mysecretsoul

Right! The only cure are Myongnong/Solnan and Kucheon scenes, but who knows how much Solhee there will be after? XD

Ah, did he play little Park Shi On? Now that you mention him, this boy does seem familiar. He's almost unbelievably cute, with those dimples and rosy cheeks, haha. It's too bad that the boy met Kucheon at this time, though; had he happened upon their old village when things were good, he might have become an adopted brother to the girls. :,)

You're at the part where they're captured? Poor Myongnong thought the outing would be a date, but then he's embarrassing himself left and right. <.<

Gosh, no! XD They could make a whole epidemic drama out of that; "The Solhee Virus."

I love how enthusiastic you are about King's Daughter, haha! It really is a great series. At first, I worried at the length, but now I kind of drag my feet so it doesn't end sooner. XD

Oh my gosh, right? Doesn't anyone think it's somewhat odd how Solhee prances around first, then announces that about Marshal Hae? And why on the birthday of his daughter? It's one of those things she tailor makes just to punish people, made worse because nobody targeted has actually done anything to her. >_o

But Solhee gets me angry, too. I'm not sure if I've made this comparison in conversation with you before, but she's like a cold bucket of water to the face. First they get you happy with funny antics, Kucheon, or Myongnong, then WOOSH! Solhee doing something awful. XD

I think you'll like where they take Kucheon, at least part of it, anyway. Not sure where things go in the end, just yet. My hope for Solnan is the same; it's all right if she's good to her sister, but if she becomes a doormat it'd be too frustrating.

Oh my gosh, right? Doesn't anyone think it's somewhat odd how Solhee prances around first, then announces that about Marshal Hae? And why on the birthday of his daughter? It's one of those things she tailor makes just to punish people, made worse because nobody targeted has actually done anything to her. >_o

But Solhee gets me angry, too. I'm not sure if I've made this comparison in conversation with you before, but she's like a cold bucket of water to the face. First they get you happy with funny antics, Kucheon, or Myongnong, then WOOSH! Solhee doing something awful. XD

I think you'll like where they take Kucheon, at least part of it, anyway. Not sure where things go in the end, just yet. My hope for Solnan is the same; it's all right if she's good to her sister, but if she becomes a doormat it'd be too frustrating.

I almost would like to see a similar drama with samurai, instead. Then we could have Okada-san play the lead! XD But if I were to recast it in Korea, I'd probably choose Jang Hyuk. He's great at initially abrasive/actually gentle-hearted. XD

The best Akihiko. Though to be fair, the English voices for Persona are pretty great across the board. I'm actually surprised at how much emotion some of them act with, since it can be so rare to have decent dubs.

Definitely. It seems too sad that the times should dictate whether someone, especially someone so great or good, can live happily. Living it firsthand, even through a game, you really get that sense of "Was that worth it?" But I'm sure that women like Oryo-san probably ultimately felt as though it was. In a game, though, it's natural to want something satisfactory; after all, if we're going to add the demon element, why not go for the happy ending too.

Even the translation is very good, by the way. There were some very lovely descriptions, particularly of how Chizuru feels. Each guy feels very distinct from the others, too.

The more I think about Princess Man, the more I'd have liked a different actor in that role. When I first saw it, I'd seen very few K-dramas, and the more I take in, the less I'm favorable toward it. ->

Speaking of Eguchi-san, did you see last year's Dinner? It was this simple restaurant drama, but he plays the most adorable character. He's a master chef who's almost childishly excited by tasting and making delicious foods, but is otherwise hard to deal with. XD

Yes, strained. She seemed to have her acting gears stuck in "Sincere!" the entire time, which completely came across as strained. To make matters worse, Yae was written poorly (outside of her own major accomplishments). Other than those times, so much of the drama ended up being Aizu during and after the Boshin War, with Yae sitting at home. However, I did enjoy seeing that side of Japanese life. So it's an odd trade, action for information.

Now that you mention it, I think Mitsushima-san would have been a great Yae. Her nuance probably would have helped matters a lot. ->

Right? Ryoma became something of a sex symbol when Ryomaden aired, thanks to Fukuyama-san. I can just imagine that his grave can now be found on the other side of the earth, having spun/drilled himself that far. Though, the resemblance between the two was pretty good, so, perhaps he'd be flattered. XD

I'm particularly excited about Gunshi Kanbee because of Okada-san. They probably did make his Prince somewhat more romantic at the very least. From what I read, many aspects were less fairytale-esque, but at least they were really crazy about each other. That's all I need, haha.

Ayano Go! Yes! His Lord Matsudaira Katamori in Yae no Sakura was a very attractive turn, so I'm pretty receptive to him at the moment. That character was a staunch, quiet samurai, but had a very gentle heart. He totally stole the show away from poor Ayase-san, in my opinion. ->

But I think a lot of the Rurouni Kenshin boys do suit the bill. Though my primary interest is in Saito-san yet again: Eguchi Yosuke. He plays such attractive characters in general.

I can't remember whether he was known as a reckless man or not, though it wouldn't surprise me. Then we have Okita who succumbed to tuberculosis, etc. Though the game doesn't necessarily keep the same timeline, it often feels as though the tragic aspect was kept, if that makes sense. But the happiness, even for a time with such characters, really enriches their endings. It pays tribute to the spirit of the times in a way.

Does the abruptness include in the second season also? :o Seems like such a waste to put together and animate so many episodes, just to leave it flat. Perhaps they were trying to point to the game for closure, but still.

There's another Hakuoki game coming out soon, though I'm unsure if it's the same one. It has some kind of high school side-story thing to play with, I guess. XD ->

Right? Either that, or they could have had the system register whether you've actually spoken to the guy beyond the first meeting. I never thought it made any sense that someone you barely knew would then get that upset over never being called for a date. XD

Midorikawa Hikaru, right? His voice has nostalgic sound for me, nowadays. It always makes me happy to hear him continue to get work, especially with great characters like Akihiko. But I adore how he makes Hazuki sound so sleepy, off-putting behavior of the character aside; he has that great "tired cat" sound, haha.

About Hijikata, the writers probably felt it necessary to lead him down a similar path as in real life. For instance, Hajime Saito lived a long life beyond that of many of his Shinsengumi brothers, whereas Hijikata died tragically during a futile battle ->

Definitely. You know it's bad when you question the character out loud, "What are you doing?!" Like Solnan wasn't even close to usurping "her" position, and honestly did her a favor by going in her stead. I don't think Solhee ever thought of what might happen should anything befall her "father" and "brother," for that matter. Nobody else seems to be in a real big hurry to keep her crowned XD

Right? Though she might not be as complicated a character as Solhee, Solnan has a natural likability about her--and smarts to boot. Actually, that scene where she returns, that really cemented my liking of her. Not only smart, but fiercely loyal.

Wasn't it awesome they kept Kucheon alive? He was too good a character to get rid of so early. When he twitched his fingers, I kept hope alive, but then they didn't show him for so long....ah. I can't believe this show wasn't more advertised sometimes. :,)

No worries! I've been busy with work and finishing off a drama or two anyways. :)

If I remember correctly, some very nice people translated the Takarazuka version of Elisabeth some time ago. Unfortunately, I'm not sure whether it's still available anywhere. The German is much easier to find, particularly on Youtube, though~

Right? I never felt attracted to Myongnong until he began acting noble and dashing. Then suddenly he's sweet on Solnan and my heart is fluttering. That must be what people mean when they say an actor's charisma matters more than his actual physical goods. XD

As Mishil might say, there can be only one Mishil. XD There are times when Solhee is quite brilliant, but most of the time you can tell she's motivated by baser emotions. I just cannot understand what she's thinking, particularly going to Kalim! There's more at stake than her position and yet there she runs.

Hijikata even retains some of the mystique and beauty about him that one gleans from his historical profile. And of course, the supernatural elements are fun too, haha.

My favorite was Saito, though. I'm a sucker for that type. Pretty much any time I encounter Saito Hajime in taiga dramas or the like now, I get flutters. It's awful, but funny too. I wonder how many times I've made the real thing spin in his grave. XD

I honestly have no idea either. Okada Junichi, though, I like that. He was so appealing as the prince in that short you recommended to me. It would have to be a Japanese man for sure though; for some reason, I can't imagine a young Korean in the role. Joo Sang Wook, perhaps? All he ever really gets to do is gruff softies, haha.

Those guys always troubled me too. Seems as though the more emotionally sensitive ones bomb more; in the previous one, Shiki, Hazuki, and Sakuya were my big offenders. Something must be addictive about the player character, because these guys go totally wild for her attention. "She asked me out~ If she stops I'm going to bomb her next week #_#," haha.

Yup! I've actually played the first port of Hakuoki, but only saw bits and pieces of the anime. In the game, both Hijikata and Okita have bittersweet endings. Things don't appear immediately as dire as they might on screen, but my distinct impression was that they might only enjoy happiness for a short time.

You're right, though. Because of the way they've composed the story, Hakuoki comes across as interesting besides the romance aspect. They take great pains fleshing out the time period, as well as the characters. ->

Shiba-Dias-Shinji, haha. It sounds like a magic phrase for summoning the perfect bishounens. XD

On that subject, which actors do you think could perform a role similar to Dias and Shinji? In Japan, there are Persona 4 stage plays, and while I'm not sure they've done/will do 3 also, they usually cast well. I actually wonder why we've not seen characters at least similar to Shinjiro, demon summoning aside; that type of character would be very attractive in any leading role, really.

I'd heard that Saeki leaves. Does it have something to do with the cafe? Thank heavens for the shrine event for sure, though. It's saved me on many occasions, particularly when it comes to making the deadline for certain cut-scenes.

That does sound tiresome. I'm slowly growing to hate love triangles, as so many of them are thrown in just because. The effect is doubled when stories have a love story attached and couples are already determined (King's Daughter is spoiling me because there are no active triangles).

What you describe about the second lead leading himself on, though, I totally believe it of TvN. Though the only romcom I've watched of theirs is Cyrano, the second lead is just the same. Interesting, attractive, endearing, yet ultimately needed to stay the heck away from everyone else. ->

Looks like you've been successfully chopping Saeki, haha. If I remember correctly, he's better at chopping back at lower affections; at higher ones, he's easier to hit since you're throwing him off guard (emotionally as well as choppingly). Love Mode is similarly tricky, because it follows a similar pattern. The more you do Love Mode and the higher the guy's affections, the easier it is to fill the bar. Otherwise, just avoiding the blue hearts and quickly rubbing/tapping the red ones should do the trick.

He fluctuated often? Was it by a big margin, when you spoke to Yuu? Perhaps it was the other dates, or the short time not seeing him at all. I've never encountered a lowering like that (outside of the friend-zone event or a bomb), but rather a random *raising* with guys I try to ignore XD ->

Overexposed and sorta meh, huh? I hope something sparks for him in Fated To Love You, because Jang Hyuk *will* blow him away in terms of charisma should he not have enough. You watched Emergency Couple, though? How did you think of it? I mean to watch it sometime, just to keep up with this year's K-dramas more closely, but...these divorce/reconcilation dramas are really hard on me for some reason.

Ouch, these ARE expensive. I'd known that some of the older releases, like Beethoven Virus (someday I will own it, someday~) could be, but wow... Well, it's worth it to be able to keep them. Perhaps if I get a windfall during my birthday, haha.

The one thing I don't understand about that mentality is that often, even when I don't find someone cute at first, the acting makes the actor attractive o_o So one would think it would be enough. Or I'm just falling in love with actors on accident LOL