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

It’s too bad that Hyun Bin was missing from the 47th Baeksang Arts Awards, since he and his drama picked up a bunch of awards. (Alas, there’s that whole mandatory military thing.)

Not only did he grab a Daesang in the TV portion (film Daesang went to Lee Byung-heon for his thriller I Saw the Devil), both his projects won awards as well: Tang Wei for film Late Autumn, who’s pictured above with Ha Ji-won, his co-star in Secret Garden, which won top honors for the drama category. Looks like he’s on a roll, even in absentia. Do the Marines allow celebratory Baeksang parties for their celeb enlistees? Surely he earned a drink or two, at least.

The awards were held on the evening of May 26 in Seoul, and hosted by actors Ryu Shi-won (Style) and Kim Ah-joong (Sign).

WINNERS LIST

FILM SECTION

Daesang: Lee Byung-heon (I Saw the Devil)
Best Picture: Ajusshi (The Man From Nowhere)
Director: Lee Chang-dong (Poetry)
Top Excellence, Actor: Ha Jung-woo (The Yellow Sea)
Top Excellence, Actress: Tang Wei (Late Autumn)
New Actor: Choi Seung-hyun (TOP) (Into the Fire)
New Actress: Shin Hyun-bin (He’s On Duty)
New Director: Kim Young-taek (Hello Ghost)
Screenplay: Yook Sang-hyo (He’s On Duty)
Popularity Award, Actor: Choi Seung-hyun (TOP) (Into the Fire)
Popularity Award, Actress: Park Shin-hye (Cyrano Dating Agency)

TV SECTION (...)
Read the rest of 47th Baeksang Arts Awards (1,697 words)

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Post tags: awards, Cha Tae-hyun, Go Hyun-jung, Ha Ji-won, Ha Jung-woo, Han Hyo-joo, Hong Su-ah, Hwang Jung-eum, Hyun Bin, Ji Chang-wook, Jo Ahn, Jo Hyun-jae, Jo Yeo-jung, Jung Bo-seok, Jung Il-woo, Jung Yong-hwa, JYP, Kim Ah-joong, Kim Nam-joo, Kim Sae-ron, Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Min-jung, Lee Shi-young, Lee Su-geun, Micky Yoochun, Min Hyo-rin, Moon Geun-young, Nam Gyuri, Park Ha-sun, Park Min-young, Park Shin-hye, Ryu Shi-won, Seo Young-hee, Shin Hyun-bin, Song Joong-ki, Suzy, Taecyeon, TOP, Yoo Inna, Yoon Shi-yoon

Moon Geun-young celebrated her 25th birthday over the weekend (though she’d be counted as 24 by Western standards), which is receiving press attention for two reasons: (1) She sent her fans a birthday message via handwritten letter, and (2) top actress Go Hyun-jung sent her a birthday congratulations.

Moon’s handwritten letter was posted to her official fan cafe, called Moon Geun-young Angels, along with the above photo with a cake that fans had prepared for her. In the letter, she wrote:

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Read the rest of Moon Geun-young’s birthday message from Go Hyun-jung (285 words)

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Post tags: Go Hyun-jung, Moon Geun-young

KBS just may have the longest winners list at the end-of-the-year award ceremony, but they do have the most programming. Not surprisingly, some of the big winners were expected names, like Baker King Kim Tak-gu, Cinderella’s Sister, and Chuno.

The Grand Prize of the night went to Jang Hyuk, who beat out Choi Su-jong’s president (of the nation), Jeon Gwang-ryul’s president (of a baking company), Kim Gab-soo’s president (of a makgulli factory), Lee Mi-sook’s scheming wife, and Moon Geun-young’s damaged daughter characters.

Red-carpet-wise, KBS’s event was much more interesting than MBC’s lackluster event the night before, and perhaps a step up from the slightly better SBS awards, although there was a curious abundance of white. Everyone wearing it looked great, but I had to wonder whether, if you put ‘em all together, they’d look like models at a bridal convention.

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Read the rest of 2010 KBS Drama Awards (2,272 words)

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Post tags: awards, Eugene, Jang Geun-seok, Jang Hyuk, Jeon Gwang-ryul, Kim Gab-soo, Kim Ha-eun, Kim So-eun, Kim Sung-eun, Lee Da-hae, Lee In-hye, Lee Min-ho, Lee Seon-kyun, Lee Shi-young, Lee Young-ah, Micky Yoochun, Moon Geun-young, Oh Ji-ho, Park Min-young, Song Joong-ki, Yoo Ah-in, Yoon Shi-yoon

Hurricane Mary, coming through! This drama goes out the same way it began…totally insane. But you know, by now it’d be even MORE schizophrenic if the drama did a total 180 and started to make sense. So it’s best we go out with as much crazy as we started with. It’s time to embrace the mental instability. Or at least start drinking heavily…

SONG OF THE DAY

Mary Stayed Out All Night OST – Jang Geun-seok – “I Will Promise You” [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Mary Stayed Out All Night: Episode 16 (Final) (3,267 words)

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Post tags: featured, Jang Geun-seok, Kim Hyo-jin, Kim Jae-wook, Mary Stayed Out All Night, Moon Geun-young

This episode is all Mu-gyul. Unfortunately, it’s all Mu-gyul being petulant and mopey, which tends to put a damper on things.

I’ve already lost my mind trying to follow the wacky logic of this drama, and the last episode pushed girlfriday over the edge. Which means… now it’s time for Mu-gyul to lose his hold on sanity. I love ya, Jang Geun-seok, but I spent all episode dying to wrangle some sense into you. Alas, it seems you can wrangle sense out of lots of things (like this drama), but not into. I’m sure there’s a scientific explanation for that.

SONG OF THE DAY

Paloalto – “어쩔거야 ” (Whatcha gonna do?) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Mary Stayed Out All Night: Episode 15 (3,260 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 239 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, Jang Geun-seok, Kim Hyo-jin, Kim Jae-wook, Mary Stayed Out All Night, Moon Geun-young

Here we are, Part 5!

As girlfriday said in her review, I’d also like to thank guest bloggers Dahee Fanel and thunderbolt for participating in this year’s year-in-review roundup. A particular thank-you goes out to GF herself for being so game to jump into this whole world of crazy with me, and I think you’ll all agree when I say that Dramabeans is better for her addition to it. I never fail to get a huge kick out of her wicked humor, or for Dahee’s frank and bold insights, or thundie’s thoughtful eloquence. We don’t always agree, but that’s exactly why I love hearing the differing points of views.

Most of all, thanks to the DB readership — that means you! — who have been so supportive, vibrant, and often laugh-out-loud funny. We don’t take you guys for granted, rest assured, and are honored by the community you’ve built here. It’s like a second home, which sounds like a metaphor but actually isn’t because with all the hours I spend here, it really IS one.

So here’s the last of the reviews! With that, we bid adieu to the past year and look forward to lots more laughs, craziness, and yes, head-pounding-WTF-ery in the new year. Bring it on, 2011.

SONG OF THE DAY

Standing Egg – “First Christmas.” The song’s a day or two late, but no matter: Hope your Christmas (or other seasonal holiday) was merry! [ Download ]

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Read the rest of 2010 Editors’ Picks [Year In Review, Part 5] (5,374 words)

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Post tags: Baker King Kim Tak-gu, Cinderella's Sister, Coffee House, Eom Ji-won, featured, Giant, Jang Hyuk, Jejoongwon, Joseon X-Files, Jung Bo-seok, Kim Gab-soo, Kim Hyun-joong, Lee Mi-sook, Micky Yoochun, Moon Geun-young, My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho, Personal Taste, Rain, Runaway, Shin Mina, Sohn Ye-jin, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, year in review, Yoo Ah-in

Well, it finally happened. You knew it was coming. The episode in which girlfriday’s sanity gets kidnapped and sold on the black market. What’s the going rate for what’s left of my marbles?

 
EPISODE 14 RECAP

So…Mu-gyul gets KIDNAPPED. No, really. I was hoping that maybe I just had too much to drink and imagined that part last night, but then I realized I would just be angry at myself for imagining such a ridiculous scenario…and lo and behold, it’s actually happening. Sigh, Drama. Sigh.

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Read the rest of Mary Stayed Out All Night: Episode 14 (3,044 words)

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Post tags: featured, Jang Geun-seok, Kim Hyo-jin, Kim Jae-wook, Mary Stayed Out All Night, Moon Geun-young

It’s like this drama went from zero to eighty in the span of seconds — one moment, it’s spinning its wheels while remaining in the same place for ten episodes, and then suddenly wheels find purchase on the gravel and speed off into the distance, careening wildly because all that speed makes it hard to steer. It’s enough to give you whiplash. We’re getting makjang-er and makjang-er, with extreme parental opposition of the Montague/Capulet variety and gangsters and kidnappings, which is actually kind of amusing since the tone has remained staunchly romantic-fluff.

SONG OF THE DAY

Jang Geun-seok – “Hello Hello” from the drama’s soundtrack. [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Mary Stayed Out All Night: Episode 13 (3,357 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 211 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, Jang Geun-seok, Kim Hyo-jin, Kim Jae-wook, Mary Stayed Out All Night, Moon Geun-young

Pro: The episode had some fluffy, light, funny beats, which I’ve been missing lately.

Con: This show has LOST ITS MIND. The plot makes no sense at all.

Pro: At least the nonsensical plot is moving?

Con: But there’s no consistency to the characters!

Pro: How ’bout that awesome taunting look on Jang Geun-seok’s face above?

Con: Yeah, you got me there. But the plot! The story! The laws that govern human actions and emotions!

Pro: …Yeah, you got me there.

Con: I win! Oh god, I’m talking to myself. This show has driven me insane.

SONG OF THE DAY

Byul – “기억이 안나” (I Don’t Remember) [ Download ]

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Read the rest of Mary Stayed Out All Night: Episode 12 (2,918 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 265 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: featured, Jang Geun-seok, Kim Hyo-jin, Kim Jae-wook, Mary Stayed Out All Night, Moon Geun-young