Year In Review: What I Missed 2012

This time last year I'd been puttering around the drama world for barely two months, watching any old thing I could get my hands on, and generally thrilling in this brave new world I'd suddenly found myself in.  I maybe had a tally of 10 dramas when I started noticing bloggers across the board beginning their Year In Review series.  That people could watch that many dramas in a year?  Incredible.  And be able to review them all? Superb.  How would I ever manage to catch up on all the good dramas, let alone all the ones from this year?  That's just impossible. Me one year later, and I'm having roughly the same thoughts...

Total Dramas Watched (or sampled):  65

Dramas Watched (or sampled) from 2012:  12

I actually feel pretty good about that number 12 too.  When you think of the benefits of watching dramas as they air, my main argument is that you get to be apart of the drama-community as it happens.  Spazzing out with other fangirls and bloggers all over the net.  It makes me feel like I'm in touch with the world around me.  Ex: "I was totally apart of that trend! I watched it just like you!"  Unfortunately, I kind of killed the mood when I tallied up another sad stat.

Dramas Watched in 2012 AS THEY AIRED that Weren't Dropped:  6

Basically, this means that I live in my own little drama world.  I'm kind of sad about that.  It's true though that my K-Drama world is lived either marginally to or vicariously with the rest of the online K-Drama community.  Maybe that's why instead of writing up my Year In Review list for the 9 Korean dramas I actually completed this year, I'm kind of more amused at the number of dramas I didn't watch, for one reason or another.

Read more below for a partial list of (by other accounts) popular or at least notorious dramas of 2012 that I missed, why I may have missed them, and if they should be added to the great 'You missed this in 2012, so watch in 2013' list.  I'll be taking suggestions too, so help out a girl in need!

Love Rain 

Aired when I was still too new to pay attention.  Also, it looked ultra sloppy and the main actor (who I later discovered to be Jang Geun Seok), had very unattractive wet hair.  My cursory review checks claimed that this drama was either the best thing that ever happened to romance, or the slowest.   Having now completed the Endless Love dramas, I'm a little more curious about this one.  I at least want to 'have seen it' which sounds like a lot of work.  Must I really watch it? I kind of want to have it already behind me, safely in the 'completed' territory, without putting in the time. Oh well, I'll get around to it sometime.

Bridal Mask

I don't know how I managed to skip this one.  Every blogger I came across raved about it for months on end!  Maybe it's the 'months' on end part that got to me.  30 episodes at two episodes a week was just torture to the brain-thinking part of my K-Drama focused lifestyle.   But if I don't watch this, I think my friends will never let me hear the end of it.  Plus, it honestly does sound good.  There can't be that much buzz over this for nothing, right? I might have been a tad bit spoiled about the ending, but I'm going to pretend I never heard anything. It's a definite yes to watching it this year.  Edit: watched Feb 2013 - Review

Rooftop Prince

Micky Yoochun and the Joseon Power Rangers?  *giggles*  Uhm, that's the best I can say I've heard about this drama.  Something about weird plot holes, a plucky rooftop girl, and a maybe not so fabulous ending.   I'm going to have to think about this one for a bit.

A Gentleman’s Dignity 

Do I or do I not?  I skipped this one because I just didn't have the time, and the promotional posters showing (relatively) old dudes dressed up in checkered suits and cummerbunds really don't do anything for me. Thanks to the mixed reviews (some love it, some hate it), I'm still on the fence about this one, and I'm not too keep to hop off that fence anything in the very near future. Edit: Finally finished - ick

The Moon That Embraces the Sun

Fusion sageuk? What is that? - Says me about a year ago.  I don't know anything about this drama, except that some people rave about the child actors, and rave less about the adult actors, and as I sort of like some of the adult actors, who are apparently not rave-worthy, I'm stumped.  Reports of this being a slow slump fest plagued by over-dramatic acting and story lines, and I'm not sure I care to find out.

Fashion King

I have to admit.  The plot synopsis as it began to air, and the casting of Yoon Ah In (shortly after I'd watched Sunkyunkwan Scandal), and I almost started watching this.  A few episodes later, and there being weird reports of a bathtub scene and some weird shenanigans that took the characters to America, and I was less intrigued.  Thank. God. I actually read the recaps for this - my first time doing so.  Still, the plot was almost so bad that even with heavy doses of irony, my attention span was tested.

Dream High 2

I hadn't even watched the first Dream High when this one aired.  I didn't even like K-Pop when this one aired (wow, have times changed).  So a drama peopled with idols playing high school students, coupled with the steady dissipating stream of less-than-enamored reviewers, and yes, it was an automatic skip for me.   Maybe sometime in the future, if I get bored.  Like, severely bored.

Time Slip Dr. Jin

Even the initial plot synopsis sounded the ridiculous.  The casting sounded ridiculous.  Then pictures of the brain fetus surfaced on the web, and I was hooked - on the worst crack of the age.  NO, I didn't bother watching this for even a second.  But I did read the recaps until even those couldn't save the utter misery and hilariousness that was this drama's plot.   It's a no, for all eternity.  Not if If get dangled off a hospital roof, and somebody threatens me either with death or watching this, will I subject myself to the live-action version.

I Do, I Do

I love Kim Sun Ah.  I kind of like shoes.  I'm also a decent fan of the noona romance genre.  But the guy just didn't look hot enough, or at least worthy of Kim Sun Ah.  I'm pretty sure I wasn't in the mood for this at the time.  And there's only so many fashion industry oriented dramas with corporate intrigue a girl can take, especially when they cover up a middling rom-com.  

Doubt I'll ever watch this.  It would take a pretty strange mood (like being  drunk) for me to want to start this one ever. Which means, it's still a possibility. 

Ghost

It's been on my radar.  Though I have absolutely no idea what it's about?  I haven't even looked it up yet.  Some people say it's fabulous.  Some say it has a great first couple episodes and goes downhill from there.  

Maybe I'll take the time to find out this year.  I hear that my boys form Block B did one of the songs for the OST.  That's got to be a bonus for this show, right? 

Wild Romance

Weird hair and earmuffs.  That's all I can think of when I hear this drama mentioned.  I don't know.  I'm not a fan of a single one of these actors either.  And I hear that for a show with the word 'romance' in it, there's not really a good or wild romance, so what's the point? 

Probably never.  Unless someone comes up with a better reason, or, any reason at all why I should see this.  

Ma Boy

Gender bender drama?  Oh that's typical.  Boy dressed as a girl, for a change? Oh, now that sounds fun.  Average age of the main actors... a little young.  Promo pictures?  Not so attractive.  Maybe it's a hidden gem, but from my current point of view it looks decidedly average.   

It's 3 episodes long. I know I could do it.  Just, do I want to?  Could be fun I suppose. 

The Equator Man

Oh dear, it's another revenge drama.  With some eye candy, but... unfortunately I'd already gone through a string of revenge dramas when this one aired, and I'm still not sure if I'm ready for another.  There's only so much emotional angst I can handle a season, and Nice Guy took it all out of me in one blow.  

I'd watch it for Lee Jun Hyuk, so maybe one day in the distant future, when I remember that he's sadly in the military and won't be home for months and months.  

Oohlala Spouses

I just don't know what to think about this one.  So much of the initial concept doesn't appeal to me.  Early rumors of the plot-line too also didn't pique my interest.  Besides, that has to be the weirdest pink suit ever.  Alright, so I'm shallow, and the poster probably has nothing to do with about 99.99% of the drama's plot.  Too bad. I'm still not intrigued.  

It's a definite skip.  Too many other dramas to get through.  

A Wife’s Credentials

Want. to. watch. I can't even say anything else, I just want to see it so bad. Whenever somebody gets around to subbing it completely.  Curse my elementary Korean.  I need to get back on my studies.  This drama is (probably) proof that my life would be so enriched by the knowledge of Korean.