Thank you for the list. You did a great job. =D

I'd have to really agree with Legend. Some of the episodes were like, "Wow, this is actually pretty good." and others were like, "wtf?" There were a lot of ups and downs and the last episode...well, I decided to stick it through till the last episode and it was so..so...

No words can really express my huge disappointment/annoyance. lol, it was just terrible. I expected something a lot stronger. =X

But nonetheless, thank you for your reviews! I loved reading it!! =] I think I have a new RSS Feed to subscribe too, hahaha

I can sort of see what you meant about Thank You towards the end. The ending was a little contrived but still, CUTE KID and JANG HYUK! Okay I was just being shallow there.

I don't think I gave MIA enough time to full appreciate it. Everyone's raved about how fantastic it is but the appeal was never quite there for me. While being very quirky and funny (and I usually love quirky and funny), it just didn't do it for me.

I'm watching White Tower right now and I love Kim Myung Min in it. Despite not being the most handsome actor out there, his acting is captivating. Loved him in Bad Family, love him in White Tower. The man's versatility just makes him all the more wonderful. The cast in general is solid in White Tower. Everyone is quite experienced and I haven't seen any of of that overacting business.

The Devil was fantastic. Uhm Tae Woong is bloody great in it. I still found Joo Ji Hoon's character slightly similar to Shin's in Goong with the stiffness about their characters. He did improve, I could see that towards the series' end but I think he was wise in choosing such a character. Hopefully he goes on to improve further and increase his range.

There is something about Lee Bum Soo... There definitely is. I think I have penchant for characters like his. I quite enjoyed Dal Ja's Spring and Surgeon Bong Dal Hee though I think I liked Dal Ja's Spring a tad bit more. I just found it generally more fun to watch since Surgeon Bong Dal Hee was serious through a lot of it. The surgery scenes were cool! Strangely, I remember eating a lot during those scenes.

Thanks for your insight into this year's dramas. Different bloggers definitely mixes things up a little and makes things all the more interesting.

yay for a different perspective :)
looking forward to catching up on some of the "devil" and such~

i really enjoyed watching TODAW. it's one of my top favs this year. i thought that the acting was great, especially from Lee Junki <33 it was suspenseful, intense and exciting. at least to me :)
i enjoyed Surgeon BDH as well. Lee Bum Soo and Lee Yo Won were entertaining to watch. and all the other doctors and interns. the surgeries were interesting too.
and i really liked Thank You altho you didn't. one of my favs as well. i was hesitant to watch it but when i started i couldn't stop either ^^ i loved Jang Hyuk here. lol like alot of people do i'm sure ;)

Oh there you are, TODAW and Legend! Haha! I wished I had more time to watch the rest! Ugh... Love your choices, Thunderbolt. ;)

Oh you have to mention Bae Yong Jun's extremely awkward SMILE. I had goosebumps each time he tried to give a smile that is of a warm, friendly king. =/

ha! well said and congrats on your post...
i haven't seen many of the dramas you mentioned above (except for thank you and dal ja's..) and now that i've read your take on them i'm convinced there are not for me...maybe one day if i'm awfully bored i'll check them out....

I totally, completly, agree with you on Thank You... I loved the beginning, then it lost me at episode 13 or was it 14? Wich is very frustrating, because it started sooo well... well as for the rest you said it all....

kudos on your post :P

Hello! and welcome to dramabeans! =]
I thoroughly enjoyed your reading. Precise, with bits of dry humor here and there, just the way I like it. It's a nice variation with Sarah's pieces, as well. =)

ah.thundie , so White Tower is still the best drama for you this year ^ ^ thx for the writer up . Kim Myun Min was just perfection as Dr Jang Joon Hyuck. White Tower is not just another hospital drama * it is THE DRAMA of the year. ! it has the most solid cast ensemble and the script really provide an arena for all the actors to *pit*their skills aganst each other . now i think no one can say a remake always pale in comparision to the orginal . White tower lives up to the expectation .*trust me that bar is really high because White Tower 's script is consider a classic .[note for those who are unaware : White Tower is adapted from the novel [白い巨塔 by japanese writer Toyoko Yamazaki.which was first published in 1963 and make into a movie and thrice into drama in japan , 2003 jdrama version of White tower was a classic on my list too. ]

they had already give me confidence once they cast KMM in the role of Dr Jang (i know before White Tower how brilliant an actor he is ). and he really deliver such a chilling performance that make me more in awe of this awesome actor. of course , the entire cast and production crew was excellent giving justice to this production .

lol i didnt know you are so into Mawang * i have the tarot cards set* . perhaps i wont agree completely that all little things were tied up nicely at the end . it wasnt really that completely for me but nevertheless . it was a drama with quality . i remembered how we were engaged in heated debate over the situation presented in Mawang . i felt as if i was the defending lawyer for DaSoo and i did have a sort of *cultural shock* ..on how differently we can asssess a person 's crime. how vastly different we are in viewing the world from a different angle . it was exhasuting but mind opening .in those debates .i didnt really like how the script didnt explore the role of Seo Hae in ..it get weaker as the script progress --; i feel it was a pity for ShinMinah .

Time of Dog and Wolf is really worth a watch ? i dropped it at esp 3 or so .it was simply not very encouraging --;; ..the excitement build up in esp 7 onwards .? hmm i will see if i have the time .to watch it then .

Wonderful post, unni! *muak* I was lapping up every word. Hehe, I grinned over your comments on Thank You, because I was a lot more lenient on it in my post, but I must say that I agree 100%, as I do with pretty much everything else you wrote. You have good taste, haha.

And yay, Uhm Tae Woong video! *heart*

Great entry! I agree with what you had to say about Legend. For me, it started out really great, but towards the end it died down, and episodes 23 and 24, I was left with feelings of disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Are there English subs available for White Tower? That one does look interesting, but after checking D-addicts, I didn't see any (unless the drama goes by an alternate name I am unfamiliar with).

To say this... I agree and appreciate most of the choices/comments about this year's drama hit and misses. One of those that im glad to hear more rave about would be Mawang. I really really fnd that drama so smart, so riveting, just plain genius. Plus the fact it was made by same PD as Ressurection and the cast. Awesome acting by UTW and JJH, JJH did well to choose this one. As dark as it was and not everyone will like it but i found it really good. The songs on the ost, esp UTW's the one you picked. I loved.

TBDW, well let's just put it as im like you here that many LJK fans raved and raved but i couldnt see it. I really couldnt. I really felt bored to tears. I gave up at ep 7 to be honest. Nothing was really keeping me glued except for glimpses of JKH.

EIA, i loved! honestly wow! those really witty lines, funny comebacks and just overall a well written script. Cast was perfect.

DalJa one of my faves this year as well. Lee MinKi. Chae Rim. Cute romantic storyline with meaning and depth to life.

White Tower, Im not understanding as well as I should. Hence my lack of ability to rave as much. But I am watching

thanks for the review! its always good to have more opinions :]

Great job, thundie! The bit on Legend is hilarious. Even though I did not watch the drama, I can totally imagine the appearances of the characters that you described.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

[Oh yes, and also thank you for your hard work on the subtitles for Mixed-up Investigative Agency.]

I totally agree about The Devil. I think it was one of most underrated dramas this year. I loved Resurrection (truly original and well done all around) so I knew I would love the Devil as well. Uhm Tae Woong was amazing and Joo Ji Hoon also did a really good job.

I really want to watch White Tower now...just gotta find it online now!

i'm quite glad you didn't mention Coffee Prince. I really never got the major hype about it. I'll give it credit that it was different from the usual sort of clichéd dramas, but the plot was way too drawn out for my liking. Many times I've caught myself skipping through scenes. On the other hand, I highly recommend 9 Ends 2 Out. It's truly a gem. Not only is it quite different as far as korean dramas go but the chemistry between the two main characters gives it spark, and the events that happen in the drama makes sense. There isn't anything unreasonable/unrealistic; it makes you think about life and love in general. Glad to see a drama have that effect. Too bad it came out around the time Coffee Prince did. It really is an underrated drama.

You're probably the first person I have ever read of who didn't fall in love with Thank You. And that's okay. I'm planning on watching it anyway. But thank you for enjoying Time of Dog and Wolf! I loved it, even though the ending was really confusing to me. These blogs are so fun to read.

requiem ~ I am so glad that you mentioned 9 Ends 2 Outs. I really like that drama and have become Lee Jung Jin fan ever since!

Very nice post, and very good writing! And I agree with you for the most part, actually.
I didn't have opportunity to watch White tower (I'm sooooooo behind on my k-drama watching),but I'll definitely try to move it up my "to watch" list ! I loved 'Thank You', despite its flaws, mainly because of Bom's wonderful acting. And I watched Resurrection and Devil just one after the other,so I had wonderful 40hours or so of bliss ! Wonderful dramas, and Um tae woong's acting really makes me believe in his characters !

I am glad you guys mention 2 Outs on the 9th inning (9 Ends 2 Outs). In my opinion it was the best drama of 2007. Underrated like any other gem out there.

Ah...thanks for mentioning the other dramas. Appreciate your insight!

Wow. :) Congratulations thunderbolt, love your write-up. I have yet to watch Mawang. :P

Pardon me javabeans for saying this but thunderbolt, r 'ya sure you don't want to do this drama review blogging thing more regularly? I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the dramas that i've missed this year.

You and many other commenters have seriously tempted me to run to the neighborhood Korean video store to rent White Tower. I've heard great things about WT but have never found the time to watch it. No, I lied. I'm a woman. I'm shallow. I like pretty things, especially handsome leading actors. Not that Mr. Kim Myung Min is unattractive; but seriously, he didn't appeal to me so i've sidestepped the series for a while now. But i know that i should make time to watch this series. Thanks for the recommendation. It's that good hah?

Missed TODAW also. I'm not so fatal-attraction crazy about Lee Jun Ki. I know that he's a terrific actor and an ubber babe to many out there. I missed the boat, the parade, the point... whatever. But to me, shouldn't a man be wearing less lipstick than us females? And that doll is not the most flattering piece of work either. **oops, sorry LJK fans** That asides, TODAW sounds like a must-see.

I loooved Resurrection. Uhm Tae Woong is so underrated. So i sense that The Devil is also a must see. I'm a sucker for thriller/mystery so hmmm, why didn't i see it initially? I just hope that JJH delivered 'cause he didn't impress me a lot in Goong. Yeah, i know, i'm the odd one that didn't find him godly in that series.

I see your points regarding Thank You. I too was disappointed toward end when the writer did a 180 degree character switch-a-roo with Dr. Min. I was like: give me back my smug-bastardly-unconventional hero, who's this bland self-sacrificing character? However, i did like the ending scene, not necessarily the conclusion of the characters and story, but the actual last 1 minute on the screen. I love hopeful ambiguous endings. But i can see how many may find it a disappointing cop-out. For me, TY is memorable for the way it humanized and personified a devastating disease. It gets brownie points for that effort. However, I think Thank You was good but definitely not the best drama this year.

Many thanks for a wonderful discussion about the dramas of 2007. May 2008 bring the same if not more pleasant surprises. Thank you for all that you do with WITH S2.

Oh gosh, I completely agree with you in regards to Thank You! I was nodding my head with every single point you made. Jang Hyuk's character got stale, while the second male lead became so well-rounded.....both were flawed, but the second lead become more "real" and interesting as the story progressed. I became more absorbed in the romance (or past romance) between him and the female lead rather than with Jang Hyuk. I was disappointed in the drama and when I read the soompi thread I couldn't relate at all to what people were writing. Glad to know I wasn't the only one.

i haven haf time to watch the k dramas yet. bt i would wanna watch thank you! haha:) H.I.T is my fav drama too.

^ Agree..not many mentioned Capital Scandal and 9 end 2 outs..which were also my TOP FAVs this year..hehe..but I remember Thundie saying' she'd watched CS till Ep 13 or sumthing and stopped? hehehe...

Anywayz, I didn't watch all of the dramas you've mentioned (or should I say finish them?). I've only managed to finish Dal Ja's Spring and Thank You. Well, I choose to disagree about Thank You. Altho Jang Hyuk's character did change towards the end, I think that was one of the main points of the drama, and yet he did it beautifully, a gradual change, rather than an abrupt one. But again, maybe ppl expected more from him. hehehe...

I've only seen half of Mawang, TODAW and SBDH..gosh..maybe they bored me out towards the middle. Esp TODAW, I know a lot of ppl loved this drama, and praised it because of its well delivered action scenes and great performance by Lee Jun Ki. But I guess I never got into it until Ep 7 (The whole 7 eps were just a torture for me..I kept yawning and yawning..). But again, a lot of ppl said everything boosted up from Ep 7 onwards and I guessed that's where I missed the essence of the drama. Maybe I'll rewatch those for the sake of your good comments..hehehe.. And Mawang, I really regret not finishing it. I actually found it very good until Ep 6, and I forgot I stopped because I was having exams. But after that I just had no mood to continue...I think I really should given the strong acting by all the casts. Lastly on Medical Tower, I should see this! Arhhh..why are there SOOO MANY FREAKING good dramas out there!! Must watch this someday, for Kim Myung Min..

Alas, thank you again for sharing your review Thundie.
Both you and Sarah did a great job, love the eloquence and articulate expressions you guys possess ^____^

Now awaiting Dahee's!

Thank you for all the encouraging comments. *blush* It still feels kinda surreal to come to this blog and see my name up there. Thank you for the honor, dear sarahbeans. Muah!

#2 Stawr, you agree with me!^^ I was honestly nervous about how people would feel about my Legend comments. But sarah said I should write with conviction and I did. I was just worried about getting "convicted" for my convictions, lol. Given that Legend was three years in the making, was so incredibly costly, and had a PD and writer of such pedigree, I felt really let down by the result. By comparison the battle scenes in Immortal Yi Soon Shin were way more realistic and impressive.

*4 merriwether, I love quirky and funny too. (It's one of the reasons I'm a Lee Na Young fan because I think she's queen of quirky.) But Mixed-up Investigative Agency is more than that; it's also thoughtful and poignant on different levels. To cite just one example, I was deeply moved by how Yong Su forgave Eun Jae. My heart just about burst with love for his character. Such an understated act of magnanimity! About Lee Beom Soo in Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, there's just something so attractive about a guy who's like a bull on the outside but is really a lamb inside, isn't there? I've watched many of his movies (some really good, some too slapstick and silly for my taste) and consider myself a new fan. He's cute.

#8 cheryl, hehe. But seriously, Bae Yong Joon portrayed the warm and friendly king pretty well. I thought he was too camera-conscious at first (dude, quit posing and get on with the acting!) and I laughed in one scene where I should be shedding tears because he looked way too serene (and pretty) for a guy who had just been stabbed with ze judgment sword. But he did settle into his role as the drama progressed and acquitted himself convincingly as King Dam Duk. He did not gain a new fan in me but I had renewed respect for him after finishing Legend.

#11 shirley, i know you would like my choice for best drama.^^ About Mawang, tell me about "heated debates," haha. Dahee and I normally have the same preferences but we are on opposing sides now because she's rooting for the detective while I'm all gaga over the lawyer. You should read our essay-like posts on Kang Oh Soo vs. Oh Seung Ha. We haven't even gotten to the female lead and the supporting characters!

#12 Dahee, oops, was I too hard on Thank You? I thought I was a lot more tempered here than in my previous rants, lol. For instance, I didn't mention my disappointment with the grandfather's character. I loved him to pieces (how can I not? he's Shin Goo!) but I felt the drama set up certain expectations about him (what he remembered in his moments of lucidity and how that could affect our understanding of his granddaughter's past) which were never explored. Can't wait to read your comments on Thank You and the other dramas tomorrow!

#13 paula, I read in the White Tower thread at soompi that there are crappy English subs floating around. YA Entertainment is releasing an English-subbed DVD version in early Jan next year and it comes with the yummy bonus of 70 minutes of subtitled extras! Their subs are always good so you may want to check that out.

Oops, this is too long. I'll continue in the next post.^^

I loved Mawang! Although I didn't manage to catch every single episode, it's crazy how everything fits, was carefully creepily put together by this awesome intelligence it's just mind-blowing. and it's so creepy everytime I take over the tv for it mum's like why are you watching this! But then again she doesn't like Heroes either.

I'm so glad for KBS World, because channel-hopping led me to episode 7 of Dal Ja's Spring, and I was really lucky cos that's a bit of a turning point for Taebong, and I was so instantly hooked I had to look for the synopses of the episodes I missed, which led me to Javabeans' blog in its early days and since then... everything's changed.

White Tower didn't seem to me like something I'd usually watch, but your recap is tempting me seriously. With the double recommendation of MIA + Lee Minki I am soooo going to finish spending my holiday money before the new year, but I'm betting it's gonna be worth it. Thank you!!

#14 Marzy, I was pretty negative about TODAW's first few episodes and thought the plot insulted my intelligence (not that I'm intelligent by any means but please do not treat me like a dummy and take me for a ride with those "roll your eyes" plot developments). And then someone said "Abracadabra" and I was hooked. Just like that. I found the premise of "L'heure entre chien et loup" (when dusk becomes night and you can't tell whether the creature you're seeing is a harmless dog or a dangerous wolf) fascinating. The story became really gripping and the acting was all-round excellent. Sure it's a thriller about secret agents and thugs and revenge but it also addresses issues of identity and loss and trust. It's worth the ride if you hang in there.^^

#18 requiem, I didn't mention Coffee Prince because I watched only six episodes and didn't think that was enough for me to rate it. I did like what I saw and can't remember why I stopped (perhaps I was busy with TODAW subs at that time? really can't recall the reason). But too much time has passed and I can't seem to jumpstart my stalled watch. Sigh.

#20 zizie, hihi! So much praise for 2 Outs on the 9th inning (9 Ends 2 Outs) but I don't know. Not too fond of Soo Ae. I watched her in a movie while flying Korean Air last year and whether it was because of the turbulence (excuses, excuses) or general grouchiness (more excuses) from the too-long flight, she just grated on my nerves. And Lee Jung Jin... Hmm, the last I saw him (first and only time) in the movie Mapado, he had a most unbecoming mop of yellow hair and maybe biceps (and I'm so not a biceps person). But since lots of people are praising this drama, I may check it out. Maybe.^^

#25 tealeaf, wow, thank you. I do rant and rave pretty regularly about what I watch and those who have read me know I can be very biting in my comments. I can't not write about what I'm watching (Dahee knows what I mean); it's an addiction.^^ Nothing close to sarahbeans' awesome recaps and reviews though.

#26 hm, yes!! Shin Sung Rok's character in Thank You got so interesting and layered (and misunderstood) in the second half of the drama. I loved, loved his mother's character (okay, correction: I both loved and hated her); she was so real, so hypocritical, so deliciously juicy (the sort of character you can write an entire term paper on).

#28 djes, Kim Myung Min IS handsome. Trust me on that one.^^

#29 ripgal, I thought Capital Scandal was lots of fun. Very entertaining despite veering toward slapstick at times. It was my first real look at Kang Ji Hwan and although I wasn't smitten (oopsie, sarahbeans, how many brownie points did I lose with that admission?^^), I liked him. My eyes just lit up whenever he had a scene with Han Ji Min because they were so funny together. And yup, I stopped at Episode 13 and completely forgot all about the drama. *runs from ripgal*

#30 Funkster316, I like Bae Doo Na too.^^

*throws stones at Thundie*. hahahaha..XD
It's alright, Beans and I will forgive you..hopefully you'll be smitten after Hong Gil Dong?

Again, maybe I should give TODAW a benefit of a doubt and try it out. Since I had the same feeling while watching the first few eps, I had ppl encouraging me to continue from Ep 7 onwards because all the goodness and excitement started from there. Alright, I think I should watch it...hehehe..will try to download it tonight. hehehe..

And I forgot to mention MIA, I did watch the first 2 eps. Again, they were interesting and different, which I really applaude the writer, for having able to nail such an intriguing and unique plot in a subtle and interesting way. I'll try to finish the drama (provided that I have enough time sighs....my life is Kdrama Kdrama Kdrama already..T____T). And oh just a note on Lee Min Ki!! He's such a good actor..I find his expressions so adorable as Moo Yeol, and yet he didn't appeal to me as too OTT or over-exaggerated. And man, his outfits made me burst out of laughter..lolz.. it's weird cos he's fit for model outfits, but his outfit in MIA was just HAHAHA.. the baggy shirt covered over his kneelength pants.. just couldn't get enough laughing at his fashion sense.

Last but not least, Thundie..do you have a personal blog or sumthing?
Maybe you should start one like Beans...hehehe...
(I read your Duelist reviews..and I absolutely loved it! hehehehe...)

love the review. by far Dal Ja spring is my most favorite, love the story line and the acting. i like Mawang as well. Currently, i am watching Thank You, i am at ep.10 so far so good. I have no desire to see the Legend at all. don't know why, Bae Yong Joon just does not appeal to me at all. Hmmm...white tower sounds interesting that might just be my next "target" by the way, anyone watching BAD LOVE??? love this blog...Happy New Year to Everyone!!!

Love your review Thunderbolt. This is such a good idea to have javabeans, you, and Dahee Fanel do the year end reviews.

It's nice to read different people's perspective on their favorite dramas.
Yes I am one of the many who absolutely adore Thank You..hehehe. I do feel uplifted after watching and had one of the best drama watching experience while watching Thank You. Thank You was by far my favorite drama of 2007. I actually like the transformation of Dr Min. I do agree that Suk Hyun's transformation was nicely done and made him more sympathetic. I love the grandma character too..she is so deliciously flawed yet so real.

I tried watching Mawang but couldn't get into it. I missed Time of Dog and Wolf when it played on TV here...but based on your review I might try to d/l it and watch it someday. Dal Ja's Spring was just okay for me...I stopped almost mid-way and never continued watching it..nothing really compelled me to finish it.

Liek another poster above...I also like 9 End 2 Outs (2 Outs Bottom of the 9th Inning). I'm not a Soo Ae fan but I thought she had good chemistry with Lee Jung Jin. The drama is nicely paced too and the storyline nice and easy.

On my next to watch is is White Tower...I'm just waiting for the Eng subbed DVD version. Kim Myung Min is such a great actor and I can't wait to watch his performance there.

Can't wait to read Dahee Fanel's review... Great job you guys!

hmm...am thinking of downloading White Tower..
very good job, thunderbolt!

I loved all the drama! Especially, Time of Wolf and Dog! Pretty much all the drama you mentioned! Oh Dal Ja's Spring is one of a kind! I LOVE IT! haha...
Thank you so much! I found out Time of Wold and Dog from you! The title is a bit weird, then when I ran out of dramas, I decided to watched it and I was amazed!
I just finished watching Snowflower! It's awesome! I think you can only watch it on veoh.....
Thanks a lot!

I totally feel the same way when you say “Something’s seriously amiss with me because I. JUST. DON’T. GET. THE. HYPE.” (*cough* *cough* Coffee Prince) It has happened a lot for me and I feel like I'm gonna be up in flames from all the fans.

I haven't watched all of the drama's you've mentioned but I liked Thank You because of the cheesy easy way out ending where the cute little kid doesn't die. Perhaps its because I've watched wayyyy too many Japanese dramas about some sort of handicap the main actor has, where they die at the end and we all learn to appreciate life more. But it was a little boring in some parts and I just wanted to yell at the screen for Gong Hyo Jin to stop being such a pushover!

I did enjoy TODAW and yes the first episode was terrible with horrible overacting by Lee Jun Ki. I do have to say he also looks terribly flabby for a kick boxing champ! Lol. Other than that, I was so hooked in the middle I couldn't get my eyes off the screen. Nam Sang Mi got in my nerves every now and then when she overprotected her father but I'm a little glad that in the end she was strong enough to continue with her own life not overcome by sadness or hate from the loss of her father, nor have an overwhelming need to find and cling to Lee Jun Ki. Its a nice ending where they seem to let fate decided what happens and somehow you just know they will find each other in Paris.

Like many others here, I recommend 9 End 2 Outs! I was a little unsure with Soo Ae acting in a more comedic role since shes usually sobbing her eyes out in most dramas. The last time I saw Lee Jung Jae was in Love Story in Harvard speaking in broken English and we all know how badly that went. But their chemistry is surprising and its full of laughs and fun. I really didn't like the character Jung Joo nor Yoona from Girls Generation. They were terribly annoying with their raw overacting and I really wanted to choke them. The drama is horribly underrated but its filled with heartwarming little moments and details. Its rather fast paced so I'm sure you'll be hooked with just the first few episodes!

hehe.. i totally agree with you on what you said about "Legend." -- especially the Philip Lee part. He is dashing and enigmatic with his highlights and quiet demeanor. =D Not to be mean or anything, I only tuned into the drama when I knew that he would be in it-- even if it was only for a second... ((yea yea, pathetic, i know... but he's something else...))

#28 djes, oops. Did i say that Mr. Kim Myung Min is not handsome? Did i really? ^^ scrolls up to check comments^^ Well, i said that he's not unattractive. Ok ok, my sincere apologies. Girl, it doesn't matter what this loony commented... as long as he's eye candy to you and many others, all is well with the world. The man is an accomplished actor. I loved him in Bad Family. But the pictures that i've seen of him from White Tower just doesn't do him justice. I'm planning to watch White Tower sometimes next year. I promise that i'll totally check him out this time. Somehow, i feel it's highly probable that i'll crawl back here and ask for your and thundie's forgiveness. I'm easily swayed by intelligent men.
P.S.: Uhm Tae Woong i get. Definitely has screen presence and talented too... yup, i do see the charisma.

Surgeon Bong Dal Hee was a good show! Sometimes, I even feel scared when Dr. Ahn stares hard at Dal Hee. Haha.

I still think Thank You was a good show. It was so heart-warming and heart-wrenching at the same time. I love Shin Goo and Seo Shin Ae! :)

Anyway, thank you for this awesome review! :)

yeah i'm glad i'm not alone. I like The Devil, mainly because of it's dark plots. They actually mention lots of small little things i'm interested in. Dealing with philosophical issues of mind and body, etc.

I guess i haven't taken the time to watch other dramas, like time of dog and wolf. Maybe because it just doesn't interest me. -_- It's hard to find a drama that will leave an after affect on me. And i am not much for romance dramas, for one thing, they are way to predictable, Main reason why i continued to watch The Devil. It was different. I also liked some of the medical dramas they came up.

I like how dramas are now not just focusing on the "love hate relationships" but also addresses more important issues of psychological and philosophical stand points, even if they were too little for people to catch. Silently they were there, for those who were interested.

I'm looking forward to 2008 dramas.

#34 ripgal, ouch! Isn't it bad luck to throw stones at your friends just before the new year? Hehe. Okay, I'll try to watch the final episodes of Capital Scandal soon. *wink* Did I write a Duelist review? I can't remember, oops. I know I rarely post reviews at soompi because that place's so huge and I feel self-conscious about my (bad and incoherent) writing. And yes, I do have a little personal blog where I rant, rave and ramble about many things (mostly k-related) and occasionally throw in a review. There's a particularly scathing one of Full House there but don't read it if you love that drama because you'll hate me.^^ Lots of Thank You gushing there too before my disappointment with the drama kicked in. Here's the link (registration required):
http://www.jisubaddicts.com/forum/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=1&amp;

#36 o-cha, I agree Mawang is not for everyone. Ditto White Tower. Both are psychological thrillers and you can't switch off while watching because there's so much plotting and scheming. Hardly any romance, zilch humor. Extremely intense and heavy stuff. But I like, I like!

#39 jolee, yes, first eppie of TODAW was bad. I wasn't even captivated by the child actors and that was surprising since I really like the two playing young Junki and Sang-mi. Everything just felt ordinary and I didn't relish the in-my-face touristy promo of that overseas shoot. But TODAW got so good from the middle. I still miss it. Certain tracks in the OST still get my heart pounding and I can vividly remember many, many scenes (especially the ones that made me cry). I also really like the veteran actors playing Mao, Chief Jung and Byun. If I can't stand the supporting cast of a drama (*cough* A Love to Kill, Stairway to Heaven, Phoenix... *cough*), then it's almost certain I'll dislike the drama. But the supporting cast in TODAW was so good.

#40 Nicole, hehe, high-fives on Philip Lee. Wasn't it funny that he became both "Beast" and "Beauty"? From Grotesque to Gorgeous? But his pretty looks aside, he had such a strong presence (perhaps because he towered over everyone else) whenever he was on screen. Someone should write a story (and perhaps have it made into a drama or movie) about Chuh Ro. What happened after his father embedded the Blue Dragon symbol in him, how he became overlord of that fortress and so powerful and feared, why he decided to live in the forest (which wasn't completely stripped of material trappings; it did have a throne even if that bit made my eyes roll because... ok, never mind), etc. Of course with Philip Lee as the lead.^^

**Ahh..ripgal begs for Thundie's forgiveness** New Year's around the corner, oopss.. in fact it's only a day away. I should be a good girl. winkz winks..
(do you even still check this post? hahaha..)

Anywayz, yeah, you better finish the last 3 eps of CS, while on the other hand, I'll try to squeeze in time for TODAW and Mawang. Your review just made me want to finish up both the dramas..arhhh.. the thing is I don't have the time!! >.

Great review, thunderbolt! I don't think you were too hard on Thank You at all.
Tealeaf and hm, welcome to the "disappointed with Thank You club" (thunderbolt and I discovered our kindred spirits on a previous Robbers' post). I guess I've reached a point in my kdrama-watching where a heartwarming family story just isn't enough. I, too, got tired of Jang Hyuk's stale character (even though I am a JH fan) and was much more drawn to the complex and interesting Shin Sung Rok. When a drama leaves me rooting for the other guy and fails to, through the writing and acting, convince me that I should, at least, try to understand why she ended up with guy that she did, I just can't recommend it. Never mind my disappointment and irritation with Gong Hyo Jin's doormat & Shin Goo's mentally disabled characters. On a positive note, I liked the way they approached and dealt with the AIDS issue. I do like it when something new is brought into the kdrama fold.

I wouldn't list TODAW as one of my favorites, but I did enjoy the action - again, something a little different than the standard romance. It was uninteresting in the beginning, and Lee Junki did shell out the over-acty-ness a bit (but isn't it better to see a more masculine, ass-kicking LJ?), but it did get exciting later on. I also liked the supporting actors. Was that your subs I watched, thunderbolt?

MIA's been a great little gem. The tightly written plot and fantastic foursome have brought me much laughter and tears.

I thought Capital Scandal was fun. I liked it overall, but there were some parts towards the end that I found a little dull. Worth watching, though.

Bottom of the 9th With 2 Outs was romantic and definitely underrated. Again, it was something a little different - no MELO-drama, standard love triangle/square, bitchy keep-my-man-at-all-costs craziness, rich/poor dilemna, or terminal illness. It's just a sweet story about friendship, love, and life. And it hits a lot of points for the over 30 crowd.

I guess I'll have to check out White Tower and Mawang for the intrigue. I haven't gotten around to SBDH (still on my list - where does the time go?). I've waited to watch Legend (shame, shame, fantasy nut) because of the over-hype and lack of time, but maybe I should wait a little longer.

Hi thunder,

Well I had to have a little giggle when you wrote about Legend. I got thoroughly scolded when I almost immediately ranted about that Disney fantasy world. Such Flashes and bangs and strange looking people. and a totally out ranked in acting BYJ. I thought he was a walking mannequin. How is in the world they could give him the Best Actor Award the other night is leaving me speechless. Well I admit I loved him in Hotelier but since then he has just been a business man accumulating a lot...A LOT of money. I loved 'White Tower'. I loved 'Seoul' which has not been mentioned here I think. I enjoyed Coffee Prince. Have lots to say re the way Gong Yoo got into the delicacy of his role. But not now. this is just to reply to your illuminating remarks re Legend. Loved it. You were actually kind.

Peg

Thundie! My apologies for nearly missing both yours and Dahee's post! Bad Bad E! Gosh a simple experiment with Dahee's pen name led me to her post here! Gosh!

That aside, I wasn't surprised with your ratings above as you have said some earlier but enjoyed reading above put so succintly grouped together! Also so happy to see Surgeon Bong Dal Hee getting good mention as well as my Kim Myung Min in White Tower (again Bad Bad E, still have not watched, WILL soon! I know how awesome it must be and the *EXTREMELY SHALLOW* part of me wanting some romance in my dramas is making me putting it off, it's always "Next in line" then after watching something else it gets "Next In line" yet again!!! How useless can one get and I call myself an ardent Kim Myung Min fan! Aigooooooooooooo Can't wait till you watch more Immortal Yi Soon Shin and hear your gushes! YUP Kim Myung Min RULES!

Ahhhhh Mawang - I will continue my watch soon - Joo Ji Hoon here is so worth it! UTW here at the start did seem a bit OTT at first but tapered down and Shin Min Ah, what a darling she is with her smile that lights up a room - I loved the plot of the drama, I was grateful that for once I did not read the MAWANG thread much at all and so did not know the plot or how it progressed so the drama held alot of surprises for me that made it more suspenseful and I was thoroughly glued to my laptop screen.....and *confession* I so couldn't help reading your Spoilers on Mawang aisahhhhhhh I tried NOT reading but it was THERE you know and I finally submitted - so much for self control hoh *sighs* but I'm not turn off by know the ending and once I'm done with rewatching my SAGUEKS - Emperor of the Sea, Immortal Yi Soon Shin AND taking a reprieve from my chasing of dramas on TV, I will do something about my technical matters on my subs with my raws and get on watching!...

And Thundie, through everything that has happened in the past year, I am glad that we are still on the same boat in K-dom and lovin' and ranting over our dramas! LOL HUGS E

#45 ripgal, yes, I check the comments regularly, hehe. They are lots of fun to read. So many dramas and so little time. Tell me about it!^^

#47 hjk, Lee Junki has always appeared "masculine and ass-kicking" to me so his role in TODAW wasn't a revelation. People tend to look at his face and conclude he's feminine but he really isn't. At ALL. I love it when he kicks ass because he's so good at it! He trained in martial arts long before he entered showbiz. And yes, I was part of the WITH S2 team that worked on the TODAW subs. I had severe withdrawal pangs when TODAW ended because I missed working on the subs. Did you like the subs, btw, hehe?^^ (what a question, thunderbolt! *bonk*) About MIA, I watched a bunch of subbed NG clips last night and my MIA love just bubbled over. I laughed, I teared. I miss, miss the whole MIA gang so much!

#48 Peggy!! Ah, what a nice surprise to see you here. *hugs* Did you think I was kind in my Legend comments? Dahee and Sarahbeans can attest to how worried I was about getting stoned, lol. About BYJ, I don't think he was a "walking mannequin" except in the first episode. There were many moments when I looked at him (very "objectively" in my usual detached way) and thought, "I can imagine the delight his fans must feel because he's so charming and charismatic." And in the last few episodes when I knew he was injured, my heart went out to him because he didn't seem at all like a person in pain (and I knew he was). So, kudos from a non-BYJ fan to him.

#49 Kiongna, hiya Ms. E! I'm a happy camper tonite because you finally posted. Haha. You didn't heed my warnings NOT to read the Mawang spoilers? *bonk* Totally agree with you about Ju Ji Hun. Do you know he got honorable mention in misterX's "Most Improved Actor of the Year" category? He blew me away in Mawang. About Kim Myung Min, yup, I'm nodding my head off at everything you wrote.^^

Thundie! Mienne! I totally didn't know! I don't come on daily here and when I do, I sometimes get lost wanting to see older posts. When you and Jusash mentioned earlier that Dahee did a roundup of year's post, I thought you both meant the one in her personal blog which I've read much earlier and again so blur didn't know she wrote one here! Then yesterday, after finishing off an extremely busy day, wanted to just read some posts and was checking on blogs section thought, hey what if I type someone's name in Google search would their blog turn up? Other than more famous people like Dramabeans (OK I'm quite unsavvy in tech stuff aiyo! *blush*) And the first name that I thought of was Dahee Fanel so I keyed her name in and voila, I ended up here at Dramabeans! Then whatayaknow then saw YOU also had a post here! Really nice surprise 2 in 1 for the end of the day, then ended up leaving office late because couldn't help but leave a note here and there - aisah, I wanted to be quick too and rattle off, but even rattling takes time no matter how fast I type! So many dramas in 2007, none that I particularly hated (but I'm so easy to please as I can enjoy most ANY TYPE of dramas! So long they are speaking KOREAN, I already can start to watch LOL LOL) And I probably watched 70% of all the ones that were subbed LOL and now with KBSWorld in Malaysia - I'm a goner but I have now new partners in crime - my kids! I think their speed & ability in "READING" too has improved LOL as they too read the subs, it's now their "Why like that mummy?" that's hard to take aiyo, can't pause the drama to explain and so my decree is "Don't ask me anything until it ends as I also don't know, now just look and listen like mummy aisahhhh!".....I'm already looking forward to your 2008 roundup and hopefully dear Javabeans would invite you to write again! BTW Javabeans, I on the other hand ADORE Kang Ji Hwan!!! Dish him to me in any concoction and his latest fusion Saguek Hong Gil Dong - I'm also looking forward to see him again - that "Light up the World" Worldcup worthy smile and Charisma of his coupled with his wide acting AND dancing range of his - he has such a knack at comedy and serious stuff, boy can he cry AND make me cry and my most memorable part of his acting was towards the ending of Be Strong Geom Soon - gosh he was really great there in his portrayal, I cried like mad in happiness too! AJA