Hahaha! When I thought the pics I immediately thought that the animated female character didn't look anything like Choi Ji-woo, but that they got Bae Yong-joon pretty much spot on XD It's obvious who the craze is all about!

Hope they've made some changes, would be kinda boring to watch if it were exactly the same as the drama

just wondering...
nothing about president roh?
seems kinda pertinent.
not to this in particular.
just in general.

He looks spot on, whoa! She looks alike: the animated version is quite similar, but not as good as his.

Anyway, how do you guys feel about this transition from drama to anime? Lots of dramas are based on mangas and/or anime, but I've never heard of an anime based on a drama. Then again, I'm a noob. Heh

OK, honestly was that drama really that good? I've never seen, but it seems like the actors are still riding high from this series. So, someone please tell me the truth. Was this truly a good drama and is it worth the hype?

Oh man, woah. Yonsama makes an awesome anime character. Choi Ji-woo's version is acceptable, but it's not as amazing as the animated Yonsama.

I actually liked Winter Sonata, although it's not as addictive as other shows I've seen. (I'm a little more than halfway through right now, and now I'm just confused as to [a] whether Joon-sang and Min-hyung are the same person and [b] whether Joon-sang/Min-hyung really is [are?] related to Yoo-jin.) I do hope that the animated version will manage to make itself different enough to still be interesting, although I'll probably still check it out just for the sake of checking it out.

I'm not sure how I feel about Yonsama and CJW voicing their original characters, though.. I guess it makes sense, given the Yonsama love in Japan, but still, you'd think they'd let someone else have a shot at it. :/

@curious -- this is a blog about TV dramas, not a news website.

I don't understand why people like Winter Sonata?!...I watched the whole show with a friend and found it totally boring and long winded. Now, they are making a anime version good lord why?!!!...I'm sure the fans of this series will be happy with this news. But I just don't understand what the charm was about this drama to make so many people want own a copy or pay to see an Anime...I guess I'll never understand.

After watching the rubbish that was Autumn Tale I never bothered with the "endless love" series, I'd hope JB could enlighten us that haven't watched Winter Sonata about it. The story seems interesting but I haven't been compelled enough to watch it yet.

The story of the WS anime will be different than the drama. If I am not wrong, the storyline in the anime describes the time when Joon Sang and Yoo Jin were separated for years before their reunion. I think Joon sang was in the U.S and Yoo Jin was in Paris. I am not 100% sure. It would be boring if the story is the same as in the drama. The animated BYJ looks like every good looking man in a typical manga with blond hair usually, tall, and glasses. I am a fan of WS but I doubt that the anime will be as successful as WS. Honestly, it's very difficult to recreate Korean wave. It just doesn't happen all the time otherwise it wouldn't be call a wave.

I heard that initially Choi Ji Woo declined to be part of the Winter Sonata animation series and they were looking for someone to do the voice over. After months of searching, somehow Choi Ji Woo agreed to do it. BYJ has a stake in this animated winter sonata production. As a fan of Winter SOnata, it's just not the same to create an animation of winter sonata without the original cast members. But, I don't know if I will watch the animated version since I want to be able to see the real people and not cartoon haha

This is interesting. I've seen some J-doramas and their anime versions and they usually offer something new to the story, an extra arc or scenes that aren't in the live action drama or vice versa. I hope they have something new to show because otherwise why would I care to watch the anime version? But I guess BYJ and CJW fans couldn't care less as long as these two reunite, even in animated form.

Wow the Yonsama is spot on!

Actually the animated Yonsama seems to having better (less dry) hair though. hehe The dry copper haired Bae Yong-joon (before he was 'Yonsama') annoyed me. He was an architect for crying out load - he could afford hair conditioner!

Aside from the money making prospect - is there anything new to add? But then again this is the age of the overkill (ahem BOF). Would probably prefer Yonsama/Ji-Woo hime reappear onscreen in a new live action drama venture though.

Are they dubbing both Korean and Japanese? WOW.

@ Marie
Even as a fan of Winter - agree that it was long winded.

@ 5 Lucille
I suppose it depends on how you like yr kdramas, whether you want light hearted or melodramatic. If it's waterworks you like - try Winter!

What was/is the appeal?
Perhaps it was the combination:
A majorly (melo)dramatic storyline.
Ill-fated romance.(I'm a major sucker for ill fated &/or romantic storylines!) Tears. O-M-F-G the tears!
Really beautiful scenery, So so pretty.
A OST that had me listening to Ryu's 'Memory' like I was an audio junkie.

Winter Sonata is a series I hold a certain soft spot for. Winter Sonata (and Autumn Love Story) were my introduction to kdramas. Something about them hooked me in.

Having never watched a kdrama prior - it was like wow so pretty!

Now, many years later, having watched many (possibly too many) kdramas - there is still something about 'Winter'.

Yes I have now watched better storylines (sorry but a lot of the 'classic' kdrama cliches are smack inside the 'Seasons' series. BTW think the 'Seasons' PD has some seriously unresolved family issues...).
Yes I have had more 'fun' at the conclusion of watching something else.
Yes I have watched better onscreen chemistry.
But overall - my love for 'Winter' still lingers. LOL

thank you javabeans for the news. you may want to add these teasers.

winter anime teaser

teaser #1 > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj-bx_lOeV8&feature=related
teaser #2 > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt7nbV9XL_c&feature=related

also check these sites to hear some of the songs in wls anime
korean website > http://anime-wintersonata.com/korea/index.html
japanese website > http://anime-wintersonata.com/

Ahahahahaha. This is kind of funny.

I didn't like Winter Sonata though. Too much angst and missed communication for me. And a lot of things didn't make sense. Hahaha

That's awesome!!! I might watch it if anything, if they sub it in english... i just wanna see how they're gonna do that...

ehh i couldn't stand this drama...it dragged on and on and i wish she would just shut up already. maybe the anime will be better

It's fun to read the likes and dislikes of Winter Sonata. Not everyone is riding the tide of Hallyu wave. It's natural that first wave used to be strong and big while the 2nd wave looks much smaller but the wave is riding on top of the 1st so the bottom load is still the same. I'm sure this animation will do a good job for another Hallyu wave.

I'd have to agree with #8 and 17. It was interesting but it didn't really draw me in. Also, I gave up on the suffering-melancholy kdramas because I end up feeling so depressed after watching them.
I don't understand why this drama was such a huge hit, especially in Japan...

Winter Sonata - Love/hate for me. Some days when i think about it i love it and other days...nadda.....It was very memorable though!......But what was with the beige coloured overcoats?!

Not an anime fan so won't be watching it (if it will even air or become available here.....ugh!)

Cheap Tuesday.....off to the movies!

Animation is creative!! Em...Yujin in cartoon format, much anticipated, but not particularly too excited about watching it. Perhaps, it is much more fun to watch Bolt and Rhino or even Finding Nemo...hehe...^___________^

I am not too sure about the tide though....many younger stars had already long supercedes their position.

Well nothing venture nothing gain, not that many are really looking forward to this union.

From drama to animation....continuation of the story....strange...if there's intention of a continuity, why didn't they do it with a live artist rather than voice over? What a delicate balance.....if they would have done it differently, maybe the end results would be entirely different?
Or are they targeting for new set of audience and fan base? hahaha....unlikely...

So what is left?

Hehe...what's left? May be it is much more fun to watch Kung Fu Panda having chopsticks fights!! ^__________^ I think both CJW and BYJ should just move on with their lives. To do the dubbing is obviously just cashing in on the old clientele and generating extra cash flow for their respective companies. After all, the bottomline is $$$!!

even thought I never got the chance to finish watching the series, either because it was too boring and i just couldn't stay up watching but i think it'll be better than the series....just because anime are cool to watch. XD

I read some dislikes & likes on the original drama Winter Sonata on this topic. The fact of the matter is that Winter Sonata is still the #1 South Korean drama according to the recent Japanese poll. It also initiated the Korean Hallyu Wave. And it made Bae Yong Joon & Choi Ji Woo superstars, the two of the initiators of the Hallyu Wave.

What I understand about the anime of Winter Sonata is that it's about the three years Junsang & Yujin were apart after they left S. Korea, Junsang left for New York & Yujin left for Paris. Another part of the anime is the time they met again in Junsang house by the sea. I'm hoping this anime will have a complete ending unlike the original drama where they met, kissed & hugged. I want to know what happened next & I hope this anime will answer my question. Anyway, I'm glad that Bae Yong Joon & Choi JI Woo finally have project together. I'm equally glad that they will both promote Winter Sonata anime on 9/29/09 together in the same stage.

Junsang's cartoon drawing is perfect, Yujin should have smaller eyes than the cartoon drawing. I noticed that in Japanese anime's their characters have big eyes, I don't know why. I think Junsang is easier to draw especially he's wearing glasses. Yujin is a little harder, I guess (just my opinion). Still, the drawing of Yujin is similar to CJW. I have to confidence that this anime will be successful after all it will be promoted by the two most popular S. Korean stars & beloved S. Korean drama couple.

CJW and BYJ should move on with their lives??? from what planet are some of you from?? do you know how different the lives of these two people are right at this point??? Research and stop yakking!!! they both have moved on..it's just that this anime version had a different twist to the ending that the drama couldn't do during those times. I think it was great for both of them to pay their gratitude to this drama, because this drama really made a difference in their lives and careers. I like seeing them together and was happy to find out that they would collaborate again if a great script comes up...so stop yakking of you don't like the drama...oh, by the way, this is the only CJW drama that I liked her the most..

They did move on in their lives. I agree with Kate09, people should research before they give their opinions. Anime is something new for Choi Ji Woo. One source of research is their personal soompi threads.

They had done so many new things in their lives after the Winter Sonata drama. Good luck to both of them.