Orange Marmalade:
Why I started watching: Simply - I loved this webcomic. I don't read a lot of them, but once I started Orange Marmalade, I raced right through it. The premise was interesting enough and the characters were quiet and well-developed. There's a very real examination of people and the bias we bring into our relationships. Not to mention, this story has a lot of the power of friendship, which I really love as a secondary plot.
Why I stopped watching: I love when a remake adds its own twist to a story, but Orange Marmalade slashed the original story to pieces. The original story arc is reduced to a pretty simple montage in the first quarter of the show. Then there is this very odd flashback situation, where our characters are other characters 300 years earlier. And that's when I stopped being interested. I have no doubt that this show could be decent for someone who doesn't know the original, but I just lost all interest when it strayed so far from the present day plot. All in all, I don't think I got halfway through this show.
High Society:
Oh My Ghostess!
Why I started watching: After reading some positive reviews, I decided to give this show a chance. It started a little slow, but it ended up being totally hilarious. I can't think of another drama I thought was this flat out funny. Park Bo Young does a great job with her possessed character. She has a great energy and commitment to her character. It's a good bit of fun. Also, the romance has some good strong sparks.
Why I stopped watching: Honestly, I got pretty far along in this show, about 12 episodes out of 16. My main issue with this show is that Soon Ae and Bong Sun don't have an even enough amount of time in Bong Sun's body. By the time Soon Ae steps out of the picture, Bong Sun has barely gotten a chance to develop her relationship at all. Poor chef has this long growing relationship, but it's not really with the girl he loves (or is it? Confusing.). I didn't really want to keep watching once we got to the point when it was time to tell the truth. I don't think their relationship was really strong enough to stand it. Also, I was curious about what happened to Soon Ae, but Chef's brother-in-law basically had a neon sign above him that said "I'm EVIL." I wasn't crazy about the lack of subtlety.
Essentially, the show has a really funny strong main character, but our romance isn't really between the right characters.
So:
I haven't really watched a great drama in a while, one I wanted to finish. This leaves me falling back on old favorites - re-watched Shut Up Flower Boy Band - and on some American shows - I've been marathoning my way through Pretty Little Liars. It's not quite filling my drama needs! If you guys have any old or new favorites that are tried and true, please let me know! I could use a good recommendation (preferably one under 20 eps, 16 is better).
Again, sorry for the radio silence. I hope to have some new review for you guys soon. Thanks for reading! <3
I would recommend Twenty Again that's airing now on the weekends. 6 episodes are out and it's excellent so far! The actors are 100% committed to their roles.
ReplyDeleteElena, thanks for the suggestion! I've heard good things about that show, might have to check it out :)
DeleteAlso, in the old "tried and true" category, have you watched Padam Padam? One of my favorite dramas ever.
DeleteI have not! But looking at the synopses and reviews definitely puts this on my to-watch list! Thank you for the recommendations <3
DeleteOh My Ghostess!
ReplyDeleteDrama Queen, with your review with Oh My Ghostess! you reminded me of Bella in Pitch Perfect. She never watched the ending of the story. She predicts it so she never appreciate a movie.
UGLY/BEAUTIFUL
LIGHT/DARK
I would suggest that you finish watching it so you'll have a better review regarding this.
I hope that you'll be back..
That drama queen with a precise review.. :)
Thank you...
Hey,
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to read how you haven't seen any good shows lately, because I'm in the same kind of phase too! I'm still looking for THE show/anime/movie that would give me thrills like it used to not long ago. I haven't have any luck with my picks lately, Everything I watch seems just average to me (it may just be a reflexion of my current mood though, and not really the quality of the shows in question...)
Anyway, I don't know if you have seen it yet, but I highly recommend Hotaru no Hikari, which is just a great romance/comedy drama. I can't imagine anyone not liking it. I laugh so hard everytime I watch it, it's a real treat.
Also, you should watch Pride, which is, in my opinion, an excellent romance/drama show (and what a good soundtrack). Long vacation was pretty good as well (yes, I do like Kimura Takuya
I can also recommend some anime series if you'd like, but I have a feeling you would already had seen most of them :)
Lhin
Thanks for the rec! Hotaru sounds like a mix between last Cinderella, which I liked a lot, and just you, which is obviously my favorite.
DeleteJust curious - where do you watch your jdramas? My usual spots' video players are driving me crazy. So I end up defaulting back to Korean and Chinese dramas I can get legally through Netflix or Hulu because the players are so much better.
I'll post if I find something good to hopefully get us both out of a funk!
You're right, Hotaru has indeed some elements of these two shows, but the heroine is a mess only at home (unlike Last Cinderella's lead, but they're just as immature in love and fun to watch). Plus the male lead is played by the same actor (with a very different style). It is one of my favorite jdrama.
DeleteAs for your question, I usually download all the dramas I watch, because I just can't stand streaming (my experience proved it to be unreliable most of the time, and the quality can vary a lot). I have 2 main sources to find dramas and anime series (one of which proposes only files with French hardsub, so I don't think you'll be interested - unless you speak French?)
The other one proposes only english sub. Do you want the link to the website? (you will find both seasons of Hotaru there, as well as the movie)
By the way, I just migh have got out of the loop of sorry picks!
I've just finished watching Asuko March (a school comedy/romance), and I was pleasantly surprised. I had a very nice time all along; both sweet and funny, although more realistic than the genre usually is. I liked how all the characters were interesting and likable (without being too stereotyped, which was my main concern when I started).
And I'm now halfway through Buzzer Beat, and I am really enjoying it as well.
Thanks! I've actually watched Asuko March. It was way before I started blogging, so I didn't remember enough about it to write a good post when I did start blogging. I remember liking the lead actress a lot and getting warm fuzzy feelings :) As for Buzzer Beat, I don't usually go for sports-related dramas. I'm not sure if that's on purpose or I just haven't really found one I liked.
DeleteSports-related dramas are usually not the ones I like the most either but Buzzer Beat -and Pride- have the good mix of action and romance (with a greater focus on romance actually) and that's what I appreciated. They are both very good shows, you should definitely give them a try! (fyi, the general tone of Buzzer Beat is a little lighter than Pride, which seems to be oriented towards a more mature audience). Then you'll know if the genre really isn't for you or not :)
DeleteThe link: http://chauthanh.info/drama/view/hotaru-no-hikari-2-[jdrama].html
I owe you so much! If it weren't for your lovely blog I would never have discovered Shut Up Flower Boy Band which is now one of my all time favourite series (of any kind). I hope your slump ends soon! Here are a few series I've enjoyed recently that, I hope, can help with your dry-spell: (all of these are on DramaFever)
ReplyDeleteCheer Up: It's a cheerful, smiley drama that tackles some pretty heavy topics. A feel-good story about the conquering powers of love, friendship and forgiveness set to the brisk pace of a twelve episode series. Please don't let the concept (cheerleaders) deter you, this drama is about its characters, there's very little focus on the sport itself and what there is really feels like a vehicle for plot development/character relationships. Warm fuzzies abound with an adorable and endearing cast, even if it's a somewhat dark interpretation of the high school experience. Warning: will make you cry, but in a good way.
Bride of the Century: I've read some dismissive reviews but I can honestly say that aside from a couple kdrama cliches this story felt pretty original (especially with the supernatural element in it) with characters that really grow on you. Lee Hong Gi and Yang Jin-sung are both legitimately adorable human beings and the protagonist, Na Doo-Rim, is never hard to love.
Hi! School Love On: Yes, two of the main characters are played by kpop idols but they do a decent job and the story is charming and light. A fallen angel and one of the nicest boys on earth fall in love while she tries to find her way back to the heavens. One of its most attractive features is the closeness developed among the circle of friends Seul bi slowly draws in around herself. It's twenty eps so around 14-17 feels kinda draggy (and there's a touch of *shudder* amnesia but it only lasts for less than one episode and is caused by something supernatural rather than a bop-on-the-head) but if you power through those this drama is guaranteed to leave a sweet, light taste. Perfect for bingeing on grey or rainy days.
Sorry if any of these were redundant with other suggestions! I didn't see them around but I also didn't check every comment. And I hope they help you find something you enjoy! You've certainly helped me do that more than once. :)
Thanks for writing!!! Ah! I love Shut Up Flower Boy Band so much!! It never every steers me wrong. I could watch that forever. Which is why it's probably not going to shock you that I am totally in love with Infinite (L is my life) and so I actually started Hi School Love On! The main actress is actually great. I sort of fizzled out of it when I started watching Mischievous Kiss Season 2 and it grabbed me. I really may go back and finish it at some point. I liked the concept a lot! (And hello my Infinite boys!) And the amnesia wasn't too bad! I was a bit worried about the age difference between our love leads. She's younger than you'd think for the talent :)
DeleteI must say, I am super intrigued by Bride of the Century, it sounds light and cute like I am looking for right now! And I am not one to be put off by cliches. I live and breathe cliche dramas. If the cute makes up for it, give me cliche!! May have to give it a try :D
Thank you again for all the suggestions. Fighting!!
I almost dropped Oh My Ghostess for the same reason that you had. I fought hard with myself though because I had already gone too far to just drop it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got midway through OMG, I had my doubts that they would be able to resolve the the two personality issue in a way that would feel like good storytelling, rather than just hand waving to get to a happy ending. While I wouldn't say they managed it to be completely satisfactory, I think they did actually manage to give the real Bong Su enough of a personality in the last few episodes, that it didn't feel too contrived. although everyone else liked the vivacious ghost more, I think they did a reasonable job of showing that Chef was not quite comfortable with her – he is a repressed introvert himself. Also, they made a point of having flashbacks to the times he was with the real woman and enjoying himself (and reminded us that he felt kinship anonymously with her through her blog). I thought the final episode did an excellent job of providing non-depressing closure for the ghost story.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think they did a good job of him processing the whole ghost possession/being lied to thing. It takes a couple of episodes, rather than just instant happiness.
Delete