A Bottle of Soju’s Best and Terrible Dramas of 2015

Hello my K-Drama Fans! Happy New Years. After I had my sip off the Soju bottle (sometimes with a straw) and put on my GD and Taeyang Pandora Mix, I’m Ready!!

Aja Aja FIGHTING!!

I want to first of all thank my Unni Stephanie and not just for making me a crazy fan girl over Junsu and Rap Monster this year. Wait until I need rehab for this or we start the 12 Step Korean Withdrawal Program on your blog… AAhhh UUmm… Focus yes!

Dramas are a form of get away and a chance to learn about other beautiful cultures and, above all, languages. How many of us look forward to the end of our long days and realize how many Korean words and habits we have incorporated into our everyday lives? I always eavesdrop on any language that I hear especially Korean and think: Oh Ajumma, Chinca. So I am super happy that I get to write a year end post of the most Terrible and Amazing Dramas of 2015! Ranking from the worst to not so bad and the most amazing to really being the most touching and well done:)

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I WAS TERRIBLE #5

Family is Coming

I fell in love with Jin Yi Han, the male lead, after watching The Secret Hotel and was really looking forward to something new with him. To my horror, this story was super boring and the Grandmother and other family members were a bit underwhelming. I stopped after episode three because my ears and eyes were bleeding. It just didn’t make sense!! Please do not try this and waste the precious hours in your life… Jin Yi Oppa I still love you and I love your Instagram..

 

 

So Pretty, right?!! The Guyliner Hottie!!

 

 

 

 

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I WAS TERRIBLE #4

Shine or Go Crazy

I don’t know if anyone watched Come! Jang Bo Ri, but I fell in love with the actress, Oh Yeon Seo. She really touched my heart in 2014—it had me crying and going to work with puffy eyes. I also adore Jang Hyuk, who is always amazing in his roles and had me temporarily finding it hard to choose between him and my husband, Choi Jin Hyuk, in Fated To Love You.

I decided, hey, this would be a win-win situation. Right! Right? Uh no! Not at all! Again, it started off with him being a prince who was in a secret society where he met up with Oh Yeon and was married. Which I must say, her red wedding attire was amazingly fabulous and I need that in my life.

I think I got up to episode four or five, and Jang Hyuk was kind of annoying bringing his laughing from Fated to Love You into this drama. Oh Yeon Seo was super cute. But I was really like, what and why am I watching this?? So it was, switch over time to anime time yet again!

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PANDORA MUSIC UPDATE

BTS Cyper, PT 2 Triptych

Stephanie Loves Her Rap Monster!! I love Rap Monster’s clothes:)

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I WAS TERRIBLE NUMBER #3

Hyde, Jekyll, Me

I know this is on so many people’s best of list, but I found it underwhelming—I really think it is because they put two similar (but not super similar) shows out at the same time.

I love Hyun Bin, he was amazing in Secret Garden, and looks amazing after the army—which by the way most of the men do.

But I watched a few episodes and I remember he was a rude prick chased by a lion, and then he was this alter person with a crazy smile who jumping into the river, saving Han Ji Min.

His alter ego Robin creeped me out and I was bored with the circus theme from the beginning. Thank goodness there were no clowns, I would have been all set to run right from the beginning (even more so).

While I am home recuperation, I am going to try to check out the webtoon by Lee Chung Ho Dr. Jekyll Is Mr. Hyde. I am hoping this turns me on to the plot a little more, and I might give it a second try. It is not that is was terrible but I was expecting something better.

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I WAS TERRIBLE #2

Masked Prosecutor, The Man in The Mask

I love this man! Joo Sang Wook is one of the most handsome, sexy, mature looking Oppas in the Korean Acting business. He has this presence to him that seriously turns me on and can make me cry in a heart beat. I don’t know why and am hoping someone can fill me in. While you’re at it—has he ever had a shower scene? 🙂

Kim Sun Ah is also an actress that I loved in, My Name is Kim Sam Soon, so I was hoping for the best and, as we all know, sometimes it just doesn’t get better. Ugh, the luchador mask just destroyed it for me. I was like, “really, Oppa, really?” I say, shut this down, ladies and gentlemen, SHUT IT DOWN!! Oppa if you read, this you’re still in the top ten! 🙂

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I WAS TERRIBLE #1

Orange Marmalade

I am an avid manga reader and keep up with all of my vampire stories, so I was really happy to see this being made into a drama. And it wasn’t just the fact that hopefully a drama with a vampire story will be a lot better than Blood, and more amazing than my husband Lee Joon Ki in The Scholar Who Walks the Night.

Spoiler Alert in this Section

The story was nothing like the manga. It did no justice to the cute, stalker like qualitlies of Jae Min in the WebToons. I felt like Sex on Guitar, Lee Jung Hyun, should have played the lead—although he was sexy as the bad boy vampire. He is a millions times cuter than Yeo Jin Goo! Yeo Jin was amazing in The Moon That Embraces the Sun, but I feel like he wasn’t the right fit. I stopped watching after my Sexy was burn to a crisp on the mountain top and then the story went to the Joseon Period. WTF, people, WTF!!! I will say I did like Seol Hyun as Baek Ma Ri and her family was super cute(especially the baby). I know, I know, many people enjoyed this drama but I really don’t like mangas brought to life that are not semi-true to the story line.

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PANDORA UPDATE

We’re are all waiting for this yes?? I know because I was doing the BigBang Fantastic Baby Wiper Dance in my chair!!

Go, G-Dragon 

My Love Child!!

My child is so pretty right?

 

 

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Finally we are at the end! The Best of the Best Ladies and Gentlemen

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SOJU COULDN’T HAVE MADE THESE SHOWS ANY BETTER TOP 10

Okay so we are at the happiest part of my review of the Best Korean Dramas of 2015. Please enjoy the list because T.O.P oppa is getting restless…

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THE BEST OF SOJU #10

High Society(2015)

The story was something that I was looking forward to because I like Park Hyung Shik. He was amazing in What Happens to My Family, and I was also whole-heartedly anticipating the translation of the next episodes. Hyung Shik was really good and I liked his character, Yoo Chang Soo, the best! His chaebol ways were typical to any drama, but he has this charm and innocence that made me cry. His love interest, the young and poor, soon to be Cinderella-like character, Lee Ji Yi was played by Im Ji Yeon. I loved-loved them together and really watched this drama to see their relationship develop. And you know that I was really surprised when they went to a hotel—I was like woo—you rarely see that in a K-Drama (and it was so beautiful).

I am really not a fan of Uee, but she did well with Sung Joon, whom I feel is getting better looking in his later years. Overall, this is an easy watch and a young money drama filled with crazy rich family members, with a poor girl going to the ball and becoming Cinderella.

And yes I want to be that Cinderella too, so Chaebol find me and whisk me away from New Jersey!

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THE BEST OF SOJU #9

Unkind Women

I love Song Jae Rim, and I try to watch anything that he is in so, I was super happy when he signed onto this new drama. I have been following him since his long hair model days up into his muscular built extra manliness of 2015—although I do have to say I miss the long raven locks—and I bet many of you readers agree with me.

This story was a quick watch about three generations of women living together dealing with jealousy, intrigue, love, betrayal, Kendo, change, acceptance, and compassion. My favorite grandpa was in it, Lee Soon Jae, and my husband, Song Jae Rim. Overall a great watch and my #11 pick because it was something different from all of the same storyline K-Dramas in the world. Many people really didn’t like it, but I gave it a chance and it came out a winner!!

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THE BEST OF SOJU #8

Warm and Cozy

I love anything that has to do with Jeju Island, and I found this to be a wonderful, lighthearted story featured around a female cast. The Women Divers of the Jeju Island are so intriguing that I was happy to see that play out a large role in this production.

It was also food-oriented, which was a totally win-win for myself. I loved the little cafe overlooking the sea owned by a rich layabout. I was like, I wish that was mine—Regina’s Korean Fusion—would be a hit!

Overall, a great story of romance, hardship and overcoming obstacles to live an amazing life.

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THE BEST OF SOJU #7

Splash Splash Love

I watched this in one sitting, with the guidance from my unni, Stephanie. You knew I would love this!

Kim Seul Gi is super cute in this, and damn I couldn’t believe that she looked just like a high school student.

I love the dramas which involve time travel. I always find it fascinating how they are transported to the Joseon Period and bring modern Eastern culture into play.

The hottie from Beast was in it Yoon Doo Joon, and he was just adorable and played the king really well.

It was witty, cute, crazy, funny, and a sweet love story. I love when she was holding up the Korean money next to him because he was on the currency. I watched this last week, and it instantly became one of my favorites. I am looking forward to watching the two episode series again, over and over. Maybe I will slip into a puddle and find my king on the other side as well.

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THE BEST OF SOJU #6

Valid Love

Okay so I love my Vampire Lee Soo Hyuk, yes I swear he is a vampire, and I adore him. He is part of my top ten husband/oppa list. Of course I had to watch his new show and support him.

SPOILER ALERT

I was super surprised to see how different this show was. Really intense with love, marriage, betryal and affairs. The main female character Lee Shi Young has a breathing disability which really frightened Soo Hyuk and caused he to take notice of this little firecracker. He ended up having an affair with her and changing his harsh stoic ways. Causing her husband played by,Uhm Tae Woong, to be super insane and abusive! But keep watching because this story gets really depressing just to let you know.

This is a must watch and I felt that it was really interesting.

The character who I gave major props to was Choi Yeo Jin whos was heart wrenching and right on, playing a former ballet dancer who became bed ridden and disabled. Oh she was absolutely amazing.

A must watch,but keep tissues handy okay!!

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THE BEST OF SOJU #5

Kill Me, Heal Me

Great, great and great again. I really wasn’t a Ji Sung fan until after this show. I was like a flipping addict waiting for the next weeks episodes to come out. He was crazy awesome with all the different perpersonalities that he played. And yes I loved the younger sister ,Yoona, that he played omg super funny.

The doctor Hwang Jung Eum’s over acting bothered me at times but her twin brother, the writer, Park Seo Joon was super amazing.

A great show to do a marathon too and yes I really wanted Yoona’s lipstick color as well. But it was sold out how cool right.

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THE BEST OF SOJU #4

Girl Who Sees Smells

First of all I really loved Yoo Chun as an actor after he was in I Miss You. He did an amazing job and you know what he did and amazing job in this as well. He had great chemistry with his leading lady Shin Se Hyung. The way that this fantasy like drama played off was really convincing and done well. A friend of mine suggested that I watch this and I was like seeing a smell. But really do not let the name fool you. Both of the leads had sad beings to there lives and at the end everything is wrapped up well.

Also there was a cooking element to this show which I was happy with. And god knows I would love to work with a hot Chef like Nam Gung Min.. By the way he was a great bad guy and had on the usual K Drama black military hat on.. The sinister black hat and black outfit of all the evil character mwahh hahahah!!

Overall I loved it and was happy to see these awesome actors in different roles! And for the Ladies and Men look at that on the left!!!

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Yes we are Finally up to the top three! I am super excited about my choices here they are!!!!!

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THE BEST OF SOJU #3

What Happens to My Family

Tissues, Tissues, Tissues, Snack, Water, Soju, Fried Chicken you will need it all to marathon this. I loved every aspect of this show from Dal Bong to his cutie girl, to the Aunt and Father who owns a tofu shop. To the head strong sister, whom I really related too quite a bit and he crazy push-pull love with her boss. Please give this a try even though it might seem long.. It is a story that many of us can relate too… And it was one of the most well written K-Dramas that I have watch in the past few years. I even watched this with Valerie and Joseph my Dad liked it:)

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THE BEST OF SOJU #2

Sassy Go Go

I really related to this story from the smart kids to the kids who just try to make it by in a high school world of so much pressure. My heart rejoiced and ached for these young girls and guys. Man I do not remember my high school being this crazy at all. Jung Eun Ji was amazing as the lead and her three close male friends Lee Won Gun(those dimples), Ji So(those eyes), and N(super sweet), I was a little strange towards the end but my heart ached for these kids. A must watch and again tissues…

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THE BEST OF SOJU #1

She Was Pretty

Choi Siwon, my husband, was ridiculously funny in this. I always though he was so funny and witty and really was looking forward to this. He stole the show ladies and gentlemen. I was like kind of obsessed with this a bit waiting for the next episode to come out. He was super extra sexy and the fact that he is leaving or actually left for the army destroyed me a bit. I am happy that before he went to the Army he was really successful in this drama and went with a happy heart.

Park Seo Joon is also a very pretty favorite of mine, he was great in Heal Me, Kill Me and Witch’s Romance. He really has such a crazy transformation but the whole story surrounding him and childhood friend/love Hwang Jung Eum was so sweet. She transformed throughout her growing years and gained her confidence and love again through interactions between both Shi Won and Jung Eum.

The bromance between Siwon and Seo Joon was to die for. The whole I am wearing your underwear by Siwon and the dropping of the towel in front of Seo Joon was priceless.

A really beautiful, funny and witty show which held my attending throughout the entirety of the production.

I am not putting a spoiler in here but you will have second man lead syndrome big time. Siwon Oppa be safe in the army your Noona is waiting:)

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I want to thank everyone for this opportunity to write a review of the wonder of Korean Dramas 2015. I wish everyone a safe, healthy and Oppa-rific New Year!!

Your Friend,

Regina 🙂