@Liv and Sere

Yes - the Japanese version is very exaggerated, but definitely works well. The Taiwanese version is meh. Underwhelming, really. The actor was way too pretty and the actress actually looks male. So, maybe that contributed to actual confusion? I don't know...but although it was enjoyable while it lasted, after some thought, it wasn't really worth my time.
I think what really does distinguish hana kimi from HYD, or CF (which I loved, btw) is that it does allow silliness and naivete, without detracting from the overall quality. I feel that kdramas are usually more serious, and maybe that would prevent a Korean version from being successful. Anyhow, I just thought I would throw the idea out there! I was talking to my friend about this and we decided that Jeon Ji-hyun and Lee Min-ho would be good leads. Thoughts?

It's Friday! No work for me!!! It was a happy sunny day in Boston early this pm. Now, it looks like the rain is going to enjoy my gloom and disappointment as it try to gather more dark clouds, probably trying to create big drops of rain to gleefully pelt on my window !! I was hoping and praying the weather will be sunny the whole day today and tomorrow.... oh well.... good thing i have kdramas!!! LOL!!
***SAMSOOKI!
Love your comments! and list! So far i have watched 5 among the 15 kdramas you have listed! Coffee prince, My Girl, Goong, Grand Chef, and Full House! I didnt love FullHOuse so much, because..., didnt you notice, most of the time they would eat, fight and clean?! LOL!

**Most of you have watched SOULMATE !!!! I have to say I love it too!!! I am such a soulmate believer, not to mention Dong Wook is such a hottie! and the OST is great, the greatest so far! THANK YOU JAVABEANS for that list of the songs you have compiled diligently by each episode! You are probably one of those obssessive-compulsive pips huh! LOL! Anyway, I am still listening to those songs!

I have also watched a korean movie recently, it's ANTIQUE BAKERY, and it's good, not great but very good! I have been trying to decipher the title and singer of the song it featured at the ending where Joo Ji hoon, finally made a conclusion as he was walking back to... i guess, the shop. I love the song! anybody... help? ^-^

OMG, I am going through such a bad depression. One of my all time favorite "Boys Over/Before Flowers" ended last week and I kept going to my online website hoping to see one more episode. I must have eaten a whole box of thin mint Girl Scout cookie because I didn't know what to do. I even started to watch all the "NG" because I miss this show so much. I know, I know I have to let it go and find myself another Kdrama. But this drama has not started me to go crazy like this since the ending of "Coffee Prince".

I really love how this website gives me a recap after each episode so I won't miss anything. Thank you so much for all your recaps.

I will start looking for another Kdrama unless you guys can recommend me a new one. I have watched almost all the one on "Samsooki" going to watch list.

definitely hanakimi- japan version, is better than the taiwan one...

oh! am watching queen of housewives right now! so far, Javabeans is right, it seems interesting! watch it guys!

@Liv
"you put on one type of thinking cap when watching one versus when watching the other. "
I do! :) BTW, we're basically agreeing. ;)

You know, I'd like to watch another version of Hana Kimi if only to see my fave character not ending up alone. Eh. But uh, it's difficult to see such a different ending in a remake, right? *sighs*

As for Antique Bakery, I was SO impressed with JJH. I had only watched him in Goong and while I liked the drama, I wasn't wowed by it or the acting. I had no idea JJH was that good (I need to see The naked kitchen)! I've watched that movie countless times already and I still find it funny and poignant. My fave bit? The unlikely friendship among the guys.

And even though I knew about the kidnapping (I had given the Jdorama a try, but had to drop it. OMG so boring. Plus it was completely different from the manga, such a disappointment), I was caught off guard when the movie went in that direction. I mean, I was expecting hints to it, but tptb chose a dark path and...well, it was scary but interesting to see it. It made Kim Jin Hyeok all the more layered. Love it! Oh and the OST is wonderful imho

@Lulu re possible cast for Hana Kimi
Hm, I'll come back later. I've got to think about it. And you mean Lee Minho as "Sano"?

Hey guys! ^^

Ooh, more discussion...I, too, disliked Delightful Girl; the last couple eps were too awesome though (although not as well done as My Girl, but that's probably at least partly attributable to the fact that I watched it first), which brought it up... but I DESPISED Um Tae Woong's character, it made me want to throw bricks at him - and who else was squicked out by the fact that the first time they met, she was a high school kid and he was a buisnessman, wasn't he like twice her age? And yep, the marriage thing in the beginning was SO freakin' awkward... and there was so much dragginess in their relationship, it just got so frustrating.. but yeah, Jae Hee saved it. <3

As for Hana Kimi - I loved the Taiwanese version more than the Japanese, although I'm probably in the minority - I started it when it was airing with about 5 eps left I think, and when I was watching it I was OBSESSED. Wu Chun has never been so freaking cute. <3 And yeah, Ella looks entirely too boyish, but she is SO cute, I love her... the thing is, the Taiwanese version was more about the romance, and jdrama was just one long spazzfest, the highlight being the dorms... but there was NO interest in the main couple and Shun was practically dead - although the special, which was FANTASTIC, saved this quite a bit, and reminded me just why he's so awesome. DORMLOVE FTW. <3 But I LOVED The Taiwanese version. Although my sister said it wasn't so spazztastic on the second watch.. =/

Hey guys, reccing twdrama My Lucky Star - it's the entirely perfect cute romantic drama, and not annoyingly OTT like twdramas can so easily get. Can't pimp it enough. <3

Ohhh...it's been a slow week for me. Ever since BBF ended I can't seem to find anything else to watch...I was actually excited with your review about “Story of a man” but it’s not subbed so there is no point of watching it. Can anyone suggest any good drama?
I’ve started watching BBF at dramafever the other day because I was just soooo borrredd!! Help!! It’s Friday night I need to find something to watch tonight!

@Sere
Yes, Sano! I mean, there's a big age gap between Min-ho and Ji-hyun, but I think he can pull the "mature" image off. Gu Jun Pyo except nicer and not so narcissistic? I'm having trouble thinking of the right actor for Nakatsu though...

@ xiahkixiri
I recommend My Lucky Star too. And you know why it's not the typical annoying twdrama? Because the lead female is Korean! =)
She's really good with portraying emotion, even though her voice is subbed. And Jimmy Lin isn't the typical lead male either. He's chubby cute. hehe

@ lulu: Haha, LOL, true enough! =p Yoo Hana is SO cute; I heard she's doing a drama with Mingdao! ^^ Jimmy Lin is in his early-mid thirties and looks ten years younger. He's SO adorable. *eats drama*

Hm, Korean Hana Kimi? I realllly wanna see Jeon Ji Hyun in something, but she'd a be a little TOO badass, don't you think? ^^ Man, you shouldn't have mentioned Minho, now I've inserted Goo Hye Sun in there~ You know, there are a lot of new young Korean actors incoming, but not as many new young girls (that aren't Yoon Eun Hye, Goo Ara or linked to BBF).

Just got home from work. What a long day!

Don't forget to file your taxes.

@17

I recommend watching Last Scandal. It ends quite well and like a fairytale. Despite being a joom-erella (middle aged cinderella), it's entertaining. You won't regret it. The only thing I regret is Choi Jin Shil's death because they were supposed to make a second season. I think the girl playing CJS's daughter is adorable. Try reading the recaps from here (I like to cheat and read the episode guides first to see if it's worth watching). Maybe it'll get your interest peaked?

Hey, I've been an avid reader for a long time and figured an open thread would be the best way to say how much I LOVE your site. You do an amazing job and seriously it's my one-stop to Korean entertainment (I, like many of your fans, check this site multiple times a day to see whether there's a new update :) Seriously THANK YOU!

Since others have mentioned Antique Bakery, I also wanted to say I was impressed by JJH! I had seen Goong and thought he was okay and was really impressed with him in Mawang (The Devil---which by the way was AMAZING and Uhm Tae Woong did an awesome job as well). But I was surprised at how well JJH handled the comedic timing. His character was so different from the previous roles he had. And I loved the relationship all the characters had, especially the one between JJH and KJW.

I have a question though, I was actually surprised at how much of the relationship between Kim Jae Wook and the French guy was shown because I thought explicit homosexual relationships are looked down upon in Korean mass media. Is this true? I had read somewhere, one of the reason why the King and the Clown did so well even though it dealt with homosexuality (a great movie, imho) was because it was implicit. Any thoughts?

@ SERE:
you are right! Joo Ji Hoon was awesome! i hardly recognized him! He looked different from the Goong times. And, Kim Jae Wook.... i truly believed he was gay for a moment there..... aahhh...IS HE?! LOL!!!

@ SERE: Thanks by the way!!!!

@ TAOHUA: mmmm... I did hear about the implied homosexual relationship in the King and the Clown as one of the reasons it was a big hit.... i havent seen the movie myself. In the Antique Bakery, I think it was a necessity to really show JKW's life as homosexual to be able to understand the relationship he has with JJH in the end. And they did it with good, decent taste (^-^ mmm... I did screamed though whenever the Frenchie and JKW would show affection...LOL!). I heard this movie was greatly appreciated, was also a hit in Korea, so i guess, todays' Koreans are open-minded about same sex relationships.....

Happy Easter to Javabean and everyone!

I started watching Cain & Abel so as to fill this long weekend, and I am hooked. It takes 7 episodes to get to what I consider the meaty part but it's worth it. And you'd appreciate by then the thoughts to set up the story in those previous episodes. If nothing else, SJS alone is worth the watch. He is GREAT and this is certainly the right vehicle for his drama return. It is no doubt melodramatic (what to expect with amnesia as the main plot), the characters are almost all very black and white, but it just draws you in and makes you feel for them.

I was never an SJS fan (until probably now). I watched 'What Happened in Bali and We are Dating Now more for JIS and HJW, and Chae Rim. SJS's characters in those two dramas are just a bit too stoic to my taste. I'm in those minority who can't finish I am Sorry I Love You, and maybe I should try again.

I am also in the minority not liking Delightful Girl Choon Hyang that much. HCY is the main reason - never fond of her as a matter of fact. I always think Fireworks could be a bit better if it's another female actress playing her role - KJH is certainly wasted there. Jae Hee is cute but I cannot stand his voice (Three Moms and One Dad is not the exception, in my own view).

I love Bad Family - great plot and supporting cast with KMM being the star attraction. NSM is lovely but mediocre acting-wise in all the dramas I've seen her in so far.

Happy dramawatching over the Easter!

#10 @budsdiana - If you meant the bodyguard of the right hand side of Hong Lim (Jo In sung), then he is Im Ju Hwa. He did not appear in My Precious Child so I'd think this is the person you asked. Im Ju Hwa played Kim Bum's elder brother in Boys Over Flowers and he also in Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si Do as the main girl's younger brother.

Hi Javabeans! TGIF!!!!!
a question it'll be HELPFUL to know the answer of... my niece is in 8th grade and she wants to join the Graduation Talent show (something along the lines) she has an alto to mezzo-soprano vocal range... anyone know any good songs she can sing?
The discussion from last week was AWESOME. wonder is another one will come this week.... =D

@ labooboo93
watch DGCH at least through episode 14. there's something byun does that pisses the heck out of you but, i think, gets you hooked.

@ Liv
The Taiwanese version of Hana Kimi was much closer to original manga work (Japanese was great, [Oguri-shin fangirl screams] but incredibly different. I also liked the Taiwanese version, but Wu Chun (though also good looking paying sano's taiwanese counterpart) is not really that strong in terms of acting, and I got so annoyed at Ella Chen's (plays Taiwanese's Ashiya) constant gasps. I swear you hear about (or probably more than) 10 each episode. It's like, somthing happens *gaps* another thing happens *gasps* then another *gaps* *gaps* *gaps* *gaps* *gaps*
I got tired of it. plus the ending is just so BAD!!!!!!!! (coz they were planning to make a sequel but now, they say it's impossible.) T.T

@ Sere and Liv
Since girls cross-dressing have been experiemented with too many times in a drama, what I really want to see are guys dressing up as girls and getting th girls. In fact, weren't they just planning on a show (that didn't go through) starring YEH wherein the guy cross-dresses or something? Why don't they just continue that plan!

Speaking of leading ladies... has anyone ever read or heard of The Wallflower? (Currently only an manga + anime) Anyhoo.... the main girl there is named Sunako, who's a really beautiful girl. but she makes herself look ugly cause she doesn't really care and doesn't WANT TO BE BEAUTIFUL (like Eun-chan, though she doesn't dress up as a guy) as the show progresses you learn why.. but she has this sort of 'WTF?' (Sorry for the language) attitude that almost all kdramas lack. She likes to isolate herself (but still protects bullied people) though with the help of guys who wishes to fix her up for free rent (=.=) she begins to open up. She's still herself though, only changing when necessary, but with the guys' help you can see the real her (before the traumatizing event): intelligent, talented, extremely beautiful, and kinda girly; you know the type who likes fitting in and cares about fashion.

Random thought: Javabeans, I know you loathe (I assume) emo-ish characters like what Yi-jung became in BBF, but emo characters can be interesting, if portayed better. (and maybe throw in a cheerful counterpart? that'd be kinda funny:
Cheerful: "Hi!"
Emo: My life sucks.
C: So why are you making it more bad? SMILE!!!!
E: Leave me alone.
C: You're funny.
Ok, that was lame, but I hope you get the point.

@ SAMSOOKI

i just wanted to tell you that it is not politically correct to greet Roman Catholics HAPPY Good Friday. for some ultra-conservative RC's they might get offended. Good Friday for us is to remember the death of Jesus Christ. But HAPPY Easter if fine and Joyous Easter, as well, on Sunday as we remember his resurrection on that day.

anyway, just read the 200lbs beauty thread...was out yesterday because it was Good Friday here, and i understand where you are coming from. this is a good example of MARS and VENUS syndrome that being a man you face and look at solutions to problems regarding self image, preservation and love in a different point of view. No intention of watching the movie even before reading the thread. was turned off when i read the synopsis. but i understand everything you said, i don't agree with some of them but i do understand you perfectly.

@all,

Happy Easter Weekend. everybody.

@Kobe,

This weekend, I will root for the Celtics to upset Cleveland, so that Lakers can get the home court advantage. I will feel like a dirty slut who slept with the entire 4th grade just because there was nothing better to do during spelling. But I will do it, because I love my guys just like Tara Reid loves her guys.

@epyc,

Cain and Abel's middle act is surprisingly catchy, in that the story shifts to one of gamesmanship. I feel So Ji Sup is at his best when he uses comic skills in a serious situation (it's what qualifies the intensity of his hollow-eyed brood), and that's exactly what happens here.

The writing itself, though, gets problematic in the same sense that East of Eden did. A lot of the scenes seem strewn together by lottery, in regards to who gets to appear next to Lee Cho In next. This consistently breaks emotional continuity and motivation of characters. Some character just seem to appear because they just needed token air time for that episode. There's that pervasive sense that the story framework was written with one genre in mind, and then it was reworked to fit another. I think Shin Hyun Joon has done a marvelous job essentially "scripting" the psychology of his character with his performance; for a principal villain, it's just so thinly and wackily written, but Shin Hyun Joon somehow manages to make him consistent and dangerous in front of us. Only when the episode is over do you think "huh, what is Lee Seon Woo so mad about?" So Ji Sup also does a good job in that regard. On paper, there's a lot of material that should go into this character's revenge, some grand sturm and drang roaring in his psyche and his heart, but here it feels more like a le Carre spy vs. spy novel. There's a playfulness, perverse curiosity, that seems inappropriate to Lee Cho In's predicament.

I'm not sure what it is, but So Ji Sup/Han Ji Min has been a match made in heaven for me. It's not even about romantic chemistry. For my tastes, Han Ji Min has spotty romantic chemistry with her leads, because ;I always feel like when she does a close scene with her male lead, her hands are secretly clenching in her pockets. As if the closer she gets, the more nervous she gets, and that anxiety seaps when she dials up the emotions, and that her character's hearts are most fond when alone and apart, weeping from a distance. (Which sometimes works really well, such as in Resurrection or in bits of Capital Scandal or Yi San) It's all 5"1 of stiff upper lip. The thing is, it works wonderfully in the context of this story. It just works. For me, there's something about how So Ji Sup just understands how to act with Han Ji Min where all that passive melancholy flows through and around. In distance, there's intimacy. In awkwardness, there's warm vulnerability. There's almost a genius to that method that I wish So Ji Sup could write down in a book "How To Have Romantic Chemistry with Han Ji Min in Shows." I just love the pairing, and it's almost besides the story itself. They're like warm cocoa.

@Liv and epyc

I am also one who did not enjoy DGCH as I found the characters extremely annoying and childish in a very irritating kinda way and not the usual cute and endearing type of annoying.

Not sure whether we're actually the minority or not, but one thing I've noticed about K-drama blog/forum culture is that negativity is generally frowned upon, such as the "no bashing" policy at soompi. This is why Samsooki's rants is a breath of fresh air :)

RE: Korean child actors

I have been thoroughly impressed with Korean child actors across a wide range of dramas and movies I've seen, but the single most impressive performance I have ever seen is that little girl from the horror movie 'Phone' - She was so convincing that I thought she was possessed by some demonic force in real life. Even Mister X rates her highly, and you know it's the real deal when Mr. X says so :)

BTW, has anyone else seen Lee Min Ho's new CF that included his song? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvEaExZs-60)
It's.... I'm.. I have no idea what to say. >.<

Happy Easter to you all!
I'm currently wading through the gallons of tears in "I really really like you"! Not sure yet if I'll make it to the end before drowning. As a newbie to the Kdrama scene I'm still watching the older stuff. Some of the newer ones out now haven't caught my interest yet but I do have to say that "Triple" looks promising .
Have a great weekend everyone, I'm off to work.
Happy viewing!

The minority on Delightful Girl is becoming the majority I see:) Me included. I also must lay this at the feet of HCY. Fireworks as well. Though I won't blame her entirely being that the writing and production was a mess there too.

I also loved Bad Family. It honestly was a wonderful show. I was completely addicted. Watched it in a weekend. And yes Ha Rim is the cutest kid on the planet!

Hana Kimi (Jap. version) was hilarious. I loved the fact that it was so ridiculous. Also who can pass up Oguri Shun? Not sure if it would work as a Kdrama because the appeal to me was in its blatant idiocy. I don't know if that would work in this genre.

As for C&A....7 whole eps! I don't know if I can handle that. I usually give a show 2-3 and if I don't want to give up 5, before I say goodbye. But 7! Wow. I am even willing to stick in there if the eps are a mess once I'm at 11 and there are 15/17. But 7 hours to get to the meat? You are trooper. Glad you like it.

I also saw Antique Bakery and loved it! JJH is becoming someone that I can't wait to see. I think that he was ok in Goong but excellent in Mawang. That show was greatly done and fully enjoyed the ending. I think that is the only Kdrama I can say that about and its not by any means my favorite.

Romantic Island came out as well and I liked this too. Of course I watched it primarily for Lee Min Ki and "the voice" but I ultimately liked the movie as a whole. I was surprised. But I have to say my reasons for watching were the movie's staying power. The last 2 mins with "the voice" made my heart flutter(and that doesn't happen often).

I agree with the I Really Really Like You comments. I didn't start watching it until about ep 20/21 when it was playing on AZNTV and was able to pick it up pretty quickly. The one thing in this drama's credit is that its a drama that you can do that with. There are too many dramas out there where this isn't possible and though in some ways thats a good thing, I think that more often than not, the drama is lacking in something if this is not possible.

Also was it just me but was all that kitchen/cooking stuff unnecessary? I have been going back and watching some of the eps that I missed on DramaFever and WTF? Nam Bong Gi starts liking her in ep 9! There are 34 eps! EPISODE NINE... PEOPLE! NINE!!!! I am so glad I skipped all that crap. The show was good but Heck-to-the-NO! I was pissed watching all the crying and dazed sadness, the mystified, aimless treks through the city and whistless drunkeness in the episodes I did see. I completely hate it for those that sat through the entire show! Bless you!

But with all that said Lee Min Ki is great. Somehow he remains the reason to watch that show and Dal Ja's Spring for me! Tae Bong was bomb!

Happy Easter! Be blessed everyone!

@ EndlessxBliss

I started reading the Wallflower manga but only got to the first 20 or 30 and so chapters. When does she actually have her makeover? I know the manga is still ongoing, no? I just couldn't wait for it so I stopped reading it. Plus all the really gore and horrific things she likes really scare me.

Anyway, have you read the manga Kuokuo Debut or High School Debut? I liked this manga better because the main character Haruna wants the opposite (she wants to be noticed and fall in love). She didn't have the "I don't care" character that Sunako has and instead, she's strong, and determined. She'll go for what she wants and puts 110%. I think this manga would be a great Kdrama. Don't you think?

@ EndlessxBliss

I haven't read all the chapters of The Wallflower (actually, just the first one :P) but based on the premise, that is one manga I want to have a live-action adaptation!

Can't wait for the manga to end so I can snap up all the chapters and then start my dream casting...

Happy Easter everyone!!!

Going comatose from all the chocolate in the house - if I develop diabetes as a result of this weekend, I wouldn't be surprised.

So what are people going to be watching after BOF?? Maybe I should revisit Goong...

Is Cain and Abel good? What is Frozen Flower about? I need to watch something , bored! Have a Happy Easter!

@ belleza

Always love reading your analyses. Your comment of "So Ji Sup is at his best when he uses comic skills in a serious situation " is exactly my discovery in C&A - spot on! HJM also works beautifully here and has that warm chemistry with SJS which I find missing in Capital Scandal, given KJH usually has great chemistry with his female leads. Of the other two leads, I wish SHJ's character would be more grey than outright villainish, or at least showing some psychological and emotional transition to where he is at. But credits to him for giving a very consistent performance. CJA is definitely the weakest link, as some said. She is good in Coffee Prince due perhaps to the suitability of that role to her acting range and her look.

I also agree with your assessment of the token time given to the various characters in C$A. There are a few strong performers that they could focus on (eg the female ER Director - my first time seeing her in a drama or maybe her glasses is masking a familiar face?). I am now up to Ep 13 and will come back to read your view above again after finishing all existing episodes.

@ thisiswhyi'mbehindonmymastersthesis
Seven episodes sound a lot but there's always the fast-forward option - which was what I deployed here! I only chose the parts I cared to watch in those earlier episodes.

Maybe I should re-try I Really Really Like you for LKM's sake but even fast-forwarding is a big call for a 34-ep drama. The only long drama that I could watch through (with some fast-forwarding of course) is Be Strong Geum Soon - I still rewatch it (the favourite bits, I mean) because the KJH-HHJ couple are just too adorable for words!

@68 unknown

Thanks for replying, but that is not the actor I was asking about, he has a very small role compared to Im Ju Hwa. The part I was asking is after JIS arrived in the place of the other bodyguards on horseback (he was in pain right i don't want to mention why, spoiler) so he was helped by two of the other bodyguards who came running out of the house and was so happy to see him. Immediately, when JIS got off the horse JIS had to put both his arms in each of his co-bodyguards shoulder, because he could hardly walk. His left arm he placed on the shoulder of (Precious Child/Life actor) his right arm to the shoulder of the ACTOR i am curious about. The three of them was walking and JIS was asking about the Queen ( I think that was the dialogue, it was not subbed, so I am only guessing because JIS said "mamah"). HELP!!

@79 Maureen
Frozen Flower is a gay themed movie, and there are explicit love/sex scenes but for me it was done tastefully. It's a love triangle basically, if you youtubed it there is a short info by the "account's owner" of the gist of the movie. I love the angst shown in the dynamics between the character of JIS and JJM. I am a fan of JJM and he nailed it with his acting (more with his eyes) rather than with other physical acting.

@70 elisa

I agree with your comment, I was about to reply on that but I thought I would just let it go, so I am glad you did. For us Christians ( I am a Protestant) living in a predominantly Roman Catholic country the Holy Week is not something you should be "happy" about. Except for Easter Sunday, this day you have to reallllly
REJOICE because God has Risen. Good Friday is the day that most Christians (specially the older generations) had to reflect on the sufferings of Christ, he died on Good Friday. When my grandma and mom was still alive Holy Week at home
(Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and Easter Sunday) was observed very strictly. No music, tv, no nothing. You abstain from eating your regular food (no meat, etc). Everthing in our city is at a standstill. ALL cinema, malls, resto are closed. There is hardly any traffic. So Good Friday is a very solemn day (the most solemn in the Holy Week). So to everyone please don't great a Christian "Happy Good Friday."

Happy Easter to all Christians. Let us go to church tomorrow to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

oh man! missed open thread friday! hehehe...
Love Hana Kimi!

After reading recommendations here, I've started to watch Que Sera Sera to fill my void after BOF (in between, I've tried jdramas Mei Chan and Code Blue and those did not work). And during first half I would look at the main girl and keep thinking she is Jan Di.. similar haircut did the trick, I guess. So QSS helped me a lot to get over withdrawal, it is a great drama on it's own as well.

Another thing - I was watching it on dramafever and than read recaps/comments here and realized they cut out few minutes in order to show commercials (it would be the same commercial every 10 min per 1-2 episodes, that's another story). I wish they would rather stretch out the showing time for those 5 min, but show the whole episode. Like in the last episode they cut out few min in the end and I feel I was cheated. If I would see it, it would make the ending feeling better.

Happy Easter to everybody :o)

@epyc,

"given KJH usually has great chemistry with his female leads."

Capital Scandal is kinda directed as if the 5th wall is exposed, and so often the show feels like it's on a stage. This enables Kang Ji Hwan to really have fun with his character, playing both cad and angry young man as broad and then as small as he wants. This was also catnip for the actors and entertainers playing side characters, and they all had a blast riffing off each in this generous space. However, Han Ji Min almost seems lost in the chaos, as if *she* is searching for the camera, so she knows where to interact in a scene. But the real surprise for me is that Han Go Eun and especially uber-talking head Ryu Jin seemed really at home in Capital Scandal. In Go Eun's case, it freed her acting that I've never really seen from her before. Does Ryu Jin's hair ever move? I felt Han Ji Min struggled through most of the show.

"CJA is definitely the weakest link, as some said. She is good in Coffee Prince due perhaps to the suitability of that role to her acting range and her look."

Chae Jung Ahn's main strength as an actress is that she knows how to listen, and so she's good at staying in the moment with her leads. She was good opposite Kim Kang Woo in Breathless, a drama that even for K-drama is about the talking and the listening. However, this character is written almost like a cameo, much like Evil Mom and Damaged Dad. After episode 7, her character seems like an afterthought, or maybe a possible organ donor for however the story plans to end.

Coffee Prince got a really, really beautiful performance from Lee Sun Gyun. And so, when you watch THEIR scenes, one thing you'll notice is that when Lee Soo Gyun and Chae Jung Ahn are riffing off each other, neither looks into the eyes of the other all that much. One person is looking at the other person's feet. The other person may be looking at a wall while listening. Why is this important? Because it creates this perception that these two characters in the room are so intimate with each other that they don't have to see what the person is going to do next. They KNOW what the other person is going to do next, and so the illusion that these two people have loved each other for a very, very long time is complete. It requires a level of trust, intuition, and freedom between two actors to enable that illusion. And, then, watch the powerful, powerful body language coming from Lee Sun Gyun when he's connecting with Chae Jung Ahn. You never, ever get the sense that he is aware of where the camera is. And what happens is that this gives Chae Jung Ahn the freedom to pause on a line, in a moment, and just BREATHE. To consider doing nothing. And that possibility enables her to let her truth bubble up in the scene as best as she can. That is what having theatrically trained actors playing one or both parts in a scene can do for you.

The medical drama really interferes with the Cain and Abel story, because there's no cases. It's like doing a police story entirely in a coffeeshop, or doing a drama about coffee princes where they only take out trash. There's a lot of intrigue but it all seems distant because we are never really immersed into the ecology of workplace. It's a bit like putting up curtains without having put in the glass, where maybe they never wanted it all anyway. And you get that sense that maybe the writers felt forced into doing a medical drama because they had to make do with an overdue project. Saying that, though, I am really enjoying Cain and Abel, and the gamesmanship is fun!

"(eg the female ER Director - my first time seeing her in a drama or maybe her glasses is masking a familiar face?)."

That itself was good casting, because Kim Hae Sook usually plays perfect, suffering mothers in dramas, and the audience would have had that preconception before seeing her play this rather crazy mom. And, yet, her character and conspirators kinda fall out of the story after a few more episodes. Kinda in and out whenever they need to move the story along.

@belleza I always enjoy your detailed acting and writing analysis. My likes and dislikes are often intuitive but you have a way of observing and pinpointing exactly what makes a scene work or not. I have to wonder if you took film studies.
I now have to see antique bakery! I really loved JJH's performance in Mawang/Devil though initially I was disappointed he was selected for the role. I felt like I was witnessing the birth of a true actor and hoped he was going to make choices that would continue to nurture his growth from something like Goong.

I am one of the few who did not like Coffee Prince but I loved the scenes with the voice and CJA. Somehow they felt like what a real modern couple could be like in Korea and not what we usually see in kdramas. Their scenes felt so intimate I felt like I was a fly on the wall voyeuristically watching them argue. I'm sure there was some interesting camera work that added to that feeling of intimacy.

Also another thumbs down on DGCH, the best thing was UTW. The director/producer team did a much better job on My Girl which was funnier and zanier, with better acting. I never understood the popularity of DGCH but chalked it up to personal taste.

Uh oh....looks like we riled up the blog author folks... step back step back :P

Javabeans, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on this one, and I don't think the age of the drama has anything to do with this - I would rank Full House(2004) and MNIKSS (2005) amongst my top kdramas, and in the past year have been playing a catch up game on all "classic" kdramas and jdoramas and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Additionally, I don't think suspending belief was my problem with the drama - after all, I was a voracious consumer of BBF. That said, I recognize that drama preferences are not something you can "nag" someone into agreeing with you on. To bring up Coffee Prince again (because I can always find a way to bring CP into conversation), when I was still at the height of my euphoria about the drama and my friend told me she had no intention of finishing the series because it bored her, I alternated between incredulity, sulking and harassing her into watching episodes with me, where I would point out all the notable parts and as a result probably cemented her hatred of the drama (nothing worse than watching a show with someone who keeps "Look at that! Look - wasn't it great? Oh come on, you don't think that is amazing acting? Let me rewind so you can watch it again")

Not to interrupt or change subjects completely away from Jae Hee's awesomeness in DGCH, but I just saw the 2 minutes 13 seconds trailer to the movie "Windstruck" (brought to you by some of the same folks who did My Sassy Girl)...

...what IS it about Korean love stories that strike a deep deep chord within me?

Yes, I may have an obsessive personality. A year or two ago, after we went to see Wicked on Broadway, I bought the Wicked CD and then listened to nothing but that CD for weeks and weeks, annoying my wife during long car rides. And a few years ago, I almost got addicted to playing World of Warcraft, and had to be rescued by my wife wielding with a frying pan. And now, it seems I am "into" k-dramas and k-music and k-movies. Is this the same thing? Is this just a fad for me?

But even if I do have an obsessive personality, I think there is more to this than just a fad. Please do me a favor, anyone. If you have a chance, watch the trailer to Windstruck on youtube or wherever. I found the 2:13 trailer to Windstruck on mysoju.com, actually. Does something inside of you (watching the trailer, say, between 0:40 and 1:25) get stirred up, like it does with me?

I've not seen Windstruck yet (and I think maybe the trailer doesn't do a good job at explaining what happens in the movie), and honestly, I don't know whether I will like it, whether it will measure up to My Sassy Girl. But the trailer itself is what kills me. It's like these k-dramas and movies distill what is important in terms of relationships between people, and then bring that out, and those things resonate inside of me.

Not sure how to put it, exactly. I can't really say that I like Jeon Ji Hyun's characters that much (although I think her acting is really good), so it's not the actress, it's not the music... I just think it's great that two people fit each other so well that they know it to be true...... kind of like DGCH, My Girl, etc. That fits my world view, and that's how I see things.

Guess I am rambling now.

-Samsooki

@belleza Re: Heechul as Nakatsu.
Hmm, I'm not throughly convinced, but it could work. I was also thinking of the Suju boys for the other characters. But then again, I'm not familiary with very young k-actors. I was trying to see if Kim Hye Sung could fill the shoes of any character, and I'm like, hmm, maybe Nakao or Sekime?

As for a Korean Nobuta, on one hand I'd be excited, on the other I'd be soooo afraid they'd ruin the story and characters for me (pls, nobody can touch my preciouuusss Akira *kun kun*)

@EndlessxBliss
Iirc it wasn't going to be about cross-dressing, but more along the lines of "straight guy pretending to be gay lives with girl who has a crush on him but thinks she has no chance"? It was going to star YEH and JJH, but *sighs* you know how that went.

But anyway, I don't think I've ever heard of a kdrama about guys cross-dressing, but there are many Jdoramas that either mention or have few scenes with cross dressing guys (so many to name) or are totally focused on that theme (Princess Princess D)

@89 Samsooki RE: Windstruck!

That's such a beautiful movie! I needed lots and lots of tissues, though. ;) It had very funny moments, too. Just wanted to tell you it's not a classic tearjerker.

The only trailer that makes me break down and cry is the one for "A moment to remember". I've wanted to watch that movie forever, but I can't bring myself. I KNOW I'll end up in tears.

@ 77 77 queen bee

^I totally agree! And becuase BBF has ended, many people are like, 'you'll never find so many hot guys in one show...'
Wallflower is totally one! (Hahaha.. Takano Kyohei fangirl here!)
The thing is she really doesn't have one specific makeover, I think it's more like multiple makeovers that change her overtime, but she looks so beautiful.
See this b4 and after picture i saw: http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/2699/wallflowerw.jpg

@samsooki
I completely understand. Every show that I watch makes me take a deeper look at myself and what I think about love, life and the world. I think that there is something interesting about this genre for that. My friend and I sit and dissect episodes and character development more watching these shows, than we do watching LOST every week! I truly thank God for it.
I do think that its hard to explain. I watch a lot of foreign films and TV and this genre is the only one that has made me think and feel in this way for an extended period of time.

@epyc You a have point. The problem is that I hate to fast forward unless I have seen it or intend to watch it in its entirety at a later date. Isn't it kind of an injustice to the show if you fast forward the majority of the material? Can you(we) then say that the show is actually a good one if you've only truly seen the parts you liked? Isn't what makes a good show, one that makes even the characters you hate/don't care about worth watching?

Coffee Prince: I think that its interesting that there were people that didn't like CP. I understand that there is a high when you watch a show like that. I was definitely a victim. After my detox, I haven't seen it sense. I loved it though and would recommend it to anyone. Plus there are some things in life than can only be explained by a CP analogy.

Delightful Girl: I did understand the folk/myth aspect of the show but still felt it was too draggy near the end. The only reason I continued to watch was to ensure that the two ended up together. Some shows are just like that. But honestly, if Javabeans did a recap, though I'd never watch it all over again, I would read every recap.

@sere,

"As for a Korean Nobuta, on one hand I’d be excited, on the other I’d be soooo afraid they’d ruin the story and characters for me (pls, nobody can touch my preciouuusss Akira *kun kun*)"

That's a good point. I mean, what do you tell an actor?

Director: "Okay, imagine that you're a milkaholic. That you get seriously drunk from drinking a glass of moo. Okay? Action!!"
Actor: "Ugh.."
Director: "And now in this scene, you gotta do with your fingers and say "Nobuta powa!" mm, kay? Action!!"
Actor: "Gee gee gee?"
Director: "We want you to be in love with the female lead. But we want you to be kinda bicurious about the other male lead. And you're going to frolic with him in an ocean! Action!!"
Actor: " O_o . . . >_< . . . "

@nycgirl,

"Their scenes felt so intimate I felt like I was a fly on the wall voyeuristically watching them argue. I’m sure there was some interesting camera work that added to that feeling of intimacy."

Coffee Prince's PD has a great, great eye for interiors. There's spring-accented colors (very strong emphasis on greens and browns in the scenes between LSG/CJA, signfying the rebirth of the couple), there's a lot of furniture, and the lighting is generally a little darker than typical (which gives it a more intimate vibe.) Also the show uses less close-ups thant what we're used to; this is important in the sense that your viewing habits starts processing the show more as film than TV show. She really knows how to frame a medium shot to make us believe they're actually living in that space off the shot. Usually it's at an angle, and so you start losing a sense of where the dimensions of the room are at. This gives you more depth in the picture, and it lets you believe that you're eavedropping on a conversation.

Coffee Prince had great locations; in fact, when the show came out, I compared it to Amelie in how the show transformed Seoul into "the City." Whenever you do a movie in the City, be it San Francisco, Lundun, Paris, Tokyo, etc., what you're trying to do is to create a kind of bo/bo urban wonderland where it smells like dew at 1:00pm. It's not "real", but in the context of a movie or drama, it expresses a fashionable lifestyle that attracts the audience. I've alway seen Sarah's blog as what maybe characters in Coffee Prince, if they loved TV, would probably read and frequent. There's the proper muso content and occasional rant fun, but it's also a sensibility and an expression for a lifestyle where our love lives could be as fabulous or fabulously dysfunctional as these characters.

As a OTT note, I think one persistent problem with big-budget K-dramas is that they're not really shot that well. Rather, they're shot *expensive* -- too many establishing shots, wide shots, fancy tracking shots, etc. And unfortunately, that does two things. A) It almost guarantees the show won't age well. For example, when I was watching Asphalt Man, which dates back to 1995, it's uncomfortably kitschy. Like you could tell that *at the time*, this was a SBS big budget drama, but now much of the visuals looks just gaudy. Just ugh. . . . .and B) it actually takes your attention of the story. East of Eden had that problem especially in the beginning, when they were trying to show off all the money that went into it. I thought the best actual shooting was when the budget started to run out. They did most scenes in closeups, often deliberately taking the background out of the picture, less establishing shots, longer edits, and it actually improved the flow of the scenes.

This is a good clip about the "other" couple. And you can see all those elements at work there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGFZ6h-4_eg&fmt=18

Belleza-Thanks for the added scene information on CP. I would never have gotten any of that on my own. Your ability to dissect those scenes are amazing and I find your critiques as well many other people on this blog's to be insightful hence this is one of my favorite blogs (thank you Javabeans bonk! bonk!). Even when I don't agree I find I've often learned something along the way.

BTW have you ever seen the movie the Spanish Prisoner? Your commentary about the city made me think of that film. From my user name you can guess I live in new york and having lived here since I graduated college, I know the city very well but I find it so interesting that the way the director of the Spanish Prisoner shot the film made my city feel foreign to me unlike say a woody allen film.

@ EndlessxBliss

YESSSS!!!! I practically jumped out of my seat when they showed Sunako all glammed up and I was like OMG, see, you CAN be beautiful, you just don't want to! Haha, I super agree with the Kyohei fangirling. The guys in Wallflower are just like the F4—in terms of looks IMO ^-^ I so can't wait for it be adapted and cast equally hot guys! (Obviously am suffering from BBF withdrawal.)

Thanks for the link :) Will drop by your blog soon!

I love Open Thread! The cross-drama in this thread is just a joy to read and participate. Thanks, Javabeans.

@ Samsooki
Trailers always sells, even for the worst ever made movie. In fact, it is a creative undertaking to create the same - or a different - movie out of a movie. I want to be a trailer maker in my next life if I've got the talent. Windstruck is good but I like My Sassy Girl better.

@ Sere and djes
I love, love A Moment to Remember. Got the DVD for a few years, never had the courage to watch for fear of tears, then one day put it into the machine....it's now on my frequent re-watch list. JWS is absolutely wonderful there and I'm now catching up on his other works.

@ Belleza and nycgirl
The Belleza anatomy of CP at d-addict forum alongside with Javabean's recap during the CP airing time was then the best read for me as a CP lover. There are people who don't like CP for various reasons and said it is over-rated. Now that two years after I still think it is one of the best. I like it for the holistic experience, including its visual appeal and sensuality that is not common in Kdrama. The colour, prop and set, cinematography, and soundtrack have all transformed Seoul into that 'urban wonderland' that Belleza has so aptly termed. The only other two dramas that I've seen have that kind of effect are Alone in Love and the Great Lawyers of Korea (really like the CBD and apartment neighbourhood in it).

Okay, I just watched Windstruck.

It kind of dragged a bit? I thought the concept was good, I thought the acting was good, but the story itself needed more than what it had. It would have been amazing as a "short," because realistically, it should have been edited and tightened to be about an hour long.

Still, the movie taken as a whole cannot be summed up by a single "I liked it" or "I didn't like it." It's something to think about, something to wonder about, something to enjoy and to watch and re-watch. And, the ending was pretty darn cool. Pretty awesome ending. That ending was pretty much the only way I wouldn't have been a little disappointed, and yet it was a complete surprise to me. I was so surprised.

I would say, if you are going to start collecting Korean movies, My Sassy Girl and Windstruck should be in the collection, no doubt. (I was going to also say that 200 lb Beauty should be in the collection as well, but I'd rather not incur the wrath of dozens of dramabeans netizens...)

-Samsooki