Open Thread #75
March 20th, 2009 // by javabeans
As always, Open Threads mean you’re free to run wild (er, within the bounds of good taste, of course!), so have at it.
SONG OF THE DAY
Kings of Convenience – “Toxic Girl” [ Download ]
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am I too late for the open thread?
I was waiting for March 21, so I stayed up til now and http://www.mapthesoul.com, I think, has crashed I’ve tried refreshing so many times but it wouldn’t go through so I came to that conclusion.
Gosh, I was really hoping that I could get/reserve the copy right now.
I had my birthday party last night, and we watched HSM3.
NOT BAD, I was expecting a bunch of crap with lame songs but I actually enjoyed it.
But of course there were too many cheesy parts for it to be a good movie.
Haha, so I’m getting the G1 this weekend or the Samsung Behold.
^Totally off topic lolllll
On a drama note,
I’ve been so bogged down with schoolwork this week (I have pimples from lack of sleep D=) I missed this week’s BOF eps. I almost died every night when I found I just didn’t have the time for it.
I probably wont have time this wekeend either, seeing as all my stuff is due , since the quarter is ending
SIGH, I will watch them somehow.
I can’t believe there are only two weeks left of BBF. I have all the episodes on my iPod Touch and watch them at night. I realized I haven’t rewatched any episodes since 15 with WITHS2’s subs, which I always did for 1-14 (meaning I watched them on Viikii and w/o subs first). I guess I’m disppointed with the really loooooong fiancée ark.
Whee — Kings of Convenience…*gets national pride now*.
Some of you were talking about OST. I just wanna list down OST that I love and normally would be on repeat in winamp whenever I feel like indulging myself in korean music. My list is for OST that i personally think has good songs and instrumentals in the whole volume instead of just one or two songs while the rest is bleh;;;Also, while i may love the OST, doesn’t necessarily i watch the series itself to completion.
(not necessarily in any particular order0
1. Time of Dog and Wolf (this great album reminds me of another great OST album from the japanese series “Pride”. Both are awesome, especially their instrumentals)
2. A Love to Kill
3. On Air – volume 1
4. Boys Before flowers – volume 1
5. Boys Before flowers – volume 2.5 a.k.a F4 Special.
(on a side note, I love BBF OST volume 2 as well, but there’s one song that I really really dislike “Love is fire” (?), that disqualify this album from being in my list. huhu)
6. Princess Lulu.
7. What Happened in Bali
There may be other great volumes, but I haven’t went thru the CDs for quite a long time so I can’t really recall much.
@samsooki couple… could totally relate with the not sleeping until the whole box has been consumed, not caring about sleeping in the wee hours of the morning. Until I happened to buy Jumong… then all hell broke loose, went without sleep for 3 days.
Speaking of Jang Nara, saw 3 kdramas of hers, not counting the Chinese series she did (Mischievous Princess anyone?) and I’d have to agree with the wife, she was irritating. But for some reason, I liked the last one she did better than the first 2, that is, Wedding or Wedded Bliss (2007?).
@samsooki
If you like annoying female leads such as Jang Nara in My Love Pattzi and Lee Da Hae in My Girl, you MUST watch the tvN drama ‘Hyena’. Don’t get me wrong, it’s actually one of the better k-dramas I’ve seen over the past year or so, especially considering it’s a low-budget cable drama with lots of product placement of Australian beer (!), but So Yi Hyun’s character is by far and away THE most annoying character to ever grace a Korean drama. Ever.
You’ll have to watch it to find out why
@Samsookie
Heh, I have most of the songs you mentioned. All awesome. I miss only those from the dramas I have not seen yet. I tend to get the OSTs only after I watch the dramas for I’m afraid I’d get bored quickly (when I listen to something I like, I listen to it obsessively. *headdesk*).
Personally, I love K-dramas OSTs way better than Jdramas OSTs, which are almost always instrumental. That’s not necessarely a bad thing (for example I LOVE classic music), but for mindless listening I like songs with lyrics better. I’m weird like that.
@ Stella Re: Soulmate
Still, it IS an awesome drama.
That’s what I liked about that drama. It broke a lot of conventions and tropes of K-dramas, which are -at least those I usually watch, ie romance, comedies- all about 4 main characters whose paths cross and get tangled together. Soulmate broke all the schemes… it was refreshing in *that* way, in its storyarc, in the cast, in the characters, also in the number of main characters, in its ending. I loved that even though I was expecting another ending for my fave character.
Speaking of Soulmate, when is the 2nd installment of that series gonna be shown or is there a 2nd installment?
Jang Nara is not annoying. She is just different….
Annoying is when Chae Han Young says “shingyung gguhshyuh!” for like the tenth time in a single episode of Choon Hyang.
Annoying is when Yoon Eun Hye eats like a pig in CP and apparently still remains 45 kg.
Annoying is when totally mitchin yuh-ja deul won’t give up their men even though it is clear “their” men don’t like them any more (or never liked them).
Still, I understand where my wife is coming from. Jil-too is an emotion that Korean dramas develop and explore. I need help from some Korean guys on drama beans (help please, need support), but here’s my contention. Jang Nara is attractive to guys because she is fun to hang out with, and she doesn’t have to look “pretty’ in order to be attractive. She is attractive because she is, and not because she what she looks like. Anyhoo.
-samsooki
@66
Of course, I don’t dislike Resurrection. If you take another look at my post, you will see that I mentioned it in the list of my favourite dramas. Perhaps I was not a very good example in connection with the remark “Drama might be mediocre or even bad but certain parts are worth rewatching (1 % of Anything, Resurrection). This might apply to episodes, storyarcs or even some scenes”. It was rather meant to illustrate my point that I did not watch the entire series Resurrection multiple times like Coffee Prince or Goong but rather some episodes / scenes. My fragile mind and body cannot withstand all those emotions in Resurrection and the heaps of Kleenex I need when watching would put a serious strain on my budget (One of the reasons I cannot watch “I am sorry I love you” and the likes as well). It is the story of the moth and the light: Being attracted to the emotions in K-Drama but trying not to get fried by it. I simply detest having headaches from crying the day after, nevermind the people asking me “whether I caught a cold” because my face is all red and puffy.
@67
Practically no one knows about Asian drama in Germany (maybe some anime, horror or action stuff) but that’s it. So I got my dad to watch it BBF with me as it is subtitled in German and he liked it a lot. Jan Di barfing over Joon Pyo had him laughing very hard. What I enjoyed most were his comments on who of the F4 he thought was the best looking: “The red haired guy has got a special something”. He liked Kim Bum’s smile as well. I mean women tend to talk about whether other women look good or not all the time, but a sixty-something man talking about Joon Pyo’s curls is definite not something you happen to hear everyday. Unfortunately, his english is not very good so he will probably not be watching Asian drama regularly.
My mom – have written her off with regard to cinema of any kind years ago. Her remark after watching E.T. together: “The things happening in the movie were rather unlikely, weren’t they?” Even though I was only 12 at the time I definetely knew that this was not the right approach to the movie… So no kindred soul there!
@ 52 Belleza
Would like to preorder your book as well – Looking forward to it!
@samsooki,
I started watching K-dramas seriously since 2005 and I have watched a lot. My faves are MNIKSS, Attic Cat, Full House, and Which Star Are you From. For your succeeding k-drama marathons with your wife, please consider:
1. Thank You
2. Que Sera Sera
3. My Sister-in -law is 19
4. Who are You?
5. Wonderful Life
6. Sangdoo, Let’s Go To School
7. Soulmate
Enjoy your marathons!
@ Samsooki and wife.
Don’t miss 9 end 2 out, It’s one of my favourites.
I think it’s wonderful that you and your wife enjoy drama’s together. My husband passed away so I have drama marathons alone.
Keep us updated on your progress through your Drama list!
@Kobe,
What are you doing watching k-dramas right now? We need the Lakers to win Home Court Advantage!!!
@capricious,
“1. Time of Dog and Wolf (this great album reminds me of another great OST album from the japanese series “Pride”. Both are awesome, especially their instrumentals)”
I used to play the “Pride” OST a lot (esp. “Goodbye Bridge” <– song when Yuuko leaves Kimura at the bridge to meet her first love.) Though admittedly, to fully
get the Pride experience, you need to also play Queen’s Greatest Hits.
“7. What Happened in Bali”
I’ve played The Way and The Way (guitar solo) for an hour straight once.
“I love K-dramas OSTs way better than Jdramas OSTs, which are almost always instrumental.”
I think I’m the opposite in that way. I still listen to more K-drama OSTs, but I prefer listening to scores. For example, I made a monster mix of composer Lim Sae Hyun, which include the soundtracks from Dae Jang Geum, Seo Do Young, Yi San, Huh Joon, and Sandoo. My favorite among that mix is Yi San’s soundtrack, though half of the music (including the love song “Promise”) is really from Sandoo. I sometimes go to work listening to Jumong or Kingdom of the Wind . . . it uhhh describes my work situation.
Coffee Prince has a good music line up, but if you get the 2nd volume of the Coffee Prince OST, half of the tracks are sadcore and dreampop tunes, which is teh awesome. If you like Nell, you’ll love the 2nd volume of the Coffee Prince OST regardless of whether you actually like the TV show.
@Samsooki,
I think I’m the same way about soundtrack. A lot of people love the music because it was in the show. I find that the opposite is true for me; if I love the instrumental themes used in a show (and this is a big reason why I prefer melodramas over comedies), I’ll pull me into the show whether I actually like the story or not.
While I was looking for a particular love theme from the drama “Love Letter” (not included on the soundtrack), I stumbled upon the duo “Secret Garden.” Their first album “Songs from a Secret Garden”, released in 1995, sounds like the Holy Scripture of Asian Melodrama/Korean Drama. They may be Irish/Norwegian, but I think half of their songs have been used in various Korean and Hong Kong dramas.
Anyway, for Love Letter fans, if you’ve also been searching for that love theme too, it’s “The Promise” from Secret Garden (off their album Once in a Red Moon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkWTHTh-kiI&fmt=18
Sigh. Catholic boys can be such heartbreakers!!!
@ 92 Stella
Oh, I am still watching “Hateful but Once Again”. I’m too far in to go back now. It’s like Golden Bride; I didn’t like it that much but I stayed the whole show for certain characters/traits.
I still don’t get what is attracting me to the show but I am watching it nonetheless.
And now I am a hard core Cain and Abel fan.
i just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH javabeans for your recaps and news stories!! I have only recently started getting into k-pop culture & watching dramas and your recaps are very detailed, insightful and just plain wonderful
also, i think your banners at the top of the page are beautiful. sometimes i refresh the page just to see more
[is that weird? haha xD ]
thanks!
@ hjkomo
Thanks for the link! I tend to avoid soompi cos it’s sooo sloooow for me, I don’t know why, but thanks anyway. I’ll definately read all the pages of that thread!
Sarah,
I would highly recommend that you post some of White Lies’ songs up? They are very good at least in my opinion. Especially the song, “E.S.T”
Music:
David Choi, Kina Grannis, and Jane Lui will be performing at Hotel Cafe tonight. If you don’t know who they are….but you come anyways, you will. If you know who they are then you should come and know that you’ll be entertained. If you don’t know what Hotel Cafe is…then you probably don’t live in rural areas in America. If you live in LA and you don’t know what Hotel Cafe is…then you probably don’t listen to humble indie music. Dramabeans knows Hotel Cafe …and that’s another reason why she’s hot stuff.
@ belleza
Yep, am watching Cain and Abel. It’s pretty, whereas I find BBF a little lacking in that aspect. Some of the shots are just plain ugly, and not in a Que Sera Sera type of way. The convoluted amnesia–death–evil stepmothers factors are all there, and there isn’t enough hemorrhage and/or vomiting of blood to be scary. I think someone (javabeans?) mentioned that Han Ji Min manages not to be annoying, unlike Jan-Di in BBF, and I enjoy watching and thinking “HA! Bet you couldn’t do that!”. But then again, maybe teenagers actually do all the exaggerated theatricals (note to self).
@hjkomo
Will continue to watch Return of Iljimae. I sort of want to see him meet up with his mother. It was interesting to see his philosophy being molded by the monk–sort of a fall from the superman idea he’s been cultivating (the gruesome effects of studying Crime and Punishment, la).
Speaking of philosophy, I also want to see what the big revelation about LIFE is in La Dolce Vita. 12 ep left…
@ciao bella
Agreed, lovely! ^-^ There’s actually a link to the headers:
http://www.dramabeans.com/about/the-give-luv-lotsa-love-page/
I admire them in gross amounts here.
To Samsooki…late suggestions:
Watch and enjoy the following highly recommended dramas:
1. Kingdom of the Wind
2. Lovers
3. New Heart
4. Love in Heaven
5. Nine-Tailed Fox
6.Tree of Heaven
Ok, caught up on Cain & Abel, just started watching Terroir since I heard good things about it. I like the main lead as I loved him in the movie “Love me not” with MGY. Hope this drama won’t disappoint me!!!
@86 I understand your issue with Hong Gil Dong but it deserves another view. I tried several times because I heard it was great but I just couldn’t even get through the first ep. And miraculously this summer, I had a friend staying with me and we sat and watched it in one day!
Its worth it! Believe me!
Man! This thread has taken on a life of its own! Love it! This is the 3rd time I’ve come back for updates.
I agree with almost all of the drama selections suggested for Samsooki and with the reasons for suggesting them, especially Soulmate. I have only one addition: Ruler of Your Own World. An oldie but goodie. However, don’t know if you’ll be able to find it anywhere. I also found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed Emperor of the Sea. Loved the women’s costumes, and most of the plot twists.
“I have only one addition: Ruler of Your Own World.”
Yup, here’s the obligatory mania drama list.
Ruler of Your Own World — 2002
Damo — 2003
MiSa — 2004
Resurrection — 2005
Soulmate — 2006
Conspiracy in the Court — 2007
Scale of Providence — 2008
But don’t mind that for now. Watch this instead. The funniest Nonstop 5 parody of “My Name is Kim Sam Soon”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aek9fDhJra0&fmt=18
Okay, so I may be a liiiiiiitle late on posting for open thread… but wanted to know, javabeans, if you would ever consider doing an open thread/post about yourself? Just a short “meet the blogger” — I don’t know how much of your readers know you personally, but I can imagine many are quite curious to know who’s the mastermind behind all this. It’s certainly quite obvious how many supporters and fans you have out there ^_^
I’ve been a loyal reader for maybe a year (more or less) and have followed you halfway around the world! (Not that that’s hard since internet is everywhere ^_^ — but I’ve followed your blog in the west coast US, and am now living in Australia). Anyway, I enjoy the way you write and present information to your readers. I enjoy your recaps and music postings and of course your coverage of kpop culture. (Sadly, I may be more korean than my korean friends, haha).
Anyway, I hope you’d consider it, although I certainly understand privacy issues around that. Hmmmmm, maybe there’s a dramabeans fan group in facebook!?!
Well, javabeans… there’s really only one word to describe you in my book… awesome. Thanks for keeping us entertained
@121 J
I will. Someday, for sure.
@Belleza Re the “My name is Kim Sam Soon” parody.
LMAO that was funny! ACK, for some reason now I want to watch Nonstop… at least s5 and s6. *headdesk* Must. Resist.
to samsooki & wife — it’s nice to hear you both are enjoying Kdramas & watching it together! i just got 2 of my sisters hooked lately & one of them started with Winter Sonata & loving it to the point she asked me to get her the DVD — anyway, she even told me she likes Bae Yong Joon so much that she feels like embracing him when she sees him. But anyway, I myself started to get addicted to this unexplainable phenomenon as I’d call it Kdramas — i was telling my friends and siblings that if Kdramas were food, I’d suspect there’s MSG (monosodium glumate) in it as 99% of the dramas I’ve seen so far have been so favourable that now my collection after seeing some of them online made me buy the DVDs, i may have nearly 70/80 Kdrama collections now aside from the CDs or OSTs of the dramas etc.
By the way, I don’t see Winter Sonata in your list if I’m not mistaken, you may want to add this to your must-watch dramas also Spring Waltz would be one of my Endless Love series that I won’t get tired watching. Kdramas started me with Lovers in Paris & when I got that dvd I stayed till about 2 am which is uncharacteristic of me as I usually give myself a bedtime of 10 pm but Kdramas changed everything. Since I got addicted/hooked on Kdramas, I’ve learned to study the Korean language or hangul, I think reading & writing the characters are much easier than the Chinese characters. The Korean Hangul is much simpler to write & read for that matter! It’s an interesting language, it’s so pleasant to the ears & their songs let alone the singers got sweet voices! My sister & myself even plan to visit Korea and the beautiful sceneries we often see in Kdramas!
Like samsooki’s wife I didn’t much of My Love Pazzi when I started watching it but I find that you grow with the characters & I liked it in the end, albeit up to now I’m not a huge fan of JN! I love those two actors Kim Rae Won & Kim Jae Won! I don’t know about you & some of you here but I have the tendency to be smittened by every actors I see in each Kdramas & much as I didn’t want to share this feeling with you or anybody here, I’m just being honest, most of the Korean actors are gorgeous & great actors.
Some suggestions for samsooki & wife if you haven’t seen these:
All About Eve
Lovers in Paris
Love Letters
Glass Slippers
Cloud Stairs
Mr. Duke
Beautiful Days
Last Scandal (of my life)
Sad Love Story
Stairway to Heaven
Autumn Tale
Hotelier (Korean version with Bae Yong Joon)
Que Sera Sera
Tomato
Really Really Like You
Love Story in Harvard (with Kim Rae Won)
These are just among the list that I can think of right now, i’ve seen many good ones aside from the ones listed above and have enjoyed them.
Re Bad Family DVD — check yesasia dot com or malkee dot com both carry Kdramas & other Asian dvds, local stores in your area might have it too.
I didn’t quite enjoy Dae Jang Geum or Jewel in the Palace — I enjoyed the first few episodes & loved Ji Jin Hee, but it just got to be boring later on up until now I haven’t finished the dvd i bought. Some suggestions: (not necessariy in that order)
Hearty Paws
1) Wonderful Life
2) Green Rose
3) Vineyard Man
4) 30 K Miles in Search for My Son
5) How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor
K-movies:
1) Taegukgi (with Jang Dong Gun)
2) He Was Cool
3) A Moment to Remember
4) Sad Movie
5) Baby & I
6) Too Beautiful to Lie
7) Innocent Steps
9) My Little Bride
10) Now & Forever
11) The Classic (one of my favorites)
and many more!!!
I am currently very happy with Super Junior’s comeback..
The album SorrySorry rocks my socks…
But i wish they would appear on more shows and stuff..
CANT WAIT!!!
Super random amongst the posts but yea
@93, belleza, my take on the drama is a little bit different. I think Jang Nara plays her character a little bit different than maybe what was written. Jang Nara plays her Yang Song Ee character as a good and decent person, not as a person who is of the same coin as Hong Eun Hee. Song-Ee might tell Eun-Hee that they are the same, but really, Song-Ee isn’t like Eun-Hee at all. That’s why both SJ and Hyun Sung like her. Song-Ee IS different.
As for the ending, it is arbitrary on its face, but it really isn’t. Song-Ee has chosen Hyun Sung. That’s why the coins tossed in the fountain – one that was kept in the fountain (true love) came true, and the one that was tossed out (don’t get caught over the arson) was broken. Her feelings for SJ are strong because she liked him first, but it was Hyun Sung that she couldn’t leave in the end.
@111/112, I have Soulmate on my list now, and 9 End 2 Out is there too.
@120, wow, i’ve don’t know anything about those dramas, but I have to say, my suggested list has grown to about 25 dramas, not including your suggestions. If we watch 3 dramas every 4 weeks or so, that’s 8 months before I catch up!
@123, Ruler of your own world was on my list, but then I heard it was sad, so I took it off my list. I am scared of sad dramas, which is why, MISA didn’t make it, and I think Winter or Autumn story (Endless Love series) may not make it either.
@127, For the same reason as above, I can’t watch Glass Slipper because I know that has a sad ending too. And as for Love Story at Harvard, I can’t watch that for personal reasons. Hehe.
Finally, my wife and I finished episode 6 of the K-drama, Super Rookie, tonight.
Honestly, I didn’t like it at first. But it is getting better. In a very surprising turn of events, my wife actually LIKES the poor secretary girl BETTER than the mean rich daughter of the CEO, while I am thinking, “so far, there are no evil people – everybody has their story, and nobody is perfect.” In that way, it is just like real life, but with more beautiful people.
See you guys next open thread!
-samsooki
WBC Finals tomorrow!! Who’s ready for Korea vs. Japan, Part 5?!?
*crickets*
@Samsooki,
“Jang Nara plays her Yang Song Ee character as a good and decent person, not as a person who is of the same coin as Hong Eun Hee. ”
Yup, “Jang Nara” and “spunky” go together like cabbage and anchovies.
wow! this thread is spinning!
@84 Sere
you can e-mail me if you want : najmuthakib[@]yahoo.co.uk
and I decide to watch Cain and Abel. i like it.
@121 jacq
i hated Terroir, was very boring. sorry to say!
@125 nurse.v
i like your idea. what you say java?
i’ve been watching cain and abel…it truly is good…sjs is an awesome actor and he’s making me a big fan with this drama.
about BBF – i still watch it every week but it lost some of its flavor for me when they dragged the hell of the JP and JK pairing.
i have a lineup to watch on aznv and now i’m rethinking them
1. new heart
2. fly high
3. flowers of my life (this one is kinda strange)
4. sweet spy
5. painters of the wind
6. invincible parachute agent
7. hyena
8. marrying a millionaire
9. gourmet (my goodness, waiting for subs for this drama is like waiting for xmas)
10. great inheritance
believe me, i started oone or two episodes on all of them except for gourmet. i’m on ep 16 which is the last they subbed.
for those coffee prince and kim sam soon fans…I LOVE THEM TOO!!! I’ve seen both almost 10x already.
javabeans – i can always rely on you to give me your thoughts (which are funny as hell) on bbf. i always have to read your recaps because sometimes i’m left with a big “huh”.
@133 MEK
can you please tell me where you watch gourmet with subs I’ve been dying to watch it ever since Sarah recommended it!
thanks!
@samsooki and wife – it’s awesome that there’s another couple who are in sync with kdrama watching. my husband couldn’t understand why i subscribe to korean tv channels to watch kdrama when i can’t understand the language instead of getting our home country channels. he wasn’t able to lick me so he joined me. he’s now ‘indoctrinated’ and certified kdrama ‘cult’ member.
we both look forward to our nightly and weekend marathon kdrama date. We’re going to finish Hotelier tonight. last weekend we finished On Air and prior to that 1% of Anything. we love to watch romantic/comedy and some melo dramas to wind our day. we’re reminded of our courting and early married years. (29 yrs married) i’m not into hardcore tear duct wrenching dramas. there’s a lot of that in my surrounding
if you get the chance, watch the movie Beautiful to Lie. it’s so hilarious!!!