TGIF

I am so surprised how many people found Cibo Matto on Buffy. I love their song "Birthday cake".

@Kender : "My university has a weird sort of schedule where second semester ends in April, then we devote the month of May to one specific course"

Kender, How do you like this kind of one month focused study? My university is thinking of implementing this in another year, and after countless meetings, I am slowly warming to the idea but I am still iffy on it. The advantage is the tutorial style teaching that a one-month semester would allow but the disadvantage is the lack of depth -- what can one absorb in one month?

Your uni sounds cool by the way -- it sounds like it has a strong Asian studies program.

I have to say, Friday's are excellent over here. People have been getting into the most interesting discussions of late!

One my favorite, and most frustrating things about jdramas is them dancing around the issue. It doesn't matter what it is, cancer, homosexuality, affairs, etc. etc, they always look at the issue from every angle. They talk about the positives and the negatives, and the consequences of taking or not taking action. So you'll end up with a REALLY well thought out discussion, and you'll feel like your opinion on whatever the issue is has changed, BUT in the drama itself it's rarely resolved. *headdesk*

I'm frustrated at one of my language TAs. He decided yesterday that our usual online weekly quiz was going to be in class. Of course, 20 minutes after he said this, I found out my only other class on Friday was cancelled. So, if it wasn't for the stupid quiz, I wouldn't have had to travel 1 1/2 hours to get to school today. Blerg.

Oh, how am I suppose to feel? Disappointed? Frustrated?

Rant : On

Cinderella Man (CM) vs That Fool (TF) vs City Hall (CH). All sharing the same time slot on Wednesdays and Thursdays. All that anticipation and excitement dissipating somewhat. Grrrrr! *0* "pout"!

1. CM : Gave up after ep 2. I honestly don't know where the story is going and I just cannot watch Kwon Sang Woo's cutesy facial expressions anymore. I swear it's not because of his ahjusshi status but he does it so often that it is sickening to watch. Yoona's acting is not that bad here...well, err..at least it's better than I expected. Overall, poor chemistry among lead actors. Poor, poor KSW, all that pleading and bribing to get CM's ratings up.

2. TF : Seriously, of all the titles chosen, I think CM, as someone suggested (sorry, I have forgotten whom), would have been the most apt for TF. Poor, poor HJM, he is overacting to compensate for KAJ's lack thereof. KAJ, please inject some life into the character...the story itself is already sooo weak. I don't see any chemistry here either. I will keep an eye on it for another week before I decide either way.

3. CH : Story is just unfolding. As Belleza mentioned in one of her posts (and I trust Belleza as crazy as she may sound but so knowledgeable), the WHAM will kick in around epi 6. To be honest, I have found this drama the most promising because of the fantastic chemistry between KSA and CSW. Quite hilarious but slapstick at times. Writer is ok for now. Director and editor(s) need to step up though. However, the saving grace is that I am falling in love with the OST. Check it out if you wish. Don't know what it means but sounds inspiring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnGPzU1Nmmc

Oh well, if this frustration continues, I would be forced to chop off my finger.....not the middle one but the index finger. I am on fast forward mode so often that I am afraid I'll bust it. And that is a scary thought.

I know a lot of smart people reading this blog. Please advise if the TNS media ratings on these dramas, found at dramawiki, any good or trustworthy.

Such a windbag this week.
Rant : Off

@49CRZYCPL

^-^ I loved Spring Waltz actually, mainly because of the picturesque backdrafts they had! I did love when they were speaking in... was that German.., SeoDoYoung and Daniel Henney.

There was a scene that showed SoeDoYoung needed a major manicure... but i got over it after a few minutes.... LOL!

I fell in love with SDY there, red-eyed and all! LOL!

@47SERE

I have been trying to buy that FROZEN dvd, but right now, it's available only for region3. That movie seems interesting, more than the King and the Clown (although i havent watched that either) from the reviews i read. I have to check the link you posted, am curious....

NOW, I REALLY NEED TO WORK....^-^

@ 54 Omo

See, I was intrigued by Cinderella Man but I've been jaded by too many k-dramas lately to think that it would unfold any differently. I might have watched if they chose a different female lead. Sorry, but Yoona? I've seen her in one other thing and her acting in that was so painful to watch. And KSW is just not enough to get me watching a drama.

I feel kind of the same way about That Fool, but at least with that one, I'm willing to watch a few episodes to see how it is. It most likely will be mediocre at best (same old storyline, anything new?) the only thing that might save it is HJM, but if you say that KAJ isn't shining, then maybe I'll wait to watch it.

City Hall? I haven't really heard much about it. When I first heard of it, I thought it was a serious drama, but all I see in promos are funny scenes, so . . . I don't know.

Last Friday of this horrid semester and I am spending all night at the hospital. >__<

I started watching Six Months/Just Looking/ That Fool. And I find that Dong-baek really delivers -- he's very endearing. Like you said, not really outstanding, but good so far.

@Jadielaw

there are some parts of the drama which, in my opinion, require you to speed through them because they lag or are just pretty bad
but then there's other parts where i would have to re-watch because i loved them so much....so i think you'll have to be the judge of which parts to speed up and which ones to slow down and repeat :)

@mishane

i think it really depends on the person and what they want out of a drama...i really like kdramas but sometimes, not very often though, they get on my nerves. they are either tooooo long, have tooo much drama for my taste, or the acting/directing/writing isnt so great.
jdramas on the other hand i always find entertaining, i have yet to watch one that truly got on my nerves or was entirely dumb...but like i said, it really depends on a persons style

@55 MEIKO**** ^-^ Re: The King and the Clown vs A frozen flower

They're two completely different things. The only thing they have in common is, 1)they are historical movie, 2)the BL theme. That's it. I cried during both, but I'm not reliable about these things anymore (I'm too emotional these days so really, don't consider my opinion all that objective...I don't really think they're tearjerkers by nature).

The king and the clown was more...poetic, if you pass me the term. A frozen flower had more of an action thing going on, but both deal with love, sex and betrayals in two different contexts. I have to say I was shocked by how graphical AFF was. Seriously. I didn't expect so many sex scenes and, explicit sex scenes at that. I'm...not quite sold about that, actually. I liked the BL one, but there was just too much het sexin' going on for my tastes. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like love scenes, esp when they're beautifully filmed, but in AFF there were at least a couple too many. Know what I mean?

FYI, I loved both! I'm still flailing thinking of AFF, but that's because I watched it yesterday and I'm still processing it. I think it's waaaaayyyy more layered than I actually thought during my first viewing. I need to mull over some things a LOT more. LOL

oh and I was very very very veeeeeeery impressed with ALL of the actors of both movies. I didn't expect Joo Jin Mo to be as good as he was in AFF. Also? He sings so well! How did I not know this?

Out of all the pretty recently started kdramas, Story of a Man has me most excited, but there's no way I could stand the episode wait, so I'm waiting til it's all finished.

@ mishane Oh dear God, WWL descended into crap, I couldn't stand it by the end. Pointless melodrama out of nowhere, I could barely take it seriously. Right on Rainie, though, with the 'I'm going to die!' 'We're ALL going to die!' - THANK YOU!! Regarding her in DBY, I can't be too objective because like I said it was my first drama, and I thought EVERYTHING was so wacky and OTT... but I adored it for that. In currently airing ToGetHer, she's the most reserved I've ever seen her, and she does it surprisingly well. I think she's awesome. ^^ And yeah, people either love or hate ISWAK, my friend agrees with you, but I worship it. This seems to be a perspective issue; I didn't think she was weak. She was pretty dumb, but I liked that even though she was lacking (sometimes so much you wanted to kill her), she had her own strength. And I loved that Zhi Shu tackled the fact that her whole life revolved around him and tried to force her to do something for herself. Like the nurse thing, once she got around to it, she could do it well, sorta... but then she comes back to Zhi Shu. I gotta admit, I did hope they would pay more attention to that, but... for the most part, it's awesome. And I don't think it's possible to have more chemistry between 2 leads~ didn't Joe say his parents have already accepted Ariel as their daughter-in-law? =p Cuuuuuuute.

@59SERE

THANKS FOR THAT INPUT...appreciate it!!! I dont know about the too many sex scenes but if both films made you cry.., sounds interesting...if you say it is well done and with good actors... ill probably take the chance. LOL! thanks!

@ 61 xiahkixiri

I agree about WWL getting really really crappy near the end. When I do my rewatch of it, I think I only watch until the 11th or 13th episode. After that, it just feels like a kdrama.

Whatever happened to the F4 Afterstory Parts 3 and 4?

just started "story of a man" and am rewatching "resurrection" as well. i really have a thing for revenge stories (fave book is "the count of monte cristo"). am in revenge story heaven. these are the best k-dramas because there's never a dull moment and the plot is always barrelling forward.

especially loving the dream team of "story of a man" but am so on edge that dong-wu will screw things up! i'd much prefer the dream team to mess with everyone b/c they're one step ahead, but i guess the IQ 180 man is gonna prove to be a handful...

@62 MEIKO
Wow, I'm glad you trust me so much. I'd say wait till others say their opinions. The people I know who've watched The King and the clown said they liked it, there aren't any yet who've watched AFF. But oh, I must warn you, The king and the clown is about farcical actors so...ummm, IDK how you might take that. Their farce is, well, is a farce...well maybe more of a satire...but anyway, there're sexual puns etc so it might be everybody's cup of tea, then again, you have to think about the context of the movie. Hmm.

@66 djes

"I am not hating this movie, just……..surprised. And, IMO, the homosexuality is not the main focus of the story. The betrayal is."

You're totally right. Did I say that? Ahah, sorry, my memory sucks. I hope I worded my reply in a decent way cos it wasn't my intention to say that homosexuality was the main theme.

Definately wayyyyy too many sex scenes. I'm not used to all that skin on screen anymore. LOL

Just watched the last episode of Which Star Are You From. OMG, THE CHEESE. Seriously adorable show. Much better than I was expecting.. I'm glad I actually gave it a shot. Plus, now I appreciate Kim Rae Won a lot more. (The only other thing I'd seen him in was My Love Patzzi, and my intense dislike of the show made me dislike him by association, although I'm pretty sure he was the only reason I was watching it after awhile..) Also, Jung Ryeo Won is ADORABLE. I dream of being so adorable. :3

--

@52 Nom Kitteh - I really enjoy it. The classes offered during the May term are so out of the ordinary that I feel like I'm missing an opportunity if I don't take it. (We get a lot of visiting professors or tenured professors who feel like teaching something random.) There are also several travel courses you can go on during May term (there's a trip to Hiroshima/Nagasaki this May that's learning about the Japanese side of the nuclear bomb.. I really wish I could've gone, since it sounded interesting.), and a lot of people go on those. You'd be surprised how much you can learn in one month, though. May term classes are very focused areas of study, so you don't go too in-depth on the surrounding history/theory or whatever. It can help to get your feet wet, or let you try out something you might not want to spend a semester on (classical Indian dance, for example). A lot of people use May term for Gen Eds like lab (which is what I took Physics of Sound for) or something, which is nice because then you don't have to rearrange your other important classes around Gen Eds during the other semesters.

Plus, the cost of May term (both lodging and tuition) is already rolled into the fees we pay for spring semester. So, basically, since it's already paid for, I feel like I'm wasting my parents' money if I don't stay for May.

Our Asian Studies program is really what you make of it. We don't have ANYTHING related to Korea, unfortunately, and it's only recently that they've started to add more courses on India. It was pretty much China-centric until the year or so before I started.. Now we have a Japanese minor, though, so there are a lot of Japan-related courses available, and the head of the Religion department has a serious thing for India/Bengal, so he teaches a lot of courses on India. I just finished my junior year, and I've pretty much exhausted all of the really interesting course options, although if I were interested in the religious aspects of the area there are still a lot of classes I could take in that department. I didn't do study abroad, though (my parents would've made me pay for it myself, and I'd rather save my money for life after graduation), which is what a lot of people do to fill out their International Studies quota.

My university only has 2500 students, though, so our Asian Studies program is exceptional for our size. We've also recently added a Chinese language program (just finished my first year!), so they're working on expanding the department. I keep badgering the head of the department about adding Korean-related classes too, and he agrees with me, so they'll probably be adding some of those as well in future years. (Too late for me, but incoming students will appreciate it.)

Are you university faculty/staff, then? My mother works at a university which also has a May term (it's not my university, it's one in my home state), and I think she knows more about it than I do. I just know what I've experienced, and to be honest I don't really pay attention to how much I'm learning; I only notice how much fun I'm having and how glad I am that I got to focus on learning one thing that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do during the regular semesters. :P

I'M FINALLY GOING TO KOREA!

After years of having a love affair with K-dramas and K-Pop I finally am going to the source of if all. Trying to figure our schedules and good times to go with my friends has been sorted out and the date is set. Totally excited although it's not until February 2010. Have to give myself more time to save and gain more PTO's. But I am totally excited. My very first venture to Korea and my mind is totally going haywire trying to plan everything.

My friends and I will be there for a total of 2 weeks and we already have the major attractions on our "to do" list. But we need more ideas for places to visit that might not be as popular but totally gives us a more in depth look into Korea and it's culture.

So I'm asking you my fellow dramabeans readers if you have any suggestions for places to visit. Also, suggestions for places to eat would be wonderful too. I'm definitely looking forward to eating at street food stalls and having bottles and bottles of soju (such a typical scene you find in dramas).

@70 djes
First off, can you point me in the direction of the movies they meant? cos either I'm unlucky and always get the movies that end in tragedy and, on top of that, that there's no much lovin' going on or the commentators and I have completely different views on what is BL and what is "hot". FYI, I'm not complaining. Just genuily curious.

As a general rule of thumb, I don't mind love or sex scenes. I don't need to see one to get how close the characters are...I definately don't need them to feel a connection with the characters, IF the movie is written/directed/played well and AFF was imho. For example, much as I liked the Joo Ji Mo/Jo In Sung scene (and I liked it! I may even have rewatched it a couple of times *coughs* I swear for the longing stare the King gives Hong Lim during it!), I felt their connection even before that scene. As for the Queen and Hong Lim, I get that a few were needed to show how their relationship progressed, but...I may have done without one or two.

@ 71 Jasmin

--’m definitely looking forward to eating at street food stalls and having bottles and bottles of soju (such a typical scene you find in dramas).--

I AM TOO!!

Except, my stomach isn't looking forward to it. I find that there's so many good tasting things out there, that my stomach just hates 30 minutes after.

Also, I think I'm going to have to literally OPEN UP MY MIND when I think about the food there. I'm very "normal" in my food habits. I eat beef, chicken, fish and occasionally shrimp. Eel, octopus and all the other "questionable" stuff? Hmm . . .you'll probably have to get me sufficiently tipsy to eat.

I think when I go to Korea (to live there for a year, oh my!), I'm going to employ the "Do not ask" rule when it comes to food. Just place it in my mouth. No questions. It could be bull testicles, ant poop, cow intestines. I'm not going to ask. I'm just going to close my eyes and swallow.

(Take your minds out of the gutter!)

@ mishane

Jdorama or Kdramas? Actually, interestingly enough, I was discussing this with a friend of mine, and we have classified a lot of the dramas with "one-word" adjectives/nouns:

Jdramas = insightful
Kdramas = escapist
Tdramas = ... over-the-top
Cdramas = realism
HKdramas = drama queen

I feel like Jdramas, though some are very so lighthearted and silly, are geared toward giving a general insightful life message. The lighthearted and silly ones are actually the ones I usually avoid, because I know they're going to end up flat and just... meh [the only exception is Nodame Cantabile]. But even in these silly Jdramas, you get the feel that the entire drama is centered around some sort of message - be it friendship or whatever. Somebody mentioned watching MatsuJun's new drama, Smile, and yeah, that is not silly or lighthearted at all. It's a serious drama that deals with prejudices and trials and tribulations.

I've always thought that the lighthearted and silly ones were pretty rare in Jdramas - I feel like the "normal" Jdrama story is one that is less romance centered [or silliness centered] and more concerning regular lives and regular concerns and the insights that people gain from them. In that sense, they're actually a little inspirational - like MatsuJun's new drama. Or Aishiteru, which is actually really dark and serious. Or the other "stock Jdrama storyline" involves mystery or whatnot. But I find that with Jdramas, it's easier for me to cry about ordinary people and their ordinary lives. For Jdramas, I cry with the characters' problems.

Korean dramas are much more angsty and romance-y. For Kdramas, I cry because I'm heartbroken along with the characters. I'm a romance sap, so I watch Korean dramas to get the high-tensioned romantic factors. Although, lately, I've been getting into other types of Korean dramas, ones that are much more serious and darker [usually things that I watch for in Japanese dramas]. But I like the escapism feel that Korean dramas give. I mean, I don't give a damn how unbelievable and frustrating the twists are, but I like the feeling of immersing into part of these circumstances. Korean dramas do a good job of drawing you into the circle of drama. It's like you're allowed to take a break from your boring life and take part of another life, which is never made dull with intricate twists.

I used to watch Taiwanese dramas. But I have since moved away from them. The more I watch, I find, I usually get more irritated. The over the top has got to stop. I'm tired of the "stock" dumb girl character. I'm done sympathizing with stupidity. The problem, I find, is that there aren't enough of good actors and actresses in Taiwanese dramas - hence, in Chinese, it's usually referred to as "idol dramas" because it's like another outlet for idols to promote themselves, even if they might suck at acting or whatnot. ISWAK worked on my nerves - I couldn't come to like the girl character at all. Other dramas weren't too great, but I did like [I'll admit] Fated to Love You. I feel like I only watch Taiwanese dramas when nothing else really good is going on. There's too much overacting or too much of "cuteness." I feel like too many of Taiwanese dramas fall back into the same safe, "stock" storylines that are full of cliches.

I'm actually pretty limited in watching Chinese dramas [unfortunately]. The only Chinese dramas I used to watch were only the historical ones [or the ones with like the martial arts stuff going on], which is far from realism. But now I've opened up to other types of Chinese dramas, and I have to say - there is a definite different feel to Chinese dramas than to the other types of dramas. It's a feeling of realism. The characters face real problems. The situations are real. Even if the storylines are from being realistic, the general feel of everything is realistic. The thing is, though, that most Chinese dramas are not what I'd classify as "idol dramas" and are not exactly targeted to as wide of an audience as the others are. Thus, they're also not as popular.

I've only recently gotten into HK dramas, so I can't say much about them either. But, from what I've gotten, they are FULL of drama. The entire focus of many HK dramas seem to be all about the twists in fate that occur in the storyline, be it a police drama or stories about sisters trying to achieve different goals in lives by marrying some of the richest men in HK [like in Gem of Life]. On the other hand, their daily dramas are actually very cheerful.

Wow I feel like I've just written an essay. Actually I need to write an essay for my English class. Wonderful.

@ 71 Jasmin

--My friends and I will be there for a total of 2 weeks and we already have the major attractions on our “to do” list.--

If you don't mind me asking, what's on your list? Only because I was looking at tourism sights and it's overwhelming, I don't even know where to start.

I do know that I want to spend a weekend in Jeju Island and see if it's as nice as My Girl or other dramas claim it is.

@ 74. A.

Wow, those one-word descriptions of the different asian dramas are really accurate, especially about chinese dramas as being realistic. I love cdramas, but they're geared towards an older audience, so sadly the best shows haven't been subbed. I don't like TWdramas at all because it's always the same "poor girl meets rich guy story" with a lot of overacting.

@ 73 Mishane

Yes, my friends and I are probably looking forward to eating and drinking at the food stalls. Mainly because it is such a staple scene in korean dramas but also whenever we see it in the shows we always say "wow, whatever their eiting looks scrumptious". The different foods won't be a problem with us since were all from different asian cultures and are accustomed to "different" foods then what most westerners eat. I've actually never had live octopus before but I'm sure if I can stomach eating different kinds of raw fish, oysters and other seafoods then I think I can handle a squirmy little octopus.

What one of my friends was really wondering about was if we buy DVD's of k-dramas there, would it come with english subtitles? There are a lot of shows that we want to add to our collection but have a hard time to find. I'm sure pirated and fake ones are easily available on websites such as eBay but we like to have originals with good picture qualitiy and subtitles.

@ 74 A.

Oooh, your comment was insightful!

First off, the only j-dramas I've watched are the "crack" ones, which means I've gotten a very one-sided view on them. I haven't seen the real life with a message one (actually, does Attention Please count? That one was kind of a growing drama). I got the impression that Japanese dramas were all just cracky or severely angsty. One thing I do have to note is that I don't think you can find the same character in a j-drama. Every one is such an individual, if you know what I mean. They don't have what you would call "stock characters" or cliche's. I haven't seen a j-drama that felt similar to another j-drama. But then again, I'm still pretty much a newbie to them so maybe I'm wrong.

And therein lies my problem with k-dramas. I feel like if I've seen one, I've kind of seen most of them. I think k-dramas have a lot of recycled storylines and recycled characters. There's always going to be that secondary girl who gets insanely jealous, the totally nice secondary guy who never gets the girl, the feisty poor girl who warms the heart of the cold-hearted son of a mogul/business man/doctor. I mean, the characters are all the same, the storylines are all the same and it just feels over done to me. I can basically predict the general flow of the drama and what actions the characters are going to take. Of course, I'm generalizing but I think out of every 5 k-dramas I watch, 3 will carry the same kind of plot with the same kind of characters.

I don't have much to say about tw-dramas except I think they try to overplay the cuteness. Yeah, we get it. The girl is cute. And sweet. And maybe a little dim. Move on.

Unfortunately I haven't seen any HK or Chinese dramas. I would like to.

Also, is Korean barbeque considered "high class" food? The only time I ever see it in dramas is outside underneath a tent, served by an ahjumma, along with a bottle of soju.

Yum, I might have BBQ tonight. Although I've never tasted soju, apparently there are flavors?? I might drag my friend to Queens this weekend to have some.

@ shinhyesungluv

Yeah, it's unfortunate that most are geared towards the older audience [like my parents ages]. I'm actually watching one that is totally geared towards them, called "Lurk" which is really good. They've got a LOT of really solid, strong acting in them, but it's just that the audience is really narrow. It's unfortunate.

@ mishane

Isn't it interesting that Jdramas are all sort of unique and yet are sometimes about usual lives and usual ordinary people? I think it's fascinating. Attention Please, I guess, counts. LOL. I enjoyed watching that very much and yes, it was geared towards growing up as a central theme. [A little embarrassed to admit, but I started crying when Ueto Aya's character wasn't allowed to become a flight attendant.] Of course, there are ones where the storylines are a little cliche or whatever, but there are those in any type of drama. I mean, lately, there's been an infiltration of crack dramas where it seems just like a huge mob of pretty guys and a huge mob of pretty girls and put them in a blender and see what happens sort of thing - like Hana Kimi, and recently the Mei-chan butler drama.

On the other hand, Korean dramas, though they do seem to follow the same general plotline at times, are still enjoyable to watch. Which is, well, an interesting insight for me. LOL. Even though sometimes the dramas are full of cliches and you know who's going to end up with who, I still get hooked on them. It's that element of escapism - the storyline might be cliche in Korean dramas, but it still makes it extraordinary and exciting for me to, well, "escape" into.

I find that I have an interesting viewing pattern [and I should probably try to document myself to see if this is accurate] - usually I start out with Korean dramas, then decide that the venture is too time consuming and switch to Japanese dramas, then decide that this season of Japanese dramas isn't that great, and move onto HK dramas [I watch Chinese dramas during dinner every day, LOL, because it has become sort of a family event]. And then the cycle turns again.

The other problem with Japanese dramas is lately, there are a lot of storylines/premises that have the potential to be great and REALLY good, but end up flopping. Like, because of not-so-great acting. Or because the scriptwriting isn't that great either. So, not all Japanese dramas are good. You've got to look for the good ones. I know the last season of Japanese dramas, I started out watching like 5 of them, but ended up only watching like 1. This current airing season of Japanese dramas, though, I might actually end up keeping up with all of them.

I think A's generally pretty spot-on, too (with slight reservations about Taiwanese. ^^). I do think kdramas have begun to move away from their super-rigid formula. You can generally expect an Other Girl and Other Guy to pop in, but it couldn't have lasted forever, people would get tired of it... the same way they moved on from super super emo dramas. The thing is that even though it's predictable and you couldn't survive on only that forever, romance just doesn't get old. Of course some people get annoyed with it but most people are saps when it comes to the romance and eat it up. So these things, if done well, original/wellmade/good cast, something that makes them unique, will pretty much carry on. People will find a new way to do it, but continue to do it they will.

@djes
Watched it. I...don't remember it having that many sex scenes. There was one for sure and one of them cuddling? Something like that. It was more about the main characters' backstories and how their past affects their relationship and their lives rather than sex. It was a nice story though.

BTW, Kim Dong Wook played a small role in that movie and I loved him in that. And yes, it is a gay themed movie. It also deals with prostitution among other things.

Anyway, I thought the scenes between Jo In Sung and Joo Jin Mo were pretty good.

@ xiahkixiri

I really don't know how I feel about TW dramas. I mean, there are good ones, but the fact that the majority of them are like "crack" dramas, in which I really feel like I'm losing brain cells watching, makes me really question this huge range of quality within TW dramas.

I feel like the only TW dramas I watch are ones where I can guarantee nice quality from the actors/actresses - like stuff that Chen Qiaoen is in, because I know she can actually act.

@Mishane

Some of the places we already have in our “to do” list is Namsan Tower and Park, 63 Building, Olympic Park, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul National Museum, Deoksugung Palace, Lotte World, Cheonggyecheon and a few others places. Jeju would be a great place to visit as well but I think it’s still going to be too cold to visit “Korea’s Hawaii”. Maybe this summer if my boyfriends business trip is still a go to Busan than I might have to tag a long with him for the few days that he will be there. I’m crossing my fingers that it’s still planned.

@ 78 mishane - "There’s always going to be that secondary girl who gets insanely jealous, the totally nice secondary guy who never gets the girl, the feisty poor girl who warms the heart of the cold-hearted son of a mogul/business man/doctor."

Haha, I knooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww~ And it's always Secondary Male I fall in love with, too. There are a lot of dramas where I watch them and think to myself, "That chick is insane. How could she possibly pick Primary Male over Secondary Male? Give ME Secondary Male! *grabby hands*"

I'd like to see a drama with normal characters. Normal, average people, with no birth secrets/tragic pasts/family-owned companies/other drama cliches. Normal people who might, actually, be boring. Or at least not 100% entertaining all the time. Feisty is cute, but it gets old after the 30th drama. :/ Also, as much as I love my stone-hearted/playboy chaebol characters, they get old. Something new and different would be nice. (How about a drama about hobos? Hobos who find love with each other! I think that would be adorable. And there'd be no chaebols! And their main conflicts would come from which bridge they want to sleep under that night, or where to go to beg for food/money. Or possibly a rival hobo trying to move in on their turf! XD Yay for being different!)

It's been so long since I've watched Jdramas consistently (I think I've only seen three in the past three years, as opposed to my 20+ Korean dramas in the same period of time) that I don't know if I can accurately compare them with Kdramas anymore. They definitely have a very different feel, though, and I agree with #74 [A.] who said that they have a message. Kdramas don't do the message thing so well, I've noticed.. Whenever they try, it usually comes off as too heavy-handed and makes it seem like they think I'm an idiot or something for not being able to pick the message out on my own. *looks pointedly at World That They Live In*

As for Twdramas.. It's kind of hit-or-miss with them. ToGetHer, for example, is adorable and hilarious without being too ridiculously over-the-top. Sure, the premise is cliche (famous celebrity loses house/job due to scandals, ends up living with shy, otaku-esque girl, they both grow with their love for each other), but the execution is surprisingly well done. Also, the cartoonish-ness is a lot less than in other dramas (i.e. Smiling Pasta, Wu Di Shan Bao Mei, Rolling Love). Which isn't to say that I don't love Smiling Pasta and Wu Di Shan Bao Mei in some corner of my heart (mostly due to the adorableness of Nicholas Teo, who manages to pull off RIDICULOUS lines with flair), but I prefer my dramas to have some basis in reality. (Although it kills me EVERY TIME in WDSBM when Nicholas Teo's character is talking to a portrait of his father, because it's just him in a moustache. I know it's not supposed to be funny, but OH MY GOD. *dies*)

Other Twdramas I've enjoyed are Devil Beside You (mostly due to Mike and Rainie's insane chemistry; also my first Twdrama, so it has sentimental value), Rolling Love (Jiro Wang AND Danson Tang! Also, Genie is pretty adorable.), Corner With Love (This show redeemed Barbie Xu in my eyes. Somewhat cliche, but still adorable.), ISWAK (never saw the second season, don't feel compelled to), and Hana Kimi (up until the very end, anyway). I DESPISED Mars and Meteor Garden, and to this day I can't recall why I watched Prince Turns Into Frog. I also watched Romantic Princess (AWFUL!), and the only reason I continued beyond the first episode is because of George Hu, Calvin Chen, and Wu Chun. Yes, I'm a fangirl. I'm okay with this.

Does anyone here have any experience with Thai dramas? The only one I've seen is Oom Rug, which is seriously cute. One of the Thai restaurants in my town has a TV on which they play (unsubbed) Thai dramas during the lunch hour, and I always get really absorbed even though I don't know what they're saying. Kind of like how I always get sucked into unsubbed Bollywood films at the Indian buffet. XD

@ 86 Kender

I didn't even finish reading the rest of your comment. You want normal nice characters with no crazy tragic secrets?!?! Something refreshing and not like your every day angsty, cliche'd k-drama?

RUN DO NOT WALK RUN RUN RUN to 9 Ends 2 Outs.

I watched that drama after being so overwhelmed with the typical k-drama plot cliches.

This drama is honestly in my top 3 dramas of all time. Like I said, if you are tired of the usual k-drama, watch this. I don't care what anyone says, I loved it. It's about a guy and a girl who have been best friends for 30 years and have to live together and it's a love story but it's not shoved in your face. It's very realistic and HONEST. One of the things I HATE most about dramas is that NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS. It all gets ignored and everyone keeps secrets and it gets so frustrating but in this drama, the two are so open with each other and are such good friends. It's just a good good good drama. I can't gush enough about it. I REALLY CAN'T. I don't even have coherent words for it.

@ 86 Kender

You bring up a lot of good points in your comment.

--Haha, I knooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww~ And it’s always Secondary Male I fall in love with, too. There are a lot of dramas where I watch them and think to myself, “That chick is insane. How could she possibly pick Primary Male over Secondary Male? Give ME Secondary Male! *grabby hands*”--

Yeah, I do fall for Secondary Male. What I hate though is that the writers usually build up Secondary Male so much in the first half but then to justify the Main Girl getting with the Main Guy, they make the Secondary Male do things that are so out of character. So it's like, "Oh this guy is so nice and awesome and sweet, she's crazy for not being with him OH MY GOD HE JUST RAN OVER AN OLD GRANDMA HOLDING A CAT!". All of a sudden, our nice Secondary Male turns into a psycho or evil guy. You can't have the Main Girl pick Main Guy just because she likes him better. Noooo, it has to be because something is wrong with Secondary Guy. That irks me.

My favorite secondary guy is Prince Yul from Goong. I ended up disliking everything about Goong, except for Prince Yul.

Man, I'm evolving quickly.

So, I started with a "korean guys can be pretty" phase ala Lee Min Ho vs. Binnie, and now after watching a Pia music video, I think I've moved on.

My new look will be far far from the Binnie-tastic pop idol going kclubbing to Oakenfold READY STEADY GO. Now, I think I am going to try "I'm a sad Korean gangpae and/or just different from others but I gotta be me" ala Fallout Boy / My Chemical Romance...with a tinge of Staind.

PRESENTING... NU EMO-KORE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bodH0i46l2o&feature=related

I know I am late to the Pia crowd, but this is SeoTaiji advanced evolution, this is what happens when Nu Metal Meets Angst-Ridden Korean Musicians Who Fail College Exams.

Now, I don't care about my hair. Forget the KMS Hair Play and the cold air blow-outs. I will just over-gel it and let it get dirty and sticky gelly. I'm going to make my own braided leather necklace, get baggy painter jeans, and a long sleeve shirt 2 sizes too big for me.

Peace out, boys and girls.... / \ (for those who don't know, that's my V sign upside down, because that's being real is all about, that's what a frown is, a smile upside down.)

I gotta be me!

@ A: Chen Qiao En is awesome sauce. I remember reading that when she was little she used to go to graveyards and count how many had the same surname. ^^ And watching her torture Ethan in Fated To Love You's BTS was so much fun. Yeah, it's true the crack dramas are irritating - tried to watch Miss No Good - OH. MY. GOD. OHHHHH. MY. GOD. I've never had such a headache.

@ Kender: You didn't like Prince to Frog?? O___O

@ 86 Kender

Last comment reply, I promise!

--(Although it kills me EVERY TIME in WDSBM when Nicholas Teo’s character is talking to a portrait of his father, because it’s just him in a moustache. I know it’s not supposed to be funny, but OH MY GOD. *dies*)--

That sounds crazy and exactly like a TW-drama. ELOHEL!

@ 90 xiahkixiri

I only got through Miss No Good because I was a Rainie fan. I ended up fast forwarding the whole thing. Oh man, that's the absolute worst thing I had to put myself through.

Did you watch the BTS for Fated To Love You? The one where they were filming them rolling around on the bed? And how Joe Chen (?I don't really know her name) was eating a meat stick the whole time? It was completely adorable and the actress is pretty cute and seems funny. I haven't seen her in anything else though. I'll admit that I didn't find the male lead attractive at all (Ethan Ruan, I think) and the episodes got a little boring and draggy so I did some FF'ing through those as well.

@ mishane - Haha, maybe I will, then, if you loved it so much. ^^ Actually, I probably will, once I get some more space on my hard drive. (Ran out of DVDs to burn dramas onto. ^^;)

"One of the things I HATE most about dramas is that NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THEIR FEELINGS."

OMG INORITE. Do you yell at your computer too? "TALK TO EACH OTHER, IDIOTS! EVERYTHING WOULD BE SOLVED IF YOU WOULD JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!"

I want to be a relationship counselor for Kdrama leads. And my main piece of advice would be "COMMUNICATION = GOOD." And they'd listen to me, and their problems would be solved (or at least lessened), and then they'd pay me ridiculous amounts of money for helping them out, and I'd be filthy stinking rich. XD

"So it’s like, “Oh this guy is so nice and awesome and sweet, she’s crazy for not being with him OH MY GOD HE JUST RAN OVER AN OLD GRANDMA HOLDING A CAT!”."

This comment made me snort my Diet Coke up my nose. XD But YES. OMG, I HAAAAAAAAATE that. HATE. HATE HATE HATE.

That's one reason I liked How To Meet A Perfect Neighbour, though. The show had way too much going on, but the guy I was convinced was Secondary Male actually got the girl in the end, and the main character ended up alone, and I was SO HAPPY about that because I was hardcore in love with Secondary Male, and although he was a bit of a jerk at times, both guys ended up being decent human beings.

AND I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT MISS NO GOOD. I actually really liked it, once I got used to Rainie's voice. Although the last ten minutes of the last episode were ridiculous and out of place and should have been cut. :/

@ 56 mishane :

So far, CM, TF and CH have aired 8, 4, 4 epis respectively.

1. CM : I am not a fan of Yoona's acting. But I was just comparing her character in YAMD vs the one in CM. Her improvement in CM can be measured by a hair's width.

2. TF : Nothing new yet...very cliched after 4 epis. HJM is not the problem. KAJ's expressions are all so contrite. I can't understand it so I won't even try and explain it. You can watch the 1st epi on viikii and you will know what I mean. They have eng sub till epi 2, I think.

3. CH. Do give CH a try. So far, all the 1st three epis that I have watched are soooo funny. Epi 3 being the funniest from beginning till end. There are a few small little whams so far. Waiting for the big WHAMs. The thing about CH is that it's 20 epi long. I do believe the other 2 have 16 epis only. So with 20 epis, I am almost afraid the writer might go over the moon with the storyline. Story appears normal but interesting...I am trying not to give away too much.
See for yourself at viikii too. Subs are also out till epi 2. Many more tongues are wagging on CH than TF though.

@85 Jasmin -

"Some of the places we already have in our “to do” list is Namsan Tower and Park, 63 Building, Olympic Park, Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul National Museum, Deoksugung Palace, Lotte World, Cheonggyecheon and a few others places. Jeju would be a great place to visit as well but I think it’s still going to be too cold to visit “Korea’s Hawaii”"

If you have time, I suggest taking a day or two and just doing normal everyday activities that people who live there do. Spend an afternoon shopping at a local shopping mall, going to a local no-reh-bang, eating at a dive, then snacking and drinking at an outdoor cart. Go to an indoor golf range, with computerized courses (you hit into a screen that makes you think you are playing outdoors). Go to an internet cafe and play games with dozens of random ppl.

If you have the time, spend it like you are on a one-day holiday for people who live there, and I think you will really, really enjoy it.

@ 90 xiahxiri - It's not that I disliked Prince Turns To Frog, it's just that I can't remember anything special about it. It started out cute, but by the end I was like "Why isn't this over yet?" It was one of my first Twdramas, though, back in high school, so I hadn't learned the art of patience yet. I might have to give it another try, though.. I might appreciate it more now. (This seems to be the case with a lot of shows.)

And on the subject of Fated To Love You, I couldn't get through it. D: I tried, really, but I got to episode 4 and just didn't care anymore. My Chinese professor told me it gets a lot better towards the end, but even she admitted that it was pretty boring towards the middle. XD

@ mishane: I'm a Rainie fan too, but... I watched, like, 3 eps and I felt like stabbing myself (despite other guy's pretty, pretty eyes!) and Rainie and Wilbur Pan being rather cute in the BTS there, too (I can't kiss him, he's like my brother!!! AHHHH!!!!).

Joe Chen (Chen Qiao En) is honestly a blast. Both her and Ethan got drunk to film that. =p She's also in Prince Turns to Frog, and Ying Ye, with Mingdao, who is the Mike to her Rainie. I liked Ethan's character a lot because he wasn't the typical cool chaebol, he was dorky and childish and faintly annoying. ^^ I loved FTLY because you could see how wrong they were for each other at the beginning, he was too selfish and immature and she was too much of a doormat - and then BIG SWITCH UP, she turns her life around and he... stays rather immature but learns how to think about someone else. LOVE. <3 Fanfreakingtastic. I loveddddd Father Dylan though. And I LOVE Baron Chen for volunteering himself and Ethan to swim nekkid if they broke ratings, and then jetting off to film a CF and leaving Ethan to do it himself. ^^

@ Kender: LOL, most of us are more patient towards the beginning of our drama-watching career. =p Ahh, but I spent an unbelievable amount of time staring at the other girl's hair. o__O FTLY I think is really worth it. It does slow down near the middle, but there's a point to it!

@mishane I absolutely LOVE Love LOVE 9 ends 2 outs! It is super cute! The storyline is different but yet it stays within the borders of Kdramas.

@ 94 Omo

I will try the first few episodes of That Fool. It looks mindless enough to entertain me until I get annoyed.

I might catch the first episode of City Hall, but I don't know. I never was a big fan of political stuff but if you say it's comedic, then that's a plus.

Thanks for breaking it down!

(Yeah, I'll probably never watch Cinderella Man).

@93 Kender

YES. HONESTY IS THE KEY TO A GOOD RELATIONSHIP. And I hate the bullshit about keeping the secret for the sake of your boyfriend/girlfriend. WTF. And it annoys me even more because as the audience, we see what dipshits the characters are being and I just want to reach into the screen and bang their heads together.

So yeah, 9E2O is the total opposite of that and is made of awesome and I want Hyung Tae as my boyfriend forever and ever.

--AND I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT MISS NO GOOD. I actually really liked it, once I got used to Rainie’s voice. Although the last ten minutes of the last episode were ridiculous and out of place and should have been cut. :/--

Yeah, if I ignored the ridiculousness of Rainie's character it wasn't that bad. Honestly, I think that show was a little schizo. I felt like it was trying to be cartoonish but Rainie was the only one in the cast acting that crazy, so it felt out of place. I did think Wilbur Pan and her chemistry was FUN and I watched all of the BTS and it always cracked me up to see them film the kissing scenes (and for once, Rainie had normal kissing scenes! I felt like she kissed like a cold fish with Mike and the others but with Wilbur they actually kissed. I was kind of amazed).

Aw, How To Meet A Perfect Neighbor. I've always wanted a drama where Secondary Male gets Main Girl but I want one to surprise me with that ending but I never knew how to request it. Like, give me 3 dramas to watch and one of them has to have a surprise switch couple ending?!