It moved along at a nice speed for me. It seemed to slow up a little bit when they got their extension from 16 to 18 episodes, and all of the added flashbacks made it a tad boring at times, but nothing that I couldn't ignore.
Acting/Cast: Loved them. Loved all of them. This would definitely be one of my favorite casts in a drama.
I'd never seen anything with Kim Myung Min before, and this drama definitely made me regret it. He played his bad-boy-the-gets-nicer role perfectly. He always had this air of total confidence, and it was just really awesome to watch in action.
This was the second time I'd watched anything with Jung Ryeo Won in it, and while I wasn't really a fan of her in that, I loved her in this.
Siwon though. That man just made this drama for me. Whenever he was on the screen, I could always count on laughing. Always. He was hilarious, he was adorable, and he was hilarious (yep, I'm saying that twice). And he had this laugh that was completely infectious. If you could watch this, listen to him laugh, and not find yourself smiling, I'd be shocked.
This was also a first for Oh Ji Eun for me. She didn't make her entrance into the show until almost the halfway mark, but that didn't stop me from loving her all the same.
When they were all together, for me, the chemistry was undeniable. Even the actors in the smaller roles of this show were amazing for me.
Music: I loved the OST for this show. That's really all I can say about that.
Rewatch Value: With the cast and the story being different than a lot of other dramas out there, I could definitely see myself watching this more than once in the future. Hell, I could see myself rewatching it multiple times just for Siwon's laugh.
Overall: Overall, I gave the show a 10. Like I said, it had some cliche obstacles, but it was fun (for me) to watch the main characters trample over them when they happened.
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Story: Basically, the plot will give you a parody about behind-the-scenes of drama-making and a man who will conquer everything for the sake of his ambition. The story isn’t really life-changing but it is certainly highly influential and enlightening in my case--at least on how drama production works. Yes , it’s supposed to be fiction but watching this one and at same time hearing news about real life drama made me wonder if in reality what was happening here is based on real life-drama filming experience.
I love the writing— Simple yet has a refreshingly engrossing storytelling and it managed to combine right amount of angst, romance, huge dose of comedy while handling issues about ratings, writer and director difficulties, financial problems, sponsorships, actor- behaviors and even extras. Of course, KoD is still a drama, there is a main story going on and I can guarantee that this one gives no dull moments. Intense and fast-paced, you’ll realize what I’m talking about if you try now and watch the first episode. Since KoD satirizes drama-making, it’s only natural for it to be funny, and if I may add, it is enjoyably hilarious in almost every episode. Comedy-wise, it’s a genuine masterpiece for me. Romance is subtle yet touching at first and tends to develop later which makes it more believable and truly romantic—not the usual wrist grabbing can determine the person you love. Did I mention a lot of anti-cliches here? Well, It has. And I love every bit of it! The ending was lovely and very satisfying for my taste.
Cast/Acting: Another thing to love about this drama was the evident character development on the main casts. In the end I have no choice but to love all of them. When I first watched this, I had known little of the casts and it was a great surprise watching all of them. Kim Myung Min also played stellar performance, the character change is very convincing on his part. He is amazing that he can take full control of his facial muscles while conveying the right expressions on his role. I love the strict, straightforward Representative with a sexy voice. Yes, I have to add that, lol. Jung Ryeo Won’s character is loveable-simple yet strong and determined. Her expressions are adorable. Their chemistry was noticeable just with their eyes and gestures, oh well, it comes with the leads personality, that’s why it’s like that—at first. The chemistry was wonderful, with just their gazes alone, I’m melting; Anthony Kim-Lee Go Eun has just become one of my top OTP’s this year. The biggest revelation, I credit it to Si Won—He is simply a truly great actor here. At first it was all funny just because it innates from his personality and self-love, then his expressions, his eyes, and then it comes a time that just his presence evokes hilarity. That’s how funny he is. Min Ah’s character is annoying at first but becomes likeable later on. World’s boys, who wouldn’t love them? Let me join your group! Tehe-
Music: Blind for Love, Keep In Your Heart and Tuesday Song are memorable OST’s for me, now another fave added. Even the instrumentals were catchy.
Rewatch Value: 10 because I rewatched some episodes already while waiting for the new one.
Overall: If a true drama lover runs in your veins, I believe you should watch this!—err, scratch that, I mean you would appreciate, relate and enjoy this refreshing, funny, one-of-a-kind drama as much as I did. :P
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This drama, man. It's so hard to put into words what made it so compelling, so original. But I can assuredly say that in my fairly limited experience with dramas (KoD is only my 59th), I have not watched another drama that has made me feel the way this drama has.
I was very much against watching this drama. After my disappointment with Prime Minister and I, I didn't really want to watch another drama with such a huge gap in the leads. Not because I care about things like that, but because I have noticed that in dramas with older men/younger girls, the romance is very light on the skinship aspect. And I'm not gonna lie, KoD didn't have nearly enough intimate moments, but somehow that made it so much better. In addition to my hesitancy over the romance aspect, for some reason I got it into my head that this drama was set in the early 1900s, when it is just the drama they are working on that is set in that time period.
I am not the type of person who talks to the screen very much, but with King of Dramas, one second I was screaming in frustration at the characters and the next throwing my hands up and cheering for every good thing that happened to our team. And that is the brilliance of this drama. It draws you in and makes you feel like you are a part of the story.
Now because I feel like I could go on and on forever about this drama, I also would probably end up spoiling a couple things in my eagerness, so I am going to break the rest of this review down into the score areas. It's the only way I can manage an attempt at brevity.
Acting/Cast: BRILLIANT. Everyone was so uniquely suited to their roles, and they all had such amazing chemistry together! It really did feel like you were growing and maturing along with the characters, Anthony especially. Every positive move he made, you couldn't help but feeling proud of him. Siwon as Kang Hyun Min was adorable, it kind of reminded me of a younger version of Dokko Jin from The Greatest Love. The character of Lee Go Eun was a little hard to relate to at first, just because she was so wide-eyed and naive. Luckily, you start to identify with her more and more as the story progresses.
Music: I am not someone who pays attention to music much, but I did love Big Baby Driver's song, it really fit the theme of the drama really well.
Rewatch: While I think this drama was amazing, I think a lot of it is un-rewatchable. While it wasn't as emotionally exhausting as a melodrama or a tear-jerker drama, it certainly ran you through the ringer emotion wise. One second, you are so anxious you think you might jump out of your skin, and the next you are smiling stupidly over an act of loyalty, and back to being anxious the next. That's the only reason that I think it would be hard to rewatch a lot of it.
Story: Just amazing. Seriously. The pacing, the romance, the bad guys. It was all just so expertly blended together. I usually would change a lot about dramas if I had the chance, but with King of Dramas, even when it wasn't perfect, I didn't want to change it. It was the imperfections that somehow helped you grow along with the drama, if that even makes any sense.
Seriously, if you haven't watched this drama (and actually made it to the end of this rambling review), watch it right now! It's definitely something all of us drama lovers should watch. You won't regret it!
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If you think what you can only take away from "King of Dramas" is the knowledge of making dramas, then you're wrong. It's so much more than that. It's quirky, and freaking hilarious, and there's also romance. Also, when you have such a cold, independent, pill-popping hero in Anthony (or Ansony? pfft.) who's so desperate in squizzing a juice advertisement in his drama's finale no matter how much it just doesn't make sense, and a money-crazed actor who values his CF's more than the drama in Hyun Min, this makes for some rich character developments. I'm still astonished by how they were in the begginning and how much they've grown. And it's not like they all changed in one finger snap and got possessed by someone else (I'm looking at you, DH2). Their growth is believable.
This drama also does a good job of making us care. You're all wrapped up about wanting them to succeed, that when the moment comes when they announce the ratings, you end up holding your breath right with them, and just smile unknowingly when they got what they wanted.
What kept me from giving the story a ten, was the sudden turn the drama went in the final stretch. It went to this melodramatic turn that did not fit the drama's tone and earlier episodes. It was out of place and given that Anthony's redemption arc was already done quite well, it was unnecessary. I find it weird that Director Oh, a character that was the main source of conflicts for most of the episodes, suddenly left the spotlight. The writers dropped the initial plots and changed the storyline in an attempt to salvage the poor ratings and fill air time to make up for the extension. What a shame since no matter how cartoonish of a villain (plotting his schemes in his office and making constipated faces) Director Oh was, it was much more enjoyable to watch rather than touch the melodramatic turn the the drama went with a ten-foot pole. It was such a shame to witness given how well this drama was avoiding standard drama tropes.
Acting: Amazing. Just as you would expect from Jung Ryeo Won and Kim Myung Min. Honestly, what made the melodramatic turn worth watching was because of their top-notch acting skills. They acted the hell out of it. Siwon actually surprised me. I never knew he was capable of such funny faces and his Hyun min character never failed to make me laugh.
Music: I thought the music is such a significant addiction to quirky tone and comedy of the drama.
Rewatch value: This is a drama that you would enjoy the second time around. There are some golden hilarious scenes and some heartfelt moments that would be worth watching the second time around.
Overall: It's a nice look at the drama industry with stakes that are high, rich character developments, and hilarious moments. Despite the melodramatic turn the drama went, the overall quality didn't suffer that much (thanks to some winning acting by the leads). This drama deserves to be right at the top of your to-watch list.
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As far as the cast goes, I would give the 2 leads a solid 10. Kim Myung Min is not exactly a likable character at the start, but his portrayal of Anthony Kim had me from the beginning. I love watching a good villain, so a hero with villainous tendencies is right up my alley. He was the perfect contrast to the sweet, but in no way a pushover, newbie writer Lee Go Eun, played by Jung Ryeo Won. I loved watching them together on screen. They didn't have a necessarily steamy chemistry together, but they worked so well together, and their love story was fun to watch.
I liked the entire supporting cast, but I honestly found Si Won's character to be a bit annoying. I know that was kinda the point, and I know I will incur fangirl wrath, but I felt like he sometimes had too much screen time. Oh Ji Eun, on the other hand, seemed a little too forgettable for a second lead in a triangle. I did think Min Ah's and Kang Min rivalry was hilarious, and that they played their parts very well in that respect.
This drama was entertaining the entire time, never really dragging, in spite of being relatively predictable. The ending felt like It snuck up on me, because I wasn't quite ready for it to end, but it was actually the perfect length (it didn't drag, or feel rushed).
I would say this is a must watch KDrama within a KDrama, and for that I should rate it a 10, but for some reason I just can't classify it with my favorites. Maybe it's because the rewatch value for me is just not that high. I didn't know what to expect the first time around, so I am not sure all the excitement would be there with a second viewing.
Still, I think this drama should be praised for being original while simultaneously playing off of every drama cliché they could think of. At the heart of The King of Dramas is the questions "Why do we love dramas", and I think this drama does a pretty good job of answering that by giving us a little bit of everything. I would certainly recommend it to all ardent KDrama fans.
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It is fast paced and never gets boring.
The story is about a brilliant CEO of a drama production house, who gets fired and then he struggles to again achieve his position.
The show is full of laughs and positive energy. The acting by everyone is excellent, especially Kim Myung Min and Choi Si Won.
One of the best comedies of 2012.
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Dramas-within-a-drama have been around since Shakespeare, but in k-drama, we rarely see the interworkings of the drama world. We don't see the bitter battle of production companies for time slots, the schemes of networks, or the interactions of actors, producers, directors, and of course, the writer. In KoD, we see all of these while focusing on the work of one fledgling writer and the resurrection of the career of one crazy Representative.
A drama like this could have gone south were it not for its acting. KoD's actors stood up to the challenge of producing two dramas at once. Although almost every character is of mention, Kim Myung Min, Jung Ryeo Won, and Choi Siwon were my personal favorites. Each brought such abandon to their portrayal of their characters.
Dramas also rely on good music. I liked every song in this drama, and probably had the songs memorized by the end of the show.
Overall, King of Dramas not only gives a glimpse of the drama world from the production's eyes, it also teaches us the importance of hard work and hopefully exposes to us how dramas work (or how they don't, at times). I can't wait to watch this again!
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Why? Well, one word: exciting. I thought I’d watch one episode per night at most, but this assumption was quickly forgotten. One does not simply stop watching in the middle of Anthony’s scheming, you have to see the results as soon as possible! Going bankrupt, problems with yakuza, accusations of plagiarism, bribery… there is not one thing Anthony can’t manage. Ok, maybe human interactions aren’t his strength, but besides this he is invincible. And let’s not forget that he has a team of loyal co-workers, who make his crazy ideas happen!
Also, I liked the romantic line of this drama – it wasn’t the central problem, it was balanced and natural. The relationship between Anthony and Lee Go Eun progressed slowly, but steadily. I also liked our second pairing, although in this case I’d prefer if it wasn’t so last minute.
As far as acting goes: yeah, I have to agree, Kim Myung Min is one hell of an actor. Thanks to him Anthony was not exaggerated, but instead made him more human and realistic. There was a risk of making this character too cliché and I am sure that if not for amazing skills of the actor, it would be like that. Also, I have to add: this guy has amazing voice! Jung Ryeo Won was pretty likeable, she did a really good job, but I had some problems with the way her character was written – the typical hardworking, sweet hearted girly who changes our arrogant hero is a bit overused. Thankfully, her acting covered this flaw. As for Siwon… I am positively surprised that he took this role and wasn’t afraid to play such an uncool character. His Kang Hyun Min was exaggerated, but in a good way – he was a comic relief of this drama.
So why did I give this drama an 8 if I liked it so much? My main problem was that there were many loose ends and forgotten plot threads, like the rushed way they ended the part about Japanese guy founding the production of drama or how suddenly the whole rivalry between World Production and Empire disappeared… It was awkward and frustrating. Also, I wasn’t a big fan of the ending: it was sloppy, too rushed and in some ways out of place. Unfortunately, it lowered my enthusiasm about this drama and left me unsatisfied.
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It really has a refreshing and entertaining story. It starts off in our fav. drama world, and you really feel you are part of this world. There is the competition, intrigues, rivalries and of course loyalties. All in all you get a general idea what the dramaworld is all about.
Somewhere in between a sutle romance starts to develop between the leads, and yes they really grow on you, both the actors have done a wonderful job, especially the girl, I really liked her character and she has played it really well, and their romance is natural and really cute and goes well with their characters.
Although I liked the first half, I was totally hooked by the middle and really loved the second half.
Verdict: Its definately a good one to watch, it is entertaining, romantic and full of challanges, so even if you are not a great fan of the actors, this one is not to be missed.
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Story: I don't really understand why I really like the story of it. Okey, it is different than other dramas I've ever watched but has nothing extraordinary though. Still, like the idea of drama-within-drama and also the mixture of comedy, drama, romance genres.
Acting/Cast: I think one of the most important reasons I love this drama so much is because of the cast. Every actor and actresses in this drama made a great work. This is the first time that I've ever watched a drama of Jung Ryeo Won&Kim; Myung Min and I really like them. The energy between them is really good and worth to watch. But for me, Choi Si Won is best among the cast, I re-ally love his role and his acting even I'm not kind of person who likes this type of characters. Just before this drama I was thinking to watch Oh! My Lady; was not so sure but I'll definitely watch it for Si Won, he is fabulous. While watching him, couldn't keep myself but laughing. He is the one made this drama so much different from others.
Music: Osts of the drama are good, too. Maybe without watching the drama they are not the type of musics that I want to listen all the time but it seems like that they are cut out for this drama, really good and really fit in with it.
Overall it is one of the greatest dramas, and without any doubt everyone at least should give a chance to it.
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