PrettyCarEye

P.S. Sorry for the double posts! Being able to write long messages is a blessing and curse, esp on a somewhat glitchy MDL where you can't edit and or delete faulty posts! :/

What's even more fascinating is that this character arc is not merely fiction. It has actually been statistically proven that many high powered corporate executives do indeed display these types of psychopathic behaviours ... which has led to them having very successful conglomerates. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, that AOL CEO who fired one his VPs on live conferencing, Matt Lauer etc.

I wonder how Tæ-joo's relationship with the annoyingly flirtatious Seol Hee went from one of relative warmth & closeness to him basically framing her for murder in the first ep? Oh the intrigue!!!

Otherwise the story itself is rather makjang. While I know greed can corrupt people's judgement, that one family is befallen with so many hateful, disloyal and morally destitute people all at once ... I don't know it just seems a bit overboard to me. But am I enjoying the show? Heck yeah! I don't feel the urge to marathon, but it's certainly keeping my interest! :D

Hope having your dad around has been fun! I nevertheless miss having you around here so come back soon!!!

And last time I forgot to congratulate you on your promotion!!! Well done, chingu. You sound like a rockstar at your job. Keep up the good work! :)

Chinguya, now you're the one who has abandoned me just when Golden Empire is starting to get really intense!

I'm about to start ep 11 of Golden Empire & this show's biggest strength is its absolutely brilliant characterizations.

It's alternately fascinating & appalling to see such stark manifestation of the popular saying 'money is the root of all evil'.

Tæ-joo's transformation from a bright, decent, hard-working young man who simply wants to provide a good life for his family into a heartless bastard so consumed with lust for money, power & status that he's willing to jump into bed with the devil, WOW!

His display of definite psychopathic tendencies in that he seems to be loyal to no one & is basically willing to throw anyone who no longer serves his purposes under the bus is played superbly by the lovely mr. Go Soo!!! Insatiable greed, corruption, dirty tricks and lack of empathy for others dominate his management style.

And he's not alone. Min-jæ is positively frightening in his quest to conquer his own family and claim Sung Jin Group as his own.

Won-jæ, the simpering, philandering son of the Choi dynasty who thinks that just because of his sex & his firstborn status he's entitled to inherit the Sung Jin by proxy.

Finally, Seo Yoon. I like her character & being the only female at the centre of this shitstorm I find myself rooting for her, but I don't like actress who plays her. She's too stiff & inexpressive. She wears the same deadpan expression in every scene, making it a bit difficult to warm up to her. In this regard, Go Soo's Tæ-joo is like a chameleon who changes his colours from situation to situation, and it's great! Would've been nice to see such diversity of emotion in Seo Yoon as well.

All around, though, AMAZING characterizations!!!

Omiiiii ... those are some pretty hot gifs! :-)
Please tell me what drama they're from so I can watch it asap! lol

Well, no I actually like Kim Jæ Wook because even though he's very metro, he still tends to look and act like man. Well, kind of! lol
I mean he's not someone I swoon over, no, but I can & do appreciate his manly attributes! ;) Jang Yu-suk on the other hand looks like an ... apparition! ::shudder::.
Moreover, I liked Jæ-wook ssi's character in Coffee Prince. I'd've loved to see more of him but sadly none of his other roles appeal to me.

As for Moon Guem-young, I can't stand her face either. OMG! She looks perpetually like a child! First thing I saw her in was Innocent Steps & she turned me right off. I can't take her seriously.

OMO, that pic! That's the cutey from Chunhyang, my other honey!!! lol Go Soo's brother from another mother, looks wise. Yup, he's fine. But so is CHA Seung-woo ahjussi. & that pic of his on MDL is an insult. Hey, I see Daniel Wu on your profile. He's hot, but I've never seen him in anything. Any recs?
Another Daniel I like because he's totally jump his bones hawwwt is Daniel Henney, but the guy can't act for shit! Who cares though when he looks good enough to eat??? No one! Including me! haha

As for our respective harems we're gonna have to negotiate Hyun Bin. Or at least share. You can not have him alone. Maybe Lee Min-ho too ... buuuut I'm on the fence about him. I guess after we finish having wild monkey sex what the heck would we talk about??? The guy's hot but looks like a bit of an airhead! *duck*
Jeez ... I feel kinda shitty that I'm always picking on your favs, Ara. Sorry, chingu!!! Feel free to pick on mine back (except Seo-jin oppa! He's PERFECT in every way!!! :)

Now Abe Sada ... aigoooo!!! Girl, i'mma have to pm you with that one! Stay tuned!!! ;)

Thx. The full movie is available on YouTube.

How do you find Seo Yoon? I like her and being the only woman heading for the empire of gold I'm rooting for her (next to Tæ-Joo), but I find the actress terribly stiff and her deadpan expressions make it difficult to sympathize with her although I do appreciate she's in a position where showing too much emotion can undermine her authority. But even when she's alone or with those she trusts I get nothing from her.

And what about Seol Hee, Tæ-Joo business partner? It annoys me that she co-owns Eden or has a big stake in it yet is reduced to serving men coffee. Sigh ... I guess I'll never get used to Korean sexism! lol
I kind find her constant flirting with Tæ-Joo a bit annoying though. Do you?

And wow! Can you believe the President's wife??? What a bombshell! Wouldn't want to be in this family for love or money!!!

Well, from what I've heard it's a shitstorm all the way through. Already in ep 6 a series of shocking events occur! It shall indeed be quite interesting to see how they develop the story moving forward!

Hmmm ... as for reading, there was a time when reading was my main source of entertainment. My apartment was (and still kinda is) overflowing with books. Sadly, I don't do much reading anymore. My life is too hectic & my job too demanding & stressful. There isn't enough hours in a day to focus on all my favourite pass times. Moreover, ever since I encountered dramaland, reading has been pushed even more to wayside.

When I did read I enjoyed as many genres as I do with dramas. I loved both fiction (crime, horror, fantasy, romance) & non-fiction (self-help, educational, biographies, politics).

Regarding Lovers, read my review to get a better understanding of why I felt it deserved a 10. Romance is one of my favourite genres in dramaland, but I get fed up with all the childish romcoms that seem to be a staple in Asian dramas. For once I got to see a romance that looks like the real deal, a love affair between adults rather adults acting like juveniles experiencing their first kiss.

I also really loved the characters and the crime world the show is set in.

I really hope you'll enjoy it! But this drama may not be to your liking if you don't appreciate action/crime dramas.

I'm very pleased to hear that you're slowly coming out of your shell here on MDL. If I played any role in it, then I am humbled & grateful to YOU for reaching out with a hand of friendship. I hope we'll have many more fun conversations now & in the future. :)

You can call me PrettyCE if I can call you Carrot! :p

So did you enjoy SS&L?
Or did you find it too realistic to be entertaining?

My interpretation of the film is similar to yours.
I would also add that the woman was LOVE and the man was SWEET SEX.

Sure, the woman may have been in the relationship for the sweet sex as well. But only at the beginning. Ultimately as things progressed she fell in LOVE.

And as usual when a couple jumps into a sexual relationship without setting some ground rules expectations become warped & misunderstandings arise.

The relationship becomes dominated by SWEET SEX, leaving LOVE feeling oppressed & unsatisfied. HE was getting what he wanted, SEX, but she wasn't getting what SHE wanted, LOVE.

By the time the guy begins to understand what she wants & is willing and ready to give it to her, it's too late. She's already given so much to the relationship that she feels emotionally spent. She has nothing more to give & so breaks up with him.

At the end of the day the biggest lesson to be learned here is communicate, communicate, communicate! Don't assume you are on the same page as your partner when you start a relationship on a rocky foundation.

The movie was a bit predictable, but overall a pretty decent film and cautionary tale. I hope you didn't think it was a waste of time! :)
How did you rate?

Omiii, Betts, are you that grown? I didn't know you were married and a mother. All this time I thought you were a college student! haha

Anyway, nice! I hope you and your family are enjoying your new home in Germany. When I lived in Austria for a time I visited Germany a lot. It seemed alright, although it was right struggle getting used to all the different accents!

As for Jdramas that you'd like I think there are many, many you'd like because the Japanese are extremely good at making these really touching, heart-wrenching stories that I know you appreciate. The thing is I don't watch too many of them ... at least not for the time being. My mood for the last year has mostly leaned toward genres that provide escapism rather than slice of life. BUT ... I have lots of shows on my list that my friends - who I trust - have recommended to me and I just know they'd be right up your alley so here are some suggestions:

Tonbi
Mother
The Queens Classroom
Heaven's Coin (I've seen this one in part, it's alright if you like medical melodramas)

As for Devil Beside You, omiii ... my 1st officially dropped drama. I don't drop things lightly, in fact it's very hard for me to do. I tried my level best to finish DBY and made it to ep 15 before I had to throw in the towel or go jump off a cliff to put myself out of the misery.

Thx for the reply.
You actually confirmed what many other people have told me about Japan, and Tokyo in particular.
You know from watching jdramas I do get the impression that the Japanese aren't a very romantic lot. I don't put too much weight on drama being a true depiction of reality, but relationships seem to be a necessity for the continuation of life & a convenience for satisfying certain physical urges, but LOVE isn't pedestalized as it is here in the West or even in neighbouring South Korea. Interesting that in the tiniest of ways your comment somewhat supports this notion.
I'm sure every big city in the world has its share of shady characters and practices, and I can bet being in an environment that's completely different from what you're used to is a massive learning experience. I'd love spend some time in Tokyo one day. I don't know if I'd want to live there, but just being there for like 6mth to a year, soaking up the culture & the vast difference in worldview that is likely to exist between me & the Japanese people. I'm an immigrant in the country where I live so I understand the love/hate relationship one can have with one's adopted hometown. And I don't find the men here attractive either! lol
Anyway, back to dramas, now that you're in Japan do you find yourself watching more jdramas than usual or do you still watch as many kdramas too? What are you watching now that's really good?

I saw some stills of Ugly Alert and the drama looks fun. I've also been told that the romance is pretty mature, even if a bit cheesy in parts. I don't mind cheesy as long as its not juvenile. Anyway, if you end up watching it before me let me know what you think.

I must admit the only reason I'm curious about If Tomorrow Comes is because of a certain comment on the drama's page. Apparently there's a shocking twist in there & that just got me morbidly curious to find out what it is! lol
I think it's so cool that Asian dramas air in your country! I met a woman at my Korean class who claims that kdramas are aired on national TV here too, but in the 12 yrs I've lived in this country I've never seen one ... and there was a time when I watched A LOT of TV. So I don't know how I could have missed it! :)

Do Japanese series air in Romania too or just Korean? Ok, so are you studying in Germany or did you move there for work? Do you like it? And do you speak German? Sorry for all the questions. :)
Ten years ago I was semi fluent in German (dated an Austrian guy for a spell), but now I only understand a few words.

Life is Beautiful, I'll check it out! :)
As long as the characters are generally likable & things aren't too up in your face, it should be fine! Thx again for the rec, chingu! :-)

A little late, but thx for the friends request.
I find it interesting (though I'm very happy about it too since I know I'd just hate this drama if I watched it! :) that you dislike Boys Over Flower.
I also love me some good bromance!
Seems like we'll get along! :)

Re: Lovers, if you like action/crime/romance dramas you'll like this one. I have not come across a better romance to date. It was adult & very passionate. But this drama has its haters & I can't guarantee you won't be one of them. Just watch it and see for yourself.

Speaking of my darling Lee Seo-jin, I was trying to exercise decorum becoming of a lady, but okay since you went there. I ***would gladly*** GOBBLE this man up for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert AND a midnight snack!!! I'mma go all Abe Sada on his ass, except I'd never lay a violent finger on that beautiful, lovely, perfect body! :p

Hey, how about this? How about me & you open up a man harem? I'd line up uri Seo-jin ssi, Byung-huney, Yoo Ji-Tæ, Go Soo to be my sex slaves! You can line up your Gong Yoo (who I also love, but you can have him :) ... who else do you love? Man, what a dream! haha

No, but seriously, you have got to prioritize Love 911 & the other 2 movies. Love 911 is a fun one, with a little teeny bit of melo thrown in. Mindless entertainment that will totally destress you with all its cuteness AND the total man candy that is Go Soo! Promise! ;)

Now finally, this business with the pics. I do think we must be talking about 2 different Cha Seung-won or you must have gone mad because certainly you can not mean to say this dreadful pic does right by uri Seung-won?!? It doesn't even look like him!!!

Aghassi, should I ship a pair of my reading glasses over to Germany? lol

http://mydramalist.com/actor/488/cha-seung-won

Dude, WHAT are you on the fence the about??? You have got to watch BOTH Secret Love & Addicted. They're NOT melo (well maybe SL a little), but they're more romantic drama/thrillers. Secret Love is particularly twisty, that's part of the fun. Besides both are just movies, not long ass dramas that take days to complete. You spend 3hrs of your time tops, & I'm willing bet somewhere around 65% that you'll end up liking both. Have I misled you so far? You said it yourself, I haven't. Moreover, both are available on streaming sites so you won't have to download!

As for I Saw the Devil. I had seen Byung-huney yrs b4 in A Bittersweet Life, but this is the movie (followed by Addicted) that pushed me waaay over the edge for this man! He's HAWWWWT & best of all a MAGNIFICENT actor!

Omiiiii, I had to go check my review of Eros just to remember what I thought about the different stories. I see that I hated the 3rd film with the vamps. I mean, wtf??? I didn't really care for the 4th story either, but I liked it better than the 3rd.

I saw a gif showing a pretty hot interaction between the 2ndary couple in PtB. Usually side couples don't even kiss in kdramas, at least not those I've seen. So heck yeah, I'mma check it out! I also want to give Ji Sung one last chance to burn his stint in Save the Dance out of my mind for good! The show isn't a priority but I know for sure I'll watch it ... if only for that side couple. :)

Man, I don't really care for Moon Geum-young & I kinda hate Jang Yu-suk (apologies, I know you like him & even though I know it's a bit unfair cuz I've never watched him in anything, I do really dislike girly guys like him! The dude wears more makeup than me! :). So I will never watch Mary Stayed Out All Night. I've also heard the drama is a total catastrophe!

I haven't seen A Frozen Flower.
Some days I say I'm going to watch it (because seriously when will I get the opportunity to see the man candies that are Jo In-sung & Joo Min-jo in the same show again?).
Other days I say nah, not my cuppa!
So on the fence I remain! :)
Ottoke, Bunny, ottoke??? lol

Betts, I know right??? I'm telling you, the man is indeed a picture of pure male beauty! He's killing me, I tell you ... like totally ripping my heart out! :-)

But yeah, let's cool waaaay down. **Breathe in, Breathe out**

Hahaha

I've heard mixed reviews about Wonderful Mama so though I initially wanted to see it because the story sounds good I'm now on the fence. As for Life is Beautiful, well, I generally don't watch shows/movies with homosexual themes, but I'm not opposed to trying a few episodes, just to see if it's my cup of tea. Thx for the rec.

I've been eyeing either Ugly Alert or If Tomorrow Comes as my next long drama. Have you seen any of these? I don't think they're melodramas, but I know you also love family dramas.

I'll definitely pass on Scandal then. I so do not like crazy makjang dramas! lol