finally, a lie too big

So, it's been a while since I've actually finished a drama. I keep starting them and either getting bored or ending up too busy to watch them. Sometimes fanfic is to blame - I find this upsetting. I really think I might swear off fanfiction again. You have to wade through so much crap just to find the occasional good fic. In less popular fandoms, the number of good writers is reduced accordingly; consequently, the ratio is about 7-8 crapfics to every half decent one, and at least 15+ for every really good one. I could cry for the amount of time I've wasted.

But I guess drama-watching isn't exactly productive either. Unless, possibly, it's a medical drama.

Anyway. Here we go.

( The Ones I Watched In Full )

( The Ones I Gave Up On )

( The Ones I'm Watching Right Now )

( The Ones I'm Looking Out For )

Ugh, thank god that's done. Sherlock ranting to go in separate post.

( Review of 7x23 'Patriot Down'; SPOILERS )

( Rabid speculation re: 7x24 Rule Fifty One, SPOILER WARNING STILL APPLIES )

Okay, that is all I have the energy for. Only three days left, but the wait may kill me. Not to mention the summer break before Season 8 begins (this will drive me to write fic like nothing else).

( NCIS 7x22 Borderland - SPOILERS )

Something to cheer people up. Gibbs/Abby vid, downloadable via link on left side of page. I didn't make it.

A short(ish) dissertation on why The Mentalist is awesome. Shipper focus = Jane/Lisbon.

( Warning: image heavy )

Last message: watch it! You can mute it and just watch the scenes with Jane in, that's okay. You'll still get a lot of quality viewing.

Okay, I have really neglected Project 365. As in, missed a few days. Don't know what the rules are, does this mean I have to start again?

Will upload the pics I do have later. In the meantime, one of my resolutions is to be more organised (with EVERYTHING), so I'm catching up on drama recs.

Dorama reviewed below:
- Hello My Teacher
- 1% of Anything
- Surgeon Bong Dal Hee
- What's Up Fox?
- Koukou Kyoushi (2003)
- My Girl

( Brief reviews )

Kept it brief because I watched most of them quite a while ago and don't have the time or patience to write about each one in detail.

Other New Year's resolutions include becoming more productive and swearing off fanfiction forever. We'll see (three days in and I am already cynical about my own capabilities).

Title: City Hall
No. of episodes: 20
Love triangle? Not by my definition (see below)

Main Characters

Shin Mi Rae - someone who initially has no political interests or ambitions, and tends to adopt a position of neutrality when faced with decisions. She is a kind-hearted person with strong principles; believes that politicians should have only the citizens' interests at heart. She starts out as a secretary in the Mayor's office and, through a series of events, ends up in the running for Mayor. She doesn't get along with Jo Guk at first, but later falls in love with him.

Jo Guk - intelligent and ambitious, not to mention sharp-tongued. He arrives as the new Deputy Mayor, having been planted in that position by an influential ex-politician. He initially antagonises Mi Rae, but later helps her out when she runs for Mayor, and eventually falls in love with her. He is constantly being pulled between doing what he wants, and being manipulated by those around him.

Lee Jung Do - a bureau director at the city hall; a good man with principles who ends up doing dirty work as part of his job. He respects Mi Rae for her beliefs and attitude and supports her, which frustrates his wife, Min Joo Hwa. His marriage has gone stale because he doesn't like Joo Hwa's unethical activities, but he still loves her.

Min Joo Hwa - a councilor at city hall; seemingly has no conscience and is prepared to do whatever it takes to get an advantage. She comes across as very bright and cheery, even when her true feelings show through; still loves her husband but worries that he's in love with Mi Rae. She's actually very hard to hate, even when she's causing trouble.

Go Go Hae - THIS is the one that's easy to hate. She is Jo Guk's fiancee, and she's horrible! Basically, she's only interested in him because she thinks he'll be the president one day, and she wants to be the first lady. She has a redeeming moment in the last episode, but by that point I already had too much hatred for her.

Plot: Shin Mi Rae meets Jo Guk when he's sent to Inju (not sure if this is a fictional city; suspect it is) to be the Deputy Mayor. He wants to be the President; she wants to stay out of things and earn enough money to pay off the debts of some boyfriend who dumped her and ran off. They initially don't get along, but after a series of events (e.g. a Ms Baendengi (herring) pageant; Mi Rae discovering the current Mayor's corruption and subsequently being fired), they get to know each other and fall in love. Mi Rae ends up running for Mayor, and has to deal with all the political drama that goes with it.

Good stuff: Mi Rae and Jo Guk are a fantastic couple. They eventually become pretty serious about each other; there are plenty of romantic moments, and Jo Guk is BRILLIANT. I wasn't sure about him (or his hair) at first, but he won me over. One of the greatest aspects of this drama was that Mi Rae was such a strong character. Every time things started going wrong, she was able to handle it, no matter what. Sometimes she needed a little help, but you always knew that she would have a plan to solve the problem.

Bad stuff: This is a romantic comedy. But because it involves politics, there are various political issues that need dealing with, which can be kind of annoying. The comedy side of things is never too far away, which does save this drama from becoming totally depressing and angsty.

Recommend or not: Definitely, absolutely, 100% recommend. Not just because it has Kim Sun Ah in it (although that was a motivating factor when I began watching it), but because it has a fantastic mix of characters and storylines. Out of all the dramas I've recc'd so far, this is the one I'd promote above others.

I know I usually do a 'what happened in the last episode' spoiler section, but in this case it's been a little while since I saw it, and I don't think it would put you off anyway.

Title/Alternatives: Last Scandal/Last Scandal Of My Life
No. of episodes: 16
Love triangle? Yes

Main Characters

Hong Sun Hee - our main girl! She's 38; said to have been the most beautiful girl at school, but is now a married ahjumma with frizzy hair and big glasses (and a 14 year old daughter). She meets her first love, Jang Dong Chul, who is now an actor and a model using the name Song Jae Bin. She's loyal to her family and works as a housekeeper.

Song Jae Bin/Jang Dong Chul - 38/39 years old, extremely famous for being a model and an actor; pretending to be 32 for the sake of his career. He's horrified when he finds that Sun Hee doesn't look the way she used to, but as they spend more time together and become friends, he ends up falling in love again.

Jang Dong Hwa - Dong Chul's older brother and the President of Mirae Entertainment (management for Song Jae Bin). He has a son the same age as Sun Hee's daughter. He has a reputation for being demanding and stern, but is capable of being quite kind. He also falls for Sun Hee.

Lee Na Yoon - a very famous Korean actress who returns to the country close to the start of the series. She has links with both of the brothers and has returned to make trouble. Despite her role as The Other Woman, I found it really hard to hate her. She's annoying at times, but I kind of felt sorry for her. She's really pretty too, damn her.

Ahn Yoo Shik - Sun Hee's husband. A total bastard. The number of times I wanted to strangle him cannot be measured. He gets the family into a lot of financial trouble which leads Sun Hee to get entangled with Dong Chul. He is happy to save his own skin and leave others to fend for themselves. He comes with a bunch of in-laws who are likewise awful.

Plot: Sun Hee and Dong Chul meet by accident initially, neither knowing who the other is, and then get back in touch with each other by phone. They arrange to meet, but it ends up being a disaster when Dong Chul is clearly not happy with Sun Hee's appearance. Sun Hee and her daughter end up in dire straits because of Sun Hee's husband, so Sun Hee ends up working at Dong Chul's house as a live-in housekeeper. They end up spending more time together and become closer, but Sun Hee's husband continue to cause problems, as well as Lee Na Yoon.

Good stuff: There is SO MUCH good stuff. There are loads of funny moments in this drama; Dong Chul and Sun Hee's relationship is fantastic, not least because they knew each other earlier in life, which means they're already very familiar with each other's personalities. The kids are great. Dong Hwa is great. The romantic moments are plentiful and satisfying. Too much good stuff to properly catalogue it all!

Bad Stuff: I can barely think of anything. I would have ideally liked more of a comeuppance for Sun Hee's husband and her terrible in-laws, but I can live without it.

And, since I have got into the habit of completely spoiling the last episode, I present to you:

( ENORMOUS SPOILERS FOR THE FINAL EPISODE, DO NOT CROSS )

Recommend or not: Thoroughly recommend. When I first read a summary for this drama, I dismissed it, partly because I prefer younger characters (I know, I know, it's terrible), and partly because I thought it would be more serious. But actually, it's really funny, I loved the characters, and I could quite easily watch it all over again.

It's a relief to find a drama that was a hit after so many misses. I was beginning to doubt my judgement. And finally, an ending I was happy about!

Title/Alternatives: Powerful Opponents/Kangjeok Deul
No. of episodes: 16
Love triangle? Yes
Any sign of Gong Yoo: None whatsoever

Main Characters

Cha Young Jin - the only female in Bodyguard 101; does very well (it's later stated that she was top of her class) and is well-liked by colleagues. After graduating she goes to work for the 'Blue House' (presidential residence) security force with Gwan Pil. She's pretty tough but still kind. She has a family who tend to get into financial trouble and rely on her to help them.

Yoo Gwan Pil - Young Jin's classmate; he doesn't go easy on her because she's female (like the others do), and states that he doesn't think women can do the job. He has a previous association with the President and his family, which is revealed bit by bit later on. He later becomes romantically interested in Cha Young Jin.

Kang Su Ho - son of the President. Young Jin and Gwan Pil are assigned to be his bodyguards, a job that no-one else wants because Su Ho is out of control and bodyguards don't tend to last very long (because they get fired, not because they get killed). He hates Gwan Pil for reasons which are only explained later. He also becomes romantically interested in Young Jin.

There are lots of other supporting characters, including a girl who Su Ho's parents want him to marry (of course), but she doesn't appear too much except to be annoying from time to time.

Plot: Young Jin and Gwan Pil start off as rivals, constantly competing with each other during training. They're not happy to be assigned to work together, but eventually they learn to get along and trust each other. Su Ho is a challenge for them, and there's a lot of bad blood between him and Gwan Pil. The main plot surrounds their relationships with each other, and the boys' interest in Young Jin, but there's a lot of backstory stuff, and some bodyguard-related plots as well.

Good stuff: Gwan Pil is a really great character, because he starts out as a bit of a bastard, but he develops into a better person. I loved him by the end. The relationship between the three ends up being quite good, after a lot of the angsty issues are dealt with; Su Ho gets really annoyed when - on occasion - he gets different bodyguards. There are some really heart-breaking storylines that had me blubbering like a baby (this is a good thing because they were well-written and well-acted). ALSO we get a really cool scene where Young Jin gets to lose the boring bodyguard outfit and put on a slinky sexy dress (as a 'disguise'). I've watched that scene three times now.

Bad stuff: Not a huge amount, actually. I thought the backstory stuff was a bit dragged out, especially since I thought it was pretty obvious what was going on (but then I spend ridiculous amounts of time on my arse in front of the computer watching these things). I had a slight problem with the romantic side of things, which I shall explain below.

( SPOILERS FOR POWERFUL OPPONENTS FINAL EPISODE )

Recommend or not: I really enjoyed watching this series. I have two measures of how good a series is - a) after one episode finishes, how much do I want to play the next episode?; and b) how much do I want to tell my parents about it? (They really don't understand why I love K-dorama so much; talking to them about it is like talking to a duck about politics. So if I still really want to tell them about it, even if I know they'll just nod and ignore me, it's a good sign). I finished Powerful Opponents in two days and had to try hard to resist the urge to blurt out, "I'm watching a bodyguard drama, and it's awesome!" on many occasions. I probably would watch this again.

Okay, I need something a bit sappy now. And yet, for some reason, I'm downloading Partner...

I've given up on Partner already. It sounded interesting but the first episode just didn't pull me in enough. I've moved on to Last Scandal.

No. of episodes: 16
Love triangle? No
Does it have Gong Yoo in it? No

Main Characters
Seo Woo Jin - a young reporter with GBS News; she's young but has lots of potential and is really driven to report the truth. Although she makes quite a few mistakes, she has good instincts and is actually very good at her job. She meets Oh Tae Seok when he becomes the new captain, and he teaches her more about how to be a good journalist.

Oh Tae Seok - he's the new team leader (they call him Captain, or 'Cap' for short); he also has a history of doing whatever is necessary in order to report the truth, including once broadcasting material that incriminated his own father. He sees Woo Jin's potential and becomes her mentor, sort of.

There are also plenty of supporting characters that I could mention, but it would take too long and none of them are vital for you to know about.

Plot: Seo Woo Jin and Oh Tae Seok are brought together when Tae Seok arrives as the new captain with an aim to shape everybody up. The storyline follows the daily work of Woo Jin as a young journalist, but the drama comes from the fact that every so often she unearths something quite big, e.g. government corruption. Woo Jin learns lessons from Tae Seok, and he comes to respect her abilities. The romantic tension is there, but it's very subtle.

Good stuff: One of the things that really draws me in - to any series - is a heroine who already has some competence and experience in her field. A lot of series tend to go with a heroine who is new to a job or situation and has to learn everything from scratch; they tend to make mistakes and embarrass themselves frequently until they finally get a grip. In this series, Seo Woo Jin has already been a reporter for what seems to be at least a year. She's young, but she's competent. It's a thrill to see that she's already familiar with procedures and techniques; it's most obvious when she's attempting to impart lessons to her clueless intern. Other good stuff - Tae Seok (played by Ji Jin Hee) is HOT. I spent the first two episodes wanting to maul him viciously.

Bad stuff: I got a bit tired with some of the storylines at times, because I was mainly watching it for the interaction between Tae Seok and Woo Jin. Also: unfortunately, as with Perfect Neighbour, there's something fairly significant which may well put people off watching this dorama.

( SPOILERS, BEWARE )

Recommend or not: For the most part, I really enjoyed watching this series. But it's clear that it's primarily a drama, so if you're more interested in the romance side of things, I'd advise you to stay away. I'd watch it again purely to ogle Tae Seok.

Right. Now I need to find me a dorama that's mainly about romance, because I've clearly under-dosed recently.

No. of Episodes: 20
Love triangle? Yes
Does it have Gong Yoo in it? No

Main characters:-
Jung Yoon Hee - kind but feisty, speaks her mind, secretary to J-Construction's President until he collapsed mysteriously and went into hospital (where he's been comatose ever since); she becomes the secretary of the President's son when he arrives to take over. She bickers with Baek Soo Chan (see below) because she thinks (correctly) that he is a player and will break her sister's heart.

Baek Soo Chan - Professor of Horticulture at a university, tends to be seeing several women at the same time, has an interesting background as a gigolo. He's older than Yoon Hee and dislikes her because she tends to verbally abuse him.

Yoo Joon Suk - son of the President of J-Construction; as the stereotypical rich, handsome man from a wealthy family, he of course has had a cold and sterile upbringing, with parents who have arranged a marriage for him and expect him to be the dutiful son.

Go Hye Mi - the ubiqitous bitchy rich girl who is engaged to Joon Suk. As is evident from something that happens in the first couple of episodes, she will basically stop at nothing to get what she wants. She's determined to marry Joon Suk, and she'll keep applying that stupid shiny lip gloss until she does.

Plot: Yoon Hee and Baek Soo Chan are neighbours, but they don't really have much reason to socialise with each other until Yoon Hee realises that her older sister is infatuated with Soo Chan. She makes it clear that she doesn't like him and doesn't think much of him, and they spend quite a while bickering, but eventually become friends. After some time, Yoon Hee begins to fall for Joon Suk, and then triangle-ness ensues. Actually, I should say square-ness because Hye Mi is in love with Joon Suk and wants to get rid of Yoon Hee.

There are also a few side-plots involving other romantic pairings, plus affairs, secrets, and murder, but to talk about those would give away too much.

Good stuff: Lots of friendly comfortable touching between Yoon Hee and Soo Chan. Lots of slapping and punching. The actress who plays Yoon Hee can produce real tears at will, which the producers have clearly made good use of.

Bad stuff: Soo Chan is a bit older and it's difficult initially to get the idea that he's handsome, but he'll grow on you (probably); Joon Suk utilises only one facial expression for much of the time that he's on screen (but does occasionally smile). He also cannot cry convincingly. Generally his character is about as useful as a limp noodle (although he improves a little towards the end).

But most of all, the one bad thing that will likely put you off this dorama above everything else:

( BIG BAD SPOILERS UNDER HERE )

Recommend or not: Well, bearing in mind what I wrote under the spoiler cut, my inclination is to say 'no'. However, this dorama does have a lot of funny moments; the side characters are pretty likeable (apart from the ones you're supposed to hate), so there's a lot to enjoy. But don't start watching it with any expectations about what's going to happen, because that's what I did, and I regretted it.

I probably wouldn't watch this again, to be honest. The best episodes were around the middle of the series; I might re-watch them.

So there you go. I'm trying to review each dorama I watch, partly for other people's information, partly for my own (I have the cognitive skills of an amoeba, so chances are that I'll completely fail to remember why I liked or disliked a series).