The Master's Sun Info

Title: The Master's Sun
Genre: Supernatural, Romance
Studio: SBS
Screenwriter: The Hong Sisters (2012s Big, and 2011s Greatest Love)
Episodes: Not Yet Confirmed
Premiere Date and Schedule: August 7th, airing Wednesday and Thursday
Starring: So Ji Sub, and Gong Hyo Jin
Show Premise: So Ji Sub (most recently in 'Ghost') plays Joo Joong Won a selfish and greedy CEO, who works along-side his secretary Tae Gong Sil played  by Gong Hyo Jin (most recently starred in 'Greatest Love'), who through an accident can see ghosts. As they're pushed together, they grow to love and understand each other.

Honestly, there isn't much information about the premise of this show, and therefore the plot seems a bit thin.
There are a few interesting facts about this show Seo In Guk (most well known for 'Reply 1997/ Answer Me 1997) as well as Myungsoo, or more commonly called L from the group Infinite (most well known for 'Shut Up! Flower Boy Band') will be a part of the cast for this show. Both were good in the respective shows, so their addition to the cast only increases my interest.
Hopefully The Hong Sisters have reflected on their  past mistake project 'Big', and have learned from the experience. I want to watch this show, because I like both Ji Sub and Hyo Jin for past projects, however the burn of the unfortunate show 'Big' has left me a little apprehensive, especially since that show was also from the supernatural genre.
I know, I will give this show a chance, but I don't have to be happy about it...

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.

Two Weeks Info

Title: Two Weeks
Screenwriter: So Hyun Kyung ( 2009s Shining Inheritance, 2011s  49 Days)
Start Date: August 2013
Starring: Lee Jun Ki and Kim So Yeon
Premise: Jun Ki plays Jang Tae Sang, a man falsely accused of murder, and on the run, while his daughter's health suffers from leukemia. The show is supposed to span two weeks as he tries to save his daughter's life.

I'm interested in how they're going to format this show. Will each episode be like one day out of his journey? Will it be like '24' countdown every hour?
Based on his performance in AaTM, Jun Ki has gotten better and learned more skills, but being a fugitive and having a very sick child makes for a high intensity and highly emotional story. I don't know much about anyone else in this drama. However, knowing that the writer is So Hyun Kyung, does give me hope that the story will be very touching, since 49 Days had me puffy-eyed for about half the episodes. Maybe they will combine to make a great show to watch. I guess I'll have t add this to the  'Try/Watch' Drama List.

Dalja's Spring- A Mini Review

Title: Dal Ja's Spring
Year: 2007
Starring: Chae Rim and Lee Min Ki
Premise: A 33-year old working woman, never had the time or opportunity to find love, but all of a sudden finds herself with more options to choose from than ever before.
Why I Chose This Show: Honestly? I came for Min Ki, because his role in Shut Up! Flower Boy Band was way too short and since he hasn't been in many television shows, I picked this one because it seemed the most interesting. As I started to watch I saw some familiar faces. Chae Rim is actually the female lead from Oh! My Lady, also starring a younger guy (Choi Si Won) as her love interest, and the second male lead of that show is also the same in this one, Lee Hyun Woo as Uhm Ki Joong. I thought of it as a cute history and jumped right into the drama.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I have to admit that it took me a little while to finish this drama, it was in no way boring but the episodes were long, 60+ minutes each and then other, newer, shows would catch my fancy and DS would take a back seat. However, even though that's true, I did enjoy this drama alot. I kinda felt like Dal Ja was my emotional doppelganger. She was very in-her-head about romance, always imagining romantic encounters and dramatic scenes. Luckily the fantasy skits were scattered throughout the entire show. There were quite a few things that I liked about this show and  few that I didn't.

Things That I Did Like:
1. I seriously applaud the fact that neither Dal Ja or the audience was confused about her feelings for Kang Tae Bong very long, and that once she knew, she was pretty up front with the spare, Uhm Ki Joong.
2.The second female lead, Hwi Soon Joo, played by Lee Hye Young, isn't just there to be evil to Dal Ja. The love triangle that starts the show between Soon Joo, Sae Doo and Dal Ja, doesn't last long and naturally flows into a comfortable friendship between them all. I think the only other shows I've seen something like this happen in is MARS (2004 Taiwanese drama starring Vic Zhou and Barbie Hsu) and Protect the Boss (2011 Korean drama starring Ji Sung and Choi Kang Hee).
3. This drama didn't do much of a roller- coaster ride. There weren't extreme highs or extreme lows, it was cute and fun to watch and a nice break from some of the emotional gut punches I've seen recently. Instead of trying to make 'drama' out of nothing, I think the writers just did a good job expanding the scope of the story by adding to the relationships of people around Dal Ja and Tae Bong.
4. Although there was some parental opposition (because she's older, and he is just a part time worker), where there were some arguments and tears, neither side went overboard. Like trying to pay Dal Ja off, or lying to keep them apart, or the most ridiculous: locking them away. Then in the same way, the solution that Tae Bong and Dal Ja come up with to win their parents' approval, was better and more creative than the over done kneeling and crying (although those scenes usually get me all weepy), it was refreshing to see.
5. The Affection between Dal Ja and Tae Bong was cute and they looked really good together.

cr. to gibbynka on tumblr

6. The drawings and episode titles was a cute touch to the show as well, and added to the feeling that this was a production made with thought and care.

Things That I Did Not Like:
1. The fact that Uhm Ki Joong and his weirdo ex-wife, were pointless for most of the show, except to leave Dal Ja out to dry with all the rumors. To the end of the show, people still think that she had an affair with him, when it was all made up by the ex-wife. There is just something so irresponsible about a man that will get you into a situation and only watch from the background as you try to navigate you're way out. Was he too embarrassed to just say one sentence to keep her from being suspended?
I could have lived without either of them in the show.
2. If you Wiki Lee Min Ki, you can see that this was not his first drama, but his expressions were at times a bit frozen. I think actors like that belong in emotionally intense productions because they say a lot without words, but for this it just looks as though his facial dictionary is limited. I think he could have done a much better job acting in this drama.
3. The fact that in the last episode it took Dal Ja and Tae Bong so long to meet up. It was a bit frustrating.


All-in-all I thought the drama was pretty good, but I also feel like if I look back on this drama in a year, I won't remember a lot about it. I think I'll only give this drama a 7 hearts rating.

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.

Qi Pao Information

Picture Source: http://wiki.asianfuse.net/index.php/Qi_Pao

Starring: Anne Thongprasom and Krissada Pornweroj (Smart)

Studio: Ch 3

Episodes: 13

Premise: Pink (played by Anne) works for a historical clothing museum that is preparing to introduce a new exhibit on Qi Pao (traditional Chinese wedding dresses). The owner of the 30 Qi Pao to be displayed  has sent his son Jao Ming Tian (played by Smart) to make sure that the precious clothes are treated with care. Upon their meeting Pink and Ming Tian get into a fight because she believes he is a thief trying to get his hands on the very valuable dresses. For his part Ming Tian is stunned partly because of Pink’s fierce protection of the Qi Pao but mostly because she looks almost exactly like his dead girlfriend, May Lee.

After their initial confrontation Ming Tian leaves the Qi Pao in Pink’s possession. As she is pulling the dresses out for display, she encounters a thirty-first Qi Pao. This one was not packed as the others were but since it was included in the packages, it’s decided that it will be displayed like the others. This Qi Pao is also noticeable younger than the others, and since it isn’t a historical artifact Pink decides to try it on. When she does, she is possessed with the memory and experience of the previous owner’s last living moments.

In the light of the morning, she thinks that it was all just a dream but there is definitely something going on with the dress. Who was the previous owner, and why was she murdered? How is she related to Ming Tian and his family?

We’ll have to watch to find out.

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.