Mr. Idol (movie)

From anyone who read my first blog post, yeah, I really did watch it.

O.O...

But wait, people aren't reading this for the abs, right? Right?

Now then, let's put those guns away and begin.

Plot: Basically, an idol group's lead dies and the group disbands. The producer of the group runs off overseas. She comes back several years later with the goal of reuniting the members and turning them into successes. But she kind needs a new lead vocalist, doesn't she?

You lied to me, you said this was a sci-fi movie. I can't be a zombie?

So who does she pick? Why, a rocker of course! Because you know rockers love to become pop idols! (Moo Kyul from Mary Stayed Out All Night is killing me right now. And now I realized I never reviewed that series yet I keep mentioning it. This must be resolved....)

Pros:

It shows a lot of truths. It shows that just because you have a good voice doesn't mean that you can be successful. It shows that in things like K-Pop, you really do need to have good teamwork and trust each other. It shows that it is difficult to get a break in the entertainment world.

Though as a KISSMe, it is sad to see U-KISS playing the bad example in the movie...

Cons:

It seemed too short. The movie was stuck between dragging here and there to not showing enough. Some things took a long time to mature or make sense, such as the relation of the lead singer to the old man (his father) and the little girl. And the whole point of the lead's character's view on life and singing didn't show the development it needed. Yes, he turns from hating pop-music to living it. But even in the movie a scandal arrises and he admits to his opinions. Then in the end, he admits how they were changed. Just like that. Poof! His eyes have been open.

There were several other hook-ups as well, such as why the guy who worked with Mr. Children's producer in the past gets such mistreatment from his company after she comes back. And that one of the members of the band can't find his mom (wasn't he popular before? If not for singing, at least for having one of his band mates kill himself during a live performance)

And lastly, the weakness of the love bond in this. Yes, there is romance here, but very subtly played out. It wasn't too bad and truthfully it can be seen a breather from the overly-dramatic romance angles other movies and shows have had. But in my opinion it needed a little more depth to keep the audience occupied.

Overall, the movie was fair. It was more of a nice break from drama if anything. Not many strong emotions or intense scenes. The movie is instead fairly calm. And while some may grow a bit bored with it as they watch, I found that the story was fairly nice. Though there weren't many ab shots unfortunately. Lying promo posters! T-T

You Are My Pet (Movie)

Movie time!

Now, who wouldn't like to see Jang Geun Suk at their pet? He's already proven to be an adorable kitty cat through Mary Stayed Out All Night.

But...I have to say I wasn't impressed...

Plot: Based on a manga series and Japanese drama, You Are My Pet is about a down-on-his-luck ballet dancer who ends up on the doorstep of a down-on-her-social-skills girl. The girl's a business woman with a great educational background and great credentials. But this makes her intimidating to others and she can't overcome this (see down-on-her-social-skills). So when she finds this guy randomly in her house (thanks to her brother who is friends with the guy), you can imagine the shock. The next day, he appears in a box at her door. And lookie! He reminds the girl of a dog she used to have. And he'll do anything to stay? Well then, come here, Momo!

I got this! I saw this in a Japanese drama once. I just have to bark, right?

Pros:
Acting! Sukkie has yet to disappoint me in his acting skills. Considering he's be acting and modelling most of his life, no wonder. But can acting alone be enough to save this movie?

Cons:
The plot, the style, the carryout...So many things wrong with this. Now, this may be a bit harsh, but I've watched the Japanese drama of this AND have read the manga. And while the movie had its moments:

it still feel short. But why? 

Including everything from a 10-episode live action drama into a 2 hour film and you get a bunch of disjointed ends. Everything became choppy. This happened, then this, then that. And guess what happens? Everything feels rushed, unexplained, and sudden. There were several scenes I felt should have just been cut. And because of all this cramming, there is little emotional buildup.

So what is a drama with no buildup? The Japanese drama shows us the buildup clearly, with the bonding of the two going from complete strangers to people who can't live without each other. They come to rely on each other for relief and comfort. And for such a buildup to occur, time was needed. I really hate to compare things to their originals as I believe every work should be able to stand alone, but even from an unknowing audience's view the movie was choppy.

Really, I wish I could joke more on this, but this movie was a disappointment for me. There was so much hype and Sukkie seemed amazing in the teasers and interviews. But the final product was in my honest opinion a bust. 

But, instead of drowning in misery, we should note what they should have done to make this a better movie. Namely, do what a lot of people yell at them not to do: take stuff out. So what if a minor scene here and there were cut? If that time could be better used to convey the emotions of the characters and to make us believe that they really do build up a bond that becomes a necessity, more power to them. Adaptations are natural, and while one might get ticked off at a few things missing or changed, one should always remember that a change of time of viewing and country can greatly effect the film.

Anyway, scolding over. And I would like to say that I don't mean to offend anyone. From someone more used to watching movies, this may not have been so bad. I don't claim to know the mindset of an average Korean viewer. But coming from someone who has been watching dramas and movies for several years, this truly is my opinion on the movie.

So, am I saying you shouldn't watch it? I'd never say that. The acting was fine, but the script was not so. But please, see it for yourself if your curious. I just warn that if you are used to more "dramatic" dramas, this may be one to avoid.

Back! ^_^

짜잔! I'm back. Well, at least for a little while. I've been ever the hard-working student, so unfortunately I haven't been posting as I used to. With what little history I have in posting...*ahem*

Anyway, time for a post or two, right? Though I must say that since I'm taking Japanese classes, I've been lagging a bit on my Korean Dramas. Which is so sad, since soooo many good-looking ones have come out over the past few months. My list of dramas to watch has grown so large...

But alas, I must finish terms papers and take finals. And one large note to make: I'm going to South Korea! *does a little dance* I'll be studying abroad in Seoul for the summer and finally be able to see Korea in person. My lovely Korean friends at my university here in the States have been helping me learn some Korean so I can survive the first few weeks on my own before my classes at the university start; I'm leaving early so I can explore a bit before settling down to studies.

And, lucky enough, the place I will be staying at has a very nice TV with many channels, so I may be able to watch a few dramas when they actually air instead of relying on the internet. Will I understand the gist of what's going on? I'm sure I can puzzle it out. Will I be able to understand half the stuff the actors will be saying? Probably not, but if the series is good enough I can always rewatch with nice subtitles or ask my Korean housemates for some help.

But anyway, on to the post!

*I take no credit for this picture.

Dream High

I dream high, I dream when...

Idol drama alert! This is basically a JYP production, featuring Suzy from Miss A, Teacyeon and Wooyoung from 2PM, and T-ara's Eun Jung. But can this group of talented singers pull off a drama?

Oh, and Kim Hyun Joong shows up randomly at the beginning. Wait, he's not JYP...

Plot:

Dream High takes place a special high school for the arts. Go Hye Mi (Suzy) has been trained in opera singing and classical music and wants to go to school overseas, but a twist of fate (aka her dad's debtors wanting to make money off of her when they can't get ahold of the old man) lands her to auditioning to get into Kirin Art High School. But wouldn't you know it, she's missing something...

In any case, her and 5 others land themselves in a special half-admissions class to either find that missing aspect or get the hell out. But here's the catch: because they aren't technically part of the normal school, they can't use rehearsal rooms, dancing studios, or anything really. They also don't go to the same classes. Which makes everyone wonder why there even is a half-admissions class.

Today's lesson is staring at the wall. Looks like you've got the hang of it.

The Acting:

I have to say, even if it is an idol drama, the acting wasn't half bad. Except for Suzy. It's actually be stated several times how emotionless she was during the drama. Though truth be told, she wasn't all that bad; she played the evil bitch at the beginning to a T.

Why are you breathing?

It was fairly obvious later on, though, when her transition into a person with a soul led to her being a bit awkward and choppy.

Taecyeon's acting was fair though, with plenty of sexy dancing and rapping intermixed. Though there is a bit of an awkward love triangle that felt a bit too forced. On the other hand, the other love triangle he's involved with (yes, two triangles, woo! and that's not the end to the romance), actually made me cheer. Why? Because he and the other male lead, Kim Soo Hyun, actually made me question who was going to be accepted by Suzy. Yes, my predictions went from one side, to the other, to being stuck in the middle, to finally saying "screw it, let's just wait and see." The only problems I had with his character is there wasn't enough of a story for him (his side story is kind of short and unembellished).

I'm gonna be a star, high up in the sky...

Speaking of Kim Soo Hyun...

Yes, that is a rice-bag "gangster" jacket. And these two are the same person.

Hands-down the best actor. Which makes sense since he actually is an actor. But what was also shocking is that he has the voice of an angel.

Trust me! Just ignore the croaking at the beginning...

And really, the twist his character goes through in the drama is played out very well. I was actually starting to tear up from it. And the ending...ah...

But enough about the three main actors, the supporting roles are nicely done too. Eun Jung plays a very good villian, though her reasoning for villiany is a bit...twisted...

Horror movies can do that to you...

And now we're to UI's and Wooyoung's characters. The start of the Milky Couple. UI plays a character that's overweight but can sing beautifully. Wooyoung plays a character that doesn't show anything wrong (at first) and gets fully accepted by the school. And while Pil Sook (UI) fangirls over Jason (Wooyoung), she wonders if he's nice to her because he's nice to everyone or if he actually like her.

Bet that's a voodoo doll.

UI's character, though, brings to light how the entertainment industry looks down on those without a model's body. Which I think is good, but is kind of saddening.

And now for Wooyoung. I must say, before this drama I wasn't much of a 2PM fan. But Wooyoung's acting made me smile so much. Maybe it was how he actually spoke in English whenever he spoke, except for direct conversations. Or how cheery he acted all the time. Or maybe it was because he roped me into the drama with random dancing in the alley outside of the school before his audition.

He's staring down a lolipop...

But I must say, for the second half of the drama I kind of found his character annoying. We finally get to see Jason's flaws, from not knowing what love is, to arrogance, to ego, to him wondering if he has a superficial side. Which I guess makes sense. But it is kind of let-down the love knot between Jason and Pil Sook (the first half was just full of "aigoo" moments, the second half not so much...) And the change is, in my opinion, a bit too sudden.

A note on the Milky Couple: there is no couple. Basically while Wooyoung has admited to liking UI, UI doesn't return his feelings. Because of this, some would say UI kind of plays him a bit (there as one event she made him pay for a meal, and so on). Overall, though, the media is the one that thinks they're a couple and push them together as much as possible.

Though it is a cute thought.

Pros:

The OST is amazing. I find myself singing the songs all the time. They're addictive. And they play into the story (shocking). Suzy's "Winter Child," "Dreaming," "Dream High," and several others play into the story while at the same time show the emotions and dreams of the characters. Like a musical, but without all the sing-talking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWxW3atw_SU

I told you he could sing. (I take no cred for vid, found it on youtube)

Also, the unpredictable love triangle I mentioned earlier, definitely refreshing.

As well as the main character being a hate-able character. Now this takes some explaining I believe: In this case, one is supposed to hate the character at the beginning and grow to love her as she improves. This does not mean hate as in "she's weak, she cries too much, this is so sexist" kind of hate, which I kind of like since Korean heroines seem to fall in the pattern of hopeless damsel-in-distress a lot.

The stages and shows are very well done. There are even a few street-performance scenes.

They actually work in some music and dance stuff. From perfect pitch to coordination, to singing out emotions, they really do put up a good show of being an art academy catering to future kpop stars.

Cons:

Sometimes there are times to sing. Sometimes there aren't. In one scene, Suzy singing while doing number two in an outhouse while Soo Hyun is outside so he can't hear. And just to make it even more awkward, the song she picks is a softly sung one.

That's one soft pooping...

Also, after only training about a year, several of the characters find themselves in a super popular and famous group, Group K, from an music agency. Which seems a bit fast, since a lot companies have their trainees train for 2-3 years before debuting. Okay, so there was a competition involved. But then there's their popularity. New bands don't become very famous, usually, for about a year.

What are you, a genie?

Also I have an issue with one of the songs that's sung during the drama, My Valentine, which is supposed to be sung by Taecyeon to show he has more than just a rapper side. Which is a song he doesn't sing alone very well, considering it was originally made for three people (him, Nickhun, and JY Park). And when he does sing it with others, they sing quite a bit of it, leaving the *surprise* rapping part to Taec.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsAzcRbo4V8&feature=related

Um... (I take no cred for vid, found it on youtube)

And the ending, which I won't spoil. But let me just say, it was kind of a letdown. Except for Soo Hyun. Watch to see why.

Overall:

The drama's pretty good, about an 8/10. It's entertaining and has some highs and lows. And while it is an idol drama, many of the idols do have a talent for acting. I would say it's worth watching, especially is you want to see another side to the kpop industry or like music and dancing.

King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo

Hello! Sorry for the long absence. I decided, because I haven't finished any of the new series yet (except one from China), to review one I recently watched that's a bit older.

Okay, like 2010, but it feels a lot older. King of Baking is well known in Korea for bringing in a love of baking and baked goods. Which makes sense since there's a lot of baking involved.

Breads come in many shapes...

The viewing rating very high and the actors also won a ton of awards for it. But does it really live up to the hype?

The plot:

Kim Tak Goo is the bastard son of the head of a big bread company. He lives alone in a small poor town with his mother and has an almost magical sense of smell. When his mother decides he should grow up in a better environment and gives him to his father's family, he isn't too welcome for many secret reasons. When his mother is kidnapped, child Tak Goo (who's only in 5th grade at the time) goes off to search for her. For 14 years.

I'll sniff her out. Couldn't be too hard.

While he's gone, everyone kind assumes he's died off or something. He gets through working parttime jobs and beating up on bad guys searching for his mother's kidnapper. Eventually he lands himself in a bakery. Even though he hates bread. Umm...

Basically, the father's family finds out he's still alive and two have something against him. His half-brother wants to show he's better than him, his step-mother wants to keep from inheriting the company, and so on. But enough plot, don't want to spoil anything...

The Drama:

Basically, this is a business drama. And when I say drama, I mean I wanted to throw things at the computer kind of drama. It's almost on par with US soap operas. Tooo much business jargon no one cares about, too many henchmen, too many underhanded ways of getting stuff done. Plus, there's a whole emotional play (that of the relationship between the father, his wife, and the father's secretary) that I learned to just skip through, mainly since it was kinda screwed from the start and just got boring and repetitive.

Oh you again, what do you want now?

I think it might just be me, since I usually hate US dramas. This definitely does have more of a Western field. There's a lot less humor and a lot more crying. And to be honest, it drags a lot. I had to force myself to keep watching, which is a very very rare thing for me to do. But why did I keep watching?

No, not just for his looks...

Yoon Shi Yoon's acting was actually extremely good. He played his role near-perfectly and with plenty of enthusiasm. And he played one of the few characters in the series who made me smile.

The cookies are a lie...

His acting though was literally countered by his brother in the series, Goo Man Joon (Joo Won). I'm not sure how much of it was in character, but he came off as probably one of the stiffest and emotionless people I've ever seen.

How dare you still my award?

Yes, that bad (Sorry Kim Hyun Joong, but it's true, you were beat). Granted, technically this came out before Playful Kiss, but you get the idea. Plus, Kim Hyun Joong's level of emotion was like three times higher than his character's Taiwanese counterpart (see It Started With A Kiss), who probably just beats this character on stiffness.

O.o wth, he's smiling, that shouldn't be possible...

The Good Points:

So this drama wasn't all drama and stiffness. There were some good aspects. Such as the baking, which really did make me want to go preheat the oven and hunt for flour. The fighting was also not too badly done. Yes, there's fighting. Hence the henchmen.

Just another night after closing shop.

There is also a very nice little love arc that really didn't get played to its fullest. Which made me sad since it had a lot of potential.

There is also the growth of Kim Tak Goo while he works in the bakery. His training was actually shown really well, with him solving problems and trying again and again to get things to work. It was actually sort of inspiring.

New training exercise: Stare at bottle

The Bad Parts:

There is also another "love" arc that just made me cringe. While it gave a twist to the story, it was so forced it made me want to cry. And was also part of the plot I skimmed through. Yes, I know, bad me, but trust me when I say it really didn't effect the plot a lot. Instead, it kinda made it's own side-story and that's about it.

Result:

So, should one watch it? If you like drama on top of drama on top of drama, it's great. If not, about the only thing holding you would be the acting, since there are several very talented actors/actresses in the series. I'm sorry to say this definitely isn't one of my favorites and while I know this is a fairly popular and beloved series, personally I just don't see a lot of appeal. But, hey, we all have different opinions, don't we?

Sorry For Absence!

Sorry for my absence. I've been really busy moving back to my university town and getting through classes and books and so much money loss because of that. I will eventually find the time to do more reviews. Though I doubt there's many who read this. Especially since i only have 3 posts...Anyway, enjoy your summertime!

Protect The Boss

Protect The Boss

Just so you know, I'm not doing this drama just because it airs in City Hunter's spot. I've been hyped for this ever since I heard it was going to be made. And I'm ashamed to say I originally was hyped because it has Kim Jaejoong, my... em... bias...

Hey, he's got looks, a golden voice, and a pure heart. Who could blame me?

But really, this drama is more than that.

So what's the plot? Basically the female lead has a bit of a punk past and is trying to find a job.

Totally in the job description.

Because of her spunk, she's hired by the company to be the secretary of the president's heir.

Maybe someone told him she was the doppelganger from a girl in Girl's Day

Only this heir has run into her before, something that had resulted in him getting beat up, his father getting revenge on the thugs who beat him up, and the media getting ahold of the whole deal, resulting in a huge loss. So hot water? Yep.

Now have we learned our lesson? Good.

Oh, and there's more. The heir has agoraphobia, hypochondria, and maybe a bit of OCD. Which he doesn't want to tell his family about.

One word for this drama: hillarious. As in my father kept looking at me as I laughed for a minute straight at my laptop screen. The humor's a mix of slap-stick, sarcasm, dry humor, and action comedy. The actors act like kids half the time. As in like elementary school kids. This includes sticking out tongues, fighting to get through doorways, fighting each other in the hallways, attacking each other's butts with ice cream, and sneaking out of the office while dad's not looking.

The the old let Grandma think the dog ate her favorite high heels...

So, what about the acting?

It's actually very good. The characters are very playful and believable. The main lead, Ji Sung, stays true to his phobias usually and is very talented at the near bi-polar actions of his character. "Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?" Split second later..."Did you sanitize my office?"

And of course, the kid-like behavior:

True quote, well, from the best of my memory: "I'll never let you take over the company. Because all this just screams fraud and money laundering." (sorry if I misquoted)

The female lead, Choi Kang Hee, is also amazing since she embodies a poor ex-punk trying to turn into a business woman. And she stands up for herself. As in, any ounce of sexual harassment is met with your arm being shoved up your back and your wrist close to broken.

Though with that sense of fashion, one wonders why she would get harassed.

Her only major flaw came near the end. Bascially, this drama was reading peoples' minds. I watched it on viki which has comments on top during the streaming and whenever someone said, "this is too tacky" or "that's really stupid" or "they should just *blah*", it happened. It was scary at times. But near the end, in order to create more of a sense of drama, the writers went a bit looser on the realism. For the first time, there was drag in the story line. I didn't watch past ep 14 for like 2-3 weeks, it lost it's pull (I'm also a college student but even tests can't keep me away from a good drama). But I prevailed and the ending wasn't too bad. Not as good as the beginning, but the beginning was eic in it's own right. ^^

And lastly, Jaejoong, who is actually the bad guy of the drama. Truth be told, he's a bit stiff on his acting and doesn't show a whole lot of emotion. Then again, he's not a professional actor. But one thing he can always does is act sexy and like a child.

O.o...

You just thought this was a selca, didn't you?

Yes, the bow is actually in the drama. And on his head. Don't worry, Yoochun beat him up afterward to give it back to his girl.

*For those who don't get this, Yoochun aka Micky, fellow bandmember of JYJ*

But I digress.

Basically, his acting isn't very good at the beginning, but as the filming goes on and he gets more sleep (panda eyes are not very becoming on you, Jaejoong), he makes great improvements. He became very respected by the professional actors and actresses on the set since he worked with a very focused and diligent spirit.

The last point I want to make about this drama is the drama elevator.

Basically, it's standard office protocol to go into the elevator and let out your emotions. While your secretaries try to block the CCTV in the corner. There's crying, hitting, yelling, and some light touching even in this elevator. But the ride only lasts 2 minutes at most, so as soon as they're closing on the floor, they automatically stop and fix their suits, instantly composed. Which I find weird, because whenever I get into an elevator I can't go more than like 4 floors before someone gets on. But maybe this one's special-use-only.

So basically, if you want a drama that will make you laugh until you fall over and has a handsome cast, this is for you. If you're looking for a serious business drama with crying every episode, I'd stick to King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo.

Overall rating: 9/10