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| My Anticipation |
So I know I haven't really been on the Asian drama scene in a while. Well, I sort of have and sort of haven't. For one, I'm not pushing myself to blog regularly, only because it keeps me from being able to actually enjoy watching certain series without wondering what I want to write about it. I guess I'm really not cut out to be a drama series blogger, but I'll try to keep things going as long as I can. I just really like to write and I have opinions about certain series, scenes, celebs, actors, idols, etc... that I can't seem to NOT share.
For example, I actually have a LOT of opinion pieces written (as a rough draft, a final draft ready to be published, random thoughts on a piece of paper or WordPad file...). It's a matter of formalizing them to my standards so that they can be published for all to read.
It's just unfortunate that I have such anal perfect standards that it keeps me from publishing because I'm not sure it's good enough. Well, I know it hasn't kept me from posting some terrible articles in the past (look at me talking like I've been drama blogging forever), but I have my moments of spontaneous "I want to share with the world!" bloggings.
But anyway, it IS true that I haven't quite been in the Asian entertainment scene very much in the past couple weeks. While I have managed to view to completion some series (The King 2 Hearts, Rooftop Prince, Crime Squad, The Locked Room Murders, etc...) I have also stumbled across many series that I haven't been able to get into enough to finish (Kimchi Family, I Do I Do, Three Kingdoms RPG...). And while I've been at it, I've been watching American television series dated back to a 90s premiere (Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as well as American series that aren't that old (Supernatural, How I Met Your Mother). And surprisingly, reading books hasn't quite been my thing in the past month, which really bugs me since I have a Reading Challenge to finish within the next five months.
Aside from all of that, I have also had a lot of REAL LIFE situations come up that take precedence over silly little Asian entertainment obsessions... Yea. I'm a grown adult and real life DOES take priority and I can't ignore my responsibilities and duties. That's life, I guess; and that's why I like to indulge in the fictional world so much.
As of present, the only "most recent" Korean drama series I've been able to finish watching was Big, the romantic comedy body swap plot device created by the infamous Hong Sisters who are well know for their quirky rom-coms (Delightful Girl Choon Hyang, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho). And to be totally honest, it had been a while since I was able to follow a series so intently, because a lot of them have been kind of boring, while others I just started watching when they were already finished broadcasting, so I didn't have to wait for the next episode as I'd done with Big. But I may give a post about this one a lot later when I can collect all of my thoughts. But as a teaser, let's just say, some series are decently executed and you find yourself loving everything about them; then something goes horribly wrong with the script and, well... sometimes the quality of an ending can either make or break a good series.
Moving along into my next big watch... well, if flopped from the beginning. I should have known better than to expect anything too extraordinary out of Hong Kong's TVB. Three Kingdoms RPG has been on my radar since the very day that it was announced two years ago in preview presentations (as I have already mentioned again and again). I even wrote a first impression of it to emphasize my excitement... or rather, I guess my disappointment at what's taking place. After so long of anticipation, the series was a flop from the beginning... or maybe I'm too demanding because my parents seem to be enjoying it. What little snippets I've seen of it while walking through the living room while Mom and Dad are watching... well, none of it makes much sense to me. For one, our main character is able to use his cell phone to communicate with his sister through this space-time lapse thing. So we're fairly certain that there's some mystical, non-scientific explanation to this entire deal. But still, it doesn't seem to make any sense, even as far as the series' story line logic goes. It feels as if the writer/producer team just decided "This is going to be a possibility, but we won't give any explanations as to how cause we'll cover that later. It will be so because we say so." And thus, Sze-ma Shun is able to change history by using modern historical textbooks via communicating with his academically nerdy sister from the future. Um... what about repercussions about changing things for the future? Do you think that if you don't put your two-cents into the ordeal, things will will just screw over? So... no, the dramaverse of Three Kingdoms RPG isn't working very well for me.
On the other hand, I've found that I DO like the Hong Kong series Tiger Cubs, which gives focus on criminal investigation, crime thrills, and the Special Duties Unit of Hong Kong police, which is akin to a SWAT team in America. I have a first impression post in the works, so hopefully I can get that one written and posted soon. The series is coming into its last few weeks and I haven't quite gone back to watch it even though I'm certain I won't be disappointed too much.
My most recent Asian entertainment forays have actually been more into an area that I regret not having discovered an obsession for until now. I stumbled upon TVXQ a while back and thought that their music was really good. And at the time, the only thought that came into my mind was: "I guess I get why they're so popular." But no... that wasn't good enough. A few weeks ago, I finally TRULY discovered why the infamous and widely celebrated Dong Bang Shin Ki (aka DBSK, TVXQ, Tohoshinki, etc...) are so popular and are the Korean group with the largest fan base in the world.
As my sources have come up, these five guys began their career in 2003 as an A Capella group. So while they all have great voices and perform well on their CDs and the like, they can also perform live, acoustical, and still sound wonderful. And all I could think of was "Wow!"
It's only unfortunate that I only now know of them after their big split due to legal issues and the like. Currently three of the former TVXQ members have formed their own group called JYJ, and the remaining two members have had their comeback as a two person group, still going under the name TVXQ. It's fine and all for me since I never followed them from the beginning. So the split doesn't affect me as much as it does a lot of their other long time fans. I like them as a five-member group, and I still like them as two separate groups; and mostly, I also like them individually doing their own things.
So yea... my past couple of weeks have been wrapped in perusing the online communities about these guys, listening to all their music (together, apart and individually) and watching some variety programs they have been participating in. I have a large desktop wallpaper on my computer of Xiah Junsu (who has become my favorite of the members), but I've found that the rest of the group all have their own charms as well. Maybe, like the Lee Seung Gi article, I might write something as a tribute to them as well.
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And now to explain the last item on my list: The opening picture for this blog. Here it is again:
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| Clicky for larger image... or just look at the one at the top. |
This little picture could have been explained earlier, but I get carried away (as I always do). Basically, I have a couple K-Drama series I've been looking forward to. And courtesy of all Asian media blogs and websites, the hype is just getting higher every time I see more news about them. Those of you who follow Korean drama will know all four of these series. But for those who are as sporadic in K-drama viewing as I am (and I don't have posters or anything, but I'll include some links:
Faithis Lee Min Ho's (City Hunter, Boys Before Flowers) newest drama series. It is blurbed as a time-skipping, historical fantasy with an epic level mystic telling about it. For more information, click on the link to see all of Dramabeans' articles about it (and same goes for the rest of the series mentioned below.
Arang and the Magistrate stars Shin Mina and Lee Jun Ki (in his come back drama after army release!!) in a retelling of a classic Korean folktale about a ghost named Arang who haunts magistrates of a certain village in order to get someone to hear her story. In legend, Arang was the daughter of a magistrate who was murdered, but everyone, including her father, believed that she had run away with a man, bringing shame to her family. As Dramabeans mentions in news articles, there are some quirky new twists that are going to be incorporated that might make this series intriguing. For one, Arang will not remember why she is dead and so we've got ourselves a nice little mystery going on here. Fun stuff and exciting!
Nice Guy is Song Joong Ki's first ever main lead role in a drama series (he's been a main lead in films before and a rom-com at that!). However, I have my reserves about watching this series despite it also casting Moon Chae Won (Princess' Man, Brilliant Legacy) as the female lead opposite Song Joong Ki and Park Shi Yeon (Coffee House, My Girl) as the other main female lead. It's a melodrama; and if it's one thing I truly do not like, it's melodrama. I prefer my romances happy and funny or exciting and action packed. Crying vehicles that involve a lot of pain and suffering... really not my thing. Of so many rising young actors out in K-drama land, every time I think: "I can't wait to see this guy lead his own rom-com as the main character!" I end up getting him for a main character... but in a melodrama. Song Joong Ki gets Nice Guy and Yoo Seung Ho had gotten Operation Proposal (which was also categorized as a melodrama).
But anyway, the other series listed on my "I'm looking forward to this" list is Ma Boy which I just saw on Dramabeans today. It sounds interesting enough and it's only 3 episodes long about a guy cross-dressing as a girl. Yes, if you are tired of the girl cross-dressing as guy cliche (something I've never gotten tired of), then there's some fun to be had here with a role reversal.
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Anyway, this news post got a bit long (as they always do). I'm hoping to get back into a more regular blogging routine, but I promise nothing. I've been making notes and editing articles and the like, but I just don't know how dedicated I can make myself. I have phases and unless the Asian drama blogging phase brings me back into that first "giddy drama viewing" attitude, I'm not sure if I can promise two or three posts a month even.
Here's to hopes with all the new anticipated series that I've got lined up. Otherwise, you know I'm probably just watching some old-school American series or the newest season of How I Met Your Mother (which premiers on September 24).
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| This is my current desktop wallie! :D :D!!! Excuse me as I become less than professional.... |
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