PrettyCarEye

So in a way I do understand the fear of getting knocked up & having to give up your job ... your financial & emotional independence, but still, our existence as human beings should, imo, be planned around the natural progression of life.

They probably should take an example from the West, learn from the mistakes we made. See how society, in particular families, develop, both for better & worse, under feminism & then try putting their spin on things to avoid any pitfalls as much as possible. But it seems to me from drama (and I am aware that dramas, to a large extent, are not the most reliable source of cultural insight) that the Koreans are heading down same slightly dangerous road the West did.

And any new wave of feminism, whether in the East or the West, should, imo, be developed around the possibility of family because many will come to realize, usually when its too late, that yes indeed 'I do want to have kids but golly now I'm too old to have any of my own'. Of course I realize that women in the region may face insurmountable challenges which influence their behaviour in this regard.

The institutionalized sexism that seem to run rampant in Korea is a huge problem. TWTTLI is the second show I watched about female professionals in the entertainment industry, the other was Unexpected You. Showbiz is an inherently sexist profession, even here in the west, but if these dramas present any true depiction of reality, then the sexism women face in this industry in Korea is even more extreme & probably not so far removed from other professions.

Whatever the case a lot of the dramas I've seen seem to be presenting a subtle but powerful message about gender & sexual equality. I always look positively on these things, but I think they're falling victim to the same tropes of early feminism in West where men are sidelined as the enemies, instead of active agents for change. I also see a lot of 'all or nothing' in dramas, that is to say female characters who sacrifice family for career all the time until some accident happens & she's forced to have a family. We both know from the West's experience with feminism that neither of these two tendencies work.

Men are too intricate a part of women's lives to be sidelined as just enemies and oppressors. They have to be as much a part of gender equality debate as women.

Rita-chan (I'm just realizing you're more of a Japan fan than Korea fan so I'm changing my name for you ;-). Anyway, first I'd like to apologize for not replying to your last msg to me. What happened was that I wanted to post the review of TWTTLI before getting back to you. But then you know how it is ... life gets in the way n sh--. lol

Anyway, to answer your question ... this is what I think. I know nothing of substance about Asia. Before 7-8 mths I had very little interest in the region. But now that I'm totally enamoured by its culture & people, my opinion is that there's a slow revolution happening when it comes to gender politics. If movies/dramas are anything to go by, then the trend towards female empowerment seems more apparent in Korea (or maybe I just watch more Korean shows/movies than any other).

2nd'ed!

I liked your review of Old Boy. You touched upon the same issue I had with the ending! It's totally absurd! lol
But Old Boy is nevertheless Park Chan Wook's masterpiece. More than the plot, I mostly just loved how it was shot.

Aside from Ha Ji Won & Yoon Eun Hye, I only have a vague familiarity with the other actresses. I saw Moon Geun Young in Innocent Steps & My Little Bride & I know I've watched Shin Min Ah in something, but I can't remember what.

I really like Yoon Eun Hye. I agree with the writers' assessment of her beauty & talent. I don't dislike Moon Geun Young, but the type of wide eyed innocence with which she plays her roles is not really my cup of tea.

I do not care for Ha Ji Won ... AT ALL. I know she's popular, but to me she's overrated. IMHO, she has an annoying tendency to exaggerate her performances - her facial expressions, her mannerisms - in every role I've seen her in except Closer to Heaven. For that reason I don't agree with her # 1 spot on the list, but that's just me (no judgement or anything, just sharing my opinion).

I'm still waiting to discover my favourite Korean actress/es.

If memory serves I do believe I tried asiatorrents & several other sources, but the download failed every time, but I'll keep looking.

What other Renner movies would you recommend? I've been so caught up in the Asian wave that I haven't had time to check out his back list of movies. In fact, I haven't watched a western movie in months though there are many new releases that I want to watch.

Yeah, I like Damon as Bourne too, but he's getting kinda old, isn't he? I think Renner will do a fair job with the role. He's tough enough & he even bears a slight resemblance to Damon. lol

And since we're on the topic, interesting that another Bourne movie is in development! I thought the franchise was on its last legs. What other characters will they focus on? Jason Bourne IS the focus.

Sorry for getting back at you so late & thx for the feed back on Summer's Desire. Good to know what to expect! I have In Time with You on the list. Is it like Autumn's Concerto in any way would you say?

I'm still struggling to decide what to watch next. I'm in the mood for a JDrama, any recs?

Edinaa, apologies for late reply.

I still haven't decided what to watch yet. I'm waffling between Smile You, The Greatest Love & Salaryman, but actually I'm in the mood for funny, romantic JDrama ... something along the same line as Brother Beat. Have you seen that one, by the way? If you have any recs for me I'd welcome it.

I haven't watched a western movie in months! But there are several movies coming out that I want to see.

How are Shining Inheritance and the others going?

Little Dream, my magne dongsaeng! Sorry for getting back to you so late. Unnie has been so busy with work!

Anyway, I just want to say that I think it's ah-mazing that you want to stay true to yourself & wait to find the right person for you! :-)

It's not easy for young women these days when it comes to this sort of thing. There's so much peer pressure & an intensely oversexed society that forces you into situations that you're not ready for. So good on you for having your mind!

Are you watching anything interesting? I really don't know what drama to watch next. I've been undecided for 2 wks! lol

Maybe you can help me: Smile, You, The Greatest Love or Salaryman? I wouldn't mind a Japanese choice either so if you have any recs lemme know ... & as usual romance is king! :)

Unnie, sorry for the late reply. Late evenings & nights at work keep me exhausted so when I come home I just make dinner & fall into bed. The next 2 weeks are gonna be even more hectic!

We (or rather I, bcuz BF is too darn lazy to wake up early on a Sunday) don't go to church a lot. When I do go anyone in town will do. A few years ago I used to go to Skedsmøkorset Church of Christ, but I quit there bcuz I didn't like the preacher guy. The church of christ (not mormon) is the church I attend in the States too. There's an American church at Frogner that I go to from time to time, and I have a couple African friends so I've been to church with them too. It's always a fun, interesting experience. You certainly don't get bored in African churches! lol

I've never seen a lakorn, but I've heard of them! Are they any good? You're true fan of Asian entertainment aren't you!:P

Hi dearie, apologies for the late reply. There's a lot going on at work & a lot of late nights this past week!

Anyway yes! I love discussing movies with others so I'll defo give you a shout when I watch Love Exposure bizarro, LOL.

I really liked Love 911. It was so cute. Go Soo was so hot in it & the female lead is always a pleasure to watch. I have a review up if you wanna check it out.

As for my movie of the movie, I tend to wait until the month is finished to update my pick. Since it's June 1 today, I'll be updating my pick for May really soon. I saw a lot of good movies in May, but I think I'm going to choose Oasis which I already recommended to you I think. If I change my mind I'll let you know! :-)

What's on your watch list now? I still haven't decided what drama I'm going to watch next. Maybe The Greatest Love or Salaryman.

I haven't seen him in Time yet! I can't seem to find a download of it online. I know it's on youtube, but I hate the format that it's in because you can't make it widescreen & it feels weird for me to watch it like that.

Anyway, I did see Nameless Gangster when it dropped in the West last year ... at a film festival, which is where I tend to see most Asian movies as they're introduced to the west. You should also check him in Never Forever. He was really good in that. I can't wait for 90 minutes to become available. From the trailer he seems to be suffering from a really bad breakout, but I can't wait to see him do his thing anyway!

I actually haven't seen the latest Bourne movie yet, but I want to. I haven't seen Renner in much either (only The Hurt Locker & he was great in that), but I feel myself becoming a fan. He's not a bad actor.

What you watching now?

Good recs. Adding RPoint to the list even though I generally don't like war epics. Like everyone else said 3-iron is an amazing movie. Truly a cinematic masterpiece. Old Boy is director Park Chan Wook's best work so far (it's HIS masterpiece, but not necessarily one of world cinema's like 3-iron is) & the reason why I love it is more for his direction rather than the story itself (I agree with the person below that I Saw the Devil was better in terms of being a revenge movie). But I have to gripe at you a little. You gave away some of the best parts that truly made OB the WTF experience that it is...

Yup, had it on the list since it came out. It smashed western box offices, selling close to a million tics in North America alone so that should tell you it's a pretty darn good film given that it's not only popular in Korea, but in other regions. Furthermore, I luuuuurve Ha Jung Wo. He's a great actor with an interesting face. He has what appears to be another action packed film opening soon. It's called 90 Minutes of Terror. Trailer dropped yesterday. Checked it out on youtube. It gave me a Bourne Identity type of vibe.

Yeah, even though I'm not a parent I really felt the father's anguish & his deep love for his daughter. I loved the movie.

Platonic? I don't like that word. The Snow Queen ... ::deleted::

;p

OMG, how cruel! Why are Asian people so obsessed with death??? Grrr...

Were there any good kisses? :)

OMG, do they KILL OFF Hyun Bin's character in the end?! :O