Netizen/TV: Noh Hong Chul's Loss and Infinity Challenge's Future

For a long time I've been a massive fan of Infinity Challenge and have barely missed a single episode. But more than Junjin, more than Gil, Noh Hong Chul's loss hit me hard. He was always one of the members that you had a love-hate relationship with for his rather extreme demenanor which leads to different sentiments with differing situations. I'm upset that he made a mistake so soon, I'm upset that it happened so quickly after he has proven his worth and public recognition (with Choice 2014), and I'm upset that IF's dynamics will greatly change with his departure.

Even more than being upset, I fear that the show will slowly head its way to its demise. While they had always battled occasional dips in popularity and ratings, this probably has to be one of its greatest with such a swift and sudden shift in dynamics. Who will step up now? IF's charm had always been in the dynamics and interactions between the largely diverse members, with humour points stemming from their close relationships. Any changes to that, additions and subtractions included, might work against it with the massive fan base it has accumulated over the many years of broadcast. A part of me believes that it's just another challenge that will eventually be overcomed given the sole fact that it is Infinity Challenge, but.. Well, I just sincerely hope nothing bad happens so that I'll still have my regular weekly dose of IF.

Bonus optimistic netizen translations

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: I Am A Man Episode 2

I actually enjoyed the first pilot broadcast of I Am A Man. It was funny with a rather intriguing mix of audiences that successfully garnered some laughter with good guidance from the MCs. While it was rather rough at certain spots, it was rather understandable as it was just the first episode. They actually had their second episode broadcast yesterday, with IU as the guest! I'm not gonna lie, her presence was rather mild and did not necessarily add a lot to the overall vibe; she appeared to only be there to read the questions.

For those who are not aware of the show, it's kind of something KBS is venturing into after seeing the explosive success of cable channels and their relatively unrestrained talks (like in War Of The Words, or 썰전). MCs include Yoo Jaesuk, Im Wonhee and Kwon Ohjoong, who will host alongside panelists Heo Kyunghwan and Jang Dongmin.

I'll definitely catch the next few episodes, since it will be a regular broadcast from now!

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!

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.....

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.

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.

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.