I have a theory that the more a show meets these factors that I’ve detailed, the higher up it is likely to sit on an all-time favorites list. No other drama will ever touch this drama’s echelon of drama cracktastic-ness in my books. I’ve watched this at least 6 times, and I plan to keep re-watching it forever. Watching it was cathartic on so many levels, and I love this drama unreservedly as a result. I cried at those scenes, in part for the characters, but in equal part, for myself. Joo Ji Hoon as Lee Shin was as cold, aloof and distant as my ex, and yet, as he grew and evolved through the course of the drama, my heart ached with hope (or more like fantasy, really) that perhaps the ex could evolve in a similar fashion. I was nursing a broken heart and battling a personal crisis of major proportions when my sister brought home the box set, and as we sat down to watch it, it managed this weird paradox of transporting me into a different, fantasy world so that I could escape the pain in my real life, and yet at the same time, in that fantasy world, I came face to face with situations and character traits that resonated with my real life problems. “ Almost Para-daiiiise” became more and more painful to hear as the show wore on. The music now sounded uninteresting at best, and jarring at worst. I hadn’t enjoyed Gu Hye Sun too much on my first watch either, but on my second watch, I was outright irritated by her. I didn’t find him attractive in the slightest, and the light brown long locks that I’d used to find charming on him now looked downright ugly. Kim Hyun Joong’s Yoon Ji Hoo no longer did anything for me.
Seriously.Įverything had lost its appeal. I attempted a re-watch of BOF on a whim and found that I hated it. I was swept along by the BOF mania that captured the k-universe by storm.Ī lady that I knew – an ahjumma in almost every way, complete with 4 kids – watched BOF 6 whole times. I was mesmerized by Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo, and I thought his character was sooo romantic and sweet.
I watched this soon after it first aired in Korea, and along with all my friends and practically the rest of the k-universe, I relished it. Other shows that fall into this category include: Famous Princesses, Unstoppable High Kick, Be Strong Geum Soon. I have so many other things that I can do – and dramas that I can watch! – in 86 hours, that this show will never get bumped up high enough on the priorities list to warrant a re-watch.
That’s how much I loved the show.Īs much as I loved it, though, I can’t see myself watching all 172 episodes all over again. Streaming at super slow speeds too, I might add.
I liked this show so much that I even went online to watch missed episodes with Chinese subs. Then there are the shows which are genuinely heartwarming and enjoyable – maybe a little addictive, even – on the first watch, but which won’t stand up to a re-watch due to their length.įairly early in my kdrama-loving life, Likable Or Not (aka I Hate You, But It’s Fine) aired on local TV, and I got sucked into the warm family atmosphere which combined with OTP cuteness from Kim Ji Suk and Han Ji Hye to make for pretty addictive viewing. Likable Or Not – likable, but way too lengthy