Just wanted to tell everyone that "Pasta" is such an entertaining drama. It is enjoyable, funny, and the acting is very good. I especially like Gong Hyo Jin. She is an acclaimed actress and rightly so. This drama is on par with MNIKSS.

I haven't had much luck finding a good drama to watch after CH but this one is very good. The interaction between the actors is delicious and can not be fully appreciated by just reading recaps, although skimmy's recaps are very good.

Interestingly, Gong Hyo Jin's bf in real life, made a guest appearance in episode 9.

Happy Lunar New Year, everyone (Chuc mung nam moi!). Best wishes for a healthy, happy, and productive Year of the Tiger to all of you and your families, and for a rewarding and entertaining K-drama year too, already off to a wonderful start!

ah kdrama peeps i had no idea you guys liked avatar as well. i never was on team aang when it came to romantic relationships. i really loved zuko for all his angst.

can't wait till mon/tues. i look forward to WUAS.

@ Zutara
Yes! I agree COMPLETELY!!!! They were so hot together. Mild Spoiler ALERT
The scene in the cavern where she almost heals him....OMG I really hope they do that scene in the movie and that the actress playing Katara has enough acting chops to pull of the emotion in that scene. I seriously cried!

@43 nabi
It will indeed be memorable. Cannot believe :)
I loved episode 9. San/Alex please be more aggressive, tell her you have been secretly in love with her for what is it 3 YEARS!! I think he is adorable and nice and doesn't yell at every opportunity.

CURSE my second-lead syndrome

@ Gallivanter

I had to laugh when I saw that you were excited about having rommegrot( sorry dont know how to do the o thingies) for dessert. I am a very bad Norwegian. I don't like most of the food! :) We had it a lot when I was growing up because of my Grandpa.

Norway is a beautiful country and the people are wonderful, but the food! Ugh!
Example: Lutefisk! Anything that turns the silverware black can NOT be good for you!
Also 185,00 ways to prepare herring? Please! It's bait!

On the other hand, I can speak with a really good Norwegian accent if I want to! :)

I think you guys are persuading me to go watch Avatar! Eventually and slowly, but huh. Power of cartoons! I still do enjoy cartoons, I love Spongebob, always. <3 Hee.

@ down with love peeps: I'm not in the mood for it yet because the basis with the kids and the cold man and all is so much like Pick The Stars. It's not overdone cutesy is it? Also, 90 minute episodes are intimidating man...

@44 langdon813 and @42 ana -

thanks so much! i'm glad to hear you're enjoying the recaps!

i've never seen jerry yan in any dramas, so i'm curious. the premise is a mistaken identity with ella's character isn't it? anyways - that might have to wait after i finish easy fortune happy life.

@47 kender - true that about tw dramas being over the top. i think japanese dramas can be worse though =P rainie yang used to be really fun to watch - until she recently got on my nerves with her high voice... but that's off topic - heheh

ok in general - you guys have sold me about down with love!! that's next!

@41 lih -
urgh - disappointed with god of study viewing options - maybe i'll find another way to watch it....

and yes, HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Wow, upon the assumption that most of you are adults... I guess perhaps "Avatar: the Last Airbender" just may be worth the hype. Now I'm excited about this weekend.

Thank you guys for all the great feedback.

and the live-action extended trailer for Avatar: the last airbender

http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnext=1&playnext_from=TL&videos=Fq0ejH3wkvQ&v=fcN04pLyU_Q

not bad

omg I too love Zutara. I felt so idiotic when I watched the ending... like huh? has Zutara been a figment of my imagination all this time? soooooooo glad to read all your comments because now it means that it was the producer who screwed me over, and not me being a blinded fool.

I tried getting my brother to watch it but he went and watched The Return of Iljimae instead <_<.

my other fav non-archaic cartoon is Batman Beyond. Terry McGinnis <3

@59 hpn88

Actually, I find that trailer incredibly underwhelming. I'm still not sold on the idea, but I'll probably go see the movie anyway.

Although it's coming out in July, and I don't know anyone who'd be available at that time to go with me.. :(

@ hpn88

Thanks, that makes it my 101st time watching that trailer. ;-)

Zuko, SO HOT! (and I love the Dev Patel casting, just a very very good choice). And tormented and angsty (for good reason, have you seen his demonic sister and psycho father?).

Aang, BALD MIDGET! Bratty and angtsy in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix vein of annoying and oh-just-grow-up-and-accept-your-fate-you-whiny-teenager way.

Which guy should Katara pick? Hhmmm, I dunno, do we even need to think about it! @ hmi4 - "has Zutara been a figment of my imagination all this time" - NO, it has not. I needed a head check myself. The OTP was set up in Season 1, allowed to foment in Season 2, culminating in that final betrayal Zuko had to make in the end of Season 2, all set up for the final catharsis in Season 3 when he finally makes the decision to join with Aang's group, and then suddenly I was like "what? is? happening? here?" all through Season 3.

Btw, I still can't believe how overwhelmingly Zutara OTPs are out there, and the producers still thought it a good idea to undo 2 seasons worth of sexual tention btw Katara and Zuko (OMG, that cave scene was........was........argh, so good!).

@ 55 trixicopper

Lutefisk is disgusting. I have a friend here not of Norwegian descent who LOVES it, and I just don't understand. It's so slimy! But, it seems like every time I go over to visit, they have more and more...not Norwegian food at the grocery stores. Which is nice for me, but it's quite possibly making Norwegians fat :(

ahhh, so last OT someone had mentioned the adorable chemistry that was Ming Dao&Joe Chen and that they had a new series out together (wahh?). I managed to track down the series (the short title is Let's Dance...I can't remember the longer title...especially since there's 2 of them 0_o) and found the eng subbed of the preview and got hooked. Now problem is, I can't find anything beyond that and it's driving me nuts. >__<; It's better to not have known..then have known and not gotten *sigh* Is/has anyone watched this series and know where I can find eng subs or Vietnamese dubbed (the vietnamese title is Trai Tim Mua Dong)? I've tried viikii, asianfanatics, soompi and google :(

Watching Pasta Ep 9. Love it and love the Alex character-why oh why cant he get the girl. Damn second lead!!1

@ 51 Randy. Who is Gong Hyo Jin’s bf in ep 9? Pls do tell. Also Happy Chinese New Year to those who celebrate!!!

@splgt001 – I tried viikii last night but none of the videos would load.  Were you able to watch it there? I’ll have to try again tonight then..

@ asianromance – That was my reaction too! They have such adorable sizzling onscreen chemistry together, I’d probably watch them in anything. Joe’s cute with her other costars too, but it’s never the same as w/MingDao. This is a mainland series and has a old ShangHai vibe to it. From the previews, it looks very promising – if only I could find subs *cries*

Oh..almost forgot @l lovenyc52 – Congrats on the new job!! I remember a few OT back we were talking about how we were in a rut with our jobs. I’m so glad you were able to get out of yours and move onto a (hopefully) more exciting opportunity! Here’s hoping I’ll be able to get out of my rut too *gulps* Btw, are you coming to the DC area? I recommend bringing thick boots….and probably a pair of iceskates. lol

Lol at all the Kutara fans. Honestly those two had amazing chemistry especially in Season 2. Until Season 3 gave them a bro/sis relationship and Aang who's what 10 got the girl at the end? Anyway Avatar was a great series, unfortunately Samalamadingdong is gonna ruin the movie.

Hey, happy ot friday.

I was just looking through some old posts on dramabeans and stumbled across the "coffee prince gets a movie deal one". It said they were aiming for a february 2010 release so what's up with that? Should i or should I not get excited?

Hello everyone! Happy OT Friday! Happy Valentine's Day!

I am so glad to be back on an OT! I've been down with the flu, so its finally great to be back in the swing. I've been able to post on a few recaps but not up to OT. I'm glad I think I can hang for the duration now.

@momosan
you are hilarious but absolutely right. I am grateful to the Hong Sisters for giving us the best second lead prototype in SW last year.
As for San, I can't believe he lied! I didn't think he was going to tell her exactly but to lie is a completely new bag of marbles. I'm really enjoying Pasta. I was kinda bored with it around ep 4 - 7 but its picked up again. I'm not excited by the extension but we'll live through it and see what's up.

Again the show that has captivated me (besides Chuno sexiness) is WUAS! I am just loving this show. I'm thankful I started it. KJH and SDW have some of the best chemistry since the Story of a Man trio. Definitely not up to their level but the best I've seen since.

Everyone have a great weekend! Welcome all newbies! Love you already.

@ momosan, asianromance, CrimemasterGogo

Hee, I need to vent with momo-chan, it appears. Yup, I pretend Season 3 did not happen for the longest time, but times does soften the blow. It definitely is the romantic in me shipping Zutara, but @ asianromance, I have NEVER met a KatAang shipper, ever! Who could ship that? I mean, like @ CrimemasterGogo said, Aang is younger than Katara, and an entire head shorter. Not to mention - ZERO chemistry as a couple, whereas Zutara pratically screamed NC-17 to-come-scenes once this show left Nick and they all grew up. Have you guys read the fanfiction and seen the fan-drawn images floating out there, I *blushes* just thinking about it.

A YT vid for all Zutara fans, totally adorable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyBBhK1rtqI

As for - "Samalamadingdong is gonna ruin the movie" - as much as I find M. Night's latest *movies* to be piles of steaming dog dung, it was never the directing I found objectionable (I think he's a very visually talented director), it was the script, OMG, the god-awful script and writing.

Avatar story is all written for him, he only needs to bring it on screen, and I think he will do just fine. I would have preferred Chris Weitz to direct, but I think the movie will not suck, but won't be nearly as good as it can be.

Oh, and as for Zutara, the producers did wink, wink about it, in one of the final eps in Season 3, the gang watched a stage production about Avatar, like a show within a show, and the production shows Katara and Zuko having a Romeo & Juliet romance, and the real Zutara sit in the audience, totally blushing while Aang stews on the sidelines. I mean, c'mon!

And while Aang fights the Fire Lord, Zuko takes a lightning strike in the chest to save Katara, and she heals hims and cried tears and they stare at each other intensely, and I mean, c'mon, producers!

@ yenchan

Oh yeah, I mentioned the new Ming-En collaboration last week bc I went to the video store and saw it there. I ended up having to return my DVD, the discs were not working, so I'm going to watch online. I just adore Ming-En, they are like the older more chaste siblings of ArJoe.

@ yenchan

thanks! yes i finally am getting out of my rut. sad to be leaving my coworkers though. and the vp of my dept just talked to me and she seemed super sad that i was leaving. but... it's gotta be done!! and yes, i am heading out to DC and NY the end of this month and will be bringing my snowboots - the ones i bought for when i went to korea. ice skates too huh?? i think i'll stick with my snowboots - my balance talent is ZERO :)

@75 ockoala

I agree, I've never met a Kataang-er either! Everyone's totally on board the Zutara train, which is as it should be. I mean, maybe if they were all in their 20s, but they're barely past puberty! There's no way Aang could be a good match for Katara at the time of the show. Zuko's sizzling (hehe) hot, and it's the classic opposites-attract/hate-first-love-second kind of relationship with him and Katara.

I hope the filmmakers realize what's good for them and make it so that it's a Zutara ending, because I might shoot somebody if I have to see Katara end up with that child. D:

V-day, Lunar New Years, Olympics and my snowboarding trip. There is too much going on this weekend--I wonder what Google's graphic is going to show.

@lovenyc52
" I could do without the repeated flashback montages of LBH/KTH’s 3 day-relationship, but i’m totally sucked back in."

LOL I didn't like IRIS but I might have liked it marginally better if they didn't flashback every 15 min.

@hikarichan1234

Gong Hyo Jin's bf is Ryu Seung Beom. I'm not familiar with who he is. His part was a little weird as you will see in episode 9.

Are you enjoying "Pasta"? The chemistry between GHJ and LSG is so good that it makes for a delightful drama for me. Plus I am a big fan of GHJ.

@ Kender

"I might shoot somebody if I have to see Katara end up with that child"

You mean that kid playing Aang? KatAang would be ILLEGAL in about 49 states! I think @ asianromance mentioned watching it out of order, and that's how I started Avatar, too. Just randomly caught it one night on Nick, and just one episode and I was hooked! I originally though Zuko was chasing Katara! And later discovered he was chasing Aang, but still secretly believed he was chasing that water-bending peasant girl. Hee hee.

Anyways, I believe 100% that KatAang does not exist, esp. given the massive overwhelming bile I heard spewed the day after the finale from Zutara shippers the world over. I think comment threads crashed. No one was happy, and from the comments here, it's pretty unanimous.

@ cingdoc-sis

Oh yippee, you watched Avatar, too? Such a great show, and up until the final 5 minutes, the producers could have still gone with Zutara, and did not. EPIC. FAIL.

Who would I cast in a k-drama adaptation of Avatar. Well, they are all teenagers, so probably Yoo Seung-ho as Zuko.

so I IMDB-ed the movie and I officially want to boycott
NO twisted, manic, crazy, messed-up, power-hungry, did i mention CRAZY sister of Zuko????????????? there is no one listed as Azula. I think they did away with her, which makes NO SENSE! she was totally crazy, but in an awesome way.

Also NO TOPH??????? she is part of the "gang" and teaches Aang how to earthbend? how is this possible?

if someone is more enlightened, please make me calmer. I am infuriated at them letting these characters fall to the wayside and then including....the moon princess that saka falls in love with at the north pole?????

Happy Friday! :) Gung Hei Fat Choi!

For fellow OTers still snowed in... hang in there! take it as mother nature setting u in the mood for Winter Olympics!! NBC is run by nutcases....last summer Olympics... even those swimming events were TAPED for west coasters! W T H!!

@hpn88! yay fellow wolverine here! GO BLUEE!!! I'll be at your commencement, my cousin is graduating as well.

maybe I'm the only one watching Down with Love then...like it (not love) it eases me over my wait for WUAS (imo it has exact opposite vibe, I treat WUAS as a fam drama first and foremost, DwL, totally Jerry/Ella vehicle). I'm not a true TW drama watcher, Both Jerry and Ella r better than I rem them ....I honestly saw a lot of improvements esp for Jerry, Ella in better control of her overacting. Story/plot...nth new, a fluffy TW fare, but at least not as headdesk outrageously nonsensical as first 2 eps of FTYL for me (I still cant get past ep 2) and for those in love with the cute son in AC... he's in there... seriously he's the cutest thing since his dad (who's also a kid actor, and they look identical!!!) Things I like: the big sis... she and Ella r fun to watch as sisters. Jerry and kids, it's not too sappy, he's not 180 fr cold lawyer to cartoonish doting around the kids. I like it, it's fluff but it's grounded. o and I think Jerry's office is made up of all guys (vaguely rem all hot/cute) and Ella's sis the only girl there as his personal secretary (tough as nails!)

majorly jetlagging. Singapore Airlines (major love!) has a USB slot built in, u can stick in whatever u wanna watch/listen and I had all my eps of WUAS, Chuno, ep 42 (very pink ep) of LoCH, music! I'm up to ep 9 in Chuno on flight... um.. I concluded it's not my thing. I only am intrigued when they do flashbacks...parts r very draggy (for me).. and sorry to LDH fans she's awfully flat imo. She's not giving any soul with her eyes, sth very dead there, maybe it's true to her character, I dunno. there's a disengagement w/ the camera whereas everybody else r vivaciously twinkling, acting up storms...when I stare at them, they r like black marbles...nth more. and yes her damsel screams in every fight scenes she's sharing the screen w/ annoyed the heck out of me.

@twin,

lol , u will enjoy this ZJZ Royal Tramp then. I watched the censored version. I hope u got your hands on an uncut one esp for what u r looking for *wink* It's not just the bedscene that's pink... there r loads of SM fare with the princess (HXM in period boxer/undies/wax dripped)! MY prob is more the writing/editing (ie ZJZ), HXM trying to imitate Stephen Chow...argh never a good thing. I'm not sure if it's coz HXM is a classical trained actor, he's awful w/ slapstick comic timing (u really need a HKer). His face/expressions will be ahead of his lines and it royally screwed his delivery, esp when he delivered lines w/ a trained stoic-ness.

@ cingdoc sis,
I'll only get red pockets fr my elders! It's my first official time giving red pockets after I got married! I'm busying with it now.... it's fun though!

I see there is talk of Avatar the Last Airbender. LOL. I used to follow the show but I couldn't afford to (time is a killer). LOL. But anyway, I am having trouble reading what I am typing - this is so ridiculous. So apparently for our Stress Management class (don't worry, I'm just taking this for PE fulfillment), they gave us these sleep masks for free and it's nice and silky so of course I used it last night. The problem is, with the combination of my night-time correction lenses, the sleep mask screwed up my eyesight and the entire day today I've been pretty much blind. It was impossible to take notes. My prescription glasses don't work b/c the sleep mask screwed up my vision to something not my prescription... ugh, it's just a mess. And so annoying. I can't watch like, dramas today because I can't read the subtitles. UGH!!

On the other hand, happy Valentines day and happy Lunar New Year!! For us, students can buy "serenades" by some of our acapella groups and it was so fun watching the acapella groups interrupting class to serenade some girl. Unfortunately, I only got to see one, but some of my friends had the luck to see like 4. Jealous!!

@ ockoala

Thought you'd like to know, ROFL - I started rewatching the Zhang Jizhong version of Xiao Ao Jiang Hu and breezed through all forty episodes in like 3 days. It was ridiculous. I just let it play and I'd like do homework or something. Look up at the important moments, then concentrate on work when I wasn't interested. ROFL.

I'm on this like wuxia mania right now - SO tempted to like revisit Jin Yong books like for a 50th time... but probably not a good idea considering I have so much schoolwork to do. This mania, on the other hand, has got me tempted to start writing a (COMPLETE AMATEUR) wuxia novel - always wanted to do this. But there is just SO MUCH planning involved in that. Especially with wuxia, I feel, the plots have to be so very intricate. I can't feel confident "making up as I go" with wuxia than with other genres.

OH OH. Who is watching Percy Jackson?!?! I'm not ashamed to say that I am totally watching that movie for Logan Lerman. SUCH A CUTIE. And only a year younger than me. SO CUTE!!!

All the AVATAR comments made me smile and laugh... "sooo, my little sister (not so young really, i might add..lol) isnt the only one who goes crazy over Avatar...she has the whole collection of Avatar DVDs...^_^" MIss you sis!!!

Happy friday everyone and have a wonderful weekend!!!

At the dentist office so will write more detailed later, but just a quickie on having no Azula and Toph in the movie. Toph is an earth bender and does not show up until season 2 and this movie is only season 1: ie the big battle is the batte at the northern water tribe with the fire nation warships, so Toph would never be I. This movie. As for Azula, I suspect it's to keep her entrance more impactful as she doesn't have a big role in season 1 and gets way more screen time as the pursuer in season 2 when Zulo and Iroh defect. So she'll be the big bad in the second movie.

IT'S SNOWWWINGGGGGG
Happy Valentine's Day fellow dramabeaners, and also Happy Lunar New Year! :D

Happy Friday Everyone!

Finally watched City Hall :) Now i understand why mzpakipot is still high on CH lol!

Finished watching Gyeongsuk's Father too. It's a good drama but i don't think it's the best drama of the year imo. **runs and hide from people who think this is the best of 2009 hehe!** Anyway, is it just me or anyone else thought Jung Bo Suk looks like an older version of KJH in this drama? it was so uncanny on some scenes.

okay, off to watch Valentine's Day now...hopefully, it's as funny as Love Actually.

Okay, not only am I impressed about how many of you are fans of AtLAB, but that most of you are Katara/Zuko shippers!!! I knew I liked you people!

I have to say, the creators never got a few simple truths:

1) 14 year old girls rarely, if EVER, fall in love with their 12 year old best friends who they have a tenancy to mother. And if that 12 year old is generally immature and LOOKS like a little kid, then that's just ten times worse.

2) If the character who you just introduced has to make a decision to abandon her baby brother because her psychotic best friend says so (we knew he'd be okay, but there was no way that she would), she will never ever, EVER be redeemed in the eyes of any big sisters in your audience. I'm looking at you, Mai!

Seriously, if Zuko's main love interest had been anybody else (anybody! Song! Jin! Ty Lee!!!) I wouldn't have cared as much. I would have been disappointed it wasn't Katara, but I would have accepted it. But MAI?!! It's like they WANT us to write our own endings.

But even though I'm a very loyal Katara/Zuko shipper, I'm not sure my ship will be able to still float in the movie. From what little I've seen, Katara is rather... bland. (Way to ruin a kick ass character!) I'm really scared that depending on who they cast, I might be rooting for Mai/Zuko! *shudder* Maybe I'll get lucky and the person they cast to play Toph will be older than 12, so I can ship HER and Zuko without feeling like I was supporting pedophilia.

@79 nycgrl

"LOL I didn’t like IRIS but I might have liked it marginally better if they didn’t flashback every 15 min."

DITTO!!! DITTO DITTO DITTO!!!

it is one of the most useless and lazy ways to fill up an hour for a drama

Welcome everyone to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. Today is the opening ceremonies and my feet are already tired from all the walking to different venues.
I plan to visit Korea House for sure.

Unfortunately, one accidental death occurred today during a training run already, and it hasn't even officially started yet.

Happy early Singles Awareness Day & Lunar New Year everyone! :D

新年快樂! 恭喜發財 (利是逗來)~ :P

@ cingdoc

LOL, yes, thank you. I guess we all have to learn some things the hard way. I can't even watch Korean dramas now!! Because I can't even read the subtitles... UGH.