Only addressing Goblin.. not going to address the others.
The funny relationship between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper was everything! So of course I finished it.
But also, Ji Eun Tak was still a high schooler for most of the show. It would have been extremely weird for a 900 year old who looks 30something man to have a lot of skinship with a 19 year old girl.
I still can't believe she married the bad guy from Atashinchi no Danshi. (i have only ever seen him in that role... so i'm biased)
Her life and her choices. That's fine. I will miss her though. And maybe in a few years she'll go back to work?
i've always wondered about #3. I mean are people over there just overly fragile or am I just a mf hulk or…
Usually, they don't flip out unless there's blood. If blood comes out, hold everything!, freak out, and get out the first aid kit. (i wish i was joking)
They actually tend to believe that if you go to the doctor with a problem, like a cold, it can be cured with medicine in 3 ish days. (they also really do give you vitamin booster shots in the hip to help you heal faster. it never worked for me since my immune system is lame. Koreans immune systems have got to be fantastic because they really do recover from colds faster. I bet it's the kimchi and all the vitamins... because they don't sleep much.)
Rain though!! Heck no. You don't let that touch your head. It's acid rain, and they all believe that acid rain causes alopecia and that will make you go bald. And baldness is ugly and unwanted.
Fan death is real to Koreans as well.
Car accidents really do happen frequently. I was nearly hit by cars on sidewalks! You have to pay attention when you're outside. A friend from church, his son got hit by a car and nearly died. He was in the hospital for a while because his liver was damaged. ((2 years in Chungbuk))
Do I exfoliate enough? HA. Nice. Yes. I question that.
I can answer about how they afford nice phones though. In years past, the phones were given away as almost free with a set contract. Companies would undercut prices to get more and more customers til the phone itself was virtually free. However in 2012 or 2013, the government passed a law to stop some of this "service", so phones aren't as deeply discounted. However, I can say for a fact that for a 2 yr contract, I paid 72,000won a month for my cell phone bill (which included talk, text, G3, and the installment payment for the phone). Pretty cheap. (if last year's minimum wage was 6,470won/hr, it would only take 12 hours to afford 1 month's bill) So, it's not you... it's the incredibly affordable cost of a phone in Korea.
These seem amusing (vampire host was very amusing!). Seeing the image for Vampire Heaven reminded me of Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (aka Wallflower) - which has gothic/spooky vibe without being horror.
I agree with you, completely, except for Fated to Love you. I felt like the Korean version lacked depth of character. Jang Hyuk almost seemed too bubbly (and that may be a pun on his shampoo commercial bit). Sure, Ethan Ruan's character was cold and heartless, but how would a guy react if he believed he was tricked into impregnating a random woman?
The Taiwanese version has more of a struggle, and a stronger dynamic to "the feels". If you want to be super angry and vent your frustrations to the screen, always go with the Taiwanese version. (And, if you just want to chill, the Korean version always has more muted tones of angst)
Hana Kimi 2007 will always be my favorite remake/version. I'm currently rewatching the earlier Taiwanese version, which is truer to the manga and quite funny... but the acting is a bit poor... which makes it funnier.. (i do love it. and i love to sing along with the soundtrack)
However, Osaka Gakuen in '07 is just so wacky that each character becomes a familiar friend. I tried watching the 2011 remake but it felt like a flat remake of 2007. I will give it another chance. As for the Korean version.... Let's not even go there. I love Minho, HyunWoo, and Kim Ji Won, and Sulli even looks boyish enough. However, this was not a well developed script and it seemed as if the characters didn't know who they were as characters.
Hana Kimi '07. Hands down. My favorite drama ever.
I'm a fan of Ha Ji Won, but this movie's girl character was so.... weak. He's terrible to her and treats her badly, tips her like she's pathetic, and when he starts being nice she's in love so deep that she stops functioning later. This is a good example of "how not to be when you're in a relationship."
Fun to read. Best OST - It's Okay, That's Love OST beating You who Came from the Stars OST --- because Twin Forks (dashboard confessional) beats all. (my bias)
But I totally think Worst Drama should be... Mr. Back... I love Lee Joon dearly, but he's the only good thing in that drama.
It is a very interesting thing to examine. Quite cursory due to article length constraints and other things. It actually has academic merit, but to draw it out it would be best to separate dramas by country because each country does have different views on mental health.
After I started living in South Korea, I was surprised to find how bad of an insult it is to call someone "crazy" (미친). My elementary students could burst into tears (or a big fight) if someone called someone crazy. Even among adults, this word is not lightly used (among friends, yeah, but in teasing contexts.). In English, if I said "Oh this is crazy!" it's kind of a euphemism and does not reflect upon my actual mental health. But I get the sense that in Korea, the word has not separated meaning from "chaotic situation/feeling" and "actually mentally ill". Furthermore, when using 미친 they actually tend to associate it more with psycho. My kids will tell me so. They have this firm belief that psychos are real and dangerous, and definitely not a label you want. (whereas from my light studies in psychology from undergrad, I've come to understand that most mentally ill people are pretty normal. It is rare to meet a completely deranged, dangerous "psycho".) I need to ask my coworkers more about what they think, but I almost get the impression that social awareness about mental disorders is lacking here.
I'd like to have a better understanding - in Korea, and in Japan and Taiwan and China. Maybe someone can publish such a study? :D
But the characters are hilarious, over-the-top weirdos. I like that.
Also - one love confession sounds like Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice). I about fell out of my chair.
The funny relationship between the Goblin and the Grim Reaper was everything! So of course I finished it.
But also, Ji Eun Tak was still a high schooler for most of the show. It would have been extremely weird for a 900 year old who looks 30something man to have a lot of skinship with a 19 year old girl.
Her life and her choices. That's fine. I will miss her though. And maybe in a few years she'll go back to work?
They actually tend to believe that if you go to the doctor with a problem, like a cold, it can be cured with medicine in 3 ish days. (they also really do give you vitamin booster shots in the hip to help you heal faster. it never worked for me since my immune system is lame. Koreans immune systems have got to be fantastic because they really do recover from colds faster. I bet it's the kimchi and all the vitamins... because they don't sleep much.)
Rain though!! Heck no. You don't let that touch your head. It's acid rain, and they all believe that acid rain causes alopecia and that will make you go bald. And baldness is ugly and unwanted.
Fan death is real to Koreans as well.
Car accidents really do happen frequently. I was nearly hit by cars on sidewalks! You have to pay attention when you're outside. A friend from church, his son got hit by a car and nearly died. He was in the hospital for a while because his liver was damaged. ((2 years in Chungbuk))
I can answer about how they afford nice phones though. In years past, the phones were given away as almost free with a set contract. Companies would undercut prices to get more and more customers til the phone itself was virtually free. However in 2012 or 2013, the government passed a law to stop some of this "service", so phones aren't as deeply discounted. However, I can say for a fact that for a 2 yr contract, I paid 72,000won a month for my cell phone bill (which included talk, text, G3, and the installment payment for the phone). Pretty cheap. (if last year's minimum wage was 6,470won/hr, it would only take 12 hours to afford 1 month's bill) So, it's not you... it's the incredibly affordable cost of a phone in Korea.
The Taiwanese version has more of a struggle, and a stronger dynamic to "the feels". If you want to be super angry and vent your frustrations to the screen, always go with the Taiwanese version. (And, if you just want to chill, the Korean version always has more muted tones of angst)
Hana Kimi 2007 will always be my favorite remake/version. I'm currently rewatching the earlier Taiwanese version, which is truer to the manga and quite funny... but the acting is a bit poor... which makes it funnier.. (i do love it. and i love to sing along with the soundtrack)
However, Osaka Gakuen in '07 is just so wacky that each character becomes a familiar friend. I tried watching the 2011 remake but it felt like a flat remake of 2007. I will give it another chance. As for the Korean version.... Let's not even go there. I love Minho, HyunWoo, and Kim Ji Won, and Sulli even looks boyish enough. However, this was not a well developed script and it seemed as if the characters didn't know who they were as characters.
Hana Kimi '07. Hands down. My favorite drama ever.
But I totally think Worst Drama should be... Mr. Back... I love Lee Joon dearly, but he's the only good thing in that drama.
After I started living in South Korea, I was surprised to find how bad of an insult it is to call someone "crazy" (미친). My elementary students could burst into tears (or a big fight) if someone called someone crazy. Even among adults, this word is not lightly used (among friends, yeah, but in teasing contexts.). In English, if I said "Oh this is crazy!" it's kind of a euphemism and does not reflect upon my actual mental health. But I get the sense that in Korea, the word has not separated meaning from "chaotic situation/feeling" and "actually mentally ill". Furthermore, when using 미친 they actually tend to associate it more with psycho. My kids will tell me so. They have this firm belief that psychos are real and dangerous, and definitely not a label you want. (whereas from my light studies in psychology from undergrad, I've come to understand that most mentally ill people are pretty normal. It is rare to meet a completely deranged, dangerous "psycho".) I need to ask my coworkers more about what they think, but I almost get the impression that social awareness about mental disorders is lacking here.
I'd like to have a better understanding - in Korea, and in Japan and Taiwan and China. Maybe someone can publish such a study? :D