Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Mukgu-fied v.2

I've been wanting to change the blog's layout for a while now, but the choices of templates from blogger are quite limited. I haven't found a blogger template that I really like, and since I'm no graphic designer or html savvy, I can't create my own layout. By chance, I've come across another blog hosting service, wordpress.com, which has some very nice looking designs. So, I'm testing that out to see how I like it.

Check out the new version here. Do you like the new look? Post your comments here (or there) and let me know. Thanks!

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Happy Birthday!



This is actually a belated birthday wish to our dear Da Hae. Her birthday was actually on April 19. With all the hours that I've been putting in at work, plus taking care of other stuff, I forgot all about it. Shame on me for calling myself a fan of hers. I feel terrible.

Thank goodness for the nifty option of time stamping the blog entries. Because of it, I was able to mark this special date. However, I still feel bad about forgetting it in the first place. I mean, I remembered my eye candies' birthdays previously. What happened here? In any case, happy birthday, Da Hae sshi!
Special thanks to pinklily @ soompi for the adorable smilie

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Exciting News


Lee Dong Wook will be starring in a new drama, tentatively titled Bad Couple. The drama will air on SBS in June.

The second piece of news also has to do with the cast of a new drama. The drama is called Cain and Abel and the confirmed cast includes So Ji Sup, Ji Jin Hee, and Jung Ryeo Won. This will be SJS's first drama upon his return from the army.


I love the male cast. However, I wish they would cast another leading actress. The thing is, I don't have a problem with JRW, per say. It's just... well, I'm indifferent towards her. I liked her in My Name is Kim Sam Soon but I guess I still haven't gotten over her most recent work, which is Which Star Are You From?

Nonetheless, I'm very excited. Not just one or two, but three gorgeous men in new dramas?! Nice!

Special thanks to yeohweping for the news

Monday, April 09, 2007

The Devil: Episode 1

The first episode of The Devil (Mawang) aired a couple of weeks ago, on the same day as Witch Amusement and Thank you. However, I haven't gotten around to watching it because I was immediately hooked to Witch Amusement. Sadly for The Devil, it's been trailing behind its competitions in the ratings battle. But... that is not to say that the drama isn't good. As it's from the people who brought us Ressurection, I have high expectations for it. And after completing the first episode, I'm interested in seeing more of it.

Main Characters Introduction



Detective Kang, although from a wealthy background, is dedicated to his profession. He views the world in only two shades, either black or white. This is evident in scenes where he recites that there are only two types of people in this world: the bad guys and the good guys who catch those bad guys. He even applies this philosophy to food, as he states that there are only two types of food: jjajangmyun and something else? (Can someone help me fill in the blank? He said it really fast when he asked his collegues to order take-out and I forgot what the second dish is.)


Oh Seung Ha is a lawyer who is known to help people who, otherwise, cannot afford an attorney to defend them. His background is mysterious, and we really don't know who he is.


Hae In is a kind-hearted librarian who has the supernatural power of psychometry. After watching episode 1, I have a better idea of what is psychometry. Basically, when she touches something, whether it's an object or a person, she's able to see the past events related to that particular thing.

It seems that Hae In has a crush on Seung Ha, who is a frequent patron the library that she works at. He reads his book in this specific aisle as she observes him. And sometimes, she is disappointed when she can't spot him at his usual location.

Episode 1


The young Hae In was on a bicyle ride with her friends when she suddenly fell from her bike. She saw a basketball bounce towards her and picked it up. Upon contact with the ball, she began to see visions of someone calling the police from a public telephone, reporting that his friend had been stabbed. In the following scene, Hae In found herself in an empty lot and in front of her, lay the lifeless body of a teenage boy and a pile of mint candy. In Hae In's visions, the teenage boy was being harrased by a group of boys, who appeared to be attending the same school. One boy from the group took out a knife to threaten his classmate and while they struggled back and forth, the classmate was stabbed.

Fast forward to 12 years later, Hae In now works in a library. On this day, one of the patron loses her wallet and accuses a strange old man of stealing it. Hae In steps in to help as she trusts that the old man won't do such thing. She touches the patron's back and is able to see that the patron had carelessly placed her wallet on top of some books and when the books shifted, the wallet fell into the crack. After the wallet is retrieved, Hae In suggests that she should apologize to the old man, saying that people who read children's books aren't bad people.

(I think the purpose of this scene is to show Hae In's kind-hearted and trusting personality, but after she said that line, all I thought of was, "Um, what about pedophiles? Some of them probably read children's books and last I checked, they're not really upright people.)

Anyway, Hae In gets a call from her friend, who is currently at a police station to file a claim for theft as someone has broken into their shop and stole a tarot card. Apparently, the card is special because it is actually painted by Hae In.

In the next scene, we are introduced to Detective Kang Oh Soo who is investigating a case. He sees the person of interest and chases after him, only to lose him because the taxi driver that drove Detective Kang during the chase refuses to let him go until he pays the cab fare.

At a prison, Oh Seung Ha visits his new client, who is being prosecuted of manslaughter. The client is surprised that Seung Ha agreed to take on the case because apparently, many lawyers have previously declined. As he takes his leave, Seung Ha asks his client about whether or not he was bullied as a child. The client answered that it's true but is puzzled as to how that information has anything to do with the case at-hand. Seung Ha doesn't answer his client's inquiry but instead, gives an ambiguous and cryptic smile/smirk.

(Joo Ji Hoon has a very distinct walk, almost like he's struting his stuff on the runway. It's distracting to me and I can't focus on whether he's improved in his acting or not because all I can think about is the man Joo Ji Hoon or Prince Lee Shin and not Joo Ji Hoon as Oh Seung Ha.)


Two mysterious packages have arrived, one addressed to a lawyer and the other addressed to Oh Soo. In the lawyer's package, there are a tarot card (the Judgement card) and a pocket knife; in Oh Soo's package, there's that same tarot card plus a note.

At the library, Hae In officially meets Seung Ha and tells him that he looks like someone she has seen before. Seung Ha replied that this is his first time meeting her and introduced himself. As they shake hand, Hae In felt something strange.

Later that night, Hae In has a nightmare about the tragic incident that she witnessed 12 years ago.


In a later scene, the old lawyer is confronted by a man from his past. The man threatens the lawyer and wants him to apologize for his past wrongdoings but he refuses. While they argue, someone calls the lawyer's cell phone and left a message. (The person who left the message is Seung Ha. I get the feeling that Seung Ha made the call to secure an alibi for himself because the call was made right before the lawyer's time of death.)


Not long after, the police arrives at the office to find the lawyer's dead body. On his way to the scene, Oh Soo runs into a timid office worker in front of the building. In a following scene, we learn that the worker keeps a box of tarot cards in his desk drawer.

At a nearby street, the mysterious man runs away and appears to be hurt. He falls down in a dark alley and guess who walks up to greet him? Oh Seung Ha seems to appear out of nowhere (or was he there waiting?) and asks the man if he is allright.

There is also a scene of someone making a phone call at a phone booth before the police arrives at the crime scene. We aren't shown his face or body, only his legs as he walks away from the booth.

We soon learn that the deceased lawyer was a good friend of Oh Soo's family. We also discover that Seung Ha's client is Oh Soo's friend. So, everyone is connected to each other in some way.

Seung Ha also claims to know the old lawyer as he was his subordinate for 6 months. He attends the funeral service and after he leaves, an interesting object is found on the old lawyer's altar: a piece of mint candy.


During the investigation, Oh Soo's senior seeks the help of Hae In and Oh Soo discovers her supernatural ability and how previously she's used it to help his senior crack difficult cases. They arrive at her tarot card reading/psychic shop and brings along the Judgement tarot card.


During Hae In's vision, she sees someone, who is wearing black leather gloves, holding the tarot card. She also sees another person (or the same person) cutting up words from magazines to paste together the note that was sent to Oh Soo. However, their faces are hidden in her visions. Shockingly, the only face that appears to her is Oh Soo's. As Hae In is about to announce her findings, she is interrupted by Seung Ha's visit to the shop. Seung Ha and Oh Soo meet each other and introduce themselves. End of episode 1.

Friday, April 06, 2007

Lack of Updates

For the regular visitors of this blog who were disappointed with the recent lack of updates, I sincerely apologize. I was accepted to an accelerated nursing program and will be attending it in May. And so, in addition to work, I was busy with completing all the required paperwork and travelling down to the school to take care of business. Thus, blog updates will occur on an ocassional basis, instead of regularly. Once again, to those who care, I apologize.

Below are some goodies from the latest K-dramas, namely, Que Sera Sera and Witch Amusement. Enjoy!

Que Sera Sera MV

The song played in the MV is called "Bless You" by Loveholic. To download it, please click here. (Special thanks to yeohweping and javabeans)

The Complete Witch Amusement OST
Highly recommended, both the drama and its OST!
To download it, please click here.
Special thanks to fashionista and mei_yei_chan (sp?) @ soompi

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Witch Amusement Goodies

Opening theme


MV

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Modernizing Classical Symphonies

Recent K-dramas, in addition to their entertaining storyline, have integrated the works of classical music geniuses into their OSTs (Original Sound Tracks) and have transformed those "outdated" yet classic pieces into something trendy and hip. The amazing thing is that these remixes fit perfectly with the dramas and they definitely enhance the audience's experience of certain scenes and/or emotions. Examples of "modernized" classical symphonies include songs from the OST of My Girl and most recently, Witch Amusement.



Mozart's Symphony No. 40



"Never Say Goodbye" - Mario & Nesty





Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 (1st Movement)



운명의 장난 命運的惡作劇 -Mc진리(Feat.하하)


Special thanks to yeohweping for the OST.

The Host Exceeds 1 Mil. in US Earnings

The film The Host has earned one million US dollars at the US box office in the three weeks after its release there, its producer Chungeorahm said Tuesday.

Having been released in 71 theaters on March 7, the film raked in 320,000 dollars for the first week, and the earnings reached 690,000 in the second week and one million in the third week, when the number of theaters also rose to 94.

The producer said that the film reached the million dollar mark in the shortest time among all Korean films released in the U.S. Citing the film’s US distributor Magnolia Pictures as saying that it plans to show the film for the long-term, the Korean producer expressed its confidence in the film’s success there.

Korean movies released in the US include Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, Brotherhood of War and Old Boy. Among them, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter set a record high in box office earnings with 2.3 million dollars during its seven-month run.
Source: KBS Global

doozy: Yay, for The Host!

I recently saw this movie in the theatres to show support for Korean cinema instead of watching it elsewhere. *shifty eyes* So, my 7 bucks is part of that 1 million. Exciting, isn't it? (Even if you say "no," please humor me here.)

Regarding the movie, I actually like it alot. For a movie categorized as an "action film," I was pleasantly surprised at the subtleties that its director sprinkled in throughout the film. I also like the mix of action, human/family relationship, politics, and humor.

This theatres experience could have been a completely wonderful one had it not been for stupid comments made by several movie goers. One lady, after the movie ended, sarcastically said, "Wow, they sure know how to make movies." Another lady said something about how it should've been dubbed instead of subtitled. Oh well, how sorry I am that it's not the way that she preferred. I mean, the production team and the film studio were so unreasonable and inconsiderate to have her *gasp* read something, right? Whatever, I'd say to them.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Too Many Chiefs, Not Enough Indians...

This is something that I've observed at work over the past couple of days: too many people, regardless of whether or not they have the experience or authority, want to be in a high and mighty comanding position, which leaves not that many who would obey willingly. It doesn't sound like a very good situation, does it? Which am I? I try to be neither and just do my job.

What's the point of sharing this observation? There's really no point. Quiet frankly, I'm just blogging as a way to procrastinate doing other, more important things, which include eating and showering, but you probably didn't to know that. Heehee.

Anyway, back to our regular scheduled programming... which is, K-dramas. After the monster, that is Jumong ended its run, most of the shows that premiered are so good and diverse in theme and storyline. Thus far, I've seen Hello! Miss, Witch Amusement, H.I.T., and The Devil. Based on high recommendations, I'm probably going to check out Thank you and Que Sera Sera. Wow, that's a lot of drama-watching. And I haven't even finished the shows that I started previously. Ah geez, otoke?

Also, I came across this great blog, which has episodic summaries of several of the latest dramas. Do check it out here! Thank you, javabeans dear for your time and effort in maintaining the blog.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

De-stressing...

I'm starting school this coming May and I've just received the paperwork, which include the usual orientation information, health record, etc. So, I was looking at the immunization form, thinking this is going to be easy since I still have access to my immunization form. Boy, was I wrong! It turns out that most, if not all, of my vaccinations have expired, which means that I would have to get these done all over again. And you know what that means, right? My two arms will most likely go limp from all those shots and since I have no health insurance, they'll burn a giant hole in my wallet at a time when I need to save money to prepare for my move to a different city, where the school is located. In addition, I have to go down to the school for a scholarship interview, come back home, and then go to the school again for some uniform fitting and to take a math test prior to entering the program. Math test? What the..? Do I even remember how to do math?! Damn, this sucks!

I need to do some major de-stressing. I must think happy thoughts... Hence, I shall go watch my K-dramas now. A good dose of it will lift my mood, I hope. That is, if I'm not going to watch People In Love because not only will it not help me, it will instead aggravate me and make me want to throw heavy objects or break something. My current addiction: Witch Amusement. Actually, I feel bad for not being into H!M as much as WA because my favorite girl is in H!M and I should give her my full support. But WA is so fun and entertaining! What a dilemma! Wait a minute, am I stressing myself out again? Aish, I need to stop. WA episode 2, here I come!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Hello! Miss Episode 1


I finally was able to download the first episode and finished watching it last night. As previously mentioned, I was planning to do an episodic summary for Hello! Miss (H!M). However, ripgal (Jo), a wonderful Mukgu-er @ soompi, will take on this project instead. I'll just write about my thoughts on the drama and you can check out the details in Jo's summaries. The summary for episode 1 is already posted. You can read it by clicking here. Please drop her a thank you note to show your support for her effort if you do visit the soompi thread. Jo did an amazing job with the summary, so I was surprised to learn that this is her first time writing one. Thank you, Jo!

Episode 1

As with most dramas, episode 1 of H!M serves as an introduction to the lead characters and the supporting players. LDH as Soo Ha is super adorable while at the same time, very feisty. Yes, there are over-the-top expressions from her but I did not have any problem with that because they are hilarious. Soo Ha's facial expressions and gestures do remind me of Yoo Rin, but then again, it's just the first episode. Perhaps, once we get into the drama a little more, I'll begin to see Soo Ha in her own light.

The first episode is really all about SH. Everytime LDH appears, she lights up the screen. (Although, that observation might just be biased me raving about one of my favorited actresses so you'll have to check out H!M for yourself to see if you agree with me or not.) I love how SH can be sassy in one moment and soft-spoken in the next scene. And she does both equally well and made me laugh in both situations. When she's feisty, her expressions and tone of voice are so cute and hysterical and when she's soft-spoken and demure, I'd laugh because we all know that that's not the real SH because she's putting on a show to achieve something. One of my favorite scenes is when SH is on the phone trying to negotiate with the finance company. When things do not seem to be going her way, she starts yelling at them and of course, they hung up the phone on her. The phone rings again and thinking that it's the same company, she raises her voice. However, when she realizes that it was actually one of the elders of her village, her tone changes dramatically and immediately. Even though the elder on the other line really couldn't see SH's behaviors, she was bowing too when she talks to him. If you're not getting why I find it funny, watch the episode and you'll understand. (I hope.)

Of course, with any romcom (romantic comedy), you have your share of quirky characters. In H!M, there is SH's village family and her new friend Jung Sook, the girl who has a questionable fashion sense. Also, there are many familar faces whom we've seen from past dramas, which I'm always excited to see. For example, there's "mandoo ajumma" from Bad Family, "Gong Shil Jang" from Fantasy Couple, and "the King" from Goong and Hwang Jin-Yi. Mandoo ajumma is now the housekeeper for SH; Gong Shil Jang is the assistant to a high ranking executive, which is funny because it's similar to his job title in Fantasy Couple. So while watching him, I was thinking, "Hey man, how's Billy doing? You don't work for him anymore?" He also keeps his special way of saying "ne." The King is SH's father, so in a way, he's still "king" as he's the patriarchal figure of the family.

In addition, the way the characters are set up are somewhat similar to My Girl, or perhaps it's not really similar but I'm just reminded of My Girl because of LDH. For example, we have the good guy played by Lee Ji Hoon, the player who will grow fond of this "strange" girl that he's just met, and the quirky friend.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. There are characters that I already sense I will dislike and ones that I will root for. And of course, LDH is breathtakingly gorgeous, but we know that already, right, fellow Mukgu-ers?!