@88 Sammi510
Ohh thanks! Hey he is the guy in Fireworks! What a nice voice and wow he looked so serious, concentrating on his singing. Nice song too. Anyone know which album it's from? Really puts a lot of the 'singers' out there to shame. Makes me want to check out Queen of Housewives now.

#92 Samsooki
Really that your treatment for 'Jajangmyun Space Odyssey' might need a thread/blog of it's own! Cannot wait to read the adventures of Binnie AND Kang Ji
Hwan AND Lee Da Hae AND 'dangerous' Yoon Kye Sang! What a whopper of a cast! You better remember to post it here at Dramabeans first, 'cause just because you now a Soompier does not mean you should forget us!

#98 budsdiana
'Rough Cut' made me discover the wonders of So Ji Sub, so much so I pulled out my unseen, bought ages ago, dust-covered MISA DVD and watched it in a few days. I now know why people rave about him.

Have you seen Cain and Abel? Thoughts? Is is worth checking out? (being a SJS fan am thinking you would say yes, but what if it not have SJS would you still
recommend it?. Recall the other lead is from 'Stairway to Heaven', but I liked Han Ji Min in Capital Scandal so might pick it up anyway.

WAAHHHHH Literally just got my hands on the rest of Merlin! So excited! Am going to actually watch episodes of an ENGLISH speaking show....shocker!

Or should I watch on my PC, while similtaneously fix my itunes at the same time? So much had to be recovered manually - *sob* playlists lost! Nearly done.

bspanda,

You SHOULD check out Queen of Housewives. Yoon Sang Hyun's popularity literally soared because of his character in the drama. Would totally recommend QOH to ppl who love to have a good laugh over the weekend or such. Maybe a bit cliche, but no doubt it was filled with never-ending fun and laughter..

As for your take on SJS in Rough Cut, totally agree with you. SJS was amazing as the angst-y and lonely Kang Pae. But don't forget Kang Ji Hwan, I loved him too. He and SJS brought out the best in each other...

Hmm, bout Cain and Abel. I'd have to be frank with you. When I watched it episode by episode, I thought it was pretty okay. I kinda enjoyed the beginning episodes..the middle eppies were thrilling, but towards the end, it got a bit uninteresting and stale. Wasn't able to feel Ji Sub's character to the max (like how he blew me away in MISA with his take on Moo Hyuk?). The rest of the cast did a pretty decent job...esp HJM, who IMO did overshadow SJS and the rest with her acting. Overall, if you want a really good thriller or revenge story, you may want to skip this. Think of Resurrection (if you have seen it) or Green Rose, and IMO C&A lacks a whole mile. But again, you may want to try out the first 4 episodes before judging.

'........Rough Cut, totally agree with you. SJS was amazing as the angst-y and lonely Kang Pae. But don’t forget Kang Ji Hwan, I loved him too. He and SJS brought out the best in each other…

ripgal - I would/could NEVER forget Kang Ji Hwan! Just thought that I should not repeatedly mention my love for him in every post I make hehe. One complaint about the movie though was the female characters were so majorly bleh (esp the actress character!) - but then again the movie was more about KJH - SJS (thank goodness). I had read that unfortunately, even with the awards and success Rough Cut has had neither KJH nor SJS have yet to see a dime. Such a shame. But hey at least it raised KJH profile for his 1st movie role.

Thanks for your tip about C & A. Since I have a monster pile of 'to be watched' kdramas it might not matter when/if I pick it up. Not to mention Queen of Housewives is to be added! Oh dear! And this is all before the June kdrama feast of 'Triple', 'Partner' and 'Friends, The Legend'!!! Yikes am I ever going to sleep? @_@

@60 mookie I was glad to read your post. I remember what it was like the days and the weeks that followed. I happened to be vacationing in South China that year and still remember vividly the protesters at train stations days before the crackdown.

@javabeans: enjoy your trip

@stee: "I don’t like scenes where people are embarrassed or lie a lot (and therefore put themselves in dangerous situations), either. It’s very uncomfortable to watch…maybe it’s because I unconsciously put myself in their places each time."

i too am the same, when those type of scenes come, i usually tend to fast forward hehe though at times, i still watch it.

for me, i'm more geared into action romances so i've been watching time between a dog and wolf, a love to kill(though it was too sad for me), sweet spy( i want a next season!!!), tazza, and so on and on and on.

love taiwanese and japanese series too, right now in a bit of a stump on what to watch while waiting for a man's story and my queen to be uploaded. so watching anime hehe if anyone has any action romance dramas to recommend, that would be most welcome^_^thanks in advance

ehehe i forgot to mention about hong gil dong, yea i liked this one too, totally wasn't what i was expecting it to be, and i actually liked the prince too, forgot his name though >_<" well his role there to be exact, loner, and changes cos of the actress, so sweet (m a romantic at heart btw, jus don show it) if there was no love traingle and no kang ji hwan in the series, i would have so loved yi nok and him to be together, sigh

Most of you here are already starting their Summer, while in my place there was so much rains lately and I would rather choose over the hot weather than rainy/cold days, I just hate the traffic and floods all over...

RE: Fated To Love You

This was aired in my country recently, and I got to watch it but I've never finished it yet, the funny thing is, me and my mom are watching it and as she was so excited to know the ending, she immediately asked my brother to download it and she finished it ahead of me...but I'll get back to it since I love Jo Chen and Ethan Ruan's chemistry in the drama.

RE: Last Scandal of My Life

The drama was aired in Taiwan recently. I'm not from Taiwan, but I was able to caught some episodes through cable and yeah I can't help but feel sad that Choi Jin-shil is no longer here, I've seen the drama last year but it took me at least a while before having to guts to re-watch it, with all the bittersweet feelings behind, I also started to watch another drama of hers with Ryu Shi-won, Since I Met You but I haven't finished it yet, since its 50 eps. I've also started with The Sons of Sol Pharmacy and I'm enjoying it thus far, watching it during my lean hours and rest day...

let me post this before going to bed.

im jumping to city hall's bandwagon. totally funny, light and interesting drama.
there's always this parts where i burst out laughing. LMAO! and im watching it like around 2-4 am. CSW, is amazing! and sun ah is always fun to watch. im about to watch epi 6 but seems like BON is not done yet and viikii links are broken...T_T i need to wait patiently but im dying to see the next one.

with chunhee and yejin leaving FO. ive been totally depressed. ive been following the since since the beginning. never missed any episode. its just really sad seeing my 2 faves leaving at the same time. im already predicting that i'll be bawling my eyes out during their final episode.

and now, chunhee being included in that drug scandal thing! it just breaks my heart hearing it. chunhee is always been pure, innocent and clumsy in my eyes. i refuse to believe it. im in no position to judge him until he's proven guilty.

im off this weekend! yay!

Samsooki: Just curious, where did you like Hyun Bin more—in MNIKSS or in Snow Queen?

Late again as usual.

Agree with ripgal, Queen of Housewives is absolutely a hoot though I may not recommend it to Samsookie given his inability to watch embarrassing moments since it is stuffed with it.

The subtle/not subtle politics people play to get ahead will have you thinking high school was the minor leagues when it comes to the pecking order but at the same time I find the bitchiness to be quite delicious in a *I can't believe she said that* way which if you have sick type of humor would have you laughing hysterically. I don't think there are any real redeemable characters so far . I'm on episode 10 but I'm really really enjoying it though I'm not rooting for anyone.

Just back here after my posting last night and noted that the fan-made MV I meant to post were not there. Here they are again and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0cLZvgCrE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i92dOutJHo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCTad_IFMZw

Soooooo.... Bored... today.

I am giving City Hall a shot. Will the lead man's eyebrows get less plucked as the show progresses?

MEN -- back away from the tweezers. Put them down and walk away. You can do it. Yeah, Japanese men, I'm especially looking at you.

I have picked up and dropped several shows over the past few weeks. What's Up, Fox, The World Within, Shining Inheritance, and something else I cannot remember. Are there ANY nice, fun, light comedies out there currently airing anywhere in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea?

@111 queen bee

"Just curious, where did you like Hyun Bin more—in MNIKSS or in Snow Queen?"

Binnie was probably more "real" in MNIKSS, than he was in SQ. He was flawed, scarred, emotionally repressed, immature, and charming all at the same time. As people have noted, Binnie was kind of a jerk in the drama. Yet he wasn't a bad person, just a person.

On the other hand, Binnie's character in SQ was really sort of bland, and I didn't quite get his character because the character was too unrealistic. So you believe that you got your friend killed. Let's say for the moment that it really, really was your fault. In that case, you cannot escape your condemnation and by being a coward and running away, then coming back and just crying and saying you are sorry. It doesn't work that way. You took a life, and a promising young life at that, and you deserve to take the place of the person whose life you snuffed.

Now, let's say it wasn't really your fault. Then in that case, why did you run away and give up your mom and your potential? What kind of person leaves his mother all alone, with nobody, for so long a period of time? It doesn't make sense, and Binnie's character didn't reflect the reality of the situation. Either take responsibility or don't take responsibility. But Binnie's character sort of floats through life without a purpose for no reason for so long, I just didn't get it.

If Binnie's character really did feel like it was his fault, then he would have been WAY more messed up than he was, and that kind of craziness doesn't just go away when you start driving a BMW for some rich girl. I never got the sense that Binnie was messed up enough on the inside, and so the whole "it's my fault" thing doesn't wash with me. And if that's true, then Binnie's character was either bipolar or fake. Either way, that wasn't shown in the drama, and so his character really wasn't that real.

***

But, that said, if you take away how unrealistic Binnie's character was in SQ, then the second half of the drama was very good, and I loved Binnie's patience and laid back personality throughout. And Sung Yuri did a really good job against that kind of character. It was, after all, a love story, and their love for each other was palpable and I eat that stuff up.

***

So, to answer your question, LOL, in terms of the characters, obviously, Binnie's character in SQ is way more of a sympathetic role than Binnie's role in MNIKSS. And so I like the SQ character more. But I think Binnie had a more complete character, more whole character, in MNIKSS, and I think that kind of complex character was played well by him.

Better character, better performance - MNIKSS
The character I liked more - SQ

The Most Interesting Man in the World

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/the-most-interesting-pitchmen-in-the-world--379

@ Nom Kitteh

Have you watched Love Marriage?

hjkomo, I have watched Love and Marriage. It's cute! Thanks for the rec though.

I will stay with City Hall for a couple more episodes but am baffled as to why someone as talented as Kim Sun Ah would take this role. It's not self deprecating like that of, say, Liz Lemon, who comes across socially inept but brilliant. Sun Ah's character is just plain idiotic. I totally wasn't expecting that.
=========================================================
HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY, TETRIS. I still have you on my old, old 1st gen gameboy.

------------

Mood: boredom slowly transitioning to cranky. Time for some fresh, icy cold mango slices with a touch of condensed milk and two big handfuls of dark chocolate shavings. Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

@ Nom Kitteh

KSA' s character in City Hall seems idiotic at first glance - but, just watch on, there is this intelligence and integrity beneath the veneer that make her character so endearing. Hers is white whereas Cha Seung Won's character is bordering grey and black.

I love her character here much more than that in MNIKSS.

hehe just realised (and solved) what CF Clazzquai's latest single 'Wizard of Oz' is for. The LG Telecom CF that Kim Bum's in! Yes that Kim Bum. The talented smiley of BBF/F4 fame. A new song from one of my fav groups AND a F4 boy! Nice

so can i just post anything here?

other than dramas..i just wanted to say i'm FURIOUS after reading the post about choi jin shil being sued for being a violence victim. absolutely outrageous! i think i'm going to pick up one of her lastest dramas, last scandal and watch it. although it might be a bit sad to watch it...just wnatedint to tell eveyrone how unfair and sad the world is.

@120, moochi,

We just finished Ep 12 of Last Scandal, and as we approach the end of the drama, as I am enjoying the drama more and more, the sadder I get.

I had never seen these MadTV Korean drama parodies.
LMAO!!!

Parts 1 - 4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMvk0KqS8aQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzoG0cLaWi8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdoSQUDBAHo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_mF1c91RGQ&feature=related

I am procrastinating BIG TIME on starting Story of a Man, Brilliant Legacy and City Hall even though I am still having my 8 month holiday >< I don't know if I want to start on something so intense cos I do not have the will to tear myself away from the com.
@ 14 asianromance
I totally agree about ethan ruan's eyebrows. I always get perturbed by it. Nonetheless, he is my only favourite taiwanese actor... cos he can cry. heh. One of the reasons why I like korean dramas is because most of the actors and actresses can cry beautifully.

Sadistic, ain't it?

@ 120

I was really surprised by that news as well.. I didn't knew that the case was on going even after Choi Jin-shil's sudden death, and I think its so unfair for her since I don't think its her fault alone that she became a victim or domestic violence, hope they will let her soul rest in peace once and for all, the sad thing too is her children will shoulder the consequences, without even knowing what really happened to their mom, makes me also feel sad while I'm currently watching Since I Met You

@122 hjkomo -

Bobby Lee rocks!!! Who was the bad guy again?

I didn't quite get the premise or the plot line, although I could see the similarities between MadTV's Tae Do and some of the more confusing k-dramas - like evasive inquiry agency.

However, the acting by Bobby Lee was waaaaay better than the acting I saw in Sweet Spy. I give it 2.5 stars out of 50 stars. LOL.

@122 hjkomo

re: MadTV videos. These are funny! I love how a character utters one syllable but the subtitles are half a page long. hahaha

There is also a MadTV skit where Bobby takes his Jewish friend home to meet his Korean family, and the men in the bathtub scene is hilarious!

@ Samsooki

The bad guy's Sung Kang. He's been in Fast & Furious, Die Hard 4, and other movies/TV series.

You didn't find the poke at kdrama clichés hilarious?
- love triangle
- tragic illness and death
- flashback remember while lead drowning his sorrows in alcohol
- lead not really dead
- secret brother-sister relationship
- twins split at birth
- blatant product placement
- cheesy soundtrack

@ birdscout

What was also funny was that some of the lines were completely changed like...
I can't speak Korean.
I'm really full right now.
What's that towel on your head?
My grandfather asked me why I can't speak Korean.
etc...

And yeah, I nearly peed my pants watching the bathtub scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjqkvQHiK9Q&feature=related

HEY!

CAN SOMEONE SUMMARIZE WHAT"S ON THE KANG JI HWAN (MINE) THREAD?

I can't get into the thread because somebody (I won't say who it is) put some sort of stupid Terms of Service (TOS) agreement thing that relinquishes my rights to KJH. I am assuming that if I click the link, my IP address will show up on the KJH mine! "no-rights" list, and so I will sadly and sorrowfully stay away.

I feel like Yi Nok when she had to stay in the palace... :(

I just gotta ask, did KJH (MINE!) mention me? Did he say when he would hang out with us? Did he say whether he got the doo-boo and kimchi care packages we sent?

Well, did he?

Statement from Mr. Kang's agency:

"Mr. Kang is continuing his recovery, under the close supervision of his doctors, from his recent kidnapping in NYC. Aside from the physical effects of the ordeal, he is also being treated for severe psychological trauma. All of Mr. Kang's filming projects are being put on hold, pending his recovery."

~ FBI Bulletin ~

Mr. Samsooki is still at large.
Although he continues to post on Dramabeans (and even Soompi), authorities have been unable to track him through his Blackberry, which he stole from the agents of Civil Servant, Level 7.

In the meantime, Hyun Bin's management has tripled his security detail on the set of his new drama, in the likelihood that Mr. Samsooki will try to make his way to Korea to continue his kidnapping spree.

Nuh-uh!

I don't believe it.

:)

i was wondering where the iljimae recaps went! ep. 19 was the most recent one. i'm missing those lovely jung il woo screen caps! :D

I have only been watching Kdramas intermittently in the past 7 years so my knowledge of Korean showbiz scene has BIG holes in it. I recently discovered Cheun Jeong Myeong during KBS' re-runs of Goodbye Solo. The drama storyline was surprisingly better than I thought - slow start but very good plotline for the characters. Thanks KBS for re-runs!

I thought CJM did an excellent job so it was a nice surprise to find out this was only his 3rd drama. Goodbye Solo encouraged me to watch his other dramas. I finished What's Up Fox this weekend - it was adorable and funny, and he did held his own considering this was his first drama. Many people said Fashion 70s was quite good but I never bothered to buy the DVD because it was a period drama. Now I have changed my mind because of CJM and will watch it next.

Too bad he had to put his flourishing career on hold for the army. I hope he hits the ground running with a new movie or drama as soon as he is released .

Good luck, CJM. I hope you continue to be as adorable on your showbiz return..... and please continue to be HOT!!! hehehe. I cannot wait to see how you look now. Some good-looking actors can't act. I am so glad you are not one of them.

samsooki,

Here’s a rough summary of the kang ji-hwan interview. Some parts I didn’t fully understand due to translation or context.

KJH’s “level 7 civil servant” is exceeding expectations in the box office with over 4 million ticket sales. His fame is quickly rising, and he’s confident to the point that he’s sometimes perceived as arrogant by others.

KJH became famous with the 2005 series “be strong, geum-soon.” “capital scandal” and “hong gil dong” were also successful projects.

His movies “invited” and “rough cut” did better than expected in the box office.

KJH remarks that he would’ve quit acting if he wasn’t successful by 30 years of age; fortunately, he beat this by 2 years.

KJH would’ve continued to study design or run a business if he wasn’t successful in acting.

KJH is glad that “level 7 civil servant” did well enough to pay back those who invested in the movie. He says he felt good (vindicated?) that his movie beat ‘x-men’, ‘thirst’, and ‘star trek’.

Kim Haneul and KJH shot a CF for an international phone a while back. Kim Haneul doesn’t remember him in the CF. She teases him nowadays, saying, ‘you’ve sure grown up.’

KJH didn’t develop romantic feelings with his female co-stars, including kim haneul and sung yuri. It’s awkward to do so.

KJH loves to drink alcohol. He can stay up all night drinking if he gets along with his drinking companion.

KJH was the school leader in grade school; however, in high school, he often hung out in soju rooms.

KJH regrets spending a lot of time alone when he was in middle school.

‘invited’ helped KJH’s career get back on track.

KJH’s attributes his outstanding personality to getting a late start in his career.

KJH has great confidence in his dancing and singing abilities.

KJH likes to meet with his japanese fans.

KJH has a strong sense of pride, particularly in his work.

KJH wants to play a villainous psychopath character in the future. He’s still trying to find the character that only he would be able to play.

KJH felt guilty when his dramas ‘90 Days’ Time to Love, Capital Scandal, and Fireworks didn’t do well in the ratings.

KJH believes he can out-compete anybody during an open audition.

KJH places an emphasis on loyalty. “The people who are with me to the end are those who eat ramen with me when things are tough.”

^ I used to have the biggest crush on TomBrady@ college football. Go Blue!!!!

I can't shut up if we're on binnie/mnikss/SQ, sorry. We cant compare mnikss and SQ, one is a romcom the other is a typical abeit quite well done k melodrama, very not my thing. If not for the love of Mr. Hyun, I won't touch it EVER.

That said, objectively, mnikss is just a much better product, esp the directing and writing. As for all the dislike for the characters being flawed/not conventionally lovable, I welcomed it very much, and it's exactly y I've fallen for them, they r all flawed, but understandably so, it rubbed off a bit of that fantasy tarnish that bored me. I find Samsoonie a very strong woman as in she doesn't fear acting out her shortcomings. By the time we hit our 30s,, w r sooo well 'trained' in what's socially acceptable behavior that we kinda lost a bit of our innocence/soul. Not all of us r prim and proper and quiet and sweet 24/7, esp for a grown woman transitioning fr the 20s to the 30s (talk about the trauma itself) it takes loads of balls to be Samsoonie, of coz she's not some bright genius, but I did witness her stood her own....yet brave enough to fall in love and be herself. When is falling in love rational?! I'm talking about truly falling in love, by the time we can calculate, weigh and reign ourselves, we're done deal. I won't be still talking about mnikss if it's another cookie cutter prince charming fairytale where everything is neat and bright.

SQ, I did think there were some good writing here and there, good acting as well fr both binnie and Yuri, but it didnt break any mold and prejudices for me concerning the genre. It's still not my thing, I mildly like it. I appreciate parts of it but overall the sum is just not endearing enough. There were some seriously dragging episodes, and too many overused cliches.

Frankly, I don't think I have one character binnie was in that I absolutely adore. I'm talking about the characters he's picked to personify, which I actually appreciate. If I'm solely talking about his acting, I find his acting in some scenes of SQ much more precise and spot on. He did an adequate job in mnikss, but there are just so many pretty kdrama princes that can act and do as well if not better a samshik.

But of coz I love my binnie to bits.

Well, we finished Last Scandal tonight, and as happy as the ending was, I sort of feel empty inside.

It is hard to watch Choi Jin Shil, acting happy in a drama, when her real life must have been burdensome and painful.

RIP Choi Jin Shil. You were the chut sarang for more people than you can possibly know, and when you passed, parts of us went with you.

Youngwonhee saranghae, Choi Jin Shil!

Btw, whenever CJS did her patented, "juuuung mal!" with her slight accent (hard to place what kind of satoori it was), it totally killed me. Miss her already.

Kb,

Thanks for the update. :).

As much as I feel like having fun and talking about KJH, I feel pretty sad right now, and as I think about it some more, I feel worse. When CJS had her scenes where her character was afraid of the media and what others would say, how much of that was acting, and how much was her just pouring her soul out for everyone to see?

I guess a lesson to learn is that time is so fleeting, none of know how much time we have in our lives. And so the people we care about, we should try our best to spend time with them and tell them how much they mean to you, who knows whether you will be able see them again.

@ ripgal (and nycgrl and all other who recommend Queen of Housewives)
Thanks for the tip about Queen of Housewives and Cain and Abel. Got them both as well as LMH's Secret Campus and Beethoven Virus (for a gift) today. When the DVD shop has 2 for 1 - how can I pass THAT up. *sigh* the pile of DVDs to be watched is getting higher and higher.... Outta control? Totally! @_@

@hjkomo re: Sung Kang
He is one of the artists that has a blog on alivenotdead.com, but he has not updated since Dec 2008. (see http://www.alivenotdead.com/mrkangsta)

Alivenotdead.com is an awesome site full of creatives (actors, bands, writers, directors etc), with blogs in their own words. Jet Li has a blog there too! Some of my favs is actor Daniel Wu and singer Vanness Wu (a refreshing non-vanilla blog from an F4 idol).

Re: Last Scandal and Choi Jin Shil
Last Scandal was indeed a good drama with great performances, but the subsequent real life events makes it so sad to rewatch (for now). The behaviour of her ex-husband after her death, and this current lawsuit, is too disgusting for words. May she R.I.P.

@ Samsooki
To cheer you up....back to Kang Ji Hwan ok?

Oh here you are! I was very curious why you had not posted in KJH thread!
(Psst I took JB's TOS to mean relinquishing 'Mine!' rights to JB only in that one thread. *winks* So I will 'KJH is MINE MINE MINE!!' away everywhere else!)

Well he did mention that he was wanting to play a villianous role...doesn't that fit YOUR 'Jajangmyun Space Odyssey'? I think he must have read/heard good stuff from this blog/soompi hence he made that comment. Hmm perhaps he was had wanted to let you know in a cryptic way that he is waiting for the Samsooki masterpiece?

Are you feeling a bit better now? A tiny bit? :)

Had actually thought you were MIA in the KJH thread due to your quitting your day job to work 24/7 on it now KJH has expressed an interest in playing a villian. LOL.

One thing: please kindly remember you CANNOT contact KJH directly. He has suffered enough from the recent 'trauma' already (pls see his agency's statement that @129 hjkomo posted). Given your current situation am offering my services to contact/discuss with KJH personally (face to face) on your behalf. The least I can do to help you out my friend. :) I would also like to remind you that my offer to be dresser/makeup artist for KJH and Binnie in your drama PD Samsooki still stands!

hmm how come i went to post my long rant and poof nothing appeared - TWICE!? Does this thread hate my wordy rants THAT much. (geez I hope they both don't appear now - apologises to all readers if it does!)

@Samsooki
Your words are words of wisdom.
Recently my motto became 'Life is short, use fine china', which is not exactly about feelings, but close enough to the point. My best friend and my husband's best friend passed away from cancer within 2 years and we are in mid thirties. So, life is short...

On the bright side, did anyone visit fmylife dot com? It's taking away my time from watching all dramas! I've just discovered it :o).

@ Samsooki :

With regards to viikii vs mysoju, the biggest difference is in where the subs are residing. In viikii's case, the subs are residing on viikii's server as soft subs. If you go to viikii's site, anyone who signs on an account can contribute subs there. As for mysoju, they download and link videos together with other people's subs. Call it plagiarism or daylight robbery, it's downright unethical. I am subbing at viikii, and I realised recently that the minute I complete one episode, mysoju links them onto their site. Also, viikii has an option of donating to viikii and/or subbers/segmenters/uploaders if you so choose it. There isn't any harm in checking it out.
http://www.viikii.net

@ City Hall addicts
Do you realize that the time between Sundays and Wednesday evenings is the slowest part of the week? The only cure is to rewatch your favorite epi or scenes?
A Big High Five to all City Hallers.

@ 110 ruthie :
City Hall ep 6 is still good (at least since 2 hrs ago). The only that's behaving strange is part 5. But there is a replacement a few pages later. The trick to watching videos on viikii is that you have to catch the latest episodes 2 or 3 days after they are aired...or depending on fast the subbers sub the epis. At least for City Hall, I am ensuring that the 2 most current epis will be subbed by that Sunday at its latest. I am so thankful that the uploader and the segmenters are working at lightning speed and that helps.

@ 117 Nom Kitteh :
You have not indicated where you are at watching City Hall. Just remember that this show is about a journey of a relatively young woman, not well off and living in an obscure village of Korea to becoming one of the top politicians. You are so mistaken if you think KSA's character is going to stay like that throughout the series. I am not going to force you to watch it, but epis 5 and 6 are must see epis. After that, you decide. Do let us know will you?

I recently finished LS too and felt empty, a drama about a woman overcoming her problems with a divorced husband and living on for her child, yet in rl the opposite was happening. Its just tragic what happened to her.

I really wonder at the power of k-dramas to make me feel so emotionally connected to other people. The list of really awesome dramas is just growing every time we turn on the TV and start watching! Last four dramas we have watched together over the last month or so.

1. Last Scandal (Choi Jin Shil)
2. Hong Gil Dong (Sung Yuri, KKJ (mine))
3. Dal Ja's Spring (Chae Rim, Lee Minki)
4. Bad Family (Kim Myung Min, Nam Sang Mi)

On my own, I also rewatched bits and pieces of My Girl, MNIKSS, SQ... There is so much heart in these dramas, and you see loyalty/fidelity and love explored by different kinds of people in different ways.

Choi Jin Shil's character of a late 30's mother - her fidelity to her nuclear family trumps her happiness, as her role as protector is more important than having love.

Sung Yuri's character of a naive and simple girl Yi Nok - her fidelity to her love trumps her well-being, her life, and the offered position of Queen.

Kang Ji Hwan's character of a son who isn't allowed to be human, much less receive love of his father - his fidelity to his messed up father, to the dirtied, ignorant, weak and greedy masses, to his dream of an egalitarian world, to everyone else... trumps his own life. With great power comes burden.

Chae Rim's character of a world weary overburdened 30-something - her fidelity and integrity to herself is more important than fulfilling social and parental expectations, and even a dream for herself.

Lee Minki's character of a brilliant young man with unlimited potential and resources - his fidelity to his calling and to his love, trumps family, trumps career and financial security, social expectations.

Kim Myung Min's reformed gangster character - his fidelity to his makeshift family of misfits trumps everything else.

***

@140 KOK -

Maybe CJS should not have done the drama, as her life apparently did not mirror the happy ending of the drama. Could the contrast between what she had to act on the screen vs. her real life have contributed to her depression? I'm not blaming anyone, it is just so unfortunate.

Of all the dramas I have watched, I have the heaviest heart after Last Scandal.

In her next life, I hope Choi Jin Shil gets all the happiness that she should have had in her life this time around.

Finished MNIKSS this weekend! Loved it, loved it, loved it...so what should my next Binnie drama be, any advice? Snow Queen maybe? It's shaping up to be a slow day at work so I'm hoping to finish up Story of a Man & Black and White today. Working from home is THE BEST. :-)

Saw Snow Patrol and Coldplay this past Saturday night...absolutely amazing! I'm still floating on a cloud of musical bliss.

Happy Monday y'all!

@142 langdon813 -

"Finished MNIKSS this weekend! Loved it, loved it, loved it…so what should my next Binnie drama be, any advice? Snow Queen maybe?"

First, just to be clear.

1. Binnie is mine. And so is Kang Ji Hwan. But there are other options!

2. As far as I know, Lee Minki is still free, along with Lee Junki (sometimes prettier than women, scarier too). And there's Lee Dong Wook, but he might be taken. Won Bin and Gong Yoo are probably taken, unfortunately. Kim Bum is also probably taken. And Lee Seon-kyun got married, so he's done. Hmmm....

Maybe, I think So Ji Sub might still be open. Kim Rae Won and Kim Jae Won are also still open, and maybe Lee Min Ho if you like the pama thing or if you go for the F4 kind of thing. Oh Ji Ho, for the korean statue kind of look. And if your style is more towards the action man, look no further than Lee Byung Heon. For more mature guys, I think Cha Seung Won and Hwang Jung Min are good.

3. As for dramas to watch next, can you list what you have seen? Snow Queen is really really good, but depending on your mood, it could be tough to watch.

i hope i'm not too late!

I don't think anyone claimed Won Bin yet, so WON BIN IS MINE!!!

I'm missing city Hall's GuMi couple, wish it's wednesday already.
@omo, high-five!

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!

@144 Samsooki

Not to worry! I clicked the link and relinquished all rights to KJH...and I knew going into this that Binnie belonged to you. I just want to look at him for a little while longer, is that okay? ;-)

As for Gong Yoo...well, I might be willing to step into the ring for him. Kim Bum...beautiful but WAY too young. Lee Junki...I'm watching Time between Dog and Wolf right now and you're right, he's really pretty.

Oh gosh...here's the list of Kdramas I've seen or am currently watching:

90 Days, Falling in Love Days (gave up, site/subs were bad, should I try again?)
A Love to Kill
Bad Love (gave up on this one too, don't remember why)
Boys Before Flowers
Coffee Prince (love, love, love)
Full House
Let's Go to School Sang-doo
My Name is Kim Sam Soon
Que Sera Sera
Really Really Like You (stalled on this one but Lee Minki is ADORABLE, so I might have to claim him if he's available)
Soulmate
Story of a Man (SO GOOD, OMG)
Strike Love
Time Between Dog and Wolf
Tree of Heaven
What's up, Fox?

I think this is all of them. I know there's a drama with Gong Yoo and Kim Sun Ah and since I have mad crushes on both of them I'd probably enjoy it (can't think of the name of it off hand but I know it's out there).

@ Samsooki

Last Scandal: I felt the same way when I was watching the scene where Choi Jin-shil's Sunhee character was getting mobbed literally by reporters in her house . When I first saw the scene, I felt it was just acting but after watching it again on Taiwanese TV, I felt goosebumps all over as I felt that it might be just what she felt in real life with all the media attention getting to her personal life, leading to her depression, oh my, I also felt sad but like you said after she died, it actually made me treasure my life more with those who love me, that was a wake up call outside the K-drama world...

@146 langdon813 -

LOL. Actually, it is hard to say whether KJH is "mine" because bspanda and hjkomo and a few others are pretty worked up. Plus, if Javabeans puts down her foot, we eventually all have to obey. That's the price of being a drone in a honeycomb where there is only one Queen Bee.

Once my treatment for the "Binnie and Kang Ji Hwan in Space, Jjajangmyun Space Odyssey, Part I" comes out, I'll negotiate for KJH's rights.

But, yeah, Binnie is mine. LOL.

Here are the ones that I've seen that you've not seen, in no particular order:

1. Goong
2. Snow Queen
3. Evasive Inquiry Agency
4. My Love Patzzi
5. Successful Story of a Bright Girl
6. Temptation of Wife
7. Hong Gil Dong
8. Bad Family
9. Dal Ja's Spring
10. Delightful Girl Choon Hyang
11. Gourmet
12. Last Scandal of My Life
13. My Girl
14. Sweet Spy
15. Super Rookie
16. Bimil (secret)
17. Save The Last Dance For Me

wow.... I can't believe I've watched more than two dozen dramas since January 09.... LOL.... am I nuts?

Sweet Spy sucks, so skip that. And Successful Story of a Bright Girl is kind of ... not so great. I like Jang Nara, but even she couldn't save it from being not so great.

Bimil might be hard to watch, because it can get frustrating to watch a good girl constantly suffer injustice, but my parents-in-law loved it? If that helps at all?

Super Rookie is just fun. Don't think too hard. Just enjoy, and know that the ending is a REALLY happy ending, and my wife and I actually cheered at the end. LOL. We are such goof-balls.

Goong kind of drags towards the end, but that's what happens when a series gets extended sometimes. But I liked it alot.

I loved Snow Queen, but warning, it can be viewed as having a bittersweet ending. Sung Yuri is great though, as is Binnie.

Hong Gil Dong might be my favorite drama now, or tied with MNIKSS. Nuff said.

Temptation of Wife you should skip, not because it isn't addictive, but because it is too addictive for people who are like me, and get into things. For three weeks, Temptation of Wife had me in its grips. Detox was hard and painful. And the number of episodes..... scores and scores of episodes, unbelievable plots, just intense everywhere. The epitome of a maj-jang addiction drama. If you are like me, better than you not start this drama.

Bad Family and Dal Ja's Spring are must sees.

Finally, Last Scandal ... well, that's up to you. I am torn apart about having watched this drama, because of CJS and what happened to her not too long ago. I watched this knowing that CJS is gone now, and every scene with CJS was that much more emotional. So, I leave it up to you. It is a very poignant drama about a woman who finds love and protects her family, overcoming a divorce, money issues, media and netizen intense scrutiny. So, that's all I have to say about that.

Um is Jung II Woo taken yet because seriously mad crush on that guy.

Last Scandal must have been hard for CJS, I really can't understand what she must have been going through while filming the drama, a character which mirrored her so much reaching a happy destination that she so much wished for while herself she was mobbed by media and battered by the blood sucking netizens, until her unfortunate death.

Since people are talking about MNIKSS, I have to say that I didn't really fall for it like alot of people did, HB and KSA characters were just too immature and bratty for me to really like them.Theres a scene when KSA beats up a workmate because he was spying on them, and she's hitting him hard screaming "is money that important", while everyone else found it funny I just thought "what a big hypocrite". The show had some really strong side character who didn't get as much exposure as they should have had.

But I feel the same for Dal Ja's spring, its amusing, nice touches, esp the use of music, theres nothing really wrong with the show but I don't really like it that much.

@148, Samsooki

Hmmm...I think I do have that kind of personality, which makes Temptation of Wife sounds that much more, well, tempting. I feel this way about Story of a Man. I really don't know what I'm going to do when this show ends but I think it will involve detox. And tears...many, many tears. I'm already suffering separation anxiety at the thought.

Hong Gil Dong was already on my next-watch list simply because of the comments I've read about it here. I'd pretty much decided to watch Snow Queen as well, for the same reason (and Binnie, heh heh). I don't get too worked up over how things end (happily, unhappily) as long as I think it's logical and organic for the story and for the characters. Which is why I hate it when the ending is changed in a movie based on a book...but that's a personal pet peeve that doesn't really apply to this conversation.

I know I'm going to be watching Triple and Partners when they both start up.

So...what does that leave room for in my already sleepless life? Dal Ja's Spring, I think you just got bumped up. I don't think I can handle Last Scandal. Too sad. And Goong...I don't know. It hurts my heart to see Joo Ji Hoon.

Thanks so much for your input, I really appreciate the suggestions!