BeachPrincess

Isn't it amazing how no one in this drama has peripheral vision?

Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale- not for the poor girl/rich man theme, but for the good yet invisible person being seen and loved theme. I think I'm pretty tolerant of less-than-stellar adaptations of the story; but after 14 episodes of this production, I just couldn't take it any longer.

I wasn't bothered by the FL at first. In fact, I remember realizing that here was a FL that was actually likeable. But ever since they went on vacation she became insufferable. I can't stand it when people push themselves onto other people. Have some dignity girl! Take a hint. If he likes you, let him tell you- don't push him into it for heaven's sake! Good grief, who do you think you are? Always these dumb self-inflated girls. And she just keeps getting more annoying by the minute. Her fake pouting to manipulate the guy. Oooh I can't stand it! I remember that I started watching this a couple of years ago and dropped it somewhere around the vacation time. I guess I know why now.

More random rantings about FL:

What is wrong with this girl? First time in a car? Ugh.
When what's his face was smashing the car, the kid said that Ji Woon was crazy about cars. So why is he driving the boring Ford or whatever it is? He had a NICE car for about 5 minutes, and that's it. Which reminds me of the motorcycle deal from the first episode. What was the point of that? Because we haven't seen the motorcycle running since.
Hyun Min tells her she's so rude when she comes in and demands he eat with her before turning off his tv mid-game. She seriously is! What a self-centered brat! And what happened to the "missions?" What's the point of her being there now. She's just a freeloader.

And another thing. A DRUNK KISS IS NOT ROMANTIC!!!

"What's wrong with me?" << You dress like a child. You act like a child. Work on that.

In episode 14, she ditches the ML in a manner that was particularly sensitive to him. (I don't remember whether or not she would have known about his mom/dad situation, but I feel like it's been brought up previously.) THEN she shows up randomly and instead of giving some love, she calls his character into question, tells him his feelings don't matter, and pretty much demands that he voluntarily share a vital organ with the person who has been destroying his life and family since before he was born!!!!! Oh, and the texts are supposed to have some kind of magical value that makes everything okay??? Also, why does ANYONE care if chairman kicks the bucket? She tells JiWoon that he is the last chance the guy has, and I'm thinking: whoo-hoo, we're done here.



I started watching this again for the ML because High End Crush had me laughing out loud and grinning from start to finish. He didn't have the same material to work with here I guess. What kept me going until 14 were the trio of cousins. I think think they played well off of each other, and did a good job with what they were given. Secretary Lee was a standout character as well. The FL's chirpy friend was amusing in small doses. But once JiWoon is given the results of the compatibility testing my outrage finally tipped me over the edge. Another title punted to the "Dropped" list.

Read More

Indignant rant starting now:

What is up with these dumb girls who blindly keep forcing themselves on guys? What is up with these dumb boys who like these girls?

I'm clearly choosing the wrong dramas. I nearly made it through this one by taking it in small chunks, but in the end, I just couldn't take the FL any longer. My notes from watching this are filled with seething fulminations about my aggravation with her character. Jumping ginger-snaps, I can't stand that girl! She "likes" this boy, but she is so insensitive to his feelings. She is constantly selfish- just doing what she wants to do without respecting, asking, or caring about his feelings or preferences (including, but not limited to, when he's actively against something). She acts like she's a gift from heaven but is a self-centered brat.

Examples:
She is good at just the one subject in school, but somehow she feels entitled to throw it in the ML face in spite of the fact that he is obviously feeling bad about his shortcomings.
She demands that the ML buy her expensive food and bring it to her, taking advantage of her fake injury, all the while thinking she's so cute.
She is so patronizing, "rewarding" him with a girly stuffed animal and later a chocolate or something.
And so deuced conceited! "Why aren't you looking at me?" "I won't charge you." "Aren't I pretty?" "You must keep the good things for yourself," implying herself.

WHAT AN INFERNAL SELF ABSORBED VEXATIOUS OFFSPRING!!! And speaking for him? "If you don't answer...[I'll just decide your words for you]." People who aren't continuously drooling words don't need someone to speak for them; that is condescending and superior. Maybe the individuals who are endlessly yapping need to shut up. Isn't it nice when cicadas take a breather?

*****
Let's put that being aside. I considered the other characters to be well-acted for the most part. I thought the ML did a good job of portraying a quiet, low-key person without being "meh." The 2ML was appropriately annoying yet likeable. The 3ML was a nice addition to the group. The 2FL was...tolerable. That about sums things up.

Read More

A good read.

I think the title of this drama kept me from watching for a while, but eventually I dove in. Overall, it was a solid watch. I don't think I'll intentionally watch it again, but I think I could enjoy it if it came up in the future.

This was my first drama with Lee Jong Suk, and that confident smile of his was so appealing. However, the highlight of this drama was the ensemble cast. I think everyone was was well-chosen and played their roles wonderfully. The new-hire fake couple: the way he told off her mom was great (until the crying started); the CEO: somehow likeable in spite of all his quirks; the divorcees: their (over)reactions were amusing; the Ice Queen: she's got a talent for shutting people down and her club reveal was pretty funny; Eun Ho: treats the CEO with love and care, but also...realism? He also was fantastic during the emotional scenes. Episode 9 hurt my heart. And the FL was...vanilla I guess.

I don't remember anything about the music, which means it wasn't inspiring but also not annoying. I noticed some great wardrobe choices for the ML and 2ML; FL not so much. And by not so much, I mean maybe one in every five managed to look presentable.

A few comments from specific episodes:

ep5
Smoking? Really? I was shocked to see that happening. How long has the surgeon general been educating us?

ep6
ML: "You have me. You keep saying you have nowhere to go. Stop saying that. I'm your home. You can always come to me."
FL: "Girls don't like lines like that."
Me: "What is wrong with you?? This girl loves lines like that!"

ep7
The 2ML's reactions to the triple bomb drop were fantastic. The ML's glee during the retelling was better. That whole scene should be required watching in film courses.

...and then we come to this
Idiot. Why did you let him stay in your car? And then why didn't you drive him to NK? Or at least drop him off at the wrong house? Or the police station? And now you're just bringing him in? I'm just hypothesizing, but this may be a reason you still haven't gotten your girl after all these years. Oh I see- you're going to HELP him get together with your girl. How about you go pull something from the garbage and swap it out with the plushie before you hand-deliver the key to your future heartache?

ep8
I knew he knew she liked him. Scumbag. Don't act like that and get her hopes up when you have no intention of fulfilling her dreams. Don't smile at her like that. Don't tease her. Don't spend time alone with her. Don't sit on her desk having time together that she will find significant when it means nothing to you.

That face- grape jelly! How can she breathe when he's got that casual smile on his face while he puts the necklace on her? He should not be allowed to give anyone but his wife that look. Aiyah! Also, why do I keep seeing people share earbuds? That is so gross. And a random observation: The dog's name is Geum-be, and there's is a gumby looking thing holding folders on her desk.

ep9
Okay, on the one hand, that was a beautiful and sincere acknowledgement of her feelings. But on the other hand, how is she supposed to get over a guy like that? If he had been rude or cavalier, at least she would have been able to get mad and get over.
Also, I think he's going to regret the necklace and roses. Too soon. Let her process. Give her more of those "personal space invader" things like the necklace fastening to think about.

ep11
In line with the literary theme of this drama, there have been some very apropos uses of prose scattered throughout. For example, the words being dictated for the typed translation here. In addition, I have been noticing that there are some beautiful words that fly by during the first part of the credits. Just now one of them was something about it being okay for the other to take longer to discover their feelings- the first's love would just grow deeper. And by far the most beautiful moments in this drama were, "The moon is beautiful." and "The snow is beautiful."

ep12 or 13
I LOVE the seatbelt move. Every. Single. Time.

I liked how Eun-ho makes the other guy provide the lodging, then also moves in for the night to keep Miss Cucumber safe.

Yes, I also grab my sneakers when I'm heading to a fancy restaurant.

And finally, Crazy girl usurping smitten boy from his place? Priceless.

Read More

Wasted time.

Somehow I missed the "bittersweet" tag. Luckily I wasn't too invested. There were a few cute moments between the two leads, but otherwise I just kept waiting for the story to start before realizing it was over. There was nothing compelling about any of the characters- no depth, no connection. The FL's face was pretty much set in a perpetual emotionless void. The scenes were not well connected, and a few random unexplained events didn't help the situation. The crying scenes were not the worst I've seen, so I suppose that is the the young actors' credit. Overall it was underwhelming and a wasted 90 minutes.

Read More

Unfaithfulness is the antithesis to romance.

I wasted nearly an hour with this movie. There was a beginning segment, and then after what seemed to be quite awhile, a time jump. During the first "act" I kept waiting for...something. Some explanation, some missing piece of information that would make sense of things. Then there was the time jump- which was underwhelming and felt detached somehow, but I kept thinking that at least now the story would arrive. Unfortunately I was wrong. Netflix has some explaining to do, labeling it as romance and a romantic comedy. In what way can this be labeled romance?? Unfaithfulness is this antithesis to romance!!

Oh, and this is yet another glorification of a disgusting individual. What is up with Kdramas and repulsive females??? [I'm looking at you club president Jan-Di.]

Read More

Great acting but lamentable screenwriting.

This started out with an interesting storyline and humorous characters. Generally speaking, I thought the entire ensemble were remarkably well-cast, and had great chemistry with each other. The two main leads were new faces for me. I really enjoyed the range of Ok Taec Yeon's acting- from serious, to intense, to ridiculous. Since my introduction to Asian dramas, I have discovered that what really draws me to someone is their eyes, and Ok Taec Yeon joins the ranks of "those whose eyes can tell stories without words" with Kim Hyun Joong, Hyun Bin, and a few others. While I have found the majority of Asian-drama actresses to elicit a level of dislike relatable to a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich (with arsenic sauce), Kim Hye Yoon was a refreshing exception. She was full of positive energy, and even when the writing started going downhill, my disgust for her character did not affect my appreciation for her acting. Lee Jae Kyoon's acting was so well done that I was able to feel empathy towards his character in spite of his character.

Overall, I was quite liking this show until the end of episode 13. Without going into detail, may I just say: THEN WHAT THE DUECE IS SHE KISSING HIM FOR??!?!! Aaaaaaand... it never redeemed itself from there. Grrrr.... this one really let me down. It's great to have a raison d'être, but not at the expense of "love conquers all." Strong competition for dumbest ending ever. Be my life partner???? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!!??!?!!!

Disclaimer: the music received a neutral 5 out of 10 because I can't recall a single note. I'm sure it was lovely.

Read More