2015 Jaybird Awards

2015 Jaybird Awards

I know we’re a good way into 2016 already- but I had a fair few 2015 dramas that I needed to catch up on because I was so far behind! So here it is (finally). The 2015 Jaybird Awards! I will admit, I haven’t even come close to seeing all the K-Dramas that were released in 2015, but I did my best to hit the big ones (and some of the smaller ones). However, here in the Land Down Under, it is quite difficult to get our hands on a lot of series, as we don’t have access to a lot of content on great streaming websites (cough, Dramafever, cough). I mean come on, it’s just Australia- we’re not trying to stream from Narnia. Anyway, I did my best, and you’ll find a complete list of the 2015 K-Dramas that I watched this past year (and are thus in contention for awards) at the end.

Best Drama:

Healer

‘Healer’ was really a standout in K-Drama this year. It was a beautiful blend of action and romance- with sizzling chemistry between the main leads. The plot was racing and addictive, with the mystery elements revealed gradually- just enough each episode to keep you desperate for more. Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young were compelling as our main couple, and the support was just as strong as the leads. Yoo Ji Tae left nothing to be desired- completely owning the justice-driven reporter. From start to finish the series was riveting, and ‘Healer’ can also boast one of the most satisfying K-Drama endings. And we all know how rare those are.

Runner Up: Kill Me, Heal Me

Best Actor:

Ji Sung (Kill Me, Heal Me)

When it comes to acting in 2015- Ji Sung was definitely the one to beat. From the minute ‘Kill Me, Heal Me’ came to a close, everyone knew that it was going to be an almost impossible feat to top Ji Sung’s performance. It’s risky to take on the role of a man with Multiple Personality Disorder, as it’s not really taking on one role- more like seven. Ji Sung brought each personality to life in a completely unique, believable way, in a wonderful display of acting ability. A task that would be daunting to any actor, he handled with apparent ease and confidence, and shaped the drama through his performance. 

Runner Up: Ji Chang Wook (Healer)

Best Actress:

Park Bo Young (Oh My Ghostess)

Similarly to Ji Sung, Park Bo Young had the task of taking on more than one role in a single drama. After quite an absence, Park Bo Young made her return to the small-screen- and what a return it was. She was dynamic both as the flirtatious ghost and the withdrawn introvert the ghost was possessing. Her natural charms came bursting from both her characters, leading to fiery chemistry between herself and Jo Jung Seok. Park Bo Young was completely believable and completely captivating all drama long.

Runner Up: Kim Hee Sun (Angry Mom)

Best Support:

Park Seo Joon (Kill Me, Heal Me)

Perhaps one of the biggest cases of Second Male Lead Syndrome this year was Park Seo Joon. He was charming, charismatic and adorable as Oh Ri On in the sensation ‘Kill Me, Heal Me’. He displayed great versatility and depth, as well as his wonderful ability to evoke an emotional response from an audience- no one’s heart was left unaffected by his one-sided love affair. His outstanding acting gave the lead actors a solid base to work around, and allowed the stars to really shine- without having his own light diminished.

Runner Up: Choi Siwon (She Was Pretty)

Best Couple:

Park Yoo Chun and Shin Se Kyung (Girl Who Sees Smells)

The chemistry between Park Yoo Chun and Shin Se Kyung was unbelievable in this drama. It was adorable and sweet, but also inherently believable. The characters came together in such an unforced, natural way, that it felt wonderfully real. While both stars gave exceptional performances on their own, it was scenes of them together that really stole the show. The couple’s ability to work together and communicate gave them a great edge over other K-Drama couples, and they were simply enchanting to watch develop. It was hard to believe Park Yoo Chun wasn’t actually falling head over heels for Shin Se Kyung.

Runner Up: Park Bo Young and Cho Jung Seok (Oh My Ghostess)

Best Villain:

Namgung Min (Girl Who Sees Smells)

Namgung Min gave a delightfully terrifying performance as the psychopathic killer in ‘Girl Who Sees Smells’. He was able to easily shift between ruthless killer and charismatic chef so seamlessly that it was a little unsettling. Namgung Min’s spectacular performance added a real sense of fear and urgency into the drama, and left us with a conclusion that felt that much more satisfying due to his stellar performance throughout.

Runner Up: Lim Ju Hwan (Oh My Ghostess)

Best Ensemble:

Reply 1988

When it comes to spot-on casting and loveable ensembles, the ‘Reply’ franchise is hard to beat. For the third time running we’re given a group of wonderfully endearing characters, played by a group of wonderfully talented actors. ‘Reply 1988’ hosts one of the bigger casts of 2015, and it says a lot about both the writer and the actors that not one character felt miscast. Every actor was able to make you completely believe their character, and completely fall in love with them. The relationships between the characters are complicated and interwoven- creating more storylines, and more love for the group as a whole. 

Runner Up: Angry Mom

Best Idol Gone Actor:

U-Know Yunho (I Order You)

Both Yunho and DBSK bandmate Max Changmin have scored some pretty serious flack for their acting. However, in ‘I Order You’ Yunho really throws himself into character and does a wonderful job. He handles the romance with ease, and even does a brilliant job in pulling off the heavier, more emotional scenes. Also, he really only wins over Prince Choi Siwon- because if we’re all honest, Choi Siwon is basically an actual actor now. Nevertheless, fantastic performance U-Know Yunho.

Runner Up: Lee Jong Hyun (Orange Marmalade)

Worst Idol Gone Actor:

Cha Eun Woo (To Be Continued)

Okay, I know this was his debut performance (both as an idol and an actor), but it was a little bit painful to watch. Poor Cha Eun Woo was completely unable to express the necessary emotion in a scene, and came across as wooden and robotic. Very pretty, but very expressionless. He really tried his best, but he should probably just stick to singing and dancing (which he does beautifully) rather than acting. Perhaps his inability to act would have been felt less had he been given a more minor role in the drama, but alas…he was given the lead. Eek.

Runner Up: Yugyeom (Dream Knight)

Least Convincing Couple:

Dasom and Ryu Soo Young (Virtual Bride)

The drama was never going to be outstanding, and that’s okay. But here, the leading couple is written so sporadically that it’s almost laughable. The two characters jump so quickly from hate to love that it gives you a bit of emotional whiplash. Granted, there was a bunch of cute going on between the main leads- but it wasn’t a believable relationship in the slightest.

Runner Up: Yeo Jin Goo and Seolhyun (Orange Marmalade)

Show Carrier:

Hyun Bin (Hyde, Jekyll, Me)

Another actor taking on more than one role, Hyun Bin displayed great acting ability in the rather highly criticised ‘Hyde, Jekyll, Me’. He was basically flawless as the two personalities of Goo Seo Jin, and had the added task of carrying the romance on his own- as his partner, Han Ji Min, played a rather flat, lifeless character. It was Hyun Bin’s wonderful acting that kept the drama as engaging as it was. Sung Joon also gave a good performance- but the bulk of the drama landed on Hyun Bin’s shoulders, and he did an excellent job in carrying it along.

Runner Up: Choi Siwon (She Was Pretty)

Biggest Disappointment:

She Was Pretty

Given the zippy chemistry between Hwang Jung Eum and Park Seo Joon in ‘Kill Me, Heal Me’, we were all expecting great things from ‘She Was Pretty’- as they would actually be a couple in this drama. I think we were all left feeling a little disappointed. The drama itself doesn’t hold a great deal of interest, as beyond our main couple discovering each others’ true identity- there’s no conflict. The romance also lands a little flat, with a few cute scenes but not a lot else. The sole redeeming feature of this drama was Choi Siwon absolutely slaying in his role as Kim Shin Hyuk.

Runner Up: My Unfortunate Boyfriend

Jaybird's Choice:

Angry Mom

When it comes to the drama I personally enjoyed most this year, it was definitely ‘Angry Mom’. It wasn’t perfect by a long shot, but it was inherently entertaining. The series had an addictive (if slightly depressing) plot, and intriguing characters played by fantastic actors. The darkness of the drama meant that the love and friendships felt that much more earned, and that much more rewarding. Every character was meticulously mapped out and had amazing depth, and the writers cleverly and creatively unveiled how each character became the person they were. ‘Angry Mom’ had a plethora of brilliant actors, but the younger actors particularly showed amazing talent.

Runner Up: Healer

2015 K-Dramas:

Angry Mom

Dream Knight

Fool’s Love

Girl Who Sees Smells

Healer

Hi! School Love On

Hyde, Jekyll, Me

Imaginary Cat

I Order You

Kill Me, Heal Me

My Unfortunate Boyfriend

Oh My Ghostess

Orange Marmalade

The Producers

School 2015- Who Are You

Reply 1988

She Was Pretty

To Be Continued

Twenty Again

Virtual Bride

I Order You

I Order You

6/10

I Order You 

Genre:                                   Episodes: 16                                   Year: 2015

Romance

Comedy

Melodrama

Synopsis:

Yeo Gook Dae is a talented chef who owns and runs a lunchbox restaurant. He acts arrogant and rude to cover up his pain from his last broken relationship. One day he meets Park Song Ah, a woman who has come to pick up an order, and the story follows the developments of their relationship.

Cast:

U-Know Yunho (Yeo Gook Dae)

Kim Ga Eun (Park Song Ah)

Jang Seung Jo (Kevin)

Goo Jae Yi (Ah Da Hwa)

Baek Jong Won (Han Bi Ryong)

Cho Yoon Woo (Nam Soo Ri)

General Thoughts:

It’s not a long drama with 16 20-30 minute episodes, but manages to fit a fair bit in. The initial set up of the series is delightful: it’s cute, carefree and just the teensiest bit cheesy. The ditzy heroine is likable and unique with her constant spacing out and going ga-ga over good food. Kim Ga Eun throws herself into her character and delivers a reliable, realistic performance.

It had a delightfully quirky sense of humor

Yunho does a beautiful job as the prickly chef- though his character does soften pretty quickly, but that’s probably due the writing more than the acting. He’s unexpectedly good in the melodramatic scenes that require raw emotion and tears. A couple of times at the beginning of scenes- the acting was a little weird and stoic. It was very obvious that our main leads had found their marks, heard ‘action’, and then begun. It probably didn’t help that a fair few scenes started with our leads in awkward standing positions that aren’t natural in real life. I mean- who just stands a meter or so away from someone after they’ve had a big emotional heart-to-heart on a bench. Weird.

Danced with becoming cliche- but managed to avoid it

The story was super easy to follow and didn’t have a lot of surprises- I pegged the whole mum twist from the moment Park Song Ah mentioned that Gook Dae’s cooking tasted like her mother’s. Much as I wanted to be wrong, I wasn’t. Because eeggghhh- past-connected-trauma-involving-loving-parent is so overused. I mean, childhood-friend-returning-home-to-find-his-first-love (Kevin) - suuuuuuper cliché, but bearable. Even the jilted ex-lover returning was acceptable as it had its own unique spin. But all the mum plotline did was make Yunho cry and Park Song Ah look like a massive b*tch. The side characters were pretty spot-on, not super developed (but that’s to be expected in a lightweight, short drama), but likeable enough that they weren’t just dead space on the screen. There was a lot of pretty instrumental music throughout the whole drama- which is lovely in an era of overused, irrelevant, lyric-filled songs.

What Was Great:

U-Know:

I'd order that

You know, U-Know Yunho did a pretty great job acting. I expected him to be rather abysmal as I’ve heard so many critiques of his bandmate Max Changmin’s acting, and…well…idols acting. But there you go- never judge a man’s acting by his band. He was dedicated and believable in his character, and had a nice spark with his co-star Kim Ga Eun. Also he looked fab the whole time. It was nice to see him with a bit of weight on, none of this too-skinny stick insect nonsense. Omo, my heart practically died seeing a healthy looking male gracing my screen. I’m pretty sure this was Yunho’s last drama before he headed off to military (cue the tears)- Yunho, we can’t wait to see you (and Max) back in 2017!

Snackbite Size:

Saved some time for quality snogs

This drama knew exactly how long it was supposed to be. So many series make the mistake of having too many episodes and not enough content, or try cramming too much into too short a drama. This series was well-balanced, the short episodes giving the exact amount of time needed for each conflict in each episode. The writers utilised their time perfectly, using every episode to its full potential, and never used any episodes as filler until the next conflict-arc.

General Flow:

The start...

While the drama did start out as a bubbly rom-com, by the end it was hitting the melodrama pretty hard. The gradual progression into more serious issues was handled beautifully, with each new arc of story gradually taking on a more serious tone than the last. It was never super obvious that this was what the drama was attempting to do until you reach the end and think ‘how did we get here?’- because the increasing melo is not noticeable while you’re immersed in the drama.

...and the end.

Oppa Dongsaeng:

The brother everyone wants

I adore brother characters in K-Dramas whether they are older or younger, and here we get a pleasant mix of both. No, not because Park Song Ah has two brothers, but because her dongsaeng takes it as his job to be her guardian after their mother dies and Song Ah is blaming herself. My only gripe is that I wanted to see a little more of him and their adorable relationship.

Noble Idiot Repercussions:

Okay, I’m not exactly sure that this is what the writers intended- but this is how I took it. I didn’t really like the character of Ah Da Hwa, but she fit into the story well enough, was more threatening (in a way) than irritating, and gave our main couple space to connect and grow. And here’s the bit I really enjoyed- she’s like a Candy-girl gone wrong. Initially Ah Da Hwa is a bitter ex-lover out to reclaim her man. And then we find out the reason she left in the first place is because the evil mother-in-law tricked her, so she sacrificed her love for her soon-to-be (but now never) husband.

How noble idiots end up in real life

AHAHAHA. How many dramas have we watched where this is more or less exactly what the main female protagonist does. 'Heirs'. 'My Girlfriend is a Gumiho'. 'BoysOver Flowers'. I could go on.

Has she ever not been the evil mother-in-law?

My point being- this is a move used countless times by the heroine in many dramas, and now we are given an instance where the exact same plan has failed miserably. “I’ll leave with no explanation because it will save him more hurt later, and then in two years I’ll return and we can be together again.” Except, lol- now he has a cute ass girlfriend cuz you left him at the altar. It’s beautiful and hilarious. Also does it surprise anyone that evil mother-in-law cameo is played by Park Joon Geum? Are the writers here actually just using this drama to poke fun at how ridiculous many K-Drama rom-coms are? Or will Park Joon Geum legit assassinate anyone else who dares play a vicious mum-in-law?

What Wasn’t:

Mum Melo:

I saw this coming a mile away and hated it. I was hoping we would bypass this whole ‘fated from the beginning’ town, but our last two episodes lived there. Park Song Ah’s mother is not developed enough for the viewers to care about her as a character, so we feel no great sadness at her death. The drama also doesn’t explore Mum’s relationships with Song Ah or Gook Dae beyond that she loved them and they loved her, and now they both blame themselves for her death.

The cliche connection no one wanted

The whole series has focused on the reveal of Gook Dae’s true character, his past, and how his past has hurt him. In the point of the story when we come across the mum revelation, the character we are identifying and sympathising most with is Gook Dae. And then we see Park Song Ah just rip into him. Oof. Any compassion or empathy developed for Song Ah disappears in less than a minute. Because you just don’t say those things to someone you love. You don’t destroy someone you care about that way. Okay, well yes, in a similar situation we might maybe say harsh things like Song Ah, but we don’t like to believe we can. And the fact is, the drama to question and evoke curiosity about the darkness of our souls and inbuilt selfishness is not a short rom-com starring a spunky singer. The series had built to this final, melodramatic climax- but it was just painful. And not in a good ‘I’m so invested in the suffering of these characters’ kind of way. What I really wanted for this drama was some kind of conflict that pushed our couple to grow stronger as a pair and work together.

No, no- don't say sh*t like that to our boy

I suppose you could argue that the mum-melo did bring them closer as a couple in a roundabout way, but it didn’t flow well. The middle of the drama is for internal conflict (ex-wife) for our characters to fight over and move past, the end for external conflict that they triumph over together. Unfortunately we got a second, and larger, internal conflict right at the end of our drama, which inevitably led to a time-skip (though no one knows how much time has passed- enough to write and publish a book obviously) and weird happiness because apparently spending significant periods of time apart has no impact on your relationship. Hm.

My pet peeve for this drama

Discontinuity:

I am not one for fine details, but I know for a FACT that the feel-better-about-yourself-Gook-Dae bracelet broke. It was a very metaphorical moment and those not so metaphorical beads scattered all over our cute chef’s bedroom floor. All. Over. I specifically remember because it was all about how Gook Dae’s acceptance of the accident not being his fault was shattered. And yet, lo and behold, a few scenes later he’s on the beach with Park Song Ah, bracelet perfectly intact. Okay, yes, it’s not out of the question that Gook Dae fixed the bracelet off-screen- but that’s far less likely than the writers simply hoping we wouldn’t notice. I just plain don’t believe that self-loathing Gook Dae sat on his bedroom floor drunk as a skunk piecing together a gift from his potentially now ex-girlfriend that says ‘It’s not your fault’. I know you’re short on time, but the very least give us a musical montage of him piecing it back together as he comes to accept its meaning. Or something. Jeez. Also it seemed to slip everyone’s mind that dead Mum had a son too. Like bodyguard brother seems to give no sh*ts that his mum is dead. And in all feel-good imaginings it’s Mum, kid Song Ah and kid Gook Dae. Like, where’s nae dongsaeng?

If you thought that was Park Song Joo (ya know...her actual son)- you'd be wrong

Re-watch?

Nah. It’s cute, but unexceptional. And weirdly not as much about food as you would initially think.

Aaaaand back to being cutesy