If you’re currently drama fiending like I am, here’s a list of premiere dates and stats for upcoming dramas so you know just when to go crazy:

05/04 (Wed.) – BEST LOVE (MBC)

– Starring Gong Hyo-jin, Cha Seung-won, Yoon Kye-sang, Yoo In-na
– Shenanigans to the n’th degree of a hated ex-idol (Gong) and a beloved actor (Cha)
– (+) The entire cast!
– (-) Possibly stupid female lead, even stupider secondary female

05/09 (Mon.) – LIE TO ME (SBS)

– Starring Yoon Eun-hye and Kang Ji-hwan
– (+) Video teaser reveals that this might be a lot funnier than I expected because Kang Ji-hwan is funny (and fine as hale to boot)
– (-) Forced fake marriage. Sigh. When will we tire of this?

05/11 (Wed.) – ROMANCE TOWN (KBS)

– Starring Song Yu-ri, Jung Kyu-won, Min Hyo-rin
– (+) Jung Kyu-won, and the possibility that he will be shirtless
– (-) Plucky, happy-go-lucky girl serving rich, uptight chaebol

05/25 (Wed.) – CITY HUNTER (SBS)

– Starring Lee Min-ho and Park Min-young
– (+) Lee Min-ho playing a different character every time he stars in a drama
– (-) Park Min-young

05/30 (Mon.) – RIPLEY (MBC)

– Starring Lee Dae-hae, Park Yoo-chun, Kim Seung-woo, Kang Hye-jung
– (+) Seeing Kang Hye-jung back on the small screen, watching my imaginary baby daddy Kim Seung-woo
– (-) Possibly trainwrecky story filled with really melodramatic betrayals and revenges
– (-) Yoo-chun getting the girl?! Against Kim Seung-woo?!?!

Owner of the best smile in the world.

Can You Hear My Heart? is sortofmaybe very terrible. I’m not a Hwang Jung-eum fan and her character is driving me absolutely insane, but Mr. Kim Jae-won is where the tortured soul’s at.

May is going to be a jam-packed month, which is perfect because school is going to be out (FOREVER.) and every day of the week will air an episode of something that I will probably be interested in. Best!

THE GREATEST LOVE

This is probably the most fantastically cast Hong Sister drama to date. Their dramas always have great leads and then the secondary cast of characters is always terrible, which really drags down the momentum of the storytelling, especially when things get crucial in the second part of the story. The Hong Sister’s track record with writing great secondary characters is also nothing to write home about, but my wishful thinking is that even if they are somewhat weak, strong actors (Yoon Kye-sang and Yoo In-na) will give more life to the roles.

Another thing is that I really hope that the lead female role (played by Gong Hyo-jin) will not be a super spazz. I have a huge gripe against the Hong Sister’s female leads in that they are always klutzes, always dim, always relying more on their aegyo charm than any real substance. I know it’s not really in the Hong Sister’s agendas to ever be really weighty and grounded, but their male leads are always better written with more relatable and realistic qualities. Once again, I hope that Gong’s excellence will somehow make her character better than what I anticipate her to be, because you know that she’s just one of those actresses who have that capability.

Also, there’s something so fantastically weird about Cha Seung-won playing a goofy well-loved star in a comedy right after he kicked the shit out of everyone’s asses on Athena. There’s going to be some serious mindfuck ’round these parts when this drama premieres.

ROMANCE TOWN

Not even going to lie, this drama is going to be totally horrible, and I’m going to totally love it. You know what’s going to happen, but who the hell cares, just sit back and enjoy the (eye) candy, right? I have a huge soft-spot for Jung Kyeo-won because I think that he can totally do the comedic chaebol role (if that’s what they’re going for in this), and that’s much more fun than if this were some meaty, dramatic role. Jung is good with the lighthearted (see: Dr. Champ) and it does not hurt one bit that he is so damn good-looking.

And I used to have a soft-spot for Sung Yu-ri too, but that’s changed over time just as I realized how terrible of an actress she really is. Fortunately, she’s a lot better with “bright and cheerful” roles than she is with anything heavier than that, so I’m sure she’ll do fine and her lack of acting ability won’t bother me too much in this.

Oh, and I really like Min Hyo-rin (watch her in Triple!) so this shapes up to be much more interesting than if the secondary leads were played by boring actors.

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I can’t be the only person who thinks that there’s a slightly depressing undertone in almost all the interviews he gives (and tweets he tweets, smiles he smiles)?

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