Open Thread #88
June 19th, 2009 // by javabeans
It’s Open Thread Friday! You know what to do.
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@46 Thank you very much^^
….I don’t know the exactly proverb in english
… i usually like online watching more
but i think i’ll try download them directly form the subbers…
i’d love to watch dramas on dramafever.com i think it’s an amazing site
BUT unfortunately i don’t live in the US -.- mh…maybe in the future even Europeans like me can watch it
but it’s something like: Hope dies at last (?)
sorry for my poor english ^^’
and @ Samsooki: again thank you
but one question …what does samsooki mean?
I am so happy it is Friday because that means one more day before my dearest friend comes into town!
Today I mailed out my docs for SMOE..it feels crazy to think I will be moving to Seoul in less than 2 months. Well there is no turning back now.
I just want subs for Triple so I can get started on it!!! Yay for Brilliant Legacy this weekend!
this really is a fantastic drama season – esp. when I compare it to this time last year…!
Right now I’m watching Shining Inheritance, Good Job Good Job, City Hall, Hello My Teacher (I know, an oldie but Gong Yoo cries so fabulously well) Atashinchi ni Danshi, and Mr. Brain, and am waiting for all of Story of a Man to be subbed/uploaded so I can watch it all in one glorious marathon.
My daughter started watching Mr. Brain with me, and immediately started fan-girling over the main character. Well, I thought, yet another KimuTaku fan so I pulled up Pride for her, and she fell asleep halfway through the first ep. Then I tried Gallileo, and she is in heaven again. Turns out it’s not the fluffed and buffed actors she’s interested in, but mad scientists in general! Anyone have any other suggestions?
Only been 1 week since I got out of school and already summer has got me bored!
I’ve been watching Sons of Sol Pharmacy House on KBS world, and I’ve gotta say its one of my favorites!
and I have seen A LOT of dramas.
PRobably can’t compete with Javabeans though ;]
Anyways I also watched Speed Scandal, and I thought it was hilarious! Love Park Bo Young!
Also looking forward to Partner!!
Happy Friday everyone ~
okay i’m going to bed now…my friday ends nooow
it is eh…11.55 pm so everyone in the US enjoy the rest of your friday
i recently fell in love with korean dramas, music and the fashion (also thanks to JB and allkpop)
..Korea wait for me i’m going to come xD
i think i was born wrong
@97, that guy
@98, mookie -
I didn’t quite enjoy the first three episodes. I was sort of underwhelmed by it all.
However, the series really gets going thereafter.
The story is a love story, and maybe the deepest in terms of complexity that I’ve come across in korean dramas.
I’m not giving anything away, really, but the development of the relationship between Mirae and Jo Gook is really something.
JoGook is a political prodigy and he has a fiance, the perfect woman for him both as a political animal and as a man. This woman is smart, elegant, just beautiful, extremely rich and as politically connected as they come.
Mirae is nothing like her, from a nothing family, with no education, no money, no “elegance,” but she has her own beauty and her unique charm that is undeniably attractive.
Yet they share a connection, and that scares Mirae so much, because she has to pour her whole life out in the open, but she is capable and strong enough, so long as she believes that someone has her back. That person is JG, but even he warns her that he is the one person that she has to protect her heart from.
Despite that warning, Mirae finds herself needing to rely on JG, even as she knows that JG is using her for political gain, and she understands that her sacrifice is for the people she has given everything to defend and protect. And in the back of her mind, she fears that she will be used and thrown away just as JG has warned, and what price is she willing to pay to be the person of integrity that she is?
And JG is finding hinself in uncharted territory – he is a political animal, and he compartmentalizes everything to keep himself able to push and do things nobody else can do. And yet Mirae keeps surprsing him and keeps invading his heart, and inside he knows that ultimately he will have to betray Mirae and either destroy her as a woman, or destroy everything that she has given her life to protect… Or perhaps lose everything he has spent a lifetime trying to gain…
And time and again they find themselves together… The storm is coming, the storm is coming…
And THAT is through ep 13. I’ve read soompi forums a bit and people are already declaring City Hall to be the best drama ever.. Through Ep 16… High praise…
I have been watching the old dramas and reviewing them…i forgot how many times I have seen “My Girl, Coffee Prince, Green Rose ,
full House, and recently Save the Last Dance. I am thinking of what to watch this weekend but probably my eyes needs resting.
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Off to eat some spicy Mexican food and drink a few margaritas…hope you guys have a great evening in case I’m incapable of posting coherent thoughts when I get home!
@summerrain-
Samsooki is the name of the stuffed animal that Kim Sam Soon gets, early on in the k-drama series called My Lovely Sam Soon. This drama was the first drama that my wife and I saw together, and it sparked my love of k-dramas. And it still is my favorite drama, with my favorite actress Kim Sunah, and my favorite actor Hyun Bin.
^ I’m sold samsooki! Thanks for spending the time to write up for us skeptics!
I figure I need a good romance before heart wrenching watching the upcoming Chingu!
i am sold on city hall..it seems really interesting and fun to watch…i love KSA since her My Lovely Sam Soon days and hyun bin as well….but the one person that i can’t get enough of is so ji sub..ever since i’ve watched glass slippers i have always thought mr. so ji sub and ms. kim hyun-joo would make a great couple!!…happy weekend to all!!
@Samsooki… thanks for that recap. Maybe I’ll give City Hall, another chance.
Hmm… I’m also thinking City Hall might be worth giving a try. Thanks, Samsooki! But first have to survive this term! Not sure I will but at least “Bad Family” is making me laugh part of the day. Thanks, dramabeans, for recommending it. LOVE Kim Myung Min! (I walked out of a class this week because I was so angry with my students. They’ve promised to behave better in the future – we’ll see…)
This is too funny…. watching Ep 1 of Star In My Heart, and it is tooooooo funny, 90’s hair cuts, sunglasses day or night, every guy and girl smoking to be cool… Omg I can’t stand it, its too funny, the nostalgia is just so strong it is killing me.. I want to go back to the 90’s…
@priki WOW thanks for the link!!`
Oh…Star in my heart …one of my favorite movie…Ahn Jae Wook was awesome and I cried bucket….I bought both the DVD and the OST of this drama.
Hi guys!
I’ve been reading dramabeans for a while, but I think this is my first time posting…
@ mishane
Your east coast experience is really surprising for me! I grew up in the midatlantic in a vvvvery Korean suburb, so it’s interesting to hear about other experiences!
@ funkster316
Just curious… but do you go to MIT? I’m actually on campus for the summer and am thinking about joining in on the Korean reading class…
funkster316 #78,
your post brings back some fond memories of my time in korea several years ago (and what now feels like many many years ago).
man, i miss it.
when i finally get the opportunity to string together a couple or so weeks of vacation, i’m on the first plane out to korea.
@hjkomo — thanks! I’ve been looking everywhere for properly subbed episodes of triple. I’ll wait patiently for WITH S2 subs
Hi All, it’s been a long time since i post anything in the open thread, well, it’s saturday here, and sadly i still have to work on saturdays
yesterday i watched The Sons of Sol’s Pharmacy House/My Too Perfect Sons on KBSW and in a mess crying when Hye Rim died, particularly seeing the scene where Brutus running while crying and talking to his sister on the phone… TT
After i read (almost) all the comment above i really am jealous to those who can watched so many KDrama from Dramafever or download it from d-addicts and such… sadly i don’t live in US and internet connection in my country is vey very bad, so watching online on viikii or any other sites is not an option either
i have to wait for the DVD to come to the local store and buy them
@Samsooki
“If I play a SINGLE round of golf, dinner at the clubhouse and a few beers aftewords with my friends, that’s the same price as the cost of the ENTIRE box set for Jumong (삼한지-주몽 편 / The Book of Three Han) or Jewel In the Place (대장금 / Dae Jang Geum). ”
Jumong + Dae Janggeum??? that’s like 200 something episodes, right?? once, i am tempted to buy Dae JAnggeum from YesAsia (with subs) and the total cost is about $300-400, and finally i cancel my intention to buy it…
out of curiosity, like how much is the difference between subbed and non-subbed dramas??
“Samsooki is the name of the stuffed animal that Kim Sam Soon gets, early on in the k-drama series called My Lovely Sam Soon. ”
I LOVE that piggy doll… my favorite scene with that doll surely when Binnie is dreaming Samsooki holding something (i forget what it was, a razor??) with a mad expresion… i even went out searching for that doll in my country but to no positive results
City Hall is almost finished, right?? so sometimes next month i’ll be able to watched it here, YAY!!!
@Max…
Samsookie is right, the best place to watch Soulmates would be on Dramafever. Free streaming, subs, and limited commercial interruptions. I’ve watchec Boys Over Flowers, Coffee Prince, and Goong on there. I have 15 invites left, and if you’d like one, you can email me at andromytta@yahoo.com
That goes for anyone else would like to join Dramafever as well. Just let me know, I’d be glad to share my invites!
Two things I’m looking forward to next week:
1. Two more episodes of City Hall.
2. The molestation of SO JI SUB by MISHANE at the NYC Asian Film Festival caught on mobile phone video!
I wonder why there’s still no sight of bspanda on this thread? Is she now on a flight to New York, also hoping to do a mishane on SJS?
@ Lovers of BBC Period Drama
P&P, North and South, Wives and Daughters, and Cranford – these are dramas that I watch at least once a year. There is no need to say anymore of P&P (and BTW, I love both the BBC 1995 and the 2005 movie versions).
North and South – If you want an intense romance, go for this one. Richard Armitage is brilliant in this. I also agree the drama adaptation is more enjoyable than reading the book.
Wives and Daughters – Love its simplicity!
Cranford – This is not so much a romance but a story about humanity. It is about folks in a fictional village called Cranford who go through the transition from a quiet genteel society to the industrial age. If you ever lose faith in people, watch this one and you will regain your optimism. The fact it has the best and brightest British actors makes it even more worthwhile – Judy Dench, Eileen Atkins, Michael Gamboon, you name it. I just love every character from old to young – every one of them. And, yes, Phillip Glenister – he moves me to tears when teaching that boy and helping his family. For romance lovers, you will love the segment of Simon Woods (Mr Bingley in the 2005 P&P) which is so adorable. In short, I can’t praise enough for this wonderful drama.
@ Would-be City Hallers
Do, do give it a try – you will definitely be rewarded and hooked by Ep 4-6. And it will be a no return afterwards. The synopsis of this drama does not do justice to this great love story! KSA and CSW have this chemistry that you feel they are a real couple falling hopelessly in love in impossible circumstances.
Thanks to all City Hallers for spreading the love. The last scene in Ep 16 (I mean, the night scene) is so quiet but yet so emotional as it shows how JG has been shaken to the core by MR. His lifelong ambition has now come to a naked truth …. how am I going to sit still until Ep 17!
Hey – anyone from Chicago?!?! While there is a Korean presence here, I could go days without seeing another Korean face if I didn’t go to ESL class where I volunteer.
For all of you that are going abroad to teach English – can you recommend a program that’s only a month or so long? I’m going next year for my first vacation!!
As for dramas – I love, love, love Shining Inheritance!!!! I’ve just rented Ruler of Your Own World from Netflix. I’m also watching J-dramas Hancho, Boss, and Mr. Brain. Just finished Gokusen 3 graduation special and can’t wait for the movie!!! Yay!!!! I wish they’d do a 2nd season of Galeileo.
i guess I disagree with almost everyone here about City Hall. I find it to be slow and nonsensical – I get the feeling like everyone is trying really hard to make this drama work and it fails to convince me. After 8 episodes – I’m not interested in finishing it. Same with That Fool.
I can’t wait for Iris, the J & K-collab series, and I’m actually looking forward to Partner. What i really wish for right now is a great romantic drama that has the right balance of tension, drama, comedy and great endings with believable kissing – too much to ask for???? I loved Spring Waltz and thought it delivered on almost everything – yes, there were flaws, but man, when they got it right – it was perfect.
Ok – now starting Ruler of Your Own World…
Hey guys,
Just finished Hello Schoolgirl with Yoo Ji Tae…..really fun and cute! I really enjoyed the OST, especially this indie group No Reply. While trolling google for more info on them, I found this link on you tube (with english subs) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAtPCebXmKk. I LOVE this song so much I actually broke down and bought the CD! I hope you like it as much as I did!
Loving the Triple recaps right now Javabeans……..just waiting for the WithS2 subs and drooling all over my laptop(so.much.eye.candy.)
I just came back from a date with my husband. We had a really lovely night in the village and had some very good french food and I’m feeling a little happy and tipsy from too much beaujolais.
Anyway I’m think I’ll check out City Hall now. I have always been a fan of Cha Seung Won but the story plot just never griped me but if everyone is saying its great I have to check it out.
I love open thread Friday nights since this is the time I get to find out more about my fellow kdrama lovers and I find some many stereotypes or assumptions are broken. For instance I’m surprised how many people on this thread are from places I’ve never been to like Mississippi and aren’t asian and yet love kdramas. I’m a born and breed NJ/NYer and have always been around asians and have had dramas as background noise since I was a wee child but never bothered watching it because it was something my parents or aunts rented on VHS.
Like many here I love BBC and good storytelling which is why I now love kdramas. Before I got into kdramas i was more into british mini series that dealt mostly in another time and era or anything from Joss Whedon. For me Pride and Prejudice A&E is the comparison I make to every british series I’ve ever watched.
@langdon813 –you and are so much alike but I’m the korean east coast raised version. My friends and relatives think my tastes are quite highbrow. anything with literature, movies, art and food they ask for my opinion which is why many can’t understand my love of kdramas. I have many korean friends who are ivy league graduates, mostly doctors and entrepreneurs who think my love of kdramas is almost a weakness in my range of good taste. I don’t really care what they think but I don’t really talk about it with them since they don’ get it. My non asian friends of course know nothing about this side of my life so i am pretty much in the closet. So like you I pretty much have this board to live my “other” life. BTW i am a big Coen brothers fan as well. I just re-watched raising Arizona the other night for the upteenth time since it was on TV. My love for frances mcdormand grows every year and even George Clooney is growing on me after watching Brother Where Art Thou. You must have loved that one being set in Mississippi.
@ hjkomo —another food lover. I choose to live in NYC for the food. I once talked to a Zagat editor at a party for over 2 hours straight about the different cucumber texture and flavor (e.g. persian, kirby, hothouse, korean, japanese), to the point I think I even bored him. haha!!!
Samsooki,
You make me want to start on City Hall right away!
Like Mookie, or maybe worst, I stopped about like 15 mins into Episode 1. Maybe the election and political stuff bored me but I just could not bring myself to follow thru… even with my admiration for Kim Sun Ah and the writer (she’s a darn good writer I must say, loved most of her previous dramas). Maybe I should pick it up again one day… after I finish Brilliant Legacy and Triple that is. Sighz. Korean drama is taking over my life nowadays… should totally get a life!! urhhh…
I watched Ep 1 of The Man Who Can’t Get Married, and it was so-so for me. Uhm Jung Hwa was probably the only good thing in it, I liked her scenes the most… Ji Jin Hee was a bit too OTT, which is a bit weird for somebody who’s lonely and socially inadept. And it’s weird because I don’t think it’s kinda realistic.. (whilst I thought it was okay in the Japanese version). Kim So Eun and Yoo Ah In are pretty good, pretty much the same with the original characters. I hope Ep 2 would be better tho… they can only do so much when the original’s pretty much unreachable eh?
@ 124 b020
I’m from Chicago too. Since I work downtown I see Korean tourists everyday on Michigan Ave. and sometimes on my bus ride home. I also see a few in the building where I work. And in the pedway, there’s this food place where Koreans frequently eat, most of them tourists. The concierge at the Hyatt probably suggests that place to them.
Hello everyone!
Just spreading City Hall love in here to all City Hallers!
Never a dull moment watching each episodes, there are days I couldn’t even concentrate with my work coz it keeps me guessing what’s going to happen next, or what’s the story behind the characters or situations.
@b020
“What i really wish for right now is a great romantic drama that has the right balance of tension, drama, comedy and great endings with believable kissing – too much to ask for????”
awww, that’s too bad. you’re missing out on City Hall kiss scene, I think it’s real as they can get! and their relationship is so real!
Spoiler: watch at your own risk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7OV71RGTuE
Now, i have to catch up with episode 15&16.
Ok, this is too funny, I have to share. My newly formed K-Drama obsession is leeching it’s way into my American television viewing.
I love the new summer series “The Unusuals” on ABC. For those of you unfamiliar with it, it’s a series about a precinct of NYPD detectives who are, for lack of a better word, quirky.
Last week, one of the detectives had “relations” in a supply closet with the Asian medical examiner. She had not been returning any of his phone calls, so the detective went to confront her and find out why. She responded with something in her native language. He responded by saying “I don’t speak Chinese.” I was yelling at my TV (as I have a habit of doing) “She’s Korean, not Chinese!” I said this to the TV at almost the same time she told him “I’m not Chinese, I’m Korean. How can you have sex with somebody and not know their nationality?”
I’ve been watching so much K-Drama, that even though I didn’t know what she waas saying, I recognized the language. Just thought I’d share!
I have not visited in a long time, guys. I feel like the summer is draining me away and making me all unmotivated to even do procrastination [though I'm not sure what I'm procrastinating against]. But, I find myself spending a lot of time watching dramas – Triple & City Hall are the two main Korean dramas grabbing my attention and I might start The Man Who Can’t Get Married, but I feel like I should watch the original Japanese version before I can make a decent judgment/comparison between the two.
What’s this about P&P and Jane Austen and N&S?? During Spring break, my friend and I had a Jane Austen marathon in which we watched P&P [the BBC one], N&S, as well as Northanger Abbey, and also the P&P movie. It took hours [you can tell]. But I think I am forever attracted to the Mr. Darcy/Thornton character – a man who is willing to sacrifice so much for his love, a man who is tortured [wow I feel like a man-hater (is there a word for girls who hate guys like mysogenist)] by his love for a woman, who goes against all traditions and societal needs, a man who knows his love is so wrong but he can’t help it and feeds that love… oh my. I think all, or most, women are attracted to a man who is willing to love so much.
I started City Hall because someone suggested Jo Gook had a Darcy complex, and I can definitely see the connections. Thank you whoever it is [sorry I forgot who it was]. But the Darcy comparison is so very true, and very easy to distinguish. It is difficult, however, to get past the political jargon and stuff. I mean, I sort of skimmed through the stuff because I’m watching with Chinese subs, and the explanation subs are too tiny so I didn’t bother reading them. But, City Hall is really good. And, like Samsooki suggests, that storm is coming. I can not wait [I'm actually still catching up and am finishing up episode 13].
Triple, on the other hand, is so cute and relaxing and warm. I think the best word for Triple is “sunny.” Because it is a very sunny drama. Lee Haru is so cute – some say she’s annoying, but her charm I think is more cute-attractive than annoying. All of the other characters also have their own charm. I was a little iffy about Min Hyorin, but her portrayal of Lee Haru is too cute. Hah!
I feel like I’m dying trying to catch up on the billions of dramas I’m trying to watch before I get shipped off to college in August – I know I’ll be too busy during college to actually watch anything regularly. Oh well, the sacrifices we make. I mean, I plan on catching up on Gossip Girl and watching a few seasons of 24 and also maybe Heroes. Oh, and House. And currently I’m watching like 10 J-dramas: Boss [which is hilarious and really good], Mr. Brain, Aishiteru, Atashinchi no Danshi, Smile, The Quiz Show 2…. goodness.
Meanwhile, I feel a little obligated to advertise for Aishiteru. I highly highly highly recommend Aishiteru. It has touched me in so many ways – I think I might have cried every episode. I told my friends that this was something that I’d watch if I got pregnant [hah], because it has such a strong mother-child bond theme to it that it’s inspirational on becoming a good mother, hahahaha. The story tells of basically 3 mothers: the mother of a child who has been killed, the mother of a child who killed the aforementioned child, and the mother who is assigned to investigate into the murder. What’s strange for me is that I end up sympathizing with the murderer’s mother more than the victim’s family. The drama has such a strong family theme, and, oh my, it’s just so so good. The painful feelings as a mother are expressed so well, too. It’s a very emotional drama, in a nutshell.
Boss, on the other hand, is really funny. Mystery + touch of humor. Hilarious, in other words.
Summer is too short, darn.
nycgirl #126
“I have many korean friends who are ivy league graduates, mostly doctors and entrepreneurs who think my love of kdramas is almost a weakness in my range of good taste.”
as an ivy league grad and a resident physician myself, i find this statement hilarious.
@131 A. – Omo, Jo Gook = Darcy? You just said the magic words to make me watch that drama. The Darcy/Thornton-type has been my fantasy love for as long as I can remember. *squeals*
—-
I’m on episode 13 of That Fool right now, and I’m trying to figure out how they’ll drag all this out for another 3 episodes. But on the plus side, I’m totally in love with the younger brother. His lisp is SO ADORABLE. Even if the rest of this show sucked, I would watch it for him. Shame I’m a noona to him.
(Gah, I feel old when I say “noona.”)
I’ve discovered that most of the guys I’m currently attracted to are either younger than me or only a year or so older.. This is a big change from previous years, when all of the people I was attracted to were at least 8 years older. I’m not sure if it’s the result of my changing tastes, or if the new, young crop of talent is exceptional. Hrmm, to ponder.
@ nycgrl
I haven’t been to NYC in about 8 years, but I know the first thing I’ll do on my next visit is hit the great restaurants…and the theatre (I miss the Roundabout!
)
I had the same experience re: the family’s VHS rentals. Did each tape make its rounds among all your aunts & uncles before heading back to the video store (since there was no due date for returning rentals)? My aunts would always stop by (since they all lived within a 5-mile radius) looking for the next episode. Lol.
@ Kender
That Fool had a great ending! I’m still missing Hwang Jung Min.
Re: the new young crop of talent…..they’ve just grown up into handsome (and hot!) young men.
But don’t discount the older ones. Who cares about age, anyways? Hot-ness has no age limit.
I’m incredibly behind on my City Hall watching since I had been distracted by Story of a Man for the past few weeks. So I’m about to catchup on that sometime soon I hope. I, also have heard that episode 15 is one of the best in the whole series. Besides City Hall, I’m watching the jdrama Mr. Brains and then hopefully starting Triple and The Man Who Can’t Get Married once subtitles are up. And am trying to decide on whether I want to watch Black & White ( I kind of like ZaiZai—he has definitely improved since his Meteor Garden days)—I’ve been missing C/Twdramas…maybe I should just re-watch Prince Turn to Frog (Ming Dao was pretty awesome as Dang-ou)
I wish I had known earlier that Wong Kar Wai was coming to the NY Asian film festival, I’m a big fan of his work (especially In the Mood for Love) and I was just in NYC this past weekend (though only for a couple of hours in Chinatown—seriously one of my favorite places). Also the fact SJS will be there ::sigh:: and he’s one of my favorite actors…I’ll be looking forward to pictures if y’all decide to post them
@120 bbm –
“Jumong + Dae Janggeum??? that’s like 200 something episodes, right?? once, i am tempted to buy Dae Jang Geum from YesAsia (with subs) and the total cost is about $300-400, and finally i cancel my intention to buy it…out of curiosity, like how much is the difference between subbed and non-subbed drama”
You can buy the authentic complete set of Jumong (28 DVDs, 81 episodes, 4 box sets) for $224, and the authentic complete Dae Jang Geum (18 DVDs, 54 episodes 3 box sets) for $145. Waaaaay cheaper than YesAsia. There is an eBay store called “Thinking DVD” that sells these sets (Region 1, authentic).
I’ve bought many of my DVD sets from these guys with no complaints at all. You can save a ton of money if you do a bit of research.
When people said they were watching too many Kdramas, I wonder, how many dramas have you watched?
I am an avid Asian dramas’ lover – I watched Chinese,Korean,HK,Japanese and Taiwanese dramas, and already finished over 100 titles in my life time.
I have to admit I mostly watched the pirated copies of them, but now that I have better internet connection, I download them, and no longer buying the pirated DVDs.
It makes me getting slower in watching dramas, but the feeling, the satisfaction when I get high quality videos and proper subtitle is unchangeable.
My coworkers know my love to Kdramas and they keep teasing me about it all the time – but some of them also borrow my collections, so I am in the middle of brainwashing the colleagues’ journey, trying to convert them to Kdramas’ lovers.
They printed me a birthday card with Jang Dong Gun’s picture recently, and when I saw it my first reaction was “HEY Can’t you choose a better picture of HIM???” :p
@ 134, Taohua
I’m watching Black & White and it is really good! I’ve just finished episode 20 out of 24 and I can’t believe how many twists and turns the show has taken. I’m going to miss it when it’s over. Vic is his usual darling self in this and Mark Chao is fantastic; I’ll be watching out for him in the future.
I completely agree about Wong Kar Wai; if I’d known he was going to be there I would have figured out a way to get there myself…all the way from Mississippi! Fallen Angels, Chung King Express, In the Mood for Love…I’d be hard pressed to say which one I love most; but I think my favorite scene of all is this one from Fallen Angels:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n426FE8G2U
And this from Chung King Express:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ1VQzxwSFo
@127 ripgal –
You might find it a bit hard to watch the first 3 episodes or so of City Hall. Just fast forward if you get bored, and read the intro page on Soompi forums of City Hall to learn about the various characters. Starting with episode 4, though, you sort of have to pay attention. CSW is really something else.
There are your typical bad guys in City Hall, but CSW is not a bad guy or a good guy. CSW as “Jo Gook” is just a guy, and he’s a guy that has it all, but wants what he knows from his knowledge, intelligence and experience will end up being very bad – he will hurt Mirae, he will hurt the people that Mirae has sacrificed everything for, and/or he will destroy himself and everything he has worked his whole life for.
And Mirae is no fool, she knows that she needs Jo Gook, and just as Jo Gook will use Mirae, she will use Jo Gook. And she knows that the feelings that she is starting to have for Jo Gook can only lead to problems in the future, she knows this. She knows that Jo Gook told her to protect herself from him as he will probably betray her, and yet her heart tells her to trust in him? She knows that Jo Gook is engaged to be married to someone else, and yet her heart tells her to go to Jo Gook? But what will happen if she is forced to choose between her love for Jo Gook, and her love and integrity and duty to her people?
The love story is so complex, with KSA and CSW characters both understanding, on some level, that they are on a collision course, with CSW already foreseeing all the possible scenarios as to what will happen and KSA fearing what will happen, and yet Mirae’s duty to her people and Jo Gook’s ambition and lifelong aspirations are keeping them firmly on this collision course.
And all around them, various characters of varying ability (ranging from inept to frighteningly powerful and smart) are plotting their downfall – enemies of Mirae, enemies of Jo Gook….
@samsooki
thank you for the reply, i really do need to do some searching for those places…
one of the local TV channel is showing MNIKSS but they’re dubbed in our native language… it’s soooo strange, hearing Samsoon and Binnie fight in Bahasa
@lb_tmi:
hehe. well. he’s in crew cut though.
enjoy! but no guarantee if tears will not flow.
–
one night away from the computer and the thread becomes 138 thread long! wow. open threads are seriously addictive.
@138, bbm:
btw, they are dubbing BOF in mandarin…now that’s weird.
have you guys seen this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwBnXyICWFQ ???
Right, where is belleza?
TOP looks soooooo damn cool, right??!!
Ahhh, please please September, come faster!!
@139 chajjye,
since i live next to singapore, my TV can catch all the neighbouring countries TV channel (Malaysia and Singapore), i have watched BOF, CP, Jewel in the Palace, Hwang Jini, and many other KDrama (and sometime even JDrama) in Mandarin… it’s kinda weird, but i think almost all countries are like that…
Idk, i think only Ch 8 (malaysian channel) often airs drama with the original language, coz i remember seeing Nodame and Attention Please in Japanese, but since i moved to my current place, ch 8 is so blurry i can’t watch anything
@138 bbm..
i assumed you’re a fellow malaysian? well, i avoided watching any korean drama on the local channels – dubbed version kills!
and i cried buckets too at that episode of my too perfect sons.
i love watching the variety shows on kbsw eventho it’s shown way much later due to the sub. my fav is star golden bell.
@D, hehehe, i’m indonesian actually…
and i also looove SGB, too bad KBSW changed their subbers coz the part with Nicole (level with me S2), the subtitle came out rather weird…
Quick question to all:
is there any MBC or SBS english channel like KBSW??
@ all the pale people who sunburn easily
As a fellow pale person (albeit Asian) I would like to reintroduce something that can help us all… the “parasol” or “sun umbrella.”
It’s still widely used in parts of Asia (like Taiwan) but for some reason no one uses it here in the States. So whenever I go out during the summer I’m always embarrassed to bring one or else people will look at me funny.
So please, start using them and if we can make this a trend then I can start using it here as well and not have everyone stare at me and think I’m crazy
* * *
@ djes #136
I also watch C / J / HK / TW-dramas and if I were to count them all I’m sure it would be over 100 as well
When Buffy and Angel both ended I think that’s basically when I stopped watching American TV shows.
At that point I felt too tired to invest 5+ years of my life in another series. So Asian dramas were the perfect fit for me. Even those 100+ daily dramas are fine for me because at least they have a set ending.
I’m glad you’re able to infect others with Asian drama fever. I’m lucky in that most of my friends do watch Asian dramas, however most of them are more specific. Some only watch C-dramas while others only watch J-dramas. So it’s tough to find someone that has a more diverse taste.
#120 bbm
i just have to say i feel SO sorry for you.
but i bow down to you, you are a true kdrama lover/addict. ^.^
my first post here…
shout out to all fellow kdrama-lovers
@samsooki #137, do join us in the discussion of CityHall on soompi…. =) the more people discussing the show the merrier… i especially like how the writer links together every detail, it makes the show very interesting as audiences are kept guessing whether each detail matters. For example (spolier):
JoGuk calls MiRae his hamster when he asked her out on the camping trip… he used to call her kingkong, shrek… and it turns out that MiRae called herself his hamster to the other beauty contestants and one of them said that on tv which JoGuk saw
@ Jessica, haha my mom brought hers when she visits and she’ll attempt to shade me as well…AND I’m talking about the walk fr the car to the mall. I took her hiking in Muir Woods to see the redwoods once, and for those who’ve not been there, it’s totally decked and shaded, but yup, her parasol tagged along and I think she’s wearing a 2 inch sandal thing? But it’s a fine dress code there with the abundance of Asian tourists who can hike in a 4 inch and cute skirts.
I went to a Korean fried chicken place, 4 of us, and we decided to order soju. My hubby cant drink , he’ll totally get the Asian flush with a sip of beer, so we ordered 3 bottles, I’m the only one there who’s had it before and I told them it’s not hard stuff. THEN those 2 dudes don’t like it and I ended up with 2+ bottles of soju in my system now. It’s a bit much and gosh how can u drink the kdrama amount for real?!?!?
@ djes, I’ve been watching dramas all my life. My mom used that as a bait for me to finish HW on time since grade sch. Then she thinks drowning me with BBC dramas r good for my English. College, I roomed with 2 drama majors one is Japanese, another Korean, and they r both serious hardcore drama/movie nuts. Add my own addiction to TVB stuff (esp the old sch JinYungs), I think I easily have 200+ under my belt?!
@bbm,
hi.. im right smack in kl and the only reason why i still suscribed to astro is kbsw. i agree about the SGB sub. lately it seems a bit weird but then i mostly concentrate on the interview parts, hehehe…
cant remember when was the last time i watch 8tv, but only japanese drama is shown in original language. korean drama is subbed to mandarin. they’re showing zettai kareshi at the moment.
looking forward to partners (wookie!!!!!) on kbsw altho it’ll be another months or so..
After reading all the positive reviews on City Hall, I think I’m going to have to start watching it sooner than later.
@Jessica #143
I’ve always seen the Japanese ladies carrying the parasols around here (in Honolulu) and thought they were so cute – they usually are of cloth material and sometimes embroidered/with lace. At my last trip to Tennessee, I bought a parasol from a Civil War store for the reenactments that my husband and I do here. I’m looking forward to using it on July 5 for a reenactment….still not sure if I would like being seen carrying it any other time.
I grew up watching TVB Hong Kong dramas. My parents got me hooked on K-dramas when they were visiting three years ago. Now, I watch J-dramas, K-dramas, Chinese and Taiwanese dramas as well.
Another pale skinned southerner here. I’m from Texas. Dang the heat and humidity is a killer this year. Of course, I should thank the humidity for preserving my youthful appearance.
I discovered HK dramas in high school but gave it up when I went to college.
It was only a few years ago that my husband brought home the MNKSS boxset pushed on him by a Hispanic coworker (she suspects she must have Korean in her heritage or was Korean in her past life. She LOVES Rain). Needless to say, we were hooked by KSA and Binnie . Yup! My hubs is Samshika…which he can never live down since I gave him a nice pair of pj bottoms which I neatly ironed on “Samshika”
We only watch k or jdramas now with the exception of the Big Bang Theory (I heart heart Sheldon!). We recently turned off our satellite service since we rarely use it. Now we only watch downloaded dramas or DVDs of shows we like.
I’m loving Friday open threads.
@94 huh? Does it matter is WGM is scripted or reality? KHJ as shinlang is adorable. So much better then KHJ as Ji Hoo. I love the Lettuce couple. They make me laugh out loud and feel happy. If it is all totally scripted, then it is one of the best kdramas we have ever watched.
@ 147 katwoman
totally agree with your last statement. KHJ in WGM is soooo adorable. cried buckets when they left the show.
# D, bbm
Glad to know they’re fellow Malaysians in DB! ^^ Talking about SGB, I’m not sure why…but KBSW has been repeating the episode with Alex and the new emcees quite regularly these few weeks? I was kinda looking forward to the latest episodes, but to my disappointment, they repeated the same episode again this week. I’ve seen it like 3 times…. I wonder what’s the problem?! Maybe the latest episode hasn’t been subbed yet?
@ 146 Jessica
I too avoid the sun as much as possible. Living in the city makes it a bit easier since there are tall buildings all around. I look crazy following every shade I can find — the light post shade, the moving bus shade, a tall person’s shade… People I know call me a vampire or a freak… IDC!
Now the problem is, walking in the park. I have to get me one of those parasols. And since I’m asian too, people can stare and think I’m a tourist and that it’s common in asia to use one.
I’ll start the trend here in Chicago, I hope people follow suit. Hey, it’s not just for fashion, it’s the (not so) secret to youthful skin.
Sharing the DramaFever love – I have 15 invites just sitting here! If anyone would like me to share the addiction, shoot me an email: lal1964@yahoo.com
Hope you guys have a great Saturday! I’m off to do all of my Father’s Day errands but hoping to get back early and start City Hall…if I can tear myself away from Dal Ja’s Spring, that is.
@SAMSOOKI
I KNOW IT’S LATE AND AM NOT SURE IF YOURE STILL CHECKING THIS THREAD…
but i checked yesasia, couldnt find the return of iljimae dvd set…. i did write a message to MBC America and asked them about it. Thanks again!!!!
@ 152 katwoman & 153 D
I totally agree with you guys….shilang and hwang buin were really endearing and I cried buckets when they left WGM. Which only made me wonder how geniune it was but you guys are absolutely right….does it really matter???
Also, Sheldon is freaking hilarious on Big Bang Theory….the way he delivers his line…now that’s art =P
@157 MEIKO**** ^-^
http://www.yesasia.com/global/the-return-of-iljimae-dvd-end-first-press-limited-edition-mbc-tv-drama/1019924780-0-0-0-en/info.html
Release Date: 2009-05-22
Language: Korean
Subtitles: No Subtitle
Picture Format: NTSC
Disc Format(s): DVD
Region Code: 3
Orders placed here will NOT ship to the United States and Canada.
LOL. Maybe not such a great idea….
It looks like this is not a good place to buy the DVD set. =) If I see it, I’ll let you know.
@Rifae
I am not a MIT student. I work but I have taken the SPRING session of the MIT class. It started last week and will last for 9 more weeks (after this week on WED) 7-8:30 check out this link:
http://mitkoreanclass.googlepages.com/
You are in luck, this time their is a reading class. I am not that advanced. My listening is pretty good but reading and writing are poor.
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City Hall rocks and whomever wrote he is Darcy —I totally agree! Still behind on watching #15 and #16 as need subs. I am enjoying DRAMAFEVER and Boys Over Flowers.
Samsooki–I love my stuffed piggy. My sis got me Kim Sam Soon, Samsooki and all the OSTS for Christmas one year from YES ASIA. My sis rocks!
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Food AHHHH travel, food and dramas get me going. I have a food blog and have taken tons of food photos when traveling. I even wrote food reviews for some publications. I am the resident foodie amongst my friends. Food is just amazing and good Korean in Boston is hard to come by. I am not an expert but homemade and LA are tops outside of Korea for me.
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Jane Austen is awesome and I loved the PBS special remakes of her novels two winters ago. Yes the Colin Firth Darcy for Pride and Prejudice is my all time fave. He embodies him very well. OOOOH love BBC but no more cable. I loved it.
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Funny, leaving the messages yesterday was my first time participating in the Friday Thread though I have been a long time visitor to this website. DRAMABEANS you rock and I agree I have enjoyed your choice of dramas and your cool analysis and play by play of the scenes.
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I grew up watching TV HK Dramas and love Andy Lau. Then Jdramas after college as the shows were subbed then stopped by International channel. Then Kdramas came into my life thanks to my and Autumn Love with Song Seung Hun and Song Hye Gyo. The rest is history. I tend to like romantic comedies or saeguks. I abhor Chinese dubbed over versions of Kdramas (irritates me). Finding bad subs especially ENG from Chinese is bad. I watched Kim Sam Soon 6 times. Once in Chinese and then ENg (bad Eng) then with excellent ENG subs. My all time fave. Such fun and great escapism!
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@Priki—- I totally agree. OOOOH yeah the little grandson was cute when he would bow and say “grandfather”. He totally stole my heart in all the scenes he was in.
@A. and funkster316…I’m so happy to read from you two that you see some similarities with our Beloved Mr. Darcy and Jo-guk. I was the one that mentioned it before. I thought no-one noticed it, i guess for my love of Mr. Darcy I always compare other lead men to Him . I love anything related to P&P, i even watched that one movie, Bride and Prejudice!! kekeke
OMG! Episode 15 of City Hall is the best! It’s got everything! I cried soo much, then it got good, made me so happy ^_________^! Now on to episode 16!
Enjoy the rest of the Weekend everyone!
Hmm where do I start with this thread….
Firstly am touched *blush* that some have noted my absence in the Open Thread. Hmm do I really rant that much???? LOL But thanks gang!
Given I have been bedridden with the flu the last 48 hrs and just realised I have a 39C+ temp (WTF?!) I am guarenteed to make less sense than normal. This is my drug therapy of sorts…at least I am sitting up. Then it is back to bed.
@10 new-s totally agree that ‘Comrades: Almost a Love Story’ is a good recommendation.
Re: Slingshot recap – I had gotten a copy of DVD as could not wait to see how it ended. Of course I should have known that subtitles would made no sense! Am so looking forward to awesome recap.
Re: P & P – Mr Darcy *swoon*. Colin Firth *swoon swoon*. Even liked the guy who played Darcy in the ‘Lost In Austen’ (which was very clever!). City Hall has a Mr Darcy like character?
Well now I WILL have to check it out.
North and South. Richard Armitage. Enough said.
Re So Ji Sub
Ain’t picky when it is such a fine specimen of a man. As much as I would like to be there for you to capture my touching…. er..molesting ..ahem… MEETING Mr So Ji Sub, I am afraid that Mishane and perhaps Mrs Samsooki will have to be my proxy.
Samsooki
Ahem slight correction I think I had wanted to check out Mr So Ji Sub’s abs &/or chest but butt would be fine too!
However please remember to take pity on me and share your exclusive footage/coverage with me. And it goes without saying that a copy of the contact details of SJS and pals *you know who especially!*, obtained in the post event k-town drinks between SJS and Samsooki MUST be forwarded to me. Or I might sneeze on you….
mishane
Please add some ‘extra’ touches to SJS on my behalf. SJS cannot have too much love now can he?
hanjanman
If only what you had suggested was true *sigh* That would be such a better reality! Doubt I would be able to board a plane, survive the lengthy flight time – let alone land in NYC without sparking a biohazard alert. And no it is ‘normal’ flu not swine (geez if I got paid for everyone that asked me that I would be able to afford a private jet….)
Interesting how in my flu induced haze I STILL managed to watch a lot ‘Gourmet’ from bed. Drifting in and out of sleep, hence plenty of rewinds but it also made me want to eat – not the raw beef though yuk yuk!. The cooked food looked so yummy – but not so good when one has no energy to get up let alone cook. Shame I did not have a Kim Rae Won handy in my kitchen. He is very tasty just to look at at…
I am TOTALLY a Kdrama junkie…..hard core!
OK back to the drugs and bed…hope to be back soon!
@ 161 mzpakipot
So, it’s you who suggested the Darcy-JG connection, ha ha!
I’d say JG is beyond Darcy – the modern sophisticated version of Darcy. The JG character in City Hall adds a contemporary touch to the Darcy complex which is what makes CH so appealing. It is true that he is cold, arrogant and ruthless in the first half of the drama. However, once he confirms where his heart belongs, he becomes that PERFECT man that any woman could only dream of. His mentoring of and encouragement to MR makes him the ideal partner of any modern day woman. And at the same time he knows MR has taught him something new. I was re-watching Ep 10 – 13 yesterday, you can see how PROUD he is of MR at the end of the mayor election debate. They are such a complementary team.
Honestly, after watching CSW’s interpretation of JG, I will have a hard time to find any matching male lead performance in future dramas. In fact, many other hot young guys in previous dramas now look like primary school boys. The wonderful thing is he brings out the best performance from KSA whose MR character is no simpleton as it might initially suggest. KSA gives the role a vivid, layered, and believable delivery of a happy-go-lucky girl empowered to reach her highest potential. I’m onto re-watching Ep 14 -16 now (and what can we say about Ep 15, every scene and every line are just so good and memorable).
For fans living in Southern California, Kdramafanusa has just posted at Soompi about City Hall (english subbed) to start on LA18.1 on June 18th, W-Th from 9:50pm~11:00pm.
Good luck ladies in NYC!! Please send JiSub my hot-love too!! You gotta meet him in person…he’s insanely gorgeous!! Speaking of him have u gals seen Kang JiHwan photoshoots in Esquire???..check him out in his tight whitepants among models of coz…*slurps..*
1. So we watched through Episode 15, City Hall. In my effort to not give spoilers, let me just say, somebody gets kissed. I’m not saying who gets kissed, or who does the kissing. And it ain’t just any kiss. If you have been born and raised on milk and Gerbers with all of the other k-dramas’ tepid kissing, then this City Hall kiss is like getting solid food. Wow… so THAT’s what meat and potatoes taste like….
As for the drama itself, it just gets better and better, and much like the kiss, the entire series itself is like discovering a whole new class of korean drama. City Hall is just in a different class – not sure how else to put it.
Like cartoons maybe – most other k-dramas is like watching the smurfs and carebears and so on, and then comes Robotech…. where the main character (Rick)’s brother, Roy, is a blond hair blue eyed fighter pilot whose love of his life is Claudia, a black woman (trust me, it was shocking at the time), and then the aliens attack and Roy gets critically injured from battle wounds (internal hemoragging), and rather than spending his last moments in a hospital room, Roy chooses to spend his last moments with Claudia, who doesn’t know he is dying, and so Roy chats idly with Claudia, strumming his guitar while bleeding to death, while Claudia is making his favorite dish for him and just chatting away…. going from Carebears, Smurfs and even GI Joe (where nobody ever died, not even the bad guys), to Robotech… is like what it feels like, watching City Hall.
As for the story – the thunder storm clouds have gathered, the plot points are solidifying and coming into focus, the winds have picked up considerably, and the first lightning strikes have already been recorded. Only 5 episodes left for us, I think. Among the most compelling and deep love stories, as I’ve ever seen, on television. If you can get by the first three episodes… the next 12 episodes fly by.
2. Oh, and we also watched Star In My Heart, the first three episodes off of the DVDs. It is like going to beach for the first time in the summer, and smelling the smell of salt, Doritos, suntan lotion and something cooking… the nostalgia is so strong, all you need to do is breathe deeply once and you’ll find yourself back in time. This drama takes me back more than a decade, to a different world entirely. The clothes, the hair styles, the references (cassette tape players in porsches!)…. and omg the smoking. There hasn’t been a single scene that didn’t have people smoking. At clubs, at bars, at the office, at home, in the car… LOL.
@Samsooki
Boy, you really sold me on City Hall. Now, I can’t wait to see it. Since I agreed with your comments about Star in my Heart, and I also enjoyed that drama, I think I will enjoy City Hall.
You have a very nice writing style for critiquing dramas.
@SAMSOOKI
eY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOLLOWING THAT UP!
VERY THOUGHTFUL OF YOU…
i CHECKED IT OUT BUT CANT READ HANGGUL…., AND NO SUBTITLES…
WAAAHHHH!!!
BUT THANKS AGAIN SAMSOOKI!!!
ILL WAIT FOR THE MBC’S EMAIL AND SEE IF THEY HAVE PLANS ON DOING A REGION1 DVD….*CROSSING MY FINGERS*
I have been watching City Hall and right now I just don’t get it. Maybe I need to watch more. I love CSW of course–I’ve always been a fan and I love how he is playing the character but besides him and Director Lee’s wife, I don’t find the other acting that good including Kim Sun Ah’s. Also I think the biggest problem for me is with the writing/directing team. I have never liked their past work and I think this one is suffering the same or worse problems. I’m on episode 8 so I am hoping this will get better. Everyone told me to get through the first few episodes but I haven’t seen the light yet and I’m on episode 8!!!
134 hjkomo–haha yes the tapes made the rounds to everyone. I always wondered how these video stores even made money and now with satellite dishes and internet, I assume its worse for them. I was trying to convince one of the video owners a long time ago to start a netflix-like business for kdramas. I even went so far as to see if this business model was taken.And yes it is and it is called Cinflix. Also incredibly netflix has a lot of dramas including the real hard to find Be Strong Guem Soon.
BTW anyone know where I can watch a show called Screening Humanity? This is a KBS documentry show that I caught on TV a couple of times and I find it to be a such an awesome show thought I imagine the producers must instigate a lot of the drama in the background.
I remember omo saying she can see my name everytime KSA is being mentioned.
I can’t help but post a comment now… but i actually can’t find the words to say.
I just want to thank everyone for spreading the CITY HALL love.
And thanks to everyone who will give this drama a try. It’s worth it.
I love City hall and it makes me feel sad to think that this drama will end, 4 more episode to go and I think this drama should have an extension. It`s very rare to have superb actors in one project. Kim Sun Ah and CSW was doing a great job portraying their role. I love the OST, it makes me feel so good while listening to every song in this drama. GUMI couple is the best of the best!
Anyone watched Night After Night or When Night Comes? With Kim Sun Ah and Lee Dong Gun in it. Is this any good? Trying to follow up on the KSS mood by picking up a serial which has Kim Sun Ah. Can’t find City Hall in the dvd shelves for now so Night After Night comes closest. But is this good?
Also, out of curiosity, the singer who sang Inside My Heart on the MNIKSS OST is Kim Jung Eun. Is this the same Kim Jung Eun the actress who starred in Lovers in Paris and General Hospital?
jumped on the bandwagon and currently on ep 6 of mnikss.
just curious: do you any of you feel the perceived homeliness of samsoon is overblown?
i personally don’t think samsoon is unattractive on first glance. in fact, she looks extremely cute in her chef’s outfit. add that with the endearing way she wears her emotions on her sleeve, and i think she is the most attractive woman on the show.
hmm,
so henry kim is hee jin’s doctor, and he’s trying to start a relationship with her?
crossing some serious ethical boundaries there…
@ 173 kb
Henry’s not trying to start a relationship but he does admit he’s in love with hee jin.
When I watched MNIKSS I was also wondering about Henry’s purpose in the drama. Why was he there? He was never a real threat in the heejin-jinhun relationship, he was happy to be a good friend to heejin. So what did Henry Kim really bring to the story? Apart from being nice eye candy, I’m not sure what his role/purpose in the story was.
“just curious: do you any of you feel the perceived homeliness of samsoon is overblown?”
KSS is not unattractive, definitely not ugly. I would say she looks like your average Jane. BUT she also does not fit the typical K lead actress mold. Hee Jin on the other hand, looks the part. As Yi Young said in one scene: “Why wouldn’t men go for Hee Jin? She’s great. She’s even great from a woman’s perspective!”
Just finished Hong Gil Dong last night. Okay, I spoiled it for myself by reading Dramabeans’ recaps so I was braced for the ‘controversial’ ending. While I agree with Dramabeans comments on the ending, on a personal level, I did feel sad/miffed that GD and YN died at the end. No happy ending and that took away a bit of the satisfaction for me.
Overall though, I enjoyed the drama. I thought it was nicely layered in parts, especially the interaction between Gil Dong and his father and that scene between Chang Whe and his brother where the Sa Yin sword conspiracy was revealed. The king didn’t seem so mad then, and it made you wonder if Chang Whe would also descend into madness now that he knew the truth.
Kang Ji Hwan’s expressions during his father’s death scene – wow, excellent. He was great throughout and I thought he really carried the role of Gil Dong. Looking for more KJH stuff now – any recommendations?
@175, mamacat -
I doubt there are many ppl on dramabeans who haven’t seen HGD, but for the sake of those few who might not have, you might have put a header on your post that looks like:
**spoilers**
or something like that, to warn people you are about to reveal the ending. Just for future reference. As for the ending itself, I think that a lot of people in America (myself included, actually) get addicted to happy endings – in a more Eastern style philosophy/religion, the point isn’t necessarily to a happy ending but to get your life “right” and that means that you do it the right way regardless of what the “ending” is like because in the next life, you will get another shot at it but depending on how you did it, you will get a better shot at happiness. So, the fact that Yi Nok and Gil Dong got it right, and were together at the end, gives a lot of weight to what happens and how their fates will be interconnected in the next life….
As for other stuff, most people would recommend Capital Scandal (a 2007 KBS drama) for the next KJH you might want to take a peek at.
@172, 173 kb -
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Through the course of watching the drama series, if I had to choose among the various women who worked at the restaurant, Yoo HeeJin, Jang ChaeRi (well played by Lee Yoon Mi) and Kim Samsoon, in terms of just physical looks, I think KSS would probably be in the top 2…? I guess Korea is a lot more weight-driven in terms of how they view beauty..
Yeah, I don’t think the writers really had a clear idea of how to handle the Dr. Henry role. Perhaps they should have made him someone other than a doctor. Just a good friend?
Honestly, the doctor role didn’t really suit Daniel – I think he would have done better for this early role in his career as a normal guy who happens to have enough money and time to spend it trying to take care of a woman with whom he has fallen in love.
Either way, not a really big part of the story…
i planned to watch hong gil dong some time down the road, and so whenever there was a discussion about it, i quickly skimmed it, just to avoid hidden spoilers.
that all came to naught when i found a MV for ‘if’ and essentially saw what appears to be the ending. i still remember my reaction, ‘WHAT THE…?!’
samsooki,
yeah, i don’t understand the weight issue. i think her weight is perfectly fine.
kb –
HGD is worth watching, and, there is serious debate as to what the ending really means. For what it is worth, the question for any love story is, “will they be together in the end” and the answer to that question is decided in the last episode.
I don’t think the ending is “controversial’ although some people find it to be so. I think the ending is a little bit ambiguous, but however you interpret it, HGD as a series pretty much rocks.
In the case of Hong Gil Dong, the ending itself isn’t what makes the drama. I think the drama is just great throughout, and regardless of the ending, however you interpret it, I think it will be nice if you saw it.
For an altogether different interpretation of how korean dramas and love stories should end, perhaps you should watch “Super Rookie” with Eric Mun, Oh Ji Ho and Han Ga In. I highly recommend it.
samsooki,
i will definitely watch hong gil dong. your enthusiastic recommendation notwithstanding, that song was the clincher.
i know the ending for mnikss, but i’m still enjoying it. doesn’t take away from the experience at all.
Finished Dal-ja’s Spring last night and I loved it so much.
*spoilers*
Boy, did I ever cry over the dinner table scene and subsequent breakup scene! I don’t know why, but those scenes just really hit me. I felt so sorry for Dal-ja, thinking that Tae-bong’s mother had invited her to dinner to humiliate her by showing her support for Soo-jin, when in fact the opposite was true.
I absolutely LOVED the ending. It made such perfect sense for the characters, because while they truly loved each other, they also loved their careers and truly valued what their jobs brought to their lives. In the end, nothing had to be sacrificed for love. I was so relieved that there was none of the “our parents once loved each other so we can never be together” silliness involved in this story! They stayed together in spite of parental objection, broke up in spite of parental support, and reunited in spite of having chosen to follow their own personal paths.
LOVED IT.
@182 langdon813 –
“They stayed together in spite of parental objection, broke up in spite of parental support, and reunited in spite of having chosen to follow their own personal paths.”
That’s pretty good analysis and very thoughtful… thoughts (where’s my vocab)? I really, really enjoyed DalJa Spring, through-out. It was extremely well-done. And I thought Chae-Rim was such a hoot. Lee Minki… another standout.
I wasn’t quite happy with the ending, I think there was some confusion at the end in terms of the writers (honestly, I spent the last 30 mins trying to find where I had read it, but somebody on DB replied back to me and said that the reason why it seemed rushed at the end of DJS was because they were going to go from 22 episodes to 24 episodes (this would be the second extension), but Chae Rim said no, and so they had to hastily end it.). I don’t know if that’s true, but I still felt a little bit like they ended DJS very abruptly.
BTW, Chae-Rim is currently in a 50 episode drama called Good Job Good Job (잘했군 잘했어!!), and in the beginning, I didn’t recognize her at all. She looks incredible, and 10 years younger in Good Job than in DalJa Spring. I am watching it, but so far I am not loving it. The production values are somewhat limited (since it is a 50 episode drama), and the story line is fairly predictable at this point – Chae-Rim as the irrepressible and talented single mom Kang Joo… you can sort of afford to miss an episode here and there and not really lose anything.
@183, Samsooki
I definitely get what you mean about the ending being rushed, but I’ve found that to be the case in many of the dramas I’ve watched. Seems like the last episode always goes at warp speed, especially the really great ones that you don’t want to see end in the first place!
I was just happy with where they ended up (and my love for Lee Minki is even stronger).
Chae-Rim really is the cutest thing ever, and I may watch Good Job Good Job one of these days (but wow, what a commitment! 50 eps? Jeez.)
One more comment, after which I will probably have officially killed this thread:
I started watching City Hall tonight and just had to come post something somewhere about it! I’ve read all the comments about getting through the first 3-4 episodes before it starts getting really good, so I was prepared to settle in.
What I wasn’t prepared for is that I would fall in love with it before I even finished the first episode!
Kim Sun-ah owns me now. From here on out, please just refer to me as “Kim Sun-ah’s Slave for Life”.
Now, back to my regularly scheduled programming.
@ Samsooki
Job Well Done started out interesting…..then the writers went all crazy and makjang (in a not-addictive sort of way)…enough said.
And thanks for the Robotech nostalgia.
________
Someone in the Ask Javabeans thread mentioned True Blood, and I had meant to ask if anyone else was watching it. Stephen Moyer’s delectable (much more than his Ultraviolet days), and Alan Ball’s always up to something good.
@186, hjkomo
I’m definitely watching True Blood and definitely agree about Stephen Moyer! I’m a big fan of the books and I think all of the casting for the show is pretty spot-on. I’m having to treat them as two entirely different things though, since the show is starting to bear zero resemblance to the books!
Alan Ball is a genius; I still miss Six Feet Under.
2 eps into City Hall, heading into the 3rd!
@186 hjkomo -
“Job Well Done started out interesting…..then the writers went all crazy and makjang (in a not-addictive sort of way)…enough said.
And thanks for the Robotech nostalgia.”
Job Well Done…. I honestly can’t figure out any of the characters. They are from Planet Mitchissuh. I love Jung Ae Ri (Temptation of Wife) as Seung Hun’s mom and of course Chae Rim rocks, but everybody in this drama is taking crazy pills and I can’t understand anyone’s motivation.
Ahhhhhh Robotech… first love triangle I ever saw ….. Lisa Hayes, Min Mae and Rick Hunter…. LOL! Robotech should be remade into a Korean drama.
Lisa Hayes ………. played by Han Ga In.
Lynn Min Mei …… played by mmm…. Yoon Eun Hye.
Rick Hunter ……… played by Yoon Kye Sang.
Roy Fokker ………. played by Hwang Jung Min
Admiral Gloval …. played by Choi Il Hwa
hehe
LOL. Robotech was probably one of my earliest drama addictions…and I say drama, yes, because it had everything you’d look for. Damn, my brother and I were glued to the TV for all three seasons.
A kdrama remake would be TOTALLY AWESOME!!!
But I’m surprised you wouldn’t want Kang Ji Hwan as Rick Hunter. o_O
And how about Son Ye Jin as Claudia?
Excuse me?
THERE IS A ROBOTECH DISCUSSION AND I AM NOT A PART OF IT?!?!?!
Ahem. Might I direct you all to this? http://www.dramabeans.com/2007/09/excuse-the-squealing-nine-year-old-girl-blame-anime/
Okay, jumping in the fake-casting thing:
Rick has to be impulsive and reckless and immature, so give it to an idol star like Choi Siwon who would totally go for the selfish starlet before realizing his noona Lisa is where it’s at.
Roy has to be older, “bigger” than Rick in maturity and in physical presence, so someone like Yoo Ji-tae.
Lisa has to be believable as the cranky noona and very perfectionist but lonely inside, so she’s got to be an older, more seasoned actress like… a really dressed-down Kim Haneul?
Minmei has to be super young, selfish, cute, flighty, love-to-hate her — so a bubbly idol star like Tae Yeon would be perfect!
Ah…JB, I remember squeeling when you made that post (but that was back in my lurking days).
Choi Siwon would make an EXCELLENT Rick Hunter!
And I could definitely see Yoo Ji Tae as his older brother…but who would be his Claudia?
Hm…Kim Haneul…lonely inside – yes…but cranky noona? She wasn’t really cranky with Kim Jae Won in Romance.
Maybe, Son Ye Jin? I could see her cranky.
Any word on the remake?
You and Samsooki should just write the kdrama version.
‘Cause who knows when Jajangmyun Space Odyssey’s gonna get off the ground…
hjkomo! oohhhhh, so unfair!
i have a Soompi recap project going on, I got Star In My Heart (still only on Ep 3 because I grow tired of the poor orphan girl who gets beaten down by rich step sister in law story line, even if it is the O.G. of story lines), City Hall to finish, Partner to start, Friend: The Legend to start, 2 Outs In The Bottom of the Ninth, a ton of billable hours to make up, I got a wife who wants to go to IKEA but I really don’t want to go…..
JB,
Yes, you are right about the casting. I wasn’t really thinking too hard about it. Sort of lazy in terms of who I chose. hehe, i apologize for the bad casting, but i still have to say that I adore (present tense) Robotech.
AND I will say, I have the collection of Robotech. It cost … well, more than I care to admit because there were so many episodes, but it was worth it. When I was sick a few years ago, I had a 3-4 day binge and I just ate slept and watched my series – drove my wife crazy and she decided to go shopping every day as revenge against me taking over the TV.
Robotech really was the original Korean drama series.
It wasn’t about robots, or technology, or advanced weaponry (although it had transforming robots that was unbelievably cool). It was about whether warring peoples could find a way to live together. It was about finding peace during war. It was about breaking boundaries between races, among ethnicities. It was about young love, and about mature love, about family and sacrifice and dreams.
Robotech was about finding your identity (remember when Marlene was injured during a battle with the Invid, and she found that her blood was green (meaning that she was actually an Invid) not red, and she was devastated because all of her adult memories were of fighting the Invid and hating them…. and then finding out that she was actually an Invid spy whose mission had to be scrubbed when she lost her memories….) That kind of storyline just BLEW my mind as a kid. It was like they invented mature story lines with transforming robot fighter planes and mecha. I was soooo stunned by that development and I spent days trying to think about what would happen if I was battling the Invid and then I found that my blood was green too? Would I switch sides? Would I still fight against the Invid? Would I just cry and lose my mind? What to think?
….while all other cartoons were like Tom and Jerry, or Smurfs, or even GI Joe (which made no sense) or even Voltron (which made a little more sense, but still, like, so unrealistic), Robotech was dealing with racism, classism, sexism, love triangles, answering questions like who is family, what is the meaning of love, how do we get to peace when everybody wants war. And the OST. And the battle scenes. Can you even compare it against any other cartoon ever?
Robotech was the original korean drama series. I loved it then, I love it now, THIS is why I love korean dramas – it is the same thing.
Wow, Choi Siwon …. he even looks like Rick Hunter. Great pick.
Yoo Ji-tae, I am not sure. Roy is the “hyung” or “big brother,” but doesn’t have to be taller or physically larger. He just has to have the personality, the wisdom, the skill, the knowledge, patience, discipline and love to be the older big brother. He’s sort of a static character though. Him and Claudia, the template for all happy marriages which end in tragedy as Roy gets mortally wounded in a battle against the Zentradi aliens and chooses to spend his last moments with his wife rather than in a hospital room.
The death scene would be just incredible. Roy, every now and then, wiping blood from his mouth surreptitiously, in the other room, just lightly strumming a Spanish instrumental love song on his beat up guitar while Claudia chats away, talking about this and that, making a pineapple salad (Roy’s favorite), and the Roy smiles slightly, tears streaming down his face as he watches Claudia happily making her dish, then Roy’s eyes close and the guitar stops, and Claudia doesn’t realize it right away…. and then she does…. omg.
Kim Haneul sound about right for Lisa Hayes. She got that lonely insecure perfectionist role down pat.
Oohhh, and Tae Yeon (SNSD) as Minmei …. just about perfect. She has the voice, the moves, the face and personality.
Great choices!!
Damn. I gotta get me the dvds.
But then, I’d need to find a way to hole myself up for a couple weeks.
Haha…IKEA….avoid it like the plague.