mysecretsoul

Oh, absolutely. It isn't unusual for me to go for rom-coms and eye candies also (well, depending on my mood). Like, somehow I managed to enjoy When A Man Loves in a purely masochistic fashion -- it was so soapy, haha. And I know right? It makes me happy that mostly people who'd enjoy Still Walking have seen it. :)

My gif is from last year's Hanzawa Naoki, by the way! I found the scene too cute not to include it.

Oh, absolutely! While one can learn a lot from someone much different, it's never a bad thing when somebody gets you. I'm always on the look-out for fans of Japanese drama as well; much as I enjoy Korean, my first love will always be the dorama.

Ah, yes! Eguchi-san is just wonderful, one of those rare multi-talented actors. My most recent encounter with him was in last year's "Dinner," where he played this crazily infectious, enthusiastic chef. Comedic roles suit him well, though he seems to rarely play them.

I noticed that Iki mo Dekinai Natsu is listed among your favorites. It's pretty high on my priorities list at the moment too. What did you like best about it? :o

Hello! Thank you so much for accepting my friend request. I've noticed your articles around the site and enjoyed them. We also seem to share some similarity in taste~ :)

On the subject of the live shoot system, did you ever read the stories that came from the set of The Great King's Dream? I haven't seen the drama, but apparently it had horror story after horror story due to it. And the actors tried to keep going after all the carnage o_o;

Ah! Ji Jin Hee! Did he do well? I'm watching him right now in One Warm Word, and his character is a big jerk (but a magnetic one).

Eek, I hope Man From The Stars doesn't become painful for you. Everything I read about it makes me personally less receptive, but then again... SBS rom-coms and I have never gotten along. Someday I'll figure out why that always seems to happen, haha.

Fumo Chitai? I'd never heard of it before...but it looks interesting. Most of the actors were in Olympic no Minoshirokin though, which is fun. It's a rare long drama for Japan too, though. 19 episodes, wow.

Thank you for the friend request. I'm very pleased to meet you. :)

Hello! Thank you for reading the review; I'm glad that you felt it did justice to a favorite film. :) It's my wish that others will be inspired to see it also, but sometimes that feels like a long-shot around these parts. If it isn't an action film or rom-com, that is... @_@

Oh, I know right? Sometimes I wish Jane would have written it a little later in her career. Though it seems she'd likely lost interest in the topic by then. The novels she references in Northanger Abbey are rather interesting also, though um....rather explicit at times. XD

Yes, the supernatural/mystery series, related to the main series Ayakashi. I always forget to differentiate it from Mononoke Hime. For a long time, before learning the word, I'd thought Mononoke was just a name, haha.

The only thing about Mononoke is that it doesn't have a "consistent" art style; they change it from arc to arc, to suit the theme/tone of the story. And it can be a mite scary.

Since you're on a literary/period piece kick, there's also the Aoi Bungaku series (if you like/are in the mood for anime). They animate several novels, important to Japanese culture -- such as No Longer Human, Run Melos, etc.

Your daughter may like the anime Count of Monte Cristo, though, yes~

The animation is particularly interesting, because they use textures instead of deep coloring; it's one of the most innovative-looking shows in memory. That and Mononoke, they look very similar.

Of Jane Austen novels, I believe Northanger Abbey has been long held as the "least." It was her first story, but published later for one reason or another. First stories are rarely as strong as later ones, so it goes for every writer whether they be great or small. It's strange to think that Jane Austen could write something that leaves so many questions though, ne? Her writing was so great for the period.

Billie Piper isn't as strong as Frances O'Connor, of course; however, neither version is even particularly close to the source material. In Ruby in the Smoke, her skills are much better applied (because the role suits her more than Ms. Price). It feels more like a detective/adventure story, than romance~

If you do pick up Fire Light, tell me how you found Stephen. He's also in the HBO series John Adams, where he was again very appealing.

Feeling ambivalent about Chocolatier. Apparently, most people who'd expected it wanted a Hana Yori Dango-ish romance, didn't get it, and are disappointed. What it actually became sounds intriguing, so we'll on that principle alone.

I'm not sure why Jae Wook quit. Honestly, it sounded like they wanted to write him out anyway; the character sounded very peripheral. With such an enormous cast advertised, it's not surprising. But writers changes scare me in general, especially after Medical Top Team. Yeesh.

Thanks so much for the recommendation. I'd seen several reviews for that film, but had hesitated in watching. As for tastes, mine is very eclectic; pretty much recommend me anything and I'll give it a try. I like anything as long as it's well done. XD

I'm kind of torn in pursuing interest in Min Joon. I still have so much to see Choi Soo Jong in. So many new actors, so little time...

Ah, you enjoyed Northanger Abbey then? JJ Feild truly has a remarkable charm; I saw him first in this very sad little film called Third Star. He's pretty great in Ruby in the Smoke also, but the real draw would probably be Doctor Who stars Matt Smith and Billie Piper. The cast has great chemistry.

Should you try Firelight: Stephen Dillane might be one of my favorite actors ever. His eyes blaze. XD Valmont, as you probably already know, is another rendition of Dangerous Liaisons -- but I vastly prefer it to the others. It actually has a charm instead of the pure immorality they can sometimes invoke.

Ah, I figured you'd probably have seen a few of them. The Count of Monte Cristo is such a fun story; I pretty much collect adaptations, even the futuristic anime one, haha~

Ah, not one of them have gained your attention? A couple Japanese series seem to be almost completely subtitled, but I'm not sure they're to your taste (such as Shitsuren Chocolatier). Very glad I didn't start some of the others yet; two have already fallen behind, haha. :,)

As for the coming Korean season, some of them look decent. I actually looked forward a little to Inspiring Generation, Kim Hyun Joong aside, until recently. Then they lost Kim Jae Wook and then...nope. XD

I haven't actually. :o Are there any that you particularly recommend? He was probably the best part of that movie, liked his performance a lot. Ah, and speaking of acting, I just completed Top Star and met another: Kim Min Joon. He actually took my attention off Tae Woong half the time. Nothing is more fun than meeting new talents~

Oh, definitely. I can understand why the premise would throw one off. Beauty pageants aren't my thing either, especially due to the subjects they tend to dredge up. It does feel like satire which helps...though there was a section recently that had me up in arms (the question of whether the lead needed plastic surgery).

Ah, Ayase? My experience with her has mostly been in short dramas also. Until recently, the child cast has been featured and the plot has been carried out by other characters (such as Yaeko's older brother and Yoshida Shoin). I really hope this being a period piece has mellowed her acting out a bit. Everyone else is incredible.

Ah, The Terror Live. I didn't like that one for some reason. It started out pretty well, but halfway through I felt like the plot fell apart despite the solid atmosphere. The ending was fascinating though, as was the acting.

I have the same issue with Brad Pitt. Cate Blanchett is always lovely, but Brad manages to play a similar role in every film. Definitely a good looking man, though. Strangely enough, I've never seen Benjamin Button. o_o My thread on western movies has been growing thinner all the time. XD

Very glad that listing helped. What were you planning on picking up next? :o

Ah! Oscar and Lucinda. This is a product of watching too many films, haha. They start to all run together. When you said the title I suddenly recalled -- and I even have the novel. @_@

I compiled the list and sent it your way~ Hopefully it's helpful. I'm almost certain I missed some since I don't have all of my collection with me at the moment. If you see anything and think I may have seen it, feel free to ask about it also. There's a whole world of costume dramas out there. *_*

Ditto on OCN. Never seen anything I didn't like from them.

Miss Korea actually strikes me as strange. For instance, I had no idea it was a period piece (1997) and it isn't romantic at all (so far). Every female character seems to be strong-willed and independent, especially Lee Yeon Hee's. Oddly enough, it's also very funny -- but from the most unexpected places. It's a very quirky, off-the-tack drama. And they seem to hit each other a lot? XD

As for Yae no Sakura: I'm in love. It started off by giving me Ryoma Den vibes (partially because it's set in the same time period), but backed it up with deep sets, perfect costumes, and solid acting. And three times must be the charm, because I actually *really* like Ayano Go in this. Must be the period costume, haha.

Schindler's List was such an incredible movie. Another Holocaust film, The Pianist, hit me in a similar way; I remember shaking during a span of 20 minutes during the middle. Adrien Brody has such talent. I believe the film you mentioned was The English Patient, by the way. There was a novel for it also, if memory serves....

Oh my gosh, 30 days? XD I could probably talk about costume dramas forever. Every time I think I'm over them, they release another, and the whole process reignites.

Let me take a peek at what I've got around. I'll send you a big list via PM afterward. There are so many, including historical miniseries, worth seeing~

It actually surprised me Miss Korea ended up being a period piece. Upon watching the first episode, seeing the elevator girls and pages, I was pretty much wowed. The fact that it's set in 1997 never seems to be mentioned on any of the websites. :o

President Ma, I love her. Such a unique character, and yes, strong too. It became apparent quickly this is a girl's drama, so the fact that nobody is falling back on the men is very refreshing.

I haven't seen that far, I think. Ji Yong's family is absolutely adorable though. They just make the drama for me. XD

Ralph Fiennes has such a great eye for roles. He's memorable for that, even though he isn't often in blockbuster films. If you like his performances, I have to recommend The Quiz Show. It's a fascinating little period piece, also a true story. But his role in Great Expectations, yes! He did wonderfully at it.

There are several versions of Great Expectations, but my favorite is probably the 1999 version with Ioan Gruffudd. Unfortunately it does not keep the ambiguous ending of the novel, but otherwise it's close to perfect. If you like Ioan in it, also, it'd be a great gateway into his Hornblower series, filmed around the same time.

Is that the version with Toby Stephens as Rochester? The only problem I had with that particular one would be the language. It's so modernized :o

Oh, seriously? That happens often now, just stopping at the final episode. With such frequency, I can see how it would feel as though one was being punished. A few years ago, the subtitling team for Ryoma Den dropped off the face of the earth 4 from the end (of 48, no less!) Thankfully in that case, the drama had been airing with subs on the east coast, so transcripts were available.

It always made me wonder though. Anime is typically subtitled the exact same day, often going on longer than dramas as far as series length. Seems like it shouldn't be that hard to merely finish 8 eps in comparison, ne? Must be the interest level being different.

Ah, I loved the 8th! I actually listen to some of his audio adventures, and it's such a shame they didn't use him more. Paul McGann is a great actor.