On the even of the Seoul Drama Awards, another Korean awards show has released its nominees list for 2015 dramas and the result is a decidedly mixed bag. While I agree with the nominations for Heard it Through the Grapevine and the male leads, the inclusion of Yongpal in various categories boggles the mind since it’s only halfway through airing and has seen a decline in quality the last two weeks. Joo Won may be the hot commodity to land an inclusion in the Daesang nomination alongside Kim Soo Hyun, Ji Sung, Cha Seung Won, and Yoo Dong Geun, but Kim Tae Hee getting an acting nod for sleeping most of the drama has got to be the funniest thing ever.

I’m also disappointed to see the youngsters from Producer get recognition but not for Gong Hyo Jin and Cha Tae Hyun who gave equally good if not better performances. Misaeng and the cast got a lot of nods but it feels like the momentum for that drama has died down now and everyone is on to the next buzzy thing, so it’s not clear if the drama will do well come awards night. I adored Yoochun in The Girl Who Sees Smells but even a good performance doesn’t quite merit that role for a top acting nomination for that boy. I’m sure fans of underrated dramas like Maids and Yoona’s Street will be stoked to see those dramas included in various categories, and sometimes being nominated is win enough when hardly anyone watched. Check out the full nominations list below. Continue reading →