The Wonderful World of Not Hollywood

Korean media provides a much different experience than you get from American TV.  That isn't always a good thing, but it certainly isn't always a bad thing either.  I've watched two Korean Dramas (K-Dramas) so far, 아이리스 (Iris) and 시크릿가든 (Secret Garden).  I haven't watched many movies yet, but my good friends Elspeth, James, and Gregg are working on changing that.  Let's talk about the Dramas.

Dramas

Trailer (with English subtitles)

아이리스 (Iris)

This drama is excellent, though it does start off a little slow.  I think of it as Korea's answer to James Bond.  I love James Bond and I love 아이리스.  The show is about a couple military guys that are selected for training with a CIA-type black forces agency.  There is action, drama, romance, and conspiracy.  If you have a way to check it out I highly recommend you do.

Teaser Trailer

시크릿가든 (Secret Garden)

This is the second drama I watched, but I think it beats Iris by a little bit.  This drama is a romance comedy with a special twist.  I'll keep this part spoiler free for now since I know some of my readers are still early on in the series, but I will say it is an emotional roller coaster and a show you must watch if you are at all interested in Korea.  It will give you an interesting look at the culture here.


Movies

Trailer - Korean

달콤한 인생 (Bittersweet Life)

This is an older movie (2005), but you could say the same thing about The Godfather.  It will give you a great introduction to Korean cinema.  The story is about an enforcer for the mob who faces a life changing assignment.  It has lots of action and some drama, and the title is quite appropriate.

Trailer - English/Korean

만추 (Late Autumn)

This is a really interesting movie because you have to work with three languages.  When I saw it the subtitles were in Korean, but there is spoken English for a lot of it, and there is spoken Chinese.  That doesn't stop you from mostly understanding the story, and actually makes you use your imagination to fill in the blanks.  It is a romance, no action in this one.

Wait List

These are the movies I've been told to see.  I'm not going to put up pics for all of them:

시 (Poetry)
살인의 추억 (Memories of Murder)
공동경비구역 JSA (Joint Security Area)
악마를 보았다 (I Saw the Devil)
추격시 (Chaser)
오드보이 (Oldboy)
조폭 마누라 (My Wife is a Gangster)

There are also some dramas on the agenda:

싸인 (Sign)
마이더스 (Midas)
드림하이 (Dream High)
아테나 (Athena)

So there you have it, my current status as far as Korean dramas and movies.  I'll have to do a post on K-Pop soon.  Videos will be included!