PrettyCarEye

Whoa I see you're already watching several long dramas! Maybe we should scrap our plans to watch something together. Seems like you already have a lot on your plate! lol

Not much of a Joo Won fan or a medical drama fan so I think I'm going to pass on good doctor. Baker King I hear is pretty makjang & melo so ... hmm, don't think I want to watch that. For airing dramas I'm looking at 2 Weeks & Who are You? Maybe (and this is a big ass maybe because I usually don't like Hong sister dramas) Master's Sun.

As for WM disappointed & sorry to hear that! Ok, let's find something we both want to watch. I'll check your list & you can check mine.

By the way, I've been meaning to tell you that I completely agree with you about Lie To Me. It's among one of the first dramas I watched & I liked it. Sure it wasn't perfect, but it was a lot better than many subsequent dramas that I saw. I don't know why it gets so much hate. lol

I need a little break after Smile, You, but I've been considering 3 Brothers or Wonderful Mama as my next long drama. What do you think of these?
I'm going to look a bit more into WM. If it's too melodramatic I wouldn't want to prioritize it.

Aghassi, apologies for the late reply! I was caught up watching this long ass drama, Smile, You in which Jung Kyung-ho who plays Doctor's Son also stars.

The more I watch this kid the more I like him! He's really cute and good actor. His character in Smile, You & CC are so completely different that I almost can not believe he's the same guy. At this point I'm loving him!

And yes! LOL Doc Son's is one smexy, hot piece of man candy, fight scene or no fight scene (although I do agree that his lighter frame makes his fight scenes look more fluid & cooler). When I first saw Hyung Min in ep 1 & 2 I was spazzing like crazy over him because I usually like HIS type (big, muscular) more than the skinnier Doc Son, but man what Doc lacks in physique he makes up for in lethal charisma! Hyung Min didn't stand a chance against him. Plus, the fact that I lost all respect for his character as the show progressed didn't help his sexiness quotient in my eyes. lol

Oh & the younger female lead (doc's love interest) was indeed quite annoying, but for me it's wasn't that I dislike her (the character or the actress). It's because I felt her character was completely useless to the plot. As I've mentioned before the romance was misplaced here. They shouldn't have let it in. The fight scenes were amazing & one of the things I looked most forward to.

How far along are you? Are you almost done or are you done?
What's next on the agenda for you? Are any of the airing dramas appealing to you? I have my eyes on a few: 2 Weeks and maybe Who are You? Jury's still out on Master's Sun. Good Doctor I won't watch. Don't like medical stuff.

Betty boo boo! :)
Sorry for the late reply! I was caught up watching Smile, You! I finished it yesterday. I liked it. Jung-In and Hyun-Soo are super cute. Very well cast. And I must say I was relatively satisfied with their romance! I was expecting it to be really childish & silly, but it was surprisingly cute in a way that I liked! Although the kisses were a bit forced & lacking in passion it was a far cry from those dead fish kisses you usually see. And I loved the INTIMACY between them, something you don't see a lot of in dramaland. They don't always have to be making out, but that closeness between them, the sexually charged rough housing, was pretty evident & authentic for a young, (inexperienced) couple in love. Loved that.

Thx for filling me in on those airing dramas! Let me know how Knife & Flower ends. I took Lee Soon Shin off my list based on all the horrible reviews. I don't have time to waste on a draggy 50 odd episode drama if it's no good & since I can't drop stuff I'd rather not start it.

After Lovers I went looking for more shows by the writer. Lovers in Paris & Prague didn't appeal to me at all. I think I read that these were dramas from early in the writer's career so they're not as good as later ones. For eg, Lovers, City Hall etc. Anyway, I love the sound of Wonderful Mama. It's in competition with 3 Brothers as my next long drama. Watched any good movies lately or have you just been on a dramathon?

By the way, the leading guy is Choi Min-sik! Don't tell me you don't know him? He's famous (even here in the west) for movies like Old Boy & I Saw the Devil. He seems to be one of the go-to actors in South Korea & with good reason. I don't mind him even though I wouldn't call myself a fan. He's pretty good at what he does.

Nina-ssi! I got caught up in Smile, You fever and forgot to respond to you. Sorry, chingu! :)

I'm glad you liked Nameless Gangster! It was my introduction to Han-ssi and he totally caught my eye & charmed me. Don't worry about the rating. I believe I gave it an 8 too because I experienced that same feeling of not knowing why it shouldn't get a 9 or higher. I watched it at a festival here in Oslo last year. It screened pretty late in the evening so I don't know if that played a role (maybe because festivals are exhausting for me. I first have to work -- scout talent, talk, talk, talk, make presentations, make deals etc -- THEN watch movies). There were a few scenes where I was nodding off so an 8 seems appropriate.

It's interesting that you reconsidered your 10s based on my system. It works for me. I don't just give out 10s because I enjoyed a show. It has to offer something more than just enjoyment. I enjoyed Cruel City, but gave it only a 7 because there was so much wasted potential in that show. From time to time I rerate things too, usually after a re-watch when I'm less on a high.

Say, have you watched anything with Yoo Ji-tæ? He's another unconventional leading man that I love. I find him incredibly attractive & I like his acting style.

Anyway, what manner of mischief have you been up while I was away? :)

Pien-ssi, sorry for the late replay & thx for your feedback on Rondo. I'll give it a go and see how it is. This being japanese I know already not to expect too much in the romance department so I'll watch it for the crime.

I've always wanted to check out a sæguk, but it's difficult finding one with a nice romance & a happy ending. If you know of any, please recommend.

So I finally completed Smile, You. I gave it a 7. The beginning started off slow for me, the middle was the best part (imo) & the final 10 or so episodes were somewhat of a disappointment. I didn't like how the entire mood of the show changed from light & comedic to something more melodramatic & angsty. I wasn't expecting it. It felt like they fired the original writer at around ep 34 & hired someone with a totally different voice to complete the show. And I hated that horrible cliche of the guy getting morning sickness. I mean how many times are they going to us that bogus science in dramas? This makes the 5th time I've seen it in a drama & I don't find it remotely funny.

Hehe tell me about it! Desperate drama addicts! LOL
We should totally watch another drama together. Its been fun recapping Smile, You with you! :)

Is Chinese acting more overstated than Taiwanese acting?
In general bad acting doesn't irritate me as much as other aspects of a show that aren't well done. Sloppy, inconsistent writing will get on my nerves quicker than bad acting.

I must say I'm not very familiar with Wuxia. What characterizes this genre?

Come October it will be only a year since I discovered Asian dramas so I still have a ways to go in accepting the conservative nature of their romances.

LOL, you're a nun around your parents hehe. Well, I'm almost the same. I'll hold hands and or share a quick kiss with ahjussi (when they're nowhere in sight!) but that's about it. And we won't sleep in the same room. My parents are probably not as conservative as I'm making them out to be because it has more to do with me rather than them. I just feel it's necessary to show respect to the elders. lol

Speaking of Youtube, haha me too! I often go and check out the kiss scenes of a drama before I decide to watch it, esp if its heavily influenced by romance. I also watch all the drama kiss videos & add to my list accordingly! LOL I still can't believe I'm reduced to doing this sh--! lol

Interesting you should mention that. Sounds like my experience with Cruel City ... which wasn't boring mind you, but story wise they really did throw the kitchen sink at you & a lot of times things didn't make a lick of sense bcuz of it. So I can see where you're coming from re Iris 2. Depending on how it ends, I'll make a decision on whether to watch it or not so let me know your thoughts if you manage to finish it.

By the way I like Jang Hyuk, but I actually haven't see that much of his works. None of his movies really jumped out at me. Have you watched a lot of his stuff? Please recommend something to me, if you have. I prefer shows/movies with some romance, but it's not a requirement.

I'm glad I heard about the ending of Iris 1 before I put all my time & energy into it. Cruel City had the same cause & effect. I don't regret watching it, but I wish I hadn't let myself fall for the hype about this show. At least I would have been able to brace myself for what is to come. As far as Iris 1 goes Lee Byung-hun is notorious for accepting these type of tragic roles. I love him, but he's a bastard for this. I don't know what's his deal. Have never watched a movie with him where he doesn't end up a broken man or dead. Sigh ...

The fake kissing & general lack of intimacy between characters who supposedly are in love are perhaps my biggest complaint about dramaland. Heck, it has kinda turned me into a pervert because every time I see a decent kiss in a drama I'm fangirling like a crazy person! lol

I know movies are a whole lot better when it comes to this. I've seen some really spicy korean movies & while good, it's really not the same as dramas! You spend anywhere from 10 - 50+ hrs on a drama, watching a so-called adult couple act all silly & juvenile around each other (just the mention of sex scandalizes everyone lol). A lot of people find it cute, but I'm too set in my American hollywood ways. It irritates me, and is another ingredient of k-dramaland that I can't reconcile myself to even though I continue to watch. lol

That's why I love Lovers because it was sooo refreshing in how they approached the romance! The characters seemed comfortable around each other. And sure the guy seemed to be more into the kisses than the girl, but at least there was still a little passion there. They didn't build all that sick chemistry & then left us hanging. Maybe it helped that the leads were crushing on each other during the filming, I dunno. Whatever it was, I liked it. :)

Hey, do you find it funny that in dramas like SY married kids are not embarrassed to get it on in their parents' house? The scene where Jung-In & Hyun-soo are fooling around upstairs & her father hears them in Haraboji's room. hehe I don't know, when my bf & I visit my mom or my dad I feel it's sooo weird doing anything naughtier than kiss with 1 or both of my parents in the house! lol I don't know why, I feel this way!

Btw, I didn't notice his lopsided eyes on the drawings, no. You're very observant! :)

I wanted to watch Iris 1 for Lee Byung-hun, but I had to pass. Can't deal with those types of ending. After investing 16-24 hrs of myself I want to be properly rewarded. I'm not expecting hearts & rainbows all the time, but I don't want to be sad & depressed either. Anyway, I might just watch the movie version & be done with it. I have Iris 2 on my ptw list, but I'm not 100% sure I want to watch it. Is it just plain boring or suffering from poor story development? I really hate when that happens.

I'm glad you were moved by Padam Padam. I almost wanted to take credit for recommending it to you, but then I realized that I didn't! hehe

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it. This was my first k-drama. At the time of watching I had no prior experience watching anything Asian aside from a few movies. I wasn't prepared for the roller coaster of emotions this show evoked in me. I was a wreck for weeks after watching it, so devastated by what happened in the end was I. Nevertheless, this was an amazing show, well written & acted. I loved everything about it except ... well, that (I'm sure you know what 'that' is). I loved that it felt mature, a drama by adults for adults.

I really dislike when shows feel silly & juvenile.

What do you plan to watch next?

I hope you're not a spambot. If not, your should update your profile and lists.

Anyway just wanted to stop by & say I agree with your comparison of k vs j drama & cinema. I think you're particularly right in your assessment of japanese series and films. In particular they do not do romance well. I too look for escapism, love is a favourite theme, but the Japanese are fond of neither.

I can nevertheless recommend Happily Ever After. It's in keeping with the weirdness of Japanese movies, but romantic in an understated, abstract way while still being beautiful. And the ending is just lovely. Check it out.

Your profile pic ... is that from Autumn's Concerto?

I hadn't heard. Interesting choices. I've seen Hunnam in a couple of things. Not really a fan. I don't know the woman.

Well, I just finished watching the show & you took the words right out of my mouth! I don't know how he went from metastasizing liver cancer to dementia and back again without explanation. Sloppy writing. They had to have changed writers towards the end of the drama. Anyway, I was just about to write and ask you your interpretation of that ending. Do you think that was really him or his spirit?

And those kids ... omg, cutest thing I've ever seen! :)

I really loved how the 2 families bonded. And surprisingly the romance didn't irritate me as much as I expected it would. It's not hot & passionate (as I prefer it), but still a far cry from the juvenile child's play you normally see in kdramas. I'll take the pursed lip kisses & the awkward intimacy over dead fish kissing or those godawful accidental kisses. Ugh. Hate those the most! lol