2010’s Rewind|Dramas From 2011

Hello fam! I’m continuing our 2010’s Rewind for Real People Stuffs. I already covered 2010 [HERE]. Today we’re gonna cover 2011!~ Again, there are always some really big and popular dramas. However, I’m particular with the dramas I watch. Also, I’ve watched way too many dramas than I can really count. So I’ll just be covering the ones that I did watch, found memorable, and had an impact on me~

勇者ヨシヒコと魔王の城|The Hero Yoshihiko and the Demon King’s Castle (JP)

Synopsis (credit: d-addicts):

The story is set in an ancient time, when the whole country was covered in thick forests. A mysterious plague breaks out, resulting in countless deaths. A pure young man named Yoshihiko becomes chosen as a hero, and he sets out on a journey in order to save a village. He has two goals – to bring back the legendary plant that can cure the plague, and to rescue his father Teruhiko who left to find the plant but never returned.

I’ve talked about this series before!~ Right [HERE]. I think it was actually my first post for BAYOG. This is one of my most absolute favorite drama series ever. It’s so freakin’ hilarious. It’s also just fun since it’s basically a parody of Dragon Quest, and just JRPG’s in general.

The series is purposely a low-budget production. Which is actually what pulled me into the drama. I found it to be charming. This show is so random and hilarious. It’s just so silly and funny. Sometimes I have to do a double take to make sure I read the subtitles correctly. Yeah, they really did and said that lolol.

It’s just so extra. I also just love all the cameos and silly things. Like all the props are basically made from cardboard. You can see the strings on shit. Everything is basically filmed all in the same locations/sets. It’s just so much fun and enjoyable comedy. I definitely recommend it if you want something light-hearted with alot of laughs.

Also, I loved the opening and ending credits. Which I assume is where most of the budget went towards. I love the styling of the credits. The songs are really catchy too.

SPEC 翔|SPEC: LIFE (JP)

Synopsis (credit: d-addicts):

Set one year after the fight between detectives Saya Toma (Erika Toda), Takeru Sebumi (Ryo Kase) and Satoshi Chii (Yuu Shirota). More confrontations ensues between the detectives at the Unidentified Crimes Unit of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Takeru Sebumi (Ryo Kase) returns after taking a break due to his eye problems. Kenzo Ichiyanagi (Denden) is appointed section chief, while Kotaro Nonomura (Raita Ryu) is demoted. New member Shu Yoshikawa (Kazuki Kitamura) joins the team.

This was a special “episode” that continued from the Keizoku: SPEC drama series that I talked about in the 2010 post. Rather than episode, it was basically a whole TV movie. The goofiness and mystery continues.

家政婦のミタ|I’m Mita, Your Housekeeper (JP)

Synopsis (credit: d-addicts):

Mita Akari is a mysterious housekeeper who is completely unsociable. However, she is perfect in her housework and does whatever she is told, no matter how outlandish, as long as it doesn’t involve smiling or revealing her past. She’s been dispatched to the Asuda household where plenty of problems await, as the children have recently lost their mother and their father lacks confidence in his own role.

This was a mystery and family drama series. I remember being pretty anxious to know the answers to the mystery about Mita’s past. At a glance, it didn’t really seem like my thing. However, it was a really good story that had an interesting and real human aspect. I loved seeing the growth and development of the family members throughout the story. Mita is fascinating because she’s so mysterious. She does her job perfectly. She seems to know alot and does everything perfectly. However, she’s strange in that she’s so emotionless and speaks in monotone. She takes things literally if told it’s an order. It’s not just the mystery behind her past. It’s also how she ends up unraveling and changing the family. Not only that, they are slowly changing her as well. That’s what makes it so interesting. In 2013, it was adapted into a Korean version and called 수상한 가정부/The Suspicious Housekeeper. Random fact: Shiori, who played the eldest daughter, was also in Deadpool 2 as Yukio.

최고의 사랑|The Greatest Love (KR)

Synopsis (credit: d-addicts):

Ae Jung was once the most popular member of girl band The National Treasure Girls. However 10 years ago the band broke up and she received most of the blame. Despite her warm personality her career has suffered ever since and she now spends her time fighting for air time on variety shows. Dokko Jin is a top movie star at the height of his career. The two meet and become involved in each other’s careers. Yoon Pil Joo is a doctor of oriental medicine who has no interest in the entertainment industry but agrees to make a dating show. Dokko Jin helps get Ae Jung a role on a new reality show called Couple Making. Pil Joo is the bachelor being set up on Couple Making. Both men fall for Ae Jung both off and on the screen.

This was a rom-com, which is more my style… I especially loved rom-com dramas back then. However, I remember this didn’t seem like my kind of drama at first glance. It had older actors, and well…they’re not really my type of eye candy. Again, I was a big K-Pop fangirl and mostly watched dramas with actors who were in their teens to mid 20s. However, I gave it a shot. Also, Yoon Kye Sang was in it. He’s from the OG K-Pop idol group, g.o.d. Lee Hee Jin from Baby V.O.X was also in it as a supporting character. Like I said, I’ve been a fan of K-Pop since the old school days… Another reason was some other K-Pop cameos like: Brian Joo from Fly to the Sky (OLD SCHOOL K-POP WOOOO), Lee Seung Gi, Horan from Clazziquai, and Bae Seul Gi. Anyway, the drama ended up being so funny and sweet. This was the first series I saw Gong Hyo Jin in. I’ve been watching her other dramas ever since. The same thing with Cha Seung Won, who more recently appeared in [Hwayugi]. I loved how extra he was in this, but also how sweet he was to Hyo Jin’s character. Yoo In Na, whom I loved in [Goblin], was also in this series. As a fan of K-Pop and K-media, I also just found the series interesting in another aspect. That is the behind the scenes stuff, media play, and the things regarding rumors. It’s hella dramatized of course, but there are things that most certainly happen and affect people in real life. I’m pretty certain there have been a few similar cases for some celebrities in the industry.

スイッチガール!! |Switch Girl!! (JP)

Synopsis (credit: d-addicts):

Based on a manga with the same name created by Aida Natsumi, ‘Switch Girl!!’ revolves around a high school student named Nika (Nishiuchi) who appears to be a stylish and fashionable girl at school, but that’s really a fake persona that she uses when she’s in public. At home, she “switches off” the facade and her returns to her true slovenly nature. Kiriyama Renn plays the good-looking transfer student Arata, who is Nika’s love interest in the story.

I loved the manga. So you can imagine I was excited for the drama. I think Nishiuchi Mariya did a wonderful job at portraying both sides of Nika. I love when she’s being hella extra. What I love about the manga and drama is that I can kind of relate to it. I think it’s very true that everyone has different kind of personas depending on the situation/setting they’re in, or the people they’re with. I think we all have switch that puts us in that particular persona or mode. I suppose I can really relate to this when I’m in my work mode. When I’m working, I’ll be extra polite, hard-working, my aegyo/moe level increases, and I’m basically like a hella sweet cinnamon roll. I always wear some make-up while at work so I look brighter and livelier. However, on my day off when I’m not working…I’ll be in my PJs, playing games or watching dramas, and cussing shit left and right. I still have aegyo though, hehe~

드림하이|Dream High (KR)

Synopsis (credit: d-addicts):

Dream High tells the story of six students at Kirin Art High School who work to achieve their dreams of becoming music stars in the Korean music industry. Go Hye Mi is a student who had majored in classical music but has to give up her dream by entering Kirin Art High School to pay off her father’s debt. However, she needs to get two other students to also come to the school in order for her to enroll in the school conditionally. These two students are Song Sam Dong, who lives in the countryside, and Jin Guk, whom she accidentally meets while trying to escape from a loan shark. Yoon Baek Hee, formerly Hyemi’s sidekick, becomes her rival in school because Hye Mi betrays her during an audition to enter the school.

Again, I was a big K-Pop fan girl. This was like my prime fangirling era. To be honest…looking back at it now…this wasn’t the best drama. It’s not really in my top list. However, I loved how it was a big project between JYP and Bae Yong Joon. Like literally one of the key players and pioneers of K-Pop with one of the key players and pioneers of the Hallyu Wave. For you muggles, JYP is a singer and producer who is basically royalty in K-Pop. He also is well known for his works with international artists. Bruh, I only recently learned he worked on “I Believe I Can Fly” [5:07 mark]. The infamous “JYP!” whisper or yell LOLOL It’s his signature. Anyway, he also founded JYP Entertainment; Also known as one of the Big 3…now 4 (?) entertainment labels in Korea. They’ve created and house some of the biggest acts including: g.o.d, Rain, The Wonder Girls, 2PM, Miss A, Got7, Twice, and many others. Bae Yong Joon is an incredibly famous actor who was a big part of the Hallyu Wave, the sudden interest in Korean media, due to his role in Winter Sonata. Not only that, this drama involved alot of K-Pop artists. Even JYP and Bae Yong Joon appear in it.

It starred Taecyeon and Wooyoung from 2PM, Suzy from Miss A, Eunjung from T-ARA, and IU. It also starred actor Kim Soo Hyun, and had sooooo many K-Pop cameos. I initially watched it because I loved Taecyon and Wooyoung. I also loved IU, liked T-ARA, and had a growing interest in Miss A. This was Suzy’s debut acting gig too. I think it was also IU’s first acting gig as well. This drama basically helped prove their acting chops and led them to building very strong and stable acting careers. I loved them as singers, and I still enjoy their acting projects. Kim Soo Hyun also gained alot of popularity from this drama. Again, it wasn’t one of my top favorites though. It was like just an okay drama to kill time with for me. If I had to rate it…I’d put it in a B-tier for me. There are some hiccups in the production at times though. I wasn’t a fan of the ending either. However, I did like the cast. I liked the songs. It was also, again, another interesting look into the whole behind the scenes of the entertainment industry. While it wasn’t my favorite series, this was also another drama I had fun watching and discussing with my friends. This was another drama we’d basically watch together in the commons room on campus.

넌 내게 반했어|You’ve Fallen For Me/Heartstrings (KR)

Synopsis (credit: d-addicts):

Lee Shin is a university student majoring in modern music. He is also the vocalist and guitarist of the band “The Stupid.” Shin is known for his good looks and strong passion for music, but in reality he is cold, lacks interest in anything unrelated to music and has neither dreams nor plans for the future. He initially likes Jung Yoon Soo, a dance professor at university, but this all changes when he meets Lee Kyu Won.

Lee Kyu Won is a bright and outgoing student who was born into a prestigious family and is majoring in traditional Korean instruments, especially the gayageum. Kyu Won’s grandfather, Lee Dong Gun, is one of the top 3 traditional musicians of his age and his biggest wish is to see his granddaughter become a traditional music prodigy. Trying to live up to her grandfather’s expectations, Kyu Won immerses herself in training and becomes a university student who knows nothing outside of her studies. As her friends are fans of “The Stupid”, she was forced to go to the band’s concert with them. There she saw Lee Shin performing live, and is immediately captivated by him.

This is another one of my B tier dramas, although I really did like it. This one starred my girl crush, [Park Shin Hye]. It also starred Jung Yong Hwa and Kang Min Hyuk of CNBLUE. I loved Yong Hwa. Also, I was excited because Shin Hye and Yong Hwa previously starred in You’re Beautiful together. Although, Yong Hwa was the second lead. This drama was like, “YAY! MY SHIP IS SAILING!!!” Ironically, Yong Hwa’s character in this drama was similar to the main character in You’re Beautiful. This was a cute college rom-com though. I loved the music. Also, I’m just a big fan of eastern instruments and promotion of traditional cultural arts. So this kind of eastern instruments vs western instruments also drew me in. Overall, it was a really cute story with cute characters. I enjoyed it, and I always had fun fangirling over it with my friends. I think I even got my sister sucked into it when I re-watched it years later.

The reason why it’s in my B-tier and not A-tier, is because it’s just didn’t make that much of an impact on me. Like it’s cute and enjoyable, it just didn’t have a big impact for me. Also, I love Park Shin Hye. I do. Like I said, I have a major girl crush on her. She’s pretty and acts so well. I’ve literally just watched her grow up as she’s acted in different projects. She has a nice voice as well. However, she’s not the best singer. Like she sings well, but not at a level where I’d feel blown away. For me, I remember her more as an actress than a singer. I think it’s because sometimes her singing breaks my immersion in a series. In particular with this series, her character is supposed to be surprisingly good at singing. However, Park Shin Hye has a tendency to feel a little flat during her singing at times. I don’t mean any malice by it. What I mean is there will be a part of the song where you’d expect the vocalist to sing a strong and high note. Yet, Shin Hye just doesn’t do those notes. She has a soft, very soft and sweet voice. It’s not very dynamic. You can tell at times, that she’s trying to sing with more strength in her vocals. However, it still sounds soft and not quite it. She often sounds like she’s holding something back in her throat and voice…if that makes sense? Still love her and the drama though. So yeah, solid upper B-tier for me.

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