Dramas -- Part I

Due to the overwhelming response to my last post (okay, two people said something to me about it, but hey, still), and partly because I just want to, I've decided to make a directory of the dramas I've seen. Just so, you know, if you want to watch one you can get addicted, too. ;) This first post will be about the dramas that I absolutely adored, for whatever reason, be it the quality of the drama or its addictive~ness. (If you click on the Korean names of the dramas, you'll be taken to a site where you can watch it with English subtitles.) So, without further ado, I present *drum roll* --

The Dramas I LOVED

꽃보다 남자 (Boys Over Flowers/Boys Before Flowers)

Kim Joon as Won-bin, Kim Beom as Yi-jung, Lee Min-ho as Gu Jun-pyo, Gu Hye-sun as Geum Jan-di, and Kim Hyun-joong as Ji-hoo

I already wrote about this drama in my last post, so I won't say much more about it here. I will say, however, that the reason I love it is because it holds a special place in my heart as my very first kdrama -- not because it's a technically wonderful drama. If you dislike crazy, plot hole-filled, inconsistently characterizatized, angst-ridden plots, don't watch this. But beware: if you start it, there's a 95% chance you won't be able to stop. Lee Min-ho as Jun-pyo really carries this drama, and even if you hate his curly hair, you'll have to admit that he does an excellent job nuancing what could be a very one-dimensional, arrogant, rich, selfish playboy character.

Quality score: 5

Enjoyment score: 9

돌아온 일지매 (Return of Iljimae)

Kim Min-jung as Officer Gu, Jung Hye-young as Baek-me, Yoon Jin-seo as Wol-hee, and Jung Il-woo as Iljimae

Despite airing at the same time as Boys Over Flowers, there couldn't be two more different dramas. Iljimae is everything Boys isn't -- well-acted, well-directed, well-edited, absolutely gorgeous visually, standout soundtrack, tightly plotted, nuanced, thoughtful and thought-provoking, and set during the Joseon era of Korean history. Return of Iljimae is the story of a hero, but not in a way you've ever seen before -- Iljimae (the name of the main character, the character on the far right in the above picture) is far more "human" and relatable than many heros, while at the same time being still larger-than-life.

Born of the rape of his slave mother by his aristocratic father, he is left to die after being forcibly taken from his mother. He is saved by a wandering monk (not a Christian one -- a Buddhist one; this is long before the advent of Christianity in Korea) and a cheerful beggar, and ends up the adopted son of a generous upper-class Chinese family. He eventually learns his true parentage and makes his way back to Korea (called Joseon at this point) to find them, only to be rejected out of hand by his father. What follows after is the story of Iljimae's growth and maturation as both a man and a hero. The drama deals with themes of duty to your people and country vs. your duty to your family and loved ones, explores the concept of justice and social equality, and beautifully portrays the struggles of Iljimae to make the right choices in a world that is awash in shades of grey. But I would hate for you to get the idea this was just a pensive, slow drama -- nope, there are lots of excellent and exciting fight scenes, a very well-constructed love story, and lots of humor and comedy. If you love stories that make you ache with both joy and sadness, this is the drama for you. 

Quality score: 10

Enjoyment score: 10

커피 프린스 1호점 (Coffee Prince)

Yoon Eun-hye as Go Eun-chan and Gong Yoo as Choi Han-kyul

Ah, Coffee Prince! Probably the biggest hit of 2007, this drama has a loyal and rabid fanbase among foreigners who watch kdramas. Coffee Prince is a drama that manages to be both light and heavy at the same time. It doesn't skate over either the happy aspects of life or the sad ones; instead, it balances both well to form an engaging, fun drama that definitely makes you think.

The drama centers around the relationship of Go Eun-chan and Choi Han-kyul, but it does so in a way that's not quite what you'd expect, because while Eun-chan is very much a girl, Han-kyul thinks she's a boy. It's a misconception Eun-chan doesn't correct, because Han-kyul offers Eun-chan a job as his "gay lover" to keep away the girls his grandmother is continually forcing on him in an attempt to marry him off, and eventually ends up hiring her to be one of the "princes" at his new coffee shop -- Coffee Prince. Eun-chan doesn't want to lie, but she has to take care of her mother and sister and her mom's just lost a friend's very expensive diamond ring. And meanwhile, Han-kyul is facing a very real, very disturbing attraction to Eun-chan...

This drama has some really wonderful acting on the parts of Yoon Eun-hye and Gong Yoo. Yoon Eun-hye turns in a pretty darn convincing performance as a girl who's been to busy taking care of her family to worry about her femininity (despite being an absolutely stunning woman). Gong Yoo could have taken the easy way out, since he knew his costar was a girl, but he does an excellent job portraying Han-kyul's growing attraction to an Eun-chan he thinks is a boy and the resulting doubt and confusion. I think my favorite part of this drama is the very real-feeling relationships between the characters. The drama isn't really realistic, per se, but it feels very real, if that distinction makes any sense. If you like a good mix of comedy and fun and stuff that makes you think, or if you just want a great introduction to kdramas, this is the drama for you. (I still go back and watch this drama all the time, it's that good.)

Quality score: 8.75

Enjoyment score: 9.5

 
미남이시네요 (You're Beautiful)

Jang Geun-seok as Hwang Tae-kyung, Pak Shin-hye as Go Mi-nam/Go Mi-nyeo, Lee Hong-ki as Jeremy, and Jung Yong-hwa as Kang Shin-woo

You're Beautiful didn't have high ratings while it was airing, but it inspired a very, very loyal "mania" fanbase both in Korea and abroad and shot its four leads to almost overnight success. Go Mi-nyeo (her name means "beautiful woman") is an orphan who's been raised at a Catholic orphanage her entire life, and is about to become a full-fledged nun...when her twin brother's manager shows up unexpectedly and begs her to take Mi-nam's (his name means "beautiful man") place as the new member in the premier boy-band in the country. What follows are some crazy hijinks as a female almost-nun pretends to be a male pop idol and tries to negotiate a world utterly foreign to her. Jang Geun-seok delights as the band's prickly leader, Hwang Tae-kyung, and perfects a nasty sneer that'll make you crack up. If you want a drama that will show you a good time, make you laugh hysterically, and give you lots of eye-candy, this is the drama for you. Don't pass over it, though, because you think it's just a light bit of fluff; the writing is generally tight, and the writers do a pretty good job of circumventing or subverting traditional tropes.

Quality score: 8
Enjoyment score: 9.25

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...

...I simply remember my favorite dramas, and then I don't feel so bad. (All screencaps from dramabeans.com.)

Chun Jung-myung as Ki-hoon and Moon Geun-young as Eun-jo in Cinderella's Sister

I love stories. When I was younger, and my mother will attest to this, I used to spend hours and hours and hours reading. My parents never bothered grounding me, since I never went anywhere anyway; they just took away my books. Oh, I take it back. They never grounded me from playing with friends -- they grounded me from the library. I distinctly remember one time when I got in trouble, pleading with my parents to do something, anything, other than taking away my books. So instead they made me weed the front flower beds, which kept me busy for three days, and effectively kept me away from my books, as well. I always insisted on having a night light -- not because I was afraid of the dark, but because then I could read after I went to bed. I made my little sister sleep on the top bunk so I could store my favorite books in the slots on the underside of her bed and have them within arm's reach at all times.

Chae Rim as Yoon Kae-hwa and Choi Shi-won as Sung Min-woo in Oh! My Lady

I still love to read (I would never have gone to SJC otherwise; in fact, that's what got my attention -- a college that reads books for a curriculum? Where do I sign up???), but as you probably already know, these days my crack is Korean dramas. There are several reasons; I first started watching them after the mission because I missed Korea and hearing Korean. There isn't a lot of Korean in small towns in rural Tennessee, after all. My first drama was the explosively popular Boys Over Flowers, about a poor dry cleaner's daughter that gets a scholarship to an exclusive prep school for rich kids and her run-ins with the school's ruling clique, F4, four incredibly rich, incredibly handsome, and incredibly stuck up boys. And of course she and F4's leader -- the most rich, most handsome, and most stuck up of the four -- become entangled in all kinds of romantic tension and angst. There's love triangles, kidnapping, evil mothers, trips to exotic locations, hot boys, romance -- what's not to love? I was hooked. (By the way, if you click on the names of the dramas under the screencaps, you'll be taken to sites where you can watch them with English subtitles.)

Gu Hye-sun as Geum Jan-di and Lee Min-ho as Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers

Of course, watching Korean dramas is a great way for me to practice my listening skills -- there aren't that many more opportunities for speaking Korean in downtown Annapolis than in rural Tennessee -- but if I'm honest with myself, that's just an excuse. (It's not untrue, however -- it really does help. I've learned all kinds of new words and expressions from dramas. For example, while serving as a missionary in Korea, I never knew anything more offensive than the Korean equivalent of "stupid" or "idiot", and I only learned that by accident. I'm much more familiar with the less polite side of Korean now than I ever was before. That's not to say I haven't learned anything else, though.) There are thousands of Korean drama fans who don't speak a single word of Korean and still watch them religiously, with the aid of subtitles provided by other Korean-and-English-speaking fans. So just what is it that's so compelling?

Jung Il-woo as Iljimae in The Return of Iljimae

I don't know that I could speak to the merits of Korean dramas for other people, especially ones who don't speak Korean and have never been to Korea. For me, that connection is a big draw, because I miss Korea and it's nice to have a small taste of it in my crazy school life. The structure of Korean network TV is also different than American networks, in (I think) a much better way: they don't interrupt the shows with commercials, they air two episodes every week, and Korean TV is still censored, so a lot of the crap that's making its way into American primetime TV isn't there. (Sometimes, though, the innocence goes a little too far, in my opinion. For example, in some romantic comedies, when the couple finally get around to kissing (and it may take more than half the show), all they do is lean together and touch lips -- that's it. The camera's whirling around, the music is swelling, all indicators are pointing to big romantic moment -- but it's difficult to watch two people awkwardly just standing there not doing anything while they're "kissing.") Probably the biggest difference, though, is that there are no "seasons" of a show -- the show is set for 16, or 20, or 24, or even 50 episodes (sometimes even more) and the storyline unfolds within those confines. Rarely is there a sequel in the true sense. And most dramas aren't episodic, meaning that there's usually one larger storyline that continues throughout all the episodes (often it's the romantic pairing, but not always), with suspense-building cliffhangers at the end of each episode.

Yoon Eun-hye as Go Eun-chan and Gong Yoo as Choi Han-kyul in Coffee Prince

I guess, for me, it all boils down to the simple fact that I love stories, and I love Korea. I don't think it's more complicated than that. Some stories are well-written, well-acted, well-directed, well-scored, and well-edited to produce a lovely, compelling story (see The Return of Iljimae, a semi-historical series based on a Robin Hood-esque hero, or Cinderella's Sister, a modern-day twist and excellent elaboration on the classic fairy tale). Some aren't any of those things, but you just can't stop watching anyway (see Boys Over Flowers). The best dramas, like the best books, bring their characters to life, make you laugh, make you cry, make you gasp or giggle, make you fall in love -- but most of all they make you examine the world and your place in it. They make you think. They raise issues, whether they be deep, epic themes about life or love, or smaller, quieter ones like good friendships and happy families. Stories are important, precisely because they do make us consider those things, and in ways that we might not be willing to if faced with them outright. 

Kim So-yeon as Kim Sun-hwa and Lee Byung-heon as Kim Hyun-jun in IRIS

I hope that even if you don't become an addict like me, that you'll take the time to check out some of the better dramas I've mentioned (all of the ones here are good, in different ways, but of course there are others; just ask me and I'll tell you anything you want to know). Even if the stories weren't that dissimilar from what you'd see on your own TV tonight, I think it's worth experiencing how someone else -- some other culture -- treats the same situations and experiences you have. You'd be surprised, I think, and who knows? You might even learn something.

Soooo...now what?

I should probably update more, but I don't have much to write about at the moment. My essay's turned in, I had my oral last week, and now all I'm doing is hanging in there until 17 May when I can go home and see (most of) my family.

I finally turned in my official acceptance to the Critical Language Scholarship today. I'm so thrilled to be going back to Korea this summer. It's going to be a completely different experience this time around; not only will I not be a missionary, I won't be in Seoul, either, but in Jeonju, a couple of hours south of the city. We're also doing homestays with local families, which I'm really excited about, as well; you definitely have a better opportunity to learn when you actually have to speak the language outside of class.

Jeonju, South Korea

You win some, you lose some

Every time I think I have a handle on life, something happens.






I guess it's what I need to keep me humble, but still. ~sigh~

"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said"

Matthew 28:6

This Easter weekend has been a very lovely one. A family from the ward invited all the young single adults over to watch General Conference at their house, and provided us with yummy food as well. Having the opportunity to listen to the words of the living prophet is always wonderful, of course, and I really enjoyed the talks, especially Elder Bednar's. He always gives amazing addresses.

But seeing as how it's Easter today (and a gorgeous one at that), I thought I'd share an excerpt from one of my favorite addresses on the topic, by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, given at last year's General Conference. It's worth clinking on the link and taking the time to read the whole thing.

"Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said, “I will not leave you comfortless. [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”^source

My other plea at Easter time is that these scenes of Christ’s lonely sacrifice, laced with moments of denial and abandonment and, at least once, outright betrayal, mustnever be reenacted by us. He has walked alone once. Now, may I ask that never again will He have to confront sin without our aid and assistance, that never again will He find only unresponsive onlookers when He sees you and me along His Via Dolorosa in our present day. As we approach this holy week—Passover Thursday with its Paschal Lamb, atoning Friday with its cross, Resurrection Sunday with its empty tomb—may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,”^source for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone."