(“Can you hear me now?”)

 
One thing I’ve noticed about the acting in Coffee Prince: Aside from the generally solid performances given by the main characters in any given scene, also worth pointing out are the reaction shots. By which I mean: the responses of those not performing the main action or dialogue in the scene, but rather reacting to it.

A lot of times, actors aren’t very conscious of their reaction shots (actors are vain; why act when I’m not “on”?), but when they do deliver a great reaction, it gives a scene that extra layer of completeness, three-dimensionality. Without that layer, it’s like you’re just an audience member watching something being performed in front of you. With it, though, the scene feels more like it’s unfolding around you, that you’ve witnessed a genuine moment, and that’s a lovely thing. Lee Seon Kyun (Han Sung) in particular has some great reaction shots this episode.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Oldfish - “Movement.” (By the way? You need this album. Yes, that’s an affiliate link, but I’d recommend it regardless. They’re like a Korean Postal Service.) [ zShare download ]

COFFEE PRINCE Fifteenth Cup >>

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Hehe, note that with Taereung National Village, I said I’d found a series to watch, not the series to watch. The great thing about watching shows that have long since finished airing is that now, I can watch without worrying about keeping pace with the new episodes every week. This was the second show whose first episode held my interest long enough for me to finish without stopping it halfway through.

 
Hello Franceska is funny. (The title, 안녕 프란체스카, could be read as either “hello” or “goodbye,” but I’ve seen it more readily translated as “hello,” so that’s what I’m using.)

Vampire comedy. Great two-word summary, huh?

Actually, what makes Hello Franceska entertaining isn’t so much the premise (pretty good), but its execution.

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Peterpan Complex - “안녕.” (”Goodbye.” Or I suppose, possibly “Hello,” but the song takes the goodbye meaning. Ironic, since I chose hello over goodbye just above, isn’t it? It’s all about context.)
Trying something new: zShare download

HELLO FRANCESKA >>

Filed under: Sitcoms/Variety Shows by javabeans - 37 Comments →

Despite the winningness of Coffee Prince, I’m starting to veer from cheery immersion into overload territory, and before that flares into full-on burnout, I thought I’d turn my attentions elsewhere to balance things out a bit. I’ve started watching some other series, dabbling in a sea of first episodes, trying to see which ones are worth sticking with.

The first to stand out as noteworthy is the short Best Theater miniseries Taereung National Village (태릉선수촌), which is a series of which I’ve heard many good things (this one’s for you, thundie!) and had been meaning to try even before realizing that its director is the same Lee Yoon Jung who is currently at the helm of Coffee Prince.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Fortune Cookie - “일요일 아침” (Sunday morning) [ zShare download ]

Thoughts on TAEREUNG NATIONAL VILLAGE Episodes 1-2 >>

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(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

김연우 (Kim Yeon Woo) - “청소 하는 날” (cleaning day) [ zShare download ]

 
In a nutshell:

• (More) web issues.
• Updates on this site.
• Possible future drama watching.

Edited to add: Media Temple rocks. Their support and hosting services are top-notch, and they’ve made my life ever so much less frustrating. In fact, if not for their level of helpful support, I’d have been sorely tempted to throw in the towel on numerous occasions. Never once have they made me feel stupid, although believe me I’ve felt it plenty of times.

Unfortunately, I’ve had to take Coffee Prince direct song links down. You can still download all the songs via batch links, but I said when the direct links killed my site I’d have to kill the links. Both died tonight, and the site is reviving without the links. I don’t know if someone linked to them somewhere but I got an incredibly sudden, drastic spike that completely disabled my server and I had to reconfigure some settings to get back online.

Less nutshell, more rambling >>

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Cuuuuuuute.

I’m also no longer worried about the issue of familial opposition. Do I expect drama? Of course. But will it be the heart-wrenching kind? If it is, of course I’ll take it, but I’m not concerned, because Han Gyul isn’t a rebellious adolescent. He’s a mature, thoughtful, decisive 30-year-old man who’s lost enough in his life to know when something’s not worth giving up.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Instant Romantic Floor - “Luv Punch” (radio edit) [ zShare download ]

COFFEE PRINCE Fourteenth Cup >>

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