@194, kdxmel
@198, Samsooki

I had an appointment this morning and had to rush out but wanted to come back to respond to kdxmel's post about Hong Gil Dong...and then I read Samsooki's reply.

Which makes things easier, cause now all I have to say is "yeah, what HE said." :-D

Sometimes you just fall so in love with something that while you may acknowledge that it has flaws, in the end they matter not one single iota. HGD is like that for me.

@200, ockoala

I bet I've watched Ep 11 of Tamra at least 20 times. That was not only a pivotal moment in the drama, but what a career-defining moment for Im Joo-hwan. That whole scene when Beo-jin is talking to him through the door is just so agonizing. I wanted to scream if you're going to leave him then STOP TALKING! JUST SHUT UP! But she couldn't, because if he didn't say goodbye to her, then how could she go? :-(

Team Park Kyu all the way, forever and ever, AMEN.

@ ockoala - oh ya! i think i remember you mentioning that you had gotten the Chinese subbed dvd set.. unfortunately my chinese reading skills is limited to my name, i love you, mom, dad, older brother and maybe a dozen or so other random words i managed to retain through 8 years of chinese school. i already DLed all the raws and it's not like i don't know what's going on lol :) i guess it doesn't really matter since i will definately be buying the 20-ep DVD set when it comes out anyway!

ok so... is it just me, or do i sometimes see similarities between Park Kyu and Tae Kyung from YB? i feel it's in the way they talk. sometimes the way TK speaks sounds very... enunciated... like how PK spoke. It's just when i'm watching YB lately and TK comes one, i feel like he's a modernized version of PK in a way. maybe i'm just totally imagining things since i really love both shows SO much heehee.

I third what Samsooki said about Hong Gil Dong - the sum is greater than its mished mashed parts taken alone.

And lastly, I'm not sure what the quibble is with the drama starting out comedic, slap-stick, fantasy, and slowly evolving into something more dramatic, darker, more tears and fears. It didn't bother me at all, and neither did Yi-nok's character development.

Yi-nok in episode 24 is a completely different girl than in episode 1 - if we look at the fact that years have passed, and the girl has found true love, lost him, found him again, lost her only known relative in gramps, found a new relative in noble gramps, discovered her true identity, discovered her loss of identity and family was caused in part by the father of true love, has to choose between living alive as a queen, or dead with true love - well, I think Yi-nok's last scene with Chang-whe was perfectly in character with who she had become by then.

Yes, it is a truism that if a story starts off with scene, and then flashback, well, then by the end of the drama, it'll flash back to that scene, right? Well, in HGD, the answer is WRONG, and that's where the Hong sisters succeed in buckling drama conventions yet again. But then again, it was never determined that the beginning scene was in fact, "a fact."

@ lovenyc52

Ha ha ha, I think you've been blinded by the Tae-kyung love, sweetie. No, PK and TK are completely different characters, different leading men, different method of portrayal by the actors. But I heart both of them soooo much as well.

Come end of the year, I'm a-gonna have a hard time picking my favorite male character this year, and my favorite male actor portrayal. But for the ladies - the dark horse Park Shin-hye is already leader of the pack.

@ langdon-unni (new convert to sageuks) and all OTers who love an intense, so good it hurts sageuk, plus all OTers who think most sageuks are kinda wimpy on the bulging muscles, fight scenes, and general kick-assery which should be mandatory in every sageuk (men + swords = more fighting!).

Preview of Chuno, January 6, 2010 cannot come fast enough for me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzcXGYH3hBk

Also, who do I root for? Seriously, Jang Hyuk AND Oh Ji-ho fighting over Lee Da-hae, are you kidding me? My usual criteria - the guy with more muscles - somehow doesn't work in this situation. Check out the testosterone in the above trailer and tell me which guy I should support. Can't pick? Me neither.

Also, LDH doesn't even show up in this trailer yet - but it's like the karma gods are rewarding her for the EoE debacle where she was the lead actress and then didn't even get either leading man, by giving her two riveting male leads for her to schlep around Joseun era with. Nice.

Great preview, I can't wait for this to air. We can just bypass Christmas and New Year's as far as I'm concerned, that would suit me just fine! Ugh...need to get over that and try to get in the right frame of mind. It's gonna happen whether I want it to or not. ;-) That's why I like Thanksgiving...cook a dish or two, sit down, pig out, and pretend to care about football. No stress.

I'm not even watching a sageuk at the moment (shame on me), but I think hjkomo has convinced me to start Conspiracy in the Court. Seems like she's losing sleep over it, which is always a good sign!

Thanks transit. It's cool of you to work for baseball and all.... but then stab us regular riders in the back a few hours before morning commute on this fine voting day? Stay classy, Philadelphia.

re:Ohitorisama, It's really light fare and there isn't much chemistry but it's got Teppei and if that's all you need to rock your socks, go for it. I kind of watch these shows right before I go to sleep because I somehow don't need subtitle aid anymore. Last season I watched all of Call Center no Koibito before I would go to sleep on Sunday nights. It's about a call center....yeah.

I'm a little bit of the Dal Jas Spring/Anego type in real life so I guess I like watching these woman on her own shows. Unfortunately I'm also at times a slob (In Ohitorisama, Satomi has condiments on her coffee table.. even leaving parm. cheese out...that can't be safe). The show is not much to write home about..... oh, and I hate the female students. They bore me. To tears. They could at least have some.. 'character' to them even if that made them cartoonish.

Right now I have to soak my feet. I wish Hyun Soo would drop by on the bus and give me a plaster. OH WAIT I CAN'T TAKE THE BUS. ;D Seriously those last two episodes of Smile You are adorable. They keep getting better. I'm starting to like the fierce Ji Soo the most. Watch out, Sung Joon.

@ ockoala - haha... blinded by Tae Kyung love.... that much is definitely true!! especially since he got rid of his emo hair. I think i want to somehow magically combine PK and TK and YB and Tamra into one glorious package and enjoy it all at once.

@langdon813
I would highly HIGHLY recommend Conspiracy in the Court, I have two more episodes left (I've been talking my time since it's really intense and b/c I find the historical aspects fascinating) and I can't put into words how amazing this drama is. Criminally underrated! I think I mentioned it before in a previous post, but the directing is one step above's Story of a Man (which I thought was amazing) and the writing is tight and the actors are really impressive. In retrospect I finally understood why JB said Jin Yi-han was under utilized in "Who Are You?" All three main actors were phenomenal (JYH, Kim Ha-eun, and especially Lee Chun-hee as Man-oh) and the rest of actors were well casted as well. And I was really impressed by the cinematography, the detail of the costumes, sets and locations. It's dark and intense, but probably is the best sageuk I've ever seen.

Let's just say b/c of this drama, my expectations for Chuno are huge. But I have lots of faith in PD Kwak :)

Yeah, Conspiracy of the Court is considered by some to be the finest Korean drama in at least the last 4 years. In a critic's poll, I think it ranked ahead of the White Tower.

This goes back to the high expectations for Chuno as well.

So Good. Tamra was so good. I feel honored I could watch and savor something made with so much love and heart and thought. Im Joo-hwan is a revelation for me, considering I've kinda just ignored him in his previous roles, such as in Snow Queen and his blink and you'll miss it turn in BBF. Reminds me of how I felt about Jung Kyung-ho after TBDAW, but the appreciation is even more intense for his portrayal of Park Kyu. I adore Park Kyu!

I can totally see his career slowly taking off like JKH until he's a solid leading man. And I didn't even think he was cute before, goes to show what a great acting job can do to really impact a viewer's perception of an actor/actress. He was all tense, coiled simmering hotness in Tamra - he radiated chemistry with Beo-jin enough for the two of them. Tamra was a one-man show for me - it was the Park Kyu show. I hope the deleted four episodes worth of material, every second involves Park Kyu being all smart, manly, reserved, all sad but can't cry, and then all crying for very good reasons. I love that character, can you tell?

What a fun, well-made drama - two thumbs up from me, a definite keeper. And lastly, Tamra reminds be a bit of the structure of Capital Scandal in a general sense - and where CS failed to grip me and made me unable to overcome its flaws, Tamra was the opposite. Thanks, Islanders. I owe you one! Now, I'm totally even crazier to watch Chuno, in a fusion sageuk mood. Maybe I ought to finally get my butt ready to watch Damo?

@ockoala, samsooki, langdon

If the first scene hadn't been as blatant as to read "A few years before this..." I would have no arguments towards whatever ending they could have come up with. But as it is, it did say "a few years before this..". Now unless the subs are wrong for this particular one line, it was clear to me that the rest of the show is a flashback. To the audience, there was no indication whatsoever that this is NOT a flashback sorta series, and as such is the reason why i watched the entire show thinking that things are going to eventually wrap up to bring us back to the "present tense" (i.e. first scene ep1). I'm saying it's misleading, and not in a well-intentioned sort of way. I have no problems with the way the story ended, but my point is, if they could have thrown in a scene anywhere from say, episode 9 onwards the "present" HBD all high and mighty and then move forward with the rest of the story from then on it would have saved me a lot of confusion. Not only would it have told the audience, ok now we've seen it up to the "present tense" so let's see what happens to hgd here on out, it would also have also helped establish and explain the clear change in tone of the storyline. I have no problems with dramas that start out light and end up dark and dramatic, I just need it done right.

As for YN's character, in reading ockoala's paragraph i have to agree with you that she did grow throughout the show. I don't know if its the acting, or the writing, but YN was so good in acting the dummy that when it came time to be serious (in that last exchange with CH) it was so jarring I felt that it wasn't even in her character to be so articulate ("i will use my sword on your heart!" - wow, where did that come from?) if she had portrayed this more serious, mature side to her more frequently earlier on i would not have been so taken aback.

it's a series of little things like that, that accumulated to my discontent about the last few episode's pacing and storyline issues. dun get me wrong, hgd is still a great show, but i was ranting in vain that only, if only! there weren't these problems, hgd would have been way up there for me. because i so wished for hgd to be great. my expectations and hopes for it were so high, that's why i felt cheated in the end. this show COULD have been a legend of epic proportions, instead it faltered because of mistakes it SHOULD have avoided. Part of it is a writing problem, part of it is an acting problem. i'm just lamenting on the sad demise of the promise it held for me.

I get what everyone is saying about simply acknowledging its flaws and just enjoying it for what its worth. i totally get that. i guess that for me, maybe because i'm a libra, i try my best to be fair and objective in my assessments no matter how close to the heart something is (even city hall is not off the chopping block, and i love that show to bits and pieces) Especially if something's close to my heart, i question it even more. the mediocre ones just pass us by, but the good ones are the ones that gets us analyzing the heck out of it. i enjoy the thought process and sometimes I even end up liking a show more because in the process of critiquing it, I also hone in on the good parts and truly get to appreciate the many ways that it did do well. i dun ask anyone to agree with me, i just needed a place to rant after finishing it last night. all these thoughts and nowhere to turn. i love a good argument, i love to be pointed out wrong, but most of all, i love analyzing a great show. and HGD is still a great show, no doubt about it. it just wasn't ALL THAT, is what I'm saying. i dun mean to piss anyone off, seriously, and i apologize if anyone's miffed at my dissing hgd.

On a lighter note (phew! do i need one) tomorrow's wednesday - YB! Can't wait!

"i guess that for me, maybe because i’m a libra, "

If you're a Libra, you may be really nice but you're the snobbiest of us all!! Well, except for those stubborn Taureans. ;)

Actually part of my issue with Jang Geon Suk is that his Leo-ness comes through in both good (magnetic) and bad (too seriously into himself) ways. And like most Leos, his mane is GLORIOUS. Park Shin Hye's Aquarian sensibilities also come out too. She gives Go Min Nam a refreshing "blank slate" vibe that's natural to an Aquarian sense of detachment. So where JGS's Leo-ness makes him often mime for the camera, PSH can play off a scene with quiet wit.

And as for Shin Woo . . . well, yeah, he's a Cancer. Of course he's going to be all moody and not talk about his feelings. ;)

@212 kdxmel

Oh gosh...I don't think anyone is miffed! Everyone is entitled to their own opinions! That's what's so great about the never-ending OT, endlessly comparing thoughts and feelings on these crazy things we love so much.

I was completely devastated by the ending of HGD, believe me. I couldn't make sense of it at all, and my heart wasn't just broken, it was annihilated. But then I read someone's (JB? not sure) theory that the first scene was probably from Eun-hye's sensationalized version of events. That made so much sense to me that the juxtaposition of the happy, colorful beginning and the dismal, tragic ending seemed absolutely perfect in retrospect.

It's 2:13 where I am...should I just stay awake at this point and try to watch YB live?? :-D

belleza...I'm a Capricorn, what does that say about me?

"belleza…I’m a Capricorn, what does that say about me?"

Know how the ajumma always spanks Han Tae Kyung and seems to rule all the boys with a broom? That would be you, the Capricorn. :D

Some of the astrology stereotypes do carry over. Scorpios are known for their "magnetic eyes", and that certainly describes So Ji Sup. Leos are known for their hair; Jang Geon Suk and Kwon Sang Woo are a good example of that. Piscean actors are natural at goofy roles, and the guys often have large, soft eyes and dispositions. Aquarian actors are known for character transformations (since their concept of self is primarily intellectual rather than forceful, such as with Leo.) And so on.

One reason why I love Moo Hyuk in MiSa is because he's really the prototypical Scorpio. When my brother's wife (a Cancer, therefore has natural attraction to intense Scorpio types) first saw MiSa, she thought Moo Hyuk broke the mold of Man himself lol.

Now, Libra and K-drama is fascinating. Libra actors include Binnie, Kim Myung Min, Uhm Tae Woong, Song Il Guk, Go Soo, SONG SEUNG HEON BABY. Heh. Had to. :D

Not that I would dare gainsay the mighty and wise Belleza on matters such as these, but I tend to have a bit of a skepticism with respect to astrology.

Put it this way. On the day that our baby was born, there were probably a dozen other babies in the hospital nursery. Astrologically-speaking, will they all turn out to have the same tendencies, attractions, personalities, etc.? I think a tour through the nursery would give the impression that babies are all different - some are playful, others are brooding, some are high-maintenance, others are easy... all born on the same day, under the same sign...

I would argue that the spread of personalities, likes and dislikes, tendencies, will be just as wide as the normal population, all other things being equal. That said, I do think that climate/environment plays a factor in infant development, and so babies born during, say, the winter (if you are in the northern hemisphere) would likely have greater similarities in terms of environment (having to spend all winter cooped up with waaaay less sun) than babies born in the summer. However, if you take two babies born on the same day in the winter, but one born in Australia (where it is, in fact, summer) and the other born in Chicago, I would say their climate/environment would be quite different (and so would influence their personalities, perhaps differently...) while still being under the same sign?

just my opinion...

@ kdxmel

Oh no, I'm totally not miffed by your review and opinion of HGD, you're very correct in pointing out what upset you about certain aspects of the drama. Strangely, the pacing and storyline towards the end actually was something I thought elevated the drama to epic proportions for me (somewhat). And I'm known to mock HGD's sillier aspects all the time, but it's more out of love and affection for this drama.

When I watched the opening sequence, I was like, oh cool, totally wu-xia vibe, super flying and kungfu and wireworks galore. Then it flashed back to the real world of HGD, and within a few episodes, I was completely rethinking already whether the opening sequence was real or a re-telling of the legend of HGD. Because, I could not believe that Yi-nok and Hwal Bin Dang would have developed such amazing kungfu skillz. And by the middle of drama, I was completely open to any ending, because I already was sure that something was fishy about the opening sequence. Does that make sense? So, it wasn't a bait and switch ending for me - more like I understood that the beginning was not rooted in fact but rather seemed like a fantasy version of Hwal Bin Dang.

Re: astrology

Samsooki, if you take the twelve monthly astrology signs, plus the twelve yearly lunar calendar signs, plus the 4 blood types - then you'll have a large possibility of personalities to choose from, all of which are rooted in fact, otherwise, how else would an entire astrological publishing industry make its money?

I'm a Gemini - totally hot and cold.

@ lovenyc52

PK to BJ - "Don't go, I don't like it." (episode 8, I think)

TK to MN - "I told you not to go where I can't see you!" (episode 10)

Just to sate your PK-TK longings. I definitely can see how our love for YB and Tamra's leading men make us go all gooey inside and think really, each is just so perfect in their own imperfect ways (well actually, PK is pretty much THE perfect guy - no flaws I can see of, and he's not boring b/c of his perfection, oh no, his perfection means he has to suffer in silence). Lately, I've been feeling so rewarded by watching so many wonderful dramas, and encountering so many awesome characters. Life's good.

@langdon, ockoala

"the first scene was probably from Eun-hye’s sensationalized version of events."

Argh! YES! the lightbulb just went off, thank you so much! I can totally see that now. Now that I think of it, later on in the show every here and there they interjected scenes of hgd's supposed legends amongst the city folks, so why shouldn't the first scene be of the same nature? knowing that now, i don't feel quite as cheated. Just call me dense for not linking the 2 and 2 together. *slaps forehead* See, already I'm liking hgd better now cos one of my main gripes is lifted! Yay!

And belleza, I'm very sorry, i think I crossed a line here... :( i didn't mean to, and the last thing i want to do is to upset any of you good folks. I greatly respect all of your opinions, that's why i thought that bringing up my rants here will only generate friendly discussion and help answer some questions. i didn't mean to upset anyone, but i can see how my rants come across as snobbish :( I really apologize for that!

@ockoala,

"I’m a Gemini – totally hot and cold."

Two heads are better than one, eh Gemini? ;)

@kdxmel,

"And belleza, I’m very sorry, i think I crossed a line here… :( i didn’t mean to, and the last thing i want to do is to upset any of you good folks. I greatly respect all of your opinions, that’s why i thought that bringing up my rants here will only generate friendly discussion and help answer some questions. i didn’t mean to upset anyone, but i can see how my rants come across as snobbish"

Oh no no I was just teasing ya. :D It's said Libras are the "nice sign" (i.e. avoiding conflict, preferring harmony), but Libras are also the sign of artistic expression. Most Libras said to have excellent and progressive taste in art (and are probably artistic in different mediums), but they can also be snobby for those reasons. Depends on perspective. But, yeah, start yelling at a Libra and it's fun watching what happens. ;)

@samsooki,

"I think a tour through the nursery would give the impression that babies are all different – some are playful, others are brooding, some are high-maintenance, others are easy… all born on the same day, under the same sign…"

Yeah, that's true. There's explanations for all that. Somebody's basic personality, you can look at a combination of their sun sign, moon sign, and their ascendant. At that point, there's a lot of variation. Of course, none of it may be true. :D

OH NOES...why does everything good have to happen on Wednesdays these days? My Wednesday evening class is bad enough...but at least I usually have the newly subbed YB ep to look forward to when I get home. Which I still do, but...

My friend Scott (my Hyung-tae, if you will) has decided that we have to have a "When Harry Met Sally" evening and watch something online while we're on the phone together. Tonight of all nights! Still, he's dangled an almost irresistible carrot in front of me; a show that I've never even heard of but sounds like it's right up my alley - Red Dwarf, anyone familiar with this? A Brit sitcom set in outer space that aired in the 80's and 90's?

I can't say no to that! :-D

belleza,

i've become addicted to kim yuna's version of 'if' that you posted a couple OT's ago.

isn't it funny how someone you found unattractive before all of sudden becomes attractive after you find out that that someone has this amazing talent? that's how i feel about kim yuna (her singing, not her figure skating, although that's cool too).

also, did you notice how the tv screen behind her shows her falling on her butt while figure skating at about 3:10, right when she's saying 'painful'? i wince every time i see it. why did they add that? it kills me.

finally got my hands on HGD that isn't mysoju.com. i'll get started on it shortly.

I couldn't resist! I watched YB raw on YouTube. The preview for episode 10 is killing me! I can't wait for it! This is why I've never watched a still airing drama. This is very stressful!

But this helps, watch and laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU9M1vSkuSk&feature=related

This scene made YB my favorite drama.

doublethink101

is there a reason why that main character looks and dresses so effeminately? i haven't seen YB, so maybe it's supposed to tie in with his character, but that just looks wrong.

@kb,

"i wince every time i see it. why did they add that? it kills me."

It's part of Kim Yu-na's legend. What Korea loves about Yu-na is that, even when she falls, even with the weight of her country, she is not phased. She continues to fight, and she fights with all her heart. There is nobody in skating who is stronger mentally than Yu-na. And some people argue that Yu-na's performances represent an essence of the Korean spirit itself, which transcends whether she wins or not.

After watching her the past season and a half, I actually think this is now true.

However, when she sings, it's a striking contrast from her image, because -- then -- she does sound like a teenager, a lovesick teenager. Whose tone is eerily like Taeyeon's. I think somebody picked up on that, thus we have Yu-na's and Taeyeon's duet of "Can You Hear Me?", the song from from Beethoven Virus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMUoG9D-nz8

Seriously at 3:40, the Taeyeon Twins get eerie. :D

belleza,
awesome!

doublethink101,
i answered my own question, re #225. YB looks interesting.

@ 224 Samsooki

Drama Fo Yo Mama was meant to be yours! I mean, you have currently with you all the necessary participants:

1. Newborn (can act as illigetimate child)
2. Mrs. Samsooki - lead actress - preferably the steely within, spunky outside variety.
3. Mother-in-law - the evil type, will be capable of delivering a smack down bitch slap worthy of slo-mo replay.
4. Any one of your guy friends - play requisite second male lead - I'd go with the lovelorn nice guy, easier to convince said friend to participate.
5. You - as the lead hero, of course - a cross between Binne and KJH.
6. Any one of your female friends - as the initially super cool second female lead, capable of gradually going insane and finally going batshit crazy on you.

And there: the six of you are capable of delivering 3 minutes of honest to goodness awesome drama. I'm sure everyone at OT would vote for you, so step on it, new daddy!

Speaking of newborns: remember how I mentioned a friend of ours just had his first baby, baby boy In-sung, last month. Well, I just got a pic that daddy took of In-sung posing a la Simba in Lion King with all the family stuffed animals as his subjects. It was funny, but what was funnier was how the new daddy is home from work and unable to stop fidgeting that poor In-sung is being draped in various tableau's for daddy's amusement. It was really cute though. I think I was guilty of that type of behavior in the past....

I'll conclude with a desire to own a Pig-Rabbit stuffed animal - it's the next Sam-soon pig.

Just in case anyone is even remotely interested with all of the YB hullabaloo (which, by the way, SO! CUTE!, and now I have to have both the Pig-Rabbit and the Samsooki pig, and what is it with pigs anyway??)...now I've lost my train of thought.

Oh yes! This is what I watched during my phone date this evening, with an Englishman who was reliving his glorious late teen years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyKF2qd0-iQ

Not quite as funny as Gavin and Stacey or Coupling in my opinion, but I chuckled a few times, and now I've learned a new insult - Smeg-head. :-)

@228, ockoala

Totally agree, Drama Fo Yo Mama was meant for our Samsooki...maybe next year?

@ kdxmel

I second Samsooki's post about HGD, but don't worry, you're not alone in your reaction to the ending. While watching the drama while it was airing, there were many who felt the same...who felt cheated.
The only thing I felt cheated out of was KJH's slick hairdo in the first ep. We waited and waited for the pama to replaced...but it never came into fruition. ;)

@ belleza
"If you’re a Libra, you may be really nice but you’re the snobbiest of us all!!

It’s said Libras are the “nice sign” (i.e. avoiding conflict, preferring harmony), but Libras are also the sign of artistic expression."

Snob...artistic... Wha??? o_O :P

@ ockoala

Welcome to Team Park Kyu...and the world of the Chunojummas!!! :D
Seriously, January cannot arrive fast enough.
Jang Hyuk (His voice in the preview was haunting. And have you seen the new stills?!)
Oh Ji Ho (not as worried about his performance anymore)
Lee Jong Hyuk (DROOL!!!)
Han Jung Soo (has already proved he can rock the sageuk, in CITC)
Gong Hyung Jin (looking forward to his sinister role...he shows great promise in the preview)
Jo Jin Woong (Sol Pharmacy's Brutus)
Jo Hee Bong (HGD's crazy king)

The trailer footage was shot before Le Da Hae began filming...but I'm sure we'll get more in the weeks to come.

@ langdon813

Conspiracy In The Court has exceeded my expectations. I've only watched the first two eps (I got busy), but I'm savoring every minute. I can't believe that was Kim Ha Eun's first acting experience. Jin Yi Han and Lee Cheon Hee are fantastic. And I'm glad I followed someone's advice and watched Eight Days first. It really helped with understanding the political landscape of the time.

Ah...gotta get some zzzz's now...

@ ockoala - haha thanks for feeding the crazy in me :) YB just gets better with each episode, something i definitely wasn't expecting and something i'm definitely very happy with. whereas Tamra dragged a little tiny bit [i want to italicize these words but i don't know how haha] in the middle because of BJ's naivete and xiang qin tendencies, YB is going at a perfect pace for their 16 episode run. Literally, the second i get home from work on Wed and Thurs, the first thing i do is flip on my laptop and look for the newest YB to DL as i watch it streaming somewhere.... and then wait for DB's awesome recaps so i can know what actually was said :)

@ lovenyc52

"Tamra dragged a little tiny bit [i want to italicize these words but i don't know how haha] in the middle because of BJ’s naivete and xiang qin tendencies, YB is going at a perfect pace for their 16 episode run"

Ha ha ha, I totally concur on your assessment of BJ - you don't think it was by accident I didn't mention BJ any when I mini-reviewed Tamra? I think Seo Woo was WONDERFUL as BJ, she cries on a dime, does the dippiness perfectly, and is adorable and charming in her acting, she connects with her character, and thus, is able to connect her character to her viewers.

So, it's not her fault, or any assessment of her acting, when I say BJ is a complete nincompoop. And that fact that her each and every action hurts our Park Kyu, oh, if I could sit her down and talk some sense into her. On the flip side - I love BJ's mom, now that's a strong woman!

One of the most glaring downsides to the Tamra cut, was that BJ's gradual recognition of her feelings for William as compared to PK isn't given enough time. Whereas, why she loves William and why PK loves BJ is very well developed in the first part of the drama. (btw, @ hjkomo - thank you for welcoming me to Team Park Kyu and letting me join as a Chunojumma - I'm going to die come Jan 2010 b/c I ABHOR watching sageuks live, my heart can't take the cliffhangers in those, but I will do it for Chuno, how can you not watch that?).

Seo Woo's portrayal of BJ is apt when compared to Ariel's portrayal of Xiang Qin, in that, both actress got into character so well, you start to think she must be a ninny in real life. Kudos to them! And Im Joo-hwang as Park Kyu, it's his crowning role in his young career, and regardless of the ratings, I hope more producers see his acting as PK and give him his due lead actor role in a more mainstream production, b/c that boy is a star!

@ cingdoc

The fires are all out by now, right? Can't believe a single truck drove for miles shooting flames and the occupants didn't know, which a bunch of idiots endangering the lives of so many. Sigh, hope you and the young ladies of your are feeling better!

Newsflash:

Jang Dong-gun has a girlfriend, ladies. Actress Ko So Young, they've been dating for the past 2 years. This makes me happy - I want to see the bachelors settle down, esp. with pretty actresses to make pretty babies. Lee Byung-hun and Jung Woo-sung better step on it!

@ 227 kb

Join the YB bandwagon!

You won't regret it.

I have some hilarious news (veracity to be determined) to share on the k-star scene I gleaned from browsing my fave Chinese language papers, but I'm saving it for tomorrow. Soooo snark worthy/too good to be true/WTF/really???. Remind me if I don't spill, I think its worth sharing with all OT instead of just us long-time residents. I'm in a total Tamra immersion this week with my spare time, the OST is indeed da bomb!

@237, ockoala

Now THAT sounds juicy! As long as it doesn't involve Lee Min-ki getting a girlfriend or married or anything unacceptable along those lines...I'll try to be patient! :-D

Wow, Jang Dong Gun and Ko So Young! I've seen their movie Love Wind Love Song but it didn't leave much an impression - will have to re-watch it. (Thanks, ockoala and look forward to the juicy goss in the next OT. I need a break from the heart-wrenching final scene of YB Ep 10 .....)

@ 239 rambutan

Didn't realise the hotelier 2002 forum is still thriving!! I watched Hotelier about two years ago and had a great time backreading all things H at that forum back then. Damo has been on my to-watch-list but somehow I thought it would scar me like What Happened in Bali. The DVD is untouched so far. I will watch it one day though. Will catch up with you about My Queen in the next OT.

@ ockoala
"– I’m going to die come Jan 2010 b/c I ABHOR watching sageuks live, my heart can’t take the cliffhangers in those, but I will do it for Chuno, how can you not watch that?)."

Don't worry...this is PD Kwak Jung Hwan here. I have faith in him.
There won't be contrived episode endings with close-up shots of This Jang Hyuk or This Oh Ji Ho's eyebrows (or pecs? :P ) just to keep the audience hanging on for the next ep. ;)

...which leads me to a question I've been meaning to ask -
I've seen several comments around that people dislike watching dramas live because they don't like waiting a whole week for the next episode.
I think I'm the opposite. Throughout my drama-watching experience, I've found that I actually end up enjoying a drama more when I follow it live. I'm able to savor it thoroughly, read news about it, watch BTS & NG's, listen to the OST, and have great discussions with intelligent folk. Whereas, with marathon-watching a drama, there's the danger of getting too caught up in the momentum of back-to-back episodes which can mask the true degree of my enjoyment.
I don't know...does anyone else have the same experience?

@ langdon-unni

Nope, the news had nothing to do with your LMK, you can sleep easy tonight. Might I suggest gearing yourself up for the inevitable, though, it's bound to happen, and I don't want to fan you whilst you faint away at the news that your LMK has knocked up XYZ actress and they are headed to the alter in 1 months time.

@ hjkomo

Watching TV shows live is a love-hate relationship for me. I love the rush of it, I hate the anxiety of watching for the airing time of the next episiode. But I thoroughly enjoy the fan-excitement after each airing.

On current US TV shows, other than Lost and 24, we don't have as many cliffhanger shows from week to week, so if I watch any, it's mostly episodic shows. I'll probably be a mess of Lost-ness once Jan 2010 as well (and if the sacrificed too early Boone shows up, I'l just going to faint away with giddiness - I want the last season of lost to be purely eye candy, because unless JJ Abrams is the almighty, he's pretty much going to not really explain anything to my satisfaction so I should just not expect that).

Anyways, back to watching live - since I started k-dramas only in the last 2 years, my first encounter was box sets where everything was all done and you can power through an entire drama in 2 days, and I loved that. Watching live has been a new experience for me, and guess which drama prompted me to start?

East of Eden! And it's all due to my love for the robot/human hybrid Song Seung-hun.

@243, ockoala

* * * la-la-la-la-la-fingers-in-my-ears-can't-hear-you-la-la-la-la-la * * *

Other than YB, the only shows I watch live are Amazing Race and Survivor, and those only because of my husband's insistence that I spend at least two hours a week with him. And that's it for US shows, at least until Lost and Friday Night Lights come back on. I'm sort of halfheartedly watching Autumn Concerto but it only comes on once a week, so I think I'll stop until it's finished and catch back up later. It's not exactly keeping me on the edge of my seat like some other ridiculously addictive show I could mention. ;-)

I'm diving back into Friend later on tonight, I had to take a break for a couple of days but I'm up to Ep 10. Halfway there now.

@ langdon-unni

The ONLY, SOLE, SINGLE reason I am watching Autumn Concerto is because I cannot for the life of me believe that the male lead is the self-same Vanness Wu from F4, Meteor Garden days, which is when I last saw him. Good god, was that what was hiding behind that curtain of girly hair in MG?

With the sudden (for me) resurgence by VIc Zhou in Black & White, and now Vanness in Autumn Concerto (OMG, he is realllllly fine, and doing a credible acting job as well - his character is like Dao Mingshi, Gu Jun-pyo, but a playboy ass instead of just a psycho ass) - I am just agape at how really, I find most men really do look better in their thirties than in their twenties. Which makes me fear for my heart (it'll probably stop dead in its beat) once Kim Bum, Jang Geun-soek, Yoo Seung-ho, et. al., really grow up in ten years time.

Anyway - dropping another hint, the news I have may involve not one, but four, huge celebrities. Brace yourself! BTW, if it turns out to be a joke perpetrated on the gullible Chinese media, well then, I take no responsibility for disseminating the information.

@ hjkomo

I love Ha Ji-won and her pout-seduction techniques, I've been meaning to watch Damo, I know of all the great, great reviews about it. I'll definitely watch it before Chuno starts airing. And no, I don't mind in the least if every single Chuno ep. ended with a shirtless Jang Hyuk or Oh Ji-ho, preferably embracing Lee Da-hae or pining for her. I love male angst, but pair it with unrequited or silent angst, well, that's like my cake with a cherry on top.

@ockoala,

"And it’s all due to my love for the robot/human hybrid Song Seung-hun."

Half teddy bear, half Borg -- resistance is warm and fuzzy with Song Seung Heun!! :D

@hjkomo,

“There won’t be contrived episode endings with close-up shots of This Jang Hyuk or This Oh Ji Ho’s eyebrows (or pecs? :P ) just to keep the audience hanging on for the next ep.”

What????? *cue frozen bluescreen closeup shot of This Belleza’s National Eyebrow and that fat lady vocal ohhhhhaahhhhhhhhh*

Ah I do love Queen Duckie. Sure, I agree with Thundie that it’s the Kingdom of Shilla-ela-ela version of “Dumb and Dumberer”, but I also argue it has a little Ace Ventura and even Cable Guy in there. If you believe, Duckie put a man on the moon, man on the mooooonnn!!!! This Belleza and the Table of Evil (seriously, This Belleza loves This Mishil but does she ever stand in this show??!!??) approve!! *cue eyebrow*

@ockoala

I have been following the Autumn Concerto. One of the reasons is also Vanness, who I first saw in MG. However I also saw him in antoher drama with Vic Z, where his acting improved a bit over his MG performance. Of course, Vic's acting improved tremendously, evidenced by his latest B&W. (I'm still saddened and feel sorry for Vic, for losing out to newbie Mark). However, I'm also liking the story (tho' it's a probably a reincarnation of earlier dramas) and the lead female character. I like that the writer did not turn her into the usual pathetic , pitiful lead female - she's been given a strong character.

Your observation that men look better in their 30's is so true. And that's also true with women. The good features become more defined and whatever remaining 'baby fat' they have are gone.

I love your beautiful it was fun to watch