SeoulFire

Before I start I just thought I’d mention this awesome video. I was recently “surfin’ the net” (remember when that used to sound cool? Now it just sounds, to use another outdated phrase, “played”) and a blog I was reading brought to my attention this video. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what blog I saw this on (which makes me annoyed with myself) but I can say this video singlehandedly made me a Demi Lovato fan. At least for this one particular song. That’s how truly fantastabexelous it is. Enjoy!!

BTW….I was quickly scolded by my cousin on the last post. It turns out I came off as a “bitchy blogger” (A “BB”. Which coincidentally sounds like “baby” as my cousin also pointed out.) about the comments and trust me when I say that was not my intention. I appreciate all the comments you guys left and I especially appreciate you stopping by to read my ramblings. You guys rock my socks off whether you leave a comment or not. Thanks for your support!!!

This is it, folks. Episode 25. The last episode of this phenomenon called “Boys Over Flowers”. Yes, I know I’ve always called it “Boys Before Flowers” but the literal translation IS “Boys Over Flowers”. I decided to keep it as “Boys Before Flowers” because 1) That’s what I’ve called it since the beginning and I didn’t want to mess with the concurrency of Seoulfire and 2) At the end of the day, both translations mean the same thing, don’t they? Also, BBF sounds so much better than BOF. It feels like something I need to do around the house: “I need to BOF my cabinets today.” But I digress.

It feels surreal to say we finally made it to the end. We all knew we would get here but now that we are I feel like we’ve accomplished something that seemed unreachable at one point. If I was younger (and insane) I would pop in Vitamin C’s “Graduation” just so we had some nostalgia to accompany this celebratory mood. Lucky for us I lost my copy along with my NSYNC concert stub. Holy Bad Taste, SeoulFire Readers…….Thank God the year 2000 is over!!!

What is it with Joon Po and his ability to attract seemingly harmless women who instantly turn into overbearing, lying stalkers in less than 24 hours of meeting him? I guess that’s the magic of television.

Through it all Jan Di has always been my choice for Joon Pyo. Not just because she was the character the writers labeled as “the one” but because she didn’t hang all over him just so he would like her. Throughout the entire series she continued to be Jan Di (complete with her misguided decisions) and she was determined to be JUST Jan Di. It would be easy to be known as ”Joon Pyo’s girlfriend”. Many would respect her but not for who she was but for that mere title. And the fear she might sick an irrate Joon Pyo on someone if they treated her unkindly. I would be more afraid of the latter personally.

So after F2 (Yi Jung and Woo Bin) come in and do something weird in front of Jan Di and Ga Eul (devouring a bowl of porridge, that is, for you perverts out there) they inform Jan Di that Joon Pyo is being released from the hospital and they have come to pick her up. Luckily, for us Woo Bin’s lines were kept to the traditional short length. If Woo Bin’s lines were longer the writers might have gone overboard (seeing that this is the last of the show) and the nature of their visit would have been said like: “Yo, what’s up, Jan Di. Me and my boy came to take you to see your man who’s gettin’ out of the bighouse.”

You see?! I can’t even pull it off!!! Which is why Kim Joon should have never been asked to either. I love Kim Joon. I love Woo Bin. But every time he dished out another dose of English slang my eye automatically started to twitch. Coincidentally, I have the same reaction to his group’s song “Paradise”.

Meanwhile, Yi Jung came for another reason. He informs Ga Eul that he has to go to Sweden for four years (!) but that she would be the first one he would find when he returned to Korea. I’m assuming by her expression this is a huge gesture. I’m not going to lie, I kind of rolled my eyes at this one. She has to wait four years just so she can be the first one he finds when he gets off the plane? I feel like something should be happening in between that time. Maybe I’m not as romantic as they are (possible). Maybe I’m not that patient (quite possible). Maybe I’m just jealous she has the luxury to expect him to show up after four years (BINGO).

After Jan Di rushes over to Joon Pyo’s house she is greeted with not only a still clueless Joon Pyo but a now annoying Yu Mi accompanying him. They proceed to display a slight type of intimacy complete with shared bites of dessert, words said at the same time, and some minor scolding by Yu Mi when Joon Pyo is rude to Jan Di. It is, quickly frankly, sickening. 

After Jan Di walks out on this “touching” scene (who wouldn’t?), Yu Mi follows behind to tell her that not only that she knows Jan Di is the one Joon Pyo forgot but she thinks it would be better if Jan Di would stop visiting him. She then tells Jan Di that he still doesn’t remember her but she will keep trying to remind him of who she is. Yeah. Right.  That’s like telling someone that I’ll watch their steak for them while knowing that I am starving. What can say? I loves me some steak.

And, of course, Ji Hoo just happens to be stopping by Joon Pyo’s house (because this is BBF) as Jan Di is running out. Does he have a Bat signal or something that is raised whenever Jan Di is upset about something? How is it that he has perfect timing all the time? Makes me wonder what it will be like if Jan Di does marry Joon Pyo? Will that stop all together or will he be brought out for special occasions?

Anyhoo, when Ji Hoo( aka “Captain Save-A- “……I’ll stop there) brings her back to Joon Pyo’s room to confront him and his amnesiac madness they come upon another sickening scene (above). My blood pressure is slowly but surely rising just looking at it. Let’s move on amicably.

This may sound sick but I still get excited to see Jan Di so devastated and determined to have Joon Pyo back. Remember the days where she was still hung up on Ji Hoo and even when Joon Pyo was giving his heart to her on a silver platter she almost completely ignored him? So glad those days are over. We know she is in this for the long haul. Many fans are annoyed with the fact that she never expressed her true feelings to Joon Pyo the way Joon Pyo does to her. If you think about it this actually follows the personalities of each character. Joon Pyo says what he means while Jan Di buries her feelings in order to have the strength to get back up again. I’ve developed some respect for Goo Hye Sun in this series just because with this particular character all of her emotion has to come from her eyes and she pulls it off quite convincingly.

This being said I am, also, not a fan of Jan Di’s weakness in the “love proclamation” category. Which explains my affinity in appreciating the pain she displays when Joon Pyo is snatched from her in some way, shape, or form. So maybe that’s not really sick on my part but a desperate need to know they will end up together. Which may be sick on my part, still, considering I’ve been down this road before and I already know what’s going to happen.

I felt a slight tinge of deja vu during this scene. You know how you can watch someone make something that looks really good and SO easy that when you actually make it it comes out looking and tasting completely different from what it looked like on television? That’s kind of what happened here. The only difference is I never claimed to be Rachel Ray when I did that. And the people who tasted those cookies knew that. Which is why Yu Mi shouldn’t have tried to trick Joon Pyo into believing she made the lunchbox Jan Di left for him while he was at the hospital. Even though Joon Pyo knew something was amiss he instantly apologized for hollering at Yu Mi as soon as she started crying. 

It would have been good for Yu Mi to take the hint that Joon Pyo knew something was off then and there. Just like I quickly learned the difference between baking powder and baking soda the day I make those “cookies”. What?! Yes, I made that mistake!! Hey, at least I didn’t cry. Much.

One thing I won’t miss about BBF? The way Shinhwa High turns into a gaggle of Jonas Brothers concert attendees every time F4 is on the premises. It got old in at least episode……one. The other thing I won’t miss is Jan Di getting invited to ridiculous events like a pool party hosted by Joon Pyo and Yu Mi. All I have to say to that is…..WTH?!!!

The day of the pool party (Who has pool parties anymore? I’m pretty sure the last time I went to a pool party all I needed to wear were the swimsuit bottoms because I had nothing to  warrant wearing a top. Can’t say I have much to cover up now though.) we come to find out that not only does Yu Mi clean up nicely (I know we hate her but she really did look nice) but she apparently plays the harp (because this IS BBF).Yu Mi follows Jan Di after she sneaks away from an admiring crowd (who wouldn’t?) to inform her that she has found that she likes Joon Pyo and they have an announcement to make so Jan Di might want to come back inside soon.

Did anyone else think this was another ploy by Joon Pyo’s mother? Yu Mi is seemingly harmless but when you scratch the surface she’s conniving, manipulative, and calculating. All without breaking a sweat. She sounds suspiciously like Mini Mama Kang and what better time to take advantage of your son than when he has forgotten the girl he fought so hard to love? Also, Joon Pyo would have to be a little off kilter to show any interest in a girl who’s just like his mother. His family would be thankful for all the money they have when they find out how much counseling he would need later on.

We come to find that Joon Pyo and Yu Mi have planned to study in America together. And again my blood pressure is rising so let’s move on.

I know Jan Di is hurting in this scene and I know this is all fictional but I felt like I was hurting just as much as she was when Joon Pyo didn’t recognize the necklace he gave her. It seems like we’ve been on the roller coaster with her so we can sympathize with her when she cannot give up on restoring his memory of her. It’s the same way I felt while watching the video I posted above. I’m sorry to mention it again but it baffles me at how perfect it was!!

Most. Heartstopping. Moment. EVER. I love Jan Di’s determination. I love Joon Pyo’s memory returning just in the nick of time. Most importantly I love how Jisun’s song “What Do I Do” fit this scene so perfectly. I was already a fan of her music but she is on her way to being a soundtrack regular as a solo artist and I am not mad at that. 

Many of my friends who know about my love affair with Asian entertainment always ask me if I ever miss American television since I watch so much Asian television. The list is short of the things I miss about American television but I’ve always enjoyed how it incorporates new music that fits the atmosphere of the scene. Let’s face it, many KDramas, especially BBF, have the tendency to place pop songs in scenes where the atmosphere is anything but upbeat. I’m mostly speaking, of course, of the first half of BBF. I swear, they would’ve played “Paradise” if a tsunami broke out as part of the storyline. In other words, they played it a lot.

Joon Pyo’s memory returns just in time for Jan Di’s graduation. At least I’m assuming it did since they jumped to the scene where Jan Di apologizes to her mother for not having a plan after graduation and  she explains that she must take a test in order to get a scholarship to be able to attend medical school. I kind of forgot she was still in school. If I was her I’d forget too. Who has time to think about school when you’re surrounded by all this drama?! Again, the magic of BBF.

Another sign we’ve reached the end? New scenes that echo old scenes that remind us of why we fell in love with the series in the first place. Another JoonDi moment next to Joon Pyo’s “conspicuous” ride and another request made by Joon Pyo drowned out by a motorcycle engine with the worst timing. My only question is: What’s so hard about Jan Di saying, “What? I didn’t hear you!”? Is it a cultural thing or simply a plot mechanism invented to annoy the crap out of us? Let me know in the comment cellar.

F4 sends a limo to pick up Jan Di who had planned to skip the graduation festivities by helping at Ji Hoo’s grandfather’s clinic. Did you see the way limo driver just showed up and opened the day for her without saying a word? Jan Di’s parents apparently skipped the lesson on not getting into a stranger’s car. Although, the argument could be made that they should have taught her not to take pictures with strange men in kinkified warehouses for money first.

Jan Di then proceeded to have individual dances with each member of F3. I would post screencaps but you should have seen this by now and this doesn’t need any more commentary than that. If you’re picking up on an aspiration to move past this scene then you are right on the money. They did this in the other versions also (Believe it or not, I’m not sure about Meteor Garden. If you have the answer, let me know). Every time they do this the cheese factor was raised just a little more. Sweet cheese…..but cheese nonetheless.

 Eventually Jan Di figures out what Joon Pyo wanted her to do which was to meet him at their meeting place in front of the Nam San Tower.  She finds him there (looking at the tux he wore he apparently thought he was an matador that night) and he proceeds to recreate their first date. Again, signs that we’ve reached the end.

I was online today taking my Korean class (I use Edufire.com. It’s cheap and all around awesome.) and one of the students in the class mentioned that they were upset that Jan Di refused Joon Pyo’s proposal in this scene. I quickly told them that she didn’t say no she just said she was too young to get married at that point and time. Their response was, “Well, she didn’t say yes.” I completely understand where they were coming from. While Jan Di didn’t say no to Joon Pyo she never did provide any indication that it would happen after the four years it would take Joon Pyo to return to Korea. While I do agree that they are young and have a lot to accomplish I also agree with Joon Pyo earlier when he asked Jan Di, “Who else are you going to marry?” No really, who else would she marry at this point?! It’s not abnormal for us to expect something a little more concrete but at least we know they are back together on a more permanent status. In other words, if they were on Facebook they would be ” In a Relationship”. And that’s serious.

You may not know this about me but I ADORE epilogues. I live for them. I’m that person who reads the endings of books before I actually buy them. Basically, I’m that person you hate in the bookstore. So it is my privilege to be able to write one here. Boys Before Flowers Epilogue: Four years later…..

Joon Pyo returns to Korea as Shinhwa Group’s Managing Director who has managed to pull Shinhwa together while in America by entering the software industry and has managed to make his way onto “three international economic magazines”. In other words, HOORAY FOR KOREA!! (We are watching a Korean drama after all.) When asked about his love life on what looks like his appearance on the Korean Oprah (KOprah?) he mentions that while he felt lonely from time to time he found comfort in a promise he made “someone”.

Joon Pyo’s parents watch his guest spot as Mama Kang takes care of Joon Pyo’s father. I don’t really understand how Mama Kang is suddenly this satisfied person while watching Joon Pyo on television. She never struck me as the type of character who was content with sitting around nursing her husband back to health. They did the same thing to the mother in “Hana Yori Dango: The Final”. After all the hell she put Makino and Domyoji through she was suddenly walking around with this huge smile as if they gave her an incomplete lobotomy.

Also, what a waste of coma awakening!! I was really looking forward to Joon Pyo’s father waking up and cleaning house. What did we get instead? Nothing!! Maybe they were saving that just in case they got that 6 episode extension KBS  had considered. If that’s the case, I’ll take the purposeless excitement buildup. I’ll find some way to deal with it.

Hello President of Shinhwa Group, Goo Jun Hee!!! The way it should be. Period.

Yi Jung returns from Sweden and keeps his promise to find Ga Eul first who is a kindergarten teacher (?). One of the children in her classroom ask him if he is the boyfriend Ga Eul mentioned who was living far away. Ge Eul weakly hushes the child telling her that she was not supposed to say anything to him. I’m assuming this means they are official. Can we consider this a closed ending or an open ending? I say it’s an ajar ending. What’s sad is that this is the farthest this couple has gone in the entire franchise. Rumor has it that a Chinese BBF is coming out soon. Maybe they can give us that closed ending we’ve all been wanting.

Jan Di is now in her third year of medical school after attempting the admittance test multiple times. She is scolded by her teachers but being the “weed” that she is she continues to work hard. 

Ji Hoo continues to perfect his stalking abilities by also joining medial school but since he was admitted on time he is now in the graduating class. Apparently, everyone who sees him still falls at his feet like the “second coming” they’ve made him out to be. From the way Jan Di was speaking it sounds as if his plan is to reopen his grandfather’s clinic once he becomes a doctor (grandfather was MIA at the time of this epilogue). But don’t worry, Ji Hoo’s not-so-unwillingness to repeat medical school just to stay with Jan Di proves that his thinly veiled love for her is still there.

Luckily, Joon Pyo arrives in a helicopter (because a car would be over the top) to not only break up the one sided love fest but to tell an unsuspecting Jan Di to meet him on the beach.

So glad Joon Pyo is back!! I’ve read that some were upset that Jan Di never said that she missed Joon Pyo but did we really need her to say it? Again, Goo Hye Sun’s Jan Di is all about the eyes. There was so much emotion there that the words were unnecessary and I think Joon Pyo noticed it too.

And just when Joon Pyo pops the not so unexpected big question to Jan Di……

F3 shows up joking that Jan Di and Joon Pyo must get permission from them before she even gives an answer. If you were annoyed with their “impeccable” timing, don’t worry, so was I. But remember it’s all about Jan Di’s eyes. As far as I’m concerned the answer was in her eyes and what was she going to say? No? Seriously?

What a picturesque last scene, don’t you think? What a way to end the show. What a relief to know the madness is over. What a smartass thing for the production to do by playing “Parrrrradissssse…” just one more time.

Am I the only one who thought the writers held back a little A LOT. Some writers want us to interpret our own ending in order to make it feel like the show was somehow ours but the way they ended things was in a way that they were almost saying we already know how the story ends so we should just fill in the blanks. Yes, BBF writers, I know how this story ends but you can’t placate the fangirl within just to give me some peace of mind in return for hell you put us through for the majority of the show? You know, selfishness IS one of the seven deadly sins. I’m just saying.

So what did you think?! Did it meet all of your expectations? Yeah, me neither. Wow. Deja vu. I’m pretty sure I started the first Aftermath like this also. I guess I’m cashing in (not really) on some nostalgia like BBF did. Who says you can’t learn anything from television?

I gotta say…..this wasn’t my favorite. Believe it or not I’m sticking with the classic; Meteor Garden stays as my first pick in the franchise if only for the permanent space it holds in my heart. Second, comes “Hana Yori Dango” because the chemistry between Inoue Mao and Matsumoto Jun was undeniable. Also the Japanese version tied up many loose ends. While BBF comes in third I still respect it for what it was and it has hollowed out its own place in the “Hana Yori Dango” franchise. Thoughts? Comment cellar is calling.

GOODBYE BBF………HELLO CINDERELLA MAN!! PLEASE…..DON’T SUCK.

HI-YA!!!!

So we’ve passed the introductions and we’ve throughly established that F4 is the creme de la creme of high society kids. And we’ve well established that our female lead is a force to be reckoned with. As if we didn’t already know. Now it’s time for the nitty gritty. You know, the actual plot?

What did we get in this episode? Well….

• We got to see how gross her family is while they’re eating.

GA-ROSS!!

•  We got our first look at the new and improved “fighting stance” used in kicking Goo Join Pyo’s rather arrogant behind. Apparently, not only does she drop kick him but she catches some serious air while at it. So it’s the classic fighting stance on steroids. Nice. It’s a little over the top, but would we expect anything less?

• Speaking of “over the top”….. we were also gifted (?) with the rather classic scene where Goo Joon Pyo decides to kidnap Geum Jan Di for a serious makeover…..because why else would someone want to kidnap a girl? While ridiculously unrealistic I always look forward to this scene because Geum Jan Di’s admirable disregard for those things of the upper class is reiterated. While Goo Joon Pyo is not the sharpest tool in the shed he, unfortunately, knows what most women are looking for when they see a very rich man. In most cases what he did would be forgiven by a woman who treasured materialistic things but Geum Jan Di’s never failing acknowledgment of the things truly important in life make her the beloved character we know her as. I must ask though….weren’t those stripper shoes they put her in?! They seemed to have gone really well with a silver pole if it was presented.

• The moment that many netizens were waiting for, Han Chae Young’s Min Seo Hyun has made her first appearance. I wish I could say I was excited too but the fact of the matter is I have always been a bit jealous of this particular character  in any and all versions of this series. Anything that is written to be gorgeous, intelligent, caring, and all of those other adjectives that I very rarely hear about myself should not be allowed on television. I need her to be incredibly evil/conniving or incredibly flawed. Then when I found out the character would be played by Han Chae Young, I vaguely remember yelling out, “Are you kidding me?!”. But in light of my ridiculous dislike of this character I found myself giddy when she showed up on the screen and that just pissed me off. In every version I just want to hate her so much but it never works out. I know she’s a fictional character but I still think it’s a special kind of torture to taunt her perfection in front of us like this:  )

• I must say I am loving the detail being put into the production of the show. I always say it’s the little things that make the big things work. Example would be the scene where they show Yoon Ji Hoo playing with tarot cards as Geum Jan Di confronts Goo Joon Pyo. Even after the big confrontation we are shown that the card pulled out is of “The Lovers”. If by some miracle you don’t know the plot of the series your curiosity couldn’t help but to be peaked. Great foreshadowing done with great props!

• I’m happy to say I am still bursting at the seams about Lee Min Hoo’s Goo Joon Pyo. His bathroom scene with Geum Jan Di showed the ever increasing affection he is developing for her and you can’t help but to care for him in those moments where she pushes him away. While she is justified in doing so you just wanted her to notice the caring he was trying to put forth. But that comes later as we all know. And the boat scene was wonderfully cute. Lee Min Hoo, FIGHTING!!!

• I was pleasantly surprised to find I am developing a major crush on Kim Bum’s So Ji Jung. I always loved this character for his “zen” personality but when you add Kim Bum’s extraordinary cuteness So Ji Jung becomes irresistible. Many people in the Asian drama world have been on the Kim Bum trail for a while but I must tell you I am incredibly clueless when it comes to Kim Bum and what he has done in the past few years. Hopefully this will start a long lasting relationship from this show on. But just not in real-life because I think there are many people that had dibs on him long ago. Plus….he is just making it out of jailbait status and one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to stop drooling over boys newly released from jailbait status. I mean I just got over Zac Efron and Kim Bum is younger than him. I’m saving the drool for men who have been done with puberty for a good while now.

I’m kinda crushin’ on you right now, Kim Bum.

• Lastly, I find the unavoidable need to make this announcement because this is no laughing matter. Balls coming at your face at very high speeds is nothing to laugh at. (And for those of you who took that on the dirty track…get some help.) I was hit in the face at a very young age in a way very similar to what Geum Jan Di experienced during an intense game of kickball. All I remember is a red object, a rather loud thud/smack, my body hitting the ground, uncontrollable laughter surrounding me, and the design on the ball firmly imprinted on my face. Not only was it ridiculously embarrassing but I have yet to live it down…..more than a decade later!!!! So please, be sensitive :  )

Ni hao everyone!! Just stopping by to mention some things that have no choice but to end in exclamation points.

• Makino, oh,…….Makino?! : They recently announced who would be playing the female lead, Makino, in the Korean “Boys Over Flowers” set to come out late this year. An actress named Goo Hye Sun and all I have to say to that is……WHO?!
  

  And the role of Makino goes to.....WHO?!

  Apparently she recently starred in a drama called “Strongest Chil Woo” and another drama “Pure 19″ which, obviously, I haven’t seen yet. I looked her up on DramaWiki and so far it looks like she has a pretty respectable resume so it may not be as bad as I’m thinking. I must say I was rather impressed with the fact that she had a cameo in “August Rush” which is one of my favorite movies. Now I have to go home and pull a “Where’s Waldo?” because as of this moment I don’t remember seeing her at all. “Hana Yori Dango” forum participants are freaking out a little because she’s older than the boys who will playing F4……which is depressing because she’s only two years older than me. Let’s face it though: Most Asian actresses don’t look their age until they hit ohhhhh……. 60!! And even then they only look like they’re in their late 40’s or at least they’re early 50’s. I was a bit nervous about this announcement because I have loved this character in every version and it’d be a shame if they ruined it in the Korean version of all versions.  So here it is ladies and gentleman, the lead actors in the Korean “Boys Over Flowers”:

Koo Hye Sun as Yeon Woo (Makino Tsukishi) (Shan Cai)

Lee Min Ho as Go Jun Pyo (Domyouji Tsukasa) (Dao Ming Si)

Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo (Rui Hanazawa) (Hua Ze Lei)

Kim Bum as So Yi Jung (Sojiroh Nishikado) (Xi Men)

Kim Joon as Song Woo Bin (Akira Mimasaka) (Mei Zuo Ling)

They’re all a little TOO pretty don’t you think? I have to admit that I am hopelessly devoted to ”Meteor Garden” while the production is not nearly as good as the Japanese version was and what the Korean version will be it WAS, technically, the original. Plus I kinda have a semi-crush on Jerry Yan. Not only

Jerry Yan and his ADORABLE work

 is he abnormally cute but he is an ambassador for World Vision Taiwan (he

Viva Laughlin....Hugh Jackman dancing...and singing...in Las Vegas.....The fact that it was cancelled just baffles my mind!!

sponsors a rather LARGE handful of children,) AND he pulled an Angelina Jolie by adopting a child!! Talk about bringing your work home with you!!! Although one thing that none of the “Hana Yori Dango” remakes can claim is that they have Jun Ki Sang directing it. Jun Ki Sang directed “Delightful Girl, Choon Hyang”, “My Girl”, and “Witch Amusement”-all awesome, all will be in the next issue of ”Of the the Asian Persuasion”. So far it looks like they have got all the necessary ingredients to make “Boys Over Flowers” a MAJOR HIT!!! But it hasn’t air yet and in the “biz” what seems like a sure fire thing could turn out to be a sure fire bomb.

• All that hype…..FOR THIS?!: Well, they finally announced who would be leaving “We Got Married” and turns out it was…….well, Andy and Solbi. That’s right. The mystery couple leaving…..is the
  

  Thanks!!......FOR NOTHING!!

  couple we already knew was leaving. All the other couples will be sticking around for a little while longer and they have added two other couples bringing the grand total up to five couples. Of course I’m ecstatic to know that Alex and Shinae are sticking around. This episode was especially special to any “Alshin” lovers.  I’m excited about the other couples sticking around but they all feel like their expiration dates are coming up fast. Crown J and In young are now the only couple that have been together since the very beginning and now that they are going on a year pretty soon here. While the show is fun I’m sure doing this every week can be tiring. Even I would be tired of it after a while. As you may have noticed Kim Hyun Joong is all set to start filming “Boys Over Flowers” so we’ll see how long he’ll be able to stick around. Between filming, publicity, and the pure mania this role has in store for him he may have to choose between the two shows. My gut is telling me that he won’t be choosing WGM over BOF anytime soon. Honestly, I wouldn’t either. Lastly, as much as I love to see Alex every week the fact of the matter is that he is still having back issues and I would rather he give up the show if it gets to be too much for him than to continue the show in pain. Then to top it all off one of Shinae good friends committed suicide this past week and I hear she’s taking it pretty hard. There, unfortunately, seems to be a string of suicides happening in the entertainment industry over there. Prayfully, the trend will cease and desist ASAP.

• Stephen Chow is the SHIZZZ!!!!: I recently found out that the oh-so-lovable Stephen Chow will
  

  The SHIZZZ!!!

  be directing and co-starring in The Green Hornet……coming out in

  

  The Green....WHO?!

  2010. Yes, I know it’s a long ways off but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth getting excited about. Double bonus: Seth Rogen will be starring in the film and the script was written by him and Evan Goldberg. You know? Evan Goldberg. The OTHER guy who wrote Superbad. Honestly, I could care less about The Green Hornet (I’m a Superman fan), there’s a good chance that this could go completely wrong, and I think the first few people that see this will have to be established fans of any or all of the people involved.  I’ve been trying not to be so pessimistic lately but, honestly, I don’t know one person who sat and thought to themselves, “Wouldn’t Stephen Chow and Ken Miller from “Freaks and Geeks” make a GREAT TEAM?!?” Of course I don’t think anyone was thinking of teaming Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan and that turned out pretty nicely for all parties involved.

You'll always be Ken Miller to me, Seth Rogen

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!!