More songs! And this time, they’re sung by some of your favorite (or not) actors. This list is hardly comprehensive, and I picked mostly those actors who weren’t singers first. (And if they were, they are generally stars who are not known for their singing, despite their origins. See: Kim Kang-woo’s awesome beginnings as a soft-ballad rapper. That video takes forever to load, but trust me, it’s worth it.)

Some of these songs come from OSTs, some from digital singles, and some as featured tracks on other singers’ albums.

Enjoy!

Moon Geun-young – “그 바람소리” (The sound of the wind) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Javabeans Playlist #3: Actor edition (306 words)

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Post tags: Bae Doo-na, Chae Jung-ahn, Choi Jin-hyuk, Daniel Choi, featured, Gu Hye-sun, Han Hyo-joo, Han Ji-hye, Hyun Bin, Kang Ji-hwan, Kim Haneul, Kim Kang-woo, Kim So-yeon, Lee Da-hae, Lee Jia, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Jun-ki, Lee Min-ki, Lee Shi-young, Moon Geun-young, Park Shi-yeon, Park Yong-ha, Song Chang-eui, Sung Yuri, Uhm Tae-woong

Not like you didn’t own me before, Show, but this finale-lead-in? Kicks so much ass. I honestly didn’t think City Hunter was going to go out as strong as it came in, but I’m happy to be wrong. So giddy. I knew my love was not for naught.

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 19 (4,303 words)

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Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

Woo, final stretch ahead! Yoon-sung says it in this episode, and as I viewer I can feel it: The end is in sight. The romance is a little less prevalent, but for the best possible reason, which is a return of our crusading hero and his action-packed missions to take down baddies. Phew. For some reason it feels like it’s been a while since we had that satisfaction — there’s plenty of other payoffs the drama has delivered regularly (and thanks for that), but I’ve been champing at the bit for some Bad Guy Takedowns.

So, what this episode gives us is a wrap-up of some of the looser threads, to propel us toward the final conflict. I can’t wait.

SONG OF THE DAY

Nell – “Afterglow” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 18 (4,142 words)

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Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

This show? It’s like Shakespeare on acid. Or watching Confucius kick Shakespeare’s ass. Or if Confucius and Shakespeare had a lovechild, it’d be City Hunter. Is anyone else’s head hurty with the daddy issues? Somebody please give this boy a hug. I’m scared for what’s around the corner.

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 17 (4,520 words)

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Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

Ooh, the big secret’s out — to us, at least, not to the characters — and the story takes a bit of a twist accordingly. It’s a point I thought I’d hate, but which actually turns out to work pretty nicely, in a symbolic and thematic sense. I think. I’m still waiting on full confirmation before I decide that I like it.

SONG OF THE DAY

Vodka Rain – “지워지지 않을 것 같아” (Something that can’t be erased) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 16 (4,913 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 883 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

The prosecutor is hot on his trail and it looks like someone’s secret identity isn’t going to be secret for very long. Could the City Hunter maybe just take a wee break from saving the world so that he can focus on maintaining his cover? My blood pressure would surely appreciate it.

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 15 (4,894 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 363 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

Bromance! Bromance! Bromance! Oh please, tell me that’s next on the menu. Just the suggestion of such a development has me all awash in anticipation, because the conflict of avenging-hero-versus-lawman is so rife with possibility. We’ve got the romance angle secure, so now it’s time to turn our attentions to the bromance…or perhaps the escalation of their face-off to the next level.

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Bum-soo – “끝사랑” (Last Love), as in, be my first and last love. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 14 (4,873 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 533 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: City Hunter, featured, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

girlfriday: What the hell is Lee Jun-hyuk doing in women’s clothing?

javabeans: I don’t know any woman who’d wear a mesh one-strapped asymmetrical white tank, do you?

girlfriday: Are we sure that’s mesh? I don’t see nipple.

javabeans: Is that a good or a bad thing?

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Read the rest of Lee Jun-hyuk for Bazaar (324 words)

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Post tags: conversation post, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho

Ooh, I like.

Despite my frequent ribbing of this show, to be honest I was hoping it would be good — the enjoyment of a good show always outweighs the fun of making fun of a bad one. Always. So I was hoping that City Hunter’s pre-show identity crisis was really a case of bad promotional planning than anything else, and I think that’s what it is — because the show itself (so far, anyway) is assured, well-directed, strongly acted, and gripping in the right places.

Regarding the promos: You know what would’ve cleared up a lot of my confusion about the show before it aired? (Well, aside from using the moniker City Hunter, which I still contend is really weirdly applied, since it’s like no City Hunter I know.) If they’d explained, very simply, that the setup is revenge thriller. A straight-up, you-killed-my-father-now-prepare-to-die action-vengeance series. Don’t bother with that extraneous clutter about MIT doctorates and heroines working random part-time-jobs and fashion featurettes and veterinarian side love interests. We’ll get to those when we get to those: The point at hand shoulda been the story, which was ignored in favor of hyping nightclub shoots and idol starlets.

Because you know what? Revenge thrillers are boss, yo. I’m ALL ABOUT them. And when they’re done well, with fantastic charismatic lead actors and an affecting backstory, why muddle up the pre-show buzz with the other stuff?

[Watch the series at DramaFever]

SONG OF THE DAY

No Reply – “시야” (Field of view) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of City Hunter: Episode 1 (3,250 words)

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Post tags: City Hunter, featured, first episodes, Gu Hara, Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Min-ho, Park Min-young

We’ve seen plenty of pretty pictures of leading man Lee Min-ho for the upcoming City Hunter (not that I’m complaining, mind you!) and a few stills of him with co-star Park Min-young; now it’s time for us to take a look at the complicators of their budding romance, also known as the drama’s second leads.

In this show, those interlopers are played by Lee Jun-hyuk and Gu Hara, pictured here, as well as Hwang Sun-hee, another contender for Lee Min-ho’s affections.

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Read the rest of The supporting leads of City Hunter (420 words)

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Post tags: City Hunter, Gu Hara, Lee Jun-hyuk