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?
Youth Of May
2021 Year End Awards: POLL RESULTS!!
Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote on The Poll!
The results are in, and, as promised, I’m here to announce the winners – and also, tell you where my votes would have gone, if I’d voted.
Come see? 😃
Flash Review: Reincarnation Love [Mini Drama]
Shout-out to Cure or fire, who was the one who let me know that Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si were reuniting for this tiny little mini drama. Before that, I’d had no idea that Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si were reuniting for anything at all, so this was a welcome bonus.
Sure, fans of Youth Of May who were waiting for this reunion with bated breath, are now crying foul, because instead of a drama special of some sort, of an hour or more, it’s turned out to be an itty-bitty 6-minute beer commercial. Ha. I can see why that would feel deflating. 😝
Honestly, though, I kinda love it, for what it is. 😁
Psst! Link to watch is at the end of the post!
Year In Review: 2021
Where has 2021 gone, seriously? This was a strange year, in that it felt like time was passing really fast, but it also felt like we were stuck and frozen in time – or is that just me? 😅
I think it’s safe to say that it’s been a tough year for us all. For hanging in there; for continuing to put one foot in front of the other; for continuing to look for and appreciate the good in your world: You’ve done well, my friends. ❤️
Even though things in Dramaland have continued to evolve, there’s one thing that remains constant, and that is, our dramas are always there for us, ready to whisk us away into another world, at least for a little while; ready to introduce us to new friends, as we meet new characters; ready to offer us vicarious experiences, even if we’re in the thick of a lockdown and can’t leave our homes.
Just like it was last year, dramas helped to make life a little brighter and sweeter for me, and I hope they’ve done the same for you too. ❤️
Patreon Year End Awards: Martina’s Year In Dramas!
In case you missed it, we’re doing something special and different to end off the drama year this year! Guests posts, by patrons on Patreon!
You can read more details, and check out Shahz’s inaugural post, here. You can also find JJ‘s post here, Trent’s post here, and Sean’s post here!
After today’s post, there will be two more guest posts by mystery guest writers, whose identities will be revealed when their various posts go live. And then we’ll cap everything off with a poll, where you’ll be able to pick YOUR favorites for the year, from among the gems identified in these posts. How exciting! 🤩
Today’s post is brought to you by Martina, who is a psychologist by training, and is based in Italy. As a result, some of her insights are extra informed, like when it comes to how characters behave, and also, whether Song Joong Ki‘s spoken Italian in Vincenzo, is up to scratch. 😁
Speaking of Song Joong Ki, he happens to have been the first k-male lead to have stolen Martina’s heart, so I thought this screenshot was quite a perfect accompaniment to this post, heh.
I hope you guys enjoy!
~ KFG ❤️
Patreon Year End Awards: Trent’s Year In Dramas!
In case you missed it, we’re doing something special and different to end off the drama year this year! Guests posts, by patrons on Patreon!
You can read more details, and check out Shahz’s inaugural post, here, and JJ‘s post here!
After today’s post, there will be three more guest posts by mystery guest writers, whose identities will be revealed when their various posts go live. And then we’ll cap everything off with a poll, where you’ll be able to pick YOUR favorites for the year, from among the gems identified in these posts. How exciting! 🤩
..But, wait! Didn’t I already say, last time, that there would be three more..? Heh. Very sharp spotting there! Basically, one more mystery guest writer has volunteered to share their picks for 2021, woot! 🥳
Today’s post is brought to you by Trent, who manages to watch way more drama than I do! While I don’t think that Trent’s taste in dramas is identical to mine, we’ve had similar reactions to so many shows (most recently, Dali and the Cocky Prince 😉), that I tend to take a little extra notice when he recommends a show, coz the chances are pretty good, that I might like it too.
Trent’s got soo many nominees in all the various categories today, that I thought this image, of a sea of awards, fit this post quite perfectly.. I imagine that if Trent could, he’d give out many more awards than he’s given out today, heh. 😁 Thanks lots, Trent, for sharing your drama year with us!!
You might also like to check out Trent’s blog, where he writes more drama thoughts!
I hope you guys enjoy!
~ KFG ❤️
Patreon Year End Awards: Shahz’s Year In Dramas!
Tis the season for talking about our drama years, and this year, well, we’ve got an unexpected bonus for everyone!
Basically, over on the Drama Exchange on Patreon, I saw that Shahz had floated a cool idea to the community: that everyone come up with their own year-end lists, to complement my annual Year-In-Review post (which will still publish as usual, in case you were wondering!). She even came up with a bunch of categories for everyone to work with, and everybody was pretty buzzed about it.
Some days later, it suddenly occurred to me one morning, that it might be fun to invite those who are keen, to turn their year-end lists into guest posts here on the blog. I asked the community, and got lots of positive responses! Those who couldn’t commit to writing a post, were enthusiastically supportive anyway, and basically, that’s why we’re here today.
This kick-off post is by Shahz, who volunteered to go first (yay Shahz!). Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be seeing 5 more posts (yay!) by mystery guest writers from the Patreon community – whose identities will be revealed when their posts go live. Thanks for doing this, you guys! 😘
Thanks to another brilliant idea by Shahz, we’ll cap everything off with a poll (which I will announce after everyone’s guest posts have gone live), to see which dramas you guys as a community give your stamp of approval to this year!
I hope you all enjoy!!! ❤️
Dear kfangurl: Is my love for kdrama frivolous?
Lali writes:
Dear KFG
Greetings! Hope you’re doing okay in these uncertain times. Recently, I was asked by a friend why people are watching a lot of kdrama these days and I found myself groping for a good answer. I couldn’t really gush with goggly eyes as I would before a fellow kdrama enthusiast.
There’s the matter of availability and good looking actors, but that didn’t really feel to be at the heart of it. I also felt angry at myself for feeling apologetic about my drama choices (the person’s what you’d call a “serious” type and I didn’t want to be an object of his condescension).
Does this mean I subconsciously subscribe to the notion of kdramas somehow not being up to the mark? I have been agonising about this for a while now. I want to be able to watch what I like without feeling guilty or hesitant to acknowledge my love for it to the world.
And I could think of nobody better than you to provide a thoughtful answer to my predicament. The next time I come across this question, I’d like to bank on your eloquence and insights, please!
Dear kfangurl: What are some dramas where we can learn about Korean culture &/or history?
enapeters writes:
Hi, kfangurl, thanks for your amazing and detailed drama reviews.
I’m currently watching Mr. Sunshine, and although I’m not loving the OTP, I have enjoyed learning about the time period in Korean history when the show is set. I’ve learned so much about Korean, Japanese, and U.S. relations at the time, and it’s fascinating!
Similarly, when I watched Crash Landing on You, I loved seeing the different perspective of North Korea so much that I started getting really emotional thinking about the separation between North and South Korea.
I was wondering, what dramas have you seen or recommend where you felt like you were getting a new or better understanding of history or culture?
Review: Youth Of May
THE SHORT VERDICT:
Set against the Gwangju Uprising of May 1980, our story is primed not to be an easy one, from the outset. However, Show does a fantastic job of bringing its story to life via our characters, their experiences, and their relationships.
I felt invested almost immediately, particularly in our OTP lead characters and their burgeoning connection, thanks to the thoughtful, tight writing, and also, the wonderful performances by Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si, who are likable, sympathetic and so naturally easy to root for, both separately and together.
Although the OTP was my personal highlight, I also wanted to mention that our entire cast is strong, to the extent that the arcs of some more minor characters managed to be surprisingly affecting, even.
A rollercoaster of emotions that’s not easy by any means, but that’s completely worthwhile.