i hate being first to reply in open thread. i feel like a Dramabeans whore who stands on the corner waiting for open thread to be posted.. LOL!

i have had the same freaken headache since the 9th. isn't that too long to have a headache? a normal person would prolly go in and get checked out, but i've got a $1500 ded NOT met, so i'm not going to the DR until i die or something.

going on a mini vacation this weekend down to Chicago w/ my kids. gonna see some firecrackers and do the touristy stop at Navy Pier and shop the magnificent mile. YAY!!!

have a great weekend everyone!

YES.

It's Friday.

Tonight I'm going to K-town in NYC for Korean BBQ. YUM.

Is anyone watching Triple? I caught up to Episode 13 last night (although I watched 12 & 13 raw because the subs weren't finished FIRST TIME I'VE EVER DONE THAT).

Seriously, does anyone think Hwal/Haru are going to end up together? I NEED to hear thoughts on this, because there's only 2 episodes left (I haven't seen 14 yet) and I NEED to know if there's development because I really don't know how this drama is going to end right now!

ALSO! Brilliant Legacy is finishing this weekend. Who's watching?

I think my next currently airing drama to watch is going to be Partner. And I'm unusually excited for the new drama Soul.

@ 1 1 lb_tmi

LOL. I crave Open Thread Fridays because it's such a great distraction from work. I spend the whole day staring at a computer so I keep it open on another page and refresh like crazy. It's equivalent to a chat room for me (which are disabled on the computers here).

Chicago! I'd love to go to Chicago. I might take a few personal days off and do a road trip there (16 hours!!).

Get the headache checked out!!

@ Samsooki

Two Outs In The Bottom Of the Ninth – so good, but if you're into overly dramatic scenarios, not for you. But honestly, it's one of my favorites.

i totally agree with you mishane... 9 end 2 outs is also one of my favorite dramas but if you're more into hella sappy and emotion-filled dramas, then it's not for you... i told my sister to watch it but she didn't like it... i guess it's because it didn't have the things that she looked for in a drama...

Samsooki,

You should get started on 9 End 2 Outs soon (sorry guys, the other title is just too long and I'm used to saying 9E2O :P). Also one of my favorites...^^

mishane,

You should totally watch Partner. LDW and KHJ are really cute!
Have been following Brilliant Legacy since the very beginning... still loving it and all, but Partner has edged it out slightly to be my fav drama of the moment.

for me,recently addicted to something else and forget about kdramas....
and now back to kdrama fever for me.
i plan to watch:
Gourmet:i have been reading recaps on this site last year when it is broadcast,but last year i have a major exam so i didn't watch...so now decided to watch... :)
Partner:seems to be a good drama.during this weekend i will be trying to catch up....
Dream:umm...the reason i think should be watchable is because of some reasons....but after reading a longer introduction of it i'm starting to worry that i will be disappointed of this series....

so that''s all. :)

8 ripgal

As soon as I finish Triple (next week AHH!!) I'm gonna get started on Partner. I'm excited because I thought Dong Wook was good in My Girl and I WANTED to like Hyun Joo in 'In Soon is Pretty' so . . . expectations are high. :)

I HAVE TOO MANY DRAMAS ON MY LIST DAMMIT.

I adore 9 Ins 2 outs. It is very cute and heartwarming! I love the lead actress!! Shining Inheritance is ending and it is kinda sad. I did not like it for all it cliches but I got sucked in! I hope the evil ones get their just desserts! I absolutely HATE them.

Working with a massive hangover is HARD! I should have stayed home but I guess I can't do that if it is my place right?!! Have to keep on truckin! My fault for partyin a bit too hard last night! I should have waited until Saturday night!!!!

I truly want to watch brilliant legacy because i like Seung Gi very much. Love him in Two Days One Night too.

@ 11 cecee

With Shining Inheritance, there were cliche's (and I'm not a fan of drama cliches) but I think they handled them well (at least to the point where I'm not rolling my eyes).

Oh man, I remember my college days. Thirsty Thursday's when we'd go out drinking all night and I'd roll into work Friday with a small hangover (TIP, the older you get, the worse the hangover is. At 18, no hangovers, at 23, it's a little painful getting out of bed the next morning).

9 End 2 Outs, or Bottom of the 9th Inning, is just brilliant. It's a relatively quiet drama, quite realistic at least to me, and with characters that I can relate to. As a 30+ woman, I could definitely relate to NanHee's personal and professional frustrations.

On the other hand, I started on My Friend, the Legend last night. 2 eps in and I was already crying my eyes out, and crying is something i do not do! I can just see this is going to be one of these 'rip of heart out' kind of show, but not in the melodramatic sense! I'm at work and can't really express myself properly presently. :) The characters, their choices, the insight into how their lives are shaped by circumstances, and personal choices, the cinematography, colours, and music, all contribute to making this a joy to watch.

@13...OMG! I was just thinking that! I don't remember any hangovers when I was in my early 20s at all but now that I am in my mid 20s it is getting really hard!!!!

I feel so bad for Jun se. He trumps LSG anyday for me in Shining Inheritance. Nice guys never wins in Korean dramas! Good girls always go for the bad ones! Well most anyways!

It's bad weather here in Boston....

am currently watching:

Triple-- *grinning* lol!

Partner- this is good, first ep bored me but the succeeding eps are slowly getting interesting...the cast is great...

He who cant get married- hilarious!!!! ^-^

brilliant legacy- havent been back to that drama..... : (

black & white (taiwanese) -done...got to love Mark Chao!

City Hall-- waiting for the recaps.... am actually on the part where it was a do-or-die for JG...

Guys, the 9 Ends 2 Outs love is making me cry. I didn't think people watched it or liked it. I'm so happy that it was watched because the relationship in it is so sweet, and. . .gah. . .I'm overly happy now!

Happy Friday everyone :)

man! open thread started early today!

@lb_tmi - i hate those kinds of headaches. I have had one come and go the last few days because of the heat and it just suuuucks. i just keep drinking water to keep hydrated and poppin advils to minimize the pain. Have fun in Chicago tho! :) How's Black & White going for you? Are the twists and turns still shockin ya? hehe

@mishane - mm korean bbq. always good! I can't believe Shining Inheritance is finally wrapping up. I'm so excited for the last 2 episodes cuz at the end of the last ep i was like OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!! btw i also keep this site on all day Friday...and just refresh.. i'm an addict. how are you liking the Tamaki songs? I still haven't taken a good listen to his new album yet.. i've obtained so much other music recently that i've been overwhelmed.

@samsooki - like everyone else has said, 9 Ends 2 Outs is a great series. I totally love it! I think it definately is aimed at a slightly older crowd (late 20s, early 30s) and I don't think it has all the crazy cliches of a typical drama. It definately portrays more realistic relationships and i looove the chemistry between the leads. makes me want my very own hyung tae :)

@cecee - hangovers suck. i've learned that i absolutely positively cannot drink a lot on the weekdays anymore or else i am completely useless at work the next day. it now takes me twice as long (at least) to recover from a night of drinking than it did in my college days.

@ mishane

going in prior to vacation would not be feasible... especially w/ a 5 hr drive w/ my kids and insignificant other, i mean husband. it would defeat the purpose of getting fixed only to have them break me again. i think i need a vacation from the family too! LOL!

soul--isn't that a horror drama? i'm too chicken sh!t for horrors.

@5 Samsookie-
that's exactly how i feel... like i would give you ANYTHING for an open thread on Wed instead of Friday.... (JB--i'd be good w/ Wed open thread too, if you forget what day of the week it is). and i can't think of ONE person that would call YOU a regular here... *rollseyes*

i feel like i've been drinking non-stop, but haven't had a lick of alcohol. maybe if i get crunk, i'll have a reason to have the headache. or it'll fix itself, rite?

@ 15 djes

I'm so conflicted on Triple. I love Hwal/Haru because there are so many classic OTP scenes that they have. BUT. . .if I sit back and think about it. . .it doesn't really make THAT much sense. So, like I said. . .torn. Also, I have no clue how they are going to end it. That's what I'm most curious about. HOW IS IT GOING TO END???

@ 16 cecee

Do you watch 'How I Met Your Mother'? There was this hilarious segment they did in an episode which showed the things they could do when they were young that they couldn't do now and it was hilarious! They did a thing on hangovers which cracked me up because it was so true to life.

YAY, Open Thread Friday is here (otherwise known as my free weekly therapy session)!

I posted last night (in last week's Open Thread) that I can't load the new player on Dramafever...how sad is it that this actually brought me to tears?? In my defense, it's been a tough week (dad had heart surgery, but it went very well and he woke up and asked for a beer...I think he's going to be fine! LOL).

Anyhoo...I am watching (and loving, despite its many flaws) Triple. I too watched the last couple of episodes unsubbed because I HAVE to know what's going to happen between Hwal and Haru and cutie patootie Poong-ho! I have a sneaking suspicion that I know how it will end up, but I hope I'm wrong.

Also watching and loving The Man Who Can't Get Married. So so funny. I watched a few minutes of Swallow the Sun and it looks pretty intense. I haven't gone back to either Partner or Friend. I will someday, just not right now! I'm definitely planning to watch Dream when it starts.

What else? Just finished What Planet Are You From (part of my Kim Rae Won marathon) and was gearing up for Gourmet when Dramafever installed the new player. That I can't download. Which is making me hyperventilate.

I'm going to call the IT guy and just ask him if he will PLEASE load this player on my laptop. If I have to, I'll threaten to rat him out...the guy is on Facebook and Twitter 24/7...if he can do that, then I don't know why I can't install a video player.

Am I right??

Yay! For being Friday! Though, most of this weekend is going to spent cleaning (but hopefully I can fit in the latest two episodes of Partner!).

I agree with everyone who said 9 Ends 2 Outs is a great drama--it is and definitely one of my favorites. The leads had pretty good chemistry.

So about Partner...is it me or there's a lot more focus on the secondary couple (Lee Honey & Choi Chul Ho) compared to LDW and KHJ? I don't know what it is....

Anyways besides Partner, I'm still watching Queen Seon-duk (it's surprisingly entertaining and the plot is getting more interesting) and Thank You (which is really, really good---I haven't seen anything w/Jang Hyuk since Story of a Bright Girl and he has definitely improved as an actor---and I can't figure out what it is, but even though I'm not physically attracted to him, but there's just something about him (or his character) that makes him really attractive to me. And Seo Shin Ae is so so cute---absolutely adorable!).

I took a break from Shining Inheritance, because I didn't have the patience to wait each week for episodes, so I'm waiting until next week to finish watching the last six episodes or so. Really now, I just want to finish the series to see the stepmother and stepsister to get some sort of retribution.

@ 19 lovenyc52

I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet!! This week was extra busy and then I started watching Triple which took up ALL MY TIME. I was THISCLOSE to calling out on Thursday just so I could finish watching all the current episodes (CRAZY). I will listen to them this weekend and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SENDING THEM TO ME!!!! (But I did finish the Nodame Cantabile SP 2 which honestly, cemented my Tamaki Hiroshi love and guaranteed that I'll watch any drama of his, no matter how crappy it might look. Isn't that funny how that happens? You want a drama that you didn't know much about and leave with massive love for the actor? Same thing happened with me and Shin Min Ah. I'll watch anything with her, no matter how crappy).

@ 20 lb_tmi

Yep it's horror but since it's on TV, I doubt it'll be that scary (although I don't know how ratings work on Korean broadcasting systems so I might be wrong, but since we don't see any explicit sex scenes on dramas, I don't think we'd see explicit horror scenes).

And YES on needing a vacation from families. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the worst for me. There's no quiet in my house, I can't even escape to a quiet room, there's just too many damn people!!

oh i forgot.. did anyone else listen to the new MC Mong song that he dedicated to the late Choi Jin Shil? I think it's called "Even In Heaven, Jin Shil Is"..or at least that's the english title that I've been seeing. I heard it yesterday and it's really a beautiful song. Listening to it and knowing that he wrote it for her actually made me tear up a lil. I read that she had once joked that if he ever wrote a song for her, she'd get to star in the MV... but that never got to happen and because he was unable to make it to her wake, this is his way of making it up to her. anyway, take a listen..it's really good!

@21 mishane

me too, i have no idea who will end with whom.... but am crossing my fingers for Haru-Hwal.....^-^

gawd... i used to LOVE how i met ur mother. i'm so in love w/ Barney!!! totally missing not having a tv that gets reception. and i refuse to pay the unbelievable prices for cable and satellite. (i live in the most backwoods lilo town ever in the middle of freaken NOWHERE!).

so i have this awesome 52" flatscreen that only gets teased every now and then w/ the 3 kdramas i own. otherwise, all the viewing is on the pc, which is constantly getting action! LOL!

@ 22 langdon813

Aw, I hope your dad is okay. But if he's asking for a beer that means he has an awesome sense of humor and he's doing good! :)

About Triple, how do you think it'll end. SPILL!! I need speculations from people, I'm going crazy trying to think up endings myself!!

@ 23 Taohua

If you like Jang Hyuk, watch Robbers. That's the first (and only) thing I've seen him in and it's left me with a Jang Hyuk craze. He's so charismatic in it.

It looks like you guys really watch a lot of K-dramas. It has been a relaxing week, because I AM HAVING MY SUMMER BREAK NOW!! ^__________^ Am now reading the Beagle Collections of Charles Darwin. You know, it is fun to read Darwin's private letters and some of his manuscripts and paintings. I found his geological cross-section through Andes most interesting......^____________^

Has anyone been watching Queen Seon Deok? I've never been one to watch sageuks... I don't think Strongest Chil Woo counts as a true sageuk... but I've been totally sucked into this one.
Nam Ji Hyun caught my attention as the teenage Seon Deok along with Go Hyun-jung who completely blew me away. Complete 180 from What's Up Fox... which I thought was a very weak drama to begin with...

Anyway, 18 episodes in and I have to admit that I've become one of those people that fidget in their seats waiting for the weekend to roll by with new episodes...

I am just starting to watch some shows I have heard about on DramaFeaver. Thank Goodness for Drama Fever as comcast dropped the Asian Chanel. . . boy I miss the LA tv channels !

And this is for a few commenter from the Rain post on his English... I only heard a few words on the clip but I could understand and I love any accent, the last thing I want to hear from a ninja is bland American accent.

ib_tmi . . . . so funny !

Thanks again to everyone for this blog !

The dramas I'm watching...

Brilliant Legacy/ Shining Inheritance - cliche...yes. However, they pull off the cliche really well. It's addicting and I'll miss it terribly. Can't wait to see how everything unravels this weekend.

Return of Iljimae- I'm still stuck on episode 5...since March! I can't seem to finish it. I know I'll love it but...I've been trying to avoid the beheading? hanging? scenes.

Partner- I'll admit I started this because of LDW. I wasn't too sure about the story. The first two episodes were slightly choppy...nothing brilliant but decent. However, the drama definitely picks up and LDW is a great actor. The chemistry between the two leads is great. The other "couple" eh...they're a little flat or maybe I say this because I really dislike the two. Anyway, there are many surprisingly funny moments--LDW is hilarious. The other secondary characters are a fun watch...it sort of has the same feel as the secondary characters from Coffee Prince (or maybe I only think that because of kim dong wook. he plays a similar sort of character.) There's a lot of suspense and mystery as well--I enjoy the cases as much as story of the two leads. It's not too serious, but a really fun watch . I'm at the point where I'm highly addicted to it and I can't wait until the next episodes.

@23 Taohua
RE: Partner
yes, the eps at the moment are more focused on Lee Honey and Choi Chul... i dont mind though....gosh, they make such a striking couple! love Honey Lee....very good for for a newbie!!! And Choi Chul Ho is a hottie too....

Am sure the storyline will progress to LDW and KHJ..... they are funny and cute.... there was a part in the court where i wanted to strangle KHJ!!! Really...she was all over the place!!!....

@mishane - hahaha i know ALLL about wanting to call out or leave early from work to go home and watch whatever drama i'm addicted to *cough cough black&white cough cough* i actually have all of nodame and the SPs on my ipod so that i can just listen to it while i'm at work. no idea what they're saying and not really looking at the ipod, but just listenin to tamaki's voice soothes me. ya i know. i'm a nut. I CANNOT wait until the first movie is out. I think they said it would be released sometime this winter and as I will be in Japan for a week sometime this winter i'm hoping to catch it in theaters... will have NO idea what they're saying, but tamaki on the big screen.. YES PLEASE. MORE PLEASE. THANK YOU. =P

As a NJ'ean, just read this:

Officials lambast NJ corruption after 44 arrested (AP)

AP - Officials are decrying political corruption in New Jersey after more than 40 people, among them rabbis and elected officeholders, were arrested in an investigation in which some were accused of laundering tens of millions of dollars and of black-market trafficking of kidneys and fake Gucci handbags.

Wow. How surprising. *sarcasm*

Also, black market trafficking of kidnesy and fake Gucci bags? First I thought black market kidneys were only on dramas and TV shows and I kind of giggled to see black market kidney in the same sentence as fake Gucci bags. What, do they place the stolen kidney inside the fake Gucci before selling to the highest bidder?

@1 - don't forget the lookout at Sears Tower(refuse to call it Willis), its pretty cool! If you're not a Chicago native - just be warned that our sales tax is 10.25% and there is no good Korean food in the loop area.

As for dramas - LOVE Shining Inheritence and so bummed its over this weekend. But - so excited for Dream & Iris later this Oct!!!

And Mishane - if you roadtrip it to Chicago, give me a heads up. You might consider coming during the Korean Festival which is totally lame and can be viewed within an hour, but the food is yummy. I'll play your tour guide and even meet up for a drink!

I love it here.

Virginia's hot and breezy today.
Work is slow - going to be a long day.

Watching: Sons of Sol Pharmacy. enjoy it so much, but Korean women I work with don't seem to like it much.
Finished Lovely Sam Soon, hard to find but worth the effort. I loved City Hall.
Waiting until Triple subs are finished because once I get into it, I get frustrated if I have to wait weeks/months for the ending. Best for me to wait.
Started Man Who Can't Marry, watched the Japanese version, I'm an Abe fan.

I think I won't be able to watch Legend -

From your recomendations I am going to watch Black and White and 9 Ends 2 Outs. see you all around here next Friday.

Thanks,

@ 34 lovenyc52

REALLY? I thought the movie thing was just a rumor and that if it was true, we'd have to wait a couple of years but THIS WINTER???? Something to look forward to.

I wonder what the movie will be about! Maybe Nodame will finally be able to be Chiaki's piano concerto mistress (WHATEVER THAT IS).

*sigh* I love my OTP. They are amazing. Fabulous. FABULOUS.

@ mishane

"What, do they place the stolen kidney inside the fake Gucci before selling to the highest bidder?"

LMAO!!!!

and rabbis are involved too....??? lol!!!

@ 36 B020

OMG. 10.25%????

OOOOOHHH, when is the Korean Festival?? I'd totally make the trip out for that! Expedia is selling Chicago trips for really cheap and that would be a nice little weekend trip.

You know, about Triple, it's absolutely the strangest thing; because while I really do want Hwal and Haru to get together (and I REALLY do), there are two things that give me pause. On the one hand, lately in their scenes I'm thinking "DAMN, JUST KISS HER ALREADY!" But then I think, if he does, am I going to be weirded out? Still...that's what I'm waiting for.

The other is Poong-ho. He is so perfect for Haru that I feel guilty for wanting her to be with Hwal. Do I want Haru to be with Hwal because that's what she wants so badly? Could it be because I really want to be with Lee Jung-jae, so I'm living vicariously through Haru?? :-)

My theory (no spoilers, just conjecture):

Keeping in mind that I've watched Ep 13 unsubbed, due to the fact that they said "Canada" about a million times, I'm wondering if Haru and Su-in will go to there to further train Haru (and where Haru goes, Poong-ho is sure to follow). Hyun-tae will of course follow Su-in, leaving Hwal alone (sob!). Then time will pass and Haru will fall for Poong-ho in the end. This is what I THINK will happen, not what I actually WANT to happen.

But I don't want to know where it's going! The one thing I absolutely love about this show is that even 13 eps in, we still have no clue how it will end up, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

@ 39 MEIKO**** ^-^

Yeah, the rabbi one cracked me up.

Seriously, where else would you find the words, "rabbi, black market kidney, and fake Gucci purse" in the same sentence.

My NJ shame is at it's all time high.

@25: I wasn't a huge MC Mong fan before, but I saw the promos for his new album and MV teaser (which is IMO a bit offensive to Native Americans here in the US but in Korea, who knows) and decided to give him a try. I was listening to Circus and some of his other songs and his new stuff and totally became a fan. I'm really impressed with not only the music, but his vocals. He might be the most gorgeous male vocal out there, but man, you can't deny his talent.

I guess I'm on an indie/alternative kmusic kick right now cuz I'm loving: Epik High, Drunken Tiger (8:45 Heaven makes me bawl!!!!), No Brain, Tasha(wow!!! to me, she truly defines fierce and talented vs some of the other hip hop artists out there), YB, and still searching for more - anyone got suggestions?

@ 41 langdon813

You know, we can see that Haru really likes Hwal (whether or not it's a teenage crush isn't the issue, it's sincere and that's what matters) but what I'm miffed about is the fact that we can't really tell what Hwal is thinking. I mean, there are signs that he's affected by her, yes, but just how much is he affected by her? Is it affection and he's just confused about what type of affection it is (therefore confusing US the views, AND Haru?)? Or is it real? That's my real issue. He doesn't voice any of this and we're left to just guess.

I don't think I'd be weirded out if they kiss. I think I just want to know what's going on in Hwal's mind. At this point, he's just kind of leading her on.

Poong-ho is pretty perfect isn't he?? How cute was the scene where he put bread and milk in the tree and pretended to find it by accident.

Your theory sounds good but I don't know!!

For some reason I see this show as ending up open-ended. As in, Hwal and Haru will voice their feelings to each other but there'll be some issue about how 'this isn't the right time' and they'll wait until Haru finishes her dream of being a skater. Or something like that. I have a feeling that this show won't give us closure at the ending, and that's why I'm kind of freaking out about it.

@ mishane: the festival is Aug 8-9th and it takes up one block and yes, 10.25% The highest in the nation, thank you Mr. Corrupt Mayor Daley

About Hwal/Haru....I really have no freaking idea if they will end up together. The PD is keeping me on my toes because it could go either way and it would make sense either way. I am hoping they end up together though. I def think there is going to be a time jump in the last episode.

Brilliant Legacy ends this week and I am going to be happy/sad about it because it is soooo good but I want a conclusion at the same time. I hope the WITCH burns in hell ie prison for her bad deeds.

I think I might check out Swallow In The Sun once more things develop. But I want to check out Dream. Lady Castle, and I still need to watch Coffee Prince, Love Shuffle, Love&Marriage, GG Season 2, and Nodame Cantible which are all sitting on my external hard drive.

IDK...I am one of those people who have to be in the mood to watch the drama. There will be a day when I am like drama time and other days when I don't feel like it.

With four weeks left before I leave for Seoul I am starting to feel antsy and nervous about this big step in my life. Yay for Fridays...hopefully we get some rain here in AZ.

@mishane - yep last I heard it was a December 2009/January 2010 release for the first movie and a May 2010 (or Spring 2010 at least) release for the second movie. I haven't heard anything new so i'm pretty sure it's still on schedule..or at least I hope it is!! :)

OH YEAH!!

@lb_tmi

As your web-mom I absolutely insist that you go get that headache checked out post-haste! Although upon hearing that you are actually married with kids, I think I'm going to demote myself to web-sis, LOL!! Seriously, it could be a sign of high blood pressure, which is very easy to check without spending huge amounts of money. A long-lasting headache is how I discovered I had HBP, so just check it out to be on the safe side!

Also your comment @27, LOL! We are SO much alike. I could have written that post word-for-word about myself (except for the part about paying for cable). I DO pay quite a bit for digital cable; HD channels, every movie channel known to man, you name it...but I never watch TV on an actual TV anymore. Ever.

@B020...what about Nell? I love them:)