javabeans: A drama called Celebrity is courting TOP. As apparently all dramas do.

girlfriday: Yeah how come TOP is rumored to be in all dramas but starring in none? Big tease.

javabeans: So the synopsis sounds weird and random: A chick is dumped by an idol star, and to get her revenge, decides to become a celebrity herself.

girlfriday: Because THAT’s easy.

javabeans: And then, she is romanced by a real “top star.”

girlfriday: Because THAT’s easy.

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Read the rest of TOP rumored for another drama (373 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2012. | Permalink | 130 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: conversation post, TOP

I just have one main problem with this W magazine photo spread featuring Yoon Eun-hye and TOP: I think there’s a little bit of discrimination going on here. Where be his nekkidness? You’ve got her sans shirt and crawling all over him, and there he is, all buttoned up and decent. This is a problem.

I think we’re going to have to invoke that equal opportunity half-nudity clause of fashion shoots to correct this imbalance. What, there’s no such thing, you say? Well, clearly this is an issue the industry needs to address. For equal rights, and stuff.

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Read the rest of TOP and Yoon Eun-hye heat up the pages of W (123 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 129 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: photo shoots, TOP, Yoon Eun-hye

javabeans: Wait so Kim Haneul is doing You’re My Pet remake AND the Absolute Boyfriend remake?

girlfriday: What’s Absolute Boyfriend?

javabeans: It’s another Japanese manga that’s been adapted over and over again and is up for a K-drama remake. The heroine has a robot boyfriend. Literally a robot.

girlfriday: Does not compute. He’s a robot? Like a cyborg? This is the premise?

javabeans: She orders one to her specification, and then he develops some sort of AI form of emotion, so that he’s got his “own” thoughts and feelings.

girlfriday: Am I supposed to find this creepy?

javabeans: No, but you probably should.

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Read the rest of Kim Haneul and TOP are top contenders for Absolute Boyfriend (512 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 171 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: conversation post, Kim Haneul, manhwa adaptations, remakes, TOP

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)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 195 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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

TOP (Into the Gunfire, IRIS) poses for High Cut in a book-nerd-meets-pop-star kind of way, which is to say, kooky and kind of adorable. The hair is still crazy, but it’s strangely growing on me. When he showed up to the Blue Dragon Awards looking like that, I sort of lost my lunch, but maybe it’s all about styling, as he manages to pull it off with flair here.

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Read the rest of TOP for High Cut (61 words)

© girlfriday for Dramabeans, 2011. | Permalink | 63 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: photo shoots, TOP

Aie, is it that time of year again? We’re heading into the holiday months, which also means that awards season is about to descend upon us. (It’s still early, but I bet you’ll tire of them soon enough!) Here we have the 47th Grand Bell (Daejong) Awards, which were held on the evening of October 29, giving out awards to films in 22 categories.

The event was emceed by comedian Shin Dong-yub and actress Kim Jung-eun (I Am Legend), and big winners included Poetry, which notably won the best screenplay prize at Cannes; Moss, the dark thriller from the director of Silmido; Ajusshi, the dark thriller starring Won Bin, who picked up two awards; and Lee Min-jung, who likewise took home two trophies.

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Read the rest of 47th Grand Bell Awards (1,045 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 97 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: awards, Cha Ye-ryun, Chu Ja-hyun, Daniel Choi, Eom Ki-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, Jeon Do-yeon, Jin Gu, Jung Jae-young, Kim Heung-soo, Kim Jung-eun, Kim Sae-ron, Kim Yun-jin, Lee Min-jung, Min Hyo-rin, Oh Ji-ho, Park Hee-soon, Seo Young-hee, Shim Eun-kyung, Song Seung-heon, TOP, Won Bin, Yoon Yeo-jung

On March 19, the production of Korean War movie Into the Gunfire opened up its Gyeongsangnam-do (a southern province) set location to the media for a look behind the scenes and an informal press conference.

If you’ve missed the plot description in the previous posts, the gist is this: The film is set in August 1950, when North Korean troops invaded the South, and focuses around a group of 71 student soldiers who held their ground to fight back in a pivotal battle of the war.

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Read the rest of On set with the cast of Into the Gunfire (275 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cha Seung-won, Kim Seung-woo, Kwon Sang-woo, TOP

I thought a long time about how I wanted to start off this last recap for IRIS:

First off, I want to thank javabeans for giving me this opportunity to write a recap and contribute to her site. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity as an avid fan of her site and as a Korean drama lover.

Secondly, I’d like to thank everyone who has followed this series or read my recaps. I know I had a rough start, so I’m very thankful for those who stuck through with me on this.

And now, mushiness aside… the last episode ended with the death of Secretary Jung, and Hyun Joon and Sun Hwa chasing after Vic.

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Read the rest of IRIS: Episodes 19-20 (Final) (5,317 words)

© kaedejun for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 70 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon, TOP

Just when you thought things could only get better, it only drastically goes wrong. Why, you ask?

Well, of course! – We have two more episodes! (I promise – two-episode recap next time!) Therefore – we need a few more problems and obstacles before we bring the series to an end.

And so, let’s get back into the swing of things…just after Vic snaps the neck of our poor sweet Mi Jung…

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Read the rest of IRIS: Episode 18 (2,605 words)

© kaedejun for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon, TOP

I did say I was very hesitant to watch Episode 16 because of the spoiler that I saw in the previews, but it wasn’t as bad as I initially thought (more on that later, or skip to my comments section). Honestly, I think this series could end by episode 18, because it’s been unraveling so fast. Case in point: by episode 15 we know who is on whose side and the lines are set for battle, and all it took was an episode and a half to establish that.

We’ve reached the critical moment – will the North and South enter a nuclear war?

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Read the rest of IRIS: Episodes 16-17 (4,501 words)

© kaedejun for Dramabeans, 2010. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: IRIS, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Seung-woo, Kim So-yeon, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Byung-heon, TOP