PrettyCarEye

Hey, sure. I'll look into the site and see what it's all about. I think trading with fake money is the way to start for me. Thanks for all the info.

My mom is a big planter, grower. I bet you're an earth sign, aren't you?

I like fresh, organic produce as well and when I was in highschool I used to love baking stuff. I still do, but my life doesn't permit much leisurely time in the kitchen. I'm not much into planting or growing things. I always forget to water them! lol

But if I ever have children someday (unlikely) I'd want to live in a house with a decent garden where they can run around. I've never liked living in apartments.

Sounds fun. I'd want to be there just for the food alone. Yum! :)

No I haven't seen or heard of it. You're right I don't like war, disaster and tragedy, but if it's a movie I'm a lot less picky than if it were a drama so I'll look into it. Thx for the rec! :)

Aigoo, you're really making me hungry with all that talk of cakes and tarts and liquor ... all my favourite things! :)
Do you live on a farm or something?
And you're trading forex? How and where? Are you very experienced in trading & do you do it full time or just to make a little extra cash? I looked into going into trading as well. I even joined a site called Banc de Swiss but I'm not sure if I can trust them (or my own ability to trade in my interests). Forex trading seems very risky and I don't have a lot of money to waste right now.
As for the festival, no, we didn't screen a film. This festival only screens films from so called 'South' countries: Africa, Asia, Latin America so our films wouldn't qualify anyway. No, this is just a side job that I do every year.
Good luck with your thesis! :)
I've heard of Suits. I'll keep it in mind for when I'm interested in Western TV again. As for what I'm wanting to watch ... anything really, but preferably something romantic with happy ending (HARD to find in the Asian drama world I know). I have Hanzawa on my radar, but I won't watch it now. Too much hype around it. I'll wait until everyone forgets it and then watch it. Have you seen it? What did you think?

Starlight, so sorry for late reply. Busy, busy! :)

I've seen A Gentleman's Dignity. It was good. I liked it. I was actually a bit surprised to learn that a woman had written it because it captured the male point of view so well! Goes to show that Kim Eun Sook unnie is really great at what she does (there is a possibility that I might watch Secret Garden just for her and Binnie's sake even though I hate Ha Ji Won). I also want to give Heirs half a chance because of her. If anyone can make it good she probably can.

I did see Gossip Girl when it aired, yes. I only watched for the Blair/Chuck relationship. I loved those two together and I LOVED their ending! Asian dramas should take note. Now that's how you end a good romance! No tragedy, no open ended nonsense! haha
Did you watch the show?

Everyone seems to be enjoying Secret Love! I might have to reconsider my decision not to watch it (because I don't like the female lead). I haven't seen Innocent Man, but ever since I heard it had a happy ending I finally made up my mind that I will. I'm keeping an eye on Marry Him. I like both leads so if progresses well and ends well, I'll watch it. I probably won't watch Top Medical Team since I don't like medical dramas.

Can you help me decide what to watch next? (nothing airing please). Just rec something. I can't seem to decide on my own! :/

Hey Mickey, I'm struggling with what to watch next. My last drama was Golden Empire, almost 2 weeks ago. It left a big impression on me. Now I don't have a clue what I want to watch now.

I have my eye on Secret Love. A lot of people seem to be loving it, but I'll wait until it airs and see what's the consensus. I'm sceptical about the female lead.

LOL, I actually have decided to watch Heirs. Don't ask what possessed me! This is usually NOT the type of drama I like, but I guess a combination of an intense urge to meet Lee Min-ho & the fact that it was written by a screenwriter I like play a role. Marry Him If You Dare is also another drama I have my eye on, but I also want to wait with this one.

I see you're on here sporadically. What keeps you so busy aside from your bambinos and of course too much drama? :)

Golden Empire - it is very business focused yes, but the way they set up the drama can pull you in nevertheless. From ep 1 - 12 it's not marathonable. I was able to watch a few eps and take a break, but from ep 12 - 24, aigoo ... you won't be able to stop watching whether you understand the business jargon or not. I'm also going to watch Hanzawa, but not now. I hate hype and I hate jumping on bandwagons so I'll wait until everyone forgets about it, then watch it. That way I can watch it at my own leisure, feeling free to like or dislike it as much as I please without being attacked by fangirls and boys. ;p

Finally art … I understand you more than you know. And I agree actually. The same concept of overanalyzing everything exists in the film world. For eg, film students are often grilling masters on their process of making films. Often times these master filmmakers don’t even have a process, it’s just instinctive and plenty of their methods are so simple a 12 yr old kid with 8mm camera could probably come up with the same ideas. But many people balk at the idea that making a certain masterpiece should be so simple.

When I was in training, I freely admit to being one of those naive students who thought everything had to have been so complicated. Now that I’m actually working as a filmmaker I realize that it really isn’t rocket science. On the other hand, like you said also, I do believe real art and their artists do have a purpose. A purpose to share something - a message, an emotion, a feeling .. or nothing (which in this case nothing becomes something … am I making sense)? However, I don’t believe the process in creating art has to be this complicated mystery that people sometimes think it is.

Re sex scenes in jmovies - aigoo, you're right. I'd forgotten about those. But I don't know that I'd include Realms in this context cuz that was like ... bordering on porn (albeit artistic porn). And as we've discussed that wasn't a 'normal' relationship! Haha. Sweet Room is the rare exception in Japanese cinema ... that I have seen. I’d love to have more Sweet Room, but longer. Older pink films are okay but perhaps not as satisfying as more mainstream fare. By the way, if you don't know what pink films are they're like Japanese softcore. They aren't necessarily porn (nothing as graphic as Realms), but they do tend to have a lot of love making. One distinctive feature of (older) pink films, however, is that the vast majority of them will also have a solid story so it's not just about the S.E.X. ;) They simply had a natural progression to any relationship featured in the story.

Anyway, in the context of our discussion I was referring more to intimacy between a couple in an ordinary relationship. I don't need to see them going at it like bunnies, but I do like to see them being loving and affectionate to each other. Like in LOVERS or Aishiteru to Ikketure. Sweet Sex and Love (at least the beginning) would be an example as well, but that's Korean. Also Sleepless Nights which I totally loved because for once we got see to a loving couple who was very affectionate with each other without all the mean-spirited bickering. But that's also Korean. I have never seen the Japanese equivalent of such films, which is a pity because I like how the Japanese go about romance.

I really really want to see Oguri Shun in a proper romance drama or movie, but I know it's wishful thinking. Sigh...

Hey chingu. So you're one of those cheese lovers are you? You shouldn't have told me. Now I'm going to tease you for the rest of your life! haha Nah, I'm just messing with you.
Did you see a drama called Can You Hear My Heart? Aigooo ... that drama contained A LOT of cheese that stank! Cheese like that, I can't stand. I love sweet, romantic gestures. I’ve found that the Japanese does sweet slightly better than the Koreans (who tend to do more cheese, imo). Orange Days, Buzzer Beat, Pride, Aishiteru to Ikketure are just a few examples of sweetness Japanese style that I really like. I like watching them with ahjussi (when I can get him to sit down and watch with me for more than 10 mins). But he’s really reluctant to get caught up in Asian cinema and TV. It took him only about 3 months for finish watch Cruel City. And that was actually a drama he liked! #smdh

Anyway, LMH, you don't need to convince me that he is HAWTTTT! lol I can see it! And I really have no business bashing him since I've never seen him act. That's why I'm going to watch Heirs. Or City Hunter. I really must see him soon. I must! Now as for LOVERS, yup Kim Eun Sook is the writer and I will love her forever for writing a drama that hits all the right romantic spots for me. Now as for you watching it ... you really should if you like a really good romance, but if only flower boys rock your boat you might be disappointed. My Seo-jin was 35 when he made the show. Kim Nam Gil is probably the youngest cast member at 25 or 26. I noticed you finished and loved Reply 1997. I like that show too. However, you seem to be more of a solid rom-com fan whilst I’m more of a romantic drama fan. Lovers falls into the romantic drama category. It doesn’t have the cutesyness of rom-com. It’s adult and mature.

I've heard so much about Innocent Man. When I first joined MDL a year ago it was extremely popular, though VERY divisive! lol I had friends who totally and completely LOOOOOVED it and others who wanted to rip the producers apart for creating such drivel. LOL

I couldn't decide which faction to believe so I decided to stay away from it all together. I hate jumping on bandwagons so I tend to avoid watching dramas that have garnered a lot of hype. I'd rather wait until everyone moves on and then watch it at my own leisure, feeling free to love or dislike it as much as I please without being attacked! haha

I won't watch Kings2Heart because I dislike Ha Ji Won with an intense passion. I think she's way over rated and a subpar actress. Apologies in advance if you're a fan.
Seriously I didn't know Winter Sonata had a happy ending. For some reason I got the impression it was really really melo & tragic. Is it a real happy ending or is it bittersweet or open to interpretation?

I saw the movie version of That Winter. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm willing to watch the drama for the leads. Not a huge Song Hye Gyo fan, but I don't mind her and I like/love Jo In-sung! :)

Thx for the recs, Erin. Do keep me posted on Garasu no le. I have my eyes on it. The story sounds really good.

I like your ending.
I personally thought Tæ-joo and Seo Yoon grew to love each other or at least like and respect each other. It's kind of impossible not to when you live so intimately with another person. If Tæ-joo wasn't loyal to Seol-hee I think he would have stayed in the marriage and tried to make it work with Seo-Yoon. Not only because he wants the empire, but because he loves/likes her. And you see that's why I can't hate Tæ-joo even though he made a lot of bad choices. Somehow his heart was always in the right place and he never attempted to hurt innocent people ... until they stood in the way of him exacting revenge on the Chois. By that time he was so obsessed with getting even with them that he lost track of his moral compass and became the very beast he vowed never to become. Very sad. I've seen this happen to people in real life too.

Re: Love Generation, what do you mean by the 'pure love' theme? Do you mean because it's focused mainly on romance? I'm wondering if I should watch the last episode to see how it ends. I'm so not in the mood for one of those stupid WTF endings a la Aishiteru no Ikketure.

I think I'll pass on Royal Family. It looks intensely melodramatic and I can't be bothered with that right now.
Hey I saw your review of Jun & Ai. It's on my list. Thank you for the warning. Gosh I hate when they start out so wonderfully then totally derail. What would be the cut off episode before all the nonsense starts, in your opinion? I'm perfectly happy to watch a good romance up to a point then drop it after it goes bad. Again Aishiteru thought me that the Japanese hardly ever gives us romance without all the unnecessary drama toward the end so I've learned my lesson. :)

Girl, you're not doing me a favour by watching the show so watch it at your own convenience. You don't have to explain your schedule to me. I just mentioned it because it fits the criteria on your page. If you check it out and decide its not for you, no biggie. And like I said if you're a real fan of Kim Eun Sook unnie, you have got to check out LOVERS. You like hot guys and gangsters, don't you? I can't remember if it was you or calliz ...

What have you been up? Still busy with your thesis?
I haven't been around much the last two weeks either. Worked at a local film festival and had A LOT to do, but I did manage to see some really great flicks. I'm struggling to pick what Asian drama I should watch next.

No, I've never seen this opening before but I agree that it's great! Really amplifies theme of money and power. I love that ominous music composition they had throughout the drama. You always knew when something thrilling was about to happen. Would love to hear what you thought of the ending?
I'm trying to figure out which drama I should watch next, but I'm having a difficult time. I've been looking at Love Generation (with the lovely Kimmy), but I'm wary of pure romance jdramas because they tend to screw up the ending. Have you seen Love Generation? Does it have a happy or satisfying ending? I'm also looking into Love Revolution, but I want to save this one for later.
I noticed that you're watching Royal Family. How is that? It's a business drama isn't it? Is it anything like GE?

Hey, my reply is way late! Been really busy. Sorry!

Back to our convo. You can't be a serious fan of Kim Eun Sook and not watch Lovers! lol Go and watch it! NOW! LOL
Lovers is the 3rd installment in what is known as the Love trilogy by Kim. The 1st is Lovers in Paris, then Lovers in Prague & finally Lovers. Aigoo, what kind of fan are you, dongsæng, if you don't know this ... hmm? :-)

I tried watching the first ep of City Hall and couldn't get past it either (I hate politically focused anything). But I'm going to give it another shot because I hear its really good. Moreover, even though Kim Eun Sook is pretty good (most of the time) at what she does, she indeed takes a lot of time to really get to the point in her dramas.

Based on the requirements you outlined on your profile, Golden Empire sounds like a drama you'd enjoy. Give it a shot and see what impression it leaves on you.

Now that my schedule has slowed down a bit, I'm at a loss as to what to watch now. Any recs? Nothing too intense please. Even after 2 weeks I still have GE on my mind. Something calm and relaxing.

What's currently rocking your boat?

Edinaa, I'm fine. A little exhausted after two full weeks of non-stop, hectic work, but now I can relax and rest a little. Trying to figure out what drama I should watch next! What about yourself? What have you been up to?
Watching anything fun?
Lovely to hear from you as always. :)
By the way I finished Golden Empire and I liked it, but I can see where this wouldn't be to everyone's taste. I thought the acting was phenomenal.

Hi Erin, apologies for the late reply. I've been verrrrry busy at work the last two weeks.

As for melos with happy endings? Really? I've never seen one! Please recommend those to me! :)

Otherwise what have you been up to lately? Any show that's rocking your boat?

I finished Golden Empire recently. Great drama. Not sure yet what to watch next. Any recs?

The other melo lovers I know are bettyboo and After_Dark. I'm not 100% sure about the last one. I might have gotten the name wrong, but when I get some time I'll double check for you. Search them up and send a request. I'm sure they'll be happy to hear from you! :)

Hey, thx for your reply! It's interesting that you find Japanese men sexy until they reach mid 30s. Why is that? What happens to them? Is it that they stop taking care of themselves and just let go of looking nice? It's an intriguing statement so I hope you'll elaborate. Also what did you learn and dislike about men there? Come on, you can't say such a thing and then not explain! You have me in such great suspense over here! LOL
I hear a lot of quirky stories about Japanese men - that they're kinda perverted and what not. But then I think to myself ... if this is just because they're obsessed with sex, show me a group of men who aren't. As long as they're not raping anyone I don't see the big deal. That they're obsessed with sex to the point of engaging in some really bizarre behaviour like having sex with blown dolls and what not. LOL I find stories like these more hilarious (and awfully sad) than disgusting. I mean it must be a very lonely society where people don't feel connected to each other. Japan has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world, falling second only to South Korea so I guess it isn't too farfetched to believe many people feel lonely, isolated and depressed, esp the men.
Is your bf Japanese? Your description of Japanese men sounds awfully similar to Norwegian men. These guys are totally whipped, one of the reasons why I'm not attracted to them. I had hoped the Japanese would be a little more manly without being abusive.

Hi Bladey, not hyped for any dramas at the moment, no. I'm planning to watch HEIRS just to finally meet Lee Min-ho and see what all the fuss around him is all about. LOL

I recently completed Golden Empire and that was a high intensity, emotionally demanding drama, BUT very entertaining and jammed packed with life lessons. It's been about 2 weeks since I watched it and I still think about it every day.

It's nice to get away from the Asian world every once in a while to keep one's interest fresh. These past few days working the festival circuit has been great! Somehow between all the work I had to do I managed to watch some 20+ films. I saw some AMAZING pictures from the middle east. A particular favourite was The Patience Stone. Usually here in the west middle eastern women are only portrayed as victims, but I saw strong, capable women in this movie & it was so refreshing.
Bollywood celebrates 100 yrs of making films this year so the programme was also filled with Bollywood films. I saw 2 pictures that I quite liked: The Lunchbox and Brothers for Life. I hadn't watched a Bollywood film in years so this was great reminder. Anime was big this year too. Saw my first Wolf Children and loved it. Then The Garden of Words.

What did you think of Master's Sun? I'm always always wary of the Hong Sisters. Their sluggish storylines and (lack of) character development can be sooo infuriating sometimes! I don't know if I should watch that drama or not. Some days I say yes, other days I say no way!

Sword and Flower came highly recommended to me while it aired. I'm interested, but like you I wasn't in the mood for anything intense ... then my dear chingus convinced me to watch Golden Empire, perhaps THE most intense drama of the season. LOL

LOL, no, no your review was quite clear. I get what you meant, but I still can't agree. :-) I thought he did a phenomenal job throughout. I recognized the acting system he and Son Hyun Joo (Min-jæ) called upon to play their roles. I liked it a lot better than the system Lee Yo Won used. Anyway, it's all good! :) We all process things differently and it makes for fun discussion when there are slight variations in tastes and likes!
After Golden Empire I checked out some clips of Lee Yo Won's other dramas and 'limited' is indeed the right word to describe her acting. I won't be in any rush to watch her other dramas.
By the way, I did NOT like the ending. I don't think the choice he made is ever the right choice. I wanted him to man up, go to prison, come back ruined & broken 10 years later then start from scratch. I know he could have done it. He had the gumption & the smarts. I was and still am a fan of Tæ-joo. I wanted him to win. Greed to me was not his (main) motivation. It's not what led him astray. He got led astray because he lost sight of the goal post.
I stay away from forums, pages or anything having to do with an airing drama I want to watch. There's a lot of hype around Heirs right now (lol has been for months!) and it's making me want to wait until finishes airing, but we'll see. I don't like watching dramas that have an intense buzz around it because you get sucked into the vortex and you start to feel like you have to conform to a consensus. I dance to the tune of my own flute, but I don't want to feel any pressure at all so I rather wait until all the noise die down then watch to my own liking.