SeoulFire

It’s moving pretty slow at the job, all of the salesmen are getting drunk 

Drunk Salesmen = Free time at work

in Chicago somewhere so I won’t be hearing from them anytime soon, I’ve checked my unresponsive work e-mail 20 different times today, and the iPod is serving up a nice mixture of John Legend, Alex, and James Morrison. Oh yea……if that doesn’t get you in the mood for another issue of “Of the Asian Persuasion” I don’t know what will. So while you sit there and marvel at my astounding work ethic please enjoy this constantly random event: Of the Asian Persuasion #5. LET’S DO THIS!!!!

Settle in for another "Of the Asian Persuasion" #5!!

 (Note: If you haven’t noticed yet I have been including links to general plots of movies/dramas. Most of them courtesy of Dramawiki. I would write them myself but I would write 20,000 words about one title. You’re already nice enough to read my blog and I don’t want to put you through that.)

1) Delightful Girl Choon Hyang: In honor of the heavily anticipated (especially by myself) beginning of “Boys Over Flowers” (Starting December 1, just in case you didn’t already know) I have decided to list some of the most recent work by it’s appointed director, Jun Ki-Sang.  This is not his first drama but it definitely got him more attention than the dramas he directed previously. I consider this drama pure fun. It is a modernization of an an Korean legend but it’s so entertaining that you don’t have to know the original story to enjoy it. If you want romance, humor, and a little action then this is the one for you. This one is for pure entertainment value but it’s alright because the show never promised to be some deep study into human behavior or emotions. You wanna see people fall in love under ridiculous circumstances and far fetched coincidences then this would be a winner. I have to say I’m a bit of a fan of Jae Hee, the male lead in the show. The

Isn't about time for another Adam Sandler flick? The Wedding Singer 2, maybe? No?

 director and the creators of this show have used him many times in their shows. He’s the Steve Buscemi to their Adam Sandler. He always makes the most of a scene and this makes him more attractive no matter what role he plays.

2) My Girl: I am IN LOVE with both Lee Dong Wook (Lead actor) AND Lee

(Left to Right) Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae

Da Hae (Lead actress). I’m more in love with Lee Dong Wook than anything but these too together make some good TV. The show itself had a hilarious script but these two enhanced it so much that I had to stop myself from finishing the show in one day!!! The plot is, of course, ridiculous but by some miracle it works. Almost the same way “While You Were Sleeping…” worked. For all intents and purposes ”While You Were Sleeping should be written off as one of the most ridiculous plots ever but because you loved the main characters so

Why did this work so well?

 much you just didn’t care. It was no secret that the plot was used to bring the lovers together so you are more willing to let the writers off the hook. It’s no different with ”My Girl”. We can chalk it up to fictional destiny  and no one can say a word about it. The last two episodes had a lot of crying which became slightly depressing but at least no one died. I hate it when they kill someone at the end!! I’m kind of hoping they collaborate again but we’ll have to see. The main actors in “Delightful Girl, Choon Hyung” were not in the this series but they might have, just maybe, made a special appearance at the end of “My Girl”. Maybe. I don’t know. I guess you’ll have to find out yourself.

3) Witch Amusement: I have to say this is probably my favorite drama made by the same team that made the above mentioned dramas. I wish I was original and said I loved it for it’s deep meaning in this crazy world but…no. (Let me point out that this, too, is pure entertainment.) It turns out I am incredibly shallow and I just so happen to see myself in the main character so of course I automatically invest a lot in what her outcome will be. Misunderstandings are a way of life for me.  Most people who meet me have told me that walking up to me can be a daunting task considering the pensive look I hold on my face can come off rather mean. Although, I guess I don’t make it any better since ALL of my emotions show on my face. If I’m excited to see you, then you’ll know it. If I can’t stand you well…….. There are some unpleasant people who don’t really want to be unpleasant but they find its easier and safer to put up a guard with others. I am no exception.

I appreciated the fact that they made Yoo Hee “The Witch” difficult to love right away. It wasn’t like she was ”the witch” at the office and “the angel” at home. She was who she was the entire show. There was no need to change who she was in the beginning because she was never a bad person but just misunderstood. There were, of course, the changes that ”love” made when Jae Hee’s character brought on with his lovable character as the love interest. The other thing I loved was that while Jae Hee’s character made changes in Yoo Hee he wasn’t interested in changing her. He was only interested in making adjustments here and there such as how she approached people. She was always ready to strike someone first before they had a chance to hurt her in any way. I think more people do this in their lives more they even think they do.

Frienemies......yeah, it's kinda like this.

There is more of a necessity to guard yourself now than there was when our parents were younger because people have gotten more creative in their hurting ways. We young ones would use Frienemies as an example of that.  

4) Boys Over Flowers: I feel as if I’ve said enough about this one and the

Korean Boys Over Flowers airs December 1...and, yes, it will be here on Just Nonsense Really for your viewing pleasure.

more I write about it the more excited I get about it. Trust me……no one should be more excited than what I

Exactly what I'm trying to prevent

 am right now. So in an effort to save myself from bursting like a 12 year old at Hannah Montana concert I will simply make this announcement: I WILL BE POSTING LINKS/VIDEOS TO THE BOYS OVER FLOWERS EPISODES (ENGLISH SUBBED, OF COURSE) WHEN THEY START ON DECEMBER 1!!!! I am personally determined to keep up with this series as it airs. I probably won’t be able to find the subbed versions right away but as soon as I do they will be here. The best version I can find at the time it will be here. I am actually learning Korean right now but I am unfortunately not at the point where I can translate shows. As I get better I will start doing so so that you (and I) will not have to wait so long for others to translate. I probably won’t get that good during this series but as other series come along I hope to be able to do the subs myself. So please take this journey with me. Hopefully it’ll all be worth it. 

5) My Sweet Seoul: And lastly a series I just recently finished. (This was not directed by  Jun Ki-sang but it was good nonetheless.) Let me start off by saying that hearing another plot in which it involves “a group of middle aged, professional women and their journey through life” brings on a rather intense weakening of my upchuck reflex. That sounds dramatic but how many “Sex and the City” clones do we have to endure?! Luckily this is slightly different. Yes, you have 3 different women (Note: Understand that this happens to be a method done by writers to present at least one the characters that all women can identify with. It’s kind of like a multiple choice question where any of the answers could work for the question. I hated those!!) who happen to be middle aged, professionals, and, oh, so stylish. But placing them in the “Sex and the City” clone discard box would be a crime on your part.

Three professional, single women? Yes. Sex and the City? Not really.

As I get older and navigate my way through ”the dating pool” I am slowly but surely realizing that there are two types of men: the kind you date and the kind you marry. “My Sweet Seoul” makes a good point when it some to this among other things.

What you should do if he's a guy you should date

 In your lifetime you will more than likely meet a guy who is charming and fun to be with but this doesn’t always equate to a long lasting realtionship. Many times guys like that are just that: charming amd fun to be around. Or you may meet a guy who you find yourself attached to, but for all the wrong reasons. These men should be the synanomous with, “Oh, yeah, I dated him before.” Now, if you meet a guy who is respectful, doting, and all out dreamy (You know? A GROWN UP!!), well, that’s a guy you should marry. A lot of times men that you should date just happen to fill some void you’re feeling at the time. The only problem is that they may fill that void right now but they won’t satisfy all the other things you are looking for in a spouse. Once you realize that, you’ll suddenly see the light and dump him as soon as possible. If you know you are ready to be serious and not willing to date anymore then you need to be with someone who wants the same thing. I’m not saying that all men you should date are horrible. The men YOU should date may be the men that other women should marry!!

Of course there is always some reason I am drawn to a show and this

LOVE HIM!!!

 time around it happened to be Lee Sun Gyun. He was actually in The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince  and I LOVED him in it!! Not more than Gong Yoo…..but a close second. He brings a certain level of comfort and security to his characters that jump off the screen. You can’t help but to believe what he says. It helped also that he was an actual grown up in ”My Sweet Seoul”. A grown up with a rather dark past but still….a grown up. Many people give this drama a hard time but I think it depends

Great Wardrobe. Great script....but mostly GREAT WARDROBE!!

 on where you are in life to really know how much you’ll appreciate it. Check it out and see. Even if the plot doesn’t get you the

But not more than him. I REALLY love him!!

wardrobe might keep you interested but maybe that was just MY motivation.

Less than 3 weeks until the premiere of “Boys Over Flowers” and the studio will probably tease us relentlessly as we count down the days. Bastards.

I’m just going to jump right into it. I feel like I’ve built up the momentum for it in the last two posts and it’s just not right. It’s the equivalent of a show’s cliff-hanging season finale or Ryan Seacrest going to a commercial break 20,000 times before announcing the winner of American Idol. So here it is: “OF THE ASIAN PERSUASION” Number Four!!

1. BAD FAMILY: I finished this show in three days!! That’s a record for me! Especially with my sorta-kinda busy schedule. I must
   

   This...

   admit that I have felt a sizable hole in American television since Fox pulled a rather heinous “My So-Called Life” move and cancelled “Arrested Development”. I have been itching for another dysfunctional family…..besides my own. While it is missing some of the brilliant writing we found in “Arrested Development” (which is hard to find anyway) it is still extremely clever and entertaining on so many levels. A well produced show with complex characters, actors with

   

   plus this....

   great comedic timing, and great writing. You know you’ve got a winner when you take the dysfunction found in “Arrested Development” and mix in the heart found in a episode-ending sentimental moment shared between Danny and Michelle Tanner on “Full House”. Complete with the warm, acoustic guitar playing in the background.  

...equals that aka Bad Family

    2.  Winter Sonata: If you know anything about Korean dramas then you know “Winter Sonata”. You basically HAVE to know about Winter Sonata but for good reason. It’s a well known fact that it practically started this whole ”Hallyu” trend. Everything that a Korean drama should be “Winter Sonata” is: Great production, great actors, great script, a lot of crying, and that one song they play over and over again to the point that you start humming it yourself (“My memory……”). That being said can we just take a moment to recognize Korean actors and their sheer dominance of the single tear? They should have a category at all of their award ceremonies just for this talent.

    3. The First Shop of Coffee Prince: Let me just start off with saying that the lead actor, Gong Yoo, is the cutest actor I have ever seen in a

So Cute!!

drama. He took his character, Choi Han Kyul, to a place where the writers didn’t even think it could go. He was cute at every turn even when he was supposed to be a jerk. I appreciate the show as a whole just because it was more adult themed as opposed to most Korean dramas where a very chaste picture is drawn of relationships. There’s nothing wrong with that but when you’re dealing with two young adults in a serious relationship is it realistic to portray them as a couple that simply kisses and gets excited when they hold hands? The show was hyped up before it came on air because the lead actress hit it big with

Me watching Coffee Prince

another show called “Goong” aka “Princess Hours” (More on that in another post) but “Coffee Prince” stands on it’s own as a great show without having to rely on one particular actor and that’s pretty exciting. Not only was Gong Yoo great but the other actors were honest with their characters and the most important aspect of all of the characters was their vulnerability that only showed through the honesty each actor put to their character. While you may not think the actors’ honesty would be important you have to consider that in many ways this “As You Like It”  slightly fraternal twin has a tendency to be ridiculous but that honesty makes it believable. Which I appreciate because there were many times I had to remind myself to breathe while watching and I would hate to know I had that reaction over something that was through and through ridiculous.  

    4. Que Sera Sera: I list this one but I have to say I was a bit biased before I even started watching it for many reasons so there was a good chance I was going to like this one even it sucked. First, the guy that produced My Lovely Kim Sam Soon produced this. Second, Eric is the male lead in the show. Who is Eric? Well, Eric is a member of the longest running boyband, Shinhwa, but now he mostly does acting. I’ve been a fan of him since the hilarious ”Super Rookie” (More on that in a later post). While a singer turned actor may sound scary he is actually pretty great. Plus…….he’s freakin cute!!! And lastly, it’s got a more mature theme to it which, as you can tell from the last title, I LOVE!! I think this is a perfect example of why I love Korean dramas so much. They are influenced so much by ”Pride and Prejudice” and reminds us at their allotted times that you cannot judge a book by it’s cover. If you do, your inner Elizabeth Bennet could miss out on your Mr. Darcy. I must warn you that it can be absolutely heartbreaking for the majority of the show. But between the tears, happiness, regret, jealousy, true love, true hate, breakups, breakdowns, and the stubborn parents to make things more difficult you can’t help but have a good time watching this. Plus the clothes they wear is completely on point. I’m sorry I had to say that……afterall I am still a girl. What girl doesn’t notice great style? 

So great!!

totally worth it. “Meteor Garden” is a modern classic as far as Asian dramas are concerned and sometimes you just have to take time to appreciate the classics. This came out in 2001 but it feels just as fresh today as it might have felt when it first came out. Honestly, I’m actually surprised that I loved it as much as I did. It has all the characteristics of a show I would try to get away from as soon as possible: bad acting, inconsistent couples, over-the-top characters, ridiculous plots, and rather frustrating storylines that keep the main couple in an on/off relationship until the very end. While all of these factors should have had me running back to my beloved Korean dramas they became the reasons I stuck around. I constantly found myself wanting to know what would happen next. This was even after I took a break from the show for a few days due to the annoyance I felt from Shancai’s (the lead female character) constant indecision and Dao Ming Si’s (the lead male character) over-the-top temper. I recovered quickly though. It’s popularity is on par with High School Musical. And just like High School Musical the studios milk it for all its worth. As it usually goes studios are still trying to copy the success of this show by doing remakes. And I love it!!!

Hana Yori Dango....Here we come!!

Here I am sitting in front of the computer, listening to some strange, beautiful concoction of Duffy, Coldplay, and She & Him. All great albums. If you haven’t listened to either of them or haven’t heard of them at all……. my heart cries for you. Anyway. This set up could only mean one marvelous thing: It’s time for another issue of OF THE ASIAN PERSUASION!!!!! Shumu er!! (That’s number two in Mandarin. FYI….I am trying to learn Mandarin Chinese because…..I have too much time on my hands obviously.)

Alright I’m switching it up a little bit this time around. I’ve actually been watching Korean films for the past couple of weeks and I gotta tell you this is the most unstable relationship I’ve held with any set of films before in my entire life. They build you up, they knock you down, they offer some glimmer of hope, then they throw it on the ground and stomp on it to leave you with some bittersweet ending you just have to accept whether you like it or not!!!! But I keep coming back. Like a fool. 

If you ever get a chance, watch as many as you can and you will see what I’m talking about. It is the true meaning of an emotional rollercoaster. They start out with a charming story with charming characters and just for a second that inner romantic you try so desperately to hide comes rushing out like a tidal wave and then…….. One of those charming characters is terminally ill or promised to someone else or dies in a tragic accident. Then to add insult to injury the story never really picks up from that point. You more than likely will get some bittersweet ending that has a tendency to be………beautiful, actually. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it!!!!!!

So it looks like I’ve got 4 Korean and 1 Hong Kong movie. This should be interesting.

1.   My Sassy Girl (2001): This is the most charming, abusive couple ever seen on film. And I loved every minute of it. It’s pretty huge overseas already and everyone involved has made a name for themselves with this one film. And of course Hollywood has remade it. Just this year actually. But let me just say I watched it before they made it here and I have consciously made the decision not to see it. I urge you to do the same. There’s a certain magic with the original that to see other actors play these characters in a totally different setting would just be tragic. The director, Kwak Jae-yong, has a John Hughes aspect to his films. Probably every film student has seen this film and every studio replicates it in some kind of way. While the film’s not Oscar winning it’s crowd pleasing which is just as good in my opinion since it’s so hard to do. For Kwak Jae-yong, My Sassy Girl is what Thriller was for Michael Jackson. But, hey, that’s not bad at all.

2.   The Classic (2003): THIS MOVIE MADE ME CRY!!! YES ME!!! Yet another Kwak Jae-yong. If you haven’t noticed I’m officially a fan of this man. I can’t really describe this one. You just have to watch it. Yes it is an emotional rollercoaster but it’s totally worth it. There is an actor by the name of Jo Seung-woo who was one of the lead actors in the film…..Amazing. If anything he made me cry the most. Bastard.

3.   Windstruck (2004): Yes another one by the Korean John Hughes as I have deemed him. This was really cool though if you watched his films in order. Which is imperative. If you don’t watch them in order you WILL miss some pretty great stuff. An extra bonus is that the same girl that starred in My Sassy Girl starred in this one. Extra extra bonus is the other lead actor Jang Hyuk who is hilarious in his own right. But the bonus of all bonuses is at the end. But you have to watch these in order. That’s very important

4.   Please Teach Me English (2003): This features the actor Jang Hyuk also and its even better just for that. It’s thoroughly charming, engaging, and mostly original. Hey give it a break it is a romantic comedy. I’m not even gonna try to explain why this movie pretty much rocks. Sure it’s kinda sappy and unrealistic but isn’t that what we pay for sometimes. I think it’s anyone’s right as a human being to get sucked up in a sappy love story. We all deserve it sometimes.

5.   CJ7 (2008): Ok firstly Stephen Chow RULES! That should be the first thing said when anyone mentions anything that Stephen Chow is involved with. I was already a lifetime fan but he just keeps reinforcing my faith in his ability and my obvious reasons to love him. This is a family film but its so inventive and original that to call it corny would just be a crime. And anyone who does call it that should have all his bodyparts removed, put in a meat grinder, and fed to blood thirsty dogs. Sorry. I watched Election 2 (Hong Kong movie) not too long ago and its kinda sticking with me. And the little girl’s performance was inspired. Like Dakota Fanning inspired. And yes that’s a girl playing the little boy’s role. Brilliant.