mysecretsoul

It really does grow on you, right? That's a remarkably rare quality for a drama to have, though I do believe the great cast has something to do with it.

This marks the first time I'd ever seen Wen Qian Xiang, but he definitely captures the attention. Hopefully he'll continue to work and improve. :)

Yup! You're my sunbae/senpai, ne? (I love how I totally forgot the Chinese equivalent, lol!) We only have 11 years between us, though; despite the fact KSH and I both still look like teenagers, I'm only a year younger than him at 24.

You know me too well! I definitely like emotional comedies the best. The musical references in the first are up my alley; my best friend in high school was Korean, and she adored all those groups. I even still listen to Shinhwa, haha. After I sweep Sealed With a Kiss off the board, I think I'll make room for these two.

It took me a while, but I just noticed you added Shark to your PTW. Back when it aired, I did recaps for that one as well (and kind of fell for its dark cinematography and atmosphere). It was a little weird to see Kim Nam Gil still sporting his Bidamstache though, haha XD

Here's the second part, but it's mostly gushing.

Joo Jin Mo is an actor whose projects I watch slowly, so as not to run out. To date I've seen: Musa (rewatch pending; saw it long ago, but recall him vividly), A Frozen Flower, Sarang, and A Better Tomorrow.

His voice sparked initial interest, but his eyes and expressions really captured me (as always). This is true of A Frozen Flower, especially; there's a scene of his there that still gets me teared up, just thinking about it, haha.

While I have issues with Ha Ji Won too, I'll probably grin and bear it, haha. I just hope she stops that weird little smirk she does >.<

Thanks for the well-wishes! I hope you'll still get to eat well, and watch dramas to your heart's content.

I always forget Kyung Ho is so young! His body of work to date actually *looks* pretty diverse too; he seems to have done everything but medical, haha.

Most Asian actors that catch and hold my attention are around 35 (or older). Whether that reflects impatience for potential to bloom or merely visual preference, I'm not sure. My hesitation with the younger set bears similarity to your reasoning, though fresh faces can actually scare me away from a project. It often takes being paired with a veteran to summon me back. As you've said, life experience is a must: whether learned at the feet of life or an established senior.

In the West, female talent really has surged. It's heartening to see so many young women doing well). There don't seem to be as many great upcoming men though, or am I crazy? Aside from Lee Pace, I haven't felt impressed by them as with the women.

Oh, he sings? That sounds like such a sweet scene, too. I just looked at Soo Hyun's profile, shocked to find he's actually older than me. He seemed like a baby in Will It Snow, but I realized I probably did also in 2009. Did you take interest in his new project, Man From the Stars? Alien dramas haven't worked me for me thus far, but seeing him headline might be fun.

I just want you to know I laughed for almost 10 minutes at that scenario. Might just watch the entire thing for that kind of humor, because I feel I must see that boy's facial expression during that interaction. LOL

Thanks for your insight though! I could not, for the life of me, find any similar answers elsewhere. But at least if they reference any specific music groups, I'm well-equipped with such knowledge thanks to other dramas, haha. XD

Ah, Fuurin Kazan! I actually just saw Uchino Masaaki in Tonbi; I think he'd be amazing in a historical. He has the big voice down, that's for sure. Tenchijin is on my PTW too, though I'm still torn up nobody has even tried to subtitle Taira no Kiyomori. The cast alone! Ah, my poor heart, haha.

I'm with you on Japanese humor. It's just so quirky and zany, how can it not be giggled at? XD Thank you for your insight on the Reply series though; I think I'll need to give it a shot one of these days. First I need to knock out Sealed With a Kiss and some others.

I had seen Go Soo in The Front Line with Shin Ha Kyun, where both gave strong impressions. But Golden Empire was my first long exposure to Go Soo, yes. You made out like a bandit avoiding Will It Snow. Other than the ending, it was a total mess even for a melodrama (5+ time skips, unrealistic/weak conflicts, annoying second leads).

Which of the others were you interested in? From what I've heard, Ryomaden was one of the better recent taiga (with high production values to boot), but the favorite is probably "Shinsengumi!" The cast of that one is simply incredible, too.

I know right? Though I enjoy Asian humor, I'm worried about these "throw-back" series; are the references easy to pick up? My knowledge of what was popular in Korea at the time is limited.

Yup! I'd been working at it slowly, for Go Soo. Despite the drama itself being a total mess, it was nice to see him. He did well, weird as it was to see him sweet. His character also works in construction, which made me laugh; when they first showed it, I almost shouted "Watch out, he'll take over the company!" XD

Also funny: before the time skip, his love interest was the actress who played young Lee Yo Won in Queen Seon Duk, haha. Golden Empire everywhere.

For me, it helped that it had a totally different atmosphere from anything else I'd been watching. Korean and Japanese dramas were getting me down a bit, so finding Prince of Lan Ling was sheer joyous luck, haha.

Ah, it's good then? I like Kusanagi-san, so Dokushin Kizoku interested me. Other than Three Kingdoms, nothing has been grabbing me lately. Sealed With a Kiss has become a chore, and though I still enjoy Medical Top Team, I don't find it memorable.

No problem! My friend and I were very taken with the drama, so it only felt right to spread the love around. Doesn't it have a different appeal to others in its genre? I felt they found the perfect balance of elements, and the cast is just so darned lovable, haha.

Have you been enjoying any other dramas lately? I see you've been watching Dokushin Kizoku and some others.

I also noticed it with Painted Skin, which even had two seasons. It'd have been neat to see that story expanded so much.

It definitely felt like Will It Snow didn't have much of a direction, right? The writers clearly had no idea what to do after their initial premise was resolved. Ah, Kim Soo Hyun! He actually really impressed me, despite looking nothing like Go Soo. How was he in Dream High?

Oh my gosh, that sounds so cute! Is it still easy to understand the references not being Korean, though? I assume most aren't completely cultural, but.... I feel like such a newbie to dramas sometimes, haha. XD

Ah, sorry! Here's the rest of the response:

I'm on break for Thanksgiving at the moment. Aside from travel plans and becoming a kitchen slave to my mother for a week (only partially kidding), there's not a whole lot on my plate. You?

I think you'll like Love Will Tear Us Apart. The chemistry is crackling (better be, since the leads started dating in real life), and it's a refreshing take on the subject. Honestly, I also went into it with low expectations and was completely surprised.

Ah, so you finished it? I've always found the Korean underworld more convincing in film; they're allowed to behave viciously, without the reservations seen on television. It could either be writers clinging to old tropes, or broadcast limitation. How did Jung Kyung Ho perform?

Where to begin? Lee Jun Ki startled me. He seemed like an idol actor desperately trying to shoulder a serious role, even committing the cardinal sin of crying (instant hysterics + copious liquid and noise). I recall him fondly from The King and The Clown, where he was an understated delight.

But Go Soo is a definite talent. I recently completed Will It Snow At Christmas and (though the drama itself was poorly written) his performance was diverse and strong. He somehow reminds me of Joo Jin Mo, whom I adore; both of them have wide ranges and dynamic talent, choose interesting projects, and are gorgeous. xD

It's been a long time, ne? I saw you comment on our article about Prince of Lan Ling; glad to hear it drew you in! Are you enjoying what you're seeing of it so far? :)

It is, right? So happy to hear you're enjoying it! :)

Have you noticed that Chinese dramas tend to have a movie version and vice versa? I've been surprised by that.

That's lucky. You escaped before Will It Snow went from slow to crazy. Sometimes I can still enjoy a good actor in a weak drama (ex: "meeting" Joo Sang Wook in Feast of the Gods), but it definitely affects first impressions. Because I already know Go Soo and Song Jong Ho, I remain confident about them...but everyone else is on probation. And ugh, Han Ye Seul even has that cringe-worthy horror story from the set of Spy Myung Wol. @_@

Top Team is definitely worth seeing, despite not being bombastic. I actually enjoy it much more *because* I get to see Ryeo Won and Ji Hoon interact, as well as with Kwon Sang Woo.

Ah, you started the new Reply! How is it? I've still not seen 1997 for some reason.... The approach to the romance in 1994 sounds interesting, though.

Hello! Thanks for the friend request. :)

I may or may not begin calling him Caostiltskin in private. XD And yes, that was Zhou Yu at the grave.

Peter seems to star often, but many of his projects are modern or go unsubbed (like his Butterfly Lovers series ;A;). From what I can tell, Le Jun Kai, Ring Ring Bell, Summer's Desire, The Young Warriors, and Assasinator Jing Ke are all translated. I've already seen Summer's Desire; Peter produced, sang for, and starred in it, but his character (while magnetic) is a little tricky to like initially.

Also saw Sophie's Desire and agree! He was so sweet and cute.

Will It Snow At Christmas starts strong, but the reviews are right; it's a total mess after episode 10. The leads are amazing, too, so it's a shame. Medical Top Team is a solid medical drama, also with a fantastic cast; unfortunately, sometimes I can't remember what happens in the episodes each week. It's good, but not great.

Finally caught up, woo! Though I love Peter Ho in this role, Lu Bu just makes me sad at this point. He has all the outer workings of a great hero, but lacks desperately in brains and perceptive power. Watching him split slowly with his adviser was so frustrating.

I'd like to see Sun Quan too. He and the emperor seem to be of an age, so definitely adult by now. It was exciting to see Zhou Yu appear by Sun Ce, though; hopefully his role expands soon, because I'm curious about him from other Three Kingdoms film adaptations (like Red Cliff).

Liu Bei definitely has the patience of a saint. I don't know how he doesn't just snap and start strangling people, haha. Love your imagery though; it'll stick every time I see him from now on.

I'm attached to Cao Cao's sarcastic chuckle, too. You know the one. Sometimes when a scene cuts to him, and he's doing it, I can't help but laugh. XD

Glad to hear you could find it! But oh my gosh, I hope your internet connection is strong too. Downloading historical dramas takes a lot of fortitude from the entire computer, ne? XD

Galileo has a fun dynamic, definitely. You may have already seen it, but Control (with Fujiki Naohito) has a similar feeling between the leads. The cases aren't quite as good as Galileo though, and it's difficult not to compare the two (Fujiki-san even plays a professor, for instance). But I'll definitely never look at jam buns the same way again, haha.

Ah, do you like the Reply series? Somehow I've still not seen 1997, despite hearing nothing but good things about it. People seem to be going wild over the romance in 1994, though.

Hello! Thanks so much for the friend request. How are you enjoying your current dramas? :)