usagisaiko

Fonts are everything!!

I didn't consider whether she had had plastic surgery for some reason, but now that I see all the comments and look at her pics, I realize why she always looks a little different! She's still beautiful, but I agree, she was beautiful before too (just more normal-beautiful!) so it does kinda make me sad. (Maybe the issues discussed in 200 lb Beauty are more relevant than I thought?)

I guess I'm naive to never think about how many Asian actresses have had surgeries, but now that I think of it, I guess that's why I'm always like shoot, so-and-so's nose looks sooo European! I don't know any non-Euro who has a thin pointed nose like that, guess these actresses have some Silk Road ancestors! Or wow, why didn't I get such big round eyes from the same genetic pool, even though I'm not even full Asian? lol

I'm not against surgery as a personal choice, so I have no personal judgment toward KAJ. But it makes me think that when so many female celebs feeling the pressure to compete, I wonder if it kind of messes up our idea of beauty and makes us more narrow-minded. As if more Asian, less Eurocentric standards of beauty are inferior. And then when most young girls see such unattainable traits I think it makes it harder to see their own natural beauty. Obviously this is a societal problem though...

I think that could make for a good character arc that will develop throughout the story. I really loved how that worked for the character arc of the 'bad personality' prosecutor heroine in I Hear Your Voice (as much as I didn't think it worked for the weird romance), for example. I'm pretty sure this protag will grow less off-putting as things progress!

I agree! Changed it to a later one that seems to fit the tone better.

Just commenting on the term, I believe that's the official name, not just in Japan, and not meant to be derogatory. I have heard plenty of trans people use it too. That doesn't mean that all people would identify with the term though. Correct me if I'm wrong, though. Also, I don't think the PC pronoun use that is prevalent in the West really applies here. Yes, it's true that you can translate pronouns into Japanese, but most of the time you don't use them. I have a feeling this will be a good story.

Oh my goodness, is this part of the ban on stuff the party doesn't feel is conducive to citizens feeling nationalistic enough? I mean, isn't traveling into some point in the 5000 years of interesting history good enough for them?? Or is there too much 'frivolous' romance?

Anyway I would think that any restrictions will affect a bunch of stuff that was in production...I just hope good stories don't get censored into blandness...

I agree, I think often with these actors/actresses, it's often about bad casting--where they're limited and thus don't fit the role...I also liked GAR in You're All Surrounded as she was well cast for that character, even if I don't love her acting across the board. Same with Shin Se Kyung, you're totally right, although I thought she fit with her characters in Tree With Deep Roots and Six Flying Dragons (even if she played them almost the same!).

There are other actors who've driven me nuts in most of their dramas but then there comes along one drama their main skill fits and I'm glad they were cast. I think of Jang Na Ra who always drove me nuts and I was dreading her in Hello, Monster, but it turned out she fit that role well (and I would note that she might as well have been GAR as it was the same character type as the one in You're All Surrounded). Hopefully this will be the case for Black!

I don't think disliking the acting of someone who's extremely popular is the same as hating on someone. It's frustrating when an actor you think either doesn't bring a lot to their roles, downgrades an otherwise good character, or takes the place of better but less popular/saleable actors. Obviously it's relative to our opinions and I think it's fine for someone to dislike an actor I like or vice versa!

Otherwise, in terms of spending a lot of rage/energy hating on celebs , I'd agree that it's a waste of time! And I do sometimes feel sorry for the ones who actually get harassed by so-called 'anti-fans.'

Thanks so much for explaining. I knew they were not going to end up together, and while a story like that can be done really well, I also feel it has to at least feel emotionally satisfying, even a tragedy. I think I can imagine what you're saying, and to me the big points are that you said they didn't make their separation feel necessary, and the queen's life in between felt empty instead of finding another layer of meaning. Also, it sounds like their time together doesn't sound that meaningful either.

While I get how these Thwarted Love stories are often just being realistic in the time period, at this point in my life I really can't handle them! So I appreciate knowing this info as I wasn't sure whether or not to watch it.

Thanks so much for replying! I look forward to seeing this feature built up over time as we're able. Also wanted to comment that the priority system for 'Plan to Watch' is great, and would also be awesome for the 'Currently watching' list too, as some of us have used that list for awhile to put our prioritized dramas there. Not sure if I'm in the minority doing that, but it's just an idea! Thanks again!

Just curious what you found frustrating (also, do you mean the ending, or the whole drama?) And when you say bittersweet, I assume the end is tragic due to history, but it sounds like they do it in a way that isn't like a punch to the gut?

Oh, nice detail, I didn't notice that!

Yeah, i think the narration (Heo Jun speaking) made it clear that this was his final destiny. That it was that completely unexpected gift that was their just reward for staying true to their hearts in the paths they chose, even though they had no hope of realistically being about to ever see each other again...and the bonus that Mak Gae, who longed to be a doctor, got to come, too!

Also, we know he's not about to commit suicide, and hopefully he just won't die again until he's an old man (*^_^*)

If she's annoying you, don't keep watching! She will keep annoying you if it's getting to you that much in the early eps. However, I loved her. I thought she was a refreshing female character, both strong and vulnerable, with flaws that she grew from, just like he did . And the relationship was real, progressing in time, and built on respect too.

(btw this is in reply to the OP not the long argument!)
Nobody's as cool as Osawa from BOSS, that's for sure, love those dramas (wish there was a 3rd season!!!)...and of course Himekawa is also a great character, in the novels too. I think there are actually relatively quite a few strong women characters in Japanese crime dramas these days as the genre is so popular...sure there are plenty of those teams with only one woman (which is more true-to-life), but I like how much characters like Lt. Himekawa (from the original super popular novels) have set a standard for women in law enforcement and criminal justice for quite some time.

If my brain wasn't fried right now I would try to make a list, but this being a remake, I was just reminded of the Japanese remake of Cold Case with the awesome Yoshida Yō...you might enjoy that if you haven't seen it.

Wait, what? I don't get it, people are saying he loved her as she was before, but then what's the explanation for the scene in the bathroom, where she overhears him talking? Can anyone explain it to me if I missed something?

You probably don't need to as the cast is totally different, but the first one is awesome, so you really should if you like the genre. You have another few months, so go for it! (FYI the cast isn't going to be as young as Ji Soo though)

Love the new design--great job, guys! And yay for screenwriter/director possibility! I get tired of checking asianwiki so sometimes I miss out on something until I see the person mentioned in a comment or review. Prioritizing system is great too! If only there was a way to see the images that go with the title...

update: I've tried to add some directors/screenwriters to the crew section of a few titles, but it seems that if there isn't a match in the system, we can't add them? Does that mean a brand new person page would need to be created first? I've run into this with newbies (understandable) but also some who already have quite a few credits to their nae.

1) If Yeon Yi actually hasn't been cured by Heo Jun, why the heck wouldn't tell Heo Im that she was still alive and 'waiting for him' when he was there last?! To teach him a lesson?! While making her sad/risking her life and make sure he keeps carrying around the guilt? Or is this a writer mistake?!

2) Is it remotely believable that Grandpa be so selfish as to not tell his granddaughter anything about his heart, as if it's not going to hurt anyone if he dies?! When we just were shown in this episode how much he cares about other people and how many people would hurt if he was gone? And then, to not tell HI and YK that if HI goes back he probably can't get back (based on what Gpa knows about how the needles work)? Or is this a writer cheat to dredge up false conflict/drama and separate the couple???

Really really hoping I'm missing something here because I've been loving this drama so much and would hate it if it ends up getting messed up!!!!!!

Anyone know if there was more than a temporary outcry in S. Korea after this movie to readdress this case and all the people who went on to live normal lives like nothing happened?

Which one did you like better? I love Yonekura Ryoko, but never saw that one...was going to look for it, but it sounds like this one is really well done too...