Just stopping by to say " Thank You" for all of your hard work. Your recaps whether on drama I like or dislike have always keep me interest with its analysis and witty comments. Hope you don't forget to take care of yourself first though for I know doing recaps take a lot of time and efforts! Here to many good dramas and recaps ahead :)

Your great ! Site great ! Guest Blogger great !

Your site, do what and when you can, I'm along for the fun ride. . .

cheers, parsnip

p.s. although I do get confused by all the names and who goes with what name. thank goodness you have a " tag index" so I can look up everyone !

You have good taste in your guest bloggers! Although I AM glad that you do the majority of the writing on this site; I enjoy your tone and relative lack of bias in your critiques :)

Thanks JB!

A million thank-yous wouldn't be enough for such a wonderful blog; it just can't be said enough how awesome you are for giving us all such a great place to hang out.

I love reading your recaps; they're the reason I came to DB in the first place. I always like to hear what you have to say before starting something new because I value your opinion so highly. I had no intention of watching Tamra the Island, but when you were so pleased with the first couple of episodes I decided to give it a shot. Good decision! It turned out to be one of the best dramas I've ever seen. Hopefully you can finish it one day, just for yourself.

Having said that, I'm so proud of you for sticking to what works for YOU. Time to recap? Great! No time to recap? No big deal...because you always, ALWAYS have something interesting and entertaining for us here. How anyone could ever find something to complain about with regard to Dramabeans is beyond my ability to comprehend. The fact is, you really do spoil us rotten every single day. The downside to that? You'll never get rid of us now...we'll follow you anywhere you go!

JB's Army...FIGHTING!!

WE LUB YOU!

CH recaps will be restarting, with our wonderfully patient and awesome team of cleown, Otimelost, and mead33.

But, fyi, it is now officially a no-holds-barred race between me and baby - the first of many races between baby and me, I suspect. I'm pretty much done with all baby prep. I know how to install the infant car seat (last night's reading!), 98% of baby-related furniture is built and prepped.

Still, even if baby wins the race and pops out of Mrs. Samsooki before we finish our recaps, we will still be finishing the CH recaps.

As always, thanks so much to Javabeans to make this possible.

Well.. if recaps are available for a show I watch then I usually read them after I watched the episode to see how much I understood. Like: watch show; next day read recap... if the sub comes out a week later or so re-watch with them, if in the mood and I have the time for it (which I usually do not have :)

But what is even more important are the recaps for the first or first two episodes you do — even if you will not recap the whole show then. That usually helps me to decide if I want to checkout a show myself or not (downloads take a lot time here). So these first look/ impression recaps are IMHO much more important and useful than the whole recaps (usually subs catch up sooner or later anyway) to me. :)

Hope that's useful feedback. :)

thanks for all the recaps and hardwork =] i love you're beautiful. i'm relieved i have something fun to watch since i haven't been excited over any dramas since brilliant legacy/shining inheritance. i'm hoping it'll soon deviate from hana kimi/bbf as it seems to have a relatively similar plot but the sisters make up for it with their own brand of wit

A big thanks to you too Samsooki, for worrying about us City Hallers with The Big Event looming on the horizon! We'll be thrilled to read the recaps whenever they come...it just keeps the CH love going on that much longer, and that's never a bad thing!

In fact...while I'm at it, my thanks also go out to any and all guest recappers. Few people realize the level of commitment it takes to do what you do. I'm in awe of you all!

This may not be the right place for this comment, but I really wonder at how come certain dramas are instantly just totally awesome hits, and others, not so much.

In the first 20 minutes of You're Beautiful, I realized this drama was going to be very special. And check out the comments for the first 2 dramabeans recaps! Ep 2 has over 200 comments already! That's not a coincidence. Something(s) about this drama are really awesome, and people are responding to it.

The question really is, how come this drama is so good, and how come they couldn't bottle that kind of lightning, and then release some of it for Style, Partner, My Fair Lady, Dream, Triple...etc.?

Not that I mind so much though. If IRIS turns out be really good, and then you have Hero and You're Beautiful, between dramas and baby... and work and friends, and everything else, my head would explode. I guess having 1 good drama every so often is better than having 3-4 awesome dramas on, all the time. Everybody would get fired from their jobs and lose their significant others...

I have great respect for all the choices you have made and am very thankful that you take the time to share your witty insights and commentaries with all us readers.

Without you, your guest writers and my fellow bloggers, my kdrama experience would not be the same.

Wishing you a great Thanksgiving next week, as us Canadians have just celebrated ours this weekend.

I wonder about that too, Samsooki!

There seems to be something magical about the one girl + three boys formula that just works. And in this case, works beautifully!

So to speak. :-D

@ Samsooki

"In the first 20 minutes of You’re Beautiful, I realized this drama was going to be very special........Something(s) about this drama are really awesome, and people are responding to it."

It's like lightning in a bottle, when all the elements that make a truly amazing drama are all present and accounted for at the same time: good acting, good script, right cast for each major character, good production values, good directing, good wardrobe, hair, makeup (er, for YB, it's grows on me, oddly), good chemistry between the leads (and even between the secondary characters), compelling story, and the list can go on and on.

I say that a good drama has the majority of the elements present - but a great drama has (nearly) everything present AND that very special something - you'll never be able to put your finger on it, but you'll know it when you see it (oops, did I just make a reference to the Supreme Court's definition of obscenity?).

Re: City Hall recaps

Samsooki, I don't know if you've been back to the CH Soompi thread, but there is a wave of new Hallers who have either just finished CH and can't stop obsessing, or have finally de-lurked. Regardless, I won't be surprised that when you resume CH recaps, the comments section is going to be busier than ever! Plus, the time away from CH may yield new insights for us all. Do I love it more or less after getting off the Ch-high? Neither, I love it just as much. Also, I heard CH is just starting to air in HK and Taiwan, again, a deluge of new Hallers may be arriving....on a slow boat.

@ JB

Thank you - for everything you do, and do so well, and with so much thought and care.

crazy popular Boys Before Flowers = GHS + multiple guys
megahit and delightful Coffee Prince = YEH + multiple guys
and the next big thing... You're Beautiful = PSH + multiple guys

.... could be onto something...

the question is, has there been a drama with a cute young actress + multiple guys that failed?

Love that you do most of your blogging with guest appearances from equally witty, intelligent and talented writers like yourself! Totally impressed with your dedication put into the load of work of providing synopses :) And to think...you actually have a job outside this lovely world of Kdrama ;)

Like everyone else, I came to say thanks for all the hard work you and others have put into recaps!

I understand that it's hard getting back to where a recapper was when a few weeks have passed by. Like Painter of the Wind, the recaps were never finished. But it's way too late to finish that.

Btw, Samsooki is having a child!? Congratulations Samsooki!
About You're Beautiful, I like the way that it has a plot, but not a serious one for such a light, trendy drama. In MFL, it was fun and comedic at times, but the plot didn't seem to match well. Even though it started off light and funny, I'd wish the drama would keep it that way and not make the plot so melodramatic during the second half.

However in You're Beautiful, I suppose what draws viewers in is that it's a light drama with a light and funny plot. When you're watching You're Beautiful, you can just laugh and have fun from the beginning to the end of the episode. And I hope it continues to be that way til the end.

Iris Recaps shouldn't be too hard . . .

Episode 1 Recap:

Boom Boom Pow.

Episode 2 Recap:

Boom Boom. Pow!!

Episode 3 Recap:

Boom Boom Pow . . . Love love love.

"has there been a drama with a cute young actress + multiple guys that failed?"

Queen Seon Duk too. Deokman F4 = Yushin, Bidam, Alcheon, Woyla

The "reverse harem" is a staple of Asian idol drama. But Korea doesn't program a lot of true primetime idol shows like You're Beautiful. YB is so far what I thought Coffee Prince would be, basically Hana Kimi meets Oppa Band.

I think this show will at best do low teens. SBS made a good move counterprogramming this show against Iris, but by the nature of the young audience, they'll probably watch the show online.

JB I was going to request Belleza to do some guest blogging and recapping since I always enjoy reading her multi faceted, multi perspective and entertaining posts but after reading the above recaps for Iris, maybe not :-)

Also Samsookie, when and if you get it done, I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the recaps for CH. I have turned two of my sisters into rabid CH fans and maybe you will see them pop up as NJgrl1 and NJgrl2 on dramabeans.

@samsooki

It is something isn't it? Something about all the elements coming together. Also there's timing. I think viewers have been waiting, anticipating something just like this, maybe not the show, or the premise but the show's energy...
Its crazy cause 3 out of the 5 dramas mentioned, Style, Partner, Triple, I liked, and liked alot but not within the first few seconds. As soon, as YB opened there was a resonation, a recognition that "Yep...this is what I've been waiting" or ...Ah, I remember this feeling...

I also thinks its even more interesting when you didn't expect it. I sure didn't. Now IRIS, I need, want, demand for that to be good. I've been waiting entirely too long ;)

@ nycgrl

"maybe you will see them pop up as NJgrl1 and NJgrl2 on dramabeans"

LOL, so your sisters don't get to choose their own unique monikers, but you have already designated ones for them? Cute.

@ langdon-unni

"There seems to be something magical about the one girl + three boys formula that just works"

I suppose it speaks to both primal desires - the female desire to be the object of affection by not one, not two, but multple men, and to be fought over, it's timeless - and the male desire to win his lady love in battle with worthy male competitors, a la, I want that toy because another kid wants that toy first syndrome, but with grown men, now let's fight and angst and one will emerge victorious.

@ Samsooki

'the question is, has there been a drama with a cute young actress + multiple guys that failed"

Define failed in your mind? One Mom, Three Days involved Eugene with FOUR men all wanting her (the aforementioned three dads plus her boss at work - it makes my head hurt to imagine a single mom with a toddler being fought over by 4 men, only because that is as likely to happen as any woman in real life will fall in love with her "brother" after finding out they are not blood related).

The drama was pffft, but I think the ratings were okay/good? Either way, it appears that one girl, many men equals good for k-dramas. One man, many women equals bad for k-dramas (we women don't want to fight other ladies for our hero prize), but apparently okay for male fantasies of the non-chaste variety.

Thanks for all you do JB!! It's your blog and you write what you want, when you want to :) like langdon813, i hope you get to watch tamra one day just for your personal enjoyment, cuz it definately is a fun one.

@samsooki - take your time with recaps :) i'm getting to slowly enjoy CH the second time around with your recaps instead of marathoning through it like i did the first time. plus, baby trumps all hehe.

MUST start YB this week before the next 2 eps hit on Wed. i wanna join in on the discussion fun too!!! :)

I'm laughing at myself over this one...because I totally had BOF in mind when I wrote that "1 girl + 3 boys" comment, but I always forget about Kim Joon. Shame on me!

But you guys got what I meant anyway. I always told my kids when they were growing up "don't listen to what I say, listen to what I mean". and you guys obviously did. :-)

With or without guest writers and recaps I'd still read this blog. The stuff you post is too interesting to miss. There aren't many places where I can find news and info about korean entertainment that is not plagued by idols. Thank you! :)

Hon went downhill but I wish things had worked out and you had been able to do Tamra the Island. What a great touching drama that turned out to be.

As always, I will enjoy whatever you choose to do :)

I personally really love the recaps, especially for the brand new shows since I am the type of person who usually like quite a bit about a drama before I watch it. Thanks again to all who put in the work for recaps and while I look forward to completion of recaps on any show I do believe for the amount of work it takes to do a recap it ought to be the writer's decision if a recap would be finished or not.

I found what Samsooki brought up about what makes a drama "magical" quite interesting, esp. since it has been something I have wondered about lately. I don't really have an answer yet, but I have to confess that it is a wonderful thing when I watch the first episode of a show and realize that this is going to be something I really enjoy! I am not sure there is a set formula for what works. When I think back to Boys of Flower I wonder why I was able to watch it since re-watching it made me painfully aware some of its shortcomings, but I did enjoy it the first time through. Of course that particular show didn't fall into my "smile like an idiot at the computer" kind of drama either.

@18: LOL about the recap for IRIS... this could be true but hoping not.

But comment about Queen Seon Duk as fail .... eehhh have you even watched it? The plot is highly addicting and the storyline so non-cliche. It is historical, but a non-standard historical drama at that. Do give it a try and you'll understand why it's one of the best dramas out right now.

@ 28 goldlilys

"But comment about Queen Seon Duk as fail …. eehhh have you even watched it?"

Er, I know belleza is watching QSD and liking/loving it (as of the last comment from her on this drama), inasmuch as she occasionally gives a hilarious nugget of goodness about QSD in random comments section, always LOL. Something about a dude named Bidam and chicken, I don't know, but chicken is good.

I read her comment as QSD representing another set up of one girl, multiple boys - and not as QSD doing so and failing. I may not be watching QSD, but I do know it's a ratings monster and apparently pretty entertaining. I usually watch my sagueks after its done airing, less of a mind drain with its length and commitment.

Just my take on her comment, I can be wrong.

@ belleza

Don't forget to add the OPW - oppa, pout, wiggle in episode 3, as performed by either (both) KTH and KSY.

LOL @ #18...I was also thinking that it should also include "KTH looking pretty" in the episodes. (It's a Monday and I need a laugh) I'm still wondering how she's gonna do in this drama...I've never been a fan of the dramas she's in. She's just the girl who will be known for her pretty face n' so-so acting skills.

I was hoping that Tamra will get recaps for the reason that it needs more exposure. But oh well...

I'd like to jump in and say that even though bashers pop up here and there, on the whole your fanbase here is crazed almost comparable to flash mob organising fangirls. Honestly, the amount of work you (+ fansubbers supreme) put in so we can be entertained for a fraction of that time is seriously no joke. <3 You're fabulous, and seriously, keep recapping what you like and enjoying it. I'm amazed you haven't even taken a sabbatical yet. Java ssi chegu eyo. ^^

I'm waiting for WITHS2 on YAB and am so excited I'm peeing myself. In the meantime I got sick of being ignorant about Samsooki's Samsookiness (plus, yno, I wanted to watch it already) and am on ep6 of Kim Sam Soon. *contented sigh* There are some things I have issue with, like Other Girl so far (go away you irritant) and Sam Shik's anger problem and my comparing him to Snow Queen's inexorable beauty and coming up short problem but UNF the voice, the dimple and the LULZ. I worship Kim Sun Ah.

Even though everyone said it I still want to say it too: Thanks to all the hardworking recappers, it's such time consuming work. Also thanks to JB, it seems everyday there is at least one post, and that would be enough for me but we usually get spoiled with more, you're so thoughtful to do recaps AND news AND introductions to series, etc.

A fair share of dramas that are popular I hate. Of course, sometimes I enjoy not popular dramas.... so I can understand when people get a little frustrated when no one else wants to chat about them, but don't feel discouraged that a writer has given up capping until they have written it themselves.

I would help with recapping Smile, but I'd end up spending more time trying to Photoshop new hair onto Lee Kyu Han then actually writing. It's like Spock bangs in episode 1+2...progressing slowly to side swept dude bangs.....See this is already going downhill.

thank you, indeed! recaps like this help too... lost track of everything going on.

brovo JB.....i'm always...watching KBS .....most of the drama is the best....i'm not korean ...but my friends n i...frm malaysian...love to watching korean dramas...
keep it up....all that informations that u post it....it's make me realy....happy.....

thanks for recapping....it does add a new atmosphere for me when i decide to watch these dramas....:D

ive been reading your recaps for 'You're beautiful" and it sounds really good!
i know i shouldn't but i keep thinking that park shin-hye would have been a really good jandi from bbf...oh well
thanks for everything

# ockoala

"LOL, so your sisters don’t get to choose their own unique monikers, but you have already designated ones for them? Cute."

This is like my version of you calling your children "baby ockoalas"

THANK YOU for all your hard work!!
I always check your website for drama updates and recaps. Your recaps and reflections are always invaluable since I don't understand korean and subtitles are not always dynamic translations. Keep up the good work! I don't know how you're able to manage it all but I really appreciate it :)

First, thanks to JB for this wonderful site, for all the drama recaps, news and snippets, i enjoy your (and other JB followers) choice of dramas

Second, to Samsooki, i hope the best for you, Mrs. Samsooki and the baby, please take your time to take care of your family coz family comes first...

Ep. 2 of YB garner more than 200 comments, and i think the number still growing...

why was it in dramas we have so many reverse harem?? In movies, it's the other way around (Everybody Has a Secret, Lee Byung Hun). What if they made a drama like EHaS, will there be anyone watching???

JB (DRAMA QUEEN) Thanks for telling us about your update projects
and coming soon projects. Enjoyed reading your recaps.

As for You're Beautiful one thing that always attract viewers regardless of age range is - it is a boys band anything that is connected with pop music which is universal will have full attraction to viewers and also not forgetting good script with matching casts and good director too!!. There is one thing special about performing on stage that it will capture the hearts and attention of the viewers and if the actors can ooze their charismas then it will hit the right note for the drama.

Hope this will happen to IRIS too.

I love your recaps and reviews. To be honest, there are no decent english review site out there that analyzes neutrally as you do. I really do hope IRIS turns out great and you recap it. I would love to hear your opinion of it.

I love reading your recaps, but have done so less recently coz work is sucking the life out of me... bla...
But I always, always go back to refer your recap if I happen to watch any drama that you had recapped and I am always amaze at how much more sense you made that made me understand the drama better... case in point, the epic Coffee Prince and Gourmet...

And I would love to recap too, if I have a steady stream of video to watch, but unfortunately I don't understand Korean and I need subs... so I gather let the pro do their thing ^^ Thanks for all the hard work guys!

This is random, but Javabeans from your twitter box, are you keeping a cat? They really realy do sleep a whole lot on top of being their cute curious kitty self... I have two and one of them have this eye infection and was winking at me the past month, due to the discomfort, but apparently she healed herself and is as naughty as ever... ooh I love me cats! ^^

I would wholeheartedly like to add my thanks to this "love-in" for the fantastic javabeans. You will surely win your wings in kdrama heaven!

Thanks also to the many others who sub and recap and share their kdrama-love!

Thank you so much JB and the rest who provided such wonderful recaps.

You are the ones who made me fall in love with Korean dramas although I don't understand Korean and relied heavily on subs and recaps.

The recaps are so good that I will read them several times before and after I watched the drama. I must say sometimes it is more interesting to read them instead.

I'm very very excited about You're Beautiful. This show is simply magical and I hope this will last till the end. My fair lady on the other hand is such a disappointment that I didn't even finish watching it.

Can't wait for the recap for the next episode this week!

Please share the OST and other song tracks when you have them especially Promise. I can't seem to find the mp3 any where.

Thanks once again! =)

To "City Hall"'s recapper...

복받으시거예요~!!!

Good luck with his 元子~!!!

I so miss City Hall, by the time my mother got a copy, I only understood until Shin Mi-rae's oath...after that, "kru-kru~~~~"...

(Warning: I am too addicted to 사극s who too always mention 元子 (for example: 女人天下 & 장희빈))

Thanks a lot for your efforts JB!! You`re my first source to find all about Korean drama..love your works!!

I sure hope you continue recapping Tamra,The Island...Your recap in eps.1 is the one that open my world to Tamra,The Island. Love this drama so much!!!
Maybe when the uncut version is available, you might consider to continue recap this wonderful drama...

Hi JB!
I've been a loyal follower of your recaps, your news and all I can say is, because of all the great content on your site, I've become a fan of Korean drama. Your reviews are so awesome and totally spot on.

It's become a daily ritual to check for new updates every morning, and after lunch, which kind of breaks the monotony of the workday.:) What would I do without your wit and ability to make everything so interesting. It's one of the highlights of my day, I can tell you!

I do hope you get to do Tamra the Island one day... I'd love to read your thoughts on it and hopefully it'll be a drama that you'll enjoy too.:) It's because of your initial news and later reviews that made me decide to give Tamra a try and it's become my favourite drama of the year so far.:) Hopefully like eclipse commented above, you'll consider recapping Tamra once the uncut version is released... ^0^ I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway!

Anyway, just wanted to say thank you so much for your dedication and generousity in making this site so wonderful. I love reading everything, and it's lovely to be around so many other people who love Korean dramas and reading all these great comments too!

So thank you very much and I'll definitely be sticking around!:)

Am looking forward to seing more cool

Thanks for the update, JB! To be honest, I read whatever recaps/updates you post up anyway (whether I'm into the drama or not) because I find different opinions on dramas interesting, so as far as I'm concerned, anything goes! Whatever you decide to recap is fine; this is, afterall, your blog. (In fact, I find I'm slightly more interested in reading recaps on dramas that I have no plans to watch; I get to find out what goes on in that drama, see whether I like it, and if I don't, I feel no obligation to finish it XD)

Randomly @ Samsooki, congrats on the baby! O:

Wanted to take this opportunity to thank Javabeans and all her guest bloggers for their wonderful work! Like the above commenter, i check out this site daily to get my fix of k-entertainment news. (And i don't even read the papers daily!) I'm officially a kdrama addict, many thanks to all of you! Kamsa hamnida! :D

Why did the computer have to crash when Tamra the Island was airing (sobs)... I would've loved your recap on the rest of the series (seriously). I hope you'll give it another chance when the "complete" 20-eps version comes out, but no pressure, of course. Thank you always for your wonderful reviews.