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Happy Friday Beanies! And happy Memorial weekend to those in the US! I’m actually heading home for the “weekend” (Sun-Wed) for the first time in about a year so I’m very excited. Also, I had a late night out last night so I'm sadly behind on some shows I'm usually caught up on. But on to some reviews of currently recapped shows:
Sensory Couple Episode 15 was pure filler, everything about it annoyed me. Sadly haven't gotten to the finale but will today.
School 2015 I'm starting to get nervous because I'm not sure what way this can all go that I won't have issues with. I'm not even talking about the romance since I always knew second lead was second lead (he's still my favorite character though). All bully storylines seem pretty much the same to me though - I'd prefer to just watch the other characters grow. I do appreciate EB finally standing her ground though.
Warm & Cozy One behind on this. No strong feelings on it right now. Still watching.
Producer Lukewarm on this. I agree that it’s a lot like “The Office” and frankly I was lukewarm on that show too. I hear they’ve changed the PD which I find a bit odd since I don’t think there was anything wrong with the PD (this overall direction seems more like a project-wide choice than the PD).
Orange Marmalade This is the first time I’ve seen a kdrama where I was familiar with some of the source material, and while there are a lot of changes it’s still quite good. I’ve mentioned it before but the one thing I miss is that they basically cut out her female friend(s) which to me was one of the parts I liked best. Thumbs up though to this show as I think it had a great start. The tone is really even, and they’re even pushing the envelope a little more than I thought they would. I don’t dislike any of the acting yet either so always a plus. And our lead is adorbs.
Hi! I'm doing fine, just a bit busy but also trying to keep up on so many dramas! Honestly, don't take my comment on Sensory Coyple too much to heart. It's just this one episode that bugged me. Literally nothing of consequence happens for 95% of it and you could take it out if the storyline and nobody would notice.
I like the show overall mostly for the OTP and some enjoyment of the villain (his Instagram updates crack me up too). But the logic is all over the place so it's mostly nice for the overall atmosphere and the characters. I wouldn't say the show will stick with me though.
Definitely give Orange Marmakade a shot though if it sounds like your kind of show. It had a strong start and benefits from clearly having a good sense of what kind of show it wants to be and knowing who the audience is.
I kinda disengaged towards Smelly Girl, the plot is so ridiculous that I only watched in a "it's so bad, it's funny" mode since episode 10 or so. It's really sad, it was such a spirited drama in the beginning.
School(?) 2015, growing doubts about that one too. After all the elaborate (and somewhat overly construed) setup, I thought we might get some nice show, but I feel that we just get dragged through the usual nasty cliches right now.
Warm & Cozy: I thought I knew what to expect of a drama by those writers, but while all the weaknesses are present, I'm still looking for their trademark strengths.
Producer I like "The Office", or other pseudo-documentary formats, but I don't really get the format here. It seems like a rather random mix of genres. I also lack any background in K-variety stuff (which I hate on unreasonable grounds).
Orange Marmalade By comparison, this is a great show. I hate the genre (teen vampire romance), and dislike some of the actors, and yet it was the most watchable of the shows. I know I will drop it eventually, but thumbs up!
I'm not sure if we really should be bothered with the mixed, experimental format in Producer since, for me, it works more as a narrative device than a style. in particular, the minute interviews provide us a different perspective about the marginalized feelings of each character than say, the traditional thinking-out-loud or voice-over methods. some may find it jarring less because the genre-mix doesn't click, but more because it is an unaccustomed storytelling device.
What bothered me wasn't the mixing, as the "random" mixing.
The blend-in interviews were totally fine, because they were cued correctly: The character looks into the camera (or next to the camera, towards the interviewer) and answers questions (and frequently asks for a reshoot). You can tell immediately what you are watching.
Then there are very, very few scenes that are cued as "pseudo-documentary" ones. A few scenes in the first episode for example. There was one very well done one with Ye-jin, where she was shifting her focus between the flock of rookies and the (invisible) documentary team without actually addressing the later. It's simply her behaviour that makes you feel the presence of the camera.
Even in these scenes, most of the characters seem to be totally oblivious that there is a camera pointing at them. Which is strange, especially for the rookies. It doesn't need much, just a few very short glances towards the camera once in a while, just to notify the audience: Yes, this scene is filmed and the characters are aware of that.
Because otherwise it is difficult to separate these scenes from the many other scenes that don't seem to be part of the documentation.
I completely agree with you on that. I generally prefer mockumentary movies to TV but for either to be successful there's a very clear premise and coherency to the order of the shots. It's extra important in these kinds of shows because it needs to be clear what 'view' we're getting. Is this person really doing this on camera right now? Is this a rare private moment? Are they changing their actions because they know there is a camera? Etc. But the way it had been done is pretty convoluted storytelling.
I agree that Sensory Couple lost it's momentum. I think there were logic holes from the beginning but it didn't matter so much because the way it was being told was so enjoyable. Then I'm not sure what happened. I feel like it should have been 12 episides instead and that would have helped the writers.
Why will you give up on Orange Marmalade? Just not your preferred genre? It's going to be a relatively short show and only once a week...pretty easy to keep up on.
OM: Yes, it's the genre. I'm pretty sure it will get to me sooner rather than later. I hate teen romance, I hate teen vampires and I hate vampire romance. This is not gonna work.
I am with Jon on this. Been SO many teen/vampire movies and shows over the past 5 years or so that it is just exceedingly tiresome at this point. The genre is way beyond the dead horse stage.
Not got much time for the dreamy Korean drama world. Right now I’m only watching:
Murphy’s Law: I like it so far. The story hasn’t developed much in the last week but it was enjoyable.I want the story to get exciting now, but I hope it doesn’t go down the lane where he loves the girl, but breaks up with her to get back with the ex, coz of guilt. Anyways, the lead guy adorable.
Warm and Cozy(1st 2 epsiodes): Nothing ground-breaking but I’m enjoying it for what it is. I wish the Hong sisters hadn’t used the ‘conned by a near one’, ditched by the selfish boyfriend and extremely unlikable 2nd lead tropes. The humor seems to have been toned down too (my Gumho girlfriend, Best Love, Delightful Girl, My Girl and Master’s Sun had a good many LOL moments). Still the leads are extremely likable and the Jeju setting very picturesque (the sunrise scene was esp pretty, with the sunrays lighting up Kang SoRa’s face), so I’m gonna stick with it.
How is ‘The girl who sees smells’ doing? I left it after watching 8 epis and somehow never got back to it. It wasn’t bad enough to be dropped but my interest dipped drastically after Epi 8.
School 2015(I hope they don’t relegate the mystery to the background to elevate the romance. We’ve got enough rom-coms and romantic melodramas), Orange Marmalade and Producer are next on my list, in that order.
Any Hindi movie watchers here? ‘Fiffi’, ‘Mohabbat buri bimari’ , ‘Pehli Baar’, and ‘Journey’ have been on my repeat list all week .Anyone else share my love for these songs and the movie ‘Piku’?
That’s it for now. Have a nice weekend, everyone
Yay for another Murphy watcher! I agree that nothing much is happening but I'm OK with it because I too am dreading what's going to happen with this ex. If he dumps our lead after all his promises and swearing up and down that he'll be with her forever no matter who else comes along...well, I'm going to be beyond pissed. Just one drama with a guy who isn't wishy-washy please!! Also, he really is adorable. I've never seen him in anything before but he definitely had those rom com moments down to a T.
This is also my first time watching him. He is perfect rom-com material.Wasn’t he adorbs when waiting for the replies to his SMS, talking to Polo or when cursing himself for his messages under the pseudonym.
His reactions are perfect. I really should hunt down some of his other shows just to see if he's like this in other things. I love his scenes with Polo.
Have watched Murphy's male lead, Danson Tang, since way way back when in X-family with Jiro Wang and so on. He is really very adorable indeed and disappeared for a while. Thought he had dropped off the scene until Murphy. Now, will have to watch his previous drama, Fabulous 30. Saw clips of it and he was also very endearing.
Just got into Murphy's last week. I remember one scene in the recent episodes when she's at his house cooking and he SWOONILYYYY SWOOPS IN AND FOLDS BACK HER SLEEVES.
All I could think at that moment was KANG MIN HO in Falling For Innocence! Ji Jia Wei did what you couldn't! Perhaps that's why he got the girl sooner... muahahahaha.
I haven't seen Falling for Innocence but I will have to say that I'm impressed that in Murphy our lead nails those scenes every single time. I mean, let's be honest, rom com moments are all rather cliched and cheesy - but he makes it seem butterfly worthy every time. I'm so enjoying this cotton candy fluff.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who gets caught up in dreading the angst!! I've definitely had to stop shows for a while because I was dreading what was coming. It's stupid how much anxiety in can create in me.
I hated it, and I hated it so much I even started to hate Bubu Jingxin in retrospect.
I was expecting something like Bubu Jingxin (focus on social and political relationships, decisions and consequences), but somehow "Desert" is much more a stock love triangle romance, just ticking off the mandatory stages.
If you're not bothered by that (you shouldn't too much if you watch K-dramas, btw.), and you can cope with the very low production value standard, check it out. You'll probably need around 3 episodes to see whether you might like it.
Well, two very different reactions! I'll think on this one a bit more then. I admit kdramas have gotten me pretty used to a lot of things, but for me it's really how they handle those tropes that makes the difference.
Seems like I should track down Bu Bu Jing Xin though!
A friend asked me to describe Orange Marmalade, i told her it's Monstar with an E.
im sure they are good vampire kids & adults and not actual monster, especially the father, i always like him in every single role he did eversince Surplus Princess
Happy Friday and Open thread guys! Greetings brought to you from cold, depressing computer room.
How are you all? had a good week?
Had a week of stress, lack of motivation (not helping the stress) and general work that needs doing. However, loving the henna hair colour which turned out nice.
Dramaland:
The lover: like ep 6 slightly better than ep 5, which is good.
Falling behind on falling behind on everything else.
Hi! Doing ok here, thanks. How about you? ..... I see that the never-ending academic work continues. Don't despair! The tower of books is your friend! (try saying that over and over and over) :)
Sorry you seem to be having a rough week, wishing you best of luck in everything though. Computer rooms can really drain the energy right out of you. Also surprised that the one show you watched was The Lover - I thought you were definitely losing interest in it. I skimmed 7 though and Jae Joon is in 90% of it. I think they realized he's attracting them the most attention right now lol.
haha I was not really liking most of ep 5, but I didn#t want to let one episode end it all. So went back for ep 6. I did like it better, but I feel kinda confused about this drama. It's like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be.
Oh I completely agree, this show is all over the place. There is no consistency with almost any aspect of this show. I also am concerned with how they're going to end things.
They keep having the end say D-X so I think D-Day will have something happen....maybe the landlord is arrested and everyone is thrown out? Lol.
I would actually be really happy if they left all the relationships just as open ended as they began. I worry more that they're not going to go with that and will actually have an agenda with some of them.
Finished the presentation indeed. And had a bad nervous attack during it. It was a mass. But it has passed. Now just need to get this chapter written somehow before Wednesday which is proving a challenge.
Atm watching dramas doesn't even appeal cause it means I have to have my eyes open xD
Mine was good; we finally finished moving in & reopened the library. So glad the physical labor is finished.
I'm sorry you're still stressed - hang in there! I recommend taking an evening to dance until you drop from exhaustion - very good for stressed students. :solidarity fist: Fighting!
Some thoughts on shows not currently being recapped, as well as some thoughts in general:
Kill Me, Heal Me I kept up with this show until the last two episodes and then it just sat in my queue because I didn’t want it to end. It got a bit melo toward the end (and the wrap up for his DID was very unbelievable although sweet) but overall this show made me very very happy. Obviously enough can’t be said about the acting, and there was such a great balance of humor with emotion. One thing I wasn’t sure of was what happened with the cousin? Did he know anything? To me he didn’t really seem like a bad guy and I was wondering if he’d be left with anything.
The Lover Eh. Even the subbers seem like they’re over this show. JJ though is all through ep 7!
Hwajung For me this show has really picked up. It’s perhaps not entirely believable but this past week didn’t have a dull moment for me. They’re playing with a lot of different tones and a couple plot lines and I’m looking forward to seeing how they fill almost another 40 episodes. Is it weird to say I had fun with a sageuk? (This is really not my genre forte).
Missing Noir M And back to the two-parters! Sigh. I actually found this episode to be a bit chaotic in its presentation (had a hard time keeping the time line straight), but as always I love the tone and the characters. This really is a good show and I enjoy their individual mysteries.
Murphy’s Law of Love Well, somehow the cuteness is ongoing which is surprising but nice. Even the second lead isn’t getting too much in the way yet. I’m really hoping this show to be all fluff just because I need a show like that – and their fluff is super cute.
Joseon Gunman Finally finished this! I started it way back when it originally started airing. With our favorite LJK returning to the screen though in another sageuk I made myself finish. Honestly, I don’t think it’s as bad as many people were saying. However, it was drawn out and in the end the politics started to feel a little silly to me. But LJK and fight sequences always make me happy. Also, I’m glad to now see Han Joo Won on Hwajung – makes his ending less brutal (plus he finally gets to have some fun!).
----
Random note, Lee Jun Ki has been updating his Instagram a bit from set and it’s making me really excited! Also none of his photos include the actresses which makes me laugh (there is one with the male leads).
I started this week’s Running Man but honestly the premise made me feel already a bit bad. I don’t like when they set a single person up to basically be ripped off at the end. It’s one thing if it’s a whole group of people but this….eh.
So I stopped a little more than halfway through both Unkind Women and Shine or Go Crazy, and I was going to try and have a mini marathon with at least one next week. However I’m a bit discouraged since I heard the endings for both were disappointing. None the less I try to finish things so –...
episode 7 was really good! It's my fave ep so far.
I actually prefer the 1 episode 1 case format. The pace and the writing becomes very concise and tighter I feel.
Yeah it was good, and they did a great job setting up the ending. I also like that they make their cases revolve around various issues of concern in Korea (I'm not saying other countries don't have these problems too, just that it's nice that they're tackling current concerns and nothing is taboo). I think they've really found their groove with the last few episodes.
I'd put it under crime. But mystery more than drama. They follow cases and each takes 1-2 episodes. Slowly the backgrounds and personal lives of our aim characters are working their way into the plot but it's still mostly case based.
And yet The Lover episode 7 is at 80% already?! I think it's the JJ love. I skimmed without subs and I don't think his scenes are like the ones you hated in ep 5. But there is silliness because that's sort of the whole show. But they integrate him into scenes with almost everyone else in the show this episode so you get some variety.
Regarding the cousin in Kill Me, Heal Me and what happened to him, I think they left it unmentioned in the story. He walked out of the meeting room with his father in one of the final scenes, but the viewer never knows if he also leaves the company.
I'm going to assume he's mentioned in his grandmother's will, so he'll receive something, just not the entire company.
Yeah they left the cousin's story open ended. The one thing that sort of annoyed me was that the writers sort of forgot their side characters. I didn't care for the side characters, they were pretty much all tropes, but then why were they there in the first place? They wrote the main characters so well and I really did love this show....but the cousin and the second lead actress were just sort of shuffled off at the end. It wasn't very satisfying.
I mean I found @JGshock for twitter and @actor_JG, but his follower count wasn't as high as other celebs I follow, so just wondering if they're just fan accounts or his real actual ones? :)
That's the right Instagram, no idea about twitter. I have no idea why his account is low but it might be because it's been up for less than a year and I think he was pretty low-key about opening it. Idols have a huge fan base that's usually very media savvy and when an account opens the news spreads like wildfire. I forget how I learned about the account but I promise it's him not a fan account.
Thanks 4D for confirming :) I just followed him and have been a fan for a while but had no idea he has social media. For someone like him, I definitely think he has heaps of fans out there (like me) who still doesn't know he has IG. If @actor_JG is his instagraInstagram, then @JGshock is definitely his twitter since I got his Instagram link from his twitter :)
I'm glad there's more on twitter! His numbers though are surprisingly low. I know he's got a lot of fans (and not just Beanies!) so I'm just going to say that his fans just don't realize he has an account....or he has a lot of fans who don't have media accounts. *shrug*
Agree! Joseon Gunman is still waiting to be finished, three episodes or so from the end, and I give up every time, because the constant moping annoys me so much (with the crying, I just discovered the joys of fast-forwarding). At this stage I think I will end up reading the rest of the recaps and be done. I hope the vampire is more mysterious than tragic; otherwise my interest won't last long.
He doesn't have a ton of photos yet, but they're starting and I'm excited!! I really enjoy the one of him and the male cast members.
As for Josean...I don't mind crying, especially since it was always going to be a heavier drama. However, it was that there was so much crying over the SAME things. It just started to get a bit repetitive.
And then the fighting was so odd because he was willing to kill all these soldiers in an instant, soldiers who were mostly only fighting cause that's their job, but when it comes to the man who killed his family....well, then you have to really debate the morality of it. What? LJK though is always kick ass. I prefer when he fights instead of shooting though. (And I'm very very ready for a fighting vampire LJK)
4D, KMHM - I think the cousin was left to deal with the fact his dad was kind of an asshole. Perhaps he went travelling and then turned a new page. we really dont know. But I was the same as you, I at least couldn´t watch the last episodes in 1 go and kept pausing and wailing that it has to end, like I would be able to think of a way to keep it going while I pause. but as you see, it ended. I couldnt think of anything.
and Lee Jun Ki at least looks happy in the pictures he posts from the set, which should be a good sign? I don´t like the clothes though, couldn´t they have given them a bit more structure? they´re so plain.
Yeah I really had to prolong the ending of KMHM. I realize we have to make up an ending for some people which I find a little frustrating since overall the storylines were SO GOOD.I miss the multiple Ji Sungs so much.
Well I think LJK looked pretty happy on the set of Joseon Gunman as well. I mean, I will always love watching him. I just hope this show isn't dragged out too much. I don't have super high expectations but I do want some fun. And, of course, lots of LJK. I guess his clothes are plain...I hadn't really noticed. Textiles are really your forte ;) He looked so handsome though in some of his Arang outfits that I wish he had more like that. But these are just the early shots. I really feel a vampire should have some more luxurious/mysterious clothing, no?
I have enjoyed watching the recent episodes of Hwajung, LYH is getting better playing the role of Jungmyung and I cant wait to see her in princess costume, SKJ is good as Hong Joo Won, and CSW is great as ever!
Plot wise alliances have been established and everyone is trying to one up the other. So bring it on cause I'm in for the long haul. ?
Also I think the one who plays Kang In Woo is the one who played orabeoni in Joseon Gunman
I'm glad to see someone else is watching this show!! I thought I was the only one. I mean, I understand, the 50 episodes is pretty daunting! And yep, Kang In Woo is the same actor as Joseon Gunman, his name is Han Joo Wan. I like him a lot in Hwajung even if he's only recently shown up.
Is there anyplace but Drama Fever to watch Producer and Warm and Cozy at the moment? Viki doesn't get them for another week or two and Drama Fever is driving me crazy with freezes. Thanks in advance ...
Re: Warm and Cozy -- I think diver lady and brother may rival lady scientist and thug from Miss Korea as favorite secondary pairing of all time.
Ooooh is there more fun with that couple in episode 4? I need to catch up today. I was sold on our diver lady the minute he was introduced but I'm not yet sold on hyung.
In School2013 I was slightly bummed that there wasn't any romance but the bromance made up for it~
Now I am actually hoping that there isn't going to be romance in School2015...
OTP feels...
I finally tried some of the soju I purchased last week! I tried it at room temperature and super cold. I think it was better cold. ....... I have no idea if it was supposed to be, but to me, it had a light taste. It also had a hint of sweetness. It wasn't bitter nor was there a strong taste to it. It wasn't bad at all! ....... There's still another bottle left, different brand. I'll have to try that sometime this coming week!
Watched this week:
Angry Mom - Gong-ju is such an awesome friend!
The Girl Who Sees Smells - Still watching in bits and pieces, but I'm ok with that.
Divorce Lawyer In Love - Came across this one this past weekend while changing tv channels. Watched the first episode and part of the second one. It was ok and it seemed pretty straightforward.
Mr. Selfridge (Season 3) - It's over until next year! ....... Poor Mr. Selfridge, problems everywhere. ...... Nancy Webb, in the end, you had that coming.
That's all for now. ....... To those who celebrate the holiday, have a great Memorial Day on Monday. ....... Everyone take care and have a great Friday
Ah Soju, I remember trying Korean soju in china. I agree with you, it has a mild, yet hard to place tasteless taste. At least to me. It's also good to mix with sodas, you pretty much cannot taste it at all. ( I don't like the tast of alchohol so this is a pluss for me)
Exactly! It was quite mild indeed! It was almost unexpected, but it was fine.
I didn't do any mixing, just had it by itself. But I have heard that people mix it with all sorts of other beverages. I think they show that in the dramas too.
I know what you mean! The chinese baijiu is pretty strong in its taste so I was expecting soju to be similar. But it wasn't at all!
I haven't tried mixing it with beer, but I can see why they do it to get drunk. Since it doesn't real add to the taste. It tasted quite nice with lemonade/sprite, which is what I mixed it with normally But it is also okay on its own.
I went to a Karaoke bar last night with co-workers (It was Karaoke and things were first labeled in Japanese but it was definitely Korean run), and I almost tried the Soju. They had a special for a drink called Soju Punch. I imagined it was probably a lot like vodka that is not very defined as a taste on its own and so could be mixed easily. I chickened out though so I didn't try it. Love hearing your description of it.
I really should try and see Angry Mom, it got such good reviews.
Variety show
-JTBC Crime Scene S2: Just WOW. The case for this week was pretty complicated, though I still guessed right about the criminal took Jang dongmin's bullet just to frame him. But the twist at the end, I never see that coming. Omaigad, right after they revealed the real criminal, the captain was murdered. When did the murderer did that? So I guess next week we won't see Hong Jinho playing? What a pity.. But at least Kang Minhyuk and NS Yoonji is come back.
-King of Mask Singer: The contestants for this show just continue to impress me. Now I just obsessed over the Cleopatra. Who is he? His voice is sooo amazing.
Drama
-Ex-Girfriend Club: Though the conflict is something we usually find in kdramaland, what really draw me in is the character and the relationship within. It's not as full-comedy as I feared and it's easy to watch. And mostly it feels like a four different stories compiled into one drama.
-Missing Noir M: Finally I picked up this drama and it is as good as what I expected. The case is interesting, the background story is intriguing, the writing is well-thought and the story move at a well pace. And the emotion is SOOO there. (Kim Kang Woo ajusshi.. *fangirling) It's a crime thriller but it also makes me cried so much. Now I can't wait for the last two episodes.
I plan to watch A Man's Story after my 'Kim Kang Woo discovery' since the dramabeans writer recommended it so much. Is it really worth watching?
Okay wait I was just reading the part about Crime Scene and now I'm wondering how someone was 'murdered' in a variety show..? Can you explain what it's about? I only know that there is a criminal and people have to find that person or something like that.
Well, usually they have a 'body' at first before the show began as a victim. But this is a new twist, so one of the player become the victim for the next episode. So I think that player won't play for next episode. It actually also come a shock for me since he suddenly collapsed right before the closing.
Ow I hope he'll play in the episode after that then (I might watch it) cuz I know Hong Jinho from The Genius and he was always the one to come up with smart plans that didn't involve backstabbing ^^ (as far as I can remember)
Every week, we have the main cast and usually 1 guest or 2, but there will be 5 suspects, 1 victim, and 1 detective. The criminal is caught via individual voting (that's why it's a jury game), and the person with the most votes is jailed. If the jailed suspect is the criminal, all who voted get 100 000 won for their vote.
The main cast play in this variety show using a leaderboard system - where if they vote and manage to arrest the criminal, they are awarded 100 000 won for their vote. The detective for that episode (they take turns) has 2 votes, and hence can potentially gain 200 000 won if they are right.
So the suspects and the detective investigate a huge crime scene, check alibis to figure out who's the culprit. Should the criminal get away with it, they win an amount equal to the number of votes the wrongly arrested criminal got. :)
Usually cases are isolated as per episode, but they've a special for the ship/cruise liner case, largely because Hong Jinho probably had other commitments so they roped him in as the next victim.
Love this variety show a lot more than I should. A guilty pleasure. Season 1 works on the same principles, but did not have a detective.
Yes, they will get nothing. Even if someone actually got the right criminal but the criminal is not the one who got locked up,because lack of vote, then the person who vote for the right criminal still get nothing.
Is Crime Scene being english subtitled? I've watched a couple episodes raw, but my Korean isn't good enough to understand it. It can get pretty complicated.
I keep wanting to try Crime Scene but it's not on any site that's easy for me to access (I hope to eventually though, it's just not convenient). I really love trying to figure out mysteries and I enjoy some of the people on it. Glad to hear it's so good.
I only catch some of the King of Mask episodes. I really loved Sungjae on there, and his voice seem much deeper and richer than when he sings for BtoB.
I'm also really enjoying King of Mask. It's always fun to guess the real identity of the singer. I like how the show allows people to discover the singing talents of its contestants. I never knew Luna, Hong Suk Chun, Kahi, and others were such good singers.
off to a short vacation of 1 week. and on the 30th coming back to Tallinn for Haydamaky concert.
to people interested in Eurovision Song Contest: Estonia made it to the finals! We are performing 4th. So whoever can, please vote for us! (I am dreaded Russia would win, because, I seriously doubt the sanity of Europe then. No matter how good the song, would you actually go there for 2016 like you´re best friends....? Crazy.)
The second Semi was soooo boring though, the first half at least. I regret wasting time on it.
I haven´t caught up on anything, I don´t have time to finish a single episode. Smelly Girl is on hold, took a peek at Warm and cozy but I don´t even know the basics. Had to sit in meetings of Textile Artists´ Union and also the house meeting. yawn. voting for boring things like repainting the garden bench, I would rather vote in Eurovision, thank you.
The Esthonian song is really nice and all voices are great, but the songs... blah... Uber-boring (yes, I blame you Conchita!) One question though: if Australia wins, next year live from Sydney?
nope, Australia has promised to pass the turn to the second place country.
everyone was saying how Sweden is a big favorite, but I listened and the words are so clumsily written and childish. like american teen pop.
I really liked some voices in the first semi (Belgium - wow! Next ed Sheeran?; and our Stig has improved so much, he is not really a singer and in our national final he was out of rhythm and slightly shaky, now the tempo was perfect and voice was great. ) in the second semi, I only liked Slovenia and Latvia (which was a weird song, really weird, but kind of cool). Songs in second semi - all the same! who can even make a difference?
Ah so they would turn t over to the second place winner? Makes sense. I originally heard that they would get to pick a country. Me and my friends had great fun it saying that this was the British plot to get Eurovision: Call in the past colonies!
oh maybe you are right, perhaps they just pick one. I haven´t read all the news that thoroughly. somehow it has all gotten so huge again and news coming from door and window there is just too much information on this event now.
redfox, this is kinda funny. I'm from slovenia and I liked estonian guys. :) as for swedish guy, agree on the song but he had an entertaining performance.
In the final, I liked some songs but the performance fell a bit flat. Cyprus, hey. Romania was good, Sweden....it is a catchy tune I admit, but somehow feels like recycling a similar idea to Euphoria, relying on one word and repeating it.
Elina actually cried on stage while singing, is that a first I wonder?
and I bet people did not even know that Maarja, who represented us twice in the 1990ies, was a background singer for our song.
Slovenia still strong, but you were the very first... bad luck with the time.
Very surprised that Latvia got 12 points twice! But I am happy for the neighbors, they have missed the final for 6 years.
Eurovision Song Contest has the weirdest news of all times, ladies: Australia is competing for the First time, ever! Oh, yeah...Imagine that! What if they win???? HAHAHA, Then Eurovison travels down under and so do we for 2016. Well, that's a far-fetched scenario I think but who knows..!
So we meet each other tomorrow evening, girls. May the best song wins. I'm fed up to the back teeth with all this politics; it's a song contest, for crying out loud. Give us a break and some quality (and beautiful voices, by all means). How difficult could that be???? I hate kitschy presentations and voting "alliances" but I keep eagerly watching each year - bit of masochist, I admit it- and happily postponing my dramas.
I wish good luck to your songs and Il Volo for the win (of course)!
kalel, shall we keep Open Thread as a meeting place? I also have Twitter.
btw, Russia, Sweden, Italy and Australia are the favorites. but if Estonia wins, then Russia is right across a river, Sweden across the sea, unlike Australia, we only have one oisonous snake and Estonian models fill half the fashion stages in Milan. We´re all in 1, guys!
I'm quite liking [b]Warm & Cosy[/b] so far. The bumbling but kind-hearted Geun-woo is endearing, and his brother seems quite a decent chap too. I'm cringing every time I see Ji-won, because her acting is terrible. There are plenty of gold-digging characters in K drama who have more sass and are more convincing. She's just too awkward.
I'm a bit surprised too that there are so many accents in Warm & Cosy. Pretty rare to get something besides Seoul and Busan/Jeju.
I'm quite sad that [b]Girl Who Sees Smells[/b] is over. I think it'd have been perfect as 15 episodes, but at least the drawn out 16th episode isn't too painful. I love our team, and I wonder if the ending meant that they might return as a proper detective series another time. *keeping fins crossed*
*bangs head*. Thanks, Jon G, patinalee and 4D! I knew the tags, I just assumed that DB uses forum tags with square brackets. HAHA. Shouldn't try to be smart next time.
WAC: Beside major logic issue, I hate the first love. She's really bad, compared to Kim Yuri or Yoo Inna. I mean, it could be the writing but no, even her line delivery is bad. Wooden bad.
I start reading Orange Marmalade (the webtoon), and it's too cheesy for my liking. I may be too old for that, but the logic also bothers me. What is the concept of immortality in vamp world in this webtoon? They can have children and grow, the only thing that differs from human is the blood, which is weird since you need body fluid (including blood) to have children. I'm still late behind so unless it's revealed in upcoming chapters, as weird as it is, I find Twilight's concept of vampire is better (though it doesn't explain why Edward and Bella can have a child).
May dramas have been underwhelming, I'm left with Mask to increase my interest. It seems more complicated than Secret, but with seasoned actors, I have faith on this one. I trust you, writer-nim!
The universal verdict seems to be that the second lead is awful. Poor her! Honestly, I found her terrible too.
So according to Orange Marmalade, vampires don’t have blood?? That’s kind of …
" I’m still late behind so unless it’s revealed in upcoming chapters, as weird as it is, I find Twilight’s concept of vampire is better (though it doesn’t explain why Edward and Bella can have a child)."
What "concept" of vampires are you referring to here, in contrast to Orange Marmalade?
A story about Korean teenage vampires going to high school needs the vampires to be very much like humans, because they need a family. And the regulations for families are very strict in Korea. While it annihilates the very concept of vampires, it totally makes sense.
Concept of immortality.
1. I don't know if Mari's parents are her biological parents or not, but if they are, how can you breed without body fluid (blood)?
2. Okay, let's say they have blood, so why do they need to consume blood? Pig blood? And yet they still wonder how human blood tastes.
I have no problem with vampire going to school though. And my quesCions will be answered if Mari was adopted but I still have many chapters to read so I 'm asking those who have read all or if it's explained in the drama.
Okay, when you mentioned "Twilight", I thought you were referring to a vampire concept specific to vampires from that source, that's why I asked.
(1) Just because you don't have blood doesn't really mean you cannot have other bodily fluids. (Again, VampMeyers don't have blood, but they have semen.)
(2) They have to eat. And their digestive system is over-adapted to the consumption of blood, which means they cannot eat anything else. Like carnivores cannot eat rice, or hematophagia cannot eat anything but blood. Their metabolism uses the material and the energy from the blood to produce the necessary proteins and carriers of energy to survive.
And, because of evolution, of course they are curious about the taste of different kinds of blood. Just like the French are curious about the tastes of different kinds of cheese, for example.
1. And yet, you need blood to transport hormones like testosterones to make a mature sperm and without blood you cannot erect (I can't believe we're talking about this). The same goes to the women (if in OM women can have child because there it's said they can marry human.
2. I agree, but Mari can eat everything in the webtoon, although she still needs blood. However desperate carnivores are, they won't eat rice, will they?
(1) Well, we don't even know how exactly DO these vampires reproduce. If they don't have blood, they are clearly no mammals and wouldn't necessarily reproduce like mammals. Maybe they reproduce via mitosis?
(2) Some carnivores do eat indigestible food for various reasons: It may help their digestive system (Cats for example), or it simply smells good, or something.
Vampires are clearly parasites, they need to be able to stay close to their hosts, a certain amount of mimicry seems necessary. Eating food is a very good disguise (even if it doesn't provide any nutrition), hence the ability to eat was developed through co-evolution.
Jon G.
Okay, now I understand. Clear for no. 2. Thanks. And for no 1, yeah, the only way they can logically reproduce is asexually. Like unicellular creatures.
Re: Orange Marmalade As far as I can tell, the vampires in their world are pretty much identical to humans, except they need to consume blood and have enhanced healing abilities. No immortality. Also kinda spoilery for the webtoon (they changed it for the kdrama):
If they consume human blood they gain super-strength, but after some time will also start to burn in the sun.
I have questions regarding orange marmalade logic too! they said the vampire boy (sorry , can't remember his name) was being punished and sent back to school , and he was angry that they were doing this to him AGAIN? But we are shown that he met the male lead when they were both kids , so he can't be older than him and have been sent back to school multiple times before. Unless vampires take longer to mature ...? Like for example he has looked like a 15 year old boy for a decade , and then 16 for the next decade???
Maybe they made him repeat grades? Because he'd still need to get a job and be part of society so they wanted him to study and do the tests....so he's really older but in the same grade? (I mean if they change his name, they can change his birthdate)
Looks like I'm not the one waiting for Mask to air this coming Wednesday :)
I have faith in the team and based from the long trailer, it'll be a thriller melodrama and even more complex than Secret .I really hope it'll be good.
Well, first things first, I received a comment on an Angry Mom fic I wrote saying that it had been recommended over here by someone (I was so baffled by the sudden increase in traffic on a fic that I'd written a week before, and just couldn't understand the reason for it. This site really is incredibly popular), so thank you for that, that's just incredibly kind of you, stranger-nim <3
Then, omg, Let's Eat 2 is truly the show of my heart. I AM ENJOYING IT SO MUCH. I like it even better than the first installment. I think very few dramas have done such a great job of showing me why exactly two people really belong together. And it doesn't require any interfering second leads. Because Sang Woo is incredible, and yet the kind of issues that Soo Ji faces being with him and so realistic, and so genuinely dealt with. I love that so much of this slice-of-life feel revolves around rent and taxes and money issues. Also, DOO JOON. I adore him madly, and think he's incredibly charismatic. During LE1, I had NO IDEA that he was an idol, and a popular one at that and I would've never believed it. And he's even better in this installment, I think there's something about him- something undefinable- that's so charming, that his role fits him perfectly. Also, in the latest episodes he's been doing low-key angst through the barest minimum of facial expressions, which is hitting me hard. He's truly up there with Lee Joon and Im Si Wan for me.
Also, I can already tell I'll be spending all of Producer gushing about Cindy because I adore her so much, and just going D: at all the comments that hate on her. Such are my life choices, as it was with Yeo Reum in Discovery of Romance. /sigh
You can ctr+f my name or generally read the comments if you so wish! I do hope we get a lot more POV time for her in the next episode, so that we can understand her better, since she barely had any screentime at all in the last episode.
Because Sang Woo is incredible, and yet the kind of issues that Soo Ji faces being with him and so realistic
Except that part drives me nuts because she won't open her mouth and say something. I could buy that at the beginning of their relationship, but after you've been dating for a while, you need to speak up and say "Hey, I can't afford that." or "It makes me uncomfortable to have you spend so much money".
The strangest thing is that that aspect of it makes it even more realistic for me! Because, going by the character, I can see why she- in particular, as the individual that she is- would act that way. Soo-ji does not see herself as being in a relationship at all , in her head she's the unpopular, fat, nerdy outcast who "got" the guy. The relationship isn't real for her, which is ironic considering that she initiated it. And that is why I think the show does such a great job of showing us why these two, despite being completely great individuals, aren't really good at making the relationship work. Because their real problem isn't the class difference, it's that they fundamentally don't 'get' each other. Soo-ji feels the need to constantly overcompensate for being in a relationship with someone she believes is far too good for her, while Sang-woo views and treats her like a novelty in his life, instead of a fully realized individual.
I think one of the best encapsulations of this was the episode with the robot cleaner "running" away- Soo-ji was clearly embarrassed, clearly anxious, and he didn't respond to those emotions at all, he treated the incident as a joke. Which probably makes him a great guy, but his response to pretty much anything she does is amusement, and because of that, she feels even more lacking. He neither catches on, nor responds to her insecurities, and she can't say it out loud because she's so convinced she needs to maintain an image. There are a lot of times she's shown being visibly uncomfortable about the money he spends on her, including when she buys him a new robot cleaner, but he doesn't notice how much that affects her. I get that it can be super frustrating watching her not say that she's out of her depth, especially since he's a really nice guy and would get it, but I can also see why she doesn't- how truly crippling her insecurities are, to the extent where she's losing out on the relationship she always wanted because of them.
I find it telling that Dae-young is sort of the intermediary there, he openly tells Sang-woo some of the things she can't say, and yet, you can see how much Sang-woo doesn't get her- how the "you need to feed her, hyung!" turned into a series of fancy restaurants that make her more uncomfortable than happy. How talking about literature and opera made her feel completely culturally illiterate. How even the interests they share, like her book, just turns into something that sends them further away than bringing them closer. It's so interesting watching them, because I feel like they're such fully realized characters, with such a fully realized relationship, which feels like it’s juuuuust a beat out of sync. They usually do things that Sang-woo likes, things that Sang-woo especially chooses because he thinks that she’ll like them, and she doesn’t actually like any of them, and is unable to admit it because she thinks she should like it and that...
...and is unable to admit it because she thinks she should like it and that cycle is endless.
Which makes the contrast with the Soo-ji/Dae-young relationship even more obvious. Because there's a lot that he picks up from just observing her, even when she doesn't say it out loud. He has the advantage, of course, because she's more comfortable with him, and she doesn't have the same hang-ups as she has with Sang-woo, and says things she feels out loud. But more than just that, you can see it every time the three of them are together; he just picks up on her emotions and responds to them. And this isn't a special level of comfort, it's because he pays attention, which is the fundamental difference. While every moment with Sang-woo is individuated- in the sense that he'll be told something one moment but he won't correlate it to something that happens later, like if he gets that she's uncomfortable about having lost his expensive cleaner, he won't correlate it to her being uncomfortable with him buying expensive things for her- Dae-young takes into account everything he knows about her to react to her. Of course he knows a lot more about her, but again, he actually met her later than Sang-woo did. They've actually known each other for a shorter time. And there's a lot than Sang-woo has been told about her, the same way that Dae-young has because they both didn't know her then- that she was fat, that she was unpopular and alone because of it or at least felt that way and that it still affects her, that she feels insecure in her feelings for Sang-woo (again, they've both been told this, like in her drunken confession moment to Sang-woo) but the way that that informs their interactions with her is completely different, which is so painfully clear in the show. I actually really, really like both these couples and their interactions, and I am so much in awe of how masterful this show is in depicting relationships.
(Okay, I need to shut up now but) one of the best moments of this mismatch between why Sang-woo and Soo-ji aren't working out despite him being a great guy is also obvious through his reaction on being told about her past. His reaction is "so what if you were fat?" or "how does it matter?" and his reaction's the same to a lot of her hang-ups. On the one hand, it makes him an amazing person, a real stand-up guy, because you can tell that it genuinely doesn't matter to him, but on the other hand... it does. It does matter, it should matter, because it matters to her. It matters because those aspects of her past define her in lots of ways in the present and understanding her requires understanding that. I feel like it's easy to dismiss Soo-ji as the only reason the relationship seems to not move forward or that she feels uncomfortable, but I think the show's done a great job so far of showing that it's not that one-sided.
aw no dont shut up. you articulated what i like about the show so well! I havent seen very many deep discussions on Lets Eat 2 and i almost missed this one. The DY and SJ pair is probably one of my fave bickering relationships in dramaland because you can tell that first and foremost they are /best friends/ and everything stems from that.
And Sang woo! Hes not just a second lead -like u said, hes a fully realised person with realistic expectations and reactions. Both male leads are both handling the love triangle in a sensible way because both are actual nice people.
And I've seen people saying they really dont like SJ and that shes annoying and I find that stupid. Sure shes a little selfish, headstrong, a little insecure, and a little clueless when it comes to social interaction and actually /clueless when it comes to social interaction/. Not the cutesty im-socially-awkward-but-also-quirky-and-everyone-still-thinks-im-adorable way (blehh) but realistically. And her past explains the person she is today. If we can have douchebags for male leads i dont see why the female lead cant be prickly and remain that way.
And I also like Hye-rim (who I cant even really call second lead girl bc shes not at all in the traditional dramaland sense). Shes literally the younger version of Goo Dae Young -charming, resourceful, a bit of a con, opinionated, but somehow goodhearted all the same.
Anyway slice-of-life is the drama genre i always need more of.
yet, you can see how much Sang-woo doesn’t get her- how the “you need to feed her, hyung!” turned into a series of fancy restaurants that make her more uncomfortable than happy.
Oh, the horrible Nouveau Cuisine restaurant made me so uncomfortable, especially when she said she'd pay for it.
I see your point (& think you're absolutely right when it comes to how Soo Ji sees herself), but still find it frustrating to watch, since they could get one another if there was a little more openness to the relationship.
I think part of Sang-woo's cluelessness is on Soo Ji, because she acquiesces to everything & echoes all his statements, so as far as he knows, it's all good.
While it's clear that she's better-suited for Dae-young, all I can think is that the two of them would live in crappy apartments for the rest of their lives & always be short on money, because neither of them seems to be terribly good at prioritizing. (Dry-cleaner closet = OMG the waste of money!)
(My youngest daughter likes watching this show for the food, & we've been talking to her about the social/emotional aspects - my husband's advice to her on this love triangle is "Don't punch above your weight class" & mine was "OMG, just TALK to your boyfriend because people can't read your mind". )
Kongguksu is a seasonal Korean noodle dish served in a cold soy milk broth. It comprises noodles made with wheat flour and soup made from ground soybeans. - from Wikipedia
@Zoe, I'm loving this season also -- Doojoon is KILLING me, he's so good in this.
I'm so charmed by him! It's really great when you see a character the exact same way that people in the actual drama keep describing them as. Like him charming people into buying insurance is so believable guh. Besides I'm LOVING his romantic angst, something we didn't get to see in S1, Doojoon is just SO GOOD at it. With just a minimal change of expression, it's easy to tell exactly what he's feeling and trying to hide. I just love the character and actor in equal parts in this!
Hello Zoe, nice to see you again. I really enjoyed your comments in Discovery of Romance threads :)
Hearing your interest, I might pick up on Producer again (I stopped at the end of episode 1)
Haha, yeah, I think that was the last character I felt the need to passionately defend because she seemed so hated and I adored her! And now I have Cindy :D But you should definitely pick up Producer again, if the first 2 episodes aren't to your liking, the next two are more 'traditional' in the drama sense so a lot of people for whom the premiere didn't work love it now!
Is it just me or does at least one person die in every Korean music video ever?
Girl Who Sees Smells- Did we have to do that in the end, really?
Producer- I loved the first week can't wait for week two's episodes.
Warm and Cozy- I enjoy it very much.
School 2015- I think the question now is does Eun-bi allow herself to become So-young. Speaking of I want to take a minute to congratulate Jo Soo-hyang, I think, for being a good enough actress to make me loathe So-young, but also for a fraction of a second when the tables are turning on her I almost a tiny little bit felt sorry for her. I really don't like Yi-an and his possessiveness.
I tried the first episode of Masked Prosecutor, but I don't know I think the episode long flashback threw me off so I don't have an opinion yet. Although honestly I'm leaning towards skipping it, I'm not sure Kim Sun-ah is enough of a reason to keep watching.
Current watch list isn't as exciting as I hoped, bleh, dramaland hasn't lived up to my expectations with new releases thus far. Anyway -
Orange Marmalade -- better than I thought it'd turn out. I knew YJG would deliver, but surprised at how much I liked the other actors/actresses!
Crime Scene 2 -- okay so just started this, and it's actually pretty good! Sometimes the clues seem obvious and other times not but it's a different variety show I like
I'M HOME (Japanese) -- OKAY so I only have two words for this. TAKUYA. KIMURA. My favorite jdrama ajusshi, stilll sexy and hot as ever lol The drama is quite interesting though, about a man who has a workplace accident that causes him to lose his memory from the past 5 years and when he comes back to his family, he literally cannot see the face of his wife or child and keeps being drawn to his ex-wife and step-daughter. He works through his memories and past to figure out who these people are.
Smelly Girl - wow. I can't believe I finished this drama. Nam Goong Min, you sir, are fantastic. I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers.
Who Are You 2015 School - Triangles galore. All I gotta say. Eun Byul, just reassured me you is alive and make the love triangle a love square or maybe two lines..parallels....uhhh any shape but triangle please lol
I'm Home's premise seems interesting. I am no Jdorama regular but most of what I watched, have Kimura Takuya in them. Is he as hot as ever?Last saw him in Pride and he was still rocking then.
Oh man, he still looks HOT. And there is something about his acting that is so on point. Anyway, you should check the drama out, it's interesting and different.
Kim Yuri and Yoo Inna were awesome, I can't believe they went downhill (and jumped off a cliff) by casting her.
I don't know if they have blood or not. What I mean is they still drink pig blood and wonder how human blood tastes. But they breed, they must have blood in their body. Why bother drinking pig blood if you have blood? That's where I'm lost.
Ah, phantastical biology, I'm good at that, let me try:
Well, there are real life species that have blood, but still consume blood as their regular or exclusive diet. Not because they need the blood because they are unable to produce blood on their own but simply as nutrition.
The "Stephenie Meyer" vampires for example are not that different from OM vampires: They don't have blood either. And they consume blood as nutrition. And they breed (well, the male VampMeyers do, the female don't, because the author hates women).
LOL at why the female VampMeyers don’t mate.Poor Rose who loves children never gets one, but she went to ridiculous ends to get the otehr male lead a mate.
It should be posted above but my cellphone is messing with me. But thanks for answering. It answers some of my question, though the b reeding one still confusing me (even in Twilight). You cannot breed without body fluid. But well, vampire can even think without blood feeding their brain whereas human can die right away or have cognitive impairment because of stroke so Ithink I'll accept it. Still, the drama is a pass for me.
As much as we like watching Kdramas as a familly, I have been taking extra time talking with my daughter (12) about the concept of beauty.
She mentioned several times about the marked differences between how Koreans and Japanese seem to approach their leading ladies in Drama and even in the Music industry. She asked why Koreans are so much prettier and Japanese seemed so much more ... "not" ... and so we spent several hours on the internet looking at before and after photos of plastic surgery ... not neccessarily of korean idols ... but just in general.
At least I think here in the US, where we're faced with such a diversity of races, we're have a much more diversed concept of beauty .... it must be hard, I think, for young Korean girls to be faced with such artificially constructed examples of beauty.
I just want to commend you for being a father who is taking the care and time to spend time with your daughter and who is explaining things to her. ...... If only more parents, especially dads, did this nowadays, perhaps our world would be a little better.
I agree with you on our perspective on beauty here in the U.S.. It's certainly more varied.
Really not as varied in the US as much as you think.
Think of all the young Hollywood starlets - thin, doe-eyed and often blonde, but some brunettes (but overwhelmingly white).
A slowly increasing no. of minority actresses but for blacks (lighter skinned and chemically straightened long tresses), Latinas (white Hispanics) and Asians (usually lighter skinned NE Asians).
I wonder how this PS industry in Korea started flourishing. There must be a cultural background for this.
I just read an article about Korean PS a few days ago. The article says that Korean boys do not mind that their GF or wives are artificially pretty. So they bring up a question what would they do if their kids look nothing like them( parents). The answer from a family was that their kids can do PS later . This ,in my opinion, truly reveal their perception of PS is starkly different from those in Japan.
I also find that they make the actors faces flawless in Korean drama sets. In J drama, I can tell their so called flaws. Even Japanese actresses are not so much caked in white colours. While I was watching the 'masked prosecutor', I find Joo Sang wook's face is so white. It's just too white and he looked so unreal. Poor Joo Sang wook.
Korean media /society has caught up with unattainable beauty standards which are not actually beautiful. Real beauty certainly come with some imperfection and flaws because we are human after all. If everyone's face belongs to a pattern of so called beautiful faces set by the media and PS industry, then it would be such a strange place to live in.
I noticed that, too. His complexion was so different than, say, Ten. I don't understand the obsession w/pale complexions; it's kind of creepy.
Ditto for the plastic surgery. I don't understand wanting to look like a completely different person (I could see if you wanted to correct a feature that always bugged you - crooked nose, for example), but I don't understand altering your appearance that way.
PS is just as prevalent in Japan,,Taiwan and HK, as well as the developed regions of China - not to mention in LA/Hollywood.
The Japanese prefer girls w/ anime-style eyes, which is why Ayumi Ito (formerly of "Sugar" and a Zainichi Japanese) and Goo Hara (of "Kara") were the most popular members of their respective K-pop groups.
The standards of beauty for females is pretty universal -
- heart shaped face
- large eyes
- full lips
- longer limbs
- lighter skin, etc.
- and even in places where more full-bodied women were the preferred type (showing that had ample amounts of calories in diet) such as in parts of Africa (was also formerly the preferred type in Asia and Europe prior to the industrialization/modernization), the standards are changing due to the influence of Hollywood and Western fashion/advertising.
The difference is not in diversity of concept of beauty, but the types of TV shows in the Korean and Japanese entertainment industries.
Korean TV shows tend to be more limited in scope than Japanese (or for that matter, American) TV shows.
Not going to see nearly as many hard crime dramas and the like.
Korean TV tends to be much more "escapist"-oriented b/c it is so tough and competitive living in Korea (more so than Japan) where most of population is packed into 4-5 urban centers, so more "reality"-oriented shows tend not to be as popular (the Korean film industry is more diverse in this regard).
And it's not like we were/are seeing average, much less below average attractive girls headlining the teen/pre-teen shows on Disney and Nick (Hillary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Dove Cameron, Miranda Cosgrove, Victoria Justice, Jamie Lynn Spears, etc.).
Personally, I was really disappointed with the last two episodes of The Girl Who Sees Smells. Way too much filler, cliche kidnapping, the final confrontation seemed anticlimactic, and...do Korean police departments just allow former detectives to jump in and join a case? Seriously doubt it, but it wouldn't be the first unrealistic thing about the police antics on this show.
Still enjoying My Unfortunate Boyfriend for the fluff that it is. Refreshing to have a second lead female that has apparently wised up at this point in the plot; instead of sabotaging the heroine, she appears ready to focus on turning the tables on the player using both of them.
I'm just not sure yet about Warm and Cozy. I want to like it, but it hasn't grabbed me yet. Orange Marmalade, however, has greatly exceeded my expectations so far.
Falling for Innocence and Divorce Lawyers in love are both still on my watch list. On the former, though, I think the cellular memory thing is overdue for a vacation from dramaland...
...and on that note, I'll switch over to the TW Drama side.
Like others have mentioned, I do view the ex returning thing on Murphy's Law as a concern, simply because Asian Dramas, especially those from Taiwan, tend to string out the angst from this plot development. The ex who refuses to give up even though the other party has moved on is such an overused trope.
And speaking of cellular memory, holy cow, was Someone Like You intense this week! High body count of main cast members as victims and casualties. And the first time I can remember since maybe Bridal Mask that I cried over a villain's death. In the end, his attempted revenge wasn't even focused on being the ex who refuses to give up but blaming the hero for injuring the mother of his child and causing her to be in danger of losing their baby. I think I cried most about the tragedy of him missing out on the future happiness right in front of him because of choosing the path of revenge.
My Unfortunate Boyfriend I'm really annoyed at Ji-na though. She's cheating on Tae-woon. I don't care that she doesn't mean it. I understand she's confused by her feelings but passively sitting there and letting things happen to you is not okay. She needs to be honest and put both relationships on hold and figure out her feelings.
Tae-Woon deserves better than her IMO.
<Refreshing to have a second lead female that has apparently wised up at this point in the plot
I'm not that's what will happen. She could just end up sabotaging everyone. I felt bad for her in ep. 8 but I really wanted her to walk away from Director Kang (the honking cars are his problem, not hers!) because she deserves better than that evil, creepy guy too. But I'd like her to listen to her own words of wisdom from an earlier episode (the whole strawberry plant anecdote) but they might just have her do evil, scheming things like every love rival in every k-drama ever.
This drama made me ponder about Korean drinking habits again – seems it's impossible to watch a kdrama without someone getting drunk beyond abandon as a way of dealing with their problems. I wonder how much it reflects Korean society, and find it a really annoying plot device too. Made me dislike Ji-na even more too, because she stands up Tae-woon, plays girlfriend to Director Kang instead and when caught can't just be honest with Tae-woon? Instead, she gets drunk and mumbles some vague words – not an apology, not an honest admission of "Yeah, actually I'm going out with this other guy and we've kissed?" What is she trying to do in any case?
I'll also add I'm sick of the sub-plot with the power games in the company. I want Tae-woon to say to these people "I'm not interested", walk away and create a huge garden/park somewhere in the countryside, living happily ever after. Originally I would have said with Ji-na, but this sweet guy deserves someone who doesn't two-time him because she can't make up her mind.
Producer seems to be one of those shows where you have to decide for yourself. If you look at the recap threads you will see how divided we were on it :-) I am on the "love it" camp, and counting the hours till new subtitles are up, but other people found it boring. Perhaps it depends on whether you liked The Office, and/or K-reality shows.
Producer, I think, is a hit or miss Either you like it or you don't. It's a different format (mix of drama and variety). I was hesitant with episode 1 but I guess I just needed to adjust myself to the format. Episode 2 was great and I just saw 1/4 of episode 3 earlier and I was laughing so hard even after just 5 minutes. I say give it a try, at least 2 episodes and decide for yourself. :)
Happy friday night.
Been a lurker since for a long time in DB and OT, but dunno, today suddenly I just want to share.
Probably because no one in my circle loving 'heard it through the grapevine' as much as I do. So I need a channel to do it :'D but seriously, HiTtG is awesome. I love how much a makjang story this drama supposed to be, but the production team and actors able to change it into something else like HiTtG. Kinda slice of life but full with tension underneath it, and the dark humor... oh, my. Those rich people. Unbelievable yet believable at the same time. Two thumbs up.
I think you and I are the only Grapevine fans here :D
Love that show - much more realistic that most k-dramas. (And no wrist grabs or fake falls to facilitate accidental kisses).
I love how the buildup to what I think will be a massive blowup in the Emperor's Fantasy Family control.
I love Grapevine as well. The whole rich guy, poor girl meet and fall in love thing to the horror of their respective families is handled as almost an aside unlike almost all k-dramas of its ilk where this scenario is the meat of the story. So no wrist grabs by imperious chaebols or relentlessly perky candy girls which is a refreshing change. They meet, date for six months while he pretends to be an ordinary boy, decide to part until they have finished their schooling and have one night of consummated passion in a dorm room. Then nine months later, we the audience join the story just as the result of that night is about to pop out.
I watch Grapevine too. I gave up on Viki and watched the last two weeks on MyAsianTV.
In episode 26, I cried when In Sang went to Bom's house to see if she still loved him. I know this is not a popular view, but I really feel for him. He feels the responsibility of continuing the family business (employees and economic ecosystem and all that crap), but also doesn't want to live like his father has. He wants to be a righteous man, but can't quite figure out how to do it. Unfortunately, Bom seems to have given up the fight for them as a couple. Or am I seeing that wrong?
Mama and Papa Han make my stomach turn. Credit the acting skills. The thought of them getting custody of that baby makes me sick. I guess in Korea, it is not customary for the child to stay with the mother.
I feel for both Bom and In-sang. (Which is weird, because usually, when the lead couple has their 3rd act break-up/separation, I feel nothing, except the urge to roll my eyes.)
Bom is an extremist. First she tried to be fully integrated into In-sang's family, to the point where she started to show similar psychopathic tendencies as her parents-in-law. When she started to grasp just how horrible the family is on every single layer of their existence, she became a rebel.
In-sang is very different insofar as he just "dips his toes" into things, he never fully commits himself. He wants to have Bom, he wants to have freedom from his parents, he also wants wealth, he wants to do what his father does, but better, etc. And for him, taking enough money from his parents to find a warm and cozy compromise seems like the best solution.
Bom cannot accept that anymore, because that means appeasement with In-sang's parents.
In-sang cannot accept to live poorly.
There was a lengthy discussion last week about my take on In-sang's last visit to Bom's home: The way his look said something like: "I cannot live like that."
He spells it out this week in some detail: He doesn't want to live a poor life, he doesn't want his wife to live a poor life. He cannot live with Bom's family, because he would be a total stranger there. He doesn't even know what "poor" really means.
I wrote this on another Grapevine discussion board earlier this week about my take on the "come with me, no you come to me" conversation:
"In a real marriage, it's the people that count, not the lifestyle. Bom is telling In-sang, I love you and I shared your lifestyle with you but now I can't do that anymore. Do you love me enough to come to me and share my circumstances? Are we really married or were we just playing house?"
I don't see Bom as an extremist or a rebel at all. She's a young woman who sees a role for herself in life independent of what she will never be to the Hans. And it's the Hans who have kicked her out because they know she will never be able to fulfill that role. They are blaming her for all the difficulties the family is now facing, all the rebellion fomenting in the ranks both at home and in the office. But this had started long before Bom ever arrived on the scene. The son with the annoying nervous sniffling tick, the daughter who has been forcibly detained in a mental institution and attempted suicide, the staff who are lining their own pockets at the expense of the family trust, the lawyers who have been working within the company to bring it down. All this has nothing to do with Bom, her arrival in the household merely speeds the process along.
The Han parents are in big trouble: personally with their children but also legally and financially. I know literally nothing about Korean tax or inheritance law but it seems to me that the Han family is engaging in what might be called generation skipping. To avoid death duties and probate scrutiny which would expose off -shore accounts etc, the estate, prior to the death of his grandfather, had been deeded to In-sang as the youngest male heir. This is why Secretary Yang looks so very, very nervous as she leaves CEO Han's office. All it will take is one simple request from In-sang, upon reaching his majority, for an independent forensic audit of the trust and Hansong to see what has been done in his name. Has fiduciary trust been abused and so on. The whole edifice in in danger of collapse.
“In a real marriage, it’s the people that count, not the lifestyle. Bom is telling In-sang, I love you and I shared your lifestyle with you but now I can’t do that anymore. Do you love me enough to come to me and share my circumstances? Are we really married or were we just playing house?”
From her point of view, and her "philosophical" background, that's perfectly valid. There is, however, a dichotomic fallacy about it: There are not just two lifestyles, either the Hans, or the Seos. In-sang believes that they can carve out a life on their own. Bom doesn't want that, because she would need to compromise, and to use Han's money.
That's why I call her an extremist. First she tried to be 100% Han, now she doesn't want to be "Han" at all. That, of course, also eliminates In-sang. Just because she went full tilt with Han lifestyle doesn't mean that she can expect him to do the same for her. He never lived 100% Han even before he met her (and she frequently reminded him to behave more like his father expects him to).
I don't blame her, at all. But there is an inherent incompatibility between Bom and In-sang, because of their very different philosophies.
Nice thoughts on IHiTTG, I love the last two episodes, we can see much layer on their personalities and what they believed in. I was even thinking that for their age in accordance to the drama, they act so maturely and intuitively.
"I don’t see Bom as an extremist or a rebel at all. She’s a young woman who sees a role for herself in life independent of what she will never be to the Hans. And it’s the Hans who have kicked her out because they know she will never be able to fulfill that role."
Yes.
And before they kicked her out, she tried to live within the Han family by joining forces with In-sang, Yi-ji, the servants and somewhat indirectly with the Three Musketeers from the office. Eventually she realised that the only way to change the behaviour of the Hans was to undermine their power base. And that meant to destroy Hansong. That is when Bom and In-sang started to crack, because In-sang didn't want to go there, while Bom knew it was the only way for her to stay together with In-sang.
Of course Bom couldn't do much herself, but she had a hand both in the Three Musketeers' plot and in the servants rebellion. She needed to keep her hands clean enough in the eyes of the Hans.
"They are blaming her for all the difficulties the family is now facing, all the rebellion fomenting in the ranks both at home and in the office. But this had started long before Bom ever arrived on the scene."
Yes and no. The original office rebels were easily subdued by Han Jung-ho. It was Yoon Je-hoon who changed the dynamic, and he only did it the way he did because of Bom's family.
The home rebellion, again, might have been overdue, but it only materialised because of Bom (and the baby). Yi-ji stated several times that she is especially frustrated because of the influence Bom had on the house (in her mind that was a positive thing, of course).
I don't know what her philosophical "background" is at all and don't even know what that means. Bom is asking a very fundamental question about marriage, not philosophical backgrounds. In fact it is" the" question in any marriage. "Are we married, with all the in sickness or in health, in good times or in bad etc that represents, or are we not?" Bom has been kicked out of the house with nothing except the clothes she arrived in. She takes her son only because he came into the house in her body and she carries him out in her arms. Her gifted clothes, jewelry etc are absolutely meaningless to the Hans. They tell the staff to get rid of them and erase every trace of her presence; it's just a low, mean-spirited exercise in what they think is their power over her and, by extension, In-sang.
Lifestyle was a poor choice of words on my part because the question is not about lifestyle; it's about circumstances. But to In-sang, because he just doesn't quite get it yet, thinks it is about lifestyle. Will they still be married if one of the partners becomes poor? It's a simple question but there really is no room for compromise once it is asked. And the answer is simple as well. It's either yes or no. I shared your circumstances with you so will you now do the same for me?
Poverty is scary and for In-sang, given his upbringing, it must be terrifying. But, to Bom, it doesn't matter whether or not he manages to carve out a life for them using a bit of the Han money. It's about what a marriage really is at the root. Are we in this together or not? And it just might mean they are not because In-sang might never rally understand what is being asked of him.
I never thought that the marriage per se might be so important to her (as compared to In-sang as a person). For some reason Bom never seemed a person who is overly concerned with formalisms. But you might be right. I have to think about that.
"She takes her son only because he came into the house in her body and she carries him out in her arms."
I didn't buy that this was the reason she took her child with her. To me it seemed like she needed a reasonable explanation to get the baby out of the hell there, and she knew that an argument like that was difficult to dispel for Han Jung-ho.
Let's assume she would have come to the house before she got pregnant. Do you really think she would have left the baby behind in that case?
"They tell the staff to get rid of them and erase every trace of her presence; it’s just a low, mean-spirited exercise in what they think is their power over her and, by extension, In-sang."
Truth.
"But to In-sang, because he just doesn’t quite get it yet, thinks it is about lifestyle. Will they still be married if one of the partners becomes poor? It’s a simple question but there really is no room for compromise once it is asked. And the answer is simple as well. It’s either yes or no. I shared your circumstances with you so will you now do the same for me?"
From In-sang's point of view, it's not that simple. He doesn't want to let Bom go (married or not), but he knows (or fears) he cannot live like her family. That doesn't sound nice, but I like how honestly he talks about this with the Tutor.
In real life, I seriously doubt that if a person like In-sang really moved in with Bom, that would work out well. Of course, Bom is ever the idealist: The rich should come to the poor. But that's just as big a gap as the other direction, and we saw how well that one worked out.
'I lived with you your way until I couldn't anymore, now you have to live with me my way until you cannot anymore. And THEN we will hate each other and split up.'
"It’s about what a marriage really is at the root. Are we in this together or not? And it just might mean they are not because In-sang might never rally understand what is being asked of him."
He understands that Bom wants him to become poor like her. To live as a stranger in her family. To suffer like she suffered at his house. Is that really the core or marriage? She thought that she could do it, to live by the laws of the rich and powerful, but she was wrong. In-sang knows that he is not nearly as strong as Bom is. He understands that much.
That's why he is so desperate to find a way that works for both of them. Because he understands that that is the only way they can stay married.
(Ah, heck, I didn't want to side with In-sang.)
Btw.: I might come off as argumentative, but I really like to read your opinion and I learn a lot of stuff about the story right now.
I think you are over stating the case when you say "Eventually she realised that the only way to change the behaviour of the Hans was to undermine their power base. And that meant to destroy Hansong." This is a young woman who has been faced with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy and decided to keep her baby as a single mother, causing her family great hardship and shame. She is trust, nine months pregnant and about to give birth, into a family of hereditary wealth, power and influence. It's like she's Theseus thrust into the Labyrinth. The family home is even like a maze. The Han family and Hansong were in serious danger of collapse even before Bom arrived on the scene. The facade was crumbling due to it's own internal contradictions and not because of anything Bom has done. She's just functioned as the spark which ignites the fuel of changing times. There are a lot of people out there - lawyers, judges, businessmen, workers - who don't like Hansong, the Hans and everything they represent.
I totally agree with you, on an inter-subjective level.
From the point of view of Han and Choi, Bom is the instigator of the rebellion. And in a non-causal way, she is the vital spark.
From her own point of view, Bom really sided with the rebellion. She started to hate Han and Choi and wanted to see them fall. She pushed Yi-ji to cause trouble, she let In-sang act out his juvenile rebellious ideas, and she supported the lawsuit of her uncle.
"There are a lot of people out there – lawyers, judges, businessmen, workers – who don’t like Hansong, the Hans and everything they represent."
Definitely, and they never posed a serious threat so far. They never united before they could be neutralised by Hansong, one way or the other.
One reason the household united was Bom. One reason the Three Musketeers united was Bom.
(Much of that is, of course, necessary story-telling: It would be rather boring to watch Hansong falling simply because it was overdue, without any personification of change.)
I love a good discussion about a show we both obviously love. As for being argumentative, while I am not one myself, I come from a family of lawyers. So I don't find you argumentative at all but giving your perspective. I agree with you that in real life a guy like In-sang would never make it in the Seo household so good thing this is a drama. We see so many fairytales about the poor girl joining the rich boy that it's refreshing to see a story about the rich boy joining the poor girl. Great show and great discussion!
HITG-kudos to Mama and Papa actors!
I giggled to read that Laywer han actor (Yoo JunSang) calls his wife actress (Yoo HoJang) 'Unni' because her birthday is a few months ahead.
Yoo JunSang said the reason he talks dramatic is because first time he talked mimicking the way he did in musical people liked it. Yoo HoJung said her problem is to hold the laugh during filming because YJS is just too funny, and best thing is to get to wear all those incredibly expensive outfits. and of course both are married to actor/actresses whom they met while doing dramas in real life. I love them both.
I think (or maybe just hope) that Bom is giving him a chance to grow up and figure out what he really wants. We are getting down to the final episodes, so I suspect that things will start blowing big time real fast.
I hope that In Sang makes the "right" decision, but given his age I am not so sure that he can pull away from his Imperial Parents.
As far as the baby custody goes, I actually did some online research, and Mom and Pop Han might be over confident: So long as a couple remains married, they share equal physical and legal custody of any children they have. In South Korea, custody is most often given to the mother once a couple has divorced. The only situations in which custody would be given to the father is if the mother has mental or social problems or it has been proven she behaves inappropriately. Visitation rights for the noncustodial parent don't have to be court-mandated. If the parents are able to come to an agreement for a visitation schedule, then it's not necessary for the noncustodial parent to petition the court to assign a visitation schedule.
I care for both of them too. They can't reform the status quo, but building anew takes so much effort with a capital E. From in sang'so pov there is a lot to lose. From bom's pov standing up for principle comes first. It's just not practical and results in ideological arguments that cause them to split. I don't think they can win inside the Han home. I hope they realize a way to salvage their relationship and love each other for real in a way that includes progress but with an understanding that things don't change overnight. Actually Bom is finding fault with her own family's thinking, and she can't be an island unto herself over principle. (She's already a mother and should preserve her marriage with such a good if immature guy).
Yes, Bom extends her "extremism" to her own family too.
The whole conflict with her father was fantastic and heart-wrenching.
"You are exactly like Han Jung-ho. The only difference is that you are poor."
It's cruel, but the father really need a punch in the guts to get real. Of course, his brother drives home the point:
"Don't justify your thoughtlessness as parental love."
(After all these years of watching K-dramas, finally someone said it.)
"She’s already a mother and should preserve her marriage with such a good if immature guy."
Sometimes two good people who love each other still don't make a good couple.
(I could tell you a story about that with even more cliches than a Hong Sisters drama. It's the love story of the girl I had a crush on for 7 years and my best friend, how they had a daughter, got married and divorced and are now -- almost 20 years later and married to different partners -- one of the most amicable pair of exes I know.)
I read all the way through open thread SEARCHING for a Grapevine reference so I could add my "I love it" reply.
It is my favorite K-drama right now. (Especially after smelly girl went nuts on me, and Divorce Lawyers in love got an unneeded extension.) HITTGrapevine is the only show I wait (impatiently) for as I refresh the "is it on yet" key on my computer. And then I rush to Dramajjang to read the recap (because I don't speak Korean and I am always missing some nuances.)
thank you for mentioning a site that's doing HITTG recaps! They did not come up in my previous searches for something that would help flesh out the details of an amazing show. It's also my favorite show airing right now and I feel I miss so much. Off to read!
Not much on my Must Watch list right now - Murder Noir M and Grapevine are about it. Watching some others, such as Gatsby and School 2015 but not really invested much. Mostly just counting the number of wrist grabs...
Have not seen it mentioned so I seem to be about the only one watching Grapevine, think it is the best drama running right now.
Mixed reviews...ha! To each his/her own but I highly recommend Punch. I can't rave enough about it.
Like HeadsNo2 said it was "one in a million." Punch was amazing, awesome, compelling, entertaining, fantastic, intense, suspenseful, and just an all around wonderful kdrama experience.
No worries about sitting through bad acting. Only talented actors and actresses were cast. Clever writing, great character development beyond just the lead characters, a strong second lead female character, excellent narrative/storyline and depictions of human nature.
- The girl who sees smells: Four episodes to go for me! So far I'm really enjoying the show. Hope to to enjoy it till the end. The leads are doing a great job. Their chemistry surely does a lot. Actually I had no expectations in the first place so I'm pleased the drama is doing good. I decided not to mention the cliches and usual kdrama stuff (I'm breaking up because I'm feel guilty, I'll kill the killer with my hands, blabla....). IIt could have been worse. So far, so good.
- The Lover: My big crush of the week!! I marathoned the 5 first epiaodes! Had to force myself to stop! No time to beat around the bush, the drama is blunt, too blunt sometimes but I like that! The missunderstandings crack me up!! I like all the couples but let's face it, I won't mind a whole episode on Joon Jae and Takuya!! Give me that and you'll have my eternal gratitude. If someone knows someone who knows someone else who knows the writer and the ones in charge at Mnet, that would be super nice.
- Heard it through the grapevine: At episode 2 for the moment. That saddens me I haven't found the time to watch more. But the first two episodes are...absurdly good. Strange in many ways but good. I'm curious to see the development.
Jae Joon is in almost every minute of episode 7 (Takuya is only in part of it) so that's something to look forward to. I think that show is a bit all over the place and sometimes it's hilarious and sometimes it's cringe-worthy. It's certainly something different though.
As always, I have a long list of dramas that I am super excited about, but when they actually start airing, I get disinterested in them one by one. This time its actually quite bad, I don’t know if I’ll stick with Producer and Warm and Cozy… so the only show atm I love is Ex-Girlfriends Club. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise as my half summer semester is actually hell. ^__^”
Producer : Love the cast, it’s funny but … something is off. It feels like an old sitcom (all that it’s missing is the laughs in the background). I will watch this week since the PD changed, maybe I will like it more.
W&C : I don’t know why, but it doesn’t have the wow effect of the past Hong sisters dramas. I have watch all of them and it’s the first one that leaves me like this. Kang Sora’s character actually reminds me of her character in DH2 and it’s not a very good memory. Again, I’ll watch and see how it goes.
EGC : Hehe, its fridayyyyy. Waited a week for this ;). It’s funny, light and ermagerd I love love love the cast! The new guy is kind of weird but from the previews, it seems like he will add action between Myungsoo and Soojin.
I also have some dramas on the back burner that I watch when I feel like it; Warrior Baek Dong Soo {JCW & YSH, what can I say more?} and Heartless City {its kind of dark so sometimes I don’t feel like watching it, but JKH is gold as Doctor’s Son so I’m pretty sure I’ll finish it}.
Yeah, I'm trying to stick with a lot of shows but I'm definitely not as impressed as I was hoping with this new crop of shows. Orange Marmalade had the best start for me which is surprising but pleasing.
I really hope that DoS, 6FD, k-ITILY won't pull me a fast one ;_;
Oh really? I wasn't too impressed with the synopsis, vampires and high school triangle love (or square) didn't attract me :P (the wave of YA vampire books kind of scarred me), but I will give it a try now! Thank you!
Well, it had a good start but it's still going to be all those things lol. So if that's not your genre then ignore it. I mean, I am not a Twilight fan which is what most people compare it to but I grew up reading Anne Rice and generally like seeing different takes on the vampire lore. This though really is just a high school show so if it's not your thing then....just wait for one of the others about to start lol. I'm also about two-thirds of the way into episode three and it's seeming a lot like most shows first episode right now. I'm a bit surprised. The beginning was decent but the middle, eh. Or maybe it just got too much praise and I'm second guessing myself ;) I'll be happy when the setup is done I think.
Hey, y'all! It's Friday, wheeeee! This week, my library finally re-opened, to much joy (and relief on my part - yay, no more moving heavy boxes!) And I dyed my hair turquoise green. It looks pretty sweet. I love that I have a job where I can do this & my boss says "Cool hair color." :)
What I watched this week:
Missing Noir M: I wish there was more than one episode a week. I love that the episodes aren't falling back on tired cliches, and the mysteries are still interesting & well-written. Acting? Awesome. :)
Producer: Not sure how I feel about this yet. I really like that actress, so will stick with it for the time being. I must say that my reaction to the snotty singer telling me she wouldn't change her outfit would have been to say "I'm sorry you feel that way. Go home." And then I would have assigned her plum spot to someone else.
I have about :pinches fingers together: this much patient for snotty young'uns.
The Lover: Hmm. I'm just about to the point where I'm fast-forwarding through everything but the gay couples' scenes. Not my kind of humor. (Though the scene in the first episode where one character is hunting for her earring by the light of a glow-in-the-dark condom is pretty funny.)
Let's Eat, Season 2: Ratio of feelings to eating: improving. This week's episodes seemed to have a lot more food, which is good, though seriously, I don't see how you eat salty noodles for breakfast.
What's everyone's favorite breakfast food?
Mine's bacon & homefries (cubed potatoes & onions pan-fried in a tiny bit of oil), though when I was little I also favored chicken noodle soup.
This past week I also spent a bit of time thinking about fantasy-casting books I've enjoyed this year as dramas/movies.
There's a great book called "Vermilion" about a mixed-race Chinese girl in the US in the 1800's; she runs a detective agency & dresses in men's clothing (also, she puts down ghosts & hunts vampires.) I think it would make a kick-ass k-drama series.
And I read one called "The Archivist Wasp" (about a priestess who crosses over troublesome ghosts - yes, I have a favorite genre) that would be perfect for Ha Ji Won & Lee Joon Ki. (Lee Joon Ki's putative character being the ghost of an assassin from the distant past searching for the spirit of his partner).
What about y'all? Are there any recent books you think would make good k-dramas?
You must have been the model for my Murderous Mermaids from Killer Kommodes toon. (Even though I hadn't seen your hair before I drew it--I must have telepathically seen you--or something.) Cool hair!
Side note: The first time I had cancer and went through chemo I REALLY REALLY (chulte) wanted to get a shocking pink wig and wear it. I figured, I'm hairless and super sick, what better way to pick up my spirits. Alas, I didn't have the guts.
Heh. Or maybe I subconsciously got the idea from YOU. :)
pink wig
You should do it! :) The best part about being A Certain Age is that I can do what I've always wanted. And what I've always wanted was blue hair. :grin:
I would love (Love, Love, Love!) to see a drama based on the lives of the Japanese anarchist and nihilist Fumiko Kaneko (1903-1926) and her Korean lover, Pak Yeol. She wrote a book during her stay in prison called Prison Memoirs Of A Japanese Woman as a part of her judge mandated period of "self reflection". She then committed suicide at the age of 23 after tearing up the Emperor's commuting of her death sentence to life imprisonment for plotting to assassinate him and refusing to thank him. She was a brilliant political thinker who wrote about the unequal roles of men and women in radical movements among other things. She is such a hero of mine that if I'd had a daughter rather than sons, her middle name would be Fumiko. This is one of my favourite quotes of hers:
"What is so admirable about being looked up to by others? I do not live for others. What I had to achieve was my own freedom, my own satisfaction. I had to be myself.”
I am actually super jealous about your hair. My job would let me but I'm angling for a different job and that would definitely be frowned upon in interviews. Boo.
I agree that I wish Missing Noir was more than once a week...especially when they insist on multiple episode cases!! Grrr. So good though.
I wasn't that annoyed in Producer with Cindy. I think it's actually because I've heard too much about idol life. Frankly I doubt she has much control over anything, not even that outfit she wanted to wear so badly. Every aspect of their lives is so controlled that I'm sure she jumps at any chance she has to show she has a say in her own life. Plus as a producer you can't kick out your lead act no matter how much you want to. I used to work in entertainment and talent can definitely be a PIA.
Both books you mentioned sound really interesting! I need to remember to see if my library carries them.
I am actually super jealous about your hair. My job would let me but I’m angling for a different job and that would definitely be frowned upon in interviews.
Ugh, interviewing. I know how that goes. You could always use hair chalk, though! That stuff is literally colored chalk you comb onto your hair & it washes out the next day. :)
Plus as a producer you can’t kick out your lead act no matter how much you want to. I used to work in entertainment and talent can definitely be a PIA.
I couldn't do it. I can't deal with people who think rules don't apply to them.
Both books you mentioned sound really interesting! I need to remember to see if my library carries them.
You should - they're really interesting. The protagonists are awesome. :)
I believe Higashino Keigo has written some satirical books about murder mysteries where the characters are self aware of their roles in the genre and the ridiculous stuff they have to portray just for belonging to this genre.
Now I'm hoping not for such books to be adapted into dramas, but something along the lines of it - eg. characters who are sick of the writer portraying them kind today and evil tomorrow just for the sake of plot advancement so they stage a revolution to take over the writing themselves or go on strike for better character rights (hee).
That will be a bloodletting for characters abused by writers, as well as the viewers who get headaches from having to always grapple with the plot and character inconsistencies.
A little sad that Falling is ending, I started watching Hong (of course). So far so good! Okay, I find it better than good. And finally Lee Sung-Jae cast not a villain.
Continue my favourite this period Let's Eat. Are you sure the lead actor is an idol? Unbelievable.
My Unfortunate Boyfriend lies in the category "what's not to like?"
In "Ex-Girlfriend Club" I'm looking forward to seeing where the plot will take us.
The "hmm" of this week was Masked Prosecutor for me. I watched a little bit without subs and the atmosphere is a little darker than expected. The mask is used not in the way I thought but rather seriously to cover the hero's true identity. Waiting for the subs to make sure, though I think I like this sort of bittersweet mood.
On "Producer" I'm prejudiced in the sense that I absolutely love to bits Cha Tae-Hyun. He's underestimated in my view and the only actor who makes the most out of any role he's given.
Wow, weekend became busy.
Yoon Du Joon from LE2 is a leader of the idol group called Beast. Personally I really like the group. They really can sing well and the rapport between members is good. I think Beast is really strong with singing live.
this is one of my favorite live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UfIQvEdcU8
Notice that Du Joon missed step and soon( I think) he fell down, members giggled. In the end, he said he was embarrassed. Very cute.
Have been having a hard time finding something to watch after Kill Me Heal Me. But happy to report Lets Eat 2 has been bringing in the laughs and heart-pulls I've been missing!
Wanting to start another drama but conflicted on which is more worthwhile: Producer or Warm & Cozy
Still in love with Grapevine. Let's hope In Sang's plan works.
i love that the peripheral stories are important and not just fluff (uncle, sister, staff). The world is changing but the Hans seem to think they are immune with their deep cushion of money. Bom's resolve is admirable, and she fights for principle (it was amazing when she told her uncle to fight for principle and not only to win). But she has to leave room for what In Sang brings to the relationship in spite of the parts of his heritage that strangle her.
The invisible Han daughter's story is interesting - and her words, "She sees you as the son of the Hans and not In Sang" is the answer to sorting things out if In Sang would hear it.
Good acting, good writing, good setting, good story!
"The invisible Han daughter’s story is interesting – and her words, “She sees you as the son of the Hans and not In Sang” is the answer to sorting things out if In Sang would hear it."
Yi-ji has so many scenes where she is the only sane person. Seriously, among her parents and brother, she is by far the most mature one.
(I literally squeed when, after she told her parents she wants to get out of the house and go abroad, the cook called her in for a hug.)
"Good acting, good writing, good setting, good story!"
Not to mention the impeccable cinematography and the very unique background music.
I totally agree. Because of the writing and acting (as well as other movie making stuff-- the technical term escapes me) I would watch these characters' lives forever. I will be heartbroken when I can no longer visit the catty rich money making club, the "is he gay?" young principled lawyer, the "I have more maternal instinct in my big toe than your actual mother has in her whole body" maid, the teacher and his main squeeze secretary,
That crossed my mind also. I usually stay away from the longer shows, but this one just seems to get better and better. One of the very few dramas where the side characters are actually developed into real people. Maybe we can hope for a season 2.
I need to look up who the writer is and see if they have any other shows that I missed.
Something I love about the music is that it sounds like something straight out of a rainforest full of foreboding, which is apt considering that the Han household seems a lot like its own ecosystem sometimes. Eat or be eaten alive!
One of the reasons I was anxious about Bom and In-sang's break-up: Less scenes in Han's house -- seriously, this house is one intriguing character on its own. (The other reason being that this is the very first K-drama couple I'm emotionally attached to.)
And while I miss the house, there were several excellent scenes outside.
One of them was the scene where Bom went to the registration office. Bom doesn't speak a single word during a very long scene, but the cinematography and especially the Michael Mann like music work perfectly to carry the emotional impact.
A propos good acting:
I guess a writing/production team who already worked together with many of the actors really helps to pen down matching characters and scenes. Many of the non-leading roles are absolutely awesome. (Some are questionable, like for example Young-ra's actress, but the character is rather excentric, I'll let it slide. And she's still better than several leads in other shows.)
I've become quite fond of Yoo He-jeong's performance for some reason.
I barely knew her before, the only thing I remember her in was "Sunny", and I disliked her there. Maybe that was just the mismatch of her and Shim Eun-kyung that made it impossible for me to see two so totally different people as the same character. Maybe I blamed Yoo He-jeong for it, her being the veteran actress who was supposed to match the style of her younger colleague.
Gahhh, I've already finished rewatching Kill Me Heal Me for the 2nd time and I'm forcing myself not to rewatch it again. I regretted how I didnt watch it live so that it would enhanced the watching experience. The withdrawal is killing me (sorry, couldn't resist).
Atleast, Producers is helping with the withdrawals.
Lucky you didn't watch when it aired otherwise you'd suffer from the torture of not knowing the name of the main lead for a week (and the cliffhanger at EP 14 was the death of me)
boom - coming here because i think Ex-Girlfriend Club deserves some love & i'm wondering how people here are reacting to it! i for one am loving it. it's hilarious and doesn't take itself too seriously, and I kinda wish it was recapped here but alas, too many dramas. and the best part is that everyone in the cast seems to be having fun in their roles! I want the girls to be a solid foursome at the end of it all. female friendships 4eva.
judgement's still out on Producer. I want to love it so badly!!! so please give me stuff to love. i was actually hoping for a similar vibe from Ex-Girlfriend Club to be present in Producer (light and breezy!) but it was a little unexpected.
YESSSSS ex-girlfriend's club does deserve more love, it's such a joy to watch. really sad it's not recapped here, i would have loved to see some of the blogger's thoughts on it. In love with Ra Ra and the main female lead, because she's got so much on-screen charisma. Unlike a lot of others here ... I'm loving Producer to death. Gong Hyo Jin and Cha Tae Hyun are life. I cannot wait to see progress in their relationship.
I decided to drop Ex-Girlfriend Club after 4 episodes.
At first I thought the over-the-top fox, cat and lion were the problem (and I do still think that they are all too hung up over their ex), but I can sort of see why they would go for exaggeration there and play it to the max for comic effect. My real problem is the two leads. Myeong-soo I just find really wishy-washy as a character. I don't think the writers have thought him through but I just don't understand what kind of person he's supposed to be, he's so inconsistent and contradictory. It's like they put all their creativity into the three crazy exes and forgot that they need to create fully-rounded lead characters too. And Soo-jin... the platonic, virginal ex-girlfriend who never actually was a girlfriend – her "What's the difference between a friend and a girlfriend?" question had me head-desk. This woman is supposedly in her late-twenties, early thirties, and she asks a question suitable to a 12 year old. I cannot deal with this sort of thing as much as I wanted to watch Byun Yo-Han's next project!
I'd kind of agree with everything you said, and yet, I might still watch it, depending on the "madcap comedy" ratio. Heck, I watched "Marriage Not Dating" despite the insufferable characters and the comedy rape and stuff.
I don't see why these women are all so hung up on MS (except for Soo-jin, who is simply a pathetic loser). There is nothing interesting about this guy. The most attractive asset about him is his Cintiq digitiser.
That's one of the "holes" in his character. I don't understand why they dated him (and why they are still stuck on him) or he them. And why he spent (supposedly) several years intimately close with Soo-jin pretty much every day, but for some reason didn't date her. Someone says at some point that Myeong-soo just wants to make everyone happy. So is he a guy that has lots of women friends all the time? Or is he a serial dater? Where were the other exes whenever he was dating one of the three or not-dating Soo-jin? Why is he so concerned with each one of them now but none of them knew each other before? Was he then just concerned with the one he was dating? It just doesn't add up for me.
myeongsoo is pretty much the worst kind of guy to have feelings for - people-pleasing and a ladies' man when he feels like it, but shirking responsibility when things get too difficult as well.
so i get the wishy-washyness, but I find that intriguing instead of insufferable. he's extremely selfish at times yet selfless at times as well. He's full of contradictions but strangely in a way that doesn't induce that much whiplash. i find it humanizes him a bit because since when are we consistent and rational when it comes to love.
- and the drama said it itself through soo jin's co-worker, 'what's so appealing about Writer Bang to have 3 women date him?'. which is what i'm trying to figure out as well, and i think that's a story the drama wants to tell.
As for me, Myeong Soo is by far the most interesting character of the show, and Byun Yo Han's charms is working so well for me.
It's not a perfect show but at least the only K-drama I'm anticipating every week, and I watch like 3 full Kdramas a year because I give up most of them, it gets too boring.
I want to know why he feels the need to constantly please everyone and when he'll get to be able to truly fall in love, I gotta admire the way this part of the story is treated, thanks to this awesome intriguing Director character who asks questions that need to be asked, like did he really love them all? If yes, why?
And it feels like actually he's never really fallen in love until he meets our main girl... And I love the way he's had so many difficulties to express what was happening at that time with her that he denies completely having any feelings for her.
It could get a more sensitive and stylish approach, but the works of the writers are not bad at all, although flawed.
At least the core of the drama is very interesting when you think about it. It needs more work for the characters, they tend to react very weirdly at times and not in tune with their supposed personalities...
I kind of disagree.
I think the two main characters are pretty well reliable and pleasant to watch. Sure, they aren’t as extravagant as the three exes, but if they were, it would be probably too much. The story would be over the top.
Myung Soo is a happy go lucky type of guy. He fell in love three (or four ;) ) times in love and these women are important parts of his life. He has a very people-pleasing personality so he is an empathic person and wants to make everyone happy. He has dated 3 girls, I don’t know how it makes him a serial dater… it just doesn’t make sense. And most people I know don’t go presenting their new girlfriend to their exes. So the fact that they don’t know each other makes sense since the timeline is not very defined in the moment. I think there could be many reasons why the girls fell in love with Myung Soo, and there could be no “main” reason also. Do you always love someone for some specific reason?
I don’t think Soo Jin’s question is a very literal question. If I try to put myself in her place, I can sort of understand her. She and Myung Soo hung around many times just the two of them and she thought they were dating and he saw her mostly as a friend. You don’t always ask the other person : do you want to be my girlfriend/boyfriend? to start a relationship. Also, many couples were friends before dating so where exactly is the line between friendship and love? I think this is her question, and why didn’t he see her as a girlfriend and only a girl friend?
I mean sure, you can argue how the story is not realistic, but then, you can say the same thing for the majority of the dramas…
"I think the two main characters are pretty well reliable and pleasant to watch. Sure, they aren’t as extravagant as the three exes, but if they were, it would be probably too much. The story would be over the top."
I don't think alua wants the lead couple to be madcap crazy. I understood that she wanted more solidly written characters especially in contrast to the three exes.
The three ex-gfs are no characters themselves, they are low-dimensional archetypes. And that's okay for the format. But the lead characters need not only to be less crazy, they also need to be more "dimensional", and that is where the show failed in their early episodes (in my opinion, not sure what alua would say).
"Myung Soo is a happy go lucky type of guy. He fell in love three (or four  ) times in love and these women are important parts of his life. He has a very people-pleasing personality so he is an empathic person and wants to make everyone happy"
That's what alua called "wishy-washy". But it also doesn't add up. The ex-gfs and Soo-jin have no idea about each other. So far, they have not been important parts of Myung-soo's life, otherwise they would know each other.
From what the show tells us, MS only started to "please" all four of them now that he needs them. He needs Soo-jin as a producer (and as an easy to manipulate work-drone) and he needs the consent of the ex-gfs for his fiction.
While he can be charming and considerate at times, very often he just weasels his way out of conflicts and pushes them to other people. In my book, that's the opposite of empathic.
About Soo-jin, well, I kind-of agree with you. Sometimes the transition from a friendship to a romantic partnership can be ambiguous and perceived differently by both parties. Especially when one of them is a rather clueless airhead and the other is a wishy-washy manipulator.
I don’t see why important people in someone’s life absolutely need to know about each other or otherwise they are not important. Being in a relationship certainly doesn’t entitle one to know all the important parts of the other person’s life (except if it can affect him/her). Plus, they may have known that he had other girlfriends (without being told their names/faces/phone number).
MyungSoo certainly didn’t start to try to please everyone now that he needs them. He pretty much saved Soojin by letting her make the movie for only 3000$ when he could have gone to the big company for a lot more cash. He doesn't help Ji Ah at her restaurant because he wants her to accept the movie, but he cares for her.
SooJin mistaking their friendship for love is because of her inexperience in dating, and that doesn’t make somebody a “clueless airhead” (and I don’t see why you called her a pathetic loser… except maybeee her socioeconomic status but in dramaland, the female lead is often like that or worse).
I agree with most of what Jon G. said, so I won't add to it.
As for the relationship confusion: Still not buying. That explanation of Soo-jin's question still hinges on a twelve-year old's approach to relationships. Because in an adult relationship, if you are "together" for ane extended period time that would involve physical intimacy, which it has been made clear there were wasn't any – they have not had sex, they have not even kissed. There are of course adults that have platonic relationships because they are asexual or because they choose not to have sex before marriage, but in those cases people normally clarify this. The show would have to establish this b/c in that case I could see some reason to Soo-jin being confused. However, we know already that at least MS isn't asexual and there's no indication that Soo-jin has decided to remain virginal until marriage or anything of that sort.
I could see Soo-jin being confused about whether they were in a relationship if there had been any sexual intimacy (even if only a kiss), but the other way around I just con't buy it. Sexual intimacy is a normal part of an adult relationship, including in Korea.
<I don’t see why important people in someone’s life absolutely need to know about each other or otherwise they are not important.
They don't... but if he's constantly involved with everyone's issues than there's naturally going to be an overlap, which they would have heard at least of some of the other's names (or more), or run into one or the other of them. That's why I can't figure out MS character, b/c on the one hand it seems to be he had one girlfriend after the other, with zero contact after each relationship was over, on the other, he's cares for them and their happiness so much that he can't leave them alone now. That's two different kind of characters!
I actually enjoy Ex- Girlfriend Club, I find the drama quite similar to my past - so I could relate to Soo-Jin.
The strangest thing is I used to have a friend like Myeong-soo, who I could connect with on an emotional level, however had the tendency to be a people pleaser particularly to his exes. I often questioned myself of what the difference was between a friend and a girlfriend when I was friends with him. I'm also someone who's decided to take on a career that's doesn't take in the pennys that easily. So when I see Soo-Jin at times it's like looking at a Mirror.
Where my friendship failed, I'm intrigued on how this drama will develop into. I'm hoping to see both character's go through change, and I do agree with you that the ex's aren't completely fully grounded ~ we have lots of episodes to come to figure that out ^^
Hi all :) Hope everyone is having a good start to their weekends, TGIF!
Missing Noir M: I really love episode 7. There's a few things that I feel can be improved on the crime/mystery procedure part but I really like the tone and the acting of the 3 main characters so far. Does anyone know what's the total episode number for this drama? This is one drama they really should do like the US-show style, with several seasons. Also, I noticed they're making James have this painkillers thing; are they trying to pull off House here?
Who are you- 2015: wa I'm so impressed with Kim So Hyun acting. Are we sure that Eun byul is dead? I'm really wishing that she's not. Maybe she's with Soo-in's mother trying to atone for whatever past sin she did to Soo-in? This doesn't make that much sense though. I don't particularly want Eun Bi to end up with Yi-an or Tae-gwang. I think it's better to have it open-end and have all three just be friends. They're only in high schools. plenty of time to meet other ppl in future.
Orange Marmalade: I will admit I only checked this out for Yeo jin goo. I was shocked it was such a fun show. I generally don't like high school vampire stories ( hate hate hate twilight). I've never read the webtoon. I hope they'll reveal more as to what the differences are between vampires and human. How come vampires can have children? and they seem to age as well.
Warm n Cozy; Ex-girlfriend club: I watched the first 2-3 episodes. I think i might just drop these as they seem cute but i got no time to watch all right now.
Hwajung: i'm so behind, got no time. and i'm scared of the 50 episode prospect.
Produser: The first episode didn't quite grab me. I liked the 2nd episode much better. I'm not that big a fan of the Office. What I like about this show is all the meta on variety shows because I love some of them (1n2d, RunningMan). I cheered when Yoo ho jin pd was mentioned. Aw he's been there since season 1 and it just feels soo nice and heartwarming to have him graduate from the maeknae PD to be the PD-in charge. I'm also a big Kim Jong Kook fan, so obviously staying tune to catch his scenes hahaha. I really like Kim Soo Hyun here. I liked him in The moon that embraces the sun as well. Ehem I never watched You from another star. He played the "i'm so new I don't know what's going on and how to act" soo soo well. I'm really rooting for him to do well as a PD.
It's weird that I've got 2 high school dramas on my watch list. But I actually feel the acting and storytelling in these 2dramas are actually way better than most adult dramas going on now.
Ah Beanies! I missed you last week. Loved all the discussion about Grapevine. Too bad DB isn't recapping it.
Watching: Grapevine--See my comments above. This is definitely my favorite show right now.
Falling for Innocence--Can't wait for this week. I have fallen for the OTC, who seemed an unlikely pair at the beginning. Too bad the 2nd lead is a murderer. I hate that.
Smells--Glad that's over. I was surprised at the last two episodes. They seemed to go trope on us. Another cute OTC though. Thanks Yoochun and
My Unfortunate Boyfriend--Only on Ep. 8 of this. It's cheery, but nothing fantastic. Watching it because I'm writing subs. It's a good team.
Producers--May drop this one. I'm only watching for UI. I want to adopt her as a daughter. We could go on a trip and visit craft stores and go to crafting workshops together.
Warm & Cozy--The leading man is so immature, I want to smack him up the side of the head. Since it's dramaland, he isn't doing any drugs (well, just alcohol), but in real life, I bet he'd be a pothead. Going to keep watching it just for Jeju. So pretty.
Okay, got to get ready to go to FanimeCon today. This is our 8th year. I love to see all the cosplay.
Orange Marmalade was a surprise. High School vampires? I didn't think I'd be watching, but so far it's interesting.
Ep 7 of M was by far the best episode to date. The ending was a shock, I did not see that coming. Good background story for the computer hacker, Seo-Joon .
Girl who smells: Loved the OTP but wow! that draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn out ending. What? Are they aiming for a series? Or was it all fan-service to all of us who loved the romance?
Unfortunate Boyfriend: Wow, is second lead girl actually surprising us by getting some enlightenment re her mercenary beloved? Love No Min Woo. So sad to hear about his grief and his slave contract.
Grapevine: Shrunk by two episodes? So hoping it doesn't lose its perfection because of that. Really not liking CEO Han and Madame Choi. And that shamaness! I expected her to be spiritual. I'm hoping there is a part of her that is kinda on the lovers' side.
Masked Prosecutor: Am gonna like this, I think.
Warm and Cozy: Way too predictable. I tried to give it a chance. But no....
Producers: Am loving this.
Missing Noir M: Wow! This week's case. Good!
Ex-Girlfriend's Club: I felt disappointed in episode 3 but episode 4 gave me hope.
That's about it. Have a great weekend all.
In other news, I did a mini-marathon of Comedians' World skits from gag concert on KBS youtube. Check it out. I totally hate fat jokes but dang! So funny!
Smelly girl I didn't watch the final episode. And maybe I wont. I'm feeling pretty good with the way the show ended at episode 15.
Grapevine I've read both 32 and 30 episodes since the show started. Doesn't really matter, it's not nearly enough either way.
The shamaness and stuff:
Now there have been a lot of complaints about Hyun-soo. Especially because of her somewhat pathetic crush on In-sang. Luckily, she has a very helpful mother: Trying to hook up Hyun-soo with In-sang is doing miracles, Hyun-soo finally starts to overcome her infatuation with him. Okay, the fact that In-sang behaves like a jerk (read: like his father) probably helps too, because it destroys all the fantasies she has about him.
I love comedian's world too. (But am guilty that I like it because they mock the full sized comedian so much.) I also thought it went well with the "Last Health Boys" skit this week where the cast member from a past weight loss program whined that she no longer got parts on the show because she isn't fat any longer. Like all good comedy, I am sure there is some truth in this.
Hello Beanies hope you all had a good week. OMG it's finally Friday !!!!!
Let's eat: This is MY show, loved the first season, was fearful at the idea that the main love line may not continue in the second season, now I'm so happy it did not. Doojoon was made to play Koo Dae-Young !! And I love how thing are being unfold for Im Taek-Soo ,Hong In-A and her husband love triangle/ relationship triangle. But Im Taek-Soo breaks my heart every time, he is just so lonely. As usual the meal scenes are super well shot and they all eat so deliciously, god, it must be so terrible to watch this show if you're on a diet !!
The lovers : OMG this show is so... blunt yet it's so funny. I can't get over Jung Joon Young cracking up in some scene, this is to funny. Mnet is gutty to put such a show on air, all the couple are not as evenly explored which is kinda of a shame cause they all in there way have potential to be equally funny, and portray some kinda of realness. Oh Do-si and Ryu Doo-ri are terribly cute, and the "Oh do, Oh do do do" gets me every time. I can't wait for next week episode !!
Missing Noir M: I love this show, as a Special Affairs Team TEN super super fan, who was hoping for a new season I'm so happy with this show. It files up my need of a good thriller series with a tortured hero. But the ending of the 7th episode got me in a awe, good job writer-nim, pd-nim, actor-nim. And I never had a thing for Kim Kang-Woo ajhussi but this might just have changed ^^.
Falling for innocence: Just watched episode 15, I need to put this out in the universe but if Mino dies !!! If he dies..I'm going to write a letter of complaint to the writer and the PD !! He just cannot die, him and SJ need to live happily ever after and that douche of Lee Joon-hee needs to be put in jail !!!
Orange marmalade: The biggest surprise I had in drama land since the beginning of the year I think, the first 2 episodes got me hooked,and now I cannot look away...
I want to watch Hawjung because I LOVE Cha Seung-Won ajhussi, Lee Sung-Min ajhussi and Kim Chang-Wan ajhussi but it's so long... 50 episodes !!! The last time I did that it was for Dong yi... drama land dilemma...
Hul and Kim Tae Hee and Joo Won are considering a new SBS Medical Drama... Yes !! To Joo won back to drama land after the cantabile cacophony...... not a fan of KTH (please don't hate me !!)
Try Hwajung! I need someone else to be watching it with lol. I've never done a show this long either, but so far I'm keeping up....no better time to challenge yourself!
*waves* Yay for Hwajung love! I was nervous that I'd lose interest since I don't have a lot if sageuk experience but I'm even more engrossed now than when I started!
Happy OT Beanies! I finally decided to go back on my korean drama hiatus hahaha the last K-drama I watch was Cantabile Tomorrow and that was five months ago. I finally planned on watching 3 shows this season but it looks like I'm dropping one of them :(
Ex-Girlfriend Club I love this show! It's gut busting funny, has great characters, and I'm loving how the story is going so far. Special mention to the ex-girlfriends who make Soo-Jin and Myeong-Soo's life interesting/a living hell. Really looking forward to how the characters and the story will develop.
Producer Reading all the negative comments, I was a bit hesitant about watching this. I thought it would be boring or terrible but it wasn't. Maybe because I was expecting it would really be about the production side of shows, and not much of the romance (well not yet), that I was not disappointed. The dialogue is funny. The acting of most of the main leads is realistic. Special mention to Kim Soo Hyun for his spot on portrayal of awkward, naive, and scared character. Far cry from the cool Do Min Joo.
I also love the format. I'm not a big fan of comedy series that uses documentary/interview/reality show format but Producer manage to adapt it and made it somehow better.
Orange Marmalade Episode 1 had its good moments. Episode 2 was better but there is something off. Maybe because the pace of Jae-min and Ma-ri's relationship feels a little too fast. Or maybe episode 3's preview was too cheesy for my taste that I decided to drop it (read somewhere that the webtoon is also cheesy). It reminds me why I have an averse reaction to shoujo anime or manga or high school/teen romance books. But I love the interesting plot line but not really liking the teen romance. I'll still read the recaps though since I'm curious on how the story goes but not curious enough to actually watch it.
Might as well pick-up Kill Me, Heal Me to fill the void *finally*
Orange Marmalade: I haven't finished the webtoon but yeah, it's a bit cheesy. It's high school hormones couples with vampire hormones. It's kind of hard to avoid the cheese.
I thought of a premise for a drama and I am calling it Drama Girl. It's going to be about a girl who grew up neglected and isolated from the world and her only social experience was watching dramas on TV. So, she ends up living her life like she's in a kdrama. It will be a slice of life rom-com chock full of hijinks making fun of kdrama tropes like tackling an ahjumma crossing a street because a white truck is driving nearby or putting out her arm when the guy who is interested in her wants to talk assuming that he would be dragging her by the arm. Eventually she gets into a love triangle with one guy who just goes along with her craziness and another guy who shows her how the real world really is. I dunno about the rest of the cast but my heroine would be Kim Seul Gi. lol
Hello beanies!
Can we talked about how great the Missing Noir M? As expected to Ocn, they just always want me love them more :) I just watch ep 8 and its just another intense like others episode. But episode 7 still my favorite episode all the time aughh I literaly cried and cried because I'm still a teenager that some of the point I can relate to that episode thats why. :))
Ex-girlfriend club - at first it was just okay to me but at the end of episode 4, I'm in.
Warm and cozy - I haven't started this one but excited to see this :)
Producer - it is so good but there's something that ticks me off, but I don't know what it is, hope I'll it soon :)
Who are you: school 2015 - it is still great for me! Tae-gwang all the way!!
Has anybody here subscribed to Mr. X's new site? I've been thinking about signing up for a while but I'm not sure--I hate paying for anything on the internet as a matter of course, but he covers a lot of dramas that don't really get reviewed or discussed in many other English drama sites currently operating, and he's got more of a critical mindset. But at the same time, I don't think I need him to sort out quality from rubbish, and there are only so many epic takedowns you can read before it stops being cathartic and just feels like beating a dead horse...I don't know. Advice, please!
I'm not sure if it's okay to be posting links here--I promise I'm not a shill!--but his new site is http://www.dramatic-eye.com. His old one was at word press and called the Vault of Doom.
Mr. X is a legend in the community. He was a great fansubber before sites like Dramafever took over. He had a very distinctive style--if you've seen Conspiracy in the Court or Shin Don, or Chuno for something more recent, you'll know what I mean haha. Anyway, he watches more serious stuff, and is more critically discerning, although he's also very ranty and bombastic, so ymmv. That's why I'm torn.
I went to check it out and I don't think he's actually doing recaps. More like commentary based on a few early episodes. He definitely sounds very much up his high horse, and I'm not sure his opinions are worth paying for... He claims there'll be 'background' and the greater picture, but that barely shows up. (I looked at his comments on Producer, Missing Noir M, and Orange Marmalade)
I like the diversity of opinions here. The recappers do a great job at catching the little bits and also giving cultural and meta explanations. But on top of that, it's the rest of the beanies who make this really fun. I used to accept at face value a lot of K Drama cliches, but some beanies have made me question further about how things like gender and respect play out. For instance, people commended the way Moo Gak tried to support and look out for Cho Rim - even though he didn't want her to be involved with investigation - instead of just pushing his opinion onto her. These are the sort of things that I might miss on my own. No matter how 'smart' or inside knowledge this Mr X may have, he's just going to sorely lack on this point alone, about diversity.
I think he seems to focus more on things like style - production and script writing - more than the actual content itself. So if the former is something you're seeking out, maybe. Otherwise, I suggest you save your money. Or just wait and see? Seems like he's still building up his 'encyclopedia'.
Hmmm, thanks for the input. I will say there's something refreshing about a site that calls crap dramas crap, but he certainly has a very over-the-top way of going about it, and I'm guessing there's no comment section? (I used up all my looks when the site was just getting off the ground a few months ago). I was more interested in things like his top 500 and his takes on older, classic dramas, so I think you're right that I should wait for the encyclopedia. On that front, I owe him a lot--I would never have discovered writers like Jung Ha-yeon without him.
Anyway, thanks again! Getting advice from randomly nice people is one of the advantages of a site like Dramabeans.
I had a KDrama break too, since Pinocchio ended I haven't watched a single Kdrama. Then I started watching School 2015 and boom, I had my korean drama drive back! TeeHee! Which is a good thing since I HAVE to watch Producers because of Soo Hyun and Hyo Jin. HAHAHA!
Just start with one episode and it'll comeback to you. hahaha!
Ahh. How fast the days go by. 3? Days til Joong Ki gets discharged! Unfortunately, I still haven't catched up with Smelly Girl and Angry Mom. Too many shows. Too much for my short attention span. Heh.
MASKED PROSECUTOR - I don't have much to say 'bout this since I only took a peek. It was too tempting haha. But yay for teenage crushes?
WHO ARE YOU - I caught an ep in KBS World. I have no idea what ep it is. The one where the old classmate transfers I think. Now I'm curious. But there's this really long queue between me and this show. Haha.
SHUT UP - This show didn't hook me immediately and I started long ago but I stopped because when I started having a soft spot for Min Ki, well, you know. But I finally got around watching the rest of the eps. And I love it. I like the music and I like the indie vibe.
ROOMMATE - I started watching on a whim. I don't even know half of the people in here but it's interesting enough. It still seems like a Big Brother without Big Brother to me though.
I tried to watch Masked Prosecutor and it was only then I realized how tired I am of episodes dedicated to origin stories. It's a shame, because I love both of the leads and Eom Ki-joon.
Orange Marmalade is truly something else. It's not even that great, but it's fun and OTT. Into it!
Great news on Producer front. The higher ups must have heard how bad the production was on "The Producer", so they fired the director and hired a new one. From what, I've seen the editing and scene selection has markedly improved.
Thank you for your episode 8 recap of School 2015, girlfriday! This line in your comments section: "...but I empathize with Yi-an, who has to struggle with his feelings of loss and betrayal, not to mention possible guilt at developing feelings for Eun-bi and not knowing they weren’t the same girl." really gave me hope. HAHAHA! For weeks since this drama started, everybody has been rooting for TaeGwang ending up with Eunbi. This is like the Chilbong-Trash wars all over again. Though unlike AM1994, I kind of understand why people root for TG, even I at times would concede and say, "fine, TG, you can have the girl, since YA is being an a** forcing EB to be somebody she's not" But then, the story directs me back to Yi An being all mushy with Eunbi that I can't help but root for him even more. TaeGwang maybe the SAFE choice, but where's the fun in that?
Don't get me wrong, I love TG. But I would want Yi An to end up with Eun Bi.
Hello, everyone! My next week is going to be crazy with all my schedule. Plus I'll be seeing Epik High in Vancouver next Sunday!!!!
Ex-Girlfriend Club is so hilarious! I love the show so much., I can't believe I am enjoying it coz I've never seen Jihyo as an actress who is really good. However, with this one, it doesn't just focus on one or two characters but connects them all together. I love the chemistry of the whole team. And Byun Yo Han~~~ /swoons.
I was getting a bit bored with The Lover but HOLY JOONJAE! I need more! It's funny how almost all the hype for the show is carried by TakuJoon couple. The thirst for boyxboy couples is real!
I doubted Producer in the first episode but accepted it on the second because it showed me heart. Now I'm rolling on the floor laughing at the 3rd episode. Now I understand why there are two PDs, one for drama and one for variety. I thought I was watching Hello Counselor for real! And it was so funny with Kim Soohyun. Omg.
I'm glad that a lot of dramas now are good. So many to choose from. Have a good weekend beanies!
I was getting a bit bored with The Lover but HOLY JOONJAE!
I know, right? Those are some nice arms. Can't blame noona for her 'you must work out a lot' dream! ::laugh::
My favorite part of the episode, though, was 510's description of his broken seat belt as the saddest & most dangerous accessory in the world. ::laugh::
Omo so have I and I'm itching for recaps to read!! That preview for next episode has me even more excited...argh I hate how this is just once a week. :D
Finally finished with the spring semester last week, but didn't get around to posting on OT last Friday because I needed to catch up on my sleep! I had a total of 10 hours sleep between Saturday to Thursday, which I would most definitely never pull off again...even if I had two term papers due.
This is my first and last week of "freedom"...because I start an assistanceship next week, along with summer classes. Woo-hoo.
I did get to catch up on drama watching, in between getting my sleep cycle back to normal.
Girl Who Sees Smells: The concept sounded a bit far out, but thought I'd give it a try. Marathoned through it all over the weekend, then saw the final 2 eps today. I won't post spoilers, but lordy...I was shaking my head afterwards. I'll just say this drama definitely did not meet expectations, and it just felt like I wasted my time to watch it all. The gaping plotholes, the sorely incompetency of the police in trying to nab the Barcode Killer (which, at times, I burst out laughing for the sheer nonsensicalness of it all) and trying to make sense of the feel of the show. The serial killer bent gave off Gapdong vibes to me...although, in my opinion, it didn't come close to exploring the aspects that Gap-dong did. The only "revelation" of it all...Shin Se-kyung wasn't half bad!
Warm and Cozy: Started watching this, and it's in the "should I stick with it or drop it" level.
Masked Prosecutor: I didn't really catch the teasers, so imagine my "surprise" at seeing the prosecutor wearing a luche libre-esque mask in his vigilante fight! :P It's still to be seen whether I'll stick with this, though...although the tone makes me think it's supposed to be more comedic than I expected...?
Let Her Cry: Been watching this on-and-off, even if heroine's been through the wringer with her good-for-nothin' cheating scum of a husband. The wealthy family's infighting between the two daughter-in-laws is a bit yawn inducing. I have to admit I started watching this only to see Kim Jung-eun be the kickin' ass ahjumma who beats gangsters and school bullies -- a bit of an unexpected aspect to a drama heroine.
Trying to catch Producer...caught the first 15 minutes of ep1, but set it aside.
Looking forward to Hidden Identity!! Sexy ahjussi Park Sung-woong, with newly mature looking Kim Bum and dependable Lee Won-jong -- three of my fave actors. The concept is also intriguing.
Thanking those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, on this Memorial Day weekend.
I wonder if anyone watched the Chinese version of Sorry I Love You? I'd sure like to hear some feedback before i check it out. I don't know if I can watch a different version of one of my most heartsick kdrmas with Ji Sub.
Smelly Girl Paced well all the way until last 2 eps let it down. Loved the villain portrayal. Warm & Cozy Breezy and better mokbang than Lets Eat 2. Gotta pause to grab a snack whilst watching. Let's Eat 2 Food not as interesting as S1. I'm in the minority who enjoyed S1 over S2. Missing Noir M Watched based on recommendations here. I dare say it's good enough to even be made for US tv. Falling For InnocenceOne of my favs of the season. Rare to cast all 30 something y.o. leads, without idols hanging around the screen. Producer Like it and looking fwd to more. Although not as great as anticipated but am sure it'll pick up.
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1 4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:17 AM
Happy Friday Beanies! And happy Memorial weekend to those in the US! I’m actually heading home for the “weekend” (Sun-Wed) for the first time in about a year so I’m very excited. Also, I had a late night out last night so I'm sadly behind on some shows I'm usually caught up on. But on to some reviews of currently recapped shows:
Sensory Couple Episode 15 was pure filler, everything about it annoyed me. Sadly haven't gotten to the finale but will today.
School 2015 I'm starting to get nervous because I'm not sure what way this can all go that I won't have issues with. I'm not even talking about the romance since I always knew second lead was second lead (he's still my favorite character though). All bully storylines seem pretty much the same to me though - I'd prefer to just watch the other characters grow. I do appreciate EB finally standing her ground though.
Warm & Cozy One behind on this. No strong feelings on it right now. Still watching.
Producer Lukewarm on this. I agree that it’s a lot like “The Office” and frankly I was lukewarm on that show too. I hear they’ve changed the PD which I find a bit odd since I don’t think there was anything wrong with the PD (this overall direction seems more like a project-wide choice than the PD).
Orange Marmalade This is the first time I’ve seen a kdrama where I was familiar with some of the source material, and while there are a lot of changes it’s still quite good. I’ve mentioned it before but the one thing I miss is that they basically cut out her female friend(s) which to me was one of the parts I liked best. Thumbs up though to this show as I think it had a great start. The tone is really even, and they’re even pushing the envelope a little more than I thought they would. I don’t dislike any of the acting yet either so always a plus. And our lead is adorbs.
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Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 6:22 AM
Hi 4D,
how are you doing?
i left Sensory Couply after Epi 8 and wanted to pick it up this weekend. Guess I'll have to go in with 0 expectations.
I guess I should put Orange Marmalade higher up on the list.it seems well-received.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:42 AM
Hi! I'm doing fine, just a bit busy but also trying to keep up on so many dramas! Honestly, don't take my comment on Sensory Coyple too much to heart. It's just this one episode that bugged me. Literally nothing of consequence happens for 95% of it and you could take it out if the storyline and nobody would notice.
I like the show overall mostly for the OTP and some enjoyment of the villain (his Instagram updates crack me up too). But the logic is all over the place so it's mostly nice for the overall atmosphere and the characters. I wouldn't say the show will stick with me though.
Definitely give Orange Marmakade a shot though if it sounds like your kind of show. It had a strong start and benefits from clearly having a good sense of what kind of show it wants to be and knowing who the audience is.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 6:58 AM
I kinda disengaged towards Smelly Girl, the plot is so ridiculous that I only watched in a "it's so bad, it's funny" mode since episode 10 or so. It's really sad, it was such a spirited drama in the beginning.
School(?) 2015, growing doubts about that one too. After all the elaborate (and somewhat overly construed) setup, I thought we might get some nice show, but I feel that we just get dragged through the usual nasty cliches right now.
Warm & Cozy: I thought I knew what to expect of a drama by those writers, but while all the weaknesses are present, I'm still looking for their trademark strengths.
Producer I like "The Office", or other pseudo-documentary formats, but I don't really get the format here. It seems like a rather random mix of genres. I also lack any background in K-variety stuff (which I hate on unreasonable grounds).
Orange Marmalade By comparison, this is a great show. I hate the genre (teen vampire romance), and dislike some of the actors, and yet it was the most watchable of the shows. I know I will drop it eventually, but thumbs up!
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anabear
May 22, 2015 at 7:34 AM
I'm not sure if we really should be bothered with the mixed, experimental format in Producer since, for me, it works more as a narrative device than a style. in particular, the minute interviews provide us a different perspective about the marginalized feelings of each character than say, the traditional thinking-out-loud or voice-over methods. some may find it jarring less because the genre-mix doesn't click, but more because it is an unaccustomed storytelling device.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 8:01 AM
What bothered me wasn't the mixing, as the "random" mixing.
The blend-in interviews were totally fine, because they were cued correctly: The character looks into the camera (or next to the camera, towards the interviewer) and answers questions (and frequently asks for a reshoot). You can tell immediately what you are watching.
Then there are very, very few scenes that are cued as "pseudo-documentary" ones. A few scenes in the first episode for example. There was one very well done one with Ye-jin, where she was shifting her focus between the flock of rookies and the (invisible) documentary team without actually addressing the later. It's simply her behaviour that makes you feel the presence of the camera.
Even in these scenes, most of the characters seem to be totally oblivious that there is a camera pointing at them. Which is strange, especially for the rookies. It doesn't need much, just a few very short glances towards the camera once in a while, just to notify the audience: Yes, this scene is filmed and the characters are aware of that.
Because otherwise it is difficult to separate these scenes from the many other scenes that don't seem to be part of the documentation.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 10:24 AM
I completely agree with you on that. I generally prefer mockumentary movies to TV but for either to be successful there's a very clear premise and coherency to the order of the shots. It's extra important in these kinds of shows because it needs to be clear what 'view' we're getting. Is this person really doing this on camera right now? Is this a rare private moment? Are they changing their actions because they know there is a camera? Etc. But the way it had been done is pretty convoluted storytelling.
windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 8:01 AM
Echoes my feelings on Orange - I am just SO tired of Teen Vampires with Angst In Love Triangles.
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CaroleMcDonnell
May 22, 2015 at 10:20 AM
Yeah, there are moments when i wondered about that "footage" trope in producers.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 10:29 AM
I agree that Sensory Couple lost it's momentum. I think there were logic holes from the beginning but it didn't matter so much because the way it was being told was so enjoyable. Then I'm not sure what happened. I feel like it should have been 12 episides instead and that would have helped the writers.
Why will you give up on Orange Marmalade? Just not your preferred genre? It's going to be a relatively short show and only once a week...pretty easy to keep up on.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 11:01 AM
OM: Yes, it's the genre. I'm pretty sure it will get to me sooner rather than later. I hate teen romance, I hate teen vampires and I hate vampire romance. This is not gonna work.
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windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 12:05 PM
I am with Jon on this. Been SO many teen/vampire movies and shows over the past 5 years or so that it is just exceedingly tiresome at this point. The genre is way beyond the dead horse stage.
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2 Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 6:18 AM
Not got much time for the dreamy Korean drama world. Right now I’m only watching:
Murphy’s Law: I like it so far. The story hasn’t developed much in the last week but it was enjoyable.I want the story to get exciting now, but I hope it doesn’t go down the lane where he loves the girl, but breaks up with her to get back with the ex, coz of guilt. Anyways, the lead guy adorable.
Warm and Cozy(1st 2 epsiodes): Nothing ground-breaking but I’m enjoying it for what it is. I wish the Hong sisters hadn’t used the ‘conned by a near one’, ditched by the selfish boyfriend and extremely unlikable 2nd lead tropes. The humor seems to have been toned down too (my Gumho girlfriend, Best Love, Delightful Girl, My Girl and Master’s Sun had a good many LOL moments). Still the leads are extremely likable and the Jeju setting very picturesque (the sunrise scene was esp pretty, with the sunrays lighting up Kang SoRa’s face), so I’m gonna stick with it.
How is ‘The girl who sees smells’ doing? I left it after watching 8 epis and somehow never got back to it. It wasn’t bad enough to be dropped but my interest dipped drastically after Epi 8.
School 2015(I hope they don’t relegate the mystery to the background to elevate the romance. We’ve got enough rom-coms and romantic melodramas), Orange Marmalade and Producer are next on my list, in that order.
Any Hindi movie watchers here? ‘Fiffi’, ‘Mohabbat buri bimari’ , ‘Pehli Baar’, and ‘Journey’ have been on my repeat list all week .Anyone else share my love for these songs and the movie ‘Piku’?
That’s it for now. Have a nice weekend, everyone
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:48 AM
Yay for another Murphy watcher! I agree that nothing much is happening but I'm OK with it because I too am dreading what's going to happen with this ex. If he dumps our lead after all his promises and swearing up and down that he'll be with her forever no matter who else comes along...well, I'm going to be beyond pissed. Just one drama with a guy who isn't wishy-washy please!! Also, he really is adorable. I've never seen him in anything before but he definitely had those rom com moments down to a T.
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Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 7:35 AM
This is also my first time watching him. He is perfect rom-com material.Wasn’t he adorbs when waiting for the replies to his SMS, talking to Polo or when cursing himself for his messages under the pseudonym.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 4:55 PM
His reactions are perfect. I really should hunt down some of his other shows just to see if he's like this in other things. I love his scenes with Polo.
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Small Birdy
May 22, 2015 at 6:26 PM
Have watched Murphy's male lead, Danson Tang, since way way back when in X-family with Jiro Wang and so on. He is really very adorable indeed and disappeared for a while. Thought he had dropped off the scene until Murphy. Now, will have to watch his previous drama, Fabulous 30. Saw clips of it and he was also very endearing.
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linked
May 22, 2015 at 1:15 PM
Just got into Murphy's last week. I remember one scene in the recent episodes when she's at his house cooking and he SWOONILYYYY SWOOPS IN AND FOLDS BACK HER SLEEVES.
All I could think at that moment was KANG MIN HO in Falling For Innocence! Ji Jia Wei did what you couldn't! Perhaps that's why he got the girl sooner... muahahahaha.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 4:54 PM
I haven't seen Falling for Innocence but I will have to say that I'm impressed that in Murphy our lead nails those scenes every single time. I mean, let's be honest, rom com moments are all rather cliched and cheesy - but he makes it seem butterfly worthy every time. I'm so enjoying this cotton candy fluff.
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jubilaya
May 22, 2015 at 6:17 PM
???? I'm so glad someone else thought that too!! I laughed so hard thinking of the contrast! Poor Minho!!
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3 john
May 22, 2015 at 6:20 AM
Friday !
The yard is in bloom. Roses, Clematis, Peonies.
Finished: Seasons 2 & 3 of Shinya Shokudo
Watching C drama: Sound of the Desert.
Out of the new shows, I like Orange Marmalade the best. It's like Monstar 'cept it has vampires.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 6:23 AM
Ah I need to pick up Sound of the Desert again. I liked the drama, but am currently suck on one episode because I don't want the angst to come.
Think they did a good job from the book as well based on the translation I read of it.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:52 AM
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who gets caught up in dreading the angst!! I've definitely had to stop shows for a while because I was dreading what was coming. It's stupid how much anxiety in can create in me.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 6:59 AM
I know how you feel! I want to watch it, and then I think about the angst and just cannot continue. It's so well done as well
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P.O.P
May 22, 2015 at 9:11 AM
+100
This is so me too.. This is why i have so many k-dramas i haven't yet finished watching.
And why i'm still stuck on episode 20 of Grey's Anatomy(S11).
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:51 AM
How is Sound of the Desert? I kept seeing ads for it but didn't know enough about it to add it me overly long drama list.
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john
May 22, 2015 at 9:17 AM
4D ~
My wife and I are enjoying Sound of the Desert.
The author also wrote Bu Bu Jing Xin, we enjoyed that drama too.
Both shows star Cecilia Liu, ( Liu Shishi ), she stars with her now hubby, (Nicky Wu), in BBJX.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 9:44 AM
I hated it, and I hated it so much I even started to hate Bubu Jingxin in retrospect.
I was expecting something like Bubu Jingxin (focus on social and political relationships, decisions and consequences), but somehow "Desert" is much more a stock love triangle romance, just ticking off the mandatory stages.
If you're not bothered by that (you shouldn't too much if you watch K-dramas, btw.), and you can cope with the very low production value standard, check it out. You'll probably need around 3 episodes to see whether you might like it.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 4:56 PM
Well, two very different reactions! I'll think on this one a bit more then. I admit kdramas have gotten me pretty used to a lot of things, but for me it's really how they handle those tropes that makes the difference.
Seems like I should track down Bu Bu Jing Xin though!
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Beanfan
May 23, 2015 at 6:36 AM
I still haven't understood the hype around BBJX... Cecilia Liu was so boring to watch--not quite expressionless, but very one-dimensional.
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lulu88
May 22, 2015 at 9:33 AM
Your garden sounds lovely with the roses, clematis and peonies. Peonies are my favorite by far.
Agree that Orange Marmalade is like Monstar with vampires. Sign me up for that one. Hoping the music adds to the good start.
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Nana
May 23, 2015 at 6:10 PM
A friend asked me to describe Orange Marmalade, i told her it's Monstar with an E.
im sure they are good vampire kids & adults and not actual monster, especially the father, i always like him in every single role he did eversince Surplus Princess
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4 Manin
May 22, 2015 at 6:21 AM
Happy Friday and Open thread guys! Greetings brought to you from cold, depressing computer room.
How are you all? had a good week?
Had a week of stress, lack of motivation (not helping the stress) and general work that needs doing. However, loving the henna hair colour which turned out nice.
Dramaland:
The lover: like ep 6 slightly better than ep 5, which is good.
Falling behind on falling behind on everything else.
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 6:46 AM
Manin -
Hi! Doing ok here, thanks. How about you? ..... I see that the never-ending academic work continues. Don't despair! The tower of books is your friend! (try saying that over and over and over) :)
Glad you're happy with the henna results. Yay!
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 7:02 AM
Korfan-
It really is never ending.. and not in a good way, Have a chapter deadline on Wednesday and it's not progressing well at all.
I'm not sure the book mountain is my friend. It tried to kill me the other day by collapsing xD
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 7:13 AM
Aww, I know it's been a bit tough for while. I hope things turn around soon.
*sending positive thoughts your way*
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 8:37 AM
Thank you! I shall need them. Atm it seems like it is just one thing on top of another
4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:56 AM
Sorry you seem to be having a rough week, wishing you best of luck in everything though. Computer rooms can really drain the energy right out of you. Also surprised that the one show you watched was The Lover - I thought you were definitely losing interest in it. I skimmed 7 though and Jae Joon is in 90% of it. I think they realized he's attracting them the most attention right now lol.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 7:01 AM
haha I was not really liking most of ep 5, but I didn#t want to let one episode end it all. So went back for ep 6. I did like it better, but I feel kinda confused about this drama. It's like it doesn't quite know what it wants to be.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 8:52 AM
Oh I completely agree, this show is all over the place. There is no consistency with almost any aspect of this show. I also am concerned with how they're going to end things.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 2:38 PM
I have a feeling they might just end it. No ending no, tying up bows, no points made. Just end (or AND as the show would say)
4D
May 22, 2015 at 4:58 PM
They keep having the end say D-X so I think D-Day will have something happen....maybe the landlord is arrested and everyone is thrown out? Lol.
I would actually be really happy if they left all the relationships just as open ended as they began. I worry more that they're not going to go with that and will actually have an agenda with some of them.
Manin
May 23, 2015 at 3:58 AM
Yeah. I suppose D-Day can also be when Takuya is supposed to leave for Japan as well.
4D
May 23, 2015 at 2:47 PM
True, although that still leaves the three other couples with iffy reasons for their own D-Days?
Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 6:59 AM
Good luck Manin! I've been falling behind on everything too. RL always bulldozes everything in this path.Did you finish your thesis report?
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 7:04 AM
Finished the presentation indeed. And had a bad nervous attack during it. It was a mass. But it has passed. Now just need to get this chapter written somehow before Wednesday which is proving a challenge.
Atm watching dramas doesn't even appeal cause it means I have to have my eyes open xD
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Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 7:10 AM
:D I can understand. It will all be worth the relief you feel on Wednesday.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 8:38 AM
Yes! Then I can have one day off. And then a supervision meeting on Friday.
harmonyfb
May 22, 2015 at 8:38 AM
How are you all? had a good week?
Mine was good; we finally finished moving in & reopened the library. So glad the physical labor is finished.
I'm sorry you're still stressed - hang in there! I recommend taking an evening to dance until you drop from exhaustion - very good for stressed students. :solidarity fist: Fighting!
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 2:41 PM
I'm glad you had a good week :) Yay for finishing the library!
Thanks! I shall have an evening of getting drunk watching the eurovision tomorrow. Because that show is excelent for drnking games.
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CaroleMcDonnell
May 22, 2015 at 10:42 AM
Am hoping the get-together and the Performance will be super fun for you.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 2:42 PM
Thanks! I hope so too. Had forgotten about a concert today which was a nice surprise. Go medieval music evening!
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redfox
May 22, 2015 at 10:56 AM
if it is any consolation, I was so tired today I walked 200m past my house and tried to open the wrong door. I made 4 tours in 3 languages.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 2:42 PM
Oh 4 tours in 3 languages sounds exhausting! I know how I am going between multiple languages for my reading.
Hope you get a good rest this weekend!
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5 4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:21 AM
Some thoughts on shows not currently being recapped, as well as some thoughts in general:
Kill Me, Heal Me I kept up with this show until the last two episodes and then it just sat in my queue because I didn’t want it to end. It got a bit melo toward the end (and the wrap up for his DID was very unbelievable although sweet) but overall this show made me very very happy. Obviously enough can’t be said about the acting, and there was such a great balance of humor with emotion. One thing I wasn’t sure of was what happened with the cousin? Did he know anything? To me he didn’t really seem like a bad guy and I was wondering if he’d be left with anything.
The Lover Eh. Even the subbers seem like they’re over this show. JJ though is all through ep 7!
Hwajung For me this show has really picked up. It’s perhaps not entirely believable but this past week didn’t have a dull moment for me. They’re playing with a lot of different tones and a couple plot lines and I’m looking forward to seeing how they fill almost another 40 episodes. Is it weird to say I had fun with a sageuk? (This is really not my genre forte).
Missing Noir M And back to the two-parters! Sigh. I actually found this episode to be a bit chaotic in its presentation (had a hard time keeping the time line straight), but as always I love the tone and the characters. This really is a good show and I enjoy their individual mysteries.
Murphy’s Law of Love Well, somehow the cuteness is ongoing which is surprising but nice. Even the second lead isn’t getting too much in the way yet. I’m really hoping this show to be all fluff just because I need a show like that – and their fluff is super cute.
Joseon Gunman Finally finished this! I started it way back when it originally started airing. With our favorite LJK returning to the screen though in another sageuk I made myself finish. Honestly, I don’t think it’s as bad as many people were saying. However, it was drawn out and in the end the politics started to feel a little silly to me. But LJK and fight sequences always make me happy. Also, I’m glad to now see Han Joo Won on Hwajung – makes his ending less brutal (plus he finally gets to have some fun!).
----
Random note, Lee Jun Ki has been updating his Instagram a bit from set and it’s making me really excited! Also none of his photos include the actresses which makes me laugh (there is one with the male leads).
I started this week’s Running Man but honestly the premise made me feel already a bit bad. I don’t like when they set a single person up to basically be ripped off at the end. It’s one thing if it’s a whole group of people but this….eh.
So I stopped a little more than halfway through both Unkind Women and Shine or Go Crazy, and I was going to try and have a mini marathon with at least one next week. However I’m a bit discouraged since I heard the endings for both were disappointing. None the less I try to finish things so –...
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john
May 22, 2015 at 6:24 AM
4D ~
I thought the last two episodes of M were good, Ep 7 was pretty intense.
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dkaoru
May 22, 2015 at 8:43 AM
episode 7 was really good! It's my fave ep so far.
I actually prefer the 1 episode 1 case format. The pace and the writing becomes very concise and tighter I feel.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 8:50 AM
Yeah it was good, and they did a great job setting up the ending. I also like that they make their cases revolve around various issues of concern in Korea (I'm not saying other countries don't have these problems too, just that it's nice that they're tackling current concerns and nothing is taboo). I think they've really found their groove with the last few episodes.
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Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 7:01 AM
which category does Missing Noir M come under?Mystery or Drama? I hope it is the earlier.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 7:12 AM
I'd put it under crime. But mystery more than drama. They follow cases and each takes 1-2 episodes. Slowly the backgrounds and personal lives of our aim characters are working their way into the plot but it's still mostly case based.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 7:06 AM
I did notice that subs for the lover has been slower this past week. More of JJ is not a bad thing as long as it does not turn silly.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:00 PM
And yet The Lover episode 7 is at 80% already?! I think it's the JJ love. I skimmed without subs and I don't think his scenes are like the ones you hated in ep 5. But there is silliness because that's sort of the whole show. But they integrate him into scenes with almost everyone else in the show this episode so you get some variety.
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 7:07 AM
4D -
Regarding the cousin in Kill Me, Heal Me and what happened to him, I think they left it unmentioned in the story. He walked out of the meeting room with his father in one of the final scenes, but the viewer never knows if he also leaves the company.
I'm going to assume he's mentioned in his grandmother's will, so he'll receive something, just not the entire company.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:01 PM
Yeah they left the cousin's story open ended. The one thing that sort of annoyed me was that the writers sort of forgot their side characters. I didn't care for the side characters, they were pretty much all tropes, but then why were they there in the first place? They wrote the main characters so well and I really did love this show....but the cousin and the second lead actress were just sort of shuffled off at the end. It wasn't very satisfying.
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LJH
May 22, 2015 at 7:44 AM
@4D
Ooh I wanna follow Lee Jun Ki myself, do you know what's his twitter and Instagram ID? :)
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LJH
May 22, 2015 at 8:06 AM
I mean I found @JGshock for twitter and @actor_JG, but his follower count wasn't as high as other celebs I follow, so just wondering if they're just fan accounts or his real actual ones? :)
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 8:20 AM
That's the right Instagram, no idea about twitter. I have no idea why his account is low but it might be because it's been up for less than a year and I think he was pretty low-key about opening it. Idols have a huge fan base that's usually very media savvy and when an account opens the news spreads like wildfire. I forget how I learned about the account but I promise it's him not a fan account.
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LJH
May 22, 2015 at 9:59 AM
Thanks 4D for confirming :) I just followed him and have been a fan for a while but had no idea he has social media. For someone like him, I definitely think he has heaps of fans out there (like me) who still doesn't know he has IG. If @actor_JG is his instagraInstagram, then @JGshock is definitely his twitter since I got his Instagram link from his twitter :)
He has more followers on Twitter though
https://twitter.com/JGshock?s=09
:)
4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:03 PM
I'm glad there's more on twitter! His numbers though are surprisingly low. I know he's got a lot of fans (and not just Beanies!) so I'm just going to say that his fans just don't realize he has an account....or he has a lot of fans who don't have media accounts. *shrug*
harmonyfb
May 22, 2015 at 8:41 AM
I wanted to love Joseon Gunman, but there was just too much crying and not enough awesome rifle shots. :/
I need to look up his Instagram so I can see the set photos - I'm looking forward to this period vampire piece.
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Delurker
May 22, 2015 at 11:43 AM
Agree! Joseon Gunman is still waiting to be finished, three episodes or so from the end, and I give up every time, because the constant moping annoys me so much (with the crying, I just discovered the joys of fast-forwarding). At this stage I think I will end up reading the rest of the recaps and be done. I hope the vampire is more mysterious than tragic; otherwise my interest won't last long.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:07 PM
He doesn't have a ton of photos yet, but they're starting and I'm excited!! I really enjoy the one of him and the male cast members.
As for Josean...I don't mind crying, especially since it was always going to be a heavier drama. However, it was that there was so much crying over the SAME things. It just started to get a bit repetitive.
And then the fighting was so odd because he was willing to kill all these soldiers in an instant, soldiers who were mostly only fighting cause that's their job, but when it comes to the man who killed his family....well, then you have to really debate the morality of it. What? LJK though is always kick ass. I prefer when he fights instead of shooting though. (And I'm very very ready for a fighting vampire LJK)
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redfox
May 22, 2015 at 11:02 AM
4D, KMHM - I think the cousin was left to deal with the fact his dad was kind of an asshole. Perhaps he went travelling and then turned a new page. we really dont know. But I was the same as you, I at least couldn´t watch the last episodes in 1 go and kept pausing and wailing that it has to end, like I would be able to think of a way to keep it going while I pause. but as you see, it ended. I couldnt think of anything.
and Lee Jun Ki at least looks happy in the pictures he posts from the set, which should be a good sign? I don´t like the clothes though, couldn´t they have given them a bit more structure? they´re so plain.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:11 PM
Yeah I really had to prolong the ending of KMHM. I realize we have to make up an ending for some people which I find a little frustrating since overall the storylines were SO GOOD.I miss the multiple Ji Sungs so much.
Well I think LJK looked pretty happy on the set of Joseon Gunman as well. I mean, I will always love watching him. I just hope this show isn't dragged out too much. I don't have super high expectations but I do want some fun. And, of course, lots of LJK. I guess his clothes are plain...I hadn't really noticed. Textiles are really your forte ;) He looked so handsome though in some of his Arang outfits that I wish he had more like that. But these are just the early shots. I really feel a vampire should have some more luxurious/mysterious clothing, no?
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Teletabz
May 22, 2015 at 5:18 PM
I have enjoyed watching the recent episodes of Hwajung, LYH is getting better playing the role of Jungmyung and I cant wait to see her in princess costume, SKJ is good as Hong Joo Won, and CSW is great as ever!
Plot wise alliances have been established and everyone is trying to one up the other. So bring it on cause I'm in for the long haul. ?
Also I think the one who plays Kang In Woo is the one who played orabeoni in Joseon Gunman
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:46 PM
I'm glad to see someone else is watching this show!! I thought I was the only one. I mean, I understand, the 50 episodes is pretty daunting! And yep, Kang In Woo is the same actor as Joseon Gunman, his name is Han Joo Wan. I like him a lot in Hwajung even if he's only recently shown up.
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earthna
May 22, 2015 at 6:44 PM
Reminds me that I still need to finish Joseon Gunman. :(
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6 AJK
May 22, 2015 at 6:24 AM
Is there anyplace but Drama Fever to watch Producer and Warm and Cozy at the moment? Viki doesn't get them for another week or two and Drama Fever is driving me crazy with freezes. Thanks in advance ...
Re: Warm and Cozy -- I think diver lady and brother may rival lady scientist and thug from Miss Korea as favorite secondary pairing of all time.
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sunnyxshin
May 22, 2015 at 6:27 AM
You can watch them at http://www.gooddrama.net
There are some ads, but I think it's okay.
Happy watching~ ;)
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AJK
May 23, 2015 at 7:19 AM
Thank you -- that site worked like a charm for me!
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sunnyxshin
May 25, 2015 at 6:33 AM
Glad I could help! :)
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osmanthustea
May 22, 2015 at 6:50 AM
Tiveee for Warm & Cosy. I caught Producer there too!
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AJK
May 23, 2015 at 7:20 AM
Thank you as well - will use this as back-up in case of future problems!
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:57 AM
Ooooh is there more fun with that couple in episode 4? I need to catch up today. I was sold on our diver lady the minute he was introduced but I'm not yet sold on hyung.
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7 sunnyxshin
May 22, 2015 at 6:24 AM
Finished my exams, yay!
Watching School 2015 to my heart's content...I think I'm having second lead syndrome...:(
Happy Friday!
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:59 AM
Congrats on completing your exams! I think most of the viewers have SLS in that show!
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sunnyxshin
May 23, 2015 at 1:23 AM
Thank you!
In School2013 I was slightly bummed that there wasn't any romance but the bromance made up for it~
Now I am actually hoping that there isn't going to be romance in School2015...
OTP feels...
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 8:40 AM
Congratulations on finishing your exams! It's always a nice feeling when they are over
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sunnyxshin
May 23, 2015 at 1:20 AM
Thank you!! :)
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8 korfan
May 22, 2015 at 6:31 AM
Hi Everyone!
I hope you are all doing well today.
I finally tried some of the soju I purchased last week! I tried it at room temperature and super cold. I think it was better cold. ....... I have no idea if it was supposed to be, but to me, it had a light taste. It also had a hint of sweetness. It wasn't bitter nor was there a strong taste to it. It wasn't bad at all! ....... There's still another bottle left, different brand. I'll have to try that sometime this coming week!
Watched this week:
Angry Mom - Gong-ju is such an awesome friend!
The Girl Who Sees Smells - Still watching in bits and pieces, but I'm ok with that.
Divorce Lawyer In Love - Came across this one this past weekend while changing tv channels. Watched the first episode and part of the second one. It was ok and it seemed pretty straightforward.
Mr. Selfridge (Season 3) - It's over until next year! ....... Poor Mr. Selfridge, problems everywhere. ...... Nancy Webb, in the end, you had that coming.
That's all for now. ....... To those who celebrate the holiday, have a great Memorial Day on Monday. ....... Everyone take care and have a great Friday
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 7:07 AM
Korfan -
Ah Soju, I remember trying Korean soju in china. I agree with you, it has a mild, yet hard to place tasteless taste. At least to me. It's also good to mix with sodas, you pretty much cannot taste it at all. ( I don't like the tast of alchohol so this is a pluss for me)
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 7:37 AM
Manin -
Exactly! It was quite mild indeed! It was almost unexpected, but it was fine.
I didn't do any mixing, just had it by itself. But I have heard that people mix it with all sorts of other beverages. I think they show that in the dramas too.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 8:43 AM
Korfan:
I know what you mean! The chinese baijiu is pretty strong in its taste so I was expecting soju to be similar. But it wasn't at all!
I haven't tried mixing it with beer, but I can see why they do it to get drunk. Since it doesn't real add to the taste. It tasted quite nice with lemonade/sprite, which is what I mixed it with normally But it is also okay on its own.
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harmonyfb
May 22, 2015 at 8:43 AM
Soju = Korean vodka (as far as I can tell.) I don't really like it. My husband has developed a taste for it, but I mostly use it in marinades.
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 8:59 AM
harmonyfb -
Using it in marinades certainly sounds interesting!
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redfox
May 22, 2015 at 11:04 AM
memorial day of what?
have a great weekend.
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Adal
May 22, 2015 at 12:19 PM
Fallen soldiers, lost family members. It's a holiday in the US to remember the dead.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:13 PM
I went to a Karaoke bar last night with co-workers (It was Karaoke and things were first labeled in Japanese but it was definitely Korean run), and I almost tried the Soju. They had a special for a drink called Soju Punch. I imagined it was probably a lot like vodka that is not very defined as a taste on its own and so could be mixed easily. I chickened out though so I didn't try it. Love hearing your description of it.
I really should try and see Angry Mom, it got such good reviews.
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9 gadis
May 22, 2015 at 6:32 AM
Just wanna share about what I watched this week.
Variety show
-JTBC Crime Scene S2: Just WOW. The case for this week was pretty complicated, though I still guessed right about the criminal took Jang dongmin's bullet just to frame him. But the twist at the end, I never see that coming. Omaigad, right after they revealed the real criminal, the captain was murdered. When did the murderer did that? So I guess next week we won't see Hong Jinho playing? What a pity.. But at least Kang Minhyuk and NS Yoonji is come back.
-King of Mask Singer: The contestants for this show just continue to impress me. Now I just obsessed over the Cleopatra. Who is he? His voice is sooo amazing.
Drama
-Ex-Girfriend Club: Though the conflict is something we usually find in kdramaland, what really draw me in is the character and the relationship within. It's not as full-comedy as I feared and it's easy to watch. And mostly it feels like a four different stories compiled into one drama.
-Missing Noir M: Finally I picked up this drama and it is as good as what I expected. The case is interesting, the background story is intriguing, the writing is well-thought and the story move at a well pace. And the emotion is SOOO there. (Kim Kang Woo ajusshi.. *fangirling) It's a crime thriller but it also makes me cried so much. Now I can't wait for the last two episodes.
I plan to watch A Man's Story after my 'Kim Kang Woo discovery' since the dramabeans writer recommended it so much. Is it really worth watching?
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wonhwa
May 22, 2015 at 7:32 AM
A Man's Story is a bit all over the map genre-wise, but Kim Kang Woo is marvelous in it.
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ywcnois
May 22, 2015 at 7:51 AM
Okay wait I was just reading the part about Crime Scene and now I'm wondering how someone was 'murdered' in a variety show..? Can you explain what it's about? I only know that there is a criminal and people have to find that person or something like that.
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gadis
May 22, 2015 at 8:03 AM
Well, usually they have a 'body' at first before the show began as a victim. But this is a new twist, so one of the player become the victim for the next episode. So I think that player won't play for next episode. It actually also come a shock for me since he suddenly collapsed right before the closing.
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ywcnois
May 22, 2015 at 10:09 AM
Ow I hope he'll play in the episode after that then (I might watch it) cuz I know Hong Jinho from The Genius and he was always the one to come up with smart plans that didn't involve backstabbing ^^ (as far as I can remember)
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kimchied
May 22, 2015 at 9:34 AM
okay, huge Crime Scene fan, so here goes.
Every week, we have the main cast and usually 1 guest or 2, but there will be 5 suspects, 1 victim, and 1 detective. The criminal is caught via individual voting (that's why it's a jury game), and the person with the most votes is jailed. If the jailed suspect is the criminal, all who voted get 100 000 won for their vote.
The main cast play in this variety show using a leaderboard system - where if they vote and manage to arrest the criminal, they are awarded 100 000 won for their vote. The detective for that episode (they take turns) has 2 votes, and hence can potentially gain 200 000 won if they are right.
So the suspects and the detective investigate a huge crime scene, check alibis to figure out who's the culprit. Should the criminal get away with it, they win an amount equal to the number of votes the wrongly arrested criminal got. :)
Usually cases are isolated as per episode, but they've a special for the ship/cruise liner case, largely because Hong Jinho probably had other commitments so they roped him in as the next victim.
Love this variety show a lot more than I should. A guilty pleasure. Season 1 works on the same principles, but did not have a detective.
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ywcnois
May 22, 2015 at 10:14 AM
Thanks!
So what happens if they get the wrong person? They just get nothing?
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gadis
May 22, 2015 at 7:03 PM
Yes, they will get nothing. Even if someone actually got the right criminal but the criminal is not the one who got locked up,because lack of vote, then the person who vote for the right criminal still get nothing.
unitedred
May 22, 2015 at 7:12 PM
Is Crime Scene being english subtitled? I've watched a couple episodes raw, but my Korean isn't good enough to understand it. It can get pretty complicated.
gadis
May 22, 2015 at 9:01 PM
This is where you can watch it with eng sub.
http://bxrme.tumblr.com/
unitedred
May 22, 2015 at 11:39 PM
Thanks!
Wag_a_Muffin
May 22, 2015 at 3:13 PM
Thanks for your post. I'd never heard of crime scene, but my hub found it and we're going to watch an episode now.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:16 PM
I keep wanting to try Crime Scene but it's not on any site that's easy for me to access (I hope to eventually though, it's just not convenient). I really love trying to figure out mysteries and I enjoy some of the people on it. Glad to hear it's so good.
I only catch some of the King of Mask episodes. I really loved Sungjae on there, and his voice seem much deeper and richer than when he sings for BtoB.
I think Missing Noir M really is a hidden gem.
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gadis
May 22, 2015 at 7:00 PM
This is where I usually watch crime scene and some other variety show that rarely subbed by the popular website.
http://bxrme.tumblr.com/
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4D
May 23, 2015 at 2:48 PM
Oh, thanks for the link!
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unitedred
May 22, 2015 at 7:16 PM
I'm also really enjoying King of Mask. It's always fun to guess the real identity of the singer. I like how the show allows people to discover the singing talents of its contestants. I never knew Luna, Hong Suk Chun, Kahi, and others were such good singers.
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10 redfox
May 22, 2015 at 6:33 AM
Hi
off to a short vacation of 1 week. and on the 30th coming back to Tallinn for Haydamaky concert.
to people interested in Eurovision Song Contest: Estonia made it to the finals! We are performing 4th. So whoever can, please vote for us! (I am dreaded Russia would win, because, I seriously doubt the sanity of Europe then. No matter how good the song, would you actually go there for 2016 like you´re best friends....? Crazy.)
The second Semi was soooo boring though, the first half at least. I regret wasting time on it.
I haven´t caught up on anything, I don´t have time to finish a single episode. Smelly Girl is on hold, took a peek at Warm and cozy but I don´t even know the basics. Had to sit in meetings of Textile Artists´ Union and also the house meeting. yawn. voting for boring things like repainting the garden bench, I would rather vote in Eurovision, thank you.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 7:09 AM
REdfox:
Norway made it too! And with a ballad, so know we will not win :p
WE will see what will happen in the final though. It's all a big political game anyway lets be honest.
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redfox
May 22, 2015 at 11:41 AM
yeah, and Norway is a redhead like me! wow the girl has some hair. usually this contest does not love redheads lately
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 7:47 AM
redfox -
Good luck to Estonia in the Eurovision contest.
Have a fun time on your vacation.
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korini
May 22, 2015 at 9:57 AM
The Esthonian song is really nice and all voices are great, but the songs... blah... Uber-boring (yes, I blame you Conchita!) One question though: if Australia wins, next year live from Sydney?
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redfox
May 22, 2015 at 11:10 AM
nope, Australia has promised to pass the turn to the second place country.
everyone was saying how Sweden is a big favorite, but I listened and the words are so clumsily written and childish. like american teen pop.
I really liked some voices in the first semi (Belgium - wow! Next ed Sheeran?; and our Stig has improved so much, he is not really a singer and in our national final he was out of rhythm and slightly shaky, now the tempo was perfect and voice was great. ) in the second semi, I only liked Slovenia and Latvia (which was a weird song, really weird, but kind of cool). Songs in second semi - all the same! who can even make a difference?
Greece copies Conchita shamelessly.
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Manin
May 22, 2015 at 2:45 PM
Ah so they would turn t over to the second place winner? Makes sense. I originally heard that they would get to pick a country. Me and my friends had great fun it saying that this was the British plot to get Eurovision: Call in the past colonies!
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redfox
May 22, 2015 at 8:40 PM
oh maybe you are right, perhaps they just pick one. I haven´t read all the news that thoroughly. somehow it has all gotten so huge again and news coming from door and window there is just too much information on this event now.
kitkat
May 24, 2015 at 9:37 AM
redfox, this is kinda funny. I'm from slovenia and I liked estonian guys. :) as for swedish guy, agree on the song but he had an entertaining performance.
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redfox
May 26, 2015 at 10:54 AM
In the final, I liked some songs but the performance fell a bit flat. Cyprus, hey. Romania was good, Sweden....it is a catchy tune I admit, but somehow feels like recycling a similar idea to Euphoria, relying on one word and repeating it.
Elina actually cried on stage while singing, is that a first I wonder?
and I bet people did not even know that Maarja, who represented us twice in the 1990ies, was a background singer for our song.
Slovenia still strong, but you were the very first... bad luck with the time.
Very surprised that Latvia got 12 points twice! But I am happy for the neighbors, they have missed the final for 6 years.
kalel
May 22, 2015 at 10:45 AM
Eurovision Song Contest has the weirdest news of all times, ladies: Australia is competing for the First time, ever! Oh, yeah...Imagine that! What if they win???? HAHAHA, Then Eurovison travels down under and so do we for 2016. Well, that's a far-fetched scenario I think but who knows..!
So we meet each other tomorrow evening, girls. May the best song wins. I'm fed up to the back teeth with all this politics; it's a song contest, for crying out loud. Give us a break and some quality (and beautiful voices, by all means). How difficult could that be???? I hate kitschy presentations and voting "alliances" but I keep eagerly watching each year - bit of masochist, I admit it- and happily postponing my dramas.
I wish good luck to your songs and Il Volo for the win (of course)!
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redfox
May 22, 2015 at 11:17 AM
kalel, shall we keep Open Thread as a meeting place? I also have Twitter.
btw, Russia, Sweden, Italy and Australia are the favorites. but if Estonia wins, then Russia is right across a river, Sweden across the sea, unlike Australia, we only have one oisonous snake and Estonian models fill half the fashion stages in Milan. We´re all in 1, guys!
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redfox
May 22, 2015 at 11:17 AM
*poisonous
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11 osmanthustea
May 22, 2015 at 6:50 AM
I'm quite liking [b]Warm & Cosy[/b] so far. The bumbling but kind-hearted Geun-woo is endearing, and his brother seems quite a decent chap too. I'm cringing every time I see Ji-won, because her acting is terrible. There are plenty of gold-digging characters in K drama who have more sass and are more convincing. She's just too awkward.
I'm a bit surprised too that there are so many accents in Warm & Cosy. Pretty rare to get something besides Seoul and Busan/Jeju.
I'm quite sad that [b]Girl Who Sees Smells[/b] is over. I think it'd have been perfect as 15 episodes, but at least the drawn out 16th episode isn't too painful. I love our team, and I wonder if the ending meant that they might return as a proper detective series another time. *keeping fins crossed*
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osmanthustea
May 22, 2015 at 6:51 AM
Oh no. How do you guys get the bold tags? )=
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 7:00 AM
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 7:00 AM
with < b >
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patinalee
May 22, 2015 at 7:03 AM
Try this :http://www.w3schools.com/htmL/html_formatting.asp
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 7:06 AM
Try instead of [ ]
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osmanthustea
May 22, 2015 at 7:19 AM
*bangs head*. Thanks, Jon G, patinalee and 4D! I knew the tags, I just assumed that DB uses forum tags with square brackets. HAHA. Shouldn't try to be smart next time.
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osmanthustea
May 22, 2015 at 7:20 AM
Ignore the bold... )=
korfan
May 22, 2015 at 7:56 AM
osmanthus tea -
I'm jumping into your post here because I want to try the bold thing.
It's never worked for me. Seriously.
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 7:59 AM
Oh wow, it worked. Yay!
First time, I'm not kidding.
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osmanthustea
May 22, 2015 at 9:05 AM
Haha congrats. I messed up even on the second try. hehe.
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12 Daehoney
May 22, 2015 at 6:55 AM
WAC: Beside major logic issue, I hate the first love. She's really bad, compared to Kim Yuri or Yoo Inna. I mean, it could be the writing but no, even her line delivery is bad. Wooden bad.
I start reading Orange Marmalade (the webtoon), and it's too cheesy for my liking. I may be too old for that, but the logic also bothers me. What is the concept of immortality in vamp world in this webtoon? They can have children and grow, the only thing that differs from human is the blood, which is weird since you need body fluid (including blood) to have children. I'm still late behind so unless it's revealed in upcoming chapters, as weird as it is, I find Twilight's concept of vampire is better (though it doesn't explain why Edward and Bella can have a child).
May dramas have been underwhelming, I'm left with Mask to increase my interest. It seems more complicated than Secret, but with seasoned actors, I have faith on this one. I trust you, writer-nim!
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Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 7:17 AM
The universal verdict seems to be that the second lead is awful. Poor her! Honestly, I found her terrible too.
So according to Orange Marmalade, vampires don’t have blood?? That’s kind of …
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Daehoney
May 22, 2015 at 8:13 AM
Kim Yuri and Yoo Inna were awesome, so I can't believe they went downhill and jumped off a cliff by casting her/ writing her.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 7:32 AM
@K-ampires and VampMeyers:
" I’m still late behind so unless it’s revealed in upcoming chapters, as weird as it is, I find Twilight’s concept of vampire is better (though it doesn’t explain why Edward and Bella can have a child)."
What "concept" of vampires are you referring to here, in contrast to Orange Marmalade?
A story about Korean teenage vampires going to high school needs the vampires to be very much like humans, because they need a family. And the regulations for families are very strict in Korea. While it annihilates the very concept of vampires, it totally makes sense.
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Daehoney
May 22, 2015 at 7:48 AM
Concept of immortality.
1. I don't know if Mari's parents are her biological parents or not, but if they are, how can you breed without body fluid (blood)?
2. Okay, let's say they have blood, so why do they need to consume blood? Pig blood? And yet they still wonder how human blood tastes.
I have no problem with vampire going to school though. And my quesCions will be answered if Mari was adopted but I still have many chapters to read so I 'm asking those who have read all or if it's explained in the drama.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 8:11 AM
Okay, when you mentioned "Twilight", I thought you were referring to a vampire concept specific to vampires from that source, that's why I asked.
(1) Just because you don't have blood doesn't really mean you cannot have other bodily fluids. (Again, VampMeyers don't have blood, but they have semen.)
(2) They have to eat. And their digestive system is over-adapted to the consumption of blood, which means they cannot eat anything else. Like carnivores cannot eat rice, or hematophagia cannot eat anything but blood. Their metabolism uses the material and the energy from the blood to produce the necessary proteins and carriers of energy to survive.
And, because of evolution, of course they are curious about the taste of different kinds of blood. Just like the French are curious about the tastes of different kinds of cheese, for example.
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Daehoney
May 22, 2015 at 8:22 AM
1. And yet, you need blood to transport hormones like testosterones to make a mature sperm and without blood you cannot erect (I can't believe we're talking about this). The same goes to the women (if in OM women can have child because there it's said they can marry human.
2. I agree, but Mari can eat everything in the webtoon, although she still needs blood. However desperate carnivores are, they won't eat rice, will they?
Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 8:37 AM
(1) Well, we don't even know how exactly DO these vampires reproduce. If they don't have blood, they are clearly no mammals and wouldn't necessarily reproduce like mammals. Maybe they reproduce via mitosis?
(2) Some carnivores do eat indigestible food for various reasons: It may help their digestive system (Cats for example), or it simply smells good, or something.
Vampires are clearly parasites, they need to be able to stay close to their hosts, a certain amount of mimicry seems necessary. Eating food is a very good disguise (even if it doesn't provide any nutrition), hence the ability to eat was developed through co-evolution.
osmanthustea
May 22, 2015 at 9:08 AM
Whoa, I can't believe mitosis made its way into a K-drama discussion. And it's not even a science/medical film. #shitbeaniessay
Daehoney
May 22, 2015 at 3:49 PM
Jon G.
Okay, now I understand. Clear for no. 2. Thanks. And for no 1, yeah, the only way they can logically reproduce is asexually. Like unicellular creatures.
whimsyful
May 22, 2015 at 7:34 AM
Re: Orange Marmalade As far as I can tell, the vampires in their world are pretty much identical to humans, except they need to consume blood and have enhanced healing abilities. No immortality. Also kinda spoilery for the webtoon (they changed it for the kdrama):
If they consume human blood they gain super-strength, but after some time will also start to burn in the sun.
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Midnight
May 22, 2015 at 11:14 AM
I have questions regarding orange marmalade logic too! they said the vampire boy (sorry , can't remember his name) was being punished and sent back to school , and he was angry that they were doing this to him AGAIN? But we are shown that he met the male lead when they were both kids , so he can't be older than him and have been sent back to school multiple times before. Unless vampires take longer to mature ...? Like for example he has looked like a 15 year old boy for a decade , and then 16 for the next decade???
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 12:05 PM
Maybe they made him repeat grades? Because he'd still need to get a job and be part of society so they wanted him to study and do the tests....so he's really older but in the same grade? (I mean if they change his name, they can change his birthdate)
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Tricia
May 23, 2015 at 12:10 AM
Looks like I'm not the one waiting for Mask to air this coming Wednesday :)
I have faith in the team and based from the long trailer, it'll be a thriller melodrama and even more complex than Secret .I really hope it'll be good.
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13 youcallitwinter
May 22, 2015 at 6:56 AM
Well, first things first, I received a comment on an Angry Mom fic I wrote saying that it had been recommended over here by someone (I was so baffled by the sudden increase in traffic on a fic that I'd written a week before, and just couldn't understand the reason for it. This site really is incredibly popular), so thank you for that, that's just incredibly kind of you, stranger-nim <3
Then, omg, Let's Eat 2 is truly the show of my heart. I AM ENJOYING IT SO MUCH. I like it even better than the first installment. I think very few dramas have done such a great job of showing me why exactly two people really belong together. And it doesn't require any interfering second leads. Because Sang Woo is incredible, and yet the kind of issues that Soo Ji faces being with him and so realistic, and so genuinely dealt with. I love that so much of this slice-of-life feel revolves around rent and taxes and money issues. Also, DOO JOON. I adore him madly, and think he's incredibly charismatic. During LE1, I had NO IDEA that he was an idol, and a popular one at that and I would've never believed it. And he's even better in this installment, I think there's something about him- something undefinable- that's so charming, that his role fits him perfectly. Also, in the latest episodes he's been doing low-key angst through the barest minimum of facial expressions, which is hitting me hard. He's truly up there with Lee Joon and Im Si Wan for me.
Also, I can already tell I'll be spending all of Producer gushing about Cindy because I adore her so much, and just going D: at all the comments that hate on her. Such are my life choices, as it was with Yeo Reum in Discovery of Romance. /sigh
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 6:59 AM
A great, a Cindy fan. Could you explain the character to me? Because I don't get it at all.
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youcallitwinter
May 22, 2015 at 7:05 AM
Haha, well, my reading of the character may be very colored because I love her and I love IU's interpretation of her, despite the general response. So lots of Cindy analysis here: http://www.dramabeans.com/2015/05/the-producers-episode-2/comment-page-2/#comments
You can ctr+f my name or generally read the comments if you so wish! I do hope we get a lot more POV time for her in the next episode, so that we can understand her better, since she barely had any screentime at all in the last episode.
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harmonyfb
May 22, 2015 at 8:47 AM
Because Sang Woo is incredible, and yet the kind of issues that Soo Ji faces being with him and so realistic
Except that part drives me nuts because she won't open her mouth and say something. I could buy that at the beginning of their relationship, but after you've been dating for a while, you need to speak up and say "Hey, I can't afford that." or "It makes me uncomfortable to have you spend so much money".
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youcallitwinter
May 22, 2015 at 10:44 AM
The strangest thing is that that aspect of it makes it even more realistic for me! Because, going by the character, I can see why she- in particular, as the individual that she is- would act that way. Soo-ji does not see herself as being in a relationship at all , in her head she's the unpopular, fat, nerdy outcast who "got" the guy. The relationship isn't real for her, which is ironic considering that she initiated it. And that is why I think the show does such a great job of showing us why these two, despite being completely great individuals, aren't really good at making the relationship work. Because their real problem isn't the class difference, it's that they fundamentally don't 'get' each other. Soo-ji feels the need to constantly overcompensate for being in a relationship with someone she believes is far too good for her, while Sang-woo views and treats her like a novelty in his life, instead of a fully realized individual.
I think one of the best encapsulations of this was the episode with the robot cleaner "running" away- Soo-ji was clearly embarrassed, clearly anxious, and he didn't respond to those emotions at all, he treated the incident as a joke. Which probably makes him a great guy, but his response to pretty much anything she does is amusement, and because of that, she feels even more lacking. He neither catches on, nor responds to her insecurities, and she can't say it out loud because she's so convinced she needs to maintain an image. There are a lot of times she's shown being visibly uncomfortable about the money he spends on her, including when she buys him a new robot cleaner, but he doesn't notice how much that affects her. I get that it can be super frustrating watching her not say that she's out of her depth, especially since he's a really nice guy and would get it, but I can also see why she doesn't- how truly crippling her insecurities are, to the extent where she's losing out on the relationship she always wanted because of them.
I find it telling that Dae-young is sort of the intermediary there, he openly tells Sang-woo some of the things she can't say, and yet, you can see how much Sang-woo doesn't get her- how the "you need to feed her, hyung!" turned into a series of fancy restaurants that make her more uncomfortable than happy. How talking about literature and opera made her feel completely culturally illiterate. How even the interests they share, like her book, just turns into something that sends them further away than bringing them closer. It's so interesting watching them, because I feel like they're such fully realized characters, with such a fully realized relationship, which feels like it’s juuuuust a beat out of sync. They usually do things that Sang-woo likes, things that Sang-woo especially chooses because he thinks that she’ll like them, and she doesn’t actually like any of them, and is unable to admit it because she thinks she should like it and that...
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youcallitwinter
May 22, 2015 at 11:06 AM
...and is unable to admit it because she thinks she should like it and that cycle is endless.
Which makes the contrast with the Soo-ji/Dae-young relationship even more obvious. Because there's a lot that he picks up from just observing her, even when she doesn't say it out loud. He has the advantage, of course, because she's more comfortable with him, and she doesn't have the same hang-ups as she has with Sang-woo, and says things she feels out loud. But more than just that, you can see it every time the three of them are together; he just picks up on her emotions and responds to them. And this isn't a special level of comfort, it's because he pays attention, which is the fundamental difference. While every moment with Sang-woo is individuated- in the sense that he'll be told something one moment but he won't correlate it to something that happens later, like if he gets that she's uncomfortable about having lost his expensive cleaner, he won't correlate it to her being uncomfortable with him buying expensive things for her- Dae-young takes into account everything he knows about her to react to her. Of course he knows a lot more about her, but again, he actually met her later than Sang-woo did. They've actually known each other for a shorter time. And there's a lot than Sang-woo has been told about her, the same way that Dae-young has because they both didn't know her then- that she was fat, that she was unpopular and alone because of it or at least felt that way and that it still affects her, that she feels insecure in her feelings for Sang-woo (again, they've both been told this, like in her drunken confession moment to Sang-woo) but the way that that informs their interactions with her is completely different, which is so painfully clear in the show. I actually really, really like both these couples and their interactions, and I am so much in awe of how masterful this show is in depicting relationships.
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youcallitwinter
May 22, 2015 at 11:47 AM
(Okay, I need to shut up now but) one of the best moments of this mismatch between why Sang-woo and Soo-ji aren't working out despite him being a great guy is also obvious through his reaction on being told about her past. His reaction is "so what if you were fat?" or "how does it matter?" and his reaction's the same to a lot of her hang-ups. On the one hand, it makes him an amazing person, a real stand-up guy, because you can tell that it genuinely doesn't matter to him, but on the other hand... it does. It does matter, it should matter, because it matters to her. It matters because those aspects of her past define her in lots of ways in the present and understanding her requires understanding that. I feel like it's easy to dismiss Soo-ji as the only reason the relationship seems to not move forward or that she feels uncomfortable, but I think the show's done a great job so far of showing that it's not that one-sided.
aj
May 24, 2015 at 6:03 AM
aw no dont shut up. you articulated what i like about the show so well! I havent seen very many deep discussions on Lets Eat 2 and i almost missed this one. The DY and SJ pair is probably one of my fave bickering relationships in dramaland because you can tell that first and foremost they are /best friends/ and everything stems from that.
And Sang woo! Hes not just a second lead -like u said, hes a fully realised person with realistic expectations and reactions. Both male leads are both handling the love triangle in a sensible way because both are actual nice people.
And I've seen people saying they really dont like SJ and that shes annoying and I find that stupid. Sure shes a little selfish, headstrong, a little insecure, and a little clueless when it comes to social interaction and actually /clueless when it comes to social interaction/. Not the cutesty im-socially-awkward-but-also-quirky-and-everyone-still-thinks-im-adorable way (blehh) but realistically. And her past explains the person she is today. If we can have douchebags for male leads i dont see why the female lead cant be prickly and remain that way.
And I also like Hye-rim (who I cant even really call second lead girl bc shes not at all in the traditional dramaland sense). Shes literally the younger version of Goo Dae Young -charming, resourceful, a bit of a con, opinionated, but somehow goodhearted all the same.
Anyway slice-of-life is the drama genre i always need more of.
harmonyfb
May 24, 2015 at 8:13 AM
yet, you can see how much Sang-woo doesn’t get her- how the “you need to feed her, hyung!” turned into a series of fancy restaurants that make her more uncomfortable than happy.
Oh, the horrible Nouveau Cuisine restaurant made me so uncomfortable, especially when she said she'd pay for it.
I see your point (& think you're absolutely right when it comes to how Soo Ji sees herself), but still find it frustrating to watch, since they could get one another if there was a little more openness to the relationship.
I think part of Sang-woo's cluelessness is on Soo Ji, because she acquiesces to everything & echoes all his statements, so as far as he knows, it's all good.
While it's clear that she's better-suited for Dae-young, all I can think is that the two of them would live in crappy apartments for the rest of their lives & always be short on money, because neither of them seems to be terribly good at prioritizing. (Dry-cleaner closet = OMG the waste of money!)
(My youngest daughter likes watching this show for the food, & we've been talking to her about the social/emotional aspects - my husband's advice to her on this love triangle is "Don't punch above your weight class" & mine was "OMG, just TALK to your boyfriend because people can't read your mind". )
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MoniRosa
May 22, 2015 at 10:42 AM
Does anyone know what that noodle dish was they were eating at the beginning of Let's Eat Season 2 Episode 14?
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youcallitwinter
May 22, 2015 at 11:07 AM
I haven't seen it yet! Still waiting for the subs :(
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blnmom
May 22, 2015 at 1:57 PM
Kongguksu is a seasonal Korean noodle dish served in a cold soy milk broth. It comprises noodles made with wheat flour and soup made from ground soybeans. - from Wikipedia
@Zoe, I'm loving this season also -- Doojoon is KILLING me, he's so good in this.
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youcallitwinter
May 22, 2015 at 2:35 PM
I'm so charmed by him! It's really great when you see a character the exact same way that people in the actual drama keep describing them as. Like him charming people into buying insurance is so believable guh. Besides I'm LOVING his romantic angst, something we didn't get to see in S1, Doojoon is just SO GOOD at it. With just a minimal change of expression, it's easy to tell exactly what he's feeling and trying to hide. I just love the character and actor in equal parts in this!
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MoniRosa
May 22, 2015 at 6:38 PM
Thanks! I tried so many new recipes after watching season 1 and now I really want to try some more noodle dishes.
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agoodheart
May 22, 2015 at 2:40 PM
I love Cindy's scenes so much, too! It just keeps getting better, I love it! :D
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Spi
May 24, 2015 at 2:57 AM
Hello Zoe, nice to see you again. I really enjoyed your comments in Discovery of Romance threads :)
Hearing your interest, I might pick up on Producer again (I stopped at the end of episode 1)
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youcallitwinter
May 24, 2015 at 1:18 PM
Haha, yeah, I think that was the last character I felt the need to passionately defend because she seemed so hated and I adored her! And now I have Cindy :D But you should definitely pick up Producer again, if the first 2 episodes aren't to your liking, the next two are more 'traditional' in the drama sense so a lot of people for whom the premiere didn't work love it now!
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14 Sajen
May 22, 2015 at 7:01 AM
Is it just me or does at least one person die in every Korean music video ever?
Girl Who Sees Smells- Did we have to do that in the end, really?
Producer- I loved the first week can't wait for week two's episodes.
Warm and Cozy- I enjoy it very much.
School 2015- I think the question now is does Eun-bi allow herself to become So-young. Speaking of I want to take a minute to congratulate Jo Soo-hyang, I think, for being a good enough actress to make me loathe So-young, but also for a fraction of a second when the tables are turning on her I almost a tiny little bit felt sorry for her. I really don't like Yi-an and his possessiveness.
I tried the first episode of Masked Prosecutor, but I don't know I think the episode long flashback threw me off so I don't have an opinion yet. Although honestly I'm leaning towards skipping it, I'm not sure Kim Sun-ah is enough of a reason to keep watching.
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 7:25 AM
Sajen -
Heh. No, not every music video has a person die.
There's a lot of crying though. Tears. Many tears. ..... Or someone in some sort of heartbreak or emotional crisis----which then leads to tears.
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sunnyxshin
May 23, 2015 at 1:31 AM
I liked Yian and had no problems of shipping him with Eunbi but now I hate his possession so...
OFFICIALLY NOW A TAEKWANG-EUNBI SHIPPER. YEAH.
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15 kimchikay
May 22, 2015 at 7:01 AM
Hello fellow beanies!
Current watch list isn't as exciting as I hoped, bleh, dramaland hasn't lived up to my expectations with new releases thus far. Anyway -
Orange Marmalade -- better than I thought it'd turn out. I knew YJG would deliver, but surprised at how much I liked the other actors/actresses!
Crime Scene 2 -- okay so just started this, and it's actually pretty good! Sometimes the clues seem obvious and other times not but it's a different variety show I like
I'M HOME (Japanese) -- OKAY so I only have two words for this. TAKUYA. KIMURA. My favorite jdrama ajusshi, stilll sexy and hot as ever lol The drama is quite interesting though, about a man who has a workplace accident that causes him to lose his memory from the past 5 years and when he comes back to his family, he literally cannot see the face of his wife or child and keeps being drawn to his ex-wife and step-daughter. He works through his memories and past to figure out who these people are.
Smelly Girl - wow. I can't believe I finished this drama. Nam Goong Min, you sir, are fantastic. I don't want to say more for fear of spoilers.
Who Are You 2015 School - Triangles galore. All I gotta say. Eun Byul, just reassured me you is alive and make the love triangle a love square or maybe two lines..parallels....uhhh any shape but triangle please lol
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Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 7:31 AM
I'm Home's premise seems interesting. I am no Jdorama regular but most of what I watched, have Kimura Takuya in them. Is he as hot as ever?Last saw him in Pride and he was still rocking then.
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kimchikay
May 22, 2015 at 9:24 AM
Oh man, he still looks HOT. And there is something about his acting that is so on point. Anyway, you should check the drama out, it's interesting and different.
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Chesens
May 25, 2015 at 7:07 PM
Oh I'm so happy I read your post!
I'm also a Takuya Kimura fan! My sisters and I are gaga over him in Pride!
I'm definitely watching I'M HOME!
Thank you @Kay!
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16 Daehoney
May 22, 2015 at 7:34 AM
Kim Yuri and Yoo Inna were awesome, I can't believe they went downhill (and jumped off a cliff) by casting her.
I don't know if they have blood or not. What I mean is they still drink pig blood and wonder how human blood tastes. But they breed, they must have blood in their body. Why bother drinking pig blood if you have blood? That's where I'm lost.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 7:44 AM
Ah, phantastical biology, I'm good at that, let me try:
Well, there are real life species that have blood, but still consume blood as their regular or exclusive diet. Not because they need the blood because they are unable to produce blood on their own but simply as nutrition.
The "Stephenie Meyer" vampires for example are not that different from OM vampires: They don't have blood either. And they consume blood as nutrition. And they breed (well, the male VampMeyers do, the female don't, because the author hates women).
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Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 8:02 AM
LOL at why the female VampMeyers don’t mate.Poor Rose who loves children never gets one, but she went to ridiculous ends to get the otehr male lead a mate.
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Daehoney
May 22, 2015 at 8:02 AM
It should be posted above but my cellphone is messing with me. But thanks for answering. It answers some of my question, though the b reeding one still confusing me (even in Twilight). You cannot breed without body fluid. But well, vampire can even think without blood feeding their brain whereas human can die right away or have cognitive impairment because of stroke so Ithink I'll accept it. Still, the drama is a pass for me.
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korini
May 22, 2015 at 12:12 PM
Stephenie Meyer would be proud of you. I don't think she herself had endeavoured in such a meticulous analysis of her created species. Bravo!
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17 logan5
May 22, 2015 at 7:44 AM
Observations as a man and as a father ...
As much as we like watching Kdramas as a familly, I have been taking extra time talking with my daughter (12) about the concept of beauty.
She mentioned several times about the marked differences between how Koreans and Japanese seem to approach their leading ladies in Drama and even in the Music industry. She asked why Koreans are so much prettier and Japanese seemed so much more ... "not" ... and so we spent several hours on the internet looking at before and after photos of plastic surgery ... not neccessarily of korean idols ... but just in general.
At least I think here in the US, where we're faced with such a diversity of races, we're have a much more diversed concept of beauty .... it must be hard, I think, for young Korean girls to be faced with such artificially constructed examples of beauty.
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korfan
May 22, 2015 at 8:17 AM
logan5 -
I just want to commend you for being a father who is taking the care and time to spend time with your daughter and who is explaining things to her. ...... If only more parents, especially dads, did this nowadays, perhaps our world would be a little better.
I agree with you on our perspective on beauty here in the U.S.. It's certainly more varied.
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bd5
May 23, 2015 at 6:41 PM
Really not as varied in the US as much as you think.
Think of all the young Hollywood starlets - thin, doe-eyed and often blonde, but some brunettes (but overwhelmingly white).
A slowly increasing no. of minority actresses but for blacks (lighter skinned and chemically straightened long tresses), Latinas (white Hispanics) and Asians (usually lighter skinned NE Asians).
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atz
May 22, 2015 at 8:55 AM
I wonder how this PS industry in Korea started flourishing. There must be a cultural background for this.
I just read an article about Korean PS a few days ago. The article says that Korean boys do not mind that their GF or wives are artificially pretty. So they bring up a question what would they do if their kids look nothing like them( parents). The answer from a family was that their kids can do PS later . This ,in my opinion, truly reveal their perception of PS is starkly different from those in Japan.
I also find that they make the actors faces flawless in Korean drama sets. In J drama, I can tell their so called flaws. Even Japanese actresses are not so much caked in white colours. While I was watching the 'masked prosecutor', I find Joo Sang wook's face is so white. It's just too white and he looked so unreal. Poor Joo Sang wook.
Korean media /society has caught up with unattainable beauty standards which are not actually beautiful. Real beauty certainly come with some imperfection and flaws because we are human after all. If everyone's face belongs to a pattern of so called beautiful faces set by the media and PS industry, then it would be such a strange place to live in.
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harmonyfb
May 25, 2015 at 7:43 AM
I noticed that, too. His complexion was so different than, say, Ten. I don't understand the obsession w/pale complexions; it's kind of creepy.
Ditto for the plastic surgery. I don't understand wanting to look like a completely different person (I could see if you wanted to correct a feature that always bugged you - crooked nose, for example), but I don't understand altering your appearance that way.
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bd5
May 23, 2015 at 7:17 PM
PS is just as prevalent in Japan,,Taiwan and HK, as well as the developed regions of China - not to mention in LA/Hollywood.
The Japanese prefer girls w/ anime-style eyes, which is why Ayumi Ito (formerly of "Sugar" and a Zainichi Japanese) and Goo Hara (of "Kara") were the most popular members of their respective K-pop groups.
The standards of beauty for females is pretty universal -
- heart shaped face
- large eyes
- full lips
- longer limbs
- lighter skin, etc.
- and even in places where more full-bodied women were the preferred type (showing that had ample amounts of calories in diet) such as in parts of Africa (was also formerly the preferred type in Asia and Europe prior to the industrialization/modernization), the standards are changing due to the influence of Hollywood and Western fashion/advertising.
The difference is not in diversity of concept of beauty, but the types of TV shows in the Korean and Japanese entertainment industries.
Korean TV shows tend to be more limited in scope than Japanese (or for that matter, American) TV shows.
Not going to see nearly as many hard crime dramas and the like.
Korean TV tends to be much more "escapist"-oriented b/c it is so tough and competitive living in Korea (more so than Japan) where most of population is packed into 4-5 urban centers, so more "reality"-oriented shows tend not to be as popular (the Korean film industry is more diverse in this regard).
And it's not like we were/are seeing average, much less below average attractive girls headlining the teen/pre-teen shows on Disney and Nick (Hillary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Dove Cameron, Miranda Cosgrove, Victoria Justice, Jamie Lynn Spears, etc.).
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18 LizJ
May 22, 2015 at 7:46 AM
Hello to all you Beanies!
Personally, I was really disappointed with the last two episodes of The Girl Who Sees Smells. Way too much filler, cliche kidnapping, the final confrontation seemed anticlimactic, and...do Korean police departments just allow former detectives to jump in and join a case? Seriously doubt it, but it wouldn't be the first unrealistic thing about the police antics on this show.
Still enjoying My Unfortunate Boyfriend for the fluff that it is. Refreshing to have a second lead female that has apparently wised up at this point in the plot; instead of sabotaging the heroine, she appears ready to focus on turning the tables on the player using both of them.
I'm just not sure yet about Warm and Cozy. I want to like it, but it hasn't grabbed me yet. Orange Marmalade, however, has greatly exceeded my expectations so far.
Falling for Innocence and Divorce Lawyers in love are both still on my watch list. On the former, though, I think the cellular memory thing is overdue for a vacation from dramaland...
...and on that note, I'll switch over to the TW Drama side.
Like others have mentioned, I do view the ex returning thing on Murphy's Law as a concern, simply because Asian Dramas, especially those from Taiwan, tend to string out the angst from this plot development. The ex who refuses to give up even though the other party has moved on is such an overused trope.
And speaking of cellular memory, holy cow, was Someone Like You intense this week! High body count of main cast members as victims and casualties. And the first time I can remember since maybe Bridal Mask that I cried over a villain's death. In the end, his attempted revenge wasn't even focused on being the ex who refuses to give up but blaming the hero for injuring the mother of his child and causing her to be in danger of losing their baby. I think I cried most about the tragedy of him missing out on the future happiness right in front of him because of choosing the path of revenge.
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Luv_KimRaeWon
May 22, 2015 at 8:06 AM
@Murphy's Law: I don't want the story to take that route. No, No, No.
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alua
May 22, 2015 at 9:57 AM
My Unfortunate Boyfriend I'm really annoyed at Ji-na though. She's cheating on Tae-woon. I don't care that she doesn't mean it. I understand she's confused by her feelings but passively sitting there and letting things happen to you is not okay. She needs to be honest and put both relationships on hold and figure out her feelings.
Tae-Woon deserves better than her IMO.
<Refreshing to have a second lead female that has apparently wised up at this point in the plot
I'm not that's what will happen. She could just end up sabotaging everyone. I felt bad for her in ep. 8 but I really wanted her to walk away from Director Kang (the honking cars are his problem, not hers!) because she deserves better than that evil, creepy guy too. But I'd like her to listen to her own words of wisdom from an earlier episode (the whole strawberry plant anecdote) but they might just have her do evil, scheming things like every love rival in every k-drama ever.
This drama made me ponder about Korean drinking habits again – seems it's impossible to watch a kdrama without someone getting drunk beyond abandon as a way of dealing with their problems. I wonder how much it reflects Korean society, and find it a really annoying plot device too. Made me dislike Ji-na even more too, because she stands up Tae-woon, plays girlfriend to Director Kang instead and when caught can't just be honest with Tae-woon? Instead, she gets drunk and mumbles some vague words – not an apology, not an honest admission of "Yeah, actually I'm going out with this other guy and we've kissed?" What is she trying to do in any case?
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alua
May 22, 2015 at 10:14 AM
I'll also add I'm sick of the sub-plot with the power games in the company. I want Tae-woon to say to these people "I'm not interested", walk away and create a huge garden/park somewhere in the countryside, living happily ever after. Originally I would have said with Ji-na, but this sweet guy deserves someone who doesn't two-time him because she can't make up her mind.
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19 Anna
May 22, 2015 at 8:01 AM
Anticipating the last 2 episodes of Falling for Innocence. I so love Minho. I will miss him so bad.
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Anna
May 22, 2015 at 8:06 AM
Any updates on Scholar Who walks the night? Hope to see the trailer soon :)
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korini
May 22, 2015 at 8:11 AM
Me, too. Sniff!
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20 Sailor Mars
May 22, 2015 at 8:03 AM
Comment was deleted
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Delurker
May 22, 2015 at 12:27 PM
Producer seems to be one of those shows where you have to decide for yourself. If you look at the recap threads you will see how divided we were on it :-) I am on the "love it" camp, and counting the hours till new subtitles are up, but other people found it boring. Perhaps it depends on whether you liked The Office, and/or K-reality shows.
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earthna
May 22, 2015 at 6:49 PM
Producer, I think, is a hit or miss Either you like it or you don't. It's a different format (mix of drama and variety). I was hesitant with episode 1 but I guess I just needed to adjust myself to the format. Episode 2 was great and I just saw 1/4 of episode 3 earlier and I was laughing so hard even after just 5 minutes. I say give it a try, at least 2 episodes and decide for yourself. :)
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21 yasmin satria
May 22, 2015 at 8:03 AM
Happy friday night.
Been a lurker since for a long time in DB and OT, but dunno, today suddenly I just want to share.
Probably because no one in my circle loving 'heard it through the grapevine' as much as I do. So I need a channel to do it :'D but seriously, HiTtG is awesome. I love how much a makjang story this drama supposed to be, but the production team and actors able to change it into something else like HiTtG. Kinda slice of life but full with tension underneath it, and the dark humor... oh, my. Those rich people. Unbelievable yet believable at the same time. Two thumbs up.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 8:19 AM
Ah, Grapevine, the reason why I don't get anything done until Wednesday each week.
Seriously, this show demands a lot of attention from me right now. Last two episodes I ended up writing six pages of notes while watching.
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windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 8:20 AM
I think you and I are the only Grapevine fans here :D
Love that show - much more realistic that most k-dramas. (And no wrist grabs or fake falls to facilitate accidental kisses).
I love how the buildup to what I think will be a massive blowup in the Emperor's Fantasy Family control.
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Lindy
May 22, 2015 at 8:47 AM
I love Grapevine as well. The whole rich guy, poor girl meet and fall in love thing to the horror of their respective families is handled as almost an aside unlike almost all k-dramas of its ilk where this scenario is the meat of the story. So no wrist grabs by imperious chaebols or relentlessly perky candy girls which is a refreshing change. They meet, date for six months while he pretends to be an ordinary boy, decide to part until they have finished their schooling and have one night of consummated passion in a dorm room. Then nine months later, we the audience join the story just as the result of that night is about to pop out.
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Waiting
May 24, 2015 at 2:18 AM
Nope, another grape lover here!
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ktiep
May 22, 2015 at 8:59 AM
I watch Grapevine too. I gave up on Viki and watched the last two weeks on MyAsianTV.
In episode 26, I cried when In Sang went to Bom's house to see if she still loved him. I know this is not a popular view, but I really feel for him. He feels the responsibility of continuing the family business (employees and economic ecosystem and all that crap), but also doesn't want to live like his father has. He wants to be a righteous man, but can't quite figure out how to do it. Unfortunately, Bom seems to have given up the fight for them as a couple. Or am I seeing that wrong?
Mama and Papa Han make my stomach turn. Credit the acting skills. The thought of them getting custody of that baby makes me sick. I guess in Korea, it is not customary for the child to stay with the mother.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 9:18 AM
I feel for both Bom and In-sang. (Which is weird, because usually, when the lead couple has their 3rd act break-up/separation, I feel nothing, except the urge to roll my eyes.)
Bom is an extremist. First she tried to be fully integrated into In-sang's family, to the point where she started to show similar psychopathic tendencies as her parents-in-law. When she started to grasp just how horrible the family is on every single layer of their existence, she became a rebel.
In-sang is very different insofar as he just "dips his toes" into things, he never fully commits himself. He wants to have Bom, he wants to have freedom from his parents, he also wants wealth, he wants to do what his father does, but better, etc. And for him, taking enough money from his parents to find a warm and cozy compromise seems like the best solution.
Bom cannot accept that anymore, because that means appeasement with In-sang's parents.
In-sang cannot accept to live poorly.
There was a lengthy discussion last week about my take on In-sang's last visit to Bom's home: The way his look said something like: "I cannot live like that."
He spells it out this week in some detail: He doesn't want to live a poor life, he doesn't want his wife to live a poor life. He cannot live with Bom's family, because he would be a total stranger there. He doesn't even know what "poor" really means.
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Lindy
May 22, 2015 at 9:59 AM
I wrote this on another Grapevine discussion board earlier this week about my take on the "come with me, no you come to me" conversation:
"In a real marriage, it's the people that count, not the lifestyle. Bom is telling In-sang, I love you and I shared your lifestyle with you but now I can't do that anymore. Do you love me enough to come to me and share my circumstances? Are we really married or were we just playing house?"
I don't see Bom as an extremist or a rebel at all. She's a young woman who sees a role for herself in life independent of what she will never be to the Hans. And it's the Hans who have kicked her out because they know she will never be able to fulfill that role. They are blaming her for all the difficulties the family is now facing, all the rebellion fomenting in the ranks both at home and in the office. But this had started long before Bom ever arrived on the scene. The son with the annoying nervous sniffling tick, the daughter who has been forcibly detained in a mental institution and attempted suicide, the staff who are lining their own pockets at the expense of the family trust, the lawyers who have been working within the company to bring it down. All this has nothing to do with Bom, her arrival in the household merely speeds the process along.
The Han parents are in big trouble: personally with their children but also legally and financially. I know literally nothing about Korean tax or inheritance law but it seems to me that the Han family is engaging in what might be called generation skipping. To avoid death duties and probate scrutiny which would expose off -shore accounts etc, the estate, prior to the death of his grandfather, had been deeded to In-sang as the youngest male heir. This is why Secretary Yang looks so very, very nervous as she leaves CEO Han's office. All it will take is one simple request from In-sang, upon reaching his majority, for an independent forensic audit of the trust and Hansong to see what has been done in his name. Has fiduciary trust been abused and so on. The whole edifice in in danger of collapse.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 10:21 AM
“In a real marriage, it’s the people that count, not the lifestyle. Bom is telling In-sang, I love you and I shared your lifestyle with you but now I can’t do that anymore. Do you love me enough to come to me and share my circumstances? Are we really married or were we just playing house?”
From her point of view, and her "philosophical" background, that's perfectly valid. There is, however, a dichotomic fallacy about it: There are not just two lifestyles, either the Hans, or the Seos. In-sang believes that they can carve out a life on their own. Bom doesn't want that, because she would need to compromise, and to use Han's money.
That's why I call her an extremist. First she tried to be 100% Han, now she doesn't want to be "Han" at all. That, of course, also eliminates In-sang. Just because she went full tilt with Han lifestyle doesn't mean that she can expect him to do the same for her. He never lived 100% Han even before he met her (and she frequently reminded him to behave more like his father expects him to).
I don't blame her, at all. But there is an inherent incompatibility between Bom and In-sang, because of their very different philosophies.
4drama
May 22, 2015 at 10:37 AM
@lindy 12
Nice thoughts on IHiTTG, I love the last two episodes, we can see much layer on their personalities and what they believed in. I was even thinking that for their age in accordance to the drama, they act so maturely and intuitively.
Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 10:51 AM
"I don’t see Bom as an extremist or a rebel at all. She’s a young woman who sees a role for herself in life independent of what she will never be to the Hans. And it’s the Hans who have kicked her out because they know she will never be able to fulfill that role."
Yes.
And before they kicked her out, she tried to live within the Han family by joining forces with In-sang, Yi-ji, the servants and somewhat indirectly with the Three Musketeers from the office. Eventually she realised that the only way to change the behaviour of the Hans was to undermine their power base. And that meant to destroy Hansong. That is when Bom and In-sang started to crack, because In-sang didn't want to go there, while Bom knew it was the only way for her to stay together with In-sang.
Of course Bom couldn't do much herself, but she had a hand both in the Three Musketeers' plot and in the servants rebellion. She needed to keep her hands clean enough in the eyes of the Hans.
"They are blaming her for all the difficulties the family is now facing, all the rebellion fomenting in the ranks both at home and in the office. But this had started long before Bom ever arrived on the scene."
Yes and no. The original office rebels were easily subdued by Han Jung-ho. It was Yoon Je-hoon who changed the dynamic, and he only did it the way he did because of Bom's family.
The home rebellion, again, might have been overdue, but it only materialised because of Bom (and the baby). Yi-ji stated several times that she is especially frustrated because of the influence Bom had on the house (in her mind that was a positive thing, of course).
Lindy
May 22, 2015 at 11:32 AM
@ Jon G.
I don't know what her philosophical "background" is at all and don't even know what that means. Bom is asking a very fundamental question about marriage, not philosophical backgrounds. In fact it is" the" question in any marriage. "Are we married, with all the in sickness or in health, in good times or in bad etc that represents, or are we not?" Bom has been kicked out of the house with nothing except the clothes she arrived in. She takes her son only because he came into the house in her body and she carries him out in her arms. Her gifted clothes, jewelry etc are absolutely meaningless to the Hans. They tell the staff to get rid of them and erase every trace of her presence; it's just a low, mean-spirited exercise in what they think is their power over her and, by extension, In-sang.
Lifestyle was a poor choice of words on my part because the question is not about lifestyle; it's about circumstances. But to In-sang, because he just doesn't quite get it yet, thinks it is about lifestyle. Will they still be married if one of the partners becomes poor? It's a simple question but there really is no room for compromise once it is asked. And the answer is simple as well. It's either yes or no. I shared your circumstances with you so will you now do the same for me?
Poverty is scary and for In-sang, given his upbringing, it must be terrifying. But, to Bom, it doesn't matter whether or not he manages to carve out a life for them using a bit of the Han money. It's about what a marriage really is at the root. Are we in this together or not? And it just might mean they are not because In-sang might never rally understand what is being asked of him.
Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 12:01 PM
@Lindy
I never thought that the marriage per se might be so important to her (as compared to In-sang as a person). For some reason Bom never seemed a person who is overly concerned with formalisms. But you might be right. I have to think about that.
"She takes her son only because he came into the house in her body and she carries him out in her arms."
I didn't buy that this was the reason she took her child with her. To me it seemed like she needed a reasonable explanation to get the baby out of the hell there, and she knew that an argument like that was difficult to dispel for Han Jung-ho.
Let's assume she would have come to the house before she got pregnant. Do you really think she would have left the baby behind in that case?
"They tell the staff to get rid of them and erase every trace of her presence; it’s just a low, mean-spirited exercise in what they think is their power over her and, by extension, In-sang."
Truth.
"But to In-sang, because he just doesn’t quite get it yet, thinks it is about lifestyle. Will they still be married if one of the partners becomes poor? It’s a simple question but there really is no room for compromise once it is asked. And the answer is simple as well. It’s either yes or no. I shared your circumstances with you so will you now do the same for me?"
From In-sang's point of view, it's not that simple. He doesn't want to let Bom go (married or not), but he knows (or fears) he cannot live like her family. That doesn't sound nice, but I like how honestly he talks about this with the Tutor.
In real life, I seriously doubt that if a person like In-sang really moved in with Bom, that would work out well. Of course, Bom is ever the idealist: The rich should come to the poor. But that's just as big a gap as the other direction, and we saw how well that one worked out.
'I lived with you your way until I couldn't anymore, now you have to live with me my way until you cannot anymore. And THEN we will hate each other and split up.'
"It’s about what a marriage really is at the root. Are we in this together or not? And it just might mean they are not because In-sang might never rally understand what is being asked of him."
He understands that Bom wants him to become poor like her. To live as a stranger in her family. To suffer like she suffered at his house. Is that really the core or marriage? She thought that she could do it, to live by the laws of the rich and powerful, but she was wrong. In-sang knows that he is not nearly as strong as Bom is. He understands that much.
That's why he is so desperate to find a way that works for both of them. Because he understands that that is the only way they can stay married.
(Ah, heck, I didn't want to side with In-sang.)
Btw.: I might come off as argumentative, but I really like to read your opinion and I learn a lot of stuff about the story right now.
Lindy
May 22, 2015 at 11:48 AM
@ Jon G.
I think you are over stating the case when you say "Eventually she realised that the only way to change the behaviour of the Hans was to undermine their power base. And that meant to destroy Hansong." This is a young woman who has been faced with an out-of-wedlock pregnancy and decided to keep her baby as a single mother, causing her family great hardship and shame. She is trust, nine months pregnant and about to give birth, into a family of hereditary wealth, power and influence. It's like she's Theseus thrust into the Labyrinth. The family home is even like a maze. The Han family and Hansong were in serious danger of collapse even before Bom arrived on the scene. The facade was crumbling due to it's own internal contradictions and not because of anything Bom has done. She's just functioned as the spark which ignites the fuel of changing times. There are a lot of people out there - lawyers, judges, businessmen, workers - who don't like Hansong, the Hans and everything they represent.
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 12:11 PM
I totally agree with you, on an inter-subjective level.
From the point of view of Han and Choi, Bom is the instigator of the rebellion. And in a non-causal way, she is the vital spark.
From her own point of view, Bom really sided with the rebellion. She started to hate Han and Choi and wanted to see them fall. She pushed Yi-ji to cause trouble, she let In-sang act out his juvenile rebellious ideas, and she supported the lawsuit of her uncle.
"There are a lot of people out there – lawyers, judges, businessmen, workers – who don’t like Hansong, the Hans and everything they represent."
Definitely, and they never posed a serious threat so far. They never united before they could be neutralised by Hansong, one way or the other.
One reason the household united was Bom. One reason the Three Musketeers united was Bom.
(Much of that is, of course, necessary story-telling: It would be rather boring to watch Hansong falling simply because it was overdue, without any personification of change.)
Lindy
May 22, 2015 at 12:15 PM
@ Jon G.
I love a good discussion about a show we both obviously love. As for being argumentative, while I am not one myself, I come from a family of lawyers. So I don't find you argumentative at all but giving your perspective. I agree with you that in real life a guy like In-sang would never make it in the Seo household so good thing this is a drama. We see so many fairytales about the poor girl joining the rich boy that it's refreshing to see a story about the rich boy joining the poor girl. Great show and great discussion!
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sunnyl
May 22, 2015 at 12:05 PM
HITG-kudos to Mama and Papa actors!
I giggled to read that Laywer han actor (Yoo JunSang) calls his wife actress (Yoo HoJang) 'Unni' because her birthday is a few months ahead.
Yoo JunSang said the reason he talks dramatic is because first time he talked mimicking the way he did in musical people liked it. Yoo HoJung said her problem is to hold the laugh during filming because YJS is just too funny, and best thing is to get to wear all those incredibly expensive outfits. and of course both are married to actor/actresses whom they met while doing dramas in real life. I love them both.
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windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 12:15 PM
I have to agree with the acting. Only a good actor/actress can make you truly hate and detest the characters they play :D
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windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 12:12 PM
I think (or maybe just hope) that Bom is giving him a chance to grow up and figure out what he really wants. We are getting down to the final episodes, so I suspect that things will start blowing big time real fast.
I hope that In Sang makes the "right" decision, but given his age I am not so sure that he can pull away from his Imperial Parents.
As far as the baby custody goes, I actually did some online research, and Mom and Pop Han might be over confident: So long as a couple remains married, they share equal physical and legal custody of any children they have. In South Korea, custody is most often given to the mother once a couple has divorced. The only situations in which custody would be given to the father is if the mother has mental or social problems or it has been proven she behaves inappropriately. Visitation rights for the noncustodial parent don't have to be court-mandated. If the parents are able to come to an agreement for a visitation schedule, then it's not necessary for the noncustodial parent to petition the court to assign a visitation schedule.
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/list_6828258_korean-laws-child-custody.html
I think that was where the worry that one of the characters voiced about "proving" that she would be an unfit mother through devious means.
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owl 🦉 🫰
May 22, 2015 at 3:46 PM
I care for both of them too. They can't reform the status quo, but building anew takes so much effort with a capital E. From in sang'so pov there is a lot to lose. From bom's pov standing up for principle comes first. It's just not practical and results in ideological arguments that cause them to split. I don't think they can win inside the Han home. I hope they realize a way to salvage their relationship and love each other for real in a way that includes progress but with an understanding that things don't change overnight. Actually Bom is finding fault with her own family's thinking, and she can't be an island unto herself over principle. (She's already a mother and should preserve her marriage with such a good if immature guy).
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 11:49 PM
Yes, Bom extends her "extremism" to her own family too.
The whole conflict with her father was fantastic and heart-wrenching.
"You are exactly like Han Jung-ho. The only difference is that you are poor."
It's cruel, but the father really need a punch in the guts to get real. Of course, his brother drives home the point:
"Don't justify your thoughtlessness as parental love."
(After all these years of watching K-dramas, finally someone said it.)
"She’s already a mother and should preserve her marriage with such a good if immature guy."
Sometimes two good people who love each other still don't make a good couple.
(I could tell you a story about that with even more cliches than a Hong Sisters drama. It's the love story of the girl I had a crush on for 7 years and my best friend, how they had a daughter, got married and divorced and are now -- almost 20 years later and married to different partners -- one of the most amicable pair of exes I know.)
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owl 🦉 🫰
May 23, 2015 at 5:37 PM
"There ain't no good guy there ain't no bad guy there's only you and me and we just disagree."
Wag_a_Muffin
May 22, 2015 at 10:26 AM
I read all the way through open thread SEARCHING for a Grapevine reference so I could add my "I love it" reply.
It is my favorite K-drama right now. (Especially after smelly girl went nuts on me, and Divorce Lawyers in love got an unneeded extension.) HITTGrapevine is the only show I wait (impatiently) for as I refresh the "is it on yet" key on my computer. And then I rush to Dramajjang to read the recap (because I don't speak Korean and I am always missing some nuances.)
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bbstl 🧹
May 22, 2015 at 1:59 PM
thank you for mentioning a site that's doing HITTG recaps! They did not come up in my previous searches for something that would help flesh out the details of an amazing show. It's also my favorite show airing right now and I feel I miss so much. Off to read!
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August
May 22, 2015 at 10:32 AM
Waving my hand...another "Heard It Through the Grapevine" fan here too! :)
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22 windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 8:15 AM
Not much on my Must Watch list right now - Murder Noir M and Grapevine are about it. Watching some others, such as Gatsby and School 2015 but not really invested much. Mostly just counting the number of wrist grabs...
Have not seen it mentioned so I seem to be about the only one watching Grapevine, think it is the best drama running right now.
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Lindy
May 22, 2015 at 8:53 AM
I agree about Grapevine being the best drama running right now and am also watching, and enjoying, Missing Noir M as well.
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August
May 22, 2015 at 10:49 AM
Nice to see you commenting here again. Have you watched Punch yet?
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Lindy
May 22, 2015 at 11:51 AM
Agree with August, windsun33. It's nice to see you back.
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windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 12:18 PM
Contemplating Punch. Seems to be getting mixed reviews, but since most other dramas seem to be falling into cliche'ville and worn out formula plots...
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August
May 22, 2015 at 1:19 PM
Mixed reviews...ha! To each his/her own but I highly recommend Punch. I can't rave enough about it.
Like HeadsNo2 said it was "one in a million." Punch was amazing, awesome, compelling, entertaining, fantastic, intense, suspenseful, and just an all around wonderful kdrama experience.
No worries about sitting through bad acting. Only talented actors and actresses were cast. Clever writing, great character development beyond just the lead characters, a strong second lead female character, excellent narrative/storyline and depictions of human nature.
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23 Gladys
May 22, 2015 at 8:22 AM
Hi there everyone!
- The girl who sees smells: Four episodes to go for me! So far I'm really enjoying the show. Hope to to enjoy it till the end. The leads are doing a great job. Their chemistry surely does a lot. Actually I had no expectations in the first place so I'm pleased the drama is doing good. I decided not to mention the cliches and usual kdrama stuff (I'm breaking up because I'm feel guilty, I'll kill the killer with my hands, blabla....). IIt could have been worse. So far, so good.
- The Lover: My big crush of the week!! I marathoned the 5 first epiaodes! Had to force myself to stop! No time to beat around the bush, the drama is blunt, too blunt sometimes but I like that! The missunderstandings crack me up!! I like all the couples but let's face it, I won't mind a whole episode on Joon Jae and Takuya!! Give me that and you'll have my eternal gratitude. If someone knows someone who knows someone else who knows the writer and the ones in charge at Mnet, that would be super nice.
- Heard it through the grapevine: At episode 2 for the moment. That saddens me I haven't found the time to watch more. But the first two episodes are...absurdly good. Strange in many ways but good. I'm curious to see the development.
Have all a good w-e!!!
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:27 PM
Jae Joon is in almost every minute of episode 7 (Takuya is only in part of it) so that's something to look forward to. I think that show is a bit all over the place and sometimes it's hilarious and sometimes it's cringe-worthy. It's certainly something different though.
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24 Catherine
May 22, 2015 at 8:22 AM
As always, I have a long list of dramas that I am super excited about, but when they actually start airing, I get disinterested in them one by one. This time its actually quite bad, I don’t know if I’ll stick with Producer and Warm and Cozy… so the only show atm I love is Ex-Girlfriends Club. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise as my half summer semester is actually hell. ^__^”
Producer : Love the cast, it’s funny but … something is off. It feels like an old sitcom (all that it’s missing is the laughs in the background). I will watch this week since the PD changed, maybe I will like it more.
W&C : I don’t know why, but it doesn’t have the wow effect of the past Hong sisters dramas. I have watch all of them and it’s the first one that leaves me like this. Kang Sora’s character actually reminds me of her character in DH2 and it’s not a very good memory. Again, I’ll watch and see how it goes.
EGC : Hehe, its fridayyyyy. Waited a week for this ;). It’s funny, light and ermagerd I love love love the cast! The new guy is kind of weird but from the previews, it seems like he will add action between Myungsoo and Soojin.
I also have some dramas on the back burner that I watch when I feel like it; Warrior Baek Dong Soo {JCW & YSH, what can I say more?} and Heartless City {its kind of dark so sometimes I don’t feel like watching it, but JKH is gold as Doctor’s Son so I’m pretty sure I’ll finish it}.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:28 PM
Yeah, I'm trying to stick with a lot of shows but I'm definitely not as impressed as I was hoping with this new crop of shows. Orange Marmalade had the best start for me which is surprising but pleasing.
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Catherine
May 22, 2015 at 6:22 PM
I really hope that DoS, 6FD, k-ITILY won't pull me a fast one ;_;
Oh really? I wasn't too impressed with the synopsis, vampires and high school triangle love (or square) didn't attract me :P (the wave of YA vampire books kind of scarred me), but I will give it a try now! Thank you!
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:40 PM
Well, it had a good start but it's still going to be all those things lol. So if that's not your genre then ignore it. I mean, I am not a Twilight fan which is what most people compare it to but I grew up reading Anne Rice and generally like seeing different takes on the vampire lore. This though really is just a high school show so if it's not your thing then....just wait for one of the others about to start lol. I'm also about two-thirds of the way into episode three and it's seeming a lot like most shows first episode right now. I'm a bit surprised. The beginning was decent but the middle, eh. Or maybe it just got too much praise and I'm second guessing myself ;) I'll be happy when the setup is done I think.
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aweebit
May 23, 2015 at 8:08 PM
Yea! another ex-girlfriend club watcher. It's the best of the bunch for me right now.
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25 harmonyfb
May 22, 2015 at 8:30 AM
Hey, y'all! It's Friday, wheeeee! This week, my library finally re-opened, to much joy (and relief on my part - yay, no more moving heavy boxes!) And I dyed my hair turquoise green. It looks pretty sweet. I love that I have a job where I can do this & my boss says "Cool hair color." :)
What I watched this week:
Missing Noir M: I wish there was more than one episode a week. I love that the episodes aren't falling back on tired cliches, and the mysteries are still interesting & well-written. Acting? Awesome. :)
Producer: Not sure how I feel about this yet. I really like that actress, so will stick with it for the time being. I must say that my reaction to the snotty singer telling me she wouldn't change her outfit would have been to say "I'm sorry you feel that way. Go home." And then I would have assigned her plum spot to someone else.
I have about :pinches fingers together: this much patient for snotty young'uns.
The Lover: Hmm. I'm just about to the point where I'm fast-forwarding through everything but the gay couples' scenes. Not my kind of humor. (Though the scene in the first episode where one character is hunting for her earring by the light of a glow-in-the-dark condom is pretty funny.)
Let's Eat, Season 2: Ratio of feelings to eating: improving. This week's episodes seemed to have a lot more food, which is good, though seriously, I don't see how you eat salty noodles for breakfast.
What's everyone's favorite breakfast food?
Mine's bacon & homefries (cubed potatoes & onions pan-fried in a tiny bit of oil), though when I was little I also favored chicken noodle soup.
This past week I also spent a bit of time thinking about fantasy-casting books I've enjoyed this year as dramas/movies.
There's a great book called "Vermilion" about a mixed-race Chinese girl in the US in the 1800's; she runs a detective agency & dresses in men's clothing (also, she puts down ghosts & hunts vampires.) I think it would make a kick-ass k-drama series.
And I read one called "The Archivist Wasp" (about a priestess who crosses over troublesome ghosts - yes, I have a favorite genre) that would be perfect for Ha Ji Won & Lee Joon Ki. (Lee Joon Ki's putative character being the ghost of an assassin from the distant past searching for the spirit of his partner).
What about y'all? Are there any recent books you think would make good k-dramas?
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harmonyfb
May 22, 2015 at 8:51 AM
Look at my seafoam-green hair, y'all: https://twitter.com/harmony_fb/status/600706196501372928
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Wag_a_Muffin
May 22, 2015 at 10:33 AM
You must have been the model for my Murderous Mermaids from Killer Kommodes toon. (Even though I hadn't seen your hair before I drew it--I must have telepathically seen you--or something.) Cool hair!
Side note: The first time I had cancer and went through chemo I REALLY REALLY (chulte) wanted to get a shocking pink wig and wear it. I figured, I'm hairless and super sick, what better way to pick up my spirits. Alas, I didn't have the guts.
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harmonyfb
May 22, 2015 at 1:31 PM
Heh. Or maybe I subconsciously got the idea from YOU. :)
pink wig
You should do it! :) The best part about being A Certain Age is that I can do what I've always wanted. And what I've always wanted was blue hair. :grin:
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Lindy
May 22, 2015 at 9:21 AM
I would love (Love, Love, Love!) to see a drama based on the lives of the Japanese anarchist and nihilist Fumiko Kaneko (1903-1926) and her Korean lover, Pak Yeol. She wrote a book during her stay in prison called Prison Memoirs Of A Japanese Woman as a part of her judge mandated period of "self reflection". She then committed suicide at the age of 23 after tearing up the Emperor's commuting of her death sentence to life imprisonment for plotting to assassinate him and refusing to thank him. She was a brilliant political thinker who wrote about the unequal roles of men and women in radical movements among other things. She is such a hero of mine that if I'd had a daughter rather than sons, her middle name would be Fumiko. This is one of my favourite quotes of hers:
"What is so admirable about being looked up to by others? I do not live for others. What I had to achieve was my own freedom, my own satisfaction. I had to be myself.”
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harmonyfb
May 22, 2015 at 12:46 PM
That would be a really gripping drama, Lindy.
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:32 PM
I am actually super jealous about your hair. My job would let me but I'm angling for a different job and that would definitely be frowned upon in interviews. Boo.
I agree that I wish Missing Noir was more than once a week...especially when they insist on multiple episode cases!! Grrr. So good though.
I wasn't that annoyed in Producer with Cindy. I think it's actually because I've heard too much about idol life. Frankly I doubt she has much control over anything, not even that outfit she wanted to wear so badly. Every aspect of their lives is so controlled that I'm sure she jumps at any chance she has to show she has a say in her own life. Plus as a producer you can't kick out your lead act no matter how much you want to. I used to work in entertainment and talent can definitely be a PIA.
Both books you mentioned sound really interesting! I need to remember to see if my library carries them.
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harmonyfb
May 23, 2015 at 6:46 AM
I am actually super jealous about your hair. My job would let me but I’m angling for a different job and that would definitely be frowned upon in interviews.
Ugh, interviewing. I know how that goes. You could always use hair chalk, though! That stuff is literally colored chalk you comb onto your hair & it washes out the next day. :)
Plus as a producer you can’t kick out your lead act no matter how much you want to. I used to work in entertainment and talent can definitely be a PIA.
I couldn't do it. I can't deal with people who think rules don't apply to them.
Both books you mentioned sound really interesting! I need to remember to see if my library carries them.
You should - they're really interesting. The protagonists are awesome. :)
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lc
May 22, 2015 at 11:45 PM
I believe Higashino Keigo has written some satirical books about murder mysteries where the characters are self aware of their roles in the genre and the ridiculous stuff they have to portray just for belonging to this genre.
Now I'm hoping not for such books to be adapted into dramas, but something along the lines of it - eg. characters who are sick of the writer portraying them kind today and evil tomorrow just for the sake of plot advancement so they stage a revolution to take over the writing themselves or go on strike for better character rights (hee).
That will be a bloodletting for characters abused by writers, as well as the viewers who get headaches from having to always grapple with the plot and character inconsistencies.
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26 Saiia13
May 22, 2015 at 8:32 AM
Kim Tae Hee and Joo Won are considering new SBS Medical Drama. I have no idea, but...
If Joo Won say yes, I will watching it no matter what. Even though i never really liked KTH in the first place.
Well, I think the premise sounds interesting tho.
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27 korini
May 22, 2015 at 8:38 AM
A little sad that Falling is ending, I started watching Hong (of course). So far so good! Okay, I find it better than good. And finally Lee Sung-Jae cast not a villain.
Continue my favourite this period Let's Eat. Are you sure the lead actor is an idol? Unbelievable.
My Unfortunate Boyfriend lies in the category "what's not to like?"
In "Ex-Girlfriend Club" I'm looking forward to seeing where the plot will take us.
The "hmm" of this week was Masked Prosecutor for me. I watched a little bit without subs and the atmosphere is a little darker than expected. The mask is used not in the way I thought but rather seriously to cover the hero's true identity. Waiting for the subs to make sure, though I think I like this sort of bittersweet mood.
On "Producer" I'm prejudiced in the sense that I absolutely love to bits Cha Tae-Hyun. He's underestimated in my view and the only actor who makes the most out of any role he's given.
Wow, weekend became busy.
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atz
May 22, 2015 at 9:58 AM
Yoon Du Joon from LE2 is a leader of the idol group called Beast. Personally I really like the group. They really can sing well and the rapport between members is good. I think Beast is really strong with singing live.
this is one of my favorite live.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UfIQvEdcU8
Notice that Du Joon missed step and soon( I think) he fell down, members giggled. In the end, he said he was embarrassed. Very cute.
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korini
May 23, 2015 at 10:58 AM
Thank you so much!
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28 Nomnom
May 22, 2015 at 8:42 AM
Have been having a hard time finding something to watch after Kill Me Heal Me. But happy to report Lets Eat 2 has been bringing in the laughs and heart-pulls I've been missing!
Wanting to start another drama but conflicted on which is more worthwhile: Producer or Warm & Cozy
HAPPY FRIDAY Y'ALL!
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29 owl 🦉 🫰
May 22, 2015 at 9:05 AM
Still in love with Grapevine. Let's hope In Sang's plan works.
i love that the peripheral stories are important and not just fluff (uncle, sister, staff). The world is changing but the Hans seem to think they are immune with their deep cushion of money. Bom's resolve is admirable, and she fights for principle (it was amazing when she told her uncle to fight for principle and not only to win). But she has to leave room for what In Sang brings to the relationship in spite of the parts of his heritage that strangle her.
The invisible Han daughter's story is interesting - and her words, "She sees you as the son of the Hans and not In Sang" is the answer to sorting things out if In Sang would hear it.
Good acting, good writing, good setting, good story!
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 9:26 AM
"The invisible Han daughter’s story is interesting – and her words, “She sees you as the son of the Hans and not In Sang” is the answer to sorting things out if In Sang would hear it."
Yi-ji has so many scenes where she is the only sane person. Seriously, among her parents and brother, she is by far the most mature one.
(I literally squeed when, after she told her parents she wants to get out of the house and go abroad, the cook called her in for a hug.)
"Good acting, good writing, good setting, good story!"
Not to mention the impeccable cinematography and the very unique background music.
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owl 🦉 🫰
May 22, 2015 at 9:54 AM
For someone who loves jdramas 8 or 11 eps format, I can believe I'm thinking that 30 eps for Grapevine won't be enough!
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Wag_a_Muffin
May 22, 2015 at 10:37 AM
I totally agree. Because of the writing and acting (as well as other movie making stuff-- the technical term escapes me) I would watch these characters' lives forever. I will be heartbroken when I can no longer visit the catty rich money making club, the "is he gay?" young principled lawyer, the "I have more maternal instinct in my big toe than your actual mother has in her whole body" maid, the teacher and his main squeeze secretary,
OOOOO! I just love watching all of them!
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windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 12:27 PM
That crossed my mind also. I usually stay away from the longer shows, but this one just seems to get better and better. One of the very few dramas where the side characters are actually developed into real people. Maybe we can hope for a season 2.
I need to look up who the writer is and see if they have any other shows that I missed.
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astromantic
May 22, 2015 at 4:19 PM
Something I love about the music is that it sounds like something straight out of a rainforest full of foreboding, which is apt considering that the Han household seems a lot like its own ecosystem sometimes. Eat or be eaten alive!
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 11:30 PM
One of the reasons I was anxious about Bom and In-sang's break-up: Less scenes in Han's house -- seriously, this house is one intriguing character on its own. (The other reason being that this is the very first K-drama couple I'm emotionally attached to.)
And while I miss the house, there were several excellent scenes outside.
One of them was the scene where Bom went to the registration office. Bom doesn't speak a single word during a very long scene, but the cinematography and especially the Michael Mann like music work perfectly to carry the emotional impact.
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windsun33
May 22, 2015 at 12:23 PM
I think that line “She sees you as the son of the Hans and not In Sang” showed that she has a lot more insight than she is getting credit for.
I am starting to wish that she would get more air time.
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owl 🦉 🫰
May 22, 2015 at 4:31 PM
heir time as well ;/
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revlow
May 23, 2015 at 1:38 AM
LOL! :-D
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 12:33 PM
A propos good acting:
I guess a writing/production team who already worked together with many of the actors really helps to pen down matching characters and scenes. Many of the non-leading roles are absolutely awesome. (Some are questionable, like for example Young-ra's actress, but the character is rather excentric, I'll let it slide. And she's still better than several leads in other shows.)
I've become quite fond of Yoo He-jeong's performance for some reason.
I barely knew her before, the only thing I remember her in was "Sunny", and I disliked her there. Maybe that was just the mismatch of her and Shim Eun-kyung that made it impossible for me to see two so totally different people as the same character. Maybe I blamed Yoo He-jeong for it, her being the veteran actress who was supposed to match the style of her younger colleague.
Anywho, she rocks it!
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30 Deren
May 22, 2015 at 9:06 AM
Gahhh, I've already finished rewatching Kill Me Heal Me for the 2nd time and I'm forcing myself not to rewatch it again. I regretted how I didnt watch it live so that it would enhanced the watching experience. The withdrawal is killing me (sorry, couldn't resist).
Atleast, Producers is helping with the withdrawals.
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Daehoney
May 22, 2015 at 7:07 PM
Lucky you didn't watch when it aired otherwise you'd suffer from the torture of not knowing the name of the main lead for a week (and the cliffhanger at EP 14 was the death of me)
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31 kimchied
May 22, 2015 at 9:10 AM
boom - coming here because i think Ex-Girlfriend Club deserves some love & i'm wondering how people here are reacting to it! i for one am loving it. it's hilarious and doesn't take itself too seriously, and I kinda wish it was recapped here but alas, too many dramas. and the best part is that everyone in the cast seems to be having fun in their roles! I want the girls to be a solid foursome at the end of it all. female friendships 4eva.
judgement's still out on Producer. I want to love it so badly!!! so please give me stuff to love. i was actually hoping for a similar vibe from Ex-Girlfriend Club to be present in Producer (light and breezy!) but it was a little unexpected.
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masquerade
May 22, 2015 at 9:18 AM
YESSSSS ex-girlfriend's club does deserve more love, it's such a joy to watch. really sad it's not recapped here, i would have loved to see some of the blogger's thoughts on it. In love with Ra Ra and the main female lead, because she's got so much on-screen charisma. Unlike a lot of others here ... I'm loving Producer to death. Gong Hyo Jin and Cha Tae Hyun are life. I cannot wait to see progress in their relationship.
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alua
May 22, 2015 at 10:10 AM
I decided to drop Ex-Girlfriend Club after 4 episodes.
At first I thought the over-the-top fox, cat and lion were the problem (and I do still think that they are all too hung up over their ex), but I can sort of see why they would go for exaggeration there and play it to the max for comic effect. My real problem is the two leads. Myeong-soo I just find really wishy-washy as a character. I don't think the writers have thought him through but I just don't understand what kind of person he's supposed to be, he's so inconsistent and contradictory. It's like they put all their creativity into the three crazy exes and forgot that they need to create fully-rounded lead characters too. And Soo-jin... the platonic, virginal ex-girlfriend who never actually was a girlfriend – her "What's the difference between a friend and a girlfriend?" question had me head-desk. This woman is supposedly in her late-twenties, early thirties, and she asks a question suitable to a 12 year old. I cannot deal with this sort of thing as much as I wanted to watch Byun Yo-Han's next project!
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 10:31 AM
I'd kind of agree with everything you said, and yet, I might still watch it, depending on the "madcap comedy" ratio. Heck, I watched "Marriage Not Dating" despite the insufferable characters and the comedy rape and stuff.
I don't see why these women are all so hung up on MS (except for Soo-jin, who is simply a pathetic loser). There is nothing interesting about this guy. The most attractive asset about him is his Cintiq digitiser.
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alua
May 22, 2015 at 11:46 AM
I dropped Marriage Not Dating after 2 episodes.
<There is nothing interesting about this guy.
That's one of the "holes" in his character. I don't understand why they dated him (and why they are still stuck on him) or he them. And why he spent (supposedly) several years intimately close with Soo-jin pretty much every day, but for some reason didn't date her. Someone says at some point that Myeong-soo just wants to make everyone happy. So is he a guy that has lots of women friends all the time? Or is he a serial dater? Where were the other exes whenever he was dating one of the three or not-dating Soo-jin? Why is he so concerned with each one of them now but none of them knew each other before? Was he then just concerned with the one he was dating? It just doesn't add up for me.
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kimchied
May 23, 2015 at 9:37 AM
myeongsoo is pretty much the worst kind of guy to have feelings for - people-pleasing and a ladies' man when he feels like it, but shirking responsibility when things get too difficult as well.
so i get the wishy-washyness, but I find that intriguing instead of insufferable. he's extremely selfish at times yet selfless at times as well. He's full of contradictions but strangely in a way that doesn't induce that much whiplash. i find it humanizes him a bit because since when are we consistent and rational when it comes to love.
- and the drama said it itself through soo jin's co-worker, 'what's so appealing about Writer Bang to have 3 women date him?'. which is what i'm trying to figure out as well, and i think that's a story the drama wants to tell.
annnsow
May 23, 2015 at 3:50 PM
I agree with you kimchied,
As for me, Myeong Soo is by far the most interesting character of the show, and Byun Yo Han's charms is working so well for me.
It's not a perfect show but at least the only K-drama I'm anticipating every week, and I watch like 3 full Kdramas a year because I give up most of them, it gets too boring.
I want to know why he feels the need to constantly please everyone and when he'll get to be able to truly fall in love, I gotta admire the way this part of the story is treated, thanks to this awesome intriguing Director character who asks questions that need to be asked, like did he really love them all? If yes, why?
And it feels like actually he's never really fallen in love until he meets our main girl... And I love the way he's had so many difficulties to express what was happening at that time with her that he denies completely having any feelings for her.
It could get a more sensitive and stylish approach, but the works of the writers are not bad at all, although flawed.
At least the core of the drama is very interesting when you think about it. It needs more work for the characters, they tend to react very weirdly at times and not in tune with their supposed personalities...
Catherine
May 22, 2015 at 6:56 PM
I kind of disagree.
I think the two main characters are pretty well reliable and pleasant to watch. Sure, they aren’t as extravagant as the three exes, but if they were, it would be probably too much. The story would be over the top.
Myung Soo is a happy go lucky type of guy. He fell in love three (or four ;) ) times in love and these women are important parts of his life. He has a very people-pleasing personality so he is an empathic person and wants to make everyone happy. He has dated 3 girls, I don’t know how it makes him a serial dater… it just doesn’t make sense. And most people I know don’t go presenting their new girlfriend to their exes. So the fact that they don’t know each other makes sense since the timeline is not very defined in the moment. I think there could be many reasons why the girls fell in love with Myung Soo, and there could be no “main” reason also. Do you always love someone for some specific reason?
I don’t think Soo Jin’s question is a very literal question. If I try to put myself in her place, I can sort of understand her. She and Myung Soo hung around many times just the two of them and she thought they were dating and he saw her mostly as a friend. You don’t always ask the other person : do you want to be my girlfriend/boyfriend? to start a relationship. Also, many couples were friends before dating so where exactly is the line between friendship and love? I think this is her question, and why didn’t he see her as a girlfriend and only a girl friend?
I mean sure, you can argue how the story is not realistic, but then, you can say the same thing for the majority of the dramas…
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 11:24 PM
"I think the two main characters are pretty well reliable and pleasant to watch. Sure, they aren’t as extravagant as the three exes, but if they were, it would be probably too much. The story would be over the top."
I don't think alua wants the lead couple to be madcap crazy. I understood that she wanted more solidly written characters especially in contrast to the three exes.
The three ex-gfs are no characters themselves, they are low-dimensional archetypes. And that's okay for the format. But the lead characters need not only to be less crazy, they also need to be more "dimensional", and that is where the show failed in their early episodes (in my opinion, not sure what alua would say).
"Myung Soo is a happy go lucky type of guy. He fell in love three (or four  ) times in love and these women are important parts of his life. He has a very people-pleasing personality so he is an empathic person and wants to make everyone happy"
That's what alua called "wishy-washy". But it also doesn't add up. The ex-gfs and Soo-jin have no idea about each other. So far, they have not been important parts of Myung-soo's life, otherwise they would know each other.
From what the show tells us, MS only started to "please" all four of them now that he needs them. He needs Soo-jin as a producer (and as an easy to manipulate work-drone) and he needs the consent of the ex-gfs for his fiction.
While he can be charming and considerate at times, very often he just weasels his way out of conflicts and pushes them to other people. In my book, that's the opposite of empathic.
About Soo-jin, well, I kind-of agree with you. Sometimes the transition from a friendship to a romantic partnership can be ambiguous and perceived differently by both parties. Especially when one of them is a rather clueless airhead and the other is a wishy-washy manipulator.
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Catherine
May 23, 2015 at 7:07 PM
I don’t see why important people in someone’s life absolutely need to know about each other or otherwise they are not important. Being in a relationship certainly doesn’t entitle one to know all the important parts of the other person’s life (except if it can affect him/her). Plus, they may have known that he had other girlfriends (without being told their names/faces/phone number).
MyungSoo certainly didn’t start to try to please everyone now that he needs them. He pretty much saved Soojin by letting her make the movie for only 3000$ when he could have gone to the big company for a lot more cash. He doesn't help Ji Ah at her restaurant because he wants her to accept the movie, but he cares for her.
SooJin mistaking their friendship for love is because of her inexperience in dating, and that doesn’t make somebody a “clueless airhead” (and I don’t see why you called her a pathetic loser… except maybeee her socioeconomic status but in dramaland, the female lead is often like that or worse).
alua
May 23, 2015 at 11:52 PM
I agree with most of what Jon G. said, so I won't add to it.
As for the relationship confusion: Still not buying. That explanation of Soo-jin's question still hinges on a twelve-year old's approach to relationships. Because in an adult relationship, if you are "together" for ane extended period time that would involve physical intimacy, which it has been made clear there were wasn't any – they have not had sex, they have not even kissed. There are of course adults that have platonic relationships because they are asexual or because they choose not to have sex before marriage, but in those cases people normally clarify this. The show would have to establish this b/c in that case I could see some reason to Soo-jin being confused. However, we know already that at least MS isn't asexual and there's no indication that Soo-jin has decided to remain virginal until marriage or anything of that sort.
I could see Soo-jin being confused about whether they were in a relationship if there had been any sexual intimacy (even if only a kiss), but the other way around I just con't buy it. Sexual intimacy is a normal part of an adult relationship, including in Korea.
<I don’t see why important people in someone’s life absolutely need to know about each other or otherwise they are not important.
They don't... but if he's constantly involved with everyone's issues than there's naturally going to be an overlap, which they would have heard at least of some of the other's names (or more), or run into one or the other of them. That's why I can't figure out MS character, b/c on the one hand it seems to be he had one girlfriend after the other, with zero contact after each relationship was over, on the other, he's cares for them and their happiness so much that he can't leave them alone now. That's two different kind of characters!
Catz
May 24, 2015 at 9:07 PM
I actually enjoy Ex- Girlfriend Club, I find the drama quite similar to my past - so I could relate to Soo-Jin.
The strangest thing is I used to have a friend like Myeong-soo, who I could connect with on an emotional level, however had the tendency to be a people pleaser particularly to his exes. I often questioned myself of what the difference was between a friend and a girlfriend when I was friends with him. I'm also someone who's decided to take on a career that's doesn't take in the pennys that easily. So when I see Soo-Jin at times it's like looking at a Mirror.
Where my friendship failed, I'm intrigued on how this drama will develop into. I'm hoping to see both character's go through change, and I do agree with you that the ex's aren't completely fully grounded ~ we have lots of episodes to come to figure that out ^^
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32 dkaoru
May 22, 2015 at 9:12 AM
Hi all :) Hope everyone is having a good start to their weekends, TGIF!
Missing Noir M: I really love episode 7. There's a few things that I feel can be improved on the crime/mystery procedure part but I really like the tone and the acting of the 3 main characters so far. Does anyone know what's the total episode number for this drama? This is one drama they really should do like the US-show style, with several seasons. Also, I noticed they're making James have this painkillers thing; are they trying to pull off House here?
Who are you- 2015: wa I'm so impressed with Kim So Hyun acting. Are we sure that Eun byul is dead? I'm really wishing that she's not. Maybe she's with Soo-in's mother trying to atone for whatever past sin she did to Soo-in? This doesn't make that much sense though. I don't particularly want Eun Bi to end up with Yi-an or Tae-gwang. I think it's better to have it open-end and have all three just be friends. They're only in high schools. plenty of time to meet other ppl in future.
Orange Marmalade: I will admit I only checked this out for Yeo jin goo. I was shocked it was such a fun show. I generally don't like high school vampire stories ( hate hate hate twilight). I've never read the webtoon. I hope they'll reveal more as to what the differences are between vampires and human. How come vampires can have children? and they seem to age as well.
Warm n Cozy; Ex-girlfriend club: I watched the first 2-3 episodes. I think i might just drop these as they seem cute but i got no time to watch all right now.
Hwajung: i'm so behind, got no time. and i'm scared of the 50 episode prospect.
Produser: The first episode didn't quite grab me. I liked the 2nd episode much better. I'm not that big a fan of the Office. What I like about this show is all the meta on variety shows because I love some of them (1n2d, RunningMan). I cheered when Yoo ho jin pd was mentioned. Aw he's been there since season 1 and it just feels soo nice and heartwarming to have him graduate from the maeknae PD to be the PD-in charge. I'm also a big Kim Jong Kook fan, so obviously staying tune to catch his scenes hahaha. I really like Kim Soo Hyun here. I liked him in The moon that embraces the sun as well. Ehem I never watched You from another star. He played the "i'm so new I don't know what's going on and how to act" soo soo well. I'm really rooting for him to do well as a PD.
It's weird that I've got 2 high school dramas on my watch list. But I actually feel the acting and storytelling in these 2dramas are actually way better than most adult dramas going on now.
Have a lovely weekend everyone :)
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33 ktiep
May 22, 2015 at 9:19 AM
Ah Beanies! I missed you last week. Loved all the discussion about Grapevine. Too bad DB isn't recapping it.
Watching:
Grapevine--See my comments above. This is definitely my favorite show right now.
Falling for Innocence--Can't wait for this week. I have fallen for the OTC, who seemed an unlikely pair at the beginning. Too bad the 2nd lead is a murderer. I hate that.
Smells--Glad that's over. I was surprised at the last two episodes. They seemed to go trope on us. Another cute OTC though. Thanks Yoochun and
My Unfortunate Boyfriend--Only on Ep. 8 of this. It's cheery, but nothing fantastic. Watching it because I'm writing subs. It's a good team.
Producers--May drop this one. I'm only watching for UI. I want to adopt her as a daughter. We could go on a trip and visit craft stores and go to crafting workshops together.
Warm & Cozy--The leading man is so immature, I want to smack him up the side of the head. Since it's dramaland, he isn't doing any drugs (well, just alcohol), but in real life, I bet he'd be a pothead. Going to keep watching it just for Jeju. So pretty.
Okay, got to get ready to go to FanimeCon today. This is our 8th year. I love to see all the cosplay.
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34 john
May 22, 2015 at 9:27 AM
dkaoru ~
Orange Marmalade was a surprise. High School vampires? I didn't think I'd be watching, but so far it's interesting.
Ep 7 of M was by far the best episode to date. The ending was a shock, I did not see that coming. Good background story for the computer hacker, Seo-Joon .
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35 CaroleMcDonnell
May 22, 2015 at 9:59 AM
Hello all:
Ah, dramas!
Girl who smells: Loved the OTP but wow! that draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn out ending. What? Are they aiming for a series? Or was it all fan-service to all of us who loved the romance?
Unfortunate Boyfriend: Wow, is second lead girl actually surprising us by getting some enlightenment re her mercenary beloved? Love No Min Woo. So sad to hear about his grief and his slave contract.
Grapevine: Shrunk by two episodes? So hoping it doesn't lose its perfection because of that. Really not liking CEO Han and Madame Choi. And that shamaness! I expected her to be spiritual. I'm hoping there is a part of her that is kinda on the lovers' side.
Masked Prosecutor: Am gonna like this, I think.
Warm and Cozy: Way too predictable. I tried to give it a chance. But no....
Producers: Am loving this.
Missing Noir M: Wow! This week's case. Good!
Ex-Girlfriend's Club: I felt disappointed in episode 3 but episode 4 gave me hope.
That's about it. Have a great weekend all.
In other news, I did a mini-marathon of Comedians' World skits from gag concert on KBS youtube. Check it out. I totally hate fat jokes but dang! So funny!
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Jon G.
May 22, 2015 at 10:07 AM
Smelly girl I didn't watch the final episode. And maybe I wont. I'm feeling pretty good with the way the show ended at episode 15.
Grapevine I've read both 32 and 30 episodes since the show started. Doesn't really matter, it's not nearly enough either way.
The shamaness and stuff:
Now there have been a lot of complaints about Hyun-soo. Especially because of her somewhat pathetic crush on In-sang. Luckily, she has a very helpful mother: Trying to hook up Hyun-soo with In-sang is doing miracles, Hyun-soo finally starts to overcome her infatuation with him. Okay, the fact that In-sang behaves like a jerk (read: like his father) probably helps too, because it destroys all the fantasies she has about him.
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Wag_a_Muffin
May 23, 2015 at 4:08 AM
I love comedian's world too. (But am guilty that I like it because they mock the full sized comedian so much.) I also thought it went well with the "Last Health Boys" skit this week where the cast member from a past weight loss program whined that she no longer got parts on the show because she isn't fat any longer. Like all good comedy, I am sure there is some truth in this.
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36 kororo
May 22, 2015 at 10:40 AM
Hello Beanies hope you all had a good week. OMG it's finally Friday !!!!!
Let's eat: This is MY show, loved the first season, was fearful at the idea that the main love line may not continue in the second season, now I'm so happy it did not. Doojoon was made to play Koo Dae-Young !! And I love how thing are being unfold for Im Taek-Soo ,Hong In-A and her husband love triangle/ relationship triangle. But Im Taek-Soo breaks my heart every time, he is just so lonely. As usual the meal scenes are super well shot and they all eat so deliciously, god, it must be so terrible to watch this show if you're on a diet !!
The lovers : OMG this show is so... blunt yet it's so funny. I can't get over Jung Joon Young cracking up in some scene, this is to funny. Mnet is gutty to put such a show on air, all the couple are not as evenly explored which is kinda of a shame cause they all in there way have potential to be equally funny, and portray some kinda of realness. Oh Do-si and Ryu Doo-ri are terribly cute, and the "Oh do, Oh do do do" gets me every time. I can't wait for next week episode !!
Missing Noir M: I love this show, as a Special Affairs Team TEN super super fan, who was hoping for a new season I'm so happy with this show. It files up my need of a good thriller series with a tortured hero. But the ending of the 7th episode got me in a awe, good job writer-nim, pd-nim, actor-nim. And I never had a thing for Kim Kang-Woo ajhussi but this might just have changed ^^.
Falling for innocence: Just watched episode 15, I need to put this out in the universe but if Mino dies !!! If he dies..I'm going to write a letter of complaint to the writer and the PD !! He just cannot die, him and SJ need to live happily ever after and that douche of Lee Joon-hee needs to be put in jail !!!
Orange marmalade: The biggest surprise I had in drama land since the beginning of the year I think, the first 2 episodes got me hooked,and now I cannot look away...
I want to watch Hawjung because I LOVE Cha Seung-Won ajhussi, Lee Sung-Min ajhussi and Kim Chang-Wan ajhussi but it's so long... 50 episodes !!! The last time I did that it was for Dong yi... drama land dilemma...
Hul and Kim Tae Hee and Joo Won are considering a new SBS Medical Drama... Yes !! To Joo won back to drama land after the cantabile cacophony...... not a fan of KTH (please don't hate me !!)
Have a great week-end Beanies !!! :)
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:37 PM
Try Hwajung! I need someone else to be watching it with lol. I've never done a show this long either, but so far I'm keeping up....no better time to challenge yourself!
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revlow
May 23, 2015 at 1:48 AM
I haven't been around OT for awhile. I am THRILLED to find out I'm not alone with Hwajung. I love it!
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4D
May 23, 2015 at 6:29 AM
*waves* Yay for Hwajung love! I was nervous that I'd lose interest since I don't have a lot if sageuk experience but I'm even more engrossed now than when I started!
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revlow
May 23, 2015 at 7:48 AM
It's surprised the heck out of me. The 12 episodes have flown by.
37 elric
May 22, 2015 at 10:50 AM
Happy OT Beanies! I finally decided to go back on my korean drama hiatus hahaha the last K-drama I watch was Cantabile Tomorrow and that was five months ago. I finally planned on watching 3 shows this season but it looks like I'm dropping one of them :(
Ex-Girlfriend Club I love this show! It's gut busting funny, has great characters, and I'm loving how the story is going so far. Special mention to the ex-girlfriends who make Soo-Jin and Myeong-Soo's life interesting/a living hell. Really looking forward to how the characters and the story will develop.
Producer Reading all the negative comments, I was a bit hesitant about watching this. I thought it would be boring or terrible but it wasn't. Maybe because I was expecting it would really be about the production side of shows, and not much of the romance (well not yet), that I was not disappointed. The dialogue is funny. The acting of most of the main leads is realistic. Special mention to Kim Soo Hyun for his spot on portrayal of awkward, naive, and scared character. Far cry from the cool Do Min Joo.
I also love the format. I'm not a big fan of comedy series that uses documentary/interview/reality show format but Producer manage to adapt it and made it somehow better.
Orange Marmalade Episode 1 had its good moments. Episode 2 was better but there is something off. Maybe because the pace of Jae-min and Ma-ri's relationship feels a little too fast. Or maybe episode 3's preview was too cheesy for my taste that I decided to drop it (read somewhere that the webtoon is also cheesy). It reminds me why I have an averse reaction to shoujo anime or manga or high school/teen romance books. But I love the interesting plot line but not really liking the teen romance. I'll still read the recaps though since I'm curious on how the story goes but not curious enough to actually watch it.
Might as well pick-up Kill Me, Heal Me to fill the void *finally*
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4D
May 22, 2015 at 5:39 PM
Orange Marmalade: I haven't finished the webtoon but yeah, it's a bit cheesy. It's high school hormones couples with vampire hormones. It's kind of hard to avoid the cheese.
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38 Aigoooo
May 22, 2015 at 11:06 AM
Happy Friday!
I thought of a premise for a drama and I am calling it Drama Girl. It's going to be about a girl who grew up neglected and isolated from the world and her only social experience was watching dramas on TV. So, she ends up living her life like she's in a kdrama. It will be a slice of life rom-com chock full of hijinks making fun of kdrama tropes like tackling an ahjumma crossing a street because a white truck is driving nearby or putting out her arm when the guy who is interested in her wants to talk assuming that he would be dragging her by the arm. Eventually she gets into a love triangle with one guy who just goes along with her craziness and another guy who shows her how the real world really is. I dunno about the rest of the cast but my heroine would be Kim Seul Gi. lol
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39 Wakekke
May 22, 2015 at 11:45 AM
Hello beanies!
Can we talked about how great the Missing Noir M? As expected to Ocn, they just always want me love them more :) I just watch ep 8 and its just another intense like others episode. But episode 7 still my favorite episode all the time aughh I literaly cried and cried because I'm still a teenager that some of the point I can relate to that episode thats why. :))
Ex-girlfriend club - at first it was just okay to me but at the end of episode 4, I'm in.
Warm and cozy - I haven't started this one but excited to see this :)
Producer - it is so good but there's something that ticks me off, but I don't know what it is, hope I'll it soon :)
Who are you: school 2015 - it is still great for me! Tae-gwang all the way!!
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elric
May 22, 2015 at 7:43 PM
Ex-Girlfriend Club really grows on you episode by episode! Can't wait for episode 5 ^^
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40 juniper
May 22, 2015 at 12:18 PM
Has anybody here subscribed to Mr. X's new site? I've been thinking about signing up for a while but I'm not sure--I hate paying for anything on the internet as a matter of course, but he covers a lot of dramas that don't really get reviewed or discussed in many other English drama sites currently operating, and he's got more of a critical mindset. But at the same time, I don't think I need him to sort out quality from rubbish, and there are only so many epic takedowns you can read before it stops being cathartic and just feels like beating a dead horse...I don't know. Advice, please!
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orange_juice
May 22, 2015 at 1:18 PM
Who's Mr X? What's the link to his site?
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juniper
May 22, 2015 at 4:50 PM
I'm not sure if it's okay to be posting links here--I promise I'm not a shill!--but his new site is http://www.dramatic-eye.com. His old one was at word press and called the Vault of Doom.
Mr. X is a legend in the community. He was a great fansubber before sites like Dramafever took over. He had a very distinctive style--if you've seen Conspiracy in the Court or Shin Don, or Chuno for something more recent, you'll know what I mean haha. Anyway, he watches more serious stuff, and is more critically discerning, although he's also very ranty and bombastic, so ymmv. That's why I'm torn.
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osmanthustea
May 23, 2015 at 9:28 AM
I went to check it out and I don't think he's actually doing recaps. More like commentary based on a few early episodes. He definitely sounds very much up his high horse, and I'm not sure his opinions are worth paying for... He claims there'll be 'background' and the greater picture, but that barely shows up. (I looked at his comments on Producer, Missing Noir M, and Orange Marmalade)
I like the diversity of opinions here. The recappers do a great job at catching the little bits and also giving cultural and meta explanations. But on top of that, it's the rest of the beanies who make this really fun. I used to accept at face value a lot of K Drama cliches, but some beanies have made me question further about how things like gender and respect play out. For instance, people commended the way Moo Gak tried to support and look out for Cho Rim - even though he didn't want her to be involved with investigation - instead of just pushing his opinion onto her. These are the sort of things that I might miss on my own. No matter how 'smart' or inside knowledge this Mr X may have, he's just going to sorely lack on this point alone, about diversity.
I think he seems to focus more on things like style - production and script writing - more than the actual content itself. So if the former is something you're seeking out, maybe. Otherwise, I suggest you save your money. Or just wait and see? Seems like he's still building up his 'encyclopedia'.
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juniper
May 23, 2015 at 12:26 PM
Hmmm, thanks for the input. I will say there's something refreshing about a site that calls crap dramas crap, but he certainly has a very over-the-top way of going about it, and I'm guessing there's no comment section? (I used up all my looks when the site was just getting off the ground a few months ago). I was more interested in things like his top 500 and his takes on older, classic dramas, so I think you're right that I should wait for the encyclopedia. On that front, I owe him a lot--I would never have discovered writers like Jung Ha-yeon without him.
Anyway, thanks again! Getting advice from randomly nice people is one of the advantages of a site like Dramabeans.
41 orange_juice
May 22, 2015 at 1:16 PM
I havent been watching Kdramas for close to 6 mths now. I really miss getting obsessed over a drama. :(((
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orange_juice
May 22, 2015 at 1:19 PM
Nothing holds my interest. Tried watching My Love Eundong and it's so boring.
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alua
May 22, 2015 at 1:52 PM
Which dramas did you like before?
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bettinagurl
May 22, 2015 at 5:45 PM
I had a KDrama break too, since Pinocchio ended I haven't watched a single Kdrama. Then I started watching School 2015 and boom, I had my korean drama drive back! TeeHee! Which is a good thing since I HAVE to watch Producers because of Soo Hyun and Hyo Jin. HAHAHA!
Just start with one episode and it'll comeback to you. hahaha!
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sunnyxshin
May 23, 2015 at 1:43 AM
Same here! I didn't watch any Kdramas after Pinocchio but got back on the train with School2015~also Producer!!
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42 graey
May 22, 2015 at 3:40 PM
Ahh. How fast the days go by. 3? Days til Joong Ki gets discharged! Unfortunately, I still haven't catched up with Smelly Girl and Angry Mom. Too many shows. Too much for my short attention span. Heh.
MASKED PROSECUTOR - I don't have much to say 'bout this since I only took a peek. It was too tempting haha. But yay for teenage crushes?
WHO ARE YOU - I caught an ep in KBS World. I have no idea what ep it is. The one where the old classmate transfers I think. Now I'm curious. But there's this really long queue between me and this show. Haha.
SHUT UP - This show didn't hook me immediately and I started long ago but I stopped because when I started having a soft spot for Min Ki, well, you know. But I finally got around watching the rest of the eps. And I love it. I like the music and I like the indie vibe.
ROOMMATE - I started watching on a whim. I don't even know half of the people in here but it's interesting enough. It still seems like a Big Brother without Big Brother to me though.
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bettinagurl
May 22, 2015 at 5:41 PM
OMG! Joongki in 3 days!! AHHH! I miss that adorable puppy.
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43 astromantic
May 22, 2015 at 4:33 PM
I tried to watch Masked Prosecutor and it was only then I realized how tired I am of episodes dedicated to origin stories. It's a shame, because I love both of the leads and Eom Ki-joon.
Orange Marmalade is truly something else. It's not even that great, but it's fun and OTT. Into it!
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44 y2k
May 22, 2015 at 4:54 PM
Great news on Producer front. The higher ups must have heard how bad the production was on "The Producer", so they fired the director and hired a new one. From what, I've seen the editing and scene selection has markedly improved.
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earthna
May 22, 2015 at 6:58 PM
Who did they change? The drama one or the variety one? I didn't think the directing was bad considering the format.
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45 bettinagurl
May 22, 2015 at 5:39 PM
Thank you for your episode 8 recap of School 2015, girlfriday! This line in your comments section: "...but I empathize with Yi-an, who has to struggle with his feelings of loss and betrayal, not to mention possible guilt at developing feelings for Eun-bi and not knowing they weren’t the same girl." really gave me hope. HAHAHA! For weeks since this drama started, everybody has been rooting for TaeGwang ending up with Eunbi. This is like the Chilbong-Trash wars all over again. Though unlike AM1994, I kind of understand why people root for TG, even I at times would concede and say, "fine, TG, you can have the girl, since YA is being an a** forcing EB to be somebody she's not" But then, the story directs me back to Yi An being all mushy with Eunbi that I can't help but root for him even more. TaeGwang maybe the SAFE choice, but where's the fun in that?
Don't get me wrong, I love TG. But I would want Yi An to end up with Eun Bi.
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46 earthna
May 22, 2015 at 6:57 PM
Hello, everyone! My next week is going to be crazy with all my schedule. Plus I'll be seeing Epik High in Vancouver next Sunday!!!!
Ex-Girlfriend Club is so hilarious! I love the show so much., I can't believe I am enjoying it coz I've never seen Jihyo as an actress who is really good. However, with this one, it doesn't just focus on one or two characters but connects them all together. I love the chemistry of the whole team. And Byun Yo Han~~~ /swoons.
I was getting a bit bored with The Lover but HOLY JOONJAE! I need more! It's funny how almost all the hype for the show is carried by TakuJoon couple. The thirst for boyxboy couples is real!
I doubted Producer in the first episode but accepted it on the second because it showed me heart. Now I'm rolling on the floor laughing at the 3rd episode. Now I understand why there are two PDs, one for drama and one for variety. I thought I was watching Hello Counselor for real! And it was so funny with Kim Soohyun. Omg.
I'm glad that a lot of dramas now are good. So many to choose from. Have a good weekend beanies!
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harmonyfb
May 23, 2015 at 11:04 AM
I was getting a bit bored with The Lover but HOLY JOONJAE!
I know, right? Those are some nice arms. Can't blame noona for her 'you must work out a lot' dream! ::laugh::
My favorite part of the episode, though, was 510's description of his broken seat belt as the saddest & most dangerous accessory in the world. ::laugh::
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47 4D
May 22, 2015 at 6:57 PM
Ahhhhh, I just watched Orange Marmalade episode 3 and I need recaps up so I can talk about this.
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LJH
May 22, 2015 at 8:12 PM
Omo so have I and I'm itching for recaps to read!! That preview for next episode has me even more excited...argh I hate how this is just once a week. :D
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48 Tara
May 22, 2015 at 9:38 PM
Hey everybody...happy OT!
Finally finished with the spring semester last week, but didn't get around to posting on OT last Friday because I needed to catch up on my sleep! I had a total of 10 hours sleep between Saturday to Thursday, which I would most definitely never pull off again...even if I had two term papers due.
This is my first and last week of "freedom"...because I start an assistanceship next week, along with summer classes. Woo-hoo.
I did get to catch up on drama watching, in between getting my sleep cycle back to normal.
Girl Who Sees Smells: The concept sounded a bit far out, but thought I'd give it a try. Marathoned through it all over the weekend, then saw the final 2 eps today. I won't post spoilers, but lordy...I was shaking my head afterwards. I'll just say this drama definitely did not meet expectations, and it just felt like I wasted my time to watch it all. The gaping plotholes, the sorely incompetency of the police in trying to nab the Barcode Killer (which, at times, I burst out laughing for the sheer nonsensicalness of it all) and trying to make sense of the feel of the show. The serial killer bent gave off Gapdong vibes to me...although, in my opinion, it didn't come close to exploring the aspects that Gap-dong did. The only "revelation" of it all...Shin Se-kyung wasn't half bad!
Warm and Cozy: Started watching this, and it's in the "should I stick with it or drop it" level.
Masked Prosecutor: I didn't really catch the teasers, so imagine my "surprise" at seeing the prosecutor wearing a luche libre-esque mask in his vigilante fight! :P It's still to be seen whether I'll stick with this, though...although the tone makes me think it's supposed to be more comedic than I expected...?
Let Her Cry: Been watching this on-and-off, even if heroine's been through the wringer with her good-for-nothin' cheating scum of a husband. The wealthy family's infighting between the two daughter-in-laws is a bit yawn inducing. I have to admit I started watching this only to see Kim Jung-eun be the kickin' ass ahjumma who beats gangsters and school bullies -- a bit of an unexpected aspect to a drama heroine.
Trying to catch Producer...caught the first 15 minutes of ep1, but set it aside.
Looking forward to Hidden Identity!! Sexy ahjussi Park Sung-woong, with newly mature looking Kim Bum and dependable Lee Won-jong -- three of my fave actors. The concept is also intriguing.
Thanking those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, on this Memorial Day weekend.
Have a great weekend, yall! :)
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49 owl 🦉 🫰
May 22, 2015 at 10:26 PM
I wonder if anyone watched the Chinese version of Sorry I Love You? I'd sure like to hear some feedback before i check it out. I don't know if I can watch a different version of one of my most heartsick kdrmas with Ji Sub.
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50 joykim
May 23, 2015 at 4:24 AM
Smelly Girl Paced well all the way until last 2 eps let it down. Loved the villain portrayal.
Warm & Cozy Breezy and better mokbang than Lets Eat 2. Gotta pause to grab a snack whilst watching.
Let's Eat 2 Food not as interesting as S1. I'm in the minority who enjoyed S1 over S2.
Missing Noir M Watched based on recommendations here. I dare say it's good enough to even be made for US tv.
Falling For InnocenceOne of my favs of the season. Rare to cast all 30 something y.o. leads, without idols hanging around the screen.
Producer Like it and looking fwd to more. Although not as great as anticipated but am sure it'll pick up.
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Catz
May 24, 2015 at 6:21 PM
I also enjoyed Season 1 over Season 2 ^^
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