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Open Thread #290

 
Infinite – “Beautiful” [ Download ]

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Happy Friday everyone! :-)

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Have to run to the bank before it closes, but meanwhile I'd love to hear what everyone is watching.

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alua ~

Finished Tatta Hitotsu no Koi :)

Watching Yae No Sakura. I like it.

K Dramas: Jang Ok-jung, Gu Family, Nine, When A Man Loves, Cruel Palace

I need to check out TEN Season 2.

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You're the Best, Lee Soon-shin too.

I'm behind on Gu Family and When a Man Loves, catch up this weekend.

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What did you think of Tatta Hitotsu no Koi?

It's my go-to drama on days that I feel pensive. Just the soundtrack makes me feel better.

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I love the soundtrack too!

I love that Tatta Hitotsu no Koi has no love triangle. I always feel it's a little different from most dramas, that – even with a rich girl and poor boy fall in love scenario – it feels more real than most.

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aoiaheen ~

I loved it. It has two of my favorite actresses, Haruka Ayase and Toda Erika.

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Ha, John, and I recommend it to you without even knowing that it featured two of your faves! :-)

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Tatta Hitotsu no Koi did seem much more realistic than most dramas. The sound track reminded me of Celtic music .

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Yae no sakura is awesome, she really was such a amazing woman.
I wish it would be subbed faster though.

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Jenny ~

I wish the short "history lesson" segments were subbed.

It's obvious that they are visiting actual locations involved in the story.

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For me

Devotedly watching :
-You're the Best
-Last Cinderella
-Mischievous Kiss
-Gargantia onf the Verdurous Planet
-The Devil is a Part-Timer
-Karneval
-Uta-No Prince Sama
-Oreimo
-Chihayafuru

On-Off watching (so not super devoted but still interested)
-She is WOW
-Kazoku Game
-Soratobu
-Henneko
-Attack on Titan

gosh, never had this many shows to watch before.

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TEN2 is uh-mazing!!hulu/viki i think have 4 episodes up.And they wrapped up the tape-mask murder nicely.

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Johnnn thank you for putting up your watched shows! This is why I keep on coming back to OT (tho late)

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Tatta Hitotsu is such a romantic drama, i will never forget it =)

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Currently keeping up with Ten Season 2. They can't come out fast enough!

Having just recently finished Joseon X Files, I'm looking at Hero 2012.

Anyone have recommendations for similar dramas? I've also watched Holyland and Vampire Prosecutor.

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seems like everyone is watching TEN 2 . I wanna wacth it but I always press myself to write and read.

but with 35 pages of notes to go I might deserve a small treat

I want to watch something a bit crazy, funny and suspenseful at the same time. any suggestions here?

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Vampire Prosecutor 2 then? :p Devil (very similar to the manga Monster in it's theme) ,Chaser, Mixed up Detective Agency.

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Happy Friday, alua! Have a good one :)

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You too kakashi!!! Hope the sun is shining on you :-)!

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nope :) it's raining. haha

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Ahhhh, have you had "Unwetter" too? (My mom, who's in a neighbouring country to yours, said that's what they've been having.)

Sunny-ish here in London. Well, yesterday was a bit freakish, with sun and rain (downpours) changing every twenty minutes around lunch time... which was so annoying, because I was working outdoors!

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no, no Unwetter! I want to say "unfortunately", because I do like me some Unwetter from time to time. Like thunderstorms and stuff ... but since they always damage so much, I can't really say that.

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Hi alua! Hope you get to the bank before it closes! :)

I haven't been here in a while, but I just want to say that I've finished Tonbi weeks ago and I throughly enjoyed it, was hoping it could have a little bit romance in it, but still I'm happy with it and thank you for recommending that for me.

I'm not watching any J-drama these last few weeks, but I started Itazura Na Kiss: Love in Tokyo last night and I thought it's pretty cute. It moves quite fast as well, they're graduating already after only 3 episodes? (fyi, the only itazura na kiss version I've watched was the one with Kassy, and that was like 15 years ago, I think, so my memory might be fuzzy, but I think the story was focused on their high school life from beginning to the end). But it's certainly one of the dramas that I enjoyed right now, it's gonna be a problem if I finally catch up to the current episode and have to wait a whole week for the new one. -_-

Meanwhile, K-dramas, I'm watching only Gu Family Book and Mandate Of Heaven at the moment. Overall, I like the latter more, but not having access to readily completed subtitle can take out the enjoyment a bit. :(

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hi latteholic! So nice to see you hear :)
I hope you're doing well with your workload.
I still haven't started on Mandate of Heaven, mainly because of the subtitle situation. So I'm waiting until more episodes are subbed

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I mean "here" obviously. jeez. Friday is always typo day ...

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Hi kakashi! Nice to see you "hear" too :)
School is over now, so I don't have my morning classes anymore. Yeah I think you should wait until a couple more episodes is subbed. If you like it, then you won't feel as deprived as I am right now. I was trying to wait until the episodes are subbed before watching it, but I have to break that and watch them raw. The story has got me hooked really bad. I'm getting a little Chuno's vibes from it but I feel that the story has a little more depth, and I think I'm crushing over the second lead now... haha.. Funny because I've watched many dramas he's been in, but he did nothing for me in those... :D

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Yes, I agree on Tonbi, I wanted a bit more romance in it too...

I'm loving Itazura na Kiss, I just adore Kotoko (especially in episode 4, she's the best friend ever). Yeah, I sort of wish the drama had already finished so I could marathon it, but oh well... (and feeling deprived because no episode aired during Golden Week).

I tried Gu Family Book for two episodes but was put off by the Gumiho mama :-/ It seems to be better now (that's the impression I get from the recaps and people's comments), but I haven't felt enticed enough to check back in. Haven't tried Mandate of Heaven. Maybe. Probably not. The rest of the month will be super busy for me, so I'll probably hardly watch anything at all.

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I've only gotten to episode 3 right now, but will be watching episode 4 and 5 either tonight or over the weekend, and hopefully episode 6 will be up by then... :D

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Back from the bank (made it in time).

Wishing I hadn't been in such a rush, because then I would have come up with something better to say (You know, like "Let the wild rumpus begin") – but I didn't think I'd be at the top!

Okay, LONDONERS (or anyone nearby or willing to fly in), in case you didn't hear it yet, WEREWOLF BOY is screening next month at the Terracotta Film Festival. Ha! I knew why I held out so long... now I get to see it on the big screen: :-D :-D :-D I'd say, get your tix before it sells out. The Berlin File and Young Gun in the Time are also on the programme, as are another 24 films from East Asia (the full programme & trailers are on my blog, or just go to the official festival website).

Drama.... not watching much, not much subbed and some things didn't air because of Golden Week in Japan (:-( no Itazura na Kiss!!!)

Nine Ep 18 was pretty much a filler. MY still is a pretty flat character & I hated her "propose to me! propose to me! propose to me!" – did she actually set that whole scenario with her parents up? She's not a bad person, but, sorry, I don't get people that "play" like that. Anyhow... none of that diminishes my love for Nine, and I'm eagerly awaiting the final episodes because who knows what will happen! Anything could happen, with that double-wham at the end of ep 18 (stuck and.... no spoilers). It could be a happy ever after. It could be that our hero dies, either of cancer or because one of the villains kills him off. Or it could all have been a dream. Or... ?

Soratobu Kouhoushitsu I like it but I would love this a lot more if it weren't so episodic. We get glimpses of different characters, but nothing substantial enough to truly hook me (except Ayanou's breakdown in Ep 1)... I just would have liked it to focus more on the two leads' stories and more character (and romantic) development (a la Osozaki no Himawari).

Sennyu Tantei Tokage It's nice, but again quite episodic. Which detective dramas always are, so I'm fine with that. Just a little tired of Tokage's ex police colleagues ending every episode with declaring their hatred towards him and telling Kaori not to trust him. We get it. You hate him and think he's a killer. We also know that Kaori isn't going to believe them. And I'm dead certain of course that Tokage didn't betray anyone but is probably just being a martyr. Now, could we actually get a detail on Tokage's past and also Kaori's search for someone?

Lee Soon Shin Still only watching for the sisters and their romantic entanglements. Can't stand the moms – neither one – Yoonah bores me and I don't feel bad about her being wrongly accused, and Joon-ho's sister bores me even more, because I don't understand how she thinks the way she behaves could seem attractive to anyone.

That's it!

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I agree with you episode 18 of Nine was pretty much filler material and you knew something was gonna happen because you wouldn't have an entire episode devoted to happiness (although I must admit that I though ep 18 would be the final so it threw me off slightly)

MY: I see what you mean about her. The "propose to me" part was annoying, and I donno, seemed a bit off from what her character has been all along? Though I don't think she would be the person to arrange the parents finding him in her bed. To me that wouldn't be in line with her earlier character.

Lee Soon Shin: the strong point of the drama is definitively focusing on the sisters; the moms get way to much focus for my taste.

Joon Ho's sister I can tolerate at times because she is just such a redicilous non threat, and can't understand that Yoonha is just trying to manipulate her. Also I know people who act like her in real life, so I've sorta learned to "ignore" and just tune out the character :p

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I originally thought this was going to be a 16 ep drama, so somewhere around episode 12 I felt the pace was just very strange.

Truth be told, I think this could have been a 16 episode drama – I love Nine, but it has its imperfections. If it had been completely pre-scripted (and not filmed in the Korean live-system), it could have had a really tight script, with no slights deja vu moments (when they go back to uncle/niece a second time, ep 18 when they repeat quite a bit of ep 17 and only add in some details to fill us in on what happened from each character's POV).

I didn't think the "propose me" was totally out of character, since MY did pursue (without him liking her back) for a long while... but it was still obnoxious. She didn't say no to him asking whether she'd set it all up. And she annoyed me for storming out of the bathroom without waiting to hear his response to her wedding plan.

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Yeah I first thought it was a 16 episode drama as well. Then I thought it was 18, and then it turns out it's 20. I agree with you that a pre-scripted version could have been so much tighter. And the return to the uncle/niece relationship had me groan.

Yeah episode 18 was largely unnecessary, okay it let us know how everyone ends up where they are, BUT it didn't need an entire episode to do so.

Yeah, I can see that. Still that bit was annoying. And she should have given him time to respond. Plus that would be an awkward situation anyway, so not sure a promise of immediate marriage would have that much impact, especially not when your bother almost was the step-father in that time line. Mum is going to be a bit against him or expecting him not to turn up based on past experiences anyway!

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Re Nine: Joo Min-Young looked nice in her wedding dress.

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I just stared at the veil in disbelief.

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And her hair... why did she not do something nice with her hair for her wedding?

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I actually loved the way her hair framed her eyes and thought it was as strong clean look, in keeping with that crazy gorgeous gown

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The Moms of Lee Soon Shin... make me think the writers have mommy issues. The only likable mom is the single divorced mother. The other four need serious help and I get sick of them.

We've had decent mothers in K-drama land too... so I'm hoping for a mommy upgrade... I can dream.

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Good afternoon, my lovely Beanie-friends!

I hope you have been well. Isn’t it crazy how fast time flies sometimes? I don’t know where this week disappeared to … Scary. Is it a wormhole that sucks up time?

I haven’t been watching much this week, mainly because I have been recapping TEN2 (first two episodes), which took me ages.
But it was worth it - this show is so incredibly good, I can’t stop raving about it!
And then, I watched a rather … hmm …. explicit movie with Joo Sang-wook (“90 minutes”). Let’s see how that impacts my viewing pleasure of TEN2 in the future …

I want to catch up with Nine next (haven’t seen 16, 17, 18) or might actually just marathon to the end once 19 and 20 are subbed.

And then, of course, I will have to make gifs for the next two WAML SqueeCaps that we will post this weekend. Giffing one episode takes 2-3 hours. So I guess I know what I’ll be doing this weekend ^.^

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Love the squee caps you guys are doing of WAML! This weeks ought to be totally awesome! I can't be the only one who feels like show has jumped on the train to *Bali*. Pretty sure it won't end well. :)

Happy Friday everyone!

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thanks, trixicopper! I am waiting for Shukie and JoAnne's text before I delve into it ...

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@kakashi...just wanted to thank you guys for the squeecaps for WAML. Tried several times to post comments but still having no luck (even refreshing it didn't help). These squeecaps are hilarious and may be more interesting than the drama itself. (I've never disliked a female lead character as much as MiDo...could also be the actress.)

Anyway, looking forward to your next postings!

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sorry about the comments!! It's so annoying. I told Google (they run Blogger) and will keep telling them until they fix it! It seems to be related to that particular layout (which they call "dynamic"). I get it too, btw, today, I had to review 10 times!!!!! jeez.
Oh yes, Mi Do is soooo hateful, unbelievable. Does the writer think anybody can like her?!

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just something that I found to be working, sometimes when you get to kakashi's blog, you'll see that the address ended with blogspot.ch instead of blogspot.com, if you changed it to dot com, the layout will change from white (comment disable) to orange (comment enabled). I don't know whether it'll work for everyone, but it worths the try

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ha! that's outrageous!!! what's wrong with the .ch domain? :-)

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Thanks everyone for your encouragement on the SqueeCaps! Episode 11 is written and awaiting the irrepressible JoAnne t add her comments!

I should start recapping 12 this weekend, after I play Landscaper to my parents on Saturday. It's going to be fun hauling a bunch of concrete block in my Hyundai. :-)

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ahhhh!!! no more rest fot the wicked ... must gif ..........

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Oooo.. a rather explicit show... :D
Btw, great job on recapping TEN. I haven't read most of the recap, only the comment at the end since this is still on my watching list, but I can see that you love this show a lot :)

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I'm still writing a longer analysis of the Tape Murder arch. RL has interfered with it, mainly, but it also takes some time. And DON't read the recap until you've watched in: MAJOR spoilers.

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No no no. Don't worry, kakashi, I didn't read *the* recap, only skimmed through the pictures and read your comments on the top and bottom of the recap. :D

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have you watched "90 minutes", latteholic?! I am not a very prudish person, but for a Korean movie, it was kind of shocking! And Joo Sang-wook is such an a$$hole in it...

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lol. I can imagine how explicit it is. And not that I'm imagining things *ehem* *shakes head*. But I know how explicit K-movies can get, I always thought that they're as prude as their K-dramas, so I watched this movie once called "Cheaters" while my mom was around, and it got even more explicit that Hollywood movies.. It did scare me from watching another K-movies rated 15+ or 18+ (esp when my mom was around the first time I watched it).. Btw, going back to "90-minutes", is it subbed yet? Did you download the torrent or is it available online? I just tried dramacrazy, but I couldn't find it.

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very hard to find, yes. There's a torrent on Asiatorrents and very bad (machine translated) subs to it. They were sufficient, I guess. The story is pretty straightforward: scumbag cheater is married to a woman just because of her money/family, sleeps with a woman - and woman threatens him with sex video if he doesn't do what she tells him to do in the next 90mins. (that's the description you find of it online, so that's not spoilers :) )

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I HAVE and I'm not that shockable, but I agree it is more than just risque :0

I really wanted to hear their 'bedroom' conversation and understand why he said what he said ..... sadly no english subs available anywhere from what I can see.

A lovely, funny film I did just see was My PS Partner, with Ji Sung. I thought it, and he, was adorable!

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hehe Korean movies are very much UNLIKE Korean dramas, they don't shy away from sex or graphic scenes at all!

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Unni~!!
I know, time flies by so fast and I'm still in the middle of reading your first recap of TEN2, but I'm going to read it till the end soon, I promise!
It's just this month is really hectic for me and I'm behind on every little thing, so spare my life for not commenting ^^'

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haha, laos7. you took my comment on the lack of comments really seriously, did you ^^
(and of course, I also meant it!)
The good thing about blog posts ... they will be there forever and ever and ever. So you have all the time in the world to read and comment! hwaiting !

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So I've finally found time to read and comment on all of your recent posts, haha!

Of course I took your comment seriously, but... I knew that you were also kind of joking. In the end, everyone wants attention and comments on their respective blogs, don't they?

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I meant to ask how you're dealing with the time travel in Nine. I know you said a few weeks ago you didn't like how they wrote it. Let me know what you think after catching up. Maybe you can explain it to me because now it has gone way into crazyville!

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you know what, I simply stopped caring about the logic. Deliberately because the show doesn't work logically.

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I love your SqueeCaps! Makes me want to start watching the show just to compare :)

Is TEN good? Saw that there was a new season out and have been planing to start the first one, just not gotten around to do so yet.

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TEN is one of the best KDramas ever. In my opinion. TEN2 seems to be just as good (if not a bit better) judging from the first 4 episodes.

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It's definitively on the list then! I'm in need of a good action/investigation drama. Or just a good drama in general to brighten up what has been a mostly disappointing drama land so far this year.

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TEN might just be it for you, then ^^

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Now I am definitely going to watch TEN and TEN2. I am always looking for kdramas to 'watch' with my bro - live in different states, but we chat often. Right now, he is finishing IRIS (and I finished IRIS2) so we sometimes do it like that. Plus I watch WAY faster than him. Thanks!

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Do i need to watch Ten season 1 first? Is there any relation in the story line between season one and two?

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JoAnne asked a similar question below. You don't HAVE to, no. But I would advise to watch at least the last two episodes of Season 1 for full viewing pleasure.

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I freakin love the squeecaps and all of the glorious gifs! I wanna smack MiDo and Oppa is as yummy as ever. For me an episode of WAML is not finished until I read the squeecap.

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Thanks, come2noona! It makes the work go better to know how you guys like it! :-D

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Totally with you on that! SqueeCaps are as addicting as the drama itself

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Love the WAML SqueeCaps!!! I never leave a comment but I thought I should let you guys know!
Thanks for the giggles and lovely GIFs

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kakashi I know that we don't really thank you enough but I really have to thank you so much for all the gifs that you've posted all these while. They never fail to bring a smile to my face, especially in times whenever I'm all down and worn out after a busy day. Keep up the good work! :D

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This Week:
- Got feedback on my first script for Jebal Chaebeol, so I'm going to fix it, then work on script 2 and then through 4. I'm still getting my footing. I'm not a script major. I do prose usually.
- Worked on some Korean embroidery.
- Picked up a summer class.
- Submitted yet another story.
- Lamented the lack of a heart thumping Rom Com that sets me to the sedge of my seat.
- Made a Korean name generator because all other Korean name generators sucked. Whoo Hoo. --;; Thinking up Korean names was too hard on my brain.

Cultural Note: Touring Korea by Drama Locations. (I know you want to)

Note: Below are only new dramas, save Nine. 'Cause I don't want the post to go on forever. Someone has to take the fall and watch new dramas.

Nail Shop Paris

OK, I admit to watching a lot of reverse harem dramas, but this is particularly bad when it comes to episode 2. The premise was really, really horrible for episode 2.

It's a cross dressing reverse Harmen story. Where the main girl tries to collect info about a guy who works in a male-only nail salon. But the nail salon kinda doubles as one of those bars where lonely women get guys to pour drinks. (Which is more Japanese) So the place serves up a fantasy of having a relationship with the guy as well. I wasn't expecting mind bending, but...

*SPOILER*

So there is a wife who turns stalker on the nail shop boys, so instead of ya know, reporting her to the police, the nail shop tries to tackle her mental problems by "saving her" from her husband. Her husband has been beating her, jealous of the nail shop guys who are at least 10 years his junior. (Can you say OMG)

The episode ends when the wife says, "I'm at fault because I made him that way" and the husband gets his nails done with hearts. And he gets cured when one of the employees yells at him, saying they are tired of "cleaning up your problems" and then "cure" the couple. NOOOOOOOOOO. I have so many feminist things to rant about this plus a non-domestic-violence smack of realism. Couple it with my rant from last week about changing people.

* END SPOILER*

Couple that with pretty flat acting. TT And why did I watch this? Because of this drama I fell asleep at 9:00. I'm serious. Was that bad. I usually fall asleep at 10-12...

How are they going to survive for 10 episodes off of this?

I whole heartedly give this zero stars. (First time in a while) Did anyone survive through watching the whole thing without cringing and losing brain cells? What's worse is the premise of the writer needing inspiration in that way kinda fell flat, which is weird, since you know, a writer is writing it.

13-sai no Hello Work

The premise is OK. Guy goes back in time to try to advance his own timeline, but is an ignorant selfish person. (Said so in the drama too).

But the fan service and the crappy things the drama says about women make me cringe. It's cute for the older-younger interaction and the small things that make a difference. But then as the cute sinks in and I kinda like it, it pulls another misogynist thing out of it's hat like women who dress in say, short skirts are inviting men to look at her and treat her like an object, so of course something bad will happen to her. Then I get mad again.

Guy can be a jerk and get punished for being misogynistic. I'd like that instead. But, instead you have several characters like that and ofen rewarded for being like that.

The original book was written by a male. And it shows.

*groan* If they cut the anti-women stuff, I'd actually watch it through because it's funny otherwise and fairly well played. Plus the older v. younger interactions are kinda heart-warming. But it comes thick, so regretable skip.

Kakusho

First, nor second episode does not pass the Bechdel test (bench marks 1 and 2 pass, but not 3--she talks to other named females, but about males). This drama kinda feels like they got the talent, but the script lacked that final polish. While it's not bad, it's not the best ever either. This is one I want to like really bad, but can't quite seem to. Especially when the lead female is as young as she is and the male lead is as old as he is... If they played it off as a father-daughter relationship, in part, I think this would work. I'm not sure what the theming or tone is supposed to be.

Upside, the female characters do prove to be on par with the male characters, but this isn't established too well so far. I wish they would establish it for sure.

Also, it's a female has to prove herself in a male-dominated world on the feminism scale.

I'll give it a chance, but it's running the crime of me being bored rather than upset at it. And that's a crime one should never commit while writing.

Mayonaka no Pan Ya

It's about a girl that comes to live with her brother-in-law.

Laid back, slow, good for late night when you don't want to think so hard. Good slice of life with a little eye candy for the girls.

It's the kind of drama Javabeans would dislike--it has quiet details and a slow pacing without shiny cinematography, but would be in range of Carole and maybe
Mystisith. It's slow, thoughtful, methodical.

Similar Dramas: Late Night Dinner, though isn't quite so charming as that one. It has a similar tone to Tsuma wa Kunoichi.

Nine
Much better this week, though I still want more scenes with MY. Perhaps her new drama is an explanation for the cuts???

And rat-face was epic this week, especially in episode 17.

Gaby's Request
The book was called "Koreans" or "The Koreans" and is an account written from a soldier's POV. It's not the most fun read ever since it suffers from what I would say "permanently exotic" syndrome. That is that Koreans are a "them" and Koreans are weird creatures I don't quite understand and I never really applied myself to learning the culture besides what makes Koreans different from "us".

Reading such books as that can be a bit unsettling since I think of people around the world as "us" rather than "them" and the lack of effort into looking at similarities along with the differences kinda puts me on edge.

However, there are some decent anecdotes which he of course frames from an exogenous and sometimes US-centric POV, but since I have enough training in Cultural Anthro and so on, I was able to refilter the information through the appropriate framing. So I hope my retelling isn't half so annoying as the original source material.

If you want to learn about Korean culture, as in cultural anthropology, you can look up cultural anthropology papers on noonchi for communication. Keep in mind the blog stuff is usually done from a euro-centric POV. You can also read books from Korea as well. I bought one on Korean Shamanism, one of Joseon dynasty, some Korean Literature, and have been reading Korean translated books. (The language in Moon Embracing the Sun is really pretty. I can see why it was successful.) Also the Moon guidebooks are really good.

I bought a lot of books from hanbooks dot com which also sells dramas online. (Cheaper than the amazon versions of the same books) They have classics, if you want to geek out. Only keep in mind the ones in English on the site tend to be all "sad" stories because that's what English publishers tend to import. Rather than "happy" stories like Coffee Prince. Chalk that up to racism of the West rather than Korean culture. (It's a pattern you'll find with all books not centered on the mainstream... a wall I personally hate and want to see defeated... but I'm getting political.) If you venture into the Korean fiction section you'll find novelizations of many dramas you've watched, but again, only in Korean... Also will give you a far better bisection of the range of fiction actually being published versus what's being imported.

That'll give you a better source. I tend to like books written about people who actually come from the country rather than other people coming in and trying to explain what they perceive is the culture of the country. The second always runs into issues and for me an occasional flipping the bird. *cough*

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Kim Yoonmi, annyeong! When I say I don't like how they handled something in NSP, that's EXACTLY what I was talking about. There were enough fluffy things for me to enjoy it and suspend belief and then we get to that scene and I'm talking back to the monitor saying 'Oh no you did NOT just...' It's filler, strictly, so I'll definitely check out another episode or two, but if I see something like that again, no.

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Amended to add - um, actually I DIDN'T mention that here. Must have been on twitter. But anyway, that particular subplot bothered me.

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OMG, that episode was just BAD. There wasn't anything redeeming about it. I do wonder if they stole the drinking that substance from the crazy fan of Yoo Chun... but overall, it was horrible.

I was trying so hard to get through it, but I kept gagging and then I just checked out at some point. >.<;; In the morning I tried to resume and couldn't stomach the hot mess of episode 2.

In real life those places that create fake love are so sad. I saw a Japanese (I know this is Korean, but same theming) documentary on it and it seemed like no one won. Everyone ended up lonelier.

I should say, though, these places do exist in Japan, at least (didn't see any in Korea). =P I went to a massage parlor with only men in it. (The non-ecchi kind before your mind drops in the gutter.) While the massage was good in lieu of the Onsen I wanted to go to... I still liked the red bean-filled waffle fish (Taiyaki) better. =P Good looking men. (Ikemen) Still sad, in a way, since they styled their hair like TV men (or what my brother calls girly), so obviously, they are selling a fantasy.

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I think I saw that documentary...hard to wrap my head around the whole thing.

I think if they would limit the 'heart-healing' to less horrifying situations, I could be more into this show. For example, I LOVED what they did with the husband and the wife who couldn't afford a fancy wedding. I do want to know why Alex didn't continue with medical training, and I kinda wish there was a time jump so Song Jae Rim could come back looking like himself, and not some skinny weird ahjussi with a Hitler mustache. And the gumiho thing? What IS that? I love our heroine's little imagined scenarios, too.

They've got some stuff there that could be lots of fun, but it's mixed so strangely. I just don't know. I left Ep 2 thinking, well, I will check out next week's too. But if they pull another 'heart-heal' like Ep 2 then no.

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Those places definitely exist in Japan, there are whole industries just for it!

And also the drinking substance given by a crazy fan, I think you mean Yunho?

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Yeah, sorry, my brain doesn't work this early. =P I do know DBSK...

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Touring Korea by Drama locations:

I know you've thought of it, but you didn't want to say it: You want to secretly stalk some stars, or at least stand where they stood. (Or stand where they will stand in the future.) On the other hand, you don't want to spend a ton of money. So what's the best thing to do?

There are maps released by the Korean tourism board that actually lists dramas and their locations on a map. But I don't like them. And you could go to the Korean Tourism website for some of them, but why not get a list? Besides, I know how crazy dedicated you are to the Korean drama fandom.That's why you wish to stalk show your fandom to your favorite stars by "accidentally" showing up where they are. These are my top spots I wish to conquer. (Plus a wish at another shot at being on Running Man)

Cultural note: Koreans tend to navigate by landmark more than they do by address. Expect this.

Seoul Locations

Myeongdong Market
Address: You can usually ask and people will point it out. You can use the 2 line to get there easily.
If you go here regularly and early enough, you will often find shows taping here. Some famous shows have included Running Man (who uses it at least twice a year.), some news shows--and I also caught some trot stars here as well (I have photo proof.) TT I could have caught Yoo Jae Seok, but I was too slow. *cries in corner* Jae Seok, why are you a blur in your punishment underwear in my photo? NOOOOO. >.<;; (I even have pictures of the cameras... Man I was so slow to "get" it.)

Here, you can also get the best Hot chocolate in Seoul, Leondias and visit the nearby department stores where they often shoot dramas. (The famous plugs for designer items. Which you can often see featured in such dramas a Baby-faced Beauty) and see pictures of stars all over the place. (I got a picture of Hongki!)

You can also find the Safeway--which at the time I went was selling Pig Rabbit and also hair accessories. That Safeway gets filmed a whole, whole bunch. It's included in Running Man and most of the shops in Myeongdong have also gotten filmed as well.

Often reality shows and dating shows film here too. You can wave to beanies and boast once you figure out which show you were on. Only catch is that on weekends no one is up before 10:30, but often cameras are. =P Most filming, however, starts at 6:30-9:00 to reduce crowd problems or late at night. Occasionally in the afternoon, but that's rare because it's really difficult to crowd control for. (Try Saturdays and Sundays)

The various Open markets
Address: Most guide books list the local markets plus instructions to get there.
These are often featured in Running Man. There is one market with really awesome kuksoo, but filming isn't in these locations often. I still think you should go to one for the sheer experience. My hometown has a market where I grew up for 4 years, so I admit I have a really huge soft spot for open markets. I like to hit any open markets when going to a new place. In part to try to find the remnants of the memories of Eomma, and also because there is something raw and genuine about markets for me that feels like the heart of the city because most anyone will go to a Korean Open market--great for cheap dates, variety shows, etc. No one is immune. Plus it's not so slick as other places usually are.

Subway The 2 Line The 7 Line

Particularly at night, you can get some awesome shots of the Han River, go people watching while sitting down, try experiments in blending in, and visit various underground shopping centers, such as the one near the universities which has street food, and of course Gangnam... (Where I bought an awesome coat. ^^;; Before the song, for the record.) It's like a quick minimum 2-3 US dollar tour of Seoul. If you leave the stations then it goes up 2-3 dollars, but that's better than paying a hundred for the bus tours, plus allows you some freedom.

Building 63
Address: 50, 63-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
Made famous in My Girl, but also featured a whole much of shows, it has a curse on me, since the first time I went I forgot my camera and the second time it was so foggy I couldn't see anything. TT Though there are a lot of night shots out of it from the famous glass elevators, you can't actualy go up at night, since it's closed. It has offices in the general building as well as an aquarium which you can also visit. (I bought an umbrella there). There is a bus that's free that gets you there and back from the subway. Ask your hotel to help with that. Skinship? Go here.

Namsam Tower
Address: 1-3 Yongsandong 2(i)-ga Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Also cursed for me. I tried one time, but they don't allow cars to go up and there is a complicated procedure that I couldn't understand. I have a bunch of shots of it. Running Man, of course, also filmed here, early on with Joongki. Also featured in some dramas, but probably because it's not as eye-candy worthy, it's not shot as much as Building 63.

Coex Building
Address: 58, Teheran-ro 87-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Has a bigger aquarium, but if you can find it, also a Kimchi Museum with substandard Kimchi. Nearby there is also a Buddhist temple with a HUGE Buddha. (Bonggeunsa: 73 Samseong-dong Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea) Both are fun to visit, though the aquarium gets visited far more, the Buddhist temple is worth also visiting--just please don't talk at all while people are meditating--that's really rude. (Don't whisper either.)

MBC/ KBS
Address: MBC: 31, Yoido-Dong, Youngdungpo-gu/KBS: #18, Yoido-dong. Youngdeungpo-gu. City, Seoul
These two buildings are nearby each other. They get (understandably) filmed very, very often. On work days you can catch people wearing badges. Do some stalking? I'm joking. Really. Don't go stalking. But you can take pictures like I did. And it's not that far from Building 63 either.

SBS
Address: SBS Broadcasting Center, 920 Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, 158-051, Korea
is located separate from KBS and MBC buildings.
Run after some Running Man Members?

Bugaksan
Address: Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul-si
If you want to mourn the character Jo Jeong Seok's character from The King 2 Hearts, you can go here. Sing the song. Also other dramas have filmed here. It has the wall, lit up and you can see views of Seoul. You can't take a car up, so be prepared to climb.

Lotte Hotel World
Address: 40-1 Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-220, South Korea
A bunch of dramas have filmed here merely because the interior is expensive to look at. It's also fairly expensive to stay at... so I wouldn't really stay here. (My brother had better places, but I couldn't remember them. He did anger staff at one hotel by hacking their internet connection line to give himself more power. --;; Dude, really?) You can see why it's film worthy from pics. If you want a hotel, most of the time in dramas, it's this one.

1st Coffee Shop Location:
How to Get There: Take Subway Line 2 to Hongik University, and go out of Exit 4 a Turn right at Seven Springs corner and pass the intersection. At the 3-way intersection, turn left. Walk about 100 meters on the road above the playground and walk towards the road on the right side. Walk about 500 meters until you find the coffee shop on the right. (From Korean Tourism Board)

Low on my list, but Bukchon Hanok Village...
Address: Gahoe-dong, Jae-dong, Samcheong-dong, Gye-dong, Wonseo-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul-s
Was featured in Personal Preference. I mostly want the blueprint though. =P

Sageuk Fans

Korean Folk Village
Address: 107 Bora-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
Either one. Again do some stalking uhh... hanging out and occasionally you'll see them tape things. Especially if you hide and stay in the night when they film. Kekeke. There are also activities. Mostly in the Korean folk village, though, which take a while to get to. Just be sure to bring protection for arsenic poisoning and your silver chopsticks. (Though I'd take a handsome guard too) Also learn how to say "Seongohamnida" and offer your life at the drop of a hat.

Gyeongbok Palace/Changdeok Palace
Address: 161, Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Address: 99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Both are close to each other. You will get to see more if you take a tour of the place because they take you to places where they actually film. And if they are filming that day, they'll actually say and NOT take you there. (You know what to do then... pull a Moon/Sun from the first few episodes... No, joking. Really.)

I was really, really, really tempted to yell "Jeonha" in the center audience room. It took a whole bunch of restraint, not to yell it, especially since it echoes. OMG, I soooo wanted to say it. =P Maybe you have less restraint???

Note: Don't go around calling it Changdeokgung. That's like saying palace twice and you'll look like an idiot, no matter what wikipedia says. Fujisan Mountain!

Outside Seoul (You have to plan ahead for these)

The Teddy Bear Museum on Cheju
Address: 31, Jungmungwangwang-ro110beon-gil, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
Which has become synonymous ever since Goong for a Honeymoon spot. For golf fans, the island also features large, expansive golf courses. If you want to spot some daily life, there are still also traditional Korean divers who dive for oysters on the Island. Cheju, as a whole, gets filmed a lot. But you really need to plan ahead to get here.

The Eastern Beaches (in general)
It's not a lie you can get there within a day, but you do have to stay overnight. Can be romantic. But remember, if you want to have points to catch your drama guy, you must *run* and *chase* each other one the beach. You'll get extra points if you try to splash each other. ^.~

Anything in Gangwon-do is worth it. That's where you get the white beaches you see featured often. Sokcho, Gyeongpodae, Naksan are often featured.

Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do
Address: Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do
For My Sassy Girl Fans--you have to be pretty hard core, though. You can find the famous tree there and hope to meet your future husband from a time machine. Don't get dreams of Tae Hyeon showing up, though, 'cause he's MARRIED. (No matter how many times he looks through magazines at women and flirts with girls on 1 Night 2 Days)

Pusan, especially the markets.
Many stars come from Pusan. If you want to stalk the streets, you probably could find the Answer Me 1997 locations. Also hear the famous Saturi from that location. If you have lots of time, you can plan it on the way to Cheju. Also visit the beach--Running Man has often filmed at the beach.

And for Melodrama fans: Any islands that are not Cheju... such as Cheongsangdo for the Spring Waltz scenes, you can dream about having leukemia, brain cancer, a mysterious disease, cancer, playing some kind of music, especially a piano, and endless cost-saving hospital scenes from going to places like this. Just be sure to bring drama protection if you do go. ^.~ Bullet proof vest, impact absorbers from cars, decent clothing that aren't turtlenecks, and genetic testing. What? Did I say something outlandish?

english.visitkorea.or.kr.--If you are looking for a specific location, this website will have it, often listing the drama with it.

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I'm going to send this tour info to my brother who is always googling sites from kdramas to check out locations. He's been to S Korea and so he likes to check out the kdrama locations. Thanks for the good info~

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copied and pasted your tour. Thanks.

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It's also posted on my blog too, if you want to look.

A few of the places I definitely want to go to, though. Most I've conquered, but I still want to go to the other ones and have a shot at the cursed places too. - -;; Building 63, why do you hate me?

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Great post! Thanks!

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Thank you for taking the time to include this info here!

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Eeeee thank you for this! I am saving up for a trip to Seoul-- someday soon, I hope. :D And the info about the Sang Go Jae (from Personal Taste). I loved that house... I noticed hanoks because of it and now I tend to look at the hanoks when they're used as drama settings.

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Like! Like! Going to save this info.

:-D

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* Don't go around calling it Changdeokgoong Palace. =P I need to read what I write.

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Sageuk fan here and thank you for the info :). Korea is on my vacation list for next year and no bf is tagging along lol. A girls only vacation with a license to misbehave.

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Okay..might watch Mayonaka. Gotta say you've now made my mind all a-tumble with the 13-Hello work comments. You had me at "time travel" but then the misogyny will just annoy the heck outta me. The Japanese writers have a way of making me want to scream when it comes to how they portray women. Wizened old advice-giving unmarried woman, I can take. Sweet little innocent teenager I can take. I can even take evil manipulative rival beyotch. But the "I am here to selfelssly serve emotionaly wounded strong but silent genius/spouse/co-worker... Well I just lose all my patience. Only place I liked it was in Legal High because they did it well.

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"Wizened old advice-giving unmarried woman, I can take. Sweet little innocent teenager I can take." Sometimes I can't even take those.... *sigh*

"But the “I am here to selfelssly serve emotionaly wounded strong but silent genius/spouse/co-worker… Well I just lose all my patience.""

Yep, zero patience for this!

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Some Japanese dramas can come off super feminist and kick butt, then others make me cringe and want to melt. I think it really depends on the drama.

13-Hello Work wasn't so bad until the first episode showed...

SPOILER
The idol thing at the end of the episode. Basically the guy gets rewarded for objectifying women.

And then the next episode pretty much makes the female character (the teacher) an object when the men start saying things like "She's our most popular teacher" and then things like, "She's inviting trouble dressing so sexy." And then the plot started to confirm it, which was when I checked out. I couldn't stand it. It was sexual harassment made OK.

The last one is kinda a huge trigger for me, since a lot of men (especially in recent media) went under fire for saying dressing sexy is just an invitation for rape. And I have to rant about that. *shutter* Having something like that confirmed in plot just makes it worse. (The character saying crap is one thing, the plot following through is a whole other thing. I don't half mind so much when the plot goes against the character and pulls out some justice.)
SPOILER

The kid-adult interactions are really cute and well played. And I love time jumps to death. >.<;; But the constant misogyny, OMG, it just got too bad for me to stand. And I really, really wanted to like it.

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Hmmm, I was thinking about trying Mayonaka no Pan Ya. Quiet details and slow pacing sound alright to me. Honestly, if an actor I really liked was in it, I would definitely watch this, but I'm not familiar with any of the leads.

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Re Nail Shop Paris :That took me aback too, and made me wonder what message the drama was trying to send out. This drama is the kind of drama you check your brain at the door before you watch. I am on the fence and don't know if I'll continue watching, plus they cut Song Jae-rim's hair!!! Who does that; don't mess with the pretty, hehe.

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Oh my, NSP is so bad. I watched the first episode and that was more than enough for me. The acting... ugh. I actually kind of like the the lead actor too, he was in something else I have watched recently, but it's not enough to make me stick with it.

I am gonna start Cruel Palace instead.

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Any pics of your Korean embroidery? I love embroidery.

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i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/kimYunmi/IMG_2793.jpg

The dress I made too. It's a shortened hanbok

I made the Chima out of Organza.

i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg138/kimYunmi/IMG_2799.jpg

The pattern for the embroidery I also made too off of Korean motifs. (I found pictures and then recreated the pattern and made it my own.)

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Nail Shop: Just Don't Watch It if you haven't already. AWFUL. What a waste of 3 handsome men.

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Happy Friday to all!

For several weeks, I’ve been watching far too many melodramas and revenge-underdog stories that I’m rather sick of them (even though I have plenty more of those on my to-watch list). So I did what I never thought I would do: watch a trendy rom-com (the only one I liked was Coffee Prince). Usually, I have an aversion to these super popular dramas (ie, You’re Beautiful, Boys over Flowers, etc.) but this time I subdued my usual knee-jerk reaction and picked up Goong. Verdict? A really big mistake; it fueled my aversion to the genre even more. It’s an incredibly slow drama with a super annoying love quadrilateral. I fast-forwarded aplenty and mostly watched for the main leads’ blossoming romance because there’s something about an ill-matched couple falling in love together that gets me in the heart every time. Unfortunately, their cute moments were outweighed by their trivial angsty moments that even the romance left a sour taste in my mouth by the end.

That aside, I continue to watch Nine. After the dismal episodes of last week, this week’s episodes returned to the drama’s excellent glory, delivering the suspense and pay-offs it needed. WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS! I was so happy that Sun Woo finally managed to go back and meet his younger self, thereby fulfilling his promise. It was bound to happen but I was getting annoyed that it was taking so long. Luckily, the pay-off was worth it…even though a part of me hoped that they had more time to discuss things together. Then episode 18 was even better when Sun Woo got stuck in the past. Those incense sticks are surely trolling with him and he even acknowledged it, lol. But aside from that unexpected twist, there wasn’t much going on episode 18. Most of the time was spent in needlessly long flashbacks (I still can’t seem to get connected to the romance portion of this drama) and Choi Jin Chul making super-exaggerated faces everytime something happened. My hope for the last two episodes is that Sun Woo and his younger self can have a good conversation together for once (poor little Sun Woo is simply being directed around by his older version without making much of his own decisions) and that together they can kick Choi Jin Chul’s butt once and for all, hehe. I just really want a great finale for this show, having been so well entertained by it.

Anyways, I noticed Javabeans added new Linky Links to the site so I started checking out some of the blogs linked there. So far, really enjoying the Outside Seoul blog by Amanda. The posts are really fun to read.

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I am finding that Nine is giving me whiplash. All the back + forth with the incense - first one, now two, now one, and Choi Jin Chul's participation seems to really be bending the time travel rules and has me thinking WTH.

Jin Chul's expressions? Well, he was my favorite older actor, but I find him almost comical in this with his crazy overacting. I don't know that I'll be able to see him in the same light again. I much preferred him as Lee Soon Shin's father.

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I know he has more range than that and he can do subtle, so I'm kinda surprised he's coming up as one note. LJW's acting and JYH's acting is far more layered. This makes me a bit disappointed in the acting, since you can layer surprise in many ways besides OoO expressions.

So I'm a bit confused...

Though considering the end of Episode 18, I'm kinda surprised he was reincarnated in dramaland that way. =P Isn't that a weird kind of epic karma considering Lee Soon Shin?

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I was thinking that the actor playing Choi Jin Chul – as much as I hate the character – must be having so much fun playing him.

I mean, it's not just that the character is evil, he's completely bonkers. Muttering things to himself that can only sound nonsensical to others... shouting out loud in the street while madly waving his arms/swinging golf clubs/banging his fists on cars/etc...

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I find him absolutely comical and cringe worthy in Nine. I think he is used to playing benign characters. One can almost see that he is that kind of person. I've never seen him play a villain before. Now we know why. For me, he is the one note that is off key in this drama, which I love otherwise.

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I agree! He just doesn't seem to go with the tone of the drama. I can't believe the director hasn't mentioned toning it down a bit. Isn't that their job? Maybe he's too respected an actor.

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I sort of figured that if he was that over the top it was with the director's consent if not at his direction. I agree that tonally it doesn't really work. Even Han's mugging is gone these days. But it's still really funny.

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I'm glad Han has toned it down. It's always interesting when characters go through lobotomies during the course of a drama. Either that, or they get on Prozac. The assistant from You're Beautiful was the first time I noticed that phenomenon.

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I thought he played some evil characters in a few sageuk...

Wasn't he evil in Dong Yi? Or do I remember wrong? I know I've seen him play evil and played surprise with more notes to it.

More, I feel like he feels neglected so he's trying to grab camera attention, and because of that I resent it. You have to work with your fellow actors to try to match them. Cooperation makes for a better production because the cornerstone to good acting is actually trust.

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Yeah really! The facial expressions are goofy as heck. Every time I see him do the raised eyebrows and circular mouth thing I want to slap him.

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OR Kekeke hit him with a bat???

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Oh yeah, she's smart and funny, I like to check that one out too!

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See, i kinda thought the flashbacks were important. Some because they brought in the POV of lesser-characters such as Jung Woo's wife. And also because we got to see how young Sun Woo had grown up. It was so clear to me that the Sun Woo who was in bed with Min Young didn't know what present Sun Woo knows. He seemed so clueless about stuff. Sure, i could understand that he didn't know he was going to marry his erstwhile other-timeline niece but he was a regular guy without any of the angst the other timeline Sun Woo had.

There was no anger or angst about evil Dr Choi having killed his father. The sense of peace and normalcy on that Sun Woo's face was so wonderful to see. Just a simple regular life with no brain tumor and a girl he had committed to. He even had a religious faith. I think even the big wedding shows how life would've developed for him. He was normal in every way, even to the big wedding. The flashbacks gave us all that. That's how life had rolled after he saved his brother. And I suspect that is why Sun Woo in the phone booth smiled to himself...he saw how wonderful life had been for him.

Then..of course..came Choi with the car.

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Aaargh <-- I mean.. That's how life had rolled after older Sun Woo had saved younger Sun Woo and Jung Woo's. There was just peace, normal bourgeois happiness, no tumor. And yeah... oddball mom. But for the most part so much repair had been done.

We needed to see the marriage, the courtship, the lack of uptightness in Sun Woo now that he had lived his life without hating Dr Choi. We had to see all that wonderfulness that our hero had achieved. It was a kind of regained paradise. Fun to luxuriate in...and yet always always always that icky feeling that this was a dreamland that was going to evaporate or would cost some mega heartache in the future.

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Good Morning Beanies!

RL is very busy so am only keeping up with YTBLSS (my personal favorite at this time), Nine, which is giving me whiplash, and A Hundred Years Inheritance because I like self-torture.

Of course I'm watching WhenA Man Loves just to keep up on the sqeecaps!

It's a beautiful day here in PA - hope you are all enjoying your day as well!

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kisses, Korazy! It's raining here. of course. It's the weekend :)

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... but I'll be going to the circus on Sunday with my 4 year old and my sister. Haven't been to one in about 20 years ... I am really excited! It's 2.5 hour program, with horses, elefants, lions, acrobats, clowns, ETC.

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Have a great time! I'm sure your daughter will enjoy it. I am one of those who are not enthralled with circuses. Must have been a traumatizing experience involving a clown when I was younger!

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FL misses you KL, it was raining a couple of days ago, I even had to wear a long sleeve shirt in the middle of almost-summer because the temperature dropped, but it's back to its sunny weather again :)
Hope all is well with RL!

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I miss Florida, too, but the weather in the spring in PA is wonderful (usually!) The reason I'm busy is we're selling our house that we've lived in for 20 years, so there is a lot of cleaning out to do before we put it up for sale!

I see you're mostly a sageuk person. For some reason, they do not hold my interest. Not since the Princess Man, anyways.

Have a great day!

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LOL, I am indeed a sageuk person. 4 of my Top 6 dramas are sageuk/historical as you might have noticed :D . I think I know Korea's history better now than my own country's history. :D

Well, I hope all is well with the selling, I've read how stressful it can be (in twitter), but hopefully you can find comfort in the current K-dramas amidst all that :)

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Omo omo, I thought I was the only crazy non-Korean, non-Asian person obsessed with Korean history. I am always hunting for Korean history books, and ended up with quite a few. Do you have any Korean history texts to recommend? I am always looking to expand my collection.

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Hi avonmarissa, to be honest, I got all of my history lesson from Kdramas and wikipedia (and some online other online resources), I haven't attempted to read any history texts yet, so I'm sure I'm not the credible person to recommend anything. But sageuks do pique my interest in learning about history more and looking up wikipedia etc, although really I'm just looking for spoilers when I'm doing that :D

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latteholic: That's okay :) I think the sageuk that introduced me to Korean history was Damo and I've been addicted since, hehe. My Korean teachers helped by giving me their history books as well.

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My nephew bought me a book for Christmas called Seopyeonje by Yi Chung-jun. While it is fiction, there is a very long forward talking about Korean history and the tradition of storytelling in singing form called pansori. The story takes place after the Korean War but it is indeed an interesting read.

Actually it was made into a movie in 1993, but if you can get your hands on the book you may enjoy it, and it sounds as if the movie doesn't really follow the book exactly.

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Korazy Lady, thanks for the recommendation. I'll definitely check it out.

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I am not a sageuk person, either, but I think I could be. It's just that I prefer romcoms and contemporary time frames better, and I am interested in more recent Korean history. In fact, I am reading a history book that I would not otherwise have checked out if not for kdramas titled, "The Hidden People of North Korea: Everyday Life in the Hermit Kingdom" by R. Hassig and Kongdan Oh. It is mostly abt the Kim regieme, very well written, and KO's parents were from NK. Just another interesting sideline of kdrama viewing~

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Hello Beanies,

Semester over, whew! Waiting on grades!

With a lull in my interest of current dramas, I've been rewatching Coffee Prince, inspired by comments last Friday. Such a lovely show.

Also I was visiting http://outsideseoul.blogspot.com/2012/07/playing-favorites.html

and was inspired by the post on top 10 dramas versus what one thinks are the best dramas, versus what one would recommend and how the lists might differ, which inspired me to go back to my favorite dramas list and expand. I think I'll post different lists in coming fridays as I think about it. This week, it's just simply my favorites overall.

Favorite Dramas-

Answer Me 1997
Boys Over Flowers
Personal Taste
The Woman That Still Wants To Marry
Padam Padam
My Name is Kim Sam Soon
Scent of A Woman
Coffee Prince
Pasta
Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy
Flower Boy Raymun Shop
Worlds Within
Protect The Boss
Me Too Flower

What I learned from this list:

What I already knew:

I'm not much for melos or sageuks.

I like strong female leads, quirky female leads, well developed female leads.

What I realized about the favorites list and actors/actresses that I like:

I like Lee Min Ho and Kim Bum, but despite the prevalence of shows they are in on my list I also know that I don't base my favorite dramas on the cast alone, due to:

I like Hyun Bin but not so much his shows over all. Secret Garden was a contender, but it did not make the final list.

I like many of Park Yoochun's dramas, but somehow they are on the second string list too. But, oh, Mickey, you're so fine.

I love Rain. Not so much his dramas overall. Plan B was so smoking hot fun ruined by some continuity issues and a wet moldy dishrag female lead character.

Same with Shin Min ah, like her a lot, not so much her dramas.

Same with Lee Jun Ki.

I do however base my viewing decision on if I do not like an actor/actress in a lead role. The plot would have to be awesome for me to watch shows with some people in it that put me off for whatever reason.

Anyway, no surprises for me on making the list.

Happy viewing Beanies!

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Hello Everyone! ..... Hope everyone is doing well this Friday.

Ok, so I saw that mysterious, little teaser posted here for the upcoming Shark (Thank you, javabeans!!) and I'm still kind of thinking about it. Already looking forward to this. ...... What can I say, Kim Nam-gil just intrigues me so. He has that "something".

Regarding the weekly drama-viewing, this was a week of final episodes.
- Queen of Ambition: Glad I stayed with it because I did become curious to see how things would end with that awful, awful woman, Joo Da-hae. It's interesting, I kind of found myself thinking that she and Mr. President kind of deserved being stuck with each other actually. Oh the damage they could cause one another. But that's a whole other drama, I guess.

- That Winter, TWB: Loved that Fake Oppa. I had never seen a drama with Jo In-sung, but I liked what I saw. He was good, especially in those scenes where he's trying to keep his composure and keep it together. As for the end? Um, I saw it two days ago and I'm still trying to figure out, "are they here? or are they elsewhere?" ..... I suppose the two possibilities are plausible, but I swear you can't really tell, even if you look at the other characters' expressions in the final minutes.

- The Moon That Embraces The Sun: Yes, I've said it before, I watched a year later because I missed it the first time. As to why?? I have absolutely no idea because I certainly wouldn't have minded watching this again....and again....and again. I know understand what the hype and the buzz were about. What a joyful ride this was! As for, Kim Soo-hyun and Jung Il-woo ..... love these two!! They were fantastic!

As for other non-kdrama viewing: Continued watching those adorable kids and their dads on Dad, Where Are We Going? And just to change things up, I started watching Mr. Selfridge on PBS a couple of weeks ago. Anyone else watching this on PBS?

Ok, that's about it for now. Take care everyone and have a great Friday!

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I tried Mr Selfridge. While it's good, I think I'm not quite in the mood to go past the third or fourth episode. I think I'm not recovered from the end of Downtown Abbey yet to forgive Masterpiece Theatre :)

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Ah, yes, that ending ..... who can forget? ..... I think the actor with "that sad ending asked to leave the program ..... People are still so upset with how things turned out, that I don't know if he can go out in public and like, be seen walking somewhere. I almost think people would start throwing dirty looks his way or yelling.

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But, on the subject of Mr Selfridge, how great is the cast? Everyone is spot on. There isn't a weak link, IMO.

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Janelle -

Sorry for the late response. Couldn't get to the computer until now (early evening here).

Yes, I agree with you, the cast is good here. The actress who plays Lady Mae is particularly good at dominating a scene when she shows up.

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Hi there everybody!

Special shout out to the DB team. Thanks for making Korean Dramas and Films so accessible.

Had a look at the additions to the links. Enjoyed looking at The Kimchi Chronicles which I found as a result:)

By the way, does anyone know where we can watch 'Daddy, where are we going?' in English now Daebaksubs have gone? I got to Ep. 15 but would like to see more...

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Thanks Newbie!

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Nine - what an entertaining ride. Loved the idea of *SPOILER* SW stuck in the past. And loooooved his smile in the phone booth, when he finally accepted his fate and gave up hope. There is a force you can't mess with. They showed a lot of church crosses this week, too. So, you can't mess with God. Am very curious how it will end. Is God forgiving?
Somehow I still think, that Dr. Han will get rid of his wife in the end. Because there is a God! ;) *END SPOILER*

WAML - Love me some Kim Seung-oh. This man needs to lead a drama stat! Such a fascinating face.

JOJ - Watchable.

Marathoned Prosecutor Princess with lots and lots of ff-ing. Holey moley, ppl are criticizing MY in Nine for being whiny. Ma Hye Ri is one of the worst female characters I ever saw in a show. *shudders* Stupid beyond belief, but as long as your are pretty (is she?!) all is well? blech

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Huh? What happened? Intended to make a seperate post. Sorry!

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No worries Newbie.

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Good morning, my wondrous beans!

They’re on to us!, For anyone braving Nail Shop (an oddly pleasing bit of completely illogical fluff I can only describe as a gender bending supernatural slice of life rom com) – Song Jae Rim is calling our heroine Beanie. SUPPOSEDLY it’s because ChungDoon’s character named her Bunny, and SJR is the designated butthead who will secretly fall in love with her, but we know the real reason: it’s a secret shout out to US. *Many thanks to Mysti, who first pointed it out! It went right over my head while I was trying to figure out what the hell that show even IS.

Let’s see…Gu: I love you, because you have Chung Jo, and you have Yeo Wool, and because I never would have believed that anything could reduce Sung Joon to a barely-alive stone statue, especially one who can swing from a Mane of Mediocrity to the current Shag of Shame. Also because you have Tae Seo, and the Admiral, and all those loyal servants at the 100 Year Inn, and because the Head Gisaeng is turning out to be pretty cool…and because Kang Chi is love.

And Nine, I love YOU – because you are completely, utterly, undeniably, fantastically swoon-worthy fabulous. In this case, Lee Jin Wook is just the icing on the cake. I’d watch you no matter who our hero was, because of YOU, Show. You ROCK. PLUS you have Sun Woo (young AND old), Awesome Han (young AND old), a hyung who turned out to be someone we could love anyway…and Min Young, you might only appear on occasion, but you inspire affection whenever you do. And let’s not forget the great boss, who turns out to be very important in Sun Woo’s life when his brother and dad turn out to be people he can’t lean on – and the hilariously over-acted Evil Choi. I will miss all of you after next week, but thank you, thank you SO MUCH, for being such an awesome ride right up to the end. If you f*** with me next week, you’ll put me in therapy.

OPPA!!! Stuff HAPPENS this week. And we get some sexy times. Mostly not with Oppa, but still, quite passionate stuff for KDrama. I’m liking how things are going. I unapologetically think this drama is just fine, thank you. It’s not the best, but it’s far from the worst, and I’m enjoying the story and find the acting actually ok, although my usual ‘why is the girl so pokerfaced’ still applies…but I very often find it difficult to understand the women in KDramas, truthfully.

Lee Soon Shin – I’m a little behind, but I still really like you – it’s just that I know you’re gonna be around for a while, so these flashier shows, they’re distracting me. I am with you for the long haul, though, because I have faith we’re going to get PAST this endless mother sobfest and move on to more of what I want – which is the 3 lovelines, and IU’s journey to becoming an actress. You can do it. I know you can. Hwaiting!

Last Cinderella – Miura. I can’t. How are you even an actual human? You can interpret that as my uncontrollable lust for Hiroto’s callous playboy, OR my disgust for Hiroto’s callous playboy. Because there’s a pendulum, and I’m riding it. Hanging on for dear life. And Sakura’s cute little faces and all the times they just say ‘more old man talking’ instead of actually saying what she says. It kills me. You know what else kills me? I need to know what is UP with Hiroto and Creepy Stalker Sister/Lover/Planner of Evil. AND OMG NOW I’VE WATCHED EPISODE FIVE AND *insert spazz here* He’s not a callous playboy anymore, oh no he ISN’T. *faints* *thinks about next week’s preview* *faints again*

We Got Married Global - Officially tired of GuiGui’s incessant babbling and goofing around like she’s 12. She’s adorable but. Taec is a saint. ON THE OTHER HAND: I liked Jeremy, and I checked out FT Island a little tiny bit after You’re Beautiful. But Yonghwa is what really grabbed me back then, and so CNBlue got my love, and HeartStrings got my next drama hours. I’m..umm…revisiting FT Island. Happily. Plus HongGi and Mina are the best thing ever and I think they really actually are starting to have actual feelings for each other. OMG, I joined the borg. I know. I swore this whole concept could never suck me in, but I was SO WRONG. This must be confusing for them. It’s not like doing a drama.

Bloody Monday 2 – EVEN BETTER than the original. So happy watching this, and not just because More Miura is always a good thing. Although that doesn’t hurt.

REALLY need to find some time for Jang Ok Jung. I hear my cutie pie Yoo Ah In is doing a fine, manly job. Gotta see that. And then there’s Ten 2. I wanna squee with Kakashi! Movies : I watched Koizora last weekend (sob) and began Negative Chainsaw Happy Edge (weird but fun so far) and Crows Zero (weird but fun so far, also) Music: 2PMs new song is good, although I do have to say this to JYP: just because you make them whisper it more quietly doesn’t make it less annoying. Liking the OST for Gu, minus that horrible English language song. Other than that, hmm… checking out FT Island stuff.

Small confession: If Miura and Oppa stood in front of me, I would have a hard time choosing. Good thing My Beloved returns in 2 months, huh?
Also: I am not ‘S’

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Yes, JoAnne. Please join me in squeeing over TEN2. It is worth it. I promise.

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You did say that I didn't have to watch the first season to understand what's going on, right? Because I haven't managed to do that, even though I fully intend to.

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I want to know the same thing. I've watched 3 eps of Ten2 but I'm wondering if I have to really see Ten first to get everything. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know...

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I am torn: I could tell you that you can start with season 2 but... Season 1 is VERY good and there is so many little clues about the personality of each cop. You understand why they are so perfect as a team.
Season 1 is just one of the best K Dramas ever, Period.

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Preach! As much as season two allows new viewers to understand, in my opinion it would make a much better viewing experience if you've seen Ten 1. And it's definitely not a chore watching such an awesome drama, though you may need to use your brain a bit more than in others!

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Agree with Mystisith that Ten1 is one of the best. I marathoned the 4 episodes of Ten2 yesterday and was a little disappointed - esp with Epi 3. Thank God Baek is back! Otherwise I would have bailed if there were more moralizing/feel good lectures. I just want the crime straight up.

And also watched Last Cinderella to ep 4 and also wondering about the wtf is between Hiroto and Creepy Stalker. Joanne thanks for saying epi 5 is better, that will keep me watching! :)

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Well I would prefer to watch 1 before 2, obviously, but time is not infinitely elastic and I, uh, don't want to drop anything I'm seriously watching to marathon 1 AND the beginning of 2. I can add 2, or I can watch 1.

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it only has 9 episodes = not a major time commitment! :)

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To fully understand Season 2, you can either read some recaps of the last two epsidoes of Season 1 (I recapped those, too :) ) or watch them. I think these two are the only ones needed. I fully agree with Mysti, though: if you don't watch TEN Season 1, you miss out on a lot of very good and even endearing bits about the characters and their relationship.
But, even more me, who has watched Season 1 twice, Season 2 is still a challenge. There is SO MUCH going on, it really needs time to dissect. And I still don't understand everything, to be honest

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..and the hilariously over-acted Evil Choi.

That was great. I LOL'D

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Seriously, he could win a prize for it! They eyeballs alone are ridiculous!

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haha, so true. he is like a super-caricature of every single evil character ever played on TV

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kakashi ~

When he finds himself in the medical supply company..

His hair is all wild...

The look on his face! Priceless !

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he is also channelling every mad scientist EVER played on TV or in the movies :))

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It's the circular mouth that gets me... but I don't really find it funny. It just makes me wanna slap him.

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You have my admiration for watching Nail Shop. I started the first episode, and pretty much quit it before she did her entry into the shop as a boy. By your comment I feel it was a good decision, though I might brave it in the future if it's not to painful?

Nine is amazing, so much love for this show and the main lead! But I knew that was gonna happen! It was too good to be true! Can't wait to see how they get out of this one!

WE got married: I must admit to skipping most of the Gigi and Taec scenes.. Hongi and Mina are adorable together though.

How is Bloody Monday 2? I love the first series but never really got around to watch the second one out of fear that it would be bad in trying to outdo itself!

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yay! Someone else who totally loves over-the-top Dr Choi. I really think it's a good choice for the director. We need the comic relief or we would burst from all the stress.

Yes, Miura. Oh my osh! I want a young gorgeous lover...PLEASE!!!! Maye I'll do as you did and watch Bloody Monday 2.

Nail shop? Good, uh? Ah gee... am not sure if i can deal with some of the male/female issues i find in Japanese dramas..but I'll see.

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"And Nine, I love YOU – because you are completely, utterly, undeniably, fantastically swoon-worthy fabulous." Jejejeje. Yes. Especially the Lee Jin Wook bit. Not quite with you on Min Young, I'm not very attached to her and her "propose to me!" was too annoying.

"He’s not a callous playboy anymore, oh no he ISN’T. *faints* *thinks about next week’s preview* *faints again*" What happened? (I gave up watching this. Too many things that annoy me.)

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CINDERELLA SPOILERS

I've only seen it unsubbed, so of course I'm missing quite a bit and will probably have some stuff wrong. I have, what? 10? 15 words of Japanese? - But anyway - her brother shows up unexpectedly, woman in tow. He appears to be a bit of a boy-man. Hiroto shows up, is completely overwhelmed and then before the evening is over he's right in there with the family, enjoying himself. There's cuteness as they all tuck in for the night - he tries to kiss Sakura and then they keep getting interrupted by love-making sounds from the other room, stuff like that. Anyway, you can see him being attached and fond of Sakura in various scenes throughout the hour. And then at the end he has his big bike thing and right before it while he's warming up thugs come along and beat him. They show a picture of the girl he was sleeping with so I don't know if they were mad he was sleeping with her, or mad he stopped. Anway, Sakura comes to his rescue and he ends up giving her one of those hugely affectionate body-folding completely wrapped around her hugs, and goes off to annihilate the competition and win first place. Sakura has been watching anxiously the whole time, and all her friends/family are there. As he is given his award, she collapses into a dead faint. He runs off the stage, tosses aside his trophy, and swoops her up into his arms. We watch him walk away with her and he stops and bends his head towards hers for a while, then he turns with this huge smile and says something that literally knocks everyone practically on their butts. He turns back and we watch him walking away with her again, only this time we also see from the front, where she is faintly snoring and saying something to him in her sleep. Whatever it is (I love you? I want you? You are HUGELY SEXY OMG?) it stops him dead, wide-eyed, for just a sec. And then he again bends his head towards hers with that amazingly wide, whole-face, nuclear flash-bright smile, and continues to carry her off into the distance, followed by photographers and flashing cameras. However, with his picture in the paper, Rintaro and Bar-Ken figure out he has a connection to Choko (Stalker Girl) and wonder why they didn't acknowledge each other when they were both in the bar. Previews show Hiroto in the shower. *faints again*

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OMG - thanks for the Cinderella spoilers. I may watch without the subs also! LOL. And re watching Ten1 or Ten2 - I vote for Ten1. At least the last 2 episodes. Even having watched them, I found I really had to pay attention during the first 2 epi of Ten2 to not get confused.

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"if they were mad he was sleeping with her, or mad he stopped"... ah, the problems of playboys...

If it's "I love you?" she says it'd be something like "aishiteru" or "suki desu" (if you can actually hear what is being said).

All sounds very twisted...

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I've watched Last Cinderella w/o subs, then again with subs - I'm so into it I think because i like aspects of all the characters (with the exception of the chating husband). I llike the salon setting, the bar scenes, and the inbetween. It's so watchable. I am so rooting for Sukara to get in touch with her feminine side and add that to who she already is ~

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After I watched Episode 5, I wondered about two things:

First: That is one weird hentai sis/bro relationship.

Second: Why does Momo "need" someone to sleep with her? And why are these guys bullying another guy into sleeping with her? Did she call them up and ask them to beat up Hiroto? Is Momo in love with her sex buddy, as often happens? Why can't Momo get her own boyfriend? Is Momo rich or the daughter of some rich guy?

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Ha, you made me laugh so much with "it’s a secret shout out to US. *Many thanks to Mysti, who first pointed it out! It went right over my head while I was trying to figure out what the hell that show even IS."

I'll get back to Nail Shop Paris if I remember it.

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JoAnne,

I really need to remember to not have any liquids in my mouth when I read your posts...they are usually monitor drenching. [Having now reread this last sentence, if one is of a dirty mind, well you'll read in other things than I intended...lol!)

The drenching moment...[re: Nine]" If you f*** with me next week, you’ll put me in therapy." JoAnne, my thoughts exactly. I have this feeling that we may just put right back to the very beginning and have a rehash of the first few scene of the drama showing that life and destiny can't and should not be changed. All the same, I am going to miss this show and the void of LJW that will follow.

WAML [aka OPPA!] I felt like they were going to let a few more dark shoes drop, but so far I have really only noted Oppa getting thug-like when pushed or someone threatens someone he loves. So far, he seems like the child-man who doesn't understand how his actions can lead to other conclusions. I feel sorry that folks all around him are out to bring him down and push his thugness into reflexive action. Oh Oppa, I am still pulling for a positive ending for you and for that decent 17 year-old in you to finally be free and happy.

Last Cinderella...I REALLY want to watch the unsubbed, but will restrain until subbed. [I am totally spoiled by kdramma two eps a week versus Jdrama onsies]

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As usual.....so thankful for all the recaps here at JB and the other blogs. Blend of insightful and guilty pleasures! :)

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I'm just curious, how do you all write so much so quickly? Gah i feel like a snail on the computer sometimes haha (at least when I have to write essays).

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I write my post at while I eat breakfast and save it as an email draft, then whenever I'm free after OT starts, I can just post it. It usually starts around 9:30 am for me, and I'm working - so I can sneak over and take a peak at comments or quickly jot a reply, but to take the 10 or 15 minutes to write my entry in the first place, that doesn't always work.

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Huh. So you are not 'S'. I have to admit I was racking my brain and you were my first guess. Damn it, I won't be able to sleep tonight...

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'taec is

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a saint'. Goddam it my computer is sabotaging my life. But I was just going to say something about agreeing with you on that and also ... something else, but I forgot after having a small computer breakdown.

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WAML ... thought of you JoAnne when SSH was on the train in that blue T-shirt. WAML really had my blood boiling and people commenting in CAPS and exclamation points for the most recent episode. Can't wait to read your opinions.

'Last Cinderella' totally has me captivated.

" If you f*** with me next week, you’ll put me in therapy." I feel that way about many of the KDramas I am watching now, which makes me think I should go watch some American TV to calm myself down ... maybe some 'Early Edition' and 'My Boys'.

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Good LORD the dark tee shirt and pants and he's just so FIT and OMG I could stare at him all day LONG.

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Oh my goodness! ....... With all this talk about the jeans, the t-shirts, the suits, the gray sweater ..... the Oppa himself *swoon* .....

I was going to watch anyway, when it starts here ..... but now I'm totally interested in checking out the wardrobe!

Of course, that's if I can focus long enough on his clothes, hehehe....

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Finally watched episode 5 of Last Cinderella. Hentai, much? I've gotten used to the near incestuous misses and the fauxcest in Japanese dramas. But wow...now I'm really wondering why so much borderline brother-sister sexuality in j-dramas? Small houses?

I'm thinking there's nothing too too sexual going on between bro and sis but wow....why did the writer even go there? Why, if they're bro and sis, did the back-kissing scene seem so sexual? Ah well. Awaiting next week anxiously.

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I'm watching Last Cinderella too! I was a little skeptical at first because I didn't like Bloody Monday and that was the only thing I'd ever seen Miura in before, but after episode 5, I am totally on board. Loving this show now!

Weirdly, I keep waiting for the main character's makeover. Is it not going to happen? I've been watching to many Kdramas, lol.

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JoAnne!!!!! YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT OPPA!!!!! You have to tell him to stop going after such a pissy cold fish who can generate any facial muscle movement for any of his attempts at being cute or hot or funny. With your life experience, let him know that NO ONE can be happy with someone who is forever just trying and when most of the effort is coming from just one party in the relationship!! He is frustrating me with his one sided, one track mind about having her at the cost of his dignity and pride.

I AM COUNTING ON YOUUUUUU....and while you're at it, please commit some violence towards jae hee coz obviously that's all he knows to use. He is as jomo puts it detestable. He was never cute to me. From the beginning, he was underhanded and sly. And now, he is criminal!

Thank you. Am sure oppa will thank you for all this at some stage. Hopefully, you get to decide how and in what stage of undress that will be.

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Happy OT everyone. Will be back later with full post!

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So m done with second year of medical school! YAYE!!!!!!!! but now its time to study for my Step 1, which is like the most important exam in my life! BOO!!! but one thing i cant give up is me le Kdramas!!!

So watching Ten 2 and i am loving this season so far....it also doesnt hurt that Jo Sang Wook is the hottest thing evar!!!! its only been 4 episodes but i am loving the vibe of this season! also looking forward to the romance...IT BETTER HAVE SOME ROMANCE CAUSE I SEE THE SPARKS BTW NAM HYERI AND JI-HOON!!!!! watching this makes me miss VP even more...these two shows are one of my faves and have similar vibes and i am desperately hoping that the writers are using all this extra time to make VP3 very very VERY good!

Started watching City Hall...only on episode II but the show is moving so slowly. I have heard positive things about the show so m gonna keep trudging thru....but for now m taking a pause from that Drama to watch Gu Family Book.

Also can someone explain to me why KBS is being real stingy with their recent dramas to international kdrama sites.....and by that i mean Viki (I dont acknowledge DF)?!?!?!

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Congrats! Do you get to take some time off this summer?

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Omg that reminds me I have my TEAS V Teast on the 20th for nursing.

Who knows though, maybe one day I'll be working alongside you lol.

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NINE: I keep reminding myself that the old timeline is gone. It doesn’t exist. So mayve there is no Jung Woo with the unburnt stick dying on the snowy mountains. And yet, something in me wants to have Jung Woo doing some heavy incense burning. Waiting out the next two days is gonna be hard.

Last Cinderella: Darn it! I wanted Hiroto and Sakura together because I love those May August relationships but it really does look as if he’s got some love/guilt bond with Choco…and Rintaro is soo sweet.

Haruna, Haru-Chan: Thanks for recommending it. I totally love this. I love the way Hara-chan grows to understand the world. Stuff like rain, music, love, food, and the sea. Just a sweet story, and if you're a writer, it definitely reminds you to give your characters a full life instead of sticking them in some dark club somewhere with a three-stringed guitar.

Gu Family Book: Still liking it. Okay yes, there are plot holes and my impatience with Tae-Soo (yes, i know he's hypnotized but even so..he shouldn't be so wussy) is growing. I'm actually beginning to get interested in the whole rebel faction/government/traitor thing. I wasn't initially but since magic will not be the major aspect of this story..i might as well go with political intrigue and warfare.

Tried a few Japanese detective shows. Oh my gosh. So not good. Tantei off to save the child from evil traffickers. Meh. Galileo. Meh.

Like Barefoot friends. Everything one sees kinda dissolves into air after one watches but it's fun while one watches.

Am liking Bad Boys J. Might catch up on Sugarless since JoAnn (I think) says there is a kind of plot there.

Saw the end of Monsters. Okay. I'll miss that show. Wasn't the greatest but it felt like a good kid show, with clues even I could figure out. Not sure why the ratings weren't better and why folks disliked the main lead. Not Yamapi, the other guy...now currently in Kasuko-Kanajo/ghost-seeing teacher...something I kinda gave up seeing because I'm tired of all this preachy concern for kids. Yep, not seeing 35 year old student either.

Gu Am Heo Joon. Good when I watch, but gosh, that guy has trials up the wazoo. Hard being born the son of a concubine, no?

Marathoning: Princess Man and Giant. Must catch up on Mandate of Heaven and End of the World. Maybe Cruel Palace, if I can get to it. Still not feeling the urge to watch Jang Ok. I really should give it a chance but..am inundated with stuff to write. Gotta keep first things first. Might try Yae No Sakura...when subs come in.

I saw that someone had made a live action of ANOTHER, a Japanese anime. Am waiting for the subs to see how that goes. Saw the first 10 minutes/ Not bad but I didn’t feel like watching it without the subs.

I keep waiting for ENG SUBS of Otome-san, Yakou Kanrasha.

Anime: Aku no Hana — The stress this anime engenders. My poor heart just worries about some violence brought on by stress.

Not much else.

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Nakuna Hara-chan is really good. Though not all of the episodes are up, it has a pretty sweet ending too. It's a good ride, though there are a lot more subtleties in the subs... (Plus the music is great too).

The best part of Barefoot Friends is Yoon Si Yoon. And then followed by the Muscle Friends with their ridiculous puns. The rest of the cast kinda disappears...

Gu Am Heo Jun still stays at a good clip, doing nice change ups and twists. It's everything I hoped Horse Doctor would be.

And Miura is just hot.

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Waiting for the next episode of Nine is a killer indeed! same with waiting for subs for Bad Boy's J, I want it now! :p

I keep wanting to watch Sugarless, but haven't gotten around to it yet.. The premise seems intriguing though.

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The fighting genre can seem really senseless if we aren't clued into the reasons for the fights and the personalities and the great and small stakes.

Bad Boys J has shown its premise so far: kid who hates fighting ends up as a leader in a fighting gang. He thinks rules aren't important and he's got a lot to learn about how that world operates.

Sugarless, I don't really get it yet. I still don't know why our hero wants to be TOP. But i should catch up.

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YEah I know want you mean. It's also what makes it a difficult genre to portray; if you don't do it right, it ends up as a repetitive mess.

I like the leader in Bad Boys J because of his silliness, but also his seriousness when it comes to protecting his friends and standing up for what he believes in, even if it's about not caring about the rules. But it feels like there is a definite plot and a red threat going through everything.

Yeah that is always a problem: not understanding the motivation behind. Especially when all you really need is one conversation one question asked, or even one flashback to sorta give a sense of the reason behind his motivation. Might be more clear in the manga (if there is one) I suppose. In the mean time I'm still going back and forth about starting it.

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I understand that being thrown in "in medias res" in a story is normal but it seems to be part of the Fighting genre and it looks as if that's part of enjoying the genre. One flounders about a while -- like getting a job and suddenly being thrown into an office war or moving to a neighborhood and figuring out what the neighborhood wars are about. Seems like a purely Japanese drama...what with Japanese lack of communication and folks having to figure emotions/motivations/situations/group dynamics and culture out for themselves.

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Haha indeed some of the fun is learning how to navigate alongside the character. But still you want some sort of plot forming from the beginning.

That's also something some dramas in the genre do I've found: remembering that maybe they should have a plot in the last few episodes. So suddenly you go from mindless, plotless episodes that don't connect into suddenly getting a full on plot from out of nowhere. which can me just as confusing as no plots at all.

I mean you have dramas to follow one plotline for one episode, another one for the next, and do it good, but they also tend to have an overlaying (though sometimes hidden) red threat of character growth or something going through them.

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I haven't seen the anime Another (mostly because I think it will freak me out), but I kind of want to watch the movie as well, hoping someone will sub it.

I really, really want to watch Aku no Hana, but after the first episode, I couldn't get past the rotoscoping. I think I can get used to it if I marathon a couple of episodes, but right now it's turning me off from the whole show.

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The rotoscoping bothers another anime-friend. I'm okay with it, actually. But my default tends to be to defend the creative choices a filmmaker or animator makes. So I think: "Well, they thought it was the best thing to do" or "Maybe that's what he studied and so that's how he's gonna do it."

Try to see it...it really is fun. The message, not the media, right? The kid is just so trapped by the self-styled pervert. I worry panic will make him do something totally dangerous. OR that some accident will happen and it will look (to authorities) as if he purposely murdered her or something.

Of course he might really be a pervert and she might be bringing out his perversion but I think his perversion if any is normal. I really think of the girl as a real villain. Not because she is a pervert but because she is such a bully toward him. I hate the way she has hijacked his life. And the only thing worse than her bullying would be if the animators decided to give her a redemption arc or to make her a kind of symbol of feminine evil.

Another is nicely-freaky. IT didn't freak me out as other horror anime has. Perhaps because the curse only affects other folks, not me. (It's curses that affect innocent bystanders that freak me out.) But the Another anime definitely is bloody and bodies just kinda drop one after the other after another after another.

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I haven't watched Another (can't deal with horror), but Hashimoto Ai is the female lead, and she's a superb up-and-coming actress. One of those you really really want to keep your eye on (not like some that are just the 'flavour' of the moment).

Nakuna Hara-chan: I agree! I can't wait for more subs, it's so right up my alley! Love love love it, and I've only seen 2 episodes.

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I have that one clicked to watch at DC-Net. It was raw, but it will get an auto bump up on the list that will clue me in to the presence of subs, if and when they ever show up. I REALLY want to to see it.

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You'll have to tell me how big the fear-factor is.

I have a really low threshold.

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Good mystery/thriller with cops is Marks no yama. Not many episodes, solid not idol cast and and really gripping story-
Also Lady Joker I hear is good, it's done by the same author as marks.
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Marks_no_Yama

Yaeno sakura has the first 10 eps subbed, it's solid and I am enjoying it a lot. Far better then Gou was. (Ueno Juri should stay away from taiga drama)
Kumo no kaidan, excellent cast and a good story.
Nakuna Hara-chan is amazing. I adore Nagase and it's nice to see him paired with Aso Kumiko.
Yakou Kanrasha is great. Minato Kanae's works really are dark and gripping. I wish they would translate her works into english. Confessions was so dark but the cast was great especially Matsu Takako.

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I loved Confessions as well. It really showed how kids have no idea about the lives of others when they are caught up in their own pain. Am glad someone else is watching Yakou Kanransha. Good to have someone to discuss it with.

Someone else said Lady Joker was good. Not sure where i saw this list of good dramas to see:

Lady Joker
Kumo no Kaidan
Minnie ESPer Dayo
Kakushou
Iryu Sousa
Keiji 110kg

Kumo no Kaidan seems like it'd end down a very sad path..and am wondering if i want to go there. I still have to look at the last episode of Shotenin Michiru

Thanks.

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Nakuna, Hara-Chan: OK, so I've searched all week and I haven't found where this is subbed. I don't know how to download episodes. Please someone help me out, I am such a huge fan of this series and have only seen 1 - 3 with English subtitles.

And the darn u key on my keyboard is on it's last legs, so I apologize. Actually, it might have been liquid spurted while reading OT that caused my keyboard issues. LOL

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Hi Julia~ I'm not sure I can help you, but I'll try. Shoot me an email at grateful1@mailinator(dot)com, and I can at least point you in the right direction.

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Hi, hi! What did I ever do before kdramas? As usual, I watched lots of them this week 

Nailshop Paris~so much flower boy-ness everywhere – tres oui!For some reason it has a jdrama feel to it.
“I’m here for my appointment, s’il vous plait. Excuse moi? Oh, pick who will do my nails? I’ll take HIM-” *me pointing at clean, hot, silent Kay [Song Jae Rim]*
“Merci beaucoup.”

Gu Fam Book – So, Gucci, or Kangchi?
Gon, poor Gon has such a half-baked role and that sword slash haircut, no. Just no.

When A Man Loves - *spoilers*
~omg, in JH and MD in TS’s closet? I’ve become anit-MD for either TS or JH.

She is WOW – so off the wall!
The Last Cinderella – so on the floor! Don’t even need subs cuz Hiroto is just so beautiful!
Kazou Game – so extreme!
Bad Boys J – mmm, mmm!

I mix up You’re the Best, LSS and I Summon You, Gold. The stories get blended in my head.

If I can’t watch Eita in Siakou no Rikon (there haven’t been English subs for a month) then I’ll have to settle for his doctor role in Kyokuhoko Rhapsody. Eita sometimes
seems old and young just seconds apart ~ I like the dramas he is in.

Can’t wait for Lee Jong-seok in I Hear Your Voice – please be the post-School2013 fix I’m needing!

And that’s about it – happy weekend, beaners! \/

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Happy weekend!

"What did I ever do before kdramas?" I ask myself this all the time! (though add in Jdoramas as well as that's where I started :p)

Nail shop paris: I tried watching it, I stopped pretty soon though. Should it be given another try?

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Dunno, it's just eye candy. I watch a lot of dramas indiscriminently...if I'm in the mood. I do want to know the nailshop Paris boys' back stories.

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Yeah I do the same. I've sat through some terrible dramas because there is an aspect I find interesting or wanting to know more about. But yes as you said, the right mood needs to be there.

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Owl, that's how I feel. I've got half a backstory for male lead, a 3/4 backstory for cranky guy, and no backstory for MBLAQ's Thunder. Just a happy face.

So, I might watch one or two more when I've time, but honestly, I feel like this could've been funny and fun, and instead it's a drag.

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Excusez-moi, ce homme, si-vous plait. Vite! Vite! Les ongle est dommage? Parlez-vous! Ohlala, c'est magnifique beau, n'est pas?

Sorry, showing off a little. (Hope my grammar didn't turn into that word that sounds a lot like la mère only masculine.) Still, the second episode was disturbing in the wrong way.

I think it came off japonais, mostly because the character types are very Japanese rather than Korean. Also that kind of shop is very Japanese rather than Korean. The guy set to win is also a very Japanese type as well, rather than Korean. I get the feeling of manga a lot from the premise too.

Do they secretly speak Japanese?

Sumimasen.... kore wa otoko ii desu. Arigatou gozaimasu. Hyaku kudasai.... Yubi no tsume wa mazui desu ka? Oshiete kudasai. Waa~ Kore bishounen wa honto ni ikimen desu yo ne?

--;; Switching languages is difficult. I almost wrote some Korean in the translation. And I'm not used to seeing romaji this early in the morning.

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" What did I ever do before kdramas?" You had a life?

;-)

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I know, alua, right? I'm kinda tucked away in no-man's land just now with a good but different job and, it's a cultural wasteland around here. But the scenery is gorgeous (and I'm an artist, sooo lots of inspiration), It's a rather temporary-ish place in life, and kdramas fit the bill - perfectly I might add.

So life, when you do show up again, I'll be ready :)

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With all your k-drama lessons in place, never mind reality. :-)

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She is Wow! How did I forget about that?

Yes, other than Cruel Palace, that's my must-see show each week now. :-) It's so awesome!

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Too bad She is WOW is only on once a week :)

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I know! But I'm also kind of happy that it's a short drama because they risk losing their way when they're 16 episodes or more. This seems focused, to the point, and something I'd probably re-watch.

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Thank you to When A Man Loves for showcasing that beautiful jewelry exists in the world...particularly the engagement ring.

I am so tired of watching Kdrama's have proposals with lousy engagement rings.

Also, I look forward to the squeecaps as well.

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Thank you! ...would you believe me if I said so do I? Shukie writes her part and sends it to me and I just react to that. I don't pre-think anything, deliberately. And then I send it back to Shuk who sometimes has to add a comment, and then SHE sends it to Kakashi who inserts millions of gifs and even sometimes makes comments too. My first time seeing it is when she posts it, and I laugh my butt off every time to see the final product because there's always a surprise.

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I love the sqeecaps you guys make! They always make me laugh and leave me wanting to pick up the show just to compare it to your comments!

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Nadia -

"I am so tired of watching Kdrama’s have proposals with lousy engagement rings."

*laughing* ....... isn't this the truth? ..... I swear, sometimes you need an electron microscope to see those rings!

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Hmm, I guess maybe I need to Google Fu that ring. You won't believe how hard is was to find that resort. But I'm happy everyone likes our collaboration!

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Found the information on the engagement ring. I'll link it to my SqueeCap rather than put it here [evil grin]:

"Ring in platinum 950‰, micropaved with brilliant-cut diamonds, central brilliant-cut diamond available from 2.00 - 4.99 carats." Wanna guess the size of TS's rock?

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I love your squeecaps!!!!!

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Happy OT everyone. ^^
I hope you are doing fine.
I have quite lots of time recently so I could watch other drama while waiting next episodes of Nine.
After read last OT, some Beannies recommend When A man loves for an easy to watch drama without too much thinking, so I watched it. I am in ep 9 now. This is really awful drama, stupid office romance, stupid secret triangle love, both female leads are weird (I wonder how in the world still exist women like them. We're in 2013 already). Except for Han Tae Sang, the three others are educated people, that's why I object their characters are written that way. The only worth watching scenes are the siblings Lee Chang Hee - Lee Jae Hee, and Han Tae Sang's mom - Ddol. I cried whenever I watched them together.
Reading the next weekend drama starred Kim Jae Won - Jo Yoon Hee, I'm one of those who are happy. Yet, I feel sorry for JYH. Doesn't she need any break?
Still haven't started Gu yet, maybe it's better to watch after it is finished to air.
Just started to watch Jdorama, Love Generation. I loved it back then, but now I think the girl is so annoying. =))
Started first episode of She is Wow, it's all about LOL. So. Funny.
Only catch up Mandate of Heaven by reading DB's recaps and plan to watch it later because my favourite singer, Kim Junsu, lend his voice for the ost.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Hello Beanies doing a passing round before bed. Hope you guys had a nice drama read.

I am enjoying ISYG immensely. It's fast and so far like everyone except the really bitchy paternal grandmother. It's that bad even the evil mother in law is better than her.

However, just have to say I have a serious case of envy at present at someone's passion for their idol. I don't even like Shin Ha Kyun that much. But any fan that flies over to meet him, gets a hug from him. Then a special invite to sit for filming of AAMR ep 11 with the director and writer? Bexause your idol asked permission for you. Then says he will meet you again before you leave Korea.

That fan deserves the title of a fervent fan.

http://www.facebook.com/shinhakyun?fref=ts

I don't even have to be a fan to be envious of her. Props to her.

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Hi everyone :)

Okay, so I'm watching only one live show right now: You're the best Lee Soon Shin and that's because it has about 50 episodes and it will be quite difficult to marathon in one go...

I have started Ad Genius Lee Tae Baek and finished 10 eps....it's good...and I really like Park Ha Sun, she has so much grace....so charming :)

And I'm rewatching Sweet 18 with mom.....

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Park Ha Sun must have been a princess or queen in her previous life. I love her but I didn't really like AG. I only watch it because of her and Kang Ah lol.

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I liked Ad Genius at first, but like most dramas I guess my interest sortof faded near the end. I think it's because it felt like we lost that natural relationship our two main characters had in the beginning, to me at least. It definitely wasn't bad, but it wasn't a really memorable drama either.

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Good morning ladies in gentlemen!
Happy K-drama anniversary to me!!! Give or take a few days May 2012 was when I stumble unto my first k-drama and life has never been the same. So I said this like a million times but “Lie to me" was my first Kdrama ( Kang Ji-hwan walking into the Hotel in that amazing suit, is still a vivid memory and he basically was my first k-drama love)and if we ignore the last 5 episodes it was not all bad. Then I did “Boys over flowers" (which if I can be honest I still haven't finish) I almost checked out of k-drama land but as it happen I had a new coworker and as we talked she was a big drama fan and she recommended her favorites “Coffee Prince”, “Secret Garden” and “You are Beautiful”. About 100 dramas later I'm still here & I love it and until they make a drama that I completely hate (We got really close with Big) ill continue watching. So I'll love to hear about you'lls first k-dramas anyone??

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Happy anniversary!!! Last May is when I got sucked in as well:-) My friend showed me Playful Kiss and I never looked back. I'm in awe of you though, because I feel like all I do is watch kdramas and yet I've only got 25 dramas under my belt in the past year...

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happy anniversary! Whenever the 5th episode of Reply 1997 aired will be my one year date haha.

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I will just greet everyone a happy weekend. I'm kinda busy until after the Philippine national elections on Monday...

Currently watching:

Momo Love - Up to Ep. 4 so far. I know, I know. I'm on a Jiro Wang kick right now, but then light and funny is all I can handle at the present, as a stress-reliever. :D Not really a Cyndi Wang fan, but she's okay for this drama I guess. Plus, Ken Zhu was my favorite F4 in Meteor Garden :D I don't like it quite as much as I did ToGetHer, but I'm sufficiently invested in the characters now, that I want to know what happens next.

Drama Go Go Go - Up to Ep. 9 now, and then I've started to get mad at MingMing for getting all mopey and being sort of a pushover...

Itazura Na Kiss - All caught up now, waiting for Ep. 6 to air...

It Started With A Kiss - I started watching this one since I realized I hadn't yet, and INK airing got interrupted, but haven't gotten past Ep. 1 yet.

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Oh I remember starting Momo Love but never finishing it. That's the one with the girl with the overprotecting brothers right?

I know what you mean about MingMing she has a period where you really stat doubting she is 30 by the way she acts!

I never saw the first season of "It started with a kiss" I did however see the second season ("they kissed again") and liking it. I wish more of the elements there could have been in the korean one, or will be in INK. However I doubt it will be since at 5 ep we're pretty much about half way in a standard Jdorama.

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Yup, Momo Love's the one with the brothers. Ken Zhu plays the oldest brother, Chen Qi.

I feel really sorry for Yu Yi, the youngest bro. I hope his life gets better, or I will really flip some tables. Jiro looks good, but his character Shi Lang is kind of passive...

I'd understand MingMing's actions better if this were the first time she fell in love, but she'd already had boyfriends before, so what is with acting juvenile? In this regard, although Eason is younger, he is, at least, more worldly-wise. Okay, in that sense they make a fine pair. But that still doesn't stop me feeling like I want to reach through the screen and give MingMing a good hard shake.

About INK, at least it goes faster because it's shorter? :D Some of my frustrations with PK (aside from Ha Ni's blind obsession) was that stuff kept moving at a snail's pace.

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I should try to rewatch and finish that drama when I think about it :p But yeah I always felt sorry for Yu Yi, poor guy he really isn't treated well by the family that's for sure.

Yeah I know what you mean. Though in later episodes you do want to shake Jiro as well. And Pei Ni!

Haha that is true, still INK will probably cut out a lot of things. I'm imagining that it'll end with the wedding though and not move into the after wedding bit. Simply because the main actress is still underage I think so doubt they will carry it on. And as you say it is shorter.

I know what you mean about the pacing in PK, it had so many very slow moments. Also I never felt like either of the main characters really grew. And I was so frustrated with Baek Seung Jo's reactions, especially when she is late to the date, or the person on the honeymoon.

In "They Kiss again/It started with a kiss 2" the male lead actually show a growth and is actually in panic when she eventually turns up. He just seems to actually care about her more than what is portrayed in PK.

But yes if there is someone who needs shaking it's definitively Oh Han Ni.. I just wanted her to grow a back bone and move on or at least just be less obsessed and maybe make Seung Jo actually miss her.

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Poor Yu Yi. It's the rule about respect and obedience for elders, including older siblings, carried to the extreme. I'm lol'ing at the silent-film scenes, but they kind of get too boring after a while and take too long.

I hope Pei Ni doesn't get too impossible. I kind of like her.. just frustrated that she can never stand up to her mom, because, again, the rule in the first paragraph above. >__<

Ah. Definitely must watch ISWAK and TKA then. :D More reason, in addition to Jiro being in them :D

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Haha it really is! And they way he is used to "spy" on his sister for the other brothers and still he gets told off for not looking after her. Not to mention the whole story behind his name and the "disappointment" of him being a guy when he was born.

Pei Ni... takes a turn for the worse in my opinion. Some of it is circumstance some her own choice. Trying not to give anything away though I'm feeling frustrated with her :p

I say go for it. I haven't watched the first season myself, only the second one (because I found it directly after watching PK and didn't feel like reliving it just that soon :p) But I really enjoyed the second season. Also hello there honeymoon kiss is all I'll say! :P

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I'm a Jiro Wang fan.

I first saw him in "Absolute Boyfriend" so he seemed the ideal man to me. Then I crushed on him in ISWAK, even with Joe Cheng as his rival. Now I am at episode 22 of "Drama Go Go Go".

Any other Jiro Wang stuff you recommend (besides all of it just to see him :-)

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Aha. :D Annyeong, fellow fan! :D

Personally, I love ToGetHer (Superstar Express), so if you haven't watched that... :D

I don't like sad endings so I tend to stay away from any incarnations of Zettai Kareshi, but I've seen the trailer and Jiro's MV for "Pretend We Never Loved" (be still my heart!). If I gear up the courage, maybe I'll try and watch Absolute Darling for him. :D

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"Absolute Boyfriend" has Gu Hye Seon (Jandi from BBF) and she makes me cringe. So can't recommend, even tho' I both like robots and Jiro.

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I wondered at one point if she'd saved the country in a past life. Because she's had both Lee Min-ho and Jiro as her leading men and, just... what do I have to do to be that lucky...? :D :D

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By the way.....can anyone suggest me any good drama on the theme of arranged marriage or marriage of convenience......

I simply love it :)

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I have already seen Delightful girl, sweet 18, goong, full house....

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How is Sweet 18? I keep starting on it but never got through it..

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You have to get through the first 3 episodes or so and it picks up pace.

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Yeah, I noticed. I think I made it to episode 6-7 the last time. Some how the returning ex starting to recruit the sister just made me go "ugh, here we go again".

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Sweet 18 is cute and fun :)

not at all boring.....

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I might give it another try. I do seem to get longer into the drama with each try :p I donno the returned ex just seem to put me off I think; I just want the couple to leave out the wackiness and figure things out themselves I guess without the added ex coming back set to restart a romance.

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Arranged Marriage:

Sweet 19/She is 19 Also has an arranged marriage scheme, but it wasn't my favorite. It stars Jeong Da Bin and Kim Jae Won with Yoon Kye Sang. (Yoon Kye Sang cause my attention with this drama) (Get through the first 2 episodes, it picks up. I'm not happy about the adoption stuff in it though.)

The Vineyard Man (though it was not that important in the scheme of things.)

1% of Anything- Not my favorite.

Wedding- Kinda cute and slow. Not the top of my list.

My Sassy Girl (but more like arranged dating... and yes, it's a spoiler, but if you haven't seen it by now...)

My Little Bride- Moon Geun Young and Kim Rae Won Funny, but a bit creepy too. (mostly the age gap)

Moon Embracing the Sun.

Yi San, I think too.

Cohabitating:

Fantasy Couple

Attic Cat

Bad Couple (Also fake marriage that becomes real department, for subplot)

I Really Really Like You- Lee Min Ki<3 OMG, I love you. Fangirling aside, he's really good in this. And the plot picks up after a while.

How to Keep My Love movie.

Actually married:

Love in Harvard

Alone in Love (Melodrama, but the only one I could really stomach)

18 v. 29

Dong Yi

(Missing some, particularly the body swapping dramas which feature married women...)

That's all the ones I can think of... and I'm not saying they are "good" per se but you wanted a list.

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Do people still do arranged marriages in Korea? I can't figure out how conservative or not Korean society is. Going by AHYI, it's very conservative and even a man being divorced is shameful. Going by, oh, I don't know, any movie like All About My Wife or dramas like Killer Girl K, it's not at all conservative and is really like the Us or Western europe now.

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They do marriage meetings from what I know, which is blind set up in order to make marriages, but actual arranged marriages are pretty rare. I'd like group dates to be imported to the US...

You'll even hear the characters in arranged marriage set ups say, "Who does arranged marriages anymore?"

And actually South Korea's divorce rate from what I last saw was higher than the US's divorce rate.

Despite that, there are pockets of conservatism, just like the US has pockets of conservatism.

Anyway, I did ask about the first one, you can duck better than most of the dramas make it out to be. It is usually the mothers/Aunts that set people up, so that is accurate.

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To add to your list, KimYoonmi, these are ones I haven't seen or not sure where it fits:

Japanese dramas - Nagareboshi (2010) - they marry for his sister's sake, liked it.

Korean dramas -
Delightful Girl Chun Hyung (Really liked this. MOC I guess?)

I Love You (2008) - married for baby
Wonderful Life - marry for baby
Save the Last Dance for Me - married, lost memory, etc.
many sitcoms, daily/family dramas of course.

Taiwanese dramas:

They Kiss Again - married couple, sequel to It Started With a Kiss
Lucky Days - married, about to divorce
The Fierce Wife - married, adultery

A number of recent longer dramas like Inborn Pair and Love Now feature married couples as well.

Thailand lakorns: too many really to name.

I don't watch many historical dramas, unfortunately, so can't comment on those.

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jmho - Love in Harvard had the worst English speaking actors I have ever endured.

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Have you seen That Fool?

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Oh, this is my FAVORITE trope by far, I've already exhausted Korean dramas in this regards, so have turned my attention to Thailand dramas, and its a very common plot device.

Korean dramas- That Fool (starts off slow, hard to like heroine, but gets better)

Taiwanese dramas -
Fated to Love You (2008) - marry for baby's sake
Sunny Happiness (2011) - same dealo
Summer's Desire (2010) - this is more blackmailed into marriage really, sensible heroine who's kinda lowkey.
not recommended - Drunken to Love You (2011) - just going over the stupid limit for me.

Thailand dramas
1. Oum Ruk - MOC- married for baby's sake. Funny, romantic. Ken and Ann are both great actors.
2. Manee Yard Fah - MOC -solider marries princess - sort of like bodyguard, very sweet.
3. Khing Kor Rar Khar Kor Rang - MOC- rawr - dynamite chemistry here, very potent. The heroine here is very much a force of nature, very fierce and determined.
4. Mia Taeng - Arranged - This is fun. Arranged between parents, Hero already has a gf, but finds out there are two guys after the heroine, whose smarts make up for hero's stupidity (he continues seeing gf after marriage.)
5. Awayjee See Chompoo - sweet story of older guy marrying a girl barely out of high school. Similar to Sweet 18 in that way.
6. Kaew Tha Pee - MOC - blind guy marries girl, not the best, but has its moments.
7. Seu Rak Chak Yai Olawon - MOC- one of the few comedies in the bunch that deserves the name. Entertaining if not great.
8. Wanida - arranged. Thought it okay, but it has its fans and lots of pretty.

Not exactly moc, or arranged, but its more marrying to get something - revenge, money etc.
1. Roy Leh Sanae Rai - He tricks her into marriage (she thinks its lurve!) to get his money back, but of course, falls for her. She's none too forgiving.
2. Rahut Rissaya - revenge, one of the best heroines I've seen in any drama, Palai marries hero to get revenge.

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thanks a lot everyone :)

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I rerun Arang and the Magistrate for the whole weekends... just because. Now I'm head over heels with Satoh all over again... *sigh*

Right now, I'm watching Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles in Supernatural to balance things out. I need to hear English! My speaking pattern totally got mixed up with korean; now sageuk talk. LOL~

Can't wait for the season finale! Happy weekend awesome peeps! Haengbokhaejusseyo! ^^

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Haha I rewatched Arang not long ago as well! So much love for that drama and Satoh!

Haha I'm with you on the speaking part.. I start mixing my language up with korean and japanese words thanks to dramas, which isn't always a good thing :p

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satoh!!! he's so freaking amazingly charming!

omg! i thought i was the only one who's accidentally/sometimes on purpose adding korean & japanese vocabulary in my daily speech... my friends are like "can you speak normal? like NORMAL?" lol

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I know! And Jun-Ki is so fit for the whole sanguk look!

Haha I have it more confusing because one of my friends does the same, so with her I can mix languages freely. But then I have to stop myself from doing it with anyone else :p

My japanese friend find it funny though. :p

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Big huge fan of Supernatural.

I'm also watching The Vampire Diaries. I have a like/it annoys me relationship with VD. I still kind of hope Damon just kills everyone. Except Caroline maybe. She grew on me.

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Completely agree with you! Vampire Barbie & Damon's one liners are the only thing that should survive mystic falls.

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Yep. I sort of watch and skip VD depending on my mood... Theres just so many "why did ya do that?" moment in VD for me~ *irritates me too*

and yeah! In supernatural where we have Castiel! I was at first bummed when Dean left him in Purgatory (but later Cass return! yay!)

His one liners are gems too! So funny! I remembered an episode a few weeks back where he tried to extract information from a cat...I ROFL like crazy. But I immediately stopped when the cat said "dumbass". That was unexpected! but I continued to laugh anyway~ ^^

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Cass is the best addition to Supernatural ever! :p

Which season are you on? I haven't watched for a while so no clue how far it has gotten.

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I'm on season 8, eps 22...You should totally check it out. Theres 2 additional recurring character that I found fantastic: Charlie and Garth~ ^^

I think in 2 weeks time, we'll get to hear the signature "carry on my wayward sons" for season 8...

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Yay for Supernatural fans! Supernatural is about the only English thing I'm watching right now, Kdramas took over all my other series-watching time! I'm so curious as to what's to happen in the finale! But I don't really want the season to end yet, cause that means a long time waiting until the next one! And I can't go that long without Sam & Dean haha

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We fans have this love/hate relationship with season finale right? We wanted it to end, but we don't want it to end because we'll miss them so much!!!

I plan to watch Pretty Little Liars after the season's over... maybe Games of thrones too if Pretty little liars bores me.

Anyhow, glad to see other Supernatural fans too! ^^

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I am watching:

All About My Romance~Love this drama! It is such a sweet story. As far as I can tell EVERYONE, cast and crew, is a well trained, seasoned professional. Wardrobe, editing, music, camera work…..of course acting, all is well done.

You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin~Love the three sister’s love stories: the doctor, the baker, and the star maker. The girls varying ages and experience levels make for several different types of romance in a single drama. Hate each momma in the drama…except Joon ho’s momma.

Gu Family Book~This is cute. I do think Lee Seung-gi’s performance was better in King2Hearts but I am sure there a many factors involved that effect his performance. Is it the period costumes that is making everyone expressionless? I mean everyone, old actors, young actors, everyone with the headband across the forehead. Oh and Park Chung-jo, concubine sister, she has some backbone!

Barefoot Friends~*poof*. It seems pointless. I want it to work and be a great show. YSY fan… alas, I find it uncomfortable to watch.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

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The sisters stories is so the best in Lee Soon Shin, wish we had more of them than of the angst of the mum really.

And so cute when the middle sister (am horrible with names sorry) had her jealousy moment with her colleague: that's right, there are more than one girl out there who wouldn't mind "relieving" you of your boyfriend should you find him a "trouble" (myself included :p)

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I think the middle sister and her romance is the most fun to watch.

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With All About my Romance... did you notice the Akdong Musicians song? I downloaded it. So Sweet~

The drama itself is OK. I get a lot of the subtle politicking and they are playing a lot with word play, I just wish that the relationships in the show had some variety as well... (beyond the main couple<-- trying to code the spoiler)

I'm not a huge fan of the acting on Lee Min Jeong. For some reason her facial expressions lack that spark in her eye for me to buy that she's as smart as they are writing her. This isn't a hate on the actress. It's more I'm having a hard time believing her when she's quoting numbers. If she had a spark in her eyes while thinking and quoting, I could buy it, but her eyes look blank.

Despite that, it is an easy watch. The type of thing I do embroidery to.

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I have downloaded the Akdong song as well!

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Ah the Akdong song~ I didn't even know they recorded a song for the OST until I suddenly hear it and I was like: wait, those voices sound reaaaaaaally familiar. They sure have a distinctive style~

Now I'm listening to it nonstop.

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I so love that song ... makes me want to get up and dance.

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I think YTBLSS is going to be this year's Ojakkyo Brothers for me, because I really like it even if I'm WAY behind on eps.

Gu Family Book.....I don't think it's the costumes, considering how many sageuks/fantasy sageuks have casts that manage to emote well. But like I said in my comment, most of the characters are very one-note, and I hope the few remaining ones don't go that way too.

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Re Barefoot Friends, I was touched by them learning how hard it was to make money as a lower-class person in a poor country. But yeah, it's not really working out.

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I honestly watched barefoot friends for Shi Yoon only.

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Happy Friday everyone!

Week consisted of far less revision for my exam than it should, and far more visits to the doctors office than I would like. Getting a Visa and work permit in china is have a lot more complicated than I'd like! Also since I'm soon leaving the UK and need stuff done before then!

Also, so sad to see daebaksub disappear.. Where shall I now go to get my 1n2d viewing fix outside of recaps?

Dramas of the week:
Nine: I love this show! Cannot wait for the next episode! This drama has made me relive the feeling of not being able to wait for the next episode, a feeling I've been lacking in regards to dramaland lately.

You're the best Lee Soon Shi: I like this show, but god I'm growing frustrated with the mom and Song Mi Rong.. She is totally going out of bounds with the way she is acting in trying to ruin for Soon Shin, I mean soon shin doesn't even know of any involvement! There is no need to be acting this way!

I get the same with palace dramas where the schemers keep scheming unnecessary to prevent people finding out. Well, if you DIDN'T keep acting and scheming strangely maybe people would stay off your trail for a bit longer!

Also I just want Joon Ho to say that he won't leave Soon Shin no matter what that other actress does. Mostly because although the romance is starting to grow, atm I think he mostly sees his own past in Soon Shin, and I want him to be determined and say that he is not going to treat her the way he was treated.

Borrow your love: started it, but still unsure if I should continue. The preview of the second episode put me off a bit, because again overly evil person seems to appear..

Drama Go Go Go: waiting for episode 24..

Bad Boy's J: I'm really liking this show. Not to guffy nor overly serious but with a nice apparent plot. subs seems to be slow coming though..

Gu family book & Mandate of heaven: still pending to be started..

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"Borrow your love: started it, but still unsure if I should continue. The preview of the second episode put me off a bit, because again overly evil person seems to appear.."

I tried that for 2? 3? episodes. It's just way too cliché for me, too many stock characters, and a heroine that that is... dumber than dumb? Not the kind of drama I can handle without wanting to tear my hair out! Plus, the amount of stuff that happens in every single episodes is more than happens in most people's lives! Way overblown and far-fetched.

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I know what you mean! It is very cliche, and you can almost run a check list on the characters, which is a bit off putting. Plus I'm sick of the constant over evil, non caring character which the boss woman seems to be going for in the preview for ep 2.

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*spoiler for Borrow your Love*

They run out of plot after episode 3 and start in with the mother who lies that her child is her child and then give the mother brain cancer. It's a car crash that's waiting to happen. I'm glad I dropped it. You should be too.

*end spoiler*

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Oh dear god.. Yeah that sounds like a car crash waiting to happen indeed! Think I might stick to my earlier decision of dropping it!

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dear me! Then I'm glad I didn't start watching it. My patience with cancers and child-swapping or child stealing or child switching...is way gone.

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YES!! Bad Boys! I'm liking it a lot.

The scheming thing: Ah me! I like good schemes but sometimes it's like...what am I gonna do with this?

In Cruel Palace, the king and his former friend Jeom scheming back and forth...I kept thinking, I know this should be exciting but I just came out of Incarnation of Money and back then I watched Syndrome and Chaser. Scheming has to be good for me to watch. And a little emotion in the scheming helps as well. The king and Jeom are both so calm.

Revenge may be a dish that is best served cold but if you're watching it, you need to see emotion and blind hot rage. Plus you have to be on the side of someone. Sitting around watching a schemer you don't like or a schemer who is being emotionally detached..or worse, giggling....just saps out one's energy.

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I know what you mean! Good scheming can be interesting, but when it is to much unnecessary scheming I grow frustrated with the bad guys :p It's like, it would be more effictive if you stopped scheming for a bit, instead of "oh no they are looking around, lets me more evil and more scheming because that won't makes us look suspicious at all! " ... or not.. :p

I don't mind cold logic in scheming, like it doesn't have to be over the top rage filled with me. But yes some emotion are needing to be shown, or at least have an anchor withing the scheming and the revenge for it to be believable. Like for the schemer to show content or discontent with the way things are going.

But yeah not a fan of overly scheming especially when it's not actually necessary to be overly scheming!

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LOL! Ah the joys of K-drama! One becomes an expert in the varieties of schemery..and one can discern the crappy scheming from the good scheming....like the difference between vinegary grape juice and a fine aged malevolent wine.

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hahah true that! Scheming does seem to be a big part of kdramas, alongside evil mother-in-laws and candy heroins and different levels of crappy parents (and the death of any good parents)!

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Carole -

"... Ah the joys of K-drama! One becomes an expert in the varieties of schemery..."

LOL! ...... so true ..... so, so true!

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Ah, I forgot about Bad Boys J. The subs are slow in coming,and I get mentally tired from checking back again and again.

Have they done 4? If so, I'll watch it today.

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Think they are still on episode 3. at least it was last time I looked. The subs are really really slow indeed. Which is a shame really.

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And that's why I put it out of my mind. Sigh.

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Hi all!!

I watched Band-Aid (or Bandage?) this weekend with Go Soo. I really enjoyed it! Has anyone else watched this? What did you think?

Only watching Gu Family Book now but thinking about taking up Mandate of Heaven. Is anyone watching it? Is it good? Do you recommend watching it?

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I've been wanting to watch Band-age for awhile now but i keep balking. Because I have to be in the mood for the troubles or bios of bands, real or imagined. I did like Ore-sama, though. So I think I might watch Bandage, since you liked it. Thanks.

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I watched it but really disliked the female lead, who I thought was an unethical, selfish awful person. And terribly terribly annoying too. The medical bits were full of rubbish too. But go soo I really enjoyed his role there.

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You're right - she was one questionable doctor! Also, I couldn't wrap my head around her friend's attitude after they ended up losing their jobs!!

But all in all, I liked the show....nitty gritty details aside...

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I thoroughly enjoy watching" Mandate of Heaven right now. The pace is great, it's visually stunning, and I like most of the characters as well. However, Lee Dong Wook was cringing far too much in early episodes, but thankfully he has toned it down now. And since KBS is being stingy with their shows, you have to be really patient for the sub to come out, which probably can take out the enjoyment a little bit

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I LOVED the film. It was refreshing and funny and yes, a little serious, but I liked the way they depicted the slow thawing out of Go Soo.

Some of the best scenes were when the whole ensemble were out on a 'shout', such as the hosing off scene; where the woman firefighter tells the assembled group she's going to a matchmaking session...... I give it 4 stars.

Dont let the title put you off - there's not an awful lot of gore in it.

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Nine- What more could possibly be said, who knows but I'm going to say my piece. I love Nine, I still love Nine even after episode eighteen. I understand why if they absolutely had to fill twenty episodes the events of eighteen are necessary, but why do they have to fill twenty episodes. Couldn't the writers have said, "our story would be better and leave fewer bald people in its wake if we end at sixteen or eighteen episodes instead of a full twenty."

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Anyone want to collectively squeel over the OTP in JOJ?
passionate kiss + romantic sex + tons of skinship + hot chemistry = screen exploding everytime OTP come on.
Sure, this show could do alot better in depiction of noron/soron faction (the portrayal is a bit superficial) but holy crap i have come aboard the SHIP that is Ok jang + Lee Soon. If the strong points in this show is the romance, lets go all the freaking way with it.
It's hard not to root for this OTP when watching JOJ. My heart breaks for all the conflicts and misunderstanding that are board to make way. *sigh. until then, i will enjoy all and every bit of OTP goodness i can get.. Which, the production team is doing quite well with providing. JOJ = crack. JOJ team = crack dealers. Me= addict

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Unfortunately, i've yet to watch these last two episodes! When I do, I will come back and squeal with you. :-)

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hi everyone :) i'm watching NINE and i like it! but am i the only one that doesn't like Jo Yoon Hee's acting?..

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You may hate the character more, but for how the character is written, I think she's on mark.

For example...

SPOILER

The bathroom scene in Episode 18 where she plays innocent and grins was played very, very well. I picked up the cues without feeling like I was being hit over the head with it before the final "Why are you smiling" bit.

She SO called her parents to get him to marry her and he SO underestimates her. And for that, she does get that about the character and plays it off well, without that conniving edge or "I'm too innocent, hold me" aura.

However, I think the writing is a bit at fault for not utilizing her character more. It's clear from the character flipping the bird, figuring out the whole record thing, and her ability to make decisions that she was meant to be a kick butt character that's not as innocent as she seems to be on the surface, but still bright... with the lack of actual appearance in the drama and being set up mostly as a gift to the hero, she falls flat as a character (Makes me think of her as an ill-dressed Princess in a tower). If she was interacting more, I think she and thus the actress would be more likable.

But I think JYH's working with what she's got and doing pretty well at it. Pulling off that bathroom scene in terms of acting isn't always easy. Too much and you groan, too little and the audience misses the point. So that's when I gave her big stars for her acting. It matches LJW in that scene well and I didn't feel like he was underplaying to match her.

*End Spoiler*

I blame the writing. Maybe her new drama too. They might be trying to give her a break.

Or that's how I see it.

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Long time drama-watcher First time OTer.

Since I graduated uni and haven't managed to find any form of employment I have been marathoning drama for the past 10 months.

Currently I am watching
Mandate of Heaven: I enjoyed it a lot more then I thought I would! Thankfully chinese subs I understand and they come out the next day so I am pretty up to date with it. I like how whilst they have to develop the story, they do keep in comedic moments. I need more WooYoung and JungHwan scenes together.

Whats Up Fox: Rewatching that. up to ep 9. Chun JungMyung, why are you so adorable!

Non Kdramawise I am also watching Soratobu Kouhoushitsu, Legend of Lu Zhen.

and if I am not watching drama, I am playing Pokemon Red on my phone (for those who care I raked up 13 hours and 3 badges in the past 4 days)

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I want to play hanafuda on my tablet. Will see.

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Hello Meochun, welcome to OT :)
And yes, I need more WooYoung and JungHwan scenes too! I ship them more than main OTP right now. I just think that it would be satisfying to watch JungHwan trying to woo WooYoung if they're going to be set up as the secondary couple..
Anyway, all the best for job-hunting! (but I so envy you right now for having the time to marathon all those dramas.. :) )

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Thank you twice ~~
I'm in heavy debates with myself, do I want them to stay like this or for them to go angsty (because there is potential, him chasing her brother and all... I like angst). I like the main leads individually but as a pairing they haven't caught me yet.

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Oh I like them to be as they are for now, but I wish to see more scenes of them together. I don't know how far you are as of now, but I like what I saw at the beginning of episode 6, you can see that he is definitely starting to care for her. It was very subtle, but it conveys a lot. I actually hoped that what happened to him when he met the merchant's bodyguard would lead to more interaction with WooYoung, like her helping him or something like that when he's back in the office, but I guess it was only a pipedream... I also want to him to glower at her again, like what he did at episode 4, the chemistry was crackling there :D
I like the main leads individually as well, but WooYoung and JungHwan paring interest me more with the possible angst and JungHwan's kind-of-assy character (although we all know that he's actually a good guy inside). I really want to see how interacting with her will change his character in the future. And I think we might possibly see some bromance with Won once JungHwan figures out that he's not the real perpetrator... *fingers-crossed*

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Hey everyone! My number of currently airing kdramas is down to one, but I'm rewatching King2Hearts while watching GFB, and OH MY GOODNESS.

Of the two shows, I'd definitely say Lee Seung-gi's performance and leading lady chemistry in the former are stronger and more nuanced, and the supporting cast are MUCH better written than the characters in GFB, who are (with the exceptions of Kang-chi,Chung-jo and to a lesser extent Tae-seo, and even that is something I credit to the actors as much as the writers) turning out to be a bit one-note. Lady Yoon was also decent enough to watch while she lasted (she wasn't all bad) but sadly, she didn't last. And the one-noteness is fine when it's played for effect, like Gon, but it's unintentional with everyone else, and it's starting to bore me.

But GFB has better villain's henchmen (those 'Americans' in K2H? I completely understand the constraints of finding foreign actors in Korea, but I am fast-forwarding every one of their scenes except for the one with the princess on the cliff in episode 7).

Next up: I swear I'm going to restart You're The Best, Lee Soon-shin I don't know why I dropped it, I loved everything about it and will have to go catch up on recaps now.

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I drop it and restart it too. It's going on for a while, and it hasn't got my heart the way Cruel Palace has, so I don't feel like I have to watch each episode.

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Oh my gosh! I know what you mean about American (or Canadian) actors in Korean films. Is Korea the place where bad North American actors go? I have a friend who has turned up in several Korean films, some quite famous, and everytime I see him I just want to cringe. No, not want to. I actually do cringe. But what to do?

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I don't think they even necessarily cast American/Canadian actors, they cast randomly whoever fits the bill / happens to be around / is up for it for the fun of it?

Darcy Paquet has had some small film roles, and I don't think he's actually trying to have an acting career. (Note: I don't know if he's was good or bad in the roles he played.)

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Alua, you are correct.
I remember in one of the K2H's episode recap, an actual european actor who played one of the officers in K2H commented on the thread, explaining that it is because they don't have time or money to look for actual north american actors. It's not easy, especially to find one that just happens to be in south korea and is willing to participate. Having to import american actors is alot more costly and time consuming, especially when they're only going to be in the scene once. I understand if it's a reoccuring character they should cast an actual american actor, but that was not the case for K2H.(except for the two baddies working for bong gu, the villain)
Also, the european actor mentioned that the south koreans don't notice any difference anyways in all the american/european actors, so it's all the same regardless. but obviously for us, there is a glaring difference.
The politics was probably not K2H's stronger points but it was definitely a show that defied all romances out there: a life-or-death, high-stakes romance worth fighting for. Two people that didn't need one more than the other; both were strong individuals when standing alone, and both kept each other going.
K2H will go down in k-drama watching history as one of my favorite dramas ever.

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yeah, I imagine American/Brit actors are not in major supply in Seoul, lol.

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Hey Everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a terrific weekend.

I had stuff to say on Open Thread but can't think of it now. I'm a little drama-ed out: there's a lot of work these days and so dramas have to be really engaging for me to make special time for them. So, other than Cruel Palace, I spend my tv time mostly on k-variety like old episodes of Block B Match Up, Shinhwa Broadcast (why didn't I know Shin Hyesung was so adorable before this?) and of course, Dad Where Are You Going? Oh, the Hoo Baby love...

So, waiting for that new one with Lee JongHyuk and Shark! :-)

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Hey TS! My drama-watching has come down considerably in the last couple of months too, damn work :(

I'm looking forward to Shark too, the KNG-Sohn Ye-jin pairing has me excited.

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I also totally love Hoo - from when he quietly offered to switch houses with his crying hyung and all the sweet funny moments in the following episodes. And every time he thanks the shopkeepers and deeply bows, I just love it.

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Hello fellow beanies! Happy OT.

It's really late so I haven't read through the comments but just wanted to have my little say. 172 comments already!!

SPOILER FOR WHEN A MAN LOVES*************
*****************************************

Just finished the latest episodes of the drama and must say I am really disliking jae hee and mi do. I can't stand jae hee! He is a sly, deceitful, inconsistent , person, bitter for no good reason. So irritating. Mi do- no need to get into why I dislike her. Would it KILL her to occasionally find oppa amusing or sweet coz he sure is trying bloody hard to be so. I am upset with OPpa too!! No balanced, sane adult takes this kind of rubbish from someone and still love them..

Can you tell the show is killing me?! And yet, I am still watching.. Le sigh. Thanks for listening.

Am behind on GFB and Nine right now but up to speed with TBoLSS, which is my current fave of the 4.

As for RL, EVERYONE!! JO IN SUNG is coming to Kuala LUmpur on 21st may. And even though I am with Korazy in thinking that he is a slack jawed mouth breather, I can't deny that he is a big star in Korea. Why couldn't it have been bummie, the Asian Keanu reeves?? I might go check him out if I can find the place. Who knows, I might add him to the list of k stars I have taken a pic with. A list of one (Jung il woo) currently, I might add :p . Well, gotta start somewhere.

Looking at Kim yoonmi's list of places to do in Seoul reminded me of the recent trip pillowhead and I did. We went to myeongdong and having failed in our mission to see the real celebs, we proceeded to make out with celeb life size cutouts and billboards! It was fun and funny. We also managed to visit coffee prince cafe ( which was under renovation ) and Han sung's house in the hills, which had been converted to a cafe. Great views from there. Lots of coffe prince stills in that house, including one of Han Kyul, in his shirtless glory on the toilet bowl cover, of all places! Anyway, it was a really nice trip despite the cold and knee pain :).

Hope everyone has a good weekend and happy mom's day. Lets hope soon shin's mom returns to normal soon!

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Oh, forgot to mention that I watched masquerade with lee byung Hun as well as ps partner and both were excellent!

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Hi Enz! How are you doing? In my place the sun finally showed, yay! How's it over there? Still rainy?

Ah, how cool that Jo In Sung (even if he's not your favourite) is coming to Kuala Lumpur! Why don't they come to Holland? Haha, I can't even imagine a Korean actor walking in Amsterdam or something, I think no one would recognise them but me! Going all crazy on my own, haha. Hopefully you can expand your massive list of actors you have taken photos with!
Your trip sounds really good! I really want to go to Seoul once. Have you been to South-Korea often?

Wishing you a splendid weekend,

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hey wanda!! nice to hear personally from you! youve been prety quiet on OT, as have i - mostly just commenting on other ppl's posts.

here, it almost always rains in the evening but i dont mind it if i am not on the road. although i do feel sorry for those that are! at least its always warm in malaysia. the cold in korea turned me into a popsicle almost. i cant take cold!

as for whether i have often ben to south korea - ani yo! that was my first visit - i never had an interest til i got into k dramas!! its not so far for me and not so expensive either. hopefully, ill get to go again and this time do more.

it would be great to go with some more beanies next time!

i read that you like RDJ ! i LOVED him once upon a time - season 4 ally mcbeal to be exact. i loved him so much i was so sad for him when he fell into his drug addiction again. but it was his final one and he managed to clean up properly after that. and he got his life together now, which is great. he has one of the most animated faces and i feel like i am the femeale equivalent on that point. i wish it were not the case coz it really brings on the lines but i cant seem to vocalise without moving my face!

anyway, here are some of the pics from pillowhead and enz"s excellent adventure in seoul, in this case myeongdong
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151845169264409.1073741825.700754408&type=1&l=42f10a5fa0

have a great weekend to!

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Yeah, real life was so busy lately! But luckily things have calmed down now a little, so that's very nice!

What have you been watching? Anything you're looking forward too?

Ah, it must've been so great visiting South-Korea. Thanks for sharing the pictures! I had to laugh at your posing with all the Korean celebs! How long did you stay? It's nice that you live so close by, I think that if I were to go there it would be a very long (and expensive flight), but still I want to go some day. Should be very nice to meet up with some Beanies. I was really jealous of all the people who were able to go to the meet-up in New York last time!

Haha, yeah I do! I never watched Ally McBeal, is it any good? I really loved him in his role of Sherlock Holmes! Did you see those movies?
I really have a expresive face too, I think when I'm older I have to pay the price for all the wrinkles, but I can't help it! I love people who have that, cause it makes is easier to communicate and it's mostly more fun talking to people who are expressive instead of having a pokerface.

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It was just about 4.5 days in Seoul. Lots of walking and eating. Pillowhead was someone I 'met' on OT and eventually communicated more with because of our shared love for QSS (que sera sera). So, we met for the first time in Seoul!

Ally mcbeal was one of my favourite tv series but only the 1st season and the 4th season in particular. The second season was still ok but they introduced a few new characters and became even wackier and I felt they lost the emotional tone of the initial season. Then 4 th season, they introduced RDJ as ally's new love interest and by golly the chemistry they had together was amazing. Try to check it some day if you're a fan of RDJ. Somewhere in the middle of that season though, he started taking drugs again and you can see a visible drop in performance I thought.

I am watching quite a few at the moment. TBoLSS , WAML , nine and GFB . Hope you know the acronyms!! Hah. I like TBoLSS best. The others are ok too but none will be like in the top 5 for me :)

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Enz, speaking of bummie, did you see him all decked out in white at the Baeksang Awards? It's here on Dramabeans. No wonder his nickname rhymes with yummie!

If I hadn't had a previous engagement, I would have gone up to NYC, which is 2 hours away, to see Choi Siwon on the red carpet at a museum event. Heck, I don't even really care about Siwon, but to have the opportunity to see someone I've watched in a drama in real life, I'd do it! Even if it's Mr. Ickybod Crane Jo In Sung. I bet he'd charm you in real life. Then you could tell us all about it :)

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i did korazy! he does look like a real man now. very dashing. it pained me to see SJK so thin though. he must be either working too hard at his CFs or he is going through something in his personal life. i hope its the former. prob me overanalysing but he doesnt ook as happy and bright as he did when filming nice guy. it oks like it is effortful for him to be in the spotlight when before he looked so comfortable being a celebrity.

oooh, i just had a thought! jo in sung is a good friend of SJK!! ahhhh, two degrees of spearation here - i might just have to make this effort. need to find out more about it. wouldnt it be funny if i got to see jo in sung and i ask him about gong yoo and SJK?! he'd be so upset! i definitely will update if i see him. hope RL givees you a break coz missed you on the group chats :)

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About a month or two ago, there was a picture of SJK where netizens were making fun of him for having gained weight and being fat. He probably went on a crash diet. I, too, thought he looked a little tired. But he's someone who we need to see in something again soon, because not only is he adorable, his acting is mesmerizing. I think Burmmie is getting there, too, with his acting. (I think this is one of the reasons LMH doesn't appeal to me. He has a long way to go in his acting as far as I'm concerned.)

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Enz,
I fully agree that Jae Hee is annoying. The hotel bedroom scene was a sexual assault and as such it was more upsetting for me than it was for Mi Do who had let him get away with that. Mi Do wrongly believed that Tae Sang had thwarted her opportunity to go to London and had reduced her affection a notch towards him. Jae Hee, being privy to Mi Do’s secret dream, saw the opportunity to restore her chance and to ‘’bring to her some kim chi” - euphemism for his hidden agenda!. Very apparent that he had wrongly thought the worse of Tae Sang and would want to secure his own access to Mi Do. He is annoyingly pushy ironically unlike the gangster Tae Sang who is seemingly childish but very respectful towards women, street-wise and very capable of dealing with thugs like his uncle and the main villain. Jae Hee has been the childish one for not being able to respect a no for an answer especially from a woman. Is it a Korean thing that a man can disregard a no answer from a woman? He was quick to use his advantage when Mi Do was full of gratitude after renewing Mi Do’s London opportunity. He even made sure that Mi Do got to hear that he was the one helping her!

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*SPOILER******

i totally agree that he was really disrespectful, to mi do as well as his boss. all the time telling mi do that tae san should respect her wanting to go to london! not seeing how he himself is not respecting her decision to give tae san a chance. he has had the full picture of the whole situation, unlike the other two, and he has been using that to his advantage. i didnt like from the start that he chose to ignore what mi do had said and continued his underhanded way of wooing her. such a scumbag. and he has no control of his temper either.

he instantly wants to believe the worst of tae san, despite what his brother keeps teling him because it would fit with his own agenda. ugh, i so dislike his character.

mi do should have just spared oppa and not give him any hope from the start and be nice about it. one can do that without behaving like the surly pisy person as she has from the start. it really makes it difficult to want oppa to end up with such a miserable looking person! how can anyone be happy with a person who makes you feel like you can do no right at all, who never finds you amusing or hot or cute (well almost never). STOP WANTING HER OPPA!!! its frustrating me!! LOL

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@Wanda. Ahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so late. Sorry, I think I've missed you today too. Sorry again. Well I'll just leave this here like an abandoned kitty who ran away in the first place so really only has itself to blame...wah wah!

"People don’t have to be necessarily close to feel close to them or vice versa." True and I think it's sadder when it happens within families. Then again maybe the blood lines were the only way to connect certain people.

I really like David Foster Wallace as a writer. Just my kind of style of writing. I actually discovered him here on I-F. DB mentioned a quote of his on popular culture in one of her BOF recaps. His writing is just so detailed and deep, that even if I don't get it or feel a different way to him, I never regret reading his stuff. Are there any authors like that for you? I think people like Simon and Martina and for me Jennifer Lawrence just show that it isn't fame that corrupts necessarily but that a strength of character is needed. That isn't to say that I judge all other celebrities because sometimes you have to traverse the bad way to end up enlightened too. For instance Robert Downey Junior. I loved this really candid but for me brilliant interview he did recently. https://vimeo.com/65432558

Ah! It's not just me then. Good, I was worried that maybe I had regressed into some hormonal Kdrama fan but I think maybe the bias is due to the male dominated story lines (see how I try to shift the blame - hehe) Yeah I did have the problem with remembering names but now I'm completely at ease with it that I can remember most names immediately. I really think it's a case of just being familiar with a new system and I think it's harder as you get older to adapt to new things - not that I'm saying you are old but I definitely am.

"...something, while others are just wondering what you think you’re doing" Yeah it's that whole pretending to be in a drama car journeys that we talked about. Oh my, my mum was right, I really do need a reality check. I do kind of hate that my happy place can only be find inside my head but I'm always hopeful that I'll find it before my eyes one day, I just need to build an inner strength I guess. What do you think? Should I get professional help? "Big cold fish!" Yeah I've never heard that one before. Have you ever heard it in real life? If so, may I ask where?

"also not completely, cause the paint just always kind of has it’s own will and sometimes it’s the paint leading me instead of the other way around!" This just sounds so wonderful. A little strange, yes, but in an enchanting way. I think it really is something an artist would understand. I've tried being creative but I just don't have that thing in me. Most things I try to create end up, well mediocre and nothing special by which I mean there is no driving force, no passion, no theme. I'm happier with logical things but still my heart does always wish to soar unreined by rational reasoning.

"Funny thing is, that most of my favourite music now was music which took me the longest to appreciate." This is true for about half the things I love but the other half I think I fall in love with instantly. I think the reason why it takes me longer to warm to some things is before of a wrong mood, or wrong time but I always sense that I didn't give something a fair chance which is why I return to it. Is this true for you? I've still got to listen to more of their songs. Can you believe I haven't listened to anything since I last wrote to you! Yep that busy. Well, I hope you are well, happy and finding good things upon your path and maybe even in your way. With much love, as always Sabah

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I like David Foster Wallace. Authors who seem to be speaking my heart: Jamaica Kincaid. Singers who touch me: Jackson Browne.

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Thank you for sharing. I will assuredly check these artists out. Thank you.

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Jamaica has a rage to her, with a very profound introspection mixed with a touch of the island superstitions. She is just very honest.

I've been a Jackson Browne fan for ages. Some of his songs are a bit too political for me but others such as I'm Alive, The Pretender, Fountain of Sorrow, are just wonderful.

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Honesty is so rare these days. I don't even I am completely honest with myself so it is always inspiring to come across it. Thank you for the recommendation.

Still you can always put your own spin on song lyrics. Sometimes I don't really care why the person wrote the song, for what or for whom, I just have my own history with it. : )

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Thank you! I'm always interested in inspirational artists, I will definitely look them up : )

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Aw noo poor kitty! Come here, I'll pet you!

Yeah, I think it might be sadder when it's family, but you can't choose family so if you don't really feel connected to some of your family members sometimes you can't really help it. I feel so much more connected with my mother's side of the family than with my father's. My mother's parents are just the sweetest people ever and they love everything I do, whether it's completely insignificant or a big thing, they'll cheer like I'm the president or something. I see them probably every week or so, while I see my other grandmother maybe twice a year and I don't miss the contact at all. So yeah, my point is that you can try to connect to your family, but if it doesn't really work out, then being family was the only connection to begin with like you said.

Oh, cool that JB mentioned him! I'm definitely going to read more of him, when I'm not buried under books for my study. So most of my reading is study-related and therefore art-related, so I don't really know any writers like David Foster Wallace, which is why I'm so happy you mentioned him before. Of course I read the classics like Plato and Kant, etc for my study, which are very interesting too, but something more contemporary (and with more understandable language) is nice too.
Ah, I really like Robert Down Junior! He has such mischievous eyes. I don't have the time right now to watch the whole thing, but thanks for the link! I'm looking forward to watching it!

Haha, definitely not just you! And I like your shift hehe. But I do think you might be right. Mostly I just find the male characters way more interestingly written than the females'. It's funny how the whole language and names were so strange (not really the right word, since it has a negative connotation, which I don't want to express here, but I can't really think of a better word right now) at first, but now it feels almost comforting to hear Korean or Japanese. Are there any Korean/Japanese word you picked up that you really like?

Ha, I don't think there's anything wrong with you! I sometimes day-dream so badly I totally forget the world around me. I love that you said that your happy place is inside your head, cause I really feel that way too! It's just the place where I feel most comfortable, where all the music, dreams, fantasy and stories are. Way better than the real world.
I knew it wasn't a real expression! Sounded so weird to me! But I found it in an online dictionary. I translated the word 'koukleum' which is a noun for being cold easily. Is there a good word for that in English, you think?

Well, I won't say that the stuff that I make has really aesthetic value, but being creative is something that's just in me I guess. I need it as an outlet for all the things in my head which can't be put into words or concepts, but can be made concrete in that way. Which sounds really vague, haha. But I can't really explain it any other way. When I'm done with a painting I feel really empty, but in a good way, not in an exhausted way. Like I just poured everything on the canvas, almost like catharsis. Do you have anything you like to do that could relate to this experience? My dad says he has kind of the same thing with jogging. Your head's all empty, but you're kind of in a higher state and everything just goes by itself without you having to think too much.

Ah, yes I have some music that I immediately love. But I've noticed that when I listen a lot to those songs they start to feel a bit 'boring', but with the music that takes a longer time I just hear more and more things I didn't hear before and in the end I appreciate those songs more than the 'instant-love' ones. It's not like this for all songs, some music I just loved from the first moment and still do and it only grows, but most of it is like that. It's interesting that you mentioned that you could not appreciate some music because you weren't in the good mood for it or didn't give it a fair chance, I really agree with that. For some music you just need to take the time and be in the right mood. When I'm really sleepy I'm not going to listen to some really hard, up-tempo music and when I'm feeling energized I'm not going to listen to some soft guitar-music. But the weird thing is, and this actually happened with about three of my favourite bands, is that I didn't appreciate it at first, but that after some time I would have this melody or lyrics stuck in my head and wouldn't know where it came from. But it stuck and I looked it up and it appeared to be of that band I wasn't really impressed by a few days ago and then I would listen to it again and then it just 'clicked'.
I'm sounding weirder and weirder, aren't I? Hehe. Ah, I really can't find the good words to describe things today.

You sound really busy! But I hope you have fun being it and can find some time to listen to good music :)
Wishing you smiles and sunshine,

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Thank you so much for your kindness. I don't know why I used that silly awkward analogy. I think it's from my when our cat ran away, just a few weeks after we got her and then returned after a fortnight, a little shaken and weak meowing as though we were the ones that had left her alone.

"whether it’s completely insignificant or a big thing, they’ll cheer like I’m the president or something." That's just so beautiful. There needs to be more people like that! Sometimes I do wish I liked certain people more just because they make so much effort to be your friend. What I mean is that sometimes you just don't connect with a person and yet strangely they seem drawn to you. I always reciprocate energy, actions and even words with people but one thing I've found is that you can't force your heart, even if you really try. The best I can give is my time and energy but I can't deny that I almost feel guilty that I don't genuinely love certain people as much as they seem to like me. Has that ever happened to you?

"So most of my reading is study-related and therefore art-related" Aw, but I'm sure you do love what you are reading because it's about something you are passionate about. Or has the in depth dissection of art through study ruined it for you? For instance I hated reading certain books at school but now I'm going back to them and reading them again with much love. Sure I'm a different person now but I also think that I can freely contemplate over it rather than destroy it through discussing all the ins and outs. However I do understand that need to broader your interests, sometimes I feel that by reading only things that I like, I cut short my own development. With friends too. That's why I tend to seek out, on occasion, people that I find it hard being around because they push and pull me in ways that my 'friends' wouldn't. Do you do this? What do you think?

Yeah, I didn't notice that but you're right, his eyes are definitely mischievous. I just love how laid back he is now and that he traversed through a bad period before coming to this peace. Like a phoenix.

I get what you are saying, it's just strange or weird because it is unfamiliar not strange as in something not right or correct. I just love Korean as a language. I love how it sounds, how the words run together. Arabic and French do that too. They just sound so beautiful when flowing. I don't have any specific words though. Do you?

It truly is way better than real life and that's what is sad in a way. However I need my time in my happy place because it makes me feel better. It kind of takes the sting away from that fact that they might never be. Well, if you think I'll be all right then I won't panic yet. hehe. I've never heard that expression, ever. I too googled it and it seems that 'cold fish' can refer to someone who is emotionally cold but I've never heard it being used like that. To be honest I can't think of a word but that doesn't mean there isn't one. Let's just put that in the 'to be resolved' file.

"things in my head which can’t be put into words or concepts, but can be made concrete in that way." Oh no, that's not vague at all. In fact it helped me understand it more. It's a wonderful way to explain it. For me it's walking. I just love to walk whether cities of countrysides. I just love walking because I can clear my head, like you father. I prioritize feelings, issues and clear the chaff from what is truly important and should be important in my life. I always write things, stories in my head, mixing word orders etc. I always return from walks energized and ready for action or needing to write down something I've composed. Opposite to feeling empty, I come back with an agenda, things that I need to sort out asap. Not really creative but definitely cathartic. hehe

" I listen a lot to those songs they start to feel a bit ‘boring’, but with the music that takes a longer time I just hear more and more things I didn’t hear before" I thought about it and you're right. There certain songs that I fall in love with instantly but then fall out of love with just as fast. however there are definitely songs that I only ever love more from the first time listening to them and they tend to be songs without much lyrics, so maybe it's the lyrics that I get bored with, which is strange because I'm most definitely a lyrics person.

You're not weird. I think with most things, including music and even people, it's more about you, where you are as a person than the thing/person. Of course some of it is about the object but because of how we can love/hate something like a tide change, I feel that it comes back to us. Sometimes I do things in reverse, so that if I like something, if I'm drawn to a song, art etc, I say to myself, 'what does this say about me?' rather than try to dissect the thing. Have you ever done that?

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I just finished Himitsu no Akko-chan
It features about everything I love about J-dramas. (though this is a movie)

A bubble world, slice of life, magical girl, zippy, fun humor, morals without moralizing, a bishounen to look at (though story comes first) and has a light, but decent plot. Easy to watch without being insulting.

On feminism side, it has not only over 3 named female characters, but they talk to each other at 10 years old about what capitalism is AND hold that as important for women as much as men to know. <3 Even some US shows don't do so well.

It's about a girl that gets a magical mirror and can transform into anything she wants, but it kind of plays out like the Japanese version of Big (US movie) though the original material predates this by a few years. (I have to admit I've been a sucker for such stories since I was little)

Family safe and entertaining for multiple age groups. Plus a really cute love story to match.

The acting coordinates well (Which is difficult in this situation, so thumbs up to the directing) and I like the cheesy special effects. =P It matches the tone.

Ayase Haruka is in it and they made a light reference to Hotaru no Hikari... did anyone spot it, or did you not have enough Japanese to catch it?

And while it does center on a cosmetics company, it doesn't short change the female characters from being intelligent, capable, and keep men from also being interested in cosmetics (for the right reasons).

Now if I could only get such a good ride in drama form... I've been waiting. And I think the drama gods really are losing out to the movie gods in most of the countries.

Ahhhh... my story devil is happy. Now I need to make my inner writer happy too.

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I just saw that on Dramacrazy and put it on my to-watch list. Now I'm really gonna try to watch it, since you like it.

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just finished watching Himitsu. It was so cute. Reminded me of I love Li Tae Ri (Italy) but without the sweetness of that drama. It was fun, though. Thanks for recommending it.

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Hi, everyone...I'm here later than normal.

How ironic is it that right now the only good rom-com airing live right now is a weekend family drama (Lee Soon Shin)?

Like some of you have also mentioned, I'm in severe rom-com withdrawal right now.

Mainly keeping up with Nine, Gu Family Book, LSS, and, just because I've lasted this long, Hundred Years Inheritance. Started Itazura Na Kiss: Love in Tokyo as well, and went back and watched the Korean version. Not my favorite story, because of 1) how long into the story the male lead is still a jerk to the heroine, 2) isn't this really the worst kind of wish-fulfillment drivel to unleash upon young women ("So what if he doesn't love you back! Just keep on persisting, and sooner or later he will!") and 3) the male lead's mom, in both versions...it's played for humor but her manipulation and attempt to control both the male lead and heroine is really creepy if you think about it. But the story does have its charms.

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1. I kind of see him at the emotional level of a preschooler. The kind that has a crush on a girl, so pulls her hair and then steals a ribbon.

2. in the manga it's a bit more clear that every time she starts looking elsewhere, he steps in and makes her look back at him. He is arrogant, but she also doesn't hold out hope every single time he jilts her. She still fights back.

So for example, the first kiss was when she threatened to look for other men. (which is how the manga got the title, since apparently that was the first released chapter).

And then smaller events before and after that where he pulls her towards him are when he feels threatened. She's not blindly chasing him.... which I've seen in characters too.

3. I liked how it was played in ISWAK, which is more along the lines that she has a really good and deep intuition that he really does like her. But her personality is such that she pushes a bit too hard, which makes him withdraw with embarrassment, which is in line with how she was when he was a young boy and she dressed him as a girl. This creates the problem with 1 and 2, because it's clear that Kotoko (or whatever you'll call her) is swaying him from the start, but he has a hard time admitting it since he's focused on how the world will view him.

Plus the mother in that in the TKA, at the end, the acting flatlined me. OMG, that was so good. In that moment, I could see the motivation of the character so well.

Anyway, this can be best explained by the lines:
No one knows what you're thinking in that head of yours.

Then I'll show you through my actions.

Tada Kaoru-sensei said something like this was close to her own love story that she was writing. How she came to marry her own husband... though I seriously think it was exaggerated. But maybe she persuaded him the same.

This is the kind of story I would watch, but not want that kind of romance for myself. =P I don't need to want the male lead or the type of romance to watch most rom coms.

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Hey everyone, guess what IT'S FINALS WEEK!! You know what that means ;_;
I fell behind watching some of my shows because of studying and stuff. There are SO many dramas I want to try out, but I'll have to save them for summer.

Are there any shows you want to watch but haven't found the time for yet?

And have any of you watched 9 Muses' new video, 'Wild'?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwN_Axs7pL4

The piano reminds me of the OST for a drama saw, but can't put my finger on it. I love the black & white shooting with pops of red. The video and lyrics give off a refreshingly mature and sensual feel, and that reminds me of watching Reply 1997 funnily enough. Before that show, all I watch were really variety shows. Watching dramas helps me understand at least partly how real life in a country is, with some liberties of course. That things aren't quite as nice and innocent as i originally though.

I don't know, I guess WIld just reminded me of that feeling lol. It's a good feeling though :D

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Hope this doesn't turn out to be a double post, apologies if it does.

Anyway,

Hey everyone, guess what IT’S FINALS WEEK!! You know what that means ;_;
I fell behind watching some of my shows because of studying and stuff. There are SO many dramas I want to try out, but I’ll have to save them for summer.

Are there any shows you want to watch but haven’t found the time for yet?

And have any of you watched 9 Muses’ new video, ‘Wild’?
youtube. com/watch?v=fwN_Axs7pL4

The piano reminds me of the OST for a drama saw, but can’t put my finger on it. I love the black & white shooting with pops of red. The video and lyrics give off a refreshingly mature and sensual feel, and that reminds me of watching Reply 1997 funnily enough. Before that show, all I watch were really variety shows. Watching dramas helps me understand at least partly how real life in a country is, with some liberties of course. That things aren’t quite as nice and innocent as i originally though.

I don’t know, I guess Wild just reminded me of that feeling lol. It’s a good feeling though :)

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Hi everyone

First time poster but Ive been lurking for about 6 months or so since I became gripped by the addiction that is KDrama!!

Currently watching :

Nine LOVING IT!! Our OTP had better have happy endings or I shall literally stamp my foot and cry until I'm sick!!!

WAML - not so much.
Even the oh so pretty Tae Sang (SSH) is beginning to look less attractive, as are all the characters, pretty much. I am getting a kick seeing Miss Goodbody strung up on the rack each week though (I take it it's an exercise tool and not, in fact, an object of torture? - from her face you wouldnt know it ;))

My main excitement at the moment is in viewing all things Lee Byung-Hun. Having seen his films Addicted, One Summer, Everybody Has Secrets, Ive now just finished watching Beautiful Days. Best farewell scene ever is where he and Choi Je Woo are talking on the phone at the airport. It elicited proper sobs!! I am just about 5 episodes into All In, and then I have Iris, as well as some of his International films too. Oh My, he is so breathtakingly scrummy AND a simply great actor .. sigh.

Can I just end by saying thank you so much dramabeans for all the recaps, screencaps and squeecaps, plus all those little daily tidbits on who is doing what and when. I'd be lost without you

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In WAML episode 1, I felt embarrassed that they were using SSH for his great body. Now it seems gangster's gal exercising is the female version of a scene in there just to boost ratings.

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Yikes - apologies for the bold. I think a character went amiss there somewhere ......

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No problem, fixed. (You have to close the tags, aka </b>)

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Thanks so much. I totally forgot closing the tag .....

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Tried to explain to hubby that the common bond we beanies and k-addicts share is a love for storytelling, drama, and cute guys. He thinks it's only the cute guys. I shall have to pick out a few dramas I love with some very ugly guys to prove to my husband I'm not shallow. I did tell him Haruma was gorgeous though. So now I'm kinda stuck having to show him the guy at work -- in his tidy whities (black tidy whities.) Must find a scene where our hottie playboy is not actually in bed or naked.

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9 Ends and 2 Outs for me didn't have heart stopping faces. I mean not ugly, but still. I still love that story and remember it fondly.

The Vineyard Man... Oh Man Seok kills me with his acting more than his looks. People straight out said he was ugly when it first came out which was why they skipped it. But I chased a few people down and told them that the story would win them. (He's an amazing actors, so I have a talent crush on him.)

Bad Family--OK, maybe the character actor Kim Myeong Min does things for you. But this mostly netted me with the story.

Alone in Love-- tender storyline, not so much interested in the faces.

History of a Salaryman- I wouldn't rate it top for faces, but I would scramble over myself for story.

King of Dramas- Again, Kim Myeong Min doesn't do anything for me besides his acting. (And neither does Si Won... I know someone will hate on me for that.)

Get Karl! I would also say goes up there... but that's more of my own POV.

That Fool also wasn't that pretty, but then I kinda ditched it.

Dae Jang Geum, though it does have a pretty male face in it is certainly not why I watch the story over again when I have a lot of time.

I'm kinda picky though... and I tend to ignore hormones induced by faces.

If you want a reversal in movies, try "My Sassy Girl" which has a pretty lead, but the male lead is supposed to look plain.

And one of my favorite K-movies (so far) is Beast and the Beauty, which has a "ugly" male (though I'm a sucker for dorks) and a pretty female character.

I'd put Arahan there too. A bit more male centric, but certainly funny with a great storyline.

I also put story above production values like shiny camera, cinematography, dripping money. (Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou no Shiro has to be one of my favorites for the sheer cheese and recognition of that cheese.)

I also love Trick a whole, whole bunch. While Abe Hiroshi isn't say, "Ugly" and I have a talent crush on him, he is out of personal feelings crush range having a wife and a daughter for me. The story is fun, light and quirky as well.

Pretty faces usually (Save Last Cinderella... which is like asking you to pay attention to that aspect. How can you NOT?) lose fast in my world. Story is my first and last love. Anything that goes towards making the cake part is my top priority. Frosting and decoration on the frosting are the least important.

Do you need more of a list?

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In the realm of JDramas:

Nakuna, Hara-Chan
101st proposal (101 kaime no puropozu)

KDramas:

Ruler of your own World
That Fool

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Wow, you guys are good! Now hubby won't think I'm just in the throes of lust. I think he'd like History of a Salaryman. I have to finish that one so i might have to start it over again. Some husbands have to be coaxed over and over to watch dramas...so maybe I'll find something he actually will sit through.

Thanks, guys!

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Maybe ease him into it, try an action or war type movie first? Ahjussi? Taegukgi? or for a rom com something like Perfect Couple?

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Easing hubbie in -
Confession of a Murder
The Man from Nowhere

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A friend of mine suggested "Damo" and "Hyena" as a way to hook your hubby.

Hyena is definitely more male-centric, but not for kiddies.

And men do like more sword stuff, so historicals might be a good shot too.

And there are definitely male-centric movies put out in Korea too. =P Or as my brother said, "ohh... blood." =P

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Thanks, all! Am adding these to my to watch list, although you guys didn't say if these dramas DID actually pull some guy into the liking drama net. So not sure if these are just really good suggestions or tried and true time-tested remedies against male drama-repugnance. Thanks.

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I have never tried to pull a guy into it.

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If I was going to get my OH to watch anything with me, I'd start with the GI Joe movies (in which Lee Byung Hun stars) and then try and interest him in Iris.

Here in the UK we had a very successful TV series called Spooks (MI-5 in the USA) which Iris really reminded me of when I started to watch it.

My only problem in getting him into Kdramas is the subtitles. Ive always enjoyed foreign language films so am totally ok with subs. He's not at all a fan though, so that will probably be the decider for him.

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@cass-good idea with Iris!

Spooks was very good, I haven't watched the last season yet tho. I keep putting it off because there is no chance I will not cry and scream at the tv.

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Happy Friday. *waves*

*SPOILER* In 'When A Man Loves', when JH pounces on MD behind a closed hotel door ... it struck me as a QSS moment ... but without as much heat/chemistry. In the next episode when MD and JH are in the dressing room, MD was about as sensual as a block of wood. jmho
*END SPOILER*

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I haven't seen ep 12 yet (When A Man Loves) but this is what's so disappointing about this drama:

1.) MD's acting. Shin Se Kyung so emotionless, even the way she talks, it's monotone. I don't know how in the world she got paired with Song Seung Hun, an A-lister.

2.) It's really messed up when the lead actress ends up preferring the 2nd-lead male. How could they do that to Song Seung Hun and to the audience?? It's insulting to SSH. The 2nd lead is called the "2nd lead" for a reason.
This drama is very frustrating to watch.

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I don't think ep 12 will change how you feel so far, either. The first few eps were so promising, and I will say for it that there have been twists that keep up some of the momentum, so I am giving the benefit of the doubt to there being more twists that give us what we want! (However, MD's acting is bleh, and as I mentioned in my post, I am not shipping her with either one, which is a thread that really can't be broken in a drama for it to work, so...now what?)

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I totally agree. Didnt he look like a mad-man with those staring wild eyes. VERY unattractive.

Have a feeling poor Oppa is going to end up with Miss Goodbody after all - if he manages to stay alive that is :(

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Jusy dropping by to say a belated hello to everyone! And I looove this song!!

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Dramas I'm watching:

Nine
Last Cinderella

I can't say how much I've come to enjoy Lee Jin-wook. Before this, I'd only seen him in the first 9 episodes of City of Glass, after which I couldn't find any more subs so I stopped watching. This was back 2008/9 ish. He has aged wonderfully over the past 5 years. Love him.

I hadn't seen any of the actors in Last Cinderella before besides Miura Haruma, back when he was a teenager in Bloody Monday. Um, he has really grown! I don't know why, but I still thought he was a teenager. 23. Wow. I think his acting is alright, but he hasn't wowed me yet. Waiting to see what he's capable of :-).

I've watched the first episode of Gu Family Book, but no more.

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So, first time posting anything on an OT, I think I finally just understood what an OT was haha, don't blame me I'm late for everything! ~
Hi everyone! Formal introductions: I'm greenie, drama lover at your service ;)
So I'm on a drama drought.. once again... Just finished Romance Zero last week, cute little one there :)
Reminded me a lot of Evasive Enquiry Agency, with its tone which I love so darn much!

I've been watching hockey haha like a madwoman but my team, our Habs! they're out of the running for the stanley cup unfortunately :( next year I guess!

There are so many dramas on my plan to watch list but for some reason I just don't have the motivation to start them.. does that ever happen to you? I hate that feeling :(
At the top are Gu Family Book and Flower Boy Dating Agency but they are still airing/haven't aired yet and well I don't like to start a drama unless it's already finished airing/almost over..
Others are Ojakkyo Borthers and You're the Best Lee Soon Shin, but they're weekend dramas which I cannot bring myself to start, TOOOOO MANY EPISODESSS!!

Anyways, so exams will be over June 5th for me
So one month to go, I'm holdin' on haha!
Hopefully I'll have a drama bonanza this summer!
and hopefully you guys too!!

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Hi Greenie,

I browsed the OT for a few weeks before I figured out that it starts early on Friday and the slew of commenters visit within the first few hours.

I too have experienced the bored but lacking the motivation to start another drama. I think of my brain like a computer. I have limited brain capacity, so I can only remember the characters/plots for a reasonable number of dramas at one time. I am watching 6 live shows at the moment and each week I scratch my head and go "Hmm, where did I leave off last week ..."

Each drama I start feels like a commitment. It will take hours of my life. I will need to meet new people, figure out the rules of their world, get sucked in emotionally, and go with them on a journey.

Sometimes it ends badly. Smart folks treat dramas like boyfriends and break it off when things start going badly. Others hang in to the bitter end and feel betrayed. I feel incomplete if I abandon a drama, so haven't learned how to dump a drama yet. Hence why when I am picking which drama to commit myself to, I do need to be motivated/excited/hopeful.

The upside is I do fall in love with some of the dramas I spend time with. The drama loves I've had outweigh the losers. So I am always on the look out for new loves and OT is a place that have given me leads to many great dramas. I hope you find great dramas here too.

Best wishes and happy drama watching.

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I've watched many, many dramas since they became my crack addiction, and I have to say that I have come to realise that the weekend dramas are actually my favourites, despite the length. Ojakkyo Brothers is superb, you are in for a treat. Also try 'You who rolled in Unexpectedly' and 'My too perfect sons'. Both are long but excellent. Go on, you know you want to.

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i don't know why i like watching long weekend dramas, but yes i'm watching YTBLSS, HYI and ISYG. I love all of them. If i have to rank them,

1 ISYG - more and more, i'm liking the storyline
2 HYI - finally, MCW and LSY can openly love each other. I wonder what the next trouble that's gonna go their way. Oh, yeah, the crazy ex-husband and ex-Mother in-law from hell.
3. YTBLSS - this drama used to be my no. 1, but because of the adoptive Mom, who thinks she's quite a martyr, it slid to no. 3. I dont hate Miryung because she is meant to be the bad Mom, but if the 2 Moms are bad...??!!! Anyway, i'm still waiting what's gonna happen. also, i'm hating the sister of Joon-ho. I think she's the only bad actor among the whole cast. She's all wrong. She doesn't know how to play bratty like UEE.

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Hey everyone!
First timer here, dramas I'm currently watchin are..

You're the Best:-
I'm actually impressed w/IU's acting on this 1 esp. during emotional scenes, poor girl just needs a hug =\ I adore the Bread Man Ahjussi; simply adorkable. Not liking the women excl. Soon-Shin & her sis of course. Is it me or the drama seem to be winding down a lil? Hope it picks up soon esp. now Soon-Shin knows ******SPOILER ALERT******
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(about the bet between Yeon-Ah & Joon-Ho) Poor girl can't catch a break Sheesh!

Last Cinderella:-
I really, really badly want to like this 1 but it's gettin on my nerves w/the leadin lady lookin so frumpy & all. I mean she's a hairstylist for goodness sakes. And oh IDK I feel like the drama is full of stereotypical cliches, it just feels all too familiar at this point but I'll still watch LoL.

Itazura Na Kiss (Love in Tokyo):-
I loved the Korean version despite the backlash & adored the anime version so this I was slightly skeptical at 1st. Glad that it proved me wrong, it reminds me of the K-version a bit only this is just utterly too charming (:
Can't believe the dude who plays Irie is like in his 20s O.o

The Queen of Office:-
Didn't expect to enjoy this but I do *nods* I like how the title character is this perfectionist but there's a chink in her armor. Overall just good light hearted fun.

When A Man Loves:-
Lots of mixed reviews on this 1. First 2 ep. were decent & it went downhill after that. I only decided 2 tune in due to recaps & somewhat "positive" reviews fr other viewers LoL. Really, really frustrated w/Se-Kyung's acting. Don't know why would a sweetheart like Tae-Sang fall f/a girl like her. Her & Jae-Hee deserve each other tbh.

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Dramabeans Podcast #5 broken link.

Reporting this here because there are several comments that many have not been read. Dramabeans Podcast #5 has a broken link and cannot be downloaded.

Hoping the Dramabeans women see this message and fix the link.

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