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Friend of mine posted this poem on FB, which is about as much reflection I can handle today.
“So long as that woman from the Rijksmuseum
in painted quiet and concentration
keeps pouring milk day after day
from the pitcher to the bowl
the World hasn’t earned
the world’s end.”
—
"Vermeer" by Wislawa Szymborska, Nobel prize laureate (1996).
"Happy Friday" feels a bit off, so all I can say is everyone take good care of yourselves & loved ones.
I keep getting sucked into the live updates on the Guardian... plus, I follow a couple of reporters on Twitter (including a high school classmate that used to report from Russia for 5 years) so I can't get it out of my head. Specially now that some profiles of victims have been appearing. That family where the grandpa took the three kids back to Australia so they would make it in time for school, while their parents stayed for a few extra days in Holland. Can you imagine the feeling of the parents? Heartbreaking.
Sigh.
Plus the Mideast.
My faith in humanity is pretty close to zero at the moment...
omg alua hang in there. I am just screaming silently inside my head and just want to smash the whole world to pieces. I cant beleive. the new level of absolute evil. but what angers me most is that it was done by IDIOTS who didnt even know what they were shooting at. the ones being supported by Putins´Russia are morons, low criminals with no strategy, no intelligence. they got some radars from their d***head friend, and just start shooting wherever. what next? just launching them hewre and there? what if next they think, he, lets destroy Berlin? London? no one will ever punsih us and Putin will push the blame on Ukraine. gosh. if I got my hands on the people behind this I would just strangle them with my bare hands. seriously.
I am about to explode. I can´t take it.
I don't think strangling anyone would help though. Then you just get the Mideast. 3 boys dead. 1 burned. A civilian who brings food killed. 4 children by a missile on the beach. (I'm not keeping count and I don't care about the nationalities. I think it's all senseless. This is as much I'll say since it's such a terribly sensitive topic.)
yeah, I know, alua. I know it wont solve anything. but I cants stand lies, injustice, twisting of truth, I hate cowards who push their mistakes on others, political games when all they should be doing is cry for all of them.
I am gonna go pick blackcurrants.
gosh I dunno how we can...
Redfox, you were the first person I thought of when I heard of MH17. Alua, I've been at the Guardian too. The news is staggering. I don't want to say more, just I'm sad and worried.
Watching Fated to Love You.
Glossika Mass Sentences released their Korean Fluency series this week. Plan is to listen/speak/write sentences over the next 8 months. The start of a new daily habit.
Oh yes I just saw! That's what I get for being all outdated on news here in china. Such a bad thing and devestaed for the people involved. hope they figure out what happened quickly just to get an answer.
So let’s talk about Marriage Not Dating! (This will be long.)
I’m really enjoying it! I laughed SO hard at episodes 3 and 4 (more so than I've laughed at a drama ever, I think) from KiTae handing JangMi He’s Just Not That Into You when she wondered why Jinwoon’s character was so hot and cold with her (she could really use that book!) to KiTae crashing their date to JangMi’s victory dance when she finished the jeon to her beating KiTae with a fish. I know a lot of people had issues with Jang Mi’s character because she can certainly go overboard (sneaking over to the restaurant to look for YeoReum– seriously, girlfriend needs to chill) and I do think that at times, she is played a bit broadly like when she walked into KiTae’s apartment and immediately jumped from thing to thing like a child but strangely enough, I don’t find her annoying. I cringe at times at the things she does and says but I don’t think she’s shallow or an airhead which is how I expected them to play her character and I think she’s got some great redeeming factors like she cares a lot about people and she’s earnest and she’s honest. Of course, she usually goes too far with all of those things but we all have our faults.
I also love that she and KiTae are pretty much diametrically opposed when it comes to relationships. I usually have a hard time getting into the main pairing but I love that they both call each other out on their flaws and their banter is so quick, hysterical and brutally honest. You can really see how they can eventually help each other find a middle ground where KiTae isn’t so aloof and guarded and JangMi doesn’t throw herself so completely into her relationships and obsess over her latest paramour. KiTae can definitely be harsh and jerky towards her (although he’s like that with everyone) but I can relate to his character in terms of being very guarded and having your hackles raise when someone gets too close so I can see what motivates his actions even if I don’t agree with them. (He really needs to be nicer to JangMi.) I do wonder how the show plans to have his family eventually accept JangMi now that so much damage has already been done. I loved JangMi calling out Kitae and his family for their rudeness and disregard and Kitae’s mother for her martyrdom (even though it was crazy rude) but I really felt that she went too far bringing the infidelity into it. Some things just need to be left off the table. (Also how does she not realize that everyone in the immediate family around knew?! This is how rich Korean drama families work! The patriarch steps out on his wife all the time and she just deals with it.) I also liked Kitae realizing that the way he treats people is not that different from his mother when he sees how her scolding of JangMi mirrors his own. Also did you notice him following Jang Mi just the way his family does to him? Apple, tree, folks.
And finally, why does KiTae claim to be financially...
Honestly I don’t know what to think about YeoReum and HyunHee. Do they really like the people that they’re making moves on? HyunHee seems more like a frienemy and she kind of seems like a golddigger since she only became interested in Hoon Dong when she found out he was rich - but then she stood up for Jang Mi to Hoon Dong at the club so I don’t know. I also don’t know WHY JangMi thinks it’s a good idea to start dating YeoReum when KiTae’s family is so crazy and stalker-y. I know she expected the ruse to end soon but couldn’t she have waited a few days until things were officially over between them before she jumped into a relationship with him?
And finally, why does KiTae claim to be financially dependent on his family when he’s a successful plastic surgeon with his own hospital? He should be rolling in dough – and yet his apartment is still under his (estranged) mother’s name? Why? It really confuses me. KiTae’s apartment is so gorgeous, by the way. I would fight tooth and nail to live in a place like that too. Also SeAh said something about how she and KiTae were married? Or engaged, maybe? Definitely want to hear more about that as well.
Marriage, not Dating! I love that show so much I can't even tell you. I think it's so great. If you're on Tumblr, you should follow the Marriage, Not Dating tag -- so many people are writing wonderful, funny, thought-provoking things about that show.
Among the many things I love about it are exactly the questions you've posed about the secondary characters. I like that we're not sure what their motivations are, or how they relate to the main characters, if they're nice or not nice. I like the ambiguity, and the way we are left curious about who these people are and what they're up to and how they fit in the story, instead of everyone's character and role being spelled out clearly from the start.
As for Gi Tae and the situation with his family. I don't think he's financially dependent on his family generally, just with regards to the apartment. It seems from one of the flashbacks we've seen that it's the home he grew up in? I think his parents own the apartment or the lease or whatever, and no matter how much money he has he can't make his mother sell it to him if she doesn't want to. And she obviously doesn't want to, because it's probably the last real hold she has over him at this point. Now that you mention it, I bet the end of the story is going to involve some kind of resolution of the apartment issue between Gi Tae and his mom.
Oh, I used to have a Tumblr but I deleted it about a year ago. I want to hear the funny, insightful things too! I'm happy to hear that people are talking about it though and enjoying it. I think it's so good and laugh out loud funny and I think it subverts a lot of the typical K-drama tropes. Maybe I’ll make a new one for dramas.
I see what you're saying about the secondary characters and I like that too. Everyone seems layered and not like archetypes. It's like "oh, you think YeoReum's just a shameless flirt - but wait, there's more! He's passionate about food and wants to be a chef. He has some connection to SeA. He might genuinely like JangMi!" Just when you think you have the characters figured out, a new layer gets unveiled.
Okay, your entire last paragraph makes total sense. I did notice that flashback of little KiTae in the same bed so it does appear to be his childhood home.
A couple of what would normally be a tired clichés I thought were really funny - like I think this is the first drama I have seen where the girl gives the guy a piggyback ride.
In some parts it seems like this drama is a cliché on clichés (if that make sense), as it takes some all too common ones and turns them around.
Right now this is only one of the two k-dramas that I am watching, the other is Fated to Love You. (Also watching Love On, but that is Fridays only). Pretty much totally dropped all others.
Haha, same about the piggyback. I love that JangMi's no shrinking violet. She also grabbed his wrist and dragged him outside when he crashed her date with YeoReum. (Not that the wrist grab is something I want to see more of, but it's definitely the first time I've ever seen a girl do it.)
I really think that the show is doing that on purpose. Even with the characters - they could all easily devolve into classic K-drama roles (the overbearing mother, the mean ex girlfriend, the jerky male lead) but they're doing a good job of humanising them so that we see their good sides as well as their faults. It's one of the reasons that I like JangMi and KiTae's rapport - he's so blinded by his issues with his mother that he can't see that she isn't all bad and she does mean well in her own misguided way but JangMi has no qualms pointing that out to him.
It makes me wonder how much input TvN has in the scripts for their shows because I kind of saw that happening in Witch's Romance as well. Not to say that it didn't occasionally fall prey to cliches but generally they seemed to be trying hard to show something different. The main couple in Witch's Romance had really open, honest conversations with each other and cleared up misunderstandings so quickly. And their parents were generally nice and considerate and actually cared about their kids! It was like things were upside down.
I'm only watching this show right now but I might give Fated to Love You a try, although I wasn't a fan of the original. People seem to have a lot of good to say about this one.
I've been a fan of Yeon Woo Jin for a while, having adored him in Ojakkyo Bros., but I was never attracted to him on a personal level. In this though...there is just something he's doing or maybe it's the character, who knows, but it is WORKING. I am smitten.
I am so surprised how much i like it too. i wasn't expecting it. but i am truly addicted. it's the one dramai am watching that i look forward to the most every week!!!
Glad to hear this show is funny. I saw an ad for the show somewhere & liked the title & thought the plot summary sounded interesting. I've been meaning to check it out ever since but there's so many dramas & so little time. I'll def add it to the watch list now though!
OMG GERMANY DID IT =) I was ecstatic and mom and I screamed on top of our lungs when Götze scored^^ The cup stays in Europe and all is well =) I am just so glad they won bc they ARE a team! And there was so much cute after the ceremony with the kids of Klose, Podolski etc… Highlight: Podolski playing with his son in the empty stadium and the remaining German fans cheering for his son <3
Trot Lovers: Soo In and her mom can go to hell! Geun Woo you adorable thing you I’m sorry to say it but you don’t stand a chance against Joon Hyun. I hate the noble idiot route JH is going BUT all hope is not lost! It’ll just show Chun Hee how much she needs him and that she likes him too! But JH I need a word with you… You can’t just break up the adorable makeshift family you created! Just not cool! Drama continues to rock and it gets me right in the heart =) And whenever Eunji sings I’m cutting onions :P
HS King: Oh what a nice cliff-hanger at the end of ep 10!
My heart bleeds for Jin Woo and as assy he behaved towards Min Suk and Soo Young I just want to hug him and give him the affection he so clearly needs! JW is a really interesting character and I’m totally rooting for him though he does things that make it not so easy.
YAAS: I’m gonna miss them so much =( But THANK YOU for busting Yoo Moon Bae! I was screaming at my screen in the last episode whenever he was there -.-
That kiss of Soo Sun and Dae Gu though *rawr*
Joseon Gunman: MOAR! Lee Jun Ki in his gunman clothes is just… unbelievably hot! Also he is very, very pretty! But other than that I like that tensions are running high and I can’t wait for the next episodes =)
Marriage not Dating: This keeps getting better and better! With Gunman my new crack =) Han Groo is AWESOME and her drunk Nemo bit was amazingly hilarious :D And can I just say again how much I love Ki Tae’s grandma! Getting drunk on makgeolli and then sleeping it off at the hospital^^ Let the fun continue!
FTLY: So insane I love it^^ Jang Nara must be the most adorable woman in the whole wide world and you can just root for her character! (I love those glasses)
And can I just say that I was fully expecting Geon to belt out ‘Creep’ when he was singing!^^
High School Love On: ADORABLE! Kim Sae Ron rocks! I just hope they don’t go too much love line and more oppa-dongsaeng bc that would make it more comfortable to watch but we’ll have to see.
Variety:
RM: Oh Ryu Seung Soo you adorable ahjussi :D A nice episode with much cast interaction and bickering and I love it when the guests just blend in like RSS does! You can see that they are on really good terms with each other which makes it seem like he’s been part of he cast for a long time!
Marriage not dating: The granma is hillarious. Think I've enjoyed her in all things I've seen her in.
RM: Ep 204 was a good one indeed. Loved RSS on it as well. Also loved how the 4th wall was broken in the begining with them ruining each others "entry" into the mirror.
This is my first time commenting on an OT, but I really had to see if someone posted about the HSKS ciffhanger.
Fuck. That was my reaction because not only is THE cat out of the bag, but they ALL just jumped out like a catsunami. I was thinking that this show has too many secrets where half the people don't know the connection with the other half and I always thought the second half of the show would be all about revealing them one by one. But THIS. Wow.
And the other office romance. I was like no, don't be the jerk who force-kisses the girl, but then she jumped his bones right after and I did a spit take.
Oh, and like you said, I don't hate JW per se, that dude comes with his own set of problems, but I do not in anyway like his frigging coping mechanism and in no way does he deserve Soo Young after his asshole-ry.
I had the same reaction to JW. I wouldn't want to forgive anyone who force kisses anyone, BUT I do see how he would with all his problems and that I can see how he will regret and maybe redeem himself down the road.
I am still not really on board with the leads' romance. I Hear Your Voice got me on board with noona romances, but I still don't quite buy it in this show. I'm not too worried about the cliffhanger in Ep. 10 because in the first episode we see that Soo Young is obviously okay with the double identity and helping him manage it. It is just a matter of whether their romance lasts because of it, which again I'm not all that invested in in the first place, and how long it takes for her to be okay with it.
I have faith in their relationship and the writers that it won't go too melodramatic in resolving that problem. If they were to be rational (I know that doesn't really coincide with kdramas but I have hope), neither could have possibly known that the guy is the same and can't blame each other. I can see them get mad at him more than each other but that might not make for interesting television...
LOL @ "catsunami" - and it fits perfectly. Like, "screw just letting the cat out of the bag, lets go for a whole freaking herd of cats".
I think what I am loving about this show is how it is turning so many of the standard k-drama tropes and clichés backwards - and after seeing so many, I think that is their intention - a way to insert a little sarcasm into the whole genre of k-dramas.
I was rooting for Germany to win - they're a great young team, lovely individuals, and have been so good for the last 6 years, it's good to see their efforts rewarded with such success even if I remain a Spain supporter (La Roja will rise again, yes they will). Congratulations to them and all their fans!
(and as Korean netizens call him, Basti-hyung really went all out for his team, even shed blood to get this cup)
Yeah it all started with Klinsmann and Löw did an amazing job afterwards. Not to mention that yes they are great individual players but they just work really well as a team! And their tweets showed that they had a good time =)
I felt so bad for Spain! You know I'm always rooting for the European teams (+ Korea^^) so it's sad to see them eliminated so early but Spain... Oh my they were not themselves this tournament... Casillas (one of my most favourite goalies) was a mess in the match against Holland -.- It was painful to watch but as you said they will rise again :)
Really?! Basti-hyung? That's adorable^^ I felt so bad for him in the final :( But what a great fighting spirit =)
I was almost in tears during the Spain-Chile match, it was awful to see him brought so low - I've always had a soft spot for goalies from the days of Fabien Barthez, and Iker was and is one of my favourites of all time. I just hope his career does not take a permanent blow from this, and that the team gets new blood.
And yeah, they call him Basti-hyung, it's too cute! Though I guess since I'm a girl, it should be Basti-oppa, he really took a major beating in the final. But he's too, too cute.
Happy Friday, everyone!
I am still on my lakhorn kick, having finished Sanaeha Sunya Kaen. Not the greatest one by any means, but it wasn’t bad.
The happiest note is that I actually am completely caught up with SqueeCapping Fall In Love With (Both Of) Me. I think it’s the first time I managed to post before the next episode! I blame it on the fact that finally we are doing something more than moping and sighing and looking thoughtful. True, the Li family is still a bunch of psycho rich people, but I’m still hoping for a Meteorite Of Doom onto their house.
I also marathoned HSK this week, finishing all 10 episodes in 3 days. Ah, SIG, you are doing a bang-up job, with your expressions and body language. But….will I be beaten if I hope that Jin-woo and Soo-young end up together? Min-seok is a pretty confident stand-alone guy, but I can see how the other two’s internal wounds can be healed by each other. But I don’t want our young executive hockey player with Stalker either.
Joseon Gunman. [sigh]. This one has me glued to my monitor. Sadly, I have not watched ep 8 yet (darn that work/real life!), but I feel bad for his enforced isolation. True, he is a wanted treasonous criminal, but his bangs are so cute! And I’m glad he can confide in at least one other chingu, who is loyal if not the brightest lantern.
Rounding out the rest of my watches: Love Myself Or You as my other TWDrama (thumbs up for the food porn and the likeable characters), Roommate (yes I am lusting after Mama Shin, but with all due respect, he’s at least within a decade of my age ;-) ), Dok Ruk Rim Tang (a lakhorn about a girl who disguises herself as a boy and gets a job on her late father’s estate to find the missing will), and The Night Shift, in case I forget my own language. I still have yet to watch more than a smidgen of Trot Lovers, MND, or YAAS, which finished this week.
Previously, I polled everybody about their eating habits when it comes to a green-based salad. The responses were interesting when looked at from a global point of view. I have another one this week: What do you use as your primary starch? When I cook for myself, my primary meal is usually brown rice (mixed veggies, and mostly beef for my protein). My NYC-raised Italian mom almost always has pasta or noodles, along with that after-meal salad. :-) I imagine other people might use potatoes, or beans, or something. What do you use, if anything?
Anyway, it’s another platelet donation day, as well as a meet-up dinner day for me and another KDrama nut for soondae and bibimbap.
The primary starch for my family is rice, although I'm not eating it right now cause I'm on a diet. Potatoes would be the second most common. Wheat is a starch too, right? Well, if so, we eat a lot of bread also ha.
Oh that starch question is a really interesting one!
As for me (I'm Austrian btw) it has changed over the years. My family would eat a lot of noodles/pasta but little rice. Potatoes (also used to make dough for various dishes) and bread are also very common and I love them =) I especially love to bake my own bread ;)
But ever since I discovered my love for all things Korean we eat a lot of rice! I blame Bibimbap and Kimbap for that :P We try to eat more pasta again though bc we still have a lot of noodles in our storage room^^
But all that aside we do eat all kinds of starchy food without preferential treatment. Right now I'd say we have more potatoes and noodles than rice.
Main starch: Traditionally in Norway its potatoes. Followed by pasta and rice. Personally I'd use rice more than potatoes, cause I just don't like them much. My family uses all of them, though brown rather than white rice. My grandma though pretty much only uses potatoes. Personally I use pasta more, but can also have dinners where I just cut out the starch all together.
While being in china we sometimes get double up for lunch time meals. There will be rice, and then a heavily potato filled course.
potatoes give me a stomach ache. I eat rye bread, but not a lot. then buckwheat, which doesnt have much starch I think. less rice. oatmeal flour is one. but I eat more protein rich than starchy food. I use pea and coconut flour, almond flour etc
Hi Shuk!
As I mentioned in your last poll, we have potatoes as an important part of dinner. My family replaces them with buckwheat or barley. We hardly ever have rice (maybe about 2-3 times a year). Noodles for dinner are my brother's favourite, so we have penne noodles when he visits home, but neither me nor my dad consider it "real"food. Empty carbohydrates, make us get hungry soon again. But my mom can't say no to her sons request, plus it's super quick and easy to prepare.
For other meals we have bread, but the one made from rye flour rather than of wheat flour. It is much tastier and healthier. My personal favourite is dark Lithuanian rye bread, but I also adore our local variety. And it is the reason why I haven't watched Baker King (and never will) - there is a Baker Queen, her name is Maria and she's been baking bread in our town for over 50 years.
I laughed at your comment about not watching Baker King because of your Baker Queen ;P I watched it solely to learn baking (hahaha--who knew it would be a makjang-fest?? I didn't, seriously!). But what's even funnier is that I actually started baking off of what they did on the drama anyway...because I actually cook better off of watching someone and going through the motions. There was a time when I was baking bread every single day...in 90+ degree heat -.-
Alas, I live in an area where its not common to find a true bakery (everything's prepackaged or premanufactured, so nothing from scratch) so you're very lucky to live near a bakery with such a skilled craftsman/artist baking fresh bread :)
It may seem absurd, but I have a hard time whenever I am abroad for longer and there is only something called bread, but obviously it is cotton wool - no taste, no texture, no nutritious value. As far as I know, bakeries in Korea go for that kind of bread - soft, tasteless, chemical. I couldn't take it seriously or even suspend my disbelief, it's like someone is working hard but towards a wrong goal.
I think I know what you mean about those types of so-called "bread," I loathe those. I don't like my bread with that soft mealy texture--bread's gotta have some chew!!--and definitely not filled or simply be the tasteless vehicle for the filling!
But living in the 'burbs and nowhere near an artisan bakery, I suppose I'm doomed from having decent bread -.-
kopytko, so true! for estonians it is really hard to go to some parts of France or USA, even though in a few parts of western and southern Europe there is sourdough bread as well, but not actual rye. I like Latvian fruit bread. But I make it just as well myself. I have been baking from my original starter for 9 years and I only buy from a few other bakers, when I am out of town.
I always say that white fluff some call bread tastes like that stuff you use when you install windows.
bread = leib, hleb
the white fluff = sai or in russian bulka
hmmm, starch. My least favorite is potatoes.
I'm Italian too, so pasta was a given for many years. I am partial to angel hair. But I think these days my #1 starch is rice - all varieties. I have replaced bread/tortillas with lettuce for wraps, so bread is low on the list. Plus there are no good bakeries in town and I don't make bread.
In my family, we're from Nigeria, we use Cassava as a main source of starch in many different variations. We make it into flakes (which we call garri) or powder (which we call fufu) there's also different ways to make it into powder depending on what you want as the finished product (you can get either lafun or amala as well from Cassava powder). Cooking Cassava itself is kinda bitter so we don't do that. We also have rice a lot.
main starch: for me, it's rice - usually brown rice. I occasionally eat bread and noodles/pasta and love them, but for a default meal option it's always rice. (cultural reasons too, I guess)
I'm Korean, but born in the US and the only one in the family that's been accustomed to American tastes from since a toddler, haha. My family's primary source of starch is rice, my mom loves her noodles though (any kind - but especially rice and buckwheat).
My main source of starch is potatoes...so much so that I'm considered a potato monster! ;P haha. Up until a year ago, bread (any type) was my secondary source...as well as pasta. Been steering clear of them since I'm watching what I eat...and I've cut down on potatoes as well. Sweet potatoes (especially the Korean goguma and Okinawan purple) are my two faves.
O.M.G!! Don't even mention Fall in love with Me it's so frusturating right now, it gets me annoyed! Literally Huan Huan and her family are dim-witted shit heads. I'm astounded with the way they treat Lu Tian Xing, they treat him like an object as if he were some doll with no affections. In the last couple episodes it was rreally frusturating to watch TLS bc she literally would just stand there and not do anything like no STOP CRYING GO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT JFC! And huan huan and lance are little bitches i hate them.
I'm Italian-American so we eat a ton of pasta in our family. I love a warm crusty loaf of french bread right out of the oven too. I find my rice intake has gone up astronomically since my discovery of Korean dramas.
Happy friday beanies!! Thanks to all who answered my question in name that drama.
My work has changed my time table again along with a lot of other things (so no new toddler stories this week). Starting o get nervouse about going to japan on my own on tuesday. Looking forward to it though.
This week has also ben taken over by watching the ninja warrior competition. Very addictive show. Though our assistant now assume thats all me and the good housemate do in the office.
Dramaland:
Marriage not love: still enjoying it. Not to keen on the ex though.
Highschool angel (or what the name was ): cute beginning. Think this one could be enjoyable. Just keep it cute and light.
Monster (with lee min ki) not watched all the way yet but liking it. Also min ki os damn creepy in this.
Your trip to Japan sounds exciting! So much to see and enjoy!
This week I saw two travel shows ..... one was about Kyoto, Japan and the second one was about Norway! The guide went to Balestrand and Bergen. ...... Both were informative and they showed lovely areas of both countries.
Ninja warrior competition - Ha! I don't think I've ever heard of that. I've heard of exhibitions, but not competitions. ....... Is this a team thing or individuals competing against each other?
I'm good. A little stressed, but good. How are you?
Oh sounds cool. I'm going to Kyoto for a couple of days! I've never been to Bergen myself though haha, glad you enjoyed the show.
Ninja warrior: It's basically a japanese game show/strength competition. They are individuals competing to complete this very very excruciating course with 4 stages. It's addicting (hence me and the housemate watching it every chance we get). You can find it on youtube. It's not really anything to do with ninjas though :p
The look in his eye is terrifying. And the contrast between him and his brother. You just know that this is a dangerous guy, killings aside. The kid is doing a good job too I think.
I'll try! I hate going anywhere by myself, at least the first time as I get paranoid. Had a nightmare trying to get to my trian tickets as the first person refunded my reservation instead of giving me them, so had to re buy them. Hurray for panic.
I'm sure I'll be fine once I get there. But I'll be paranoid all trip there. And back again.
Manin, hope you still get to read this. When i went to Japan last November, the one thing that helped was the Japan Rail pass. It can only be purchased while you are outside the country. It saved me a lot. went to lots of places too-- nagano, kyoto, osaka, etc. Within Tokyo, you don't need to pay Japan Rail (JR) subway lines, too. Kyoto accommodations are too pricey. found out that if you stay in osaka near the shinkansen rail station (Shin Osaka), it is just 30(?) to kyoto. And with your rail pass, you can actually take overnite train trips and not pay accommodations. Hope you have time to get that rail pass. Japan is the most convenient place to travel alone. Wonderful people. Btw, the bridge in the Tokyo Kiss is in the area named Odaiba.
Ohh, unfortunatly I'm not sure I''ll have time to get that. And my japanese friend has already booked tickets for the shinkansen and hotel for us in Kyoto (which wasn't badly priced)
Yeah I've heard the same. It's not so much travel in Japan that worries me since I have my friend there. It's the travel from my City to Beijing I'm worrying about :p
Manin, just know the platforms and stations before hand by asking your colleagues. in Beijing, just don't talk to strangers. Don't accept offers of help if it will bring outside of your comfort zone. Not even offers of tea to practice English and that kind of con.
Hey Manin! Have a great time in Japan, it's absolutely wonderful there. And do eat lots of delicious food - all the ramen, sushi, crepes and everything, Japan is basically food heaven and you should take advantage of it, whether it's from the convenience stores or the restaurants.
So, I dropped almost everything! I'm kinda sorta watching Joseon Gunman, though it's more like a few minutes of watching and then the recap. Also, when I just need something in the background, My Dear Cat. I like the two cousins in it, the one who wants to be a celebrity, and the tough jjang girl who is getting shipped with Sungmin's character. Everybody else, I pretty much ignore.
And I'm watching Flower Grandpas Investigation and Hi School Love On! (So, so cute, both of them.) Looking forward to them both tonight.
Still going through Nodame Cantabile. And I found a japanese drama, Jyuui-san, where the main character is a vet. I'm watching for the puppies. :-)
So, Temptation: is that like that Jang Hyuk money drama?
I started on My dear cat. found it cute but am falling so far behind. I can see how it's a background show though. It's cute but not quite addicting for me.
Flower Grandpa's How is this show going? I fell off due to work and some other stuff and just never made it back onto it.
I am! And I'm enjoying it thus far, which is not bad for a weekend drama just hitting the middle.
I think that each character is well fleshed-out (despite being over-the-top, you can see how Mama Seo loves her boys; well maybe I'd draw the line at the irritating ex-husband but the show needs a villain) and pretty well acted, and each storyline is proceeding at a good pace. No dragged-out angst and brooding. Even the noble idiocy on Da-jung's part only lasted 2 episodes. I'm not only invested in the main couple's story, I can't wait to see how the Author Mum and Hotel Uncle's story plays out, as well as everyone else's story. I guess that's good writing, and acting! I hope it keeps up.
I do wonder why the ratings are so low, though. Does the absence of makjang really make that much of a difference?
I believe viki is subbing it but since viki is not available in my country (which I can't understand as the head office is here) I usually watch it at koreandramaonair.
Watching Glorious Day (aka Feel-Good Day) mainly for Lee Sang-Woo and Park Se-Young. Always excited whenever their characters Seo Jae-Woo and Jung Da-Jung appear on screen with one another. Because they just have really great chemistry.
It was an absolute delight to watch the 2 episode storyline when Seo Jae-Woo granted Jung Da-Jung's request to relinquish his boyfriend status and just become an Oppa to her. I think the writer did a brilliant job of breaking down and showing the blatant differences and subtle approaches of his character's actions as an Oppa versus as a boyfriend.
My major pet peeves: (1) The way the older sister Jung Da-Ae is styled - from her hair to her clothes. I literally want to facepalm every time she appears on screen dressed in what looks like baby doll clothes, lace ankle socks, and big bow in her hair. (2) The father - is it just the character that's annoying? Is it the actor playing the father? Or is it both?
I agree with your pet peeve about the oldest sister...it's like she's too old to be wearing clothes like that. Maybe a tween girl, or even a teen girl...but not a woman who's supposed to be the eldest and mature, a teacher (I think?) at that.
I don't know if it's due to the stylist, the actress or even the writer...but it's annoying me too -.-
Sigh.
Oh these dramas. To be honest, I only seriously watch High School King. Been going to cinema instead. I saw On My Way with Catherine Deneuve playing the 62 year old restaurant owner Bettie, who suddenly drives out and goes on an adventure of a lifetime, it was hilarious. And then on an open terrace, with sparrows and ice coffee, I saw My week with Marilyn. Also a great movie and how jealous am I at the brits who just have everything lieing around to make movies with – castles, libraries, cars, pubs, parks, old time clothes etc. You know what.... ah, nothing. Such lucky friggin bastards. The scene with horny teenage Eton college boys stuck in there since the age of 8 and Marilyn just walking in – priceless.
High School Savvy .... oh blast. Oh man. He was going to be honest and all. Oh man. How will it ever be ok now? But I hope it will. Honestly, you all have been praising the sister relationship and Yoo-Ah, but I don´t feel anything about her. I tend to even think the story doesn´t need her. It could just be about the big lie. She doesnt have that drive. Min Seok, poor thing. But since he truly likes Soo Young....can´t they please end up together...DON´T START. Just in the drama. I am not saying real life, ok? But in a FANTASY, can´t they? Let´s not do the „But the age gap is in reality big bla bla bla” well, it is not real, so leave it be. That´s why dramas, books, films and make-believe exists.
Oh, in My week with Marilyn the guy was 23 and she was a little over 30... another noona romance! And in Betty, she was 62 and had a one night stand with a 30-year-old and her 10 year old grandchild Charlie saw her glowing and stuff.... now that was weird. How the hell did I end up picking such movies? Huh? K-drama infected movie preferences? But they were sweet, very human movies. Quietly touching. Not some big action...
Seo In Gook I just want to thank you. With a cake and a good photo book or something, for doing such a good job.
I also want to thank the You Are Surrounded team – especially „Gookie”. Agree with the final recaps´ conclusions. I find that maybe Ahn Jae Hyun gained most as a learning experience from such a great ensemble. Now quickly, do a spin-off with Pan Seok in the village and the weirdest crimes ever. Ok?
Next week is Viljandi Folk Music Festival so I won´t be on the net much. 4 days, 4 nights of concerts and party. I have a master Plan. But not sure if it will help me get to every concert. Can´t wait for the fun, so exited!!! (although I am not 20 any more....but I have been running hills and doing interval so to be fast when moving between concert locations. Still by the 4th morning I´ll probably be really out of it. )
Question: if you could send a present to your favorite star or someone you just want to thank, what would it be? And to whome, at this moment?
I have to mention: the shooting down of Malaysian aircraft above Ukraine. Terribly sad. Why? My deepest condolences to malaisians and dutch people. I just want to share what we´ve been given and I would like to know how the information differs in various parts of the world and their channels.
We here know that a Putin-endoresed terrorists´ phone call was recorded and he was heard (US intelligence had caught the signal) boasting how he shot down a plain – probably from ground – that he thought to be ukrainian military plane. The missiles were a recent „gift” from Putin. Now they are covering evidence, destroying recordings and documents. Russia denies involvement, but British Secret Services have doubts about it being hit by the terrorists´missile and think it was an air-to-air missile from an actual Russian plane. Americans think it was from the ground on Russian side, but from afar. Like 600 miles. How can this be happening in the world? What kind of criminal state are we living next to? I just want them to disappear from this planet. Brutal, cold people. Shooting down a passanger plane? Dear me. And the world does nothing. WW I started from an attack to one person. Now 300 die and nobody gives a shit? Patting Russias´ass, the Merkel B**** being like Ribbentrop, secret pacts with Putin, smothering his scandals etc. What kind of a friggin planet is this? I don´t want to live here any more.
"And the world does nothing." Pretty much why I find it hard to tolerate this ugly state of affairs. So much goes on and people seem unfazed - maybe it's a defence mechanism. However media and governments don't help with the constant barrage of trivialities to distract us and keep us diverted.
I try to remind myself of that commonly known story about the boy on the beach picking up starfish because honestly I truly believe that it's come to just trying to help out the best you can.
thats true. in media you see celebrity weight loss, some football reporters boobs, paleo diet and all sort of crap and the real problem spots being like short people on a heavy metal concert waving but getting stomped and crushed under the heavy boots of ignorance.
The amount of times I've sighed at what passes for 'headline' news these days is depressing. I'm not sure what people are so scared of. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WINDtlPXmmE
This is from the year I was born and yet in nearly four decades nothing has changed. People try to hold on to the little they have because they've fallen into the trap of fear created by the media and its masters, those in power. It's like that saying 'if you've got them by their necks then their heads will follow.'
Still your post sought to bring awareness and that's a huge thing, and don't let anyone belittle that gesture or silence you.
That is the trouble. Noone does anything, but at the same time the wrong cause of action can lead to a much bigger problem in a war which we don't want. Its a bad situation all around.
Things are also that much more difficult when the available options from which to choose are "the bad option" or "the worse option" ..... regardless of what situation people and/or nations are facing, it seems like nowadays there are no good options on the table.
I've been saying that (what you said in your last sentence) for many years. And it's only going to get worse. We are right in the middle of THIS century conflicts. Think how many people lived through major wars and countless conflicts the last century. Hey, my father still talks about horrors of WWII from a child's perspective, and the pain of waiting for the news from (18 year old at the time) hubby drafted to the last Soviet conflict. Guess what old movie with Catherine Deunuve made me cry every time it's famous theme song was played?
I am not Russian, but Russian is my first language, that is the case for many people from Belarus and Ukraine so I follow their news - it's also part of my job in the US. From what I gathered, the Malaysian plane was hit by a Buk missle system made by Soviets. That unit originally belonged to the Ukrainian army, but was stolen by pro-Russian rebels. The plain was mistaken for a Ukrainian army jet. The place where it happened was suggested as no-fly zone for the US and other international airlines back in May.
It doesn't absolve Russia nor Ukraine from responsibilities that come from engaging in war. Also Malaysian plane shouldn't have been flying where 3 Ukranian army planes were downed just days before, but it did. Poor innocent souls. There are not enough prayers to take away the pain and suffering. Now, watch everyone involved (and it's not just one side) as they try to shift responsibilities and blame the others while politicians from ALL countries take advantage using this tragedy. Oh, the shrill of non-stop coverage for ratings. The call for more weapons and money or to outright start a new war. All I can do for my sanity (kids need me) is to run to my hideout and watch next Kdrama episode. I suggest you turn off the news and do the same. Or go hiking.
I'd like to kill those dumbs, but not that I have the power to do it.
My friend is in Amsterdam I think. The last time she replied my e-mail was 15:09 KST time. Now she haven't reply my emails...
Not that other countries are safe either. Indonesia, where I lived, is currently on a pretty tense moment with the election. No. 1 is an ass, one of the people responsible for the outbreak in 1998, and keep on giving out racist comments over Chinese Indonesians. On 22, some feared rumors over a similar outbreak in 1998... and I'm going to China in 26...
Am thinking the two BFF's will either watch in horror or will feel compelled to save Min Suk from embarrasment (and Yoo Ah from hurt) by telling Soo Young that this guy is Minsuk, the brother of Hyung Suk. Which would be an obvioius lie because Min Suk has wounds from his battle with Jin Woo. But Soo Young will pretend she was mistaken and leave the school...so her sis won't be hurt. Since Soo Young is very proud of her manners, she will probably want to avoid Min Suk at work. Then maybe Jin Woo will see the difference in their relationship and make a good sane move to get Soo-young back. Much angst ahead as Soo-Young tries to help Min Suk pretend to be his brother but at the same time try to avoid falling afoul of the law by continuing a relationship with a minor. Poor Minsuk. He won't be holding up well.
I was thinking of the same thing... i bet he will try to explain but SY will just shut him out. Ughhh heartache... i seriously want them to work out (it's a drama after all).
I think I won´t watch those episodes until I know they´ll be all right. Cause I am so fond of this character already, that his heartbreak is mine. as is Soo Youngs´. I cannot take 3 heartbreaks all at once!
Hello, happy OT beanies!!
Pretty great week for me, passed the exam and now graduated from college (at least on paper).
Currently watching list:
1. Joseon Gunman: still awesome. Although I don't like PYK treatment to his own sister. But of course he has valid reason if he doesn't want to blow up his secrets and revenge plan. I think the show does pretty nicely until now. LJK is a feast to watch.
2. Fated To Love You: this show never fails to make me laugh... HEUHAHAHA... The ep 5 was freaking hilarious and I really like Jang Hyuk and Jang Na Ra's chemistry. Jang Hyuk is killing it with his Lee Gun and JNR embodies Kim Mi Young well. I never watch the original, but I'm sure many people would love Korean remake. And maybe it's even better than the original.
3. You're All Surrounded: simplistic show with simple plots and characters. Watch it if you already watched the two above. I haven't watch ep 20 yet, but I think overall the show is a letdown. I have high expectations for the show to be funny and great and it delivers neither.
4. KARA Secret Love: It's KARA project in 2013 but just aired last week. I watched Ji Chang Wook part with Park Gyu Ri. Not bad, sometimes funny and JCW really did well in the drama.
Not yet watching other dramas, but planning to catch up Trot Lovers, High School King, and Marriage Not Dating. Also plan to watch It's Okay It's Love, Night Watchman (although still unsure on Yunho), and Three Musketeers.
geun Woo, cant figure out. he is confused, still continues with the same manner, steady like he is on a carousel and cant get off. kinda dazed. and I am dazed. and just... you know. but so funny
*laughing* ...... yeah, he does that kinda dazed thing.
I'm still in the first 4 eps and he does come across as being a little dazed or perhaps suffering from momentary lapses of confusion ...... all to comic effect, of course.
Travelled home for a cousin’s wedding, apparently the whole family did too.
Family reunions are mostly fun but sometimes just burdensome what with all the drama. Lol I slightly regret coming home because now my very dramatic mother and sisters and basically everybody keep nagging me about getting married. 2 cousins are engaged, the other expecting, 3 others already with kids, one getting married tomorrow, and another in 2weeks. Now I have people setting me up on blind dates which I absolutely hate with passion, lol and they just don’t care(and told me so).
Having a huge family is a good thing, I have a group of people who support me(mostly) and the bad thing : Everybody is in everybody’s business, I mean deep in everyone’s business.
Dramas:
High school king of savvy : Sh*t abouta hit the fan. i think Soo-young is going to take the news of him been an high school student okay, not at first though and might even break up with him because of that, but she would still be on his side, if the beginning of the first episode was any indication. Hopefully, they don’t drag it out for too long.
Trot Lovers : I didn’t like Joon-Hyun at first, but in the last episode, I realized that I was slowly starting to root for him. I’ve jumped ship, now in the first lead’s ship, and as adorable as Geun-woo’s is, his actions lately just seem I don’t know manipulative? *shrugs*
Fated to love you : My new crack, I just love both leads so much. Lee Gun’s cackling at first irritated my ears so much, Lol this episode I found myself laughing along with him, its grown on me already. Please please, drama gods let this drama continue on its current good path, better yet a better path.
YAAS : It ended well, but a lot of questions were left unanswered. But there is one thing I have never been able to understand, why did boots go after Dae-gu again? and after so many years had passed. Dae-gu was going nowhere with his investigation, boots return only helped to blow the case open, I mean I can’t think of any reason why they couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie except “plot continuance”. And as for Dae-gu’s mother, i absolutely think there was no need to kill her because am pretty sure she wouldn’t have talked about who attacked her. And I never got Assemblyman Yoo’s insistence on having Dae-gu killed.
All in all, it was a good drama, not the best and definitely not bad too. Before it premiered, I was expecting a good dose of comedy and police precint hijinks and all that, but all that got tapered down with the whole “mystery” and whatnot.
Marriage not dating : Still giving this a shot, but the female lead just makes it so hard. That girl Jang-Mi has got to get a hold of herself, there was absolutely no reason to bring up the infidelity thing, it was so not her place to do so, girl knows no boundaries whatsoever. But I did love the way she got down after she was done with the pancakes. Oh! I don’t think that waiter...
On a side note : I introduced my friend to k-dramas, and she isn’t exactly a fan of the rom-com genre, she’s been telling me for weeks now to recommend comedy dramas but I know none. Please if anyone would be so kind as to recommend good comedy dramas I would be really thankful. Thanks in advance.
Have a great fun-filled weekend y’all..
*off to clean my dancing shoes*
Bad Family! I never finished it, tbf, but what I watched, I liked. There is romance but it focuses more on creating a surrogate family and dealing with past demons than love. I feel like most Korean comedies are rom-coms though so your friend might have a hard time finding shows.
Also this is a rom-com BUT it's a remake of a Japanese drama so it doesn't feel like a typical K-drama, The Man Who Doesn't Want to Marry. It was the first K-drama I finished and I still love it. The male lead is funny and weird and happily socially inept and Uhm Jung Hwa and Yoo Ah-In are also in it.
I am pretty sure that she is acting like she does because her character is supposed to be blunt and obnoxious. I find it refreshing in a k-drama to see something between the evil bitch and the naïve candy for once.
And I also actually think it was not solving any problems by everyone just ignoring the whole infidelity thing.
Your family sounds fun! I love big rambunctious, meddling families . . . well, at least the loving ones. And as long as there's lots of love there (which it sounds like yours has) then just accept the craziness for what it is!
I forgot that they never explained Boots's reappearance. I think I just assumed that he needed more money? But, there's not any indication of that that I know of...
Completely with you on Marriage Not Dating -- episodes 3 and 4 a big disappointment after a really great start in episodes 1 & 2. The make lead has really nailed his character and so has the actress playing his mother.
The funding for polyglit started yesterday! If you are considering donating, sooner is better than later. You can find details and a link at Polyglit[dot]Com. Even if you don't plan on donating, I hope you will look forward to the website launch.
Jinx I thought it was an adorable and heartfelt movie, though it left tears in my eyes, it was not a melodrama, but had some interesting themes. I don't think the acting was stellar, but I would definitely watch it again.
Marriage, not Dating
Probably the best drama on K-drama TV, IMO. The plot is really heating up. I'm a little surprised it isn't being recapped, but I can understand bending time is really a difficult task and that it takes a long time.
Still keeping up with the TW dramas. Haven't really picked up on any new J-dramas, except Nobunaga no Chef 2. OMG. I love it already. It's cheesy with just enough appeal to get me going, plus I like food shows.
And lastly, Idol Hate. I think it needs to be addressed.
Let's get this straight. At least for ME, I do like pretty, but it is SECONDARY to acting ability. I don't care how that pretty came about, and who from, and I don't particularly care how popular an actor is, I just want them to be able to act their heart out on the screen or on stage so I can believe their emotions and what they said is real.
That said, I also understand in order to get funding for a project, you need famous actors and people who will autodraw a crowd. It's the double-side of the industry. The more of a name recognition you have, the more likely one will draw funds. But do I hate the existence of those people for that? I categorically don't.
If they can act, then they can make me happy. Period.
I didn't hate Yoona because she was an idol. I didn't hate Yoona personally. I disliked her in the role of Nodame because I thought her acting ability wasn't to par. And I would say that of any actress or actor, idol or no. Despite that, I can understand why producers wanted to try her out in the role, even if it was a week. They need a big name to bring in the budget for the production.
I'm not going to begrudge people's success, nor their ability to grow in their talent. I've been surprised over and over again, given people chances to grow on me. Seong Yuri (idol), for example, has two horrible, I mean OMG, you can make drinking games out of them dramas she acted horribly in, but I still gave her a chance. And she surprised me in Hong Gil Dong.
Daniel Henney (Non-idol), as much as I love him as a person, I didn't think could act that well. He inserts random smiles when he should be emoting, but then I was proven wrong in My Father.
Idol or no, I'm going to come back to that person on acting ability. The prettiest face can't engage me as much as acting ability. What is the point of hating a group of people anyway? Being a idol doesn't mean one didn't work hard and can't succeed.
It's what I would call a lazy-Friday-night-in rom-com (sort of), but with more depth than most because the characters were somewhat unusual – I think some people found it 'slow' and the characters too depressing, but I liked that it wasn't a silly rom-com, but a more reflective one.
Liked how they challenged romantic stereotypes – not by dissing them, but basically by saying "this works for one person, but it might not work for another because people are and like different things". They spun it around cultural differences, but I thought it still gave a general message (i.e. I don't think all Korean girls have demands like Hyomin's character).
Bit sad that Yamazaki Kento (I know him from "Control Tower") isn't doing more interesting projects though. I mean, this one was fine (though his acting seemed more uneven than in Control Tower), but other stuff he's done since "Control Tower" are pretty much lightweight manga adaptations which aren't going to make him into much of an actor.
Hyomin was quite good. Her breakdown scene felt real.
<Idol or no, I’m going to come back to that person on acting ability. The prettiest face can’t engage me as much as acting ability. What is the point of hating a group of people anyway? Being a idol doesn’t mean one didn’t work hard and can’t succeed.
I agree with you. There are idols that are succeeding. Jaejoong is doing well I think – not that he's top notch, but he's improved steadily. As have some others.
But I do have one issue with the industry – casting idols again and again in lead roles when they haven't done the (acting) work or haven't improved. Casting them over actors that are blatantly better too. It's something that seems to be happening increasingly and sometimes it doesn't even seem like that some of these idols want to be acting, but they are just pushed to it, like a checkbox of what they now must do (that's sad).
Anyone deserves a chance, even multiple chances. But the chance should be proportionate to demonstrated acting quality. No one should be leading a drama because of their name/fame, but because of their talent.
Maybe that's a naive wish, but I think ultimately miscasting is dragging the quality of dramas down. Maybe corporations are making more money, but I still would like to see acting as an art where the art is most important, not the money. As much as money needs to be made, I don't think we can lose sight of this thought entirely.
Also: I feel k-drama is increasingly more inclined to pretty-over-talent, while j-drama casts less idols and has greater diversity with actors too (looks matter also but what is beautiful is more open). Tw-drama... I don't get the impression there's that much idol casting, but then in general there seem to be few actors, who seem to be cast again and again, regardless of their talent. It's like they've got a dozen of people and just keep rotating the pairings. Very weird and often mediocre acting from actors.
I can agree with that, to a degree, I mean people should be cast on talent, but I don't think it has to do if they are an idol or not. Yoon Eun Hye started out as an idol actress and rocked it in several dramas, though she unfortunately picked some bad scripts here and there.
But I don't think one single group should be singled out as consistently bad. There are some regular actors I want to sometimes strangle that started out acting too.
And there are actors that can''t cat for the life of them, but ou like them anyway, but just not onscreen.
And there are idol actors that turned out to be fabulous. I had no faith in Go Ara until Reply 1994. Where she rocked that roll--but then she said she was playing someone closer to someone like her.
And TW dramas consistently cast idol actors, but we just don't hear about them that much on websites. For example, Rainie Yang is an idol Actor. I wouldn't say she's that great of an actress, but I thought Ella was a really good actress. Ella showed a range of characters she played from boyish, boyish rather than cute boyish to sometimes awkward.
Arron Yan is also made into an idol actor. Jiro Wang was made into an idol actor. (ISWAK). And a few of the roles went to idol actors.
The thing about art is that you need an audience to make it. This means art needs money, and it also needs an audience. People think one is exclusive of each other, but I don't think it's that way. Talent and money are separate things, but art and money aren't. You need both talent and money to make art.
I am kinda enjoying that marrigae not dating isn't recaped. Why? Because it's one show where I don't get tempted to read the recap rather than watch the episode. That's what I get for not being a spoilorphobe and recapts come out faster than subs in my time zone.
I really agree with you on the Idol hate. Hating someone being cased in something just because they also are an idol doesn't seem right. Everyone have to begin somewhere, and there are certainly famous actors that, lets be fair isn't really the best at acting either. Hating on one group is not fair.
I was not overjoyed at the prospect of Yoona as Nodame, cause I didn't think she'd fit that role. However I have nothing against her, and though she nailed and did a good job in Priminister and I. And I want her to act again.
Agreeing with you. Definitely liked her in Prime Minister and I, would watch her again, but Nodame was not her role. I did not dislike her in the role of nodame because she was an idol elite chosen by SM. I disliked her in the role because I knew she couldn't act it. Nodame is one of those mind-bogglingly difficult roles.
Yay for Nobunaga no Chef 2. Looking forward to Natsu, Ken and Kaede. Where else can you find a leather hot pants clad ninja girl?
Idols and acting. It's not anything new, Elvis, anyone ?
Who are the idol actors & actresses that get the most grief?
Most people like seeing pretty faces, it's just the way we are wired , so I can't blame the agencies for trying to promote their clients.
Yoon Doo-Joon did a fantastic job in Let's Eat. Would I cast him in a melo drama as the main lead for his next role? Probably not.
What makes an idol flop ? Are they really out of their element by acting? Seasoned actors have duds that are best forgotten too. Crappy plots, horrible scripts and miscasting will make anyone look bad..
With the right coaching and right part for their ability, most will likely be palatable.
With any luck casting idols as actors will occasionally give us a gem that otherwise would have been overlooked or untapped.
Summer’s in full roar with 100 degrees all week long, although I am not complaining – I love the sun and heat.
Trot Lovers – it’s been a while since I’ve been in love equally with the first and second male leads. Eun-ji is adorable, too ~ how will our love triangle work out without even more hurt hearts?
Fated to Love You – there were so many yummy moments mixed in with the complicated relationship in the last episode – why did the runaway shower head scene make me laugh so hard? And then the one-of-a-kind-baby-clothes class, that was precious beyond words. I’m goo goo eyes over Gan. The laugh and the head back, shoulders squared downward stare CEO style – Jang Hyuk does that best. But wait, second lead Daniel, Really? How about other first lead.
Monster (movie) with Lee Min-ki – slated as a thriller, but in my book it borders on horror. It was crazy of me to watch it at midnight. Those eyes. Cold to the depths of hell.
High School Love On is magical.
Temptation – An interesting setup in the first two episodes. Although I’m not sure why Seok-hoon decided to buy Se-young’s time in the end – 3 hrs for $3 -
Jdrama Wacamonotachi – Adult Sibling Chaos works too. What a super powerful cast, I am blown away by the acting. The boxing ring – augh! The Virgin. The return of the second son (Eita). The camcorder message. Ginger pork. The siblings’ discussion about apologies. The lines:
“I don’t’ need a surprise so bad for my heart.’
“Infidelity is unacceptable. No one will be happy.”
“Many ideas and emotions that you can’t measure with your tiny ruler whirl around in this world.”
This drama is my go juice.
Check out my ongoing posts for Korean Lessons – FT Island’s Hangul Live, Roommate comments and ratings, and kdrama fan art at http://www.cimiart.wordpress.com
Thanks, db recappers, you keep us happily updated and feed our kdramaddiction. That’s not easy to do!
Wakamono Tachi... one solid, quality drama. Very real.
That cast... that cast! Even half of that acting quality in other dramas would suffice to make many productions a gazillion times better than they are.
Hmm, I might try to venture into Jdorama again. The last one I watched eons ago was Freeter Buys a House. Does Wakamono Tachi focus more on relationship between siblings rather than romantic love?
Only 2 episodes in, but there's plenty of both. I think the siblings' relationships is primary, though. There isn't a dull or wasted moment, great acting - so richly done.
There are romantic relationships, but the drama isn't about the romance. It is about relationships between people and especially family bonds - through good and bad times.
Anyone think we might get romantic development between Emoto and Hashimoto instead of Hashimoto and Nomura? Or is Hashimoto's character underage?
I’m not sure why Seok-hoon decided to buy Se-young’s time in the end – 3 hrs for $3 –
My take is, he wanted to make himself equal to her. Just like she had bought him, making him thus an inferior, he wanted, at least symbolically, do the same thing to her. To make himself feel better or make her reflect.
My other thought is, he had little to lose, so why not try it?
Hi kopytko ` Also, he didn't want to leave on the last day with "Just go." He wanted to earn his money. Since his wife hung up on him and Se-young commented that no woman would understand the situation, he was not so anxious to head back home.
With their past, your comment that he wanted to be equal makes sense.
By the way, the "no woman would understand" part irks me. I dislike how being a woman makes one petty or narrow minded, jealous person in the dramas I've been seeing lately. Any time I see "I am a woman too!" I cringe. But maybe it's due to my absolute lack of personal experience...
I think kdramas in general like to portray women as petty, narrow-minded, easily jealous, back-stabby, etc. because a "normal" woman wouldn't be interesting. Boo. I think the stronger-minded, gutsy, smart woman is either too much for the audience to handle (lol) but also because of the male-centric belief system (? can't think of the word)...women in dramas gotta be that way. I do like the current trend in making heroines the strong type, though...and I hope that continues!
Happy Friday everyone......
watching Gunman in Joseon and Fated To Love You and seriously enjoying them more than ever....
I really haven't watched the Taiwanese version so its a little hard for me to avoid spoilers...I'll try to keep my eyes closed.
Good and bad things happened this week... and,I got admission in a great college in a great city(YAY)..
Last but not the least---saw a hilarious thing down my street here in India,where nobody has no idea what kpop is,....there I saw Kim Hyun Joong's BOF poster on a salon advertisement----literally laughed my gut out....now every time I cross the street my eyes go over that ad only....LOL...
Congrats on the college admission. It's such an exciting time!
I've been reminiscing a lot abt college lately b/c a few weeks ago I went back to my old college town & it was sooo surreal. I don't feel that old but it's actually been 10+ yrs since I graduated. I left after graduation & never went back so I was excited when I found out my son's basketball tournament was there. And by luck we ended up at hotel right across from campus. I annoyed the hubby & son by talking abt fun memories all weekend.
I hope you have as much fun as I had & look back on this time fondly.
You should definitely return to your college town more frequently. I didn't go for 15 years and then started to return for class reunions. The last one was 30 years. It gets so much better as the years go by. All the competition falls by the wayside and you become just happy to see people who have known you for so long.
Finally a reprieve from the hot, humid weather! It's been very lovely early fall-like here, so I'm definitely enjoying it :) I'm happy to say I caught up on Joseon Gunman and marathoned You're All Surrounded from ep6-finale...so it was a productive week for drama-watching, maybe not so much in others ;)
Triangle: The brother reveal is now complete, with 4eps to go. The extension can definitely be felt, with all the flashbacks, brooding and planning...which I expected, unfortunately. Still, I'd gladly watch it to be rewarded with those gem-like tidbits such as Young-dal and Jung-hee's family. While I do hope Elder Ahn can make it, will Yang-ha finally do something about Daddy Dearest mowing down whoever's in his way--since he's tasked with getting rid of his hyungs? I sure hope so, to wipe that smirk off of his face when he cackled with glee that Yang-ha was gonna have to kill his only flesh and blood without even knowing it (ugh).
Joseon Gunman: Yoon-kang-ah, why you so fine??? ;) I had put this on hold when I wasn't really in the drama-watching mood for the past few weeks. Now that I'm up to speed...seriously, why couldn't the writer have written Soo-in to have some of the qualities that Hye-won has? She seems like such a ditz, it's getting a bit annoying. She could sure use some of the cool, collected composure of Hye-won, and a bit of her smarts too. I still think the politics side of things are a total bore, and it makes me wonder why Hye-won lived the way she did. It's weird to me that is be more interested and intrigued with the second-lead...kinda telling that the writer made the mistake of making Soo-in so lacking in many ways, don't you think? In glad that Yeon-hwa got rescued from that perv, and I do hope that Yoon-kang will keep her safe. Meanwhile, Yoon-kang should stay in his gunman attire ;)
You're All Surrounded: I lost interest in this a while back, but decided to marathon it since it was ending. It was different than I expected, but once it all became about Yoo Moon-bae, it started hitting its stride. It further confirmed that in kdramaland. politicians will do anything for $, some prosecutors and cops are corrupt and in the pocket of the rich. And they'll frame somebody totally unrelated just to shift the blame. It still boggles me that Dae-gu's mom died just because Evil Yoon fed his crazybiatch of a daughter that lie.
I was flipping through the channels and saw a glimpse of Jo Seung-woo!! ;) It was Horse Doctor, which I faithfully watched just for Kwang-hyeon...guess I'll be tuning in to these reruns just to get my Jo Seung-woo fix ;)
Has anyone watched Temptation? I'm curious because I'd watch it solely for the main leads...and of course, the Stairway to Heaven reunion.
On hold: Wonderful Days, Feel Good Day, Endless Love.
To begin soon: High School King of Savvy, Temptation.
"It still boggles me that Dae-gu’s mom died just because Evil Yoon fed his crazybiatch of a daughter that lie."
Not only you my dear, i happen to be in the same boat with you. Lool I was expecting a better reason than that because that reason is just so *insert word*...
You're exactly right...I expected a more stronger reason for the method behind this madness, not just stinkin' money or wanting to break up her marriage! That was just beyond words for me...
I think a sane, logical person would check up on the facts first (like maybe a DNA test? It wasn't pre-technology times!) before actually taking the initiative to kill Dae-gu's mom, regardless if she was her hubby's ex-gf. It just goes to show how crazy is as crazy does...both dad and daughter. But I suppose it's also playing along to the saying that criminals find their logic--and it only needs to make sense to them--for them to commit their crimes.
Tara - hey, fellow Triangle loyalist! I'm with the drama for the same reasons as you. It's undeniably flawed but it has some heart, and I can't help it, Jaejoong keeps me hooked.
And you took the words re: Joseon Gunman right out of my mouth. If Soo-in's supposed to be intelligent, why can't her demeanour reflect it a little? But I love Hye-won, I don't want her to end up sad.
Yesss, Triangle is still worth watching, even with all its flaws. I'm still eagerly watching, just because of the brothers. Jae-joong is carrying the brunt of the load in carrying the story as Young-dal, but he's doing a great job of it so I definitely have props for him. I still have doubts about the extension aiding the final wrap-up of the storyline, but I'm continuing to be optimistic that it'll end in a satisfactory, if not great (I so hope!!!) way.
I definitely think the writer is the one to blame for Soo-in being the way she is...but I do hope she'll grow up and at least mature into the 30yr old she's supposed to be! I wasn't frustrated as much in the beginning, but to have her continue to be this...immature? It's testing my nerves.
And yes, despite Hye-won being second lead...I hope she gets her happy ending. Although I'm still not positive that she's aware of everything her father's involved in, I do hope that she finds out and that might break the bond that they seem to have. I want her to team up with Yoon-kang, I don't want her to end up evil :(
I've been enjoying the new shows and I'm finally loving one of them! :) What a relief, a kdrama season without a good romcom is just not the same for me. If anyone is curious, the one I'm addicted right now is HSK from which I expected absolutely nothing since I thought it would be a cliche story with an ugly leading man. I know, the same guy which now seems so charming to me. Ah well, I felt the same about Kim Woo-Bin and I few eps into Heirs also had a complete change of mind.:) I'm also loving FTLY just afraid of the commitment since I keep hearing about crazy melo turns later, figers crossed on that one! :)
One thing sometimes keeps bothering on the shows though, so here is my question this week.
Do any bad acting bother you in your kdramas lately?
Maybe I'm being too demanding, too picky, maybe I'm totally wrong and these guys are just fine.:)
Among the ones I watched recently I often caught myself being annoyed with some actors. The police chief and the politician in YAAS, the leading guy in Hotel King and his mentor, Kang Ji Wan in Big Man, leading lady in Joseon Gunman and even Lee Jun Ki. I know, don't hate me if you are a fan. :) In a way I am too, he's so pretty and all but I get a feeling he does every scene following a map, one face for each emotion, like painting by numbers.
I think she read the script and she was supposed to be a very repressed and conflicted person but it just wasn't there, her scenes with the villain became almost involuntary comedy for me. :P
Regarding the bad acting, I have to mention the actor playing Assemblyman Yoon in You're All Surrounded.
As much as I'm enjoying this drama, his scenes appear and he does his same expression ..... the wide-eyed stare. That's. It. ...... Apparently there are no other "villain facial expressions" for this actor.
Now that I think about it, he showed the same expression when he was the bad father in Heirs and when he was the bad father in I Hear Your Voice.
I agree! This reminds me of something I'm always thinking. There are ton of really bad actors and actresses playing these mom/dad roles over and over again on the kdramas.
Always the same people. They are so limited acting wise, it feels really strange they get cast so much.
I'm here on the other side of the world thinking there must not be many middle aged tv actors in Korea. Either that or they have an INSANE mob system that never allows the good actors to work on tv dramas.
To be fair, there are hardly any interesting roles middle-age or older actors can get cast for, except the occasional sageuk villain (who will generally be male). Some of those might do better in other roles, and the better ones might have wandered off to film or given up acting since the roles to choose from are largely uninspiring.
I mean, we get 20 somethings that brilliant doctors / lawyers / CEOs / you name it, occupying posts that in real life only in exceptional cases someone like that age would hold, esp. in an ageist society.
And I'm not even talking about the ones they sell as "genius" in the dramas, but in regular dramas too.
In J-drama there seems to be at least sort of sub-genre of dramas for 40 somethings (though often with stories revolving around middle-aged people that can't get married and involving well-known actors that that industry wants to hold on to).
I think the main problem that k-drama have is their extremely limited scenarios and genres.
In J-dramas you see subjects ranging anywhere from animal doctors to bank examiners to food inspectors to zoo keepers. In k-dramas there is a very limited subject range - 80% or so involve a chaebol.
There a hundreds of professions that simply never show up in k-dramas that I do see in j-dramas - ranging from mechanics, hydroponics managers, etc. - basically all the real professions and skills that a real society is built on. Yet the average Korean in a drama has to call an electrician to change a light bulb (seriously..).
The professions for women are especially limited in k-dramas - either an office worker drone, a high level bitch executive chaebol relative, a street vendor, a restaurant/coffee shop worker. All the non-candy professions are limited to some glamor job - fashion design, jewelry, or the like. It is like 97% of the workforce in Korea simply does not exist. There are more debt collectors than there are fishermen (and in the few times that a fisherman is shown, he is some candy's dad on the run from debt collectors..).
Just some of the reasons why I find myself watching a lot more j-dramas lately.
I agree completely because I often thought it was silly not showing other professions but doesn't explain the bad acting. For now I'm going with the mob system explanation. :)
So true. Jdrama has the most random professions and topics.
AND gets you totally into them. All these sports I suddenly found interesting – synchronic swimming, ice hockey, rowing, etc. And jobs I never much thought about. I've seen aquarium employees (Nagareboshi), fishcake factory worker (can't remember title), office cleaner (Mop Girl), driving instructor (Slow Dance), conference interpreter (Love Shuffle), tourism worker (turned farmer, Osozaki no Himawari), hairdressers (various), all kinds manual labourers etc.
Kase Ryo is a plasterer in Arifureta Kiseki (and apparently he liked it so much that he said in an interview later, if he wouldn't be an actor, he would be a plasterer). The heroine in the same drama teaches people how to use large-scale cooking equipment (e.g. ovens for school kitchens rather than for home use). That's like a job I never even thought existed.
Also, some common jobs are usually at the high, glamorous end in k-drama, but might be at either end in j-drama. Like the shoemakers in Good Person works at a good, but not glamorous company and in the shittiest department of it. In I Do, I Do, one character starts out lowly but ends up at a high-end shoe designer. Super fancy shoes in A Thousand Kisses too.
What you brought up was very interesting...and I'd always wondered the same thing. I completely agree with everything you said because, forreal, it all seems so unnatural -- even if it is dramaland.
But I suppose there are people out there who want to see the same things regurgitated in every drama. Blech. Give me slice-of-life any day...although that probably won't bring in ratings. I'm sick of the same ol' same ol'.
Your list brought back some memories of some actually pretty interesting j-dramas that seem to cover just about everything. I even saw a movie once about a guy that invented a hydraulic railroad spike driver - and I was thinking about I always wondered how they did that without the old slave labor sledge hammers. And I also wonder who in Japan goes around finding all these things that nobody in Korea is even aware of?
<Do any bad acting bother you in your kdramas lately?
It usually hits me hard when I watch a drama that has exceptional acting. Like Kase Ryo in Arifureta Kiseki... I mean, just blinking his eye or lifting his finger there was more expression here than other actors have in an entire series...
Or watching the cast of Wakamono Tachi at the moment – Tsumabuki, Eita, Mitsushima, Emoto, Hashimoto, Yu....
Or Bae Doona, in Someday.
The politician in YAAS is the absolute worst! Mr Surprise is what I call him because all he ever does is raise his eyebrows up and down. Can't stand him.
And unfortunately, I have to agree with Lee Jun Ki in at least the first few episodes of Joseon Gunman. I was getting a little disappointed in him. But it's getting better. As for the facial expressions, some people have really expressive faces, Lee Jun Ki has more expressive eyes so that's what I focus on. I'm also finally watching Two Weeks that he did last year and he's so good in it. I'm definitely a fan. His eyes just kill me.
About LJK I don't put him on the same level as the rest, it's just a bit monotonous and predictable to me, I used to think it was just this or that scene but now that I've watched My Girl, Arang, Two Weeks and these first 6 eps of Joseon, I can't let his insanely good looks fool me anymore. It's not me, it's him. :) The only time he really clicked with the cast and worked for me was on the King and The Clown. I need to rewatch that one.
I'm with you on Joseon Gunman leading lady, in the first 3 eps especially. She was doing the acting version of mutton dressed as lamb, it was partly the writer's fault for making the character that way and the PD's for not realising that a 30 year old cannot behave like an immature child without looking irritating and ridiculous.
Other bad acting that bothered me - Suzy in all her dramas, with her dead eyes and apparent inability to close her mouth (I keep wondering if she doesn't get her teeth fixed because she knows the rabbit teeth give her that pouty open mouth effect....which unfortunately comes off a bit gormless on her). Likewise Jin Se-yeon and her non-moving face (and again, weird mouth movements) in Dr Stranger.
JG - Believe it or not I was ok with her in the first eps but lately she seems way too fake for me. The girl playing the villain's daughter seems eons better. Yesterday watching ep 6 I had a whole dream scenario in which the leading lady dies and she gets to be our OTP, that would be so surprising. She could have so much angst divided between an evil father which she did not know was so evil and our charming and tragic hero.
Ahh Suzy, she wasn't so terrible on GFB for me. I guess I got used to her blandness, I hated her in Big but she didn't annoy me in GFB, I do think for now she should stick to second leads. The thing about her mouth is not that easy to fix I think, see Jang Hyuk on FTLY for instance, closed mouth is not a natural thing for him. I think it's too much work to fix it, better leave it like that.:)
Jin Se-Yeon is the same for me. Complete blandness. It's mystery how these girls get leading parts for me. She didn't annoy me either though. It's just the same as a doll.
Ironically the famous actresses that really annoyed me lately were 3 that lots of people seem to love. Park Shin Hye, Ha Ji Won and Moon Chae Won.:)
Omg totally agree about ha ji won. Like I get she has many skills which open up the kinds of roles she could play, but I feel her acting range is quite limited. I loved king 2 hearts but upon rewatching I realized how many cringeworthy scenes were because of her trying and failing at being aeygo
You're absolutely right (from your later comment) that having people talk bad about dramas/actors/actresses help you think in another direction...I honestly don't mind people pointing out things out, because it helps me see that point of view. Even more so if their acting is so bad that it's cringe-worthy.
I definitely thought Captain Toad in You're All Surrounded was cringe-worthy bad. Over-acting, over-emotional, over-everything. I thought the actor was a well-known musical actor, so maybe that's the reason why there was so much over-the-top theatrics...but comparing him to Jo Seung-woo, another musical actor -- just doesn't compare. Maybe it was because Captain Toad was written that way, but man oh man...he was bad.
As for three of the examples of bad acting that you pointed out:
I agree with you about Jin Si-yeon because, honestly...she always seems to have the same expression and is just awkward to watch. Haven't watched Doctor Stranger at all because of the WTF-ery plotline, anyway...so this is basing off of Bridal Mask and Five Fingers.
I never really got the hate that Park Shin-hye would get on the comments sections, then I realized I haven't seen her in anything since when she was young Choi Ji-woo in Stairway to Heaven xP haha
As for Moon Chae-won...although I liked her in The Princess' Man, she got annoying quick in Good Doctor. She just seemed over angst-y and out of her element, like acting as a doctor amounted to being peeved, yelling, and talking in a shrill voice. Maybe it was because her character as Princess was written so well, but I wasn't impressed with her as a doc.
About the PSH thing it's actually very funny, I liked her in YAB which was my first time watching her, maybe that was because I loved the whole story but I did think her quirks fit the character very well.
Then I watched her in FBND and there I thought she ruined her character completely, she was supposed to be sad and depressed and scared and hopeful and curious but yet all I got was the same expressions of fright and tears. Awful.
Then Heirs. She did exactly the same plus some yelling. Now she is my short list of dreaded actors.:)
My introduction with Moon was Nice Guy and she annoyed me being very robotic and one dimensional, har face and voice never change much, it's too odd. Then I tried Good Doctor and she was exactly the same thus she joined the short black list. :)
I forgot to mention in the earlier post, regarding the bad acting ......
Shin Se-kyung as Seo Mi-do in the drama When A Man Loves has to be mentioned, unfortunately.
With all due respect, I'm sure she's a lovely person, but in that drama a piece of cardboard would have been more animated than she was ...... she was completely bland, stiff and expressionless.
Wow, the actors you listed are all the same ones that I have had an issue with lately! That's kind of crazy, I thought it was just me lol... Makes me feel validated for fast forwarding through their scenes ;)
Kang Ji Wan - I liked him in Incarnation of Money but had problems with his character in Big Man. Daniel Choi totally upstaged him in Big Man.
Lee Deok-Hwa - I've seen him in May Queen, Secret Love, The Prime Minister & I, and Hotel King. I don't really care for his acting or the way he portrays characters.
Shin Se-Kyung - As Seo Mi-Do in When a Man Loves her acting was just bad for the type of character/role that she played.
Jin Se-Yeon - I've watched her in Bridal Mask, Age of Innocence, and Doctor Stranger. Her acting stands out (and not in a good way) among the rest of the cast in each of her dramas.
Oh my goodness, Lee Deok-hwa! I thought it was only me! ....... There is something about the way he portrays his characters that seems a little "different". I actually can't put my finger on what it is exactly, but you know it when you see it.
It's almost like an old-school style of dramatic acting, which spills over into over-acting, if that makes any sense. ........ I will say, though, in comparison to all his recent roles, his portrayal in Queen of Ambition was not all that bad. I think he kind of "toned things down" a bit, which helped.
On another note, I completely agree with you regarding Daniel Choi. He was absolutely fantastic in Big Man. I didn't see that whole drama, but what I did see from him, wow.
FTLY had a bittersweet flavor this week, with much laughs followed by much tears.
Among the many, many reasons why I love the drama is how the two main leads are converging. I've said from time to time how most stories have one of two premises:
(1) extraordinary circumstances befalling an extraordinary person; or
(2) extraordinary circumstances befalling an ordinary person.
Well, FTLY has both. Lee Gun is the ordinary person, and Kim MiYoung is the extraordinary. It appears to be backwards, because Lee Gun has had all the advantages and training to become really special, but it is Kim MiYoung who has really shown through as nearly unique in her character. She is the unknown and the invisible heroine, and only those who actually see her can begin appreciate who she is.
As Samsooki's wife said to me this morning, Lee Gun has really had many bad breaks to fall his way. In a subtle shift, unlike most stories where the plucky poor heroine has to battle through machinated obstacles - the story is really about Lee Gun's battle with himself, his erstwhile love, his future. Lee Gun has the resources to do whatever he wishes, but he cannot buy his own heart.
Lee Gun's story is so fragile, so delicate and so up in the air. Will he or won't he? Why does he care so much? Why should he care so much? What does he do with Sera? Lee Gun's growth is coming, but slowly and in spurts. Yet every positive step he takes is toward Kim MiYoung, because that's what happens when you gravitate toward a shining star.
Kim MiYoung's story is a little less interesting, if only because she is adrift in a sea of bad intentions, with only her own internal compass to keep her pointing true. Yet we gasp together and hold our hearts in our hands together, when we see Kim MiYoung sleeping on the couch, when we see her grasping at her earrings because they are hers, and when she protects her husband who does not acknowledge her. And yet, she cannot let her growing feelings toward Lee Gun compete with the growing life within her, because at the end of the road, regardless of the number of detours and stops along the way, there is a cliff where love goes to die.
The story lines are small but epic.
The laughter is all the more real and the drop from the mirth to the tears all the more deep.
Hi samsooki!!!!! Miss your recaps so much on dramabeans. Like,I love the way you put my feeling on FTLY in the comment above.
Presently, FTLY is the only drama I am live watching and I heart it so much, it's crazy.
On another topic, I regularly feel blessed that I discovered kdramas and this SITE. Love having a place to express my love for it. E.g. I marathoned DongYi over the weekend,60 hours spent glued to my tv. I utterly utterly fell in love with the romance. The story isn't perfect but men, it's perfect for me. Love it.
Another random obs., lol, I often wonder why flower boys are not my thing. Like I know Lee Min Ho is fine, KSH ..... But please, give me a Cha SeungWon, So JiSub, Gong Yoo, LEE JIN WOK over the those guys anyday, anytime.
sorry for the long post I hope I made a little sense um happy friday beanies have a wonderful wonderful day bye
I'm just a watcher now. Between the family and the job, I'm pretty much out of time. For me to watch Dr. Stranger, I had to stay up 3 nights in a row. Was worth it though (loved the drama).
"Well, FTLY has both. Lee Gun is the ordinary person, and Kim MiYoung is the extraordinary. "
I read when you wrote this last week I think and it stuck with me because it seems very accurate and yet hard to understand at first which makes me realize why I'm liking FTLY so much lately. It's a simple story but has so many layers and instead of bulldozing over them, like most dramas, they explore them even if subtly, with the help of a VERY good cast I may add.
I had never watched anything with the main couple and they are so good, even the crazy Gun laugh is much less annoying now. So refreshing to have a good stepmother for a change and likewise there are many plot points that are upside down, one of each is Gun's internal battle like you wrote. Show please, keep it up!:)
Happy OT...if you are feeling it! My personal internet has been largely absent since last week. Plus a virus at work means no internet there either.
This will be short. No fashion rants or raves for the reasons above.
However, I just have to share what happened this morning. I took a couple of days off because my father had cataract surgery on his only functional eye. Sigh. My father...anyway.
Went to the Fancy Supermarket (read: $$$) I never shop at, since I was in the neighborhood. Read last Friday`s cooking blog recommendations and decided to make Dak Bulgogi (sp) because I have most of the ingrédients except Mirin. I think I found it but I am not sure.
While I was scrutinizing the *Ethnic Food* shelves (I am not fond of that appelation, esp in my own country...IN ENGLISH!!!), what do I hear? Omaaaaaa! in that particular wheedling/whiny tone that smacks of manipulation, LOL!
Didn`t work on the mother but I was sooo happy to hear the two grade school kids talking, I was grinning like a fool.
I kept meeting them all over the aisles (the kids were rather loud, truth be told) but I didn`t dare walk up to them, that would be rude and weird, I think.
Didn`t understand much beyond `anni` and that -gu/-ku for enumerations but what a cute surprise, right? I know that KOICA has been here since the EQ but not sure if there are other reasons for SK to be here.
I have to go, as this is not my internet or laptop, but I hope I can read this OT over the week-end.
One last thing, you know there are actors and there are ACTORS right? Add I said just got into the drama works last dec.
So, I started watching FTLY, watched first ep, and was like "darn, Jang Hyuk is AN ACTOR". I instantly went to look for other drama that he had been in and I actually just finished watching the second episode of Chuno and I'm so blown away. So, I'm just kind of sad happy because it just feels like I have been blind to this world for a very long time but also happy because it means that I have so much more to look forward to
If you are a fan of Jang Hyuk, you should check out the movie The Client. He puts in a disturbing (in a good way) performance, alongside two other ACTOR actors (as you put it), Ha Jung Woo and Park Hee Soon.
Happy Friday! We've had some (slightly) cooler weather lately, which has been nice. As for dramas, etc...
Joseon Gunman: I'm still two episodes behind, but loving it so much.
Return of Iljimae: also continues to be awesome. (And wow, Jung Il Woo is pretty.)
God's Quiz 4: a very sad episode again, but also really sweet as usual. I still worry for Kyung Hee, but at least this cliff hanger left me more amused and even excited than afraid.
And Running Man: despite it being somewhat predictable, I found this episode quite hilarious. I did wonder when I saw the preview if they would just have Ji Hyo sleep the whole time, and I'm glad they didn't, even if her participation in the games didn't seem to count for much.
So my friend and I did not make kimchi this week, mostly because at our core we're both lazy and couldn't be bothered. We did however discover a wonderful soup restaurant, which I fondly refer to as the soup nazi.
Then we ran into his in-laws who hate him and apparently hate me now simply because I'm his friend. They actually remind me a bit of K-drama in-laws while I don't believe they've offered him money to leave or tried to kill him they do hate him for no reason other than getting their daughter pregnant, and being completely classless about it. Example, earlier this year around her birthday/mothers day they sent flowers to her work in her maiden name.
Well that feels better now that that's off my chest, on to dramas.
Trot Lovers- I still love it, even if I have to admit the fast pace worries me, a bit.
I'm behind on everything else time to go catch up.
Oh right, is anyone else here a gamer? I just found this browser game Fallen London! and while I just started it seems pretty interesting.
It sounds like your friends in -laws are straight of a k-drama. But apparently it is not totally rare either - a Korean-American friend of mine and his Korean wife moved to the US specifically to get away from her family, and she was the one that made the decision.
It's been a long time since I posted on Friday OT. Many events have come and gone these past few summer months.
I've finally graduated from 4 years of undergraduate life, onward to the university of life! The image of my crying self, wanting to give up on law school halfway through my journey, is seared in my mind. I survived!
Extremely grieved by the events of the past 24 hours. What more can I say than what has already been expressed? Catastrophic events that result in great human loss have been increasing in frequency and intensity. If you believe in the final judgment and other showdowns of the sort, you might think we are inching closer and closer to the end of the world.
I spent most of the past 2 months catching on American dramas, like Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Pretty Little Liars (a very guilty pleasure). Given the high quality of some of these shows, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stand watching typical Korean (sometimes soppy) dramas, but I'm happy to report that I've just started catching up on Heirs, and it's pretty much my new crack. I mean, can you ever get enough of Lee Min Ho staring longingly into the distance?
Thank you Carole! It feels surreal, and I'm most definitely not ready to enter the working world. Where bills have to be paid and I'll have much less time for my dramas of various nationalities :(
Graduating from College is a momentous occasion and outstanding achievement. May the next chapter of your life bring you joy, passion, and inspiration.
Heirs (aka The Inheritors / The One Trying to Wear the Crown, Withstands the Weight)
1st & 2nd Male Leads (Bromance Hwaiting - Frenemies fighting their way back to each other until the end.)
Lee Min-Ho as Kim Tan & Kim Woo-Bin as Choi Young-Do
Comedy of Mothers:
Kim Mi-Kyung as Park Hee-Nam & Kim Sung-Ryoung as Han Ki-Ae
Funny & Charming Couple:
Krystal as Lee Bo-Na & Kang Min-Hyuk as Yoon Chan-Young
Honorable Mention:
Kang Ha-Neul as Lee Hyo-Shin
Choi Jin-Hyuk as Kim Won
Lim Ju-Eun as Jeon Hyun-Joo
Park Hyung-Sik as Jo Myung-Soo
Kim Ji-Won as Rachel Yoo
The Heirs recaps on Dramabeans definitely had lively discussions and spirited debates. Be sure to check them out.
Hi Everybody!
How are you doing? Dramawise, I am in a slump without much exciting things to watch.
I follow Triangle, Trot Lovers and Glorious Day. Oh, I also had a look at the opening episodes of Temptation.
The older shows are satisfying in their own ways - Triangle is a Jaejoong feast complete with the gangster family (I can't get enough of Manbong and Madam Min explaining everything going on in the drama, lol). Glorious Day is a feel good little drama which main asset for me is the dentist brother. I just love those snarky, teasing characters, who not only make witty comments but also are clever enough to help others confront their hysteric mothers ;). Trot Lovers is indeed for trot lovers - I realized that EunJi is one fine singer. The plot is nothing special, but I can live with it as it is. Though, I used to think that this drama will change a bit the image of trot music, so that it won't be considered a worse genre or something you would not admit to liking. And then I read that the very EunJi will release an album, but not with trot but "trendy" music. Sigh. The "trendy" pieces don't let her show off her skills, but who cares.
As for Temptation, I am still onboard and haven't decided to drop it yet. It is intriguing enough for me to keep watching. What I like about it is the psychological game the heroine seems to be playing - mostly with herself, I guess. And it's fun to wait and see what the characters do next.
I'm with you on Trot Lovers and Triangle - the latter is totally a Jaejoong feast, which makes it a relief that he carries it so well. I just keep wishing there was more brother time and less - as I keep saying - old corrupt dudes throwing tantrums. But Im Siwan did well these past couple of eps. And I really REALLY like having a female lead who isn't your classic Candy and can solve her problems on her own.
Trot Lovers, I'm in it only for Eunji but still haven't caught up with this week. Her trot covers are glorious, I hope they're released as OSTs now. And she is totally leading lady material.
Actually, Im ShiWan is the least convincing actor in the whole ensamble for me. He makes an impression of someone who pretends to be part of the world he doesn't belong to. I don't know it is only my opinion, bad writing or ISW is not there yet as an actor (it's the first time I have seen him in a drama).
I would even go as far as calling Jung Hee a supporting character and not a lead. I find her quite marginal, more of a muse who makes Young Dal set new goals in life, rather than an active character. And I mean I like it - just like I said I would prefer A New Leaf without PMY's character, who in my opinion was not needed at all, be it with this or that actress. I need a main character in a drama, and adding female or male leads only for the maths to be ok is anachronic in my eyes.
yeah I agree with your assessment of Jung-hee as a supporting character rather than a lead.
Im Siwan's done pretty well in other projects, particularly some lower-profile ones like Waiting For Love. He's not stood out as much in Triangle, but I think he's not bad - he held his own against far more experienced costars, and managed to keep me sorta-interested in his antihero character. And I do think he was really good here, in the prequel short film for Misaeng:
To me he is the weakest link or maybe someone who doesn't blend in nicely in that particular drama universe. Just like I never find So Ji Sub believable if he plays smart characters ;P
@kopytko - I disagree on So Ji-sub, Master's Sun was one of the best performances of his career and certainly one of the best on network tv last year - imo he brought nuance and subtlety to a character who could have remained solely in the realm of total caricature. It's a great way to use his skills from all that melo in his first romcom role, and for me it worked. Of course, it may not be your cup of tea.
Master's Sun was so much off the wall that I didn't take any character seriously. For me, Jung Wan was an excentric character, whose main trait was being different. He was also clever, but that didn't constitute him as much as his idiosyncrasies. I agree that it was a very good role, but it was about something else, he was actually growing up as a person or maybe opening up to his own feelings and SJS showed it nicely.
On the other hand, in Ghost, SJS was supposed to be a computer expert, but looked like my Dad trying to send an e-mail (look of pain, reluctance and feeling wronged to have to touch that darn machine).
LOL to your comment about So Ji-sub in Ghost...because I thought Daniel Choi did a hell of a lot better in being believable as a computer hacker than So Ji-sub. As a cop, he was decent...but hacker? No way.
But maybe it's because I loved him so much in I'm Sorry, I Love You...I thought melo was the way to go for him. Until Master's Sun. Yeah, the story was a bit off-the-wall and his character was quite eccentric...but I thought his first foray into rom-com was actually good and fit his persona better, definitely more believable than a computer hacker any day ;P
I like both Man-bong and Boss Min and think that they're great...at first, I didn't like Man-bong because he kept having his lackeys beat up poor Young-dal so much in prison. But I've warmed up to him, and he's definitely someone Young-dal needs in his corner with the brewing "war" between his gangsters vs. Skunk Go's gangsters...and if he wants to get his revenge. Now if only all his gangster lackeys ran away after getting the beatdown that Young-dal gave this week...ha.
I'm thinking on picking up Temptation, just because of the cast...and the premise seems intriguing. I was probably one of the few who didn't watch Secret Love Affair, but this seems to be more of a psychological game than adultery. The potential to see Choi Ji-woo brewing on psychologically manipulative. Definitely a stark difference to the characters she's portrayed in the past. I'm thinking on waiting for a bit before marathoning it, though.
Is Feel Good Day still worth watching? I have it on hold for now, but haven't really been in the watching mood for weekend dramas as of late (and this is coming from someone who's watched weekend dramas probably since started dramawatching, lol).
The part where ManBong was hostile towards Young Dal was needed for one thing - YD was supposed to stand his ground and prove himself to be a tough opponent that deserves respect. Otherwise, Man Bong couldn't treat him as an equal and "business" partner.
IMO Temptation is worth at least trying. It isn't in your face type of melo (as of yet) and isn't based on primitive, vulgar actions, such as a jerk shamelessly cheating on his wife (or a b*tch cheating on her husband - I find both equally repulsive). SLA was pretty much also more about people rather than cheating and I found it a good drama, worth recommending.
Glorious Day is nice, nothing revolutionary, but the characters/cast are lovable (the Smiling Oppa and the Dentist Oppa *swoon*) and the story is relatively sensible. I usually watch it before going to bed on Saturdays and Sundays, as it gets subbed very quickly. I am not sure I don't doze off now and then, but I guess it's not hard to follow, whether you watch each episode or only random episodes, when you feel like.
I understood why Man-bong did what he did to Young-dal in prison...but it just was a bit hard to watch for me, especially since it seemed like he was getting his lackeys to beat the crap out of him, day in and day out. You're absolutely right, he wanted Young-dal to prove himself to him and show he was "worthy"...to show that he could take it, man-wise, and possibly earn the right to be one of his guys.
But I do love the support, advice and backing that both Man-bong and Boss Min provide Young-dal...like the aunt/uncle figure (or even hyung/noona figure -- father/mother figure seems a bit off?) that he never had.
I've been watching Feel Good Day/Glorious Day on and off since the beginning, because I liked the cast (and Lee Sang-woo in a starring role!). At first, it seemed very tame because it was really like the weekend family dramas of yesteryear, without all the makjang-tinged material that seems to be weekend drama material these days...so that got me intrigued and watching.
Then it kinda lost my interest when I kept getting annoyed with the shrill b*tching-ness of the boys' mom (haha) and got shuffled to the "watch later" list when my usual drama-watching weekend time got filled with busy-ness.
But I guess since I've already watched more than a few eps, I should pick it back up sooner or later. I think it's a bit telling if I can't remember the characters' names even after more than a few eps--I just remember them like this: 1) the boys' mom? T-ara's Bo-ram's real mom, 2) the male live-in tenant of the girls' house? Good Doctor's bad doctor ;P haha
Started: Love Myself or You (tdrama) A bit of a slow moving story, but the OTP is top notch!
Started/Finished: You're Beautiful. I can understand the love and hysteria when this first aired. After watching it, had the feeling of 'been there, done that' but of course when it aired, this may have been fresher.
Continuing: Glorious Day. I enjoy this drama, even though I told myself that I wouldn't watch a weekend/50 ep drama, didn't want to invest the time. Just when I think it is dragging, it perks back up and I'm invested again.
Is anyone watching Cdrama 'Boss & me' aka 'Shan comes to eat'? It seems really cute but I just can't find English subs anywhere. Any help or reviews, recaps would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I swear this wasn't there in this morning's boolean search but anyway I found a wonderful girl whose doing recaps. http://hui3r.wordpress.com/ Any help with actual subs would be awesome though. Thank you.
So much evil going on in the world. And we're killing our planet on top of it. No wonder I like to disappear into Dramaland...
YAAS: I really loved the ending. I was left wanting more of the show--you know, with more crimes for to solve and more growth in their different relationships. Just like would happen on American TV. This feeling is so much bet than when a drama ends and I feel like, whew! Glad that's over!
Trot Lovers: At first I was coming down with second lead syndrome really bad, but now, um no. I don't like how he is pushing himself (his declaration of love) on her. I mean, he is her BOSS, so if she doesn't reciprocate right away, I would think it would be wise to back off. I've often wondered about that in K-Dramas--with all the dating and love declarations that bosses do with their subordinates.
I'm glad I have Dramabeans to come read about Fated to Love You and Marriage, not Dating because sometimes I just don't understand them. Maybe because I am a strong-willed woman, so I wouldn't put up with the crap that the men are dishing out. I don't find it that funny when the characters insult each other non-stop.
As for ACTING, I definitely like watching good actors over pretty people. When two are combined, that's nice, but many times I like the character actors better than the leads.
I also noticed the drought in veteran actors. Probably they don't want to live the hectic TV actor's life anymore. In the US, the acting work day is regulated, so veteran actors like TV because they can have steady income and homes and families.
I'm with you on your first sentence...that's exactly the reason why I escape to dramaland. What is this world coming to...aigoo -.-
And I'm also with you about how kdrama heroines seem to put up with so much crap/insults from men. You're absolutely right that it's something someone strong-willed would put up with. As for me, I'd definitely have something pointed to say back--likely in words that can't be published ;P
I've noticed how there are quite the many well-known movie actors who seem to be gravitating towards TV nowadays in the US...I suppose that's a good trend for us, to have well-established true actors (in the real sense of the word) acting. Makes for better quality shows, imo.
It's a bit funny, because in the US, tv is seen as less prestigious than film work - Matthew McConaughey must be one of the very few people who did a tv show in the middle of a career resurgence rather than after the film work ran out.
There are plenty of tv actors who can act rings around movie actors, but I think the multiple-season nature of US tv shows restricts the amount of work they can take outside of tv and also typecasts them in terms of image. (of course this does not apply to the CW, where everyone is rubbish at acting and is only there to show off hair extensions and fashion)
Yeah, that's what I was thinking...TV shows < movies. But with the current uptick in movie stars doing TV shows, maybe the tide has changed...for now. I suppose you're right that maybe the stars these days are doing TV because they've run out of film work...but it still surprises me to see these big names on the small screen.
And hahaha...I totally agree about the CW shows!!! -.- Oh my goodness, and you wonder why their ratings don't float above the single digits!
The explanation for this is easy, in short, the movies got dumber and dumber for a while and tv got better, a lot better.
Yes, we get a few good movies sometimes but they are not very frequent and when tv got more prestige with quality shows and fewer eps like True Detective, good actors came back.
Agree with all your thoughts. To add, if you look at film budgets through the years you'll notice the disappearance of middle range 30-80 million dollar picture. Now that blockbusters are played for a global audience instead of just america. Which means everything becomes broader, blander, slightly dumber(due to broadness) with way more explosions and sfx. Meanwhile american television is becoming more creative, cinematic, and is starting to change its seaonal format. Already this year true detective and Fargo have gone the k drama route by just being one season. Hopefully more will follow.
I agree with you...because I, for one, have shied away from watching those typical blockbusters that rely way too much on special effects and such -- shoot, I don't watch much movies nowadays anyway. You're absolutely right, everything seems more blander and dumbed down than in years past.
As for TV shows getting better, I do attribute it to the more creative ideas/storylines/cinematic feel that is being cultivated now...I mean, who would have thought the Emmy-nominated shows would be dominated by cable shows and even Netflix? Gone are the days where those award-winning shows were on the Big 4 channels...they can't compare to the "opened" creativity/noncensoring/bigger budget of the cable shows, imo.
that is true, they used to have romcoms done in those budgets but American romcoms are basically a dead genre.
I love me some blockbusters, depending on what they are - I really enjoyed The Avengers and was impressed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier earlier this year, but barring the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which seems to take some pains to not be just your average cheesy superhero movie) the other big budget movies are just painful.
And even a lot of the stuff aimed as Oscar bait is equally mediocre (and pretentious to go with it). I've turned more and more to foreign films and genre series, because at least those offer some variety.
I've been avoiding the news so I just realized today is Friday. Have moved from our old town and are now in Albany. Trying to settle in.
High School King: I really don't know how I'll hold up for the next week. This drama is my crack. The people in it, the sense of it being a good "hang-out" drama which is populated by people who are accepting of each other and who have good will toward each other. Well, for the most part...Loooooooooove this drama.
Jin Woo is one of the most shamed/shaming/shame-based characters I've seen in kdrama. Am hoping he's not repeating with women what his dad did with his mother. Poor soul, he just doesn't seem to understand how to deal with relationships. I worry that he will totally crash and burn, go into rehab because of a nervous breakdown, or just attempt to kill himself. The shame and self-reproach he's under can't go on much longer. But this is kdrama so love alone could heal him. In real life if he hung out with Yoo Ah, I would worry that he would be the older abusive child molester type. But this is kdrama...so...well, she might heal him.
Am still trying to figure out why heroine and her sister don't have similar names. Looks as if the late Jung-soo who was chaufffeured around by Minseok's Dad and had a car accident might be Soo Young's dad who was killed in a car accident. Am i right? So would Minseok's Dad kinda sorta know Soo Young's Mom (when they came down from Seoul)? And are there other birth secrets out there, did Chairman have other mistresses? And where are Chairman's other "legitimate" kids and Chairman's wife? Why aren't we seeing how Jin Woo gets along or crashes with his half-sibs.
I saw a 2009 drama called NEXT which was really very good. It got a bit slow when the past life repetition didn't seem to progress...but in all, it was quite good. It's on kdrama.com
Nothing much else. Have a safe healthy weekend, all.
Oops. Forgot to mention. Am liking Marriage, not Dating. Am trying to hold onto Joseon Gunman...cause LJK is sooo hot but the idiotic plotting is just getting to me. Maybe I'm just burned out from folks disappearing then returning in X number of years looking totally the same yet expecting everyone to not remember them. Not to mention hero having stupid friends who conveniently forgot the authorities tried to murder said hero and who keep wondering why he would hide his identity. Now that they finally seem to have remembered that he was murdered by the "king's" men, I'm enduring the plot-grinding...which kinda borders on the non-sensical. But am continuing. The only dramas which have deeply touched my heart right now are High School King of Savvy and Yoona's Street.
Awaiting Night Watchmen and the Three Musketeers. Not watching Temptation, although it might be good. Not into adultery when it's the guy doing it.
I love Joseon Gunman for various reasons, no. 1 being Lee Jun-ki, followed by several side characters and great action scenes, but I could do without the romance bits. Soo-in irritated me less this week, but I love Hye-won. Too bad she isn't the female lead (guys like girls who are pretty over ones who are actually capable, I guess).
I'm glad the romance in this one took a backburner for now, because looking at birdbrain (but actually she's intelligent!The writer says so!) Soo-in makes me think very longingly of Shin Mina and Arang.
I gave up on Josean Gunman pretty early, a lot of people seem to like it, but I could not stand the crappy writing and character portrayals, especially a 30 year old girl acting like a 16 year old.
Only k-dramas I am seriously watching now are FTLY and Marriage, not Dating. Have a couple more on the watch list - Temptation for one - but nothing I am excited about.
Drama.net has been doing pretty good on keeping updated on most j-dramas (wish they had a sub option and a ROKU app), so been watching a lot of those.
I really like Not dating. It's fun and giddy. I wish i hadn't read the synop of the Taiwanese version of Fated to Love you. Now I can't watch this version.
The Korean version is much better and tons funnier than the Taiwan version. I saw the Taiwan version, and this is almost like a whole new show, but much better and hilarious. I really recommend you try a couple of episodes.
Congratulations on the move! So that's why you've been missing on the comments here...I was wondering why :)
I totally agree with you on Joseon Gunman...now, I would understand if his look changed completely - but seriously though, no sageuk-hair, modernized clothes and glasses do make the look-alike man so different-looking?!? xP Of course, if he had changed his look completely then it would be a completely different story. Too bad there wasn't plastic surgery back then, right? *sarcasm* But man oh man, I wanted to smack Soo-in upside the head when she blurted out "Yoon-kang?!" when first meeting him -- because seriously, you're gonna draw attention to the fact that he looks like the doppelganger (well, we know he's one and the same but to them, he was a doppelganger) to the son of the supposedly traitor to the nation, with Evil Choi in their presence no less? -.- It is bordering on non-sensical...but I'm still gonna stick it out, just even for Lee Jun-ki.
Night Watchmen's new details (like Go Chang-seok as a ghost!) have me eagerly awaiting the premiere. He's comic gold, as his appearance on 1 Night 2 Days Actors Special (which I still loveee, how I miss those days!) and his role in Good Doctor have shown...as well as that sageuk movie where he's wearing pigtails and in drag (the name escaped me, can't think of it now). Maybe it's because of his roly poly/gruff appearance, but I think he's one of those character actors that pull off anything well.
How is Yoona's Street? I've said I was gonna watch it, and I have yet to catch any of it! -.-
Yoona's Secret is nicely different. I like the grit. Yep, we're moved. Last OT, my internet in the new place hadn't been set up. Thanks for noticing my absence and wondering. Soooooooo sooooooo anticipating Night Watchman.
Good question, doesn't Chairman have other legitimate children working at Comfo? "Hang out drama" is exactly how I feel about this show, too. I can't wait to enter their world again every week. I also looked at the downward spiral Jin Woo is on (hard to watch!) and thought, he'll be in the hospital with mom pretty soon.
yeah....didn't Chairman mention his wife and two kids. If Jin Woo is 20-ish..those kids should be older (if his mom is a mistress) or younger (if chairman married later in life after discarding Jin Woo's mom.) But it eems to me that whatev er their ages, they should be on the screen somewhere...unless the writer forgot about them...which would be a real shame. Or maybe Chairman said he sent them off to the US or England to be educated....ya know...like all chaebol do.
You're right, a very safe assumption that Wife and kids are off in the West. Let's make it part of the backstory that they are and it puts extra pressure on Jin Woo to excel at Comfo now before the siblings come back and push him out.
We're semi-moved. Our furniture and most of our stuff are still in the house which isn't sold. But we're in Albany. It's a nice city so far. Trying to find organizations for dayprograms for autim, disabilities. Interesting so far. Thanks for the good wishes
1. The Hospital I had surgery in has wifi... YAY
2. Going to Dramabeans to get my mind out of the pain once the anesthesia wore off. If I posted anything weird between Mon - Wed, I blame the anesthesia. lol
3. Watching HSKS, FTLY, YAAS, Avatar, The Legend of Korra, MND, Roommates, Running Man and Trot Lovers for helping me keep my sanity.
4. My mom and sisters who came and visited (and brought Starbucks). Family is awesome. hehe
5. The gorgeous nurse who was assigned to me. I was gonna act all suave and cool but that kinda fizzled out after she pulled the urinary catheter out of me. lol youch
Just a random thought, I wonder if it's possible for Dramabeans to put up the episode with 1 picture so us beanies can start discussions right away until the recap comes in? If it's a horrible idea then forget I said anything. lol
Family. Avatar. Starbucks. Catheter out. It's the little things that add up that we sometimes take for granted. Glad things are looking up.
About the pre-recap idea - it sort of negates the whole reason for this blog and the way/style the owners/authors have set it up. We respond to what they offer.
This kdrama season is quite an amazing one. Usually I follow probably 1 or 2 dramas and if i'm lucky i will be addicted to one of them. But this time I'm watching and addicted to 4 dramas. I feel like heaven has fallen on my lap (top).
So my addictions are:
Fated to love you (crazy addicted. I think JNR is playing one of my most detested type of characters in such a lovely way that I am head over heels in love with her now. And OMG Uri hero is so freaking adorable! )
You're all surrounded (My first Lee seung gi drama)
Hi School love on! - so sweet!
Joseon Gunman (This isnt a surprise - I love sagueks without too much court drama and this hits all the right spots for me. And I just adore LJK)
I'm also watching
Fated to love you: I was addicted to this till they went makjang. I love the concept - i think the whole "in love with the same guy but a different version of him" is very unique and could have had some lovely romantic angst. But they completely ruined it by not focusing on this.
I wish they remake it into korean and do a better job.
Can't say I can enjoy much drama watching this past week. I've been glued to the tragedies happening around the world, especially in the MidEast. I don't know about anyone else but when women, children, and the disabled are being killed by the hundreds, IT IS NOT OKAY. I can't fathom why most of the world has turned a blind eye to the situation there, which has been going on for decades. Where is the humanity? Why can't we all live in peace, regardless of our religious and ethnic differences?
And then the MH17 crash. My God, how horrible. Malaysia barely came back from the missing MH370 plane and now this. What is the world coming to?
I don't know what I can do except to offer my prayers for all. :(
Sadly, I don't think the situation will ever truly improve. Too many people feel wronged, and with good reason. I can only hope the future is better....
HSKOS: Loving it. Moment of truth coming right at us.
MND: Need to watch ep 4. All kinds of love triangles ?
Trot Lovers: Just for my lovely Eun-ji. I loath lazy writers.
FTLY: Jang Nara ! She's a delight to watch.
Roommate: 2 wks behind. Will watch for Nana & Ga-yeon
Might check out Temptation.
J dramas:
Wakamonotachi; Can't lose with a cast like this. Ep 2 was full of surprises.
Ginnikan: 1st episode is good so far. Son of a samurai is orphaned and is "adopted" into a agar merchant's "family". Yay, features the wonderful child actress Ashida Mana.
Hi John!
I agree that Eun Ji is by far the best thing about Trot Lovers. I can imagime myself attending her concert and I tell you, it doesn't happen often in case of Korean pop singers/bands,
I also find myself waiting for the handsome CEO to put on his nail ring and murder somebody, which is an amusing feeling.
It's like the writers fill in the blanks on a K drama template. Pick 5 tropes, mix, ta-da !
Son Ho-Jun and Shin Bo-Ra are being wasted. Bo-Ra is funny and a good singer, what is her character's purpose? His character? Ho-jun keeps getting blah roles. His Beyond The Clouds role was flat too. I think he's better than what they're giving him. A love triangle with the coach? WTH?
Team Evil's plots are all foiled by Geun-Woo anyways, so why not do it in a comedic fashion ? Geun-Woo's a funny character, so play on that strength. Anyways, I was hoping for more.
Yes, Haitai is totally wasted. This show lined up a lot of side characters with potential (esp President Dad) and has done nothing with them. Very disappointing. Unlike HSKS where the range of characters are almost exploding off the screen (I'm especially partial to the two school buddies).
It's been an awful week, I can't stand watching the news any more. First the Gaza situation (which disgusts me beyond belief, as excuses continue to be made and the so-called civilised world sits quietly by) and now the plane.....god rest those poor souls.
It's been a quiet week in kdrama for me - I only watched Triangle, Joseon Gunman and a few episodes of Let's Eat. Triangle still does that weird thing where it's slow and people talk too much, but I'm still hooked because of the brothers and the OTP.
Joseon Gunman - I'm totally hit by Second Lead Syndrome....for the female second lead. She has so much depth and presence that she didn't even need her backstory to make her interesting, but this is one show where I'm glad the plot takes precedence over romance, at least for now. I can tolerate Soo-in now, but only as long as she keeps the birdbrain voice and mannerisms in check.
But the real stars of the hour (besides the always-amazing Jeon Hye-bin) were Lee Jun-ki and Kim Hyun-soo as the siblings. For a kid with so little screentime, she's a champ at leaving a strong impression, is good at emoting, and she has adorable oppa-dongsaeng chemistry with Lee Jun-ki. And oppa is SO GOOD.
My respect for Lee Jun-ki has always been sky-high because he never coasted on his incredible good looks but instead gives 100 percent to his performances. Even as his fan, I always admit he isn't perhaps as naturally gifted an actor as some, but he produces performances as great as they do by sheer dint of hard work and committing to his role in every way. And when it comes to sageuks, he has earned his place as one of the best - plus he just keeps getting better with age. I'm so glad the ratings are in the double digits now and I hope they continue to rise - he deserves a proper mainstream successful drama after his comeback.
Let's Eat - I really adore this slice-of-life drama and everyone in it. I'm particularly impressed by the two young actors, Yoon So-hee and Yoon Doo-joon - one is from SM Entertainment and the other is an idol, but they fit their roles so perfectly, I hope to see them as true leads in more mainstream acting projects one day. (also Yoon Doo-joon is ridiculously handsome). And I love love LOVE Soo-kyung and her relationship with Barasshi, her dog.
Let's Eat was a great pleasure to watch. I usually dislike pets in dramas, where they appear only to boost the cute factor without much thought behind it, but here the presence of Barassi was meaningful and well thought of.
From the human ensamble I was a fan of Lawyer Oh :)
I nearly died of laughter during the Troublemaker noraebang scene , by that time I'd realised the Beast connection and the blatant fanservice but she killed me :D.
Let's Eat is one of those shows that would be great even without a love line, it's the first time I've seen a kdrama where the characters' connections actually feel organic and well done without needing the usual kdrama tropes.
I know nothing about Beast and didn't get any meta jokes, but I still loved it. To tell the truth, I am not going to research on this subject ;P
I liked that the romance wasn't there just to be there because it should, but we rather saw the characters in process of developing and realizing their feelings for others.
Another revelation was the fact that the second female lead, although a silly-ish girl, was still capable of thinking on her own, thus she grew as a person instead of staying the bitter, jealous, stupid second female lead, that I had believed she would be. Very nice writing on that part and very good acting, too!
Totally agree with your first paragraph...it's frankly very disturbing how yesterday's tragedy is being squabbled over when it's just proving even more how humanity is deteriorating. Those poor people on board...oh, it is so very very sad. And the airline...to have had the disappearance only a few months before and to have this now? -.-
Definitely agree with you on Joseon Gunman and Lee Jun-ki...I'm so happy that Jun-ki's finally getting the ratings he deserves! It's kinda shocking to me that Arang was the very first drama I saw of his, but he's continued to impress me since.
I still gotta watch Let's Eat. It's been on my backburner for a while now...! haha ;P
It really is awful, and we're all helpless to do anything but watch. 2014 has been such an awful year for tragedies - the missing plane, Sewol, those poor Nigerian girls, and now this. What are we coming to?
I'm glad the Joseon Gunman ratings are picking up, and come next week I expect it to take the top slot - I hope! Arang is criminally underrated and one of the most uniquely conceptualised dramas I've ever seen in terms of worldbuilding and mystery-solving, but JG has its own charms and if it gets Princess Man-like ratings I'll be happy.
btw, a word of warning about Let's Eat...keep some food handy, you'll get hungry watching the cast eat all the time!
I love Lee Soo-Kyung's food obsession – and how she's totally unapologetic about it. It's at a sort of Nodame-level, in a way. And not the usual thing for dramas.
Yoon Doo-joon just nails the role. He's just his character.
Yoon So-hee was lovely because her role was quite interesting – seemingly typical, but not developing in the usual connect-the-dots ways. She's in Marriage Not Dating, but her role there is copy-paste from other dramas. Not her fault though, as she just hasn't been given anything interesting to work with.
Thanks for pointing me to the blog. I hope the author is still recapping it though - so far it's only up till episode 6. Me just need to read what people say and to vent a bit.
I am done with J Gunman. I loved the poster. I waited impatiently for the first episode. I still like the actors and actresses. The writing is what I'm frustrated with. So I'm done. I won't be getting on the recap thread saying this, because I believe recaps threads are for those watching the shows. (I don't know, it's a courtesy thing--or basic manners. I don't bash shows that others like on their own threads.) But here, on the open thread, may I just (politely) say that I'm disappointed and if it gets better (starts making s.e.n.s.e), somebody tell me. Thanks.
I think there is nothing wrong with sharing your impressions, positive or negative. If the recap comment sections consisted only of praises, it would be boring. I would say, it's ok to criticize - to say what is wrong and why it is wrong.
Sometimes, I need to vent my anger when a show promises to be something and doesn't deliver - I think it is fair to say it out loud that you feel cheated of an hour of your life.
But then, being a non-native speaker I am not sure whether I get the difference between criticizing and bashing.
Nothing wrong with saying you don't like it, or expressing your frustration.
I love the show, myself, but I think it's extremely immature for fans to yell at people who show even a hint of criticism towards what they like. A recap's comment section is for comments, not only for fangirling.
I thought episode 8 was better than the rest so far, but I do share your concerns about some of the writing, especially for the female lead.
Agree with you about those who attack those showing some criticism, it is very immature of them just because they're such fangirling and not taking any sort of comments besides those that support their line of thinking. And they're the ones that spout "but everybody's got their own opinion, you shouldn't force your thoughts down my throat, blah blah blah."
It reminds me of that person who was attacking you on the Triangle thread just because they don't like DalHee and thought you were attacking them just because you pointed out they were blatantly posting spoilers for the next ep! Or those random users who don't come here for dramas but hog the comment boards on an upcoming drama (unfortunately) starring that "actor"-that-shall-not-be-named *ughhhhh*
Hey feel free to bash away! I like when people talk bad about the shows I love, makes me think in another direction, it's fun. :)
NO, not JG. This I don't like much but I'm sticking for LJK which like I said above I don't even consider a good actor and is often frustrating me to see him struggle and use the same expressions over and over. And yet I stick around, does that make me an even bigger fan ??? :P
If you ever feel like, let us know exactly all that does not make a lick of sense for you. :) How bad can it be? I only watched 2 eps of Doctor Stranger but no way nothing could lack more logic for me than that. :)
Roommates is starting to tick me off. I like watching it but I really despise how they do those deceptive previews. This last episode showed some clips of what seems to be a real problem (with crying cast members to boot) and after watching it, it wasn't even on that episode. Stuff like that really undermines the integrity of the show. It feels like one of those used car sales adds where they show a really great deal on a car but when you show up to the lot, they are always sold out.
I feel like I have to share some more North Korean comedy to lighten up the mood, considering that North Korea is not a happy place.
Funniest thing is that North Korea has actually sent an official request to China to take the video down http://youtu.be/OIxqaqQUZFs
I follow North Korea pretty close (have been for years), and hard to find much that is funny about it, but that video certainly is, and Pyongyang is furious about it.
It is girls like her that give me hope for the future.
How could anyone not admire someone that hiked 400 miles across the Gobi desert at 15 years old in below zero weather, and not wonder about their own priorities.
Speaking of WTF (!!!) dramas, this series just now got posted to Drama Fever: "When Heaven Burns" - "..When an accident leaves them stranded on a mountain, Ka Ming dies and his friends resort to cannibalism for survival.."
Oh. So THAT'S what took the place of High School King of Savvy. (Yes. I can see the meeting now.
Drama Fever Exec: We can only afford to purchase one of these two dramas.
Drama Fever Buyer: Well, what would you rather watch, a high school hockey player who pretends to be his older brother as a businessman, or a bunch of people who eat dead friends?
Drama Fever Exec: No contest. Buy the cannibalistic one!
Yes. I'm sure it happened just that way. (Stupid Drama Fever.)
Reminds me of the Alfred Packer story in the late 1800 in Colorado. According to the story, at his trial the judge said, "Damn you, Alferd Packer! There were seven Demmycrats in Hinsdale County and you et five of 'em!"
I can still clearly picture the scene in the wax museum in Colorado Springs of Packer hunched over a campfire - very traumatizing to a 9 year old! The U of Colorado grill is named after him.
Oh my goodness. I grew up in Boulder,CO and CU infamously named their student center the Alfred Packer Grill haha. Have you heard this folk song which is a humorous take on his story.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKYuJneq_sE
Marriage, Not Dating and Fated to Love You are my favorite dramas (and the only ones I'm seriously keeping up with) this season. They both have something in common I adore: female leads I'm in love with and seem real and a dynamic between the main couple that I love as well.
I like that Jang-Mi is in that fabled in-between of the crazy bitch and candy sweetheart. She just goes head first into things and feels everything with her whole heart and doesn't hold back. And it causes problems and may be embarrassing for other parties but she doesn't care. But she's a nice well meaning girl. She's a humanized second-lead character really, the type that is persistent and you want her to just go away and let the lead couple be. But she's the lead now ^^
And Mi Young isn't just a doormat. When people have crossed the line she'll say so, but she's a sweet accommodating person so her line isn't where most people's are. I cry when she cries and I'm happy when she is. Jang Nara is REALLY nailing this performance.
Anyone watching Endless Love? It is set in Korea 70s - 80s. Quite interesting times. Haven't come across a kdrama exploring that time. Would you know anyone blogging it? I'm interested in that period and I am wondering whether the script points to certain facts and events in RL at that time.
It is one I watch parts of - I kind of decided the lead lady was an idiot with no sense of self preservation at all. It takes place in the pre-democracy period, before 1987, and the main events are true - but it is after a drama so it follows history pretty loosely.
It was a pretty turbulent time n Korea and one seldom depicted, so have been watching once in a while just for that reason.
Yup, it was an interesting time in Korean history, but the show... well not so much. After first couple episodes I pretty much gave up and just sampled a couple of the later ones with a lot of fast forwarding.
I wonder what makes an era interesting centuries or even just decades from now. We have saguek dramas still entertaining us. Pre democracy issues, as you live them, they are heart wrenching. In saguek, we find human interest in the heroes and love surviving palace intrigues. It must be that we have lukewarm interest on what we have gone through and find in historical dramas some interesting escape hatches. We even find heroines or women better portrayed than current ones. In the future, how can the era of 70s-90s be interesting to the millenials? How will they view the time we are living now? How will hope find its portrayal in dark times?
I've been reading alot of comments where people say that certain recent dramas have renewed their love for kdramas, or they have been in a kdrama viewing rut for awhile...etc, etc.
Those of you that have been feeling that way (now or in the recent past), what do you think were the factors in kdramas that made you feel that way? Or just why did you feel that way?
First of all I was very spoiled because my first 3 dramas in order were Coffee Prince, 49 Days and MGIAG. Those 3 remain fantastic for me and always belong to my top 10 so it was hard to beat them but that after I kept loving many other dramas until 2013.
In 2012 there were many duds but also some gems to compensate while in 2013 was when the rut happened because a LOT of dramas disappointed me so much after a promising start and one after the other!
I think the only consistently good one for me was IHYV last year. Let's Eat was also good though could have been even better.
Pulled yet another all-nighter.... this time, the first 5 episodes of Sly Cunning Woman. I meant to watch just the first episode but then the episodes kept pulling me in and pulling me in. I was really oblivious as to the space time continuum when the rays of dawn hit me and I was on episode 5...
LMJ is not exactly new to me but she totally surprised me here. I was shocked by how comfortable she looked and felt in her role.
Really, really funny, with opposing points of view and heartache, it is a joy to watch.
Some parts of the first five episodes are hilarious, and anyone who has seen ToW (Temptation of Wife - all 122 or so episodes) like myself will be find this drama near and dear. I generally tire at meta references but this one was a complete hoot.
I alternatively root for and against all of the main characters, a testament to how balanced the whole drama is. I love it.
What a year 2014 is turning out to be for dramas.
Looks like I picked a good year to come back to the motherland.
First I saw Love From Another Star, and that was really good. Then I saw Master's Sun, and that was really good (maybe better). Then I saw Dr. Stranger and it too was gripping and fun to watch.
Then I searched and watched a bunch of other dramas but could not get into them (Triangle, Trot, YAAS, Hotel King, New Leaf, Heirs from last year, etc.) and could not get into them.
But I gave Fated one shot and was hooked, and in the meantime, I found Witch's Romance and now Sly Cunning Woman, both really fun to watch.
That's like 6 fun dramas in the span of about 6 weeks! An amazing stretch!
Witch's Romance was cuter than expected! The ending was a little hokey and played out, but it was satisfying and fun (a little bit more aegyo than I would care to see, but whatevs). I would recommend it.
As for Sly Cunning Woman, I am on Ep 8 (finished), and it rocks. Better than Love From Another Star, better than Dr. Stranger, better than Witch's Romance. Better than Master's Sun? Maybe? Better than Fated to Love you? Maybe.
Current Drama rankings for 2014:
1a. Sly Cunning Woman (tie)
1b. Fated To Love You (tie)
1c. Master's Sun (tie).
4. Love From Another Star
5. Witch's Romance
6. Dr. Stranger
7. Joseon Gunman
*** Watchable / Not Watchable Line
8. Trot Lovers (halfway through, not enthused)
9. You Are All Surrounded (if I don't finish, would the tree in the forest make a sound?)
10. Triangle (annoying characters are not a good way to entice people to watch).
11. Hotel King (the tragedy of LDH and LDW as actors, and LDH in her choices, is only surpassed by the lameness of this drama).
I have no opinion of New Leaf; have not started it yet.
Still, with so many good dramas out there, what a wonderful drama year 2014 is turning into!
![[Beanie Review] The Midnight Studio](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MidnightStudio_reviewb.jpg)
![[K-drama Treasure Hunt] Male leads jumping over a couch](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Kdrama-treasure-hunt.png)
![[Beanie Recs] Lee Yi-kyung, please](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/BeanieRecs.jpg)
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1 ocommon
July 18, 2014 at 6:13 AM
Happy Friday to all! :D
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p_d
July 18, 2014 at 7:16 AM
Happy Friday to you too!
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2 alua
July 18, 2014 at 6:15 AM
Yesterday was an awfully depressing day.
Friend of mine posted this poem on FB, which is about as much reflection I can handle today.
“So long as that woman from the Rijksmuseum
in painted quiet and concentration
keeps pouring milk day after day
from the pitcher to the bowl
the World hasn’t earned
the world’s end.”
—
"Vermeer" by Wislawa Szymborska, Nobel prize laureate (1996).
"Happy Friday" feels a bit off, so all I can say is everyone take good care of yourselves & loved ones.
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Tulipsaki
July 18, 2014 at 6:21 AM
Omo, I forgot what happened!
So, so upsetting.
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 6:31 AM
I keep getting sucked into the live updates on the Guardian... plus, I follow a couple of reporters on Twitter (including a high school classmate that used to report from Russia for 5 years) so I can't get it out of my head. Specially now that some profiles of victims have been appearing. That family where the grandpa took the three kids back to Australia so they would make it in time for school, while their parents stayed for a few extra days in Holland. Can you imagine the feeling of the parents? Heartbreaking.
Sigh.
Plus the Mideast.
My faith in humanity is pretty close to zero at the moment...
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redfox
July 18, 2014 at 6:40 AM
omg alua hang in there. I am just screaming silently inside my head and just want to smash the whole world to pieces. I cant beleive. the new level of absolute evil. but what angers me most is that it was done by IDIOTS who didnt even know what they were shooting at. the ones being supported by Putins´Russia are morons, low criminals with no strategy, no intelligence. they got some radars from their d***head friend, and just start shooting wherever. what next? just launching them hewre and there? what if next they think, he, lets destroy Berlin? London? no one will ever punsih us and Putin will push the blame on Ukraine. gosh. if I got my hands on the people behind this I would just strangle them with my bare hands. seriously.
I am about to explode. I can´t take it.
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Enz
July 18, 2014 at 7:27 AM
I was just so so sad when i woke up to the news. And i remembered you, redfox, talking about putin here.
Madness elsewhere affecting people all around the world.
Coming so soon after MH 370, our country really feels traumatised by this new disaster.
alua
July 18, 2014 at 7:28 AM
I don't think strangling anyone would help though. Then you just get the Mideast. 3 boys dead. 1 burned. A civilian who brings food killed. 4 children by a missile on the beach. (I'm not keeping count and I don't care about the nationalities. I think it's all senseless. This is as much I'll say since it's such a terribly sensitive topic.)
:-/
redfox
July 18, 2014 at 8:14 AM
yeah, I know, alua. I know it wont solve anything. but I cants stand lies, injustice, twisting of truth, I hate cowards who push their mistakes on others, political games when all they should be doing is cry for all of them.
I am gonna go pick blackcurrants.
gosh I dunno how we can...
Julia the Berkshire Beanie
July 18, 2014 at 1:53 PM
Redfox, you were the first person I thought of when I heard of MH17. Alua, I've been at the Guardian too. The news is staggering. I don't want to say more, just I'm sad and worried.
Watching Fated to Love You.
Glossika Mass Sentences released their Korean Fluency series this week. Plan is to listen/speak/write sentences over the next 8 months. The start of a new daily habit.
Tulipsaki
July 18, 2014 at 6:53 AM
Yikes, I can't imagine at all.
I hope all the airlines change their routes now.
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shukmeister
July 18, 2014 at 6:25 AM
Alua -
{{ hugs }}
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 6:44 AM
Oh yes I just saw! That's what I get for being all outdated on news here in china. Such a bad thing and devestaed for the people involved. hope they figure out what happened quickly just to get an answer.
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korfan
July 18, 2014 at 6:46 AM
alua -
There's certainly a lot of disheartening news lately ...... every piece of news either more sad or tragic than the one before.
Feeling sad is understandable.
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Quiet Thought
July 19, 2014 at 3:51 PM
Our condolences from the next continent over. We only had one person on board, poor soul.
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3 soprection
July 18, 2014 at 6:17 AM
Hi beanies! Happy weekend.
So let’s talk about Marriage Not Dating! (This will be long.)
I’m really enjoying it! I laughed SO hard at episodes 3 and 4 (more so than I've laughed at a drama ever, I think) from KiTae handing JangMi He’s Just Not That Into You when she wondered why Jinwoon’s character was so hot and cold with her (she could really use that book!) to KiTae crashing their date to JangMi’s victory dance when she finished the jeon to her beating KiTae with a fish. I know a lot of people had issues with Jang Mi’s character because she can certainly go overboard (sneaking over to the restaurant to look for YeoReum– seriously, girlfriend needs to chill) and I do think that at times, she is played a bit broadly like when she walked into KiTae’s apartment and immediately jumped from thing to thing like a child but strangely enough, I don’t find her annoying. I cringe at times at the things she does and says but I don’t think she’s shallow or an airhead which is how I expected them to play her character and I think she’s got some great redeeming factors like she cares a lot about people and she’s earnest and she’s honest. Of course, she usually goes too far with all of those things but we all have our faults.
I also love that she and KiTae are pretty much diametrically opposed when it comes to relationships. I usually have a hard time getting into the main pairing but I love that they both call each other out on their flaws and their banter is so quick, hysterical and brutally honest. You can really see how they can eventually help each other find a middle ground where KiTae isn’t so aloof and guarded and JangMi doesn’t throw herself so completely into her relationships and obsess over her latest paramour. KiTae can definitely be harsh and jerky towards her (although he’s like that with everyone) but I can relate to his character in terms of being very guarded and having your hackles raise when someone gets too close so I can see what motivates his actions even if I don’t agree with them. (He really needs to be nicer to JangMi.) I do wonder how the show plans to have his family eventually accept JangMi now that so much damage has already been done. I loved JangMi calling out Kitae and his family for their rudeness and disregard and Kitae’s mother for her martyrdom (even though it was crazy rude) but I really felt that she went too far bringing the infidelity into it. Some things just need to be left off the table. (Also how does she not realize that everyone in the immediate family around knew?! This is how rich Korean drama families work! The patriarch steps out on his wife all the time and she just deals with it.) I also liked Kitae realizing that the way he treats people is not that different from his mother when he sees how her scolding of JangMi mirrors his own. Also did you notice him following Jang Mi just the way his family does to him? Apple, tree, folks.
And finally, why does KiTae claim to be financially...
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soprection
July 18, 2014 at 6:23 AM
...continued:
Honestly I don’t know what to think about YeoReum and HyunHee. Do they really like the people that they’re making moves on? HyunHee seems more like a frienemy and she kind of seems like a golddigger since she only became interested in Hoon Dong when she found out he was rich - but then she stood up for Jang Mi to Hoon Dong at the club so I don’t know. I also don’t know WHY JangMi thinks it’s a good idea to start dating YeoReum when KiTae’s family is so crazy and stalker-y. I know she expected the ruse to end soon but couldn’t she have waited a few days until things were officially over between them before she jumped into a relationship with him?
And finally, why does KiTae claim to be financially dependent on his family when he’s a successful plastic surgeon with his own hospital? He should be rolling in dough – and yet his apartment is still under his (estranged) mother’s name? Why? It really confuses me. KiTae’s apartment is so gorgeous, by the way. I would fight tooth and nail to live in a place like that too. Also SeAh said something about how she and KiTae were married? Or engaged, maybe? Definitely want to hear more about that as well.
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Because of Reasons
July 18, 2014 at 7:19 AM
Marriage, not Dating! I love that show so much I can't even tell you. I think it's so great. If you're on Tumblr, you should follow the Marriage, Not Dating tag -- so many people are writing wonderful, funny, thought-provoking things about that show.
Among the many things I love about it are exactly the questions you've posed about the secondary characters. I like that we're not sure what their motivations are, or how they relate to the main characters, if they're nice or not nice. I like the ambiguity, and the way we are left curious about who these people are and what they're up to and how they fit in the story, instead of everyone's character and role being spelled out clearly from the start.
As for Gi Tae and the situation with his family. I don't think he's financially dependent on his family generally, just with regards to the apartment. It seems from one of the flashbacks we've seen that it's the home he grew up in? I think his parents own the apartment or the lease or whatever, and no matter how much money he has he can't make his mother sell it to him if she doesn't want to. And she obviously doesn't want to, because it's probably the last real hold she has over him at this point. Now that you mention it, I bet the end of the story is going to involve some kind of resolution of the apartment issue between Gi Tae and his mom.
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soprection
July 18, 2014 at 8:08 AM
Oh, I used to have a Tumblr but I deleted it about a year ago. I want to hear the funny, insightful things too! I'm happy to hear that people are talking about it though and enjoying it. I think it's so good and laugh out loud funny and I think it subverts a lot of the typical K-drama tropes. Maybe I’ll make a new one for dramas.
I see what you're saying about the secondary characters and I like that too. Everyone seems layered and not like archetypes. It's like "oh, you think YeoReum's just a shameless flirt - but wait, there's more! He's passionate about food and wants to be a chef. He has some connection to SeA. He might genuinely like JangMi!" Just when you think you have the characters figured out, a new layer gets unveiled.
Okay, your entire last paragraph makes total sense. I did notice that flashback of little KiTae in the same bed so it does appear to be his childhood home.
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 7:25 AM
A couple of what would normally be a tired clichés I thought were really funny - like I think this is the first drama I have seen where the girl gives the guy a piggyback ride.
In some parts it seems like this drama is a cliché on clichés (if that make sense), as it takes some all too common ones and turns them around.
Right now this is only one of the two k-dramas that I am watching, the other is Fated to Love You. (Also watching Love On, but that is Fridays only). Pretty much totally dropped all others.
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soprection
July 18, 2014 at 8:29 AM
Haha, same about the piggyback. I love that JangMi's no shrinking violet. She also grabbed his wrist and dragged him outside when he crashed her date with YeoReum. (Not that the wrist grab is something I want to see more of, but it's definitely the first time I've ever seen a girl do it.)
I really think that the show is doing that on purpose. Even with the characters - they could all easily devolve into classic K-drama roles (the overbearing mother, the mean ex girlfriend, the jerky male lead) but they're doing a good job of humanising them so that we see their good sides as well as their faults. It's one of the reasons that I like JangMi and KiTae's rapport - he's so blinded by his issues with his mother that he can't see that she isn't all bad and she does mean well in her own misguided way but JangMi has no qualms pointing that out to him.
It makes me wonder how much input TvN has in the scripts for their shows because I kind of saw that happening in Witch's Romance as well. Not to say that it didn't occasionally fall prey to cliches but generally they seemed to be trying hard to show something different. The main couple in Witch's Romance had really open, honest conversations with each other and cleared up misunderstandings so quickly. And their parents were generally nice and considerate and actually cared about their kids! It was like things were upside down.
I'm only watching this show right now but I might give Fated to Love You a try, although I wasn't a fan of the original. People seem to have a lot of good to say about this one.
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 9:14 AM
I think there've been a fair few dramas where the girl-piggybacks-the-guy.
Coffee Prince I think? Though that was gender-inverted. Not sure if there have been any with girl-girl piggybacking guy-guy.
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 2:45 PM
I vaguely recall a couple where she *tried* to, but only got a few feet and/or made a big deal of it.
What made this one different is that she made it look like it was something she did all the time - she just casually picked him up and took off.
snow
July 18, 2014 at 8:25 AM
I'm totally in love with Marriage Not Dating and Yeon Woo Jin ♥
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soprection
July 18, 2014 at 9:37 AM
I wasn't familiar with Yeon Woo Jin before watching the show but he is really growing on me. He's also very good-looking in an understated way.
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Chandler
July 18, 2014 at 10:46 AM
I've been a fan of Yeon Woo Jin for a while, having adored him in Ojakkyo Bros., but I was never attracted to him on a personal level. In this though...there is just something he's doing or maybe it's the character, who knows, but it is WORKING. I am smitten.
snow
July 18, 2014 at 12:40 PM
Same here....I hadn't seen any of his shows before MND but he is so winning here....
Chandler
July 18, 2014 at 10:41 AM
I'm loving Marriage, Not Dating!!! I'm loving it so much that I'm watching it instead of posting an open thread response this week LOL!
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dalia
July 18, 2014 at 1:38 PM
I LOVE MARRIAGE, NOT DATING!!
I am so surprised how much i like it too. i wasn't expecting it. but i am truly addicted. it's the one dramai am watching that i look forward to the most every week!!!
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a_diva
July 18, 2014 at 7:32 AM
Glad to hear this show is funny. I saw an ad for the show somewhere & liked the title & thought the plot summary sounded interesting. I've been meaning to check it out ever since but there's so many dramas & so little time. I'll def add it to the watch list now though!
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soprection
July 18, 2014 at 8:56 AM
I definitely recommend it. It airs over the weekends and I think it's a perfect weekend show - very light and funny and a little silly and odd.
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4 zakin89
July 18, 2014 at 6:18 AM
Happy OT
OMG GERMANY DID IT =) I was ecstatic and mom and I screamed on top of our lungs when Götze scored^^ The cup stays in Europe and all is well =) I am just so glad they won bc they ARE a team! And there was so much cute after the ceremony with the kids of Klose, Podolski etc… Highlight: Podolski playing with his son in the empty stadium and the remaining German fans cheering for his son <3
Trot Lovers: Soo In and her mom can go to hell! Geun Woo you adorable thing you I’m sorry to say it but you don’t stand a chance against Joon Hyun. I hate the noble idiot route JH is going BUT all hope is not lost! It’ll just show Chun Hee how much she needs him and that she likes him too! But JH I need a word with you… You can’t just break up the adorable makeshift family you created! Just not cool! Drama continues to rock and it gets me right in the heart =) And whenever Eunji sings I’m cutting onions :P
HS King: Oh what a nice cliff-hanger at the end of ep 10!
My heart bleeds for Jin Woo and as assy he behaved towards Min Suk and Soo Young I just want to hug him and give him the affection he so clearly needs! JW is a really interesting character and I’m totally rooting for him though he does things that make it not so easy.
YAAS: I’m gonna miss them so much =( But THANK YOU for busting Yoo Moon Bae! I was screaming at my screen in the last episode whenever he was there -.-
That kiss of Soo Sun and Dae Gu though *rawr*
Joseon Gunman: MOAR! Lee Jun Ki in his gunman clothes is just… unbelievably hot! Also he is very, very pretty! But other than that I like that tensions are running high and I can’t wait for the next episodes =)
Marriage not Dating: This keeps getting better and better! With Gunman my new crack =) Han Groo is AWESOME and her drunk Nemo bit was amazingly hilarious :D And can I just say again how much I love Ki Tae’s grandma! Getting drunk on makgeolli and then sleeping it off at the hospital^^ Let the fun continue!
FTLY: So insane I love it^^ Jang Nara must be the most adorable woman in the whole wide world and you can just root for her character! (I love those glasses)
And can I just say that I was fully expecting Geon to belt out ‘Creep’ when he was singing!^^
High School Love On: ADORABLE! Kim Sae Ron rocks! I just hope they don’t go too much love line and more oppa-dongsaeng bc that would make it more comfortable to watch but we’ll have to see.
Variety:
RM: Oh Ryu Seung Soo you adorable ahjussi :D A nice episode with much cast interaction and bickering and I love it when the guests just blend in like RSS does! You can see that they are on really good terms with each other which makes it seem like he’s been part of he cast for a long time!
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 6:55 AM
Marriage not dating: The granma is hillarious. Think I've enjoyed her in all things I've seen her in.
RM: Ep 204 was a good one indeed. Loved RSS on it as well. Also loved how the 4th wall was broken in the begining with them ruining each others "entry" into the mirror.
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 7:26 AM
LOL - I almost died at the drunk Nemo scene, almost wondered if she was really going to toss into the fry pan. :D
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Athena
July 18, 2014 at 8:22 AM
This is my first time commenting on an OT, but I really had to see if someone posted about the HSKS ciffhanger.
Fuck. That was my reaction because not only is THE cat out of the bag, but they ALL just jumped out like a catsunami. I was thinking that this show has too many secrets where half the people don't know the connection with the other half and I always thought the second half of the show would be all about revealing them one by one. But THIS. Wow.
And the other office romance. I was like no, don't be the jerk who force-kisses the girl, but then she jumped his bones right after and I did a spit take.
Oh, and like you said, I don't hate JW per se, that dude comes with his own set of problems, but I do not in anyway like his frigging coping mechanism and in no way does he deserve Soo Young after his asshole-ry.
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Jig
July 18, 2014 at 11:01 AM
I had the same reaction to JW. I wouldn't want to forgive anyone who force kisses anyone, BUT I do see how he would with all his problems and that I can see how he will regret and maybe redeem himself down the road.
I am still not really on board with the leads' romance. I Hear Your Voice got me on board with noona romances, but I still don't quite buy it in this show. I'm not too worried about the cliffhanger in Ep. 10 because in the first episode we see that Soo Young is obviously okay with the double identity and helping him manage it. It is just a matter of whether their romance lasts because of it, which again I'm not all that invested in in the first place, and how long it takes for her to be okay with it.
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 11:40 AM
Not to mention the reveal that Hubby Lee and Office Romance Man is the same guy for two sisters. Nothing is harder to resolve than that.
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Jig
July 19, 2014 at 10:06 AM
I have faith in their relationship and the writers that it won't go too melodramatic in resolving that problem. If they were to be rational (I know that doesn't really coincide with kdramas but I have hope), neither could have possibly known that the guy is the same and can't blame each other. I can see them get mad at him more than each other but that might not make for interesting television...
windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 2:49 PM
LOL @ "catsunami" - and it fits perfectly. Like, "screw just letting the cat out of the bag, lets go for a whole freaking herd of cats".
I think what I am loving about this show is how it is turning so many of the standard k-drama tropes and clichés backwards - and after seeing so many, I think that is their intention - a way to insert a little sarcasm into the whole genre of k-dramas.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:16 PM
I was rooting for Germany to win - they're a great young team, lovely individuals, and have been so good for the last 6 years, it's good to see their efforts rewarded with such success even if I remain a Spain supporter (La Roja will rise again, yes they will). Congratulations to them and all their fans!
(and as Korean netizens call him, Basti-hyung really went all out for his team, even shed blood to get this cup)
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zakin89
July 18, 2014 at 2:00 PM
Yeah it all started with Klinsmann and Löw did an amazing job afterwards. Not to mention that yes they are great individual players but they just work really well as a team! And their tweets showed that they had a good time =)
I felt so bad for Spain! You know I'm always rooting for the European teams (+ Korea^^) so it's sad to see them eliminated so early but Spain... Oh my they were not themselves this tournament... Casillas (one of my most favourite goalies) was a mess in the match against Holland -.- It was painful to watch but as you said they will rise again :)
Really?! Basti-hyung? That's adorable^^ I felt so bad for him in the final :( But what a great fighting spirit =)
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 2:14 PM
I was almost in tears during the Spain-Chile match, it was awful to see him brought so low - I've always had a soft spot for goalies from the days of Fabien Barthez, and Iker was and is one of my favourites of all time. I just hope his career does not take a permanent blow from this, and that the team gets new blood.
And yeah, they call him Basti-hyung, it's too cute! Though I guess since I'm a girl, it should be Basti-oppa, he really took a major beating in the final. But he's too, too cute.
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5 shukmeister
July 18, 2014 at 6:19 AM
Happy Friday, everyone!
I am still on my lakhorn kick, having finished Sanaeha Sunya Kaen. Not the greatest one by any means, but it wasn’t bad.
The happiest note is that I actually am completely caught up with SqueeCapping Fall In Love With (Both Of) Me. I think it’s the first time I managed to post before the next episode! I blame it on the fact that finally we are doing something more than moping and sighing and looking thoughtful. True, the Li family is still a bunch of psycho rich people, but I’m still hoping for a Meteorite Of Doom onto their house.
I also marathoned HSK this week, finishing all 10 episodes in 3 days. Ah, SIG, you are doing a bang-up job, with your expressions and body language. But….will I be beaten if I hope that Jin-woo and Soo-young end up together? Min-seok is a pretty confident stand-alone guy, but I can see how the other two’s internal wounds can be healed by each other. But I don’t want our young executive hockey player with Stalker either.
Joseon Gunman. [sigh]. This one has me glued to my monitor. Sadly, I have not watched ep 8 yet (darn that work/real life!), but I feel bad for his enforced isolation. True, he is a wanted treasonous criminal, but his bangs are so cute! And I’m glad he can confide in at least one other chingu, who is loyal if not the brightest lantern.
Rounding out the rest of my watches: Love Myself Or You as my other TWDrama (thumbs up for the food porn and the likeable characters), Roommate (yes I am lusting after Mama Shin, but with all due respect, he’s at least within a decade of my age ;-) ), Dok Ruk Rim Tang (a lakhorn about a girl who disguises herself as a boy and gets a job on her late father’s estate to find the missing will), and The Night Shift, in case I forget my own language. I still have yet to watch more than a smidgen of Trot Lovers, MND, or YAAS, which finished this week.
Previously, I polled everybody about their eating habits when it comes to a green-based salad. The responses were interesting when looked at from a global point of view. I have another one this week: What do you use as your primary starch? When I cook for myself, my primary meal is usually brown rice (mixed veggies, and mostly beef for my protein). My NYC-raised Italian mom almost always has pasta or noodles, along with that after-meal salad. :-) I imagine other people might use potatoes, or beans, or something. What do you use, if anything?
Anyway, it’s another platelet donation day, as well as a meet-up dinner day for me and another KDrama nut for soondae and bibimbap.
Take care, everyone!
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soprection
July 18, 2014 at 6:22 AM
The primary starch for my family is rice, although I'm not eating it right now cause I'm on a diet. Potatoes would be the second most common. Wheat is a starch too, right? Well, if so, we eat a lot of bread also ha.
Enjoy your soondae and bibimbap.
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shukmeister
July 18, 2014 at 6:29 AM
Soprection -
Thanks for the response! And, yes, bread is a starch too. Lol
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zakin89
July 18, 2014 at 6:45 AM
Oh that starch question is a really interesting one!
As for me (I'm Austrian btw) it has changed over the years. My family would eat a lot of noodles/pasta but little rice. Potatoes (also used to make dough for various dishes) and bread are also very common and I love them =) I especially love to bake my own bread ;)
But ever since I discovered my love for all things Korean we eat a lot of rice! I blame Bibimbap and Kimbap for that :P We try to eat more pasta again though bc we still have a lot of noodles in our storage room^^
But all that aside we do eat all kinds of starchy food without preferential treatment. Right now I'd say we have more potatoes and noodles than rice.
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kat
July 18, 2014 at 6:50 AM
my main starch is definitely rice. we alternate between types though: white jasmine, brown rice, or basmati. quinoa too.
pasta, noodles, potatoes and bread are a constant as well. :)
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Kat
July 18, 2014 at 6:52 AM
oh, forgot to mention. i'm from australia with an asian (filipino) background.
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korfan
July 18, 2014 at 6:54 AM
Shukmeister -
Let's see, regarding the starch question, I have to say it's a pretty even mix of everything you mentioned! ...... It's all yummy!
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 6:59 AM
Main starch: Traditionally in Norway its potatoes. Followed by pasta and rice. Personally I'd use rice more than potatoes, cause I just don't like them much. My family uses all of them, though brown rather than white rice. My grandma though pretty much only uses potatoes. Personally I use pasta more, but can also have dinners where I just cut out the starch all together.
While being in china we sometimes get double up for lunch time meals. There will be rice, and then a heavily potato filled course.
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kanz
July 18, 2014 at 7:08 AM
My main starch is definitely rice. But I really love noodles and all sorts of pasta. I could eat them everyday. Hahaha
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redfox
July 18, 2014 at 7:13 AM
potatoes give me a stomach ache. I eat rye bread, but not a lot. then buckwheat, which doesnt have much starch I think. less rice. oatmeal flour is one. but I eat more protein rich than starchy food. I use pea and coconut flour, almond flour etc
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Mystique
July 18, 2014 at 7:14 AM
In my family (Ukrainian), the primary starch is potatoes and bread (lots of them), rice would be a close third.
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 7:21 AM
Hi Shuk!
As I mentioned in your last poll, we have potatoes as an important part of dinner. My family replaces them with buckwheat or barley. We hardly ever have rice (maybe about 2-3 times a year). Noodles for dinner are my brother's favourite, so we have penne noodles when he visits home, but neither me nor my dad consider it "real"food. Empty carbohydrates, make us get hungry soon again. But my mom can't say no to her sons request, plus it's super quick and easy to prepare.
For other meals we have bread, but the one made from rye flour rather than of wheat flour. It is much tastier and healthier. My personal favourite is dark Lithuanian rye bread, but I also adore our local variety. And it is the reason why I haven't watched Baker King (and never will) - there is a Baker Queen, her name is Maria and she's been baking bread in our town for over 50 years.
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 1:49 PM
I laughed at your comment about not watching Baker King because of your Baker Queen ;P I watched it solely to learn baking (hahaha--who knew it would be a makjang-fest?? I didn't, seriously!). But what's even funnier is that I actually started baking off of what they did on the drama anyway...because I actually cook better off of watching someone and going through the motions. There was a time when I was baking bread every single day...in 90+ degree heat -.-
Alas, I live in an area where its not common to find a true bakery (everything's prepackaged or premanufactured, so nothing from scratch) so you're very lucky to live near a bakery with such a skilled craftsman/artist baking fresh bread :)
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 2:31 PM
It may seem absurd, but I have a hard time whenever I am abroad for longer and there is only something called bread, but obviously it is cotton wool - no taste, no texture, no nutritious value. As far as I know, bakeries in Korea go for that kind of bread - soft, tasteless, chemical. I couldn't take it seriously or even suspend my disbelief, it's like someone is working hard but towards a wrong goal.
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 5:13 PM
I think I know what you mean about those types of so-called "bread," I loathe those. I don't like my bread with that soft mealy texture--bread's gotta have some chew!!--and definitely not filled or simply be the tasteless vehicle for the filling!
But living in the 'burbs and nowhere near an artisan bakery, I suppose I'm doomed from having decent bread -.-
redfox
July 18, 2014 at 11:29 PM
kopytko, so true! for estonians it is really hard to go to some parts of France or USA, even though in a few parts of western and southern Europe there is sourdough bread as well, but not actual rye. I like Latvian fruit bread. But I make it just as well myself. I have been baking from my original starter for 9 years and I only buy from a few other bakers, when I am out of town.
I always say that white fluff some call bread tastes like that stuff you use when you install windows.
bread = leib, hleb
the white fluff = sai or in russian bulka
owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 9:07 AM
hmmm, starch. My least favorite is potatoes.
I'm Italian too, so pasta was a given for many years. I am partial to angel hair. But I think these days my #1 starch is rice - all varieties. I have replaced bread/tortillas with lettuce for wraps, so bread is low on the list. Plus there are no good bakeries in town and I don't make bread.
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Ek Ladhki Thi
July 18, 2014 at 10:08 AM
In my family, we're from Nigeria, we use Cassava as a main source of starch in many different variations. We make it into flakes (which we call garri) or powder (which we call fufu) there's also different ways to make it into powder depending on what you want as the finished product (you can get either lafun or amala as well from Cassava powder). Cooking Cassava itself is kinda bitter so we don't do that. We also have rice a lot.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:19 PM
main starch: for me, it's rice - usually brown rice. I occasionally eat bread and noodles/pasta and love them, but for a default meal option it's always rice. (cultural reasons too, I guess)
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 1:53 PM
I'm Korean, but born in the US and the only one in the family that's been accustomed to American tastes from since a toddler, haha. My family's primary source of starch is rice, my mom loves her noodles though (any kind - but especially rice and buckwheat).
My main source of starch is potatoes...so much so that I'm considered a potato monster! ;P haha. Up until a year ago, bread (any type) was my secondary source...as well as pasta. Been steering clear of them since I'm watching what I eat...and I've cut down on potatoes as well. Sweet potatoes (especially the Korean goguma and Okinawan purple) are my two faves.
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vanillasalt
July 18, 2014 at 3:52 PM
O.M.G!! Don't even mention Fall in love with Me it's so frusturating right now, it gets me annoyed! Literally Huan Huan and her family are dim-witted shit heads. I'm astounded with the way they treat Lu Tian Xing, they treat him like an object as if he were some doll with no affections. In the last couple episodes it was rreally frusturating to watch TLS bc she literally would just stand there and not do anything like no STOP CRYING GO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT JFC! And huan huan and lance are little bitches i hate them.
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Jill
July 18, 2014 at 5:27 PM
I'm Italian-American so we eat a ton of pasta in our family. I love a warm crusty loaf of french bread right out of the oven too. I find my rice intake has gone up astronomically since my discovery of Korean dramas.
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6 Manin
July 18, 2014 at 6:19 AM
Happy friday beanies!! Thanks to all who answered my question in name that drama.
My work has changed my time table again along with a lot of other things (so no new toddler stories this week). Starting o get nervouse about going to japan on my own on tuesday. Looking forward to it though.
This week has also ben taken over by watching the ninja warrior competition. Very addictive show. Though our assistant now assume thats all me and the good housemate do in the office.
Dramaland:
Marriage not love: still enjoying it. Not to keen on the ex though.
Highschool angel (or what the name was ): cute beginning. Think this one could be enjoyable. Just keep it cute and light.
Monster (with lee min ki) not watched all the way yet but liking it. Also min ki os damn creepy in this.
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 6:45 AM
Just saw the horrible new about the plan as well. Terrible that something like that could happen. My thoughts go out to all of the families.
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korfan
July 18, 2014 at 7:05 AM
Manin -
How are you?
Your trip to Japan sounds exciting! So much to see and enjoy!
This week I saw two travel shows ..... one was about Kyoto, Japan and the second one was about Norway! The guide went to Balestrand and Bergen. ...... Both were informative and they showed lovely areas of both countries.
Ninja warrior competition - Ha! I don't think I've ever heard of that. I've heard of exhibitions, but not competitions. ....... Is this a team thing or individuals competing against each other?
Have a great trip to Japan!
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 7:55 AM
Korfan:
I'm good. A little stressed, but good. How are you?
Oh sounds cool. I'm going to Kyoto for a couple of days! I've never been to Bergen myself though haha, glad you enjoyed the show.
Ninja warrior: It's basically a japanese game show/strength competition. They are individuals competing to complete this very very excruciating course with 4 stages. It's addicting (hence me and the housemate watching it every chance we get). You can find it on youtube. It's not really anything to do with ninjas though :p
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 8:24 AM
Monster - Dark. Cold. Chilling.
Min-ki's eyes could kill.
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 9:58 AM
The look in his eye is terrifying. And the contrast between him and his brother. You just know that this is a dangerous guy, killings aside. The kid is doing a good job too I think.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 9:44 AM
Have fun on your trip to Japan! Don't be too nervous.
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 10:01 AM
I'll try! I hate going anywhere by myself, at least the first time as I get paranoid. Had a nightmare trying to get to my trian tickets as the first person refunded my reservation instead of giving me them, so had to re buy them. Hurray for panic.
I'm sure I'll be fine once I get there. But I'll be paranoid all trip there. And back again.
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merry
July 18, 2014 at 3:45 PM
Manin, hope you still get to read this. When i went to Japan last November, the one thing that helped was the Japan Rail pass. It can only be purchased while you are outside the country. It saved me a lot. went to lots of places too-- nagano, kyoto, osaka, etc. Within Tokyo, you don't need to pay Japan Rail (JR) subway lines, too. Kyoto accommodations are too pricey. found out that if you stay in osaka near the shinkansen rail station (Shin Osaka), it is just 30(?) to kyoto. And with your rail pass, you can actually take overnite train trips and not pay accommodations. Hope you have time to get that rail pass. Japan is the most convenient place to travel alone. Wonderful people. Btw, the bridge in the Tokyo Kiss is in the area named Odaiba.
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 5:27 PM
Ohh, unfortunatly I'm not sure I''ll have time to get that. And my japanese friend has already booked tickets for the shinkansen and hotel for us in Kyoto (which wasn't badly priced)
Yeah I've heard the same. It's not so much travel in Japan that worries me since I have my friend there. It's the travel from my City to Beijing I'm worrying about :p
merry
July 18, 2014 at 8:21 PM
Manin, just know the platforms and stations before hand by asking your colleagues. in Beijing, just don't talk to strangers. Don't accept offers of help if it will bring outside of your comfort zone. Not even offers of tea to practice English and that kind of con.
Mrs.Jang guem suk
July 18, 2014 at 1:11 PM
Get a autograph from Jun masamoto ? lol o have been obsessed with him latel
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:25 PM
Hey Manin! Have a great time in Japan, it's absolutely wonderful there. And do eat lots of delicious food - all the ramen, sushi, crepes and everything, Japan is basically food heaven and you should take advantage of it, whether it's from the convenience stores or the restaurants.
And that reminds me, I should watch Monster too.
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 5:52 PM
I will try and keep that in mind! :D
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7 Tulipsaki
July 18, 2014 at 6:20 AM
Good morning! Am I first?
So, I dropped almost everything! I'm kinda sorta watching Joseon Gunman, though it's more like a few minutes of watching and then the recap. Also, when I just need something in the background, My Dear Cat. I like the two cousins in it, the one who wants to be a celebrity, and the tough jjang girl who is getting shipped with Sungmin's character. Everybody else, I pretty much ignore.
And I'm watching Flower Grandpas Investigation and Hi School Love On! (So, so cute, both of them.) Looking forward to them both tonight.
Still going through Nodame Cantabile. And I found a japanese drama, Jyuui-san, where the main character is a vet. I'm watching for the puppies. :-)
So, Temptation: is that like that Jang Hyuk money drama?
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 6:50 AM
I started on My dear cat. found it cute but am falling so far behind. I can see how it's a background show though. It's cute but not quite addicting for me.
Flower Grandpa's How is this show going? I fell off due to work and some other stuff and just never made it back onto it.
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Tulipsaki
July 18, 2014 at 8:47 AM
@manin Flower Grandpa is a good show! It gets a bit gross at times, but it's funny, and I love all the actors.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 9:46 AM
I've got to get back to My Dear Cat. IT just didn't hold my attention. Right now am trying to catch up with Yoona's Street.
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8 xh
July 18, 2014 at 6:20 AM
Anyone watching Glorious/Feel-Good Day? Thoughts?
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shl71
July 18, 2014 at 8:37 AM
I am! And I'm enjoying it thus far, which is not bad for a weekend drama just hitting the middle.
I think that each character is well fleshed-out (despite being over-the-top, you can see how Mama Seo loves her boys; well maybe I'd draw the line at the irritating ex-husband but the show needs a villain) and pretty well acted, and each storyline is proceeding at a good pace. No dragged-out angst and brooding. Even the noble idiocy on Da-jung's part only lasted 2 episodes. I'm not only invested in the main couple's story, I can't wait to see how the Author Mum and Hotel Uncle's story plays out, as well as everyone else's story. I guess that's good writing, and acting! I hope it keeps up.
I do wonder why the ratings are so low, though. Does the absence of makjang really make that much of a difference?
Are you enjoying it?
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Juno
July 18, 2014 at 5:29 PM
Where can it be watched with Eng subs?
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shl71
July 18, 2014 at 9:38 PM
Hi, Juno,
I believe viki is subbing it but since viki is not available in my country (which I can't understand as the head office is here) I usually watch it at koreandramaonair.
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August
July 18, 2014 at 10:20 PM
Watching Glorious Day (aka Feel-Good Day) mainly for Lee Sang-Woo and Park Se-Young. Always excited whenever their characters Seo Jae-Woo and Jung Da-Jung appear on screen with one another. Because they just have really great chemistry.
It was an absolute delight to watch the 2 episode storyline when Seo Jae-Woo granted Jung Da-Jung's request to relinquish his boyfriend status and just become an Oppa to her. I think the writer did a brilliant job of breaking down and showing the blatant differences and subtle approaches of his character's actions as an Oppa versus as a boyfriend.
My major pet peeves: (1) The way the older sister Jung Da-Ae is styled - from her hair to her clothes. I literally want to facepalm every time she appears on screen dressed in what looks like baby doll clothes, lace ankle socks, and big bow in her hair. (2) The father - is it just the character that's annoying? Is it the actor playing the father? Or is it both?
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Tara
July 19, 2014 at 12:28 PM
I agree with your pet peeve about the oldest sister...it's like she's too old to be wearing clothes like that. Maybe a tween girl, or even a teen girl...but not a woman who's supposed to be the eldest and mature, a teacher (I think?) at that.
I don't know if it's due to the stylist, the actress or even the writer...but it's annoying me too -.-
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9 redfox
July 18, 2014 at 6:26 AM
Sigh.
Oh these dramas. To be honest, I only seriously watch High School King. Been going to cinema instead. I saw On My Way with Catherine Deneuve playing the 62 year old restaurant owner Bettie, who suddenly drives out and goes on an adventure of a lifetime, it was hilarious. And then on an open terrace, with sparrows and ice coffee, I saw My week with Marilyn. Also a great movie and how jealous am I at the brits who just have everything lieing around to make movies with – castles, libraries, cars, pubs, parks, old time clothes etc. You know what.... ah, nothing. Such lucky friggin bastards. The scene with horny teenage Eton college boys stuck in there since the age of 8 and Marilyn just walking in – priceless.
High School Savvy .... oh blast. Oh man. He was going to be honest and all. Oh man. How will it ever be ok now? But I hope it will. Honestly, you all have been praising the sister relationship and Yoo-Ah, but I don´t feel anything about her. I tend to even think the story doesn´t need her. It could just be about the big lie. She doesnt have that drive. Min Seok, poor thing. But since he truly likes Soo Young....can´t they please end up together...DON´T START. Just in the drama. I am not saying real life, ok? But in a FANTASY, can´t they? Let´s not do the „But the age gap is in reality big bla bla bla” well, it is not real, so leave it be. That´s why dramas, books, films and make-believe exists.
Oh, in My week with Marilyn the guy was 23 and she was a little over 30... another noona romance! And in Betty, she was 62 and had a one night stand with a 30-year-old and her 10 year old grandchild Charlie saw her glowing and stuff.... now that was weird. How the hell did I end up picking such movies? Huh? K-drama infected movie preferences? But they were sweet, very human movies. Quietly touching. Not some big action...
Seo In Gook I just want to thank you. With a cake and a good photo book or something, for doing such a good job.
I also want to thank the You Are Surrounded team – especially „Gookie”. Agree with the final recaps´ conclusions. I find that maybe Ahn Jae Hyun gained most as a learning experience from such a great ensemble. Now quickly, do a spin-off with Pan Seok in the village and the weirdest crimes ever. Ok?
Next week is Viljandi Folk Music Festival so I won´t be on the net much. 4 days, 4 nights of concerts and party. I have a master Plan. But not sure if it will help me get to every concert. Can´t wait for the fun, so exited!!! (although I am not 20 any more....but I have been running hills and doing interval so to be fast when moving between concert locations. Still by the 4th morning I´ll probably be really out of it. )
Question: if you could send a present to your favorite star or someone you just want to thank, what would it be? And to whome, at this moment?
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redfox
July 18, 2014 at 6:28 AM
I have to mention: the shooting down of Malaysian aircraft above Ukraine. Terribly sad. Why? My deepest condolences to malaisians and dutch people. I just want to share what we´ve been given and I would like to know how the information differs in various parts of the world and their channels.
We here know that a Putin-endoresed terrorists´ phone call was recorded and he was heard (US intelligence had caught the signal) boasting how he shot down a plain – probably from ground – that he thought to be ukrainian military plane. The missiles were a recent „gift” from Putin. Now they are covering evidence, destroying recordings and documents. Russia denies involvement, but British Secret Services have doubts about it being hit by the terrorists´missile and think it was an air-to-air missile from an actual Russian plane. Americans think it was from the ground on Russian side, but from afar. Like 600 miles. How can this be happening in the world? What kind of criminal state are we living next to? I just want them to disappear from this planet. Brutal, cold people. Shooting down a passanger plane? Dear me. And the world does nothing. WW I started from an attack to one person. Now 300 die and nobody gives a shit? Patting Russias´ass, the Merkel B**** being like Ribbentrop, secret pacts with Putin, smothering his scandals etc. What kind of a friggin planet is this? I don´t want to live here any more.
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sebsob
July 18, 2014 at 6:38 AM
"And the world does nothing." Pretty much why I find it hard to tolerate this ugly state of affairs. So much goes on and people seem unfazed - maybe it's a defence mechanism. However media and governments don't help with the constant barrage of trivialities to distract us and keep us diverted.
I try to remind myself of that commonly known story about the boy on the beach picking up starfish because honestly I truly believe that it's come to just trying to help out the best you can.
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redfox
July 18, 2014 at 6:46 AM
thats true. in media you see celebrity weight loss, some football reporters boobs, paleo diet and all sort of crap and the real problem spots being like short people on a heavy metal concert waving but getting stomped and crushed under the heavy boots of ignorance.
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sebsob
July 18, 2014 at 8:57 AM
The amount of times I've sighed at what passes for 'headline' news these days is depressing. I'm not sure what people are so scared of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WINDtlPXmmE
This is from the year I was born and yet in nearly four decades nothing has changed. People try to hold on to the little they have because they've fallen into the trap of fear created by the media and its masters, those in power. It's like that saying 'if you've got them by their necks then their heads will follow.'
Still your post sought to bring awareness and that's a huge thing, and don't let anyone belittle that gesture or silence you.
windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 7:35 AM
While it is easy to say "nobody does anything" it is much harder to actually figure what to do.
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Manin
July 18, 2014 at 8:11 AM
That is the trouble. Noone does anything, but at the same time the wrong cause of action can lead to a much bigger problem in a war which we don't want. Its a bad situation all around.
korfan
July 19, 2014 at 10:56 PM
windsun33 & Manin -
Exactly.
Things are also that much more difficult when the available options from which to choose are "the bad option" or "the worse option" ..... regardless of what situation people and/or nations are facing, it seems like nowadays there are no good options on the table.
Rinovi
July 18, 2014 at 7:51 AM
I've been saying that (what you said in your last sentence) for many years. And it's only going to get worse. We are right in the middle of THIS century conflicts. Think how many people lived through major wars and countless conflicts the last century. Hey, my father still talks about horrors of WWII from a child's perspective, and the pain of waiting for the news from (18 year old at the time) hubby drafted to the last Soviet conflict. Guess what old movie with Catherine Deunuve made me cry every time it's famous theme song was played?
I am not Russian, but Russian is my first language, that is the case for many people from Belarus and Ukraine so I follow their news - it's also part of my job in the US. From what I gathered, the Malaysian plane was hit by a Buk missle system made by Soviets. That unit originally belonged to the Ukrainian army, but was stolen by pro-Russian rebels. The plain was mistaken for a Ukrainian army jet. The place where it happened was suggested as no-fly zone for the US and other international airlines back in May.
It doesn't absolve Russia nor Ukraine from responsibilities that come from engaging in war. Also Malaysian plane shouldn't have been flying where 3 Ukranian army planes were downed just days before, but it did. Poor innocent souls. There are not enough prayers to take away the pain and suffering. Now, watch everyone involved (and it's not just one side) as they try to shift responsibilities and blame the others while politicians from ALL countries take advantage using this tragedy. Oh, the shrill of non-stop coverage for ratings. The call for more weapons and money or to outright start a new war. All I can do for my sanity (kids need me) is to run to my hideout and watch next Kdrama episode. I suggest you turn off the news and do the same. Or go hiking.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 9:48 AM
Ah gee, Putin is really just so vicious and cruel.
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MO
July 18, 2014 at 7:14 PM
I'd like to kill those dumbs, but not that I have the power to do it.
My friend is in Amsterdam I think. The last time she replied my e-mail was 15:09 KST time. Now she haven't reply my emails...
Not that other countries are safe either. Indonesia, where I lived, is currently on a pretty tense moment with the election. No. 1 is an ass, one of the people responsible for the outbreak in 1998, and keep on giving out racist comments over Chinese Indonesians. On 22, some feared rumors over a similar outbreak in 1998... and I'm going to China in 26...
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 10:14 AM
Am thinking the two BFF's will either watch in horror or will feel compelled to save Min Suk from embarrasment (and Yoo Ah from hurt) by telling Soo Young that this guy is Minsuk, the brother of Hyung Suk. Which would be an obvioius lie because Min Suk has wounds from his battle with Jin Woo. But Soo Young will pretend she was mistaken and leave the school...so her sis won't be hurt. Since Soo Young is very proud of her manners, she will probably want to avoid Min Suk at work. Then maybe Jin Woo will see the difference in their relationship and make a good sane move to get Soo-young back. Much angst ahead as Soo-Young tries to help Min Suk pretend to be his brother but at the same time try to avoid falling afoul of the law by continuing a relationship with a minor. Poor Minsuk. He won't be holding up well.
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D's handphone
July 18, 2014 at 3:50 PM
Hi Carole..
I was thinking of the same thing... i bet he will try to explain but SY will just shut him out. Ughhh heartache... i seriously want them to work out (it's a drama after all).
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redfox
July 18, 2014 at 10:57 PM
I think I won´t watch those episodes until I know they´ll be all right. Cause I am so fond of this character already, that his heartbreak is mine. as is Soo Youngs´. I cannot take 3 heartbreaks all at once!
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10 kanz
July 18, 2014 at 6:30 AM
Hello, happy OT beanies!!
Pretty great week for me, passed the exam and now graduated from college (at least on paper).
Currently watching list:
1. Joseon Gunman: still awesome. Although I don't like PYK treatment to his own sister. But of course he has valid reason if he doesn't want to blow up his secrets and revenge plan. I think the show does pretty nicely until now. LJK is a feast to watch.
2. Fated To Love You: this show never fails to make me laugh... HEUHAHAHA... The ep 5 was freaking hilarious and I really like Jang Hyuk and Jang Na Ra's chemistry. Jang Hyuk is killing it with his Lee Gun and JNR embodies Kim Mi Young well. I never watch the original, but I'm sure many people would love Korean remake. And maybe it's even better than the original.
3. You're All Surrounded: simplistic show with simple plots and characters. Watch it if you already watched the two above. I haven't watch ep 20 yet, but I think overall the show is a letdown. I have high expectations for the show to be funny and great and it delivers neither.
4. KARA Secret Love: It's KARA project in 2013 but just aired last week. I watched Ji Chang Wook part with Park Gyu Ri. Not bad, sometimes funny and JCW really did well in the drama.
Not yet watching other dramas, but planning to catch up Trot Lovers, High School King, and Marriage Not Dating. Also plan to watch It's Okay It's Love, Night Watchman (although still unsure on Yunho), and Three Musketeers.
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Mystique
July 18, 2014 at 6:47 AM
Congratulations on your graduation!!
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kanz
July 18, 2014 at 7:12 AM
Thank you!! ^^
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korfan
July 18, 2014 at 7:09 AM
kanz -
Congratulations on your graduation!
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soprection
July 18, 2014 at 8:37 AM
Good for you! Congratulations on your graduation!
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August
July 18, 2014 at 9:26 PM
Congratulations kanz,
Graduating from college is certainly a milestone. Wishing you all the best.
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11 korfan
July 18, 2014 at 6:33 AM
Hi Everyone!
I hope you are all doing well today.
Congratulations to all the Beanies in Deutschland, your team won the World Cup!
Watched this week:
Dr. Stranger - Only watched the first 10 minutes of ep 14., there was no need to watch more than that.
You're All Surrounded - Still enjoying this. Chief Kang is an intriguing character.
Trot Lovers - Geon-woo, you continue to crack me up! ...... and so do the loan sharks!
A New Leaf - The president of the firm, Attorney Cha, is certainly quite interesting.
Joseon Gunman - Occasionally catching a couple of minutes of this here and there. I'll have to catch full eps at a later time.
That's about it for now. Everyone take care and have a great Friday!
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redfox
July 18, 2014 at 6:50 AM
geun Woo, cant figure out. he is confused, still continues with the same manner, steady like he is on a carousel and cant get off. kinda dazed. and I am dazed. and just... you know. but so funny
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korfan
July 18, 2014 at 7:14 AM
redfox -
*laughing* ...... yeah, he does that kinda dazed thing.
I'm still in the first 4 eps and he does come across as being a little dazed or perhaps suffering from momentary lapses of confusion ...... all to comic effect, of course.
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12 Mystique
July 18, 2014 at 6:59 AM
Hello Beanies, Happy OT/ Happy Friday.
Travelled home for a cousin’s wedding, apparently the whole family did too.
Family reunions are mostly fun but sometimes just burdensome what with all the drama. Lol I slightly regret coming home because now my very dramatic mother and sisters and basically everybody keep nagging me about getting married. 2 cousins are engaged, the other expecting, 3 others already with kids, one getting married tomorrow, and another in 2weeks. Now I have people setting me up on blind dates which I absolutely hate with passion, lol and they just don’t care(and told me so).
Having a huge family is a good thing, I have a group of people who support me(mostly) and the bad thing : Everybody is in everybody’s business, I mean deep in everyone’s business.
Dramas:
High school king of savvy : Sh*t abouta hit the fan. i think Soo-young is going to take the news of him been an high school student okay, not at first though and might even break up with him because of that, but she would still be on his side, if the beginning of the first episode was any indication. Hopefully, they don’t drag it out for too long.
Trot Lovers : I didn’t like Joon-Hyun at first, but in the last episode, I realized that I was slowly starting to root for him. I’ve jumped ship, now in the first lead’s ship, and as adorable as Geun-woo’s is, his actions lately just seem I don’t know manipulative? *shrugs*
Fated to love you : My new crack, I just love both leads so much. Lee Gun’s cackling at first irritated my ears so much, Lol this episode I found myself laughing along with him, its grown on me already. Please please, drama gods let this drama continue on its current good path, better yet a better path.
YAAS : It ended well, but a lot of questions were left unanswered. But there is one thing I have never been able to understand, why did boots go after Dae-gu again? and after so many years had passed. Dae-gu was going nowhere with his investigation, boots return only helped to blow the case open, I mean I can’t think of any reason why they couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie except “plot continuance”. And as for Dae-gu’s mother, i absolutely think there was no need to kill her because am pretty sure she wouldn’t have talked about who attacked her. And I never got Assemblyman Yoo’s insistence on having Dae-gu killed.
All in all, it was a good drama, not the best and definitely not bad too. Before it premiered, I was expecting a good dose of comedy and police precint hijinks and all that, but all that got tapered down with the whole “mystery” and whatnot.
Marriage not dating : Still giving this a shot, but the female lead just makes it so hard. That girl Jang-Mi has got to get a hold of herself, there was absolutely no reason to bring up the infidelity thing, it was so not her place to do so, girl knows no boundaries whatsoever. But I did love the way she got down after she was done with the pancakes. Oh! I don’t think that waiter...
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Mystique
July 18, 2014 at 7:18 AM
.............boy is truly interested in her.
On a side note : I introduced my friend to k-dramas, and she isn’t exactly a fan of the rom-com genre, she’s been telling me for weeks now to recommend comedy dramas but I know none. Please if anyone would be so kind as to recommend good comedy dramas I would be really thankful. Thanks in advance.
Have a great fun-filled weekend y’all..
*off to clean my dancing shoes*
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soprection
July 18, 2014 at 8:45 AM
Bad Family! I never finished it, tbf, but what I watched, I liked. There is romance but it focuses more on creating a surrogate family and dealing with past demons than love. I feel like most Korean comedies are rom-coms though so your friend might have a hard time finding shows.
Also this is a rom-com BUT it's a remake of a Japanese drama so it doesn't feel like a typical K-drama, The Man Who Doesn't Want to Marry. It was the first K-drama I finished and I still love it. The male lead is funny and weird and happily socially inept and Uhm Jung Hwa and Yoo Ah-In are also in it.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 10:18 AM
Evasive Investigative Agency
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Cocoboo
July 18, 2014 at 12:09 PM
I second this! Good kdrama. ^^
Trying to think of another that's funny, but doesn't involve romance... Tough, can't think of any more atm. LOL
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Chandler
July 18, 2014 at 3:59 PM
YES! Evasive Investigative Agency is probably the only drama I've successfully gotten non k-drama fans to watch. It's so good!
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 7:41 AM
I love Jang-Mi :P
I am pretty sure that she is acting like she does because her character is supposed to be blunt and obnoxious. I find it refreshing in a k-drama to see something between the evil bitch and the naïve candy for once.
And I also actually think it was not solving any problems by everyone just ignoring the whole infidelity thing.
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a_diva
July 18, 2014 at 7:45 AM
Your family sounds fun! I love big rambunctious, meddling families . . . well, at least the loving ones. And as long as there's lots of love there (which it sounds like yours has) then just accept the craziness for what it is!
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Jig
July 18, 2014 at 11:05 AM
I forgot that they never explained Boots's reappearance. I think I just assumed that he needed more money? But, there's not any indication of that that I know of...
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AJ
July 18, 2014 at 7:45 PM
Completely with you on Marriage Not Dating -- episodes 3 and 4 a big disappointment after a really great start in episodes 1 & 2. The make lead has really nailed his character and so has the actress playing his mother.
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13 Kim Yoonmi
July 18, 2014 at 7:06 AM
The funding for polyglit started yesterday! If you are considering donating, sooner is better than later. You can find details and a link at Polyglit[dot]Com. Even if you don't plan on donating, I hope you will look forward to the website launch.
Jinx I thought it was an adorable and heartfelt movie, though it left tears in my eyes, it was not a melodrama, but had some interesting themes. I don't think the acting was stellar, but I would definitely watch it again.
Marriage, not Dating
Probably the best drama on K-drama TV, IMO. The plot is really heating up. I'm a little surprised it isn't being recapped, but I can understand bending time is really a difficult task and that it takes a long time.
Still keeping up with the TW dramas. Haven't really picked up on any new J-dramas, except Nobunaga no Chef 2. OMG. I love it already. It's cheesy with just enough appeal to get me going, plus I like food shows.
And lastly, Idol Hate. I think it needs to be addressed.
Let's get this straight. At least for ME, I do like pretty, but it is SECONDARY to acting ability. I don't care how that pretty came about, and who from, and I don't particularly care how popular an actor is, I just want them to be able to act their heart out on the screen or on stage so I can believe their emotions and what they said is real.
That said, I also understand in order to get funding for a project, you need famous actors and people who will autodraw a crowd. It's the double-side of the industry. The more of a name recognition you have, the more likely one will draw funds. But do I hate the existence of those people for that? I categorically don't.
If they can act, then they can make me happy. Period.
I didn't hate Yoona because she was an idol. I didn't hate Yoona personally. I disliked her in the role of Nodame because I thought her acting ability wasn't to par. And I would say that of any actress or actor, idol or no. Despite that, I can understand why producers wanted to try her out in the role, even if it was a week. They need a big name to bring in the budget for the production.
I'm not going to begrudge people's success, nor their ability to grow in their talent. I've been surprised over and over again, given people chances to grow on me. Seong Yuri (idol), for example, has two horrible, I mean OMG, you can make drinking games out of them dramas she acted horribly in, but I still gave her a chance. And she surprised me in Hong Gil Dong.
Daniel Henney (Non-idol), as much as I love him as a person, I didn't think could act that well. He inserts random smiles when he should be emoting, but then I was proven wrong in My Father.
Idol or no, I'm going to come back to that person on acting ability. The prettiest face can't engage me as much as acting ability. What is the point of hating a group of people anyway? Being a idol doesn't mean one didn't work hard and can't succeed.
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 7:18 AM
Good luck with the polyglit funding.
I watched Jinx too.
It's what I would call a lazy-Friday-night-in rom-com (sort of), but with more depth than most because the characters were somewhat unusual – I think some people found it 'slow' and the characters too depressing, but I liked that it wasn't a silly rom-com, but a more reflective one.
Liked how they challenged romantic stereotypes – not by dissing them, but basically by saying "this works for one person, but it might not work for another because people are and like different things". They spun it around cultural differences, but I thought it still gave a general message (i.e. I don't think all Korean girls have demands like Hyomin's character).
Bit sad that Yamazaki Kento (I know him from "Control Tower") isn't doing more interesting projects though. I mean, this one was fine (though his acting seemed more uneven than in Control Tower), but other stuff he's done since "Control Tower" are pretty much lightweight manga adaptations which aren't going to make him into much of an actor.
Hyomin was quite good. Her breakdown scene felt real.
I might review it.
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Kim Yoonmi
July 18, 2014 at 7:31 AM
Thanks for the luck.
Yeah, I agree about Jinx, it kinda surprised me, since I thought it would be a light weight fluff piece with decent, but not stellar acting.
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 9:09 AM
<Idol or no, I’m going to come back to that person on acting ability. The prettiest face can’t engage me as much as acting ability. What is the point of hating a group of people anyway? Being a idol doesn’t mean one didn’t work hard and can’t succeed.
I agree with you. There are idols that are succeeding. Jaejoong is doing well I think – not that he's top notch, but he's improved steadily. As have some others.
But I do have one issue with the industry – casting idols again and again in lead roles when they haven't done the (acting) work or haven't improved. Casting them over actors that are blatantly better too. It's something that seems to be happening increasingly and sometimes it doesn't even seem like that some of these idols want to be acting, but they are just pushed to it, like a checkbox of what they now must do (that's sad).
Anyone deserves a chance, even multiple chances. But the chance should be proportionate to demonstrated acting quality. No one should be leading a drama because of their name/fame, but because of their talent.
Maybe that's a naive wish, but I think ultimately miscasting is dragging the quality of dramas down. Maybe corporations are making more money, but I still would like to see acting as an art where the art is most important, not the money. As much as money needs to be made, I don't think we can lose sight of this thought entirely.
Also: I feel k-drama is increasingly more inclined to pretty-over-talent, while j-drama casts less idols and has greater diversity with actors too (looks matter also but what is beautiful is more open). Tw-drama... I don't get the impression there's that much idol casting, but then in general there seem to be few actors, who seem to be cast again and again, regardless of their talent. It's like they've got a dozen of people and just keep rotating the pairings. Very weird and often mediocre acting from actors.
Anyhoo....
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Kim Yoonmi
July 18, 2014 at 1:08 PM
I can agree with that, to a degree, I mean people should be cast on talent, but I don't think it has to do if they are an idol or not. Yoon Eun Hye started out as an idol actress and rocked it in several dramas, though she unfortunately picked some bad scripts here and there.
But I don't think one single group should be singled out as consistently bad. There are some regular actors I want to sometimes strangle that started out acting too.
And there are actors that can''t cat for the life of them, but ou like them anyway, but just not onscreen.
And there are idol actors that turned out to be fabulous. I had no faith in Go Ara until Reply 1994. Where she rocked that roll--but then she said she was playing someone closer to someone like her.
And TW dramas consistently cast idol actors, but we just don't hear about them that much on websites. For example, Rainie Yang is an idol Actor. I wouldn't say she's that great of an actress, but I thought Ella was a really good actress. Ella showed a range of characters she played from boyish, boyish rather than cute boyish to sometimes awkward.
Arron Yan is also made into an idol actor. Jiro Wang was made into an idol actor. (ISWAK). And a few of the roles went to idol actors.
The thing about art is that you need an audience to make it. This means art needs money, and it also needs an audience. People think one is exclusive of each other, but I don't think it's that way. Talent and money are separate things, but art and money aren't. You need both talent and money to make art.
Manin
July 18, 2014 at 8:04 AM
Good luck with polyglit.
I am kinda enjoying that marrigae not dating isn't recaped. Why? Because it's one show where I don't get tempted to read the recap rather than watch the episode. That's what I get for not being a spoilorphobe and recapts come out faster than subs in my time zone.
I really agree with you on the Idol hate. Hating someone being cased in something just because they also are an idol doesn't seem right. Everyone have to begin somewhere, and there are certainly famous actors that, lets be fair isn't really the best at acting either. Hating on one group is not fair.
I was not overjoyed at the prospect of Yoona as Nodame, cause I didn't think she'd fit that role. However I have nothing against her, and though she nailed and did a good job in Priminister and I. And I want her to act again.
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Kim Yoonmi
July 18, 2014 at 1:11 PM
Thanks for the luck!
Agreeing with you. Definitely liked her in Prime Minister and I, would watch her again, but Nodame was not her role. I did not dislike her in the role of nodame because she was an idol elite chosen by SM. I disliked her in the role because I knew she couldn't act it. Nodame is one of those mind-bogglingly difficult roles.
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john
July 19, 2014 at 4:31 AM
Kim Yoonmi ~
Yay for Nobunaga no Chef 2. Looking forward to Natsu, Ken and Kaede. Where else can you find a leather hot pants clad ninja girl?
Idols and acting. It's not anything new, Elvis, anyone ?
Who are the idol actors & actresses that get the most grief?
Most people like seeing pretty faces, it's just the way we are wired , so I can't blame the agencies for trying to promote their clients.
Yoon Doo-Joon did a fantastic job in Let's Eat. Would I cast him in a melo drama as the main lead for his next role? Probably not.
What makes an idol flop ? Are they really out of their element by acting? Seasoned actors have duds that are best forgotten too. Crappy plots, horrible scripts and miscasting will make anyone look bad..
With the right coaching and right part for their ability, most will likely be palatable.
With any luck casting idols as actors will occasionally give us a gem that otherwise would have been overlooked or untapped.
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14 owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 7:07 AM
Summer’s in full roar with 100 degrees all week long, although I am not complaining – I love the sun and heat.
Trot Lovers – it’s been a while since I’ve been in love equally with the first and second male leads. Eun-ji is adorable, too ~ how will our love triangle work out without even more hurt hearts?
Fated to Love You – there were so many yummy moments mixed in with the complicated relationship in the last episode – why did the runaway shower head scene make me laugh so hard? And then the one-of-a-kind-baby-clothes class, that was precious beyond words. I’m goo goo eyes over Gan. The laugh and the head back, shoulders squared downward stare CEO style – Jang Hyuk does that best. But wait, second lead Daniel, Really? How about other first lead.
Monster (movie) with Lee Min-ki – slated as a thriller, but in my book it borders on horror. It was crazy of me to watch it at midnight. Those eyes. Cold to the depths of hell.
High School Love On is magical.
Temptation – An interesting setup in the first two episodes. Although I’m not sure why Seok-hoon decided to buy Se-young’s time in the end – 3 hrs for $3 -
Jdrama Wacamonotachi – Adult Sibling Chaos works too. What a super powerful cast, I am blown away by the acting. The boxing ring – augh! The Virgin. The return of the second son (Eita). The camcorder message. Ginger pork. The siblings’ discussion about apologies. The lines:
“I don’t’ need a surprise so bad for my heart.’
“Infidelity is unacceptable. No one will be happy.”
“Many ideas and emotions that you can’t measure with your tiny ruler whirl around in this world.”
This drama is my go juice.
Check out my ongoing posts for Korean Lessons – FT Island’s Hangul Live, Roommate comments and ratings, and kdrama fan art at http://www.cimiart.wordpress.com
Thanks, db recappers, you keep us happily updated and feed our kdramaddiction. That’s not easy to do!
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redfox
July 18, 2014 at 7:10 AM
so great, I am going to watch monster now. made up horror perhaps makes me forget real life horrors
or maybe I´ll just keep dreaming of traffic accidents like I have for the past 3 weeks, every night
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 7:23 AM
Wakamono Tachi... one solid, quality drama. Very real.
That cast... that cast! Even half of that acting quality in other dramas would suffice to make many productions a gazillion times better than they are.
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JJK
July 18, 2014 at 1:03 PM
Hmm, I might try to venture into Jdorama again. The last one I watched eons ago was Freeter Buys a House. Does Wakamono Tachi focus more on relationship between siblings rather than romantic love?
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 1:16 PM
Only 2 episodes in, but there's plenty of both. I think the siblings' relationships is primary, though. There isn't a dull or wasted moment, great acting - so richly done.
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 3:39 PM
Agree with owl's explanation.
There are romantic relationships, but the drama isn't about the romance. It is about relationships between people and especially family bonds - through good and bad times.
Anyone think we might get romantic development between Emoto and Hashimoto instead of Hashimoto and Nomura? Or is Hashimoto's character underage?
john
July 18, 2014 at 7:57 AM
owl ~
Yes, Summer is in full swing. Running is best done early in the AM. Had a couple thunderstorms early in the week. Ka-Boom. x 100 .
Wakamono Tachi turned it up a notch this week. Eita's awesome.
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 10:09 AM
Hi John ~ Did you see Eita in Kyokuhoku Rhapsody? 2 episodes short.
We could use some rain. None in sight.
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john
July 18, 2014 at 12:38 PM
Owl-
Haven't seen it. Will check it out. I did watch Memories of Matsuko. Loved it. Great soundtrack.
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 3:40 PM
I enjoyed Kyokuhoku Rhapsody. I did wish for it to be more than just two episodes.
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 8:44 AM
I’m not sure why Seok-hoon decided to buy Se-young’s time in the end – 3 hrs for $3 –
My take is, he wanted to make himself equal to her. Just like she had bought him, making him thus an inferior, he wanted, at least symbolically, do the same thing to her. To make himself feel better or make her reflect.
My other thought is, he had little to lose, so why not try it?
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 9:16 AM
Hi kopytko ` Also, he didn't want to leave on the last day with "Just go." He wanted to earn his money. Since his wife hung up on him and Se-young commented that no woman would understand the situation, he was not so anxious to head back home.
With their past, your comment that he wanted to be equal makes sense.
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 9:25 AM
By the way, the "no woman would understand" part irks me. I dislike how being a woman makes one petty or narrow minded, jealous person in the dramas I've been seeing lately. Any time I see "I am a woman too!" I cringe. But maybe it's due to my absolute lack of personal experience...
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 9:33 AM
...especially since it was said by a woman about women. But it got to Seok-hoon because of that. Irks me to no end, too.
Tara
July 18, 2014 at 8:52 PM
I think kdramas in general like to portray women as petty, narrow-minded, easily jealous, back-stabby, etc. because a "normal" woman wouldn't be interesting. Boo. I think the stronger-minded, gutsy, smart woman is either too much for the audience to handle (lol) but also because of the male-centric belief system (? can't think of the word)...women in dramas gotta be that way. I do like the current trend in making heroines the strong type, though...and I hope that continues!
15 Chhavi
July 18, 2014 at 7:07 AM
Happy Friday everyone......
watching Gunman in Joseon and Fated To Love You and seriously enjoying them more than ever....
I really haven't watched the Taiwanese version so its a little hard for me to avoid spoilers...I'll try to keep my eyes closed.
Good and bad things happened this week... and,I got admission in a great college in a great city(YAY)..
Last but not the least---saw a hilarious thing down my street here in India,where nobody has no idea what kpop is,....there I saw Kim Hyun Joong's BOF poster on a salon advertisement----literally laughed my gut out....now every time I cross the street my eyes go over that ad only....LOL...
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a_diva
July 18, 2014 at 7:29 AM
Congrats on the college admission. It's such an exciting time!
I've been reminiscing a lot abt college lately b/c a few weeks ago I went back to my old college town & it was sooo surreal. I don't feel that old but it's actually been 10+ yrs since I graduated. I left after graduation & never went back so I was excited when I found out my son's basketball tournament was there. And by luck we ended up at hotel right across from campus. I annoyed the hubby & son by talking abt fun memories all weekend.
I hope you have as much fun as I had & look back on this time fondly.
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ktiep2003
July 18, 2014 at 8:54 AM
You should definitely return to your college town more frequently. I didn't go for 15 years and then started to return for class reunions. The last one was 30 years. It gets so much better as the years go by. All the competition falls by the wayside and you become just happy to see people who have known you for so long.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 10:20 AM
Congratulations on being accepted into the college!
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August
July 18, 2014 at 9:31 PM
Congratulations chhavi,
Graduating from High School and entering College - new chapter, new endeavors, and new challenges. Wishing you all the best.
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16 Tara
July 18, 2014 at 7:10 AM
Hey everyone...happy OT!
Finally a reprieve from the hot, humid weather! It's been very lovely early fall-like here, so I'm definitely enjoying it :) I'm happy to say I caught up on Joseon Gunman and marathoned You're All Surrounded from ep6-finale...so it was a productive week for drama-watching, maybe not so much in others ;)
Triangle: The brother reveal is now complete, with 4eps to go. The extension can definitely be felt, with all the flashbacks, brooding and planning...which I expected, unfortunately. Still, I'd gladly watch it to be rewarded with those gem-like tidbits such as Young-dal and Jung-hee's family. While I do hope Elder Ahn can make it, will Yang-ha finally do something about Daddy Dearest mowing down whoever's in his way--since he's tasked with getting rid of his hyungs? I sure hope so, to wipe that smirk off of his face when he cackled with glee that Yang-ha was gonna have to kill his only flesh and blood without even knowing it (ugh).
Joseon Gunman: Yoon-kang-ah, why you so fine??? ;) I had put this on hold when I wasn't really in the drama-watching mood for the past few weeks. Now that I'm up to speed...seriously, why couldn't the writer have written Soo-in to have some of the qualities that Hye-won has? She seems like such a ditz, it's getting a bit annoying. She could sure use some of the cool, collected composure of Hye-won, and a bit of her smarts too. I still think the politics side of things are a total bore, and it makes me wonder why Hye-won lived the way she did. It's weird to me that is be more interested and intrigued with the second-lead...kinda telling that the writer made the mistake of making Soo-in so lacking in many ways, don't you think? In glad that Yeon-hwa got rescued from that perv, and I do hope that Yoon-kang will keep her safe. Meanwhile, Yoon-kang should stay in his gunman attire ;)
You're All Surrounded: I lost interest in this a while back, but decided to marathon it since it was ending. It was different than I expected, but once it all became about Yoo Moon-bae, it started hitting its stride. It further confirmed that in kdramaland. politicians will do anything for $, some prosecutors and cops are corrupt and in the pocket of the rich. And they'll frame somebody totally unrelated just to shift the blame. It still boggles me that Dae-gu's mom died just because Evil Yoon fed his crazybiatch of a daughter that lie.
I was flipping through the channels and saw a glimpse of Jo Seung-woo!! ;) It was Horse Doctor, which I faithfully watched just for Kwang-hyeon...guess I'll be tuning in to these reruns just to get my Jo Seung-woo fix ;)
Has anyone watched Temptation? I'm curious because I'd watch it solely for the main leads...and of course, the Stairway to Heaven reunion.
On hold: Wonderful Days, Feel Good Day, Endless Love.
To begin soon: High School King of Savvy, Temptation.
Have a great weekend, yall!
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Mystique
July 18, 2014 at 7:26 AM
"It still boggles me that Dae-gu’s mom died just because Evil Yoon fed his crazybiatch of a daughter that lie."
Not only you my dear, i happen to be in the same boat with you. Lool I was expecting a better reason than that because that reason is just so *insert word*...
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 2:27 PM
You're exactly right...I expected a more stronger reason for the method behind this madness, not just stinkin' money or wanting to break up her marriage! That was just beyond words for me...
I think a sane, logical person would check up on the facts first (like maybe a DNA test? It wasn't pre-technology times!) before actually taking the initiative to kill Dae-gu's mom, regardless if she was her hubby's ex-gf. It just goes to show how crazy is as crazy does...both dad and daughter. But I suppose it's also playing along to the saying that criminals find their logic--and it only needs to make sense to them--for them to commit their crimes.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:39 PM
Tara - hey, fellow Triangle loyalist! I'm with the drama for the same reasons as you. It's undeniably flawed but it has some heart, and I can't help it, Jaejoong keeps me hooked.
And you took the words re: Joseon Gunman right out of my mouth. If Soo-in's supposed to be intelligent, why can't her demeanour reflect it a little? But I love Hye-won, I don't want her to end up sad.
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 2:22 PM
Yesss, Triangle is still worth watching, even with all its flaws. I'm still eagerly watching, just because of the brothers. Jae-joong is carrying the brunt of the load in carrying the story as Young-dal, but he's doing a great job of it so I definitely have props for him. I still have doubts about the extension aiding the final wrap-up of the storyline, but I'm continuing to be optimistic that it'll end in a satisfactory, if not great (I so hope!!!) way.
I definitely think the writer is the one to blame for Soo-in being the way she is...but I do hope she'll grow up and at least mature into the 30yr old she's supposed to be! I wasn't frustrated as much in the beginning, but to have her continue to be this...immature? It's testing my nerves.
And yes, despite Hye-won being second lead...I hope she gets her happy ending. Although I'm still not positive that she's aware of everything her father's involved in, I do hope that she finds out and that might break the bond that they seem to have. I want her to team up with Yoon-kang, I don't want her to end up evil :(
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17 Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 7:11 AM
Hello Beanies!
I've been enjoying the new shows and I'm finally loving one of them! :) What a relief, a kdrama season without a good romcom is just not the same for me. If anyone is curious, the one I'm addicted right now is HSK from which I expected absolutely nothing since I thought it would be a cliche story with an ugly leading man. I know, the same guy which now seems so charming to me. Ah well, I felt the same about Kim Woo-Bin and I few eps into Heirs also had a complete change of mind.:) I'm also loving FTLY just afraid of the commitment since I keep hearing about crazy melo turns later, figers crossed on that one! :)
One thing sometimes keeps bothering on the shows though, so here is my question this week.
Do any bad acting bother you in your kdramas lately?
Maybe I'm being too demanding, too picky, maybe I'm totally wrong and these guys are just fine.:)
Among the ones I watched recently I often caught myself being annoyed with some actors. The police chief and the politician in YAAS, the leading guy in Hotel King and his mentor, Kang Ji Wan in Big Man, leading lady in Joseon Gunman and even Lee Jun Ki. I know, don't hate me if you are a fan. :) In a way I am too, he's so pretty and all but I get a feeling he does every scene following a map, one face for each emotion, like painting by numbers.
So is there anyone else having the same feeling?
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redfox
July 18, 2014 at 7:17 AM
Chief Kang annoyed me. she was so....rigid.
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 8:28 AM
I think she read the script and she was supposed to be a very repressed and conflicted person but it just wasn't there, her scenes with the villain became almost involuntary comedy for me. :P
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 10:03 AM
the actress who plays Chief kang is trying her hand at comedy in My dear cat. She isn't bad.
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korfan
July 18, 2014 at 7:34 AM
Lixie -
Regarding the bad acting, I have to mention the actor playing Assemblyman Yoon in You're All Surrounded.
As much as I'm enjoying this drama, his scenes appear and he does his same expression ..... the wide-eyed stare. That's. It. ...... Apparently there are no other "villain facial expressions" for this actor.
Now that I think about it, he showed the same expression when he was the bad father in Heirs and when he was the bad father in I Hear Your Voice.
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 8:34 AM
I agree! This reminds me of something I'm always thinking. There are ton of really bad actors and actresses playing these mom/dad roles over and over again on the kdramas.
Always the same people. They are so limited acting wise, it feels really strange they get cast so much.
I'm here on the other side of the world thinking there must not be many middle aged tv actors in Korea. Either that or they have an INSANE mob system that never allows the good actors to work on tv dramas.
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 10:36 AM
To be fair, there are hardly any interesting roles middle-age or older actors can get cast for, except the occasional sageuk villain (who will generally be male). Some of those might do better in other roles, and the better ones might have wandered off to film or given up acting since the roles to choose from are largely uninspiring.
I mean, we get 20 somethings that brilliant doctors / lawyers / CEOs / you name it, occupying posts that in real life only in exceptional cases someone like that age would hold, esp. in an ageist society.
And I'm not even talking about the ones they sell as "genius" in the dramas, but in regular dramas too.
In J-drama there seems to be at least sort of sub-genre of dramas for 40 somethings (though often with stories revolving around middle-aged people that can't get married and involving well-known actors that that industry wants to hold on to).
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 3:10 PM
I think the main problem that k-drama have is their extremely limited scenarios and genres.
In J-dramas you see subjects ranging anywhere from animal doctors to bank examiners to food inspectors to zoo keepers. In k-dramas there is a very limited subject range - 80% or so involve a chaebol.
There a hundreds of professions that simply never show up in k-dramas that I do see in j-dramas - ranging from mechanics, hydroponics managers, etc. - basically all the real professions and skills that a real society is built on. Yet the average Korean in a drama has to call an electrician to change a light bulb (seriously..).
The professions for women are especially limited in k-dramas - either an office worker drone, a high level bitch executive chaebol relative, a street vendor, a restaurant/coffee shop worker. All the non-candy professions are limited to some glamor job - fashion design, jewelry, or the like. It is like 97% of the workforce in Korea simply does not exist. There are more debt collectors than there are fishermen (and in the few times that a fisherman is shown, he is some candy's dad on the run from debt collectors..).
Just some of the reasons why I find myself watching a lot more j-dramas lately.
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 3:39 PM
I agree completely because I often thought it was silly not showing other professions but doesn't explain the bad acting. For now I'm going with the mob system explanation. :)
alua
July 18, 2014 at 4:32 PM
So true. Jdrama has the most random professions and topics.
AND gets you totally into them. All these sports I suddenly found interesting – synchronic swimming, ice hockey, rowing, etc. And jobs I never much thought about. I've seen aquarium employees (Nagareboshi), fishcake factory worker (can't remember title), office cleaner (Mop Girl), driving instructor (Slow Dance), conference interpreter (Love Shuffle), tourism worker (turned farmer, Osozaki no Himawari), hairdressers (various), all kinds manual labourers etc.
Kase Ryo is a plasterer in Arifureta Kiseki (and apparently he liked it so much that he said in an interview later, if he wouldn't be an actor, he would be a plasterer). The heroine in the same drama teaches people how to use large-scale cooking equipment (e.g. ovens for school kitchens rather than for home use). That's like a job I never even thought existed.
Also, some common jobs are usually at the high, glamorous end in k-drama, but might be at either end in j-drama. Like the shoemakers in Good Person works at a good, but not glamorous company and in the shittiest department of it. In I Do, I Do, one character starts out lowly but ends up at a high-end shoe designer. Super fancy shoes in A Thousand Kisses too.
The chaebol comment cracked me up.
Tara
July 18, 2014 at 5:51 PM
What you brought up was very interesting...and I'd always wondered the same thing. I completely agree with everything you said because, forreal, it all seems so unnatural -- even if it is dramaland.
But I suppose there are people out there who want to see the same things regurgitated in every drama. Blech. Give me slice-of-life any day...although that probably won't bring in ratings. I'm sick of the same ol' same ol'.
windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 6:07 PM
@ Alua
Your list brought back some memories of some actually pretty interesting j-dramas that seem to cover just about everything. I even saw a movie once about a guy that invented a hydraulic railroad spike driver - and I was thinking about I always wondered how they did that without the old slave labor sledge hammers. And I also wonder who in Japan goes around finding all these things that nobody in Korea is even aware of?
alua
July 18, 2014 at 7:40 AM
<Do any bad acting bother you in your kdramas lately?
It usually hits me hard when I watch a drama that has exceptional acting. Like Kase Ryo in Arifureta Kiseki... I mean, just blinking his eye or lifting his finger there was more expression here than other actors have in an entire series...
Or watching the cast of Wakamono Tachi at the moment – Tsumabuki, Eita, Mitsushima, Emoto, Hashimoto, Yu....
Or Bae Doona, in Someday.
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 8:38 AM
I miss hearing japanese lately. I will give a try to Wakamono this week and get back to you next OT alua. :)
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Belladonna
July 18, 2014 at 8:17 AM
The politician in YAAS is the absolute worst! Mr Surprise is what I call him because all he ever does is raise his eyebrows up and down. Can't stand him.
And unfortunately, I have to agree with Lee Jun Ki in at least the first few episodes of Joseon Gunman. I was getting a little disappointed in him. But it's getting better. As for the facial expressions, some people have really expressive faces, Lee Jun Ki has more expressive eyes so that's what I focus on. I'm also finally watching Two Weeks that he did last year and he's so good in it. I'm definitely a fan. His eyes just kill me.
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 8:42 AM
Mr. Surprise indeed. :P
About LJK I don't put him on the same level as the rest, it's just a bit monotonous and predictable to me, I used to think it was just this or that scene but now that I've watched My Girl, Arang, Two Weeks and these first 6 eps of Joseon, I can't let his insanely good looks fool me anymore. It's not me, it's him. :) The only time he really clicked with the cast and worked for me was on the King and The Clown. I need to rewatch that one.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:35 PM
I'm with you on Joseon Gunman leading lady, in the first 3 eps especially. She was doing the acting version of mutton dressed as lamb, it was partly the writer's fault for making the character that way and the PD's for not realising that a 30 year old cannot behave like an immature child without looking irritating and ridiculous.
Other bad acting that bothered me - Suzy in all her dramas, with her dead eyes and apparent inability to close her mouth (I keep wondering if she doesn't get her teeth fixed because she knows the rabbit teeth give her that pouty open mouth effect....which unfortunately comes off a bit gormless on her). Likewise Jin Se-yeon and her non-moving face (and again, weird mouth movements) in Dr Stranger.
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 3:12 PM
JG - Believe it or not I was ok with her in the first eps but lately she seems way too fake for me. The girl playing the villain's daughter seems eons better. Yesterday watching ep 6 I had a whole dream scenario in which the leading lady dies and she gets to be our OTP, that would be so surprising. She could have so much angst divided between an evil father which she did not know was so evil and our charming and tragic hero.
Ahh Suzy, she wasn't so terrible on GFB for me. I guess I got used to her blandness, I hated her in Big but she didn't annoy me in GFB, I do think for now she should stick to second leads. The thing about her mouth is not that easy to fix I think, see Jang Hyuk on FTLY for instance, closed mouth is not a natural thing for him. I think it's too much work to fix it, better leave it like that.:)
Jin Se-Yeon is the same for me. Complete blandness. It's mystery how these girls get leading parts for me. She didn't annoy me either though. It's just the same as a doll.
Ironically the famous actresses that really annoyed me lately were 3 that lots of people seem to love. Park Shin Hye, Ha Ji Won and Moon Chae Won.:)
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Muenchabench
July 18, 2014 at 6:12 PM
Omg totally agree about ha ji won. Like I get she has many skills which open up the kinds of roles she could play, but I feel her acting range is quite limited. I loved king 2 hearts but upon rewatching I realized how many cringeworthy scenes were because of her trying and failing at being aeygo
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 8:21 PM
You're absolutely right (from your later comment) that having people talk bad about dramas/actors/actresses help you think in another direction...I honestly don't mind people pointing out things out, because it helps me see that point of view. Even more so if their acting is so bad that it's cringe-worthy.
I definitely thought Captain Toad in You're All Surrounded was cringe-worthy bad. Over-acting, over-emotional, over-everything. I thought the actor was a well-known musical actor, so maybe that's the reason why there was so much over-the-top theatrics...but comparing him to Jo Seung-woo, another musical actor -- just doesn't compare. Maybe it was because Captain Toad was written that way, but man oh man...he was bad.
As for three of the examples of bad acting that you pointed out:
I agree with you about Jin Si-yeon because, honestly...she always seems to have the same expression and is just awkward to watch. Haven't watched Doctor Stranger at all because of the WTF-ery plotline, anyway...so this is basing off of Bridal Mask and Five Fingers.
I never really got the hate that Park Shin-hye would get on the comments sections, then I realized I haven't seen her in anything since when she was young Choi Ji-woo in Stairway to Heaven xP haha
As for Moon Chae-won...although I liked her in The Princess' Man, she got annoying quick in Good Doctor. She just seemed over angst-y and out of her element, like acting as a doctor amounted to being peeved, yelling, and talking in a shrill voice. Maybe it was because her character as Princess was written so well, but I wasn't impressed with her as a doc.
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Lixie
July 19, 2014 at 7:01 AM
Hi Tara!
About the PSH thing it's actually very funny, I liked her in YAB which was my first time watching her, maybe that was because I loved the whole story but I did think her quirks fit the character very well.
Then I watched her in FBND and there I thought she ruined her character completely, she was supposed to be sad and depressed and scared and hopeful and curious but yet all I got was the same expressions of fright and tears. Awful.
Then Heirs. She did exactly the same plus some yelling. Now she is my short list of dreaded actors.:)
My introduction with Moon was Nice Guy and she annoyed me being very robotic and one dimensional, har face and voice never change much, it's too odd. Then I tried Good Doctor and she was exactly the same thus she joined the short black list. :)
korfan
July 18, 2014 at 11:58 PM
I forgot to mention in the earlier post, regarding the bad acting ......
Shin Se-kyung as Seo Mi-do in the drama When A Man Loves has to be mentioned, unfortunately.
With all due respect, I'm sure she's a lovely person, but in that drama a piece of cardboard would have been more animated than she was ...... she was completely bland, stiff and expressionless.
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ChefAQF
July 19, 2014 at 3:25 PM
Wow, the actors you listed are all the same ones that I have had an issue with lately! That's kind of crazy, I thought it was just me lol... Makes me feel validated for fast forwarding through their scenes ;)
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August
July 19, 2014 at 4:59 PM
Kang Ji Wan - I liked him in Incarnation of Money but had problems with his character in Big Man. Daniel Choi totally upstaged him in Big Man.
Lee Deok-Hwa - I've seen him in May Queen, Secret Love, The Prime Minister & I, and Hotel King. I don't really care for his acting or the way he portrays characters.
Shin Se-Kyung - As Seo Mi-Do in When a Man Loves her acting was just bad for the type of character/role that she played.
Jin Se-Yeon - I've watched her in Bridal Mask, Age of Innocence, and Doctor Stranger. Her acting stands out (and not in a good way) among the rest of the cast in each of her dramas.
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korfan
July 19, 2014 at 11:23 PM
August -
Oh my goodness, Lee Deok-hwa! I thought it was only me! ....... There is something about the way he portrays his characters that seems a little "different". I actually can't put my finger on what it is exactly, but you know it when you see it.
It's almost like an old-school style of dramatic acting, which spills over into over-acting, if that makes any sense. ........ I will say, though, in comparison to all his recent roles, his portrayal in Queen of Ambition was not all that bad. I think he kind of "toned things down" a bit, which helped.
On another note, I completely agree with you regarding Daniel Choi. He was absolutely fantastic in Big Man. I didn't see that whole drama, but what I did see from him, wow.
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18 samsooki
July 18, 2014 at 7:24 AM
FTLY had a bittersweet flavor this week, with much laughs followed by much tears.
Among the many, many reasons why I love the drama is how the two main leads are converging. I've said from time to time how most stories have one of two premises:
(1) extraordinary circumstances befalling an extraordinary person; or
(2) extraordinary circumstances befalling an ordinary person.
Well, FTLY has both. Lee Gun is the ordinary person, and Kim MiYoung is the extraordinary. It appears to be backwards, because Lee Gun has had all the advantages and training to become really special, but it is Kim MiYoung who has really shown through as nearly unique in her character. She is the unknown and the invisible heroine, and only those who actually see her can begin appreciate who she is.
As Samsooki's wife said to me this morning, Lee Gun has really had many bad breaks to fall his way. In a subtle shift, unlike most stories where the plucky poor heroine has to battle through machinated obstacles - the story is really about Lee Gun's battle with himself, his erstwhile love, his future. Lee Gun has the resources to do whatever he wishes, but he cannot buy his own heart.
Lee Gun's story is so fragile, so delicate and so up in the air. Will he or won't he? Why does he care so much? Why should he care so much? What does he do with Sera? Lee Gun's growth is coming, but slowly and in spurts. Yet every positive step he takes is toward Kim MiYoung, because that's what happens when you gravitate toward a shining star.
Kim MiYoung's story is a little less interesting, if only because she is adrift in a sea of bad intentions, with only her own internal compass to keep her pointing true. Yet we gasp together and hold our hearts in our hands together, when we see Kim MiYoung sleeping on the couch, when we see her grasping at her earrings because they are hers, and when she protects her husband who does not acknowledge her. And yet, she cannot let her growing feelings toward Lee Gun compete with the growing life within her, because at the end of the road, regardless of the number of detours and stops along the way, there is a cliff where love goes to die.
The story lines are small but epic.
The laughter is all the more real and the drop from the mirth to the tears all the more deep.
I love this drama, and Happy Friday OT everyone!
Gummi and HN2 아자 아자 화이팅!
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dpanda
July 18, 2014 at 7:40 AM
Hi samsooki!!!!! Miss your recaps so much on dramabeans. Like,I love the way you put my feeling on FTLY in the comment above.
Presently, FTLY is the only drama I am live watching and I heart it so much, it's crazy.
On another topic, I regularly feel blessed that I discovered kdramas and this SITE. Love having a place to express my love for it. E.g. I marathoned DongYi over the weekend,60 hours spent glued to my tv. I utterly utterly fell in love with the romance. The story isn't perfect but men, it's perfect for me. Love it.
Another random obs., lol, I often wonder why flower boys are not my thing. Like I know Lee Min Ho is fine, KSH ..... But please, give me a Cha SeungWon, So JiSub, Gong Yoo, LEE JIN WOK over the those guys anyday, anytime.
sorry for the long post I hope I made a little sense um happy friday beanies have a wonderful wonderful day bye
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samsooki
July 18, 2014 at 8:22 AM
Aww, thanks!
I'm just a watcher now. Between the family and the job, I'm pretty much out of time. For me to watch Dr. Stranger, I had to stay up 3 nights in a row. Was worth it though (loved the drama).
*wave*
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 9:00 AM
"Well, FTLY has both. Lee Gun is the ordinary person, and Kim MiYoung is the extraordinary. "
I read when you wrote this last week I think and it stuck with me because it seems very accurate and yet hard to understand at first which makes me realize why I'm liking FTLY so much lately. It's a simple story but has so many layers and instead of bulldozing over them, like most dramas, they explore them even if subtly, with the help of a VERY good cast I may add.
I had never watched anything with the main couple and they are so good, even the crazy Gun laugh is much less annoying now. So refreshing to have a good stepmother for a change and likewise there are many plot points that are upside down, one of each is Gun's internal battle like you wrote. Show please, keep it up!:)
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19 lakaribane
July 18, 2014 at 7:26 AM
Happy OT...if you are feeling it! My personal internet has been largely absent since last week. Plus a virus at work means no internet there either.
This will be short. No fashion rants or raves for the reasons above.
However, I just have to share what happened this morning. I took a couple of days off because my father had cataract surgery on his only functional eye. Sigh. My father...anyway.
Went to the Fancy Supermarket (read: $$$) I never shop at, since I was in the neighborhood. Read last Friday`s cooking blog recommendations and decided to make Dak Bulgogi (sp) because I have most of the ingrédients except Mirin. I think I found it but I am not sure.
While I was scrutinizing the *Ethnic Food* shelves (I am not fond of that appelation, esp in my own country...IN ENGLISH!!!), what do I hear? Omaaaaaa! in that particular wheedling/whiny tone that smacks of manipulation, LOL!
Didn`t work on the mother but I was sooo happy to hear the two grade school kids talking, I was grinning like a fool.
I kept meeting them all over the aisles (the kids were rather loud, truth be told) but I didn`t dare walk up to them, that would be rude and weird, I think.
Didn`t understand much beyond `anni` and that -gu/-ku for enumerations but what a cute surprise, right? I know that KOICA has been here since the EQ but not sure if there are other reasons for SK to be here.
I have to go, as this is not my internet or laptop, but I hope I can read this OT over the week-end.
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20 dpanda
July 18, 2014 at 7:46 AM
One last thing, you know there are actors and there are ACTORS right? Add I said just got into the drama works last dec.
So, I started watching FTLY, watched first ep, and was like "darn, Jang Hyuk is AN ACTOR". I instantly went to look for other drama that he had been in and I actually just finished watching the second episode of Chuno and I'm so blown away. So, I'm just kind of sad happy because it just feels like I have been blind to this world for a very long time but also happy because it means that I have so much more to look forward to
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Rachel
July 18, 2014 at 9:07 AM
If you are a fan of Jang Hyuk, you should check out the movie The Client. He puts in a disturbing (in a good way) performance, alongside two other ACTOR actors (as you put it), Ha Jung Woo and Park Hee Soon.
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21 MistyIes
July 18, 2014 at 7:55 AM
Happy Friday! We've had some (slightly) cooler weather lately, which has been nice. As for dramas, etc...
Joseon Gunman: I'm still two episodes behind, but loving it so much.
Return of Iljimae: also continues to be awesome. (And wow, Jung Il Woo is pretty.)
God's Quiz 4: a very sad episode again, but also really sweet as usual. I still worry for Kyung Hee, but at least this cliff hanger left me more amused and even excited than afraid.
And Running Man: despite it being somewhat predictable, I found this episode quite hilarious. I did wonder when I saw the preview if they would just have Ji Hyo sleep the whole time, and I'm glad they didn't, even if her participation in the games didn't seem to count for much.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
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22 Sajen
July 18, 2014 at 7:57 AM
So my friend and I did not make kimchi this week, mostly because at our core we're both lazy and couldn't be bothered. We did however discover a wonderful soup restaurant, which I fondly refer to as the soup nazi.
Then we ran into his in-laws who hate him and apparently hate me now simply because I'm his friend. They actually remind me a bit of K-drama in-laws while I don't believe they've offered him money to leave or tried to kill him they do hate him for no reason other than getting their daughter pregnant, and being completely classless about it. Example, earlier this year around her birthday/mothers day they sent flowers to her work in her maiden name.
Well that feels better now that that's off my chest, on to dramas.
Trot Lovers- I still love it, even if I have to admit the fast pace worries me, a bit.
I'm behind on everything else time to go catch up.
Oh right, is anyone else here a gamer? I just found this browser game Fallen London! and while I just started it seems pretty interesting.
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 3:23 PM
It sounds like your friends in -laws are straight of a k-drama. But apparently it is not totally rare either - a Korean-American friend of mine and his Korean wife moved to the US specifically to get away from her family, and she was the one that made the decision.
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23 Rachel
July 18, 2014 at 8:23 AM
It's been a long time since I posted on Friday OT. Many events have come and gone these past few summer months.
I've finally graduated from 4 years of undergraduate life, onward to the university of life! The image of my crying self, wanting to give up on law school halfway through my journey, is seared in my mind. I survived!
Extremely grieved by the events of the past 24 hours. What more can I say than what has already been expressed? Catastrophic events that result in great human loss have been increasing in frequency and intensity. If you believe in the final judgment and other showdowns of the sort, you might think we are inching closer and closer to the end of the world.
I spent most of the past 2 months catching on American dramas, like Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Pretty Little Liars (a very guilty pleasure). Given the high quality of some of these shows, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stand watching typical Korean (sometimes soppy) dramas, but I'm happy to report that I've just started catching up on Heirs, and it's pretty much my new crack. I mean, can you ever get enough of Lee Min Ho staring longingly into the distance?
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John
July 18, 2014 at 8:31 AM
Rachel ~
Have you seen True Detective ? If so, what did you think of it?
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Rachel
July 18, 2014 at 8:36 AM
Not yet! It is on my list though. I've heard so much good stuff about it and I'm excited to get started on it soon :D
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john
July 18, 2014 at 1:40 PM
Rachel ~
TD is adrenaline pumping good. Both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson do a fantastic job.
This is how a cop show about serial killers is done, (shakes fist at Gap Dong).
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 10:05 AM
Congratulations on graduation!
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Rachel
July 18, 2014 at 11:04 AM
Thank you Carole! It feels surreal, and I'm most definitely not ready to enter the working world. Where bills have to be paid and I'll have much less time for my dramas of various nationalities :(
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:12 PM
congratulations Rachel! (and don't worry, you'll find a way..)
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August
July 18, 2014 at 9:48 PM
Congratulations Rachel,
Graduating from College is a momentous occasion and outstanding achievement. May the next chapter of your life bring you joy, passion, and inspiration.
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August
July 19, 2014 at 4:29 PM
Heirs (aka The Inheritors / The One Trying to Wear the Crown, Withstands the Weight)
1st & 2nd Male Leads (Bromance Hwaiting - Frenemies fighting their way back to each other until the end.)
Lee Min-Ho as Kim Tan & Kim Woo-Bin as Choi Young-Do
Comedy of Mothers:
Kim Mi-Kyung as Park Hee-Nam & Kim Sung-Ryoung as Han Ki-Ae
Funny & Charming Couple:
Krystal as Lee Bo-Na & Kang Min-Hyuk as Yoon Chan-Young
Honorable Mention:
Kang Ha-Neul as Lee Hyo-Shin
Choi Jin-Hyuk as Kim Won
Lim Ju-Eun as Jeon Hyun-Joo
Park Hyung-Sik as Jo Myung-Soo
Kim Ji-Won as Rachel Yoo
The Heirs recaps on Dramabeans definitely had lively discussions and spirited debates. Be sure to check them out.
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24 snow
July 18, 2014 at 8:28 AM
My three favorites right now:
Marriage Not Dating....so much fun
High School King Of Savvy....warm and charming...I'm on ep 7 right now....
Fated To Love You....♥
basically my dramaland is filled with romance and cuteness...
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25 kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 8:35 AM
Hi Everybody!
How are you doing? Dramawise, I am in a slump without much exciting things to watch.
I follow Triangle, Trot Lovers and Glorious Day. Oh, I also had a look at the opening episodes of Temptation.
The older shows are satisfying in their own ways - Triangle is a Jaejoong feast complete with the gangster family (I can't get enough of Manbong and Madam Min explaining everything going on in the drama, lol). Glorious Day is a feel good little drama which main asset for me is the dentist brother. I just love those snarky, teasing characters, who not only make witty comments but also are clever enough to help others confront their hysteric mothers ;). Trot Lovers is indeed for trot lovers - I realized that EunJi is one fine singer. The plot is nothing special, but I can live with it as it is. Though, I used to think that this drama will change a bit the image of trot music, so that it won't be considered a worse genre or something you would not admit to liking. And then I read that the very EunJi will release an album, but not with trot but "trendy" music. Sigh. The "trendy" pieces don't let her show off her skills, but who cares.
As for Temptation, I am still onboard and haven't decided to drop it yet. It is intriguing enough for me to keep watching. What I like about it is the psychological game the heroine seems to be playing - mostly with herself, I guess. And it's fun to wait and see what the characters do next.
Have a lovely weekend!
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:11 PM
I'm with you on Trot Lovers and Triangle - the latter is totally a Jaejoong feast, which makes it a relief that he carries it so well. I just keep wishing there was more brother time and less - as I keep saying - old corrupt dudes throwing tantrums. But Im Siwan did well these past couple of eps. And I really REALLY like having a female lead who isn't your classic Candy and can solve her problems on her own.
Trot Lovers, I'm in it only for Eunji but still haven't caught up with this week. Her trot covers are glorious, I hope they're released as OSTs now. And she is totally leading lady material.
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 1:35 PM
Actually, Im ShiWan is the least convincing actor in the whole ensamble for me. He makes an impression of someone who pretends to be part of the world he doesn't belong to. I don't know it is only my opinion, bad writing or ISW is not there yet as an actor (it's the first time I have seen him in a drama).
I would even go as far as calling Jung Hee a supporting character and not a lead. I find her quite marginal, more of a muse who makes Young Dal set new goals in life, rather than an active character. And I mean I like it - just like I said I would prefer A New Leaf without PMY's character, who in my opinion was not needed at all, be it with this or that actress. I need a main character in a drama, and adding female or male leads only for the maths to be ok is anachronic in my eyes.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:45 PM
yeah I agree with your assessment of Jung-hee as a supporting character rather than a lead.
Im Siwan's done pretty well in other projects, particularly some lower-profile ones like Waiting For Love. He's not stood out as much in Triangle, but I think he's not bad - he held his own against far more experienced costars, and managed to keep me sorta-interested in his antihero character. And I do think he was really good here, in the prequel short film for Misaeng:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc4J6qFYmiY
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 2:11 PM
To me he is the weakest link or maybe someone who doesn't blend in nicely in that particular drama universe. Just like I never find So Ji Sub believable if he plays smart characters ;P
pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 2:18 PM
@kopytko - I disagree on So Ji-sub, Master's Sun was one of the best performances of his career and certainly one of the best on network tv last year - imo he brought nuance and subtlety to a character who could have remained solely in the realm of total caricature. It's a great way to use his skills from all that melo in his first romcom role, and for me it worked. Of course, it may not be your cup of tea.
kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 2:41 PM
Master's Sun was so much off the wall that I didn't take any character seriously. For me, Jung Wan was an excentric character, whose main trait was being different. He was also clever, but that didn't constitute him as much as his idiosyncrasies. I agree that it was a very good role, but it was about something else, he was actually growing up as a person or maybe opening up to his own feelings and SJS showed it nicely.
On the other hand, in Ghost, SJS was supposed to be a computer expert, but looked like my Dad trying to send an e-mail (look of pain, reluctance and feeling wronged to have to touch that darn machine).
Tara
July 18, 2014 at 8:46 PM
LOL to your comment about So Ji-sub in Ghost...because I thought Daniel Choi did a hell of a lot better in being believable as a computer hacker than So Ji-sub. As a cop, he was decent...but hacker? No way.
But maybe it's because I loved him so much in I'm Sorry, I Love You...I thought melo was the way to go for him. Until Master's Sun. Yeah, the story was a bit off-the-wall and his character was quite eccentric...but I thought his first foray into rom-com was actually good and fit his persona better, definitely more believable than a computer hacker any day ;P
Tara
July 18, 2014 at 1:21 PM
I like both Man-bong and Boss Min and think that they're great...at first, I didn't like Man-bong because he kept having his lackeys beat up poor Young-dal so much in prison. But I've warmed up to him, and he's definitely someone Young-dal needs in his corner with the brewing "war" between his gangsters vs. Skunk Go's gangsters...and if he wants to get his revenge. Now if only all his gangster lackeys ran away after getting the beatdown that Young-dal gave this week...ha.
I'm thinking on picking up Temptation, just because of the cast...and the premise seems intriguing. I was probably one of the few who didn't watch Secret Love Affair, but this seems to be more of a psychological game than adultery. The potential to see Choi Ji-woo brewing on psychologically manipulative. Definitely a stark difference to the characters she's portrayed in the past. I'm thinking on waiting for a bit before marathoning it, though.
Is Feel Good Day still worth watching? I have it on hold for now, but haven't really been in the watching mood for weekend dramas as of late (and this is coming from someone who's watched weekend dramas probably since started dramawatching, lol).
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 1:48 PM
The part where ManBong was hostile towards Young Dal was needed for one thing - YD was supposed to stand his ground and prove himself to be a tough opponent that deserves respect. Otherwise, Man Bong couldn't treat him as an equal and "business" partner.
IMO Temptation is worth at least trying. It isn't in your face type of melo (as of yet) and isn't based on primitive, vulgar actions, such as a jerk shamelessly cheating on his wife (or a b*tch cheating on her husband - I find both equally repulsive). SLA was pretty much also more about people rather than cheating and I found it a good drama, worth recommending.
Glorious Day is nice, nothing revolutionary, but the characters/cast are lovable (the Smiling Oppa and the Dentist Oppa *swoon*) and the story is relatively sensible. I usually watch it before going to bed on Saturdays and Sundays, as it gets subbed very quickly. I am not sure I don't doze off now and then, but I guess it's not hard to follow, whether you watch each episode or only random episodes, when you feel like.
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 7:51 PM
I understood why Man-bong did what he did to Young-dal in prison...but it just was a bit hard to watch for me, especially since it seemed like he was getting his lackeys to beat the crap out of him, day in and day out. You're absolutely right, he wanted Young-dal to prove himself to him and show he was "worthy"...to show that he could take it, man-wise, and possibly earn the right to be one of his guys.
But I do love the support, advice and backing that both Man-bong and Boss Min provide Young-dal...like the aunt/uncle figure (or even hyung/noona figure -- father/mother figure seems a bit off?) that he never had.
I've been watching Feel Good Day/Glorious Day on and off since the beginning, because I liked the cast (and Lee Sang-woo in a starring role!). At first, it seemed very tame because it was really like the weekend family dramas of yesteryear, without all the makjang-tinged material that seems to be weekend drama material these days...so that got me intrigued and watching.
Then it kinda lost my interest when I kept getting annoyed with the shrill b*tching-ness of the boys' mom (haha) and got shuffled to the "watch later" list when my usual drama-watching weekend time got filled with busy-ness.
But I guess since I've already watched more than a few eps, I should pick it back up sooner or later. I think it's a bit telling if I can't remember the characters' names even after more than a few eps--I just remember them like this: 1) the boys' mom? T-ara's Bo-ram's real mom, 2) the male live-in tenant of the girls' house? Good Doctor's bad doctor ;P haha
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26 Trapper
July 18, 2014 at 8:57 AM
Hi Beanies-
Been doing a bit of binge watching this week:
Started: Love Myself or You (tdrama) A bit of a slow moving story, but the OTP is top notch!
Started/Finished: You're Beautiful. I can understand the love and hysteria when this first aired. After watching it, had the feeling of 'been there, done that' but of course when it aired, this may have been fresher.
Continuing: Glorious Day. I enjoy this drama, even though I told myself that I wouldn't watch a weekend/50 ep drama, didn't want to invest the time. Just when I think it is dragging, it perks back up and I'm invested again.
That's all for now, thanks for reading!
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27 sebsob
July 18, 2014 at 8:59 AM
Is anyone watching Cdrama 'Boss & me' aka 'Shan comes to eat'? It seems really cute but I just can't find English subs anywhere. Any help or reviews, recaps would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
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sebsob
July 18, 2014 at 9:09 AM
I swear this wasn't there in this morning's boolean search but anyway I found a wonderful girl whose doing recaps. http://hui3r.wordpress.com/ Any help with actual subs would be awesome though. Thank you.
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28 ktiep2003
July 18, 2014 at 9:23 AM
So much evil going on in the world. And we're killing our planet on top of it. No wonder I like to disappear into Dramaland...
YAAS: I really loved the ending. I was left wanting more of the show--you know, with more crimes for to solve and more growth in their different relationships. Just like would happen on American TV. This feeling is so much bet than when a drama ends and I feel like, whew! Glad that's over!
Trot Lovers: At first I was coming down with second lead syndrome really bad, but now, um no. I don't like how he is pushing himself (his declaration of love) on her. I mean, he is her BOSS, so if she doesn't reciprocate right away, I would think it would be wise to back off. I've often wondered about that in K-Dramas--with all the dating and love declarations that bosses do with their subordinates.
I'm glad I have Dramabeans to come read about Fated to Love You and Marriage, not Dating because sometimes I just don't understand them. Maybe because I am a strong-willed woman, so I wouldn't put up with the crap that the men are dishing out. I don't find it that funny when the characters insult each other non-stop.
As for ACTING, I definitely like watching good actors over pretty people. When two are combined, that's nice, but many times I like the character actors better than the leads.
I also noticed the drought in veteran actors. Probably they don't want to live the hectic TV actor's life anymore. In the US, the acting work day is regulated, so veteran actors like TV because they can have steady income and homes and families.
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aoiaheen
July 18, 2014 at 10:55 AM
Totally get where you're coming from. I'm almost scared to watch the new nowadays.
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 12:48 PM
I'm with you on your first sentence...that's exactly the reason why I escape to dramaland. What is this world coming to...aigoo -.-
And I'm also with you about how kdrama heroines seem to put up with so much crap/insults from men. You're absolutely right that it's something someone strong-willed would put up with. As for me, I'd definitely have something pointed to say back--likely in words that can't be published ;P
I've noticed how there are quite the many well-known movie actors who seem to be gravitating towards TV nowadays in the US...I suppose that's a good trend for us, to have well-established true actors (in the real sense of the word) acting. Makes for better quality shows, imo.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 12:59 PM
It's a bit funny, because in the US, tv is seen as less prestigious than film work - Matthew McConaughey must be one of the very few people who did a tv show in the middle of a career resurgence rather than after the film work ran out.
There are plenty of tv actors who can act rings around movie actors, but I think the multiple-season nature of US tv shows restricts the amount of work they can take outside of tv and also typecasts them in terms of image. (of course this does not apply to the CW, where everyone is rubbish at acting and is only there to show off hair extensions and fashion)
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 1:39 PM
Yeah, that's what I was thinking...TV shows < movies. But with the current uptick in movie stars doing TV shows, maybe the tide has changed...for now. I suppose you're right that maybe the stars these days are doing TV because they've run out of film work...but it still surprises me to see these big names on the small screen.
And hahaha...I totally agree about the CW shows!!! -.- Oh my goodness, and you wonder why their ratings don't float above the single digits!
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 3:22 PM
The explanation for this is easy, in short, the movies got dumber and dumber for a while and tv got better, a lot better.
Yes, we get a few good movies sometimes but they are not very frequent and when tv got more prestige with quality shows and fewer eps like True Detective, good actors came back.
Muenchabench
July 18, 2014 at 6:35 PM
Agree with all your thoughts. To add, if you look at film budgets through the years you'll notice the disappearance of middle range 30-80 million dollar picture. Now that blockbusters are played for a global audience instead of just america. Which means everything becomes broader, blander, slightly dumber(due to broadness) with way more explosions and sfx. Meanwhile american television is becoming more creative, cinematic, and is starting to change its seaonal format. Already this year true detective and Fargo have gone the k drama route by just being one season. Hopefully more will follow.
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 8:40 PM
I agree with you...because I, for one, have shied away from watching those typical blockbusters that rely way too much on special effects and such -- shoot, I don't watch much movies nowadays anyway. You're absolutely right, everything seems more blander and dumbed down than in years past.
As for TV shows getting better, I do attribute it to the more creative ideas/storylines/cinematic feel that is being cultivated now...I mean, who would have thought the Emmy-nominated shows would be dominated by cable shows and even Netflix? Gone are the days where those award-winning shows were on the Big 4 channels...they can't compare to the "opened" creativity/noncensoring/bigger budget of the cable shows, imo.
pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 19, 2014 at 11:58 PM
that is true, they used to have romcoms done in those budgets but American romcoms are basically a dead genre.
I love me some blockbusters, depending on what they are - I really enjoyed The Avengers and was impressed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier earlier this year, but barring the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which seems to take some pains to not be just your average cheesy superhero movie) the other big budget movies are just painful.
And even a lot of the stuff aimed as Oscar bait is equally mediocre (and pretentious to go with it). I've turned more and more to foreign films and genre series, because at least those offer some variety.
29 CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 9:31 AM
Hello all!
I've been avoiding the news so I just realized today is Friday. Have moved from our old town and are now in Albany. Trying to settle in.
High School King: I really don't know how I'll hold up for the next week. This drama is my crack. The people in it, the sense of it being a good "hang-out" drama which is populated by people who are accepting of each other and who have good will toward each other. Well, for the most part...Loooooooooove this drama.
Jin Woo is one of the most shamed/shaming/shame-based characters I've seen in kdrama. Am hoping he's not repeating with women what his dad did with his mother. Poor soul, he just doesn't seem to understand how to deal with relationships. I worry that he will totally crash and burn, go into rehab because of a nervous breakdown, or just attempt to kill himself. The shame and self-reproach he's under can't go on much longer. But this is kdrama so love alone could heal him. In real life if he hung out with Yoo Ah, I would worry that he would be the older abusive child molester type. But this is kdrama...so...well, she might heal him.
Am still trying to figure out why heroine and her sister don't have similar names. Looks as if the late Jung-soo who was chaufffeured around by Minseok's Dad and had a car accident might be Soo Young's dad who was killed in a car accident. Am i right? So would Minseok's Dad kinda sorta know Soo Young's Mom (when they came down from Seoul)? And are there other birth secrets out there, did Chairman have other mistresses? And where are Chairman's other "legitimate" kids and Chairman's wife? Why aren't we seeing how Jin Woo gets along or crashes with his half-sibs.
I saw a 2009 drama called NEXT which was really very good. It got a bit slow when the past life repetition didn't seem to progress...but in all, it was quite good. It's on kdrama.com
Nothing much else. Have a safe healthy weekend, all.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 9:57 AM
Oops. Forgot to mention. Am liking Marriage, not Dating. Am trying to hold onto Joseon Gunman...cause LJK is sooo hot but the idiotic plotting is just getting to me. Maybe I'm just burned out from folks disappearing then returning in X number of years looking totally the same yet expecting everyone to not remember them. Not to mention hero having stupid friends who conveniently forgot the authorities tried to murder said hero and who keep wondering why he would hide his identity. Now that they finally seem to have remembered that he was murdered by the "king's" men, I'm enduring the plot-grinding...which kinda borders on the non-sensical. But am continuing. The only dramas which have deeply touched my heart right now are High School King of Savvy and Yoona's Street.
Awaiting Night Watchmen and the Three Musketeers. Not watching Temptation, although it might be good. Not into adultery when it's the guy doing it.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:02 PM
Hi Carole, I hope the move went well!
I love Joseon Gunman for various reasons, no. 1 being Lee Jun-ki, followed by several side characters and great action scenes, but I could do without the romance bits. Soo-in irritated me less this week, but I love Hye-won. Too bad she isn't the female lead (guys like girls who are pretty over ones who are actually capable, I guess).
I'm glad the romance in this one took a backburner for now, because looking at birdbrain (but actually she's intelligent!The writer says so!) Soo-in makes me think very longingly of Shin Mina and Arang.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 2:06 PM
LOL! Yeah...I'm willing to accept most any kinds of heroines but wow...the stupid things she does! And how naive can she be!
I'm trying to catch up on it though. Cause...well...Lee Jun Ki.
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 3:34 PM
I gave up on Josean Gunman pretty early, a lot of people seem to like it, but I could not stand the crappy writing and character portrayals, especially a 30 year old girl acting like a 16 year old.
Only k-dramas I am seriously watching now are FTLY and Marriage, not Dating. Have a couple more on the watch list - Temptation for one - but nothing I am excited about.
Drama.net has been doing pretty good on keeping updated on most j-dramas (wish they had a sub option and a ROKU app), so been watching a lot of those.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 5:01 PM
I really like Not dating. It's fun and giddy. I wish i hadn't read the synop of the Taiwanese version of Fated to Love you. Now I can't watch this version.
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 6:09 PM
The Korean version is much better and tons funnier than the Taiwan version. I saw the Taiwan version, and this is almost like a whole new show, but much better and hilarious. I really recommend you try a couple of episodes.
CaroleMcDonnell
July 19, 2014 at 5:23 AM
I might try, Windsun. Can't promise though.
Tara
July 18, 2014 at 8:32 PM
Congratulations on the move! So that's why you've been missing on the comments here...I was wondering why :)
I totally agree with you on Joseon Gunman...now, I would understand if his look changed completely - but seriously though, no sageuk-hair, modernized clothes and glasses do make the look-alike man so different-looking?!? xP Of course, if he had changed his look completely then it would be a completely different story. Too bad there wasn't plastic surgery back then, right? *sarcasm* But man oh man, I wanted to smack Soo-in upside the head when she blurted out "Yoon-kang?!" when first meeting him -- because seriously, you're gonna draw attention to the fact that he looks like the doppelganger (well, we know he's one and the same but to them, he was a doppelganger) to the son of the supposedly traitor to the nation, with Evil Choi in their presence no less? -.- It is bordering on non-sensical...but I'm still gonna stick it out, just even for Lee Jun-ki.
Night Watchmen's new details (like Go Chang-seok as a ghost!) have me eagerly awaiting the premiere. He's comic gold, as his appearance on 1 Night 2 Days Actors Special (which I still loveee, how I miss those days!) and his role in Good Doctor have shown...as well as that sageuk movie where he's wearing pigtails and in drag (the name escaped me, can't think of it now). Maybe it's because of his roly poly/gruff appearance, but I think he's one of those character actors that pull off anything well.
How is Yoona's Street? I've said I was gonna watch it, and I have yet to catch any of it! -.-
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 19, 2014 at 5:56 AM
Yoona's Secret is nicely different. I like the grit. Yep, we're moved. Last OT, my internet in the new place hadn't been set up. Thanks for noticing my absence and wondering. Soooooooo sooooooo anticipating Night Watchman.
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bbstl 🧹
July 18, 2014 at 12:47 PM
Good question, doesn't Chairman have other legitimate children working at Comfo? "Hang out drama" is exactly how I feel about this show, too. I can't wait to enter their world again every week. I also looked at the downward spiral Jin Woo is on (hard to watch!) and thought, he'll be in the hospital with mom pretty soon.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 2:08 PM
yeah....didn't Chairman mention his wife and two kids. If Jin Woo is 20-ish..those kids should be older (if his mom is a mistress) or younger (if chairman married later in life after discarding Jin Woo's mom.) But it eems to me that whatev er their ages, they should be on the screen somewhere...unless the writer forgot about them...which would be a real shame. Or maybe Chairman said he sent them off to the US or England to be educated....ya know...like all chaebol do.
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bbstl 🧹
July 18, 2014 at 2:21 PM
You're right, a very safe assumption that Wife and kids are off in the West. Let's make it part of the backstory that they are and it puts extra pressure on Jin Woo to excel at Comfo now before the siblings come back and push him out.
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korfan
July 19, 2014 at 12:42 AM
Carole -
Hope things went smoothly with the move ....... and hope all is well in Albany.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 19, 2014 at 5:27 AM
We're semi-moved. Our furniture and most of our stuff are still in the house which isn't sold. But we're in Albany. It's a nice city so far. Trying to find organizations for dayprograms for autim, disabilities. Interesting so far. Thanks for the good wishes
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 19, 2014 at 11:33 AM
Marathoning Merry Mary on Dramafever. Not bad
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30 Aigoooo
July 18, 2014 at 10:26 AM
Things I am grateful for this week:
1. The Hospital I had surgery in has wifi... YAY
2. Going to Dramabeans to get my mind out of the pain once the anesthesia wore off. If I posted anything weird between Mon - Wed, I blame the anesthesia. lol
3. Watching HSKS, FTLY, YAAS, Avatar, The Legend of Korra, MND, Roommates, Running Man and Trot Lovers for helping me keep my sanity.
4. My mom and sisters who came and visited (and brought Starbucks). Family is awesome. hehe
5. The gorgeous nurse who was assigned to me. I was gonna act all suave and cool but that kinda fizzled out after she pulled the urinary catheter out of me. lol youch
Just a random thought, I wonder if it's possible for Dramabeans to put up the episode with 1 picture so us beanies can start discussions right away until the recap comes in? If it's a horrible idea then forget I said anything. lol
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 2:44 PM
Family. Avatar. Starbucks. Catheter out. It's the little things that add up that we sometimes take for granted. Glad things are looking up.
About the pre-recap idea - it sort of negates the whole reason for this blog and the way/style the owners/authors have set it up. We respond to what they offer.
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31 aoiaheen
July 18, 2014 at 10:51 AM
Hi everyone!
This kdrama season is quite an amazing one. Usually I follow probably 1 or 2 dramas and if i'm lucky i will be addicted to one of them. But this time I'm watching and addicted to 4 dramas. I feel like heaven has fallen on my lap (top).
So my addictions are:
Fated to love you (crazy addicted. I think JNR is playing one of my most detested type of characters in such a lovely way that I am head over heels in love with her now. And OMG Uri hero is so freaking adorable! )
You're all surrounded (My first Lee seung gi drama)
Hi School love on! - so sweet!
Joseon Gunman (This isnt a surprise - I love sagueks without too much court drama and this hits all the right spots for me. And I just adore LJK)
I'm also watching
Fated to love you: I was addicted to this till they went makjang. I love the concept - i think the whole "in love with the same guy but a different version of him" is very unique and could have had some lovely romantic angst. But they completely ruined it by not focusing on this.
I wish they remake it into korean and do a better job.
Happy friday everyone!
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32 meenuby
July 18, 2014 at 11:32 AM
Happy OT Friday, all.
Can't say I can enjoy much drama watching this past week. I've been glued to the tragedies happening around the world, especially in the MidEast. I don't know about anyone else but when women, children, and the disabled are being killed by the hundreds, IT IS NOT OKAY. I can't fathom why most of the world has turned a blind eye to the situation there, which has been going on for decades. Where is the humanity? Why can't we all live in peace, regardless of our religious and ethnic differences?
And then the MH17 crash. My God, how horrible. Malaysia barely came back from the missing MH370 plane and now this. What is the world coming to?
I don't know what I can do except to offer my prayers for all. :(
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 12:55 PM
Sadly, I don't think the situation will ever truly improve. Too many people feel wronged, and with good reason. I can only hope the future is better....
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33 john
July 18, 2014 at 11:36 AM
Watching:
Joseon Gunman: Starting to pick up
HSKOS: Loving it. Moment of truth coming right at us.
MND: Need to watch ep 4. All kinds of love triangles ?
Trot Lovers: Just for my lovely Eun-ji. I loath lazy writers.
FTLY: Jang Nara ! She's a delight to watch.
Roommate: 2 wks behind. Will watch for Nana & Ga-yeon
Might check out Temptation.
J dramas:
Wakamonotachi; Can't lose with a cast like this. Ep 2 was full of surprises.
Ginnikan: 1st episode is good so far. Son of a samurai is orphaned and is "adopted" into a agar merchant's "family". Yay, features the wonderful child actress Ashida Mana.
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 12:17 PM
Hi John!
I agree that Eun Ji is by far the best thing about Trot Lovers. I can imagime myself attending her concert and I tell you, it doesn't happen often in case of Korean pop singers/bands,
I also find myself waiting for the handsome CEO to put on his nail ring and murder somebody, which is an amusing feeling.
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bbstl 🧹
July 18, 2014 at 12:54 PM
"Lazy writers", you put your finger on what is wrong with Trot Lovers. I keep thinking it will surely improve but it's just so blah.
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john
July 18, 2014 at 1:55 PM
bbstl ~
It's like the writers fill in the blanks on a K drama template. Pick 5 tropes, mix, ta-da !
Son Ho-Jun and Shin Bo-Ra are being wasted. Bo-Ra is funny and a good singer, what is her character's purpose? His character? Ho-jun keeps getting blah roles. His Beyond The Clouds role was flat too. I think he's better than what they're giving him. A love triangle with the coach? WTH?
Team Evil's plots are all foiled by Geun-Woo anyways, so why not do it in a comedic fashion ? Geun-Woo's a funny character, so play on that strength. Anyways, I was hoping for more.
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bbstl 🧹
July 18, 2014 at 2:26 PM
Yes, Haitai is totally wasted. This show lined up a lot of side characters with potential (esp President Dad) and has done nothing with them. Very disappointing. Unlike HSKS where the range of characters are almost exploding off the screen (I'm especially partial to the two school buddies).
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 18, 2014 at 2:10 PM
EXACTLY!!! re: the lazy writer. The emotions and plot beats we're expected to just "accept." AAARgh.
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 4:42 PM
Wakamono Tachi ♥♥♥
First I hear of Ginnikan. Might check that out.
Waiting for Henshin (end of this month) and hoping for Naze no Tenkousei subs, since I think it's only 1 ep missing.
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34 pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 12:53 PM
It's been an awful week, I can't stand watching the news any more. First the Gaza situation (which disgusts me beyond belief, as excuses continue to be made and the so-called civilised world sits quietly by) and now the plane.....god rest those poor souls.
It's been a quiet week in kdrama for me - I only watched Triangle, Joseon Gunman and a few episodes of Let's Eat. Triangle still does that weird thing where it's slow and people talk too much, but I'm still hooked because of the brothers and the OTP.
Joseon Gunman - I'm totally hit by Second Lead Syndrome....for the female second lead. She has so much depth and presence that she didn't even need her backstory to make her interesting, but this is one show where I'm glad the plot takes precedence over romance, at least for now. I can tolerate Soo-in now, but only as long as she keeps the birdbrain voice and mannerisms in check.
But the real stars of the hour (besides the always-amazing Jeon Hye-bin) were Lee Jun-ki and Kim Hyun-soo as the siblings. For a kid with so little screentime, she's a champ at leaving a strong impression, is good at emoting, and she has adorable oppa-dongsaeng chemistry with Lee Jun-ki. And oppa is SO GOOD.
My respect for Lee Jun-ki has always been sky-high because he never coasted on his incredible good looks but instead gives 100 percent to his performances. Even as his fan, I always admit he isn't perhaps as naturally gifted an actor as some, but he produces performances as great as they do by sheer dint of hard work and committing to his role in every way. And when it comes to sageuks, he has earned his place as one of the best - plus he just keeps getting better with age. I'm so glad the ratings are in the double digits now and I hope they continue to rise - he deserves a proper mainstream successful drama after his comeback.
Let's Eat - I really adore this slice-of-life drama and everyone in it. I'm particularly impressed by the two young actors, Yoon So-hee and Yoon Doo-joon - one is from SM Entertainment and the other is an idol, but they fit their roles so perfectly, I hope to see them as true leads in more mainstream acting projects one day. (also Yoon Doo-joon is ridiculously handsome). And I love love LOVE Soo-kyung and her relationship with Barasshi, her dog.
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 1:02 PM
Let's Eat was a great pleasure to watch. I usually dislike pets in dramas, where they appear only to boost the cute factor without much thought behind it, but here the presence of Barassi was meaningful and well thought of.
From the human ensamble I was a fan of Lawyer Oh :)
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 1:06 PM
Lawyer Oh is hilarious, no doubt.
I nearly died of laughter during the Troublemaker noraebang scene , by that time I'd realised the Beast connection and the blatant fanservice but she killed me :D.
Let's Eat is one of those shows that would be great even without a love line, it's the first time I've seen a kdrama where the characters' connections actually feel organic and well done without needing the usual kdrama tropes.
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 1:21 PM
I know nothing about Beast and didn't get any meta jokes, but I still loved it. To tell the truth, I am not going to research on this subject ;P
I liked that the romance wasn't there just to be there because it should, but we rather saw the characters in process of developing and realizing their feelings for others.
Another revelation was the fact that the second female lead, although a silly-ish girl, was still capable of thinking on her own, thus she grew as a person instead of staying the bitter, jealous, stupid second female lead, that I had believed she would be. Very nice writing on that part and very good acting, too!
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 2:16 PM
Totally agree with your first paragraph...it's frankly very disturbing how yesterday's tragedy is being squabbled over when it's just proving even more how humanity is deteriorating. Those poor people on board...oh, it is so very very sad. And the airline...to have had the disappearance only a few months before and to have this now? -.-
Definitely agree with you on Joseon Gunman and Lee Jun-ki...I'm so happy that Jun-ki's finally getting the ratings he deserves! It's kinda shocking to me that Arang was the very first drama I saw of his, but he's continued to impress me since.
I still gotta watch Let's Eat. It's been on my backburner for a while now...! haha ;P
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 2:26 PM
It really is awful, and we're all helpless to do anything but watch. 2014 has been such an awful year for tragedies - the missing plane, Sewol, those poor Nigerian girls, and now this. What are we coming to?
I'm glad the Joseon Gunman ratings are picking up, and come next week I expect it to take the top slot - I hope! Arang is criminally underrated and one of the most uniquely conceptualised dramas I've ever seen in terms of worldbuilding and mystery-solving, but JG has its own charms and if it gets Princess Man-like ratings I'll be happy.
btw, a word of warning about Let's Eat...keep some food handy, you'll get hungry watching the cast eat all the time!
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alua
July 18, 2014 at 4:49 PM
I love Lee Soo-Kyung's food obsession – and how she's totally unapologetic about it. It's at a sort of Nodame-level, in a way. And not the usual thing for dramas.
Yoon Doo-joon just nails the role. He's just his character.
Yoon So-hee was lovely because her role was quite interesting – seemingly typical, but not developing in the usual connect-the-dots ways. She's in Marriage Not Dating, but her role there is copy-paste from other dramas. Not her fault though, as she just hasn't been given anything interesting to work with.
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35 JJK
July 18, 2014 at 2:02 PM
Anyone's watching Battle of Changsha on viki? Officer Gu is giving me a Mr. Darcy's aura :P
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john
July 19, 2014 at 1:58 AM
JJK ~
Battle of Changsha looks interesting. I'll give it a look.
There's a blog that is doing recaps of the show.
http://jolecole.blogspot.com/
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JJK
July 19, 2014 at 12:39 PM
Hi John,
Thanks for pointing me to the blog. I hope the author is still recapping it though - so far it's only up till episode 6. Me just need to read what people say and to vent a bit.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 19, 2014 at 6:11 AM
I'll check it out. thanks
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36 Wag_a_Muffin
July 18, 2014 at 2:10 PM
I am done with J Gunman. I loved the poster. I waited impatiently for the first episode. I still like the actors and actresses. The writing is what I'm frustrated with. So I'm done. I won't be getting on the recap thread saying this, because I believe recaps threads are for those watching the shows. (I don't know, it's a courtesy thing--or basic manners. I don't bash shows that others like on their own threads.) But here, on the open thread, may I just (politely) say that I'm disappointed and if it gets better (starts making s.e.n.s.e), somebody tell me. Thanks.
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kopytko
July 18, 2014 at 2:19 PM
I think there is nothing wrong with sharing your impressions, positive or negative. If the recap comment sections consisted only of praises, it would be boring. I would say, it's ok to criticize - to say what is wrong and why it is wrong.
Sometimes, I need to vent my anger when a show promises to be something and doesn't deliver - I think it is fair to say it out loud that you feel cheated of an hour of your life.
But then, being a non-native speaker I am not sure whether I get the difference between criticizing and bashing.
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pogo - now sailing HMS Queen of Tears with Corn Salad on deck🍉
July 18, 2014 at 2:29 PM
Nothing wrong with saying you don't like it, or expressing your frustration.
I love the show, myself, but I think it's extremely immature for fans to yell at people who show even a hint of criticism towards what they like. A recap's comment section is for comments, not only for fangirling.
I thought episode 8 was better than the rest so far, but I do share your concerns about some of the writing, especially for the female lead.
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Tara
July 18, 2014 at 2:37 PM
Agree with you about those who attack those showing some criticism, it is very immature of them just because they're such fangirling and not taking any sort of comments besides those that support their line of thinking. And they're the ones that spout "but everybody's got their own opinion, you shouldn't force your thoughts down my throat, blah blah blah."
It reminds me of that person who was attacking you on the Triangle thread just because they don't like DalHee and thought you were attacking them just because you pointed out they were blatantly posting spoilers for the next ep! Or those random users who don't come here for dramas but hog the comment boards on an upcoming drama (unfortunately) starring that "actor"-that-shall-not-be-named *ughhhhh*
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Lixie
July 18, 2014 at 3:34 PM
Hey feel free to bash away! I like when people talk bad about the shows I love, makes me think in another direction, it's fun. :)
NO, not JG. This I don't like much but I'm sticking for LJK which like I said above I don't even consider a good actor and is often frustrating me to see him struggle and use the same expressions over and over. And yet I stick around, does that make me an even bigger fan ??? :P
If you ever feel like, let us know exactly all that does not make a lick of sense for you. :) How bad can it be? I only watched 2 eps of Doctor Stranger but no way nothing could lack more logic for me than that. :)
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37 Aigoooo
July 18, 2014 at 3:38 PM
Roommates is starting to tick me off. I like watching it but I really despise how they do those deceptive previews. This last episode showed some clips of what seems to be a real problem (with crying cast members to boot) and after watching it, it wasn't even on that episode. Stuff like that really undermines the integrity of the show. It feels like one of those used car sales adds where they show a really great deal on a car but when you show up to the lot, they are always sold out.
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38 windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 3:49 PM
I feel like I have to share some more North Korean comedy to lighten up the mood, considering that North Korea is not a happy place.
Funniest thing is that North Korea has actually sent an official request to China to take the video down http://youtu.be/OIxqaqQUZFs
I follow North Korea pretty close (have been for years), and hard to find much that is funny about it, but that video certainly is, and Pyongyang is furious about it.
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 4:27 PM
Grr .. hit submit before I was done.
".."I thought life in North Korea was pretty normal... When I was 7 I saw my first public execution.."...
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDXkdjx7VAE
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Wag_a_Muffin
July 18, 2014 at 5:22 PM
Thank you so much for sharing that link. I watched the whole thing and put it on my facebook page. What a courageous young woman!
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 6:14 PM
It is girls like her that give me hope for the future.
How could anyone not admire someone that hiked 400 miles across the Gobi desert at 15 years old in below zero weather, and not wonder about their own priorities.
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39 windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 5:59 PM
Speaking of WTF (!!!) dramas, this series just now got posted to Drama Fever: "When Heaven Burns" - "..When an accident leaves them stranded on a mountain, Ka Ming dies and his friends resort to cannibalism for survival.."
Anyone know anything about that one?
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Wag_a_Muffin
July 18, 2014 at 6:51 PM
Oh. So THAT'S what took the place of High School King of Savvy. (Yes. I can see the meeting now.
Drama Fever Exec: We can only afford to purchase one of these two dramas.
Drama Fever Buyer: Well, what would you rather watch, a high school hockey player who pretends to be his older brother as a businessman, or a bunch of people who eat dead friends?
Drama Fever Exec: No contest. Buy the cannibalistic one!
Yes. I'm sure it happened just that way. (Stupid Drama Fever.)
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 6:57 PM
oopsa, windsun33, replied in 40~
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40 owl 🦉 🫰
July 18, 2014 at 6:56 PM
Reminds me of the Alfred Packer story in the late 1800 in Colorado. According to the story, at his trial the judge said, "Damn you, Alferd Packer! There were seven Demmycrats in Hinsdale County and you et five of 'em!"
I can still clearly picture the scene in the wax museum in Colorado Springs of Packer hunched over a campfire - very traumatizing to a 9 year old! The U of Colorado grill is named after him.
http://www.leftcoastcrime.org/2008/packer.htm
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Muenchabench
July 19, 2014 at 6:35 AM
Oh my goodness. I grew up in Boulder,CO and CU infamously named their student center the Alfred Packer Grill haha. Have you heard this folk song which is a humorous take on his story.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKYuJneq_sE
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owl 🦉 🫰
July 19, 2014 at 9:43 AM
Thanks for the Phil Ochs link, Muenchabench. I grew up there, too, even worked in the notorious Alfred E Packer grill in college- haha. Whatdyaknow~
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Muenchabench
July 20, 2014 at 10:00 PM
Haha no way, I guess it really is a small world after all.
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41 magnus
July 18, 2014 at 7:45 PM
Marriage, Not Dating and Fated to Love You are my favorite dramas (and the only ones I'm seriously keeping up with) this season. They both have something in common I adore: female leads I'm in love with and seem real and a dynamic between the main couple that I love as well.
I like that Jang-Mi is in that fabled in-between of the crazy bitch and candy sweetheart. She just goes head first into things and feels everything with her whole heart and doesn't hold back. And it causes problems and may be embarrassing for other parties but she doesn't care. But she's a nice well meaning girl. She's a humanized second-lead character really, the type that is persistent and you want her to just go away and let the lead couple be. But she's the lead now ^^
And Mi Young isn't just a doormat. When people have crossed the line she'll say so, but she's a sweet accommodating person so her line isn't where most people's are. I cry when she cries and I'm happy when she is. Jang Nara is REALLY nailing this performance.
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42 merry
July 18, 2014 at 8:25 PM
Anyone watching Endless Love? It is set in Korea 70s - 80s. Quite interesting times. Haven't come across a kdrama exploring that time. Would you know anyone blogging it? I'm interested in that period and I am wondering whether the script points to certain facts and events in RL at that time.
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windsun33
July 18, 2014 at 11:06 PM
It is one I watch parts of - I kind of decided the lead lady was an idiot with no sense of self preservation at all. It takes place in the pre-democracy period, before 1987, and the main events are true - but it is after a drama so it follows history pretty loosely.
It was a pretty turbulent time n Korea and one seldom depicted, so have been watching once in a while just for that reason.
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CaroleMcDonnell
July 19, 2014 at 6:08 AM
I tried watching and simply had to give it up. I like makjang if it kinda sorta makes sense but this one....over-the-top.
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windsun33
July 19, 2014 at 11:04 AM
Yup, it was an interesting time in Korean history, but the show... well not so much. After first couple episodes I pretty much gave up and just sampled a couple of the later ones with a lot of fast forwarding.
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43 merry
July 19, 2014 at 10:02 PM
I wonder what makes an era interesting centuries or even just decades from now. We have saguek dramas still entertaining us. Pre democracy issues, as you live them, they are heart wrenching. In saguek, we find human interest in the heroes and love surviving palace intrigues. It must be that we have lukewarm interest on what we have gone through and find in historical dramas some interesting escape hatches. We even find heroines or women better portrayed than current ones. In the future, how can the era of 70s-90s be interesting to the millenials? How will they view the time we are living now? How will hope find its portrayal in dark times?
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44 iamdeb
July 19, 2014 at 11:02 PM
I've been reading alot of comments where people say that certain recent dramas have renewed their love for kdramas, or they have been in a kdrama viewing rut for awhile...etc, etc.
Those of you that have been feeling that way (now or in the recent past), what do you think were the factors in kdramas that made you feel that way? Or just why did you feel that way?
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Lixie
July 20, 2014 at 7:38 AM
I know the exact reason for me.
First of all I was very spoiled because my first 3 dramas in order were Coffee Prince, 49 Days and MGIAG. Those 3 remain fantastic for me and always belong to my top 10 so it was hard to beat them but that after I kept loving many other dramas until 2013.
In 2012 there were many duds but also some gems to compensate while in 2013 was when the rut happened because a LOT of dramas disappointed me so much after a promising start and one after the other!
I think the only consistently good one for me was IHYV last year. Let's Eat was also good though could have been even better.
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45 samsooki
July 21, 2014 at 6:17 AM
Pulled yet another all-nighter.... this time, the first 5 episodes of Sly Cunning Woman. I meant to watch just the first episode but then the episodes kept pulling me in and pulling me in. I was really oblivious as to the space time continuum when the rays of dawn hit me and I was on episode 5...
LMJ is not exactly new to me but she totally surprised me here. I was shocked by how comfortable she looked and felt in her role.
Really, really funny, with opposing points of view and heartache, it is a joy to watch.
Some parts of the first five episodes are hilarious, and anyone who has seen ToW (Temptation of Wife - all 122 or so episodes) like myself will be find this drama near and dear. I generally tire at meta references but this one was a complete hoot.
I alternatively root for and against all of the main characters, a testament to how balanced the whole drama is. I love it.
What a year 2014 is turning out to be for dramas.
Looks like I picked a good year to come back to the motherland.
=D
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samsooki
July 21, 2014 at 6:28 AM
First I saw Love From Another Star, and that was really good. Then I saw Master's Sun, and that was really good (maybe better). Then I saw Dr. Stranger and it too was gripping and fun to watch.
Then I searched and watched a bunch of other dramas but could not get into them (Triangle, Trot, YAAS, Hotel King, New Leaf, Heirs from last year, etc.) and could not get into them.
But I gave Fated one shot and was hooked, and in the meantime, I found Witch's Romance and now Sly Cunning Woman, both really fun to watch.
That's like 6 fun dramas in the span of about 6 weeks! An amazing stretch!
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Samsooki
July 23, 2014 at 7:54 AM
Witch's Romance was cuter than expected! The ending was a little hokey and played out, but it was satisfying and fun (a little bit more aegyo than I would care to see, but whatevs). I would recommend it.
As for Sly Cunning Woman, I am on Ep 8 (finished), and it rocks. Better than Love From Another Star, better than Dr. Stranger, better than Witch's Romance. Better than Master's Sun? Maybe? Better than Fated to Love you? Maybe.
Current Drama rankings for 2014:
1a. Sly Cunning Woman (tie)
1b. Fated To Love You (tie)
1c. Master's Sun (tie).
4. Love From Another Star
5. Witch's Romance
6. Dr. Stranger
7. Joseon Gunman
*** Watchable / Not Watchable Line
8. Trot Lovers (halfway through, not enthused)
9. You Are All Surrounded (if I don't finish, would the tree in the forest make a sound?)
10. Triangle (annoying characters are not a good way to entice people to watch).
11. Hotel King (the tragedy of LDH and LDW as actors, and LDH in her choices, is only surpassed by the lameness of this drama).
I have no opinion of New Leaf; have not started it yet.
Still, with so many good dramas out there, what a wonderful drama year 2014 is turning into!
Yay for k-dramas!
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