Dramabeans » Kim Tae-hee http://www.dramabeans.com Deconstructing korean dramas and kpop culture Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:22:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Kim Tae-hee gears up for activities in Japan http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/03/kim-tae-hee-gears-up-for-activities-in-japan/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/03/kim-tae-hee-gears-up-for-activities-in-japan/#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:12:52 +0000 javabeans http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=32068

Kim Tae-hee is making her official entrée into the Japanese market, and is currently looking at projects with the Japanese agency she signed with last year. On March 3, a rep from her agency said, “In the latter half of the year, she will be increasing her activities in Japan. She’s looking for all kinds of projects, whether dramas or films.”

This comes as Kim wraps work on her most recent drama, My Princess, which, if not her most successful project in terms of popularity or reach, is probably her most successful in terms of acting. After playing the bubbly, lovable Princess Seol, she has received favorable evaluations of her performance for practically the first time in her decade-long career, which is a pretty big divergence from the usual reviews that have dogged her dramas and movies. For many of them, she’s been called a pretty face but flat in delivery, as she was in her last drama, 2009′s IRIS. It’s difficult to believe she ever had trouble emoting when you consider Seol’s range of emotions, from her tearful outbursts to her bright, winsome cheer.

I would have expected Kim to make her big Japan push last year, riding the wave of the IRIS press machine, but perhaps My Princess will do better. It’s true that IRIS wasn’t as successful in Japan as initially hoped for, and at least My Princess has Hallyu fave Song Seung-heon, which ought to help buoy interest within the Japanese market (and from the ajummas!).

And while her tight drama filming schedule may be over, Kim’s schedule is as packed as ever with CF and photo shoots lined up, as well as meetings for another role to take on this year. Personally, I’m hoping Kim capitalizes on her recent progress and opts for another bright role. Kim Tae-hee attempting serious, badass, or dark? Not so much in the way of convincing. Kim Tae-hee being sunny and effervescent? A. DOR. A. BLE.

Via Sports Seoul

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/03/kim-tae-hee-gears-up-for-activities-in-japan/feed/ 50 My Princess: Episode 16 (Final) http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-16-final/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-16-final/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:33:41 +0000 girlfriday http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31980

So I never would’ve put my money on this, but this finale rocks. It’s not only adorable and as cute as always, but there’s actual conflict, and it’s good. (I KNOW!) So weird. What the hell were you doing for all those episodes, Show? Saving your wad for the big finale?

What’s nice is that it’s actually a solid episode with a singular arc, which SO many finales aren’t—most are cobbled-together, resolution bow-tying heaps of dung—but this one actually nailed the tone of the show in a great hour-long plot that made me wish we had gotten to this conflict sooner. Also, never thought I’d say this, but how much do I love Kim Tae-hee right now?

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-16-final/feed/ 319 My Princess: Episode 15 http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-15/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-15/#comments Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:17:35 +0000 javabeans http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31929

SO MUCH CUTENESS in this episode. It’s like the good ol’ days, which I wasn’t expecting so late in the game with all the monarchy stuff nearing resolution, but which I found refreshingly welcome. True, it’s a little low on story movement, but when you pit story movement against some majorly adorable Kim Tae-hee/Song Seung-heon couple antics, it’s no contest.

SONG OF THE DAY

Humming Urban Stereo – “넌그날” (You on that day) with actress Yoo Inna
[ Download ]

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-15/feed/ 177 My Princess: Episode 14 http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-14/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-14/#comments Fri, 18 Feb 2011 05:07:04 +0000 girlfriday http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31779

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The Cute has returned! All hail the return of The Cute! Someone please, throw us a royal ball in The Cute’s honor. It’s the least you could do for dragging us through such nonsense and boredom. I mean, what’s a princess gotta do for a royal party up in this house?

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-14/feed/ 230 My Princess: Episode 13 http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-13/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-13/#comments Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:12:04 +0000 javabeans http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31717

We’re playing with some of the same plot points in this one, but at least we get some snuggle-bunny times for our princess and her bodyguard. Not a whole lot, but hey, I’ll take what I can get, since this couple’s cuteness is more than half of the drama’s sustaining life force. The remainder (for me, at least) is probably in the fun of hating the troublemakers, who are operating on a different plane of logic than the rest of us mortals and therefore require us to waste no time finding reasons to explain or justify their behavior. We can just hate ‘em.

SONG OF THE DAY

Park Hyo Shin – “눈물날려 그래” (Tears are falling) [ Download ]

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-13/feed/ 253 My Princess: Episode 12 http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-12/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-12/#comments Fri, 11 Feb 2011 05:28:49 +0000 girlfriday http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31611

Our couple gets backed into a corner, and everyone comes over with a bad case of Noble Idiocy. Well, everyone who has a heart. But thankfully Hae-young’s got it bad enough to go princess hunting. Which of course sends everyone else on the hunt as well. Who needs wabbits when it’s open season on princesses?

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Read the rest of My Princess: Episode 12 (2,853 words)

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-12/feed/ 312 My Princess: Episode 11 http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-11/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-11/#comments Thu, 10 Feb 2011 06:58:25 +0000 javabeans http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31562

There’s something that just really works about this couple, for me. She’s a little dense and he’s got a pretty large noble streak — though he hasn’t crossed over to the dark side of idiocy, yet — but together, they’re just so cute. The why-we-Should-Not-Be conflict is credible (and harks back to that inescapable point of comparison, Roman Holiday), and because that roadblock is so substantial, the story allows for the two of them to be honest with each other about their feelings. (A pet peeve: When both sides like each other but stupidly keep everything to themselves, leading to Big Misunderstandings galore that aggravate me to no end.)

And when they both know how they feel — though they can’t act on it — there’s a sweetness to the way their feelings permeate their everyday (though veiled) interactions.

SONG OF THE DAY

Fanny Fink – “가장 아픈 사랑” (The most painful love) [ Download ]

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-11/feed/ 293 My Princess: Episode 10 http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-10/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-10/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:46:33 +0000 girlfriday http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31393

Finally, a conflict I can get behind, that isn’t motivated by press conferences and public opinion. Hae-young spends the episode in a frustrated snit, but it leads him to finally make a choice, and forces Seol to face some harsh facts of her own. Is it Love or Country? Kisses or Kings? And why’s a girl gotta sell out her country to get some smooches up in here?

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-10/feed/ 405 My Princess: Episode 9 http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-9/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-9/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 06:56:05 +0000 javabeans http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31357

I’m still fully onboard My Princess, although people are starting to jump ship, as evidenced by this week’s drop in the ratings (it conceded the lead to Sign and only recorded a 12.1%, down from its high of more than 20%).

I can sort of understand why, given that there’s not as much comedy as there was in the first few episodes, as always happens in rom-coms around this point. If the romance were stagnant on top of that, I’d probably be growing bored, too, but I like the way the relationships keep shifting, never quite the same in one episode as they were in the one previous. For that alone, I’m happy.

SONG OF THE DAY

Every Single Day – “노을” (Sunset) from the My Princess OST. My favorite song from the soundtrack. [ Download ]

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]]> http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/02/my-princess-episode-9/feed/ 225 My Princess: Episode 8 http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/01/my-princess-episode-8/ http://www.dramabeans.com/2011/01/my-princess-episode-8/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:06:26 +0000 girlfriday http://www.dramabeans.com/?p=31232

There’s lots of drama in this episode, but very little fun, which doesn’t really serve this show well. Some shows can run the gamut from comedy to melodrama with equal effectiveness and sometimes much more emotional gain, but this one buckles a little under the pressure, because it’s not equipped for weighty stuff. When we do find the cute moments, we’re golden, but it’s a bit of a wild goose chase in this episode, to find the nuggets hidden amongst all the soulful staring. Jung-woo saves this episode with some much-needed levity and a helpful dose of common sense, making him Prince of the Castle for the week.

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