Adventures in Asia

When in doubt, pick a drama from 2011. “Flower Boy Ramyun Shop” is my, what, sixth – seventh – Korean show from that brilliant year of foreign TV magic. How did kdrama viewers maintain their social lives in 2011? Maybe they just all sat around watching TV together. (And yes, I know how to spell ramen. Ramyun is the Korean spelling. This poster is Drama Fever failing to spell it accurately.) “Flower Boy Ramyun Shop” (which I’m going to shorten to FBRS from here on out) is a romantic comedy about a college girl studying to be a teacher, a flirtatious heir to a conglomerate, a tall and kind ramen chef, the leader of a high school gang, and… another high school kid… I’m not really sure why he’s there. Oh, wait! He’s there because you can’t run a ramen restaurant with only four people! Especially when the Male Lead is a priss, which would make it three actual workers. So this random group of characters ends up working together at, you guessed it, a ramen shop. Commence love tri...

Oh, would you look at that, another amazing Korean drama that aired in 2011! My housemates and I just finished watching “Lie to Me,” directed by Kwon Hyuk Chan (who also directed “Secret Garden”) and starring Yoon Eun Hye (of “Coffee Prince”) and Kang Ji Hwan (of the tragic “Hong Gil Dong,” which I’ve been advised to never watch). Basic premise: a white lie hits gossip central, and after a series of ridiculous and hilarious events it becomes mutually beneficial for two strangers to pretend they’re married. The fake bride is Gong Ah Jung, hardworking yet hot mess civil servant (meaning she works for the government). The fake groom is Hyun Ki Joon, perfectionist and wealthy hotel heir/owner (I mean, what kdrama male lead isn’t?). Side characters include Hyun Ki Joon’s adorable little brother and classy former fiancé, and Gong Ah Jung’s first love and vicious frenemy. “Lie to Me” starts as a romantic comedy and develops into a full-fledged romance. Midway thr...

After a couple of moody, intense, recently-aired dramas, I decided to watch something funny from a few years ago. Thus, “Protect the Boss”! Has anyone else noticed that 2011 was a ridiculously good year for kdrama?? “City Hunter,” “Dream High,” “Secret Garden” (technically a 2010 drama, but it finished in 2011), “Heartstrings,” “Protect the Boss”… All of the dramas in my top five are from that year (except for “Heirs”). Maybe I should just watch all the dramas from 2011… What was I doing back then, anyway? Oh yeah, college – studying and not enjoying hilarious, heart-warming, Korean TV. Anyway, “Protect the Boss”: Chaebol Cha Ji Heon (I know, another heir) is an OCD slacker who avoids work and can’t keep a secretary. His cousin and rival for the company, Cha Mu Won, hires an unqualified but determined Noh Eun Seol to be Ji Heon’s new assistant. Perfect setup for a love triangle. An ex-girlfriend eventually shows up, and we’ve got an even more comical love...