[2005 YEAR IN REVIEW] Part 1: Korean TV Dramas

With all its cultural and economic benefits, the 한류 (Korean Wave) has been treated like a blessing from heaven, without stopping for a moment and thinking about its consequences. More and more producers are creating Dramas with foreign audiences in mind, especially fans in Japan and South East Asia. Because the importing of Korean Dramas from these countries has been mostly focused on star power, producers fight each other to cast the most popular actors, often without caring if he or she fit with the project or not. The game of big budgets and exotic locations was kind of fun a few years ago, giving a new spin to Cinderella Dramas, but it has now become an hindrance for most shows using the format.

Also, pretty stars with dubious acting skills continue to get pushed for no other reasons than to get a big, fat contract from Japan or Hong Kong, and use that funding to continue making the same pap over and over. The backlash just started, as the vicious circle those viewers have put themselves in will not only affect the kind of shows they’ll see in the future, but also the variety of what will be produced. Because, even if Korean TV Dramas have never been simple to categorize, the more those viewers request those sappy, over-simplified wastes of time, all they’ll get is the same old soup, stirred a little and with little to offer.

But throughout the year we at Twitch have tried to focus on the other side of the coin. The Dramas focusing on storytelling, acting, on bringing to the forefront social problems, and shows you’d never be embarrassed to enjoy in front of other people. Because there’s more to Korean TV Dramas than Drama Queens and killer minivans, because the more you open your mind to this small little world, the more it’ll be harder get out, for it’s so addictive even the biggest skeptic will find his kind of show one day. Because pretty stars can have all the 15 Minutes they want, but TV Dramas are forever. 2005 wasn’t a great year for TV Dramas, with the declining audience and MBC’s problems, but one of the most pleasant things was the rebirth of storytelling. Whether that will make an even bigger impact in 2006 or it will be just a short flashback of the good old days is impossible to know, but we can always hope.

The biggest stars of the year were women: feisty, tough-as-nails women who didn’t need to paint their search for independence with feminist propaganda. Women who wore shortcomings on their sleeves, not proud but also never embarrassed of them. Women who fought with all they had to overcome the difficulties modern Korean society put on them. We’re talking about Sam-Soon, Soon-Yi, and Geum-Soon. Notice a trend? All three have ‘Soon’ in their names, which ironically means ‘genuine’ (純), all three and their respective TV Dramas recorded ratings over 40%, all three became a source of popular debate, and they all enjoyed tremendous popularity. Why? Perhaps because they weren’t the usual ‘Candy/Cinderella’, but a more… ‘genuine’ version of past TV Drama heroines?

First was Sam-Soon (Kim Seon-Ah) in MBC’s 내 이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon), giving a voice to all the women who feel the pressure of always having to look good in a society which often ignores your real talent, to focus on allegedly ‘proper’ canons of beauty. Sam-Soon was an heroine for all the 노처녀, those women past marriage age, with very little money, unemployed, and daydreaming of a better life. Stripping itself of all the formulae of the Cinderella Drama, ‘My Lovely Sam-Soon’ became a beacon of light in the obscurity created by the ‘Korean Wave’, which pushes vapid star vehicles with pretty faces who can’t act, lazy writers who only care about jerking a tear or two from the viewer, and way too abstute producers who go for maximum effect with the minimum effort. It brought Kim Seon-Ah’s career to new levels of popularity, and became the most popular Drama of the year, with ratings touching the 50%. It brought the word 국민드라마 (National Drama), those incredibly popular shows embraced by an immense number of people, back to Korean TV, after a first half of 2005 which looked gloomier and gloomier.

But even more surprising was the success of MBC’s Daily Drama 굳세어라 금순아 (Be Strong, Geum-Soon) and its leading lady, the young Han Hye-Jin. The station’s first big success in the Daily Drama field since 2002’s 인어 아가씨 (Mermaid Girl), ‘Geum-Soon’ was another idolized figure, this time representing another often neglected demographic: young single mothers (she became a widow in her twenties) who have to raise a child by themselves. Casting someone like Han Hye-Jin, a familiar face but never a star, in a Drama spanning over 100 episodes was quite risky, especially because KBS had been almost without competition in this field for years. But in the long run their decision paid off, with a final rating of 40%. The show had the traditionally strong supporting cast, which always had been the backbone of MBC’s best Dramas: from Park In-Hwan to Yang Hee-Kyung, from Yoon Yeo-Jung to Kim Ja-Ok, from Kim Yoo-Suk to Jang Yong. The show was not only inspirational, as Geum-Soon continues to obstinately fight despite all her difficulties, but also reminds of some of the glorious family Dramas of MBC’s past.

The shocker of the year came from Choi Jin-Shil, though. Neglected by critics for supposedly being only a pretty face, despite giving great performances in timeless classics which made the 90s a Golden Age for Korean TV Dramas; ignored by the media for her painful and violent breakup with her baseball star husband, with two kids to raise and a declining career, the actress took a final shot at stardom, and she hit the jackpot. 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) wasn’t only a good Drama, but it also reminded people who criticized Choi that she was still there, fighting, showing the range people forgot she ever had. Despite its 신파 (shinpa, old school melodrama) roots, ‘Life in Pink’ feels like a great melodrama from the 60s: extremely well acted, with a sensational supporting performance by Na Moon-Hee, equally powerful and poignant; realistic even when everything but the kitchen sink is thrown at our heroine, and able to convey a message which, even if it might be ‘obvious’, still resonates with people. Perhaps the most surprisingly powerful Drama of the season.

Personally, the most welcome trend this year was the return to character-based Dramas, shows in love with storytelling and enveloping the viewer in the kind of atmosphere you can’t help but get addicted to. 부활 (Rebirth) was a reminder that with a good cast and a superb script you can still make miracles on TV: with the kind of panache of a 40s Hollywood gangster film, the intricate storyline of some of the best Historical Dramas, and enough emotional power to make Terminator giggle like a high school girl. With a main cast promising very little, made of inexperienced youngsters and misused also-rans, the show not only made a star (Eom Tae-Woong), but also coupled some of the best veteran actors in the country, allowing them to go full force for 24 Episodes of some of the best TV you’ll see this year.

Similarly, SBS’ 그린로즈 (Green Rose) took a similar approach, but instead of focusing on the psychological war the Doppelganger syndrome puts on people, it was just a badass old school whodunit, complete with an episode featuring all the suspects reunited in the same house, eating together, one suspecting the other like in a giallo from the 70s. The only Drama to really take advantage of overseas locations and use that to develop the characters, ‘Green Rose’ is an even bigger surprise, considering it comes from SBS (a station known for easily surrendering to the appeal of Korean Wave tropes), and its leading man Go Soo wasn’t exactly the next Song Kang-Ho.

Dramas with an Historical setting might not be the masterpieces of yesteryear, but they’re still alive and kicking, if you ask me. 불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin) put the spotlight on the most beloved National Hero in Korea, Admiral Lee Soon-Shin, and did it well, without easy heroism and knee-jerk nationalism; 패션 70s (Fashion Seventies) revealed once again how much of a talent PD Lee Jae-Gyu is, with a cinematic lyricism which seemed lost since the mid 90s and their huge Dramas. Finally, 제5공화국 (The Fifth Republic) brought back memories of the great Political Dramas of old, without becoming a sledgehammer machismo-drenched bore like 야인시대 (The Rustic Era), nor putting its characters on a pedestal and idolizing them like a cheerleader, like the disappointing 영웅시대 (The Age of Heroes) did.

The end of 2005 gives a lot of hope for future TV Dramas. A lot of Dramas currently showing or under production are starting to look really promising: Lee Da-Hae’s hilarious and spunky 마이걸 (My Girl) seems like a huge hit in the making, if it continues improving its ratings; Son Chang-Min’s 신돈 (Shin Don) is one of the most intelligent and well written Historical Dramas since the last few classics of 2001, and there’s a half dozen Dramas which will debut soon with a lot of potential. Biding farewell to an interesting 2005, we wish you a happy new year, hopefully with more TV Dramas in your viewing list.

You can also read our ‘[2005 Year in Review] Part 2: Korean Films’ here

THE 10 BEST TV DRAMAS OF 2005

10.
떨리는 가슴 (Six Love Stories) - MBC
PD: Oh Kyung-Hoon/Go Dong-Sun/ Shin Hyun-Chang/Lee Yoon-Jung/Kim Jin-Man/Park Sung-Soo
WRITER: Kim In-Young/Jung Hyung-Soo/Park Jung-Hwan/Hong Jin-Ah/Lee Kyung-Hee/In Jung-Ok
CAST: Bae Doo-Na, Kim Dong-Wan, Bae Jong-Ok, Song Seon-Mi, Kim Chang-Wan
Just the idea should be praised: an Omnibus Drama. Each producer and writer couple got two episodes to develop their story, and we’re talking about quite an interesting bunch. Not only the show featured the talents of In Jung-Ok of 네 멋대로 해라 (Ruler of Your Own World), the great Jung Hyung-Soo of 상도 (Sang Do) and 다모 (Damo) and the ‘Queen of Trendy Dramas’ Lee Kyung-Hee, but also top notch PDs like Park Sung-Soo (Ruler of Your Own World), Kim Jin-Man (Ireland) and Oh Kyung-Hoon (Phoenix). One feels the show was just a little short to be really effective, as a couple of the six 2-Episodes parts could get their own TV Drama, especially the one featuring Bae Doo-Na (in a predictably fantastic performance). But at 12 Episodes, this is one of the most creative and well written shows of the year, with different subjects and a quality cast. Perhaps a bit uneven, and not all shows are of the same quality, but still well worth checking out.
AVAILABILITY: DVD (English Subs)

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09.

부모님 전상서 (My Precious Family) - KBS
PD: Jung Eul-Young
WRITER: Kim Soo-Hyun
CAST: Kim Hee-Ae, Song Jae-Ho, Jang Hyun-Sung, Song Seon-Mi, Kim Hae-Sook, Hur Joon-Ho
There were several good Family Dramas over the year, from KBS’ 슬픔이여 안녕 (Goodbye To Sadness) to MBC’s 한강수 타령 (Ode to The Han River), but for some reason I always end up falling for Kim Soo-Hyun Dramas. The biggest veteran in the industry, who wrote a little film called 미워도 다시 한번 (Love Me Once Again) in 1968, which changed Korean melodramas forever, Kim has become the most respected writer in the country, and there’s a reason for that. She might throw a lot of obstacles at her characters, but always ends up making something glorious out of the most predictable situations. It might be Kim Hee-Ae, still one of the best actresses in Korea, who really should do some movies and show her talent to the world; might be the rest of the super-talented cast, or that vein of realism which makes Dramas like this always a treat to watch. In many ways, one of the most affecting shows of the year, with fantastic acting and top notch writing.

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08.
그린로즈 (Green Rose) - SBS
PD: Kim Su-Ryeong/Kim Jin-Geun
WRITER: Yoo Hyun-Mi, Kim Doo-Sam
CAST: Go Soo, Lee Da-Hae, Kim Seo-Hyung, Byun Hee-Bong, Kang Shin-Il, Park Sang-Myeon, Lee Jong-Hyuk, Han Jin-Hee
SBS has had a lot of big budget 특별기획 (Special Project) after the format took off in the mid 90s, but the fact they’re throwing the term at anything these days has cheapened it, like that great novelty of adapting best sellers into one-two episodes Dramas wore off after two decades of the same old stories. With increasingly rare exceptions, the ‘Special Project’ Dramas have become an excuse to spend big money on exotic location that have very little or nothing to do with the story, and capturing pretty stars who have a large fanbase overseas. But, setting aside Lee Jae-Gyu’s 패션 70s (Fashion Seventies), which operates on a totally different planet, there hasn’t been too much to be excited about when it came to big budget Dramas on SBS… until 그린로즈 (Green Rose), the best of its kind since 2002’s 올인 (All In). If it weren’t for the fact it shares a lot of similar traits with the Drama of the year 부활 (Rebirth), I think this would have landed on most people’s Top 10. But the masterpiece that was ‘Rebirth’s script just makes this—a really good one, mind you—pale in comparison. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy here: for starters, the exotic location is not just there to shoot a few pretty scenes, and is well integrated within the storyline’s development. Also, despite falling into some characteristic traps of SBS’ Dramas (slightly hackneyed dialogue, a soundtrack very erratic in quality, too much posturing), ‘Green Rose’ is consistently engaging, intense and powerful. Go Soo might not have the raw talent, but he certainly puts a lot of effort into his roles, and it shows, especially when he doesn’t have to force dialogue (he works better as the silent and mysterious type). Also, Lee Da-Hae completely steals the show, once again. She looks fresh, sweet and innocent enough when needed, but also mature, and her mood swings are more believable than anyone should expect from such a young actress. Nice supporting work from Park Sang-Myun and the predictably excellent Kim Seo-Hyung round up the package. Takes its time to fire up (first two episodes are kind of brutal… then, just like ‘Rebirth’, it all changes for the better), but very, very good. Just forget about ‘Rebirth’ when you watch it, the comparison is too difficult to hold up to for just about EVERYTHING.
AVAILABILITY: DVD (English Subs)

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07.

해신 (Emperor of the Sea) - KBS
PD: Kang Il-Soo, Kang Byung-Taek
WRITER: Jung Jin-Ok, Hwang Joo-Ha
CAST: Choi Soo-Jong, Chae Si-Ra, Song Il-Guk, Lee Won-Jong, Kim Ah-Joong, Kim Gab-Soo
It used to be so easy, the 90s had some incredible Historical Dramas. But then came the Korean Wave, and even the last bastion of traditionalism was lost. Historical Dramas had to adapt to the new audience and new trends, and the final results were closer to melodramas than the almost documentary-like, labyrinthine political dramas which set the 90s on fire. From the makers of the great 태조왕건 (Wang Gun) comes this ‘new age’ Historical Drama, telling the story of Jang Bo-Go, one of the most (in)famous ‘gods of the sea’ in Korean History. Amazing locations, good acting (especially from Kim Gab-Soo and Lee Won-Jong) and a very intense, involving story. But still, compared to classics like 상도 (Sang Do) and 허준 (Hur Joon), something seems missing. It’s hard to say, or even notice, especially if you’ve only seen a few Historical Dramas, but the fire of the old days seems lacking. Choi Su-Jong’s first big role in a while, the usual top notch performance by Chae Si-Ra, and a good storyline to keep you engaged for its 50 Episodes make this one of the best Historical Dramas of the year. Still, I don’t know if that’s worth spending over $200 for the 3-part DVD set. Excellent, but the past has given us too many classics to feel impressed by stuff like this.
AVAILABILITY: DVD Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (All English Subs)

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06.

내 이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon) - MBC
PD: Kim Yoon-Cheol
WRITER: Kim Do-Woo
CAST: Kim Seon-Ah, Hyun Bin, Jung Ryeo-Won, Daniel Henney, Na Moon-Hee, Kwon Hae-Hyo, Kim Jung-Hyun, Kim Ja-Ok, Lee Ah-Hyun
Highlight from our REVIEW:
But why did Korea fall in love with Sam-Soon? She swears a storm, isn’t much of a snappy dresser, always ends up drunker than men twice her age, is insecure, constantly daydreams and cannot channel all her wits, charms and talents into a cohesive ‘something’ which will make her succeed. Hey… that’s your answer. Our ‘lovely’ Kim Sam-Soon is loved because she’s just like millions of women out there, with all their charms and flaws honestly and intelligently laid bare. So then, even the trite setup of the story becomes just a formality, for the way Kim Yoon-Cheol makes the Drama flow, and Kim Do-Woo’s witty writing help Sam-Soon become a joy to watch. Kim Seon-Ah has done characters like this before, but the way she projects this idea of the real ‘girl next door’ is something of a triumph in her already successful career. It’s not the usual cliche of the ‘national sweetheart’ winning the hearts of people, there’s an underlying realistic tone which often might make silly scenes end up becoming more striking than anyone ever expected.
AVAILABILITY: DVD (English Subs)

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05.

제5공화국 (The Fifth Republic) - MBC
PD: Im Tae-Woo, Kim Sang-Rae
WRITER: Yoo Jung-Soo
CAST: Lee Deok-Hwa, Seo In-Seok, Kim Young-Ran, Song Ok-Sook
MBC’s 제5공화국 (The Fifth Republic) might be the worst of the ‘Republic’ series (no. 4 and 3 are classics), but it’s still head and shoulders above most political dramas not directed by Im Sang-Soo. With a huge cast, including Historical Drama regulars Lee Deok-Hwa, Seo In-Seok, Lee Jung-Gil and Park In-Hwan, and one of the most controversial periods in Korean History (the coup d’etat by Jeon Doo-Hwan after Park Jung-Hee’s assassination), ‘The Fifth Republic’ is one of the most intriguing Historical Dramas of recent memory. I might not agree or sympathize with the shows’ take on certain figures, but I never let ideology take over judgment of artistic merit, which is why I deeply enjoyed this show. And thankfully it never stoops to the level of 영웅시대 (The Age of Heroes), which glamorizes its ‘heroes’ in an almost disgusting manner. Very intriguing, well acted and with a very strong script.

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04.

패션 70s (Fashion Seventies) - SBS
PD: Lee Jae-Gyu
WRITER: Jung Sung-Hee
CAST: Joo Jin-Mo, Cheon Jung-Myung, Lee Yo-Won, Kim Min-Jung, Lee Hye-Young, Hyun Young,
Highlights from our REVIEW:
The only major flaw of ‘Fashion Seventies’ is that it’s not able to sustain the amazing emotional intensity of those first four episodes. But if that were the case, I’d be talking about one of the best shows of all time, so it’s more a sense of disappointment than a real weakness. The quality seen on those episodes is so high, you’ll keep looking for more. Which is why you might feel disappointed by the remaining 24 Episodes, which are nonetheless quite well made. I felt this while watching the show when it aired, but a second viewing on DVD helped eliminate that feeling, fleshing out the rest of the story in a better way, and letting the good acting of the older cast emerge. What’s for sure is that the industry has found a new talented voice, that of PD Lee Jae-Gyu. Both his works—‘Fashion Seventies’ and ‘Damo’—display that kind of atmosphere which is hard to find in today’s Korean TV Dramas, more concerned about ratings and overseas contracts than storytelling and evoking certain emotions. I’d actually love to see what Lee could do in Chungmuro, if given the chance. I wasn’t there when greats like Kim Jong-Hak, Lee Byung-Hoon and Lee Jae-Gab started their careers, but given Lee Jae-Gyu’s first two works, I’d say we have a major talent on our hands.
AVAILABILITY: DVD (English Subs)

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03.

장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS
PD: Kim Jong-Chang
WRITER: Moon Young-Nam
CAST: Choi Jin-Shil, Son Hyun-Joo, Lee Tae-Ran, Jang Dong-Jik, Na Moon-Hee, Kim Ji-Young, Jo Eun-Sook, Kwon Hae-Hyo, Jang Yong, Namgoong Min, Ahn Sun-Young
Highlights from our PREVIEW (Review coming soon):
Enter ‘장밋빛 인생’ (’Life in Pink’), which is quickly turning into the new sensation on Korean TV, and is putting Choi on the stage she deserves for the first time in over 5 years. After the Kim Sam-Soon syndrome, the TV Drama population needed something to settle down. Kim Jung-Eun’s non-sensical and ridiculous 루루공주’ (’Princess Lulu’) wasn’t certainly the answer. As great as it were, even ‘부활’ (’Rebirth’) wasn’t exactly what Ajumma in their mid 30s would enjoy watching. But Choi, playing Maeng Soon-Yi, a character a little too similar to her real life situation to be ignored, is igniting discussions, not so much about the Drama, but Choi herself. First few episodes averaged at around 30% ratings and destroyed any competition, a spectacular result considering expectations.
AVAILABILITY: DVD out in January (English Subs)

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02.

불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin) - KBS
PD: Lee Sung-Joo, Han Joon-Seo
WRITER: Yoon Young-Soo, Park Young-Sook, Jang Gi-Chang
CAST: Kim Myung-Min, Choi Jae-Sung, Kim Gyu-Cheol, Lee Jae-Ryong
Another KBS Drama, started in 2004 but ending this year was on the mouth of Korean TV viewers for most of 2005: telling the story of National Hero Lee Soon-Shin, one of the greatest naval commanders of all time, the Historical Drama 불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin) managed to tell the story of one of the most beloved figures in Korean history, allowing its figure to slowly grow across its 100+ Episodes, showing all his struggles, his brilliant strategy, but also the painful life he had to live. With top notch sets and art direction, the 35 Billion Won project might have forced KBS to stop broadcasting Historical Dramas for a while, but it surely hit the jackpot when it came to showing all its budget on the screen. Naval fights rarely seen on Korean TV, great dialogue, a cast of veterans including Kim Gyu-Cheol, Jo Min-Gi, Lee Jae-Ryong and more made this one of the most impressive Historical Drama in the last few years, although it cannot probably reach the heights of 허준 (Hur Joon), 상도 (Sang Do) or 홍국영 (Hong Guk-Young), not to mention earlier classics. But the real star of the show is Kim Myung-Min, a capable and underrated young star, who showed his talent both in films and TV Dramas, but had been undeservedly misused until his eye-opening role in 꽃보다 아름다워 (More Beautiful Than Flowers). Short of Eom Tae-Woong in ‘Rebirth’, his is the strongest performance of the year.
AVAILABILITY: Out on Highlight DVD this February (Part 1) and March (Part 2)

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01.

부활 (Rebirth) - KBS
PD: Park Chan-Hong, Jeon Chang-Geun
WRITER: Kim Ji-Woo
CAST: Eom Tae-Woong, Han Ji-Min, So Yi-Hyun, Go Ju-Won, Lee Jong-Gil, Kim Gyu-Cheol, Kang Shin-Il, Kim Gab-Soo, Gi Ju-Bong, Lee Dae-Yeon
Highlights from our REVIEW:
But this show needs to be seen, even if you’ve never seen a Korean TV Drama. Its script is almost flawless, the characters interesting, multifaceted and true to life. The ‘love triangle’ shenanigans are really only an afterthought, just there to pretend this is a Trendy Drama, and when there is a touch of melodrama it always feel sincere. Why? Because such emotional intensity is brought up in an amazing crescendo that when it explodes, it’s like a Scud Missile. And I’m not talking about easy, formulaic ‘Korean Drama’ histrionics. Trust me, you’ll feel it as well watching the show. Those who’ve read my film reviews might beg to differ, but I actually don’t like hyperbole. Will you allow me to use it this time? It’s deserved. I’m going to pull out the dreaded ‘M’ word. M for ‘maybe the best Korean TV Drama in the last 3 years’; M for ‘maybe the TV Drama which will open you to the fact it’s not all about lame love triangles and pretty faces acting like fools’. And, definitely, M for masterpiece.
AVAILABILITY: Out on Director’s Cut DVD this January (English Subs)

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THE WORST 10 TV DRAMAS OF 2005

10. 봄날 (Spring Days) - SBS
09. 환생 (NEXT) - MBC
08. 건방선생과 별사탕 (Hardtack Teacher and Star Candy) - SBS
07. 웨딩 (Wedding) - KBS
06. 루루공주 (Princess Lulu) - SBS
05. 러브홀릭 (Loveholic) - KBS
04. 그녀가 돌아왔다 (Ice Girl) - KBS
03. 해변으로 가요 (Let’s Go To The Beach) - SBS
02. 세입 클러버 (Three Leaf Clover) - SBS
01. 슬픈연가 (Sad Sonata) - MBC

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Sure, you’ll say… everybody and their dog is doing Awards at the end of the year, did I need to add another to the list? I don’t blame you, but these awards weren’t just hand picked by yours truly. I gathered a few friends (8 total) from the Soompi Forums - the biggest K-Drama community on the net, with 25 trillion members - all supreme connoisseurs of the fine arts of K-Dramas, much more than I could possibly ever be. And, after intense and laborious debates (yeah… right), we came up with the big daddy, our first big Annual X Awards. To the winners, a very lucky 2006, with the hope they’ll repeat themselves next year. Instead, losers will be tied to a chair, and forced to watch all of Yoon Seok-Ho’s Season Dramas non-stop until Easter. So, without further ado, here’s the results:

Special thanks to Cyn for sending me the ballots, and all those who voted.

THE 1ST ANNUAL X AWARDS - TV DRAMAS

STAR OF THE YEAR
Eom Tae-Woong, Kim Seon-Ah
Two winners, as our ‘panelists’ and I ended up with two chart toppers, and I’d say they both deserve it: Kim Seon-Ah, for making an impressive return to the small screen, for finally looking like a real ‘girl next door’, and for helping normal women get over just a little the many complexes they have; Eom Tae-Woong, for finally getting out of his famous sister’s shadow: a while ago, Eom Jung-Hwa joked she’ll now have to start calling herself ‘Eom Tae-Woong’s sister’, as the young man has become one of the most sought after actors in the industry, after his fantastic performance in 부활 (Rebirth).

Other Contenders: Han Hye-Jin

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BEST TV DRAMA
부활 (Rebirth) - KBS
Eom Tae-Woong’s resurrection wasn’t the only ‘rebirth’ of the best TV Drama in years: the kind of rhythm and pacing only people in love with storytelling can sustain, that pathos and intensity TV Dramas can rarely show, amazing acting, an almost flawless screenplay… pretty much a perfect show. I just hope we’ve done enough to spread the word on this must see gem, there’s too many great shows like this gathering dusts on DVD shelves while gazillions of lame Choi Ji-Woo Dramas sell out like hot cakes.
Other Contenders: 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS, 패션 70s (Fashion 70s) - SBS, 그린로즈 (Green Rose) - SBS, 내 이름은 김삼순 (Kim Sam-Soon) - MBC

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BEST ACTOR

Eom Tae-Woong - [부활 (Rebirth) - KBS]
It was a blink and you miss it moment: Eom Tae-Woong and his two-three scenes in Jang Jin’s film debut 기막힌 사내들 (The Happenings) in 1998 started what was a very anonymous career until 2005. Although he didn’t hide his being the brother of a superstar (singer cum actress Eom Jung-Hwa) changing his stage name, the pressure and barrier that most actors facing this situation have to go through was hard to overcome. He always worked hard, but it never seemed to work: misused in ridiculously small roles on the big screen, wasted on the small screen with tiny supporting characters in often poor Dramas. But 부활 (Rebirth) changed it all. Playing not one, but three characters (two Twins and the Doppelganger which results from the mix of the two’s personalities), in the big surprise of the year, Eom not only raised eyebrows in the TV Drama industry, but also in Chungmuro. After completing the TV Drama, he was instantly cast in Kim Tae-Yong’s interesting new film, 가족의 탄생 (The Birth of a Family), which could be the dark horse of 2006 when it comes to box office. Why? He’s playing a lover… of 60-something veteran Go Doo-Shim. If that doesn’t sound exciting, I don’t know what will. Certainly one of the young talents to look out for in 2006, he improved immensely this year.

Other Contenders: Kim Myung-Min (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin), Cha In-Pyo (Hong Kong Express), Kim Ju-Hyeok (Lovers in Prague)

BEST ACTRESS
Choi Jin-Shil - [장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS]
More than being happy for the 47% ratings of this great little show, I’m happy for Choi’s rebirth. She suffered too much for other people’s doing (the media accusing her of things she wasn’t guilty of, her ex-husband’s disgusting behavior), and it looked like she could never recover. But she got up one more time, and defeated all the odds. If that’s not inspirational, I don’t know what is.
Other Contenders: Lee Yo-Won (Fashion Seventies), Lee Da-Hae (Green Rose), Kim Seon-Ah (My Lovely Sam-Soon)

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Kang Shin-Il - 부활 (Rebirth) - KBS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Chu Sang-Mi - 변호사들 (Lawyers) - MBC

BEST NEW ACTOR: Kim Dong-Wan - 슬픔이여 안녕 (Goodbye To Sadness) - KBS
BEST NEW ACTRESS: Nam Sang-Mi - 달콤한 스파이 (Sweet Spy) - MBC
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: 부활 (Rebirth) - KBS
BEST PD: Lee Jae-Gyu - 패션 70s (Fashion Seventies) - SBS
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Choi Jin-Shil - 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink) - KBS
BEST SCREENPLAY: 부활 (Rebirth) - KBS
BEST PRODUCTION VALUES: 패션 70s (Fashion Seventies) - SBS
SITCOM OF THE YEAR: 안녕 프란체스카 (Hello Francesca) - MBC
BEST GUILTY PLEASURE: 달콤한 스파이 (Sweet Spy) - MBC

STATION OF THE YEAR: KBS

~~The Other Side of the Coin~~

WORST TV DRAMA: 루루공주 (Princess Lulu) - SBS
WORST ACTOR: Oh Ji-Ho - 가을소나기 (Autumn Shower) - MBC
WORST ACTRESS: Kim Hee-Sun - 슬픈연가 (Sad Sonata) - MBC
WORST NEW ACTOR: Dennis O’Neill - 달콤한 스파이 (Sweet Spy)
WORST NEW ACTRESS: Jung Ryeo-Won - 가을소나기 (Autumn Shower) - MBC
WORST ENSEMBLE CAST: 웨딩 (Wedding) - KBS
WORST STATION OF THE YEAR: MBC

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TOP 10 RATED TV DRAMAS OF 2005

01. 50.5% 내 이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon)
MBC [Cast: Kim Seon-Ah, Hyun Bin, Daniel Henney]

02. 47.0% 장밋빛 인생 (Life in Pink)
KBS [Cast: Choi Jin-Shil, Son Hyun-Joo, Na Moon-Hee]

03. 40.1% 굳세어라 금순아 (Be Strong, Geum-Soon)
MBC [Cast: Han Hye-Jin, Park In-Hwan, Kang Ji-Hwan]

04. 36.2% 부모님 전상서 (My Precious Family)
KBS [Cast: Kim Hee-Ae, Song Jae-Ho, Jang Hyun-Sung]

05. 34.5% 별난여자 별난남자 (The Bizarre Bunch)
KBS [Cast: Jung Joon, Kim Ah-Joong, Go Ju-Won]

06. 34.2% 슬픔이여 안녕 (Goodbye To Sadness)
KBS [Cast: Park Sun-Young, Kim Dong-Wan, Oh Yeon-Soo]

07. 33.1% 불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin)
KBS [Cast: Kim Myung-Min, Lee Won-Jong]

08. 33.0% 해신 (Emperor of the Sea)
KBS [Cast: Choi Su-Jong, Chae Si-Ra, Song Il-Guk]

09. 32.5% 쾌걸춘향 (Sassy Chunhyang)
KBS [Cast: Han Chae-Young, Jae Hee, Eom Tae-Woong]

10. 32.3 봄날 (Spring Days)
SBS [Cast: Go Hyun-Jung, Jo In-Sung, Ji Jin-Hee]