Personal Taste

Park Gae In (Son Ye Jin) just got dumped by her boyfriend, HAN Chang Ryul (Kim Ji Suk) who's getting married to her backstabbing-mean-bitch-bestfriend/housemate Kim In Hee (Wang Ji Hye). As if she wasn't hurt enough, her other bestfriend not only try to take advantage of her when she was drunk but also mortgage her father's house for a loan (I don't really understand how they can legally do this when it's not their own property... is it really possible in ROK?)

With limited financial resources- her furniture design was not selling- she had to rent out one of the rooms in the house. And Jeon Jin Ho (Lee Min Ho) came knocking. Jin Ho was in a competitonal bid to design a big construction project and he learned that the project's owner would prefer Park Shul Han to be the designer but since he rejected halfway through the project...it's now open to bid. Park Chul Han is the mostly absent father of Gae In and it was told that the house she currently live in was an unfinished 'prototype' of the design of the art gallery. The house was 'forbidden' to outsiders (huh? I see people coming and going through the front door and some were not even invited in) so Jin Ho option to study the design of the house was by being a boarder. Gae In would not even entertain the idea of having a male housemate (she's very conservative) but because from her previous encounters with Jin Ho she assumed he was gay.... and that wrong assumption leads to several comical situation.

I do understand how Gae In could fall for the perfect but albeit cold Jin Ho, but why does he fall for her? yea...yeah I know... I always questioning why the hero fall for the heroine while it's easy to comprehend why the heroine fall for the hero (hell yeah, if I'm the observer could "fall" for him, then it's really logical that the heroine fall for him right? So is it because even though she was hurt before but she still hadn't install various protective software around her heart; she still so trusting, understanding and forgiving (Pbabo!).

Then there is other female characters; I don't understand how they chased after and cling to a guy whom they know are not into them. Their love alone is strong, big enough for the two of them? Puhleeez... I wish that Jin Ho would show more disgust to the calculative and manipulative In Hee rather than just giving her the cold shoulder... So as not breed more ambitious and materialistic bitches out there ^^

Do I like this drama? yeah...but I don't see the chemistry between the two leads (there's more chemistry for their two bestfriend, too bad Young Sun is already married). though the kissing scene was sizzling. Is it because it's Son Ye Jin that the kiss was not as chaste as usually were in kdramas? do I nomu-nomu like it and will rewatch anytime soon? Nah... for me a really good drama was when I would want to rewatch it someday and got me addicted to watch another drama ASAP.

p/s: I do like the feeling of the house; the privacy it gave but not really the open design...

Sungkyunkwan Scandal

I'm not really anticipating this drama when I first heard about it but after watching the first 3 episodes I was hooked. Keep checking if everyday on the hour if the subtitles are ready and thankfully I found another site that subs it quickly like 5 days after the show then the subs is available...so thankful! To all subbers everywhere god bless you and may your good deeds be rewarded a thousandfold.

The last two episodes I had two wait like 2 weeks after the episodes' aired, not because of the subbers become tardy :( but I was outstation for a week and the hotel I stayed a does not provide free internet (Internet cost GBP15 per day - like I'm gonna waste my precious money on that and furthermore think of it as the practice time for me to stretch my patience level). And I was also very tired every day, with my bodyclock still not used to the different timezone, so I had stamina to stay up for 1 episode of We Got Married before sleep claimed me so it really was gonna be a waste of GBP 15.

(DIY! DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED WATCHING)
I can't remember what I write in my prepost of SKKS. Did I write of how much I adore the Jalgeum Quartet? the handsome Sun Joon, the charismatic Jae Shin, the cute Yong Ha an d Yoon Hee... I don't know really what addicted me to this drama, because maybe you don't know where the story gonna lead so you just wanna keep on going watching the next episode to the next... and even though it's not historically correct to have the female status raised during that era, you just kinda hoping that the drama make a fantasy-turn that Joseon era was the first to recognized that the female species do have a brain too.

Anyway what I wanna say was the last two episode was a let down for me, too many ties unravel quickly while some completely dissolves into thin air... I know that they are not the main character but still I'm curious how they end up... "End it up yourselves in your head"? Hello... if I do that then I don't need to wait for 2 months and a half for the drama to air from start to finish, just watched the first few episodes to get the story premises and get your own storyline continuation and ending in your head. Hmph!!

Like what was that Yoon Hee was also teaching at SKKS alongside her husband, Sun Joon; and her students seems to have a crush on her thats leads to Sun Joon's jealousy but she was still using her brother's name?!

Then Jae Shin was like a police detective? I though he would be more productive in the political side. Though his hiccups against the female is still cute as well as ..."it may become a habit" speech.

Or Yong Ha, a merchant (and a playboy still ^^) after all the pains to get into SKKS and get the "noble" education? Arghhh....

I have no strong feeling for the character Ha In Soo played by Ha Ji Won's younger brother... enough with the glaring already! It does not make me scared of you or even hate you, so get more acting lesson (hehe...that was mean), but I wish that he have a closure like somehow Cho Sun opens up her heart to the possibility that he's a decent man if he had a decent upringing.

Do I wish for a sequel for this drama? not really because I fear that they won't be as fun as this one... :(

p/s: What I found 'funny' was my sister was so addicted to the drama that even after she finished watching the entire drama she's doing rerun all over again... I try to get her to copy other drama in my hard drive to her brand new one (that she bought just because she want to watch SKKS too at the same time I wanna watch the dramassss in my hard drive and watch it but she was not interested...not hooked like she was with SKKS. Hehe...it was irritating she asked every day if the subs for the new episode are there yet when I told her repeatedly already the day when we can expect the subs to be ready tsktsktsk...

We Got Married (Season 1)

It's a korea variety/entertainment show, in case you don't know. I started to watch the first eight episodes months ago; after I finished watching Pasta but then I stopped because the most romantic couple with the most possibilities was just reconciling again after a brief separation and their awkwardness towards each other were not as cute as before. Then I started watching it again after watching Playful Kiss because I found Kim Hyun Joong robot-like character so cute in that drama (unlike his character that I've seen so far in BBF) and wonder if his true character has any similarities with Baek Seung Jo. Yeah, he's the same robot as in that drama but with more cuteness; he's blunt and a bit sarcastic methink.

So anyway, the show basically a match-maker of celebrities whereby the celebrities that they match together had to enter a make-believe marriage (I think for 2 days in a week). For starter they had 4 couples; Andy (Singer) and Solbi (Singer), Seo In Young (Singer) and Crown J (Singer), Alex (Singer and Actor) and Shinae (Model and Actress) and HyungDon (Comedian) and Saori (?).

Andy and Solbi was so sweet together although with Solbi the more aggressive one and Andy the shy guy.

In Young and Crown J both with strong personalities and high taste in fashion and posssession but with Crown J being the most considerate one and seems willing to take a step back for In Young, their marriage survive (the longest if I'm not mistaken compare to other couple).

Then there's the romantic Alex with the shy and reserved Shinae, there's attraction there I think but somehow in real life it just didn't work out, Shinae married another guy.

Saori and HyungDon marriage were doomed to fail - I find Saori cutesy voice and attitude irritating (I dont know why I can tolerate In Young bitchy one compare to her) but even more so if I have a husband like HyungDon too I will cry divorce the first chance I get. I applaud her for sticking through it for that much episodes at all. I think they do research on each couple on who will be most compatible with whom, for I think if they try to match In Young with Hyung Don fo

r sure they will be war world 3 and somehow even Solbi or Shinae with Crown J wouldn't be so right.

After the 'divorce' of HyungDon and Saori and 'separation' of Alex and Shinae (due to Alex's busy schedule) they introduce 2 more couple; Hwi Jae (host/MC) with Jo Yeo Jeong (actress) and Kim Hyun Joong (singer and actor) and Hwang Bo (singer).

Not much fun watching the first couple, wonder if that's why their married life was so short...there's no divorce or anything shown just that they are not there anymore and Hwi Jae become the MC of the show again. But Hyun Joong and Hwangbo were a barrel of laughs to watch. I don't want to say much, if you're curious to know more watch it yourself (though I don't know where you can find it; I got the hardsubbed video from my beloved niece who got it from her friend).

I brought my sister's mini laptop during my work trip to London and no...it's not for work. It's for me to watch videos I have in my hardisc. I do think the other airplane passenger's (to and from London) thought I'm weird, you have many available movies and shows to select from the airplane's show list but I went to the trouble getting my laptop out, connecting the hardisc and the earphones just to watch this entertainment show. I did try to control my laughter so that I would not call out more attention, so I did hope I didn't really laugh out loud, it's just so funny. You see I do finds sitcom like Friends, Big Bang Theory and so on, funny - but it's just merit a smile from me, but korean entertainment show makes me laugh.

But alas the battery for the laptop only last for around 2 hours and it's 16 hours flight. Arghh!!! why did RBA's planes don't have electrical socket like some of the plane I'd been on like Cathay Pacific? At the remaining time, I watched the available movie on the plane and ended up falling asleep.... zzzzzzzzzzzz. When we stop for an hour transit at Dubai, I was lugging my laptop and the wires around, hoping I had the chance to recharge the battery while waiting for boarding again, but double-arghhh! at the boarding-waiting area, they don't have socket also! I guess I was scowling or pouting and my collegue asked me whats wrong and I told her, she laughed outloud, she recommended a movie to watch on board said it was funny, but still I fall asleep - bored. I even make a tsking sound when the steward was asking me if have the seatbelt on underneath the blanket when there's trubulence; that's how surly I am that I am rude to the man who's just doing his job... I guess the cabin crew must have gotten used to cranky passengers right? It's a long flight that I had to endure in a crampy seat, with nothing interesting to do... and there's two small children who's bawling their hearts out at the seat infront of me. I am grateful though that I did not have to be tested with smelly odour...

I digress again, rambling....

Back to Kim Hyun Joong, if the age gap is not so big between him and Hwang Bo, I MIGHT wish that they can be more emotionally invested in their 'relationship' (I capitalized the might there in case I want him for myself hahaha!)

Spoiler!!!!

Truthfully, I've no intention of blogging that I've watched this show at first, but last night I watched the episode where each couple were given a choice if they want to continue be in the show or not. They were not given the oppurtunity to confer with their partner but both partners must be willing to continue for them to continue. Maybe reading wikipedia of the show a long time ago, spoil my surprise of who will continue but still I'm crying my eyes out for Andy and Solbi (Most people -female, though I'm not sure of Hwang Bo- in the show were not dry eyed watching it I think). They both bow out. I think it's not surprising that they both want out because although the show said In Young and Crown J were the most realistic couple but it seems Andy and Solbi were more invested emotionally in their fake-marriage; so before they fell any deeper they would like to crawl out now while they still can. Any rational people would do that right? See if the 'the ties that bound' are still there without the camera... and if it does, pursue it; if it don't then it don't.

Then, for when the Lettuce couple bow-out in the much later episodes, yeah I'm not that teary-eyed... I do smiles though that they make a promise not to do the same thing with their future-real-spouses because it would remind them of their 'brief-fake-marriage' and it's kinda funny for Kim Hyun Joong later drama his honeymoon island is Cheju Island... don't Korea have other beautiful domestic honeymoon destination? Sigh! But it's okay, it's a drama-honeymoon not a real one... for our honeymoon's lets go to Prince Edward Island.... wakaka! hey, a girl can dream right?

Playful Kiss

This drama is not an addictive kind (though KHJ is ^^) ; it's just sweet that you kinda pulled into continue watching.

Am not a fan of Hyun Joong (before We Got Married), the few scenes I had seen him in Boys Before Flower, he was so blank-faced that yeah I'm not looking forward to really watching this drama. But I like the girl that's why I doggedly download it and now and then while waiting for SKSS episodes and subs, watching a few episodes.

This drama was about this adorably sweet girl but not the brightest, Oh Ha Ni (Jung So Min) who has been so long having a crush on the school's genius, Baek Seung Jo (Kim Hyun Joong). Her brand new house just crumbled to the ground after a mild earthquake that she ends up staying with her father's bestfriend who is none other than Baek Seung Jo's father.

Before this, since she always get tongue tied in front of BSJ that she decided to write a confession-love letter to him and left it in his locker. The socially inept BSJ ended up correcting her grammar and spelling, and the whole school knows about it and her unreciprocated feeling, so she swore not to receive any helps whatsoever from him. Haha... If I were in her shoes; I would ask my father's to move me to another school - well, not that it is possible for me to write a love letter and leave it in a guy's locker... but still I dont think I can endure the embarrassment of facing the whole school day by day even though it will become old gossips to them soon but still they would remember....

I think that BSJ character was really suited with the real Kim Hyun Joong in that he doesn't really came across as awkward and over the top playing the robot BSJ. The few smiles he bestow on or because of Ha Ni, really like pierced to your heart....or is it just my heart?

The other character for the love triangle; Boon Joon Gu (Lee Tae Sung), well his dedication and steadfast love was so sweet but such a pity for him to not realised earlier that even without BSJ's presence, Ha Ni has no romantic interest in him. But then, if he didn't have the drive to win Ha Ni's heart, he would not have found out what his talent in life is. Lee Si Young as the genius beautiful Yoon He Ra, was also sweet. Haha... I don't know why I never found her annoying even when she played the annoying character... She's know what she wants and she strive to get it but she also know when the time to bow out... Wonder if I'm gonna hate her if her character was the normal manipulative-always-get-what-she wants-or-no-one-else-can-get-it-either bitch

My most favourite scenes are when they were on a picnic and BSJ teases her with the sock, she ran after him and stumble, he went back to her to ask if she's okay and ran again when she get up. she stumbled again and he went back to make sure she's okay and then ran again. Ah.. there are so cute together. Then there was this scene when Ha Ni went back to live with them again and she went out to sit at the steps with Seung Jo after she done the dishes. It's so sweet how they are stealing glances at each other and look away when the other turn...

I think what I like about BSJ's character is that he wished for Ha Ni to have more self-focus, self-motivation and goal apart from him. I like how he encourage her to pursue her career (though it's kinda disappoiting that her career are somewhat related to his, but you can't expect a person to have a personality overhaul 100%) - whereas maybe other guy (or real guy) will be satisfied that being her 'sun' - 'centre of her universe'. Anyway, does his hair reflect the tumult of his mind? When he wasn't 'sure ' of his feelings for Ha Ni, his hair was like below - curly and messy, but when he made up his mind - it got straighten again.

Would I rewatch this drama again? Yeah, sure ^_^ for Kim Hyun Joong's sake. But first I need to finish watching BOF...

Dong Yi

I remember started watching this early July when my parents and my sisters were going to London for my niece and nephew's graduation day. So I had to stay at my sister's house to drive my nieces to school... and I think to put my sister and brother-in-law's mind at ease with another adult in the house. (Haha...me an adult?!). Anyway,at that time I was really juggling many dramas at one time, there's this Dong Yi, Bad Guy, Coffee House and Grudge of the Gumiho Child. I finished up Bad Guy and Coffee House, did I post something on them? I think I remember writing something for Bad Guy but I don't remember writing any on Coffee House... but hey if you're not a fan of any of the CH casts please don't waste your time watching....it's not something I will recommend. Now, Grudge of Gumiho Child, I haven't finished watching it... I don't know when I'll pick it up again with all other dramas (which might be more interesting) to pick on.. but it's just I hate the thought I have not finish watching something that I had watched over 50% of.....

Dong Yi, what can I say about Dong Yi?..... I've watched other period drama... sageuk dramas they called it... and to me Dong Yi fall under the same class as Yi San... it's not as addictive as Jewel in the Palace, Ballads of Seo Dong Yo or Jumong. They were some suspense episode ending that made you wanna continue watching another episode but it's still resistable since you need your beauty sleep and you have to work tomorrow morning. But for the above-mentioned korean drama... wah! I don't care, I went with no sleep to class (in the case of Jewel because I was still in Uni then) and to work for the other two. If I could escape class and work, I might doggedly continue til I finished watching all...

Dong Yi (Han Hyo Joo) , is a about a child who slipped in to the palace to work as a slave in order to find the culprit who framed her father and brother that resulted in their deaths. I don't remember the details of the drama, lets just say that Dong Yi befriended the King Sukjong (Ji Jin Hee) while he was travelling incognito and helps solve a case. She was then promoted to be the palace maid of Jang Hee Bin (Lee So Yeon), the king most favored mistress. At first she was in the mistress's camp against Queen Inhyeon (Park Ha Sun) but later she became the Queen's loyal supporter.

She also met her brother's bestfriend, Cha Chun Soo (Bae Soo Bin) who she hopefully hope she had not lost along with her father and brother. I think it's slightly obvious that he had feelings for her apart from brotherly affection, but she remain clueless to the end. I do wonder though if she's really in love with the king or she was just feels affectionate for him... (I don't think Han Hyo Joo's here merit a daesang for the MBC 2010 Dramas Award), now the king we know how much he loved Dong Yi, he's willing to give up the throne for her...but the drama tries to show Dong Yi has the bigger heart of not willing for him to give that up but dreaming of a grander dream beyond 'their love'.

I know sometimes I'm a romanticist, sometime a cynical... like Joo Won (Hyun Bin) said in Secret Garden, if he gave everything for Ra Im (Ha Ji Won) now, he's not confident he won't resent her for that later, he's not confident that they will live happily ever after. Still, I wish that Dong Yi would express some yearning how they could live happily as a normal couple beyond the public's eye....

I know that I wouldn't be fair to the person who prepared the costumes on how much I love Jang Hee Bin's costume especially her skirts. There are so beautiful and eye-catching. While Dong Yi and Queen Inhyeong pastel colours went unnotice by me. My niece said it was because only the villains wear bright and daring colours while the humble heroins wear subdued ones.. but I think even subdued colours can be beautiful right?

Sungkyunkwan Scandal Pre-post

Currently watching this drama (among others) and gosh! I can't wait for the continuition... thank gods I've found a site that subs quickly!

So basicly Sungkyunkwan is a university of the Joseon era... for men only! and Yoo Hee impersonating her brother ends up enrolling in there along with the uptight self-righteous Suh Joon, who is also her roomate with another devil-may-care guy Moon Jae Shin. The room next to them occupied solely by the cheeky Go Yong Ha.

So I really found Park Min Young cute in I am Sam, and I don't think she overact her gender-impersonation too much (but she was tooo cute that for someone in reality to not suspect her true gender - that person must be dense!).

Then there is Micky Yoochun who seems so wooden at first but as the episode goes on you kinda started falling for him and he started to get more handsomer.

Yoo Ah In, I don't know why there so many Moony faction at dramabeans, yeah I like his character and his crush on Yoon Hee is so adorable, but much am I always rooting for the second guy, but now I'm rooting for Suh Joon (kiss her/him already!).

And last but not least the cheeky, mischievious, mysterious Go Yong Ha...how can you not find him cute (though a bit annoying)? Sigh!.... Wish I can fast forward the days.... I wanna knw how the story ends. Hehe...if it's in english or malay, would have bought the novels already!

Baker King, Kim Tak Goo

When the drama had two time dimensions; one when the main casts was in their childhood and the other when they had become adults, I almost always intrigued by the storyline and the children-cast - except maybe for Ballad of the Prince (Seo Dong Yo) and Dong Yi, the intriguing part was in the adulthood. Then like the case of East of Eden and Fashion 70's, the adulthood storyline was so dragging and the adultcast was soooo not intiguing - I kinda lost interest and the reason I continue watching was because at that time I was so strict with myself - watch one drama from start to finish, then I can watch another one.

But then it was easy to discipline myself before cause to watch kdrama i had to buy the boxset, so all I had to do was not go into a cd shop and buy one; but nowadays I'm downloading them so I'm kinda drama hopping from one drama to another, depending on which one I was most curious to know the continuition of the story and the availability of the subtitles. At the moment I'm excited to watch Sungkyunkwan Scandal, I think it's because of Song Joong Ki's character and I'm still kinda guessing who will discover her real identity first and who's gonna fall for her (I hope not all three!) and so not in the mood to continue Tale of the Gumiho's Grudge.

I digress again, I wasn't planning to watch this drama cause the title seems so boring, King of Baking? (Ugh..not another lesson in cooking/baking, if it could improve my skills baik jua but it just further dissuade me to start learning cause they make it only special people could do it the right way) but I caught the first episode and it seems interesting haha...the fortune teller foretold that no matter how hard she prayed, how many times she tried she will never begets a son with her husband but she could get a son with another man. So isn't that the husband's fault? but then again he foretold that the husband's getting a son with another woman too... So what did she do? She went away to seduce her husband's right-hand man and left her husband behind with her daughters' nanny, and to top it off the nanny used to be one of the candidate that her husband wants to marry. Still you blame fate...

The children casts for the role of Kim Tak Gu and Go Ma Jun were also appropriate; Oh Jae Moo as Tak Gu with village upbringing, though he was loud and he was brash but he was frank and pure-hearted; and Shin Dong Woo as the never-knew-hardship Ma Jun - you do want to hate him because he was so spoiled and pampered all his life but there's just some kinda vulnerability in him that you want to shield him too from being hurt. He was pulled three ways from his father, mother and grandma who wants different things from him and nothing he does will ever enough for them.

So when Tak Gu was brought home and presented to be his older brother, it's natural that he feel resentment. The expectation of everyone else was already hard to bear, now he had to compete with this kid who came out of nowhere and seems to hold his father's heart already. Moreover, he overheard his mother's secret on who his true biological father is - what a burden for a child whose worry should only be of his studies and his playing time.

Haha..the way I'm going on the title should be XXX Gu Ma Jun. But seriously, his character was more interesting (and realistic) than Tak Gu. Tak Gu seems 'superhuman'; after tragedy happened and he ran away from home, he made it so simple and easy to live on the street, roaming by himself and he basically raised himself from childhood (of maybe 10 years old?) to adulthood. But then again, I'm always drawn to the silent-wounded-underdog...

The brothers met again in a bakery shop with Ma Jun hiding his real identity from everyone including Tak Gu. They also met Shin Yoo Kyung, Tak Gu's former classmate whom he had a crush on. But Ma Jun intervention and manipulation keeps them apart again for 2 years... you wonder what's the real reason for that? Is it to hurt Tak Gu or for his own sake? And I wonder too why they cast Eugene as Yoo Kyung, couldn't they find an actress with the same age as Yoon Shi Yoon and Joo Won? or they just want a famous name as a pull to the drama since both of them are a newcomer in the dramaworld?

I'm not gonna spoil any further about the drama but lets just say that compare to the recent drama that I've watched (Coffee House, Bad Guy) this one was interesting from start to finish. And Ma Jun's mother, though she was an evil witch but she was a fashionable-beautiful-evil witch ^_^

Casts:

Yoon Shi Yoon as Kim Tak Goo
Oh Jae Moo as Kim Tak Goo (child)
Eugene as Shin Yoo Kyung
Jo Jung Eun as Shin Yoo Kyung (child)

Joo Won as Goo Ma Joon

Shin Dong Woo as Goo Ma Joon (child)

Goo family
Jun Kwang Ryul as Goo Il Jong ( Tak Gu and Ma Jun's dad)
Jun In Hwa as Seo In Sook (Ma Jun's mom)
Choi Ja Hye as Goo Ja Kyung
Ha Seung Ri as Goo Ja Kyung (teen)
Choi Yoon Young as Goo Ja Rim
Kim So Hyun as Goo Ja Rim (child)

Other people
Jung Sung Mo as Han Seung Jae (Ma Jun's biological father)
Jun Mi Sun as Kim Mi Sun (Tak Goo's mother)
Lee Han Wie as Heo Gap Soo

Yang family (The Bakery Shop people)
Jang Hang Sun as Oh Doo Yong / Master Pal Bong
Park Sang Myun as Yang In Mok
Hwang Mi Sun as Oh Young Ja
Lee Young Ah as Yang Mi Sun

Bad Guy

An eye for an eye, leave the whole world blind - that what Gandhi had said. In a sense it do make sense that if everyone seeks vengeance for the wrong done to them and then the other party or the loved ones of the other party will also seeks vengeance after that, and on and on, the cycle keeps on turning and the sphere of person getting hurt becoming wider - thus the world will be full of wounded people. Unless of course they have the heart (or lack the heart) to eiminate all possible revenger in the first place; so the revenge-cycle will stop with them. But then if we let it be; let the ones who wronged us scott-free without consequences of their actions - I don't want to live in that world either.

Hmmm...nowadays I've been watching so many drama with so many potential, or maybe I've more discerning eyes these days so I can detect so many weaknesses in a drama....

Bad Guy is such a drama. I was hooked at first with Kim Nam Gil's wounded look but as his past reveal themselves slowly, I was like hmmm... I was okay with him seeking revenge on the parents, but why seek to hurt the children also. Like him then, there were merely children - just watching what the adults were doing without the power to do anything to change the course of events.

He was at first Choi Tae Seong, living happily with his adoptive(?) parents when suddenly he was ripped away from them to live in gilded house and was told that President Hong was his real biological father. President Hong had a wife with a son and 2 daughters already. Then, suddenly when he was celebrating his 10th (?) birthday comes the news that they had made a mistake and he was not the son and as if he was merely a lost puppy he was put outside the door for his former set of parents to pick him up while President Hong went to pick up his true son. What a heartless bunch of people, couldnt they just tolerate him a bit more and let him wait INSIDE the house rather than out in the rain? Anyway, his former parents didnt have the chance to pick him up because they died in an accident on the way. That leave the little boy to roam the streets, until Seo Yeong save him from other bullies kids and take him to the orphanage with her.

Now, he's all grown up and become Shim Gun Wook (Kim Nam Gil) and Seo Yeong died either from suicide or murder after she was dumped by Hong Tae Seong (Kim JAe Wook) the kid who replace him in the Hong's family. Gun Wook used his flair as the stuntman for a movie to attract the attention of Hong Me Ne (Jung So Min), President Hong's youngest daughter and get Hong Tae Ra (Oh Yun So) hot and bothered in the bargain.

Another character is Moon Jae In (Han Ga In) who works for Madam Shin (President Hong's wife) and who just got dumped by her boyfriend because his mother thinks her social status is not good enough for her son. This puts ambition and greed in her head, so she went to pursue Hong Tae Seong. At first she mistakenly believe Gun Wook was Hong Tae Seong and Gun Wook meanly didn't correct her.

I think the middle episodes I kinda lost interest cause I see no sense in Gun Wook's actions, snorted that all available and of age female characters fall for Gun Wook, and I started to sympathize with Hong Tae Seong and lil' bit of hatred of Jae In (come on make up your mind! or is it your heart?) then the last episodes start to get interesting again with the evil character was reveal and this is not merely just a misunderstanding-goes-big-awry. But then again maybe because of the rushed production, they are so many scenes that makes you go what???? And I always find Korean court scene (either in sugeuk drama or modern ones) that doesn't make any rational sense, based on what evidence? just heresay would be concrete proofs beyond reasonable doubts? Arghhh!!!! And the cops here is just waiting to be spoonfeds that it makes you want to strangle them. Okay, maybe they were just 'props' for the storyline, but couldnt the writer(s) makes them not so dumb....???

[Spoiler Alert!!!!]

I do think that Gun Wook death is a reasonable ending because I can't be satisfied if he's left alive and chosen neither Tae Ra nor Jae In nor if he chose one of them, so he's better off dead. What I don't like is how the remaing characters had in some level nothing changes in their lives. Madam Shin was let out on a bail just after a brief moments in prison and she get what she wanted, Tae Ra as the president of the company. Mo Ne continues with her pampered lifestyles. Tae Ra and Jae In not knowing of his deaths continue with their lives although mooning for him and wishing he was happy. I think the only change is Hong Tae Seong who left travelling to be indepent, be what he can be with his own merits.

Oh yeah, much as I'm trying to get use to the pairing with Noonas?Ahjummas in korean dramas, couldn't just the writer just slip in that Tae Ra was a bit uncomfortable with the age gap between her and Gun Wook? Her only concerns about Gun Wook was she's married already and Gun Wook is her sister's boyfriend...

I'm looking forward to Mischievous Kiss because of Jung So Min, she's so adorable with happy-go-lucky attitude but not so much as hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-scorned. Shim Eun Kyung would probably wish that she had gone for that oversea study rather than waste time acting in this drama, also she's cute here too - but totally forgetable character.

Coffee House

Lee Jin Soo (Kang Ji Hwan) is a successful thriller novelist - to the whole world he's a gentlemen but to those who's clsose to him, he's a bit weird with sarcastic tendency and strange habits. One day while evading his publisher Seo Eun Young (Park Si Yeon) arrangement for an interview with some reporters he stumbled in Kang Seung Yeon's (Ham Eun Jung) family coffee shop and as a favor to one of his buddy who had a crush on Seung Yeon, hired Seung Yeon to be his secreatry (cum. slave) while he was writing his new novel.

Anyway, there is some history between Jin Soo and Eun Young ever since their universities day and then now Eun Young's ex-fiance (Jung Woong In) has come back into her life and acts as if it was heaven blessing that he still want Eun Young. He blames Eun Young for being so confident and independent that is why he strayed to another woman. Huh! Man and their ego! Jin Soo and Eun Young can barely tolerate him, but they have to because he was their sunbae... I guess it was the easy way, suffer a few hours of person's dreadful company rather than make a big scene. In reality, we do tends to that....

I think even half-way through the drama the audience was left guessing who Jin Soo will ends up with; his best-friend or his secreatry... many have chosen camp, but me I couldn't care less because there's simply no chemistry between him and the two female characters. It's an okay drama, but it just does not make you feel addicted that you foregone everything else, actually maybe if it wasn't for KJH, I'll give up watching in the early episodes stage, it was that draggggggggingly slow. It's a drama that overtime I'm gonna forget the storyline but will not rewatch again just to remember...

The only character that I find engaging is Kim Dong Wook (Park Jae Jung), one of Eun Young employees who has a crush on Seung Yeun. It's sad how the drama actually does not explore more on his character.....

Jung Woong In is also wonderful, I choose him in Last Scandal rather than the main hero but now, if he's real-life person I'm sure I'll avoid him at every oppurtunity....

Pasta

Because of the great review of Pasta, this is a cooking-theme korean drama that I wanted to watch and when I happen to window shopping (it's always never is just window shopping really!)at one of the dvd shop and saw the boxset and the subs is not so bad until the ends episode... I say what the heck; just buy it eventhough I got so many downloaded dramas yet to watch. Haha... If my former deputy director read the previous sentence who would be more likely to send me to Dewan Bahasa for writing so long a sentence.

Paste is the story of a young woman Seo Yoo Kyung (Gong Hyo Jin) aspiration to became an elite chef at La Sfera, an Italian restaurant. She started as a kitchen assistant and after 3 years finally had a chance to hold the pan when the chef promoted her, but alas the chef was fired before she was officially promoted and a new chef Choi Hyun Wook (Lee Sun Gyun) was brought in. It didn't help matter when the new chef was a chauvinistic pig who don't believe his kitchen hold a place for a woman. One by one he found reason to fired all the female chef with only Soo Kyung being the thisk skinned and stuborn one, still reporting for work in the kitchen. I really want to kick Hyun Wook ion the shin when he proposed to Yoo Kyung to start dating him after callously treated her like a foot mat in the workplace. I don't care that he's a widely recognised chef in korean and maybe other countries too, or the fact that he had betrayed and hurt by a woman before - that doesn't give him an excuse to be a jerk.

See, when he was learning the culinary arts in Italy, he had a realtionship with his fellow student Oh Sae Young (Lee Honey/Lee Ha Nui) but in a competition she cheated him and was named the winner. Oh yeah, Sae Young was a close friend to Kim Sam (Alex) who was really the invisible owner of La Sfera and who has a crush on Soo Kyung ever since she mischievously manage to get a job there

Anyway, after the females were fired the only remaining cook were Geum Suk Ho (Lee Hyung Chul), Jung Ho Nam (Jo Sang Ki), Min Seung Jae (Baek Bong Ki) and Han Sang Sik (Heo Tae Hee) and thus dubbed the Korean Team. Chef Hyun Wook who had prepared in advance for counter strike against his firing move, has brought in his chef team from Italy consists of Sun Woo Duk (Kim Tae Ho), Philip (No Min Woo) and Lee Ji Hoon (Hyun Woo) thus dubbed the Italian Team. The competition between these two teams torn not only the ignored Soo Kyung but also the new kitchen's assistant (who was brought in to replace Soo Jyung) Jung Eun Soo (Choi Jae Hwan).

So Hyun Wook was torn between professionalism and his personal feelings for Soo Kyung, Soo Kyung was torn between Hyun Wook and her secret admirer who as she later finds out to be Kim Sam. Then the rivalry between the Korea Team and the Italy Team, how will it end? Do I like this drama? Yeah, I remembered feeling happy after I watch this drama. Would have rewatched it if there is nothing nothing else to watch (is that possible?), Hyo Jin and Sun Gyun was adorable together though I wish Hyo Jin would just darken her eyebrows a bit, she seems a bit like Whoopi Goldbergh to me and then there is Kim Sam, who any sensible girl would fall for rather than the overbearing perfectionist Hyun Wook. He makes me wants to restart my obsession with cactus but unfortunatelt I have the opposite of green thumbs. Plants would florish better if I ignore them.

Oh yeah, I post the 2 pics below because I found it funny that the dorky Eun Soo has more muscular body than the three other handsome/cute Italian Team. And if you have watched My Girlfriend is a Gumiho would agree with me that No Min Woo should keep his hair like this.

I don't know who Alex was before this drama and now after watching this drama and a couple of We Got Married episodes I have a couple of his songs in my track list. Love his voice...

Oh! My Lady, The Birth of The Rich, Cinderella's Sister

First of all, would like to apologize for the 3-in-1 post, its not that the drama not worth a post of their own; its just I don't have the time. Hehe...the time I have infront of the pc better spent on watching more drama right? furthermore I will only be long-winded rambling uninteresting facts... lets see if I'm not long winded now :P

I lurvvvvvveee late March and begining of April!!!! It was the only time when my workload is lighter. Usually I was bored filling my time surfing the net but this year, oh my! I was busy watching the recently airing of kdramas; one part after another; one episodes after another; one drama after another... I was blissfully content eventhough I didn't go out for lunch (like today!). Back then, I was watching Cinderella's Sister, Oh! My Lady, Personal Taste, Dong Yi and after stumble-watching Birth of A Rich Man, my curiosity make me follow up on that drama also. But alas, reality intrude.... I had to drop Dong Yi (because it's such a long drama so I'm gonna wait for the boxset or asked my niece for her downloaded files) and Personal Taste cause at the time the streaming linkages were broken so I gave up!

Why I decided to watch OML? I don't really know myself... Got enough of older females who falls for younger male also, but I like Chae Rim so maybe I thought I gave the drama a chance. At first, I don't know why the vikiii viewers go gaga over Choi Siwon (from reading the comments above), I don't find him that cute... I continued watching because I got time to kill... but then cute Ye Eun (Kim Yoo Bin) comes into the picture and I was hooked. It's getting better when I start to see Siwon in a clearer picture as well, his facial expressions are so adorable. He make me a converted Super Junior's fan!

Ok, more about the drama. Sung Min Woo (Choi Siwon) is a top star, a singer and an actor; albeit not such a good actor but his fans still love him no matter what he do. While Yoon Gae Hwa (Chae Rim) falls on hard times, financially broke that she had to send her daughter to live with her ex-husband with his new wife and she herself had to stay in sauna bath house (don't know if they have a special name for this kinda place, to lazy to surf and find out). Well, on that note I just dont understand why cant her bestfriend (the doctor) helps her out and bring her to live with her and her family, the sofa living room would be better than that public place right?

Anyway, she found a temporary job as a maid and she has to be secretive about employer because he's a well-known celebrity. That employer tends out to be Min Woo but she cant hold n to the job long because she made many blunders with Min Woo. She tries to find job elsewhere and find one in the Show Company but the thing is she only get the job if only she can get Min Woo to sign up with the company's production. I think it was during this trip to grovel to Min Woo to sign up that she stumbles on Ye Eun, who was sent by her mother by taxi to Min Woo's apartment. The taxi driver and the front guard of the building was only too happy to left silent Ye Eun in Gae Hwa's care for Min Woo was not home. So it was Gae Hwa who encounters Min Woo incredulousness when he was presented with Ye Eun who in the note that was in her luggage was told to be his daughter. To cut the story short, he hired Gae Hwa to be the nanny cum maid in return for her silence and his cooperation to sign up in the Show Company production.

Ye Eun is so adorable! Make me wants to adopt a Korean baby!!!!

Will the two fall in love? What about Show Company's manager, Shi Joon (Lee Hyun Woo) who seems to care of the welfare of his newest staff and whose wife is having an affair. Min Woo's first love (Park Han Byul) -the girl who only being polite to him when he was a nobody but now flirting with him now he's popular- also there to remind Gae Hwa what is her position.

Ok, there's no chemistry between Chae Rim and Siwon maybe because despite Chae Rim child like face she still has the aura of an ahjumma and Siwon still looks so young compares to her, but still it was enjoyable to see these two interacts. And I like the above refrigator-kiss scene; maybe because the way Siwon puts his hand on Chae Rim's waist (faint! Gentlenment Siwon) ^_^ then there's Ye Eun and Siwon.....melts! Spoiler! Its a happy ending but still I felt like the ending was kinda wrap up so quickly and you felt like 'that's was the ending???"

Get ready for a little bit of Siwon-expression spam!!!!

Now, Birth of the Rich was not something I planned to see also. Not only the synopsis does not perk up my interest but apart from Lee Bo Young - which I mildly like because she was Jo Hyun Jae's heroine in The Ballad of Suh Dong - I never watch the other 3 lead casts works before. But I caught middle of ep.1 and watch full ep.2 so my curiousity kicks in...who's the father????

The synopsis is like this Choi Suk Bong (Ji Hyun Woo) was in search of his father. His mother had a one-night stand with a stranger after being dumped by her boyfriend. The thing is after waking up in a hotel with a nearly-total stranger and then move to the hotel's restaurant, she didn't have the chance to ask his name and his hers? The guy look like he's falling for her but then an emergency call cut their breakfast short and all he had time was to scribble his phone no on his favourite book and told her to call him. When he was gone she asked the Concierge who was he, and get the answer that he's the heir of a chaebol family. Really, get a name girl!!! Sure enough many months later she found out she's expecting so she hesitantly make a call to him on a phone booth but then she saw and elderly lady falls and rush out to help her and the book was left on the phone! When she came back for it later it was already gone. So Suk Bong had grown up with only the tale that his father is a chaebol, no name, no face to identify him with except for the pendant necklace his father had given to his mother saying it was one of a kind.

Suk Bong was working at hotel own by Lee Shin Mi's father. Lee Shin Mi (Lee Bo Young) although born rich, but she was being stingy to a fault. Her stinginess and strictness personalities clashed with Suk Bong, even after Suk Bong saves her life in a car accident, she still wary of his intentions; was he searching for his father because he is his father, or because he was told that his father is a chaebol?

The second lead couple is Bo Tae Hee (Lee So Young) who also the daughter of a chaebol and has been in love with Choo Woon Suk (Nam Goong Min) for a long time. The only problem is he's pursuing Shin Mi. What I don't get is if he's really pursuing Shin Mi because he like her better than Tae Hee or simply because Shin Mi's father is much richer and more powerful compare to Tae Hee's? ^_^ My niece said she found Tae Hee's character annoying but I rather find her adorable and refreshing... she does not hide what she feels or what she thinks, such a rare open book that soon Woon Suk can't help fall for her too. (p/s: Shin Mi's and Tae Hee's personal assitant are beautiful also... so maybe this drama is to attract more on male viewership than female for really the male lead is not such an eye candy at all, though I like Ji Hyun Woo's facial expression)

So who is Suk Bong's biological father? Is it Shin Mi's father? Or Tae Hee's father? or another person? Well, I like that the pace of the drama keeps you guessing one episode after the next who is the father and why did he not come in search of Suk Bong's mother. How did the 'book' end up with Shin Mi and the phone no. on the book is Shin Mi's no.?

Btw, I'm trying to find the song that keeps playing I think ep. 15-16, when Suk Bong is thinking whether to keep seeing Shin Mi or not when he found out the REAL story...so if anybody knows let me know...

Now, Cinderella's Sister was on my watchlist the minute I learned about it and when it aired I really really lurve it, the modern twisted version of the famous fairytale. I was non-commital when Moon Geun Young was praised for her acting talent but now yeah I have to agree she was pretty talented for such a young actress ( she should keep her hair long cause that was when she was most beautiful).

Eun Jo (Moon Geun Young) was living with her mother Kang Sook (Lee Mi Sook) with her mother's boyfriend and his nephew (I think) Jung Woo. The man was always abusive when he was drunk so Eun Jo thinks it's only a matter of time before her mother left him and sure enough a fight ensued and Eun Jo grabs her mother and ran away from the house. But alas even if the man itself cannot catch them so he calls for help. Part of the reason why he wants them back is that Eun Jo also manage to "pack up" the diamond engagement ring he intends to give to her mother. The chase party manage to get to them when the train they are boarding stop at the next station and Eun Jo tries to hide in the toilet cubicle but inside there's already another girl. Eun Jo then tell the girl to keep the ring safe for her and the girl name was Go Hyo Sun (Seo Woo).

On a different note, Lee Mi Sook is a beautiful and talented lady. When I first saw her in this drama, her face seems familiar to me but I can remember in which drama I've seen her before only in the 2nd or is it 3rd episode did it dawned on me she is the stern mother in East of Eden. Much as you want to hate her in this drama I can't seem too, I rather hate her in East of Eden....I wish I will age gracefully as her when I get older hehehe...

Go Hyo Sun was a pampered daughter of a well-off businessman, Go Dae Sung who lost his wife to cancer when Hyo Sun was only 6 years old. So when Kang Sook came in search of Hyo Sun for the ring and saw the estate and the servants of the makguli producing business, she set her cap on Dae Sung. She easily anbd fastly access the situation and became the motherlike figure Hyo Sun wants her to be, the demure charismatic woman Dae Sung wants to see. When finally her traps get caught, Dae Sung sent Ki Hoon (Chun Jung Myung) to get Eun Jo to live with them. (I'm not really sure what Ki Hoon relationship with Dae Sung is or how they met, is it because Ki Hoon's has a hidden agenda or just coincidence that he found a safe haven).

So there, the beginning of the drama, an emotionally-impaired-with-high-fortress-around-her-icy-heart Cinderella's Sister that is Eun Jo and Hyo Sun the-pampered-and-indulged Cinderella. Will Ki Hoon be the prince charming? but how can he be when he's the black sheep of his own family? Then there is Jung Woo (Taecyeon of 2PM) whose heart he had given to Eun Jo all along when she was he one who feed and care for him when they live together... I thought his character was so wasted in the earlier part of the drama cause he only stood on the background and watching the drama revolves around the family plus then my eyes are so glued to CJM. But then when the prince charming CJM turns dark and cloudy, loses his charming smile.... I was kinda hoping that Eun Jo will finally see her shadow as a man. Sigh! I'm rather dissapointed with the ending of this drama or even the storyline of it halfway through this drama. So maybe I should finished watching a drama before recommending it to anyone right?