javabeans, where do you get such beautiful avatars for your open threads?

Btw, I never said this, but thankyou for creating dramabeans.com in general. You don't know how much I enjoyed going through your blog and process your analytical thoughts on basically ALMOST everything. Oh yeah, I think I enjoyed QSS more after reading your recaps. Jung Yoo Mi's probably my fav Korean actress since watching it last year much thanks to you. =D

May dramabeans.com forever exist for future generations of kpop fans to enjoy!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CITY HALL HEADER!!!!!

Now off to refresh the page until I get it back...

I have been watching My Fair Lady and I am like you, I don't know where the PD is going with this story. I think it is ending soon and can't wait to see who Hyena is going settle down with.

Have a great week.

City Hall header? Oh where? Pick me, Pick me.

I saw District 9 last night (finally!) and loved it! I haven't been to the movies in forever, I forgot how relaxing it is.

I also saw the pilot for Flash Forward and think that it's a good premise (although I think 6 months is too soon, I think the flash forward should have been 2 years) but is it going to be another one of these shows where the 'mystery' is solved in the first season and then they have to think of a new mystery for the second season? I'm a little tired of those shows. ALSO, this is how accustomed I've become to Asian dramas. . . I found no one on the show to be attractive except the Asian guy, John something, right? Everyone was ugly. OOOGGGGLLLYYYY. I forgot how completely different the feel of a US show is. . . it's totally different. I kind of miss them.

OH MAN, How I Met Your Mother is back and better than ever! They better not mess with Robyn/Barney. . .at least not for a while. I entertained myself for hours with bloopers on youtube.

Also my timeline is so screwed up now. I think I graduated 2 years ago (time flies!) and I was so used to living my life on that September = Class, May = End Class, and then Summer Vacation. Now that I don't have that schedule and I work every day 8-6, the days all blend in and I didn't even realize that people are back in school!!

This is so strange. Is anyone here still in school? Isn't this midterm time? Good luck! Midterms were so stressful. Coffee and long library stays saved my life (and Dominos, since pizza delivered to the library).

Is Buzzer Beat really a j-drama? Because I got confused by all the kissing and touching and kissing... and did I mention the kissing??? :)

OMG... after all the j-dramas I've watched, this is the first time I've seen such passionate kisses and outright affirmations of love!

Ok, thought I should share that...

The entire series is also really cute.

Happy Friday!

좋은 아침 (good morn!)

I'm glad to be back home!

I have so many catching up to do here in Dramabeans and in the K-dramaland, all in all. I just finished episode 3 of My Fair Lady when I left.

Anyway, I met this Korean couple in Paris. They've been traveling together for a month now and for a couple of hours -- not sure if everyday -- Aidan (i forgot his Korean name) stands at a particular place holding up a sign "If you want to go quickly, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together.", translated in several languages. Has anyone of you seen them, too? He said they'll be in Barcelona this week. Cute couple! :)

@ 6 mishane

I'm in my physiology class right now. And midterm period in my university usually lasts... a month or more. Sometimes in some departments, they try to cram all the midterms in one week, but luckily my department has them (sort of?) spread out, so we won't get totally skewered. Well, I hope not. And John Cho from Flash Forward is Sulu in Star Trek! I love him! Along with Captain Fine - uh, I totally meant to type Pine, there? - and Zachary Quinto!

@ 8 Jessica

JDramas used to be filled with passionate kisses, longing embraces, and not only soulful gazing. They actually used to show characters in bed. And not only alluding to the fact. I KNOW, IT IS AMAZING, AINT I? ha, go back five to ten years... some dramas even from the early 1990s are somehow up with English Subs, and they're angsty and beautiful and a joy to watch!

*~*~

I started watching Swallow the Sun (I admit it - it was *solely* for Ji Sung) and I (kind of) fastforwarded/skimmed to all the parts where Ji Sung gazed soulfully at whatever he was gazing at. Any action I skimmed through. Any plot I skimmed through. But wait... there was a plot? Bah, anywhere there was *supposed* to be 'meaty plot' or 'romance', I skimmed through. It just got too messy and confusing and weird and over-dramatic... after the second episode.

and oh! I got *hooked* on variety shows. Well, mainly the SuJu "Explorers of the Human Body". I find it so amusing and quirky, since my whole life revolves around science ^_^ It's so much fun to watch, and the boys are so lolzy.

Haaaaaappy Friday everyone! ~

@meh
Omg! Japanese dramas that are blatant in romantic displays? Can you name any good ones? I'm currently on a dorama roll and want to watch good jap dramas. Thanks!

Happy friday and Chuseok day and Mooncake (lantern) festival
to those who celebrate it.

@ Jessica and Linda

Pride has a nice kiss and a bed scene. Whoa!

@ meh

Physiology? Oh man, I feel for you. Good luck! I remember one week during finals I had a Physics Exam Tuesday, Neuropsychology exam Wednesday and then our Organic Chemistry Lab professor wanted to give us an Exam on Thursday, the same day we had our Organic Chem Lecture Exam. Our class begged and pleaded with him to give us a break, two Orgo Chem exams in one day?? He relented. I made a bad choice being a Psych Pre-Med. . . I got the worst of two worlds, 20 page essays AND Science exams/practicals = NO FUN FOR ME.

Happy Friday!

So i saw this awesome brownie pan on tv during one of my rare american tv watching sessions.. and it made me really want to bake brownies. basically after you pour the batter in the pan, you slide in the divider and it divides your brownies into perfectly edged brownies so that when it's done baking, all you do is pop out the divider and voila! 12 PERFECT BROWNIES. i kid you not. so last nite i made brownies. and man those suckers are rich. i haven't baked from scratch in forever - i forgot how fun it was!!

@mishane - i missed the premiere of flash forward but my friend kind of explained the premise to me. i saw last nite's ep tho and it is super interesting!! i just hope it doesn't do what heroes did and suck after 2 seasons. i also thought 6 months was really soon!! but we'll see what happens. damn - that's another weeknight gone. oh ya and i <3 john cho. i really do.

I was glad to read that DramaFever will soon have SBS dramas. I like that another major broadcast company is joining the legal streaming site. This is good news for fans.

Happy Friday!
UH I've been so sick all week, call it the flu or pissmeoffitis, either way, I can't wait to be well and back to myself this weekend!

How is everyone? Hope all is well. Still waiting for IRIS. In the mean time getting entirely too addicted to Vampire Knight (don't ask) Breezed through the entire series while I was in bed this week...LOL

@meh Swallow is a little much at first with Jeju accents, assumed rapes, prisoner abuse, undeserved jail sentences, random excuses to trek to Las Vegas and Africa but if you invest in Jung Woo as a character(which I have, coupled with the sex that Ji Sung literally is) the show is much more rewarding. Believe me, waiting for evil daddy to realize his blunder is frightening but worth the 25 eps.

Only one more week for MFL, I feel they will rush the next couple eps...Buzzer Beat will be my next drama then Iris. I am watching That Fool and Happiness...ok only. Viikii is going to post Winter Bird...I have been looking for that drama with English sub forever...love Lee Tae-gon in Love in Heaven( one of my favorite favorite...) Good Friday Everyone...

@ 15 lovenyc52

OMG that brownie pan sounds amazing! My brownie edges are always raggedy. I have to look for that.

You know what I keep seeing and loving but it's totally useless? Useless but pretty. Those cupcake trees! It's a pretty little contraption and you put cupcakes in the holders and it's so pretty and I want it but again. . . USELESS!

@ 15 lovenyc52

That's a better idea than the one I've seen at Williams Sonoma and other kitchen stores. They've got a pan that literally swirls so that each piece is an edge. It swirls back and forth--wait. It's just going to be easier to give a link
http://www.surlatable.com/product/baker%27s+edge+brownie+pan.do?keyword=brownie+pan&sortby=ourPicks

It's a cool idea, but $40? YUCK.

Happy Chuseok!

Today is my first time having a conversation with a native Korean in English. Hehe. But I was so nervous...too excited when I heard that I was going to meet her. I sucks at making new friends. T.T

TGIF. the weekend needs to come NOW.
still can't watch ep 16 of CIty Hall, cuz i haven't had time to dl it again.

has anyone else ever felt that all the stupid ppl in the world flocked near you just to make life more difficult? no, no one else knows what that would feel like, because the most STUPID ppl all work w/ me. yeah. blows.

on a good note, i get a salt scrub at the spa tomorrow. i'm a little nervous about it.. cuz apparently i have to get nekkid. why? i feel like i should be charging the spa to see my *coughbeautifulcough* body. LOL!

on another (not good) note. it's been one year since Choi Jin Shil's death. no wonder i'm feeling all sorts of crappy today.

And, aw, Chicago just lost its bid for the Olympics. It's always a little sad when your country doesn't get it, but some of the other cities up this time around (Madrid, Rio De Janeiro) are really interesting.

@mishane - yes, my brownies are always raggedy edged and weirdly sized cuz i apparently cannot cut in a straight line. so this pan is truly magical for me ahah. i've seen that cupcake tree!! it toally is pretty and yet, when would i ever use it?? i guess maybe if you entertain a lot...with baked goods?

@gallivanter - omg i was JUST about to post about how there's another pan i was looking for that swirled so you get all edges!! but i couldn't find it ...plus $40 is ridiculous for a brownie pan. however, it does look pretty amazing. haha.

@ meh #11

?!

So what happened? How did that turn into the j-dramas we have today?

Very, very shocked! And like Linda, I'm curious, you have any recommendations?

@ mishane #14

Interesting, I'll have to take a look at that too :) Thanks!

Williams Sonoma used to be the mothership for me. I would walk around and take private notes of what I wanted in my future kitchen.

Also, whoever invented that brownie swirl thing is a genius. Brownie edges are my favorites.

Now if only someone could invent a 'Tiramisu For Dummies'. The one thing that always defeated me. . . Tiramisu Cheesecake. I've tried a few times and I never got it quite right.

Hii!! It`s my first time writing in Open Thread...

I couldn`t find anything interesting in Kdrama this week since my favourite show, Tamra,The Island has ended last week...I still miss it :( Hope i can see the uncut version later broadcast from Japan...(Weird!! Damn you, MBC!!)

So, i`m back to American TV Show. All the good shows are back from their hibernation, ex. Criminal Minds, The Mentalist, Fringe, House, Supernatural, Heroes, etc...Although not all first eps. are exiting. But at least i have something to see. God, i`m bored!!

@ 12 Linda and @ 25 Jessica

ROMANTIC JDRAMA POST (of doooooom) - most of these dramas have probably been recc'd on this thread before, but lollll, I love talking about this ^__^

Kimura Takuya deserves his own category in this. His earlier dramas are are filled with a few steamy hot passionate dramas. They have some angst, humour, fun female-leads, and lots of romance. These would include Pride, Long Vacation, Love Generation, and Beautiful Life.

Another one in the 'Love' series is Love Revolution - about a female surgeon in the 30s trying to find love. She becomes a total wimp when she's in front of men and loses all her senses, but other than that... it was enjoyable.

Kou Kou Kyoushi 2003 is a (disturbing?) romance between a student and teacher relationship. I think it features and bed and disillusioned characters in the first episode, setting it up for and angst-fest. Another student-teacher relationship drama is Majo no Jouken.

"Itoshi Kimi e" is another angst-filled romance, about a photographer going blind.

"Boku Dake no Madonna" is a romantic-comedy featuring one of the quirkiest female leads ever.

Heaven's Coins and it's sequel (aptly named Heaven's Coins II) is an angst-fest. It has a Korean version Spring Days. Its about a Mute Girl who falls in love with a Doctor. Doctor gets amnesia. Girl goes to nurse Doctor, and Doctor's (rebel) Brother falls in love with her. Lots of tears, violence, and emo-behavior follows.

"Aishiteru to Itte Kure" is about a young budding actress falling in love with a deaf painter. Again, romantic jdrama!

Kamisama Mou Sukoshi Dake is *another* angst-fest. See a pattern here? It's about a High School Girl who prostitutes herself to see a concert of an Idol Singer. She gets AIDS that night, but before she realizes this, she sleeps with that idol singer who she is a huge fan of.....

With Love is about a pen-pal relationship. Tokyo Wankei is about a Korean-Japanese girl who falls in love with a Japanese guy who is the 'wrong side of the tracks'.

And LOL, final one on the list isn't an old JDrama, by any means. I think it just came out this year ^___^ BUT it deserves to be here, since it is made of LOLZ and it has a girl sticking her tongue in a man's ear in one of the episodes. So it's hot....? "Love Shuffle" is its name.

HELLO EVERYBODY! HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

It's getting cold here... 59F

Hey JavaB, thanks for the song! Love this song!!!

HAVE FUN EVERYBODY!

@ 17 Nea

I will probably re-watch Swallow the Sun one of these days.... I cannot resist Ji Sung any under circumstances. I even (tried?) watching Terms of Endearment. I didn't have a problem with the overall (whacked out, cracky, angsty, over-emotional, confusing) plot of ToE, but the main lead female pissed me off too much for words. She has the constant 'deer caught in headlights' expression on her face, and she is one of the worst actresses... with that being said, I'll probably re-watch that too, for Ji Sung. Who totally disappears near the last few dozen episodes or something...?

One highlight of Swallow the Sun - the hairstyle of Ji Sung when he's in Africa. *grins* I skipped to that episode on viikii, just to admire his curly glossy locks.

@ 25 Jessica

I have *no clue* what happened. Well, they did make Buzzer Beat which features *real kisses* so maybe it's not an all-fail? Perhaps their primary audience is now tweens and high school girls... where it's not appropriate to watch kisses and anything more than a longing gaze...?

Wow, can't believe it's Friday already! And boy, did it start with a "bang".

While I was with friends in the city for dinner, we managed to see a group of inebriated guys pulling plants out of a garden bed that the city council has put in to 'beautify' the town. It erks me that they were actually pulling them out to take them home! So my friends and I decided to confront them and it nearly turned into one of those Asian movie gang fight scenes. The only difference was the 'weapons' (substitute one group's machetes with plants and the other with very large handbags and high heels).

Anyhow, after lots of yelling, swearing and loud threats, the citybeat cops finally came around the corner and told the guys to replant the plants in the garden. It was kinda great to see some social justice around the place. :-)

Is there anyone out there that is also bothered by the lack of social conscience by some people?

So. . .I uh, got this meme thing that I thought was really really cool. Basically, you have to cast your own romantic comedy. If anyone wanted to do it, I know that it kept me distracted for a good 2 hours at work this week.

It's Your Life As A Romantic Comedy: Recasting Your Life

You have to cast actors to play:
Yourself, the main character:
The True Love
The Mistake/Ex
The Rival
The True Love's Best Friend
Your best friend
Mom
Dad
Brother/Sister
The Best Friend
The Gay Best Friend

And now you have to choose YOUR PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK, of course:
Opening credits
Falling in love
The kiss
Sex
The break up
The psychological breakdown
Shopping with friends
Getting back together
End Credits

@mishane @lovenyc52
personally, I'm a fan of the brownie "insides," so if anyone finds a pan that can prevent crispy edges for me, then yipee! in the meantime, you both can take the edges and I'll claim the leftovers ^^

definitely looking for some j-doramas to get into. not really in the mood for the cheesy/hokey kind, though. I started watching hotaru no hikari and by the 5th episode, I didn't see a point in continuing --- too many repetetive "I'm twenty-something but don't want him to know I like him" isms. could say the same thing is happening with MFL, but it's almost finished, so I figure let's just stick with it. and it has it's moments amidst the directionless of it all.

I agree with the Pride recommendation. What a great lead actor!

I just finished watching 'a love to kill', omg, its totally ridiculous, I completely wasted my time for watching it,argh:(

My Choices?

It's Your Life As A Romantic Comedy: Recasting Your Life

You have to cast actors to play:
Yourself, the main character: Shin Min Ah
The True Love: Kim Kang Woo
The Mistake/Ex: Joo Jin Mo
The Rival: Lee Hyo Ri
The True Love's Best Friend: Jo Eun Ji
Your best friend: Gong Hyo Jin
Brother/Sister: Park Shin Hye
The Gay Best Friend: Joo Ji Hoon

The Synopsis of My Romantic Comedy?:

Shin Min Ah is a scriptwriter for very popular romantic movies and dramas. She's won the equivalent of Korean Oscars for her screenplays. However, in contrast to her very romantic stories, in real life she's actually against romantic love and choose to live her life without love.
Enter Kim Kang Woo. He's a businessman who has to work with Shin Min Ah to do product placements in an upcoming movie. He's at first turned off by SMA's cold nature and brusque style but softens when he sees her interact with her family and friends, who she considers to be her 'true loves'.
Joo Jin Mo has a small cameo as SMA's only long term boyfriend. He moved to Japan for business and they broke up. Lee Hyo Ri plays an upcoming singer/actress who has to work on SMA's new movie and starts falling for KKW.
Gong Hyo Jin is SMA's married friend (with children) who is sick and tired of SMA's anti-love personality and tries to hook her up with KKW. Joo Ji Hoon is SMA's gay best friend and aspiring musical theater actor. Park Shin Hye is SMA's younger sister, an aspiring actress also, who tries to get SMA to write roles for her. Jo Eun Ji is KKW's best friend, a single mother with whose son KKW is almost like a father to.

(BTW, I spent so much time on this, lol, last Wednesday. I also have the soundtrack but it's not Asian music because I don't know enough Asian music to choose)

This = Awesome Timewaster

I haven't had a chance to watch MFL ... just reading the wonderful recaps from Javabeans... Thank You for all your hard work !

but in the early photo shots, the character of Hyena has fabulous clothes, hair and is styled lovely. Where is the fabulous? The stills that JB puts up whoa ! what happened. When she dresses up it doesn't have the same look, I understand " the I'm on the run look " so I guess the wardrobe got thrown away with the story-line ?

@mishane

Oooh...you've just given me something to do all day. AWESOME. I'm stuck in quarantine with my brother who has given me the flu, which may or may not be of the swine variety : P

@ gracielish

I couldn't get through Hotaru no Hikaru either, it just totally lost my interest. But if you're looking for some less cheesy stuff, then I would recommend BOSS and Orthros no Inu (with Tackey and Nishikado Ryo). BOSS is deals with a special branch of the police force, and Orthros no Inu is about two men, one who has a "God" hand, and one who has a "demon" hand. I know, I know, it sounds a little eh, but it's pretty good.

Friday's here AGAIN! At least I've got over the cold my nephew shared with me and the jetlag, now I can get back into my routine of ignoring the chores in favour of watching dramas. As none of the currently airing dramas appealed to me I headed to dramafever (Love that site!) and started to watch "lawyers of Korea". Anyone else seen that one? Not sure if it's worth investing 16hrs on.
Have a great weekend I'm off to work!

@35 aargh

don't you just feel like you should have those 16 hrs of your life back that the drama took from you? that's exactly how i felt after i watch ALTK.

i know a couple ppl here really do like that drama and i respect their opinions, but i still can't appreciate it's whack.

@ 36 mishane

Have you watched Ketsuekigatabetsu Onna ga Kekkon Suru Hoho: Type B? It's a half-hour special, where the main character is an award-winning script writer who hasn't found The One. She goes from relationship from relationship and is afraid of commitment. She's really brisk and a diva, and she hasn't found someone who looks past that facade. Her (married) friend with kids wants her to have a relationship and helps her out, if I remember correctly.

It's only like... 23 minutes long, but it covered all the cliches that I *loved* in those 23 minutes. It seems like something you'd enjoy!

I'm actually glad there isn't much to watch this weekend as I am attending the Vancouver film festival.

I plan to catch some korean and japanese indie films.

@ meh
Thanks for your recommendations for romantic jdramas. I haven't watched most of them. I am currently watching Ando Natsu (japanese rice cake apprentice), Maid Deka (detective), Hancho (police), Rinjo (crime investigation), and Tobosha (fugitive on the run).

Happy Chuseok Open Threaders! And of course TGIF, although I just enrolled for the third/final year of my Law degree today. The admin system of course sucks so tons of people have timetable clashes. Anyway, I was SERIOUSLY pissed because I had a timetable clash and it looked like I wouldn't be able to take Intermediate Korean; I've been teaching myself for 2 years and was so looking forward to this. But it looks like they've changed it, so now I can!!! Except everybody's timetable is screwed up so I don't know if I can get my hopes up yet. Still, for now I'm ecstatic. I'll have to take a level test and I have no idea where I'm at so, hm.

I'm watching Season 2 of Veronica Mars, and then I'm planning on doing Super Rookie, with smug!Eric and pretty if flat Han Ga In. Wanna watch somethin' a bit old skool/typical.

A few days ago, I found out about a promotion Sinagpore Airlines was having. A roundtrip ticket from San Francisco to Seoul, Korea for $549.88. A catch is that I have to buy it by the end of the day Friday (which is today). For the last few days I've been scrambling to find a friend(s) who could take this adventure with me. (Other catches of this deal, departure from SFO must occur before 11/20/09 & completed trip must occur before 12/31/09) Everyone I've asked has kindly rejected due to "bad timing." No one can go on an impromtu international trip this year, except me. But I'm different as I planned a trip to Swizterland and Paris & went all within 4 days.

So now the dilemma I'm in is pass on this amazing deal or go to Seoul by myself?!?!? I've been to Seoul before (coincidently during the 2007 Asis Song Feast, amazing) But I really explored 1 actual day of Seoul. I'm so stressed out, that I'm losing weight...

This is most likely my first and last post for this OT, cuz I got saw the holy grail of k-drama couple on screen - THE CITY HALL HEADER, and I ain't never refreshing this page if I can help it.

Gah, 3 months later, and I still get the butterflies and my heart constricts and I think, Jo Gook, you da man, proposing like that.

Thank you, JB!!! You really made my day so bright.

Hi all,

I have to confess, on the 'time-wasting' front, that I have decided to watch the anime version of Hana Yori Dango which I found, by accident, at my local library, starting night before last. So now, in the space of 8 months, I have watched Boys Before Flowers (K-version), which was how I found dramabeans (and viikii) as I was casting around trying to get caught up while KBS World was only up to Ep 2...., then after getting caught up via DB's recaps to about Ep 10, I watched the Japanese version HYD with Matsujun, both seasons and special, kept up with BBF (episodes and recaps), found the translated manga online and read it, followed BBF to end (eps and recaps), watched HYD again... and now I'm watching the anime. Finished 2nd disk last night and immediately went back to Onemanga and read the whole middle section again. It really is an addiction.

sigh.

I found a translation of the original Coffee Prince novel online at some point in there, too. And, of course, watched a bunch of other dramas, too.

-------

I am hoping to see a post today from budsdiana who last we heard was still trapped in her hotel in Manila during the floods last week. I hope she made it home okay and all was well.

@djes: I have been following on BBC... such tragic events, in Sumatra and in Samoa.

Guys - help me out here.

Polanski's arrest brings up a very odd dilemna for me. I really have a hard time watching a movie who's main actor is someone that I can't respect as a person. For example - I really loved Robert Downey Jr, especially after 'Hearts & Souls' & 'Chaplin'. Then I found out how big of a druggie he was and all his arrests(the 'justice' in those trials and hearings is a whole other argument) and since then, I can't watch his stuff. Not even 'Hearts & Souls'. Yet, I can't deny I enjoyed his roles.

So, the thing is, if you can't respect an artist, how can you still like the art? As applicable in k-industry: just found out Tiger JK & Tasha, two of my favorite kmusic artists were known for the meth & ecstasy use(all kpop had an article on past criminal charges of some well known k actors & MC's). Now it colors how I view their music....

Yet, logically I know this is true, if I were to eliminate everything that I listened and watched based on lack of respect for the artist, there would be little to entertain me.

It frustrates me - what do you guys say?

Happy OT Friday y'all! Can't believe it's October already! Time indeed does fly when you're having fun (or staring at your laptop all day every day...same thing)!

I haven't even had time to read today's OT...gotta work a little bit today but I'll be back to hog the thread as per usual later on. :-D

Hope everyone's having a great day so far!

@ djes

Thanks for your kind offer from the last OT. Would love that file to be uploaded when it's convenient to you :D