Top Korean Dramas of 2013: Third Review

Typically I do not enjoy revenge themed dramas as it gets tiresome after a while. I was not even interested in Shark when news about it first came out. However, Shark starts of well by reeling me in with a good dose of mystery. I just have to watch to know the whys and whats that causes the present. As the drama moves permanently to the adult years, we get to see Kim Nam Gil and Son Ye Jin in their respective search for revenge and truth. The drama is also beautifully shot with lots of outdoor scenes. Unfortunately, the plot starts to get less interesting as the drama goes on. The love triangle becomes bothersome and my interest switches to the more interesting minor characters.

Continuing the streak of tvN's Flower Boy Series, this time we have a slightly older Flower Boy lead, in the form of lead actor, Lee Jong Hyuk. This also marks Soo Young (of Girl's Generation) in her first lead role. Another interesting point about this drama is that it has lots of cameos. In the first episode itself, Flower Boy Ramen Shop actress, Lee Chung Ah makes an appearance along with Ji Jin Hee. Other stars who cameo include Taemin (of SHINee), Lee Kwang Soo (of Running Man fame), Jung Yumi and Gong Yoo.

For me though, I like this drama for its simple story of helping others fall in love. And in the process, each of the 4 members grow up and learn how to mend their own broken love lives. This drama has many quotable quotes too: “The moment you called my name, I became a flower.”, “Nothing else in this world matters when it’s not the one that matters.”, "Hatred is another form of love".

This drama is a collaboration between tvN and Mnet with a plot revolving around music. Watching this reminds me of why I loved both Dream High and Reply 1997. The characters are fleshed out well and the fresh cast brings life to their characters. I enjoy watching both the male lead (Yong Junhyung of boy band Beast) and Ha Yeon Soo, the female lead. As with the music theme, there are many lovely performances throughout the drama and they are so well thought out that they help move the story forward rather than deviate from the story at hand. Do stay on for the ending despite its occasional slow pacing for the ending is one that touches my heart

Lee Bo Young, Yoon Sang Hyun and Lee Jong Seok star in this interesting drama where justice is at the heart of its three characters. Jong Seok takes on the role of Park Soo Ha who can hear people's inner thoughts after an accident in which he lost his father. Cha Gwan Woo (Yoon Sang Hyun) is a public defender who innocently believes in all his clients while Jang Hye Sung (Lee Bo Young) has become a cynical lawyer who just defends her clients carelessly. As the three different individuals interact, they learn from each other on how to deal with the realities of life. For those who watched Secret Garden previously, you will realise that this is the second collaboration between Lee Jong Seok and Yoon Sang Hyun. Both actors perform so well in their respective roles and have great chemistry with Lee Bo Young.

As I truly enjoyed the previous KBS drama special, Sirius, I decided to give this short romance drama a try (4 episodes only). This special stars Lee Chun Hee, Choi Yoon Young, Kim Jung San and Kang Ye Sol in a love "rectangle". It plays on the fairytale premise of Sleeping Beauty and Frog Prince which is familiar to all of us.