@ Taohua

Just finishing episode 2... the Morning After Chun Jung Myung expressions were priceless. I love how he kept scooting around to not be seen and to not look directly at her... and his puppy dog face. Onward to ep 3!! so much for sleeping early tonight.

@ etee7114

Aw, I can thank you in person again. Thank you for the extreme fan service. You made three ladies very happy that day (myself, hjkomo and langdon, and probably many more out there).

Reminds me, I need my JWS fix, lest he thinks I'm a fickle-hearted one and is all googly-eyed over the handsome Go Soo (I can peek and appreciate, but heart still all JWS's).

Pop by OT and let us know what you're up to these days!

I myself watched one episode of Otomen tonight (I was trying to watch the news, but hubby insisted on installing a new stereo and blueray system in our garage workout space, and totally screwed up our cable box, so I had to either watch a DVD or no TV, so I popped in the newly acquired Otomen (bought it for my sis), and it's totally adorable. It's what Momo Love (TW-drama) was aiming for but can't do right. A manga on screen.

@302 ockoala

Ah, Otomen, It's sooo cute and adorable. Okada Masaki kun's smile is heavenly...

I'm chugging alone with my orders, still have two more bracelets to go and then I'll be able to move onto new materials,sigh... Yet I have no regret spending my 3 hours on Dae Jang Geum this afternoon. Every single moment was worth while. I don't think any delivery from Netflix tomorrow, So I can concentrate catching up tomorrow.

@296 cingdoc

A woman of pure heart, you are!

@ etee7114

No need to ever apologize. Jung Woo Sung is a welcome interruption - anytime! :D

@ Taohua

I'd love to hear your thoughts on CitC when you do get to finish it.
Someone was discussing it a while back (was it ripgal?), but since I don't have ^.^'s OT-lexis-nexis skills, I have no idea where that was.

@ ockoala

Bad news about Luck. Looks like Stinkfoo's chances against Oklahoma are pretty slim now. ;)

Boy, nobody's here and I'm so sleepy... may be I'll go to bed and get up early tomorrow to start...

Everybody on OT, thank you for entertaining me continuously. I do so appreciate you being here sharing your experiences, fantasies gossips, thoughts and any other things I can't think of right now just because my brain has gone to bed ahead of me.

And mega thanks for JB for this wondrous site!

Sending love and hugs to you all.

^nite celestial, sweetdreams.

I cant without guilt recommend SQ as a drama. Though I jabbed at Ireland all the time, it just objectively had better writing AND acting. (I had more frustrations with the directing...), but it's more indie fare, not a run of the mill kdrama. Whether u like it or not, it's undeniably unique at least. I ended up not liking any of the characters most of the drama let alone caring and had to occupy my shallow self with fangirling( though swear to higher power I was so not a fangirl then). But my criticisms stemmed fr imho this drama can be so much more promising in its narration with a better balance btn the abstract poetics and st laced story telling, character development. I don't mind flawed characters, but just a bit of change/growth. I don't see none.

SQ though, it fell right at my expectation, I cant see more promise to it, I dont see the need of improvements, not nec since it's perfect, but because it's very, very typical, imo well done standard melo. I may sound harsh, considering the lack of talent as writers, the script by her was not half bad, but it did not come any closer to brilliance. You can see the strokes, sniff the histrionics employed in the writing episodes ahead. There were some poetry inserted, at all the appropriate predictable spots, ended up being connect-the-dots pretentious. Binnieboy still delivered, but there's more to gain for Miss SYR. It was the pivotal role for her imho, it earned her bits of real respect, without some form of awakening in SQ, there won't be her career turning stint in HGD

OMGOMGOMOMGOMGOMGOMOMOMOMOMO Deokman finally confessed her love to Bidam. Oh how I cried, CRIED!!, like Tim Tebow I cried!! Sigh.

Episode 57 of Queen Seon Duk is true validation for the live-shoot formula. This show was totally selling us on Yushin and Deokman, but at some point, it looks like they gave up merely using Bidam as "Tragic 2nd Guy in Sageuk" and threw the Army of Bidam Lovers (we are LEGION yo!!!) not only a bone, but the whole chicken leg!! Thank you writers of QSD!! Oh we know that Bidam is going to get royally screwed at the end of the drama (Deokman is still going to order the hit on my sweet Dark Night) . . . but at least he got to have a little happiness.

The best part is the confession takes place in front of This Mishil's shrine. In Hell, she must have raised a eyebrow. :D

"It was the pivotal role for her imho, it earned her bits of real respect, without some form of awakening in SQ, there won’t be her career turning stint in HGD"

Ahhh actually . . . SYR's Bora was so bashed all around that I thought it would kill her career. (I'm actually not kidding by a lot of Binnie fans really despising Bora, for whatever reason.) Though I do think it was more due to Bora being mean-spirited than Sung Yu Ri's performance itself. Again I thought that was her best acting prior to Yi Nok.

I think I'm the only person who really, really liked OFD (actually they're reshowing it right now on MBC-D.) *ducks* Well, look, the original story (i.e. the original Japanese manga) was going to have them be true siblings and deal with them having incestuous feelings. Presumably, they figured out that this would too racy for a weekday drama, so they took that out. Then they did a bunch of other stuff to the script and well . . . I really love Loveholic. :D

For new fans of Sung Yu Ri, OFD is her purest *OPPA!!!!* show. And in fact, you have the same mom and dad from Autumn Tale, just to hone in on the point that the whole show is about Sung Yu Ri loving her oppa.

But, if you want loads and loads of OPW, you gotta go back to her seminal drama 1000 Years of Love. Because, you see, at that magical time, the only thing she knew how to do WAS pout. Pout pout pout (swing sword) and pout some more. One of the defining scenes is when our Paekche princess has to chop apples in a nightclub. Another one is when she goes poopoo in a little bucket rather than the toilet, because she thought the toilet was where you took a shower.

Yes, it's THAT kind of show. My point is that Paekche princess Sung Yu Ri is SO helpless, SO clueless, SO much like a chia pet, that by default the only reason why either guy remotely likes her is due to her OPW.

Again, it's THAT kind of show. And even now, I say: BORA MUST DIE!!!

Morning all!
I read someone talking about DVDs and I have a question....
I've been in search of Hong Gil Dong for Christmas for a friend, I searched on yesasia and I went to eBay. Now on yesasia I couldn't find it; eBay had it but I'm concerned about the quality and the legality. Can someone steer me in the right direction? I just got my bf hooked this summer and HGD was on the top of her Christmas list! I cannot let her slip through my fingers....

Thanks.
Hope everyone has a great Tues.

@ hjkomo

Meh, Luck was a redshirted Freshman anyways, plenty of time to recover and regroup to win a few Pac-10 championships in the coming years. The unearthed Tavita Pritchard will do just fine. The Brut Sun Bowl (I didn't realize champagne sponsored bowls) is not my priority.

I'm more excited about the (real) possibility of Toby Gerhart winning a Heisman! Eeek, and then freaking out that he'll go pro (nooooo).

As for your team, good luck for Calpoo against Utah in the San Diego Credit Union Poinsetta Bowl (ROFL, har har har, gad, these bowl names never cease to amaze me). My Stinkfoo will be just fine.

And together, 1-2-3, suck on it USC!

@samsooki
Thank you. I really don't know what to do because the thought of helping spur on the businesses of thieves really chafes. I try extremely hard to stay away from things like that from bootleg DVDs to streaming sites. I do have to admit its hard, especially considering the DVD region issues. I'm at the point that I'm going to have to invest in a region-free player as well.
I do know she bought Accidental Couple from a Chinese dealer over eBay. I'm pretty sure it was translated from Chinese subbers (use of Chinese names, BIG give away!). The subs were ok, definitely not the best being that I had seen it from trusty Haru Haru. Maybe I can find out more about them and see. She's not picky but I don't want to incur a habit that isn't necessarily beneficial or sufficient.

Thanks for listening and replying to my concerns.

@celestialorigin
At your mention I took a peek at “Meichan no shitsuji” and I see your point, but I do like it (being that I only saw ep 1). The only questions I have are ermm "Why didn't I have a butler in HS? and "Why the heck is Hiro a low talker( hence whispering in ears), her roommate, and a personal masseuse?"
At second glance, maybe I know why I didn't have a butler... cause I definitely would have been a teenage slut, sleeping with the help.

(Glad you mentioned it. Have my dessert for the week. Thanks ;) )

Good morning. I guess this is my earliest morning... Already 1013am! I must have needed the sleep.

@307 belleza

Did you sleep at all? Aren't you in So. Cal. yourself?

@311 nea:notoriousnoona

Happy to hear you like it. Me? I've marathon-ed 6 episodes last night, still not convinced by the scenario. But Hiro's voice!!! Soooo sexy! I can't get enough of his voice since most of the time I'm looking down working with my hands anyways. And having stopped rationalizing the whole situation helped me a lot to just savor him and other adorable young boys(whoa, do I sound like a scary obasan or not?). 4 more episodes to go. Then have to find something else to listen... If you like Hiro kun, I recommend Tokyo Dogs, you can find different side of him in this on- going drama.

Time to fix myself a morning cup of rooibos tea...

@celestialorigin
Yes. I'm watching Tokyo Dogs... I happen to love Oguri Shun a little more so I follow him wherever he goes (hehe). I actually marathond all 7 eps... Friday? I might be able to get through at least 6 eps (of Meichan) today as well. I have no issues with the plot cause manga adaptations usually have this feel to me. Granted maybe it hasn't gotten crazy enough being that I just started ep 2. For now, its just fun. And I actually prefer him in this show over TD though Maruo is PRECIOUS! Can't wait for this week's ep.

Off to fill my belly!

@ celestialorigin

Not sure if you care for another recommendation: after finishing "Kafka on the Shore", might I suggest you read "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. The book was so good it nearly ruined my vacation, here I was, laying on the beaches of San Juan, and instead of more rum and cokes and floating aimlessly in the warm waves, I was lost in the recesses of the book long after I finished it and forgot to turn over and instead needed lots of burn gel to soothe myself afterwards. But it was worth it.

The whole showering of binniefangirls' antilove on Miss OWP wont happen if we're more rabid, we're a strange bunch in knowing of our prince's shortcomings, it was 2 years of nth at the heels of MNIKSS, and he still needed to prove left and right he's not vanilla bland... he needed a KimSunAh to bask in her glory and 'let's shine!', great great PDs and writers to be 'explosively mopey'. So lots of hate on SQ, it's the whole WTH, we waited 2 years for this whoring out to obasans?!#%!?!
We just had MFL, next to LYH, binnie was almost wallflower, (we practiced selective amnesia with MFL ) (and and and LYH was with SYR in O F D!!! )
With Miss OWP, we saw how even SJS became a non-actor (OMG) GY was bored to tears playing not quite incest shirtless (or cleaning aquarium?!or whatever that was going on in OFD)....even SSH was more into his 'acting' in AiMH.

Then there's the bunch that was in love with SamShik...the sunbins. They had all poked their eyes and the 'bins' out before SQ..

career ending?! yeah her days to just kachinging in on her cute FinKLness were dwindling fast, she reinvented herself as a b8tch with her tmOWP cuteness like nobody, earnest, and not too grating. At least she's shown me the WANT, and yes she can. Not bad, not bad.

SQ was a fanservice present for binnie-j-obasans/fangirls wrapped in pretty snowflakes. We cant make out a good one to OTP them 4ever, BoHoong? TaeRa?
bleh..
Hence..
seriously...
BORA MUST DIE!

＠314 ockoala
Thanks! I'll look into it. I do luve great read like that! Right now, I have "Enchantress Florence" by Salman Rvshdie, "Fine just the way it is" by Annie Proulx, "The other hand" by Chis Cleave and "Black Orchids" by Gillian Slovo waiting to be read right next to my bed. All I need is more time...

@313 nea:notoriousnoona

Yes, I've watched it yesterday on J-drama site. It's getting close to the end! And Maruo, what a cute name! I don't know if there's any parents would actually name their son a circle/round man... Well, actually you never know, it's a fine name( just in case you are around).

Now that today is a new day. Can we move on from Bora? Who is she? She has served us and has moved onto another realm. My faint heart can't take another excution nor witch hunt... Please.

@ meichan no shitsuji talk - i actually really loved this show... it was cute and funny and a lil bit angsty. hiro was fabulous as the world's best butler and how adorable is the little brother?? plus, a school filled with hot butlers doing your every bidding? SIGN ME UP PLEASE!!

@ nea:notoriousnoona

"At second glance, maybe I know why I didn’t have a butler… cause I definitely would have been a teenage slut, sleeping with the help."

me too, my dear...me too.

@mookie,

"BORA MUST DIE!"

Indeed. The Emperor has already foreseen this. BORA MUST DIE!!!! *breathes through Vader mask, found in pretty much every costume and sex shop in America!*

"yeah her days to just kachinging in on her cute FinKLness were dwindling fast, she reinvented herself as a b8tch with her tmOWP cuteness like nobody, earnest, and not too grating."

Oh I know. I felt the same way, but for whatever reason, Bora's sassy brassy ways alienated a lot of the viewers. After the Snow Queen, there was even press about how bad Sung Yu Ri was as an actress from the perspective of industry people, and of course she's pretty much been bashed her entire career.

I've always admired her because, however much she gets blasted, she takes it and keeps on going. Weaker people would have quit, but she pushed on.

"Can we move on from Bora? Who is she? She has served us and has moved onto another realm. My faint heart can’t take another excution nor witch hunt… Please."

The funny thing is I actually love the Snow Queen (This Belleza loves, loves the Seasonal Dramas and considers the Snow Queen the 5th Seasonal Drama.) The scene where Bora recognizes Han Tae Woong after he talks about the SQ book, I just went WAAAAAHHHHH right there.

Samshik's probably my least favorite major role of Binnie. Sounds heretical, but I wasn't a huge Binnie fan until he GREW OUT HIS HAIR (for the Millionaire movie with Lee Yeon Hee.) Then he carried it into Snow Queen, and O-M-G, I fell really, really, really hard for saintly Han Tae Woong.

Plus, the music is absolutely lovely.

Total change of tone and topic...I got Thirst in the mail today.

This post has been brought to you by the letter "T".

:-D

@292 Samsooki

Thank you for the information. I do hope the US region DVD comes out by summer so I can rewatch CH.

@294 celestialorigin

From all the positive reviews, I figure I'm going to want to own DJG anyways so I wanted to buy it when it's so cheap ($99!!!).

@297 ockoala

There are only 8 volumes out so far, and the rest are being released monthly, I can't wait to read them all! Have you looked though the other works of Tezuka that amazon has? They have a great collection. You can also get most of his works from rightstuf.com for slightly lower prices (for those who count pennies like me >_<).

I just discovered rightstuf and they have a great collection of dramas, manga, and anime for lower than retail. They also have a sale going on right now. Has anyone bought anything from them? How was your experience?

@319 langdon813

First, LOL. Second, can we get a review after you watch it?

The thing with binnieboy was he must be such a boring obedient cutie pie growing up. One of the notty he did growing up was faking he were at swimming practice and forgot to wet the back of his head. *rolleyes* Samshik did not require him to lift one eyelash of acting, and he sheepishly did just that and be his gel-haired flower boy self. I've said this, he was the one 'essential' element that could be easily replaced by any k stud fr the mnikss equation and we would still get the monster hit.

If u ask me, he dislikes his participation in mnikss,che wont say it out loud. grateful yes, loves noona SunAh, PD, writer...sure, and I'm glad we'll be never seeing him in a successful romcom again. Odd with such an easy breezy role, he's self conscious and uneasy. He strives in the unknowns, he craves being looked down upon to metafail. Hence we got Friend's DS. I do feel like a proudmama right after labor though I have nth to do with it after watching Friend.

I also admire SYR's tough as nails. IF YEH got half of her crap....scary thought. But then SYR deserved most of the crap, did another drama, and again deserved the crap. REPEATX10. Meanwhile, the princess just bit her lips bleeding raw, pout on and somehow saw some light (as halo on binnie's gorgeous head....just have to throw that in...)in SQ. hehe the critics would be disrespecting FinKL's existence if they didn't chant on how bad SYR was...in ep 1 of SQ lolz It was delish to beat down on this FinKL doll with the Scarlett A that she's honest to God THAT bad, but BORA threatened the establishment. hence the MUST DIE!!

lol sorry to the OT fam I'm beyond annoying... ;)

throw binnieboy/DS along....*me happily dancing in hot hell......* * kicked Belleza back to Shillaland*

lalala

@322 Samsooki

Oh! No! Another death threat! from normally totally rational Samsooki, Has OT moved to Afghanistan or somewhere?

What about "(my beloved) Bezilla must eat Whole ten cream puffs from Papabeard! !!" or something like that? It's threatening enough without violence?

@320 doublethink101

Fantastic! Great idea. I would to... Except I'd rather get another laptop or buy stone cutter and polisher at this moment.

@318 belleza

the Millionaire's first love? Is it? I have a DVD. Oh, and the song Insa sang by Jaejoong, I luuuuve the song.

I hope you love cream puffs or Shall I suggest brownies or rice cakes with red bean paste or?

Whoops, time to go up in the mountain for running. @#$%, I've only made two bracelets so far today, not so productive...

@celestialorigin,

"the Millionaire’s first love? "

The movie isn't very good (it was made quickly for a teen audience for their Valentine's Day.) But it's the first time we see Binnie grow out his mane. To the Binnie faithful, we get to see the evolution of the Binnie Is Mine Experience. First half of movie, he's still proto-Samshik, pompous, arrogant, adorably cranky. Second half, he turns into the lovelorn starsailor of the Snow Queen. Before/after. Good/Godlike.

"BELLEZA MUST DIE! "

*raises eyebrow while getting nails done*

This Belleza cannot die. If This Belleza is to die, This Belleza will tell sweet Bidam to conquer the Kingdom of Dramabeans and take the throne of That Crazy Person in OT. Samsooki, you cannot prevent the FinKL's OPW mascot's inevitable fate: BORA MUST DIE!! *shakes fist*

"Samshik did not require him to lift one eyelash of acting, and he sheepishly did just that and be his gel-haired flower boy self."

True true. He punched a wall, wore a speedo, and ate some cake. That's nothing for our Binnie.

"He strives in the unknowns, he craves being looked down upon to metafail. Hence we got Friend’s DS."

Binnie is the uber-emo boy of his generation (and I do mean that in good way.) He thrives on mope (listen to how he delivers a piece of sad dialogue . . . so precious he is with the words caught in his beautiful neck); like all thespians with existential hair, when he is around the sun, why he SPARKLES. :D

Sometimes I wish Binnie would do a C-drama. You know, prepare him to do classic "Little Tony" roles when Tony Leung finally hits the big 5-0.

@belleza

"The movie isn’t very good (it was made quickly for a teen audience for their Valentine’s Day.) "

You know I was seriously questioning your taste, sanity or both when I thought you said you liked this mess of a movie but all is well with the world now you clarified with the above. I think Binnie's best work is Ireland. Samshik was a bit of a walk in the park due to KSA's life force but he is cute in everything I've seen in him including Nonstop 4 with the other hottie in the making JGS.

@ cingdoc

The other region's English subtitles (i.e. region 3 DVDs - Chinese mostly) are neigh unintelligible (unless they ripe off haru-haru or Bon subs). Trust me, I watch my DVDs in Chinese language (and translate in my head when I discuss here). Each time hubby tries to watch with me, and I switch to English subs (his Chinese is terrible), then this ensues:

HGD: Yi-nok, get me thou pan for my daily hair wash.
HYN: Oppa, is it me only always. *pout* Barrel is best for shiny manes.
CH (aka Prince of my Heart): *sexsi voice* My life, tis so unworthy, no fair, my hair face is always in.
HGD: "you I lub"
HYN: *wigges* Eyes of mine see light at high sky above.
HGD: Us together forth go and buy candy.

Simple answer: don't expect comprehensible English subs on many region 3 sets, most are ripped or done in house by someone with English as their third language, and Klingon their second.

lalala... GAGAGA

Cdrama, I dunno.... they dont do sparkles and 3 kingdoms is deepdeep in production....even with their Kdoll LeeJunKi, if he starred in a Tony-esque role, the wrath of those Tianya 'patriots' *me scare*.. A thought, IF they havent cast that Romance of the Red Chamber, AND both binnieboy and LJK were in just for the heck of it.... AHAHHAHAHAHHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

TVB soaps though, on the other hand...um...but TVB is swarmed with cougars parttiming as actresses.. binnieboy wont even have his speedo. I'll crawl back to heaven with a KBS sageuk after enlistment. Evil emoslaveprince PLEASE.

and say binnie as Mr Yee...Tony who?! *damn u ThisShillaBelleza*

"but TVB is swarmed with cougars parttiming as actresses.. "

And HK dramas are teeming with May-December romances by virtue of Male Lead Monopoly. :D

"You know I was seriously questioning your taste, sanity or both"

Oh hun, my taste in dramas is turruble, turruble. (Melodramas are my K-drama staple.) I also liked the Lee Jung Ki/Aoi Miyazaki film "Pure Snow" and half of my family was ready to disown me. :D

"I think Binnie’s best work is Ireland."

I haven't seen Friend yet, but he's gotten raves there. So I'm holding out before making that call.

I don't love Ireland (again, little emotional connection), but at the same time I really enjoyed dissecting it. My favorite performance was Kim Min Jung's, and surprisingly Lee Na Young's performance was the weak link for me. She started out great (cue water sequence and grieving sequence), but she seemed uncommitted to the material through the 2nd half of the show.

Binnie's performance is really wonderful because it's a surprisingly accurate presentation of what a husband who truly loves his wife goes through when his wife cheats on him. It's condescending to say this, but I felt a lot of the younger Samsoon fans didn't really understand how accurately their style of marriage was portrayed and the struggle/journey for Binnie's character goes through to make peace with the inevitable conclusion. Or that the writer was doing a subversive gender twist and turning his character into a "suffering wife." It's a difficult part because the writer doesn't give much room for histrionics and doesn't give the characters the melodrama out of "not saying enough." They've really talked; they put everything on the table; he cannot avoid the honesty of his marital dilemma. And Binnie has to play the suffering wife for the decency, self-deception, and private fear that, well, is true to any crumbling relationship.

Three things I love about the writer's work. First, where most K-drama are written about normal people in abnormal situation, she takes to the traditional Americanformula of abnomal (i.e. interesting) people in normal situations. Second, She has the most droll, spot-on Gen-X lines in K-drama. Here are we now, entertain us. But, above all, she'll happily sacrifice the emotional pleasure of good melodrama for the thematic symmetry of dialectical narrative. Ireland' is more essay than show, and the characters are more socio-economic perspectives than organic personalities. But Binnie manages to ground the stuff in the personable and provide the soft whiteboard for this "real" show about real (crazy) people.

stay away fr MFL...:X

binnie in mane pre SQ? just watch a cyon CF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJn_wxfof7I

@cingdoc, it was 28F 6am where I'm at.....argh I just turn the heat on like no tmr... shame on me

A Better Tomorrow remake has re-jiggered its cast (sorry, langdon-unni):

Ti Lung's role of the older brother is finally cast: Joo Jin-mo (hear it with me, hell yeah).

My fave robot Seung Song-heun is still playing Chow Yun-fat's role.

And the last one's gonna make some happy and sad at the same time: Lee Min-ki is out, and Kim Kang-woo (SOAM) is in as the younger brother of JJM.

Two of the prettiest k-actors playing man-love/bromance old school HK style? Win!

Watching a NN4 clip right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGl_gf5tVvI"

Watching Han Ye Seul and realized there's a difference between OPW and having Parkinson's Disease. Good to know. :D

@ belleza

Do you mean the *body movements* that happen in that YT video around the 5:05 mark? Then as a non-doctor, I can definitely say that HSY should be starring in a remake of "A Moment to Remember" re-titled "A Moment to Shake" wherein she's the youngest sufferer of Parkinsons disease. She's got the moves down pat.

I'm @ 280/85.... I feel my braincells shrink though I've lived in the midwest.

I cringe at the thought of winter wonderland snow... I drove to Tahoe AND Yosemite not long ago coz my visiting fam wanna see snow.. *shivverrr*

that clip:
Binnie can be in Twilight...
and come Wed/Thur we'll have a new MUSTDIE, the evil schemes tsktsktsk.

@308 nea:notoriousnoona -- it certainly isn't as elegant as a DVD boxed set, but Hong Gil Dong is the Korean drama of the month over on d-addicts (the WithS2 subtitles also available) and you could probably get it downloaded before Christmas if you got started on it now. Sort of a "homemade" present with the help of a subbing team, etc. which any friend could enjoy.

all @ belleza

"I haven’t seen Friend yet, but he’s gotten raves there. So I’m holding out before making that call."

Me neither. Seems heavy so I need to gather some fortitude before watching

I didn't love Ireland either but liked it better than SQ and I thought it was his best work from what I've seen so far. Ireland was a chore for me to get through and like you I spent a lot of time dissecting and puzzling over it. It didn't warrant a 2nd watching. Kim Min Jung was the best out of the lot. Lee Na Young's performance was flat but I can't say I've really loved her in anything I've seen. Even in Ruler of your own world she was eclipsed by Gong Hyo Jin.

I just saw the NN4 clip above and I'm looking for signs of Eun Ho and HTK in the very young JGS in terms of mannerism, voice etc and I don' see anything. He looks like a cute chubby little nebulous baby here.

@336 cingdoc

I, too, just came back from my hike/run, right now. 3 miles up hill hike/3 miles down hill run. it usually take an hour and half. Ice on the ground today. Nobody else on the trail except 2 guys on some sort of motor bikes!? unbelievable, never seen such things before, I don't think it's allowed there... I'd better take shower, then I'll savor the rest of the posts.

@mookie,

"and come Wed/Thur we’ll have a new MUSTDIE, the evil schemes tsktsktsk."

Yeah, I'm almost done putting Bora's corpse into the green trash can (even serial killers should recycle yo!!) Sigh. Whom to Dexter next?

@ockoala,

"Do you mean the *body movements* that happen in that YT video around the 5:05 mark? "

It's awesome. It's like there's an earthquake but only she's shaking!!

"re-titled “A Moment to Shake” wherein she’s the youngest sufferer of Parkinsons disease."

Agreed. That would be an awesome opportunity to reunite Han Ye Seul and Hyun Bin.

First 1/3 of movie: marital bliss . . . yet Han Ye Seul can't stop making big eyes. warning sign?

Second 1/3 of movie: Oh no, Han Ye Seul can't stop wiggling!!

Last 1/3 of movie: Han Ye Seul walks like an Egyptian to her deathbead while Hyun Bin wails at a chalkboard with an impossible math problem!!! Damn you algebra!!! BORA MUST DIE!!!

@nycgirl,

"He looks like a cute chubby little nebulous baby here."

With a rich sense of humor. Jang Geun Suk + Jang Nara:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0t1QcJlmLo.

'I think that’s better than some other actor who gives the same performance, with only the drama’s names and the lead actresses being different.'

^ hehe sweet unni cingdoc, who's on your mind, huh?! say say...

I cant agree on him improving with each drama, he's so unnec lost and confused in HGD. When he's in his element though, he's GREAT!
but I do love his cherubic stage in nns4. minus the babyfat, I see a bit of EunHo

"I cant agree on him improving with each drama, he’s so unnec lost and confused in HGD."

Yeah, I'm with Mookie on that one. I thought he was way-in-over-his-head in HGD, and just serviceable in Beethoven Virus. While his performance in Hwang Ji-ni set him on the fast path, I felt he wasn't ready for those roles. Remember -- most actors his age are still playing smaller or teen parts.

This goes back to my own criticism of JGS's acting. Because he's had to play parts much older than his actual age, he's tried to make that up by playing the parts with a lot of "serious man" posturing. Boy trying to be a man. JGS's acting style really, really changed after Hwang Ji-ni, and I didn't like it at first. HTK is almost a homage to that, and he does a wonderful job deflating the self-important, stiff JGS persona that he's cultivated. But still . . . I miss that open, funny, fluid vulnerability which he showed in his earlier dramas, and which he always shows when he sings. When he performs, it's pure, dreamy, and personal.

Walk away for a couple hours and the place goes to hell. No more Lee Min-ki drama to look forward to, people are still calling for Bora's redeath, and my husband (who opted not to accompany me to the dinner-on-demand tonight at my folks house and therefore will soon be uncomfortably ensconced in his new digs, aka the doghouse of doom) is hogging the TV, so I can't watch Thirst.

HTK stomp of displeasure has just been executed. Scowling in progress.

:-(

@326 belleza

Oh, well, exactly for my valentine. It was only because of HB, I had no idea about the movie itself. It was my first encounter with that kind of K movie as opposed to ones by, let's say Ki-duk Kim. But somehow, when cute boys are involved one can put up with lot of craps. It all started with K dramas till then my taste was typical of Art school graduate... Richard Peña an American film program director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center noted for his organization of the New York Film Festival was the director at Film Center at the Art Institute of Chicago while I was there. And my boyfriend was the projectionist!!! Saw all the great master pieces for free for a couple of years. I was a young art snob... My life is different now, I have all the cute Asian boys to follow up, have to stay current.

@344 cingdoc

and here we are still talking about another super squeeze. All I can say is yes, he's lovely and I just love watching him on screens

But on the other hand, I'm nothing if not resilient (and charitably forgiving when people give me presents. That Binnie CF mookie posted went a long way towards improving my mood). Thanks mookie!

The power of the dimple is a wondrous thing. You know, it might even be powerful enough to...SAVE BORA! Even Shakespeare has something to say on the subject:

At this Adonis smiles as in disdain,
In each cheek appears a pretty dimple;
Love made those hollows; if himself were slain
He might be buried in a tomb so simple;
Foreknowing well, if there he came to lie,
Why, there Love lived, and there he could not die.

I think he really meant to say "she" could not die. :-D