mysecretsoul

Oh, certainly. Rupert Friend had that charming and friendly air about him, whereas the gentleman from P&P '95 oozed sleaze. You could tell that guy was trouble from the word go, eek. Poor Lydea.

Yup, I've seen that Persuasion! It does deviate slightly from the book (all versions of this story do, for some reason), but the atmosphere and tone are both perfectly captured. Sally Hawkins is the perfect Anne Elliot for me, and Rupert Penry-Jones might be a little too smooth for Captain Wentworth, but boy do they have chemistry. XD Definitely worth seeing.

Northanger Abbey.... Probably my least favorite Austen, but also the most unique. From what I recall, there are some fine actors cast in the most recent version of that. JJ Feilds, I think his name is, plays the leading man, and he's crazy charming. :)

I hope I gain two inches then; it'd be fun to be able to reach cabinets better XD

Thorn Birds sounds really makjang. It was, right? Sang Wook probably chooses well, considering handsome young men tend to break big doing romantic comedies. Honestly, I wish he'd be more selective, perhaps do more films. From his interviews, though, it sounds as though casting always try to shuffle him into the same one or two parts: haunted authority figures and aloof managers. XD

I could go for another season of TEN also. OCN can be forgiven for now, since that new Ghost Seeing Detective looks incredible.

Was the ending sad then, in the Japanese version? :o

Drama extensions rarely work, ne? I think I've seen exactly two that helped the series, but in those cases the writers had planned for that eventuality from the start. Hopefully it goes all right this time~ I haven't actually picked that one up yet, but it seems popular.

Right now I'm really enjoying Can We Love? and In A Good Way. Since I've finished so many shows recently, it's time to select new ones soon. Really looking forward to Joo Sang Wook's new drama later this month, too.

Oh, good then! The Young Victoria might please you then. I'm not aware of many film or television adaptations of their story otherwise, but there was one called Victoria & Albert several years back too.

Hey, we're the same height. I'm exactly 5' on the mark and still deciding whether reaching things or trying to keep up with taller people while walking is the biggest bane of my existence. XD

There's a definite evolution in Lee's acting skills, but not to worry. I started with The Fall too. When you do watch it, let me know; there is so much trivia about that stored up in my brain, haha.

Thranduil, yes! Out of all of the films, he looked most like what I believed an elf should (at least while reading the books). So tall, ethereal, graceful. *_*

Most of the male leads are terribly charming, right? I've actually never seen Sung Soo in anything before, but I'm 100% sold on him now. And the "real-ness" of this drama, especially in romance, is what appeals to me too. :)

Thank you for your kind comment. It's my wish that others try and enjoy this one as well~

Soldier's Girl deserves the good comments. It's really a great film, well-acted and handled sensitively. Actually, Lee's career has a funny trajectory. Soldier's Girl got him noticed for The Fall, and The Fall recommended him for The Hobbit. XD

Ah, so the film didn't go into full detail? It must have been more focused on the relationships and atmosphere of the time. Perhaps there are other media on the subject, as there are for the French Revolution. It's a killer finding decent films about, say, Robespierre. Most are in French, mercifully with subtitles, but some are harder to obtain that way.

Definitely! Even unto the modern day, royal marriages were often miserable affairs. Victoria and Albert had a very real, special thing. Have you ever seen The Young Victoria, then? My college friend showed it to me some time ago, and while it might not be the most accurate depiction, I found it riveting. The way it was shot is particularly lovely. :)

Ah, you read that rumor too? There are apparently some pretty interesting photos which "prove" the two are a couple. It might be true and it might not, but they'd make a great one. Each of them are so eloquent, talented, and tall XD

Lee really has a beautiful appearance, right? He first caught my eye in this incredible indie film called The Fall; both his performance and green eyes stuck with me after. It was strange to see him again in The Hobbit~

Onward to part two, woosh~! ->

Oh my, so many episodes spent languishing? If anything tests one's resolve not to drop shows, that would be it.

Thankfully, after such a wide success like Hanzawa Naoki, the chances of Eien being subbed are much higher. I understand completely though; there are several actors I would watch any time. Like Paradise Ranch for Joo Sang Wook, though that might take some time to build courage for. I can tell it'll frustrate me from a mile away. XD

The ending will probably be more clear in Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu, I suspect. What happened at the end of the Korean version drove me up the wall. Didn't know that Hirosue Ryoko starred in that though. I love seeing her, but it always seems to be on accident.

We're similar then! I always gravitate to actors between 35-50, it seems. The charm really is apparent; something is to be said for maturity of talent and appearance. *_*

Oh! Funny it should be Miss Rose; apparently that was a frail attempt to recapture the huge ratings Office Girls garnered. They even reunited Roy Chiu with Paul Hse as bffs, haha. Heard the workplace politics got overbearing in Miss Rose. @_@

Sakai-san's new drama is called Pandora - Eien no Inochi, where he plays a clone researcher. He apparently makes a breakthrough, then seven years pass and there's a murder. The researcher at that time claims to be the father of the victim's son. Mystery unfolds, there's a detective, etc. Sounds a little wild, but sure to be interesting. XD

Ah! I liked That Winter the Wind Blows well enough. How are you finding the Japanese then? Glad to hear you're making a breakthrough with the language, btw. That's awesome. :)

Ah, so two dramas with a crush? I confess to crushing on Choi Soo Jong right now, probably the oldest actor ever to catch my eye, haha.

I wanted to stop by and tell you again how much I enjoyed your article. It was such a fun read and I love how you presented it. You should write more in the future; I'd be looking forward to it. :)

No problem. I'm just glad that after giving it a try, you enjoyed it. Here's to hoping that keeps up, ne? :)

It does seem that way with kings, right? Funnily enough, that Bavarian king I mentioned a while ago had a strange disease as well. There always seems to be something with royalty, though I wonder if it isn't due to the way they marry. For instance, Queen Victoria was responsible for spreading the hemophilia gene across several tiers of various monarchies -- just by marrying off her children as far as she could fling them. Wild right?

Soon the RA addiction settles into a kind of comfortable fangirling. Sometimes it subsides, but whenever you see him again it's like "!!" XD I get that way with Lee Pace, too.

You've probably finished the film now right? What were you final thoughts? I love the way you describe your findings. Was the ending tragic as it sounds it could be?

I know right? Office Girls is another somewhat long one, but that one really worked for me. Lots of chemistry. It would actually be a little scary to see lots of Taiwanese dramas that length though; some of them are too lengthy as is!

Ah, Ayano Go has another drama already? It's awesome he's getting so much work! Last year was great for him. Did you hear about the new Sakai Masato role?

Wow, I've never actually heard of either. How are you finding them so far? Just finished an older one myself (Dream Again), though it's not quite as old: just 2007. I'm actually just settling down to start Yae no Sakura, funny you should ask. XD Since I'm about to finish several simultaneously, it seems the best time to fill those gaps.

Wonderful topic! As an enormous fan of classic cinema, I'm always pleased to notice these similarities in my own viewing experiences. They seem even more common in Japanese dramas though. Some are even straight up "based-on"/remakes of the original script, or heavily based on them (such as Dokushin Kizoku or Dream Again).

Thank you so much for this. It's quite the fun read.

I actually went to look them up after you mentioned it; now I can never unsee him as Johnnie Walker. Somebody needs to Photoshop in the other parts now XD

The Hobbit, Robin Hood, and MI-5 are probably the best bets for maximum Armitage. Unfortunately, Captain America does not feature him quite as much -- though if you like Chris Evans, it's an incredible watch either way. Probably the best of the super hero flock so far,in my opinion.

It's good the lead actors have so much chemistry. :o Sometimes these costume affairs feel stilted because there's a lack of it. I actually don't recall which era that film was to occur in, but they probably had the guillotine. Whenever there were political issues, somebody had to lose something (and it was usually a head XD)

It seems we have similar taste in bachelors! When playing More Friends of Mineral Town, I chose Doctor Trent also. Serious characters are always to my taste, but it's rare to get them gentle/dedicated as opposed to prickly/cold, right? Our lists for Animal Parade are similar too, wow. Though I've actually never tried Owen for some reason, huh.

Now that you mention it, I can totally see similarity between Toby and Chichiri. Which is funny a little funny because, playing a Fushigi Yugi otome game, he would probably be my first choice. XD

Do you ever find that sometimes when a romance option is present it swallows up part of your interest? That usually happens to me in Bioware games, even though the story is great too. I also experience loyalty to a certain guy, which makes it hard for me to try other routes at times, haha.

I have yet to have seen that version of The Three Muskateers. My last foray into that universe would be The Man in the Iron Mask, though I rather liked that one. What an incredible cast. Must add that Matthew should probably avoid mustaches in the future as well. XD

Oh, Andrew was definitely awful. All of the "Cathy" characters are, but somehow it suits the male archetype even worse. At least in the right time period and from a female perspective, her behavior can be understood to some degree. Which of RA's projects are you thinking of next? :o

Oh, you've started it? I'd never thought to check the length. That happens to me all the time and then I end up saddled with four hour movies, haha. Thanks so much for telling me a bit about it, sounds promising! Your opinion always helps me decide about things. I'll need to push it up in my priorities~

Thank you so much for the friend request. I'm more than happy to accept. :)

I see you're watching several currently airing dramas! Which are you enjoying best at the moment?

Thank you for reading this article! Very glad it helped your decision. Synopses are an important and useful tool, but I've found that actual sampling of the material is best. Some write-ups are just not that great or even a little misleading~