And the Japanese fans have spoken. A poll on the top 100 Korean dramas has announced the winner of its interim results and it's not a new drama.
According to the current results of the Hanryu 10th Anniversary Poll, the 2003 hit "Winter Sonata," still tops the list of favorite kdramas in Japan. The tragic love story was said to start the Hallyu or Korean wave, prompting Japanese tourists to visit Korea and inspiring the creation of the first Japanese to Korean phrase book. After a decade, it remains the number one favorite with Japanese fans.
"You're Beautiful," starring Park Shin Hye, Jang Geun Suk, Lee Hong Ki and CNBlue's Jung Yong Hwa, ranked number two. The story about a novice nun pretending to be a boy member of a rock band was so popular when it aired in Japan in 2010 that a Japanese version, "Ikemen desu ne," was made the following year. Jang Geun Suk's portrayal of the arrogant group leader Hwang Tae Kyung is one of the reasons that he remains so popular in Japan and is known as the Prince of Asia.
Third place went to "Rooftop Prince," which starred JYJ's Park Yoo Chun and actress Han Ji Min. The 2012 drama about a time-traveling Joseon-era prince boosted Park Yoo Chun's popularity in Japan. While the drama reached 16 percent in Korean ratings it was an even bigger hit in Japan, as was the DVD.
Fourth place went to "Princess Hours," starring Yoon Eun Hye and Joo Hi Hoon. The drama about a fictional Korean royal family and a poor girl, who marries into it, was also popular in Korea, achieving rating of over 28 percent.
The poll's fifth place went to the romantic comedy "Playful Kiss,' which was originally based on a Japanese manga "Itazura na Kiss" and was later remade as a 2013 Japanese series "Mischievous Kiss." The Korean original starred SS501 member Kim Hyun Joong and actress Jung So Min.
In sixth place was another drama originally based on a Japanese manga, "Boys Over Flowers." Based on Hana Yori Dango by Yoko Camio, the drama starred Lee Min Ho, Kim Joon, Kim Hyun Joong, and Kim Bum as F4, the spoiled rich boys that cruelly rule an elite high school. Gu Hye Sun plays the girl who refuses to bow to them.
So far, about 50,000 fans have voted. Voting closes at the end of September with the results being announced on October 19.
Fans can vote at https://hanryu10.jp/
