mysecretsoul

Oh, wow! I'd known that Mr. Dickens had been her editor, but never that he'd helped with the title. That was a very smooth move by him; "Margaret Hale" has the same flavor as Bronte titles, but a more descriptive title really adds to the beauty of the story. People say titles never matter, but sometimes they're like cherry topping.

On the subject of serialization: it's wild how many classic novels were actually released in parts. Too bad that format rarely works anymore! There are many decent online publications like that, but it would be fun to have to buy like a magazine every month. XD

Bridget Jones! Colin Firth was too cute as the modern Darcy; like, the Christmas sweaters alone, haha! Totally agree on the second film, though. That happens to me too, any time a character does that to themselves. Second-hand embarrassment actually makes me avoid things sometimes XD Terrible feeling.

With Taiwanese dramas, it seems fans tend to swap incorrect episode counts frequently. Few ever run over 21 episodes these days (even though all sites read anywhere from 15-20). I wish in these instances the producers would drop a definitive amount, though; the lowest numbers are too little, and the highest are too much. Almost had a heart attack when I saw "33" today. XD

There are several Japanese dramas, particularly currently airing, which have caught my attention. It seems those top choices (Ashita, Mama ga Inai/Lost Days) are being reliably subbed, so that's promising. I've just finished this TV Asahi sp called The Ransomed Olympics. Might review that one after my thoughts settle.

It's good actors are so choosy though! I've noticed most come-back dramas are utterly fantastic -- well, most, anyway. XD

Definitely agree on Ms. Wade and Tattycoram. It actually surprised me how deep the divide was between the build-up and delivery. The majority of the revelations were portrayed very Dickensian, which is nice. Monsieur Blandois got a rather smashing send-off, no? XD

Things like the parallel between Mrs. Clennam and Mr. Dorrit make me love cinematography. Little things with the camera can add whole new layers to a story that might not exist as such in the script or novel.

It makes me sad places like that office still exist in the world, though. I was flabbergasted at how ridiculous and corrupt it was.

On RA: I know right? How remarkable for him to delve so deeply into his character. Even as an actress, I probably would have never checked out the thoughts of an author -- only peeped into the world of the character. Those interviews really make you appreciate his talent more.

It was the same writer as When A Man Loves? That actually explains a lot. Though I found that drama fun in a masochistic way, The Equator Man evens out pretty quickly (mostly because of the male leads). But it seems that writer enjoys characters with reprehensible behavior. Oddly enough, the *director* is the same from Sword and Flower, so the uncanny reaches in from all angles.

If you see and enjoy Resurrection before me, tell me how it fares~

I'd noticed that too. Does he not act anymore because he's already made the money and fame? That's too bad. It's usually easier for me to "meet" actors in new/recent productions.

I am! In A Good Way remains consistently pleasant, every single character is likable and unique. The nostalgia factor is there, and somehow I learn a lot about Taipei all the time. I'm just worried about how many episodes it'll ultimately have. Seems to change a lot.

Very nice guide to other entertainment formats available on Korean television. This should be very useful, especially to those who don't know where to start. Good work!

I typically turn to western entertainment whenever a burnout strikes. The total shift in tone (and well, most everything) makes for a good change in pace.

Oh? One was Resurrection right? What was the other? Some of his much older works kind of frighten me off, because they're early romances -- and well, the fashion. The fashion is eyeball bursting.

You know, I feel really guilty. I've actually never seen Bae in anything before, despite knowing who he is and what he's done for the industry. X,D I really need to get back around to that.

I've seen several films with Takeshi Kaneshiro, but never any dramas. Back when I obsessed over him a bit, I'd wanted to, but it was only half translated and only available on Youtube. ;A;

I just tried that game and kept getting Guy of Gisborne (from BBC Robin Hood). I'm rather pleased; RA was reaaalllly pretty in that XD

I hope that you're able to find all of those books well. It's surprising how much money Tolkien works cost, right? My parents bought me a boxed set when I was still in school, and they were like 50 bucks O_o

Sorry for the long interval between the last message and this one; work became busy, so messaging fell behind. Very glad to hear how much you enjoyed Little Dorrit; the actor playing father Dorrit really was magnificent, standing out among a pretty tight cast in general. Charles Dickens is a personal favorite (I even quoted him in my review of Golden Empire), and many of the adaptations of his work are just excellent.

There's a very lovely one of Great Expectations, recently made; many people enjoyed it immensely, and it's one of his most famous stories. But what you mentioned, the layers of social commentary, are what makes me enjoy writers like him and Elizabeth Gaskell.

Did you enjoy all of the reveals in Little Dorrit after all? And I must confess, the romance was easily the weakest part -- though still welcome, haha.

I have that issue all the time. There have been instances lately where I keep wanting to be more generous to a series (sometimes feeling instinctively they deserve a score less). When Prime Minister and I gets to the end, it'll probably go much the same. XD

My love for Amami Yuki is further solidified after the last episode of TQC, though! When the children sang to her and she was obviously biting back emotion, touched me the most. Despite the bottom line being similar to Kazoku Game, I can really see the difference between the two now. This one was also much more light-hearted, which is refreshing. Although, I was shocked; most of the kids are twenty and above now O.O

Definitely. Speaking of Anna Karenina, I always wished they would do something more with the Russian nobility. Costume dramas are rarely done outside of England (with a high budget, anyway).

For instance, there was a very romantic/tragic/dark story regarding a Bavarian King, called Ludwig III. He would build these fantastical castles just for pleasure, and one of them was the basis for Cinderella's Castle at Disney. So interesting.

Tell me if you like Little Dorrit! If you do, there are other Dickins adaptations in the same vein that you might enjoy.

My top drama would probably be Can We Love? at the moment. There was actually a recent plot development I thought would be annoying, but like five minutes later it was right back to being fun. Then again, I adore Uhm Tae Woong so perhaps I would be having fun either way XD

How was Lee Ji Ah in The Legend? I've liked her in most everything, but was curious as to how well she did in her debut.

Oh, I always forget he used to do J-dramas! Have you seen his others as well? Sometimes the old-timey camera work scares me off, but I think those would be interesting anyway.

Ah, hello again Winnie! I am doing well, and you? Did you like Sunao ni Narenakute? It seems your ranking for it changed a bit.

I have been enjoying The Queen's Classroom quite a bit~ Though my issues are much the same as with Kazoku Game, I like watching the children much more in this. Amami Yuki is a favorite, and she's particularly excellent here. It's so wild to see the ending sequence when she drops the scene and becomes more like herself, haha! The dance sequence is very cute.

More than anything, I'm excited to see where all of this is headed. Thankfully the specials are subbed here @_@ Sometimes the groups totally neglect them.

The other is Little Dorrit, ytet another miniseries. Because it's from Charles Dickins, the story focuses on many characters and plots.

But at the heart there's always romance~

There are many popular British actors in it, including Matthew Macfadyen as the romantic lead. My friend and I watched it together my first year of college. We ended up curled up with pillows, blankets, and snacks, without moving a muscle until it was through. XD

Oh, Anne? I always liked and identified with her, so that's not bad at all. She gets Captain Wentworth too, so double the positives! It might not be the same quiz, but whenever I take those, I always get Elinor from Sense and Sensibility or Fanny Price of Mansfield Park. XD

When looking through my collection, there were two specifically that jumped out at me. The first is Horatio Hornblower; they made a miniseries around the same time as Pride and Prejudice (1995), using all the money they raked from that. It's about this gorgeous and brilliant youth who slowly rises through the ranks of the British navy (circa the Napoleonic Wars). There are authentic tall ships, pretty guys with long hair and uniforms, bro- and romances, and lots of adventure. I can't believe I forgot it when discussing these, because it's a favorite. Though, the films are a little better than the books.

Part 3 > XD

Oh, no worries! I was just making sure, since sometimes the site gobbles up replies. :)

Apparently, "A Royal Affair" *is* based on true events. All three central figures were real people, which heightens my interest a bit. The costumes really are gorgeous, right? The trailer also used good lighting, with nice use of candles. Love when films use less of the studio lights for that period.

Mm! The modern Sherlock is fantastic. I've yet to see the recent season, but each of the previous cases have been contemporary spins on the source material. The writers apparently want to be as faithful to it as possible, which is awesome.

Oh, I never new that! I've heard mostly about the relationship between the Bronte sisters, but that's fascinating. They wrote men in a similar way, too. Though, I wonder what she could have written to make those people want to sue :o Onward to part two! XD

Oh, I can definitely see that. Though I first saw Wuthering Heights at 17, it shocked me because it's so different a story from others written at the time. The sheer darkness of the tale, the revenge, and the fatalistic connection between leads. Ah! XD

It amuses me so much he played James Bond, haha. Doesn't it seem like everyone who's played a regency hero has also been a spy?

They really are gorgeous. In MI-5, I recall his eyes looking sharper than usual, probably due to the filters they placed the footage through. And hey, no worries! Brown eyes are great. Mine are green, but have been confused for gray (various cousins, and my ex as well, have claimed so anyway). I like them well enough, but they're strange because everyone else in the immediate family has brown.

By the way, I think that the second part didn't send again.

I typically try to give each actor and actresses at least one chance; only Ji Chang Wook has "survived" that treatment. Sometimes the little ones need some time with veterans to grow skill. Though I have to agree that Johnny's is completely unabashed about their methods; they tend to inundate the entertainment field with "pretty" over substance. Musically, too, ugh. It will never make sense to me how people can enjoy a *singer* for his looks alone. XD

Luckily, yes. My favorite part about President so far has been how Choi Soo Jong carries the character. His performance would be at home with characters like Hanzawa Naoki (though not quite as well written, I'm afraid). He could probably carry the whole series alone, but thankfully the older actors around him don't force him to.

We totally agree on sageuk focus though. Thankfully many of the new ones seem to have shifted toward those.

Ah! By the way, I also prefer Gaskell. Her writing is very rare, especially being as romantic and yet as "gritty" as it is.

I'll have to take a gander through my film collection in a bit. There are so many I think you would like, but I'm having trouble formulating them all at the moment. Next time, be prepared for many recommendations XD

That list from IMDB has lots of great performers on it! Many of them have done great work in all genres, costume included. And I'm the opposite, somehow. My tastes tend to gravitate toward older men 90% of the time. It's been said that this will change as I get older, which is probably true enough. XD

Oh! In particular, there is this film called A Royal Affair. It's set outside England, this time in 18th Century Denmark, but I've heard nothing but good things. Additionally, the costumes look glorious. Garrow's Law is an actual series, which is actually more of a history play than novel adaption. The lead, Andrew Buchan, has an unbelievable voice.

In modern British TV: I really need to catch up on Sherlock, but I've been zeroing in on this Rupert Penry Jones series called White Chapel (about a modern Jack the Ripper, eek). Broadchurch also, another crime show.

Ah, Sparkhouse! I did see that one~ Wuthering Heights adaptations do tend to skew toward dark and heavy; this modern one is no exception. It had some interesting changes, too. For instance, Cathy and Heathcliff are genderswapped ("Cathy" is male, while the "Heathcliff" is female). Richard basically plays the role of Mr. Linton, but IMDB is spot-on about his transformation. It's delightfully shocking, haha!

If you enjoy the story, there's also another recent "proper" adaptation with Tom Hardy. He's one of the best Heathcliffs I've seen, besides Timothy Dalton (who is also my favorite Mr. Rochester, funnily enough).

Before I move onto part two of this message, I wanted to say. Good choice in icon! XD His eyes are so glorious in that photo. *_*