mysecretsoul

Oh! You'll be watching Nankyoku Tairiku? That's a really great choice; it's something of a sentimental favorite. Kimura Takuya is just wonderful, and Sakai-san steals scenes left and right. I don't see him listed on the page, but the man that played Owada has a major supporting role as well.

I noticed you just completed Frozen Flower? What did you think? Joo Jin Mo's work in that film actually sold me on watching Empress Ki in the future.

Ah, I felt there was something special about Donnie. It surprised me how good of an actor he was on top of being a powerful action star. Actually, have you had occasion to see Ocean Heaven? Interestingly, it's a Jet Li film completely unrelated to athletic ability of any kind, and he's so wildly different as to be surprising. Well, perhaps not so surprising; he's a real talent, as you've said.

Actually, I haven't encountered Tony Leung much. For now, I think I'll take Infernal Affairs and then expand on your recommendations later. Honestly, many of the Chinese language films I've seen have come from the mainland, so any fine film works, haha.

Ah, good to hear! I hope you can find decent subtitles, if you need them. At the time I had to rely on my language skills, since the initial set were so poor.

When Master's Sun began airing, I considered it. If only because I have some trouble following many shows week to week, I ended up sticking with Good Doctor and Two Weeks alone. Now I'm kind of waiting for the right mood for a romantic comedy. Honestly, all I've really heard about Master's Sun is that it did a cute parody of Golden Empire, haha. It's very like the other Hong Sisters works, I take it?

Oh, that's actually fascinating. I may have to give it a shot then; it'd be good to get a different feeling from the same subject matter. And it's been a while since I've seen the leads, at that.

Oh my gosh, I think that might kill me. There's something slightly playful about him and the way she always reacts is just too cute. ;A;

No problem! If there is a particular cliffhanger or must-see event, I can't blame you if you exceed! You can also shoot me messages or whatever you wish at any time, even if you slightly overtake my pace. This is a secret, but I thrive on spoilers. XD

Ah, Gong is also known as Palace right? I've heard a lot about this one, though not specifically about the actors. Onto the list it goes~

Haha, did my avatar give me away? I adore Joo Sang Wook. While there are better actors around, something about him draws me in anyway.

Whenever he pretended to be drunk, his Fourth Lord was just too cute (despite the terrible things he said, haha). The fact that he's still just as super virtuous? UGH, this show needs a disclaimer.

I'm gonna go ahead and watch the next two, then up my pace to three installments a day. All that worries me now is whether the addiction will grow again. XD

Thank you for your kind words. Writing is something I have no confidence in, but it gladdens me whenever someone enjoys or finds use from my reviews. The issues I had with Tonbi paled in comparison to the things I enjoyed about it. It just happens that I lean toward analyzing structure, so some things tend to pop out more for me. I love that you compared the feeling it gave to Studio Ghibli; that's exactly how I felt too, especially with Yasu-chan. He was a very Ghibli-like father, from the singing and boisterous good-heartedness to the depth of feeling he exuded.

We agree on the characters in Sword and Flower; in my review of it, I mentioned feeling that parts seemed very Shakespearean. That stands true for the pawn king as well. It's great hearing your informed perspective, since so many seemed to watch purely for No Min Woo.

While I was watching the third episode, I was tempted to suggest that. Nothing has been boring at all so far, and it's so fast paced. And William Feng is just...perfect, haha. Did not expect addiction, but here it is. @_@

I completely agree with your review on Two Weeks. Something about that drama just did not work for me, despite Lee Jun Ki being quite the talent.

Ah, it makes me happy to hear William Feng is good in other works too. I may have to keep an eye on him if Prince of Lan Ling continues going well.

No problem! I always enjoy chatting with new people, especially if they have interesting perspectives. Korean dramas are relatively new to me, as I spent most of my time prior with Japanese. But, I can already see a formulaic approach rising behind many of the shows. Your insight is one I agree with for the most part.

Interestingly, I completed Queen Seon Duk just before Sword and Flower. The shift in viewpoint was somewhat fascinating, especially because they occurred around the same time. Sword and Flower felt wholly unique to other sageuks to me, adopting an interesting cinematic style I've only seen in major Chinese film. And the actors, just wow. So many talents in one place.

I was wondering what your take on the younger king was? He was a character that interested me, especially after reading up on the history. Though of course, a little less than the general, haha.

Oh, trust me. If something is touching, I'm right there with the tears. You can just imagine me perpetually attached to a box of tissues, haha.

I replayed so many scenes during Hanzawa, too. Even some of the less intense ones, like the high five in the storage room or Hana sequences. This is definitely one to rewatch -- and it was super easy the first time.

I have several dramas in mind, though I plan to finish Lucky Seven first. Sakai Masato's dramas keep calling to me, so perhaps Legal High and whichever currently airing Korean show snags my interest first. How about you? Any planned?

I rather enjoyed your words on Knife and Flower. It always makes me happy to see someone else has enjoyed it.

Thanks so much for the offer! That'll be great. Right now, I'm trying to balance what I watch this season so outside opinions are a must.

I've started Prince of Lan Ling, which I noticed you've been working at! It has such a nice feel to it, and William Feng is growing on me in a big way.

I know, right? Can't wait to see more of him and the character. But if it's like this with some chemistry (and a smile), I need to prepare myself. Drama surprises like this are just great. XD

Japan really does seem to grasp realism well. Their human dramas are probably the best in Asia. Not many seem to like these shows around here though, unfortunately. Should I see or hear about something which may interest you in the genre, I'll be sure to tell you about it~

The horse! The sash! I'm in serious trouble if Lan Ling keeps being such a great guy; being ensnared by yet another OTP will not do, haha. William Feng looks great with Ariel, too.. Both the feel and pacing for this episode were wonderful, too. Those revelations + the sword slinging in the last few minutes? Ah, this is exceeding my expectations~

As for Tonbi, it was actually very gentle. It had emotional weight, but stayed firmly slice of life. Do you like that kind of drama? From what I've seen of Japanese shows this year, it's one of the better ones for 2013.

Ah, it had a strong start that didn't keep up? That's always disappointing. Actually, until recently I had no idea Hong Kong produced dramas. While I am familiar with their film, most of my encounters have been selected from their excellent action repertoire. And starring Donnie Yen more often than not. Are there any films or performers from that region you'd recommend?

That might be best with Kimura-san; it seems like he's starting to rest on his popularity a little. If you enjoyed Golden Empire, you might consider The Grand Tribe as a candidate for invasion, haha. There are similarities, but it also contains one of his best performances to date.

Ah, I was just about to start the episode. Something intervened just as I was settling down to see it earlier. But hearing how exciting it is really gets me pumped for it. I'll get back to you with my possible flailing momentarily, haha.

I cried SO much, haha. Something about Tonbi really clicked with me on a thematic level. During earlier discussions with you, I recall chatting about "the right time" to watch a drama. This might be one that requires certain life experience as well. Had I seen Tonbi five or six years ago, it may not have touched me as much.

Wasn't the Tokyo arc fabulous? That scene was incredible, especially as it marked one of the first times Sakai-san *really* shouted during the drama. You could see just how serious the situation was. The final confrontation with Owada had me floored with intensity as well. Between the tears and everything, just, wow.

I have to agree by the way! Both shows feel like classics, sustainable long beyond this year. As for a sequel for Hanzawa Naoki, I wouldn't be surprised. That ending felt like a perfect set up for one, at the very least. Here's to hoping they do it.

That makes sense, actually. Despite being somewhat fresh on Korean dramas, I can honestly say there does appear to be a set formula for most things. It's understandable they can become a bit tiring. Japanese dramas (even historicals) feel more unique, as they rarely revisit the same stories from the same angle.

Have you enjoyed the dramas from Hong Kong you've sampled? I've never had the opportunity to attempt any.

Priceless is pretty standard Kimura-san fare. Ultimately Naohito Fujiki steals the show, but it does have an interesting angle on homelessness. Ah, and the child actors are fabulous as well.