How was 2009 for you?

410 December 6, 2009April 6, 2017

by javabeans

With the year coming to an end, that means it’s time to take stock of the past twelve months (well, eleven really) in kdramas. The broadcast stations will be holding their awards ceremonies at the end of the month, and I’m working on my wrap-up of 2009’s offerings — as are some very talented (and prolific!) drama-watching fans — which I’ll post up closer to the end of the year.

But this is your turn to weigh in on what you liked or didn’t. I didn’t do a year-end poll last year (after putting one up in 2007) and people seemed to really want one, so it’s back.
coup

Note that for most cases, I used the word “favorite” as opposed to “best,” so vote on your favorite in each category, whatever that word means to you. It could be the one you thought was the best quality, or simply the one you enjoyed the most. Polls will be open for voting till the end of the month.

FAVORITE DRAMA OF 2009

I tried to be inclusive but naturally couldn’t list every drama that aired in 2009 (there were more than 50). I included dramas that aired the majority of their episodes this year, but left off those that aired more than half their episodes in 2008 (like East of Eden) or haven’t yet aired half their runs (Will It Snow For Christmas).

Did I leave out your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

Update! Added:

FAVORITE THRILLER OR BLOCKBUSTER DRAMA

Dramas in this category often boast big budgets and feature big names in front of and/or behind the cameras, whether that means lead actors like Lee Byung-heon or A-list screenwriters like Choi Wan-kyu (Swallow the Sun) or Song Ji-nah (Story of a Man). These dramas may also feature stories with broad scopes, lots of suspense and/or heated power struggles — mobsters, assassination attempts, espionage, and money games, they’ve got it all.

FAVORITE HISTORICAL DRAMA

Some of these are more conventional historicals, while others are in the fusion bent, but all are period pieces and feature some great costuming, acting, and fusion-inflected music and score.

FAVORITE TRENDY DRAMA

Trendy kdramas, which are mostly set in contemporary times and tend to focus on relationships and modern urban life, aren’t the exact same thing as romantic comedies, but the two terms have become almost synonymous when talking about Korean dramas nowadays. (This is particularly true because trendy no longer means exclusively contemporary. The growing fusion trend is giving rise to the “trendy sageuk” such as Hong Gil Dong and Tamra the Island, both of which are, of course, not set in modern times.)

FAVORITE MELODRAMA OR SOAP

A couple of the dramas below seem like they belong more in 2008 (A Star’s Lover, Wife’s Temptation) but they did indeed broadcast more than half their episodes in 2009. The oft-derided (but highly watched) “makjang” genre fits in here, where fast developments employ outrageous plot twists and do anything under the sun to keep ratings high, whether it’s the use of devices like switched identities, secret babies, revenge vendettas, adultery, violence, and/or tragedy. But not all soaps are makjang, and while an entry like A Star’s Lover may also be considered a trendy, but I think its tone is pure melodrama.

FAVORITE FAMILY DRAMA

Family dramas are difficult to summarize in 100 characters (my word limit here), because they’re often populated with lots of members of a sprawling, multigenerational family. Tonally, there’s no restriction; they can range from straight/dramatic to light-hearted and comic. The themes most often explored are love and marriage, generational conflicts, and interfamily relationships. It’s stuff that sounds generic on paper, but the execution and tone of the drama sets the series apart from each other.

FAVORITE CHARACTER

If someone were to say a character’s name, would you immediately have a sense of not only which drama they were in, but what kind of qualities the character embodies? Has his or her name become shorthand for an entire set of traits? (“Sageuk F4,” for instance, probably elicits an immediate mental picture. As does “middle-aged Gu Jun-pyo.”) If you have to puzzle over a character’s name, wondering where he/she was from, they probably aren’t in this list.

FAVORITE COUPLE

For better or for worse, modern kdramas focus heavily on love relationships between its main characters. Often we’ll get the obvious love triangle or rectangle, although sometimes the lines will get even more messily entangled and create other romantic polygons. This kdrama emphasis on love could spark an entire discussion of its own, so I’ll just say that this means that a drama’s appeal is often linked inextricably to the effectiveness of its main pairing. It’s even true when the drama is (ostensibly) about something other than romance, such as medicine, law, business, war, or espionage. When a main couple fails to spark and create chemistry, no matter how well their parts are written, a drama loses some of its energy. But when they do come together, boy does the end result end up much more than the sum of its parts. So, who sizzled this year?

FAVE ALTERNATE PAIRING

Sometimes an alternate pairing is just as fun as the OTP (“one true pairing,” aka the main couple) — or even more so. When an OTP becomes too drawn out, often a second pairing will lighten things up and allow you to enjoy romantic chemistry without as much angst. Or perhaps you suffer from Second Lead Crush Syndrome (as I often do), and find the supporting male lead more compelling, or deserving, than the hero. You know it’s a losing proposition but you’ll root for Mr. Second Lead to get the girl instead.

NOTE: To clarify (sorry for the confusion), Boys Before Flowers’ true “soulmates” are Jan-di and Ji-hoo (Gu Hye-sun, Kim Hyun-joong). “Soeulmates” is the nickname for Kim Bum and Kim So-eun’s characters.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE

I’m talking about people who were relatively unknown before a 2009 drama made their star rise. Therefore, even though Go Hyun-jung acted the heck out of a memorable character, she doesn’t count because she’s already an A-lister. Even some actors who aren’t at her level — like Kim Bum (Dream), Kim Kang-woo (Story of a Man), or Jang Geun-seok and Park Shin-hye (You’re Beautiful) — weren’t counted because they were all known prior to their roles this year. On the other hand, the following actors went from unknown names to familiar faces overnight:

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

I learn this lesson time and time again: You can never judge a drama until it’s actually aired, no matter what it seems like from the pre-show promos and teasers. It cuts both ways: Sometimes a drama will be surprisingly good. But conversely, when pre-show buzz seems strong and/or certain well-loved stars are making television comebacks, it’s natural to get one’s hopes up. Unfortunately, that often leads to disappointments when the drama falls short of our expectations.

MOST OVERRATED DRAMA

I know the word “overrated” carries some baggage, but here I want to use it as the direct opposite of “underrated” — as in, you feel it got more attention than it merited (even if the drama was generally good). This is a small category, given that to be here, these dramas had to be popular enough in the first place to be considered overrated.

MOST UNDERRATED DRAMA

Now for the other end of the spectrum: These dramas had smaller fanbases and lower ratings numbers, but were, sadly, not given their due. Thank goodness for mania fans, eh?

(And because I know someone will ask: No, I didn’t include You’re Beautiful in either the overrated or underrated categories. It didn’t get high enough ratings to be put in the above list, but its media and fan buzz was so strong that I don’t think you could call it underrated, either.)

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151 shu

December 7, 2009 at 12:24 AM

whee~ you rock!

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152 Nina

December 7, 2009 at 12:26 AM

I love both BOF and YAB, it was a tough decision for me which drama I liked better. I am definitely still on a YAB high, I keep looking up information and Jang Geun Suk (Dramabeans please post more stuff on him!!! I am going through withdrawal). Who knew eyeliner on a guy could be so hot. I even started watching Hwang Jin I to see more of him.

However, in retrospect I feel like BOF had me anticipating the next episode each week to a point of craze- even though the end did begin to drag. YAB did have me excited but I held off on the last 8 episodes until the show ended. BOF did have an advantage though as it has an excellent source, that I love, HYD. I was already anticipating this drama before it came out. I'm actually rewatching it right now, and it still makes me a giddy.

I will admit though YAB was more consistent and I heart Hwang Tae Keung and Jeremy. They were absolutely great. I think character wise I like HTK better than GJP, due to the better consistency YAB had. I think if BOF did not exist I would have been one of the ppl voting for YAB throughout the polls.

I also liked Brilliant Legacy, it had a great start, however this drama started dragging really badly by the end and the main female lead got on my nerves after awhile, she always had this deer in the headlights look and would not say anything when she should have. I had the same problem with Dae Jang Geum.

Overall I enjoyed 2009 for K-dramas.

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153 Sharon

December 7, 2009 at 12:32 AM

My voting is generally in line with the majority, haha! Great men/women think alike!

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154 Pigmom

December 7, 2009 at 12:35 AM

This poll was fun, makes me recall my crazy self watching some of these dramas.
BOF was way too overrated to me, poor acting&directing, even the plot is baaaaaaaaaadddd, but somehow i too was part of the BOF craze back then. Well, it couldnt hurt to follow the trend, especially when it involves such eye-candy looking actors XD XD XD
For now, i'm really doting on Smile you, it gives off such a light-hearted endearing feelings i havent yet found in recent dramas. I adore the chemistry btw the 2 leads, and most importantly, i always prefer a female character w/ a little cheekiness, strong will, and wild personality (no offense, but Minam kinda puts me off for being such a good girl, and pretty much worshiping TK like a god)
Queen of Housewives was very enjoyable to me too. Shining Inheritance, pretty slow, and the love story drags on too much, but i managed to watch till the last episode w/ a smile so i must have liked it more or less.
The dramas listed in the "most disappointing" section were all disappointing to me that i dont know which one to pick, well maybe Cinderella Man? KSW has been in this industry for quite some time but hes still sticking to the same genre over and over again ~ BORING!

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155 shinee_girl

December 7, 2009 at 12:42 AM

omigosh everything i vote for is the most unpopular one!! ahhh this is so sad.... loll ^^;;;;;

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156 kay

December 7, 2009 at 12:42 AM

bof feels soo long ago but i still remember how obsessed i was with that show - really got me into these dramas actually so i gotta give it credit. yeah it was a bit craptastic but you gotta love it for the flash and the mind-numbing soundtrack. and dare i say it, i prefer jun pyo over tae kyung.

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157 mookie

December 7, 2009 at 12:54 AM

I'm never an avid kdrama watcher, but I have watched/finished fewer this year to give an honest opinion...

@mimim,
VERY curious, y was Friends, our legend one of the biggest disappointments?
I can totally understand not liking it for various reasons, but going into this drama, I'm beyond curious what u'd expect fr it to begin with. It's a proud specimen of what a TV drama (fr any country) can accomplish. I repeatedly said I didnt enjoy it as entertainment, but it never set out to be remotely fanservicing. One glance, I knew I was watching a piece of respectable art, whether I ended up liking the drama or not. (and I do..., just I'm still suffering fr a numbing pain having watched it, like I was hit by those blurred baseball bat binnie's DS was slinging around...and it, without warning, took away my fangirlish enjoyment of all past binnie guilty pleasures.)

The biggest delightful surprise for me was YB, I enjoyed at least the first 13 out of the 16 eps. I'll say out loud, it squeezed big grinning love out of me not unlike those hilarious smiling moments of JGS's TK, and I'm an almost anti for Hong sisters.

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158 robotmatsuri

December 7, 2009 at 12:55 AM

Hm, the results were definitely predictable with how absolutely popular BOF & YB were, but I have to disagree with the leading pair in the "Which couple was your favorite romantic pairing of the year?" question. IMO, Taekyung & Mi-Neo's was far from romantic. They sure were timid & cute, but romantic? Don't. Think. So.

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159 bbm

December 7, 2009 at 1:05 AM

Aww... this is hard...
you should put Jeremy n Jolie in the alternate pairing JB, LOL...
i had a tough time picking favourite pairing and underrated drama, coz i think Taejo-Eunho couple (Partner) is as good as Jogook-Mirae...
and to chose between Return of Iljimae and Story of a Man... is so damn hard...
WOW!!! even Gu Junpyo beats Mishil, mwuahahaahaha.. it's the power of the pama!!
thanks JB, i had a lot of fun filling this poll...

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160 shiro401

December 7, 2009 at 1:08 AM

For me, the one drama this year that made me feverish and crazed is YAB. So I guess it must have done something right to make me felt that way, when the last time I was in that condition was when I was watching Coffee Prince (and even then, it's not to the same height as YAB).

I watched BOF during the craze. It was good in the beginning, but I couldn't finish it. Watched City Hall, but it's not my cup of tea. Shining inheritance was good, but the later part kinda dragged. Sons of sol Pharmacy was good. It made me feel warm watching it, although I had difficulty watching 50+ episode drama. Tried to watch Story of A Man, but couldn't go past ep 1 (although seeing how many people like it, maybe I should try it again... ^^).

All said and done, YAB has done to me what other kdrama could never do to me before... and that's why I voted what I voted.

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161 kt1171

December 7, 2009 at 1:14 AM

@ 158
i think most people only read "Which couple was your favorite" then go ahead and vote......to be honest...I was one......I didn't see the word "romantic" after.......so yup my vote goes for the winning one. I have to agree...there are not much romantic moments between TK/MN......but it make my heart happy to see them together.

I did not vote for YB because of the withdrawal... it's because I truly think that the drama is good. I thought I gave up on kdrama, but YB brought me back. Thanks YB!

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162 azumi

December 7, 2009 at 1:15 AM

I love You're beautiful , hope they have season 2 I'll be wait for that..thanks for everyting about this series

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163 Mango

December 7, 2009 at 1:17 AM

yeah ((YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL)) i am with this drama it is the best all the year long time i didnt' enjoy watching drama with tear and luagh in the same time

thank you dramabeans

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164 chzizi

December 7, 2009 at 1:19 AM

for Favourite Family Drama Category ,i would like to recommend "Family Honor aka Glory of the Family". staring Park Shi Hoo and Yoon Jung Hee..

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165 momomiko10

December 7, 2009 at 1:19 AM

wow seems like boys over flowers lose to you're beautiful
how can this happend?? this really suprising me.Its so tough
Jang Geun-seok beat lee min ho..
@158 you're so right
im not saying this b'coz i dont like You're beautiful of coure i love that siries
but i think i love bof more
~~im going to vote now

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166 hmm

December 7, 2009 at 1:20 AM

Well, I guess its normal that Mishil got beaten, I mean you don't expect majority of the housewives to sit in front of the comp and do polls right! Well I'm saying majority, of course there are a lot of exceptions.

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167 pongs

December 7, 2009 at 1:24 AM

JB, I'm so glad there's dramabeans - such goodies abound! I haven't got the chance to catch most of the dramas I was interested in.. there's so little time and too many dramas! Maybe I should do something about my drama-watching style to squeeze in more episodes in the same amount of time..

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168 chzizi

December 7, 2009 at 1:25 AM

for Favorite Family Drama Category,i would like to add Family's Honor aka Glory of the Family.staring Park Shi Hoo and Yoon Jung Hee.

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169 sheena

December 7, 2009 at 1:29 AM

@158 robotmatsuri

Well I agree that there weren't many romantic moments between the two of them, but it is also partly due to their characters, they were crafted by the scriptwriters to be so. You can't expect the sarcastic Tae Kyung and innocent Minam to go all lovey dovey all of a sudden! Such abrupt character change is quite abnormal.

I'm actually quite happy that they stick to their own characters throughout. In addition, you just HAVE TO agree that Hwang Tae Kyung is one of the best romantic leads ever, what with all the swoon-inducing lines like

"Go Minam, I give you the permission to like me."
"But all I can see is the moon."
"It's too bright up here and its too dark where you're at, so i can't see you. Please don't be where I can't see you. Come to where I can see you...." (Omg I actually memorized these lines!) that have got us all melty!

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170 raindrop

December 7, 2009 at 1:34 AM

Just looks at the poll and I can have one conclusion.
You're beautiful is so overrated!!

OK it's light to watch but it isn't that great comparing with BOF. BOF is better.
But compared to other great dramas and YB win the poll?
The great Mishil was losing to YB's teenage actor???????
What's this?????????
I felt so sorry for other great great drama with less internet fans.
I agree with someone above. You should put YB as overrated drama too. LOL

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171 Porcelain

December 7, 2009 at 1:44 AM

This is the reason I read Dramabeans... because its awesome like this... currently am at work... will mull over the article at home... interesting year for dramas no doubt!

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172 sweetaddiction

December 7, 2009 at 1:49 AM

Favorite drama of the year has to be "You're Beautiful." I've been addicted to other dramas before, but never like this. I watched the livestreaming of the drama every wednesday and thursday, read up on the recaps here, watch the episodes with subs on viikii, read everything and anything that has to do with YAB. I even bought myself a pigrabbit, novel book, and comic book of the drama, even though I don't know Korean. I went to see JGS when he was here in Japan. I love this drama.

My sister NEVER watches kdrama until YAB. She loves this drama, and to me, that's saying something.

Earlier in the year, I watched BOF, but gave up on episode 8. Jandi annoyed the heck out of me. I couldn't stand her or the drama itself.

I can't really say about the other dramas since i haven't watched them and don't want to, well, perhaps City Hall since many people seem to enjoy it. But that will have to wait. I'm still not over YAB yet.

As for alternative pairing, lol, Jeremy and Hwang Tae Kyung.

Thanks JB for the poll. It was very fun. Can't wait to see what 2010 has to offer!!! More JGS, pretty please!!

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173 Abie Lee

December 7, 2009 at 1:57 AM

This was fun! I couldn't vote on some of the categories since I didn't get to watch some of the dramas (esp the historical ones). This is how my 2009 was:

I started watching BOF while I was still in Korea last winter. It was nice to watch it in the huge TV screens (as compared to watching dramas on my laptop) but not having subtitles set me back.

I watched Triple simultaneously with City Hall. Triple was such a letdown. But I'm glad I tuned in for City Hall. Kim Sun Ah was funny and her character was reminiscent of Kim Sam Soon. She had good chemistry with the other guy (I don't know his name, sorry).

Then there was You are Beautiful. At first I thought Tae Kyung was in a real idol group (and honestly, he was the reason I watched it from the beginning). But when I realized who he was, I was even more addicted (I loved him in doremifaso..). I didn't really like the whole "girl pretending to be a boy" deal since Hana Kimi and Coffee Prince already exhausted that plot. I just loved the many faces of JGS (the scowling and the grins).

I'm currently watching Creating Destiny (thank you MBC America). It's not as addicting as YAB but I'm a sucker for love/hate relationships. It will have to do until the next good drama comes along.

This year marked my return to Kdrama addiction. I hope it continues till next year.

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174 eenet

December 7, 2009 at 2:05 AM

@ 170 raindrop

"OK it’s light to watch but it isn’t that great comparing with BOF. BOF is better."

Okay, let me laugh at this comment first. It is one of the most ridiculous comments I have ever seen, especially the part about "BOF is better" Well yes BOF was certainly quite fun to watch, and I was part of the craze. But I just had to stop at episode 15 +, together with some of my fangirl friends, because the plot got so draggy and Jihoo is becoming an annoying intruder rather than a second male lead.

The whole production was a mess, and the OST was well, not that good too. Yes, It was a great fun to fangirl over the four cute boys, but it was certainly NOT good. Please go look at dramabeans' rating on BOF.

YAB is overrated? Well look at the ratings, it deserves so much better. A show getting all the media and fan buzz, and high votes doesn't necessarily mean it is overrated, it is not if the story and cast is up to standard and deserve it. Please check the dictionary definition of "overrated" before you comment.

Maybe this kind of thing is pretty subjective, you might think BOF is omg the best production ever, but if this is really the case, then you have got some problem distinguishing between the good and the not so good.

I'm not saying YAB is the best, it's definitely not, but I'm pretty sure it is better than BOF, as seen from all the reviews about it.

"The great Mishil was losing to YB’s teenage actor???????" Lol, I'm sure the housewives in Korea don't visit this site that often.

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175 robotmatsuri

December 7, 2009 at 2:07 AM

@169 sheena

I liked Hwang Taekyung's character, don't get me wrong, he had some really sweet & tender moments, but he didn't make me swoon. But differences of opinions are great things! Thanks for sharing your favorite Taekyung moments. :)

My favorite romantic hero of 2009 (and maybe of all time?) is Jo Guk from City Hall. And now, I include only a tiny selection of my favorite swoony Jo Guk quotes:

+ "I missed you. If you don't have any other plans... go on a trip with me. Even if you have other plans, let's still go on a trip together."

+ "To me Shin Mi-Rae is not a breeze, but a typhoon. My house, my car, everything I own may be blown away. In the end, maybe even I myself will be blown away. One must avoid it, it's dangerous. I was going to, but I couldn't. I can withstand a breeze, but in front of a typhoon, I am helpless."

+ “Do I ignore you who’s naive and easily bullied, and give you up for my own happiness? Or do I suffer for your happiness? Who can make this decision easily? This choice may cause me to lose many things, but I’m more afraid of losing you. So, although you can’t stand with me, I hope you won’t go too far. Even if you stand against me, I hope you can stand a bit closer.”

+ "I've been thinking all night about how I could see you. I even bribed your friends. I then waited for you here for over two hours. Don't leave. ...All day, I wanted to see you. When I saw you, I wanted to hold you. When I hold you, I don't want to let you go. I'm not sure, but I think I love you."

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176 Anh Nguyen

December 7, 2009 at 2:11 AM

YAB marked my return to Kdrama after a long disappointment since CP. It has flaw, but really one can forgive such mishaps since the drama is so refreshing. Like a breeze of fresh air. Something new to the trendy genre. At last, a more original story from the Kdrama land. Plus point: the exciting cast. Not just the A.N.JELL but everyone else. They are full of youthful spirits!

Anyway, my disappointment of the year goes to My Fair Lady. I expected a lot more from it. YEH was original and did so well in CP. But in My Fair Lady, the writing was so bad. It failed miserably to create a unique female character, someone with angst! YEH was terrible in the first few eps as well.

That leads to another point altogether. Doesn’t it seem easier to create troubled but lovebale male characters (like HTK in YAB) than female ones? Bad boys seem to be hotter and get more acceptances from viewers than bad girls. I have seen some unique female characters in Kdrama but they seem to fall in older age group (Bridget Jones group). What happens to the younger female group? A gap to fill, perhaps?

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177 august

December 7, 2009 at 2:14 AM

Thanks for the poll I really enjoyed it,
I have not finished reading all the comments yet I have to say YB won most votes for me strictly because it is the first drama that ever made me into a CRAZED FAN.
I have watched quite a few drama over the years some a few times over but none except YB have had me searching the net for news on all its cast and even commenting on blogs, something I never did pre YB

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178 sheena

December 7, 2009 at 2:16 AM

@ 175 robotmatsuri

Yeah, thanks for sharing that too. City Hall looks great, maybe I will check it out to get over my YAB withdrawal.

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179 Rin

December 7, 2009 at 2:18 AM

Not suprised
you're beautiful is the best drama of the year.I realy love this drama.It was very fun...haha =))...I love jang geun suk, he is so cute n I love him voice too..oppa...hwating ^O^

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180 robotmatsuri

December 7, 2009 at 2:25 AM

@178 sheena

I wholeheartedly recommend City Hall if you're looking for a fun rom-com. :) It's vastly different from You're Beautiful and takes a bit to warm-up, but after about episode 5, it kicks into high gear. Look out for fiery chemistry and an intense romance. Definitely check out the recaps if you're interested!

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181 Ariel

December 7, 2009 at 2:25 AM

Very passionate reactions, that's why I like this site he, he, he...
Ratings are fun, can't wait for the write ups for the Best Drama of the Year, ha! we might have some slug fest going on, just keep it entertaining you all and no hitting below the belt.
2009 is a good year for us K-drama fanatics, heres looking forward to 2010!
The good part is a lot of our favorite leads are getting out of the army yahoooo!!!

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182 sam

December 7, 2009 at 2:42 AM

it seems to me that some people don't like the popularity of YAB, even to the extend of saying "it's overrated'. overrated in what way? it's rating is not that good in Korea. even at the start, not many people are watching. weird subjects and characters but once you started...what can i say? it's the first drama that i watched without sub. waited for some good soul to download it ASAP after it's aired in Korea. we (those who likes/loves YAB) likes it because it hits the spots emotionally for us. how can you say that what we feel is not true? we are old enough to know how we really feel about something.

so what if you like other drama? don't have to put down other people's choice because your taste in drama is different. I personally like YAB and Man Who Can Get Married. so what if the rating for Man Who Can Get Married is low? i just know, I like it. I tried to watch BOF. Quit halfway. It doesn't make me feel good watching it. I watched Story Of a Man. Ok to me. enjoyed it while it last but I Like YAB and MWCGM more. I cannot invest lots of hours (because of family and work) watching long dramas. so short dramas is my choice. There are other drama I watched this year but the one that stood out to me is YAB. Not because it's recent but to me it brings out good feelings when i watched it.

Thanks JB for the poll. there are some questions (melodrama and family drama) I didn't answer because it's not the i genre i watch. Have fun answering your poll. :)

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183 sumee

December 7, 2009 at 2:48 AM

You are beautiful all the way ;-)

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184 niKai

December 7, 2009 at 2:49 AM

How can people forget City Hall so fast??? haha. It should have won more polls.
where did all the City-Hallers go???? *sorry. i just find this amusing for some unknown reason coz i was expecting it to top all categories it was in. But I guess YAB is just so fresh in everyone's mind so it got most votes. Or maybe YAB appeals to more generations than did City Hall.
Anyway, this polls actually reminds me of what dramas i still need to finish up and what i've been missing. Fun stuff.

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185 raindrop

December 7, 2009 at 2:50 AM

@174
YB is overrated for me because I saw all these polls and all the reaction from YB's fans.
Come on! It wins all the polls here!
I watched YB too and enjoyed some moments of it but is it really that great drama ever??
OK if it wins over best trendy drama 2009 I wouldn't say so but this's ALL POLLS.
This's so funny and totally biased.

***No NEED to help me define the meanings of overrate. I totally understand it LOLS

This's just my opinion and only one site internet poll anyway. lol

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186 janna

December 7, 2009 at 2:51 AM

This poll just reminds me that there are so many shows I didn't watch but want to watch.....hopefully a winter break gives me that time to do it....

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187 great idea

December 7, 2009 at 3:04 AM

Good idea, thanks for making this poll JB! There were some tough choices here and I liked that you broke them down into specific categories. Unlike @186, this poll reminded me that I watched a lot of Kdramas this year--you know how those Kdramas tend to just hook and entertain you!

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188 Gitik

December 7, 2009 at 3:24 AM

Great poll! I´m afraid that I tend to voting fof YaB and not be able to be objective. The hardest question to answer is alternative pairing. I love them all...

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189 achie8275

December 7, 2009 at 3:24 AM

A lot seems to be having the impression that because YB just finishes and that the withdrawal effect was the reason it's getting a pretty runaway ratings compared to other well deserved Kdrama. VERY TRUE, But I think it just goes to show how this drama affected a lot of viewers (mostly internationally) that the other didn't and left a really big big impression, aside of course from crashing dramabeans site (and other sites) a couple of weeks ago (wonder which KDrama has done this in the past?). As Javabeans choice of word was "FAVORITE" as oppose to "BEST" so this poll will most likely reflect a lot of biased opinions base on what we have watched because personally, i have not seen all of the Kdrama posted here.
YB on the other hand is a flawed Kdrama BUT what makes it special (at least for me) is that, it has brought back my thirst and addiction for Kdrama like what My girl, MNIKSS, Goong, CF, Sad Love story, Flowers for my life did (to name a few) but in a very big way. It touched the youthfulness in me, I thought long gone and buried :) The young fangirl in me laugh so loud, ohs and ahs and spazzed so much that it was so much FUN!!!!
After a very stressful and challenging day at work seeing people in all walks of life at their best and at their worst. I as a serious, 30 something tax paying member of society - wants to sit down and really relax. So, if ever I have to watch a movie or a drama, I want to be able to see something that would make me forget the world outside at least for an hour or so. I kind of stay away from crime scenes, death related movies and heavy dramas that reminds me too much of work (by the way, I work in a hospital). It's just me in a nice comfy couch with my huge flatscreen TV and my dolby sounds. So when something like YB comes along, It's too good to miss it. It's actually a balm to a weary soul, to be able to laugh out loud and enjoy my wednesday and thursday for a change is a rarity and i count this as a blessing. This is actually the first kdrama that I actually watched live every single week over the internet, watched without understanding a single word of it and watched some more with subtitle. This drama came when the pressure of work was too much for me and it somewhat help me fine my balance between work and play. So you can call me bias for all I care but for something as a Kdrama of this caliber having this great impact in my life is something special. It keeps the word depression away. So for this reason, I give it my 100% point as my best drama for 2009! And no I'm not suffering from a withdrawal. I'm actually coming out of one because of this drama.

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190 sweet_pie238

December 7, 2009 at 3:31 AM

hi hi You're beautiful are voted so much ,I feel this topic very interesting ^^

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191 wei_c

December 7, 2009 at 3:36 AM

I would have put Pak Gyu from Tamra Island as my favourite character if I had a choice. Or possibly Jeremy!

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192 heejung

December 7, 2009 at 3:39 AM

taekyung and hongki? XD

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193 realitybites

December 7, 2009 at 3:41 AM

@150
Ok, i will be honest, but like I already said my two favourites this year were You Are Beautiful and City Hall ! Both dramas had things that didnt work for me, but all the pluses and minuses together (and compared with others I watched) they were just SUPER ! Never felt sorry for my time because of these two.

peace

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194 snap

December 7, 2009 at 3:44 AM

there were only 2 dramas that i watched this year. you're beautiful and boys over flowers. i liked bof but very disappointing. so yeah, i'm a you're beautiful fan through and through. sorry if that seemed unfair but, i'm not really a drama enthusiast. i only watch dramas that catch my interest or if i had a chance to see it on our local channel. it's very frustrating to watch online. you're beautiful and boys over flowers were the only dramas i waited for patiently this year. and yeah, i'm suffering from withdrawal. i'm guilty, lol!!

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195 arwenarya

December 7, 2009 at 3:51 AM

it was fun rating the dramas that i have watch and watching how the other people rate the dramas that i watched...thanks...jb...

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196 apiapi

December 7, 2009 at 3:52 AM

my fav kdrama this year:

you're beautiful- addictive
story of a man- so underrated
accidental couple
sons of sol pharmacy
cain & abel-exception for stupid plot

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197

December 7, 2009 at 4:24 AM

I agree that YB is still fresh in everyone's minds but then should IRIS gain more votes since its still on air?. What can be fresher than that?

It's not because YB is new. The drama left something memorable in most of its viewers. Its something I would probably remember until another feel-good, funny, almost-can't-let-go kind of drama comes along.

To JB: The poll is very interesting by the way! Thanks!

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198 Katya

December 7, 2009 at 4:33 AM

@ 189

+ 1 million

It was a great pleasure to watch YAB, I also watched it without subs (not understanding a single word), watched it after at viikii, and after with subs (couple of times))))) - and I did it for the first time EVER for Kdrama.
To keep a picture clear - I'm 35, live in Russia and never ever had such a crush in a kdrama before (I though it is impossible for me, but)
I saw several other titles from the list, it was nice, but the impact cannot be compared. YAB was really a gift of joy, huge thanks for the team.

JB, thank you very much for your recaps - it was very (really VERY) useful for me.

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199 lovesmile

December 7, 2009 at 4:36 AM

I like You're Beautiful so much. I really cheer TK and MN.

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200 Nonbirira

December 7, 2009 at 4:45 AM

Oh dear...reading this made me realize that while I have downloaded most of these dramas I've hardly managed to watch any of them! NOT GOOD! (Scuttles off to get down to some serious Kdrama-watching business!)

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