Did I just watch a RPG version of the Battle of Red Cliff?

Ottoke, I don't know what to think? I've only watched Part I (jeez, that's a long first half), but John Woo could not POSSIBLY have based his movie on the Records, its even more melodramatic in flavor than Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

And Xiao Qiao - ARFMGH - why oh why JW did you have to insert the "most beautiful woman in the world" plot device in this movie. You've just transformed the most epic battle in Chinese history into a redux of Wu San-gui at Sanhai Pass opening the gates for the Qing because Chuang Wang Li Zi-cheng stole Chen Yuan-yuan from you. So now the great Zhou Yu is married to a pretty tea pouring chick with no screen presence, and the legendary Cao Cao was merely sailing south for a WOMAN!!! My head explodes now.

[Side bar: my new theory is that any wuxia female name begins with a Xiao, she's pretty useless. Examples: Xiao-die in Meteor Butterfly Sword, Xiao-zao in Dragon Sabre, and of course, the Xiao-qiao here in Red Cliff].

I'm going to finish watching of course, the movie has been great so far in visuals and acting (except for a certain model turned actress, really, Maggie would have made the soft elegance of that character and brought out her sensual steeliness, and instead we get blank face), but the story, OMG, the story, I am speechless and wonder if I'm being too harsh on JW since the Chinese netizens obviously didn't want to boil him in a vat of oil after the "creative license" he took.

Major sigh, Cao Cao as a lovesick pervert is wrong on so many levels, but what the heck, it's just a movie, right?

Staying away from news is very very hard, going to read only Chinese newpapers today, still wanting to pet Peyton the head and tell him he'll be back again, and it was God's will.

First stills from Binnie and Tang Wei's new movie.

So handsome, so broody, so scruffy, Scruff-Bin is back!

http://allkoreangossip.com/2010/02/still-cut-from-hyun-bin-tang-weis-new-movie-revealed/

stay safe to all those encountering treacherous snow and other weather conditions. we were supposed to see 2-4 inch accumulations here.. but we have just a dusting so far (thank heavens!).. the southern part of the state is supposed to get dumped on, not nearly as bad as the east coast, but still more than i'm getting here. sooo.. be safe & stay warm!

YAY for the saints winning the superbowl, even tho i didn't watch. i was too busy stuffing my face and gaining 4 lbs. :D

Just came back from lunch and saw JYP having lunch with a lady with a fancy bag and coat. He looks better and taller in person.

@nycgrl
I hope you didn't let her in because I had that same experience long ago and was a softie letting her in for that last time. Of course, she "accidently" broke a vase as she was dusting. Grrrrrrr!
@ockoala
I usually skim over all the comments of the chinese dramas and movies since I'm not really into them but I did get a copy of Red Cliff because of all the buzz here. I really enjoyed it and find it very interesting to read your comments about it. I guess since I have no knowledge of Chinese history, I didn't understand how insulting? (is that the right word?) that JW protrayed CaoCao's obsession with that woman and to the history of China.

@twin,

on ZJZ's wanderer, that's EXACTLY my 'prob' with it. it's sooo odd to see things shifted around, esp when I dont see a point. I'm not liking the meeting of RYY and LHC. IF I havent read the novel, it's too blatant OTP, the love/crush of LHC on his little dongseng was soooo crucial in his character development and needed more cultivating!
But I really like the cinematography, it's very detailed and everything is so properly gorgeously lit. I just hate it when indoor scenes r lit with fluorescent to the tee! (Yes QSD, I'm grumpy with u still)

RC....u know I know ur pain and more. That's exactly my feeling watching it (and on top of it, I have prob with the acting...).... it's an RPG with done up visuals....honestly his movie based more on the RPG game than any piece of literature and since I grow up obsessed with that game, I can play up a MUCH better tighter more epic story guaranteed, MR JW!

it sooo pained me with all the trivialization of the characters and how JW made questionable artistic directorial judgement on EVERY single thing. U know sometimes u cant help but have empathy on the moviemakers...u can clearly see the intention, but it's the execution that lacked....here JW spoke repeatedly on his intentions.. like the homoerotic bromance was INTENTIONAL (and Tony can't help but jab...) XQ should be a pivotal character in the whole 2 kingdom milieu, and insisted on MORE XQ in part2 (http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2008-07-02/22182085483.shtml)

this is a compilation of news articles on RC. I spat black blood reading some of them.
http://ent.sina.com.cn/f/m/chibi/news/more.html

and more silly YH/LSS shipping... lol
http://hiphotos.baidu.com/miss0307/pic/item/314b42c2570e2866b319a896.jpg

AND, we read this before, I just didnt know LSS herself SAID the following:
袁弘：我对嘉仪公主是一直没有什么的，都是她在追我。
刘诗诗：但我有一场幻想戏是要色诱他的，没想到他看到我那样的打扮之后竟然对我咽了两口口水。（笑）

also, this is an old blog entry by Tangren lady boss on our loverboy. sooo dreamy....
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4949dc8a010008el.html

Peyton had a ring already dear. (I'm just forever an underdog shipper, even not considering I'm Brees' fangirl since his Purdue days!)

@nycgrl,

that's sticky....so what r u going to do with that cleaning lady?!

on the Letterman ad....I was swearing Leno was keyed on as well, it's funny, but y did Jay agree on this?! to show he's good sport?! way too late for that..lol

@ twin

I know, I know, share the wealth, Saints are underdogs, its good for America, blah blah blah, btw, I adore Drew Brees (what SD did to him was shitty beyond belief), and would cheer him on against ANYONE, except Peyton. End of story, c'est la vie, it was a great game.

Red Cliff:

@ cmslover - I actually enjoyed watching the movie, but all during the first half, I was just puzzled by the plot and characterizations JW choose to do, I think he executed it wonderfully, if the point was to introduce a vapid Helen of Troy like woman in the center of a epic dynastic shifting battle. I didn't like that direction, and Zhuge Liang should have been played by Tony Leung, period. In fact, I argue that Tony *was* playing Zhou Yu as Zhuge Liang, and Takeshi merely his boytoy tagalong. Which shafts the brilliance of Zhuge Liang big time.

I'll see what I think after I finish Part II. @ mookie, I totally agree with you on RC, my sister-in-law says everyone saw it in Taiwan, and came out pretty mad. See, you can LotR as an RPG Peter Jackson funhouse because it's a fantasy scifi story. I don't think taking RC down that path was a good idea because it was rooted in history. And you can say 300 was rooted in history, but you don't really see the Greeks complaining about the movie, and I can't complain for them. ;-)

As for our loverboy, OMG that was the bestest article ever, so sweet and heartfelt in every word.

"中国最有潜力的两个新人，都被你们签走了" - SO TRUE - that China's most promising two young stars were signed by Tangren already. Hu Ge is a star and Yuan Hong is an actor.

And this has me in stitches ; 所以后来我立了家法，他们两人不能同时谈恋爱，其中一人交女朋友了另一人就只能单身，为了唐人的光明前途与方便接受使唤。- so this means, that their manager has forbidden the two guys to date *at the same time*, which means loverboy and SS are not allowed to date bc apparently HG has a girlfriend from what I hear (and appears to date a lot based on what she wrote in this article, which is surprising). And what SS wrote in that tweet, girl, you know he adores you, right? We can all tell by your chemistry and loads of wink wink BTS interviews and tweets, you just need to keep up the OPW on him, and then beg your manager to waive the rules for you two.

And I think you mentioned bf that loverboy did in fact audition for YG in ZJZ's RoCH adaptation which went to Huang Xiao-ming, inneresting....

Btw, I am absolutely in AWE of the use of real mountain scapes in the ZJZ Wanderer adaptation, absolutely breathtaking vistas, I only wished the score was up to par. I didn't find the musical score to be as OMG unbelievable as its supposed to be.

^ ZJZ is beyond horrible with scores... BEYOND. Almost like he does not have hearing. I bet your dislike of DemiGods (and RoCH) was large part the score. He'll totally use a lousy 'soothing' classical piece during an epic wuxia fight!!! and all this goes around to how LoCH is awesome! It's big progress in Cdramaland for pieces of music that r not jaunting! lol rem that song 'I can only love u' during THAT first kiss?! awesome idoldramaness!

Yeah I was surprised about Leno showing up in the ad. I think he was trying to do some PR work. Seriously after two late night wars he is looking a bit like a douche.

As to my cleaning lady, no I didn't let her in--once I've made up my mind about someone that's pretty much it especially after I've given clear and repeated warnings. If my husband wasn't around to reassure me that I had fired her the previous week I would have thought I was just going crazy which isn't that unusual for me since sometimes when I'm stressed I think I did something only to find I did it in my dreams. If she shows up again next week I'll think I'm living Bill Murray's life in Groundhog's day and just stay in bed and call the cops.

@ cmslurver

Hhhm, you mention "insulting" to describe the motivations JW fictionally added to the battle of Red Cliff.

I don't personally feel insulted, it's history made into a movie, creative tinkering is of course perfectly acceptable.

But suppose someone made the Battle of Waterloo and made it so that Napoleon fought the battle because he was upset that someone made a pass at Josephine, or that the Battle of Gettysburg was fought because General Robert E. Lee thought his wife was cheating with a Northerner, rather than the potential division of a country at stake.

I guess it just feels like JW trivializes the gravitas of Cao Cao as a legendary warload ala Ghenghis Khan or Napoleon, and makes his motivations for fighting Sun Quan and Liu Bei turn from conquering all of China (good for him, dream big!) to grabbing a pretty chick he met years ago and can't get over and doesn't even know what she looks like now, but he imagines she's a great beauty, and even makes prostitues he finds pretend to be her and serve him tea. Icky poo poo, lamecakes.

@ twin

YESYESYESYESYES - I never figured it out until you just said it!!- ZJZ adaptations have the worst music in any drama I have ever watched, whatever episodes I manage to watch. Completely sleep inducing OR totally incongruous for the scene at hand. I can't believe I never put two and two together until you pointed it out. I just roll my eyes and stop watching.

LoCH 2008 - awesome awesome score, a few more songs would be nice, but regardless, I loved the instrumental and the songs choices.

"lol rem that song ‘I can only love u’ during THAT first kiss?! awesome idoldramaness!"

Hehehehe, I was too busy drooling over that kiss, and to have a second kiss even hotter than the first kiss within 10 minutes! was serious too much for me to handle, I was a puddle on the floor. Esp. since the second kiss he basically grabs her, kisses the daylights out of her and the swings her right on that horse in one movement, squeeeeee so fine!

@ 204 nycgrl

JYP is in NYC still?? thought he was back in korea.... ha i love random celeb sightings.

In other random news... i finally got the guts to quit my job today. My last day will be the end of this lovely short month. eeps!! at least i have another job lined up... but it's always hard to leave when you're comfortable you know?? .. it was just time. past time actually.

@ lovenyc52

Congrats on the big decision and the new job! :-)

@ twin

"Almost like he does not have hearing"

I almost missed this gem, I'm ROTFLMHO. I think it's the giant mane of hair ZJZ has on his head, probably blocks hearing to his ear canals. Even the Wong Jing version of Fox Volant is scored better. Actually, I think scoring saguek/wuxias drama wise - 80s/90s HK probably does the best job, but right now, k-dramas are really upping the ante on perfectly scored dramas. Chuno, for instance, has a wonderful score. And I know belleza hates this score, but I loved the Damo score, loved it to pieces. And Tamra - hands down my fave score of the year.

What totally vaporized my heart to bleeding particles with JW's RC was not how he handled a lot of things...

'it’s history made into a movie, creative tinkering is of course perfectly acceptable.' very very true... my sentiments also.

BUT! When JW went around at presscons saying stuff like in the following articles: http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2009-03-05/14512403458.shtml, http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2009-03-03/22072400413.shtml

bluntly saying he thought the historical work was 'dumbing down CaoCao'...and JW himself is 'doing Cao justice by giving him a more historically accurate portrayal, upping his warlord brilliance...blablabla' THEN intentionally gave us this middle-aged pervie dictator who clearly strategized with his ...um... lower 'brain'..... I'm beyond disturbed, and I'm insulted.

ok my friend just sent me a vid on pandas, I've never thought pandas can be anything but super cute.... but I'm disturbed....and this is so not PG imo.

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTUwNDgzNTIw.html

@nycgrl, gosh I have to take notes... I just hired a cleaning lady as well and I feel like I'm imagining things/being a bitch(I cant really rem what I said most of the time, but when I thought I gave her some specific instructions and it's not done... I wonder and am confused..)

@lovenyc52

Yes, I don't get many Korean celebs sitings out here in NYC perhaps because I don't know how to spot them though I see plenty of western celebs at the restaurants and theaters. NYers just pretend not to see them which is a blessing for them. One time while sitting in my car in Chelsea waiting for my husband to pick up a furniture from a friend's, Tim Robbins leans on the back of my car and hocks out a luggie while he was rollerblading. Truly a lovely sight.

"In other random news… i finally got the guts to quit my job today."

Good luck. Its always scary but I learned that moving around is the best way to raise your salary and learn more since different organizations do things differently.

@mookie
"gosh I have to take notes… I just hired a cleaning lady as well and I feel like I’m imagining things/being a bitch"

I have the worst experience with cleaning ladies so please don't follow my lead---I'm just good at firing them when its not working out. The problem is I do a much better job than they do, notice what they do wrong, point out their errors but to no lasting effect and then I wound up firing them. When I do find someone I like their zeal for cleaning only lasts for about 6 months. The only reason I get a cleaning lady is the time I spend cleaning a week--at least 10 hrs or so--is billable work time so if I spend that time cleaning I would be losing money.

@ 202 ockoala

Thanks for that link...because it led me to this -

http://allkoreangossip.com/2010/02/five-sexy-abs-from-drama-pasta/

YUM! :D

@ lovenyc52

Congrats on your new job!

@ 204 nycgrl
"Just came back from lunch and saw JYP having lunch with a lady with a fancy bag and coat. He looks better and taller in person."

Well, wouldn't want him to look worse and shorter in person...he can only go up, no? keke ;)

@hjkomo
"Well, wouldn’t want him to look worse and shorter in person…he can only go up, no? keke "

How sad would that be if I had reported back that he was uglier and shorter in person but you know he actually looks pretty decent among the plebs.

Most stars I see around here look worse in real life than on screen except Spike Lee--he looks exactly like what you see on small and large screen. They must go through some intense diet and exercise before making a film or coming on a show because some of them look shockingly scary like Keanu Reeves and Ethan Hawke. Really they look worse than the common folk.

See, this is why I worry about Hyun Bin. He's starting to look scary skinny in photos, what must he look like in person? :-(

@nycgrl,
my standard is horribly low living by my lazy self, hubby does the cleaning, but he's been traveling... so very happy to pay for chores to be done with. but when I spilled coffee in car.. and it's still visible. I rem I brought out my tiny steam vac to garage and asked her to try clean it and didnt drive the car that morning specifically and she told me I didnt say so. I'm vexed. This is a rec fr an auntie and she raves about her and it's just 2 months in. :(

@ HB, manchu, Tang Wei.
actually my bud told me, shockingly he's even more good looking in person (She's not even a fangirl of his). Frankly I'm wayyyy more intrigued with seeing Tang Wei. such a talent caught up in some silly politics and banned fr any work. She's just an actress doing her job (marvelously btw) in Lust Caution...and now her only 'way out' is to work in an American/Korean collab, acting as a criminal who's on leave on 'good behavior'. How ironic.

Just finished watching ep 6 of Pasta. Never dared admit this before: But I didn't understand the appeal of The Voice. Didn't particularly like him in Coffee Prince, found him borderline annoying in Triple. But as the chef from hell in Pasta... Oh ho! I'm totally ready to move into the Voice Village. Mama mia!

OK, can't stand it anymore, have to ask: Who is JYP?

@ serendipty

JYP is Park Jin-young (or Jin-young Park for his acronym), the founder of JYP Entertainment, which the THE k-pop label for artists like the Wonder Girls, 2 PM, and he also repped Rain in the past, and a host of k-pop artists.

He's also mighty unattractive, hence the comment by nycgrl that he has nowhere to go but up when you see him in person.

That's like seeing Ron Jeremy in person probably, nowhere to go but up.

@ twin

Poor Binnie is wasting away. :-(

As for housekeepers, I am the absolute biggest pushover, sigh, I just hope they clean well because I am nice to them.

@217 nycgrl

Lol! About seeing famous people in real life. Many years ago, (in the 80s) my sister called me one day ,she was just beside herself. She had met Robert Redford at some function. All she had to say was " Oh my god! I 'm taller than Robert Redford!" She was not a happy camper! :)

Thanks for your replies guys. I'm sort of getting over the fiancee issue as it is now so clear that Go Hae doesn't care for Jo Gook's heart.

But I have a question. I just finished episode 14 of City Hall (aka THE Kiss) last night, but as I'm reading Samsooki's awesome recaps I'm curious as to how BB is being controlled (a lesser form of control) by Go Hae. When they met to discuss the property, it seemed like BB was in control and Go Hae was the timid one. As well, when BB asked if Go Hae's dad has been talking about the mysterious factory, it felt like if BB found out that Papa Go had loose lips BB could just drag him down. I'm just getting the feeling that BB can make or break anyone in the game right now.

I've just sneaked a peek @ WUAS 12...so wanna watch.
11 deflated a bit for me.... guy 2 is borderline un-standable now and what's gripping me with this drama is the great balance of the family/kid storyline without sacrificing the romance...so lots of plots every single ep. 11, yes i got more OTP goodness, but I felt the kids were swept under some carpet. the writing is lazier than usual, but I got what I want most...the angsting of yummy prick!

@twin,
a pick-u-up pic?
http://ss14.sinaimg.cn/orignal/48e837eeg7f2c1345d71d&690
haha if I was any good at ps, u know what I would do.

*sigh* I'm a total pushover as well....only stew after she left. it's just worst that I think she knows I'm a pathetic pushover.

ok for the Mr Darcy/Colin Firth fangirls
A Serious Man = must watch. nudity + in water

@trixicopper
" All she had to say was ” Oh my god! I ‘m taller than Robert Redford!” She was not a happy camper! "

You know I'm surprised about Robert Redford. You know who else is really short in person? Mark Walhberg. He is really short. He made hubby's day when we saw him since my husband grew up with asian girls drooling over Marky Mark's naked chest and his Calvins.

^ there's an NYmag article on the ht of Robert Redford. ;)

http://nymag.com/movies/features/49912/

@mookie

Honestly I don't know how tall RR is. My sister is 5'10" and I have always believed her about that story just because of how upset she was about it. :)

@ trixicopper

o my realistic guess (fr the gist of that article) would be around 5'7- 5'8. I'm shocked as well, then that means Paul Newman (RIP and <333) must be around that or shorter.

so manheels/stacked cowboy boots r must for many many heroes on screen.

JYP -- Thanks for the clarification!

NYT on Robert Redford's height -- Lovely article! Thanks, Mookie!

@ ockoala, nycgrl, hjkomo, cingdoc

thanks for the new job good luck wishes :) i'll need it!! the big boss asked to talk to me today, asking what they could to to get me to stay and what not. but you know what, even if they offered me more money, i'm just already at the point where i've made up my mind to leave and have mentally prepared myself for a change. so there's just no going back. who knows, i could regret it later, but it's a move that had to be made.

I'm in such a drama slump. I'm reading about all these great dramas i should be watching, and yet... i can't get myself to start anything. The ONLY one i'm regularly watching now is AC, and that's just cuz it's so close to being finished (very sad that i have to wait 2 weeks before the final eppie is aired due to CNY).

Don't know where to start now..... everything is mid-airing haha. Guess I'll have to just wait for Cinderella's Sister at the end of March!

@ momosan... I finally caved this morning and got up at crack of dawn to watch Wish Upon A Star... only to find that I couldn't get SBS to connect over Livestation! I was so desperate to know what happened at conclusion of Ep 11... and then... Sleep sacrificed for nothing! I was crushed. Went on to have a completely irritating and irritated day.

Am I perhaps a little too invested in k-drama? I guess so. And will I be up at crack of dawn on Monday ? ... yep.

Eps 11 and 12 I wasn't so crazy about, but 12 had some excellent individual scenes.

OK, the dishes are waiting and tomorrow is a whole new day ("with no mistakes in it yet" as one red-haired orphan used to say).

@ twin

You need to watch ep. 31 of Fox Volant, just the first 30 minutes. If Wong Jing did anything right, its to harken back to classic era TVB OTP farewell death scenes. Nie Yuan was very uneven as Hu Fei, except for his very effective love stare at Athena after HF falls in love with Zhi-yi. It's actually a very intense, lovelorn yet controlled longing, I think in that respect he acted very well. In their final scene, we get awesome snowy landscapes, married under the heavens, cursing the heavens, and your very very bittersweet first kiss and then she dies. Oh, and HF bitchslaps Miao Ruo-lan, thought you'd like to know, that scene is also worth the price of the DVD, I only wished it was longer and a few more times. :-P

As for ZJZ's Wanderer - I'm thoroughly opening my mind up to embrace it and will comment about the entire drama after I'm done. One thing tho, Li Ya-peng does not play LHC as completely devoted, adoring yet restrained with his dongsaeng. I don't even get a he loves her in a womanly way vibe, total oppa-dongsaeng vibe, which negates all the emotional baggage he character carries through the show. Richie's abhorrent portrayal of LHC (may he RIP and never be resurrected) was the opposite, completely puppysick over YLS, and since Richie also had ZERO chemistry with Anita Yuen's RYY, it destroyed the OTP. Here, I guess it's to reinforce the OTP. Hhhhmmm, not sure whether that will work.
____________________________________________________

As for my current k-drama addiction - WUAS

I hope everyone is caught up, I have a few mild spoilers, but nothing to ruin the latest eps for people who have yet to catch up.

I've already discussed why I enjoy watching it so much, but the early episodes have now shifted squarely into the romantic quadrangle dynamic, and honestly, the OTP hasn't even shown anything resembling romantic gestures.

However, like @ mookie says, we gets lots of angst from our fave coldblooded lawyer Kang-ha, and that's always good for eye candy. On a serious note, I love how EVERYONE, except for TK, can see cleary and knows what everyone else is up to. KH knows the shit JH is brewing and the demonic pursuit of him by JY, JY knows KH is moved by PK, PK knows JH is using her and that KH is acting weird around her, and JH pretty much is trying to play machiavellian puppet master except he's far from being in the driver's seat in anyone's life.

And inspite of all of these very clear and visible lines, everyone is genuinely caught off guard all the time and not quite sure what is going to happen. I love that, I was getting tired of smart people doing stupid and pointless things in the name of *cough" duty, or penance, or plain drama-induced ignorance *cough*

I'm intrigued by the dual path redemption of the leads, its rare the OTP are so so flawed, and continue to be even at such late stage of the drama. PK is a real treat to watch grow, from the vapid girl to the girl who only wears pants, CJW has made me a new fan after I eviscerated her performance in KotW. And come to think of it, PK wasn't really so vapid, I recollect she began to like KH because he yelled at her for her vapidness and she was really impressed by his life mantra, tho it did lead her to want him for his money, but initially, I think she liked him for his no bullshit attitude.

Anyways, I hope there continue to be more scenes with the kids, who liven up any moment, and less JY and JH at this point.

I feel WUAS is the opposite of Pasta (which I am planning to pick up again), in that Pasta has an amazing OTP chemistry with the side characters or story less intriguing, whereas WUAS is lacking in OTP chemistry (so far) but I'm really invested in the story of PK and the kids, and KH's change.

Oh nevermind.... I just watched episode 15 and yes, the almighty dollar does trump all, even BB.

@twin,

*sigh* that Fox dvd did not survive my move apparently. u r soo dangling carrots here! I'll go to youku to catch ep 31 then.

'One thing tho, Li Ya-peng does not play LHC as completely devoted, adoring yet restrained with his dongsaeng. I don’t even get a he loves her in a womanly way vibe, total oppa-dongsaeng vibe, which negates all the emotional baggage he character carries through the show.'

YES!! it also make the whole LHC/RYY tiring and draggy fast.
I'm really not liking the OTP so apparent so early on. IT's almost like ZJZ decided the whole first love is bleh when it's soooooo not! That is major plot dude! it's shaping so many subsequent life decisions LHC made!! it dumbfounded me how ZJZ thought this one true innocent puppy love at a time of his life when everything is simple and black/white before all hell broke loose is so insignificant when I dont even think he'll even entertain the idea of RYY at all w/o it. that's y me and you will never be ZJZ's fangirl. I do think this wanderer is watchable, it's alright in many aspects but he screwed it up in some MAJOR points, watch on... so aggravating at times.

haha I wanted to spazzzz...

was watching Good Wife, they mentioned LoCH!!!! the suspect, when interrogated on what's the weird Chinese files on his pc ....guess what.... L O C H (I'll bet $ it's the 08 one they're referencing)!!! the cop went on to ask him what the heck is Legend of Condor Heroes, he said it's about a pair of brothers learning martial arts! (my next bet is one of the writer is a fan!!) cop: do u know chinese? suspect *rolleye*: there r SUBTITLES! hehe he is some graphic novel writer and he's 'stealing' ideas fr the master!

@momosan, I'm still not totally sure y WUAS is owning me.. but I do think it's enough plot and mystery and intrigue w/o too much braincells required.... nth is poorly plotted... everything is still makin logical sense in kdramaland.

@ twin,
don't tell me u r the writer on Good Wife.. I'll totally F L I P.

@ twin

i can't remember.. did i tell you congrats on the new job? if i didn't: CONGRATS!!! you're gonna have a blast in NYC (whodathunkit w/ a name like lovenyc52?) and DC before heading over to the new job!!

we'll miss you on OT tho. :( at least for the first coupla weeks while you're training. :D

@ mookie-twin

WAHHHH, a US TV show referenced LoCH? (I also bet my kids its the 2008 version). No, I'm not the writer for The Good Wife, nor am I writer for anything at all, as evidenced by my very shoddy writing skills. I "write" legal documents for a living. :-P

That was a totally cool shoutout! I don't watch The Good Wife, I'm currently only watching 2 US shows, Lost and Life Unexpected (Cate + Ryan 4EVA!). I've lost interest in House, and everything else I used to even watch sporadically. But still....that must've made your head spin right round? Oh, and the synopsis "two brothers who learn martial arts skills" is sooooo inadequate, I snarf at this so-called fan. It's like calling LotR "a short guy returns a ring", and The Two Towers "the short guys get lost and in a lot of trouble" and RotK "the short guy returns the ring, bad guy is defeated and a guy marries an elf."

I finished watching Invincible Lee Pyeonggang last night, and it was sweet and cute. But nothing I would recommend, I dunno, but I can say that Nam Sang-mi has sparkling chemistry with EVERY single one of her male co-stars in any drama of hers I have watched. And I attribute that to her effortless charm.

@ twin

So, I still need to watch Part II of RC (waiting for night when hubby comes home before the next day starts), but I went and googled the upcoming Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama, mildly intriguing.

Which led to to this total fangirly moment - as I noticed Nie Yuan is in RotTK, I also noticed he is in the upcoming Water Margin drama (which I am becoming more interested in by the minute). Remember we saw pics of Yan Kuan with his tattoos, well, also starring is Ray Lui (OMG, the two Hu Feis are in the same drama!), Li Jie (squeeee), and Anita Yuen (and the cast list of major cast members is OMG so long, well, cuz there are 108 outcasts, right!). Anyways, thought you like to know.

It's just missing the Tangren bunch, but I am finger crossed hope the direction will be awesome.

@ twin

haha thanks! even tho DC/NY will be a$$ cold, i know i'll love it cuz it's NY for goodness sakes. what's not to love? and i haven't been to DC since i was but a wee thing so it'll be nice to visit. as for OT's once i start my new job... we'll see!! i've heard the pet peeve of the boss there is web-surfing while at work (except before/after work and lunch) so... OT may have to wait until lunchtime and weekend. what a pity... either way, since it's a new job i gotta actually think again (and be on my best behavior!!) so web-surfing will probably be the last thing on my mind lol.

@ cingdoc

i am still on ep 4 of IRIS. i finally got my media converter box so i can watch IRIS on my tv instead of on my laptop (LBH and My Tabi tv-sized is so much better than laptop sized!!) I have Ohitorisama all DLed and ready for watching... and still have not gotten around to it. Bloody Monday 2 has been calling me and I've been ignoring it as well. It really is just utter laziness taking over my life.

@ cingdoc and twin

i'm still on ep 10 of SOAM. it's SOOO good, but i just can't find the time or the motivation to finish it. i think a part of me is sad to see it end, cuz it is so good. i've read JB's recaps.. and i'm understanding a lot more, even tho it's eng subbed.. i think the whole stock market thing confused me way too much.. so THANKS JB!! and i've also not even jumped aboard the YB or Tamra ships yet.. and i'm only on ep 3 of IRIS, and ep 2 of TWWSWTM. and i have the first 5 eps of AC dl'ed but have not even attempted watching it..

drama slump when there are SOOOO MANY to watch kinda sucks.

@ twin

i can't see u missing too many OTs. just the first coupla weeks do i expect you to actually HAVE lunch.. after that, i think you'll starve. :D too much to post on OT. it's the twin telepathy telling me this. lol.

psst... LA might be back on again.. i wish Mr. LB_TMI would make up his mind!!!

@ ockoalatwin,

u can't imagine how bad I flipped @ Good Wife last nite. OMGOSH!
haha I'm fine with that one liner description. I mean he's being interrogated and beyond vexed....at least that's not an untruth (considering it's as white a CBS show can be) even if it's for me, I can't possibly sum it up in a paragraph.

o hehe, I am on the water margin AND Romance of 3 Kingdoms way back. those 4 great novels adaptations coming out this yr... I totally lost interest in Journey to the West (ZJZ ...and saw the trailer, nth exciting for me), Red Chamber has some interesting art direction which I may still wanna take a look.

BUT water margin and 3 kingdom r in the 'cant do much wrong' lvl of expectation. I honestly think Nie Yuan and loverboy AND Ray Lui r lookalikes. (blatantly my type)... *sigh* I still so wish loverboy can get a bit role in one of those testosterone fares!! Romance is edging out for me....main cast of Water Margin r ... not enough fangirling power with those real looking ahjusshis!

I'm watching WUAS over lunch... O M G . Since guy 2 is so out of the window for me to care and only there for juicy plot progression, ep12 is so packed with everything to die for. I got back the kids (that little PR and KH sleeping walking scene: OMG squeeeee) And I realized y this show is so owning me not unlike MNIKSS... it started out just kinda cute, ease me into caring for the characters first couple eps without too lofty an expectation... THEN it pulled in full gear of decent writing for a family drama. The kids r not overused for plot/dangling our emotions cariatures. Characters grow in the speed of every ep, amazing in kdramaland. and now when I'm utterly invested, the writers throw in ALL the cliches and it worked and I want and care every single one of them!!! with only 4 eps left, we did not have to drag on the issues, it's brought to light without much excessive stewing so promptly, and yes no 'plain drama-induced ignorance'. now with only 4 eps left (?) we still have plenty plot to go around and develop! ahhhhh no dragging, what a refreshing notion!

And part of the drug of WUAS, naked KH, are we getting a shower/sweating angsting scene every other ep now?! not that I'm complaining AT ALL

I'm having a great time with my current drama line-up! Lemme see, I'm watching Chuno, Pasta, Wish Upon A Star, Woman Who Still Wants to Marry, Smile You and Super Rookie. Very happy with every single one of them!

Fortunately none of them are ripping my heart out (not yet, anyway...my money's on Chuno though, I expect devastation any minute now). :-(

@ twin

WUAS is a 20 episode drama!!! Yippee, it has always ben 20 eps, so it was not extended (the blade of death for me considering any drama). We have 8, count 'em, 8 more episodes of awesome to come. You summed it up perfectly why I also love WUAS despite the fact that I will never apply terms such as "best drama ever!" or "most innovative drama ever!" or "best directed drama ever!' It needn't be anything more than a sweet, endearing drama with two main leads I care very very much about, and a gaggle of adorable, impeccable child actors to round out the family.

JH - he's different than most 2nd leads, I can give you that. And I love SDW, I'll go with the flow on him.

I'm more into Water Margin (just my fave of the four Great Novels), and the cast is to-die-for. Three Kingdoms, I maybe all Zhuge Liang'ed out after I finish RC II, we shall see. As for Red Chamber, I hate the three main characters in that novel, how can I like a novel when I want to boil the two Yu's (Dai-yu and Bao-yu) in vats of vinegar and oil. Pass on that one. Also, I hate passive-agressive femmy-manboys.

And again my eyes need your eyes to point out the obvious, no wonder as I headdesked my way through Fox Volant (until I discovered the yummy OTP satisfaction WJ had in store for me), I could never FF any scene with Hu Fei inspite of Nie Yuan's questionable dramatic acting (he does confident playful very well). NY looks like Yuan Hong! And they both have the screen presence and look resemblance to Ray Lui. Argh, we have a type, twin. I mean Argh in a good way, of course.

@ langdon-unni

Wow, you have a huge plate! Don't forget to add an eppie of LoCH here and there. mookie and I will quiz you every so often. ;-)
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Jejoonwon

Okay, it's now showing in LA on Mon-Tues nite, and I caught about 15 minutes of episode 1 last night. I had zero intention of watching this drama, and it all changed in 15 minutes. I won't start until it's done airing, I've got too much right now, plus I imagine this is one drama I am going to want to marathon.

Jejoonwon reminds me of TVB turn-of-the-century dramas like The Bund or Love and Passion, combined with the gorgeous cinematography and detail oriented lyricism of a Qiong Yao drama. Just absolutely gorgeous to watch, it's like soft poetry on screen, in addition to what will undoubtedly be a sucker punch story given its time period (opening of Korea to western influences).

It's played straight, not jokey or shot a la Dogville or Manderlay style like the route Capital Scandal took, which I personally felt lifted the compelling period story in CS and turned it into fluff.

I don't like Han Ji-hye, even after watching 837 episodes of Jumong with her, but regardless, I think Jejoonwon looks fascinating and has the set up and execution I adore for period pieces dealing with the lives of individuals caught up in a time of massive cultural and societal shifts. Will check out, but reporting on my very very brief first impression.

@ockoala

I was actually coming back to add LoCH to my list but the phone rang and I ran out of edit time! I've already got it queued up in my DVD player (the one I got for Xmas but have only used maybe once, haha). It looks so great, and it'll be nice to watch something on a big screen for a change. I'll probably dive back into it tonight after my class.

@ langdon-unni

I *have* to watch wuxia on the big screen, watching on the computer negates it expansiveness. (Don't forget, watch LoCH on audio 2) The stories are big, the feelings bigger. I think Chuno is suffering in my watch because I can only catch it online right now, and I really want to watch it on big screen to really feel its full impact and of course, appreciate those abs on a 60 inch HD screen!

And with all my love for WUAS, fangirling upcoming epic C-dramas, and my intrigued by Jejoonwon - must not forget to give a shout out to CHEP! *Chep, chep, reachs out hand like a zombie pursuing its victim, and Chep falls into the freezing water, hahahaha!*

edit: yup, bought the CH Director's Cut, but have not received it yet. Patiently waiting....