PrettyCarEye

Good point, Little Dreamer.

Tell me about it, Allyson! :-)
It's only been 12 years since I was 18 so I remember all too well my irrational obsession with a host of male celebrities. :)

I also want to say that I grew to love Song Shi-won of Reply 1997. She's one of my favourite heroines. Her crazy, stalkerific fangirl habit is out of control, but she's spunky, loyal and looks like a REAL woman, not some plastic barbie doll like most other female leads in dramaland. In 2012 she had obviously grown into a more mature, ambitious & reflected woman than she was in 1997! Furthermore, who of us here was on our best behaviour at 18? :)

Let me present another side to this discussion. While I know full well the world is filled with smart, capable women, it doesn't bother me to see these type of female leads portrayed in dramaland. In fact I find it rather refreshing. Why? Bcuz these dramas aren't forced to follow a PC agenda. They dare to show human beings as we are: not always well put together & not always the sharpest knife in the drawer. Western dramas have a tendency to bastardize men as idiots, but nobody complains about that. Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying there's a problem with wanting to see smart women on TV. All I'm saying is that not every woman in the world is a brainiac. We have smart women & dumb women likewise smart men & dumb men. We see idiots of both genders in dramaland so I don't see this as sexist. There are a lot of sexism in dramaland, but to me this is the least of it.

I just completed The Samurai I Love. A little disappointed with it. Given its title I thought the romance was bigger & more heartfelt, but it barely played a role in the plot. This week I'm probably gonna continue with a few of the series I started last week: Devil Beside You, It Started with a Kiss & Salaryman. I'm tempted to start Smile, You because I've heard it's so good, but I'm trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to be disciplined & finish what I'm currently watching first. :)

I don't know if it'll give you any added insight beyond what I've already told you, but here's my review for Love & Honor: http://mydramalist.com/reviews/id/7624

See that is my point. I personally find it difficult to say with any authority that one is heavier than the other. They're equally heavy, but in entirely different ways. Both are very powerful films which delve into the deprivation of the human mind. Realms, however, is perhaps the more sexually explicit of the two. Maybe for some that would make it 'heavier' than Old Boy, but not in my opinion. For me what characterizes whether a movie is heavy or not are the themes explored & how it is directed.
I like Jason Stratham & usually see all his films, but I haven't gotten around to seeing Crank yet. Without spoiling, what made you dislike it so much?

Thx, sweee. Your description of DBM makes it that much easier to continue. What else are you watching now? Anything good?

Old Boy & Realms are in a category by themselves so you can't really compare them. They're both signatures of their respective directors. Arthouse films which explore their given themes with a ferocity I wish more films (including the ones I make) had, but that's about where all the comparisons end. I haven't seen Crank. Is that a Asian movie or Western?

As for your list I feel yah. I kinda have my own system going on too. I agree with this: 'Not on my list - Highest priority'. LOL! But to force myself to actually WATCH the films I put on my lists I've limited my PTW to 200 titles. I can't add another film unless the number stands at under 200. On hold is 50 & the same rule applies. Let's see how long the discipline lasts! :)

You flatter me, my dear Winne. :)

My pleasure, sir Knight.

What's up with your currently watching list, though? It's a monster. lol

Be sure to prioritize In the Realm of the Senses (did our Queen Winnie rec this to you? :) & One Fine Spring Day. Both are great films. But one thing I can say about Realms, be prepared for a mindf***. Literally. ;-)

Ok, I hear you. Then maybe you won't care for the others in the trilogy as they follow the same tone & mood. Of the 3 I liked Love & Honor the most & would recommend that you give it a chance (the films are independent of each other so you don't have to watch 1 to watch the other). It was a bit more fast-paced & entertaining than the other 2. The narrative was more straightforward and the stakes were higher. I felt a lot more emotionally invested in the characters & their trials. Also if you're a fan of KT then that might be an additional incentive to watch it. While I did enjoy The Hidden Blade & The Twilight Samurai I understand your feelings about them. I could've easily felt the same way, but I found enough fodder to keep me interested in spite of. Moreover, I'm in the mood for these sort of period films this weekend so I guess that gives me more patience to sit thru.

Thank you for a very detailed & well thought out answer. I'll respond to you shortly. You've certainly raised some intriguing points that I have to ponder a bit.

First, before I answer your question, can I ask you one of my own? Just work with me on this. There's a point to my question. I remember you telling me when we first 'met' that you didn't like The Twilight Samurai. Can you explain why?

Yes, I think so. In particular the 3rd installment, Love & Honor, which I personally felt was sweeter and more emotionally gripping than the other two. But overall I think they all were fairly good. My favs were 3, 1, 2 in that order. They are rather understated and simple stories of everyday life of low caste Samurais. Nothing sweeping, nothing epic. Not your typical Samurai films, but that's a part of their charm I think. You'll find similar tone, mood, and storyline of survival in all 3 movies.

Thx for the recs! I have The Princess' Man on the ptw list. I've wavered a bit in deciding to watch it because it seems like every other person you ask about it they say it's not worth its salt. What's your opinion? I haven't added Sungkunkwan Scandal because I'm not too fond of gender benders. I find they tend to drag out the big secret too long & I end up getting majorly frustrated. I've heard SS being compared to Coffee Prince almost to the point where it's a rip off. Not the story itself, but the circumstances surrounding the mistaken sexuality. Scenes addressing that being very similar & what have you. I liked Coffee Prince, but like I said I didn't care for the secret being milked for all it's worth. Would you agree that they are the same in this or any regard?

Sweee, noticed you just finished Devil Beside You & gave it a 9. Was it that good? I've added it to my currently watching list, but I'm still a bit skeptical of it. I don't normally like high school dramas. Can you say a little about why you loved it so much? Cheers! :-)

Hi. You seem to be somewhat of an authority on period dramas/movies & this weekend I seem to be in the mood for exactly these. Do you have any good recs for me? Preferably movies, but dramas are also welcome. And as always something romantic with happy ending is my genre of preference (although I'm open to more tragic endings in the long run, just not right now). Thx!

Edinaa, sorry for late reply.

Reply 1997 turned out to be a really cute, little drama. I didn't care for it much at first, but I grew to love it. If you haven't seen it I'd definitely recommend it. I love the guy who played the male lead. Soooo cute! :)

What are you watching these days? Anything good? This weekend I seem to be in the mood for period films, but I don't want the epic battles or tragedies. I want something romantic. I watched & enjoyed Yamada Yoji's Samurai trilogy, but the romance was a little bland. I want something more heartfelt. Do you have any good recs along these lines?

Glad you enjoyed it! :-)
LBH is a class act.
You should start writing reviews!