Popular vs. buzzworthy dramas
by javabeans
MBC’s When Night Comes, SBS’s Iljimae
The following article from OSEN takes a look at the difference between the types of dramas on the air these days. I find a lot of mainstream entertainment press to be oversimplified (I’m sure I’m just not looking in the right places), but it’s something to chew on, for those of us who are curious about the relationship between ratings and the popularity/quality/success of a drama — as much as we all like to say it doesn’t matter.
Popular Dramas, Buzzworthy Dramas — There’s a Difference
There are dramas that bring in high viewership ratings but don’t get talked about much. On the other hand, there are also dramas that don’t pull in strong ratings numbers but are constantly being discussed. A drama’s content, actors, and its PR are all potential factors in drawing attention, but they don’t necessarily correlate to good ratings. Because there are many ways to watch a drama these days, the significance of ratings is gradually receding, but it’s still the primary factor in deciding advertising, and is the standard for measuring popularity. …
SONG OF THE DAY
Gourmet OST – “너에게” (To you) by Casker. I’m still trying to catch up on Gourmet, but for now I will say it has a standout soundtrack. [ Download ]
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KBS’s You’re My Destiny, SBS’s First Wives’ Club
Family-centric dramas that gather popularity without generating buzz
Representative of dramas that garner high numbers but less buzz are long-running daily and morning dramas. For example: SBS’s morning show Aquarius and KBS1’s daily show You’re My Destiny, which draw in ratings in the high teens to high 20% range — high in viewership but low on discussion issues. These shows are watched out of habit, primarily by housewives, and don’t elicit much interest outside of the act of watching them. Furthermore, because they air for long stretches, specific issues and dramatic events don’t affect the ratings much. Since there’s no need to pour unneeded energy into the wrong place, these shows have come to place their emphasis on plot.
KBS2’s weekend drama Angry Mom draws in high 20% numbers, SBS’s Happiness also rates in the upper 20% range, and First Wives’ Club is closing in on the 30% mark. Although they’re all ranked in the top five for viewership, they haven’t really become notable topics of conversation in and of themselves. But First Wives’ Club did offer storylines around “shocking” cases of adultery, revenge, conflict and reconciliation.
I agree that these are “habit shows,” although that doesn’t mean they’re not entertaining. I think of them akin to American daytime soaps, not in content but in function and format. They have larger casts spanning characters of multiple generations (to appeal to a broader base), have very general dramatic themes, and don’t really break new ground. They’re familiar enough that you can skip many episodes, then tune back in and figure out quickly what’s transpired in the interim. In that way, they’re perfect “background noise” entertainment, and therefore don’t make headlines in the way that other, more specialized shows might.
It’s also the reason I don’t watch them — not because I think they’re bad but because as a viewer who doesn’t watch these shows on television, it’s too much commitment. I’ve noticed that watching television on the Internet is a more focused activity — it’s active watching, versus leaving a television running which is passive watching (at least for me). When these long-running dramas do make it to television in the States, I’m much more likely to catch a few episodes. In that respect, it’s nice to see cable stations like Imaginasian and KBS World expanding their schedules with more varied programming like Likable or Not, Angry Mom (aka Mom’s Grown Horns), Pure 19, and so on.
MBC’s La Dolce Vita and Spotlight
Lower-rated but attention-getting dramas
Ratings are relatively low for shows like MBC’s La Dolce Vita, When Night Comes, and Spotlight, and SBS’s My Sweet Seoul, but they are constantly being talked about.
La Dolce Vita‘s focus of attention is decidedly Oh Yeon Soo. At 36, Oh Yeon Soo is a mother of two but has the looks of one in her twenties, drawing eyes with her perfect bikini-clad figure. She garnered plenty of notice for her passionate, dramatic acting with twentysomething Lee Dong Wook. My Sweet Seoul breaks the mold of provocative, exaggerated dramas, expressing itself in calm realism and sympathy-evoking dialogue. Both dramas are reviewed as well-made and have disappointing ratings.
Others like When Night Comes and Spotlight stir interest for their focus on particular occupations, such as the preservation of cultural treasures and broadcast reporting. On top of that, both have prominent female leads in Kim Sun-ah and Son Ye-jin, which alone is enough to get people talking. But because their stories and structuring aren’t solid, they’ve failed to reach viewer expectations. It’s no surprise they struggled to pass the 10% ratings mark.
Ah, these are usually my kind of dramas (such as: Mixed-up Investigative Agency, Que Sera Sera). Ironically, I’m only watching one of the above-mentioned series (My Sweet Seoul), although I did try all four. These are usually the dramas that elicit fervent fan responses like “Ratings don’t matter!” although secretly we probably all wish the ratings did improve. Here we have the home of mania dramas.
But I’d put shows like When Night Comes and Spotlight in a side category within this group — they’re not underwatched because of a lack of appreciation, but because they don’t meet levels of quality pursuant to intial hype. It may be unreasonable hype — god knows it’s burdensome to follow up My Name Is Kim Samsoon, or the universal praise of Alone In Love — but it’s hype nonetheless, and falling short of that means lots of disappointed fans. (I think Rivals, with Chae Rim headlining, is another one to fall into this area.)
Ratings aren’t a factor in my drama-watching habits, but I think they do act as validation. Because, as confident as we all are in our own good taste, it does get frustrating to know our favorites are often underappreciated, isn’t it? Heck, that’s a large part of why I started this site in the first place — to talk (okay, ramble) about shows that weren’t getting talked about. Some rightly so — I’ve watched a lot of bad shows, I’ll admit — but some unfortunately overlooked.
SBS’s Iljimae and Gourmet
Dramas with both ratings and buzz
And then, there are dramas that get both good ratings and buzz. SBS’s Iljimae and Gourmet are two examples.
Iljimae, based on the Korean folk hero, garnered plenty of interest before its premiere for its lead and supporting cast, its [expected] strong performances and comic acting, and visually stunning CG and cinematography, and its ratings went up accordingly. It has passed the 20% mark and closes in on 30%. Despite its characterization as a fusion sageuk, the drama stands out with its episodes dealing with current social issues. Gourmet was a popular manhwa created by artist Heo Young-man and even inspired a film adaptation, therefore creating high expectations even before its broadcast. It’s come out in first place in the Monday-Tuesday race.
It’s natural that high ratings result in more buzz. The drama Yi San, which ended its run not long ago, may have been a long-running drama that aired for nine months, but it followed the structure of a miniseries, capturing two birds with one stone with its high ratings and high buzz. Furthermore, it was so talked-about that when it was preparing to wrap up, the other stations scrambled to set up their competition.
Again, these are two dramas I’m not up-to-date with, but they do represent that special sweet spot combining critical and popular success (although I submit that Iljimae is still not quite a critical success). We might say we prefer the previous (i.e., mania) category, but I’ll bet a lot of people would still hope those dramas made it into this category. Even if that would mean that you’d get the subsequent, requisite backlash of people proclaiming the popular hit “overrated” and “junk” when it would probably be overwhelmingly praised were the ratings lower. (I’d put Coffee Prince in that category — I’ve always felt that the backlash was harsh. Yes, it did lose dramatic momentum in its last quarter, but then it became the cool thing to dismiss because of its popularity.)
Appealing to the masses CAN dilute content sometimes, but mainstream in itself isn’t a dirty word — you have to respect something that manages to evoke strong responses in a large population, even if it’s not your taste (as Iljimae isn’t mine). Admittedly, sometimes that respect is grudging. Just as you’ve got good and bad in any category, you’ve got good and bad in mainstream — and the shows in this category are the very few that manage to score that elusive recipe for success.
Via OSEN
RELATED POSTS
Tags: adaptations, drama ratings, Gourmet, Iljimae, La Dolce Vita, Lee Dong-wook, mania dramas, My Sweet Seoul, Oh Yeon-soo, Sohn Ye-jin, Spotlight, Strongest Chil Woo, When Night Comes, You're My Destiny
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1 Sonam
July 4, 2008 at 2:40 PM
Lee Jun-Ki looks so good in those pictures. Feminine and masculine at the same time. What a gorgeous man!
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2 ajewell
July 4, 2008 at 3:32 PM
Interesting article!! You were so right about the popular backlash-problem too, especially regarding Coffee Prince: "I’ve always felt that the backlash was harsh. Yes, it did lose dramatic momentum in its last quarter, It became the cool thing to dismiss because of its popularity."
So true!!!
I've heard people praising a drama like Witch Yoo Hee or Wonderful Life (though entertaining, you can't exactly call either a work of art) and then condemn Coffee Prince, saying it was horrible and undeserving of its hype. And yet, when questioned what they don't like, most of them never have an answer. It's like they're hating it simply to spite the people who did enjoy it, and feel bitter because a show they watched previously didn't get the ratings or the hype they would have liked. Of course, there are people who don't like a drama for legitimate reasons--but the amount who simply hate it (having not even seen it, in some cases) or simply because it's popular, is a depressingly high number. That's part of the reason why I never pay attention to ratings--it's so misleading.
Of course, I don't get the hype surrounding Iljimae... but at least I can list off valid reasons.
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3 haj
July 4, 2008 at 3:34 PM
^haha
it makes sense, although i admit i never thought about the difference between popular and buzzworthy. in my opinion, shows like "like heaven and earth" with han hyo joo had really high ratings, but no one i knew EVER spoke about it. i hardly knew it existed.
on the other hand coffee prince, everyone knows it but its ratings weren't at the top. hight, but not quite there yet.
i think i really like iljimae. my approveal of a drama is always based on how well it makes me fall in love eith the characters and the storyline, and iljimae has done it for me.
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4 Bee
July 4, 2008 at 3:50 PM
Actually, "Every Night" picked up nicely in quality after the first two episodes. And Spotlight is one of the best shows I've watched in years, i.e. when they go after the bribery within the Korean Government...
But then again, considering the judgement you and OSEN passed on them, I guess it's useless to say that. There's no way a show can possibly recover after one episode, or two... right? :)
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5 Javabeans
July 4, 2008 at 3:53 PM
Actually Bee, it's not (just) my opinion -- that part was translated from the Korean article.
Arg, curses be to the edit function! Now it seems like my comment doesn't follow the previous point. I swear it did initially.
Also, before Kim Sun-ah fans rage against me (again), the point isn't that the shows SUCK. It's that the shows are not as good as they were hoped to be, given those actresses' popularity and their previous dramas. Therefore they are hyped to be great potential successes, and when we don't get another My Name Is Kim Samsoon, the ratings drop accordingly.
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6 babycakes
July 4, 2008 at 4:15 PM
I think I have to agree with Haj above. I was a bit skeptical of Iljimae in the first couple episodes, mainly because of Lee Junki's over the top acting (such a contrast to his role in "The King and the Clown"!). However, I must say that I am enjoying it very much now and LJK's acting is starting to show that versatility we all knew he posessed. The mixture of drama and comedy is nicely balanced and the music is nice too!
p.s. and yes, LJK is very easy on the eyes which certainly doesn't hurt.
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7 mookie
July 4, 2008 at 4:27 PM
hi javabeans,
thanks for this post. It's informative to read while doing chores!! :)
I have respect for Suna's immense talent (still), and frankly I have no interest in Every Night even before it started, the story/synopsis just doesnt interest me one single bit, and Suna can too easily fall into being typecasted again. I'm not lookin for another samsoon. I may just have more expectation fr Suna in her choices and adding on the long hiatus to wish she'd picked sth much more of a deviation. But of coz my wish is not answered. I felt like she played it too safe in this career choice, that's most disappointing for me. O well... I'll always have mnikss to cherish.
Summer is here and I'm just looking for sth easy breezy, dont take up my limited urge to use my head and no need to roll my eyes out in frustration and cheeziness to watch, kdrama is not giving me much choices.
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8 all4movies
July 4, 2008 at 5:29 PM
For me, the jury is still out on Iljimae and I haven't watched an episode of Gourmet. My most engaged moment was when Iljimae's sister appeared as she is the prettiest of the female leads, so I was very disappointed when she died. Other than Iljimae, I'm not really into the rest of the cast. There's a lot of tears so far and not enough action for me. We'll see.
As for Gourmet, I am getting more and more disinterested as I read the summaries and I really don't like Nam Sam Mi's short haircut. For me, the actors have to appeal both physically and character wise, and so far it doesn't, even though I wanted it to badly because I wanted to watch the drama behind gourmet food prep.
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9 leafy
July 4, 2008 at 5:30 PM
lol, daytime dramas ..ugh, so long.. my mom likes them.. not that they're bad, just, I have other things to watch~
for some reason I couldn't bring myself to watch when night comes, it was kinda boring for me but I like Iljimae though (its pretty addicting!)
idk, i watched spotlight but I was disappointed with the characters bc there were no development ( I kept waiting for son ye jin and the main guy to like each other but they were always chasing after news... ahhh I'm a hopeless romanticist) and the ending was abrupt
anyhow, there is a lot of dramas out there but not as much that catches my eye in quality and appeal...
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10 leafy
July 4, 2008 at 5:41 PM
Oh, by the way, I love how you talk about these things and dramas, k-entertainment in general at your site! thanks! Happy 4th of July!
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11 belleza
July 4, 2008 at 5:46 PM
KBS Daily dramas are kind of a staple for me. You don't expect great storylines or acting, but you grow attached to the actors and characters because you see them almost everyday for more than half a year. It's also at a more practical time too. It's actually remarkable that K-dramas are as popular as they are given that they run at 10pm. Likable or Not drew some buzz, as it went past the 40% ratings range, earning national drama status.
Ratings seem consistent though with predictions. I don't think commercial expectations for Le Dolce Vita were ever really high. SBS tends to own the weekend drama slot, but it's a good slot for MBC to put on more innovative programming (QSS, 9 End 2 Outs) intended for a hipper audience. Dolce Vita is one of the front runners for drama of the year. Commentary on Oh Yun Soo (fabulous in Jumong) is typical; she's been a Korean beauty icon since the 90s. When Night Comes has to compete with both Gourmet and Iljimae, both long awaited shows. I feel bad for Sun Ah, especially after Kim Yujin winning Best Actress for playing HER role.
Iljimae picks up with Episode 7, right when the drama started hitting 20s.
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12 Javabeans
July 4, 2008 at 5:53 PM
Spot-on observations, belleza. (Psst, Night isn't up against Iljimae, though. It's Chil Woo -- and I think what may irk Night fans is that Chil Woo is such a joke of a show and it's been beating Night, although granted the numbers are pretty close. But imo, there's more to react to with Chil Woo -- Night is, FOR ME, more standard, more meh.)
BTW, just because I don't comment on a series doesn't mean I stop watching. I'll often decide not to continue recapping a series after the first several episodes, but I'll keep an eye on it. (Reason being: It's a helluva lot more work for me to recap than to merely watch.) And I'll let you know if I ever change my mind about my initial thoughts.
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13 belleza
July 4, 2008 at 7:08 PM
Wow, you're right. I mean duh! Gourmet and Iljimae are both SBS shows, how could they run in the same slot? Gourmet is Kim Rae Won's last show before he gets beaten up by a nation of angry boyfriends in the military. So the ratings were expectedly high. And the show seems good.
I imagine When Night Comes will probably do well enough in Japan and Taiwan. Yoon Suk Ho (Summer Scent ranks among the top 8 most popular K-dramas ever in Japan . . .yup you heard right) is practically a brandname in the Hallyu market, and both actors are popular.
KBS weekend sageuks (roughly the equivalent of the NHK Taiga) usually generate higher ratings for KBS, but it's the same difference. Daily dramas for the house wives and whole family. Weekend sageuks for the 40+ range. Ratings are just part of the picture. (Also, uhhhh good luck trying to get the remote from mom when she's watching First Wives Club and complaining about your lazy dad . . .Watching dramas is what teh Interwebs is for!)
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14 X
July 4, 2008 at 7:47 PM
You have to gauge in habits when dealing with ratings. The KBS1 Daily Drama comes right before the 9 O'clock news, and control of the plastic rectangular thing still sits with the elders in many households (one of the reasons youngsters opt for downloads and watching their shows on the good ole PC, or live services like Afreeca). Which means the mamas & papas watch the Daily Drama (which more or less keep the same viewership, starting from a mid-to-high 10%s, sometimes even reaching the 40% mark), then watch the 9 O'clock news. If anything that can pave the way for lady sleep pops up anywhere (brain activity-free, allegedly fun and with the customary pills of narrative insanity, that is), that's where the remote goes. It has almost nothing to do with quality, more with a sort of mainstream glass ceiling comprised of age old habits and viewing patterns. Same reason why most Cable shows are going the "past 11 Skinemax" route, regardless of content.
KBS Weekend Sageuk, unless the new one in November (Empress Cheonchu, so far good cast and great writer. Promises decently, but they could make a mess out of it) changes the cards, have pretty much stripped themselves of the weekend Daeha tradition, which yes brought them close to NHK's taigas (although CCTV's non-wuxia fare would be a better comparison, sans the humongous scale). It was done simply because even with 10% King Sejong can make good money through ads. But it's neither a proper political sageuk nor a fusion sageuk despite mixing elements from the two, so you lose both the masses and those looking for some meat. Hopefully things return back to normal, and they move back the format to KBS1. Dae Jo Young was a disgrace so anything can be better than that (and King Sejong is), but they're tarnishing a 20 year long tradition simply because they're crazy about money (and a public broadcaster eating billions every year through taxpayer money shouldn't do that).
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15 uniquetaste
July 4, 2008 at 9:51 PM
Nice post:) I'm starting to like my sweet soul:)
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16 Annie
July 4, 2008 at 10:13 PM
I find daily dramas such as "As much as heaven and earth, pure heart and likable or not" very entertaining. They're sweet, heart warming and family centered, but they're usually so slow paced that it sometimes get really frustrating to keep up with. I hate watching a whole episode and the leads only appear it in for about 5 minutes.
It's not incorrect to say that ratings matters, but to base a drama's success purely on ratings is kinda harsh don't you think? I don't let things such as low ratings stop me from giving a certain drama a chance. I find that the less appreciated dramas are the ones that I end up enjoying most. Dramas such as "Evasive investigation agency" and "the devil" were two of my favorite dramas last year, despite its low ratings.
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17 Bee
July 4, 2008 at 10:54 PM
Thanks for your answer.. Yes, the edit function has its advatanges. I understood that it's not just your saying, where that article came from. :)
And yes, everyone's coming to the show and looks for Samsoon... just hat this character is so different. At least at the moment. If that was just another Samsoon, I doubt I would've watched it in the first place... because honestly? Samsoon is plain annoying.
But I love how Suna's character outwits LDG's character in episodes 3+4 (not that plump dance stuff from before). I love it how Che-Hee uses Kim Bum Sang's own plain against him.
Ah well. I started watching that show because of the tagline, not because of the actors. I'm watching it without subs or without understanding many of the words that are said, and only rearn a bit about the dialogue if a kind sould translates it someplace... so perhaps the things I see in it are very different from what you see when you know what's going on? :)
In any case, it's enjoyable to watch...
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18 koalabear
July 4, 2008 at 11:09 PM
thanks for the wonderful article...I agree with what the article says, though I've seen different types of drama plots from time to time, and though ratings should still be considered a factor, I now look into the story of the drama rather than how it rates on TV. If it caught my attention, I would be really watching it. I'm watching La Dolce Vita and Spotlight and they both have good story and acting. In LDV, who would've thought that Lee Dong-wook shed his Boy-next-door image to play a very complicated role and he pulls it off gracefully and Oh Yeon-soo still popular after almost 20 years of acting (She's really a good actress). But I will try to watch Iljimae, Gourmet and My Sweet Seoul when time permits. I think they're good dramas too
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19 sf
July 5, 2008 at 12:37 AM
Gourmet has been really good so far. It has a saeguk feel (you'll see what I mean in the 1st epi ^^) but the modern setting makes the drama (and the language, I hate "old" Korean speak) more accessible. Food is yummy looking too :) and I like how most of the actors can actual carry their intended roles. The only con I can think of is that annoying brat of a food columnist. I hate to say it but characters like her really turn me off from totally "loving" a drama. Her voice (or rather her constant screeching and wheedling) already hurts my ears and there are only 6 episodes so far.
My mom watches Angry Mom (she adores it XD) so it was funny to read about it ^^ I'll have to start watching Iljimae.
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20 uniquetaste
July 5, 2008 at 2:01 AM
I thk i'm gonna start watching lljimae too!
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21 Elaine
July 5, 2008 at 2:29 AM
Although I didn't enjoy Coffee Prince, I have to agree about the backlashing cos it seems like the popular thing to do. Its the same problem with lots of popular dramas I guess. Takes one person to start saying that its overrated and people will just follow and agree.
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22 =)
July 5, 2008 at 2:59 AM
Don't kill my comment before I say anything about Lee Jun-Ki (regards to his wide base of fans), so, here goes...
...did he get the double-eyelid finally? He did said he wanted to have 'em done...or something -_-; (I read about it somewhere..so pls don't kill me/ my comment...) I'm a fan of his also, although still haven't get the chance to see him acting in the movie "King & the Clown", I knew him from the drama "My Girl" & were dazzled enough, & oh the pain. Lurvv-ing him already...& still does XD
btw I love your site, Javabeans. Like, a whole lot of love.(been eye-ing your site 2-3 months back now, & will remain to be a faithful reader..) So, before I say anything more creepier, I just want to say thank you. (especially for the QSS re-caps, along with 'CP'=LOVE & might I add, 'The Story Of Hyang Dan' too..I followed your re-caps on 'Who Are You?' too...heck. I read almost all of your past re-caps & of course, the recents...ehh...now I sounded like..errrm..a stalker? lol XD
well, to put it nicely, I'm starting to become a fan of this site & became even more motivated to be a diligent reader of all sorts, honestly =D..just want to tell you that..
fuhhuhh...just saying it all in this comment, took me about 15-30 mins (eheh..that's how nervous I am to post only THIS comment on your site..thus I'll just be a faithful, silent reader from now on :P...)
once again, thank you =)
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23 Cath
July 5, 2008 at 4:11 AM
I really like Iljimae. Also Gourmet isn't that bad. I haven't watched any When it's at night or Chil Woo. So I might wait when they both finish and then decide. When I have time I might finish off Spotlight and La Dolce Vita.....Arghh so many dramas!!
Very good article Javabeans!
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24 Da
July 5, 2008 at 4:34 AM
dear =) , reply 22
he didnt get double-eyelid ^^
plz look at these photos, it's from the same event
http://img394.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc06239cj4.jpg
http://img61.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc056351qu2.jpg
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25 lynn
July 5, 2008 at 6:44 AM
To 22
That interview was back in 2006, when he said that he though about having double eyelids plastic surgery but ended up rejecting the idea...what I think is that he wants to be like other men, strong, strong features, known for someone you can look up to.
Have you watched Iljimae yet?in the drama he look the same to me(the small&single eyelids still there) and Iljimae is really good.
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26 Nea
July 5, 2008 at 8:13 AM
Thank you so much for this post. I have to admit that I agree with the statement that ratings "validate" our own personal opinion. This is very true. It's not that one truly cares for the ratings themselves but mostly what they mean to the actors, the producers, writers and so on. When a show is badly rated, it is common for the show to lose something as it continues. I'm not sure if this is a response to the ratings or what but I have found this to be true in a few shows that I have seen. Now of course its wonderful, when a show, regardless of media hype, or lack there of, continues to be wonderful, but I think that in many cases, its hard to produce good work when no one recognizes the initial effort.
As a viewer, I want others to enjoy what I love and hate that many don't see the amazing qualities in the shows that I love. Also, I want those that are personally involved in the show, down to those that run the lunches, to know that the show is worth the effort and time they have put in. Ultimately, for me, I want writers, actors, producers and lunch ladies to continue to produce good, no great and awe inspiring work. And unfortunately, ratings help to fulfill this desire.
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27 Аlexander
July 5, 2008 at 9:28 AM
yes it's true that some dramas get much more popular than their reitngs may for me most shoking was that Hong Gil Dong Average 14.6~14.4 but for me and many others this is in top 3personal k-drama charts...
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28 =)
July 5, 2008 at 7:58 PM
@Da
Thanks for the links on his pics ^^ heheh..he looks very cool on both & beautiful also, but at the same time his manliness still there xD lol..I was just curios to know about it, so now I know ^^ thanks again :)
@lynn
I thought I've read his interview somewhere :D Thank you for confirming it to me ^^ and as for 'Iljimae', I wanted to watch it as soon as possible, but since it's not possible right now (I don't have SBS TV broadcast..only KBS world..my local TV won't do much either, I think...maybe in a year or two they'll show it..considering they show 'Jumong' recently..it's quite well-received in my country though..but I just wish they'll show 'Illjimae' already T_T;..I complaint much..sorry ^^; )
Br =)
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29 Ivuson
July 7, 2008 at 7:31 AM
I agree with Alexander. Hong Gil Dong was a great example of buzz vs. ratings. I think it resonated with a specific type of audience but wasn't broad enough to appeal to the masses. I loved it though and wish it would've gotten better ratings. My redemption came though when both KJH and Sung Yuri won the "Popularity Awards" at the Baeksungs. That proved that sometimes buzzworthiness and a passionate fan base can sometimes triumph over ratings.
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30 Radhika
July 8, 2008 at 12:22 AM
oo Doesn't the First Wives' Club have Yoo Ha Na or someone that was in the taiwanese drama My Lucky Star? The entire first episode of Lucky Star I kept thinking to myself "that girl looks just like the girl from My Girl! She looks like she could be Korean!". And, turns out she was xD
It's also nice seeing Jun Ki's face again =D
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31 ennuioh
July 8, 2008 at 1:00 PM
I'm suprised that you do not enjoy iljimae since, in my opinion, iljimae is more appealing than hong gil dong. The first episode was not great but it picked up from there. Yet, it's not a drama I would highly recommend. I tend to be dissatisfied with many kdramas. Insoonee is pretty, Damo, and delightfulgirl choonhyang are pretty much my favorites, but you didn't like insoonee too? :( I found Insoonee is pretty the only drama where there wasn't a rigid structure of finding who to hook up with and actually about a person. I still can't bring myself to watch coffee prince after the first few episodes. I guess that's how you feel about iljimae too :) I'll definitely be seeing gourmet soon (love food porn!! yehh)
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32 LORNAbaby
July 13, 2008 at 4:37 AM
It's been a year since I started watching Kdrama's thru IATV, I'm truly a Kdrama addict that there are days that nothing gets done at my house because of this vice of mine, I've got it now that practically all dramas on KBS are being TIVOED (truly enjoyable vice!!!)...your blog site is very entertaining and guides me as well as other family members (my husband also watches,, if we have family gatherings we end up watching Kdramas too as well as movies...soo much fun and lots of laughter!!!) Your blog site soo helps guide us on what to watch....It's difficult that we can't read nor understand Hangul yet...(we are planning to take classes..!!!.)THANKS and FIGHTING to you DRAMABEANS
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33 gefhg
December 19, 2009 at 3:37 AM
I think Iljimae is really good and I think anyone that make a fun of it are stupid and jerk just like you dont make a fun of it again mr.jerk
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34 lover
May 5, 2010 at 1:24 PM
i love you my sun(ms.kim sun ah)
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