March 06, 2006

Korean Weekly News - March 6

(Posted In Asia Film News Random Geek Talk TV )

daseposonyeo.jpg========================
FILM NEWS
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We've talked before about Lee Jae-Yong's 다세포 소녀 (Dasepo Naughty Girls), but I received a few mails from people confused about whether this was a film or a TV series: it's actually both. A company called 'Dasepo Club' has been founded, to deal with both the film -- directed by Lee, who after using E J-Yong is now calling himself 이감독 (meaning both 'Director Lee' and 'This Director') -- and a 100 Episodes (15 Minutes each) sitcom to be released on the DMB platform, Cable TV and VOD (and hopefully DVD). This company will take care of production, distribution and all other related negotiations. And that's not all: a total of 11 new directors have been recruited to shoot a collection of omnibus short films connected to the original source, which will start shooting in mid March and complete around June, when they will be shown on Cable TV, DMB, VOD and more. The feature film, adapted from a popular internet manhwa, stars Kim Ok-Bin and Yoo Geon from 안녕하세요 하느님 (Hello, God), Lee Kyeon from 안녕, 프란체스카 (Hello Francesca) and a host of other new faces. It has already completed shooting, and will debut in theaters this April.

Domestic films continue to rock the Korean Box Office, recording an impressive 70%+ market share in February. A report from theater chain CJ CGV shows Korean films accounted for 68.8% of total viewership in Seoul (71.4% nationwide) for the month of February, the 7th consecutive month domestic films 'ate' over 50% of the pie. Mostly responsible for the upsurge the sensation of this first quarter of the year, Lee Joon-Ik's 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown), which recently became the highest grossing Korean film of all time. But also Kim Soo-Ro's vampire action comedy 흡혈형사 나도열 (Vampire Cop Ricky), the comedies 구세주 (Oh! My God) and 투사부일체 (My Boss, My Teacher), and of course the Sageuk 음란서생 (Forbidden Quest). Slim pickings for foreign and particularly Hollywood films, for a moviegoing public who seems only interested in their output when it comes to Fantasy, SF, Animation or big Action Adventure films.

Four years after her last leading role, Lee Mi-Yeon is returning to the big screen. Although the actress had a small but significant cameo in Kwak Kyung-Taek-s 2005 blockbuster 태풍 (Typhoon), her last full-fledged role was in the 2002 melodrama 중독 (Addicted), alongside Lee Byung-Heon, Lee Eol and Park Sun-Young. She will in fact star in 어깨너머의 연인 (Lovers Over The Shoulders), a Sidus FNH production helmed by Lee Eon-Hee, who directed the excellent 2003 melodrama ...ing. Although Lee received many offers to star in film and TV Dramas, she mostly kept doing what she's become famous for: CFs. The film, an adaptation of Yuikawa Kei's hugely popular novel 肩ごしの戀人 (Lovers. Over The Shoulder) [a sort of Japanese 'Singles' mostly focused on the female perspective. And the writer is quite popular both in Japan and Korea. Could make for a nice film, actually], stars Lee Mi-Yeon and Lee Tae-Ran as two women with completely different personalities, who work together to succeed as women in contemporary society. Shooting will start at the end of the Month, for what should be a late 2006 release.

Good news for the third installment of the 'Mafia' series, 가문의 부활 (Marrying The Mafia 3: Rebirth of the Family). Jung Tae-Won, president of Taewon Entertainment, announced that Kim Young-Cheol has been cast as Kim Soo-Mi's husband in the gangster comedy. Kim, whose last film role was in last year's Kim Ji-Woon noir 달콤한 인생 (A Bittersweet Life), will add to the cast of the film, which is also bringing back Shin Hyun-Joon and Kim Won-Hee from the second, 가문의 위기 (Marrying The Mafia 2: Enemy in Law). The comedy sold over 5 Million tickets last year, becoming the most successful Korean comedy of all time until its record was beaten by 투사부일체 (My Boss, My Teacher) and its 6+ Million tickets. 'Rebirth of the Family' will start shooting soon, for the obvious Chuseok release.

He's always played very eclectic roles with a quirky touch -- the holier-than-thou producer in 태풍태양 (The Aggressives), the smarmy reporter in 너는 내운명 (You're My Sushine), the rich new flame for Lee Young-Ae in Hur Jin-Ho's 봄날은 간다 (One Fine Spring Day), and of course his big role in Hong Sang-Soo's 강원도의 힘 (The Power of Kangwon Province) -- but this might just be his most important to date: Baek Jong-Hak is debuting as a director! Baek will helm a remake of the Spain/Canada co-production My Life Without Me. The film, which will be entitled 죽기 전에 하고 싶은 10가지 (10 Things To Do Before Death), tells the story of a 20-something married woman with two young daughters, who learns of her terminal cancer condition, and writes 10 things she must do before leaving this world. The original, directed by Isabel Coixet, starred Sarah Polley and Scott Speedman, and was based on Pretending the Bed is a Raft, a short novel by Nanci Kincaid. The film will be distributed by Showbox, and produced by Red Box, a new company set up by former actor Hwang In-Sung, while Song Ye-Jin of 말아톤 (Marathon) will write the script. Although Baek is better known for his acting, he received an MFA at Syracuse, and even worked as producer for CJ Entertainment in films like 소름 (Sorum) and Park Chul-Soo's 산부인과 (Push! Push!). The script is almost completed, and filming will start within the end of the year.

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TV DRAMA NEWS
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gungparody.jpgMBC's 궁 (Princess Hours) is starting to seriously flesh its muscles. If you already looked at the weekly ratings and are wondering if 굿바이 솔로 (Goodbye Solo)'s start in the 20s is a good sign, then I'm sorry, it doesn't look like that will be the case. While the new Noh Hee-Kyung Drama (which looks quite good, although I shall not speak until it's around the middle, Noh's Dramas are a little too complex to describe with a few words) started really well with a 20.1% rating, that was because MBC smartly decided not to show 'Princess Hours' on Wednesday, as the National Soccer Team was screening all over TV with their (agonizingly boring) game against Angola. Shown for two consecutive hours (Eps. 15 and 16) on Thursday, 'Princess Hours' recorded its highest ratings to date, around 27%, and forced the second episode of 'Goodbye Solo' to the low-to-mid 10s as expected. With the 30% rating getting closer, Hwang In-Roi's new Drama looks headed for a pretty lucrative run in foreign markets.

MBC announced they're in the final stages of negotiations for distribution deals with The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and contracts with China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan have been already signed. Also, Japan is about to sign what seems to be a deal in the neighborhood of past superhits like 겨울연가 (Winter Sonata) and 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum). For now, the show had made US$ 2 Million (1.9 Billion Won), and with the Japanese deal included, it could easily reach the 5 Million. Are we about to witness the birth of another huge Pan-Asian success? Although it has no big stars, and most of its cast is made of first timers (especially Yoon Eun-Hye, former Baby V.O.X. member) and unexperienced youngsters, Hwang In-Roi's new age 'Trendy Sageuk' has some of the most impressive Art Direction seen on a Korean TV Drama, and despite the over-the-top and overly 'cute' acting has become a sort of unexpected guilty pleasure. Might be all thanks to veterans Kim Hye-Ja, Kang Nam-Gil, Im Ye-Jin and Shim Hye-Jin doing some of their best work in years, but I'm hooked. Sort of.

Let the war of Historical Dramas begin! We're about to witness an interesting battle between Goguryeo themed Dramas in late Spring, and the latest contender has entered the arena -- although this one is more oriented towards late Goguryeo-early Balhae. After SBS' 연개소문 (Yeon Gae Somun) and MBC's 주몽 (Jumong), here's KBS with 대조영 (Dae Jo Young), which just announced its main cast. The show, produced by Kim Jong-Seon of 태조왕건 (Wang Gun) and 왕과 비 (The King and the Queen) fame, will star Choi Su-Jong as Dae Jo-Young, who founded the Kingdom of Balhae. Choi, a regular of Historical Dramas, recently seen in the excellent 해신 (Emperor of The Sea), works again with PD Kim after the incredibly successful 'Wang Gun', which scored ratings around the 60% between 2000 and 2002. Although very little historical data remains regarding the Balhae and Goguryeo Kingdoms, after 무영검 (Shadowless Sword) history buffs are starting to see the different periods of Korean history recreated on the big and small screen, after decades of Joseon, Joseon and only Joseon.

Justice wass made. The recently concluded MBC Drama 내 인생의 스페셜 (The Special of My Life), which was shortened from its original 12 Episodes to 8, and replaced 늑대 (Wolf) after the injuries suffered by two of its leads, will be shown on its entirety on Cable Tv. The show starred Kim Seung-Woo, Myung Se-Bin and Sung Ji-Roo in what's one of the season's early candidates for a Top 10 spot, and showed the potential of Dramas shot before airdate. Now, why should you care about its broadcast on Cable Tv? Because that increases the chances of seeing the full cut on DVD sooner or later, and the Kim Jong-Hak Production show certainly deserves it. We're not exactly dealing with a 'Mania Drama', and its ratings were quite lukewarm (10 to 15%), but several countries have shown interest in the Drama, and thanks to Kim Seung-Woo's popularity in Japan, something could move pretty soon on the DVD front.

More accidents on the set of Korean TV Dramas, except this time it's SBS. Ryu Jin, star of the popular Historical Drama 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong), which is nearing its end, hurt a finger while shooting in Chungnam Province. Ryu suffered the injury while doing a sword fight with co-star Jo Hyun-Jae, and his management company commented that he had to get 5 stitches, even though he was able to get back to shooting Lee Byung-Hoon's first project since 2003's tremendously successful 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum). But as a result of his injuries, Ryu had to cancel his shooting schedule for the new MBC Weekend Drama 진짜 진짜 좋아해 (I Really Really Like You), at least for a few days. This is not the first setback the Historical Drama suffered, as recently Heo Young-Ran suffered an injury on her forehead worth 15 stitches, and co-star Lee Bo-Young fell of a horse twice. But at least the show is showing strong signs of rebound after its initial lukewarm reception, with ratings touching 25%, with only a few episodes left before conclusion.

MBC really really likes Eugene! We reported on our previous issue about the injury the former S.E.S. member suffered while snowboarding, a few weeks ahead of the start of her upcoming Weekend Drama 진짜 진짜 좋아해 (I Really Really Like You), where she'll play a cook in the Blue House. Now, while doctors diagnosed 8 weeks of rest for the star, MBC was trying to find a solution, which at one point even included the possible replacement of the young lead. But Jang Geun-Soo, head of MBC's Drama department, commented this morning that the PD's confidence in Eugene was so strong they decided to wait for her. So we'll get our Weekend Drama after all. Joy! Now the real reason behind this, if you're willing to be a little more cynical (Eugene's fans will have to forgive me) and realistic, is that the current Weekend Drama MBC is airing -- 결혼합시다 (Let's Get Married) with Yoon Da-Hoon and 왕의 남자 (The King and The Clown)'s Kang Sung-Yeon -- is doing extremely well, passing the 20% rating mark this weekend, so MBC doesn't seem to be in a rush to end its run. What this means is simply that 'Let's Get Married' will enjoy a little extension (a week = 2 Episodes, but it could be longer) for the good of mankind, and then the new Drama will start broadcasting this April. And why would they be so confident about Eugene possibly giving a memorable performance? Because after her stellar performances in 러빙유 (Loving You) and 마지막 춤은 나와함께 (Save The Last Dance For Me) they surely must have thought: by golly! Here's a great actress in the making, we surely must convince her not to go back to the music industry. She's a commodity for MBC and all of Korea! That, or there probably were some strange chemicals involved.

The final piece of the puzzle for MBC's blockbuster Fusion Drama 태왕사신기 (The Great King) has been completed. After casting Bae Yong-Joon, Choi Min-Soo, Moon So-Ri, Jung Jin-Young and many more, Yoon Tae-Young was added to the group, and will play Yonsama's rival in the 43 Billion Won Drama. The show, from the legendary PD/writer duo Kim Jong-Hak and Song Ji-Na -- who worked together in classics like 여명의 눈동자 (Eyes of Dawn) and 모래시계 (The Sandglass) -- is about King Gwanggaeto The Great, one of the most famous figures from the Goguryeo period, and involved shooting in Kirghizistan. Apparently what won the role for Yoon were his 'baddie' roles in two 2005 films, 미스터 소크라테스 (Mr. Socrates) and 강력3반 (Never To Lose). Yoon might have improved from his early days, but it seems to be a little risky giving such an important role to him (while you've got greats like Jung Jin-Young and Park Sang-Won in the background), especially because the show is already risking a lot by casting someone like Bae for such a charismatic role, when his past characters looked everything but charismatic. If Yoon even shows half of the viciousness of his roles in 'Never To Lose' and 'Mr. Socrates', he'll just eat Yonsama with a stare, while he spends time looking at the horizon with his newfound long hair. But I've been surprised before, and if there's anyone able to get great acting even out of average performers, that's exactly Song Ji-Na and Kim Jong-Hak. Let's just hope it doesn't become 'April Snow in Goguryeo'. Shooting will start at the end of the month, for an October/November broadcast.

Actress Jeon In-Hwa dropped out of the cast for SBS' upcoming Historical Drama 연개소문 (Yeon Gae Somun). The veteran actress, married to 'Yeon Gae Somun' lead and Historical Drama regular Yoo Dong-Geun had a small but significant role in the Goguryeo based Drama, set to start airing this May. Seems like the biggest problems were the usual: role was too small, and of course the guarantee was small too. The decision was made much easier by the fact Jeon's role would mostly emerge in the second half of the 100 Episode Drama, so this at least will not create problems to the production team.


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TV DRAMA PREVIEWS
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Part 3 (Final) of our Spring TV Drama Previews. You can also check Part 1 and Part 2. From next week, the 'TV Drama Wrapup' will return, along with the 'Spring Film Previews' (Four Parts), using the same rating system to deal with films debuting in theaters soon. Summer Drama Previews will return in late April. Also, we'll deal with the third big Historical Drama of the season, KBS1's 대조영 (Dae Jo Young) in April, as only Choi Su-Jong has been announced.

yeongae.jpg연개소문 (Yeon Gae Somun)
SBS - May, Mon/Tue Historical Drama, 100 Episodes (Budget: 35 Billion Won), follows 연애시대 (Alone in Love)
PD: 7
이종한 (Lee Jong-Han)
Lee's last work 토지 (Land) suffered from miscasting, and frankly had been adapted for the screen one too many times. But the guy seems to associate with good writers, as he worked with Noh Hee-Kyung on 2001's 화려한 시절 (Wonderful Days) and 1998's 빗물처럼 (Like Rainwater), so I think we should be fairly safe.
WRITER: 7
이환경 (Lee Hwan-Kyung)
A big question mark for me personally, but I'm sure other Sageuk buffs could disagree. I think Lee's career has taken a huge downward spiral, after his amazing works in the mid 90s: he wrote one of my favorite Dramas of all time, 1996's 용의 눈물 (Tears of the Dragon), and then 태조왕건 (Wang Gun) which certainly isn't as good, but still excellent. Then started the problems. I don't think 제국의 아침 (Dawn of the Empire) [another Goryeo Drama, a sort of follow up to 'Wang Gun'] was up to his standards despite being quite solid, and 야인시대 (The Rustic Era) felt like waking up in a 70s action film, complete with unintentionally hilarious dialogue and machismo-drenched characters. Of course the first half is pretty bearable, but once we move to the second half and Kim Young-Cheol joins the proceedings as Kim Doo-Han, then it all becomes a farce. His first movie script, the 2002 film 싸울아비 (Saulabi) was not only historically laughable, but wasted a cast of Sageuk veterans for one of the worst Korean films of the last decade. And then came 영웅시대 (The Age of Heroes), which looked as promising as anything released in the last few years, but ended up glamourizing its (very controversial) figures to an extent nobody could imagine. So, again, a question mark. If this looks even half as good as his earlier works, we might be dealing with a classic. But the moment I heard Lee talking about 'righting wrongs when it comes to Goguryeo history' (Chinese controversy included) I started worrying. I hope this won't just be a flag-waving exercise in over-the-top histrionics, but I have my doubts it will be able to recreate the magic of 'Tears of The Dragon', or even 'Wang Gun'.
CAST: 7
유동근 (Yoo Dong-Geun), 나한일 (Na Han-Il), 황인영 (Hwang In-Young), 김갑수 (Kim Gab-Soo), 이정길 (Lee Jung-Gil), 원구연 (Won Gu-Yeon)
A lot of the 'Wang Gun' team is back, most importantly Na Han-Il, and of course Yoo Dong-Geun, Kim Gab-Soo and Lee Jung-Gil are great Sageuk veterans. Still, for some reason this cast doesn't really excite me that much. Yoo has been dabbling in comedies on the big screen -- 가문의 영광 (Marrying The Mafia) and 어깨동무 (Where's The Tape?) -- where his acting seemed a little too relaxed, but he's had so many great roles in Historical Dramas in the past, I'm willing to trust he's still got it. Of course I'll watch anything with Kim Gab-Soo, as he's pretty much perfect in every role he takes, and Lee Jung-Gil found a huge rebound from the average 'gentle daddy' and 'Sageuk red shirt' roles of the past with his great performance in 부활 (Rebirth). But the rest of the cast just doesn't cut it: Hwang In-Young has never really shown anything of note, and the loss of Jeon In-Hwa might be significant, especially if her replacement is not up to the standard. It's still a good cast, but it doesn't seem to jump at the viewers like the other contenders in this Summer's Historical Drama battle.
OUTLINE: 9
We're not really dealing with your average outline, as this is history, but of course there's always a good portion of fictitious characters mixed with real historical figures. General Yeon Gae Somun was played on the big screen by Lee Won-Jong at the beginning of Lee Joon-Ik's 황산벌 (Once Upon a Time in the Battlefield), and by veteran Jo Kyung-Hwan in Ahn Yeon-Dong's 1992 KBS TV Drama 삼국기 (The Three Kingdoms). We're dealing with late Goguryeo here, right as the Tang-Shilla alliance started having an influence on the Kingdom. Yeon Gae Somun is the general who killed the penultimate King of Goguryeo, Yeongnyu, in 642. It was a period of tremendous instability, both because of the pressure by Shilla, but also because the political situation in Goguryeo was very confusing. After General Yeon put Yeongnyu's nephew Bojang as his puppet on the throne following his coup d'etat, he tried with little success to calm down Yeon's two sons in trying to gain power, and started repressing Buddhism (the Kingdom's official religion) in favour of Taoism. The key here will be seeing who gets the role of Bojang, and especially the antagonists from Shilla's side, but we're certainly dealing with an interesting period, full of intrigue and corruption. The interesting thing is that General Yeon is regarded in historical records as a very cruel and arrogant man, so we'll see how writer Lee deals with the issue.
RATINGS POTENTIAL: 8
I'll go safe and predict somewhere in between 25 and 30%, just because Historical Dramas tend to do well. Of course KBS' efforts in the early years of this decade were recording ratings often doubling that figure, which shows how much traditional historical dramas have fallen out of favour with the TV audience. The biggest reason why I still think this will do well is that the usual audience for Historical Dramas tends to be older males, who will surely remember Yoo's roles in the past, and will probably trust him, at least at the beginning. But even though this is much shorter than the Goryeo series, and SBS tends to offer a mix of MBC's new age style with KBS' more traditional approach (at least the works by Lee Hwan-Kyung), it still should have a pretty good impact on the public.
OVERALL: 7.60

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songjumong.jpg주몽 (Jumong)
MBC - May 8, Historical Drama
PD: 6
이주환 (Lee Ju-Hwan)
Weird choice for an Historical Drama, but I've seen stranger things. Now the biggest problem is experience, because even if you've worked 20 years in 'regular' TV Drama, your first Sageuk project can be really hard to adapt to. Lee's past works mostly deal with Trendy Dramas or Daily Dramas, like the smash hit 인어 아가씨 (Mermaid Girl) and 선희진희 (Seon-Hee Jin-Hee). But I'm giving him a 6 solely based on his involvement in the 1994 classic 종합병원 (General Hospital). Why? Because it's THAT good.
WRITER: 10
최완규 (Choi Wan-Gyu), 정형수 (Jung Hyung-Soo)
Here's your killer ap. Choi Wan-Gyu is, along with Im Choong, my favorite Sageuk writer, and his list of credits reads like a 'who's who' of the best shows of the last 10 years. We begin with 'General Hospital', the fantastic 'Lee Young-Ae before Lady Vengeance' revenge Drama 그들의 포옹 (Their Embrace), 2000's classic 허준 (Hur Joon), 상도 (Sang Do), 올인 (All In), and many more. Jung Hyung-Soo is one of his many proteges, and he himself wrote a few 'not too shabby' shows like a certain 다모 (Damo). They're two of the most shining lights who lead MBC's complete revolution of Historical Drama tropes, so we should expect something excellent from them. We couldn't possibly be in safer hands.
CAST: 8
송일국 (Song Il-Guk), 한혜진 (Han Hye-Jin), 전광렬 (Jeon Gwang-Ryeol), 김승수 (Kim Seung-Soo), 오연수 (Oh Yeon-Soo), 김영철 (Kim Young-Cheol)
Excellent. Of course we're dealing with a 'new age' Historical Drama, mixing more fictional characters than usual and a healthy (I hope!) dose of melodrama, mixed with the usual Sageuk formulae, so the cast tends to be younger. Song Il-Guk was fantastic in 해신 (Emperor of the Sea), and will finally have the chance to go full force, with what looks to be his most important role to date. Han Hye-Jin is still very young and inexperienced, but she carried a Daily Drama on her shoulders -- last year's 굳세어라 금순아 (Be Strong, Geum-Soon) -- which is not an easy feat. It's hard to say if she's got what it takes for a show like this, but this is certainly the chance to show it. Jeon Gwang-Ryeol and Kim Young-Cheol are Historical Dramas veterans, and although Oh Yeon-Soo is not too familiar with the genre, she's an excellent actress. With a few older veterans, this could become a great cast.
OUTLINE: 9
Don't ask me why, but I tend to like Historical Dramas focusing on the beginning of a Dynasty, rather than its end. They tend to be a little more 'idealist' and inspirational than the megaton bombs of intrigue of the other type of Dramas. And here's one of them! King Jumong (or King Dongmyeongseong, if you prefer him dead) founded Goguryeo in 37 BC, after several tribes from Gojoseon and Buyeo got together and decided... hey! There's nothing interesting to do, so let's, like, build a Kingdom! A former man of Buyeo, Jumong conquered the Kingdoms of Biryu, Haengin and Okjeo to create Goguryeo, although his reign was pretty short-lived. The show will focus on what made 'Emperor of the Sea' so successful: big battles, lavish locations (China), and a little more melodrama than we're used to.
RATINGS POTENTIAL: 9
Big. Song Il-Guk's popularity is increasing exponentially, and Han Hye-Jin's latest Drama ended with a big 40%. MBC is starting to do well again, so I think this might be their first huge hit of the season. Although I think it won't match the ratings of 연애시대 (Alone in Love), I can safely say 35-40% shouldn't be too surprising. I can't wait for this show, and this time I'm serious.
OVERALL: 8.40

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yoojin.jpg진짜 진짜 좋아해 (I Really Really Like You)
MBC - April 8, Weekend Drama, follows 결혼합시다 (Let's Get Married)
PD: 8
김진만 (Kim Jin-Man)
This is perhaps the only reason why I still have hope for this show. Kim was responsible for the 2003 Drama 아일랜드 (Ireland) -- written by the great In Jung-Ok -- and two episodes of last year's 떨리는 가슴 (Six Love Stories), on top of the silly 위풍당당 그녀 (Country Princess) starring Bae Doo-Na. He really hasn't done anything exceptional, but his shows are always very solid.
WRITER: 6
배유미 (Bae Yoo-Mi)
Her last show was 12월의 열대야 (Tropical Nights in December), which survived thanks to Eom Jung-Hwa's terabytes of sexiness and charisma, but her past work isn't too impressive. 위풍당당 그녀 (Country Princess) is quite watchable, especially because of the good cast; 로망스 (Romance) ended up creating quite a few trends, but I doubt it'll age too well (although I don't have the force to rewatch it. Might be because of 'Killer Smile' Kim Jae-Won and his incredible 'charm'), and 해피 투게더 (Happy Together) was pretty much brutal. I have no idea what she'll do here, as her previous works are all over the place, from melodramas to cute trendy dramas and 'Family' oriented miniseries.
CAST: 5
유진 (Eugene), 이민기 (Lee Min-Gi), 류진 (Ryu Jin), 정소영 (Jung So-Young), 윤세아 (Yoon Se-Ah), 김국진 (Kim Guk-Jin), 최불암 (Choi Buram), 안혜경 (Ahn Hye-Kyung)
Now, I often joke about Miss Eugene, but she seems like a really sweet girl. Problem is I'm evil, so if you can't act worth a lick like the former singer, then I might make fun of you. Often. I'm sorry, I can't get rid of that habit! But while the rest of the cast is a mixed bag, it could be a lot worse. Lee Min-Gi is actually pretty good, and Jung So-Young is one of the most underused actresses on TV (perhaps lack of charisma hurts her, but she's a good actress). Ryu Jin might have improved a little, but there's still a long way to go, despite his efforts in the increasingly watchable 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong). And Yoon Se-Ah is too inexperienced to comment about her yet. But of course Choi Buram is a nice addition, and it's good seeing Kim Guk-Jin back to Dramas, he's been part of many enjoyable Weekend Dramas in the past (and a whole lot of crap too, but I digress). If the show remains lighthearted, even an unimpressive cast like this could do OK.
OUTLINE: 6
She's a country girl, a really pretty one who used to be a singer in a creepy teenybopper group, but hey! She's a country girl, so she'll have to wear old-fashioned clothes, and perhaps an haircut which wouldn't have looked out of place in a 60s melodrama. But her big chance finally comes, and she gets a job! Where? I mean, when you think of the first place you'd look for if you need a job, what's the first thing which would come to mind? Why, the Blue House! So this love child of Jang-Geum and Kim Sam-Soon prepares lunch and dinner for the President and all his acolytes (although, If I were the one writing the script, I'd send those who signed for the reduction of the screen quota straight to bed without lunch). But then she finds out Mr. President has a son, and since he's the son of the most important man in the country (after Bae Yong-Joon, that is), he's got a bodyguard. And she happens to feel really strange when she looks at him, she... she must be in love! And all the shenanigans you can expect. Nothing new here, but shouldn't be too offensive.
RATINGS POTENTIAL: 6
Who knows? The formula is there, but people might notice it's a little too similar to past shows, and nobody in here is really popular enough to carry the show. I'd say a conservative 10 to 15%, but with 'Let's Get Married' (which is decidedly average) doing so well, I wouldn't be surprised if the ratings hit the 20s.
OVERALL: 6.20

FINAL WRAPUP

- POTENTIAL QUALITY
8.40 주몽 (Jumong) - MBC
8.00 연애시대 (Alone in Love) - SBS
7.80 굿바이 솔로 (Goodbye Solo) - KBS2
7.80 내겐 너무 완벽한 그녀 (My Perfect Girl) - SBS
7.60 닥터 깽 (Doctor Gang) - MBC
7.60 연개소문 (Yeon Gae Somun) - SBS
7.40 소문난 칠공주 (Seven Princesses) - KBS2
6.40 불량가족 (Bad Family) - SBS
6.20 진짜 진짜 좋아해 (I Really Really Like You) - MBC
6.00 넌 어느 별에서 왔니? (What's Your Star?) - MBC
4.40 샌프란시스코 (San Francisco) - MBC
3.40 봄의 왈츠 (Spring Waltz) - KBS2

- RATINGS PREDICTION
40-45% 연애시대 (Alone in Love) - SBS
35-40% 주몽 (Jumong) - MBC
25-30% 연개소문 (Yeon Gae Somun) - SBS
25-30% 내겐 너무 완벽한 그녀 (My Perfect Girl) - SBS
25-30% 불량가족 (Bad Family) - SBS
20-25% 소문난 칠공주 (Seven Princesses) - KBS2
15-20% 닥터 깽 (Doctor Gang) - MBC
15-20% 넌 어느 별에서 왔니? (What's Your Star?) - MBC
10-15% 진짜 진짜 좋아해 (I Really Really Like You) - MBC
10-15% 굿바이 솔로 (Goodbye Solo) - KBS2
10-15% 샌프란시스코 (San Francisco) - MBC
10-12% 봄의 왈츠 (Spring Waltz) - KBS2

-Note: The new MBC Drama starring Kim Rae-Won and Jung Ryeo-Won changed its title from 공주님 (Princess) to 넌 어느 별에서 왔니? (What's Your Star?) because it didn't look ridiculous enough. Now this is much better.

==================
TV DRAMA RATINGS
==================
02/27~03/05

01. 36.0% 별난여자 별난남자 (The Bizarre Bunch)
Daily Drama - KBS1 [Cast: Jung Joon, Kim Ah-Joong, Go Ju-Won] [10th Consecutive Week on Top]

02. 32.7% 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven)
Weekend Drama - SBS [Cast: Yoon Jung-Hee, Lee Tae-Gon, Jo Yeon-Woo]

03. 27.9% 궁 (Princess Hours)
Wed/Thu Drama - MBC [Cast: Yoon Eun-Hye, Song Ji-Hyo, Joo Ji-Hoon]

04. 25.3% 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong)
Historical Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Bo-Young, Jo Hyun-Jae, Ryu Jin]

05. 21.3% 결혼합시다 (Let's Get Married)
Weekend Drama - MBC [Cast: Yoon Da-Hoon, Kang Sung-Yeon, Ju Hyeon]

06. 20.1% 굿바이 솔로 (Goodbye Solo)
Wed/Thu Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Cheon Jung-Myung, Yoon So-Yi, Bae Jong-Ok] NEW!

07. 19.8% 고향역 (A Place Called Home)
Daily Drama - KBS1 [Cast: Song Ok-Sook, Park Hyung-Jae, Kim Cheol-Gi]

08. 18.9% 인생이여 고마워요 (Thank You Life)
Weekend Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Yoo Ho-Jung, Park Ye-Jin, Oh Ji-Ho]

09. 17.7% 사랑과 야망 (Love and Ambition)
Weekend Drama - SBS [Cast: Han Go-Eun, Jo Min-Gi] NEW!

10. 16.9% 신돈 (Shin Don)
Historical Drama - MBC [Cast: Son Chang-Min, Seo Ji-Hye, Jung Bo-Seok]

===============================
THE TOP RATED DRAMAS OF 2006
===============================
01/01~03/05
01. 37.5% 별난여자 별난남자 (The Bizarre Bunch) - KBS
02. 32.7% 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven) - SBS
03. 31.9% 슬픔이여 안녕 (Goodbye To Sadness) - KBS
04. 27.9% 궁 (Princess Hours) - MBC
05. 25.4% 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong) - SBS
06. 24.9% 마이걸 (My Girl) - SBS
07. 23.7% 그여자 (That Woman) - SBS
08. 23.0% 황금사과 (Golden Apple) - KBS
09. 22.3% 인생이여 고마워요 (Thank You Life) - KBS
10. 21.3% 결혼합시다 (Let's Get Married) - MBC

Sources
Star News: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
My Daily News: 1
Yonhap News: 1
Movieweek: 1

» Posted by X at March 6, 2006 08:41 AM
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Reader Comments

Dear x

I'm puzzled by this line in your paragraph on Eugene - "That, or there probably were some strange chemicals involved." Could you please be more explicit? thanks.

And x, I am exceedingly worried over my health; the Koreans have turned me into a couch potatoe..

» Posted by kim at March 6, 2006 10:27 AM

probably the same which can make people think Dennis O'Neill would make a great lead, or that Kim Hee-Sun still deserves to act.

The kind of material which would make you start seeing Oompa-Loompa sized monsters in your sleep.

You know... that kind of stuff.

» Posted by x at March 6, 2006 10:30 AM

Cool! Glad to hear that Lee Eon-Hee is directing another movie. I loved ...ing, and have been thinking of picking up Take Care Of My Cat, which I heard that she had contributed to the screenplay for.

Thanks for the heads up.

» Posted by GoldLeader at March 6, 2006 10:36 AM

Goodbye Solo's first two episodes were a bit slow and Kim Min Hee ruins every scene she's in. Her every appearance made me want to turn away from the screen. Yoon So Yi hasn't really warmed up yet either, being tepid and tenative. Others are pretty good though. As you say X, Noh's drama don't take off until after a few episodes so we'll see how it goes. Goong is a strange beast ... it's almost a saguk with some of its dialogue and court intrigue and almost a trendy teenybopping drama with the younger cast. Nevertheless, I'm compelled to watch it every week. I think the veterans are actually stealing the show if you ask me. Can't wait for the new historical dramas, just like you X!!! Thanks again for the update X!

» Posted by cyberman at March 6, 2006 10:48 AM

Kim Min-Hee stinking up the place was expected. Yoon So-Yi would be the Han Go-Eun in this situation, but everyone else is doing well. I just like the way they're starting the storyline, wide focus and all over the place. I trust Noh more than possibly every other writer in Korea (save for In Jung-Ok) when it comes to character development, so no problem so far.

Love the veterans in 궁 too. I constantly crack up at Kim Hye-Ja's role, it was a brilliant casting choice. I'm almost shocked I'm enjoying this. It's so goofy and against every rule of 'good dramas', yet it's still fun. Weird.

» Posted by x at March 6, 2006 11:05 AM

* sings emm bop shoo bop u teeny bops to cyberman and x*

puahahahahaha admit it.. u boys are liking the high school uniforms..

errr i downloaded goodbye solo because someone told me kim min hee has improved by leaps.. :o so she hasn't?? oh ya, a girl friend said something funny about her the other day... she said, she wishes ms kim would be contented bagging her hunky man & spares us from having to watch her act anymore.^_____^ - identity undisclosed for protection purposes..

» Posted by armanigurl at March 6, 2006 07:37 PM

well... improved. It's like putting a snail in a race with rabbits. Can work hard all you want, but when the speed isn't there... it's twouble!

Meanwhile, the first episode of Spring Schmaltz did... 10.9%.

I told you so, Sir Yoon.

» Posted by x at March 7, 2006 04:06 AM

armanigurl ... you are very naughty!!! ;O ;O Me and x only watch for the quality of the acting (well I do know X is appreciative of Kim Ok Bin and Lee Bo Young in other departments.)

Aah and Spring Meltdown will go down the drain ... too bad since I like Daniel Henney (he seems like a nice guy.)

» Posted by cyberman at March 7, 2006 11:04 AM

waaaait a minute. Let's not put Miss Yoon and Kim Ok-Bin even on the same planet. I admit I fall for Lee Bo-Young's charms over and over (and admittedly she's not a great actress. OK, she's right above average), but 옥빈양 is a major, major talent. Think the new Im Soo-Jung and you're not too far off. The girl's gonna take off soon, probably already by 다세포소녀 (Dasepo Naughty Girls), if it does well.

I watch for the teddy bears!

» Posted by x at March 7, 2006 11:39 AM

X ... don't misunderstand, I don't mean to compare the acting talents of Ms. Yoon to Kim Ok Bin yang. Rather, I was trying to say that you appreciated Ms. Kim's charms in addition to her promising acting ability. I haven't checked out Hello, God yet but I might. I do have faith in you X!

» Posted by cyberman at March 7, 2006 02:59 PM

that I certainly do.

Gonna review Hello God soon.

» Posted by x at March 7, 2006 03:32 PM

Hey X, I've been following "Heaven's Tree" and and am enjoying it. Do you know why it's doing so badly when it stars two of the actors from "Stairway to Heaven"? Is it true that some Koreans feel it is "too Japanese"?

» Posted by Elusive at March 7, 2006 07:19 PM

guys... i think u guys are overpraising kim ok bin... the girl can definitely act but i'm not sure her acting is really that convincing.. i have a problem with her doing emotional scenes... i think she's still got a long way because she can really master those emotional scenes where as some actresses like im su jung are just naturally good at it..

i am avoiding spring waltz after my bout with 'heaven's tree' i had phobia of melodramas after watching it... *cry*

Elusive at first i thot heaven's tree was good too.. i was charmed by the snow and cuteness of the actors, impressed by lee wan... then midway, horrors appeared... park shin hye wailing and wailing and wailing, while lee wan is whistling whistling and whistling...

errrr... makes me scared to touch another melodrama ever again..

» Posted by armanigurl at March 7, 2006 08:37 PM

Hahaha... Yeah, crying of the Choi Ji-woo/Park Shin-hye variety are an acquired taste. It's amazing how much Shin-hye is turning into a young Ji-woo. They both cry the same, my-life-is-over-so-I'll-wail-myself-to-exhaustion way.

Love the two though.

» Posted by Elusive at March 7, 2006 10:57 PM

yeah, but Kim Ok-Bin was born in 1986. 86! It's obvious she'd have some soft spots and things she has to improve, but the talent is there.

As for Tree of Heaven... ha. Only watched the first two episodes, and it felt like going to the dentist. Judging by your description, the latter episodes might feel like taking a surgery. So pass until it's over?

And yes, I suppose Koreans are avoiding this as it neither feels Korean not even Japanese (which might be a problem when it's aired in Japan). But ratings have very little to do with ratings (in most cases, at least), so it might simply be lack of stars. Or did they think people watched Stairway To Heaven for Lee Wan?

» Posted by x at March 8, 2006 02:32 AM

"...crying of the Choi Ji-woo/Park Shin-hye variety are an acquired taste."

I've been watching K-dramas for 3.5 years and have not acquire THAT taste. Guess I never will.

In the case of Ms Choi, it's not just the OTT wailing. It's the pitiful look before the wailing. You know, when the tears are welling and her lips are atrembling... *hair standing now as I recall THE look*

Strange. Gong Hyo-jin (in Ruler of Your Own World) wails louder than three CJWs and I like it. LOVE it even. She looks awful wailing and I want to give her a standing ovation. Ms Choi looks beautiful wailing and I want to run away.

Sometimes I don't understand myself.

» Posted by thunderbolt at March 8, 2006 03:40 AM

I don't think I'll ever acquire that taste either. Looking like a constipated bear about to throw up is not my idea of looking sad.

Little Shin-Hye양 is still very young so she might wake up, but I hope they're not telling her playing a young Choi Ji-Woo every time will help her get ahead in the industry. But hey... she's only 16. Jung Yoo-Mi in 사랑니 (Blossom Again) is the way to go for youngsters trying to play melo heroines, Choi Ji-Woo is the example to AVOID.

But Lee Wan is the freaky one. Does ANYONE in that family ever tell them they're both painful to watch, honestly? Between him and Kim Tae-Hee I don't know what's the lesser evil. Everyone is born with a special talent, and acting doesn't seem to be the right answer for them.

» Posted by x at March 8, 2006 06:04 AM

yeah!! its yoo gun!!

» Posted by gnl at March 9, 2006 03:29 AM

"Han Hye-Jin is still very young and inexperienced, but she carried a Daily Drama on her shoulders -- last year's 굳세어라 금순아 (Be Strong, Geum-Soon) -- which is not an easy feat."

x, I hope you haven't forgotten her KBS TV Novel in 2004, 그대는 별 (She's a Star/You are a Star/My Star, My Love), which garnered her an award that same year in the same category as Im Soo Jung for New Actress. Not only did her character have to bear being the "2nd wife" though she was the official "1st wife," she took care of the other woman's daughter as her own and went through a miscarriage and eventual divorce. Even when Kim Seung Soo disappeared 70-80+ epis into the drama because of his character MIA during the Vietnam War (only to reappear 30+ epis later with memory loss), the 6-day/week morning daily drama (which casted Go Doo Shim as one of Han Hye Jin's two mothers) enjoyed very good ratings. None of the TV Novels to come after seemed to even reach the ratings that 그대는 별 was able to. Ah, just thinking about 그대는 별 gives me the urge to go and rewatch the 180+ ep drama again, even if it's unsubbed.

And Han Hye Jin isn't unfamiliar with historical dramas either. Now what was her role in MBC's Inspector Park Moon Soo?

» Posted by creidesca at March 9, 2006 07:09 AM

I talked about Geum-Soon because it was the first time I really 'noticed' her. Didn't like her much in her roles in 현정아 사랑해, 로망스 and 1%의 어떤 것.

well, 'starring' in an Historical Drama and 'leading' one is a different matter. Playing a court lady in a Joseon based Drama, or the 'younger version' of a character a la Lee Yeon-Hee in 해신 is not exactly testing one's acting skills. But getting one of the leads in a big Historical Drama is a big test. Think she played 소화련 in the Park Moon-Soo Drama, but she also had a minor role in 영웅시대, so she's not exactly green when it comes to Sageuk. Just never played the lead, which is another story.

As for 그대는 별, I tend to avoid TV Novels as most of them are terribly ordinary, so I only took a quick look at the beginning, and gave up after a dozen Eps, If I remember correctly. Did the same with 고향역 (even though I take a look every now and then), which is not really bad... but still, nothing tells me 'stick to this, the remaining 150 to 170 episodes will be worth it'. And besides, I can't watch TV Dramas all day... although sometimes that sounds more appealing than sitting at a desk answering some dumbasses' calls 8 hours a day.

» Posted by x at March 9, 2006 08:03 AM

uhhh...which star are you from? rocks my socks. it has the kim sam soon feeling to it. but anyways...where do you download these dramas?

» Posted by shticky at April 22, 2006 10:20 AM

I LOVE PRINCESS HOURS MUCH...

» Posted by TITIS at September 2, 2006 11:51 PM

i like princess hours

» Posted by rara at September 20, 2006 01:43 AM

pRinceSs houRs was SO COOL...
suGooiii nee...
Luvv ya princess hOurs..
can't waiT foR tHe 2nd seasOn...

-pRasTi sviT kOna iNdoNesia-

» Posted by pRasTi sviT-kOna at November 1, 2006 10:43 AM

I LOVE PRINCESS HOURS...REALY...REALY LOVE...FOREVER....
I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING....
PRINCESS HOURS IS THE BEST MOVIE FOR ME....
COOL...
FANTASTIC....
AMAZING....


-FROM AURY IN INDONESIA-

» Posted by aury at November 2, 2006 05:41 AM

PRINCESS HOURS IS MY SOUL...
PRINCESS HOURS IS MY KINGDOM
PRINCESS HOURS ALWAYS STAY IN MY HEART...
FOREVER...
I ALWAYS REMEMBER PRINCESS HOURS....
WHEREVER...
WHENEVER...
WHATEVER....
I LOVE PRINCESS HOURS VERY MUCH.....

-FROM ENY IN INDONESIA(SMAKBO 50Th)-

» Posted by ENY at November 2, 2006 05:48 AM

oh my god..
i really really love "PRINCESS HOURS"..
that is the sweetiest tv drama that i ever seen..
especially for Kim Jung Hoon, although he couldn't be the king in that film and he went to England again with her mother..
I also cried when I saw Kim Jung Hoon cried in that film..
I thiNk, He is THE SWEETIEST boy in da world !!! (I'm suRe !!)

I hope the second Princess Hours tv drama will using them again..
If the actor and the actress will be change by the other person, i dont think that the film will make us (especially in Indonesia) love it again.. Okey? ^__^

Send my regard to Kim Jung Hoon, pleaseeeee....
Coz i love him sooo...

Would u like to give me his website??

_PRinCess HouRs LovErs_
I'm still waiting for the second Princess Hours tv drama in Indonesia.. (~_^)

» Posted by ocHa at November 5, 2006 02:09 AM

Me and my sister really love yoo jin or eugene...

» Posted by Mellany at November 30, 2006 03:46 AM

Me and my sister really love yoo jin or eugene...from Philippines (Mellany & Glenda)

» Posted by Mellany at November 30, 2006 03:46 AM

This site helps a lot for all users who are addicted of this drama about Princess Hours.


Thanks a lot you made the viewers inspired of this very own drama.

hope you still support this different dramas..

» Posted by shiela at December 2, 2006 08:48 AM

wow!!! funtastic!!
it's the best MOVIE for me and my friend!!
I LOVE$ PRINCESS HOURS VERY MUCH!!!
IT'S MY LIFE...
CHAYOOO!!!

» Posted by ryu and wiendha at December 25, 2006 12:27 AM

I love princess hours i like troy

» Posted by mae at January 4, 2007 10:37 PM

ang ganda ng korean movie hehehe :p hopemore korean lovestory to show AJA!!!!AJA !!!

» Posted by el rizz gulfo at January 7, 2007 08:51 PM

a very nice movie.i enjoyed watching it last christmas break.keep it up.i really love janelle and gian.same with troy.hahaha.

» Posted by violeta fangayen at January 8, 2007 07:59 AM

!!!!!!!!we hope that princess hours had a prt 2...........................

» Posted by lai at January 9, 2007 12:15 AM

i like it....

» Posted by rojee at January 9, 2007 01:41 AM

I really enjoy watching Princess Hours!!!

» Posted by Charm at January 9, 2007 08:30 PM

Luv it...

» Posted by Charm at January 9, 2007 08:33 PM

Princess Hours is so cool!!!
so sweet and funny...
can't wait for its part 2!!!! =)

» Posted by myra at January 10, 2007 03:33 AM

sana may part 2 pa.i like it very much

» Posted by honey lyn de jesus at January 10, 2007 04:49 AM

hi.. i rily lyk princess hourS..
its makes me inLoVE!!
hehehe....

» Posted by RHAINE at January 11, 2007 05:06 AM

princess hours makes the young and old feel the love in the air...see hw romantic it is love it!!!!!

frm kat-kat

» Posted by catherine at January 11, 2007 05:33 AM

i luv princess hours very much it was a classic drama and comedy.All of my classmates are crazy with it.Hope there will be a part 2 and all of the characters will visit Philippines.

» Posted by jasmine villareal at January 11, 2007 06:04 AM

Hay ang ganda talaga ng princess hours. Because of it nakakalimutan ko kaagad ang mga problema ko at saka talagang napapatawa nila ako! Sana may part 2

» Posted by wardah l. tomarompong at January 12, 2007 01:53 AM

PRINCES HOURS really r0cks!!
its a g0od TV series!
GIAN is s0o0o0o HANDSOME!!
& janelle is cute & she's pretty funny.
xna my part 2.kabitin eh.

» Posted by dramaqueen_nicole at January 13, 2007 05:36 AM


I really like it and i really appreciate it also....and i can relate it into my life esp. into my love life...I hope also that Princess hours have a part 2( with their son $ daugther)..For me Princess hours is the best movies among the movies..and because of this movies hindi me makatulog everynight,if hindi me makapanuod..

» Posted by karenjoycenal at January 14, 2007 11:05 AM

i really like the prince gian as we all know here in the philippines

» Posted by april at January 15, 2007 01:56 AM

Wheeeee, I really love watching princess Hours...
Troy is soO cute....hahahaah!

» Posted by mAjOY at January 17, 2007 10:30 PM

i love watching princess hours.. it's a very romantic cinderella story.. i like the attitude of jannelle and Troy?? hmmm... hE's cute.....

» Posted by Endy at January 19, 2007 09:31 PM




I really like princess hours!! Janelle and Gian really look good together, Troy is a good actor as well ...very good tandem .. very good story...Keep it up guyz!!


» Posted by anne at January 20, 2007 03:40 AM

im going crazy its because of the show princess hours....i really love gian and janelle

» Posted by Daisiree Colimbo at January 21, 2007 11:51 PM

i love princess hours so much.....gian and janelle forever....

» Posted by Daisiree Colimbo at January 21, 2007 11:57 PM

gaga ka monique!!!! kala mo maganda ka?? excuse me!! mas maganda ako sayo... i love princess hours!!!!

» Posted by carakath at January 22, 2007 12:15 AM

Yahhhhhhoooooo!!!princess hours na mamaya!!!nuod na tayong lahat,.....ang ganda talaga ng story....ang gwapo talaga ni troy at gian....

» Posted by karenjoycenal at January 22, 2007 08:38 AM

---what can i say...i just loooooveeee princess hours.... i like the story very very well... i'm soooo sad nga eh kasi di na ko nakakapanood lately...busy sa work late na ko nakakauwi...huhuhuhu....:(... by the way goodluck pa rin syempre..

» Posted by icezy_19 at January 25, 2007 06:07 AM

-- i love gian very very very much!!!!--

» Posted by -au- at January 25, 2007 06:10 AM

I LOVE GIAN VERY MUCH..... ALL OF BATAEñOS LOVES "PRINCESS HOURS" GOOD LUCK...

» Posted by ---princess janelle-- at January 25, 2007 06:13 AM

i love princess hours very much ........love it i hope they are real couples :)

» Posted by dayanara joy at January 27, 2007 01:45 AM

I like watching Princess Hours or it was called Goong in Korea, because we can relate the story of this drama series. And all the cast are handsome and pretty cute, especially the serious Prince and the jolly simple girl whom become the Princess. The most I like is, when the Prince felt love for the simple girl whom became his wife.

» Posted by Cherrylen at January 27, 2007 05:59 AM

I like watching Princess Hours or it was called Goong in Korea, because we can relate the story of this drama series. And all the cast are handsome and pretty cute, especially the serious Prince and the jolly simple girl whom become the Princess. The most I like is, when the Prince felt love for the simple girl whom became his wife.

» Posted by Cherrylen at January 27, 2007 06:08 AM

halu!!!!!!!ang ganda tlaga ng princess hours!!!!!!!!!!grabe kilig to the bones!!!! ever !!!!cute ni troy and gian!!!!!!! kontra bida talaga si monique!!!!!! kainis cya!!!@@@@@@@@>>>>..............whahahahaahahahahaha!!!!!!alam nyo ba princess din akoh!!!katulad ni janelle!!!!!...................................hehehehehehehehehehehheheheheheheheheh!!!!whahahahahahahah!!!!loveyahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!muwhahahahahaha!!!!

» Posted by janelle anne tan at January 30, 2007 10:14 PM

halu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ang gnda tlaga ng princess hours!!!!!!!!grabe gwapo ni troy and gian!!!!!!!!!!az in !!!!!!! i love you princess hours!!!!!!!!!!!! monique gaga!!!!!! ka tlga mang aagaw k na lang c gian pa grabe ka!!!!!! panget ka monique!!!!!azzzzzzzz!!in!!!! panget ka tlga!!! mganda pa akoh sa yo!!!okkkkk!!!!1..............bye princess hours!!!! wait koh ang season 2 ahhh!!!!loveyahhhhhh!!!! troy and gian of coarse janelle!!!! parehas tayo ng name!!!!! bye!!!!!muwhahahahaha!!!!...:)

» Posted by janelle anne tan at January 30, 2007 10:27 PM

halu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ang gnda tlaga ng princess hours!!!!!!!!grabe gwapo ni troy and gian!!!!!!!!!!az in !!!!!!! i love you princess hours!!!!!!!!!!!! monique gaga!!!!!! ka tlga mang aagaw k na lang c gian pa grabe ka!!!!!! panget ka monique!!!!!azzzzzzzz!!in!!!! panget ka tlga!!! mganda pa akoh sa yo!!!okkkkk!!!!1..............bye princess hours!!!! wait koh ang season 2 ahhh!!!!loveyahhhhhh!!!! troy and gian of coarse janelle!!!! parehas tayo ng name!!!!! bye!!!!!muwhahahahaha!!!!...:)

» Posted by janelle anne tan at January 30, 2007 10:29 PM

halu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ang gnda tlaga ng princess hours!!!!!!!!grabe gwapo ni troy and gian!!!!!!!!!!az in !!!!!!! i love you princess hours!!!!!!!!!!!! monique gaga!!!!!! ka tlga mang aagaw k na lang c gian pa grabe ka!!!!!! panget ka monique!!!!!azzzzzzzz!!in!!!! panget ka tlga!!! mganda pa akoh sa yo!!!okkkkk!!!!1..............bye princess hours!!!! wait koh ang season 2 ahhh!!!!loveyahhhhhh!!!! troy and gian of coarse janelle!!!! parehas tayo ng name!!!!! bye!!!!!muwhahahahaha!!!!...:)

» Posted by janelle anne tan at January 30, 2007 10:31 PM

i love princess hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

» Posted by nicole at February 1, 2007 05:46 AM

son ye jin is still the best good looking korean actress. Is she know how to speak and understand english language? i hope so...
-demi
Philippines

» Posted by demi at February 2, 2007 01:41 PM

princess hours is one of the best koreanovela i'VE EVER WATCH!!! the characters are good, specially the lead actors.. prince Gian proves that he is real prince, his serious,and mysterious image can mke a princess heart falls for him..princess Janelle is so cute a different kind of princess... i love this novela.. hope to hve a part 2 nkkbitin kc eh...

» Posted by rosecel at February 3, 2007 01:48 AM

mas ok ang jumong.......

» Posted by seth at February 4, 2007 02:26 PM

i realy2 like it.

» Posted by laura at February 5, 2007 04:38 AM

Jumong ia great.

» Posted by genlie herzie at February 6, 2007 08:20 AM

So far, Jumong is the greatest historical drama I have seen. Especially the lead actors-Song Il Guk and Han Hye Jin, their greaat with each other. I hope one of them will come to the Phillipines.

» Posted by Rhoda at February 8, 2007 02:53 AM

I really like the story of PRINCESS HOURSSS!! especially joo ji hoon
he is so cute!!!
I enjoy watching it even though it is aired late here in the phillipine,but it doesen't matter because as long as i see them iam
happy and contented.
i hope to see more funny and sweet koreanovelas show here in the phillipens!!because i love koreans!!!
korean boys that i like:
joo ji hoon
lee dong wook
jo in sung
rain
and the cute guy in wonderful life

and i also like my girl!!
lee dae hae is so funny her role as yoo-rin
is so perfect for her!i really like her,and shes so beautiful too! and lee dong wook is great too!!

i think that all korean boys are cute and handsome
and they are all sweet and kind to girlss!
and i also hope that jo ji hoon,lee dog wook and jo in sung
will come here in the phill. together!!i hope!

» Posted by lae-di at February 10, 2007 03:08 AM

all of de la cruz,guadalupe,oloya,cabayao, and suller family are the avid fans of the highed rating korea novela princess hours because it is supper funny and kilig sana poh magtagal pa ito at kung matapos agad ay sana meron pang next parts ito
SUPER CUTE MO "PRINCE GIAN AT PRINCESS JANLLE"
I LOVE YOU JOEL DELOS ANGELES JR.
FEB.06,2007

SANA MAGTAGAL TAYO
I LOVE YOU
Muawhhh...........

» Posted by jaxiey Lane dela Cruz at February 13, 2007 04:16 AM

dear Jayferd,

Hi!
sana bgyn u me ng gift ngaung v-day ha
HOPING

» Posted by Draxiey lane at February 13, 2007 04:21 AM


ANG GANDA NG PRINCESS HOURS
GRABE!!!! NKKKILIG!!!!!!!!!!!
DEAR MR.PABUA(jayferd)

Hi!
sana bgyn u me ng gift ngaung v-day ha
HOPING

» Posted by Draxiey lane at February 13, 2007 04:24 AM

all of de la cruz,guadalupe,oloya,cabayao, and suller family are the avid fans of the highed rating korea novela princess hours because it is supper funny and kilig sana poh magtagal pa ito at kung matapos agad ay sana meron pang next parts ito
SUPER CUTE MO "PRINCE GIAN AT PRINCESS JANLLE"
I LOVE YOU JOEL DELOS ANGELES JR.
FEB.06,2007

SANA MAGTAGAL TAYO
I LOVE YOU
Muawhhh...........

» Posted by jaxiey Lane dela Cruz at February 13, 2007 04:24 AM

ang ganda ng PRINCESS HOURS

» Posted by ica at February 15, 2007 01:47 AM

HELLO!TO AL OF MY (FRIENDS?)
HI! TO JAYFERD PABUA
HI! TO CHRIZHY DRAXIEY DEAN CAMILLA DELA CRUZ
HI TO ARVIN SALGADO
HI! TO ALFRED TIMOTHY C. MUSA
HI! TO MARK JOSEPH COLUMNS
HI! TO RANDOLPH MATIAS
HI! TO CHRISTHYN JAXIEY LANE JAMILLA DELA CRUZ


TO JOEL DELOS ANGELES JR.
SANA WAG KANG MASYADONG PAPANSIN MISKI BA BOY FRIEND KA NG PAMANGKIN KO PWEDE MO NA KONG GANYAN GANYANIN NO WAY AND KUNG MABAIT KA MABAIT DIN AKO SA'YO,MAGPAKATINO KA NGA MUNA KAHIT SANDALI LANG HA NAKAKASAKIT KA NA KASI EH AT TSAKA 'WAG KANG PLASTIC SA IBANG TAO AT SA SARILI MO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

» Posted by florida lynn suller at February 15, 2007 03:33 AM

grabe ang ganda ng princess hour noh!!!!!!!!

» Posted by precy at February 15, 2007 06:02 AM

I really really love princess hours very much they are so sweet talaga grabe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

» Posted by ann tonette at February 21, 2007 08:52 PM

ang ganda ng princess hours sana hindi na toh magtpos.............................................................
ako atah ang no. fan ng princess hours..,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

» Posted by sarah at February 28, 2007 06:20 AM

I stumble upon this site while searching for some pictures of princess hours. Everyone really love and enjoyed this drama. I hope that the prequel of princess hours 2 would also had the same actors in it. They made a really nice atmosphere and refreshing aura while doing the first one. As you can see everyone has such a positve response in it. Please MBC production please please, we hope that you can oblige our request. More success in all of the dramas you will be making in the future.

Thank you! (",)

» Posted by minmin at February 28, 2007 08:37 PM

I stumble upon this site while searching for some pictures of princess hours. Everyone really love and enjoyed this drama. I hope that the prequel of princess hours 2 would also had the same actors in it. They made a really nice atmosphere and refreshing aura while doing the first one. As you can see everyone has such a positve response in it. Please MBC production please please, we hope that you can oblige our request. More success in all of the dramas you will be making in the future.

Thank you! (",)

» Posted by minmin at February 28, 2007 08:38 PM

the story of princess hours is really cute!!!!
This story is now one of my favorites.... it's really inspiring that I dont want to miss every single episode of it...I really love watching it and I want to watch it over and over again!!! hope to see part 2 also soon...and i also hope that the lead actors could visit the philippines one time!!!=)

» Posted by dee at March 2, 2007 06:28 AM

I really love Jumong, im not really fond of koreanovela but Jumong made me fall inlove with it. I love you Jumong. hope to see you in the Philippines.

» Posted by flor at March 6, 2007 10:01 PM

I really love Jumong, im not really fond of koreanovela but Jumong made me fall inlove with it. I love you Jumong. hope to see you in the Philippines.

» Posted by flor at March 6, 2007 10:01 PM

I really love Jumong, im not really fond of koreanovela but Jumong made me fall inlove with it. I love you Jumong. hope to see you in the Philippines.

» Posted by flor at March 6, 2007 10:01 PM

I really love Jumong, im not really fond of koreanovela but Jumong made me fall inlove with it. I love you Jumong. hope to see you in the Philippines.

» Posted by flor at March 6, 2007 10:02 PM

grbe and ganda talaga

» Posted by dennise at March 15, 2007 07:35 AM

omg!!i luv princess hours so much...and its really cute!!
i am so addict of zhu zhi whatever..hehehe
i luv the characters..!!!

» Posted by -RubYrOSe- at March 17, 2007 01:05 PM

somebody's out there could send me all the songs of the princess hours to my e-mail fly_me89@yahoo.com?????????

» Posted by nurul at March 19, 2007 02:06 AM

every day i wacht this movie because i admire prince gian and troy ay????? ang gwapo nilea diva at saka this movie is so inspiring to all lovers and those who want to love ."""""ang sweet diveh::::

» Posted by niÑa at March 21, 2007 02:33 AM

so.nobody's out there could send me ost of princess hours????

» Posted by nurul at March 21, 2007 11:08 PM

PRINCESS HOURS??? it is so much beautiful............ as if nakakakilig tlga.......and nakaka-inlove pa mga charakterzz nito.....well as others say that sana may 2nd story pa 2ng princess hours because this first story is so unforgetable.... And most of us hope that the characters are the same because they are perfect for the role...........

» Posted by machris at March 22, 2007 10:26 AM

princess hours in my life...........


love you............

» Posted by ATI at March 31, 2007 01:13 AM

GOOD NEWS! THERE'S A GOONG 2(PRINCESS HOURS 2) AND GOONG S! YAHOO! YAHOO! I REALLY LOVE JANELLE AND GIAN TOGETHER.. I HOPE THEY ARE REAL LOVERS!!

» Posted by Pau at April 10, 2007 01:15 PM

OMG R U SERIOUS PAU???YES YES YES YES!!! I CANT WAIT!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE PRINCESS HOUR!! I CANT WAIT TO SEE THEIR KIDS!! DEY BETTA BE CUTE OR ELse ILL BITE THER HEAD OFF ARRRRRRRGGG :P OMG PRINCESS HOUR ROCKS!!! ITS TOTALLY DA BOMB!!! AHHHH SO HAWT!!!I HOPE THEY GONNA HAVE ALL THE CHARACTER FROM THE first one on the second one!!! :D AHHHH SO Excited!!!! CANT go TO BED NOW TOo EXCitED!!!!PRINCE yul AND shin IS SO HAWT!! *drools* :P I LOVE U GUYS!! HOPE YA visit MICHIGAN!! XD!!! :P

» Posted by ICe_PRiNcEsS at April 10, 2007 09:21 PM

IM TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH JUMONG AND THE CHARACTER ITSELF. WERE CAN I FIND MORE PICTURES ABOUT JUMONG AND THE ACTOR ITSELF SONG II GOOK. PLEASE, IM GETTING CRAZY WITH HIM.HE'S REALLY CUTE. WHERE ARE THE OTHER PICTURES WHEN HE BECOME A KING OF THE NEW COUNTRY. CAN I HAVE HIS PERSONAL DATA, HIS BIRTHDAY, PLACE, AGE, SPORTS LIKE AND EVERYTHING ON HIM; IS HE STILL SINGLE OR MARRIED, DOES HE HAS ANY KIDS OR WHAT. IM AVID OF KOREAN TELENOVELA; BUT THE BEST THAT I EVER SEEN IS JUMONG, THAN THE JEWEL IN THE PALACE AND OTHERS. I REALLY FALL IN LOVE WITH JUMONG. HES A GREAT ONE. THE BODY THAT HE HAS AND THE CUTENESS OF HIS FACE. LOVE YOU JUMONG.

» Posted by VERONICA D. IGOY at April 11, 2007 04:06 AM

i love goong1 cause i see yoon eun hye and ju ji hun

» Posted by chailin lim at April 17, 2007 05:08 AM

I am so very proud of you Jumong, you are best here in cebu city philippines.

your Pants

Erlyn

» Posted by erlyn at April 18, 2007 09:01 AM

I really love Jumong, im not really fond of koreanovela but Jumong made me fall inlove with it. I love you Jumong. hope to see you in the Philippines.

I love you Jumong

» Posted by blosoms at April 18, 2007 09:09 AM

I really like it Jumong, you are very best here in philippines, I love you Jumong. ikaw ang number one here in philippines. every night I always to see your movie.

love you Jumong

» Posted by kris at April 18, 2007 09:14 AM

number one and Jumong dito sa philippines. sana nman if mapansin ako n Jumong sna meron sya time. please email me Jumong. hr's my email Liezel_babao@yahoo.com. you are number one Jumong

» Posted by liezel at April 18, 2007 09:20 AM

hi!!!!!!!!!!! ang ganda tlag ng jumong sna mtgal ba cla sa drama nla kc.mganda ung storya nla....na kaka adik talga sila,super duper ung laban nla...nkakawa tlaga si jumong,bgla lang siya nwla... ang cute ni balos sopra tlaga!!!!

» Posted by balos at April 20, 2007 04:00 AM

wHooh... d best ang PRINCESS HOURS.. iyak tawa at paulit ulit na kilig ang binigay sa lahat ng kapamilya!!! haii... wala ba part 2!!! bitin ako after kasal then what na ang story!!.. hoy!! huhuhu...cute pa naman nila together!! bitin!! protest kame!!hahaha..

» Posted by Kathy Joy at April 21, 2007 03:29 PM

HUHU!!! MACHO PALA C GIAN PARANG POOPIE KO!!!HAHAHA... AGAIN AGAIN..

» Posted by Kathy Joy at April 21, 2007 03:35 PM

WAHHHHHH!! ADIK NA TALAGA AKOH SA JUMONG!! ANG CUTE NI SO SEO NO!!!
PAKASAL NA TAU!!! ANG GANDA NYAAAAA!!!!!! NO.1 KA JUMONG! ^^

» Posted by Neil patrick at April 22, 2007 06:07 PM

hi to all jumong fanzzzz there. jumong is reaaly a great movie even though its time is already late i even wake up just to watch it......JUMONG is the best korea novela for me than the princess hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi ann,girlie, april hehehehe.......and to my dear oponent couzzzzzzin mary anne and mary rose>>>>>>>bleh!!!!!!ang panget ng princess hours>>>>>>>Hahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

» Posted by glaiza s lee at April 23, 2007 03:31 AM

hi there!!!!!

im an avid fan of princess hours....
oh my god it was extremely beautiful and the entire story was unique......

it was ssssssooooo romantic and kilig to the bones.....

» Posted by anne at April 23, 2007 03:47 AM

hi to all princess hours addict

for me princess hours is the best among the rest

i would like to tell all jumongers fans esp. my couzin GLAIZA SY LEE that jumong is not the best and jumong is a looser.

yeah, jumong is a BIT interesting but princess hours is really great

if you are an avid fan of jumong pls. THINK AGAIN

i would like to grit all my friends esp. angeline and ivy
and my sis anne sy roa 4 supporting me and to my opponent glaiza lee

PRINCESS HOURS IS THE BETTER THAN JUMONG

» Posted by mary rose sy roa at April 23, 2007 04:09 AM

Hmmm.... 4 Veronica D. Vigoy.... If u r finding pictures wid song II gook.... or JUMONG... just get 2 dis website ( google ).... den.. ryt down d name of song II gook in d bar der... at d up corner? den u can look images of song II gook... but stay close.... some pictures there r not song II gook pics.. some r named song II gook but he isn't dat guy.... just fynd it... but u can look at d web... but it isn't plenty as d images.....


>>>JUMONGERZZZ

» Posted by ----AsHLeY------ at April 26, 2007 04:32 AM

U can thyk again mary rose.... JUMONG is a historical than Princess hours... nung I watch it by myself... boring... 4kit chanel 2 kau dun n kau... icp nga kau...

» Posted by ----AsHLeY------ at April 26, 2007 04:35 AM

isn't dat cool.... Princess hours.... just thyk..pnalbas lng un.... 24 episodes.... and JUMONG 81 episodes.. san ka pa???... 4ever.... JUMONG KMI.... dti nman wlang korean novelas ang abs-cbn..... gnaya nla ang GMA... knuha ng abs ang something about 1%.... tpos cnunod nLa ang princess hours tpos prince hours.... hayy....

» Posted by ----AsHLeY------ at April 26, 2007 04:39 AM

hi ilove princess hour

» Posted by marissa at April 26, 2007 06:30 AM

NUMBER 1 Ang princess hours dito....!!!!! taas ng ratings..n_n..
your the best...kakilig super..

» Posted by monique at April 28, 2007 02:07 AM

Jumong ikaw ang number buong munda. love you Jumong.

» Posted by erlyn at May 2, 2007 03:34 AM

hi!!to all jumong fans .ya ashley your ryt!!!!!!!!!
we love jumong

» Posted by lihua at May 4, 2007 02:36 AM

hi add nyo ko sa friendster nyo kung meron kayo pero kung walakayong friendster okay lang saakin yon yun lang thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!sainyong lahat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

» Posted by kathlene_cute07 at May 14, 2007 07:33 AM

I really like PRINCESS HOURS hope n m2loy ung season 2 nila im w8ng for it na tlg..... nkakakilig & nkaka in love tlg ung PRINCESS HOURS pls po mgkaroon nawa ng GOONG SEASON 2 pls............. tnxs MABUHAY KYO PRINCESS HOURS AJA............

» Posted by cecilesilverio at May 17, 2007 03:56 AM

Amm..,how i wish that abs-cbn(the best tv station here in the Philippines) would produce a new koreanovela starring lee bo-young (she's my favorite actress & she really looks gorgeous). I'm looking forward for a joint project of lee bo-young, lee da hae, song hye kyo, kang dong-won, lee ji-hoon & lee dong-gun, i think that would be really cool!

» Posted by taylor at May 23, 2007 10:54 PM

ang ganda talaga ng jumong...
ang ganda ng pagkakagawa paranf pelikula...

really great!!!!

» Posted by FATIMA at June 29, 2007 09:45 PM

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