Piece- Info and First Impressions

Name: Piece
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Year: 2012
Episodes: 13, about 25 minutes each
Studio: NTV
Writer: Matsuda Yuko (2012s Sprout and the Gokusen Series), and Oishi Tetsuya (2012s Platinum Town)
Starring: 
Nakayama Yuma  as Narumi Hikaru
Honda Tsubasa as Sugo Mizuho


Show Premise: When they were in high school, Narumi Hikaru and Sugo Mizuho, spent one summer falling in love and then suddenly stop being friends. Now when they meet, three years later, for the funeral of a high school classmate, they are thrust together, trying to unravel a mystery and figure out what they mean to one another.
Why I Chose This Show: It sounded really interesting and I've been away from JDramas for so long  (about two years since my last completed drama), I went on a search for new and recent Japanese shows.

Currently I've finished four episodes, and so far so good. The characters are interesting and have depth. Right now I just want to know what makes them tick, since both Narumi and Mizuho are flawed and emotionally stunted. Even though is supposed to be a mystery show, there hasn't been much in these first episodes, mostly they've been giving us the back story between Narumi and Mizuho.
I'm not sure this will be a great show, but so far it's been interesting.

I Hear Your Voice- Info and First Impressions

Name: I Hear Your Voice/ I Can Hear Your Voice
Genre: Thriller, Romance, Comedy
Year: 2013
Episodes: 16, 1 hour each
Writer: Park Hye Ryun (2011s Dream High)
Studio: SBS
Starring:
Lee Bo Young as Jang Hye Sung
Lee Jung Suk as Park Soo Ha
Yoon Sang Hyun as Cha Kwan Woo
Lee Da Hee as Seo Do Yeon

Show Premise: After witnessing the murder, Hye Sung, only a teenager at the time, becomes a witness. She earns the gratitude of Soo Ha, whose father was the one murdered. He vows to protect her, but loses track of her for 10 years. When they meet again, Hye Sung is not the type of person he has dreamed of all these years, but he must protect her because the murderer is out of jail and coming for them.

Why I Chose This Show: I missed School 2013, while it was airing, but I've heard so many good things about the show, so to get a feel for Lee Jung Suk's acting, I decided to give this show a shot.

Now that I'm watching, I have to say that picking this one, was one of the best drama decisions I've made in a while. After the ridiculous melodrama 'When A Man Loves', I didn't really know where to turn.
This show has been really good, so far, and I can't wait to see where it goes.
The interaction between Soo Ha and Hye Sung is deep and sweet, since they have such a terrible incident connecting them. They genuinely care for each other. Right now, I'm trying to hold my self back from shipping them too much, because I don't want to be disappointed in the end. Especially since Cha Kwan Woo, a lawyer working in the same office as Hye Sung, is such a good alternative.
The writer of this show, did a good job with Dream High, and so, I'm hoping that the great writing will continue.

Goddess of Marriage- Info and Episode 1 Mini Recap

Name: Goddess of Marriage
Year: 2013
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Family
Episodes: 32 (tentative)
Studio: SBS
Writer: Jo Jung Sun
Starring:
Nam Sang Mi as Song Ji Hye
Lee Sang Woo as Kim Hyun Woo
Kim Ji Hoon as Kang Tae Wook
Lee Tae Ran as Hong Hye Jung obvious cheating husband
Jo Min Soo as Song Ji Sun fishwife
Jang Young Nam as Kwon Eun Hee no english

Show Premise: Four very different women are in different stages of their romantic relationships. Some are married with cheating husbands and crazy kids and some are just trying to get there.

Why I Chose This Show: I usually like shows that have multiple couples, not just two, because it's always so interesting to me how the writers create and resolve the relationships. The character development for shows like this are, also, usually very good.

After watching the first episode, you know exactly where each woman stands in her current relationship.

First there is Ji Hye 'The Dreamer' who is in Jae ju when she meets a handsome stranger, Hyun Woo, and spends three fun and romantic days with, sleeping with him the night before she heads back to Seoul. When she gets there, her fiance, Tae Wook, is waiting for her. She is looking for an ideal love, and will have to just settle for one of these super hot guys instead.

Then there is Hye Jung 'The Good Wife' who is married to Tae Wook's older brother. The first time we see them she is walking into a bedroom where is is asleep with another woman. She doesn't yell or even reprimand him, she just calmly lays out his clothes.
I think this couple is going to upset me the most, because she is so timid and lifeless and her husband doesn't seem to give a crap about her feelings. If she doesn't leave him immediately, there better be a really good reason why.

Third is Eun Hee 'The Clueless One' whose husband is condescending to her and their two children, even though she loves him so very much.  She watches dramas and yells at the screen with food shoved in her mouth and curlers in her hair, and is probably supposed to represent the woman that 'let's herself go' after marriage.Her husband speaks in English to his girlfriend, in front of Eun Hee, because he knows that she can't understand him.
I hope she and the kids learn English and take him down a peg. Also looks like she might take care of the comedic relief with her air-head ways.

Lastly, there is Ji Sun, who as far as I can tell is 'The Fishwife'. Yelling and causing a scene wherever she goes, disregarding her husband.
I think that this couple will be really interesting to watch, because so often we see crappy husbands, and to see the reverse and how they develop, that will be worth watching.

This is supposed to run for 32 or more episodes, so I'm hoping that the writer will have enough to make this a really good show, about love and relationships. I'm also interested in how all the women will interact with each other, with such different personalities. So far I'm intrigued, let's see where this goes...

Mia Taeng/ Wedded Wife - Info and First Impressions

c. asianfusewiki.net

Name: Mia Taeng/ Wedded Wife
Year: 2011
Genre: Romance, Slap-Kiss, Drama
Studio: Channel 3
Episodes: 14 Episodes, 1hour and 40 mins each
Starring:
Araya Hagate (Chompoo) as Arunprapai
Patchata Nampan (Rome) as Kongkai
Pornchita Na Songkhla (Benz) as Proongchat

Show Premise: Arunprapai has just left her long time boyfriend because he is about to become the father of another woman's child, so in order to make sure she puts an exclamation point on the end of their relationship, and to pay back the kindness of a family friend, she agrees to marry Kongkai. He is the only child and heir to his family's company, a womanizer and too lazy to help the business. Kongkai is dating Proongchat when his mother gives him an ultimatum :Marry Arunprapai or get nothing. He agrees to marry but he does not break up with his girlfriend. With the three of them in such a twisted relationship, will any of them find happiness?

Why I Chose This Show: I watched Rome in Kularb Rai Narm/ Rose Without Thorns (2010 with Yaya) and he was so perfect and nice in that show that I wanted to see how he would be in a show where he is not obviously the choice for a spouse. Previously, he was sweet and gentlemanly,  now he is sly, mean and a womanizer, so yeah VERY different. Also, I thought Chompoo was Matt Peernanee Kongthai, because, in my opinion, they look really similar. After having to drop Kuan Kammathep/ Cupid Gang, I was going to give her another chance as well, only to, obviously, learn that this is a different actress...oops.


Right now I've completed 3 episodes, ( around 5 hours of viewing), and so far:
1. I'm impressed with Arunprapai's patience and strength. There is no way I would have been able to stand the insults. The fact that the marriage was arranged, makes it understandable that she isn't throwing fits over his  girlfriend, because although it is very disrespectful behavior, her heart isn't engaged.
2. Annoyed with Kongkai and Proongchat for behaving with such a lack of class, respect and decorum.
3. Interested in the glimpses of secrets that Proongchat's family seems to be hiding, and how Kongkai will mature as a person.

I will continue to watch this show, but it's going to take a while, I think, because the episodes are so long I need breaks in between. I just really hope there's no force scene between Kongkai and Arunprapai ( I just can't understand falling in love with your rapist, or expecting an audience to root for their love), and that the show doesn't get stale with all their verbal standoffs. I mean how long can they drag on about him and the other woman, when he's already married to Arunprapai?
Hopefully they don't beat this one like a dead horse. I'd love to see someone or something else added to the mix to make the drama enjoyable over the next 10 remaining episodes.

King of Dramas Info and First Impressions

Picture Source: King of Dramas Official Page on SBS website

Starring: Kim Myung Min as Anthony Kim the Producer
                  Jung Ryeo Won as Lee Go Eun the Writer
                  Choi Si Won as Kang Hyun Min to Actor

Studio: SBS
Writer: Jang Hang Jun (also wrote 2009 show 'Harvest Villa')

Episodes: 18

Premise: A drama that follows an idealistic writer, a hardened producer and a hot actor as they navigate to world of drama production.

Spoilers Ahead.

The drama opens with a writer who is being pressured to write a scene in a revenge drama that includes the main character drinking orange juice before killing himself. She thinks the request made by the producer, Anthony Kim, is ridiculous , (who drinks  orange juice before commiting suicide?!) and refuses to write the scene. Her assistant, Go Eun, is then tricked into writing the missing product placement scene while working alongside Anthony, who only cares for the outcome in ratings, not the quality of the show, or the people surrounding it.

When their plan ends in tragedy, and 30% ratings, Anthony is put in a situation that even his fast talking won’t easily solve.

I am King!

I have to say bravo for creating a  scandal, not only in the first episode, but also one that makes sense. If, for example, we heard that Steven Speilberg paid a worker to transport his film over a three hour distance in only one hour, then when the worker was in an accident, Mr. Speilberg called an ambulance, but left the worker on the side of the road to his death, I seriously doubt people would just over look it.  I know if I heard of it, I wouldn’t just be like ‘Oh well, at least the movie was good’.

Gotta Go Dude!

So, I’m saying that finally, in a drama about making dramas, the writers put in an appropriate scandal to upset the public and possibly ruin Anthony's career, not just another secret romance scandal that, seriously, no one cares about as long as both people are of age and consent.

From the dialogue, music and camera angles, this may be a little bit makjang, but I’m not complaining so far. There were some moments that even though this is the first episode, I was nervous for the characters.

Anthony is mostly all a-hole from what you see in the first episode and from the ending of the episode, I think I’ll be happy to see him fall on his behind, so that he can grow up to be a human being.

*Side note Kim Myung Min's voice is pretty deep and it surprised me when I first heard it, off the top of my head I think I can only name two other KDrama actors with deep voices. It’s so rare.*

I’m loving the early stages of Go Eun's personality. She’s nice, and courteous for the most part, but cross the line and watch out! This is a character that I can relate to, not everyone is all sweetness or all spice, some of us are a bit of both.

Orange Juice just for you!!!

I have no idea, if this show will keep going with the positive elements that it’s presented, but I’m willing to continue watching to find out.

NOTE:  All photos besides the poster picture, are screen caps from the first episode of King of Dramas.

Panya Chon Kon Krua/ Kitchen Scholar First Impressions

I am currently on episode 6 of this 12 episode series and for the most part the lakorn is funny and cute, but I have one major problem with this show: how long is Cha’Aem (Kimberly) going to pretend to be a maid?! I usually don’t let ridiculous plot devices stand in my way of watching a show.

I was all for her going undercover for ideas for her script, but at this point it is dragging on for too long. It really doesn’t make sense that she’s still rolling around on the floors of someone else’s home. She is the daughter of the Mayor; I would think she would have a little more respect for her father’s position.

At this point she’s involved so many people in her lie, and I can’t honestly say that it’s going to be worth it in the end to have that great script if she misses out on a great guy like Tom (Mark). 

I still intend to watch until the end of the show, but I just hope that they can get a move on with the rest of the show, there is no reason she can’t return to her original place and still be involved with this family and Tom.

Full House 2/ Take 2 Informationa and First Impressions

Source: http://asianwiki.com/Full_House_Take_2

Starring:
Hwang Jung Eum as Jang Man Ok
No Min Woo as Lee Tae Ik
Park Ki Woong as Won Kang Hwi

Episodes: There are 16 episodes, but they have been broken up into two parts each for a total of 32 episodes, each 30 minutes long.

Show Premise: Lee Tae Ik and Won Kang Hwi are a K-Pop duo, Take One, that is famous throughout Asia, but even with their success they fight all the time. Tae Ik takes everything too seriously and is usually seen in an unfavorable light while Won Kang Hwi rolls with the punches and is the most adored member of the the group.
Jang Man Ok- man ok meaning full house- is the granddaughter of a taekwando master and even though she loves her grandfather and the dojo, she dreams of being a full time designer as she keeps her online mall a secret.
Man Ok get tangled up with Tae Ik and Kang Hwi in more ways than one, when she becomes their fashion coordinator. Let the games begin!

Now with all the official stuff out of the way, I wanted to post up my thoughts on the first episodes.

At first I wasn’t even going to watch this new edition. The first Full House starring Bi was cute but nothing really great, so I had concerns about how they could improve, especially since they kept postponing the release date. The cast doesn't seem bad with Min Woo ( My Girlfriend is a Gumiho), Jang Eum (Can You Hear My Heart) and Ki Woong (Bridal Mask), so what was the problem? The stills that were released all made the show seem overly dramatic and cheesy, and honestly after such a serious year, for me at least, in KDrama, I wasn't sure how ready I was for a cheesy show.

After watch the first episode I now know that my thoughts were correct. This show is cheese and more cheese, but it’s like any other disaster, you can’t seem to turn away no matter how bad it looks, mostly due to the fact that you can’t believe what you’re seeing.

The hair? Poorly done for the three leads. Hwang Jung Eum has an old lady’s hairdo, which gives girls with curly hair a bad name. No Min Woo had a fight with the curling iron, and Park Ki Woong dunked his head in a vat of peroxide.

  The fashion is brow-raising and quirky.

Take One and their CEO, who is rocking a fur trimmed coat in the office

A brass Won necklace?! AND an ORANGE suit?!!

Nice jacket here

He was supposed to be hiding from fans, but the fashion police should arrest him

Normal looking for the first time in 40 minutes

Another nice blazer, but the sunglasses....

Stars and Leopard and Skulls...

 The dialog and plot are predictable, so why do I want to keep watching?!?

Is it No Min Woo’s pretty face? The hate-hate relationship that Min Woo and Ki Woong have for each other, which was displayed in their fight over a designer scarf.

He really wanted the scarf...

 Or is it just the hope that this will be funny? 

So Far they have managed to surprise me twice. The first was the kiss at the end of the first half.

 

Al Chun-ah!!!

The second was discovering Lee Seung Hyo in the cast. He played Al Chun in Great Queen, and I developed a bit of a crush on him. 

To see him and three leads in this sort of show, makes me curious. Will this show turn out to be a lovely cheese fest or will it just fall into the category of an utterly ridiculous waste of time? I will, reluctantly, find out.

Arang and the Magistrate (AatM) First Impression

xiaohun tumblr

I started watching this show when it came out and was interested in seeing Jun Ki again after his army service. I even intended to post about it:

'Arang and the Magistrate' (AatM)

Wasn’t sure I was going to watch this show even though I’ve seen  Jun Ki and Min Ah in one other shows, 'My Girl' and 'My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho'. Jun Ki although cute, wasn’t very impressive skill wise in his show, and Min Ah has already starred in a supernatural show. How is a supernatural seguek supposed to work out?? What made me give this a chance so soon? The comments I’ve seen posted in various places about how much people liked this show.

I had to stop the first episode half way through because, no matter what happens in the next thrity minutes, I will be watching the second episode. AatM did two things successfully and quickly to capture my attention. The first is the visuals. So far I’ve seen the Korean version of Olympus and the colors costumes and setting are in a word : sumptuous, I want to see more of this world the show makers are setting up. The second thing that they’ve done is to make my think about the world in a different way. I’ve seen gods holding the world on the palm of their hand, hoisted onto their backs and so on, but this is the first time I’ve seen a god “water” the world that grows from the back of a lamb. The ultimate Chia Pet.

I wonder what other quirky little twists this show has in store, and I’m anxious to find out.

But then, I would get caught up in other shows like 'Queen of SOP' and '3 Golden Men', and before I knew it, AatM was coming to it's last couple of episodes!

Finally, I decided to sit and watch episode 5 yesterday (yes...pathetic how far behind I was considering I saw the premiere), and NOW? I have to say that no matter what, I will probably finish this show in the coming weekend. It's as if the writers kicked the show into high gear after episode 4. There are points in the episode that I'm sure it's the end, because it's a great place to leave me at a cliff hanger, only I hit the time bar and there's twenty minutes left. In those twenty minutes we're swept farther away and the actual cliff hanger has me hitting the button for the next episode with haste.

This show is actually just in time for Halloween, meaning it's a little scary. I stopped at the end of episode 7 last night because it was already pretty late and I was watching alone. I didn't want to watch something that would creep me out too much before bed. The music doesn't help either, menacing and gripping, ethereal and sweet, it does it all.

TGIF! I can't wait to pop the corn tonight!!! Happy Watching :)