Classic kdrama level

[celebrianna]

9 hours ago, Lmangla said:

classic: winter sonata (2002)

 

the synopsis made no sense to me and so I had put off watching. finally, out of curiosity, I checked it out and understood why it was the drama that made people fall in love with kdramas. the plot, I repeat is ridiculous. hahahaha... you keep thinking "why am I watching this nonsense story that makes no sense" but you are enjoying yourself too much to stop. LOL.  the cinematography is really beautiful and if there is a soundtrack that makes you think of winter, this is it.

 

 

what would be your pick for classic dramas with nonsense plots but really addictive watch?

I admit that I’m kind of embarrassed to say that I watched Winter Sonata several times even though I thought it was outrageous in many ways. It was my first Kdrama. I didn’t even know Kdrama existed. I used to watch Japanese anime shows regularly and I saw the Winter Sonata anime and in the last scene of the last episode instead of a wedding with the animated characters they chose to end it with the two actors. I was so annoyed because I was wondering who are these people. Well, eventually I decided to look up this show since they crashed my beautiful anime ending  and I wanted to see the original. That’s how I discovered Korean drama shows. Also, when I saw Winter Sonata the show was already old and in a way it was quite a culture shock because I couldn’t understand why the female lead was allowing the oppa that she grew up with boss her around. A lot of things were outrageous to me in that show but I still nevertheless have a certain fondness for it.
 

As to Boys Over Flowers, once I heard that it was based on Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango, which I disliked in manga and anime form, I decided I most likely wouldn’t like Boys Over Flowers either.

[Nat_93]

Viki should use this pool to bring in more classic dramas! I really miss them since many don’t have subs in my language.

[celebrianna]

6 hours ago, Lmangla said:

you have watched a lot of dramas @yukiyukiku 

 

same here; I haven't watched many of the really famous dramas over the last few years. have yet to watch descendants of the sun and I will admit I cheated with secret garden. I watched half the series and the rest of the drama, I just finished by watching clips and MVs which had the whole story. LOL. not enough patience.

I forgot to mention that I’m middle school level.
 

Anyway, about Secret Garden, I kid you not when I say it took me five attempts before I managed to watch or finish this drama.  I tried to watched DoTS but alas, it’s just not my cup of tea either. 

[Takingthehighroad]

9 hours ago, Lmangla said:

LOL ... does being a master mean we are.... ajummahs?

Well, I've watched or re-watched all but 3 or 4 of them. So I guess I'm a old-jumma. Drats! I don't feel old though, until I look in the mirror & can't see what I look like.

 

My all time favorite is The Person I Love (2007) starring Han Da Gam & Hwang Jung Eum. I think that is the drama that aged me.

[yukiyukiku]

6 hours ago, Lmangla said:

you have watched a lot of dramas @yukiyukiku 

 

same here; I haven't watched many of the really famous dramas over the last few years. have yet to watch descendants of the sun and I will admit I cheated with secret garden. I watched half the series and the rest of the drama, I just finished by watching clips and MVs which had the whole story. LOL. not enough patience.

 

i just started early watching dramas 

my hobby since i was a kid because my family loves watching dramas

 

 me too dont have enough patience to endure watching the whole series except for the few

i just read recaps or watching just drama clips nowadays

[yukiyukiku]

25 minutes ago, Sejabin said:

I watch this drama too but I forget the title. It was mini series with Japanese actress and Won Bin oppa. I watch it because he is soooo handsome 

 

i think the title is Friends 

it was a good drama

[brooksmom]

My first kdrama was on Hulu when they used to show a lot of kdramas; then they dropped kdramas so I cancelled Hulu. My first drama was The Moon Embracing the Sun (2012). After that I was hooked. To me, it's a classic but it came out after your poll criteria. I love oldies but a lot of them are not being shown anymore. Or they're down as not available in your region. 

[Nat_93]

The moon that embraces the sun was my second Korean drama and first sageuk and it’s my favorite until today.

[Pam_Van Fossen]

3 hours ago, Takingthehighroad said:

Well, I've watched or re-watched all but 3 or 4 of them. So I guess I'm a old-jumma. Drats! I don't feel old though, until I look in the mirror & can't see what I look like.

 

My all time favorite is The Person I Love (2007) starring Han Da Gam & Hwang Jung Eum. I think that is the drama that aged me.

I guess I am also an ajummah.  I am at the master level.  I have watched so many dramas that are on the list and lots that are not on the list.  My favorite dramas are melodrama and I watch a lot of daily dramas.  Hwang Jung Eum is one of my favorite actresses.  I loved her in Secret Love and Endless Love along with many other dramas she played in.  When I get bored I will go back and re-watch a lot of the older dramas.  

[taeunfighting]

My first K-drama was Autumn in My Heart. Originally watched it with my mother. We both thought Song Seung Heon/Won Bin were so handsome and Song Hye Kyo was so pretty. Still are... Then, it was aired on the Chinese TV channel with Chinese subs so I relied on my mother to translate. I got the gist of the story, but definitely appreciated it more when I re-watched it later with English subs. 'Til this day, the story and soundtrack still resonates in my heart.

[slarti]

Even after reading the full list, I only reached 14 watched - and that included a couple I dropped. The problem with this poll is that it conflates "unwatched" with "unknown". I've HEARD of almost all the Dramas listed, and almost without exception the ones I didn't watch are ones you could not PAY me to watch. I loathe fantasy/supernatural elements, so many of the "classics" are repellent to me, an d the misogyny and chauvinism of older K Dramas ensures that most of the rest are also unwatchable, for me. Out of personal choice, not ignorance.

[000231846597]

11 hours ago, alleram95 said:

'd say that Jewel in the palace was probably the one who open my k-drama journey. I thought at first it was a Chinese drama, because of the palace settings and I watched it through local channel so it was dubbed into my country language. But later I knew that it was Korean drama. Even though the palace politics stuff was not interesting, the foods and later the medical knowledge was amazing. The detailed cooking process, the color coordination and the dedication when they cook the dishes for the king, the palace view are very memorable moments to me. 

  

4 hours ago, Nat_93 said:

The moon that embraces the sun was my second Korean drama and first sageuk and it’s my favorite until today.

 

My first sageuk was Da Jang-geum. The food part was really nice, and I enjoyed the cooking contest storyline there. But then there were too many episodes that I find it hard to finish [The drama format I was familiar with was only like 20-30 episodes; 70 is tough, especially if you want to binge watch]. I read the translated novel instead to save time [don't read it when you are hungry though.].

 

My second sageuk, the first I was able to finish, was Sungkyunkwan Scandal [the story was based on a novel written by Jung Eun-gwol. She also wrote the story of The Moon that Embraces the Sun and Hong Chun-gi]. I didn't know all the leads at the time; I watched it because a drama blogger strongly recommended it. It was a light comedy show with mini-drama format and that was the one that made me no longer shy away from sageuk.

[Lmangla]

Thanks everyone for participating!

Based on the poll votes so far, these are the classics that most have seen (100+ votes):

Autumn in my heart (2001)
Winter Sonata (2002)
Jewel in the palace (2003)
Stairway to heaven (2003)
Full house (2004)
My girl (2005)
My name is Kim Sam Soon (2005)
Goong (2006)
Coffee Prince 2007)
Boys over flowers (209)
You are beautiful (2009)
My girlfriend is a gumiho (2009)
Secret garden (2010)

[maribella]

I love 'Save the Last Dance', except for the two episode extension to whitewash the criminal... you know he did it to avenge his parents. The song is a favourite. I watch this and Baby's day out when I feel low and I have to avoid ice cream and chocolate.

 

No one mentioned Damo.  It broke my heart and I really liked it. Of course, there were some jingoistic moments but  it was so sad. Strangely enough, watching it when I am sad gets me out of the dumps.

All three main leads died, but heroically. It took me weeks to get over it the first time. Then rewatching, I enjoyed it.

[oktatwork]

@Lmangla Omona! I'm at the High School graduate level, maybe I could be on the Diploma or Masters if you include some of the morning and evening dailies, I'm on par with some ahjumma in Korea hahahaha (high five!)...my family used to hate me so much because I also would watch the documentaries on KBS and those sad morning dailies (strangely they like the evening revenge dailies)  . I watched how one of the actress grown so much from being in the documentary when she was a child and she become an actress, and make it as a career - proud of that sweet and kind young girl. 

Right now I'm only watching Find Me in Your Memory, @Lmangla I noticed you didn't vote All About Eve, it's a drama about broadcasting too, of course minus the complicated love story and office politics. I was reminiscing the past when I watched HJ trained by JH , it's like I was watching one of the scene from All About Eve again.

[Lmangla]

@oktatwork ~ somehow I never got around to watching all about eve even though it was on my list for ages... there are actually a lot of good dramas that were out there but with the list, we have to trim. but wanted to jot a few well known daily like I hate you but its fine. that was one of my favs especially as I watched with my mom. but yea, the fun side of watching daily and weekend dramas is that these smaller actors then go on to larger roles and all of a sudden become famous like ji chang wook. he was the wee baby brother in sons of sol pharmacy. it was so funny to see him all grown up and acting as romantic leads. you feel like the aunty you meet at a wedding who says "wait, you grew up?"

[obbor4]

My first drama (discovered while channel-surfing) was 'Which Star Are You From?', starring Jeong Ryeo-won. After that, I was hooked! The next one was Eugene's 'Really Really Like You' (aka 'Love Truly' co-starring Lee Minki.) That is the one that sunk the hook, back in late 2006. Running at the the same time was the classic daily drama 'Pure in Heart' (aka 'Pure 19') starring Goo Hye Sun. I've seen every drama starring both of these actresses and the rabbit hole has grown longer and with many, many divergent tunnels. I generally follow the careers of the the players that I like, and this introduces me to more and more, and they just keep on coming. Thanks to KBS broadcasting, in Los Angeles, for getting me stated!