[Album Review] EXO - XOXO

* This has been in my draft bin for sometime now. I figured it was time to complete it.*

K-Movie Review: 200 Pounds of Beauty

Verdict: The only Korean movie that I think could qualify as a equivalent to the American movie Shallow Hal. The similarities between the two films stop at that point though. While I enjoyed Shallow Hal, this movie didn't really do enough for me. 

Summary:
Hana/Jenny (Kim Ah Joong) is a bright, light-hearted singer who unbeknown to the outside world is the real voice behind Korean popstar Ami (Ji Seo Yoon). Life is seemingly perfect until the day that Ami humiliates Hana in front of her secret love Sang Jun (Joo Jin Mo) which then spurs her choice to have plastic surgery over her entire body. The movie takes us on a journey of how Hana deals with her drastic transformation, and the people who are affected with her.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD! BE AWARE!

Thoughts on the movie:
Initially in the first half of the movie I really enjoyed it. The comedic timing was perfect and I LOVED Hana. She was a fun, confidant, woman who had a great voice but her biggest obstacle was that she was overweight and considered "ugly." What really drew me to this character, and essentially the movie, was how full of life she was. While most people would be unhappy singing but not actually be seen singing, Hana was perfectly fine with it. All she wanted was to sing and she got her wish. Her "secret crush" on her music producer, Sang Jun was glaringly obvious to everyone but her. I feel like sometime after his birthday party, if not then, she would have expressed her feelings to him. Thinking back now, I think Hana thought he liked her and that her weight didn't phase him. It wasn't until she found out that she was being used, then came the decision to get plastic surgery, believing that would win his heart.

Sang Jun by the way, was a complete jerk not to mention the biggest idiot on planet earth. He had a jewel and didn't realize how valuable Hana was until she left. And I'm pretty sure he used her liking him to his advantage. He made the same mistake twice. Twice! Using her the first time, then using her again when she was Jenny. The ending was perfect to me, because Sang Jun did not deserve another chance with Hana. I would have been less satisfied with 200 Pounds of Beauty if they ended up together, it was just too impossible at that point.

Where the movie went south was towards the latter end. Probably because "Hana" no longer existed, and in her place was Jenny. This persona only cared about burying Hana for good even going to the extent of calling her former self ugly while talking with Sang Jun. I don't know about anyone else but that part really got to me. She hated what "Hana" represented so much, she was more than happy to harp insults and ridicule her former self. That a person could despise a part of themselves is mind-blowing, especially to that extent that she did. Another scene that comes to mind is when she disregards her own father all in the name of protecting Jenny. The disgust on her friends face mirrored my own. Jenny wanted to put the past as far away as possible, even her own father wasn't immune to this.


Throughout the movie Hana has to deal with the new "her" and learn to accept who she had become. I will say the last part where she comes to the point where she's tired of pretending that Hana never existed is a great scene. She realized that she could never forget Hana, though some parts of her were physically altered, the rest always remained there. That entire scene where she finally bridges the gap between the two personas and tells the world who she really is was perfect.

Final Thoughts:
Characters: Kim Ah Joong did a lovely job of portraying a person unable to come to terms with the changed person and the fumbles and falls they go through before they eventually accept who they are. I will say that I liked the Hana better than Jenny because not only was she more confidant with her true self but she also never tried to be anything else except who she was. Joo Jin Mo confused me alot throughout the movie and I'm not sure if that was done on purpose or not. Did Sang Jun have some feelings for Hana at all or was it only her voice that he found attractive?? Also the actor who played her plastic surgeon was just so great. I don't know the name but I've seen that actor before in some drama but he stole the show for me whenever he was on screen. That whole interaction with him and Hana during the consultation was hilarious once he found out who she really was.

Theme/Message: I didn't really like the message that you have to change yourself physically in order to be accepted by society. I could be wrong, but I felt that this was the main message of the movie, that transforming ones self in order to conform to society is the only way to entail that you can get accepted. That was my biggest issue with the film, and kinda made it hard for me to fully enjoy a otherwise nice movie.
 
Music: Not only is Kim Ah Joong an actress but a singer as well. I don't remember much from the soundtrack since the only thing that stood out were these two songs "Byul (Star)" and "Ava Marie."

Memorable Lines: 
Jenny:
"Hana is worthless, but Jenny is worth a fortune."
 
"You broke my heart, a tissue won't fix it."  

"Desire to become pretty isn't a bad thing."

Sang Jun: "Can't you sing like her (referring to Hana)."

Jenny's father: "God is the only one who can do everything. We humans do what we're capable of."

Drama Review~Shut Up Flower Boy Band

I'm having serious drama withdrawals again...and this time I think its worse. After just finishing up Secret, I went and finished watching Shut Up Flower Boy Band and boy did that show know how to hit you in the right spots emotionally. I can honestly say that only 6 dramas have left deep impressions with me loong after I've watched them. It really says alot about the quality of the dramas. Never have I been so satisfied with an ending before. Usually korean drama endings either leave you lacking or they cram too much that it overwhelms the storyline. SUFB had the opposite affect. Instead of leaving us hanging they gave us everything we wanted. Each storyline was wrapped up and they left us wishing we could continue the journey in each of the guys lives but also all good things must come to an end.  

Shut Up Flower Boy Band was a beautifully written drama encompassing the lives of 5 young guys through their teenage angst years. It follows them going through betrayals, fights, friendships, breakups, and finally coming together again. The drama realistically portrayed the characters and the things they went through. Yes there will be times that you'll get mad at your best friend because they forgot your birthday or something, but they always make up for it in the end. Even as I write this review, I tear up thinking about the characters. To me there really weren't any secondary characters because each person was all intertwined together by a common ground, the band.

Drama Review~ Secret/Secret Love

 Finally finished my review for Secret though I am sorry I didn't have it earlier, finals were the most important thing on my to-do list.  This particular review took me away to format and get all my thoughts done because it was such a great drama and there were lots of material I potentially needed to use. There is soo much to say that I could write for days about Secret but unfortunately we cannot do that. Beware there will be spoilers in this review.

Whats Up!?

I am finally back after taking a very long extended break! I admit at first it was just to give me time to study for finals but it ended up turning into taking the opportunity to refresh not only my writing but myself also. So for those who stick around and read this blog thank you for your patience. Ok, now back to important things *snicker*.

Once I wipe the tears and throw away the tissues is when I can talk about what a beautiful, light-hearted drama this was. And here I thought no drama could ever surpass Gaskital & K2H in my heart, well  guess its big enough to fit all three now! Thanks to such a wonderful find I now have new fave actor/actresses to watch to include Im Jo Eun & Oh Man Seok ! Didn't remember that she was in Wild Romance as one half of the dorkable robot couple..just knew there was a reason I loved her so much. This story has so much heart and emotion to it. It's not just about college kids coming together and bonding over musicals, it's about the special relationships and growth that comes out of that shared experience.
 
 Starring Im Jo Eun as Oh Doo Ri

 Im Joo Hwan as Jang Jae-Heon

 Kim Ji-Won as Park Tae-Hee

Jo Jung Suk as Kim Byeong-Geon

 Daesung as Ha Do-Seong

Jang Hee-Jiin as Eun Chae-Yeong

Oh Man Seok as Teacher Seon-Woo Young

 Lee Soo-Hyeok as Lee Soo-Bin

Whats Up caught my eye mainly because of Daesung. I remember watching a Big Bang segment where they went to visit him on the set, so it was always "Man I need to watch that!" because he can sing and I wanted to see his acting skills. Well, yes he can sing but he's also a pretty good actor too. In fact, the entire cast is bursting with talent not only with their acting but they all sing pretty well. I was most surprised with Im Jo Eun & Kim Ji Won's singing parts. While Ji Won has the softer, angelic voice, Jo Eun has the more deeper-rockish voice which suits the character she plays fine.

Here's a clip of her singing a cover of "Whats Up" by 4 Non Blondes.

What I liked most besides the storyline and acting was what an awesome soundtrack this drama would have been. Yes, you heard right, this drama does not have an official OST! Its a crying shame, because each song is placed just right for the emotion of the scenes. Another song that comes to mind is the cover "It's Not Goodbye" by Laura Pausini that both Kim Ji Won & Jo Jung Suk sing. Its a moving song filled with emotions about not letting go of someone you love. 

Kim Byeong Geon was my 2nd favorite character because of how pitiful and vulnerable he seemed. At first I just assumed this would be the guy who eventually overcomes his fear of singing but turns out Byeong-Geon has more to offer than that. What this actor has is the ability to make the audience fall in love with his character immediately. If anyone remembers Jo Jung Suk appears in King 2 Hearts as the trusted confident to LSG's character, and the new family drama You're the Best Lee Soon Shin (which is an awesome drama by the way). On paper it is a pretty simple person to play but what he does is makes them into something more then what they appear. He lacks confidence in the singing department but overtime with the help from friends he overcomes his fear. What it really came down to was how his family treated him. They basically didn't care what he did which is why it was kept a secret in the first place. While he was overcoming stage-fright offstage he was a pretty hilarious person. He was the type of person that thought he was funny but really wasn't, which makes it even funnier the face expressions that he makes!

I could talk about the main storyline with Jang Jae-Heon & Park Tae-Hee but I wouldn't have much to say. Jang Jae-Heon was the typical not-a-bad-boy-but-not-good-boy who just wanted a change in his life outside of stealing wallets from drunken ahjussi's. I liked them as a couple, they really jelled well but at times I felt they hogged the screen time too much.

Now Oh Doo Ri couldn't have been better portrayed than by Jo Eun! This character was my favorite because she was so real, cool and loyal. I loved especially the storyline of her falling in love with her professor because it was so innocent. Haha the look on Prof. Woo Young's face is priceless in this photo. Sure her love may have been on-sided but it was not all in vain. As she became the one person to take care of him and be his guardian in his last days. Those scenes between the two were beautiful and sad because this was the first man in her life she could trust and now he was dying. Prof. Woo Young was so hilarious and real just like Oh Doo Ri and at times I believed he admired her tenacity, though I couldn't help but wish he returned her feelings somewhat.

Whenever she cried, I cried, whenever she laughed, I laughed with her. The writers couldn't have created a better character than her. I love when Korean dramas actually present a good strong female character instead of the same one-dimensional/weak woman they usually show. Actually that goes for alot of movie and dramas not just the Korean ones. I hope you guys take the time to see what a wonderful drama this is. Alot of heart and soul was poured into it and it shows throughout the entire drama.

Photo Credit~ Dramabeans

Nice Guy.....

I know what your probably thinking, how could I list this one! Well, I never was emotionally invested with this show. That is not to say I didn't enjoy it but maybe it's because I wasn't ready to jump into another drama so soon after Gaskital. Feeble excuse, but its the only reason besides how I couldn't understand the characters actions 90% of the time. I really, really wanted to like this drama, it had everything a good drama needs: suspense, a revenge arch, a love triangle, and drama. The writing was perfect, every line uttered was spot on with the delivery and the actors were super great, especially Song Joong-Ki & Moon Chae-Won. The instant chemistry these two had when they entered on the screen was parallel to Moon Chae's & Park Shi-Hoo from The Princess Man (another awesome drama with Park Shi-Hoo.)
 
Song Joong-Ki did a stellar job with his performance, I got so frustrated and angry with him many times but that's what made his character stand out. He wasn't a good guy (hence the title) but in the end he became a better person, not necessarily a good guy but not bad either. Do I think he sincerely loved Eun Ki? Yes and No. Yes because of everything he went through to help take the company over from Jae-Hee. No, well because for half the drama I thought he was still in love with Jae-Hee. To this day, I doubt he ever stopped loving her as she was his first love. But I can say he loved Eun Ki differently than her. The writers wanted us to believe he loved her but it just never came across that way to me. It was like he was holding himself back from giving his all. A part of him that only Jae-Hee could see.

Eun Ki was a character I could love. Everything about her from her bossiness to her cold-calculating heart I enjoyed. Why? Because she was cool. She never backed down from anything or anyone including her step-mother( who creepily was the same age as her.) And when they put that amnesia arch in the storyline they took away what made the character so exciting. As a reviewer from Dramabeans said "It sucked the snap, crackle, and pop out of her." I never could understand her relentless love for Ma Ru, even after everything that he had done against her, she still took him back. To me it was never love but infatuation. Something about him kept her going back again and again, its like she had a rose-colored glasses on when it came to him. That's what made me slowly stop championing for her and start hating her. I much preferred her with Joon-Ha than Ma Ru because at least we knew where he stood with her. The guy was an open book.
 
One scene that I watched and re-watched over again was when Eun Ki found out that he was in love with her. The emotion on his face was like woooooh! Super intense moment. You could see how afraid he was that she would find out, and as much as Joon-Ha loved her, he knew she didn't feel the same way. He respected her enough to never tell his feelings and let her be happy with Ma Ru. I wonder if she knew all this time how he truly felt for her. Hm....
The ending probably sealed my feelings for the drama. Why did they have to use the amnesia arch twice...in one drama!! I got super happy knowing Ma Ru was going to live and that moment got taken when he had amnesia. Like come on show!!! Needless to say this was one where I probably wouldn't watch it again.

Photo Credits~Dramabean

My Top 3 Dramas of 2012 Part 3

Last but not least in this 3-Part is......

Vampire Prosecutor 2!!

So where do I start.......I confess I had a hard time writing this review as I just couldn't get into the mode, must be the holiday blah coming over me or something. And spending time with family and friends during my break, has kept me away from trying to finish this piece, so I apologize for the delay. I LOVED both 1 & 2 (You can go watch season 1 here) of this series but this is about Vampire Prosecutor 2. It was mind blowing, I never knew what to expect from the show as it continued where it left off from the previous season. It was darker more grittier then before and balancing that out with the more comical part of the show kept me anxiously awaiting the next episode. I hope they will make a Season 3 because the cliffhanger ending cannot just be left to hang there. Your probably gonna here me say how I want another series a lot but it's the kind of Korean drama you hope will keep making more and more episodes. Because the characters, plot and cases of the week are so engaging to watch and at the end of the day, you won't forget what you just saw.




Starring Yeon Jung Hoon

 Lee Young Ah

Lee Won Jung

Lee Kyeong Yeong

Kim Joo Young

Ok I HAVE to start with the fact that Yeon Jung Hoon looked absolutely handsome in Vampire Prosecutor. Like goodness his wife is a lucky woman and he seems like a pretty chill guy so another point to him. This was my first drama with this actor and I was very impressed with his role-recently saw him in another drama Can Love Become Money, he did an awesome job there too. And when he makes faces like this you can't help but fall in love with him even more.

His character Min Tae Yeon has to not only deal with being an vampire but also the safety of his crew this season. We get to see more of the vampire side then the"human" side where we get to see even more conflict that he has to face. Min Tae Yeon might have that slightly arrogant/broody part to him but he's just a guy yearning to find his sister and bring justice to the courtroom. I like that he is slightly neurotic- a la Joo Won from Secret Garden except less OCD- I like the looks-clean-cut-but-really-isn't- types who have more dimensions that we don't see.

The bromance between Min Tae Yeon & Soon Bum is such a welcome relief from all the sinister stuff going on in the episodes. They're tight bond really lightens the show and I'm glad Tae Yeon has someone to lean on. Soon Bum is one tough cookie always using his fists to get the truth from suspects. It's like Tae Yeon is the brains and Soon Bum the arms. Hehe. Without him, Min Tae Yeon wouldn't be able to have an close confidant to keep him in line from his occasional "vamp" outbursts.

I love feisty Jung In shes the type I'm always rooting for versus the helpless female characters who can't do anything for themselves. The writers did a good job in writing out this role for Young Ah, absolutely adored her chemistry with Yeon Jung Hoon & Lee Won Jung you could tell they were enjoying themselves.  SPOILER ALERT. She doesn't know Min Tae Yeon's secret yet, but she's smart enough to know something is up with Prosecutor Min. Jung In also has a secret past that she tries to run from thus why she's fighting for justice so strongly. Her weakness is Min, though I HOPE (if there is a season 3) that we'll get more scenes with just the two of them and not a cop out by giving us a fantasy episode like they gave did in ep 4.

All in all, Season 2 kicked butt even though one of my favorite character's died. *sad face* I enjoyed the pace but disliked the ending because it left us hanging...which would mean their telling us there's gonna be another season... I Hope. But I liked that we got to see more of the vampire conflict and the responsibility that comes with it. Like how the combination of blood and Jung In being around Min Tae Yeon could result in him vamping out so he's always careful with that, really keeps the can't-be-together-story more realistic. If you like Bones/Angel/CSI this show has elements of all those shows but with their own spin on it.

So go and check this show out guys it will be well worth your time!

Best stank face ever.

*I will not be able to update regularly for this month except for once a week, so if your wondering why the blog isn't being updated thats the reason.

*I want to thank those of you who visit my blog, I know it's still in its early stages but I appreciate you all taking the time to read it. *


 Photos courtesy of Dramabeans

My Top 3 Dramas of 2012 Part 2

My Top 3 Dramas of 2012 Part 2

Ok, after my last post I honestly didn't think it would be that detailed but hey can't help it....so there's going to be 3 parts now as I find I cannot talk about my dramas without getting into the particulars of them. Hehe.

Drama # 2 goes to..........King 2 Hearts!!

Starring Yoon Je-Moon, Ha Ji-Won, Lee Sung-Gi, Lee Yoon-Ji,  and Jo Jung-Suk

If Gaksital had me on an emotional roller coaster King 2 Hearts had me by the heartstrings. To put it bluntly it broke my heart. This was a beautifully put together drama that had everything right, the chemistry, acting plot, and overall feel of the drama. The only thing I disliked was the American actors- or non-Americans, they did an awful job and at times it was laughable but since they were a minor role it didn't ruin the show for me. Thank God!

Starring the pompous prince/future king played by the lovable Lee Sung Gi.

Captain kick-butt Ha Ji Won

 the lovable earnest bot Jo Jung Suk

 best hyung/father figure Lee Sung Min

 Bubbly princess Lee Yoon Ji

and evil/creepy villain Yoon Je Moon

This drama has been on my radar since hearing about from recap blogs like Dramabeans.com What made me watch it in the beginning was Ha Ji Won, yes I am huge fan of her. I haven't watched all her dramas yet but everything so far has been great! So I thought why not, after the disappointing "Nice Guy" drama I was ready to be psyched to watch something again. Glad I did because this drama will have you laughing your guts out one moment and crying buckets of tears the next. As I said before the chemistry is on par, everyone from the lead actors to the supporting ones really had great harmony with each other and it really showed on the screen.

Usually in dramas I tend to be drawn to only the lead couple as they are the most interesting but for the first time I cared a bit more for Jo Jung-Suk & Lee Yoon-Ji's relationship then the leads. Their love was such a poignant, pure kind of love. It was heartbreaking because of what could have been, if not for his death (more on that later) they could have sung their love song together. Their time together was cut to short. I could sit here and blog all night about their relationship but what I do want to say, is that if I could find a love like theirs (and/or Darcy & Elizabeth's) I would snatch it up quickly. They fit like yin-yang where she was the outgoing, bubbly type versus his quiet, stern personality and they made it work...or started to.

When the Princess is watching the video Shi Kyung made for her he said "From the moment we first met I liked you." and then he goes on to say that when he comes back he'll be a better man...at that point I was already balling tears. I HATED that he died, still to this day I don't understand why they killed the most endearing person and all for what..?? Nothing that's what! Earnest bot was a one in a million kind of guy, you got what you saw. He was so honest and wore his heart on his sleeves, making everyone fall in love with the character. Shi Kyung loved and respected his king standing by him til the end. ..
I want to share what he said to the (newly) appointed King Jae Ha, "You don’t need to be swayed by the words of others. Believe in yourself. You are already strong. The king that I’ve seen is very sensitive, and hates sincerity. But he knows the real world only too well, and has deep scars, which keeps him from leaping out ahead. So he wears a mask of laughter. I’m asking you to take off that mask now. Though you have complexes and people perceive you as weak, your highness is, to me, the most powerful king in the world. Please be fearless, your majesty." Beautiful words from a beautiful soul and that's what Lee Shi Kyung was.

Next up is the partnership between King Jae-Ha and Hang-Ah.

Melted like a schoolgirl at this scene..

It wasn't only a romantic relationship but also one based on mutual trust and partnership. They were each others companions first then lovers. Their union from the beginning was always who would have the last line to say, or who could be the most stubborn. You could tell how comfortable the actors were together no doubt about it, theirs was a chemistry that rivaled Ha Ji Won's and Hyun Bin's in Secret Garden.

The process that Jae Ha went through to transition from the conceited playboy to the King that became even greater then his own brother, was such a moving example of what happens when you suddenly have to grow up and be an adult.

But what helped Jae Ha along the way were the people surrounding him that shaped him into the man he became.  He was an arrogant, conceited person and I think he put up that front to hide his fears from everyone. His fear I believe was having to become King, there's a scene after everyone learns of Jae Kang's death where Jae Ha is standing on the bridge shaking and trying to hold back his tears. And then he seems to shake himself and gather all the strength he has to step into the role and that is just the start to his changing and growing as a person.

I cannot forget the character of Hang Ah as she is the most important person in Jae Ha's development.

She was a woman yearning to be seen as not just a fierce warrior but a lady. And with Jae Ha she found love for the first time. What I loved so much about this character is she always put the King first doing what was best for him, anything to protect him and show him how she felt. When she went in front of the public hearing to proclaim her loyalty to the South you couldn't help but applaud her courage. It takes a lot of gumption to go in front of a crowd of a country that hates you because of what you represent and for her especially because of the things they've said about her. Hang Ah is probably one of the most fierce women in drama history and the writers did a great job writing out her character.

King 2 Hearts was a well written all around wonderful drama. I can't say enough of how awesome the roles were from Shi Kyung's loyalty to Kim Bong Gu's evil villainy. The relationships and turn of events were portrayed realistically as with the North/South disputes. So go and check out this drama you won't regret it!

.....I forgot to mention that I watch most Korean dramas on a this site Dramafever.com

* Photo credits from Dramabeans*