How could I forget?!

Oh my! Somebody hurt me please! I somehow forget to add Coffee Prince to my top 5!! It is of course #1 and probably always will be...

I told you my top 5 would change! So I guess that kicks out My Lovely Sam Soon. I'm sure I will watch many more dramas and I will have to make a top 10 list because there will be dramas that may not be a favorite, but are worth mentioning because of a character or actor I liked.

Updated top 5

Hiya! Long time no blog...I have still been watching kdramas and movies. I will give you an update of my fav dramas, but I will have to make a movie list. The paper I wrote all my movies on got lost :(

My top 5 kdramas are basically in order, but I do change my mind sometimes and as I watch more dramas, so this list may change again...

My top 5:

 

 Playful Kiss may not be everyone's favorite drama, but it was the first one I ever watched and therefore holds a special place for me. Kim Hyun Joong is very good-looking, and Jung So Min is adorable, yet can be tiring from her character's relentless infatuation with Baek Seung Jo.

  Secret Garden had me laughing and crying along with the characters. I did not read a synopsis, so I did not know about the twist of fate the leads went through, but it was a silly surprise! I even downloaded the text notification sound because it was so cute and catchy. I can't wait for another drama from Hyun Bin!

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (9-tailed fox) is the drama I watched most recently. The main leads have great chemistry and were believable as a couple. It made me laugh several times and I even teared up during a couple scenes near the end. I also have made the song "Fox Rain" my ringtone on my phone :) As you can probably tell by now, I enjoy comedies over a serious drama and this one was a joy to watch! I will probably check out more the actor Lee Seung Gi.

Boys over Flowers was also one of the first drams that I watched. After watching Playful Kiss, I was pleased to see a strong female lead who could hold her own against the popular and good-looking F4. I watched Lee Min Ho in City Hunter and very much enjoyed his action character in that.

My Lovely Sam Soon was a welcomed adult drama after watching a couple high school dramas in a row. I have to be honest, Hyun Bin had to grow on me a little during this drama, but after Secret Garden, I like him a lot. I also enjoyed Kim Sun Ah's character because she didn't have that Korean leading lady look (tiny/skinny). She was also very good in the drama Scent of a Woman.

So that's all the updates for now. As always, I hoped you enjoyed reading and I look forward to any suggestions for kdramas of the comedy variety!

Update!

This is just a short update, but I want to give props to an actress that keeps popping up in the chick flicks I've been watching.

Son Ye Jin

She is so beautiful and just a delight to watch on-screen. I'm sure I will be watching more from her in the near future.

I have watched 15 movies and counting! Top 10 soon hopefully! If any readers have movie suggestions let me know! I have tried to peruse some top lists, but I just noticed most have been within the last decade-ish. Are there movies from the 90s, 80s, 70s, etc that I should see?? (Just fyi, I tend to shy away from war movies and most horror, but if it's just too acclaimed to pass up, I will give it a go.)

Korean films

I have been watching some great Korean films! I am so addicted! I have watched 11 so far and I'm not done with all the films I wrote down as must-sees. Let me give you a taste of what I have enjoyed so far.

 A Moment to Remember

I cried like a baby when I watched this! I almost didn't want to watch it because I didn't want to be sad. Silly I know, but it was well worth it when I got around to it. I even made my mom watch with me :) The main characers are played by Jung Woo Sung and Son Ye Jin. Prior to watching this I had only see Woo Sung play rough and tough guys in action movies, but he made my heart melt in this chick flick. Ye Jin has proven herself to me by playing comedy and drama excellently.

The Good The Bad The Weird

I fell in love with this film in the first 15 minutes. It was so action packed, but also had it's comedic moments at all the right times. The gun fights were amazing and I dare say a lot better than most American westerns. I also loved that there was no female characters gumming up the works. One thing that bothers me about most action films is that there is always a love interest. I don't need that! On the off chance that I'm actually watching a dramatic action movie, I don't need a love story! Song Kang Ho, Jung Woo Sung, and Lee Byung Hun were all believable characters and I loved watching their chemistry onscreen.



These 2 films will most likely be at the top of my list when I make my top 10. Off I go to watch more!

My first Korean movie

I watched my first Korean movie the other day. It was a comedy. I laughed a few times. It was cute, but I was uncomfortable most of the time because the story was about the arranged marriage of a 16 yr old high school girl to a 20ish college boy.

I know the Korean culture is very conservative and I was pleased that there was little physical contact between the two. I think I was bothered the most by how young the 16 yr old looked. I would have guessed about 13/14 if asked. I'm sure more movies will be in my future...and I will rate those as well!
(just fyi, the actress Moon Geun Young is also the lead in Mary Stayed out all night)

I am currently working my way through two dramas. I can only watch as much as I can find throughout the inter-web. That said, I will have a list of 10 soon! I hope I come across one that I absolutely love, like I found with Coffee Prince!

My favorite Characters and Actors

Most of the shows I pick to watch is because of the actors I liked in a previous show. I have actors that I like and also characters that I like. 

Gong Yoo

I really like the character of Choi Han Kyul from Coffee Prince. He is a very selfless partner and I love that about him. He leads with his heart and goes all in. I started another drama called One Fine Day starring Gong Yoo and as an actor he really pulls at my heart strings. If he cries, I'm probably crying.

Kim Hyun Joong

I first fell for Hyun Joong's character Baek Seung Jo on Playful Kiss. He plays a very intelligent, very handsome young man opposite a very ditsy, but pretty cute girl named Oh Ha Ni(see photo below). He is constantly insulting Ha Ni, but it only makes her try harder. I loved to see him smile, because he was usually so serious. His character Yoon Ji Hoo in Boys Before Flowers is very unlike his other in that he is very sensitive. I just want to give him a hug the whole time! He also has a good singing voice, hailing from the popular Korean pop group SS501.

Jung So Min

Oh Ha Ni is probably my favorite female lead. She has such a huge heart and only wants to give it to Baek Seung Jo. She is so quirky and had me laughing throughout the whole series. I also love her wardrobe and her hairdos and hair accessories. Just adorable.

Koo Hye Sun

I also love the character of Geum Jan Di from Boys Before Flowers. She is strong and confident. She comes from a poor family, but is a very hard worker. She catches the eye of 2 men in the drama, including the watchful, protective, and caring Ji Hoo(mentioned above). Among all the ditsy and flawed female leads I have watched, she is a breath of fresh air.

Common traits of Korean dramas

From watching all these dramas, I have noticed certain trends in the story lines. Our American dramas may have these trends also, but I feel our shows are a little more diverse. 

* Physical displays of affection are a big deal. The first kiss is a huge deal, even holding hands and hugging causes characters to blush profusely. I feel like it is a society full of sexual frustration. It is cute and innocent most of the time, but after watching American movies and tv shows, it's frustrating not seeing more physical contact.

* They love gossip! Everyone knows everyone else's personal business. Word travels fast via text and mouth.

* There is always an issue with money. Either somebody borrows a large sum of money, money is stolen, or someone is poor and they are desperately trying to earn money, usually to pay off a debt.

*  There is usually one character who is head over heels for another and shamelessly pursues them. In the end they usually end up together. Apparently stalkers are not considered creepy in South Korea. 9 times out of 10, a strange circumstance brings 2 people together and they start out disliking each other and grow closer as the drama progresses.

* Marriage is a huge deal. They usually go on blind dates to find their one and only. Also, generally, one family doesn't approve of the relationship or the social standing of one character. Everyone wants to marry someone with money, or who will be getting a good inheritance.

* Parents hit their adult children. Often this is used as comic relief. The parents often hit their children on the head or back when they have disappointed or aggravated them. Sometimes kitchen utensils or other household items are used, but the favorite is a good smacking with their hands.