Happy Friday everyone ^^

I'm kinda feeling sad about Cinderella Man's ratings!! mostly everyone saw the 1st 2 episodes said that it's actually good and Kwon Sang Woo is really convincing in his both roles! hopefully the ratings would pick up a bit later.

just knew that Lee Jun Ki's album (J Style) which was supposed to be released tomorrow, was leaked today and its download link is already in the web!! that's so utterly sad! most of the details for his concert have been leaked: the pics of the MV, the album cover and now the songs! I hope that won't affect the sales of his album!!! feeling so sad about him right now :(

Lol. You guys are talking about dramas while I'm still on the BoF/BBF fever. I was just looking at their clips and fanmeetings in Japan and I guess this is the only way for me to feed my addiction on them. (or the withdrawal that I'm having.)

Anyway. Now that BoF IS over, I'm planning on watching quality dramas again and I'm actually thinking about watching QSS or Flowers. Hmm. I know for sure that I wouldn't be disappointed with these two. And just add a Japanese drama on that, and I'm back on my own world.

See you guys next time. Oh, and thank God for Fridays. :)

@Rora.
I'm watching Flowers for my life. One of the best dramas ever! OMG! I'd rec that one but hey, I haven't watched QSS so I can't tell if it's better/funnier/[insert other adjective here].

***
I've wanted to ask a question about life in Korea for a long time, but I'm afraid that's going to stir up a discussion such as the one of 200 pounds beauty and I'm too drained to think in English. So maybe next Friday? definately.

But on a shallower note: I'm learning Korean! I think I've mustered the alphabet! I can read! Sort of....very very slowly, but I call it progress. \o/ Just had to share that with you. Oh oh is there anyone else who's trying to learn this language?

@53, Sere:

Some people say that Korean is very easy to learn.

But for me, being ethnically Korean but born in America, it has been the opposite when it comes to speaking. I can read and write pretty well, and I can understand when people speak Korean to me, but it is difficult for me to speak Korean. I'm just bad at speaking languages other than Korean. I wonder if I would have had the same problem if I were born and raised in Korea! LOL. I just cannot imagine myself not being able to speak English.

How are you learning Korean? Are you using CDs or books? Are you practicing with anyone?

-Samsooki

Jb, other than story of a man what are you currently watching?

On another note, Cain and Abel has sooo many loopholes and flaws, but may i add that after episode 10 it surprisingly starts to get much much better. But if you are not a fan of any of the leads, investing 10 hours before it gets "good" is probably not wise.

Lastly, i need some advice from you guys out there. Im not a fan of using mysoju, or any other site out there that make profit off other peoples work. But lately mysoju has been my only option because i cant figure out my computer.
I recently got a mac, and im having a bit of an issue. 1. i don't know what program to get to download torrents 2. i have downloaded some raw episodes from veoh and i try streaming them with VLC but it usually crashes midway thru the episode. In short im just wondering what programs mac users out there use to watch kdramas online. Any help really is appreciated.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thanks for the recommendation everyone!!!

I've seen Antique Bakery. It was OK. Haven't seen Speedy Scandal yet so I might look into that one. I've seen Untold Scandal...good movie.

@Samsooki

These are the dramas I've finished

- 9 end 2 outs
- Dal Ja Spring
- One Fine Day
- Attic Cat
- Goong
- Boys Over Flowers
- Winter Sonata (my first drama!!! it started my addiction)
- 18 vs. 29
- some of Full House (I'm sorry but I can't stand Rain, he's not that attractive to me)

I started Que Sera Sera...meh
I started Tropical Nights in Dececember...meh, don't care for it. The reason I watched is because I liked the leading actress from that movie Seducing Mr. Perfect.

There are other two other older dramas that I watched and I don't remember them...must have been bad ones...oh god, now it's bothering me that I can't remember them.

I'm interested in watching Soulmate but I watch on mysoju.com and right now it's under repair. I tried to sign up for the dramafever.com but I didn't get an e-mail for an invite because apparently they have a lot of people trying to sign up for it. I used to watch everything on crunchyroll.com but I haven't been on that account forever. I don't really want to download the dramas. Where do you guys watch streaming dramas?

I've seen lots of K-movies...mostly romantic comedies. I don't do scary movies...I might not be able to sleep for weeks!

@ Sere. Thats awesome!! Sometime last year, at the peak of my korean addiction, i picked up a few books from barns and noble and even watched some "lessons" online, but then real life caught up to me and ever since then i have not had the time to dwell into it. The only thing i can say is Hi my name is ------ nice to meet you lol. ( aside from understanding a few simple words used constantly in kdramas like sorry, im leaving, ...etc).. Good luck to you!!

@ AnitaLotti

> Does anybody have a suggestion with regard to a free online RSS Reader?

I don't use it but some of my friends love Google Reader (I also share your concern about the info collected by them).

The other major one my friends use Bloglines.

Personally I use a desktop app (RSS Bandit) because I like the responsiveness of it. There's a Remote Storage feature that let's you sync your feeds, but I've never used that before (I tend to have way to many distractions at work already so I just save the reading for when I'm home :)

@ Kender

What a coincidence! I also use Soulmate and Coffee Prince to lure new people into k-dramas as well.

I've introduced several coworkers into this addiction and I remember the first time I would lend them my DVDs the next day they would come in very, very tired :)

In most cases this was their first Asian drama ever. Since then, they're more hooked than I am.

@ Samsooki

Re: Sung Yuri

I think it might be a gender thing because prior to her Hong Gil Dong role I didn't like her either but many of my guy friends did (of course they also like Hyroi so...)

I tend not to like bitchy/cold/mean characters but if someone has the acting talent---like when Ha Ji Won does it---I still like her.

Because it really does require a great actor to create a role that is cold and yet still liked.

And for other data points, I did like Jang Nara in My Love Patzzi. In fact that's one of my favorite dramas :) And though I didn't watch Sweet Spy, I did watch Witch Amusement and if that's supposed to be Dennis's improved acting then I'm glad I didn't watch any of his other stuff :)

SNOW QUEEN!!! I watched this like, last week/week before, so yay!!! I would have to say, Samsooki, that I mostly agree with you on Sung Yuri, but disagree COMPLETELY on Hyunbin. =p I'd say to give up the working out why everybody disagrees so strongly on a person despite general agreement on your other likes, because yeah, it happens. ^^ Snow Queen was beautiful; when Hong Gil Dong was airing, I heard about Sung Yuri for the first time, about how she was really bad before and improved vastly in HGD. I watched HGD and loved it and liked her character and her acting for the most part, but when I watched the her ep of Snow Queen I thought - meh. It was weird, because I was thinking of Hyunbin as his character, but her as the actress. That said, as the series went on, an ep or two later she was Bora and as it carried on, she was better and better and I loved her by the end. My problem with her character, though, was the complete 180 she took. At the beginning her behaviour was shocking, and understandably so. Then, after all that, she feels guilty and decides to be good. And STAYS that way and hardly ever goes back. It was like she was alone and scared and so would constantly act up in an insane way, and there was such a strong feeling of she was so fragile, mostly because she could die at any time. Then it all just went away.

Hyunbin, though, WOW - I haven't seen MNIKSS yet, but I watched the first 3 eps of Worlds before dropping it, because I'd heard so much about him. Still, what I saw of Worlds, I liked him, but in SQ he was JAWDROPPING. I have never seen a Main Guy be so wonderful, he was beautiful and strong and unbelievable. I fell SO FREAKING HARD. He blamed himself for his friend's death, yet he wasn't this emo mess, he went crazy for a while and then sorted himself out, and it hurt him inside but he was still functional. He was silent and steady and strong but somehow, those adorable dimpled smiles hinted at fun, so he was never boring. His voice and his gorgeousness has the girl in me melting into a puddle of goo, but his acting was beyond awesome; he was open, you could see every layer of everything that was going on in his head and heart in his eyes.

The first few eps I cried an infinite amount of times and thought it could easily shoot to the top of my favourites. Thing is, then they started focusing too, too much on just Hyunbin and his guilt, there was no development for Bora. They fixed that at the end and I loved it again, but that middle bit spoilt it IMO. Also, the soundtrack was BEAUTIFUL, and the way it was shot. EEEE. ^^

Also - how pathetic is it that I'm going on a sort-of holiday for 6 weeks after my exams (visiting family doesn't really count), and all I can think about is all the awesome dramas taking over '09 from Korea, Japan AND Taiwan that I'm going to miss? ^^

I acutally enjoyed watching Snow Queen. I was wired and glued to my computer for a day and a half! Yes, I watched it all within 1 1/2 days! I understood and appreciated the story for what it was and I enjoyed it alot; despite lots of criticism.

As for 9 in 2 outs, I enjoyed that alot too! It was very funny and touching. I think you will like it Samsooki.

Currently watching Cain and Abel and I like it alot. I like all medical dramas.

Thanks for all the suggestions!!! I've seen Antique Bakery but I have not seen Speedy Scandal. I think that's a good candidate for this weekend. I've seen Untold Scandal...good movie

@Samsooki
Here are the dramas I've seen:

Finished:
Winter Sonata (my first drama! the one that started it all)
One Fine Day
Boys Over Flowers
18 vs. 29
Attic Cat
Dal Ja Spring
Goong

Unfinished:
Full House (I don't think I will ever finish this. I'm sorry but I just don't like Rain)
Tropical nights in December...not really good. The only reason I watched it is because I liked the leading actress from Seducing Mr. Perfect.
Que Sera Sera...first episode didn't catch my interest

There are two other dramas that I can't remember the names of. They are really old. It's bothering me that I don't remember the names...ugh. *googles*

I watch mostly on mysoju.com and sometimes on veoh. Where do you guys watch streaming dramas? I tried dramafever.com but there is a waitlist for it and I haven't been invited...sigh. I think my next drama will be Seoulmate. It got nice ratings from JB and it looks interesting.

Oh I forgot...9 ends 2 outs.

I still can't remember the other ones. UGGGHHHH!!!

I recenlty watched...My Wife Got Married. It's a very interesting movie.

@57, xiahkixiri -

Kiki. :)

"His voice and his gorgeousness has the girl in me melting into a puddle of goo, but his acting was beyond awesome; he was open, you could see every layer of everything that was going on in his head and heart in his eyes."

I was not saying Hyun Bin wasn't great. He was. And I agree with you with your points except about the puddle of goo. I have never been never "attracted" to Hyun Bin and so I've never turned to a puddle of goo, but I certainly like him a lot and I respect his acting and he's one of my absolute favorite Korean actors male or female. My above point about Hyun Bin was in response to JB that she considered Sung Yuri to be "bland" in SQ: that IF someone were to point to an actor/actress who could be considered "bland," then I could see how it could be Hyun Bin (outwardly very mild and stoic in his character), but I could not see how it could be Sung Yuri (almost schizoid in her personality, going from fiery and ill-mannered to soft and vulnerable and sweet).

But, I guess you are right when you say " give up the working out why everybody disagrees so strongly on a person despite general agreement on your other likes, because yeah, it happens."

I guess in the end, it is all personal. Either to me, or to them. Who knows whether my adoration of Sung Yuri for SQ and Jang Nara in Patzzi is personal, or whether the anti-fans' dislike of their performances is personal. Likely, it is me whose adoration is personal, but I cannot tell because I only have one brain and I can't figure out using my own brain which is personal and which is objective.

-Samsooki

Umm...sorry about the double posting. My computer is acting funny.

@Samsooki and @Day

I used to be good at learning foreign languages, but a)that was when I was younger, b)I never tried with an Asian one (I'm not even of Asian descent so that's even harder for me cos it's a totally foreign language/culture for me).

Samsooki, I've heard that Korean is one of the easiest languages to learn, (that's why I chose it rather than, say, Japanese), but I can't say just yet. It took me a few days just to pick up the alphabet and I think I might have a LOT of problems with the pronunciations. I thought I was never going to understand some subtle differences, but I think I get them now...At least theorethically. I was so puzzled about some letters cos for some reason, they sounded the same to me. But now I think I get it, but that doesn't mean I'll be able to pronunce Korean corretly. It sounds so different from my native language or all the other languages I've learnt (English, French, etc). BUT I survived 5 years of Ancient Greek so I suppose it can't be worse than that.

BTW, I'm using a website. I think it's fairly popular. It has audio lessons (podcasts), plus pdfs, several services among which forums. They offer free or paid subscriptions, which come with even more awesome services (say one-to-one lessons). I'm still a free user, but I *think* I may switch soon. Hopefully, I won't get bored soon (I'm having an attention problem ever since the thing that happened last year so I thought best to wait a little).

@Kender : What Indian films did you choose?

@Samsooki
You know at times I feel the same way in reference to being a newb but personally if you think it was good, it was good. You aren't the only one. I personally haven't seen the show nor some of the others but there are plenty of dramas that I liked alot that others snub their noses at. I think that when it comes to some shows and some actors even we(you)may see something or something resonates to you that just doesn't to others. What some see as wooden others see as focused suppressed emotion.

For me, the most recent example has to be Kim Hyun Joong in Boys Over Flowers. I have to say that when the show started, though I liked him, I hated his acting. Truly it was a mess, but by the end the show, past the crying in the rain scene, I grew to love his portrayal of Ji Hoo and even liked that he was chosen for the role. Many, even JB, said that he can't act but though I don't believe he should quit his day job, I think that he was pretty decent. I won't(can't) rave but in the end I saw him as Ji Hoo, not a Rui replacement, not an Oguri wannabe but Ji Hoo. I liked him and could tell that the emotion or lack of it was not KHJ being a poor actor but JH's disconnection with people and emotional commitment.

I know that I'm in the minority being that I'm not a fan of his pop group and didn't find him attractive until ep 22. I wasn't even an advocate for a JH-JD relationship, so this is clearly my opinion. I won't say completely objective because like I referred to earlier I think that we all bring things to the table. No matter how much we want to be objective I'm not sure its entirely possible.

I'm also getting quite interested in Gokusen. I like it much more than I thought I would. What I find the most hilarious is the random camera glances at Jun is random moments. Who exactly is this show about?

@Sere: I am in the middle of learning Korean as well but I am concerned about pronunciation. I'm not sure if I will ever get it right. I'm also learning Hindi...same issue. Does anyone know how to overcome this kind of thing? Is there hope for me? I don't necessarily want to be the best but I want to be understood and confident in what I've learned.

@69 Nea

Well, if you tell me your email, I'll link you to that site (don't know what's Javabeans policy about this kind of thing). For me, the most useful thing is watching movies/dramas. That's how I picked a lot of vocabulary and pronunciation back when I was learning English. That + lots and lots of practising. It'd be best if you had a language partner or knew a native speaker? That could help a LOT! Don't despair! ;)

@Samsooki
Although, I have watched Snow Queen before, I'm watching it again after reading your comments.^^

JB,

My apologies, but I think we are just quite not on the same wavelength, and that's really my fault.

Before I posted, I noted my use of the words "anti-fans" and its possible interpretation that I was insinuating that I might be labelling people who criticize particular actors or actresses as being "haters." My use of anti-fan was not in the same tone, but just as a means of illustration, tinged with a bit of irony since really, if you count the people over in d-addicts forurms going back to 2007, I am in the tiny minority of people who actually liked Sung Yuri's performance. So, really, anti-fan was a bit of sarcasm, since then the whole world is the anti-fan.

We can disagree about personal tastes. I dislike some Korean food that I think most Koreans would go to war to save on the menu. Why? Personal taste. No problems there. But, even if I dislike certain foods, I think I can agree that such foods' complexity of the taste, refinement, purity, essence, or basically, "how good it is" is separate from how much I like it. Thus, your ratings have two components - how much you like it, and how good it is.

But, I am trying to learn here, and I am genuinely interested to know why people (including my wife with respect to Yang Song-ee) tend to dislike Jang Nara in My Love Patzzi and also dislike Sung Yuri in Snow Queen, and, why I tend to stand by myself with respect to those characters / roles / perfomrances.

It was a mistake though to use the word, "anti-fan," since it has an inflammatory connotation (in the extreme, note the frightening physical attacks on particular female actresses). Other than the irony of the situation, I meant to illustrate the fact that I am having a difficult time understanding where the opposition thinking is coming from.

As it is though, with most things I like, I tend to obsess too much, I tend to talk too much.

But, JB, you should know that I would rather listen to your opinion and believe in what you say, than necessarily accept what I think. I'd rather be corrected and be right, than keep to a belief that is, in the end, wrong. Your opinions mean so much to everyone, including me and myself, and so if you say something, that has a big impact. If I disagree with you about what is likely to be an objective thing, then it is distressing because in all likelihood, I'm wrong. Thanks for indulging me, regardless.

-Samsooki

@Sere
I wanna see Flowers for my life too, where can I watch it online?

BTW, I've been waiting for you..hehe. I saw Zettai Kareshi, I have to say, I really really liked it! Thanks for recommending it. I wish I could say the same thing with Nobuta Wo Produce...I didn't hate it, but I didn't really like it... I forgot about it an hour after I watched it, there was no lingering factor, if you know what I mean. Well, for me anyway. :(

Happy Friday, y'all!

@ Hannieoon : Yes Jewel in the palace was huge hit in Turkey and they repeated it twice. But now there is side effects of it. Tv network which air it only airing Period dramas like Dea Jeang Gum. After it we've seen Goong, Yi San, GongS, now we are watching Jumong. I am not watching because I am tired of 'palace' dramas. But if anybody wants to watch I HİGLY Recommend. Btw I've heard it was popular in Iran too.

Wow, you guys have posted a lot since I went to class. XD

@ Samsooki - It's been so long since I've seen My Love Patzzi (three years at least) that I can't exactly remember specifics about what I disliked. I do remember, though, that I didn't find Jang Nara in the least bit attractive (she's not bad-looking, she just struck me as asexual), and I couldn't understand why Kim Rae Won and Kim Jae Won were all over her. Granted, I've never seen her in anything else, so it's highly possible she's got some serious sex appeal somewhere that I just didn't see. The plot didn't really move me, either. With most shows, I'm at least a little curious about how the next episode will go. Not with My Love Patzzi. It actually took me over two months to finish because I kept forgetting that I was watching it. I finally finished it for closure's sake, but to this day I can't really remember the plot, let alone its finer points.

@ #58 Jessica - I think it's the combination of light-heartedness, seriousness, an interesting plot, good acting, and an awesome soundtrack that makes those two dramas so good as bait.

In other news, I randomly downloaded The Legend of Hyang Dan earlier today, and I started watching it before class. SO ADORABLE. I know I missed most of the references, since my knowledge of Korean folk tales is fairly limited, but I thought it was hilarious. Now I want to track down all of the other references so I can enjoy it even more. :3

Did anybody else watch the press conferences of Hugh Jackman and Daniel Henney's visit to Seoul last week? They're going to be on an episode of 골미다 (I'm not sure of the English name... Go Gold Miss?) that's airing on Saturday. I'm not really sure why I'm so excited to see it. Living vicariously through women being flustered over handsome men?

I found Hugh's complete failure in speaking Korean and making a general fool of himself very endearing even though I've never been all that big of a fan of his. Somehow hearing him say 'kamsahamniday' (감사합니데이) just warmed my heart.... yeah...

The other thing 골미다 made me curious about was this French guy named Pierre Deporte. Apparently he was on the male version of Misuda, and he is now trying to make his way into acting. It looks like he will be starring in a drama that is coming out sometime this year. It doesn't look especially good, and I doubt he will be a good actor. I'll probably still watch it.

Has a non-Korean ever had a role in the main cast of a K-drama before? I know there are a few non-Koreans in daily and weekend dramas, but what about in the format that most people think of when they think of "drama"?

@ #69 Nea - I picked Sholay, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and Monsoon Wedding, because those are the ones I had on my computer. XD If you have any more suggestions, though, I'm totally open.

@ #76 Pomato - I was totally thinking about that the other day. By "non-Korean," I assume you mean "non-Asian"? Because Ryohei from Soulmate is totally Japanese. :P As for non-Asians, I don't think any have ever made it to the main cast, but I could be wrong..? I'm not sure it'll ever happen, though, unless some Westerner manages to write a drama for Korean television.

My secret goal is to be a "token Caucasian" who will speak fluent, unhalting, NORMAL-SPEED English in a Korean/Taiwanese/Japanese drama, because it always irks me when they have English-speaking people who dumb down their English. I can't handle it. D: I also can't handle Koreans pretending to be fluent when in fact they have terrible, terrible English (Joo Jin Mo, I'm looking at you), but that's a rant for another day.

Let's see . . .

I'm still a little worried about this Epik High ticket thingie being kind of a scam. Apparently there was a snafu with their database, and so they're asking for shipping addies again. See, Tablo, this is what happens when you guys go independent! Tablo, forget that other shit, I want my tix you Stanfurd bastard you!! :D

@fizzle,

"I just noticed an addition to WithS2’s possible future projects. There’s a Korean version of Kekkon Dekinai Otoko coming out? With Ji Jin Hee and Kim So Eun??"

Yeah, I don't know about that one. That was one of Hiroshi Abe's highlight roles (he's one really weird bloke in this baby) in the last 4 years. I think in a K-drama remake, they're going for a "Kang Mae"-ish weird bloke angle. Korean remakes of J-drama classics, I love it. :D

(BTW, South Korea, can you guys do a remake of MARS? I've given up on Japan being bothered, so . . . )

@samsooki,

I'm going to back off the Snow Queen and Sung Yu Ri talk for now, since that's going to take a lot of time. But . . . .

"For instance, I think we might get 9 End 2 Outs next, but if I had a choice between “9 End 2 Outs” or “I’m Sorry, I Love You” how can I choose? They are completely different, and they cannot compare to each other…."

Definitely go with 9 End 2 Outs. This one is a great one to discuss with the missus, since it covers all sorts of territory about relationships between men and women in their 20s. About being best friends, dating a younger man, the effect of old relationships, hitting 30, how you don't really know somebody until they move in, etc. The first half is sort of a grown-up version of Full House. The 2nd half is very different, much more serious. (Also,, a key character introduced in the 2nd half is played by Binnie's then GF. :D ) Finally, the chemistry between Lee Jung Jin and Soo Ae is just too good.

Also, if you're a fan of the Japanese movie, Love Letter, it makes frequent references to it. Also, there's some overlap in themes.

You'll want to wait on MiSa. I personally don't believe in watching tearjerkers in rapid succession, since it weakens the emotional impact of the 2nd show as well as the memory of the 1st.

@70, Sere. You have my email address. Can you send me the link to the website to my email address?

@75, Kender:

That's interesting you say that about Yang Song-ee not being attractive to you.

I sort of feel the opposite. I found her to be very attractive in probably the same way that Kim Rae Won AND Kim Jae Won both liked her. Just something about her. Similarly, like Hyun Bin's character, I would have chosen Kim Sam Soon over any of the airhead waitresses who were attracted to him. And I would have chosen Go Eun Chan over Han Yoo Joo in a heart beat. And for certain, I would have chosen Joo Yoo Rin over Kim Seo Hyun (even though KSH was second in the Miss Korea pageant)

If you have a chance, please re-watch My Love Patzzi and let me know if you still feel the same way. It shouldn't take too long since it's really short- just 10 episodes. You can buy it from YesAsia (the authentic box set) for like $34.99, or even less if you have a working coupon code. I got it for $30 from YesAsia because of a $5 coupon.

@76, Pomato - by main cast, you mean like the lead? And by non-Korean, you are excluding Japanese and Chinese people, and not referring to half-Korean people either right?

-Samsooki

Boy this thing moves fast.

@ Samsooki: Ah, fair point. ^^ In that respect, though, from what I heard it's not the character but the acting that's seen as bland. I really don't know where it comes from either, to be honest: I thought Sung Yuri was very good, and I've certainly seen much, much worse. She took a few eps to work into her character, but she was nowhere NEAR as bad as so many people seem to think. *shrug*

As to the last bit... I think it's just that, well, any fan of kdramas has experienced that obsession with a drama, and related characters and actors. It's not just you, a LOT of people obsess, and like to talk and discuss, and because the feelings are so strong, so goes the feelings to a certain character or actor. People dropped the drama because they thought Sung Yuri's acting was so bad - everything becomes personal. What can ya do? Who knows, maybe her upcoming drama with Ji Sung will make people like her more, again. BTW, I caught some BTS clips of Snow Queen because I wanted to remind myself that Sung Yuri was alive (LOL), and cheer myself up after the souldestroying ending (I was THIS close to not watching the last 2 eps and living on pretending they lived happily ever after, I've never NEEDED a happy ending for 2 characters so bad before ZOMG stabstabstab), and she's way cute! ^^

@ Nea: I find pronunciation easiest, and that's partly because of the dramas/variety shows. It becomes natural. I honestly find pronunciation a breeze, LOL. It's catching things when they talk so fast with such smalll syllables that's my problem.=/ *shrug*

@ Kender: I can rec some Indian movies too, if you like, but there are so many, what type do you want to see/are you leaning towards, or is it just anything good?

@73 Snikki
Are you in the US? If so, Dramafever.com might have it. Haven't checked it in a while though so IDK. As for other streaming sites, umm *is comfortable*. There are a few... a couple were even mentioned in this thread, but there have been complaints -totally justified, btw- about these sites disregarding fansubbers' policies. So um. I don't watch stuff online anymore.

Re: Zettai Kareshi. I liked it, but it was so saaad in the end!

Nobuta is still my fave Jdrama. IDK why exactly. I find the unlikely friendship among these kids who are so different from each other so endearing. Have you watched the whole thing or just the first ep?

BTW, do you need more jdoramas recs?

@Pomato
Do you know if I can see that press conference online somewhere? I'm a big fan of Hugh Jackman!

@Samsooki.
Sure! :D

Watched the first two episodes of Cinderella Man recently . Song Chang Ui is the reason that keep me from dropping it off. I am never a fan of Kwon Sang Woo anyway.

@ 77 Kender & 79 Samsooki

Yeah, I suppose I mean non-Asian. Although the only half-Koreans in the core cast of a K-drama I can think of are Daniel Henney and Eva. As for the dumbed-down English, I suspect that some of the people they hire to play Americans may actually be Russian... or maybe they're just bad actors.

@ 81 Sere

Yeah, they're on YouTube. Just look up "Daniel Henney Hugh Jackman" or something like that.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

As much as I love to commit myself in watching new dramas continuously till the break of dawn--(addiction! ;P) I rather re-watch MNIKSS till City Hall premieres!

My Top 5 -meaning to say i watch numerous times and never get tired.
1. MNIKSS
2. WIAN (for my love of KSA!) ;P
3. Dal Ja's Spring
4. Flowers for my Life
5.Painter of the Wind

It's a very short list, but here's my list of dramas that I actually Liked but will not watch it again...

Bad Couple, Rude Women, 9end 2 outs, Last Scandal of My Life, Stairway To Heaven; Autumn in my Heart (only watched Won Bin's scenes, someone please compile all his scenes for me? j/k! lol); What Happened in Bali; Prince's first Love; Goong; Full HOuse; ALone in Love ; Crazy For You; Snow in August; I am Sam; Please Come Back Soon Ae; Powerful Opponents; 18 VS 29; Tokyo Shower; Wedding; What's up Fox?;

Dramas I want to continue watching but got sidetrack from re-watching MNIKSS (addiction again!) or I just got bored after couple of epis!
1. Jewel in the Palace (I think this is not a boring drama, I will continue watching>)
2. Coffee Prince (stopped at epis 3, will continue watching because of what everyone says it's very good!)
3. Soulmate (epis 2, spoilers killed me to watch this any further)

Sheesshhh! sorry for the long list..Well hey, it's an open thread. ^^

Thanks Dramabeans!

Another amendment to what I said... Eva is apparently half-Japanese and half-Polish, so I suppose she would count on my (kind of non-existent) list if she had been in anything other than a daily drama.

@ mzpakipot, re: Wonbin only in Autumn Tale - YES!!!! =DD He was what got me through that. Him, and the unintenionally LOLtastic Han Chae Young - "SHE ALWAYS TAKES MY STUFF!!!" *snigger* People up there were mentioning watching Autumn Tale if you like Snow Queen? I loved Snow Queen but hated Autumn Tale. It was ridicccculous - EVERYTHING was supposed to be so sad that nothing was sad. Contrived, contrived, contrived.

@ #80 xiahkixiri - I don't really have anything specific I'm looking for.. My paper's on the development of an Indian national identity, and how the changing perception of women in Indian film helps show this. I'd like to stick with mostly mainstream films, though, rather than anything independent. (Although if you have any personal recommendations just for the sake of watching, I'd take those too. ^^)

@ Samsooki - I'm not saying she's not attractive because she wasn't an airhead.. On the contrary, I always prefer girls who are spunky and interesting rather than prim/proper, since I'm more the former type myself. I just didn't see anything attractive about her at all, and she even annoyed me at times. To be honest, I'm probably not going to be able to watch it again; my taste in dramas hasn't really changed a whole lot over the years, and I doubt I'd find it any better now than I did then. ^^;

I am so freaking happy right now. I found out I got the job I wanted to teach in South Korea after graduation and one of my trouble making residents is getting himself evicted.
I AM HAVING THE BEST FREAKING DAY EVER!!!!!

@bellezza, oh do tell! who is Binnie's then GF? I heard a rumor Bada was one of them?

@Pomato
Thanks! :)

@Dele
Congrats!

***
Do you guys have problems with this site today (ie slow loading)? Cos I don't understand if it's a connection problem on my end or not.

@ Kender: If it's women-focus, I'd rec Fashion. I haven't gotten around to seeing this myself yet, but it's really rare to find something so women-centric, and it's supposed to be pretty good. There were movies like Hero no 1, Coolie no 1 etc starring Govinda back in around the 90s that were really popular, but when Biwi (wife) no 1 came out, Govinda didn't want to do it because it was female-centric. I'd rec hero no 1 or biwi no 1, they were a lot of fun! Not too new, not too old. Hmm.. other films I'd rec... Mohabbatein is kinda long but really cool, I used to be obsessed with it. ^^ Something more badass/sleek, Dhoom 2 (Hrithik is to DIE for gorgeous in this movie, a lot of eye candy here). Also Kuch Kuch Hota Hai because it's lovable and awesome and it's kinda what ya spazz over. ^^

@87, Kender -

That's okay.

I have to admit that I didn't know who Jang Nara, the actress, was at all. I just listened to Jang Nara, the singer, and I love her music. Then I found out she was in a short drama that most people thought was kind of silly and predictable and not very deep. And so I was afraid to watch it because I didn't want my high opinion of her to be degraded.

But since it was basically 1/2 the price of other dramas, I bought it, and we watched it. And I really liked it and I thought Jang Nara was really cute and everything. I totally understood why both Kim Rae Won and Kim Jae Won were both totally into Yang Song-ee. When I saw the scenes with Kim Jae Won and Jang Nara, I rooted for KJW to win her heart. And when I saw the scenes with Kim Rae Won, I totally got why he liked her too, and so I rooted for KRW to win. And in the end, in the last episode, well, you know what happens. And so I was happy. But then my wife starts throwing pillows and complaining about Yang Song-ee and criticizing her and making a fuss, and saying how she doesn't get how anyone likes Yang Song-Ee and so on. I love my wife, but I was forced to disagree. But my wife never really explained what her major malfunction was.

I guess I am just curious. The more I know, the more I can figure myself out, I guess.

If I ever become super rich, I am going to start buying up box sets of all the k-dramas that I like and that nobody else likes and then start sending them to everyone to get them to like them too.

-Samsooki

@ #91 xiahkixiri - Thanks for the recs! I'll see if I can find them in town.. (I don't really have time to wait for something through Netflix or anything, alas.) I've heard KKHH is adorable, but so are all of SRK and Kajol's films. ^^

@ #88 Dele - Congrats! What program are you going through? Or did you just directly apply? Teaching in Korea is my backup plan if I don't get into grad school. :P

@ Samsooki - *shrug* Perhaps it's just a matter of taste. I don't really have any favourite actresses, and it takes a really good one for me to notice her at all. (Perhaps because I'm too focused on the men..?)

Hi everyone :) My first every post on dramabeans is actually quite exciting so in the seeming tradition of posts:

@ javabeans: thanks so much for all the work you've done on posting recaps, discussions and analyses (which are a delight to read) as well as all the other news that pops up! I've only been watching Kdramas for the past 2 months or so- I happened across Full House which my cousin recommended (she adores Rain) and since then I've been scoping out the good ones- your drama ratings and everyone's above comments have been really helpful.

@ everyone else: I've just finished watching Coffee Prince to my utter surprise and delight- being Chinese, I can't see China or Taiwan meeting the subject of homosexuality with such...agape for want of a better word. Although I haven't seen all Cdramas to make such a generalisation. I suppose I'm thinking of bans on TV and stuff that that could bring if shown on Chinese TV (thoughts anyone?) Brilliant stuff though, ep 6-12 being simply heartrending.

I hope to enjoy more excellent Kdramas in the future!

Nazreal

@Kender

I worked with Korea Connections (recruiter) to teach for SMOE which is the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. Basically if you want to work in Seoul you work for SMOE as far as public schools go.

Soompi (Teaching English In Korea) has great info about the process.

@Sere

Dramafever.com doesn't have FFML, I'll try to request for it. Or if you think it's worth buying the DVD, then I'll do that instead.

I actually watched all episodes of Nobuta, like I said, I didn't hate it, it was so-so for me. And I sat through it to practice my Nihongo...hehehe.

And yes! More J-drama recs, please! I alternate between k-drama and j-drama. I'm currently watching MNIKSS, after that I need a good j-drama. Thank you! :)

I have question for everyone. Is there anybody who watched My Lovely Kim Sam Soon (My names is Kim Sam Soon) I am corious about others opinions. I just finished to watch it. I like it but I didn't LOVE it. I hate the parts while she was been refered as 'fat' and 'old'. PLEASE anybody who watchs/ed it can you share with me your thoughts.

@ Sere: I love Nobuta, too!! ^^ I wouldn't say it's my absolute favourite, that's probably Nodame Cantabile, but Nobuta was amazing. I love it. <3 And, ZOMG, the fact that Shuji and Akira were the ultimate OTP at the end = <3333 xinfinity. It was so heartwarming and adorable and random yet cool.

"Bad Family" needs -- better yet, demands -- more attention! The chemistry between Nam Sang Mi and Kim Myung Min is incredible! Plus, Sang Mi is THE cutest Korean actress EVER! She overacted in Gourmet (I really really want to like Sweet Spy because I heard she's great in it, but I can't get past the first episode -- the male lead is a wooden doll), but in Bad Family, she's perfect. Love her facial expressions and mannerisms, especially the way she squints her eyes and covers her face with her hands when she's embarrassed! The supporting cast is great too. Initially, it seems like everyone represents a stereotype, but as the drama progresses, you get to see that all the characters have deep, dynamic personalities. It's also a bit like Flowers for My Life in that there is a noticeable absence of heart-wrenching drama and frustrating, makes-you-wanna-throw-you-computer-out-the-window misunderstandings. Character development and cute romance take center stage in what is undoubtedly the warmest and most thoughtful Kdrama I have ever seen (I've watched it twice: last year (right before AP testing!) and this year over Spring Break). I am constantly surprised that it's not as popular as it should be.

PS: To those who are thinking of watching it, I say this: the first episode is a bit annoying, but it really really gets better after that. It's a little cheesy and saccharine, but in a good way. Makes you smile, for sure. Has the romance to please the romcom crowd and the family dyamic to please the older folk.

@77 Kender

As to the role of the Indian Woman in Film I would probably compare a traditional Bollywood flick like "H u m S a a t h - S a a t h H a i n" (1999) (women in a traditional family, a bit boring but this movie shows how life was "supposed" to be) to a more modern one like e.g. Monsoon Wedding and throw in let's say "Market" (2003) (movie about a prostitute). Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is interesting as well because it is one of the first blockbusters introducing expatriates as hero and heroine - it shows both their "behaviour" abroad and in India.

I am really not sure whether three movies will shed enough light on the subject, seems to me you should start with Mother India (from 1957) and then take a look at maybe one movie every 10 years, you could take the blockbusters... or you could compare Mother India to more recent movies.

Good Luck!

And of course THANK YOU to everybody giving feedback to my RSS Reader poll.