Hey hjkomo, langdon813 and Tamra islanders, hey yeah, hey yeah song keeps playing in my mind as I am on hyper mode waiting... switching from soompi thread and OT here!

Anyone watching live? I always spoil myself by eagerly gulping every morsel that is posted while waiting 'painfully' for cute girl's torrent to download. So pathetic but can't help it. :-(

While waiting today, I had to satisfy my Im Joo Hwan curiosity by renting Snow Queen just to see him there. Feel so sorry for him. He MUST, MUST get the girl this time!

As like @lovenyc52 said "as for Tamra – none of us better need comforting afterwards… it better end how it’s supposed to (read: the way i want it to hahah!!)."

YES, same way as I want it! It better!!! If not, there will be Tsunami Tamra and Hurricane Park Kyu!

samsooki,

congrats. best of health to your wife and baby.

@ 165 lb_tmi : Hilarious! I do that kind of misread all the time. In fact, the first time I posted I meant to make my name reluctantLYaddicted, but somehow reluctantbutaddicted came out instead.

197 gracefulmoonie : North and South : yes, that was a beautiful last scene, and I was devastated that it wasn't that disk that got stuck in my laptop, b/c I could have watched that scene repeatedly without much complaint. The ending in the book is a bit different, of course, and the dialogue is wittier. But the drama version was memorable!

Talking about "I Come with the Rain" - has anyone seen it? I'm dying to see it. Apparently it has only been released in France and Japan with Korea being the third country, at the Pusan film festival next month to be exact.

@ 186 Snowanh

Great minds think alike! I'm picking Beautiful Days over sleep, so it's definitely like a crack addiction these days, or should I say LBH is like an addiction. I agree with LBH being able to "kiss" properly, CJW is one of the worst kissers (completely inanimate non-participatory kisser usually), and even she couldn't help but participate. I saw a BTS of LBH and CJW filing the kiss scene at Victory Records when he first kisses her on the forehead, walks away with a smirk, and then suddenly comes back and just kisses the beejesus out of her. Afterwards, they tell CJW she looked like she was enjoying it too much, and you can hear LBH in the background say "that's because I'm a good kisser!" Soooooo cute.

@ epyc

Background of filming of Beautiful Days - thank you for enlightening me. I knew it, recollect in my earlier comment that I think the writers are about to give LBH a personality transplant, clearly they needed to do it to make his Min-Chul a more mainstream hero in order to gift him with the girl. So unnecessary, his character was just.......special, different.

I kinew RSW couldn't just be the useless second wheel, because his was the child actor scene that meet up with the lead actresses, and if I know my k-drama tropes, the child actor that meets up with the child actress is gonna get the girl.

However, giving RSW the girl would have been utterly a disaster, and I'm glad the audience feedback won out. I love when the dark hero wins the girl. Don't forget, I'm a total Spuffy-shipper!

Anyways, I'm gonna check out LBH movies next, starting with TGTBTW.

GOOD MORNING ISLANDERS!!!

Or afternoon, whichever the case may be! I'm here on a momentary break from necessary household obligations so that I can enjoy my Tamra Time free of guilt later. My husband is holed up in the Man Room with the big screen TV on split screen, his PC (and laptop!) by his side so he can watch 4 games at once. Hey, he has his crack (football) and I have mine (kdrama). The secret to 26 years of marriage right there, my friends.

simplesim, glad to hear it's not just me! I woke up this morning with Blue running through my head and am happily singing it (mispronouncing everything, I'm sure) as I do laundry!

Have a great day everyone, see y'all in a little while!

@Samsooki and Mrs S.

Congratulations on an addition to the family. Best of health to you all :)

@ripgal Thank you for for the suggestions. You're right I did like all the ones you mentioned. Capital Scandal, Dal Ja, Mawang, HIT, City Hall, On Air, Lovers.... I actually tried Lovers in Paris and realized I didn't want the main couple together so I stopped watching it. The melodrama, I suppose I'm not quite into cause I didn't watch any of those and from reading this blog for 2 years.... I don't want to:)

"Resurrection" sounds interesting what's that about? And yes, I know I should give Gourmet a try... I love Kim Rae Won and I heard it was really good.

As for your question: May I know if you’ve just started watching K-dramas only recently? If yes, which is your favorite genre? Comedy, melodrama, mystery?

I'm going through my "terrible twos," I'll be 3 soon though. Maybe that's the issue. I've seen quite a few dramas, many suggested here but mainly just what I'm interested in. I like what I like, I don't think that there is a specific genre. I'm mostly drawn to good stories. If I like the story, I'll love the movie, book, drama, play no matter how many times you reproduce it (usually:).

oh and @ those that purchase dramas... I introduced Hong Gil Dong to a friend over the summer and I wanted to buy it for her (her birthday was Sept 11). I'll see her this weekend. I looked on Ebay and found it but I'm kinda skeptical cause it was $17. I don't remember who the seller was but products coming from HK I"m not too keen on cause names are spelled differently(maybe I'm too picky but...) Also I want to make sure the subs are good quality etc. Has anyone bought HGD and it was decent? I looked on YesAsia and didn't see it, only the OST. I apologize for asking again.

Thanks to anyone who can help!

@Ripgal
Of course I remember you from OT100! I was excited someone had Conspiracy in the Court on their list :) I have only seen up to episode 3, this week has been super-busy so I haven't had the chance to finish. Though the fact that it loses steam towards the end sucks. But seriously after watching this, I'm really looking forward to PD Kwak's next project "Chuno." Though, I'm a little hesitant since while I like Oh Ji-ho, it's just weird for me to imagine him in a saeguk. But yes, Lee Chun-hee is awesome in CITC and even though he's a side character in the upcoming Smile, I plan on giving it a try for him and Jung Kyung-ho (whose acting in MiSa and Time between Dog and Wolf was really impressive), also the story has one of my favorite cliches ever!.

@Nea
d-addicts is a great site for jdoramas (as well as for other dramas). Outside of SARS, there are couple of other well-known j-subbing groups like Japan-TV and Jem (though I haven't been on the jdorama circuit in a while so I'm not even sure if they still are active). Even if they aren't active now, they did a lot of the subbing back in the day so a lot of the older projects were done by them. Also I think TimeLes Subs does a lot of jdorama subbing and I think they are pretty active like SARS

@Tamna lovers..

God this drama is like crack. I keep wanting for more!
I've already finished 3 episodes today, will marathon more tomorrow if my internet line doesn't break down on me.. please please don't! I have to quench my Tamna/IJH thirst~~

I'm all for Team Park Kyu!

It was posted on fmylife today:
Today, I had a blind date with a girl someone in my office set me up with. Before the waitress returned with our drinks, this girl asked me to go to her parent's house and pretend to be the father of her yet unborn child because the real father is a drug addict and in jail for stealing her dad's car. FML

My thoughts? Well, that's a good start for some kdrama :o))

Hello everybody! I missed out on congratulating Javabeans on OT 100... but I did read up on it, what a partyy!!!

Congrats to Mr and Mr Samsooki and their *anyday now* bundle of joy!! :) My fascinating daily routine consists of droolzing at my friends' babies on facebook...

AND I just have to agree with ockoala (and Belleza) on everything KSW and Yutaka. haha I'm watching that YT STH vid posted by Belleza @ OT100 and I must say the wkend is starting on uncontrollable major laughing fits that is worrying the hubby.

On IRIS, my household is on the watch for it for a while, my better half will totally watch anything with KTH in it, I bet that's the equivalent of SSH obsession for the ladies (or the gentlemen), and I do watch everything LBH is in it. I hope since it'll be action heavy, KTH will be moving around much more so she can not possibly focus on just glaring. I hold out hope.

Good morning (err..afternoon?) hehe

@ All Islanders – first thing I did when I got up this morning was to check and see if Tamra ep 13 was available for DL… and hooray it was!! Viikii is subbing fast too.. I think the first 4 parts are up already, with at least 90% English subbed already. Must be patient and wait for the rest before I start it up or else I’ll go nuts waiting for the rest haha.

@yvhsien – re: kpop industry. Idol groups can’t cut out their management unfortunately. They’re usually under pretty long contracts. Also their management is what gets them on all the music and variety shows they go on in order to promote their latest album. And to create those albums they need producers which the management company pays for as well. That’s also usually why the money is so unfair – the management takes a big portion of themselves to pay for the housing/clothing/feeding and producing of these idol groups. Even though the idol groups are the ones working to the bone, the management is what creates these connections in the first place. It sucks, but that’s how they work 

@gracefulmoonie – another weekend of Im Ju Hwan!!! Like I needed another reason to look forward to the weekends hehe! I’m actually using your technique of cutting and pasting to post this. I find it’s easier to respond to previous posts when I don’t have to scroll up to read, then scroll down to post, rinse and repeat haha.

@itsjustme – same here with horikita maki – it was hana kimi that made me discover her. I watched the j-version after the tw-version and at first I was turned off because it was so… ANIME style, and then I realized a lot of jdoramas are like that and now I love that kind. I feel they’re the opposite of kdramas – OTT and short and concise  and when I need a break from kdramas, jdoramas are just the thing! and I adore wooyoung too..him and his ssanti dance make me laugh everytime. I went through a period of switching favorites when I first started getting to know them, but I always ended up back at chansung hehe.

@chajjye – hehe…changmin the nerd is so adorable – I love him with glasses more than w/o… but it’s nice to know what he’s got goin on underneath hehe!!

@simplesim – “…If not, there will be Tsunami Tamra and Hurricane Park Kyu!” HELL YA there will be!! i have faith…faith that it will end well. Hell, if they’re already cutting it down to 16 eps, the LEAST they could do is end it well, right?

@ripgal – Tamra really is like crack… wonderfully fun and sometimes angsty crack. I love it hehe. I marathoned through the first 12 episodes in like.. 2 days… the second I got home from work till I forced myself to bed..and now I must wait .. and let me tell you, the wait is INTERMINABLE hehe! I’ve been on Team Park Kyu from episode one. The man is just pure <3 I say!

@ironmouse – HAHA I love that site… it has the craziest stories. Real or not, they’re funny..and if it’s not real (as I’m sure some are totally made up), damn those people are creative then! Sidenote: everytime I write MFL for My Fair Lady, in my head I’m reading FML haha..

omg this was the longest post ever..but YAY!! Tamra ep 13 is done downloading…!! Off to the Island I go!

Good Afternoon Everyone I'm sick this weekend so IMMA START WATCHING "MY FAIR LADY" Hope me likes it! Lmao @ my typos! Have a wonderful weekend everybody! :D

@ lovenyc52

I just passed by the Little Bean this afternoon, I had lunch at Simbala, and didn't forget to come home with 3 fresh packages of Taiwanese sausages. Yum....sausages..... Next time, when I am in RH/HH area, I'll wear a sign around my neck "ockaola" so you and cingdoc can recognize me. When in doubt, if you see a lady dragging two small children, one boy, one girl to the DVD store, that's me.

To the Islanders - so happy to read how excited you guys are and how thoroughly you are enjoying the ride. Keep up the Tamra thread, I'd love to read more.

@ epyc

I'm about to watch my first LBH movie soon, I bought The Good, The Bad and The Weird, and based on the lavish praise of my langdon-unni, I'm uber-excited. let me know if you watch the other new LBH movie and what you thought.

Again, thanks so much for the background of the BD filming. You didn't spoil anything, even though I'm not done it, it's obvious from the first LBH-CJW interaction that she could not possibly end up with RSW, unless as a consolation, that to me is an even more embarassing end result for RSW. I'm surprised at how much CJW's character loves LBH, and completely refuses to acknowledge a possibility with RSW. Good for her, I like her character in BD much much more than in Winter Sonata (and her character in Stairway to Heaven - let's pretend it never happened, CJW, m'kay?)

As for the attitude of RSW to the plot change, I'm getting vibes from the current JIW article comment thread about his recent statements about his role in MFL (and also thinking about the LDH situation in EoE).

My simple 2 cents - if the plot change is due to an overwhelming audience preference for a different pairing/outcome, I think the actor/actress being shafted should be gracious and acknowledge that as performers, their goal is to provide entertainment for the viewers, and if it makes the viewers happy to change the direction, then so be it.

If the plot change is due to behind the scenes political power play or the ineptitude of the writers to create a comprehensive character and integrate that character into the proper plot line, then I am way more sympathetic to the plight of the actor/actress in that situation. I don't know whether even then they should speak out about it or quit - it's difficult unless I am in their shoes. But to be the lead and then suddenly turn into the third wheel is always a very difficult thing to accept. I feel for that actor/actress.

Since I was so extraordinarily snarky in the last OT (I had too much fun with belleza, so please forgive me, KSW fans!), I'm happy that I've been so pleased and pleasured with LBH"s company this entire week that most of the snark has left my body. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll be back.

Anyways, since my LBH-love fest this OT has brought out some new posters, and encouraged fellow posters to share their LBH-love, I found this great MV on youtube where LBH is actually singing the song Promises from the Beautiful Days, and includes footage (not enough for me) of him performing in concert.

Enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcxC80aFVLk&feature=related

oh!! i LOVE LBH's voice.. i dl'ed one of his cds.. and he is pretty good.
recently, i've watched Once in a Summer and i'm still trying to get my hands on another copy of Bungee Jumping of their own because someone stole mine. i guess that's what happens when he's so talented..

ockoala.. thanks for the vid.

@217 ockoala-dongsaeng

YAY little sister! I cannot wait for you to watch TGTBTW...if you don't love it too I'll be heartbroken (but no pressure :-D ). Like I said, it's Pulp Fiction meets O Brother Where Are Thou, but with much better men.

So...I still haven't watched Tamra yet! I got a huge surprise today. My younger brother, who's in the Navy and stationed in Virgina Beach, showed up at my mom's house this morning after driving 16 hours straight! I haven't seen him in about 18 months so on one hand, I was thrilled; on the other hand...showing up on Tamra Day? Really, bro?? Not cool. ;-)

But I'm home now and heading to the Island!

@langdon813 - come back here after you've visited the Island.. i just finished watching it (mostly) subbed and omg i cannot breathe... there were so many heartwrenching scenes that i just wanna go and give PK a big fat hug... and then slap william upside the head.

@ockoala - yum!! simbala is so yummy. i haven't been in awhile - which dvd store do you go to?? :)

oh ya! LBH just showed up in All In... hello there :)

and SHG looks so different to me right now..maybe it's her eyebrows? they look really thin in this series as compared to now... but of course, ever gorgeous!

So brother shows up unannounced, then oldest son shows up unannounced. The drama gods have not been with me today but I finally finished Ep 13.

All I can say without saying too much is...WHOA. That one really hurt. :-(

@ 219 lb_tmi

I know, his voice is actually quite good, though compared to RSW's original version, it's definitely lacking in finesse, but more than makes up for it in rawness.

I'm actually looking to watch the LBH movie Everybody Has Secrets. Anyone seen it, any good?

@ lovenyc52

You've arrived at the adult years now? Good, the part on Jeju Island btw LBH and SHG is very sweet.

@ langdon-unni

Perhaps the arrival of brother and eldest son was an attempt by the drama-gods to shield you from any Tamra-induced hurt? Remember CH, it's gotta really hurt before that love is able to break through all the barriers and obstacles. Have faith!

I'm in a house with 2 ladies, sister and sister-in-law, no husbands, and 6 kids under the age of 6. It's both heaven and hell, and so much fun, but is keeping me from finishing Beautiful Days. Oh well, I'll take that as a sign as well.

Thought of something more to say about Tamra (and aren't we all shocked about that, LOL).

But it's not good. They cut the hell out of this episode! SO MUCH HAPPENED...with little or no followup. They left the big events in, but we didn't get to see anyone's reactions. So frustrating. I can't wait for the uncut version.

Just reread what I posted and let me be more clear; the episode itself was very good, I just meant that what I was going to say wasn't good. Hope that makes sense.

It's just that it was so obvious that this episode in particular was really heavily edited. I bet that, in the uncut version, some of what happened tonight didn't happen until Ep 16 or so, at least.

@ 210 Nea

So we have the same taste in dramas =) I thought you were new to the drama scene so I went ahead and recommended dramas that I loved hahaha..

Maybe you can try out Tamna, The Island too? I just caught up with the craze and now I understand why ppl love this drama so much. Don't wana spoil anything for ya but please do give it a try! :D

And about Resurrection, it's a drama about family and revenge. The actor Uhm Tae Woong plays a set of twins whereby one of them perishes and the other assumes his identity to find out who killed their father...etc. A fine quality drama, should not miss that one!

@ 211 Taohua

Oh sorry I spoiled CiTC for you. I thought you've already finished the drama, hence my non-stop babbling about how the drama lost its steam and so on. But please cast those worries away and not let them bother you... cos apart from those teeny weeny nit-picks, the drama still stands as one of the best made sagueks I've ever seen. Just that no drama is perfect right?

@ 217 ockoala

Echoes langdon813, pali pali watch The Good, The Bad and The Weird. LBH was just so smouldering sexy in there. .<

Hmm...it seems I should jump on the Tamna bandwagon too....but should i wait for the uncut version? It sounds like the shorten episodes has taken its toll in this new episode (per langdon813).

I gotta come out of delurk mode here once again and petition for the City Hall rotating headers too!! I saw a couple posts about this in OT 100 but didn't sense much heat on it. Although i think if it ever came to be, all i'll be doing is refreshing the page and then REFUSING to refresh it anymore just so i could stare at CSW and KSA.

I finished CH 3.5 days ago, on Wednesday morning, and in a record 3 days totaling 7 hours sleep and still went to work. I can't put in words aptly how much CH has affected me. Just in OT 100 my top 3 was Coffee Prince, MNIKSS, and Whats Up Fox but a mere week later this CH has just knocked it far out of the park. I was obsessed about CP for a good 2, 3 weeks until CH came and saved me - boy i thought I would never be over Gong Yoo, until Cha Seung Won came and rescued me! Darn, I could go on and on but I think i'll have to go back to my rewatching...this time, at a slower pace so i can enjoy all the little things that CH has to offer.

just one last thing....Not sure if I'm looking hard enough but is there any discussion threads on CH on DB besides the EP recaps? I might be misunderstanding but from reading the posts above I seem to have missed out on some threads...and I'm trying to read up on everything CH!!!!

@ lovenyc52, langdon813, ripgal, mia hjkomo and all islanders

HURTS SO BAD! :-( But its sooo bittersweet... quote langdon813 (and aren’t we all shocked about that, LOL)

Thanks ockoala, will have faith, remembering CH. And the ending better be as beautiful or MBC is gonna get stormed by Hurricane Parkyu!!!

Easing my pain by watching Beautiful Days again. Is it me or does one of the instrumentals (goes humming aah..haa..aah..haa.. scene at the cherry blossoms) sounds similar to beginning of Hey-Yeah by Howl?

Btw, thanks hjkomo for your translations and comments on soompi.

@229 kdxmel

Welcome another Cityhaller. You can read, share, get everything you want (lots of goodies on CH and more, much, much, much more on Soompi CH thread. Our thread mistress Alodia has EVERYTHING on the front page! Its the most complete front page ever (imo) on Soompi and CH thread has 344pages and 6876 posts for you to backread! Sorry JB for the short advertisement, can't help it working in that line. lol

Re: rotating headers, maybe we should petition Luv to do some? Cityhallers, where are you?

@langdon813, hjkomo, simplesim, ripgal and any other Islanders I have missed - i just HAVE to echo langdon813's sentiments of 'whoa, that one really hurt'... yes... it really really did. and yes i totally felt the edits in this one too. i would say..more than the last 2 episodes. and yet i still really enjoyed it. cannot wait till tomorrow's ep. currently lurking at soompi for any tidbits i can pick up on. so sad, only 3 more left! i'll definitely be (trying) to get the full 20 eps on dvd when it becomes available.

@ 230 simplesim-moni

"Thanks ockoala, will have faith, remembering CH. And the ending better be as beautiful or MBC is gonna get stormed by Hurricane Parkyu!!!"

Hang in there, Tamra-shipper. I haven't watched a single frame of Tamra, I cannot fathom what is going on but I know how it feels to so desperate hope the ending validates and satisfies the journey you are taking with Tamra. I hope MBC does 1 thing right after seemingly doing everything wrong with promoting Tamra.

"Easing my pain by watching Beautiful Days again. Is it me or does one of the instrumentals (goes humming aah..haa..aah..haa.. scene at the cherry blossoms) sounds similar to beginning of Hey-Yeah by Howl?"

Ah, that instrumental is my absolute fave (the one that plays when LBH is searching for CJW in the cherry blossoms, right?)- it's the end of most episodes instrumental, and everytime it plays, my heart soars. I'm not an audiophile and know nothing of k-pop, and have very low expectations of OSTs with respect to drama. I almost always like the music, what's not to like, it usually goes well with the mood of the scene. City Hall was the first OST I bought, and definitely made me aware of how good music can really heighten a drama.

BD's music and songs are splendid, truly a step above anything I've heard, immediately I noticed the impact, it was impossible not to be carried away by the soaring chorus. Nicely done, BD music team. Glad you are enjoying BD again. So far, I find BD very much like a warm, comfort food - many of the k-dramas cliches abound, but this drama reminds me why those cliches exist and are often reused, because it makes an impact if done right. And for me, BD is cliche done right.

@ 229 Kdxmel

"but is there any discussion threads on CH on DB besides the EP recaps?"

Oh, you just re-awoken the beast in me. You asked a question about City Hall, I guess I'll just have to answer it, cuz I want to! Another new Haller - welcome, it's am incredible journey, isn't it? I left a piece of my heart in Inju City with Mirae and Jo Gook forever.

Well, in DB, there are City Hall discussions aplenty in OTs. Starting with OT 83, until pretty much OT 97, it was always discussed in some detail in each OT (and not only by me, I swear).

In OT 83, JB mentioned that she dropped CH for her viewing, and then a few folks started mentioned it, mostly to say they might check it out. Then @ 63 epyc (from OT 83) started really discussing the drama itself (I think it aired a few episodes by then).

Each successive OT, CH got mentioned more and more, and then Samsooki got intrigued, and started watching, and full blown CH fever started (with Hallers kinda hijacking OT until we probably annoyed the beejesus out of some folks) with serious discussion occuring in OT 88, when @ 15 Samsooki posted his first review of CH, and the rest of history. The most amount of CH discussion happens between OT 89 and OT 95 (during the airing of the final few episodes and the few weeks thereafter, cuz it was a wild ride that needed some time to come down from the high).

The early Hallers at DB are Samsooki, epyc, mzpakipot, langdon813, et. al. But for every tidbit of City Hall information and BTS you could ever want, go to Soompi forums for the City Hall thread. Alodia has compiled a truly incredible world of everything City Hall.

If you want to read about non-Soompiers and non-Dramabean folks (i.e. the "regular" drama watching rest of the world) take on City Hall, koreandrama.org has active comment thread pushing CH higher onto the most commented list.

And lastly, an esteemed k-drama blogger, Thundie, posted a review of CH, and generated lots of comments, it was a very well-written, thoughtful, funny review (regardless of whether you agree with her final opinion.

Link to Thundie: http://thundie.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/the-city-hall/

Enjoy feasting on CH love!

@211 Taohua Thank you. I wrote down the suggestions. I'm exicited. Also have any drama suggestions? I've seen:
Nodame, Hana Kimi, HYD, Kimi wo Petto, First Kiss, Nobuta, one ep of Smile and Jun's other show last year. Along with a few eps of Atashinshi no Danshi. Don't think I've seen much else.

@ ripgal and all other Islanders... I keep hearing that Tamna Island is worth a view but I, like someone else mentioned, am a little concerned about the editing/cutting of some of the eps. The same thing happened to Strike Love and though I didn't watch that either(for that very fact) I am very weary of trying it out, only to be disappointed.
Are anyone of you concerned about the outcome and how the drama will be affected by this decision?
and thank you for the Resurrection synopsis...I think I've read up on that before. I don't know why I never watched...hmmm... cause I adore Uhm Tae Woong .

Speaking for myself, I wouldn't have missed Tamra for the world, not even in the edited-down format. I'm so glad JB did recaps for the first couple of episodes because her delight in it is what made me check it out in the first place. Sad to think that I might have missed out on something this special...and that's why it's frustrating that the network would even consider tampering with a show that I think is pretty close to perfect!

I'm already counting the minutes until Episode 14!

@233 ockoala

Clap, clap, clap. Wow, your details of CH on OT is incredible, thanks. Now, I have to check it out too. Had too much to read and back read on soompi plus rewatching CH and having CH high fever for months. CH fever cause me my 1st accident (very minor, reversed into another car, lucky just scratches), was rushing to go to town to buy a bootleg version dvd (can't wait for Director's cut). Well, that put paid to my buying, so now patiently waiting for end of November. lol

Bingo. The humming song is so beautiful and really make the heart soars. I also feel like running slow-mo. Do you? lol Oh, wait till you get Tamra ost. You will swoon. Okay, okay enough said. Sorry, couldn't help it.

Re: BD, it has a special place in my heart as its the first few in my kmarathon, but I don't like CJW too much in BD. I feel her look and response is too passive for 'hotness' like LBH. Even when LBH's smouldering eye's/look is piercing into her she kinda look blank, no?

Hey, this is good therapy, help me to forget my Tamra pain. :-D I think I can eat my lunch now.

Yeap, I'm a City-Haller, and as soon as I get my act together and beg for forgiveness from my team of CH recappers, I will get back on the recaps.

In the meantime though, I am stil translating and subbing. I QC'ed / spot-subbed Style, Episode 7 tonight, and can I say, the series is still pretty uneven. The characters are kind of hard to believe, and Lee Jia is still more than a little over-the-top.

THAT SAID, Style Ep 7 was pretty.... good? Weird, right? But, Style is finding a tempo and it has heart.

Style is turning into a drama with tempo and heart.... and that's a pretty decent combination to have. And, you know what? I am thinking about watching the rest of the episodes.... I don't really know what happened before Ep 7 (I stopped at Ep 2), but Ep 7 was pretty good and that's enough for me to watch Ep 8.

=)

@ 236 simplesim

"The humming song is so beautiful and really make the heart soars. I also feel like running slow-mo. Do you? "

This is what I wrote in my earlier comment @ 48

"And the soundtrack to BD is to die for, seriously, when the credit theme rolls, my heart swells, and I want to start running, as much as everyone in that drama is running, and I’m absolutely positive even more running is to come."

Hee hee, our minds are definitely melded with it comes to LBH and Beautiful Days.

I cannot believe CH caused you to have a car accident! I'm glad to hear it was minor, so we can sorta laugh at it, but I do recollect many instances where I zoned out thinking about CH and fave scenes.

"but I don’t like CJW too much in BD. I feel her look and response is too passive for ‘hotness’ like LBH. Even when LBH’s smouldering eye’s/look is piercing into her she kinda look blank, no?"

Actually, I will judge CJW's performance in BD on a sliding scale of Choi Ji Woo-ness (perhaps I should develop one for Kim Tae Hee as well - a sliding scale based on how often/wide she blinks her eyes), CJW to me is the queen of passivity. Her regal, elegant, soft, demeanor, coupled with the roles she has often played, belies her image as playing women always "reacting" to her men and to situations. She's rarely if ever forceful, her confrontations take place in ways that make it seem quiet and civilized.

I think CJW is a very talented actress at conveying sadness, but she tends to project similar images from drama to drama, and that's a sign that she's becoming stereotyped and perhaps cannot break free of that image. I still enjoy watching her cry.

I'm actually really enjoying her role in BD, whereas I hated her in Winter Sonata (I was somewhere in the middle of the CJW scale for her role in A Star's Lover). I love how she was completely committed to LBH once she got over her initial hesitation and doubt, and was completed clear with RSW about it. I hated the waffling in Winter Sonata, and poor Park Yong-ha bore the brunt of the blame, but she was actually the real culprit in prolonging an unnecessary love triangle.

In BD, I find it's CJW bringing her CJW-ness to the max and hitting it in all the rights ways. Kudos to the scriptwriters for not making it a real love triangle and make her have some feelings/sympathy for RSW. She's unapologetic about loving LBH (as she should be!).

I think your comment about her "blank stares" are 100% true, but that's just CJW expressing her emotions, it looks like blank stares of a baby deer. I think she did great in this role, but perhaps you and I are hoping for a more animated, fiery actress to ignite onscreen with LBH. It didn't happen with SHG in All In, and my hopes about KTH in IRIS are purely resting on "for the love of god, please let a miracle happen" prayers.

Rest well, Tamra-folks, your prayers will hopefully be answered.

just had to pop in to say.... man, does LBH look good in a suit or WHAT!?

thoroughly enjoying All In...only finishing up ep 4 so far - i just can't seem to kick this headache and it's pissing me off cuz it's interfering with my drama watching haha. thanks to all who recommended it!

Thanks to the one that put up the CH review link.....erm now I have to go re-watch that show! IMMEDIATELY!

@langdon813 Thank you for the T.I. input. I think I'll give it a try....after it airs. I'm not sure I want to wait from week to week...you guys seem a little...can I say....strung out:) Haven't been scratching my neck since BOF/That Fool and I kinda like it that way;)

@ripgal About to start Resurrection... my hopes are high.

Also while perusing the d-addicts list I found 101st Proposal(j.version). Has anyone seen it? Worth it?

@231 simplesim and @ 233 ockoala -

Oh wow Thank you!!! I will definitely be checking out all the threads you mentioned. In fact, I'm just back here from reading thundie's review and thread. I especially enjoyed it because it was the first "anti-CH" review (sort of) that I've read. It opened my eyes to the cracks that were there but yet, strangely, at the same time, made me treasure CH even more. For what I loved about CH - nobody, and no review could take away from me. I sure did enjoy the opposition's view of things though, it made me think a lot, and my mind is racing right now with all the rebuttals I want to point out. Doesn't everyone have those moments though? But I will be patient, I shall not comment until I've read every one of those threads and is sufficiently confident that what I have to say has NOT been covered to some extent (for example, JG and GGH's relationship and MR being the third wheel was more than sufficiently explored and debated upon in thundie's thread). But I will be back! Another OT thread perhaps, but please be patient!

And now, a difficult decision to make - to get back to rewatching CH, or to read more threads? *scratches head* what would JG do?

@ simplesim, lovenyc52, langdon813, ripgal

Sorry for being MIA, fellow beloved Islanders - I was off watching a Noel Coward play. His writing is always loads of fun, and the set design and direction was amazing. It was a joint collaboration with a theatre company from the UK, and there were film and theatre elements combined on stage in a way I've never seen before. I really enjoyed it.

Today's Tamna episode.....yes, the editing cuts were definitely noticeable, but, like langdon813, I wouldn't have given up this gem of a drama for anything. It'll just be that much better when the full eps are available.

TEAM PARK KYU - GROUP HUG!!!!

Tomorrow will bring more Island sadness, but I'm confident it'll all work out in the end. :D

Re: Beautiful Days
I guess I was the only rooting for RSW? :(
Yes, LBH was bewitchingly attractive and super hot....but I had been expecting the CJW-RSW pairing from the beginning, so when the writer pulled a bait and switch (I didn't know about the viewer-led change at the time), I went - HUH???

I guess I'm just one who doesn't like it when writers try to d*ck around with the audience, 'cause we're not stupid, you know (okay, most of us aren't).
I had a similar discontent...well, actually it was more of an outrage...with Powerful Opponents. No one messes with Lee Jong Hyuk! The man deserves better! ;)

@ Kdxmel

Welcome to the Inju City! You'll have a very busy time in backreading all those discussions mentioned by other Hallers. The CH fever and withdrawal is not easy to get over....

City Hall headers - Luv did quite a lot of screencaps etc for at least the first half of CH during its airing but had to go away. We missed her works greatly then. Mzpakipot/Alodia, would you be able to find something that can be submitted to JB for her consideration??

@ LBH movies

The great thing about LBH as an actor is his versatility. I've now seen six of his movies, each with very different character and storyline. They are all very good movies and I'll have a hard time to say which is the best. TGTBTW is good fun although it is more an exercise of sight and sound but very impressive nonetheless. Everyone Has Secrets is very 'frenchy' and it has the additional bonus of a comedic Choi Ji Woo, the first time of my seeing her acting away from 'Queen of Passivitity'. I like her best in that movie. I also like Addicted and it helps me discover the actress of Lee Mi Yeon. Last night, I finally watched Bunjee Jumping of Their Own which is a very, very different movie. Like what many people said, to truly experience this movie, DON"T read anything about it before you watch it. Ultimately, I have to say A Bittersweet Life is perhaps my LBH favorite. It is really HIS piece and he carries the movie single-handedly. His portrayal there is on par with, if not better than, Chow Yun Fat in A Better Tomorrow. The touch of Zen lifts the movie to a different level too.

I still have three LBH DVDs yet to be watched: Joint Security Area, The Harmonium in My Memory, and.....All In!! These are saved for the drought time when there is absolutely nothing to watch. Despite having a discussion with belleza about a year ago about All In, I have only started episode one but didn't continue probably because of SHK. (My recent viewing of Autumn Tale confirms again that SHK, particulary in her early days, is unwatchable.) I will watch it one day though!

Maybe I will re-watch Beautiful Days tonight and then I can enjoy Ockoala's review :D

Lastly, I will be shipped to Tamra and MFL soon (I think).

@ 241 kdxmel

Great minds think alike! The 'anti' view actually makes us treasure City Hall even better and appreciates what a different and great drama it has been for us who love it.

I was so very tempted to write a rebuttal but came down to the conclusion that the different opinion could very well attibute to personal experience. As discussed at previous OT, CH is more suitable for the more mature audience. I love CH because (quoting something I wrote elsewhere recently) It is practically free of the usual Kdrama cliches. Somehow, despite its unusual storyline, it talks in a language I can relate to. I saw through the characters of SMR, JG, LJD, JH, BM and SI the ups and downs of life, aspiration, disappointment, betrayal, baggage from the past, helplessness from circumstances beyond your reach… Even the politics part, to me, is realistic be it from the East or the West perspective. A criticism about CH is how it 'cartoonised' politics but I feel the complete opposite from my personal experience. The catfight and silliness of politices in real life are much worse as we can see on our news screen everyday. Take the mayor election debate as an example, I can so totally identify with MR when she asked for the veg price because this is exactly how John Hewson lost the unlosable federal election in Australia in 1993 when he couldn't answer a similar question. It is refreshing to see a drama catered for mass audience that you can identify with and feel for, not to mention its having the most dreamy romantic love story ! Enough said. Enjoy your backreading.

@mishane on 1 Litre of Tears,

The stereotype goes that K-drama melos specialize in terminal diseases, whereas J-dramas melos specialize in physical handicaps. And the point is kinda salient. In J-drama, when somebody is dying of something, the emphasis is on how they've lost their freedom. It's actually not sadness, but anger that is emphasized. Also, J-dramas in general are very, very sentimental attachment about children, and 1 Litre of Tears plays off that

BTW, for those who don't know, 1 Litre was aired last year in the Phillipines and became a huge hit. In the idol drama verse, the Fall Season of J-drama 2005 is one of the truly seminal seasons. In that season, you got Hana Yori Dango, Nobuta wo Produce, and 1 Litre of Tears.

The last 1/3 of 1 Litre of Tears was unbearable for me. Now, I know what Hell may be like. It's Aki's existence in her last years. And, having said that, the final sequence in 1 Litre of Tears is also one of the most uplifting sequences I've seen in drama, and I also cried really, really hard during that part.

I love Korean melodramas, but Japanese melodramas are often harrowing, existentially voided experiences. I was still in a good mood after MiSa. 1 Litre of Tears destroyed my soul for a whole week. :D

1 Litre also is pretty emo. And what I mean is, the way the show uses its songs is similar to how it's done with American youth dramas like the OC, My So-Called Life, etc. I was obsessed with Remioromen's album

As for the lead actress Erika Sawajiri, at one time I had hoped she could become one of the truly great actresses of her generation. She has the one gift that takes years for most actors to master -- true relaxation. Her innate ability to relax and stay in the moment and with other people is unlike almost any Japanese or Korean actor I've seen in that age range. Her actual acting skills were and are still pretty raw, but if she actually studied her craft, she could have been capable of greatness. Of course, that was before Sawajiri became the Lindsay Lohan of Japan . . .

Here's a favorite scene of the show. Somewhere in the middle of the show, when her high school is saying goodbye to her. This is a pretty heavy scene, but this is still when the show was "happy." THEN, the show gets REALLY sad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SKAernIY84

@Takenouchi Yutaka,

To put it simply, Yutaka is somewhere between Vic Zhou and Tony Leung. What do I mean by this? His detractors say he was the uber-pretty boy with almost no emotional range. But the people who love him say he's the ultimate gentle, sensitive, rebellious soul, whose emotional range is in the very quiet of his manner and being.

In any case, to begin the Yutaka experience -- and also to properly frame the emotional response of Japan to Hallyu -- you pretty much start with Heaven's Coins. Emotionally, it'll kill you. And you'll end up divided between the two men, depending on which season you watch. But, Yutaka leaves a deep impression.

@Kimura Takuya,

The one actor that Yoon Eun Hye most reminds me of is Kimura Takuya. Both are actors with an almost endless treasure chest of physical mannersism, and whose great talent is in building characters almost entirely through those mannerisms. For example, watch what Takuya does everytime he's on the ice in Pride. How he gestures to the audience, how he communicates with his teammates, how he immediately controls the dramatic flow of the game by his physical acting. Then, consider that almost nothing he does is actually done by real hockey players. HE MADE IT UP.

@Samsooki anbd Pianos on the beach,

TOTALLY recommend your Baby Samsooki learns how to play pianos on the beach. While wearing a baby tux and a baby pama. OMG, can't wait for pixs of Baby Samsooki wearing a baby pama and a tux. LOL

Congratulations to your new family Samsooki

I love scenes of pianos in weird places though. On beach, in farms, in the middle of a field of psychedelic mushrooms. There's just not enough pianos in the world. This is one of my favorite videos, just because there's lots of pianos on the beach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqE7erQFoq8

@ 245, belleza

"TOTALLY recommend your Baby Samsooki learns how to play pianos on the beach"

BABY BINNIE-GOOK SAMSOOKI'S REACTION TO THIS:

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n50/langdon813/WangSeok-hyun.jpg

"OMG, can’t wait for pixs of Baby Samsooki wearing a baby pama and a tux. LOL"

WAIT NO MORE...

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n50/langdon813/chunsa_wang4.jpg

@langdon813,

Oh I know! I TOTALLY visualize Baby Samsookie as the son of the son of Jung Pyo. Speed Samsooki Scandal? :D

@hjkomo, lovenyc52, langdon813, ripgal & fellow islanders

TEAM PARK KYU – GROUP HUG!!!! (in the tone of TRANSFORMERS, TRANSFORM) hehe...
We need it for ep14, I think its gonna get worse, but hope there will be some bittersweet moments to last us till next weekend.

hjkomo, wish I could do the bold italic but still pabo... Glad you enjoyed your play.

@langdon813

BABY BINNIE-GOOK SAMSOOKI’S REACTION TO THIS:

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n50/langdon813/WangSeok-hyun.jpg

oooh, I just love this one, how appropriate. Imo, WSH carries speed scandal. SPOILER! Oh, I cried when he was beaten for 'getting lost'!

@ockoala

Agree, well said about CJW. She's strongest here, didn't cry so much (I think, still rewatching). Hehe... I had forgotten about WS.

Re: ISWAK. To all ISWAK fans, I am rooting for PK and BJ of Tamra as ZS and XQ, its the perfect match (imo). You have to see them to believe.

wow.. i got to sleep and wake up to all this!!

i don't even know what to respond to.. so i'm just gonna start my own rant on CH.

i finished ep 14. and WOW!! i disliked JG from the start until ep 13, and now in ep 14 i LOVE him. i wanna have many babies w/ JG or at least practice. who am i kidding, i just wanna kiss the man. HOLY!!! and SHUPAMAN is awesome!!!
but i couldn't help thinking that JG was kpop idol during all those compaign meetings.

SPOILER!!!! don't go any further!!! SPOILER!!!

my heart hurt the most when Jung Do said to Mirae that he wanted her to give him his wife back. that was so powerful. and now, i totally see Joo Hwa in a different light. between her father losing the election and Jung Do, the men in her life can't even bring her back no matter how much they love her.. i wonder what happened to make her like that.. cuz i haven't figured it out yet.

oh.. and another thing on CH.. i wish there was more Soo In. that man needs to be stared at much longer than they've allowed. that's so sad. i'm so sad. i want to see more HOTNESS that is Soo In.