amrita828

I have noted down "Thank You". It sounds interesting and if both you and Nina like it, then I consider it a guarantee. Thanks for suggesting it. :) Perhaps not at once though, because I simply need something a little lighter, or completely different in style and emotion than good Korean dramas. :)

Lol, sorry, I must have sounded just a little heated in my comment. I should always take at least a couple of deep breaths before talking about dramas I dislike, because they have the power to make the worst side of me emerge with a passion.
You are very right: rom-coms are either hit or miss, there seldom is a middle measure. I did like my share of silly things, mind you, among others 99 Boku To Star etc., which is objectively a light watch with little substance and little plausibility, but I truly liked it a lot. So, far from me to play the intellectual who only likes intelligent stuff, hahaha.
But I'd lie if I say I'm not annoyed by some rom-coms being so raved about as if they were masterpieces. I know, it's none of my business, I should just live and let live, as they say. But, well... I can't help it. :P

Hello my dear!!
Not only I miss my Wednesday drama obsession, I also miss our weekly exchange of suffering and heartbeat, lol.
I have reduced considerably my time on the computer for now, because I must concentrate on my translation, which is quite complicated this time (it's about two surgeons, with lots of technicalities). As I confessed to Bladey, because of my current crush on Lee Seung Gi I have tried to watch some more episodes of Gumiho, but that drama is beyond stupid. Sorry, lol, I'm always so heated in my dislikes, I forget others can be offended by a different taste.
This said, I think I'm going to turn to Japan for a while. It usually works wonders on my heart newly broken by a drama. :D
How about you? Working on your thesis?

Also, I am losing a little interest in Inhyun's Man too. There's a lot of electricity going on between the leads, and this is what attracted me in the first place, but after a while electricity tends to naturally fade and leaves one with a plot which is not solid enough to sustain the weight of the whole show, imo. But because it's short and fast paced, it doesn't seem like wasting my time on hours and hours of nothingness, lol. So, I think I know why you don't get into it, and I can't really blame you. :)
I am considering turning to Japanese for a while.
What are your plans, drama-wise? :)

Hello Bladey,
thank for the cheering, I confess I still have to truly sink my teeth into Akai Ito, I simply watched the first episode, which is nice enough, and will take my time. There was nothing in the bet stating how fast I have to be, lol.
Because of a common crush on Lee Seung Gi, I have picked up Gumiho AGAIN (I have already dropped it 4 times!), but I believe it must be the most STUPID, UNNERVING, REPETITIVE, ANTI-FEMINIST, IRRITATING drama I have ever watched. I intend to complete it this time, with a lot of fast forwarding, because my desire to write a review for this crap is so strong it almost surpasses my hate for it.
Hotaru I liked until the middle, then I started losing interest a little. I don't think it's a bad drama per se, just something I can't really connect to. Luckily Japanese fluffiness does not irritate my like Korean one, so I may finish it one day. :)

I agree. I too have a whole novel to translate by the middle of June, and this is just the perfect time to concentrate on my job. I think I'll keep on dreaming of these characters for a while though: they hunt my nights. :)

Violet dear, I didn't dare write to you for fear you hadn't seen the finale yet. I see now you have. And it's clear we agree on everything. :D
I feel totally empty and drained now, though. How about you?

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly about nationalism, as opposed to patriotism. Blindly following a line of thought, without ever questioning it, or without using one's brain to determine what's wrong and what's right, can lead to the worst of horrors (see terrorism, or dictatorships, or even religion in some instances). So I'm glad Kang Suk (I had to go look up his name most of the drama, so you're not alone, lol) had his growth too. In the end, each and every character embodied a "fault" and had its arc to overcome it, one way or another - except the villain, of course. Perhaps his total inability to move from the deranged kid he was, is what makes him so evil and scary.

I had developed a pure hatred for Bon Bon too, so I believe I know how you feel. It's only right that it was Shi Kyung who finished her, after all.
Perhaps Shi Kyung's death is the only detail of this drama I'm not ready to completely come to terms with. Either because he was too good to be true, or because a week in a coma should have satisfied the most macabre viewers. However, his death was not in vain, since the capture of Bung Gu has been his end, despite the attempts at freeing him (which were to be expected, in a drama so rooted in reality).

His name's Kang Suk and I agree his character is a riot. The scene in which he awkwardly confesses to Hang A of his obsession for ... Girls Generation I think, is one of my favourites. Besides, his character is very important for the narrative purpose, since he embodies the pride of a country to self-determine its fate and the honest belief in a cause, regardless of what we think of communism or the North Korean regime. He is there to say: each one of us has a right to be proud of his or her identity. I loved this: it's a courageous thought, that not everyone is ready to accept.

Sorry, I think our post somehow overlapped.
First, I enjoyed our conversation too. A lot. I like people who can write true critics and open the door to true discussion. I hate it when one writes a thought-provoking comment, and all (s)he gets is some "I agree", or "I <3 the actor". It's so... deflating.
Yes, I believe having Shi Kyung die on the forelast episode took away a little from the pathos: all our hearts are still bleeding, obviously watching the north korean general secretary speak, although important from the point of view of the narrative, was somehow anticlimatic for us to watch.
However, I'm going to sleep on this drama and possibly write a review by tomorrow.
So, what can our next conversation be about? :D :D

On my part, I'm glad the villain got a life imprisonment and not death. Even a slow death wouldn't have been enough for him: it would have been an easy way out.
I'm also glad they had such a simple marriage, and not some crazy pomp. I'm a bit of a non-romantic when it comes to weddings, I invariably find them sugary and anti-climatic, in real life as well as in the world of fiction. I'm happy they showed a little of all the characters and didn't simply write off my beloved woc guys from the north (after Shi Kyung, my favourite was Young Bae :D).
Now I can redo the marathon with my mom with at least a little relief. Like you said, I feared a Romeo and Juliet end too. That would have been terrible.

I believe it should be watched with subs. Because I was so scared at any moment they would meet a bullet, I didn't relax till the end credits. I suppose this is what didn't truly make me appreciate the nuances.
There had been rumors about Shi Kyung not being dead and going to kill off Bung Gu, but if you think about it, such a solution - albeit crazily good for us lovers of Shi Kyung - would have totally defeated all the battle to bring the villain to justice, including his sacrifice.
This was , after all, the story of the birth of a king. All the satellite characters we grew to love so deeply, helped him get there. It sounds so cynical, and I am not a cynical person. I just believe we need somehow to come out of the very emotionally draining moment and valuate the drama in its whole. And as a whole, I think it's simply marvellous. :)

Oh, I hesitated. I opened the streaming mirror and let it upload till the end, made a pause, ate, had a shower and even watched some tv. I kept on telling myself: wait, wait, wait. In the end I realized I was just procrastinating the inevitable and watched the finale.
I'm not spoiling it for you. Suffice to say I stopped breathing at minute 1 and started again - for lack of oxygen - at minute 65.
Good luck to you too.
Suffering or loving, it's been the best drama ride I've ever had. :)

Hug accepted with gratitude. ;)

It's not crazy: growing attached is part of the process when dealing with good literature (in this case, good drama). This is what the work of writers, directors and actors should be about: move the reader/viewer to the point of forgetting it's fictional.
I was dumb too and in a way I am still. This is why I didn't even weep. I am dreading tonight again and am dreading my having to show all this to my poor mom, on her first experience with K-dramas. Something tells me she'll deal with it better than me, though. She loves tragic stories, and realistic ones above all. But watching it together with her and repeating the experience will probably be the end of me.

By the way, thank you for asking, my friend.
And how are you? I know you cried your eyes out. Here's a hug from me - it's not much, but it's all I can do. :)

I'm slowly coming to terms with it. I've suffered so much through this drama, I'm almost drained of energy. Masochistic as I am, I DO believe tragic stories are the most romantic ever. Because they move me to the point I feel like I were in love, tortured and in love again, they are THE LOVE STORIES. But if they don't give me a happy ending tonight, I'll stay away from dramas and forums for a while. I wouldn't withstand it.

Forgive me for being so vehement, I hope I didn't offend you. It's just that I can be very passionate about my loves as I am about things I dislike and I often forget that not everyone has my taste. :)

I have already started re-watching K2H (which, if possible, is even better on second watching) together with my mom. This is her first Korean drama experience and she's already fatally hooked. I had no doubt, it's such a beautiful story. :)

LIFE and Last Friends I'll postpone for a while: I'm not in the mood for bullying or violent boyfriends right now.
Innocent Love is a good idea though: noted! :D