KDramaGuk’s Biased & Worst of 2013

Badasses & Bromances
A Year in Review

A Killer Year

This post was the monkey barracuda on my back. I actually did write half of it in 2013 November, if you can believe it, riding the kdrama high after coming back from an awesome vacay in Seoul. But the totally busy holidays pushed me off my productive rails. It still surprises me, so I can imagine it would surprise others, writing a blog even for leisure sucks away a lot of time. It’s enjoyable, but hard to find the precious life moments to do it. The real world always seems to get in the way of spending hours upon hours staring at a computer screen. But I remained determined to post my 2013 year end review, mostly because I didn’t do one in 2011, and whenever I see that gap in my index, it bugs the OCD hell out of me. Anyway, halfway into 2014, here it is, better laaaaate than never?

My time management issues aside, 2013 was a pretty fine year for me. I wouldn’t call it a year of drama gluttony, but definitely a year of being decently fed. I recall leaving the year quite satisfied and optimistic, having enjoyed unexpected flavors of dramas and actors and storylines that knocked some of my established fandoms askew, even created a few new ones. Any year that has a jaded fangirl like myself launching off into new directions is a pretty successful one. 

So, in sum, 2013 got punched, knifed, and shot, its top shelf survivors having been mostly a violent crew. I suppose it was great tv watching for myself personally because it just so happens that I totally love that ass-kicking stuff! Hyper skinny men kicked peoples asses (literally), awkward handsome dorks were recognized as swoon worthy by the masses, many drama heroes and heroines connected with their inner supernatural powers, and most all of the characters fell into some form of mismatched romance, especially bro on bro love stories. It was definitely a fun year for those of us who love the badasses and the bromances.

First Impressions: Let’s Eat

Let’s Eat
식샤를 합시다
(Nov 2013 – Mar 2014)

who’s in it
Lee SooKyung (My Country Calls, Soulmate)
Yoon DooJoon (All My Love, Iris 2)
Yoon SoHee (The Blade and the Petal)
Shim HyungTak (My Daughter SeoYoung, You’re Great, Really!)
Lee DoYun
Jang WonYoung (Miss Korea, King of Dramas)
Jung SooYoung (City Hall, Fantasy Couple)

what’s it about
Another trendy cable drama taking stab at capturing the lonely city doings of Seoul professionals. This show, however, actually does it well! Oopsie, already opining. Sorry, moving forward with the summary: the collected urbanites in TVN’s latest quirky-lonely-people drama are a bowl of mismatched ingredients, a bimbim of differently seasoned people, if you will, ranging from the quasi-happily married couple to an independent divorcee to the freewheeling singles. What do they all have in common? They work, play, and live in the same backyard, which really, is a pretty accurate depiction of anybody’s daily routine and foot travel.

Lee SooKyung is our titular character, she’s in her early thirties, divorced, and working at a law firm for a real jerk of a boss, a man who is an uptight, insecure, and emotionally abusive lawyer played by a handsome Shim HyungTak. You see, Lee SooKyung’s not discontent with her life, but she’s not exactly happy either. The indigestible lessons of living alone in a dog-eat-dog society has knocked and hammered her personality into an impenetrable fortress of solitude. Nowadays, she prefers to keep to herself because she doesn’t get hurt that way (well, she does still get bruised, but she always has on hand a few candy bars to mend the small daily hurts). She has learned that she can only depend on herself, her clever Pomeranian roomie Mr. Bara (named after Marxist revolutionary and counterculture icon Che Guevara), and of course, her favorite food blog ShikSha. This is the entirety of her world. And despite living in a building full of people, she wants nothing to do with her neighbors, doesn’t even know their names (ain’t that a truth!). She only wants to exist quietly and be left alone, and of course, eat alone—that is, until bubbly and naïve Yoon SoHee moves in next door and forces the reluctant Lee SooKyung to come out of her protective turtle shell.

Through the brazen disruption from her neighbors into the routine of her mundane life, 805 opens her heart and her dining schedule to the residents of 804 and 806, possibly saying good-bye to lonely dining forever, and maybe even opening herself up to a new love.

It appears this show’s priority, first and foremost, is about HD zoom and slow-mo glorification of Korean food, and the self-absorbed gluttonous notion that it is not shameful to devote one’s whole life energy to deciding the next glorious meal—that good food leads to all else, love, friends, happiness, to absolutely everything. Time doesn’t heal all wounds, food does! A happy stomach is a happy heart! How very Korean. And what a great message! Ha. I already love this show! In the most simple sum up, this one is basically about an attractive cast who create their own urban family. There’s blogging, eating, bickering, and just in case you think the show isn’t trying hard enough to keep your attention, there’s a bit of a murder mystery as well.

I mean, hell, talk about a show that speaks my language.