@ndegeocello,

"Every concept is a ridiculous male fantasy. They’re about one music video away from portraying plastic, blown up sex dolls. "

Actually majority of this generation's girl groups are like that. Wondergirls, Kara, SNSD, etc. (2NE1 being a notable exception.) Welcome to the Korean version of moe And this is still 10 years behind Japan's pedo-fetish (hello Morning Musume!)

Typical conversation between my brother and his wife

Wife: I can't believe you're watching Tell Me Your Wish Again!! She's like my kid sister's age.
Brother: Hot is hot. Besides, you have a crush on Yoo Seung Ho.
Wife: Giggle giggle.

However, both of them agree that BEG is actually the most dangerous one, because they riff on the themes of sex-as-power. If you actually read the lyrics to Abracadabra and realize that their fanbase are teenage girls, it makes Kara's Hey Mister look like, well, SNSD.

2NE1 in some respects is the most authentic girl group. But they're inherently also the safest, because they sell the fanbase on Girl Power.

@Perfect Girl Evolution,

For the most part, I like it because it's from the producers of Hana Yori Dango, and there's enough of the fairytale HanaDan feel to it. In terms of the mods done to the actual story (i.e. college, headbutts instead of nosebleeds), they're fine to me.

This type of story is difficult to adapt well into live-action, because most of the humor tropes revolve around understanding goth-lolita exceptionalism (which is somewhat like punk culture here . . .I guess.). As well as the themes.

Nobuta wo Produce worked around this because it's basically a meta-drama. On paper, it's like PGE in that you have a Pygmalion duck-to-swan narrative. However Nobuta is really a drama about idols, whether it's Horokita Maki playing up her background as the "horror girl" or Kaname riffing on the JE experience or Yamapi playing the goober and delivering loads of kawai fan service. They ask you the viewer to forget the literal plausibility and knowingly at the private jokes around all that slapstick.

PGE doesn't go that route. The opportunity is there: Johnny Boy vs. EGL Chic. Riff along that and you can translate all the original manga's jokes in. Here they went with a more normalizing treatment. She is "That Way" because of history. He and his prettiness doesn't realize She Completes Him. In that way, it's not terribly different from You're Beautiful (though YAB as a love story sort of collapses when you rewatch it as a love story) However, in the original manga, because it does invest in the point of view of the EGL outsider, that normalizing treatment won't fully gell.

@SNSD: I have also never understood the appeal. At the end of the year I was
about to shoot myself if I ever heard GEE again. And oppa oppa I'll be down
down down? Why doesn't this get banned again. Suggestive lyrics if I ever heard
any. Nothing against the girls, its the marketing that frustrates me. But
its okay because BB is BACK with a BANG!!!! I repeat myself when I say I
want fancams of T.O.P's solo NOW!!!!!

@crackberry v iphone
My addiction to my crackberry means that even armies of apple fanboys couldn't
make me switch. Its fast and email works well and it does everything an iphone
attempts to.

On another note, the iPad???? There are clearly no women on Apple's marketing
team? Who thought of this? Worst name for a product in recent memory!

@ 52 samsookie

have you heard the story about a bear who went poo in the woods?? whatever happened to the squirrel?

I really love CSJH a lot, except they haven't been in Korea for ages (and I don't even know what they're doing right now... they've just been MIA for about a year or so, I think). They're what a girl group, I think, should be like. They're mature, they don't overdose on the cute image (although they can be very cute, too), they're a... grown, mature, girl power girl group.

Sad that they're not in Korea...

@ belleza

I lost you on the EGL chic. LOL. But I agree with what you said about the Nobuta comparisons and all. I'm also liking the feel of PGE, which is why I keep tuning back (though I can't like, Kame is another reason, and plus the rest of the boys are very cute... the entire thing's very cute! LOL).

@ 41 A.

You know, the hair doesn't bother me at all anymore. It did at first, but now I don't even notice it. Oddly enough, ever since the stinky diaper scene, I DO picture samsooki as Kang-ha. ;-)

@ 48 lovenyc52

Yes. I'm not feeling the love from my mail carrier, who has on more than one occasion had to leave her vehicle and walk to my door because there was Too! Much! Mail! *glare*

@ 50 nycgrl

Now, that just ain't right. For me, all I have to do is LOOK at two pounds of food and 4 pounds appear on my butt. :-(

_______________

GAH! Really wish I hadn't hit "play" on that SNSD video. That's 10 seconds of my life I'll never get back. Bleh.

@ 52 samsooki

HAHAHAHA!

@mzpakipot,
check your gmail. sorry, i'd sent earlier emails to yahoo. :( it's paula253 but i answer to laura also. :) (no prob)

@WSIC Ending,

Not sure how I feel about WSIC.

Lee Kyung Hee flipped her typical approach and tried to stack the 2nd half of the show with possibilities of new psych terrain, rather than trying to close out the show with just one melodrama idea and going home with the tears.

At one point, I was rooting for Cha Kang Jing and Ji Wan's mom to fall in love with each other. I'm being completely serious. The last 4 episodes, WSIC morphed from A Love To Kill claustro-miseralism into a Tennessee Williams hothouse play.

I wanted Kang Jin to get his Oedipal on and just start making out like crazy with Ji Wan's mom. (C'mon, you thought it too. Their mom-son routine seemed WAY too blissful.) I wanted What Happened in Bali madness.

At least, I wanted the show to end with double suicides. The fact they ended up happy makes me feel vaguely cheated. I didn't want them happy -- I wanted them to completely lose their bearings and end in a puddle of tragic mom sex.

@langdon813,
"Garden & Gun (I swear I’m not making this up, it’s a real magazine)"

alas, I believe it. oh, please please send one of those extra copies to me instead of the ICU! that can't be good for people sitting around a hospital! i can only imagine the photo spreads. keke

and really big sorry that you know what it's like hanging around an ICU. :(

@58 belleza
I am ALL for that ending!
" I wanted them to completely lose their bearings and end up in a puddle of tragic
mom sex". HA!
I would have loved to see Go Soo do that, no lies.

Re: SNSD

While I am not a huge fan of the SNSD music, I am in favor of this group as a Power Girl Group. IMHO - part of their appeal to massive amounts people lies within smart marketing by SME(damnit!!!). They've got their marketing strategy down pat - which the other entertainment groups haven't quite grasped yet. By this, I mean that it shows(by their popularity) that they've studied what the general masses likes to watch and will buy stuff from. By studying what will appeal to the masses, they built a strong brand.

I respect the fact that these girls are branching out into different mediums: radio DJing, MCing, acting, variety shows, making strides into industries that aren't necessarily easy for girls. Any female who can trod a rocky path to make it smoother for the next generation of girls, they deserve a bit of respect. And especially in countries that aren't as progessive as others.

Another reason to admire the Girl Power group - they promote charity work. They made great strides, along with Super Junior, to raise awareness for blood donation. Their charity work exposes not only the charity they are working with, but heightens awareness & that is a great payoff.

I don't buy the concept of 'exploiting their cuteness' reason enough to hate them, unless you buy into the 'exploiting their sexiness' reasoning too. And if that's the case, then you hate on those who use their sexy concept & not talent to sell albums, get more airtime, and more money, right?

Loving or hating something can't always be explained, but giving a half-hearted, illogical reasoning(and I am not saying that anyone has) reflects more poorly on the person then the group. Can you say hate the concept, admire the artist - I think so.

As for dramas - I watched the first episode of Pefect Girl Evolution and I quit. Everything I loved about the manga has been stripped down to be played for laughs. The weird hand gestures & ticks of the girl playing Sunako got really annoying. And where did the little boy come from???

The other J-dramas that I am currently watching is Hancho & Untouchable. Light hearted mystery fluff. I needed it after watching the horrifying melodrama, Journy of the Midnight Sun. Oh my god! I can't even describe how I feel about this drama without contradicting myself all over the place. Yet, its one that I couldn't stop watching, hated myself for watching, and wished that I hadn't watched it - all for the right reasons and not because it was so badly acted or written. I don't know if I should recommend it, but because its so darkly twisted and finely acted, I think everyone should watch it.

Yes Hyuna's new song is god awful, yes SNSD's comeback is silly and tacky but all hope is not lost. CN Blue's new mini album is bloody good. No annoying pop songs, silly repetition, just good tunes. Who knew the guy from You're Beautiful could sing so well, and even rap!!!

And so is Mate's new mini album, if you don't know who Mate is then let me just say they make the best rock ballads I've heard in years. Really top quality stuff, just a taste, one of their best songs, so beautiful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le9v9ejIG2g

I hope Mate more recognition in Korea.

@ langdon813

my mailperson hates me too.. my mailbox has explosive diarrhea all the time :(

@ twin

yep.. twinship telepathy still strong. even on girl power. lol.

@ hpn88

yes. TOP solo vids, fancams, sightings, whatever.. NOW. please :) which VIPs do i need to become friends w/ to get these?

i'm feeling like a crackberry is the way to go, but i LOVE that the LG Chocolate Touch has an awesome mp3 player (even tho i don't need it at all!)

@ 58 belleza

Oh man, that's brilliant! Ji-wan's mommy is pretending that Kang-jin is her son, Kang-jin is subconsciously pretending that Ji-wan's mommy is HIS mommy, while outwardly pretending that Ji-wan's mommy is Ji-wan, so he can sleep with her! Ji-wan follows mommy and Kang-jin to Bali (it HAS to be Bali) and KILLS THEM DEAD, but only after Kang-jin reminds her "me first, then you", because Ji-wan is stoopid and points the gun at her own head first.

Or something. :-D

@ unni and belleza

Don't forget: Before Kang-jin dies, he looks at Ji-wan and says "I love...you" and then finally stops moving with eyes wide open, those deep soulful Go Soo eyes looking at her with all the love, pain and accusation in the world - forever. And Ji-wan catatonically lurches her way over to the pristine Bali beaches and looks out towards paradise while living in her own personal hell, which she has been living for 16 years. And then shoots herself in the foot. By accident, or is it fate?

A scene in one act:

Me: Honey, can you get me a pad?
Honey: o_O Huh?
Me: I *need* a pad. Now!
Honey: *runs towards the study* Here you go, baby.
Me: Not *this* pad, you moron! I'm all hormonal right now, can't you see! The *other* pad!
Honey: (silently curseing) "Damn, Apple has so f*cked me over royally until wife hits menopause."

@46 free magazine subscriptions

This actually happened to us at our office. My very conservative firm kept receiving Maxim and the senior execs would literally have a fit because of the covers(although they would secretly fish them out of the trash can later...) and we had to call them to get them to stop. Its a marketing thing - they'll send you the magazine for free for awhile and then hit you with a bill because you not calling them to stop them means you agree to them sending it and now you must pay. I would definitly call at least a couple of them to make sure you don't owe them anything.

not really contributing anything, but I LOVE THAT SONG.

@crimemastergogo
OMG an andaz apna apna reference? I haven't seen that movie in FOREVER
(Partly because I have no time b/c of drama watching). I really miss good old
bollywood. The last movie I saw was Kaminey.

i've nothing to contribute to OT (as usual) except i think i love TWWSWTM.. so i think im gonna follow this one now that WISFC ends.. aaa wait, i havent really watch CHUNO yet, me bad..

im still trying to figure out who PJH reminds me of.. my son said she looks like Hotaru (Ayase Haruka).. hmm, maybe..

@ Samsooki

that's hilarious...

Lol I watched Andaaz Apna Apna when I was like 9 but Shakti Kapoors tacky villain just stuck with me, maybe it was the awful cowboy boots.

Bollywood is just awful these days, it just helped me increase my K drama addiction aswell. Need to finish WISFC tho, I hope Go Soo got a good ending!!!

Friday! A few OT back someone recommended Family Honor. Thank you!!! I have been addicted to it this whole last week. It is 54 ep. long, but it is now my personal favorite for family drama. It had a lot of intensity but lots of humor as well. I tend to lose interest watching long family dramas but this one really kept my attention. Does anyone else have some recommendation for family dramas that are not airing currently?

As for Perfect Girl Evolution, I have only watched the first ep. (got addicted to Family Honor and pretty much paused on all other shows), but I rather liked it. J-drama really is a different breed so I wonder why some people like it and some like my mom can't stand it at all. Of course, I did grow up reading manga so I wonder if that helped.

anyone watching the woman who still want to marry at all?

i really really like it.. but seem like not a lot of people seem to watching it..

I agree with all the blackberry fans! Especially if you want to convert videos to watch on your phone, it has removable storage so you're not limited to the built in storage on like on your iphone, plus, it has removable battery so you can carry a spare and not worry about draining the battery watching the videos!

@crimemastergogo
Ah yes, weren't the early 90's just the best for fashion. He can only be beat
out by the awesomeness that was Mogambo in Mr India. This really makes me
want to go bacl and watch andaz apna apna and more importantly it made me
think of Jaane bhi do yaaro. Plans for tonight locked down! Chuno followed by
One of the best movies EVER made :)

@CrimeMasterGogo: Is Jung Yong Hwa the main vocal for CN Blue? Because it seems they relegated the other singer (who I thought was the main vocal) to a corner. Poor dude. I kind of find it a little hilarious though, but he's probably... not amused.

@ 77 asianromance

My pick for Jae-young would have been Yoon Se-ah (Go-hae from City Hall). But maybe that's typecasting her. Still, she would have rocked it.

@lb_tmi & those who love T.O.P
BIG SHOW FANCAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

to quote the fancam "DAEBAK!"
t.o.p is just badass with everything he does

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulnTxTSGKek&feature=player_embedded

I've always wanted to play the drums. Too bad I don't have the coordination/rhythm required. :(

@ langdon813

strange mail...but watch out that you're not on some trial magazine subscription- free for the introductory period, and then your CC gets charged after that period ends.

@ hjkomo & B020

Yeah, hubby already took care of all that. Yet they still keep coming. Besides, I'd like to see them prove I actually received all these magazines. Where's the video? Delivery receipts? No magazines in THIS house. O_o

@80 Thank you so much!!!!!

I can't wait for his solo acivities & his solo!!! Minor complaint is that they keep auto-tuning(is that the right term for that very un-natural robo sound?) him when really, his straight up rapping is so melt-worthy...

@73 emma’s dilemma:

I watch it too but I rely on subs to understand. Without them i can't discuss anything. It's cute but that's it so far.

@ twin

*shouts at the TOP of her lungs* WHERE U @?? hpn88 just sent you a present via OT120!! (see how i did that? see? i said TOP!)

@ hpn88

thank you thank you thank you! i will so be watching that when i get home (no streaming while at work :(

@B020

autotuning sucks always. i HATE it. especially on smexy voices. so ridiculous that they would autotune TOPNESS!

@ 77 asianromance

My pick for Jae Young would be any actress with a little less botox in her face.

about PGE:

My main problem is not the story. It's fine if they have to change it to fit the drama format. It's the cast that is the disappointment. Takenaga, Yuki and even Sunako are ok but not Kyohei and Ranmaru. At least for me, Kamenashi Kazuya is the worst actor to play Kyohei, ever. He is exactly the opposite of Kyohei in the manga in every single thing you can imagine ( except that both are super thin). Ranmaru is the other huge disappointment. The actor is boring and can't act and the character is also not as interesting and as memorable as in the manga.

Hi! I am watchinh Shining Inheritance right now and I am really confused by something. The stepsister wants to tell Hwan(chaebol jerk aka the lead) that her father died, but the stepmother won't let her. She keeps lying to Hwan's family and acts like the fact that her husband is dead is something to be ashamed of. I don't get it. What is the stigma associated with having a dead father/husband? I thought if the stepsiter told Hwan that her father is dead it would get her sympathy points. Will someone explain if there is a cultural context I am missing?

@lb_tmi and her twin and those who love T.O.P and those who love BB

you are welcome and here are more presents!

MORE BIG SHOW fancams
http://bigbangupdates.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-bangs-big-show-2010-day-1-100129.html

another advantage to crackberry: i just watched these fancams while at work..yes!

Pictures:
http://bigbangupdates.blogspot.com/2010/01/big-bangs-big-show-2010-photos.html

another advantage to crackberry's? streaming t.o.p at work!

@ twin

i know. i saw it. clicked on it and fainted. only just regained consciousness to reply. MY Tabi is just too hot for words.

@ hpn88

my workplace really does not appreciate you sending me video links that will send their employees into a dead faint, rendering them useless at their jobs. I, however, appreciate and love it very much and so i say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! :)

@ B020

i agree. why autotune perfection?

@SNSD,

Eh. Truthfully, they're not much better or much worse than most K-pop. (And I love the choreography for Tell Me Your Wish. A little bit of old school Rockettes glamour.) Most guys would scream or laugh hysterically if they were forced to listen to SuJu or Big Bang rap.

Anyway, hail to the greatest SNSD member of all . . . Kim Yuna ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxsk-US2Vws

@ockoala and langdon,

"By accident, or is it fate?"

Fate. And then failing that, Ji Wan keeps bumping her head into the ground until she kills herself. Sigh silly, silly Ji-wan. Oppa. Pout. SPLAT!!!

Between Ji Wan's Parkinson's Disease and Kang Jin's inability to blink (or talk about what he's really thinking), we definitely had this year's Physically Handicapped Love Couple. :D

"is all this nuna-love in current/upcoming dramas making you think of ahjumma-love."

Let's face it. It was 3 long years. Kang Jin must have looked at Ji Wan's mom and gone "yeah, I'd hit that." That's the real reason why he stayed. ;)

But, seriously, I did find the whole dynamic between KJ and JW's mom really fascinating. Everybody was riffing on the guilt trip and abandonment tropes, but I actually saw in their fake mom-son thing something of a fulfilled mom-son bond that neither could have.

And I kinda wished the story focused on that. Because the closer they get, the more we get to see Ji Wan oppt pout splats herself into oblivion.

Speaking of teeny bopper obsession, I'm absolutely obsessed with XX. The fact they're only 19 makes me realize that my generation did absolutely nothing worthwhile. Nothing. Worthwhile.

@ twin

"i agree. why autotune perfection?"

i was gonna say that.. but i knew you'd say it (it's the twinship telepathy).. and since you have TOP MINE! 95% of the time and i only have TOP MINE! 5%, i left it to you.

@ twin and hpn88

ok, i totally understand the need for a crackberry now. i want one. wait.. i NEED one!

puma noona on the prowl!!! RAWR!

Happy Friday, everyone!

@58 belleza

Yes, I totally fantasized about that as well plus that Ji-Wan's dad was actually his dad from his mom and Ji-Wan's dad's relationship prior to their break up. Thus, K-drama version of Oedipus Rex in present day!!!

Perfect Girl Evolution. I'm actually watching Ep. 3 right now(finally found the site I could watch now as Pandra has too much traffic and can't watch it now).
Like 71 jtinma said, the secret is to turn your brain off and enjoy even it's nothing like the best drama in J drama world. Bloody Monday? I just LUV watching Miura Yuma kun, that's all matters and I'm sure producers are intentionally providing lots of fan service changing(clothes) scenes, super close up shots and all the goodies for us. You can't go wrong with it. And so far, visuals are pretty cool.

Iphone

I do like my Iphone. and it's only $100 or $200 with AT&T contract. and monthly charges aren't outrageous. Plus it's one of a few phones with bandwidth you can use in Japan(and Korea as well?), So, I can use it in Japan, Australia and in London, places I go frequently. Overseas rates aren't cheap or anything. But it's better than not having a phone there(if you take out the original sim card and insert local sim, Iphone warranty gets canceled right there. So some of my colleagues go to Thailand to have them customized and then contact other carriers like T mobile). Anyway, then international text is only 50 cents a shot. Really not bad at all.

SNSD

My girlfriend's 14 years old daughter is also their fan on top of others like Bigbang and other idol(yet, K pop groups can actually sing fantastically) band. They are appealing to broader age ranges with their spunky cuteness. It's all good, even providing us something common to talk about with younger people and so on. Boy, do I sound like obasan again? Sigh. Sorry, I've just skimmed through the thread and haven't really read them with atmost attention. so, if my comments are a bit off, forgive me. I'd better get back to Perfect Girl Evolution and then start working.

Then, later I have to take my new Macbook back to the store to get my files transferred. It's so frustrating and it's slowing my schedule so that I'm getting a bit discouraged and lazy, therefore, Perfect Girl Revolution...

@91 hpn88

OMG! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Everybody!
So I'm watching Queen Seon Duk (a little belatedly?) and while the main reason I decided to watch it was everyone's praise of the Mishil character... she has become the one thing I DON'T like about the show! I was expecting this amazingly evil performance... raising your eyebrows after every other word, opening your eyes really wide when you talk, and smiling "menacingly" for no reason does NOT make you a good actor! The character isn't that interesting either. I definitely prefer the actress playing Deokman.
Sorry for the rant. I just HAD to get that off my chest. I'm also secretly hoping that a horde of people will agree with me (but that won't happen, now, will it?). : D
Have a great weekend everybody!
(Oh and to whoever was talking about great Bollywood cheesiness, you HAVE to see Sholay. Best. Armless. Fight. Scene. Ever.)

yah its the weekend
WISFC has finally finished and no more angst and drama
it was making my head hurt
PASTA was really truly ugly with all that yelling, and the writer should be SHOT
who has a kitchen with chefs who doesn't know simple knowledge about food prep and yet half of them were fired, and the food they were producing before were fine, and customers were still coming in, why change it
JEJOONGWON great drama, and story and not too much and good pace, cant wait for more
GOD OF STUDY, well, since there are no subs of god of study yet for ep 2 cant watch it but will when its available

this week has been surprisingly good, good drama and sorta good endings, hope for a nice relaxing weekend catching up on HON SOUL, and drinking custartd from the bottle