The Moon that Embraces the Sun
air date: 1.4.2012 through 3.15.2012
number of eps: 20
I watched it: Increasingly horrified marathon

In a nutshell: Hated it. Hated it so much. Partially, I'm sure, because I'd been so excited for it. M/S came from the same novelist who wrote Sungkyunkwan Scandal (one of my favorite dramas), there'd been a lot of ( Read more... )

Fashion King
air date: 3.19.2012 through 5.22.2012
number of eps: 20
I watched it: Live! For the first time ever! And this is what I chose for the honor!

In a nutshell: Such a stylish, well-acted, beautifully shot... mess. Fashion King never quite settled on the story it was telling (is this a wacky comedy about a wiseass street kid conning his ( Read more... )

So Dramabeans has begun swinging into "Best Drama of the YEEEAAAAR!" mode and, as that site is my connection to all things K-Drama* (to an almost, "if it didn't happen on Dramabeans, it didn't happen" extent), I'm going to take a moment to lay down a few more ground rules to my own "drama of the year" project. And by "a few more" I actually mean " ( Read more... )

Answer Me 1997 (aka: Reply 1997)
air date: 7.24.2012 through 9.18.2012
number of eps: 16*
I watched it: An incredibly disciplined marathon that did not involve staying up all night even though I really, really wanted to!! (Kind of proud of myself for that.) Currently slow-watching with the husband.

In a nutshell: An explosion of nostalgia-laced ( Read more... )

The Equator Man
air date: 3.21.2012 through 5.24.2012
number of eps: 20
I watched it: ...a while ago? I know it wasn't live

In a nutshell: Bromance? You're soaking in it. The whole thrust of the drama is the relationship between Kim Seon-woo and Lee Jang-il, taking them from their meeting in high school, to crisis, to massive crisis, to even-more- ( Read more... )

Beloved
air date: 6.17.2012 through 8.16.2012
number of eps: 16
I watched it: really slooow and drawn-out marathon

In a nutshell: This was definitely a mood-watch. It felt longer than it was. (I was surprised to see the episode count when I looked it up. I'd have said 20 to 24 if asked to guess.) But then, I watched it pretty slowly -- this was ( Read more... )

Nice Guy (aka: Innocent Man, or Nice Guy Who Doesn't Exist in This World, or No Such Thing as Nice Guys)
air date: 9.12.2012 through 10.15.2012
number of eps: 20
I watched it: live!

In a nutshell: It's a story that starts off about vengeance then takes an interesting turn into redemption. It's about the difference between a toxic and co- ( Read more... )

Queen In-Hyun's Man (aka: Queen and I*)
air date: 4.18.2012 through 6.7.2012
number of eps: 16
I watched: marathoned into live (which nearly killed me), followed by a slow re-watch

In a nutshell: This was time-travel done right. But more than that, this was story done right. The characters were deeply drawn and expertly handled, the directing was ( Read more... )

Rooftop Prince
air date: 3.21.2012 through 5.24.2012
number of eps: 20
I watched it: a laid-back sort of marathon

In a nutshell: This started out as silly and as fun as the premise suggested: a Joseon-era crown-prince and his entourage (bodyguard, eunuch*, advisor) get worm-holed into the present day, landing in our heroine's rooftop apartment. ( ( Read more... )

Faith (aka: The Great Doctor)
air date: 8.13.2012 through 10.30.2012
number of eps: 24
I watched it: live to begin with, slowly -- so, so slowly at the end

In a nutshell: I weep for what could have been. Time-travel, mystic warriors, ancient kingdoms on the brink of destruction... this should have been all kinds of awesome. The expectations were ( Read more... )