The Korean Foundation of International Cultural Exchange is working with the Japan Broadcast Writers Association in a joint “TV drama project,” which was announced at the TV Drama Writers’ Conference of East Asia, held in the city of Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture on June 10 and 11.

Plans were announced for a drama series in which eight Japanese drama writers will each be responsible for scriptwriting two hours’ worth of material, to be produced by a Korean production company and air as early as December. Writers include Inoue Yumiko (Pandora, First Kiss) and Oishi Shizuka (Kunitori Monogatari, Komyo ga Tsuji). Casting is unconfirmed, although the names being thrown around for consideration include Lee Byung Heon, while director Yoon Seok-ho of Winter Sonata has given his informal assent.

Given the success of Winter Sonata (and by extension, Yonsama) in Japan, I suppose the director was an obvious choice. There have been other joint-production attempts to capitalize on the Hallyu craze, but they haven’t had the success they were aiming for. There was the 2004 short drama Friends pairing Won Bin with Fukada Kyoko, and, more recently, Tokyo Shower. (I believe 2006’s Japanese drama Rondo with Choi Ji Woo fared better, although it perhaps didn’t live up the hope of becoming a runaway hit.)

Meanwhile, production house Olive Nine is already working on a drama to be filmed in Japan, tentatively titled Lovers in Asuka. The 20-episode series is set in the town of Asuka in Nara Prefecture and will be written by Kang Eun Jung, one of the writers of Lovers in Paris. I suppose they figured they hadn’t milked the “lovers in [insert city]” concept enough yet.

I’m not sure about Asuka, but I’m curious to see how Japanese scriptwriters bring (or don’t bring) a different feel to a kdrama production. (Also, the rotating writers thing worries me — although it’s not an automatic detractor, it’s a risky move.)

Via Hankook Ilbo

SONG OF THE DAY

Lamp - “ムード・ロマンティカ Ｎｏ.２” (Mood Romantica No. 2) [ Download ]

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• Lee Jung Jin (Bottom of the 9th with 2 Outs, Love Story in Harvard) held his first official fanmeeting on May 30 in Tokyo, following the end of Bottom of the 9th’s recent Japanese broadcast. A thousand Japanese fans were in attendance; he returned to Korea on the 31st to prep for filming his next movie, Daetol [대털].
• Kim Bum (I Like it Hot, Unstoppable High Kick) injured himself while filming a fighting scene in the upcoming drama East of Eden. Cast in the younger role of Song Seung Heon’s adult character, he was fighting with a stuntman, who struck him on the jaw — and split his chin (owwww). The injury, described as minor by management, was about 1cm in length and required five stitches. I thought stuntmen were there to ensure action scenes are safer.
• Currently promoting his solo album, Jun Jin addressed plastic surgery rumors on the June 7 episode of MBC’s Infinity Challenge — and admitted to a cosmetic procedure whereby fat was removed from his eyelids (to make them look larger and more open).
• The short drama Tokyo Shower, which got off to a lackluster start (its second episode recorded ratings in the 4% range), had its official message board hacked. On June 6, hackers took over the site with postings about opposition to American beef. Dude, if you’re going to hack a site to push your inflammatory propaganda, at least pick a popular show.
• Apparently the mere fact that Rain is singing the theme song to the animated feature Kung Fu Panda is enough to excite his fans, who packed the house on the 4th for a press conference where the music video for “Kung Fu Fighting,” the film’s theme song, was screened. I suppose nobody cares that the song is a crap remake of a kitschy, gimmicky jingle born of a cheesy ’70s chopsocky fad. Here’s Rain singing the theme:

 
SONG OF THE DAY

Jun Jin - “좋은 사람” (Good person) [ Download ]

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Tags: Jun Jin, Kim Bum, Lee Jung-jin, news bites, Rain, Tokyo Showers

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I was thinking how I’ve been watching lots of first episodes of dramas these days, but haven’t found anything to dive into since the end of Who Are You? It’s starting to feel like going on a string of disappointing first dates — measuring up expectations versus performance, anticipation versus letdown, etc.

You know, there’s that date you’re really looking forward to, so you get dressed up and put on your heels and makeup and count down the hours, and he turns out to be a total dud. Or the date you agreed to because it was easier to give the guy your number than to try to invent an excuse not to because those excuses always come out embarrassingly half-assed — like you say you don’t have a phone and then it rings, or something — but then you end up having a good time.

I didn’t exactly intend to go off on an extended metaphor, but when I thought about all the recent dramas I’ve caught, they all seemed to fit (more or less).

SONG OF THE DAY

G.O.D. - “Falling” [ Download ]

First dates, by which I mean… >>

Tags: Bulhandang/Robbers, Coffee Prince, Hong Gil Dong, I Love You, Iljimae, La Dolce Vita, On Air, ranty/ravey, Rivals, Spotlight, stuff I dig, The Last Scandal of My Life, Tokyo Showers, Who Are You?, Why Did You Come To Our House, Yi San

Filed under: Drama Reactions & Reviews by javabeans - 103 Comments →

I think SBS’s upcoming joint Korean-Japanese production Tokyo Showers — buzzed-about as downtrodden singer Ivy’s comeback and acting debut — has the potential to go either way. I’m not expecting much of it based on the description, but it’s only four episodes, so it’s not much of a commitment either.

The story is described as centering around Koreans living in Japan, which on its own is an interesting perspective to take — perceptions are always shifted when viewing one culture through the lens of another, as opposed to normal kdramas (or jdramas). Then again, the 2004 Korea-Japan production starring Won Bin and Fukada Kyoko, Friends (also four episodes), had the same intention at mutual cultural understanding — but was rather bland in its unchallenging, simple approach. It made for a nice, pleasant — but forgettable — watch.

In the miniseries, a top actress, played by former Miss Korea Kim Sarang, meets and falls for sushi chef Kim Tae Woo, who’s focused on his business and little else. And then there’s Ivy, playing a Korean student dreaming of becoming a singer while working part-time in a restaurant. Rounding out the cast are Japanese actors Otani Ryohei — whom you may remember as the easygoing nice guy in Soulmate — Okuda Erika, Yamamoto Gaku, and Inohana Mai.

As Tokyo Showers was filmed in Japan, stars Kim Sarang and Kim Tae Woo had a first-hand taste of the differences between Korean and Japanese styles of drama production. There were three main points:

(1) “Korean Time” versus “Japanese Time”

Kim Sarang: “If shooting is at 9 o’clock, everyone is ready for the actors to begin shooting exactly at 9. Therefore filming doesn’t go late, and there’s no need to stay up all night shooting. Thanks to the careful preparations, the filming stays right on schedule.”

(2) Actors As Family, or Special Guests

On Korean film sets, actors are like family; if troubles arise, everyone comes together to work through it. In Japan, actors are like special guests who receive special treatment. Kim Tae Woo: “The Japanese crew were serious about making sure the actors’ makeup was fixed and had a place to rest. I was very touched at the amount of care we received.”

(3) The Extent of Flexibility

If a Korean production encounters a clear day when a scene calls for rain, the crew films the scenes in nice weather first, then the scenes requiring rain (sometimes making the rain artificially). But in Japan, they wait for rain. Kim Sarang: “Korean crews are pretty flexible on set to handle various occurrences like accidents. On the other hand, it seems that even if something occurs that wasn’t anticipated, Japanese crews stick to their original plans.”

The drama held its press conference on May 19 — Ivy was conspicuously absent, although her nonattendance was announced in advance — and airs its first episode on June 2 after I Love You wraps.

Via Hankooki

SONG OF THE DAY

Sweet Sorrow - “Chance” [ Download ]

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Tags: Ivy, Kim Sarang, Kim Tae-woo, Tokyo Showers

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After her nightmarish past year (public scorn, sex scandals, lawsuits), singer Ivy will be making her comeback to the public eye not with another album, but onscreen in her acting debut.

She’ll take a role in SBS’s Tokyo Shower [도쿄 여우비], a four-episode miniseries to follow the airing of I Love You, which just started last week.

Her management affirms that Ivy’s participation in the drama is all but a done deal (pending the usual finalization of contract issues), but it’s unknown whether she will be in attendance at the drama’s press conference in May, as she’s also going back to the recording studio. (I wonder if that’s really true, or if she’s avoiding a venue where she might be asked irrelevant questions about her personal life?)

The story of the drama is described as a Korean “top star” (played by Kim Sarang) meeting and falling in love with the character played by Kim Tae Woo. Ivy plays a Korean student studying abroad in Japan, working part-time in a sushi restaurant and dreaming of becoming a singer. She’ll also sing the drama’s theme song. On the Japanese side, the drama also stars Okuda Erika (who became known to Korean viewers through a CF she did with Kwon Sang Woo) and veteran actor Yamamoto Gaku, who starred in the original 1978 White Tower (then remade in Japan in 2003, again in Korea last year).

I always thought the “scandal” denouncing Ivy was absurd and hypocritical, so I wish her well. I don’t like her hit singles, but she DOES have strong vocals that are much better showcased in her ballads, and sets herself apart from the pack of gyrating lip-synchers by singing live while dancing (for which she prepared in her trainee days by singing while running on a treadmill — trivia!).

Via DongA.com

SONG OF THE DAY

Ivy - “낡은 자전거” (Old bicycle) [ Download ]

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Tags: acting debuts, Ivy, kpop, sex scandals, singers, Tokyo Showers

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