@Kender
Are they really on d-addicts? I've checked the subtitle index for Sandglass, and couldn't find them...is it under another name? I'm going to go check d-addicts again....seriously I've been wanting to see this ever since I started getting into kdramas....And I was wondering why would that series NOT be subbed...

I've been a long time lurker on this blog and wanted you to know that I truly enjoy it. As much as I love a good k-pop/k-drama scoop, for the most part it is difficult to find thoughtful and grown-up discourse, so thank you for providing that.

I'm just curious to know what draws us all to k-dramas/k-pop. I was reflecting on it personally, since language is a barrier for me (i'd just be blank without subs) and my cultural background is definitely not Korean. I know for sureone draw is the finite aspect of k-dramas. I am just not capable of staying attached to a show for years on end (ER, Star Trek, etc.). I'm still trying to figure out what the rest of the attraction really is for me, but if anyone else has been able to comprehend their own attraction I hope you respond and share. Javabeans I hope you see this and share too :o)

@51 Taohua - Haha, I know how you feel. I found it by chance last week, and I just about died of joy. Haven't watched it yet, though.. I'm saving it for this summer, so I can watch both it and Feelings at the same time and have an old-school Lee Jung-jae overdose. XD

Here's the direct link:
http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_6904.htm
You won't find it in the torrents, though, because it's a licensed drama, so I think soompi is your only hope for raws. (I think the subs are DVD rips, too.)

@ 52 alasam - Haha.. I also love the production quality. Kdramas are like soap operas, only with (usually) better writing, acting, and directing, as well as larger production budgets. The finite aspect is definitely a large part of it for me, too. As much as I love Star Trek (I've been a Trekkie since I was 6, although I'm not hardcore about it), I find American TV shows too episodic. With Kdramas, I know for a fact that things are heading in a certain direction, that they'll definitely get wherever they're going, and that I won't have to waste multiple years of my life on finding out where that destination is.

Then again, it might just be the pretty Asian men. They get me the way that Caucasian guys never do, for reasons that I've never figured out. :3

@Kender
I take that back--you're right...the subtitles are on d-addicts---It was under "The Sandglass" and I kept looking under "Sandglass". Also I think I was always thrown off, because there were never any torrents for it on d-addicts. But soompi has them? Going to go check that out now...and seriously THANK YOU for the info :)

@54 Taohua - LOL. That's why I've started just using Ctrl+F to hunt down subtitles there. And if I can't find them that way, I start thinking of every possible alternative title. Oh, D-addicts..

Is anyone watching Shiroi Haru (the Jdrama)? I haven't started it yet, but it looks really cute..

@samsooki
" As for me, I feel like I’ve lived through Eun Jae’s life, and so, I am now stronger and wiser now because of it."
It may sounds over the top to others, but I totally see your point. I mean I know it's a drama and all, but I seriously think there is some kind of teaching there. Watching the way Eunjae took it all at one point of her life, being abused and belittled, and the way she is driven to revenge and does a complete personality makeover, in the way she has to become stronger to fight back... I feel like if one day I come across a Gyobin or an Ae-Ri , I would slapped them before they have time to open their mouth lol.Now jokes aside, I believe there is still something to learn from a drama, and Temptation of wife is really interesting if you want to see how twisted the human psyche can be.

"So if you haven’t guessed, Temptation of Wife is a revenge drama. Every single episode, nuclear bombs are thrown around, and every episode, just awful things happen and you just want to step in there and start slapping everybody."
That's what's driving me mad. You can never rest watching this, there always is a cliffhanger of doom at the end of the episode, or something extrordinary happening. You're watching this endless war where all kind of hits are fair game and still, you can't get enough of it. I have no explanation as why watching so much suffering and bitterness on screen can be so captivating, but maybe it feels like Eunjae not only fights for her and and her family's sake, but also for the viewers'. I may be wrong, but there is really something cathartic about this series. I'm becoming addicted to the revenge genre, but I doubt I'll watch something as intense as this one.

"But JB is apparently immune or has the willpower to say “no, I will not go there” I can’t imagine the amount of willpower it would take for a person to watch Temptation of Wife, and then NOT go nuts about it…."
LOL I so agree. I think it's impossible^^ I've read some viewers comments about how the drama was so over the top and unrealistic, but still, they were like addicts^^ I really wish I could have some serious discussions with fellow viewers about it, there is so much to say about it^^

@52, alasam -

"I’m still trying to figure out what the rest of the attraction really is for me, but if anyone else has been able to comprehend their own attraction I hope you respond and share."

***

I wonder about this too. Is it because I'm trying to learn Korean and figure out who I am as an identity? Is it because the actors and actresses are so cute and pretty and/or handsome and interesting and cool? And as I reflect, I think that as much as there are elements of language and identity and attractiveness, there is a deeper element to it for me.

I don't know if this is 100% right, but I think that there is a fantasy element involved in these things. The fantasy element is almost always the same - "this is the world as brought to you by how we see the world." That viewpoint generally pushes LOVE as an end-all-be-all objective, pushes RESPECT for a definitive order of things (i.e., age hierarchy, family hierarchy, workplace hierarchy), OPTIMISM for the future, FIDELITY in relationships, importance of FAMILY, and so on. I won't get into each of these, but I do want to talk about the element of respect for the definitive order of things, because it is assumed in every drama, and because I think this is a key to why I feel at home with k-dramas.

And so this fantasy can be a comforting place to be in, because you will always know your place in the world. EVERYbody fits in somewhere, whether you are on the bottom (bow to everybody), in the middle (bow to some, bop others on the head), or at the top (bop everybody on the head). And whether you are on the top or bottom, there are cute poor orphans or beautiful rich people to grab your wrists and tell you to only listen to them and only look at them. "Okay! Jeez, I won't listen to anyone else, okay? can you let go of my wrist now?"

I think one of the biggest challenges in today's post-modern society is that order and structure are dependent on point of view. What one person believes to be the natural order of things, another person may not. It makes for confusion and stress, because where you fit in, in other people's perspective, is dependent not only on how you feel, but on how those other people feel. And so each of us can feel alienated and alone, we are isolated because we are a world populated only by one person - ourself.

K-dramas, on the other hand, push a brand of culture and a fantasy world where cute people (both male and female) reside and where they engage in all the real world problems = all the heartache and love and fighting and greed and hate and jealousy and everything else exist, but with the K-Drama style of order comes community. We KNOW where we would fit in, in this fantasy world, and we can see ourselves being part of that community. We would know how we would be received, and what we could do if we were part of this fantasy world. K-dramas invite people in, and each of us has a place at the table, whether as a rich or poor person, old or young, male or female.

I think that that's ultimately why I am so into k-dramas. It is a comforting place for me to go, to chill and watch and feel like I am a part of a world that I think I could fit into and I know where my place would be, stylin' with my binnie hair and clothes.

Java Beans, someone may have asked this before, but do you make a profit from this site? I'm just asking because you update SO often (and great updates, I might add) and can't imagine being this faithful to a blog that you do for free.

Happy Friday, all! And great song.

samsooki,

thanks for the heads up on "treeless mountain". looks like a solid movie. i'm a big fan of korean indy flicks.

it appears the director also made another movie called "in between days." have you seen it? thoughts? i'm gonna have to check that one out as well.

@52

i totally feel you...i am by no means Korean and language is a huge barrier for me but my attraction to kdramas, kpop, or just korean culture is how different and yet similar it is to my own
in regards to kdramas i just like how short of an investment im making...i really cant stand to stick with a program for years and i find kdramas to be sooo much more intertaining then say the novelas that my family watches...but i guess the attraction is different for everyone, this is just why i like them

and as for korean culture...i just find it amazing whenever i see similarities with my mexican culture...lots of people can say that we are (mexian and koreans) completely different but i beg to differ, theres so much we have in common that i just find it interesting

@ 52 alasam.

''I know for sureone draw is the finite aspect of k-dramas. I am just not capable of staying attached to a show for years on end (ER, Star Trek, etc.). ''

Hehe, if I may just exclude Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Farscape. Bright spots in households addicted to (brain numbing, boring soaps) that have been going for NOT years, BUT decades. Enter a channel with a subbed Akira Kurosawa film season, that covered almost all his movies,. That started the ball rolling, and the addiction to asian movies, TV dramas and the music. The net took over, exit the TV to the skip.
Bonus as Kender put it - ''might just be the pretty Asian men. They get me the way that Caucasian guys never do, for reasons that I’ve never figured out. ''

@57 Samsooki

I see where you are going with the idea of buying into a fantaasy and in paricular a world with problems similar to our own daily struggles, but unique in its greater social structure of order and deep sense of community committed to maintaining this order. Of course the rebel in me gets a real kick out of the odd character that tries to crack seams in this order, but I don't especially want to see it broken.

In particular the drama "What Happened in Bali" comes to mind. It didn't have the typical cookie cutter K-drama format, but it didn't completely break away from this sense of structure, rather it almost seems to compel you to follow the established order. You're enraptured by the rash playboy who is desperately trying to grasp his first real love who is socially unsuitable. In many ways he's rebellious, but we still see him cower throughout the movie at the idea of leaving the comforts of the social order he has grown up in. Then there is the determined young business man who refuses to go back to his humble begins and is determined to climb out of his former social status by any means necessary, yet he yearns to share his uphill struggle with someone else who oddly enough comes from the same undesirable background. Finally there's our damsel torn between two lovers, both of which are successful in their own right and so she stands to gain in terms of social status no matter who she ends up with. But unlike the cookie cutter k-drama the wealthy playboy does not bring promises of love and marriage at first which levels the playing field for our self-made man who does offer love and a common background in exchange for a lower status on the totem pole. She desperately and deservedly wants out of her current situation, yet a part of her is ever appalled by how far she truly will go to get there. In the end you are as torn as she is and the only satisfactory end to such a disruption in the established social order is for everyone to die. It's grand to think about the break in the order, but with so many who stand to get hurt by such a large scale shift in the equation the only satisfying conclusion is a complete endgame scene that shows us no good can come from too much change.

I hope some of that made sense.

I also think that I am drawn to the demureness and modesty that can still be found in many k-dramas. It is appealing to see adults still get flustered over holding hands and having a first kiss. I tend to avoid shows that are skinfests because more often than not you lose out on content. In American media be it movies, soaps, primetime dramas/comedies sex is too often the focus and there is no need to develop a character or a plot so long as there are the required steamy sex scenes interspersed with witty oneliners or mournful dissatisfied glances. Wholesomeness has become a dirty word in America and we have made the depraved the norm. I'm not soap-boxing, honestly! I just miss the days when shows stimulated more than my hormones. I have a mind that yearns for more and it's found a buffet of this ellusive quality in Korean productions. That doesn't mean that every production has been great, but I do enjoy the ideal that Korean dramas push. I know that they are just as far fetched as a world of bed hopping 20-somethings with no STDs to speak of, but then I've always been a sucker for sweet things more than for spicy.

Just finished the first six episodes of City Hall - really LOVE it! The first two episodes do have some dull spots but if the future episodes do not falter, it is shaping up to be the best rom-com for me so far this year.

When it is funny, it is seriously laughing out loud funny. When it gets to the poignant point, it is moving. The plot synopsis does not do justice to the story about why and what lead Kim Sun Ah to the road of becoming a Mayor - I look forward to see her ride to the top.

Last but not least, as someone mentioned above, the chemistry between Cha Seung-won and Kim Sun-ah is mesmerizing.

JB - Based on my reading your blog for over two years now, I am quite sure you would like this one. (Just forget the Lovers series and have a go on this simply for the two leads if not other things.)

@ Samsooki
You didn't catch Treeless Mountain at the Tribeca Film Festival?
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/movies/22tree.html?ref=movies

@ Tendoclan
I haven't watched this week's eps yet, but it looks like they'll never have Ji Ae really mature and reflect on her own life. What really bothered me was when they made Director Kim's wife into a weak idiot when she exposed SH/DS's relationship. Sheesh.

@18 javabeans:

Yeah I get what you mean. Blogging can be fun, but when it becomes a chore, that's when it gets tough. I do hope you continue enjoying what you do, that's most important. The Internet opens up a whole new world, but it's also something people can hide behind and attack. I did notice the increase in unpleasant comments here and was glad to see you stepped in firmly to put a stop to it. I think things have improved since.

Anyhow, have a great weekend!

@64, hjkomo -

You are killing me! I didn't know it was playing in NY.

Did you see it already?

@ Samsooki
Did you not read my post about it in a previous Open Thread????
It's not playing anywhere near me, so I was even tempted to go to NY (since I haven't been in a long while)....Aigoo, cham na...namjadeul, wae geu rae ni?
Lol.

@nycgrl, did you check it out?

@ Nom Kitteh & Sere

Nice nice nice! LOL. Atashinchi no Danshi is definitely a "crack" drama in which we check in and leave our brains at the door. But, it's very cute. Do you want me to give you a little little spoiler which will just make you excited or should I just say nothing [about episode 5 that is]?

Oh my oh my, how Kaname Jun & Mukai Osamu make this drama so wonderful. LOL. My two favorite men in this drama.

On a side note, I'm watching 9 End 2 Outs recently because lots of people randomly suggested it to me, and I'm really really enjoying it. And I like how ordinary it is, really. I mean, it's realistic. Ish. If you know what I mean. But I love love love Lee Jungjin's character as an awesome best guy friend. Makes me want to have a great best guy friend, who is manly yet sensitive. [And once more, point & example, Korean dramas give me unrealistic expectations about life.]

So yesterday I was talking to my friend about why best guy friends like that don't exist. It's because, for some reason, it's difficult to find guys that are that manly that aren't too self-absorbed in their manliness that it comes off as arrogant, or too sensitive that it comes off as a little feminine - the latter falls into the category of most of my guy friends, who are more feminine, and thus I have an easier way of communicating with them.

Which leads to my question. I had trouble describing what "manliness" is to my friends, because they were like, oh, well if you're looking for a balance between sensitivity and manliness, how would you define manliness? How would you define manliness?

Can you spot manliness by a quick first impression? I feel like a lot of times I can go, "Oh, that person's manly while this person isn't" without even knowing them. Other times, someone who's "manly" turns out to be nothing more than a hot air balloon. And other times, manliness is hidden in actions.

So what then, is manliness? Is it pure masculinity, characterized by testosterone and built muscles [which I must confess I am not particularly fond of, because my type is usually the toned, model look, which can sometimes be a little on the skinny side]? Or is it a personality trait?

alasam,

i'm not nearly as eloquent as samsooki, so i will just say that i'm into korean pop culture primarily because of identity issues. growing up, i felt like an outsider amonst my peers. i was ashamed of my korean heritage.

i still remember the first time i listened to "candy" by HOT, my very first intro to kpop. i was blown away. the only korean music i knew at that point was the stodgy stuff my parents enjoyed. it was at this point, somewhere towards the middle of my college years, that i embraced all things korean, and i began to watch kdramas and listen to kpop, and i devoured all the current news relating to korea.

i think there are several reasons why someone who doesn't have a korean background would enjoy kdramas, which include curiosity of another culture and attractive actors/actresses. and let's not forget the story itself. most (not all) kdramas revolve around some disadvantaged person who defeats the odds and finds love, money, fame etc. no matter the culture, i think we can all identify with the underdog.

@kb,

Dude, we practically have the same experiences. And I think we share many similar characteristics, perhaps growing up in the same way.... its like a case study of nature vs. nuture... LOL.

***

I'm not sure how many ppl would agree, but there was a relatively obscure scene from My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, with Kim Sunah (as Samsoon) and Lee Yoon Mi (as Chae-Ri). For those who don't recall, Chae-Ri is Samsoon's ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend.

Chae-Ri is younger and "prettier" than Samsoon, and Chae-Ri comes from a privileged rich family (whereas Samsoon does not). Yet Samsoon's ex-bf seems to be constantly looking to hold onto Samsoon, much to Chae-Ri's chagrin. AND, Samsoon appears to be going out with Hyun Bin's character Hyun Jin Heon (Heon-nie!! LOL), a person that Chae-Ri has had her eyes on for such a long time. This brings out Chae-Ri's inherent cattiness (meow! rawr!), as Samsoon seems to have both guys that Chae-Ri likes.

The scene is between Chae-Ri and Samsoon, after they had a fight, and they are sitting together at a spa with those funny towels on their heads, and Samsoon is trying to patiently impart a lesson to the immature Chae-Ri. Chae-Ri appears to get the lesson, even though she retains enough of her immaturity and cattiness to be adorable (and / or annoying).

Samsoon gently bops her on the head after Chae-Ri talks back slightly, and then Chae-Ri playfully continues to resist being bopped on the head, which causes Samsoon to bop her on the head once or twice more. And in this scene, we see so much of what is attractive to me, at least:

1. Continuity. Samsoon, as an older woman, teaches a lesson on life to the younger woman. This continuity is reassuring, because it says that the culture and the knowledge is survivable from age to age.

2. Hierarchy. Age before beauty (and riches!). Samsoon is able to assert her dominance not only as the teacher, but also as the elder, and so she asserts this by gently bopping the younger on the head. Chae-Ri resists this by threatening to bop Samsoon on the head, and so that earns Chae-Ri another gentle bop on the head by Samsoon. The fact that Chae-Ri's social and economic class, along with her apparent physical beauty, is on a higher level than Samsoon, makes no difference in this one-on-one relationship.

3. Community. Even though Samsoon really is from a different class than Chae-Ri, and even though they are rivals for the same two men, Samsoon and Chae-Ri are able to resolve their issues in large part because Samsoon takes charge as the elder and takes responsibility for Chae-Ri, trying to teach her and show her that Samsoon isn't Chae-Ri's enemy. And Chae-Ri's response to this is to boldly ask Samsoon to pay for all the snacks (as the elder), which of course earns Chae-Ri another gentle bop on the head, and then to pay for all the drinks (which earns Chae-Ri a third bop).

***

Even though this is between two women, I really get a kick out of this scene because it has a lot of elements that I would wish for in my life, and even people who would otherwise be at each others' throats are able to get together in large part because the structure / framework of inter-personal relationships is already established.

Samsoon has to take the first step, and she does, and Chae-Ri then submits to the relationship dynamic. It allows Samsoon to gain respect from Chae-Ri, and it allows Chae-Ri to accept wisdom from Samsoon.

Anyway, that's a big part of why I liked MNIKSS, and it didn't have anything to do with Hyun Bin.

=)

I really like reading your posts Samsooki..very insightful. Has anyone mentioned to you before that the same writer for MNIKSS also wrote, What's up Fox? You might wanna check it out, but I still think MNIKSS is her best work...

@azzuri, hi there....me bad, i should start watching Brilliant Legacy because of Bae Soo-bin..i bet he's a lot hotter in BL than in POTW..^^

According to my information "Treeless Mountain" was not actually at the film festival but rather showed briefly in NYC around the same time. As far as I know, it is no longer showing anywhere in NYC (more's the pity). When it was here for the DC Korean Film Festival, it was on screen at the AFI in Silver Spring (MD). Sadly, I missed it. :(

Gah, sorry, got distracted by Supernatural's finale (BTW, any of you guys watch it?).

@68 A.

Post away the spoiler if it's not a MAJOR twist. ;)

For some reason, I think Fuu has been playing ini the shadows against (for?) Chisato...as per Shinzo's instructions? Hmm. Also? I irrationally casted him as Chisato's love interest fromo ep 1. Am I the only one? And it's so weird cos we practically didn't see him for 4 eps. Ah well.

Anyway, yes, the drama totally goes into the crack genre, but it's less cracktastic than, say, Mei-chan no Shitsuji. Or so I hope. I liked Mei-chan, but I was hoping for a little more umph.

Re: manlyness
This is tough. My idea of manlyness is sort of fluid in that what I find manly today may not what I think is manly tomorrow, but as a general rule of thumb I'd say anyone who makes me feel safe/protected...and I'm not even talking about the looks. In my case it's more of a personality trait. Yeah, definately.

@Samsooki
Huh. I have to go back and rewatch that scene because I didn't even register. which means it didn't make much of an impact. Which means...well, I don't know exactly what THAT means but I think it's significan for some reason. What ep was that again?

You know the only scenes with Chae-Ri that I recall are 4 exactly: 1)when Jin-heon tells Chae-Ri and Hyun-woo that Sam Soon is his gf (then again, that's more of a Ji-heon vs Hyun.woo scene), 2)when Chae-Ri is outraged and talks back to Sam soon outside the restaurant, 3)the CATFIGHT (ahahaha, unforgettable, that one), 4)Chae-Ri sticking to Ji-heon and calling him oppa whilst her fiancé is in the other room. That's it. The thing is, I didn't really give Chae-Ri much thought, consideration or credit: she's superficial and silly and I never thought she'd change no matter what Sam Soon or others may tell her. And did she change? Hmm. I'm still not sure. I should rewatch the scene you mention and ponder some more. Your post was very insighful. Thanks for sharing!

@ alasam

I've not entered into any discussions before but this site has interested me for a long time. Your question about why are we hooked by the kdramas caught my attention enough for me to write.

I've been interested in kdramas for about 2 yrs. What got me hooked was the innocence of the dramas. By that I mean, take the love that is displayed between characters. It is done in a subtle way. Not like the down right offensive, porno, in your face way that the US series show. I don't appreciate that type of display of affection that has gotten so blatant in the US series. Each year, it just gets worse. Also I like the old fashion way of dating that is exhibited in kdrama. I would not be embarassed to watch many of the kramas with any age group. I was on vacation with some family members and I took along "Full House". You know, I could watch it with the youngsters. I was surprised that I didn't have to censor it. The girls loved it.

What has kept me interested in kdramas is the fact that they have, on the whole, good story lines. The jdramas are hit and miss because they can be so wacky. If you check out the story line of kdramas, you get an idea if you might like it and generally they are what you expect.

Okay! I speed-watched episode 4 during a meeting (note to meeting: if you want me to pay attention then be more interesting) and the gist of it is that the kid went missing (ran away?) and in the process of being found brings (tries to bring?) mom and dad (Sho) together. Fuu is in town (YAY!) and there is a treasure in the house (I will bet now that the treasure is nothing tangible and is instead the bond that will eventually form between the "family" members -- i think that because I am a lover of sap, and more sappy the sap, the more I love). So if I got the gist, then I will move onto Ep 5 -- well, as soon as I get my fried brain a bit unfried (the fact that I couldn't quite absorb Ep 4 says a lot about the state of my brain -- tis scrambled AND over easy!).

I thought Ep. 4 was a bit weak because it felt like a eat-your-vegetables kind of episode, and we all know that vegetables are evil and if they had wanted to be eaten, they would have made themselves taste like satay chicken or barbecued ribs instead of like cardboard or socks.

Yohoo for Friday afternoon! If I can get a dreaded visit to gym out of the way, Ep 5, here I come, baby!

----
CEREAL?
I can't remember who asked this, but my favorite cereal is Fruit Loops (don't mess with my Fruit Loops). Someone recently said that Fruit Loops is basically sugar and high fructose corn syrup, and I was like, "Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

----
Manliness?
Emotionally: Confident! Not arrogant, but confident.

Physically: Doesn't matter as long as the emotional aspect is there.

---
Why someone not of Korean background would enjoy K-dramas?
K-dramas deal with universal themes of love, triumph of the spirit, more love, family dynamics, etc., all through excellent production, writing, and execution.
K-dramas really know well how to capture the beautiful tensions of romance -- the attraction, the tension, the (heart)aches, the wanting, the longing, and the sweet, sweet getting. Also, K-dramas don't seem very nationalistic (at all) so they don't seem so much KOREAN as they do just plain, good entertainment. Like Japanese anime (which rarely signals Japaneseness), Korean entertainment seems to be similarly devoid of national markers, and as a result can (and do) have more universal appeal. Also, the family friendly focus (no sex, no heavy kissing, etc.) -- big plus.

i heard there will be a boys over flowers 2...
but the korean one covered everything that happend
in HYD 1 & 2

@Nom Kitteh
LOL did you actually DO that? That's, like, the most loyal thing ever. LOL

As for ep 4, yes, you basically got the gist of it. Truth is, the kid asked Akira to help him feign his kidnapping. At first, everybody was worried cos they all truly thought the kid had been abducted and then slowly all the members of the "family" found out the truth and eventually wanted to help. It started with Chisato and then every bro followed her example. They -along with her friends from the Net cafe- plotted every little detail in order to let the kid see his parents together once again (the kid really wanted them to get back together). They all are inspired by Shinzo's latest idea of amusement park (it's a treasure hunt...no wait, a "family hunt" kind of thing. It's basically an attraction for families, to make them overcome obstacles, strenghten their bonds etc). At the end of it, Sho realizes Shinzo really cared about *him* and the kid so much so that a)he had pushed Sho away so that he was forced to grow up and be a dad, b)he had given money to Sho's ex so they could survive, c)had already bought Riki a present cos he knew he most likely wouldn't be around for his bday (he had hidden the present in the house so Sho, thinking it was money, had gone looking for it). Sho realizes how important riki is for him and what's good for the little boy so he tells him he should live with his mom (and Oh god, I keep switching from past to present tense and viceversa. Sorry)

Whew. Ok, now as for my actual thoughts about it: it wasn't a great ep, but it was touching. It was nice seeing all the bros finally working together, as a family, as a team and honeslty the twist at the end of the ep? I didn't see that one coming. I wonder how they're going to react? Obviously not well. They'll feel betrayed, right? Anyway, yes, it was a bit too sugary and predictable, but that was to be expected.

almost forgot, it's Cannes weekend..I hope Mother will win.. Can't wait to see Won Bin with Kim Hye-ja, Jin Goo and PD Bong Joon-ho on the red carpet. I just saw the cast of Thirst..

@Nom Kitteh

PS: Sho, while watching a vid presentation of the Family hunt, calls Shinzo "dad" ("oyaji"), which was a BIG deal imho. It's the first time -that we know of- that any of Shinzo's adopted sons actually recognizes him as his father in the truest sense of the word. Big, big deal.

And I'm off to bed now. tty tomorrow, guys

@ Sere & Nom Kitteh

Okay, basically what I was major fangirl squealing about in episode 5 is basically that first of all, Fuu I think decides to come back to the family - he showed up a lot in episode 5, but for some reason Sho's scenes were cut. And so in the last minute, everybody's all buddy-buddy after reconciling their misunderstandings with Chisato and Fuu shows up and kisses Chisato on the cheek and says, "She's my new girlfriend."

YES. I KNOW. MAJOR SQUEALING RIGHT THERE. LOL. [I wish Kaname Jun would do that to me. LOL.]

But also, in episode 5, pretty much all of the brothers like Chisato now. I mean, you have Masaru who now obviously has a crush on Chisato [and Sho for some reason helps him out with trying to confess to Chisato or whatnot], and Takeru, and definitely Satoru all like Chisato. Obviously Akira is a little young. Sho, though, is just being friendly guy so who knows. He's nice to everyone.

I also read previews for episode 6. It's not as lovey-dovey as I wished, because it's just Fuu using Chisato against his 27 girlfriends. And yes, apparently he does have that many girlfriends.

Atashinchi no Danshi, I guess, is touching in a goofy way. Like, there are little touching moments and the rest of the time is mostly spent like, ahahahaha, crack drama, ahahahaha, and you don't process much of the information. Or, if you're like me, you're oggling Kaname Jun for whatever time he has on screen [which is rarely over 1 minute]. Or Mukai Osamu. Very funny stuff, though. And a nice drama to relax to.

Anyone catching the Han Woo-ri festival in Seattle this weekend?

If so, see you there for all the good eats and festivities.

Hi all4movies! I'm going to the Fed Way one, is that the same thing? Yeah, can't wait, you'll mostly see me around the food stands..^^

Woah super late reply, but thanks for the response JB! I knew I was missing one or two of them!

@ 75 Nom Kitteh - (Re: cereal) LOL, that was totally me.. I was just taking up space in a double-post. XD But yeah, Fruit Loops are awesome! They're probably my second favourite cereal. :3

This thread isn't as popular as some previous open threads, is it? :P I guess people are busy..?

..crap. PAPER DUE IN 30 MINUTES. *scurries*

@ hjkomo -@nycgrl, did you check it out?

Unfortunately, sadly no and it looks like it is no longer playing at the film forum now. I got so caught up with work, buying epik high tix and mother's day activities I completely forgot.

This was going to be a date night picture but I know my husband was pushing for Star Trek. Looks like he will get his wish.

@Samsookie

I remember that scene quite well from MNIKSS and I love that scene. There is something so cute, endearing and so korean about the exchange between the two women. And like Samsookie says you almost get everything it means to be korean in that one little scene. I haven't watched MNIKSS in 3 years but my favorite scene has to be when she is watching her ex-bf's engagement party from afar leaning on the doorway after she finished baking their engagement party cake wondering where their calorie of love went. That part just always brings tears to my eyes since you realize that any great love could fall victim like hers did and time is fickle since love is there one day and then gone another day.

sarah was here. ;)

JDrama fans,

Fuji announced their 50th anniversary project, Fumou Chitai, to be aired on October. It is based on a novel written by Yamasaki Toyoko, whose other works include Shiroi Kyoto and Karei Naru Ichizoku. Both titles were already adapted into dramas, both very successful. Fumou Chitai will have the same lead as Shiroi Kyoto (Fuji's 45th Anniversary Project).

Cannot wait! If successful, I suppose this year's drought of good jdramas may be somewhat saved.

not really, its saturday right now, i have exams, i just finished an exam, and i have another exam in 4 hours, so yea, its not even a weekend =(
im gonna be behind on the korean entertainment, ill miss it
wish me luck!!

i'm jumping on the wagon a little late (its already saturday), but i just wanted to share that i loveddddddd my name is kim sam soon so much because there's a little bit of everything. there's the eye candy, the funny scenes, the makes-your-heart-melt scenes, and the truly provocative and intriguing bits of the drama that makes you realize stuff about life. every time i tell ppl to watch it and ppl tell me they tried it but hated it because sam soon appeared desperate, i just get so...speechless. it seems like these days ppl prefer watching frivilous (albeit fun) dramas like boys before flowers. a damsel-in-distress type heroine with practically no flaws and is all around angelic and innocent and the kindest person on earth, is what ppl like to see, instead of fierce, realistically flawed and human heroines like sam soonie.
i also wanted to say that i started watching city hall all b/c of kim sun ah, but it turns out city hall is pretty awesome. it was outrageously funny in the first 4 eps, but eps 5 and 6 turned a little serious when mi rae didnt get her prize money from the beauty contest. that's why we got to see mi rae's perservance and jo gook's emotional weaknesses. which is AWESOME. not to mention sun ah and cha seung won's fiery chemistry and great acting. dramabeans should really give it a try lol.

@sere
I have both the Creative Zen and the iTouch. I prefer the Zen for my drama watching. I had all 11 episodes of Pride loaded on it for my vacation last year. I think I like it because it is a bigger screen and it seems clearer. However, the Zen is heavier and bulkier.

GO ROCKETS!!!!

@ 88 annieee,

wow, you are right re city hall. I have just finished the latest 4 epis. I laughed through epis 2 to 4. epi 1 was a bit slow for me. 5 and 6 is about developing the plot and the characters so it got a little serious but the story is still riveting enough for me to want to know what's going to happen next. Dialogue is so much more interesting than Lovers in Paris, Hello Missy or On Air. (This is coming from a person who totally bailed out on Lovers' series and On Air). If the writer keeps up with whatever she has been doing, that will be great. I would hate to see her ruin this drama.

I woke up early early this Saturday morning to pop in my MNIKSS DVDs, and jeez, I forgot how Heon-nie looked. I am a guy and I can say that HB is pretty darn hot in this. Even when he is being a dork, or when he is doing that smirk, anytime, HB is pretty hot. I've watched almost 2 dozen korean dramas now, and HB as Samshik is STILL the hottest k-guy I've seen.

@85, nycgrl:

I saw that scene you mentioned early this morning. I love that scene too!

Just ranting.

Check out Super Junior's New song - It's You.
Would never confess to being a fan of them, but this song rocks.

@ X
I know! WTH?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQKMQloY6rM&feature=related

@ Kender
The KAL guys rock! Kudos to them!

@Samsooki Re: Hyun Bin
You know, I'd say Gong Yoo is hotter, at least for me, but only Binnie can wear acid green or neon pink shirts and he doesn't look like a complete fool (he was actually very hot). Also? He really does rock the suits like nobody else imho.

@85 nycgrl
That was one of the best scenes of the drama. Bittersweet, sure, but a good scene. And a few scenes later, Jin-heon confronts Hyun-woo, woohooo. Guys, all this talking about MNIKSS makes me want to rewatch it.

@90 katwoman
Huh. I thought the iTouch had the biggest screen. Thanks!

@Sere,
Thank you for filling in the blanks for Ep 4. You are absolutely right about the significant moments in Ep 4. I went back and watched it at a normal pace and realized again just how lovely this show is. You're right: in this episode Sho realizes Shinzo really cared about him and Rikki, and it was a turning point. I really want to know why Shinzo ended up messing up so badly -- he seems to be a fairly decent man, his relationship with Chisato is very sweet and loving and touching, and he is very aware of what kids wants. Why then did his sons turn out that way. OR, maybe he saw his sons as broken, useless, infighting people when in actuality we know that each of them is a sweetheart. The best example of this the second brother fighting off thuggish kids to save a homeless person's home! They just presented themselves as thuggish. I still want to know why they did that. Anyway, I loved the episode the second time around.

I watched EP 5 without subs, but this is not really a show that needs subs (well, all shows do, but this one is easier to follow than some).

SPOILER ALERT

@A,
I can see you fangirl-squealing! And you should be -- Kaname Jun's looks are ridiculous, ridiculously gorgeous, I mean. His acting is pretty solid as well, even though this time he was on screen for, what, like, 4 minutes max. Can someone teach Jdrama writers something about fan service? In a Kdrama by now there would have been multiple scenes of Fuu showering.

And there were maybe 5 minutes of Mukai Osamu! What is wrong with the writers?

I loved Ep 5 b/c the bond between Chisato and boys (minus Fuu) is now solid. There are no secrets between them -- they know that she is doing things because she is contractually obligated to and that she is homeless. Despite all this, they are coming together as a family. I loved the moments when the brothers beat up on each other out of jealousy. It's so cute that the boys have crushes on Chisato now.

Again, a good, fun episode. I love how consistently goofy and silly it is, but the messages are silly at all. The need for family members to be there for each other, for people to watch out for others in the community (e.g., the brothers helping the homeless), the need for us to make time to sit down and have a meal with each other, all of these messages are heartwarming and important. The delivery through high jinks and comedy gives it extra awesomeness. Good show!

SPOILER END

@Sere, are you enjoying it? Thank you for taking the time to catch up on all the episodes. I hope you're not regretting it -- you like the show, right?

@73, Sere -

"What ep was that again?"

Ep 13, probably three-quarters of the way into the episode...

@96 Nom Kitteh

Hmm, I wouldn't say Shinzo messed up actually. I think he approached the whole thing in quite an odd way. First off, he was an eccentric man so his quirks -while funny and interesting- were not exactly ideal qualities in a would-be father imho. I think he was looking for -or he was perceived as he was looking for- an heir rather than a son and when Fuu -and then slowly all the others- failed to meet his expectations he went on looking for another "candidate". Which is why all the potential "sons" didn't really feel any real connection with him. Of course he cared for them all, but his actions, his "ok, not good enough, let's move on" attitude was not going to help him bonding with the kids -or the kids bonding with each other for that matter...in that each kid saw the other as potential "enemy", you konw? - or help him "make a family". After all, he threw a bunch of seemingly random strangers together, living under the same roof with little or no supervision and he sort of expected them all to get along and be a family just because. Huh nuh, things don't work like that.

Secondly, in typical drama style, they do NOT talk! Shinzo and the boys didn't communicate like at ALL (think Sho) so of course the kids had no idea that guy really cared for and loved them. Seriosly, miscommunication is one of the things that drives me bonkers when I watch dramas (esp in Kdramas, omg!). Situations that could be solved in 5 minutes by talking take 16 eps to be resolved because characters are proud/arrogant/prejudiced/hurt/stubborn/whatever and they refuse to talk, darn it. Plus -and this is going to earn me lots of "OMG you're such a sexist person" comments and YES, I know, I'm grossly generalizing and I shouldn't- they're men. It's even harder for fictional male characters to open up and talk about *gasps* feelings. So there, another problem.

No, no, I think he really saw how good all of his kids were, but maybe just maybe he didn't know how to tell them that or how to bring their potential out. Clearly, he cared for them. Anc clearly he chose them cos he thought they were special in some ways and because, despite how different they all seemed to be, they had lots of things in common. which is why I think he thought they all could be a family in the true sense of the word. Anyway, back to my first statement about Shinzo not messing up. I said that cos he already had a plan b in case plan a failed and I'm pretty sure he might also had had a plan c/d/e/etc in store should plan-Chisato go down the drain. You could accuse him of lots of things, but not of not being resourceful that in Shinzo's case, imho, showed just how much he *wanted* his family to be a family, he wanted his kids to have a safe harbour to be at and good people to live with. He really did care and love them all. (unless of course he had a savior complex and then all this rambling of mine is just meaningless. LOL)

Hey, yes, I like the drama. jdoramas tend to be hit or miss with me, but this one is far less cracktastic than I expected. Then again, I may be reading too much into it. LOL But yeah, I like the drama and no, I'm not regret watching it. It was already on my ever growing must-watch list so no worries ;)

Notes of the Epik High show in Los Scandalous . . . (with the many, many, many people taping the show, I'm sure it'll be on Youtube tomorrow ;) )

A LOT OF PEOPLE. Whoa. I wasn't really sure what to expect. Literally all the promo was done on 2 or 3 websites and on relatively short notice. But HOB on Sunset isn't a big venue, and it's basically 5-10 minutes away from UCLA. HOB was pretty dang close to packed on the 1st floor. Proportionately more guys than, say, at the KMF. That also surprised me, though I'm not sure why looking back.

First act Far East Movement was a lot of fun. Of course, I'm really biased because the DJ and one of the MCs came out in astronaut outfits and I LOVE DAFT PUNK. On a couple of their songs, they brought back some of Miami bass grooves, which SOOO take me back to high school.

I'm sure other people at the show will disagree with me, but I think Kero One had difficulty connecting with the audience. (There was a 5-10 minute technical glitch, but I didn't think it should have made the crowd restless.) Among all the acts there, Kero One probably makes the most challenging/"backpacker" music of the night, and you can hear both the Common and Q-tip/Tribe in what they do. There was a lot of downtempo/bossa nova grooves (kinda like this site, actually), but I think after the raucous FEM act, it was just the wrong vibe. Anyway, I got pissed off when some dudes (guys at a K-pop gig, 4 realz!!) in the back did a "we want Epik High" chant. The highlight of the K1 gig was when MYK did a guest spot. This is the first time I got to really listen to Kero One, though, and I really enjoyed his lyrics. It's so . . . old school.

"MC Dumbfounded" (no, really, that was our MC for the night) was great BTW (and his flow is real clean and has Busta Rhyme-esque speed.) He also did the SF show and actually battled that same night

Onto the Epik High/MYK main act. When Epik High did KMF a few years ago, they were by far the best young (as opposed to the seasoned older groups, meant for the adults) live act. It wasn't just the songs themselves, but that their rapport with the American K-pop audience is pretty damn close to what a domestic hip-hop act is like anyway. Anyway. . .

The crowd was CRAZY. :D I mean, I thought standing near the front of a Godspeed You Black Emperor gig was loud. This was close, and it was all coming from the people to the left and right of me. :D Fangirl Screaming > "Volume Control at Level 11""

It's not so much about Epik High (and MYK actually kinda stole the show in his bit), but that the crowd was incredible. For one thing, everybody knew the songs, very loudly. All the lyrics, all the choruses, and they were shouting the lyrics during the songs. it's like everybody there watched Epik High's performance on MBC Music Core so many times that they know exactly they were going to do before they did it. During "Love Love Love" and "One", the entire crowd was one massive substitute for the "female voices." It was awesome. I wish every Epik High fan in the States could experience singing and making the "Love" sign in synchronicity. Or singing "you are the one. ONE!" Or shouting "Fly! Fly! Fly!" and "come respect me or fcuking come and get me" all in unison. Because everybody was doing it, and it was that awesome. :D At certain points in the song, Tablo would just put the microphone to the audience and skip singing the choruses altogether, because the crowd basically sang the whole damn song. Dude, it was like a "BOA Meri Kuri in Japan" moment or something.

Beatboxer DG was actually a personal highlight for me. He and Tukutz did beats from the Neptunes, Timbaland, Planet Rock, and I thought I heard Underworld in there too. :D

I kinda came out of the gig really feeling that Tablo is really a "love or hate" (or "love and hate") kind of dude. You could tell the other members were kinda "WHOA" with the vibe from the crowd. At one point, MYK was literally like "wow, this is loud" when Epik High asked us to scream. But, I think for Tablo, you can really, really feel his anger. And like the success of Epik High at this and the SF gig was more personal vindication for him, that it reinforced that Epik High did the right thing going independent, and youj can absolutely see the satisfaction whenever he wasn't rapping. BTW, I think at one point, he tried krumping(?!?) O_o When Epik High was performing, he was the principal chatting with the audience, and he gave a short "real talk" about their decision going independent. It echoed what he said before in the previous Epik High piece here, that people who complained about slaving under the labels should "shut the fcuk up." Ahem. Though he did also point out that, they've tried for years to tour around the world, but their major label wouldn't let them do stuff like this. And he thanked the audience for making this possible. Tablo's a hilarious hype man BTW. He threw water at the audience a few times (and I got hit in the face EVERY TIME lol.) But the best bit was him toweling off Mithra (who looked seriously happy to be doing this show) multiple times in the show. It was borderline fan service. :D

I left pretty quickly (gotta work Sunday), but I wouldn't be surprised if the Map the Soul crew has one helluva after party.

But, really, the best part of the Epik High/MYk show were the fans. I've been to gigs with great acts where the fans were crap or they were, uhhh, stereotypical hipsters who "fold their arms" and look really bored. (Gah, especially when I used to live in the Bay Area. UGH x 20!!) But when you have a crowd that has strong fangirl representation, you don't really know because a lot of them haven't seen a lot of the show. they tend to be most excited up until the actual show, then they kinda stand around and watch. But this crowd was awesome, and I finally got to experience the "Belleza sings Love Love Love Very Badly in the Shower " Routine with other people. And that was definitely worth every cent. :D

Anyway, those of you going to the Seattle and Noo Yawk shows, I know you guys will have a blast. And, for the rest of you, don't worry. It's very likely that the Map the Soul collective will tour again in the future.

BTW, while I was a light on Sunset, walking across the street was a dude who EERILY looked like Caleb from Kings of Leon. Beard, bad hair, flannel, all there. If that dude yelped right there on the street, well you know I can use somebody . . .

Finally . . . saw Star Trek. I agree with my friends, Zachary Quinto was born on this watery, silly planet to play Spock. I never knew Vulcans guys could be hot, and Spock is one sexy logician. Too bad they're not many of them left. :(

And, oh yeah, don't worry about security not letting you bring cameras and stuff. Every other person in LA was taping the show. :D And Tablo LOVES posing and being all dork-macho for camera shots.

Eek. I really lost my hearing. LOL