evacuatewithstyle » Korean dramas http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog bits and pieces from a dabbler Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:01:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Tree With Deep Roots, part 1 http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/02/tree-with-deep-roots-part-1/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/02/tree-with-deep-roots-part-1/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:58:15 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4737

Where do I even start with Tree With Deep Roots? There’s so much I want to say, but this first part is dedicated solely to the aesthetic value that Tree provided, which I think is unrivaled with any other drama I’ve seen in terms of production value and sheer ambitiousness of artistic vision: set design, costume design, music direction, cinematography. Everything was lush and inspiring, from start to finish, and the fact that this was only a drama belies just how meticulously crafted the final product was.

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/02/tree-with-deep-roots-part-1/feed/ 0 The Moon That Embraces the Sun, episodes 4 to 8 http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/the-moon-that-embraces-the-sun-episodes-4-to-8/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/the-moon-that-embraces-the-sun-episodes-4-to-8/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:48:33 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4716

I find that a general problem with K-dramas that are based solely on romantic relationships and the getting together of two people is that romance alone can’t sustain a story; there has to be other elements. With sageuks in particular, a lot of writers often times feel the need to fill their stories with a certain amount of politics — almost to fulfill a quota — or else, hey, their dramas would just be regular ol’ dramas.

And that’s what I’m starting to feel with The Moon That Embraces the Sun: what the writer of the original source material really want is for King Hwon to mack at it all day with Yeon-woo, but because they can’t, he’s gonna throw in a bunch of plotting ministers and rich nobles taking advantage of The Common Folk so that it feels somewhat historical, and call it a day. I love the relationship between Hwon and Yeon-woo, but I am wary already of how much fluff we’re going to have to sit through in order for the two to get together. It would be fine if the fluff were well-written and well-acted, but it’s not, so I’m gnashing my teeth a bit.

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/the-moon-that-embraces-the-sun-episodes-4-to-8/feed/ 2 This is how I watch TV http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/this-is-how-i-watch-tv/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/this-is-how-i-watch-tv/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:08:56 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4713

Okay, I don’t watch all TV like this, but Tree With Deep Roots is particularly dense and confusing historically, so I really needed to write everything out…

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/this-is-how-i-watch-tv/feed/ 5 Wild Romance, episodes 1 to 4 http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/wild-romance-episodes-1-to-4/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/wild-romance-episodes-1-to-4/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:00:07 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4704

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write about this drama at length, but I did indeed start a TV journal (like actual pen and paper, y’all) and I surprisingly had a lot to write about Wild Romance, so why not do it on a nice and digital platform as well :D

But yeah, I do not like Wild Romance.

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2012/01/wild-romance-episodes-1-to-4/feed/ 1 Best of Dramas 2011, part one http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/best-of-dramas-2011-part-one/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/best-of-dramas-2011-part-one/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:23:03 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4629

So many dramas this year. May be getting carpal tunnel from typing my babble. #realtalk

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/best-of-dramas-2011-part-one/feed/ 2 Best of K-pop 2011 http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/best-of-k-pop-2011/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/best-of-k-pop-2011/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:27:09 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4562

Oh K-pop. Oh K-poppy K-pop. Let’s start this off, shall we?

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/best-of-k-pop-2011/feed/ 0 Flower land in K-dramas, part 2: Me Too, Flower, episodes 1-4 http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/flower-land-in-k-dramas-part-2-me-too-flower-episodes-1-4/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/flower-land-in-k-dramas-part-2-me-too-flower-episodes-1-4/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 01:44:23 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4542

Alright, so I don’t normally do this, but since I started it already — I’m just going to give a general review of this drama four episodes in. I’ve watched beyond that, but started doing some serious eye-rollage at around episode 7, and promptly gave up on it so this will ONLY be what I see in the first four episodes.

With that said, I know everyone was expecting this drama to be a disaster, and I did too, but it did win me over with the characters. And I’m going to go ahead and say it — I think despite being cast for the wrong character, Yoon Shi-yoon is doing a much better job than I think Kim Jae-won could’ve done.

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/12/flower-land-in-k-dramas-part-2-me-too-flower-episodes-1-4/feed/ 0 Flower land in K-dramas, part 1: Ramyun Shop, episodes 3-6 http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/11/flower-land-in-k-dramas-part-1-ramyun-shop-episodes-3-6/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/11/flower-land-in-k-dramas-part-1-ramyun-shop-episodes-3-6/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:42:41 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4527

Okay, so I like this drama, everything and everyone are really cute, and I’m enjoying the viewing experience, but I’ve come to the conclusion with another friend that this drama is really . . . shallow.

It’s a character-driven drama to be sure, but not really a story-driven one, and that can be somewhat problematic down the line. This is a standard 16 episodes, but at the rate that it’s going now, I’m not sure they’ll have enough story for another 10 episodes.

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Read the rest of Flower land in K-dramas, part 1: Ramyun Shop, episodes 3-6 (377 words)

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/11/flower-land-in-k-dramas-part-1-ramyun-shop-episodes-3-6/feed/ 2 Here a drama, there a drama: part 1 http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/11/here-a-drama-there-a-drama-part-1/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/11/here-a-drama-there-a-drama-part-1/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 02:57:36 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4511 OH EM GEE! *blows dust off ze blog* A drama post from me. Haven’t written one since September. Crazy times.

So in the time that I’ve been MIA, I’ve watched a lot of stuff, but haven’t been compelled to write about them. A new season of dramas is upon us and I’ve been keeping up with some, and I’m interested in seeing where some of them go.

And just as an FYI because people have been asking, I sorta stopped watching Protect the Boss halfway in after hearing that they were getting an extension. I stopped at episode 11 and this is one of those dramas that are REALLY hard to pick up after you drop them, because so little is going on narratively. I do plan on finishing it before the year’s over, but the mood has to be there first. Two more episodes is A LOT because this means the remainder of the story had to add another 2 hours worth of material and that’s just never, ever handled well, which is why I am in no rush to finish PtB.

I stopped Scent of a Woman after episode 13 because things got needlessly redundant? The story hit that point in an epic (and tragic) K-drama where everyone started getting really stubborn and mopey and teary and mind you, this is when I started watching J-dramas nonstop and was severely put off by the doom and gloom of it all. I’ve been itching to finish it one of these days and will probably do so sooner or later. So no spoilers please.

A round-up of the things I’m watching/I’ve checked out, after the jump, including:
- Flower Boy Ramyun Shop
- A Thousand Days’ Promise
- Man of Honor

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]]> http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/11/here-a-drama-there-a-drama-part-1/feed/ 4 Protect the Boss, episodes 5 to 8 http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/08/protect-the-boss-episodes-5-to-8/ http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/2011/08/protect-the-boss-episodes-5-to-8/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 04:09:56 +0000 Amy http://evacuatewithstyle.org/blog/?p=4327

I think this is the first drama I’ve watched in a while where I’ve witnessed essentially no complaints from the viewers about anything. Nada. There are no complaints about the story, there are no complaints about the characters, there are no complaints about the actors, there are no complaints about the chemistry. Everything is in perfect tandem with each other.

But despite that, I’m starting to feel an inkling of impatience. I’m not sure if there’s one particular reason for it, but I think it’s because I find Cha Ji-heon a wee bit exhausting to keep up with.

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