@#49 supah

Yes...Ariel Lin....I'm at 19th episode and loving it cause it's a lot like DWL with the fun and some romance. I don't care for Ella's voice....kinda loud for my taste and the actress has a terrible sounding voice! right now I can't watch DWL cause viikii not working right so episode 6 won't come on at mysoju with english sub. I've seen it raw version and I want to know what's going on.

I guess that's why I got interested in the kdrama because the american soaps deal with too much sex and fooling around.

OBGYN....had me laughing when Wang called Lee to play GO/STOP and Lee had never played it before. Kinda got the feeling that was intentional so Wang could make a statement to Lee about his presence there!

Yes...that drama was beautiful life....I really got hooked on Takuya Kitamura!!! Wow....what a handsome guy! And he's a stylist in real life also!!!! Another Japanese actor that's really handsome is Kazuki Kitamura....Tenchijin samurai guy! :-)

You know....I enjoyed Hana Yori Dango....story line was different from how korean drama did Boys Before Flowers. There seemed to be more violence in BBF.

Oh yes....I loved Coffee prince....the male lead was absolutely perfect in that role and I loved the female....watched her in Take Care of My Lady? Do you know the scene where she is at the airport on the pay phone and starts crying and keeps saying I Love You.....he was driving on the bridge and started to cry? Do you know in an interview he said he couldn't stop crying and they had to stop filming so he could get a grip! It must have been pretty emotional for him to do that.

by the way....my personal opinion on this one....but Jang Geun Suk is a very good actor but there seems to be something about him that is pretty "strange". I've watched videos of him singing and dancing and I know he's very talented....but my impression of him as a 23 year old is that he's "immature". Almost to the point of being kiddish. Hardly a match for Park Shin Hye who seems very mature for 20 years old.

Thanks for the great feed back! Hope you had a good Monday!

@ momosan

I'm not sure either if this is intentional or not. I'm leaning towards it is. But what ever, so far it has been fun. I've seen all 4 episodes.

As for Yeom Moon, that character totally broke my heart. I cried buckets at the end of that drama. And can I just say that I actively hated Jang BoGo by the end of that story. What a sanctimonious twit! :)

@ momosan and trixicopper

The final scene in ep 2 of AMCG was the deal clincher for me, with SIK's awesome box out move coupled with the ridonculous music which I cannot get out of my head all day - I knew I wanted to see where this drama is gonna take it to the very end. I think it's a hybrid of self parody and earnest heart drama, it's a fine line and I am erring on the side of hope it'll be done right when all is said and done.

Episode 19 of Catch A Falling Star is a tear jerker!!!!!! And the wall came tumbling down.....

WOOHOOO......no kiss "yet".....but Kang-Ha has made his stand for Pal-Kang!!!! And sweet Pa-Rang asked the same question....do you love my sister? And KH said....YES!

@trixicopper

"As for Yeom Moon, that character totally broke my heart. I cried buckets at the end of that drama. And can I just say that I actively hated Jang BoGo by the end of that story. What a sanctimonious twit! "

I didn't cry but Yeom Moon and Sooae's character and their intertwined story helped me get through Emperor of the Sea and I totally agree about the Jang Bogo being overly sanctimonious. He was so freaking annoying and so was his hot headed side kick.

Also how many times do the big bad need to hit them before they figure out who was behind the assassination plot or attack. I swear not one episode went by where I didn't scream at the TV, "duh its lady jamie/master lee stupid".

@ nycgrl & momosan

As for me crying buckets, the weird thing is I almost never cry in real life. But I will cry at the drop of a hat over a movie or a book. Go figure.

I'm not sure about the whole Christian allegory thing. I still vote for sanctimonious twit! Just too much of a white bread hero for me I guess. I tend to like dark and tortured heroes better.

I'm not saying that Moon was a good guy. Kind of hard to be when you are a pirate and an assasin. :) It was the whole hopeless love thing that got me. I'm such a sap for that kind of stuff. And it didn't hurt that he was just darn pretty. :)

About AMCG i'm going to go on the assumption that the things we are all finding so funny are being done on purpose. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it. At least for now. :)

I just finished Assorted Gems this weekend and wanted to comment on a few things.

"SPOILERS"

1. Hate hate the wedding dress. Funny how this is the first thing to come to my mind as I'm writing this. Thought the ruffly collar looked something out of Elizabethan times or resembled a space collar for dogs and THAT is not a good thing. Seriously her wedding dress looked like three different dresses torn apart and put together to hide some kind of body flaw. A dress fit for the Bride of Frankenstein.

2. Absolutely hate the Ruby and Dr Yoo's marriage. I think I could have forgiven their marriage if it had occurred after he came into her house as a tenant and humbled himself BUT not after the 2nd wedding gone awry. Has she learned nothing from her sister? Does she not understand her own worth. I would much rather she remained as a single woman since a pairing with kyle would be unrealistic. I have to say, however, both wedding implosions were immensely entertaining. Also Dr Yoo did grow on me due to his goofiness though he is the epitome of a milksop man.

3. Whatever happened to San ho, his wife and his child? They literally were wiped off the storyline without barely a blip after they moved in with her parents. I feel like the San Ho sibling's story got majorly shafted in the storyline department compared to Bichi, Ruby and Hobak's story.

4. This drama wins the all time bathroom humor award hands down. No one is spared. Ruby farting or sitting constipated on the toilet, dad sitting on the toilet straining telling his wife he is doing a big one, grandma jo farting all night, hobak pooping and talking on cell to keutsoon, Dr Yoo's hemorrhoids and bidet talk. To think I thought MNIKSS was bad.

5. What is the deal with the double in-law? I have a vague sense of why this isn't accepted in korean society but does anyone know the reason. If not I think I'll have to ask my dad because its been bugging me since it came up as a impediment to BC and YG's wedding.

6. I went from loving YG's character to feeling a little meh when I started witnessing some of his character traits like his jealousy, his machismo with the heavy PD and the wedding night strip request. Also what is the deal with him asking her to quit writing and concentrating on the family? Where did the guy who was totally supportive of her career/craft go?

7. I noticed the actor who plays Kyle is a better actor when he speaks korean than when he acts in english. In English Kyle 's diction is way too surfer dude and his delivery sounds like an ESL recording. Totally random but I was happy to see that he is not a bad snowboarder and I am so impressed with his Korean. Sadly much better than mine. I wonder where the production staff found him since he does not appear to be professional actor.

8. Lastly love how we got to see Taeja growing up before our eyes. He went from a baby to toddler and you can see him growing comfortable with the other actors which would mimic how realistically he would grow close to his own family. Every time he would make baby/toddler noises in the background I would literally melt. I think I'll take Taeja instead of the hunky YG. haha maybe I do like milksop men after all.

Didn't regret watching this drama though it was frightfully long but I wasn't blown away either. I think what I enjoyed the most about the show was the little details of what is going on in korea and what is acceptable behavior in korean society as well as the family dynamics. It kind of gives you a voyeur's look of daily life of working class folks (including all the bathroom antics) that a drama like YB or City Hall wouldn't.

@Momosan & trixicopper

My problem with pretty much any character in a drama is when they become more of a schtick rather than a character you care about. Jang Bogo and his side kick were so predictable in their response to every situation that they became irritating.

Here is their typical verbal exchange

- Jang Bogo will go on his soapbox talking in his grave and wise voice about their latest dilemma while his hot headed sidekick will be straining at the dog leash ready to pounce on the enemy
-Jang Bogo will tell him to heel when side kick offers all sorts of promises of retribution
-The hot headed side kick will protest loudly "Hyung!"
- Jang Bogo will chastise sidekick and go on and on about forgiving their pirate brothers
- Camera pans to hot headed side kick as he quietly and angrily stares off camera
- Repeat for 51 episodes.

Its little wonder than that I started to like Joong Dal and Master lee so much.

@nycgrl & momsan

Also whats up with JBG & Sidekick whining for 40 episodes or so about having been branded as slaves. So what does this fool do? He brands my boy and makes him a slave? Say wha?

The best part of the magic ships was while not needing a crew, wind or oars. Half the time they didn't even need sails! :)

Madam Jami, an awesome female villain, had great costumes! And the hair! My own favorite was the personal satalite dish!

Pirates in the movies? Love them! Thank you Errol Flynn! :)

Wow, so many drama talks since I checked out last night....

@ eiko, supah and others

You gals have hit all the right button for me, apart from OBGYN. ISWAK is my all time favorite TW drama although I doubt very much I'd like Ariel's character if in other dramas. I fall in love with the total ISWAK package as if it is talking to me like an old family friend for life. I always think TW drama always does best with its folksy side instead of the over-the-top cuteness. For example, Black & White is good but stops short at being a Hollywood lookalike and Mars is great but not the best when comparing to the Japanese productions in the same genre. By the way, do you find the musical score and songs of DWL has that very ISWAK feel?

Beautiful Life - This is my Kimura-intro drama and a very fine drama indeed. The final episode when Kimura did the make up for his girlfriend is really quite something!

Alone in Love - It is high on my best kdrama list. It is different from other kdramas and, to some, may be slow in pace but it pays off in the end. A very rewarding experience! I saw it during my early kdrama watching days. I'm glad I did because it totally killed off the notion of kdramas are only good at melodramatic. It is a superlative drama that can be up there among the very best no matter where you go.

@ nycgirl

I really like AG but we don't have much a discussion here. You may like to read the thoughts at the Soompi thread.

It gives me a LOL moment when reading your rant about the wedding dress. You can be assured of the angry outcry and horror at Soompi, especially after we saw BC had tried on a much better dress in an earlier episode. Not many people are happy that Ruby and Kyle didn't get together in the end. Some even went onto the conspiracy theory that the writer did not have the gut on writing an inter-racial marriage :) I don't particularly like her marriage to Dr Yoon but think it consistent with AG's depiction of day-to-day real life as things do not always work out nicely and tidily as we want. By the way, Kyle is some windsurfer in real life living in Korea.

What AG impresses me most as a drama is its creation of a raft of shining-on-their-own characters who are unique but ordinary at the same time, thus making it a great ensemble piece. I pretty much care all the characters, even down to that singer!! The only glitch I have is how the elder son's role turns pedestrian half way through, as you said. I guess it is because the actor and the actress playing his wife were engaging in other dramas concurrently.

Another thing I like about AG is how they make a twist of the usual chaebol family - the Seo family is refreshing as far as kdramas are concerned. I in particular like the mother and daughter arc - very moving. I am sure the actress playing KS will be given bigger and brigher role for her outstanding performance here.

Lee Tae-gon's character was one of the things that hooked me into this drama in the first place. I agree with you that his character and behaviour in the last 1/3 is disappointing or inconsistent with the YG we saw in the first half. I caught this drama when it was into its up-30 ep mark. I like AG and LTC that much that I began watching Dear Heaven while waiting for the new AG episodes. DH is written by the same scriptwriter but it is a way more makjiang drama than AG. I have to say, though, I like the LTG in DH much better than the LTG in AG. His pairing there with Yoon Jung-hee (from Family Honour) also leaves me with a much better impression too. I can't go without saying the phenomenal acting by Han Hye-sook in DH (who is BC's mom in AG). What a veteran actress she must be in so convincingly delivering two entirely different characters. No wonder she got an award for her DH role.

And, yes, Tae-ja! While we have so many talented kid actors in kdrama, he will forever remembered as the boy started out as a baby and then finished as a toddler who roams about so comfortably in the background as part of the very natural set. Lovely indeed!

What do you think of the ending?

@epyc

I didn't hate the ending especially the Keutsoon and Hobak story arc since I thought they were a bit young to marry their first crushes never mind marry at all but it wasn't that satisfying either but its a rare kdrama that really satisfies on all points.

I did think Keutsoon will grow up to need some major therapy and that she might have major mother issues with her own child due to her mother dying in that way since KS already was racked with guilt about her mother's condition. I did wonder if that was one of the reasons she didn't go ahead with marriage with Hobak was some kind of self retribution for the pain she caused her mom and the fact the wedding was forced by KS through deceit. It seemed to me that Keutsoon was really the tragic figure in this and she lost the most in terms of her mom, her sense of self and future happiness. I sensed no peace when she was at her mom's grave even with a new husband and baby on the way. Is this somekind of payback by the writer for Kuetsoon's bratty spoiled ways? I wondered if she modeled her after a sister-in-law :-)

One of the best scenes for me was when Ruby watched Kyle at the temple in the distance while it rained. For Ruby I felt it was a scene of maturity and poignancy and I wanted her to discover she didn't need a rich husband but a man who would treasure and compliment her like Kyle did and that she can wait for a guy like that or not have a guy at all. Dr Yoo by himself in the equation isn't horrible marriage material since I can see the endearing things about him that Ruby sees but if you add the fact he betrayed her not once but twice and in the most spectacular public fashion and the way his mother humiliated her time and time again I just don't feel happy about that union no matter how much of the upper hand she might have later in their marriage. To me the fact that Ruby married Dr Yoo is not even her character being steadfast because though the Ruby we know is calculating and materialistic she had self-pride. Marrying Dr Yoo was more like her character stooping down to level I didn't expect or want for her character.

Of all the characters I love Bichi not surprisingly. She is the most developed and we get to know her wishes and her flaws the most intimately. Bichi is nothing if not wise, motherly and feisty. I love how we see Grandma Gong's personality traits in her. There are times though I wish she would cut the apron strings on her siblings and parents. The whole opposing her relationship with YG was beyond intolerable especially from the younger siblings she supported emotionally and financially. I felt like her siblings were constantly motivated by their own needs and benefits rather than thinking of her individual happiness. Also I had no idea why Kyle would be opposed to the coupling considering he is American, his roommate and friend

As for Kyle, Kyle going to the temple to become a monk made the most sense to me . He is someone who felt empty living the life he had back in LV. I can't imagine his life would be as happy or have as deep a meaning being married to Ruby. His feelings for Ruby was probably more than a dongseng but not nearly equal to being a monk and giving up his goals. I think he just really wanted Ruby to be married to a better prospect than Dr Yoo rather than want Ruby for himself though I'm pretty sure Ruby did have romantic feelings for Kyle. Sometimes the what could have beens are more interesting and realistic than our need for neat romantic tie-ups.

@Momosan & trixicopper
The branding of Yeom Moon was really heartbreaking and SIL acting was really the standout besides Master Lee in EotS . Random but I also noticed SIG horse riding was horrible in EotS but by Jumong he not only mastered riding a horse but he was able to do the one hand holding the reins while the other hand holding the sword while riding super fast.

Lady Jami! How could I forget her Amidala-ish clothes and hair and yes I remember the large cd disc on her head as well as the enticing dance that wasn't particularly very enticing. Don't you just love how dramas put a plot device as a given yet the plot device isn't very convincing. Her plotting and scheming always involved drinking tea and observing the tea cup like it was a delicate piece of gem. Couldn't she mix it up and prune a plant or play chess while she schemed?

@63 epyc

Yes....definitely agree about the musical score of both DWL and ISwAK....would you believe I got so hooked on ISWAK that I watched it through the end? I couldn't believe the whole drama worked! :-) Too bad it had to take up to 30 episodes before he realized he loved that gal. I tell you....longevity in love!

I agree....the ending of Beautiful Life was really something....I was in tears when he finally broke down.

Of course, to add to all that I watched episode 19 of Catch A Falling Star....which finally brought the hugs and kissing of Kang-ha and Pal-gang. Today is episode 20 which I will check now. Jun-ha makes a point to Jae-young about Pal-gangs cooking and how terrible she is.....I have to smile cause I would imagine KH will more than likely hire a housekeeper/cook to relieve PG because I'm sure he is going to want to add his own little one to the all ready growing bunch. Makes me smile even more knowing that Pa-rang gets his wish to sleep walk into that bedroom.....that thumbs up he gave KH was priceless!

By the way.....are you able to access episode 6 of DWL?

Early start here....once again! LOL LOL

@ eiko

In commemoration of you marathoning ISWAK (who can start ISWAK and not marathon it, just impossible to stop watching), I'm posting a tribute from YT to my absolute fave TW-drama couple, ArJoe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uXarB6pp6s

ArJoe is just one stop above MingEn in terms of chemistry, acting and adorableness. However, I highly highly recommend you not watch ISWAK 2, which takes all the goodwill and sweetness of ISWAK and shoves our fave couple into a series of horrible plot contrivances after another. If you can't stand it and want to know what happens to Zhi-shu and Xiang-qin, ISWAK 2 does have a lot of full on make out scenes that will make you blush in its intimacy. Anyways, Ariel is probably my fave TW actress, she really gets it, and brings it to every role she plays. It took me a long time to discover Ariel is nothing like Xiang-qin, but is smart, sassy and confident.

@ nycgrl

SIK + horse = centaur man. Agree that he's the best horse rider in k-dramas, bar none. His horse riding got even better in KotW, and in AMCG, you need to see what he does in a horse in ep. 3. AMCG may be a homage to all of SIK's awesome talents he developed from making one saguek after another.

@66 Momosan

Love that kimutaku short cut! I've checked out several of his dramas. His acting style with the moodiness reminds me of the late James Dean. I'm really impressed with many of the very good jdramas and great acting! My grand daughter who is taking Japanese language in high school tells me which ones to check out. She'll be going on a tour in June to Tokyo, Osaka, Kiyoto and side trip to Hiroshima...which is exciting.

@ 67 ockoala

Wow...thank you for the link to the assorted videos on Youtube! I can see that Ariel and Joe really have great chemistry together....even through the interviews they laugh and hug and touch each other....really different from what I saw with Jerry and Ella. I think Jerry is "shy" where as Joe is more outgoing.

If there are many intimate scenes in ISWAK one wonders how they handle that or it's just part of the job. I know some of the scenes Joe really burst out laughing a few times....no english subs so can't say what the laughter was all about.

After seeing Arjoe.....there's hardly any chemistry between Jang Geun Suk and Park Shin Hye....not even in their Etude lipstick commercial! :-(

There was hot chemistry between Kim Sun Ah and Cha seung won in City Hall! That was really something!

I'll go back and watch ISWAK episode 28 again....love the scene where they are looking for each other and he kisses her in the rain.

@ eiko

Here's the BTS of their honeymoon with subs, they are adorable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_KR4cAgPeA&feature=related

And here is the actual scene from ISWAK 2 (warning NSFC)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcl0xWP68EQ&feature=related

Enjoy. Joe is actually quite shy, too. Ariel is the outgoing one and she brings out his fun nature.

Anyways, I agree, ArJoe chemistry is akin to KSA-CSW in CH, not in terms of plot or relationship, but this indescribable feeling they convey to the audience that they are totally falling in love/in love with each other. As for JSG, he and PSH were cute, for sure, but for chemistry, check out JGS with Ha Ji-won in Hwangjini. He was really sparking with her, and really, HJW can spark with a sock, she's pretty much always evoked strong chemistry with her leading mens in all the dramas of her I have watched.

@ 69 ockoala

Thank you for the links! I think there was one video of them being interviewed on the balcony and it showed Joe wiping off Ariel's face with tissue saying something about the "saliva" on her face! LOL LOL....I can see why he made that remark.

I did see Hwang-jini and that was when I noticed JGS and wondered how old he was. Guess I missed something there cause I didn't see chemistry between the two.

Have you seen Bad Love? I've had people tell me they didn't like it, etc. and when I viewed it...I really liked the drama. Personally, I like the female lead because she's a very good actress and she was in Queen Seon Duk. I liked Kwon Sang Woo in that role....but not in Stairway to Heaven or some others. My cousin thought I was crazy for liking that drama. I got tired of the actual script but liked the chemistry between the 2 main actors.

Another interesting drama right now is Jeejoongwon....but some of the episodes not working....especially the recent ones that are by VIIKII.

Thanks for staying in touch and for the links! Appreciate knowing there are some connections to drama land out there!

@eiko
I think the Wang Lee bromance ij game obah! (Even though Wang said something dodgy to confuse us all, but I really wouldn't think too much of it.)

Takuya Kimura:
I first noticed him in HKfilm 2046 and BAM! Love at first sight. So I did some research and checked out some of his doramas. My intro drama for him was Pride and I got p***ed off at the barely concealed sexism in it, I gave up.
Though I still love him, but just a little bit picky about his dramas. I couldn't finish any of them except for Engine.

I prefer the new generation doramas; Ateshiro no danshi and pretty much anything starring Oguri Shun, Matsuda Shota and Matsu Jun -- yes, the Hana Yori Dango alumni.

Speaking of HYD, I liked all three versions, they were all so different, each with its own set of flaws and positives.
(The masochistic Manga is a definite fail.)

Bad Love is one of my favourite dramas, and yet everyone hates it! xD
Lee Yo Won is also one of my fave actresses, she is beautiful but has plenty of grit and groundedness about her. Bad Love was this actress's playground, and she really showcased her acting range here.
Though I detested the first episode, it was a 'setup'/intro episode and the show truly started at episode 2.
This kind of drama is best watched when you're hormonal and in need of an emotional release - it's heartwrenching.

@71 Supah

Oh yes....I totally understand about hormonal and emotional release! LOL LOL
I have to admit I keep watching the last episode of Bad Love ... the wedding scene. I love the way the 2 leads keep looking at each other and I really thought it was so romantic when she opened the door and he was standing there waiting for her! :-)

By the way....have you watched Soul Mate? That was a good drama and I loved Shin Dong Wook in that one! He really looks different in WUAS....not only hair style but face also.

Also....any dramas being mentioned I'm keeping notes!

Thanks everyone!

Oh...one more thing....another fun Jdrama is Yamato, Nadashiko, Shinichi & Henge! It's at episode 9 right now and I can't catch it because for some reason the VIIKII video on it won't open up. My grand daughter got so excited I was following it....she said they are a singing group! Anyway....she told me to watch One Pound Gospel...but that is not working right now also.

Any tips on workable sites for dramas? I don't download so just to view. besides mysoju

thanks!

@supah and eiko and obgyn watchers:

Sigh. I am late, aren't I? I just caught ep 12 and I could finally make out what all that talk about arm wrestling and wang/lee jealousy was about. Firstly, I am still on board the Wang Crew! And Song Joong Ki - I was still watching the initial episodes happy to see him on screen , thinking he was this adorable boy when heshocked me by ditching the nurse! Yes, not to mention some stuck up attitude there at times, and not the kind, cute Ahn I was hoping for. :( Well, he's still cute and charming nevertheless :D Wow I can't wait for ep 13 to arrive already!

@ hjkomo
If you were referring to that movie with Zhou Xun as one of the main leads, I must say that it's a real psycho thriller with brilliant acting from all around. I was kept on my toes guessing who the spy was. And the ending was heartbreaking (no spoilers here). Plus, tons of gruesome torture scenes. If you're looking for some eye candy, the jap general easy on the eye. (If not wrong to oogle at the enemy..)

SNSD, I try so hard to like you. I liked your promo for your new song. Then the song came out.....COME ON

(spoilers for j-drama beautiful life) Fun story, when I first watched beautiful life it was back in the days when IRC was predominately used for downloading dramas. Well, it was easier to queue for episode 2 first.. so I ended up watching the entire show from 2 to end. Why is this important? Well, in the first episode it's explicitly stated she's going to bite it (My last few months). But from then on (episode 2 to end) it's worded and handled in a such a way that makes you think she has a chance. I'm probably the only one who watched that show with a glean of hope that everything was going to turn out fiiiiine. Yeah....

Well, I've watched a bunch of Takuya Kimura dramas, but I'm no superfan. In fact, I kind of find him to be a jerk. Abe Hiroshi is pretty great though, I had a mad crush during his Wedding Planner days. "He's a tall, emotional florist and I love him"

@ pongs and hjkomo

I really liked The Message. The Japanese Colonel is none other than my "Still a work in progress but has lots of potential" dreamboat beefcake - Huang Xiao-Ming. Hilarious bit of reverse casting - China's top male top idol as a Japanese officer during the Nanjing days of WWII. Hjkomo - u should definitely check it out at the film festival. Love to hear what you think.

@ 75 janna

Seeing the name Abe Hiroshi got me curious so I went to check him out and yes....I remember that face! He was in the samurai drama Tenchijin....excellent story about the samurai.

You know...Takuya Kimura is a good looking man....but there's something quite eerie about the rolls he plays. The one thing I noticed about him in Beautiful Life is his chain smoking....and he hardly ever smiled. It was a good story though.

@73 eiko san

If you don't need subtitles, this is the site to watch any J-drama series. It's pretty close to real time, She uploads it may be within 1 hour after dramas are broadcasted. It's even organized by days on the left side menu bar.

http://channel.pandora.tv/channel/video.ptv?ch_userid=a-nakayama&prgid=37060319&categid=33322697&page=1

Still have one more hour of work time. After that, I'm gonna indulge in the last episode of WUAS. Thank you JB for the recap!

@ 64 nycgirl

I kept smiling in reading your take on the Assorted Gems ending because this is what I wrote in Soompi on 27 Feb after drama ended.

"Just finished watching Ep 47-50. I normally don't like bittersweet ending but I am satisfied with this ending. What immediately came to my mind is the Chinese proverb which means life is without regularities or life is unpredictable. With these four episodes sinking in slowly, I could see the faint buddhist thinking that links the drama together, especially on the 'meant to be', 'not meant to be', and 'going with the flow'. You can see some characters ending with great happiness but some, less so. Life is never neat and tidy as we know it. From that perspective, it is an ending as good as it gets unless you prefer a cheesy all rounded fairyland (which is what most audience want and I would applaud the writer for choosing this ending as it is).

I am plesantly surprised and moved by the Teri and KS arc, which is sort of building up in the last 10 episodes but unexpectedly becomes the centre stage in the finale. The montage of KS kneeling in the garden with Teri saying that you'd better not have a girl brings the drama in a full circle. What goes around comes around, and with that, our KS has finally grown up!

With regard to KS and HB, I never think they are compatible as a couple. They are cute and all that, but they are puppy love at best if not substantiated by any significant character building. Their coupling is unlikely to lead to great happiness or maturity in both. It will in fact be a very Seo-influenced future in that HB will not fly high outside the Seo's wealth and KS remains pretty much the same spoilt brat. KS's final pairing with a seemingly more mature man by her side is perfectly fine with me. I wish they could spot a different looking HB, at least with a different hair style or dressed up more manly, in the final anniversary party scene.

Rubi does not have a lot of scenes in the last few episodes but all the quiet moments of her missing Kyle are poignantly made. The particular scene of her watching Kyle from a distance at the temple is one of the most beautifully shot in this drama. I wouldn't say I'm happy at her eventual choice of Dr Yoo but it is in a way third time lucky as her supreme position in the Yoo household is secured. What remains unclear to us is whether Rubi has ever been more than a dongseng in Kyle's mind.

I am also happy for grandma's pairing with Park SJ, though personally not liking that singer to be with the elegant SJ. Got a friend in similar age as SJ who chose to marry in her 60s to someone whom we consider to be below her - but what we've seen since then is domestic bliss. What can we outsiders say? And that is life.

I agree midway in the drama the Goong parents are somewhat different in tone and behaviour. Perhaps they have matured after all. I adore them both.

All in all, I am glad to have been a quasi-family member of the Goongs and Seos. It is an 8/10 drama for me and will wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a drama of hearts and fun! "

Just a piece of gossip for you: striping on the first night might be the writer's own hobby horse because she had the same thing in Dear Heaven. So, AG is not the first time LTG stripped for his new bride :) Anyway, it is not my cup of tea either - pass!

@ Arjoe

I never get sick to read and watch these two. Just wish they were a couple in real life. They Kiss Again is not as good as ISWAK but its ending is REALLY REALLY moving. The trouble is perhaps it follows the original manga 100% with a lot of unnecessary sideplots that do not add to the mainplot to make it a great drama.

@ eiko re Ep 6 of DWL

You can watch E-sub at http://sugoideas.com/drama-2010/down-with-love/ Enjoy! The upcoming three episodes are what I consider the best of this drama - never imagine Jerry Yan could be such a tender daddy long legs.

@ OBGYN

Yippie, two eps are coming.

@78 celestialorigin

Thank you for the link but unfortunately I don't understand Japanese fluently....I can get by with words here and there.

I hope you enjoyed WUAS episode 20! I did! I got such a big kick out of it and I'm going back to watch it again.

The bickering between Kang-ha and Pal-gang is really hilarious and of course, I loved the way Kang-ha made up for lost time with the hugs and kisses! I thought it was sooooo sweet the way he would hold her face to kiss her! He really got her personality pegged at the end. I'm going to miss that drama!

Thanks for your input!

@79 epyc

Wow....thank you for the tip on DWL!!! I'm going over there to check it out! What a bummer not being able to watch it as soon as it was posted on mysoju! :-)

Happy Wednesday!

@79 epyc

Nope that link didn't open up it's still VIIKII....and for some reason there are certain episodes for dramas by VIIKII that won't work. For some reason it opens up just fine for WUAS!!! ?????

@ eiko

Not sure what went wrong because I just tried the sugoideans link and it worked for me in connecting to the viikii.

Have you tried viikii directly at http://www.viikii.net/channels/goto/downwithlove# ? I just tried it and it worked too. Good luck!

I fried my laptop *sob* THEN my home pc wont start last nite( line tellin me to reboot, put some disk in, hit some key... clueless)

i only did 2 things out of ordinary, played plants vs zombie while watching AMCG. (tummy still hurtin... that Peter Pn brought tears)

and i feel ancient having watched Kimutaku in LV real time :(

@hjkomo, vote 3 for The Message = good watch. now I differ fr my wuxiatwin on our essay on The Potential of HXM, but at least he doesnt hurt the movie.

@ mookie-twin

Hahahaha - "now I differ fr my wuxiatwin on our essay on The Potential of HXM, but at least he doesnt hurt the movie."

I was giving HXM a giant benefit of the doubt, and a heaping dose of hope and faith. But if he keeps take douchey and hairbrained roles like in that Summer of Bubbles crap with he who can't act more, and Big S, HXM is going nowhere fast. I think that by his performance in Royal Tramp being way better than I expected, he's earned some goodwill from me, and he was alright in The Message.

Btw, I'm mid-way through The Fearless Duo, and its so lightweight yet charming in its sincerity. TVB really f-cked up big time in the mid-late 90s when all its dramas went to hell in a handbasket for the most part, since in the 80s, even simple 20 ep fare like FD could be made so entertaining. You can say once the 5 Tigers retired/went on to superstardom TVB's acting stable was never replenished, but I find all the scriptwriters, directors and wuxia choreographers also collectively migrated to Siberia and left the B-team holding down the fort. Sigh, good times, good times watching an oldie but goodie.

btw, I grew up in my teens with KimuTaku, so don't feel ancient - I still remember SMAP!, first boyband of Asia. :-P When Ayumi Hamasaki and the idols younger than her debuted, that the group that makes me feel old.

@83 epyc

That's the same link someone sent earlier....nothing happens. It's really strange because both Taiwanese drama PS Man and DWL won't open with VIIKII....you know their blue logo just goes round and round. What baffles me is that I'd figure it out if all the dramas under VIIKII wouldn't open up but not just a few.

Also....I've been watching the 2nd segment of ISWAK and at episode 7 I got pretty tired of the same story line with the female and being so darn "challenging" or like he says...."idiot". Talk about patience on his part in that drama! She keeps making the same mistakes over and over and nothing seems to get to her and she spends so much time worrying that it consumes her whole being! I'm going to have to let that drama go for now. I DID cheat and went to episode 20 just to see the out come and I hope there won't be a 3rd segment with them having children! :-)

What I can add is that it would be a perfect world for me if I could have found someone like his character in real life!!!!! Fat chance of that ever happening in any life time! LOL LOL

@ eiko Soulmate is LOVE! It's what made me watch WUAS at first, for SDW.

@Pongs
Song Joong Kiiiiii! Sorry, couldn't help it... That kiss in ep.12 - OMG!
Glad you've caught up, I swear it just gets better and better and it's so darn unpredictable.

@Epyc, I know! Totally about to watch ep. 13 right now. xD

@87 supah

I loved SOULMATE!!!! Shin Dong Wook was gorgeous....that's why I watched WUAS!!!! But you know....the female in that drama is also in Loving You A Thousand Times and I don't care for her in this one! I gave up on that drama cause she was going back and forth like a yo-yo. I think it's at the final episode now.

SDW looked different in WUAS....not sure what happened....maybe he lost weight?

Going back to finish up on It Started With A Kiss....#2. :-) Then I'll go and watch episode 20 of WUAS.....again!

Eiko, yeah, the soulmate lead actress was also in a drama opposite WUAS's Kim Ji Hoon - called Golden Era of Daughter in Law (http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Golden_Era_of_Daughter_in_Law).
Don't think I'll ever watch it though, not too fond of the whole daughters/mothers in law scene. Same goes with LYATT, I refuse to go anywhere near these kinds of dramas.

Just watched ep. 13 of OBGYN!
Strong episode, with LOTS and I mean lots of things going on. I cried, laughed, giggled and had my nerves all tangled up in this ep. Do check it out soon as you can.
Don't want to spoil it for you, but Lee does fly out to the US after all, and there's lots of Ahn and Kim scenes here. All I'm gon' say.

@89 supah

Oh No....you already watched 13 of OBGYN????!!!!! It must be RAW version, right? Gosh....Now you've got me going!!!! I wanna see it too....I'll see if I can bring it up from somewhere!!!!

Darn....guess Lee had to go to US.....now I'm wondering....WHO is the lead actor?!!!

Oh thanks...you've got me going on this one!

I'm almost finished with ISWK....gosh...that Joe Chen is one cool fella! One thing for sure....he and Ariel did a lot of hot scenes and they both said they hadn't done it before! :-)

Hi everyone, sorry no time to catch up and have fun on OT. Miss y'all :-(

@ momosan and mac experts

Hi, need mac support, just change to mac recently. Having problems with the VLC subtitles. The fonts are very big and with blur shadows and there are parallel buzz lines sandwiching it. I have tried to troubleshoot for a week but still dunno the problem. I am a real techno dummy and hope the instructions are simple. Lol Thanks. :-)

@epyc

Very much enjoyed reading what you wrote. Totally agree about the buddhism threading throughout story and the parents kind of wising up (I thought uncharacteristically) in the latter part of the story. I'm not unhappy with the ending just not fully satisfied at how the ending was arrived at. I think a little bridge scene here and there would have gone a long way to raising the satisfaction level.

I haven't been on Soompi since Family Honor so missed all the AG discussions and I only picked up AG a week ago when it already ended based on Thundie and Hjkomo's year end recommendation. Despite what may sound like criticism in previous posts I'm glad I watched it since I did get some things out of it meaning I was sufficiently entertained, I learned something about korean culture and was touched by more than a few scenes. But I would characterize this drama as a slow simmering interest rather than a drama you can't wait to watch.

It just so happens that I did see a little bit of "Dear Heaven" when I visited my mother while it was airing--maybe 20 or so episodes. She was really into it and made me watch it with her. It was very entertaining (kind of what I imagine Temptation of Wife to be) but not necessarily good for your brain. Also out of the two, Assorted Gems is more realistic and I prefer it over Dear Heaven but overall I prefer Wangmo's character over YG though I have to say I was pretty gaga over YG until he ran away. I know, I know it was all explained in latter episode but it still bothers me.

@everyone

Is Chuno worth watching? I assume its coming to an end?

91 simplesim

Try going into VLC/Preferences and clicking on "subtitles & OSD". There is display settings there. I have mine on Arial Black, Font size Normal. Fotn Coloe White.

@93 momosan, 94 nycgrl

Thanks for the info and fast reply. Will try it out when I go off work this evening. I still love PC's media classic player but I can't have both worlds.

I don't have time to watch anything nowadays but I still need my Pasta fix! I know not many in OT is crazy about it, but in my stressful mood I like it very much as its light and no 'real' evil characters. I love Alex and wish he has more guts though. :-D

@ nycgirl

Fully agree with you that Assorted Gems is a better drama than Dear Heaven. It's just that Wangmo's character, as you said, is much preferable than YG. Family drama is a tough call for its big time investment, unless you know for sure it is a winner.

@ OBGYN watchers

Ep 13 is great, no spoiler here but now I can't wait for Ep 14. Do anyone of you have dry eyes when watching this drama? I find myself bawling episode after episode. What a way to de-stress!

@ eiko

Any luck with DWL ep 6?

Eiko:
About Bad Love, yes, I loved that scene in the last episode, them two really deserved that happy ending! Especially remember the scene when they’re reaaally struggling without each other. He wakes up one morning, gets out of bed, hears footsteps behind him, and it’s her, as she comes into his room she says ‘’you’ve waited for me for a long time, haven’t you?’’ he doesn’t say anything, just reaches over to hug her. But it’s all a dream, and he’s so broken at the realisation! But as it turns out at that moment, she really IS at his house, hesitating outside his door.
I loved the song they used in the background too; Tei’s Heart is Sad. No wonder KSW’s other name is ‘Mr Tears’.

About OBGYN, oh no, he doesn’t fly out forever, it was meant to be a short business trip. Boy, is his absence is felt, by the hospital, as things get chaotic, and a certain someone… oh yah, she totally misses him tooo... ;)
Love that she’s styled the ‘helmet’ a little differently this episode, that insult obviously stung our Dr. Seo.
I love both Lee and Wang, but I think Wang is better suited to the head nurse, them twos’ sniping at each other was particularly zzzzingy this episode. (Lurve is in the air.)
I am officially scared-of/repulsed-by Ahn’s family. Hated that we have a Kim Yongmi cliff-hanger at the end of 13. Don’t let anything ‘bad’ happen to her, please!?!

Viikii will have this ep up by the weekend, and subbed, I’m sure. Totally loved this episode.

@98 epyc

Thanks for asking....my cousin sent me youtube link and I was able to watch it. only one scene wouldn't come up but I can handle that! I'd like to see #7....

Jerry and Ella are so darn cute together and I love his facial expressions...even his eyes give him away! LOL LOL....