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Open Thread #79

 

Friday!

SONG OF THE DAY

Madeleine Peyroux – “I Must Be Saved” [ Download ]

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This drama is cool.

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@Snikki.

Ah ack, sorry! Look, I haven't watched the whole thing so far, but imho it's worth buying the boxsets. Javabeans rated 10/10 iirc. She also recapped it, just so you know. I think this drama is very unique and refreshing, but maybe that's just me.

oh btw, totally random question, do you have a livejournal account?

As for jdoramas recs, any preferences? Genres you'd like to watch? Genres you'd rather avoid?

I finished Love Shuffle yesterday and...I don't know what I think of it yet. The first ep was meh, then it was *great*, but the last few eps left me a bit baffled (but I think I'm biased here. Tptb touched a topic I'm quite sensitive to and when a couple of characters had to react to that topic, they made me...frown a lot). Overall, it was nice. Matsuda Shota and Tamaki Hiroshi star in it, so woohoo!

I started Voice with Eita and Ikuta Toma. It's awesome! I haven't watched all the eps yet and if we're lucky tptb are going to avoid repetitive stories, but so far? Is very very nice. Toma impressed me so much in this!

Have you watched Hana Kimi e? Hana Yori Dango? Nodame Contabile? Honey & Clover? H&C is all about art and art students and I may be the only one who liked it LOL. Akai ito is one of the best of this season though sometimes it was too over the top, but whatever, I wasn't too bothered.

If you're in for a good laugh (as in, point at the screen and laugh and/or mock), then you should check out Mei-chan no Shitsuji. It's one of the silliest things I've ever seen, but it's also light and fun. It was pretty popular

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@ 98 xiahkixiri
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that ending. I've tried to watch the whole drama without the BL googles on (I was rooting for Akira/Nobuko), but come on, that ending was priceless however you choose to interpret it. I love it. Then again, my love for Akira knows no bounds sooo ;)

I liked Nodame, but it was much too slapstick for my tastes. Have you watched the movie yet?

@songpong
Well said! *cheers*

@La Fea
Look, when I watched it alone, whenever people talked about Sam soon like that I frowned. I honestly didn't see her fat at all. Then my sis watched a few eps and said the same thing. I think it's a cultural thing. I may be wrong about this -and guys feel free to correct me if I'm wrong- but Korean society is a bit obssessed with looks and, specifically, weight. Or rather, maybe a bit more obssessed than other cultures. That is all.

And I'd wait for Samsooki comment now. I'd like to hear his pov on this.

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@ #100 AnitaLotti - I have a wide variety of articles and books about a bunch of other films (including Mother India), but I was looking for extra movies that I could watch and analyze myself, that my university or public library would actually have in stock or that I could watch online. Thanks for your input, though!

On the topic of Jdramas, they were actually my introduction to the world of Asian pop culture. (I somehow missed the boat on anime, which is why all of my friends like it and I don't really care about it at all beyond a few series.)

Hana Yori Dango is good (of course), although I couldn't get past the first episode of the second season. (The "ghetto" black guys going after Tsukushi had me writhing in embarrassment, as well as all of the bad English, and I couldn't continue.) The Taiwanese Hana Kimi is HILARIOUS, but I never watched the Japanese version. Nodame Cantabile is what Beethoven Virus should have been, and I loved every minute of it. (The manga and anime are adorable as well.)

I haven't seen anyone mention Last Friends yet.. It's a really good Jdrama, but it treads an interesting line between dark, violent, realistic, and funny. If you can't handle domestic violence, I'd suggest you stay away from it, but I fell in love with the storytelling and Eita (I've seen him in other things, but he tugged at my heartstrings here). Also, Ruka's character has an intriguing storyline that would appeal to people interested in LGBT/transgender issues. (Spoiler? Probably, but it comes out fairly quickly, so it's not a huge one.)

Another Jdrama I'm a fan of is Densha Otoko (hated the movie, loved the drama), which is adorable and hilarious. It's also wildly popular, too, so I don't feel the need to say a whole lot about it.

One of my favourite Jdramas EVER, though, is Stand Up!!. It's about four high school boys who discover they're the last four virgins in school. They then make a pact to keep their virginity for as long as possible, until they start to develop crushes on various girls. It's HILARIOUS, and surprisingly well-written. It's also not very crude (well, not as much as it could be, given the subject matter), although there's a fair amount of foul language and sexual innuendo thrown in. It's geared towards the younger (mid-teen to early 20's) crowd, though, so it's not a drama that will appeal to everyone.

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@La Fea
And btw, I loved it. It's one of my fave dramas of all times. One of the best things about it is Jin-Heon, how much he loves Sam soon and how he's never been bothered by her weight. Cos he loves *her*, everything of her. The "oh come on, when can I touch/hold you? I can't wait any longer" scene at the hotel was simply wonderful. :D

@104 Kender
Oh do try to get past that ep! S2 is actually quite good.

Re: last friends. I have it, but can't bring myself to watch it. I know it's good, but domestic violence? Ahhh. I don't know if I can handle it.

Re: Stand up. It's on my list. Young!Yamapi and young!Shun? I'm all for it. LOL

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@ Sere Thanks for answering I agree with you she is not fat woman and very pretty. I see profile of actress and before ther role she was 50 kg and her height 1,70 I said wow. This is too much difference. I understand being thin but now it all turning to zero worshiping. in Turkey she is ideal type and also a Brasilian friend of mine says Korean actresses are too thin for Brasilian men ha ha ha. But this is same most of part in the world. They supporting zero size. Do you ever watch any Ugly Betty adaptions? They (Bettys around the world) are a bit unfasion and a bit less glomour than other women and they call her 'ugly'. This is unfair.

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Speaking of Epik High coming stateside... is anyone planning on going to the show in NYC?
Am I behind or It seems like like haven't released the venue or announced a way to but tickets yet for any of the US shows? Buying the album was already a pain in the behind...their website doesn't feel very secure.
Would love to know more if anyone's got more scoop on this.

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Happy Friday to everyone.

I always enjoy reading your BOYS OVER FLOWERS reviews and am sad I won't be able to any longer. :((((

A couple of people were asking about any other good dramas to watch after the end of this masterpiece.

I'm semi-seriously watching Pure 19
....and when I mean 'semi-seriously' I mean I'm pretty much watching all the episodes and forwarding through the various other couple's marital woes.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

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@La Fea
Ugly Betty rocks. But in this case, I think the Ugly in the title is ironic in that -maybe...this is me speculating, ok?- in the World of Fashion (portrayed in this show) only top models or model-looking people are considered "beautiful" and yet they are cold/arrogant/mean whereas Betty, who's supposed to be the "ugly" duck, is actually the most beautiful of the bunch.

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@Nazreal,

"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 . . ."

Ahhh, maybe not on TV no. But our greatest idol, Leslie Cheung, was openly and proudly gay. And of course, you have movies like Happy Together and Farewell, My Concubine.

I would also back off calling Coffee Prince a drama about homosexuality though. Yes, in its own way, it riffed off the ultimate fantasy of converting a straight man (esp. if that straight man was, like, your best friend) and bits here and there, allude to the standard "if you can only accept us!" gay romance trope. Still, though . . . As slightly OT, Moon Geun Young's performance in Painter of the Wind is fun in its own right, because kinda riffs off the "drag king" trope. It's not that she's dressed up or imitating a boy; it's that she's transformed herself into a true bad ass, artist as grease monkey, Ferris Buehler's day off in Chosun.

There's also 2008's J-drama "Last Friends", where Ueno Juri's Ruka loves her best friend Nagasawa Masami's Michiru. It's agonizing, not because Ruka Juri is afraid Michiru won't feel the same way, but because she'll probably lost her best friend forever if Michiru finds out. And that's just one aspect of the story and Ruka's predicament. Sigh . . . Ueno Juri's performance seriously haunted me.

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@moomincandylalala,

"Am I behind or It seems like like haven’t released the venue or announced a way to but tickets yet for any of the US shows?"

The tickets are out on the mapthesoul website. I bought mine for House of Blues in LA. Or, at least, I think I did. I got the e-mail receipt, but it's not official until I get the actual tix. Just hoping this isn't some ruse, that's all.

@Sere and Last Friends,

Let's put it this way. The villain in Story of Man is chilling. But I actually FELT physically ill during the DV scenes from Last Fiends.

For example, in one scene Nikishida Ryo is KICKING Masami Nagasawa in the stomach. And I mean Nagasawa is like COUGHING for Ryo to stop. What's chilling about it is that Ryo batters the crap out of her without a tinge of anger or sadness. It's almost robotic, like he has absolutely no feeling of anything in that moment. Toward the last 1/3 of the show, Michiru (who is Nagasawa's character) is pretty close to being emotionally destroyed. That's also hard to watch, because it's a pretty spot on take on domestic violent relationships.

Honestly, I was a little angered that hardcore Nikishida Ryo fans stood up for his character at the end of the show. I seriously wanted his character to burn in hell. As well as the ending, which to me was WAY too sympathetic. I don't usually get that way about a story, but it offended me on a very basic level that prevented me from fully valuing Ryo taking such a huge risk, given that he is after all a Johnny boy.

Last Friends was written by the same person who adapted NaNa. So, in a way, Last Friends is NaNa taken to its logical conclusion.

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@102 sere

"I finished Love Shuffle yesterday and…I don’t know what I think of it yet. "

Interesting you say this - I watched the first episode a couple weeks ago and then it slipped off my radar. I didn't find it bad nor the initial plot boring - but I just couldn't feel any attachment ("attraction" if you so will) to any of the characters. And then I did that bad thing that I like to do - I skipped to the last episode to see who got with who - and was disappointed when I didn't see the outcome I wanted (I just feel Matsuda Shota should have been the main male protagonist - and from the ending it looks like he isnt. Or at least, he doesn't get the girl. Then again, I'm guessing who the "girl" is because she was the only female out of the initial foursome).

Speaking of jdoramas, I'll mention that I am sort of interested in the upcoming Fujiki Naohito drama "Yako no Kaidan". The plot doesn't sound great tbh - but it appears he will be playing a sexy character, which is awesome. Ever since I saw Love Revolution and realized just how unbelievably sexy he is, I've been a fan.

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@ #111 belleza - I agree with you about the horribleness of the domestic violence bits, but I'm going to have to disagree with you about Ryo--Last Friends convinced me that he can actually act. I BELIEVED that he was that character, and I started to actually hate him before I managed to separate the two. Once I did, though, I grew to really like him. It's seriously chilling how well he portrayed his character. It didn't stop me from appreciating the storytelling or his acting, though.. If anything, I'm glad he took the role, because themes like domestic violence don't get nearly enough exposure.

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"Speaking of jdoramas, I’ll mention that I am sort of interested in the upcoming Fujiki Naohito drama “Yako no Kaidan”."

Fujiki Naohito = win. I was looking forward to this one too.

I'm watching his drama with Haruka Ayase right now. Speaking of her, can't wait for the new Kimataku show.

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@Sere

I don't have a livejournal account, may I ask why?

I've already seen Hana Kimi and HYD. For now, I'm really into rom coms. Anything light and fun to watch. And I forgot about Mei-chan no Shitsuji, you mentioned that before, I guess that would be next in line after MNIKSS.

And Kender mentioned Stand UP!! which sounds interesting...hmm...

Gaahh! So many dramas, so little time...I'm afraid I'm neglecting my boyfriend!

@mzpakipot

You listed Flowers for my life on your top 5, is it worth getting the box set?

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@belleza

"I’m watching his drama with Haruka Ayase right now. Speaking of her, can’t wait for the new Kimataku show."

Hotaru no Hikari?? i LOVE that show. My first jdorama and the only drama I actually got my boyfriend to watch to completion - he was kicking and screaming for the first episode ..... and ended up watching the entire show in one sitting by himself.

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@Liv,

"I BELIEVED that he was that character, and I started to actually hate him before I managed to separate the two. Once I did, though, I grew to really like him."

Oh I agree. He was just chilling. For me, I didn't have problems separating Ryo from Sosuke; it was more that I had problems with Ryo fans who were defending Sosuke (esp. in the last 1/3 show) BECAUSE he was being played by Ryo.

I liked Ryo's performance. He gets colder and colder (minus the rain scene) as the show progresses, and I definitely felt fear whenever he was around. Though, I was also disappointed with how Last Friends turned into a DV drama (i.e. the "beating of the day") when the show seemed to promise more. There's aspects to being an aggressors like Sosuke that I felt didn't get properly written into the show. Yes, Sosuke had a violent past. Yes, Sosuke really did love Michiru. Yes, Sosuke probably meant to change. But those points weren't really engaged in the way Michiru, Ruka, and Takeru's issues were.

And in sense, Sosuke became less realistic to me, more of a ghoul.

Gawd the cell phone bits really disturbed me too. And those hate letters he sent to Ruka. Gawd. It just felt so evil.

"Hotaru no Hikari?? i LOVE that show. My first jdorama and the only drama I actually got my boyfriend to watch to completion "

Yup!! I've just started, but I LOVE Office Lady dramas.

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@Snikki

Flowers for My Life is definitely worth your money. Great story, great throwback music, great tone... The quirkiness of the series, coupled with the mellow music, sorta reminds me of films directed by Cameron Crowe. Just a little.

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I never thought I'd post again. haha. (because I'm actually watching right now. lol)

Sere:
I watch Jdramas too, and right now I'm watching Maou. Anyway, I suggest that you do watch Last Friends. Yeah, its a dark drama, but I find it really different from the usual dramas, and that's what I like too.

To those who wants to watch Jdramas: I suggest you watch Kimura Takuya dramas. They wouldn't disappoint you, I swear. For KT dramas, you can start with Pride and Hero. Well, I would suggest his old dramas (like Love Generation and Long Vacation), but they're really old, and that's just my personal choice (to watch old Jdramas). For dark dramas, I suggest you watch A Million stars falling from the sky and Byakuyaku (starring Yamada Takayuki and Ayase Haruka). Nodame Cantabile is good too, same with Hana kimi.

Back to Kdramas. I would definitely be watching Flowers first, and I think I'll watch one episode a day so I can be able to ponder about it after watching.

I'm looking forward to City Hall. And if JB likes Story of a Man, it'll be next on my list as well.

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@belleza

"Yup!! I’ve just started, but I LOVE Office Lady dramas."

I guessed as much. I think I've mentioned this is in another (open?) thread but on your recommendation I watched Anego. And loved it and recommended it to my sister. Who loved it and recommended it to her best friend. Who is currently loving it. And the chain shall continue....

@Kender RE: How to meet a perfect neighbour

You know, that drama was a strange one. I felt like at regular intervals during the series, the writer got bored with the current plot and introduced a new one. 3/4s into the drama and there were like 10 different stories going on. Each of them interesting in their own way - some more than others - and all could probably have been a series on its own. There was the murder of the young woman, the jealous husband story, the Cinderella'd Bae Doo Na and her tarty older sister, the boss-secretary angle, the arranged marriage, the murder of the boyfriend at the beginning of the show, the corporate drama, the paternity issue....... At points I felt like this was deliberate - that it wasnt supposed to be a show about 1 or 2 people but a whole neighbourhood - and at other times I felt like the writer was just throwing a new plot at us because she/he could. Despite this, I did enjoy the drama. The friendship between Baek Soo Chan and Jung Yoon Hee was so adorable. I just felt with a little more restraint, it could have been a really good one.

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"and Byakuyaku (starring Yamada Takayuki and Ayase Haruka). "

Just a warning on Byakuyaku . . . it's rough watching it. Sekachu was sad, but Byakuyaku is really, really sad.

"I suggest you watch Kimura Takuya dramas. They wouldn’t disappoint you, I swear. For KT dramas, you can start with Pride and Hero"

Worth mentioning that Pride (which is still one of my all-time favorite feel-good romances) is considered "minor" KT in the Kimtaku. drama. You got his major work during the "Golden age of Jdorama" era: Love Generation, Hero, Beautiful Life, Gift. Then you have his middle period: Engine, Pride, Good Luck. Now, you have his "Kimura Takuya, Serious Actor" period: Karei naru Ichizoku, Change.

Mr Brain looks like it'll be fun. There's two major staples of J-drama: medical dramas and forensic/mystery shows. This looks a fusion of the two done for comedy, by the writer of the Trick series.

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@Liv,

The difference between an OL drama and a workplace romance drama is that the former is its focus on the "neurotic", "eccentric", "quirky", and "disappointed", in other words, the realness of being who you are. It's about the limited choices out there and your biological clock and being unapologetically lazy and your mom+dad constantly nagging on you and about you wanting real happiness and discovering real things about yourself, while your friends blah blah blah . . .

Yup. I like them very much. :D Ryoko Shinohara (who's the Queen of the OL genre) dramas are kind of a staple for me. It's also the one genre that isn't represented enough in K-drama, though I'm not really sure why. Stuff like Soulmate, My Sweet Soul and My Name is Kim Sam Soon.

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FDHFJSKDFHDSKH Hotaru no Hikari! So much cuteness, OMG. Fujiki Naohito is sex, unf unf.

@ belleza - Yeah, I can see the "ghoul" aspect of Ryo... I almost wish the show was an episode or two longer so we can deal with all of HIS issues. That boy is a piece of work, woo.

@ #120 Liv - Haha, I can totally see that! I do enjoy the drama though.. It's nice to have something that's not 100% focused on romance, and the neighbourhood dynamics are really cute. (Plus, Park Shi Hoo = adorable in the extreme.) It's the show that my roommate and I bond over, with me explaining the cultural significance of some action or other and her tearing into the symbolism of some scene. We haven't finished it yet.. We're only on episode 12 or so, but I'm interested to see what the writer has in store.

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@112 Liv

Uh no. Actually, it's an ensemble-cast drama...I don't think there's a "proper" male lead but I do feel that Kei (Tamaki Hiroshi) got a bit more screentime than the others, but overall? not much more than the others. Shota has a LOT of screentime during the series, but esp at the ending. There IS a partner for him. ;)

Also? There was a plot twist I didn't see coming. Like at all. I didn't expect the series to go down that path at all. I was a bit miffed at the reactions of Kei and Aiai to that twist, but that's beside the point. Heh

@111 belleza and 119 rora

I am definately going to watch it, just not now. A friend of mine keeps raving about it (she even sent me the dvds!) so I'm going to watch sooner or later...it's just that I need to be in the right frame of mind, you know?

"So, in a way, Last Friends is NaNa taken to its logical conclusion."
Interesting you'd say that cos I can't quite see how such a dark dorama as Last friends is supposed to be the logical conclusion to NaNa? I mean, I get NaNa is all about friendship and so is Last Friends, but could you please elaborate a bit more? I'm so intrigued!

@Rora
I am going to watch The devil before watching Maou. I want to watch the original first and I'm sure if I were to watch Maou first, I'd get spoiled and then I wouldn't appreciate The devil much. Plus, I kind of have a thing against Ohno and I don't think my appreciation for Ikuta Toma can quite overcome that. Ah, long story.

@115 Snikki Re: LJ
Ah, weeelll, there are a few communities which you might be interested in.

@everyone who watches Jdoramas.

Gosh, so many new interesting ones are coming out soonish. The new one with Horikita Maki, Smile with MatsuJun, the one with Fujiki Naohito (definately watching this), etc. I don't even know which one to choose. Gah! What about you?

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Thanks for the info on your cousin, Javabeans! That's pretty funny, actually!

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@ belleza: I understand what you mean about not labelling Coffee Prince as solely about homosexuality because of course it isn't (hence: 'agape') and it was not at all my intention to label it as such- it was just for the purpose of making my point about Cdramas.

I'm very intrigued by the other dramas you mentioned and hope to watch them soon :) (especially 'Last Friends' - sounds interesting and not a little intense!) and am not at all unaware of Leslie Cheung's brilliance as an actor, nor writers like Lilian Lee who can deal so poignantly with issues like homosexuality.

I agree that the Coffee Prince homosexual theme, if you like, was riffed by the idea of turning a straight guy (so to speak) and it being resolved by Eun Chan actually being a girl, but the play on gender confusion and androgny was fun but serious and I'd like to see more Cdramas (as in the popular type soaps you get on TV) unafraid of handling stuff like that.

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@97, La Fea,

With respect to My Name is Kim Sam Soon, I have some critiques. For example, there are parts of the story arc that I thought could have been tighter, some of the scenes could have been edited better, and certainly, the production values could have been higher, and some of the acting was a bit uneven to be sure. It was, more or less, a little bit sloppy.

But to me, it is my favorite k-drama by far. It is also my wife's favorite. And it is one of the most popular Korean dramas ever from a ratings perspective, and as you probably can guess, it is one of the most popular ones to cross-over to other cultures even outside of Asia as well. I think NBC recently bought rights to it so as to make an American version for the fall season of 2009-2010.

The parts you referred to, where Sam Soon was criticized by others (including her mom) for being overweight or old, well, that was (and is) a reflection on Korean society and culture, and how many Korean moms feel and say. The series wasn't saying that Sam Soon was fat or old; the series was saying that Korean society thinks that Sam Soon was fat and old, and that that way of thinking is not right.

By having Kim Sam Soon being a sympathetic person, a champion in her own right, and a person that the audience should fall in love with, the series is making an important point about the value of a human being and the worthiness of the individual, regardless of her social class, the amount of money that she has, whether she graduated from college (and which college), the background of her parents, whether her parents are both alive, whether she is nearing 30, whether she is not 45 kg, etc. The series champions Kim Sam Soon (hence the proud title, "MY NAME is Kim Sam Soon") and yes, she doesn't act, look like or even sound like the "ideal" Korean woman of marriage-able age. But I love Kim Sam Soon's humanity, her down-to-earth realness, her drive to make her dreams come true, her integrity, her willingness to take a chance on love, again and again, her optimism despite everything that is negative, her strength to overcome obstacles, her fire, her skill, her care and love, and just about everything else about the character. THESE are the elements of what an "ideal" woman should be like, and THESE are the elements that made me just fall for Kim Sam Soon.

And Kim Sunah played the role of Kim Sam Soon with such grace and dignity, and a lot of vulnerability and humanity. And for that, and for Hyun Bin's foil character and for his awesome performance, and for all the comedy and plot twists and for little Mi Joo who is just the cutest girl (perhaps other than the girl in Bad Family), and for all of the reasons I listed above, My Name Is Kim Sam Soon is just awesome.

So, all of my criticisms of MNIKSS really don't amount to anything. I really don't care that Daniel Henney was nearly laughable as a doctor, and it didn't bother me that the CEO's personal assistant was just....catatonic for no reason? Or that Kim Sam Soon's ex-bf was a little unrealistic. And I don't care that the series repeated basically 3-4 songs the entire series, or that a lot of the scenes were kind of low budget.

MNIKSS is my favorite K-drama and I'm not sure what I can see in the future that would make me feel differently.... although my wife and I are going to start Soulmate in about 10 minutes, right after I finish posting.

Hope that helps,

-Samsooki

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@123 Kender

Ooooops - I didn't realize you hadn't finished How to Meet a Perfect Neighbour, hence all the spoilers. Oh man I suck. Don't re-read what I wrote :P

@124 Sere

Ok - I guess making all sorts of assumptions based on the first episode, and the last 2 minutes of the last was in fact, the wrong thing to do. I've learned my lesson (sort of). I'll probably pick Love Shuffle back up at some point.

As for which jdorama I'm going to watch - probably the one with Fujiki Naohito. Love him.

Ok, heading out. Have a great weekend everyone!

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@99, songpong:

Bad Family rocketed up my list of favorite k-dramas, up to #5. I think you will find that many regular dramabeans people who just adore Bad Family, including me and my wife.

And I like Nam Sang Mi too. She did a fantastic job, and again, I agree with you, better than what she did in Gourmet (although there were scenes in Gourmet that I thought she did a great job).

So I agree with you in all respects. One of the best dramas I've seen, and I liked everybody and their performances very much. Just a nice story, great actors, fun story, heart warming and interesting. :)

-Samsooki

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@Snikki re: Flowers for my life<<It has everything, from comedy to melodrama..
I cried buckets for this drama, and it had a satisfying ending. It was really different from Autumn in My Heart or Stairway iN heaven where it left a huge heartbreak for me --starts with the main couple being happy then then struck with cancer then suicide....hope that helps..^^

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Sere: Haha. I was actually planning on watching The Devil first, but then, my love for Toma is stronger than JJH's and UTW. :) (but really, there's a reason behind it too why I saw Maou first. which I just wrote down on the next few sentences) I like Ohno, I appreciate him, but not as much as I like Toma, you know? Anyway. Yeah. I really WAS supposed to start on The Devil but then I read some spoilers about the story (accidentally; darn them! lol), so I decided, heck, I might as well just start with Maou since I already know what's going to happen.

Belleza: Sekachu was the first Jdrama I've seen, and I haven't read ANY spoilers about it, and I gotta say, that was one of the best dramas, along with Byakuyakou. Yamada and Ayase are a good match, right? And I love Byakuyakou too. Ok. I love dark dramas, period.

About Kimura, it doesn't matter to me what role he plays. lol. All the dramas that I mentioned in my post are my fave Kimura dramas though. That's how much I love him.

RE: Last Friends. I like this drama a lot, and I think Ueno Juri, Ryo, and Eita did really well. Not too much impressed on Masami though. I was a bit annoyed with her character at the end. Comparing Last Friends and NaNa? It's about friendship, but with NaNa (I've only seen the first movie and read some parts of the manga) its a platonic friendship on both sides while with Last Friends its a one-sided love. But in the end....... And I won't say much about it.

RE: New Jdramas. I simply cannot wait for Nodame movie and Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara SP starring Inoue Mao and Ninomiya Kazunari. Oh, and Maki's new drama too.

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@rora,

"Yamada and Ayase are a good match, right? And I love Byakuyakou too. Ok. I love dark dramas, period"

I know it's a bit of a cliche for him, but I love Yamada when he does the melancholy hero. Taiyou no Uta was kinda . . . (LOVE the score), but I loved him in H2.

Since seeing him and Han Hyo Joo in that one photo, I kinda imagined them doing a K-J drama together. That would be fun. :)

@Nazreal,

"I agree that the Coffee Prince homosexual theme, if you like, was riffed by the idea of turning a straight guy (so to speak) and it being resolved by Eun Chan actually being a girl"

Oh definitely. More or less, I actually treated the first half of Coffee Prince as a love story between men (after all, Choi Han Kyul doesn't know..) To me, Eun Chan being a girl was a "safety valve" to make the show palatable to a conservative audience. The vibe between them is almost a chaste representation of the rich ol' coot and his beautiful boy thing, you know?

That's what I love about Gong Yoo's performance. There's an awakening with Choi Han Kyul, you know? The jokes since childhood about his relationship with his cousin Choi Han Seong. The way he smiles when looking at Eun Chan's face in the pictures. The sense that he feels somehow dead inside before meeting Eun Chan, and that this both frightens, yet revitalizes his soul. He loves Eun Chan's poutiness and unassuming directness, far from Han Kyul's privileged distance. The way Han Kyul tries to rationalize their friendship, tries to put "labels" on it, and how Eun Chan does his damndest to make it work for him because he loved him so much. The beach scene when Choi Han Kyul is in so much anguish. OMG the way he SMELLS him, how he wants to stroke his hair. And he just can't do it. Just can't.

What's funny is I also think Coffee Prince may be the one show where a Western audience would watch it pretty differently than a domestic Asian audience. We watch it through gaydar. They watch it and gawk at all the princes.

@kender,

"I almost wish the show was an episode or two longer so we can deal with all of HIS issues."

And, see, that's what bothered me. I spent so much of the story around Sosuke "hunting" Michiru and her friends, but surprisingly little about what went on in his head.

And even, I thought the story *was* too much about Sosuke's reign of terror. Takeru's story had me just as intrigued, and I felt that Eita's marvelous performance was a little wasted.

I think the thing is, there was such a marvelously nuanced web between the 4 characters. That you could see how each of them reflected the other in some way and how their interaction or relationship affected the other.

@Sere,

"he new one with Horikita Maki, Smile with MatsuJun, the one with Fujiki Naohito (definately watching this), etc."

Oh hun. I'm SO SO SO behind in my J-drama watch list that I'm actually scared of starting. :D

"it’s just that I need to be in the right frame of mind, you know?"

Honestly, I watched it with a good drink sometimes to swallow some of its ugliness.

Now, I should also say that the friendship between Michiru and Ruka made me cry a lot. It was beautifully done, especially the depth of Ruka's love for Michiru was somehow inspirational to me. She loved her THAT much, you know? And the acting betwen Eita and Juri as Takeru and Ruka is just so good. So good. Perfect J-drama chemistry. Perfect.

There's a lot of compassion, honesty, and tenderness between Michiru, Ruka, and Takeru. Without giving it away, you can say that *being* Ruka is agony for Ruka. That the thing she is most terrified of is somebody finding out her secret and that she'll be exposed as a "freak." And Ueno Juri just portrays all this, you can sense, from the extent of her abilities and imagination.

"Interesting you’d say that cos I can’t quite see how such a dark dorama as Last friends is supposed to be the logical conclusion to NaNa? I mean, I get NaNa is all about friendship and so is Last Friends, but could you please elaborate a bit more? I’m so intrigued!"

Ah, well, NaNa is *kinda* yuri story in the way that Fruits Baskets is *kinda* yaoi ("what do you mean it's *kinda* yaoi, belleza. It IS yaoi!! No paddles for you missie! :D " ) The movie was extremely popular because it emphasized the unlikely friendship between a kawai and a kogal girl. Last Friends is also like this: Michiru is kawai; Ruka is kogal. But where the two NaNas kiss out of fun, well in the first episode of Last Friends . . .

Again, it's worth watching. :D

Odes to odd couple friendships is a popular staple in Japanese teen dramas and movies (Swing Girls, Linda Linda Linda, KAMIKAZE GIRLS/Shimotsuma Monogatari), but Asano Taeko adapted the Nana manga as a kind of platonic romance between the two girls. Even though they are a mismatched duo, from almost the first minute, there's almost no sense of conflict or difference between them. They immediately click. Of course, they don't fall in love with each other, but this kind of super-intense, super idealized variation of BFF is what made the movie (and the manga) so popular. So, when Last Friends was conceived, it was kinda with the popularity of Nana in mind. They decided to take it one step further. Why not this time, have the kogal girl be in love with the kawai girl? Why not complete the connection? Why not have Asano Takeo tweak the "junai" formula?

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@Kender,

I don't know how strictly your professor is defining "Indian" women in film, but note that Monsoon Wedding is not an Indian movie--it is an American movie made by an Indian. Putting aside the fact that I think Mira Nair is a hack, if you want to do this credibly, you should evaluate Indian women made by the Indian film industry. Movies like Water, Monsoon Wedding, or Slumdog Millionaire are not Indian movies, just as a movie by a Chinese-American in America is not a Chinese movie.

For Indian movies, you can explore two of the industries there: Bollywood and Calcutta. From Calcutta, you can pick movies by Satyajit Ray (not sure how the name is spelled in English). Your library--like any self respecting library--should have his movies. Pick CHARULATA, if you can locate it. It is based on a short story by a famous Bengali writer and is about a young wife of a famous reporter during British rule, who falls in love with her playful brother-in-law. It is a fantastic portrait of a young woman becoming aware of her intelligence, ability to love and be loved.

From Bollywood, I would recommend VEER ZAARA. It is about a Pakistan Muslim girl who falls in love with an Indian Hindu boy, and it is very much about how she empowers herself. The movie, as most Indian movies, treats Pakistan and Pakistani Muslims negatively and the movie is ultimately very pro-Hindu, but two of India's best actresses are in the movie--and they are terrific and have central roles throughout the movie. The music is absolutely fantastic too.

Dilwale is a cute movie, but I don't know if I would use it to understand female roles in Indian movies though! But maybe your professor won't really care?

--
On SNOW QUEEN: Samsooki, you might have a point about gender differences affecting responces to Yuri. I know that on Soompi and even other fan sites, there is a markedly more caustic response to beautiful actresses. Some of it is just plain cattiness--especially when the women are cast against a leading hottie that everyone has the hots for. All that said, as a woman who loves women (not in that way, but as a feminist), Yuri is a one godawful actress.

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@ Samsoki thanks for answering and I kinda agree with you. I've seen this drama online with HORRİBLE translation in Turkish. So please consider it too. Because I couldn't pay attention to music. Daniel Henney was not that good but his role was not big either. But personally I can not say that I got the message about it is wrong to referre her as fat and old. I knew it is like that USA and some part of Europe but I am sad to know that Korean society thinks that way. One more question what do you think about American remake? It is just a project right now if I am not wrong. But again do you think they will able to make succes. At least it is something that I can show people, my friends who refuse to watch Asian poduction :(

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Javabeans, I have asked this before, and I will ask again, but would you consider opening a J-drama section on this blog? There are such good J-dramas that I watch and then have no one to chat with--I can has no friends (who share my obsession).

Maybe you can set up a poll to gauge interest?

I really want to chat about Nobuta Wa Produce! Something about that drama--which I watched last weekend--unnerved me. Yup, you heard me--I found this cute high school story unnerving. Why? Jeez, dunno where to start?

So, yeah--alternoblog or section for J-drama fans? pleeeeeease?

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@135, Honestly, I'm open to the idea, but the problem is -- who would actually cover the j-section? I don't watch enough jdramas to do with them what I do with kdramas, and other than just making open threads, I'd have no content to put in a jdrama section. Although I still think it would be hilaaaaarious to have a "sister site" with Doramabeans. ;) Hm, I should register that?

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Belleza: I haven't seen Taiyou no Uta and to be honest, I have no plans on seeing it, no matter how I adore Yamada (nothin against Sawajiri Erika) . And yeah, I do like him as a melancholic hero. It makes him more pitiful and at the same time lovable (for me, that is). I have seen Crows Zero movie (with Oguri Shun!), and I liked his character there too. Or rather, his portrayal.

Samsooki: I take it that you're watching Soulmate with your wife now? I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Re: Coffee Prince. I never really thought of CP as that kind of drama. I mean, yeah, it does tackle some 'gay issues' but then, I don't know. It really depends on how a person would take it and also its based on cultural influences as well. Coming from a South East Asian country that has a lot of Western influences has broadened the minds of the people regarding these issues. Although, the Church is still against that. (yeah, religion's another thing to consider.. which I would never discuss of course. lol.) Yep. Got nothing much to say about it. I enjoyed it a lot, and its one of those dramas that I can watch over and over again.

Javabeans, I have a question. Do you think Dramafever would be serving Canada too sometime in the future? Because you said that right now its only available in the US, right? Do they have some announcements that they'll make the dramas available in Canada? Thanks.

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Javabeans,

You have point there: without your content, the site would be a series of open threads it seems, and I don't see it working as well. Since the intention or hope is to recreate for J-dramas what you have here for K-dramas, without your coverage and input, it'll be just another site (of many). Sigh.

Maybe you have readers who would be willing to guest blog? Maybe if a couple of dramas are highlighted each month, someone would be willing to summarize them and set up discussion? I would be willing to help out, but I am not a native speaker and will be reliant on the moods and whims of fansubbers and technology.

Also, I can't tell how many j-drama fans there are on this site, so would any work be worth it?

...but then again, just the freaking awesomeness of having a sister site called doramabeans make all other arguments moot.

Well, maybe having these open threads for J-drama discussion will suffice. If you register the site, I will try to help, but I probably don't have the dedication you have so I would hate to fizzle out after a while. I do tend to catch a J-drama or two every other month, and now with more and more fansubbing teams out there (like viikii)...

Bah, I am going back and forth. But, damn, doramabeans ftw.

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@131 rora
My reason is much shallower. One of Ohno's latest projects freaked me out. Or rather, the promo pics...totally reminded me of scary clowns à la IT and I kind of got scared. I know, that's insane, but there you have it. And I lovelovelove Toma, but that's not enough. Someday, I'll be ready to face Onho as the scary guy! *facepalm*

I thought the Nodame movie was out and subbed already? I watched it. Either that or I hallucinated doing so. Unless of course there were 2 movies?

@Belleza.
I see. OMG, thanks for the exhaustive (sp?) reply. See, it's not fair: and now Last friends is on top of my jdorama must-watch list. ACK! I was going to watch CatStreet next.

@Javabeans and Nom-Nom-Nom Kitteh

There must be someone willing to help up with that? I mean, I'll check out some LJ comms and see if there's anyone interested, but I'm more on Korean-related comms so hm, I don't know how much that can help.

Isn't it possible that the idea of a sister-site might interest someone on, say, d-addicts, soompi or asianfanatics? I'd ask myself, but these sites are a little intimidating for me. I'd voluteer to be a blogger but I wouldn't even know where to look for interesting bits of news (I only know tokyograph and that's it. Also? I don't speak Japanese. At all.). I guess I *could* help with recaps of english-subbed series, if you guys don't mind English grammar mistakes and the like? But I'm still more of a Kdrama fan so I don't know how good and insightful the recaps would be. I tend to be a distracted viewer when it comes to Jdorama. Or rather, more distracted than when I watch Kdramas. And I don't even know if that makes sense.

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JB: Belleza seems to know a LOT about jdramas. I always enjoy her eloquent analysis on a lot of titles.

The idea is brilliant! I've watched more jdramas than kdramas... and I can't find a comfortable and fun environment for jdrama discussion as the one you have here for k-entertainment.

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@ Sere and @Kender...

Speaking of J-dramas, I just finished watching 'Love Shuffle' a couple of weeks ago and I really, really enjoyed it. It kinda reminded me of 'Soulmate' in some ways. Great character development, even if the story line was marginally unrealistic : )

The thing I always like about Japanese dramas, as compared to some Korean and Taiwanese, is the quality of the filming and the cinematography. More times than not, the quality is there that isn't always present in Korean & Taiwanese. It seems to me that they are a little more 'slick'...if that makes sense?

And Sere, as for learning Korean, I have been studying it for almost 2 years and I think where the trouble is for actually speaking it (because like you I can read, write and understand it fairly well), is that you have to THINK like a Korean, not a native English speaker! I find Korean a simpler language in terms of communication...meaning they just use less words to convey their meaning.

For example, in English, I would say to someone who asked me how I got someplace else..."I came by bus", but in Korean, the literal translation would be "bus came"...simple, yet soooo confusing for my English speaking brain!! AISH!!

I actually have a private Korean instructor who helps me out a lot (she was a teacher in Korea) and the best part...she likes to feed me and my other classmate! Homemade Korean food is the best!!

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@ Sere -

Nevermind...I just went back and read a bit more of the thread and I see you've already seen 'Love Shuffle'...hee hee...oops!

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Sere: You know what? Ohno actually looks scary in this drama. I love Ohno for his *bad*english and him being part of Arashi, but his character in the drama... meh. I don't know. He looks always looks tired and... well. you've seen the posters, you get the picture.

Maybe its the Nodame SP 1 and 2 that you've seen. The movies won't come out until later this year. Is it the part where they went to Europe and Chiaki attended a competition and Nodame went to school? If that is, then that's the SP.

JB: Oh yeah. Doramabeans pawns. lmao.

But then, I think it would just be okay to have a Jdrama section here, and there would be some guests who would do some reviews and some discussions on the drama. I mean, yeah, I could help too, I've seen a few Jdramas here and there,and I could help with the summaries and reviews but, I don't speak the language too. If you want Filipino dramas, I could do that, although I don't really watch Filipino dramas (and there goes my privacy). lol.

And since we're already on this topic, I was hoping you could put Hana Yori Dango on your 'Drama Ratings' even though it is Jdrama.

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@Tippy

LOL

You are right! Jdoramas do have a "slicker" look...more cinematic you might say. I may be wrong about this, but I blame it all on the Korean super-tight filming schedule. Mind you, it's not like Jdoramas are any less frantic, but for some reason, I don't think they keep the insane pace K-entertainment seems to have.

As for learning Korean, whoa, whoa I've been studying it for *days*! You guys think too highly of me. I just said I mastered the alphabet, which means I can put a sound to a letter/syllable and which was, for me, a big thing. I never thought I'd be able to do that, considering how totally alien it looked to me.

"is that you have to THINK like a Korean, not a native English speaker!"

Um, but... don't you always have to do that when learning new languages? When I write/speak/read in, say, English I think in English otherwise I'd end up butchering the language so much that no one would understand me. Same thing with French. Btw, I'm perfectly aware I don't speak like a native speaker, but I try to do the best I can.

@Rora
oooh so I've watched the specials! Ok, now I'm excited about the movie.

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I agree with Sarah. A person would have to be informed, can write and has energy to put out enough material. It would be awesome if Jade Frost could be recruited, but what can you do? And there wouldn't be an opening to talk about a show like Nobuta wo Produce, because it's a show from 2005.

The other thing is, especially in the J-dorama world, there's a very strong need to cover shows that aren't idol dramas. Everybody talks about Nobuta, Hana Yori Dango, Gokusen, etc. This Spring, the focus will be on Atashinchi no Danshi and Smile (and Boss for us old school Takenouchi Yutaka fans :D ) But there's less focus on Shiroi Haru and especially Aishiteru. It would be difficult to find somebody who can do or likes both; moreover, it would be difficult to find somebody who's conversant in enough Japanese to do it.

Finally, because it's so story-driven, it's hard to really write about actors unless the show is great. Because most of the time, with so-so writing, the acting will seem kinda bland or overdone. Or if it's comedy, the jokes will just fall. But there's not too much you can ridicule about a performance or actor, and if the story is poor, that's taken for face value. It'll be just kinda "meh" or "ugh, I really wished I hadn't watched this."

"JB: Belleza seems to know a LOT about jdramas. I always enjoy her eloquent analysis on a lot of titles. "

Thanks. :D I'd hate to read me though; it would just get all academic-y and crap. That kind of blogsturbation is meant for discussion boards and open threads like this! :D

"The thing I always like about Japanese dramas, as compared to some Korean and Taiwanese, is the quality of the filming and the cinematography. More times than not, the quality is there that isn’t always present in Korean & Taiwanese. It seems to me that they are a little more ’slick’…if that makes sense?"

It's the inherent advantage of a more sane live shooting schedule. Only 10-12 episodes and 45-60 minutes of stuff per week. This enables more rehearsal time for the actors (which is necessary since the leads are often non-actors) and more time for the PDs to do their editing magic.

Now, having said that, you'll notice that Japanese PDs often pile on the bling in the first episode and the last, because they want to draw in the audience. Then, the other episodes use more close-ups and the same locations. Also, you'll notice the pervasive (and IMO obnoxious) use of backlighting. It's not so bad on a monitor, but on an actual TV, it gives night scenes a sterile, cold look. And it doesn't do any favors for the actors's faces.

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I am so excited that my friends and husband(thank GOD) are considering to go to visit Korea next year spring!

I heard its one of the best times to go...!!!

I guess I wanted to ask if there is a site or where I could get more info on DRAMA TOURS?

WOOOOHOOOO!!! can't wait to go.

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i vote for belleza to head up the new doramabeans sister site! :) i agree with db in that i find belleza to be extremely knowledgable of jdoramas & freaking hilarious to boot...

i come to this site for two reasons...db's searing analysis of kdramas & belleza's knee slapping commentary...

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@ Pomato

I don't think I've seen any k-dramas that have had a non-Asian in a major role.

But if you're interested, the Taiwan drama They Kiss Again had a Ukrainian actress that played a semi-important role. What was funny is that the guy who played her father had a British-lie accent :)

Those English speaking scenes were particularly painful to watch...

@ Nazreal

I know this probably isn't what you're looking for, but c-dramas that take place in ancient times will have a plot s like that.

For example, in both Eternal Happiness and My Bratty Princess the lead actress dresses up as a boy and the lead actor starts to "fall for a man."

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"I’d hate to read me though; it would just get all academic-y and crap. "

-- Let us do the reading then. All you need to do is write, which must be more fun for you.

I nominate Jade_frost too. She keeps her own blog: jdramas.wordpress.com. She translates directly from Japanese. Plus detailed translated information on almost all of the dramas featured in the season are posted on her site. Her views are just as interesting to read. And she does summaries on chosen drama titles.

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@belleza: yes, i too agonized with trepidation over the beach scene and although you watch it throughout knowing that Eun Chan being a girl is a safety net so to speak, the writers treat Han Gyul very realistically in terms of his struggle. I think that's why I like it so much- that and the fact that Yoon Eun Hye doesn't try to pretty herself as a girl playing a boy if you know what I mean?

ah, i wish i could discuss more but its crazy early/late where i am and off to bed i must go!

@jessica: thanks for the heads up- it will interesting to compare treatments of the theme. although i did watch an HK production of mulan and shuddered at the insensitivity with which mulan's character was treated. it assumed because she was a girl it was luck that got her to where she was in terms of a man's world so she was portrayed as clumsy, dumb, dependent and i believe, mocked at for even entertaining the thought of entering a man's world.

having ranted, it was ages ago that i saw that on TV (maybe 10 years ago? times have changed)

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