mysecretsoul

Our talk has actually conjured up my own list, which also comprised of foreign actors. A good portion seems to be bolstered by the Game of Thrones cast (though I think I always "crush" on Nikolaj Coster Waldau, regardless of the season XD). I really want to delve back into costume drama and British TV now though, oh my.

Is that scene not the sweetest? I remember clutching a pillow for dear life during that entire exchange. The book does elaborate on the particulars (like marriage, etc.), but I think it was slightly less cinematically romantic. Combining the two makes it absolutely perfect, though. XD

By the way, there was a series called Cranford (another Gaskell adaptation). It was popular in the United States and UK -- and had a unique atmosphere/story-line as well. The only difference was that focus on characters was slightly wider, so a tiny bit less romance. A nice watch, though.

Oh, I know that feeling. After watching it a long time ago via rental, I instantly bought the series for easy access. Isn't it strange that he played Thorin? He brings charisma to the role, which is necessary, but the physical transformation is wild indeed. If it weren't for his voice and eyes, it'd be easy to forget he isn't actually Thorin, haha!

Besides that one, his roles in Robin Hood and MI-5 were worth watching. There are some very big names in MI-5 especially (such as Matthew Macfadyen and Rupert Penry Jones). The problem with it is that they're never in it at the same time; the lead agent is replaced occasionally, and Richard was second to last. Funnily enough, each of the "leads" also played a popular regency hero (Darcy, Captain Wentworth, and Thornton respectively).

There is a part two. XD

Definitely! The entire soundtrack is perfect, but that piano piece in particular always stuck with me. It's called "I've Seen Hell," and now compels me to listen to it. XD

Thornton always felt like the most unique of the regency men, right in line with Mr. Rochester and Captain Wentworth. To tell the truth, I've always been a little in love with Richard Armitage after seeing this miniseries, haha. The passion amplifies his dark looks to whole other degree. *_* He is so good at the tortured, romantic hero.

I am so glad I recommended North and South to you, though! Knew you would appreciate it, since our tastes run so similar.

Actually, both leads in Orthros no Inu are Johnny Idols. I did not care for that one as much as others appear to, but the pair had decent work chemistry. Nishikado is actually another actor I'm ambivalent about, but I've yet to see much of him. It does seem like most of the talented actors in Johnny's are clustered into one or two groups.

I know right? Even though the love line doesn't feature *too* heavily, it recently started irking me. The female half seems a little pointless, and all I'm really interested in are the twists and turns. At least that portion is great.

Oh! I wasn't aware The Legend was actually more of a fantasy. That seems a bit rare in historical settings, at least for Korea. And definitely good that it isn't Joseon, those all start to feel the same. I always preferred The Three Kingdoms period and before. *_* Sounds interesting.

Same here! Though faithfulness to the book typically gives me warm feelings toward an adaptation. Nothing feels better than when a character you've imagined ends up looking the same on screen.

The BBC productions have been very faithful in the past (unless it's Jane Eyre; I have no idea why they change that one so much). North and South definitely has a very literary, lyrical feel to it. Did you like the scene at the end of the first episode, where she writes about having seen Hell? The music added to that sight of Thornton walking through the rising cotton is just immaculate.

Oh, thank you for asking! I tend to take breaks with Three Kingdoms, as it watches much like an epic novel. There are various arcs in the story/history that feel very complete, so I try to watch them in bursts. That said, I think it's probably the best adaptation of the story out there (more complete than Red Cliff, for instance).

Definitely give it a chance if you're interested. The Lu Bu casting was marvelous in particular. :)

Oh, definitely. Though, again, Yoshitsune was fully subtitled. Do you like Tackey as an actor? Some people swear by him, while others are more lukewarm. I've never really decided either way. @_@

Oddly enough, President is giving me more Golden Empire vibes than political hammering. Between the dysfunctional family and maneuvering between factions, there's little time to discuss actual viewpoints. The only problem is this one slightly annoying love line, but I'll need more episodes to see how much it really detracts from the rest of things. Sometimes the dialogue gives me severe deja vu. XD

Oh, you watched Sugarless? I always hear good things, but it becomes harder and harder for me to enjoy high school settings as years pass. And ah, you changed your mind about sageuks?

It really deserves its status as a classic novel, right? I'm glad you enjoyed it, and hope you fare well with the mini-series. You made a good choice to watch the higher resolution, because not only is the young Firth worth it, but the costumes and sets are incredible.

The development with A Nu made me happy as well. His reaction almost had me gasp, because I was feeling it so deeply. And I must confess, the end of 32 actually had my heart fluttering; this couple never feels more real to me than when their circumstances are tragic. But I like this sort of thing, haha XD

Ah, you ought to read the books first should you try Game of Thrones (well, A Song of Ice and Fire). They're really addictive to the point where I think I read them in one week. *_* Though, they can be very dark also.

There's always that consideration with historical figures. I'm still mad at Cao Cao for Lu Bu, even though Liu Bei's influence helped things along. Why must all the interesting ones kill each other? Argh. XD

Taira no Kiyomori is set in the Heian period, so it's basically the other side of the Yoshitsune story. That alone gives it some interest, though it also tells the story with less magic than the folklore. The cast is also incredible, especially on the male side (which adds to the confusion on the lack of subs). Do you enjoy that era as well?

Since The Thousandth Man was a little more romantic than my usual fare, I'm turning back toward something political. So my next major focus will be The President, and Yae no Sakura after Wallace's drama (which probably will be completed by the weekend). I've heard a lot of good about the lead actor in The President, so it's exciting.

Great article. I rather enjoy the details that you've decided to include, because I wasn't entirely sure what this drama would entail. This is one that I planned on picking up eventually (a bit closer to the end), but now I'm actually excited about it. :)

Haha, I noticed your comment on the feeds~

Nope, not in love, but possibly breaking out of the romance funk. I've picked up several that have given me enjoyment, so either I'm getting lucky or this season is off to a great start. :3 Have you seen anything wonderful recently? I'm about to finish two of my longer watches, and my time slots are opening.

I really need to get around to Bridal Mask... That and City Hunter, are two of the most popular ones I've never watched, haha.

Definitely agree with your view on Tokugawa. In my fledgling years learning about Japanese history, I'd never thought of Tokugawa as anything but the powerful warlord. When I'd reached deeper into the texts, though, learning about his initial years was startling. A clever man in dangerous times.

If someone actually picks Kanbei up, it'd be amazing. Hopefully someone will get Taira no Kiyomori one of these days as well. T.T

The Thousandth Man was just all right, but I don't regret watching it. Had it been a full-length drama and gone the same route, I might have gotten a little irritated. Fun to see Lee Chun Hee again, though, and there was this hilarious secretary character. Very Japanese humor, too.

Oh, I know right? The way she Fu Ya sees our Jun Pyo worries me frequently, because it really doesn't seem like she sees him as a threat. When he is. A man in love, whose competitor is also an enemy royal, can always be trusted to act unpredictably. I've never felt like he'd do her harm (at least bodily), but there are scarier things one can do in the name of "love."

The thing about Qi You being imprisoned that bothers me most, too, is how he's at the mercy of everyone. It's so creepy. >_<

Ditto on Qi Xing! I'm not sure if you watch Game of Thrones (or have read the series it's based on), but he reminds me of the boy king there so much. Of course, not to the same extreme, but it's a similar level of want-to-strangle and the actor is just too good at eliciting those feelings, haha.

Argh, the dreaded extension. The only one I've been okay with was in Beethoven Virus; even then, I believe it was planned for early on + the story needed the extra time to wrap properly. Too bad writers usually don't plan for this possibility in advance. Seems silly not to, as often as it happens.

Haha! I would pay to see it. That group was so similar, but any exchange would probably end in blows. Which do you think had the best mind? Ah, Lee Soon Shin! My knowledge of the man is a sketch at best, though I believe he battled Tokugawa's predecessor frequently (and well). And that Kim Myung Min played him in an overwhelmingly long sageuk, haha. XD

I'm really glad you enjoyed and wrote a review for Tenchijin. Hopefully others will try it out as well, led by your fine insight. At this point, though, I have no idea how people pick which taiga to sub. The pattern doesn't seem clear.

Thanks for asking. I'm doing quite well, despite failing in my attempts to catch up on sleep, haha. Happy New Year to you, as well, if a bit belated. :)

Prime Minister and I actually watches very easily; I've enjoyed watching it week to week and sometimes even feel sad there aren't more episodes yet. Plot progression is satisfying, too, even if there cliches and silliness aren't wholly avoided. If you've ever liked Lee Bum Soo in anything before, you'll enjoy it well~

I think you'll be pleased with both. The book has some really beautiful descriptions as well, especially when it comes to Thornton's eyes. Seems like it's an important part of the character, haha~

Ah, wonderful! All I ever have to say about Xiang Yun are complaints, so I understand, haha. It seems like every wuxia drama has someone similar, though at least it isn't Zheng Er come again. Coming over to this side and focusing on its characters prominently does feel strange, though. While Qi You still has his importance, it's difficult to want to focus on Jun Pyo and company as much now. I suppose there does need to be development, but argh. These recent episodes have been feeling sadder, too @_@

Oh, that was always fun! For a brief period in time, I worked with props and lighting, but eventually caught the acting bug. They were doing an Agatha Christie murder mystery and it looked like too much fun to pass up.

The adaptation for North and South is crazy good. Everything looks and sounds gorgeous. Richard Armitage is a total knock-out as Mr. Thornton, too.It might just be me, but I think that I'd even pick his Thornton over any Mr. Darcy XD Those eyes~

If one has patience and doesn't take it too seriously, When A Man In Love can be "so bad, it's good". When I watched it with a friend some time ago, we treated it as pure soap opera. We joked and shouted at the TV, enjoyed the pretty guys and the makjang. Though, if one didn't know what they were getting into, it would definitely be frustrating to death.

Great list though! I would add Who Are You? and Taiwan's King Flower, as well, among others.

I've heard a little about everything in this list, though Gu Am Heo Joon most favorably. Apparently it watched well, long as it was. Incarnation of Money is one I've actually tried myself, but I'll have to come back to it another time. The treatment of an overweight character within the first five episodes struck a bad chord with me, rather than making me laugh (as it seems was intended).

I utterly despise live shoot as well. Apparently, though, the only reason we can have as many K-dramas per year is attributed to the system. It does start to feel a little like "fast food" dramas, though, ne?

He is! I always thought Cao Cao and Nobunaga would have gotten along beautifully. Until they fostered ambitions against the other, of course. The war that would come out of that meeting! It would make a great crossover video game, haha.

The Thousandth Man is very light and funny; the humor almost feels Japanese, especially with the zany secretary (he acts like a modern samurai!). I really enjoy the lead character being a gumiho, too. And of course, there's Lee Chun Hee looking perfect every scene, haha. My objectivity, as you can tell, is very low this time around.

By the way, love the new quote! That one really stuck with me as well. So many lines in Golden Empire are memorable.