Liebster Award(s)!

Some special travelers dropped by ginkgohill recently and left some gifts.  Pinkblossom and whitecarrot from the carrotblossom patch, and then  Amanda from outsideseoul, gave me Liebster Awards!  The more the merrier :P

First of all, I’m so glad these blogs received awards cuz they are amazing.   I was shocked and honored that they would consider me as one of their favorites.   Like really, I don’t spend much time interacting online about kdramas (the way I that spend time on kpop sites :) and to get this award is really encouraging.   After nearly 4 years of watching those darn addicting dramas, I still really enjoy reviewing them, and it means a lot that others spare the time to visit.

I guess in order to officially accept the Liebster, I have to list 11 facts about myself, answer questions that the awarders mercilessly threw out lol, nominate 5 other bloggers, and ask them questions.  Aiya.  Here I go…

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11 very brief facts:

1.  When I’m not busy with kdramas, I like watching competition shows like Next Top Model, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, etc.

2.  I’m a football (American) fan.

3.  The only time I’ve been overseas was to Namibia for a study abroad program.  It was amazing.

4.  I’m a Capricorn.

5.  I’m half Korean (although that’s not the reason I discovered Kdramas :)

6.  I used to watch anime (loved Naruto), which led me to dramas, which led me to Kpop.

7.  I like to cross county ski, and roller ski in the off-season.

8.  My biggest pet peeve is loud noises.

9.  I change my mind easily and often.  It’s bad cuz I’m so indecisive, but it’s also good cuz I’m really open-minded.

10.  I occasionally memorize and practice Kpop dance choreography–entire songs.

11.  If I could go to Korea (which I’m hoping to do at least once in my life), I would spend more time visiting mountains and historical sites than cities and shopping areas.

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Questions from pinkblossom and whitecarrot:

1. Which KDrama character would you actually date? Why? (wc)  Maybe unexpected, but it would be Lee Wan’s character from Let’s Go to the Beach.  I’m crazy attracted to this guy.  Lee Wan and this character represent my “ideal type”–fun, easygoing, a little daring…and I usually wouldn’t say it, but buff.  I wanna swim, weight-lift, lifeguard, and sit around the fire in the evenings with him at this beach haha. 
2. What would you do if you were stuck on a lifeboat with Richard Parker the Bengal tiger? Would you kill it if you got the chance? (wc)  Where did this come from?!  lol.  I hope there’s no right or wrong answer.  I’m not familiar with this story, but I would say, if this tiger helped me then I wouldn’t kill it.
3. Apples or pears? Choose! (wc)  Apples! Cuz pears are often too hard or too mushy.  I still like pears though.
4. Does an actor’s life off the screen affect how you view them on screen? (pb)  Actually no.  It’s amazing how good these actors are at, well, acting!  Whether they have scandals in real life, are married, or are philanthropists…I am usually completely focused on their transformation into characters and only judge them based on their acting skills.  I might really like or dislike an actor in real life, but that doesn’t affect my opinion of them on screen.
5. Would you rather have a long-lost twin who shows up and steals your man, or an evil Cheongdamdong mother-in-law? (pb)  omg Evil in-laws and status-hungry parents are what I resent the most about dramas!!!  Really, there’s no reason for the extra conflict.  So I guess having a twin would be acceptable.  If “my man” fell for her, well, there’s a reason to be disappointed in him, and maybe there’d be a later opportunity to get him back, if I’d want that.

From Amanda:

1. What’s your motivation for blogging?  Not only the enjoyment of watching the dramas and keeping track of them, but as a way to let out my opinions that might not ring everywhere else, or opinions that I can reinforce so that good dramas get noticed.  And I just like to contribute to the spread of Korean culture in general.
2. Do you post under your real name? Why or why not? And if you don’t, how did you chose your blogging identity? Nope.  I just think it’s fun to be called something else.  I aliased myself “glacier” in like 2007, after a trip to Glacier National Park.  It was a magical experience, and life just seemed to be perfect during that time.  “kn” are my initials.
3. What’s your favorite blog post that you’ve written so far?  Ummmm I really don’t know since they’re all kind of similar haha.  My most popular post has always been the Sungkyunkwan Scandal post cuz I included all of the anime pics which attract people.
4. What has been your biggest blogging challenge (e.g. getting people to comment, making headers, placing pictures side by side, etc)?   I have major formatting issues with [free] WordPress.  For instance, there aren’t enough customization options for text and images, so it’s difficult to make the posts look interesting.  And I like this theme, but I hate the colored borders around the pictures >:(
5. What are your favorite and least favorite drama cliches?  Good one!  But there are so many.  My favorite might be wrist-grabbing…I don’t mind it and it’s always dramatic (and it’s skinship>:).  My least favorite is the parents-against-marriage deal (like I mentioned earlier).  Another one I hate is coincidental meetings, like childhood friends who suddenly happen to work in the same place as adults, or repetitive chance meetings (at the airport, Jejudo, Lotte World, etc).  And “second lead syndrome” setups…angelic second lead who everyone knows is not going to win in the end but exists to make us feel bad anyway.  bleh!

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Ok!  I get to do the same!  Here are some great blogs that I choose to receive the award:

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kdramaguk

abby in Hallyu-land

LeeJIN’s Drama Corner

Young Ajummah

Oishiithoughts

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Awesome bloggers, please answer my questions and spread the love ^^

1.  How did you get into dramas (typical question but I’m always curious)?

2.  Which Korean actor and actress would you like to meet in person?

3.  What’s your opinion of Kpop?  Any favorites?

4.  Can you recommend to me a healthy dish/meal that you like (preferably non-Korean since I eat it often ;)?

5.  What’s one talent or skill you wish you had?

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Thanks again to pinkblossom, whitecarrot, and Amanda.  And thanks to everyone who reads my blog!

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감사합니다

~ Gamsahamnida! ~

2013 Dramas that I dropped

(Being updated)

Incarnation of Money -  Really inconsistent–I couldn’t figure out the line between comedy and graveness.  I think that’s a trademark of Kang Ji Hwan’s acting, but without an interesting story,  I couldn’t get into the characters.

All About My Romance – As I expected, I didn’t like the political setting, nor the over the top comedy.

When a Man Loves – Fairly predictable Cinderella story and bad guy turned good.  I didn’t feel the actors’ chemistry.

Jang Ok Jung -  Started out great…a little action/adventure, strong-minded characters, fashion…  But the story just got really slow and confusing, and centered around politics and fight for the throne.  My bit of fondness for Ok Jung disappeared as Kim Tae Hee was just not keeping my interest.  Her character turning bad solidified my disinterest in the drama.

Nine Times Time Travel Review

9

{ You can watch Nine here on Dramafever in HQ. }

This drama… it kept my head spinning all the way through to the end.  I wasn’t expecting much based on the low key teasers and promotions, and I wasn’t about to quickly jump on board a melodrama…but it was another pleasant surprise from tvN.  The overall tone and speed certainly were low-key and a bit slow at times, but this drama had it’s moments, and they were so gripping, mind-boggling, and memorable.  It was fantasy-revenge-thriller-mystery-melo done very well without the frustrating over-the-top plots.  If it moved a bit faster and ended at 16 or 18 episodes, I would’ve easily given it a score of 10.

The whole story was very focused on one character.  It actually reminded me of Revenge, in which the main character has this huge identity secret that is painful yet advantageous at the same time.  The audience becomes very acquainted with this one character’s life and feelings.  And the interesting twist was getting to witness him as an adult and youth interacting in the same time era.  I really applaud the drama for taking on such a daring concept that few others dare to touch…what would happen if you went back in time and actually did try to change the course of history?  (In Sun Woo’s case, try to save people from death.)  Although the time traveling was kind of confusing at times, the writers were very confident in their idea and made it believable.  Almost everyone wishes that they could’ve done something differently in their past…well, according to this drama, it might not be such a good thing to try to change fate.  Sun Woo’s ability was both a blessing and a curse, and interesting as heck :P

The main female character was similar as in Revenge too…she didn’t really do anything plotwise, but her character was very meaningful.  I adored this actress!

It certainly wasn’t “just another time-travel drama”.  It was unique, suspenseful, and worth the watch.  Being a melodrama, it actually wasn’t too depressing or painful, and there were some bright moments.

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“It was an opportunity and a curse at the same time.  It could be a salvation or destruction… So I’m even thankful for the people who have kept their roles in my life.  For those who chose that fate.  ” -Sun Woo 

“Some secrets should remain secret forever.” – Sun Woo

Ad Genius Lee Tae Baek Review

5

Ug, this drama was on a roll but disappointed in the second half.  I loved the energy and straightforwardness in the beginning, when the drama was just about hard-working people making ads, accomplishing feats, overcoming oppression, and becoming friends.  It was hopeful and invigorating, and a fitting theme for the tough economic times people face these days.  Lee Tae Baek was a perseverant fighter who did anything to make great ads despite all of the odds against him, while Ji Yoon was his comrade who was  also a creative thinker and an important inspiration and motivation for him but also bearing her own dark secret.  Their friendship was awesome, and they had a lot of courage to face their challenges.  BUT a whole lot of that faded when love got serious and the drama resorted to the infamous social-status-discrimination-arranged-marriage trick.    A refreshing drama quickly became depressing, predictable, and cliched.  And at the same time, the ad making got a little repetitive.

I think the drama should’ve had the leads keep their determination and energy until the end, not let them waver and hesitate and crumble for so long.  The characters I cheered for and believed in became dulled and tainted.  Sure, no one is perfect, but for the purpose of sending a positive message, the drama should’ve done something different.

I don’t have much else to say.  With mediocre (bad) music and long episodes, the drama relied on a good story and acting.  The story fell short, and while the acting wasn’t bad, no one really stood out as being spectacular.  I would take Baby Faced Beauty or Success Story of a Bright Girl over this for some motivation.

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Honestly, life is scary.  Without money or connections, I’ve come this far on sheer will alone.  But with just that alone, it’s hard to succeed at advertising and love.  Why is the future so dark that I can’t see anything?  -Lee Tae Baek.  -You’re 28, right?   Even at 48, it’s the same dark future.  Even if you’re worried or scared, you just keep on going. – Ma Jin Ga

Flower Boy Next Door Review

6

{You can watch Flower Boy here on Dramafever in HQ.}

I have mixed feelings about this drama.  At times I thought it was really sweet and uplifting, but at other times it was slow and frustrating.   I nearly called it quits several times, but then there had to be a really touching moment that kept me holding on.  The progression felt very slow, and maybe it had to be to match the pace of the main character’s progression overcoming depression/social anxiety/trauma.  So watching the drama was like watching therapy or counseling, waiting for her to gain strength to face the world.  It had a nice message, but the pace was definitely frustrating at times, especially with sooo many pause and think scenes.  Even though it was only 16 45 to 50 minute episodes, it still felt long!

Song:  About Her – Flower Boy Next Door OST

The endearing characters made this drama special.  I felt for Go Dok Mi (Park Shin Hye), and I understand the feeling of wanting to completely avoid people.  Facing criticism can be really tough, and especially in her case of having a past of being bullied.   It seems predictable that once there were people in her life that she cared about, she was willing to go out of her comfort zone bit by bit.  And I think overall the story was predictable, but it didn’t feel cliche.  It was the small moments that were particularly touching.   Park Shin Hye is so stunningly beautiful, and she really played the character well.  All of the actors were perfect, actually.

The title being “flower boy”, there were certainly some cute guys, but the main flower of all flower boys was definitely Yoon Shi Yoon.  He’s pretty much a perfect angel here and just radiated with positivity.  I never found him annoying because I knew that he was trying to help Dok Mi.   And it’s sad that just because he appeared so happy, people thought his life was perfect, which wasn’t the case.

Then there’s the second guy who was played so perfectly by Kim Ji Hoon.  Although there was a love triangle, it didn’t feel too burdensome because they were all friends at the same time.  His character’s story was equally as endearing.

I liked the general message being that everyone has their struggles and has to be strong to live; therefore the world needs more love and understanding and less hatred.   That sounds corny, but to see such simple good nature in a drama was really nice.  All things being said, I unfortunately thought the drama was too quiet and slow.  It didn’t leave me excited for it and I probably won’t find myself wanting to watch it again.  Maybe if someone cut it down to like 10 eps, it would be better.

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Why do people hate other people?  Why do they discriminate?  Why do they want to stomp all over the weak people and beat them?  … I used to think how nice it would be if I just had one person by my side.  Ever since then, I think I find it more comforting to be alone.  -Go Dok Mi

That woman’s mouth is like a broken faucet in a mountain village.  Not a single drop comes out when it’s needed…it only works in the silence of night.  All the words that she wasn’t able to say at the moment comes pouring out after the moment passes. … That woman always speaks the most impressive lines when she’s alone in her room.  -Go Dok Mi

Had the teacher said the truth back then, would my life have been different?  Had Do Hwi been on my side back then, would my life have changed?  I wouldn’t have met you then.  The fairy wouldn’t have come to my life then.  -Go Dok Mi

One person cannot change the world.  But you can become the world for someone.  A warm, bright, and peaceful world.  If everyone can be such a world to one person, one will become ten people, and then a hundred.  The world will be full of happy people then.  -Que Geum

The Great Seer Review

7

{You can watch The Great Seer here on Dramafever in HQ.}

I wouldn’t usually expect to finish a 35 episode sageuk drama, but this one had an advantage in that I happened to be researching this time period and was so darn curious about the transition from the Goryeo to the Joseon dynasty.  Was it just coincidence that The Great Seer followed The Great Doctor/Faith?  It basically continues the historical story…how convenient.   I was pleasantly surprised by the drama’s keeping to the integrity of known history and not making an overboard fictional story.   Thankfully there wasn’t much magical/divination/visionary stuff going on (which I expected based on the promotions), so the story seemed very much real.  I wonder if I would’ve enjoyed it as much if I wasn’t so interested in the history.  When I think about it, there were hardly any boring moments…the drama was well written and executed.  There could’ve been more cheerful scenes, at least with the romance stories, but nope…we got no breaks from the constant scheming and fighting.  But I think any additional romance and comedy might’ve taken away from the seriousness of the story, which I was fine with.

Song:  With You Being the Only Reason – Ok Ju Hyeon – Great Seer OST

What’s interesting about this era was that all of Goryeo wanted to find a way to become independent from Mongol influence, and even though they shared the same goals, the different factions in Goryeo had to fight each other to get there.   This was clearly not what Lee Seung Gye (first king of Joseon) wanted…he wanted to find a peaceful solution, but it was just too difficult with all the other plotters around him.  I really loved Lee Seung Gye’s fatherly and noble qualities.  If the real Lee Seung Gye was this humble, moral, and strong, he really deserved to take over the crown while the Wang royal family line was just a little too weak to handle everything (but who wouldn’t like Lee Min Ho as a king :p).  Lee Seung Gye’s loyal friendship ties were the heart of the drama, which was very much about knowing who to trust.  It also said a lot about the potential influence of seers, or advisers, of the time period.

Most of the characters, both good and bad, were well developed and had understandable motives.  They were human and faced difficult decisions and made mistakes and sacrifices.  Even the “bad guys were not completely evil.  Although the “Seers” were said to be “gifted”, they used a lot of knowledge of the land, logic, and wit to give advice.  They were extremely smart and wise, not simply gifted.  I don’t know if “The Great Seer”, played by Ji Sung, was a real historical figure, but I thought his character was a little boring–likable, but boring.  The character played by Kim So Yeon was also boring, but again, likable.  I think it was the fault of their subdued roles in the drama and not about their acting.  Without them, the drama could’ve been half the length or included more of the political background like the relations with the Chinese empires, the “Strife of Princes”, Lee Seung Gye’s sons, or at least his romance story which was completely skimmed over.  But regardless, I appreciated how the drama included so many characters and allowed them to have major influences on the story.

All in all, this drama portrayed a story well worth my time seeing.  It will be memorable because the characters and story were so well developed.  If you’re looking for a relatively short, serious sageuk, this would be a great choice ^^

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A country built upon blood will always have the stench of blood.  -Lee In Im to Lee Seung Gye

The only way I can get away form this fear is to get drunk.  The world is beautiful when I’m drunk.  – Wang Woo.  It’s because you are scared…that’s why they take you lightly.  -Head Priestess

King of Dramas Review

9+

[You can watch King of Dramas here on Dramafever in HQ.}

Plus for quality!  Really solid production and smartly written.  It was one of those professional dramas that had a perfect balance of comedy, suspense, action, and melodrama, without focusing too much on the romance, but offering a satisfying dose.  Because of the context of the drama, being almost exclusively about drama production, I felt that the writers were trying to make a statement and reveal some of the nastiness involved in the drama world, and I completely appreciated the message.  I already had an impression of all of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into getting a drama funded, filmed, aired, and watched, but this drama really solidified my views.  Not that it’s this extreme in all cases, but the competition, politics, and money matters really have an impact on the final product.  Just like a station director said:   “Do you know how much of the profits from commercials depends on 1% of the ratings?  This isn’t a place of art!  This is a business that needs to make a profit!” 

Reality aside, the biggest strength of the drama was it’s unpredictable plot.   I couldn’t even predict the romance line at some points.  All the twists kept me guessing, and the outcomes were often unconventional.  There was a point when some of the new twists and obstacles got tiring, as if every single misfortune in the world plagued the characters, but I guess that was the intent of the drama.  Overall, I like how it took the audience through fairly complex storylines and issues, yet it remained easy and fun to watch.  It was a thriller too (I got the reference to “King” of dramas…it was like all-out war sometimes lol), and the nearly constant intense background music, which was almost too much at first, really enhanced the feels.

It reminded me somewhat of History of a Salaryman, with the “do or die” in business theme, and getting to see Jung Ryeo Won again was my biggest draw into watching King of Dramas.  She was a much sweeter character here, but she still had that wit that makes me love her.  Actually, her character was almost too angelic and perfect.  She’s an excellent actress nonetheless.  My biggest complaint about the drama was Kim Myung Min’s character, aka the Grinch.  He was such a jerk and a “cold-blooded asshole” lol.  I hated him even through the very end of the drama.  If he was more likable, I would’ve believed more in the romance and in his motives, and I would’ve rated this a 10.  But gah I couldn’t stand his thick-skinned impassiveness.  Choi Si Won, however, completely earned my respect as an actor.  Never knew he could be so sensational haha.

Overall it was a really good watch, although the numerous obstacles got a little stressful.  I can see it being a classic Kdrama must-watch, considering its message and distinctive, memorable characters.

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Rather than waiting for a slow death next to an oasis which is drying up, we should run to the end of the horizon with all of our remaining strength. – Anthony Kim

You once told me that people like me who play shady tricks should disappear from this field.  But in the end, I’m still here, but you want to leave.  Before you leave, just keep this in mind: then, in the end, there will be only dirty people with shady tricks left.  – Anthony Kim