The Year in Review, Part 2: Thunderbolt’s hits and misses
by thunderbolt
[And now, please give your warm welcome to guest blogger Thunderbolt, who shares with us her year-end review! –javabeans]
Has this happened to you? You’re reading a book on the bus or train and all of a sudden you burst out laughing. Everyone’s staring but you can’t stop grinning. And all because that line you just read was so unexpectedly funny.
Here’s another scenario. You’re watching one of the hit kdramas of 2006 and after being entertained for the first eighteen episodes or so, you’re down to the last few episodes. And though you had been warned that it was going to be draggy from here, you had no idea how draggy. So now you’re climbing the walls. Your mood’s so foul from the plot shenanigans you want to hurl two cartons of rotten tomatoes at your TV screen.
That was my 2007. A year where I laughed and cried my way through dramas so good they made me even more of an addict. A year where I watched stuff that people were raving about and I shook my head and said, “Something’s seriously amiss with me because I. JUST. DON’T. GET. THE. HYPE.” I raved, I ranted, and just like that, a year has gone by. Here’s my “hits and misses” (how original a title, right?^^) roundup for 2007.
The gems
The best drama was one that I approached with some trepidation. Remembering how queasy I felt during the bloody scenes in two other 2007 medical dramas, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy White Tower as much as I hoped to. But I wanted badly to watch this for Kim Myung Min. I knew he had the acting chops but I had no idea he would be this good. He was so chillingly convincing it made me shudder. Could a surgeon this brilliant also be this crooked? How could he, who commanded the awe of his subordinates and the respect (no matter how grudgingly given) of his peers, stoop so low (literally) in order to achieve his highest goals?
What a ride White Tower was. There was nothing superfluous about it. Want romance? It isn’t here. First love, skeletons in closets from bygone years, and numerous other side plots? All missing from the script. I can’t even recall the music because the writing, acting and direction were so good everything else was secondary. At the center of it all was one man: the actor Kim Myung Min and the character he played, Dr. Jang Joon Hyuk. (Just writing the doc’s name makes me instantly teary.) And then the rest of the cast. Lee Sun Gyun whose deep velvety voice I didn’t even notice this time because I was too transfixed by the tighter-than-taut plot to do much swooning. Byun Hee Bong, Lee Jung Gil, Kim Chang Wan, Lee Hee Do, Cha In Pyo… A fantastic cast that lifted an already superb script to give us the best drama of the year.
Coming in second is The Devil. I prefer to call it by its Korean name, Mawang, because… well, “devil” just brings up all sorts of connotations which my mother doesn’t like. (See, mom, I’m not such a rebel after all.^^)
I didn’t expect Mawang to be so good. Granted it was by the same writer-PD combo of that masterpiece I loved, Resurrection/Rebirth. With the same awesome lead actor, Uhm Tae Woong. But surely nothing could top Resurrection in its genre. And then I watched Mawang. Dang! I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to vote in dramabeans’ “How was 2007 for you?” polls. How could my original choice for best thriller or action drama come close to this? I love the premise of the plot: a mysterious mastermind orchestrating events as though directing a play. A “devil” bringing an unsuspecting cast on center stage to perform a tragedy of Shakespearian proportions, act after act after act. Everything, every little thing, just fitted together. The meanings of the tarot cards (gosh, I love all that symbolism!), the references to Dante and Rodin, the music that made my heart ached (only after I understood what the lyrics meant, lol), the unexpectedly strong acting of Ju Ji Hun, the joy of watching Uhm Tae Woong and Shin Min Ah in a comfy relationship without the teeth-gnashing theatrics that normally accompany unrequited love… I was spellbound from beginning to end.
The other night I was editing the subtitles for Mixed-up Investigative Agency. I pored over the subs line by line and then out of the blue I laughed out loud. It was one of Mu Yeol’s lines (the character played by Lee Minki). A few dozen lines later, it happened again because of something that Hee Kyung said (the fortune-teller character played so wonderfully by Ye Ji Won). I didn’t have to watch the video to enjoy the sparkling wit of the dialogue; just reading the subs on notepad was enough to make me grin and giggle. That is the wonder of this little gem, so unjustly underrated and thus loved all the more fiercely by those who can appreciate its charm and cleverness. Third best drama of 2007.
In fourth place is Time of Dog and Wolf. When I finished TODAW, I seriously thought of crowning it as my favorite of 2007. That was how much I enjoyed it (and because I hadn’t watched my top three yet). I thought I would die from the cliffhangers and having to wait one whole week to know what would happen next. The pace gave “pulsating” a new meaning, the music made my heart race and stop. But thrills aside (and TODAW executed those brilliantly in terms of suspenseful effect), I found the first few episodes boring and the plot initially farfetched. I couldn’t believe how incredibly easy it was for the Cheongbang Group or the NIS to outwit their opponents. Come on! But after the 6th or 7th episode, everything clicked and the drama took off. Lee Junki demonstrated again that he was an actor to watch. Although he overacted occasionally and could do without the numerous hairdo changes, his best moments in the drama gave me goose bumps. I hope he picks up an award or two for his role in TODAW.
Tying for fifth place: Dal Ja’s Spring and Surgeon Bong Dal Hee. I can give several “deep” reasons why I enjoyed these two dramas immensely (acting, plot, humor and so on) but I’ll just come straight to the point (even if it makes me sound utterly shallow… which I am) and name the two that really mattered to me: Lee Minki and Lee Beom Soo. Ha.
Herein begins my trembling…
And now for the ones that I didn’t get. As in they seemed widely loved but I didn’t get why they were so popular. And because I don’t understand their appeal (not fully) and am about to say why and thus provoke possible mass outrage, I’ll make this part as short as possible and then disappear. Maybe resurface with a new nick or something (although that might upset my namesake now frolicking in hamster heaven; RIP, thunderbolt…).
I watched Legend for four main reasons: Kim Jong Hak, Song Ji Na, Park Sang Won, and Choi Min Soo. Kim Jong Hak directed Eyes of Dawn and Sandglass, both written by Song Ji Na. I can go on endlessly about these two dramas (the dream cast, the sheer scale of production, the historical ripples, the heartbreak, etc.) but they are already so acclaimed I don’t need to. I loved Park Sang Won in Eyes of Dawn and he and Choi Min Soo were so good in Sandglass. And now both of them together with their Sandglass PD and writer were reuniting in Legend? Wow!
But something didn’t feel right from the start. I hated the first episode. The special effects felt amateurish and both Bae Yong Joon and Choi Min Soo made my hair stand with their creepy appearance (one all white flowing locks, the other so alien-like). I wailed when I saw Park Sang Won. Those dangling earrings!! He looked like a drag queen with a beard! Other things continued to niggle throughout the series. The Grecian attire of the priestesses and how their temple looked more Greek than ancient Korean. That mosquito-breeding (I swear those are larvae floating on top!) stagnant body of water around which the Goguryeo elders sat and yelled their heads off at each other. Dishy Chuh Ro’s original abode (before he became dishy) which looked like it came straight from that Disney staple, Beauty and the Beast. And the fact that he had a Darth Vader voice too (amazing how much echo you get from just wearing that mask). Jumuchi’s electrocuted hairdo (which I didn’t really mind because he was one of my favorite characters) and how quickly he and Dalbi fell in love (ah, that one I minded because it made no sense; hello, wasn’t she like just widowed?). The ordinariness of the four coveted symbols (one of them – I forgot which guardian it belonged to – looked particularly hideous). The ages of Dam Duk and Ho Gae (I about fell off my chair midway through the series when it dawned on me that Bae Yong Joon was playing a teenager).
I know. Artistic liberties and all. Stop griping. It’s a fantasy tale so cut it some slack. I honestly wouldn’t have minded so much if the writing was good. But it wasn’t and that was my biggest issue with Legend. This was the same Song Ji Na who wrote Eyes of Dawn and Sandglass? The plot felt loopy, the lines repetitive. I thought the story was headed in one direction (reuniting the four guardians and their symbols with the Joo Shin king) but the last few episodes took off like wayward horses and suddenly it was mostly politics. I won’t go into how I feel about the final episode since enough unhappiness has been expressed about it by even people who loved the drama.
But there were things I did like. The OST which I still can’t get enough of. Philip Lee who plays Chuh Ro with a presence that makes me do a double take and go slightly fangirly (just slightly, lol). Bae Yong Joon’s charismatic acting. His dedication despite his injuries. Lee Ji Ah who pulled off a surprisingly commendable performance after some act-y acting at the start. Choi Min Soo, black nail polish and bewildering “Now I’m wrinkled, now I’m not” transformations notwithstanding, who stole the show from even Dam Duk.
My final verdict? Legend’s quite good but there are much better period dramas out there.
Another drama that didn’t quite make it for me this year was Thank You. Which was a bummer because I really loved it for three-quarters of the series. It felt like a winner from Episode 1. Magical Blue Island. My favorite Gong Hyo Jin and Shin Goo (both of whom I first saw in that 2002 gem, Ruler Of Your Own World). Crackling chemistry between Jang Hyuk (who looked nothing like how I last remembered him in Please Teach Me English) and Choi Kang Hee. (Aside: I don’t understand when people say these two had no chemistry. I thought they had awesome chemistry! I thought he could never love another woman the way he loved her.) A winsome child actor whose acting made my jaw drop. Never mind that the medical scenes in the first few episodes were so sloppy and laughable (not that I laughed; I was too busy shielding my eyes from the blood that was splattering everywhere on screen). Never mind that this was written by Lee Kyung Hee whose last piece of work before Thank You was a real stinker. She did write Sang Doo! Go to School and Sorry I Love You, both of which I loved even if I thought the plots had a few holes. So I was cautiously hopeful. And I did feel so transported watching the first 12 episodes.
What went wrong then? I can’t pinpoint it exactly but starting from Episode 13 and especially in Episodes 14 and 15, I began to feel a growing dissatisfaction with Jang Hyuk’s character and with the writing (among other things). I found faults that weren’t apparent before. “Gee, stop posturing so much, Dr. Min!” It felt like Thank You had chosen to go down a very safe route, one that no longer held interest for me because I didn’t like how it left some things unresolved just so it could have that happily-ever-after ending that would please most people. I’ve read comments about how this drama was so uplifting and how it made you appreciate your loved ones, etc. But I didn’t feel uplifted at the end. I felt indignant and disappointed. I guess it’s my fault for switching affections midway and rooting for the second male lead instead of hottie Jang Hyuk. Don’t get me wrong. I liked Jang Hyuk and thought he delivered (for the most part). But oh, why did his character become so flat and predictable as the drama progressed?
Thus, after camping in the Thank You thread at soompi for weeks, I packed my bags sadly and left. Reading all the accolades there just made me feel so weird. Like my head needed examining because I was one of the rare few who couldn’t appreciate what made this a gem.
To end, 2007 was a great year for a kdrama addict. The ones I loved were really good and the ones I didn’t weren’t half bad at all. Thank you, sarahbeans, for your friendship and for the privilege of contributing a little something to your amazing blog.^^
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Tags: 1 show to rule them all, Dal Ja's Spring, Devil, Legend, Mixed-up Investigative Agency, Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, Thank You, Time of Dog and Wolf, White Tower, year in review, year in review 2007
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1 Daria
December 27, 2007 at 5:31 PM
Thank you for the list. You did a great job. =D
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2 Stawr
December 27, 2007 at 5:46 PM
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
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3 Javabeans
December 27, 2007 at 6:03 PM
Thanks for this wonderfully articulated post, dear thundie! I knew the year wouldn't be adequately wrapped up without mention of the big hitters like White Tower, Devil, Thank You, Time of Dog and Wolf etc., and you've highlighted their ups and downs beautifully. And I'm actually really glad to have someone not gushing all over Thank You for once. I don't doubt it's a great drama -- I HAVE watched some of it, and yes Seo Shin Ae is adorable, and I intend to finish it when I've got the time, but I haven't been as amazingly stirred as I've been led to believe... I'm really not interested in TODAW (I tried) but I think I've gotta make time for White Tower and Devil. Someday. When I have time. :)
muah!
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4 merriwether
December 27, 2007 at 6:09 PM
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.
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5 bethany
December 27, 2007 at 6:26 PM
yay for a different perspective :)
looking forward to catching up on some of the "devil" and such~
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6 plumangel3
December 27, 2007 at 6:33 PM
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 ;)
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7 Cheryl
December 27, 2007 at 6:55 PM
Oh there you are, TODAW and Legend! Haha! I wished I had more time to watch the rest! Ugh... Love your choices, Thunderbolt. ;)
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8 Cheryl
December 27, 2007 at 6:58 PM
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. =/
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9 breezy
December 27, 2007 at 7:05 PM
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
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10 Caroline
December 27, 2007 at 7:42 PM
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. =)
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11 shirley
December 27, 2007 at 7:54 PM
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 .
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12 Dahee Fanel
December 27, 2007 at 7:56 PM
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*
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13 Paula
December 27, 2007 at 7:56 PM
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).
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14 Marzy
December 27, 2007 at 7:57 PM
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
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15 Linda
December 27, 2007 at 8:07 PM
thanks for the review! its always good to have more opinions :]
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16 doozy
December 27, 2007 at 9:28 PM
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.]
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17 joo.ji.hoon
December 27, 2007 at 10:12 PM
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!
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18 requiem
December 27, 2007 at 10:23 PM
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.
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19 F
December 27, 2007 at 10:25 PM
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.
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20 ziziebrown
December 27, 2007 at 11:01 PM
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!
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