Monday Marathon: Aftermath

Hope it is another happy Monday for everyone. It was an action packed Monday for me because I marathon-ed the miniseries Aftermath starring Kim Dong Jun of ZE:A.

If you are looking for a ton of action in a little amount of time then this is the drama for you. I watched it on DramaFever.

Overview: This show is about a student that gets into an accident that nearly kills him. When he wakes up he realizes that he has the ability to see when and who will die or who will murder by the color of their eyes. How does he react to his new power? Well he uses it to try and save people, but he soon realizes that heroics aren't always easy.

Why it's Worth Marathon-ing:
1. The drama is full of action to say it's so short. It's two seasons: the first consisting of 5 episodes, the second, 6 episodes. Each episode is between 8 to 11 minutes long. However, that time limit did not limit the amount of fights, chases, and chaos that went on in the drama.

2. You should watch it because of Kim Dong Jun. He was really great in this show. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see anything else he's acted in but from what I saw in this drama he's very talented. He's also really cute.

3. The other cast members are also great. Kim Min Suk (Shut Up Flower Boy Band), Sun Joo Ah, Kim Geun Hyung, and Kim Ri Ah are all a part of the cast and they acted their parts out flawlessly.

4. You'll want more. A sign of a great show is never wanting it to end. This is definitely one of those shows.
A lot of the comments on the last episodes were complaints that it was too short, but also compliments on how much it accomplished in such a short amount of time.

So if you're tired of the cutesy miniseries and looking for a thriller then check out Aftermath.

Monday Marathon: After School, Lucky or Not

Happy Monday! I know there may not be anything happy about it if you're headed to school or work, but there's still something to look forward to.

If you are in need a good laugh, quickly then check out today's Marathon Monday pick--After School: Lucky or Not playing on DramaFever.

Overview: This manga/anime inspired drama stars Kim So Eun (Ga Eul of Boys Over Flowers) and members of idol Group 5urprise (Seo Kang Joon, Gong Myung, Lee Tae Hwan, Kang Tae Oh, and Yoo Il). It is about 5 friends who make up the "Lucky or Not Club" and invite a shy girl to join the club. The club completes missions every episode in order to fulfill the wish of their friend.

Why It's Worth Marathon-ing:
1. It's super short. The show only has 12 episodes and each episode is about 13 minutes, give or take. If you are at school or work you can easily watch an episode or two during your lunch break.

2. It's hilarious! Crude at times, but really funny. I couldn't stop laughing.

3. A lot of eye candy. Whether you're a guy or girl their are a lot of pretty faces in this show.

4. Awesome cameos. There are cameos galore, in every single episode, so there's always something or someone to look forward to with every episode.

5. It's sweet. Once you really get to the heart of the show you realize why these friends are going on all these ridiculous journeys together.

It really is an amazing show that not only shows off 5urprise's acting ability, but also their vocal talents. I wish them many successful years.

KPOP: TVXQ Comeback Singles

The "Kings of K-pop" are back and they are really killing it, at least to me they are. Their first two singles from their new album Tense and it's repackaged version Spellbound are already making waves. Tense, released on January 6, 2014, debuted at number one on the Goan Album Charts and number four on the Oricon Album Charts (Japanese), while Spellbound which was released on February 27, 2014 debuted at number 2 on the Goan Album Charts.

This marks their 10th year as entertainers, and Changmin and Yunho's third year as a duo. These singles have a much a different sound for the duo and it is amazing, but if you listen to the whole album you'll hear tracks that sound similar to tracks of their previous albums.

I'll talk about their second single "Spellbound" first since it's the most recent release. This song was released on February 28, 2014 and it is the title song from the repackaged album. The first music video for the song was published on YouTube on February 26, 2014 and the second version was published on March 4, 2014.

Spellbound M/V First Version

Spellbound M/V Second Version

So, as if it wasn't enough that the song was amazing, the video is freaking out of this world. I prefer the first version, but both versions feature the duo dancing their butts off to their hit song. I have to give them props for the amount of energy they bring to their performances. It is awe-inspiring. The song's sound is different from their last album's focus on electropop, being more of a groove/funk sound with a great R&B undertone that TVXQ is known for. Their harmony is tight, as usual, and the lyrics are sound. The song is about being re-captivated by an ex-girlfriend and only wanting and looking at her after being unfaithful before. But I must put more emphasis on the video: they are killing the choreography and anyone, K-pop fan or not can agree to that. 

The song that was first released from their newest album was "Something" which was released on January 6, 2014 and it's video was published on YouTube January 1, 2014. 

Something M/V

The song has an awesome jazz/big band sound that is drastically different for the group. It's a great change of pace for the group and gives off a more mature vibe. The song is basically about how they are too hot for any average girl, and how there's a girl that has that "something" but it's still not enough. The video is quite spectacular, mixing the setting of a 20's jazz club with these mystical, illusion type effects. You really have to see it in order to get the full effect.

Overall, I'd say that their comeback is looking very, very strong. The music is solid and the videos are hypnotizing. You can't deny that they are indeed the "Kings of K-pop."

Monday Marathon: Ma Boy

Every Monday I will share a show that is short enough to marathon in one day. Why Monday? Well, I need something to get me pumped up for the week, plus I have Mondays off from work.

Today's drama is a really short show that is super funny and adorable. Ma Boy! I watched Ma Boy, subbed, on GoodDrama.net. Here's the link: http://www.gooddrama.net/korean-drama/ma-boy

Overview: It's your standard gender bender drama however, there is a twist. Instead of the cross dresser being a girl, it's a guy! The main characters are Geu Rim played by Kim So Hyun and Irene/Hyun Woo played by Sun Woong. Geu Rim and Hyun Woo attend a performing arts high school in hopes to someday become stars. When Geu Rim enrolls in the school she is roomed with the most popular girl in school, Irene. Little does she know, Irene is actually a guy--Hyun Woo--who dresses up as a girl in order to be a star. Obviously this causes for some misunderstandings that are hilarious to watch.

Why It's Worth Marathon-ing: For starters: There are only 3 episodes. You can get through this drama and then some. Me, I watched it twice. It was that great! Since, it's so short the story line doesn't drag on, but it also doesn't feel rushed either.

Next: It's amazingly funny. I cried while laughing, it was that funny. It's also super sweet but not in an obnoxious way.

Lastly: It's perfect for non-drama watchers. If you are trying to get your friend into dramas and they like romantic comedies then this should be on the top of your suggestions list. It's length won't overwhelm them and because it is so funny it is enjoyable for anyone.

After watching this drama you'll want more episodes, but you'll know that more episodes probably would have ruined such a perfect drama.

If you have some time, say 3 hours, and are in between dramas I suggest that you watch this drama. You won't be disappointed.

RANT: Miss Korea, Korean Drama, Was Not Boring

After watching the last episode I read a lot of comments saying that the show was boring and that it didn't meet expectations. However, I think that having expectations is what made the show less enjoyable for some people. Seriously, after realizing that it wouldn't be the same as any other drama I had to give up all my expectations. Once I did, I started to like watching it every week.

When I first started watching Miss Korea I didn't know what to think. It was unlike any drama I had ever seen before. It wasn't really a romance, wasn't exactly a comedy, and it definitely wasn't an action or thriller but it had elements of all wrapped into one. Though that combination can usually be a great one like in Master's Sun, it can also be a horrible combination if not done correctly. However, sometimes you need to forget everything you know, sit back and enjoy the ride. That's what I did with Miss Korea. After watching the first two episodes I realized there was no where to store it in my mind. So, I had to decide whether I would hold the show to standards that I created based on my previous experiences, or take it for what it seemed to be and enjoy what was in front of me. I decided to do the latter and that made the show much more enjoyable. 

I thought from the plot: a young woman wanting to go from elevator girl to "Miss Korea" with the help of her ex-boyfriend/deadbeat CEO of a cosmetics company, the show would be more dramatic or more comedic. There were definitely dramatic moments like him being beaten almost to death on more than one occasion or him having to go bankrupt from bad debts. There were also comedic moments like when Ji Young's family was interviewed for the "Miss Korea" broadcast. However, the show was also very dry and very realistic. I've noticed that most dramas are fantasy-esque and so they give viewers certain feelings even in the first episode, but this drama did not do that. If anything it just left me confused, but it also left me caring for the characters and wanting for them to succeed. 

The reasons why I don't think the show was boring are simple. For one thing it left me wanting to know what would happen to the characters. If a show can get you invested in the characters then it isn't boring even if it isn't exactly what you expected. 

It also gave us some pretty great glimpses into the beauty pageant world of the 1990's. Of course you can't take full stock in the the show's doings but it was fun watching the ladies prepare for the "Miss Korea." The crazy hairstyles, the painful exercises; it was really interesting to watch them go through that for their one shot. 

It was also very interesting to see the fashions of the show. I personally loved Madam Ma's outifts. They screamed "money" and sometimes they screamed "tacky." It was so much fun seeing what she'd be wearing.

My main reason for sticking around was the cast. I was thrilled to find out that Lee Sun Kyun (Coffee Prince) and Lee Ki Woo (Flower Boy Ramen Shop) were going to be in this show. Then after I started watching and saw Lee Mi Sook (You're the Best, Lee Soon Shin), Hong Ji Min (Style), and Oh Jung Se (Marry Him if You Dare) I just couldn't give it up. I wanted to see the show that brought all these people together. This was my first drama with Lee Yeon Hee, but I was glad to see her too. 

I think the cast really made me anticipate each episode. Their portrayals of the characters were great. Each character felt like a real person rather than just an archetype.  There was a limited amount of wrist grabbing, arrogant jerks, and idiot female leads. And situations actually made sense with the story line rather than being thrown in for a cheap laugh. I won't lie and say that the story didn't move slowly at times, or that I was on the edge of my seat every moment but, I didn't need to be. This drama told its story in a way that made sense with the story. It wanted to show us the trials and tribulations of a group of people struggling to make their way. It was actually refreshing to watch something relatable like that. 

If you were wondering if you should give this drama a try I would say you should, but be warned that it isn't going to grasp you and hold you the whole time. There are going to be boring moments just like there are going to be exciting moments. That's life though. Not everything should be about a handsome rich guy falling in love with a poor girl.

If you watched the show tell me your thoughts. 

JAPAN: Mischievous Kiss

Every once and a while I have to stray away from Korean shows and watch a show from another country. For some reason I couldn't shake the feeling that I should be watching Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo, so I watched all 16 episodes on DramaFever despite the fact that I really wasn't planning on it. I had watched the Korean version and figured I'd seen it all so it'd be okay to skip this one, I was happily mistaken.

Overview: It is Japan's 2nd television adaptation of the manga  Itazura na Kiss by Kaoru Tada, the first was released in 1996. Some of you may be familiar with the Korean version Playful Kiss starring Kim Hyun Joong (Ji Hoo in Boys Over Flowers). The show is about a girl who is hopelessly in love with a cold, genius classmate. She musters up the courage to give him a confession letter in front of the whole school, but gets harshly turned down. However, through a very unfortunate event she ends up living with her crush. This inevitably causes them to get closer, which is not always a good thing in her case. Though she tries her hardest to win him over, events keep arising that seem to drive them further apart. Will her persistence help her prevail in the end? The answer is YES.

What I liked:
The Korean Version, Playful Kiss, was actually the third Korean drama that I watched. So, I think of it fondly (sort of, I have mixed feelings). Anyway, I actually like this version better, but I will admit that I find the Korean cast as a whole more attractive (but that's just me).

I liked the pace of this show. It felt much shorter than the Korean version, probably because it was. Each episode was only about 45 minutes long whereas the Korean episodes were about an hour long. Also in the Japanese version a lot of the unnecessary events that weighed down the story line, like the field day or the bet between Seung Jo and Ha Ni, were taken out. This definitely helped lighten the show.

The thing I liked the most is that the main character, Kotoko Aihara, though similar to Oh Ha Ni in the fact that she gets completely hung up on a dude that doesn't even like her, manages to build her own life rather than just build her life around the guy she likes. In many ways she does give up her own self for her crush Naoki Irie, but it's not to the extent that Oh Ha Ni does. And though Kotoko never really establishes her own dreams outside of Irie I feel like she has the potential to. The fact that she didn't instantly say she wanted to be a nurse after hearing Irie say he wanted to be a doctor gives me hope. 

I also loved Irie's mom in this version. I loved Seung Jo's mom too, but this lady didn't come off as desperate to make Kotoko apart of her family. The moms were the best part of both series. The one thing that Naoki's mom did in this version that made me love her (SPOILER ALERT) was try to ruin the meeting between Irie and Sahoko Oizumi who Irie will be engaged to later. It was totally rude, but hilarious.

I thought the hugs, that's right HUGS, looked really comfortable. After Irie finally confessed his feelings to Kotoko, he hugged her and for some reason it just looked like one of the best hugs ever. The second hug in the house looked really comfortable too. There is just something about a simple hug between two people that love each that looks so great.

I really enjoyed Yuki Yamada as Kinnosuke Ikezawa. Yuki Yamada is so handsome, but he also has some great acting skills. Kin-chan was so sweet and genuine with Kotoko. and I loved his numerous face offs with Irie. I really like the character because he had ambition, which in all honesty was something that neither Kotoko nor Irie really seemed to have. Irie was good at everything so he kind of just went with the flow and Kotoko did the same. However, Kin-chan was serious about becoming a chef and was really working hard to see that through even if the girl he liked wasn't next to him.

What I didn't like:

I didn't like how mean Irie was to Kotoko. I expected him to be cold because that's just the character, but it still bothered me how harshly he treated her sometimes. However, because he treated her that way the whole time the character never seemed to develop. It was so frustrating how stagnate he was. Even Kotoko changed, maybe she didn't mature, but she wasn't the same Kotoko from the beginning of the series. 

I didn't like that he broke his engagement. I don't remember Seung Jo going that far. To me he should have not gotten engaged or not broken the engagement.

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This isn't a drama that needs much analyzing because in all honesty not much thinking is required to watch it. Overall I found the drama to be quite enjoyable. It was cute and that's all I needed at the time. I am anxiously awaiting the supposed second season of the show. I'll have to take some time before I watch the Taiwanese version, but after watching the Japanese version I am kind of looking forward to it. 

Share with your thoughts in the comment section below. 

Thanks for reading!

Bride of the Century: First Impresssions

It's really great to see Lee Hong Ki again. The only drama I've seen him in was You're Beautiful in which he played the cheerful Jeremy. This drama is a welcome change of pace. His character is very cold and calculating--I am really enjoying seeing that from him.

Aside from Lee Hong Ki's impressive performance this show offers so many other enjoyable aspects and it's only been the four episodes.

Description from DramaFever:

"In this fairytale-like melodrama, Choi Kang Joo (Lee Hong Ki) is the cold heir of one of Korea’s most powerful conglomerates, Taeyang Corporation. He is engaged to an eligible young lady from a small southern island, Doo Rim (Yang Jin Sung), but there’s just one problem: the first bride of the family’s first son is always cursed to die. The curse began 100 years ago when the bride of the family’s first son had a tragic death. Suddenly, before the wedding, Doo Rim disappears and the company conspires to replace her with a look-alike, Yi Hyun (also played by Yang Jin Sung), who has a sinister scheme of her own."

It is planned to be 16 episodes and also stars Yang Jin Sung as Doo Rim/ Yi Kyung.

My Thoughts:

This drama started off so well and I am really hoping that things stay this enjoyable. It's funny and kind of scary (so many unexpected developments plus a freaky ghost). As I said above, I am most enjoying seeing a different side of Lee Hong Ki. He's still super cute, but I like seeing a mean side to him. Some comments have stated that he wasn't the right fit for the role because he is too cute, but I think that he is showing great range and this show is a good platform for him to show his potential as an actor. I also enjoy the character of Doo Rim who is well-meaning and sweet but is sometimes a little clueless. However, her innocence makes for some pretty amusing situations especially between she and Kang Joo.

The story line, at this point, is a bit predictable though. I can very clearly see that though the main characters hate each other now they will soon fall in love. However, it is still to be seen whether or not their love affair will be an easy one. There are some sneaky things going on that may cause a few hidden bumps on the road to marital bliss.

Despite that, I highly recommend the show. If nothing else, it is entertaining. I sometimes feel that fans of K-dramas over analyze the shows and talk themselves into disliking a decent show. These shows were created for entertainment and nothing more, there's no need to constantly dissect the show.

I am watching this show for two reasons: to see Lee Hong Ki and to laugh. After power marathon-ing Empress Ki I need some laughter in my life and thankfully this show has it. Also, the comedy isn't thrown in your face. the show isn't trying too hard to be comedic or serious, it just is what it is when it needs to be. I suggest that you take the ride.

Tell what you think of the show if you watched it.

Thanks for reading!