mwahaha. i just watched a rerun of project runway korea ep 3 and noticed that someone wrote "MAKE IT WORK" on the chalkboard! :D

i miss tim gunn. too bad they couldn't clone a korean version of him for this version...

There's a Korean version of Project Runway?? O my gosh where can I watch it? I LOVE the US version- and I LOVE Tim Gunn too! But could Project Runway be the same without Tim and Heidi??

I'm a lazy bum who has class in 30 min. I'm still in bed how awesome. I reallybwanna skip class today.I hve to shoot a video later too. Exchange with a a frat later: so many things to do like always n I'm damned tired. I shud get up up now. Oh I'm soso lazy

Can I know what is this open thread about?

Living in slow motion is somewhat tiresome.
Friday again. It's my birthday in 2 days and feeeling horribly old.
Sorry guys for sounding so depressing. Have a lovely week-end everyone.

Would like to add something. Women's day on the 8th.

RE: Your twitter status... Commit to the Top Model season. Crazy Tyra is always a plus no matter how you look at it. (Of course I say this having committed myself to the Top Model Marathon on the Oxygen channel a few days ago... )

YAY FRIDAY by the way. Love it!

Shalini
Don't know your age and don't want to speak out of turn but I can emphathize. Mundane remains repetitive. Now that I'm thirty its weird that others are in their twenties and I'm not!

But its great cause though I've matured, I don't think I've learned too much(sounds crazy right?) I truly still am a kid. The older I get, the more I realize that there is no such thing as "growing up." Just getting older and learning from the past. That's why older people are so stinking wise! I embrace it!

Ah! Loving this life is truly a blessing...

Know you'll bounce back (without breeaking anything:)

Happy Friday everyone!

Friday! Woohooo! Hope this coming week's BBF episodes pick up the pace!

Thanks to whoever it was who rec'd Mei-chan last week, I'm in love.

My Nan's sleeping tablets have kicked in so should I carry on bingeing MG or read more of the manga? The HYD obsession must be feed.

Its FRIDAY!! I'm at work now, but will be off in a couple hours. SOOOOOO HUNGRY!! CRAVING SALMON AND TUNA SUSHI!!! SUSHI is AWESOME! So excited for SPRING BREAK! but a bit worried cuz I have to drive from home SA TEXAS to GRANITE CITY ILLINOIS. My sis is going but she is a prissy queen and only drives 2 hours at time. so SUCKS for me. FMYLIFE-lol. (love that site...kinda sad but too funny) lol RAMBLING RAMBLING.. HUNGRY!! LOVE JAVABEANS! THANKS

I think Spring is finally coming to the Midwest -- went from 17 degrees to 64! Time to open windows and start cleaning -- next week when my husband is on vacation and can help. Ha ha ha! Won't he be sorry he took time off!

@12 Jo: Mei-Chan is my other obsession (well, obsession is too strong a word--more like guilty pleasure). Isn't it just ridiculously fun? I love how predictable it is, and how cringe-worthy campy and unabashedly fanservicey . The lead actress seems to be channeling YEH, re: Coffee Prince (and channeling her well).

Is there a live action Ouran Host Club by any chance? If not--Japan (or Korea), get on it!

I wish there was a dramabeans equivalent for J-dramas!

@IcanhazGJPyo

Word on Mei-chan. Personally? I watch it for Mizushima Hiro, hee! To counterbalance Mei-chan's sillyness I've been watching Akai Ito, which is wonderful though a little bit on the heavy side.

Also yes, it'd be the most awesome thing ever if dramabeans had a japanese twin site or something. Jdorama.com just doesn't do it for me.

Sarah, if I had any energy, I'd do a happy dance, but I don't have any so I'll just sit here and rejoyce quietly about the end of the week. Which thank god it's over.

Yeah Friday, I have been working out for a month. Gave up all junk, lost only 8 pounds. Let me make another month. Have a good weekend everyone!

yeah friday my weekend to work sux!! and i have a student which slows down everything! my computer system will be completed today but i cant set it up until monday...cant wait

Ray LaMontagne!

I love you for featuring a song of his; he deserves more love.

Spring break has finally arrived! And rung in by a temp in the mid-sixties after a horrible snow storm just this Monday, hahah. How nice it would be to live in Cali where I am guessing the weather isn't so bipolar...

Spring break also means I probably won't be able to get my BBF fix! How sad, I'm going to Florida and all I can think of is that I'll be missing my hermit moments with BBF...

I got one of my friends who has never seen a kdrama ever in her life really hooked on BBF...she got her and her sister both hooked in a span of three days! Last night we were giggling over the new F3 CF for the Anycall Haptic, hahahah. How sad. We're not sixteen.

I know I posted earlier today and I'm at work... but all I'm thinking about is going home to watch more BBF! I rented like 6 videos yesterday, trying to catch up.

Is it bad that I wanna watch BBF instead of going on a date tonight? lol...

Nea
I will be 40. From there it will just be downhill!
To be honest, I like the person I am now much more.
It is called maturity I suppose. A better acceptance of oneself and the world we live in. Looking out for that glimpse of hope and grabbing that moment of happiness. I sure will be the bouncing ball. Wait till it goes up. Thanks Nea.

Sarah, for reals? that'd be oh so cool! \o/

If I had any real talent in writing decent recaps, I'd volunteer, but a)I'm not good at writing...like at all, b)English is not my native language, c)I'm still recovering from...uh, a very bad thing that happened to me and my various therapies take too much of my energy to focus on any other steady activity, d) I only watched, like, 9 jdramas.

But should any problem related to the backfront of the site arise, I could help with that. I'm good at problem solving. ;)

There're probably dozens of bloggers who would love to take up such an offer, though. We only need to find them ;)

it's march already im waiting for my acceptance letters from UC checking my mail constantly like a crazy person =[

To the commentors who mentioned Mei-chan no Shitsuji, many thanks. I'll try out an episode this weekend because I have a major crush on Hiro Mizushima (he was soo cute in HanaKimi).

I've really gotten into jdoramas recently - I like the fact that the series are shorter and I find the plots to be more realistic (sometimes in a bad way - if I'm watching a romantic comedy, I expect a happy ending. Over Time anyone? Haken No Hinkaku?) If I was an able writer I'd absolutely volunteer to be a guest blogger on doramabeans - alas my style of writing mirrors my thought processes (rambly, often off-topic, grammatically incorrect etc etc). That said, I really hope you find someone willing to take up the spot Javabeans!

to all who posted about "Mei-chan" just curious as to what you guys are talking about. i'm assuming it's a new Jdorama??

and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Shalini! even though you don't feel like celebrating your bday =( and Nea, you're right. even though i'm way out of high school and college, i still feel like a kid at heart.

but it's the weekend!! and to all of you who are still in school, treasure your vacations! b/c once you start working, you won't have as many vacation days.

@ #3 Su: heehee, i had the same reaction last open thread too :D:D You can watch Project Runway Korea by downloading the torrents from d-addicts, or you can watch them on http://www.onmoviestyle.com/projectrunway/vod_list.asp (only works on internet explorer, as far as i can tell). i'd recommend downloading, tho - the videos on their website are really small. or you can watch it on TV on OnStyle sat. nights at 12 am. there's a couple rerun times too, there listed on their website.

Mei-chan isn't really my cup of tea, but this season's jdrama Love Shuffle is FANTASTIC! I'm heartbroken over how low the viewership ratings are, because it's a great human drama about very realistic characters and a quirky social experiment. The show's got a kind of sly, witty sense of humor to it and I adore it. Plus, they've taken a very mature and reasonable approach to homosexuality, as well as adultery, and the character development and pacing are some of the best I have ever seen in a jdrama. I usually don't watch jdramas because I'm not a fan of style most of them seem to employ. But honestly, I'm just completely in love with LoveSha.

veronica: I was just thinking the same thing! You took the words out of my mouth. I had just finished watching the second ep of love shuffle and was browsing this site, and I was wondering if I was the only person who didn't really like mei-chan. I love mizushima hiro but no matter how cute the guy is, if i don't click with the drama in the first ep, i'm out.

and also if we're being purely shallow here, the male leads are pretty cute. matsuda shota is quirky cute and cool., daigo is effing adorable, and although someone needs to feed tamaki hiroshi (gaunt does not look good on anyone), he has his moments too. plus i kind of have a fetish for tanihara shosuke's voice. but uh, i'm watching this for the plot and character development. really i am! the eye candy's just the icing on the cake.

also really random question but does anyone know the correct way to brush a dog's teeth? i just tried brushing my dog's teeth for the first time today but she was sooo not having it. she bit me, i yelled at her, and now we're both sulking in different corners of the room.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHALINI !!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Nea - and you feel old at 30 wait till you get to 40 --hahahaha ........ I still feel young at 40 and still enjoy the things my kids enjoy. I love it though, yes we do mature as we age but don't forget the things that make you feel young, those things that make you feel happy.
While I was waiting at a red light driving home this afternoon I noticed the clouds and I started playing with the clouds like I use to when I was younger, that made me smile. I passed it on to my kids so when we get a chance and see some clouds we lie on the grass and make out some shapes and figures while enjoying the day.

I'm debating what Kdrama I'm going to start watching while waiting for next week's BOF.

HAPPY, HAPPY FRIDAY !!! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE.

Special thanks to you Sarah for this Open thread.

Sarah, I say go for this season of Top Model
I see potential for a great season =]
I personally am loving Allison, and I think its Celia? Idk, the blonde 25 year old. They're greattt. But I hate Sandra. HAhha

I'm really excited for BOF this Monday , and I was thinking of starting a new drama soon, so once BOF is over I can have something to do with my life =P
Any suggestions?
I hear lots of talk about Cain and Abel, but that looks.. a little boring
And I've seen bits and pieces of Iljimae, and maybe 2 eps of Return of Iljimae
Also, my aunt recommended La Dolce Vita or something like that, but it sounds sketchy.

Ahhh maybe I shouldnt start a new drama, considering all the cursed schoolwork I must do this weekend -_-

I got somebody addicted to Mei-chan! AWESOME! ^^ Drama-pimping is so gratuitous! I really want to watch Love Shuffle, I love Shota and Tamaki Hiroshi (and I need to find out who DAIGO is, and why his name MUST be in capitals), but too many currently-airing dramas at once is a bad, bad thing.

I... don't know how good I'd be, but I'd volunteer to recap a jdrama... as a test run? ^^ While we're here, Taiwanese dramas need some love, too. A lot of them are OTT and irritating, but when they're good, they're FANTASTIC.

@Shalini: LOL, aww - and I'm feeling odd about leaving my teens and turning 20 in 2 months! I think its because the older you get, the quicker the years pass; since leaving high school, it's whizzing by. I'm already almost finished my 2nd year of University, and my first day here feels like yesterday. I remember how long the years used to be when I was a kid...

Giving Love Shuffle some love! Definitely enjoying it. I love how quirky it is and it is an interesting social experiment. I like how the serious moments are ruined by some ridiculous scenes.

I love both Mei-chan and Love Shuffle and think they are the best in JDorama at the moment. Mei-chan satisfies my inner teen personality: forbidden romance, secrets and a dash of comedy plus - as in BOF - extravagant overboard luxury. And my heart is just meltin' at the sight of Hiro Mizushima.

Love Shuffle's for my inner twen + some years though there are romance, comedy, friendship, intrigue and surprises with every new "shuffle" as well.

I haven't found any good sites on Jdorama, as to Taiwanese there is Brickwall (http://iurgnotmis.wordpress.com/) though it is a far cry from dramabeans...
This means I am all for a venture into Japan or Taiwan should Dramabeans feel inclined to do so.

Though I have to say after having done some translations on viikii.net, don't underestimate the amount of time this would be taking!

A nice weekend to all of you and Happy Birthday Shalini!

Hey everyone! It's a beautiful warm Saturday morning over here. Wow, I didn't realize so many older readers follow this blog, now I don't feel that old (I am 29). I LOVE Boys Over Flowers, I've actually been watching Hana Yori Dango along with it too, because I'd never seen that show either. I thought I would like Hana Yori Dango better because its Japanese and its originally a Japanese story, but I am finding that I like Boys Before Flowers much better. Maybe its because I am more used to watching KDramas then JDramas, I don't know. But they are both good, its just that having to choose, I choose the Korean version over the Japanese version.

Love Shuffle is on my (ever growing) to-watch list. I think one of the best jdoramas of the season is Akai Ito though it's tragic and heartbreaking.

@ stargazer377

more info about Mei-chan no Shitsuji can be found here: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Mei-chan_no_Shitsuji I'd label it as a light and fun -but cute- drama about love and friendship and it's obviously based off a manga. I'd say it's a bit silly, but very watchable.

I'm surprised at how people say Mei-chan is a brainless sort of drama; I was surprised at how un-cracky it turned out to be. The premise is cracky, but all 3 of the leads are very solid and sane. I love their dynamic, and my heart breaks for Mameshiba... There's always so much meaning and emotion behind Japanese killercrack dramas, like Mei-chan, and Hana Kimi, and Nodame Cantabile.

yea so...

I'm assuming that Jang Ja Yun's part was over in BOF anyway but are they (the crew) taking time off to pay their respects or...?

@alvina. yea.they're going tomorrow morning. oh *SOBS!* WHY???WHY!???

and what's up with FTTS breaking up? Aigoo! It's like a piece of my childhood goes away with them ...

*sigh* I have dance class again today but I just want to stay at home, drown myself in variety shows, Psych, Burn Notice, etc and sleep.

Then again, it's actually a nice day today. Anyone currently staying around the NJ area knows how much the weather has been sucking lately.

I've been meaning to watch Love Shuffle (WAY behind my Jdorama list.) That's a Nojima Shinji script, and he wrote some of my all-time favorite dramas of all time (for example, last year's Bara no Hai Hanaya.) He's one of the few J-drama writers who has a good enough ear to make dialogue that seems ad-libbed, as well as put in a few witty zingers here and there.

J-drama reviews/recaps kinda get mixed into anime blogs. D-addicts, Jdorama and surprisingly Soompi have strong J-drama discussion. If I have more time, I'd love to write a one for this place and help make Sarah the Lil Kim (the Queen Bee part, not so much the nudity) of Asian Drama. Actually -- Felicity -- if you're reading this, I'd love to nominate YOU. :)

Saw The Watchmen and we were all giggling at Dr. Manhattan's Manhattan. O_o Plus I didn't know My Chemical Romance did a cover of Desolation Row (Watchmen credits.) o_O In fact, I didn't know that was Desolation Row MCR was covering until I looked it up online. O_oo_O Yikes. But I loved the 1985-ish soundtrack. I don't know how Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah made it into the movie, though I'm glad it did.

About to star Vic/Eun Hye's drama Silence. Sigh. I've heard it's sadder than 1 Litre (*SIGH*), so I've kinda avoided this show. Buckets of tears, here I come!!

@43:
Try some of the older ones: "Mars" it is anything but cartoonish. It manages to be dark, compelling and hopeful at the same time. I have never seen anything like it.
Or watch "Peach Girl" and "Tokyo Juliet" which are both nice and on a much lighter note. The taiwanese BBF "Meteor Garden" 1 + 2 is worth taking a look at as well. Though I do admit that the taiwanese drama caters to a younger crowd than korean drama.

The following ones are a bit cartoonish but enjoyable, they are the usual suspects if you haven't taken any steps into that direction yet: Smiling Pasta, Fated to love you, Why Why Love, Devil beside you, It started with a Kiss 1+2, Romantic Princess, My Lucky Star, Corner with Love, Prince turns into Frog, Summer x Summer. I suggest you google the summaries to see whether any of them might wet your appetite.

Part of what makes Korean and Japanese comedies work is cultural, how the language and manners embed heirarchy and deference even in private relations. That's rich ground for screwball and absurdist humor. This is not nearly as strong a part in Chinese and Taiwanese culture. So if you have rich guy and village girl, the barriers of class are not as insurmountable, and usually by a few episodes, both are already "kinda friends." Then you need something else to keep the starstruck couple apart.

So, where TW idol dramas excel is in then chopping up a series into mini-story arcs with multiple obstacles and multiple villains. Here, Meteor Garden is the model. As a result, the pacing is faster than K-drama and the romantic storyline can be more "eventful." When done right, the story is like an obstacle course of love. And when it's really special, the obstacles are real life problems, life's trials through love's glass.

Good example of that is Mars, which tells a story about two damaged people. It's almost set up like a mystery, where every obstacle reveal each person's demons and how their relationship is tested by and grows from those demons. Also, the chemistry between Vic and Barbie is beautiful. It's no surprise that they fell in love during the production.