@90 Tendoclan,

First off, there is a difference between Korean-Americans in America and Koreans in Korea.

1. 1.75 and 2nd Gen Korean-Americans tend to be insular, conservative, and a little limited in their thinking, at least until they start thinking for themselves which often doesn't happen until they turn 30. A lot of this kind of narrow-mindedness comes from the fact that their parents came over from Korea back in the 60's and 70's, experienced all sorts of discrimination, kept to themselves, and taught their kids the lessons of immigrant hardship and, culturally, have been "frozen" in a 1960s/70s/80s Korea timewarp.

Koreans my age and younger living in Korea tend to be a lot more progressive because their parents outgrew the attitudes of the 1950s 60s 70s, but Koreans who came over to America during that time, never really adapted the American culture as it progressed, and stuck to Korean culture circa whenever they immigrated. It is an interesting phenomenon.

My parents, for example, when they visit Korea (about every 4-5 years or so), they come back amazed at the attitude and cultura changes since their previous visit, and what is funny is that Koreans in Korea can immediately tell that they are ones who immigrated, because their Korean speech is also outdated.

2. Attitudes in Korea regarding non-Koreans has changed fairly dramatically over the last decade or so. While Korea remains a unique culture (despite being literally sandwiched for thousands of years between China and Japan), and a lot of that unique-ness comes from a stubborness to keep to themselves culturally and socially-speaking, there is a sense (from the top down) that Korea cannot continue to grow unless it grows more accepting of non-Koreans.

If your youngest heads to Korea and teaches English, will she find herself be isolated and alone, unable to fit in or be accepted? Extremely unlikely, especially if she is willing to keep an open mind. We have American friends who have travelled that road recently and their experience was nothing but positive.

-Samsooki

Hey it's Friday again and yes ,JB the older you get the faster time seems to disappear!Don't waste it!
As to what attracts us to certain actors/actresses, it's purely up to the individual.
Are we attracted to the person or the characters they play? It's all fantasy anyway.
I've met a lot of actors over my life time and the reality can often be quite an eye opener.
Have a great weekend, I'm off to work!

there are a lot of K-actors that i find attractive but my " mine" list is short::

Kang Ji Hwan and Gong Yoo

As for Korean actors/actresses:

1) Lee Byung Hun- You know, I've only seen him in one thing (A Bittersweet Life) and while he didn't crazyimpress me there, I will admit he has screen presence and the ability to become a great actor. I say this because while ABL was a good movie, it wasn't an "acting" movie, ie a movie in which he could really display his acting chops. I didn't get chills down my spine or anything, but I think that if I were to see him as a different character in a different movie I would. Also, from the things I read about him, he seems pretty smart and knows a few languages. I'll even forgive him for the dating Song Hye Kyo.
2) Ju Jin Mo. I've seen him in a couple things now and he's smoldering. Again, acting, I'm not that sure of. I just know that he's got sex appeal. That scene in 200 Pound Beauty where he and Kim Ah Joong are in the recording studio and he's coming on to her? Hot! He was also sexy in A Love, with his crew cut. He'll bring me to a movie/series. I think it's his eyes
3) Lee Dong Wook. I can't really say what he makes him amazing to me. I think most of it is sentimental. He was the first Asian male I found attractive. Growing up I never found Asian males attractive. They didn't even register. Until I saw My Girl and a few episodes in, I was all, "Hmmm, who is this guy?". So I credit him for awakening me to Asian dramas in general and Asian men.

The females:
1) Shin Min Ah- Hands down the most beautiful Asian woman ever. First of all, she's got dimples. I absolutely love her dimples. She's got a gorgeous smile. She's sweet, can play angry well, sad well, dude, she's just gorgeous. If I were gay or bisexual, we'd be getting it on. Hey, I might even make out with her, that's how smoking hot she is to me. If I could look like anyone, probably her!
2) Im Soo Jung- She's not my idea of pretty but she's got the acting chops. I love her project choices.
3) Moon Geun Young- I think she's a great actress and a great role model. She donated over $350,000 to a charity! I mean, she's got the acting chops and the personality. Love her.

WHAT'S SEXY?!
PERSONALLY..., IN REAL LIFE, I WOULD PREFER A GUY WHO IS HIGHLY INTELLECTUAL, CREATIVE AND WITH SENSE OF HUMOR... THAT'S SEXY!

PHYSICALLY, TALLER THAN ME AND LEAN (COZ AM TALL AND SLIM MYSELF...SO I STILL GET TO WEAR HIGH HEELS...HEHE)...

MMM.... YOU KNOW, IT STILL BOILS DOWN TO CULTURE... WHAT I LIKE ABOUT ASIAN MEN...MOST(?) OF THEM ARE STILL CONSERVATIVE, HAVE A CLOSE-KNIT FAMILIES, STILL ARE ABLE TO RETAIN THE ASIAN TRADITIONS, BELIEFS AND VALUES.....

AND ACTUALLY CAN BE VERY SWEET AND HOT!!! LOL!
^-^

Samsooki...Thank you so much I will direct you to your comments. I think she should go...it is her dream...once again thank you

@101 SAMSOOKI:
MMMM... I AGREE... AND I HAVE TO SAY...SIMILAR DILEMMA ALSO APPLIES TO OTHER ASIANS....

@ 97 Nom Kitteh

--About your example: “marrying a white Swedish guy she met in med school”–I am willing to bet BIG MONEY that the mother is more excited about the fact that her daughter is marrying a doctor--

I very much doubt that. Because like I said, all three daughters are doctors and both the parents are doctors. Actually they are all surgeons, in the pediatric field. So I don't think her marrying a doctor really matter to them, as they've got their own successes and wealth.

I think the whole 'arranged marriage' thing is interesting. I don't look down on it, but I can say that it's not for me. Growing up so independent and rebellious against the whole Asian stereotype of obeying your elders no matter what (yeah, I was that brat kid that never listened to their parents, I wasn't a demon child but I did talk back and was a brat, I'll admit that now), the idea of someone dictating to me who I can or can't marry or what I can or can't do, it doesn't gel with me. BUT, I can see the advantages of arranged marriages and the disadvantages. It's just not for me.

@ 99 xiahkixiri

Re: The black/race thing. That's something I've been extremely sensitive about my whole life. All throughout my school life, the majority of my friends were black. HOWEVER, in the Philippines and the older generation Filipino women I knew, there's this generalization that black people are lazy, ghetto, stupid, etc. My mom and I would have RAGING fights about this. She's not racist by any means, but she does follow some of the stereotypes and some off hand comments she makes angers me to no end. And when I go home and hang with my cousins, it's something that disappoints me again. Especially with the whole Obama thing. I think it's mainly an issue of them not knowing anything about that. They only know what they see on TV, the rap videos, the news report and they get this idea from that. And it does hurt. My best friend is black, my first boyfriend was black and I have many more close friends who are black and it hurts to hear some stereotypes that my family or culture believes.

It's the end of the day, I'm excited to get home and I can't keep my thoughts organized.

@ Nom Kitteh: My mother would never I think actually use a line like that, LOL. But at the same time, if I started rejecting every guy, she'd definitely start putting on the pressure. It's just... like so many other girls, growing up surrounded by books, movies, dangnabbit dramas, you can't help but want love. But dating is not permitted~ so it's this insane paradox of aiming for marriage because it's a pressure on parents until the children are married off, and at the same time basing it on things which may not necessarily make you happy. To like and marry someone because you start to fall in love with their personality and them as a person, instead of focusing first on how attractive they are and then on their job and family... it seems tiring and stifling. I really want to be free... I really shouldn't have focused only on the problems with Asian relationships, but it's close to home... you're right, the West doesn't seem to have it too much better~ one of my neighbours had a stable marriage with a husband and 3 cute daughters. Last year she woke up to find her husband just gone. =/ People don't seem to be able to stay in love. So where to turn and what to do? *headache*

I understand your defensiveness, although for a sec there I did doubt the way I came across. ^^ But, ack. One of my closest friends and probably the loveliest person I know is part of this Korean group/religion type thing, she got 'matched' - they match people cross-culturally with the aim of promoting world peace/harmony between people. They get matched by the founder of this group so they don't even meet beforehand. I told another friend about our friend getting matched and she was all WTF? The majority of people were WTF, but I thought it was the cutest thing ever, because if marriages are going to be arranged, I thought that doing it that way was the sweetest thing~ to promote love for all people.

@ mishane: It's true, black people are just not many to be found in Asia, in the Southeast/East it's the same thing. It's all stereotypes. I've met black people who were severely unpleasant, and other who were absolutely lovely and awesome. In the end, we're all just people, but stereotypes and preconceptions aren't an easy thing to get by. Like, my parents are all family>friends. But some of our family, my parents' cousins, have done some really low things, and our closest family friends have supported us through some damn hard stuff. In the end, we're all just people.

@Nom,

"Sorry, it’s a personal question, but your general commentary about coming around to finding that is okay to be a Korean man now is interesting to me."

Korean dramas have improved the desirability of Asian men in the States. It's (that and k-pop) has also started influenced how some younger Asian Americans are starting to dress, in effect moving away from, say, strict American notion of attractiveness to more erm "FOB-ish" ways of it.

(though it has to be said, this works best if you're a size <2)

@xiahkixiri,

"with the SNSD’s Taeyeon/Alicia Keys comment, I came across those sorts of conversations/comments a lot."

Taeyeon's comments didn't really bother me, because I've heard things like that other from 1st gens, and they don't realize how that might be offensive in, say, American culture. I mean look -- with all the unintentionally racist stuff that comes up in ENGLISH K-pop blogs -- I'm sure they'll find what we say is incredibly offensive.

@samsooki,

"and there was free liquor, and there was a lot of good music on, and I wasn’t married, etc…. *never mind*"

Your wife would say "bring him home for dinner!" :D

I totally feel you about the "Korean male" thing. Like my brother's wife (from Korea) tells my (definitely non-Korean) brother "Why can't you be more like Cha Moo Hyuk? (lead character in MiSa) Now that's a real Korean!" :D

@mishane,

"I wasn’t aware of the Japan thing although it makes more sense now, seeing as how almost every guy in the j-dramas I’ve seen look almost anorexic. So skinny! I want to feed them."

Friend of mine, who could be a model, experienced that disconnect. In Korea, women would just oogle him because he's, well, hot. In Japan, the women looked at him as a weird curiosity, almost like a cartoon. A guy like Rain would be considered too muscular in Japan. A typical Johnny boy would be considered too "stick-like" for Korea.

"I’m aware of the Lee Jung Ki thing. I think that’s probably something that spans across all cultures (men with feminine features not considered ‘hot’)."

It varies, though in America, we still uphold a very cartoon depiction of masculinity and feminity. For example, in the States, if a guy wears his hair long with a pronounced fringe, he's a "emo" who is "not a real man." However, that's a fairly standard hair cut among young guys in Asia. You notice with Brian Joo. When he fully crosses over here, you'll always see him with a very short haircut, and he won't "play cute" as he does in Korea. Because, even among Asian American, that "Asian idol" look is still considered too girly for American tastes.

"And the whole school girl thing?"

1) Anime
2) Kill Bill
3) Anime
4) Anime

@Kender,

"because I feel like she’s a rather flat actress"

Flat? I think Kobe would disagree with that . . . ;)

@R,

"Is Javabeans korean or does she speak and understand korean fluently? Because she does really good recaps and I’m just curious."

She's Korean-Twitterian.

@Kobe,

Lakers in 5. Make it so Kobe. ;)

Wow I'm like #110 already.

I wanted to ask you guys.. who do you think would be the best Choi Han-gyul and Go Eun-chan in the upcoming movie version of Coffee Prince?

Someone from an internet community I frequent came up with Yoon Kye-sang and Im Su-jung and I think they're both good matches. I doubt they'll do this movie since the drama was so good, but just for the fun of it...

Who else do you think might fit the roles of Han-gyul and Eun-chan?

@ #22 Javabeans: I miss Chun Jung-myung so much.. I hope he makes a fast comeback, hopefully in a drama!

@ 110 belleza

The Asian MAN Cut!

ARGH! I have never found long hair attractive on men. I'm one of those that you said that associates masculinity with with short hair. (I think it started with Hanson. I remember all the girls in school thinking they were "sooo dreamy" and all I could say was that they looked like girls). I've grown more tolerant of it because in Asian dramas, apparently EVERY MALE has long hair. (Ju Jin Mo in the craptastic movie A Love looked super sexy with his short buzz).

But for some reason now, I think more men in the Western media are going for the longer hair look. Hmm. . .

(One thing I do like about Asian culture, and I'm probably generalizing here, in some aspects of it, I feel like it's very androgynous, correct word? It seems like Asian men aren't afraid to be labeled by the typical MASCULINE role. I mean, how often do you see a Caucasian guy carrying a man purse? Or wearing the kind of outfits that you see Asian men wearing. It's refreshing.)

TGIF!!! :) Inlaws will be out of town traveling ON THEIR OWN! *YIPPIE AYE AY... (humming Indiana Jone's theme wont stop this jingle repeating in my head...but it's all good!)

I grew up on jdrama (sorry for the OTness)....my 'mine' list used to be only : Yukata + Kimura.

Yukata is my dream boat, I won't even entertain the 'doing' thought...the hyperventilation -> heart attack that I'll def experience just in his vicinity will do me in instantaneously. Years ago I was in a random yakitori(?) down Sawtelle Blvd and I Majorly embarrassed my gfs when the waiter (to me) was a dead ringer of Yutaka. He did it for me his first seconds in Long Vacation (Kimura who?!) Loved him to the point I'll suffer thro all his mediocre dramas/movies (the horror of watching Kelly Chan (or CJW) acts....). He can act, but he's not Kimura-savvy with his picks.

Kimura is an uglier Won Bin imho, physically he's not perfectly handsome, shortish, but I just cant get my eyes off him. (Mr Brain: WATCHING) He's overrated and all, but he is most shrewd picking the best of the best in projects and showcasing himself in inhumanly perfect light. I'm attracted to his brain/aura even though I'm not too sure he has a terrific one.

I had a very bitter start with kdramas in college, blame it on the unleashing of my bottled crankiness juggling sch/work/..., the sheer volume I've 'tried out' coz of my Korean roomie was very disproportionate to stuff I liked and I did totally write Hallyu off till Resurrection + MNIKSS.

My list thro out the years: JDG followed by WB... then HB and CJM. They are my right combination of looks + talent. (all in various combo)
I have a VERY long lists of K studs (or their characters?!) that I have temp crushes on, I do forget the love shortly after (easily reignited) JJM, LJJ, KMJ, JH, Eric....a longer one (since DJG went on forever) for JJH/ his Min Jung-ho.

K actresses though I will admit I'm not lenient. IMO, too many of them r looks + lacking talent ... the list is ugly and the guys will be T_T. Let me just rant: KTH is like our DH.
But it still dumbfounds me when guys do not find SYJ or JDY sizzling hot.

My husband's taste is a combo of Samsooki's and Kobe's (and other Kdrama watching guys). He is an HBsexual too, he'll watch WW (SHK) with me though we're both 'underwhelmed' *bored with the plot at times. Same with SQ (SYR). He's repeatedly asked me when Iris (KTH) will be out (I'm dreading....)

@ belleza: I was a bit =/ first regarding Taeyeon, but then honestly, it really seemed like one of those things that slipped out without realising her meaning or how it could be interpreted. When I first had the pants charmed off me by her, I pretty much stalked her obsessively and am still rather prone to do so, so I knew that she wasn't a bad person. Damn, the netizen anger though~ Man, I have that banana ooyoo thing stuck in my head.

and re: Brian Joo! ARCK. He's so adorable, I WANT HIM TO STAY THAT WAY. When I watched the Seoulbeats English int, he was still great but I was surprised at how much of my attraction to him switched off. The Korea->America crossover thing is so irritating --> in trying to fit in with America, they lose so much of what makes them loveable and great in Korea. And, damn, the music... *hiss*

@Samsooki

That is interesting! Thanks for sharing.

Regarding the language barrier of expats who went back to their countries and found it that their speech was outdated, I understand. Sort of. Many of my grandparents' siblings moved to the US in the 50s and have been living there ever since. I swear when they or their kids and the kids of their kids try to speak Italian I don't get it. They speak this cross between an Italian dialect (in our case Sicilian) and English and what comes out of their mouths not only sounds extremely strange, but doesn't make *any* sense to me, even if I try "translating" it with both the Italian *and* the English filter on. Now, I can understand Sicilian decently (I don't speak it at all. My parents do, but they don't speak English), and I think I'm doing ok with English and yet most of the times, I still don't get what my relatives want to say. We eventually use an old trick (miming! Pfft), but it's frustrating!

Ok, now I don't remember why I started writing this...I'm pretty sure I wanted to make a point, but I...uh lost my train of thought. Anyway, thanks for your comment! It was very interesting!

@mookie,

"Kimura is an uglier Won Bin imho, physically he’s not perfectly handsome, shortish, but I just cant get my eyes off him."

Did you just put the words "Kimura" and "uglier" in the same sentence? Okay, I think I'm going to cry now . . . :(

If I had to choose between Takenouchi Yutaka and Fujiki Naohito, I'd probably pick Naohito, by *this* much. I kinda liked Yutaka and Choi Ji Woo together in Rondo.

@xiahkiri,

"and re: Brian Joo! ARCK. He’s so adorable, I WANT HIM TO STAY THAT WAY. When I watched the Seoulbeats English int, he was still great but I was surprised at how much of my attraction to him switched off. The Korea->America crossover thing is so irritating –> in trying to fit in with America, they lose so much of what makes them loveable and great in Korea. And, damn, the music… *hiss*"

Yeah, but that's the thing. Brian is a Jersey boy through and through. His "act" (too strong a word, I know) is kinda for the Koreans, not for us the Yanks, looks, fan service on the shows, and general sweetie pie behaviour. So, now, he's in the States and it's like he can look the way he truly feels most comfortable. Which is with a short cut, wearing very normal looking clothes, showing love to God and throwing gangsta signs in the air! That's how we AZNs roll in da States. ;)

@misshane,

"One thing I do like about Asian culture, and I’m probably generalizing here, in some aspects of it, I feel like it’s very androgynous, correct word?

Actually this varies generation to generation. My brother's wife complains that Korean's young idol are turning "Japanese", because all the guys she grew up with (Choi Min Soo, Lee Jung Jae *OPPA-POUT-WIGGLE*, Jang Dong Gun) were all very manly. She thinks Lee Jung Ki is "pretty", but that doesn't mean he's attractive. And she finds many K-pop acts today utterly repulsive (i.e. "those Wondergirls and SNSD are R$@#%@#. When I was growing up, we had FinKl and SES, they had class. Big Bang is SOO stupid compared to Cool.") 90s K-pop vs. 00s. K-pop, the war never ends. ;)

I mean, I love it. I love Johnnies. I love Gackt and Hyde (and Gackt on Hyde :D ). I love fringe boy cuts, but I don't like the emo attitude. The Pama thing, though. Okay, now that's going too far. ;)

Same is true on the other side. Uljjangs? Selca photos? Eye glue? Circle Lenses? Gee Gee Gee Oh Yeah? It's a big, big culture clash even for Asian Americans.

Someone upstream commented about the lack of Asians in American productions. Although I generally watch more Asian than American shows and movies (80/20?), I see Asians in American works all the time! Okay, granted not necessarily in lead roles per se, but still. Sure, some are bit parts, i.e. Asian boy #1, etc., but others are recurring roles on primetime shows or feature roles in movies. When you supplement that with actual folks versus actors seen on television (newscasters, spokes people, reality shows, show guests), that's even more.

Hey all!

I've been meaning to ask you, javabeans, what you've thought of Seotaeji's comeback. It was incredibly hyped, and I feel like he's doing well, but I feel like I can't really get into his stuff.

I think I'm always looking for some music outside the kpop sphere (as much as I shamelessly tune into it), and didn't really find it with Seotaeji's new stuff like I was hoping. Am I missing something huge, anyone?

Plus, any random help or advice about graduation-job-future-livelihood-searching (from anyone!) would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Friday!

I love Open Thread Fridays but I get so behind on reading everyones comments. I've learned a lot about K-Dramas (from the different shows to the actors) on Open Threads on Dramabeans then on any other K-Entertainment website.
What I've also noticed is that your readers are a lot more intuative about the dramas and actors than on other sites. It's refreshing to read comments with substance other than "OMG! He/She is so Hot". Although sometimes blurting out comments like that is all that needs to be said.

OK, now back to pretending to look busy on the computer while in actuality reading your site.

#
87 Samsooki - May 1, 2009 at 11:53 am
"It is hard to be a “Korean guy” if you don’t speak Korean fluently, you know? ...This is about identity, and about me trying to make me be me, and right now, my me is trying to see if I would be a good Korean me"
From what I can tell from your posts, you seem to have found a nice balance between your two worlds. Hyun Bin will be so lucky to have you -- he should be grateful to you for even noticing him. I think you should let him pick up the tab at that chance meeting, in that smokey bar, after your eyes have met across the room and the world that started to spin has slow-mo-ed to stillness :-) . Oh, wait, there are free drinks. Wait, let him pay for your dinner (and hotel?). And what is this dumb talk about shaking hands and leaving it at that??? Wha--???

Seriously though, I can't imagine what life must have been like for you growing up in Iowa, and you seemed to have spent a lot of time in introspective. I think you're cool -- Korean or not -- and I bet you have always been cool. (Samsooki's wife: I am not flirting with your husband! Don't get mad.)

@109 xiahkixiri,
Just stand your ground and things will work out. In the meantime, I hope you come across a good looking Pakistani who will sweep you off your feet, romance you, and be a good husband. I foresee you meeting him in that same smokey bar where Samsooki and Hyun Bin will be locking eyes.

@Belleza,
It is nice to know that K-dramas are affecting how women perceive Asian men. J-entertainment seems to have done nothing -- from what I can tell. What do you think? Even with anime- and japan-philes in mainstream now and with Hong Kong stars making good headway (granted in the limited space of kung fu or action movies), Asian men still seem to remain in the "gay!" or "super gay" categories (used derogatorily -- obviously). I mean, after the 100th person looked at me strangely for lusting after Gackt (or Gackt-Hyde combo!), I have become pretty quiet in general about liking j-entertainers.

What's your understanding of how Japanese entertainment has affected western perceptions of Asian male beauty?

-----
Sigh -- I need to get away from this open thread to start working on a presentation I absolutely do not want to work on.

Job. I don't haz the love anymore.

@112 MISSHANE:

I AM TRYING TO IMAGINE CAUCASIANS CARRYING THOSE GIRLY LOOKING MAN-BAGS ASIAN GUYS USE NOW.... MMM....VERY OUT OF PLACE AND COMICAL (NOT USED TO SEEING THEM WITH MAN-BAGS ANYWAY).... !!

BUT, I HAVE SEEN CAUCASIAN YOUNG ADULTS(AND YUPPIES, IF I MAY ADD) SPORTING THE JAPANESE HAIRSTYLES AND FASHIONS (E.G.: TIGHT FITTING CLOTHES/PANTS AND POINTY SHOES).... IT ALWAYS GIVE ME A SHIVER!!!! LOL!!!! "NOOOO WAAYYY!!!"

TGIF!

I've been following Queen of Housewives on mysoju and plan to start watching Story of a Man (thanks to your recaps) next unless there's something on Dramafever that catches my eye. While I realize it's a bit in the view point of wife and husband, to me it doesn't really strike me as that wouldn't be too unusual back in my home state. Otherwise just a few papers to write up for finals, one test, and a presentation. Then I'm just hanging around really until it's May 17th for graduation!

first!
haha for myself. this is my first open thread post :D
just finished mnikss, since i never really got around to starting it, but once i did, it was too good to resist
too many things on my list to watch

ALTHOUGH THERE ARE KOREAN ACTORS THAT ARE SEEN AS "PRETTY", "ANDROGYNOUS PERCEPTION" ON MALES HAS ALWAYS BEEN LINKED WITH JAPAN FOR CENTURIES NOW.

MMM........ I THINK, MAJORITY OF THE KOREAN ACTORS STILL ARE VERY MUCH MASCULINE(EVEN THOUGH SOME ARE PRETTY IN FACE)... AND SO OTHER ACTORS FROM OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES, LIKE PHILIPPINES.

AND I HAVE TO AGREE WITH NOM-KITTEH ABOUT HOW SOME PEOPLE IN THE USA WOULD ASSUME THAT THE ANDROGYNOUS MEN FROM ASIA ARE GAY, OR AT LEAST WOULD HAVE "THAT QUESTION" (SEXUAL ORIENTATION) IN THEIR MINDS.... MMM....BUT THESE ARE JUST A MINORITY OR SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE GENERAL POP. NOWADAYS, PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGE CULTURE DIFFERENCES (THAT INCLUDES LOOKS) AND ACCEPT THEM... SO IT'S NOT REALLY A BIG DEAL ANYMORE...

"Is Daniel Henney emotive? Do I like his personality? Do I feel an ounce of a connection to him? HELL NO.
But is he physically attractive? Let’s just say it’s a damn shame he can’t act."
- a damn, crying shame. An example of hoppa done right.

@belleza, Joo Jin Mo is masuline and may be a Roman statue, but his bodice-ripping-dream-inducing prowess comes from his performances rather than purely from his looks, no? At least, it does for me. ;)

@ samsooki, Hyun Bin's not on my hot meter, either. He's got that boy-next-door cuteness (must be those dimples), and if were at a bar after a few drinks...who knows? o_O....but just based his on looks, he doesn't quite make the cut (although, he came close in Spin Kick) ;)

Lee Byung-hun's definitely got the bod, but his face has always sort of reminded me of a monkey...albeit a ripped, wouldn't-mind-being-stuck-in-a-very-hot-an-elevator one.

I guess I'm one of the almost non-existent ones who never found the sex appeal with Eric (he's always looks goofy to me, but do I give him props for QSS), Lee Junki, or Lee Dong Wook.

but tight pants and pointy shoes on white yuppies.... am still trying to adjust to that!*lol*

@ belleza: *frownface* So, what's the real Brian Joo? A combination of both? Ahh, dang it. LOLL, then where does Crown J fit in? =p A!

@ Nom Kitteh: Oh dude, if I'm in the same bar, I'm going to be fighting Samsooki for Hyunbin, tooth and nail, Pakistani guy won't get a second glance! ^^ Jeeti rahoongi! No matter what, living is a fun thing. Hard, scary, tiring, but fun. I fully intend to eat all my cake. ^^

Hey guys, isn't Viikii the absolute shits? There're Mexican dramas, Colombian dramas, French dramas, Indian dramas... LOVE.

by the way peeps! SORRY! I always type in caps!!!! it's a habit... ill try to do better!

Hmmm this is a really interesting topic. I'm with Javabeans in that my definition of "hot" includes a mixture of looks, personality, and charisma. Sometimes even if they're not particularly good-looking, they kind of radiate this "hotness" because of sheer talent and I fall head over heels for them. This may be the reason I tend to like older actors who may be twice my age - which my friends, who all go crazy over the Korean F4, make fun of me for. Jang Geun Suk and Kim Bum are cute, but I can't bring myself to drool over them.

Unlike JB though, Hyun Bin definitely makes my list. Because he's a beautiful, beautiful man and I was thrilled about his acting improvement in The World They Live In. Also, his dimple just kills me. KILLS ME.

I sometimes wonder if I'm the only female who is more shallow when it comes to actresses. For instance, I don't mind Go Ara, Han Ye Seul, or Lee Yeon Hee. And I kind of adore Kim Tae Hee. But watching Dennis Oh or Song Seung Heon attempt to act is so, so painful. You would think I wouldn't mind as much, because both men are real easy on the eyes. Maybe it's just my admiration for feminine beauty that allows me to tolerate bad actresses more. Or a kind of female connection that makes me somehow be able to cut them some slack...?

I wish I could write more, but I'm not a very articulate aaaand I have APs to study for. (Most of) you guys are so lucky to be out of school.

@Mishane

Asian boys/men can pull off even the weirdest wardrobe, especially the Japanese. I prefer an androgynous asian fashion over an abercrombie/nick lachey/frat boy look.

Have you seen this video yet Javabeans? (I bet you have.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnFaxbrXgUw&fmt=18
Kang Ji Hwan, Ji Sung, Song Seung Heon, Park Yong Ha...
It couldn't get better.. <3 And they're all dressed in suits!

I feel like I always learn something new every time I read this thread:

@xiahkirixi
I have a question, I've always heard that South Asian parents in the UK tended to more liberal than their States-counterparts. I was just curious if that was true or not. I totally understand the situation you're in with regards to parental pressure especially relating to marriage. I hope things work out for you!

@Nom Kitteh
I partially think that the reason why arrange marriages w/in the South Asian community (well, I only have an idea in regards to the Indian community) works out well is due to the fact that both partners are going into the relationship knowing it's a compromise of sorts. And partially because divorce is highly HIGHLY looked down upon and due to societal stigma and family pressures it's harder to get out of it. Even more so than I would say East Asia. Either way, I think arrange marriages do work a lot of times and sometimes they don't.

Hottest Actors? For me it's definitely more than appearance...like for example it's the way So Ji Sub moves and the way his eyes emotes what his feeling, that's what makes him pretty sexy to me. I swear when he's on screen, it's like no one else is...And the fact that he's an amazing actor. I also am not physically attracted to Cha Tae Yeong, but because his a great actor and his awkwardness, I think he's pretty hot too. The same could be said about Yoon Kye Sang. An actor whose work I really respect and follow is Uhm Tae Wong, but I wouldn't say I find him hot. I just think he's a really good actor. Hmm, I really have no idea why I don't think he's hot....

On the Jdrama side of the coin...I think Abe Hiroshi is pretty hot and Matsujun ( I think there are others who look hotter than him, but seriously he was HOT as Sawada Shin in Gokusen).

JB---you're right it's really too bad Daniel Henney cannot act...

@Nom Kitteh,

"Even with anime- and japan-philes in mainstream now and with Hong Kong stars making good headway (granted in the limited space of kung fu or action movies), Asian men still seem to remain in the “gay!” or “super gay” categories (used derogatorily — obviously). I mean, after the 100th person looked at me strangely for lusting after Gackt (or Gackt-Hyde combo!), I have become pretty quiet in general about liking j-entertainers."

Ahhh actually, in the last 3-4 years, J-rock has become a significant subsect (esp. with the female sect) of the American otaku experience. So, what that means embracing Elegant Goth Lolita culture, Visual Kei, Shibuya fashion trends (including Shibuya Kei acts like Fantastic Plastic Machine, Pizzicatto 5, and Cornelius), Japanese punk look (esp. after NaNa's popularity), and of course good ol' fashioned otaku cosplaying. My name "Belleza" comes from one of my favorite songs from a J-rock act. Not because I'm a conceited bitch, though I am. ;)

To be honest, the great equalizer is J-punk (though to do it, you really need to be a size 0 or 1.) If you fully do The Look (which is a mish-mash of 1977 Pistol/Malcolm Malren Sex Sop and the Shibuya-influenced Kawai/Kogal fashion dialectic) . . . (American) guys go CRAZY. Or, what we call "rocking the Vivienne." :D Shibuya Youth fashion. It's wacky. But powerful. Kara magazine FTW. (Though, yeah, this is nothing like what Japan really is, so if you're a Lolita who thinks Japanese people will accept your love of Baby the Stars Shine Bright. Ahhhhhhhh . .. )

Well, hey, it beats lusting after Edward Elric. I mean, seriously people. ;) All otakubation aside, I've seen SKIN (Gackt, SUGIZO SUGIZO SUGIZO, Miyavi, Yoshiki), and I've personally met Olivia, Anna (kinda weird, I was big fans of both Anna and Olivia for different reasons before the NaNa project came up), Maaya Sakamoto, Kanno Yoko, etc. But that was a long time ago.

@HJKomo,

"@belleza, Joo Jin Mo is masuline and may be a Roman statue, but his bodice-ripping-dream-inducing prowess comes from his performances rather than purely from his looks, no? At least, it does for me."

Everything about Joo Jin Mo works for me. Even when he was a bastard in 200 Lbs Beauty, that still worked for me. ;) He's Korean Fabio and Korean Julius Caesar rolled in one.

"Lee Byung-hun’s definitely got the bod, but his face has always sort of reminded me of a monkey…albeit a ripped, wouldn’t-mind-being-stuck-in-a-very-hot-an-elevator one."

@xiahkiri,

"LOLL, then where does Crown J fit in? "

Yeah, here's the rubric:

Crown J = Posterboy for the Xanga Azn :D
Tablo = Stanfurd Emo Azn
Dramabeans = Madam of the Finest Male Whorehouse in all of K-drama

I heard J one time say, "Woohoo!! Yeah Baby!!" , and that just pushed all of my "Dork! Get away from me!" buttons.

@Javabeans,

"I’m Korean-Twitterian-American, thankyouverymuch! There IS a difference, you know."

Oh, quit being a Twiberal and eat your kimchi tacos (mmmmm . . mmmmm .. . . mmmmm!) instead. ;)

@Linda!
I love youuuu

not on topic at all, but i submitted my deposit for cornell today! GO BIG RED!

I'm just gonna throw this out there, even though he's not Korean (but he looks a little bit ethnic what with his smattering of Native blood)...

JOHNNY DEPP!

The man can act, he's gracious, generous, humble, loves his family and is freakishly hot. There is no one equal to him! No. One.

But if I had to compile a Top Five that did not include my dear Johnny, I would add, in no particular order:

1. Oh Ji Ho (how this guy keeps getting missed on every one else's lists, I have no idea)
2. Song Seung Heon (I know, the acting is iffy, but I can't stop staring at his face)
3. Lee Jung Jin (his smile kills me...absolutely kills me)
4. Kang Ji Hwan (sorry Javabeans)
5. Kim Sung Soo (my very first Korean crush)!!

However, would I like any of these men if I actually met them in real life? I'm not so sure...

Although, I am only 2 degrees of separation away from Oh Ji Ho...my friend has a friend who is friends with him. So, now all I have to do is get to Japan to see my friend, get him to contact his friend who in turn needs to contact OJH and then we all have to somehow get to Korea (or maybe fly him to Japan)...should be no trouble...non?!

:)

"JOHNNY DEPP!"

Johnny, Leonardo, and Morrissey are three of the hottest Asians of all time. :D

Wow! So many things transpiring through this thread today. Where do I begin? There is so much to say. But I may have to make separate posts.

I will start with the race discussion. It seems that many have responded but not one Black person and this makes me sad. Mainly because I am and I hate being in the minority. (Should be used to it, right?) It makes me wonder if my friend and I are the only Blacks that read and participate in this blog...

Anyway, as a Black woman, dating "White" for me is out of the question. Not because of what most think, that I am looking for my "ideal Black man" or that my momma taught me to only look within my race, or even that I feel confined to the Black race because of the extreme racism out there. I personally believe that minorities have a tendency to better understand one another. I don't think that there is a White man out there that I would be glad to be in a committed relationship with. I'm turning 30 next year and with every stroke of maturity my conviction in this area gets stronger.
Oddly enough, I wasn't raised this way, my mother never made a point to tell me whom I could or could not date(racially that is, religious conviction is much more important). I never thought that I was less than or inferior in anyway, but as I continue to live in America and see the ways in which Blacks are treated and the ways that we are different from the majority, I believe that there are some things that cannot be overcome. (On a baser note, I just don't find them cute. They're too pale, milky, chalky...Just doesn't work for me. Brown skin is all that attracts my attention:)
Another huge factor for me is not to fall into the stereotype that as a Black woman who is highly educated and professional, that I have to date a "White" man. I just refuse. Don't get me wrong, I know White males but they are friends, acquaintances, "chill "buddies, but never boyfriends, and a would never be considered husband material. My sister, my mother, even my friends understand my convictions but don't personally agree. I hate that but I understand them in this area as well. My conviction isn't based on racism but I will concede to a bias.

That being said, I have never believed that Asians were wrong or racist for being habitually homogeneous. I wish that Black American would do the same. To preserve culture and create positive role models to other generations.
Again, I haven't always felt this way. When I was young and romantic I thought this wasn't an issue but now its one of my top criteria.
To comment generally, I would say that White men for the Black female is not marrying up or anything like that.(In some cases, it could be quite the opposite.) The majority of BAs don't see WAs as better or more capable. Not equal in treatment, or anything else socially but definitely not superior in "what they can do for you" if you marry them. I think that the way that Blacks view White people and the way that Asians view them is vastly different in and outside America.

For now, without being to long winded I will say that this is my take on it. There are many other factors and much more to my "madness" but this is all that needs voicing(about dating) on a wonderfully lazy Friday.

"I personally believe that minorities have a tendency to better understand one another. "

Yeah, that's a fair observation. A friend of mine only dated Jewish men that she met through networking, because she, being Israeli, felt that her religion and culture were absolutely importants of her identity and future family structure. However, another friend of mine felt like if she didn't date outside of her nationality, she felt like she was "settling" or "failing" in some regard. And it wasn't that she disliked men from her nationality; it's that she herself was wrestling with being a "hyphen American" and resented it, as we all do at some point.

And, even as an Asian, dating between Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc. can be exasperating due to the social politics that come with it.

Visiting "the Motherland" just does something to me. The hyphen goes away, and you feel "whole" and "normal" in a way maybe you didn't realize before. Not necessarily that you truly belong (because you do realize very soon that you're an outsider), but you didn't really feel that NEED to belong anymore. You could be your own person. And you kinda bring that back with you.

Then you lust after SuJu. ;)

@ Linda: I just watched that HOTTEST THING EVEREVEREVEREVEREVER. Although, what the heck up with Taeyang's voice?

@ Taohua: Hmm. I'm not sure how well I can answer that~ I had the impression that American parents were more liberal! =p My own family is not liberal at all on the matter of things like dating, but more liberal in other matters, such as education/job. I've already been slapped on the wrist for generalising, but from what I have seen, parents are pretty strict. But like I said somewhere before, there are also some middle-aged women, ie with kids in primary/high school, who tend to go all Western/modern. It's... an odd thing. So, South Asian parents in America are pretty strict? Interesting~ Ahh, sankyu. I've just stopped thinking about it and am Que Sera Sera-ing it away. I am determined that no matter what, before I hit 30 at least, I am going to fulfill my dream of going traveling, all the things I want to see. It just makes me nervous, a little.

@ belleza: Hahaha, Crown J FTW! Did you watch We Got Married? He's such a materialistic dorkface, but he had me from the first ep, or one of the first 3, when she broke his ring and he was all "I don't care about the cameras, what're you gonna do about my ring?" I have his Fly Boy mini-album; Fly Boy/Too Much/Baby You are so insanely gangsta, somehow I love it. *shakes head*

@ Tippy: Johnny Depp owns my soul. My first super-intense crush. When they were promoting Charlie and the Choc Factory and releasing KitKats with his face on 'em, I spent months eating KitKats and keeping the wrappers in my pocket. I was so traumatised when they stopped!!! He's so beautiful. So, so, so, so, so hot.

@ 139 ^

While I absolutely respect your right to date/marry whomever you so choose, I personally don't put ethnic limitations on who I love. Sure, I have a preference in terms of physicality, but I don't limit myself to one ethic group...there are intelligent, capable, attractive and caring men in all cultural groups.

I think it's very possible to maintain cultural identity in a racially mixed relationship and I would hope the exposure to different cultures breeds tolerance and understanding (for parents and children alike).

As I age and grow as an individual, I actually find that my acceptance of other cultures is expanding and where I might have limited myself in my younger years, I don't feel the same way in my later years.

What a beautiful thing to meet someone whose culture is different and to share and explore those differences together.

Just my two cents! :)

@Tippy,

"Sure, I have a preference in terms of physicality, but I don’t limit myself to one ethic group…there are intelligent, capable, attractive and caring men in all cultural groups."

I think it's a very individual thing. There's so many dynamics in a relationship, and I think it takes a long time to discover what is truly important to you in a relationship .

For example, I refuse to date Twitterians. I've been trying to work through my Twitcist attitudes, but it's hard work.

"So, South Asian parents in America are pretty strict? "

I found them more strict than East Asian parents.

@ Belleza

LOL! I'm afraid you're going to limit yourself of potential dateables...those Twits are everywhere (even Daniel Henney is a Twitterian)!

...and I am sure my folks would prefer for me to marry within my own cultural group, but seriously, I'm Canadian and we don't really have a cultural identity except for 'not being American'! :P

Johnny Depp could clear up this whole dating issue for me if he would just swing round my doorstep one day...

samsooki: post #101 was excellent.

i'm a korean-american male who came to the states when i was a wee toddler. growing up, i went through a lot of emotional anguish related to issues to which you have alluded in your posts.

when i visited korea for the first time several years ago, my cousin, who is a bit older than me, remarked how i'm "more korean" (in the traditional sense) than the natives. your post nails that one in the head.

i'm sorry i can't really comment on korean dramas/actors/actresses. i've stopped watching them when i realized they were sucking the life out of me. it's a problem when you stay up until 3am watching these kdramas and then have to wake up at 530am to get to work. something had to give. however, i will say that in the past, i've had huge crushes on kim hee sun (does she still act?), song hye kyo (had me in autumn fairy tale), and jang nara (the cutest of all cuties, i think).

@Tippy,

"LOL! I’m afraid you’re going to limit yourself of potential dateables…those Twits are everywhere (even Daniel Henney is a Twitterian)!"

I mean, I'm not going to joint the TTT and burn avatars at your blog, but ya know I gotta keep our blood pure yo. ;)

"Johnny Depp could clear up this whole dating issue for me if he would just swing round my doorstep one day…"

Sigh. He had me at parleigh. :D

@kb,

"i’m a korean-american male who came to the states when i was a wee toddler. growing up, i went through a lot of emotional anguish related to issues to which you have alluded in your posts."

I noticed that difference too between the Chinese (shrug) and Korean (resentment) American guys in high school. Just the fear and self-loathing of gyopos, I struggled with understanding that in high school.

@145, KB:

I can't agree with you more, especially your first sentence. LOL.

I'm kidding. I feel vindicated though. Now, I can point to another Korean-american male and say, "SEE? HE ALSO LIKES JANG NARA. I AM NOT CRAZY."

See, this is what women don't understand. They don't get why Kim Rae Won and Kim Jae Won both liked Jang Nara's character. They think, "that's so unrealistic, nobody could like Yang Song-ee."

KB, if you also say that you think that Sung Yuri is a cutie and that her "oppa!" *pout* *wiggle* from the Snow Queen is a black-belt level technique, then I can call you Soul Brother #5.

ATTENTION: for all those who don't really know about the "oppa!" *pout* *wiggle* technique, please turn your attention to the following clip, starting from about 2:15 to about 2:25. You can watch in HQ for detailed viewing as to the specifics of how to perform the technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2nE8xRTPVQ&feature=related

-Samsooki

@samsooki,

"ATTENTION: for all those who don’t really know about the “oppa!” *pout* *wiggle* technique, "

Actually could you and Kobe discuss the power of the O-P-W on you guys? :D

belleza,

just my theory, but i think the difference in attitude you noticed between the chinese and koreans probably relates to the fact that the chinese were probably 3rd and/or 4th generation, while the koreans were probably 2nd generation. the chinese guys were sons of assimilated parents, presumably. the wave of korean immigrants have been more recent. as the son of recent immigrants, i had extreme pressure from my parents to succeed. add that pressure with trying to adjust to a culture that seems so different from home, and we have a recipe for a malcontent.

@131, Linda.

I watched that clip you linked about 10 minutes with my wife.

I'm not sure which one of us (me or my wife) had the greater thrill in seeing that. I was grinning the entire time and I felt a little bit of "tee-hee-hee-hee" school girl shyness a few times. It was great to see.

See, if I had seen that awesome clip back when I was in elementary school, maybe I wouldn't have had such a difficult time accepting that I was Asian-American, that I was Korean-American.

Sigh. That clip comes 20+ years late for me.

-Samsooki