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?

Heroes and Villains

I managed to get through from ep 30-51 of Queen Seon Deok's bad subs. Now Mi Shil is dead and Deok Man becomes the Queen. She acknowledge that the road she had taken was a lonely one, she could not trusted anyone but herself. Everyone is selfish, out for their own gain ... but even Yu Shin??? He pledge he gave all he had to give for her while Bi Dam pledge he would do all to get back what he had lost. Darn! Can somebody remind me of a story, of a legend, of any myth where the strong female lead get the 'career' and the love? Why does women have to choose either one and man can easily get both? For a woman, if you're so successful then most likely you would end up being alone.

And argggggh! I wish Bi Dam does not have to become the 'dark prince' now that the lead 'dark princess' had died... how wish that Mi Shil had lived longer, so that something stronger can develop beween Deok Man and Bi Dam to overcome the dark force of his greed and ambitions.

Nature vs Nurture; the old debates came to mind. Yes, Bi Dam is selfish, who didn't?, and he courgeous and brave enough to fight for what he believes is his. Isn't that a positive character? Everyone is greedy, the only difference is the extent of that greed would govern your action; would that motivate you to strive harder, would you let go of all your principles just to have what others have? or would you just smirk to yourself and chant be grateful with what you have now?

Bi Dam could become a greater man if it wasn't for those evil minions that feeds his greed and ambitions; made him wanted more, made him believes it was rightfully his in the beginning. Yes, maybe DNA plays a part in moulding his character - he is Mi Shil's son after all - but if only he was brought up with proper upbringing, feel love and wanted, maybe he would not turn be this 'disjointed' person. I'm gonna take a break from QSD for now and wait for the dvds with good subs... Right now, I got Percy Jacksons to read (watch the movie and interested to know more about the Greek Gods myth so I bought the book! It was intended for childrens so guaranteed an easy read), other series to watch, and other korean dramas to better spend my time own (compare to wasting my time trying to deciper what exactly the subs trying to translate!)

Talking bout korean drama, there are 2 currently airing Korean Drama that even just reading the recaps make me feel 'bubbly'. The dramas are Wish Upon A Star and The Woman Who Still Want To Marry. This two dramas didn't pique my interest when I read the synopsis but because Javabeans personally doing the recaps, I'm curious enough to read the recaps of the first two episodes and...getting sucked in!

Wish Upon A Star, is a stroy of a flighty 25-years old woman who had not have a care in the world. Her aim in life was to dolled herself to caught the interest of the love her life, the cold hearted prince. But life takes a turn for the worst when she lost both her parents in an accident making her the sole guardian of her 5 adopted siblings and worst still the villains in this drama made them lost their home too. She could have taken the easy way out and turned the kids to foster homes, but she squared her shoulder, cut her hair and bear the burden. I like reading about her growing as a person, and the kids sounds adorable too! Kim Ji Hoon might be dashingly andsome in Flowers For My Life, but in this drama his hairdo seems weird, though that does not mean I'm not itching to see this drama!!! Cause I am, but I just don't have the patience to watching streaming nor the time.

My first impression of reading the synopsis of The Woman Who Still Want to Marry was arghhh... another Dal Ja Spring? What's Up Fox? A much older woman being paired up with a younger man. Really really this drama was not in my list of dramas-to-watch but I didn't know how Javabeans suckered me to read one episode recaps to another, making me even more "in love" with Kim Bum. First saw Kim Bum in the widely known BBF and then love him as Dong Chul in East of Eden but here I think I'm gonna fall deeper into the pit.

I thought Jang Geun Seok is cute, Chun Jung Myung is cute, - who else ah?- but nothing compares to Kim Bum who makes me wish that I was born a little bit more later. (Snort! Like that would make my chances ending up with him greater!) Haha... if I was Shin Young I would jump headfirst with him regardless of the consequences, of society... ( Double snort!)but I'm not Shin Young and Min Jae is not 'real' - only the cute Kim Bum is real - so yeah me jumping would n-e-v-e-r happen.

Okay ready for lots of Kim Bum's pics from the drama (courtesy to dramabeans.com) .... swoons!

Hmm... now that I see back the screen recaps, I realised that its not his physical appearance that I find endearing and cute, though his eyes are really 'feeling'. Its his romantic gestures that pulled the string of my old heart! I think lah... haha I don't like to overanalyse things... makes you see thing you better off not seeing I'm sure. Yawn! I better get some sleep....

Foxy Lady (3.5)

No man is an island, entire of itself
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were,
as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were
any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls
it tolls for thee.
-- John Donne

A drama that questioned "Does age matters?" Well, it might not matter to you but it matters to everyone else. Yeah...yeah, you'll say its your life, butt-off!!! But like the poem above suggest, 'no man is an island', we live in a community- unless you're willing to live in the middle of nowhere and shun everyone... Hmmm, if I could get things by ordering online and having it delivered up to my doorstep - but I'll have to pay the telephone bills, the water bills, the electricity and the gas ( I still wanna live in a lap of luxury, even if I could live without human company); I still have to meet people to install them first, and hey how do I get the money?? Farming? Haha...laughably impossible!

Back to the drama, it potrays the life of a 33 year old single female reporter of an 'adult' magazine, Go Byeong Hee (Go Hyun Jung). One day she found out she had benign uterine tumor, the same day she found out that her so-called-soulmate is gay. She drowns her sorrrow and worries by getting drunk in some out of town location. She called up her best friend Park Seung Hye (Ahn Sun Young) to get her, but she sends her younger brother Park Chul Su (Chun Jung Myung) instead.

Chul Su ,24 years old, just got back home after wandering around the world for 1-2 years, he's an excellent car mechanic, a handy man to fix thing around the house, but has no ambition whatsoever -he reasoned that way, he won't fail at anything. (Hmmm...that brought to mind the quotes, "You are a failure if onl you have fail to try" and " Failure to plan is planning to fail"). Anyway, the night he went to pick up Byeong Hee, they ended up had to stay in a motel and the drunken Byeong Hee 'attacks' him. He pushed her away several times, but what he was supposed to do when she keep on kissing him, he's only a man afterall - buaya mana yang tolak bangkai? (But to compare a carcass with a female, Grrrrr!)

Byeong Hee didnt remember everything that happened that night, so she suggest they'll just erase it from their memory altogether. Chul Su held the same opinion at first, then a good marriage prospect for Byeong Hee made an appearance and he cant ignore his heart any longer...

SPOILER!!!!

It turns out that he was in love with Byeong Hee all along, but because of the age difference and Byeong Hee always treated him as her own younger brother, he decided to go away, hoping that by the time he return she'll be married and have a family, and he'll get over her.... Yeah, a few years is acceptable but 9 years???? As she said when he return (while smackng his butt repeatedly), her baby had grown up to be a man, she used to change his diapers... then madly he grabs her hand and put it on his crotch, this is where you really wanna feel right? he yells, wakaka...the shocked looks on her face!

What I don't understand is the relief and happiness Chul So shows when Byeong Hee told him she wasnt pregnant...shouldnt he be dissapointed if he's really in love with her, he could use the baby as an excuse to marry her...

Another sideline story is Byeong Hee's younger sister, Go Jun Hee (Kim Eun Joo), a model. One modelling show, she met Park Byeong Gak aka Bulldog (Son Hyeon Joo) a President of a luxury brand. After that he pulls his string making her modeling career comes to a halt. He make a proposal to her, to become her 'sponsor' as long as she do as she was told, he'll make a successful model. He had no intention to make her his mistress, he just want to see her everyday because she was a dead-ringer to his deceased wife. Even though he is ignorant and crude, the spoiled and selfish Jun Hee really fall him, but the problem is he's way to old for her. I think their story is more cuter than Byeong Hee and Chul So ^_^

Anyway, if the female is older than the male; people will look badly more on the female - cradle snatcher! If the male is way older than the female; people still look more negatively on the female - gold-digger! Isnt this world just fair? People stereotyping other people easily(...hehe myself included, just cant help it!) but hey you just can't please everybody, so just please yourselves lah...be damned what other people thinks (easy to say ^_^). I like this description in koreanmovie.com at the start of the review of this drama.

"Most people probably have experienced at one time or another, searching for a pencil all over their house, only to discover they had been holding it in their hand all the while. This drama is about the process of realizing that the pencil is in your hands.This drama wants to talk about the simple truth that both love and happiness are found right beside you, right in your heart. It wants to say that if you discard your superficial defenses, just a little, you too can become happy".

Go Hyun Jung (DOB: 2 Mac 1971)

Chun Jung Myung (DOB: 29 Nov 1980)

Kim Eun Joo (DOB: 31 Aug 1985)

Soo Hyeon Joo (DOB: 24 Jun 1965)

Jo Yeon Woo (DOB: 30 May 1973)

{Byeon Hee's other love interest; a doctor, kind and thoughtful. Isn't she a bbabo? }

Hello! Miss (3)

Lee Soo Ha (Lee Da Hae) - the 38th granddaughter of the Jae Ahn Lee clan and owner of the clan manor Hwa Ahn Dang - is trying to save the place from going bankrupt. She inherited the historical home after her father left for Seoul with another woman years ago and her mother died last year of stomach cancer. This is the part where I dont understand their culture, the property was rightfully and legally hers but her action was dictated by the clan's elder, who was no help at all in protecting her home. All they do are bicker and order thus make her life more difficult. She call them for help when they were house-arrested by group of protestors, and they answered that they were on their way to visit another house - which is not at an emergency thus they can go for a visit at another time! When she needed fund to make some maintenance work on the house, they said they already spend the funds on something else. If I were her I'll told them-when they butt-in my business again - to go to hell! How dare they dictate and judge my action when they were no help whatsoever!

And another thing, what makes me wonder after watching all these Kdramas were; in Korea can anybody withdraw your money as long as they had your bank's passbook? What about all those certificates for possessions, can they changed the name of the owner without needing verification of the current owner?

Anyway, one day she meets Hwang Dong Gyu (Lee Ji-hoon), who wanted to buy Hwa Ahn Dang at any price. He's the eldest grandson of the president of TOP Group; who was once a servant at the manor - the grandfather cannot rest in peace unless he spends his last days in Hwa Ahn Dang's master suite. He and Soo Ha bicker constantly whenever they met but soon he realised he was falling for her. However, despite his strong feelings for her, he stumbles a lot due to his poor courting skills.

Enter his cousin, the charming playboy Hwang Chan Min, who falls for the country bumpkin Soo Ha also. He who was at first not interested in inheriting his family’s business, embarks on learning the business rope and be a responsible man to win Soo Ha's heart. It was really sweet at first when he and his cousin compete fairly to gain Soo Ha's interest, but then when he saw that he's losing ground, he resort to underhanded tactics :( Sigh! He was so cute compare to Ji-Hoon, why couldnt he be the lead hero? Then, the grandfather complicated matters further, promising to pass the managerial rights to the grandson who can win Soo Ha's hearts and indirectly gives him the Hwa Ahn Dang.

Then there is Seo Hwa Ran (Yeon Mi Joo), a model who has a secret history with and a secret plan for Hwa Ahn Dang, and Lee Joon Yong, Soo Ha's brother and Chan Min's friend who can't forget a girl from Hwa Ahn Dang he knew when he was a kid... I really like Dong Gyu's aunt, Hwang Yoo Il (Choi Soo Rin), I know she like her freedom as a single woman and all, but wouldnt it be nice if she does fall in love at last? ^_^

Casts:

Lee Ji Hoon as Hwang Dong Gyu (DOB: 1979-Mar-27)

Lee Da Hae as Lee Soo Ha (DOB: 1984-Apr-19)

Ha Suk Jin as Hwang Chan Min (DOB: 1982-Feb-10)

Yoon Mi Joo as Suh Hwa Ran (DOB: 1982)

Ryan as Lee Joon Yong (DOB: 1983-Oct-19)

Additional:

Beginning of this drama, I was like darn Lee Da Hae was playing the same character as in in My Girl, so boring...cant she try some more challenging character? But I read Robber also boring... Hmm... Playing serious character like in Green Rose was not her genre maybe..but if she keep acting the same kind of characters over and over again, boring ler...

I dont think I've ever find any guy with full pouty lips handsome...but the three lead males in kdramas I had finished/currently watching made me revised my opionion. Some of them can be cute ^_^ but not handsome!

Lee Ji Hoon -->One of the reason I put off watching Hello! Miss because looking at the boxset, I didnt find the lead actor handsome, but then am currently watching You Are My Destiny every weekdays on KBSW and he's so adorably sweet there ^.^ and well, in Hello Miss, kinda okay but not outstanding

Chun Jung Myung ---> He was in Fashion 70's also with Joo Jin Mo, so okay he pale in comparison with Jin Mo sophsticated-dashing-handsome-looks there, but his rare sweet smile in the drama make a mark in your heart. Now in Foxy Lady, his doesn't sport a crew cut hair as in Fashion 70's and clean shaven, so he looks so young! (could pass f0r 18!) and his sweet smiles....sigh! Cutay

Eric Moon ---> Chiwu, The Mighty is currently airing at KBSW every Mon and Tues...after watching the first episode, I'm not dedicating myself glued to the sofa every 9pm (sigh! unlike Three Daddies and One Mom), but reading Javabeans review makes me watch it occasionally. Nah....I dont think I find him cute or handsome...eventhough many consider him sexy. He bored me in Phoenix, irritates me in Que Sera Sera and look like a long-haired-homeless in Chilwu.

Another actor, my opinion is in the minority is Won Bin. After Autumn in My Heart many went ga-ga over him... Beauty is in te eye of the beholder ^_^