dramajunkie

Agreed. If you're halfway thru and still not enjoying a drama, it's unlikely that it's going to change. Save those precious hours for something your vested in. (I should take up my advise some day, lol).
And thank you jeanie! That is EXACTLY what we are here for. If everyone liked the same exact dramas, this site probably wouldn't exist and we would all be watching the same drama over and over with different actors.
Thanks for the encouragement, maybe I'll write a review when I'm in the mood.

I might have seen you post about him once or twice (or more) LOL. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll give it a go sometime. That's fine with me, I enjoy a good heavy drama just as much as a comedy.
Thanks!! It truly is. I see yours has changed, still hot though!

Sorry about that, I got a little carried away, LOL.
Thank you!! And MERRY CHRISTMAS to you too =)

In the end of 2010, another friend and I were talking and somehow ended up on the subject of Asian dramas. She was shocked that I even knew they existed, and couldn't believe I didn't really enjoy them. She said I was watching the wrong ones and recommended (*ehm* forced me to watch) Full House, another disappointment for me, but this was during winter break and Secret Garden was airing. I saw SG as the top drama on mysoju and decided to pick it up. I loved it so much, I watched all 18 released episodes in a few days and was hungry for more, so I discovered other dramas of better quality and started my k-drama addiction. The funny part is that I am now hopelessly addicted, while the 2 people who got me into dramas absolutely don't get it and don't even watch dramas anymore (and I just can't get them back...despite repeatedly trying). So thats my (very long) story

It's a very interesting story, my background with Asian Dramas. Me and my best friend were in the library studying for finals when we somehow got to talking about recent movies we've seen. A recent movie I had seen and thought was very cute (though a little weird) was the straight-to-DVD Its A Boy-Girl Thing. Its a Freaky-Friday-ish film where the girl and guy switch bodies and learn that the other's life is not exactly what it seems. Why that reminded my friend of ISWAK, I have no clue. But she told me it was about a genius and not-so-sharp girl who fall in love with each other because of a kiss, and being the geek that I am, I wanted to see this genius, lol. That was in 2009, and I watched a few other dramas, but nothing outstanding, so I lost interest and didn't watch anything in 2010.

With TGL, I had never seen City Hall nor Pasta, it was the first time for both leads for me, so I watched it through different lenses and ended up really enjoying it. I loved the metaphors and the acting, while going overboard at times, was very good, and I got a lot of laughs out of it.
But I definitely agree, your background (both with dramas and life) has a great impact on how you watch a drama.
And completely agree about Kim Sun Ah, she is a very talented actress. I especially liked her in Scent of A Woman.

Lol, ok so a 4 year difference (1990 baby here!). But I guess that explains why you have such great and mature taste in dramas.
I don't mind a slow drama as long as it tells a good story and it's good to experience different kinds of dramas.
That's sad to here about PYW, it's a waste when good actors stop doing projects (or do bad projects). Maybe 2012 will be his comeback year?

Yeah, the only j-drama I've completed was Zettai Kareshi and Ouran High School Host Club was my attempt at giving J-dramas another chance, but I found it so bad, I dropped it after 2 episodes :( But I completely trust your recommendation, so I will give them a final chance. Which of the ones you listed do you think will absolutely change my mind? Or the one you enjoyed the most?
Yeah! Well, everyone has their personal views on what the perfect drama entails, but maybe you can find an overlap that works?

Thanks for accepting my friend request =)
BTW: love your avatar. Never seen SJS in anything, but he is VERY pleasing to the eyes, lol

I honestly don't think it's worth another go. I wanted to drop it weeks ago, but talked myself into continuing. Big mistake! This was the worst drama of the year for me (seriously? 14 episodes in and were still dealing with the "who should I choose" love triangle). While I want to vent my anger in a review, it'll probably just be ignored and rated not helpful due to the big fanbase, so I'll just post this and put it behind me forever.

Wow, reading your description (and review) makes me want to go watch it ASAP, but it's a bit lengthy (36 episodes scares me a bit, though I'd be alright with it if it was airing now). I read the synopsis a while back and it really intrigued me, but I refrained from watching it due to the length. Seeing how it replaced TPM as your top drama, I might have to reconsider :).
I'm not really into Japanese dramas, the only two that I gave chances to disappointed me beyond repair, so never heard of Love Shuffle. Is it any Good?
Oh, Sailor Moon. Never seen it, but every time I hear the name, I think of Ha Ji Won in 100 Days With Mr. Arrogant. Do you still watch anime? Or mostly dramas now?
No your not! If you were 8 in 95, were only 3 years apart (I turned 5 in 95, lol, some math for you).
So How long have you been watching dramas? And how did you get into them?

OK, that's completely understandable :)

Thank you!!
I'm currently LOVING Padam Padam, and I'm only 3 episodes in (probably the fastest I've ever been addicted lol) and Me Too, Flower! is pretty good as well even though last week's episodes were a bit slow. Everything else is just ok. How are yours?
No, I've never watched any anime, do you?

That's what I loved so much about the ending. It was satisfying without the huge serving of fan service.
Endings can definitely be happy with a aura of sadness lurking over it, but those are the endings that are more realistic, although I like my sugar-coated endings when I'm in the mood as well.
LOL, no, you're not alone! Some people find it very strange, that knowing how a story ends defies the purpose of reading it, but for me its not about the ending, but the road that leads us there.

I think that's the best word to describe this drama, "bittersweet." It had an amazing ability to make you genuinely cry one minute and smile the next (though the crying dominated the smiling).
OMG, I cried too hard when the Prince Consort died, he and the Princess are probably my all-time favorite second leads, though I wish we could've seen what happened to the Princess (and the only thing she has left of the Prince Consort) years later as well.
I think the King's visit was a combination of both him wanting to ascertain his daughter is alive and calming the guilt that has apparently been eating at him all these years, but I think he also wanted to make sure that his favorite daughter is at least slightly happy/contented in the life he put her in.

LOL. I get it, your just not in the mood for it.
In the meantime, here are a couple of fan-made MV's (note: they contain major spoilers):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3f63ZKzck&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxE2Dj_OguU&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Thanks for accepting =) I agree, I watched TPM as it was airing and didn't expect the ending that it had, since it was supposed to be a Romeo and Juliette-like drama, but I loved the ending exactly how it was.
I used to prefer dramas with happy endings only, but I've come to appreciate those that don't have them, as long as it doesn't come out of nowhere. If your watching Scent of a Woman and you know it's about a woman that has cancer, then a sad ending is ok with me. If its a rom-com though, a sad ending just ruins the whole experience.
Haha, I watch the end of dramas (and read the last pages of novels) all the time to see if its worth all the hours I'll invest in them.

Thanks for the friend requet =) Ooh, you're from France, how nice. I've been there before!! (I have family that lives in Nice.)

That it was!! Lol

Yeah, don't get me wrong, there were quite a few awful dramas this year too, but overall it wasn't horrible. I agree, I didn't like that when I started watching too, but all I can say is that you must watch it, you will defefinitely not be disappointed and this couples love feels so real it touches your heart.