KS writes:
Can you suggest some dramas that are thought-provoking? As in, you get life nuggets from them; dramas that are not easy to watch but are interspersed with thoughtful life lessons?
One Warm Word
Dear kfangurl: Can you talk about your favorite & least favorite second leads?
So, full disclosure, this wasn’t submitted as an actual Dear kfangurl question. Rather, on my post on scene stealers, J3ffc left a comment which included this following paragraph:
“For CLOY, I would have pegged scenes stolen by second leads Seo Ji-hye and Kim Jung-hyun, but then it occurred to me that that might be a category unto itself – second leads that outshine the main leads. A discussion with the good and bad examples of second leads – ones we love and then ones that we hate – would be fun.”
..And I thought, why not?
So here I am, with a list of my favorite and least favorite second leads. I hope you guys enjoy. ❤️
Dear kfangurl: Are there dramas with sympathetic second female leads?
Sharbani writes:
Hi KFangurl
My observations have been (and this may be a generalisation based on the 80 or so K-dramas I have watched) that most male second leads are presented in a way that engenders sympathy. So, by the time the series have ended we are actually rooting for them to find love!! I know that there are exceptions but they are a rare breed in drama land.
In contrast, most female second leads are presented in a more negative light – possibly a throwover to the ‘vamps’ of earlier times!
I know going into the reasons for such portrayals needs a lot of study of human society and the status of women and have probably been the subject of a lot of research! But my question is simple – Are there any dramas that present the second female leads in a positive light?
Hope you are well and staying safe! Your blogs continue to be my first port of call before I pick a new drama to watch so thank you!
Dear kfangurl: What are some underrated gems that need more love?
MC writes:
Another idea for a Dear Fangurl post – would you want to do a list of shows that you love but are often passed over or neglected / underrated?
Cos every year there are so many new shiny shows but there are so many good ones that pass under the radar because of low ratings or are older etc.
This could be a love note or shoutout to them.
Are kdramas getting worse / “dumbed down”?
So recently, a couple of comments on the blog have combined to give me pause for thought.
And instead of just answering the latest question in the comments section, I thought it was interesting enough, and thought-provoking enough, to put it all in a new post, and see what you guys think.
Well ok, that, and the fact that as I chewed on my answer to the latest comment, I realized that there were just too many facets to the answer than I felt could fit reasonably into a simple comment.
Basically, the question is, have kdramas gotten worse / more “dumbed down” in recent years?
Let’s dive in together to take a look, shall we?
Dropped: Ho Goo’s Love
…And another one on my drama plate bites the dust.
I’m not in a dropping mood or anything, I swears. I promise that there are dramas that I’ve finished and liked, even. I just haven’t finished writing the reviews (they’ll come, honest!).
I really wanted to like Ho Goo’s love, and even stuck with it for 10 whole episodes, hoping that it would hook me properly at some point. 10 episodes into Show’s total of 16, though, I realized that this show simply wasn’t working for me.
Flash Review: The Reason I’m Getting Married [Drama Special]
I hafta admit that I was rather sad after watching Hong Jong Hyun’s and Yu Ra’s goodbye episode this week on We Got Married. *sniffle*
Partly coz they were just getting so cute together, before their virtual marriage came to an abrupt end. And also very much because I liked getting a fresh dose of Hong Jong Hyun on my screen every week.
Which is why I’m grateful to reader rock bottom, who recommended that I check out drama special, The Reason I’m Getting Married. I am so pleased that I took the time to check it out!
Not only did Show give me a nice dose of Hong Jong Hyun on my screen (so handsome!), it turned out to be a very solid drama short. One of the best I’ve seen yet; no lie.
Year In Review: 2014
If there’s one thing that everyone seems to be able to agree on, it’s that time is flying. Like, seriously. Where has 2014 gone?
I can hardly believe that 2015 is almost here, promising/threatening gifts of dramas chock-full of vampires, multiple personalities, and other psychological disorders goodies.
Before 2014 makes her exit, though, I wanted to come out and give credit where it’s due. Coz as much as so many of my friends in dramaland have been talking about a meh drama year, I feel like I had a pretty good drama year, actually.
I know. How did that happen, right?
More – and More! – Sunshine!
Wowza.
We received even more Sunshine love, you guys.
Admin A who hosts Top of the Kpops gifted us our 3rd nomination, while our dear friend Jaime, who hosts The Drama Noona gifted us our 4th.
On the one hand, we feel the lurve. We really, really do.
On the other hand, we can’t help but wonder if you guys just enjoy seeing us squirm as we try to answer your challenging questions, heh.
Whichever it is, we’ve got our game faces on, and are braving your questions with as much composure as we can muster.
Bring. It. On. Baby!
Review: One Warm Word
THE SHORT VERDICT:
This is that rare breed of melodrama that doesn’t lay on the angst for the sake of angst, or pain for the sake of pain, but instead approaches its chosen premise with thoughtful sensitivity.
Populated with characters and relationships that are drawn and delivered with care and complexity, One Warm Word manages to ask many thought-provoking questions and raise several important themes, all while remaining a genuinely rich and engaging watch.
There are some stretches which are angstier – and therefore harder to get through – but viewers who press through those times will be rewarded with a thought-provoking, ultimately warm watch.
Also, the show is a LOT prettier than the admittedly odd artistic sentiment expressed in its posters and OST covers. And I’m not even talking about the show’s very handsome men (yet).