Anime: A Closure To The Tormenting White Album 2

I sure as hell did not know what I was getting myself into when I started White Album 2. I've always been a casual watcher of all genres, but it had been years since I delved into a true heart-wrenching slice-of-life romantic drama.

I need some closure, so despite marathoning the thirteen episodes and it being really late (early?) right now I am typing this post for myself.

I don't really know where to start.



For one, the characters are immensely complex with bizarre motivations that you find yourself understanding and empathising with. None of them are boxed into any cliches, but were all incredibly well drawn out and explored through the course of thirteen short episodes. All of them had their quirks and personalities, and were never forced to act in a route that they are expected to "just because". Every action had it's own set of motivations, regardless of whether my rational self can agree. I was surprised at how emotionally attached I became to all the characters, feeling how they feel just at where I am expected to, even when I don’t find myself necessarily liking any of them. Perhaps the reason why I find myself so torn about the three main characters is perhaps how realistically drawn out they are — their good and their ugly, all laid out for you. Truly complex and humanised. It's like how I thought I would end up disliking Setsuna or like how I initially really appreciated Haruki's character, yet grow increasingly ambivalent to all of them as the episodes pass; the way people are in real life. Even Touma gets her fair share, perhaps the most, character development.

I also really appreciated how the anime treated me as an intelligent viewer, in a way. The way how none of the characters are made to exactly fit a mould or make you feel or think in a certain direction, the way the art never really explicitly laid out any of their motivations but you had to infer from subtle (or not) clues, or the way the storyboard is drawn non-linear, unravelling with each episode.

I want to rate this anime highly because it’s one of amazing quality, but I am hesitating to because of how scarred and empty I feel inside after finishing it. Personally, I get a little bored with slice-of-life and it's perhaps why I didn't enjoy the initial episodes as much as the gut-wrenching remaining, but even then I didn't find myself disliking it and found it rather palatable for the simple storyline and background drawing. 

There are a lot of things I feel right now, and the strongest being a paradoxical numbing due to the influx of vicarious emotions. Also, I feel that I need to take a break from this genre for awhile because I don't think my heart can physically take this much torment.

TV: Midway Drama Review

I've been watching a lot of TV lately, so I decided to just pen down some of my thoughts regarding those that I'm still currently watching. I'm actually a little shocked at how many I'm juggling right now. 3/5 of the shows below are actually still airing so my thoughts on them may drastically change depending on the ending? We'll see.


It's Ok, That's Love
Currently at: Episode 12 and dying for the next

Gong Hyojin and Jo Insung?? I mean, what could go wrong. I am absolutely enamoured by this show, by the mish-mash of dysfunctional characters and their complex relationships. The theme of the show aims to shed light on mental illnesses and how it inflicts people; I would think it's a rather intriguing attempt to format it as a rom-com due to the severity of the topic, how it is often butchered in dramas and how rarely one surrounds a drama around it.

Insofar as I see, they've done a decent job in making it a light-hearted and attractive drama. While I would say that they might have potentially romanticised mental illnesses and it's severity (such as when it comes to recovery), and occasionally not giving satisfying enough conclusions or too flippant coverages to the various patients, it still has a rather special place in my heart. Might be too early to say, but I really enjoy the entire dynamics of the show. Overlooking the small little issues that critical little me brought up, thus far, it's a truly attractive drama with complex and unique characters.


Surplus Princess
Currently at: Episode 4

I was excited for this from the start and was pretty much ready to give it a good try just because Jo Boah was in it (she was a complete doll in 2014 movie Thorn). When the plot of the story first came out, I was almost certain that they might have gone for a sappy/cheesy love story with a plot that draws few resemblances to the original adaptation. But thank goodness it ended up being a funny, charming and light-hearted drama that I really enjoy. The acting's rather meh and there are some strange bits thrown in here and there, but it's also positively filled with nonsense plot lines, puns, references and parodies (my favourite thus far is the SNL GTA parody; perfect!!). It is an easy watch and I'm definitely curious on how the story will develop! The downside: only 1 episode per week.


Fated To Love You
Currently at: Episode 8

I'll start by saying that I don't love this, and I'm not really sure if I will. I guess the kind of plot did not attract me as much, the characters are not necessarily charming and it does come off a little bit cheesy for me. I do have a rather strong distaste for the weak+nice lady and pompous+rich guy combo. I also wonder if Jang Nara and Jang Hyuk(!) were miscasts due to the way they're portraying the individual characters and their chemistry, but I'll have to continue watching to find out.

I'm currently watching this on commute from home to university (thus explaining why I even picked it up in the first place) to keep me occupied for that duration. While I've been sounding rather negative, I don't by any means think it's a horrible drama. It's decent, but it simply did not hook me in any way and is not to my tastes. I'll probably still end up finishing though, and I wish to see their relationship blossom a bit more.


Keizoku 2: SPEC
Currently at: Episode 5

The only Japanese drama of the lot. I don't usually watch Japanese dramas, but this one caught my eye and I'm glad I got into it. A rather big franchise with orignals and movie spinoffs, so I'm quite curious where I'll go with this. It, in essence, is a detective drama with a comical genius and a deadpan guy solving crimes with supernatural elements in it. Two things I don't like as of now: how often they mention the err that is "90% of human's brain is untapped", and how in every episode they find the need to do the Cardcaptor-Sakura-detective-solving-paper-flying sequence.

Everything else, though, I really like! Rather interesting stories sandwiched between occasional laugh points, it's a pretty decent detective drama.


High School King Of Savvy
Stopped at at: Episode 10 (pending continuation)

I really wish to plough through the remaining episodes because the initial episodes were really charming and I really want to know how the plot will progress and how the show will wrap up.....but I'm finding it rather difficult as of now.

I know it's a really popular drama, but over time as the characters developed I started liking them lesser, and became rather turned off by the relationships in the show (I think the age gap had a rather big part to play). Jung Sooyoung, as hilarious and comical as she may be, started coming off rather annoying, and I found myself thinking along similar lines for Lee Minseok. I couldn't handle the relationship dynamics without feeling like throwing my mouse at my computer screen -- not a good sign. Which is really unfortunate, because I really wanted to like the drama with the recommendations from people around me and with how much I liked it initially, but I couldn't. So right now it's pending continuation, with a rather bleak future.

TV: Some Updates

I've been catching up on my media news by skimming through some of the hot entertainment news on Naver and here are some pertaining to upcoming screenings that caught my eye:


1. Gong Yoo on the big screen again!!!

Probably one of my biggest actor heartthrob; I can't wait to see him on the big screen. He'll be starring in a 18+ melo entitled 'Man and Woman' alongside experienced actress Jeon Doyeon. It'll be interesting as there aren't too many of this genre nowadays, and I think they'll have pretty great chemistry. I'm not gonna lie; searching for a good photo to place above definitely reignited my flame for him lol; he's one mighty charismatic man.


2. Miss Korea Jin, Kim Yumi, to debut on Korea's adaptation of Nodame Cantabile.

They probably dodged a big bullet with the Yoona/Shim Eunkyung swop, but now they have a new (potentially) questionable item in the mix. While I enamoured by Korea's tendency to call pretty girls that can't act actresses, I don't think it's fair to judge her without seeing her efforts. Her role's not massively big (first love of Chiaki), so as long as she does not ruin the flow of the drama it'll probably be fine. Honestly, I do not think that this remake will hit it big. It's one of the more successful anime and live actions not only in Japan but internationally, so I don't know how they are going to fill that majorly huge shoes.


3. Along the same line is Han Sunhwa in her first lead role.

Idols get a lot of flack for acting. For the opportunities that they get, they deprive another budding rookie actor and hence they get a massive load of expectations thrown onto them. On top of that, rarely you'll find one who meets that standard and gets publicly recognised (even ones that are pretty damn good like Jung Eunji gets her share of criticism). Well, to assess a little: Han Sunhwa was pretty alright in God's Gift since there wasn't too much screen time to establish her skills and it appeared to be rather similar to her actual character. She was slightly awkward in Marriage, Not Dating when it came to something rather out of her comfort zone, but still watchable. I don't know why they decided it'll be fine to plop her into her lead character when she's still struggling to be comfortable in front of the cameras, but let's hope she'll prove her worth.


4. The Big Bang Theory lead actors paid $1 million per episode; Friends-style.

Not Korea related, but it popped up on my feed so I decided to throw in my thoughts on it. I'll say this first, I've watched all the episodes since it first came out and I can't say that it isn't justified. As a whole, TBBT took awhile to gain momentum in the sitcom realm but eventually faltered in the more recent seasons. I felt that season 7 was amazing after the dreary past 4/5/6, with producers realising that a lot of the same plot lines cannot be continually reused and started switching up the dynamics of the show -- more outdoor shoots, more alternative couplings, less old/reused plot lines. That made me excited and geared up for season 8, and while they may never take the place Friends have in my heart, they do pretty well in their own rights.

TV: Youth Over Flowers Episode 1

I'm not gonna lie, wasn't very excited for the show. I guess travel based variety shows tend to be more based on their camaraderie and pulling through tough situations than providing hilarity which I typically watch variety shows for. But after catching episode 1, Youth Over Flowers proved to be more fun than I expected. A bunch of 40+ year old 아저씨s that appear to not have too much in common except for their musicality and age.. This short clip I found was rather hilarious.

I'm quite excited for the Laos edition, which features the popular and trending men of Answer Me, 1994!

Drama: Emergency Couple

Emergency Couple is a show about people. Real people with their massive burdens meeting other real people and their emotions. It shows how people need time to heal, that time can heal, and that people people take varying amounts of time to heal. The lead characters were charming and the plot was simple yet worked. There wasn't massive twists right up to the end, not too much suspense, but a lot of comedy and bittersweet moments.



I do have to say that right about episode 18 it got a little weird for me; it seemed like the writers were forcing Jinhee to go a certain direction. Like forcing her to heal after an arc of sheer bitterness, and forcing her to take on the "other perspective" and to experience what Changmin had to go through initially while just not feeling too organic. The way Changmin reacted was rather strange as well. It seemed like since everyone and their mothers were smitten with the 2nd lead and with the finale impending they had to revert to the initial storyboard, heavily cut down on scenes with Jinhee and Dr. Gook, then give the ending intended. I definitely was not as invested towards the end as I felt that I sort of lost the connection with the characters; the endings, while very perfectly closed up with all individual characters getting a happy ending, felt a little forced and too.. Happy.



Dr. Gook was so charming, though. He's such a tsundere character. I would watch a spin-off of his character in a similar medical setting - dedicated, eeexxxtremely awkward and downright adorable with his effervescent stubble and reactions. Heh. He definitely was the one who matured the most and in the most realistic manner throughout the course of the drama. This drama definitely gave me quite a bit of the 2nd lead syndrome where I sincerely wished for some twist to an otherwise predictable ending. The trolling with their almost kiss was just downright mean on the part of the scriptwriters, I mean WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT!!

Moving on, I was also a massive fan of Dr. Shim; she was confident, relaxed and had a great outlook on life. A breath of fresh air from the stereotypical perfect Korean woman? She wasn't mild, she was extremely great in her field of expertise, took charge when needed, wasn't afraid to express affection, gave philosophical advice whilst throwing witty comments occasionally, balanced work and play, and she was a crack to the stigma of single moms in Korea. Her character was well-written with flaws that did not necessarily came off as flaws, and I do think she does make for quite a good role model for modern age Korean women. Not a jealous supposed third-party, just a well-adjusted woman who knows whats best for her while giving into her eventually "weak" emotions occassionally.



Other characters did not make such a huge impact on me, though still managed to capture a certain bit of attention. I especially liked that there were no obvious antagonists (apart from Ahn Yongpil, though he's essentially played as an annoying wart and one massively insignificant in the grand scheme of things) and even the supposed third-parties to whichever couple we supported came of surprisingly acceptable. Though the overall closure given to the other characters ultimately fell into the trap of being forced, perhaps it's better than overlooking their endings entirely? I also wanna give a shoutout to the editors, who gave that few extra seconds closeup on the very adorable baby Gook!

Specialised dramas, like medical dramas or shows that revolve solely on lawyers, in Korea are far and few between compared to say Hongkong or Japanese dramas. I do find that Korean dramas tend to revolve around romance or family, though the trend seems to be changing a little recently. The stereotypical Korean drama often finds the need to heavily intersperse any work scenes with many others like a birth secret, amnesia or some form of revenge, but I did find Emergency Couple to have a rather good balance with the medical and relationship aspects which was something to give real props to, and instead interspersed their individual lives around their work. The medical scenes were well cut, very realistic and were well-paced midst the storyline to not take away from the tension between the characters while staying true to itself as a medical drama. I truly enjoyed that aspect of it; it also gave us a glimpse into lives of doctors in private hospitals - politics, friendships, intelligence, mistakes and mutual trust.

I had full trust in Choi Jinhyuk's acting, and he did not disappoint. I'm glad he got a good male lead role, since the last two dramas I saw him in he did not really have a significant part. Song Jihyo's acting has significantly improved since the last one I saw her in (which was Crime Squad; a rather subpar investigative drama). I caught a glimpse of her in Heaven's Mandate, but I definitely think that romcom roles suit her above and beyond the melodramatic sageuk roles she tends to lean toward. In this drama, she really handled some of the rawer emotions really well. I also liked how she threw herself into the drama without too much care for how she looks on camera for the sake of a good shot, such as the sleeping/drunk shots which typically tends toward unglamorous and un-actress-like. Lee Pilmo's acting was no joke, he pulled off awkward boy-in-love in a way that sucks you in completely, and his serious work demeanor was great as well. I rather enjoyed Choi Yeojin's acting; I guess I enjoy her sort of laidback way of speaking? Very charming.



All in all, it's a feel good type of drama. I guess I kinda knew from the start there weren't going to be massive twists despite being massively on Team Chief. The trajectory of the couple was what it was meant to be all along, regardless of how inorganic certain aspects might have felt to certain audiences. I had good laughs, I was sucked into their individual relationships especially right about the middle mark, and the bittersweet moments were delectably done. It was a satisfying drama, easy to watch and easy to enjoy.

TV: The Genius 2 - Rule Breaker (Midway Point)

I'm at episode 6 and I have so much contradicting emotions.

Wow. That's really fucked up.

This was my previous raving shining review on The Genius - Rule Of The Game and I feel that, at the midway point, the sequel appears fell short. I am aware that this I'm not done with the show, and this does not represent my concluding thoughts so here I go.

The games are definitely much simpler with much lesser leeway for mind games. The PD of the show has said beforehand for 2's games to simpler, as in Rule Of The Game people were not able to uncover many of the hidden layers and alternative techniques during the course of the game. What happened instead: there were main games that didn't feel like they were one, either leaving pretty much no room for scheming through over simplification or being too planned, and main games that gave pretty definite outcomes halfway through the game - losing the beauty of excessively unexpected twists-and-turns that was in the first. Even some of the twists were rather expected.

And this definitely bled into how people play.

Perhaps it was that people already knew what to expect and fell more comfortably into how the show works. Perhaps it was the mix of characters, or lack off, where there were seemed to be only two distinct types of characters - the follower and the *smart* leader. I couldn't see the charm of the individual characters - the insufferable ones like loudness, ganging up (poor Jaekyung, and Eun Jiwon had the guts to say that she was at fault) and betrayal (and I'm saying this despite being one to tolerate well-played betrayal and realistic negativity). Also, their individual strengths in their various fields were not given as much a chance to be displayed, which was unfortunate.

There were too many plain annoying characters (too loud, too out of the loop...) than appreciable "bad" characters who are scheming and actually used their brains. Alliances were expected and not interesting, and people were more willing to betray than use their brains.



I'm probably quite emotional due to the departure of one of my favourite members in an obviously underhanded manner that can't be acknowledged as easily.

I still love the show. It's still one of the most unique ones out there, and I probably will go on watching it. For example, episode 3 was probably the best with amazing editing and the unexpected double-crossing by Duhee (the type of betrayal that actually worked) with the viewer being completely out of the loop due to good editing + Oscar-worthy anger acting heh.

I still enjoyed the episodes so far perhaps with the more obvious exclusion of 4 (the Blackout game fell short and had no interest if not for the nonsensical betrayalS; I thought Eungyeol's betrayal made no sense, and the others like that annoying Yooyoung in elimination round making even lesser) and 6 (wtf really? All time low with their lack of moral code + 50% of the show dedicated not to either games but to the discovery of the token + a pretty uninteresting main game with even Hong Jinho not participating in the game ultimately + Duhee getting eliminated even without the chance to use his brain in the episode AT ALL).

I'll conclude by saying that while it fell short, it's still pretty good.

Maybe. I can't tell yet, I'm a little emotional right now. The more I'm writing, the more I'm getting upset.

First with the elimination of the female lawyer who played the smart and strong woman card better than Kyungran, then with all the obvious alliances, then with the horrible betrayal by Eun Jiwon who I used to quite like (he has since swept his image through the rugs), and the cherry on top with the elimination of Duhee.

Sigh.

Update (7): It was a fun episode but wow is there still a reason for me to continue watching..... In such a sheer unfortunate manner as well..... 이럴수가.....

Music: Toheart (Woohyun and Key) - Delicious MV

I don't think I'm going to do a full album review for Toheart because I don't have too much to say about it. Rather, I'll do this post up instead to give props to the rather well done MV and to give my thoughts on their title song which I'm honestly.. You'll read about it. Anyway the MV was revealed two days ago but I only got to watch it today because I was so caught up with uni.

Music wise, it is obviously not totally in my comfort zone. While I appreciate a rather wide range of songs from fluff to hip hop to ballads, overly poppish and in-your-face-happy songs I usually steer away from. Delicious seems quite that kind of track. In my opinion it overdid the funky 60s sound a little too much, didn't do too much justice to Woohyun's vocals (or maybe a little too much with the seemingly forced adlibs, but Key sounds way better than I thought) and the lyrics that were too overtly dialogue coupled with the kind of one dimensional dance I can't help but cringe at.

Though, I do enjoy the beat especially like in the intro song.

Just to say, I'm feeling rather sad as I'm typing this considering how excited I was about it and the fact that I'm a huge fan of Woohyun. On the upside on the album I think that Tell Me Why and 출발 are pretty great tracks at my first listen! (Update: They're good. I like.)



The visuals of the MV very well suited the vibe of the song. I liked the vibrant colours and the styling of the members are done very well. Woohyun looks helluva suave with the dapper hair and suits, while Key had a very funky rugged yet put-together look. One thing I have to give props for is how the members look so distinct yet harmonious; as a unit you can distinguish them very easily at first glance and they didn't have outfits that overtly tell of their relation, yet they still worked together. Styling (especially for Woohyun's very Ryan Gosling-esque hair) receives two thumbs up from me.

Delicious also had a couple of very adorable scenes like their double-decker bed MT-looking scene and the morning after scene. I also felt that the dance scenes were handled rather tastefully, not overwhelming the entire video while providing enough interest with its camera work. However, I also wonder why if the lack of inclusion of an actual lady, considering the song is about their fight over a lady, is wise because it kind of made it look a little yaoi fanfic-ish.

The MV had also quite a couple of obviously hipster elements like the vintage storeroom & its props and the font of the starting credits. Nothing too in your face or jarring, just something interesting because I find interesting in a high-budget kpop MV. I'm gonna throw it out there and say that Woollim probably had a larger part to play in the visuals of the MV (box MVs anyone?).



While I am rather disappointed with the sound of the title track (since Prologue I and Prologue II was so good, both in looks and sound; kinda Nell-ish), I feel that they have a lot of room to explore combining both's sense of musicality into a sound that's more distinct and perhaps less generic kpop. Since I believe they created Toheart with the idea of it not being a one-off project group, I hope future sounds rolled out will appeal to me a bit more!

On the side note, indie hip-hop group Play The Siren completed their showcase in 홍대 successfully a few days back! They're pretty dope so do check them out if that's your thing.

Review/Thoughts: You Who Came From The Stars

Obviously this had to come. It just had to.



This has got to be one of the nicest dramas I've watched. Definitely up there with Master's Sun for me. I have near zero negative things to say for it (just a couple of alternative thoughts I had). It kept me laughing, crying, and in awe throughout all the 21 episodes. An hour felt just like a minute.

First up: impeccable casting. There was no one lagging behind with everyone rising up to their roles and more. No other words needs to be said for Kim Soohyun and Jun Jihyun, they're just great. Jun Jihyun with her 4D acting cracked me up more than a few times, and I have to point this out because it always struck me: I love how natural her crying looks. No forced eye openings, she just naturally let the tears fall while blinking just as how it would be in real life. Kim Soohyun too, his stoic acting was done to perfection and that ending scene when he cried to the camera hits you so hard with his pain.

Apart from the mains, serious props have to be given to the rest of the cast. Park Haejin absolutely rose to the occasion towards the end with his passionate acting, and others like Yoonjae was perfect. I initially thought he'll just be another annoying flower boy character, stoic to girls and the rebel in the show, but he turned out to be an absolute chocolate-milk-loving astronomy heartthrob which was adorable. I liked we could really follow through the antagonist's train of thoughts; how his initial greed let to more killings to cover up just that first mistake. I personally really enjoyed Semi's character as well, the kind of non-antagonist who can't really be hated for anything else other than her insecurity and jealousy. A trait common in our everyday society, she was just a girl green-eyed for her best friend's success. While there wasn't too much character development with her even till the end, I enjoyed her complexity and how she stayed with her initial character to the end. Even random characters like Bokja and the two random dudes, the manager and the stylist I enjoyed.



I really enjoyed the plot as well. I absolutely loved all the various parodies and references: the kid version of The Heirs cracked me up, the cast and all the GagCon's catchphrases, historical references like that of The Tales of Hong Gildong being inspired by Do Minjun, and even that of Suzy and Soohyun in Dream High. There were so many hilarious plot lines, like Do Minjun's netizen moment, Lawyer Jang and his overacting as the father, Yoonjae's obsession with ET and all of drunk Cheon Sungyi, sealed my love for it.

The scriptwriter also really had the knack of making its viewer's heart flutter: the sudden kiss after her '15 second fairy' moment, the touching narratives and the bittersweet moments especially towards the departure.

I'm not gonna lie, halfway through the last episode all I could think about is how it was going to be wrapped up. A large part of me wanted either a non-ending or a sad one, just because I couldn't see an overly romanticised ending after 20 episodes of brilliant writing. I just wondered if they extended the show without proper material and drag the entire last two episode. While I can't say too much about it, I guess I'm alright with it. I'm glad that while it was a happy ending, it wasn't entirely unrealistic. While I did have quite a few questions, I decided, for my sake, to not probe too much into it. Many issues were resolved and that's good enough for me.

Personally I didn't invest as much emotions as I expected to in their love line. I can't exactly pin point it, perhaps it was the very sudden jump from strangers to lovers, or perhaps it was the brilliance of everything else that tempered with it. I still did - just not that much.



Also a huge shoutout to the great OST and all the appropriately timed entrance of them (maybe with the slight exception of the overuse of "You aaaare my destiny"). Nonetheless it's definitely a drama I've been enjoying a lot and has definitely ruined the bar for a lot of the rom-coms to come. I can see this being a massive contestant against all the 2014 dramas to come.

P.S. I can totally see The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane suddenly rising in sales in Korea. Heck, I'm gonna give it a read as well.

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.

Music/Drama: 2013 Brief Roundup

Yes, I am acutely aware that I am more than a whole month late. But I thought it would be fun to do this Korean media edition, floating midst the many "Favourites of 2013" roundup videos I watched that featured too many beauty products that are often way above the price point I'm willing to spare. This particular post will highlight the many things that stood out for me in 2013 in the Korean media industry, and I hope I don't miss out too much with my horrendous memory.

1. Really good music

Continuous discoveries and debuts of many amazing solo acts and great bands made 2013 one of the nicest years for my ears.



One such form of eargasm is the debut of an idol hip-hop duo: Infinite-H. As someone who's a massive follower of Infinite, I'm truly glad that Woollim gave their two multi-talented boys a chance to shine. With both boys boasting the ability to sing, dance and rap reasonably well (I especially enjoy Dongwoo's rapping style), the album was definitely no disappointment. Though there were a few things I didn't like too much about Fly High, they made a solid album that separated them from typical idol groups and thrusted them well into the hip-hop industry (or maybe at least a good step). I guess one of the main reasons was that Primary, whose productions are all to die for, was the one overseeing their project.

An idol album I particularly enjoyed is BtoB's Thriller. The songs were all very catchy and pleasant to the ears, though, unfortunately, I don't think they have enough a fanbase to make the album a public success. Also a special shout out to a band probably no one knows, that is C-Clown. "Far Away" and "Good Night" are really good tracks I'll recommend people to check out.

The only idol girl group I really enjoyed in 2013 was rookie group Ladies Code. I do believe they'll make it big with their power vocals and interesting comebacks that are often vastly different from the previous. Solo singers like Zia, rookie Jin and Lee Hi all had great tracks last year as well.



All-time goddess Lee Hyori also made a comeback, with "Miss Korea" being my favourite track. Completely suiting her musicality/voice range, and a refreshing change from the kind of sexy that her 후배s are all fighting to churn out (the unfortunate Dal Shabet included). But forsurehandsdown one of my favourite hip-hop groups PHANTOM made my year with a slough of great tracks and an amazing album: from "Come As You Are", to the lovely album PHANTOM Theory. Even the most recent track, "New Era", was such a hit with my sound buds. Another hip-hop act I loved to a greater extent in 2013 is Geeks. I really enjoyed their various featurings with members of Sistar and their first album, Backpack. Also to mention are new rappers like Kanto, and the Amoeba Culture singer, Zion T.

I also found myself loving many indie acts like Tako & J Hyung, Nell (Escaping Gravity was on repeat for a fair amount of 2013), The Nuts (또르르 was sooooo good) and the always good BrotherSu.

I can truly ramble on and on, and I keep finding myself with more content to include in each paragraph. I should really restrain myself before I get any more incoherent.

2. The highs and lows of K-dramas

There were so many powerhouses in the drama-realm. School 2013 and I Hear Your Voice effectively thrusted the very gorgeous Lee Jong Suk into his very well-deserved spotlight, and I enjoyed both of them a great deal. I also deeply love Master's Sun, which sent me into a So Ji Sub/Gong Hyo Jin frenzy and made me wish that I had the ability to see and be haunted by *very friendly and lovely tyvm* ghosts just so that I can find my very own 주군 and stalk him and eventually find true love.

Very crazy and equally enjoyable plots like that of I Miss You (including this because it ran through to the start of 2013) and Nine's very well crafted time travelling plot was well balanced by more subtle, slice of life and easy to digest dramas like School 2013 and Reply 1997 (aired in 2012, but I only got around watching it in 2013. Heh).

Then again, equally bad dramas that I couldn't really get myself to complete/forcibly completed were also present. With all due respect to the nation first love, Bae Suzy, Gu Family House was rather unbearable to watch with the sole reason being bad acting. Rant: I also cannot understand how Lee Yeon Hee was praised for her improved acting, while the very talented rookie Lee Yoobi did not get any critical acclaim for her very good acting of the very complex Chungjo. I often wonder what will happen if better actors took on the show - I think it's decently crafted plot would have more chance to shine.

Then there's The Heirs. Everyone around me was watching and raving about Kim Woobin, so I decided to jump into it. But, WHAT!? Oh my God bad. It is essentially Boys Over Flowers part 2 that took itself way too seriously. I couldn't invest in any of the dysfunctional relationships. Don't even get me started on "Love Is The Moment" playing every now and then, and how everyone must engage in staring competitions while pulling wrists -.- Though I have to say that the very adorable Chanyoung/Bona couple really helped make it a lot more bearable.

Then again, I have to say that everything I've watched served its purpose. Be it entertainment, to pass time, or just to get into heated discussions as to why Choi Youngdo is both extremely twisted and loveable while exemplifying the 'Bad Boy' charm.

3. Expectations for 2014

*Some of these expectations are already in action, but I will list them nonetheless*

• Dramas, dramas and dramas. Kickstarting the year with powerhouse 'You Who Came From The Stars' while expecting a lot from 'Emergency Man And Woman' (which features the very beautiful Song Jihyo and talented Choi Jinhyuk), I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has for my binge watching habits
• Infinite's new variety show, This Is Infinite, which I'm beyond excited about considering how much I loved Ranking King
• Hopefully, a solid comeback album by Primary. Beyond his controversies, I hope he's still able to stand strong and roll out good music
• A good year for flower boy actor Lee Hyunwoo. He's definitely risen through the charts since I first saw him in God Of Study, so I hope to see him a bit more this year with more challenging roles that contain more inherent layers beyond his typical cute-smiley-boy-next-door image -- I am expecting a bit from his recently revealed casting in upcoming movie 기술자들
• Better variety shows: continue Infinity Challenge with all its gloriousness, attempt greater to overcome stagnancy with Running Man, more *moe feels* with Superman Is Back, more more more of The Genius (sincerely hope it'll continue and become even better; one of the better Korean variety shows I watched that has a different kind of entertainment value) and less idol athletic themed specials
• For the fangirl in me, more 남스타. Heh.

*phew* Such a long post, but I enjoyed writing it. I think it might be the fact that I spent so much time watching dramas that I became increasingly invested and have much more to say about Korean media in 2013.

P.S. Unfortunately, I did not catch as many Korean movies as I intended to warrant a full bullet point on it. I have mixed reviews for the few that I did watch though, with "Very Ordinary Couple" being one of my favourites (a very realistic portrayal of love a la indie hit Blue Valentine) and the very hyped up "Secretly, Greatly" one of my least.

I also want to mention that this is the year of true love: Heungsoo/Namsoon (School 2013) and GD/Hyungdon. <3 ㅋ

Music: Gary (Leessang) - Mr Gae Album Review

I was very excited when news about his upcoming album came out. I didn't follow through with all the teasers, so I guess I can say that I didn't really know what to expect. Leessang had a very distinct sound, was Mr. Gae going to emulate and replicate his past success? How will it differ? How will he portray his musicality?

I loved him as a Running Man member (I mean that show pretty much painted him as every girl's dream man; devoted, honest and very humorous) and I loved him as Leessang's Gary (great great songs, and a great rapper with a very distinct, uncommon and very good style that's kind of chill and mellow in a really good way). So needless to say, I was pretty hyped up for it.



ZOTTO MOLA: I really liked this song. I loved the intro sounds that set the tone of the song, and I loved how the song really showcased all the positive notes in his rapping style - the kind that's slightly off-beat, relaxed and unenunciated. The lyrics are, too, well written as a mature and devoted take on love.

Shower Later: A lovely, soulful song with a really controversial and roll-eye-worthy music video. A favourite of mine, because it fits exactly into the mould of hip hop sound that I like. Crush's voice is melodic and fits right with Gary's rapping, I really enjoyed it. But the video... The video... I feel like the director completely misunderstood the lyrics of the song. Yes, sex, I get it. But the lyrics portrayed sex in a way when love and passion manifests into the physical world. Then the video? Full of redundant sexual innuendos. I don't mean to sound like a prude, but to me, sexy can swing completely another way.

Drunken Night Tune: I love the swing sounds, and this is very true to Leessang style with the featuring of Jungin. I love *to death* the manner in which she sings, and I feel like she pulled off this song perfectly.

MR. GAE: The final song is a rather large deviation from Leessang's usual style as it sounds much more street. But I liked that he ventured into alternative sounds and music techniques (dubstep and very strong bass) while still retaining a little of that jazzy sound.



I don't have much negative things to say about it apart from that horrible video which I side-eyed quite a bit. I do feel that even without Gil's vocals, Gary can still hold his ground as a solid rapper. I did feel that there isn't enough deviation to truly distinguish Gary as a solo project separate from Leessang. However that is quite a given considering that both Gary and Gil have a lot more creative control in their music, compared to idols whose solo projects typically vary drastically from their respective groups' sounds as they are usually fed the songs.

All in all, I really enjoyed his first solo album. His experience and musicality as one of the pioneer hip-hop groups who brought korean hip-hop into mainstream is definitely shown.

8/10

Anime: Nodame Cantabile

Another peek into my overly erratic tastes: I'm also greatly into Japanese anime. I've watched my fair share, and I enjoyed Nodame Cantabile quite a bit. Ploughing through all 3 seasons in 3 days, I have not really made up my mind on exactly what I feel about Nodame Cantabile. There were moments which I loved, and the overall schematics I rather enjoyed. At the same time, there were a couple of moments when I felt rather dissatisfied.

When watching shoujo, I typically lend myself into a mode of a lovesick puppy. That typically satisfies my inner, and very hidden, side where I squeal at typical cheesy scenes. It wasn't like that for Nodame at all. But, in a way, I'm glad that that wasn't the reason for me enjoying it so much as I find it to often cloud my perceptions.

Firstly, I'm really not a musical person in any way. I'm, quite ashamedly, not one to revel after Ravel (omg did I just do that). Secondly, I wasn't really into the love line between Nodame and Chiaki. I guess that might be due to the fact that that wasn't the point? They weren't meant to give "doki doki" feels which I'm, embarrassingly, quite a sucker for. Thirdly, the 2nd season (or the Paris chapter) was absolutely lacklustre and I felt so completely annoyed with how both the characters were depicted, finding myself with not too much reason to continue watching it except that "season 1 was good, and I guess I should continue seeing it to the end..."



But then again, going into Nodame with absolutely no expectations, I found myself thinking that the characters were loveable. I liked that they complimented each other in a rather typical manner, and Chiaki had such a strong character that drew me in. He's a genius, but not without extreme effort. He's played human and helped bring some realism in the world of ridiculously colorful side characters, all while giving a fair bit of comedic flair.

I definitely enjoyed season 1 the best, and honestly wouldn't mind just stopping there. The last two seasons kind of screwed my perspective of it and the dynamism that was present in the original story somehow dwindled into something different and slightly less enjoyable to watch. In the original Nodame, the comedic elements had me bursting out at many points and it was entertaining and enjoyable. In the later seasons, the drama elements were amped up and the standard few jokes that were constantly reused just left me quite dry in the mouth. I wouldn't have minded if they stopped there, giving a true non-ending a la Haruhi Suzumiya.



I hope I didn't sound too harsh, because I truly enjoyed Nodame Cantabile. The colorful side characters I truly enjoyed, and I found myself appreciating the world they pulled me into.

I put watching Nodame off for so long because I didn't think I'll enjoy a classical musical drama with such mellow/subdued artistry, but I'm glad I did after all. It served me well in passing time these past few dreary days and I'm awaiting the upcoming Korean adaptation (though I have quite a strong inkling it won't turn out too well, I mean just look at Boys Over Flowers...)

TV: Sherlock - The Empty Herse

2 years... I can't believe I was able to wait for this long. From the point of 2012, 2014 seems ridiculously far away and yet here we are. Sherlock season 3. Over the three years, the show has accumulated a cult following including myself and I'm sad to say I was a little underwhelmed with this first episode.

All mistakes forgiven and all positives exaggerated, I guess it's difficult to meet any hype raised (through the roofs) over two years.

Obviously it wasn't in any way bad. It is good, and in my heart Sherlock will always be good.

To me, The Empty Herse appeared more fanfiction-ish and more as one that caters to all the dreams of Tumblr fangirls (too many scenes to gif?) rather than a real episode. The entirety of it seemed to be more of tying up the loose ends from season 2 and re-establishing the characters and their dynamism. I do feel that the introduction of Mary Morston is one that's intriguing, with me wondering how will the dynamism of the show change, and I absolutely adored the brotherly moments. At the same time I just feel like if I have the time to stop and think "Wow this is really well shot" during the critical plot moments, it's not the best episode.



Then again, I excitedly await for the next.