Korean: Melody Of Love Episode 1-32

I'm now at the quarter mark of this KBS daily drama titled Melody Of Love. A whole 70 odd more episodes to brave through! As with most lighthearted daily dramas, it's cheesy, has multiple plot holes, and drags on and on. But at the same time they're often also easy to digest and fun to watch!

I don't often watch daily dramas, the length often just scares me off. But somehow I found myself picking up Melody of Love, which stars Baek Sunghyun alongside rookie Kim Dasom. I'm loving their dynamics so far. Though I have to say, I can't really stand how Sooim is portrayed in the drama - annoying, clingy not-even-girlfriend. Definitely a character I dislike to see on screen, despite not even being a antagonist character. Just not written in the best light. The mothers, while often providing comedic relief (especially Taegyeong's), can get really frustrating while somehow drawing very strong parallels with how Asian mothers tend to behave. But I'm definitely in it for the main love line (Deurim and Hyunwoo's), they're adorable! I wonder how they're going to play it out for another 70 episodes with the sort of push-and-pull dynamics which can get unappealing after a while. I do sincerely hope that no unpredictable 막장 plots come into play to this lighthearted drama!


While it's not any award-winning acting with a ground breaking plot, I've been really enjoying seeing the interactions of the family and how their relationships play out. I enjoy the predictability, the hilariously cheesy moments which (I hope) were placed in for its obvious comedic value and how the basis of the plot lies in nonsensical misunderstandings. Though there are many annoying plots and in how the characters portray themselves, it does make for quite a addictive storyline.

I also want to give a quick shout out to the zoom-in-stare-at-each-other endings they never fail to do. Heh.

TV: 19 April, Clones come back

One of my favourite TV shows of 2013 set for a comeback on April 19, 2014. I loved and sped through season 1, being completely in awe of Tatiana Maslaney's talent without which the show wouldn't have half its production quality.

If you haven't watched it, you really should. It's a sci-fi show that has a really strong sense of reality, and touches on many pressing issues in varying degrees of subtlety. The amazing plot broils suspense and all the characters have such distinct layers to them that unravels through each episode, really good TV. I believe that the full season will serve to be much more satisfying that Sherlock's 3 episode season, and it's definitely one of the things I've been eagerly anticipating for 2014.

Korean: Of Beauty And Hanboks

Lee Youngae (from hallyu wonder Dae Jang Geum) just has a really natural sophistication and flair to her.

The way she carried off the relatively simple hanboks is just mesmerizing. I particularly am obsessed with the photo on the left; the pastel hanbok on her fair skin and the way the fabric moves looks so light and effortless. I love how the entire shoot exuded an overall sense of airiness rarely seen in hanbok shoots (which is often portrayed in more regal and stiff silhouettes) while still retaining the beauty of tradition in its modern execution. I also want to say that I haaate modern day interpretations of hanboks, they typically don't turn out half as good as its predecessor. (see some of the fusion hanboks, especially the shortened capsleeved ones.....)

F.Y.I This is from Marie Claire's February edition, and also happens to be one of the nicest shoots I've seen recently.

Beauty: Wishlist

I'm not someone to spend a lot of money on a single product, be it beauty or fashion items. Rarely will I find an item I love enough to splurge a huge amount on, since I feel like the more 'budget' items are working really well for me. So what I do is create wishlists and make it a form of wishful hope. Heh.



Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder is a really expensive face powder that has essentially reached cult status. Dubbed to give a flawless and poreless finish on your face, I wonder if I'll ever get my hands on the beautiful powder. The Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette has definitely made its way to the wishlists of many after being featured in multiple UK beauty blogs. Definitely luxury with its sleek and beautiful rose gold packaging, the color I find myself gravitating to definitely has to be The Vintage Vamp. While it's not your typical neutral shades, I feel that the pink tones add a lot of feminity and glam to any makeup look. I love the glitter color as well. Sticking with a similar color scheme, the Stylenanda Eyeshadow in Saturn has been one I've been lusting after for a really long time. I've been meaning to make my way down the Myeongdong outlet soon to get my hands on it, but procrastination got the better of me. Either way let's just stare at the burgundy beauty for a bit more.

Another cult favourite is the Emma Hardie Moringe Cleansing Balm, which touts to remove even stubborn makeup while moisturising. One of my favourite beauty youtuber, Essiebutton, made me lust after it despite it's really hefty price tag. Next is just one of those things, I don't need it but I really, really want it - the Nars NARSissit Cheek Palette which holds with it three bestsellers, Orgasm, Laguna and Devotee. I've never owned any Nars blushes, but they've been loved by many.. The last is a foundation that I am seriously considering getting, the Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup. I've been really leaning towards light weight foundations, and the unique liquid-to-powder finish I'm really intrigued by.

Phew. Such a long post. Who knows if I'll ever get my hands on them but it's always nice to dream.

Music/Recommendation: Zizo - Winter of Haeundae

MY JAMMMMM!!!

First of all, let's take a moment to talk about how beautiful the MV is. I love the usage of split screens, a couple of stop motion scenes, filters that added a homemade quality, and the depiction of winter through the higher contrast and tungsten lighting. It's simply yet beautifully shot, and I get to see Shin Soyul in all her big-eyed aegyo cuteness. It was exactly what I thought the visuals of the song to be like, except in my head it's an abstract mess that will never see daylight.

The song, performed by underground rapper Zizo and half of K3's duo Lim Kim, is nothing short of great. From the moment Lim Kim's distinctive honey voice (with just enough hint of rasp) hit, I knew I was in love. Not to mention Zizo's clean and relaxed rapping that really suited the melodic and upbeat winter song. Nothing pressuring or overbearing, just a sweet winter song.

Also currently loving: Togeworl's Talk To Me, B.A.P's 1004, and Soyu/Junggigo's Some

Thoughts: Hyunwoo's year?

I want to preface this by saying that everyone has their favourite flower boy actor that they probably love not (solely) for their acting skills. Mine happens to be Lee Hyunwoo.



The lack of updates is due to me keeping myself away from entertainment news after just being swept away by uni life, but just a week ago Hyunwoo was revealed to be casted in a new thriller movie titled 7년의 밤 (7 Years Of Night). The movie is going to be a followup for the very talented director Choo Changmin to notable kickass sageuk movie Masquerade i.e. it's probably gonna be real good!!

I remember just a while ago hoping for more good things for this adorable man in my 2013 year end review. I wasn't extremely impressed with The Equator Man (though many were) and that made me wonder if he can pull off anything else other than a typical smiley 2nd lead. His God Of Study same-aged friend, Yoo Seungho, has also appeared to really make his mark and left for enlistment (wise choice, btw) with his mark as a good actor in I Miss You.

Maybe now  2014 is Hyunwoo's year, with his casting in both 기술자들 and 7년의 밤. Perhaps even a drama?? I'm excited!

TV: The Genius - Rules Of The Game

For people who do not know about The Genius, it is a "smart" type variety show which pits various characters from very different backgrounds together through a series of games, or "rounds", to win a large final cash prize. With a standard format of "Main Match" followed by a "Death Match", the various games requires the use of wits, logic and creativity midst other forms of intelligence (including social). The format of the show draws a lot of parallels with psychological dramas like The Liar Game (which I loved) and Kaiji, so if you're into that you might love The Genius as much as I did.

The games are all unique and rather unprecedented in Korean TV (that I know of), and the sheer unpredictability of the final outcome truly keeps me at the edge of my seat. But I have to say, the show is made by the people: the mild but very cute love line between Choi Changyeob and Choi Jungmoon, the sheer intelligence and quirky moments of Hong Jinho, the competitiveness of all the members and seeing them overcome each tough challenge with wits.

The good mix of cast of celebrities (actors, idols, sharp-mouthed gagmen), normal intelligent individuals (Mensa members, Harvard graduates) and individuals who excel at their respective fields (pro-gamers, pro-pool players) created much interest and positive tension as you see how they use their respective abilities to their advantage. Most managed to create lasting impressions.You can get really invested with the various players and their individual characters, as I did, and clearly see how that resonates with both the game and each other. You might also, find yourself rooting for one individual or another; creating a connection between you as the viewer and the characters on TV.

I do have to say though, as a caution and a plea to pull through, episode 1 and 2 can get a little shifty with all the editing, complexity of the large cast and the many interactions ongoing simultaneously. Though it is to be expected and can be understood considering it being the first of firsts. It gets a lot better with time, I have to say.



More than the format of the show and the amazing writing of the games, I have to give severe props to the background staff. Each episode is exceptionally well edited to provide suspense without giving it all away, and the editing also paced the games and the members' interactions well despite them both being rather complex. The set is also very well designed, with each individual rooms having varying characteristics and the hall giving a grandiose illusion despite the apparent lack of space. The beauty of the set truly created strong visual interest while setting both the mood and the look of the show.

The show is definitely also a feast for the eyes for someone like me who's vastly interested (yet rather inadequate) in design and animation, because each complex game is simplified into graphics that are both easy to understand and aesthetically pleasing. There is also strong visual unity throughout with the hexagonal garnet stylised into a G (for Genius) appearing throughout all design elements. I remember being in awe at the intro scene when I first watched episode 1 and thinking if it's really a variety show as the quality of the animations are just off the roof! The effort put in to creating the visuals of the show is something very rarely seen in reality/variety shows.



I highly recommend you to check this show out. It has a very different kind of entertainment value that the more popular and light-hearted Korean variety shows have, while still effectively glueing your eyes on the screen and creating high interest. I definitely can't wait for the whole of season 2 (The Genius: Rule Breaker) to air and also hope for more of such genre of variety.