I saw God Once When I Was Little

Dream High came to an end today, and though there is a special tomorrow, the stories of the characters have ended as well. I think its safe to say that everyone got a happy ending. In 2018, everyone appears to be - more or less - where they want to be.


( Dream High is K )

This week Gloria ends. After 50 episodes and 27 weeks (it didn't air two weeks in a row thanks to sporting events) this weekend drama comes to an end tomorrow. I have to admit that I've really loved this show and its characters - mostly DA and YS. So, I'm excited to watch tomorrow and see how it ends for everyone involved.


My Princess is starting to enter its dramatic phase, so I'm interested to see where that goes. Though, I'm mostly watching for the OTP.


Dream High has become an obsession and with episode eight, we enter the turning point of the drama. This is a weird drama for me, because I am eight years out of high school, and this is a high school drama - yet, I find myself drawn to the characters. I find myself thinking: "I've felt the same way recently". That may be because this is my last year at university and I'm starting to think about the 'real' world; while the characters in this drama are fighting for their dramas. I'm thinking episode eight has a time jump of some sort, because of the newest promo pictures - skinny PS - so that's something that I'm looking forward to.


( Being )

Being Human begins its third series tomorrow night. I'm excited, but not overly so. I know that many times the first episode of a new series/season is just set-up, so not too much happens. (BTW: has anyone else seen the ads for the U.S. remake? What is with the U.S. remaking all these British shows at once: Shameless, Skins, Being Human - why not just show the originals? The Sy-fy channel shows Merlin - they couldn't show Being Human?)

Also - I watched the first episode of the MTV Skins and thought it was alright. I give it a C; not bad but not great. Some of the acting isn't very good, but I see potential in some of the characters and actors. It was rather tame compared to the U.K. version - even though they used the same script - so I'm slightly confused with all the anger over it from the conservative groups. (They like The Secret Life of the American Teenager - a show all about teen sex, but not this?)





I am all caught up with both My Princess and Dream High:


I think MP is really a marathon type show; it is very fluffy and addictive because of the interaction of the OTP. The plot is slowly starting to come together, which I like. But, the Secondary Female is truly just evil - I want to punch her in the face. The sister isn't much better. Why is she so jealous; even before Seol was shown to be the missing Princess, Dan was mean to her. I want to know why.


Dream High is also rather addictive, and like My Princess, would be a fun drama to marathon. Surprisingly, I'm not shipping much in this drama (just Jason/Pil Sook) - the shipper and character wars on soompi are crazy. I also like all the characters, even the "evil" ones. I'm more interested in the interactions and friendships. The storyline is a bit thin, and the acting isn't always solid, but I like these characters.



I'm still watching Gloria; I'm up to episode forty-six with subtitles. I love the way everything is coming together. But, I've had to stop going to Soompi - they are all about JJ/KS and have to regard for the rest of the storylines and characters. I like JJ/KS, but I do care about the other storylines and would like to discuss that sometimes. Anyway - I like the way the show is wrapping up and the way the character arcs are all slowly ending.



The new Japanese television season has started, but I'm not sure what to watch. It seems most of the dramas are crime/mystery/cop based, and I'm really not in the mood for that. For my Japanese viewing, I'm more in the mood for something more romantic, as its been a while since I've watched a good romantic Japanese drama. But, I'm not interested in Fuyu no Sakura (she's having an affair; even if she doesn't know it, it's still not my thing) or Taisetsu na Koto wa Subete Kimi ga Oshiete Kureta (I'm not a Toda Erika fan). I don't think I'll be watching any new Japanese dramas this season.


So - what is everyone else watching?

I've watched the first episode of My Princess today, and I liked it. It's written by the writer of Secret Garden, City Hall, the Lovers dramas, and On Air; whose known for her fast-paced drama, breezy scenes, and witty dialogue, and I think she's bringing all of that over to this romantic comedy. The cast seems very spot-on in their roles as well.



The story is rather simple - though, it doesn't make that much sense in the real world - a normal woman in her mid/late 20s, is found to be a missing princess of Korea. And, the government and Korean people reinstate the monarchy just as she's found. So, it's up to a government official (and Chaebol) to train her in the art of being a Princess. It's a very far-fetched story. But, thankfully, the writer seems to understand that. She focusing - at the moment - on the relationships and slowly building up the issue of an everyday person suddenly being royalty and what that means.


The Korean monarchy ended in 1910, with Yi Cheok. Though, there is Yi Won, Lee Haewon, and Yi Chung - all elderly Korean citizens, who are members of what was once the Korean Imperial Household. So. . .not totally sure how Seol would be the big find, but whatever. It's drama world and there are things I don't know about Korean royalty.


Anyway. . .back to my thoughts on the episode: It's fluffy. Get over it, get over yourself: it's fluff. Yes, the writer is excellent enough to make it good fluff (I'm seeing shades of Prosecutor Princess), but I think we all remember Hello, Miss!. So, as of now - it's speedy, light, fluff with good dialogue. But, I understand that it could turn on me at any moment. I do like that despite the fluffiness of the piece, the writer is already dropping some more serious undertones. So, maybe it can get a bit dramatic without getting crazy.


( Character Thoughts )


Overall, I like the characters - especially the chemistry between the two leads. I think the storyline of the lost Princess could be fun, as well as the (angsty) aftermath of Seol taking on the role of Korea's Princess and what that could mean for her relationship with Hae Young. I like the two leads and see potential in the overall story arcs of the series. This is staying on my 'watch list'. Hopefully, this marks a change in the somewhat lack-luster Korean romantic comedies of the past year. (Especially as they seem to be making more and more of them. I'd hate to have to give up Korean dramas all together!)



Episode One: 7/10. With room for improvement. But, a nice fluffy start (with shades of drama) to begin with. I look forward to more.

Gloria's episode today was really wonderfully written. JJ and KS continue to angst, but Creepy is closer and closer to - I think - being taken down.

( And that preview! )


Looking forward to tomorrow!

Very quickly and taken from Soompi (grammer cleaned up by me):


( Because you could live a proper life, if I'd only leave you )

I've decided that 2010 was a great year for couples, OTPs, ships, whatever you wish to call them. I've made two different lists: one for Western Television and one for Asian Dramas. In order to make the list couples had to have certain things:

01. I had to have watched the series in 2010/it had to have aired in 2010.
02. They had to have been a couple or have had UST/potential couple-dom in the future.
03. I had to have loved them and wanted them to be together. (I had to want them to be together; not just liked them because they were the show's couple)
04. They had to have been together as a couple/potential couple for at least three episodes.


For the next one day, I'll bring you the Western couples. Today, I give you Number One -
From LOST - Claire/Charlie.


( The night I met you )

Looks like next week will be good. They had filmed episode 8 thinking it would air today, so it's a bit sad we have to wait another week for it. We're about to hit the half-way mark, which means only one thing in a romantic-comedy: a bit of angst as our Leads struggle to confess to one another.

All Korean - no, world wide - romantic comedies share a certain, uh, formula. Cuteness and bickering for the first half; misunderstandings, confessions, and angst in the middle; angst and wrap-up in cuteness for the end. Mary is looking to be no different. I'm actually alright with that, as the strength of the show is really the MR/MK relationship.


The fabulously awesome ockoala has put up a written preview for episode 8:


( Reposted here, under a cut for spoilers )

- We have achieved jealously! MK is so jealous he doesn't know what to do with himself. He's so angry that he's yelling at people and losing his cool. I find it oddly sexy. And that ending! I'm so glad we don't have to wait until week to find out what happens next.


In other news: all three parents piss me off. MK's mom is immature and selfish. MR's dad is immature and an idiot. JI's dad is creepy and emotionally/mentally abusive. It makes me wonder about SJ's parents.


After six episodes, I've decided the show's strength is the MK/MR stuff. I love that in any other drama, JI would be the Hero - with his aloofness and coldness and richness. And MK would be the artist/musician Bohemian Secondary Lead; the guy MR would lean on, but ultimately dump/break his heart. But not here! Here it's the other way around. I love that! I was thinking about something ( as well in regard to the idea that MR would start to ) Because, honestly, you may love and root for Min-woo or Kang Suk or Joo Won or In Soo or whoever - but, would you really want to deal with their issues and BS for the rest of your life? Would you want to attend their therapy sessions and calm them down when they get too serious or upset or claustrophobic? I think not.


As for Giant - I can't believe there are only three episodes left. It's so great to know (thanks to an ann. comment) that MW/Miju are THE couple the Korean fans care about. It's no wonder the writer is milking the angst for all its worth. But, seriously, it's time for that to end. I won't go into it, as I've harped on it enough.