mysecretsoul

Right? After a couple, it makes one curious about the personal lives of Korean scriptwriters everywhere. I find it more fun to pretend things turn out as they do in King of Dramas though, where they all get to date Kim Myung Min at the end. That would make dramas much more calm. XD

There are too few, certainly. Another thing which has started getting on my nerves is the dreaded "love polygon." Dating never felt like a problem to me, but I can't remember a time when 2-3 men swarmed me at any given point. It would be a lot of fun to see a one on one romance, with plain-old relationship issues. >_<

While I found UTW and Eugene's kissing decent for the most part, near the end, there were two instances where it was more like "Wait, what?" There was a little *too* much, though the script seemed to try to portray a passionate couple ->

Definitely. That subtle approach made the feelings seem more tangible, too; not at all like the "forced-down-the-throat" style of many other dramas. What you described (hysterics and wailing) instantly brings to mind One Warm Word. If half the cast wasn't moping, the other half was screaming to high heaven. I still cannot believe that's what people called realistic when it comes to relationships o_o Or maybe I'm mistaken, too. XD

Haha, of course. I wish the title worked better in English, now that you mention it. That silliness adds some of Hana Yori Dango's charm. Something about that situation seems cute, though: "Oh, gosh, why is she watching that bad show? Let's not let that stand." XD

Argh, speaking of recommendations, I'm currently looking for a new K-drama to replace Comrades, but I'm not sure that'll go well.... *_*

He really did lose everything, though at least Private Jeong was spared (to some extent). As beautiful as it was, it makes me sad the last shot of Lee we get is him walking along with new recruits...likely toward the last big battle at the 38th parallel. But any other ending, even knowing his ultimate fate, would probably detract from the impact of the story.

On one hand, it's hard to call anything which centers on war anything *but* male-oriented. Yet Comrades also focuses on the female side of war, as women frequently participated in the Korean conflict. The honest exhibition of emotion would definitely appeal to women too, but as you said, western men are often taught to conceal their own. Somehow, I feel like this drama has wide appeal.

Haha, so you met some drama watchers from overseas? Were they mostly male or a mix? Perhaps it really is just a difference in societal values.

You know, that's true. I suppose what we lose in some sectors we gain in others. There are several male oriented dramas and I confess I've never liked them much; yet even if I didn't, there were always a bevvy of others to select from.

Though, I'm not sure how the Asian men themselves react. It does seem like many of them do watch the dramas, but the standards of masculinity for east and east are somewhat different....

Ah, this is an interesting topic. Somehow I hadn't considered it at all.

*Hands over a box of tissues.* It's awful, right? When writing "you might sob your guts out" in that review, I primarily meant those last few episodes. What makes all the death marginally worse is that most of it happened when Sergeant Lee was not present. It really hits home then how much he'd been protecting the boys. You can see the guilt and agony in Soo Jong's acting, which is just major ouch for viewers haha. ;-;

Oh, gosh, the deserter! Another example of the South being dodgy after that inquisition about the POW camp. >_< His last words, and Sergeant Lee's cradling him after the shots... I actually had to pause after that scene. It was just too much.

Were you able to see the BTS recording at the very end? When the actors are singing the theme together? It's cute, but CSJ seems to be conducting them, even through the music XD ->

Haha, thanks so much. Just do yourself one service: do not watch Comrades directly after Friend, Our Legend. Definitely pad down Friend with some light-hearted stories first. XD

But Sergeant Park just breaks my heart every time I think of him. Much of what happened to him was either uncontrollable or misunderstood, yet he keeps blaming himself for it. I think that's why when they say he used to be amazingly kind, his situation becomes twice as sad. Nobody suffers more than a gentle heart. ;-;

Ah, my feelings about this show are still so raw. XD

Thanks so much for the heads up. It's best to know when such things are present when going into a film or series. Being taken unawares by a disturbing scene usually makes it twice as bad. The friendship story, though, certainly sounds very appealing.

I agree. Sometimes it even seems "boy" shows are geared more toward women in the first place. A good example would be Katekyo Hitman Reborn, where things appear very shounen anime but everyone's a total bishounen. Though if taken in a feminist skew, such gender coding by the creators is slightly offensive to begin with. It reminds me very much of the western video game industry, where they often ignore female gamers in favor of the male >_< Not as bad, of course.

Oh, right? You're near the end now, too. What's remarkable about Lee is that his indomitable spirit seems born out of love; to protect his boys, he can do anything. ->

Oh! Is that the one also called "Rainbow"? How disturbing are the particular scenes? When I watched more anime people often talked about it, but at that time felt a little wary of graphic scenes. By the way, do you find yourself more drawn to stories which are targeted toward males? I've started thinking that perhaps my taste runs a little more masculine at times. Then again, that wouldn't be surprising with the volume of men in my family XD

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend Friend right away. It's probably best to watch rack up light-hearted stories before and after watching. At first I didn't believe it could possibly be *that* bad, but it really, really is. There are probably many empathetic viewers that couldn't handle it all the way through.

Very true. Plus, for every goofy translation there are dozens of great ones.

Oh, Sergeant Park/Kim Roe Ha? He looks to have had lots of decent-sized supporting roles. Is it perhaps The King's Daughter? They have him listed as a character named Ddol-Dae.

Right? Comrades totally redefined what I can call a great onscreen friendship from now, because these were just such touching bonds. I just wish there could be more K-dramas like this. Though, I've noticed each time I think I'll never see something quite as good again, I find something like Friend, Our Legend or Comrades. XD

Pff! "I consent to falling in love cosplay." Truth be told, I was drinking something when I read that, and almost obliterated my screen with a spit take. XD

Ah, you've gotten to the POW camp.... I loved Sergeant Park, too. He started so rough and hateful, but when you come to understand his reasoning, it's actually terribly sweet. Kim Roe Ha is a pretty great actor, too, so that probably helps.

Thanks so much for reading it! Though I could never do this excellent show justice. I'd love to hear your thoughts when you do see it. :)

But places like MBC and Dramafever really make me feel grateful. Now it's easier for me to watch them on various devices, including my television when I've got time. Plus, the decent subs. :,)

Ah, thanks for saying that, haha. :) Actually, thinking about things now, I'd be a little too selfish to sub. I do need my own generous drama intake, especially if it's a year like this where I can have Uhm Tae Woong, Kim Myung Min, and Choi Soo Jong one after another. XD

Oh! That final cave sequence was incredible, great action and emotiona all at once. When Sergeant Baek? I think it was, had to drag him away from Sugyeong, ;A; What got me about the Guerilla scene was also way the dead child was placed next to Lee In Hye's character. It all seemed too cruel in that moment, since they just wanted to live peacefully. >_<

And how about the escape from the beach? When 1st Squad looks back at Sergeant Lee, and that Chinguyeo song starts. ;A; That song will be the end of me.

I'm a little glad to wait for Wonderful Days, then. Can't stand illegibility, so my pick would have to be KBS. I remember trying to watch Special Affairs Team TEN on Viki, and the last episodes are 100% gibberish. They had this line, which ought to have been "She pretended to be dead so that she might survive the attack," but it was something like "she pretended death for attack" O_o >

Oh, definitely! Sergeant Lee's major flaw might be how much he cares about all his boys. >_< Almost too much.

Weren't they? It's too bad many preferred the "fast food" subs to waiting a bit. Decent subbers remain, though, so it's not too bad. Several years ago, them leaving might have been more devastating. I'm still a little torn up about TimelesSubs, who worked on many very good Japanese dramas with beautiful results.

Ah! I didn't notice that. Her role in Comrades was great, and she's also quite the beauty on top of it. I'll keep hope out for it, then. If nothing else, perhaps somebody who likes Ryu Jin will want to sub it for others. XD

I'm actually returning to school to strengthen my Japanese this fall. Though it's only partially intertwined with wanting to watch my dramas, I could use subbing to practice at that point. Might not be a bad idea with all the abandoned shows. >_<

Right? Actually, you're probably lucky you didn't see Two Weeks. Perhaps it was the weepy nature of the character, but that drama single-handedly knocked down my opinion of Lee Jun Ki a peg. Well, his acting anyway. I've become picky these days though. #_# Now that you mention it, I might sneak past Three Days too. Action thrillers have never quite been my genre, either.

It's awful, right?! XD Worst part is that because I find Tae Woong attractive and their faces are incredibly similar, whenever I see Jung Hwa in films I almost find her cute too. There must be some kind of syndrome for liking siblings. The Uhm Virus! XD

I have a feeling that people who like Ha Ji Won have been catching that lately too. Her handsome little brother was in one of the popular long sageuks recently, getting lots of attention.

Right? We're spreading the Choi Soo Jong virus, haha. Perhaps if this year's Into the Fire gets subtitled, he'll be even easier to sell. It apparently comes on after The Bride of the Century, but I'm a little worried nobody will pick it up. It's a business drama, and seems like the now-defunct WITH S2 team often worked on his projects. u.u

My heart almost exploded during that scene. I legitimately think Sergeant Lee would have gone alone, too. But it's definitely funny whenever Sergeant Kim is like "you're all crazy, I'm going, but we better get going before I realize I'm crazy." That near-execution scene on the beach before they were sent back in, by the way, had me bawling. >_<

It's kind of amazing how well the romance works between those two, with so little said. I feel they're both in pain, without the usual "Omg they're in love!" scenes we get in other dramas, haha.

Isn't he just the best? It almost has me giddy someone else now understands my adoration for Choi Soo Jong. He appears as this slight and slender figure, yet his powerful voice and acting presence blows that right out of the water. Sergeant Lee really is an attractive character, as fatherly and dutiful as he comes across. And oh, gosh yes: "She's the woman I love." ;A; I got so attached to him it makes me want to watch the whole thing again.

So happy to hear you'll be watching President! Funnily enough, that drama allowed Soo Jong to spend even *more* time with his wife; Ha Hee Ra plays his wife there too, haha. If his sterling reputation and those romantic claims are both true, she's a lucky lady.

I definitely like "Comrades" more than the "Legend of the Patriots," title, for the reasons you mention. And oh, that deserter broke my heart so many times. He's just an innocent kid >_<

Cha Seung Won may be appealing, but yeah... The presence of two young idols has me nervous. That's part of the reason I'm also hesitating with Three Days, despite the presence of the excellent Son Hyun Joo.

Many of the other dramas appear to be either tragedy, revenge, or noona romances. I saw one coming up with Uhm Jung Hwa, which seems to be a remake of a rather promising Taiwanese series called My Queen. Then again, I don't seem to connect well with younger actors AND Uhm Jung Hwa looks a lot like her brother, so that might be weird, haha. XD

Glad to hear you're liking Comrades! It's really intense, right? I loved how they throw the viewer directly into the action and let the characters speak for themselves. Show don't tell, ne? Because it's not exactly a spoiler, I'm comfortable telling you that the drama never does take a side. After finishing, I read some directors commentary stating their wish was to create something about the ordinary person embroiled in war; ultimately, I felt they captured that ambition well.

How are you finding the acting, by the way? There are quite a few Hwarang in Squad #1, haha. I kept referring to Private Jeong as Alcheon while watching. XD

Ah, Taegukgi... The thing about that film that still sticks in my mind is the scene where the inquisitors start massacring all those civilians....So disturbing, since that sort of thing kept going up until the 1980's. ><