Musings of the Obsessive Kind
She's a mite whimsical in the brainpan.
Musings of the Obsessive KindShe's a mite whimsical in the brainpan. |
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| Jan. 5th, 2011 @ 04:13 pm Something Happened in Bali communal sticky post | |||
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 OK, ladies! I have my Something Happened in Bali watching crew - ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} darkeyedwolf, mishane, cranberrysheep, uisceros, sodahands, scanky_chops, anime_heart, iheartkleenex and possibly bzoppa and thelana. (Btw, the offer is still open, everyone, you can join us any time). In exchange I am watching The Rose, Miss No Good, The Vineyard Man, My Boss My Hero, Fated to Love You, Seikei Bijin, and Kekkon Dekinai Otoko. Heeee. I know everyone watches things at different speeds and schedules etc. so episode discussion posts might not make sense (if you do want them, let me know and I'll be happy to oblige). I am thinking however, it would be good to have a sticky Bali communal watching post and if anyone feels like dumping thoughts there (spoilers marked with wipe-out font) that might be fun. (That's in addition to anything else anyone wants to do or not do re watching or posting or anything, no obligations or anything, I am not trying to be pushy or anything - I have never done a communal watching before :P) So, here is the I am watching Something Happened in Bali sticky post. Post anything here - requests for links, episode comments, musings on Jo In Sung's and So Ji Sub's brave desire to parade without a shirt, whatever. Join us if you are one of communal watchers or if you've seen it and feel like blabbing, or for any reason whatsoever. And if people will use the "send me a notice anyone comments on a particular post" feature, it would make it all really easy to keep track of :) | |||
| Feb. 10th, 2010 @ 12:12 am It's Chuno day! | |||
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So have a bunch of Jang Hyuk in costume/character pics. Yay. ( A bunch from baidu ) | |||
| Feb. 9th, 2010 @ 11:57 pm Pick the Stars - ep 12 | |||
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Episode 12 of Pick the Stars was utterly fabulous.  But I am tired and it's late so a brief count: Number of Drama Characters I hate: 6 - Jun Ha, a.k.a. crazy manipulative psycho (if you know to tell someone that the best thing to do for a loved one who doesn't love you back is to let them go, how about you apply this logic to Secondary Hag?); Secondary Hag who has progressed to threatening suicide and blackmail as way to get attention from her stalking victim; Secondary Hag's Mother who is a murderer; Secondary Hag's father who is a ladies-molesting, father-hitting lecher; Kang Ha's mother who should have been turned in to child services; and Kang Ha's abusive dead father - beating your kid for showing emotions - A++ on the parenting there. Number of Drama Characters I love: 8 - Pal Kang, her 5 little siblings, Kang Ha, Tae Gyu. Number of characters I wish would snap the heck out of their King Copetua/Haroun Al Rashid mode and do something for Pal Kang already: - 1. The Chairman. How about you help her living situation instead of faking poverty. Amount of times Kang Ha started at Pal Kang with enough heat to burn through metal: 269. Maybe more, I passed out from the sexy somewhere in there. Number of men who have annoyed Pal Kang: - 3: Tae Gyu for keeping after her despite her stated lack of interest, Jun Ha for being a manipulative bastard trying to play her, Kang Ha for hugging and almost kissing her when drunk. Number of men who apologized to her for it: - 2. Geee, I wonder who is missing from the list? Ah yes, Jun Ha the Psycho. Ships for the drama: -2. Kang Ha/Pal Kang but also Kang Ha fatherly ship with Parang. I think that's actually my number 1. Duration of monthly contract: - indefinite - for however long Kang Ha can cajole Pal Kang to stay :) Amount of times I have fantasized an NC-17-rated fanfic to PtS: - too embarassing to mention. ( A few caps from ep 12 ) | |||
| Feb. 9th, 2010 @ 10:27 am Pick the Stars insanity... | |||
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OK, I am so obsessed I watched Pick the Stars ep 12 raw. Observations: * By now I am firmly convinced Secondary Guy moonlights as an axe-murderer. He is scary. But Pal Kang is definitely wise to you now, psycho! * Every time I see Secondary Girl (or Secondary Guy), I want to punch my screen. Seriously, she ratchets up her insanity in every ep! Let's see - there is this guy I stalked for a decade who has shown zero interest in me and in fact only doesn't call the cops and get a restraining order due to the fact that you'd probably slit his throat in his sleep. Ooooh, how dare he have a life of his own? UGHDIEPLS. * Pal Kang continues the most awesome heroine ever. * Mmmmm, angsty shippy times. Angst some more, hot boy! * Because there are no subs, I look at their faces with a lot more detail and oooooh boy. It doesn't matter what Kang Ha talks to Pal Kang about - it could be anything - but his eyes totally betray him - the way he looks at her is beyond hot. * Kang Ha's mother is INSANE. But cheer up, emo lawyer! Hero's mother in a previous drama of this writer was a poisoner. At least this one doesn't seem to be. * Did I mention Pal Kang's awesomeness? Her being successful is SO GOOD. * Finally - One request - Kang Ha and Pal kang should make out. Against a wall. Thank you. Because they would be so hot I would combust. | |||
| Feb. 9th, 2010 @ 08:38 am Various | |||
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OK, so is anyone else excited for The Influence, an online movie (huh?) with Lee Byung Hun and Han Chae Young? Description says: Lee Byung-hun will play the character that is able to travel freely through time and space, bring people who are in dilemma into a mysterious space. On the other hand, Han Chae-young is the woman who is willing to live in a huge water tank for 100 years in order to save Lee Byung-hun. It sounds weird and awesome. LBH is about my favorite Korean actor and while HCY is an uneven actress (she's prettier than she is good - I am of two minds about her starring in the upcoming A Man Called God), she does have a certain gorgeous vibe and good co-star chemistry so she will visually fit.  ( The few stills look very pretty ) In other news, I am through ep 10 of Invincible Lee Pyung Kang. While I am enjoying this, I can't say it will ever go on a list of favorites (too fluffy, immature heroes are my least favorite type and so is the eternally bickering couple) but it has some really really yummy scenes. Like this one, where Pyung Kang finds On Dal (who in addition to golf trauma apparently has claustrophobia) and he totally crawls into her lap and clings and burrows into her and then kisses her. It's sort of ridiculously hot (pinging both the maternal and the womanly :P). Pity it turns out he was hallucinating it's his ex but we can't have everything. (I want my couples to hook up sooner. Or at least to recognize their feelings sooner. Honestly, how slow are you guys?)  ( Enjoy. There was open mouth and everything! ) Not related to the kissing but ugh - every time I see stepmonster and her son I get ulcers. | |||
| Feb. 8th, 2010 @ 11:08 pm "What is wrong with a guy who likes to play around keeping a girl who used to work in a bar?" | |||
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SQUEEEEEEEE I LOVE YOU LAWYER AHJUSSHI!!!!! ( Thoughts and caps on ep 11 of Pick the Stars ) | |||
| Feb. 8th, 2010 @ 10:16 pm Due to insane snow storm | |||
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Well, at least we have light and heat. But obviously updates will be sporadic. They can't get anyone here this week, we are out to Hong Kong next week and week after that we can't match our schedules till the 24th. So yeah, no net for 2+ weeks. Let's see how a junkie copes. Don't worry, I am an addict so I will try to find wifi spots. The beyond-awesome Mr. Mousie did something to rewire things so now we have internet even if no wifi. Yay! | |||
| Feb. 8th, 2010 @ 01:11 pm OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG | |||
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I've been checking my Pick the Stars ep 11 raw and OMG WHUT. Poor drunk dealing with horrific mother trauma Kang Ha. Awwww. Best part? Pal Kang is not interested, look at her face! EEEE. ( Scene behind cut OMG ) | |||
| Feb. 8th, 2010 @ 12:11 am I am so very Down with Love! | |||
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 Are you guys watching Down with Love, a currently-airing Taiwanese drama starring Ella and Jerry Yan? Because if you are not, YOU SIMPLY MUST. DwL has just started airing on Sundays - two episodes have aired and both are subbed on viikii (good quality vid/subs) and I am sure a subbing group has picked it up as well. Ella is a good-hearted, somewhat mannish girl chronically short of cash and doing odd jobs to get it. Due to a combination of circumstances, she gets hired as a nanny by Jerry Yan, a top lawyer. He has taken in his small niece and nephew after the death of their parents and has been going through nannies at a frightening speed - either the children frighten them off or they try to make a move for him as he is a very eligible bachelor. One quirk: Jerry mistakes Ella for a lesbian (long, hilarious story) and is quite happy about it - at least this nanny won't make a move on him - one less thing to worry about. And Ella must go along with her masquerade to keep her job. Hilarity, sexiness, and awesomeness ensue. Seriously - this is SO CUTE. Ella is her own hilarious adorable self. You can't help but love her. Jerry Yan is, always, sex on legs (he will always be my Domyouji :P) and I like that his character might be icy and brusque but is, at base, well-adjusted. I appreciate that rare quality in a drama leading man. The secondary characters are great - from the two kids (I just want to squish them), to Jerry's laid-back friend, to Ella's bossy awesome sister (I crack ship her and Jerry's friend), to random one-off characters. The only one I can't stand (but I am not supposed to) is Jerry's quasi-ex. Sure, when your long-term boyfriend proposes to you, dump him. Then decide you'll keep him dumped for 3 months to show off and then take him back and he'll be so ecstatic. WHAAAAT? That's insane. Anyone but a lunatic would move on, as well he should. Next episode promises me Jerry Yan being beaten up by thugs. Thank you, Taiwan! | |||
| Feb. 7th, 2010 @ 10:05 pm (no subject) | |||
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| The Superbowl was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! Also, as a Mommy, I approve of Drew Brees holding up his little son after they won. AWWWWWW. Super-AWWWWW. | |||
| Feb. 7th, 2010 @ 01:52 pm Jang Hyuk hotness and Tamra coolness | |||
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First off, to celebrate Chuno hump day (i.e. we have half a week until next ep, woe!), have this picture of Mr. Sexy Tortured Slavehunter himself, a.k.a. Jang Hyuk. Adorable baby is a bonus. (I think it was part of some promotion for domestic adoption - I think it's false advertising to imply if you adopt a Korean baby you get someone that fine with it, but whatever works :P) I posted this before but can you really have too much of a good thing? In other news, thanks to cleobulle, I watched ep 7 of Tamra the Island with subs and wheeeee, so good! Park Kyu, silly boy, just tell her you like her, and don't pretend you broke house arrest to run after her just because you didn't want to be stuck with your chores. I understand the hesitation - seeing she seems stuck on the foreigner but nothing ventured nothing gained. I continue to like William/Beo Jin for its unworldly sweetness but just like unicorns and rainbows it can't really exist for long (or at all) in the real world. And oh, Park Kyu's mutely speaking angst. MMMM. She also linked me to 720p versions and OMG - the video quality is amazing! ( Some Tamra ep 7 caps - this drama is insanely pretty ) | |||
| Feb. 7th, 2010 @ 10:23 am I know what I need to get me into a drama and it's not fluffiness and fun! | |||
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You guys tried to see Invincible Lee Pyung Kang to me with promises of OTP cuteness or quirky supporting characters, or general goofiness. You know, these are all well and good but that is so not what I need in order to check out a drama. If you'd told me it was going to have this:  And this (now, with complimentary head banging on wall until there is blood)  I would have watched this WEEKS ago! Aaaaahhhhh, angst. That is what I need to get me going! (Don't be mistaken, it's not an angsty drama. It's a funny one. But a funny Korean drama still has more angst than a Hollywood tragedy. :P Sluuuuuuuuurp.) I also approve of this:    | |||
| Feb. 6th, 2010 @ 11:52 pm Invincible Lee Pyung Kang ep 5 | |||
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was totally adorable: Also, while On Dal's occasional brattiness is annoying (immature hero is not my favorite type - I don't dislike it but I prefer other types), not only is he funny and a sweetheart, he rather breaks beautifully. Mmmm:   And does a really lovely smile:  Mmmm. When I remember I used to think JHW is hideous, I am both appalled and amused at myself :) ( Bigger versions of above pics behind cut ) | |||
| Feb. 6th, 2010 @ 09:40 pm (no subject) | |||
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DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE YOU HORRIBLE BITCH DIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I am on episode 5 of Invincible Lee Pyung Kang and such RAGE. Let's see. New wifey of Chairman: 1. Obtained Chairman's confidential medical records and gave him to his prospective merger partner to scotch the merger (Chairman has incipient dementia). 2. Told him of that fact as he is freaking out - ooooooh, he doesn't swoon at her feet constantly, let's ruin his life. 3. He collapses in shock she is all 'ahahahaha.' 4. On Dal (i.e. Chairman's son) runs after her car, asking her to take him with her to the hospital - her response - Chairman collapsed because of you - because you got disqualified in a tournament - it's all your fault. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? What kind of thing is it to say to the guy - he's Chairman's son, he's going to blame himself for his father collapse and possibly death when it had nothing to do with hi? DIEDIEDIEDIE YOU BITCH DIE. ETA: On Dal is irritating the hell out of me too. Stop being a brat to Pyung Kang. | |||
| Feb. 6th, 2010 @ 07:08 pm Wallflower ep 4 | |||
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Watched ep 4 of Wallflower which continues to be amusing and engaging if not earth-shaking or romantically involving. Everyone realizes Kyohei's feeling except for Kyohei :) And the scene at the wedding, when Kyohei grabbed Sunako and they ran away was actually...super-darn shippy. Though I liked the part where she was kicking goons in the face in her wedding dress even more. Oh, I totally ship my dysfunctional violent woobies. | |||
| Feb. 5th, 2010 @ 10:04 pm Pick the Stars | |||
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I am watching 5 dramas this season but I am obsessed over only two. One is (of course) Chuno, but the other is Pick the Stars. Imagine my delight when I found this cute shippy MV: Also, I posted this in discussion with alexandral but allow me to disseminate my rant about PtS's secondary guy to a wider audience:Jun Ha is just awful in a passive way. For him temporary smoothness and expediency outweighs any real effect or damage - when he tells his older bro to marry stalker even though older bro does not love her - huh? Leaving aside a stunning lack of concern over his brother, it's not healthy for stalker either - what kind of marriage would she have with a man who finds her as appealing as thrown-away gum? It would temporarily make her happy yes, but ultimately it would condemn her to a life of misery. Just like the way he is with stalker when she gets all upset about Kang Ha interacting with Pal Kang. He wants it all to be smooth for that moment, to soothe that moment's angst for her so he is all 'it doesn't mean anything blah blah' but that's the worst thing to do - it makes him feel good but it makes it worse for stalker to falsely lead her on - he should be helping her realize (if he's such a friend) that his brother will never care for her and that yes, he might like PK - it's a golden opportunity to get her to move on. But it would cause conflict and unpleasantness in the short term so he's against it. Also, so manipulative! The way he manipulated the nephew into proposing, PK into being there and set up so that it's hard for her to refuse, and for his brother to be there - WTF! He is putting PK into a horrible position (she has to live with the nephew for a month, not to mention reject someone in public), he is getting nephew's hopes up while knowing PK doesn't like him, and he's messing with his brother who (as he well realizes) is thawing out towards someone for the first time ever (and as a brother, shouldn't he be happy over that?) That's just ugh. Even look at his early attempts to 'help' PK. He thought his brother was a jerk for throwing them out but did he do anything? No. The goofy nephew did more to have her stay! Jun Ha just stayed wrapped in his moral superiority - what, he doesn't live in that house? He doesn't pay half the rent? (Presumably). Either PK leaving was wrong, in which case he should have fought KH, or it was fine, in which case stop feeling superior. KH might have been an icicle but even then he had the courage of his convictions and was not afraid of unpleasantness. And now that he's actually decided he likes PK and her brood, he's actively doing things to help them - from little things like taking them out to feed them and changing the diapers to big things like being a guarantor for Pal Kang's loan (or allowing her to stay in the house in the first place). Which is more than Other Brother ever did for anyone. End rant :) | |||
| Feb. 5th, 2010 @ 08:40 pm Dollhouse ending | |||
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So, I read detailed spoilers/summary for the ending of Dollhouse. I have only one thing to say: BWAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAA. Though I am glad for Victor and Sierra. They were the only worthwhile thing in this whole repellent mess. | |||
| Feb. 4th, 2010 @ 10:19 pm Chuno ep 10 caps | |||
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 On watching ep 10 of Chuno, five things are clear: 1. Tae Ha is officially the biggest badass to ever exist. Seriously. 2. My heart broke for Dae Gil. I cried like a baby. Jang Hyuk was amazing. But the last shot of him - scared me so much. 3. Tae Ha leaving his sword for Un Nyun and Un Nyun stroking it (mind out of the gutter, ladies! :P) is the most romantic thing I have seen in months. 4. Un Nyun is so ethereally beautiful, she almost looks not real. And she is the BEST travelling companion. 5. This is the best drama I have ever seen. ( Caps from ep 10. I am not even providing any comments as they speak for themselves ) | |||
| Feb. 4th, 2010 @ 05:50 pm I branch out into Singapore entertainment - we knew this day was coming :) | |||
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Clearly Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Mainland dramas are not enough for me. I feel like moving on to Singaporean ones :) I really want to see a Singapore drama, The Little Nyonya, a 34 ep drama about an extended Peranakan family in Singapore, and following the trials and tribulations of its heroine, Yamamoto Yueniang. Ranging from the 1930s to the present day, it's supposed to be good. I am especially interested in the OTP. Mmmmm. Shippy MV: I know I can get an english-subbed DVD on Yes Asia but I don't want to buy an expensive dvd of something I do not even know I will like. Any idea where I can stream or dl with subs? | |||
| Feb. 4th, 2010 @ 05:34 pm You're Beautiful: finally finished and the verdict is in | |||
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 Ta-da! I have finally finished You're Beautiful. I got through 14 eps earlier and watched the ending but I am a completist (sort of) and now finished the two eps in-between. Verdict: Still rather meh, but shockingly with distance from its crazy fandom I realized that I didn't hate it. Pros: * funny, fast-paced script with some hilarious parodies (IRIS, fanfics, music vids) and riffs. * some delicious acting by its young cast - especially Jang Geun Seok as Tae Kyung the emo diva. There is no hormonal interest here for me - not only is he way too young, he's entirely not my type, but despite that he made TK an absolute delight to watch and made me want to watch his future dramas. Park Shin Hye made Minam adorable a lot longer than she should have been by rights, Uee was hilarious as a futile schemer. Jung Yong Hwa was suitably pretty and a better actor than his counterpart Kim Hyun Joong in BOF, Lee Hongki was hilarious. etc. * I actually liked the soundtrack a lot. I like sugary sweet pop so this was up my alley. * A fangirl fantasy of what it's like to be in a boyband :P Cons: * I think my loss of interest in the second half was correlated directly to its biggest con - there was not much conflict or plot and the second half was when I realized it. Nothing really much happened. Any potential conflict was speedily resolved, every potential for a dramatic moment or situation undercut. There wasn't a strong character development or conflict - it was 16 eps of basically unchanged people having fun, like a long charming skit. This would have been fine for a mini-drama - say 5 eps long - but for a 16 ep drama it felt very draggy - there was not enough there for 16 hours' worth of eps. Especially since if there is no strong plot, there have to be either strong character development or really complex characters and this had neither - how could it when by its genre it was a fluffy fun trifle? But even a fluffy fun trifle as written by the usually-awesome Hong Sisters is too long when it's 16 eps. * Minam the Heroine - I don't mind silly heroines, nor do I mind helpless ones, or long-suffering saintly selfless ones. But a combination of all those is deadly. She was simply a heroine type I did not enjoy in the slightest. When I had hope she'd grow up and change I was OK, but once I realized it was not happening, the drama really started to bug me. Once again, this heroine lack wouldn't have been so bad if this had a strong plot - because then there would have been other things to concentrate on rather than Minam all the time. Or a shorter length would have helped - I only went into Minam overdose in the second half. * Love story - I could buy Minam and Tae Kyung liking each other, I just couldn't buy it in the long-term - that they would truly last or that there wasn't someone more compatible for them out there. I never really bought into the romance and that's a huge hurdle for a romcom. * Taking their climax directly from "A Star In My Heart." That's just not on. Extraneous factors that probably affected my reaction negatively: To be fair, these factors had nothing to do with YAB, but they are responsible for contributing to me being perhaps harsher to it than I should have been: * I am simply too old for this type of drama. I am possibly closer in age (though barely :P) to the characters' parents than the characters. Certainly closer in my place in life. So I am very much not the target audience. I have learned my lesson and now avoid teen dramas. * The rabid teenybopper YAB fanbase. I probably wouldn't have become a rabid YAB worshipper in any event (due to the above-mentioned reasons) but I confess I would have liked it much better if it wasn't for the fanbase which repeatedly proclaimed it the best drama ever made, most complex characters ever made, bashed any dramas which either competed with it in the ratings (IRIS), had the temerity to follow in in the time slot (Will it snow on Christmas), or had the audacity not to be YAB (too many dramas to name). They also demonstrated a cult-like defensiveness which did not endear them either. I am sorry, YAB! I shouldn't have let some crazy fans influence me! Mea culpa. Conclusion: A fun if not too-memorable trifle which would have worked better with shorter length (or possibly a quick marathon without too much time to think between eps) but had some delicious scenes and moments. | |||