Happy friday everyone! Finally the kdramas will be airing like usual starting next week <3 (well Coffee House and Bad Guy anyway).

Btw, I was just checking the dramawiki at d-addicts (http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Upcoming_KDrama) and according to that site Kim Hyun Joong has been casted as the male lead in Mischievous Kiss/Playful Kiss?! Is this really true?! T__________T I hope it's only a rumour... please be a rumour!!! I was actually looking forward to the korean adaption, but I'm gonna stay a mile away if this is true...

@ twin

I'm exhausted, but I have a post at bloggy dedicated to you. :-D

27 Carinne:

seriously, yo-- the people walking on the freeway ramp was just craycray, but also highly amusing. LOL whereabouts do you live? angelinos are all about Mexico in the MEx-Fra match and Lakers (d'oh :D) over Celts! man-- my block is so full of chicanos, that during the lakers game, everyone was shouting for the lakers in SPANISH.:D VIVA LOS LAKERS!! LOS CABRONES, AMIGOOOOS!!! VIVA MEXICO!! hehehe LA the other day was just fun fun fun! :D

@ 50 mookie:
ditto on KNG's pornstache!! sir, are you burt reynolds? NO? please shave NAO. heheheh you're right, he pulls it off a liiitttle better than most, but seriously. NAH.

@40 supah:
hahahaha summer scent is the season drama i never tell anyone i like, but replay sometimes anyway!! *high five* ..you get a high five for being brave an actually saying that. LOL. SSY's hair was just.... 7 and a half kinds of DISASTUH, but mmmMmMmmmMMMm YUMMEH. :D haahaha! but that ending!!!! with the umbrealla's and the beating heart? ...tried too hard to drive the point in. okaaay okaaay you don't just love him coz you got his gf's heart! FINE!! hehehehh :D ...rant over. LOL

I had eyeliner running down my face after watching Toy Story 3. I knew I should have brought tissue. T__T

@ anna:
SAME HERE!!! I just watched it !

I cried when Andy held onto Woody :( sooo saaad

And OMG I'm sure I'm the only one in the theater who screamed when that security monkey turned its head -________-

I'm soooo tired. Do the Dutch not sleep?!! It's 3.30am and they're still drinking at that house party I left. Maybe I'm getting too old for this. But after 3 bottles over dinner, copious amounts of spirits at the second and third party, I'm knackered!

Well done, USA for bringing the match to a draw against Slovenia. And the poor English, a draw to Algeria. I think their World Cup hopes may be all over soon. *sigh*

Holland play Japan tomorrow. It's going to be a riot here in Amsterdam if Holland lose.

Off to bed now. Nite!

crzycpl are you english? Timezone and use of word knackered?

I went to a gf's wedding and one side of her family is Dutch. none of the americans could keep up with them. I've never seen a bunch of people so full of life and fun. They never seem to sleep and they were constantly cheerful. As a NYer that kind of behavior is not only annoying but suspicious. ;-)

@supah/mookie

The ponrstache doesn't bother me as much because at one time a least two of my friends were sporting it when they were doing the Dirk Diglier look so I got used to it but seeing it on an asian man takes some adjustment.

3 Iron is also one of my favorite K-movie. It didn't make me love with Jae Hee (never quite got him) but I had new found respect for him. I did find myself completely affected by Lee Seung Yeon who I hadn't seen since First Love. I didn't know she could act.

@ orange hair and SS

I'm probably the only one here liking the orange hair of SSH in SS (and also BYJ's in WS) :) Just show what different taste we all have. It's great to see SS is actually the hidden love of so many. It is simply so beautiful to watch!

@ Playful Kiss

Please, plesae, please - no KHJ! No repeat of the BoF disaster (which at least managed to become a 'glorious mess').

@ Summer's Desire

I'd recommend anyone looking for twisted love/fiesty triangle to give this one a try. Ep 1 is a miss especially with the editing but Ep 2 and 3 start to give the story justice. I guess this is one of those that you either hate or love but becoming a cult classic overtime. Out of curiosity, I read online the novel which is in many ways like a shoju manga - very addictive. Volumes I and II are so so but by Volume III, I was totally drawn. I love Vol III so much that I read it twice. Have never seen anything of WXM or Peter Ho until now - both doing an OK job here.

@janna
Wha....tt!?!?
Damn it!! Dammmmmn!!! Ggah!!
Why those unfaithful brats! Find them both and throttle them for ever daring to leave you! OK, not throttle but shake your fist at them, really angrily!
OK, not quite like that, but hot damn!

@maria
Haha, I embarrass myself all the time, this is nothing in comparison. SS didn't have the most logical of storylines but it was 'nice' overall. I suppose if they'd skipped off merrily after he'd accepted her knowing she'd received the heart it would've been creepier. I'm ok about the umbrella scene. Walking off into the sunset scenes are overrated anyway. Plus after watching WHIB, I'll never view characters walking off into the sunset on a tropical beach in the same way again.

@mookie
Sexy bastard x pornstache 4evah! (I actually have SSH eyebrow envy too, they're quite nice and not Bert from Sesame St at ALL.)
Not that I'm a fan of facial hair on men in general, hahah! But not overly fond of very clean shaven men either. If they can carry a little of it off and it suits their face then sure.
I agree about Rooney, he's a one man army right now, his team just isn't world-class standard, sadly he is.
France are just assbackwards stupid. The talent is there they just don't know what the hell to do with it anymore. Such a shame. (Aah well. France = WC 2014 champs! Hah!)

@epyc
The spicy fish stew was great! Really enjoyed it.
Still feel a wee bit of discontentment that there weren't much Dal-hee and Ahn moments but there were plenty of them in episode 17 and 18 to make me all giggly and swoony.
The ''why does it sound like I have a clock in my chest?'' and listening to people's real heartbeats via stethoscope parts were sad but overall satisfying ending.

So far this week has been great, Mexico won against France!! This is history in the making, since they´ve never beaten France in a WC so I had gone in watching with little hope besides them playing a good game, but I was completely blown away by how well they played it!! France was so not prepared for Mexico, probably underestimated them and then got bitten in the arse for it.

The only thing missing is my Coffee House dose!!

Chuno's stuck at episode 15 for so long...

Happy about the Lakers winning yesterday. That was an ugly game,but well fought. Both teams did their best but one has to lose. Happy Lakers won!

Been watching WC, and was getting sad that Spain lost the first game. And now that ref. stole that game from USA. FIFA should investigate him! And it's the bad officiating that wrecks it for the fans and teams. Why must there always be a bad apple in a bunch!

And now off the watch some Kdrama.......anything good in the horizon?

@ mems
have to admit my own insatiable passion for soccer/football is because I have a football nut dad who knows more trivia and morsels of mundane and half truths than u need to know about the game.

So, I half joked w/ momosan @ twitter the DPRK J-league players Jong Tae-Se (whose crying made me cry more than KSW+CJW for whole of StH) and An Yong-hak (who played in both K-league and J-league), they r playing for DPRK since maybe easier to get on the squad, they may as well play for the S. Korea team. I touched on that w/ dad and he gave me a lecture over dinner, quite interesting... I'm not sure if it's 100% accurate. So for OTers more knowledged in Korean history/politics, I would like to know.

They are born and raised as citizens of DPRK more in ideology in Japan, educated under the regime i Chongryon schools, although geographically, their family are fr what is S Korea now. They don't consider themselves Japanese nor South Koreans, affiliations of Japan and S. Korea to USA play a major part, also the discrimination against them since the end of WWII and the cold war really hit a very emotional chord. Nowadays a lot of Japanese Koreans may send their children to Chongryon schools for Korean fluency, and the Kims are no longer idolized in pictures in every classroom .

it must be identity affirming for them to play for DPRK and hear the national anthem. I do empathize that sentiment.

Now that I've waken up fr my fangirl haze for the English (not Rooney), Rooney SUX! He SUX whole 90 min! so did Podolski of Germany. GAAHHHHH it's really backbreaking for the team to play a decent organized play and have the striker SUCKS! *RAWR*

Yeah happy weekend everyone...

Tough week, and now I still have to bring my work to home...( I should watch Cinderella's Sister now but I'm stuck in sending office emails with bad internet connection, God if ever it really will finally be finished)

@54 Anna: I've just watched Toy Story 3 too, for animation movie it is not bad at all from who that doesn't like animation movie. At least I still can laugh on something (when Buzz is turn to Spanish mode on, ha, ha, ha) instead of falling asleep.

@ 61 mems: Are you American? Some say American tend to like sport that has fast scoring system like basket ball, or base ball. Am I right?

When I read open thread above, I'm kind of busy guessing what all the acronyms stand for BD, SS, WS, etc ha, ha, ha....I think all people here have already years, years followed kdrama and so in to it. I'm amazed....

Any way when Coffee House come back?? I miss read the recap and it will take more time to see its end then more time for me to be able to watch it (sad)

@diadda @asianromance
Thank you for all recommended dramas, I give them a try. ^^
I just wish that someone will write something new in kdramas. I'm not into any genres, I tried every type of dramas with interested plots but they can't get me hook and finished them. I miss the feeling when I watched Dae Jung Guem, Full House, Kim Sam Soon or Coffee Prince.(a totally addicted and can't stop watching) Now I change to watch American series for difference feeling, Gossip Girls and I love it! But I still miss the day I laughed and cried with character in kdramas.
I wish some PD will come up with these type of series in korea. I don't mean about fashion, gossip, sex or anything but the type of series which are unpredictable and feel like finish in one episode but still need to continue watching them. I just think kdramas need some change now.

I will give Yankee-kun to Megane-chan a first try and I get back to you guys. lol
Again, thank you for all recommendation guys. XD

When we r cranky during WC since:
A) deprived of our beloved dramas,
B) sleep deprived + waking up at 4am PST
C) generally extremely cranky
D) our teams r losing and/or playing shiteous football,
E) unnerved by the unemployed LOST writers invading ad companies, writing ads that r timeline ambiguous (case in point: Rooney as trailer trash)
F) you insanely love baby pandas and footballs look like baby pandas being kicked around when ur brain is mush (fr 1. lack or sleep 2. generally mushy brain 3. substance dependencies ....)
or All of the above in my case

go lurk in http://www.kickette.com/
I have my makjang dramas (drop dead gorgeous and talented Casillas (Spain goalie) interviewed by his hated by the world real life gf right after their stinky upset!!omo!) , hot guys, fashion, hot guys' bare midsections (or more naked body parts), hot guys in undies, hot guys in ads, hot guys and babies
and ahhhhhhhhhhhhh the world is unicorns and rainbows and hot naked guys and godliness!

@pohonphee
We should compile an OT list of acronyms but we'll need one for every OT and it'll be a pain (or we should stop being lazy and type everything out?!)

I think some of us are rambling on hot Hallyu commodities that we love to loathe or should loathe but love?!

WS= Winter Sonata
SS= Summer Scent
AiMH =Autumn in My Heart /Autumn Tale
(SW = Spring Waltz ...y no hate/love?)
BD = Beautiful Days
StH = Stairway to Heaven
OY = Only You
EoE = East of Eden
SSH = Song Seung Hun/ ockoala's pretty bot
BYJ = Bae Yong Joon/ Yonsama/ Michael Jackson impersonator/god
LBH = Lee Byung Hun, a hot stallion
KSW = Kwon Sang Woo/Song-ju OPPA!/ DaeMul's gigilo/mookie's gimp
CJW = Choi Ji Woo/ doll that holds world record of most productive lacrimal gland
KNG = sexy bastard w/ a pornstache screaming I'm BAD GUY! his handle does not need even require any proper name, first or last or middle.

and
MiSa (the one that had me stumped for ages) = I'm Sorry, I Love You
FTLY = Fated to Love You (Taiwanese)
BBF/BOF = Boys Before/Over Flowers
K!R!W! = Kim! Rae! Won!
LoCH = Legend of Condor Heroes (I think; also had me stumped for several OTs)

I'm gonna get back to more regular OTing, I promise OT. I won't talk about personal stuff anymore. Anyways...

Earlier this week there was that article of Park Bo-Young possibly leading the drama It Started with a Kiss. Someone on a dream casting article before that listed her. At first I was like "Yes! I love Park Bo-Young!" I eagerly waited a Speed Scandal Drama. (Of course, pipe dreams.. oh how I would lose hours of my life to watch that show)....(also, oh how I've lost hours of my life watching Speed Scandal... worth it.)

Then I thought about it. I really... I don't care for the manga at all. I've read a lot of shoujo in my time (I do have a wall of Ribons which I should just throw into a bonfire, haha) and that type of character just drives me insane. If she's chosen, I'm conflicted. I like her, but do I really think she needs to play that character? She seems.. over qualified for the role... (don't throw bricks at me)

And if we're talking over qualified, then I'd pair her with Kim Soo Hyun. And Ahn Suk Hwan would be the dad. Hey it's my dream casting.

Happy OT and Father's Day everyone!

I'm a little surprised with all the FIFA speak but I guess like me everyone is consumed by it! The USA game is still sitting in my DVR waiting for me to watch it however with all this "WE WUZ ROBBED" and "Ref investigation" news, I dread watching.

@69 and 70
I LOLd at the acronyms! Though I know what they all mean seeing some of them written out just causes a bubble of chuckles.

DRAMA NEWS: Again this week, I've been kdrama dry. I'm only watching Coffee House. The great thing about that show is that I'm not obsessed with it. Even with "the phonebooth," I'm just waiting till I can see it again, not scratching my neck or anything withdrawal-esque like that :)

As for other shows that are playing now, I am waiting a bit, though I may start BG today. I'm not sure being that not many eps have shown and I don't actually want to catch up to the subbing or airing eps.

@29 ockoala @diada
She's absolutely correct. Its worth the watch just to see YKS smile :D

Is anyone else excited Akanishi Jin is has a concert this weekend? I won't be there but I'm ecstatic all the same for the fan cams that will crop up in the next few days! Also Ken Hirai will be my way in Aug! How I need to ho my way to see him....

Have a great weekend everyone! Happy drama watching!

Two current series that I thought I was going to skip turn out to be real gems. Giant and King of Bakery are really good. Giant reminds a lot of East of Eden, except the story is a lot better and less violent. When I first saw King of Bakery, I thought it was another Pasta ( I didn't like Pasta at all). But after watching four eps of Bakery, I am hooked. The kids are really cute in this series, and the story is very interesting.

@ amg1

i think why the music is good, is because in the first episode they filled it with upbeat music...all from the same artist lol.

i'm glad u r enjoying the drama because a lot of ppl i know are giving it up. i thought the first episode was good but it started going downhill because i felt that the drama was trying too hard. it should have been more laid back, but it seems like the relationship web is EVERYWHERE lol.

but yah, right now i'm watching that (because i love the cast) and tsuki no koibito

@janna
As much as I'd love to see Kim Soo Hyun smile again, I'm still greedy in wanting to see him continue with intense, smouldery, nuanced roles, roles which require him to act.
I never really liked the dorama Itazura no Kiss and in no hurry to watch the TW or manga version, but I may just jump on board once the kdrama version airs.
I understand the male lead is meant to be serious and shoots deadly sideways glares, but then laundry boy's sideways glares were a whole 'nother level of deadly. I'll be remembering him for a very long time. So don't think I'm ready to see him a trendy romcom yet.
I'm jus sayin'.
This is a cute MV with him in it though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXF_JPG3fns (I'm sure I've posted this before, sorry, it's just adorable.)

@kim hyewon
I agree Giant's episode 1 was v. similar to EoE, the same daddy-gets-shot-by-very-important-person--witnessed-by-son--so-family (mother and a handful of kids)-have-to-escape story, definitely. And I agree, it was done better. For one, I preferred that it wasn't one big shouty-shouty hot mess a la EoE, and the family were convincing in being poor, frightened and vulnerable.
Do take notes of episode 1 though, it holds a lot of clues. I'm up to date with the show (ep11) and have already had to revisit episode 1 twice. You'll know what I mean when and if you get to episode 9. (Remember, Kang-mo started it, and all over a bar of Hershey's chocolate, which isn't even that tasty!)
Episodes 2 & 3 were reminiscent of Grave of the Fireflies to me, but episode 4 is where the show finally gets an identity of its own.
I'm definitely happy with the acting, the story and the writing so far. The director is the same guy who did Robbers, and he seems to like his heroes all bloodied up and lots and lots of fist fights, street brawls and the like. I'm happy with the directing overall, and the flaws are only very tiny at this stage.

@ Janna

Park Bo-young may indeed be overqualified for the role in Playful Kiss - but that is one role that requires nuanced portrayal in that you have to be stupid but not too overly stupid to convey an obssessed conviction that audience identify with and approve of. This drama will totally collapse if in the hands of a lessed skilled actress. I 100% agree with you that Ahn Suk Hwan would fit prefectly in the father's role. Just wonder who will be the male lead's mother - whom I adore to bits in the TW version.

@ supah

I went back to the spicy seafood stew episode (and in fact the last three episodes) of Surgeon Bong Dal Hee last night. Totally enjoyed the rewatch. Absolutely love Lee Beom-soo's Dr Ahn - he doesn't talk a lot, let alone smile. But when he talks, I just love all his lines to BDH like he always feels naked in front of her as she seems to hold of the power of seeing through him, arghhhh. You are right, there is not enough romantic moments between the two (and in fact, there's more such time between her and Kim Ming-joon's Dr Lee in the first half.) Will probably go back to watch more SBDH tonight. Glad to hear that Giant is still going strong but it's probably something for the X'mas!

@Itazura no Kiss: I'd rather watch paint dry than this show, don't take my words too seriously, just joking around... Everything about the story is just... to not anger people, "not my cup of tea".

How J-dramas are different from K-drama

J-dramas are written episodically, even when overall each episode is strung together into a serial structure. This is important, because it means each episode, even if it's a transitional one, is still built around a theme and a situation that resolves that theme. These "transitional" episodes are self-contained.

The above is important, because situations and themes are what drive the J-drama romance. A well-executed Japanese melodrama (the joke is that K-dramas have terminal diseases, and J-dramas has physical handcaps) explores the practical and emotional consequences, sometimes in a naturalistic fashion.

J-dramas were heavily influenced by 80s American TV. Basically, if you grew up watching shows like LA Law, Thirty Something, St. Elsewhere, etc., then your tastes will have some of the same influences as a person who grew up watching Golden Era J-doramas. Moreover, if you like 90s staples liked Ally McBeal, My So-Called Life, Now and Again, Law and Order, and so on, you'll like J-drama.

J-drama has something called the "Office Lady" genre (i.e. or the uhhh "Ryoko Shinohara" genre) which basically revolves the question "is there a guy for ME?!?" The heroine is usually some kind of overworked, sometimes disrespected, sometimes highly successful female worker with rather crappy love lives and overbearing, but loving parents. This heroine is no Cinderella, and this heroine is not going to be hooking up with the CEO of her company. In some cases, the heroine in these shows have to go through a lot of development and soul searching in order to fall in love with the male hero. In other cases, the heroine confronts a series of situational obstacles in order to fall in in love with the male hero. Usually the show ends with the relationship beginning, not not the relationship enduring over all.

J-drama also have something called Junai or "Pure Love." Junai is very loosely characterized by young characters formed strongly from childhood and/or high school situations, and that they go through usually a very intense coming-of-age via love.

80% of K-dramas would probably fit somewhere between the OL genre and the Junai (i.e. Pure Love) genres. But even then, that's a superficial fit.

Story is everything; acting is a distant second. If I ever watch a J-drama romance, I'm much more invested in the actual writing and episodic consistency of the show. That is what I end up talking about. If you notice what I talk about in K-dramas, it's almost never about the details of the story.

It's very rare to see people say "I love you" in J-drama, but it's very common to see people kiss on episode 3 and have sex before realizing that they do indeed love each other. Moreover, it's somewhat rare to see loads of transitional scenes of your leads just hanging out and being together for the sake of being together. The shorter running time clips that stuff.

The romantic chemistry between leads in J-dramas is heavily dependent on the story, in a way it almost never is in K-drama. Even if you have A-list superstars in a J-drama, their acting is all about the words on the page and the execution of the scene. If the words suck or the scene makes no sense or the direction doesn't sell the scene, the effect isn't fully there.

Because of this, J-dramas are produced in a more observational, more "realistic" tone. J-dramas are built on a "case for love", where the love are constructed together from evidence to the love. But the majority of the script is built around the practical situation, and the actors play it toward that, rather than mostly on their budding feelings for each other.

HELP! How come this site doesn't update on my Firefox and IE? Every time I get here the latest post that shows up is the recap for Bad Guy, which was posted a couple of days ago. I can however see the newer posts using my cellphone. JB, I hope you get to read this and provide an answer. Thank you!

OMG BELLEZA!! is it just me, or have we not seen you in a while...? heheh i dunno if i'm just not lurking the proper threads, but in any case, it's really good "reading" you again!! :D

@ mookie and reluctantbutaddicted: Thank for explaining the acronyms, I'm catching here : D. Like: now i can remember SSH in SS with that weird hairstyle and since I watched AIMH first before SS when I watched SS "Oh that cute man with that brows from AIMH ". LOL even it's late..

I don't think everyone must just type everything out - when i think a condition that make everyone have to not use acronym in their comment in this site, it seem whoa so unpractical and what a tiresome. Any way it is fun to play read and guess what the acronyms stand for, I just have to read all the comments through to know the answer, and it expands my knowledge, ha, ha, ha I'm exaggerating. I think only I have to get used to it, the acronym. Let just type as everyone like...

Giant, 10: Everybody learns a valuable lesson. Stuff happens.

Did I mention I find something glaring with this show. Who gave the sound effects guy so much power? Why does every fight scene sound like a vintage martial arts epic.

＠belleza

"This heroine is no Cinderella, and this heroine is not going to be hooking up with the CEO of her company".

It's so true. Lol.

@ belleza, celestialorigin

"This heroine is no Cinderella, and this heroine is not going to be hooking up with the CEO of her company"

Haha, so true, for the most part. Joke's on me really, I would have never started J-doromas if it wasn't for the grandaddy Cinderella story of them all, 1992's Imouto wo, aka the not so subtlely title translated into TOKYO CINDERELLA STORY!!

After Imouto wo, I though every naive innocent Jo-office lady was going to meet and marry some uber-rich CEO. But alas, I got that satisfaction only in K-dramas, and J's just stopped going there. But when it went there, it was oh so good. That's how I found my first J-crush, Karasawa Toshiaki (yumyumyum).

Anyways, the original sexpot Miyazawa Rie starred in Tokyo Elevator Girl, which started steering office romances away from the Cinderella and into the "this isn't going to end well" possibility.

Sigh, J-doramas are great, I love their willingness to do a variety of genres.

@epyc
Lee Beom-soo has a gift, he's a versatile actor and there's never a dull moment when he's on screen. He makes my nerves all tingly.
Xmas sounds like an ideal time to cosy up and watch Giant, you'll need loads of tissues for the the first 8 or 9 episodes. You've been warned. xp

@janna
I always say I 'get' sarcasm, (I'm a kinda sarcastic git myself), but sometimes it's impossible to pick up if it's in writing, heh!

Giant 10:
Hahah! Yeah, we don't need to be told by frantic screeching violins and clanging tambourines that something big is about to go on down. That's a problem most kdramas need to fix. Though I suppose when one's so transfixed you can barely notice it... but still!
The ''vintage martial arts epic'' stuff is exactly why both of my brothers are now watching this. That's history in the making. I think that's telling that this is definitely boys-only territory now.

Or like Min-woo's attitude in 10 suggests: ''we be'z rolling with the big boys now, what are you doing here, little girl?''
(Urrgh! Remind me to stay far, far away from pink frocks, pink blusher and eyelash curlers.) I felt so bad for Jung-yun in that scene, so belittling. And don't tell me you didn't scream!?! I honestly won't believe you.

Episode 10 actually became one of my favourite episodes, because of that one moment back at the KCIA HQ, when Cho, his Dawg #1 Jae-chun and Sung-mo get allocated new guns, that exchange between them was nothing short of poetic. I don't know if you read into it as deeply as me but I'll be more than happy to write up an essay about that short exchange and what it meant but I'll spare you if you're not up to it. I'm officially in loooaaave with both KSH's version of Sung-mo AND PSM's. I think I'll love 'em equally.

Btw, we should start up a drinking game for every time MW punches someone, in fact both him and Kang-mo. Double-shot if they punch each other.
In a way it's a relief when they do as the atmosphere gets so tense it's stifling and then BANG! And I'm usually like ''tee hee hee, he deserved that.''

Now for episode 12 (on Tues), the wait felt like forever!

@supah: Feel free to write, I'll read.

Everyone has their own special way of letting out the rage. Maybe it's clearing your desk of all the items on top of it. Or maybe it's almost pummeling someone with a pool ball. These guys sure know how to utilize their surroundings.

"We must underbid" Well.. if the Price is Right taught me anything on bidding, it's that you snipe the $1 bid. Unless you actually know the retail value of that luxurious grandma-inspired silver-plated flatware set. (.... What do you mean that's not a good business decision?)

Belleza - Very insightful piece on J-dramas, as ALWAYS!!

Just one ignorant question: do they film J-dramas as they air (like most k-dramas do) or the dramas are only shown after the completion? If the latter, this might have a bearing to Amg1's observation about K-Dramas in "how they build the tension of a story and ... just fall flat in the last quarter of the drama".

@ epyc

Most dramas we watch (K, J, TW) are filmed as they air. Not sure how tight the production schedules are, but depends on how long the drama is and how Manu episodes are in the can before airing. Few dramas I am aware of are completed prior to airing. Off the top of my head: I know Black & White was all prefilmed before airing, currently Road #1 is done with production and it's airing starting next week. Tamra was prefilmed.

I recall hearing so many Kdramas going down to the wire, with the final scenes filmed the day before airing! Since J dramas are so shorter, it probably creates less possibility for a drop on quality. Like right now, TnK is such a mess that every day the papers are reporting it's been shortened, script rewritten daily, etc.

Everyone keeps talking about TnK being "shortened"... I'm pretty sure it was going to be a shorter run considering it started later, had a large budget, etc. It didn't seem to strange to me how many episodes there were, considering Mr.Brain was short as well.

J-dramas are for the most part filmed as they air. Exceptions are made for dramas that use kid actors in many scenes (Like this seasons show, Mother) or shows that have other special reasons (I'm pretty sure the upcoming show Moyashimon is prefilmed due to it's use of CGI micro-organisms...)

@belleza
I think you are absolutely right. My drama buddy and I were just talking about the kdrama vs Jodorama appeal last week! One thing that I have noticed in Jodoramas, is that the lead female usually hides her true feelings and pretends she's superwoman. She is rarely transparent about her vulnerabilities, especially when it comes to love or a relationship with a man. I resonate with this on many levels, however, I feel that its dishonest and rather emotionally tiring. I don't know if I've ever seen a heroine truly deal with this effectively in a drama as of yet, whereas in Kdramas, I believe that women do in some cases realize their own shortcomings and seek to resolve them.
Overall, I have to say for me the only thing that doesn't fit is the sex so quickly. It doesn't work for me in many instances, however almost everything else fits into what I deem as "realistic" and less "fantastical." I'm not a romantic in reality (or I won't let myself be) so its nice to watch Jodoramas because I identify more readily with them. Kdramas have that whimsical, "other world" quality to me, whereas, Hindi cinema is always about the immediate, undying, impenetrable love between humans that I think most wish they could experience at least once in life.
I think its something great about storytelling, something fascinating about culture overall. In the end, we all tell stories about relationships and in the end we want people to live joyfully and couples to end up together but it depends on what side of the world you live on that determines whether you actually get the chance to.

Oh and I am apart of that 30-Something, Ally McBeal, Now and Again, My So Called Life loving crowd :)

@93/94
I've yet to understand the issue with TnK. I read some much anger and irritation that I just don't seem to feel towards the drama. If its shortened to 7 or 8 eps I think I'll be very miffed. I don't see how that is going to be possible, but if somehow this weird thing happens, I might have to concede that the show is as lacking as many seem to believe.

@ notoriousnoona

TnK is (unconfirmed) scheduled to end at 8 episodes. Fuji TV is stating that it will end "as it was scheduled to end." If that means TnK was always supposed to be 8 eps, then so be it,

There will be no new episode this week (World Cup), ep 7 is next week, ep 8 and the finale will be on July 5th.

The only reason I know so much about TnK, and I haven't been watching except for ep 1, and parts of ep. 4, is that I can't open a Chinese newspaper without TnK news. Lin Chi-ling is a top model in TW and Asia, and this is big news to the TW media, her big KimuTaku drama failing so miserably.

The rating for ep 6 dropped to 13% thereabouts, which is the lowest for a KT drama in 14 years. I'm glad you are enjoying TnK, please don't let other people's thought influence your own enjoyment. I like many dramas people dislike, and vice-versa. TnK is objectively a failure because the ratings keep dropping like flies, from the premiere of 22% and downward. That means the Japanese watching TV live (where the ratings are calculated) do not like it.

The reason: a combination of bad writing, and bad acting on the part of LCH, is my two cents. The online virtriol against LCH has no impact on the ratings being bad, the online anger is just folks (worldwide) venting thereafter.

I actually would prefer them NOT doing major surgery on the plot, which is happening, with LCH being written out right away and Ren-Maemi starting ASAP. If a some folks are enjoying TnK, just finish it the way it was intended. What they are doing, is pissing off everyone.

@ mookie

Hey, guess what? I started watching Laughing in the Wind, and its much better than I expected. I may end up liking a Zhang Ji-zhong adaptation of an LC novel. Can't believe it. It's nowhere near perfect, but really the good stuff is GOOD. :-D

@ockoala9
Thank you! I've been wondering what the big deal was. I have no intention of changing my mind about the drama, though I know it has flaws that irritate me (Lin Chi-Ling being one). I don 't know much about her as an actor but her character gripes my nerves and I'm not convinced its just the writing. In regards to Kimura's lowest rated show... oh well! I love him as an actor but no one is perfect. I think its kind of disgusting to put everything on the shoulders of one person or to react to something in this way because people aren't necessarily watching. My only hope is that he as a person and artist isn't that trivial. I really believe the biggest problem people have is the initial hoopla over the "romantic" storyline that has yet to surface. I truly believe if it had been marketed as just a drama then people would take the show as is.
And again, I agree, one thing that at times ruins shows is the rewriting and fanservice. Just give the show the initial treatment. I know that sometimes that is hard when characters aren't received as well as one would like, however fans can also see the shift and backpeddling. I guess we'll see in the weeks to come. The next show to air isn't scheduled until the after the original the 9th ep should air. And that is due to the WC interruption, therefore my hopes are still that plans will remain the same.

@epyc,

"Just one ignorant question: do they film J-dramas as they air (like most k-dramas do) or the dramas are only shown after the completion"

As ockoala mentioned, all three live-shoot their trendies. (There's exceptions, of course.) However, J-dorama's short run times leverages the abilities of the director and it enables actors to pick up a complete script for that week and rehearse properly.

Taigas and Mainlander historical dramas have a 6-month to one year headstart in their production schedules. Sageuks . . . erm whenever SBS decides to program the drama. :( This is one of the charming aspects of sageuks; you KNOW when the producers are taking a breather when people are consigned to talking in small rooms (or if it's Queen Seon Duk, The Table Of Evil.) Whereas Mainlander historical dramas feature extensive location shooting plus plethora of exterior bits pretty much from beginning to end of drama.

In J-dorama, the usual approach is to write the first episode and the last episode, and then fill in the intermediate episodes. The key thing is that most seasoned J-dorama writers have done, at some point, a mystery or police-procedural drama (i.e. what you see on the ASAHI station.) As a result, they've cut their teeth in careful plot planning, narrative and psychological credibility, and above all -- "leave you wanting more." This is one of the legacies derived from having the BBC as your model.

Live-shoot has different consequences for J-dorama and K-drama. When there's radical shifts in K-drama writing, what gets messed up usually isn't the overall narrative, but the consistency of the characters. However, the actor is usually expected to bridge that consistency and sell credibility with the audience. When there's radical shifts in J-dorama writing, well things go to hell. :D

Most people understand that 60-70% of J-doramas are essentially vehicles for the idol industry, whether that's Johnny Entertainment or the various idol girl agencies. If you're not a lead by -- say -- 21 years old, then it's probably not meant to be. And by the time you're 30, if you haven't reached A-list status, your opportunities are grim.

The implication in the J-dorama industry is that most leads are mostly interchangeable. There's a long standing argument about Kimura Takuya (i.e. the "Arnold Schwartznegger" argument), whether it was him or it was Johnny Entertainment that made Kimutaku important. Early on, when he had a few hit dramas, the producers would cast him in big-ticket dramas opposite essentially the most talented female actresses of the day, the best writers, and surrounded by taiga heavies. By association of product, he became Kimataku.

The opposite is true with K-drama leads. Regardless of the writing or production schedule, leads are expected to carry the show. They have to have presence, strong relationship with camera, and all that other good stuff. Regardless of how the character or story is written, ultimately it's up to that lead actor to "own" his or her character and "author" the emotional terrain of the story by virtue of his or her character.

K-drama is like a Jay-Z album, and K-drama actors (as are actors in most soap opera industries) are essentially MCs. Every Jay-Z album is the "same", that is about how great Jay-Z is. But the appreciation of his work isn't over his subject orginality or conceptual tilt of the work, but how good Jay-Z "emcees" over the album. Can he take over the framework of the production? Can he shine above his guests? Can he show us new tricks while keeping up his game? Can he take his flow somewhere it hasn't before? Can he take the "same" subject matter and still give us a different perspective, a different wisdom, or a subliminal narrative parallel to the surface structure? Can he still RULE? The "originality" here comes from the MC getting closer to the "origin" of his art.

This seems counterintuitive, given how much we criticize acting. But the criticisms are part of that "can he/she do it?" conversation that you don't see often in J-dorama or TW-drama. This isn't obvious until you see a K-drama actor cross over into J/TW dramas/movies. Then it's obvious, really obvious. It isn't that the K-drama actor is better or worse, it's that the K-drama actor really stands out. They want the camera. They want the scene. The other actors disappear if they don't match the charisma.

This year's "Best Actor Alive" award currently goes to Jang Hyuk. It isn't about being the best actor alive at all, but about an actor playing himself so well that he and his character becomes the focal point of attention, of obsession, throughout the run of a massive hit show. If Thank You was his "Blueprint", then Chuno is his "The Black Album", the work that consolidates his persona through his lengthy TV and movie career into a reframing of his long term legacy.

@ notoriousnoona

KimuTaku will be fine, he's heading to the stage in his career where he'll probably follow Toshiaki's elder statesman drama choices in the coming decade. I hope he does a few (2-3) more renai's before then. I'm disappointed more because TnK is his first genuine KT renai since Pride. I was dying for some TK sizzling chemistry with his leading lady and an honest-to-goodness love story.

@ belleza

Your Jay-Z analogy is so funny and perfect I can't even fathom how you got the two aligned in your brilliant mind. And if Jang Hyuk just gave us The Black Album (as good as The Blueprint in my mind, but not vastly superior, but more of a more emotionally charged work), that means we'll get Kingdom Come and American Gangster (not as seminal), but then The Blueprint 3 is coming.

Jang Hyuk's foray into C-drama with the remake of ABE is making me curious as to how the C-lens is going to work with his presence. He chews up the camera (not the scenary) but the lens and him are like bull fighting. JH needs a leading lady that can match him for broke (LDH was not the one), kinda like Jay-Z needed Alicia Keys to get him to Empire State of Mind.

Anyways, I wonder if JH will ever do another drama or movie with Son Ye Jin?

^ ke... how unpredictable r you w/ your drama lineup, twin? Never cease to amaze me! :)

I did finish the whole LitW. and I still think ZJZ has a scholarly proficiency of LC novels, and before he's all caught up in the game of EPIC GORG $ machines, he's decent to good, giving the adaptation an interesting level of depth and poetry esp in the scenic beauty. (I still hold the opinion of his Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils being the best adaptation of that particular novel) There were scenes that captivated me randomly....haha not intended for cheekiness, but it's some middling breathtaking scenes of LYP's LHC wandering in some insanely pretty mountains where he bumped into Feng Qingyang (?) playing chess in THE best location ever to play chess. His LoCH03 is really not bad (I ranked it higher than the TVB Athena/ChiLam one actually, I have little Athena <3 w/ her bimbo HR)

But his weaknesses will always be casting (imo he needs better taste in acting ability) how he handles the physical wuxia scenes, he's tone deaf in music scores ( REALLY needs professional help) and rhythm of his 'wirefu' is cringeworthy.

I'll forgive him for his later bastardization of LC masterpieces. He was seriously good w/ his Water Margin and Romance of 3 Kingdom adaptations as well. I hope his legacy will be for those earlier works of his instead of his 'better' known RoCH, Royal Tramp