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Welp. Hello there OT~
I finished watching Bleak Night a little while ago (I figured the darkness of the early morning hours would contribute the experience). I'm still processing it and I think I'm a little speechless. I feel the need to hold onto my friendships more now and be careful of saying things I don't mean. I think I've been trying to distance myself from my friends as we're all going our separate ways come a few weeks as we head off to college. That's probably mostly from my history of trying to keep in touch with friends when the feelings aren't reciprocated. Gah, how can a movie make you think so much ><? I get the feeling that I won't be forgetting about Bleak Night anytime soon or at all.
Anyway, personal queries over. Does anyone have any kmovie (or well, I'm up for any language movie I can find English subs for) that they would recommend? I'm not really sure how to describe my taste but as far as kmovies go I've watched and enjoyed Oldboy (are the other movies in the trilogy just as good?), The Man From Nowhere and The Thieves. You can probably see the trend here, I watch movies I hear good reviews of. Has anyone watched Late Autumn, Speedy Scandal or Nameless Gangster (I know they for their fair share of awards but I'm just curious about individual opinions)?
I have Werewolf Boy ready to watch like the ones I mentioned. I've already heard so many great things about it from both individual and reviewers so I'm definitely going to watch it!
I rented Oldboy and The Man from Nowhere from my local public library. I torrented the rest of movies I mentioned from asiatorrents and downloaded the eng subtitle files online. So far, The Thieves is the only one I've torrented and watched. The file I torrented for Bleak Night had an audio issue but I was dying to watch it so I ended up watching it on gooddrama.com I decided to torrent initially because I've become greedy and picky about video quality lol. But good drama seems to have a lot of the popular movies and the quality isn't bad.
It totally is! I've been hearing there's an American remake in the works and I don't think it will come close to the original. I'll probably still watch it to properly compare and justify the assumptions I'm already making :).
I watched the entire (English subbed) Korean movie, "Hello Ghosts" on youtube.
I've recommended it to friends. I liked it A LOT!
It is well written, makes sense--yeah, I've noticed a bunch of Kdramas that start out intensely good kind of poop out before they finish--and yeah, I cried--which is always evidence of a good movie to me.
Netflix has several Korean movies with English subs. I recently watched Bestseller with Uhm Jung-hwa. It was so good! I also watched Quick with Lee Min-ki and Murder, Take one with Cha Seung-won. Both were great, but Murder, Take One was unbelievably awesome!
I watched Late Autumn. Painfull from start to end, but beautiful in the same time. The ending is just... I feel sorry for Tang Wei's character. Watching her waiting someone she doesn't even know where he is and how he is. So heartbreaking. Kinda awkward hearing Hyun Bin speaks English though. I realized how I missed him all this time.
Here I recommend Wonderful Radio, Love in Magic, The Way Home, Love Me or Not and Castaway on the moon. :)
I recommend The Men Manual (Male Instruction Manual). It's much quirkier than I expected in to be, and it reminded me of Charlie Kaufman's films for some reason. It's definitely worth a watch if you don't mind the quirkiness.
Watched Speedy Scandal and like usual, Cha Tae Yun was delight there. Funny and heartwarming story about family, but i think i prefer Cha Tae Yun's "Hello Ghost" more which touch the same family themes too.
From your movies list, i think you'll enjoy "The Chaser" and "The Yellow Sea" too. Both movies stared Ha Jung-woo and Kim Yoon-seok, and they're totally awesome there.
But if you want some change with funny movies, i recommended "All About My Wife" and "How to Use Guys with Secret Tips" :)
Thanks for all the reccs so far guys! Tbh, I think I need a break from dramaland for a bit (I'll be tuning in for masters Sun and 2 Weeks though!) since I've been in hyper-watch mode these past few weeks. Movies require far less commitment and there's a whole realm of k-stars to learn about :).
Rough Cut! Also - strongly second the rec for Castaway on the Moon, PS Partner, and How to Use Men with Secret Tips. Also liked Architecture 101, last year
I realllly liked Oldboy (it was my first k-movie) so I'll probably make the time to watch time the other 2 before the summer is out. Mother looks super interesting! I'm getting the feeling that I like dark movies...
I like Late Autumn a lot, but some people found it boring/too grey/weird.
Speedy Scandal is cute, but nothing more than that. The kid is the biggest cutie pie ever though.
I second/third/fourth... the Werewolf Boy recommendation (haven't gotten round to reviewing it yet, but liked that one a lot).
I'll add Duelist. Or if you want Kang Dong-won in something more fun and lightweight Woochi (one I need to review, but can't find my DVD of it!). And I adore 3-Iron.
If you want something similar to Bleak Night (if you can muster your courage), Pluto is meant to be good.
I haven't got the guts to watch anything of the Vengeance Trilogy....
If you want to try older films, the Korean Film Archive has an official channel on YouTube.
There are quite a few drama reviews on Dramabeans and a fair few blogs focused exclusively and extensively on Korean films (Hangul Celluoid, init-scenes, Hanguk Yeonghwa and Koreanfilm (org) are some I would recommend). I've got a few on my own blog too (I cover ~40% Korean, 40% Japanese, 5% TW/HK/CH and 5% everything else).
I am super duper looking forward to watching Pluto! I've checked out some of the blogs you mentioned and I'll try to check back with this renewed interest that I have in Korean cinema. And I'll definitely make a stop over at your blog :)!
I watch most films at film festivals and at the Korean Cultural Centre (who also have a DVD library).
I also sometimes get screeners and watch some via the Korean Film Council's online screening site (which is restricted access – benefits of film blogging :-D).
Every now and then I buy some films. Or I borrow them from some of my fellow London K-film bloggers.
If I absolutely can't get hold of something, I'll stream it.
I always learn about Korean movie screenings way too late :(. I'm angry at myself for finding out a few days too late that the screened Werewolf Boy at a theatre :(.
I find the best way of knowing what is screening when and where is to follow (via Twitter or RSS) the bloggers in my area / various cinemas that are likely to screen foreign films / distribution companies that specialise in bringing Asian films to the UK / cultural institutions (Korean Cultural Centre, Japanese Embassy etc.). Between all them, I manage to hear about 95% K-film events in London, plus a good number elsewhere in the country.
- Korean Cultural Service NY (koreanculture.org, @NYKFF), lists Korean movies at the centre and elsewhere. Probably a good one to follow (on Twitter or maybe via their email newsletter if they have one)
- Korean Society (koreasociety.org, @koreasociety). Seems they organise the Korean Film Festival New York (KFFNY), this year it was in February.
Festivals:
-New York Asian Film Festival (June/July)
-Korean Film Festival New York (see above, Korean Society)
-Korean American Film Festival New York (kaffny.com, @kaffny) - scheduled for Oct 17-19 this year.
Bigger, general festivals are also worth checking as they often screen a few Korean films:
-New York International Film Festival - scheduled for May 29 to June 5, 2014
-New York Film Festival (at Film Society Lincoln, @filmlinc) - scheduled September 27 to October 13
If you are interested in Japanese movies as well, Japan Cuts (in July) always has a fabulous programme. Organised by the Japan Society, japansociety.com, @js_film_nyc).
The Korean Cinema Blogathon is scheduled for September (dates to be confirmed) by the way. It's normally co-hosted by several film websites and bloggers the world round write about Korean film all week – last year resulted in some ~160 posts on Korean cinema!
I'll post an update when the dates are confirmed. One of my London K-film acquaintances, Paul of Hangul Celluloid, normally is involved in co-hosting.
I've seen it, it's a really good movie. We get to learn the tragic life of Matsuko from the eyes of several different people who knew her. It's a sad story, but the visualization is bright and colorful. [wish i could describe it better, but my english is just not good enough, sorry]
It. Was. Brilliant. A visual feast with spots of dark humor, I must say.
I'm too lazy to elaborate but I think of it as a lovechild between Pushing Daisies and Millennium Actress (anime film). That, I think, pretty much sums it in a nutshell.
Thanks again to everyone who replied! I really appreciate it :). I have a really long list to get through ^^". I'm going to get some sleep now (Summer makes me nocturnal). But in case anyone has any more reccs, I'll be sure to check back later on in the day :)!
Oh if you like Oldboy (I haven't watched it yet though, but I know the story in and out), you will like:
A) Memories of Murder
B) The Chaser
C) Mother
D) The Client
I suggest you watch The Client before The Chaser though. HJW's performance in The Chaser will definitely spoil his performance in The Client because it was that good.
I have heard good things about Daisy (starring JWS). I caught The Good, The Bad, The Weird but didn't complete it - not cos' I didn't like it but somehow, it isn't the kind of movie you need to watch in one sitting? Will get back to it when I'm in the mood for Westerns.
Another vote for the rest of the 'Venegeance Trilogy' - sublime doesn't begin to describe them. The 'Sympathy' movies should be on everyone's Must Watch Lists. :)
A few additional suggestions (apologies if these are already mentioned, since I'm typing furiously on my iPhone):
An early Park Chan-wook work: "Humanist" starring Ahn Jae-mo. A 2001 release, it may be hard to find right off the bat but I've seen torrents for it in several of the usual places. Take your usual drama, thriller and comedy; toss into a blender and push puree. I had to watch it 3 times before it finally made sense. And when it did... WOW. Left such an impression that I still think about it to this day.
"Last Life in the Universe" starring Asano Tadanobu. A combination Thai/Korean/Japanese production that came out in 2003. Beautifully filmed but sort of fatalist in its approach. How many of us can relate to Asano's character? *me raising hand*
"Survive Style 5+" - another Asano Tadanobu work, with his character trying (and failing) time and time again to kill his wife. Also with Abe Hiroshi as a Television Evangelist/Hypnotist. A black comedy mish-mash at its finest.
And for a lighter side, check out the recent "I Am The King" with Joo Ji-hoon reprising the whole Prince and the Pauper story. The usual sageuk stalwarts comprise the supporting cast, and I laughed SO hard tears were rolling down my cheeks. WIN.
There's several more I could suggest, but they're getting hard to find these days... unless you find yourself sitting on my couch next to me. :D
Judging by your taste, I feel like if you don't mind sageuks you should definitely watch Arrow: Ultimate Weapon, starring Park Hae-il and Moon Chae-won. I watched it on a dinky little screen and it was still one of the best movie experiences I've ever had, I can only imagine how amazing the cinema experience would have ben
This Week:
Finished the hanbok for my friend... she has to arrange to have it picked up though. Here: kimyoonmi.deviantart.com/art/Making-a-hanbok-389701513 Her favorite color is pink... particularly dark pink.
Dramas
In order to wipe clean the ending of Itazura na Kiss, which didn't follow the manga at all and wiped away a lot of the things that the manga did right... I watched the rain kiss scene of It started with a Kiss instead.
Why did I object to the ending? The thing that the manga and the drama, It Started with a Kiss did right was show why Naoki, not only tell why Naoki liked Kotoko. There is a scene in the drama where Naoki is sitting across from his fiancée and thinking aout the things that Kotoko does that amuses him, which he never does in front of his fiancée.
This juncture was missing and instead they said why rather than show why... which made the ending weaker.
Also, they undercut the Naoki wanting to become a doctor in the original by not even raising his objection and undercut Kotoko's role in trying to find her own way separate of Naoki. He also said, "I love you." to Kotoko which took many more pages for him to get through.
I get it's 16 episodes, but even the rain kiss blocking had me rolling in pain. Winnie blocked the rain kiss one for one with the manga panels, he was so meticulous. He also managed to capture the desperation Naoki felt by also using the panels where he was looking for Kotoko, running in the rain from the original manga, looking at the restaurant. This gives a far better grounding of how his feelings had changed versus just standing there and staring.
In this case, I think it's a gap in the director, who was super conscious of previous versions. A lesson for you thinking about doing remakes...
Anyway, I measure the entire version of this drama off of the bloccking on the Rain Kiss.
Dropped: Who Are You?
I got bored which is horrible. I wonder if I'm less of a scaredy cat than most... might pick up if it gets better later.
Heo Joon is still going strong. I'm amazed. It's everything that Horse Doctor did wrong done right.
Still watching LSS, but I skip most of the episode for the cute. I want so much to like it since I like two of the elements in it, and even the acting, etc is good, but I just can't... mostly because the focus is wrong. You're the Best Lee Soon Shin has turned into You're the worse and full of sins/DSM-fest.
How to Use Guys with Secret Tips movie I loved to no end. It's funny, smart, and has a bit for everyone. It's well directed and witty. Plus it injects feminism into the whole thing. Carole probably will like it. Alua might...
Skipping Big Red Riding Hood. Want to like it, but then it throws in the melo and I just check out.
Love Kodoku Gurume season 3. I don't mind the food p.o.r.n. Plus it's sweet...
Watching Just You as well which is light, but not completely brainless. It is cliche, but not bad.
Probably will watch, but am not thrilled about Saito San 2. Mostly when I'm bored. It preaches a lot.
Watched the end of 35 Year old High School Student. I really liked it, though I don't think it's up Carole's alley...
Wondering who are people's favorite actors/actresses, but haven't starred in anything recently that they can watch.
Jae Hee, Kim Rae Won and Kim Jae Won for me. I really like them as actors, but I haven't seen them in anything I'd like to watch recently.
And Yoon Eun Hye--love her as an actress, but none of her recent dramas have been watchable. I'm waiting for her selection tide to turn around.
I really like Kim So Yeon even though I've only seen her in Prosecutor Princess and IRIS. I can't wait to see her in 2 Weeks and I hope it's good since I haven't been motivated to watch any of her other recent dramas.
I agree with you on Yoon Eun Hye. I'm wondering if she has an issue picking scripts.
Also, I realllllly want to like just, You but it hasn't been doing anything for me so far (I'm only mid episode 3). Does it get any better? (And I feel bad because I keep commenting on all your posts ^^").
Not my kind of drama... TT Both he and Kim Rae Won keep choosing dramas that I don't want to watch, even though I like them as actors. Jae Hee too...
If Yoon Eun Hye returns to Rom Com I'll definitely watch her dramas again especially since she won't be dictated by debts to other people. If she ends up on an SBS drama (maybe with Lee Minki~ I'd like that) then I can hope for Running Man again.... I have my fantasies, you know.
I'm feeling a little bereft today, now that I no longer have IHYV to obsess over. That drama temporarily took over my life. I spent hours refreshing pages for episodes and recaps, anything I could get my hands on. It was the first drama I've ever watched while it was still airing. I don't know if all "live" shows are that intense, but I'm thinking not.
I'm really looking forward to the new dramas starting next week, particularly Master's Sun and Good Doctor. I'm sure they'll be able to help fill the void IHYV has left behind.
I'm going though the same as you do. Not my first live Kdrama, but it's my first obsession in a looooonnnng while. I spent hours refreshing pages, reading/re-reading recaps, comments and trawled the net for anything remotely related to the show too.
Still finding it hard to let the drama go. Have been playing the OSTs on repeat just to reminisce in my mind all the fave scenes.
I know it makes sense to look ahead to the new crop of dramas premiering next week, but I'm just not the least bit interested. At least, not at this moment. Sigh.
I'm also feeling a bit blue about IHYV ending. I haven't been this sad about letting go of a drama. And yeah, I'm not interested about the new bunch of dramas either. They may be awesome but right now, I'm just don't feel like watching anything new.
My first live view was Faith, and I was in a deep funk, too, when it ended. At the time, I didn't know about OT (although I had found the Faith recaps and comments). Have you seen School 2013 (LJS and Woo Bin) or Secret Garden? Yoon Sang Hyun (Oska) and Lee Jong Suk are in it.
Also, there is a recent Hwasin (Strong Heart 2) episode with the IHYV cast that was fun to watch. Maybe watching it will help wean you off being in a funk. Fighting \/
There's also going to be a Running Man episode slightly based on IHYV. From the preview, I know the actor who played MJG is going to be on there! I think it might help with learning to separate him from his character ^^".
@owl Sorry, no reply button below your comment, gotta do it here.
I commented this in IHYV finale recap thread: I've been a lurker on DB for years. Only comment on rare occasions.
Have of course known about OT but have not participated much before because for some strange reason, found it intimidating. Maybe because all of you sound so erudite. :)
But I do read the comments on OT every weekend just to keep up with stuff and see what the rest of the beanies are watching or raving on.
Yes, I've watched Secret Garden. It was the first Kdrama that drove me to watch raw before the subbed ones were out. I fell in love with Ha Ji Won then.
Knew about Lee Jong Seok then but only became a fan of his after School 2013. Ironically, I caught School 2013 for Kim Woo Bin but ended up mesmerized by Lee Jong Seok. He's the reason that got me on IHYV in the first place. The drama was so not on my radar initially that if not for LJS, would not have wanted to try it, what with all the boring promos talking about lawyers. Who would have thought. Ha. Well the rest is history, and now why I'm here. Guess you could say IHYV brought me out of lurking. :)
And yes, I've also caught the Hwasin ep with the IHYV cast. So, basically there's nothing left for me except re-watching the show which I have to admit I HAVE been doing, move on to other dramas which I'm kinda reluctant to, or just continue to wallow in this post-IHYV funk for a while before .... well, I dunno.
Sorry for rambling on.
And, I hope it's not too late — but better than never — Hello everyone! And happy Friday! :)
Watched both School 2013 and Secret Garden. I didn't notice LJS much in SG but I became a semi-fan in School. I started IHYV because of the child actors and the beginning part of DB's recap. I wasn't sure I was going to continue but then after episode 2, I was sucked into this show (seriously, I think someone hypnotized me). So then I looked around for more stuff. I watched the Hwasin episode, and watched BTS videos on youtube (have you watched those, RWJQ?). I also read a couple of old LJS articles. So now I'm officially out of things to do except patiently waiting for the RM episode (which I am so looking forward to!)
RWJQ, if you haven't watched it yet, I recommend Running Man episode 138. The guests are Lee Jong-Suk, Kim Woo Bin, CN Blue's Jonghyun, Kim Soo Ro and Min Hyorin. Besides the pretty, it's an enjoyable episode to watch.
Yes! I have watched all the BTS clips on YouTube. I even downloaded them onto my cell phone so that I can rewatch them anytime without the need for net connection. ;p
As for that particular RM episode, yes to it too. I don't catch every single episode of RM. Will usually check out the week's guests on Kshownow before deciding if I wanna catch it. I watched ep 138 twice!!
As for IHYV, I was hooked right from the get-go. Found the premise very interesting. After ep 2, began recommending it to my friends and managed to bring 5 of them onto the bandwagon.
hye, i'm new here. the mention of IHYV got me. in withdrawal mode too so i'm gonna go watch 'when i was the prettiest'. its a kbs drama special (3eps) with lee jong suk in it. from what i can gather, it's yet another noona-slaying effort of his.
QIHM being over definitely made me sad too but not as much. Maybe it's because while I was invested in the main OTP, I didn't become as invested in the entire world/all the characters of the drama. (don't get me wrong, I still love both!)
I watched School 2013 and Nine and completely loved them. I wound up marathoning School 2013 after it was over, but I watched Nine as it was coming out. Not sure if Nine would be as good marathoned. Anyway, I recommend you checking out both dramas!
IHYV was the exception, not the rule. I would guess that probably half the dramas I start with, I never finish. And a few I wish I had not wasted the time on even when I did finish :D
Korean Cultural Note: Muism 2.
This is from the book titled Muism... since there are many aspects of Muism, I'm focusing on the ghosts, which may pop up in a drama near you. (Master's Sun).
Muism, has it that the body is of a definite shape,while the soul is a formless "power" for the body. The soul is timeless, formless, etc. i.e. it can go forward and back in history and has no anchor until it has a body, where the body is the anchor in time and space, but that time and space is limited. Only when the two are united does that equal life.
The soul, therefore, has two entities, the live soul and the dead soul. The live soul animates you while you are alive, while the dead soul is destined to go to the "Other world." (Which is on another plane of existence, but not specifically above or below you.)
If the dead soul fails to pass through the various types of animosity one has from their previous life, then they will become ghosts and cause trouble for the living.
Chosang is a good soul that passed into the other world after a normal life and who has become a good soul. In Arang, you can see this in the Mudang's grandmother appearing.
Wongwi is a soul that cannot enter the other realm because of anger about a premature death, a violent death, or a death in a strange land. In Arang, this would be Arang herself. They can be freed by three years of Funerals.
Wollyeong cannot enter the other world even after three funerals because of their animosity towards human kind is so great. This takes special ceremonies to negotiate the hate that this person has toward everyone. You can loosely say this is Moo Yeon in Arang and the Magistrate.
The soul, is therefore, formless/shapeless, omniscient, immortal and can escape from the body. The soul also has the same personality free from its body, since that personality is said to be attributed to the soul itself.
The Other World is called the "Future World", mostly taken from Buddhism, where the original was called "The Next Life" (Which isn't reincarnation, like the current version) The corpse was clothed in marriage garments as if they were getting married. However, this also meant all relationships ended with death. The worst that could happen when you went to the next life was to become a "snake".
Arang, BTW, fused not only the fantasy and Historical, but also several religions, which included, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Muism, Korean Mythology and Korean borrowed from Chinese Old Traditional Mythology (Jade Dragon, etc). Hong Sisters might lean more on Muism this round in comparison to the previous borrowing in Gumiho. They might use some Buddhism as well (Northern), if they decide to lean on religion at all. They've been flirting with religion on and off from previous dramas.
Japanese: You might have caught it too... but the majority of Japanese food as we know it came from the late Sengoku period/Meiji period.
Anyway, I hope this helps with Master's Sun coming up.
Hiya, KimYoonmi! I'm not a frequent participator in OT but I have noticed you post some lengthy cultural notes on the OT I've browsed. Anyway, these are greatly appreciated since I don't know much about Korean culture. Do you eventually post these on your blog too? And I'm just curious as to how you know so much! Do you read a lot or major in a related field in college?
I'm a Korean Adopted Person... I also am halfway through a major in Anthropology. (My interest is in Cultural Anthropology--I want to look at Multimedia exchange across borders... from the creator to the consumers...).
So I've been trying to search and find material since I was very young. I also have been to Korea, talked to Korean people, relatives, etc.
I'm also generally a nerd with a pretty good memory. (Or I've been told)
In another words, I did a lot of reading, asking, experiencing, searching, etc in order to get the info. This particular post came from the Hanbooks dot com's Muism book... which I read and took the major points from. The Anthropology definitely helps a lot to sort things and figure out what's range and what's not.
I try to make it relevant to the dramas we're watching...
They do eventually go on my blog, though I'm not always diligent about it. Previous OTs do have notes and back and forth. I take requests too...
Ah, that's really interesting! I always find people who read a lot to be very admirable. I hope you'll post them on your blog too so there's a way to find specific info you've already delved into! I'm taking an intro cultural anthropology class for my first semester but it seems daunting ^^". Is it something you knew you always wanted to study academically?
I wanted to be an actress when I was little... (I still regret giving that up). I was point blank told that Asians didn't become actors because of the shame they brought their families. (Lies, lies. Racist lies.) I internalized that until my mid-twenties... when I was told that was wrong.
I fell into writing... and then I was told writing doesn't make money. Since I really like creativity, that put me into a bind.
So I needed a second profession... and I chose something, but the job profession hadn't been invented yet. --;; I was ahead of the curve by over 5 years. (Being super intuitive, I'm like that... I see trends very quickly and can usually predict changes in tide.)
My Aunt says she's also super intuitive and that her field of research was way ahead of everyone else doing the same thing. The difference with me is I'm SLLOOOOWWW and my timing usually sucks.
Which meant I needed to double major in order to qualify for the profession I wanted which wasn't invented yet. >.<;; By the time there was a degree for what I wanted, which hasn't stabilized as of yet, I was already halfway through anthropology... so why not. It'll feed into the profession until I can make it as a writer and the anthropology will also look shiny on cover letters to publishers, especially if I can show I understand marketing...
How come you didn't self-design a major to fit your interests? I don't know how that works in the job world though.
Good luck with your writing endeavors!
I'm at the point where I still have no idea what I exactly want to do. Well, to some extent. I know something in particular that I love but there's not a specific field of study that would directly correlate. I don't think I'm ahead of any curve though.
Worldbuilding as a profession would be totally fun! I recently did a blog post on worldbuilding -- the technology, the religion, the languages, the racial issues that would appear in a certain kind of world. Kimyoonmi-shi, if you're like me, you're tired of all these European fantasies and elves. We could hook up with film production companies and expand the types of specfic stories out there.
BTW, you can still become an actress. Anything is possible. Become an extra in small indie films. Hey, you never know.
I think the closest I've heard of an already existing major that sounds similar is Urban Studies (a much smaller scale though) but then again I'm not exactly sure I know what world building is. Would you mind point me to your post Carole?
(Also, I was just on your blog and I saw your post about "Pandora's Lunchbox" and I was wondering what you thought of it? If there was ever a Food Studies major, it would be an easy choice for me.)
World Building is in Science Fiction and Fantasy mainly where you make up a fictional world that is internally consistent that or cultures, etc within it.
What people call "canon" from the reader end, the creation of the "canon" is called "World Building."
Though my real profession is elsewhere, I'd love to major in world building. Basically to be good at world building you need to know a little of everything. i.e. you really do have to be a nerd.
@Carole
Too old and I've become too much of a writer at this point, I think. I'm taking acting classes anyway... mostly so I can get past the hurdle of giving it up. Also will help with interviews, etc. =P I'm going to sign up once I get over this cold.
As for European with elves. I'm so past the Tolkien-esque worlds. I want to see more diversity in my fiction. I'm also a bit frustrated with the American categorization of experimental being in its own category, making genre fiction and so on stagnant to some degree... which I see less of in East Asian fiction (Contemporary). I figure, if it makes the story work and communicates what you want to say, why not?
So far, I have geography, Cultural geography, anthropology, sociology, ethnic studies, art, history, art history. I probably should have gotten biology, astronomy and physics in, but Hard sciences were never my forte. I always liked the softer (and consequently lower paying) soft sciences/the arts. I already know Computer Science stuff, so I didn't need it added to. I also read psychology books when I was younger in order to get better at World Building. World Building is fun, pursuing it makes one a nerd, though.
You know the thing about the hot pepper/spices distribution around the world, right? That's not useful to most people except for the world builders...
Oops, MeeisLee, I just saw the second part of your question. I'll only say: Try to eat only read food. Eat only what will die and eat it before it does. I battle fibromyalgia and so much of my illness reacts to processed foods. When I get all Caribbean and eat only Latin-American and Jamaican foods -- plaintains, batatas, and the like-- I do so much better.
I can't say all GMO foods are bad but I can say that they have affected my health in a very horrible way. I get very sick if I even touch anything bottled or canned.
If you're a foodie, think of real food and real eating as a challenge ..the universe giving you the gift to be creative with what you eat. The modern palate in most countries have been brainwashed, and the American palate is so brainwashed by sugar....very dangerous. There are so many kinds of desserts to invent and discover and so many real foods to discover.
Hi Kimyoomi, you should be a copywriter in the advertising world - you are ahead of your time, study human (anthropology), loves writing and very creative - all characteristics of a great copy writer =)
Have you seen Coleur de peau: Miel (Approved for Adoption)? It's a 2012 Belgian/Korean film I recently heard about and just got my hands on a copy.
It's about a Korean boy that is adopted into a Belgian family. It's animated (in part) and autobiographical (the animator, Jung, is the person the film is about).
I plan on reviewing this month as part of my K-Anime series.
Really hope I haven't got the wrong person, but I'm quite sure it was you who mentioned the two mangas — Strobe Edge and High School Debut in last week's OT.
Just wanna thank you for the recommendations. Marathoned the two series in one day last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Eventually I will finish that 2000+ word blog post on why Strobe Edge and High School Debut are absolutely rocking mangas while Ikura ga Ita is not... (hint: it all has to do with the heroines).
I generally like Sakisaka Io's mangas, she's got her own way of doing things. (I'm still unsure how I feel about Ao Haru Ride, no thanks to Kou being such a coward about his own feelings...)
Good. Was worried for a bit that I might have made a boo-boo. Ha.
I read mangas and catch animes if I have the time. Used to read lots when I was in school but don't really have the time for them now. Nowadays, for animes, I stick to only Naruto and Fairy Tail. Stopped Bleach for a while and by the time I wanted to resume it, realized I couldn't find the subbed clips online anymore. Argh!
As for mangas, I have no specific favorite mangaka(s). Will read whatever is recommended. I enjoyed the two mangas you recommended because the heroines were sort of different, not some doormats or fluff heads so widely featured in many of the mangas. I like that they know their minds, who they love and stay true to their feelings throughout.
This is my first time reading Sakisaka's works. Didnt start on Ao Haru Ride or any of her ongoing ones yet because I prefer completed series.
A Manhwa-yeonghwa? (What it's called in Korea... 'cause to Koreans it's kinda like calling a hanbok a Korean kimono... just a heads up.)
I've been wanting to watch more of these, but the funding isn't 100% yet. I'll probably watch it. I even watch bad representations of adopted people/adopted community just to see how far we have to go.
I heard Dae Jang Geum got turned into a Manhwa-yeonghwa, but it never was translated, so I couldn't watch it.
ooohh manga recs! I was searching forums for some. I didn't like High School Debut but Strobe Edge looks like an interesting read.
Manga was actually my first exposure into Asian creative material (I don't know what the correct technical grouping would be). From manga, I moved on to Japanese live actions/dramas > animes (very briefly) > jpop > kpop > Taiwanese dramas > Korean dramas.
ooh, i've got to see that one when you review it. I tried to subscribe to your blog last week (via email) but I couldn't. I tend to forget to visit blogs I like so the email option is the best for me.
*goes back to the blog to dutifully change the word "anime"*
You're so right! That makes sense... and since I'm a stickler for correct words, I appreciate the correction.
Is manhwa-yeonghwa used both for films and TV animations? (as I understand 'yeonghwa' is film, isn't it?) Or is there a specific word for animated TV series?
You can subscribe by email (should be able to in any case!), Twitter (but with other tweets added), Tumblr (blog posts plus some film pics, quotes and, ummm, some random food pictures) or RSS feed (only the blog posts).
I know what you mean with forgetting to visit blogs... I don't like my email clogged up, but I use an RSS reader for 30+ blogs because you can scan posts quickly and delete whatever doesn't interest you...
For me, it was doramas first, then animes, followed by mangas. Not really into J/K pops. Usually listen to tracks from the animes' OSTs.
Have been flitting to and fro Kdramas and TW dramas for years now. Really need to get back to J doramas. My last was Nagareboshi which I LOVED and cried buckets over.
Have been told recently to try out manhwas, though have no idea which are the good ones.
It's this annoying chrome browser. I'm not sure if the subscription from last week "took" or if I got through again this time. Just spent the past ten minutes trying to resubscribe. Chrome was crashing on me throughout. I'll see if the subscription from last week actually took. I didn't get your latest post, i think. But maybe I did. Was that on Wednesday? Sometimes all my drama subscriptions come all rolled up in one email so I'll look.
Jejeje... that's why I have THREE browsers installed on my computer. Sometimes I find one doesn't want to work for certain things (usually after an update), and switch to another one temporarily. Rarely use Chrome, it eats up so much RAM!
Yes, last post was on Wednesday. I don't normally manage more than twice a week, sometimes three...
@RWJQ
I looooooove Nagareboshi. (And Takenouchi.) Maybe try Woman, which is currently airing? Even darker than Nagareboshi though...
Manhwas: I've read very few, they tend to be harder to come by than mangas.
Utopia is one I liked, but I don't think it's fully available in translation. It's sooooooooo sad though. If I never finish reading it, I don't mind, the pictures were heavy enough...
Cheese in a Trap looks like it has potential, but very few episodes are available.
My Heart Is Beating I liked quite a lot. I didn't read it forever because the synopsis (a boy with a swimsuit fetish ends up cross-dressing) put me off, but it's actually much better than that summary would suggest!
Moss is one I want to read because I have the film, which I don't want to watch before reading the manhwa....
Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan is a Japanese manga adapted from a Korean novel. It's wonderful but oh so heartbreaking (get your tissues ready!!!). Kang Dong-won starred in the Korean film adaptation (Our Happy Times aka Maundy Thursday), which I still haven't had the guts to watch...
@ Alua as I understand it, the word for "animation" is manhwa Yeonghwa... or animated manhwa... I read something where a guy from Korea was pleading with people to call it "Manhwa Yeonghwa" rather than "Korean anime." I figure I should go with what the guy from Korea says... rather than the people outside of it. (I also have geeky reasons for this, but I'm going to spare people from the pain.)
Just for the word geeking, anime is most likely from the French for les dessin animé. (Moving picture). It was imported into Japan. Of course Americans, being centric on themselves thought it was from "Animation" failing to realize the large influence of French animation/film on Anime as well.
Thanks for the trailer too... I want to see the full thing. I speak French... so I have a shot of understanding it. Seems like it will directly face issues, yet have a backdrop of every day life rather than "the search" so much... which I kinda appreciate and we need more of...
Yutaka Takenouchi is the ONE and ONLY J-actor I adore. There are a few others I like but never at Takenouchi's level.
Attracted me when I first saw him in Zoku Hoshi no Kinka. Cried buckets over that show too. But I crossed the point of no return watching Beach Boys. All my friends were going ga-ga over Takuya Kimura and I was the only one with eyes for Takenouchi. Still cannot get KimTaku's appeal till this day.
Unfortunately, I haven't caught all of Takenouchi's works. There were a few that I found boring, eg: Dekkichatta Kekkon and With Love. Now, I'll read the synopsis first before deciding if I wanna try it out. But, he's always the first J-actor whose projects I check out whenever I feel like going back to Jdoramas.
Another favorite of mine is Ruri no Shima. Another tear-jerker, and after marathoning it, I went round coercing all my friends to watch it. :D
Coincidentally, both Ruri no Shima and Nagareboshi have soundtracks by one of my fave bands, Kobukuro, which are songs I go to first whenever I feel like some Japanese tunes.
Have read about Woman, following OTs here. :) Am waiting for it to end so that I can marathon it in one go.
Appreciate the manhwas recommendations. Will check them out. I tried manhwas a few years back, cannot remember the titles, but didn't like them because of the graphics. Kinda rough. Hope they have gotten better.
Watashitachi no Shiawase no Jikan is one of my favourites too! I actually shed quite a bit of tears over this, especially when they discovered they wanted to live. I'm not sure I want to watch the film though, in case it disappoints...
I'm so out of the loop and haven't been reading (regularly) since the end of last year, so I was wondering whether you guys have any recommendations? My favourite mangakas include Nakamura Asumiko, Urasawa Naoki, Inoue Takehiko and Asano Inio (one of his works, Nijigahara Holograph, is another love of mine). Basically, I'm a fan of seinen and anything psychological. But I'm open to all genres really - I'm in need of some good shoujo! The last I read was probably Kuragehime(?).
It might be hard to convince people to use manhwa yeonghwa – it's not as easily pronounceable as anime is. I've never heard anyone use the term either.
It seems Couleur de peau: Miel is getting a DVD release in the US in the autumn. Not sure when though. I do know that a graphic novel is available too (I've seen a few pages... it's gorgeous).
@RWJQ
I'll watch anything with Takenouchi. Even if I don't like the drama, I still like him in it! He's always good. I think Nagareboshi was my first with him. Rondo I like a lot as well. I don't mind Kimutaku (I can rewatchPride any time – there's more chemistry in the first two episodes of that drama than most manage over 10/16/20 episodes), but he definitely comes after Takenouchi on my list.
Takenouchi has just been cast in a movie btw, Nishino Yukihiko no Koi to Boken. I don't know anything about it though.
I do like plenty of other J-actors as well, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Matsuda Ryuhei (and Shota too), etc. who always deliver and have a wide acting range. Plus some of the young ones, like Sometani Shota or Kamiki Ryounuske. All of these (except Shota) do more films than dramas though.
I remembered another manhwa: Nineteen/ Twenty-One. Very gentle. Beautiful images. (All the others I mentioned have slightly different art from the typical Korean manhwas as well.)
I don't know why i'm so faithful to chrome because yes it does eat up RAM. I think each time one opens a new window the entire process begins so it just compounds. I'll check to see if I'm subscribed to you if you can't. I think I must be except that chrome is being weird.
BTW, I'm an anime lover and will be really looking at your site for good k-animation as well. I wish I could get into reading mangas and manwahs but alas...not yet.
I was sobbing uncontrollably with Watashitachi.... I haven't heard bad things about the film, only people saying that it is terribly sad as well. I will eventually watch it... I just need, ummm, another half a year to mentally steel myself? (Took me a year to watch Grave of the Fireflies.)
I read manga very irregularly and unsystematically, so I'm not the best one to ask. Good shoujo? Just about none (I've read so much crap, Strobe Edge and High School Debut are such rare exceptions.)
Grey is... --> psychological. Quite mysterious. xxxHolic --> you may know this. I haven't read it, but it's supposed to be superb (the doramas adaptation was) Hibi ChouChou --> shoujo. veeerrry slow. but there's something very sweet about it. My Girl (same author as Watashitachi...) Piano no Mori --> I've only read a little, need to read more Kouya no Koi --> a shoujo which I just read the other day. It's, ummm, unusual. I like the frankness in it, more shoujo mangas need this. Diamond Dust --> haven't read much of this, but seemed interesting. Psychological. Himizu --> I saw the film and then read as much of the manga as I could find. Psychological and very dark, the manga even more so than the film Don't read if you are sensitive – this really goes into the ugliest sides of human nature. Running on Empty --> a strange one, not very realistic perhaps but I like something about it. There's a suggestion about a gay storyline, though to me it always seemed more like friendship between two lonely people.
Ando Yuki's mangas (Akai Michi, Matryoshka) – these are short, the stories are simple but they are the only mangas I have ever found that I felt like were literary. Not sure how to explain it, just that the mangaka was doing things mangas normally don't do.
-I've been meaning to read Song of the Cloud, anyone tried that?
-Kinda liked Cat Street, the characters are interesting and not 2-D like in every other shoujo. The dorama adaptation is not good, sadly.
Neither am I the best person to recommend. I tend not to keep track of mangas I read by the mangakas, so have no impression of the names you've listed. Have read a number of shoujos but they were mostly not that memorable.
Hope some other beanies here can help.
@alua
I've been wanting to give Rondo a try. But I'm Choi Ji Woo-averse. :(
Thanks for the heads up on Takenouchi's new movie. Will keep an eye out for it.
Despite my inability to appreciate Kimura Takuya, I LOVE Pride! Have lost count of the number of times I rewatched that show. Another of his I love was Beautiful Life. The rest are um, relatively meh, especially his recent ones.
I like Tsumabuki Satoshi and Shota too. Another one would be Matsuyama Kenichi. Love love him in Death Note and Norwegian Wood.
Will add the new manhwa titles to the list and check them out, hopefully soon. After I get over my IHYV withdrawals, that is. Lol.
Hi. Everyone. I am Anke and I am a drama addict. @_@ I have been a silent lurker in drama bean at least most of the time.
Someone asked about mangas and I thought to add my 2 cents' worth. I like Io Sakisaka's mangas too. They are well written and illustrated. Not sure whether these few mangas have been recommended but they are some of my favourites (no particular order).
1. Dengeki Daisy by Kyousuke Motomi
2. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun by Robiko
3. Taiyou no le by TAAMO
4. Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya
5. Blue by Io Sakisaka
6. Love So Life by Kaede Kouchi
7. Koi da no Ai da no by Ririko Tsujita
Thank you alua and Anke~ :)
I'll be sure to check them out! (And I'm a fan of anything dark, so Himizu sounds right up my alley.)
Hi RWJQ~! Shoujo's a bit of mindless fun for me and I do get a good laugh out of it (plus a fair amount of hair tearing...), but scarcely do I come across one that leaves a lasting impression either. You have to plough through a whole load repetitive and clichéd crap to get to the few rare gems... True of all genres really, but especially the case with shoujo.
All I know about the pepper/spices thingey is that large multinationals are always buying up tons of lands to plant foods the people in the richer countries like..so whole tracts of lands in Latin America dedicated to coffee beans and peppers etc. Is that what you were talking about?
Yeah, I kinda get burn out on Tolkein and Euro-elves, euro-monsters euro undead vampires. Give me native American shapeshifters and ghosts from other cultures with other ghostly rules.
I tend to be pretty multicultural and anthropological with what I write or read. So you can imagine how indifferent I was to the whole George R R Martin Game of Thrones thingey here in the US. Just so many "blonde of hair" characters one can take.
My big goal is to write an African-Korean sajeuk one episode drama done for the KBS drama special. Specific goal, no? If you like anthropology and fantasy, definitely check out my novel Wind Follower. Some folks hate the pacing issue and I'll admit if I were rewriting it now, I'd write it differently...but if you don't mind the Christianity parts of it, you might like the anthropology. I threw in all kinds of Native American and African anthropology. I'd definitely like to know what you think of it. So far, some folks like it better than Constant Tower and some folks Constant Tower better.
I think it's only the mainstream fiction world that uses "experimental" as its own genre. There are some great genre books out there that are kinda sorta experimental and some great diverse books.
The spices and pepper thing by regionality is that near the equator it's found that people use stronger spices mainly because of the heat spoiling food. Oregano, for example, turns out to kill a large amount of bacteria. Also food aversions during pregnancy might also be linked to this as well. (Korean lore has it one should not eat spicy food while pregnant.)
The exception to this are places such as Japan, but it's thought in general, island countries and regions are more dependent on fish and marine life, meaning that the food stays fresh and is plentiful anyway, so there is less need to store them over a longer period. I read a paper on it and cared about it more just for World Building purposes.
Isn't this the random fact that a World Builder will store but no one else really seems to care about? At least I think so...
Spices in general were dominated by the Dutch. Including Nutmeg which used to be expensive... but attributing the spread of things such as potatoes, tomatoes, etc to the cutch doesn't explain the amount of spice one puts in and why Indian food closer to the equator is spicier... but that science does.
oh my gosh! @Kimyoonmi-shi, you just totally impressed me with that discourse on spices and heat! ::big grin:: sooo good knowing you. I learn so many things.
I have a few odd book reading fetishes and one of them is I love reading nonfiction books about how one specific thing or other changed history. So, I've read a book on rubber and a book on salt and a book on eels. There's a book on nutmeg (and how it changed the world, of course) that I've been meaning to buy. It was published ages ago...but now...now you've reminded me that I want to read it.
I've learned a lot from the cultural notes on Korea you have been posting here. Kamsa hamnida!
World-building sounds really, really interesting. I hope that can soon become a mainstream major of studies in our universities. I expect that would include a lot of virtual simulations situated in MUVEs like Second Life, a lot of gaming ala World of Warcraft and such.
My only regret is I probably won't be able to participate in that, if at all, as I am nearing retirement. Probably the oldest ahjumma in this blogsite. :-)
ooh wow, the buried in wedding garments reminds me of a Native American tribe. The wife was buried in wedding garments but for a different reason. If she arrived at the Creator's gate without a wedding garment, she couldn't get in because there would be no family there to claim her.
@KimYoonmi & Carole McDonnell: Wow, all that discussion of world building and college majors is so fascinating. I'm trying to move beyond Tolkien-esque fantasy (I like what George R. R. Martin does with POVs in his books but somehow I never was as enamoured of ASOIAF as everyone seems to be) and East Asian mythology is very refreshing to someone who grew up on European and Indian myth. Which is one of the reasons I wish K-dramas had more genre offerings- Arang FTW!
I'm about to start my undergrad studies (majoring in English lit) and my country simply doesn't have college options for SFF nerds/writers. I'm planning to apply abroad for postgrad; looking for concentrations in East Asian mythology and folklore with cultural anthropology, comparative literature, psychology and film studies thrown in. Which, yeah, is kind of a tall order. I would so love a degree in worldbuilding since it would include pretty much all of this and more, and like you said, it requires all-around knowledge and nerdiness. ;)
I wish there were more english translations of SFF writings from East Asia; I've reading fan translations on blogs like Koala's and among other things, the narrative voice is just so different from what I'm used to. One of the reasons I'm so motivated to start learning Korean!
Also, lapping up all the film and anime recs in this OT. I despair at the size of my to-watch list!
Hi Chimera, wouldn't it be great if you graduated and became an author/filmmaker/spirituality anthropological expert!!!!
Re: worldbuilding:
The great thing about diversity in storyworlds is not only that we see different races but we get different concerns.
George R R Martin's world is not a world I can abide in for too long. I just hate the racial subtext. I hate the way women are presented -even when they are supposed to be strong. I hate the murdering and the obsession with killing. I hate the subtle atheism and the lack of a deep spirituality.
I've only seen Eastern wordbuilding stories -- such as Arang-- but in these there is some honoring of the spiritual, whether it's Muism or Buddhism or even Christianity. The western rationalistic male has its own concerns. Give me a story by a woman from the east or from Africa or Latin America and I am happy. I want to see the world through different eyes.
If you can get your hand on some books by these authors: Samantha Ling, Ted Chiang, Eugie Foster, Lafcadio Hearn (a real classic), Marjorie M Liu, Ken Liu, Derwin Mak, Eric Choi. A great East Indian writer is Ashok Banker, who is not only a sweet guy but is a great writer. He wrote a series based on Indian mythology. He's East-Indian, not Indian-American but his works are in English as well.
If I could make a profession of World Building and make a major out of it I would. But it doesn't pay... If a liberal arts college allowed it, and I could put it on my resume that would be awesome.
But Cultural Anthropology will have to be a substitute for now.
I'm also halfway through a graphic design degree too.
Combine it with the Computer Science I already know and voila, I get paid well.
I also dislike George RR Martin, pretty much for the racial aspects, the unnecessary amount of melodrama, the treatment of women. I don't care one way or the other on religion. I do care when he calls someone who is clearly meant to be a Mongol a "Barbarian" and paints them as "savage", despite the non Whites in Medieval Europe around the time he's writing (I know it's an Other World, but it is roughly based around the Hundred Years War/War of the Roses). (Moors... anyone? The Romani were from India... anyone? Mongols?)
I got into fantasy because I thought it could portray social issues with the same kind of coldness of Science Fiction (which I also like) and transport people to other locations and cultures, but somehow all those cultures ended up being in Europe... (Though I did read others.)
I like reading about mentally strong characters that grow and transport me to places I haven't been. That show a different POV, and allow for the diversity that this world has.
For that, you might like Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, Linda Sue Park, Ursula Le Guin (Features PoC and QUILTBAG characters), Saladin Ahmed, Nnedi Okorafor, Yoon Ha Lee (says she's writing a novel...), Cindi Pon. I also would love it if there was a website where you could get translated books. I would love it if it ran like viki... but I don't have the programming skill. I sometimes fantasize about starting a Kickstarter around the idea. There are many books that are considered classics and in public domain which publishers won't translate because of cost and it doesn't play to the stereotype norm for that country. But wouldn't it bring people together to be able to read books from around the world which are considered classics in their own countries without that social framing?
Hey, thanks for all the recs, both of you. About half of those writers are already on my reading list but so happy to add the new ones! :D
I'm more of a YA junkie as you can prolly see from my recommendations. I, personally, love Sarah Rees Brennan and Holly Black's work but they're more in the realm of urban fantasy than straight up high fantasy. A lot of their books feature LGBT characters and protagonists who are people of colour. I like how Holly Black incorporates the question of her hero's racial identity into the noir setting of her story as part of the larger issues of duplicity, doubt, mistrust and cons he is dealing with (he is a person of colour but does not know about his ethnicity of origin). Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon trilogy has each book from the POV of a different character and her demons are based on Sumerian myth. I've also enjoyed The Blue Sword by Robin Mckinley, Scott Westerfeld's steampunk trilogy and Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series.
Have heard really good things about Nalo Hopkinson, Jacqueline Carey, Cinda Williams Chima, Orleans by Sherri L. Smith, the Eon duology by Alison Goodman and Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn.
I hate the argument that somehow the crappy portrayal of women or lack of people of colour in high fantasy can't be helped be because that's how it was in that period. Nope, it wasn't. Women have always been active participants in the community (because 50% of the population- duh!) and have always accompanied armies, at times as leaders and combatants, but more often as cooks, healers, people in charge of managing the day to day needs of the army etc.- which are all vital roles during war (I cite armies as an example because of their central aspect in most high fantasy stories). Same goes for depiction of people of colour. There has always been trade, travel and cultural exchanges between countries. I can't think of any civilisation that has evolved in a vacuum of isolated white bliss.
And anyway, if you can divert from "realistic" depiction enough to include dragons and giant spiders and fucking talking trees in your story, you can bloody well divert from reality a little more and create a world where women and people of colour have agency.
I love that idea of a Viki-like website for translating books in the public domain. I've fantasised about starting an indie publishing house in my country that translates lesser known books from other languages, and maybe English books into regional dialects when I grow older. But your idea is fantastic! I think it would totally work if you tried it, and I bet there are a lot of people who would love to work for this site and even more who would love to use it. :)
If you want a better look at Women in fantasy, you can take a look at these fine authors (I know, I know)
Open thread is becoming off topic...
Wise Child and Juniper by Monica Furlong. (Not PoC, but I really like the books)
The thing is that people have down played women's roles as "exciting" or "important" despite the fact that they often had to deal with great many things. This manages to weave magic, domestic life, etc and the writer is explicitly criticizing the church in her area for being less accepting of females, but in an unpreachy way. This also has some Wiccan-type things in it.
Anne McCaffrey's Pern books
She could get a little on the Mary Sue side, but the feminism streak in the books is unmistakable.
Melanie Rawn Dragon Prince and Exiles.
Exiles is awesome for feminism. (I wish she'd continue, but I understand the difficulty) It reverses the sexism, but in a careful and very thoughtful way. The only other reverses sexism book I like is Ooku, so that's saying a lot.
What highlights in the books I selected is that you don't need *the female warrior* archetype where she gives up all her femininity in order to fit into the story, they all play with typical gender roles at the same time as celebrating the "typical" feminine roles.
It's also a myth, if you think carefully that Women were never in positions of power in Medieval Europe. Catherine the Great, Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Sophia of Russia. Also queens were often expected to take care of the kingdom while the men were gone, and direct their children in their education. The difference is that the women in positions of power got much more flack for it. In some historical cases, the Kings tried to erase them from History. (They just be that jealous) And things such as being able to lug out the washing, fill it with water, boil that water, and lift a few pounds of sheets while stepping on a lye-filled tub was not seen as physically strong as being able to lift a sword and kill things.
And there were too PoCs in the time period. Plenty in Medieval art. Some of the Apostles and Saints are PoC too... and early depictions of Jesus made him appear to be Isrealite. (Not to mention that some think he was part Egyptian because of a Bible passage about his parentage) Racism was invented much later for socio-economic reasons (Most prejudice is), but there were definitely PoCs in Europe.
@KimYoonmi: Off-topic is part of the definition for OTs, I believe. ;)
I can't think of anything more substantial to add except yes, yes, totally agree with you. I would love to read stories that explore gender through traditionally "feminine" roles AND have fantasy elements as well, so thanks a lot for the recs. I'd also add Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin which is from the POV of a minor character in Virgil's Aeneid and has her mainly within a domestic setting as she struggles to make sense of her destiny.
Happy OT...
I have these questions regarding Korean culture that I watch in drama. Are they really part of the culture or the drama making them up?
1. Do kids (especially high schoolers) have their classes from morning until evening? How many hours should they spend at school? I see many high schooler goes home / roaming on the street at night while still wearing uniform.
2. Are people really addressed by their profession? Even student? I watched these scenes, where people called Jang Mari (Suzy in Big) and Park Seon Woo (Park Hyung sik in Nine) "학생" / student.
K-drama world
1. Vampire Prosecutor season 1. Ok, I'm too late to realize how good it is. Eventhough lack of humor and loveline, but the whole story is so well written. Not to mention that cold but hot prosecutor.
2. Drama special: Puberty medley, Transfer Student ep 1. I see some School 2013's taste here. Maybe because I notice 2 of the actors are from S2013, and someone mentioned Jang Nara here. I haven't watch next episode so I don't know if it's good or not. So far it's fairly good, so funny. I always love drama which gives new face a chance to proof they are worth to be main lead. I know Lee Se Young is not rookie but it's her first time to be female lead.
3. 1N2D compatible food race and bokbulgok... Joowon said "babo" to YoonA and his expression after that: priceless. Sung sikyung wearing wig: big lol. Poor shy boy.
Will start Who are You tomorrow so I avoid any possible spoiler.
Haven't watched Cruel City and Shark 19 - 20 yet, but spoilers already spilled the ending. So I decided to leave them for awhile. Will watch it someday but not soon.
Song Joongki enlisted? Already? *heartbroken*
1. High Schoolers do wear their uniforms on the street. Hours of school... I'm not quite sure. The structure is very similar to the Japanese system as far as I know, though.
2. And yes, people are addressed by their profession. I was called Haksaeng (Student) a few times (though that's stretching it) and also Agassi while in Korea. (I'm Korean... so...)
My brother was called Oppa, and Seonsaengnim, if they knew he was a teacher.
You're more likely to call someone by their title if you're in a work environment or if they are older than you. If you know each other well, it's less likely to happen and then it parses by age.
So my brother should call me Noona, or Jin Noona (to clarify) but we rarely call each other by name at all. (And he's just not that type being Americanized.)
Hi! I taught English in Seoul for a couple years, so I can give some perspective on your questions about Korean culture based on my experience there.
First, a LOT of Korean students attend after-school academies after their regular school day ends. They'll take extra classes in things like math, Korean, and English (those seem to be the most popular). At my school, we had classes for the elementary school kids from 4-7 and the middle school students from 7-10. People said that 10 pm was the latest (by law) that students could have classes, but I never personally verified that, so I don't know if it's true... (still seems awfully late, considering these are still pretty young kids).
And yes, people are definitely addressed by their title/profession. President, Manager, Teacher, Student... It sounds a little strange in English (imagine addressing someone in your company that you work with every day as "Manager"), but it's completely the norm in Korea (in my experience). I, personally, was always addressed as "Teacher" (sometimes in English, sometimes in Korean).
Though addressing people by title sounds a bit odd when translated into English, when using Japanese it sounds a lot more normal, and I assume that Korean is very similar. In a way it is like in English to address someone as "doctor" does not sound that odd, but many Asian cultures have extended titles to more than just doctors. Some of that is historical - especially for scholars and government officials, and even though in Japan at least it is a bit less common now, it is by no mean unusual.
Is the competitiveness for college admission really as cut-throat as some dramas have portrayed it? If youre an average student with an average background is there no possibility of getting into a nice school?
Is the competitiveness for college admission really as cut-throat as some dramas have portrayed it? If you're an average student with an average background is there no possibility of getting into a nice school? And what are the more prestigious universities students strive to get into?
I am not a Korean but I have taught SAT to some Korean students. The fierce competition makes then willing to sacrifice their spare time or holiday to study. Most of them try to compete to get into Seoul National University. This year one of my students got accepted there :)
When so many Korean students start attending hagwons (private after-school academies) for extra classes in the evenings and on weekends as early as elementary school, and most of them also have private tutors and take tons of test-prep classes, and travel or even live abroad, it's hard to see how an "average student with an average background" could compete.
Top Korean universities are Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Also, LOTS of Korean students want to go to Harvard. They may want to go to other foreign universities, too, but Harvard was always the one that came up first.
Wow. How do poor students even afford to have the same edge when financial constraints don't grant them the same opportunities? What are some of the reasons why it's so competitive? Too many students and not enough schools?
Interesting question... I lived and worked in Gangnam-gu/Daechi-dong (ESL hagwon central, for those who don't know), and my entire interaction in Seoul was with students whose parents could afford to pay for expensive private academies and private tutoring... truth is, I'm feeling a little ashamed that I know nothing about the experience of students who aren't so privileged.
Just like in the US, it's not that there aren't ENOUGH colleges, but it's about getting into the RIGHT college.
Koreans who settled in USA fill up the lack of after-schools in USA with home-study. Little TV and Video Games and lots of study books a year or more ahead so they can excel in school.
In larger K communities, there are schools for Korean kids so they can stay ahead of other kids in school.
My relatives are investigating the local regulations so they can start a K-after-school.
My uncle told me an Asian sued UC Berkeley when they rejected him because of their quota system, despite his very high SAT. LOL
The after-school situation sounds familiar to me and brings back memories. Good ones, actually, here in the U.S.
I am not of Korean descent, and the only reason I even mention this is simply to share that, contrary to popular belief, even in the U.S., the idea of after-school activites to either supplement or round out the school day, is not that far-fetched or reserved to a particular ethnic group. I only mention this because, unfortunately, I've heard some people conclude this to be the case, based on K-drama viewing.
When I was in high school, and this was a while back, those 4 years (and actually, all the years prior to hs), were not a wasteland of nothingness ....... if you cared about going on to a university. After school, weekends and summers were filled with extra workbooks, music classes, educational trips, extra studying, etc.
You may argue that perhaps I missed out on "regular high school fun stuff", but the truth is, I didn't because everyone with whom I was competing to excel with, wasn't doing any of those things either. And honestly, our little academic rivalries were actually quite fun. We competed with each other in a healthy way ..... we were fortunate enough to do so and we all went to universities as a result.
So again, not strictly a "K-thing". I do enjoy seeing how the focus on education is incorporated into some of the Kdramas though. Nothing wrong with that, education is important.
My beautiful Baksa is no more, gone with Cutie and Safari to do cute bromance-y things in a better place. I can’t even really talk about it yet. It was awesome. It wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect for me.
And a second good ending this week, with I Hear Your Voice. That show really went out strong, didn’t it? I’m hoping for good with Monstar, too. So many people to miss now.
I’m filling in the space with catching up with Goddess of Marriage and by the time Kakashi is back from her vacation I should be completely caught up and able to participate in the KimJiCaps. And I started Who Are You, which has surprised me with a comically adept Taecyeon and an actually sort of scary/suspenseful plot line.
Otherwise, same old same old. I have other things to catch up on too – Blade and Petal, mostly. And I need to find They Kiss Again because I want more Joe Cheng with his freakishly large forehead and weak upper lip.
CC/HC: For your consolation :) actually, Baksa is still alive. Hyung Min gives him new identity and changes His name to Jung Hyun Soo (Retaining his last name and adopting Soo's name). The cut scene shows Baksa's back while he's standing at the airport.
This is my first time watching Jung Kyung Ho...now I'm his big fan!
I was wondering about that last scene. You derived all of that from those few seconds? It's a nice consolation, indeed. But I'm still sad *spoiler* that cutie Soo had to die :( whyyyyy *spoiler*. I think Safsri ended up being one of my fav characters. I just love their little family, Safari, Jin Sook, and Shi Hyun. And ugh, I will forever hate you Min.
That could be an illusion as when Soo Min saw Baksa. I guess that's also my consolation since I couldn't see Shi Hyun die, eventhough I know that he must die to make the story noir.
It is not an illusion. On tumblr is a post about the deleted scene.
EP. 20 “ENDING" TRANSLATION
HyungMin’s car, coming from far away. Parks next to a car that has already been parked.
HyungMin gets out of the car and walks toward…the door opens ShiHyun gets out of the car with one arm bandanged
HM: As you requested, Min Hong Ki died by Doctor’s Son. I’m Sorry
SH: No…Thank You.
HM: (Smiling) Lee Jin Sook, SooMin..Everyone knows that you killed him.
SH: (Hurt)
HM: Do you have to leave?
SH: If I stay…Both of them will not be able to be happy.
HyungMin, gives a plane ticket and passport to ShiHyun
HM: Passport. Ticket…
SH: (Receives and holds onto them)
HM: Do not worry. Your name, age, it is all changed.
SH: The new name…(smiles) Jung Hyun Soo…Thank You.
HM: Are you not going to come back?
SH: …Be well. Ji Hyung Min.
HM: …
SH: …
When HM has his hand out for a handshake SH shakes hands after switching to his left hand, due to the bandaged hand
Both get in their cars. From far away a plane is seen departing into the sky.
Credit to jina_bing_bang@Soompi for the translation
So this was supposed to be the ending we get. I don’t understand why they cut out such a crucial scene which could have kept the viewers from questioning if SH dies or is still alive. Cutting this scene and giving us that scene after the credits was just plain cruel.
It’s good to know that according to the script SH is still alive although Paksa dies (well he has too seeing as he’s being wanted by the cops and killed CJ). It’s a pity that we don’t get to see a happy ending for our OTP but on the other hand I love how SH treasures his friendship with Soo that he kept Soo’s name along with his family name. Bromance for live!
@CC *spoiler* Gah! The family reunion killed me. Unkie Safari's confession to Shi hyun while he lay dying was a major tear fest, followed by being laid out on the chaise lounge while Jin Sook and Shi hyun cried over his dead body. It just broke my heart. Stupid undercover police lives. They should have just stuck with the drugs and they would have lived happily ever after. Well, they would have lived.
Watching Shi hyun in a suit and subsisting on nothing but amber Scotch for 20 episodes has been my hot pleasure.
I disagree. That may have been the intention, but since the scenes were cut that's not what we got. According to what we were shown, he's gone.
While I'm the first to say that Soo min is dumber than a stump, she was there. There is a real difference between someone who is unconscious and someone who is dead. Trust me.
Now, I want to watch his previous drama, 'Smile, You', to see his cheerful side after his dark, gloomy and revengeful character, to relive him after the heart crushing noir melo.
Just finished watching ISWAK2 over at drama crazy.EU.
It was by far the best of all the ISWAKs.
Joe looks better and Ariel's character becomes not so totally stupid.
I found it to be much more watchable than the original T-version.
And they didn't shy away from marital whoopie. Nice.
:-)
This is such a beautiful drama that I feel saddened that it has ended. Regardless of the ending it was an exciting journey of Shi Yun's life. Its a drama of quality. I hope they make dramas like this. Love it so much. JKH career best so far. Fantastic acting by all of the cast.
So let's see ..... the weekly update on this week's drama-viewing:
Shark - I know this ended this week, but I just finished watching episode 8. Still enjoying this. ..... I know Yi-soo thinks he's being all cool, calm and collected about the execution of his plan, but I don't think he knows just how much he can't keep his emotions out of the game. ...... There was a brief, don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it reaction moment from him this week when Hae-woo was declaring her impressions of the Yi-soo that may or may not have returned. ..... I don't think Yi-soo was counting on hearing this impression. ..... He may have concluded that he now has to make some small adjustments in his plan. ...... This may work against him. ....... But you know, this is a re-telling of the Orpheus story, and we all know how that ends. ...... So maybe it doesn't matter what he does.
IHYV - All Su-ha. ..... All the time. ..... Please. ..... So good. ..... Also on episode 8 with this one. I know we still have months to go before the end of the year and there are still more dramas to come, but, this may just be the top one this year. ..... All Su-ha. ..... All the time. ..... Please.
WAML - 4 more episodes to go with this. ...... Chang-hee, what did you do??! And oh my goodness, I think he holds more secrets than a high-level government agency. ..... Mi-do has now secured herself a place on my "no respect" list, joining Jae-hee. ...... Poor Oppa. Something good will happen to him in the next 4 episodes, right? ..... right?
Lastly, finished watching the Taiwanese drama, What is Love, that I found a couple of weeks ago by accident, while changing tv channels. No English subtitles, so no idea what was said, but I got the gist of the whole thing. It was cute.
That's about it from here. Everyone take care and have a great Friday!
CC/HC: *SPOILERS AHEAD*the ending was okay...i was kinda hoping for a happy ending but we all know that couldn't happen in this show...however i missed the real ending..the shot of him answering the phone. butttt I was a little mad cause i felt like the finale rushed some things...like Congressman Cha's role wasn't explained properly, we didn't get to see Soo's change of mind and how that happened...Jin Sook is the greatest woman to ever live...i mean she just blew me away in the lst episode...they way she dealt with certain things just made me very very VERY happy! Min the Fucktard....ugh the way he died wasnt enough for me....i wanted more suffering, less slowness in his death....but overall a very satisfying series!
Shark: *SPOILERS AHEAD* this show....talk about an unsatisfying ending...i mean the end had me SMH all around town...the last episode...UGH! those r my thoughts...
So now m gonna watch DalJa's Spring and I Hear Your Voice....gonna wait for some episodes of Master's Sun and Two Weeks to come out to decide how good or not good they are...i feel its pointless though cause these days, dramas start out sooo good but then fizzle towards the end..*coughGuFamilyBookcough* but i shal wait....
PS...DAMN u EXO...i was okay with creeping on Kris from afar a little now and then but then u had to release GROWL...which i have to say is one of the stupidest names i have heard for a song...but damn is the song and the video good and now i have discovered some more hotties in the EXO...N now m jamming to that song all day long!!! n rewatching the video multiple times!!! DAMN U EXO!!!
I also felt the ending of CC was rushed. I have 2 majof mehs:
1 - Thighs' story and his father's story really didn't matter in the end. Especially Thighs - his story faded along the way and it didn't much matter in the end
2 - The ending scene at the orphanage made Soo Min the main focus of the drama's finale that she didn't deserve
I cried for Safari, Soo, Jin Sook and Shi hyun. Min was as dirty as they come - death was too good for him.
my beef is the same with yours, and much more. Soo-min doesn't deserve to be in any part of the finale, she was that useless. i couldn't believe she became a cop in the end.
Daddy Ji's turnabout was wtf. he spent all drama being corrupt, but Shi-hyun's 5 mins with him changed that black heart? seriously now...
Soo's reaction to Shi-hyun's dual identity got the horrible short shrift. but i'm glad the best bros reunited in heaven.
0ne is too tired, one just wants to sweep oneself away, erase oneself. Learning real walking again, am cycling indoors. Want so little - but to have all vigour back.
I gave up on GOF - for some reason it seems like a drama aimed at 8-year olds that need to be battered over the head 3x with the same slapstick to get the point. Queens, Woman, and ISYG are at the top of my list for good ones though.
I am hesitant to watch the ending of Shark, now. I am 4 eps behind. I hate to be set up for disappointment, especially riding on the high of IHYV's fabulous wrap up. (Cruel City's ending wasn't too bad, either).
Hey John!
what do you think about woman? I think its amazing I love the chemistry between Riku and the mother, Its so natural.
Also have you seen EP 5 yet? really good :D
Honestly thought I would prefer Starman watched EP 1 straight after Woman EP 1, it was so happy I went back to my dark corner...
Am so going to miss monstar. Really hope that the finale will be consistent as it has been theoughout the series, for me anyway. I realise a lot of dont share that but it really is the first drama that i simulcasted in the last two years that i feel like rewatching again. Cant wait to marathon it proper.
I love monstar too for introducing me to the awesomeness that is junhyung and beast. Ater watching their difficult start and the hard work they put in ( which i guess might the case for ALL idols), i just feel emotionally invested in their well being and success.Its embarrassing to fangirl like this but i cant help it!! :p
Loved the finale of IHYV. I enjoyed the drama very much and it really made me think LJS can act when i didnt before. He really upped his game in this drama.
Looking forward to master's sun coz finally i get to see so ji sub in something! Just hope it wont spook me too much coz am such a scaredy cat.
Also looking to check out two weeks to see why kakashi sooooo loves lee jun ki :)
Thats all. Everyone, have a great weekend!! I know i will :)
sheeeee owl! and squeeeee . i hope they come again to malaysia - they were here 27th june and i went (free ticket) but it was before my obsession EXPLODED!! hehe.
I'm convinced Monstar is like a gateway drug to Kpop and kmusic. I've become a fan of artists I didn't hear of before and i have renewed love for Beast (loved them near their debut but my interest faded). I've been watching all their comeback stages!
I was actually excited when IHYV ended as I've been waiting to marathon it, and I'm loving it so far. I watched five episode in one day. I'd never seen Lee Jong-suk in anything before, and I don't find him very attractive personally, but when he smiles and gets all excited in this drama I understand the appeal. So cute!
I started out this drama with a healthy appreciation for his cuteness, but no attraction to him. Boy did that change in the second half of this drama....
Now I fully get why he was never allowed to actually get a girl in any of his previous dramas - too many dead/slain noonas in his wake if he did!
oh yes, Lee Bo-young and Lee Da-hee were both fabulous as Hye-sung and Do-yeon, and I really, really hope their next roles match up to these, for quality.
It was a fantastic cast, not a single weak link anywhere and people kept blowing me away.
Happy OT fellow beanies! I pulled an all-nighter watching IHYV, Queen's Classroom finale, and reliving some episodes of Nice Guy. Just cuz. HE'S LEAVING. SOONG JONG KI. T-T NO.
But.. that aside, can I just say how AWESOME Last Night was?
IHYV Finale wasn't EPIC or THRILLING but oddly, I still liked it. Could not have asked for more. It had a balance of open-endedness yet also gave us a hopeful resolution for all the characters. It hit all the right spots for me and it came to a satisfactory conclusion. Shall never forget! And that, of course, entails another XXIOE hours of rewatching this drama AGAIN. I just love it SO MUCH. <3333
Queen's Classroom ending was also really great. This drama never fails to turn on my waterworks. Teacher Ma turned out to be even more devoted to her students than I thought. That scene in the classroom after the graduation.... Man I haven't cried this much since QIHM! *sniff* I love how all the kids learned from Teacher Ma and even taught their parents! ha! Just shows they're really growing up and finding out what they want to do.
Queen's Classroom was quite different. It wasn't a romance or action or comedy. It was a drama about school and those are the ones that inspire you the most, darn it. The ending was superb. I love how she ended with the same pose in the poster. xD
Now that my favorite dramas of this year are gone... like.. what is there to do now? Do I... What. No. I can't move on yet. They were too great. Must mourn AT LEAST UNTIL NEXT WEEK WHEN THEY SHOW NEW DRAMAS TO HOOK ME ONTO THE DRAMA-DRUG AGAIN. :D
Hope everyone is doing well. The weather in San Jose, California is slightly chilly this morning but it breathes of soft breezes and bright skies.
To be honest, I usually really really hate kid actors in k-dramas, as they are far too often just used as props for a crying jag. But those kids are the exception - so much so that I was surprised how much I started liking them (and how much I ended up hating the Vice Principle..)
In this case I thought the Korean remake was much better than the Japanese original. I don't usually get emotional about dramas, but I whimpered all the way through the last episode.
Queen's is one of the very few dramas I would like to see a sequel for.
QC was refreshingly different from the other dramas I am watching. I loved Teacher Ma and the children. You're right, it was underrated and should (could) have had a wider appeal.
Haven't posted in a couple weeks, but am now totally squeeing at the IHYV finale, it's been while since we had such a satisfying ending to a drama with all the main characters accounted for and consistent to the very end. Now I just need to find myself a Suha.
Been watching some of the older 1N2D cast vs. crew eps and stumbled across an older ep where they pulled this HUGE prank on the new PD (who is now the PD for Our Neighbourhood Arts - which is also why I dug the old ep. up) - utterly hilarious! My sides were hurting from cringing and laughing at the same time.
Excited for more Joowon-oppa onscreen next week! I do find I'm increasingly more reluctant to catch up with the new 1N2D eps which is a shame...although on the other hand, Real Men is a really interesting look into what happens in the KR Army. I guess that's what I'll watch when I miss SJK and then I can imagine him getting that army bod. XDD
Joy in my heart because of I Hear Your Voice. I was actually thinking about it all night. Just a perfect well-wrought story. I actually cried when Big Bad's redemption arc came. And how fun is it that the righteous judge cannot admit his guilt, but the sinner-murderer can? Soo good. Am glad Lawyer Cha didn't start falling in love withDo Yeon. Little teases might've made us think it could be possible (him chasing her car etc) but one could see it in his eyes -- everytime he talked to her, he could see that she has grown but she is also very judgmental about evil. We need characters like that in the world. She is a true prosecutor. But she isn't right for Lawyer Cha. I totally love the writer of this drama and will watch anything else they write from now on. Even though I hate the tropes of amnesia and birth secret, the writer used them so well. And for a story about telepathy, this story was the most realistic story I've seen in a while. Few k-drama coincidences, no knee-jerk idiot love rival, no "getting the rivals together at the end" silliness. Mature and kind-hearted people all around. I loved this drama so much.
If there is one nit (and I always have to find one nit, nit-picker extraordinaire that I am) I think they should have mentioned fruit-stand ahjummas death a bit more, to bring home the point that revenge also brings collateral damage.
Shark: Ah me! I so do not want to talk about this. So annoyed. I will only say that if someone aims to write a tragedy, they should aim for the happiness of their characters. Then they will write a true tragedy. If not, one ends up with a melodrama that is forced and cynical and feels like the gods are out to destroy the happiness of humans for no real reason. The writer thought she was portraying something she wasn't, and she wasn't seeing the story the way the audience was seeing it. And she wanted Yi Soo to die at the end so she just kinda killed him. Cause that's all tragic and all. Heck, I still can't tell the difference between Chairman Jo's intended revenge and Yi Soo's intended revenge.
Who are you?: Everything is so forced in this drama. But I'll continue to watch. I like a good love story.
J-Dramas: Watched All Esper Dayo. Fun, risque but so good if one doesn't mind the hechi-ness. I forgot how much I like Japanese silliness.
Might try to catch up on Validation Inspectress
Movies:
Tone Deaf Clinic (with Yoon Sang Hyun, who has become such a crush.) Fun rom-com and one that had me actually confronting the "She loved him first so he belongs to her" mentality in myself. Who knew? I had to keep reminding myself that the heroine had no relationship with the guy she had a crush on and thus I should not be so mad at her rival.
Key of Life with Masato Sakai, who just kinda reminds me of a Japanese Joseph Gordon Leavitt because he does these quirky little movies. He has a certain I-dunno-- there's something about him and I love everything he does. A good little romantic movie about a guy who became an identity thief and ended up in the yakuza. Very Japanese dead-pan humor.
@Carole - It might sound funny, but Hye-sung/So-yeon is actually my second favourite relationship - a very close second - to Hye-sung and Su-ha.
That relationship's played such a huge role in both their lives that in a way, they are the #1 influence on each other's paths and choices, second only to Best Mom In The World - I was really glad to see two female leads with a genuine relationship to each other, instead of being tangentially connected via men, and I'm also glad that both were allowed to have flaws and develop. (my heart actually melted when Do-yeon got all furious and huffy and wanted to lock Min Joon-gook away for hurting Hye-sung - I mean, she SAYS it's for justice, but her indignation on Do-yeon's behalf speaks volumes).
So true! I had visions of the leads all hanging out together forever. It's a real "hang out" kind of drama, where you want to hang out with the characters and you imagine them hanging out with each other in true friendship forever, no matter who married who. BFF!
oops, sorry, I meant Do-yeon's indignation on HYE-SUNG'S behalf! Though I also include Hye-sung's taking up cudgels for Do-yeon over the paternity testing/Hwang Dal-joong trial.
My ratings and opinions on Year to Date dramas etc., NOT listed in any particular order. Some are still running, some have recently finished:
(1) Queen of the Classroom - 5*. Much better than I expected and one of the very few that I would like to see a sequel (or preguel?) on. Many dramas only focus on a couple of the main characters, but this is a big exception - I got the feeling that almost everyone had far more depth than the usual drama.
(2) I Hear Your Voice - 5*. I won't go into details here, as this one has been discussed a LOT here, my only nitpick was that I think the extension kind of messed up the last four episodes.
(3) Woman - 4*. Japanese once a week drama. Good story on the problems of a single mother. Not your usual rags to riches story. Goes beyond the far too common paper-doll character portrayal and makes me feel like she is a real person.
(4) Shark - 3*. This one started out good for me, but about halfway through got pretty much "meh". Too many WTF moments and dangling issues.
(5) Limit - 3*. Japanese once a week drama. Giving this one 3 stars for now. Seems like a good plot line, but the last episode seemed to start getting a little bit off the deep end. Kind of a Lord of the Flies plot line.
(6) I Summon You Gold - 4*. One of the very few weekend dramas I will give more than 2 stars for. Although it has some of the common makjang moments, the characters seem a lot more real than most other longer series.
(7) Your The Best LSS - 1*. There are not many shows that I end up totally detesting, but this is one of them. Been discussed here a lot so won't go into depth.
(8) Heartless City - 1.5**. Not sure why I list this one, since I gave up on it about halfway, but there it is.
(9) Who Are You - 4*. Might be too early to rate this, with only 2 episodes watched, but so far a lot better than I expected.
(10) Love Around & Just You - 2*. Two Taiwan dramas that I watch occasionally if nothing else is on, but both a little bit on the really silly side for me. I probably won't finish them.
(11) Scandal - 4.5*. I was a bit surprised that I got hooked on this one, given the description. A lot of the usual "birth secret" stuff, but portrayed much better than usual.
A couple others on my radar, but some I am saving up til I can marathon at least 3-4 episodes.
Had my english exam last night. It was pretty terrible, and I'm rather apprehensive that I won't get the mark I want.
Otherwise, feeling melancholic now that IHYV is done. It's like ending a good book and then realizing the book's over so you can no longer submerge yourself in that world. But your life is still going on. Makes it a bit depressing. Dramas with bad finales don't tend to have that effect but the ones with good finales (and good stories throughout) always do (i.e. QIHM/SUFBB/DH1).
I dropped Monstar (episode 11), Heartless City (episode 19), Just You (episode 6). Combination of boredom and finale-phobia (as girlfriday puts it). No clue what to watch now; I have no desire to watch any of the new ones (most likely because of the IHYV withdrawal).
The only thing I started is a japanese drama called LIMIT. It's a psychological thriller, and its plot is reminiscent of LOTF. So far, it's interesting but it's kinda amazing how much I dislike most of the characters. But that's probably the reason why it is interesting...
Lastly, RM. I got into kpop before any other k-ent and my fav group was always 2NE1 so seeing them on RM (my fav variety) was really satisfying. Minzy is my bias and she shined so much in this episode! :)
I have some of the same issues as you do with "Limit". I think the plot has a pretty good premise, but the last couple of episodes seemed to be really stretching credibility, especially the parts where everyone is trying to cover up the fact that a whole busload of students has disappeared.
Watched Heartless City finale today. Already doubling over with withdrawal knife stabs. I wish some things had been better executed in the last two eps but overall I loved this show a lot. The first 8 episodes were damn near perfect. Also, Min is a douchehound.
hi, peeps! since at work - short. havent watched IHYVfinal yet, sans computer till tuesday. gonna read tonight at moms´. question today: do you dress in kdrama style and where do you get the outfits? I don´t do it deliberately, but I have drawn and sewn some skirts and sweaters with a slight influence from dramas. and pick "cuter" fabrics...
I don't think there's really a single 'kdrama style' for outfits, it depends on the drama. But I did dress like Go Dok-mi from Flower Boy Next Door for years, and even now I do it when winter comes along. It's not hard, just buying a lot of oversized sweaters and skirts and layers :)
And now that I'm working, I find that a lot of the kdrama professional women's outfits are a good template for office clothes because they're stylish and not inappropriate for the jobs they do - I loved the way Secretary Hyun dressed in Nice Guy, or In-jae in School 2013. Or Hye-sung and Do-yeon in IHYV, they dress really well.
when i see feathers and birds from garden accessories, i think 'how will this look on my head?' just kidding but i do seem attracted to hairbands and large flowers in the hair much more than before.
its not good to try to look too cute when you are passed a certain age but kdramas have made me not care too much :p
Gong min young's tops and skirts were so cute. I liked the flow-y fabric tops and thin sweaters she wore. I have to say I was in awe of Jin sook's yellow dress, too.
Ear rings that Sung-Bin wore in her last scene took me totaly out of the drama because I fell in love with them and wanted desperately to wear them. Perfect for my short 100 F (38 C) degree hair cut.
Talking about PPL (product placement), all those hands and no watches or bracelet other than one cheap looking one on SH. Was that an inside joke?
After seeing some posts re. Lettuce Couple on WGM on OT a week or so ago, decided to check it out and now am obsessed re Kim Hyun Joong. Have watched his old WGM episodes and am almost done with Playful Kiss. Maybe KHJ can't act but he's super cute ;)
KHJ looks different now. Is it just 'cos he's older and has lost his 'flower boy' haircut? Kind of prefer the boyish KHJ of old although he's still hot now, just in a more manly fashion. Haven't watched Barefoot Friends yet but has he retained his 4D persona? Loved KHJ on WGM - he & Hwang Bo were really entertaining. Best episodes - when he sang Falling Slowly on the farm for HB while strumming his guitar and his video letter to HB's future spouse on Mt Halla.
So true about KHJ looking differently. The long (blondish) hair and the doensang face was innocent. His videos have a machismo manliness that i have to get used to.
@KJH in Barefoot Friends and his BOF 4D persona - it is comparing his character's personality with his real personality. In BOF his character is 4D, but in Barefoot Friends we see KJH's real personality. I really think he is awkward with himself, even though fans adore him. He's rather self centered (*duck) but also unsure and sometimes even slightly boring (*duck again). Perhaps those are his 4D qualities in real life.
KHJ- regarding his appearance. He has matured but he has also had more cosmetic surgery, specifically he changed his nose.
I love Barefoot Friends.
Barefoot Friends-He comes off as very self involved and not really paying attention sometimes to what others say. He sometimes offers ideas someone else has offered, or asked a weird question lol. He definitely does not come off as the sharpest tool in the shed. He said he had no books in his home, and he said he does not read. He is absolutely aware of his image, but he's not afraid to try and fail. All that said, he does not come off as stupid, or overly arrogant-do not mistake this comment that he appears humble-he knows people think he's pretty, or unkind, and is a team player, and pretty much does whatever needs to be done and whatever he is told to do.
But again, who really knows, we see what they want us to see on screen. I find his public persona likable enough.
I thought it was hysterical when he gave Yoon Si Yoon on advice on how to attract Uee's attention-basically be bossy because girls like that, ha.
Yoon Si Yoon kind of reeled me in (further, because I was already on the hook) on Barefoot Friends. Yoon Si Yoon comes across as kind of sweet, caring, and almost innocent, but book smart. Well, except for math haha. I can relate.
Totally love BF. Actually, I started watching it for KHJ and YSY. The advice bit on how to attract Uee WAS hilarious. Especially because it seems to me that KHJ really does like Uee in these last couple of episodes, doesn't it?
The diving competition was so heartwarming. I cried several times. YSY is such a gentleman who deserves the best. His mom and grandma are dolls, too~ I also love Eunhyuk a ton. Sardine of the sea. Really, the whole team has solidified and cheer each other on in such a genuine way.
But back to KHJ - he is likeable, I like him, but I really did love his character in BoF to the tune of a major 2nd lead crush over LMH. I have seen him on two past Strong Heart episodes, and it seems that back then there was a distance in the relationship with his parents who did not agree with his career decision. He commented that he just left home one day. Stuff like this really does mold and shape one's personality. and I wonder if it is something he is still working through.
Enough psychological evaluation. KHJ is a steaming hot hunk, however the dice is tossed. He is every bit a part of making BF a fun show to watch as the others. I will be sad to see the show end.
I'm going to feel like a crazy fangirl with this comment but..
I heard that Kim Hyun Joong changed his nose because it got broken. This happened with my brother when we were teens. He got his nose broken so badly that he had to have surgery just so that he could breath.
@owl, I love Eunhyuk too. It is sometimes difficult to remember this is the same guy that can dance like a stripper. Not that he should stop doing that. Ever. ;)
I actually just love everyone on BFF, I really enjoy watching the show.
@Mar--I love KHJ. I do think he is a little self-centered, but he's a bachelor. What bachelor, who lives on his own, doesn't care about himself first? He supports himself (and maybe helps out his parents, although I'm not sure since Owl said the relationship is strained) so of course he is that way. I find nothing wrong with that. I adore him. He's super cool and he does care for his friends. Boys Over Flowers, was my first Korean drama, so I have a soft spot for both him and Lee Min-ho. I want KHJ's acting to improve so he can do well and not be criticized. And even I criticize him. But I want him to be the best he can be.
I also thought when he gave advice to YSY that it was hilarious. I just loved it. Although it was totally wrong. Not ever girl likes to be bossed around. I don't. So he and I would not work well together. Another dream crushed.
@owl--I also think KHJ likes Uee a lot. Who doesn't like her? But I like her interactions, few as they are it seems, with YSY. He's adorable.
What you said about KHJ's family makes since, and would go a long way in explaining his personality. He's very strong, witty, and knows how to laugh at himself, but he does seem very quiet and withdrawn at times. It makes me sad for him, because I'm more or less the same way, although I have a great relationship with my parents.
Anyway, I do wish him the best. I couldn't imagine BF without him. A couple people have left for various reasons, but I hope KHJ stays. He's sexy and cool, and just seems like a really decent guy. I hope he improves in his acting and returns to dramaland soon. :)
I came to the conclusion this week that Kim Hyun Joong is solely responsible for getting me into KDramas.
When it comes to KHJ, I am completely enamored. I am watching "We Got Married" and loving every 4th dimensional moment.
Boys Over Flowers was my first drama, and KHJ was my first Korean crush.
Just this week, I finally got why some fans will declare "He's Mine" and "He's my Hubbie". Never went gaga over any particular actor or singer until I found KDramas.
I can't believe that ALL the dramas I'm into are ending/have ended this week - I Hear Your Voice, Cruel City AND Monstar! They ended a long drought of disappointing dramas for me, and I'll be sorry to say goodbye to them (Monstar isn't up with subs yet).
I Hear Your Voice - I'm not going to comment on the content of the finale, or anything besides the fact that Lee Jong-seok is now Puppy #1 for me (move over, Seung-gi!).
And at the end of this show, I'm so happy to have discovered such a fantastic cast and such well-written characters and relationships, from the noona-romance that made this noona-romance anti into a squeeing fangirling shipper, to the heroine who actually gets that rarity in kdramas - character development for a woman!- ditto Do-yeon, with whom the writer avoided the cliche of having the second lead girl be all about the romance and made the relationship between her and Hye-sung all about the rivalry between two girls instead, to Kwan-woo, who neatly sidestepped all the 'too-perfect/too-awful' second lead male tropes by just being a decent person once he realised Hye-sung's heart wasn't his, to Sung-bin (who has a crush on Su-ha but - refreshing departure - doesn't act like a psycho to the girl he does like!). I know it's going to do great things for Lee Bo-young, but I hope that extends to the entire cast, especially Lee Da-hee, who was great as Do-yeon.
Sure, the courtroom scenes were draggy but there should be NO doubt, this is possibly the best of 2013 for me - and for a lot of us on here, I think. Which is astounding, for a show that began with no buzz (no one knew anything about it, everyone went 'meh' at the posters and early promo, and it premiered to single-digit ratings)......it's certainly 2013's greatest dark horse.
And if Lee Jong-seok was a rising star before, after playing Su-ha I'm pretty sure we can consider his star well and truly risen.
I plan to start IHYV this week. All the good reviews are filling me with delicious anticipation. And now your post about the women on this show has me even more excited!
The heroine kicks everyone's butt. She has got to be my most favorite female lead ever.
She's flawed, but that's what I love so much about her. She's not some cookie cutter- doormat heroine that too many dramas have. Her evolution as a character is so satisfying.
Yeah, the women on this show are all fantastic characters, and I don't necessarily mean they'd be perfect people irl (that's just Mary-Sue territory) but that they're well-written and I really, REALLY appreciate their various character trajectories and connections to each other.
And if you're starting IHYV this week, I fully expect puppy Su-ha to trot away with your heart in his paws very soon. Come back to OT when that happens :)
"I fully expect puppy Su-ha to trot away with your heart in his paws very soon."
Awwwww at the image. :) Please be careful with that heart and don't break it.
@pogo: I think Lee Jong Suk already did that in School 2013. As long as there is making out (no, don't tell me yet) and oodles of cuteness I'll be here squeeing! ;)
lol yeah, he and Kim Woo-bin did it to me in School 2013 but I feel like I was too bowled over by their collective cuteness to appreciate each of them individually - it took Vampire Idol and now IHYV to do that.
This week means saying goodbye to 3 dramas which I will dearly miss!
1. IHYV: After ep 17 I wasn't sure if they could pull off a satisfying final episode because the biggest conflict was resolved but man did that last episode rock my world =)
2. Queen's classroom: Teacher Ma's methods were very questionable and often wrong but in the end the growth of the children is what gets to me! The last episode was awesome and I cried and cried and cried. There were so many beautiful moments and it's really sad to say goodbye to the kids! The cast was amazing and I am hopping to see some of the faces again some time soon :)
3. Monstar: well the last episode isn't out yet but I will also miss it really much. The show has so much heart and the music...SO GOOD he is really good!
WGM: Still enjoying it :)
I managed to watch 2 movies as well (holidays are such a great thing^^) and was not disappointed:
Psychometry/The Gifted Hands - Creepy and yet with some really funny scenes (Kim Kang Woo rocks^^). I really loved it!
New World - GREAT MOVIE! Lee Jung Jae, Choi Min Sik, Hwang Jung Min... Do I need to say more?
-Pretty the Paralegal- so blonde!
-Kim Gae- Eun – liked her spunk and her nails! Her reaction to Su ha’s ‘dumping her’ was real, she tried to cover it so hard and I felt for her.
-Mother – her voice of kindness and strength spoke to her daughter (Lawyer Jang) at every turn. The mark of motherhood fulfilled to it highest calling.
-Prosecutor Seo – gold tried by fire. Love her inner resolve.
-Father Seo – narcissist, prideful to his own sad demise.
-Shin San Duk – earn his trust and he’s loyal for life
-Judge Kim- comic relief but with a heart for justice
-MJK – it’s not what you face in life, but how you respond to those circumstances. Grade: Fail.
-Lawyer Oska – the most difficult character to describe and the one that did not click with me; I didn’t come around to how he ended up defending MJK again. However, I did appreciate his push MJK to see himself as he really was. Even so, his character worked in the mix.
-Lawyer Jang – vulnerable, tough, rash, thoughtful, a loveable lead female who was refreshing to watch.
-Su ha – I am head over heels for him. Don’t ever be lonely again, Su ha. Be happy. LJS is going to be a big, big actor. I predict he’ll win best up and coming actor this year for the role of Su ha.
Bring on the next feel good drama~
Oh, I watched the first 2 Who Are You with a roomful of people for the first time. 3 of them were first timers for kdrama. My sister-in-law ordered sushi, miso soup, and dumplings to help set the mood. It was a blast. The drama was okay, but the experience was super fun! I think at least 1 of them will convert, which makes 3 converts for me :)
With so many Korean Dramas ending recently (Shark, Heartless City, I Hear Your Voice), I want to cut back on the number of live dramas holding my heart hostage. So far the only new one I've seen is Who Are You, and I'm not committed yet.
Sometimes I like the adventure of going into the unknown to explore. I'm doing this with Thousand Years of Love.
I had the miracle experience of asking DramaFever for them to add a drama, and they actually did, so I'll be watching Love Now with Annie Chen and George Hu. Whirlwind romance in first 2 episodes is epic. Two people in a shower together!
I also dared to ask Viki for Inborn Pair, although my favorite 15 year old subbers are still chipping away at this 84 episode series. Viki said to expect Inborn Pair at the end of August. That is a relief, since I am now a die-hard fan of Inborn Pair and feared the worst. I love the 15 year olds dearly, but some of their translations have me scratching my head.
Double Tone, the story about 2 women 2 years apart dreaming of each other's lives, gets a thumbs down from me.
Starman, a story about a mother who takes in an alien, is thumbs up. While not like the 1984 Starman movie, something of the spirit seems to exist in it, I really like the innocent sort of love from the alien who accepts being told he is husband and father to three adorable kids.
I've watched up to episode 5 of Double Tone (just one more episode to go). It is sort of bland. Dull. There is a mysterious stranger who is threatening (maybe) and a deadline and yet somehow it all makes me yawn. The twisty nature of the set up keeps me from connecting emotionally to hubbie's love.
Nothing is actually bad, it just somehow doesn't come together to make good drama.
Love Now is 72 episodes, which would normally scare me, but I have watched 16 episodes so far and they go down sweet as a box of chocolates. The sister who wrote the book on romance looks like her own romantic escapades might not hold my attention. However, I'm sold on all the rest of the characters and still eager. I'll bathe in rom/coms until my fingers get wrinkly.
I enjoyed Love Now for focusing on different stages of their relationship. George Hu and Annie Chen have great chemistry together. Episodes #4 and #35 are a special treat.
Well into Thousand Years of Love and I give it a thumbs up. Practically a fight in every episode ... the sort of funny gangster fights where everyone gets a bloody lip and looks sheepish afterwards. Every man falls in love with the Princess. Princess always ready to throw a punch, real firecracker.
Imagine Lee Sun Gyun (Coffee Prince) spending all his time sewing sequins ... that alone is enough to make me laugh.
I Hear Your Voice: I had finale phobia like Girlfriday (and many of you). Was worried that the finale would either drag (since the main conflict was resolved) or would cook up some manufactured angst.
Needless to say, I have never been more satisfied with a finale like I Hear Your Voice. It managed to wrap up all the characters and its story-lines so perfectly. I love that we got to ENJOY a whole episode of bliss and happiness (that still had that emotion content and punch due to the conflict) as opposed to the typical dramas that have maybe 5 min. at the end or something. lol.
Did anyone watch kang dong-won's drama "Magic" (2004 SBS) ? I'm now at ep 6 and i like it !! even if i love to hate KDW's character !! really miss him in movies/dramas...
btw i watched the 10mn highlight video of Good doctor and it looks good !! can't wait to monday !!
Yay another Kang Dong Won fan here! He's been really selective about his projects once he became famous and now we're quite likely to only catch him in movies.
I haven't gotten the chance to watch his TV shows since they're rather dated and therefore not very accessible. But I've enjoyed his movies, Psychic and Secret Reunion. Planning to watch other movies of his like Jeonwoochi.
Still on a I Hear Your Voice high... So awesome from start to finish.
Never thought that I would be so obsessed with this drama and would ship Park Soo Ha and Jang Hye Sung so hard... And that's coming from anti noona romance fan.
I will be open minded with Noona Romance from now on.
Started an oldie Hello My Teacher and i'm loving it so far.
Hello My Teacher - the one with Gong Yoo and Gong Hyo Jin, right? I never was able to finish that one. That teacher she was in love with got on my nerves too much. I don't remember why, though...
I am not anywhere near Texas, but I did see adorable, loveable, sweet Lee Hyun Woo on Hwasin and he talked about it a little. I wonder, is it too soon to find it online? Did you see it with English subs?
Yes, it was with English subs. It was gripping. There were a few times when I completely forgot that I was watching a movie because I was so involved in the story.
My summer sageuk experiment has been going with mixed results...I'm still dragging my heals with Hong Gil Dong and Arang and the Magistrate, though I'm pleased Tamra the Island is picking up again. However, Queen Seon-deok is still going strong 26 episodes in. The writers crafted some really rich, beautiful dialogue in this one. I can't remember the last drama I saw with dialogue this good.
I agree - there's some lovely writing in Queen Seondeok. My husband and I had a blast watching it last spring. It's a bit uneven, but when it works, it really works.
I find that when a drama is strong overall, I'm less bogged down by its flaws. QSD does, as you say, have some unevenness here and there, but I am still really enjoying it. I'm so used to sageuks kind of plodding along that this one really took me by surprise. PLUS! Such a great portrayal of different types of relationships between women (especially mother-daughter and sister relationships). Some sageuks barely have enough female characters who interact with each other for that kind of development to be even possible!
How I look forward to your QSD comments each week. I just knew you'd be hooked with this one! It's just so unlike the others, I think. It's one of the few ones where, even with the large cast, they managed to give most of them full stories/backstories. Just wonderful.
Ha! Thank you korfan! You were right, QSD got me hook line and sinker. After all those dramas where it feels like the main cast consists of only four people, having a large cast like this feels very refreshing. Definitely characters I have strong opinions on, one way or the other. :)
I started Shark on Tuesday because I was slightly unwell (and thus took a day's break from my dissertation) and things just went downhill from there. I'm already on episode 17!
*spoilers*
I really like Haewoo even though everytime she sways towards Yi-soo I'm screaming "You are married!" at my laptop. I do feel the sizzling chemistry though, and it's like I'm objecting more on the grounds of her having a ring on the finger while she's being irresistibly drawn towards him.
Because at this point in the drama, I feel like every minute that is devoted to the husband is one minute wasted in unraveling the mystery. He's a good guy, I get it, but he's so out of the loop that even his discoveries of her unusual relationship with Yi-soo is rather ill-timed.
I'm trying to keep away from any spoilers to the last 4 episodes at the moment but I honestly don't see a happy ending for Yi-soo. Kim Nam-gil seems to have a penchant for characters who are tragic anti-heroes. I just hope the ending is realistic and not like how Nice Guy ended up. What a waste of Joongki and Moon Chae Won!
*end spoilers*
In k-variety, I'm really in love with the kids in Dad, Where are We Going. And Shinhwa Broadcast is my go-to show when I just need to stop thinking and be entertained. Those guys are hilarious!
I kind of just started Shark also. Well, actually just finished ep 8 and already I know this won't end well. But you know, I think I was already resigned to this, given that this is a re-telling of the Orpheus story.
I understand the conundrum regarding the fact that she's married. Perhaps, in designing his revenge plan, Yi-soo always contemplated the possibility that he may not make it out alive. But it turns out, he can't get his emotions completely out of the equation, as he would have liked. So in his mind, he does the next best thing, encounters with Hae-woo for brief moments of "what might have been".
IHYV: feeling the void that's left behind. Very happy with the ending. I am now fans of the writer, Lee Bo Young, Lee Jong Suk and Lee Da Hee. Ha, just realized they're all of the "Lee" clan.
I do love all the other characters such as Lawyer Cha, Lawyer Shin, Pretty Paralegal, but the above were the true stars for me.
One small thing that bugged me in this drama: the diary. Soo-Ha supposedly wrote in the diary for 11+ years, and yet only a quarter of the book is filled? That's what I think about every time I see the diary pop up.
Heartless City: Didn't feel satisfied with how it ended. I didn't quite get the motive of Dir. Min - why did he send Doc's son to capture Pusan if he's working with Pusan? I felt like Doc's son's efforts were all for naught.
However, I am in love with Jung Kyung Ho in his suits. Will miss Jin-Sook's many beautiful outfits, there were so many pieces that I want in my wardrobe! Does anyone else thing that Thighs resembles Kim Jong Kook from Running Man? Every time he comes on-screen, I'm like "Kookie!"
Grandpas over Flowers: Can they BE any cuter? Really feel bad for Seo-Jin but now I adore his real life persona. He's so nice!
I live in Cheongdam dong: Can only watch 14 episodes of this as these are the only ones translated. It's a funny and heartwarming show, but I feel so discombobulated seeing Safari ahjusshi here as the rough looking doctor.
Gekiryuu: Fuyuha creeps me out with her flute. Intriguing series, but I really hope there's a good reason behind all that's happening.
Also watching Jikou Keisatsu and God's Quiz based on some beanies' recommendations. Thankfully I'm not addicted to them but they're good to pass the time.
Going to have spicy Szechuan food tonight and going to the Arcadia Taiwanese night market tomorrow. Mmmm.... salivating at the thought of all the delicious food that I'm gonna have!
"One small thing that bugged me in this drama: the diary. Soo-Ha supposedly wrote in the diary for 11+ years, and yet only a quarter of the book is filled? That’s what I think about every time I see the diary pop up."
Anyone picked up on Saito San 2 yet? Wonder how it is, or if I should even bother.
I tried watching Saito San (1), but after about 4 episodes I just got burned out on trying to get excited about kindergarten problems and mother politics.
I tried the T drama Just You, wow, bad acting, cute guy.
Tried Who Are You-maybe a couple more episodes and then I will probably put it in the maybe bin.
IHYV was a satisfying run. Will go into my top dramas pile as will the lead characters.
Have to gear myself up as I go back to university in a few weeks. My drama bandwidth will hit bottom then, just as some new stuff kicks into gear. Boo.
All the dramas I have been watching finish up this week which means i can take a break and actually enjoy going out for some summer weather.
ICHYV - It was amazing. Thats all I can say.
Cruel City- what was up with the ending? Doctor's son is still alive??? Why did such a good drama have to end on such a weird note?
Monstar - One episode to go. I hope there are more great songs to enjoy and i hope they can wrap up the story nicely.
I also went on my day off to go see Secretly Greatly. I thought it was a good movie. The three male leads were great and it thought the story was good. I had fun enjoying watching a k movie without the crazyness of downloading. My only issue withe the whole movie was the spelling errors in the subtitles. Do you know how confusing for someone trying to understand the story without knowing korean?
For me, the ending was perfect. It was the only way for Shi-Hyun to get a "happy ending". He came too far as Paksa Adeul and killed too many people to be recognized as a cop again. It would have been even worse for him to give up being a cop and remain as a drug lord. The only way for him to escape everything was for him to die and get a new identity like the end shot suggests. I think the 'open ending' was the best result. If the drama got wrapped up too nice and tight, it would just be like any mainstream show.
I also think that all the characters were accounted for... the bad guys all got what they deserved. The best and most touching part was when Hyung Min's dad turned himself in, which is the first time I've seen happen in a kdrama. The only way for all the high ranked baddies to be caught is if one of their own confesses or else they'll always use loopholes to get away. It's great that the dad made such a sacrifice for his son and is a good lesson from the drama.
As for the romance between Shi Hyun and Soo Min, it was concluded very well. This drama is first and foremost a crime noir not a romance. Like many crime noirs, the romance is always intense passionate, but brief. Their love was sudden and the end was the same, however, the passion that they experienced will be with them forever. The scene where Soo Min repeats all of Shi Hyun's names just like from the earlier episode really hit me in the heart, and the background song was perfect. <3
In conclusion, this is my favorite kdrama of all time!! Jung Kyung Ho and Kim Yoo Mi deserve Oscars for this! I hope to see more of them in the future!!
Okay, time for serious question. Super serious. Most serious of all the questions.
What's with all the yelling in Korean dramas?
It's something that bothers me about them. I don't notice so much yelling in most things I watch (some anime, but they tend to exaggerate certain aspects to prove a point, show an example, or demonstrate a theme) other than K-dramas.
It was something that made it so hard to watch and like My lovely Sam Soon since she was yelling all the time. When I was in Korea, I didn't notice much yelling, so I was like, "do Koreans really yell as much in real-life as in the dramas?"
Don't get your information on how Koreans act from K-dramas :)
While some come pretty close to depicting day to day real life, many others are just like dramas from any country - often showing the outer limits of actual human behavior.
That said, there are quite a few things that just plain annoy me about Korean dramas, mainly all the little clichés. Such things as clenched fists, running for miles, wrist grabbing, passing each other 11 times without seeing each other, endlessly talking out loud to yourself in public, and a few other things.
Not sure why so many of these have crept into so many k-dramas, as you almost never see them in other countries, nor in real life. Some is probably just lazy writers and directors, but that does not explain it all.
Other countries' shows have their own little foibles - but they are not as endemic or common as the ones in k-dramas.
This is something that native Korean speakers and/or linguists may be able to comment on much better than I can, but I think that some of what may come across to the ears of English speakers as "yelling" in Korean may be interpreted differently to Koreans... the Korean language seems to often sound rather harsh to the ears of English speakers, and that may make rather benign conversations sound fairly antagonistic to people whose native language isn't Korean.
Yes, to Korean ears it's passionate and emotively forward, which is why when someone grows up in the US and comes to Korea in a Korean drama they have problems with expressing their heart or even literally heart problems. kekeke. All foreigners to a Korean mind have cold hearts that need opening up. (And they don't know how thankful they should be.)
I covered that bit a while back in an earlier Open thread about Korean communication and socialization.
Sometimes people will fake yell at each other to joke around, to show how passionate they are, how much they are upset. The closer you are the more physical contact and loudness there is. Korean (and I heard Chinese) tend to like physical contact and raising voices and pitch with emotion.
You, on the other hand are like the Artic with your foreign ways of speaking softly and not being honest in the correct way. Your heart needs warming up and it's broken. Clearly since you can't express your emotions at all. And if you're East Asian... well... clearly you're Japanese. (I am joking here...)
This is along the same line of people saying the Yamamomo are naked... and they think Westerners wearing jeans and pants in a hot jungle have only one reason for liking it: They like to smell their own farts.
oh my gosh!!!! Sorry to jump in this discussion but wow!!! You like the Yanomamo as well? Read an anthropological book way way way back in the day about them. The Fierce people. That book affected me soo much. I remember an African tribe commenting on the British trouser habit as the people who trap their farts.
I'll add (re: the yelling) that Jamaicans are shouters par excellence. Shouting in joy, shouting in anger, shouting in sorrow. I don't know what happened to me though. Even before I came to the US I was very silent. I suspect in loud countries there are folks who are beaten down and repressed by the more expressive types.
It's interesting, as an English speaker, I've never really thought there was a lot of yelling in Kdramas.
As with anything else from our wonderful planet, many things are vehicles for other things, to set moods, to send messages, to convey feelings. Language is one such thing. Food's another.
A character in a Kdrama may sound like he/she is yelling but he/she may be making a passionate plea, an emotional confession, expressing a heartfelt apology, or conveying concern. This is the power of language and the richness of a culture in action. So, so awesome!
I always thought that food and language are passports to a culture. They allow you to sample and visit a country for a while without actually being there. The history of language and food tells a lot about the history of the country itself--who ruled, who currently rules, and depending on where you hear it, the history of the region itself.
So, so true! I've always thought this about food and language also. They definitely tell a story or many stories. I think many people, unfortunately, underestimate the power of food and language or simply don't have an appreciation for it.
Since I returned to the US from teaching English in Korea I've spent months in this state of sort of suspended animation, not sure whether I wanted to return to Korea, or try to find a teaching job in another country, or whether I wanted to commit to staying in the US.
Well, I guess I've finally decided I'm going to stay in the US (for now), and it looks like I'm going to move back to NYC. I think I had kind of forgotten, though, what a pain in the ass it is to go through the whole job application process here...
Don't overlook opportunities to sell what you know in your own business.
Example: skills - knowledge of Korea, dramas, Korean language
sell - Korean Drama seminar, one-on-one tutoring, tour guide for KDrama fans to Korea, Korean tour guide in NYC
Even if it only brings in some extra cash while you are sorting out a more permanent position, you'll gain experience and your next employers will be impressed with your drive. You don't want to go into a job interview and not have an answer for what you've been doing the last 6 months unemployed.
Thanks for the advice -- I hadn't thought about trying to use knowledge of Korea or K-dramas!
I actually haven't been unemployed in the time that I've been in the US... I have an ongoing part-time job editing medical/scientific papers for Yonsei University, and I also had a random short-term job for a few months. My problem isn't really lack of qualifications (I have a BA and an advanced degree from two top US universities) -- my problem is that I'm a dilettante who has always had terrible difficulty finding something and sticking to it.
You've already been brave enough to teach English in Korea. Be proud of yourself and go find something that matches your unique skills. Being over qualified and picky can be a barrier to finding a job. You may not know you'll like something until you try it. You learn something new from each experience, so keep an open mind.
Best of luck.
btw, my favorite job of all time didn't pay well, but matched my interests and I got to meet and work with lots of great people. (Working at a lodge on the AT) Hope you find something that makes you say "I LOVE my job."
You know, I've spent months thinking about what's my dream job, what do I really want to do... and then I recently took a road trip through the western US... just driving around for a few weeks, driving and thinking, and I arrived at the conclusion that I might as well just find a job -- any job -- and create the rest of my life outside of that.
I am also job hunting. My biggest problem is that I have to cut off all dramas to make sure I am being proactive on finding a job. I hope you can find something that will let you use your teaching and korean to find something.
I'm in a particularly strange situation though. All, and I mean all, of my references have passed away. I don't know of anyone in this particular situation. Everyone I had as a professional reference has died of either illnesses, bad surgeries, accidents.
No idea what to do when you're asked to list your references on the job apps. I mean, I can't make people up and you really can't list your best friends on the forms. Any ideas anyone??
I was wondering if you could help me out with something... I've been trying to get my family interested in k-drama.. and asian visual entertainment in general, so the past few weeks we've been watching movies and series in the weekends.
They liked TEN.
They loved Oldboy.
They really really loved Going by the book (Amazing movie, really funny).
And I think they would like to watch more funny movies, however, I'm not really a connoisseur of all things kdrama, and so I've come to ask for your help.
What movie do you think would they like to see next? (With spanish subs xD, those are a bit difficult to come by)
Werewolf Boy (Horror/Romance)
Confession of Murder (Action)
Please Teach Me English (Comedy)
A Tale of Legendary Libido (Risqué humor)
My P S Partner (Risqué humor/Romance)
Man from Nowhere (Action)
Girlscouts (Comedy/action)
I LOVE Doing by the Book, it's just so dry and funny. Nothing else like it.
Dramas- If they liked Ten there is Ten 2 and maybe Vampire Prosecutor 1 and 2? And Sign.
Movies-
Sunny is good, more of a chic flick tho.
Heavens Postman is just lovely. It is slow and pretty so it may not be for everyone.
I Saw the Devil if you can stand intense and REALLY squicky violence. That said, maybe not a good recommendation- two of my friends watched it with me and will never watch another Korean movie lol. It was pretty wicked.
Perfect Couple-Lee Dong Wook is smoking hot and it is a fun little rom com.
I'm A Cyborg But That's Okay-totally off the wall.
Arahan is kind of fun.
I second Julia's picks of
The Man From No Where- is awesome
Girl Scouts is a hoot
My P.S. Partner, really fun.
Werewolf Boy-bittersweet
Please Teach Me English It's a Movie, Romantic Comedy, Sweet and funny. It's light on Korean culture and I think something that people around the world could sympathize with. It's a good beginner movie.
Thanks to Strawberry and Abbie for recommending Puberty Medley/Adolescence Medley. It's so sweet and so cute. I would never have heard of it if you guys hadn't mentioned it.
Hi, this is the first Open Thread I've commented on, I think. I just thought I'd give it a shot and see how I like it.
I'm currently watching Heartless City (Cruel City) so please no spoilers. I've seen up to episode 16, and I'm loving it. I love Shi-hyun so much, I don't want him to die. Again, please don't put spoilers!
I've run behind on several dramas, namely Dating Agency Cyrano, Sword and Flower and I Hear Your Voice. I plan to catch up on them soon.
I'm still enjoying Grandpas Over Flowers and Running Man and Barefoot Friends.
Now, on Youtube KBS posts on their channel, KBS World, some of their variety shows and drama specials. I'm currently watching a drama special that Dramabeans mentioned in passing called Adolescent Medley (it's called Puberty Medley on Youtube). I just wanted to know if anyone else has seen it? Only the first two episodes are up, with English subs. (KBS puts English subs on everything they put up.) I just love this show though. The main character, Jeon-gu, I believe, played by Kwak Dong-yeon, is just adorable! He has some of the best expressions in an actor his age (he's 16!) and I just love him! He's so cute! The entire show, so far, is adorable. I would've liked for Javabeans or Girlfriday, or someone else, to recap it, since I would love to hear their thoughts on it. But I guess the fourth dimension has it's limits. If anyone has seen it or is watching it, please tell me what you think of it. There are four episodes, but KBS has only posted the first two on Youtube. They put them up every Friday, I think. So, I'm really looking forward to next week!
i think i will keep this drama forever to rewatch it when i'm down.
i love jeon-gu 'cause he's not perfect and i can relate to his feelings and YES SO CUTE!!
the teen actor from padam padam is in it ... so moooore cute ^^.
OK Dramabean family I need your help. Just finish watching Monstar and I have a question concerning that handsome young man playing the part of the Music Idol...Does anyone know what information he is wearing as a tattoo on his arms ?My curiosity is driving me nuts. I googled his name but could not find anything listed in his bio to explain the tatto. Thanks in advance for any info you can share.
I know I'm late, but I'm determined to get back into this thing darnit. So here I am. It's been a long weekend.
Drama news: TWWSWTM - I'm still over-identifying with Lee Shin Young, but her relationship with Ha Min Jae is moving into happy places so this should mean good things for me, right? Right?
After this? I'm still torn. I was going to give Goddess of Fire a try for Kim Bum's sake (mane of glory and I haven't seen my favorite drama dongsaeng in anything new lately) but I've been told roundly and soundly to do IHYV instead. Anyone have anything oldish to recommend? I don't mind being a few years out of step ;)
Real life news: writing has been sidetracked by the August Fic-a-Day ficathon on http://twistedshorts.livejournal.com/ I participated last year for as long as I could manage, and I got sucked right back in this year. I've already missed a day, but on the other hand I went back to a series I haven't seriously touched since last August.
On the third hand I also haven't touched my novella in a few days. Sigh.
Regarding TWWSWTM, I would say yes, good things on the horizon. Given Lee Shin-young and Ha Min-jae's particular situation, I hope everything happens as you've imagined it.
While I can't give an "oldish" recommendation, simply because I still consider myself kind of "newish" *giggle*, the only other kdrama I remember seeing Kim Bum in is That Winter, The Wind Blows. This one just ended a couple of months ago, so it's definitely not oldish.
Regarding IHYV, it is good. Very good. I just started it myself and I can clearly say that the buzz is warranted.
mmm, Dalja's Spring? that's 2007 and lots of fun. Story of Hyang-dan is a two-episoder that's pretty cute too. Love & Marriage is light-hearted and easy to watch, with two charming leads.
Oh! Short stuff! I forgot to ask for that. I got sucked in (and totally suckered by) The Thousandth Man and it's 8 episodes of tear-jerking goodness. Thanks for the reqs, all of them :D
Part of one reads "Carpe diem." That is all that I made out. Try googling his name and the word tattoo. I have no doubt a fan has blogged it somewhere :)
I've been missing Kim Rae Won, then a fellow beanie here in the Phils. recommended to me that movie My Little Hero in gooddrama.net. It's such a heartwarming movie.
Can somebody tell me why Kim Rae Won has no kdrama series lately? He only did 1, while Kim Jae Won is on his 3rd or 4th drama
![[Cast Away] A psychometric marries his enemy to foil her plans](http://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/castaway_header1.png)
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1 MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 6:19 AM
Welp. Hello there OT~
I finished watching Bleak Night a little while ago (I figured the darkness of the early morning hours would contribute the experience). I'm still processing it and I think I'm a little speechless. I feel the need to hold onto my friendships more now and be careful of saying things I don't mean. I think I've been trying to distance myself from my friends as we're all going our separate ways come a few weeks as we head off to college. That's probably mostly from my history of trying to keep in touch with friends when the feelings aren't reciprocated. Gah, how can a movie make you think so much ><? I get the feeling that I won't be forgetting about Bleak Night anytime soon or at all.
Anyway, personal queries over. Does anyone have any kmovie (or well, I'm up for any language movie I can find English subs for) that they would recommend? I'm not really sure how to describe my taste but as far as kmovies go I've watched and enjoyed Oldboy (are the other movies in the trilogy just as good?), The Man From Nowhere and The Thieves. You can probably see the trend here, I watch movies I hear good reviews of. Has anyone watched Late Autumn, Speedy Scandal or Nameless Gangster (I know they for their fair share of awards but I'm just curious about individual opinions)?
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TheTofurkey
August 2, 2013 at 6:23 AM
Have you seen "A Werewolf Boy"? That movie is just GORGEOUS to watch. The storyline and acting are fabulous too!
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 6:29 AM
I have Werewolf Boy ready to watch like the ones I mentioned. I've already heard so many great things about it from both individual and reviewers so I'm definitely going to watch it!
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RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 6:55 AM
Hihi, may I ask where you guys catch these Korean movies? Do they come with English subs? Thanks.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 7:01 AM
I rented Oldboy and The Man from Nowhere from my local public library. I torrented the rest of movies I mentioned from asiatorrents and downloaded the eng subtitle files online. So far, The Thieves is the only one I've torrented and watched. The file I torrented for Bleak Night had an audio issue but I was dying to watch it so I ended up watching it on gooddrama.com I decided to torrent initially because I've become greedy and picky about video quality lol. But good drama seems to have a lot of the popular movies and the quality isn't bad.
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RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 7:20 AM
Thanks for the reply.
I don't torrent nowadays due to the tons of problems I had with my PC when I used to. Will try gooddrama.com
Thanks! :)
john
August 2, 2013 at 9:05 AM
MeeisLee ~
Wow, Old Boy is something else. Saw it on Hulu (?) a few weeks ago.
MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 9:45 AM
@ John
It totally is! I've been hearing there's an American remake in the works and I don't think it will come close to the original. I'll probably still watch it to properly compare and justify the assumptions I'm already making :).
wag-a-muffin
August 2, 2013 at 8:41 AM
I watched the entire (English subbed) Korean movie, "Hello Ghosts" on youtube.
I've recommended it to friends. I liked it A LOT!
It is well written, makes sense--yeah, I've noticed a bunch of Kdramas that start out intensely good kind of poop out before they finish--and yeah, I cried--which is always evidence of a good movie to me.
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RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 8:46 AM
Okay, will try to check it out later. Thanks. :)
houstontwin
August 2, 2013 at 10:18 AM
Viki.com and netflix.
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Mar
August 2, 2013 at 10:22 AM
Netflix and Hulu. Online sometimes.
I'd add Sunny and Perfect Couple and Heavens Postman to the other Beanies recommendation. The Man from Nowhere was my gateway drug into K drama.
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Mama J
August 2, 2013 at 11:21 AM
ohhhh, Heaven's Postman. I LOVE that movie. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Also love The Man from Nowhere.
Abbie
August 2, 2013 at 3:27 PM
Netflix has several Korean movies with English subs. I recently watched Bestseller with Uhm Jung-hwa. It was so good! I also watched Quick with Lee Min-ki and Murder, Take one with Cha Seung-won. Both were great, but Murder, Take One was unbelievably awesome!
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makoto
August 2, 2013 at 6:42 AM
I watched Late Autumn. Painfull from start to end, but beautiful in the same time. The ending is just... I feel sorry for Tang Wei's character. Watching her waiting someone she doesn't even know where he is and how he is. So heartbreaking. Kinda awkward hearing Hyun Bin speaks English though. I realized how I missed him all this time.
Here I recommend Wonderful Radio, Love in Magic, The Way Home, Love Me or Not and Castaway on the moon. :)
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dramabliss
August 4, 2013 at 7:37 PM
From this thread, I went straight to watching Castaway on the Moon. Daebak! Just blew me away! it's a wonderful take on the castaway theme.
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putihlilac
August 2, 2013 at 6:47 AM
i recommend speedy scandal. it is fun to watch. hope you enjoy it too.
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oftheshore
August 2, 2013 at 6:48 AM
I recommend The Men Manual (Male Instruction Manual). It's much quirkier than I expected in to be, and it reminded me of Charlie Kaufman's films for some reason. It's definitely worth a watch if you don't mind the quirkiness.
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yasminsatria
August 2, 2013 at 7:02 AM
Watched Speedy Scandal and like usual, Cha Tae Yun was delight there. Funny and heartwarming story about family, but i think i prefer Cha Tae Yun's "Hello Ghost" more which touch the same family themes too.
From your movies list, i think you'll enjoy "The Chaser" and "The Yellow Sea" too. Both movies stared Ha Jung-woo and Kim Yoon-seok, and they're totally awesome there.
But if you want some change with funny movies, i recommended "All About My Wife" and "How to Use Guys with Secret Tips" :)
Hope you'll enjoy them, kekekekeke
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 7:35 AM
I did not care for Yellow Sea - perhaps it was the really bad special effects, but never finished it.
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Enz
August 2, 2013 at 7:04 AM
Watch ps partner. Masquerade was pretty good too.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 7:12 AM
Thanks for all the reccs so far guys! Tbh, I think I need a break from dramaland for a bit (I'll be tuning in for masters Sun and 2 Weeks though!) since I've been in hyper-watch mode these past few weeks. Movies require far less commitment and there's a whole realm of k-stars to learn about :).
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Mama J
August 2, 2013 at 7:27 AM
Rough Cut! Also - strongly second the rec for Castaway on the Moon, PS Partner, and How to Use Men with Secret Tips. Also liked Architecture 101, last year
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 7:43 AM
K-films
11th Mother
3-Iron --
The Beast and the Beauty
Perfect Game
Beseiged City
Fly Daddy Fly
You are my sunshine
My rainy Days
Walking beside me
Japanese films
Calla
Aoi Tori
Koizora
Fine Totally Fine
13 Assasins
Re-cycle
Confessions
Vacation
Villain
Tokyo Trash Baby
Love letter
Railroad Man
Chinese:
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (0/2)
Not one less
Love on a Diet
Getting Home
European
Blind (dutch film) by Tamer Van Den Dop
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miwa201
August 2, 2013 at 7:52 AM
You should definitely watch the other movies of the vengeance trilogy. My personal favorite is Sympathy for Mr Vengeance.
Yesterday I watched Mother and I'd definitely recommend it.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 8:32 AM
I realllly liked Oldboy (it was my first k-movie) so I'll probably make the time to watch time the other 2 before the summer is out. Mother looks super interesting! I'm getting the feeling that I like dark movies...
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alua
August 2, 2013 at 8:13 AM
I like Late Autumn a lot, but some people found it boring/too grey/weird.
Speedy Scandal is cute, but nothing more than that. The kid is the biggest cutie pie ever though.
I second/third/fourth... the Werewolf Boy recommendation (haven't gotten round to reviewing it yet, but liked that one a lot).
I'll add Duelist. Or if you want Kang Dong-won in something more fun and lightweight Woochi (one I need to review, but can't find my DVD of it!). And I adore 3-Iron.
If you want something similar to Bleak Night (if you can muster your courage), Pluto is meant to be good.
I haven't got the guts to watch anything of the Vengeance Trilogy....
If you want to try older films, the Korean Film Archive has an official channel on YouTube.
There are quite a few drama reviews on Dramabeans and a fair few blogs focused exclusively and extensively on Korean films (Hangul Celluoid, init-scenes, Hanguk Yeonghwa and Koreanfilm (org) are some I would recommend). I've got a few on my own blog too (I cover ~40% Korean, 40% Japanese, 5% TW/HK/CH and 5% everything else).
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 8:30 AM
I am super duper looking forward to watching Pluto! I've checked out some of the blogs you mentioned and I'll try to check back with this renewed interest that I have in Korean cinema. And I'll definitely make a stop over at your blog :)!
Do you buy the DVDs of all the movies you watch?
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alua
August 2, 2013 at 8:49 AM
I watch most films at film festivals and at the Korean Cultural Centre (who also have a DVD library).
I also sometimes get screeners and watch some via the Korean Film Council's online screening site (which is restricted access – benefits of film blogging :-D).
Every now and then I buy some films. Or I borrow them from some of my fellow London K-film bloggers.
If I absolutely can't get hold of something, I'll stream it.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 9:19 AM
I always learn about Korean movie screenings way too late :(. I'm angry at myself for finding out a few days too late that the screened Werewolf Boy at a theatre :(.
alua
August 2, 2013 at 9:24 AM
Where do you live?
I find the best way of knowing what is screening when and where is to follow (via Twitter or RSS) the bloggers in my area / various cinemas that are likely to screen foreign films / distribution companies that specialise in bringing Asian films to the UK / cultural institutions (Korean Cultural Centre, Japanese Embassy etc.). Between all them, I manage to hear about 95% K-film events in London, plus a good number elsewhere in the country.
MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 9:57 AM
I live in New York which has a pretty large Asian community but I'm pretty out of the loop when events occur.
alua
August 2, 2013 at 10:54 AM
@MeeisLee:
Just did some quick googling:
- Korean Cultural Service NY (koreanculture.org, @NYKFF), lists Korean movies at the centre and elsewhere. Probably a good one to follow (on Twitter or maybe via their email newsletter if they have one)
- Korean Society (koreasociety.org, @koreasociety). Seems they organise the Korean Film Festival New York (KFFNY), this year it was in February.
Festivals:
-New York Asian Film Festival (June/July)
-Korean Film Festival New York (see above, Korean Society)
-Korean American Film Festival New York (kaffny.com, @kaffny) - scheduled for Oct 17-19 this year.
Bigger, general festivals are also worth checking as they often screen a few Korean films:
-New York International Film Festival - scheduled for May 29 to June 5, 2014
-New York Film Festival (at Film Society Lincoln, @filmlinc) - scheduled September 27 to October 13
If you are interested in Japanese movies as well, Japan Cuts (in July) always has a fabulous programme. Organised by the Japan Society, japansociety.com, @js_film_nyc).
The Korean Cinema Blogathon is scheduled for September (dates to be confirmed) by the way. It's normally co-hosted by several film websites and bloggers the world round write about Korean film all week – last year resulted in some ~160 posts on Korean cinema!
I'll post an update when the dates are confirmed. One of my London K-film acquaintances, Paul of Hangul Celluloid, normally is involved in co-hosting.
MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 8:34 AM
By chance has anyone watched the Japense movie Memories of Matsuko? I remember seein some .gifs of it online and watching the trailer awhile back.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 8:34 AM
By chance has anyone watched the Japanese movie Memories of Matsuko? I remember seeing some .gifs of it online and watching the trailer awhile back.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 8:35 AM
Ugh, I keep double posting. Sorry!!!
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carol
August 2, 2013 at 8:58 AM
I've seen it, it's a really good movie. We get to learn the tragic life of Matsuko from the eyes of several different people who knew her. It's a sad story, but the visualization is bright and colorful. [wish i could describe it better, but my english is just not good enough, sorry]
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 9:22 AM
Your description is just fine! And so is your English! Thanks for the reply, I'll have to add it to this enormous list of mine now!
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Celery
August 2, 2013 at 10:58 AM
It. Was. Brilliant. A visual feast with spots of dark humor, I must say.
I'm too lazy to elaborate but I think of it as a lovechild between Pushing Daisies and Millennium Actress (anime film). That, I think, pretty much sums it in a nutshell.
Baby Panda
August 2, 2013 at 9:34 AM
K-movies that I've liked and would recommend:
Crime/thriller/suspense:
- Crossbow
- The Crucibles
- I am a murderer
Comedy:
- Hello Ghost
- Miracle in Cell no. 7
- My PS lover
- 200 pound beauty
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 10:05 AM
Thanks again to everyone who replied! I really appreciate it :). I have a really long list to get through ^^". I'm going to get some sleep now (Summer makes me nocturnal). But in case anyone has any more reccs, I'll be sure to check back later on in the day :)!
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enz
August 2, 2013 at 4:22 PM
one of their classics , well two, my sassy girl (very funny yet sweet too) and Christmas in August :)
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Celery
August 2, 2013 at 10:55 AM
Oh if you like Oldboy (I haven't watched it yet though, but I know the story in and out), you will like:
A) Memories of Murder
B) The Chaser
C) Mother
D) The Client
I suggest you watch The Client before The Chaser though. HJW's performance in The Chaser will definitely spoil his performance in The Client because it was that good.
I have heard good things about Daisy (starring JWS). I caught The Good, The Bad, The Weird but didn't complete it - not cos' I didn't like it but somehow, it isn't the kind of movie you need to watch in one sitting? Will get back to it when I'm in the mood for Westerns.
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cherkell
August 2, 2013 at 11:01 AM
Another vote for the rest of the 'Venegeance Trilogy' - sublime doesn't begin to describe them. The 'Sympathy' movies should be on everyone's Must Watch Lists. :)
A few additional suggestions (apologies if these are already mentioned, since I'm typing furiously on my iPhone):
An early Park Chan-wook work: "Humanist" starring Ahn Jae-mo. A 2001 release, it may be hard to find right off the bat but I've seen torrents for it in several of the usual places. Take your usual drama, thriller and comedy; toss into a blender and push puree. I had to watch it 3 times before it finally made sense. And when it did... WOW. Left such an impression that I still think about it to this day.
"Last Life in the Universe" starring Asano Tadanobu. A combination Thai/Korean/Japanese production that came out in 2003. Beautifully filmed but sort of fatalist in its approach. How many of us can relate to Asano's character? *me raising hand*
"Survive Style 5+" - another Asano Tadanobu work, with his character trying (and failing) time and time again to kill his wife. Also with Abe Hiroshi as a Television Evangelist/Hypnotist. A black comedy mish-mash at its finest.
And for a lighter side, check out the recent "I Am The King" with Joo Ji-hoon reprising the whole Prince and the Pauper story. The usual sageuk stalwarts comprise the supporting cast, and I laughed SO hard tears were rolling down my cheeks. WIN.
There's several more I could suggest, but they're getting hard to find these days... unless you find yourself sitting on my couch next to me. :D
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 11:45 AM
Judging by your taste, I feel like if you don't mind sageuks you should definitely watch Arrow: Ultimate Weapon, starring Park Hae-il and Moon Chae-won. I watched it on a dinky little screen and it was still one of the best movie experiences I've ever had, I can only imagine how amazing the cinema experience would have ben
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ShinRaeMi07
August 2, 2013 at 3:07 PM
You should also try Speedy Scandal. It made me laugh and cry a lot at the same time. :-)
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2 KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 6:28 AM
This Week:
Finished the hanbok for my friend... she has to arrange to have it picked up though. Here: kimyoonmi.deviantart.com/art/Making-a-hanbok-389701513 Her favorite color is pink... particularly dark pink.
Dramas
In order to wipe clean the ending of Itazura na Kiss, which didn't follow the manga at all and wiped away a lot of the things that the manga did right... I watched the rain kiss scene of It started with a Kiss instead.
Why did I object to the ending? The thing that the manga and the drama, It Started with a Kiss did right was show why Naoki, not only tell why Naoki liked Kotoko. There is a scene in the drama where Naoki is sitting across from his fiancée and thinking aout the things that Kotoko does that amuses him, which he never does in front of his fiancée.
This juncture was missing and instead they said why rather than show why... which made the ending weaker.
Also, they undercut the Naoki wanting to become a doctor in the original by not even raising his objection and undercut Kotoko's role in trying to find her own way separate of Naoki. He also said, "I love you." to Kotoko which took many more pages for him to get through.
I get it's 16 episodes, but even the rain kiss blocking had me rolling in pain. Winnie blocked the rain kiss one for one with the manga panels, he was so meticulous. He also managed to capture the desperation Naoki felt by also using the panels where he was looking for Kotoko, running in the rain from the original manga, looking at the restaurant. This gives a far better grounding of how his feelings had changed versus just standing there and staring.
In this case, I think it's a gap in the director, who was super conscious of previous versions. A lesson for you thinking about doing remakes...
Anyway, I measure the entire version of this drama off of the bloccking on the Rain Kiss.
Dropped: Who Are You?
I got bored which is horrible. I wonder if I'm less of a scaredy cat than most... might pick up if it gets better later.
Heo Joon is still going strong. I'm amazed. It's everything that Horse Doctor did wrong done right.
Still watching LSS, but I skip most of the episode for the cute. I want so much to like it since I like two of the elements in it, and even the acting, etc is good, but I just can't... mostly because the focus is wrong. You're the Best Lee Soon Shin has turned into You're the worse and full of sins/DSM-fest.
How to Use Guys with Secret Tips movie I loved to no end. It's funny, smart, and has a bit for everyone. It's well directed and witty. Plus it injects feminism into the whole thing. Carole probably will like it. Alua might...
Skipping Big Red Riding Hood. Want to like it, but then it throws in the melo and I just check out.
Love Kodoku Gurume season 3. I don't mind the food p.o.r.n. Plus it's sweet...
Watching Just You as well which is light, but not completely brainless. It is cliche, but not bad.
Probably will watch, but am not thrilled about Saito San 2. Mostly when I'm bored. It preaches a lot.
Watched the end of 35 Year old High School Student. I really liked it, though I don't think it's up Carole's alley...
Wondering who are people's favorite actors/actresses, but haven't starred in anything recently that they can watch.
Jae Hee, Kim Rae Won and Kim Jae Won for me. I really like them as actors, but I haven't seen them in anything I'd like to watch recently.
And Yoon Eun Hye--love her as an actress, but none of her recent dramas have been watchable. I'm waiting for her selection tide to turn around.
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alua
August 2, 2013 at 8:50 AM
How to Use Guys with Secret Tip I haven't seen it yet, but I expect I'll like it – I have seen good reviews, from people whom I tend to agree with...
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shukmeister
August 2, 2013 at 11:16 AM
JoAnne really recco'd that movie too, so it's on my watch list. I'll probably knock some of those off after the final wind-down of my current viewing.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 9:04 AM
I really like Kim So Yeon even though I've only seen her in Prosecutor Princess and IRIS. I can't wait to see her in 2 Weeks and I hope it's good since I haven't been motivated to watch any of her other recent dramas.
I agree with you on Yoon Eun Hye. I'm wondering if she has an issue picking scripts.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 9:06 AM
Also, I realllllly want to like just, You but it hasn't been doing anything for me so far (I'm only mid episode 3). Does it get any better? (And I feel bad because I keep commenting on all your posts ^^").
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 9:39 AM
I saw How to use a guy with secret tips a couple of weeks ago. I don't recall who recommended it. It was fun.
I tried to watch 35 year old student but couldn't get past it. Preachy and smug and tried to be heartfelt but really felt inorganic to me.
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 9:46 AM
Thanks for protecting me from Big Red Riding Hood. I love seeing adaptations of fairytales..but am not sure if i can deal with the melo.
I might try the story about the solitary girl who has the love affair with her professor. (forgot the title.) Will see.
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Emy Shin
August 2, 2013 at 11:41 AM
I adored It Started With A Kiss, and Itazura na Kiss really didn't even come close to it.
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oftheshore
August 2, 2013 at 1:05 PM
Loved that film, too!
I recommended it to someone in the post above.
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dramabliss
August 2, 2013 at 5:22 PM
Isn't Kim Jae Won in the currenty airing Scandal?
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 6:45 PM
Not my kind of drama... TT Both he and Kim Rae Won keep choosing dramas that I don't want to watch, even though I like them as actors. Jae Hee too...
If Yoon Eun Hye returns to Rom Com I'll definitely watch her dramas again especially since she won't be dictated by debts to other people. If she ends up on an SBS drama (maybe with Lee Minki~ I'd like that) then I can hope for Running Man again.... I have my fantasies, you know.
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Bengbeng
August 4, 2013 at 8:58 PM
yes, a new Rom-Com for Eunhye, please!
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Bengbeng
August 4, 2013 at 8:55 PM
you can watch Kim Rae Won in My Little Hero. It's a very heartwarming movie =)
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3 TheTofurkey
August 2, 2013 at 6:29 AM
Hello everyone, and a happy Friday to you all.
I'm feeling a little bereft today, now that I no longer have IHYV to obsess over. That drama temporarily took over my life. I spent hours refreshing pages for episodes and recaps, anything I could get my hands on. It was the first drama I've ever watched while it was still airing. I don't know if all "live" shows are that intense, but I'm thinking not.
I'm really looking forward to the new dramas starting next week, particularly Master's Sun and Good Doctor. I'm sure they'll be able to help fill the void IHYV has left behind.
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RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 7:07 AM
I'm going though the same as you do. Not my first live Kdrama, but it's my first obsession in a looooonnnng while. I spent hours refreshing pages, reading/re-reading recaps, comments and trawled the net for anything remotely related to the show too.
Still finding it hard to let the drama go. Have been playing the OSTs on repeat just to reminisce in my mind all the fave scenes.
I know it makes sense to look ahead to the new crop of dramas premiering next week, but I'm just not the least bit interested. At least, not at this moment. Sigh.
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opaque
August 2, 2013 at 7:15 AM
I'm also feeling a bit blue about IHYV ending. I haven't been this sad about letting go of a drama. And yeah, I'm not interested about the new bunch of dramas either. They may be awesome but right now, I'm just don't feel like watching anything new.
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RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 7:25 AM
I know right! Argh, I really need something to get me out of this funk. :(
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 7:42 AM
My first live view was Faith, and I was in a deep funk, too, when it ended. At the time, I didn't know about OT (although I had found the Faith recaps and comments). Have you seen School 2013 (LJS and Woo Bin) or Secret Garden? Yoon Sang Hyun (Oska) and Lee Jong Suk are in it.
Also, there is a recent Hwasin (Strong Heart 2) episode with the IHYV cast that was fun to watch. Maybe watching it will help wean you off being in a funk. Fighting \/
MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 8:02 AM
There's also going to be a Running Man episode slightly based on IHYV. From the preview, I know the actor who played MJG is going to be on there! I think it might help with learning to separate him from his character ^^".
RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 8:19 AM
@owl Sorry, no reply button below your comment, gotta do it here.
I commented this in IHYV finale recap thread: I've been a lurker on DB for years. Only comment on rare occasions.
Have of course known about OT but have not participated much before because for some strange reason, found it intimidating. Maybe because all of you sound so erudite. :)
But I do read the comments on OT every weekend just to keep up with stuff and see what the rest of the beanies are watching or raving on.
Yes, I've watched Secret Garden. It was the first Kdrama that drove me to watch raw before the subbed ones were out. I fell in love with Ha Ji Won then.
Knew about Lee Jong Seok then but only became a fan of his after School 2013. Ironically, I caught School 2013 for Kim Woo Bin but ended up mesmerized by Lee Jong Seok. He's the reason that got me on IHYV in the first place. The drama was so not on my radar initially that if not for LJS, would not have wanted to try it, what with all the boring promos talking about lawyers. Who would have thought. Ha. Well the rest is history, and now why I'm here. Guess you could say IHYV brought me out of lurking. :)
And yes, I've also caught the Hwasin ep with the IHYV cast. So, basically there's nothing left for me except re-watching the show which I have to admit I HAVE been doing, move on to other dramas which I'm kinda reluctant to, or just continue to wallow in this post-IHYV funk for a while before .... well, I dunno.
Sorry for rambling on.
And, I hope it's not too late — but better than never — Hello everyone! And happy Friday! :)
enz
August 2, 2013 at 8:22 AM
he is really funny in real life! i saw him in happy together when he was the eldest brother in ojakgyo brothers.
opaque
August 2, 2013 at 9:38 AM
Watched both School 2013 and Secret Garden. I didn't notice LJS much in SG but I became a semi-fan in School. I started IHYV because of the child actors and the beginning part of DB's recap. I wasn't sure I was going to continue but then after episode 2, I was sucked into this show (seriously, I think someone hypnotized me). So then I looked around for more stuff. I watched the Hwasin episode, and watched BTS videos on youtube (have you watched those, RWJQ?). I also read a couple of old LJS articles. So now I'm officially out of things to do except patiently waiting for the RM episode (which I am so looking forward to!)
opaque
August 2, 2013 at 9:44 AM
Oh just an add-on:
RWJQ, if you haven't watched it yet, I recommend Running Man episode 138. The guests are Lee Jong-Suk, Kim Woo Bin, CN Blue's Jonghyun, Kim Soo Ro and Min Hyorin. Besides the pretty, it's an enjoyable episode to watch.
RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 9:59 AM
@On a QIHM High,
Yes! I have watched all the BTS clips on YouTube. I even downloaded them onto my cell phone so that I can rewatch them anytime without the need for net connection. ;p
As for that particular RM episode, yes to it too. I don't catch every single episode of RM. Will usually check out the week's guests on Kshownow before deciding if I wanna catch it. I watched ep 138 twice!!
As for IHYV, I was hooked right from the get-go. Found the premise very interesting. After ep 2, began recommending it to my friends and managed to bring 5 of them onto the bandwagon.
damianna
August 2, 2013 at 3:45 PM
hye, i'm new here. the mention of IHYV got me. in withdrawal mode too so i'm gonna go watch 'when i was the prettiest'. its a kbs drama special (3eps) with lee jong suk in it. from what i can gather, it's yet another noona-slaying effort of his.
damianna
August 2, 2013 at 4:00 PM
correction. 'when i was the prettiest' is a single-episode drama.
yukiNYC
August 2, 2013 at 8:39 AM
I was like you after QIHM and then after Nine: NTTT.
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opaque
August 2, 2013 at 9:47 AM
QIHM being over definitely made me sad too but not as much. Maybe it's because while I was invested in the main OTP, I didn't become as invested in the entire world/all the characters of the drama. (don't get me wrong, I still love both!)
Celery
August 2, 2013 at 11:29 AM
Is Nine really that good? I keep seeing praises for the series everywhere!
Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 11:34 PM
Is NINE that good? jmho ... YES!
Celery
August 3, 2013 at 12:52 AM
:( Hopefully the cast does some grand editorial spread together or something.
I'm looking forward to Master's Sun but I think I would still keep an eye out for news on IHYV.
I seriously thinking of trying School 2013 and Nine. But I think I need some time to celebrate IHYV before moving on to greener pastures.
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Ennayra
August 4, 2013 at 4:27 PM
I watched School 2013 and Nine and completely loved them. I wound up marathoning School 2013 after it was over, but I watched Nine as it was coming out. Not sure if Nine would be as good marathoned. Anyway, I recommend you checking out both dramas!
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 7:37 AM
IHYV was the exception, not the rule. I would guess that probably half the dramas I start with, I never finish. And a few I wish I had not wasted the time on even when I did finish :D
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4 KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 6:32 AM
Korean Cultural Note: Muism 2.
This is from the book titled Muism... since there are many aspects of Muism, I'm focusing on the ghosts, which may pop up in a drama near you. (Master's Sun).
Muism, has it that the body is of a definite shape,while the soul is a formless "power" for the body. The soul is timeless, formless, etc. i.e. it can go forward and back in history and has no anchor until it has a body, where the body is the anchor in time and space, but that time and space is limited. Only when the two are united does that equal life.
The soul, therefore, has two entities, the live soul and the dead soul. The live soul animates you while you are alive, while the dead soul is destined to go to the "Other world." (Which is on another plane of existence, but not specifically above or below you.)
If the dead soul fails to pass through the various types of animosity one has from their previous life, then they will become ghosts and cause trouble for the living.
Chosang is a good soul that passed into the other world after a normal life and who has become a good soul. In Arang, you can see this in the Mudang's grandmother appearing.
Wongwi is a soul that cannot enter the other realm because of anger about a premature death, a violent death, or a death in a strange land. In Arang, this would be Arang herself. They can be freed by three years of Funerals.
Wollyeong cannot enter the other world even after three funerals because of their animosity towards human kind is so great. This takes special ceremonies to negotiate the hate that this person has toward everyone. You can loosely say this is Moo Yeon in Arang and the Magistrate.
The soul, is therefore, formless/shapeless, omniscient, immortal and can escape from the body. The soul also has the same personality free from its body, since that personality is said to be attributed to the soul itself.
The Other World is called the "Future World", mostly taken from Buddhism, where the original was called "The Next Life" (Which isn't reincarnation, like the current version) The corpse was clothed in marriage garments as if they were getting married. However, this also meant all relationships ended with death. The worst that could happen when you went to the next life was to become a "snake".
Arang, BTW, fused not only the fantasy and Historical, but also several religions, which included, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Muism, Korean Mythology and Korean borrowed from Chinese Old Traditional Mythology (Jade Dragon, etc). Hong Sisters might lean more on Muism this round in comparison to the previous borrowing in Gumiho. They might use some Buddhism as well (Northern), if they decide to lean on religion at all. They've been flirting with religion on and off from previous dramas.
Japanese: You might have caught it too... but the majority of Japanese food as we know it came from the late Sengoku period/Meiji period.
Anyway, I hope this helps with Master's Sun coming up.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 6:48 AM
Hiya, KimYoonmi! I'm not a frequent participator in OT but I have noticed you post some lengthy cultural notes on the OT I've browsed. Anyway, these are greatly appreciated since I don't know much about Korean culture. Do you eventually post these on your blog too? And I'm just curious as to how you know so much! Do you read a lot or major in a related field in college?
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 7:01 AM
I'm a Korean Adopted Person... I also am halfway through a major in Anthropology. (My interest is in Cultural Anthropology--I want to look at Multimedia exchange across borders... from the creator to the consumers...).
So I've been trying to search and find material since I was very young. I also have been to Korea, talked to Korean people, relatives, etc.
I'm also generally a nerd with a pretty good memory. (Or I've been told)
In another words, I did a lot of reading, asking, experiencing, searching, etc in order to get the info. This particular post came from the Hanbooks dot com's Muism book... which I read and took the major points from. The Anthropology definitely helps a lot to sort things and figure out what's range and what's not.
I try to make it relevant to the dramas we're watching...
They do eventually go on my blog, though I'm not always diligent about it. Previous OTs do have notes and back and forth. I take requests too...
I'm hoping this will show up in Master's Sun...
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 7:08 AM
Ah, that's really interesting! I always find people who read a lot to be very admirable. I hope you'll post them on your blog too so there's a way to find specific info you've already delved into! I'm taking an intro cultural anthropology class for my first semester but it seems daunting ^^". Is it something you knew you always wanted to study academically?
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 7:20 AM
I wanted to be an actress when I was little... (I still regret giving that up). I was point blank told that Asians didn't become actors because of the shame they brought their families. (Lies, lies. Racist lies.) I internalized that until my mid-twenties... when I was told that was wrong.
I fell into writing... and then I was told writing doesn't make money. Since I really like creativity, that put me into a bind.
So I needed a second profession... and I chose something, but the job profession hadn't been invented yet. --;; I was ahead of the curve by over 5 years. (Being super intuitive, I'm like that... I see trends very quickly and can usually predict changes in tide.)
My Aunt says she's also super intuitive and that her field of research was way ahead of everyone else doing the same thing. The difference with me is I'm SLLOOOOWWW and my timing usually sucks.
Which meant I needed to double major in order to qualify for the profession I wanted which wasn't invented yet. >.<;; By the time there was a degree for what I wanted, which hasn't stabilized as of yet, I was already halfway through anthropology... so why not. It'll feed into the profession until I can make it as a writer and the anthropology will also look shiny on cover letters to publishers, especially if I can show I understand marketing...
MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 7:48 AM
How come you didn't self-design a major to fit your interests? I don't know how that works in the job world though.
Good luck with your writing endeavors!
I'm at the point where I still have no idea what I exactly want to do. Well, to some extent. I know something in particular that I love but there's not a specific field of study that would directly correlate. I don't think I'm ahead of any curve though.
KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 8:08 AM
Majoring in World Building would take too many classes. XD. Carole probably would want that major too. Plus I'm not sure how that translates to a job.
CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 8:31 AM
Worldbuilding as a profession would be totally fun! I recently did a blog post on worldbuilding -- the technology, the religion, the languages, the racial issues that would appear in a certain kind of world. Kimyoonmi-shi, if you're like me, you're tired of all these European fantasies and elves. We could hook up with film production companies and expand the types of specfic stories out there.
BTW, you can still become an actress. Anything is possible. Become an extra in small indie films. Hey, you never know.
MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 8:58 AM
I think the closest I've heard of an already existing major that sounds similar is Urban Studies (a much smaller scale though) but then again I'm not exactly sure I know what world building is. Would you mind point me to your post Carole?
(Also, I was just on your blog and I saw your post about "Pandora's Lunchbox" and I was wondering what you thought of it? If there was ever a Food Studies major, it would be an easy choice for me.)
CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 9:43 AM
Hi MeeisLee:
It was a post on how I did worldbuilding for Constant Tower but it can be applied to any kind of worldbuilding.
brentnichols.blogspot.com/2013/07/creating-plausible-and-consistent.html
KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 9:49 AM
@MeeisLee
World Building is in Science Fiction and Fantasy mainly where you make up a fictional world that is internally consistent that or cultures, etc within it.
What people call "canon" from the reader end, the creation of the "canon" is called "World Building."
Though my real profession is elsewhere, I'd love to major in world building. Basically to be good at world building you need to know a little of everything. i.e. you really do have to be a nerd.
@Carole
Too old and I've become too much of a writer at this point, I think. I'm taking acting classes anyway... mostly so I can get past the hurdle of giving it up. Also will help with interviews, etc. =P I'm going to sign up once I get over this cold.
As for European with elves. I'm so past the Tolkien-esque worlds. I want to see more diversity in my fiction. I'm also a bit frustrated with the American categorization of experimental being in its own category, making genre fiction and so on stagnant to some degree... which I see less of in East Asian fiction (Contemporary). I figure, if it makes the story work and communicates what you want to say, why not?
So far, I have geography, Cultural geography, anthropology, sociology, ethnic studies, art, history, art history. I probably should have gotten biology, astronomy and physics in, but Hard sciences were never my forte. I always liked the softer (and consequently lower paying) soft sciences/the arts. I already know Computer Science stuff, so I didn't need it added to. I also read psychology books when I was younger in order to get better at World Building. World Building is fun, pursuing it makes one a nerd, though.
You know the thing about the hot pepper/spices distribution around the world, right? That's not useful to most people except for the world builders...
CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 10:00 AM
Oops, MeeisLee, I just saw the second part of your question. I'll only say: Try to eat only read food. Eat only what will die and eat it before it does. I battle fibromyalgia and so much of my illness reacts to processed foods. When I get all Caribbean and eat only Latin-American and Jamaican foods -- plaintains, batatas, and the like-- I do so much better.
I can't say all GMO foods are bad but I can say that they have affected my health in a very horrible way. I get very sick if I even touch anything bottled or canned.
If you're a foodie, think of real food and real eating as a challenge ..the universe giving you the gift to be creative with what you eat. The modern palate in most countries have been brainwashed, and the American palate is so brainwashed by sugar....very dangerous. There are so many kinds of desserts to invent and discover and so many real foods to discover.
Off my soapbox now.
Bengbeng
August 4, 2013 at 9:10 PM
Hi Kimyoomi, you should be a copywriter in the advertising world - you are ahead of your time, study human (anthropology), loves writing and very creative - all characteristics of a great copy writer =)
alua
August 2, 2013 at 8:21 AM
Have you seen Coleur de peau: Miel (Approved for Adoption)? It's a 2012 Belgian/Korean film I recently heard about and just got my hands on a copy.
It's about a Korean boy that is adopted into a Belgian family. It's animated (in part) and autobiographical (the animator, Jung, is the person the film is about).
I plan on reviewing this month as part of my K-Anime series.
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RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 8:53 AM
Hi alua,
Really hope I haven't got the wrong person, but I'm quite sure it was you who mentioned the two mangas — Strobe Edge and High School Debut in last week's OT.
Just wanna thank you for the recommendations. Marathoned the two series in one day last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed them.
alua
August 2, 2013 at 9:20 AM
No, that was me!
Eventually I will finish that 2000+ word blog post on why Strobe Edge and High School Debut are absolutely rocking mangas while Ikura ga Ita is not... (hint: it all has to do with the heroines).
I generally like Sakisaka Io's mangas, she's got her own way of doing things. (I'm still unsure how I feel about Ao Haru Ride, no thanks to Kou being such a coward about his own feelings...)
RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 9:44 AM
Good. Was worried for a bit that I might have made a boo-boo. Ha.
I read mangas and catch animes if I have the time. Used to read lots when I was in school but don't really have the time for them now. Nowadays, for animes, I stick to only Naruto and Fairy Tail. Stopped Bleach for a while and by the time I wanted to resume it, realized I couldn't find the subbed clips online anymore. Argh!
As for mangas, I have no specific favorite mangaka(s). Will read whatever is recommended. I enjoyed the two mangas you recommended because the heroines were sort of different, not some doormats or fluff heads so widely featured in many of the mangas. I like that they know their minds, who they love and stay true to their feelings throughout.
This is my first time reading Sakisaka's works. Didnt start on Ao Haru Ride or any of her ongoing ones yet because I prefer completed series.
I'll have to drop by your blog soon. :)
KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 9:53 AM
A Manhwa-yeonghwa? (What it's called in Korea... 'cause to Koreans it's kinda like calling a hanbok a Korean kimono... just a heads up.)
I've been wanting to watch more of these, but the funding isn't 100% yet. I'll probably watch it. I even watch bad representations of adopted people/adopted community just to see how far we have to go.
I heard Dae Jang Geum got turned into a Manhwa-yeonghwa, but it never was translated, so I couldn't watch it.
opaque
August 2, 2013 at 9:56 AM
ooohh manga recs! I was searching forums for some. I didn't like High School Debut but Strobe Edge looks like an interesting read.
Manga was actually my first exposure into Asian creative material (I don't know what the correct technical grouping would be). From manga, I moved on to Japanese live actions/dramas > animes (very briefly) > jpop > kpop > Taiwanese dramas > Korean dramas.
CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 10:03 AM
ooh, i've got to see that one when you review it. I tried to subscribe to your blog last week (via email) but I couldn't. I tend to forget to visit blogs I like so the email option is the best for me.
alua
August 2, 2013 at 10:09 AM
@Kim Yoonmi
*goes back to the blog to dutifully change the word "anime"*
You're so right! That makes sense... and since I'm a stickler for correct words, I appreciate the correction.
Is manhwa-yeonghwa used both for films and TV animations? (as I understand 'yeonghwa' is film, isn't it?) Or is there a specific word for animated TV series?
This the trailer for Couleur de peau: Miel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTz4nWpL5DI
I don't think it has been released in the US (nor the UK), but the Belgian release has English subtitles.
alua
August 2, 2013 at 10:15 AM
@Carole
Why couldn't you subscribe? That's weird....
You can subscribe by email (should be able to in any case!), Twitter (but with other tweets added), Tumblr (blog posts plus some film pics, quotes and, ummm, some random food pictures) or RSS feed (only the blog posts).
I know what you mean with forgetting to visit blogs... I don't like my email clogged up, but I use an RSS reader for 30+ blogs because you can scan posts quickly and delete whatever doesn't interest you...
RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 10:18 AM
For me, it was doramas first, then animes, followed by mangas. Not really into J/K pops. Usually listen to tracks from the animes' OSTs.
Have been flitting to and fro Kdramas and TW dramas for years now. Really need to get back to J doramas. My last was Nagareboshi which I LOVED and cried buckets over.
Have been told recently to try out manhwas, though have no idea which are the good ones.
CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 10:46 AM
It's this annoying chrome browser. I'm not sure if the subscription from last week "took" or if I got through again this time. Just spent the past ten minutes trying to resubscribe. Chrome was crashing on me throughout. I'll see if the subscription from last week actually took. I didn't get your latest post, i think. But maybe I did. Was that on Wednesday? Sometimes all my drama subscriptions come all rolled up in one email so I'll look.
alua
August 2, 2013 at 11:12 AM
@Carole...
Jejeje... that's why I have THREE browsers installed on my computer. Sometimes I find one doesn't want to work for certain things (usually after an update), and switch to another one temporarily. Rarely use Chrome, it eats up so much RAM!
Yes, last post was on Wednesday. I don't normally manage more than twice a week, sometimes three...
@RWJQ
I looooooove Nagareboshi. (And Takenouchi.) Maybe try Woman, which is currently airing? Even darker than Nagareboshi though...
Manhwas: I've read very few, they tend to be harder to come by than mangas.
Utopia is one I liked, but I don't think it's fully available in translation. It's sooooooooo sad though. If I never finish reading it, I don't mind, the pictures were heavy enough...
Cheese in a Trap looks like it has potential, but very few episodes are available.
My Heart Is Beating I liked quite a lot. I didn't read it forever because the synopsis (a boy with a swimsuit fetish ends up cross-dressing) put me off, but it's actually much better than that summary would suggest!
Moss is one I want to read because I have the film, which I don't want to watch before reading the manhwa....
Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan is a Japanese manga adapted from a Korean novel. It's wonderful but oh so heartbreaking (get your tissues ready!!!). Kang Dong-won starred in the Korean film adaptation (Our Happy Times aka Maundy Thursday), which I still haven't had the guts to watch...
KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 12:12 PM
@ Alua as I understand it, the word for "animation" is manhwa Yeonghwa... or animated manhwa... I read something where a guy from Korea was pleading with people to call it "Manhwa Yeonghwa" rather than "Korean anime." I figure I should go with what the guy from Korea says... rather than the people outside of it. (I also have geeky reasons for this, but I'm going to spare people from the pain.)
Just for the word geeking, anime is most likely from the French for les dessin animé. (Moving picture). It was imported into Japan. Of course Americans, being centric on themselves thought it was from "Animation" failing to realize the large influence of French animation/film on Anime as well.
Thanks for the trailer too... I want to see the full thing. I speak French... so I have a shot of understanding it. Seems like it will directly face issues, yet have a backdrop of every day life rather than "the search" so much... which I kinda appreciate and we need more of...
RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 12:36 PM
@alua
Yutaka Takenouchi is the ONE and ONLY J-actor I adore. There are a few others I like but never at Takenouchi's level.
Attracted me when I first saw him in Zoku Hoshi no Kinka. Cried buckets over that show too. But I crossed the point of no return watching Beach Boys. All my friends were going ga-ga over Takuya Kimura and I was the only one with eyes for Takenouchi. Still cannot get KimTaku's appeal till this day.
Unfortunately, I haven't caught all of Takenouchi's works. There were a few that I found boring, eg: Dekkichatta Kekkon and With Love. Now, I'll read the synopsis first before deciding if I wanna try it out. But, he's always the first J-actor whose projects I check out whenever I feel like going back to Jdoramas.
Another favorite of mine is Ruri no Shima. Another tear-jerker, and after marathoning it, I went round coercing all my friends to watch it. :D
Coincidentally, both Ruri no Shima and Nagareboshi have soundtracks by one of my fave bands, Kobukuro, which are songs I go to first whenever I feel like some Japanese tunes.
Have read about Woman, following OTs here. :) Am waiting for it to end so that I can marathon it in one go.
Appreciate the manhwas recommendations. Will check them out. I tried manhwas a few years back, cannot remember the titles, but didn't like them because of the graphics. Kinda rough. Hope they have gotten better.
skinnymocha
August 2, 2013 at 12:54 PM
Hi~ May I butt in here?
Watashitachi no Shiawase no Jikan is one of my favourites too! I actually shed quite a bit of tears over this, especially when they discovered they wanted to live. I'm not sure I want to watch the film though, in case it disappoints...
I'm so out of the loop and haven't been reading (regularly) since the end of last year, so I was wondering whether you guys have any recommendations? My favourite mangakas include Nakamura Asumiko, Urasawa Naoki, Inoue Takehiko and Asano Inio (one of his works, Nijigahara Holograph, is another love of mine). Basically, I'm a fan of seinen and anything psychological. But I'm open to all genres really - I'm in need of some good shoujo! The last I read was probably Kuragehime(?).
alua
August 2, 2013 at 1:01 PM
@Kim Yoonmi
It might be hard to convince people to use manhwa yeonghwa – it's not as easily pronounceable as anime is. I've never heard anyone use the term either.
It seems Couleur de peau: Miel is getting a DVD release in the US in the autumn. Not sure when though. I do know that a graphic novel is available too (I've seen a few pages... it's gorgeous).
@RWJQ
I'll watch anything with Takenouchi. Even if I don't like the drama, I still like him in it! He's always good. I think Nagareboshi was my first with him. Rondo I like a lot as well. I don't mind Kimutaku (I can rewatchPride any time – there's more chemistry in the first two episodes of that drama than most manage over 10/16/20 episodes), but he definitely comes after Takenouchi on my list.
Takenouchi has just been cast in a movie btw, Nishino Yukihiko no Koi to Boken. I don't know anything about it though.
I do like plenty of other J-actors as well, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Matsuda Ryuhei (and Shota too), etc. who always deliver and have a wide acting range. Plus some of the young ones, like Sometani Shota or Kamiki Ryounuske. All of these (except Shota) do more films than dramas though.
I remembered another manhwa: Nineteen/ Twenty-One. Very gentle. Beautiful images. (All the others I mentioned have slightly different art from the typical Korean manhwas as well.)
CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 1:31 PM
I don't know why i'm so faithful to chrome because yes it does eat up RAM. I think each time one opens a new window the entire process begins so it just compounds. I'll check to see if I'm subscribed to you if you can't. I think I must be except that chrome is being weird.
BTW, I'm an anime lover and will be really looking at your site for good k-animation as well. I wish I could get into reading mangas and manwahs but alas...not yet.
alua
August 2, 2013 at 1:32 PM
@skinnymocha
Of course!
I was sobbing uncontrollably with Watashitachi.... I haven't heard bad things about the film, only people saying that it is terribly sad as well. I will eventually watch it... I just need, ummm, another half a year to mentally steel myself? (Took me a year to watch Grave of the Fireflies.)
I read manga very irregularly and unsystematically, so I'm not the best one to ask. Good shoujo? Just about none (I've read so much crap, Strobe Edge and High School Debut are such rare exceptions.)
Grey is... --> psychological. Quite mysterious.
xxxHolic --> you may know this. I haven't read it, but it's supposed to be superb (the doramas adaptation was)
Hibi ChouChou --> shoujo. veeerrry slow. but there's something very sweet about it.
My Girl (same author as Watashitachi...)
Piano no Mori --> I've only read a little, need to read more
Kouya no Koi --> a shoujo which I just read the other day. It's, ummm, unusual. I like the frankness in it, more shoujo mangas need this.
Diamond Dust --> haven't read much of this, but seemed interesting. Psychological.
Himizu --> I saw the film and then read as much of the manga as I could find. Psychological and very dark, the manga even more so than the film Don't read if you are sensitive – this really goes into the ugliest sides of human nature.
Running on Empty --> a strange one, not very realistic perhaps but I like something about it. There's a suggestion about a gay storyline, though to me it always seemed more like friendship between two lonely people.
Ando Yuki's mangas (Akai Michi, Matryoshka) – these are short, the stories are simple but they are the only mangas I have ever found that I felt like were literary. Not sure how to explain it, just that the mangaka was doing things mangas normally don't do.
-I've been meaning to read Song of the Cloud, anyone tried that?
-Kinda liked Cat Street, the characters are interesting and not 2-D like in every other shoujo. The dorama adaptation is not good, sadly.
RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 1:58 PM
@skinnymocha
Hi! :)
Neither am I the best person to recommend. I tend not to keep track of mangas I read by the mangakas, so have no impression of the names you've listed. Have read a number of shoujos but they were mostly not that memorable.
Hope some other beanies here can help.
@alua
I've been wanting to give Rondo a try. But I'm Choi Ji Woo-averse. :(
Thanks for the heads up on Takenouchi's new movie. Will keep an eye out for it.
Despite my inability to appreciate Kimura Takuya, I LOVE Pride! Have lost count of the number of times I rewatched that show. Another of his I love was Beautiful Life. The rest are um, relatively meh, especially his recent ones.
I like Tsumabuki Satoshi and Shota too. Another one would be Matsuyama Kenichi. Love love him in Death Note and Norwegian Wood.
Will add the new manhwa titles to the list and check them out, hopefully soon. After I get over my IHYV withdrawals, that is. Lol.
Ankemaybe
August 2, 2013 at 4:43 PM
Hi. Everyone. I am Anke and I am a drama addict. @_@ I have been a silent lurker in drama bean at least most of the time.
Someone asked about mangas and I thought to add my 2 cents' worth. I like Io Sakisaka's mangas too. They are well written and illustrated. Not sure whether these few mangas have been recommended but they are some of my favourites (no particular order).
1. Dengeki Daisy by Kyousuke Motomi
2. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun by Robiko
3. Taiyou no le by TAAMO
4. Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya
5. Blue by Io Sakisaka
6. Love So Life by Kaede Kouchi
7. Koi da no Ai da no by Ririko Tsujita
skinnymocha
August 3, 2013 at 2:02 AM
Thank you alua and Anke~ :)
I'll be sure to check them out! (And I'm a fan of anything dark, so Himizu sounds right up my alley.)
Hi RWJQ~! Shoujo's a bit of mindless fun for me and I do get a good laugh out of it (plus a fair amount of hair tearing...), but scarcely do I come across one that leaves a lasting impression either. You have to plough through a whole load repetitive and clichéd crap to get to the few rare gems... True of all genres really, but especially the case with shoujo.
CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 10:16 AM
All I know about the pepper/spices thingey is that large multinationals are always buying up tons of lands to plant foods the people in the richer countries like..so whole tracts of lands in Latin America dedicated to coffee beans and peppers etc. Is that what you were talking about?
Yeah, I kinda get burn out on Tolkein and Euro-elves, euro-monsters euro undead vampires. Give me native American shapeshifters and ghosts from other cultures with other ghostly rules.
I tend to be pretty multicultural and anthropological with what I write or read. So you can imagine how indifferent I was to the whole George R R Martin Game of Thrones thingey here in the US. Just so many "blonde of hair" characters one can take.
My big goal is to write an African-Korean sajeuk one episode drama done for the KBS drama special. Specific goal, no? If you like anthropology and fantasy, definitely check out my novel Wind Follower. Some folks hate the pacing issue and I'll admit if I were rewriting it now, I'd write it differently...but if you don't mind the Christianity parts of it, you might like the anthropology. I threw in all kinds of Native American and African anthropology. I'd definitely like to know what you think of it. So far, some folks like it better than Constant Tower and some folks Constant Tower better.
I think it's only the mainstream fiction world that uses "experimental" as its own genre. There are some great genre books out there that are kinda sorta experimental and some great diverse books.
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 12:30 PM
The spices and pepper thing by regionality is that near the equator it's found that people use stronger spices mainly because of the heat spoiling food. Oregano, for example, turns out to kill a large amount of bacteria. Also food aversions during pregnancy might also be linked to this as well. (Korean lore has it one should not eat spicy food while pregnant.)
The exception to this are places such as Japan, but it's thought in general, island countries and regions are more dependent on fish and marine life, meaning that the food stays fresh and is plentiful anyway, so there is less need to store them over a longer period. I read a paper on it and cared about it more just for World Building purposes.
Isn't this the random fact that a World Builder will store but no one else really seems to care about? At least I think so...
Spices in general were dominated by the Dutch. Including Nutmeg which used to be expensive... but attributing the spread of things such as potatoes, tomatoes, etc to the cutch doesn't explain the amount of spice one puts in and why Indian food closer to the equator is spicier... but that science does.
Isn't that cool and neat for world building?
CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 1:27 PM
oh my gosh! @Kimyoonmi-shi, you just totally impressed me with that discourse on spices and heat! ::big grin:: sooo good knowing you. I learn so many things.
I have a few odd book reading fetishes and one of them is I love reading nonfiction books about how one specific thing or other changed history. So, I've read a book on rubber and a book on salt and a book on eels. There's a book on nutmeg (and how it changed the world, of course) that I've been meaning to buy. It was published ages ago...but now...now you've reminded me that I want to read it.
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alua
August 2, 2013 at 2:28 PM
A very useful page on spices:
http://gernot-katzers-spice-pages.com/engl/index.html
dramabliss
August 2, 2013 at 5:33 PM
KimYoonMi, you're DAEBAK!
I've learned a lot from the cultural notes on Korea you have been posting here. Kamsa hamnida!
World-building sounds really, really interesting. I hope that can soon become a mainstream major of studies in our universities. I expect that would include a lot of virtual simulations situated in MUVEs like Second Life, a lot of gaming ala World of Warcraft and such.
My only regret is I probably won't be able to participate in that, if at all, as I am nearing retirement. Probably the oldest ahjumma in this blogsite. :-)
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korfan
August 2, 2013 at 7:00 AM
Kim Yoonmi -
Interesting indeed. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Unfortunately, I only watched the last couple of episodes of Arang.
When time permits, I'll have to watch the whole thing and see how the things mentioned here are incorporated in the story from the beginning.
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 7:47 AM
ooh wow, the buried in wedding garments reminds me of a Native American tribe. The wife was buried in wedding garments but for a different reason. If she arrived at the Creator's gate without a wedding garment, she couldn't get in because there would be no family there to claim her.
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Chimera
August 2, 2013 at 8:04 PM
@KimYoonmi & Carole McDonnell: Wow, all that discussion of world building and college majors is so fascinating. I'm trying to move beyond Tolkien-esque fantasy (I like what George R. R. Martin does with POVs in his books but somehow I never was as enamoured of ASOIAF as everyone seems to be) and East Asian mythology is very refreshing to someone who grew up on European and Indian myth. Which is one of the reasons I wish K-dramas had more genre offerings- Arang FTW!
I'm about to start my undergrad studies (majoring in English lit) and my country simply doesn't have college options for SFF nerds/writers. I'm planning to apply abroad for postgrad; looking for concentrations in East Asian mythology and folklore with cultural anthropology, comparative literature, psychology and film studies thrown in. Which, yeah, is kind of a tall order. I would so love a degree in worldbuilding since it would include pretty much all of this and more, and like you said, it requires all-around knowledge and nerdiness. ;)
I wish there were more english translations of SFF writings from East Asia; I've reading fan translations on blogs like Koala's and among other things, the narrative voice is just so different from what I'm used to. One of the reasons I'm so motivated to start learning Korean!
Also, lapping up all the film and anime recs in this OT. I despair at the size of my to-watch list!
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 3, 2013 at 8:50 AM
Hi Chimera, wouldn't it be great if you graduated and became an author/filmmaker/spirituality anthropological expert!!!!
Re: worldbuilding:
The great thing about diversity in storyworlds is not only that we see different races but we get different concerns.
George R R Martin's world is not a world I can abide in for too long. I just hate the racial subtext. I hate the way women are presented -even when they are supposed to be strong. I hate the murdering and the obsession with killing. I hate the subtle atheism and the lack of a deep spirituality.
I've only seen Eastern wordbuilding stories -- such as Arang-- but in these there is some honoring of the spiritual, whether it's Muism or Buddhism or even Christianity. The western rationalistic male has its own concerns. Give me a story by a woman from the east or from Africa or Latin America and I am happy. I want to see the world through different eyes.
If you can get your hand on some books by these authors: Samantha Ling, Ted Chiang, Eugie Foster, Lafcadio Hearn (a real classic), Marjorie M Liu, Ken Liu, Derwin Mak, Eric Choi. A great East Indian writer is Ashok Banker, who is not only a sweet guy but is a great writer. He wrote a series based on Indian mythology. He's East-Indian, not Indian-American but his works are in English as well.
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KimYoonmi
August 3, 2013 at 11:46 AM
If I could make a profession of World Building and make a major out of it I would. But it doesn't pay... If a liberal arts college allowed it, and I could put it on my resume that would be awesome.
But Cultural Anthropology will have to be a substitute for now.
I'm also halfway through a graphic design degree too.
Combine it with the Computer Science I already know and voila, I get paid well.
I also dislike George RR Martin, pretty much for the racial aspects, the unnecessary amount of melodrama, the treatment of women. I don't care one way or the other on religion. I do care when he calls someone who is clearly meant to be a Mongol a "Barbarian" and paints them as "savage", despite the non Whites in Medieval Europe around the time he's writing (I know it's an Other World, but it is roughly based around the Hundred Years War/War of the Roses). (Moors... anyone? The Romani were from India... anyone? Mongols?)
I got into fantasy because I thought it could portray social issues with the same kind of coldness of Science Fiction (which I also like) and transport people to other locations and cultures, but somehow all those cultures ended up being in Europe... (Though I did read others.)
I like reading about mentally strong characters that grow and transport me to places I haven't been. That show a different POV, and allow for the diversity that this world has.
For that, you might like Octavia Butler, N.K. Jemisin, Linda Sue Park, Ursula Le Guin (Features PoC and QUILTBAG characters), Saladin Ahmed, Nnedi Okorafor, Yoon Ha Lee (says she's writing a novel...), Cindi Pon. I also would love it if there was a website where you could get translated books. I would love it if it ran like viki... but I don't have the programming skill. I sometimes fantasize about starting a Kickstarter around the idea. There are many books that are considered classics and in public domain which publishers won't translate because of cost and it doesn't play to the stereotype norm for that country. But wouldn't it bring people together to be able to read books from around the world which are considered classics in their own countries without that social framing?
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 3, 2013 at 12:56 PM
Seconding Saladin, NK Jemison, and Nnedi. Great writers, really good people. And Ursula Le Guin and Octavia are definitely renowned.
I can't say fantasy is cold. It tends to be softer than scifi and thus allows for a lot of warmth, humanity, and emotional complexities.
Different aspects of fantasy are mentioned here on this website: http://www.farahsf.com/extract.htm
Why not do the kickstarter? Couldn't hurt. I'm sure a lot of folks would kick in.
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Chimera
August 3, 2013 at 7:01 PM
Hey, thanks for all the recs, both of you. About half of those writers are already on my reading list but so happy to add the new ones! :D
I'm more of a YA junkie as you can prolly see from my recommendations. I, personally, love Sarah Rees Brennan and Holly Black's work but they're more in the realm of urban fantasy than straight up high fantasy. A lot of their books feature LGBT characters and protagonists who are people of colour. I like how Holly Black incorporates the question of her hero's racial identity into the noir setting of her story as part of the larger issues of duplicity, doubt, mistrust and cons he is dealing with (he is a person of colour but does not know about his ethnicity of origin). Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon trilogy has each book from the POV of a different character and her demons are based on Sumerian myth. I've also enjoyed The Blue Sword by Robin Mckinley, Scott Westerfeld's steampunk trilogy and Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief series.
Have heard really good things about Nalo Hopkinson, Jacqueline Carey, Cinda Williams Chima, Orleans by Sherri L. Smith, the Eon duology by Alison Goodman and Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn.
I hate the argument that somehow the crappy portrayal of women or lack of people of colour in high fantasy can't be helped be because that's how it was in that period. Nope, it wasn't. Women have always been active participants in the community (because 50% of the population- duh!) and have always accompanied armies, at times as leaders and combatants, but more often as cooks, healers, people in charge of managing the day to day needs of the army etc.- which are all vital roles during war (I cite armies as an example because of their central aspect in most high fantasy stories). Same goes for depiction of people of colour. There has always been trade, travel and cultural exchanges between countries. I can't think of any civilisation that has evolved in a vacuum of isolated white bliss.
And anyway, if you can divert from "realistic" depiction enough to include dragons and giant spiders and fucking talking trees in your story, you can bloody well divert from reality a little more and create a world where women and people of colour have agency.
Chimera
August 3, 2013 at 7:29 PM
A writer talking about the influence of Asian mythology in her world building:
http://diversityinya.tumblr.com/post/49180595571/miriam-forster-discusses-sune-as-inspiration
I love that idea of a Viki-like website for translating books in the public domain. I've fantasised about starting an indie publishing house in my country that translates lesser known books from other languages, and maybe English books into regional dialects when I grow older. But your idea is fantastic! I think it would totally work if you tried it, and I bet there are a lot of people who would love to work for this site and even more who would love to use it. :)
KimYoonmi
August 4, 2013 at 6:43 AM
@Chimera
If you want a better look at Women in fantasy, you can take a look at these fine authors (I know, I know)
Open thread is becoming off topic...
Wise Child and Juniper by Monica Furlong. (Not PoC, but I really like the books)
The thing is that people have down played women's roles as "exciting" or "important" despite the fact that they often had to deal with great many things. This manages to weave magic, domestic life, etc and the writer is explicitly criticizing the church in her area for being less accepting of females, but in an unpreachy way. This also has some Wiccan-type things in it.
Anne McCaffrey's Pern books
She could get a little on the Mary Sue side, but the feminism streak in the books is unmistakable.
Melanie Rawn Dragon Prince and Exiles.
Exiles is awesome for feminism. (I wish she'd continue, but I understand the difficulty) It reverses the sexism, but in a careful and very thoughtful way. The only other reverses sexism book I like is Ooku, so that's saying a lot.
What highlights in the books I selected is that you don't need *the female warrior* archetype where she gives up all her femininity in order to fit into the story, they all play with typical gender roles at the same time as celebrating the "typical" feminine roles.
It's also a myth, if you think carefully that Women were never in positions of power in Medieval Europe. Catherine the Great, Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Sophia of Russia. Also queens were often expected to take care of the kingdom while the men were gone, and direct their children in their education. The difference is that the women in positions of power got much more flack for it. In some historical cases, the Kings tried to erase them from History. (They just be that jealous) And things such as being able to lug out the washing, fill it with water, boil that water, and lift a few pounds of sheets while stepping on a lye-filled tub was not seen as physically strong as being able to lift a sword and kill things.
And there were too PoCs in the time period. Plenty in Medieval art. Some of the Apostles and Saints are PoC too... and early depictions of Jesus made him appear to be Isrealite. (Not to mention that some think he was part Egyptian because of a Bible passage about his parentage) Racism was invented much later for socio-economic reasons (Most prejudice is), but there were definitely PoCs in Europe.
Chimera
August 4, 2013 at 6:36 PM
@KimYoonmi: Off-topic is part of the definition for OTs, I believe. ;)
I can't think of anything more substantial to add except yes, yes, totally agree with you. I would love to read stories that explore gender through traditionally "feminine" roles AND have fantasy elements as well, so thanks a lot for the recs. I'd also add Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin which is from the POV of a minor character in Virgil's Aeneid and has her mainly within a domestic setting as she struggles to make sense of her destiny.
5 makoto
August 2, 2013 at 6:32 AM
Happy OT...
I have these questions regarding Korean culture that I watch in drama. Are they really part of the culture or the drama making them up?
1. Do kids (especially high schoolers) have their classes from morning until evening? How many hours should they spend at school? I see many high schooler goes home / roaming on the street at night while still wearing uniform.
2. Are people really addressed by their profession? Even student? I watched these scenes, where people called Jang Mari (Suzy in Big) and Park Seon Woo (Park Hyung sik in Nine) "학생" / student.
K-drama world
1. Vampire Prosecutor season 1. Ok, I'm too late to realize how good it is. Eventhough lack of humor and loveline, but the whole story is so well written. Not to mention that cold but hot prosecutor.
2. Drama special: Puberty medley, Transfer Student ep 1. I see some School 2013's taste here. Maybe because I notice 2 of the actors are from S2013, and someone mentioned Jang Nara here. I haven't watch next episode so I don't know if it's good or not. So far it's fairly good, so funny. I always love drama which gives new face a chance to proof they are worth to be main lead. I know Lee Se Young is not rookie but it's her first time to be female lead.
3. 1N2D compatible food race and bokbulgok... Joowon said "babo" to YoonA and his expression after that: priceless. Sung sikyung wearing wig: big lol. Poor shy boy.
Will start Who are You tomorrow so I avoid any possible spoiler.
Haven't watched Cruel City and Shark 19 - 20 yet, but spoilers already spilled the ending. So I decided to leave them for awhile. Will watch it someday but not soon.
Song Joongki enlisted? Already? *heartbroken*
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sartorius
August 2, 2013 at 6:41 AM
OMG VP is awesome....its never too late to discover the goodness!!!
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makoto
August 2, 2013 at 6:50 AM
But still, If only I have known it earlier. :))
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 7:11 AM
1. High Schoolers do wear their uniforms on the street. Hours of school... I'm not quite sure. The structure is very similar to the Japanese system as far as I know, though.
2. And yes, people are addressed by their profession. I was called Haksaeng (Student) a few times (though that's stretching it) and also Agassi while in Korea. (I'm Korean... so...)
My brother was called Oppa, and Seonsaengnim, if they knew he was a teacher.
You're more likely to call someone by their title if you're in a work environment or if they are older than you. If you know each other well, it's less likely to happen and then it parses by age.
So my brother should call me Noona, or Jin Noona (to clarify) but we rarely call each other by name at all. (And he's just not that type being Americanized.)
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makoto
August 2, 2013 at 7:23 AM
Thank you for the explanation. :)
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Sethe
August 2, 2013 at 7:23 AM
Hi! I taught English in Seoul for a couple years, so I can give some perspective on your questions about Korean culture based on my experience there.
First, a LOT of Korean students attend after-school academies after their regular school day ends. They'll take extra classes in things like math, Korean, and English (those seem to be the most popular). At my school, we had classes for the elementary school kids from 4-7 and the middle school students from 7-10. People said that 10 pm was the latest (by law) that students could have classes, but I never personally verified that, so I don't know if it's true... (still seems awfully late, considering these are still pretty young kids).
And yes, people are definitely addressed by their title/profession. President, Manager, Teacher, Student... It sounds a little strange in English (imagine addressing someone in your company that you work with every day as "Manager"), but it's completely the norm in Korea (in my experience). I, personally, was always addressed as "Teacher" (sometimes in English, sometimes in Korean).
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makoto
August 2, 2013 at 7:29 AM
So that's the case. Not every students attend the class till night then, since it is only for them who take extra classes. Thanks. :)
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 7:46 AM
Though addressing people by title sounds a bit odd when translated into English, when using Japanese it sounds a lot more normal, and I assume that Korean is very similar. In a way it is like in English to address someone as "doctor" does not sound that odd, but many Asian cultures have extended titles to more than just doctors. Some of that is historical - especially for scholars and government officials, and even though in Japan at least it is a bit less common now, it is by no mean unusual.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 7:53 AM
Is the competitiveness for college admission really as cut-throat as some dramas have portrayed it? If youre an average student with an average background is there no possibility of getting into a nice school?
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 8:02 AM
For Korea, yes. The high school and college can determine which companies you can get into sometimes.
With Japan, that's even more so, often with college students being first in line for certain companies given a specific degree from a college.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 7:56 AM
Is the competitiveness for college admission really as cut-throat as some dramas have portrayed it? If you're an average student with an average background is there no possibility of getting into a nice school? And what are the more prestigious universities students strive to get into?
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Selena
August 2, 2013 at 8:27 AM
I am not a Korean but I have taught SAT to some Korean students. The fierce competition makes then willing to sacrifice their spare time or holiday to study. Most of them try to compete to get into Seoul National University. This year one of my students got accepted there :)
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Sethe
August 2, 2013 at 8:28 AM
When so many Korean students start attending hagwons (private after-school academies) for extra classes in the evenings and on weekends as early as elementary school, and most of them also have private tutors and take tons of test-prep classes, and travel or even live abroad, it's hard to see how an "average student with an average background" could compete.
Top Korean universities are Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Also, LOTS of Korean students want to go to Harvard. They may want to go to other foreign universities, too, but Harvard was always the one that came up first.
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 8:47 AM
Wow. How do poor students even afford to have the same edge when financial constraints don't grant them the same opportunities? What are some of the reasons why it's so competitive? Too many students and not enough schools?
Sethe
August 2, 2013 at 9:19 AM
Interesting question... I lived and worked in Gangnam-gu/Daechi-dong (ESL hagwon central, for those who don't know), and my entire interaction in Seoul was with students whose parents could afford to pay for expensive private academies and private tutoring... truth is, I'm feeling a little ashamed that I know nothing about the experience of students who aren't so privileged.
Just like in the US, it's not that there aren't ENOUGH colleges, but it's about getting into the RIGHT college.
yukiNYC
August 2, 2013 at 9:29 AM
Koreans who settled in USA fill up the lack of after-schools in USA with home-study. Little TV and Video Games and lots of study books a year or more ahead so they can excel in school.
In larger K communities, there are schools for Korean kids so they can stay ahead of other kids in school.
My relatives are investigating the local regulations so they can start a K-after-school.
My uncle told me an Asian sued UC Berkeley when they rejected him because of their quota system, despite his very high SAT. LOL
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korfan
August 2, 2013 at 9:22 PM
The after-school situation sounds familiar to me and brings back memories. Good ones, actually, here in the U.S.
I am not of Korean descent, and the only reason I even mention this is simply to share that, contrary to popular belief, even in the U.S., the idea of after-school activites to either supplement or round out the school day, is not that far-fetched or reserved to a particular ethnic group. I only mention this because, unfortunately, I've heard some people conclude this to be the case, based on K-drama viewing.
When I was in high school, and this was a while back, those 4 years (and actually, all the years prior to hs), were not a wasteland of nothingness ....... if you cared about going on to a university. After school, weekends and summers were filled with extra workbooks, music classes, educational trips, extra studying, etc.
You may argue that perhaps I missed out on "regular high school fun stuff", but the truth is, I didn't because everyone with whom I was competing to excel with, wasn't doing any of those things either. And honestly, our little academic rivalries were actually quite fun. We competed with each other in a healthy way ..... we were fortunate enough to do so and we all went to universities as a result.
So again, not strictly a "K-thing". I do enjoy seeing how the focus on education is incorporated into some of the Kdramas though. Nothing wrong with that, education is important.
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6 Mama J
August 2, 2013 at 6:37 AM
Good Morning, My Wondrous Beans!
My beautiful Baksa is no more, gone with Cutie and Safari to do cute bromance-y things in a better place. I can’t even really talk about it yet. It was awesome. It wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect for me.
And a second good ending this week, with I Hear Your Voice. That show really went out strong, didn’t it? I’m hoping for good with Monstar, too. So many people to miss now.
I’m filling in the space with catching up with Goddess of Marriage and by the time Kakashi is back from her vacation I should be completely caught up and able to participate in the KimJiCaps. And I started Who Are You, which has surprised me with a comically adept Taecyeon and an actually sort of scary/suspenseful plot line.
Otherwise, same old same old. I have other things to catch up on too – Blade and Petal, mostly. And I need to find They Kiss Again because I want more Joe Cheng with his freakishly large forehead and weak upper lip.
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Selena
August 2, 2013 at 7:09 AM
CC/HC: For your consolation :) actually, Baksa is still alive. Hyung Min gives him new identity and changes His name to Jung Hyun Soo (Retaining his last name and adopting Soo's name). The cut scene shows Baksa's back while he's standing at the airport.
This is my first time watching Jung Kyung Ho...now I'm his big fan!
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 7:22 AM
I was wondering about that last scene. You derived all of that from those few seconds? It's a nice consolation, indeed. But I'm still sad *spoiler* that cutie Soo had to die :( whyyyyy *spoiler*. I think Safsri ended up being one of my fav characters. I just love their little family, Safari, Jin Sook, and Shi Hyun. And ugh, I will forever hate you Min.
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Selena
August 2, 2013 at 7:45 AM
That could be an illusion as when Soo Min saw Baksa. I guess that's also my consolation since I couldn't see Shi Hyun die, eventhough I know that he must die to make the story noir.
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Honora
August 2, 2013 at 8:04 AM
It is not an illusion. On tumblr is a post about the deleted scene.
EP. 20 “ENDING" TRANSLATION
HyungMin’s car, coming from far away. Parks next to a car that has already been parked.
HyungMin gets out of the car and walks toward…the door opens ShiHyun gets out of the car with one arm bandanged
HM: As you requested, Min Hong Ki died by Doctor’s Son. I’m Sorry
SH: No…Thank You.
HM: (Smiling) Lee Jin Sook, SooMin..Everyone knows that you killed him.
SH: (Hurt)
HM: Do you have to leave?
SH: If I stay…Both of them will not be able to be happy.
HyungMin, gives a plane ticket and passport to ShiHyun
HM: Passport. Ticket…
SH: (Receives and holds onto them)
HM: Do not worry. Your name, age, it is all changed.
SH: The new name…(smiles) Jung Hyun Soo…Thank You.
HM: Are you not going to come back?
SH: …Be well. Ji Hyung Min.
HM: …
SH: …
When HM has his hand out for a handshake SH shakes hands after switching to his left hand, due to the bandaged hand
Both get in their cars. From far away a plane is seen departing into the sky.
Credit to jina_bing_bang@Soompi for the translation
So this was supposed to be the ending we get. I don’t understand why they cut out such a crucial scene which could have kept the viewers from questioning if SH dies or is still alive. Cutting this scene and giving us that scene after the credits was just plain cruel.
It’s good to know that according to the script SH is still alive although Paksa dies (well he has too seeing as he’s being wanted by the cops and killed CJ). It’s a pity that we don’t get to see a happy ending for our OTP but on the other hand I love how SH treasures his friendship with Soo that he kept Soo’s name along with his family name. Bromance for live!
owl
August 2, 2013 at 7:47 AM
@CC *spoiler* Gah! The family reunion killed me. Unkie Safari's confession to Shi hyun while he lay dying was a major tear fest, followed by being laid out on the chaise lounge while Jin Sook and Shi hyun cried over his dead body. It just broke my heart. Stupid undercover police lives. They should have just stuck with the drugs and they would have lived happily ever after. Well, they would have lived.
Watching Shi hyun in a suit and subsisting on nothing but amber Scotch for 20 episodes has been my hot pleasure.
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Waiting
August 2, 2013 at 7:46 AM
Selena,
I hope you are right! *fingers crossed*
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trixicopper
August 2, 2013 at 8:55 AM
*****SPOILER*****
I disagree. That may have been the intention, but since the scenes were cut that's not what we got. According to what we were shown, he's gone.
While I'm the first to say that Soo min is dumber than a stump, she was there. There is a real difference between someone who is unconscious and someone who is dead. Trust me.
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Nadia
August 2, 2013 at 7:51 AM
I hope Jung Kyung-Ho makes a full recovery from his herniated disk.
Jung Kyung-Ho did a wonderful job portraying Doctor's Son. I really enjoyed the characters of Doctor's Son, Lee Jin- Sook, Safari, Kim Hyun-Soo.
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Selena
August 2, 2013 at 8:01 AM
Yes, speed recovery for Jung Kyung Ho!
Now, I want to watch his previous drama, 'Smile, You', to see his cheerful side after his dark, gloomy and revengeful character, to relive him after the heart crushing noir melo.
Uugghh I cannot let go of him. Damn you, show!
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 9:13 AM
So worried about Jung Kyung Ho's injury. Sending him positive thoughts.
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katmoo
August 2, 2013 at 2:34 PM
JoAnne~ I don't know how you watch your dramas but dramafever JUST added They Kiss Again. I got the email this morning. FYI
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Cynthia
August 2, 2013 at 7:01 PM
Hi, Joanne! Long time, no talk...
Just finished watching ISWAK2 over at drama crazy.EU.
It was by far the best of all the ISWAKs.
Joe looks better and Ariel's character becomes not so totally stupid.
I found it to be much more watchable than the original T-version.
And they didn't shy away from marital whoopie. Nice.
:-)
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gora
August 3, 2013 at 3:44 AM
This is such a beautiful drama that I feel saddened that it has ended. Regardless of the ending it was an exciting journey of Shi Yun's life. Its a drama of quality. I hope they make dramas like this. Love it so much. JKH career best so far. Fantastic acting by all of the cast.
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7 korfan
August 2, 2013 at 6:38 AM
Hello Everyone!
I hope everyone is doing well today.
So let's see ..... the weekly update on this week's drama-viewing:
Shark - I know this ended this week, but I just finished watching episode 8. Still enjoying this. ..... I know Yi-soo thinks he's being all cool, calm and collected about the execution of his plan, but I don't think he knows just how much he can't keep his emotions out of the game. ...... There was a brief, don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it reaction moment from him this week when Hae-woo was declaring her impressions of the Yi-soo that may or may not have returned. ..... I don't think Yi-soo was counting on hearing this impression. ..... He may have concluded that he now has to make some small adjustments in his plan. ...... This may work against him. ....... But you know, this is a re-telling of the Orpheus story, and we all know how that ends. ...... So maybe it doesn't matter what he does.
IHYV - All Su-ha. ..... All the time. ..... Please. ..... So good. ..... Also on episode 8 with this one. I know we still have months to go before the end of the year and there are still more dramas to come, but, this may just be the top one this year. ..... All Su-ha. ..... All the time. ..... Please.
WAML - 4 more episodes to go with this. ...... Chang-hee, what did you do??! And oh my goodness, I think he holds more secrets than a high-level government agency. ..... Mi-do has now secured herself a place on my "no respect" list, joining Jae-hee. ...... Poor Oppa. Something good will happen to him in the next 4 episodes, right? ..... right?
Lastly, finished watching the Taiwanese drama, What is Love, that I found a couple of weeks ago by accident, while changing tv channels. No English subtitles, so no idea what was said, but I got the gist of the whole thing. It was cute.
That's about it from here. Everyone take care and have a great Friday!
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8 sartorius
August 2, 2013 at 6:39 AM
Happy OT everyone! Finale bonanza this week!!!
CC/HC: *SPOILERS AHEAD*the ending was okay...i was kinda hoping for a happy ending but we all know that couldn't happen in this show...however i missed the real ending..the shot of him answering the phone. butttt I was a little mad cause i felt like the finale rushed some things...like Congressman Cha's role wasn't explained properly, we didn't get to see Soo's change of mind and how that happened...Jin Sook is the greatest woman to ever live...i mean she just blew me away in the lst episode...they way she dealt with certain things just made me very very VERY happy! Min the Fucktard....ugh the way he died wasnt enough for me....i wanted more suffering, less slowness in his death....but overall a very satisfying series!
Shark: *SPOILERS AHEAD* this show....talk about an unsatisfying ending...i mean the end had me SMH all around town...the last episode...UGH! those r my thoughts...
So now m gonna watch DalJa's Spring and I Hear Your Voice....gonna wait for some episodes of Master's Sun and Two Weeks to come out to decide how good or not good they are...i feel its pointless though cause these days, dramas start out sooo good but then fizzle towards the end..*coughGuFamilyBookcough* but i shal wait....
PS...DAMN u EXO...i was okay with creeping on Kris from afar a little now and then but then u had to release GROWL...which i have to say is one of the stupidest names i have heard for a song...but damn is the song and the video good and now i have discovered some more hotties in the EXO...N now m jamming to that song all day long!!! n rewatching the video multiple times!!! DAMN U EXO!!!
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 8:01 AM
I also felt the ending of CC was rushed. I have 2 majof mehs:
1 - Thighs' story and his father's story really didn't matter in the end. Especially Thighs - his story faded along the way and it didn't much matter in the end
2 - The ending scene at the orphanage made Soo Min the main focus of the drama's finale that she didn't deserve
I cried for Safari, Soo, Jin Sook and Shi hyun. Min was as dirty as they come - death was too good for him.
Overall, the drama gave me a good rush~
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junny
August 4, 2013 at 5:15 AM
my beef is the same with yours, and much more. Soo-min doesn't deserve to be in any part of the finale, she was that useless. i couldn't believe she became a cop in the end.
Daddy Ji's turnabout was wtf. he spent all drama being corrupt, but Shi-hyun's 5 mins with him changed that black heart? seriously now...
Soo's reaction to Shi-hyun's dual identity got the horrible short shrift. but i'm glad the best bros reunited in heaven.
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9 GISELA COETZEE
August 2, 2013 at 6:47 AM
0ne is too tired, one just wants to sweep oneself away, erase oneself. Learning real walking again, am cycling indoors. Want so little - but to have all vigour back.
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kdkdkdkdkdkd
August 2, 2013 at 8:26 AM
Are you OK?
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10 john
August 2, 2013 at 6:59 AM
Summer is in full swing. We're awash in tomatoes and cucumbers. Had some yummy cucumber soup the other day.
Shark: why, why?
IHYV: That's more like it.
Watching: Goddess of Fire, Queen's Classroom, I Summon You Gold
J Dramas: Starman & Woman
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sartorius
August 2, 2013 at 7:20 AM
i dunno how ur putting up with Goddess of Fire....i have heard not positive things about the storyline...
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Mystisith
August 2, 2013 at 7:29 AM
I watch only for Kim Bum: 1 episode = 15 mins.
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john
August 2, 2013 at 7:31 AM
Kim Bum, ikr, I told the wife that the noonas would watch just for him.
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Waiting
August 2, 2013 at 7:48 AM
And we do, John, we do. :)
john
August 2, 2013 at 7:30 AM
Moonie unni...
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Rachel
August 2, 2013 at 8:23 AM
Moon Geun Young really needs to pick better projects. The last show I remember from her was the disaster that is Mary Stayed Up All Night.
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john
August 2, 2013 at 8:36 AM
Rachel ~
yeah, it's not a ground breaking role. We've seen all the plot devices in various other dramas.
The show is okay until something better comes along.
windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 7:50 AM
I gave up on GOF - for some reason it seems like a drama aimed at 8-year olds that need to be battered over the head 3x with the same slapstick to get the point. Queens, Woman, and ISYG are at the top of my list for good ones though.
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 8:05 AM
I am hesitant to watch the ending of Shark, now. I am 4 eps behind. I hate to be set up for disappointment, especially riding on the high of IHYV's fabulous wrap up. (Cruel City's ending wasn't too bad, either).
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Toto
August 2, 2013 at 8:12 AM
Hey John!
what do you think about woman? I think its amazing I love the chemistry between Riku and the mother, Its so natural.
Also have you seen EP 5 yet? really good :D
Honestly thought I would prefer Starman watched EP 1 straight after Woman EP 1, it was so happy I went back to my dark corner...
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john
August 2, 2013 at 8:29 AM
Toto ~
I've seen about 1/2 of Ep. 5 of Woman,
(tech difficulties at home, no WiFi for wife's tablet. Fixed that before I left for work, priorities, right?)
I like Woman so far, it fills the need for darkness.
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alua
August 2, 2013 at 2:34 PM
"it fills the need for darkness"
Oh, John, the things you say!
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11 Enz
August 2, 2013 at 7:04 AM
Hi everyone! Happy Ot. Havent posted in a while.
Am so going to miss monstar. Really hope that the finale will be consistent as it has been theoughout the series, for me anyway. I realise a lot of dont share that but it really is the first drama that i simulcasted in the last two years that i feel like rewatching again. Cant wait to marathon it proper.
I love monstar too for introducing me to the awesomeness that is junhyung and beast. Ater watching their difficult start and the hard work they put in ( which i guess might the case for ALL idols), i just feel emotionally invested in their well being and success.Its embarrassing to fangirl like this but i cant help it!! :p
Loved the finale of IHYV. I enjoyed the drama very much and it really made me think LJS can act when i didnt before. He really upped his game in this drama.
Looking forward to master's sun coz finally i get to see so ji sub in something! Just hope it wont spook me too much coz am such a scaredy cat.
Also looking to check out two weeks to see why kakashi sooooo loves lee jun ki :)
Thats all. Everyone, have a great weekend!! I know i will :)
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 8:09 AM
I'm Junhyung and Beast fangirl2, right with ya, Enz! Not to mention my girlcrush for Seyi. I have it bad for Monstar!
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enz
August 2, 2013 at 8:30 AM
sheeeee owl! and squeeeee . i hope they come again to malaysia - they were here 27th june and i went (free ticket) but it was before my obsession EXPLODED!! hehe.
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enz
August 2, 2013 at 8:32 AM
oops i meant wheeeee
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MeeisLee
August 2, 2013 at 9:16 AM
I'm convinced Monstar is like a gateway drug to Kpop and kmusic. I've become a fan of artists I didn't hear of before and i have renewed love for Beast (loved them near their debut but my interest faded). I've been watching all their comeback stages!
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enz
August 2, 2013 at 4:30 PM
I think it is! lots of new beast fans. and glam too for dahee
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12 christina
August 2, 2013 at 7:07 AM
I was actually excited when IHYV ended as I've been waiting to marathon it, and I'm loving it so far. I watched five episode in one day. I'd never seen Lee Jong-suk in anything before, and I don't find him very attractive personally, but when he smiles and gets all excited in this drama I understand the appeal. So cute!
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RWJQ
August 2, 2013 at 7:12 AM
Wait till you get to Ep 8. You'll love him more. :)
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 8:03 AM
I started out this drama with a healthy appreciation for his cuteness, but no attraction to him. Boy did that change in the second half of this drama....
Now I fully get why he was never allowed to actually get a girl in any of his previous dramas - too many dead/slain noonas in his wake if he did!
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Celery
August 2, 2013 at 11:57 AM
For me, zero attraction which has now upgraded to a healthy appreciation for his smiles.
LBY has gone straight up from "who'sss thattt?" to badass actress for me though. Loved, loved HS.
And I can't wait to see more of the supporting cast in other projects. Hope they have loads of fun during their joint Phuket trip!
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 1:32 PM
oh yes, Lee Bo-young and Lee Da-hee were both fabulous as Hye-sung and Do-yeon, and I really, really hope their next roles match up to these, for quality.
It was a fantastic cast, not a single weak link anywhere and people kept blowing me away.
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Celery
August 3, 2013 at 1:02 AM
I'm just worried that LBY will choose family dramas or melos next. I took a quick look at her filmography and it's just... not my cup of tea.
IHYV is an exception because it is essentially a rom-com shaded in with darker bits. And I can appreciate K rom-coms.
13 link
August 2, 2013 at 7:11 AM
Happy OT fellow beanies! I pulled an all-nighter watching IHYV, Queen's Classroom finale, and reliving some episodes of Nice Guy. Just cuz. HE'S LEAVING. SOONG JONG KI. T-T NO.
But.. that aside, can I just say how AWESOME Last Night was?
IHYV Finale wasn't EPIC or THRILLING but oddly, I still liked it. Could not have asked for more. It had a balance of open-endedness yet also gave us a hopeful resolution for all the characters. It hit all the right spots for me and it came to a satisfactory conclusion. Shall never forget! And that, of course, entails another XXIOE hours of rewatching this drama AGAIN. I just love it SO MUCH. <3333
Queen's Classroom ending was also really great. This drama never fails to turn on my waterworks. Teacher Ma turned out to be even more devoted to her students than I thought. That scene in the classroom after the graduation.... Man I haven't cried this much since QIHM! *sniff* I love how all the kids learned from Teacher Ma and even taught their parents! ha! Just shows they're really growing up and finding out what they want to do.
Queen's Classroom was quite different. It wasn't a romance or action or comedy. It was a drama about school and those are the ones that inspire you the most, darn it. The ending was superb. I love how she ended with the same pose in the poster. xD
Now that my favorite dramas of this year are gone... like.. what is there to do now? Do I... What. No. I can't move on yet. They were too great. Must mourn AT LEAST UNTIL NEXT WEEK WHEN THEY SHOW NEW DRAMAS TO HOOK ME ONTO THE DRAMA-DRUG AGAIN. :D
Hope everyone is doing well. The weather in San Jose, California is slightly chilly this morning but it breathes of soft breezes and bright skies.
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 7:58 AM
I think Queens Classroom has been VERY much under rated - for sure one of the best of the year.
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john
August 2, 2013 at 8:02 AM
Windsun33 ~
The children in Queen's Classroom have done a wonderful job.
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 8:10 AM
Yes, and the kids are what sold me on it.
To be honest, I usually really really hate kid actors in k-dramas, as they are far too often just used as props for a crying jag. But those kids are the exception - so much so that I was surprised how much I started liking them (and how much I ended up hating the Vice Principle..)
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aafa83
August 2, 2013 at 9:00 AM
I also agree that this is one of the best Kdrama of the year.
Having loved the original Japanese drama that this is a remake of, I was very pleased at how good this version turned out to be.
All of the actors can be really proud of their efforts...I don't think there's an episode that I didn't cry buckets.
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 12:22 PM
In this case I thought the Korean remake was much better than the Japanese original. I don't usually get emotional about dramas, but I whimpered all the way through the last episode.
Queen's is one of the very few dramas I would like to see a sequel for.
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 8:14 AM
QC was refreshingly different from the other dramas I am watching. I loved Teacher Ma and the children. You're right, it was underrated and should (could) have had a wider appeal.
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 10:26 AM
Yeah, I wish QoC had been covered here instead of YTBLSS, but often you never know how good or bad a series will be when it first starts out.
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14 Elysium
August 2, 2013 at 7:18 AM
Hiya,
Haven't posted in a couple weeks, but am now totally squeeing at the IHYV finale, it's been while since we had such a satisfying ending to a drama with all the main characters accounted for and consistent to the very end. Now I just need to find myself a Suha.
Been watching some of the older 1N2D cast vs. crew eps and stumbled across an older ep where they pulled this HUGE prank on the new PD (who is now the PD for Our Neighbourhood Arts - which is also why I dug the old ep. up) - utterly hilarious! My sides were hurting from cringing and laughing at the same time.
Excited for more Joowon-oppa onscreen next week! I do find I'm increasingly more reluctant to catch up with the new 1N2D eps which is a shame...although on the other hand, Real Men is a really interesting look into what happens in the KR Army. I guess that's what I'll watch when I miss SJK and then I can imagine him getting that army bod. XDD
Cheers DBers!
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15 CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 7:23 AM
Hi all:
Happy Friday!
Joy in my heart because of I Hear Your Voice. I was actually thinking about it all night. Just a perfect well-wrought story. I actually cried when Big Bad's redemption arc came. And how fun is it that the righteous judge cannot admit his guilt, but the sinner-murderer can? Soo good. Am glad Lawyer Cha didn't start falling in love withDo Yeon. Little teases might've made us think it could be possible (him chasing her car etc) but one could see it in his eyes -- everytime he talked to her, he could see that she has grown but she is also very judgmental about evil. We need characters like that in the world. She is a true prosecutor. But she isn't right for Lawyer Cha. I totally love the writer of this drama and will watch anything else they write from now on. Even though I hate the tropes of amnesia and birth secret, the writer used them so well. And for a story about telepathy, this story was the most realistic story I've seen in a while. Few k-drama coincidences, no knee-jerk idiot love rival, no "getting the rivals together at the end" silliness. Mature and kind-hearted people all around. I loved this drama so much.
If there is one nit (and I always have to find one nit, nit-picker extraordinaire that I am) I think they should have mentioned fruit-stand ahjummas death a bit more, to bring home the point that revenge also brings collateral damage.
Shark: Ah me! I so do not want to talk about this. So annoyed. I will only say that if someone aims to write a tragedy, they should aim for the happiness of their characters. Then they will write a true tragedy. If not, one ends up with a melodrama that is forced and cynical and feels like the gods are out to destroy the happiness of humans for no real reason. The writer thought she was portraying something she wasn't, and she wasn't seeing the story the way the audience was seeing it. And she wanted Yi Soo to die at the end so she just kinda killed him. Cause that's all tragic and all. Heck, I still can't tell the difference between Chairman Jo's intended revenge and Yi Soo's intended revenge.
Who are you?: Everything is so forced in this drama. But I'll continue to watch. I like a good love story.
J-Dramas: Watched All Esper Dayo. Fun, risque but so good if one doesn't mind the hechi-ness. I forgot how much I like Japanese silliness.
Might try to catch up on Validation Inspectress
Movies:
Tone Deaf Clinic (with Yoon Sang Hyun, who has become such a crush.) Fun rom-com and one that had me actually confronting the "She loved him first so he belongs to her" mentality in myself. Who knew? I had to keep reminding myself that the heroine had no relationship with the guy she had a crush on and thus I should not be so mad at her rival.
Key of Life with Masato Sakai, who just kinda reminds me of a Japanese Joseph Gordon Leavitt because he does these quirky little movies. He has a certain I-dunno-- there's something about him and I love everything he does. A good little romantic movie about a guy who became an identity thief and ended up in the yakuza. Very Japanese dead-pan humor.
Awaiting more supernaturals.
Have a great weekend, all!
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 8:30 AM
@Carole - It might sound funny, but Hye-sung/So-yeon is actually my second favourite relationship - a very close second - to Hye-sung and Su-ha.
That relationship's played such a huge role in both their lives that in a way, they are the #1 influence on each other's paths and choices, second only to Best Mom In The World - I was really glad to see two female leads with a genuine relationship to each other, instead of being tangentially connected via men, and I'm also glad that both were allowed to have flaws and develop. (my heart actually melted when Do-yeon got all furious and huffy and wanted to lock Min Joon-gook away for hurting Hye-sung - I mean, she SAYS it's for justice, but her indignation on Do-yeon's behalf speaks volumes).
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 8:34 AM
So true! I had visions of the leads all hanging out together forever. It's a real "hang out" kind of drama, where you want to hang out with the characters and you imagine them hanging out with each other in true friendship forever, no matter who married who. BFF!
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 8:41 AM
oops, sorry, I meant Do-yeon's indignation on HYE-SUNG'S behalf! Though I also include Hye-sung's taking up cudgels for Do-yeon over the paternity testing/Hwang Dal-joong trial.
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yukiNYC
August 2, 2013 at 10:09 AM
@pogo, Awesome insight!
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 9:02 AM
wrought great word. You get extra points for using it. :-)
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 9:53 AM
LOL! Thanks! Fantasy-writer-speak.
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 12:32 PM
How's Heo Joon been going?
On my end I still like it which is amazing since it only has 22 episode to go and little to no lag at all.
I guess you'll be marathoning it.
I'll also check out your books too!
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 1:33 PM
I'm marathoning it. It's such a steady drama. I wish 96 episodes weren't so daunting to me.
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16 windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 7:25 AM
My ratings and opinions on Year to Date dramas etc., NOT listed in any particular order. Some are still running, some have recently finished:
(1) Queen of the Classroom - 5*. Much better than I expected and one of the very few that I would like to see a sequel (or preguel?) on. Many dramas only focus on a couple of the main characters, but this is a big exception - I got the feeling that almost everyone had far more depth than the usual drama.
(2) I Hear Your Voice - 5*. I won't go into details here, as this one has been discussed a LOT here, my only nitpick was that I think the extension kind of messed up the last four episodes.
(3) Woman - 4*. Japanese once a week drama. Good story on the problems of a single mother. Not your usual rags to riches story. Goes beyond the far too common paper-doll character portrayal and makes me feel like she is a real person.
(4) Shark - 3*. This one started out good for me, but about halfway through got pretty much "meh". Too many WTF moments and dangling issues.
(5) Limit - 3*. Japanese once a week drama. Giving this one 3 stars for now. Seems like a good plot line, but the last episode seemed to start getting a little bit off the deep end. Kind of a Lord of the Flies plot line.
(6) I Summon You Gold - 4*. One of the very few weekend dramas I will give more than 2 stars for. Although it has some of the common makjang moments, the characters seem a lot more real than most other longer series.
(7) Your The Best LSS - 1*. There are not many shows that I end up totally detesting, but this is one of them. Been discussed here a lot so won't go into depth.
(8) Heartless City - 1.5**. Not sure why I list this one, since I gave up on it about halfway, but there it is.
(9) Who Are You - 4*. Might be too early to rate this, with only 2 episodes watched, but so far a lot better than I expected.
(10) Love Around & Just You - 2*. Two Taiwan dramas that I watch occasionally if nothing else is on, but both a little bit on the really silly side for me. I probably won't finish them.
(11) Scandal - 4.5*. I was a bit surprised that I got hooked on this one, given the description. A lot of the usual "birth secret" stuff, but portrayed much better than usual.
A couple others on my radar, but some I am saving up til I can marathon at least 3-4 episodes.
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Toto
August 2, 2013 at 8:18 AM
I totally agree with limit read volume one of the manga, I was screaming lord of the flies.
yea it gets a bit crazy :)
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17 opaque
August 2, 2013 at 7:32 AM
Had my english exam last night. It was pretty terrible, and I'm rather apprehensive that I won't get the mark I want.
Otherwise, feeling melancholic now that IHYV is done. It's like ending a good book and then realizing the book's over so you can no longer submerge yourself in that world. But your life is still going on. Makes it a bit depressing. Dramas with bad finales don't tend to have that effect but the ones with good finales (and good stories throughout) always do (i.e. QIHM/SUFBB/DH1).
I dropped Monstar (episode 11), Heartless City (episode 19), Just You (episode 6). Combination of boredom and finale-phobia (as girlfriday puts it). No clue what to watch now; I have no desire to watch any of the new ones (most likely because of the IHYV withdrawal).
The only thing I started is a japanese drama called LIMIT. It's a psychological thriller, and its plot is reminiscent of LOTF. So far, it's interesting but it's kinda amazing how much I dislike most of the characters. But that's probably the reason why it is interesting...
Lastly, RM. I got into kpop before any other k-ent and my fav group was always 2NE1 so seeing them on RM (my fav variety) was really satisfying. Minzy is my bias and she shined so much in this episode! :)
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 8:06 AM
I have some of the same issues as you do with "Limit". I think the plot has a pretty good premise, but the last couple of episodes seemed to be really stretching credibility, especially the parts where everyone is trying to cover up the fact that a whole busload of students has disappeared.
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18 Chimera
August 2, 2013 at 7:36 AM
Watched Heartless City finale today. Already doubling over with withdrawal knife stabs. I wish some things had been better executed in the last two eps but overall I loved this show a lot. The first 8 episodes were damn near perfect. Also, Min is a douchehound.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 7:52 AM
lol withdrawal knife stabs.....properly blurred out I hope ;)
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Chimera
August 2, 2013 at 8:13 AM
Naturally. We absolutely do not condone gratuitous violence. :P
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 8:29 AM
Knife stabs and gun shots - I expected them to bleed Scotch, though.
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19 snow_white
August 2, 2013 at 7:37 AM
hello :)
I'm watching IHYV and I'm on ep 10.....I'm liking it a lot :)...but not addicted to it....
and I've started Baby Faced Beauty....only 1 ep done....it has an okay start....
waiting for Master's Sun and Two Weeks.....
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katmoo
August 2, 2013 at 2:53 PM
I hope you enjoy Baby Faced Beauty... after I finished it I had to promptly watch School 2013.
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20 redfox
August 2, 2013 at 7:42 AM
hi, peeps! since at work - short. havent watched IHYVfinal yet, sans computer till tuesday. gonna read tonight at moms´. question today: do you dress in kdrama style and where do you get the outfits? I don´t do it deliberately, but I have drawn and sewn some skirts and sweaters with a slight influence from dramas. and pick "cuter" fabrics...
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 7:59 AM
I don't think there's really a single 'kdrama style' for outfits, it depends on the drama. But I did dress like Go Dok-mi from Flower Boy Next Door for years, and even now I do it when winter comes along. It's not hard, just buying a lot of oversized sweaters and skirts and layers :)
And now that I'm working, I find that a lot of the kdrama professional women's outfits are a good template for office clothes because they're stylish and not inappropriate for the jobs they do - I loved the way Secretary Hyun dressed in Nice Guy, or In-jae in School 2013. Or Hye-sung and Do-yeon in IHYV, they dress really well.
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enz
August 2, 2013 at 8:15 AM
when i see feathers and birds from garden accessories, i think 'how will this look on my head?' just kidding but i do seem attracted to hairbands and large flowers in the hair much more than before.
its not good to try to look too cute when you are passed a certain age but kdramas have made me not care too much :p
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 8:37 AM
Gong min young's tops and skirts were so cute. I liked the flow-y fabric tops and thin sweaters she wore. I have to say I was in awe of Jin sook's yellow dress, too.
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yukiNYC
August 2, 2013 at 10:28 AM
Ear rings that Sung-Bin wore in her last scene took me totaly out of the drama because I fell in love with them and wanted desperately to wear them. Perfect for my short 100 F (38 C) degree hair cut.
Talking about PPL (product placement), all those hands and no watches or bracelet other than one cheap looking one on SH. Was that an inside joke?
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21 iluvKHJ
August 2, 2013 at 7:45 AM
After seeing some posts re. Lettuce Couple on WGM on OT a week or so ago, decided to check it out and now am obsessed re Kim Hyun Joong. Have watched his old WGM episodes and am almost done with Playful Kiss. Maybe KHJ can't act but he's super cute ;)
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iluvKHJ
August 2, 2013 at 8:02 AM
KHJ looks different now. Is it just 'cos he's older and has lost his 'flower boy' haircut? Kind of prefer the boyish KHJ of old although he's still hot now, just in a more manly fashion. Haven't watched Barefoot Friends yet but has he retained his 4D persona? Loved KHJ on WGM - he & Hwang Bo were really entertaining. Best episodes - when he sang Falling Slowly on the farm for HB while strumming his guitar and his video letter to HB's future spouse on Mt Halla.
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 8:37 AM
So true about KHJ looking differently. The long (blondish) hair and the doensang face was innocent. His videos have a machismo manliness that i have to get used to.
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Mar
August 2, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Breakdown and Unbreakable=Kim Hyun Joong: Oppa, Gangsta Style.
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 8:55 AM
@KJH in Barefoot Friends and his BOF 4D persona - it is comparing his character's personality with his real personality. In BOF his character is 4D, but in Barefoot Friends we see KJH's real personality. I really think he is awkward with himself, even though fans adore him. He's rather self centered (*duck) but also unsure and sometimes even slightly boring (*duck again). Perhaps those are his 4D qualities in real life.
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Mar
August 2, 2013 at 10:46 AM
KHJ- regarding his appearance. He has matured but he has also had more cosmetic surgery, specifically he changed his nose.
I love Barefoot Friends.
Barefoot Friends-He comes off as very self involved and not really paying attention sometimes to what others say. He sometimes offers ideas someone else has offered, or asked a weird question lol. He definitely does not come off as the sharpest tool in the shed. He said he had no books in his home, and he said he does not read. He is absolutely aware of his image, but he's not afraid to try and fail. All that said, he does not come off as stupid, or overly arrogant-do not mistake this comment that he appears humble-he knows people think he's pretty, or unkind, and is a team player, and pretty much does whatever needs to be done and whatever he is told to do.
But again, who really knows, we see what they want us to see on screen. I find his public persona likable enough.
I thought it was hysterical when he gave Yoon Si Yoon on advice on how to attract Uee's attention-basically be bossy because girls like that, ha.
Yoon Si Yoon kind of reeled me in (further, because I was already on the hook) on Barefoot Friends. Yoon Si Yoon comes across as kind of sweet, caring, and almost innocent, but book smart. Well, except for math haha. I can relate.
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 2:09 PM
Totally love BF. Actually, I started watching it for KHJ and YSY. The advice bit on how to attract Uee WAS hilarious. Especially because it seems to me that KHJ really does like Uee in these last couple of episodes, doesn't it?
The diving competition was so heartwarming. I cried several times. YSY is such a gentleman who deserves the best. His mom and grandma are dolls, too~ I also love Eunhyuk a ton. Sardine of the sea. Really, the whole team has solidified and cheer each other on in such a genuine way.
But back to KHJ - he is likeable, I like him, but I really did love his character in BoF to the tune of a major 2nd lead crush over LMH. I have seen him on two past Strong Heart episodes, and it seems that back then there was a distance in the relationship with his parents who did not agree with his career decision. He commented that he just left home one day. Stuff like this really does mold and shape one's personality. and I wonder if it is something he is still working through.
Enough psychological evaluation. KHJ is a steaming hot hunk, however the dice is tossed. He is every bit a part of making BF a fun show to watch as the others. I will be sad to see the show end.
katmoo
August 2, 2013 at 2:59 PM
I'm going to feel like a crazy fangirl with this comment but..
I heard that Kim Hyun Joong changed his nose because it got broken. This happened with my brother when we were teens. He got his nose broken so badly that he had to have surgery just so that he could breath.
Mar
August 2, 2013 at 3:20 PM
@owl, I love Eunhyuk too. It is sometimes difficult to remember this is the same guy that can dance like a stripper. Not that he should stop doing that. Ever. ;)
I actually just love everyone on BFF, I really enjoy watching the show.
Abbie
August 2, 2013 at 3:47 PM
@Mar--I love KHJ. I do think he is a little self-centered, but he's a bachelor. What bachelor, who lives on his own, doesn't care about himself first? He supports himself (and maybe helps out his parents, although I'm not sure since Owl said the relationship is strained) so of course he is that way. I find nothing wrong with that. I adore him. He's super cool and he does care for his friends. Boys Over Flowers, was my first Korean drama, so I have a soft spot for both him and Lee Min-ho. I want KHJ's acting to improve so he can do well and not be criticized. And even I criticize him. But I want him to be the best he can be.
I also thought when he gave advice to YSY that it was hilarious. I just loved it. Although it was totally wrong. Not ever girl likes to be bossed around. I don't. So he and I would not work well together. Another dream crushed.
@owl--I also think KHJ likes Uee a lot. Who doesn't like her? But I like her interactions, few as they are it seems, with YSY. He's adorable.
What you said about KHJ's family makes since, and would go a long way in explaining his personality. He's very strong, witty, and knows how to laugh at himself, but he does seem very quiet and withdrawn at times. It makes me sad for him, because I'm more or less the same way, although I have a great relationship with my parents.
Anyway, I do wish him the best. I couldn't imagine BF without him. A couple people have left for various reasons, but I hope KHJ stays. He's sexy and cool, and just seems like a really decent guy. I hope he improves in his acting and returns to dramaland soon. :)
owl
August 2, 2013 at 3:54 PM
I'll be thinking of you, Mar, on Monday evening while I watch the next subbed episode of Barefoot Friends.
owl
August 2, 2013 at 4:12 PM
You too, Abbie:)
Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 8:50 AM
I came to the conclusion this week that Kim Hyun Joong is solely responsible for getting me into KDramas.
When it comes to KHJ, I am completely enamored. I am watching "We Got Married" and loving every 4th dimensional moment.
Boys Over Flowers was my first drama, and KHJ was my first Korean crush.
Just this week, I finally got why some fans will declare "He's Mine" and "He's my Hubbie". Never went gaga over any particular actor or singer until I found KDramas.
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22 pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 7:50 AM
Hey everyone!
I can't believe that ALL the dramas I'm into are ending/have ended this week - I Hear Your Voice, Cruel City AND Monstar! They ended a long drought of disappointing dramas for me, and I'll be sorry to say goodbye to them (Monstar isn't up with subs yet).
I Hear Your Voice - I'm not going to comment on the content of the finale, or anything besides the fact that Lee Jong-seok is now Puppy #1 for me (move over, Seung-gi!).
And at the end of this show, I'm so happy to have discovered such a fantastic cast and such well-written characters and relationships, from the noona-romance that made this noona-romance anti into a squeeing fangirling shipper, to the heroine who actually gets that rarity in kdramas - character development for a woman!- ditto Do-yeon, with whom the writer avoided the cliche of having the second lead girl be all about the romance and made the relationship between her and Hye-sung all about the rivalry between two girls instead, to Kwan-woo, who neatly sidestepped all the 'too-perfect/too-awful' second lead male tropes by just being a decent person once he realised Hye-sung's heart wasn't his, to Sung-bin (who has a crush on Su-ha but - refreshing departure - doesn't act like a psycho to the girl he does like!). I know it's going to do great things for Lee Bo-young, but I hope that extends to the entire cast, especially Lee Da-hee, who was great as Do-yeon.
Sure, the courtroom scenes were draggy but there should be NO doubt, this is possibly the best of 2013 for me - and for a lot of us on here, I think. Which is astounding, for a show that began with no buzz (no one knew anything about it, everyone went 'meh' at the posters and early promo, and it premiered to single-digit ratings)......it's certainly 2013's greatest dark horse.
And if Lee Jong-seok was a rising star before, after playing Su-ha I'm pretty sure we can consider his star well and truly risen.
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Chimera
August 2, 2013 at 8:23 AM
I plan to start IHYV this week. All the good reviews are filling me with delicious anticipation. And now your post about the women on this show has me even more excited!
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SweetPea
August 2, 2013 at 8:33 AM
OH yeah. Count on the awesome females.
The heroine kicks everyone's butt. She has got to be my most favorite female lead ever.
She's flawed, but that's what I love so much about her. She's not some cookie cutter- doormat heroine that too many dramas have. Her evolution as a character is so satisfying.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 8:36 AM
Yeah, the women on this show are all fantastic characters, and I don't necessarily mean they'd be perfect people irl (that's just Mary-Sue territory) but that they're well-written and I really, REALLY appreciate their various character trajectories and connections to each other.
And if you're starting IHYV this week, I fully expect puppy Su-ha to trot away with your heart in his paws very soon. Come back to OT when that happens :)
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Mystisith
August 2, 2013 at 9:12 AM
"I fully expect puppy Su-ha to trot away with your heart in his paws very soon."
Awwwww at the image. :) Please be careful with that heart and don't break it.
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Chimera
August 2, 2013 at 9:17 AM
Thanks guys, I can't wait!
@pogo: I think Lee Jong Suk already did that in School 2013. As long as there is making out (no, don't tell me yet) and oodles of cuteness I'll be here squeeing! ;)
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 11:47 AM
lol yeah, he and Kim Woo-bin did it to me in School 2013 but I feel like I was too bowled over by their collective cuteness to appreciate each of them individually - it took Vampire Idol and now IHYV to do that.
Chimera
August 2, 2013 at 7:21 PM
@pogo: I've been dying to watch Vampire Idol in all its campy glory ever since it came out. Wherever did you find subs?
pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
August 2, 2013 at 8:06 PM
Chimera - I didn't! I watched it unsubbed (the things I will do for Kim Woo-bin and Lee Yubi, I tell you...)
23 zakin89
August 2, 2013 at 7:56 AM
Happy OT everyone :)
This week means saying goodbye to 3 dramas which I will dearly miss!
1. IHYV: After ep 17 I wasn't sure if they could pull off a satisfying final episode because the biggest conflict was resolved but man did that last episode rock my world =)
2. Queen's classroom: Teacher Ma's methods were very questionable and often wrong but in the end the growth of the children is what gets to me! The last episode was awesome and I cried and cried and cried. There were so many beautiful moments and it's really sad to say goodbye to the kids! The cast was amazing and I am hopping to see some of the faces again some time soon :)
3. Monstar: well the last episode isn't out yet but I will also miss it really much. The show has so much heart and the music...SO GOOD he is really good!
WGM: Still enjoying it :)
I managed to watch 2 movies as well (holidays are such a great thing^^) and was not disappointed:
Psychometry/The Gifted Hands - Creepy and yet with some really funny scenes (Kim Kang Woo rocks^^). I really loved it!
New World - GREAT MOVIE! Lee Jung Jae, Choi Min Sik, Hwang Jung Min... Do I need to say more?
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24 Rach ^^
August 2, 2013 at 8:04 AM
Wrap up for the week: finale of Shark and Cruel City... WTH.
[SPOILER]
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25 owl
August 2, 2013 at 8:22 AM
IHYV ~I was thoroughly satisfied with the ending~
-Pretty the Paralegal- so blonde!
-Kim Gae- Eun – liked her spunk and her nails! Her reaction to Su ha’s ‘dumping her’ was real, she tried to cover it so hard and I felt for her.
-Mother – her voice of kindness and strength spoke to her daughter (Lawyer Jang) at every turn. The mark of motherhood fulfilled to it highest calling.
-Prosecutor Seo – gold tried by fire. Love her inner resolve.
-Father Seo – narcissist, prideful to his own sad demise.
-Shin San Duk – earn his trust and he’s loyal for life
-Judge Kim- comic relief but with a heart for justice
-MJK – it’s not what you face in life, but how you respond to those circumstances. Grade: Fail.
-Lawyer Oska – the most difficult character to describe and the one that did not click with me; I didn’t come around to how he ended up defending MJK again. However, I did appreciate his push MJK to see himself as he really was. Even so, his character worked in the mix.
-Lawyer Jang – vulnerable, tough, rash, thoughtful, a loveable lead female who was refreshing to watch.
-Su ha – I am head over heels for him. Don’t ever be lonely again, Su ha. Be happy. LJS is going to be a big, big actor. I predict he’ll win best up and coming actor this year for the role of Su ha.
Bring on the next feel good drama~
Oh, I watched the first 2 Who Are You with a roomful of people for the first time. 3 of them were first timers for kdrama. My sister-in-law ordered sushi, miso soup, and dumplings to help set the mood. It was a blast. The drama was okay, but the experience was super fun! I think at least 1 of them will convert, which makes 3 converts for me :)
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enz
August 2, 2013 at 8:42 AM
owl, youre so good at this converting thing!
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korfan
August 2, 2013 at 9:31 PM
Right? ...... owl's on a roll with the converting thing! Yay!
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26 Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 8:34 AM
With so many Korean Dramas ending recently (Shark, Heartless City, I Hear Your Voice), I want to cut back on the number of live dramas holding my heart hostage. So far the only new one I've seen is Who Are You, and I'm not committed yet.
Sometimes I like the adventure of going into the unknown to explore. I'm doing this with Thousand Years of Love.
I had the miracle experience of asking DramaFever for them to add a drama, and they actually did, so I'll be watching Love Now with Annie Chen and George Hu. Whirlwind romance in first 2 episodes is epic. Two people in a shower together!
I also dared to ask Viki for Inborn Pair, although my favorite 15 year old subbers are still chipping away at this 84 episode series. Viki said to expect Inborn Pair at the end of August. That is a relief, since I am now a die-hard fan of Inborn Pair and feared the worst. I love the 15 year olds dearly, but some of their translations have me scratching my head.
Double Tone, the story about 2 women 2 years apart dreaming of each other's lives, gets a thumbs down from me.
Starman, a story about a mother who takes in an alien, is thumbs up. While not like the 1984 Starman movie, something of the spirit seems to exist in it, I really like the innocent sort of love from the alien who accepts being told he is husband and father to three adorable kids.
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alua
August 2, 2013 at 8:52 AM
So you continued with Double Tone? What are your objections? (I only watched the first episode.)
Love Now... that's that 72 episode monster, isn't it? I hear it's good but.... sooooo long! *commitment phobe*
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 9:41 AM
I've watched up to episode 5 of Double Tone (just one more episode to go). It is sort of bland. Dull. There is a mysterious stranger who is threatening (maybe) and a deadline and yet somehow it all makes me yawn. The twisty nature of the set up keeps me from connecting emotionally to hubbie's love.
Nothing is actually bad, it just somehow doesn't come together to make good drama.
Love Now is 72 episodes, which would normally scare me, but I have watched 16 episodes so far and they go down sweet as a box of chocolates. The sister who wrote the book on romance looks like her own romantic escapades might not hold my attention. However, I'm sold on all the rest of the characters and still eager. I'll bathe in rom/coms until my fingers get wrinkly.
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Nadia
August 2, 2013 at 9:06 AM
I enjoyed Love Now for focusing on different stages of their relationship. George Hu and Annie Chen have great chemistry together. Episodes #4 and #35 are a special treat.
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 11:54 PM
Well into Thousand Years of Love and I give it a thumbs up. Practically a fight in every episode ... the sort of funny gangster fights where everyone gets a bloody lip and looks sheepish afterwards. Every man falls in love with the Princess. Princess always ready to throw a punch, real firecracker.
Imagine Lee Sun Gyun (Coffee Prince) spending all his time sewing sequins ... that alone is enough to make me laugh.
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Jadielaw
August 17, 2013 at 2:43 PM
I enjoyed this drama too.^_^
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27 SweetPea
August 2, 2013 at 8:41 AM
I Hear Your Voice: I had finale phobia like Girlfriday (and many of you). Was worried that the finale would either drag (since the main conflict was resolved) or would cook up some manufactured angst.
Needless to say, I have never been more satisfied with a finale like I Hear Your Voice. It managed to wrap up all the characters and its story-lines so perfectly. I love that we got to ENJOY a whole episode of bliss and happiness (that still had that emotion content and punch due to the conflict) as opposed to the typical dramas that have maybe 5 min. at the end or something. lol.
Ah, I will miss you, show!
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28 mira
August 2, 2013 at 8:44 AM
Did anyone watch kang dong-won's drama "Magic" (2004 SBS) ? I'm now at ep 6 and i like it !! even if i love to hate KDW's character !! really miss him in movies/dramas...
btw i watched the 10mn highlight video of Good doctor and it looks good !! can't wait to monday !!
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Rachel
August 3, 2013 at 9:28 AM
Yay another Kang Dong Won fan here! He's been really selective about his projects once he became famous and now we're quite likely to only catch him in movies.
I haven't gotten the chance to watch his TV shows since they're rather dated and therefore not very accessible. But I've enjoyed his movies, Psychic and Secret Reunion. Planning to watch other movies of his like Jeonwoochi.
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29 amberscube
August 2, 2013 at 9:29 AM
Still on a I Hear Your Voice high... So awesome from start to finish.
Never thought that I would be so obsessed with this drama and would ship Park Soo Ha and Jang Hye Sung so hard... And that's coming from anti noona romance fan.
I will be open minded with Noona Romance from now on.
Started an oldie Hello My Teacher and i'm loving it so far.
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Chimera
August 2, 2013 at 9:36 AM
Hello My Teacher - the one with Gong Yoo and Gong Hyo Jin, right? I never was able to finish that one. That teacher she was in love with got on my nerves too much. I don't remember why, though...
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30 Lizzy4e
August 2, 2013 at 9:38 AM
North Texas Beanies:
Did you know that Secretly and Greatly is showing at the
AMC Grapevine Mill Mall?
I saw it last Wednesday. It is a good movie.
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owl
August 2, 2013 at 9:56 AM
I am not anywhere near Texas, but I did see adorable, loveable, sweet Lee Hyun Woo on Hwasin and he talked about it a little. I wonder, is it too soon to find it online? Did you see it with English subs?
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Lizzy4e
August 2, 2013 at 11:44 AM
Yes, it was with English subs. It was gripping. There were a few times when I completely forgot that I was watching a movie because I was so involved in the story.
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31 hydrangeabloom
August 2, 2013 at 9:41 AM
Happy Friday Beanies!
My summer sageuk experiment has been going with mixed results...I'm still dragging my heals with Hong Gil Dong and Arang and the Magistrate, though I'm pleased Tamra the Island is picking up again. However, Queen Seon-deok is still going strong 26 episodes in. The writers crafted some really rich, beautiful dialogue in this one. I can't remember the last drama I saw with dialogue this good.
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wonhwa
August 2, 2013 at 5:11 PM
I agree - there's some lovely writing in Queen Seondeok. My husband and I had a blast watching it last spring. It's a bit uneven, but when it works, it really works.
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hydrangeabloom
August 2, 2013 at 6:10 PM
I find that when a drama is strong overall, I'm less bogged down by its flaws. QSD does, as you say, have some unevenness here and there, but I am still really enjoying it. I'm so used to sageuks kind of plodding along that this one really took me by surprise. PLUS! Such a great portrayal of different types of relationships between women (especially mother-daughter and sister relationships). Some sageuks barely have enough female characters who interact with each other for that kind of development to be even possible!
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korfan
August 2, 2013 at 9:42 PM
hydrangeabloom -
How I look forward to your QSD comments each week. I just knew you'd be hooked with this one! It's just so unlike the others, I think. It's one of the few ones where, even with the large cast, they managed to give most of them full stories/backstories. Just wonderful.
At ep 26, glad you're still enjoying it! Yay!
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hydrangeabloom
August 2, 2013 at 11:41 PM
Ha! Thank you korfan! You were right, QSD got me hook line and sinker. After all those dramas where it feels like the main cast consists of only four people, having a large cast like this feels very refreshing. Definitely characters I have strong opinions on, one way or the other. :)
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32 katey
August 2, 2013 at 10:03 AM
Hello!
I started Shark on Tuesday because I was slightly unwell (and thus took a day's break from my dissertation) and things just went downhill from there. I'm already on episode 17!
*spoilers*
I really like Haewoo even though everytime she sways towards Yi-soo I'm screaming "You are married!" at my laptop. I do feel the sizzling chemistry though, and it's like I'm objecting more on the grounds of her having a ring on the finger while she's being irresistibly drawn towards him.
Because at this point in the drama, I feel like every minute that is devoted to the husband is one minute wasted in unraveling the mystery. He's a good guy, I get it, but he's so out of the loop that even his discoveries of her unusual relationship with Yi-soo is rather ill-timed.
I'm trying to keep away from any spoilers to the last 4 episodes at the moment but I honestly don't see a happy ending for Yi-soo. Kim Nam-gil seems to have a penchant for characters who are tragic anti-heroes. I just hope the ending is realistic and not like how Nice Guy ended up. What a waste of Joongki and Moon Chae Won!
*end spoilers*
In k-variety, I'm really in love with the kids in Dad, Where are We Going. And Shinhwa Broadcast is my go-to show when I just need to stop thinking and be entertained. Those guys are hilarious!
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korfan
August 2, 2013 at 10:21 PM
katey -
I kind of just started Shark also. Well, actually just finished ep 8 and already I know this won't end well. But you know, I think I was already resigned to this, given that this is a re-telling of the Orpheus story.
I understand the conundrum regarding the fact that she's married. Perhaps, in designing his revenge plan, Yi-soo always contemplated the possibility that he may not make it out alive. But it turns out, he can't get his emotions completely out of the equation, as he would have liked. So in his mind, he does the next best thing, encounters with Hae-woo for brief moments of "what might have been".
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33 Baby Panda
August 2, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Happy Friday everyone!
IHYV: feeling the void that's left behind. Very happy with the ending. I am now fans of the writer, Lee Bo Young, Lee Jong Suk and Lee Da Hee. Ha, just realized they're all of the "Lee" clan.
I do love all the other characters such as Lawyer Cha, Lawyer Shin, Pretty Paralegal, but the above were the true stars for me.
One small thing that bugged me in this drama: the diary. Soo-Ha supposedly wrote in the diary for 11+ years, and yet only a quarter of the book is filled? That's what I think about every time I see the diary pop up.
Heartless City: Didn't feel satisfied with how it ended. I didn't quite get the motive of Dir. Min - why did he send Doc's son to capture Pusan if he's working with Pusan? I felt like Doc's son's efforts were all for naught.
However, I am in love with Jung Kyung Ho in his suits. Will miss Jin-Sook's many beautiful outfits, there were so many pieces that I want in my wardrobe! Does anyone else thing that Thighs resembles Kim Jong Kook from Running Man? Every time he comes on-screen, I'm like "Kookie!"
Grandpas over Flowers: Can they BE any cuter? Really feel bad for Seo-Jin but now I adore his real life persona. He's so nice!
I live in Cheongdam dong: Can only watch 14 episodes of this as these are the only ones translated. It's a funny and heartwarming show, but I feel so discombobulated seeing Safari ahjusshi here as the rough looking doctor.
Gekiryuu: Fuyuha creeps me out with her flute. Intriguing series, but I really hope there's a good reason behind all that's happening.
Also watching Jikou Keisatsu and God's Quiz based on some beanies' recommendations. Thankfully I'm not addicted to them but they're good to pass the time.
Going to have spicy Szechuan food tonight and going to the Arcadia Taiwanese night market tomorrow. Mmmm.... salivating at the thought of all the delicious food that I'm gonna have!
Have a good week everyone!
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alua
August 2, 2013 at 11:15 AM
"One small thing that bugged me in this drama: the diary. Soo-Ha supposedly wrote in the diary for 11+ years, and yet only a quarter of the book is filled? That’s what I think about every time I see the diary pop up."
I know!!! Me too!!!
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34 windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 10:50 AM
Anyone picked up on Saito San 2 yet? Wonder how it is, or if I should even bother.
I tried watching Saito San (1), but after about 4 episodes I just got burned out on trying to get excited about kindergarten problems and mother politics.
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35 Mar
August 2, 2013 at 10:53 AM
Hello Beanies,
I tried the T drama Just You, wow, bad acting, cute guy.
Tried Who Are You-maybe a couple more episodes and then I will probably put it in the maybe bin.
IHYV was a satisfying run. Will go into my top dramas pile as will the lead characters.
Have to gear myself up as I go back to university in a few weeks. My drama bandwidth will hit bottom then, just as some new stuff kicks into gear. Boo.
Happy Viewing Beanies!
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amberscube
August 2, 2013 at 11:46 AM
Oh my! I cant stand the bad acting in Just You.
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36 I_cant_stand_therain
August 2, 2013 at 11:22 AM
I hope everoje is having a happy friday!!
All the dramas I have been watching finish up this week which means i can take a break and actually enjoy going out for some summer weather.
ICHYV - It was amazing. Thats all I can say.
Cruel City- what was up with the ending? Doctor's son is still alive??? Why did such a good drama have to end on such a weird note?
Monstar - One episode to go. I hope there are more great songs to enjoy and i hope they can wrap up the story nicely.
I also went on my day off to go see Secretly Greatly. I thought it was a good movie. The three male leads were great and it thought the story was good. I had fun enjoying watching a k movie without the crazyness of downloading. My only issue withe the whole movie was the spelling errors in the subtitles. Do you know how confusing for someone trying to understand the story without knowing korean?
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shinhyesungluv
August 2, 2013 at 11:30 AM
About Heartless City:
Spoiler
For me, the ending was perfect. It was the only way for Shi-Hyun to get a "happy ending". He came too far as Paksa Adeul and killed too many people to be recognized as a cop again. It would have been even worse for him to give up being a cop and remain as a drug lord. The only way for him to escape everything was for him to die and get a new identity like the end shot suggests. I think the 'open ending' was the best result. If the drama got wrapped up too nice and tight, it would just be like any mainstream show.
I also think that all the characters were accounted for... the bad guys all got what they deserved. The best and most touching part was when Hyung Min's dad turned himself in, which is the first time I've seen happen in a kdrama. The only way for all the high ranked baddies to be caught is if one of their own confesses or else they'll always use loopholes to get away. It's great that the dad made such a sacrifice for his son and is a good lesson from the drama.
As for the romance between Shi Hyun and Soo Min, it was concluded very well. This drama is first and foremost a crime noir not a romance. Like many crime noirs, the romance is always intense passionate, but brief. Their love was sudden and the end was the same, however, the passion that they experienced will be with them forever. The scene where Soo Min repeats all of Shi Hyun's names just like from the earlier episode really hit me in the heart, and the background song was perfect. <3
In conclusion, this is my favorite kdrama of all time!! Jung Kyung Ho and Kim Yoo Mi deserve Oscars for this! I hope to see more of them in the future!!
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shinhyesungluv
August 2, 2013 at 11:31 AM
wow, sorry, I don't dont know why the whole thing is in bold
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jomo143
August 2, 2013 at 12:37 PM
I thought you were making a bold statement about a drama you love.
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37 Momopeach
August 2, 2013 at 11:25 AM
Okay, time for serious question. Super serious. Most serious of all the questions.
What's with all the yelling in Korean dramas?
It's something that bothers me about them. I don't notice so much yelling in most things I watch (some anime, but they tend to exaggerate certain aspects to prove a point, show an example, or demonstrate a theme) other than K-dramas.
It was something that made it so hard to watch and like My lovely Sam Soon since she was yelling all the time. When I was in Korea, I didn't notice much yelling, so I was like, "do Koreans really yell as much in real-life as in the dramas?"
But yeah, why so much yelling in K-dramas?
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windsun33
August 2, 2013 at 12:20 PM
Don't get your information on how Koreans act from K-dramas :)
While some come pretty close to depicting day to day real life, many others are just like dramas from any country - often showing the outer limits of actual human behavior.
That said, there are quite a few things that just plain annoy me about Korean dramas, mainly all the little clichés. Such things as clenched fists, running for miles, wrist grabbing, passing each other 11 times without seeing each other, endlessly talking out loud to yourself in public, and a few other things.
Not sure why so many of these have crept into so many k-dramas, as you almost never see them in other countries, nor in real life. Some is probably just lazy writers and directors, but that does not explain it all.
Other countries' shows have their own little foibles - but they are not as endemic or common as the ones in k-dramas.
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Sethe
August 2, 2013 at 12:32 PM
This is something that native Korean speakers and/or linguists may be able to comment on much better than I can, but I think that some of what may come across to the ears of English speakers as "yelling" in Korean may be interpreted differently to Koreans... the Korean language seems to often sound rather harsh to the ears of English speakers, and that may make rather benign conversations sound fairly antagonistic to people whose native language isn't Korean.
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 12:42 PM
Yes, to Korean ears it's passionate and emotively forward, which is why when someone grows up in the US and comes to Korea in a Korean drama they have problems with expressing their heart or even literally heart problems. kekeke. All foreigners to a Korean mind have cold hearts that need opening up. (And they don't know how thankful they should be.)
I covered that bit a while back in an earlier Open thread about Korean communication and socialization.
Sometimes people will fake yell at each other to joke around, to show how passionate they are, how much they are upset. The closer you are the more physical contact and loudness there is. Korean (and I heard Chinese) tend to like physical contact and raising voices and pitch with emotion.
You, on the other hand are like the Artic with your foreign ways of speaking softly and not being honest in the correct way. Your heart needs warming up and it's broken. Clearly since you can't express your emotions at all. And if you're East Asian... well... clearly you're Japanese. (I am joking here...)
This is along the same line of people saying the Yamamomo are naked... and they think Westerners wearing jeans and pants in a hot jungle have only one reason for liking it: They like to smell their own farts.
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 2, 2013 at 5:09 PM
oh my gosh!!!! Sorry to jump in this discussion but wow!!! You like the Yanomamo as well? Read an anthropological book way way way back in the day about them. The Fierce people. That book affected me soo much. I remember an African tribe commenting on the British trouser habit as the people who trap their farts.
I'll add (re: the yelling) that Jamaicans are shouters par excellence. Shouting in joy, shouting in anger, shouting in sorrow. I don't know what happened to me though. Even before I came to the US I was very silent. I suspect in loud countries there are folks who are beaten down and repressed by the more expressive types.
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korfan
August 2, 2013 at 10:49 PM
momoi -
It's interesting, as an English speaker, I've never really thought there was a lot of yelling in Kdramas.
As with anything else from our wonderful planet, many things are vehicles for other things, to set moods, to send messages, to convey feelings. Language is one such thing. Food's another.
A character in a Kdrama may sound like he/she is yelling but he/she may be making a passionate plea, an emotional confession, expressing a heartfelt apology, or conveying concern. This is the power of language and the richness of a culture in action. So, so awesome!
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KimYoonmi
August 3, 2013 at 11:50 AM
I always thought that food and language are passports to a culture. They allow you to sample and visit a country for a while without actually being there. The history of language and food tells a lot about the history of the country itself--who ruled, who currently rules, and depending on where you hear it, the history of the region itself.
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korfan
August 3, 2013 at 10:00 PM
Kim Yoonmi -
So, so true! I've always thought this about food and language also. They definitely tell a story or many stories. I think many people, unfortunately, underestimate the power of food and language or simply don't have an appreciation for it.
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38 Sethe
August 2, 2013 at 11:28 AM
Since I returned to the US from teaching English in Korea I've spent months in this state of sort of suspended animation, not sure whether I wanted to return to Korea, or try to find a teaching job in another country, or whether I wanted to commit to staying in the US.
Well, I guess I've finally decided I'm going to stay in the US (for now), and it looks like I'm going to move back to NYC. I think I had kind of forgotten, though, what a pain in the ass it is to go through the whole job application process here...
Anybody else job hunting?
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 12:39 PM
Don't overlook opportunities to sell what you know in your own business.
Example: skills - knowledge of Korea, dramas, Korean language
sell - Korean Drama seminar, one-on-one tutoring, tour guide for KDrama fans to Korea, Korean tour guide in NYC
Even if it only brings in some extra cash while you are sorting out a more permanent position, you'll gain experience and your next employers will be impressed with your drive. You don't want to go into a job interview and not have an answer for what you've been doing the last 6 months unemployed.
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Sethe
August 2, 2013 at 1:35 PM
Thanks for the advice -- I hadn't thought about trying to use knowledge of Korea or K-dramas!
I actually haven't been unemployed in the time that I've been in the US... I have an ongoing part-time job editing medical/scientific papers for Yonsei University, and I also had a random short-term job for a few months. My problem isn't really lack of qualifications (I have a BA and an advanced degree from two top US universities) -- my problem is that I'm a dilettante who has always had terrible difficulty finding something and sticking to it.
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 2:50 PM
You've already been brave enough to teach English in Korea. Be proud of yourself and go find something that matches your unique skills. Being over qualified and picky can be a barrier to finding a job. You may not know you'll like something until you try it. You learn something new from each experience, so keep an open mind.
Best of luck.
btw, my favorite job of all time didn't pay well, but matched my interests and I got to meet and work with lots of great people. (Working at a lodge on the AT) Hope you find something that makes you say "I LOVE my job."
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Sethe
August 2, 2013 at 4:03 PM
You know, I've spent months thinking about what's my dream job, what do I really want to do... and then I recently took a road trip through the western US... just driving around for a few weeks, driving and thinking, and I arrived at the conclusion that I might as well just find a job -- any job -- and create the rest of my life outside of that.
I_cant_stand_therain
August 2, 2013 at 4:15 PM
I am also job hunting. My biggest problem is that I have to cut off all dramas to make sure I am being proactive on finding a job. I hope you can find something that will let you use your teaching and korean to find something.
Good Luck!!
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Sethe
August 2, 2013 at 6:15 PM
Yeah... you sort of realize that job hunting can be a full time job in itself (or should be, if you really want to be proactive).
Good luck to you, too :)
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korfan
August 2, 2013 at 10:59 PM
Kind of in the job hunting situation also.
I'm in a particularly strange situation though. All, and I mean all, of my references have passed away. I don't know of anyone in this particular situation. Everyone I had as a professional reference has died of either illnesses, bad surgeries, accidents.
No idea what to do when you're asked to list your references on the job apps. I mean, I can't make people up and you really can't list your best friends on the forms. Any ideas anyone??
Good luck on your job search!
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39 Mipo
August 2, 2013 at 1:15 PM
Good Afternoon from Colombia (:
I was wondering if you could help me out with something... I've been trying to get my family interested in k-drama.. and asian visual entertainment in general, so the past few weeks we've been watching movies and series in the weekends.
They liked TEN.
They loved Oldboy.
They really really loved Going by the book (Amazing movie, really funny).
And I think they would like to watch more funny movies, however, I'm not really a connoisseur of all things kdrama, and so I've come to ask for your help.
What movie do you think would they like to see next? (With spanish subs xD, those are a bit difficult to come by)
Thank youu !!
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 2:59 PM
Depending on their tastes, you might consider
Werewolf Boy (Horror/Romance)
Confession of Murder (Action)
Please Teach Me English (Comedy)
A Tale of Legendary Libido (Risqué humor)
My P S Partner (Risqué humor/Romance)
Man from Nowhere (Action)
Girlscouts (Comedy/action)
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Mipo
August 2, 2013 at 10:03 PM
Thank you!
I've watched Confession of Murder, frankly.. I thought it was a bit of a comedy and action combined.. actionedy? Idk. (:
I hadn't heard about Girl Scout but it seems like a fun watch, I think I'll screen it.
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Mar
August 2, 2013 at 3:36 PM
I LOVE Doing by the Book, it's just so dry and funny. Nothing else like it.
Dramas- If they liked Ten there is Ten 2 and maybe Vampire Prosecutor 1 and 2? And Sign.
Movies-
Sunny is good, more of a chic flick tho.
Heavens Postman is just lovely. It is slow and pretty so it may not be for everyone.
I Saw the Devil if you can stand intense and REALLY squicky violence. That said, maybe not a good recommendation- two of my friends watched it with me and will never watch another Korean movie lol. It was pretty wicked.
Perfect Couple-Lee Dong Wook is smoking hot and it is a fun little rom com.
I'm A Cyborg But That's Okay-totally off the wall.
Arahan is kind of fun.
I second Julia's picks of
The Man From No Where- is awesome
Girl Scouts is a hoot
My P.S. Partner, really fun.
Werewolf Boy-bittersweet
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Mipo
August 2, 2013 at 10:06 PM
Thank you!
I don't think I can invite my family for I Saw the Devil, but I'll definitely watch it !
After reading the 'I'm a cyborg but that's okay' would totally blow my little brothers mind.. so thanks for that one! haha :D
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 4:47 PM
In Going By The Book, the moment with the push-ups ... I was confused ... shocked ... and then LOL. Totally a movie worth rewatching.
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Mipo
August 2, 2013 at 10:07 PM
I've watched it four times and it still gets me laughing xD ! .. My fathers face when he saw that? priceless..
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Enz
August 2, 2013 at 4:53 PM
My sassy girl? Old movie but very funny and sweet. I really enjoyed ps partner as well
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Mipo
August 2, 2013 at 10:08 PM
I also liked PS Partner.. I love the panties song *o*
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enz
August 4, 2013 at 1:12 AM
oh, there is another old one i like with gong yoo and kim sun ah called s diary. a bit slow at the start but really funny later.
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KimYoonmi
August 2, 2013 at 6:36 PM
Please Teach Me English It's a Movie, Romantic Comedy, Sweet and funny. It's light on Korean culture and I think something that people around the world could sympathize with. It's a good beginner movie.
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Mipo
August 2, 2013 at 10:09 PM
Thank you! I think I'll check it out and see how it fares with the family :D
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40 Gaelle Rn
August 2, 2013 at 3:55 PM
just to share my last crush. A 4 episode drama special adolescence medley.(aldready had an article about it)
It just ROCKS.
i torrented it and watched without subs. <3 <3 <3
P.S: love love love the song run across the sky (lee juck).
one of my favorites songs since daesung sang it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu6pbI5Aak4
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CaroleMcDonnell
August 3, 2013 at 8:55 AM
Thanks to Strawberry and Abbie for recommending Puberty Medley/Adolescence Medley. It's so sweet and so cute. I would never have heard of it if you guys hadn't mentioned it.
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41 Abbie
August 2, 2013 at 4:09 PM
Hi, this is the first Open Thread I've commented on, I think. I just thought I'd give it a shot and see how I like it.
I'm currently watching Heartless City (Cruel City) so please no spoilers. I've seen up to episode 16, and I'm loving it. I love Shi-hyun so much, I don't want him to die. Again, please don't put spoilers!
I've run behind on several dramas, namely Dating Agency Cyrano, Sword and Flower and I Hear Your Voice. I plan to catch up on them soon.
I'm still enjoying Grandpas Over Flowers and Running Man and Barefoot Friends.
Now, on Youtube KBS posts on their channel, KBS World, some of their variety shows and drama specials. I'm currently watching a drama special that Dramabeans mentioned in passing called Adolescent Medley (it's called Puberty Medley on Youtube). I just wanted to know if anyone else has seen it? Only the first two episodes are up, with English subs. (KBS puts English subs on everything they put up.) I just love this show though. The main character, Jeon-gu, I believe, played by Kwak Dong-yeon, is just adorable! He has some of the best expressions in an actor his age (he's 16!) and I just love him! He's so cute! The entire show, so far, is adorable. I would've liked for Javabeans or Girlfriday, or someone else, to recap it, since I would love to hear their thoughts on it. But I guess the fourth dimension has it's limits. If anyone has seen it or is watching it, please tell me what you think of it. There are four episodes, but KBS has only posted the first two on Youtube. They put them up every Friday, I think. So, I'm really looking forward to next week!
Thank you!
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Gaelle Rn
August 2, 2013 at 6:08 PM
i think i will keep this drama forever to rewatch it when i'm down.
i love jeon-gu 'cause he's not perfect and i can relate to his feelings and YES SO CUTE!!
the teen actor from padam padam is in it ... so moooore cute ^^.
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42 Toystar
August 2, 2013 at 8:28 PM
This weekend I'll be watching my favorite HS dramas:
The Greatest Love
My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox
You're Beautiful
My Girl
Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang
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Julia the Berkshire Beanie
August 2, 2013 at 11:41 PM
Sounds like a fun weekend. Have a pot of ramen ready to fuel you thru your marathon.
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43 blkasian
August 3, 2013 at 7:21 PM
OK Dramabean family I need your help. Just finish watching Monstar and I have a question concerning that handsome young man playing the part of the Music Idol...Does anyone know what information he is wearing as a tattoo on his arms ?My curiosity is driving me nuts. I googled his name but could not find anything listed in his bio to explain the tatto. Thanks in advance for any info you can share.
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Mipo
August 3, 2013 at 9:18 PM
Haaai (:
The tattoo says 'Carpe diem, quam minimun credula postero' which means something like seize the day, without putting trust into the future.
Google translate says: Seize the day, trust in tomorrow minimun. xD
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enz
August 4, 2013 at 1:10 AM
he has three tattoos - the one on his collarbone app says born again, still your son - an indication of his love for his parents
another one is as mipo says
and the last one says if i die tomorrow, i will never regret. i might be misquoting.
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blkasian
August 4, 2013 at 2:37 AM
Thank you so much...:-)
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44 CMRPrindle
August 3, 2013 at 8:24 PM
I know I'm late, but I'm determined to get back into this thing darnit. So here I am. It's been a long weekend.
Drama news: TWWSWTM - I'm still over-identifying with Lee Shin Young, but her relationship with Ha Min Jae is moving into happy places so this should mean good things for me, right? Right?
After this? I'm still torn. I was going to give Goddess of Fire a try for Kim Bum's sake (mane of glory and I haven't seen my favorite drama dongsaeng in anything new lately) but I've been told roundly and soundly to do IHYV instead. Anyone have anything oldish to recommend? I don't mind being a few years out of step ;)
Real life news: writing has been sidetracked by the August Fic-a-Day ficathon on http://twistedshorts.livejournal.com/ I participated last year for as long as I could manage, and I got sucked right back in this year. I've already missed a day, but on the other hand I went back to a series I haven't seriously touched since last August.
On the third hand I also haven't touched my novella in a few days. Sigh.
How goes it, fellow beanies?
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korfan
August 3, 2013 at 10:17 PM
CMRPrindle -
Regarding TWWSWTM, I would say yes, good things on the horizon. Given Lee Shin-young and Ha Min-jae's particular situation, I hope everything happens as you've imagined it.
While I can't give an "oldish" recommendation, simply because I still consider myself kind of "newish" *giggle*, the only other kdrama I remember seeing Kim Bum in is That Winter, The Wind Blows. This one just ended a couple of months ago, so it's definitely not oldish.
Regarding IHYV, it is good. Very good. I just started it myself and I can clearly say that the buzz is warranted.
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junny
August 4, 2013 at 4:48 PM
mmm, Dalja's Spring? that's 2007 and lots of fun. Story of Hyang-dan is a two-episoder that's pretty cute too. Love & Marriage is light-hearted and easy to watch, with two charming leads.
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CMRPrindle
August 4, 2013 at 7:58 PM
Oh! Short stuff! I forgot to ask for that. I got sucked in (and totally suckered by) The Thousandth Man and it's 8 episodes of tear-jerking goodness. Thanks for the reqs, all of them :D
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45 Mar
August 3, 2013 at 9:14 PM
Part of one reads "Carpe diem." That is all that I made out. Try googling his name and the word tattoo. I have no doubt a fan has blogged it somewhere :)
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46 Bengbeng
August 4, 2013 at 8:13 PM
I've been missing Kim Rae Won, then a fellow beanie here in the Phils. recommended to me that movie My Little Hero in gooddrama.net. It's such a heartwarming movie.
Can somebody tell me why Kim Rae Won has no kdrama series lately? He only did 1, while Kim Jae Won is on his 3rd or 4th drama
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