You know how things don't always turn out the way you plan? Well, it's happening right now. So long ago, I'd wanted to check out "Nine" and compare the two most recent epidemic dramas (on cable), but I'm stuck on a very different path. Right now, I want to finish "My Girlfriend is a Gumiho," which I started a week ago, and maybe continue with "Syndrome." I still have the second season of "Special Affairs Team TEN" waiting on my list, but I kind of don't feel like watching it right now, and it'll be fairly easy to finish it within a day or two.
Also, some things have been catching my eye lately. I want to watch "Story of a Man," which stars the late Park Yong Ha, someone I've gotten to know more about through my recent obsession with So Ji Sub. Also, with the (very late) appearance of Jae Hee in "Jang Ok Jung," I've become intrigued with this actor, and kind of want to watch "Witch Yoo Hee" and/or "Delightful Girl Choon Hyang" just for him. Then, there's No Min Woo, who looks so different in "Gumiho." Maybe it was the hair, but I didn't really find him attractive in "Full House Take 2," which is the first project I've seen him in. But his role in "Gumiho" as the second male lead, and that normal hairstyle has really made him very hot in my eyes. I'm not sure if his acting is good, but man, I get why he has so many fans despite the fact that he's not really a top star.
Also, I just started rewatching "The Greatest Love" today, for no particular reason. I just suddenly needed a romantic comedy fix. The story has been on my mind throughout the whole day, so my attention has temporarily diverged from "Gumiho." Not sure if I'll feel like picking it back up soon.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
To Watch List
Sunday, May 5, 2013
To Do
- Marathon "Nine."
- Watch "The Virus" and "The End of the World," and compare them.
- Finish "That Winter, The Wind Blows."
- "King of Dramas"
- "Can We Get Married"
Special Affairs Team TEN
Mad Soul Child - "숨결"
So, starting on Thursday, I've been actively watching the drama, "Special Affairs Team TEN," or 특수 사건전담반 TEN. It's just my cup of coffee, or it nicely suits my tastes. After watching "Ghost," I knew I was attracted to crime-thriller dramas, but I've fully realized my love for them through this drama. Although some parts are really gory and scary, the psychological effect this drama has on me is what I love best. In honor of this spectacular drama, I'm writing a post dedicated to its 6th episode, or the team's fifth case.
This particular case was a really sad one, I think the episode where I sympathized (and cried) the most for the criminal/offender. It opens up a wide range of discussions, questions about the ways of people. In this case, the offender turns out to be Park Jong Suk (played by Go In Bum, the only celebrity I met in Korea), the father of Min Ji, the victim of a stabbing incident five years ago, in 2006. The story of Min Ji and her dad is a really heartbreaking one, where she was the troublemaker daughter who he put at a distance and therefore, didn't have many memories with, and upon Min Ji's pregnancy, he denounced her as his daughter, and that was the last thing he said to her before she died so cruelly. Soon after their last encounter, a random (I think) guy drags Min Ji around in the streets, her begging for help from the bystanders who do nothing but watch as she is stabbed multiple times right out in public. What's particularly heartbreaking is that minutes before her death, she was setting up a bank account dedicated to her dad (although I'm not sure exactly why, maybe to show him that she is going to be more responsible, especially for the baby). [I just checked Dramabeans, and it seems that this was the bank account that Soo Young, the main victim of the case, added a 0 to, which made her end up transferring to another bank branch.] This is the part where the tears just couldn't stop.
However, the main thing that got me to write this post is the justice of it all. I fully understand why Park Jong Suk had to (or wanted to, at least) kill the bystanders that refused to help Min Ji, not only was this a part of the so-called "bystander effect," the people that were nearby turned a blind eye to the whole situation. What really frustrates (and saddens) me is that not one person called the police, or at least, in the video, no one was shown doing that. Even though I would probably not have the courage to go right up and try to pull Min Ji away from the attacker's hands, I would at least try to do something, something to prevent or stop "it" from happening. They didn't even looked like they were terrified for Min Ji, they were too busy being scared for themselves, and some people even thought the incident to be a thrilling sight for filming. Yes, I'm looking at you, the final victim of Jong Suk, who I kind of wanted to be put out of his trembling misery, or at least, I wouldn't have cared if he'd been killed.
I actually felt sad for Jo Soo Young, where, even though she was the main person who refused to help Min Ji, she felt terribly guilty about it afterwards, and tried to change her way of life. At least she tried to become a better person, she even threw herself before a robber to prevent him from hurting a child, thereby winning the Brave Citizens' Award. She also had the heart to try to give him back the bank account book. From my point of view, she is what represents the innocent victim in this particular case, where, despite the offender's understandable motive (and the injustice and wrongs that he faced), killing is still wrong. I think that there could've been a few ways Jong Suk achieved justice for himself and Min Ji, such as uploading the video and exposing the bystanders' identities on the Internet, for all the world to see, in a shaming sort of way. Sure, he wouldn't be able to show each and every one of the bystanders the kind of fear and terror Min Ji felt before she died, but they would suffer the pressure of the public's eye and judgment (hopefully, in the right direction, of pure disgust). He could've even done his whole hunting thing, but not kill them at the last moment. Would that be legal, at least?
I was kind of troubled by Ye Ri's comment that it was pure coincidence, that those people just happened to be the bystanders that did nothing. It brings up the question of whether things would've been different if another group of people were there at the scene of the crime. With different people, would they have reacted differently to the situation at hand? Would at least one person try to help Min Ji this time? Such thoughts pop in mind after watching this particular episode of TEN.
So, starting on Thursday, I've been actively watching the drama, "Special Affairs Team TEN," or 특수 사건전담반 TEN. It's just my cup of coffee, or it nicely suits my tastes. After watching "Ghost," I knew I was attracted to crime-thriller dramas, but I've fully realized my love for them through this drama. Although some parts are really gory and scary, the psychological effect this drama has on me is what I love best. In honor of this spectacular drama, I'm writing a post dedicated to its 6th episode, or the team's fifth case.
This particular case was a really sad one, I think the episode where I sympathized (and cried) the most for the criminal/offender. It opens up a wide range of discussions, questions about the ways of people. In this case, the offender turns out to be Park Jong Suk (played by Go In Bum, the only celebrity I met in Korea), the father of Min Ji, the victim of a stabbing incident five years ago, in 2006. The story of Min Ji and her dad is a really heartbreaking one, where she was the troublemaker daughter who he put at a distance and therefore, didn't have many memories with, and upon Min Ji's pregnancy, he denounced her as his daughter, and that was the last thing he said to her before she died so cruelly. Soon after their last encounter, a random (I think) guy drags Min Ji around in the streets, her begging for help from the bystanders who do nothing but watch as she is stabbed multiple times right out in public. What's particularly heartbreaking is that minutes before her death, she was setting up a bank account dedicated to her dad (although I'm not sure exactly why, maybe to show him that she is going to be more responsible, especially for the baby). [I just checked Dramabeans, and it seems that this was the bank account that Soo Young, the main victim of the case, added a 0 to, which made her end up transferring to another bank branch.] This is the part where the tears just couldn't stop.
However, the main thing that got me to write this post is the justice of it all. I fully understand why Park Jong Suk had to (or wanted to, at least) kill the bystanders that refused to help Min Ji, not only was this a part of the so-called "bystander effect," the people that were nearby turned a blind eye to the whole situation. What really frustrates (and saddens) me is that not one person called the police, or at least, in the video, no one was shown doing that. Even though I would probably not have the courage to go right up and try to pull Min Ji away from the attacker's hands, I would at least try to do something, something to prevent or stop "it" from happening. They didn't even looked like they were terrified for Min Ji, they were too busy being scared for themselves, and some people even thought the incident to be a thrilling sight for filming. Yes, I'm looking at you, the final victim of Jong Suk, who I kind of wanted to be put out of his trembling misery, or at least, I wouldn't have cared if he'd been killed.
I actually felt sad for Jo Soo Young, where, even though she was the main person who refused to help Min Ji, she felt terribly guilty about it afterwards, and tried to change her way of life. At least she tried to become a better person, she even threw herself before a robber to prevent him from hurting a child, thereby winning the Brave Citizens' Award. She also had the heart to try to give him back the bank account book. From my point of view, she is what represents the innocent victim in this particular case, where, despite the offender's understandable motive (and the injustice and wrongs that he faced), killing is still wrong. I think that there could've been a few ways Jong Suk achieved justice for himself and Min Ji, such as uploading the video and exposing the bystanders' identities on the Internet, for all the world to see, in a shaming sort of way. Sure, he wouldn't be able to show each and every one of the bystanders the kind of fear and terror Min Ji felt before she died, but they would suffer the pressure of the public's eye and judgment (hopefully, in the right direction, of pure disgust). He could've even done his whole hunting thing, but not kill them at the last moment. Would that be legal, at least?
I was kind of troubled by Ye Ri's comment that it was pure coincidence, that those people just happened to be the bystanders that did nothing. It brings up the question of whether things would've been different if another group of people were there at the scene of the crime. With different people, would they have reacted differently to the situation at hand? Would at least one person try to help Min Ji this time? Such thoughts pop in mind after watching this particular episode of TEN.
To Watch
I recently found several dramas that people keep on recommending, as well as those that I just want to check out. Here's a list of the ones I particularly want to watch, in order of desire:
- Que Sera Sera
- Deep-Rooted Tree
- Joseon X-Files
- Bittersweet Life
- Padam Padam
- Evasive Inquiry Agency
- Soulmate
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Update
I know, I haven't posted in this blog for a while. I was just lazy, I didn't feel like it...
Anyhow, since the last post, I finished "History of the Salaryman." It was pretty good, kind of like a shortened version of "Giant," which I'm probably not going to finish. Also, these past few days, I got to check out the premiere of "Gu Family Book" and "Jang Ok Jung, Live In Love." I really like the latter, but despite its popularity, "Gu" doesn't seem to suit me. I think I'm going to keep watching "Jang."
I kind of feel like finishing another drama, and although I tried to watch "Jejoongwon," some other dramas are catching my eye recently. "Padam Padam" is looking pretty good, and I just found out that "The World They Live In," starring Hyun Bin and Song Hye Gyo, premiered on my birthday, in 2008. Now I must watch that, right? Coincidentally, they're both written by the famous drama writer, Noh Hee Kyung. On other more current news, I kind of want to finish "That Winter, The Wind Blows," but my laziness won't let me! I've heard that the ending was really disappointing...
That's all! Toodles!
Anyhow, since the last post, I finished "History of the Salaryman." It was pretty good, kind of like a shortened version of "Giant," which I'm probably not going to finish. Also, these past few days, I got to check out the premiere of "Gu Family Book" and "Jang Ok Jung, Live In Love." I really like the latter, but despite its popularity, "Gu" doesn't seem to suit me. I think I'm going to keep watching "Jang."
I kind of feel like finishing another drama, and although I tried to watch "Jejoongwon," some other dramas are catching my eye recently. "Padam Padam" is looking pretty good, and I just found out that "The World They Live In," starring Hyun Bin and Song Hye Gyo, premiered on my birthday, in 2008. Now I must watch that, right? Coincidentally, they're both written by the famous drama writer, Noh Hee Kyung. On other more current news, I kind of want to finish "That Winter, The Wind Blows," but my laziness won't let me! I've heard that the ending was really disappointing...
That's all! Toodles!
Monday, March 25, 2013
My Drama Challenge
I'm very lazy and impatient, so I've decided to do whatever I want to with the challenge that I found more than a month ago. I can't seem to get past numbers 7-10, so I'll start with #25. What the heck.
25. Your first Korean drama.
I was just thinking about this yesterday, determining in my mind what was the oldest drama I've ever seen. And, I came to a conclusion. It was "Dangerous Love," or 위험함 사랑. In the year of 2005, when I was ten years old, my parents and I (and sometimes my 7-year-old brother) watched the drama through KBS's website. I don't remember much from the drama, except the very ominous-sounding title. Then, soon after that, we picked up "Golden Apple," or 황금사과, which I almost fully remember, with the whole "경숙아~" and Ji Hyun Woo's "오빠, 화났다." I also remember Kim Ji Hoon's face, and the leading lady's face well. Finally, my third drama was "Pure 19," or 열아홉 순정, which I remember very well. I remember falling in love with Seo Ji Suk, and even having dreams about him, lol. Go Gwang Man is a famous character in my family, where my dad named one of our neighbors this, who has a wife that works and stays at home all day, tending to his family's house. "Pure 19" will remain a very memorable drama from my childhood, where I got to spend some great times with my parents, watching Korean dramas, the ultimate Korean pastime. Ah, the good old times...
25. Your first Korean drama.
I was just thinking about this yesterday, determining in my mind what was the oldest drama I've ever seen. And, I came to a conclusion. It was "Dangerous Love," or 위험함 사랑. In the year of 2005, when I was ten years old, my parents and I (and sometimes my 7-year-old brother) watched the drama through KBS's website. I don't remember much from the drama, except the very ominous-sounding title. Then, soon after that, we picked up "Golden Apple," or 황금사과, which I almost fully remember, with the whole "경숙아~" and Ji Hyun Woo's "오빠, 화났다." I also remember Kim Ji Hoon's face, and the leading lady's face well. Finally, my third drama was "Pure 19," or 열아홉 순정, which I remember very well. I remember falling in love with Seo Ji Suk, and even having dreams about him, lol. Go Gwang Man is a famous character in my family, where my dad named one of our neighbors this, who has a wife that works and stays at home all day, tending to his family's house. "Pure 19" will remain a very memorable drama from my childhood, where I got to spend some great times with my parents, watching Korean dramas, the ultimate Korean pastime. Ah, the good old times...
Last Thoughts
Over the last few days of Spring Break, I finished two dramas that was hanging in my list, "Full House 2" and "Chungdamdong Alice," in that order. I just felt like doing it. And I'm glad I did.
First off, "Full House 2" isn't as bad as people have said. If you look past the very bad hair of the first half of the drama, and the kind of standard plot (nothing really happens), it's not completely horrible. The drama kind of reminds me of my relationship with "To The Beautiful You." I really don't know how I watched all of that drama. "Full House 2" isn't as bad as TTBY, but the whole "mindless cotton candy" was very similar. Both dramas was all about enjoyment and entertainment, with barely any thinking in the middle. Anyway, I'm glad I finished this drama. : )
Then, there's "Chungdamdong Alice." Wow, was I impressed with the last six episodes of this drama. I stopped after watching episode 10, I don't remember why. (10 seems to be my limit with 16-episode dramas, as I'm having the same problem with "That Winter, The Wind Blows," although I stopped getting completely immersed in it a few episodes ago. More on that later.) I'm loving how the Korean drama scene is slowly changing, with more dramas that seem to be thematically different that the standard Korean drama, and a few that are actually dealing with current issues in Korea. "Chungdamdong Alice" dealt almost fully with the whole concept of the 꽃뱀, or gold diggers. It wasn't completely believable that someone like Han Se Kyung might exist in this world (although someone who was "innocent" before and decided to change themselves might end up becoming like her), but the drama provided an insight into the current situation that many people in Korea are finding themselves in. What kind of "justice" should gold diggers like Se Kyung and Yoon Joo get? Are they any different from the rich, who deal with almost everything as business, as a source of getting more money, of going up the social ladder?
I feel like, in Korea, as of now, more than half of the population has been tainted with the idea that money is the most important thing, where they seem to have to link everything in their lives with money, including marriage. For most Koreans, money has become the key thing, the only motivation in life. Even the most pure, young Korean people are encouraged to look at everything with money in mind, where making a lot of money may make an average marriage candidate into the perfect one. One of the reasons there is a lot of matchmaking in Korea is that people want to marry into the best family possible.
Anyway, back to "Chungdamdong Alice," despite being occasionally reminded of Park Shi Hoo's recent scandal, I thought the main couple was very cute (and you have to admit, he's a pretty good actor). I really enjoyed the bits about the social wealth gap between the high and low ends of Korean society. A lot of foreign fans might have not been able to understand this situation that Se Kyung finds herself in, specifically the "no matter how hard I try, I won't not be poor" conclusion that she comes to in the middle of the drama. In the U.S., where there are so many opportunities, this is generally unimaginable, but in Korea, it is thoroughly understandable. To answer Se Kyung, I would have said that the system in Korea is corrupt. It is understatedly unfair, where, without money, you cannot live.
I especially loved Se Kyung's conclusion around the end of the drama, where she says that being an adult seems to be "living with your eyes half-closed, even though you know that when you open your eyes, reality will come." Being an adult is believing in the fantasy, even though you are fully (or somewhat) aware of the realities of life. Because then, you have some hope and something to look forward to. : D
First off, "Full House 2" isn't as bad as people have said. If you look past the very bad hair of the first half of the drama, and the kind of standard plot (nothing really happens), it's not completely horrible. The drama kind of reminds me of my relationship with "To The Beautiful You." I really don't know how I watched all of that drama. "Full House 2" isn't as bad as TTBY, but the whole "mindless cotton candy" was very similar. Both dramas was all about enjoyment and entertainment, with barely any thinking in the middle. Anyway, I'm glad I finished this drama. : )
Then, there's "Chungdamdong Alice." Wow, was I impressed with the last six episodes of this drama. I stopped after watching episode 10, I don't remember why. (10 seems to be my limit with 16-episode dramas, as I'm having the same problem with "That Winter, The Wind Blows," although I stopped getting completely immersed in it a few episodes ago. More on that later.) I'm loving how the Korean drama scene is slowly changing, with more dramas that seem to be thematically different that the standard Korean drama, and a few that are actually dealing with current issues in Korea. "Chungdamdong Alice" dealt almost fully with the whole concept of the 꽃뱀, or gold diggers. It wasn't completely believable that someone like Han Se Kyung might exist in this world (although someone who was "innocent" before and decided to change themselves might end up becoming like her), but the drama provided an insight into the current situation that many people in Korea are finding themselves in. What kind of "justice" should gold diggers like Se Kyung and Yoon Joo get? Are they any different from the rich, who deal with almost everything as business, as a source of getting more money, of going up the social ladder?
I feel like, in Korea, as of now, more than half of the population has been tainted with the idea that money is the most important thing, where they seem to have to link everything in their lives with money, including marriage. For most Koreans, money has become the key thing, the only motivation in life. Even the most pure, young Korean people are encouraged to look at everything with money in mind, where making a lot of money may make an average marriage candidate into the perfect one. One of the reasons there is a lot of matchmaking in Korea is that people want to marry into the best family possible.
Anyway, back to "Chungdamdong Alice," despite being occasionally reminded of Park Shi Hoo's recent scandal, I thought the main couple was very cute (and you have to admit, he's a pretty good actor). I really enjoyed the bits about the social wealth gap between the high and low ends of Korean society. A lot of foreign fans might have not been able to understand this situation that Se Kyung finds herself in, specifically the "no matter how hard I try, I won't not be poor" conclusion that she comes to in the middle of the drama. In the U.S., where there are so many opportunities, this is generally unimaginable, but in Korea, it is thoroughly understandable. To answer Se Kyung, I would have said that the system in Korea is corrupt. It is understatedly unfair, where, without money, you cannot live.
I especially loved Se Kyung's conclusion around the end of the drama, where she says that being an adult seems to be "living with your eyes half-closed, even though you know that when you open your eyes, reality will come." Being an adult is believing in the fantasy, even though you are fully (or somewhat) aware of the realities of life. Because then, you have some hope and something to look forward to. : D
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Trends
There seems to be a whole different vocabulary in Korean dramaland. Particularly, there's a whole list of popular sayings, phrases that always come up in dramas. For example, there's the "you must have saved the country in your previous life," most commonly used when some heroine is blessed with the love of not one, but both of the male leads, who just happen to be dashingly handsome.
There are also the recurring themes that seem to show up in almost all Korean dramas. The top three would be the fated love triangle, chaebols, and birth secrets. They show up most in dramas. Then, the stereotypical highlight scenes in dramas:
There are also the recurring themes that seem to show up in almost all Korean dramas. The top three would be the fated love triangle, chaebols, and birth secrets. They show up most in dramas. Then, the stereotypical highlight scenes in dramas:
- First fated meeting of the lead couple.
- Lead girl is saved by the third wheel guy.
- Lead guy finds lead girl in arms of third wheel guy.
- Lead girl gets makeover from lead/third wheel guy.
- Lead girl discovers feelings for lead guy, and cries in front of third wheel guy.
- Lead guy confesses to lead girl.
- Lead guy finds out lead girl's secret.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Korean Drama Challenge #6
6. Your favorite song from a drama OST.
Hmm, this is a hard one. One of the most favorite things I like about Korean dramas is their soundtracks. Almost all of the songs are so beautiful and heartfelt. If I had to pick, I guess I would choose "Love Is Punishment" by K.Will, from "Shining Inheritance." It was one of the first songs I grew to really like from a drama, and even memorize all the lines of. More memorable OSTs would be from "Damo," "Gumiho," and "What Happened In Bali." I seems that I really like the old ones. And let's not forget, "Like That First Day" by Park Yong Ha, from "All In." But the OST that I really loved would be from "Nice Guy." I could not help listening to nonstop for several weeks, it gave me actual goosebumps.
Hmm, this is a hard one. One of the most favorite things I like about Korean dramas is their soundtracks. Almost all of the songs are so beautiful and heartfelt. If I had to pick, I guess I would choose "Love Is Punishment" by K.Will, from "Shining Inheritance." It was one of the first songs I grew to really like from a drama, and even memorize all the lines of. More memorable OSTs would be from "Damo," "Gumiho," and "What Happened In Bali." I seems that I really like the old ones. And let's not forget, "Like That First Day" by Park Yong Ha, from "All In." But the OST that I really loved would be from "Nice Guy." I could not help listening to nonstop for several weeks, it gave me actual goosebumps.
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