• SES lead singer Bada gave a performance as lead character Esmerelda in the musical Notre Dame de Paris on the 26th to positive reviews, particularly in the dance segments. Guess all that pop-star training came in handy.
• Ha Jiwon takes on a role as a pianist in the film co-starring Cha Tae Hyun (My Sassy Girl) and Park Hee Soon (badass Baek Min-chul in Mixed-up Investigative Agency), which is titled Fool. The movie’s written by the screenwriter of The Host 2, also an internet manhwa writer of the original work the film is based upon, and is a “warm, genuine” story about a simple-minded neighborhood character, no doubt the titular “fool.” I’m guessing Cha Tae Hyun’s the dummy? (Will he ever play someone who isn’t?)
• Actress Lee Bo Young (who’s doing press for her latest film, Once Upon a Time) admits that she’d attempted to be a news announcer, and even took the MBC announcers’ test in 2002, which she failed. Well, at least she’s pretty.
• Speaking of pretty, actress and former pop singer Chae Jung Ahn has signed on as the exclusive brand model for women’s fashion line ab.plus by ab.f.z (yeah, try pronouncing that) for the next year. A rep for ab.plus explained contracting Chae for her “refined” and “mature” image, a side we definitely saw in Coffee Prince.
• Ten years after her debut, singer Lena Park, also known by her Korean name Park Jung Hyun, gives a five-day series of concerts starting March 26, wrapping up her promo activities for her sixth album, “Come to Where I Am.”

SONG OF THE DAY

Lena Park, aka Park Jung Hyun - “눈물빛 글씨” (Tear-colored writing), her big single off her sixth album. [ zShare download ]

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Aw, cute.

Film and TV actor Cha Tae Hyun is set to become a first-time father at the end of this year, and he’s voiced a rather unusual concern: that his baby will look just like him. Hee.

Lim Chang Jung (who’s also expecting a baby, his second, in a few months) appeared the MBC program Imaginary Best Friend (airing on the 11th) and mentioned meeting Cha Tae Hyun recently and discussing their impending fatherhoods. Cha Tae Hyun’s reaction to a recent ultrasound was, “The baby’s head is two weeks ahead in terms of development, but its legs are a week behind. At this rate, I worry he’ll end up looking like me.”

I’d never really been a huge Cha Tae Hyun fan until I saw the drama series Flowers For My Life earlier this year. (If you’ve been reading this site for a while, you’ll know how much I absolutely adore that series. It’s one of the best dramas I’ve ever seen — witty, poignant, darkly funny.) He’s never been considered a hottie, and he’s made his career playing slightly awkward, bumbling characters. That self-deprecating humor is present in his acting and, it seems, now also in real life. Congrats and good luck to Mr. Cha~~

Source: Mydaily

SONG OF THE DAY

Bulldog Mansion - “Life Is…” [ zShare download ]

 
RELATED POSTS:

• Flowers For My Life / I Came In Search of Flowers

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“To my precious you
who brightened up my life
I invite you to my funeral”

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Sang Sang Band - “Say Goodbye” [ zShare download ]

FLOWERS FOR MY LIFE, Final Episode Part 2 >>

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“Wad of Gum — I love you”

There’s so much I want to say about this last episode, I didn’t know how to fit it all into a post. So I decided not to worry over what to leave out and just break up the recap into two posts.

I really can’t say enough in praise of Flowers For My Life. It’ll be a long time before I see a drama as good AND as satisfying (so many times you get one without the other). It was both meaningful but entertaining.

What I found particularly notable about this final episode was, for one that deals so directly with death, it wasn’t sad. It wasn’t self-pitying. And it wasn’t depressing. I was pleasantly surprised to be left laughing for most of the episode.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Nell - “안녕히 계세요” (Goodbye) [ zShare download ]

FLOWERS FOR MY LIFE Final Episode, Part 1 (of 2) >>

Filed under: Drama Recaps by javabeans - 12 Comments →

I was a little hesitant to watch the last two episodes of Flowers For My Life, because I felt I had to prepare myself adequately for the sadness. Also, I wasn’t sure I was ready to say goodbye to such a wonderful, superlative drama. But I needn’t have worried; I’ve seen the end of the series, and (no Episode 16 spoilers here) I can say it doesn’t sink into tragedy or melodrama. In fact, it takes an upturn.

I cried, of course, but it was a satisfying cry, and not out of sadness but poignance. To me, Episode 15 was as close to perfectly satisfying as you can get, with the exception of Episode 16 which was even better.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Mot (못) - “Heaven Song.” Mot is not a band everyone will like. They’re a little weird, a little eclectic, a little off the beaten path. But Mot might be just the thing for people who like moody, dissonant music. This is one of their less-weird songs. [ zShare download ]

FLOWERS FOR MY LIFE Episode 15 >>

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I hope the delay for this summary doesn’t suggest that this episode wasn’t good. Flowers For My Life is a wonderful drama and it’s going straight to the (almost-)top of my all-time favorites. You know, I’ve seen a lot of dramas in marathon sessions after all the episodes have already aired, and when you watch a batch of episodes at one time, you’re more likely to overlook flaws, or be forgiving of them. You’re not really given much time to think over a storyline before it’s time to watch the next installment.

Some dramas might be good in marathons, but don’t hold up on an individual basis — Witch Amusement comes to mind. Actually, that series might have been a lot better in one sitting with the fast-forward button. But I think the best dramas are the ones that are great week-to-week as well, because it’s a far more difficult thing to sustain interest over months at a time without bleeding viewership — every week is an opportunity to lose an audience if you don’t keep the quality up.

To me, Flowers For My Life is one of the latter kind — not only do I enjoy it week to week, but every episode leaves me feeling like I’ve just witnessed something remarkable. (And I have.) If you haven’t seen Flowers, you’re missing out. And if you have seen Flowers and didn’t like it, well, we can still be friends. Just maybe not the blood-swapping, speed-dial-programmed, oath-swearing variety.

(Random) SONG OF THE DAY

Nell - “Good Night” [ zShare download ]

FLOWERS FOR MY LIFE Episode 14 >>

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