Thursday, February 26, 2015

More Drama Favorites: Rookies, OSTs, Fashion, and More

*Post contain some spoilers*
Favorite Rookies
Seo Kang Jun - Seo Kang Jun is very quickly making a name for himself in the acting world. He is able to bring second male lead syndrome to many with his roles and I am looking forward to the possibility of him playing a lead one day. He'd be great in a high school drama, he's young enough and he has a sweet and fun personality in real life (as seen in Roommate), which makes him all the more desirable.

Lee Tae Hwan - Seo Kang Jun's fellow 5urprise member has also managed to carve out a niche for himself in the acting world. It's hard to believe that this mountain of a guy is only 20, but because of his stature and impressive acting chops he has managed to go from goofy high schooler in King of High School to serious detective in Pride and Prejudice without skipping a beat. I hope that the future holds more great roles for him.

Ahn Jae Hyun - My favorite show stealer! Even though Ahn Jae Hyun was only supposed to be Jeon Ji Hyun's little brother in My Love from Another Star he quickly turned his character into the one to watch by not only being good looking but also being able to show a range of emotions in the little bit of screen time he had. His performance in the show quickly made him popular and also helped him garner roles alongside other swoon-worthy vets like Joo Won in the movie Fashion King, and Lee Seung Gi and Cha Seung Won in You Are All Surrounded.

Favorite OSTs
It's Okay That's Love - The entire OST was amazing. It was a great mix of popular pop songs and original songs in different languages. OSTs have a way of getting dull and predictable but this one never did. It had some really amazing songs but two of my favorites were Sleepless Night by Crush ft Punch, and It's Okay, That's Love by Davichi.

My Lovely Girl - Even though I didn't really like the drama, I did enjoy listening to all the familiar voices sing the songs of the show. My absolute favorite was I Want to Love You by Alex Chu. Alex's voice is so smooth, and the romantic yet bubbly song came in at all the right moments.

Fall in Love with Me - This OST had a great mix of pop rock ballads and sugary sweet pop songs. My favorites were This Is Not Me by Aaron YanThe Unwanted Love by Aaron YanThe Only Rose by Aaron Yan, Melted by Popu Lady, and The Warmth in the Pocket by Hebe.

Fated to Love You - I didn't pay that much attention to the entire soundtrack but I knew that every time Goodbye My Love by Ailee was on I was probably supposed to be crying. Such a heartbreaking song and Ailee's powerful vocals just made the song that much more emotional.

Pinocchio - I really like this OST. It's not overly sad or sappy sounding. It has just the right amount of slow songs to get your emotions in check. My favorite songs are Kiss Me by Zion.T and Non-Fiction by Every Single Day.

A Witch's Romance - My favorite song from this drama is You'e In My Heart by Park Seo Joon. Park Seo Joon isn't the most amazing singer but he held his own and displayed some pretty nice vocal talent. For some reason I just found myself waiting for this song to come on every episode.

Angel Eyes - An OST in English isn't uncommon but they very rarely make you want to sing at the top of your lungs over the dialogue. Run to You by Lasse Lindh was definitely that song for me.

In a Good Way Good Morning Hard City by Adrian. This song was a nice mix of rock and pop and it popped up at all the fun moments of the show making it that much more enjoyable.

Partners by Blood - Do You Ever Shine by Mayday is one of the most exhilarating OSTs ever! It not only jump started the show but also gave every action scene the right dose of excitement. Though they used the English version in the show I think the Japanese version (linked) strikes the right notes too.

Healer - What the Eyes Say by Tei was my favorite song of this show. Tei's smooth vocals were perfect and bringing out the emotions of the show.

Favorite Drama Outfits
My Lovely Girl - Rain's Blazers
   Rain's multitude of snazzy blazers definitely striked the right balance between cool music producer and stern CEO. Although his wardrobe was pretty monochromatic it never looked boring.

Empress Ki - Nyang's Consort/Empress Wear
  I always love the costumes in historical dramas. Ha Ji Won looked pretty great as a boy but when she wore her most feminine outfits her beauty really shined.

Hotel King - Ah Mo Ne's Chairwoman Ensembles
   She may have dressed a little crazy at first but when she started wearing normal clothes she always wore something pretty that showed off her fit frame.

Miss Korea - The Pageant Gowns
   You can't really go wrong with the pageant gowns featured in this show. I think they were a bit more modern then the ones actually used in the early 90s but they were pretty and made even the poorest of girls look like a million bucks.

Favorite Second Male Leads
King of High School - Yoo Jin-woo
   Although I didn't like his character at all and never had any hopes for him getting the girl I still felt bad for him. He had such a horrible relationship with his father, and his poor mother...his poor mother. Anyway, I may not have wanted him to win the girl but I did hope that the rest of his life would pull together, plus it's Lee Soo Hyuk. Who wouldn't root for one of his characters?

Fated to Love You - Daniel
  As usual the nice guy does not get the girl. Daniel was your stereotypical second male lead. Super nice to the girl and wanting her even though he could see that her heart was somewhere else. The thing I liked most about Daniel though is that he never became too pathetic over Kim Mi Young. The "too nice" second male leads always become so desperate by the end, but he played it cool the whole time while making his feelings known at just the right moments.

Pride & Prejudice - Kang Soo
   Lee Tae Hwan is shaping up to be one of my favorite young actors so it's no surprise that his character in Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorites in the show. The thing I like about this character as the second male lead is that his affection is innocent. While Dong Chi is proving that he's not a murderer with kissing (because that makes sense), Kang Soo is patiently and quietly waiting for Yeol Moo to overcome her trauma. He's not trying to force anything. Of course, this makes him lose out but let's face it after all of this he was never going to get the girl anyway.

Fall in Love with Me - Leo
  Leo may not have won Tao Si over but in the end he got the right girl for him. I think that Leo was a great second male lead. When he saw that Tao Si was falling in love with someone else he prepared himself to let her go especially since Xiao Lu seemed like such a great guy. However, he stepped up when he saw that her heart was in danger and told Lu Tian Xing to back off if he wasn't going to treat her right like any long-time friend should do.

Trot Lovers - Sajangnim aka Jo Geun-Woo
  The reason why I liked sajangnim is because he was everybody's second male lead. He became a good friend and source of advice to both female leads. And though he only had romantic interest in one he handled the love square very maturely.

Pinocchio - Bum Jo
   So, I was never rooting for Bum Jo to get the girl. For me it was Choi Dal Po and Choi In Ha for life. But he still made a great friend and protector. I felt bad for him seeing the girl he liked go through so much guilt for the guy she liked. He did a great job at setting Dal Po (Ha Myung) straight too.

My Love from Another Star - Lee Whi-Kyung
   Why doesn't the nice guy ever get the girl?! Aside from following her around like a lost puppy for years, he also did whatever and I mean whatever he could to get her affection. How could she ignore such grand gestures coming at her for years? Even when he knew she liked someone else he still risked his life to save her. Why? Why? Whyyyyyy?

Tomorrow's Cantabile - Park Yoon Hoo
   I loved everything about his character mainly because the actor was so pretty. That cheeky smile did a number on me so I have no idea why Soel Nae Il wasn't affected at all. Anyway, Yoon Hoo was the epitome of sweet not just to Nae Il but to pretty much everyone. Even though you could tell Yoo Jin had pretty much given into the other characters from the beginning, the fact that he chose to remain so cold on the outside made the character really typical and for most part unlikable. Yoon Hoo was like a little burst of sunshine.

Favorite Second Female Lead
Doctor Stranger - Oh Soo-Hyun
   Very rarely do we get likable second female leads. usually they're manipulative and desperate but not so with Oh Soo Hyun. The things that made me root for her happiness more than her being with one guy was the fact that her father, step mother, and brother treated her very coldly and the fact that Han Jae Joon was using her. She had the attention of two great looking gentleman and even though you could tell she was falling for Park Hoon she never overdid it with her affection, at least not in Park Hoon's eyes. Of course, Han Jae Joon could see it pretty clearly, but in the end everyone ended up with who they were supposed to be with.

In a Good Way - Bai Xue
   At first I wasn't so sure if I would like Bai Xue. Although she was always nice she seemed to have a kind of witchy side to her that had yet to be revealed. I thought for sure that side would come out when Liu Chuan started falling for Jia En, but I'm glad that my prediction was wrong. Even though I didn't necessarily root for Bai Xue to be with to be with Liu Chuan I felt bad when she got rejected by him for the new girl. Thankfully she handled it like a champ and ended being the best friend to everyone.

Favorite Parents
Fall in Love with Me - Papa and Mama Tao
   Tao Le Si's parents were awesome. They knew when to stand up for their daughter and when to let her live her own life. They were a very realistic set of parents. They protected Tao Si when she needed them to, comforted her at the right moments, they were even willing to send her away to be with the man she loved despite the drama. They treated her like an adult while still reminding everyone that she was indeed their daughter and they had a right to have a reasonable amount of interest in her life.

Favorite Noona Killer
A Witch's Romance - Yoon Dong-Ha
   There was quite a number of noona romances put out this year. For the most part none of them disappointed in the romance department but what made A Witch's Romance great is that both of the lead characters were at great ages despite being 14/15 years apart. Dong-Ha was young but had also suffered his own ultimate heartbreak that made him more mature and wiser than most guys his age. I also liked that he never really hid his feelings. He was pretty confident in his feelings for her and confident that she also had feelings for him. They were on a good path before "polar bear" showed back up. Despite polar bear, Dong Ha's sincerity and persistence won out in the end. Yay!

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