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...