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Open Thread #280

 
Sohn Seung-yeon – “저 달이 지면” (When that moon sets) [ Download ]

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Happy Friday my fellow beans!

Hope everyone's had a good week and an exciting weekend ahead.

Had a hectic weekend last week rushing a report so didn't manage to come here :( and now there's an exam next Thursday so this weekend will be spent in studying. Oh the joys of school. Only 4 months to go though!!!

Really really want to continue watching FBND (am on episode 11) but I've had to put the more exciting dramaland-side of life on hold as RL is getting in the way. But next week this time I'll get to watch all I want. I'm struggling to keep away from the recaps so I've been looking at the first tidbit and a quiiiiiick skim of the pics. *Le sighs*
Speaking of watching all I want (like a drama buffet?), TWTWB looks intriguing. I've watched my fair share of makjangs and am not a great fan of them but this one (after reading recaps) seems well paced and the characters are interesting. What do fellow beaners think?
There's also L7CS... but that would only be for Joo Won. I'm not into slapstick comedy much... but I guess that's better than crude comedy. I guess I'd prolly give it a go... or I could spend my time more wisely and study for my finals...

I can't wait to get back into dramaland for some dramatherapy. RL is just too much atm. Had a tough week on the wards (I'm a medical student) and saw some deaths/ppl on the brink of dying. Had a teacher say some really inappropriate things. And came home after a long week away to have to face my sister who I'm concerned about because of her crazy dieting but she doesn't want to talk to me.
Maybe I shouldn't watch TWTWB after all.
Any good recommendations for some light fun for post-exam dramatherapy next week??  

Anyway happy Friday and HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!

xxx

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I generally hate melos - I've watched a grand total of one, Mawang - but I am watching TWTWB, and really enjoying it even though I may pass out because I keep holding my breath at the tense parts. So far, it actually reads more like a thriller than a melo - not a lot of crying or handwringing, and everything makes sense and people are acting in a rational fashion.

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Hi Umbanana!
I hope your exams go well and you'll be able to reward yourself with a nice batch of dramas. Good luck!

I am not a fan of makjang dramas, either, but TWTWB seems allright, at least in the first 5 episodes I never had to cringe at blatant cliches, cardboard acting or silly plot devices. No idea how it will turn out later, but I do have confidence in the writer and the production team. I adore Padam Padam they made last year (have you seen it? a melo but very nice to watch, highly recommended).

Dramatherapy? how about Love Marriage? Kim Ji Hoon and Kim Min Hee play an adorable couple, the whole thing is light and funny.
My Sweet Seoul is not bad either, especially if you like Choi Kang Hee and Ji Hyun Woo. REALLY sweet.

Have a nice weekend!

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Will second My Sweet Soul, although I think she went off with the wrong guy. A really good romance that.

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TWTWB is really, really, really good. Yes, it is a melo, so it's pretty much broken hearts and ugly crying guaranteed, and it does have some makjang elements, but it treats its material seriously. It's also very character driven. Almost every character is a complex, multi-layered soul with plenty of flaws. The main characters in particular (as they should be); but in spite of those flaws, our heroes are good people at their core. Life has just thrown them some serious curve balls.

The acting is really good, and as someone pointed out, it has actually a bit of a thriller edge as episodes can actually be rather tense and nerve wracking.

It's gonna kill me with the high emotions, but I love it. It's easily my favourite current drama.

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I always recommend FBRS for humour and heart :)

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Only Chef and Hara-chan are shows I anticipate each week. Episode 5 of 'Nokuna, Hara-Chan" actually had me crying. This from someone who doesn't know Japanese.

Watched "Bambino" a story about a young man who comes to work in an Italian resturant. Thumbs up. It was about learning to work and how to nurture talent and understand people and love your customers and continue to challenge yourself thru out your career.

Watched "Bokura no Yuuki" which had children fending for themselves during a disaster. Yuuki had one of the best goodbye speeches. Something along the lines "not only were you kind, but you taught me how to see kindness in others". I love reluctant hero stories.

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I loved Bambino!

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Hi Mashimomo - I have hulu plus subscription on roku, but the commercials are awful, and, like you, I'm thinking that since I'm paying for it, what's that? sheesh! The kdrama channel (crunchyroll) has older stuff and at least there are no commercials.Ialso prefer watching on tv versus my computer. Viki is good (computer) with very few commercials, but is way more limited than dramacrazy (which drives me crazy to have to load up segments - but dc is the fastest). I think draafever is the slowest AND has commercials.

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hey owl -

hmmmm i guess one good thing about my direct subscription to DF is that we don't get commercials at all! the quality is actually good when it's working well, however my gripe is really when the streams slow down or the HD quality isn't at 100% which i'm attributing to user traffic. as i said, i notice the quality goes down on Fridays and weekends when *presumably* more users are watching. i know they're not a powerhouse like netflix or hulu, but i feel that it could be improved especially if you pay for the service... first world problems, i tell yah ;)

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Netflix streraming doesn't have commercials, but the selection is random - and of course nothing current playing (real time). I did catch up, however, on netflix in the beginning, but I think I've pretty much seen what they offer. Happy viewing!!

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wonder why dramabeans has not posted the sad sad news
about Park Shi Hoo alleged rape case. i am stunned as he is
one of my all times favorites. i only hope this is all not true
i can't imagine what he is going thru right now. its a scary
allegation and i hope that it is not true, but reading the reports it doesn't sound good.

http://english.chosun.com/search/search.html?category=english&keyword=Park%20Si-hoo

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Hello Beanies! Little late today, but better late than never!

It's been said before, but it'll be strange with Flower Boy Next Door ending. I have gotten attached to seeing these lovable characters every week and would not have minded if this drama were longer. (I liked the slice of life aspect paired with the overall conflict and theme.) However, maybe if it were a longer drama it wouldn't be as good!

Currently stalled halfway through Queen In-hyun's Man but I do intend to go back to it. I have also started That Winter, The Wind Blows (does anyone else think The Wind That Blows in Winter would be a more natural title?) despite my general dislike of melodramas. The last melo I attempted to watch was Love Rain, which didn't much work for me (I was unable to finish it). However, this one just looked so pretty! I love the score - I hope the soundtrack will include it. I just wish that we could have one melodrama where the word 'cancer' wasn't mentioned at all. There are many different causes for blindness - it would have been more refreshing to see an alternative.

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I know what you mean about getting attached to the world of FBND, a mere 2 episodes more isn't enough to make me ready to let go of those characters or their little world. Sigh......I will miss it when it ends. And Yoon Shi-yoon+Park Shin-hye is pretty close to tying with Jang Geun-seuk+Park Shin-hye in my 'favourite drama pairings' stakes, now.

re: Queen In-hyun's Man, if you're halfway through then that's the point at which the stakes are going to be upped and things become EPIC (up until then, it's a fun lightweight rom-com with great chemistry, but the later episodes.....oof)

I think melos aren't really my thing either, but I tend to like the ones that are well-paced and acted and undercut with lighter moments - Nice Guy had some excellent performances, and despite the darkness of I Miss You, its occasional bouts of funny were great. I liked Love Rain well enough, but only after fast-forwarding a lot of the first 4 episodes and pretty much every scene that did not involve Jang Geun-seuk and Yoona - they were good together, but the random side characters (that rocker guy? what was that)were a drag.

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This was my first Yoon Shi-yoon drama, and I was duly impressed by his acting. The ending of episode fourteen could have been better (I still don't see why Dok-mi is convinced that Enrique has to give up his dream in order to be in a relationship with her), but I'm hoping the conflict gets resolved quickly like in past episodes.

I'm glad to hear that QIHM starts picking up at this point, because when I saw the preview for episode nine I thought 'amnesia? really?', but I look forward to watching more.

I think I have to be in a certain mood to even consider melos. I didn't go near Nice Guy or I Miss You despite their popularity (and my fondness for the cast), but for some reason That Winter intrigued me. Doesn't mean I won't drop it the minute it starts going south, but, for now...

I actively disliked Love Rain, and barely made it to episode nine (where I stopped). I was watching it out of fondness for JGS, but was not remotely sold on the so-called 'pure love' of the parent generation. A man who spends his entire life unable to get over his first love only to marry a woman he doesn't love and then neglect both her and his son is not a man with a healthy love at all.

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I spent so much time fast-forwarding the 70s bits despite how pretty the cinematography was - they're an annoyingly insipid pair of characters, then and now, though at least she and her daughter have a decent relationship. I liked the present-day JGS/Yoona pairing (and she wasn't bad in that role) , but it's still a drama that has at least 4 episodes too many and some rubbish writing.

And with TWTWB, it's gorgeously shot but I admit I'm more invested in the second leads than the OTP, I am prepared for one or both of those two to die.

re: QIHM, I didn't get the big deal until the later episodes (and more so in the last few) so do keep on with it if you like it so far - 45-minute episodes do help things move along faster, and at least this time around I was actually interested in the stuff happening in the Joseon part of the show instead of wanting to fast-forward it all like I did in the first half of the drama.

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Oh how I miss you guys! Between giving up social media & tv for Lent I am both Twitter-OTless and kdrama-less. I miss the interaction! I miss the plots! I miss the fashion! I miss the random sayings! I miss my chingus, imo's, unni's, oppa's and dongsaeng! And it's been one of those weeks for the last 2-3 weeks when I could have done with some serious venting/snarking, followed by curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and a laptop full of dramaland. (Someday I'll finish Alice and FBRS.)

On the upside, hey ya'll! I'm actually on the OT! And boy am I getting in a lot of writing...

Anywho, how's the Beaners?

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Hey there! We miss you too, but the break sounds productive for you and of course the practice itself builds character, so it's worth it and we can wait!

Things are good here - I'm sure you've scrolled around to see the news already. I am MONDAY away from completing the most important project I have ever had in my current employment, with all eyes on me, and I am giddy about that beyond belief. So this weekend is happy :)

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Woohoo! Go imo :D That's fantastic!

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Hello people! Although it is technically Saturday.... being around 12:47AM here... I have not gone to sleep yet so I'm deeming it to still be Friday..
You ask why I'm up so late? Saturday is my little sis' birthday, so I decided to make a card and tape it to the ceiling (we share a bunkbed - she's on top).. and "study".. and in the process got distracted (dang you, Internet!!). ^_^

Have a great weekend, y'all~

Remember: y'all are loved and cherished - hang in there and keep it up! ^_^

- Jae Shin -

p.s. I will smack you upside the head if you call me "Shin". ><

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I'm enjoying the new melodrma, That winter, the wind blows :)

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Need help here: does anybody knows the title of the song used in the trailer of Kim Ji Hoon's 2010 movie Natalie? I've been googling like mad with no result. The vocal sounds like Big Baby Driver, but the music sounds more like Mad Soul Child.

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Hello everyone, hope the weekend is doing well. I can't comment on any thread as everyone is watching a lot of stuff and I am not.

Just wanted to say I may have made a mistake reading the spoilers for MDSY ep 47 and 48 because now, I don't feel like watching this weekend's. There were massive spoilers like almost the whole episodes and all the major story arcs.

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I'm way, way late for this week's OT thread, but I couldn't resist sharing some of my drama/movie thoughts. (Warning: minor venting ahead.)

This week's Flower Boy Next Door episodes really brought the comedy and fun interplay among the characters, though now I'm slightly worried that the last two episodes won't be enough to give me the satisfactory ending I want. (Mind, I have faith that it will end well, but will the finale offer the proper send-off to these characters? I'm wondering whether or not Watanabe has a purpose beyond being the cute foreigner, how exactly Do-hwi knew Jin-rak in the past...and of course how Dong-hoon and the editor will end up getting together. But the Dok-mi/Enrique issues and resolutions take priority, I know.) Whatever will be, I know the ending will leave me with conflicted emotions since I'll miss this drama like crazy once it's over.

Speaking of missing a drama like crazy...this week I finished up Tamra Island, and it had to be the most satisfactory ending to a drama I've seen yet. It's a testament to the drama's emotional power over me that I would have gladly watched it for 20-30 more episodes if it meant following the characters for a longer duration. The day after finishing it, I was so listless that, to fight the urge of starting the drama over and rewatching it right away, I bought the OST off iTunes and listened to it on-and-off throughout the week. Tamra Island may have had some issues with the political intrigues portion of its plot, but its characters, vibrance, and emotional vibrance really made me fall in love with it. Even when a story's flawed, you have to admire it when it's so full of heart.

After the Tamra allure wore off a little, I began the drama Ruler of Your Own World. The first few episodes were great, but then the love triangle reared its ugly head... As much as I like the fact that the main character is trying to be a decent guy about the situation, I still dislike the "two-timing" angle that's cropped up. Even though he's not physically cheating, he is at least emotionally cheating, yet he doesn't have enough guts to cut ties with the girl he no longer loves. Ack, ack, ack. Even complications that aren't my own make me feel stressed. The OST is fun since sometimes I recognize a few of the songs. (I felt such glee I heard Sade's "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and Prince's "Purple Rain" used in an episode.)

I also watched a bunch of Korean and Japanese movies this week, so here are some thoughts on them:

Last Quarter - Even as a fan of Ai Yazawa's various manga, I didn't find this adaptation very interesting...until the last scene, which ended on such a note that undermined my expectations entirely and made me feel grudgingly impressed that I hadn't anticipated the twist. Still, the plot and characters aren't compelling enough for a rewatch.

Tokyo Girl - I liked this one a lot, though I felt more could have been done with the premise and characters. Even so, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed this one as much if I hadn't felt a lot of empathy and understanding in regards to the male lead, a doubtful writer aspiring to be a novelist.

The Miracle of the Giving Fool - Heartwarming in some places but still a bit aimless when looked at as a whole. For me, the most touching relationship in this movie was the unlikely friendship between Sung-ryong and Sang-soo: the latter, who most likely befriended the former out of guilt and pity, really came to regard him as his best friend.

Cyborg She - The "different timelines" element was compelling, but the thinly veiled use of the "otaku/perfect girlfriend" trope was creepy. Despite some cool moments from the she-cyborg, I felt pretty detached from the characters, their "love," and their personal stakes.

I hope everyone else had a good week and that this upcoming week will prove to be a great one!

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Is Ivoire around? If you are left you a whole pile of notes for performing the correct jeol in softy's blog.

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If anyone's still reading and has School 2013/FBND feels, look what I found yesterday - Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye in a jeans campaign, and she looks the polar opposite of Dok-mi, it is unbelievable:

http://couchkimchi.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/additional-jambangee-ss2013-ads-with-park-shin-hye-lee-jong-suk/

(also funny to remember he's actually older than her, they look gorgeous together)

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