amrita828

Akai, I love you. I didn't have the courage to express my feeling, but since you were so brave and stood here alone, I feel like some back-up is due.
Honestly, I don't think this actress has a wide variety of expressions. I'm not impressed by her acting, nor am I by her constant frown/pout.

This is in no way a critic to the article, which is truly well done. :)

Believe it or not, Violet, I do exactly the same with your list. Not only I trust your judgment implicitly, but I also like that you are not one of those Korean monogamists who shout from the top of their lungs how superior everything korean is.
I'm quite annoyed with the trend, to be honest... this is probably why I'm having an all Japan phase and am just a little hesitant at crossing the strait right now. I like to row against the flow, LOL

P.S. I'm not going anywhere... ;)

And since I don't want to let the chance pass without being of some use too, here are two recommendations from my part:
1. Osozaki no Himawari. Simple story, wonderful photography, heartwarming characters, lovely story of friendship and love too, although not too stressed upon.
I think you may like it. If you like Ikuta Toma too, he's an added bonus. ;)

2. Soratobu Kouhoushitsu. I'm currently watching it and I'm already hooked. You have to like the sort of military setting, but this is Japan, they don't really have an army. So this is more about finding a new scope in life when your dreams are shattered. It promises to be very sweet on the romantic side too. :)

Wow, as usual you manage to shower me with good recommendations! Not that I will ever be able to keep pace with you, LOL.
Since you say so, I may give that Gu Family a try. Like you, I'm not a saeguk's lover... no, wait, I'm worse, since I truly can't stand them, haha. They all look the same: same costumes, same intrigues and political plots, same types of villains... it's like having a film on the Roman Empire every second one. :P
This said, and if I can erase from my mind the image of hated gumiho (my last experience with Gumiho paired with Lee Seung Gi was a disaster), I will try it out... and then come back to you! Thank you and... beware. ;)

Kidding. Monstar has also been put on my ptw list: sucker for good friendship stories nr 2, present!

Shark... I pass, for now. Don't hate me, I'm just not in the mood.

There is something about a good old marathon which makes it my favourite way of watching, after all.
I've found out that the wait can enhance the pleasure of an excellent drama, but kills it when the drama is only ok.
The only upside of an airing drama is that one can discuss it with friends. ;)

Oh my, your list is so long, hahaha.
Once again, no competition. I am watching 2 currently airing dramas, Last Cinderella and the Soratobu I told you about and now and then one episode of Honboshi, a detective drama.
I'm out of Korea for a while: too much... drama. ;)

LOL, I can't compete, although I speak some languages too, mainly Italian, German, French, Spanish and English.
My specialization however are the literatures of those languages, more than the idioms themselves, so please forgive my occasional mistakes, I'll probably never get rid of those.
I also wish I could learn Japanese, but I haven't got the time or the money right now for a serious course. Except for the little I learn from dramas, this dream will have to wait, I suppose. :)

I'm currently watching Soratobu Kouhoushitsu and I must say I'm enthusiastic, after only 1 episode.
Are you watching something interesting yourself? :)

I'm half Italian half Austrian, living in Italy right now.
Very far from the Asian world but not any less addicted. :D
So you can watch J-dramas raw... I'm very envious. ;);)

Sakura... are you Japanese? :)

Thank you for sending it, Sakura! :D
It's a pleasure to meet you: are you knew to MDL? :)

My name's Rita, by the way.

Yes, the first season of Switch Girl was truly nice, haha. I never thought I would like it, but, accomplice Renn Kiriyama for whom I have a very teen-like crush and the female heroine who I find adorable I ended up loving it. I liked the second a little less, but I knew what I was buying and was not disappointed overall. :D

Your teaching experiences sound terrific! While I never taught in school, I used to teach German to young adults when I lived in Malaysia. It was a wonderful experience, so I can only imagine how endearing it must be for you with a real class of students. In rural Japan, on top of it. :)
I wonder how you'll find the Korean schooling system. If dramas are anything to go by - and I truly hope not - than their system seems quite... medieval. I hope you'll care to come here and share your adventures, now and then. ;)

Violet, my dear friend. Can you forgive my very long silence?
I have finally come out of that horrible slump I fell into at the end of last year and am now back to a fairly reasonable addiction. :)
With the exception of Last Cinderella, though, I am not watching anything airing, which makes it a little hard to discuss dramas with my favourite drama soulmates. ;)
To overcome that annoying sense of detachment which kept me away for so long I have basically re-watched on marathon ALL my favourite dramas. When it's been Nobuta's turn I couldn't stop thinking about you: it was almost like watching it in your company. I had a wonderful time. :D
Out of the dramas you're currently watching, there's one I'd like to see but hate the genre: Gu Family Book. Are you enjoying it?
Shark is out (no melo for me for the next 2356 years) and itazura... hmm, don't know. Recommendations? :D

Hi Addy,
my view of that drama is a little... wavering. The first episodes were so funny I was hooked. Plus the whole cast is absolutely brilliant. The love story, on the other hand, I found a little unlikely, it left me detached (a very bad sign, in my book). The middle episodes seemed to somehow lose direction. It picked up again later on, so that now that we just have 1 episode to go I can say it's a lively, unconventional, sexy rom-com. It's worth the little time it takes to watch it and I think it's better viewed on a marathon. Should you start it, don't be deterred by the central eps and go on, you won't regret it. :)

It's nothing life-altering, mind you. It will no doubt get a shower of 10s, but that's just because Miura Haruma is hotter than a chili pepper (and this from someone who likes him as an actor but is no crazy fan).

I know, I know... waiting with impatience. ;)

You are not offending me in any way. First, I'm not a crazy fangirl who doesn't see her beloved's shortcomings. Second, I don't think he's the best actor out there, although I believe he's often underrated, acting-wise. He's very... physical, in my opinion. He somehow always fits the roles he play even without being that awesome line deliverer.

As for Erika Toda, I loved her too in SPEC. I read somewhere that she's one of the few Asian actresses who's ready to act without make-up, not even a little. And, like you say, she's acted in diametrically opposed roles and yet every time she was believable. When I watched the first episode of Kagi No Kakatta... I didn't recognized her for a while. I started wondering when I recognized her voice. Amazing. :D

lol.
*drops mic and slams door shut*
;)

The last one I've watched which I am ready to recommend is Osozaki no Himawari, with Ikuta Toma. One of those dramas with no life-altering plot and very simple, daily characters, but truly heartwarming, with splendid views of rural Japan, lovely photography, well acted and sweet. It was the kind of show I needed, without melodramatic twists and turns but a slow, endearing build-up.
I don't know why, but I'm sure you'd like it too. :D

You'll be living in Korea? Wow. Is it a job-related move?

Omni dearest,
it seems we have had a very similar drama void, lately. Like you, I too tried a few times to watch something but either because I was in the wrong mood or simply because I landed on the wrong shows, I dropped most or watched with gritted teeth all the while anticipating the pleasure of writing a negative review.
It was truly great not to be obsessed by the fictional world for a while, but I can't deny I missed the thrill of a good dramathon. ;)
I came out of the tunnel a few weeks ago, and, not surprisingly, thanks to Japan. Perhaps I told you so already, but Japanese dramas have the ability to restore my good mood. And so it happens that I am in an all Japan mode right now.

I re-watched it not long ago because of the actors too, mainly Erika Toda and Yamapi. I love both, for completely different reasons: Toda because she's a versatile actress who somehow always restores my good mood and Yamapi because he's too yummy to be true - yes, I can be the most shallow person on earth, at times. :P XD