NOTICE

10/11/2009

After being on leave for three months, I am finally back (well, semi-available), LOL

Sembreak’s almost coming, and I promise myself that I’ll catch up on a lot of movies and dramas, haha

anyway, add me on facebook ^^

http://facebook.com/mirika02

You’re Beautiful rants.

WHOA.

Just finished watching You’re Beautiful episodes 9-10 and I will say that so far, eps. 9&10 are the best episodes, more like episode 10 is the best episode for me.

woot. just a short spazz about YB. All the while I thought my YB fever deserted me, but how wrong I was xD

The last few minutes of episode 10’s the bomb. Too bad I haven’t dl-ed the latest episodes yet so I can’t offer screen caps.

Don’t you just love how Tae Kyung shouted about him not seeing Mi Nam when it’s dark (I kinda hyperventilated at this part) and how ShinWoo hugged MiNam and said “she’s my girl”. Plus my heart almost went crazy seeing how helpless Tae Kyung was when he brought MiNam to the hospital.

I’m not making any sense but somehow I just have to let my feelings out or I’ll die. HAHA

p.s. I almost ‘lost interest’ watching episodes 7&8 but I’m really glad about 9&10 (the part about TK & MN’s parents bored me, lmao)

Hong Gil Dong

Year of Broadcast: 2008

P   L   O   T

Based on a fictional book about a Robin Hood in Korea, Hong Gildong, this drama is very loosely based off of that book and the time it was set in.

Hong Gil Dong (Kang Ji Hwan) was the illegitimate son of a high ranked minister. A local monk took him under his wing and taught him martial arts. Hong Gil Dong was inspired to fight for the injustice in this society that divided people into nobles and ordinary citizens whereby the former enjoyed all the privileges due solely to their birth.

The heroine, Heo Yi Nok (Song Yuri), had just returned to Korea from China with her grandfather. They made their living by putting on shows and selling their special brand of medicine in the marketplace.

Lee Chang Hwi (Jang Geun Suk) had been told since he was young that he was the rightful heir to the throne which had been usurped by his half brother. He had also returned from his exile in China and was plotting to overthrow the emperor.

The three got entangled in love, hate, loyalty and betrayal and only one side can win. (source: dramawiki)

T  H  O  U  G  H  T  S

This is my second time watching a Saeguk (historical) drama from start to end. First it was Strongest Chil Woo, and now Hong Gil Dong (I tried The Legend, but after reading the summary, I stopped midway).

I can say I’m not a fan of historical dramas because it gives me the impression of antiquity and the sort (=boredom), you’ll only expect me to watch one if I like the casts

The reason why I watched this is because of Jang Geun Suk xD I can’t get enough of this guy. But let’s talk about him later. lol

Hong Gil Dong is an enjoyable series, it’s full of funny moments (especially at the beginning) but still it has its moments of seriousness plus while all of these are happening, one gets to see the development of characters.

Instead of enjoying this because of Jang Geun Suk, I soon enjoyed the story, the humor, and the other characters too. How can I say this? Though it is supposed to be about the Joseon Dynasty and the thing about rebels’ discontent with the king/corrupt officials/illegitimate child/killing/thirst for power, Hong Gil Dong provided the viewers with a refreshing take on the traditional saeguk dramas.

Recently, I became familiar with the Hong Sisters, they’re the writers of HGD and other great dramas as well (You’re Beautiful, My girl, Chun Yang). I looked up to them. It’s unbelievable how good they are, what I mean is, they’ve proven their skills in writing modern stories and when they tried with Saeguk, their magic actually still worked.

As for the casts, they were all great. Almost all of them have left their mark on me. What I meant was it wasn’t the conventional drama where in most people will only notice the leads & antagonist but in HGD, the depth of the characters were clearly shown and the actors & actresses live up to their part. I’m especially amazed by Kang Ji Hwan. Initially, I was rooting for Geun Suk, but after seeing Ji Hwan’s portrayal of Gil Dong, I was moved by him and yeah, well I like Gil Dong more than Chang Hui (in the drama, so to speak). Another is Song Yuri, I’ve seen two dramas of her (excluding this), and for me she’s done a great job as Yi Nok. Lastly, there is Gun Seuk, haha, I think roles like Chang Hui’s suit him right? IDK, however, it pains me to see him as the second lead.

Then there’s the ending. I’ve cried buckets. I can say it’s perfect though it was tragic. It’s the perfect ending because even if important lives were sacrificed, it paved way to create the world that they (who died) envisioned. The ending made me realize a lot of things, and the parting words of Gil Dong’s master (connecting their time w/ the future) properly brought such a nice ending to the story.

Watch it. It’s a 24 episode drama, haha, but I’m sure you’ll manage.

You’re Beautiful (thoughts)

I’ve been dying to post something about this drama xD This will be long )

You’re Beautiful tells the story about the behind the scenes life of an idol group (A.N. Jell). It revolves around Min Yu/Jemma (Park Shin Hye) who, at the beginning of the story has devoted herself in becoming a real nun.

However, when she was about to go to Italy, she was confronted by the manager of her twin brother. It appears that her brother is supposed to be a part of the idol group A.N. Jell but because of an operation that failed, her brother (Mi Nam) has to go overseas to fix the damage. The manager begged Min Yu/Jemma to temporarily replace her brother and join the group (in the process becoming a guy). Due to some unfortunate events, Jemma became MiNam and now she’s a member of the popular group A.N. Jell.

But things were not as easy as she/he seems. The group’s leader, Hwang Tae Kyung, doesn’t approve of her (well, at the beginning) and there was the fact that she has to act as a boy and actually live with boys.

Now, how will Mi Nam get through all of this? And to mention the fact that by the latest episode to date (Episode 6), almost half of the people (impt. ones) knows about her true identity?

T  H  O  U  G  H  T  S

I’m officialy inlove with You’re Beautiful. This series is made of pure awesomeness ^^. I don’t know but it’s been a while that a series like this has made me so happy. Too bad it’s currenty airing and I have to wait a week to see the next episodes (and it’s killing me).

What’s great about it? Everything. It has all the things to make one addicted (well for me). However, the ratings were quite low, probably because it’s aimed for teens, and ahjummas in Korea doesn’t find the show fit for them. AWWW. (YB’s more popular to international fans, I presume)

Probably the biggest reason why I like YB is because it’s about an Idol Group. Being a fan of Korean Idol Groups, it somehow shows us fans, how their lives are (it maybe a bit exaggerated on the show but at least).

Plus, You’re Beautiful never fails to make me laugh. As in every episode will guarantee one with fits of laughter. It’s full of humor and of course there is also a romantic aspect to it (ayeeeeee).

Some says it reminds them of Coffee Prince, Hana Kimi and Boys over Flowers but I’ll say it’s better (YB, but it’s in the same league as Hana Kimi Japan).

On to the casts.

Jang Geun Suk as Hwang Tae Kyung. OH MY. I swear I’m regaining my feelings for him. To the extent that I’m watching Hong Gil Dong. He’s too charming, handsome, cute for his own good. He fits the role well. He fits Tae Kyung’s character so well. And I’m glad that he changed his hair after episode 4. He’s cuter with his new hair than before, brings out his eyes clearer.

Park Shin Hye as Go Mi Nam/Go MinYu. I remember her as the girl from stairway to heaven. I’m not a fan but after watching You’re Beautiful, I was so mesmerized by her character. And the tomboyish look suits her well. There’s no one fit to play Go Mi Nam than her She can look innocent and lovely at the same time.

Jung Yonghwa as Shinwoo. Here we have another JiHoo. The second leading man. Based from the comments I saw on viikii, a lot of girls really like him. Who wouldn’t (though I like Tae Kyung more xD)? I’m glad he’s always there to be of comfort to MiNam.

Lee Hong Ki as Jeremy. I loved him best. He’s so funny and he reminds me of Nakatsu from Hana Kimi and I’m pretty sure that his character will develop the same as Nakatsu and that, I’m really looking forward to. ^^ It’s nice to see that Hong Ki has an acting potential and I’m sure he’ll improve more if he’ll be given more projects.

UEE as Yoo He Yi. Haha. All I can say is she’s effective as a villain. >:) Everybody hates her. And it’s amusing how people say that she’s ugly and that she looks fake. Much as I hate her character but I know that she’s important in the story, and I like how she can be an arse but also dumb (in some scenes). She’ll add more conflict in YB and I would like to see more of her, though yeah, it may bring pain to Mi Nam, but that’s how a drama goes.

AND MY OTP:

It has to be TaeKyung and MiNam ’till the end. It’s supposed to be them HAHA. I’m so happy that Geun Suk finally became the lead in a drama. ^^ I so love TaeKyung and MiNam moments, and I love how UEE gets in their way.

That ends my long thoughts on You’re Beautiful (’til episode 6 only). This will probably be my first and last seeing that I almost give my impression on the series over all xD.

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I guess I can’t evade making rants for YB, so I’m going to post link(s) full of my ranting

You’re Beautiful rant #1

Last Scandal of my Life/Last Romance

Year of Broadcast: 2008

Episodes: 16

Casts:

• Choi Jin Shil as Hong Sun Hee
• Jung Joon Ho as Song Jae Bin / Jang Dong Chul
• Byun Jung Soo as Lee Na Yoon
• Jung Woong In as Jang Dong Hwa

P   L   O   T

Hong Sun Hee is a housewife who accidentally meets her first love, Jang Dong Chul, again. Now he is known as Song Jae Bin and is a famous movie star who didn’t recognize her. Sun Hee’s husband lands himself in jail for debts and Sun Hee applies to the wealthy Dong Chul for aid. He isn’t inclined to help her bacuase she’s no longer the beauty she once was but eventually she moves into his house as a housekeeper. The two bicker constantly but slowy they discover the feelings they had at 19 aren’t completely gone. (source: dramawiki)

T  H  O  U  G  H  T  S

I am glad I watched this

I happened to catch a glimpse of Last Romance (title used in my country) during the times where in I’m home and that time, I was so fond of the characters and the story.

After a few weeks, I suddenly had the urge to watch it from the beginning and once I started, I found my self addicted to the story, the characters, everything about the show.

Dubbed as “Ahjumarella”, Last Scandal’s story is similar to Cinderella the only difference is instead of the leads being young, they’re almost on their 40’s. I like how they gave this twist of SungHee being “ugly” and how JaeBin accepted her despite her looks.

I love everything about this series. It did not bore me (not even once), every second has captured my attention and I found myself laughing all throughout the episodes.

The characters are just plain hilarious. Especially JaeBin. The guy is plain hilarious. He perfectly portrays his character plus he showed us a different side to the personal life of a famous star (even if it’s just in the series).

Even if the show is originally meant for ahjummas (well I think it’s supposed to be), all I can say is it’s for people of all ages, may it be young or old of heart.

What I like best is the chemistry between SungHee and JaeBin. They’re not awkard or cheesy, their just fine together, even sweet, their relationship is the kind that’s good to look at.They’re a funny couple, there’s a lot of episodes where in I laugh at their craziness (too bad, I can’t screen capture it since I haven’t DL-ed that particular episodes yet)

I really enjoyed every moment of this, and after finishing the series, I yearned for more, there’s even a plan to make a season 2 of Last Scandal but after Choi Jin Shil’s death (R.I.P.), the idea of course died away. She’s such a great actress and after I learned about her dead, I can’t quite believe that the SungHee in front of me has passed away.

I highly recommend this series. I’m 110% sure you’ll enjoy it as well, and you’ll fall for Jang Dong Chu <3

Lastly, the ending didn’t disappoint me, everyone achieved their own happy ending and all loose ends were tied

Haeundae

TT

P  L  O  T

Haeundae tells the tale of how a destructive “mega tsunami” devastated the beaches of Haeundae in Busan. Deep in the core of this film lies the story of how people’s lives were, before and after the tsunami happened. (sorry, my summary s*ks, but basically this is a film about tsunami) For more info, go to wikipedia

T H O U G H T S

I never get tired of stories dealing with natural calamities and how it bring havoc to people. Through watching films like these, it raises one’s awareness on how global warming (or environmental degradation) will cause us harm (mian, I do sound like an environmentalist).

I first heard of Haeundae (the beach) when I watched the boys of 2 Days and 1 Night went to that place (due to Seung Gi’s demand xD) and I was so surprised when I heard about a movie entitled “Haeundae”.

What can I say? I felt like I was watching a korean drama with an element of disaster. the first half of the fim deals with the story of the lead and provides the audience with a background of the relationship of the characters which will play a big role towards the second half.

Though I can say that I knew how Haeundae will end but still after watching it, I can’t stop my tears from flowing. Even if it was only a 2 hour film, the characters kinda grew on me, especially Hyeong Shik (Lee Min Ki), Dr. Kim (Kang Ye Won), the crazy uncle and the son of Man Shik. It’s ironic how I found myself laughing everytime I see Hyeong Shik and the crazy uncle. Plus Man Shik’s son soo adorable especially when he cries )

This may not be the best film for some, but it’s worth the watch. A lot of lessons can be learned and it has left my heart in pain seeing how some of the main characters died (wouldn’t give out names). But I think that’s necessary for the flow of the story. It’s nice how the story ended, though Haeundae’s a lost cause but still the people have hopes for a bright tomorrow, I especially like the scene with the two children by the beach ^_^. This movie’s pretty inspiring and timely if you ask me, given the calamities that rocked some parts of the world (including my country).

Shinhwa – Angel perf

yay! since I’m missing the boys, I’ll share one of my favorite performance from them

Can anyone guess why I like this perf? lol (it’s in the description part of the video on my YT)

non kpop/shinhwa fans, try watching this ^_^

Old Boy

What a disturbing film.

P  L  O  T

Old Boy follows the story of one Oh Dae-Su (played by Choi Min Shik), who is locked in a hotel room for 15 years without knowing his captor’s motives. When he is finally released, Dae Su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and violence. His own quest for vengeance becomes tied in with romance when he falls for an attractive sushi chef (source: wikipedia).

T H O U G H T S

It has been said that Old Boy is such a classic korean movie that one can’t call himself/herself a kmovie addict without seeing it. Hence, the reason why I watch it. I’m not saying that I am a certified kmovie addict but after reading the praises for this film, I decided to give it a try.

Before watching Old Boy, I was aware that it isn’t one’s typical korean movie and one has to be prepared for the surprises ahead. But still, after mentally preparing myself, I was left dumbfounded by the end of the film.

I can’t exactly describe how great the film is because it depends on one’s interpretation but what I can tell you is out of all the korean movies I watched, I’m pretty sure I’ll never forget Old Boy. Why? Aside from the gruesome, gory, and whatever you like to call it scenes, every minute of the movie has left me curious. Curious on why on earth did Dae Su deserved to be imprisoned for 15 years when in the first few minutes of the film, his character seemed so nice and cheerful. At first, I thought this would be the central theme of the story, but how wrong I was. There’s even something bigger in store for the audience, and as I’ve already said it is disturbing. And I was wondering, was the reason for everything that happened worth it?

What amazes me is Choi Min Shik, my first impression of him was that he looked so normal, and I was wondering how did he managed to reach the level of popularity he’s currently experiencing. However, he proved to be a magnificent actor, I don’t know but his acting seems so natural, I could imagine him as a comedian but then he portrays a “psycho/violent” guy really well.

Then, there’s the ending, it was confusing but from what I read, it was indeed the intention of the director.

My advice for you if ever you’ll find yourself interested in watching Old Boy is to mentally prepare yourself. haha. There’ll be lots of violence + xrated scenes (glad that I’m already of legal age for that, lmao) + the “interesting” twist in the end.