agree with the ramen looking better in dramas than reality... what is it that slurping from a pot lid makes ramen so delectable? and why is it that the instant ramen always takes just seconds to get done when i have to put mine in the microwave for like 10 mins to get soft enough noodles to eat?

and i work in respiratory... there's really no reason a humidifier needs to be used in the hospital. most of the temperature and whatnot is already controlled. humidifiers must be for show only... just like putting someone on oxygen... you can't just give someone oxygen without monitoring their levels.. but whatever. that's why it's TV.

can't wait to get home so i can watch the youtube clip of Three Rivers. I may become a fan of Daniel Henney yet!! I'm trying very hard to like him right now just to show my azn pryde... =)

I love that K-Dramas end... as I get older, I no longer have the patience for keeping up with a show season upon season. Even really good shows. I gave up on Lost somewhere in Season two or three. I think the Office is the funiest show I've ever seen in my life and I haven't watched it in months. Heroes and Friday Night Lights are awesome... but I just can't do it.

K-Dramas end and I LOVE that... even the daily dramas I can put up with. The show that forever sealed my K-Drama addiction was the 150+ episode monstrosity Likable or Not, which I started watching on KBS America when I was in college and searched high and low for on the internet once I moved home. Now, I've discovered the world of shorter dramas but anything is better than 9 seasons of Ross and Rachel breaking up and getting back together. Condense it into 16 neat little episodes, if you please.

Why k-dramas?
--because a really good drama must be watched until 3am! Does it matter that I get 2 hours sleep and must be BFF with Dunkin' Donuts iced caramel latte in order to survive? No! 5 more minutes...5 more minutes....that's all it takes from saying "am going to bed at 10PM TO 3AM! ^^
--because if it's a great drama it can follow you around for days...scenes flash in my thoughts, and the OST will pop up in my mind at odd moments of the day...waiting in line to buy a soda, during meetings, in the car on the way to work....
--because Hyun Bin was'nt fine to me in MNIKSS until he dragged KSS into the bathroom for a smooch, because Kang Ji Hwan had soooo much charisma, I watched Capital Scandal til' the bitter end even if it was'nt my style, because Joo Ji Hoon had me from episode 3 (damnit Netflix! you're why I got addicted you know!). And mostly because Gong Yoo was so beyond amazing in Coffee Prince, that I even saw One fine day (meh) and Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy (yum!) You can all fight over Binnie and Kang Ji Hwan, I'm just waiting for MY man Gong Yoo to come back from the army he he...

Bibimbap is my favorite korean food, especially when it comes in the stone pot and you let the rice burn for a little bit so it gets nice and crunchy. followed by side dishes where there's always 2 kinds of kimchi. As much as I would like to cook korean food, my cooking has been declared a biohazard. I am now banned from making anything involving heat. I just want to know why they pour water into the stone pot when the rice is empty at BCD? Can't figure that out.

Hello my friends! After a week of rainfall there is finally some sunlight peeking through.

I've been holed up in the library studying for the past week on arguably the worst subject possible. Information Technology. Dun dun dun.... I am now ready for a little break of drama fun. I currently have a steaming pot of Shin ramyun tantalizing me.

I can't wait for the next weekend when I'm not writing finals!

Have a fantastic weekend full of fun and sunlight enough for the both of us!

samsooki #35,

i used to watch kdramas because of the characters, and essentially for the reason that you gave, “korean dramas show the life that I wish I could have."

i saw several kdramas before autumn fairy tale, but autumn fairy tale was the one that got me started. i remember watching SSH and thinking, "man, i wish i could be like him." he was rich, good-looking, suave, essentially everything i wanted to be. he was typical of the korean male leads in other dramas. i loved how the ladies were portrayed with two key characteristics: beauty and loyalty. i was in fantasyland when i watched these korean male characters attracting and obtaining the hearts of these ladies.

so imagine me, kb, a poor student at the time who wore ill-fitting clothes and scruffed shoes and had an irregular haircut, enraptured by these kdramas. self-confidence was pretty low. i essentially lived vicariously through these korean characters, and dreaming someday how i could at least begin to attain a life they led...someday.

well, that someday is now. after i finished my studies and started to make a modest income, i began to change my style: higher quality threads, better shoes, proper fitting pants and shirts, and of course, a much better haircut. concomitantly and most importantly, i began to improve on my self-confidence.

during this "transformation", i began to avoid kdramas because i didn't want to live vicariously through these characters anymore, and i realized that the ladies portrayed were rare, if they existed at all. i didn't like giving myself unreal expectations. by continuing to watch kdramas, i was putting forth the expectation that i would be able to find and attract one of these rare ladies, and i didn't like doing that to myself.

don't get me wrong, i still love kdramas. recently, i watched all of dae jang deum and happiness, both of which i enjoyed tremendously (i would stay up until 3am and get up at 530am to get to work during my dae jang geum marathon...a big problem). and i still enjoy watching kdramas with my parents when i go back home. but i don't seek it out like i did in the past. it's an addiction i now have control over.

.

@ kb

"don’t get me wrong, i still love kdramas..............but i don’t seek it out like i did in the past. it’s an addiction i now have control over. "

Sometimes I feel like I'm headed in that direction as well. The longer I watch kdramas and jdramas, the more I feel like there are fewer dramas I am interested in watching. The storyline and great chemistry and interactions between characters is what fuels my interest. I am watching Story of A man (each episode), Shining Inheritance & City Hall(sporadically)right now.

However, just when I think I'm done and out. Or have my addiction under control, a good drama like Story of A Man comes out and sucks me right back in!

kb-

"during this “transformation”, i began to avoid kdramas because i didn’t want to live vicariously through these characters anymore, and i realized that the ladies portrayed were rare, if they existed at all. i didn’t like giving myself unreal expectations. by continuing to watch kdramas, i was putting forth the expectation that i would be able to find and attract one of these rare ladies, and i didn’t like doing that to myself."

They aren't that rare, or else I just happen to know more than a fair share. It's the guys that are rare to find. But you have to understand that nobody is perfect, and people are always growing. What you have to see is the soul on the inside, to see if the person on the inside can grow into the person you envision. And, be mindful of the fact that you are also growing, and you have to grow into the person that she envisions for herself. That process is lifelong.

You and I, we have the same heart, more or less, and I want to share something with you. My own wife, the one who I chased halfway across the country, the one who I would leave everything behind to keep, she sorta started out as a wild card, almost to the point of just me not knowing whether we could ever make it work, and in the beginning, we fought all the time and I thought she was so selfish and so into herself. But as we grew together, over time, we both shared what we wanted most from the other, and now, she is the one who protects me and defends me, and knowing that makes my job of taking care of her and being the man of the family, so much easier.

My classmate from college, he also married his woman who is like that. She was the one who claps first when he stands up and speaks, and she is the one who goes around telling others that she is my classmate's wife - it's so cute and so endearing to see. And it isn't like they are newlyweds, but they are like that and you can see that that kind of loyalty runs fierce in her, just as it runs fierce in my own wife.

And I have a third example, the person about whom I've been talking for a bit these past few weeks, the one who is still single but in love with the same guy for years and years, the one who is just the coolest person, the beautiful and intelligent one, the one with whom I have a complicated relationship because we have different ideas of what it means to be friends. I once made a passing joke about the guy that she has her heart set on, and even though we were the only ones in the conversation, she made me take it back, and her eyes burned fierce, just like my wife.

So, they do exist. Some have to grow to become what you seek, and others have it within them for a long time.

On the other hand, finding a guy that would be worthy of such women, it is not easy. For example, I am not the same guy as when I started dating my wife, and I am a million times the person I was in the past. I wake up humble now, I wake up and I think about how lucky I am to be alive and to be given so much - humility is the starting point, because it is then that we are able to grow.

My advice is to get to know people by looking at what they may become, and not just at what they are.

***

So still, for me, I wish my life were more like k-dramas. I just don't know that many cool, interesting, good looking korean guys that I can call my big brother or little brother, and this is the go-min of my own life. hehe. Imagine if Kang Ji Hwan and Binnie were my two best buds.....see, now that's the reason I watch k-dramas... LOL. Imagine the hijinks they would get into and then they would come home and try to explain how and why they got into yet another mess that I would have to solve for them. Oh well, that's what we get for adopting Kang Ji Hwan.... don't bake a cake if you don't like cleaning up flour and egg messes.

@ SamSooki

"Why do you guys like k-dramas? Why are you guys so interested in it, the people and the stories? What makes it different from the other stuff you guys watch?"

Its kind of late for me to answer so I will be brief...
I have always loved a good story, loved to pick them apart, analyze and dissect, not to mention other countries, cultures and languages, therefore, it was no surprise that once I was introduced to AZNTV that I would be obsessed but once I began watching... I have found that Kdramas get me to think about ideas and topics that other television programs had never really roused in me before. There are all types of different story telling and Kdrama to me creates scenarios that make me wonder what I would do in that situation. TV up till that point had never really done that. I had always viewed a character as a character(its own entity), not an extension of my own thoughts, feelings or desired reality. I find that with each new show, whether modern or historical, fanciful or comedic, romantic or tragic it always gets me to think about myself and helps me to hone in on what I truly value.

In short, Kdramas reveal to me my innermost personal convictions.

Like Z mentioned above, I like that K-dramas have an end in sight. Unlike most of our local dramas, they go for several seasons and tend to jump the shark.

@simi

Not so fast! Your Gong Yoo is MY Gong Yoo too. :D

samsooki,

you are probably right. in fact, now that i think about it, i know one who fits the description of the ideal mate. of course, she's already taken. but there's another one... i will reserve judgement until i get to know her better...hahaha.

i don't know if i would call myself one of the "cool, interesting, good looking korean guys." i feel like i'm starting late in the game, and i'm still trying to find my way. nevertheless, at least within these threads, i consider you my hyung.

why I love Korean Dramas? No offense, it's better than watching Filipino Dramas and regular American Reality TV shows (my TV is always on TBS: Seinfield,family guy, friends, sex and the city, the office, my boys..etc....)....back to Korean Dramas; I like the way they show the drama in a full hour w/o commercials in between..The eye-candies and I can pick which drama or show to watch after it aired, (only drama I watch LIVE right now is City Hall, though I don't understand a darn thing...it's fun to watch it live with other CityHallers)..

Hope you all enjoying the rest of the weekend!
It's over 80degrees right now in Seattle..ENJOY THE SUN WHEREVER YOU ALL ARE! :)

@ simi
great reasons for watching k-dramas - I'm with you on all those points.

@SAMSOOKI

RE: THREE RIVERS COMMENT
I know this is a late comment but i just need to say this....your comment about DH cracked me up! Sorry! But that was really funny (you were probably saying that in a serious way..)!!!! That was a fast 3 second shot of DH....

@KB
RE: KDRAMAS
it's interesting..., my friend, he's also korean has similar sentiments.....(he was actually the one who introduced me to kdramas, but also warned me..)

Hi =) Can someone please help me translate this song frm Monday Kiz to either English or Chinese. Thanks in advance. ^.^

하늘아 제발

하늘아 제발 지워주렴
돌아올수 없는 그녀란걸 알잖아
눈물도 더이상 나오지 않는 너잖아
떠나가줘 이제 내 곁에서
그토록 원하고 원했었던 너인데
지친사랑속에 널 생각하는 마음
미움밖에 없으니까

정말 사랑했어 아파도 기다릴수 있는 나였잖아
언젠가 내게 올거란 바보같은 미련땜에
제발 떠나가줘 더이상 돌이킬수없는거잖아
사랑했지만 돌아갈수는 없잖아

알아줘 만일 웃는다면
내게 상처주고 싶지 않아서 인데
마지막까지도 이렇게 널 힘들게해

하늘아 제발 도와주렴
어디서도 그녀 찾을수가 없잖아
항상 내주위를 스쳐갔었던 그녀인데
돌아와줘 이제 내곁으로
그토록 원하고 원하는거 알잖아
항상 내맘속에 이렇게 자리잡던 그와의 시간때문에

제발 떠나가줘 더이상 돌이킬수 없는거잖아
사랑했지만 돌아갈수는 없잖아
돌아올수 없다면 잡으러 갈수 없다면
다신 볼수없도록 내곁에서 떠나가줘

하늘아 제발 지워주렴
돌아올수 없는 그녀란걸 알잖아

정말 사랑했어 아파도 기다릴수 있는 나였잖아
언젠가 내게 올거란 바보같은 미련땜에
제발 떠나가줘 더이상 돌이킬수없는거잖아
사랑했지만 돌아갈수는 없잖아

Javabeans!!!

I have a question.. what are your thoughts on the Kdrama, 90 days, Time for Love??

I loved Kang Ji Hwan on Hong GIl Dong. And I wanted to see his dramas, I am a little skeptical about this drama though, since the plot revolves around them being related (cousins). For the record, I hate Autumn Tale because of I could not accept the fact that they were related (at first).

Is it a good drama? I might watch it despite the blood relation plot depending on your comments!

Thanks!

stupid lame dramas aside...looking forward to movies of Song Kang Ho, Ha Jung Woo, Jang Dong Gun, and Won Bin..
ok..Accidental Couple is fabulous and thanks to Hwang Jung Min..

@115 xiaoSian
I know you asked JB but I don't remember her saying she actually watched the drama, though I believe she's mad a comment about it somewhere up here. You might want check under KJH's name or the drama's name itself for a related post.
Anyway, in the mean time... I have seen parts of the drama and I would suggest that you watch the first couple eps. If you don't like it, drop it. I say this cause I did see alot of the drama(about 10/11 eps), which I wouldn't have seen that much if it hadn't been for my friend who wanted KJH to be her temporary mail order husband this summer! He is a great actor and I think that you see that (oddly) in a poor drama because you are questioning why the heck you're still watching and then he stumbles in, eyes swallow and smiles... Sadly that couldn't sustain me for 16 eps...were there 16 eps?
Either way, I skipped the rest until the last ep. I wanted to see how it ended. I'm not one to quit on a drama after seeing so much of it, so that says something. (Though I do have a chronic habit of watching every ep except the last one, but that's irrelevant in this discussion:)
Ultimately, its a drama about death and lovers being torn apart by circumstance. The cousins issues is something that didn't bother me. They way they introduce is was easy to live with. Especially, being from America where that kind of thing isn't illegal. Its tragic but if you can hack it, you might like it. I am positive somebody did. I didn't hate it. Give it a try. Tell me what you think.

@Samsookie:

Why do I like K-dramas? Well, being a relative newbie to the whole K-drama world, I would have to say that Kim Bum is the reason. Yep, that's right, he's the whole reason! *lol* Kidding...mostly. When a friend of mine showed me pictures of Kim Bum, I immediately had to watch Boys Over Flowers. Being a fan of ridiculous dramas (I grew up watching Aaron Spelling shows) I was immediately hooked. So much so, that I had to keep the story going with my own fan fiction. Of course, now that I've watched one show, like any good addiction, I need to keep feeding it! I'm now watching Coffee Prince (and loving it!) and will soon be watching Soulmates. Oh, and of course, I will be watching Dream as soon as it is available for me to watch it!

Also, I love shows with strong female characters, and so far, from the limited experience that I have, it seems K-dramas offer that in spades! I think it's safe to say that I'm officially hooked!

forget lame dramas...i'm looking forward to movies with Song Kang Ho, Jang Dong Gun, Won Bin..well maybe i watch 'Accidental Couple' and it's because of Hwang Jung Min..

@120 Mamacat

"Just out of curiosity, I’ve seen so many references to MNIKSS - I have not watched this but what’s so good about it? So many adjectives attached to it - ‘ground-breaking’, ‘biggest hit’ etc. Is this just hype?"

For some, yes. For others, not so much.

It really depends on how the series and the two main characters strike you. If you have to overcome negative feelings about one or both characters, you might spend a significant portion of the time finding fault with the drama. But if you are charmed by the main characters, then really, the series can be enjoyed immensely. Like all dramas, whether you will like it will be subjective.

For me, it is my favorite k-drama. I found the characters to be compelling, I thought the acting was a tiny bit of uneven (Daniel Henney and Jung Ryo Won) but the strength and vulnerability of Kim Sunah as Kim Sam Soon really put this over the top. But right there also, in terms of what made this drama so good, was the story.

In many k-dramas, the story lines can meander and just lose focus or go in weird directions for really no reason at all. And you are left wondering "why did they put that story line in," or "ummmm, that made no sense..." In this particular drama, there is very little of that, and the focus remains on the development of the main characters' relationships with each other. The story is fantastic, pacing is very good, the acting by the two main characters is great, the directing and the editing is also good.

And finally, MNIKSS iconic character of Kim Sam Soon really pushed aside a lot of the stock character feel of main female leads in k-dramas. It was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise rigid and somewhat stale genre of romantic comedies in 2005. That gamble alone on making Kim Sam Soon the kind of character that she is, is worth the price of purchasing the DVD set. And Kim Sunah's portrayal makes you glad that you did.

- BREAKING NEWS -
June 2nd, 5:21pm EST

This just in....

The forensics team have confirmed that the bones of the allegedly-deceased Samsooki are actually the remains of another male CT resident (age 58, whose identity has not yet been released, pending notification of his next of kin). The deceased had suffered a stroke while riding the bus to work early Friday morning.

Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) and his FBI team from Without A Trace were called in on the case early Monday morning when it was discovered that Mr. Samsooki had kidnapped popular Korean actor, Kang Ji Hwan, in an attempt to steal Mr. Kang away from his female fans across the globe.

At approximately 4:30pm EST, Mr. Kang was safely retrieved from where he was being held prisoner by the perpetrator in a secret back room of Merchant Wang's shop.

Mr. Kang's only comment was, "That was the most frightening experience of my life!"
He is currently being treated at a local hospital for dehydration and exhaustion.

Further investigation into the contents of the kidnapper's briefcase and laptop revealed two scripts:

1) Jajangmyun Space Odyssey - starring Hyun Bin
A representative from Mr. Hyun's agency have confirmed that a copy of the script was sent to him recently, and he is "possibly considering" the role...but no verbal or written agreement has been made at this time.
(There was also an email from Joss Whedon to Mr. Samsooki stating Mr. Whedon's interest in possibly adapting the script as a series for the cable network, Sci-Fi Channel. Naturally, the title would have to be reworked.)

2) Triple
The sole copy of the original script for MBC's new drama, Triple, was also in Mr. Samsooki's possession. After the script was stolen a few months ago from PD Lee Yoon Jung's home, and Kang Ji Hwan received certain death threats connected with his participation in that drama...Mr. Hwan recused himself from his role and was later replaced by veteran actor, Lee Jung Jae.

Mr. Samsooki is currently being held in FBI custody...

:P

NO NO NO NO NO.... I am not in FBI custody! I escaped! :)

Sigh.... we should deal, we should negotiate.

If I write a totally 재미있는 treatment for Jajangmyun Space Odyssey and I email it to you (and bspanda, B.B., sere, belleza and whoever else I can email spam and/or share it with)...

...can we share Kang Ji Hwan 50 (me) / 50 (you and everybody else?)

I'll even create a HJKomo character which tricks Binnie and steals his clothes or something, when Binnie is a slave on the planet....

@ hjkmono
Wow the fact that the suspect Samsooki left his epic 'Jajangmyun Space Odyssey' (starring Hyun Bin) shows how desperate he must have been to escape!
AND we now know the real reason, ie who to blame, for KJH leaving 'Triple'!

@Samsooki
I think you may have been able to escape because the authorities were too busy looking at/after the victim.....

"If I write a totally 재미있는 treatment for Jajangmyun Space Odyssey and I email it to you (and bspanda, B.B., sere, belleza and whoever else I can email spam and/or share it with)…

…can we share Kang Ji Hwan 50 (me) / 50 (you and everybody else?)'

Somehow think perhaps you need to rethink the 50/50 - it is so NOT looking plausible for you to hog KJH for that amount, given the trauma you inflicted on my/our beloved KJH. However the fact that you tempt me with emailing a treatment of 'Jajangmyun Space Odyssey' might make me put in a good word with the DA et al. You are one crafty criminal Samsooki!

(BTW the weekend was a bit of a fizzer due to flu - but one bright spot was I actually got KJH's '90 days to love' with Kringlish subs! KJH makes reading kringlish subs bearable, hmmm but really am I seeing anything BUT KJH on screeen? hehe. But have to confess the drama (so far) is no where near the quality of HDG or CS

Suprising how I mention not finding it the drama with english (or even Kringlish) subs in this thread and then POOF it appeared! The power of this blog! Hey perhaps I should test the 'magic' of Dramabeans threads that makes things happen after I mention them!
OK here goes - KJH and I meet, fall in love et al and we invite the whole dramabeans gang to a huge party! (samsooki will have to be watched very carefully.... ). Here is hoping the Dramabeans thread magic continues...... :P LOL)

Three epispdes left of Hong Gil Dong.

I am almost speechless at how good this drama is. But first, I have to give props to the crazy king acting performance, it is about as good as it gets, I am shocked at how good the crazy king performance was.

KJH and Sung Yuri are just fantastic. I honestly couldnt care less about whether anyone else in the world agrees with me. Yeah, maybe YEH could have done the same role but that's irrelevant to me because SY has done a great job with Yi Nok and the only I regret is that there are only three episodes of Hong Gil Dong left to watch.

There isn't a single part of this drama that I dislike, and there are so many "wow, that was an awesome scene / episode" instances.

At this point, I feell like Yi Nok. I can't share Hong Gil Dong with anyone, and he's my "I Love You," but I might have to send him to hjkomo otherwise KJH might get hurt in the battle I might have to fight to protect him.

I have only SNSD's "if" in myt current playlist, and I'm listening to it as I write this. I feel like I have to let him go to save him....

@ Samsooki

Yup, the crazy king was awesome! :D

"At this point, I feel like Yi Nok. I can’t share Hong Gil Dong with anyone, and he’s my “I Love You,” but I might have to send him to hjkomo otherwise KJH might get hurt in the battle I might have to fight to protect him."

Since when is kidnapping and holding a person captive against his will (all under the pretense of "adoption") considered protection? o_O
...yeah, only in your asylum... ;)

"only three episodes of Hong Gil Dong left to watch"
Get your tissues ready...

-btw, it's "I lub you." :P

It is hard to play crazy, and a lot of people who try end up confusong crazy with silly or stupid. Crazy king was still pretty damn perceptive, immediately recognizing that HGD's dad wanted to die not just to serve the king but because HGD's dad had reached the point of all he could take. That's pretty perceptive, and it shows that crazy king understood the wrongness of his own actions, but being llocked in insanity could not allter his path. Crazy king felt as much sorrow as any other person, but just about certain things and not others. I think he did a great acting job.

And KJH showed his chops in scene after scene, too many to count And Sung Yuri was just wonderful as well. Everybody has done such a good job. Other standouts - female number one / asst to the prince, HGD's dad, HGD's brother, even Eun Hye did well, not once did I start to get restless or annoyed or want to fastforward to avoid watching bad acting.

But... "Get your tissues ready"???

Are you saying that HGD has a sad ending?

...

;(

(apologies for my numerous typos in my previous post - LOL. Late night posting takes place in bed with Samsooki wife grumbling and me hurriedly trying to post via blackberry. the type font is so small, I can't see if I've made a mistake. haha!).

Yeah, loved all the supporting characters - crazy king, Ruby Lips (CH's #1), sapsaree musa (hawt!), the Core of Power (EH's father), Merchant Wang, and the entire Hwalbindang gang.

"Are you saying that HGD has a sad ending?"

Beautiful ending. BEAUTIFUL! ;)

Hong Gil Dong is lurrrve. :)

@131 hjkomo -

I AM TOTALLY HOLDING YOU THAT. YOU PROMISED! HONG GIL DONG HAS A HAPPY ENDING! I am totally believing in you. I believe in you!!

I am so excited now, I was scared before because of the tissues, but now I am excited again!

Actually, now that I think about it, I am scared again. What if all of them don't survive? I was pretty upset by the grandfather dying. I was upset also by HGD's dad dying, because he really needed a lifetime of penance. And I was REALLY upset by the workers getting executed early on and the soup ladies getting butchered. I hope nobody I like dies in the last three episodes!

Oh, btw the "sapsaree musa" is the male assistant / bodyguard to CH, right? I chuckled for very long while at JB's recap comment where she says it would be hot if the assistant were gay and was in love with CH. I like him too.

"I AM TOTALLY HOLDING YOU THAT. YOU PROMISED! HONG GIL DONG HAS A HAPPY ENDING! I am totally believing in you. I believe in you!! "

Beautiful. I said, BEAUTIFUL!!!
Delusional....blind....what's next?...deaf, too? :P

Did the feds mistreat you or something? o_O

- Tonight on America's Most Wanted -

The entire country is watching the manhunt for the fugitive, Samsooki.
Tommy Lee Jones has been called in and is searching every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse....

It is suspected that the fugitive may be headed towards the Canadian border via Niagara Falls. Both the NY state and Canadian border patrols have been notified, and Mr. Samsooki's picture has been distributed to law enforcement officials in both countries, as well as Mexico. (An artist's rendition of his most recent HGD ajumma pama has been computer-generated, since no such photo exists at this time.)

Honestly Hong Gil Dong has become one of my fav, if not THE fav, kdramas. It had action, drama and humor - all wrapped within a beautful but well acted cast.

Have been rewatching HGD (as not feeling much love for the other KJH series 90 days). So good! Perhaps it's due to my love for HGD and Snow Queen but I don't really get the complaints about Sung Yuri's acting. Kang Ji Hwan totally covers the range - from subtle to exaggerated - all with emotion. So enjoyable to watch him.

Samsooki
Hope you enjoy the last 3 episodes. You should also check out the 'Special' that was shown at the conclusion of the series. It seems like the cast had a lot of fum making it :) But damn CH looks so young when out of character!

hjkomo -
"Yeah, loved all the supporting characters - crazy king, Ruby Lips (CH’s #1), sapsaree musa (hawt!), the Core of Power (EH’s father), Merchant Wang, and the entire Hwalbindang gang."

Totally agree about the supporting cast. The only problem is I first kept thinking of (overly) Ruby Lips and Core of Power from their roles in DGCH and My Girl. hehe. Core of Power is one funny actor! And the guy who played "sapsaree musa" was indeed hawt. Wonder if who he is?

You are so right about the beautiful ending. Beautiful indeed.

Psst samsooki - you can let KJH go now Binnie is coming!
The release date of "Friends, Our Legend" is now 27th June!!!!
(credit to ay_link at the (other) awesome blog I visit - Jazzholic blog!)

HGD is over.

I don't know how I feel, really. Am I sad? A little. Maybe more than a little? Yes, it was beautifully shot, the musical score was amazing, and I liked the fireflies in the night sky, and the acting was brilliant, the directing and the editing was great. But I think JB is right about the first sequence of the first episode being Eun Hye's work, which means that all of them died that night. So, I feel what many have felt - I am sad that they did not live to share their love with each other for many years to come, in the world they created.

And I could just fill a hundred lines of prose, filling the page with superlatives and so on, but it's all been said before. But I am not totally sad, because the drama was pretty freaking great. And the character of the mad king.... at the end, when he was about to be beaten to death, I thought that scene was just amazing. I've NEVER seen acting like that. Just brilliant.

And as much as Kang Ji Hwan (still mine) really made his character pretty awesome, and as much as the plot lines and the wonderful ensemble casting did their jobs, I think Hong Gil Dong drama was really about Yi Nok. At least, that's how I saw the drama. And Sung Yuri really made the part what it was. Not to say that better actresses couldn't have done as well, but that's irrelevant as to whether SY did a good job, and she was actually better than that, she was just perfect. She was Yi Nok, and the drama was special because of her.

If HGD isn't my favorite drama now, it comes about as close to the top as you can get without going down the back side of the mountain.

***

I may be a fugitive, but I'll keep going after KJH (mine).

Mi-an-hao.

"If HGD isn’t my favorite drama now, it comes about as close to the top as you can get without going down the back side of the mountain."

So, are you changing your moniker to Jjinbbang or Jiayou! ? ;)

Btw, just curious...how was the quality of the subs?

Listening to the lyrics of "If" off the HGD ost. Makes you sort of wonder they made a song so perfect for the drama.

Can't sleep, so I tried looking for translations of the lyrics but I don't like how any of them read. Here's how I translate it, noting of course that my ability may not be all that great:

If I should go, if I should get close to you
What would your thoughts be?
But I don't have the courage (to do so)

If you should go, if you should go ahead and leave,
How do make it so that I can let you go?
I am always scared (to even think about it)

CHORUS:
Because I'm not very smart, I know all I can do is watch apart from you
And it's also because my heart which does not know how to do anything,
Might lead to us to being far apart (in our feelings for each other).
Because I'm really dumb, I know that I don't even know how to say that I love you
And the pain and sorrow that follows in the time after seeing you
Is what is frightening me so.

If you should come, if you should come (all the way) to me
What would I have to do (in such a case)?
It is something truly unknowable (to me).

Chorus
Repeat second half of chorus.

***

I find it neat how they made a song sort of described how Yi Nok felt about HGD.

:)

As far as I know, the only official KBS version is a region 3 box set.

And so the lack of an official region 1 version "forced" me to go to ebay and buy a chinese bootleg version.

The bootleg version I bought apparently stole the vast majority of its subbing from fairly good subbing team(s), so by and large the dialogue in english was pretty accurate. But not all of the episodes had the same subbing (which makes me think they ripped off the subbing from online subbers), maybe 10 percent of the episodes had poor subbing.

I don't know why they don't produce Region 1 box sets - frustrating...

Thanks for the translation Samsooki.

Maybe the reason they not produce Region 1 is that have have plans to sell the licensing to US market? I know that in Yesasia North American site always seem to have English sub kdramas that can not be found on the Yesasia Global site (which sucks but also they are whoppingly $$$$ too). I think the subbed US Ver. DVDs featured in Yesasia come mainly from one company called YA Entertainment. No idea the quality of subs though....

I am happy with my bootleg China ed cause aside from last episode the majority was subbed well (lifted from fansubbers BOO!)

bspanda,

i think we have the same version of the HGD dvds.

You can definitely get a lot from YA though. I got

Two Outs, Bottom of the 9th Inning (preorder)
The Grand Chef
Full House
My Girl
My Love Patzzi
My Lovely Samsoon
Super Rookie
Sweet Spy (oh, the horror of this disaster, I want my money back)
Save The Last Dance For Me
Secret
The Snow Queen (the absolute best box set, unique construction the way it flips out, neato)

A lot of good dramas are missing from YA. Soulmate, DGCH, CP and Goong are not sold through YA but I was able to find the authentic box sets, along with Succesful Story of a Bright Girl. But I was not able to find authentics for Bad Family, Dalja Spring, or Evasive Inquiry Agency.

So, that makes three of my favorite dramas bootlegs: Bad Family, Dalja Spring, and HGD.

But I am considering just buying a Region 3 authentic version of HGD anyway, because I like it so much. I'll buy a small portable region 3 DVD player and then I'll get the rest of the DVD box sets that are only sold in Korea.

Hehe, I'll stop talking about HGD sooner or later, but it is still fresh in my mind, and for everybody else, HGD is upwards of a year old or more - one of the sorrows of starting late to the game.

You know, people grow at their own speeds, and I am no different. I am starting to get torn about how I feel about My Name Is Kim Sam Soon, which as late as a few days ago, was my hands-down favorite k-drama. But how to compare it to HGD?

I mean, can you really compare feelings? I think from a technical perspective, HGD is better, and it isn't really a debate. It is grander, it has huge number of interesting characters, the overall scope of the acting was way better in HGD, it has a greater number of compelling story lines, the costume design was just fantastic, the acting performance of KJH > Binnie, and of course, there were the "historical epic" aspects, along with the action sequences. But just because it is a "better" drama (whatever that means), now does MNIKSS get pushed down? Ugh, I don't know.

I really liked the portrayal of the characters of Yi Nok, Hong Gil Dong, Eun Hye (daughter of the core of power), In Hyung (Gil Dong's hyung), Kwang Hui (the mad king), and the father of Hong Gil Dong.

I wish the drama could have explored the characters of Eun Hye, In Hyung and the father of Hong Gil Dong, a little more, and maybe skipped the part of the chinese ambassador / opium smugling. I didn't really understand the father.

1. He did some really really bad things. Unforgivable things. Ordering or being responsible for so many innocents being slaughtered - Hong Gil Dong's mom, Yi Nok's parents, Yi Nok's caretaker grandfather, among others.

2. But he had a redeemable heart that still felt pride and love for his song, Hong Gil Dong? After the mother of that glorious bastard child was butchered while you did nothing?

3. In the name of keeping his oath to the King, he butchered his own best friend and his wife? No, it cannot be. And yet should he be commended for not betraying this oath even to the point of death? To a mad king who deserved nothing?

Such a complex character. Is he a bad man? Is he a good man? Was he trapped by feudal society's rules and expectations? Why couldn't he be strong enough to sacrifice his own life rather than take innocents then, and only after causing countless pain and death, THEN sacrifice himself, but not for his son but for his mad king? How can a person who loved Hong Gil Dong as he did, do so many bad things?

And In Hyung's character was so rich too, and really really really well played. Another impossible situation with just tragedy written all over his destiny forever. If only he had been raised to forgive, and not carry bitterness in his heart....

And then there is Eun Hye, who also did a fantastic job. She was so pretty, and so flawed, so smart and so stupid at the same time.

Finally, there is the mad King again. In Episode 23, right before he gets beaten to death, his acting job was just brilliant.

http://www.abroadcasting.tv/InternetTV/Info/defaultplayer/tabid/193/VideoId/19972/Watch-Next.aspx

The scene starts around the 2:49 minute mark, goes until the 6:25 mark, and I am just floored by the feelings from the deposed king who is no longer crazy. He only has a few lines, but in all the dramas that I have seen, I've not seen acting like that. I look at that one scene of tranquility and peace, a moment of happiness for nature, sorrow for his unspeakably horrible sins, understanding of his betrayal by his brother who had told him that he had spared him, the unfairness of his whole life, the lost potential to become a good king by machinations of others, and the sad resignation towards his own grisly honorless death, compared to all the chilling, really scary mad King scenes, and I am just amazed.

Best 3 minutes in the whole HGD drama, in my opinion.

I love SY and KJW, but Jo Hee Bong as Kwang Hui was the best actor of the drama.

Samsooki you have some of my library - but mine are mostly bootleg! ! The only ones I have not seen are Two Outs, Bottom of the 9th Inning, Sweet Spy (thanks for tip - I ain't going near that one EVER...) and Secret.

BTW just checked out Yesasia - they do have Goong (aka Palace aka Princess Hours) avail to ship to North America. Region 1. (and yes I am THAT weird/fried in the brain that i checked just out of curiosity for a region that I do not live in!) Hope that helps the Samsooki library. :) The picture of the DVD cover looks pretty - and hey they have a sale on OSTs too - 40% off! So not fair! Highly recommend the OST to Goong (there is more than one), Coffee Prince, MNIKSS......i could go on and on.

Region coding
Can't you get a multi-region DVD player? That way it would solve your region code problem. I know some DVD players sold are mutli-region (well where I hail from anyway, and no I am not in Asia haha) or there is a code to entry to the player to break the regional lock (nothing done to the hardware).

I wish I knew Korean cause when I have bought Korean movies they often do not have English sub for the the BTS/interviews. Which annoys me to no end! But still often still lovely to watch

All the ones I mentioned, I have already. =) So I have Goong, the authentic version.. Bad Family, Dalja Spring, and HGD are the ones that I have which are bootlegs.

OMG, you are CORRECT! I CAN get a multi-region DVD player!!!!!

Thank you!

No probs - glad to be of help. The only thing are region dvds effected by whether it is PAL or NTSC (sorry to throw spanner in the works)? I'm not sure if they do but maybe worth checking it out. So not a technie for that!

Curious - how did people select their kdramas in their pre-Drambeans days? I know mine use to be blindly my fav actor/actress or huge buzz. The major negative is sometimes with the fav actor/actress strategy was getting some complete waste of time/I want my money back dramas.....

I only know I discovered some HQ stuff through this blog that I would never have checked out. So glad I found it or else would never have 'met' HGD! That would be a major loss

Oh, and Secret was not a favorite of mine.

Secret is about a good girl and a bad girl, and the good girl spends the drama being a good girl (Kim Haneul) and the bad girl (Ha Ji Won) spends the drama lying and cheating and undermining the good girl.

The whole drama is basically the good girl getting trampled on by the bad girl, by the bad girl's lies and one whopper of a lie (aka, the big secret). My wife found it watchable and interesting, but I spent most of the drama just running on the treadmill or playing games on the computer. This isn't much help, but if my wife likes it, then others will also tend to like it, maybe?

What we do is, after we watch a drama, we send it to my parents or my wife's parents, to share. My wife's parents absolutely LOVED Secret, interestingly enough. They couldn't get enough of the story. My parents haven't seen it yet, so no further help there.

But I empathize too much and so I couldn't bear to watch Kim Haneul just getting trashed left and right by the evil Ha Ji Won and not really fighting back except by continuing to be the good girl, so I couldn't bear to watch it all the way through.

Pre-dramabeans, I had a single post over at d-addicts.com

http://www.d-addicts.com/forum/viewtopic_60864_90.htm

LOL. I didn't last long at d-addicts. hehe. 1 post, before I found dramabeans through my wife's favorites. So, it looks like I saw 8 dramas pre-dramabeans (I didn't list Secret, because only my wife finished it), pretty much what you would expect - the popular ones that were able to be bought through YA Entertainment (via Amazon.com and other online retailers).

I thought multi-region DVD players are now banned from the U.S. ??? o_O
If you discover a way to get one, please share. :)

I haven't watched Secret, but it sounds like a classic cliched kdrama...kinda like Jinshil, which at the time was pretty cool, but watching it years (and many, many dramas) later feels so old-school.

@148

Amazon.com is just selling them, looks like. Not banned?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_e?url=node%3D172514&field-keywords=multi+region

This one seems good...

http://www.amazon.com/PHILIPS-UPSCALING-CERTIFIED-PLAYER-AMERICAN/dp/tech-data/B0016IYKNI/ref=de_a_smtd

As for Secret, Ha Ji Won's character is a total evil bitch. Initially, before I got too stressed out from watching her lie and cheat and steal and undermine, we were throwing pillows and coasters at the TV. Kim Haneul's character is really sweet, but you just gotta wonder at her catatonic tear-laden stares ala Han Ga In who did the same thing in Super Rookie. FIGHT BACK FOR GOSH SAKES! DON'T JUST SIT THERE QUIETLY BEING UNJUSTLY ACCUSED!

@95 Samsooki,

haha, I can just picture you coming home from a hard day at the office wearing your most lawyer-like suit and easing into your comfy bunny slippers. LOL

@103 simi,

People pour hot water into the stone pot after the rice is eaten to soften up the little bits of burnt rice to make a tea to drink...very tasty but I'm usually so full from finishing the meal that I can't drink much of the tea.