Other important factors include:
1. picturesque scenery - bonus if the show is shot in some beautiful country like Austria :)
2. good fashion sense - extra bonus if the actors and actresses (who should already be good-looking) have good wardrobe managers. That's why I don't really fancy period dramas because women just don't look good with those humongous wigs and men look terrible wearing hats with pendulums.
3. nice background music - I love piano pieces and singers with sweet/romantic voices. Horrible songs really ruin the show.
With that, may I present to you, Wendy's Top 5 Most Memorable Korean Drama Serials (in chronological order of how I watched them)
1. Autumn in My Heart
Junxi and Enxi were children of a rich professor and were believed to be biological siblings until one day when Enxi got involved in a car accident. Upon carrying out blood tests, the family realised that Enxi had been accidently swopped with Xin-ai when they were babies by the negligent hospital nurse. Xin-ai's mother was a poor widow who operated a small restaurant. Xin-ai, being attracted to the fact that her biological parents were damn bloody rich, decided to forsake her poor mother and wanted her rich parents to take her in. Enxi, being a sweet and sympathetic girl, decided to stay with her poor biological mother who was all alone. The rich family left for America. Years later, Junxi became a successful artist and met up with his best friend Taixi (yeah all their names are 'xi'). Coincidentally, Taixi fell in love with the beautiful Enxi. One day, Junxi finally found out that Enxi was the 'sister' his family left alone in Korea. Junxi and Enxi fell in love. Unfortunately, Enxi was suffering from a terminal illness. What will happen to the lovebirds?
Yes it's lame. I know. I fell for it when I was young and innocent back in Secondary School. I cried like hell every time I watched it and when the music played. I love 'A Song for Lady' by H.O.T. The directing sucked and the fashion sense was horrible. But I never regretted watching it because this was the drama that sparked my love for Korean dramas. And Song Hae Gyo is still undeniably the most beautiful actress in Korea. In fact she is the lead actress in 3 out of the 5 dramas in my list.
Sarang rating: 3/5 - it should fail for its lameness but I forgive it since the show ironically sparked my love for Korean shows.
2. All In
Jin Renhe, a street hooligan, has been following his uncle cheating people at illegal gambling dens since young. As a result, he picked up the skills of gambling and bluffing. During one of his narrow escapes from the police, he met Shuyin, whom he fell in love with at first sight. After many narrow escapes from the police, Renhe's uncle decided that Renhe should go to school instead. In school, Renhe befriended Zhengyuan, son of a rich unscrupulous businessman wanting to make it big in the casino industry. On one fateful occasion, Renhe and Zhengyuan set fire to a building without realised that there was someone inside. They were charged with murder but Zhengyuan got away scotfree because of his father's connection. In jail, Renhe continued gambling with the thugs. The thugs bribed the prison wardens to let them leave prison to gamble and Renhe was challenged to a game with a filthy rich businessman but had to escape when the businessman found out that Renhe was playing tricks. Having to run from the police as well as the businessman's gang, he sought the help of Zhengyuan who managed to let him escape to America in a ship. Renhe was sad to leave Korea because of Shuyin, but had no choice. Shuyin was staying in a Catholic orphanage but later decided to work as a dealer in a casino in Jeju island. In America, Renhe met an influential American businessman who auctioned illegally purchased valuable jewellery. In a twist of fate, Renhe's boss had to go to Korea to gamble and the casino was where Shuyin worked as a dealer. Shuyin was arrowed to teach Renhe all the casino games. With his innate talent, Renhe picked up all the skills immediately and became a worldclass poker champion. With Renhe's illegal status in Korea, as well as the dangers of his job as an illegal trader, his love life with Shuyin was at stake when Zhengyuan falls in love with her as well while Renhe was frequently on the run. Did love surpass all?
Another Song Hae Gyo show. This time, I loved the acting because Song Hae Gyo and Lee Byun Hyun really looked good together. I feel that it is a unique Korean show because there were elements of Western influence and the thrill of watching Renhe play poker/baccarat and call for "All In". hahaha.. Cheap thrill..
Sarang rating: 3.5/5 - it helped that this is the only Korean show that Daddy has ever asked me to record when he was working late
3. Full House
After returning from her vacation, aspiring author Han Ji Eun discovers that her family home has been sold - without her consent by her friends - to famous actor Lee Young Jae. Young Jae has been trying to hide out from some nasty rumors about his sexuality and sees a perfect opportunity: he and Ji Eun will enter into a contractual marriage and pretend to be a real couple. In exchange, Ji Eun will do the cooking and cleaning and the house will be hers again after six months. Actually, Young Jae has been allowing the rumors to fly because he's really too afraid to tell his childhood friend Kang Hae Won that he's in love with her. Hae Won is blissfully unaware of Young Jae's feelings because she is love with their other childhood friend, Yoo Min Hyuk. As if that weren't enough of a love tangle, Ji Eun starts to fall for Young Jae despite their promise to keep things 'just business', and Min Hyuk starts to fall for Ji Eun. Who will Ji Eun end up with?
I LOVE LOVE FULL HOUSE!!! I love Song Hae Gyo, I love Kim Sung Soo. And Rain acts so cutely in the show! I love the songs, especially I Think I Love You by Byul. It is such a hilarious show without being stupidly dumb. And I love the house, aptly named Full House:
The show is simple, no fancy plot, so it may get a bit irritating when Rain and Song Hae Gyo just dingdongdingdong I like you I don't like you. But I love the fashion in the show, and the cars they drive (all different models of Mercedes) :) And of course, this is the show which made me fall in love with Kim Sung Soo:
Sarang rating: 4/5 - for its simplicity, sweetness and ability to make me laugh and cry at the same time.
4. Love Story in Harvard
A young love story set at the famed Ivy League school in the United States. Jin Xianyu, a 1st year law student at Harvard Law, enters into a rivalry with classmate Alex Hong for the affections of beautiful medical student Lee Soo In. The two men are both from prestigious families, while Soo In is from a poor family. When all three returned to Korea, Xianyu and Alex end up becoming opposing counsels for a high profile case involving a Chemical Company and a small village affected by the pollutants emitted by a nearby factory owned by the Chemical Company. Ironically, Soo In applied to conduct medical research for an organisation which was linked to the Chemical Company. How did Soo In's involvement in the case affect her relationship with the two guys? Who did she finally end up with?
I like the show because it's law-related and the actors and actress look good (besides the fact that the girl has crossed-eye) It was interesting to see the Harvard campus (which I later sadly found out, the show was not filmed in Harvard because the uni did not permit filming within the campus. hur hur..) Anyhow, the environmental case thickened the plot so that the show was not just on lovey dovey couples.
Sarang rating: 4/5 - for being legally related and having cutely romantic scenes.
5. Spring Waltz
The story begins with Eun-young’s plane ride to Austria, where she happens to sit next to Song In-na, who is on her way to meet her childhood love, Jae-ha. However, Jae-ha, who has now grown up to be a young, accomplished pianist in Austria, seems not pleased with meeting In-na again after 15 years for some reason. Eun-young, on the other hand, excited about her first overseas trip, bumps into Phillip (Jae-ha’s manager and best friend), who has mistaken her as In-na whom he was suppose to pick up at the airport. On her train ride to a classical concert - a gift from Phillip – Eun-young meets Jae-ha, who is also on his way to his concert. Despite him displaying his reluctance and indifference to be friendly to Eun-young, the two are immediately attracted to each other – especially for Jae-ha, because of the way she reminds him of his long-lost childhood love (and that is not Song In-na for him). After the concert, Jae-ha meets Eun-young again, but soon finds out that she is in fact Phillip’s love interest.
The plot thickens when Eun-young and Jae-ha found out that they were actually childhood sweethearts. Eun-young had a heart problem and needed money for her heart surgery. Soo Ho (the current Jae-ha) was a delinquent whose father abandoned him in the beautiful Cheongsan Island and Eun-young's mother took care of him. Unfortunately, Soo Ho's father stole Eun-young's mother's money and ran away. Eun-young's mother died in a car accident while looking for Soo Ho's father and the kids were left to fend for themselves. Eun-young kept suffering from relapses and Soo Ho felt that he had to do something for her. The opportunity arose when the parents of a dead kid, Jae-ha, spotted Soo Ho in the hospital and found that he looked strikingly similar to Jae-ha. They decided to take him with them to Canada in exchange for Eun-young's heart surgery fees. Soo Ho left Eun-young all alone in Korea. Coupled with the lie made by his parents that Eun-young died on the operating table, Soo Ho lost hope in finding her again and decided to assume the identity of Jae-ha. What happened when they find out the truth? Will Eun-young be able to forgive Soo Ho for leaving her?
I ADORE THIS SHOW. Ok I am biased. Coz it's the show I am currently watching. This show is the best Korean show I have ever seen because of the wonderfully good looking cast (especially Daniel Henney) and the picturesque scenery of the snow-capped mountains and quaint houses in Austria. And I SO LOVE the songs!!! So sweet! One Love by Loveholic and Love Poem (the piano piece Jae-ha composed when he was in love with Eun-young) Oh gosh please please watch this show if you can. I cried like hell watching this. hahaha.. And ok my dear Sister, I have to thank you for introducing the show to me :)
Jae-ha & Eun-young
the romantic island where the young couple spent their tender years. the beach is heart-shaped! the director took forever to find this beach in Korea.
Daniel Henney! *drools*Sarang rating: 5/5 - I did say, I am biased. :)
Ok I am done. :)
So sorry for the long and draggy post, especially for people who don't like Korean dramas.
Sarang Haeyo to everyone out there! Hope you find your Sarang soon and stop fantasising over Korean shows. Honestly, such lovesick guys really don't exist, so for those who have already found your Sarang, love him with all your heart and don't expect him to do sickeningly sweet things like deliver 50 flower pots to your house. Nevertheless, who ever said we should stop watching them? :)
And of course, how could I ever forget? Sarang Haeyo to the boyfriend! Thank you for bearing with my nonsense and my PMS-es. You are really very patient with me and I really appreciate it. :) -muah-
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