@ Samsooki

At first I was like, “woah,” but then I was like, “hummmmmm,” and then after that I was like, “ehhhhh,” and finally I said, “ok.”

LOL, I'm pretty sure these exact words have come out of my mouth when I was talking to my friend about something. . .but I'm pretty sure it was male related as in:

Friend: What did you think when you saw him shirtless? I heard he gained a little weight.
Me: Well, at first I was like, “woah,” but then I was like, “hummmmmm,” and then after that I was like, “ehhhhh,” and finally I said, “ok.”

@33 ockoala-dongsaeng

Glad you enjoyed it! It was hard to look through all of those LBH vid's on YouTube last night, but anything for you, little sister! :-D

@39, lb_tmi

My other dongsaeng! Saw your tweet! Here is the LBH vid I shared with ockoala in the gargantuan OT100. It's from The Good, The Bad, The Weird (LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie)!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNLpE4UaZdY

@41, lovenyc52 @44, Kender

YES! Loved that spoiler pic, what a great thing to wake up to on a Friday morning, huh? CAN NOT WAIT FOR TOMORROW!!

The new Epik High MV? Hilarious. It's Han Tablo and DJ Legolas versus Mithrasaurus!

And one more thing before I have to run away for a bit:

YAY! SAMSOOKI IS IN THE HOUSE!

@44 kender - YES the emoting haha... just one look and i'm like... *swoon and heartbreak* haha.

@ockoala - i'll have to check out All In and Beautiful Days...one of these days haha. Probably next week as I wait in anticipation for the last 2 Tamra episodes. I'm like you and i only started watching kdramas the last 3 years so all the older hallyu stuff i skipped. But the LBH experience must be magical indeed haha.

Good grief. Not only did I completely hog Open Thread 100, I have also reached my quota for exclamation point, smiley face, and all-cap usage for the day. In my defense, let me just say that I drink a lot of coffee, and was also overly excited over a certain spoiler photo (which shall remain a mystery for those wishing to be unspoiled).

I'll try to be calmer as I post later on, but no promises. I really just wanted to see if I could actually write a post without any of these things. And I did!

Oh, damn...

JB,

These posters... man, these posters, so full of mirth.

There is a pretty high level of mirth going on. I was thinking to myself, is there a place with a higher level of mirth? I think not. And it's not just ANY kind of mirth. It's a pretty high class of mirth, ranging from gentle and thoughtful mirth to edgy, paper-cutting mirth.

I have to thank you for creating such a wonderful website where it would draw mirthful people. You put in so much effort and love into this place, into your posts and creations, and I hope, I really really hope you are able to sit back and enjoy the pleasures of the company of mirthful folk that are drawn to you and your clever writing.

My wife introduced me to Javabeans, and I got hooked because of the ratings and the wonderfully insightful posts, and after many moons, I'm still here, chuckling and ooh-ing at the daily commentary of Javabeans.

That, plus the mirth, makes this place deserve a top 3 spot on ANYone's Favorites list on internet explorer / firefox / safari.

I'm pretty sure that JB doesn't get enough credit. I still think we should get her a Slap Chop as a heartfelt and sincere thank you. Since you get one free (but only if you call now), I'll keep the 2nd one (I really really want one) and mail the one to JB. :) Somebody told me recently that Slapchops don't work well or at all, but you can't believe everything you hear, and if that isn't ironic, I don't know what else could be. hehe. Still, it's the thought that counts...

@52 mishane - LOL!!!!!!

@Samsooki - totally agree with your 9E2O explanation. u said it so much more succinctly than i could ever have :)

@nycgrl and @langdon813 - epik high rocks my world. waiting patiently for [e] and Remixing the Human Soul. Have not gotten a chance to watch the full 'Wannabe' video but i saw the teaser and omg these boys are hilarious. i love me some Tablo (and Tukutz and Mithra and MYK) :P

langdon813 unni..

thanks! i will definitely be checking that vid when i get home.. i had the chance to buy a pirated copy of TGTBTU last weekend, but i didn't. i have to get the original to support LBH.. i also passed up Fate because of the same reason. there's something about those 3 actors that just gets to me.. so i have to support them.. what a treat that's gonna be... LBH, SSH, and KSW.
YES!!!

@ ockoala,
the All In soundtrack is really good too.. i LOVE Park YongHa's voice.. and yes, BD soundtrack is so beautiful!

giving some credit: i lurked for a long time, reading most of the posts.. but Samsookie unknowingly reeled me in.. it's always nice to get a male's objective perspective on things. so thanks, Samsookie!

My friend just bought me the 80's Greatest Hits. . . .32 CD's worth.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with 32 CD's of '80s music. Dance party time?

THIRTY TWO CDS!!

@ mishane

I can't even imagine how big that box of CD's is.

For my brother's birthday next month, I bought him 50 American flags that you can stick on your car (ambassador style). THAT box was a heafty 3x3x3 ft.

can someone tell me what happened to the city hall summaries? I have not seen one in a long long time. please make it happen. thank you!

OH!

I also started the j-drama 1 Litre Of Tears. I was really really reluctant to start this because. . .I mean come on. . . .sob fest!

But surprisingly, it's been very good! It's not done in an overdramatic way which I appreciate.

And honestly, I guess I'm used to the way Korean dramas do the terminal illness storyline, as in, really dramatic with overacting. But this drama is doing a really good job of portraying how the family deals with the knowledge of their daughters illness and . . .well I'm pleased.

It reminds me of something (and something I posted in my journal), that the things that make me so angry and rage and URGH about Korean dramas (the cliches, the predictability, the repetitiveness) is the same reason I watch them. With a k-drama I know what to expect. Yes, the secondary girl is most likely going to go psycho crazy, there will always be a love triangle, if someone coughs it means terminal illness, etc etc. And there are times when I get really tired of knowing how a story is going to play out. But I still go back. Because I know what to expect.

J-dramas are a much different field. I find that I can't really predict them, they don't always tell the same story and they seem more. . .real to life (except for the CRACKY ones, lol).

So, when I want originality and surprise I go to j-dramas. When I want romance and want to stay in my comfort zone, I go to k-dramas.

@ 61 Mishane

1 litre of tears is the ONLY jdrama i've ever watched.. i cried BUCKETS of tears.. I cried even more when i read that this was based on a true story.. of course, it's not exactly true to the real life story, but the jist is the same... and then the clips of the Real Aya break my heart.. i just did a re-watch of this drama, and i still cried TONS.. not as much as the first time, but pretty damn close. it was done so well.. the speed of everything. i applaud Aya's parents so much.. and the portrayal of Aya was magnificent.. she's a really talented actress.

@ langdon813
"The real story here (to me) should have been that Hae-na and Tae-yoon are together because of their similarities; upper class birth, chaebol status, and common interests and talents. But they don’t love each other and are strongly attracted to two other people; Eui-joo and Dong-chan, who are also together because of their commonality; family loyalty, middle-class/poor upbringing, and desire to rise above their station in life. But none of the four realize this and fear breaking out of the mold and/or hurting their respective partners and families.

Now THAT...I would've loved watching! What a shame...

@ lovenyc52, langdon813, Kender

ONE MORE DAY till Tamna!!! :)
Yes, the spoilers had me giddy last night, too.

lovenyc52 - sometimes, I get fed up with some soompi threads because they're dominated by annoying tweens who wouldn't know good writing/acting if it bit them on the *ss....but once in a while, one comes along that full of like-minded, articulate (not me) folk who make the drama watching experience that much more enjoyable...especially with dramas that are less loved by the ratings-determining home audiences, like Tamna, ROI, etc.
Another one was Robbers, whose members have now congregated in the Chuno (Pursuing Servants) thread....and in preparation for Chuno, I'm going to watch the long-awaited 8 Days this weekend. Anyone else game?

I saw that 100th OT thread go to the high hundreds in comments that same day it posted (if I recall correctly) but I figured that was common for your site (I visit often, even if I don't comment in like manner) -- 400 is definitely impressive! Since I never made it to congratulating you on the 100th OT, congrats on this your 101st!

I'm mighty glad you're still around! My drama watching wouldn't be the same without your thoughtful, witty insights and it's been through your blog that I've come to understand nuances of korean dramas and culture I may have not understood before. And I have to add, it's been through your recaps of said dramas and other similar writings that have opened my eyes to just how much my culture has in common with yours. It's a comforting thought, that people living their lives oceans away could be like you too, that we are all not so different.

I wish you hundreds and hundreds more OT's to come with less stress and more rewards (ya know, that warm feeling you get after you write something for us readers to ogle lol). You deserve it!

Gosh it's been a long week! And it's probably the first week in a long time that I haven't watched a single drama episode. Crazy! Tamra's on my list...probably will start it tonight or tomorrow sometime and then hopefully catch up on QSD.

The fact that MFL is treading like Triple is making me a little reluctant to start it (I really do like Triple especially , but like you all have stated---it is kind of ambling along and I'm only on episode 6). Is anybody watching Buzzer Beat? I've heard that it's worth watching, but I feel like it's a hit or miss w/Yampi i.e. Hit (Nobuta wo Produce, Kurosagi) and Miss (Code Blue, Kurosagi the Movie---though I think that was more the writer/director's fault).

Anyways, I can't believe OT 100 reached 400 posts (congrats JB! ). But I gotta run to work, catch you all later!

@ lb_tmi

Yeah, I'm on the 3rd episode and I had to fight tears, especially when she found out. I have a feeling I'll be an emotional wreck later on.

And the photos at the end make it worse. Every time I watch a drama, I always put myself in someone's position. In this drama, I put myself in the parents position. Imagine the trauma of having to tell your daughter that she's got this disease, that there's no cure for it. I got mad at first at their decision not to tell her; she has a right to know! And at the same time, I could understand them, they want her to live a happy unknowing life for as much as possible.

GAH. I know this is going to make me cry, lol. It's okay though. I'm liking that the last few j-dramas I've watched are less crack and more human story. Cracky j-dramas seem to be the trend these days.

May I ask why that was the only j-drama you watched?

@hjkomo
Are you referring to 8 Days: Mystery of Jeonjo's Assassination ? I could be guessing wrong here, but if you wanted to watch the PD's older drama, I think it's Conspiracy in the Court (I don't think the PD did 8 days, but like I said I could be wrong)---which I highly recommend---I started watching it last week, but since I was busy haven't finished it yet. CITC is pretty spectacular and I think I could go on for hours about cinematography, directing, and writing. Which is why I am really looking forward to Chuno as well. And now I'm a huge fan of Lee Chun Hee (looking forward to seeing him in Smile) and Jin Yi Han. But I also heard 8 Days is also really well done and it's on my watch list too.

Ah, okay now I'm really going to work (:

@60 cecee -

can someone tell me what happened to the city hall summaries? I have not seen one in a long long time. please make it happen. thank you!

Hi cecee-

The reason for the delay in the City Hall summaries is that I've been pretty busy the last month or so.

....aaaaaaaaaaaaaand, my wife said I could say, so I'll just say.

In just a few weeks, baby boy Samsooki (our first) will be born, and so I've been pulling down a few more responsibilities, in addition to having a sudden increase in workload at work and trying to stay afloat amidst a few very difficult subbing / translating projects - painting baby room, putting together baby furniture and painting, buying baby stuff, reading up stuff, etc.

Nope, we don't have a name yet, although I am considering naming him Binnie or KangJiHwan, but I doubt Mrs. Samsooki will approve.

***

I will do my absolute best to get back on track, and so if you guys will just be a little patient, we will be back with the City Hall recaps asap.

:)

Thanks so much for understanding!

@ 66 mishane,

i just can't get into the jdrama scene.. i admit, i'm very shallow. i watch dramas for the good-looking actors.. i will drama stalk my faves, and other than that, i watch on recommendations.. i don't "search" for dramas to watch.. they have to fall into my lap or have someone that i'm interested in. 1 litre of tears was "dropped in my lap" by my best friend (who can't tell japanese from chinese from thai) who told me she had a new kdrama for me to watch.. lo and behold, a japanese drama called 1 litre of tears was popped into my DVD player and i called and yelled at her for not knowing the difference, but still gave it a shot.. and LOVED it.. i guess i just haven't opened my mind enough to try anything else. you got a few to recommend? cuz i'll watch if you recommend one..

@ Samsookie!!!

congrats on BabyBoy Samsookie's future appearance. I actually like Binnie.. you should use the power of OPW to convince Mrs. Samsookie. LOL!

So glad its friday!
Love your site javabeans!!
I know its a couple of days early but just wanted to say Eid Mubarak!! to everyone who is celebrating

@ 16 hjkomo is the Avonlea spin-off tv series any good? I loved the Anne books more than the films, the first two I enjoyed, I didn't like the third movie although the ending of it was sweet, just like when Matthew first met Anne.

Congratulations Samsooki!!

CONGRATULATIONS SAMSOOKI AND MRS. SAMSOOKI ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

A little Binnie-gook is on the way!

@ lb_tmi

I don't think I'm the best person to give out j-drama recs because I'm fairly new to them. I've only watched about 5-7 of them.

BUT if you watched BOF, you should watch Hana Yori Dango (which is the Japanese version and a HUGE hit in Japan. . .it had two seasons and a movie). That was my first j-drama, I think, and it was good. Actually most people I know that have seen BOF and HYD have preferred HYD. It'll also introduce you lightly into j-drama 'crack' genre. It's not as 'cracky' as Hana Kimi (girl pretends to be boy in all boys school) but it's got elements of 'crack'. It's also a high school drama.

If you want a more adult drama with no crack, I would rec Pride. I just watched it and I loved it. It's about a male hockey player and an office worker girl who do a dating contract and slowly fall in love. It's a sweet sweet story. I adored it.

Another favorite of mine (and another big hit in Japan, it has a movie coming out in 2010) is Nodame Cantabile. Now THAT is crack. But it's crack with a heart. It's about this weird girl (a piano player) who falls in love with this cold hearted emotionally distant conductor. There's a lot of classical music involved, but I still really enjoyed it.

A good thing about j-dramas is that they are usually only 10-12 episodes! So it's a really short watch.

I'm not the expert on them, but I'm sure there are a few other people that could help you out better than I could. Those are just some of my favorites.

LOL...

Naming our kid Gookie.... hmmm... probably not going to happen, although it would appease quite a number of City Hallers....

@ Samsooki

Congrats to you and the Missus! I kinda figured that was the reason for being MIA and for the sudden stop in CH recaps. Maternal instinct, I call it, I always know when a friend is expecting because behavior changes and scheduling suddenly is all whack.

Nonetheless, can't wait to hear stories generated by Baby (boy) Samsooki. Remember what I said in the last OT about starting my k-drama watching while on maternity leave, and the unintentional hilarity of watching dramas then falling asleep, then waking to a screaming baby and the TV flashing scenes that make you go "Waaahh, what the h*ll happened during the time I passed out." Well, that's a possible scenario for Mrs. Samsooki to look forward to, AND 3 years of diaper changing. Cheerio!

@ 65 Taohua

"The fact that MFL is treading like Triple is making me a little reluctant to start it "

My opinion - and I have watched both Triple and currently watching MFL - is that the 2 dramas are vastly different. I was very disappointed with Triple, I felt like the drama failed to come alive, I could not relate or understand the motivations of many of the characters, and the ending (while in line with the overall theme and story of the drama) pissed me off to no end. I was disappointed completely with Triple by about episode 9 ish (until then I was withholding judgment).

On the flip side - episode 9 of MFL is the episode that makes the drama come alive, makes the characters connect with each other more than through superficial plot machinations. In fact, MFL was treading water for the early-mid episodes, but has really taken off plot development wise. It's still a very plot thin premise, but I do think the leads chemistry and upped a notch acting is really gelling this drama. I don't know how it will end (and the ending may suck), but all I know it, I am really loving MFL, all the lead characters. Even the flimsiest lead JIW's Tae-yoon, is finally showing some additional shades other than the purest driven snow white, and expressing his doubts, insecurity and jealously.

@ langdon-unni (and hjkomo)

I third the MFL fanfic story line - if each of the 4 main characters had that type of dynamic, this drama would be intense and explosive. Unfortunately, that would mean the drama would be much darker and less the slapstick, lighthearted early episodes.

@Samsooki - CONGRATS to you and Mrs. Samsooki on baby Samsooki :) Take your time with recaps and comments and everything - we'll always be here waiting for ya! and if u don't actually name him Binnie, it should at the very LEAST, be his nickname.

@hjkomo - this week has really only been my first real experience with soompi, so i have yet to read many threads. but i hate it when it's dominated by inconsiderate and annoying tweens (like a lot of the commentors on seoulbeats, popseoul and allkpop, which is why i'll skim thru the articles on those sites but usually can't bear to read the comments haha). but my first week at soompi and i already felt like i won when that spoiler pic was posted. seriously got me way too giddy.

@lb_tmi - the same way you're shocked that i haven't watched any LBH dramas i can't believe you've never watched any other jdoramas besides 1 Litre of Tears!!! I can't even watch that because... well i just know it's TOO sad for me. but u should really try nodame cantabile (hiroshi tamaki is <3) and hana yori dango (my favorite version - very well acted!!)

Hmmm, I had a great post, full of all caps, exclamations and smiley faces galore with the news of little Binnie-gook Samsooki's impending arrival...but it vanished!

Just in case it shows up eventually, I'll just say congratulations again to Samsooki and Mrs. Samsooki, wonderful news, I couldn't be happier for you both!

@ 73 mishane and @ 76 lovenyc52

i'll definitely give nodame cantabile a try since you both recommended it.. HYD sounds a lilo too immature for me.. like i'm too old? am i too old for that one? pride sounds good tho.. i'll put both on my list of things to watch.. i did have a very good experience with my only jdrama, so i don't know why i'm so hesitant to watch anything else.. but i'm game..

@78 AnitaLotti

i actually LOVE melodrama.. more than anything else.. i'm a very angsty masochistic person. i LOVE to cry.. it's just a great release, and comes very easily to me.. so i'll definitely check out the sad stuff.. thanks!

have a great weekend.. i'm off to get my very first massage. after today, i'll no longer be a virgin. i heard i've gotta strip for my masseuse.. and i'm a lilo shy about that.. :( but i'm really looking forward to feeling really good afterwards. i might even have to have a cigarette if it's really good. LOL!

Yay today is Friday and even better tomorrow is my 22nd b-day:)...I have my whole b-day planned and people always feel surprised that I like to spend my b-days on my own pampering myself. I am spending the day by myself doing things I like cause it is the one day that I get to dress up and have everything about me:)

So I have been on a crazy tv spree watching Criminal Minds Season 3-4 in 3 days and I LOVE THIS SHOW, it really makes me consider working for the FBI one day. I watched Fringe S1, and now some BBC show called Being Human plus all my tv shows have been premiering. So many shows to watch which is leaving less time for dramas.

So if anyone is still watching Vampire Diaries I thought the second episode was a lot better but they still overuse their music.

:)

Well, if you think HYD sounds a little immature, then I don't know if you'll like Nodame Cantabile. Like I said, it's crack.

In case you don't know what 'crack' is, j-drama crack deserves it's own genre. It's basically really over the top acting/gestures/movements. It's kind of ridiculous and you'd never see it in real life, which is why people call it crack.

So you might not like that one. (I adored it though, but that's cause I'd seen other j-drama crack before hand, and I was used to it).

If you like real life stuff, more mature, then I would really suggest Pride. Plus there's actually kissing and touching in that one, unlike most new j-dramas.

@ Samsooki and Mrs. Samsooki

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Get ready for many sleepless nights.
For his Korean name, are you going to follow the tradition where each generation has a common character in their names? My dad had to contact his cousin (the family jangnam) in Korea when my nephew was born, and then he was added to the jokbo.

And it's never too early to get him started on the kdrama wagon (okay, you can start with kids shows). ;)

@ Taohua

Yeah, Conspiracy in the Court was directed by PD Kwak Jung Hwan. Both CITC and 8 Days - Mystery of Jeong Jo Assassination have been at the top of my Horn-of-Plenty watch list for a long time, and I've sorely neglected to catch up. But I have to watch 8 Days first because it takes place chronologically before CITC. (Plus, Lee Sun Ho - Yan in Tamra - is in it.) After those two, I'll watch Chosun Police 2 to catch Lee Jong Hyuk in a sageuk (maybe, I'll watch season 1 first, though). And I've already watched Daemang.
Can you tell I'm excited for Chuno? :D

@ Peacestar

The third miniseries was disappointing, but hey, I'll watch anything AOGG related.
I really enjoyed the Road To Avonlea series. There were a lot of actors in the series who played suporting roles in the movies. Sarah Polley was in the early seasons.

Another Canadian series I enjoyed was Little Men.

@ lb_tmi
LOL! Congrats on getting a massage. I say that in all seriousness. I introduced hubby to it a decade ago, and now he's an addict. :)

@ 79 lb_timi

Nodame Cantabile is literally a manga come alive - with amazing concertos and classical music lessons galore. It's darling in its precociousness, by littering the entire story with a looneys bin worth of damaged individuals and complete weirdos, and making you understand and root for them.

My one complaint - I hate the character archtype of Noda Megumi (aka the titular Nodame). She's like Xiang Qin in ISWAK, except with god-given musical genius and talent. And I cannot stand that type of female lead character, regardless of how awesome the drama is, ultimately, it hampers my desire to rewatch it again because I'll be tempted to bitch-slap her on screen every 5 seconds.

Nonetheless, Nodame Cantabile is thoroughly uplifting and fills your innards with musical sustenance.

@ 83 ockoala

Funny, I HATED ISWAK because of the main character but loved Nodame Cantabile. I don't know why. I think it's because (1) She had actual talent and could stand on her own and (2) It was more of a silly drama, so they over-exaggerated a lot of her actions while ISWAK was more human story/real.

I mean, I could never take Nodame seriously, which is why I excused her complete adoration of Chiaki. But with Ariel, I took her seriously which is why I HATED her dependence on Joe.

Honestly, I was amazed by how much I liked Nodame Cantabile. I think they did an absolutely perfect job of combining the ridiculous and silly elements with really developed characters. Also, as a child piano player, I enjoyed the music. :)

EDIT: Actually the one thing I didn't enjoy in the drama, even though I knew it was meant to be silly and ridiculous, was Chiaki constantly hitting Nodame. Again, it was meant to be silly (you could tell it was a dummy, she flew really far, etc) but I did not enjoy at all the message it brought. That's it, really.

@Samsooki - Waahhhhh, congratulations! That's so exciting! :D Are you going to give him a Korean name as well as an English name, or are you just going to stick to one or the other?

@ 84 mishane

I enjoyed both Nodame and ISWAK for the chemistry between the leads, the cute story line, and the general completeness of the drama from beginning the end (let's pretend ISWAK 2 never happened - same way I pretend the last 4 episodes of Goong didn't happen).

But I thoroughly dislike Nodame AND Xiang Qin both - it is kinda weird that I can enjoy the drama and recommend it, but still say I hated one of the main characters. However, I loved both actresses portrayal, they did exactly what they needed to do to bring that character to life. To this day, whenever I see an interview with Ariel Lin, I fully expect her to stammer, gaze blankly, and generally act like a complete nincompoop, I hear Ariel's actually very eloquent and sophisticated, sigh, she did too good a job in ISWAK.

The complete fantasy/exaggerated element of Nodame Cantabile does make the character of Nodame the lesser of two annoyances for me. However, in terms of the male characters - I adore Zhi Xu a billion times more than Chiaki, personal preference, both are perfect as the brainy ice prince.

@mishane - ok, talking about j-drama 1Litre of Tears really means that you'll cry at least 1 litre of tears. The beauty & sadness of this drama is that the tears come from the pain of struggling to live & with dignity, its parental grief of watching a child stuggle with pain & looming death, the sibling love/rivalry. Not because its a plot twister. I love this drama for so many reasons, but I can't watch it unless I know that no one will see me with puffy red eyes and nose the next day. I also can't talk about it without crying - even now, a year later. It was beautfiully done, one of j-drama's best.

@ 28 - thanks!!! I was so sad to see caring is sharing closed but there are some youtube videos still out there. You can even find the very first episode with subs. I'm still looking for the episode that Kim C joined - I love that man, He's quiet and homely, but man, he's got a great wide smile that just makes me smile too. Anyone else looking on youtube, try search words: vacation, 6 guys on vacation as well as 1n2d; ONTD - I've found a lot of episodes under those.

Still on my self-imposed break from kdrama's right now and seems like I'm not missing much. But I think its working because I'm getting uber excited for IRIS. TOP is my main interest & really, they could have left KTH out since she's not that strong of an actor in my opinion, but I'm excited to see LBH in another drama again!!! I loved Happy Together(which you can rent from Netflix) and thought he was awesome in the first half of All In. The second half of the drama was eh and I think he lost a bit of momentum.

Note for 'normal' dramas - anyone watching 'Sons of Anarchy?' Thinking about picking it up. And True Blood...I can't wait for next season even though you're killing me by messing up the books!!!

@ockoala - really? you think nodame is like xiang qin? i don't mean this in a snarky way at all, but i'm curious as to how so - maybe i'm so blinded by the awesome music and tamaki that i don't see them as similar except that she stalks him. maybe also cuz she is a musical genius too and xiang qin was essentially useless in anything she tried haha.

@ 88 b020

Yeah, I'm excited to continue watching 1 Litre. I'm on the 4th episode now and one thing I'm looking forward to is the sibling interactions. You can see it already simmering; the younger sister is jealous already of her 'perfect' older sister and now that her parents are mysteriously giving all this attention to her.

I'm getting ready for tears! Sometimes, you just want to be emotional, you know? I haven't cried from a drama in forever (actually the last time a tear fell down my face was during that episode of Pride). I'm not a crier so I like to watch sad dramas to make me cry.

I'll agree with Love Shuffle. That was a pretty good drama.

However for newbies, I'll still always suggest HYD. In the last thread it was funny how many people's first dramas were Hana Yori Dango! I was shocked.

Also, I adore everyone who fansubs for j-dramas. There's always all these puns involved and they always explain them which is useful. Like in Hana Yori Dango, all the stupid jokes/mistakes Domyouji made. Or in Love Shuffle, that was a punny show!

(Now I'm tempted to pop in my Hana Yori Dango DVD's for a rewatch. I haven't done a rewatch of that one yet)

@ 89 lovenyc52

No snark received! Just kidding. About the Nodame/Xiang Qin similarities, I've actually heard that a lot with folks who've seen both, and echoed in previous OTs by myself and others (hard to dig up now).

Okay, if you take away Nodame's musical savant-like genius, then she becomes literally Xiang Qin.

Here goes: complete and utter devotion to one utterly unattainable man who mistreats/ignores her (well, Chiaki literally slaps her upside the head every other encounter in the beginning), a very low social EQ, inability to function in normal society outside of the confines of thinking/stalking/prepping for her love, world revolves around the love of her life, planning entire future around love of her life (until finally getting a clue), ad nauseum.

When I watched Nodame, I was literally screaming - this is ISWAK set in a music college! And since music is involved, we can't make the heroine as much of a loser as in ISWAK, so let's make her a musical savant. Presto, Nodame Cantabile!

I loved both dramas, really, very enjoyable to watch save for my restraining myself from kicking the heroine's butt six ways to Friday and asking her to pursue her own dreams and get a life outside of stalking the hero.

But the stalking worked, didn't it - they both got their man!

Samsooki and Mrs. Samsooki. . . congratulations ! so happy for your both !

His nick-name could be Binnie ?

Thanks everyone!

@82, hjkomo - errm... we will likely follow dol-lim. I have no idea what baby samsooki's generational name is... have to find out. My dad is responsible for figuring that out, having baby samsooki added to the roster, etc.

when baby samsooki is old enough, i'll show him binnie, kang jihwan and cha seung won, so that he will have the binnie's patented smirk and quiet patience, kang jihwan's earnestness and general cool-ness, and cha seung won's verve and electric delivery.

@85, kender -

I think so. We will give him a full American name, but then he'll also have a Korean name. I'm not sure if we will have his Korean name be his "middle" name, probably not. That's really up to Mrs. Samsooki. One of the keys to marriage is, if you aren't sure, just agree with wife.

@93, angryparsnip -

His nickname is up to Mrs. Samsooki. I won't say what it is, because naming is kind of strange.

My wife had a whole stable of names picked out if we had a girl, and she let those names slip at a party. Lo and behold, all of the names were taken over the next year by our friends, who very very coincidentally had the same preferences.... so, that kind of ticked off my wife a bit, although it is a free country, and she did open her mouth.... no law against taking a name you think is cool...

***

Things we will ensure as parents - we will not make into the rich spoiled bad guy who tries to take over the family corporation. baby samsooki will not grow up to drag girls by the wrist if he likes them. baby samsooki will politely accept it if a girl turns him down (no crazy baby samsooki who won't give up), and he will just say if he loves someone, and not swallow it and be silent for years and years.... not having ANY of that. no melodrama in my family. no piano playing by the beach. Oh, and I won't force him to join the family corporation if he wants to be a photographer, or a fashion king, or if he wants to study in America.

Nodame vs. Xiang Qin

I. . .don't know. I mean I think on paper they may sound alike but when it comes down to their actual character, I can't lump them together.

(1) Nodame is just plain weird to begin with. Which is why she doesn't have friends. Ariel is the opposite. She has her set of friends, she can function in society.

(2) I don't think Nodame's 'obsession' for Chiaki ever ran as deep as Ariels for Joe. I mean, when I watched ISWAK (and unfortunately, most of the second season), I left with the impression that if Joe ever died or left her or just disappeared, Ariel couldn't survive. She was just THAT dependent on him. She couldn't exist without him. With Nodame, I don't think that's the case. If Chiaki ever disappeared or left her, I think she'd have been okay. I mean, yes, she'd be depressed for a while, but she would have gotten over it.

(3) The big thing. . .is that Nodame has something else to live for in her life. She had goals (to be a music teacher). I think that's the glaring factor which made me dislike Ariel's character so so so so so so so much. Ariel HAD NO GOALS! She had no ambition AT ALL. She chose her career path JUST TO BE WITH JOE. That's it. I absolutely detested that. Nodame doesn't have that. In fact, that's one of the big fights that she and Chiaki have; Chiaki thinks she's wasting her talent on being a kindergarten teacher and Nodame disagrees with him. So Nodame has a path and has ambitions and this is the biggest difference between her and Ariel. Nodame can survive without Chiaki and she can hold different opinions from Chiaki. . .Ariel can't.

This was a long post.
And I used Ariel and Joe's real names because Taiwanese names are hard for me to remember and type out. Sorry!

@ mishane - I also recommend Brother Beat & Lunch Queen, j-movies Standing Alone, Crying Out Love & Train Man & Boys Love. These are my favorite j-dramas outside of comedies.

@ 97 b020

Thank you!

My first j-dramas were all crack dramas so I got a skewed view of the genre. Then I saw Pride and there were no elements of crack in that (and now 1 Litre with no crack either) and I realized how compelling the story is when you actually believe what's happening on your screen. I've actually started DL'ing a bunch of older j-dramas. . .apparently that's where all the non-crack is. Also I hear that pre '90s Japanese dramas almost fell into the Korean drama field. . .as in really dramatic storylines, terminal illness, etc.

Huh, I thought Lunch Queen was a comedy?