Open Thread #96
August 14th, 2009 // by javabeans
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Good Morning All!
My daughter is taking her senior pictures today and boy, am I feeling old.
Just wanted you to know JB, this site is very addicting. It’s my first stop in the morning. Thanks for keeping us in the know.
Have a great Friday!
Does anyone know what happened to seoulbeats.com? I keep getting a “database error” message. I wonder if it’s just me or if something else happened to the website.
Whahoo! Happy Friday everyone.
I’ve been a lurker since the beginning of DB(before there were Open Threads *gasp*) but this is my first time replying to a thread (…I’m a shy one. ^^).
A few threads back @mishane and @B020 were discussing about giving up a stable job vs. going off and doing something you love (esp. in this economy) and it sparked something in me.
I know I definitely don’t want to stay in my office job – there’s not enough of that human interaction that I miss (besides the coffee breaks) and I don’t get a sense of…anything from it. I want to feel like what I’m doing actually matters and isn’t just pushing papers. i want to do something that helps people, preferably overseas…but I’m not sure what or even how. And of course, responsibilties at home too. It’s hard to convince my Asian parents that I’m not throwing my future to the wind and living like a hobo for the rest of my life.
I’ve always enjoyed reading the the discussions in here because everyone seems very friendly, helpful and intellectual. ^^ I guess I’m just wondering if any of you have ever felt this…or is feeling this.
Oh man – I missed last week’s OT and missed out on gushing about 9E 2O so let me get it out of the way – I LOVE this series!!! I love that real love is born out of friendship and that the friendship is still the defining factor of their relationship together. It’s so sweet that it actually makes me want to start dating again so that I can find my best friend…but then reality bites me….sigh
Also, I love “Don’t Ask Me About the Past”!!! I think it’s just refreshing and so different from what’s been out recently. Can’t wait to start Hon!
BUT – I confess that I have small problem. I’m not sure what it is, but lately, or should i say after BOF, I’m so much more interested in quality & ‘different’ kdramas. This shift has caused me to review some of my favorite kdramas with new eyes, and I’m not sure if I should be glad or sad.
For instance, I used to love, love Goong, but now, I view it with less enthusiasim and patience. I’m irritated that the main female lead’s only main focus seems to waffle between missing her family and pining after Prince Grumpy.
And I’m beginning to really hate Coffee Prince (to be fair, I really didn’t love it, but thought it was ok before – mostly because of Gong Yoo). Not sure if its the age thing creeping up on me or my love/hate of BOF, or the combo along with real life, but I’m not getting the same enjoyment out of kdramas as I used to.
Anyone else going through this or have??
@b020,
I’m definitely going through the same. I’m also finding that a lot of dramas aren’t holding my attention span. I was enjoying Partner, but I’m stuck on episode 13. And, to be honest, I fast forwarded through a lot of the scenes in the previous episodes.
I’m feeling the same way about Sol Pharmacy, but I’m NOT letting myself fast forward through it. It’s such a charming drama, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it, so if it takes me a year to finish–so be it.
I feel the same way about Goong now, btw. It was cute, but WAY too long, and really? EunHye couldn’t have had a little more to do? Oh wait. She drove a car in like two scenes. There’s something.
I haven’t watched 9E2O, so please answer this question for me. How much of it about baseball? I’m just not into sports dramas generally, and have dropped almost all that I’ve begun to watch, despite enjoying them (see: Triple).
ahh… now i can post, cuz i’m not first… heehee
@1 blkrose
i feel u… my daughter’s gonna be a freshman this year, and i’m only 30
but i’m so obsessed rite now, i can’t be too old!
@2 Maddy
i haven’t been able to get onto seoulbeats either. must be they are having server problems or sumthing
@3 yenchan
i feel ya.. if i could give up my day job and do sum good around the world.. i would. alas, family obligations don’t allow me to, along w/ the hubby and in-laws.. so for now, i’m the filial wife/daughter-in-law.
thoroughly enjoying Plum Blossom w/ Kim Rae Won. i think everything is so perfectly shot!!! it’s a lilo twisted and seems like it’ll be even more further down the storyline, but i’m loving it so far..
Yay, Friday open thread day! This is probably the first time I’ve gotten to it so early, LOL. I usually remember by the time it’s Saturday and then it’s like, “…Oh.”
@ yenchan
I know what you mean! Boring desk job vs. doing something you really love and wnat to do, in this economy and with Asian families too… I guess in the end it comes down to a balance between both? You have to be sensible, as well; I have friends who run off chasing their dream without stopping to think of the consequences, but then there are those who waste their lifetimes behind a desk. Maybe you can find something in the middle – something you might enjoy doing, but will also pull in enough money?
I’m a bit of a different case, though; I’m currently studying to become an archaeologist. I’m lucky enough to have the most un-Asian mother ever, so she’s allowed me to make my own choices, as long as I also keep in mind that I have to earn enough money as well.
@ b020
Yay 9E2O gushing! <3 I've probably said enough about this wonderful drama in the past so I won't repeat it, but I honestly didn't know it was going to be THAT good. The ratings were fairly dismal when it aired, and it received very little hype (I think it was going up against a popular drama at the time? I can't remember), but I didn't think I was going to like it at all. Now it's got a permanent spot in my top 4 XD
i am bored , i can’t find something worth to watch , i begun with the Korean drama then the japan dorama , and now i can’t find something interesting , i finish my study so it is the holiday and i am booooooooooooooooooooored .
i am waiting for ” my fairy lady ” it seems interesting
now i am watching all the episode for ” cartoon kattun ” , who don’t know her , it is a show tv for a group Japanese ” kattun ” , i love kattun especially ” kame” and i find a site for all their work
i am sorry that i speak for a Japanese group , but until i found something Korean interesting . good bye for the next Friday , let see if “my fair lady ” is OK or no .
Dang, my previous comment disappeared. Here I go again!
@ yenchan
Maybe you’ll be able to find something that pays enough but you’ll have fun with as well? I mean, helping people is a pretty wide range of possibilities…
I have so many friends who complain of the same thing! It’s hard, you know, to find a balance between a job that pays well but is boring you to death, and something that you’re interested in but is possibly unstable income-wise. But that’s probably the only way to do it
I totally understand the Asian family thing too, coming from one. My mother’s a bit unusual, though; probably the most UN-Asian mother in the universe XD I’m studying to be an archaeologist at the moment, which is the epitome of unusual as far as Asians are concerned. The comments I get from some of my uncles during Chinese New Year though, hahaha.
@ gallivanter
9E2O is only very slightly based on baseball! A couple of metaphors the main character makes about life uses baseball as a theme, and one character is a baseball player. You see small parts of one or two baseball matches or practices towards the start of the drama because of it, but otherwise there’s little link between sports and 9E2O
I love 9E2O; I never thought I’d enjoy it that much until I clicked on it by accident one day and ended up marathoning the first 6 episodes. The summaries online sound totally boring and doesn’t do the drama any justice, so if you were put off by the summary like I was initially, disregard it~
It’s been a long long week! But I’m glad it’s over!
I also missed out on the 9E2O OT raving last weekend since I was out of town w/o internet. But I agree! I loved the series and both the leads were so natural with their characters. I was initially hesitant to watch it because I had seen Lee Jung Jin in the first couple episodes of Love Story in Harvard (not the best of dramas). But I’m glad I did and I too wish for Hyung Tae in my life (:
Partner ended…the ending was way too rushed. They probably should have extended the series….oh how I’m going to miss Lee Dong Wook (mine!). Seriously was he this good? How can his love-lorn stares just melt me in my chair? And when he’s sad, makes my heart ache…Oh those puppy dog eyes ::sigh:: I’ve never had a crush on an actor….but I’m coming really close to on LDW…either that or I’m just madly in love with his character Lee Tae-jo. Such a fun drama, could’ve been better….maybe would’ve have done better in ratings if the drama season was less spectacular. I don’t know…but I really liked it!
Looking forward to My Fair Lady or whatever the title is…the leads seem to have a lot of chemistry in the preview!
@b020
That definitely happened to me…I watched Full House and then I watched two really good series MiSa and MNIKSS and then looking back at Full House—it just wasn’t good as the first time around
@yenchan
I feel the same way sometimes. Are you interested to join the Peace Corps? Maybe it’s something you’ll want to do.
As for professionals switching careers: I know of a New York financial analyst turned trapeze artist; a British lawyer turned tour guide; Psychologist to Hula Dancer; Advertising exec to farmer… etc…
Goodluck!
Happy happy friday!! man o man am i glad Friday is finally here…
@3 yenchan – i am in the same boat as you. it’s not that i hate my job or even really dislike it, but i feel like i’m in a rut. i’m paper pushing to get people their money, but not really DOING anything you know? i just don’t know what else i want to do right now. economy is not stable enough for me to up and quit and find something else though. and the Asian parentals of course are a factor. I’m already on the other side of the state from them (have been for 10 years) and they’re STILL tryin to get me to move home. it’s a never-ending battle.
@5 gallivanter – 9E2O uses baseball as metaphors for the stages of the relationships and life and what not, but definately not heavily based on it. I actually hate watching baseball when i’m not at a game, but there is so little baseball that it didn’t make a difference. I actually just started rewatching the series after the 9E2O gushfest last week and totally loving it again!
i’m stuck on what drama to watch next. i finished city hall almost 2 weeks ago and tho i’ve been goin back to watch favorite scenes (there are SO many) there’s nothing else catchin my eye. i guess i’ll just have to wait for My Fair Lady as that’s the next one that i’m heavily anticipating. Maybe I’ll give Hon a try even though i’m a big ol scaredy cat and will probably cover my eyes as i watch it ha!
oh man, just watched happy together with the “my fair lady” cast – and everyone rags on Yoon Sanghyun so much! it’s hilarious. i’m glad he seems to be such a normal guy and not all “i’m famous, i’m so cool”. and Jung Ilwoo is so adorable when he smiles. it’s definitely a drama i’m looking forward to!
anyone watching buzzer beat? i haven’t adored a j-dorama like this since nodame. yamapi and keiko have such great chemistry. and it doesn’t hurt that yamapi finally buffed up some.
Hello once again happy weekend !!. antcipate drama STYLE soon and also just remember the film Taming of the Shrew,
I think that’s where My fair lady came about, except for the different era and
plot twist. – Oh Happy day!!!
Another day at band camp for my daughter, school starts realy soon. What a fast summer.
Harrou!
Happy friday to all! well, its actually saturday morning here (3am – GMT +12) New Zealand, oh yeah! yes i’m still awake and no i didn’t go out just been tryna study for my law test…*sigh, so i procrastinate as usual and am now watching old xman episodes …
Speaking of, i hate uni, but surprisingly i do remarkbly well for half arse work, but then i’m way too lazy to get a job so to grow up or not to grow up? me thinks not…
ahh my parents are so mean! they’re doing a tour of asia at the moment and my mum being swept up by the hallyu is stockpiling on her drama collection as they go, macau, japan, korea, malaysia, etc… i’m uber jealous!
Anywho who’s having trouble falling in love with a drama at the moment? I AM! I tend to never finish what i start… Any recommendations? by the way ive finished city hall finally! yay! – much to dismay of my commerce papers..lol i started style, but the acting dynamics was a total put off and it wasn’t that Glam for me, what a shame…
Partners finished! finally – even as a law student i found the cases/storyline at times utterly ridiculous…
Ohh anticipating My Fair Lady! watching xman again made me excited about yoon eun hye…
Chur… Mad Love for all! xo
@ gallivanter
I’ll repeat everyone else, lol, and let you know that 9E2O is only slightly baseball related. . .just metaphors really, and the fact that she’s dating a baseball player. No baseball related plot points. And it’s an amazing drama.
To everyone else. I’m going through a drama slump right now! I’m currently watching Partner which I love so far. But everything else bores me. I’m going to do a 9E2O rewatch and do an episode picspam/recap so maybe that will take me out of my slump.
And I agree with you b020. Korean dramas are starting to bore me. The same plot, the same spineless/non-spineless girls. The females are either really wishy washy love struck girls that are pure and good OR tough do-gooders that fight with their male counterpart. Nothing in between. I can predict everything. Your predicament with Goong, I actually experienced that about a year ago. I watched a bunch of k-dramas in a row, most with the same plot, and got so tired of them. Which is when I watched 9E2O and realized how refreshing it was to NOT see any drama cliches. To see a relationship that was real and that I could see around me. Their relationship had a base, something to stand on. It wasn’t a random meeting on the street where they hated each other at first sight and grew to love each other. No, it was a relationship built on friendship and intimacy and history, which made it so much sweeter when they realized how they felt for each other.
@b020. I had just finished Don’t Ask Me About the Past earlier this week. I have mixed feelings about it. It is refreshing and different from what’s out there. The directing is also really good and the suspense plot is extremely addictive. However, there are waaay too many plotholes in the drama- the drama ends happily but with too many unanswered questions. And the characters often do things that drive me crazy- though the writers manage to always redeem them a little bit so you can’t hate them too much.
@ yenchan. Maybe you can save up your money to prove that you’re more than financially stable enough to try to pursue something different- once the economy gets better? Hang in there! Maybe it’s the summer blues. I have another friend who is feeling disenchanted with her job too these past few months.
I am so so schitzo with dramas right now.
I watched the first episode of Witch Yoo Hee. . .bored.
I’m stuck on episode 14 of Delightful Girl Choon Hyang. Been stuck there for 4 months. I can’t bring myself to finish it, the characters annoy me and I know they are going to end up together anyways, so what’s the point of this ridiculous plot point?
Ice Girl, stuck on episode 10. The subs I have are horrible and also? It’s just. . .boring.
I Really Really Like You- stuck on episode 3. Someone tell me when it starts to get good.
I might re-watch Hello Miss! or Fantasy Couple. Lee Da Hae annoyed me for 14 episodes of that. Every episode had a cycle: she would misunderstand main guy, main guy would apologize, she’d act like a bitch, rinse and repeat. However the last 2 episodes are really really really cute when the OTP finally decides that they are going to like each other and . . . I’ve rewatched episode 15 and 16 like 4 times already.
Fantasy Couple was cute too, in that, ‘I didn’t realize until after I finished how much I liked it’. Oh Ji Ho is kind of a block of wood, but Han Ye Seul made up for it. Their interactions are cute and I adored HYS in it, which means I just might do a rewatch.
Someone recommend a k-drama to me please! I’m in a slump and need something good. Maybe a little angsty. I find that the comedy ones, while funny, don’t really suck me in.
Ooh, thanks guys! I’ll have to give it a shot later on today. I wish I had some drama recommendation, but alas, nothing has really stood out for me.
I could a couple of film ones though^^ I REALLY enjoyed “Miss Gold Digger” last week. It’s got Han Ye Seul and Lee Jong Hyuk (who makes my heart melt with his stoic looks), and it’s basically about a girl dating three guys. Drama and hilarity ensues. She’s the kind of girl you WANT to hate because she’s kind of awful, but then you fall in love because of the way Ye Seul plays her.
I also watched “Project Makeover” last night, and it was pretty cute. It’s got Lee Bum Soo, and it’s about a girl who’s given the chance to go back in time to high school to try and change herself. Back then she fell for the popular boy who turned out to be a jerk, and the girl thinks that this is where she went wrong. If only she could have fallen for the nerdy boy, then everything would have turned out right.
I am fairly new to Kdrama and have been struck by what seems to be shameless overacting in so many of them. Is that kind of comedy popular with the Korean audience? Is it just to cover up lack of character development? In Goong, EunHye’s mother chewed the scenery relentlessly, so it was a surprise to see her in Full House playing the quite believable management company CEO. I thought it might be “poor” people who had to be extreme, but the “rich” mother in Delicious Proposal carried on quite a bit too, in stark contrast to her two calm children.
I am lucky that my library system buys quite a few Korean dramas, but the new ones are so much in demand that I am catching up on the older ones while I wait my turn.
Is anyone watching “I love you, dont cry”? I love lee jung jun but this drama looks too melodramatic. Plus its very long. Is it worth watching?
I just finished watching 9E2O and i fell in love with it all over again. All the characters are so well defined. Even JUN MO, which is Hong Nan Hee is pretty relatable, well defined and likeable. Actually i think everyone is pretty likeable. They are all different but so real. Actually i noticed the attention to detail in this serial. Does anyone remember the scene where Jung Joo is love sick and runs over The lead actor’s apartment to cry to Nan hee and Hyung tae is busy taking off this shoes which he is crying and declaring his love to a also crying Nan hee. It was freaking funny. Just love love love this series.
I started watching Tamna the Island. It is actually kinda silly and cute
@mishane…
I really really like you is cute..Actually i watched the series for Lee min ki and lee min ki only….Sometimes it drags a little bit. But overall lee min ki makes it worth watching…Mishane have you watched “The Devil” or “La Dolce Vita”. They are both really awesome. You can watch Romance Zero..It is kinda really cute
@ 19 gallivanter
OMG that Project Makeover sounds adorable! I’ve never even heard of that.
@ 20 Isabelh
Whoa, where are you that your library buys Korean dramas? Can I go there? I wish my library carried that.
@23 mishane
King County Library System, in Washington State. And the Seattle Library System, with the KCLS surrounds like a donut, does not buy any. I guess the Korean community is all in the county, lucky me.
@isabelh
I am so jealous too
@mishane – ya i HATE that the girls are always the same!!! it’s either extreme, never someone ‘real’. never someone who is good and strong but also with her faults. i loved that in 9E2O there were no ridiculous misunderstandings, just honest feelings and the real ups and downs of trying build a romantic relationship out of a lifelong friendship.
i hope that my fair lady will be a nice change since YEH’s character is a spoiled brat right? it’ll be fun to see someone who’s only really played the nice character play someone so different.
Thanks everyone for the sweet words and encouragement. i think asianromance might be right about summer….something about *staring* at the nice weather everyday instead of being out there…makes me itch for more adventure.
@lovenyc52
I know exactly what you mean. It’s like you know you want to do something else, but don’t know exactly *what* or *how*. Makes you feel kind of lost sometimes. I guess I’m just trying to see if other ppl have felt the same way and how they’ve delt with it.
Hey, are you living in NY right now? I could never live there, but I love visiting.
So many things to do and such a great mesh of all sorts of ppl and cultures.
I’ve been in such a kdrama slump lately…..nothing seems to draw my interest for very long. I’ve been watching reality shows instead. Does anyone here watch ‘So You Think You Can Dance?”
I think I’m going to try for jdrama now…their insane wackiness and slapstick humor usually does the trick. ^^ Any recs? I’ve already seen most of the older ones (nodame, 1 litre of tears, orange days, hana kimi etc.)
@ 26 lovenyc52
I don’t know. I sense a very typical k-drama with My Fair Lady. I assume that YEH will be bratty, not get along with the manservant, and have an argument/flirtation with the lawyer guy and then slowly, through misunderstandings fall in love with the manservant guy (that’s the OTP, right?). Of course, she won’t fall for him until after he rescues her a couple times and he’ll think she’s a spoiled brat until he sees her ‘real’ affectionate side. Then they both change each other for the better.
@ 18 mishane, 5 gallivanter, and everyone else finding good Kdramas which will grab your attention,
I’m facing the *exact* same problem. My KDrama-list got all depleted around 8 months ago, so I switched th J-Dramas. And now my J-Drama list is depleted and my Tw-drama list is empty and I’m sad and I really need some good things to watch in the *background* while I’m cramming for an exam. uh, not exactly good studying practices, but it helps me actually open my textbooks! I loved I Really Really Like You… mainly because of the *last* episode. Which is like… episode 32? 34? It has its moments, but I cannot remember a single one of them in particular, *other* than the last episode. Which was so gosh-darn sweet.
Have all of you watched Rude Women/Outrageous Women? It seems to not be recc’d around so much. I found it really cute. It’s about a woman who moves back to Korea to get revenge on her ex-husband who abandoned her and their son, so he could marry another woman. It’s super-funny and I’ve already re-watched it three times ^___^
I tried re-watching Hello Miss! but the guy as the main lead is really really really annoying. I really don’t find him attractive at all – mainly because I don’t think he fits the role which he was meant to play. He’s just too cute and girlish-looking to play that role. And I really think his acting needs some work…
bah *stares at textbooks* WHAT CAN I WATCH WHILE STUDYING CARDIOLOGY? ahahaha, Summer Scent, where heartbeat is the main theme of the drama?? HA, that would be amusing!
@ 27 yenchan
have you watched Love Shuffle? Has Chiaki-Sempai from Nodame! Though he’s an utter wimp in this drama ^___^
I think a reason that I liked Fantasy Couple is because Han Ye Seul’s character never really fully changed. I mean, we could see that she wasn’t the same major bitch that she was before, but she was still a little prickly, a little wary of human interaction, etc. She didn’t do a 180, which I thought was nice and a change of pace. Usually, in a k-drama, the character in the end is so completely different from the character in the beginning. . .love ‘changes’ the person. Which isn’t a bad thing when it’s done right, but sometimes I wonder why the person has to change so extremely. In Fantasy Couple, HYS was able to keep parts of the characteristics of her original character and still be able to show that she had changed slightly. . .softened up a bit more.
@ 29 meh
Hello Miss! is mostly painful. I actually liked the main guy, but mostly because I just felt bad for his character. Lee Da Hae is seriously a huge brat to him during the whole drama and you can sense he’s just a really good guy who keeps getting misunderstood.
I’m intrigued about this last episode of IRRLY. Hmmm. . .moves up on my list. That’s the only drama that I’m currently watching on dramafever right now.
Someone mentioned The Devil, but. . . .I saw it already and did not like it. I’m probably the only one. I was kind of bored during the whole thing.
I second the Love Shuffle rec. It was cute. And definitely worth it.
Hi everyone! Wow, I’m here early enough to actually READ the comments and not just scan them!
@yenchan: I don’t know exacty how you want to help people, but I have to say, I LOVE my job, and in this economy, I’m in probably the best business anyone can be in. I’m a Front End Manager for a grocery store. So, maybe this isn’t exactly “helping people” like in the Peace Corps, but my job requires interacting with customers, helping them find what they need, helping them if they got the wrong thing/wrong price, etc. Also, we employ a lot of teenagers on the front end, so I also help them to grow into responsible adults. Once upon a time, I wanted to be a high school teacher…in a way, I kind of am. Whenever anyone asks me if I have/want kids, I tell them, yeah, I have kids, just look at all my kids here! And, no matter how bad the econmy gets, people have to eat, and they’re eating in a lot more these days, which means they are visiting the grocery store more often. I don’t know if this is the kind of feedback/idea you were looking for, but as someone who really enjoys my work, I wanted to share my thoughts with you.
@b020, and everyone else talking about the “kdrama slump” maybe it’s because I’m still a newbie to the kdrama world, or maybe it’s just the hidden “16 year old fan girl within” but, so far, luckily I have not experienced this. I’ve watched “Goong” twice, “BoF” three times, “Coffee Prince” twice. I’ve also watched shows withe more substance. I’ve just finished “Sam Soon”, I’m watching “Iljimae” and will soon be rewatching “Time Between Dog and Wolf”. (I love Lee Jun ki and can’t wait for his next drama!). If you haven’t seen “Dream” yet, I’m enjoying it so far, although I know it hasn’t captured many other people’s attention.
And this actually leads into the main thing I wanted to discuss today! *lol* I’ve recently been thinking about what I absolutely LOVE about Kdramas! Obviously, I have no issue with cheesiness and over the top storylines (hey, I grew up on Aaron Spelling shows, and actually even really like the new 90210, if this tells you anything! *lol*) But I have noticed a reaction I have to Kdramas that I just don’t have to American shows. For one thing, I yell at the screen, A LOT. I was just informed that I also yell at the screen while watching CSI (mostly because I really dislike the Grissom/Sara relationship, but that’s another story), but I have never wanted to punch anyone in the face one American TV as badly as I do the characters in Kdramas! (Well, there is this one NASCAR driver I want to punch in the face, but that sports, not fiction…) But, here is the thing, and I’m going to use “Sam Soon” as an example, since I’ve just finished watching it. I don’t remember what episode it was, but I was yelling at Jin hun: “Admit your feelings, dammit! Aiesh, I want to punch you in the face!” And then, the very next scene, he’s pulling Sam Soon into the bathroom, kissing her, and drying her tears, and I’m tearing up and saying “Oh! How sweet!” THIS is why I love Kdramas! The emotional rollercoaster ride! I cannot think of an American TV drama that evokes such strong emotions from one scene to the next, but just about every Kdrama I’ve seen has this quality.
As much as I love these shows, they do tend to spark my violent side. Does anyone else have this same reaction? I swear, in every show there is always at least one person I want to punch in the face! *lol* In BoF, I wanted to punch just about EVERYONE in the face, except for Jun hee and Woo bin. In Coffee Prince, it was Yu Ju (at the beginning) and Eun Sae. In Goong it was, well, almost everyone. In Sam Soon it was always Jin hun. Even in Time Between Dog and Wolf, there was Ari. Gosh, she irked me! *lol* Anyway, I was just wondering, is it just me, or does anyone else feel this way?
I am looking forward to My Fair Lady. Preview looks promising. Currently watching Return of IIjimae (almost done). Jung Il-woo is so friggin’ cute. He’s my latest obsession. Is it me or does anyone else think he has a sort of Joo Ji Hoon-ishness about him?
Let me join the team of people who can’t find dramas that hold their interest for long, ha! If you take a look at my list of Korean dramas, there are at least 30 or so “ongoing” compared to the less than 10 that I’ve actually finished. Kdramas are really bad for people with short attention spans, I reckon, particularly if they have a tendency to wince at the super angsty bits and start putting off the rest of it.
At the moment I’m going back and marathoning the rest of Cain and Abel, and it’s surprisingly quite entertaining. It’s not as tragically draggy and angsty as I thought it was. Quite enjoying the So Ji Sub/Han Ji Min interaction, though I’m finding Chae Jung Ahn annoying.
@ meh
Rude Woman is awesome! I’ve rewatched it several times as well; it’s so entertaining, and you end up liking everyone in the end, even the bad guys. I really like that even though they didn’t redeem themselves in a cliche way, they realized where they’ve gone wrong and decided to move on from there. The main couple is surprisingly cute, too, despite the huuuge age gap XD Tbh I found it kind of off-putting at first, but once you get over it, it’s sweet.
@ mishane
Yeah, I found Hello! Miss a real pain to watch. Lee Da Hae just irritated me the entire way through, although I think her childish character was supposed to be cute. If I was Lee Ji Hoon, I would’ve dumped her in the mud after 2 episodes XD
I’m looking forward to Chuno; hopefully it’ll be better for Da Hae, because I haven’t really enjoyed her projects since My Girl. Robbers was okay, too, but mainly because of the chemistry between her and Jang Hyuk. The plot was… “a disease? SERIOUSLY?”
@24 isabelh
i’m so jealous of you at this moment.. not because ur library carries Kdramas, but because you’re in Seattle, Washington.
@lovenyc52: AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! r u feeling me, girl? u as jealous as me RITE NOW???
@ meh
NEW HEART!!!
@ everyone else
i’m in a drama slump too.. i know what i WANT to watch, but just getting there is feeling like work.. argh
@meh -
Something to watch while studying …. cardiology…. how about New Heart?
New Heart is a love story set at the best teaching hospital in Korea for heart-related issues – Kyung Hee University Hospital.
Amidst the love story between two first-year residents is the on-going battle between the cardiologists (“bah, they are bottom of the barrel morons fit for nothing better”) and the cardiothorasic surgeons (“who are they but a bunch of prima-donnas who are only good at sewing?”).
The story is kind of boring until about Ep 11, and then it gets better.
@ 34 Lemoncat
Oh man I know what you mean! My currently watching list is huge and my actually finished list is. . .short.
I think it’s because when I start getting annoyed or bored with a drama (which I do often), I’ll pause and go to another drama and I’ll forget all about the other one. And there are some dramas that are so good, I end up marathoning it in a week (IE Legend) making me forget about the 9023880924 dramas I’m currently watching.
@28
My fair lady –
” I’ LL MAKE YOU MINE IN TWO MONTHS TIME ” ,
those words from the household manager.
Happy Friday all!
I’m actually really hesitant about “My Fair Lady”. Yes, I enjoyed YEH’s previous two drama’s but what if all this hype will turn out to be “huge” dissapointment. She has improved a lot during her CP days but still…
In any case, glad that MFL will have other amazing actors and actresses.
To Javabeans, I really enjoy you site, can’t count how many times I stop by to check for new posts. And hope that MFL will be good enough for your “amazing” recaps!
@27 yenchan – yep – no idea what i REALLY want to do with my life. kinda just coasting right now. especially hard when my good friends from high school are all overachievers.. and i mean ALL… doctors, lawyers, mbas abound. 80% were ivy leaguers or hold multiple grad degrees. then there’s lil ol me workin an office job that is not a career. o well, that’s life? not everyone is meant to be a doctor/lawyer/businessman haha. oh and i don’t live in NY..i really wanted to for awhile though. i just adore it there when i visit and i have a lot of friends out that way too. i’m actually on the other coast in cali
land of sunshine and eternal spring/summer haha
@mishane – re: My Fair Lady – ya you about summed up the plotline. yes i believe it’ll be the same drama cliches but at LEAST it’s the girl that’s a b**ch this time instead of the guy. plus i do like YEH a lot and the clothes look awesome. =P
@ 36 Samsooki
I watched New Heart a while back, when all the subtitles were first released. I am a HUGE fan of Ji Sung, and the drama as a whole was very interesting. I don’t remember the drama clearly, but what irked me the most was the *lack* of romance. Yes, admittedly, it had some… but not enough to satisfy my inner fan!girl. And I like American-med-shows a lot better than the Korean ones. Something bothers me about the way the Korean hospitals are run… I’ve started a lot of dramas where hospitals are the main setting, and I usually stop them after the second/third episode. Maybe it’s my love for universal public-run healthcare, where money-making in hospital “businesses” are non-existent as a priority.
@29 meh,
Have you watched Liar Game? I’m pretty excited that the new season is coming out in November, but that’s SUCH a long time from now, arguh! The other drama I ADORE and watch over and over again is Haken no Hinkaku with Shinohara Ryoko (I also just love her). The plot sounds kind of mundane, but it’s got enough to make you think about the plight of modern Japan, and of course, there’s a little romance too. Supposedly there’s a second season in the works, but Ryoko has been off being a mom (psh, who needs that when you’ve got fans?).
I’m trying to watch Konkatsu with that guy from SMAP. I enjoyed the first two episodes, but then I kept hearing how boring it is, so now I’m waffling. I should just shut up and watch it.
@ mishane
EXACTLY! Rarely have there been dramas that were SO good that I marathoned the whole thing and actually finished it. I was staring at my currently watching list the other day in complete despair because I counted around… 8? that I’ve actually finished XD It’s terrible, really.
What I tend to do is hit a boring section, or a really, really angsty bit, and I’ll think “Oh golly, the next part is going to be really bad, dread dread dread!” and end up putting it off and forgetting it in a while. Does that happen to anyone else? I find that there are so many plot devices in kdramas that I dread happening.
The most recent one that I marathoned like a madwoman and enjoyed so much I shelled out over $200 to buy the boxset is Family’s Honor. It was SO GOOD, and Park Shi Hoo… I fell in love with that man.
I’m going to skip “My Fair Lady” with YEH since I get the sense that she’ll be the same character she’s always played only with people thinking she’s bitchy & spoiled instead of quirky & cute.
I’m looking forward to “IRIS” which I think might cure my drama-boredom. It looks intense with a side of romance – not sure what to think about Kim Tae Hee in it. I think they have a brilliant cast and she’s the biggest flaw that I can see so far. I’m willing to give it a shot.
As for other dramas, I’m on hiatus(except for finishing up Don’t Ask Me ABout the Past) and watching variety shows. I love current variety shows: Family Outing, 1N2D, Come to Play, Happy Together, Infinity Challenge. I’m dying for more, but these are the only ones I can find subs for and the more popular ones have their own fan sub sites!!! I would love it if the stupid network would either replay some of the older ones like Xman & Manwon Happiness or sell the rights to international broadcasters so that we can watch them. I’ve been hunting for full episodes, subbed, of Xman for awhile now, and so frustrated. As for Manwon Happiness, I like watching it because you get a sense of the BTS relationships of the idols. Does anyone know if its still on???
@44 b020
I REALLY want to love 1N2D. It kind of reminds me of Top Gear, anyone?, where a group of friends go out and make fools of themselves. BUT what kills my SeungGi buzz watching is the annoying captions and titles and whirling words on the screen EVERY. TWO. SECONDS. Yes, it’s a Korean thing, but OMG. It drives me INSANE. This is more annoying to me than the scrolling news on the bottom of the screen when we watch the news. If I had any sort of connections whatsoever I’d get my hands on the episodes BEFORE they go through post-production.
@lb_tmi – wait wait what happened? what did i miss?? what am i jealous of?? haha i probably am but i must’ve missed something cuz i have no idea what you’re referring to… lol
@2, maddy:
seoulbeats is undergoing server change. it’s pretty saddening cause i love seoulbeats for its kpop (outside drama) news. like, someone please update me about DBSK’s lawsuit against SM!!! I’m not a DBSK fan, but I <3 SUJU so i need to know what is and will happen!!!
looking forward to Moon Geun Young's "Can't Lose". then again, can't wait for my finals to be over so i can watch dramas again! WOOT~
If Kdramas are as you all say so…well, nothing's new. But i'll still watch them! Cause i just love the language. somehow. And bad dramas, though painful to sit through, are a dreamland for building up critiquing skills! XD and a lot of note-to-self stuff. though of course, watch too much bad ones and you lose ur ability to empathise. hehe.
Happy Fri! I keep telling myself I shouldn’t pick up a new drama almost every week..but its just not happening…
@Taohua
I’m having LDW/ Lee Tae Joo withdrawl too.. partner did end too soon…and so underated! I really enjoyed the chemistry between the leads as well as the court scenes … KHJ’s character growth as a lawyer was really shown in her last eps court scenes, which made me clap a few times…
Too bad they had to rush it, i keep feeling like it could be something more… i guess i will have to (wishfully) hope for a special.
@mie
I’m watching Buzzer Beat- and liking it. yamapi buffer and cuter than before! and the story is pretty entertaining. All the cute barechested boys don’t hurt
But I keep getting some Long Vacation flashbacks when I watch Buzzer beat tho. I guess its because they are using that “billboard in the back” (the love makes you strong one in the basketball court) technique. The switched it around a bit but the techniques and plot has many similarities…
The main character (girl) is a struggling musician and the main male is a talented basketball player with low confidence because he’s reached a lull in his career – the girl he liked 1st (his gf) appears to be a good girl but in fact not really and fell for the bad boy…
And our main couple support each other to reach their dreams…
I guess they feel that the audience watching this drama is from a different generation and won’t really remember LV…but dang.. I’ve been watching Asian dramas for 10+ years… the formula for a successful drama never changes i guess? Are they trying to make Yamapi into the next Takuya Kimura? I mean he is also from Johnny’s ent and the drama is also produced by Fuji TV…
@ 42 Gallivanter
I watched two episodes of Konkatsu! and stopped there. It was kind of dull, I found… it didn’t really grab me, or have enough crack in it. LOL, I want my cracky!J-Dramas!
Haken no Kinkaku I started… but I don’t really like Ryoko’s character in that. And the plot failed to grab me. And did the romance actually go anywhere? I find too much in jdramas that the romance just… is there, as an added spice, and it’s just *there*. It really doesn’t develop at all. There’s no hugs, there’s no kisses, there’s no skinship, there’s just that UST that bothers you to no end.
Liar Game I *also* stopped after the first few episodes. Yes, it was good… and SHOTA IS AMAZINGOMGAMAZING (that’s my conclusion after Love Shuffle) but it just failed to grab me too. LOL, I’ll probably give it another try after the second season is out.
@ lovenyc52
it was the fangirl in me… isabelh lives in Washington… Seatle library system?
dayem myself for thinking in terms of 2pm ALL THE TIME!!! she’s in the same state that Jae was born!!! and he just came back from there!!! *done fangirling*
@lb_tmi.. LOL!! ya i was scrolling thru the comments and reread them and then figured it out haha!!!! seattle leadja!! too funny
and yes, I AM JEALOUS! hah!! i wonder when khun is gonna visit CA again.. cuz i live like an hour from rancho 
@yenchan – I’ve been there. I started out on the right track for an advertising career, working insane hours, networking(i.e. drinking) functions, but then 9/11 happened and all I could think about was, “what was I really doing? If I was in that plane, what would my life really consist of?”
Part of the answer was really easy. I looked around and realized that I had neglected my personal life. I didn’t have too many real friends or even know my neighbors, or volunteered. I spent the last few years learning & working at how to be a really good friend – and yeah, it does take work. I started volunteering at a couple of different places to see what I really liked doing and then finally committed to only 2 smaller organizations, an ELS class at a culture center & an animal shelter as a dog walker. Taking care of the emotional/personal side of my life was really great and rewarding.
The professional side of it was a bit harder. I’ve spent the last few years trying to survive the downturn in the advertising industry, taking jobs at a much lower payscale just to have a job. Until finally, I’m overquailified for them and can’t get a job in marketing and advertising at all because there’s such a glut of people like me. Right now, I work a mundane, stable, nonglamourous job that pays my bills – and in a way, I’m embarrassed by the ‘low’ status of the job, but then I pay my bills and have a drink with my friends and realize I”m ok.
On the bright side though, I have found a side project that I’m putting together that I hope will help me leave a small impression in this crazy world. As soon as I go ‘live’ with it – I’ll share the news first here on OT!!!!
Mmmm on my lunch break and am currently getting a pedicure and foot massage right now. My feet are in bliss.
Apparently there was some scandal with So Ji Sub ad Kim Hyun Joo? I didn’t even know they acted together. He said he regretted the scandal because she was his first female actress friend and they don’t talk any more. Poor guy.
Hey guys! Hope you’re having a great Friday so far!
While I’m thinking about it, let me reply to “omo” from the previous OT about Swallow the Sun and why I stopped watching. For me, I just couldn’t get past the first episode; it was very confusing and for some reason I wasn’t compelled to continue. This isn’t like me; normally I’ll give something at least 3-4 episodes before giving up, so I must not have been in the mood for it. I don’t really feel that I gave it a fair shot so I’ll probably go back and try it again later. I did watch the first few episodes of Friend, Our Legend and thought it was very good (and very intense) but the video quality was rather poor on the site I was viewing it on. Now that Dramafever is airing it I’m definitely going to continue.
Speaking of Hyun Bin…that leads me to Snow Queen, which I’ve been watching continuously over the last couple of evenings and it’s amazing. I was in the mood for something a little more serious, having just finished 9E2O and My Girl. Of what I’ve seen from HB so far, which is MNIKSS, Millionaire’s First Love, and those 3 or so episodes of Friend, this is my absolute favorite. I think Sung Yuri is wonderful too. And not only is the acting from both of them just stellar, the music is perfection (think Romeo and Juliet, it’s that romantic) and I covet every single piece of clothing that Sung Yuri wears, not to mention her boots and purses. She is absolutely beautiful and they dressed her in the most fabulous clothes…oh, I want to go shopping now! I tried valiantly to finish it last night but no luck, still 3 eps to go. But then again, I don’t want to be in a hurry either, because it’s so good. Incredibly sad, but so good.
The only other drama I’m watching at the moment is Dream. It’s not the best I’ve ever seen, but I’m enjoying it enough to keep going. I think it’s getting better as it goes, but I don’t know if anything stands a chance against Queen Seon-deok!
I went through a drama slump after finishing Soulmate a few months ago, currently I’ve been busy watching Family Outing and am not in a mood to get in to dramas again. i’ve heard good things about Green rose so I might try that out soon.
Anyone thats looking for a well made angsty drama can’t do wrong with Que Sera sera.
@b020: I wanna give you a hug.
@ moomincandylalala: I think the similarities are probably because Buzzer Beat and Long Vacation have the same director
@b020 i’m w/you when i first watched Goong or Princess Hours (you’re not talking about the other Goong S right) anyway, i liked it at first but as i went along watching i also got irritated with Eun’s character, i thought she was fastidious and if i were the prince i wld give her zero tolerance! with CP i still dunno or u/stand why a lot of viewers liked it, i didn’t sorry to those who loved it but it was just not worth my while.
i just finished shining inheritance, talk about a great or good drama this is what good drama shld be. every episode leaves you with so much enthusiasm that albeit it was long with 28 epis towards epi 26, i felt i didn’t want the drama to end! definitely wld be nice if there’s a sequel. after watching that i’m liking Lee seung gi but the apple of my eyes definitely is bae soo bin! he’s cute/gorgeous/handsome and a great actor! wanna see more of him!
@52 mishane. I think So Ji Sup and Kim Hyun Joo used to date but their families disapproved so they split up. It’s easy to lose touch with friends when you’re so busy doing movies/dramas and it’s always so awkward to reconnect after being away for so long..especially if it’s your ex-gf…so I guess SJS regrets that they have lost touch when she was such an important person in his life?
@ 57 asianromance
I didn’t know that!
I adore Kim Hyun Joo, I find her completely adorable. I thought the scandal was just that people thought they dated, not that they actually dated. Awww, that’s sweet.
@53 langdon813 (hi unnie-big sis)
Dispite my firm assertion that I am giving up on Swallow the Sun, I heard about a certain love/kiss scene this week so zoomed right back to watch it, and still have no desire to mount a proper watching experience afterwards. Why, because the story is terrible! There is no story – just a serious of *events*, no character development whatsoever, but using the *events* as an excuse for serious high level, big budget scenary/backdrop porn. Jeju Island, deep sea diving – check. Las Vegas, Cirque – check. South Africa, sun-drenched safari backlighting a tearful confession and catharsis- check. Lots of 5 star hotels, car and gun chases – check and check.
And yet, I am still totally confused by the lack of meaningful plot development, and oh so disappointed that Ji Sung and Sung Yuri wasted their involvement in this POC. Both are phoning it in as well. Wonder if the H1N1 outbreak during filming really jinxed this production. High hopes, meet rocks below. Next up on my anticipated big-budget k-drama productions – Iris! Starring she who can’t act (Kim Tae Hee) and he who is the god of k-screen (Lee Byun Hyun).
@54 CrimemasterGogo
Green Rose – hmmm, not my fave Lee Da Hae work, but was my fave Go Soo work (not counting his earlier stuff which I have yet to track down). It’s a classic, classic revenge story (totally reminds me of Count of Monte Cristo – one of my fave books – even named my daughter Mercedes (middle name, of course, lest folks think her parents love the car)), and the tone and pacing was done just right. Intensity all around, and not just the angtsy, mopey type, but really gut wrenching, soul-rending type. Well-done drama, worth checking out. And that Lee Da Hae really, really knows how to *cry* right, and still look so pretty. That’s hard to do. Lee Yo Won needs to take lessons from LDH, stat.
For those of you who have been despairing of the dearth of dramas in the pipelines or in your to-watch pile, don’t fret, this feeling comes and goes, I’ve ebbed and flowed. I’m currently on a high, after feasting on near perfect dramas of completely different genres and styles – City Hall (for fairy tale, romance like you’ve never experienced, uplifting high), and Black & White (for riveting action, tightly wound plot, and the most excellent bromance in Asian small screen cinema award goes to Vic (mine) and Mark (langdon’s).).
Looking forward might be an understatement for how much I am anticipating My Fair Lady. @32 sunshine, you got me at : I’ LL MAKE YOU MINE IN TWO MONTHS TIME ” Tingling in anticipation. Yoon Sang-hyun, take a bow and welcome to leading man status, you deserve it! And Yoon Eun Hye, missy, you gots yerself a sandwich of YSH and JIW, you better not blow it and bring your A game!
@yenchan,
i understand the misgivings you have with respect to responsibilities and family.
A few years ago that my boyfriend said that I was completely weighed down by responsibilities, expectations and duty that aren’t even my own. I was constantly stressed by a family that lived in the other side of the world and my job, and general direction in life was making very unhappy. I would be considered an over-achiever, an academic at a university, respectable, etc., etc., etc. I was also turning into someone that both of us didn’t like very much, someone who was quick to judge, and criticise, especially when I felt that someone wasn’t doing their duty towards their family.
About your parents, they are just frightened for you. There is probably very little you can do about it if they refuse to accept that you might want some changes in your life. Accept that. It is a result of their Asian culture clashing with your Western outlook/education that they have given you. It’s nobody’s fault, just a product of circumstances. I went through that with my parents. They still worry about me, and i’m in my 30-ies. But I have accepted that I can’t please my parents forever, and have to live my life as i see fit.
The question isn’t whether your parents would be accepting of your decisions, but whether you want a change sufficiently to do something about it. Maybe start by volunteering locally to see if you do get some satisfaction from that. You’ll probably know more and feel better about any decision you take at that point.
Well this is my first time ever commenting on an OT, so I’m kind of nervous. I”ll probably edit this comment for ten minutes before I even post it.
The reason I decided to comment was because I went through a drama slump earlier this year. Everything seemed the same; I would watch a few episodes and then I would lose interest. In the past few months the only drama I finished watching was Brilliant Legacy and even by the end I was sick of the plot. I was plodding my way through Triple (why must it move so slowly?) when, on a whim, I decided to watch Partner. I don’t what it was, but I was hooked again. I marathoned the first 12 episodes in a weekend. While Kim Hyun Joo doesn’t do a whole lot for me in the drama, I was sucked in by the great performances by Lee Dong Wook, Honey Lee and Choi Chul Ho. On another whim I started watching City Hall and OMG it is the best drama I have watched this year! The chemistry between Kim Sun Ah and Cha Seung Won is WOO! hot and the themes of corruption and power keep me interested. Does anyone have some recommendations of dramas similar to these two? I really want to keep up my drama streak and since I’m finished Partner and almost finished City Hall, I have no idea what I should watch. I seem to prefer dramas with characters that are older and less likely to do the whole misunderstanding for 20 episodes and then solve all their problems in ten minutes thing. What can I watch that will keep my streak alive?
Happy Open Tread Day Everyone!
Lot of good movies coming out this weekend, and i dunno which one to watch first! Also, Thirst is out here in Seattle too!
Boon Jong Ho’s movie Mother will be entered in Best Foreign Films for Oscars, double crossing my fingers for it to be selected, so maybe Won Bin will show up at the Oscars! But first, I hope they will show Mother here for Seattle Film Festival. I just found out that it will be shown in New York Film Festival.
as for My Kdrama watching…I am watching Attic Cat, i still couldn’t believe that the lead actress is gone. KRW is okay, i’m slowly liking him again. Other than that, the story is actually good.
I started watching Brilliant Legacy, it’s got a feel of Goong for me. I think it’s because I’m too old for these kind of stories but I will endear it and just imagine i am still in my 20s! j/k
And of course, I still re-watch CH, mostly my favorite parts.
@ 61 Missemergency
—-I seem to prefer dramas with characters that are older and less likely to do the whole misunderstanding for 20 episodes and then solve all their problems in ten minutes thing.—-
OMG you just summed up EVERYTHING I hate about Korean dramas. EVERYTHING.
@ 62 mzpakipot
I forced myself through Attic Cat. It was good in the beginning but the last 7-8 episodes are the same episodes repeated. She kicks him out, he comes back in she kicks him out he comes back in she kicks him out he comes back in. Kind of like Full House to me–> she leaves the house, she returns she leaves the house she returns she leaves the house she returns. LOL. But Attic Cat was cute because I liked the friendship between the two, there were times I just wanted to strangle the both of them.
As for Brilliant Legacy. . .hmm, I didn’t get any Goong comparisons with it. Where do you see the similarities?
I think I should watch Mother. I’m getting very intrigued by it now.
I must shamelessly admit that I watch Gossip Girl for the clothes.
And for that same reason, although the ending can be deduced from the beginning, that’s going to be one of the draws for me for My Fair Lady. Clothes, good looking, charistmatic cast which I hope will execute a cliche plot to the point of addiction — superficial reasons, I know, but what the hell.
I found Triple to be disappointing and enjoyed Just Looking more so, although I anticipated Triple more. So maybe with the semester starting next week, I’ll be more into My Fair Lady since it will give me an escape from my mundane college days, just like BoF!
hello everybody…!!! ^-^
It’s a busy friday for me (busy month actually…*sigh* the life of adulthood!)
Just wanna say..
MISHANE!!!! ^-^
I finished 9ends2outs!! Thanks to you(for all that nonstop raving)!!! and OMG!!!! IT’S WWAAAYYYY BETTER THAN TRIPLE!!!! (am so disappointed with triple..dont wanna even start on that!) Had so much fun watching it… and, i dont need to analyze after each ep (yeah, unlike triple..*sigh*)….!!! ^-^
AND right now, I, too, am stuck….dont know what to watch next, am waiting for the last ep of Partner….I took a break from ReturnOfIljimae…maybe i should go back to that now…….
Ok, back to work… hopefully ill pick-up some interesting dramas here later on when i get back….
HAVE FUN EVERYBODY!
@61 Missemergency
As for recommendations:
– Which dramas have you already seen?
– Do you have favorite actors/actresses that you want to see more of?
– What kinds of dramas do you like (i.e., historical, fusion, comedy, drama, thriller, horror, action, melodrama, etc.)?
– Do you care for or would you watch daily dramas, or are you more in the 16-20 ep mode?
– Are you watching via online streaming (i.e., dramafever / viikii), are you downloading episodes to watch later, are you purchasing or renting or borrowing?
hi Isabehl! Seattle here too! the only thing i didn’t like about acquiring kdramas from our local libraries is there a waiting list, especially those popular ones. What are you up to this weekend? So glad to know there’s another Seattlelites here at DBs..:D
Oh man, it’s Friday! And I totally missed garbage day (this morning), which is a bad thing because the previous tenants left all of their trash piled next to the house and I have no earthly idea where the dump is, let alone an appropriate vehicle to haul it all. (No way I’m letting that stuff into my precious car. He’s been too good to me to demean him with garbage.)
It’s been a week since I’ve moved into my house, and I still don’t have internet because my roommates don’t want to start paying for it until they move in on Monday. Ergh. Oh well, I have the school library, which is where I’ve been going to download things. And download I have. I’m totally abusing the internet connection here, muahahaha..
The freshmen moved in today, though.. I’m amused to see them wandering around our 2-square-block campus with maps and freshman knick-knacks (t-shirts, cups, etc). They’re also taking tours of the library, and staring at me in confusion since I’m already camped out in one of the study rooms with my laptop and various notebooks. Hey, if they ask, I’ll tell them I’m getting a head start on my honors research. (I’m not actually doing honors research this year, but they won’t know the difference.) As for the notebooks.. Hey, I might as well get some writing done.
I’ve spent a lot of time catching up on all of the movies I’ve had sitting on my computer for ages.. Finally got a chance to watch 200 Pounds Beauty (Kim Ah-joong is so adorable!), Speed Scandal (one of my new favourites, I think), Sweet Lie (Lee Ki Woo was adorable), AKIHABARA@DEEP (NARIMIYA HIROKI = LOVE), and Space Travelers (Kaneshiro Takeshiiiiiiiii~). I also rewatched Seducing Mr Perfect, which made me LOL incessantly. Daniel Henney is probably the most beautiful plank of wood ever.
So, what’s airing right now that I should be watching? I already have my eye on Hon, but I refuse to actually start watching until my housemates move in. (I’m very easily freaked out, and the house creaks a bunch as it is.)
..I think there’s a herd of elephants in the room above me. Or perhaps a herd of freshmen?
ADD:
now i understand what “I want a HyungTae too” meant(read it few threads ago,hehe)….
LOL!!!! I want a hyungtae too…
Unfortunately, one of my housemates (the one who thinks he’s the cutest korean guy*urg!*) is waaayyyy off from being a HyungTae!!! (I told him that too, he just shrugged and replied, “well, of course! am “waaayyyyy” too cool and cute!) *me rolling my eyes*
@ 68 Kender
I am so very very very very jealous of your university. Letting you download stuff? WOW, my university has an internet cap….where if you have excessive usage, you get suspended from the internet for two hours and you get tagged for “malicious usage”. If you get a few of these suspensions, they might ban you from wireless internet on campus altogether. Which would suck, because what would keep you entertained during the snooze-fest of some courses otherwise?
“Daniel Henney is probably the most beautiful plank of wood ever.”
LOL, I absolutely positively agree. And he’s now acting in an American TV show, starting in the fall or something? huhhhhh? Hopefully he does better there than he acted in K-movies/dramas.
@ 65 MEIKO**** ^-^
I’m glad you liked it! YAY. Another 9E2O convert.
@ 68 Kender
I would rec Partner but I’m not sure what kind of drama you’re into. The OTP stuff is very subtle and it’s not VERY romantic, but it’s heading there (on episode 10) and I’ve found it enjoyable so far. I’m also looking really forward to Hon. REALLY REALLY REALLY DAMMIT JUST SUB THE FIRST EPISODE ALREADY!
@ 63 mishane
I must admit I completely lolled at your description of Full House; it was exactly what I was thinking after I watched it and attempted to give a short description of it to my friend, LOL. She leaves the house in a huff, returns, makes up by cleaning the house, then they fight again and she leaves… Oh man.
Speaking of FH, that ending kiss was terrible. Kdrama kisses are pretty good overall, though, particularly when you compare them to Cdramas (where it looks like the lead male ran face first into the female lead and they got stuck together with glue), and Jdramas (where it’d be a miracle if there’s a kiss scene). I think Park Shi Hoo and Yoon Jung Hee’s characters in Family’s Honor kissed about… 9? 10? times in the whole drama, and I was amaaaazed.
@ MEIKO
Yay, another 9E2O convert! I want me a Hyung Tae too! *grabby hands* A Jun Mo (Lee Sang Woo) wouldn’t hurt too much either; he was quite cute. I actually tried to watch The Road Home for Lee Sang Woo, but I couldn’t even watch past the first episode because I found myself so disinterested in the characters.
To all of you who are in a drama slump:
ME TOO. After the breath of fresh air that was 9E2O, I’ve only been keeping up with Partner and even there I fast-forward a few scenes. Luckily, I’m only a year into my k-drama obsession and while nothing new has caught my eye, I’m going back in time to view older dramas. This is my list so far (in no particular order):
Capital Scandal
Dae Jang Geum
Legend
White Tower
Dal-ja’s Spring
Mixed up Investigative Agency
Emperor of the Sea
and probably a few others that i can’t remember right now.
I tried watching All About Eve and had to stop at Episode 1 because I got so tired of the predictability. Oh well, maybe some other time.
To echo all the 9E2O lovers, I want a Hyung-tae, too! *stares off dreamily into space*
@68 Kender..
yes, DH is a very good looking plank of wood in Seducing Mr Perfect. but the plank actually starts getting some glossy shine and stain in My Father. i adore him in My Father… boogers and all!
@ 72 Lemoncat
I find that the rinse-repeat cycle is very common in Korean dramas, I don’t know why. Maybe they ran out of plot devices? So they keep using the same ones? But I notice the same patterns in a lot of dramas. . .do they not realize it because they are currently filming? Do they realize it afterwards when they watch the finished project? Attic Cat, Hello! Miss, and Full House are ones that I can name off the top of my head. . .I’m sure there are more.
Re: kisses. OMG the Full House kiss was so horrible I wouldn’t even consider it a kiss. SO BAD. This is going to sound creepster but whatever. My favorite drama kisses are the ones in A Love To Kill (so hot, so sexy, so emotional) and in the HORRIBLY BAD SO BAD I CAN’T TURN MY EYES AWAY OMG TAKE IT AWAY Miss No Good between Rainie and Wilbur. In fact, the kiss scenes in Miss No Good were the only thing I enjoyed about that MESS OF A DRAMA.
thanks everybody for recommending 9E2O, can’t believe i would have let that pass if i would not come across lasts weeks open thread.
I love it, m in episode 6 rite now, currently downloading.
Well all i can say is I dream about having my own Hyung Tae. But sadly none pf my male school frenz are close to that, and college was well ‘only girls’ and now am pass my age for having any kind of innocent friendship with ‘real world’ at my face. So back to my fantasy land.
Happy weekend everybody….. sad though no weekend for me , m stuck with my assignment.
@62 mzpakipot
*waves at fellow Seattleite* Thirst is out here?!? Where? I’m out on an island, and haven’t been to the mainland in a couple of weeks. I’m going to have to make my friends go see this movie now.
@74 mishane
Ha ha ha. Oh Miss No Good. You were so bad, and yet SO good. That was a drama I marathoned even though it was the textbook definition of a hot mess. Really Rainie? You HAD to use that voice? It was the one drama where I actually thought the “improved” version of the character was actually better than the real version -_-
Randomness: Does anyone know if the same producer and/or director did both “Time Between Dog and Wolf” and “Iljimae”? I’m watching “Iljimae” for the first time and rewatching “Time Between Dog and Wolf” and it just occurred to me that both shows start in almost the exact same way. We open with Lee Jun-ki in a very dramatic action scene, action scene ends (thankfully NOT the same way) and then flashback to his character’s childhood. I’m not complaining by any means, as I enjoy both of these shows. I was just curious if they were done by the same person. Thanks!
Guys I am crying tears of joy here that people are watching 9E2O. it’s a drama that I hesitate to recommend, because it’s not your typical Korean drama. It’s a little slow, no huge angst stories and I thought that no one would really like it. I thought I was the only weird one.
So it makes me so happy to see that other people like it.
To copy Sally Fields: You like it, you really really like it!
@ mems
Ooh, that’s a very nice list you’ve got there. I enjoyed Capital Scandal (Kang Ji Hwan and Han Ji Min had great chemistry, and Han Go Eun was awesome) and Dal Ja’s Spring is brilliant. I REALLY need to go back and finish Emperor of the Sea at some point, but at the moment I’ve put it on the backburner and not even Song Il Gook can drag me through more scenes with Chae Si Ra…
@ 75 mishane
I find that even though kdramas tend to recycle the same plot devices A LOT, I can bear with it if it’s done in an entertaining manner. I mean, Dal Ja’s Spring was the good old “30-something ajumma somehow attracts young, hot eligible guy as well as an older rich guy” plot, but it was just done so well. Wonder why it’s not that noticeable, though. Maybe because the good ones don’t smack you in the face with it? Full House was kind of insanely OBVIOUS because Rain and SHG fought every other episode, over a span of 16. It was fun at first, but by the end I was like “omg please stopppp.”
I think the examples you listed were clear cases where the scriptwriters ran out of story and couldn’t think of how else they were going to keep the leads apart until they reach the designated 16 episodes or whatever XD Like, “Oh crap, how can we get to episode 16 before Rain and SHG magically find their way back together in the last 15 minutes? We’ve already used Rain’s ex-gf and SHG’s other love interest three times each! I know, let’s make them fight and clean the house again!”
Ohhh, I couldn’t even get past the first episode of Miss No Good. I was hesitant the minute I found out it was a Rainie vehicle, and then I actually watched the thing… *shudders* I can’t even check out the kiss scene between her and Wilbur that you mentioned because I unfortunately read an article where she described Wilbur’s lips as being thick and wet like a fish, LOL. Ruined, ruined.
@59 ockoala (little sis!)
How could I forget about IRIS?! I’m definitely going to watch that, especially after enjoying LBH so much in The Good, The Bad, The Weird. I forced my husband to watch the trailer for that this morning. He WILL be watching the DVD when I get it, I’m not taking no for an answer.
And that WAS a pretty bold statement from Yoon Sang-hyun, right? Hmm…strong, confident male lead, a la Cha Seung-won? Me likey! I’m looking forward to My Fair lady a lot.
LOL at the “high hopes, meet rocks below”! I trust your judgment…maybe I’ll skip Swallow The Sun entirely. And I’ve never heard of Green Rose…must investigate that one!
Started Triple and loving it! Will have to watch 9E20 after all the recs here.
Fortunately, moved the Stairmaster near the t.v. so I don’t spend as much time on my butt watching dramas.
@mishane, ha! that’s what I was thinking too when you said about Full House. It’s like i’ve seen this before…lol thanks! It’s been ages since I last saw Full House and the story is forgettable.
@gallivanter Hi there!! Which island you coming from *envious*
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mbase/cgi-bin/DisplayPage.pl?document_id=2009438373
Varsity Theater
4329 University Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98105
1:30 PM, 4:15 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:45 PM
@70 meh – Hehe, “let” is a strong term. They pay more attention if it’s in the dorms, but they don’t generally notice in the library for some reason. Besides, as long as you don’t use the wireless, there’s not a whole lot they can do.. They can turn off the port, but what’s the point when you can just move to another port?
@mishane – I like a wide variety of things, as long as there’s a definitive ending. I hate open-ended things (unless it’s like Soulmates, where you know they’re going to end up together anyway). The first episode of Partner didn’t really grab me, either, but maybe I just need to give it another chance. (I’m downloading 9E2O, by the by, so no need to recommend it again.
)
YO peeps!
On a totally drama-unrelated topic, I’d like to ask for your advice/help. Can you guys suggest some appetizing comfort-food / snacks / meals (preferable vegetarian)? Something that gets you craving in the middle of the night if you haven’t had it in a while? Or just some junky favourites that you have!
When I’m stressed, I lose my appetite altogether and I have trouble eating half a bowl of rice. Instead of addressing the stress (it’s inevitable for me, during exam-time), I’d really appreciate some suggestions for appetizing food. So far, my comfort food consists of fried tofu, burnt stir-fry (YUM), Lipton sidekick, poutine, and chocolate pudding. Bah, and now I’m getting tired of those and am looking for new things (or things I haven’t thought of) to try and get my appetite going….
Thank you ^_______^
And, uh, drama-related : I’ve decided to watch Powerful Opponents since most of the scenes I can mute and focus on studying. There seems to be lack of plot and focus on cliches when there *is* plot so it seems to suit studying-background-noise to a tee
Hi all, happy Friday (or Saturday, depending upon your current location on the planet…)
@33 ichigo pan,
YES about Jung Il-Woo looking like Joo Ji Hoon. I noticed it, too, and to me Jung Il-woo looks like Joo Ji Hoon’s, earnest, studious younger brother…
@42 gallivanter (does that mean you travel a lot??)
The only SMAP member that I would call a good actor is Kimura Takuya (and some people do complain that he tends to be the “cool guy” too much). A distant second would be Katori Shingo, who did a good job in Bara no nai Hanaya and even managed to be vaguely creepy in an episode of Galileo. Otherwise, I think about the kindest thing to say about SMAP is that they are ‘entertainers.’
In general, I think the unnatural clout that Johnny’s Jimusho has in the Japanese entertainment industry is bad for J-drama. Instead of talented actors, you get idols who look good but can’t really act – they are too young and too inexperienced and their effort is spread over too many different entertainment venues, not just acting. There’s little attention to craft, and so I find myself turning more to Korean dramas when I want to see some really good acting. (Writing, though, is a different issue. There are some stand-out Korean screenwriters, but taken as a whole I think the Japanese writers do a better job.) Just my two cents.
As for what I am watching, last night I watched Romantic Island and felt it was just a massive waste of talent. Here we have leads from three of my favorite shows, Coffee Prince, Soulmate, and Dal Ja’s Spring, and they all practically sleep-walked through this silly tale (zombie! Bring back the real Lee Min Ki!). The only believable romance was the married couple, LOL.
oh MEIKO – i’m so glad you’ve joined the ‘i want a HyungTae!!!!!’ club. we are a jolly fun group haha. i recommended this show to a friend of mine who i SWEAR actually has her own hyung tae … and she’s like ‘but i don’t WANT to end up with him!!!!’ sigh. oh yes u do…YES U DO! glad you enjoyed it tho!!
@ 85 meh
I actually kind of liked Powerful Opponents (or the first 13 eps I saw). Or, I really liked Lee Joon Hyuk. The other guy was okay, too, but mmmm…there’s something about LJH that was nice.
@83 mzpakipot
Thank you so much! Ee! I’m going to have to see this asap now
@ 80 Lemoncat
Oh yeah, I agree with you. By rinse-repeat, I meant ones where each episode was the same as the last one. I don’t mind watching cliche’d plot lines at all, as long as it’s done well. Like Brilliant Legacy. Cliche.
I also don’t get the compulsion to keep the leads apart until the last episode. Which is why I enjoy dramas where the couple is already established. Yes, it’s nice to see the lead up to a romance, but sometimes you want to actually SEE the romance you know? Yes, the couple finally got together, but how do we know they end up together well? HMM?
Again, like in Brilliant Legacy. It was mostly a leadup to them getting together and it was cute but we never really go to see them as a couple to see if all that work and effort actually worked. Its like, 15 episodes of flirting/fighting and the last episode is them finally getting together. I want REALISM damn it.
Best Kissing in Dramas – in particular ranking from best to pretty good of dramas I have watched:
1. City Hall (both in frequency and number of kisses). CSW cradles KSW’s face in the first kiss, he leans in so slowly, and KSA is actually quivering with anticipation (I swear it’s a instinctive reaction on the part of KSA, she’s transcended acting there), and he slowly, gently starts to kiss her, and she actually opens her lips and they start really kissing each other. No trying to eat the other person alive (Rain, more practice please), or just pressing lips together. Okay, 99% of bad kissing in dramas is cuz the leading lady won’t participate – hello!, guy is kissing you, and he can’t go any further until YOU (yes, leading lady, I’m talking to you, missy) make it a 2-way street and reciprocate! Okay, rant over. Anyways, every kiss in City Hall is real, that’s how unbelievable the chemistry (and kissing technique) of our two leads – KSA and CSW are. And there are lots and lots of kisses, Mwah!
attaching sample for your viewing pleasure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7OV71RGTuE
2. Que Sera Sera – hello, adult content galore. Not my fave story, but very passionate and emotionally raw in everyway, lots of making out.
3. My Name is Kim Sam Soon – again, KSA is the master kisser for all k-drama actresses, she and Hyun Bin, yum yum yum, first kiss was wowers, while not anywhere near as romantic as KSA in City Hall, it was nonetheless a very absorbing kiss between the two. And lots more later, too.
4. Coffee Prince – Gong Yoo brings it big time, and YEH more than matches his intensity. Not a lot, but very genuine kissing and loving at the end.
5. Fated to Love You – well, if you start of the show with the leads hopping into bed in the first episode and then getting pregnant, this is the one drama that went there and had an extended extended bed scene with very convincing kissing (Only You and Wonderful Life totally blew any sexiness with the hop in bed).
Okay, feel free to add more, folks.
80 Lemoncat
EW to lips like a fish. Gross. Lol, the BTS of Miss No Good when they were filming the kissing scenes were hilarious. But yes, the whole drama was miserable and I don’t know why I watched it.
@ 87 lovenyc52
Someone has a Hyung Tae and doesn’t want him? ARE THEY CRAZY?
@ 90 ockoalo
LOL, thanks for the list! *extremely* entertaining! I agree with you on the dramas that you listed. One of the other dramas that I saw that have realistic kissing scenes would be They Kiss Again. Because ArJoe really have unbelievable chemistry in that drama. I wasn’t a *huge* fan of ISWAK at the beginning, but wow, I grew to appreciate Ariel’s character. And, uh, the hot making-out scenes in They Kiss Again. Because, really, they *DID* kiss again. Multiple multiple multiple times!
I just finished Triple (I know I’m late but I just got back earlier this week).
It wasn’t my “ideal” k drama but it didn’t annoy me too much
But the soundtrack is soo good I’m almost nostalgic…
I started watching 9 End 2 Outs…(I didn’t even know there was lovefest about it last week)….Is it funny? I kinda need a more light-hearted drama at the moment.
@ockoala, best Kiss for me too is CH, even better when I watch the BTS!
@meh
i didn’t like ISWAK 2’s kissing scene at the terrace, I think Ariel Lin was very uncomfortable and the bedscene was a little bit too much for my taste. They’re a cute couple though.
Hmmm. . .I don’t really pay attention to kiss scenes in Asian drama because they are usually so disappointing.
The ones that stand out to me?
1) Both kisses in A Love To Kill. The first one where Rain grabs SMA by the water and just kisses her so roughly. The second where Rain meets SMA outside the restaurant and again kisses her roughly. Mouths actually move, there’s body clutching, lip movement. Rough and passionate.
2) Like I said, Miss No Good, that first kiss when they are drunk. I swear Wilbur and Rainie are faking their ‘disgust’ for each other because they make out. . .like really make out.
HMMMM
3) Hello Miss! The kiss in episode 15 (?) where main guy is talking about Lee Da Hae and saying things like, “You look like this girl I know. . .you have the same beautiful eyes, beautiful nose, beautiful forehead. . .and beautiful lips” and then he just goes in for the kiss! It’s a cute kiss and the morning after scene is equally adorable.
4) This isn’t a kiss scene but the scene in 9E2O where they are in the hotel room and they hold hands. IT’S JUST A HAND HOLDING SCENE BUT I SWEAR I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. It was just so intimate and chemistry filled and. . . gahhhhhhhhh.
Hmmm. . . .I gotta think of this some more.
Oh, everyone raved about the Goong kiss but I . . . didn’t like it at much? LOL, there wasn’t as much rhythm, there was tongue but it looked kind of awkward, like they didn’t really know what they were doing.
(I feel very weird about analyzing kisses right now. Although the first man I fell in love with was Heath Ledger and that was all due to the kiss at the end of First Knight? something like that, the movie he was in with Shannon Sossyman. I watched and rewinded that kiss scene over and over.)
@85 meh: After a stressful night at work (usually on the closing shift) I like to run by the Burger King drive thru and get a Boca burger. Another thing I really like when I’m stressed out (especially when I was in college during exams) is Diet Coke and chocolate. At that time, it was crispy M&Ms (which unfortunately, I can’t find any more) so now, it’s peanut butter M&Ms. How strict is your vegetarian diet? Are you “no cheese, dairy, etc.”? If not, you can never go wrong with mac & cheese as a comfort food. Kraft and Velveeta even have the Easy Mac, where you just add water and pop in the microwave. I love it!
@90 ockoala: The only two of those shows I’ve seen are “Sam Soon” and “Coffee Prince” and I agree, those are some great kisses. I am a HUGE YEH fan and love her kissing scenes. I’ve got to add the one from “Goong” to the list. I thought it was even better than the one from “Coffee Prince”.
@86 skelly
Ha, yes, I do travel a lot.
Oh, I’m pretty much against Johnny’s as a general rule, which is a shame because I do think there’s a few of them who are talented actors…they just haven’t had enough proper training. Jun Matsumoto deserves some credit for playing Domyouji so well, but I haven’t liked him in anything he’s done since. I liked YamaPi in Nobuta and Kurosagi, but not that wedding one, and Buzzer Beat, so far.
Kimura Takuya is always a hit or miss with me. Yeah, he does play the cool guy a lot, but I can live with it. I loved him in Hero, and Beautiful Life and a few other older ones, but Pride and Engine just didn’t do it for me. I haven’t tried his most recent dramas though.
@ 96 Andromytta
I completely forgot about crispy M&M’s!! What happened to them?? My current favorite are the dark chocolate ones. Sooo good.
You know what I miss? 3D Doritos. Why did they stop making them? I like Doritos but can only eat a few at a time. The 3D ones were perfect. I swear, if I had known they’d stop making them I would have stocked up.
@95 mishane: Oh! I KNOW the kiss you are talking about! I love it! LOVE Heath Ledger! (am very sad he’s gone) I’m slightly compulsive and feel the need to correct you, the movie is “A Knight’s Tale”. If I’m not mistaken, “First Knight” was the Richard Gere, Julia Ormond, Sean Connery King Author movie…which also had some great kissing, if I remember correctly! *lol*
@ockoala
that certain kiss in CH, with that kind of a kiss there’s got to be tongue involved right? maybe a little touch? hahaha! coz a certain BTS and with the power of SLOW MO…um..you know what I mean. *winks*
well, I’m off for now!
@98 mishane: That’s a good question, what DID happen to crispy M&M’s and 3D Doritos! I had forgotten about them! They WERE SO GOOD!!!! I also love the dark chocolate M&Ms…and the almond ones…and the peanut ones…..Gosh, I love M&Ms in general! Oooohhhh…FYI, go to http://www.realchocolate.com and you can get a coupon for some FREE M&Ms…which are the best kind of all!
@ 99 Andromytta
YES. I knew it was something with “Knight” in the title, lol. YEP. The ending kiss. Right when the credits roll. I remember being 12 or 13 and watching it during a slumber party (or maybe I was 14) and squeeing with my friends. We rewinded and watched, rewinded and watched.
@ gallivanter or people in the know about Japan/Korean entertainment. . .
What are Johnny’s? I assume they are under Johnny’s Entertainment? By someone named Johnny? I don’t know much about Asian entertainment but it seems very strict, lots of rules. Can they pick their own projects or is everything controlled by management?
It seems like Korean entertainment is more lax.
The Taiwanese entertainment seems almost like the Japanese one. . .you see the same people working with the same actors all the time. . .
@ 96 andromytta
lol, my vegetarian diet only restricts meat, so dairy+cheese is totally fine. I totally forgot about Mac and Cheese! I used to eat that all the time in gradeschool… and whenever I travelled abroad. It always reminds me of home, for some reason, so I always take a few boxes with me when I leave the country =P lol, I’ll definitely dig out a few boxes from food storage so I can “cook” (read – boil water) some up soon. yum!
@ 98 mishane
I feel your pain when it comes to food that suddenly disappears off the shelves. I almost cried when I found that vanilla coke was discontinued. I’m still hunting for cans… they can’t *all* be gone, can they? CAN THEY?? *cries*
@ 97 gallivanter
You don’t love the JE boys? but… but… they’re so goshdarn gay and adorable and cute and their acting might sometimes suck but sometimes they’re really really really good, LOL. I spend my free time reading je_secrets on LJ when I’m really bored… it’s so amusing!
@ ockoala
Haha kiss analysis! I totally agree with Coffee Prince and MNIKSS having good kiss scenes. Coffee Prince in particularly looked very good, while the MNIKSS ones just sizzled. I still remember watching the BTS clips and Hyun Bin’s ears were completely red after the kiss scene beside the piano, LOL. And it looks like I’m going to have to check out City Hall afterall
The Goong kiss surprised me with how passionate it was, given the context; romcoms tend to go for sweet rather than I’m-going-to-eat-your-face. Ohh, Rude Woman had an excellent kiss scene at the end as well! Age-gap aside, it was WHOA.
@ gallivanter
Tsuyoshi did a decent job as Kindaichi.
Okada Junichi is a decent actor as well; I really liked him in SP.I was really impressed with Katori Shingo’s spine-chilling performance in Galileo, too; he was only in one episode, but I was quite, quite impressed
@ mishane
Johnny’s Entertainment / Johnny’s & Associates is basically the biggest talent agency for male idols. The guy who started it all is a man called Johnny Kitagawa. They’re pretty much the only ones in Japan who produces/manages all the successful boybands that you hear about; SMAP, NEWS, KAT-TUN, Arashi, etc. Projects are pretty much picked and arranged by the management; the boys always get the lead roles, and usually if it’s a member from a popular group, they even get to sing the theme songs.
@102 mishane: Yep, rewind and watch; rewind and watch; rewind and watch. I actually saw it on TV a while back (one of those channels that cuts the heck out of movies) and wanted to see it SO BADLY I MADE my boyfriend go hunting for the DVD! *lol* It is now happily in my collection on the list of movies I will eventually burn a hole in watching too much! *lol*
@ 102 mishane
Oh ha! They’re one and the same. I’ve always heard and just called them Johnny’s for short. I think they’re not AS strict as before, but I’m sure it’s a Disney-like situation where they’re not allowed to take more challenging/unfavorable roles. I would guess they are somewhat allowed to choose roles. I’m not sure if they find a role they’re interested in, or if the management hands them a stack of scripts and says, “these are acceptable, pick one.”
@ mzpakipot
When I watch the BTS vidoes of the kissing scenes between CSW and KSA in City Hall (both in the car and in the bedroom scene in episode 15), I actually blush and can’t really watch, because it’s feels completely voyeuristic and intrusive. I’m the opposite of prudish, so what I mean is, not the act of watching 2 people make out (me loves it!), but in CH and the BTS videos, it’s like watching 2 lovers in a truly beautiful, intimate moment, and I just want to be respectful and not be a peeping tom.
What I get from every kiss in CH, was that it was between 2 lovers completely absorbed by each other, not a kiss for plot development, not a kiss that was a long time coming and denied, but kissing because it was the right time, the right place, between 2 people falling in love. Ergo, it’s feel private, and I feel like I am totally not suppose to be there watching.
Plus, my lord, those 2 really, really are kissing each other left and right, and multiple takes. Consummate professionals, they are, and an award for most understanding spouse goes to Mrs. CSW!
@ 92 meh
I liked the kiss at the end of ISWAK, ArJoe has amazing chemstry with each other, young love chemstry, undeniable. However, I could not watch past ep. 3 of They Kiss Again, just godawful plot and character trajectory. I will go seek out kissing on youtube though, just to watch it without the other headache inducing parts of the drama.
@ 95 mishane and 96 Andromytta
Goong kiss – I am with mishane on this one, it was defintely a kiss with tongue – but a kiss with tongue does not a good or passionate kiss make. It was awkward between them, and it was either a factor of the actors being awkward, or the director not giving the proper directing. Either way, it was more tongue kissing than in 99% of k-dramas, but unfortunately, I felt no passion and it didn’t seem romantic.
Check out the CH clip I posted, go to minute 3:17, and enjoy.
_______________________________________
Btw, in Black & White, I totally wanted Vic and Mark to make out! Only cuz the ladies were nowhere near matching their intensity, and both radiated so much male charisma, I was all pent up waiting for them to unleash it on someone. Since no worthy ladies were around, it had to be with each other!!
Does anyone remember the Coffee/Coke combo?
Apparently they still make Vanilla coke?
Also, my coworker just told me that there are 3D Doritos in Mexico. MEXICO HERE I COME!
Hi ,”Yedera”
(Trying to place one of the about 100 words / expressions I know in Korean – well you will never learn, if you don’t use the language. If anybody comes up with a suggestion where to use “Yeh, Mama” in everyday life, I am awarding 50 brownie points to you.)
@2 Maddy
Seoulbeats.com works for me… Maybe it’s on again, give it a try.
@hjkomo
Finally, went and saw NY-LON. I loved it but the end SERIOUSLY called out for Season 2. My imagination can only do so much …
@langdon813
Followed up on your recommendation and watched BEING HUMAN. Refreshingly, different but I must say that I liked the actress of the Ghost in the Pilot a lot better than the actress playing Annie in the series. She didn’t give the character any depth at all. The change of the actor playing the Vampire was for
the better. Should there be a Season 2, I will definitely watch it.
Did you watch “Lars and the Real Girl”?
I am watching Meteor Shower at the moment and it feels like fanfic or maybe a children’s version of BOF / Hana Yori Dango. Far enough from the real story not to get caught and close enough for everybody to see the resemblance. As I can take a lot (thanks to my inner 12-year old) and I like the story, I will keep on watching, but it is only for hardcore addicts in my estimation.
@103 meh: Yeah, boiling water is about the extent of my cooking ability (if you don’t count baking). When I set grilled cheese on fire, my boyfriend banned me from the kitchen. *lol* But yeah, mac & cheese, definitely good comfort food!
And wait, Vanilla Coke is gone? Are you sure? I work in a grocery store, and I could have SWORN it was still on the shelves! Oh, well, I have to leave for work as soon as my download of ep 6 of “Iljimae” is finished, so I will definitely check tonight. If I see the Coke vendor guy, I will ask him about it! I will report back with my findings when I get home from work tonight! *lol* (Ugh…have a closing shift tonight…BK Boca burger, here I come! *lol*)
Somehow my name got lost: Anonymous 109 = AnitaLotti
@85 meh – I’m particularly fond of spinach lasagna. Mmmm.. When you make it, you need to make a bunch extra, then cut it up into manageable chunks and freeze what you don’t eat. I swear, I could live for a year on spinach lasagna. I actually prefer it to meat lasagna, and I’m a meat-avore. Nom.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who rewinds for kiss scenes multiple times. GUH. Love it.
PARTNER: Stuck on episode 14 & hesitant on continuingnor not.
And agreein’ with everybody on how I’m going to miss Lee Dong Wook! His acting & facial expressions were a treat to watch
Currently watching Tree of Heaven as well & is on episode 7? It has only 10 episodes & is a sweet & breezy drama to watch.
There seems to be people stump on what to watch next. Well, I’m currently watching Hana Kimi (Japanese version). It’s one of those feel-good dramas to watch & it is HILARIOUS (;
TOTALLY RANDOM QUESTION:
Why do Korean people touch their earlobes after touching something that’s hot?
@108 mishane: 3D Doritos in Mexico! Yippee! Pick me up on the way! Dang, I wish I knew someone who could pack some up and Fed Ex them this way! *lol*
Ooh, drama kissing! Good topic!
ockoala, I am SO with you on B & W (what a shock, eh?) Vic and Mark were by far the best couple and if they wanted to make out I’d have had absolutely no problem with it. Yeah, I said it!
9E2O – I feel like a broken record since I raved so much about it in the last OT, but some really good kisses in that one, for sure.
The World That They Live In – haven’t seen the drama but I have seen a few clips and it looks like there are some realistic kiss scenes in it (guess now we know why, huh?)
Vic Zhou had some pretty good kissing scenes Wish To See You Again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J84qFur37Ak
Speaking of kisses (any excuse to bring this up works for me
), have you guys seen my Lee Min-ki’s new MV (I posted this in the last OT too, sorry. I’m a little obsessed). There is a kiss in it (and the song is really good, too). And there’s a kiss in it…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN9bu6Gcop8
@97 gallivanter,
If you want to try a more recent Kimura Takuya drama, I would suggest Change, where he is an elementary school teacher who becomes Prime Minister. It’s a little like City Hall, only without the hot romance, LOL. But he does a fantastic job, really, a lot of depth and range, and including a nearly-20 minute long speech that was filmed without cuts, in one take, that really held your interest.
He was actually criticized in the press and by the public by gaining weight (going from skeletal to skinny, near as I could tell) and having a very unflattering hairstyle (for one episode!), but it is perfect for the part and I thought they were being rather harsh.
OH!
Who was it here that never saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer? I remember someone had never seen it, and was trying to find a streaming site but couldn’t?
Well, my desire to have people watch Buffy is so large that I don’t mind downloading the series for that person. It needs to be seen! LOL. So whoever that was, if you still want to watch Buffy, let me know, I can start DL’ing it soon.
Re: Johnnys. . . .are there any shenanigans between the managers and the singers? I don’t know, I always wonder about scandals like that. Especially since that Korean scandal about the BOF actress came out and in the US, that whole B2K thing, where the managers were apparently raping the members. . .it just makes me wonder. . .the managers are the ones with all the control, what’s to stop them from using it in the wrong way?
5 minutes left on my download, which means I have to go to work (and I may not even be late! I think this will be the first time a Kdrama didn’t make me late for work! *lol*) I will check into the Vanilla Coke situation and report back! I’ll also try to remember to ask the Frito Lay vendor about 3D Doritos…maybe we can help them make a comback!
Don’t have too much without me while I’m gone! *lol*
@ 108 mishane
I just wiki’d Vanilla Coke and apparently its been re-introduced in the US, and was never discontinued in France, Australia, etc. GAH, WHYWHYWHYWHY isn’t it available in Canada? at least, I don’t think it is. This is so unfair! me wantz…. =(
@ 107 ockoala
I just YT’d They Kiss Again kissing scenes and there’s aplenty to watch. And, uh, there’s an uncut honeymoon bedscene which is like… five minutes long. like, wthhhh? IS THIS IS AN ASIAN DRAMA?? *fans myself* I wanted to slap Marc Chao in his major make-out scene with psycho!bitch!spy!woman! Vic Zhou is a way better choice, I agree!
@ 107 ockoala
Wow, again I thought I was the only one. I read so many comments on youtube and Soompi about that kiss and while yes. . . it’s cool that they were using tongue. . . it still lacked the kind of coordination and chemistry that would have made it so much hotter. It was like watching cousins kiss. . .it just looked a little awkward. Maybe I have to rewatch it because it has been a REALLY long time since I’ve watched Goong.
Another kiss scene that was great? Well, in My Girl, the kiss scene wasn’t all that but if you go to youtube and google ‘Lee Da Hae Lee Dong Wook kiss’, there’s this BTS thing where they show LDH and LDW practicing for their kiss. It’s seriously a 2 minute video of LDH/LDW making out. I still don’t get it. There’s no camera rolling, no one is yelling action or cut. . .it’s just the two of them practicing their making out. And they make out. And it’s cute because LDH gets all embarassed but they keep on going. THAT should have made it into the drama.
@ 115 Andromytta
There’s actually a petition online to bring 3D Doritos back!! LOLOLOL
@ langdon813
Yessss, kisses in 9E2O were really cute! Real AWWW moments and very satisfying. The two leads had so much natural chemistry that you can easily believe they’ve been friends since they were foetuses and had finally made the transition to lovers.
@ mishane
Well, there’s that very publicized but never concluded rumor that Johnny molested some of the boys in the past. Some ex-Johnnys commented on it (I know there was one member of Four Leaves who wrote a book, as well as some others who also mentioned it) after they left the company. Johnny simply has too much clout, though, so it was never looked into. Or if it was, it was suppressed and never saw the light.
@ 118 mishane
I believe that was me! I was on the hunt for Buffy streaming links, but came out empty-handed. And I also searched through LJ for downloading links, but there isn’t anyones for the first few seasons =(
YOU WILL REALLY UPLOAD THE SERIES??? *HUGSHUGSHUGSHUGS* I will forever be in your debt!
@ 120 meh
Re: They Kiss Again
Heh, as much as I disliked that drama, yeah that honeymoon scene was long and probably the most sexualized scene I’ve seen in an Asian drama. I was shocked. In a good way.
kiss scenes:
the only one i can really remember is Hotelier.. and it was just a “push lips together” kiss… which was the first time i saw a “real” kiss in a kdrama.
i wish Thai lakorns/dramas would have real kisses… which reminds me, i have to catch up on Sapai Klai Teung.. Anne T and Chakrit really kiss and i’ve GOT to see it.
re: food
what the heck is up w/ Honey BBQ Fritos only being in a “grab bag” size? i want family size!!!! and the machine cuisine at my office has them behind chili cheese fritos! i don’t want chili cheese; i want honey bbq.
dark chocolate Ferraro Roche.. YUMMY!!!
random:
i can’t believe how long it’s been that i’ve listened to Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts.
@ 122 Lemoncat
See, that’s what scares me about young boys/girls who enter the entertainment industry and are completely controlled by a management group. I mean, it’s not THAT much different here in the States (well, excluding the Disney people) but here I feel like there’s more control with the parents and MAYBE less a chance of those shenanigans to happen.
Whereas I get the feeling that in Japan/Taiwan, these kids are going off to these management companies who essentially become parent figures. . .which could lead the way to sexual harassment. . .and at the age where the kids would be too young to realize it. They probably go into the business trying to make money for their parents and get pressured to stay in the business.
Of course, this is all speculation on my part.
I just finished watching Partner, and is it is interesting to hear dramabeans opinion about this drama:))))| Are you gonna recap it?
@116 langdon813 – OMG Lee Minki. GUH. I want to eat that boy alive. I’ve think I’ve been in love with him since I tried watching Really Really Like You however long ago (the show itself didn’t keep my interest, but Lee Minki was darling, and I loved his “fangs”). I also loved him in Taerung National Village, and then of course Dal Ja’s Spring clinched it.. Plus, HOW CUTE was he in Mixed-Up Investigative Agency?
Thanks for the link! He’s actually a decent singer, wow.. Also, HOT KISS WHUT. More reasons to love him! (MINE. MINE MINE MINE MINE. I will fight all of you TO THE DEATH.)
Now I must go download his mini-album and accompanying MV. NEED.
@118 mishane,
Unfortunately, there have been scandals about Johnny’s Entertainment; the founder and president, Johnny Kitagawa, has been accused multiple times of molesting some of the boys in his groups. One of the former members of a band even wrote a memoir about it. All of the charges have all been dismissed, although quite a few Internet posters seem to think they are true. I should qualify this by saying this is all information I have gleaned from Internet articles, just so someone doesn’t come after me with a libel lawsuit…
He maintains tight control over the “boys” under contract – their jobs and contracts are all managed by him, Johnny’s Jimusho takes a large cut of the profits, and their personal lives are both controlled and hidden from the public. I find it kindof sad that only one of the SMAP guys, who are now in their late 30’s, is married, (Kimura Takuya) and it was one of those girlfirned-is-pregnant-must-marry weddings (they have a specific word for it…). No wonder one of them was arrested for getting drunk and running around a local park, naked – the life must be like a prison.
OK, end of my Johnny’s rant!
@ 123 meh
Of course I’ll do it! Buffy love needs to be shared with the world! I think it’d be a sin if I DIDN’T offer.
It’ll take a while, I’ll probably send it season by season. What works for you, DVD-R or DVD+R? I think the DVD’s I have to burn on are DVD+R. Either that or I can hunt down some download links for you. . .I know a community that does TV show downloads, I’ll try to find some links there. Let me know what is better.
@ meh
ACTUALLY! I just found download links for the complete series for Buffy. I prefer to e-mail the links, as they are not my links.
If you give me your e-mail, I’ll e-mail the links to you. It’s all Megaupload.
@128 Kender
Yes, yes, yes to everything you said…except the “MINE” part, at which point I closed my eyes, stuck my fingers in my ears, and started humming very loudly!
if he ever gets his teeth “fixed”, I will be heartbroken.
@109, Anonymous
I did watch Lars and the Real Girl and loved it. I’m behind on Being Human but I really enjoyed the first few eps! Of course, they had me at vampire. A ghost and werewolf were just icing on the cake!
I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnny made some of its idols do sexual favours, its too naive not to think that.
As for kisses, one of the kisses in QSS was very hot, KSS but I guess we don’t have thta many great ones, most of the times its one kiss and thats that, the show ends:(
@ 130 mishane
LOL, if I knew the difference between DVD+R and DVD-R I would be a genius. Or someone who actually knew something about technology! LOL, any way which is more convenient for you is fine for me. I don’t mind DLing if there are links available. I’ve searched everywhere and have come up with zip. But then, I know nothing about American-tv-show-searches and their links =P I’m also fine with burning/snailmail if there is no DL links ^_^
Is there any way I can repay your kindness? LOL, all I have is… bout 20 DLed Kdramas, JDramas, all three seasons of Veronica Mars, and the one and only season of Firefly ^___^ I tend to delete kdramas/jdramas as I watch them, due to limited HD space, unless they’re really really really good, lol, so my collection is limited.
EDIT: mishane, do you have LJ? I can add you as a friend if you do, and you can share the links that way. my username is: dramafreakazoid.
I’m always amused and saddened by the Johnny’s system. Seeing the same actors in EVERY. SINGLE. DRAMA. doesn’t really make me interested in any particular projects of theirs, but the system has also produced some quality actors–KimuTaku obviously, but Nino from Arashi and Ryo from NewS are suprisingly decent.. (Ryo was fantastic as the abusive boyfriend in Last Friends. Even if you hate the show, you have to admit that he was amazing.) Yamapi’s not too bad either, although he doesn’t get a bit act-y sometimes.
And on the subject of kisses, the elevator kiss in QSS was sexy. The rain kiss was more passionate, but WOW, elevator kiss. That’s the point in the show where I started finding Eric attractive.
@132 langdon813 – *gasp* Perish the thought! I adore those fangs of his more than words can express.
And he is SO mine. YOU CAN’T STOP OUR LOVE.
@ 135 meh
lol, it’s not kindness, it’s a desire to force one of my favorite shows on someone! I adore Buffy, and this way, you’ll get to watch it and experience one of the biggest cult shows of the 90’s!
I can e-mail you the MU links, that’ll probably be the easiest. The files aren’t very large so I don’t think it’ll take too much space. And they are all DVD copies so nice and clear.
And I do have an LJ. I’ll add you and PM the links to you.
@ Kender
OMG I’ve only seen Nishikido Ryo in ONE THING, Attention Please, and even the limited amount of time he had on screen made me fall for him. He’s gorgeous. I really should watch more of his dramas. I’ve got one of my hard drive that I haven’t gotten around to yet, Ryusee something?
@ Kender
Yeah, I really hate how obvious it is that Johnny pays for the boys to be inserted into dramas every single season, and most of them tend to turn out really boring, overly-flawed dramas because the scriptwriters/directors didn’t even bother; it’s a Johnny’s-vehicle anyway, so why bother? It’ll be popular anyway.
There have been some really good dramas featuring JE boys as well, so one can’t completely disregard everything that stars a Johnny’s, but still… Oh well, at least the fans are happy, because their favourite idols will always play a lead role (if they’re popular), or at least get a decent supporting role.
Nishikido Ryo’s acting is far from stellar, IMHO, but he definitely did the job in One Litre of Tears. He was so cute as Aya’s boyfriend; he looked so pained every time he watched her struggle that it tugged at the heartstrings.
(Um, in case people wonder why everyone’s numbers are off (when referrring to previous posts), it’s because some comments get caught in spam, and while they’re there, the thread goes on, and then I un-spam them. They get added back into the thread and skew the numbering! lol.)
Are any of the Hana Yori Dango boys Johnnys?
I remember reading this one article about Aya Ueto, who is one of the biggest female stars in Japan with a lot of endorsements and in the article she said something about only getting a small allowance. I mean, she gets pain probably millions for all her ads but apparently she only gets a small allowance?
Weird.
Also, did you guys know that Tamaki Hiroshi is dating his costar from Love Shuffle? The crazy girl? LUCKY GIRL.
@ 140 mishane
YOU HAVE TO WATCH RYUSEI NO KIZUNA. Its one of my fave dramas ever. Three siblings whose parents have been murdered are now swindlers, while trying to find their parents’ murderer. Nino is an anti-social geek/freak who is just plain adorable. And Ryo is hot, lol. and cool and awesome. the whole plot is crack!tastic. Nino’s master-mind plans which he uses to swindle people will have you in tears of hilarity. I know some people found it *too* cracky, but really…. thats the whole charm, methinks.
@ 144 meh
Oh, I got the sense that it was a really angsty, dramatic series. There’s crack involved?
@mishane – Ryusei no Kizuna? OMG. WATCH IT. LOVE IT. It sounds like this serious revenge drama, but the first half of the show is so cute and comically off-the-wall (watch out for Kaname Jun, who is HILARIOUS). Then it turns (rather gracefully, actually) into the darker revenge story, and I loooooooove it. Nino surprised me with how good he was, and Ryo was adorable too.
I’m actually not a huge Ryo fan (or any of the Johnny’s, for that matter), but I think he’s actually a decent actor, and he tends to have interesting choices.
AND WHAT?! Tamaki Hiroshi, why do you forsake ussssssssss? *cries*
As for the HYD boys, Jun (Domyouji) is from the Johnny’s group Arashi, with Nino. The other boys aren’t
@Lemoncat – Yeah, I tend to be much more selective with my Jdramas because I’m wary of the whole flooding-the-market thing Johnny’s does. If it stars Narimiya Hiroki (my faaaaaaaaavourite, non-Johnny’s, J-actor), I’m on it in an instant, but if it’s anybody else I take a long while to think about it.
@ 145 mishane
yes, yes, yes, there is. Of course there’s the dramatic/angsty moments, but there is tons of hilarity too! Go try the first episode. You’ll know what I mean, once you see the host/bunny swindling-plan =P lol, I’m *pretty* sure thats in the first episode. Anyways, the angst/mystery is spread out throughout the drama, so there’s no major-overload of any of it, in my opinion ^_^
Totally jumping off the beaten path here, but since ockoala broached the subject of shows where the male leads have all the chemistry, so much so that the women are just incidental, I’m reminded of something funny that I thought you guys might get a kick out of.
Some backstory first:
A few years ago, I wrote an online column about the US soap Days of Our Lives for a website that featured weekly articles/recaps on all US soaps. The woman who wrote for the soap One Life to Live was always talking about how much chemistry two of the men on her show had with each other, as opposed to their leading ladies. She always held out hope that the producers would see the light and put these guys together, but if course it never happened. Anyway, to prove her point, she made a couple of MV’s featuring these guys and edited them so that it looked as if they were in fact a couple. I think they’re brilliant!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp7kKvZmg8g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4cltph2-c0
@ mishane
Oh yes; in fact, the lead male in Hana Yori Dango is a Johnny’s boy! Matsumoto Jun is a member of Arashi, one of the numerous boybands under JE.
@ meh
LOL host/bunny swindling plan? Omg, what. So Ryusei isn’t too angsty? I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about watching it, but it sounds so dark that not even the lure if Ryo and Kaname Jun has been able to make me start it XD But if it’s not that hard on the angst… here I come!
WOW, Okay I’ll watch Ryusei! I didn’t know there was a love for it.
I wonder what the interactions between the Johnny’s and non-Johnny’s are. Do people look down on them or are they more popular? In the entertainment industry that is.
This whole thing is fascinating to me.
YEP Tamaki is dating. I’M SO SAD.
Woah, I come back to reply and I’m 50 or so comments later, wow.
However, one of my favourite topics came up. Johnny’s boys! When I first discovered them, it was complete and utter confusion as to what the hell I was watching, but as kept watching, I discovered that the whole agency is a bit like a drug. I wonder why I watch and then the members of KAT-TUN grind up on each other and I forget my last thought. Also, some of the entertainers are actually talented beyond their insane costumes and their, well who knows what to call them, dance moves(for example, Ikuta Toma, Nishikido Ryo, Ninomiya Kazunari).
@68 Samsooki,
I’ve never really watched daytime dramas, I tried You are My Destiny and I just couldn’t stick it out. I think the longest drama I ever watched clocked in at something like 30 episodes. As to dramas I’ve seen, here are a few of the Korean dramas I’ve watched, though I have watched a number of J, Tw, HK dramas and even a few lakorns (which I don’t recommend).
-Brilliant Legacy
-My Sweet Seoul
-Que Sera Sera
-Delightful Girl Chun Hyang
-Dal Ja’s Spring
-Goong
-Coffee Prince
-Full House
-Bad Couple
-BOF
-MISA
-Last Scandal
-Soulmate
-When It’s At Night
-Witch Yoo Hee
Yep that’s the list of completed kdramas, there’s also several which I started and never finished or I am still on the last episode. Seeing that list, who can recommend? I have no preference as to actors or actresses.
By the way, love the song of the day today. Metric is amazing, especially this song. My friend and I had a very serious discussion and who we would rather be. She said Beatles, but personally, I would rather be a Rolling Stone.
Only an hour left before the school library closes and I have to head back home. Boo. I should probably do some grocery shopping while I’m out and about, but I left my list at home.
@Missemergency – Although I haven’t even begun watching it yet, I’m going to go ahead and recommend 9 Ends 2 Outs. Everyone who’s seen it appears to love it, and mishane is freaking insane about it.
Also, go watch Who Are You, and try to ignore the stiffness of Go Ara’s acting. Yoon Kye-sang more than makes up for her inadequacies.
@ 149 Lemoncat
It’s not like one of those angst-filled series where everyone is either dying, trying to die, or going to die. It’s actually really comical and amusing at parts. The suspense element *is* in the drama, but its really executed!
@ 150 mishane
What I really love about the JE boys are the variety shows. After watching Arashi’s Corner and finding video’ of YamaPi dressed up in a cow-suit and leather and being so adorable…I fell in love.
Here’s Kame dressed up as a cheerleader, and YamaPi in a cow-suit. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0i8-HGPMlQ
I’m not sure about the interactions between Johny/Non-Johny boys are. You got me intrigued, lol!
LOL, I’m not insane!! Okay, maybe a little.
The formula to make your 9E2O love as manic as mine? Watch a whole bunch of “classic” Korean dramas: Full House, Kim Sam Soon, Goong, Boys Over Flowers, Attic Cat. . .etc. Until you get tired of them.
Then pop in 9E2O. . .you’ll fall in love. That’s what happened with me. The best way to describe it? ‘A breath of fresh air’.
@126 Mishane – I believe we (U.S.)have very strict child labor laws that protect the rights of working children (not including illegal stuff – another soapbox later on that topic) and I know that UK has a form of the same kind of law. However, I’m so sure about other countries, but if I had to guess…based on how much I see those idols on variety shows, radio, dramas, & concerts, then no.
@54 – **hugs**
Ahh, I just manage to skim through all the posts!
@skelley
I would say out of all the JE boys, it seems to me that Kimura Takuya probably has the most flexibility in choosing his roles and while he does tend to pick fairly similar roles, he has some very different roles too like in Change, A million stars fall from the sky (really dark and he plays a disturbing character), and though I haven’t seen it but Karei naru Ichiozoku is supposedly different too. Anyways, outside of Kimutaku, the Arashi boys are probably most talented of the JE boys, IMHO….though Takizawa Hideaki has been pretty decent in the dramas I’ve seen him in (is anybody watching his latest drama w/Nishikida Ryo Orthros no Inu?)
But I kind of agree that the whole Johnny thing isn’t exactly a great thing in terms of getting talented actors into the industry. Thinking about it, I’m actually surprised how many actors I absolutely adore that aren’t w/JE : Abe Hiroshi, Oguri Shun, Matsuda Shota, Tsumabuki Satoshi
Oh and is anybody watching Ichihara Hayato’s drama? He’s been off my radar for a long time since I’ve only seen in him movies (All about Lily Chou Chou and Omnyouji)
Also speaking of Partners…does anybody know when LDW is going to be doing his military service? I think he’s only a few months or so younger than Kim Rae
Won.
@mzpakipot — omg, thank you for the info on “Thirst” at the Varsity! ::another seattleite waves:: actually, i live in tacoma (hence the 253 in my username ^^) but work @ the U.
@116 — Anon– did you get an answer to your q? I didn’t see one.
Why do Korean people touch their earlobes after touching something that’s hot?
B/c earlobes are considered the coldest place on your body. so if you touch them right after touching something hot, you’ll relieve the pain.
Random note: i am sooo bored by Partner even tho I was looking forward to it b/c of the cast. And the subs (provided by KBS through local cable channel KO-AM) are awkward and confusing, esp. on the legal stuff. I’m only at ep. 5 and am thinking of quitting. This does not feel like a Korean drama but like some weak hybrid of American legal shows (LA Law, etc) with Korean actors.
Meanwhile, i am LOVING “Man Who Can’t Get Married.” Standout!! Ji Jin-Hee hasn’t been this good since…. Dae Janggum (keke, what a contrast in roles!).
@Taohua – I didn’t know he had a drama coming out! All About Lily Chou Chou is one of my favourite movies.. I need to look this thing up now.
@ 158 paula253
Thanks for answering that question about the ear thing! I always wondered that myself. I saw it happen a lot on Attic Cat and DGCH and always wondered.
omg came back from lunch and there are like 80 more posts than when i left. geez u guys are fast!!! i only managed to kinda skim thru them but…
@mishane – you just broke my heart.. tamaki is taken?!?!?!?! sigh. well i wish him happiness…but.. i’m so sad. oh chiaki-senpai… and yes, my friend does not want her hyung tae. i’m like, u don’t UNDERSTAND… i want to relive my entire life so that i can HAVE a hyung tae!! *sigh* she must watch 9E2O and then realize what she needs to grab onto lol.
@ Taohua
I haven’t watched Saru Lock yet, but I’m totally planning to. I haven’t actually watched Ichihara Hayato in anything since Water Boys 2 and Rookies, but I’ve always liked him (does anyone here think he’s like the Japanese version of On Joo Wan?) It’s a pity his hairstyles/colors are going more and more wack by the series, LOL. I thought his blond mane in Wild Life was insane until I caught sight of his silver hair on the Saru Lock posters.
@ 150 mishane
Hmm, I don’t really know in-depth details, and I can’t present any exact examples, but it’s obvious that there IS some discontent from other actors regarding the Johnny’s thing. Afterall, it’s unfortunate but most of the Johnny’s boys are not the best of actors. They’re better classed as “entertainers”, and to other serious actors, it’s probably just a little unfair that they are handed lead role after lead role. You do get a feeling sometimes that there’s an invisible divide between “real actors” and idol actors. I can’t remember which director it was that worked with Matsumoto Jun (Domyouji in Hana Yori Dango) for a project, and he praised Jun for his work ethic and desire to learn, in comparison to other Johnny’s Idols, whom he refuses to work with.
@Kender
I really liked him in All About Lily Chou Chou as well—I thought he was great especially for being so young. I heard he did a good job in ROOKIES (another jdorama) even winning the Japanese version of the Emmy for that…but I wasn’t too impressed by the summary on d-addicts…but maybe I will check it out.
@Lemoncat
Yeah, I’ve been wondering what’s up with him changing his style so drastically between each new work. Oh well, I’m going to have to at least give Saru Lock a chance…compared to others in his age range, he’s definitely one of the better actors.
@ Kender, mishane and Lemoncat (sorry, don’t remember the exact post numbers)
Speaking of k-drama endings, yes, that is one of my TOP gripes, endings are soooo difficult to get right. It doesn’t have to to a happy ending, it doesn’t have to have a twist ending, it doesn’t even have to make much sense. But all endings have to have one intangible element to work – the ending has to feel right to the viewer! It has to feel like we got the closure we needed within the context of what we invested 16 to 24 hours of our life to spend with these people.
Some key problems I keep seeing in dramas – warning, some mild ending spoilers, read at your peril (I only dare do this in OT, where it’s a free for all – but remember my warning):
You can’t lead us down a path, and the screw with our minds with a giant FU at the end (see case study #1 Lovers in Paris, or case study #2 for movies – The Village). Twist endings are fine if it fits completely with what we have seen but didn’t realize (i.e. the ending for The Usual Suspects or to a lesser degree The Sixth Sense).
You can’t not end the drama at all. Open endings are fine as long as it feels organic to the characters we have grown to care about (well done award goes to MNIKSS and QSS – it just feels right).
You can’t make us cry for the sake of making us cry, don’t force a sad ending (i.e. Autumn in my Heart). Sad endings done right (MISA, Hong Gil Dong, Snow Queen).
You can’t slap a wham, bam, thank you ma’am all issues are cleared up in the last 15 minutes ending – this means Mr/Ms. Scriptwriter – you didn’t think through your story in advance, and I hate you for it.
You can’t have an ending where nothing is resolved, but hot dang, let’s let some time pass (oh, I dunno, 3 years seems to be the average amount of time), and allow our lovers to get back together and hope they (and all the opposition around them) have suffered collective anmesia or had a personality transplant so that all issues have miraculously become non-existent. Hooray, time does heal everything. Winners in this shiteous ending category goes to (clapping exuberantly): Winter Sonata (he’s STILL blind!!!), Witch Yoo Hee (pls read Java’s recaps for the full WTF reaction), Fashion 70’s (all the guilt, still there, so why bother), Bad Love (this was painful from beginning to end, so I don’t even care to explain why cuz the ending wasn’t even the most painful part to watch). And there were so many more gems in this category – I might annoint this as the most overused lousy ending.
And last, but not least, you can’t have an ending that just fizzles, trickling into nothingness. Happy, sad, twisty, doesn’t matter, it shouldn’t just go “wah, wah, wah…..” When it’s at Night was a total fizzly ending, as was Coffee Prince (for me) and Goong.
Leading to the highlight of my rant (and I have espoused this position in previous OTs):
City Hall has the best ending in all of k-drama. It is satisfying, organic, complete (you don’t need to wonder about anything), and employs both fate and the time jump in ways that are meaningful.
@ 162 Lemoncat
Thank you for sharing. That is SO interesting to me, especially the director thing. I wonder what the atmosphere would be like on a set then, if that happens.
@ 164 ockoala
I ADORE YOU. Thank you. THANK YOU for putting so perfectly my frustration with Korean dramas. I have nothing more to add.
Re: City Hall. I cringe to write this here because of the City Hall love that happens in OT. . .but. . .after hearing certain things/issues re: the OTP, I just can’t bring myself to watch it. It’s tempting, because everyone keeps talking about how amazing the couple is, but when I heard a certain part of the plot, it just hits one of my drama nerves.
Did anyone ever see the Kim Sun Ah and Lee Dong Gun (aka one of the hottest Korean men ever) drama, When It’s At Night? Was it any good? I wanted to watch that. I saw one of the kissing scenes in it where LDG has a bloody face and gahhh, I want to see it very badly but I never heard anything about it.
@Lemoncat: I must say that Matsumoto Jun is indeed on of the better actors within JE.
Unfortunately, I’m not fond of JE boys – not merely in acting, but not impressed with their singing either. But lately I have been addicted to Cartoon Kat-tun XD
Kat-tun is the only JE group I”m fond of :O
—
About dramas, one drama I hardly here people mention is “Miss Kim’s Diary”.
I know it was extremely popular (there was a movie adaption) with good (high?) ratings, but I hardly hear people mention it >.<
It's was quite funny to watch too, but is it perhaps the fact it's a daily drama?
Are any of the other ARASHI boys actors? I’ve only really heard of Jun.
Boy, this thread is moving so fast it’s hard to keep up!
Seems like a lot of you are seeking a new drama to watch. Please do not follow me into the black hole called Good job,Good job! Someone please tell me why I’m on episode 30 and still watching it? Am I so addicted to Kdramas I’ll watch anything just to get my fix?
@ib_tmi
Glad you’re enjoying PlumBlossom! When I issued the warning last week I was afraid you might come away with a tarnished view toward KRW. Doesn’t he win the cute tush award!
@#3 yenchan
Most people have times when they feel unfulfilled and in need of a change. For me it happened in my 20’s. After yrs of working toward achieving academic goals and a few yrs working in my chosen profession, I felt suddenly at sea, I’d reached my goal so now what? Much to my parents dismay, I quit my job, packed my bags and moved half way around the world to LA! Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith in ourselves, take a risk, if it fails just dust yourself off and try again!
Now, 2yrs away from retirement after 30+ yrs in the medical profession, I look back and still can’t believe I actually dared to do that!
Sorry about sharing my life story, just trying to give encouragement!
Have a great weekend everyone!
@ langdon813:
Sis, you’re still powering through SQ, right? No one followed up on your SQ reflection, but it wasn’t ever a super hit, so maybe not a lot of folks have watched it. I found the entire drama *beautiful* and *touching*. It has that intangible quality to it. Yes, Sung Yuri’s entire wardrobe was THE best wardrobe in k-drama heroine costume collection (with the exception of Choi Ji Woo’s wardrobe in Star’s Lover, apparently girl never wore the same outfit in any 2 scenes). Makes me wanna move back to NYC for the winters so I have an excuse to wear it.
SQ also has the best use of the season in which it filmed (winter), even better fitting than Winter Sonata. [Random aside, I was always upset Hong Gil Dong filmed in the winter - it was much more suited for a late summer to fall shoot. All the leads in HGD looked like they were padded down with 30 layers of stuffing inside their costumes, leading to the effect that I wanted them to charge each other a la that sumo wrestling game where folks donned fake sumo suits and wrestled each other].
Anyways, loved SQ, am sure I’m in the minority, but it was a slow, lyrical, evocative drama that has many inplausible plot points and silly character trajectories, but had a quiet grace all its own. Hyun Bin really can do no wrong in my eyes.
@164 mishane
Perhaps you want to read Samsooki’s CH recaps to get a sense. What was the drama element you are talking about that bothers you. I’m curious. I know some folks dislike KSA’s character being so cutsey and silly in the beginning, but it didn’t bother me, because her character is quite well drawn overall, as the drama will show you.
@ ockoala
Oh, wow, you’ve put everything I’ve ever hated about regarding kdrama endings into words. I cannot stress how much I strongly, strongly dislike endings where everything just fizzles away into thin air, or inconclusive ones – case in point, Modern Housewives. Did anyone else watch that, or am I the only one? Because I liked the drama, all the way until I got to the end, and it was one giant WTF.
Absolute ass of a husband cheats on his dutiful homemaker wife with a rich career woman, and the worn out wife is repeatedly handed emotional abuse from her husband. Cute younger man pops along and supports her, and along with a bunch of other wives, they start breaking out of their shells and living lives outside of their awful husbands. It might sound like it’s been done a million times before, but Modern Housewives looked at it in a serious manner, and I appreciated that… except omg, it ended with the husband feeling sorry about it all, apologizing, and clinging to the ex-wife… AND SHE LETS HIM. She doesn’t accept it either, nor has she accepted younger guy, so instead the whole gang of them, with ex-husband in tow, goes off on a HOLIDAY. The end. WTF?
@ mishane
Ninomiya Kazunari of Arashi is also quite a lauded actor. He had a supporting role in Letters from Iwo Jima (the Clint Eastwood movie), actually, and he’s played a number of varied roles to wide critical acclaim. Unfortunately I haven’t seen any of it for myself, so… I really can’t say whether he’s as amazing as they say.
All of the other Arashi members have had drama roles. Sakurai Sho was recently in The Quiz Show 2, Ohno Satoshi took the lead role in Maou (Japanese version of The Devil/Mawang), and Aiba Masaki will lead in My Girl soon (based off a Japanese manga, totally unrelated to the Kdrama). I’ve heard pretty varied opinions about their acting skills, though, particularly with Ohno in Maou.
@ Biscuit
I used to be quite into JE boys, but then the Korean brand of manly hotness completely replaced them XD I still appreciate their variety shows, though; despite what people might say about their acting and singing/dancing abilities (or lack thereof), they ARE good entertainers. Arashi is hilarious on shows.
Ummm. since SeoulBeats is down for a bit, can I just have a few minutes to rant about G-Dragon & Big Bang & YG Entertainment??
This is just my opinion and impression I get from them.
Big Bang was a bit of a joke. Not that they aren’t talented or anything like that – they are. But the reason I find them a joke is their concept of being a group. It is very obvious to me that YG didn’t know how to promote five talented individuals for a successful solo career, so he stuck them together to form Big Bang. But by doing so, he forced 5 individuals to work together when really, they don’t want to. Gdragon doesn’t know how to be a leader of a group because he’s more interested in his own pursuits. Without a strong leader to pull the group together, to enhance the group together, to showcase each other strengths but as a group, then the group fails to BE a group.
I get the sense from their interviews & such (and it might be that something got lost in the translation) that they would much rather focus on their individual goals instead of having to promote as a group. And I think its most telling that each of them have launched into their own solo’s so quickly after launching as a group.
If that was YG’s intent fine, but why have fans become so vested into a group when you’re going to splinter them? If its not your intent, then why have each member do so many activities on their own?? Why state in an official post: Gdragon will show his true colors like he couldn’t before in Big Bang How the heck are fans supposed to interpret that comment? And dang it, why not let Daesung sing more,??? His voice is amazing. Aren’t you the one that emphasis talent over looks?? So why does it seem that Daesung’s talent on variety shows is just an excuse to keep him busy because you don’t want to worry about promoting him as a ballad singer?
I’m not really a Big Bang fan, I’m a Daesung fan and I’m a TOP fan, and I’m really not hating on the group – I’m just frustrated at the illogical, weird, and lazy decision making by some of these agencies and YG was at the top of my list because I’ve been going through TOP withdrawal and feeling bad for Daesung.
Rant over – thanks!
@ mishane
Nino, the main guy in Ryusei no Kizuna, is from Arashi. And there’s tons of other dramas featuring Arashi actors. Nino is in a ton of dramas, all of them excellent because he’s an amazing actor. Ohno from Arashi is in Uta no Onii-san (it was pretty cute and light), Sho from Arashi is in The Quiz Show 2 and a bunch of other dramas too. The one I’m missing is… Aiba, and I think he’s in a bunch of dramas too, lol. So all five act, though at different acting proficiencies, lollll.
@165 mishane
I watched WIAN (When It’s at Night). I actually watched WIAN after I watched City Hall. Reason: I am not a KSA fan, not even after MNIKSS. And sorry, also not a Lee Dong Gun fan (before WIAN, only saw him in Lover’s in Paris – where he was a snot brat). But, City Hall turned me into a KSA fan.
So, I checked out WIAN, which my sister watched when it first aired, she had high expectations, and ended up pretty disappointed. WIAN was also a ratings disappointment and received even by KSA fans lukewarmly. This should give you a sense.
My review: KSA and LDG were their usual acting selves, chock full of charisma and brought their characters to life – they were the shining beacons in an otherwise terribly written, poorly paced and directed drama. The failure of WIAN lies squarely with the script and direction. KSA and LDG had good chemistry (though third in line, after CSW and HB’s chemistry with KSA), and the few kisses were nice (hhmm, nice), but holy heck the story was a mess. It was painful to watch, and KSA’s character was written so she got more and more weepy and useless, and it was a waste of KSA and LDG’s talent. My 2 cents only, I still enjoyed it cuz KSA-LDG, they rock, even in crappy dramas.
@ 169, ockoala
Maybe not “powering” through so much as “meandering” through…I really am enjoying it, so much so that I almost don’t want it to end. Towards the end of My Girl I was so very impatient for it to be over, for them to just GET OVER IT and be together already. With Snow Queen, it’s like a bottle of really fine wine, a rare vintage that makes you sad to drink it because once it’s gone, there won’t be any more. There’ll be other wines of course, but not that one. Hmm…maybe I’m anticipating happy hour a little too early today. You’re so right about the winter setting, it is absolutely perfect for this story. I love the outdoor scenes when you can see their breath. Although, again, actors aren’t human! They still look so beautiful! My nose would be all red and runny…so unfair.
One thing that does make me smile about this drama (and admittedly, there isn’t much to smile about), but in most dramas I’ve seen, it’s usually the female character who takes long, slow (I mean really sloooooow), halting steps while crying and thinking about the tragedy of their life…and in this one, it’s the guy! Ah, and what a guy he is. I want to hug him. Just a little bit.
Anyway, three eps left; I’m planning to finish it tonight. Told hubby to stock up on Kleenex when he bought groceries this morning, so I’m set.
@151 Missemergency –
These I’ve seen that you’ve seen:
– Delightful Girl Chun Hyang
– Dal Ja’s Spring
– Last Scandal
– Soulmate
– Goong
– Coffee Prince
– Full House
And the stuff that you’ve seen that I’ve not:
– Bad Couple
– BOF
– MISA
– Brilliant Legacy
– When It’s At Night
– Witch Yoo Hee
– My Sweet Seoul
– Que Sera Sera
and the list of drams that you’ve not seen that I’ve seen:
– 9 End 2 Outs
– Autumn Tale
– Bad Family
– Cinderella Man
– City Hall
– Evasive Inquiry Agency
– Friend, Our Legend
– Good Job, Good Job
– Gourmet
– Hong Gil Dong
– Last Scandal of my Life
– My Girl
– My Love Patzzi
– My Name Is Kim Sam Soon
– New Heart
– Partner
– Save the Last Dance for Me
– Secret
– Snow Queen
– Star In My Heart
– Successful Story of a Bright Girl
– Super Rookie
– Sweet Spy
– Temptation of Wife
– The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House
– Triple
– Winter Sonata
and the list of dramas that neither of us have seen but maybe we should:
– Story of A Man
– Beethoven Virus
– Flowers For My Life
– Return of Iljimae
– Dae Jang Geum
– Queen Seon Deok
– Capital Scandal
****
If I had to pick a dozen that you should watch, in no particular order, based mostly on what I have seen, I would pick the following for you:
JB’s 10/10 ratings can’t be too far off the mark:
1. Story of A Man
2. Flowers For My Life
For more recent raving:
3. 9 End 2 Outs (I am liking it, but not as much as others here)
4. City Hall (I liked it, probably more than almost everyone here)
For recent but not too recent raves:
5. My Name Is Kim Sam Soon (almost required watching for any k-drama fan)
6. My Girl (funny, with heart, with Lee Da Hae)
7. Hong Gil Dong (fusion sageuk, with my Kang Ji Hwan and Sung Yuri)
For different reasons:
8. Bad Family (very good, with Kim Myung Min, and a good ensemble cast))
9. Super Rookie (won’t win awards for acting, but fun fun fun)
10. Last Scandal (the last drama that the incomparable Choi Jin Shil ever did, and worth watching)
11. Snow Queen (some people liked, others didn’t, but Binnie is in it)
12. Temptation of Wife (will hurt brain if watch all eps, but me like…)
I am probably missing a few here and there…
Samsooki: *clap* *clap* *clap* Brilliant post, must save this for future use.
@ coco
i am the first to admit, i’m very shallow. i love watching anything for the HOT GUY factor. i’m okay w/ nekkidness, when done well and done tastefully… and the first scene i saw in Plum Blossom was done pretty well. i mean, yes, there’s a bum shot.. but that which led up to it, there was no way that it couldn’t end up w/ them NOT in bed together.. and the angles that the scene were shot was not disgusting or revealing. i agree.. nice BUM KRW!
@ ockoala,
i can’t imagine a better shot scenery of Winter than WLS. i thought all the winter scenes were beautifully shot and i loved the incorporation of what the winter season meant to the characters… but i second the WTF factor of the ending. yeah, he’s alive, what is accomplished? he’s still BLIND!!! i was rooting for a death.. it would’ve actually made the story better, IMO.
@b020
i thought that the members of Big Bang were individuals artists, until my niece corrected me and told me they were actually members of a group. i had only heard of them separately (since my introduction to kpop). if they were more like Rob Thomas and Matchbox 20, where Rob still considers himself a member of Matchbox 20 and knows that’s where his roots are… i’d prolly have a lilo more respect for big bang…
oh, and hopefully Daesung gets better soon… i’m concerned over that eye bone fracture that’s been reported… i know nothing of that type of injury, but injuries of the eyes are very worrying to me.
i don’t get what ppl like about My Girl.. it was very forgetful to me.. so much that i saw it last summer and well, i’ve already forgotten what it was about. *shrugs* something about being an overly happy girl, having a guy friend, and the cute lead guy that i have no idea what his role was. still forgotten and i’m not even going to try to remember what it was about, cuz it would hurt my head too much.
anyone else forgot it too?
oh.. and wth? about SM entertainment and DBSK? i think it’s not just j-entertainment that’s holding their entertainers as prisoners… especially not after this news re: DBSK. it does suck to be a star, in more ways that i ever imagined. i guess i would rather be myself… a nobody.
@ockoala, thank you for your response on CH BTS. They’re both so natural and made it so real. If I were Mrs. CSW i wouldn’t even dare watch the kiss and the BTS, i give her props for being supportive of CSW. Lucky CSW!
Have you checked out CSW’s old movies yet?
@paula253, hi there! *waves* That’s a long commute, traffic must be hell? Interesting review by Seattle Time critic for Thirst/Bakwi, he gave it 2+1/2 stars. Definitely not something I wanna watch by myself, so I’m going to see it with my cousin this weekend, took a lot of convincing coz he doesn’t like watching anything with subtitles!
@Samsooki, thank you for your list. Any short review for Friend, Our Legend? I’m curious to know since you own Binnie ( oh wait, SHK owns him now!) I sometimes lurk at soompi’s thread, but i dont’ see a lot of comments there.
And of course at HB’s thread too, to check if the rumor is actually true and if HB made any sort of confirmation that they are actually an item. Sorry, there’s still part of me that wants a SunBin reunion.
But, whatever it is, i’m happy for Binnie.
@ mzpakipot
No, I’ve yet to watch any old Cha Seung Won movies or dramas. I’ve seens pics, and I have to say, the man is looking finer and finer with age. He’s even more chiseled and lean, got cheekbones and abs to die for, and is most likely an even better actor now than 10 yrs ago. How awesome is that, to hit your creative and professional high at the peak of your hotness! I want to watch Ghost House, Kick the Moon, Blood Rain and Murder Take One.
Kim Suh Na has kissed THE hottest men in k-drama, and the BEST kissers as a group in k-entertainment. Don’t believe me, here’s the list: Cha Seung Won, Lee Dong Gun, Hyun Bin, Gong Yoo, and So Ji Sub. Sheez, lady, you are so damn lucky. CSW and SJS – I have just collapsed into a puddle of drool on the floor now.
BTW – it’s true, Hye-Bin is officially a go, their reps have confirmed it.
_________________________________________________
I was browsing Sevenses blog this week, and came across a listing of possible endings for Hong Gil Dong (before the real ending aired), and it was a compendium of endings from chinese, korean dramas, movies, literatures, etc.
My fave is this:
27. The Coffee Prince ending: Gil Dong and Chang Hui fall in love after being together for a long time. Gil Dong, heedless of the world, abandons Enok and declares to Chang Hui, “Chang Hui, I love you. I don’t care if you’re a king or ugly, an alien or a man. I want to go as far as possible together.” And then … discovers that Chang Hui is a girl! (Or else why would our Daegoon look so delicately pretty?) He throws up some blood in shock, and after some struggling and fighting, accepts Chang Hui. The two live happily ever after and opens a First Shop of Red Bean Buns Princes .
Just something LOL to share. I’m not nearly as original as any of those folks who created all those endings. K-drama scriptwriters need to take heed.
@Samsooki,
THANK YOU! That has got to be the beat list I have ever seen compiled anywhere!
@samsooki… Thanks for the list…. just like mzpakipot says, i am curious about your opinion about binnie’s Friend, the Legend. I was only able to watch the first two eps because i got busy with grad school and work. But I like what I have seen so far, the cinematography was just awesome! It doesn’t feel like you’re watching a drama at all!
*gasps since meh is actually enjoying Powerful Opponents*
I am curious about this Hyung Tae. I must check out 9E2O. Maybe I have/had a Hyung Tae.
My favorite J drama recently was Arifureta Kiseki, which I watched totally because of Nakame Yukie who I knew only from Gokusen, but it was chock full of skillful adult actors (not an idol in the whole thing) and had a good script as well. Bloody Monday was my second favorite. My only J drama friend prefers the comic teen things like HanaKimi, so we never agree on what is GOOD.
I have a question maybe someone can answer for me. How do they assess the ratings on TV dramas? Does every TV set come ready bugged or what? I’m not very up on how all this works so forgive me if it seems like an idiot question.
I just read that Kim Rae Won will be assigned to Namsan Public Library as a public service worker. I’m not sure how true that is but I’m having visions of stalker/stakeouts
at the library or at least a little more foot traffic through the rows of books!
I really like the song…it suites my mood today. Ahhhhh today has been a rollercoaster as I try to get everything ready to leave for Seoul next week. I kind of feel numb at this point and don’t really know what I am getting myself into. I think it will all come crashing in the night before.
I’m going to miss next week’s open thread since I will be on a plane. If anyone wants to check out my blog about going to Korea it is:
http://lola-o-in-seoul.blogspot.com/
I am super excited to check out My Fair Lady next week and be able to watch it live in Korea:)
@157 Taohua,
About Kimura Takuya dramas: I like most of them (even Gift!), and I have watched Karei naru Ichiozoku, but I was sorry I did. Up to a point I enjoyed it a lot, calling it “the tragic love story of a boy and his blast furnace,” and really appreciating the production values and top-notch acting, but then there’s a suicide, and that’s one of the few forms of violence that just wrecks a drama for me.
It’s too bad, because otherwise Que Sera Sera sounds right up my alley…
@ 164 ockoala
–City Hall has the best ending in all of k-drama. It is satisfying, organic, complete (you don’t need to wonder about anything), and employs both fate and the time jump in ways that are meaningful.–
AMEN SISTER.
Btw, why are Jo Gook and Shin Mi Rae called Gumi? Is it Gu from Guk and Mi from Mi Rae? Why do I find this odd?
Hi everyone, Wow, it’s only 4:37pm on West coast and already this this many post… had to skim through most of them till the last 30-40 posts here. And right now I’m in Japan, just finished my breakfast…
@186 Isabelh
Oh! I’m happy to hear somebody else mentionning this drama. It was really well written, directed and acted. It may be a bit slow at first ,but this drama lingers in you. a little precious gem, sort of… My girl friend told me that the screen writer of this series is quite famous for his gentle yet subtly provocative writing style.
Here in Japan, tonight is the night for Otomen episode 3!!! But, can you imagine that it starts at 1130pm!!! Can’t imagine why… I thought the target viewers for this drama are junior high / high school girls??? Do they stay up that late? Did I?
All the comments above for Arashi and other J-pop boys groups and such. I’d say being in “idle pop groups” are the way of getting into entertainment industry over here, most of them really can’t sing that fabulous which is not erally important as long as they are adorable and have some sort of presence, then various choices are available for them later on, pursue acting, be TV personalities and so on. I was sooo disappointed the first time I heard Smap sing “Lion heart” such a beautiful song, such awful singers(most of them have proven themselves as good accountable actors). DBSK (great singers!!! they can hold tunes and more)and T-Ma’x(Javabeans, it all because you’ve posted their version on this site, I’ve discovered this song and soon found out it was originally a J-pop which eventually leaded me to DBSK! Thank you!) execute them 100 times better.
Anyways, I’m off to start my day here, one more day in Japan and coming home to the States… It’s a bit wired people don’t look into your eyes when they talk to you…
@mzpakipot — hi! over the years, i’ve adjusted my work schedule several times as commute has gotten hell-ier. now I work Mon-Thurs 11:30-7 and Fridays @home. otherwise road rage would have overtaken me years ago. ^^
Note to self: do not see 박쥐 alone! maybe I should meet you & your cousin there. ^^ he doesn’t like reading subs? ::puzzled:: i don’t watch any tv or movies that aren’t subbed keke.
@lb_tmi
My Girl sticks in my memory because it was my first (and unfortunately not the last) exposure to the Crazy Ex troop. Tennis Girl was a complete nutjob but she’s the thing I remember most from that drama. The rest of the plot merges with other drama plots and I have to stop and think before talking about it.
There’s going to be a season 2 of Lair Game? WHOOO! I’ve been reading the manga and it’s delightfully confusing. One important question-Will Shota be in it?
Add me to the slump club, after the disappointment of BOF nothing is holding my interest for long. IRIS might though it has a Le Femme Nikita vibe that appeals to me.
@javabeans
Okay, I’m going to try this again,lol. I finally figured out that maybe if I address my comment to you, you will have reason to read it
.
Anyhow, though I’m sure you’re quite busy with other projects, I wonder if you have any interest in the drama Don’t Ask Me About the Past, starring Kim Won Hee. It’s a crime/thriller/romcom kind of deal, if that makes any sense. Every episode I watch, I can’t help but think that you would enjoy the show and what your input would be on certain aspects. Just wondering:)
And I just have to say, to any Kat-tun fans, do you know where I can find the newer episodes of Cartoon Kat-tun subbed? I love the show, but my Japanese is nowhere good enough to understand without subs.
I was wandering if Thousands years of love is worth watching? The plot sounds pretty interesting so I want to know? Is it good? Well paced? Not too angsty and good acting?
@190 mems
Yes, GuMi stands for Jo Guk and Shin Mi Rae. If the netizens care enough to coin my fave k-drama couple with a nickname, I’m all for it. I think their names are funny enough sounding and meaning (Jo Guk means homeland, Shin Mi Rae means new future), that pairing them together is totally fine by me.
“I am the homeland’s new future, candidate #5, Jo Guk” is even cuter use of their names.
@195 CrimemasterGogo
I’ve been wondering about Thousand’s Year Love. I heard it has atrocious acting by Sung YuRi, and even So ji Sup barely survived. But, someday I will still watch. I don’t know anyone personally who has watched it, it’s quite an older piece of work.
@164 ockoala – re: CH ending- yes yes yes!!!!!! nothing has EVER been as perfect as that. EVER.
@185 Snikki – if you have had a Hyung Tae, i am jealous of you haha.
@187 coco – omg when is this?!? when will KRW be at namsan public library? perhaps beginning of january when i am there?? mayyyyybe??
@188 Dele – have fun in Korea!
best kissing video on youtube, ever: 5 min. of So JiSub and a lucky stream of women.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZcp7Lxs0ts
@mems
Kim Suna called GuMi as Rae-Guk
Soompiers didn’t wanna call them MiGuk coz it means America? That’s how GuMi nickname came out. Guk-Mi don’t sound right?
Korean Netizens called them Ae-Guk
@187, coco
“I just read that Kim Rae Won will be assigned to Namsan Public Library as a public service worker. I’m not sure how true that is but I’m having visions of stalker/stakeouts at the library or at least a little more foot traffic through the rows of books!”
Amen to that! I bet literacy will increase about 500% once that news hits. Now that really IS public service!
@paula253 sure! we can meet you over there! hehe He said that it gives him a headache reading subtitles..lol
thanks for the clip of JiSub’s kisses!
I’m a bit sad, those kisses were okay, while watching those kisses I have CH kiss in the back of head…
@189 That’s a MAJOR spoiler right there. You should warn others before writing something that could ruin the drama for them.
Indeed that drama was emotionally draining. It sucks the life out of you, only because it was amazingly executed…well, for me at least. Top-notch production, well-written script, and solid acting from the cast… i’m not just speaking of veterans, but even the younger cast, Aibu Saki and Narimiya Hiroki. It’s KimuTaku’s best piece yet.. I always thought his characters are always the same… but Karei Naru Ichizoku changed my perception of him, from an entertainer/idol to a real actor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEJRboUQXIw
I like Arashi a lot.. not big on fandom though (that’s why I can’t get accepted in Stormy’s LJ)… But I’m getting sick of seeing JE in every drama.. there are some actors I really like. Nino is an example and after seeing a few episodes of Smile (since the fansubbers went underground), I was impressed with Jun’s acting. I can’t count HYD since I’m just too biased for loving it. Ryo surprised me with his performance in Last Friends, even if I didn’t like the drama though. Orthros no inu, geh… I used to like Tackey.. but I’m not feeling his character. I can imagine Yamada Takayuki and Narimiya pulling it off way better.. especially Oguri Shun.. maybe Eita or Tamaki?
I agree with the poster on Arifureta Kiseki. It’s extremely slow, which actually makes the drama kind of refreshing. The acting is quite solid.. The story is far from being outrageous or mind-blowing.. but somehow it’s very special.
Those who haven’t watched Ryuusei no Kizuna and Love Shuffle, I highly recommend y’all give it another try.
have a great weekend everyone!
@202 luthien
Indeed, I’m with you. Ryuusei no Kizuna and Love Shuffle, they were both pretty good to watch with cute boys and good/goofy storytelling. Highly recommended for having your time well well spent
It’s almost 4pm in Hawaii and I have been spending the last hour or more reading OT in between answering e-mails….it’s a good thing I’m kinda the boss or else I would be fired.
Dele…I’m jealous that you’ll get to watch My Fair Lady live! I am so waiting for it.
I haven’t really picked up any K-drama since Brilliant Legacy ended. But I don’t think I’m in a rut with K-drama either. Sometimes, I just watch Japanse, Taiwanese, HK and Chinese dramas for a variety and lately, I’ve been really into 1N2D – those guys are hilarious. I adore them all for putting up with all the ridiculous challenges – which celebrity would really put up with it for 2 years or more?? And of course Lee Seung Gi and Eun Ji Won are cute. Anyways, I think the variety is what keeps me coming back for K-dramas.
As for kissing scenes, though I like the drama, I thought the kissing scene in Brilliant Legacy was lame. LSG looked like it was painful kissing HHJ and she just wanted it to end. I agree the Goong kiss with tongue was awkward. And though the kiss in CP was quite passionate, I still thought it was awkward. I think it’s YEH – she tried to be natural but comes across as not in both dramas.
I have to watch CH – been stuck watching episodes after episodes of 1N2D. I can’t wait to check out the incredible storyline and kissing scenes everyone’s been talking about. Will have to check out 9E2O too now.
Well, bz weekend this week – will have to work both days. Have a great weekend everyone.
javabeans:
catchy tune. i like it.
#148 langdon813:
that is hilarious! i used to be a huge “one life to live” fan when i was in grade school. watched it religiously during summer breaks for a couple years.
#188 Dele:
i’m jealous. i tried to get a teaching gig in korea after college, but i could only commit for 6 months. unfortunately, i couldn’t find a position as most of the schools wanted a one year commitment. anyway, good luck. i will be following your blog.
does anyone like 2NE1 too here??
i’m obsessed with them! hahaha, they’re so young and yet talented. I mean their music is not somekind of genius thing, but still I enjoy it sooo much, i keep playing it on my IPod.
I even visit their forums and so – to find most of their fans are teenagers, and they said 21NE1 is their girl’s crush…………..and I feel the same! hahaha.
I watched all episodes of 2NE1 tv, i fell in love with their personalities, and I love how the YG artistes are close to each other like that.
I can’t decide which member I like the most, sometimes CL – she’s so damn talented, only 18 and she knows what she wants in life and really pursue it, or Bom – her face is kinda…-.^ but she has very nice voice and she seems like fun, or Sandara, her jokes and her cute wannabe attitude even doesn’t annoy me ( I usually hate girls who trying too hard to be cute ), or Minji, man, she’s only 15! she has LOOOOONNGGGGG way to go! everytime I saw Minji I feel old! hahaha, But she’s really talented.
On drama’s note : I finished Triple, get ready to finish The Man who can’t get married, and soon Partner – waiting for the subs.
After that I will start City Hall – you guys here got me intrigued – and at least I really like Cha Sung Won since a long time ago.
I don’t know what airing drama I should follow after this – maybe Take Care Agasshi, and I’m really looking forward for IRIS!
Long weekend here, since Monday is our Independence’s Day. I’m gonna spend my extra day off just being couch potato and watching dramas/reality shows as much as i can handle.
@ Lemoncat
Thanks, for allowing me to avoid Modern Housewives like the plague. Sounds terrible, the ending.
@ mems, lovenyc52 (oh what the heck, and all the Hallers out there, lurking and active):
Thanks for responding to my CH-ending love. I wanted to end my rant on terrible drama endings on an uplifting note, lest folks think I’m terribly bitter and all endings suck. Of course it doesn’t, that’s why I keep watching, for the next special drama to come along. I have watched quite a few good endings, and happily, a few have even been great, but one only has been perfect for me (City Hall).
@ mzpakipot – love the history of the GuMi moniker evolution. I think AeGuk doesn’t quite roll off the tongue in English, GuMi is preferable. I must’ve missed the great Soompi name debate, but then, 270 pages (which is when I started my CH watching experience) is quite a lot to backread. Thank god I started then, my eyes almost died, and now there are over 320 pages on the thread, pity the new CH addict who comes along.
A check of my current CH condition – I am in the rest and recuperation phase, where one can occasionally watch new dramas and avidly enjoy them (Black & White for me, and Nodame was good, too), patiently wait for the next CH recap from Samsooki (uhm, still very patiently waiting here), and talk about other dramas (but somehow still mention CH in ways that hopefully fit into the conversation).
During the height of my fever, I would blurt out CH love like a kid with tourette’s syndrome (example – Me: hey, you know that scene in Brilliant Legacy when….I LOVE CITY HALL!….Hwan kissed Eun Sung on the bridge, it was sweet, but they looked very uncomfortable, like a pair of siblings kissing).
@ Paula253
You are just spoiling us, aren’t you? So Ji Sub, master kisser extraordinaire, when his hands cup that lady’s face, she better buckle on for the ride. My quip on SJB is that rarely does the lucky lady really know the right way to kiss him back, for shame. Thanks for the vid! @ CrimemasterGogo, I think that SJB kissing vid has scenes for a Thousand Year’s Love, cuz he’s kissing Sung Yuri and they are in sageuk costumes.
@mzpakipot
that’d be fun if it’s ok with you. here’s my email…
paulashields0711 at gmail dot com
gomawayo!
Hmm… Kissing ? …… krama !!!!
comes to my mind Lee Byung Hun and Lee Wan.
@djes
I like 2NE1 too! But don’t tell my friends…hehehe. They tease me about that. So I tell them **mimicking Bom** “Don’t touch my iPod…” <– only 2NE1 fans will get this.
Oh and how funny was this subtitle: "Don't touch my teletubbies.", when she actually said, "Don't touch my territory." lol! Remember that?
*grinning and laughing*
hehehey…..read all the “kissing” comments! LOL!!! the lastest sizzling hot kiss i have to agree is the one between CSW and KSA!
thanks all, for the lists of kdramas…. ^-^
@210snikki
i like 2ne1 too!…Been secretly listening to it(sshhh..am too old for this teen pop!)…lol…right now am addicted to their song “i dont care”
Oh and how funny was this subtitle: “Don’t touch my teletubbies.”, when she actually said, “Don’t touch my territory.” lol! Remember that?
LMAO!!!! ^-^ I havent seen it…but very funny!!!
@164 ockoala. Hilarious post!!! you got down right down to it!
@CrimemasterGogo. I had watched the first few episodes of Thousand Years of Love and it was draggy and a bit angsty. And Sung YuRi’s acting was really painful. She was just really wooden- like she was some sort of doll (but a very GORGEOUS doll. She makes the most beautiful princess ever!) The whole time I was upset that a lead role could have been given to such a bad actress. And So Ji Sub’s character didn’t seem all that nice either. He was your typical male-lead-jerk.
And a question I’m hoping some of you maybe be able to help answer…so I had watched Don’t Ask Me About the Past this week on viikii (the show aired in May/June 2008)…during the commercials, there would be a preview for a drama or movie that takes place around the 1930s. It was on the korean channel, OCN. I was just wondering what the korean drama or movie was.
Wow, ok, so I’m tired after work now and only skimmed what was said on here while I was gone. I will say a few things, and then I’m off to drama land then dream land.
First of all, Vanilla Coke is still on the shelves at my grocery store, but not as much as it used to be.
Second of all, @ 123 mishane: Where is that petition? I WILL sign it! *lol* I have a friend (my Kdrama mama, actually) whose brother in law works for Frito Lay. She has promised to harass him about the 3D Doritos!
Third of all, @ 127 lb_tme: Agreed about the honey bbq Fritos. They are the best! Also agree about the dark chocolate Ferrero Rocher. Ferrero Rocher is one of my favorite chocolate brands.
Fourth of all, I don’t recommend having a venti caramel frappaccino when you have to go to work and actually concentrate on something! *lol* Especially when all you want to concentrate on is Lee Jun-ki…work kind of gets lost in the brain wiring! *lol*
Hi guys,
Happy Friday….another busy day @ work, but I’m still looking forward to read OPEN THREAD. Boy, it took me an hour to read through all those posts.
Rut in Kdramaland: as I mentioned in the last OT, I did an overdrive in watching kdrama this summer, that I, too felt like not watching any*gasps*. I rewatched my favorite scenes of CH, but I didn’t enjoyed it as much after the 5th time.
Just finished ” the Man who can’t married”- it was different.(more of this later)
Favorite kissing scene: Coffee Prince when Gong Yoo told YEH that’s it’s ok for her to pursue her dream and go abroad.
ALL the CH kisses.
KSA and Hyun Bin in KSS
and, Ajusshi and the doctor ’s most awkward kissing in ” the man who can’t married”.I mean , poor Mr OCD and the ever-so-patient doctor, I was glad about the ending, but the kisses were so awkwardly done that I felt “awwww” when they finally did it.
And, of course, please count me in as a 9E2O fan. And, guys, don’t hate me, but I HAVE A “HYUN TAE”. We have been friends for decades- the irony is that I’m married, but he’s not. But he’s my bestfriend. We ‘ve gone through a lot together, and we talk at least once a week( but we live abt 500 miles away, so we don’t see each other often). Whenever I have problems with my hubby, he would give me the male version/feedback so that I can work it out with my other half . So….while I was watching 9E2O, I see “us”( without the same ending, though).
Hey, what happen to @gotanexamlater ? Are you back to studying?? or are you still enjoying your week off? you didn’t change name, did you?
I’ve been watching OLD Kdrama: I like ” CLOUD STAIRS” a lot-it’s great if you want a good cry. I also saw “Let’s go to the beach” (Lee Wan), it was ok, good for mindless watching.
As for When it’s @ Night, umm, I wanted 1 week of my life back…the plot was poor, PLEASE , do NOT watch it.
@lovenyc52, what does IRIS stands for?
@ 181 ockoala
Kim Suh Na has kissed THE hottest men in k-drama, and the BEST kissers as a group in k-entertainment. Don’t believe me, here’s the list: Cha Seung Won, Lee Dong Gun, Hyun Bin, Gong Yoo, and So Ji Sub.
-omo! when did ksa kiss ji sub? was it in the old morning drama joa joa? i think i missed it… >.< or i'm just not paying much attention while watching it unsubbed.
Wow this OT is sprinting along today. It’s Saturday, noon time for me. Got to get me some nice hot smooches tonight. LOL!
Hey langdon813 and ockoala,
Thanks for the heads up on Swallow the Sun. I will wipe that one out of my memory for good. Just can’t understand why it hit the #1 spot twice. These ratings are stupid anyhow. I much rather trust both your taste and judgment.
I’m in my drama doldrums. I think it’s a combination of things. Time, mood, maturity, drama overload and that one drama that took away much but gave a lot more….*drum roll*….City Hall. The one drama that I had zero expectations of turns out to be the best so far. And hence, I have gotten to be pretty picky and selective on my “2009 to watch” list.
Watched :
Story of a Man – good, intense, original
QoH – light and funny, but got a lil draggy when they extended
That Fool – meh except for HJM’s acting
City Hall – the most re-watchable (consecutively) drama in my history of drama watching despite knowing its storyline, plots, twists and the epic ending. In total agreement with ockoala on this. THE.BEST.ENDING.EVER!
Watching :
Triple (Ep12)- watching with DB’s recap…kinda dreading the ending
Partner (Ep 6)- fairly entertaining, but the courtroom cases annoy me..FF mode half the time
Black & While (Ep 4) – best Tdrama I have seen in my lifetime and enjoying it.
Man Who Can’t Marry (Ep 6) – light and funny but not super romantic yet?
To watch :
Friend, Our Legend – just to see a different HB, so disappointed with WW.
Swallow the Sun – just deleted
My Fair Lady
@ 181 ockoala
>>Kim Suh Na has kissed THE hottest men in k-drama, and the BEST kissers as a group in k-entertainment. Don’t believe me, here’s the list: Cha Seung Won, Lee Dong Gun, Hyun Bin, Gong Yoo, and So Ji Sub. Sheez, lady, you are so damn lucky.<<
I've a different take on this. Kim Suna gave them the kiss of life and they became soooo hot!
@ 216 omo
There you are! I was waiting for you, cuz you left a comment on the last OT and I didn’t even notice until much much later today, and then realized that I inadvertantly answered your Swallow the Sun inquiry earlier! In response to langdon813, who was responding to you! Too cute, we avid drama watchers.
Anyways, it does seem like our taste in dramas coincide, feels nice to share likes and dislikes with dramabeans friends. I guarantee that you will LOVE and LOVE some more Black & White. It gets better and better, and this is truly the breakout drama of the year so far for me (don’t worry, I gave City Hall another award – Best drama of my lifetime!). And it was all filmed in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, which is the second largest city in Taiwan, and the southern port city on the island. And the cinematography was groundbreaking and showed the city in such stark, sleek, spare light, it was gorgeous to see my homeland (sniff, sniff, my Jo Guk) rendered so beautifully.
Swallow the Sun – I really really want to like it, that’s all I ask of it, everything sounded so promising, which made the subsequent disappointment so sad to bear. I’ll wait for Ji Sung and Sung Yu Ri’s next work.
I agree wholeheatedly with your review of Queen of Housewives, but since it introduced me to Yoon Sang-hyun (who is about to make YEH his in 2 months time), all was worth it.
@ omo and cingdoc
re-watching CIty Hall, I’ve actually stopped completely. It’s time to move on for me, but like the most perfect book you’ve ever read, that favorite of yours, you can pick it up anytime, years later, still be riveted, spend many hours with it, and say after you finish, “that was the best [blank] I ever watched/read.” Also, I don’t want to not enjoy it as much cuz I’ve re-watched it too much, you know? Welcome to the OT, it’s never to late to gab with friends.
cingdoc – love your review of WIAN, it’s was worth the painful plot just to enjoy Kim Suh Na with Lee Dong Gun for me. But still, I wonder if the scriptwriter went schizo mid-way through ahd handed the scriptwriting to her psycho twin. I know appreciate even more sophisticated, complete, meaningful scriptwriting after City Hall
ugh!! so mad!! and the only place i could think of to do a rant was here on OT… just flew from orange county to san jose (short 45 min commuter flight) on a half-full southwest airlines flight… AND THEY LOST MY BAG. it’s a direct flight. there were probably max 50 people on it and probably only half even checked their bags. really?? really?!?!? anyway they say MAYBE it’s still in orange county and if so it’ll come in on the first flight in the morning. but who knows, it could be on it’s way to texas. luckily i am at my parent’s house for the weekend so any essentials i need i have access to (and thank god i always carry my laptop with me). cuz if something ever happened to my laptop you’d better believe i’d throw a sh*tfit they’ve never seen before. gahh!!! *rant over*
@cingdoc – i’m sorry i don’t know what IRIS stands for, but i’m assuming it’s an acronym for whatever secret organization they belong to? i am, however, very interested to watch this
lee byung hun is yum yum yum!!
@ 2NE1 fans – me too! me too! *waves* i like them too!
they are just fresh and funky and fun. looking forward to what they have to offer. it’s interesting that they have a pretty broad age range from minzy at 15 to bom at 25. but i like how they each have their own personality and style.
ok well hope stupid southwest gets me my luggage tomorrow morning so i dont have to buy new stuff..cuz if i do, u can betcha ass im gonna bill them for it!
@cingdoc
I’m alive! Haha I actually have an exam next week! on a Saturday again! So I have to miss out on OT community! But also couldn’t participate in OT because I’ve had the worst case screwed up internet connection for the past week! Literally everyone i know had extra slow/broken internet (circa dial-up connection times hello!)
and with that i’d like to ask if its true what people are saying that the internet connection of asia was down cause of an earthquake in Japan? That it broke some cables under the sea?
Anyhoo! i love the Kissing Analogy topic! And just had to mention BOF as the epitome of the worst kiss ever. and CH kisses even the little kisses on her forehead makes me go crazy! I just finished CH and i immediately went to dramabeans so i could just share the love of CH. Hands down best Kdrama for me!!!! I love it so much im going to wrap this up and watch my favorite scenes again aka ALL OF IT!!!
this OT is just the best! There’s the kissing topic, the kdrama rut topic, the frustration of kdrama plots and the best topic of them all FOOD!
@ockoala I agree with you re: WIAN; if it didn’t have KSA, I wouldn’t have watch it. But, don’t you feel like KSA and LDG ” were there”, but not really. Anyway, I usually rate my Kdrama, and this one was definitely a 1( 1 meaning saw it, but no thanks. 4 is WOW, that was SOOOO good, I will re watch it again, and definitely buy the DVD)
Some of my ” 4’s”- KSS
Snow Queen
Cloud Stairs
Gourmet
9E2O
City Hall
almost 4 Coffee Prince ( I was mad that they didn’t show a wedding @ the end)
3’s -good, but could have better ending, or better pace
Hong Gil Dong
Iljimae
Man who can’t marry
BOF
1% of something
Sweet 18
Snow White
Heart of 19
2’s- the pace was too slow even tho the plot was good
Body Guard
Let’s go to the beach
I really, really love you ( ok, almost a 3)
1’s felt like I wasted my time
Korea Secret Agent
WIAN
Powerful opponents
One Fine Day ( and I LOVE Gong Yoo)
Anyway, back to rut in Kdramaland, I hope the YEH drama will be good. I have yet try Jdrama, and Taiwanese drama, so it sucks, then I will be BORED. I better go to sleep, gotta work tomorrow,don’t want to be “thinking of Kdrama’s favorite scenes’ while I’m @ work =b I HAVE TO WORK THE WHOLE WEEKEND , EL YUCKO
I will try to join you guys later .Have a great weekend
waves to fellow 2NE1’s fans here!
My friends are not into kpop – some of them only listen to drama’s OSTs, so they know nothing about 2NE1 – so I don’t care..e…ee..e (:P) if they touch my IPod.
“don’t touch my telletubies!” hahahah that’s so random translation!
I watch every episodes of 2NE1 & Big Bang’s TV…and even follow their twitter.
Duh. But again I don’t care..e..e hahahaaa…
I like them wayyyyyyyy more than SNSD, or Kara, or other cute girlbands.
@ 217 ockoala
Yes, here I am.
Ok, so now I can place your roots. Yes, I have been to Kaohsiung twice on biz trips. Funny how I can’t remember a thing about the biz part but I CAN remember I had the most unusual seafood dinner there. The first time I’ve eaten that many unusual sea creatures at one go…I can’t even name them, so that’s how unusual they are. Very nice scenery and lots of fresh air. I swear that if I were to have an x-ray after each trip to Taipei, all they could see would be a dense, black mess. Yes, I know I will love B&W to bits. Tdramas from ages past till now have given melodrama a whole new meaning….and 1000+ episodes of the same old thing..argh!
I, too, have stopped rewatching City Hall. But when a new recap episode comes out by Samsooki & co., I’ll need to rewatch that episode so that I don’t give out spoilers unwittingly when posting a comment. That’s the only rewatch I would allow myself. It’s also because of CH that I’m now rating good dramas based on re-watchability. While watching CH, I have managed to wear out my fast backward (FB) button. Yep, that could be another way to rate a drama…no. of times on the FF/FB button.
As for WIAN, while the series was not un-watchable, it was painful to watch after Ep 6/7. The storyline got flushed down the potty hole after that. Months after watching the drama, I read that KSA was injured while filming. Those scenes where she had her arm in the cast were for real. I’m just wondering if they had to rewrite the script to accommodate her injury. Even then, they should have given us a great ending instead of that fizzly (borrowed term) one, to compensate the viewers for that awful 2nd half.
I can’t wait to see Yoon Sang-hyun in his first (assumption) lead role. From recent experience, I’m going in with zero expectations for MFL. Haha! It’s just my cushioning strategy.
@ Jo
exactly.. i have no idea what plot belonged to My Girl, cuz it’s meshed in w/ the others i’ve watched. which actually isn’t saying much, cuz i’ve not watched *too* many dramas.
@ 1000 years love
i agree, Sung Yuri was wooden, but i thought that’s how she was supposed to be, kinda expressionless besides the “wth” look since she’s from 1000 yrs prior? and she was SSSSOOOOO beautiful in the wardrobe.. So Ji Sub as a protector, in the past, HOT, in the present NOT. but i watched all of it… not the best, but not the worst i’ve seen either. would i recommend it? not unless you’re a die-hard fan of anyone in the cast. but i LOOOOVVVVEEEEE the story-line. that’s what kept me watching to see how they would play out..
@ 2NE1 fans,
i’m only starting to introduce myself to them… i heard “i don’t care” on the radio and i wanted to know a little more about them. and they must be pretty talented if my 2PM boys like ‘em…
@lovenyc52
hope you get your bag back!!! and enjoy your weekend… bill the bastards later if you don’t!
Yay 4 more fridays to go and javabean’s open thread’s gana hit it’s 100th Frday…yey!!! kinna excited …i wonder what song yer gana post=)
Regarding Thousand Years of Love:
The only good thing, IMHO, was SJS in the first episode in sageuk gear….like someone mentioned—he was hot and his character was interesting (oh and a note to Kdrama PDs—please please cast SJS in a sageuk in the future. I would be all over that in less than a second! SJS + sageuk = would equal HOT and he would be totally awesome in it, IMHO) But anyways, the plot in general was unique but I was frustrated with Sung Yuri and the second male lead. The pacing was haphazard and the writing had too many plotholes and/or weird situations (I swear I was like WTF in every single episode).
Even my love for SJS (and he’s like in my top three) couldn’t save the drama for me. But some people have liked….I might say I would like the hours I spent on it back, but that would mean missing out on SJS in the first episode and as ridiculous as it sounds—it was worth it.
If you don’t like SJS or Sung Yuri that much or if you don’t like dramas where there’s a lot of misunderstandings and the couple gets together and then separates multiple times…I would say stay FAR away.
@lovenyc52: How in the h*ll does an airline lose a bag when there are only 50 people on the flight? I would be SO PISSED!!!! In fact, I’m pissed for you! You definitely have to let us know what becomes of this. I’m sure everyone here will help you kick some airline @$$!
And back to the topic of food: I’m making these egg free molasses chocolate chip cookies (secret recipe from my Kdrama mama), and I have to say, the raw dough is yummy! In about five minutes, I’ll let you all know how the finished product is!
These cookies are as yummy to eat as my Kdrama man-harem is to look at! *lol*
{My man-harem: Kim Bum, Lee Jun-ki, Kim Joon, Kim Jeong Hoon, Kim Jae Wook}
@meh: These cookies would be a good stress relief snack! Sugar, chocolate, yum! What more could you ask for! *lol* And NO eggs, so totally vegetarian!
@219
The cause of the slow internet is not the earthquake in Japan, but the typhoon in Taiwan, it damaged the undersea cable due to the undersea landslide. But its back to normal now.
to all 2NE1 fans
I hope you have heard their songs IN THE CLUB and LET’S GO PARTY. Its in the same mini-album with I DONT CARE, but they are only promoting IDC. IMO IN THE CLUB AND LET’S GO PARTYis way better that IDC. Of course their first single FIRE is also very very good.
More food randomness: I saw an ad for “reduced sugar Frosted Flakes”. Wouldn’t that be an oxymoron? Or at the very least, pointless?
Just got off work and right away I have to check on OT: @lovenyc52, did you find your luggage yet? I am so sorry about that…yup, I agree with you, if my laptop is lost…..holy moly, heads are going to roll!!!! Clothes can be repurchased, but not all “my favorites” on my laptop!!!!
Re: comfort food( and I need some today due to major stress@ work)- good old 1 bowl of ramen ( esp kimchi spicy kind). It used to be wonton noodles for me til my doctor told me to cut back on carb( He’s crazy; how can a chinese skips rice and noodles????) Anyway, I’m one of those that craves salty stuff, so the m&m ’s are not I would want, but yeah on those 3D doritos. Mexico, eh? well, I’m only 1 hour from it, I will do the food run for you guys( ha ha)
And Hi to @ gotanexamlater I’m glad you are back….good luck on your exam, study hard
@ Andromytta
another Kim Jeong Hoon fan.. oh, i LOVE LOVE LOVE him!!! i’ve dl’ed everything possible on that guy!!! i will so miss him these next two years. now it’s twice as hard as KRW just left too.. alas, i have all the UN and solo albums to keep my ears occupied.. and all the pix to satisfy my eyes.. voice of an angel. i LOVED the UN days.. even if that was prior to my obsession… as i didn’t get introduced to him until after Goong.
Thanks to suggestions from previous OT’s, I’m finding relief from my kdrama slump with BBC dramas. Especially love the period dramas, North and South, Bleak House and Little Dorrit. Might try Cranford or Hercule Poirot next.
Or maybe I should read a book, any suggestions? Something really really interesting. It takes a lot to hold my attention. Thanks in advance.
@lb_tmi: I didn’t get introduced to him until Goong, either! And I’m a VERY new kdrama fan (BoF was my introduction to the genre and Goong was my third kdrama), BUT I managed to score a lot of mp3s of his solo songs as well as two UN albums! My Sony Walkman is FULL of his stuff! Poor me, by the time I knew who he was, he was already in the army! But his army pictures, they break my heart! He looks about twelve! Although, of my “harem” he’s the oldest one! *lol* But yeah, I just LOVE him! He has a really great neck. And everytime I watch Goong (which I will soon have on DVD. Yay!) I keep wanting Chae Kyung to dump Shin and be with Yul, for like, the first 22 episodes!
samsooki,
this is a question related to your post on another thread about foreigners showing up on korean tv. it’s off topic so i’m posting here. you mentioned how you are having difficulty with spoken korean. i was wondering how often you speak korean in a typical week. for instance, do you speak korean with your wife, your parents, at church etc. what hang-ups are you having with speaking korean? is it just the accent or something more?
i’m just curious because i know your korean is way better than mine, and i found your post somewhat discouraging. i try to study korean when i have time here and there, but if you’re having problems becoming fluent in korean, then i have a long road ahead of me in terms of getting this language down.
@lb_tmi and @cingdoc – yap i got my luggage back yesterday afternoon and i’m flying back down to orange county tonite haha. i really don’t want to check my luggage again but i don’t really have a choice. when i went to pick it up yesterday i asked them where it had gone and they said it was just ‘failure to load’.. meaning it was in OC the whole time! why it didn’t go on the first flight outta OC is beyond me. sigh. oh well at least southwest got their head outta their a$$ and got me my stuff before i headed back down. and cingdoc – EXACTLY…clothes are easily replaced but to reacquire all my videos and songs and my pictures (ok those can’t be replaced) is a pain in the a$$ if even possible…
Just saw The Time Travelers Wife, did anyone else venture away from the Kdrama world this weekend? I thought it was pretty good; obviously not as good as the book, but the changes they made didn’t make me crazy so I didn’t hate it. I was very happy with the casting when I saw the trailer a few months ago and am happy to say that I still feel this way after seeing the movie. I really wanted to see District 9 this weekend as well but didn’t get a chance.
I finished Snow Queen Friday night; definitely one of the best dramas I’ve seen to date. I wanted to give it some time to sink in because it’s one that stays with you a long time after it’s over. Hyun Bin’s character Han Tae-woong leaves such a lasting impression; I just wanted to think about him for a little while longer before starting anything new. One of the best depictions of a truly kind person, and I mean genuinely selfless, that I’ve ever seen. Not a doormat or a wimp, just a man who believes that true happiness is meant for other people, not for someone as “undeserving” as him. **sob**
When my movie date fell through yesterday, I found myself at loose ends but couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t mess with my SQ “hangover”. So I came up with two options; Tamra the Island or Hon. So I started watching Hon. It’s really good, so much better than I thought it would be and so much MORE than I thought it would be. It was the perfect way to spend an afternoon, since I’m not sure I could have watched it at night. That is some creeeeepy stuff right there! But along with the (admittedly) scary supernatural element, there are also issues of doctor/patient morality, legality versus justice, school bullying, teen suicide…I could go on but I’m afraid I’d give too much away!
Took a break from typing the above to watch Yang Yong-eun DEFEAT Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship!!! How awesome is that!
@lovenyc52
As soon I got home from work, I have to check OT: I’m GLAD that Southwest “found” your luggage-any more delay then you could have rendevous with them @ OC/John Wayne( I’m a fellow So Cal/North Cal transplant).
Failure to load, eh….how about we fail to pay for the ticket???!!! wish we could do that.
Anyway, I have to share some “cheap thrill’ with my felllow Kdrama buddies…as I mentioned in previous post, I like to actually buy DVD for the kdrama that I like. I actully found a used copy of “cloud stairs”( Han Ji Hye and Shin Dong Wook)! The big deal is that it’s an old drama(2006), and I have searched for over 2 months on line for it. Hehe he…the thrill of owning it and not at the mercy of online site,which can become”no longer available”.
@yenchan- really LATE response- I know what you mean about rut @ work and high expectations from Asian parents. I assume I’m one of the “older” one here; don’t get too hang up about pleasing your parents( ummm…you will never 100% achieve that). Just do your best….can you switch location/branch and stay in the same company? Maybe it’s the same old people/same old ways of doing things that are getting to you. A change of scenery might be beneficial to you. Maybe the new coworkers are more pleasant , and your supervisor might give you different projects to do. A few years back, I was transferred to a different location, doing the same job. The new commute itself is much better, even though it takes the same amount of time. The route is less congested so I’m not as stressed out by the time I arrived at work. If you have a nice supervisor, try voicing your concerns to him/her;you never know. Yeah, we all can’t afford to lose our jobs nowaday-sad, but true.
Have a GREAT week, everyone….see you all next Friday.
@andromytta
i have all of KJH’s solo and UN albums, along w/ the japanese albums. i prefer the UN stuff over his solo music. i loved the way their voices contrasted.. it just made me anticipate KJH more, and appreciate whenever he sang. tho i do enjoy Choi Jung Won’s voice immensely also. if you would like, i can upload and email you the links. just send me an email:
lovebird_tmi(at)yahoo(dot)com
I kept watching Goong just for the slight possibilty that Yul and Chaeyoung would end up together.. even tho it was inevitable they wouldn’t.. but it didn’t hurt to watch KJH on screen either… even if his expressions were quite limited.. he has such a nice face to look at.
i was once upon a time a member of the CRAZYFORYOU forums until it went down… those were a great bunch of girls. i was like motherhen to them youngens.
@lovenyc52
w/ the cost of checking in luggage, did you have to pay? just wondering how that works since they “failed” to load.
@lb_tmi: That would be awesome AND amazing! I will email you, thank you!
Awww…I’m sad I missed the forum! I do understand the “motherhen” thing. Despite the fact that I let my inner 16 year old fan girl roam free on here, I kind of have the mother hen thing going on with my teenage girls and boys at work! *lol*
I’ll be getting Goong on DVD soon…I can’ t wait to see KJH on my 52 inch tv screen! I will “squee” like a kid! *lol*
@ langdon813
I took a break also from Kdrama this weekend after finishing City Hall! It also helped that while reading the OT and i think it occured at the beginning or middle part where people were talking about the problems and the lack of any substantial plot and development with Kdramas. and BOOM! That shattered the glass for me (if you watch How I Met Your Mother imagine the “glass-shattering” episode, so insert glass breaking sound here) and I finally saw the light with Kdramas: the good, the bad and the ugly. I’m not gonna delve into that because it was all expressed in the previous posts. So with my next Kdrama im gonna make sure and look at everyone’s recommendations and I have an inkling my next one is going to be 9 End 2 Outs!
So with that I wanted to take a break from Kdrama also because i didn’t want to ruin the remnants of City Hall and the wonderful acting of CSW and KSW and its beautiful ending. I loved the character development and how they portrayed it with even subtle hints such as costume changes which is evident in KSW’s character. It wasn’t enough that she from dressing in very casual clothes from the beginning there were different transitions from when she became mayor and when she actually had the confidence and backbone to be mayor.
With my break i started watching Season 2 of True Blood! Are there any fans out here? Cause i’m waiting for episode 9 and so much people are already talking about it on twitter and facebook that i cant control myself and i might just about read some spoilers!
@cingdoc & @lb_tmi – lol i wish i could pull a ‘failure to pay’ and get away with it.. unfortunately no, but they did give me a $50 travel voucher for their ‘baggage inconsistency’. i love how they word things to make it sound nicer. at least i got my stuff back and at least i wasn’t actually on a vacation trip. things could have been a lot worse *and i’m sure a lot of people on this OT have had worse baggage issues than me so i shouldn’t really be complaining about it that much haha* but thanks for your concern!
@langdon813 – there are a ton of movies out that i want to watch right now, and the time traveler’s wife is definately one of them. i adore rachel mcadams and eric bana
i’ve also heard amazing things about district 9 and can’t wait to see that as well.
@gotanexamlater – yes yes yes!! 9 Ends 2 Outs is terrific!!
i’m in the middle of a rewatch and loving it all over again! So you’re a True Blood fan huh? A couple of my friends are in love with that show but i don’t have HBO so i don’t know how else i would watch it but by buying the DVDs. do you watch it streaming somewhere? it’s sad that i have no idea how to access American TV if i don’t have the channel, but have almost no problem finding Asian dramas that i don’t understand lol 
good luck on your exam next saturday! 
anybody seen Sophie’s Revenge which So ji Sub has a role in it?
Hi I am now watching City Hall. I am not really into politic drama, prefer
romantic comedy. But I must say good acting really make a lot of difference.
This year, I get to love three dramas mostly bcos of their main actors;
Star Lover,Accidental Couple and City Hall.You know after you watching
actors of this calibre.. and then you go and watch the like of lee Jia in
“Style”.Sigh! every time she appear on screen.. they should flash out..
“I AM ACTING ,ACTING,ACTINg Is just too much. Is such a pity I kind of like the way she looks”Another actress I cant appreciate is Im Yoon Ah in You are my Destiny.Anyway, go for improvement . I guess they are still young,
I think story line is most important in a drama, But if the casting is totally wrong, it may just spoil everything. Like Style.Sigh.You just cannot bear with it,
@ lovenyc52 – here are a couple of sites where you can stream American TV
http://www.hulu.com/
http://www.free-tv-video-online.info/internet/
@ cingdoc and omo
When It’s At Night – I wouldn’t go so far as to ask for my money back (I have a few dramas I’ve reserved for that special designation), but this was a drama that as I watched, I kept saying, why is this drama plot and acting getting worse and worse right before my eyes! I didn’t know KSA was injured during filming, but her character went from all-action to no-action after her injury scene, and subsequently they turned her into a mopey useless wallflower. And Lee Dong Gun looked more and more bored. Utter waste of the sizzling pairing of KSA-LDG. If they didn’t have 2 nice kisses, I would have dumped this into my trash bin.
@ lb_tmi and Taohua
Thousand Year’s of Love (henceforth known as “TYL”) – okay, after CrimemasterGogo mentioned this, and some discussion arose, I was curious, and I watched the first 3 episodes over the weekend. I should have consumed copious amounts of alcohol beforehand, because it was hella hilarious. Okay, this is an old drama – 2003 I believe, but some old dramas like Autumn in my Heart, Winter Sonata, Hotelier, etc. are somewhat watchable today, though it still feels dated.
TYL – this drama has the magical combination of (1) bad plot (princess from Baekje witnesses the destruction of her kingdom and death of lover/bodyguard played by So Ji Sub, falls down a cliff to escape the enemy general that is lusting after her played by the other dude, and falls 1600 years into the future and meets up with the descendants of SJS and that other dude), (2) most unintentionally bad acting by EVERY SINGLE PERSON involved (Sung Yuri has one expression no matter what she is experiencing, SJS looks alternatively bored and bug eyed, and the other dude looked constipated all the time), and (3) the lowest budgeted drama I have ever watched (it looked like they filmed in a village next to the movie studio for the saguek scenes, and then filmed in whatever random place they could find for the modern scenes).
I highly recommend watching this when drunk, because it was the funniest drama I have watched in recent memory, and thank you, but 3 episodes was enough for me.
@ langdon813
I finished 9E2Os this weekend, only thing other than TYL I managed to watch (it was a busy non-TV weekend).
My review of 9E2Os – a refreshing, honest, straightforward drama that manages to capture what a relationship (whether friendship or dating) in the real life is like. It doesn’t feel like a writer wrote a plot, it feels like people living their lives. The acting was natural all around, and the relationships come off organic and meaningful. Watching 9E2O is like switching to a anti-residue cleansing shampoo from the usual salon stuff, it’s a breathe of fresh air for your hair.
But, of course there is a but, I didn’t LOVE this drama. I really really liked it. This is why drama watching is an intensely unique experience, people even with the same tastes may just miss the thin line between love/like of a drama for some reason that we just can’t quite put a finger on. For me, 9E2O just didn’t “touch” my heart, made me feel that heart-constricting feeling of anticipation, excitement, etc., when watching. 9E2O is like a Love Marriage without some of the jokey/silliness of LM, and I liked LM a tiny bit more, but both are great sweet rom-coms that offer a realistic portrayal of love in the real world.
End of short review.
(So far, the 2009 dramas that touched my heart, made me feel when watching it: City Hall and Black & White).
@ gotoexamlater
Welcome to OT, glad you enjoyed CH! Good luck on the next exam.
@ ockoala-dongsaeng, hope your busy non-TV weekend was great!
WIAN – That’s why I love YouTube; you can watch the good parts of a drama (i.e. kissing scenes, usually set to nice music too, bonus points) without committing to the whole thing. Especially those with a high level of suck.
9E2O – I’m so glad you liked it! And now I want to watch Love Marriage. I don’t think I know anything about that one.
TYL – You’ve inspired me to knock back a few glasses of red wine and watch ONLY the first 3 eps of this tonight. Sounds like a lot more fun than doing laundry and packing!
I’m looking forward to my trip but already suffering from drama withdrawal and I don’t even leave until Thursday. Not to mention having to miss OT Friday…sigh.
Work is DEAD today so I’ve been watching Tamra the Island this afternoon. Very cute! And the young doctor guy from Snow Queen is in it too. Something about him reminds me a little bit of Joe Cheng. Not a bad thing!
@ Hi langdon813-unnie
yes, youtube is indeed one of my (our) best friends, all the juicy tidbits, none of the fast-forwarding to get there required. WIAN’s high level of suckage is only mitigated by the truly outstanding quality of the cast and a few, very few, scenes worth checking out.
Love Marriage was a totally a random pick up for me, in my early drama viewing days, I was watching regular TV and happened to surf to the local K-tv station and it was showing LM, probably a mid-way episode, and I watched for a few minutes, and I liked the lead characters. So I bought the DVD, watched it, and then read javabeans recaps, and the rest is history.
I had never seen any of the lead actors/actresses before. But, since you’ve watched CH, a certain Ms. Go Go Hae is the secondary female lead in Love Marriage! Don’t worry, she’s fine in LM, I liked all the characters in that drama. It was a sweet, cute drama that doesn’t try too hard to say too much about anything serious, but still managed to capture the right tone and attitude for a rom-com, so definitely watchable and recommendable.
As for TYL, you might need something stronger than wine – I suggest soju/vodka shots, and each time your mouth drops open at the sheer ridiculousness/WTF moment happening on screen, knock back a stiff one. I guarantee even before the end of episode 1, you’ll have passed out! Good luck packing for Denver, and can’t wait to hear what fun things you did. I’m not leaving for my summer trip for another 2 weeks. But I’ll be on the open ocean, so no drama, no internet, no nothing for 1 week! I’m gonna die…..
@kb – Aug 16, 2009 at 12:19 pm
” you mentioned how you are having difficulty with spoken korean. i was wondering how often you speak korean in a typical week. for instance, do you speak korean with your wife, your parents, at church etc. what hang-ups are you having with speaking korean? is it just the accent or something more?
i’m just curious because i know your korean is way better than mine, and i found your post somewhat discouraging. i try to study korean when i have time here and there, but if you’re having problems becoming fluent in korean, then i have a long road ahead of me in terms of getting this language down.
Everything is relative, not only against other people, but contextually and against expectations. My own struggle is unique to me, and I am not sure how much any of this is relatable to you or anyone else.
For example, a few years ago, when my sister got married, there was going to be a ton of Korean people at the wedding, and I was asked to read Bible passages in both Korean and in English. So, I did. It wasn’t that hard to do, because I was reading directly from a sheet I typed up that had the Korean right there. All I had to do was practice a few times to make sure I got the cadence and the words right. Most people who knew me were really surprised at my “ability” to speak Korean. But they didn’t understand that I was just reading like a robot. Speaking when you are reading off of a sheet is pretty easy for me.
However, I would not have been able to discuss any part of the passage that I read, in Korean. I can’t “speak” Korean. I can speak in English, but I can’t speak in Korean.
Now, I can watch an episode of Style or Dream, for example, and get almost 80-90% of the dialogue without need for translation. The words I don’t know, I just look up, and voila, I can translate it. That’s how I do my translations. I listen to the dialogue, then I just type it in English what it means, and then words I don’t know, I just look up.
And this is similar to when my parents or anyone else speaks to me in Korean. I understand what they are saying, and I don’t need to translate anything, I just understand it. The words i don’t know, I’ll ask, and say, “what does that mean” but generally speaking, I don’t have a problem.
But other than simple and singular sentences that just flow out of my head like, “Samsooki is very hungry” (“삼숙이가 아주 배고프다”) or “I think KJH is pretty dang cool” (“강지환 너무 멋있다고 생각해요”), I can’t really talk. The words don’t form in Korean in my head, and so if I wanted to get the words, I would have to LISTEN to someone else say it or I would have to READ it in Korean. THEN I can speak it.
Why is that? I don’t know, really. But I’m not really improving much, even my vocab expands daily and I watch a lot of k-dramas. I try to speak with my parents, but they get impatient with me and just tell me to say it in English, and the same thing goes when I try to speak with Korean people I know. Once we had a dinner with a bunch of Korean peeps our age that we are friends with, and we tried to go the entire dinner just talking in Korean, and I think I said all of 3 words – “this food is tasty,” “I’m going to go to the bathroom, ” and “well, its time for us to go home.” LOL! It was so stupid, we never did it again.
Is it unusual? I don’t know. All I know is that I know people who can just pick up languages, and I am jealous of them. If I could re-wire my brain to be able to speak the words I know from other parts of my brain, I would do that in a heartbeat….
But, good luck to you! People say, practice really helps. If I figure out a way to improve, I’ll share it here.
@ samsookie
do you think in Korean? cuz i find the most times i have trouble speaking another language is when i am thinking in english and have to translate in my head to speak the other language.. yet, when i’m thinking in the other language, my speaking ability flows better.. i haven’t figured out how to turn the switch on and off yet.. it just happens when it happens.. i don’t know if this even makes any sense to anyone other than myself.. it sounds rite in my head.
I think in English, I am pretty sure. But when the occasion fits, Korean can come to mind especially if there is no english idiomatic equivalent.
My problem is that what I know from one part of my brain that listens, has not been readily transferable to the part of my brain where speech is located. There are only a few neural pathways connecting them.
So, to speak Korean that my listening brain already knows, I have to physically translate first, rather than just say it.
How to engage the listening parts and speaking parts of my brain, to link them together, that’s what I gotta get my brain to do, but who knows how to do that….
yes.. that is exactly what i mean.. because if you think in Korean, the speaking just comes.. but because you don’t think in korean, you have to translate the words before they become korean..
that is what i suffer from when i speak Thai.. for the most part, i can understand what is being said, but i can’t translate fast enough in my head to speak.. it actually becomes more complicated for me, cuz i think in English, then translate it to my language, then from my language to Thai.. for some reason, i can’t translate english to thai..
yet, when i’m speaking my native language, it just rolls off tongue.. i can think in English and my language.. tho there are some words that don’t exist in either.. but when i have to actually translate, i’m sweating bullets, even tho i’m fluent in both.. which makes no sense to me at all.. but the brain is weird.
@ AnitaLotti
I missed OT this weekend, since I was visiting the in-laws in the hot, humid mid-west…ugh…at least, the thunderstorms kept the mosquitos at bay.
But, yes, NY-LON screamed for a second season…but, alas, we just have to be contented with watching Stephen Moyer on True Blood.
How did you watch the pilot of Being Human? It would be interesting to see the different actors.
@ Samsooki
I bet if you were immersed in Korean 24/7 for an extended period of time, you’re speaking ability would skyrocket. Come to think of it…I could use some of that.
Even though I can think in Korean (mostly in banmal/informal speech), when I try to speak it (especially jondaemal/formal speech), something gets interrupted between my brain and my tongue, and I just can’t speak the way I used to….and most of that has to do with practice. Since I don’t speak Korean on a daily basis, I’ve gained the horrible American accent and find myself mumbling to cover the embarrassment.
Even worse, on the way back from the airport this past weekend, hubby got cravings for Korean food, so we stopped for dinner. For some strange reason, whenever the wait-staff interacted with us, it was in English (okay, hubby sticks out like a sore thumb, but usually, they at least speak to me in Korean). This is the first time that’s happened. So, even after I’m sitting there looking at the local news/advertisements magazine-thingy, they still only spoke to me in English, even though I would answer in Korean (I admit, they were usually one or two-word answers, but still o_O)
[--> Tangent: I showed hubby the picture of the Hyun Bin-Song Hye Gyo article, and his only response was - "Man, she's really short."
hahaha]
Back to the story…
To top it all off, at the end of dinner, they brought us green tea ice cream instead of shik-hye. WTF? The green tea ice cream is usually for the non-Koreans. When there’s a mixed group, sometimes, they’ll give you a choice. But it’s ALWAYS shik-hye (sweet rice drink) for the Koreans.
Am I missing something???
Sorry for the long rant…
@hjkomo
I hope you will read this as I am away this weekend and will return on Sunday evening. Probably will not have a chance to drop by the next Open Thread before then. Just leave me a short note so I will know I won’t have to post this again on Sunday:
Being Human is easily found on YouTube managed to come up with both the pilot and all episodes typing in the title.
My problem with True Blood is that I like the books a lot more than the TV drama. The books have humour while the drama tends a bit more to sex and gore. I had to smile a bit when people were discussing Plum Blossom with Kim Rae Won stating that it had adult content. I could see what they meant when watching it but compared to True Blood???
MAJOR TRUE BLOOD SPOILER:
The other problem I have got with True Blood is that Sookie does split up with Bill in the books. I liked the character Erik which is her major love interest afterwards but the actor playing Erik in the drama does nothing for me. He is so far removed from everything I imagined Erik to look like.
So I am off for an experimental firing of pottery we have prepared this weekend. We will not work with regular glazing but with herbs, straw, manure (uugh, I will pack gloves), lavender, copper, salt and all other kinds of natural materials AND do the firing outside with real wood in an oven. And all of this will take place at a restored castle! The weather forecast is good (sunny and warm, but not to hot – we will have to work quite a bit), the group is really nice and I am 95 % decided to leave my laptop at home…
Did I mention that our group is preparing a pottery exhibition at a car dealership in a little town nearby? Well, the next steps are probably Paris, Rome and New York… Just wait for us art world!!!
Bye and have a nice weekend !
@ AnitaLotti
Thanks for the info. I’ll check out the pilot on Youtube.
Lol on the adult content of True Blood.
I haven’t read the books, but I agree with you about Erik. How can Sookie end up with him? O_O
Did you know Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin are dating?
Oh, and good news for all Joss Whedon fans –
Dollhouse has been picked up for a second season, and this time, the studio execs won’t be interfering with the show like they did in the first season. Woohoo!
Hi Javabeans you’ve posted a picture of Yoon on your recaps series so this means that you will officially recap Take Care of the Young Lady.
Just wondering if you will continue the recap on Hon or ask someone to do the recaps?
I find Hon very interesting since it will be my first Horror K-drama Series is this the correct description? Don’t think that I’m demanding or anything if you decide not to recap its okay, I’ll watch it anyway. It’s just that I’m not Korean and any insight that you could provide with regards to the plot and character will be highly appreciated. Also scardy cat that I am it will prepare me in watching the series don’t want to scream my head off and let my housemate believe that I’m being murdered.
[...] watching/scanning this episode reminded me of something from Dramabeans last Friday Open Thread (http://www.dramabeans.com/2009/08/open-thread-96/). There was a discussion about how sometimes the two male leads have more chemistry with each other [...]
Hi ,
Im new here and just wanted to stop by and say hi