Monday Marathon: Vampire Prosecutor

I've heard a lot of good things about Vampire Prosecutor since entering the K-Drama world, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it because vampires aren't really my thing. However, the show had some cast members that were familiar to me and in all honesty I'm not, not a vampire person, so I gave it a shot.

Overview: A prosecutor gets turned into a vampire after an accident while investigating the murder of his younger sister. Using his vampire abilities he investigates murders within a special group that includes another prosecutor, a detective, and an intern that handles the forensics. During all this, he still tries to find out what happens to his sister and not expose himself as a vampire.

Why It's Worth Marathon-ing:
1. One thing I didn't expect from the show was it's short length. I figured it'd be a 20 episode show with each episode being just over an hour, but it was only 12 episode with most episodes being just under an hour. I found that length very enjoyable especially since vampires can get a little mundane.

2. It's full of action. There's a lot of hand to hand combat and chasing. It's very thrilling and makes the show's pace that much more enjoyable.

3. The cast is great. It's made up of some pretty heavy hitters in the Korean entertainment industry. Their experience shows in their acting during a show that could have turned kitschy in a minute. The cast includes Yun Jong Hoon (I Summon You, Gold!), Lee Young Ah (Unemployed Benefit Romance), Lee Won Jong (Empress Ki), Jang Hyun Sung (History of a Salaryman), and Kim Joo Young (Cruel Palace).

4. There were some comedic moments that lightened the mood just at the right time. It wasn't overly slapstick or anything like that, more like sly remarks and sarcasm that would make anyone smile why investigating a murder.

If you have been going back and forth about whether or not to watch this show I would highly recommend that you do. You can always stop after one episode or one season if it wasn't your thing, but me, I'me reayd for a season 3 and I haven't even started season 2 yet. 

Korean Drama Inspired Prom Looks

Pretty & Innocent: Jan Di from Boys Over Flowers

When Jan Di was styled by her rich friends she would go from pauper to princess. However, she never lost her sweet and innocent look. 

Left: Amber-Cobalt Prom Dress for $89.90

Center 1: Gracelyn- White Prom Dress for $99.90

Center 2: Carrie-White/Silver Short Prom dress for $119.90

Right: Coletta-Black Prom Dress for $179.90

Glamorous: Pageant Contestants from Miss Korea

You can't get anymore glamorous than dresses fit for a queen, or in this case multiple queens. If you're planning on going glam then you'll want a lot of sequins, glitter, and some luxurious fabrics like satin, silk, and chiffon. 

Left: Juliana-Silver Long Prom Dress for $299.90

Center: Kiyomi-Black Lace Chiffon Strapless Dress for $139.90

Right: Vivianne-Royal Strapless Prom Dress for $199.90

Sophisticated: Tae Yi-Ryung from The Master's Sun

Even her casual clothes were elegant. She was the queen of sophistication in this show. She also managed to looked sexy without showing too much skin. 

Left: Cleopatra- Ivory Single Shoulder Dress for $199.90

Center 1: Tali- Black Sleeveless Long Dress for $36.90

Center 2: Camryn- Black/Nude Long Prom Dress for $139.90

Right: Selena-Red Prom Dress for $39.90

I apologize for the quality of character pictures. It's hard to take a good screen shot when they're moving. 

All dress options and pictures are from Windsor. The pictures are the property of Windsor, no copyright infringement was intended. 

Favorite Songs of 2014: January to April

 

Photo source: anneviolet.wordpress.com

photo credit to owner 

I think 2014 has been very kind to Korean Music fans thus far. We've experienced triumphant returns and stellar debuts, and I personally can't wait to see what else the year has in store for us. During the first four months of the year there have been many notable songs released and with each passing month my taste and knowledge of Korean Music gets wider and more eclectic. ~pats self on back~ All that being said, here is the list of songs that I have had on repeat since January, ordered by most listened too.

1. 30Sexy by Rain: The King of Kpop returns with his sexiest song and MV yet. At first the song, especially the high pitch electronic sound really irritated me, but the more I listened and the more I watched the MV, the more I liked it. Now, I play it like once a day and bonus, my sister likes it too. 1 point in the column for Kpop fans!

2. Spellbound by TVXQ: If you've read my "TVXQ's Comeback Singles" blog post then you already know how in love I am with this song. It shows off how amazing TVXQ really is, vocally and physically (they danced soooooo hard).

3. Just One Day by BTS: I wasn't originally a BTS fan, but this song got me. It's not only sweet sounding but the lyrics are sweet too. Bonus: I was able to pick up the chorus really quickly. Yay me!

4. Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms by HIGH4 ft. IU: Definitely my favorite debut so far. I am in love with this song! IU worked her magic and wrote a stunning song that not only showed off her talents but HIGH4's talents as well. I am really looking forward to their album.

5. 200% by Akdong Musician: Another stellar debut! These kids know what they're doing. They're not your typical K-pop group and they aren't trying to be. #RESPECT One of my favorite MVs of the year so far. It's so cute and heartbreaking that it should be made into a full blown drama. I'm sure there are about a hundred dramas like it already, but this time it should star this adorable brother/sister duo.

6. Be a Man by MBLAQ: Though I have known of MBLAQ's existence for some time, I only just now started listening to their music. Shame, I know. Anyway, this song is so cool! Their harmony is so tight you can't even slip a piece of paper in there and they are definitely one group that pulls off the mature, mysterious vibe that other groups sometimes have to fake.

7. Metronome by Jay Park ft Simon D & Gray: I'm not that big a fan of the MV, or I should say I'm not a fan of the half naked lady and some of the weird projections. However (comma) I like the sound of this song. I've been listening to a lot of Jay Park lately and I think this song solidifies his transition from super sexy slow jams to hard hitting hip hop.

8. Hold Me Tight by Loco ft. Crush: I should probably move this song up the list, but I'm just going to leave it here and geek out. So, Loco is an artist on AOMG which means AOMG is doing something right because this dude is AH MAY ZING! His flow is perfect, he never loses the beat, which sometimes happens in Korean Rap. And the addition of Crush takes a great song to the next level. I would really love a full album from this dude.

9. Sometimes by Crush: Speaking of Crush, he also released a single early this year and I loves it. Crush's voice is beyond..., it's just beyond and I love the MV with cameos of other Amoeba Culture artists like Zion.T. The song and video really displays Crush's all around talentedness (if that's not a word, it is now).

10. The Manual by Eddy Kim: Sometimes you have to slow things down and strip all the synthesizers away. This acoustic song is really something special because it truly lets the artist's vocal talent and the message of the song shine. A must listen in my book.

11. Come Back Home by 2NE1: The ladies of YG are back and still rocking that whole electro-raggae-pop thing that they do so well. Great song from beginning to end. It's fast when it needs to be, slow when it needs to be and everybody sounds really good. The video's crazy too!

12. Ooh Ooh by Eric Nam ft. Hoya (of Infinite): I was a little reluctant to like this song, just because it felt so Bruno Mars-y. But I don't want to take anything away from the talented and adorable Eric Nam or the people that worked on this song so eventually I gave in and anytime I need a pick me up this song is among the first I turn too. I am a big fan of the funk sound the song has and for some reason I really enjoy the addition of Hoya. The MV is pretty awesome to.

13. Can't Stop by C.N. Blue: Listened to this song right before starting this post and I must say it is probably the prettiest song on the list. C.N. Blue does it again and shuts down the rock ballad section of my life (that's a good thing for those of you who may be lost by the words "shut down"). Anyway, Yong Hwa and Jung Hyun's vocals are perfection and the instrumental is a work of art. And the MV? Well, let's just say that it was magical for me too.

14. It's You by Neon Bunny: Two cheers for Indie Synth/Electro Pop! I started to listen to Neon Bunny because of "Eat Your Kimchi's" YouTube introduction of her. My sister calls this a "Forever 21" song. I most certainly could hear the song playing in the background while shopping at my nearest trendy teen store. However, the song is so much more than that. Neon Bunny's music has a way of making you feel happy and upbeat even though you don't know what's she's saying (talking to my fellow non-Korean-speakers).

15. Some by Soyu & Junggigo ft Lil Boi (of Geeks): This is a great song. It's sounds so sweet and upbeat even though it's about the irritations that come with relationships and trying to be with the person you like. The video's really cute.

16. Beep Beep by BTOB: I love the jazzy/blues-y sound of the song and the clarinet in the instrumental is awesome. The lyrics present a clever metaphor of traffic and a frustrated heart/mind. They look like they're having a lot of fun in the video, part of that probably comes from the scantily clad young ladies and another part is probably from the various cars that they get to pretend to drive. My favorite part of the video starts at around 2:07 where they are suddenly dressed in suits and standing around a piano, now that's what I call a "breakdown."

17. Overdose by EXO-K: I haven't fully committed myself to loving this song however, I find it very hard to pass over it and not play it. It's a good song but it's also a little typical so I'm not sure if I can really go all out for it. However, EXO is like my favorite male group in K-Pop so, I have to support them. If you ask me, the video is really a mix of several videos from other SM artists (like TVXQ and Super Junior). I'm not saying that's a bad thing but I think a little originality could have gone a long way. Choreography is pretty amazing as always though.

18. Victorious 2 by Swings ft Gray: The lyrics are a little awkward (that may be due to translation), however it is a very inspiring song that takes you into Swings's mind just a little bit. If you're getting into Korean Hip Hop then Swings is a "Must Listen To" artist. Swings's flow is amazing and I am a big fan of his punchline form of rapping. It's a good fighting montage song.

19. Delicious by Toheart: Key and Woo Hyun are too adorable to ignore. The first time I heard the song I was a little annoyed especially by the "come on girl love is so nutritious, come on girl it's so delicious." What's that about?! Anyway, I have started to enjoy the song particularly because of the guys' vocal talents. The video is really fun too.

20. Full Moon by Sunmi: Love the soft and sultry sound of this song. Not a big fan of the MV because of it's rather raunchy choreography, but I do like the dark vampire concept.

21. Beat by 100%: My very first 100% song. They sound great and look great. The video is kind of weird to me, but I think that's what they were going for so I'll let it go.

So, that's my list. I'm very excited to see what else 2014 has to offer in the world of Korean music. 

How about you?

TAIWAN: "Fall in Love With Me" First Impressions

(photo credit to owner)

I spent a week watching nothing but Just You just so I could watch this show. When news of Fall in Love With Me broke, there was some backlash from fans because Aaron Yan's love interest wouldn't be Puff Guo. The pair played opposites in the show Just You and fans couldn't stand to see another pair in romantic situations. This is what sparked my interest in Just You and consequently in Fall in Love With Me. First, I wanted to know what was so great about Just You and then I wanted to know who Aaron Yan was. I achieved those goals well before the show aired so I'm proud.

Anyway, when I saw the teasers for the show I have to say I was worried. It reminded me so much of Just You. A hardworking sweet girl juxtaposed to a staunch boss of an advertising/marketing firm. The similarities are hard to ignore but I didn't want to count the show out because of that.

After watching the show I am happy to say that it seems to be doing a decent job of separating itself from Just You. It's just as funny and endearing as the other show but the concept is a bit different.

Overview:
There's a snobby CEO, Lu Tian Xing, of a popular advertising firm in Taiwan who has a short temper and there's a spunky girl, Tan Le Si, who is working hard to take care of her brother's advertising company after his death. They bump into each other and are instantly at odds. Though Lu Tian Xing owns a very successful company he's lost his spark and creativity and declares that he's taking a vacation in order to get his mojo back. While on his vacation he becomes Xioa Lu who helps Tan Le Si and her company in their advertising efforts. Though Tan Le Si can see that he looks exactly like Lu Tian Xing she believes that he is Xiao Lu. From there all kinds of stuff starts to happen. I don't want to give away anything.

My Thoughts:
I've only watched the first two episode but I think I may enjoy the show. It was funny, sweet, and has a touch of mystery that gives the show a bit more depth. I'm most interested to see the development of the characters. Right now they are the typical Asian drama archetypes so I am hoping that they surpass that in interesting and fun ways.

If you're watching you're in for a long ride. The show is 30 episodes and since it's only 1 episode a week it'll take quite a while before we get to the meat of the show. However, being accustomed to Taiwanese dramas now I am ready for the ride and really excited to see Aaron Yan in something else.

Monday Marathon: Another Parting

A return to the miniseries. Another Parting is strange but really good.

Overview: "This miniseries is about a man and woman who decide to spend their last day together." Many of the descriptions went like this so I didn't exactly know what to expect when I started the show. I'm going to give just a touch more background so you will have a better idea of what's going on in the show. The main guy is an alien who takes over a humans body. He must carry out a mission on earth. He meets the woman (Hana) and spends the day with her in order to fulfill his mission.

Why It's Worth Marathon-ing:
1. It's really short. It'll take like an hour to watch the entire series which frees up time to freak out over how great it is.

2. SEO IN GUK! He's really great in this show. It is a different side from his usual sweet best friend roles.

3. The story line. It's a weired show, but it's a good weird. I don't want to spoil the show but I can tell you that after it's over you'll be like "That's was so off...but I liked it."

4. The OST. "Melody Day" is a sweet sounding song that fits the mood of the series.

You can watch it on YouTube!

Monday Marathon: Nail Shop Paris

Nail Shop Paris was my very first K-Drama and I'll never forget it. After discovering the K-Drama fandom, it was nice reading the reviews on the show. Although most of the reviews weren't positive I was still tempted to watch the show again and found a few good reasons why others should watch it too.

Overview: This show is about a young female author that is accused of plagiarism. Because of this, an offer to publish her work is rejected just as she is about to sign the contract. In order to get "original" material she follows a mysterious man she sees in the subway. She thinks he is some sort of spy/gangster but finds out that he is actually a male manicurist at "Nail Shop Paris," a high end nail shop which only has male employees. In order to get closer to the hero of her next story she pretends to be a guy and joins the staff. From there, hilarious and sometimes annoying high jinks ensue.

There are 10 episodes, each about 50 minutes long.

Why It's Worth Watching:
1. You don't have to think too hard to watch the show. Let's be honest some of us spend way too much effort thinking about the show we're watching instead of just watching it. This is a very light story so there's no need to over analyze every little bit of it. In fact, it's better that you don't try to analyze it at all because the moment you do, you'll probably stop watching and you may miss out on some funny stuff.

2. The cast. There are 2 idol/actors (Park Gyulee from Kara and Cheon Dung aka Thunder from MBLAQ) in this show and though their acting isn't all that great they're cute enough that I'll give them a pass. Besides them there is also Song Jae-Rim (Two Weeks, Inspiring Generation), Jun Ji-Hoo, Byeon Woo-Min (Tamra, the Island), Kim Chae-Yeon, and Han So-Young. 

3. The characters are a bit different from your usual line-up. There's a love triangle between the girl/guy and two guy/guys so that part is typical. However, the main guy isn't a jerky chaebol who falls for the girl and wants to force her to fall for him. And the second guy isn't that nice doormat that most second male leads tend to be. He expresses his feelings quickly and often. I didn't realize how refreshing that could be until I watched more dramas and saw how little that happened.

3. SPOILER ALERT: Second male lead gets the girl! If that's not a good enough reason to at least watch the first episode then I don't know what is.

Though I enjoyed the show I could clearly see the flaws in it, especially the second time around. The ending was a complete mess, the nail art was hideous, the lead female character's interjecting story line for her book got worse with every episode, and the fact that no one could tell was a girl was crazy because she wore tight pants and wedge sneakers all the time. Despite it's problems it was fun to watch and I have no regrets.

REVIEW: Medical Top Team Korean Drama

photo source: asianwiki.com

Medical Top Team is about a group of doctors at Kwanghae University Hospital coming together to form the best team of doctors and surgeons in the country. Their plan is to operate on complex surgeries and research rare illnesses, but all that idealism gets muddied by harsh hospital politics between the illegitimate son and the first daughter-in-law of the hospital's president.

It wasn't the best show or even the best medical show I've ever seen, but it wasn't the worst either. A lot of comments said that it was boring, but not every show can be a fantasy romance between a rich guy and a poor girl. It was a very realistic show in a lot of instances and that made it a little less entertaining but it had some enjoyable elements.

What I Liked:
1. The cast. The cast was full of great actors and great up-and-comers. It's lead? Kwon Sang Woo, who plays the kind hearted but straight forward Dr. Tae Shin Park. The second male lead, Dr. Seung Jae Han was played by Ju Ji Hoon, and the second female lead is Choi Ah Jin played by Oh Yeon Seo. The other cast members worth recognizing is the maknae (youngest member) of the group, Kim Sung Woo played by Choi Minho,  Shin Hye Soo played by Kim Young Ae, Jang Yong Sup played by Anh Nae Sang, and a whole bunch of other people. You can view the full cast list HERE. Anyway, the cast was pretty great and they're all really great actors that I would like to see in more things.

2. The couples. When I think of this show, I think about is all the adorable couples and the long amount of time that it took to establish them. I have no problem with a show being devoid of romance, but if there is the promise of romance then there needs to be romance! We kept getting close and then they kept pulling back. Talk about frustrating. Eventually, we did get some romances and thankfully it was the couples that I wanted to see.

What I Didn't Like:
Though I don't regret watching, not many people found the show to be worth the 20 hours. Here are some of my ideas why.

1. Lack of romance. As I said above there is nothing wrong with a show lacking romance but if you're going to constantly suggest it then make it happen already. It took almost the whole show for the couples to form. It was painful to watch them give each other those longing looks and then do nothing about it.

2. Heavy on Medical jargon. This show was definitely a medical show, there's no doubting that. It seemed as though half the script was made up of medical terms which makes sense but it dragged down the dialogue a bit.

3. No accomplishments, at least not really. There was a lot of fighting and battling going on but I don't think either side really came out on top. In the end, all of Dr. Han's clawing came out to the Medical Top Team disbanding and there being a battle within the team. Thankfully everyone made up in the end but the team had to start all over again making all the previous battling kind of pointless.

Though I was unsatisfied with the lack of romantic situations, it wasn't a bad show. It was a pretty standard show, not bad but not great. I don't regret watching it but I don't think I'd suggest it to other people or watch it again.