Friday Feature: Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a shopping holiday on December 26. People line up and get into physical altercations to save money. What K-drama door crashers do we have to look forward to in 2015?

Heart to Heart

This drama has three big draws for me. First, it stars Choi Kang Hee, who I loved in “Protect the Boss”. She was miscast in her last drama, “Level 7 Civil Servant” so my hope is that this one will redeem her.

Secondly, “Heart to Heart” is on tvN, the Korean cable network that has produced some interesting shows. Their past roster includes some of our recent favourites, “King of High School Savvy”, “Liar Game”, and “Misaeng”. Even their Oh! Boy and I Need Romance series were interesting, if not entirely successful.

Last, but not least, “Heart to Heart” will be directed by Lee Yoon Jung, the director behind “First Shop of Coffee Prince”! The prospect of watching an easy going, sexually liberated Kdrama is exciting, to say the least.

Expected start date: January 9, 2015 – Junggugeo Kaenada 중국어 캐나다

Kill Me, Heal Me

If I’m honest, the premise for this show sounds like a straight-up disaster: a chaebol with seven personalities falls for his secret doctor. The speculation about which K-drama actor could pull this feat off was considerable before the confirmed casting of Ji Sung, but frankly, I’m convinced it would take a miracle of writing and directing first.

On the other hand, since they’ve cast Oh Min Suk (a.k.a. Assistant Manager Kang of “Misaeng”) as a supporting player, I’ll probably give it a chance regardless. Here’s a teaser that looks sort of… funny?

Expected start date: January 2015 – Only 만

Descended from the Sun

Given that I spent much of “The Heirs” grinding my teeth in frustration, and a lot of “Secret Garden” in a mild state of annoyance, you would think that I would have nothing to do with a melodrama from the same writer, Kim Eun Sook. And yet, I’m reasonably sure that I’m going to tune into this show about two people who fall in love while saving lives in Doctors Without Borders, if only because I’ll want to know what everyone is complaining about on Twitter.

So, I implore you, Kim Eun Sook, just do me two small favours: first, make the female lead less weepy, and try not to make your male lead a total ass. It’s not too much to ask, is it?

Expected start date: May 2015- Only

Shine or Go Crazy

Jang Hyuk was amazingly crazy, yet touching as chaebol, Lee Gun in “Fated to Love You”. And, like “Fated to Love You”, “Shine or Go Crazy” will feature the theme of fate.

However, Jang Hyuk’s latest show is a sageuk. Its theme of ill fated love between married monarchs sounds like a melodrama. How likely is Jang Hyuk to whip off his shirt as a Prince of Goryeo? Unlikely. Chances are that I am unlikely to watch this show.

Expected start date: January 2015- Junggugeo Kaenada

Let’s Eat 2

If there was ever a show I’m guaranteed to watch, it’s “Let’s Eat 2”. The first one suffered a little from a thin plot and delayed romantic development, but I was too busy ogling the beautifully lit, delicious food to care.

My only reservation (see what I did there?) is the possibility of the loss of the original cast. They’d be hard-pressed to find someone to top Yoon Doo Joon’s fantastic food lectures as Goo Dae Young, or Lee Soo Kyung’s orgasmic eating skills. And frankly, I’d be more interested in seeing how Dae Young and Soo Kyung’s relationship is going, than checking in with a whole new cast of characters. That said, I’m a glutton, not a gourmet; I’ll probably tune in either way.

(In case it wasn’t obvious, that isn’t a real poster for season two. I just added a 2 to a poster for season 1.)

Expected start date: April 2015 – Only

Jekyll and Me

Hyun Bin’s highly anticipated return to television has him assuming both the cold asshole role and the nice guy character as a man with split personalities. However, that scenario would weigh the love triangle too heavily in Hyun Bin’s favour. So, they threw in Sung Joon as the second male lead.

The promise of crazy in combination with cute has placed “Jekyll and Me” on our must see list. Stay tuned in the new year!

Expected start date: January 2015 – Junggugeo Kaenada

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Readers: which K-drama in 2015 are you looking forward to?

Predict the future in the Comments below.