Endless Love

As some of you know, I’m a Korean drama fan. One of my friends got me into them several years ago and I’ve been watching them ever since. I also watch the lighter dramas from Japan and Taiwan when I get together with my friends as the majority of them like the lighter and sillier aspects of those dramas.


Out of all the dramas I’ve watched, my favorite is the Endless Love series directed by Yoon Seok-Ho. The series comprises four separate dramas named after the seasons that run between 16-20 episodes each:

Autumn in My Heart, released in 2000
Winter Sonata, released in 2002
Summer Scent, released in 2003
Spring Waltz, released in 2006

Only two of the series have been officially released in the US, Winter Sonata and Spring Waltz. The other two series can still be purchased from other companies that sell NSTC versions, but the subtitle quality isn’t the best.

With my Korean dramas, I usually wait until they go on sale for around $40 or less since they usually sell for around $60 or more depending on the length of the DVD set.

I had been looking for a copy of Winter Sonata for a while after seeing it mentioned in Shojo Beat as one of the ‘classics’ of Korean drama that made that genre of film popular outside Korea. I was so glad when I found a copy. Winter Sonata has been out of print for a while and luckily I found a set online from a video store in Seattle. It turned out to be one of my favorites in the Endless Love series.

During my vacation in CA this year, I found Autumn in My Heart and Summer Scent at an Asian shop that specialized in CDs, DVDs, and various cute stationery, gadgets, etc. I bought a copy of Spring Waltz on Amazon when it went on sale just recently.

Having finished watching the entire run of the Endless Love series, I can only describe it in the following words:

‘Autumn in My Heart is a tantalizing appetizer followed by the heartwarming main courses of Winter Sonata and Summer Scent with Spring Waltz as an exquisite dessert.’

My favorites in the series are Winter Sonata, Spring Waltz, and Summer Scent. For some reason, I couldn’t get into the story in Autumn in My Heart. The characters lacked a quality that would have connected the audience to the story. I will give the series its due as an example of the earlier Korean drama genre of tragedy over happy endings with the death of both lead characters. As the director progresses through each series, the stories follow the current trend of happier endings.

I think it’s a tossup between Winter Sonata and Spring Waltz as my favorites. I could definitely watch either of them again if I was in the mood to. I must admit that I am smitten with the story of Spring Waltz, not to mention its gorgeous soundtrack and opening and ending scenes filmed in Austria.

Now would I recommend any of these series to someone who was interested in watching Korean dramas? I’m afraid not as I know my taste is for the darker dramas which progress into a happy ending. I would, however, recommend My Lovely Sam-Soon or My Love Patzzi as dramas for a beginner into the world of Korean dramas. My Lovely Sam-Soon is like a Korean version of Bridget Jones and My Love Patzzi, if you've watched alot of Asian dramas in general, is a parody of the genre >__<

What's next on my schedule? My friends are currently watching I Really, Really Like You when we get together.

I'm off to see if I can find CDs for the Endless Love series! And maybe to look through my stash of patterns for something to stitch :)

Until next time ^_____^