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Asian Drama: My Watch-List Update

September 14, 2016

There’s always a new drama to watch and I want to watch them all. Unfortunately, with day-to-day responsibilities, that’s just not possible. But here’s what I managed to complete, along with some new ones I’ve picked up.

Completed or dropped

Miss Rose

Miss Rose:

I enjoyed this office drama, where our main female lead ends up falling for her boss. It’s not a simple romance, as there are obstacles in their way. Any drama with Roy Chiu is bound to be good, whether or not I like the lead female actress. In comparison with the recent Marry Me or Not, this isn’t as good but I recommend watching Miss Rose.

Summary from Drama Fever: Luo Si Yi seeks out the obligatory services of Lily, a local fortune teller, but when she receives her fortune she’s unwilling to accept the mystical decree that she’s doomed to be a spinster for life. Si Yi wagers that she’ll get married within a year, and if she wins, Lily must pole dance at her wedding. But should Si Yi fail, she’ll truly make a fortune teller out of Lily: Si Yi will pay her one million dollars. Gussied up for the dating circuit, Si Yi soon finds she’s got a challenge in balancing romance with the demands of her boss Gao Cheng Kuan. Is Cheng Kuang just another cosmic obstacle for Si Yi to overcome, or a blessing in disguise?

Vampire Detective

I ended up skipping the ending and effectively dropping this drama. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t hold my attention. Each episode there was a mystery, or a case, that needed to be solved and I felt these cases got in the way of the actual plot, which was weaved throughout each episode. I really liked the cast and characters, but overall thought it was just okay.

Summary from DramaFever: During a routine private investigation, Yoon San (Lee Joon) is attacked and turned into a vampire. While adjusting to his supernatural life, Yoon San continues to take on new clients, discovering his powers heighten his investigatory skills along the way. But is it enough to crack the mysteries of his own case?

Splash Splash Love

Splash, Splash Love

Short and sweet. I didn’t realize it when I first watched this that it was only two episodes (silly me). But it was perfectly executed and well done. The drama had plenty of laughs and you got to know each of the major characters despite how limited it was. The drama wrapped itself up well. If you enjoy dramas that take modern-day characters back in time, you’ll really like this one.

Summary from Viki: How far can you run away from the inevitable? Dan Bi (Kim Seul Gi) is a high school senior who hates math and has given up on her future dreams because it requires math! On the day of her college entrance exams, she becomes so distraught that she runs away from it. On this particular rainy day, she jumps into a puddle and suddenly time travels back to the Joseon Dynasty, where she meets the young King Lee Do (Yoon Doojoon). When she tries to tell the court that she’s a “gosam” (high school senior), she is mistakenly thought to be a eunuch who can bring much-needed rain to the drought-stricken times. Can Dan Bi prove her usefulness to the king in order to stay alive — and will she have to use math to do it? Splash Splash Love is a 2015 two-episode South Korean drama special written and directed by Kim Ji Hyun.

Uncontrollably Fond

Uncontrollably Fond (dropped)

I didn’t get very far in this one, mainly because there were other, more interesting, dramas catching my attention. Despite this, apparently, Uncontrollably Fond is a popular drama to watch. I mainly watched it for Kim Woo Bin and not for the plot. Unfortunately, Kim Woo Bin couldn’t keep me watching.

Summary from DramaFever: Kim Woo Bin (Heirs) and Suzy (Architecture 101, Gu Family Book) have sizzling chemistry in this romantic melodrama that has become one of the most eagerly anticipated K-dramas of 2016. Kim Woo Bin stars as the conceited Hallyu star Shin Joon Young. Suddenly separated at a young age from No Eul (Suzy), he’s grown into an arrogant superstar. No Eul in the meantime has grown up to become a scrappy television producer, jumping at any opportunity for money. The two are reunited as adults, and forced to work together in the hopes that No Eul can tame Joon Young’s flippant attitude and get enough money to support her younger brother in the process. However nothing is as it seems, with too many secrets to count surrounding the duo’s past and present, true love might just not be enough.

Ongoing:

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo

There are constant comparisons to the Chinese version, called Scarlet Heart, but I find the Korean version to be much better so far. This is an excellent drama and I expect nothing less from Li Jun Ki (who plays the fourth prince, Wang So). IU (who plays Hae Soo), with her cute looks, suits the role well. All of the princes (except perhaps the third prince!) make you want to fall in love with them. So far, the drama has its intense, dramatic scenes and scenes that make you want to cry — but I’m still waiting for things to take a turn for the worst and Hae Soo’s friendships with the princes go down a very dark path. You just know it’s coming and I’ve got my tissues ready. I highly recommend this drama which currently has seven of its 20 episodes released.

Summary from DramaFever: Lee Joon Ki (Arang and the Magistrate) and Lee “IU” Ji Eun (Dream High) star in a dangerous romance across time in what sure to be one of the biggest historical epics of the year. Hae Soo (IU) is a 21st century woman who gets caught in a solar eclipse and is transported to the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th century for nearly 500 years. Suddenly, Hae Soo finds herself in the royal palace, where she comes across Fourth Prince Wang So (Lee Joon Ki). A man as feared as he is handsome, Wang So is based on the real-life fourth king of the Goryeo Dynasty and makes others tremble but wins over Hae Soo’s heart. However, he is not the only one in the palace with eyes on the throne, and a political battle of deception, secrecy and lies ensues between Wang So and all the other princes. Adding to the drama are Eighth Prince Wang Wook (Heirs star Kang Ha Neul), who is less than willing to wait in line behind seven other members of the royal family, and Third Prince Wang Yo (Beloved alum Hong Jong Hyun), whose right to the crown actually precedes Wang So’s.

Cinderella and Four Knights

Cinderella and Four Knights has its ups and downs. There are mostly ups, but some elements (such as angst between two particular characters) is dragged out for way too long. Although you know how it will end, given that the show isn’t over yet, I’m over their angst. Thankfully, the drama is well done despite that and it’s a great reverse-harem drama. I have to say, I really like Ahn Jae-Hyun’s acting in this role, which is very different than his acting in the drama Blood (which I didn’t think he did a particular good job of doing). So maybe he should play more playboy roles, and less serious roles. Our Cinderella, Eun Ha-Won (played by Park So-Dam) is very cute. Boyish, independent, with some family baggage, but she’s very relatable and I can see how the knights fall for her — she’s spunky and has no problems voicing her opinions. I recommend this drama.

Summary from DramaFever: Park So Dam (Because It’s the First Time) and Jung Il Woo (Flower Boy Ramen Shop) star in a steamy spin on a classic fairy tale that is sure to make you believe in love again. Eun Ha Won (Park So Dam) is a bright college student who dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Unfortunately, she loses her mother in a car accident, moves in with a cruel stepmother, and has no money for her education. One day, she helps an old man and as fate would have it, moves into a gorgeous mansion with three equally gorgeous men, who also happen to be billionaire cousins and heirs to the Kang family fortune. Between the rebel-minded loner Kang Ji Woon (Jung Il Woo), playboy money machine Kang Hyun Min (Blood lead Ahn Jae Hyun) and the super-sweet singer Kang Seo Woo (Sword and Flower alum Lee Jung Shin), Eun Ha Won finds herself in the middle of the hottest love quadrangle to ever befall a modern fairy tale princess. Rounding out the mansion’s chaebol lifestyle are Lee Yoon Sung (Pasta star Choi Min Sung), who serves as the cousins’ handsome bodyguard, and Park Hye Ji (Apink member and Twenty Again actress Son Na Eun), a gorgeous girl who has her own interests in the Kang family and isn’t above manipulating one cousin to get closer to another.

Anyone else watch these dramas? What did you think?

2 Comments

I’m loving Scarlet Heart as well, and can’t get enough of it! Waiting for the next episodes is rough. I also started Cinderella, and while I find it to be needlessly complicated and a bit cheesy in parts, for some reason I still really like it! I guess it’s just one of those dramas that’s charming despite its downfalls.

Dana Sep 14, 2016
- I agree about Cinderella being complicated for no reason at times. I tend to just zone out on those parts :D, but everything else makes up for it.
  
  Adrienne Sep 16, 2016