Dorama Recs 3.0
2012-05-28 12:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rodo1. Heartstrings. This is a drama about the people who produce the anniversary performance of their university, which focuses on dance, music and acting. At the heart of this production are Lee Gyu Won, who majors in traditional music and eventually falls for guitarist Lee Shin, and her troubles. First, there is the strict grandfather who dislikes modern music, second there are her own insecurities and third, her rival Han Hee Joo. Everyone has their own little personal drama too: Han Hee Joo looks anorexic for a reason, the producer Kim Suk Hyun has to get along with his old flame, dance professor Jung Yoon Soo, Gi Young suffers from stage-fright and Lee Shin has a one-sided crush on professor Jung. I really like that this show is more ensemble than most doramas.
2. The Princess’ Man is the story of two star-crossed lovers. Grand Prince Suyang plots to dethrone his young nephew and become king himself, while Kim Jong Seo is loyal to the king and tries to stop him. He does not succeed and the conflict between the two parties becomes increasingly desperate and violent. Against this back-drop, Suyang’s daughter Se Ryeong meets Kim Jong Seo’s son Seung Yu, in the disguise of her cousin, the princess. The two fall in love, not knowing they stand on different sides in a conflict that will soon change their lives forever. I heartily recommend this because all the characters develop in very believable ways, although my favourite is probably Princess Gyeong Hye, along with the main couple. And, of course, it is a heart-wrenching romance and a drama to rival Shakespeare.
3. Rooftop Prince is about a Joseon prince whose wife is found murdered and who is mysteriously transported into the future, where he meets the reincarnation of his wife and a woman named Park Ha. Determined to go back in time again, he and his three side-kicks try to woo the princess while Park Ha starts to wish they could stay with her forever. This drama is really cute and funny, especially in the beginning, when the prince and his friends hadn’t yet figured out how to cope with modern technology. Of course, the crown princess isn’t who she seemed to be, while Park Ha is at the centre of events. The time travel plot also makes for an interesting spin on a conventional romance, as the characters are bound to go back to their own time.
4. Skip Beat. The live-action version. I never finished reading the manga, but from what I do remember, this is a lovely adaptation. It helps that the pink overalls are so much more… effective in colour than in black and white. The actors are well cast. Gong Xi is swinging back and forth between adorable and scary effortlessly and Dun He Lian is cool and cold and vulnerable at just the right moments. If you liked the manga, you should definitely give this one a shot!
5. Tree With Deep Roots tells the story of the Korean alphabet. Okay, this might sound boring, but I promise it’s not. For one, the Korean alphabet rocks. Seriously. For another, the whole thing is a historical thriller, with two masterminds – an emperor and his nemesis – pitted against one another. The other main characters are a would-be assassin and his childhood sweetheart who is now mute due to the traumatic event that tore them apart, and both have very different views of the emperor’s goal of creating a Korean script, as do the scholars, bureaucrats and simple people.
For those of you who decide to watch both Tree With Deep Roots and The Princess’ Man, keep an eye out for some of the supporting characters. You will find out what happens to the bright young scholars from one series in the next, since the three kings in TPM are the sons and grandson of the king in TWDR.
2. The Princess’ Man is the story of two star-crossed lovers. Grand Prince Suyang plots to dethrone his young nephew and become king himself, while Kim Jong Seo is loyal to the king and tries to stop him. He does not succeed and the conflict between the two parties becomes increasingly desperate and violent. Against this back-drop, Suyang’s daughter Se Ryeong meets Kim Jong Seo’s son Seung Yu, in the disguise of her cousin, the princess. The two fall in love, not knowing they stand on different sides in a conflict that will soon change their lives forever. I heartily recommend this because all the characters develop in very believable ways, although my favourite is probably Princess Gyeong Hye, along with the main couple. And, of course, it is a heart-wrenching romance and a drama to rival Shakespeare.
3. Rooftop Prince is about a Joseon prince whose wife is found murdered and who is mysteriously transported into the future, where he meets the reincarnation of his wife and a woman named Park Ha. Determined to go back in time again, he and his three side-kicks try to woo the princess while Park Ha starts to wish they could stay with her forever. This drama is really cute and funny, especially in the beginning, when the prince and his friends hadn’t yet figured out how to cope with modern technology. Of course, the crown princess isn’t who she seemed to be, while Park Ha is at the centre of events. The time travel plot also makes for an interesting spin on a conventional romance, as the characters are bound to go back to their own time.
4. Skip Beat. The live-action version. I never finished reading the manga, but from what I do remember, this is a lovely adaptation. It helps that the pink overalls are so much more… effective in colour than in black and white. The actors are well cast. Gong Xi is swinging back and forth between adorable and scary effortlessly and Dun He Lian is cool and cold and vulnerable at just the right moments. If you liked the manga, you should definitely give this one a shot!
5. Tree With Deep Roots tells the story of the Korean alphabet. Okay, this might sound boring, but I promise it’s not. For one, the Korean alphabet rocks. Seriously. For another, the whole thing is a historical thriller, with two masterminds – an emperor and his nemesis – pitted against one another. The other main characters are a would-be assassin and his childhood sweetheart who is now mute due to the traumatic event that tore them apart, and both have very different views of the emperor’s goal of creating a Korean script, as do the scholars, bureaucrats and simple people.
For those of you who decide to watch both Tree With Deep Roots and The Princess’ Man, keep an eye out for some of the supporting characters. You will find out what happens to the bright young scholars from one series in the next, since the three kings in TPM are the sons and grandson of the king in TWDR.
