tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48824827816141802092024-03-13T17:07:33.733+07:00We eat lemon.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.comBlogger231125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-80144600381594334412018-01-01T15:00:00.000+07:002018-01-01T18:06:01.050+07:002017 Drama Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy new year everyone!<br />
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I can't believe it's a new year already. I wouldn't say 2017 flew by. I definitely felt it. But for me, personally, it has been an awesome year. I finished my first full year at a job, moved to a new country, made some awesome friends, and stepping a bit closer to my dreams. Drama-wise, I would say I'm pretty satisfied with the gems I found this year. Some were obvious duds (they can't be avoided), but many filled my heart with absolute joy.<br />
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Despite going awol on this blog this past year, I'm really excited to come back doing my annual year-end drama recap. It's always fun to compile all the dramas I've watched this year and since I wasn't active on the blog, I can now review all the dramas I've watched (which may be why this year's recap is a bit long. I have a lot to say). Again, as usual, the ranking will only comprise of dramas that finished airing in 2017. All the non-2017 dramas I watched this year will be mentioned separately, though there aren't that many this year. I also want to start mentioning what networks the dramas aired in because different networks can sometimes have different styles/types of dramas airing.<br />
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<b>1. <i>Buamdong Revenge Social Club</i></b><br />
<i>Network: jTBC</i><br />
Since the dramas this year were really, really good, I had trouble choosing which should be my number one. Ultimately, this drama was the perfect combination of unique concept, interesting characters, compelling story, and a consistent comedic tone while providing a fistful of heart and more. One of the biggest reason I love <i>Buamdong Avengers</i> though are the characters. They were unique in profile alone. The main characters of this drama are a group of <i>ahjummas</i>, usually relegated as minor characters whose purpose is to support, or hinder, the main character's journey. Not in this drama. While in a sense they still were mothers and wives of others, the main focus of the plot was all about them. In the beginning, the struggles of Jung-hye (<b>Lee Yo-won</b>), Hong Do <i>unnie</i> (<b>Ra Mi-ran</b>), and Mi-sook (<b>Myung Se-bin</b>) were in relation to the traditional maternal role, but as the plot progressed they began to work on elevating themselves. This show is the perfect example of how an intriguing story can be told out of a group of older ladies who kick ass and drink all the tea. The younger members of the cast fared well alongside their older counterpart, although their greenness definitely showed. I was quite impressed with the youngest member of the club, Soo-gym (<b>Jun</b>), who is also Jung-hye's new step-son. It's his first drama role ever and he kept up with the strong performances of the ladies and held his own quite well despite a brief hiccup in the beginning where he gave misleading vibes with Lee Yo-won. If that didn't entice you, this is also a hilarious drama from front to back, with equally funny villains who are ridiculous in their mannerisms but detestable in their actions. Go watch it. You won't regret it.<br />
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<b>2. <i>Secret Forest</i></b><br />
<i> Network: tvN</i><br />
After <i style="font-weight: bold;">Goblin</i> aired, it seemed tvN was in a bit of a slump and eventually ditching their Friday and Saturday drama slot by June. <i>Secret Forest</i> aka (the more boring international name) <i>Stranger</i> was their sort of putting all their eggs in one basket situation. They brought in big movies stars <b>Bae Doo-na</b> and my favorite <b>Jo Seung-woo</b> and created the new Saturday and Sunday drama slot. The result is as close to cinematic a drama can get. The story is tight and mostly unpredictable. Interestingly enough, this is writer <b>Lee Soo-yeon</b>'s first big project. To say I'm looking forward to her next project is an understatement. With the smart plot also comes the amazing performances by basically the whole cast. The story is written so that we never know the true intentions of most of the characters, but the actors made them come alive and even more intriguing. Obviously, I love Jo Seung-woo and am so relieved he is finally on a project that I can say I truly love. I was initially worried that we won't get to see a lot of his badassery because Shi-mok was described as a character who can't express emotions. But being the veteran that he is, he still brought life to an emotionless man. Bae Doo-na is an actor that is so effortless, albeit her character here wasn't the mover and shaker of the plot. Those two are predictably good, but I'm most impressed with <b>Yoo Jae-myung</b> who played a senior prosecutor (his job title changed a few times throughout the drama). He's been on several projects in the past with some notable titles including <i style="font-weight: bold;">Reply 1988</i> as Dong-myung's dad and in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Jealousy Incarnate </i>as the potential love interest of <b>Lee Mi-sook</b>'s character. In neither of those projects were he a prominent character and I never gave much thought to his character (maybe because he was that good?). But it was in here that I was blown away by the complexity of his performance. I'm not much of a legal mystery thriller fan, but this drama is one I would recommend to even those who don't like them like myself.<br />
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<b>3. <i>Because This is My First Life</i></b><br />
<i>Network: tvN</i><br />
Now here's a drama that is right up my alley, almost too perfectly actually. I guess I didn't realize it before, but I love contract relationships. One of my ultimate favorite drama, <b style="font-style: italic;">Sassy Girl Chun-hyang</b>, is one. And this has joined the legion of good dramas of my favorite romcom trope. I really didn't expect it to be as poignant as it did and this is why I love it so much. These two weren't forced to be married per se, but the basis of their relationship is one of convenience instead of love. This made way to a string of very interesting conversations about love and marriage and how it changes through time and generations. <b>Jung So-min</b> is one of my favorite young actresses in Korea and she was a big reason why I became head over heels in love with this drama. She's quite subtle in her acting approach, but it fits perfectly with her character and the drama in general. <b>Lee Min-ki</b> was good, but he wasn't as good as portraying an emotionless man as much as Jo Seung-woo. He really shines in the more emotional scenes though. The female friendship in this drama is perhaps my favorite thing about his drama. I'm so happy that these three are so supportive and honest with each other, and that their plot lines didn't clash into each other in a petty manner. I also love how they're very different but complementary to each other. Ji-ho (Jung) is reserved and a dreamer, Soo-ji (<b>Esom</b>) is like a rose bush, prickly but beautiful and sweet, and Ho-rang (<b>Kim Ga-eun</b>) is cheerful and realistic with her dreams. Unfortunately for this drama, the ending was less than satisfactory. The drama was, for the most part, gave a fresh and modern view of relationships, but ended up falling to tradition for its ending. Since it was only for the last 2 episodes, I'm okay with it and would still give it a high score. But if only the ending was better, it would've been perfect.<br />
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<b>4. <i>Live Up to Your Name</i></b><br />
<i>Network: tvN</i><br />
If <i>Because This is My First Life</i> had a lousy ending, <i>Live Up to Your Name</i> had a less than spectacular beginning. If it were any other drama, I'd skip it altogether. But so many people had high praises for it that I just had to go on. I'm so glad I did. This drama is an example of time travel done right. There were set mechanics, clear goals, an understandable enough origin. It was also used well and was an important factor in the characters' journeys. And obviously <b>Kim Nam-gil</b>. I don't watch him that often but when I do, I get excited. He's just so emotive and present. I was also impressed with <b>Kim Ah-joong</b>, this being my first project of hers. These two have amazing chemistry. The story itself though is what really made it count. It was unfortunate that the beginning was slow, but the rest was very engaging. It was a story of two doctors finding their true intentions as medical professionals, two individuals from two different backgrounds falling in love regardless of circumstance, and two people fighting the big guys to preserve the honor of doctors. Writing this, I can't really pinpoint any particular reason why this drama is good, and I think in essence this is why this drama is so good. It combined the different elements of its story with such effortlessness that no one thing stands out on its own. You can't talk about Heo Im's journey as a doctor without talking about his love for Kyung or how corruption plays a role in his worldview. And you can't talk about Kyung's journey as a doctor without talking about Heo Im and her grandfather's influence or how her past trauma made her a stronger person today. This drama is about growth and how, unlike how many other dramas portray it, is not just as simple as your parents dying or finding a new love interest. The drama celebrates this messy thing we called life. But I hated the needles. That was probably what I hated the most about the drama.<br />
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<b>5. <i>Seven Day Queen</i></b><br />
<i>Network: KBS2</i><br />
Up until a few days ago, I was set to put <i>Seven Day Queen</i> much lower in the ranking. I couldn't get past episode 15 where everything has seemingly gone down in flames and I just couldn't imagine myself sitting through the horror (another reason why I would make a terrible fictional heroine). But I made it through, and the last 4 episodes made up for the horror I had to witness. This is the most romantic drama of the year. While it wasn't only about the love, power struggle being a staple in the <i>sageuk</i> repertoire, much of the inner conflict of the two main characters are derived from their deep yet devastating love. If only Yeok wasn't a prince of a tyrant king. If only their families weren't political opponents. Their pure and naive love is constantly threatened by the bigger picture thus made their love story that much more painfully satisfying. <b>Yeon Woo-jin</b> is brilliant in this, as he always is, but there's something about how he portrays Yeok's struggle, both in his love life and in his role in that particularly turbulent times. All his smiles and tears were amplified just because of the circumstances. <b>Park Min-young</b> was also so good, and this is probably the best I've seen her. Park was able to show Chae-kyung's reluctant restraints while still retaining the dignity of a lady of honor in Joseon era. <b>Lee Dong-gun</b> was the antagonist of this drama. He was good in a sense that I hated his character (which I hope is the whole point). Beyond the half-way point, Yoong was just despicable, so much so that I barely had an ounce of pity for him towards his demise. I feel like Yoong could've been portrayed better by a different actor, but that's just my opinion. Despite all the sorrow that <i>Seven Day Queen</i> had to go through, it probably had the best ending of the year. It was bittersweet and kept in line with the actual historical timeline, but remained selfless in its message of love. I cried about a bucket and a half during those last few minutes.<br />
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<b>6. <i>Age of Youth 2</i></b><br />
<i>Network: jTBC</i><br />
Oh, <i>Age of Youth 2</i>. Where do I start with you? I want to say that it had perhaps the best couple of the year, even though they didn't officially become a couple in this season. Yet. (Dear dramagods, we desperately wish for a season 3.) I didn't really expect Ji-won (<b>Park Eun-bin</b>) and Sung-min (<b>Son Seung-won</b>)'s relationship to be this cracktastic, but it achieved all that and more, especially considering the fact that they were barely anything last season. What a year can do for you. Granted, this season was really all about Ji-won as she missed out on the traumatic past life party of last season. She came back with a vengeance and we were witnesses to the extension of Ji-won's eccentric personality. I was beyond impressed with how Park Eun-bin was able to showcase the roller coaster that Ji-won experienced this season, from sheer gleeful ignorance to full-blown angsty confrontation. This rather horrifying turn of events also became a testament to Sung-min's presence in Ji-won's life, unlike in the previous season. I want to say he was blinded by love, at least with the willingness (debatable) to be dragged to the other side of the country, but most of all he became her closest confidante despite how close she is with the other girls of Belle Epoque. If anything, this just shows how comfortable they are with each other and I already have a list of potential situations that will launch them into official OTP territory. But of course, what is <i>Age of Youth</i> without the trials and tribulations of the everyday young woman? I'd like to say that this season did it a bit better than the last since there were fewer dead/dying people, so I feel like the situations the girls faced were more relatable in comparison. Eun-jae (<b>Ji Woo</b>) with breaking up and liking herself outside of a relationship, Jin-myung (<b>Han Ye-ri</b>) with opening up herself and fully embracing the oldest <i>unnie</i> role no matter how painful(ly awkward), Ye-eun (<b>Han Seung-yeon</b>) with moving on from a traumatic experience and beginning to love again, and the new girl Eun (<b>Choi A-ra</b>) with being fully comfortable exploring her feelings. There are a few things here and there that could've been done better, like the pacing of Eun-jae's story or how I wish they were more explicit with the falling out of two friendship sets, but all in all, it was a great season. Dare I say even better than last. Here's to hoping for the third. We need you. For the sake of Ji-won and Sung-min's daughter.<br />
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<b>7. <i>Solomon's Perjury</i></b><br />
<i>Network: jTBC</i><br />
Out of the three high school dramas I watched this year, I this one is my favorite. It was smart in both story and character, effective in storytelling, and a demonstration of what great directing can do to the performances of a green cast. <i>Solomon's Perjury </i>is an adaptation of a Japanese drama. While I didn't watch that, some accounts said this was better than the original. You be the judge of that. But the premise of a mock trial is quite unique and was executed better than some supposedly professional-led procedural dramas. Like what many high school dramas attempt to do, this drama highlighted some of the problems that may occur in a high school and was able to follow through and mostly resolve its conflicts. The cast was a mixed bag of a variety of different characters from different peer groups, of course, and for the most part, we were able to listen to the stories they each have to tell. The less experienced cast was apparent, but I think the director did well enough in bringing out the best performances of each actor. <b>Jang Dong-yoon</b> was the runaway talent of the bunch with this drama being his first foray into a major acting job (he was in a web drama prior). Granted, he was unable to keep up his potential in his follow-up performances, but I think it may be a matter of experience. The other after the title is the more "veteran" actress <b>Kim Hyun-soo</b> who was also one of the youngest of the cast. I believe this is her first leading role, with her mostly playing younger versions of lead characters in the past, but she held her own like nobody's business. Her character is the brain of the cast and she portrayed her with assurance and confidence, but still very much a teenager in every step of the way. The short airtime of only 12 episodes kept the story tight but was still able to fit in as much story as it could.<br />
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<b>8. <i>Duel</i></b><br />
<i>Network: OCN</i><br />
I'm a shallow lady, so if I see a hot guy, I want to watch him. I remembered quite strongly back in the summer when it seemed like all I saw was <b>Yang Se-jong</b> getting praises left and right for his multiple-role performances in <i>Duel</i>. I'm not the thriller watching type, so I initially didn't bother. He did <i style="font-weight: bold;">Temperature of Love</i> for the autumn season and I wasn't feeling it. Then for some reason, after finishing all the dramas I could and with some time left over in 2017, I decided to pick up this beast. I figured the thriller aspect might make me want to marathon it. It sort of worked, although I do think that the last half was kind of slow in pacing despite still having plenty of story to tell. I wonder if they made it into a 14 episode drama maybe the pacing can remain as swift as the first few episodes did. I was quite impressed with how the writer was able to peel the layers of this massive cloning scandal. It got somewhat predictable once the crumbs were laid down and the fun sort of faded away a little. I didn't think they did enough with Prosecutor Choi (<b>Park Jung-eun</b>), who was more prominent in the beginning but became less edgy once she came around with the good guys in the end. I wish she was a bit more gritty, or the actress a little less plastic. And I was constantly in awe (and confusion) with how much pain Deuk-cheon (<b>Jung Jae-young</b>) was able to take because that man had borderline superhero level of endurance towards the end of the show. I admit this is a science fiction, but everyone without the stem cell secret potion (and the clones, obviously) should behave much like a human should. Maybe I'm nitpicking too much. In the end, I watched it for Yang Se-jong who, like all the reviews I've read, is as glorious as he can be. I'm so glad I found a hot and talented young star I can fawn over without feeling uneasy. I hope this relationship will last. Fun fact: this is also my first OCN drama! Finally, after all these years.<br />
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<b><i><br /></i></b> <b><i>9. Lingerie Girls Generation</i></b><br />
<i>Network: KBS2</i><br />
Some have said that this drama is like the grittier version of the <i>Reply </i>series, and I couldn't agree more. It had the nostalgic feel of an era drama, complete with a complementary soundtrack of the music of the era. But this drama removed the rose-tinted glasses the <i>Reply</i> series kept for much of its run. In <i>Lingerie Girls</i>, the family was not as loving, the love was not as sweet, and the friendship was not as easy. It may have reflected the atmosphere of the time when South Korea was under a militaristic regime. Life wasn't easy in general, and this played part in the lives of the teenagers who weren't completely sure of the mess gathering around them. Similar to the <i>Reply</i> series, we have Jung-hee (<b>Bona</b>) as the spunky main character whose main goal in life is to get her first love Son Jin (<b>Yeo Hoi-hyun</b>) to fall in love with her. But the menacing Dong-moon (<b>Seo Young-joo</b>) keeps tagging along and the new girl from the big city, Hye-joo (<b>Chae Seo-jin</b>) threatened the little progress she had with her crush. Similar to <i>Solomon's Perjury</i>, the short airtime of the show (8 episodes) was a big help in keeping the storyline as solid as it was. It wasn't a complex story to tell, and 8 episodes were the perfect amount. In line with the grittiness of the era, the characters were also not the most likable. They were likable in a sense that we want to root for them, but they were covered in flaws through and through. They were stubborn and selfish, short-sighted and simple-minded. They were the bits of a teenager that we want to forget but is important in the experience of being one. Watching this drama was painful because it reminded me of the times I was a pain in the ass because that's what teenagers can be. But in the end, through the mistakes we make, we become better people.<br />
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<b>10. <i>While You Were Sleeping</i></b><br />
<i>Network: SBS</i><br />
For the amount of star power this drama had, it was so forgettable. Granted I would say that star power (<b>Lee Jong-suk</b>, <b>Bae Suzy</b>) resulted in top quality performances. Lee Jong-suk was a bit sloppy as his prosecutor Jae-chan, although that may be done on purpose. While Suzy is still terrible at acting. The concept of people being able to foresee the future in their dreams sounds cool on paper, it became boring in the long run because we were basically told certain stories multiple times. The fact that the story was overly procedural also makes the episodes feel repetitive. Writer <b>Park Hye-ryun</b> is one of those writers whose body of work is impressive enough for her to have a personal brand. Among them, I've only seen <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dream High</i> but this drama is probably more comparable to her more recent works like <i style="font-weight: bold;">I Can Hear Your Voice</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Pinnochio</i>, all of them having similar procedural type stories and all of them starring Lee Jong-suk. Despite not watching the other two, based on the reviews I've read <i>While You Were Sleeping</i> was weaker in comparison. For me, I didn't hate watching this drama and I don't have any particular bad thing to say about it, but perhaps saying a drama is boring is already a heavy enough offense.<br />
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<b>11. <i>The Best Hit</i></b><br />
<i>Network: KBS2</i><br />
I want to say that <i>The Best Hit</i> is divided into two parts, the superior first half and the disappointing second. Prior to its airing, it was touted to be a variety drama. I don't exactly understand what that means, but it's probably because the directors were former <b style="font-style: italic;">1 Night 2 Days</b> PD <b>Yoo Ho-jin</b> and actor and first-time director <b>Cha Tae-hyun</b>. The first few episodes were gold, especially when Yoo Hyun-jae (<b>Yoon Si-yoon</b>) just traveled to the future and he went from being the hottest stuff to being comparable to a country bumpkin. The comedy was a bit slapstick, but Yoon Si-yoon totally pulled it off. I think the series' biggest sin is not allowing the characters to live out their journey. Yoo Hyun-jae started having an awkward love line with Woo-seung (<b>Lee Se-young</b>) who I think is much better suited with Ji-hoon (<b>Kim Min-jae</b>), when he should be more focused on figuring out his mysterious past (which ended up taking a backseat to the romance and was rushed through). I could care less about Bo-hee (<b>Yoon So-ha</b>) and Gwang-jae's (Cha Tae-hyun) love line but was more interested in their struggle with reinventing themselves in the modern time. There's just so much potential with this drama but they just had to take the easy road of pairing people up and giving them awkward/unnecessary love lines.<br />
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<b>12. <i>Fight My Way</i></b><br />
<i>Network: KBS2</i><br />
Compared to the more grounded slice-of-life dramas that came towards the end of the year, <i>Fight My Way</i> looks like a full-on <i>makjang</i> in comparison. To be fair, I'm not 100% sure the producers intended the drama to be a slice-of-life but I do remember distinctly that there was an emphasis on telling stories of people who are used to being extras in a generic drama. In a sense, I kind of agree. The characters were, on paper, people who are usually the best friends or petty enemy of a typical main character. Much like <i>The Best Hit</i>, I want to say <i>Fight My Way</i> is two dramas smushed into one. Whereas <i>The Best Hit</i> was divided between the first and second half of the episodes, <i>Fight My Way</i> was divided between the main coupling of Ae-ra (<b>Kim Ji-won</b>) and Dong-man (<b>Park Seo-joon</b>) and the secondary coupling of Seol-hee (<b>Song Ha-yoon</b>) and Joo-man (<b>Ahn Jae-hong</b>). If the story was more of the secondary couple, a long-term relationship that is at a crossroad due to the difficulties of their jobs, the uncertainty of marriage, and an unexpected third wheel, I would give this drama a better score. I love how the conflicts in this couple are very typical of your normal, everyday relationship and their struggles are very real to many modern people. The main couple, on the other hand, just doesn't feel real. Ae-ra's struggle with her career is relatable, but her family history (what with the ultimate <i>makjang</i> trope of secret births) isn't. And don't get me started on Dong-man. His only real issue with being in the shit hole that he put himself in is because he didn't want to be disappointed by the big heads again. I don't think he tries very hard in life and it took half of the series for him to realize that all the difficulties he has been in his head. On top of that, I don't like their romantic relationship. They were great as friends, but they became slowly but surely emotionally manipulative once they are an item. I don't know how healthy a relationship can be when one person is adamantly against the other's passion.<br />
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<b>13. <i>School 2017</i></b><br />
<i>Network: KBS2</i><br />
The only other School franchise season I've watched was the 2013 version which I just recently officially finished. Even comparing this to that version this one is inferior in so many ways. But I think the most appropriate comparison would be with <i>Solomon's Perjury</i>, which was also set in a high school but also features a lot of the same actors (Jang Dong-yoon being among them). I want to say <i>School 2017</i> had a lot of potential. But what they failed to do is completing the stories they started. Throughout the 16 episode run, there was a variety of subject matter that is very current and important but I always feel like none of them were thoroughly resolved. I understand that with the limited hours they couldn't possibly get to everyone's problems (which they didn't). But unlike <i>Solomon's Perjury</i>, which provided closure to the stories brought up, <i>School 2017</i> sort of left them hanging until there is that final episode that basically only briefly mentioned what happened now after all that has happened. I blame it on the fact that they focused too much on the mysterious X figure which ran way too long for what it is, and also having the most frustrating teenage lovers I've ever seen. I guess the fact that <i>Solomon's Perjury</i> left out on the romance train made time for more important stories to be told. Also, since there was a lot of overlap on the newbie actors, I could really see the importance of a good director, specifically when you have such a green cast. Specifically, Jang Dong-yoon was nothing short of amazing in <i>Solomon's Perjury</i>, but he was mediocre at best in <i>School 2017</i>. Granted, I want to say the talent pool was better in general in <i>Solomon's Perjury</i>, with <b>Jo Jae-hyun</b> as the corrupt father, versus <b>Lee Jong-won</b>, Tae-woon's (<b>Kim Jung-hyun</b>) father, who is just utterly terrible. They two main leads, Kim Jung-hyun and<b> Kim Se-jung</b>, was okay but pales in comparison with <i>Solomon's Perjury</i> duo, both in performance and writing.<br />
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<b>14</b>. <b><i>Tomorrow with You</i></b><br />
<i>Network: tvN</i><br />
What drama gets the coveted (?) spot as the worst drama of the year? It has to be, without a doubt, <i>Tomorrow with You</i>. No matter how disappointing <i>School 2017</i> is, it can't compare to the utter frustration one would experience when watching <i>Tomorrow with You</i>. There were a few time traveling dramas this year, some (<i>Live Up to Your Name</i>) were better in execution than others (<i>The Best Hit</i>), but this one not only didn't fully understand the concept of time travel but used it alongside the stupidest time travelers of all time. I understand that we don't necessarily need a likable protagonist, but we should at least root for them with the little humanity they have. Not so with So-joon (<b>Lee Je-hoon</b>). He was childish, selfish, foolish from the beginning right to the end. He makes all the decisions that shouldn't have taken, thus further digging the grave of his impending doom. It doesn't help that Lee Je-hoon is just disappointing in this drama. His brilliant performance in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Bleak Night</i> seemed nothing but a memory. I really think dramas are not his forte. Even his best drama (<i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i>) wasn't as good as his weaker film (<b style="font-style: italic;">My Paparotti</b>). <b>Shin Min-ah</b>, on the other hand, is basically the only savior of this sinking ship. She was charming and lovely and her character acts like normal, functioning adult. She and the supporting friends <b>Kang Ki-doong</b> and Se-young (<b>Park Joo-hee</b>) were the only characters I liked. Everyone else was between you're annoying and I hope you die a horrible death. And don't get me started on the story. Doesn't make any sense. Conflicts were derived from misunderstandings and purposefully kept secret (and a psychotic villain, but that's not this drama's biggest problem, oddly enough), no one, not even the writer, understands how time travel works, and possibly the worst sacrificial move embedded in the most perplexing ending I've seen in a long time.<br />
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And here are some other dramas I finished this year that aired before 2017 (in order of completion).<br />
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<b><i>Please Come Back, Mister </i>(2016)</b><br />
<i>Network: SBS</i><br />
I feel like it took me forever to finish this drama. And it all boils down to poor planning of the creators. Like a lot of dramas that were promising in the beginning, this drama totally failed once they had to resolve some conflict. I felt like there were pressure from guys above to make it better (?) but ended up making this drama an incomprehensible mess. I'm glad to tick it off my on-hold list of doom and am glad I don't have to think about this drama ever again.<br />
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<b><i>School 2013</i> (2012)</b><br />
<i>Network: KBS2</i><br />
I don't know why I left the last episode unwatched for basically 4 years. Maybe I was sad to let go of the endearing characters, or I didn't want to know the potentially sad future of the angsty duo (Lee Jong-suk and <b>Kim Woo-bin</b>). But finally, now it has finished. Honestly, because I stopped watching long ago, I don't even know what is happening in that last episode. I think I missed my chance for a proper closure. It felt empty and distant. At least, for a brief moment during the final episode, I could see the faces of today's superstars (<b>Shin Hye-sun</b> being among them). Still better than the <i>2017</i> version.<br />
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<b><i>Women at a Game Company </i>(2016)</b><br />
<i>Network: Naver TV Cast</i><br />
Web dramas are a hit or miss, but more often misses. I wanted to watch this particular one because I was curious about Jang Dong-yoon's other projects after I watched his great performance in <i>Solomon's Perjury</i>. This drama was okay. It really wasn't that bad. But I don't think there's any plot. Like at all. Okay, there's a very thin plotline but it's so insignificant you could almost miss it. The performances were okay but nothing near memorable. Writing this, I'm trying to remember anything about that drama and I can't recollect anything. I'm pretty sure there are other better web dramas out there. If you know of one, please let me know.<br />
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Okay, so that's all for this year. I know I've been a terrible blogger, leaving my blog in the dust. But I watched so many great dramas this year that I was satisfied with it in general. If you want more up-to-date thoughts on what I'm currently, I tweet quite often on <a href="http://twitter.com/conanblue32" target="_blank">@conanblue32</a>. I hope I can come back again next year, regardless of how active of a blogger I am, to talk about the dramas I watched in 2018. Til then!conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-81251934725296975962017-01-15T20:19:00.000+07:002017-01-15T20:19:48.260+07:002016 Drama Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy new year everyone!<br />
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How was your 2016? The internet said it's the worst year ever, but I disagree. Twas a pretty good year for me, both personally and drama-wise. Granted, it wasn't the best in terms of blogging but hey, we can't have everything amirite? Please accept my apologies.<br />
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I actually watched a good deal of dramas this year. Lots were 2016 dramas (although no more than previous years), but a lot were dramas of yesteryear too. And I have to say, I was quite pleased with the dramas I watched this year. 2016 produced a lot of great dramas and I didn't even watch that many. Although to be fair, there were quite a lot of dramas I dropped too. You win some, you lose some.<br />
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As per usual, the following list is written in order from my subjective best to my subjective worst involving dramas that finished in 2016.<br />
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<b>1. <i>Signal</i></b><br />
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I was so torn as to which drama should take place as the number one since there were quite a few truly excellent dramas in 2016. But ultimately I have to give the honors to the brilliant <i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i>. Even if you're not a fan of mystery/thriller genres like me, I highly urge you to give this a try. Basically almost every element of this drama is near perfect. The story, the directing, the acting, the editing, the music. It all came together into this rare being that makes <i>Signal</i> a true feast for the eyes, mind, and heart. I sound really cheesy, but it really is that good. So good in fact that the withdrawal syndrome for this one took me away from dramaland for a few months because what can top this? (Answer: not a lot.) If I'm not convincing you (and I know I'm not that convincing of a person), then maybe the 9.3 average rating on MyDramaList might sway you. Detective Lee Jae-han, I'll never forget you!<br />
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<b>2. <i>Jealousy Incarnate</i></b><br />
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I was so close to putting this drama as number one, but it's a little cheating since I know almost 99% of the time that I'll love anything that puts together my favorite lady <b>Gong Hyo-jin</b> and the magnetic <b>Jo Jung-suk</b>. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Jealousy Incarnate</i> isn't your run-of-the-mill rom-com. Sure it has your classic quadrangle, but this one involves co-habitation, polyandry, a good dose of bromance and kick-ass boss ladies. Not to forget the best "momance" a drama lover can ever ask for. On paper this show is probably the stupidest story there shall ever be, but when the characters are not only charming but oddly realistic, it's really hard not to fall in love. And you can never beat a show that gives you a 40-year time jump. This is definitely a 24-episoder I wished, with all my heart, never ended.<br />
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<b>3. <i>Age of Youth</i></b><br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">Age of Youth</b> got lots of rave reviews from the international community when it aired in mid-2016. For me, it was a late player as I've only watched it in my December mad dash to finish as many 2016 dramas as possible. The drama isn't particularly spectacular in its appearance, but it's probably one of the truest slice-of-life dramas I've ever seen. It's a drama that involves 5 young ladies living in the Belle Epoque share house and tells their day to day trials and tribulations as young 20-somethings. It's a heartwarming story with an all-girl lead cast, a rarity in popular media, and depicts them as complex, thoughtful human beings who love, hurt, laugh, and cry on each others' shoulders. Watching this drama makes me reflect on my personal life but also made me envious of the Belle Epoque girls since they have four other ladies who are ready to catch them when they fall. Not perfect in any sense of the word, especially when you consider that somewhat traumatizing psychotic ex-boyfriend episode, but it's definitely a drama that will fill your heart with lots of snuggles. Season 2, please?<br />
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<b>4. <i>Something About 1%</i></b><br />
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Oh, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Something About 1%</i>. The show whose name alone leaves my face in a sea of smiles and giggles. This drama is actually a remake of a drama that once graced <b>Kang Dong-won</b>'s face. But according to many, this remake is so far better than the original (which I never watched, because why?). The plot is classic 1990s-early 2000s K-drama that involves a chaebol with an over-involved family who unexpectedly falls in love with a girl his grandfather forced him to date/basically marry. The story is overtly simple, but what makes this drama so incredibly charming is the undeniable chemistry of the two leads, <b>Jeon So-min</b> and <b>Ha Seok-jin</b>. If I were to make a list of favorite drama couples of all time, I'm pretty sure these two take up the top 5. They're so lovely to each other, it makes you wonder if the two actors may have developed real feelings for each other. Writing this makes me want to watch DaDa and Jae-in once more, so I think I'll do that.<br />
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<b>5. <i>On the Way to the Airport</i></b><br />
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If there was a drama that played like a poem, <i style="font-weight: bold;">On the Way to the Airport</i> is probably one. I don't know why I decided to watch this drama, as it had <i>makjang</i> written all over it (thankfully it didn't fully go that route). But I'm so happy I did. It was initially promoted as a show about two friends who happen to marry other people, but basically it's a show about affairs and how people slowly drift away from their default couple to only find their perfect soulmate who is married to another person. As I've said, it's a show that had <i>makjang</i> elements written in the plot, but was executed with an air of sophistication. It's a superbly well-edited drama and actually made me more aware of how important not only acting and story is to a drama, but also directing, editing, coloring, and music. Definitely not a show for everyone, but if you like slow-paced, well-acted, utterly gorgeously shot drama with a poetry-like atmosphere, this one's for you.<br />
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<b>6. <i>My Wife is Having an Affair This Week</i></b><br />
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What? Two back-to-back affair dramas? I know. Fortunately, that's their only similarities. I wished this drama was more popular than it ended up being because it's truly wonderful. Although I suppose with "affair" in the title, it's definitely a too-bitter pill to swallow for some. But <b><i>My Wife is Having an Affair This Week</i></b> is really, truly good. A story about a man's downward spiral when he finds his wife is cheating with another man seems a little bit daunting, but the comedic approach and <b>Lee Sun-kyun</b>'s always amazing portrayal of a desperate man seeking advise from the always (?) wise internet community makes it so good. Plus the secondary couple in this is just too good to miss out. Unfortunately, a third plot line involving the supposedly hilarious antics of a "professional" cheater that lasted 6 episodes too long takes away from the earnest heart of this show and takes away major points from what is otherwise a solid drama.<br />
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<b>7. <i><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2016/01/drama-review-reply-1988.html">Reply 1988</a></i></b><br />
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How weird is it talk about this series a full year later? But <i style="font-weight: bold;">Reply 1988</i> did finish in 2016, so I'll have to talk about it. And as I've mentioned in my review previously, I think this is probably my favorite <i>Reply</i> series to date. I love how the focus of this drama is the family, since it's been such an important factor in all the <i>Reply</i> series but get glossed over to the more attractive love line. I kind of wished it had more episodes, mostly so that the running time for each isn't some ungodly 2 hour run. But because of how long the show ran, it really allowed for the 5 households of Ssangmun-dong to get the beautiful story they deserved. The young love story is actually the weakest link of the show, but I didn't care. I loved the family stories so much, who cares about young love?<br />
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<b>8. <i>Oh Hae-young Again</i></b><br />
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I don't really know where to put <i style="font-weight: bold;">Oh Hae-young</i><b><i> Again </i></b>because, despite remembering that I smiled quite a bit during the finale, all I can remember is how utterly terrible Hae-young and Do-kyung's relationship actually is. It's like, I feel like I need to like this drama because everyone loved it and because the two Hae-young's are awesome, but the core of this show, the main romance line, is childish at best and destructive at worst. Okay, to be fair, there's lots of good things about this show. The performance is really good (<b>Seo Hyun-jin</b> is probably the runaway star of the whole drama), every other relationship other than the main couple is really good, the music is really good, the comedy is really good. And I guess if you completely ignore the main coupling, this is a solid show that depicts the growing of every woman Hae-young, which is quite rare. I guess I'm not into the masochist type of love.<br />
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<b>9. <i>W</i></b><br />
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After the devastating (for me) end of <i>Signal</i>, it was difficult for me to get back to watching dramas because what would I do without the meddlesome trio? Well, <i style="font-weight: bold;">W</i> did it for me. It was the first time in a long time that I stayed up nights to marathon a drama and I love it, and how can you not? It's slick, unique, and bares the faces of two gorgeous leads in the form of <b>Lee Jong-suk</b> and <b>Han Hyo-joo</b>. I find it to be a pretty good drama that sort of blew my mind and wet my pants a little. And I thoroughly enjoyed the story despite the gaping holes in its plot line. Although, I'm definitely not satisfied in its ending since the lines between the two worlds got blended way, way too much. But in the end it was a good drama and contained probably the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTfdbXKrWN4">best kiss</a> of the year, if not in the whole existence of dramaland. And, you know, lots of shots of hot stuff Lee Jong-suk. Didn't know you were this handsome all these years.<br />
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<b>10. <i>Drinking Solo</i></b><br />
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Prior to watching <i style="font-weight: bold;">Drinking Solo</i>, I did finish <i style="font-weight: bold;">Let's Eat 2</i> which is a sweet, sweet show. And knowing its premise I knew what I was getting into. For one thing, it's a really predictable show, minus one character (but more on that later). Ha Seok-jin played an ass less likable than Jae-in, which is unfortunate. <b>Park Ha-sun</b>'s Park Ha-na is endearing but too much of a candy. But the highlight of the show is the students of Noryangjin. Their struggles to become a public service officer is relatable to anyone who has ever had to face a huge exam and had to stumble over several stumbling blocks. It got to a point where I almost didn't care about the love story and wished it was more slice of life instead. The real downer of this show is <b>Gong Myung</b>. Not because the actor sucks (he's actually really good) but because he's the second coming of Chilbong which will always break my heart. Even if he didn't get the girl (and the other girl), would it be so terrible to have him get a satisfying character development? Maybe for Season 2? This wasn't supposed to be a drama that gets a ton of praises or anything, but that little details hurts a little.<br />
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<b>11. <i><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2016/04/things-got-stuck-in-cheese-in-trap.html">Cheese in the Trap</a></i></b><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese in the Trap</i> is probably 2016's biggest disappointment. I've mentioned it in a previous review so I won't talk about it too much. But basically it had the best first half and a really, really disappointing second half. Thankfully all I can remember is the best part, specifically how perfect <b>Kim Go-eun</b> is as Hong Seol. I know a lot of people have mixed feelings of her in this role, but now that I'm watching her in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Goblin</i> (in which she's still as charming as ever), I realize she portrays early 20's low-key angst really well. I feel like Hong Seol is more relatable to her than Eun-tak, which is the reason of her better performance (in my opinion). Still, if only this drama continued the pace it had in the beginning, it would've ended up being one the best dramas on the year. If only.<br />
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Honorable Mentions (basically the short dramas):<br />
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<b><i>Positive Physique</i></b><br />
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I think I started watching this web drama since someone mentioned it on Twitter and I ended up really liking it. It's short, in what essentially is the length of a one-episoder drama. It tells of a film student who has to contact his now-superstar actress ex-girlfriend to make his career defining movie. It's not groundbreaking in the slightest, but the performances are well done, lead by <b>Do Kyung-soo</b> and <b>Chae Seo-jin</b>, and the story is pleasant. It's bursting with youthful energy and that's always good in my book.<br />
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<b><i>Home Sweet Home</i></b><br />
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Not much to say about this one. Basically I wanted to watch another work by <b>Lee Sang-yeob</b> who blew my mind this year by becoming a murderer in the first half of the year and a bumbling goofball in the latter. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Home Sweet Home</i> turns him into a cyborg and the story contains elements of sci-fi, thriller, and a dash of romance. Not the best drama I've seen, but good enough.<br />
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And now the list of non-2016 dramas I finished in 2016. This year the list is a little long, but I'll put it in anyways to give you my thoughts on some of these dramas. Listed in order of year.<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2014/04/potato-star-and-dilemma-of-long-dailies.html"><br /></a></i></b>
<b><i><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2014/04/potato-star-and-dilemma-of-long-dailies.html">Potato Star 2013QR3</a></i> (2013)</b><br />
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This drama took way too long to finish and not because it's a daily drama. I don't have much else to say about this drama as I've written my thoughts on it previously. But I don't think I'll ever watch a daily drama again, mostly due to commitment issues. I still haven't finished <i style="font-weight: bold;">Six Flying Dragons</i>, so there's that. And also, <i>Potato Star</i> had a weird, extremely unsatisfying ending, and that sucked.<br />
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<b><i>Liar Game</i> (2014)</b><br />
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I started watching this when in the midst of watching <i>On the Way to the Airport</i> and I wanted to see <b>Lee Sang-yoon</b>'s face for a little bit longer. A couple of years ago a lot of people were buzzing about this show and I could see why. It's a drama that makes you think, which is oddly uncommon in dramaland, but in the style of game shows, which is always fun. I love the characters on this show, especially <b>Lee El</b>'s because I love her anyways. There were rumors of a Season 2, which makes me really excited. Although almost 3 years later no further word on this. Hope it's sooner than later or never!<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2016/01/drama-review-because-its-first-time.html">Because It's the First Time</a></i> (2015)</b><br />
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I wrote a review on this previously so I won't say much. Yet another youth drama, which is pleasant in every aspect. Not as good as, say <i>Age of Youth</i>, but since it's a co-ed leading cast, I guess that gives more dimensions to the main plot? Basically I loved seeing <b>Park So-dam</b>'s cuteness in its full glory because I don't think I'll be watching <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cinderella and the Four Knights</i>.<br />
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<b><i>Twenty Again</i> (2015)</b><br />
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Yet another drama fueled by my wanting to see Lee Sang-yoon's face and his oddly round eyes. I'm really glad I got to see these three works of his because it showed three different characters and personalities (despite all being professors!). I actually watched the first episode when it aired but found it to be childish. But then I re-watched and was glad to because it was more than a meet cute between two childhood friends. <b>Choi Ji-woo</b> was adorable in this one and I'm so glad that she decided to grace her being as No-ra. Her journey of re-discovery was incredibly satisfying.<br />
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<b><i>Let's Eat 2</i> (2015)</b><br />
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Why I decided to skip the first season I never know, but I think Seo Hyun-jin had a lot to do with it. The <i style="font-weight: bold;">Let's Eat</i> series, and its subsequent <i>Drinking Solo</i>, aren't shows to write home about but are pleasant to watch. Oddly enough, as much as I love to watch food-porn, the food shots in <i>Let's Eat</i> is really too much. I mean, 2-3 minutes of shots of the same food? Fortunately, the cute love stories in the series more than enough made up for the overbearing shots of albeit delicious looking food.<br />
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<b><i><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2016/01/love-for-maths-and-kings-in-splish.html">Splish Splash Love</a></i> (2015)</b><br />
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This is a drama special that I reviewed previously but needed to be mentioned because of... administration reasons? Any who, I love this and wish <b>Yoon Doo-joon</b> and <b>Kim Seul-gi</b> star in a longer story in the near future because they are oh so cute. It doesn't even have to be in the Joseon period or involve eunuchs who are secretly women, although that'll be fine and dandy too.<br />
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<b><i>My Fantastic Funeral</i> (2015)</b><br />
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I was really excited to watch this drama special because it starred <b>Choi Woo-shik</b> and <b>Kyung Soo-jin</b>, two up and coming stars who I really like to watch. The story is a little bleak: a young woman is about to die soon and unexpectedly meets someone from her past. But despite a funeral looming in the background, it's an uplifting drama about living your life. The two are as sweet and charming as ever and the music for this is worth listening to.<br />
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So there you have it, my watching activity of 2016 laid out for you. It's both a lot and a little at the same time, depending who you ask. And I hope I can come back next year to talk about the dramas I watched in 2017. Til then!conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-41139578872433982632016-06-03T00:40:00.002+07:002016-06-03T00:40:54.651+07:0052nd Baeksang Awards Predictions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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June isn't exactly award season in South Korea (that would be winter during the end of the year) but <b>Baeksang Arts Awards</b> rolls around in the summer to shake things up a bit. Like last year, I will be posting my own personal predictions of who I think should win this year, with a little commentary on the works that premiered in the year past. Different to other awards show, Baeksang gives out awards to both cinema and television, so there are lots of nominees. The award ceremony will happen on June 3rd, which is tonight, depending on when and where you're reading this.<br />
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For the film categories, there are 19 movies in nominations (not including popularity awards). I was only able to watch 7 of them, which isn't even half of it. But of those 7, all of them are nominated in the major categories (Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress), and they were my priority. For the drama categories, I was able to finish 6 out of 12, and briefly watched another 2. In comparison to the films, really not that bad. I suppose this is because last year's dramas really hasn't been all that great compared to 2014's. Actually, this year in general I wasn't as excited as I was with some of last year's works. It really was a violent year this year. Lots of people's bodies got mangled this year, really not my cup of tea.<br />
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<b>FILM</b></div>
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<b><u>Daesang for Films</u></b></div>
The sad thing about this year is that there really isn't any film that drew me in and made the lasting impression as it did last year. So for the Daesang winner prediction, I really have no idea. My guess will be something that has to do with <i style="font-weight: bold;">Veteran</i> since it's both critically-acclaimed and a massive box-office hit (3rd of all time). So either director <b>Ryu Seung-wan</b> will win or box-office gold <b>Hwang Jung-min</b> (seriously, his last 5 films has been runaway hits).<br />
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<b><u>Best Film</u></b><br />
<i>Fourth Place, Inside Men, Dongju, Veteran, Assassination</i></div>
I was only able to watch three out of the five nominated works. To be honest, I was quite surprised <i style="font-weight: bold;">Fourth Place</i> was nominated since I haven't heard much of this movie at all. I thought Hong Sang-soo's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Right Now Wrong Then</i> would get a mention but there was none at all this year (I haven't watched that movie, but there were several mentions in the year end awards). For my choice, I'd have to give it to <i>Veteran</i>, even though I wouldn't call it a personal favorite. I did like <i style="font-weight: bold;">Assassination</i> better, mostly because it was pretty tame compared to the others. But even I would admit <i>Veteran</i> had a lot of stuff going for it, both entertainment and social factor.<br />
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<b><u>Best Director</u></b></div>
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<i>Ryu Seung-wan (Veteran), Oh Seung-wook (The Shameless), Woo Min-ho (Inside Men), Lee Joon-ik (Dong-ju), Choi Dong-hoon (Assassination)</i></div>
I really wish I could watch <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dongju</i>, since it seems like such an interesting movie. I also wasn't able to watch <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Shameless</i>. Since I'm not a director myself and am not familiar with the world of cinema aside from being merely a fan, I can't really differentiate between Best Film and Best Director, honestly. But, when it comes to most lauded directors in this year's list, Ryu Seung-wan of <i>Veteran</i> and <b>Lee Joon-ik</b> of <i>Dongju</i> comes to mind. More specifically, Lee Joon-ik has two big movies in the past year, and Baeksang decided to nominate <i>Dongju</i>, despite <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Throne</i> being the bigger film. So for this category, my vote goes to Lee Joon-ik.<br />
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<b><u>Best Actor</u></b></div>
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<i>Bae Yoon-sik (Inside Men)</i><i>, Song Kang-ho (The Throne)</i><i>, Yoo Ah-in (The Throne)</i><i>, </i><i>Lee Byung-hun (Inside Men), Hwang Jung-min (Veteran)</i></div>
Fortunately I was able to watch all the performances on this list, and boy was it difficult to choose. Interestingly enough there are two movies with double nominations. <b>Yoo Ah-in</b> won in last year's Blue Dragon Awards so I'm not sure whether he'll win again for Baeksang, especially since he's also a strong contender for Best Actor in Drama. Really, everyone did a fantastic job in their roles. I particularly loved <b>Lee Byung-hun</b>'s, where it's actually the first time I've seen him. True to word, he really is one fantastic, magnetic actor. This one's a tough category for sure.<br />
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<b><u>Best Actress</u></b></div>
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<i>Kim Hye-soo (Coin Locker Girl), Lee Jung-hyun (Alice in Earnestland), Jeon Do-yeon (The Shameless), Jun Ji-hyun (Assassination), Han Hyo-joo (Beauty Inside)</i></div>
Similarly enough, the actresses in this category are amazing. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch <b>Jeon Do-yeon</b> in <i>The Shameless</i>. Despite finding new light for <b>Han Hyo-joo</b> in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Beauty Inside</i>, her character there is much too tame compared to the others. Personally, it's between <b>Jun Ji-hyun</b> in <i>Assassination</i> and <b>Kim Hye-soo</b> in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Coin Locker Girl</i>. But in the end, I have to give it to Jun Ji-hyun, who was all sorts of intense as an assassinator on top of playing double roles as twin sisters who grew up in different upbringings. She's been really impressive in recent years, much more charismatic and comfortable than her earlier years.<br />
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<u><b>Best Supporting Actor</b></u></div>
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<i>Bae Sung-woo (Office), Uhm Tae-goo (Coin Locker Girl), Oh Dal-su (Veteran), Lee Kyeong-young (Minority Opinion), Jo Jin-woong (Assassination)</i></div>
Aside from <b>Uhm Tae-goo</b> who played the unfortunate <i>oppa</i> role in <i>Coin Locker Girl</i>, the rest of the nominees on this list are regulars in this category, what you would call the elite supporting actors. While I didn't watch <i style="font-weight: bold;">Office </i> nor <i style="font-weight: bold;">Minority Opinion</i>, both <b>Bae Sung-woo</b> and <b>Lee Kyeong-young</b> did star in <i>Inside Men</i>, and I wouldn't be surprised if their roles weren't all too different. But I'm going to be fair and judge the performances I did see, and of the three, I have to give it to <b>Jo Jin-woong</b>. I promise this decision is removed from his heart-thumping performance in the drama <i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i>. He really was a scene stealer in that movie, as the ever so optimistic comrade. If <b>Yoo Hae-jin</b> was nominated instead of <b>Oh Dal-su</b>, I think I'd pick him but Yoo came home with basically all the Best Supporting Actor awards for last year's <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Pirates</i> so I think that was why they made the decision to nominate someone else.<br />
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<b><u>Best Supporting Actress</u></b></div>
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<i>Ra Mi-ran (Himalaya), Ryu Hye-gyeong (Office), Uhm Ji-won (The Silenced), Jang Young-nam (The Classified File), Jeon Hye-jin (The Throne)</i></div>
Beginning my start of blatant guessing, for this category, I was only able to watch <b>Jeon Hye-jin</b> in <i>The Throne</i>. While I wouldn't say she was terrible (she's actually really good), I can't help but get distracted with her old lady makeup in that movie. I really can't choose who, but since Jeon also won last year's Blue Dragon, I guess I'll have to pick her too.<br />
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<u><b>Best New Actor</b></u></div>
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<i>Go Gyung-pyo (Coin Locker Girl), Park Bo-gum (Coin Locker Girl), Park Seo-joon (Chronicles of Evil), Park Jung-min (Dongju), Tae In-ho (Shadow Island)</i></div>
I have absolutely no idea who will win in this. Both <b>Park Bo-gum</b> and <b>Go Gyung-pyo</b> were great in <i>Coin Locker Girl</i>, but I don't know why I think <b>Park Jung-min</b> might be going home with the award. His role in <i>Dongju</i> were bigger than any of the other nominees, basically a co-lead to <b>Kim Ha-neul</b>. Not sure if that's enough for an award though. It's really unfortunate Kim Ha-neul was already nominated last year for his role in the lackluster <i style="font-weight: bold;">Twenty</i> because if he were to squeeze in this year, he would've won.<br />
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<b><u>Best New Actress</u></b></div>
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<i>Kwon So-hyun (Madonna), Kim Sae-byuk (A Midsummer's Fantasia), Kim Si-eun (Su Saek), Park So-dam (The Priests), Jung Ha-dam (Steel Flower)</i></div>
Here's where the real guessing game begins. I have not seen any of the nominated actresses in this category, mostly because the majority of the movies are small indies, very unlikely to show up in the international movie scene. Of the nominees, I have heard good things about <b>Kwon So-hyun</b> in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Madonna</i> and <b>Park So-dam</b> nominated for <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Priests</i>. Park So-dam is perhaps the most known of all the rookies, with the media calling her the "monster rookie", starring in 7 movies in 2015 alone, her 3rd year since debuting in 2013. Since she's such a favorable name in Chungmuro, I wouldn't be surprised if she wins.<br />
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<b><u>Best New Director</u></b></div>
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<i>Kim Seong-je (Minority Opinion), Ahn Gooc-jin (Alice in Earnestland), Choi Seung-yeon (Su Saek), Han Jun-hee (Coin Locker Girl), Hong Won-chan (Office)</i></div>
Yet again another guessing game, although for this category it's not too bad with 2 out of 5. I don't have any strong opinions on the ones I saw and did not see too much excitement on the others. So really, I have no idea. Of the two I watched, I thought <i>Coin Locker Girl</i> had a stronger emotional core than <i style="font-weight: bold;">Alice in Earnestland</i> which went on a spiral itself in the end. <i>Coin Locker Girl</i> also had the strongest box office of them all, if that helps anything. So my vote goes to <b>Han Jun-hee</b> of <i>Coin Locker Girl.</i><br />
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<b><u>Best Screenplay</u></b></div>
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Kwak Gyeong-taek and Han Seung-woon (The Classified File), Ryu Seung-wan (Veteran), Shin Yeon-shick (Dongju), Ahn Gooc-jin (Alice in Earnestland), Choi Dong-hoon (Assassination)\</div>
I watched three of the nominees but I have a feeling the winner would not be among them. <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Classified File</i> seems interesting and while it was nominated several times between Buil Film Awards and Blue Dragon Film Awards, it managed to only win one, which doesn't bode very well. On the other hand I've been hearing so much praise for <i>Dongju</i>, which also managed to attract quite a few tickets (1.16 millions as of May 2016) despite being a low budget, pretty serious fare. So <i>Dongju</i> it is.<br />
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<b>TELEVISION</b></div>
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<b><u>Daesang</u></b></div>
I have this strong inkling that writer <b>Kim Eun-sook</b> will win for her creation of this year's ultra popular drama <i style="font-weight: bold;">Descendants of the Sun</i>. <b>Song Joong-ki</b> may have shot to mega-stardom with his role, but Kim Eun-sook has been mentioned a million times in the media for creating the ultimate swoon-worthy characters and making superstars out of the actors in her dramas. I may not like her writing style, but apparently it's amazing to everyone else.<br />
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<b><u>Best Drama</u></b></div>
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<i>MBC She Was Pretty, tvN Signal, SBS Six Flying Dragons, tvN Reply 1998, KBS Descendants of the Sun</i></div>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i>. No doubt about it. I think I'd be okay if <i><b>Six Flying Dragons</b> </i>won instead, since it's much more epic. Or even <i style="font-weight: bold;">Reply 1988</i>, despite its many, many flaws. But if <i style="font-weight: bold;">Descendants of the Sun</i> wins, I won't be happy at all, mostly because the writing is all kinds of terrible. <i style="font-weight: bold;">She Was Pretty</i> isn't a serious contender in this category, in my opinion.<br />
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<b><u>Best Educational Program</u></b></div>
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<i>JTBC Kim Je-dong's Talk to You, KBS The Next Human, tvN The Secret Reader's Club, SBS Wind for School, EBS Docuprime Test</i></div>
I'll have to pull something out of thin air for this one, and my pick goes to <i style="font-weight: bold;">Docuprime Test</i>. Just because it sounds cool with the portmanteau.<br />
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<b><u>Best Entertainment Program</u></b></div>
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<i>JTBC Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, SBS Same Bed Different Dreams, MBC My Little Television, tvN Actor School, MBC King of Masked Singer</i></div>
I wish <i style="font-weight: bold;">1 Night 2 Days</i> were nominated. Actually no, maybe it should be nominated last year. Seriously, Season 3 is so awesome. Highly recommend it. But of the nominated, maybe <i style="font-weight: bold;">King of Masked Singer</i>? I don't know, I'm not a regular viewer of the nominated shows, except the occasional <i style="font-weight: bold;">Please Take Care of My Refrigerator</i> which is mostly awesome because I really like food.<br />
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<b><u>Best Director</u></b></div>
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<i>Kim Won-seok (Signal), Shin Gyeong-su (Six Flying Dragons), Shin Won-ho (Reply 1988), Lee Eung-bok and Baek Sang-hun (Descendants of the Sun), Jung Dae-yoon (She Was Pretty)</i></div>
I'm tempted to say <b>Kim Won-seok</b> of <i>Signal</i>, mostly because that drama is all kinds of awesome. But I'd actually prefer it to be <b>Shin Won-ho</b> of <i>Reply 1988</i>. I know this season's episodes are as way too long, but Shin has a magical touch and it really shows in this season. He also has a knack in bringing out the best in actors, something not many directors can claim for themselves. On the other hand, I'd actually be okay if <b>Lee Eung-bok</b> and <b>Baek Sang-hoon</b> of <i>Descendants</i> won, since if anything, the directing in this drama is not bad at all. But I'd still prefer Shin Won-ho.<br />
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<b><u>Best Screenplay</u></b></div>
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<i>Kim Eun-sook and Kim Won-seok (Descendants of the Sun), Kim Young-hyeon and Park Sang-yeon (Six Flying Dragons), Kim Eun-hee (Signal), Lee Woo-jung (Reply 1988), Yang Hee-seung (Oh My Ghostess)</i></div>
<b>Kim Eun-hee</b> of <i>Signal</i>. Hear me out. Crime procedurals tend to be boring and repetitive but Kim not only made a procedural drama exciting, but she was also able to integrate a time-bending element to the story without tripping herself crazy. If anything, <i>Signal</i>'s biggest strength is its extremely well-made script, so Kim Eun-hee deserves her award.<br />
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<b><u>Best Actor</u></b></div>
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<i>Namgoong Min (Remember: War of Son), Song Joong-ki (Descendants of the Sun), Yoo Ah-in (Six Flying Dragons), Jo Jin-woong (Signal), Joo Won (Yongpal)</i></div>
I'm pretty sure you'll know who I'll say. <b>Jo Jin-woong</b>, of course. How can you not? His Lee Jae-han is the best. Sorry <b>Song Joong-ki</b> and <b>Yoo Ah-in</b>, I'd pick this <i>ajusshi</i> over you any day. But I'm afraid Song Joong-ki will win due to his crazy popularity though. I love Song Joong-ki but Yoo Shi-jin can dig his own grave.<br />
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<b><u>Best Actress</u></b></div>
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<i>Kim Hyun-joo (I Have a Lover), Kim Hye-soo (Signal), Ra Mi-ran (Reply 1988), Song Hye-gyo (Descendants of the Sun), Hwang Jung-eum (She Was Pretty)</i></div>
To me it's down to the two amazing ladies, badass boss Kim Hye-soo of <i>Signal</i> and Lady Cheetah <b>Ra Mi-ran</b> of <i>Reply 1988</i>. Both are crazy charismatic playing untypical female roles. In <i>Signal</i>, Kim Hye-soo showed such a different side of herself that you sometimes forget that she's originally known as a femme fatale. Ra Mi-ran, on the other hand, rose through the ranks from the scene stealing supporting role to a character that probably deserves her own show. Between the two, though, I'd have to give it to Kim Hye-soo, mostly due to how wide of a range Cha Soo-hyun allowed her to explore.<br />
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<b><u>Best New Actor</u></b></div>
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<i>Ryu Jun-yeol (Reply 1988), Byun Yo-han (Six Flying Dragons), Ahn Jae-hong (Reply 1988), Yook Sung-jae (Who Are You?: School 2015), Lee Dong-hwi (Reply 1988)</i></div>
Probably <b>Byun Yo-han</b>. I was actually surprised he was nominated since for some reason I thought he already did last year, but he wasn't. Of course I'd love it if Kim Jungpal <b>Ryu Jun-yeol</b> won as the ultimate tsundere, but Byun had a lot more going on for him in the very few episodes I saw of him in <i>Six Flying Dragons</i> than whatever was happening with Jung-hwan in the almost 40 hours that show aired. And you know, mane of glory helps a whole lot.<br />
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<b><u>Best New Actress</u></b></div>
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<i>Kim Go-eun (Cheese in the Trap), Ryu Hye-young (Reply 1988), Park So-dam (Because It's the First Time), Lee Sung-kyung (Queen's Flower), Hyeri (Reply 1988)</i></div>
Despite all the hate she gets online, and her lackluster performance in darker roles, I really loved <b>Kim Go-eun</b> in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese in the Trap</i>. She was so charming portraying a very normal girl unintentionally thrown in some rich boy drama. The projection that drama went during its tail end is unfortunate, but Kim Go-eun really tried her best, as did pretty much every other actor as well.<br />
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<b><u>Best Male Variety Performer</u></b></div>
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<i>Kim Gu-ra, Kim Seong-ju, Kim Young-cheol, Yoon Jung-soo, Jung Joon-ha</i></div>
I'm really unaware of most of these people, specifically because I don't regularly watch the shows they're in. My wild guess will be <b>Jung Joon-ha</b>, who, oddly enough, participated in the rap show <i style="font-weight: bold;">Show Me The Money</i>. I don't think he was nominated for that show (the nominees weren't associated with any particular show), but I thought that was cool.<br />
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<b><u>Best Female Variety Performer</u></b></div>
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<i>Kim Sook, Park Na-rae, Oh Na-mi, Jang Do-yeon, Hong Yoon-hwa</i></div>
Unlike the male nominees who participated in mostly MC-ing stuff, the ladies are all mostly known as gagwomen. This year, in terms of popularity, I've seen a huge support for <b>Kim Sook</b>, who's quite the veteran herself. But due to her various appearances in many variety shows, she seems to get some recognition as a great performer herself. Of course, <b>Park Na-rae</b> is super popular and funny herself. Actually, all the ladies are really funny. I hope they get a variety show of their own someday. My final answer: Kim Sook.<br />
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And that would be it for today. Sorry for the lack of photos this year, since I was the worst (or best?) procrastinator ever so I had no time to get together a decent collage for you all. But I hope the content will do. Stay tune for later tonight for the show, and tomorrow for the final recap of who actually wins. I'm hoping I'm getting a lot right this year (and I'm more specific, so I can actually count). But like always, the results will be controversial, and I know I'll cry over some of them. I just know it.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-54577113369785144722016-04-03T21:07:00.001+07:002016-04-03T21:07:07.572+07:00Things Got Stuck in 'Cheese in the Trap'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know those dramas that started so great and then just decided to kill itself? There are many examples, but the latest one in the minds and mouths (or fingers?) of Korean drama watchers is <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese in the Trap</i>. It begun what was to be a perfect drama. I even had hopes of making it high up on the yearly recaps. Alas, some things are too good to be true and the drama that was supposed to be the opposite of dramatic bit itself in the ass and became a drama in real life.<br />
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<i>Cheese</i>'s biggest strength, and its biggest weakness, is its fervent fan base. From the beginning of when inklings of a drama was to be made off of the ever so popular webtoon, the fans couldn't shut their mouth about absolutely everything. It was unlike any other, perhaps only equal to the mania of adaptations of internationally acclaimed work, e.g. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Nodame Cantabile</i>, <i style="font-weight: bold;">In Time with You</i>. So from the beginning, this was going to be a drama that would create a ton of buzz.<br />
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<i>Cheese</i>'s journey with the public is kind of funny and serves as a great example of what makes or breaks a drama. First, the casting fiasco that had fans almost literally demanding their ideal actors and whining when they didn't get what they want. Then when the drama started airing and the cast proved itself, no traces of hatred was to be felt. Then when things started taking a downturn, all the positive remark that the cast (and crew) worked so hard at disappeared into thin air. Drama fans are smarter these days, and no bullshitery will get through anymore.<br />
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On the other hand, <i>Cheese</i> is a peculiar case, mostly due to the extreme trajectory that the actual on-screen drama went through. I don't think there have been many cases where the beginning of a drama started nearly perfect and ended up with people giving it the cruelest hatred you can possibly imagine. <i>Cheese</i> really did start as this incredible drama, but overtime, it stopped being that way. I'm not going to try to point any fingers on anyone, since I'm sure the matter is more complicated than just "it's this one person's fault". This is a drama that probably employs at least a hundred people with multiple heads in the front seat.<br />
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It's just unfortunate the situation ended up being how it did. This was a drama that could've catapulted several unknown actors. Sadly, it became a drama I doubt many will want to associate themselves with. I feel bad for the actors since they did a good job with the material they were given with whether or not it was good or made any sense. They're the one that deserves the praise but ended up suffering the most.<br />
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So my take on the drama is that it was good for however long you decided it was (for me it was up to episode 12). If there was anything that didn't fail was the cast, who performed well up to the last minute. I'm really happy we were able to see a lot of different and new faces in this drama, faces we'd never get to see otherwise. I hope the cast can look back to <i>Cheese</i> and remember it fondly as a drama that gave them an opportunity to shine in their own ways. And as for viewers, well, it's up to you how you'll remember the drama. For me, it was good while it lasts but nothing to get all up in arms about. It's time to let go and move on.<br />
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conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-39927623482543596252016-04-01T21:16:00.001+07:002016-04-01T21:16:16.761+07:00Monthly Recap: March 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I haven't been the best blogger once again but since my computer was broken for half of March I suppose that's a good enough reason for my absence? I have been watching some dramas last month, so worry not. I will rant away on this post. Full reviews of some of the finished dramas will come soon, as will several movie reviews since the Baeksang Awards are happening sooner or later and I'll be making a prediction post again like last year.<br />
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I finished two dramas last month and both are from tvN, officially the first 2016 dramas I finished. The first one is <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese in the Trap</i> which started off really well and then decided to head for the hills on a suicide mission. I actually had a post written before my laptop died on me. It wasn't much of a review as much as it was a rant post, so I'll have to rewrite that. It's unfortunate the drama ended the way it did because it could've been so many things. The most unfortunate is that it could've been the perfect launching pad for many of the unknown actors. But now it seems an association with that drama isn't something you'd like to attach to yourself. I wish the actors the best since they did a really good job in their work. It introduced me to the ever-charming <b>Kim Go-eun</b> who I'm excited to watch in the future. It did also made me appreciate <b>Seo Kang-joon</b> more than before, although the drama behind the drama left me a bitter taste for reasons that's probably not his fault. Time to move on.</div>
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The other drama I finished was <i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i> and boy oh boy was it not the best drama ever. Maybe not ever but very, very good in terms of quality all around. Director <b>Kim Won-suk</b>'s collaboration with tvN has been a godsend. Many were worried he couldn't live up to the amazingness that is <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2015/02/drama-review-misaeng.html">Misaeng</a></i> but clearly he managed to live up to his potentials and maybe even bumped up the standard a little higher. The tricky thing about dramas like <i>Signal</i> is that it needs to keep its pace swift lest it loses momentum but amazingly enough <i>Signal</i> didn't let down not even one second. Also mad props to writer <b>Kim Eun-hee</b> who managed to squeeze in all those (based on true events) cold cases interweaving with the always complicated bending of the time continuum. And of course the cast of the show is nothing but pure awesomeness, from the commendable trio to the police force full of colorful personalities to the criminals and victims that fill in the spaces each week. At the moment <i>Signal</i> is the best drama of the year even though we're only a quarter in because it's going to take an incredible drama to outmatch this beast.</div>
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As for the ongoing dramas, I really haven't been watching a ton, or barely any actually. I've mostly been watching <i style="font-weight: bold;">Descendants of the Sun</i> which is, unlike <i>Signal</i>, not the best drama ever. I don't think it's even the best drama writer <b>Kim Eun-sook</b> has ever written, although I realize her writing style isn't my favorite. I just can't get into the story line despite by <a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2012/11/song-joong-ki-man-of-hour.html">everlasting love</a> for <b>Song Joong-ki</b>. He's getting a ton of love these days, what with the drama breaking 40% at some scenes. But I have to say I'm disappointed with his choice this time. Yoo Shi-jin is the most boring character I've watched him play. The only people I care about (and I think many people can agree with me) is the second couple Seo Dae-young (<b>Jin Goo</b>) and Yoon Myeong-joo (<b>Kim Ji-won</b>) as <a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2016/03/first-take-descendants-of-sun.html">I predicted</a>. Everything else I'm pretty indifferent about. I'm not too keen on stories that rely too much on external conflicts and the <i>Descendants</i> is holding on to it like it's going out of style.</div>
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The only other drama-type show I watched was drama special <i style="font-weight: bold;">My Fantastic Funeral</i> starring <b>Choi Woo-shik</b> and <b>Kyung Soo-jin</b>. These are two people I enjoy seeing on my screen and I'm glad to say the drama was sweet and heartwarming. I was happy I get to watch Kyung Soo-jin again because after <i style="font-weight: bold;">Plus Nine Boys</i> which I highly enjoyed, she was involved in the long drama <i style="font-weight: bold;">House of Bluebird</i> and a couple of horror movies which I don't plan to watch. Choi Woo-shik is also an actor I root on a lot since he clearly has a lot of potential. I just hope he'll be able to stretch his legs a bit beyond the bumbling hero. The drama itself left a good impression if not slightly bittersweet and I highly recommend it.</div>
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As for movies, I watched <i style="font-weight: bold;">Mood of the Day</i> which has me confused all over about what type of movie it wanted to be. A heartwarming character drama or a run of the mill romcom? It ended up being both somewhat which in this case isn't necessarily a good thing. The other, which I actually watched in February but for some reason forgot to mention, is <i style="font-weight: bold;">Assassination</i> which had a lot of really badass girls and guys. It was a well-made caper movie that ticked all the boxes, good for a weekend in I suppose.</div>
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That wraps it up for the month of March which didn't go the best. Hopefully April will be better, especially since I plan on watching a lot of movies for the upcoming Baeksang Awards which will happen in May probably. I just got my hands on <i style="font-weight: bold;">Inside Men</i> and you know there's going to be a lot of squeeing on my part.</div>
conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-91640885914674249122016-03-02T22:57:00.000+07:002016-03-02T22:59:52.687+07:00First Take: Please Come Back Mister<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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February 24th became the premiere date for two prime time Monday-Tuesday dramas. I wrote about <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.co.id/2016/03/first-take-descendants-of-sun.html">Descendants of the Sun</a></i> yesterday, which was the more melo choice. But today I'll be talking about a comedy in the form of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Please Come Back Mister</i>. This wasn't on my radar prior to watching the promos but after the first week, I'm starting to like it.<br />
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Two men find themselves at an odd train station where they later find out it's the train station to the afterlife. The two are going to heaven but they feel they had too many things untied on earth so they escaped and got a second chance at life with the help of Maya (<b>Ra Mi-ran</b>). Kim Young-soo (<b>Kim In-kwon</b>) was a hard working assistant manager at a department store. So hardworking in fact that he often neglects his wife (<b>Lee Min-jung</b>) and daughter (<b>Lee Re</b>). He returns to earth as a dashing young man (<b>Rain</b>) who happens to strongly resemble the chairman's son. Han Gi-tak (<b>Kim Su-ro</b>) owned a restaurant that employed ex-convicts serving as a place where they can begin anew. But he himself can't seem to run away from his past, especially when his first love actress Song Yi-yeon (<b>Lee Honey</b>) came looking for him after she became shunned by the public for divorcing a conglomerate's son. Gi-tak returns to earth as the beautiful lady Han Heong-nan (<b>Oh Yeon-seo</b>). The two have two months two sort their problems without causing trouble or else they will face a terrible consequence.<br />
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Right off the bat I can tell that this isn't going to be your run of the mill romcom. First of all, the two supposed leads*, Rain and Oh Yeon-seo, can't really fall in love with each other, and instead will have their own story line. And then Oh Yeon-seo can't have any action with Song Yi-yeon because I highly doubt SBS is going to allow girl-on-girl kissing (even though they are totally okay with guy-on-guy because it's funny?). Actually, I'm not exactly sure what will happen with Gi-tak's situation since not only did he come back in the wrong gender, he also has to deal with people who is very familiar with his childhood/background so no pretending he's a long lost sister. Not to say that there won't be any romance, since Young-soo will be able to get some action I'm sure. But I doubt that'll be the most interesting story of this drama, I'm assuming.<br />
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*There was a bit of a <a href="http://www.soompi.com/2016/02/02/cast-of-please-come-back-mister-dispute-over-billing-order/">kerfuffle</a> over billing order since this drama has quite a few major characters. It may seem like a stupid thing to fight about (which it kind of is, especially since it became so public), but considering that most Korean dramas have one main story line and a couple sub-plots, it may be important to them to see who gets the bigger plot line and subsequently airtime. As a viewer I don't really care, since I only came for a funny show, but it may be important to the actors and their agencies probably.<br />
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Unlike its direct competition <i>Descendants of the Sun</i> which is pretty mellow, <i>Please Come Back Mister</i> is definitely heavy on the comedy. The <i>ajusshi</i>s and their reincarnations are both hilarious, especially when the original was negotiating with the train employees and when they returned as a being that one loved (Rain's hot-ass body) and one hated (Oh Yeon-seo's lady parts and lady world). And despite being the first episode, which does tend to go overly funny for these types of dramas, the drama also promises more serious undertones in the future. I'm actually quite worried how serious they're going to get, because a tearjerker romcom is oddly common in Korea and I'm not the biggest fan of that.<br />
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What I'm most worried about though is how they'll manage to fit so many stories in one drama. With the airtime they get (roughly 16 hours), theoretically it should be plenty to tell two solid stories but I have a doubt they won't make it. Most dramas can barely make one decent plot, let alone two. It's even more worrisome since this is a clear deviation from the original Japanese movie and drama, where they took the Young-soo figure and reincarnated him as Heong-nam. Not exactly sure what went in the mind of the producers that they needed another <i>ajusshi</i> in the mix, maybe so they can squeeze in a traditional love triangle? Because if yes, boo.<br />
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So for me, despite really loving the tone and loving the cast's commitment to their roles, the complicated story line and potential overhaul of the ever so popular love triangle may turn this into an utter disaster. I'm definitely watching this drama cautiously since I can see the potential mess that may occur. But I'm hoping I'm wrong and it may be a wonderful drama in the end. Cautiously optimistic.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-58245814720628090222016-03-01T22:10:00.001+07:002016-03-01T22:10:18.780+07:00Monthly Recap: February 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm back with a second edition of Monthly Recap although, sadly, this month hasn't been all too good for me in the drama watching realm. Some unnecessary drama in the production room have been keeping me from watching what I thought was one excellent drama. Thankfully another is consistently keeping me on the edge of my seat in the best way possible.<br />
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For the month of February I was actively watching two dramas, which is much less than last month's but feels more comfortable for me. It also meant I didn't finish any dramas since the two that I was watching isn't going to finish just yet.<br />
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Of the ones that I "dropped" were <i style="font-weight: bold;">Potato Star 2013QR3</i>, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Moorim School</i>, and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Six Flying Dragons</i>. Now I did watch an episode of <i>Dragons</i> and a couple of <i>Moorim</i> but I didn't feel the need to watch more. <i>Dragons</i> entered the talkie phase of <i>sageuk</i> which has always been my least favorite and the reason why I barely ever watch them. But also because simply there are too many characters to follow. This drama requires a little bit of mental energy and at the end of the day, sometimes I can't afford that. For <i>Moorim</i>, it just got too boring. I wanted it to be crazy and over the top but it settled on a middle of the road teen drama which I'm not in the mood for. Whether I'll be dropping these two dramas only time will tell but for now they are low on my priority list. I'm also going to stop talking about <i>Potato Star</i> until I actually finish it because finishing that drama is like an exercise of patience for me since the buffering on Hulu takes basically forever.<br />
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The drama that I am (or was?) following religiously was <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese in the Trap</i> which I do enjoy. I have yet to watch episode 13 onwards yet, mostly due to the <a href="http://www.soompi.com/2016/02/25/conflict-between-cheese-in-the-trap-original-author-and-drama-staff-surfaces/">hullabaloo</a> that's happening because of a director that loved an actor too much. I know the news shouldn't deter me from watching the show since the only way I can judge how bad it is (or how overly dramatic netizens can be) is by watching the show myself. The news wasn't due to the cast or anything. Since they did their job I might as well appreciate it and watch their hard work. But sometimes things leave a bitter taste in your mouth and I feel like this is one of those things. I might just have to deal with it and watch it anyways, which I think would be good time tomorrow.<br />
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But the other drama that I'm actively watching i.e. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i> is pretty flipping fantastic. I think it's fair to say that director <b>Kim Won-suk</b> is a one of those people kdramas talk about a lot (genius) with <i>Signal</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Misaeng</i> (and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sungkyunkwan Scandal</i>, for the fans) in his belt. Writer <b>Kim Eun-hee</b><i> </i>also has a pretty good track record, but I didn't watch <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sign</i> or <i style="font-weight: bold;">3 Days</i>. <i>Signal</i> is really one of those impossible dramas that get better by the episode, in not just the story but the performances as well. <b>Lee Je-hoon</b> had a bit of a hiccup in the earlier episodes portraying Park Hae-young who talks a mile a minute, but as the cases get more complicated, the better he is in Hae-young's skin. And don't get me started on <b>Kim Hye-soo</b> and <b>Jo Jin-woong</b>. I've loved these two in their previous works but <i>Signal</i> makes me a fan. It's so interesting to watch them on screen and I'm in awe every second they are on. <i>Signal</i> basically has the best cast at the moment.<br />
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I also watched a couple of movies, getting a double dose of <b>Song Kang-ho</b>. I want to get through his filmography but I have a feeling it's going to take me a while. But checking off the big guns like <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.co.id/2016/02/movie-review-throne-2015-is-cautionary.html">The Throne</a></i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.co.id/2016/02/movie-review-whos-afraid-of-big-bad.html">The Host</a></i> is pretty good progress in my opinion. I've written reviews for both of them so I hope you check them out!<br />
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So that's it for the month of February. Not as exciting as January, sadly, both drama watching and blogging wise. If you haven't noticed, I've been blogging every three days for the past two months but broke the chain this past weekend, mostly because I was away but also because I got sick. I'm not exactly sure if I'm going to keep to the strict scheduling from now on and rather just post of the things I want whenever I want. I think that's going to provide for better content anyways.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-7272728028994135742016-03-01T19:18:00.000+07:002016-03-02T22:57:44.251+07:00First Take: Descendants of the Sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Possibly one of the most highly anticipated dramas of the year, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Descendants of the Sun</i> came in with a slow burn. The premiere week of the show only teases what potential intensity will come in the future. I wasn't overly excited about it, but it has yet to disappoint me, which is a good enough start. If anything, I'm mostly excited that <b>Song Joong-ki</b> is back on screen again, and with him he brings a herd of beautifully muscular half naked men and that is always good in my book.<br />
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Captain Yoo Shi-jin (Song Joong-ki) and surgeon Kim Mo-yeon (<b>Song Hye-gyo</b>) met at a hospital where one was looking for a thief and the other is treating that said thief. Their meeting turned into what could be a sizzling romance, but due to their demanding jobs, they decided to say their goodbyes. Time went by and unexpected for them that they meet again as a peacekeeper and a volunteer medical team leader in a far-off country.<br />
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The first two episodes of <i>Descendants</i> didn't really get me as excited as some dramas have recently. Not saying that exciting beginnings will result in exciting ends, but with the current drama market, it seems the only way to make an entrance is with a bang. Technically <i>Descendants</i> did achieve that, what with Shi-jin's mission becoming the very opening of the show. The rest of the episodes went pretty low on the action though. It makes sense since the premiere episodes are always about introductions of the main characters, and <i>Descendants</i> did its job with laying the foundation for the promised intense plot that will follow.<br />
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The most exciting thing about this drama is perhaps the return of Song Joong-ki, who was previously absent from the entertainment industry due to being in the military. It's rather odd that he left from his service as a real soldier and came back as a pretend soldier. Not really sure if that was a brilliant idea or just a convenient choice. One that took a fan's wish of watching Joong-ki as a hot soldier in their TV. I can't really judge from the two episodes if he still has it or needs to sharpen things a bit, but just his very presence is good enough. I'm interested if he can top off his Maru from <i style="font-weight: bold;">Nice Guy</i> who was such a fascinating guy in a fascinating show.<br />
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Oddly enough though I'm more gravitated towards <b>Jin Gu</b> who plays Sergeant Major Seo Dae-young. However much I love Joong-ki, he doesn't necessarily exude the tough special force guy as much as Jin Gu does. Not to say that you can't be cute and tough at the same time, but there's a reason actors tend to get type casted for their looks. I also think Dae-young's back story might be more interesting, especially with his possible background as a former gangster and his complicated relationship with army doctor Yoon Myeong-joo (<b>Kim Ji-won</b>). We have yet to see any story of Shi-jin's background, but I'm hoping they don't force a tear-inducing back story just because he's the lead. I'm probably asking for too much.<br />
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Since the drama is a romance, I will comment on that a little. I am thankful that the drama did try to portray an adult relationship with little push and pull and that Shi-jin and Mo-yeong did act like adults in that brief relationship. Don't know what will happen in the future though. I'm also not too keen on Song Hye-gyo. I think Mo-yeon as a character is interesting enough, but despite being absolutely gorgeous, she doesn't have the charm I expect from a senior actress like her. I'm hoping she's like this drama, going for a slow burn. Basically I have yet to root for the Shi-jin x Moo-yeon romance but am totally intrigued by the Dae-young x Myeong-joo relationship. Mostly because of the mysterious Dae-young but also because of how Myeong-joo acted around him in the short time they were together. There's a lot of things to uncover from this couple.<br />
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Considering the drama is 100% pre-produced (thankfully a growing trend), I have hopes the story will at least make sense, even if it's not the most exciting thing in the world. And since the drama is also simultaneously broadcasted in China, where a drama needs to be inspected prior to airing, I'm assuming it's also fully edited. Which means we won't get any drama behind the drama for this one. Keeping my hopes up, since Joong-ki does have a history of picking good projects and I just hope his stint in the military didn't reduce that ability by too much.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-89900577057367323202016-02-24T23:18:00.001+07:002016-02-24T23:18:51.747+07:00First Pics for 'Goodbye Mr. Black'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wednesday-Thursday night is going to be a crowded, star-studded party. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Please Come Back Mister</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Descendants from the Sun</i> is premiering tonight, alongside <i style="font-weight: bold;">One More Happy Ending</i> which has been airing for some time now. But when that drama will finish in a few weeks time, another possible strong contender is taking its place. MBC is coming with a revenge melodrama called <i style="font-weight: bold;">Goodbye Mr. Black</i> starring <b>Lee Jin-wook</b>, <b>Moon Chae-won</b>, and <b>Kim Kang-woo</b>. The drama that had its own backstage drama is finally airing in March 16 and the pics look pretty cool.<br />
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Based on the stills of the two male leads, <i>Goodbye Mr. Black</i> seems to involve quite a bit of action sequences, which should be very exciting. This makes <i>Mr. Black</i> to be a more direct competitor of <i>Descendants</i>, although it'll premiere well after <i>Descendants</i> have established their audience.<br />
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For me personally, I'm more interested in the story of <i>Mr. Black</i> since revenge stories have mostly been an interesting watch. <i>Descendants</i> looks like it's going down the path of classic melodrama which isn't my cup of tea. But really, the winner will come down to who has the best premiere week and maybe couple of weeks, since that's a standard trial time for most viewers, including myself.<br />
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But since the drama is a few weeks away, these stills are the only things we have. It's assumed all three are taken in Thailand, which will be the location for what I assume is the prologue portion of the story. I can't wait until a teaser comes out just to see how the intense the drama will be like.<br />
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conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-83222026652874431182016-02-21T22:04:00.001+07:002016-02-21T22:04:24.375+07:00Previews for 'Please Come Back Mister' and 'Descendants of the Sun'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two romantic dramas are taking up the Wednesday-Thursday time slot but they're on the opposite side of the spectrum of lightheartedness. SBS's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Please Come Back Mister</i> the comedic romcom and KBS's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Descendants of the Sun</i> is the more dramatic fare. I've talked about the latter in my upcoming 2016 dramas post, but after comparing the two promos, I think I'm more inclined to the former.<br />
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The two dramas really can't be more different. <i>Please Come Back Mister</i> is about two men (<b>Kim In-kwon </b>and <b>Kim Su-ro</b>) who died and negotiated their way back to the living world but ended up in different people's bodies (<b>Rain</b> and <b>Oh Yeon-seo</b> respectfully). They were somehow given a second chance to live again in order to resolve unfinished businesses. <i>Descendants of the Sun</i> is a story about doctors and UN peacekeepers in a war torn country, risking their lives to save others and maybe snuggling up to that hot doctor/sergeant in the meantime.<br />
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The two attract me for different reasons. <i>Please Come Back Mister</i> was no where near my radar until the promos started popping up and the tone seemed to be right up my alley. Fun, lots of hijinks, and lots of potential laughs and well-earned tears. <i>Descendants of the Sun</i>, on the other hand, only has <b>Song Joong-ki</b>, who still hasn't won me over as a commanding sergeant. I really hadn't watched any other actors' projects (I watched <b>Jin Gu</b> in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Roaring Currents</i> but we all know that movie is all about <b>Choi Min-shik</b>). I'm on the fence with <i style="font-weight: bold;">Secret Garden</i>, the only show I've watched from writer <b>Kim Eun-sook</b>. But I love Song Joong-ki too much to want to miss out on his first project post-military.<br />
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From the production standpoint, <i>Descendants of the Sun</i> clearly has the lead on this one since they're finished filming already. And with the trajectory most Korean rom-coms tend to go (oddly enough), <i>Please Come Back Mister</i> has a potential of entering the deep, dark hole of depression and never coming out. Then again, the writer of <i>Mister</i> did write <i style="font-weight: bold;">How to Use Guys with Secret Tips</i> which was a quirky comedy with lots of feelings (and a well-deserved ending) so maybe it'll turn out okay. I'm hoping <b>Noh Hye-young</b> uses god's powers to good use more than Kim Eun-sook for <i>Secret Garden</i> at least.<br />
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So it's a battle between a melodrama and a comedy and I hope they both win, to be quite honest. But we all know that's impossible. I just hope at least one of them will end up being a good or at least decent drama in the end. I can hope for that, right?
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conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-35010653855389948742016-02-18T23:37:00.000+07:002016-02-18T23:37:14.009+07:00Movie Review: Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Monster? in 'The Host' (2006)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Bong Joon-ho</b>'s <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Host</i> (Korean title 괴물 or Monster) is one of those movies that you keep on hearing about when the people on the internet talk about really good Korean movies. For the longest time I didn't want to watch it mostly because it's a monster movie with lots of potential scares. But I didn't need to worry all that much. <i>The Host</i> does have a monster and is full of surprises, but it is ultimately a funny family drama and a smart satire with a special guest from a special creature.<br />
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At the military morgue in Yongsan, an American doctor tells his Korean subordinate to dump a bunch of chemicals down the drain just because he doesn't like the sight of dusty bottles. Despite his initial reluctance about the dangers of this scenario, the Korean subordinate eventually starts draining what at first seemed like only a dozen bottles but end up being about a small pond's worth. Flash forward a few years on the very banks of the Han river. Lazy, good-for-nothing Kang-doo (<b>Song Kang-ho</b>) helps his father Hee-bong (<b>Byun Hee-bong</b>) run a snack stand. It seemed like a regular day until a few spectators sees a creature in the river, providing them with minor entertainment. But what they thought was a funny dolphin turns out to be a giant fish with legs, chasing after the citizens and gobbling them up. Kang-doo grabs his daughter Hyun-seo (<b>Go Ah-sung</b>) and makes a run for it, but Hyun-seo got left behind and eventually the monster grabs her and runs away. Hyun-seo's supposed death reunited Hee-bong's children, an unemployed former activist Nam-il (<b>Park Hae-il</b>) and talented archer with weak nerves Nam-joo (<b>Bae Doo-na</b>). Since Kang-doo made contact with the monster, he had to go under several tests despite his many protests. Just when he began to lose hope, Kang-doo gets a call from his daughter and the family's frantic chase to find her begins.<br />
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Since I've never really watched monster movies because of my cowardice, I can't compare <i>The Host</i> with other monster movies. Despite that, I don't think this is your regular run-of-the-mill thriller. It's starts out pretty classic with the sudden emergence of a monster that attacks innocent passerbys, leaving a trail of blood on his tails. But oddly enough, the fish monster doesn't get that much screen time. In the words of <a href="http://www.modernkoreancinema.com/p/top-25-korean-films-8.html">Pierce Conran</a> for Modern Korean Cinema, "...consider it as a dressed up family melodrama". I totally agree. The monster only serves as a catalyst for this dysfunctional family to maybe realize how precious they are to each other, but whether it's an effective method is still worth considering.<br />
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One of the most unexpected thing about <i>The Host</i> for me though is how utterly funny it is. So funny in fact that I sometimes forget it's a movie with a scary monster in it. The promotional material that I've seen of it is focused more on the monster and how terrifying it is, rather than the actual main plot of the movie which deals with a dysfunctional multi-generational family dealing with an incompetent and corrupt government. This is a pleasant surprise for me, but to those who are looking for serious thrillers might not be too keen on it. Just remember that this isn't a straight up monster movie. That's what you're getting with <i>The Host</i>.<br />
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In fact, <i>The Host</i> is the perfect example of a movie with mixed genres. A bit of thriller, a bit of satire, a bit of black comedy, a bit of melodrama. But ultimately, it's just a great movie to watch. Really, the scariest thing about it is when Kang-doo has to get big needles down into him. The needles are, to me, much scarier than that big ol' fish.<br />
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Speaking of satire, Bong Joon-ho really went for it with the mocking of government official heads in this one. I've watched three other Bong Joon-ho's movies in the past and all of them were heavy on the social commentary, but they weren't as blatant as <i>The Host</i>. So much so that I wonder if Bong got in a bit of trouble with the movie. He didn't paint them in the best light, to put it nicely. He purposefully exaggerated their actions, making their incompetence grating your nerves at times and pointing them out to viewers just in case they might miss it. But the comedy dulls the edges a bit keeping the movie firmly in the highly entertaining category, which is really what <i>The Host</i> is all about.<br />
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<i>The Host</i> is one of those movies that becomes what you make of it. If you like comedy, this is one full of laughter. If you hate the government a little that day, <i>The Host</i> might ease your pain a little. If you want a family melodrama with a twist, you're looking at the right place. If you crave a monster movie, the monster is pretty terrifying but don't expect too much. Just look somewhere else in the movie for another monster because I think the scariest one isn't the mutant fish, if you know what I mean.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-29798093526306347552016-02-15T17:04:00.000+07:002016-02-15T17:04:23.948+07:00Suzy Gorgeous as Ever for Didier Dubot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Idol-actress <b>Suzy</b> is undoubtedly one of the hottest young star in Korea at the moment. I can't say much for her acting, but the girl does have a presence. Plus she's one beautiful young lady. Her latest pictorial for jewelry company Didier Dubot has been doing its rounds and I must say, it looks great. It's quite simple, but Suzy looks simply stunning in it.<br />
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Suzy follows <b>Jun Ji-hyun</b> as the brands ambassador, bringing an injection of youthfulness to the brand. For those looking forward to Suzy's non-model activities, she'll return to the small screen in KBS's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Indiscreetly Fond</i> alongside <b>Kim Woo-bin </b>to premiere later this summer.<br />
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conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-2378858318543852372016-02-12T19:28:00.000+07:002016-02-12T19:28:38.215+07:00Movie Review: 'The Throne' (2015) is a Cautionary Tale of Unfortunate Parenting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The lives of royalty has been a subject of both admiration and pity for many and tales of tragedy has always gone hand in hand with the people living within the palace walls. None more so than Crown Prince Sado, the misunderstood crown prince of King Yeongjo whose life and death has become a sort of legend. His tragic tale has been inspiration for numerous adaptations. Among them is the 2015 movie <i style="font-weight: bold;">Sado</i> also known as <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Throne</i>, helmed by <b>Lee Joon-ik</b> returning to <i>sageuk</i> 10 years after the hit <i style="font-weight: bold;">The King and the Clown</i> and lead by magnificent performances of <b>Song Kang-ho</b> and <b>Yoo Ah-in</b> as the king and his crown prince respectively.<br />
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Crown Prince Sado was born to an old King Yeongjo who longs for a successor. While others see his status as a crown prince as a blessing, Sado feels his life is nothing but a curse. Despite showing great intelligence, he has no interest in studying the classics which is very important to his father. Sado would rather spend his time painting and learning martial arts, a common interest of a young boy. But common is not a word known to the royalty, and the strict King Yeongjo insists on Sado becoming the perfect heir. Alas the firmer King Yeongjo's grip on Sado, the more defiant the crown prince becomes. The clash of the father and son is climaxed when Sado, who by the end of his life became highly delusional due to his mental illness, attempted to murder his own father, a man whom he sees as the source of all his sufferings. The king didn't end up being killed by his son, but their fate soon turned around. Sado's attempt to kill the king is seen as an act of treason to the country, so the king must punish the crown prince accordingly. Since killing by poisoning will make the king the father of a traitor (according to complicated rules of the nation), the king decided to lock the crown prince in a rice chest to starve and die.<br />
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The story is somewhat divided between the seven days it took for Sado to die of starvation in his wooden confinement, chronicling the ill-fated life of the crown prince. It begins when Sado was very young, showing promise as a bright future king. It continues guiding us through the pivotal moments in their crumbling relationship, from the king's disdain in the crown prince's personal interests, to the crown prince's humiliation as the king's representation during a royal court meeting. The scenes are weaved between Sado's agonizing experience in such a small box in the dead of summer with no food nor water. The king gives no mercy to his son throughout his life, and so the same happens to his death.<br />
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The father and son dynamic becomes the central and most important feature of this movie. While one of the main characteristics of a typical <i>sageuk</i> is its strong presence of politics and its court members, <i>The Throne</i> gives the court minor contribution to the main story. It's been debated by some historians over the royal court's actual involvement in Crown Prince Sado's death sentence, some even argued that it's all part of a conspiracy against the crown prince's political views which were deemed overly idealistic by many. But the movie doesn't give the court much of a say over the war between these two men. I think this is a well done decision in order to focus more energy on the two central characters and their complicated relationship, rather than wasting time on people whose who has little emotional investment in the story.<br />
<i><br /></i><i>The Throne</i> does take a very sympathetic view on Sado, considering he's the titular character. We don't see much of his more negative traits such as the depths of his mental illness or the more brutal side of his personality such as random killings or rapings which were much more rampant than the movie would suggest. The movie places him as the ultimate victim of the scenario, a son whose only wish is a kind word from his father. But King Yeongjo isn't exactly cornered as the automatic villain in this case. He is only a man who is responsible for a nation, a role he didn't even want in the first place. The movie ends with an imaginary heart-to-heart between, not a king and a crown prince, but a father and a son. It's a way to show that neither hated each other, rather they both expected different things and that the circumstances prevented them from fulfilling them.<br />
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The brilliant performances by Song Kang-ho and Yoo Ah-in just highlights the tormented relationship of these two men. Everyone knows how amazing of an actor Song Kang-ho is, with many, many awards under his difficult to tighten belt. He showed King Yeongjo as a man full of burden and doesn't hesitate to take the best action for his country. But the real show-stopper is Yoo Ah-in who is utterly breathtaking as Crown Prince Sado battling both inner and outer demons and losing. He portrayed Sado perfectly in various times of his life, from the innocent young man who bows down to his father until eventually becoming the broken man in the rice chest absolutely let down by his own family. It's the best performance of his I've seen yet and the industry also agrees. He earned his first Best Actor award at last year's Blue Dragon Film Awards.<br />
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Although Joseon is a man's world, <i>The Throne</i> let us take a brief glimpse into the lives of women behind the scenes. It's quite fascinating to see their own little world of politics, officially separate from that of the men's but extremely influential on the other side of the fence. The lives of these women revolve mostly around the men in their lives, who happen to be a king and a couple of kings-in-waiting, but without a doubt do they have a place in the palace. Queen Dowager In-won is everyone's boss and <b>Kim Hae-sook</b>'s crazy charisma further intensifies that standing. Young-bin (<b>Jeon Hye-jin</b>) is the quintessential loving mother whose duties get controlled due to living as a concubine with a crown prince son. Crown Princess Hye-gyeong (<b>Moon Geun-young</b>) is a protective young mother brought in the mix of her husband's and father-in-law's feuds. While their roles are restricted to wives and mothers, they deserve a shout out mostly for their dedication and sheer tenacity through the whirlwind going around them and still keeping their cool.<br />
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Looking away from the sad tale of the royal family, this movie is simply a sight to be seen. <i>Sageuk</i> movies and dramas have the advantage of the colorful adornments of the people in that era. While the movie is depressing and the colors are mostly muted for that effect, it's still a beautiful movie to look at. Sweeping views of the palace shows how grand yet isolating the palace is. The costumes are outstanding and amazingly detailed. There's a bit of make up magic, aging various actors into their days of gray. It's not the greatest makeup job ever, but the little details like aging spots were a nice touch.<br />
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The best thing about <i>The Throne</i> is that it tackles the story with humanity. It showed the individuals whom we see in textbooks as these great and legendary beings are in fact just ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances trying to survive. One thing I didn't expect from the movie though was how devastating it is. I knew it was a tragedy, but I didn't think I'd spend so many tissues over it. So word of warning, bring lots of tissues. This is not a fun story in the least. Not to make it better, the following is <b>Jo Seung-woo</b>'s beautiful song for the movie, a melancholic number entitled '<i style="font-weight: bold;">Flowers Bloom and Fall</i>'.<br />
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conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-56339004692247013602016-02-09T19:12:00.005+07:002016-02-09T19:16:04.310+07:00Song of the Day: WINNER's "Sentimental"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To a lot of K-pop fans, <b>WINNER</b>'s comeback, or for the longest time the lack of it, has been something in the making for many, many months. They recently released <i style="font-weight: bold;">EXIT:E</i> after what seems think is forever (their last album was in August 2014, a century ago in K-pop terms). So it's a welcome to all the WINNER fans out there that not only are they releasing a full album but also not one, not two but three singles, one of which is "<i style="font-weight: bold;">Sentimental</i>" which I will talk about today.<br />
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The basic premise of the song is about this guy who was feeling sentimental during that weird time when you're trying to go to sleep. He's single and presumably broken up somewhat recently, not necessarily sad but wishing he wasn't alone. The music itself brings up a feel of nostalgia, blending beats of 1960's era with modern instrumentation. The singer croons over the empty feeling in his heart, wishing things would be different but nothing much he could do about it.<br />
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I've never really listened much to WINNER, mostly because I don't listen much to K-pop in general recently. There's 7 songs that I currently listen to on repeat, and 6 of them are girl groups. There's not particular reasoning to that. I just feel like most boy band songs are either unnecessarily angsty or powdered in saccharine sweetness. "<i>Sentimental</i>" is great because it is neither of those things. It's also why I don't particularly like their other two singles, "<i style="font-weight: bold;">Baby Baby</i>" and "<i style="font-weight: bold;">I'm Young</i>" because they are more on the angsty side.<br />
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Oddly enough I first came across the song via one of the apparently many covers of the song by fellow YG artists, although calling it a cover is a bit of a misnomer, since this particular artist didn't actually sing the song. He rather interpreted the song and made a video of his own. The cover I'm talking about is by screenwriter and actor <b>Yoo Byung-jae</b> in a video which features him practically naked doing things people do when they feel sentimental. I've inserted the video at the very end of the post. Please be wary you may experience uncontrollable laughter so set yourself up properly. (Also worth noting, <b>Epik High</b>'s actual and <strike>slightly questionable</strike> highly stylized cover of the song, especially the part when <b>Tablo</b> asked how many covers YG are planning to make. Video also featured below.)<br />
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Does this mean I'm going to listen to more WINNER? Probably not. I'm not actively finding new music at the moment but if one comes across my way, I'll enjoy it while it lasts. Also I need to come up with a better name for these kinds of posts. Song of the Day is so lame.<br />
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conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-87426670762432669792016-02-06T21:39:00.000+07:002016-02-06T21:39:00.622+07:00A Return to 1 Night 2 Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a confession to make. In the past week or so, I haven't really been watching any dramas aside from <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese in the Trap</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i> (and 1 episode of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Moorim School</i>). The reason was that basically I didn't feel like watching any. But it was also because I really got into variety shows. I usually end up watching <i style="font-weight: bold;">Running Man</i>, which is a safe bet for me, but recently I've been really getting back into <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 Night 2 Days</span>, something I haven't done in a long time. The reason is because this season (the third) is really good again.<br />
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I wrote <a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2012/02/ode-to-1-night-2-days.html">several</a> <a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2011/08/best-k-variety-show-1-night-2-days.html">posts</a> on the show a few years back because I really did enjoy the show. Since at the time I only had access to KBS (via KBS World on cable), I had very limited opportunities to watch other shows. But I did think that 1 Night 2 Days was a solid and awesome show, which sadly ended in 2012 (the best of it, that is). That was what I thought for a long time because I didn't really enjoy much of Season 2, which lasted four months shy of two years, currently the shortest season yet. So it's been about four years since I tuned in weekly. But little did I know that I'll be coming back to it again for its third installment with an almost completely new cast from the first season.</div>
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The current season consists of actors <b>Cha Tae-hyun</b>, who returned from Season 2, and <b>Kim Joo-hyuk</b>, singers <b>Kim Jong-min</b> from Season 1 and 2, <b>Defconn</b>, and <b>Jung Joon-young</b>, and comedian <b>Kim Jun-ho</b>. Their first episode started more than two years ago in December 2013, so it's safe to say I was pretty late to the bandwagon. I really didn't plan on watching this current season, as you can tell from my late start, because I wasn't feeling Season 2 and thought well, the glory days of 1 Night 2 Days are over and they're only milking the machine dry now. How wrong was I.</div>
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My first taste of Season 3 came courtesy of Cha Tae-hyun who was able to cast <b>Jo In-sung</b> to the show, which was crazy since he rarely ever does variety shows (like many actors tend to do). So when a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxSTyZB9C4o">Struggling Friend</a> special came about, Tae-hyun didn't know who to cast and called In-sung who just so happened, by the miracles of dramagods, to not have a schedule at the time (Tae-hyun also invited <b>Kim Ki-bang</b>, because In-sung doesn't really fit the theme of the episode). It was a glorious two episodes, watching the beautiful Jo In-sung get himself all dirty and muddy and still end up better looking than most of us. That was also the episode I found out about <b>Roy Kim</b>, so thank you show.</div>
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After that I didn't watch any subsequent episodes because once you experience Jo In-sung you expect nothing less. Oddly enough I started looking into the show when Kim Joo-hyuk announced he was going to leave the show. I know, what terrible timing. I saw <a href="http://kkuljaem.blogspot.co.id/2015/12/variety-1n2d-kim-joo-hyuks-last-episode.html">an article</a> of his farewell episode and found out how many people love this season (and how sad it was for him to leave). This lit a bulb in my head so I went out to watch it.</div>
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I didn't know where to start and read somewhere (couldn't remember where) that one of the funniest episodes of the show is the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSl3WgYQ-hI">Non-Smoking</a> episode. If you want to watch the season but don't know where to start, I highly recommend that one. It was downright hilarious. They weren't really their best selves in that episode, but I think that made it all the better. All the scheming and lying and Tae-hyun, the only non-smoker of the group, laughing all the while in the background, made it a hilarious show. Like actual cigarettes (but not really. Don't smoke guys), this episode was my entrance into the addictive Season 3.</div>
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I think what makes the season was the chemistry of the cast and how different it was to other seasons. Season 1 is where Kang Ho-dong was the leader and eldest of the pack and helped lift the other members, sometimes literally. Now compare that to Season 3 where no one in particular is the leader. The eldest, Kim Joo-hyuk, is such a variety newbie that he doesn't know what to do half the time. Seasoned veteran Kim Jong-min is the local airhead and has difficulty making decisions for himself, let alone other people. Everyone else has their bright moments, but no one outshines anyone in particular. They also play around with each other very well, with no two members awkward around another. This is what makes this cast so special. They feel more like a collaborative group versus Season 1 which has visible hierarchy that's difficult to ignore.</div>
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Plus this season everyone is funny, a return to the golden group of Season 1. Season 2 mostly had <b>Lee Su-geun</b> to fall upon, which is not the best situation since it's not a Su-geun centered show, which I think is why it wasn't a very successful season. And, compared to Season 1, the cast of Season 3 doesn't have a particular role to play on. It might seem like a downfall, especially in a world where variety stars are characters on screen. But this means that the cast has room to play their parts and make for very interesting shows, with each episode different enough from the others. If all goes well, I could see this cast go for a very long time. It outlasted Season 2 already with no signs of stopping. I have yet to watch the episodes without Joo-hyuk, but I think the five will do okay, with no disrespect to Gutaeng hyung of course.</div>
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Another sign of its success is the return of strong crew presence. Season 1 had <b>Na PD</b> (who is now a living legend), and Season 3 has <b>Yoo PD</b> (Yoo Ho-jin, who was actually a <i>maknae</i> PD of Season 1 and victim of a cruel prank on episode 63). Season 2 changed PDs twice, and neither, as far as I know, had that strong of a presence. Yoo PD does, despite his frail appearance, often referred to as crayfish. I think he's a tad nicer than Na PD, who is devious in many ways, but he's not weak in the least. It's always hilarious how often the cast argues with Yoo PD and him seeming like he's going to fall for it but most often not. And based off of the episodes they've been doing, their writers team is also very strong, with episodes like the aforementioned Non-Smoking trip, an episode revolving around <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAS4HHUkH28">Movie OSTs</a>, and a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED1bjzPcrI4">medical check up</a> 1N2D style.</div>
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It's a really great season to watch 1 Night 2 Days, even if you didn't watch any previous seasons. The episodes are also available on YouTube via the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kbsworld">KBS World channel</a> which is always nice. Just a fair warning, don't read the comments. 1 Night 2 Days isn't one of those all-pleasing shows where things go perfectly according to plan and some people don't appreciate all the betraying and suffering that happens in the show.<br />
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conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-69624767550473803652016-02-03T16:47:00.000+07:002016-02-03T16:47:11.338+07:00Gong Hyo-jin and Jo Jeong-seok is a Potential OTP in KBS Rom-com 'Incarnation of Jealousy'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My ultimate girl crush <b>Gong Hyo-jin</b> might be coming back to dramaland doing her best genre than is romantic comedy. She's in talks to return to KBS after last year's <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Producer</i> and reuniting with <i style="font-weight: bold;">Pasta </i>writer <b>Seo Sook-hyang</b> in <b><i>Incarnation of Jealousy</i></b>. Her potential partner is <b>Jo Jeong-seok</b>. I'm cautiously excited for this.<br />
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Gong's return to dramaland isn't what I would call a surprise, since she's consistently done dramas every year since 2013. But as a fan, I can't help but get excited over the fact that there's news of her potential casting. I know it's still an offer, so I shouldn't be too excited, but I can't help it anyways. And since her possible partner is Jo Jeong-seok, who was fantastic in last year's <i style="font-weight: bold;">Oh My Ghostess</i>, I get even more excited. Comparing to Gong, who is utterly magnetic in rom-com roles, Jo has some catching up to do. But he's always exciting to watch on screen no matter how lame the project is *cough*<i style="font-weight: bold;">My Love My Bride</i>*cough*. I still can't imagine these two together, but I'm sure they'll figure it out.<br />
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The story will revolve around love and aforementioned jealousy of an anchor and a weather forecaster. Not much has been explained about the roles or actual plot but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless.<br />
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The drama is planned to fill in the Monday-Tuesday 20.55 slot, currently occupied by the odd but not odd enough teen drama <i style="font-weight: bold;">Moorim School</i>, which will then be followed by <b>Park Shin-yang</b> fronted <i style="font-weight: bold;">Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho</i>. <i>Incarnation of Envy</i> will most likely follow after, airing in the summer.<br />
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<a href="http://star.mt.co.kr/view/stview.php?no=2016020219392357397&type=1&outlink=1">Source</a>conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-15953444389919964722016-01-31T23:04:00.000+07:002016-01-31T23:09:09.181+07:00Monthly Recap: January 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been watching and writing quite a lot this month so I thought what better way to cap it off the than with a recap. This may be a new monthly thing I'm trying out, so bear with me. These posts will be just like the name, a recap of the happenings of the month (Kdrama-wise at least) and a sort of update to the things I've been watching. And so we shall begin with January 2016.<br />
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This month I'm currently juggling 5 dramas, which is quite a lot for me. Four of them are currently airing, and I'm "live" watching three of them. I put the live in quotes because I'm not literally watching them when it airs in Korea, rather I watch them the week they go on air. It's been quite fun watching all these shows at the same time, but also slightly daunting. I guess now I can say I'm slowly diving into the deep end of drama watching. Should I be scared?<br />
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Anywho, let's do a bit of an update on the shows I'm watching, starting with the oldest one which is <i style="font-weight: bold;">Potato Star 2013QR3</i>. I started watching this a couple of years ago and actually got really into it while I was watching. I watched roughly a half a dozen a day over the course of a school break. But complications occurred and sadly I had to put it on-hold. But after all these years I was able to watch it again. Sadly, for some reason, my internet connection has been a bit of a bitch these days so I wasn't able to blaze through them as fast as I did in the past. I probably won't be making a review for this one, simply because the <a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2014/04/potato-star-and-dilemma-of-long-dailies.html">last post</a> that I made of it (which garnered a lot of views for some reason) reflected my overall thoughts on this drama despite that being made after watching 90-something episodes of 120 total. That's what you get with dailies I suppose.<br />
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Second up is <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese in the Trap</i>. This is one of those dramas that you find yourself unexpectedly get hooked into. The hour flies by really fast, and the characters get more charming by the episode. A side effect of that is after watching the week's episodes I get really sad because there's no more to watch. It's a really quite simple premise but the execution of it is superb. From the performances of the actors to the sharp directing and editing, it has become one of my favorites of the year so far. Plus, they're already finished filming despite only 8 episodes airing so no rushed endings on this one. The thriller element of the drama is also getting better, especially with stalkers in the picture. The couple is getting cuter by the minute and I'm torn which man deserves the love (the answer is both). I'm expecting great things.<br />
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Third is <i style="font-weight: bold;">Moorim School</i>. I'm a bit sad when I think of this drama despite this is a show I highly enjoy. It's mindless entertainment of kids doing what kids do without me wanting to rip my own hair out. And Wang Chi-ang (<b>Hong Bin</b>) is adorkable. I'm telling you it's sad because there have been some disputes between the network KBS and the production company JS Pictures. The ratings isn't something worth being proud of (it hit 3.5% on Monday's episode, ouch) and the not very many people in Korea understands over the top, ridiculous plot themes. Which is a wonder since <i>makjang</i> is so popular there. I already knew coming in the drama that this wouldn't be something many people would enjoy, so I'm just going to let it go and hope that the plot does get a bit more ridiculous and magical and not flat and boring which is what usually happens when a network threatens your show.<br />
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Fourth comes the giant that is <i style="font-weight: bold;">Six Flying Dragons</i>. I debated for the longest time whether I should watch this drama, mostly because it's 50 episodes long. That's about 30 episodes too long for my taste. But the production team was behind my favorite <i>sageuk</i> (mostly because I don't watch a lot of them) <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2012/01/first-take-tree-with-deep-roots.html">Trees with Deep Roots</a></i>. Plus it had awesome actors like <b>Kim Myung-min</b>, <b>Yoo Ah-in</b>, and the totally hot and scruffy <b>Byun Yo-han</b>. So finally, while I was waiting for a new <i>Cheese in the Trap </i>episode, I decided to watch it. I didn't get too far (I'm on episode 11) but so far it's been great. The episode passes by quickly despite me thinking that it was long as I was watching it. The downside to this drama, aside from the sheer number, was the number of characters. I'm on episode 11, which is beyond the character intro phase, and I still fail to remember who is who. <i>Sageuk</i> is hard. I don't know if I'll ever catch up to the weekly episodes, but this is a drama I can see myself finishing for sure.<br />
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Last but not least, the newest addition to my <a href="http://mydramalist.com/dramalist/conanblue32">currently watching list</a> is <i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i>. Damn, it is good. The story is great. <b>Kim Hye-soo</b> and <b>Jo Jin-woong</b> is nailing it. <b>Lee Je-hoon</b> is good, but there are moments he was overselling it. I'm going to listen to <a href="http://www.soompi.com/2016/01/26/lee-je-hoons-reps-respond-to-criticism-of-his-performance-in-signal/">his agency's explanation</a> that it was just his crazy character. I let it slide mostly because his character Hae-young is just an amazing character. I can't wait to see what he's going to do in the future, and hope Lee Je-hoon can channel his <i style="font-weight: bold;">Bleak Night</i> days and blow everyone away with his awesomeness. I was wondering if his performance seems particularly weaker because he's next to fortresses like Kim Hye-soo and Jo Jin-woong. I'm just excited to see more of the three in the upcoming episodes. I haven't watched the second week's episodes so no spoilers please.<br />
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As for the stuff I finished watching, there's <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2016/01/drama-review-because-its-first-time.html">Because It's the First Time</a></i>, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2016/01/drama-review-reply-1988.html">Reply 1988</a></i>, and <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2016/01/love-for-maths-and-kings-in-splish.html">Splish Splash Love</a></i>. I have this goal of writing about everything I've watched, although that seems to be a goal I've had since I started this blog. I never follow through because I suck. But maybe because this is my year (of the Monkey. I was born in the year of the Monkey, which is this year) maybe it's going to be different! So far it's been different and I'm really happy you guys have been reading along. Here's to more Monthly Recaps in the future!conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-38313782822162688602016-01-28T23:37:00.000+07:002016-02-11T18:04:29.041+07:00Love for Maths and Kings in 'Splish Splash Love'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know those moments at the end of a movie or drama where you can't help but grin all the way through the credits? It doesn't happen often, but this was what occurred to me after watching the two-episode drama <i style="font-weight: bold;">Splish Splash Love</i>. It may have to do with <b>Kim Seul-gi</b>, arguably one of the most adorable Korean actresses right now, and her equally cute chemistry with <b>Yoon Doo-joon</b>. It definitely wasn't the Pythagorean theorem Lee Do was so excited about.<br />
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Dan-bi (Kim Seul-gi) is a high school senior who, like many people her age, doesn't know what she's going to do with her life. Despite the college exams looming around the corner, she has a hard time digging into her studies, especially the dreaded maths. On a rainy morning of her exams, she runs away and wished she could just disappear. The heavens listened and, as she jumps into a puddle, she is transported to the Joseon period, around the time of the invention of hangul by Lee Do (Yoon Doo-joon), more famously known as King Sejong the Great. Previously thinking she was hopeless in math, she finds herself useful (and able to escape death) by solving a math problem using the Pythagorean theorem, basic math for a high schooler from the future but extremely difficult to scholars of the time. As Dan-bi, undercover as an eunuch, teaches Lee Do basic math like multiplications, Lee Do soon finds himself growing an attachment for the creature from the future.<br />
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When I started watching the show, I didn't know it was a public service announcement wrapped in the form of a romcom. I'm not really complaining actually. In fact, I think it's a great format for a PSA. A lot of high school (or college) students may feel like they're lost in the shuffle of everything around them, especially around exam time, so a story about a girl rediscovering her purpose in life can be uplifting to many (especially since the girl is the lovable Kim Seul-gi). Oddly enough, the original broadcast was December despite Korean college entrance exams held a month prior in November. But maybe this was done on purpose so the students who felt like they failed can feel new hope? Who knows.<br />
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(Side note: am I the only one who finds it weird that a government ministry (in this case the Ministry of Science) is funding a drama? They also funded the currently airing <i style="font-weight: bold;">Jang Yeong-sil</i>, who oddly enough is what Lee Do decided to name Dan-bi. FYI, Jang Yeong-sil is an actual person from history. I know, it gets confusing.)<br />
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But who cares about math* when the chemistry is great! Not the science of chemistry, but relational chemistry between Kim Seul-gi and Yoon Doo-joon. I already love Kim Seul-gi to bits but she is just so good in this. Again using her humorous nature to her advantage but also nailing it on the emotional front. I've never watched Yoon Doo-joon before (haven't watched either <i style="font-weight: bold;">Let's Eat</i> seasons), but now I might look into his past works since he was just as delightful as Kim Seul-gi who set a difficult standard to meet. It's actually quite amazing how much chemistry these two have considering how brief this drama is. They really elevated the story and made the two episodes very memorable.<br />
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Despite a few plot holes and complete rehash of Korean history, I found the story endearing. I think the two-episode limit did wonders to the pacing and the story since it was focused either on Lee Do's scientific endeavors or (mostly) the growing bonds between Dan-bi and the youngsters in Joseon. That was actually what I found charming about the story in that not only is this a love story between Lee Do and Dan-bi, but also Dan-bi's relationship with the queen, a bodyguard, and most importantly, herself. It's odd that this short drama can do much more than what several long mini series struggle to do.<br />
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One thing that I did appreciate for this drama is closure! It's the only thing I ask in an ending (most of the time) and I'm glad that we got the sweet ending that we did. Granted it was slightly implied closure and the true Lee Do and Dan-bi story ends in a rather bittersweet note, but I'll take what I get. Arguably it was slightly cliche of them to make Dan-bi meet Lee Do's future reincarnation but it did fill the potential gap in my heart. It all comes full circle and I love that. Granted, it was kind of weird how future Lee Do got as close as he did with stranger Dan-bi but I'm going to let go this time because the two genuinely looked like they haven't seen each other in half a millennium.<br />
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So if you have two hours-ish to spare, this is a drama I would highly recommend even if you're not a high schooler and going through a life crisis. It's definitely a must watch if you're a fan of Kim Seul-gi, Yoon Doo-joon, or both. But if you're a hard core history junkie, you may need to catch your breath a little, set aside the historical criticism, and just enjoy two young people falling in love and memorizing the times table together. The joys of being young and in love!<br />
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*Please do care about math, especially if you're still in school. Who knows, maybe you'll end up in Joseon Dynasty and help a Yoon Doo-joon look-alike king in his quest to front line science in an old kingdom. Just kidding. Stay in school!conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-45938729027563181122016-01-25T17:56:00.000+07:002016-01-26T17:46:32.018+07:00First Take: Signal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What an intense 2 hours of television! I was on the edge of my seat for the premiere week of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Signal</i>, tvN's latest crime thriller offering. It may be because I don't often watch thriller shows, but it may also be because this is a great show. So a thriller will be among my watch list this season. I think I should get myself ready for all the spine chilling moments that will come in my future.<br />
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<i>Signal</i> tackles a case based on the infamous Hwaseong serial murders, an unsolved series of murders that has been inspiration for the movie <b style="font-style: italic;">Memories of Murder</b> and drama series <i style="font-weight: bold;">Gapdong</i>. Oddly enough, both <i>Signal</i> and <i>Gapdong</i> are both on tvN, so perhaps the station has a thing for serial killers. <i>Signal</i> adds on a fantastical element to its story in the form of an old walkie talkie that allows communication between the past and the future. Park Hae-young (<b>Lee Je-hoon</b>) stumbles upon this walkie talkie which connected him to Detective Lee Jae-han (<b>Jo Jin-woong</b>) 15 years ago. Incidentally Detective Lee was working on the case of 12-year-old Kim Yoon-jung's abduction, whose statute of limitation is only 3 days away in Hae-young's time. With Detective Lee's clue, Hae-young and Detective Cha Soo-hyun (<b>Kim Hye-soo</b>) was able to find the perpetrator. Alas, something goes wrong in the past and Hae-young is now connected with Detective Lee 11 years prior in 1989, the year of the Nambu serial murders.<br />
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The first episode focused solely on Kim Yoon-jung's murder with info flying at you in lightning speed. I was actually afraid they weren't pacing their story well, because what will happen after then? Well, it seems that I forgot the bulk of the story will focus on a serial murder case. I was also curious what they'll do about the ending since the actual case remains unsolved, which is what happened in <i>Memories of Murder</i>. But since this drama tackles the Nambu case, a fictional South Korean city (much like what they did in <i>Gapdong</i>), the ending might go a different way.<br />
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This makes the breaking of the time continuum makes more "sense" if the happenings can change according to the actions of the characters. The first effect of this communication is that the original 8th victim is saved but the death of subsequent deaths happened quicker. Their communication literally changed the face of history, with texts and pictures changing before their eyes. I do wonder why their knowledge of the case didn't readjust with the change, but the mechanics of breaking the laws of physics is confusing so I won't get into that. This will become more interesting in the future and I'm looking forward to how far they'll go with toying around with facts and history.<br />
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So far, I do like where the drama is going. I can see the first few episodes will be a space where Hae-young can toy around with the past (sort of), and of course there will be dire consequences that will stop him from trying to control the universe. I'm basically looking forward to how far Hae-young will go, because his character is full of paradoxes. I like that Lee Je-hoon is the one portraying him because I think he can go all crazy with Hae-young and add all sorts of interesting layers to him. I'm also looking forward to Kim Hye-soo's iteration of the hard-edged Soo-hyun, especially after she finds out Hae-young, a person she's not too fond of, has been communicating with Jae-han, a person she loves, all this time. And of course Jo Jin-woong, who is a ball of amazing. Sadly, his appearance in the first episode is very few, but I think they'll increase as the episodes go by, especially if either Hae-young or Jae-han figures out how the walkie talkie works. I love his newbie cop phase still stumbling through, and will look forward to how his first case will change him.<br />
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One thing I'm not overly fond of the show is it's post-production works. First of all, what is up with the night scenes? I can barely see any of them. I thought <i style="font-weight: bold;">Oh My Ghostess</i> was the end of it, but it seemed to have carried on in this drama. I hope it gets sorted asap since I foresee many night scenes in the future. Second, the past scenes are slightly distorted and I don't think I like it. I think this is done to create the look of older films, since many older movies tend to render out this way (horizontally squished). But the shift between normal aspect ratio of the present and the squished people of the past gives me a headache. It's a cool way of showing the past, one I've personally never seen before, but it's not something I enjoy all too much. (I also read someone say it's an homage to <i>Memories of Murder</i>. Come to think of it, the past scenes really do look like it came out of that movie. Minus <b>Song Kang-ho</b>.)<br />
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Regardless, <i>Signal</i> is one fantastically done drama. I'm hoping the pacing doesn't slow too much down the line and keep its edge-of-your-seat quality til the end. I'm really excited to what the characters will go through in the process and see how badass the three actors are going to be. I already knew every one of them are great, but seeing them in one drama together still blows my mind a little. If only they could actually be in one screen in the drama, but that may be wishful thinking. Or maybe not?conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-1168367280745068672016-01-22T12:35:00.000+07:002016-01-22T12:37:05.594+07:00Park Yoo-chun's "How Much Love Do You Have in Your Wallet" MV Starring Seol Kyung-gu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a long title right? <b>Park Yoo-chun</b>, whom we last saw as the wonderful Mu-gak in the great <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.com/2015/05/drama-review-girl-who-sees-smells.html">The Girl Who Sees Smells</a></i>, enlisted in the military last August. But he has a few tricks up his sleeves and released a solo album just so that we don't miss him too much. While around this blog I talk about Yoo-chun mostly for his acting works, he's actually originally a singer. An idol specifically. And currently he's in the popular group <b>JYJ</b>. So as the singer that he is, he released his first ever solo album as a gift for his fans!<br />
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The ballad is Yoo-chun's wish of sorts to the listeners to hang on to life despite how difficult it may be. The song, which is a single off of Yoo-chun's mini album of the same name, was recorded right before he enlisted in the military. Compared to his bandmates <b>Junsu</b> and <b>Kim Jae-joong</b>, both vocal powerhouses in their own right, Yoo-chun's voice is softer in comparison. It's not much to write home about, but there's a velvety sweet quality to it which is quite pleasing. The song follows a typical ballad structure without any particular surprises. It is, down to the backbone, a solid song for a gift to fans.<br />
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The most surprising thing about the song, or rather the music video, is <b>Seol Kyung-gu</b>'s involvement. He's considered one of South Korea's premiere actors, with dozens of awards in his pocket for projects like <b style="font-style: italic;">Public Enemy</b>, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Peppermint Candy</i>, and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Oasis</i>. He's in the same agency as Yoo-chun, which may explain why he stars in this music video.<br />
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In it, he plays a man who works hard as a construction worker who sacrifices for his family. The climax in this "story" is when he went to a dumpling stand wanting to buy some for his daughter, only to find that he is a dollar (1000 won, to be specific) short. Seeing the man's disappointment, the seller decides to give the dumplings for free. The story is very simple but Seol Kyung-gu elevates it into something special and a video worth your tears. And according to the commenters of the video, the story is based on Yoo-chun's personal childhood experience with his own father, which adds a bittersweet element to an already sentimental tale.<br />
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It really isn't a bad song and Yoo-chun's voice is pleasant and charming. I'm glad he did this for his fans, who are probably missing him more and more each day. I'm more in awe with the music video and how well it ties with the song. The message of the lyrics is touching and can apply to basically anyone, since it's a message about getting through everyday struggles and enjoying the simple happiness that everyday brings. To those of you missing Yoo-chun, this is a great way to relieve the pain (or does it make it worse?). But good luck to Yoo-chun and here's to seeing you in two years-ish. I hope that times flies by fast.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-84598937395340687052016-01-19T20:16:00.000+07:002016-01-21T16:46:05.919+07:00Drama Review: Reply 1988<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After 35 hours (!), <i style="font-weight: bold;">Reply 1988</i> is finally finished. And what a run it has been. Being the third installment of the <i>Reply</i> series, one might have doubts about the quality of this particular reason. But, having finished it, it was a great series still. Just a warning, this review is going to be long. Just like the series.<br />
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One of the biggest difference about this season is its emphasis on family. While the previous seasons focused more about the experience of youth and later the husband hunt, <i>Reply 1988</i> didn't obsess over the eventual husband of leading lady Sung Duk-seon (<b>Hyeri</b>). Instead, it focused on the lives of the lively neighborhood of Ssangmun-dong. Initally there were 5 families, whose similar aged children grew up together and became best friends: Duk-seon, Jung-hwan (<b>Ryu Jun-yeol</b>), Sun-woo (<b>Go Kyung-pyo</b>), Dong-ryong (<b>Lee Dong-hwi</b>) and Taek (<b>Park Bo-gum</b>). Through out the series we became witness to their everyday lives which to the naked eye seemed simple but were filled with many heartwarming moments.<br />
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I do have to say that <i>Reply 1988</i> is my ideal <i>Reply</i> series in terms of subject matter. I complained, especially on the previous <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.co.id/2013/12/drama-review-reply-1994.html">Reply 1994</a></i>, that they were too caught up in the husband mystery that every other character were swept to the sidelines. Oddly enough, it was kind of the opposite with <i>1988</i>, which has its ups and downsides. I'll discuss that later on. But first. Family. This is the biggest source of stories for the series. We were introduced to not only the main group of friends, but also their families. We get to meet their parents, brothers, sisters, and the occasional extended family members, invited or not. By meeting them, we were able to get more diverse forms of relationships. From overtly caring brothers, to nagging but responsible sisters. Parents who fight over how to spend their money. Sons who cared for their mothers in their unique ways. Mothers who were spoiled by their daughters and "daughters". Dads who get misunderstood. The love is shared throughout the family and is shown in a variety of ways. It was nice we get to finally see loving families in dramas who aren't fighting over petty things.<br />
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Another form of relationship that gets more spotlight over romantic love is friendship love. Not just between the young Ssangmun-dong gang, but also from the elders. The friendship of the youngsters are obviously going to be told, as it's a running theme over the series. But another perk of introducing the family, and parents especially, is that we get to see other sets of friends. The older friends. <i>1997</i> sort of had it, but one was dead. <i>1994</i> didn't have it since the kids lived away from home. So <i>1988</i> was able to fully show the complex relationship of adult friendships. The friends in this neighborhood actually have the best of intentions for each other. There were no petty relationships in this, which is nice. They were as caring as can be but were no where cartoonish. They were human and real, but just has the biggest hearts.<br />
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But really, I think the biggest achievement this series had was its ability to let their characters grow in their unique ways. I probably would've been pissed if they didn't, especially since the running time in this series is borderline ridiculous. But going down the list of the gang's family who lives in the neighborhood (so not counting Dong-ryong's brother), everyone gets their own time to shine. Some more than others, of course, but everyone was allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. I was especially surprised with Dong-ryong's mom, who was absent for much of the series since she was a workaholic who didn't have time to make his son a birthday breakfast. But towards the end of the series, we get to see a new light to her and subsequently Dong-ryong's dad and I thought that was nice.<br />
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Of course, the more leading characters had more time, air time at least, to learn and grow. This is true of the kids, but that's pretty obvious. So it was nice to learn more about the aging parents. One beautiful statement in the series' closing narration was that not only was 1988 the high school gang's youth, it was also the parents' youth. The kids will make mistakes because that's what kids do. But the parents are first time parents in their own rights and can't help but make mistakes either. And since we get to see their flaws in the series, we later witness the kids' realization that their parents aren't perfect. Your mom who accidentally washes your jacket or your dad who bought the wrong type of ice cream is, in the end, just another human being.<br />
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Since a lot of the main characters were kids, parents were a big part of their lives and got much of the spotlight as well. I was especially curious to what iteration the Sung Dong-il-Lee Il-hwa marriage will be like this time. In <i>1997</i>, they were constantly bickering to a point you forget whether they even love each other or not. In <i>1994</i>, they were the loveliest couple full of love who set a good example for all their kids (biological or not). But in <i>1988</i>, they felt... normal. At times they look like the <i>1997</i> couple who can't be in the same room with each other, but at times like in <i>1994</i> where they're in perpetual honeymoon phase. Their relationship reflects the mood of each series to me actually. <i>1994</i> was more dramatic and full of high highs and low lows. <i>1994</i> was rose tinted much of the time and focused more on romantic love. <i>1988</i> showed the bitter truth with heavy emphasis on family love. That would be my brief comparison of the three seasons.<br />
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I also love the other parents' relationships, of course. I love the sassy Ms. Cheetah <b>Ra Mi-ran</b> who controlled the room with such effortlessness, compared to her goofy younger husband <b>Kim Sung-kyun</b> who attempts to be the mood maker of the household, but ultimately failing. I love Sun-woo's mom <b>Kim Sun-young</b> who tries her hardest raising two children on her own who later marries her hometown <i>oppa</i> <b>Choi Moo-sung</b>, single dad to the successful baduk-player Taek. These two were my ultimate OTP for much of the series, since the younger OTP wasn't making progress. I can talk on and on about them, but I won't since that will take forever.<br />
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As for the Ssangmun-dong 5, their relationship was similar to the other series. They were very good friends, and perhaps even better since they grew up together as all 5. Their relationship reflected the vibe of the neighborhood as a whole. This is a neighborhood where families share food on a regular basis or meet just for the heck of it. It was also cool that they never left out anyone out the group, even when one of them is a famous baduk player. His room is actually their hangout place, oddly enough. And when one of them ran away, they chased after him without second thought. Now that is friendship.<br />
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When it gets down to it though, the series is much like its predecessor in that it's all about young love. At first there were news that there wasn't going to be a husband hunt but here we are trying to guess Duk-seon's husband. Depending on your stance on previous husband hunts, you may love or hate this aspect. But for me who despised it, especially with what they did with Chilbong (bless him), I was over it. Thankfully, this series didn't dwell on it too much. But oddly enough that might be a bad thing too.<br />
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Since I talked about love in my <a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.co.id/2016/01/pre-finale-reply-1988-thoughts.html">pre-finale</a> post, I'm going to bounce off that. Let's start from Jung-bong (<b>Ahn Jae-hong</b>) and Mi-ok (<b>Lee Min-ji</b>). Their relationship is exactly how I thought it'll be. Mi-ok has been Jung-bong's biggest source of motivation in his life. When they first broke up, her absence made him pull himself up by his bootstraps and finally pass his college exam on his seventh try. And when they got back together, she was the one that motivated him to go after what he truly does best in life: making food. In the future (or rather present) scenes, we know that Jung-bong got even more famous than Taek, which says a lot. Side note, it was really nice to finally find out who Mi-ok's scary dad is. Turns out he's a self-made man doing business in textiles with operations in traditional markets. It was nice that her situation somewhat mirrors Jung-bong's and we later see that they are both similar in being proud of their family's humble background.<br />
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Next up, Bo-ra (<b>Ryu Hye-young</b>) and Sun-woo. Out of all the young relationships, their's received the most development. It makes sense since their relationship spanned six years and without the burden of unnecessary husband mystery, they were able to fully bloom. So much so that the wedding of the series was not Duk-seon's but rather Bo-ra and Sun-woo's. I still wished there was something with Duk-seon's wedding, which they forgot altogether (boo), but it was nice that we got a happy ending with the relationship we get to see from the very beginning. Although to be quite honest, the wedding wasn't to see Bo-ra and Sun-woo finally getting married but more like Bo-ra's tearful farewell to her father. It was the biggest tearjerker of the finale for sure.<br />
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And finally, the biggest question of them all. Who did Duk-seon marry? It was... Park Bo-gum! I mean Taek. Taek got Duk-seon in the end. It did make sense in the end. Duk-seon isn't Na-jung, who knew who she loved from the beginning. And between the two boys, Taek was the one who did something about his feelings. While Taek is bad at following through initially, Jung-hwan failed at initial execution. If Jung-hwan made a move, he'll probably be her husband. Actually, if Dong-ryong made a move, I think she would've accepted too. Not saying she's an easy girl. But looking at this girl's history, she has a lot of love to give and a lot of them are for her friends. So more than any leading girl in the <i>Reply </i>series, Duk-seon's love is up in the air more than anyone else. And since I wasn't rooting for any particular coupling (aside from Taek's dad and Sun-woo's mom), I wasn't pissed about the final choice as much as other people.<br />
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It actually makes more sense that Taek's wife is Duk-seon more than Duk-seon's husband is Taek. While Duk-seon is a girl anyone would love, Taek not so much. He didn't grow up a regular guy. His public image is profoundly different from his actual personality. No one can easily accept him unless they knew him from before he got his fame, and so the potential wife can only come from the neighborhood he grew up in. Sadly there are only two ladies, and since he's afraid of one of them (which I find adorable), the only other person is Duk-seon. As I've mentioned before, Duk-seon's love for her husband would come naturally after they started dating. She didn't have a romantic crush on Taek, even after he kissed her in her sleep. She only romantically loved him later on. But turns out, Taek's love for Duk-seon also came naturally. There was never a single moment when he realized he loved her. He just gradually did, throughout the years they knew each other.<br />
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Since Taek got Duk-seon, what happened to the other guy Jung-hwan? Nothing. Literally nothing. This is one of the things I'm very disappointed with the show. Since the finale episodes focused on anything else other than Duk-seon's potential husband, poor Jungpal didn't get anything. I'd like to think his fate is worse than Chilbong, mostly because he didn't have closure. Chilbong's journey is worse because he's in the worst unrequited love ever, but Jung-hwan technically wasn't and just blew it on his own fault. But I wish there was something, anything for this guy. At around the last third of the series, Jung-hwan just disappeared. Him and poor Dong-ryong, who always gets cornered when it comes to anything about love (at least we know he's business savvy). Even No-eul (<b>Choi Seung-won</b>) got more action than either of them. I wish there was a montage, a call, a picture, a narration, anything, to ease our hearts. We went through hell and high water with this guy and you give him and us nothing. It's just cruel. At least Chilbong gets Jung Yu-mi. What about Jungpal? How do we know he's not dead or in jail? For the sake of our collective hearts I'd like to say at least Taek loves Jung-hwan from the bottom of his heart. I still hate that he has no closure though.<br />
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That's something I'm most disappointed about with the show, actually. The ending felt... odd. Like a disservice to the characters. I suppose it did its job in being the ultimate <span style="background-color: white;">ode t</span>o nostalgia. But as viewers we also want to know about the current future. The last 10 minutes or so of the series didn't try to tell us where everyone is now, like the previous seasons, but actually went back to the past to relive the stories we just experienced.<br />
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I think our collective disappointment was even more painful since both Ryu Jun-yeol and Lee Dong-hwi were utterly fantastic in their roles. Actually, everyone is great. There isn't really anyone whom I'd replace. They were played with distinctive colors and intensity throughout the series. If there was one thing the <i>Reply</i> series know how to do is cast great actors who breathe life into their characters. (I'm starting to think Director <b>Shin Won-ho</b> has magic powers since many of the cast fail to light a spark as bright as they were in his series.) So it became even more unfair when we're so invested in the characters and they get nothing in the end. Bring justice to Jungpal and Dong-ryong.<br />
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Back to Ryu Jun-yeol, he was probably the show's biggest revelation. When he was cast, people were wondering who this guy is, especially since he wasn't your typical flower boy. He's also the greenest of the bunch in terms of screen debut. While many of the cast were relatively unknown since they were mostly doing supporting characters, his actual debut is only in 2015 in indie movie <i style="font-weight: bold;">Socialphobia</i>. He's definitely this cast's biggest rising star, especially considering what little past work he has. And his performance as the aloof Jung-hwan makes it even harder to let him go. Jung-hwan was described as a dog, since he wasn't fully human (perhaps due to his rude and often unsavory demeanor), but Ryu Jun-yeol made Jung-hwan the most charming, confused, and ultimately wholly human boy there ever was. It was actually odd how much screen time he had initially but was sharply downsized in the later half. Everyone thought he was the main guy. Everyone though he was this series' Yoon Yoon-je. Everyone thought he deserved a better ending at least.<br />
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Although really my heart goes to Park Bo-gum. How can it not? The kid is adorable. Park Bo-gum as Taek is the best. Kind of like how Yoo Yeon-seok as Chilbong is the best. They're just so sweet. Taek especially since he's kind of a dimwit (but so is Chilbong. Is this the nice guy's revenge?). One thing I do like about Taek being the one is that we get a lot of giggly scenes of him. Because him being giggly makes me giggly.<br />
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I'm now curious what would happen if Jung-hwan would end up being the husband. Would we get a more similar vibe as Na-jung and Trash? Is this why Taek is the husband? So we get a different dynamic other than two hot heads always fighting? I still want to see present Jung-hwan though. And present Dong-ryong. And present Sun-woo. And everyone in the present. Why does the present scenes have to be so intimate? Why can't it be a reunion like the others? I'm getting more sad now.<br />
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Not to make this review literally as long as the series itself, let's wrap things up. In hindsight, I do think it is by far my favorite <i>Reply </i>series. And despite the (very) long run time, it oftentimes doesn't feel that way. I felt the length when watching the longer finales of the previous seasons, but perhaps this series built up our tolerance. I do think the time flies by because it's filled with so many moments. There were many laughs but the tears were abundant. A bit much, if I do say so myself. I was grabbing tissues left and right. So to <i>1988</i>, goodbye. I will miss you, sort of, but I highly doubt I'll want to see you again. <strike>Mostly because it'll take me more than 3 days of non-stop watching to do again.</strike> And I wish you all the best. Bring on future works of Ryu Jun-yeol and Park Bo-gum.<br />
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* Edited the director's name. Got mixed up with the writer's name. Sorry!</div>
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** Also edited the running time. I'm bad at math if you can't tell.</div>
conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-33686259815157574582016-01-16T20:17:00.000+07:002016-01-16T20:21:38.925+07:00First Take: Moorim School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first saw the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Moorim School</i> poster, I could sense the potential fun that will come in our future. While last year I had a particular aversion to high school dramas, I think this particular one might be my re-entrance. How could it not? It features a magical school teaching martial arts. It's genius. Let's see if they will manage to keep the campy-ness till the end.<br />
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<i>Moorim School</i> is as mentioned above a magical school that teaches martial arts. And no, it's not some sort of Harry Potter. Yes, there is the boy (idol star Yoon Shin-woo, portrayed by <b>Lee Hyun-woo</b>) who has magic powers beyond his means, though he doesn't have his Gryffindor Posse. Wang Chi-ang (<b>Hong Bin</b>) is a stuck up heir to a conglomerate whose problem solving skills involve his father's money. Shim Soon-deok (<b>Seo Ye-ji</b>) is a girl from a simple background who can't help but intrude in other people's problems when they are in trouble. Completing the main characters is Hwang Sun-ah (<b>Jung Eugene</b>), daughter of the headmaster, outwardly cool and chic but is secretly the biggest Shin-woo fan girl ever. Speaking of the headmaster, Hwang Moo-sung (<b>Shin Hyun-joon</b>) doesn't seem like the average magical martial artist. He seems to be the founder of Moorim School, created by United Nations (?) to help restore justice to earth. Moorim School is located in the middle of the woods and only select and magically-able people can enter. That is until the two newcomers, Shin-woo and Chi-ang, unexpectedly broke the invisibility barrier. Hyeah.</div>
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Just from the first two episodes alone I can already tell where the story is going, at least in the journey of the four main students. It's basically like every other high school drama out there. Maybe more like <i style="font-weight: bold;">Master of Study</i> and less <i style="font-weight: bold;">Dream High</i>, is what I'm thinking. The two bratty boys are probably going to learn a hard lesson and become good and also end up being the best of buds. The girls probably won't have too much character growth (so typical *rolls eyes*) and will be a source of many fights between the boys. I hope I'm wrong in this, but I wouldn't be surprised if I were right.</div>
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While it is super predictable, it was highly enjoyable. The young actors gave a lot of brightness and energy that few older actors can emulate. Sure they might be greener, but there's a lot of benefits to youth. My personal favorite is Seo Ye-ji. I've read criticism on her works of the past, especially from <i style="font-weight: bold;">Night Watchman's Journal</i>, which I didn't watch. But I remembered her as the spunky youngest daughter Noh Soo-young from daily drama <i style="font-weight: bold;">Potato Star 2013QR3</i>. I'm glad to say that Soon-deok is on the same wavelength as Soo-young. It gets especially hilarious when the usually arrogant Chi-ang follows her around like a love struck little bunny, and her blatantly rejects all his efforts. I get the impression that they won't be the OTP sadly, but I'll savor the moments. I'm also looking forward to Jung Eugene because her performance in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Because It's the First Time</i> was almost perfect.</div>
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One thing I'm looking forward to is the big baddie, because all this drama needs is the ultimate antagonist. I'm thinking it's going to be in the form of <b>Shin Sung-woo</b>'s character Chae Yoon who hasn't appeared yet. Right now, the biggest nemesis is Yub Jung (<b>Alexander</b>) whose motive I don't understand. Is he just the relegated school bully? Isn't Moorim School supposed to be a school that promotes peace? It doesn't make things easier that he's not exactly the best at acting.</div>
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I do wish <i>Moorim</i> was campier. The setting is there and there's inklings of it, but it doesn't cross the line quite yet. I don't think it'll get campier, sadly, but maybe even more conventional over time which is sad. KBS isn't known as a channel that pushes boundaries *cough*<i style="font-weight: bold;">Producers</i>*cough*. But I like the effort. I think. I like that magical martial arts is set in modern times, which is mostly rare. I like that there's plenty of action, and hopefully even more. I like that a UN school is randomly located in the middle of the woods South Korea, with international students speaking fluent Korean. Good for them?</div>
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I have many hopes for this drama. I hope it keeps staying fun. I hope the characters stay as bright as they are. I hope there will be plenty of bromance. I hope it won't trap itself in a hole of desolation. I hope it'll be a drama that I'll come back and say "this was good". I hope it will be good.</div>
conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-57214179575153503422016-01-13T11:43:00.001+07:002016-01-13T11:43:33.307+07:00Pre-Finale Reply 1988 Thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For a while I was contemplating on whether or not I should make a pre-finale post for <b><i>Reply 1988</i></b> but after watching the penultimate week of episodes, I knew I needed to make it. <a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.co.id/2013/12/drama-review-reply-1994.html">I wrote one for the previous <i>Reply</i> series</a> which was 2 years (!) ago, so might as well make one for this one. Let's make it a tradition. Since the pre-finale posts are supposed to be about who will end up with whom, we're sticking strictly on ships for this one. A review will come when time is due.<br />
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Before diving into the deep end of main couple-dom, let's talk about the "lesser" couples. I put lesser in quotations because they're not really all that less but in the scheme of the drama, they kind of are. The first one is Jung-bong and Man-ok couple. Their relationship have been of comical nature from the start, what with that <i style="font-weight: bold;">Temptation of the Wolves</i> parody. But when the moment calls for it, their relationship did have a lot of heart. I kind of teared up a little, in between my other cries of episode 17, when Man-ok told Jung-bong to forget her. Alas, their relationship didn't end just there. Their posting days were over since they've moved to a new decade and the internet was there. It was cute how he met her again through the primitive internet of that time. If you want to call it fate (oh, that dreaded word), then I'd wholeheartedly agree. I'm not sure if their relationship will end up down the aisle, but it would be cute if it did. Man-ok might even be able to whoop Jung-bong's ass so he can focus more diligently into a more productive human being, but without the heartbreak this time.<br />
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Since fate was a big word for episode 18, let's not forget the noona-dongsaeng romance of the hour, Bo-ra and Seon-woo. Their relationship was and always has been so sincere, it was incredibly sad when it ended. I kind of hated Bo-ra for not explaining her reasons, but I could imagine this was the best for the two. I'm glad they didn't wallow in their sadness and were still able to achieve great things in the mean time. Their re-encounter in the future was bittersweet and showed how much the two have grown and changed. Seon-woo, who's love for Bo-ra was once puppy-like and wholehearted, was now cold to the idea of even seeing her again. Bo-ra on the other hand was the one who had many hopes, and showed the deeper feelings we didn't get to see much of when they dated before. I'd like to think that their relationship is it, as long as they mend the broken hearts that happened in between.<br />
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Now the biggie, who will it be? Jong-pal or Taek? Honestly, I'm not sure. Episode 18 makes me think Jong-hwan has given up on Deok-seon completely. (An episode entitled '<i>Goodbye First Love</i>' doesn't make it easier).<i> </i>It seems he realized that all this time he's been doing it wrong and should've just confessed in the beginning. He waited way too long. It hit him the hardest when he did finally tried to grab onto her, he was too late and Taek has already been there. Again. But it's not like Taek isn't clearly the winner in this case. He has the tendency to do things with Deok-seon but not making it clear what his intentions were. They had so many chances of being alone with her so he can confess, but he always chickens out. These two are so frustrating, honestly. Compared to all the pacing back and forth of the two previous <i>Reply </i>series, they're not really going anywhere.<br />
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And Deok-seon isn't making it easier. We don't know who she likes. She was starting to develop feelings for Jung-hwan, mostly because she also thought he liked her, but that ship soon capsized when Jung-hwan, being his true self, was too slow in making decisions. Towards Taek, I've never felt she had any romantic feelings towards him. More of an older sister taking care of her clumsy little brother who was sometimes awed when he did things she couldn't imagine him doing. It's not her fault really, since she has never been the type to be obsessive over one single thing, unlike Si-won of <i>1997 </i>and Na-jung of <i>1994</i>. We know she's more of the move on easily type of girl, as seen with her brief crush on Sun-woo. I doubt she has lingering feelings for either during the year 1994, and instead she will grow to love her eventual husband after he confesses. If he does.<br />
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Meanwhile, many people are rooting for Jung-hwan because he's classic <i>Reply </i>husband material. He gets in fights with the leading lady all the time. He's aloof but secretly cares for her in a seemingly platonic with romantic intentions sort of way. Taek is definitely more of the one that got away sort of man. Gentle and kind and successful and was the first to make actual moves to our lady. Ironic, I know. But since it's episode 18 and there aren't any clear progression, it gets kind of frustrating.<br />
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One thing for sure though I'm glad it's not first loves all around. If the "lesser" couples become the ultimate couples, the first love victims only comes down to 4 out of 7. 8 if you count Dong-ryong (poor Dong-ryong). 10 if you count Taek's dad and Sun-woo's mom (but I don't think they count since they were married before). What I hated most about <i><b>Reply 1994</b></i> especially was that everyone except Chilbong (poor Chilbong) got to marry their first loves. What the heck? So cheers to the people who didn't marry their first loves. (For those who was wondering, or didn't pay too much attention to the drama, those lucky survivors include Bo-ra, Deok-seon, and the befallen man. And Dong-ryong, maybe.)<br />
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Speaking of Dong-ryong, why isn't he getting any love interests? Or to be more specific, why is he ignored much of the time? He didn't really evolve much throughout the series unlike, say, Jung-bong who I would say is equal footing in terms of character importance (or was I wrong?). Is he going to be a befallen baby boomer later on? I hope he doesn't get forgotten in the present day flash forward either. We don't even know anything about his love life. He likes pretty girls just like any guy, but there's never a deeper feeling. Heck, I don't even know if he has experienced his first love yet (as of 1994). I hope it gets sorted out soon.<br />
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Also yay to Taek's dad and Sun-woo's mom getting married! Their relationship was so low key (as was the proposal), that their marriage came with little fanfare. But it reflected their relationship which was mellow yet comforting. They were the ultimate OTP for a while so I'm glad they got together in the end but I wish there was something to commemorate the union. A picture would be nice.<br />
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So, unlike the previous <i>Reply </i>series, which was such a mania drama to me, <i>Reply 1988</i> was a lot more chill and less husband drama, which I like. But on the other hand, the dramatic portion is so weak it's frustrating. I want something at least. Well the finale is this weekend so hopefully all the questions will be answered. But honestly, the only thing I hope is that neither episodes break the 2 hour mark. And here I thought <i>Reply 1994</i> was long.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-43936472069690767042016-01-10T18:40:00.001+07:002016-01-10T18:40:34.694+07:00First Take: Cheese in the Trap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Webtoon adaptations has been the rage recently and it almost seems as if every other Korean drama is adapted from webtoons of various kinds. The most recent, most buzzed webtoon adaptation is probably <i style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese in the Trap</i>, currently airing on tvN. The crazy media coverage on its much argued casting by fervent fans made me perk up to the webtoon and subsequently the drama.<br />
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<i>Cheese</i> has been described as a romance thriller which I didn't understand at first. I read a bit of the webtoon and maybe because I was reading the English translated version, the vibe didn't come through. I mean, people went crazy over this webtoon, but it's such a simple one. Hong Seol (<b>Kim Go-eun</b>) is a college student whose campus life turns upside down when she gets on the bad side of charming senior Yoo Jung (<b>Park Hae-jin</b>). Just when she thought her life is over, Yoo Jung started becoming nice to her just a year later.</div>
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The webtoon gave an air of campus romance and not much of the thriller. The drama clearly amped up the thriller aspect with well-timed music and an amazing performance by Park Hae-jin. Seriously, if he was in another drama, Hong Seol should be scared for her life. This Yoo Jung guy is interesting. You never know if he's well-intentioned or secretly a puppet master. That's the whole thriller portion of the drama and it's so good. It's chilling enough to keep you up on your seat but not scary enough to shoo this easily frightened viewer.</div>
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As for Hong Seol, whose casting is highly debated, Kim Go-eun definitely nailed it. Webtoon Seol and Drama Seol are similar in their personalities: they're sensitive and worries way too much. The differences are mostly in the looks department, which did get a lot of the fans slightly angry, if not very much so. Webtoon Seol is supposed to be effortlessly chic and is envied on her looks (said the fans). But I think the story line actually fits Drama Seol much better who is an average-looking girl who cares more about being able to go to school than being able to buy the nice boots. This made her relationship with dreamy Yoo Jung all the more satisfying, since this means he isn't one who only looks on the outside *cough*Nam Joo-young*cough*.</div>
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When you get down to it, the cast just works. They were able to bring out the best out of each character and made it even more complex than their webtoon counterparts. That's great acting right there. Although, I did have a slight problem with Baek In-ha (<b>Lee Sung-kyung</b>). I think she was playing in another drama. A makjang perhaps. Her tone is amped up way too high compared to the grounded dramatics of the rest of the cast. I'm hoping she gets better over the course of the show.<br />
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Since the first two episodes covered more than half of what I've read, I'm coming along the ride much like people who haven't read the webtoon at all. And based on the two episodes so far, I'm very excited. I'm hoping for more thriller moments but also exciting romance. Bring it.</div>
conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4882482781614180209.post-80387350736571775342016-01-07T23:40:00.002+07:002016-02-11T18:04:29.105+07:00Drama Review: Because It's the First Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Being 20* is an odd time to be in. You're not exactly a teenager who has the freedom without the responsibility, but you're not yet an adult who can live a (moderately) independent life. It's the odd transition between grade school days and work life. It's also a time that doesn't get too much spotlight in dramaland, oddly enough. We often see stories about teens and their angst or adults who have a difficult time being one. Not so much about the inbetweeners. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Because It's the First Time</i> attempts to do exactly like its title. A group of 20-year-olds who just graduated out of high school and dipping their toes in the cold, cruel world of adulthood for the first time.<br />
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*This is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning#Korean">Korean "20"</a> which basically means 19 years old. But I suppose the sentiments are similar to actual 20 year olds.<br />
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At the neighborhood of Buam-dong, Seoul lives six friends each at the tender age of 20 years old. Only a year ago they were in the comforts of school walls and now they have to face the big bad world. They often come together on Tae-oh's roof to enjoy each others company while battling through the wildness of their new found adulthood.<br />
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Tae-oh (<b>Choi Min-ho</b>) is the central character of this drama. He is handsome and rich. He is also not the type to beat around the bush and tends to perceive life with simplicity. He has yet to find his calling in life, perhaps due to him growing up with comfort. In the beginning of the drama, we find out that his first love is Song-yi, a member of their tight knit group of friends. But due to his closeness to her as a friend and the image he has of his ideal love (who, in his case, is not Song-yi), he denies his feelings for her. Along the way he meets Se-hyun, a beautiful and tall senior and member of the university's film club. Seeing that Se-hyun seems like the perfect girl for him, he starts dating her with the intention of falling in love. But dating isn't easy when you're constantly distracted by your best friend Song-yi.<br />
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Song-yi (<b>Park So-dam</b>) is a bright girl with a lot of heart. We meet her when her widowed mother ran away, leaving her and her younger sister all by themselves. While her sister is taken away to her aunt's house, Song-yi seeks refuge in Tae-oh's place due to him the only one living alone without much baggage. Due to her financial situation, Song-yi works many part-time jobs. One day, Song-yi tells Tae-oh that she has fallen in love with a cool and smart co-worker at one of her part-time jobs. It is revealed that this person is their close friend Ji-ahn. Song-yi gathers the courage to confess to Ji-ahn, only to be rejected instead. But after meeting eye-to-eye, Song-yi and Ji-ahn becomes a couple at last. Despite having the reliable Ji-ahn as her boyfriend, Song-yi constantly seeks out Tae-oh when she's in trouble because she doesn't want to burden her already burdened boyfriend.<br />
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Ji-ahn (<b>Kim Min-jae</b>) is handsome, cool, and smart (in Song-yi's words). But growing up in a financially struggling family forced Ji-ahn to grow up faster. His dream is to become a civil service officer so he can have a comfortable life ahead of him. And like Song-yi, he juggles multiple part-time jobs since his father's chicken business wasn't going to help him out anytime soon. He nurtures a crush on Song-yi but is hesitant to make things serious due to his situation. When Song-yi confesses first, he rejects her despite this breaking his heart. Love eventually conquers all and the two agrees with going on frugal dates. His relationship with Song-yi does come with an obstacle in the form of Tae-oh, whom Song-yi finds more comfortable to ask for help.<br />
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Se-hyun (<b>Jung Eugene</b>) stumbles into the peppy Tae-oh when he mistaken her for his blind date. She hasn't had a successful love story before, so she doubted Tae-oh would be any different. But Tae-oh's sincerity motivates her to try harder in a relationship, and she slowly finds her self more attached to him. She finds herself doing things she's never done in a relationship, like giving love notes or saying I miss you. Sadly it seems like she comes second to his best friend Song-yi.<br />
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Hoon (<b>Lee Yi-kyung</b>) comes from a family of scholars but the last thing he wants to do is study in a university. His dream is to become a musical actor, something that his family is against with. He finds himself kicked out of the house again, but this time determined to fulfill his life long dream. Hoon has a crush on Ga-rin. Despite being completely upfront with his feelings for her, short of actually confessing his feelings, he remains in the friend zone once more.<br />
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Ga-rin (<b>Jo Hye-jung</b>) is a hair dresser only because her father is one. She's actually not very good, and is the reason Song-yi now sports her cute pixie cut. For much of the beginning of the drama, she was in denial of her father's death. Her friends played along with her psychosis, much to the dismay of Song-yi and the other neighbors. Ga-rin actually has a crush on Tae-oh; she was behind the stalker/anonymous gifts Tae-oh gets on his birthday and other holidays. Her home becomes refuge to Hoon and the two are mostly inseparable, mostly due to Hoon's affections for her.<br />
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For a drama that's supposed to be a representation of the confusing times of 20, I think it did a fair enough job. No one was perfect, no one knew exactly what they wanted. The characters acted much like a 20 year old would doing things normal 20 year olds would do.<br />
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Coming from this, it doesn't mean I like all the characters. I'm especially frustrated with Tae-oh. Being the central character, his story was the most dynamic. He had to wake up from his comfortable bubble provided by his rich father and face the reality of the adult world. While it seemed at first his biggest problem is not knowing what his passion is, much of the drama deals with his complicated feelings towards Song-yi. Because he was confused about what his heart wants, he ended up not being completely present for anyone. Not his best friend Song-yi, not his girlfriend Se-hyun. And being the immature person he still was, he often expressed his jealousy in the worst possible way, like risking the lives of his friends during their trip. While he did mature a little bit (he acknowledged his feelings for Song-yi and finally found something he's interested in), he still had miles to go.<br />
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Song-yi wasn't much better though. While she was more sure of herself than Tae-oh, she had trouble trusting anyone else aside from him. This resulted in leaving Ji-ahn, her boyfriend, out of her life dilemmas. It's not to say that her love for Ji-ahn wasn't genuine. I honestly think she cared for Ji-ahn a lot. But because she didn't want to burden him much further, especially since he's not in a comfortable position himself, that was the only thing she could do. It was unfair for him and I completely understand how frustrated he feels when she leaves him out of the big moments.<br />
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For these two, I think consideration for their partners is the biggest thing they needed to learn. They're both lucky in that Se-hyun became the adult in the relationship and ended things before anyone gets too hurt, and Ji-ahn was able to discuss his worries and even giving an out card, which she refused. Like the title says, it is their first time going through this so of course they'll trip up along the way. But their journey was pleasant to see and I'm glad the drama didn't fall too deep into the first love trope.<br />
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Speaking of which, am I the only one uncomfortable with Korea's obsession with first loves? Among the <a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.co.id/2016/01/2015-drama-recap.html">dramas I've watched last year</a>, 6 out of 9 were about first loves, and 7 if you consider Bong-sun of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Oh My Ghostess</i>. Granted, it might just be the dramas I tend to gravitate towards (although my favorite OTP of 2015 is the non-first love couple Murim of <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://weeatlemon.blogspot.co.id/2015/05/drama-review-girl-who-sees-smells.html">The Girl Who Sees Smells</a></i>). It's just not something I could understand at all, especially about reuniting and consequently falling in love again with said person. I am a bit more forgiving for this drama though, since they're still young and at the age of experiencing first loves. So while I was frustrated with Tae-oh's fickleness, it's still understandable since he probably doesn't know what love means to him.<br />
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My favorite thing about the drama though is the importance of friendship. It's the group's most precious cargo. It also became the biggest hurdle between Tae-oh and Song-yi's relationship and the vagueness of it all. On the other hand, friendship won the war of love between Tae-oh and Ji-ahn. It amazes me how quickly these two, anyone in the group really, made up despite how bloody (literally) the fight went. It's a perk of being friends for a long time, but mostly it's a perk of being young and so forgiving and carefree. Adults and their complicated adult life make friendships just that much more difficult, seen in the form of Tae-oh and Ji-ahn's fathers. It's easier to keep friends when you're younger because the burdens of the world has yet to weigh them down.<br />
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But if I'm really being honest with you, my most favorite thing in this drama is Kim Min-jae. Not that's he's utterly amazing at acting or anything (he has to fight with Park So-dam for that title), but he's just so adorable. Sometimes you gotta appreciate the pretties. Ji-ahn and Song-yi's dates were also my kryptonite, mostly because the combination of cute Kim Min-jae and cute Park So-dam was almost too much to handle. Almost as much as the Murim couple. Almost (since who could be cuter than Murim? No one). Also, being the traditional second lead, he got the girl so winner all around (this more like Ji-ahn's win but also his by association)! Side note, someone wrote that he's a combination of Yeo Jin-goo and Song Joong-ki and now I can't unsee it.<br />
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Despite its flawed characters and flawed flow, <i>Because It's the First Time</i> was a pleasant watch. I'm really happy the writer was able to capture the feeling of being a 20-year-old. I wished it wasn't so love heavy, but I'm watching the wrong shows if I want that. It's not the best slice-of-life drama out there (<i style="font-weight: bold;">Reply 1988</i> is heading for the gold on that one), but it's sweet and nice and doesn't make you want to punch your screen, which is the utmost importance.conanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12731311009424454993noreply@blogger.com0