Heartbroken

In less than 48 hours, Cinderella’s Sister has managed to break my heart in pieces.

The goddamn show has killed my favourite character!! WHAT THE FUUUUCCCKKKKKK!!!

T________________________________________T

If we’re going by the old Cinderella’s story, the dear ol daddy does pass away. I have been fervently hoping that it would not happen and my heart was pounding a couple of episode ago when the drama gave us a warning that Goo Daesung isn’t in his best condition. But the fact that they actually kill him off is unforgivable.

I refuse to believe that I will not see the amazingly kindhearted Goo Daesung for the rest of the drama. And the fact that Kijoon is the one who ‘killed’ him has sealed his fate: I would hate him forever and ever and everrrr. Arghhh..

I wanna sleep and hope by the time I wake up, Cinderella’s Sister has invented a way to bring him to life.

You better deliver, Cinderella’s Sister. I have sacrificed my favourite character. If you turn out to be crap, you’ve got a hell to pay.

Verdict on Wednesday/Thursday Dramas

Cinderella Unni came out the winner. I still admit that there is something decidedly off about the drama itself, but because I can’t really place it and that it doesn’t bother me much, I can’t criticize it either. I am enjoying the drama LOTS and liking it just as much. So until that something actually sticks out, I’m gonna shut up and enjoy the ride.

One critics I can identify, however, is Chun Jungmyung. I find his character really bland (not to mention how cliche his background story is) and despite how delectable he continues to be, it’s hard for me to connect to him and thus to root for him and Eunjo, played by Moon Geunyoung. And it might be just me or he’s losing his touch? What’s up with his expressions, or lack thereof? I know he’s there to steal our hearts and yes, I still go all pig squeal whenever he’s on screen, but his acting is starting to bother me. It’s like he cannot emote and thus he resorts to furrowing his eyebrows and glare every 15 minutes. We’ve already passed 8 episodes. Let’s hope his first role after military doesn’t go to waste.

On the other hand, I am LOVING Kim Gabsoo and heck, even Ok Taecyeon. My favourite male in the entire drama would definitely be Kim Gabsoo’s Goo Daesung. Inherently, I think this dude is a wimp. And if played by other actor, the wimpy quality would probably get overstated. But Kim Gabsoo plays him with such a grace and dignity that his character becomes like a fountain of unconditional love. Taecyeon, let’s not mistake him for possessing awesome acting skills or anything, but Jongwoo is seriously cute. I have such a soft spot for the young Jongwoo that I vowed to trash Taecyeon if he doesn’t do him justice. But Taecyeon so far, delivers. I have no other words than: HE’S SO ADORABLEEEEEEE!

Prosecutor Princess and Personal Taste are really…interesting.

I find Prosecutor Princess, the 7 episodes I’ve seen, a pretty good drama, especially since I have a soft spot for writer, who also wrote Brilliant Legacy. And I seriously love Kim Soyeon as Ma Hyeri. But I’m finding out that just loving one character or actror, despite the person being the main one, is not enough to stick to the drama. It’s hard to watch a drama when you LOVE one aspect, but HATE the rest.

I hate the male characters because most (if not all) of them are assholes. The only one I tend to like is Ma Hyeri’s half bald boss. Others go from ridiculously boring (Han Jungsoo’s Sejoon), annoying (Yoo Gun’s character), totalitarian (Ma Hyeri’s dad) to fake, greasy, and smarmy (ALLLLLLL Park Shihoo’s Inwoo, omfg I hate this dude). What was at first merely an eyeroll inducing has become an intense dislike for most of the characters.

The one thing I hate the most is the heavy patriarchal idea infused in the drama. It’s like in order for Ma Hyeri to become a successful person, she needs to be saved by her knight in shining armor. There were so many instances in those 7 episodes that made me grit my teeth in irritation. If in the end Ma Hyeri ends up with no one or that she becomes successful on her own right (without chauvinistic help from the men in her life), then I will revisit this drama, but otherwise, PASS!

Personal Taste is quite the opposite. I hated the first 2 episodes and even now as I’m watching episode 9, I still don’t like it. But there is something that keeps me tuning in. It’s not that I’m addicted to it or anything and I cannot really pinpoint what it is that keeps me is coming back, but I am, from week to week.

Personal Taste is a pretty awful drama. There, I threw that in the air. It’s somewhere near City Hall and My Fair Lady, but without the air of arrogance of MFL and loudness of CH. It’s a terrible drama, but one that is inoffensive. The only thing I find truly offensive is how they reveal the fact that one character is actually gay. But subsequently, I like how they’re handling this character. I roll my eyes numerous times in one episode, but I take none of these things to the heart and thus feel barely any annoyance. I guess it’s also the fact that I don’t even take this drama seriously.

A couple of aspects that Personal Taste has over Prosecutor Princess are: the respective sidekicks of Jinho and Gaein are FANTASTIC and second, Son Yejin and Lee Minho have great chemistry. Not a fan of Lee Minho’s Jinho but I’m warming up to him because Son Yejin’s Gaein is. I’m a little bummed that they’re entering the familiar k-drama territory of ‘love in denial’ stage, but just as with everything else Personal Taste, I just shrug my shoulders and watch on.

It’s an interesting experience for me because I tend to leave a drama pretty quickly if I don’t think it’s good enough for my eyes. But with Personal Taste, I enjoy the mindless fun nonetheless. So, verdict is I’m tuning in.

War of Premieres

I’m down with a bit of cold and found an excuse to skip classes to “rest”. And thus, this is the result of my “resting”.

I haven’t been able to decide  what the bottom line is for me after watching the 3 dramas, Cinderella’s Sister, Personal Taste, and Prosecuter Princess. The 3 dramas are quite good, but it’s interesting that none of them (the first episodes) made me fall in love with the drama instantly. I have a current ranking, but I don’t have a particular one to root for.

Of course, first episode is not a sure sign whether a drama will be good or even whether you will like the drama and stick to it till the end. I’ve watched up to episode 12, 19, or even 26 before deciding that the drama is not worth my time. But I’ve also waved off some awesome dramas (eg: 9 Ends 2 Outs and I Love You) because the first episode didn’t hold my interest. That’s why, I do think that First Episode is essential in laying out the foundation and help viewers decide if they’re turning on their TV for the next one or not.

The good thing tho is that none of them had me in boredom. That’s a plus.

In the order of watching:

Cinderella’s Sister took a while for me to register. What with language barrier and everything, I couldn’t understand the storyline at first. It wasn’t until halfway through that my confusions were cleared but even now I’m still hazy on some details. But one thing I’m sure of from Cinderella’s Sister is HOW HOT WAS KIM GABSOO AND LEE MISOOK???

I know I should fangirl over Chun Jungmyung, but instead I was transfixed on Kim Gabsoo and Lee Misook. Whoah, awesome chemistry there. The sexual tension was portrayed really well, I love that look on Kim Gabsoo’s face the moment he saw Lee Misook in his beloved wife’s clothes. It’s clouding his judgement but he was so entranced to notice. He looked like he was afraid to blink or breathe. I find it unbelievable that they decide to live together after only a couple of days at most, but damn, their exchanges in this episode were so sexy.

The other actors deliver as well. Seo Woo can be a little too much, but she is undeniably cute. One minute I wanted to shut her up, the next I was grinning because she was so adorable. Moon Geunyoung is intense, man. I really enjoyed the portrayal of her inner conflicts. The scene on the train where she was contemplating to abandon her mother to the thugs had me on the edge of my seat. She has hatred for her mother, but does it rule over her innate love for her? That was a short, but totally memorable scene.

I’m hopeful that Chun Jungmyung will be given more dimensions. He hasn’t appeared much, but the quality I could attribute to him so far is that he’s good, reliable, and cute. Not particularly exciting. So, I hope we will see his conflicts and flaws, not just him smiling and looking tasty. Also, I know I said Moon Geunyoung is intense, but I also hope that she will soften a bit. Her expressions, 80% of them, are of her piercing daggers with her eyes. The rest is disinterest and anger. I can understand, given her situations, but deep down, I wanna see some variety.

Cinderella’s Sister is currently the number 1 in ratings and in mypersonal ranking. I’m intrigued but I’ve got reservations as well as I heard the drama would go down the melodramatic road. The last time I tried to watch melodrama, I got pretty irritated and left even after two-thirds of the run.

Anticipation wise, Personal Taste is my most anticipated drama, out of the 3. Premise is promising and casting is yummy. But after watching the first episode, I felt a little underwhelmed.

Storywise, I find it hard to believe that a girl doesn’t have ANY inkling at all that one of her best friends (since high school!) and her boyfriend have been fooling around behind her back and are marrying each other. Doesn’t she help this “friend” with the invitations or SEE them? Wouldn’t she want to know the groom? From another perspective, I cannot believe this cheating boyfriend waited until the day before the wedding to tell her he was marrying her roomate instead. No matter how busy you are, um, isn’t that kind of important?

The childish testosterone war between Lee Minho and Kim Jisuk, I find to be…trite. Now, if instead of with Seullong, they are the ones misunderstood as lovers, that would’ve been much more exciting, ha!

Lee Minho and Son Yejin look great together. And now that we’ve established the misunderstanding, I really can’t wait to see their ‘girlfriends’ interactions. Or Lee Minho acting the part of a gay guy. Acting wise, love love love Son Yejin who is good natured but pretty silly. I felt embarrassed for her that she was thinking of being proposed when she was actually getting dumped. On Lee Minho, I think he’s holding his own. I thought his character was going to be a happy-go-lucky (gay) guy nextdoor kind of type.  And in all honesty, I was more interested then cause now he’s becoming a more typical Kdrama hero. But oh well.

The highlight of this episode is Seullong in all his boxer glory, drunk and wailing.

It’s really too bad that other than Kim Soyeon and her mom, I didn’t find any other compelling characters in Prosecutor Princess. I’ve never liked Park Shihoo and while it’s still very early in the game, I was pretty much indifferent over him. Han Jungsoo is a more tragic case. I was so excited to see THE General Choi, but his character is so flat here. He’s hot and everything, but I don’t think I will be emotionally attached to this character. Which means, I’m also indifferent. The guys are really trite characters, classic Kdrama cool heroes with little to relate to and almost perfect.

It actually occurred to me that they should just do away with these two guys and the drama might actually be more interesting. It’s not the romance that drew me in, it’s the character development of Ma Hyeri. I’m fine without the 2 love interests.

But Prosecutor Princess is my second favourite. I felt that out of the 3, I had the most fun out of my one hour with this one. The first episode was cute, funny, and quick paced. Like I said, I really enjoyed Kim Soyeon’s antics as Ma Hyeri. From paying $7000 for a pair of shoes to going to the office in a pink mini skirt, she’s obviously the star of the drama and it’s well deserved.

I am well aware that one character only, albeit the main one, cannot hold up the entire drama. So I’m hoping that the 2 love interests will be injected with more spirit and depth. Otherwise, it will get old easily.

He’s OUT!!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

OHMYGAWD! Just read this from Dahee Fanel’s blog!

After a string of stars getting INTO the military, I am so doubly happy for those that are getting out.

My awesome Park Chulsoo aka Chun Jungmyung is out! I literally screamed when I read the news. I did read that he was getting out SOON, but I didn’t realize it was THIS soon. Gosh, I am so over the moon.

I admit that other than What’s Up Fox and the first few episodes of Goodbye Solo, I have not really followed Chun Jungmyung’s projects. It was just that one fantastic drama and one fantastic character that got me head over heels.

So, I watched What’s Up Fox around last year, about 4 days before my final exams started. I didn’t expect anything from it and was just flipping around a drama streaming website out of boredom. Imagine my panic when I found out that I JUST could not stop watching. And I believe that it was between failing and passing the course. I had done so badly in the midterm that I needed to boost up the final to pass. It was the biggest dilemma between finishing the drama and actually studying for the exam.

In the end, the drama won. I am weak like that.

What’s Up Fox is about this unlikely pairing of two people with a 9 years age difference. She has known him since he was born and he had always known her as his much older sister’s best friend. Yep, it’s a case of Noona love.

Chun Jungmyung and Go Hyunjung had SO much chemistry that the premise worked. Of course, Go Hyunjung rocked it, it’s just a given with her, seemingly. I really enjoyed the drama and one of the reasons is Chun Jungmyung’s portrayal of Chulsoo. Chulsoo was such a fun loving, cute guy. He’s sometimes childish, but other times he shows profound maturity. Sometimes, I would just randomly remember the way Chulsoo grins and that would just lift up my day.

Bottom line is, I’m so happy to see Chun Jungmyung out of the army. I sure hope that we’ll see him on screen soon. Maybe he can guest in Strong Heart!! OMG, just the thought of it makes me antsy in anticipation!

Another one who’s coming out of military service is Gong Yoo, who’s like my first ever Korean crush, so I’m definitely looking forward to that. WOOOOTTT..