this drama as well. While I certainly didn’t start watching this drama because of him, I was pleasantly surprised and happy to see him in it. I just love his voice (like when he talks–it’s a weird thing to like, I know).

This series is very interesting, so I recommend you check it out.

My Rating: (3.5/5)

Credits: Dramawiki
You can watch this series over at Viki.

Secret Garden (SBS)

I am obsessed with this series.  I only saw the first two episodes and I’m already hooked. Heck, I was hooked since the first episode. Usually I wait until watching about 6 episodes to blog about a series, but this kdrama is most definitely an exception.

• Title: Secret Garden / 시크릿 가든
• Genre: Melodrama, Fantasy, Romance
• Episodes: 20
• Broadcast network: SBS
• Broadcast period: 2010-Nov-13 to TBA
• Air time: Saturday & Sunday 21:45
• Synopsis:The drama tells the story of Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin), a seemingly perfect man who hides an arrogant and eccentric side, and Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won), a stuntwoman whose beauty and body are the object of envy amongst top actresses. One day they went deep into the mountains and entered a strange house, where a strange grandmother offered them chocolate to eat. The next day, they found themselves in the other’s body.

To sum it all up, she is a stunt-woman and he is a rich CEO.  They end up switching bodies.  Now doesn’t that sound awesome!?  While the concept isn’t all that new, the plot is very unique and different for a Korean drama. I applaud the writers for the refreshing change.  It is everything I have been looking for (Action, Comedy, Romance, and even a little Fantasy).  I love the fact that the female lead character is a stunt-woman.  She is no damsel in distress.  Even if they do want to play on a Cinderella story, I won’t be able to get upset because the situation is so different.

Other than the awesome plot, the cast is also good. Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin, two very awesome people, play the main characters.  I really cannot get enough of this drama.  In my opinion, there is something to like for everybody because it has a little bit of everything, not to mention it is refreshingly different.

My Rating: (5/5)

Source: Dramawiki
You can watch this series over at Viki.

Playful Kiss Special

• Title: Playful Kiss Special
• Episodes: 7
• Broadcast Network: MBC – Youtube

This a continuation of the Playful Kiss kdrama which is being released in web series format on Youtube.  It shows the couple after the wedding to give viewers a taste of how their newly wed life is like.  There will be a total of seven mini episodes, each about 10 minutes long.

I noticed that there is a ridiculous amount of product placement in the Special series, especially episode 1.  The series is a lot cuter and funnier than the actual drama.  It will also be a lot more “steamier”.  You should definitely check it out.

My Rating: (4.5/5)

Source: allkpop

Also available are clips of each special episode from Sueng Jo’s point of view (in diary form).

Fugitive: Plan B

• Title: 도망자: Plan B / Fugitive: Plan B / Runaway: Plan B /
• Genre: Action, Romance
• Episodes: TBA
• Broadcast Network: KBS2
• Synopsis: During the Korean War, a vast amount of money disappeared. Now, some 60 years later, the money has reappeared, leading to a frantic chase across the globe. Jin Yi (Lee Na Young) is a seemingly innocent woman who has hidden motives for approaching Ji Woo (Bi). Her plans are complicated by an unexpected romance developing between them, as well as the numerous pursuers hot on their trail. Kieko (Uehara Takako) is a famous Japanese singer who also gets tangled up in a relationship with this man. Little do they know that her father Hiroki (Takenaka Naoto), apart from being a business man, is a powerful yakuza. In this love triangle, who will finally win the love of Ji Woo?

Let me start off by saying that this series has an amazing soundtrack, which really is no surprise now that I think about it.  Most people are watching this series for either Bi Rain or Daniel Henney (or both).  However, even if you aren’t watching this series for either of them like me, this drama is great to watch.  The plot is great. The action is great. The comedy is…mostly great. And as I’ve mentioned before, the soundtrack is great.  That pretty much makes it an epic drama.

There are some annoying about this drama, but they aren’t that big of a deal, so they can basically be overlooked.  It irks me every time Daniel Henney speaks in English while everyone else is speaking in Korean.  The conversations seem so awkward.  Even if his Korean accent might not be that great, he should have been given more Korean lines.  Also, the cinematography seems inconsistent.  Sometimes it great, but sometimes it has moments where the editing gets a bit choppy.

On a side note, I love how Rain’s character is not a complete badass all throughout the drama (which was how I thought it was going to be, since this Kdrama is heavy on the action and fighting scenes).  In actuality his character is a complete goofball, which really adds to the comedy element of this series.

Overall, this is a really great drama to watch.  Chances are that you will highly like it.

My Rating: (4/5)

Credits: Dramawiki
You can watch this series over at Dramacrazy or legally at Dramafever.

King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo

• Title: King of Baking,  Kim Tak Goo / Baker King, Kim Tak Goo / Bread, Love and Dreams
• Genre: Family, Romance
• Episodes: 30
• Broadcast network: KBS2
• Synopsis: Kim Tak Goo is the eldest son of Goo In Jong, the president of Samhwa Enterprise, a legend in the baking industry. Although he is an extremely talented baker and seemed destined to succeed his father as president, Goo In Jong’s family plotted to rob him of his inheritance because he was born to In Jong’s mistress. Tak Goo’s determination to become number one in the baking industry drives him to rebuild his career from scratch despite the many trials he faces.

Let’s just say that this series puts the drama in “drama”. I honestly believe people were loving it because of all the hype.  While the series was okay, there was nothing special about it.  It has the same stereotypical characters that other stereotypical dramas have.  From a logical perspective, the drama is ridiculous.  I can see why so many people continued to watch it though.  Once you’ve watched a decent amount of the series, you become attached to it and don’t want to stop because you’ve already invested so many hours into it. Thirty hour-long episodes is a lot to watch.

More than a third of this series shows his childhood.  That’s a long time for just the background story.  I watched this series till the end, but thought it was lame for not being worth my time.  I am somewhat disappointed, but it could have been worse. However, the majority of people who watched this series, loved it and gave it high ratings. I really don’t know what to make of that.  I’ll just leave it up to you to figure out.

My Rating: (2.5/5)

Credits: Dramawiki
You can watch this series over at Dramacrazy.

Sungkyunkwan Scandal

• Title: Sungkyunkwan Scandal / 성균관 스캔들
• Genre: Period, Romance, Comedy
• Episodes: 20
• Broadcast network: KBS2
• Synopsis: Set in Sungkyunkwan University in the late Joseon era during the reign of King Jeongjo, “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” revolves around the exploits and love stories of four youths. When her younger brother’s illness worsens and their family is in danger of being evicted from their house for lack of money, Kim Yoon Hee enters the school under his name, disguised as a boy in her desperation to support him. There, she becomes friends with the intelligent and upright Lee Sun Joon, the playboy Goo Yong Ha and rebellious Moon Jae Shin.
  

This is another one of those girl cross-dressing as a guy dramas where she is surrounded by males. Naturally, these dramas tend to be very popular.  Therefore, it is safe to say that you will like this drama.  If the plot isn’t enough to suck you in, maybe the male casting will get your attention.  Micky Yoochun (DBSK / JYJ) plays the male lead, while Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In have major roles. Let us not forget our female lead, Park Min Young, who does an awesome job of being both male and female at the same time. Actually, she seems more feminine than masculine in her role, but I’m pretty sure that was done on purpose.

The romantic storyline has a huge emphasis on the plot. Sorry guys, this drama is catered toward the female audience.  Although, there are some cool action/fighting scenes (at least one per episode), which makes the drama cooler instead of, you know, too romantic. I’d say that out of the entire series the last 10 minutes were the best, so I guess its safe to say that you will love the ending.  Overall, it is very enjoyable to watch.  Check it out if you already haven’t.

My Rating: (3/5)

Credits: Dramawiki
You can watch this series over at Dramacrazy.

HAMMER SESSION!

• Title: HAMMER SESSION!
• Genre: School
• Episodes: 11
• Broadcast network: TBS
• Synopsis: Two prisoners managed to escape after the police truck carrying them crashed. One of them ,is a gangster. The other called “Otowa YonKo” – our protagonist – is a con artist whose cheats money from criminals or terrorists. Accidentally, “Otowa Yonko” then becomes the new teacher for the nearby high school, under the new name “Hachisuka Goro”, and according to a deal of “Hammer Session” with the headmaster.

Yet another Japanese school drama, but with a twist.  The students’ teacher is a con artist who is putting his conning skills to good use and whipping his students into shape.  Sound interesting? Well it should because it is.  I love the refreshing plot. However, it isn’t new or anything since this is a live action drama for the Hammer Session! manga (written by Tanahashi Namoshiro and illustrated by Koganemaru Yamato).

Although I may not exactly have gotten ‘addicted’ to this series, it was still fun to watch and was great for just passing time. I didn’t have to force myself to finish this series at all.  It’s cute, yet cool at the same time for having a swindler in it. But I must admit, there is some really over exaggerated acting in it.

My Rating: (3.5/5)

Credits: Dramawiki, Mangafox
You can watch this series subbed over at Viki.