Top Korean Dramas of 2010

2010 has lots to offer in terms of Korean dramas. Lightweights ones which made you laugh and squeal in delight, dramas that made you weep and some which made you think.

Here is my list of top 4 for the year 2010. Do note that I did not watch every Korean drama that was produced and obviously my preferences reflect my personal taste….

At first, I wanted to comment on three dramas only. However, I felt that this particular K-drama, Coffee House has earned special mention. In the first part of the series, it seems as if nothing much is going on. We get laughs here and there due to the eccentricities of the writer, Lee Jin Soo played by Kang Ji Hwan and the blind obedience of his secretary acted by T-ara’s Eunjung. Nevertheless, if you had stayed on, you would be amazed at how the story progresses which makes you root for the lead characters. The characters’ past is revealed and this leads to lots of drama between Park Si Yeon’s character, Seo Eun Young and Jin Soo. There were generally two groups of people rooting for the male lead to end up with either female lead. Personally, I was rooting for Eun Young and Jin Soo! Catch the drama to find up who ends up with who.

The third best drama in my opinion was Sungkyunkwan Scandal. I first watched it because I wanted to see how well Yoochun could act (I admit, I am a Dong Bang Shin Ki fan or Cassiopeia). But slowly but surely, I became more and more engrossed in the story of friendship, issues of gender equality and justice. To make things even more interesting, all 4 main characters, the Joseon F4 had vastly different personalities. We had the serious Seon Joon, determined Yoon Shik/Yoon Hee, the playful Yong Ha and the mysterious Jae Shin. Although the drama includes some political struggles, this does not make the drama too heavy. You are assured laughter and smiles for almost every episode. By the end of the drama, you should have fallen in love with at least one of the 3 male leads.

For 2010, my second favourite would be My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. Lee Seung Gi scores again in a character which is quite similar to the one in Shining Inheritance. In this series, he becomes more mature and learns to sacrifice for others. The myth of the gumiho also makes things interesting and now whenever it rains on a sunny day (fox rain), I will always think of this show.

If you haven't watched yet, be ready to be smitten by the cute Gumiho beautifully acted by actress Shim Min Ah. Her mannerisms and cute actions makes her very easy to love. You will end up hoping that her "innocent" and pure love for Woong (Seung Gi's character) will be successful in making him fall in love for her. The show also has a strong soundtrack in which both leads perform too.

Top of my list is Secret Garden. Initially, I was not hyped up about this drama. However, after watching the first episode, I was thoroughly hooked. Hyun Bin is in top form as a rich, stubborn jerk. Ha Ji Won is equally stunning in this show and shares great chemistry with Hyun Bin. When they look at one another, you really feel their emotions. The drama is also "poetic" to me as we get to see Hyun Bin's character, walking about the beautiful gardens at his home as we hear his monologues from books he has read. According to news reports, this has sparked an increase in the sales of the book "Alice in the Wonderland" which is one of the books he reads. As of end 2010, the show is still halfway through only. I am hoping that the show will end well and will not disappoint. If not, this drama may go down the list. Cross my fingers and hope!

Other dramas which I felt were watchable but not awesome include Oh My Lady starring Choi Siwon and Chae Rim. The two leads were engaging however whenever the focus was on the supporting characters I had to fast forward. As for Cinderella’s Sister, it was a little too dramatic and repetitive for me. It started off well but I lost interest after a few episodes. 

As with most Korean dramas the songs in the soundtrack usually remain in the minds of viewers even after it has ended. Besides the songs in the dramas above, other memorable soundtracks include “It Has to Be You” by Yesung from drama “Cinderella’s Sister”, “One More Time” by Kim Hyun Joong from drama “Mischievous Kiss” and “It Can’t Be” by Younha from drama Personal Taste.

Which dramas did you love most for the year 2010?

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