rambles & mumbles...

I haven't been watching any drama in particular nowadays, I guess work is getting in a way and the unnecessary stress level starts to build up lately, but anyhow, I finally finish watching this pretty drama. At the end of the day, unfortunately this is what it came down to, this drama is a pretty drama, the color, the scenes are pretty, there's no doubt about it. But then? Ah, this is where all the ugly parts come about.

( Read it at your own discretion, may contain spoiler, but since this is my blog... )

After a drama yesterday (why there's always a drama whenever I went travelling, but moral of the story is NO MORE SCOOT for me), I'm finally back at home with backache, neck pain, 3 weeks worth of laundry, n tons of goodies (the only consolation I got from yesterday's drama), but that didn't stop me to watch Criminal Minds. Who am I kidding, I just watched each episode the moment it got subbed anyway (thankfully, the urge is not as bad as that harem drama, probably because it being a police drama). So, being labelled as a remake, how does it fare? I read tons of ranting from international fans (it's too obvious that I don't even bother reading anymore), and I haven't read anything being said of opinion from people in Korea itself (which I'm more interested to read, but not the hater comments off course). But having watched the first 2 episodes, I have a few things to say as well.



( It's going to be long a blab blab blab )

Somebody should tell any production team to loose the term 'remake' and just use 'adaptation' instead. It solves all the problems. No over expectation, and it leaves tons of leeway for the team to change things up. It doesn't cause people to think less because it's ambiguous and it triggers curiosity, not condemnation from the get go. Why people keep on insisting on the term remake anyway? We all know that just going to cause lots of shit stirring, hmphh...

The upcoming Nam Joo Hyuk's drama (yeah, now I know the kid's name and even know how to spell it LOL). Read the manhwa halfway and the overall story is good, though the manhwa itself is confusing to read, at least for me. I mean, we have a tortured damaged male lead, a pretty and strong female character, lots of dubious, or just plain evil side characters, so what more can you ask for a drama? Which probably this is why it's made to a live action. Only... why they change the setting to modern era, I mean, look at this teaser! Just.. Look!! Nam Joo Hyuk is so freaking pretty, WITH LONG HAIR! That's why he's so noticeable in Scarlet Heart Ryeo, well, aside from his character being the adorbs cinnamon rolls, but before that it's his prettiness that caught my eyes (I'm just a sucker for pretty stuff).

Will this drama be a good one? I DON'T KNOW, especially knowing that it's so hard to judge live action without seeing it butchering the original works, especially if you already have the major setting change from the get go. But oh hey, just enjoy the prettiness that is Nam Joo Hyuk. And I really want to know how they're going to have the interchanging between adult Ha Baek and kid form Ha Baek... don't tell me they change that as well?

This is the fruit of me not sleeping and just finished the whole 20 episodes in 1 sitting. Is it that interesting? Well, to be frank, it's the usual old style k-drama, if it makes it even more obvious, we have the same OTP from Stairway to Heaven (Kwon Sang Woo & Choi Ji Woo), well, I watched this because of this OTP anyway, and I have to check the last episode first before I even continued watching the whole thing because I'm still traumatized and scarred by Stairway to Heaven's ending (not as traumatizing as that harem drama but still, scarred). And I'm still recovering of the lack of sleeping, yes it's been 3 days since the long weekend and we're going to another semi long weekend (another public holiday next week), so I better show result of this catastrophe.

In all the fun of k-drama, what intrigues me is that albeit the chaebol war setting, the focus is mainly on the relationships. Whether we think this drama is compelling or wrong depends on how we view marriage, relationship and partnership. When exactly a marital affair is a marital affair? At what point we accept that it's an affair or not? How much trust we should put in our partner? How much effort we should put in the relationship?

Caution: Some of you may find my opinions are not agreeable, and I ain't a relationship expert either, but thought I put it out first because I always find this topic a gray area despite the black and white moral value that we have.

( Whoaa, what's with this heavy topic? )

Managed to clear some drama over the long weekend (well, only 2) and this is one of the 2. The story is about Do Bong Soon, the girl with super power, the family legacy only for the female members. Based on the premise alone you can tell that this is a comedy, bound to be funny and hilarious. I'm watching this because of Park Bo Young (she's hella cute in Oh My Ghostess) and Park Hyung Shik (because no way I'm gonna watch Hwarang where he won't ever get the girl, don't have the heart to see the heartbroken pretty face), and that's basically the OTP.

( But is it worth watching? )

Totsuzen desu ga Ashita Kekkonshimasu Epi 1

OK, I read the manga (not all, only those that already been translated) and I like the premise because the marriage theme is not as repulsive as I thought it would be. The relationship develop nicely with the right pace while the battle of value is explained clearly (everybody has different opinion and that's fine as long as it's not shoved over to the reader's brain). But, what did FujiTV do? They butcher the whole thing and this is just the first episode! The opening is 100% looks like a propaganda with Asuka narrating people's current opinions on marriage, and hers is 'I want to get married and become a housewife'. I like Asuka in the manga because though she has that mindset of getting married and becoming a housewife as a goal, but she's not mulling over this as literally the goal, the manga makes Asuka being heartbroken on the emotional level (there's love being broken in here) so that it's compelling, while the drama emphasize Asuka getting her 'goal' crushed because of the breakup, wtf FujiTV. The most infuriating part in this first episode is they cut this phrase 'You're fine as the way you are now' supposedly said by Nanami when he comforts the heartbroken Asuka. Without this, the drama is just about 'girls find happiness by getting married', MY ASS! This is why divorce rate is high (as Nanami points out), it's not wrong to get married, but it's terribly wrong thinking you'll find happiness if you get married. SMH with you propaganda FujiTV!!! That's not what the manga trying to tell because the manga direction is more like finding compromise in between aka the characters' mindset supposed to change and get to the direction whereby you get married with the person you love (where the rabu rabu story supposed to be). I like Nishiuchi Mariya and I'm happy that she gets the Getsu9 lead role, but I'm mad at how they made Asuka character semi bimbotic here, grrrr!!! More points to rant, they made Asuka still lives in her parents house, so how they supposed to get Asuka x Nanami rabu rabu moments??? Why can't they just follow the bloody damn manga? Why it's so difficult? And! Why the make Mikami looks like a stupid comedic role? I like Sawamura Ikki, but it's time he should be playing cool supporting role, which is what Mikami should be. Next, who the hell is that 3rd girl? That's a completely not necessary extra character, just so that we have a match for Mikami? Heck, we not supposed to know anything about Mikami, he's supposed to be just the cool Nanami's guardian! And don't get me started with Ono. Are we going to get Ono x Rio line? Ono x Rio is the reversed role (and comparison) for Nanami x Asuka, if there's no Ono x Rio, then WTF are we watching? I HATE YOU FUJITV! It seems that rabu2 drama magic ends the moment Kimutaku not doing Getsu9 drama. Sigh.

Tomorrow for You Epi 3-4

FujiTV really need to learn from TVN in making romcom. I enjoy this drama much more despite SoJoon is still an asshole. Him chasing MaRin is definitely not love here --> we'll see this going into the huge hell of a mess in the next episodes, will this be more messier than Another Miss Oh's mess, and I'll have high expectation on this. This time travel thing will soon become a boomerang for SoJoon, in both love and business. I'm hoping for a happy end (if Another Miss Oh gets a happy end, I'll be damn if this one is not LOL), with tons of angst in between (SoJoon's future self telling his current self to treat MaRin right is the huge indication). The drama never escapes from the annoying characters, MaRin's mom makes me boil in anger (I fast forward her scenes), GunSook *the bitch 'friend'* needs to get laid more often by her busy husband. She didn't even come to the wedding, drama only shows the husband!!! More drama coming up as I can feel the storm is brewing.

Chief Kim Epi 1-3

Drama on accountants and accounting frauds? Oh Yes. The male lead is an asshole, the female lead is self rightous (not sure whether she'll become a liability later), the bad guy is an asshole but a smart asshole. So it's the battle of scheming strategy on how to embezzle money. Drama! I'm slightly concerned that this is KBS, they don't have a good track record in my book, but I'm willing to try because the premise is interesting and there're more shits yet to be revealed.

Never cease to impress, how much cost goes to just for a back hug scene LOL. If the past episode, they have to wreck more than 10 cars just to create a back hug scene, this time they have to go shoot it at the peak of a mountain complete with the aerial view. Storywise, it's getting more intense, and next episode will be the angst. But they still manage to slip in the bromance and the humour (the Gong Yoo scene is just LOL, very short but LOL).

( Pretties... )

Can't stress enough how beautiful this drama from cinematography point of view!!! Not to mention the story, the acting is so good so far. I love how the goblin is portrayed here. Gong Yoo gives out this ancient air every now and then, very contrast to the petty and childish side of him when he banters with the shinigami. Speaking the shinigami, the bromance!!! The friendship that only lasts for 5 minutes line is totally LOL.


( Some pretties coz... just can't help it... )

I'm definitely a masochist for spending the entire sunny Saturday morning watching these 2 things... beautiful & pretty but at the same time, you know... making yourself emotionally twisted, as if that drama harem is not enough.

Never Say Goodbye

Nevermind that the girl's character is rather annoying and self centered (who wouldn't if the woo-er is that pretty LJK, damn), but as a whole this movie is something similar to Tamaki's Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru, only the role is reversed, and more dramatic plus angsty. Well, everything becomes angsty if there's LJK in it. The concept itself is nothing new, the lover that wishes the happiness of the other half and knowing that he's dying, he did what he thought the best for his girl, lessen her sadness and preparing her to move on. Kind of one sided and bittersweet, which is the point of angst. And I seriously hope that I get to see LJK doing rom com for a change in the future (WITH HAPPY END), because his track record of angsty work just keep piling up and my DoM heart can take it so much. The nice touch at the end, they use LJK's For A While to end the movie.
Overall, something to watch if you want to squeeze some tears while watching LJK did some fan service :p.

Goblin Epi 1

Well, at least this one is more truthful than that harem drama by stating a 'sad love story' from the get go, so you know what you're getting into and prepare your heart if the guy ended up dead, he's a goblin (a hunkie one at that) anyway. So many deaths from the first half of the episode, but at least it's balanced by the comedy side of the friction between our hunkie goblin and hunkie shinigami (I hate the hat though, what's up with that get up???). The background is beautiful (the church, the field, the sea), but I hope those pretty backgrounds don't depleted the whole budget that the latter episodes suffer. At least this is something that will probably keep me interested because I'm on the verge of dropping the rest of the current drama...

With the intention of not going to ever watch the whole thing again because it's so painful and emotionally draining, BUT every now and then there'll be tendency to peek over the OTP story, I'm extracting SoxSoo's scenes. Not all of them are rosy for sure, because they just need to make this OTP so tragic and probably rejoicing over when our hearts bleed.
I have zero skills of video editting, which is why you'll see the transition is so jagged and rough, but I'm okay with the result since the intention is to compile everything together. This is the 1st cut from episode 1 to 4, which means, all the cute stuffs (well, some of them are the angsty So, but still OK).

Enjoy!!!


choose this as the main frame for obvious reason :p

I realized when I started extracting the clips, there're couple of arcs for this OTP, which is good for cutting aka the end file won't be so huge to upload. SoxSoo scenes would probably only make up 20%-30% out of the whole 20 hours --> there's only a mere 20 minutes out of the whole first 5 episodes (OMG, this is ridiculous, yes, we should ask SBS why there're so little screentime for our main couple in the whole series)
The arcs are:
1. The beginning
2. The friendship
3. The chasing aka So will do literally anything for Soo
4. The happiest moment before dooms day aka the only around 10 minutes of joy before all hell break loose (or in other words, finally So's getting some)
5. The downhill (semi angsty out of circumstances but still bearable) aka nothing goes right after So ascended to the throne
6. The breakup and regret (all the angst and illogical turn of event) aka the last 3 episode
Most likely I'll only watch up till part 4 and just make the last 2 parts for the sake of complition or when I'm in the mood for stabbing my own heart with LJK's crying scenes.

So, after finishing the 1st arc, I learned how to use the video editting software and realize that most of the time spent is not on the consolidating the video. It's on the timing all the right clips, and I don't know whether I want to master the skill or just leave it as is because it's very time consuming!