@janna
I must say, it's been a while since I watched MiSa and can't remember that ramyun scene, although I can remember a lot of other scenes. Scenes I should really have forgotten - i.e. SJS's 'seduction' disguise! Wahahaha! I love him to pieces but he's done some INSANE stuff during his career.

Though I admit, in the same getup KNG is looking way more seductiony for Bad Guy.

@Amg1: It's a double standard. Men are disgusting and if they want a hot-young-thing it's a user-user relationship (she wants money, he wants her er... youngness). See what I did there? While an older woman-young guy pairing usually relies on the sentiment that the female has never experienced true love before as she's too busy with her career. Dramas are in part mostly written for female viewers, so it isn't likely there is going to be a show with a bunch of female characters in the wrong.

@supah: SJS character eats a bowl of ramen prepared by his mom. There's nothing special about it, and she goes about it like "whatever", but to him it's the only meal he'd ever recieve from this mother. Sad that she'll never know it's the only meal she prepared for her real son.

@49 janna

Where have you been watching A Good Day For The Wind To Blow? I was following it but there's nothing being added to it? I think last episode was 4.

OML Ep 15

Just finished watching it live..... it TOTALLY MELTS my heart. Everything falls into places naturally and magically. And Choi Si-won, you own it!

@supah
lol... well, the debating not only giving OTers a headache, it's giving me, a PP-debating-team member a headache too. but that's all good to me since i'm having loads of fun as well. maybe i'm crazy? and i'm all for 4wks!! i dont care what they put in the extended ep, really, as long as they dont come up with the cancer scenario. a little bit more of SJ would be great! and me too, i think he's so cool for not forgetting his wife. but i'm still on team IW. XD
wow.... ur lucky PP's the only show ur watching right now. i have to watch OML, CS, PT too as well as other J and TW dramas. but the rest of my time is devoted to PP alone. kya!!! have u watched Giant yet? i'm not totally sold yet but i have hope.

@janna
hmmm. i totally forgot there was a ramyun scene in MNIKSS... where was it in the drama?
as for a good day for the wind to blow... it's a really cute drama! love the couple. and the main guy was not the jerk he was in who are you?

@Amg1
hehe... i'm glad u love boku dake no madonna... i really loved it! i watched dragon zakura first so when i saw her in boku dake no madonna, i was like "oh... so she can be THAT pretty.. " lol
as for ur question about the double standards... hmmm, i would say that since dramas are more aimed at women, it seems acceptable since it allows women to think that the "fantasy" is acceptable. for men, they might just look like perverts. but really, i dont mind either way. my father is way older than my mother and he's not a pervert. lol.
but here's a funny post by sevenses on the subject of men and women's taste. i'm sure it's not all true but it gives a laugh reading it.
https://sevenses.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/the-needs-of-men-and-women-a-comparison/

@epyk
i agree!! like OML 15 a whole lot... it looks like OML is going to end quite well huh?

hey gang!!!

just dropped in to say "i'm back!" got 20/15 vision from my lasik on Friday. everything went perfectly and the results are AMAZING!!!

went to a celebration on Saturday night for my sister in law's father in law. sadly, on their way back home, they were in a car accident and her mother in law passed away... on mother's day (1am sunday morn). so the day started wonderfully, and the next day began horribly.

cherish your moms, grandmothere, daughters, father, grandfathers, sons. you never know when they'll be taken from you.

on a lighter note. my baby turns 9 today. he bought doughnuts for his cousins and grandma for breakfast and he's bringing cookies for his classmates. such a sweet child. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, E!!! MOM LOVES YOU!!!

@lb_tmi
wow.... congratulations! u've now got a vision that's better than that of a teenager. lol
i'm truly sorry about you're sister in law's mother in law and give my sincere condolence. Hope she and the family has all the supports they need to go through the hard times.

Happy birthday to your son! last year to have a single digit age! tell him to make the most of it! and aww, he sounds so sweet.

@supah
SPOILER
haha. your wish might come true and the HR will keep her "dignity" from what i've read in the written preview for ep 13... looks like IW will get what i would call a punishment of some sort..
gahhh... i'm so glad there's OML or i might die from frustration waiting for wednesday!
btw, i forgot to add one word last time i asked u... did u watch Giant new preview yet? it looks good! so i have hope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubni_ZVqgoQ
OK, PSH officially makes me melt to death.. lol

and there's pic of all the prosecutors (except for KSY) making really cute and dorky poses on soompi but i really don't know how to post them.

@54 epyc

WOOHOO.......saw raw version of OML!!!!!!! Yahhhhh Min Woo rocks!!!!!

:-)

@ 59 v

Nice link to PSH ..... will go back because I saw some stuff on SS501 and Rain!

Did you catch raw OML ep 15? Man oh man....!!!!!

:-)

@eiko
haha.. SS501 and Rain... SS501 are having their comeback soon! and KHJ left a message to the fans full of "lol's" in it.. lol. Rain is well, RAIN!!!
yep! i did catch OML 15!! CSW was awesome in it!!! this is the kind of show that grows better each ep... i enjoyed it at first but now i really like, and even love it, and from the looks of it, it's ending on quite a nice note.
SPOILER
the girl talked!! albeit just one second... hope by ep 16, she'll really talk... as for the musical, it was short but really nice! and MW is totally being a real man here, well, except when he played with the kids, he looked like one too. lol. but he's asking KH to be Ye Eun real mother!! yay! and how he hugged her after she gave him flowers.. kya ^^
and Ye Eun is the cutest ever! and it's just like KH to dump water on the reporter. XD

@ 62 v

Yeahhhh....yeahhhhh.....I kept thinking about how they would end OML. in 15 at the beginning....when he sees KH sitting there and crying....oooohhhhh it really got to me and I was smiling when he picked her up and hugged her! It was telling...the way he hugged her....not just a hug but he held her to him and one hand stroked her hair....which is sending a signal....like in Wish Upon A Star when KH finally hugged PG and he held her in the same way.....and in Daring Women when lead grabs female when she's trying to retreat from him and he holds her the same way with one hand stroking her hair. Siigghhhhhhh......drama, drama....

I read the spoiler at Viikii.....doesn't matter to me because I read the subs when they are released to get the full picture.

Aaaahhhhh what a great way to start off a new week!!!

@ 50 Amg1

You would ask a question like that and I thought about it and thought about it and I will say this.....I sat and remembered faces and thought about same age, older and younger..... When you meet someone and you have that instant connection.....age doesn't matter. Not to me.....however feelings flow....I go with the flow. The nicest encounter was a younger person....he cared about me....

When men "age".....they don't necessarily "mature". They cared about me in the beginning and then they got sidetracked because there were other younger chicks to tend to.

Same age fall into same category as younger.....

So thanks for triggering some memories for this wahine....the good brought comfort more than the bad.

Maybe that's why OML is such a fun drama to watch! :-)

To all my OT friends:

From: The Pick of Furry Logic

PRINCESS, HAVING HAD SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE WITH PRINCES, SEEKS FROG!

Happy Monday!

@ momosan

I think I'm officially checked out of AMCG, watched part of 19, then just lost interest. Keep me posted if you continue, but since ep 12, it's all been steadily downhill. SIK and LMJ are terrific, the story sucks.

Btw, you do NOT just randomly, casually toss out a passing reference to Naeuri. [excuse me while I go sob into a pillow for a minute as well]. The debate over the OTP in WHIB is nothing, nothing, compared to if we ever reignite a discussion of Naeuri v. Rebel Leader. And in this one, there is but one truth in this world, that I have never been so touched by love as is our Naeuri for his Chae-ohk. And its love as complete and profound as can be written and portrayed by a drama.

When UN/HW calls STH "Naeuri" in Chuno, I laugh, its feels so lightweight, the reference has no deeper meaning. When I hear it come from Chae-ohk, the pain just wells up inside. I doubt I can really argue the OTP though, I loved them both as Chae-ohk loved them both, when she knew and didn't know the deeper meanings behind why she loved them.

On another topic, someone asked which Ariel pairing I love the most? ArJoe, hands down, ArGe is a mid-range second. Hu Ge does not really "act" against his leading ladies, HG acts within a vacuum of his own presentation. He's still growing, and I do like him a lot. He never convinces me that coupledom is transformative, his performances are HG first, then coupling second.

This even happened in LoCH2008 (really a travesty if I think about it, since LoCH is ALL about the HR/GJ pairing - which is why the YK/MNC pairing stole the show, because YH intuitively understands, that the love story is what grounds the wuxia in a meaningful story, and he comes alive with paired with his leading ladies, esp. LSS as MNC). Anyways, Ariel is wonderful no matter what, her HR is a revelation, and its up there with some of the best female drama performances I have ever watched. She's been both the smartest female character ever written (HR in LoCH) and the dumbest female character ever written (Xiang-qin in ISWAK). And she sold it 100% both times.

@janna
Man! Yes, I remember now! I wanted to kill that bitch, his mother! Even though she was completely oblivious to him being her son and it wasn't her fault ultimately, but how nauseatingly loveydovey were that mother and son? Intolerable, and it was all so unfair. Still I loved SJS in it, so it was worth enduring.

@ V
Noooooooo!! *covers ears* no PP spoilers please, yes, that includes not even so much as a hint about the previews. I become verrry anxious.

I'm about to watch Giant's 1st ep now... lemme know if and when you get around to it and we'll start the discussion.
Can't wait!
Kim Soo Hyun!! Noona loves youuuu!! Kisskisskiss!

*ok, embarrassing fangirly moment over*

I second that... DAMO is GREAT!!!

@eiko
have you heard Choi Si won track in OML yet? it's quite nice considering he's not a singer in SuJu... i'm not even sure what he's there for... he dances well but is not the best... i guess he's there for the face and charisma?
well, what would a drama be without a hug tossed in somewhere huh? well, i haven't seen DW yet so can't compare the hug, but thanks for reminding me of wish upon a star's hug. ^^ one of the memorable scenes. hope this means that MW and KH will have similar ending... and talking about hugs, HR was hugged twice (and still counting) by IW!! (sorry, had to put a PP ref somewhere.. haha)
and yep, what a great way to start the week! hope thursday will bring a great ending as well... and well, do friday, saturday, and sunday even exist? aside from venting our addiction on OT... do i sound like i have no life? XD

"PRINCESS, HAVING HAD SUFFICIENT EXPERIENCE WITH PRINCES, SEEKS FROG!" lol... Does this mean that i'll get a prince since i have not enough experience so far? that would be great!!

@ockoala
um, that would be me asking you about Ariel pairing... unless someone else also asked?
yeah, i agree with Ar/Joe too! but Ariel/Ge comes close 2nd for me. I agree that HuGe stands out as his own person no matter what dramas he does but i think his paring with Ariel is really cute, compared to other pairings he had. (the one with LYF was quite the blandest.). btw, have u seen the Myth yet? i haven't, CP3 was my latest hu ge drama.
yeah, i agree that Loch2008 is really a travesty, being a fan of the books, but i still enjoyed it if i didn't take into account how they butchered jin yong's original.
YH and LSS were quite great as a pairing in it, i agree. i particularly like YH since i saw him in Young Warriors of Yang Clan.

and yeah, Ariel is purely GREAT!! she can pull of such different roles so well... when i heard that she would play HR, i was like... xiang qin=HR?? HR has to be the smartest role she played thus far and she pulled it off well. and also, the girl can CRY...
btw, did u like ISWAK or TKA best?

@supah
awww... i'm really sorry, no more spoilers ever for you in the future, promise.
just out of curiosity... does this mean that u stop watching the ep right before the preview and skip that?
for me, i become very anxious before watching the preview, during the preview, and then after the preview... and during the drama for that matter... lol.

Kim Soo Hyun, love u too!!! we can be embarrassed together on that one.. lol
and yeah, let's start the discussion once you're done.. i'm going to watch it too but 2 hrs is LONG...

@ v

mookie and I had a few weeks worth of dicussion on LC books and LoCH2008, check out OT 115 onward. I don't want to rehash, but I loved LoCH2008. I mention it a travesty that Hu Ge's performance as Guo Jing was good, but he did not have the spark that ignited this quintessential OTP, ala Felix and Barbara. I did not think LoCH2008 itself was a travesty, quite the opposite, it was fascinating for me to watch.

The change to the canon, normally I would be aghast, but damn if Yuan Hong didn't sell his version of YK and make me care more than I could have imagined. Again, you can read my musings if you're interested. mookie and I had long debates about it. Butchering the novel is fine only if you have a vision about what you want to do and execute it perfectly, which I felt LoCH2008 did with the YK story.

I think Hu Ge + anyone is better than Crystal Liu, she's the female equivalent of the wooden but pretty actress. I have not watched Myth, and skimmed CP3. mookie and I are waiting for Clothing (the) World to start this summer.

I loved ISWAK, I really disliked TKA (no matter how much I love ArJoe).

@ momosan

Tsuki no Koibito - first impression, shite kudasai, nei-chan?

Btw, thoughts on Byakyuyako? For some reason I'm tempted to watch. [Pride first, of course]

Yamapi has caused my Mawang watch to take a nose-dive into the crapper. @ serendipity and nycgrl, I have to bank it, I can't watch a sophisticated drama like this when really, all I do is watch Pi TY videos on continuous loop. My sly sister came over yesterday and made off with my Buzzer Beat DVD. She returned my LoCH2008 DVD bc she didn't have time to watch it (oh really?) but then made off with Pi and started watching last night. Seriously, the power of Pi is so strong I can just see her supressing her excitement that I had BB on hand.

I showed my BFF my Pi fixation, and instead of going, "you're so crazy, woman!" she said, huh, he's kinda cute. (btw, did not show any of the millions of Seshun Amigo vids to her, those need to be watched after you become a Pi fan).

And lastly, to epyc and simplesim - BSGS is adorably and heartfelt, rather simple and ordinarily, but nevertheless does family and daily life well. I am so tempted to say "Kang Ji-hwan, MINE!" but won't. But he's that good in BSGS. That good. When his heart breaks and his voice cracks and those eyes just feel like torrents of emotion is pouring out, he's superb.

@ockoala
sure, i'll check out your discussion, maybe not all of it, but i'll definitely skim through it. as for Lock08, i do think it is a travesty BUT not in the bad sense. like i said before, once i got over all the changes they made, i was quite satisfied with it. (but i still like the books better.)
i agree, i cared for YK in Loch08 more than i ever cared for that character in any other versions... so I did enjoy the changes they made to the character and how YH pulled it off.
lol about your description with LYF.. she is quite wooden, AND she plays bland roles so it makes her character even more wooden. but i'll have to admit that i did have a girl crush on her for a while... because she is pretty.
oh, i didn't even know clothing the world was a hu ge project... will check that out now.
haha, so i'm not the only one who didnt think all that of TKA... it was so hyped up but ISWAK was definitely the better version for me, mainly because the dynamics between ArJoe was so fun. xiangqin may be dumb but she's one persistent girl.

and sorry to butt in but for byakyuyako, do you mean byakuyako with ayase haruka? if that is the case, i would that it's worth a watch, or at least a try. it's definitely not the best drama out there but not bad at all.
as for watching pi's vid in a loop... really, which pi fan didn't do that? i know i did... maybe overdid it.
ur lucky ur friend didnt think ur weird... i tried to show the most manly pic i had of pi and they said he was okay... and the prettiest pic of him and they thought i liked a girl. lol.
i'm so looking forward to tsuki no koibito but really, maybe too much...
haha, we'll have to compete with JB for KJH i'm afraid... but he was good in BSGS... i never finished that drama cuz it was LONG.. but i thoroughly enjoyed what i sawS

@supah
SPOILER about Giant
finished the first ep of Giant... going to the second...
first impressions... phew.. a whole lot of characters to take in, my mind is kinda fuzzy... will take me a while to know everything that's happening and who's name whose.
the kid who played Ji Sung's younger counterpart in swallow of the sun (sorry, dont know his name) is much more likeable here... i liked him in iljimae and gourmet and then disliked him and am now back to liking him.
lot's of dark and angsty moments and pointed guns.. lol
KSH is FINE!!! even with his bowl cut... he's born to be a heartthrob. now, superficiality set aside, his acting was good too.. as expected... and he expressed his pain really well at the end (well, more like middle end) and like always, he has the cool role.
now, i'm off to 2nd ep.... hope i'll be able to remember the names better.

@ v

Clothing (the) World is a NOT a Hu Ge project. Sorry if I confused you, I walked away from LoCH2008 a mad mad Yuan Hong fan for life. Hu Ge was fine, he did well, but YH and Lee Jie PWNED HG's performance in that respect. CtW is a Yuan Hong project, with Janine Chang and Liu Shishi as the female leads. It's the C-version of Dae Jang Geum, except with sewing as opposed to cooking.

Heh, you don't have to read my old posts, I merely point to it to say that I can't talk too much about LoCH2008 now bc I've pretty much talked too much about it already!

Thanks for the byukyuyako recommendation, I've been meaning to watch but since I'm on a jdorama bent these days, might as well table up the ones I'm gonna hit.

No, my best friends never laugh at me, they laugh with me, when I <3 a new actor love. Pi looks much more manlier these days, since BB days, esp. now that he's training and filming Ashita no Joe.

Oh, forgot to mention, a new Black & White the movie update for y'all (I know 99% of us have checked out now that Vic is not gonna be in it), but PD Tsai says its gonna be a trilogy (whose getting Infernal Affair vibes with me here?), and the first move will star Mark, plus a major actor from HK and a major actor from China (my first thoughts: Nicky and Huang Xiao-ming).

PD Tsai says both names will be revealed in a few days at a film festival and filming starts this summer. I don't know, I feel so betrayed still, like the only heart in the drama, the only one whose story still hadn't yet been completed, Pi Zi, we will never know about. And if PD Tsai kills Pi Zi off-screeen he and I are over, forever.

@ockoala
lol... thanks for the clarification... i was just checking it and i was like, "YH, check. LSS, check, HG... ???" and i like janine chang too. i've watched her in other dramas but i like her best in black and white.
well, of course i dont have to read ur old posts... lol.. but i'm interested to know what u really thought of stuff and compare them to how i thought. well, even without reading them, i know we agree on YH... and lee jie was really good too but i nver liked OuyangKe to start with.. but as an actor, i like him.
ur welcome^^ u can ask for recom anytimes. well, i have to warn you that byukuyako is kinda dark (read ANGST dark) in case u want smth brighter... haha, my time of pure jdorama obsession was 2-3 yrs ago when i dropped all k-dramas and tw-dramas to solely watch and catch up with j-dramas. i like jdramas before but was more after jpop than doramas themselves. after watching 1-200 jdramas, i'm now back to balancing between the 3 (or 4 if you count chinese) genre, with maybe a little more of k-dramas. but that will switch soon. it's more like a cycle.
ur friends sounds really awesome!! mine are too but they dont understand my inclination for asian guys, manly or otherwise.

hmmm... HXM in BB? well, the guy is hot but i wish he could act more... i am looking forward to Summer's Bubble tho. and maybe he'll surprise me with an awesome perf, who knows? as for nicky... do you mean nicky wu? if yes, then :).
the only other nicky i can think of is nicholas tse... -_-
as for PiZi, i agree with you on that one.

@ momosan

I swear, any Johnny's boys blog must be either computer generated or written by a Johnny troll hiding in the basement. Pi's blog are the antithesis of scintillating, and it sounds like with emoticon-laden KimuTaku blogs are written by/for a female of the teeange persuasion.

That vid was awesome! Seriously, who knew Kimu can still rock the red, right rocker jeans and go out there and jam with Bon Jovi (yes, who doesn't love Bon Jovi?). You know, young Pi would be lucky to have Kimu's career, he's really just been an incredible presence on the j-scene for nearly 20 years now. And married, with now two girls, incredible normalcy in a Johnny-crazed j-idol world.

If I keep chanting PridePridePride and reminding myself that "maybe" only means maybe, then maybe I'll make it through today.

How the babies do at trials? Byakyuyako - I'm not going in anytime soon, just curious is all. :-)

@ lb_tmi : Great news that you op went well! Congrats! Very sorry to hear about your relative's accident.

I am deep into Fated to Love You, and thanks for the recomendation, ockoala (it was you, wasn't it?) (although it did derail my weekend!!!). Love the 2nd male lead--I haven't shipped a 2nd lead for quite a while, and I know he won't get the girl, it's impossible (just given the title of the drama!), but oh, my heart bleeeeeeds for him. And the "10 minute long sex scene in episode 1" (your notation of which started me down this track) had me in stitches!!! The montage of jets and trains was hilarious!

@V

Giant - SPOILERS!

Kim Soo Hyun! xD
Didja see the train scene at night? Didja? What was he, Batman? That was awesome!
I love my KSH all intense like that!

I love how this drama starts off in present day (the future) and with emphasis on Seoul's skyline at night like something out of a DC Comics film (namely Spiderman), with the whole pulsating metropolis atmosphere bang on. The cinematography is great, in fact breathtaking.
And then the flashbacks back to the 60s/70s(?) are a sharp contrast, it's a quaint little town which seemed to me like it was straight out of the Miyazaki anime Grave of the Fireflies (one of my all time fave movies) and I'm already seeing the Setsuko and the Seita in the Lee family children, alongside a grieving widow still fragile from childbirth, a newborn infant and the new head of the family; Sung Mo (Kim Soo Hyun). Whew!

I couldn't help but to keep comparing it to East of Eden, but I'm glad there were significant differences (not a lot, but some) but one major difference I like here about the main family is rather than being all noble and heroic, fiery, revenge-bent about their father's death and grandeous -- the Lee family's poverty feels more real. The dramatics are pared down. They have no grand airs, they're simply a poor, defenceless family. You can feel their lethargy and their vulnerability.
Fabulous child actors, is all I'm gunna say.

I think I'm loving the villian too - that old white haired crazy man with the gun, (aka. Back to the Future's Doc lookalike --I'm gunna call this crazy guy 'Doc') he's that military chief-commander-whatever Cho in the flashback, right? Hmm.. Eeexcellent.

Still don't think I'll watch all 50 episodes but I'm loving everything so far, now I'm off to watch episode 2! Wheee!

@supah
SPOILER for Giant
wow... glad that we agree on this drama so far... who knows when we'll differ.. haha.. but so far, as i read ur comment, i just kept nodding and thinking, wow.. that's what i thought too. btw, in my last comment to u i said i would be off to watch ep 2 and now, i'm done! tell me when ur done.
now, adding to what i said previously on ep 1 and on where we agree:
CASE 1: yeah, i SAW the KSH train scene.... hihi.... i didnt think of Batman for that, but he is COOL!! grrr, if only he could be in the entire drama. lol.
lol...
CASE 2: lol... my first impression when watching the first 5min was also... phew, they went all out on cinematography huh? and it SO reminded me of spiderman too! lol. and i thought of Miyazaki anime too!!! this is amazing! lol. but not of grave of the Fireflies...but now that you mentioned it, i can definitely see the numerous similarities with grave of the fireflies. like i said before, my fav miyazaki anime is howl's moving castle cuz i like diana wynne jones.
CASE 3: didn't have as much insight as you on the difference with EoE but i definitely could feel it. and i like it that way. as for "fabulous child actors", i totally agree! ^^ like i said in the previous comment, i'm back to liking the kid who played young iljimae, and young ji sung, and now young kang mo(?)... i'm still confused with names... does KSH count as a kid actor? probably not right.. but just saying... LOVE HIM!
CASE 4: okay, i totally thought of back to the future doc too when i first saw the guy pointing the gun... lol. and im liking him too (as how he is played. not him as a person)

hehe... this is creepy, us agreeing on so many things so glad to know PP is almost coming where u can defend SJxHR. XD

Hey, I just saw the trailer for Coffee House... someone's Kang Ji Hwan certainly has a killer smile. OH my.

Giant: Wrist grabbing and face slapping sure happens young these days! (piggybacking too)
@Supah: I was going to say the first scene made me feel shades of Grave of the Fireflies!

I could empathize with KSH disgust when he lied to the (Commander?) and Doctor that he didn't know who he was. Did he think by separating himself they could be free? Little does he know the hell they're going through now. The dream sequence in episode 2 was the one of the best parts to me. Sad that the kids didn't get a chance to send either of their parents off right. Was the baby coughing in the church or is that just me being paranoid?

The mom was really great too, you could see her life disappearing before your eyes.

@ ockoala

Your bailing? I was thinking you should have started with Resurrection. Mawang is so much darker and requires more devotion which is why I still can't bring myself to rewatch Mawang to do this day though its one of my favorites. On the other hand I've rewatched Resurrection 3 times and its the type of drama you can marathon. Well I've bailed on dramas like capital scandal so I understand its a time and place thing.

Speaking of KJH you watched BSGS? That is like a gazzillion episodes. I watched it a couple of years ago with a lot of fast forwarding. You can see Kim Nam Gil and yes the best thing about it is KJH. I found Han Hye Jin creepy and her character pretty annoying. I replayed the dance scene a billion times. He is so cute doing the dance.

@janna , supah

Ditto for MiSA and the Ramen scene. God I love MiSA. It was the perfect storm for me. The actors, the story, directing and the type of drama it was at that time. I doubt it could effect me the same way now the way it did back then if something like that aired now.

In terms of gut wrenching eating scene Resurrection has one as well and UTW is such a great actor and there is nothing lovely in the way he eats or cries.

@ nycgrl

Nonononono, I am NOT bailing on Mawang, just need to bank it for the next few days so I can marathon Pride. Mother of God, the first ten minutes into Pride and I am already smiling like a damn monkey spied a forest of organic bananas, and a cadre of female monkeys holding said bananas.

Gah, sports-roms, if cast right and executed right = exhilirating. I don't think I have ever seen KimuTaku look so. damn. fine. ever. (no exaggeration). My Pi has a *long long* ways to go before he can succeed the Crown Prince of j-dom.

As for BSGS, I don't think I've watched an entire drama on FF the way I am watching BSGS, the entire kidney subplot requires the FF button, both brothers require the FF button, the aunt requires the FF button, the other rich girl requires the FF button. Only single element that does not require the FF button: Kang. Ji. Hwan. The second he appears I hit stop. He is amazing, elevating the daily fare into something approaching sophistication. I am not a fan of HHJ's character GS, she's too I-can-do-it-aint-nothing-gonna-stop-me for me. But its my fave HHJ character amongst all the ones she's ever played and I've seen (which is not saying much).

I finished Capital Scandal, but it took a herculean effort and for the love of KJH. I wrote about it bf, but it bit off more than it can chew is all I can say.

bye guys!!! going to sleep now... OML finale is tomorrow! yay! and one more day till PP!
Good night and enjoy OT!

EDIT
@ockola
yay... uve finally started Pride!! let me know what u think after your marathon...justly hyped or overhyped?
for me, it's my fav Kimutaku's role as Halu... "maybe... must, be" KYA!!

@78 reluctantbutaddicted

oh i'm so glad you're enjoying FTLY!! haha i always thought the montage of jets and trains were HILARIOUS too. it kept the 10 min scene from being too... serious i guess? especially we all know what happened after ha! i did ship the 2nd male lead for awhile too, but i can never stay away from OTP for that long lol.

@ momosan

this is just a general THANK YOU for your mac video advice a few OT's back. i just got my macbook pro this past weekend and started playing around with it. of course the first thing i needed to do was make sure my videos play on this! i use a GOM player on my PC and was looking for a mac version of it (GOM plays pretty much EVERY video file i've ever come across). Thanks for suggesting Perian to use along with the Quicktime already installed - I checked it out and it works beautifully so far! Thanks!! The Macbook is gonna take some getting used to as I have to throw out many many MANY years of PC knowledge, but as everyone has said it's 'intuitive' and 'super easy to get used to', i'm going to go with that and try my bestest :) Question: I'm trying to transfer my music files over from an external HD i have to my new itunes - but it seems to be creating it's own folders as I transfer instead of a straight transfer - is this normal or is there a way to keep how I have my file in the external folder intact? Thanks so much for all your help! I think if I had to go to the Genius Bar everytime I had a mac question I'd have to start paying them rent.

@ twin

i'm so sorry to hear about your in-law's in-law's. What a tragic way to end the weekend. I hope your family is doing alright though.

On a happier note - happy birthday to your baby!! I can't believe he's 9 already... Such a young momma hehe :) My poor kids (if i ever have any) are gonna have a grandma as a mom by the time i get around to it lol. Also, thanks for reminding me that momosan had posted some macbook advice!! I would have been a mess trying to dl 83 different video players to find a good one.

Watched Tsuki no Koibito. Abe Tsuyoshi...wait, no comment.
I'd actually like to see Ninomiya/Kazami pair (Shinohara Ryoko and Matsuda Shotas characters). Keiko as Yuzuki plays the spoiled girl type well... and Lin Chi Ling is alright when they're not making her scream stuff.

I like to play "Is the female actress really taller than Takuya and he needs lifts for this role" game. Provided I don't check out presscon photos (which I haven't) It's a fun way to gauge actresses heights. Since Matsuda Shota is taller that Kimura, it's clear to me that he can't be Takuyas love interest. As for the rest...we'll see. But they're making a strong case for Xiu Mei in the first ep.

Pride:
How could I forget ''Maybe'', ''Must be''? LOL, I was killing myself a few months ago trying to remember where ''Maybe'' was from.
Loved the drama, but still found Halu a little bit chauvanistic, perhaps in the way in which he typecasted women. But don't attack me all at once though...

Giant - SPOILERS!

@V
I liked episode 2, we didn't see much KSH, but we saw lots of Nam Ji Hyun. She's her usual overacty, screechy, wee bit fiesty but still totally lovable self, of course since the mood is a little more sombre here she's still nowhere near Deokman Jr. level.
Wow at her parents - WOW! What a pair! Her dad's a backstabber/traitor/murderer who still has a conscience (which makes him pitiful) and the mother's(?) a curly mop blue-eyeshadow-wearing freak who steals from the destitute. No wonder NJH's adult version Park Jin-hee will be playing a villainess role, her character Jung Yun has their blood.

@janna
Good observation, the opening scene was very similar to the GotF opening scene.

The church part: :*(
Oh no, I don't think we can bear to see an infant fatality too. I was just glad when the camera moved onto the baby they showed him/her still alive, all pink and wriggling. Didn't hear any coughing.
I love the drama, its a rags to riches (literally one extreme to the other) story and its way of storytelling is beautiful - but it's such a LONG friggin' story, I don't think it'll be able to hold my interest much after the childhood portions are over. No matter how badass the adults look.
I also like that its underlying message seems to be ''the best form of revenge is to live well'' -- but it seems the siblings are going to grow up rich beyond their imagination - by whichever means they'll employ, for starters: pickpocketing, street performances (singing, dancing) etc.

@ lovenyc52 : oh yes, I am thoroughly loving FTLY, esp all the wacky overthetop characters--grandma, mom and the sisters... they're a hoot. But my heart is breaking for Dylan (way more attractive, way more attentive, all that... and yet I know he won't get the girl). Normally I also don't ship outside the OTP--after learning the hard way in Coffee Prince--b/c I can't bear the distress. But in FTLY, main guy SO CLEARLY does not deserve the girl. And he blew it for me totally in the moment I thought he was finally finally dumping the selfish girlfriend and going back to Xin Yi, but then he clarified it would just be temporary. Bastard (I was shouting much worse at the screen). Weak, lousy, selfish JERK! I lost all respect for him right there. I only feel badly for grandma now. And she's a tough old bird. So Baron Chen! Go!

hello gang! will be out town this afternoon for 2 days... 3 depending on what my parents are planning so i wont be on the computer for long T_T

aside from that, just watched OML 16 and it was AWESOME!! a great way to end and endearing drama... it was not a "good" drama but it was definitely a pleasant watch and it kept improving, especially in the several last episodes until i came from watching it for lack of something else to watch to watching it because it was compelling and i found myself loving it before i knew it. hihi... Choi Si Won is DAMN charming... looking forward to Suju Comeback... the new MV is out tomorrow!! yay!

Tsuki no koibito, i'm coming to you!!! kimutaku, just wait..

about FTLY, well, I was for Baron at first too, but then switched side later on to Ethan... but i have to admit, Baron is super cute.

and about Giant, well, i really like ep 2 so i'm going to be there next week !! NJH is one loveable and talented actress. and supah, totally agree with you about her parents... but altho i know she is a villain, as i have a soft spot for NJH, i also have sympathy for her character but let's see how park jin hee will do and work the transformation into the villain.

and most importantly.... wednesday is tomorrow!!! PP is coming! (and CS and PT too) Yay!! XD

haha, this is kinda of a compressed comment but i'm pressed for time... have to go packing... see you guys soon! enjoy OT!!

Pride

I watched ep 1-3 last night (2 eps even with hubby, might I add). First off, he DID not make fun of the actors, first time ever (other than conceding Lee Byung-hoon is a good looking guy when I watched BD), he gamely admitted "that is one very good looking guy" while pointing at KimuTaku. This is the same guy who spent last week making fun of Pi. Yes, he prefers men to look like men, I get it. Even I'm baffled and slightly mortified by my Pi fixation, which he has no clue about (whew).

Anyways, best opening montage for any sport-rom (BB was great, Pride is better), set to of course, I Was Born to Love You, and now I can't get that darn song out of my head! Yes, maybe has taken on a whole nother meaning for me, as well.

Side bar: I am NOT a KimuTaku fan, I watched all his stuff in the 90s, culminating in Love Generation, and stopped. He was always just okay to me, in terms of looks, acting, projects. Unlike Yutaka in With Love and Toshiaki in Ooishi Kankei (and even older stuff like Tokyo Cinderella Story), to me KimuTaku never did a role I completely fell for, hence I never fell for him when the rest of Asia turned into butter for him.

But....if Pride goes down this path and doesn't blink, Halu would be my all-time fave KimuTaku role, hands down by a mile. This was the role I've been dying to see him play. Perfection, arrogant yet vulnerable, charming yet socially awkward, honest yet opaque, steely determination mixed with boyish uncertainty about love - Halu is my catnip (whereas Pi is my catnip - note the difference).

Anyways, Pride is definitely NOT overhyped or even hyped - I love it so far.

OST - 7.5 (not a single bone to pick, everything is perfect, I just need MORE music, I prefer my dramas to really be scored more rather than less)
Story - 8.5 (probably will be a 9 soon)
Execution - 9.2 (the director of Pride is my new BFF, I love his direction, both intimate and expansive, and sometimes all at once, wow).
Halu - 100(00000....) - I love this guy, I want him to find his meaning in life that is both hockey and letting go of his demons. KimuTaku is wonderful, just wonderful. I can show Pride to anyone and say, this is a great performance you're about to see, and its so much fun.

BB really is Pride's younger, untried, still green brother right out of college. Only thing BB does better is that it uses its OST more, and since BB has a great OST, the music really lifts the moments when Pi and Keiko (neither are thespians) need some help emoting. KimuTaku needs no help, but I want more Queen!

@ momosan

itunes hates me and refuses to be submissive like it should. this makes me sad. i'm actually doing a direct move from my external HD and dragging it over to my music folder. we'll see how this works now lol

@ reluctantbutaddicted

haha i love ethan in this - he's really quite good. xin yi's mom is hiiiiiilarious. and i LOVE ethan's assistant too HA!

@ everyone

thanks! the eyes are doing great!! i love that i can wear my shades.. i rocked the superstar look at the banquet in my shades and got funny looks all night. but the lights really were super bright. dang disco ball. ha!

i'm feeling a lilo bout of guilty conscience because i should be w/ the sis in law, but they are 2 hrs away.. so i'm not able to be there until this weekend at the funeral. poor sweetie.. she really relied on her MIL a tons w/ her two kids (under 3), school, and work.. MIL was keeping her family together.. i worry what will happen now w/ them.. thank you for all the support.. i'll definitely give it to them.. and thanks for thinking of them during this time..

@ reluctantbutaddicted et all FTLY

i totally shipped Dylan until the end.. even tho i knew he wouldn't get the girl.. i still shipped him. i was so anti Ethan Ruan.. ha!

^ lb_tmi, *hug* speedy recovery, condolences to your family.

teehee, so my ockoalatwin caught the Pride bug!! This is also my fav char of Kimutaku...though I like some other of his works better.

Tsuki no Koibito
I cringed and cringed more. This is so all over the place and very very lost in direction. I'm sorry dorama... please dun do a less than half arse job if u r even trying to tackle labor issues in CHINA.

Shota's mando = bloody horrifically awful (and he's a Chinese immigrant?! oookaayyy lolz Abe Tsuyoshi should be in his role..again I do apologize because I'm so not a Shota fangirl for me to tolerate that bit, I'm immune to posing and strutting). KimuTaku is not in his element and trying too damn hard a la KSW in Cinderella man (*SIGH*), LCL= #$!#%#!^ I thought I can tolerate Shinohara Ryoko the best out of the girls but nope.. I cant stand her when she's overacting and she so is here (her mando is at least legible compared to Shota's though). ARGH

nth is going for me w/ Tsuki 10 min in as I expected. wake me up, surprise me if I'm so very wrong

@ twin

Welcome back! Tsuki no Koibito - even with zero expectations, still cringe-worthy, huh? Sigh, I sad, but with LCL involved, what could possibly be elevated. Seriously, Crystal Liu Yi-fei I can accept, LCH not anytime in the near future.

For all your Dylan-lovers out there, Baron Chen's got a lead role in the upcoming remake of Meteor, Butterfly, Sword. He plays Meng Xing-yun, I can't really explain except the character is pretty sweetly kick-ass. Good luck to Baron, he was pretty awkward and stiff in FTLY, but compared to Ethan's retarded character, the only decent guy around.

Go drool over Baron here (the wuxia look suits him): http://www.jvrmusic.com.tw/news/2007/12/11/1456_01.jpg

Btw, there is an Easter egg in FTLY - Ming Dao actually shows up and plays Ji Chun-xi for a scene, you only see his back, but we MingEn fans just died and squeed and fainted. Ethan's nickname has always been Little Ming Dao, though not anymore since he's made it big time since FTLY and the movie Monga.

o ...haha I've actually heard of more droolzing of Baron @ FTLY ( the drama is not my thing and I cant finish)

Also for Baron in period/wuxia:
Jay Chow's 青花瓷 MV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_FY5S85x_c

and he's very Ekin-esque in another JayChow's MV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZkvHpV0mh0

this is vintage stuff:
Baron x Joe x Ethan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPTRpQ1Llw
I can never get tired of the crazy fashion lol