Upcoming dramas 2015 – Winter (Part.1)

New year means new dramas. Here’s the first part of my selection of few dramas expected within this year. I naturally feel different for every of them and my degree of excitement is as different. My personal level of anticipation indicated below is supposed will give you an idea of how impatient I am…or not.  

Hyde, Jekyll, Me

Don’t ask me how I felt when I just (really just) read: Hyun Bin chooses his next TV project! Ok asked me: I screamed silently for a couple of minutes! I didn’t want to disturb my colleagues at work. I’m a respectful person yes. Finally, finally. After a four years hiatus, Binnie is back to dramaland. I reasonably took few seconds to calm down before reading what Hyde, Jekyll, Me (previously called Jekyll and I, previously called something else or maybe it’s always been Hyde, Jekyll, Me?) was all about: A chaebol with two diametrically opposed personalities (one is the nicest person on earth while the other is of course the worst) own an amusement park. Han Ji-min his love interest, will play the lead of a circus troupe at that amusement park that the hero wants to get rid of. She’ll fight to keep the circus alive and will fall in love with the two Binnie’s in the process. I have absolutely no idea of how the drama is going to romance that love triangle but it better come with something credible. No matter how strong I waited for Hyun Bin, I’m not ready to take any crazy scenario out there. It’s the kind of ‘It can be everything and anything at the same time’ that can give sweat cold but that didn’t even ruined my excitement by a inch especially when the drama added Sung Joon to the equation.

To speak frankly I have a problem with him playing a second lead again. That cute, talented little thing deserves a lead (ok he was the lead in Can We Get Married on jTCB but we want more!). He will certainly rock his role and will be definitely credible as Hyun Bin’s opposite (because he’ll fight for Han Ji-min’s love…or not? Told you with ‘It can be everything and anything at the same time’ kind of scenario nothing’s sure bet. And that’s probably for the best.) But here we are, few days before the premiere. It’s going to be time to found out if Hyde, Jekyll, Me will be a winning comeback for Hyun Bin and a crazy but enjoyable ride at the same time. You better be good drama. I’m not greedy: I want two sexy Binnies, some fun and originality!

 

Level Of Excitement: 9/10 (Binniiiiiiiee….Sung Joon is not far.) 
Schedule: 21 January on SBS.  

Kill Me, Heal Me

I haven’t had the chance (the time?) to give Secret a try so I don’t really know about Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-eum’s on-screen chemistry. But I can imagine, regarding the high level of melo and tension in Secret and the success the drama had, that those two can make you believe they’re in love. They’re solid and capable actors so I’m relieve Kill Me, Heal Me finally managed to secure these two. I had to say that I wasn’t really into this drama since recently. I was like where’s the originality guys? I read an almost identical synopsis few days before for Hyun Bin’s new drama, Hyde, Jekyll, Me. Even if the context is different we’re dealing with the same subject: A first-year psychiatry resident (played by Hwang Jung-eum) will help our chaebol hero who suffers from multiple personality disorder from a childhood trauma, to find missing fragments of his childhood and eventually get better. Yeah apparently personality disorder is a chaebol thing. 

Having two dramas scheduled to air practically on the same time with the same topic? Not the best idea but nothing new in dramaland right? It took years to Kill Me, Heal Me to secure its leads. That leaded me to lose half of my interest. But then Ji Sung officially entered into the game and the rules changed. He can play everything with charisma and a certain charm. He cracked me up in Protect The Boss (2011). So if everything goes as planned (that means a fun drama because you don’t want to serve us a melo with that kind of plot, screenwriter, I know you don’t…Please don’t!), we can expect a great performance from Ji Sung. Another little thing, Park Seo-joon (Witch’s Romance) joined  the leads along with Kim Yuri (Master’s Sun).

Level Of Excitement: 8,5/10 (Ji Sung, rock it!) 
Schedule: January 7 on MBC.

Persevere, Gu Hae-ra 

 

I’m not the type to put a drama on hold. I barely even managed to drop one (even a particularly bad one). It’s like an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder of mine. But even though it’s rare it happens sometimes. That’s what happened with Monstar. I enjoyed the first two episodes then I put an eye on Gaksital (Bridal Mask) and was completely drowned into it. I know we’re not boxing in the same category, its two complete different genres but I haven’t been able to go back to Monstar yet. Not sure if it’s a good sign or not. I want to believe that my other half hasn’t made up his mind yet. The drama had a cute cast and a nice ton so I suppose we can expect the same thing with his successor, Persevere, Gu Hae-ra. The new drama from Mnet channel is a high-school musical drama that will follow Gu Hae-Ra, the heroin in her struggle to making her father’s posthumous work known to the world. She’s an aspiring singer who dreams of making into a talent agency but doesn’t have the right qualifications. She will meet twin brothers while entering the reality audition program Superstar K2. They will both eventually fall for her. That’s the starting point of the drama.

Min Hyo-rin will portrait Gu Hae-Ra while Jinyoung of idol group B1A4 and the rookie actor, Kwak Shi-yang will play the twins. The only drama I’ve seen with Min Hyo-rin was Romance Town back in 2011. She was endearing but didn’t mark me with her talent. She can play for sure, she’s cute and full of a nice energy so I have no doubt about her portraying a joyful and determinate Gu Hae-Ra.

I haven’t catch any of the projects Jinyoung played in (tvN miniseries Elegant You, and the movie Miss Granny), so I’m not sure if he’s a decent actor or not but he’s certainly adorable (like every other idols?) The three of them form a lovely trio and if they can have half of the charm the casting of Monstar had (all right I know I can’t really say after two episodes, but I really loved the atmosphere and the interaction between them) that will surely be another winning move from Mnet. Despite my gloomy introduction and the fact that Monstar is still on hold, I’m curious to see Persevere, Gu Hae-ra. Seriously. I’m not that enthusiastic about twins being in love with the same girl though. It’s already delicate when strangers or even friends fight for the same girl so brothers and twins moreover. Don’t make them quarrel for years drama, that won’t be good, trust me.

Level Of Excitement: 6,5/10 (Sometimes all you need is a sweet moment.)

Schedule: 09 January on Mnet. 

Spy

What I know about Spy is close to nothing. That being said, I’m always open to solid and intense spy-thriller dramas. It’s not like we have a dozen of the genre each year so when there’s one on the picture I’m always in to give it a try. The drama will be about a mother and son who are spies for enemy countries. Bae Jong-Ok (That Winter, The Wind Blows) will be the mother, a sleeper agent from the North who plays a homemaker mom for a decade. Her son, Jaejoong (Triangle)will play an analyst for NIS (South Korea’s national intelligence agency). One day the order will come down from North Korea: Mom has to bring her own son back to the North. She will then have to choose between her son and her country. Though choice if you ask me. Being a spy is not an easy job for sure. There’s a great potential of melodramatic and sad moments here. A mom stays a mom but on the other side a spy has to follow orders and in theory has to love his country and put it before anything else. The dilemma is terrible but the drama can win if it manage to bring enough action balanced with emotions. It can also be a good point if the drama can smoothly (or not) portray the phases both the mother and the son will have to go through. I pray Jaejoong would be able to show a large range of feelings. He’s nice and all but I just hope he increased in the acting field. I have no doubt in Bae Jong-Ok since she can be mysterious, cold but still caring all that in one scene!

Go Sung-hee (The Night Watchman) will play his love interest. I’ve never seen her in anything so I’m not going to debate about her. As long as she’s tough enough because I know it’s not going to be lovey-dovey. I’m preparing myself for a non-happy ending. I know I shouldn’t but hey as one says: Prepared for the worst but still praying for the best. Yoo Oh-sung (Joseon Gunman) will stand as the official villain ('cause that's where he's the best), being a North Korean operative. Bring some fights but with a spoon of sentiments. But is that even theoretically possible?

Level Of Excitement: 7/10 (Where are my badass spies???)

Schedule: 09 January on KBS2. 

Blood

Blood, blood, blood. What to say? When I first read the synopsis of that drama I was like: A drama à la Vampire Prosecutor! Put your hands in the air and scream, people because it’s going to be intense. I can smell the blood and predict rough and psychological fights already! As we probably won’t ever have a Vampire Prosecutor 3 (I’m holding back the tears. Seriously), Blood was in a way a distant ‘young brother’. Blood’s hero is a surgeon. But a good one cause despite his vampire nature, he decided to save people’s lives. Some vampires are prosecutors some are doctors. One need diversity. 

When Yoo Yeon-Suk got attached to the project my excitement level went higher. I know he can be good and I know he would have kicked the role. Then he declined the role (schedules’ conflict. *Frustration face*) and another name came out: Jung Il-Woo. How crazy was that? Just when you start to desperate a good news hits your way. I missed my scheduler (49 Days) so bad. I haven’t watch his two latest dramas (Gold Rainbow and Night Watchman’s Journal). They are both on my watch list but honestly not at the top. A project I’m thrilled to watch + Jung Il-Woo? Yes please. Then he declined the offer as well. From super excited I went to ‘this isn’t smell good’. Not that it’s the first time a drama is rejected by several actors but still…

When the definitive casting got confirmed, I practically lost my interest. Practically not totally cause I’m still curious to see the first episodes. I thought and that slightly changed since that Ahn Jae-hyun (You’re All Surrounded) doesn’t really fit the role. I found him endearing in You’re All Surrounded (post related) and was excitingly expecting his new project…but not this one! He looks like 16 how can they makes us believe that he’s a surgeon? And I’m scared to see zero chemistry with his female lead, Gu Hye Sun (Angel Eyes). They can prove me wrong of course (and God knows I’d love to be wrong), so I won’t be too categorical here. Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched, that’s how the saying goes.

The only save thing, from my perspective is Ji Jin-hee (A Warm Word) and Kwon Hyun-sang (Mandate of Heaven) as the bad vampires! They’ll certainly kick some asses and I don’t want to miss that! I’m sure.

Level Of Excitement: 7,5/10 (Vampires+Blood= Intensity)
Scheduled: 23 February on KBS2.